CHAPTER XXXI.
TOM GIVES A MAGICAL SOIREE.
Tom had no intention of passing his life with the Indians. In joiningthem he submitted to necessity. It gave him a respite, and a chance todevise plans of escape. He understood very well that, if he made theattempt and failed, his life would be the forfeit. But Tom determined totake the risk, though his life was sweet to him; but, of course, he mustwait for a favorable opportunity.
There was a chance of his being rescued by his party, but this chancewas diminished by the decision of his Indian captors to break camp, andproceed in a northerly direction, while the course of the emigrant trainwas, of course, westward. Little time was wasted. The Indians mountedtheir horses, Tom being put on the horse of the fallen brave. The leaderput himself at the head, and Tom was placed in the center, surrounded byIndians. It was evident that they were not willing to trust him yet.They meant to afford him no chance of escape.
As the only one of the band with whom Tom could converse was theinterpreter, who rode at the head with the chief, he rode in silence.The Indians on either side of him never turned their heads toward him,but, grave and impassive, rode on, looking straight before them.
"This is easier than walking," thought Tom; "but I would a hundred timesrather walk with Scott, or Miles, than ride in my present company."
They rode for three hours, and then dismounted for the midday rest.
Nothing had been seen or heard of his old friends, and that made Tomanxious and thoughtful.
"They have gone on without me, leaving me to my fate," he said tohimself, and the reflection gave him a pang. He had been on suchpleasant and friendly terms with the whole party, that this colddesertion--as it appeared--wounded him. The young are more sensitive insuch cases than their elders. As we grow older we cease to expect toomuch of those whose interests differ from our own.
Tom felt that his fate was more and more bound up with the Indians. Ifsome days should pass before he could escape, he would find himself inan embarrassing condition. Suppose he got away safely, he would findhimself in a pathless plain, without provisions, and with no other guidethan the sun. If he should meet with no party, he would die ofstarvation. The prospect seemed by no means bright.
I am bound to say that, for a time, Tom, in spite of his bright,sanguine temperament, was greatly depressed; but his spirits wereelastic.
"I won't give up to despair," he said to himself. "Something tells methat I shall come out right. I must wait and watch my chances."
Upon this his face brightened, and his air, which had been listless,became more animated. The Indians glanced at him, with grave approval.They concluded that he was becoming reconciled to living among them.
When the simple midday meal was placed upon the ground, and the Indiansgathered around it in a sitting posture, Tom followed their example, anddid full justice to the dinner. In fact, he had taken so much exercisethat he felt hungry. Besides, he knew that he must keep up his strength,if he wished to escape; so, instead of keeping aloof in sullendissatisfaction, he displayed a "healthy appetite."
After resting several hours the Indians resumed their journey, but didnot travel far. They were in no hurry. They had no long journey to makeacross the continent. They only wished to go far enough to be safe fromattack by a rescuing party of Tom's friends. Again they encamped, andthis time, from the preparations made, he understood that it was for thenight.
One thing Tom could not help noticing--the silence of these red childrenof the plains. They seemed to make no conversation with each other,except on necessary matters, and then their words were few in number,replies being often made in a monosyllable.
"They don't seem very social," thought Tom. "I suppose they have nothingto talk about. I wonder if the squaws ever have sewing-circles. If theyhave, they can't be much like Yankee women if they don't find plenty totalk about."
The silence became oppressive. Tom would have liked to take a walk, buthe knew that this would not be allowed. It would be thought that hewanted to escape. Yet to sit mute hour after hour seemed to Tomintolerably stupid. A bold idea came to him. He would try to afford themsome amusement.
Accordingly, he said to the interpreter: "Shall I show you a trick?"
The interpreter communicated the proposal to his comrades, andpermission was granted.
Tom took from his pocket a penny. He explained to the interpreter thathe would swallow the penny, and make it come out at his nose--a commonboy's trick. The Indians, to whom this also was communicated, lookedcurious and incredulous, and Tom proceeded.
Now, I am not going to explain how Tom accomplished the illusion. That Ileave to the ingenuity of my boy readers to discover. It is enough tosay that he succeeded, to the great amazement of his copper-coloredspectators. There was a chorus of ughs! and Tom was requested to repeatthe trick.
He did so, the Indians being as puzzled as before.
