The Pioneer Boys of the Columbia; or, In the Wilderness of the Great Northwest

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER XVI

  THE ESCAPE

  THE two prisoners had been made to sit down, and were under constantsurveillance. It would not have been possible for them to make any movelooking to escape without being immediately detected. Dick realized thefoolishness of such an attempt, and made no effort for the time being.

  Those eyes of his noted everything that was going on around him, for heknew the time was approaching when utter darkness would come, and, ifthey expected to make a move, memory must take the place of sight.

  Just as Roger had been hoping, the Indians cooked some of the venison,though in a primitive fashion. Numerous pieces, as they were slicedfrom the haunch, were impaled on the ends of long slivers of wood, andthe latter thrust into the earth in such fashion that the meat receivedthe full heat of the little fire.

  Of course, when cooked it was also partly burned, but this made nodifference to any one who was really hungry. The two boys were glad toreceive their share of the venison, and devoured it eagerly.

  "Of course they'll tie us up, as Indians always do their prisoners,Dick?" suggested Roger, while they were still munching at the foodprovided by their captors.

  "There's no doubt about that," the other told him. "Already I havenoticed one of the warriors looking over some long deerskin thongs, andthen glancing in our direction. I think they are only waiting until weget through eating."

  "Then for one I mean to keep at it as long as I can," affirmed Roger;"because I never did like the idea of being tied to a tree. I supposethat is what they mean to do with us, Dick."

  "We'll soon know, Roger, and, now that I have the chance, I want totell you about the little scheme I have in my mind."

  "I wish you would!" hastily exclaimed the other; "and I hope it willturn out to be a success."

  "You may remember," began Dick, "that I have hands that somehow I candouble up into a very small compass. Many a time you've tried tofasten my wrists together to see if I could get my hands free, and innearly every case I did the trick by stretching the thongs a little,and then slipping a hand out."

  "Oh! now I begin to see what you hope to do, Dick; and, let me tellyou, the skies look brighter already. I'm sure you can set your handsfree, if only it doesn't stop at that."

  "One step at a time, Roger; we mustn't expect to run before we canwalk. Once my hands are loose, it will be a queer thing if in some wayI fail to set both of us free. But here comes several of the Indiansthis way, as though they mean to trice us up. Better hurry and eat thatlast bit of meat, if you wouldn't lose it."

  "I suppose I'd better," grumbled Roger, "but I don't see why they wantto be in such a dreadful hurry about tying us up. Ugh! a whole night ofstanding against a tree is something I don't like at all."

  It turned out just as Dick had said, for the Indians indicated by signsthat they wished the two boys to stand up and back against a couple oftrees that happened to grow close together.

  From the way in which the deerskin thongs were used to tie the captivesto the trees it was evident that the braves had had long practice atthis art. When they had used up all the hide rope, Dick and Roger wereindeed in a helpless position, being bound hand and foot.

  "This is about as hard as anything we ever went through, Dick,"remarked Roger, after the Indians had finished their task and left themthere.

  "Yes, that is very true, Roger, but I want to tell you that I can moveone of my hands, and I'm starting to stretch this buckskin thong. Aftera short time I believe I can get my hands free."

  "That's good news; and what next, Dick?"

  "If only that brave doesn't happen to remember that he stuck his knifeinto my tree right here, and return to possess himself of it, why,don't you see how fortunate that is going to turn out for us?"

  "A knife so close to your hands once you get them free--that would besimply glorious, Dick. And I'm going to keep hoping that warrior has noneed for his blade during the whole night."

  "I believe I can reach it," continued Dick, twisting his head around totake another look at the coveted weapon; "and if I do, one slash willcut this buckskin rope. After that, you can depend on me to jump overto your side. But keep on working your hands all you can, Roger, forthe looser your bonds are the better in the end."

  The night was by now closing in around them.

  Some time before the fire had been carefully extinguished, water beingthrown on the burning embers to hasten its end. Dick, still watchingthe actions of the Indians, soon saw they were taking extra precautionsagainst a surprise. From all of the signs the boys concluded that theseDacotahs had good reason to fear the coming of the hostile war party.

  "I've got an idea," he told Roger in following out this train ofthought, "that not so very long back the Dacotahs must have made a raidon the lodges of the Shoshone tribe, and done more or less damage.Somehow they act to me as if guilty."

  "And, Dick, if ever the two parties do clash, there will be a livelytime of it, we can be sure," Roger in turn remarked. "These braves seemto be a picked lot, as far as I can tell, and ought to put up a goodfight, even if outnumbered."

  "While I've never watched a real battle between two war parties ofIndians," observed Dick, "I must say I'm not dying with curiosity tosee one. I only hope we have a chance to get away from here before ithappens. And, Roger, another thing--I'm keeping an eye on that fellowwho is carrying my gun. He has placed it, together with the powder-hornand bullet-pouch, on that log yonder, you notice."

