CHAPTER IX.
TURNING BACK.
It is singular how, in the most critical moments, certain thoughts willobtrude themselves. While Wharton Edwards was peering over the ravineand wondering whither Blazing Arrow had vanished, a sudden suspicioncaused him to raise his rifle and examine its lock.
There was not a grain of powder in the pan and no charge in the barrel.All the time that it had been in the hands of the Shawanoe and himselfit was as useless as a stick. It seemed incredible that such should havebeen the fact, and yet here was the evidence before his own eyes.
What was equally apparent and more astonishing was that Blazing Arrowmust have been unsuspicious of the truth. The youth had not reloaded theweapon after firing the last time, and it was, therefore, empty when heflung it across the ravine preparatory to making his leap. It had beenpicked up by the runner, who failed, in the excitement, to notice theoversight, taking it for granted that it was ready for use. In the rushof the pursuit he had no chance of examining it, and when he recoveredhis senses the gun was in the hands of its owner.
But had the Shawanoe known the truth, when the lad stood within a fewpaces defying him, his pretended weakness would have gone in a flash,and, bounding to his feet, he would have leaped upon his conqueror likea panther.
"That's the strangest thing I ever knew," exclaimed Wharton, with ashudder at his inexplicable escape; "I can't understand how he and Imissed seeing it."
When it is remembered that the fact of an old-fashioned flintlock beingunloaded is perceptible at a glance, the feature of the mistake is themore remarkable.
The discovery threw the youth into something of a panic. He felt as ifthe venomous old man was about to assail him from among the trees, and,with a quick glance around, made desperate haste to reload the gun. Notuntil the ball was rammed down the barrel and the powder was in the pandid he breathe freely.
"There!" he exclaimed, drawing a sigh of relief, "when I make thatblunder again I deserve to be shot, but the laugh is on Blazing Arrowmore than on me."
Now that he had a trusty weapon in his possession, and the Shawanoe hadnone, the situation of the latter was like that of a wild beast and amarksman. Could the beast leap unawares upon the marksman he couldovercome him, but the latter had only to maintain his watchfulness.
Had Blazing Arrow rushed toward the lad after he had found his gun wasempty, and before he reloaded it, Wharton's only resource would havebeen to take again to his heels; for, active and athletic as he was, hecould not possibly be a match for the powerful, full-grown warrior, andit would have been foolhardy on his part to take any such risk.
The disappearance of the Shawanoe during the brief absence of Whartonwas proof that the wily wretch was shamming. His fall had given him asevere shock, but no bones were broken; and had the youth heeded therequest to help him to rise he would have snatched him off his feet in atwinkling and had him at his mercy.
Whither had he gone? The dread that he might be stealing among the treesin the effort to surprise him caused young Edwards to make a hastywithdrawal from the wood to the open plain which had been the scene ofthe severest race of his life.
When he stood clear of the trees, and beyond reach of any suddensurprise, he breathed freely for the first time.
"Now let him come, if he wants to. I can outrun him anyway, but I don'trun any more races," added Wharton, glancing down at his gun.
The Shawanoe, who was doubtless glaring at him from some point ofconcealment, must have relied upon cunning to outwit his victim.
"I wonder what sort of yarn he will tell his people when he goes back?"mused Wharton. "How will he account for his failure to capture me, andwhat explanation will he give for the loss of my gun? I suppose he willsay he concluded to shoot me, and broke it over my head and flung itaway. But if I come out of this trouble they will learn the truth someday."
Not forgetting to be on his guard against his foe, the lad walked slowlyacross the clearing, taking the back trail. He was considering the bestthing to do. But for Larry Murphy, he would have made all haste in theopposite direction. The block-house was almost twenty miles away, andthis flurry had delayed the couple so long that there was no time tospare. Wharton's parents would become anxious and set out to meet theboys. If they should become involved with these Indians, direfulconsequences were likely to follow.
But Wharton could not desert his comrade. He was a mile or two away,near the main party of warriors, and Providence alone could prevent hisfalling into their hands. Larry would naturally suppose that his friendwas not far from him, and it would be just like the fellow to run intothe worst sort of peril in the hope of doing him service.
"I must get back to him as soon as I can. If he could only know howfortunate I have been it would be easy for him to steal around the wholeparty and join me here. Then we could do some fast travelling, and be atthe block-house before sunrise to-morrow."
Since, however, such a state of affairs was out of the question, Whartonhad only to face matters as they were.
One ground for hope cheered him. The sultry summer afternoon was drawingto a close, and night was at hand. He could manoeuvre in the darknessmuch better than when the sun was shining. He and the Irish lad had asystem of calls and signals by which they communicated when withinhearing distance of each other. He could fall back on this when darknessfell.
With his controlling wish there was but one thing for him to do; thatwas to make his way with the utmost care to the region of the falls,where he had parted from Larry. If his comrade had been wise enough tokeep out of the hands of the Shawanoes he was hopeful of openingcommunication with him. A few more hours must decide the question.
He increased his pace. When he reached the wood on the opposite side ofthe plain it was twilight. He walked rapidly, as though in a hurry, butafter going far enough to be beyond sight he came stealthily back andlooked toward the point where he had reloaded his gun. As he did so hecaught the outlines of a figure in the dim light steadily approaching,and he knew it was Blazing Arrow, the Shawanoe.