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CHAPTER XXVI.
FOOTPRINTS
"He's either the biggest wretch among the Shawanoes," said Wharton, "always excepting Blazing Arrow, or he is working like a major to help us."
"Look at him!"
The Indian whom they were discussing was standing in the same position as before, but was excitedly beckoning for them to approach.
Both boys broke into a trot and quickly joined him.
"Dat Blazing Arrow," said Arqu-wao; "he kill white folks."
"How is it that he and the others did not kill my father and mother as they rode along the trail?"
"No see 'em," was the quick reply.
"But why not? I do not understand."
"Arqu-wao no tell – don't know – not be looking."
This, apparently, was the explanation possible, but it did not satisfy the youths.
"Come wid me," said the Shawanoe, motioning the boys to follow him, which, despite their anxiety, they did.
"See dere – eh – see dat?"
The Indian stooped, and with his forefinger almost on the ground, pointed to the imprint of a shoe. It was not made by a moccasin, but by a regular heavy-soled shoe or boot.
"Who made that?" asked the astonished Wharton.
"White man," replied Arqu-wao, with almost a chuckle. "White man like him on hoss – he friend – Blazing Arrow don't know dat."
It seemed incredible that this half-demented creature had discovered signs which had escaped the eye of the fierce Shawanoe leader and his companions, but such was the fact, as afterwards came to light.
After much labored explanation, the guide made clear to the boys a state of facts hitherto unsuspected by them, whose existence they still half doubted.
A white man from the block-house had passed over the trail after the two horses. This was readily determined by studying his footprints where they interfered with those of the animals. He had walked at a rapid gait, as was evidenced by the length of the stride. In all probability he was an experienced ranger, for even while following the path he made an effort to hide his footprints. It was only at rare intervals that he stepped in the trail itself; he had generally walked at the side, where the leaves and harder earth hid the impressions from sight.
Had Blazing Arrow and his companions been searching for this stranger's footprints it is not to be supposed that they would have missed them, for their eyes were as keen as those of Arqu-wao, but the presumption was that they were not looking for them.
The rapid stride of the strange white man was accepted by the guide as a proof that he was trying to overtake those on horseback. It might be that, after their departure from the block-house, news had reached the small garrison there of the ambush the couple were liable to run into, and this runner had set out to warn them; or it might be that he had struck the trail a short distance off, and was seeking to join the two for the sake of their companionship, or for some reason of his own.
Furthermore, it must be remembered that, though the presumption was strongly in favor of the two riders being the father and mother of Wharton, it was not yet absolutely certain that such was the case. That could not be known for some time to come.
It was evident that some curious complication had taken place, since all three of the party had passed Blazing Arrow and his men without their detection. There was nothing remarkable in the single person doing so, since he had given evidence of unusual care in his action. Skilled in the ways of the woods and Indian subtlety, he knew enough to avoid the most cunning ambush, but the hostiles must have been derelict to allow a mounted man and woman to pass unnoticed.
Be that as it may, Wharton and Larry were as resolute as ever in following the party. If it should prove that the parents had passed that point on their way to the settlement, there was no call for approaching any nearer to the block-house.
"We will go back," said Wharton, with only a moment's hesitation. "Lead the way, Arqu-wao, and serve us as well as you have already done."
"Me good Indian," he replied. "Me take care ob you."
"We know that. We shall depend on you. You needn't run, for we don't want to overtake Blazing Arrow too soon."
The Shawanoe showed a remarkable quickness in comprehending the wishes of the boys. He asked them to stand where they were until he signalled them to follow. They watched his figure out of sight, when he turned, with the same sidelong attitude as before, and beckoned them to come on.
"We've got to trust him now," said Larry.
"There's no help for it; but we couldn't ask much better proof of friendship than he has given already."
"But we'll keep our eyes on him. It may be he's fixing things so as to gather in the whole lot of us."
Wharton thought his companion was unduly suspicious, but at the same time he recognized the prudence of his words, for he knew that these people sometimes show a boundless patience in waiting for the minute when they can make their vengeance the more complete.
The Shawanoe walked so fast that Larry was forced to break into a trot now and then to keep pace with him and the cleaner-limbed Wharton. The presence of the three hostiles at no great distance in front rendered necessary the precaution of Arqu-wao; for, if he ran upon them with the youths at his heels, a collision would be inevitable, with disastrous consequences.
The guide was putting forth all the cunning of which he was capable. It was necessary to come up with Blazing Arrow and his companions, and at the same time prevent their knowing it.
