But there were others at a greater distance who bore down upon the fiery scene at once; but they were miles away when the last vestige of the steamer disappeared, and it was only a matter of conjecture as to where a few of the survivors might be struggling with the waves. Not until the sun had been up over an hour did the man at the mast-head of the nearest vessel call out that he saw several boats pulling up the coast, while a few persons could be seen on the shore making signals to attract their attention.
Some time after, the Relief—happily named—cast anchor a half-mile from land and two boats put off from her side. The survivors were quickly within them, and they were about putting off again when the mate of the Relief said:
“Are you all here?”
“Yes, yes,” was the impatient reply of Mr. Tiflings, the man who had sold the suit of clothes to Mr. Yard, “don’t wait any longer. I shall lose $500 by not being in San Francisco today.”
“But they are not all here,” interrupted Mr. Yard, in some excitement. “There are two boys in charge of an Irishman that are missing.”
“Where are they?” asked the mate.
“They went back from the shore some time ago. I do not think they can be at any great distance.”
“Perhaps if you called to them they might hear you.”
Mr. Yard sprung out upon the beach, ran to and mounted a goodly-sized rock, and shouted at the top of his voice. He called again and again, and listened intently, but there was no response.
All this time Mr. Tiflings sat leaning his head forward and nervously beating a tattoo upon the side of the boat with his long, thin fingers. Occasionally he glanced at the “foolish” Mr. Yard, and muttered:
“What nonsense! What valuable time we are losing by his childishness! Time is too precious to fritter away in this manner!”
While the kind-hearted merchant was shouting himself hoarse, our friends were heavily and sweetly slumbering, totally oblivious to external things, as indeed they would have been were he within a few rods of them, instead of over a mile away. Finally he was compelled to give up the task and reluctantly return to the boat.
“This is too bad,” said he, “to leave them in this manner. What will become of them?”
“They will be picked up by some of the passing vessels.”
“Certainly, certainly,” assented Mr. Tiflings, “don’t wait any longer; it will be a week before we get into San Francisco.”
“We will row away,” said the mate, “and if we see anything of them before we reach the vessel we will put back and take them aboard.”
This was reasonable, and Mr. Yard could not object to it. The sailors plied their oars, and the passengers were borne swiftly toward the friendly Relief. Mr. Yard kept his eyes fixed upon the bleak coast which they were so rapidly leaving behind them. He saw nothing of his friends; but, after reaching the ship’s deck, he took the spy-glass from the captain and discovered a party of a dozen Indians wandering up and down the beach as if in quest of plunder. Finally, sail was hoisted, the Relief bore away to the northward, and the scene of the rescue dwindled away and vanished in the distance.
CHAPTER VIII
Indians
The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused by external disturbance. Tim O’Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing of the shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sun was just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes with that confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession of our faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared around and the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and the mute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as if to show he “slept with one eye open,” quickly recalled his situation. In considerable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As they rubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said in excitement:
“Do you know we have slept ever since morning?”
“It can’t be possible!” exclaimed Elwood.
“I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels,” said Tim, with a most woeful countenance.
“I don’t see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in these parts,” replied Howard.
“And where else shall we look for the same?”
“Nowhere that I know of.”
“Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!” suddenly interrupted Elwood.
“Wouldn’t they have looked for us? But then they couldn’t have known where we were,” said Howard, asking and answering his own question in the same breath.
“We are in a pretty fix then,” was the comment of Elwood, laughing at the doleful countenances he saw.
“Boys,” said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head, “shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?”
“Of course,” answered Howard, “nothing could suit us better.”
“Well, then, while we’ve been slaaping, our friends along shore have been carried away, and we’re lift to make ourselves comfortable, as the peddler said when he hung himself up by his foot.”
“Let us see!” exclaimed Elwood, “perhaps we are not too late yet.”
The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side, and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed the ramble.
Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprung upon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a moment as he looked off toward the sea, he called back:
“Yes, yonder they are! We are not left alone.”
“But it’s good to have company!” laughed Tim, “it won’t be long before some vessel will step in and lift us aboard.”
“How odd they look!” remarked Elwood, as his friends clambered up beside him. “They don’t seem dressed in their usual fashion.”
The Irishman, upon rising to his feet on top of the rock, uttered an expression of surprise, looked intently toward the sea, and then quickly sprung back again.
“Off of there quick!” he commanded in a hoarse whisper, at the same time catching the shoulder of the up-climbing Howard and forcing him back again.
“Why, what’s the matter?” asked Elwood, a vague alarm taking possession of him, as he rather hurriedly obeyed him.
“May the good Lord presarve us! them are Injuns!”
“I thought they looked odd,” said Elwood, “but I did not think of that. Are they friendly?”