  "Now it is queer that I hadn't noticed such a thing, Dick!"

  "Simply because you waste so much time bothering about our hard luck,when you might just as well be using eyes and ears to learn somethingworth while," the other boy told him. "Now, if only I can manage tosnatch up my gun and other fixings when we leave here, it will make mehappy, I can tell you."

  The minutes dragged along slowly to the two boys. When an hour, andthen two, had passed, Roger was beginning to complain again, for it wasweary work being forced to stand in this way upon their feet.

  By this time the Indians had ceased their low droning talk. Only one ofthem was still sitting there cross-legged, smoking his red clay pipe.Dick did not doubt that somewhere in the gloom one or two sentries,or videttes, had been posted, in order to guard against a surprise inevery way possible, though of course he could not see the first sign oftheir presence.

  Only the customary sounds of a summer night in the wilderness came tothe ears of the captive pioneer boys. Most of these were very familiarto them, on account of their habit for years of spending nights out ofdoors.

  Still, somehow, things did not seem quite the same as usual. It wasdifferent listening to the hoot of the owl, the croak of the nightheron, the complaint of the tree-frog calling for more rain, or eventhe barking of a red fox somewhere in the forest, when tied up in thisway, and facing such a gloomy outlook.

  "Dick," whispered Roger, "isn't it nearly time?"

  "Not yet," replied the other in the same cautious manner, "hold yourhorses, and have patience, Roger. Another hour or two must go by beforeI dare start in."

  Poor impatient Roger groaned, and relapsed into silence again. Oh! howtime did drag along. It seemed to the boy he would go fairly wild,waiting for something to break that terrible monotony.

  There were no stars overhead by means of which they could tell how thenight was wearing on. Dick had to resort to other means by which tomark the passage of time; still he knew fairly well when the hour ofmidnight approached.

  Meanwhile Roger had finally fallen asleep, uncomfortable as hisposition was. Dick could just manage to see, by straining his eyes,that his chum's head had fallen forward upon his chest, as though tiredNature had overcome him.

  Dick concluded that there was no use waiting any longer to put his planinto operation. Everything about the camp seemed silent, and, althoughhe took a desperate chance, the boy believed he would gain nothing byfurther delay.

  His initial act was to draw first one hand and then the other from thestretched buckskin thongs. T
hen turning as best he could he reached outtoward the knife the Indian who had helped tie them to the tree hadleft sticking there, even with the boy's head.

  What a thrill passed through Dick's whole frame as his eager handtouched that welcome blade. Its buckhorn handle, too, felt veryfamiliar, and he was almost sure it would turn out to be thehunting-knife Roger valued so highly because of the associationsconnected with it.

  As it possessed a keen edge, he found no difficulty in bending downand severing his bonds. After that he stopped and listened, but therewas nothing to indicate that his actions had been discovered. The owlhad commenced his mournful hooting again; and the tree-frog piped uplouder than ever, Dick noticed with considerable satisfaction, for hehoped the sounds would muffle any slight noise he would chance to make.

  Now he turned to set Roger free. He hoped in his heart that, upon beingaroused, Roger would not utter an exclamation. With this possibility inmind Dick very cautiously crept over to the other tree.

  He could hear Roger's heavy breathing, showing that the boy stillslept. With great care Dick raised himself until he could put his lipsclose to the other's ear, when he whispered:

  "Roger, wake up, but keep very still! I am going to cut your bonds now!"

  The boy gave a great start, but fortunately he did not attempt toanswer. He comprehended instantly what the situation was, and knew thenecessity for silence.

  Already Dick's hands were seeking for the deerskin thongs that boundthe wrists of his comrade to the tree. As soon as he had made certain,the pressure of the sharp blade instantly severed the restrainingcords and set Roger's hands free.

  All that remained now was to do the same service with regard to thehide rope that went around Roger's waist, and then around his anklesfurther down. After that they could listen for a minute, to make surethey had not been heard, and then depart from the hostile camp on handsand knees, creeping stealthily along like a couple of snakes.

  So far Dick's cleverly arranged plan had worked admirably. If therest proved to be as easy of accomplishment they could congratulatethemselves on having done a big thing, with credit to their educationin the line of border cunning.

  Dick had just finished severing the last of the bonds, and Roger wasin the act of stepping forward, when something suddenly occurred thatthrilled both boys to the heart, as well as put a different aspect ontheir method of hasty departure.

  From some place back in the woods a little way a loud and singularwhoop rang forth. Dick believed that it must be intended as a signalannouncing an attack; for, hardly had it ceased to ring through theaisles of the forest, than a deafening chorus of wild yells rangforth, together with the rush of many bodies crashing through theunderwood and advancing from every direction toward the camp of theDacotahs.