Chapter IV
Steve makes a Suggestion
Two strides from the rocky bank took Steve into deep water, where hestruck out for the drifting canoes, his long and powerful strokescleaving a path for him through the river. Behind him he left hisfather and Silver Fox dumfounded at his sudden action, and almostinclined to follow. But they had another matter to occupy theirattention, for Steve had been very wary. He had soon realised that theenemy were in two parties, and guessed that the four redskins makingfor the hidden canoes were unaware of the presence of the trappers.It was important that they should still remain in ignorance, and,mindful of this, the young fellow had made not a sound as he departed.The bush and the thick leaves of the tree had hidden him from thekeen eyes of the enemy, while his presence in the water was hidden bythe thick bank of osiers. So careful had he been, in fact, that theredskins had no suspicions, and as their brothers on the far bank setup their hideous war-whoop, the four who were stealing towards thecanoes sent back answering whoops, and thinking that longer cautionwas unnecessary, they dashed towards the bank of reeds.
Crash! They were met with a volley, aimed from the tree and the reeds,and hardly had the reports died down when Jim's voice was heard.
"Two of the varmint's down," he bellowed. "After the others."
Like a hound let loose from the leash this active trapper threw downhis musket and dashed through the reeds, his tomahawk in his hand,while Mac went bounding after him, his coon-skin cap fallen from hishead, and his red hair blowing out behind him.
"Afther thim, the blackguards!" he cried, waving to Jim.
"Steady! Take the man to the right," shouted Tom suddenly, swinginghis smoking musket over his shoulder and reaching out for the weaponwhich Steve had suspended to the tree. Up went the heavy stock to hisshoulder, the barrel poked out through the leaves and for one briefsecond followed the crouching figure of one of the redskins, who wasmaking off through the forest. A loud report startled the silence, andas Tom dropped the barrel the Indian leaped into the air, a discordantshriek burst from his lips, and in a second he was rolling over andover in the long grass and brambles for all the world like a rabbitwhich has been shot when bolting.
"My brother has the eye of a hawk, even as has his son," said SilverFox, busily ramming down a fresh charge and powdering the pan of hislong musket. "Three of our number picked out one of these enemies,and he died at once. Another was struck by a single bullet, and helies there, close to the reeds. The fourth will be slain within alittle while. Listen, my brother, there is noise on the far side ofthe river."
There was indeed a commotion. For a little while the twenty or morewarriors over there had kept up their awful whooping, and as theircomrades on the near side had responded, the shouts and whoops becameeven greater. But now that the rifles of the trappers had spokenso suddenly and unexpectedly, the babel became even worse. Paintedredskins showed up openly on the bank, frantically waving theirmuskets, while two stood in the water ready to reinforce the man whowas swimming out to the drifting canoes.
"They are as much startled and taken aback as are we," said TomMainwaring. "Keep steady here, Silver Fox, and let us see what we cando for the young hawk. My son will reach the canoes almost at the sametime as that redskin, and a bullet from us might help. Ah, they arefiring." While he spoke he rammed fresh charges into the two musketswith feverish energy, his eyes all the time roaming from the surfaceof the river to the figures on the far bank. As he had said, it seemedmore than likely that Steve would reach the canoes as soon as theredskin, for his long powerful strokes were taking him through thewater at a rapid pace, and as if fortune had decided to help him aslight breeze which had since got up came sweeping along the river anddrifted the two craft towards him.
"Stay here, my brother," whispered Silver Fox suddenly. "There areothers who are attempting to reach the canoes. Silver Fox will helpthe young Hawk."
He dropped from the tree as light as a feather, and when Tom lookeddown there was the Indian stealing along through the trees, his muskettrailing and one hand busily engaged in sweeping the ground beforehim. This redskin had not lived the life of his race for nothing. Heknew that even in the excitement of all that was occurring there wouldbe ears on the far side of the river listening for sounds of an enemy,and he was well aware that a broken branch, the crushing of somepiece of brittle drift wood, would give the enemy on the far shorean inkling of what was happening. To him it was as simple as playingto creep through the forest like a snake. Even Tom, who knew hisintentions and the direction he had taken, could not follow his track.There was not even a swaying branch to show where he was.
