CHAPTER XXI.
A STRANGE PURSUIT.
When Larry Murphy paddled the canoe beyond reach of the missile hurledby the enraged owner of the craft, the boys were warranted in believingthat they were done with him. He was eliminated from the problem, so tospeak.
But the singular creature was not done with them. The discharge of thegun startled him almost into spasms, and, as we have shown, he madehaste to bound in among the shadows of the trees; but the belief thatthe youths were in the act of stealing his boat filled him withconsuming rage. He threw another stone with might and main, and, thoughthe feat was an astonishing one, he saw that it accomplished nothing.
He watched the canoe until it vanished under the shadow of the oppositeshore. He could not know the intentions of the thieves, but it did nottake him long to decide on his own.
Emerging from among the trees, where the rocks were bare, he started ona run toward the opposite end of the lake. He was familiar with everyfoot of the way, and the bank offered no obstruction. He bounded aslightly as the chamois across chasms, and when they were too broad to beleaped he skirted them without hesitation or fault, never losing a rodof distance or a minute of time. He never walked for more than tenpaces, maintaining his gait with a uniformity that no one else couldhave equalled.
He had a goodly number of miles to travel, for he was obliged to roundalmost the entire circumference of the lake. He might have cut off alarge part of the distance by swimming across the water, and undoubtedlyhe would have done so had not an important errand drawn him to theextreme end.
The lake was fed by a narrow, deep stream, across which he sprang withthe ease of Wharton Edwards when leaping the gorge. A brief way fartherand he paused in front of a small structure among the rocks. It wascomposed of limbs, bowlders, sticks, and the skins of animals, barelylarge enough to give him room to lie down and move around.
This was the home of the strange creature, and was never entered by anyother person. Stooping down, he passed within. No light burned, nor didhe need any. A few minutes later he emerged, carrying a long bow in hishand and a quiver of arrows behind one shoulder suspended by a thongwhich passed under one armpit. These implements constituted his onlyweapons, besides the knife and tomahawk, he never making use of anyfirearms.
In the moonlight and shadows it was impossible for him to follow thetrail of the youths, which would have been almost invisible under theglare of the sun; but the Indian seemed to be guided by intuition,which, in the mentally affected, often approaches inspiration. In whatway he was able to convince himself that the young white men meant topass down the other side of the canyon cannot be conjectured, but thatsuch was his conviction was proven by his whole course of action.
The distance which the Shawanoe was obliged to journey consumed severalhours despite the speed he used, and nearly all of this time was spentby Wharton Edwards and Larry Murphy in deep, refreshing sleep.
When the Indian approached the spot where the canoe had been abandonedby the youths his gait became a walk, and he peered cautiously abouthim. He uttered a low cry of exultation on observing the gracefulbirchen structure, and began a hasty examination. The paddle lay in thebottom of the boat, which showed no signs of injury. It might besupposed that this gratifying discovery would have taken the edge offthe Indian's enmity, but he showed no signs of such feeling; ifpossible, his anger became fiercer. He leaped away with a speed whichprevented any attempt to follow the trail, but he was proceeding ongeneral principles, it may be said.
It will be remembered that travelling was more difficult on the side ofthe lake. Even such an expert as the Indian was forced to change hisgait from a trot to a walk. Sometimes he was in shadow and sometimes inthe moonlight. At intervals he paused, and bent over as if examining theflinty surface for signs of footsteps of the youths. It is incrediblethat he could have discovered any under the circumstances, and yet heacted as if he did.
By and by he approached the spot where those for whom he was searchinglay asleep. He passed a short distance beyond, but something displeasedhim. He stopped abruptly, looked down at the grass, and then came backover his own trail.
While he stood peering into the surrounding gloom he saw the inanimateforms.
In his delight the man repeated the dance he had given on the shore ofthe lake. He leaped up and down, keeping time to the swaying of thelong, ashen bow grasped in his left hand, and passed back and forth overa space of a dozen square feet.
He continually glanced at the youths, who were unconscious of theirdanger, and held himself ready to open hostilities at the moment theyshowed signs of awaking. Strange that neither Wharton nor Larry thoughtof such a peril as that which now impended.
The grotesque dance lasted but a few minutes. That manner of expressinghis exultation was soon satisfied, and he made ready for action.
Reaching over his left shoulder with his right hand, he drew a featheredarrow from the quiver. A careful examination by moonlight satisfied himthat it was perfect and every way fitted for his purpose. He fitted thenotch in the deer-string of the bow, and then advanced stealthily untilwithin a few dozen yards of the sleepers, the implement so held all thetime that he could have launched the missile at a moment's warning.
The elder of the youths lay nearest, and he aimed at him. Little fearthat he could not drive the arrow deep into the chest of the sleeper,after which he probably intended to serve Wharton in the same manner.
But with the whimsicality of an insane man he changed his mind,evidently concluding that the tomahawk was the most fitting weapon tobe used in dispatching them. With the same deliberation shown from thefirst, he relaxed the tension of the string and replaced the arrow inthe quiver. Then he turned about and silently deposited the bow on theground, so that it should not handicap him.
This was all that was necessary, and he drew his tomahawk and facedabout just in time to make an unexpected and startling discovery.