CHAPTER VI.
THE MEDICINE-MAN.
"You keerless feller! You're here arter all, haint you?"
Archie looked up, and for the first time discovered that he had acompanion in trouble. It was Dick Lewis, who was standing bound to apost by a band of hickory bark, which was drawn tight about his breastand arms. It is hard to tell which was the more astonished, the trapperor Archie. Numerous questions were asked and answered on both sides, andwhen Archie told of the mistake the outlaws had made, and how he came tobe taken prisoner, Dick drew a long breath of relief.
"I'll allow that it makes me feel a heap easier to know that you aint inno danger of bein' massacreed," said he. "This is a leetle the wustscrape I ever seed you in yet; but as long as me an' old Bob are alive,you won't want fur friends to help you. Do you see that feller standin'over thar?"
Archie looked in the direction in which the trapper nodded his head, andwas almost ready to drop with astonishment when he saw his cousinstanding beside the chief's wigwam, bound and helpless like himself. Heknew now why Frank had not returned to the valley.
"How came he here?" asked Archie.
"Go over thar an' talk to him, an' he'll tell you all about it," repliedthe trapper. "I want plenty of elbow room around here, 'cause when I getready I'm goin' to leave, an' any thing that stands in my way will mostlikely get hurt. You'll hear something break purty soon, an' when I getstarted, jest keep your eye on me if you want to see runnin' as isrunnin'."
Archie, judging from this that Dick did not want him there, walkedslowly toward the place where his cousin was standing. As he passed thepost he took a hasty glance at his friend's bonds, and wondered how heintended to escape from them. If he could break that piece of bark, hemust be possessed of the power of a dozen men, for it was strong enoughto hold an ox-team. But then Dick's strength was something wonderful,and there was no knowing what he might do in an emergency like this.
The cousins did not spend much time in talking over their adventures,for they were too deeply interested in what was going on around them.The commotion occasioned by the arrival of the outlaws had subsided, andthe chiefs were ready to proceed with their business. The aged warrioragain lighted the pipe of peace, which was passed around the circle,each chief taking two or three puffs and handing it to his neighbor. Themost profound silence was maintained in the village during thisceremony, which occupied several minutes; and while it was going on, theattention of the boys was attracted by a curious-looking object whichsuddenly made its appearance before them. They could not tell what itwas, either by its size, shape, or movements. Sometimes it went on allfours, and then it looked like a bear with a crane's head; then it threwitself flat on the ground, and waddled along like an alligator, turningits queer looking head and sharp bill about as if seeking something todevour; and when it reached the edge of the council-ground, it took theform of a ball, and rolled along, as swiftly as if it had been sent froma boy's bat, until it reached the fire, when it stopped, and with a loudyell jumped to its feet and straightened out. Then the boys saw that itwas an Indian, dressed in a most fantastic costume, and that he carrieda tomahawk in one hand and a knife in the other.
"Oh, it's the medicine-man," said Frank.
"Well, he's a delightful looking fellow," observed Archie. "How wouldyou like to have him prowling about your bed if you were sick? What ishe going to do, I wonder?"
THE MEDICINE MAN AND DICK LEWIS.]
The boys were not kept long in doubt on this point, for the medicine-manhad evidently come there on business of his own, and was not disposed towaste any time. He first began tramping in a circle about the placewhere the chiefs were sitting, and then the cousins saw that he carriedthe burden of many years on his shoulders, for he walked with totteringsteps, and form half bent. But he seemed to have plenty of energyleft in his old body, for he stamped the ground furiously as he movedalong, causing the rattles which he wore around his legs to ring outmusically, and expended a good deal of strength in flourishing his knifeand tomahawk. Wondering eyes followed all his movements,broad-shouldered warriors stepped respectfully aside to let him pass,but he did not appear to notice any thing or any body. He moved with hiseyes fastened upon the ground, and all the while singing a low,monotonous song. He made the circuit of the council-ground at leasttwenty times, without once looking up or changing his attitude, and theboys began to wonder what object he could have in view in tramping aboutthat way; when suddenly, as he was passing the trapper, he raised hishatchet, and with one swift blow buried its bright blade in the post,almost to the handle and within an inch of Dick's head, and left itthere, while he continued on his walk around the council-ground.
An exclamation of horror burst from both the boys as they witnessed thisact of the medicine-man. They thought, when they saw the tomahawkdescending, that they had seen the trapper alive for the last time; buthe was still erect and unharmed, although the tomahawk had passed soclose to his head that a lock of his hair was buried with it in thepost. A less practiced hand than the medicine-man's would have driventhe weapon into Dick's brain.
"Oh, don't I wish I was free, and had my breech-loader in my hands!"exclaimed Archie, who was so nearly beside himself with rage and alarmthat he could scarcely speak plainly. "There would be one doctor less inthis tribe. I'd up-end that old rascal so quick that he wouldn't knowwhat hurt him."
