The Hunters of the Ozark

by Edward Sylvester Ellis

  CHAPTER XXVI

  ON THE EDGE OF THE PRAIRIE.

  The night was far advanced when Fred Linden and Terry Clark reached thestream, where the former remarked that their progress was stopped. Ofcourse he meant that they could continue if they chose to make anotherraft or they could wade, but they had journeyed so far since dusk, andthe trouble of constructing a float was such that he thought it best towait where they were until daylight. They were pretty well fagged out,and nothing could have been more grateful than to throw themselves onthe ground and sleep for several hours.

  Terry was as tired as his companion, but he stood irresolute, inclinedto think it best that they should push on.

  "The stream doesn't look very deep," said he, "and if ye agraas wid methat we can wade, it'll be wiser if we make tother side and thenjourney to the nixt straam."

  "But that may be a good many miles further on."

  "Thin all we have to do is to travel a good many miles," said the pluckyIrish lad, sitting down to take off his shoes.

  "I shall never give in to _you_," remarked Fred, also seating himselfand beginning to remove his foot-gear.

  Before any thing more could be done, however, both were startled by thediscovery that some one was on the other side of the stream. First theyheard the guttural exclamations which they knew were made by Indians,and then they saw one of the red men come out into full view in themoonlight.

  Without a word, the boys hastily moved back under the shadow of thetrees, making sure that they also placed several rods between them andthe trail which they had followed to the edge of the water. Secure fromobservation, they fastened their eyes on the other bank, where they sawan interesting sight.

  Three Indian warriors stood for fully five minutes in plain sight,while they discussed the same question that had engaged the lads--thatis, in what manner the stream should be crossed.

  It did not take them long to decide. The foremost stepped into thewater, followed by the other two, none removing his moccasins orleg-gear, and in a brief while they came out upon dry land again, withinfifty feet of where the lads were crouching under shelter.

  The boys trembled as they realized how narrow their escape had been. Hadthey not paused for a few minutes, they would have been in the middle ofthe stream, just as the others came down to the edge of the water. Inthe light of their recent experience with the Winnebagos, they had not aparticle of doubt that the three belonged to the same tribe and thatthey were fierce enemies. Had they not slain the boys, they would havemade captives of both and conducted them to the main party. Then when itshould have been found that one of the prisoners had the gun that oncebelonged to the Wolf, their fate would have been sealed.

  The incident drove from the mind of Fred all wish to tarry on the road.He wished that they were many miles on their way to the camp in theOzarks. They considered themselves members of the little party ofhunters whom they could not reach any too soon.

  "I obsarved while the spalpeens were wadin'," said Terry, "that none ofthem wint lower in the water than their knees. Why didn't they take offtheir shoes like dacent gintlemen, and cross as they should; but bein'as they didn't do the same, why, we'll sit them the example."

  A minute later, the boys stepped into the stream, and, by using care,reached the other side, with all their garments dry. Their shoes werequickly replaced, and the two were off again, so moved by what they hadseen, that for the time they forgot fatigue and every thing else.

  "I tell you, Terry, that matters are beginning to look worse than evenDeerfoot thought, and you know that when he left us he didn't feelsatisfied, by any means."

  "Could it be," asked his companion, "that these spalpeens don't belongto the same crowd that we saw?"

  "I am quite sure they do; these three would not have been so separatedfrom the others."

  "Where could they have come from?" asked the puzzled Terry.

  "Where all the Indians come from--the woods. I suppose a large party ofWinnebagos have been off on a tramp, and they are coming together with aview of going home or of making an attack on some place or persons."

  A random guess, like this, sometimes comes closer to the truth than alabored theory. The three Indians whom they had so narrowly escaped weremembers of Black Bear's party and were on their way to meet him.Furthermore, there were more of them at no great distance.

  "Me father lost his life by the Indians," said Terry, in a soft voice;"but though it was not known what tribe the same belonged to, I don'tthink they were Winnebagos; but Indians are Indians and are always readyto kill white people whiniver the chance comes along."

  "You are right; father doesn't think there is the least danger or hewouldn't have sent for me. He has hunted several seasons without anytrouble with them, but he ought to have learned long ago to be foreveron the watch."

  "Fred," said the other, stopping short in his excitement; "do ye thinkthey are goin' to attack the _sittlement_?"

  "Impossible! There's the blockhouse and plenty of men to defend itagainst a thousand savages."

  "But the woods saam to be full of thim; there may be some kind of anIndian war that has broke out and these are the first part of the ridarmy that is to coom down and swaap us over the Rocky Mountains."

  But Fred could not share in this prodigious fear. He faced to the frontagain and laughed, as he resumed his walk.

