“Terror understands him better than we do,” replied Howard, as the Newfoundland sprung into the larger boat and nestled down near the stern.
Our friends were not long in imitating the action of the dog. Tim made as if to step into the Indian’s boat, but he motioned him back, and took his seat in the front of the larger canoe. The savage now produced a cord, probably the tendon of some wild animal, with which he speedily fastened the prow of the larger canoe to the stem of his own.
This done he turned the head down stream and began using his paddle with the same wonderful dexterity he had displayed during the afternoon. The boys watched and admired his skill for a long time. The faint moon barely revealed the shores on either hand, stretching away in misty gloom, while all before and behind them was darkness.
The muscular arms of Shasta appeared to be as tireless as the piston-rods of an engine, and at last our friends grow weary of watching him. The boys became drowsy, and they finally lay down in the bottom of the boat, with their blanket over them, and went to sleep.
In the course of an hour Tim did the same, and the Pah Utah was this left alone to ply the canoe, the Newfoundland now and then raising his head and looking over the edge as if to satisfy himself that all was right.
Once near the middle of the night Elwood awoke, and pushing his blanket from his face, raised himself on his elbow and looked around. The same picture met his eye—the dark-hued Shasta, his long hair streaming over his shoulders, the blanket down to his waist, and his bronzed arms working with the silence, skill and regularity of a perfect machine.
CHAPTER XXVIII
A Pah Utah’s Method of Fishing
The gray light of dawn was spreading over the wood and river when Elwood Brandon again opened his eyes. He was somewhat startled to see nothing of the Pah Utah, although his canoe was still in the advance; but a second look showed that they were resting against the bank, and the Indian lay asleep in the front of his boat, his body and face covered entirely by his somber-hued blanket.
“No doubt he needs rest, and so I will not wake him!” was Elwood’s thought, as he carefully raised himself to the sitting position. But he had scarcely moved when the end of Shasta’s blanket was raised, and the boy saw his dark eyes fixed inquiringly upon him. Satisfied that there was nothing wrong the blanket dropped again and all was still.
Elwood now looked around. Howard was sleeping soundly, his feet resting against the shaggy sides of Terror, who was equally oblivious to the external world. There could be no doubt of Tim’s somnolence for he gave unmistakable evidence of it. The light was just sufficient to afford a distinct view of the other shore, and in the clear summer air of the morning it had a cool appearance, very pleasing and refreshing to the eye.
Elwood, of course, had no knowledge of the distance they had come during the night; but he believed Shasta had not slept more than an hour or two, and that as a consequence they were many miles from their starting point—far enough at any rate to make them perfectly easy regarding the troublesome visitors of yesterday.
He noticed the peculiar character of the place in which Shasta had run the canoe. It was a small indentation covered with overhanging limbs and shrubbery in such manner that while the whites could peer out upon the river there was no danger of their being seen by any passers-by, unless particular suspicion was directed toward the spot.
Elwood’s limbs were so cramped from the forced position in which he had lain during the night, that he concluded there could be no harm in stepping ashore to yawn and stretch himself. Of course he would take good care not to wander away from the boat, as he had seen the danger of secession in a small party like theirs. As he was stepping over the canoe he saw Shasta looking at him so intently that he paused. The Pah Utah nodded, but made a rather odd gesture, which Elwood took as a caution not to wander away. He nodded assent and stepped out upon the land. At this juncture Howard awoke and followed him.
“Shall we try and hunt something for breakfast?” asked Elwood.
“Tim’s troubles have proved that it is hardly safe; I think we had better leave all such matters to Shasta.”
This was good advice certainly, and the boys acted upon it. They walked up and down the banks of the river admiring the beautiful scenery, but seeing nothing of wild animals. They heard the whirr of a flock of birds overhead, alarmed by the apparition of two human beings, but the luxuriant vegetation allowed but a glimpse of them as they shot away.