“Friendly!” repeated Tim, with an expression of intense disgust. “Do you know what they are walking up and down the sand fur in that sassy shtyle?”
“Plunder, I suppose.”
“Yis; they are in hopes the saa may wash up some poor fellow that they may have the pleasure of hacking him to pieces.”
“Are they such terrible creatures. Perhaps they have slain those who escaped from the steamer.”
“Niver a fear; there was too many of ’em, as me brother used to say when his wife tuk her broomstick at him.”
“But they had no weapons to use.”
Tim shook his head. He evidently had a small opinion of the courage of the California aborigines.
“Had they massacred the survivors, we could see their bodies along shore,” remarked Howard. “The sun throws such a glare upon the sand that we can detect a very small object.”
This settled the matter in the mind of Elwood, who had been heartsick at the great fear of such a fate having befallen his friends.
“Then the burning of the steamer has attracted the notice of a great many vessels, and I think Mr. Yard was right when he was sure of being taken off by some one.”
“What a mistake we made in wandering away and going to sleep where no one could find us!”
“We did, indeed, Elwood; we voluntarily banished ourselves.”
“But Mr. Yard certainly knows we are here, and
will he not get a company of men to come after us?”
“Perhaps so; but, if he doesn’t, your father and mine will certainly do so, so soon as they find where we are.”
“Yes, but what is to become of us between tonight and that time? I am half-starved to death, and must get something to eat pretty soon.”
“Providence, that has preserved us so kindly thus far, will still watch over us.”
“There’s one bad thing,” remarked Tim, “them Injins will hang around the shore, and it won’t do for us to show ourselves niver a bit.”
The faces of the two boys now blanched with fear, for they understood the danger that threatened them. It was truly a fear-inspiring sight, as they gazed out from their hiding-place in the direction of the sea. The sun was partially down the horizon, and appeared unnaturally large, while the gaunt Indians, in their fantastic costume, assumed the form of giants striding along apparently on the gleaming surface of the ocean itself. They were outlined with that sharp, black distinctness which is seen when at night a fireman runs along the outer walls of a burning building.
“Just to think!” said Elwood “we haven’t a gun or a pistol with us.”
“And I’m a little hungry, as the man said after fasting three waaks.”
“Suppose they saw you?” said Howard.
“I ain’t sure but what they did. They are looking in this direction, and appear to be disputing about some matter.”
There were grounds for this alarming view of the case. The Indians numbered about a dozen, and half of these could be seen in a knot, gesticulating in their extravagant manner, while the others were running up and down the shore as if they had detected something interesting in the surf.
“Are they looking at us?”
“There is such a glare, from the sun that I cannot tell whether their faces or backs are toward us. Tim, what do you say?”
The Irishman gazed long and carefully over the face of the rock, and finally said:
“They’ve seen something this way that has tuk their eye.”
“They are moving, too.”
“Maybe they’ve seen the dog, and are coming to look for us.”
“Heaven save us!” exclaimed Tim, in some excitement, “there’s no maybe about it; they’re coming, sure!”
CHAPTER IX
The Pursuit
It was not the first time that Tim O’Rooney made a mistake. The Indians were excited over something, but as yet they held no suspicion that three white persons stood behind them and could be so easily reached. They were talking in a wild manner, and ran several rods from the beach, when they suddenly paused and picked up an object over which they quarreled and were almost ready to proceed to violence. From where our friends stood it looked as if it were nothing more than a coat or some cast-off garment that had been thrown aside by so me of the survivors when they were taken away by the Relief.
“No, they have not seen us yet,” said Howard, who was watching them intently, while his two companions where looking upon the readiest means of escape.
“Then why did they start after us, be the same token?” demanded Tim, with a great sigh of relief.
“They are quarreling over something that lies upon the beach.”
“If they’d only have the onspakable kindness to go to fighting each other like a lot of Kilkenny cats, and not sthop till there’s not one of ’em left—I say if they’d have the kindness to do that, it would be fortinit for us.”
“Hardly probable, Tim; the fact, is they appear to have settled the matter already, and have gone down to the edge of the sea again.”
“I don’t see the use of our remaining here,” said Howard. “We daren’t go any nearer them than we now are, while if we put back into the country we stand a chance of getting something to eat. As near as I can calculate, the Salinas River isn’t very far away, and California is said to be very fertile along its streams, if it is barren in such places as this.”
“And we may come upon a party of miners further inland.”
“I don’t know about that,” rejoined Howard. “The diggings are on the other side of the Coast Range, between that and the Sierra Nevada, in the Sacramento Valley, and I think they are further north, too.”
“Let’s lave,” said Tim; “if we only start tramping perhaps I may git my mind off the subjact and forgit that I’m hungry enough to eat a toad, which I’d starve to death afore I’d do the same.”