Meanwhile Steve had made good progress, and was within a few strokesof the canoes. Could he reach the one in which Talking Bear lay beforethe Indian came up with it? No! There was a commotion in the wateron the far side of the frail craft, a red hand gripped the gunwale,and as he looked the hideous painted face of the Indian came intofull view. His leg was thrown over the edge, and in a twinkling he hadtaken his place, panting with his exertions, the water dripping fromhis body and streaming from his scalp-lock and his feathered headdress.
"COME NEARER THAT I MAY KILL YOU EASILY," HE SAID]
"Come nearer that I may kill you easily," he said, gripping histomahawk and leaning towards Steve. "Come nearer, pale face, for ifyou would flee I will dive in after you."
Steve made no answer, and indeed took little notice of the man.Without pausing in his course, he surged nearer to the canoe, and thensuddenly dived beneath the water as if he were making for the fartherside. And very fortunately for him the rain of the previous night hadcoloured the river a deep brown, so that it was almost impossible todetect the whereabouts of anyone beneath the surface. The Indian stoodupright for a moment, staring into the water. Then he leaned one handon the far side of the canoe, and waited, his keen tomahawk poised inthe air, ready to strike the instant the pale face appeared.
"He will come up just beneath me," he said in guttural tones. "I willsee how far I can cleave this pale face. Pah! who but a pale facewould attempt such a manoeuvre? By taking his eyes from me for even asecond he throws his life away. His scalp is mine and shall hang frommy belt ere his comrades have time to fire at me. Ah! That was one oftheir bullets."
A look of scorn passed across his ferocious features as a missile sentfrom Silver Fox's weapon screamed past his ear. A miss was a miss tothis redskin warrior. He had no time for sentiment, for considerationas to how near he had been to losing his life.
"Surely the pale face will rise," he exclaimed, his equanimitysomewhat upset by the fact that Steve had not yet appeared. "It islong since he dived. His breath cannot last much longer. Ah! Perhapshe turned back towards the bank when under the water."
He swung round to the other side, his draggled feathers and hairswishing a cascade of water on to the surface of the river. But therewas no sign of Steve, nothing to tell where he had got to, nothing butthe frantic calls of his comrades on the bank.
"Look behind you. Look to the smaller canoe," they bellowed, fortheir keen eyes had been watching the contest, and not a movement hadescaped them. "Dive! Leave the canoe!"
The Indian started, swung his head round, and then stood as iftransfixed. For the cunning of a redskin had for once been outmatchedby the astuteness and coolness of a pale face. Steve knew well enoughthat the man who reached the canoe first would have the game in hishands, and realised that were he to venture to the surface on eitherside of the craft taken possession of by the Indian he would beimmediately tomahawked. An instant before he plunged beneath thewater a better plan had flashed across his brain.
"There is a spare musket in the store canoe," he said to himself. "IfI can only reach it."
Two strokes beneath the surface took him under the larger canoe andaway to the stern of the smaller one. He rose silently to the surface,and as the redskin peered into the river, expecting him to rise at anyinstant, our hero gripped the gunwale, lifted his head and shouldersclear of the stream and grope
d with one hand for the musket. It wasthere, just where he had left it, and in a very little while he had itto his shoulder. It was not the place he would have chosen for a shot,for it is no easy matter to hang to a frail canoe with the gunwaletucked as it were beneath one arm, and lift a heavy musket to theshoulder. However, Steve was not the lad to miss such an opportunity,particularly when the safety and lives of his companions depended onhis success. He steadied himself with an effort, brought the barrelin a line with the Indian, and as the latter threw his hands over hishead and leaped for the water, he took a steady pull on the trigger.Instantly a frantic cheer burst from the near bank, while Steve slidfrom the store canoe and clambered into the other.
"Well done, boy! Bravely done, Steve. Look out for those otherredskins. Paddle in if you can."
"Git yer fire iron filled," bellowed Jim. "Yer can't paddle away fromthe critters. Ram in a charge."
But the backwoodsman had forgotten that Steve had been under thewater. Everything on him was thoroughly drenched, and no doubt somemoisture had leaked into his powder horn. He looked down at it, sawthat it was useless to reload, and then plunged a paddle into thewater.