The journey was pushed in this manner for nearly a mile, and Wharton recognized, from familiar sights, that they were drawing near the turn in the dry ravine where he had had his singular encounter with Blazing Arrow when he recovered his gun from him.
Somehow or other the conviction had fastened upon him that the spot was again to be the scene of stirring events.
"Halloo!" he exclaimed in an undertone. "He has discovered something, and we must wait till he signals us to go on."
CHAPTER XXVII.
RED CROW
The boys kept such a close watch on the Shawanoe that the moment he signalled them to stop they obeyed. Although he assumed his favorite attitude while doing so, he instantly faced about so that his back was toward them. There could be no doubt that he had made some important discovery.
The youths stood still in the trail, Wharton slightly in advance; but Larry was near enough to his side to note every movement of the singular being who had been acting as their guide ever since the rise of the sun.
"I wonder whether he means us to stand right here or to dodge behind the trees, as we did before?" remarked Larry.
"We shall know, for he will tell us. There it is!"
Arqu-wao at this moment made a peculiar sweep of the hand holding the bow, which was interpreted as an order for them to screen themselves from sight. They did so with the cleverness of a short time before. Nothing to explain the cause for this caution appeared, and the lads kept their eyes on the Indian in whose hands they had placed their lives before this critical moment.
The tree trunks which sheltered them were not more rigid and motionless for the next five minutes than he. Then he was seen to take a single step forward, when he again paused. A second followed with the same deliberation as before, and the advance continued, foot by foot, until the intervening trees and the turn in the trail shut the guide from sight.
"We're near the clearing where I had my race with Blazing Arrow," remarked Wharton, in a guarded voice.
"Ye may have anither one with him."
"It isn't likely, but I believe he isn't far off."
"And the others are with him."
"Of course, and more than likely father and mother are near. Oh, I do hope that they will find out their danger soon enough to save themselves; but I fear the worst."
"Do ye hear that?"
The faces of the youths blanched, for at that moment the sharp crack of a rifle rang out in the stillness. It was near at hand, and was followed by a wild cry, which, echoing through the forest arches, left the silence more oppressive than before.
"Somebody is killed!" whispered the frightened Wharton.
"I don't doubt ye; but that yell wasn't a white man's."
"Then the shot must have been."
"I don't know the same; mebbe Blazing Arrow has found out what Arqu-wao has been doing and shot him."
"I believe that is what has happened; they had a quarrel when they met in the trail; why didn't Blazing Arrow kill him then?"
"He didn't know as much then as he does now; he has seen the thracks of oursilves along the path after the two parted, and then the whole thruth come upon him."
"I wish we could have the chance to save the poor crazy fellow, for he has given his life for us – that is, if he has been shot by any of his people."
"We don't know that he is dead yit; mebbe he managed to use his bow and arrow, and didn't miss, while the other chap as used his gun did, so the yell was the other fellow's."
"We ought to have given him back his knife and tomahawk; I didn't think of it, or we would have done so."
"It couldn't have done him any good in this sort of rumpus."
Some tragedy had been enacted so near them that the youths might well shudder for themselves as well as for their friends.
The sultry summer day was well along. The sun, high in the sky, penetrated the woods with its warmth, and in the broad open plain the heat must have been oppressive. Here and there a tiny bird fluttered among the trees, and suddenly a noble buck came striding along as if he meant to follow the trail to the falls for a drink, but, catching sight of the two young men standing beside the trees weapon in hand, he wheeled and was off in a twinkling, though not before either one of the lads could have gained the best kind of a shot had he dared to fire.
Minute after minute passed, and still there was no sign of the returning guide. The young friends would have been glad to believe he had escaped, but the fleeting minutes caused their hope to sink lower and lower, until at last it was gone.
"It seems to me," said Wharton, "that we are throwing away time by standing here; we shall never see Arqu-wao again."
"I agree with ye; the rest of 'em are miles off, and we might stay here till the sun went down and that's all the good it would do us."
Thump! and the startled boys, turning their heads, saw a stone, weighing fully a pound, that must have been thrown by some person at them. This was a curious proceeding by whomsoever done; but the explanation came the next moment, when a tall, finely formed figure, clad in the costume of the border ranger, stepped from behind a tree and motioned to them to make no noise.
The astonished and delighted boys recognized the individual as Simon Kenton, the most famous scout, not excepting Daniel Boone, known in Ohio and Kentucky. He had approached them from the rear, and announced his coming in this characteristic manner.
"Yer needn't be afeared, younkers," he said, as he came up, "provided yer don't speak too loud. The varmints are powerful plenty yerabouts. Howdy?"
