CHAPTER XVI.
THE CAMP-FIRE.
As our three friends on that bright summer morning stood on the slope ofthe mountains and gazed down into the beautiful Salinas Valley beforethem, Elwood Brandon suddenly pointed a little to the north and said:
"See! there are others beside us!"
About a mile distant, and not far from the river, they saw a thin, blackcolumn of smoke rising among the trees, of so dark and palpable acharacter that it could be distinguished at once.
"Another party of Indians," replied Howard. "We seem to be getting intotheir neighborhood."
"I only wish they were a party of white hunters or miners, for I long tosee a friendly face."
"What good could it do us? They wouldn't accompany us home, or take anytrouble to see that we were protected."
"Perhaps not, but I tell you, Howard, this begins to look dangerous whenwe see nothing but enemies. There are but three of us, and one gun onlybetween us. I believe a single Indian could destroy us all if he choseto do so."
"Except in one contingency."
"What is that?"
"That you should aim the gun. He would then flee at once."
Elwood laughed and added:
"But we have no breakfast, and we may as well be moving."
"You're a sensible boy," added Tim O'Rooney, "be the towken that when yespakes ye quiverally anticipates me own thoughts."
They soon reached the level of the valley, and then took a directionstraight toward the spot where they had seen the camp-fire burning. Theintervening space was quite thickly grown with trees and vegetation, sothat they could obtain no sight of the fire itself until they were veryclose to it.
"We must be careful," admonished Howard. "If it is a party of Indiansthey may discover us before we do them."
"I don't suppose it will do for us all to walk straight up to them, forthey'll be sure to see us then."
"No, one must creep up and find whether the coast is clear. Tim has seenmore of California than we have, and he can do that if he wishes."
"Sinsible agin, for I was about to spake the same. Do yees tarry herewhile I takes a look around. Whist! now, and kaap so still that ye'llhear me brathe all the way there and back agin."
The boys took their position each behind a large tree, and lookingcautiously forth they awaited the return of their friend.
When these precautions were taken they were not a hundred yards distantfrom the strangers. The Irishman stepped very carefully, moving ontiptoe, and not making any noise that was perceptible. This was no greatattainment in woodcraft, as any person could have done the same withordinary care, when the woods were of the character of this one. Hadthere been briers or brambles, or swampy ground, or that which wasunusually dry, and covered with twigs, it would have been a feat farmore difficult of attainment.
Just before Tim disappeared from view they saw him sink down upon hishands and knees and creep forward; but the bushes soon shut him out fromview and they could only wait with all the patience possible.
At the end of about ten minutes the genial face of the Irishmanappeared, and the expression upon it gave rise to pleasantanticipations.
"Who are they?" asked the two boys together, as soon as they deemed itprudent.
"Whist! now don't spake so loud. Ye'll wake 'em out."
Tim looked behind, and became satisfied that there was no fear ofdiscovery, when he arose to his feet, and took his careless, saunteringmanner.
"Well, Tim!'" said Howard inquiringly.
"What is it yez wishes?"
"We wish to know whether these strangers are white men or Indians."
"Well, ye saas, I had to crawl up to 'em mighty careful, for if you stepupon a stick no bigger than a tooth-pick, yees are sortin to wake up aslaapin' copper-skin----"
"So they were Indians, then," interrupted Elwood somewhat impatiently.
"Do yes be aisy now, and not be interruptin' of me, and yer observationsand questions which ain't naaded in this case. Me owld grandfather usedto till a great many stories to us spalpaans about the part he took withyoung Emmett--when owld Ireland stood up against England. He used totell us his stories--did the same--and just so sure as one of us axedhim a question, he'd go back to the beginning and till the whole storyover again. He'd begin airly in the evening, and kaap it going till tinor eleven o'clock. I belave the old gintleman rather liked to have us beinterruptin' him, for he laid bates for us wee ones, and ye see by thatmanes one story sometimes kept him going for a waak. Heaven bliss theowld gintleman--he had a habit of stopping in the middle of an excitingpart and lighting his dudheen, and then when he'd begin again, he'd skipover a part on purpose to make us ax him a question----"
"Well, Tim, we will talk about your grandfather some other day," saidHoward, who, as naturally may be supposed, was impatient for him to cometo the point.
"Yis, I was just through with him, but yees should never be overmuch inhaste. Me blessed mother always told me that it was the same as beingtoo slow, and if anybody could spake of the same, could me mother do it.I was about to obsarve when yees interrupted me, that a man must bemighty careful in going up to a camp-fire, for these Indians slaap soquietly that the overturning of a leaf is sure to wake 'em, and you saaby this, if we'd all three gone up, as we war thinkin' about, they'dheard us long before we could have got sight of 'em, and our tramping inCaliforny would be done with----"
"So they were Indians were they?" asked Elwood again, partly amused andpartly vexed at Tim's persistent dallying with their curiosity.
"Who said the same?"
"You implied it. Were they red or white men? Answer us--yes or no!"
"And that is just the pint I's raching for, as me frind, MichaelO'Shanghangly, said when he took a half-quart of whisky. Yez understandsthat I wanted to make sure just who the same might be, and what wastheir number. 'Spose, now, I should have come back and said there warbut three of the same, and there should be a half-dozen, or I should saythey was white gintlemen like ourselves, and they should turn out to beof a darker hue. Ye saas that it wouldn't do."
The boys had become so uneasy by this time that they were walking backand forth, and talking to each other in low tones.
"I will go forward and see for myself," said Elwood. "I don't care aboutwaiting an hour or two for him to answer my question."
"He will soon answer us; he is only indulging in a little pleasantry."
"Rather a bad time for jesting."
"I think we can be sure of one thing," added Howard a moment later.
"What is that?"
"That we are not in much danger. If we were he wouldn't wait so long totell us."
"I don't know about that; it would be in keeping with his foolishness. Itell you, Howard, I will ask him once more, and if he doesn't answer meat once, I shall go forward and learn for myself."
"Well, do so."
"Tim, are those Indians or white men?"
"That's it, is it? Why didn't yez ax me before? They're a party of whitemen, be the same!"
Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys Page 16
