CHAPTER XIII
THE SEMINOLE CHIEF
Jerry's faintness however, was of short duration. When Ned ceasedtrying to extract the stone the terrible pain subsided, for the timebeing, and Jerry opened his eyes.
"Let the professor take it out," he murmured. "He can do it." Then hecaught sight of the advancing negroes. "Where's the gun?" he asked.
Bob had secured it after Jerry's fall, and at this, he raised it inreadiness, though he did not point it at the black men. At the sightof it, however, they stopped. One of them, who seemed to be a leader,raised his hand and called out:
"What yo' uns want heah?"
"We came to look at this curious mound," replied the professor,speaking in conciliatory tones. "We were looking for relics. Why?What has happened?" he exclaimed as he saw the blood on Jerry's foot.Evidently he had not heard Bob's cry.
"I ran an Indian arrow head into my foot," answered Jerry. "I guessyou'll have to get it out, Professor."
"Looks as though we were going to have trouble with these negroes," putin Ned. "We must look out."
"Yo' uns had better make tracks away from heah!" went on the leader ofthe black men. "We don't like strangers heah!"
"We can't go until I attend to this lad's injury," spoke Mr. Snodgrassfirmly. "Lie down Jerry, and I'll get the arrow out. This confirms mysuspicions that the mound was built by Indians."
"I'm pretty sure of it, judging from the way my foot feels," said theinjured lad.
He was sitting on one of the lower stone steps, and Ned was taking offhis shoe and stocking. He had to cut the leather and cloth in order toremove them from around the arrow head which was still sticking firmlyinto the fleshy part of Jerry's foot. The latter bore the pain bravely,though he had to grit his teeth to keep from yelling as Ned's handscame in contact with the stone, moving it in the tender wound.
"Git away from heah!" ordered the negro leader. "This is our propertyan' we don't want nobody heah!"
"You'll have to wait until I fix up this lad's foot," insisted theprofessor.
"We uns ain't goin' to wait."
The negroes had gathered around their leader and seemed as if about toadvance on the professor and the three boys. They were an ugly lookinglot.
"Look out for trouble," said Ned in a low tone. "I wish we'd broughtour guns. Bob, can you shoot straight?"
"Don't do any shooting," advised the scientist. "They are too many forus and it would only make them more savage to fire on them. I must tryother measures."
The professor endeavored to argue with the colored men, but theyinsisted that the travelers must leave the place at once. There weregreedy eyes taking in every detail of the dress of the party and thesight of the boys' watch chains excited a cupidity that boded no good.The professor saw that their position was a dangerous one.
"I think we had better get out of here," he said. "Can you walk, Jerry?"
"I'm afraid not."
One look at his foot showed that it would be out of the question. Evenwith the arrow head removed it would be a task, and the professordared not extract the weapon, as, while he was doing so the negroesmight rush on them. Probably the worst that would happen would berobbery, but the travelers were in no humor to be despoiled of theirpossessions.
"We'll have to carry him," said Ned. "You and I can manage it, Mr.Snodgrass. Bob can act as an escort with the gun, and when we are inthe boat you can attend to Jerry."
This was voted the only feasible plan. Jerry's foot was not bleedingmuch, as the arrow in the wound prevented a heavy hemorrhage. Still thelad was weak from the pain.
"Are yo' uns goin' to git out of heah?" demanded the leading negroagain, and he advanced menacingly.
"We're glad to get out of the neighborhood where such inhospitablepeople live," remarked Mr. Snodgrass, as he slung his collecting boxover his shoulder by a strap, and prepared to help carry Jerry.
Bob brought up in the rear with the gun, after Ned had gone to theaid of the scientist, and perhaps the sight of the weapon prevented ahostile demonstration on the part of the black men. They followed thetravelers for a short distance, as they went on with the wounded ladalong the path that led to where they had left the _Dartaway_.
"I hope they don't give us any more trouble," remarked Bob, as theyneared their craft. "If they have boats they may come after us."
"They'd have to have pretty good boats to get ahead of ours," observedNed.
It was no easy task to transport Jerry along the narrow path, and,several times, the professor and Ned had to rest. But they finally madea turn in the trail that put them on the straight stretch which leddirectly to the boat.
"There she is!" cried Ned. "Now we're all right!"
As he spoke there was a rustling in the grass along the path. Bob, withready gun, turned quickly. The boys had a glimpse of several duskyfaces peering at them.
"The negroes!" exclaimed Ned. "They're following us!"
"Hurry on!" spoke Bob. "Get into the boat and start up. They'll notcome very near as long as we have a gun!"