While a few rods distant, they heard the discharge of a rifle, and in no little trepidation they hastened back to their friends. They were relieved by finding that it had been done by Tim O’Rooney for the purpose of affording a means of ignition to some sticks and leaves. He and the Pah Utah were on shore, making as much preparation for their breakfast as though they had a dozen men to provide for.
“What does yez think of it?” asked Tim.
“All very well, but where is your breakfast?”
The Irishman jerked his thumb in a very significant manner toward Shasta.
“You don’t mean to eat him,” laughed Elwood.
“Git out wid yer nonsense!” retorted Tim. “He and meself have been talking together, and we’ve fixed the whole thing.”
“What language did you use?”
“This kind of talk.”
And the Irishman explained himself by several extravagant but meaningless gestures.
The fire being nicely burning, Shasta took some white crumbs from a sort of receptacle in his hunting-shirt, stepped carefully into the canoe, and then gently dropped them upon the surface of the water. Our friend watched his movements with interest.
Leaning carefully over the boat, he curved his arm and held his closed fingers so that they were just within the water, looking down into the stream all the time with the fixedness of gaze that characterizes the hawk when about to dart downward after his prey.
Suddenly a flight ripple was heard, and before either of the three on shore comprehended what he was doing, something flashed before their gaze, and a plump, glistening fish, fully two pounds in weight, lay floundering at their feet.
“Capital!” shouted Elwood in his excitement, and he was proceeding to pay the Pah Utah several highly flavored compliments, when he raised his hand as a warning for them to remain quiet. Bending still further over the canoe, he soon thrust his hand beneath, and with the same lightning-like quickness flung a still larger fish up the bank. This was continued for some time, until he had five fine plump-looking fellows all shining and fresh, waiting for the hungry stomachs.
They had an abundance of food, and its preparation now only remained. Here Shasta displayed his remarkable culinary skill. With his keen-edged hunting-knife he slitted the fish, excepting Terror’s portion, which of course was devoured raw, the entire length of the bodies, and throwing aside the superfluous portion, then skewered them upon some green prongs in such a manner that they were completely flat, and the entire internal and external surface exposed.
The fire, which had been burning some time, was now raked down until several square feet of live red coals lay bare, when one of the fish was held down within a few inches. As soon as one side was thoroughly cooked the other was turned under, and after this same fashion the four were most speedily and thoroughly prepared for the palate.
“Luxurious!” exclaimed Howard, as he took his prize and buried his teeth in its flesh. “It is cooked to perfection—a trifle of pepper and salt would make this the best dish I ever tasted.”
“I never enjoyed a meal more,” replied Elwood. “But when I come to think, the first one I tasted in California was nearly as good as this.”
Tim was too much engaged to take time for conversation. He waited until he had filled himself to repletion, when he gave a great sigh of relief and remarked:
“I ain’t hungry—not a bit; I’ve lost me appetite very quickly. Mr. Shasta, you’re an excellent cook—worthy of the honor of attending to the wants of Timothy O’Rooney, Esquire.”
The Pah Utah
paid no heed to this praise, but contented himself with devouring his fish, which he did until he had all that he wished, when from some hidden recess he produced a beautifully carved Indian pipe.
“There I’m wid yees agin,” remarked Tim, as he replenished his own. “The pipe is very soothin’ to one’s faalings after sevare labor, as me brother’s wife used to say after whacking a few hours wid her broomstick—what is your opinion upon the same, Mr. Shasta?”
The Indian nodded his head and murmured some unintelligible reply.
“Precisely,” assented Tim, as he puffed forth a thick volume of smoke; “that’s me own idaas exactly, and the boys here will bear me witness that I’ve always contended for the same.”
“What’s that?” asked Elwood.
“Ax him,” replied Tin, nodding his head toward his dusky friend. “He’s able to explain better nor is meself.”
CHAPTER XXIX
A Night Disturbance
Neither the Pah Utah nor the Irishman were disposed to make a move until they had finished their “smoke,” and both of them whiffed as leisurely as though they had contracted to spend several hours thus. Howard and Elwood passed the time in walking around the woods and along the stream, taking particular care not to go beyond sight of Shasta, whose black orbs they could see attentively following their movements.