Now, Indians are, in many respects, like children. They displayed, onthis occasion, a childish curiosity and wonder that amused Tom. Theyinsisted on his opening his month, to ascertain whether there was anyhidden avenue from his mouth to his nose, and found, to their surprise,that his mouth was like their own. Then one of the Indians volunteeredto try the experiment, and nearly choked himself with the penny, which,it must be remembered, was one of the large, old-fashioned, coppercoins, in circulation before the war. It cannot be said that he turnedblack in the face, but he certainly gasped, and rolled his eyes in amanner that alarmed his friends, and they instinctively looked to Tomfor help. Tom was equal to the emergency. He rose hastily, slapped theIndian forcibly on the back, and the cent was ejected from his mouth.
There was another chorus of ughs! and it was evident that Tom had risenvastly in their opinion. They looked upon him as a white magician, andeven were a little afraid that he might work them injury in some way.But Tom's frank, good-humored manner reassured them. They asked him,through the interpreter, if he could perform any other tricks. Tom knewa few, that he had learned out of an old tattered book which had fallenin his way at home; and such as he had facilities for he attempted, tothe great delight of his new friends. Tom was becoming popular; and eventhose who had at first recommended death were glad that his life hadbeen spared.
CHAPTER XXXII.
TOM'S ESCAPE.
Night came, and the Indian camp was hushed and still. It was long beforeTom went to sleep. Generally he was a good sleeper, but his mind atpresent was too active for slumber. "How long is this strange life goingto last?" he asked himself. "How long am I to be exiled fromcivilization?" This was more easily asked than answered.
When he slept, his sleep was troubled. He dreamed that Lawrence Peabodywas a captive, and that the chief was about to scalp him, when suddenlyhe awoke. He could not at first tell where he was, but a glance revealedthe disheartening truth.
He must have slept several hours, for the gray dawn was creeping up thesky, heralding sunrise. He leaned on his elbow, and bent a searchingglance upon his companions. They were stretched motionless upon theground, hushed in the insensibility of sleep. "Are they asleep?" Tomasked himself. He satisfied himself that the slumber was genuine, andthere sprang up in his heart the wild hope of escape. A few rods distantthe horses were fastened. Could he unfasten and mount one before any ofthem a wakened?
Tom's heart beat quick with excitement. He knew that he ran a fearfulrisk; but he made up his mind that now was his time.
Slowly, and without noise, he raised himself to his feet. As he stooderect, he closely scanned the sleepers. There was not a motion. Withstealthy steps he crept to the horses. He selected the one he had riddenthe day before, and unloosed him. The animal gave a slight whinny, andTom's heart was in his throat. But no one stirred. He quickly mountedthe animal, and walked him for a few rods, then gave him a loose rein,and was soon speeding away. Just then the sun rose, and this guided himin the direction he was to take.
He had got a mile away, when, looking back through the clear air, hesaw, to his dismay, tha
t his flight had been discovered. The Indianswere mounting their horses.
"I must gallop for life," thought Tom. "They will kill me if they catchme."
He urged on his horse by all the means in his power. Luckily it was oneof the two fleetest horses the Indians possessed, the other being riddenby their leader.
Tom's hope was sustained by this fact, which he had proof of the daybefore.
Rather to his surprise, he did not feel as much frightened as heanticipated. He felt excited, and this was his prominent feeling.Probably he felt like a soldier in the heat of battle.
But the odds against Tom were terrible, and his chance of escape seemedvery slender. Behind him was a band of savages, accustomed to theplains, strong, wily, enduring, and persistent. He was new to theplains, and a mere boy. Moreover, he did not know where to find hisparty. There were no sign-boards upon the prairies, but a vast, uniformexpanse stretching farther than the eye could reach.
Inch by inch, foot by foot, the Indians gained upon him, the leaderconsiderably in advance.
Even if he alone were to overtake Tom, our hero would of course be nomatch for a strong, full-grown warrior, more especially as he had noweapon with him. By some mischance he had left it in the camp.
Tom's heart began to fail him. His horse could not always, perhaps notlong, keep up his headlong speed. Then would follow capture, and apainful death.
"It's hard," thought Tom sadly; "hard for me and for my dear parents andbrothers and sisters. Why did I ever leave home?"
He turned in the saddle, and saw the Indian leader, evidently nearer.But he saw something else. He saw a herd of buffaloes, thousands innumber, impetuously rushing across the plain from the west. Their speedwas great. They seemed to be blindly following their leader.
"Good heavens!" ejaculated Tom, in great excitement; "the Indians are intheir path. If the herd does not stop, they will be destroyed."
