CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
CIRCUMVENTING THE RED-SKINS.
For some time the brothers paddled about the sedgy shore of the smallislet on which the camp had been pitched, now setting up a flock ofducks and then slipping into the heart of some reeds and concealingthemselves until a good chance was obtained at a passing flock of geese.
Archie Sinclair soon laid in enough provision to serve the party for afew meals, for his hand was steady and his eye true.
"Little Bill," he said, looking back after one of his successful shots,"you must take a shot now. We will go right-about-face, and convert thebow into the stern in the usual way. See, catch hold of the gun."
"No, Arch-ee, as Oke calls you, I won't; I'm quite content to look on,for your gun kicks like a Mexican mule. Besides, it's easy work tosteer, and seeing you panting and toiling in the bow makes it seem allthe easier. Just you keep blazin' away, old man. But, I say, whereshall I steer to now? I'm tired o' steering among the reeds. Let uspush out into the clear water."
"You heard what Oke said," objected Archie; "we must keep well clear o'both shores."
"I know that," returned Billie, "but he did not forbid us to try thereeds round the other islands; there's a much bigger one, not a quarterof a mile up stream. I think there are some beautiful sedges therewhere geese are likely to live. I'm sure I would choose to live in sucha place if I was a goose."
"O! then, we must go, Little Bill, for I think it would be hard to keepany one out of his native home."
So saying, he dipped his paddle with vigour, and the light bark shotswiftly over the glancing water.
The sun was beginning to descend towards the western horizon when theydrew near to the island, and several flocks of water-fowl had alreadysprung alarmed from the reeds, when Archie caught sight of ablack-and-red-painted visage peering at him from among the bushes.
The boy's heart seemed to bound into his throat and his first impulsewas to turn the canoe and fly, but Archie's mind was quicker even thanhis hand or eye. All he had ever heard or read of the cool stoicism ofthe Red-man seemed to flash across his memory, and, with a violenteffort, he crushed back the shout that rose to his lips. He could notindeed suppress the look of sudden surprise that swept across hisexpressive face, but he cleverly adapted it to circumstances.
"Look, look! Little Bill," he exclaimed, eagerly, pointing right overthe Indian's head at a flock of geese that opportunely appeared at themoment in the far distance. "Crouch, Bill, lie low, I'll call them.Steer a little more to the left and keep her so."
Thereupon he began a vociferous imitation of the sounds with whichIndians are wont to call to geese that may chance to be flying past at adistance. The obedient Billie steered as directed, and thus the canoewas slowly sheered off a little from the shore. It was cleverly done.Whether the savage was deceived or not we cannot tell, but he showed nosign of intention to move or act, though he was within easy range of theboys.
"Little Bill," said Archie, in a low voice, such as one might use whenanxious not to alarm game, "can you do what you're bid _at once_ and_exactly_?"
"I can try," was the quiet answer.
"Well, then, try your best, Little Bill; for our lives may depend on ouraction now. Keep your eyes fixed on that flock o' geese as long asthey're in sight. _Don't_ look at the shore, whatever I do or say.Look at anything you like, but _not at the shore_. There's a Red-skinthere. I've seen him, though he thinks I haven't. Now, steer rightround and go back the way we have just come, only keep always edging alittle off-shore."
As he said this Archie raised himself from his crouching attitude, laiddown his gun and resumed his paddle, and in his ordinary free-and-easytones exclaimed--
"We've lost that chance, Little Bill--more's the pity."
"Never mind," answered Billie in the same tone, being resolved to acthis part well, "there's lot's more where these came from. Better lucknext time. Where away now?"
"Keep her just as you go, you're far enough out now. We should startsome ducks here."
Thus speaking, and with the air of a leisurely man enjoying himself--with infinite contentment on his ruddy countenance, and with muchconcern in his agitated soul--Archie took the canoe straight past thevery spot where the Indian lay concealed. He felt that audacity was thesafest line of action, for he knew that if the savage meant mischief, topretend absolute ignorance of his existence would be less likely to drawa shot than sudden flight--which, however swiftly carried out, could byno means equal the flight of a bullet. Besides, it was of the utmostimportance that he should reach the encampment and report what he hadseen without the Indian becoming aware that he had been discovered.
