CHAPTER VII--THE MYSTERIOUS CANOE
The Delawares had not gone far the following day before they came uponan inviting eddy in the river, and as the day was unusually warm theydetermined to loiter for a swim. The water was cool and refreshing, andthey splashed about in great delight. Spotted Deer especially enjoyedit, for the cold water felt very soothing to the burning gashes he hadreceived from the panther. In spite of their frolicking, however, thelads kept a sharp watch for foes. They soon saw the necessity of it, asRunning Fox suddenly looked up the river and discovered something whichcaused them to scramble frantically to the shore.
A bark canoe had suddenly appeared around a bend of the river, and wasdrifting slowly toward them. The lads watched it with great uneasiness.It appeared to be unoccupied and abandoned. Still the suspiciousDelawares feared a trap. "Perhaps some one is lying down inside of it,"suggested Spotted Deer.
"Well, we will soon be able to find out about that," replied RunningFox.
They studied the approaching canoe with great attention, but were unableto tell to what tribe it belonged. Running Fox had been well trained inthe art of observing, and his sharp eyes soon told him enough to quiethis fears.
"See, it sits high in the water," he told Spotted Deer. "If any one wasinside it would be low down and heavy."
"Yes, that is true," agreed Spotted Deer. "But some one may be swimmingon the other side of it."
"No, I do not believe it," said Running Fox. "It does not tremble, andit leaves no trail."
Satisfied, therefore, that the mysterious canoe was deserted, theDelawares wondered how they might gain possession of it without exposingthemselves to discovery. They feared that crafty foes might be watchingfrom ambush, and they hesitated to show themselves.
"See, it is moving toward land," Running Fox whispered, excitedly.
A short distance below them a narrow gravelly beach reached far out intothe water, and they noticed that the canoe was drifting directly towardit. They watched eagerly until the canoe finally struck upon theprojecting point of land. Then, as the canoe swung slowly about with thecurrent, they realized that they must act quickly to secure it.
"I will go out and catch it," said Running Fox.
He skulked through the bushes as cautiously as a fox. When he reachedthe spot where the canoe had struck he stopped to search the river forfoes. Then he saw the canoe swinging stern foremost down the river. Herealized that in another moment it would be beyond his reach. Throwingcaution to the winds, Running Fox rushed boldly into the water andseized the prize. As he had guessed, it was unoccupied. As he drew ittoward him it left a tell-tale mark in the gravel. However, he made noattempt to erase it, for he hoped that any one following on the trailwould find it and be deceived. It made it appear that, having lodged fora time at that spot, the canoe had finally floated free and drifted downthe river.
Once in actual possession of the canoe, Running Fox signaled for SpottedDeer to join him. They waded with the prize until they found a safehiding place, and then they dragged it into the bushes. They had found along hickory bow and a buckskin quiver filled with arrows in the bottomof the canoe.
"This is very strange," said Running Fox, as he examined the weapons.
The lads saw at once that they were different in pattern from their own,and they had little doubt that they were of Iroquois design. Still theywere not sure. They stared at them in amazement. The whole affair was agreat mystery. They would have given much to know how far the canoe hadcome, and how the weapons happened to be in it.
"Whoever left these things in that canoe was very foolish," said SpottedDeer.
"Well, I see that he kept the paddle," replied Running Fox.
"That is true, I did not see that," said Spotted Deer.
At first the Delawares were inclined to keep the weapons, and hide thecanoe in the woods until they returned down the river on their way tothe Delaware camp. It would have been a splendid trophy, and theydreaded to lose it, but Running Fox finally decided to set it adrift.
"This canoe has floated away, and some one will come down here lookingfor it," he said. "If they do not find it, they will become suspicious.Perhaps they will look for our trail. We have a long journey to make,and we are in great danger. We will not take any chances. Come, we willkeep the weapons, and give up the canoe."
"You are the leader, I will do as you say," Spotted Deer said,resignedly. "But if some one comes after this canoe they will miss theweapons."
"We will fool them about that," laughed Running Fox.
They carried the canoe to the water, and as they set it adrift RunningFox overturned it with his foot. Spotted Deer laughed as he saw thereason for the wily bit of stratagem which would make the owner of thecanoe believe that his weapons were somewhere at the bottom of theriver. They watched until the canoe floated slowly from sight around abend of the shore.
"Now we must hide, and watch to see who comes after it," said RunningFox.
They concealed themselves in the bushes, and began to watch the river.All day they remained there, as alert and patient as a lynx waiting forprey. Nothing escaped them. Their eyes caught every movement, their earsheard every sound.
"I do not believe any one will come," said Spotted Deer, after they hadwatched a long time in vain.
"We must wait," Running Fox told him.
Then, toward the end of the day, their patience was rewarded. They saw asecond canoe coming swiftly down the river. They saw at once that it wassimilar in pattern to the one that had preceded it. It was guided by twosturdy paddlers, whom the lads recognized even at a distance as Mohawkwarriors. It was not the first time that the young Delawares had seenthose fierce fighters, for several had been captured and brought to thevillage by Delaware scouts. Now, however, they looked upon them withdifferent emotions. The lads felt their hearts pounding wildly againsttheir ribs as the Mohawks approached, but they had concealed themselveswith great care and they had little fear of being discovered. At anyrate there was no chance to retreat.
"We must keep very quiet," cautioned Running Fox.