While they were thus debating with themselves, Terror, unobserved by any of them, whisked to the top of a high rock and announced his discovery of the Indians by several loud, gruff barks. At so great a distance it was impossible that the dog should be heard, but the danger was that the lynx-eyed savages would see him, and thus discover the presence of his friends. The peril was imminent, and a hasty word from Howard brought the Newfoundland to their feet.
But it was too late. He had scarcely ascended his perch when an Indian caught sight of him, and giving out a strange half-whoop and stream, he started on a full run toward him, closely followed by half of the entire party.
“There’s no mistake this time!” exclaimed Howard, wheeling round and springing away. “Don’t wait.”
There was no waiting by either Tim or Elwood. The two boys were slim and fleet-footed, and could easily distance their more awkward companion; but they could not leave him alone, although he besought them to secure their own safety, while he would attend to his.
There were several things in favor of the fugitives and several against them. It was growing dark quite rapidly, and they had a good start; but the pursuers ran over the rocks and bowlders with the facility of mountain goats and gained very rapidly; they were also familiar with the face of the country, while our friends were literally “going blind.”
“But don’t we make ’em run!” called out Tim, glancing over his shoulder. “Them fellers was made to travel, and if they’d only throw down their guns and take up a sprig of the shillaleh, like an ilegant gintleman should do, I wouldn’t ax better fun than to jine in wid ’em and tach ’em a few scientific tricks, such as can be got in Tipperary and nowhere ilse—Worrah!—”
Tim’s exclamation was caused by catching his foot against a large stone and falling flat upon his face with considerable violence. He quickly scrambled up again, while Elwood anxiously inquired whether he was hurt by the fall.
“Not by the fall, plase your honor, but by the stone that whacked me betwaan the eyes.”
“They are gaining!” whispered Howard, pausing a moment for his companions to come up.
“Yes, but it will be so dark in a few minutes that they can’t see us, and then we will hide ourselves until the danger is past. Let us get along an fast as possible while the danger lasts.”
They did strain themselves to the utmost, and speedily reached a more open country, where they could travel with greater safety. This, which at first appeared sadly against their prospects, was really the means of securing their escape. The moment they reached it they darted away at almost double their rate of speed, and shortly reached another hilly portion, into which they plunged, and running a short distance, at a signal from Howard, they dropped flat upon their faces, and crawled beneath thy sheltering projections of the rocks, Terror at the same time nestling down by the prostrate form of Elwood.
In a few minutes they heard the tramp of their swift-footed pursuers, who were running without exchanging words with each other, or uttering those exultant whoops which the Indian of other portions of our country are so accustomed to give when exulting in the certainty of capturing their enemies.
Our friends did not venture to exchange a word with each other until a long time after the Indians had passed, and nothing could be heard to indicate that they were anywhere in the neighborhood. Then they crawled near together and spoke in low whispers.
“They are gone!” said Elwood.
“I think so,” replied Howard, “but they may be watching somewhere. We must be very careful. How is it, Terror, are th
ere any strangers near us?”
The dog snuffed the air, but made no sound, which was a negative reply.
“I guess he is right,” added Howard. “We will get as far away from here as we can, for I am sure those Indians will look around here until morning in the hope of getting us then.”
All three crawled a considerable ways on their hands and knees, when they stealthily arose to their feet, and seeing nothing suspicious, followed a northeasterly direction—one that would both lead them away from their pursuers and at the same time take them toward the Salinas or San Buenaventura River, which point they hoped to reach some time the next day.
After going some distance they walked more rapidly, and ventured to exchange words with each other. Terror kept the advance, fully aware of the responsibility that rested upon him. There was little fear but that he would give timely notice of the approach of danger, and a sense of comparative security took possession of our friends as they proceeded.
To their great surprise, after journeying a half-mile or so, the character of the country underwent a great change. The ground became more level, and they found themselves traveling among stunted trees and sparse vegetation. The moon did not rise until quite late, so that until then they could barely see each other’s bodies as they moved along. This made them uncertain as to whether they were following the right course; but they were greatly pleased to find that they had deviated but slightly from the line they intended to pursue.
All at once a low whine from Terror arrested them. At the same instant all three detected the glimmer of a light among the trees. Cautiously approaching, Tim O’Rooney in the advance, he said in his husky whisper:
“There’s an owld Injin noddin’ by the fire, and if he has a gun, or anything to eat, we’ll try and get him to lend ’em to us!”
CHAPTER X
A Good Samaritan
The three carefully approached the camp-fire, and soon assured themselves that there was but a single person near it, an old Indian who sat with closed eyes and nodding head, totally unmindful of their presence.
The Edward S. Ellis Megapack Page 81