In order to effect his purpose, he not only repassed the hiding-place ofthe savage but actually shot and picked up another duck while stillwithin range of the enemy's gun. Then he directed his brother to steerstill more off the island, but very slowly.
"We're in no hurry, you see, Little Bill; you haven't looked at theshore, I hope?"
"Never once."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Archie in high glee at the success of this his firstexperiment in backwoods warfare; "you're a trump, Little Bill!"
"I'd rather be a trump than a trumpet, Archie. If there are moreRed-skins about, laughing like that will be sure to rouse them."
"Never fear, Billie, my boy. You do as I tell 'ee. We must keep up thegame a bit longer yet. It won't do to hurry back till the sun is lower,so we'll go over to that small island there an' have a try for anotherduck. There's sure to be nobody on such a small island as that.Afterwards we'll drop down in an off-hand, idle-like way to theencampment. It'll be natural to do this when the evenin's beginning toset in, an' so we'll stump them Red-skins at their own game. D'eeunderstand?"
"Yes. You're a clever chap, Archie."
In pursuance of this deeply laid plan, the brothers crossed over to thesmall islet referred to, and, after apparently amusing themselves therefor a short time, dropped down stream in a leisurely way, reaching theencampment before the evening had fairly set in.
A council of war was immediately held.
"You were right in your guess, Okematan," said Davidson. "The reptileswill be down on us to-night no doubt. What course does the Cree chiefadvise?"
"Okematan advises that the kettle be boiled, the duck roasted, and agood big supper eaten."
"It iss fery pleasant advice, no doubt," said Fergus with a broad andrather sarcastic grin, "but it iss not warlike!"
"It seems not a bad preparation for war, anyhow," said Dan; "and whatafter that?"
"The two boys will sleep and rest while food is preparing," continuedthe chief. "The moon will set before we have done eating, and it willbe very dark. The Saulteaux will not attack while the light lasts.When it is quite dark we will go."
"If we fix to leave and they chance to attack at the same time, it issmeetin' them we will be, Okematan," said Fergus.
To this remark the Indian vouchsafed no reply.
"Well, well, Muster Okematan, it iss your own business; you will knowbest yourself. I will see to stowin' away my supper--whatever."
By the time supper was over, the moon had descended into a bank of blackclouds on the horizon, and profound darkness brooded over land andwater. It was a night such as an attacking party would hail as beingmost suitable for its work, and of course was proportionately unsuitablefor the attacked. The Indian chief displayed no more concern about itthan if nothing unusual were pending. After supper, however, hedirected that the canoes should be launched and loaded. At the sametime he gathered together as much wood as he could, and heaped it on thefire.
"You seem determined to give them plenty of light to do their work,"remarked Davidson.
"They will wait till our fire burns low," said the chief. "By that timethey will think we are asleep. A sleeping foe is not dangerous. Theywill come--slowly; step by step; with wide eyes glancing from side toside, and no noise, sly as foxes; timid as squaws! But by that time wewill be f
ar on our way back to Red River!"
"Ay--if we do not meet them comin' to attack us," said Fergus.
"And how shall we proceed!" asked Dan.
"As we came," answered the chief. "Okematan, with the two boys, willlead. Dan-ell an' Fergus will follow. Come."
Led by their guide, the party passed out of the firelight into the densethicket by which the spot was encompassed almost completely, so that theonly visible sign of the encampment from outside was the forks of flameand sparks which rose high above the bushes.
On reaching the shore they found the two boys holding the canoes, closeto the land. So intense was the darkness that they could not see theboys or canoes at all till close beside them. Without uttering a word,or making a sound with their moccasined feet, they stepped into thecanoes, pushed gently off and glided, ghost-like, into the vastobscurity.