  "There couldn't be any thing like _that_ without warning reaching us;some of the runners would have come to Greville with the news; besides,Deerfoot would have been certain to know something about it."

  "_That_ sittles it!" exclaimed Terry, with a sigh of relief; "ye areright in sayin' the Shawanoe would have knowed about it; he would havelarned it before the spalpeens that started out on the war path, and,bein' as he didn't say any thin', I'm sure ye are right; but all thesame, it looks bad for the Hunters of the Ozark, which maans oursilvesas well as the men in the mountains."

  "There's no use of denying that there is enough to make all of usanxious, but when I remember that father and Mr. Hardin and Bowlby havespent so many years in the Indian country, I can not help feeling hopethat they will be able to take care of themselves. You know they are allgood shots and they have a cabin strong enough to stand a rough siege."

  "I don't forgit the same; but there's a good many more rid than whitemen and Mr. Bowlby is lame."

  "What of that? He doesn't expect to fight with his feet."

  "There are many scrimmages in which it's handy to use yer faat. IfDeerfut hadn't popped along just as I keeled over the Wolf I'd jumpedon him; then, do ye not mind that the men may take it into their headsto run away."

  "They have their horses," said Fred, foreseeing and agreeing with theresponse that his young friend would make.

  "Not one of 'em is worth a cint at such a time; a one-legged Indiancould outrun the fastest; they would have to stick fast to the trailwhile the spalpeens would walk all around 'em."

  "All that is true, but if they could get a good start, it would be veryhandy for Mr. Bowlby to have one of the horses to ride."

  "I don't see much chance of the same," was the sensible comment ofTerry; "but, me boy, have ye any idaa of what time it is?"

  "It must be far beyond midnight: surely we are a long ways in advance ofthe Winnebago camp where we left Deerfoot."

  "They are not meaning to make a start to-night?"

  "Of course not; they will not move until morning."

  "Thin I'm in favor of an adjournment _sine die_, at once and withoutwaitin' any longer."

  "What do you mean?" asked the puzzled Fred, stopping and looking aroundat his companion.

  "I'm tired out."

  "So am I, but I made up my mind to keep walking till I dropped, before Iwould give in to you. It will be a sensible thing for us to rest, but wemust get far enough from the trail, so that if any more stragglers comealong this way, they won't stumble over us."

  This was only simple prudence. They groped along for several rods,through the undergrowth and among the limbs, and
were still walking,when Terry's foot struck some obstruction and he fell flat.

  "Are you hurt?" asked Fred.

  "Hurt? No; that's the way I always lay down, as me uncle obsarved whinhe fell off the roof--call me early, Fred, and be sure ye don't take upmore of the bed--than--a--gintleman----"

  The poor wearied fellow was asleep.

  Fred smiled, as he lay down beside him The air was quite brisk, so heunstrapped his blanket and flung part of it over his friend and the restover himself, the two lying back to back as they lay the night before inthe cavern. The dried leaves made as soft a couch as they could want andFred had only time to murmur a prayer to heaven, when he too becameunconscious.

  They slumbered for four full hours, when both awoke at the same moment,refreshed and strengthened. The sun was well up in the sky, andfortunately the weather continued clear, crisp and bracing. Indeed itcould not have been more nearly perfect.

  They laughed when they saw where they had made their bed, right in theopen wood, just as any wild animal would have done when overcome byfatigue. There was no water within sight and no food at command. Theblanket was quickly folded up into a neat parcel and strapped to theback of Fred and the two retraced their steps to the trail, which theyhoped to follow until it took them to the camp at the foot of theOzarks.

  "I have found out one thing, that have I," remarked Terry, with the airof one announcing a great discovery.

  "What is that?"

  "The hungriest young gintleman on the western side of the Mississippi isthe handsome youth whom ye have the honor of walkin' with this veryminute."

  "I can feel for you on _that_ question," added Fred; "for it seems to methat I never wanted food so bad in all my life; we must be on thelookout for game. Do you know how to make that call that Deerfoot usedto bring the turkey to him?"

  "No, but I know how to use the turkey after the same is brought to me.If I should try the signal, it would scare all the turkeys and deer andfoxes and bears and wolves and beavers out of the country, which bein'the same, I won't try it, principally because I don't know how to beginto try it."

  "My gracious, Terry; if you could shoot like you can talk, we wouldn'thave to wait long for something to eat."

  "Whisht, Fred," whispered Terry, in some excitement; "the wood justbeyanst ye looks as if it wasn't any wood at all."

  Fred Linden had noticed the peculiarity. The trees were becoming soscarce and far apart that it was evident they were approaching someextensive clearing where no trees grew at all. The next minute the twostood on the edge of an immense prairie, which revealed a sight thatprofoundly interested them.