CHAPTER XXXIV.
IN SAND CAVE.
Behind them the enraged Blackfeet began shooting, and the bulletswhistled over the heads of the fugitives.
"I pray none of those hits little Fairy," panted Frank.
"Ef we could strike some kind o' cover an' hed a minute to spar', we'dbe able ter stan' ther varmints off," came from Old Rocks.
"My rifle is empty."
"I ain't got mine, an' I'll allow my small guns are empty; but I kinload 'em as we run."
"We may have to fight anyhow."
"Right, boy. Ef we do, dog my cats ef we don't make some o' them oneryskunks gaul derned sick!"
Still running, Old Rocks snapped the empty shells from his revolvers,and replaced them with fresh cartridges.
At times it was not easy to keep track of the Hermit, who ran throughthe night with the speed of a deer and the tirelessness of a hound.
Now and then the frightened child cried out, and this aided Frank andthe old guide in following.
Rocks soon replenished his revolvers, and said:
"Thar, I kinder 'lows we kin make it interestin' fer them varmints efthey press us too hard. Dunno ez I kin find ther place whar I hid myrifle, but I reckons I oughter."
"If we escape."
"Ef we escape! Whut's ther matter with you, boy? Think we can't dodgethem red whelps in ther dark?"
"We might alone; but the man ahead of us may make no attempt to do so,and we must stand by him. It would not do to let the child fall into thehands of those wretches again. They would surely murder her."
"They'd be likely ter, an' that's facts. Oh, we'll back up ther Hermit,an' thar won't be no trouble 'bout gittin' erway, 'less them varmintsbehind manages ter hit one o' us with a lead pill."
The flight and pursuit continued, the Blackfeet seeming to have the eyesof owls or the scent of hounds. They pressed the fugitives hard, and OldRocks feared that some of the flying bullets which whistled around themwould find a mark.
At length the guide gave an exclamation of satisfaction.
"Reckon I knows whar ther Hermit is headin' fer," he said.
"Where?" asked Frank.
"Straight fer Sand Cave."
"Where is Sand Cave?"
"Not very fur ahead. Thar is some bowlders at ther mouth o' ther cave,and we oughter be able ter stand ther red niggers off thar."
"Are you sure the Hermit is going there?"
"I ain't sure, but it looks thet way. It ain't likely he kin keep upthis pace much farther, an' kerry ther child."
However, Old Rocks feared the man ahead might not be making for SandCave, and so he called to the Hermit, asking him if he knew where tofind the cave. The Hermit replied that he did, and Rocks urged him to gothere.
"Git in with ther gal--git in out o' ther way o' bullets," advised theold guide. "Ther boy an' me will stand ther red dogs off all right."
To this the Hermit agreed.
A short time later, as they were rushing along the base of a bluff, theHermit was seen to disappear.
"Hyar's ther cave!" panted Old Rocks, catching hold of the boy. "Rightyar behind these boulders. In with yer!"
Frank saw the dark mouth of the cave behind the bowlders, over which hevaulted.
The cry of the child came out of the darkness of the cave.
The Hermit and little Fay were there.
"Reddy!" hissed Old Rocks, crouching behind the bowlders--"reddy terrepel invaders!"
The Blackfeet were coming on, and their dusky forms suddenly appearednear at hand in the darkness.
On his knees behind a bowlder, Frank had drawn a revolver, and he beganfiring with Old Rocks.
The flash of the weapons blinded the boy for the moment, and he stoppedshooting when he had fired three times.
Old Rocks stopped at the same moment, growling:
"Thet's ther way with ther onery skunks! They'll never come up and beshot down ther way they oughter!"
The Indians had disappeared.
"Where are they?" asked Frank, wonderingly.
"Right near yere, you kin bet yer dust," answered the guide. "Theydrapped down ther instant we begun slingin' lead, an' they're huggin'ther yearth, you bet!"
"Did we kill any?"
"Wa-al, I dunno; but I'll allow thet I didn't do any shootin' fer fun. Idon't b'lieve in thet under such circumstances."
