CHAPTER VI.
A MISCALCULATION.
The Indian was doing his best. Had the whole tribe been assembled onthat clearing, with eyes fixed on him and urging him on, he could havedone no better. He had run many a race, and, since his manhood, had wonthem all. Most were gained by no more than half trying, just as heexpected to gain this one when he ordered his companions to remainbehind in the wood, and leave to him the task of bringing back the whiteyouth who had the effrontery to appear as a contestant in a trialagainst him.
The expectation of Blazing Arrow was that of running down WhartonEdwards just before or at the time he entered the wood on the oppositeside of the clearing. Stretching forward his massive hand, he meant tohurl him from his feet, and then drive him back to where the otherwarriors were waiting to subject him to their whimsical torture.
Yes, Wharton Edwards was destined, in Blazing Arrow's mind, for thetorture. This had been the fierce savage's purpose from the outset, andit remained as such for a few moments after the two had burst into theopening. Then a doubt arose, and by the time half the clearing wasthrown behind him the despised youth in front was running faster than hewas.
The soul of Blazing Arrow must have been humiliated beyond expressionwhen, despite the most strenuous exertions he could put forth, and theknowledge that never in all his life had he run with greater speed, thatlithe, graceful youth in front began steadily drawing away from him.
It was an astounding truth. Wharton Edwards could outrun the champion ofthe Shawanoes, and he was doing it with such certainty that neither henor his pursuer could fail to see the fact.
The youth waited till a fourth of the distance was passed, so therecould be no mistake as to the actual test. He had gone that far withall the strength of which he was capable. He knew that his pursuer haddone the same, so that when he glanced around, the truth as to theirrelative speed must be established.
The result was more striking than he had dared to hope. He had widenedperceptibly the space between them, and was still doing so, even thoughhis venomous enemy was putting forth the utmost exertions of which hewas capable.
It can be understood how the discovery thrilled the fugitive, and he canbe pardoned if, even in that trying moment, he felt a touch of regretthat the race between him and the Indian did not take place, as it wasarranged, at the settlement. What a triumph he would have won!
Nor can he be blamed because in the flush of victory, and with thebelief that the real danger was past, he deliberately snatched off hiscap, swung it above his head, and uttered a shout of exultation. It wasonly human nature, and you or I would have done the same had we been inhis place.
The cry was wormwood and gall to Blazing Arrow, and deep must have beenhis regret that at the time when, seized with drunken frenzy, he madefor the lad, he did not finish him. Had he done so, the Shawanoe wouldhave been saved this humiliation.
Why did not the pursuer stop short and bring his rifle into play? He wasa good marksman, and the distance was not enough to require any specialskill on his part. Doubtless the dusky miscreant was influenced byseveral reasons, one of which was the loss of ground he would sustain.Then, too, a man who has been using his muscles so fiercely is not inthe best condition to aim a rifle accurately. Furthermore, it is notimpossible that the Shawanoe believed that the youth was unable tomaintain his astounding speed. He must soon slacken it, and then theIndian champion would take revenge for this temporary defeat. Whartonfeared an attempt to shoot him, and he continued his prodigiousexertion, since there was every inducement to increase the gain he hadmade, and the sheltering wood was now but a short way in advance. Heglanced back a couple of times, and then threw his thoughts forward, forhe recalled that he was confronted by a peculiar condition of things.
Immediately after entering the forest again, the trail made what may bedescribed as a horseshoe curve. A deep, wooded ravine interposing infront necessitated a looping of the path. The circuit was a furlong inlength, the trail coming back to within a few rods of the first turn.Standing at this point, one could see the slightly ascending course onthe side of the narrow ravine, and a man or animal walking up the gentleincline was in view of any one at the beginning of the curve.
It will be understood, therefore, that if Blazing Arrow should halt atthis point the instant he reached it, and the youth should keep to thetrail, the latter would come directly under the muzzle of his own rifle,in the hands of his implacable enemy.
But Wharton Edwards was not the one to throw away an advantage gained bya display of speed such as it is safe to say no other living personcould have made. It would have been idiotic to do so when no necessityexisted.