"Cover me with your guns," he shouted. "If they come up I will clubthem with the butt. My powder is saturated. Ah, here come the bullets."
Something screeched past his nose, and as he listened he heard themass of lead thud with a dull and heavy sound against a tree on thebank. Then followed a dozen shots, one of which penetrated the sideof the canoe, while a second chipped a big corner from the end of hispaddle. A third lodged on the rock by which he and his comrades haddisembarked, and, ricochetting from it, flew off into the forest witha scream which was even more disconcerting than was the sound made bythe bullets which had been so near to striking him.
"Bend low! Keep under as much as you can," shouted Tom. "Now, boys,pick off some of those rascals."
The burly backwoodsman had taken his stand beside a small tree,keeping the trunk between himself and the enemy, and now his musketshot up to his shoulder; he took a steady aim at one of the figureson the far bank and calmly pulled the trigger; for Judge Mainwaringwas not the man to lose his accustomed coolness, even though his onlyson was in danger. Jim and Mac followed his example, while SilverFox stared for a moment at the foremost of the two redskins swimmingtowards Steve. He dropped his musket suddenly, fell on his face andslid down the steep bank into the water. None of those on the far sidesaw his figure as he carried out the movement, and the wary nativegave them no opportunity after that till he had covered many yards.Then as his head popped up from the surface the enemy on the fartherside set up a deafening howl, shouting warnings to their brother.
"Keep up the firing," said Tom, coolly. "Silver Fox will settle thatfellow and Steve will get clear. Hah! I doubt whether they are in timeto warn the rascal."
"They ain't," responded Jim, shortly. "He don't hear. The water's inhis ears and I reckon he ain't a notion what's happening."
It appeared indeed that this was actually the fact, for in spite ofthe bellows of the redskins on the far bank their comrade still forcedhis way through the water, evidently unaware that he would soon have asecond opponent to deal with. Suddenly the water swirled in front ofhim, a hand shot out of the muddy depths and the fingers closed aboutthe tomahawk which the man carried between his teeth. Then, as thedraggled feathers of Silver Fox's head-dress emerged from the water, ablade gleamed in the air. There was a dull crash, a shrill cry and thecontest was over. Silver Fox was swimming back to his friends, thethird Indian having meanwhile retreated to the other bank.
"Jest keep on pepperin' the varmint," sang out Jim. "They've given usa good chance, and I reckon we've made a few of the critters sit up.Keep at it, boys, so that they can't fire too strong at Steve and Fox."
Five minutes later Steve steered the leading canoe into the gap madein the big bed of osiers, and having pulled in the second, with itsprecious store of trade goods, leaped lightly ashore.
"I rather fancy we have had the best of that little action," he saidwith a smile. "Talking Bear is the only one who has suffered. He washit in the head, and must have been killed instantaneously.
"That's one to them 'ere varmint, then," growled Jim. "How many air weto put down on our side?"
"The two who swam out, and three others on the far bank, that makesfive," said Tom, counting them on his fingers.
"Sure, have ye forgotten the others?" asked Mac. "There was two kiltby the first volley, and one that Tom fetched over with Steve's gun."
"There was that," admitted Jim, grimly. "Then there was the otherfellow. He skipped through the forest at a powerful rate, and I doubtthat we should ha' got him ef it hadn't been for this here Mac. Tell'em how you worked it, lad."
Thus called upon, the short and sturdy Irishman pulled his cap fromhis head and flushed as red as his own hair.
"Sure, Oi've a way of runnin'," he said. "Whin this redskin took offthrough the forest Oi wint afther him as quick as Oi was able."
"And?" questioned Tom.
"And that's all. Sure Oi was up wid him before ye could wink, and thinwe rushed at one another. Thrust an Oirishman to pick up a bhit ofsthick whin a row's in the air. Oi caught holt of a fallen branch asOi ran, and when he jumped at me wid his tomahawk, faith I laid himflat with the branch. He's kilt."