The Mohawks kept to the middle of the river, while they watched theshore for signs of the missing canoe. As they passed, the lads studiedthem closely. The warrior in the stern of the canoe was a powerfulmiddle-aged man of threatening appearance, but his companion looked moreyouthful and pleasing of countenance. They turned the canoe toward thebeach, and the Delawares wondered whether they would discover the markin the gravel. They were not long left in doubt, for they saw theyounger warrior pointing toward the spot, and talking excitedly to hiscompanion. The latter seemed suspicious. It was apparent that he waswatching the shore. Then he said something, and they moved slowly towardthe beach. They spent some time studying the mark in the gravel, and theDelawares watched them in painful suspense. They wondered whether thecrafty Mohawks would really be deceived by the stratagem of Running Fox.However, they soon saw that it had been successful, for the paddlerspushed out into the current and disappeared down the river.
"We have fooled those warriors," laughed Running Fox.
"I could have sent an arrow into them," said Spotted Deer.
"That would have been very foolish," Running Fox told him. "Perhaps youwould not have killed them, and they would have gone back and told theirpeople what had happened. No, we are in a dangerous country, and we mustnot let them know about us. If they see us it will be hard to get neartheir camp. The fox does not jump at the bear when he steals to hislodge for meat."
"That is true," agreed Spotted Deer. "Well, I will be very cautious."
"Pretty soon those warriors will come back," said Running Fox. "We mustwatch sharp."
As the evening shadows were settling upon the forest the Mohawksreturned with the missing canoe. They passed close to the shore, and theDelawares had a splendid view of them. They saw that the faces of thecanoemen were streaked with black.
"Those warriors are painted for war," said Running Fox, after thepaddlers had passed from hearing.
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"Yes, I saw the black marks across their faces," replied Spotted Deer."Who are they going to fight?"
"I do not know," Running Fox declared, uneasily. "We must find out.Perhaps they are getting ready to fight our people. We will followthem."
They waited until they felt sure that the Mohawks were a safe distanceahead of them, and then they left their hiding place, and followedcautiously up the river. They soon came in sight of the canoes, andtrailed them until darkness finally blotted them from sight. Then theDelawares were puzzled. They had expected the Mohawks to stop at the endof the day. The fact that they still continued their journey made thelads believe that they were either in a great hurry, or else were makingtoward some familiar camp-site near at hand. The latter possibilityinduced the Delawares to follow on the trail. They hurried along withinsound of the water, straining their eyes to catch the warning flicker ofa camp-fire. However, as the night wore on, and they failed to get anytrace of the mysterious canoemen, the Delawares began to realize thatthey were exhausting themselves in vain.
"It is foolish to keep going," declared Running Fox. "Perhaps thosewarriors will not stop before it gets light. Perhaps they will stop, butif they do not make a fire we cannot find them. They are painted forwar. Warriors on the war-trail do not make fires. If we try to go ahead,we may pass them. That would make things bad for us. I believe the bestthing to do is to stop until it gets light."
"Yes, I believe it will be the best thing to do," agreed Spotted Deer.
They turned from the river, and reconnoitered carefully through the grimblack wilderness in search of a safe stopping place for the night. Theyfinally found suitable shelter in a thick stand of pines on the summitof a rocky knoll directly above the river.
"This is a good place," said Running Fox. "When it gets light we will beable to see a long ways along the water. Perhaps we will find theMohawks."
They determined to keep a sharp watch until daylight, for they fearedthat their foes might be nearer than they supposed. It was agreed thatone should remain on guard while the other slept. Spotted Deer said thathe would take the first watch. He had not been long on guard when heheard the weird serenade of Gokhos, the owl. Acting upon the impulse ofthe moment he placed his hands to his mouth, and gave a perfectimitation of the call. Running Fox sprang up at the sound.
"What was that?" he inquired, anxiously.
"I am talking with Gokhos," laughed Spotted Deer.
"You are very foolish," said Running Fox, as his eyes flashed angrily."Warriors do not cry out like children when there are enemies about tohear. Perhaps what you heard was a signal. I have heard my father tellhow the Mohawks use the voice of Gokhos to call one another. You havedone a bad thing."
Spotted Deer accepted the rebuke in silence. He suddenly realized theperil of his act. It filled him with shame. He could offer no excuse.
"Running Fox, I see that I have done a very foolish thing," he said. "Idid not think about it. Now I see that it may get us into trouble. Ifeel very bad."
"We will not talk any more about it," said Running Fox.
They listened anxiously, and in a few moments they heard the call ofGokhos again echoing through the forest. It seemed to come from fartherup the river. The notes sounded perfectly natural, but Running Fox wassuspicious.
"I believe it is Gokhos," said Spotted Deer.
"Perhaps," replied Running Fox.
A short time afterward the cry was repeated nearer at hand, and RunningFox looked at Spotted Deer and smiled.
"Perhaps Gokhos is coming to talk with you," he said. "I believe it willbe better to move away."
As they retreated cautiously into the night, the weird, mocking cryagain came to them through the darkness. Running Fox strained his earsto find a flaw in it, but it sounded genuine. Still he was distrustful.
"Well, perhaps it is only Gokhos," he told Spotted Deer, "I do not hearanything wrong with it, but I do not feel right about it. We have seenthe Mohawks. They were painted for war. We are in their country. We mustnot be too bold."
As he finished speaking they were surprised to hear Gokhos calling fromsomewhere down the river. For a moment it allayed their suspicions, forthey realized that only Gokhos himself could have moved so rapidly. Thenthey heard the other cry farther to the northward, and their fears werestrengthened.
"Now I believe it is the Mohawks calling one another," declared RunningFox. "We will stay here, and watch until it gets light."
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