"This affair may bring on an Indian war."
"Let'er bring! It'll be er good thing ef it does, an' ther hull Injunnation is wiped out. But ther chances are thet it'll never be heard ofby anybody except them we tell it to. Ther varmints will make tracksouter ther park, fer they're on forbidden ground."
"If the soldiers should turn up----"
"It'd be a mighty good thing fer us. Still, I kinder reckon we'll beable ter hold Half Hand an' his gang off till they git weary."
They took care that their revolvers were replenished with cartridges,and then Frank loaded his rifle.
A sudden silence seemed to brood over the whole world.
Old Rocks stirred uneasily.
"I don't like it," he muttered, speaking to himself.
"Don't like what?" asked Frank, who felt a foreboding of some comingcatastrophe.
"This yare stillness. Why, thar ain't even an owl hootin'."
"What do you think it means?"
"Dunno; but it means somethin'. Keep yer eyes an' ears open, an' beready fer what may come."
Little Fay had ceased her sobbing, and the silence was finally broken byher voice:
"Who's doin' to tate me to my mamma?"
Then the Hermit was heard trying to comfort and reassure her.
"Dog my cats ef I wouldn't like ter smoke!" muttered Old Rocks; "butI'll allow thet it w'u'dn't do ter light a match hyar."
"No; it might be fatal. The light----"
The sharp report of a rifle rang out, and Frank fell backward behind thebowlder.
With a grated exclamation, Old Rocks flung up his revolver, and took asnap shot at the spot where he had seen the red flash of the weapon asit was discharged.
"Did you get him?" asked Frank, as he sat up.
"Dunno," was the answer; "but I wuz afeared he'd got you."
"The bullet whistled so close to my head that I felt the wind of it. Itmust have penetrated the cave."
To their ears came the sound of a deep groan, and then the voice of theHermit reached them:
"The bullet came in here. I am shot!"
"Holy cats!" gasped Old Rocks.
"The child!" panted Frank. "What if the red wretches fire again, andtheir bullets reach her? She must be placed where she will be safe."
"Right."
"Can you hold the mouth of the cave?"
"I kin try it."
"I will go in there and see how badly the Hermit is injured, and willsee if both cannot be placed beyond the reach of bullets."
"Thet's easy. Ther cave is a big one, but this hyar is ther onlyentrance ter it."
Frank crept back into the cave, softly calling to the Hermit. The manwas groaning, and, as Frank crept near, a pair of soft arms suddenlyclosed about the boy's neck, while a sweet voice sounded in his ear:
"I knows you w'en I hears you speak. You singed me to sleep. I tolt youI'd be your Fairy."
"So you did, dear," said the boy, giving her a tender embrace; "and Ihave done my best in the work of saving you from the Indians."
"Bad Injuns!" exclaimed Fay. "Dey tarry me off fwom my mamma. You tateme to my mamma?"
"We will, dear."
Frank's hands found the wounded man, and he asked:
"Where did the bullet strike you, Hermit?"
"Here in the side," was the faint answer. "I think I am done for! I havefound death at last!"
The boy shivered, for the words were uttered exultantly, as if the manactually rejoiced.
"Are you able to creep back farther into the cave?" Frank asked.
"I don't know. Why should I do so? It is too much exertion."
"If not for your
own sake, you should do so for the child. Anotherbullet may reach her."
The man stirred and sat up.
"That is true," he panted. "She must be returned uninjured, and FosterFairfax must know that I did my best to save her."
"Foster Fairfax! He is the man you saw this morning?"
"Yes."
"What is he to this child?"
"He is her father."
"And you--what are you to her?"
"Nothing."
Frank was somewhat dazed, for he had felt sure that the Hermit was Fay'sfather.