“All aboord!” shouted Tim at the expiration of an hour or so, and the boys hurried down to the “wharf” with as much alacrity as if they had heard the last bell of the steamer.
The Indian stood upon the shore with a look of inquiry. He pointed up stream and then down.
“He is inquiring which way we wish to go,” said Howard.
“That, is strange, after bringing us so many miles from the island.”
Elwood pointed down stream, but Shasta was not satisfied; he wished to know something more. He described several circles, terminating each time by pointing to the north. All three looked inquiringly at one other’s faces. They could not comprehend his meaning.
“What does he wish to say?”
“I am sure I cannot tell.”
“He wants us to travel the rest of the way by turning summersits.”
Seeing that he was not understood, the Pah Utah took the paddle from the canoe and made in the air as if he were impelling the boat, then pausing, he again pointed to the north, and took several long strides in that direction, as though he were going to walk a long distance.
Elwood’s eyes sparkled.
“I know what, he means! I know what he means!”
“What is it?”
“He wishes to ask whether we want to go a good ways!”
“You are right,” replied Howard. “He doesn’t know whether we are hunting in these parts, and wish to stay in the neighborhood, or whether we are hurrying home as fast as we can.”
Shasta’s motions and signs were imitated as nearly as possible, and he nodded his head and muttered something doubtless to signify that he was satisfied. Terror whisked into the canoe and took his position in the prow, while his three masters, if a dog can own that many, arranged themselves behind him. The tendon still united the two boats, and one sweep of Pah Utah’s paddle sent the two far out into the river, where he began his work.
For a time our friends gave themselves up to the enjoyment of this pleasant motion. At each dip of the paddle, or contraction of the iron muscles of Shasta, they could feel the canoe jump forward as does a steamboat under the throbs of the mighty engine. At the same time the motion was light and airy, as if the boat were skimming over the very surface. Indeed, by shutting the eyes and feeling the light wind fanning the temples, it was easy to imagine that they were borne through the air by some great bird whose wings could be felt to pulsate beneath them.
“Look at that machinery!” exclaimed Howard. “Did you ever see anything like it? Not an ounce of superfluous flesh upon him. See how the muscles swell and ridge, and yet he doesn’t swerve his body a hair’s breadth to the right or left.”
“He can ‘paddle his own canoe,’” laughed Elwood.
“Look at those shoulders; they are perfect mountains of muscle, and those sinewy arm! His legs are fully as perfect, and I’ll warrant he can run a dozen miles an hour for a whole day without getting tired. He would be a dangerous man to meet as an enemy.”
“And a good one as a friend.”
“Yes; I can hardly see what chances we would have had of reaching the mouth of the river without his help.”
“We had no chance unless we could join a party of hunters and induce them to go with us.”
“Boys,” said Tim, looking hard at them, “it isn’t right—isn’t the same.”
“What do you mean?”
“That Mr. Shasta should tow us along in this shtyle, and we sit in the owld boat and permit him. No, it’s wrong.”
The boys admitted that it looked hardly proper, whereupon Tim took the paddle and began plying it with all the skill of which he was master. The Pah Utah looked over his shoulder now and then with a strange expression, as if he were amused at the white man’s furious efforts, but he did not abate his own labor in the least.
Tim O’Rooney made a great deal of splashing, occasionally flirting a shower of spray over his friends as the paddle took an unexpected twist in his hand; but, as we have said before, he had had considerable experience in propelling a canoe, and he gave a little assistance to their dusky friend.
When the sun was overhead, Shasta directed the prow of the boat toward the western bank, and they landed in a place somewhat resembling that of the morning. The boats were drawn upon land in the usual manner, by which they were concealed from the observation of any passing up or down stream.
