CHAPTER XVI
ON THE RIVER
The experience of Otto was somewhat similar to that which befellJack Carleton in his search for the Indian canoe. Strong,self-possessed, and courageous by nature as was the German lad, hefretted over his forced restraint more than did the other.
He pushed forward with grim recklessness. He caught the signal ofthe warrior which caused Jack so much disquiet, but he did notpermit it to interfere with his purpose.
"Let him boot all dot he doesn't vant to," muttered the angry lad;"he don't drive me away from looking for dot canoe, don't it?"
Several minutes passed, during which he failed to discover the firstsign of the missing boat. Finally, realizing that a considerabledistance must intervene between him and Jack, he came to a pause,and, sitting on a fallen tree, took off his cap, mopped hisforehead, and heaved a great sigh:
"Dot ish queerer as efer vos; Deerfoot, he tells me dot we find hisboat and we don't finds him; he says we must jump into the boat andpaddles out mitdle Mississippi, but we finds the Mississippi, butvere ain't dot canoe? Dot ishn't the question. Vere isn't Jack?He ish looking for de canoe also mit likevise, and I don't bear himvistle for me--mine gracious!"
Otto spoke slowly, giving utterance only to a few of the thoughtswhich stirred his brain. He was on the point of signaling to hisfriend to return, and, insisting that they should swim the rivertogether, when he became aware that the undergrowth in front of himand close to the water, partially screened some object whoseoutlines could be faintly trace from where he sat.
With the exclamation, he straightened up and stared in blankastonishment. The contour of what he saw was so distinct that therecould be no mistake; he was staring straight at the canoe for whichhe had been hunting so long.
Otto softly rose to his feet and looked behind him. He had beensitting on the very ash which Deerfoot had named as the guide thatwould direct them in finding the craft. Otto threw back his headand laughed, overcome by the reaction from the tense strain to whichhis nerves had been subjected.
"Ven somepody axes for de biggest fool dot efer vos, he looks atOtto Relstaub and says, 'I Dot ish him,' and dot will be him."
But he, shivered at the thought of the minutes that had slipped by,and, without indulging in any more soliloquy, placed his finger andthumb in his mouth and emitted the whistle which thrilled JackCarleton down the river and brought him hurrying to the spot.
Satisfied that no repetition of the call was required, Otto gave hisattention to the boat. It was a fine Indian canoe, buoyant enoughto carry six or eight warriors, and furnished with three longpaddles which, in skillful hands, could drive it with great speedthrough the water. It was made of bark, bow and stern beingsimilar, curving inward toward the middle of the boat, and paintedwith rude designs outside, which showed more taste than did theornamentation of the aboriginal countenances.
Deerfoot had displayed no little ingenuity in screening the craftfrom sight. Inasmuch as Otto had forgotten himself so far as to sitdown on the very tree for which he was searching without oncesuspecting his forgetfulness, it is not to be supposed he would havediscovered the boat at all but for the accident named.
Grasping one end, he began vigorously pushing it into the current.It was heavy, and he wondered at the strength of the young Shawanoe,who had drawn it clear of the water, overlooking the fact thatmoderate strength, skillfully applied, succeeds more frequently thandoes simple physical power.
After much effort, he shoved it clear of the land and held itfloating on the surface.
"I wonder if Jack didn't hear me," he thought, looking around; "Ithinks I calls him agin once more."
He did not utter the signal, however, for just then he heardapproaching footsteps, and, a minute later, the flushed and pantingJack Carleton was beside him.
"Thank heaven!" he exclaimed; "I was in despair when your signalreached me; we haven't a second to lose."
"We ishet going to lose him, not at all. Hark!"
They heard just then, not only the faint whoop that had caused themso much disquiet, but caught sight of the warrior who uttered thealarming call.
He whisked between the trees with such bewildering quickness ofmovement that Jack, who had turned with his rifle half raised, sawno chance of firing with effect. Fortunately, the necessity fordoing so did not exist, for the boys at the same moment recognizedthe red man as their friend Deerfoot, who walked forward smiling andpleased, carrying his bow and gun.
"My brothers did well," he said in his quiet way; "but they did nothasten as does the deer when the hounds are on his trail."
"We could not have hurried more than we did," replied Jack Carleton,taking the hand of the youthful warrior; "a little more haste andboth of us would have broken our necks."
"Dot ish so," added Otto, emphatically; "I sot down on dis log todinks if I couldn't run fitstery but I couldn't. What for you keepwhooping all the time like a crazy person?"
"Deerfoot wished to see his brothers run, for the red men arelooking for them."
"I've no doubt of that, and the wonder to me is how you managed togive them such a scare that they scattered and left us a chance todig out."
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth," was the apt quotation of theextraordinary youth, who was so fond of studying his Bible. "Buttheir fright will not last long."
"Such being the case we must not tarry."
The Shawanoe acted as though he did not intend to enter the canoewith them, seemingly having some object in remaining on the Kentuckyside; but he changed his mind, probably concluding that his serviceswere still needed by his friends.