"We were friends," explained the wounded man. "I can't tell all thestory. We both loved Marian Dale. Our rivalry was fair and square, andwe swore that the one who won her should still retain the friendship ofthe other. At last, she promised to be mine at the end of six months.Business took me into the Southwest, and there I met Fairfax, who hadrushed away as soon as he learned of my success. He was somewhat bittertoward me, and accused me of using unfair means to win Marian. Weparted, and the very next day I was in a railroad collision, beinginjured about the head, so I did not know my own name. I recovered, butI was still unable to tell my name or remember anything of my past. Inthis condition, I wandered over the country four years. I was able tomake a living, and seemed all right, with the exception that I could notremember anything back of the accident. One night in Omaha I was in ahotel fire, and I jumped from the window to escape. They took me up inan unconscious condition, and carried me to a hospital. I recovered, andmy memory came back to me. Then I hurried East to Marian, and I foundher married to Foster Fairfax, who had told her that I was dead, andthat he had seen my dead body. This little girl is their child."
"While you are talking, you are losing blood," said Frank. "Move back,and let me see if I cannot stop the flow."
He induced the Hermit to move back into the cave, where he was able tolight some matches and examine the wound. Not being a physician, Frankcould not tell how severe it was; but, with considerable difficulty, hefinally succeeded in stanching the flow of blood to a certain extent.
"It is useless," declared the Hermit. "I am booked, and I am glad ofthat. I have nothing to live for."
"Yes, you has!" cried little Fay, creeping close to him. "I dess you ispretty dood man. One time I had a birdie that die, and it was alltovered up in the dround. You don't want to be all tovered up like dat.I don't want you to be."
"God bless you!" murmured the Hermit, thickly. "You are a dear, sweetchild, and I shall not live to make more trouble for your father andmother."
All was quiet at the mouth of the cave. Frank was longing to hear moreof the Hermit's story, and so he questioned the man.
"How does it happen that Foster Fairfax and his wife are not livingtogether?"
"I separated them."
"How?"
"I appeared like one risen from the dead, and Marian was prostrated bythe sight of me. I denounced Foster, called him a false friend and adastardly traitor. I was insane at the moment, and it is remarkable thatI did not kill him. However, I swore to have his life if we ever metagain. Then I left them."
"And you did not see Fairfax again till you met him here in the park?"
"No."
"How did it happen he left his wife?"
"When I met him I did not know they were not living together. He forcedme to listen, and he told me how he had taken a mangled corpse from thewreck and buried it as me--how he had firmly believed me dead. Then hebore the news to Marian, and she was prostrated.
"He loved her, but it was long before she consented to marry him. Atlast, she did so, and they married, both believing me in my grave."
Frank was fascinated by the story.
"Go on," he urged.
"When I appeared both were horrified. When I left them, Marian accusedFoster of treachery. She was unreasonable and would listen to nothing hecould say. She bade him leave her and never return. He departed, andthey have not seen each other since. He does not know she is somewherein the park, as she must be, else the child would not be here. I did nottell him of the peril of his child, but I resolved to save her andrestore her to his arms. I have saved her, but I shall be unable to takeher to him. I shall not live to see the light of another day."
"Oh, you may not be so badly injured as all that."
"I am. I am sure of it. I will leave the child in your care. Take herto him, and tell him that I forgive everything. Never again will I riselike one from the dead to come between Foster and Marian."
Frank remained with the man a while longer, and then, telling Fay tostay there that she might keep beyond the reach of bullets, he returnedto the mouth of the cave.
"I'm glad ye've come, boy," said Old Rocks. "Ef them pesky varmintsain't gone away entirely, they're up ter mischief, an' I needs yerhyar."
They crouched behind the bowlders and waited, while the minutes slippedaway, and the same silence reigned.
At least an hour passed, and then came a sudden sound that filled bothwith surprise and alarm.
Behind them there was a faint dropping in the cave, a movement, a rush,and a roar. Then a cloud of dust swirled out and nearly smothered them.
"What is the meaning of that?" said Frank, bewildered.
"A cave-in!" shouted Old Rocks, making a hasty examination. "By therlivin' gods! ther hull derned cave is blocked, an' ther Hermit an' therleetle gal is both buried beneath ur beyond thet fall!"