The Indians were fully aware of their great danger. They knew the plainswell, and the terrible, resistless power of these wild herds when onceon the march. They no longer thought of Tom, but of their own safety.But the buffaloes were close at hand. They were sweeping on like awhirlwind. The Indians could only ride on, and trust to clear them. Buttheir pathway was wide. It reached to within a furlong of where Tom wasriding. They never paused; some of the animals in the advance might haveveered to the right or left on seeing the Indians, but the pressure frombehind prevented. The savages saw their fate, and it inspired them withmore dread than an encounter with white foes. Finally, they halted indespair, and their fate overtook them. Riders and steeds were overthrownas by a flash of lightning. The dark, shaggy herd did not stop, butdashed on. Tom, in awe and excitement, halted his horse, and watched theterrible sight. He could not but sympathize with his late companions,though he knew they would have taken his life.
The buffaloes passed on, but left no life behind them. The Indians andtheir horses were all trampled to death. Tom was alone upon the plains.
He thanked God in his heart for his self-deliverance; though heshuddered at the manner in which it was wrought. He, too, had been nearbeing overwhelmed, but, through God's mercy, had escaped.
But for what had he escaped? Unless he found his own party, or someother, he would starve to death, or might fall into the power of someother tribe of Indians. He must ride on.
An hour later he thought he saw in the distance a solitary horseman. Itmight be an Indian; but that was not likely, for they generally traveledin numbers. It was more likely to be a white man. Any white man would bea friend, and could guide him to safety, unless he were himself lost. Atany rate, there seemed but one course to follow, and that to ride towardthe stranger.
When Tom drew near his heart was filled with sudden joy, for, in the newarrival, he recognized John Miles. Miles was no less delighted.
"Tom, old boy," he said, "is it you? How did you get away? I was afraidwe should never see you again."
"I feared so myself," said Tom; "but I have been saved in a wonderfulmanner. Has the train moved on?"
"Do you think we would go on without you? Not a man was willing to stirtill you were found. Even Peabody, though afraid of falling into thehands of the Indians, and losing his scalp, was in favor of our waiting.The boys are very anxious about you."
Tom heard this with satisfaction. The esteem of our friends andassociates is dear to us all; and it is always sad to think that we maybe forgotten in absence.
"But you have not told me of your escape, Tom," said Miles. "Where arethe Indians who captured you?"
"All dead!" answered Tom solemnly.
"Good heavens! You don't mean to say----"
"That I killed them? Oh, no! Look over there! Can you see anything?"
Miles looked earnestly.
"I think I see upon the ground some men and horses."
"It is the Indians. They were pursuing me when they were trampled todeath by a herd of buffaloes."
"Wonderful!" ejaculated Miles. "I have heard of such things, but hardlybelieved in them."
"It was a terrible sight," said Tom soberly. "I wish I could have beensaved in some other way."
"It was you or they," said Miles sententiously. "It is well as it is."
* * * * *
They were warmly welcomed at the camp. Tom was looked upon as one raisedfrom the dead; and the particulars of his wonderful escape were calledfor again and again.
"You are sure they didn't scalp you, Tom?" asked Mr. Peabody.
"Feel and see, Mr. Peabody," said Tom, smiling. "I believe my hair ispretty firm."
"I wouldn't have been in your shoes for all the gold in California,"said Peabody fervently.
"I believe you, Mr. Peabody. Indeed, I think I may say that I wouldn'tbe placed in the same situation again for all the gold in the world."
"Tom," said Scott, "you are bound to succeed."
"What makes you think so?"
"You have shown so much pluck and coolness that you are sure to getalong."
"I hope so, I am sure, for my father's sake."
* * * * *
Some weeks later a wagon-train was seen slowly climbing a mountain passon the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They reached the summit,and, looking eagerly to the westward, saw the land of gold at theirfeet. They had been months in reaching it. Now it lay spread beforethem, glorious in the sunlight.
"Yonder lies the promised land, my lad," said Ferguson. "It remains tobe seen whether we shall be rewarded for our long and toilsome journey."
"If hard work will win success, I mean to succeed," said Tom stoutly.
"I don't see any gold," said Lawrence Peabody, with a disappointed air.
"Did you think it grew on trees, Mr. Peabody?" asked Scottsarcastically.
"I should like to stop a week at a first-class hotel before getting towork," remarked Peabody. "I don't like roughing it."
"We will leave you at the first hotel of that sort we meet. Now, boys,gather about me, and give three rousing cheers for California."
Thus spoke Miles, and swung his hat. The cheers were given with a will,and the wagon-train commenced the descent.
THE END.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
The original text did not include a table of contents. One was added toassist the reader.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 61, word "don't" added to text. (I don't doubt)
Page 66, "dosen't" changed to "doesn't" (it doesn't look to)
Page 105, a repeated sentence was removed. ("I'm out of luck, and out ofcash, Vincent.")
Page 207, "twelev" changed to "twelve" (pointed to twelve)
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