Very carefully did the little band check off the number of the slain,their pleasure damped by the thought that only nine had fallen. Forthe reader must recollect that these constant conflicts between paleface and redskin were waged without mercy. To expect it from any ofthe unfriendly tribes was to expect something which no redskin hadever possessed. These inhabitants of the forest wildernesses weretrained to ferocity. The history of their tribal wars, of theircontests with French and English colonists, is one long tale ofatrocities, of frightful cruelties, of sudden attacks upon absolutelydefenceless settlements, of merciless butchery of women and children,and of unheard of tortures practised on any who might happen to bespared for a while. Was it wonderful that the white man, with hisnatural inclination to peace and goodwill, and his abhorrence ofunfair fighting and of torture, should be driven in time to fight asdid these redskin fiends? Mercy on their part to a fallen enemy was amistaken virtue. Clemency was rewarded in the majority of cases by thefoulest treachery. The redskin who was set free to return to his tribeafter an unsuccessful attack too often would turn upon his delivererwhen danger was unsuspected, and within an hour of receiving kindnessfrom him, would murder him and his defenceless family, and make offthrough the woods, triumphant at the thought of scalps so easilyobtained.
No. This was always war to the death. A wounded man was as good asdead, for no quarter was asked for or given. Every additional manbrought to the ground was an advantage to the weaker side, and agreater inducement to those who had lost him to wreak vengeance onthose who had brought about his downfall. Such was the barbarousnature of forest warfare when Steve went on the trail.
"Jest nine of the skunks," said Jim, staring across at the fartherbank. "That leaves the critters jest about twenty. Reckon we ain't outof this here muss yet."
"But we are better off by far," cried Tom. "Supposing the division ofthese redskins had been the other way. Supposing there had been sometwenty-five on this side, and only four on the other."
"We hadn't a chance. Reckon we should ha' been wiped clean out bythis," said Jim, with emphasis. "Yer can't shoot down twenty-five,however well yer may be posted. They'd have rushed us, most likely,and then it would have been all up. As it air we're well out so far,and I say as we owe it to this here Steve and to Silver Fox. Ef thisyoung feller hadn't slipped into the river and swum to the canoes,them varmint would have been over here by now. I reckon it war a 'cuteidea to get a hold of that musket and shoot. How'd yer come to do it,Steve?"
"Well, I didn't see a chance of getting possession of the canoes inany other way," said Steve modestly. "If I had come up alongside afterdiving, he would have killed me."
"As easy as you'd kill a f
ly," cried Jim. "You may take that assartin."
"Then I thought of the gun, and struck out under the water in thedirection of the smaller canoe."
"There was never a more astonished Indian," interrupted Tom. "Steve,you've done well. All here agree with what I say. I'm glad you'veshown such 'cuteness. It does credit to my teaching, and I've done mybest to let you learn the life of a backwoodsman. But let us talk ofsomething else. We are not cut of the mess yet, by a long way. But wehave a litt'e time in which to breathe and look round. What will thoserascals do now, and how are we to get away up the river?"
He turned to Jim, as the most experienced of the hunters, and waitedpatiently for him to answer. It was, indeed, a question which requiredconsideration, and even an experienced hunter and trapper, such asHunting Jim undoubtedly was, could not come to an instant decision.
"Reckon it air one of them points as wants a deal of figuring," hesaid, as he scratched his head and stared across the river. "Yer maybet as them critters is watchin'. They've got under cover, 'cos theyfound as our firin' was better'n they thought. But they're thar. Thembushes covers the hul crowd of 'em. Suppose we get to work at theircanoes first of all, and that'll give me a chanst to think out thishere matter."
Setting Silver Fox to watch the opposite side of the river, the fourtrappers crossed to the osiers, taking good care to keep well out ofsight. They found the five canoes lying side by side, and at once drewtheir tomahawks with a view to cutting holes in the sides and bottoms.In fact, they were about to commence on the work when Steve gave asudden exclamation.
"Suppose we wait a little, father," he said eagerly.
"Wait! Supposin' them critters cross higher up?"
It was the wily Jim who asked the question, staring at Steve witha grim smile on his lips. "Ah. Them varmint wants to make us thinkthey're stayin' over yonder. Them bullets came close."
Three reports rang out from the far bank as he spoke, and the shotsflew through the osiers, stripping a shower of flat leaves from thereeds.
