CHAPTER IX
Lost in the Forest
"Them 'ere Injuns has stopped, and the hull crowd of us is collectingtogether," suddenly exclaimed Hank Mitchell, when the party of pursuershad marched steadily throughout the day till evening was approaching,and were in the depths of a forest which, for three hours past, hadbeen getting denser and denser. "I've seed myself signs that told asHurley wasn't so far ahead, and I'd reckon that Fox and his friend haveseen something more than warns 'em that things may be warmin' up in alittle. There's Mike beckoning."
It was not an easy matter to see far in this thick forest, even whenthe light was at its best, which was not the case now that evening wasapproaching. But it happened that Mike and the Indian trackers hadcome to rest at a spot which gave the others a clear view of them, sothat as those marching in the rear came up, they were able to see thecomrades who preceded them gathering into a circle. Mike addressedPeter and Hank immediately on their arrival, speaking in subdued tones.
"He ain't got much go left in him," he said excitedly. "Fox reckons ashe went right off to sleep in his saddle hereabouts, and happenin' toride under a low branch, got swept off his horse. See here."
He had halted his friends a little to one side of the track followed byHurley, a track easily to be distinguished; for the two horses themurderer had stolen trod down undergrowth at every step, leaving atrail which even Joe, with all his inexperience, could have followed.Some yards ahead it was evident that something unusual had happened,for the undergrowth was trodden down in a wide circle. Hank, his headdown, his eyes glued to the trace, sniffing as if he were a dog, atonce shot from the circle and, taking pains to tread outside the trail,inspected every part of it.
"Huh!" he grunted, with satisfaction which was evident. "Hurley ain'tthe man that can put up with much loss of sleep. Besides, he's beenbustling these many hours, and that makes a man tired. You kin seewhat happened. Of course, Fox and Bill were bound to notice it.Reckon he carries a gun slung over his shoulder, and that was the causeof his tumble."
Joe looked the question he would have dearly loved to ask, and Hank,happening to catch his eye at that moment, beckoned to the lad.
"You come along over here and keep right clear of the trace," he said."Now, I know what you were about to ask. How'd I know as he had a gunslung over his shoulder? Wall, here's the answer." He pointed to alow bough which stretched right across the trail, and at once Joe'seyes searched it. There was a small gash on the side from which Hurleymust have approached the branch, and the gash extended underneath forsome little distance, perhaps for a matter of three inches, while rightat the end a piece of bark had been torn out.
"Plain, ain't it?" said Hank. "You could draw his picture, ef you hada pencil and paper and was a hand at sich things. Just tell us how itwas."
"Fast asleep and bending forward," ventured Joe.
"Jest so. Bendin' forward, 'cos that's the way with a man that hasdropped off in his saddle. Wall?"
"Gun slung over his shoulder--right shoulder, I should say."
"Why?" snapped Hank. "No guessin', now."
"Because the gash on this side of the branch slants in that direction,looking at it from below."
"Good fer you. Get ahead!"
"I shouldn't have guessed that the gash was caused by a rifle, though,"admitted Joe, with candour. "You told me that part of it. However, Ithink the gun was over his right shoulder; the muzzle caught the branchand swept Hurley backward till he toppled out of his saddle. I supposehe awoke with a start and made a frantic effort to keep his seat.That's when the muzzle--perhaps the sight of the rifle--dug deeper intothe bark and ripped a piece away."
"You aer gettin' along fine," said Hank encouragingly. "What next?"
"There's where he fell," said Joe, pointing to the trace. "His fallstartled both horses; one went to the right and the other to the left.They were roped together in all probability, or they would have gonefarther apart. Hurley picked himself up, scrambled on one of theirbacks, and went ahead."
"Cussin' at bein' so shook up," grunted Hank. "That's a fine tale, andyou've told it well, young chap. But next time you must be the fust tospot things like this without gettin' hints from anyone. Mike," hecalled softly, "what'll you do?"