He shook the hand of each in turn, and Wharton asked:
"Where did you come from, Kenton?"
"The block-house."
"How long ago did you leave?"
"Shortly after sun-up; it isn't very fur, and I've travelled powerful fast."
Wharton yearned to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue, but an awful fear held it back.
"We heard a rifle awhile ago; do you know anything about it?"
"I reckon," replied the ranger with a significant grin, "bein' as I was the chap that touched her off."
"At whom did you fire?"
"Why don't ye ask who did I hit, for when that piece speaks I reckon some one is hit. Did you hear him yell?"
"We might have heard the chap a mile off," replied Larry. "Was the same Blazing Arrow."
"No; I am sorry to say he kept out of the way, and I picked off the one that was nearest to him."
"Did you see anything of an Indian with a bow and arrow?"
"You mean Arqu-wao, or, as we call him, Red Crow."
"That must be the one. Why does he have such a strange name?"
"Did you ever see a red crow, younkers?"
"No; and I never saw a person that has seen one."
"And you never will; such a thing would be powerful qu'ar, but he wouldn't be any qu'arer than the varmint that Boone, M'Cleland, the Wetzel boys and some of the others have given the name to. He's a bit off, ain't 'zactly right here," added the scout, tapping his forehead. "Have you had anything to do with him?"
Wharton related in as few words as possible their experience with the strange creature, and asked:
"Has he always been that way?"
"No; his brother and him had a big fight when they were on the warpath. His brother was older and stronger, and threw him down among the rocks in such a way that his head was hurt and he was never right afterwards. He has lived by himself along that lake over yender for ten or a dozen years. He won't have anybody with him; you know how the Injuns look on such a person; they think he's a little different and better than other folks and none of 'em will harm him. Of course none of the boys would hurt a hair of his head, though he's quick enough with his bow and arrer to shoot any one that comes pokin' round his place. It's powerful qu'ar that he acted the part of a friend toward you, but thar's no sayin' what crank may come into the head of such a person."
"But he had a quarrel with Blazing Arrow, who seemed on the point of striking him."
"That's nateral, for you know you hate anyone that you've already done an injury to."
"Has Blazing Arrow ever injured him?"
"Why, he's the one that throwed him over the rock; him and Blazing Arrow are full brothers."
This was surprising news to both, and Larry said:
"He once mentioned the name of that chap as his brother, but I didn't think that was what he meant."
"I don't think the Red Crow loves his brother any more than his brother loves him. Some time thar'll be the biggest kind of a fight between 'em. They don't often meet, but when they do they allers strike fire."
"How was it, Kenton, that you came to shoot awhile ago?"
"One of the varmints got in my way, and if you know of any better plan for heavin' him out, let me hear it."
"But you don't explain; did you see anything of Red Crow?"
"You asked me awhile ago, and I beg pardon for not answerin'. No, I haven't seen him lately, that is, for the last few weeks; but while I was out yender, just on t'other side of the ravine, whar the trail makes a sharp turn, I catched sight of one of the varmints stealin' along as though he was lookin' for somethin'. He catched sight of me at the same time. We had not time to dodge behind anything, and it was a question which could aim and fire the quickest. Wal," added Kenton, with a sigh of complacency, "mebbe thar's a varmint somewhar that can do that thing quicker'n me, but I haven't met him yet."
"But you say you saw Blazing Arrow?"
"Yas, and another of the redskins; they war some way ahead, and the trees war so plenty that we couldn't draw bead. I waited for 'em to come nigher, but they didn't seem to be lookin' for that sort of thing just then, and they scooted t'other way. I 'spect I'll meet 'em agin purty soon, and I'm ready."
CHAPTER XXVIII.
GOOD NEWS
Wharton Edwards could not keep back the question any longer.
"Kenton, why was it you were in such a hurry to get along the trail when you left the block-house?"
"I wanted to catch up with your father and mother, that left before sun-up this mornin'."
The poor lad staggered back, and, had he not caught hold of a sapling, would have fallen to the earth.
"There is no hope for them."
"Who said there wasn't, younker?" demanded Kenton, sharply.
"I can see none; do you?"
"It looks putty bad, I'll own, but Brigham Edwards and his wife are no fools, onless they've become so since they left the block-house."
The words of the great ranger lifted part of the weight from the shoulders of the boys (for the grief of Larry was almost as deep as that of the son), though they were still in anguish of spirit.
"What led you to follow them in such haste? How did you know they were in such great danger?"
