CHAPTER VII
EXPEDIENCY
Up in the Big North Woods Ruth Fielding had seen loons dive and swim (andof all the feathered tribe, loons are the master divers) and she hadwondered at the birds' mastery of the water. But no loon ever seemed moreat home in that element than did the Indian chief.
Totantora tore through the water after the escaping motor-boat as thoughhe, too, were propelled by a motor. And his motor was more powerful, in ashort race at least, than that driving the launch in which Wonota washeld prisoner.
Before the men who had abducted the Osage maiden could get their boat outof the little cove, Totantora reached the stern of it. He rose breasthigh in the water and clutched the gunwale with one hand. One of the menswung at him with a boathook; but the other picked up his canvas coat andmanaged to smother the chief's head and face in it for a minute.
Totantora flung himself backward and dragged the canvas coat out of theman's hand. Indeed, he came near to dragging the man himself into thewater.
The coat did not retard the Indian much. He grabbed it with both hands,spread it abroad, and then plunged with it under the stern of themotor-boat. At once the propeller ceased turning and the boat lostheadway. Totantora had fouled the propeller blades with the canvasjacket, and the abductors could not get away.
The Indian lunged for the gunwale of the boat again. One of the men wasnow attending to the mechanism. The other beat at Totantora's hands withthe boathook.
In a flash the chief let go of the rail with one hand and seized thestaff of the implement. One powerful jerk, and he wrenched the boathookfrom the white man's grasp. The latter fell sprawling into the bottom ofthe boat. With a display of muscle-power at which Ruth could not butmarvel, Totantora raised himself over the gunwale of the boat andscrambled into it.
The second white man turned on him, but the Indian met him stooping,seized him around the waist, and tossed him, seemingly with scarcely aneffort, into the water. The other abductor scrambled forward to get outof his reach. The chief bent for a minute over his daughter, and thenRuth saw that the girl was free and that she stood up, unhurt. It was allover so quickly that it left Ruth breathless.
"Miss Ruth! Miss Ruth!" cried the Indian girl. "I am all right. Myfather, Chief Totantora, would not let these bad white men carry me awaya captive."
Ruth waved her hand to the younger girl. But she watched the white manwho was swimming for the shore. She was not afraid of him--any more thanthe Indian chief was fearful of the other white man perched in the bow ofthe motor-boat.
The swimmer reached the bank, caught hold of an overhanging bush, anddragged himself out of the river. He was a hang-dog looking sort offellow, anyway; and in his saturated condition his appearance was notimproved. He lay panting for a minute like an expiring fish, and Ruthlooked down at him perhaps more contemptuously than she realized.
"Well, who you looking at?" he growled at length.
"I suppose I am looking at one of Mr. Horatio Bilby's choice assistants,"Ruth returned scornfully.
"Huh? What do you know about Bilby?" demanded the fellow, evidently muchsurprised.
"I know nothing very good of him, I am sure," the girl of the Red Millreplied coolly. "And I am quite confident that you are a fit companionfor him."
The fellow sat up and leered at her.
"I ain't such a mighty fine sight just now, I guess," he said. "But thereare worse than me. I didn't know there were any white folks interested inthis business."
"You make a perfectly proper distinction," Ruth told him. "Bilby is not awhite man--not in his business ethics I am sure. I want to warn you thatthose Indians have powerful friends and you would do well to have nothingmore to do with them."
"I get you," growled the fellow. "But take it from me; that Injun don'tneed no friends. He can take care of himself. He's as strong as a bull."
"And with a temper you would best not ruffle. I do not know what Bilby'sscheme was, or how he got you into it. But take my advice and keep out ofany further association with Bilby in this matter."
"You don't have to warn me and my partner," said the fellow. "We gotenough right now. Is he coming ashore?"
He turned to look at the boat, and then leaped to his feet in some fear.Totantora, by leaning well over the stern of the boat, had dragged thetorn coat out of the propeller, and now he was coolly examining themechanism with the evident idea of starting the boat. The Indian seemedfamiliar with the driving power of such a craft.
"I think he will bring his daughter ashore," Ruth said composedly. "If Iwere you I would not cross him further."
"I ain't going to, Miss," said the fellow, now on his feet. "I see Jim iskeeping as far away from him as he can. Jim can't swim."