"That's jest what I'm wonderin'," came the answer. "How'd you fix it?"
The shrewd and sharp little Hank had no doubts on the matter; in fact,it was clear that he had come to a decision promptly, the moment he hadseen what had happened. "There ain't two ways for it," he saidcrisply. "Hurley's 'way ahead, and not so far, neither. Most like, efhe feels as we're close on his heels, he'll choose a likely spot andturn. Now we don't want to let him feel anything of the sort, and soit's up to us to creep on without a sound. Ef I war boss here I'd sendthree or four of the party 'way ahead, t'others to follow, and be readyto dash along up ef there was a call. But four ought to be enough tocollar Hurley ef he was without a rifle, while the same number kin easyround him up and hold him till t'others arrive."
"Then that's jest what I was thinking," cried Mike, looking across atPeter.
"Same here," nodded that individual. "Hank aer the boy fer jobs ofthis sort. He's had experience, while chaps same as I am can't hope toknow much about tracking, when the best part of our time's spent on oursections. Ef he says go ahead like that, why, in course it's up to usto do it."
"Then we'll send Fox along," said Mike. "I'll go ahead too, and Hankwith me. Who else?"
"Why not Joe?" asked Hank suddenly. "He's cute, he is, and he ain'tlikely to get scared. You could shoot, lad, ef this Hurley turned andfired in amongst us?"
"I would certainly," admitted Joe. "Of course, I don't want to haveto, for I should hate to kill or injure a man; but then he's amurderer."
"He's that," agreed Mike, with energy, "and he don't deserve softtreatment. Still, ef he'll come in quiet, he shall be treated fair; efhe don't, why, then, it's his own lookout. Best go afoot; eh, Hank?"
"Sure! We can move jest as fast, and we shan't make anything like thesound. You get ahead with Fox, Mike; I'll take Joe and larn him alittle as we go."
At once they handed over their horses to their comrades, Joe passinghis to Peter.
"You're in real luck, you are, lad," whispered the latter, as he tookthe bridle. "I ain't never seen Hank take so much trouble with anyone,least of all a green 'un lately out from the Old Country. He aer fairtook to you, and Hank aer one of them queer cusses that when he's fixeda thing in his own mind he don't never alter. So you've a friend thereas you kin count on."
Slinging a bag across their shoulders, and packing a tin mug and someprovisions, the quartet took up their rifles, saw that they hadsufficient ammunition, and then strode off through the deepening gloomof the forest, the silent and ever-watchful Fox in advance, with Mikeclose behind him; at a little distance in the rear came Hank, with Joebeside him.
"Jest you watch this," whispered the little man. "That there Fox don'tmake a sound as he goes, nor Mike neither, and he's a big man. Wall,see how they tread: always with caution; always lookin' first to seewhat's underfoot. And ef they can't see, as'll be the case afore long,why, then, they bends down and feels. You've got to be wary all thewhile, I tell you. Supposing as you go you swung the butt of your gunagin one of these tree trunks, wall, a man as was listening could hearthe sound half a mile away, for a forest carries sound; then, supposin'you was to step on a piece of fallen branch, fallen perhaps last yearand dry as tinder now, why, it'd break with a crack that would make youthink someone had fired a gun, and that 'ere Hurley would hear itwhether he was listening special or not. So go carefully, whatever youdo; silence aer important."
Joe found the task he had undertaken one of the most fascinating he hadever attempted, for he was aware that the other three who formed theparty were experienced men, and unlikely to do anything to cause analarm. It was with himself that the danger lay, and he determined thenand there that he would return Hank's kindness in asking
for him to beone of the band by taking every care to avoid noise. Yet it was not byany means an easy matter, for Fox pushed the pace. The lean Indianstrode forward with a long, stealthy stride, making not so much as asound. His head was bent towards his chest, his back bowed, while theinward-pointed toes of either foot seemed to be able to see every twigbeneath them, and avoid them as if they were so many tinned tacks,liable to cause a spasm of agony to the one who trod upon them.