Frank was horrified beyond measure.
"It is terrible!" he gasped. "Poor little Fay!"
"What you want?" asked the familiar voice of the child, near at hand."It was lonetome in dere. The mans goed to sleep, an' I tomed out to seeyou."
"Thank God!" came fervently from Frank's lips, as he caught her up inhis arms and covered her face with kisses.
"Wa-al, thet's whut I call luck!" gurgled the guide.
"Luck!" cried Frank, rebukingly. "It was the hand of Providence! Can youdoubt the wisdom and goodness of an Overruling Power after this?"
"Dunno ez I kin," admitted the old man. "It duz look like something a'ther kind took her out o' thar jest at ther right time."
A complete examination showed that the whole roof of the cave hadapparently fallen in, and the passage was blocked with tons upon tons ofearth and sand.
"This yar's ther end o' Sand Cave," said Old Rocks.
They kept the child with them and waited behind the rocks for the attackof the Blackfeet, but no attack came. Thus the long night passed, andanother day came round.
Then it was found that the Indians had departed.
"They didn't dar' stay hayer longer," said Old Rocks. "Ther whelps wuzafeared o' ther soldiers. I'd like ter run onter ther soldiers an' set'em arter Half Hand an' ther gang."
Led by the guide, they left the spot. Frank carried Fay in his arms.
Old Rocks first proceeded to the spot where he had hidden his rifle,and, with that again in his possession, he expressed himself as feelingready to "chaw up ther hull Blackfeet tribe."
They found some game for breakfast and dinner, and before nightfall theyreached the camp on the shore of the lake, where Preston March andFoster Fairfax had met.
A large party of tourists had gathered there, and the appearance of theman and boy, the latter bearing Fay in his arms, created the greatestexcitement. Several persons rushed into the tent and drew forth a manand woman, the latter white and grief-stricken, and pointed out thechild, who was sitting on Frank's shoulder and waving her hand, as shelaughingly called:
"I dess my mamma is dere! I knowed you'd tate me bat to my mamma!"
The man and woman were Foster Fairfax and his wife, who had met byaccident there in the Wonderland of America. She had told him how littleFay had wandered away and become lost, and both had feared that theywould never see their child again.
Their unutterable joy cannot be depicted in words. Frank and Old Rockswere the heroes of the occasion.
"Yer don't want ter give me too much credit fer this yar," said theguide. "I done ther trailin',
but this yar tenderfut saved me frum bein'killed twice, an' he's got nerves o' steel. It ain't often I take ter atenderfut, but I will allow thet this yar chap is a boy ter tie to. Therbabby sticks by him; he has won her heart. Dog my cats ef I blame hereither!"
Then the old man told how Frank had saved him from the grizzly, how theboy had been tireless on the trail, how he had not murmured at anyhardship, and how he had broken the arm of the Blackfoot Indian who wasabout to brain the guide.
As a result, Frank found himself regarded with unspeakable admiration byall the tourists, while Foster Fairfax and his wife could not say or doenough to express their feelings.
Frank told them of the death of Preston March, and, later, whenProfessor Scotch and Barney had been found by Rocks and brought into theparty, all visited the spot where the Hermit of Yellowstone Park layburied beneath tons of earth.
At the mouth of the cave Foster Fairfax caused a cross to be erected,bearing the name of the unfortunate man, the date of his birth and ofhis death.
Frank remained in the park till he succeeded in photographing some "realwild buffalo," and then he was well satisfied to move on to other fieldsof adventure.
Half Hand was shot while trying to get away with a stolen horse about ayear later.
When the time came to part from Frank, little Fay was almostheart-broken. She clung to him, sobbing:
"Is you doin' to leave me? I don't want you to! You know I is yourFairy."
"You will ever be my Fairy," said the boy, with deep feeling. "Yourmamma has promised me your picture, and I shall keep it with me ever.Some time by and by, dear, I will come back to you again."
And he kissed her farewell.