"Perhaps they guess we are about to destroy their canoes," whisperedTom. "But I admit that they are likely to attempt to swim acrossunseen, and come down upon us. We should make nothing of such acrossing, and you may be sure that they would not. They would cutdown a few reeds to carry their muskets and their powder, and wouldsoon get to this side. If they try that game, we must slip away atonce, and we can rely on Silver Fox to give us a warning. Look foryourselves. The river runs without a bend for a very long way, and ourlook-out would detect any such movement."
"That air right. Reckon you've put it square, Judge," said Jim."What's this young Steve got to say? You was supposin'."
"I suggested that we should leave these canoes for a time. At anymoment we can destroy them, for a few slashes with a tomahawk will doall that is required."
"That air so. What then?"
"One moment," answered Steve. "Supposing we were to get aboard ourcanoes and put out into the river, what would happen?"
"Happen? Reckon you'd soon hear from them ere critters. Ef yer thinkof doin' a thing like that, Steve Mainwarin', why you ain't the sonof Judge here. Ef yer want to get killed so badly, best paddle cleanacross an' invite them fellers to wipe the hul party out properly. Itain't in reason," he went on, hotly. "Ef we was aboard, all packedtogether, they'd pick us off like birds."
"If they could see us," ventured Steve, smiling at Jim's excitement.
"Ef they could see us! Thunder! Do yer think there's a redskin aswouldn't be able, even at night. 'Sides, the moon'll be up soon afterthe night comes, and with the light they'd have, shootin' would beeasier. Jest shake yerself, Steve."
He looked severely at the young trapper, and then turned as Tom brokein upon the silence which had followed the old backwoodsman's words.
"You wait a little, Jim," said the burly Englishman. "Steve has givenus a hint more than once in the past twenty-four hours. Try him again.I'll be bound he's got something under that hunting cap of his. He's aregular young conspirator. What is it, Steve?"
"Just this. We are stranded here I take it. We cannot move into theriver, for the Indians would shoot us down. They cannot easily cross,for we have their canoes, and I am sure that they have no othershidden along the river. That is why they sent four men along thisside, with instructions to paddle the whole lot across. Until thenight comes they can do very little. But once it is dark they willsend half their number over, and then we shall be in danger of attack.So it comes to this. They can afford to wait, and, in fact, must doso. We cannot. If we wait they will be across before the night is anhour old, and then with a party on either side, even though they haveno canoes, they will have us."
Tom nodded emphatically, while Jim scratched amongst the osiers withthe soft toe of his moccasin.
"That air so," he drawled. "Then what's the ticket?"
"We must move. I thought that with these canoes to help us we mightmanage to get away. Now, Jim, don't open your mouth as if you wouldlike to swallow me. Do you think these reeds would keep out a bulletif piled fairly close together?"
For a second the trapper looked closely at the osiers, feeling themwith his hand. He tore one out by the roots, and then gripped itbetween his teeth.
"They're soft and pulpy inside," he said, a light gathering on hisface. "Reckon, as they stand, a bullet would rip through 'em as ifthey was only cotton. See that! Ain't I right?"
Another series of reports had suddenly rung out from the far side, andagain the leaden messengers tore through the osiers.
"Jest as ef they was cotton," he repeated. "But ef yer was to pile'em close together, then I reckon a bullet would find it hard to getthrough. Steve, you ain't such a duffer as I thought, not by a longway. What're yer after?"
"Just this," laughed Steve, for his nimble brain had hit upon a planwhich might help the whole party. "We have five canoes here. We canbreak up two of them, and by jamming the sides into two of the otherscan raise the gunwales from the water. Then we can pack them withreeds. They'll take a lot without sinking, for these stalks are verylight and buoyant. Once we're ready we can float them out between usand the redskins, and then they can fire till they're tired."
Jim threw his cap in the air, and, unmindful of the fact that theaction immediately brought a shower of bullets, danced and caperedin the reeds. He was a queer and light-hearted trapper. For all hissagacity and cunning, he was but a boy, and behaved like one whenanything out of the way happened.
"Cap'n," he cried, gripping Steve by the hand. "I ain't fit to leadthis party no longer. Reckon you've won the place. Boys, we air goin'ter do as Steve says, and get the laugh on them critters."