The huge and bulky Mike, contrary to one's expectations, followed theIndian with fairy-like footsteps; for the policeman was possessed of awonderfully springy step, which carried him silently through theforest. Hank's method of progress hardly needs description. Thelittle, lean man, whose features expressed his character so faithfully,strode along in silence, and with such apparent unconcern andcarelessness that one would almost have expected him to trip over somerotting stump, or in other way create some sound liable to reach theears of Hurley. But that was Hank's way. As a matter of fact, thelittle fellow might be said to be all ears and eyes. He never seemedto step aside, or to alter by the merest inch the length of his paces;and yet contrast his movements with those of our hero. Joe was in afever; his eyes were glued to the ground, while his legs were flungthis way and that; for every second he seemed to see some lurking twig,the smallest pressure upon which would send an alarm ringing throughthe forest.
Two hours later the light had failed to such an extent that it becamedifficult to see the underwood, and the whole party was forced toproceed as best they could, an occasional sharp crack showing that oneor other had stepped on a branch.
"Seems to me as ef we was coming somewheres near water," said Hank,after a long silence. "Somehow the air feels moister, and I've heardtell as there are big lakes in this direction. What's that 'ere Injunstopped for?"
"Men been here before," exclaimed Mike, who had halted beside theIndian as Hank came up. "Fox has found trees cut down; lumbermenperhaps have been in this direction."
"Seems to me as ef we was nigh clear of the forest too," said Hank."I've kinder felt water this past half-hour, and ef we pushes on a fewyards, seems to me we'll sight it. Ef so, Hurley aer closer than wethought, for he'll have had his way stopped, and will have had to turn.Let's git on."
They proceeded again, but this time with added caution, and within alittle while suddenly broke their way out of the forest on to the bankof a lake which seemed to be entirely surrounded by dense tree growth.It was almost too dark to distinguish the size of this lake, thoughHank declared that it was very large.
"What's more, we're at the far end of it," he said, with conviction,"and ef I'm right, this Hurley ain't had to go so far out of hiscourse. He'll have cut to the right a little, and then straight northagain. I kin see his game too. He aer making for James Bay in thehope that he may hit upon one of the Hudson Bay steamers going north.It aer a long journey, but ef he could win through he'd be safer thananywhere else. See here, he's gone right as I said he would."
They turned along the trail again, this time in the gloaming, theireyes now and again turned to the surface of the lake afar off, wherethe rays of the setting sun were reflected. Not that they could seethe sun itself--that orb was entirely hidden by the trees--but perhapsits light reached the water by way of some huge gap in the foliage atpresent unseen by the little party.
"A hut, 'way over there!"
It was Mike who brought all to a sudden stop by this information,sending them one and all to their knees, so as to make themselves lessvisible.
"Not as it aer likely as he could see us any more'n we could see him,"said Hank. "Still, it aer always wise to take precautions. Now Iguess there is jest one thing fer us to do. We want to strike rightoff into the forest and skirt round till we're closer to that 'ere hut.Of course, Hurley mayn't have stopped there; but then he may. Ef so,like as not he'll be watchin' the trace he's left, and ef we continuedto follow it, he'd see us in half a jiffy."
"Then let's get moving," cried Mike impatiently. "I'm for takingHurley the very first moment we can. But we shall have to rush him;he's not the sort of fellow to give in without a struggle, and he'llkick hard, you may say for certain."
"He's bound to put lead into someone or sommat," agreed Hank dryly."We've got to get him cornered, and then attract his attention in onedirection while some of us rushes him from the other. Now, boys."