"Go aside somewhere. When they reach the bank I will try to takeTotantora and the girl away with me. Do nothing to cross him, for thetemper of an Indian is not easily quelled. It just simmers and may breakout again at any time."
"Believe me," said the fellow, starting off through the bushes, "I ain'taiming to have another run-in with him. Not with my bare hands. I hope hedon't smash the boat, that's all."
"I will do all I can to pacify Totantora," said Ruth, and she really wassomewhat anxious on this point, for the grim countenance of the Indianchief threatened further reprisal.
He was busy with the engine for a time; but by and by the regular poppingof the exhaust revealed the fact that everything was all right with it.The boat described a circle and came back into the cove and to the placewhere Ruth stood on the bank.
The second white man, who was younger and looked less like a drowned rat,remained in the bow, staring back in apprehension at the Indian. Themoment he could do so, this man leaped ashore.
"Say nothing to him," advised Ruth. "I will try to take them both away.And, as I have warned your companion, have nothing more to do with Bilbyor his schemes. These Indians are my friends, and they have other friendswho are much more powerful than I am, I can assure you."
"Yes, Miss," said the man, politely enough. "I don't want to mix in withthat redskin. I guess not!"
Wonota stepped ashore and Ruth gave her the shoe she had lost. Her fatherfollowed her. He turned as though to set the boat adrift, but Ruth laidher hand upon his wet sleeve.
"Let it alone, Totantora. I hope you will be advised by me. We will goright away from here. Instead of waiting until to-morrow, let us leavehere to-night and start for the North."
Wonota said something to her father in their own tongue, and he looked atRuth more peacefully.
"White lady is always my friend, I know; and Wonota's friend," heobserved. "But these bad men tried to steal Wonota."
"Tell me how it happened," Ruth put in, hoping to change his trend ofthought and determination.
"I will tell you, my friend," said the Indian girl. "A little fat mancame in a car when Chief Totantora and I were walking in the road. He gotus to sit down yonder and talk to him. He is one of those who have triedto get Chief Totantora and me to go away from you to make pictures. Heoffers much money. And while we talked, those other two men crept upbehind us and they all seized Chief Totantora and me. We were bound andour mouths closed before we knew how many, or how few, our enemies were.Then my father was left in the wood and I was carried to the boat. I donot know what became of the little fat man."
"I saw him drive away," Ruth said. "It made me suspicious. I had alreadyseen and talked with the fat man, whose name is Bilby. Don't forget thatname, Wonota."
"I will remember," said the Indian girl, composedly.
"He may make some other attempt to get possession of you. Some attempt byaid of the courts."
"The white man's law is very strange," muttered Totantora.
"But we will get ahead of Bilby before he can do anything else," Ruthwent on. "Miss Cameron's car is outside in the road. Go to the hotel andchange your clothes, Totantora, and I will take both you and Wonota backto the Red Mill. Until we get away for the North I shall not want you outof my sight."
T
he Indian shook himself much as a dog might. A lighter expressionflickered over his dark face.
"I shall not suffer cold from a wetting," he said. "It is nothing. I havenothing at the hotel. We will go now."
"Come on, then," rejoined Ruth, promptly. "It is best that we get awaybefore Bilby can learn that his plan to make Wonota a captive miscarried.Hurry!"
She swept them in her earnestness out to the road where Helen and AuntAlvirah saw them with considerable surprise--particularly because of thesaturated condition of the Indian.
"I declare, Ruth!" cried Helen, "you do manage to get into such perfectlylovely rows. What is the matter?"
But Ruth postponed all explanation for a later time. On their way back tothe Red Mill she did explain to Helen, however, that she intended to takethe two Indians to Cheslow and get a train for Albany that evening.
"I will fool Bilby and whoever is aiding him. We will get away."
"If you go to-night, so do I!" exclaimed her chum. "You can't lose me,Ruth Fielding. I can see that we are going to have perfectly scrumptioustimes before this picture you are going to make is finished."
"I hope we'll fool Bilby--leave him behind," sighed Ruth.
"The worst of it is, we must leave Tommy-boy behind," said Tom's twin."Won't he be sore when he hears about it!"