CHAPTER XXII
THE TABLES TURNED
FORTUNATELY Bob understood what part he ought to take in the turning ofthe tables on the quartette of Frenchmen. If he could only hold theirattention for a brief time, Pat O'Mara might creep up close enough tospring his surprise.
That one glimpse which Bob had taken had shown him another thing; theIrish frontiersman was not alone! In several other places the busheswere waving slightly, proclaiming that others must also be advancingcautiously toward the council oak.
He knew not whom they might be, and, beyond the possibility of BlueJacket constituting one of the number, could not even guess who werePat's comrades. But it was positive that they must be friends, elsethey would not be up here along the border of the Great Lakes, spyingupon the grand council of the tribes in league with that trouble-maker,Pontiac.
And so wise Bob immediately set to work to hold the attention of Larueand his three companions. Seconds would count just then, since theirfriends were crawling closer and closer all the time.
"Wait for a minute, please, gentlemen all!" he cried, holding up ahand, as he saw Armand take a step forward, doubtless eager to bindwith deerskin thongs the lads he hated so bitterly.
There was something about Bob's manner to arouse their curiosity.Besides, they knew no reason why they should wish to hurry. The Indiansdared not return again to the vicinity of the sacred council oak, afterthe medicine men had conducted their closing exercises under its widespreading branches; time must elapse before the spell which had beenplaced on the tree would have exhausted its charm. Hence there seemedto be no danger of interruption.
Besides, they fancied playing with their prisoners, somewhat as a catdoes with a mouse, enjoying, in anticipation, the feast to come.
"What is eet ze young monsieur would say to us?" asked Larue, makinga mock bow, as though he could not forget the manners of a politeFrenchman even in the midst of war's alarms.
"Perhaps we might be able to give you much valuable information inreturn for a favor!" said Bob, trying to fill his manner with mystery,so as to further excite the curiosity of the border adventurers, alwayseager for gain.
He saw that they began to show some interest; for Jacques and Armandexchanged glances, with raised eyebrows. It was as if one said to hiscomrade: "Shall we listen to what he has to say?" and the other by anod announced that it would be as well, since they had nothing to lose.
"Bob, what would you do?" gasped the horrified Sandy, actuallybelieving that, in his despair, his brother meant to reveal someweakness in the defences of the white settlers, or betray the secretcode by which they expected to summon assistance in time of need.
"Be still!" hissed Bob, between his teeth, for he saw figures creepingcloser, making no more noise than so many snakes might have done; andSandy, utterly confounded by this strange attitude of the other, shrankback appalled, fearing lest Bob had indeed lost his mind.
"Listen for a minute to me, Lacroix," the young pioneer went on, as heheld the attention of the four men. "Perhaps I could tell you wheremuch of this same precious ore might be found. Look well at it, and saywhether or not it is true gold!"
He had taken something from his pocket, and now tossed it across to thenearest man, who chanced to be Armand. The latter dextrously caught theobject, which he immediately began to examine with the eyes of greed.
"Throw some small wood on ze fire, so that I may haf more light!" heexclaimed; "and ze rest of you keep an eye on ze young cubs zat zey donot run away. Sacre! can I belief my eyes? What is zis I see?"
Sandy caught his breath. For the first time there flashed through hismind something of the truth with regard to Bob's sudden inspiration. Herealized that his shrewd brother must be fighting for time.
That little piece of ore containing the sparkling gold grains had oftenlain in his own palm, for Bob had carried it many years. Originallyit had come from the mountains of North Carolina, where some of thesettlers were engaged in a crude method of mining in the streams androcky gullies. A returned Virginian, who had gone there to nurse hissick brother, brought some of these specimens with him, and one hadbeen given to Bob.
And now it was playing the great part for which perhaps it had so longbeen reposing in the pocket of the young pioneer.
Meantime Larue, having caught up a handful of fine wood, and castthe same upon the smouldering council fire, so that it flamed againbriefly, hastened to lean over the shoulder of his shorter comrade. Hishungry eyes feasted upon the glittering object which Armand held in thehollow of his hand.
"Can it be posseeble zat it ees real gold?" he asked, with a quiver ofgreed in his harsh voice.
"Take eet and see, Jacques," replied the other, thrusting the objectupon his companion, as though eager to have his own opinion verified.
Immediately the other, having examined the bit of ore, about whichthere could be no possible doubt, raised his bloodshot eyes, andsurveyed Bob almost fiercely. And the boy knew then and there thathis trap had worked; for he had chained the attention of the fourFrenchmen, while closer and closer crept those who were coming throughthe bushes toward the opening.
"Haf you more of ze same stuff?" demanded Jules.
"Not here," replied Bob, coolly. "I would not be apt to carry it alongwith me when starting out on such an expedition as this. But I give youmy word I can tell you where it comes from, and where much more of itlies, waiting to be picked up."
The covetous eyes of the crafty pair sought each other; and then thetwo exchanged nods. They had swallowed the bait, gorged it in fact; butBob knew that he must try to prevent their feeling the hook until hewas ready to strike.