Frank did not say any thing, but his compressed lips and flashing eyesspoke volumes.
This little by-play on the part of the medicine-man caused infinitedelight among the Indians on the other side of the council-ground, whonow began to watch his movements more closely than ever. And it was buta beginning. The next time he came around he thrust his knife into thepost, just above the trapper's shoulder, pulled out the tomahawk, andwent on. The third time he struck the tomahawk into the post again, ifpossible a little closer to the prisoner's head than before, and pulledout the knife. And so he kept on, threatening the trapper first with oneweapon, and then with the other, to the great amusement of the Indians,and the intense horror and indignation of the boys, who, unable toendure the sight, turned away their heads, and wished for their rifles.During all this time Dick never once flinched so much as a hair'sbreadth. He did not appear to notice the medicine-man at all; but kepthis eyes fastened upon the chiefs. If the Indians had never seen a bravetrapper before, they saw one now.
While this was going on on the outer edge of the council-ground, thechiefs were busy deciding upon the fate of the prisoner. First one madea speech, and then another, and another, until all had spoken, and halfan hour had been taken up with the deliberations. Then a war-club wasproduced, and after that the Indians did not pay the least attention tothe medicine-man. They were waiting to hear the decision of the council.The principal chief took the war-club, and after striking it upon theground in front of him, handed it to the next warrior; and so the clubwent around the circle, some striking the ground with it, and otherspassing it along in silence. The boys knew that a vote was being takenupon some question, but what it was, or how the votes counted, they hadnot the least idea. They soon found out, however, for when the war-clubhad come around to the principal chief again, he jumped to his feet, andbegan shouting some orders in a loud voice; and in an instant the campwas in great commotion. The warriors ran about in all directions, anddeafening whoops and yells arose on every side. Some hurried into thewoods, and presently returned with their arms filled with dry wood andbranches, which they deposited in piles at intervals along the ravine,below the camp, others lighted them with brands from the fire, which wasburning on the council-ground, and in a few minutes every object in thelower end of the village was as plainly visible as if it had been broaddaylight. This done, the warriors seized knives, tomahawks, switches,clubs, or whatever else came first to their hands, and arrangedthemselves in two parallel lines about six or eight feet apart, andextending up and down the ravine. Then the boys began to understand thematter. The trapper was to run the gauntlet.
"Oh, why doesn
't he wake up and do something?" cried Archie, in greatexcitement. "He told me that I would hear something break pretty soon,and if he is going to escape at all, he had better be about it. In a fewminutes it will be too late."
"Look at the club that first Indian carries on his shoulder," saidFrank. "One blow with that would kill an iron man. If Dick once getsbetween those lines, he will never come out alive."
"And even if he does he can't get away, for there are a dozen warriorsstanding at the lower end of the ravine waiting to catch him. I wish wehad stayed in California."
The boys turned to look at the trapper. Was he destitute of nervesentirely, that he could stand there and view all these preparations socalmly? An ordinary man would have been overcome with fear; but Dickwas as indifferent as ever.
"If he could only contrive some way to break that bark now, he would beall right," said Frank. "Those two guards couldn't stop him, and theother warriors are all at the lower end of the village. That oldmedicine-man is getting ready to begin his operations again."
"He's going to throw his hatchet at Dick," gasped Archie.
The medicine-man was standing about twenty feet in front of the trapper,swinging his tomahawk around his head, and yelling at the top of hislungs. Even as Archie spoke, the weapon left his hand, and flew throughthe air with the speed of a bullet. Both boys turned away their headsand held their breath in suspense. They heard the tomahawk strike thepost, and, when they turned to look at the trapper again, they were nota little astonished at the scene presented to their gaze. Themedicine-man was rolling about on the ground in violent contortions,like some huge reptile which had just received its death-blow; the twowarriors who had been guarding Dick lay motionless beside him; thepiece of bark with which the trapper had been confined hung down besidethe post, having been cut by the keen edge of the tomahawk; andsomething, which moved so rapidly that it looked like a flash of light,dodged in and out among the lodges for an instant, and then disappearedfrom view. The medicine-man had thrown his tomahawk a little too closeto the mark that time, for the weapon had cut the trapper's bonds andset him at liberty.
For a few seconds the village was as silent as though it had beendeserted. The warriors stood transfixed, holding their weapons in theirhands, and gazing at the empty post where their captive had stood but amoment before; then yells of rage arose on the air, and the warriorsswept through the village in a body in hot pursuit of the trapper. Thecousins could not speak. Dick's escape had been accomplished so suddenlyand unexpectedly that it bewildered them. They looked at one another insilence, gazed after the yelling Indians, who were flying through thevalley in all directions, and, when at last they recovered the use oftheir tongues, the shouts of delight that broke from them would havedone credit to any two savages in the band.