"This way." Mike led the way beside the Indian, and once more thelittle quartet dived into the forest, where giants towered on eitherhand. Not that your wooded country in New Ontario can show suchenormous trees as are to be found much farther west, on the far side ofthe Rocky Mountains, in British Columbia, to wit. For there afavourable climate and a wonderfully fertile soil has caused monstersto rear their heads to enormous heights, while the girth of some isstupendous. But New Ontario can show some arboreal development that isnot to be despised, while in parts timber groups itself into greatforests, some of which have perhaps never yet seen a white man, thoughthe majority have by now witnessed the arrival of prospectors, and mayeven have echoed to the ring of the lumberman's axe.
Threading their way amongst the trees, and now and again having toclamber over some fallen giant--for here, on the edge of the lake, thetrees were more exposed to winter winds, and some had suffered inconsequence--Joe and his friends gradually worked their way along tillopposite the part where the southern bank of the lake turned abruptlynorth. Following this new direction, and creeping with the utmost carethrough the undergrowth, it was some little while before they werewithin sight of the hut which they had viewed from their firstposition. It stood down by the water, thickly surrounded byundergrowth, though the trees which had at one time no doubt rearedtheir heads there had been felled. It was just a small shack built oflogs and roofed with strips of bark.
"Nigh falling to pieces too," whispered Hank, who had wonderfuleyesight. "Guess a lumber gang was 'way up here some little time back,and that's where they worked and lived during the winter. The questionnow aer this. Where's Hurley? Ef he's hidin' there we have him. Efhe ain't, why, lookin' at the hut don't help us any, and merely letshim get farther off."
"We'll send Fox forward, then," answered Mike, his mouth close toHank's head, "unless you think that you----"
"No, I don't say as I couldn't get there and back without even aRedskin hearin' or seein' me," said Hank; "but then I might fail. Andit's jest sense ef you've got an Injun to make use of him. Thecritters is that cunning, they'd nigh creep into a house and be sittin'down beside you before a man was aware that they was there. They'rethe silentest and the most cunnin' fellers as ever I did set eyes on.Ef it wasn't that Hurley might be over yonder, I'd tell yer a yarn ofhow a Redskin crawled into my camp one night and as near killed me aspossible. But send him off, while we lie down close."
Sinking their bodies in the undergrowth, they lay still for some twentyminutes, during which Fox was away from the spot. He went off towardsthe hut with merely a low grunt to show that he knew what was expectedof him, and though Joe did his utmost to follow the man's track, therewas never a sound, never a waving bramble to show where Fox had gone.Then, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, our hero discovered the Indiancrawling in behind him.
"Shucks!" grinned Hank, watching Joe. "I was wonderin' when you'd getwind of him. That 'ere chap could ha' knifed or tomahawked you easy.How did I know that he was comin'? That's what you're trying to ask.Jest this way--you heard a frog croaking a while back?"
Joe had; he had wondered where the beast was, and had listened to thecall three or four times repeated. He nodded in Hank's direction.
"Wall, that war this here Injun cuss. It was jest his signal to let usknow as he was comin', so that we shouldn't get blazing into the bushand shooting him. Seen anything?" he asked, swinging round on theIndian, who, now that his task was accomplished, was seatednonchalantly behind Mike, not venturing to give his news till he wasinterrogated.
"Seen the man," came the curt answer. "Tracks lead right to the
shack.Hurley lying down asleep, I think. Horses hidden in the forest to theleft."
"Ah! Then this chase is drawin' to a close," said Mike, satisfactionin his tones. "Hurley's there, fast asleep, perhaps. Seems as ef hemust have made up his mind that we'd stopped for the night. Guess wecan walk right in and take him--eh, Hank?"
"Shouldn't, ef I was you; Hurley aer as cute as a hull bag o' monkeys.True, he aer dead sleepy, onless he managed to get some sleep on hishoss, which ain't altogether onlikely. Only he got knocked out of thesaddle, as you might easily expect. Supposin' he ain't asleep, but aerlyin' hid there, you ain't going to take him so easy. Seems to me thefust thing's to make sure of the hosses; then you kin creep in, and efyou still ain't certain whether he's awake or asleep, why, one of uskin kick up a rumpus close handy. That'll bring him out, when t'otherscan jump on his back and take him."