He motioned to Jack, who stepped into the boat and picked up one ofthe paddles, Otto having done the same. Deerfoot leaped lightlyafter them, the impulse carrying the craft fully a rod from shore.He laid down his gun and bow, and, seizing the third paddle, madesuch a powerful sweep through the water that the others almost losttheir balance. They essayed to help him, but he asked them with asmile to cease and leave the management of the boat entirely to him.
"We might as well," said Jack, "for we shall only hinder you."
"Dot ish de same as I doesn't dinks."
A few strokes sent the canoe well out from the land, and theShawanoe still plied the paddle with extraordinary skill; but, as heleft the shore, he knew that in one respect the danger of himselfand companions was increased. If their enemies were anywhere alongthe Mississippi, with a suspicion of the truth, they could not failto detect them.
It proved as he suspected. Several whoops echoed from a point ashort distance below, and the quick eye of the leader caught sightof the Miamis and Shawanoes on the bank.
"Down! Down!" he said, excitedly; "let my brothers lower theirheads or they will be killed."
Both Jack and Otto extended themselves flat on the bottom of theboat, but Deerfoot remained upright, plying the paddle with mightand main. He headed out in the stream, and used every effort to getbeyond reach of the rifles of his enemies.
"Why don't you duck your head, too?" demanded the alarmed Jack;"they can hit you as easily as us."
But Deerfoot had his eyes on the party and did not mean to throwaway his life. He saw there were four red men who stood together onthe very edge of the wood. When two of them raised their guns andsighted at him, he dropped like the loon, which dodges the bullet ofthe hunter by the flash of his gun.
A couple of reports sounded like one, and the three on the bottom ofthe canoe heard the bark fly. Both balls had pierced it, enteringone side and passing out on the other. The weight of the occupantscaused the boat to sink sufficiently to protect them, so long asthey remained flat on the bottom. One of the bullets was aimed solow that it struck the water, ricocheting through the bark andbounding off in space. The other went within an inch of Deerfoot'sfigure, he being slightly higher than either of the others.
The echoes of the guns were ringing through the wood, when theShawanoe straightened up and dipped the paddle into the watersagain; but
he had time for only one sweeping stroke when down hewent once more, barely in time to escape the third shot.
Before using the paddles, he raised his head just enough to peepover the gunwale. He saw the three warriors deliberately reloadingtheir weapons, while the other was waiting for his target to presentitself. There were two others, who had been drawn thither by thecalls of the first party.
"I dinks maybe I can does somedings to help," said Otto, timidlylooking over the side of the craft; "mebbe I sees--mine gracious!"
The gun which was fired just then sent the bullet, as may be said,directly under the nose of the German, who lowered his face withsuch quickness that the whole boat jarred from the bump against thebottom.
"Deerfoot, won't it be a good thing to send a shot at them?" askedJack; "it seems to me they would not be quite so ready with theirguns."
The Shawanoe was evidently of the same mind. He had the choice oftwo weapons, and need it be said which was the one selected?
Standing erect in the canoe, he fitted an arrow to the string withincredible dexterity and launched it with a speed that rendered italmost invisible. The distance caused him to elevate the missileslightly, but the aim of Simon Kenton or Daniel Boone, with hislong, trusty rifle, could not have been more unerring.
The red men on shore were well aware of his amazing skill, and theylost no time in adopting the dodging tactics. The instant the formof the graceful young warrior was thrown in relief against the skyand wooded shore, they bounded behind the nearest trees, peeringforth like frightened children.
The movement saved one life at least, for the winged missile which,a second later, whizzed over the spot where they had been standing,was driven with a force that would have caused it to plunge cleanthrough the body of any one in its path.
Deerfoot remained erect in the canoe until the shaft had landed,when he gave utterance to a defiant shout; sat down, anddeliberately took up the paddle again.
It will be borne in mind that the yellow current of the Mississippiwas swollen by freshets near its headwaters, and the canoe not onlydanced about a great deal, but was borne swiftly downward, seeingwhich the Indians hastened in a parallel course, with the purpose ofholding it within range. Furthermore, other red men continuallyappeared at a lower point. It is within bounds to say that therewas not one who did not understand the stratagem by which the youngShawanoe had outwitted them, and there was no means within theirreach which they would not have put forth to revenge themselves uponhim.
Within a brief space of time the guns of the warriors began poppingfrom so many different points that Deerfoot dare not attempt to usethe paddle. The blue puffs of smoke were so near that it would havebeen fatal to expose himself to the aim of his enemies, but, unlessthe canoe could be propelled still further from them, it was likelyto be riddled by the converging fires.
"Things are in a bad shape," remarked Jack Carleton, afraid to raisehis head a single inch, for the boat rode most uncomfortably high;"we must do something, and yet what can we do?"
Deerfoot made no answer; his fertile brain had extricated otherparties from more critical situations than the one in which he wasnow placed, and he was quick to decide upon an expedient for doingthe same in the present instance.