"Wasn't that well done?" cried Archie, dancing about like one demented."The minute that bark was cut, he was off like a flash of lightning.Wouldn't I give something if I could run like that? They'll never catchhim, for they are all behind him, and Dick says he never saw the Indian,or white man either, that could overtake him, if he has two feet thestart. He had at least twenty yards the start, this time; so, of course,he'll escape easily enough."
"I feel better," said Frank--"not only on Dick's account, but also onour own; we stand a chance of being rescued now. Well, what do youwant?"
This question was addressed to a couple of warriors who at that momentapproached them. The savages did not take the trouble to reply, butgrasped the boys by the shoulders, and conducting them around thechief's wigwam, beside which they had been standing all this while,raised the door and pushed them under it.
"Here we are," said Frank, "and here we are likely to remain forawhile."
"But I don't propose to pass the night with my hands bound behind me, ifI can help it," said Archie. "Don't you believe you can untie them withyour teeth, Frank? You know that was the way Johnny Harris untied thelasso with which I was bound, on the night we made our escape fromPierre and his band."
Frank proceeded at once to act upon his cousin's suggestion, and,although he found that a thong of buckskin was rather a difficult thingto manage with his teeth, he finally succeeded in freeing Archie'shands. Then, after the latter had liberated him, the cousins threwthemselves upon the buffalo robes to talk over their adventures; butthey were not allowed to remain long to themselves, for, while Frank wasdescribing the manner in which he had effected his escape from thevillage, the door of the lodge was raised, and Black Bill's villainousface appeared at the opening.
"Adam, are you thar?" he inquired.
"No, Adam isn't here," replied Archie. "The last time I saw him, he wasat the fort. Winters is here, if you have any thing of importance to sayto him."
"Wal, I have. Come out here."
"What do you want with me?"
"I am goin' to take you to my lodge, where I know you will be safe."
"Black Bill," said Frank, "you have certainly made a mistake; thisfellow isn't Adam Brent."
"Who axed you fur any advice?" was the gruff rejoinder. "Jest mind yourown business, an' speak when you're spoke to."
The tone of the man's voice indicated that he was in very bad humor, andFrank, knowing that it would not be safe to irritate him, held hispeace; and so did Archie, who offered no resistance when the outlawseized him by the collar and pushed him roughly out of the lodge.
Frank's first care, on being left alone, was to examine into his chancesfor escape. That was quickly done, and the conclusion he came to wasthat it would be quite useless to attempt any thing of the kind. He wasguarded by two sentries now--one standing at the back of the lodge, andthe other at the door. He could not elude them both, and, with his usualhappy faculty for accommodating himself to circumstances, Frank decidedthat there was no use in keeping awake all night if he was a prisoner;and, stretching himself out on the buffalo robes, he prepared to go tosleep. And he did sleep, in spite of all the dangers and excitements ofthe day, but not long. He was awakened by a rustling in the lodge, andstarted up in alarm when he saw a frightful-looking object, which herecognized as the medicine-man, crouching at his side. Frank's firstthought was that he had come in there to torment him as he had tormentedthe trapper; and his second, that he should not do it. He was not bound,and he would not submit to any such treatment.
"Look here, old fellow," said he, shaking his fist at the medicine-man:"I don't know whether or not you can understand English; but, if youcan, you had better pay attention to what I say: If you go toflourishing that tomahawk and knife about me, I'll break your head."
"Hist!" whispered the intruder, holding up his finger, warningly.
Frank was astonished. He gazed earnestly at the medicine-man, who begansinging his low, monotonous song, at the same time fumbling with hisodd-looking mask, which he soon removed, revealing to Frank's view thehonest countenance of old Bob Kelly. Checking the boy's exclamation ofastonishment by an emphatic motion of his hand, the trapper, stillhumming his song, proceeded to divest himself of the other articles ofhis disguise; and, as fast as he removed them from his own person, heput them upon Frank, who submitted wonderingly to the operation. In afew minutes he was rigged out in the medicine-man's dress; and, if hehad only known it, he looked hideous enough to frighten any body.
"Now, then," said old Bob, in a scarcely-audible whisper, "be off withyou. Creep under them skins, an' make yourself skeerce about here,sudden. Thar aint no danger, if you'll only think so. You're amedicine-man now, an' you can go all over the village an' into everylodge, an' nobody won't say a word to you. I'll take care of myself."
The old trapper spoke these words hurriedly, and, pulling Frank off thebuffalo robes, stretched himself upon them. Frank would have lingered toask some instructions concerning the manner in which he ought to conducthimself, and what he ought to do if the guard allowed him to pass out ofthe lodge, but Bob motioned him impatiently to be off. Calling all hiscourage to his aid, he lifted the skins at the back of the lodge andcrawled out. The guard looked
down at him, and then turned away his headas if he did not care to see him; and Frank, throwing himself upon hishands and knees, and imitating as nearly as possible the actions of themedicine-man, hurried off into the darkness.