Even as he spoke the black men seemed to melt away like shadows andthe rustling was heard no longer. On they hurried to the _Dartaway_.Jerry was placed on a pile of cushions, and Ned started the motor. Asthe boat swung out toward the middle of the river they saw, emergingfrom the bushes and standing on the shore, half a score of negroes, whoshook their fists at the travelers.
"We're well rid of them," murmured the professor, as he preparedto extract the arrow head from Jerry's foot. "But I wish I couldhave stayed at that mound. It was filled with historical relics andtreasures, I'm sure."
With Ned steering the boat, which, after it had gotten well away fromthe hostile negroes was sent along at slow speed, the professor calledto Bob to assist him in affording relief to Jerry. The scientist sawthat he would have to cut the weapon from the lad's flesh, as the barbsheld it too firmly to allow it being removed in any other way.
"Can you stand some pain?" asked Mr. Snodgrass.
"Go ahead," replied Jerry grimly.
"If I only had some chloroform," went on the scientist, "I could giveyou a whiff of it, and it would numb your senses a little. But Ihaven't any. I guess you'll have to stand it, my boy. I'll be as gentleas I can."
The professor carried a small set of surgical instruments with him,for use in dissecting the animals and insects he collected. He nowproduced several shining knives, at the sight of which Jerry did nothave the most cheerful feelings in the world. But he knew the arrowhead must be removed.
Mr. Snodgrass cleansed the knives in some antiseptic liquid he hadamong his possessions, and then made ready to cut the weapon out.
"Keep the boat as steady as possible," he called to Ned. "Bob, you holdJerry's foot. It will soon be out."
Jerry had a dim remembrance that he had heard some one say that before.He recalled that it was a dentist. A faint feeling was overcoming him.
Suddenly Ned uttered a cry, and pointed ahead. The professor suspendedhis surgical preparations and looked up. So did Bob and Jerry. Thelatter was on the point of fainting.
What they saw was a canoe, containing a solitary figure, crossing theriver. As they watched they saw the frail craft upset, and, a momentlater the man who was in it was struggling in the water.
"Go to his rescue! Never mind me!" cried Jerry. "I can wait. Save theman!"
At a nod from the professor Ned speeded up the engine and steered theboat toward where the man had disappeared beneath the surface of theriver. In a few seconds the _Dartaway_ was at the place.
"Can you see him?" asked Bob.
"Yes, he's right here!" exclaimed Ned, reversing the screw and bringingthe motor craft to a stop. "Pass me the boat hook, Bob. He seems to beheld down by a tangle of grass or weeds!"
Bob passed the hook forward. Ned lowered it into the water and caughtthe blunt point in the clothing of the submerged man. With Bob's aid hedrew him to the surface.
As the man's head came out of the water he shook it to relieve himselfof th
e water. Then, taking a long breath, which showed that he had heldit while deprived of air, he uttered a grunt and proceeded to climbinto the _Dartaway_.
"He's a negro!" exclaimed Bob in a whisper.
"Me no black man!" exclaimed the rescued one, shaking himself like adog and thereby splashing water over all in the boat. "Me Indian. Myname Ottiby. Me chief! Ugh!"
"An Indian," murmured Ned.
"He is one of the Seminole tribe," put in the professor. "I recognizethe characteristics."
"Paddle catch in long grass," went on Ottiby, as if in excuse for sucha child of nature as an Indian letting water get the best of him. "Mego overboard. Get caught in weeds. No can git loose. Steamboat comealong. Boy pull Ottiby out. Good boy. Ottiby no forget. Can get canoe?"
This last seemed to be a question which Ned interpreted as a desire onOttiby's part to have his boat back again. Accordingly the _Dartaway_was sent ahead again, and the frail craft, which was hollowed froma log, was secured, together with the paddle which had come to thesurface.
"Good!" spoke Ottiby with a grunt, when he saw his property secure. "Meno forget white man and boys," and he looked at the travelers.
As he caught sight of the knife in the professor's hand, and sawJerry's bared foot, with the bloody arrow head sticking in it, theIndian gave a start of surprise.
"Boy hurt?" he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer. "Cut outarrow. Me know. Go ashore. Me get somet'ing stop pain. Ottiby know. Putashore!"
"Steer the boat to land, Ned," said the professor. "I believe we savedthis Indian in the nick of time. He probably knows of some plant that Ican use to make it less painful for Jerry while I cut the arrow out."
The Motor Boys in Strange Waters; or, Lost in a Floating Forest Page 13