"Then Fox will see to the horses," declared Mike promptly. "We threewill creep up close to the house. As soon as Fox sends us his signalwe'll get closer, and if there's no sign of our man, we'll send Joe outto draw him. Savvy, lad?"
"Quite," said Joe. "I'll strike a blow with the butt of my rifle onone of the trees and then sit down close to the trunk."
"And keep out o' sight," advised Hank. "That ere the hull ticket,Mike. There ain't no use waitin'. Jest now there's a little light; inhalf an hour a fellow will want a pine knot flaring before his face efhe wishes to know where he's going."
Once more the little party was set in motion, Fox detaching himselffrom the others. As for Joe, he crawled after Hank, every muscle ofhis body vibrating. Every now and again his eyes went to the hut, noweasily distinguishable; for though it was dark within the forest, therewas still some light over the lake, while the hut itself stoodsilhouetted against the fast-failing rays of the setting sun as theyfell aslant the water. Perhaps it took the trio ten minutes to reachthe shack. Perhaps the minutes were even shorter, though to our herothe time seemed terribly long. His patience, indeed, was badlystrained before he had taken up what was to be his position. As forHank and Mike, they were lying down within ten feet of the shack, onthat side away from the door opposite which was Joe. It now onlyremained for Fox to send his signal. As for Hurley, there was no signof him. He might have been a hundred miles away. Suddenly there camea loud neigh from the depths of the forest, followed by another, andthen a whinnying which told of the presence of horses. Joe heard thebeasts stamping as if they were frightened, or as if the arrival of theRedskin had caused them pleasure. In any case, the noise came to thehut distinctly. A second later Joe imagined he heard a sound fromwithin. It was followed by the sudden appearance of a figure, bentalmost double, and rushing out into the open, as if some force werebehind him and propelling him. Indeed, long before our hero could lifthis weapon or could shout, Hurley--for he it undoubtedly was--hadbounded across the narrow open space about the shack and had dived intothe forest.
"After him!" bellowed Mike at the top of his voice, as he plungedthrough the bushes. As for Hank, no sound left his lips. The littleman trailed his rifle and went off after Hurley with his head down andhis ears pricked, and eager to catch every sound. Need the reader feelsurprised that Joe followed suit. Recovering from the utterastonishment into which the sudden manoeuvre had thrown him, he grippedhis own weapon and darted after his comrades. He could hear themdirectly to the front, and dashed headlong after them. Then hisalready-wounded head came into somewhat violent contact with a branch,and Joe sat down rapidly. But he pulled himself together after awhile, and, with his brain dizzy and buzzing, thrust his way onwardthrough the dense growth of trees and underwood. How long he continuedthe effort he never knew. Suffice it to say that he made a desperateendeavour to keep up with and gain upon his fellows. Then, of asudden, he discovered that there was not one single sound to directhim. A minute before he had imagined he heard the crash of men dashingthrough the forest; now there was a deathly silence all about him. Hestood still, panting, endeavouring to silence his own breathing and tostill the thud of his throbbing heart. No, not a sound but what wasmade by himself. He shouted--not an answer; not a shout in return. Hecalled loudly on Hank and Mike to tell him of their direction. Then,as the minutes passed and silence still surrounded him, he pushedvaliantly on amongst the trees, hoping every half-minute that therewould be a signal. Whether he went directly forward or retraced hissteps, or faced the east, the west, the south, or the north, Joe wasentirely ignorant. He was lost, in fact. The knowledge after a whiledrove him frantic, so that he plunged aimlessly to and fro; then,fortunately for him, perhaps, a second collision with a tree knockedhim senseless. For the moment his troubles were forgotten, though hisplight was still the same; and the plight of a man lost in thebackwoods of Canada is often enough desperate. Indeed, many a poorfellow has gone, never to be found again, swallowed by the trees which,as the years roll on, are felled to form the log huts of the settlerscrowding into the Dominion.