"What is zis you tell us, hey?" Larue continued craftily. "Zat if welet you go free, you take us to ze place where we can peek up much ofzis same yellow sand in ze rock? But how we know you keep your word?S'pose we hold one like hostage till time come zat you carry outpromise?"
Bob turned to his brother, at the same time giving him a sly wink.
"What say you to that, Sandy?" he asked. "Would you agree to stay withLarue and his friends while I carry out our little plan; and then,later on, they would set you free, after I had led them to where theymight find more of this?"
And Sandy, beginning to realize the value of passing seconds, pretendedto carefully weigh the importance of the proposition before replying.Finally, after the Frenchmen had begun to move restlessly, as they kepttheir eager eyes fastened on him, Sandy nodded his head.
"Whatever you think best, that will I do, Bob?" he said, slowly.
"Zat is well, young monsieur," chuckled Jacques, rubbing his handstogether, as if greatly pleased. "Parbleu! it may be zat we shall yetbe able to make arrangements satisfactory to both. If you rescue zeyoung ma'mselle, we are to be told ze secret; if, on ze uzzer hand, youfail, still ze one who is wiz us shall lead us to ze fine mine. It eesa bargain!"
So delighted were the four men over the prospect, that those who weresupposed to be watching the boys allowed their rifles to sag a bit.Bob was running a hand through the pockets of his clothes, as thougheagerly searching for something else, and of course every eye wasriveted on his movements; which was the very object he had in mind.
Suddenly, and without the slightest warning, there was a rush of feet.The four French trappers whirled about with the intention of putting upa stout resistance, but it was too late. They had been caught napping!
The guns were torn from their grasp, and hurled to the ground.Instantly they found themselves staring into dark muzzles of guns heldin steady hands, while back of these weapons appeared the faces ofSimon Kenton, Pat O'Mara and one other woodranger. Nor was Blue Jacketmissing, for he stood in plain sight, with an arrow fitted to hisbowstring, and drawn nearly to the flint barb, as he aimed straight atthe heart of Larue.
"Make the slightest noise, and you shall surely die!" exclaimed Kenton,in a stern voice, that had its effect upon all the Frenchmen.
Meanwhile Bob and Sandy had taken advantage of the opening to leapforward and reco
ver their own weapons, which were instantly levelledat their enemies. Thus encompassed on all sides it was little wonderthat the French trappers were ready to throw up their hands, and admitdefeat.
"History has a way of repeating itself, Lacroix," said Kenton, with alaugh, as he started to bind the hands of the borderman with testedthongs made from the toughest of elk hide. "Once before I had thepleasure of stopping your little game when you would oppress these twoboys. Mark well what I say, for the next time you raise a hand againstthem, the crack of a rifle will seal your doom! Two warnings spell theend."
"But what would you do wiz us?" demanded Larue, as he saw that eachof his companions was being triced up in the same fashion as himself;since Pat and the remaining scout were experts in the art of applyingbonds.
"That we do not know just yet," returned the borderer. "But, if youaccept your capture as the fortunes of war, and do not try to escape,there will be no harm befall you."
Bob and Sandy were no longer filled with despair. Like magic theircondition had changed. Instead of being prisoners in the hands of thesecruel French trappers, and threatened with the fate that so often cameupon those falling into the hands of the warring Indians, they wereonce more free.
Better still, they had found good friends in Kenton, Pat O'Mara and thethird scout, so that the chances of their daring mission being carriedout were more favorable than ever.
"Pat has told us about the trouble that has come upon you, Bob," Kentonsaid, as he shook hands with each of the boys in turn. "And we all feelfor you. Our object in coming here has now been accomplished, sincewe have listened at a distance to what Pontiac said to the chiefs atthe grand powwow here. If we can help you rescue little Kate, we standready to lend a hand."
Sandy's face fairly beamed with joy. As we know, he entertained afeeling bordering on worship for the gallant young woodsman, SimonKenton, who in his opinion was a greater hero than Colonel Boonehimself. What Kenton said, therefore, counted heavily with Sandy; and,when the reckless borderer thus gave his promise to assist them intheir work, the boy believed success was assured.
Not so Bob, who was accustomed to weighing things more seriouslybefore making up his mind. He knew of the countless difficulties theywould have to meet, both before they effected the rescue of Kate, andafterward, when the whole country near the Great Lakes would be overrunwith savage hordes, searching for the palefaces who had dared invadetheir territory, and even enter the great village of that most noted ofSeneca chiefs, Kiashuta, the war leader, who had just made a new bloodcompact with Pontiac.
Still, it was good to look on the faces of these three valiant hunters,and realize that no longer were two weak boys pitting their strengthand knowledge of Indian tactics against the cunning of the Iroquois.
Bob did not fail to shake the hand of his friend, Blue Jacket, who musthave run across the three borderers soon after he slipped away at thecoming of the hostile Frenchmen.
Thus they now counted six stout souls, united in the determination toaccomplish the object of the long journey, and bring little Kate backto the arms of the fond mother, mourning on the bank of the far-distantOhio.
To the hands of Simon Kenton willingly did Bob resign his cause, firmin the belief that, if any mortal could carry it to success, the boldborderer would.