"I got in late last night to the block-house; I had been out on a scout for Colonel Quimby and was gone more than a week. The Shawanoes and Wyandots are raising the dickens, and I knowed thar war lots of 'em hanging round the settlement. I told your father, bein' that war so, he had better wait whar he war for a few days, or until we could spare several of the boys to go with him.
"Howsumever, instead of that leadin' him to do as I wanted, it made him and your mother twice as determined to be off. They wouldn't wait at the block-house for you younkers to come in, as they orter done, and made up thar minds to start the fust thing in the mornin'. I talked so hard with your father that I war sure he would change his mind, and so, bein' powerful tired, I went to sleep. I slept so late that when I woke up they'd been gone an hour. I swallered two or three mouthfuls and started after them."
Wharton explained what he had seen for himself, all of which indicated that Blazing Arrow and his two warriors had laid an ambush for the boys.
"Thar ain't no doubt of that after what you tell me. They larned that you war goin' to make a start for the block-house, so they went a good long way along the trail and waited for you to walk into thar open jaws."
"Which we might have done had we gone farther; but, that being so, how was it father and mother rode this way without harm when they must have passed the very spot where Blazing Arrow and the rest were waiting for us?"
"I came by 'em," said Kenton, with another smile.
"You could go by any number of them, for you know how. You were on foot and were prepared for them, but they were on horseback."
"Which leads me to say agin that Brigham Edwards and his wife ain't fools, onless they've become so powerful sudden. Your father knowed thar war three places whar, if thar war any ambush laid, it war sartin to be in one of 'em. Countin' from the settlement, the fust was whar the path goes close to them falls, for the lay of the land jes' invites it; the second are at the ravine down thar, only a little way beyond whar you are standin' this minute; and the third are ten miles this side of the block-house, whar the trail goes through that swampy spot, and the branches are so thick over it that they almost sweep you off the back of your hoss. If he could pass them there three places without runnin' agin the varmints, he would be safe."
"And where were Blazing Arrow and the rest in waiting?"
"At the swampy place I war speakin' of; the varmints made up thar minds that they would be sure of you by goin' close to the block-house."
"And how came father and mother to miss them?"
"Jes' before reachin' the spot they turned out of the trail and went round it. It war powerful hard work pickin' thar way with thar horses among the trees and round the rocks, but they managed to do it, and did not come back to the trail till they war a half mile this side the spot whar the varmints war waitin' for 'em."
"And ye mustn't forgit," said Larry, "that the spalpeens warn't looking for thim, but for us."
Wharton's eyes kindled with pride at this proof of the wisdom of his parents. It made clear that which had been mystifying to him.
"Bein' as your folks had done that," continued Kenton, "why, I thought it only perlite to do the same."
"Why didn't Blazing Arrow and the others wait for us to come?" asked Wharton.
"They got tired, though an Injun has more patience than a white man; but they begun to think that mebbe they war too late after all, and they set out to meet you."
"But you say that we are close to the second place, that is to the ravine where I got my rifle back from Blazing Arrow."
This was the first reference the fleet-limbed youth had made to his great race with the Champion of the Shawanoes, though he had told almost everything else. Remarking that the parents were safe for the present, Kenton demanded an account of the contest, and expressed the greatest delight, declaring that he would have swapped his favorite rifle for a powder-horn could he have stood where he might have witnessed the wonderful burst of speed on the part of the youthful runner.
But Wharton was impatient. All his thoughts were with the folks; and though quite certain, from the words and manner of the scout, that there was no cause for immediate alarm, he could not be denied fuller information.
"We are near the second place that you say would be used by the Shawanoes for ambush. Have the folks passed that yet?"
"No, they ain't two hundred yards off from you this blessed minute."
Wharton bounced from the ground and could hardly repress a cheer in the excess of his delight.
"Why, Kenton, didn't you tell me this before?"
"What war the hurry? They'll keep."
"Where did you overtake them?"
"Some distance back along the trail; I give a signal to your father and he waited for me to come up. I told him the varmints had sot the trap close to the swampy spot that he had sarcumvented, for I had seen their tracks along the trail, and, onless they came trottin' after us, we must look out for that ravine next. It's purty hard work sarcumventin' that, but, leavin' them to do it, I sneaked back hyar to keep a lookout for the varmints."
"Where does father intend to return to the main trail?"
"A little way beyond the clearin'; but the varmints will find out that he are ahead of 'em, and, havin' slipped up once already, they may try some trick; they'll be powerful careful, now that they know your folks ain't alone."