The Indian resorted to the same means by which he had caught the fish in the morning and with equal success. They were rather smaller, but none the less savory, either to man or brute. An hour sufficed to rest them all, and to give Shasta all the pleasure of his pipe that he wished, while Tim continued his after entering the canoe. Howard and Elwood made an essay with the paddle, but the result with the latter was that the instant he so cautiously thrust it beneath the surface, it was suddenly wrung from his hand, and in an instant left a rod or two astern. This necessitated a delay in order to pick it up, and the boys concluded to await another time to perfect themselves in the art of managing an Indian canoe.
It was not until it was quite dark that they once more set foot upon land and kindled their fire. There was quite a strong wind blowing, and the chill of the air appeared to indicate that it came from the snowy peaks of the Coast Range. Fully an hour was taken in gathering wood, sticks, broken limbs and branches, for they had concluded to keep it burning until morning.
The fire was kindled against the trunk of a giant sycamore, and as the flames waved up the shaggy bark the reflection upon the outstretched limbs and neighboring trees gave them a weird appearance that made the boys gather close to the somber-hued Pah Utah as though conscious of his ability to stand between them and evil.
Tim and Shasta were leisurely smoking their pipes, and Howard and Elwood were conversing together in low tones of their homes and friends, when a quick bark from Terror, as he rose to his feet and looked in the darkness, drew all eyes in one direction. A score of flashing eyes, gleaming teeth, lank, restless bodies and greedy jaws announced, that a new danger threatened them.
CHAPTER XXX
The Wolverines
The Pah Utah was the only member of the party that did not manifest any alarm or excitement. Carelessly removing his pipe from his mouth, he turned his head, looked at the animals a moment, and then resumed smoking, without giving utterance to a single sound or changing his posture in the least.
Tim O’Rooney, with an ejaculated prayer, caught up his rifle, and turning his back toward the fire, stood like a person driven at bay and waiting to decide in his mind the best way to strike his last blow. In his haste and alarm his pipe fell from his mouth and lay unheeded at his feet. Shasta quietly picked it
up, handed it to him, and motioned for him to seat himself upon the ground again. Tim stared alternately at the animals, the Indian and his pipe, and finally gathered the idea that no imminent danger threatened them.
Howard and Elwood also held their rifles ready for it charge from the growling wolverines, for such they were, while the Newfoundland growled in turn, and glared defiantly at them. The intelligent brute appeared to comprehend that it would not do for him to sally out and charge upon the enemy’s works, but he stood ready to fight and die in the defense of his friends.
“Why don’t they attack us?” asked Elwood, seeing that they didn’t advance nearer than a dozen feet.
“Don’t you know that wild animals are afraid of fire? That is what restrains them.”
“Of course! I didn’t think of that. How fortunate that we gathered enough wood to last!”
“Just look at Shasta! He doesn’t even stop smoking!”
“He must know there is no danger.”
“Let us try our guns upon them!”
The proposal pleased both, especially as there was no fear but what they could make every discharge tell. Each of them singled out two of the largest wolverines, and fired their guns at the same instant. An ear-splitting clamor succeeded, and as the brutes scampered away in the darkness two of their number were seen stretched out, quivering and dying.
The wolverine is an animal found in California which unites the characteristics of the bear, weasel, fox and wolf. It is sullen and ferocious, and one of the most troublesome of the wood-denizens. When first seen it is apt to be mistaken for a small bear, or rather heavy-looking wolf. The sensuous neck and head bespeak the wolf and weasel nature, the sly persistency the fox, and the savage stubbornness that of the bear; while a resemblance to all four can be seen in the general contour, appearance and habits of the animal.
Attracted, no doubt, by the smell of the cooking fish, a number of these brutes had slyly gathered and crept to the camp, where, finding their prey protected by the fire, they proclaimed their furious disappointment by loud howls—half bark and half yell—springing hither and thither among each other, sometimes vaulting over each other’s backs, and darting as close to the bristling dog as their mortal dread of the fire would permit.
The Edward S. Ellis Megapack Page 89