Several ways of escape presented themselves. He could leave the trail atthe lower point of the loop, not returning to it until well beyond sightof his enemy, or possibly he could leap across the gorge, as he had donein the case of the torrent, and thus not sacrifice any ground.
It was this step which he revolved in his mind while dashing across thelast fourth of the narrow plain, but a single fact restrained him; hedoubted his ability to make a successful leap. Although he had been overthe path several times, and might be considered familiar with it, he hadnever studied it closely enough to settle the question without anotherinspection, and there was not a minute to spare for making that.
If he could make the leap it would be a great gain; if he should fail,the disaster would be irreparable, for among the wood, brush andundergrowth he could neither conceal himself nor travel as fast as theShawanoe, who would quickly have him at his mercy. The risk was toogreat to incur, and he decided not to take it. He did a thing, on thecontrary, which was like an inspiration. Making the short turn, he ran afew rods, when he glanced toward the plain. Blazing Arrow was invisible,and would remain so for several minutes, despite the speed with which hewas approaching.
The youth made a powerful leap aside from the path, and dodged behindthe trunk of an oak large enough to shelter his body. Then he stoodpanting, alert and watchful, awaiting the coming of his enemy. He sawhim a minute later, through the trees, running with undiminished speed,and like an engine that was absolutely tireless. The Shawanoe was morefamiliar with the course of the trail than the youth, and therefore knewof its looping, which had puzzled the latter for a few brief moments.The course adopted by the Shawanoe was peculiar, and for a time assumedan almost ludicrous phase.
The quick glance which he cast down the path failed to show him thefugitive, who he must have supposed was still running over it and wouldspeedily reappear as he rushed up the incline. By leaping the ravine hewould head him off and have him at his mercy.
The pursuer decided to adopt this course, and with only a slightslackening of pace he dashed toward the gorge; but when almost on thebrink he must have concluded the chances of success were against him,and he changed his mind. But he did not succeed in changing the courseof his body, as he meant to do. He would not have failed had the bank ofthe ravine been as firm as he supposed it was. He checked himself withthe skill of an experienced runner; but the ground gave way, and despiteeverything he could do he went floundering, scrambling and struggling tothe bottom of the ravine, which was almost perpendicular and fullythirty feet deep.
Had he given less attention to the effort to save himself and lookedwhere he was going it would have been better; for, as it was, althoughthe fall was considerable, it was so broken that it would have amountedto little had not his head come in collision with the base of one ofthe trees growing in the bottom of the gorge. The impact was violent,and must have jarred the tree. It jarred Blazing Arrow to that extentthat he tumbled over on his back senseless.
Wharton Edwards was watching matters like a cat waiting for a mouse.When he saw the Shawanoe disappearing he ran cautiously forward from hishiding-place, and, not forgetting to screen himself, peeped over theedge of the ravine.
"I'm afraid he hasn't broken his neck," he muttered, as he noted theshock the other had received, "though that crack against the trunk ofthe tree was enough to
kill anyone."
This unlooked-for incident insured the safety of the fugitive, who, ifhe chose, could have continued his flight to the block-house; but twoconsiderations led him to take a different course. He could not desertLarry Murphy, who, beyond all question, was in imminent peril, and hedisliked beyond expression to lose his rifle, which was a birthday giftfrom his father, and a superior piece of workmanship. It was this actthat led him to attempt a feat worthy of Simon Kenton himself.
Leaping lightly from the edge of the ravine, he grasped the branches ofa tree near at hand. It bent low with his weight and broke; but heseized another, and that also, after dipping downward, gave way and lethim fall. By that time he was so near the ground that he dropped lightlyto his feet. He paused and glanced at Blazing Arrow lying outstretchedon his back, with his face upturned, as if he were dead. But he was not;he was only senseless.
"If he will only stay that way for a few minutes I shall be all right;but if he awakes----"
Aye, if he awoke, what vengeance he would take on the youth who darednot only to beat him at running, but to steal like a beast of prey uponhim!
But young Edwards had determined upon his line of action, and it was nowtoo late to turn back.