CHAPTER XII--KINGDOM ALSO MAKES A DISCOVERY
Return Kingdom firmly believed that sooner or later the true cause andmanner of Big Buffalo's death must become known. It must be so, heargued within himself. There had been times in history when the innocenthad suffered for the guilty, but the saying, "murder will out," had beenproved a true one always. Ree pinned his faith to it now. He did not somuch as question how the truth would become known. In unseeingconfidence he was willing to risk anything on his firm conviction thatright must win and would win in the end, however slight the chance mightseem.
And it is not too much to say, just here, that in after time it came topass that all that Kingdom believed would happen, did happen; still,could he have looked forward to, and have seen the end, as he stoodlonesome and nervous in the cabin door when the last of theIndians,--even Fishing Bird,--had departed, there would have been nomore astonished young man in America that night.
Hopeful that Fishing Bird would come back for a talk with him when theIndians had passed into the woods and he could drop behind without hisabsence being noticed, Kingdom left the door ajar and sat for a longtime before the smoldering embers of his fire. It was Saturday night, hereflected. There would be no work tomorrow, no hunting, no trapping. Hewould set off on foot, as if going for a stroll in the woods, and bytraveling two sides of a triangle come at last to the old hollowwhitewood and there wait for the coming of John. If the latter had madeparticularly good progress and had not loitered about the "big lick" toolong, he should be arriving by early afternoon. Perhaps he had returnedeven now.
"And I'll wager a pair of boots that he'll be hungry enough, too!"Kingdom said to himself as he concluded his reflections; and beingreminded by this that he was hungry, he ate some cold roasted venison,then looked out of the door once more for Fishing Bird, before creepinginto bed.
Believing now that he had not been watched or followed after leaving theIndian town on the day of the council, Return concluded that Lone-Elkwas too busy with his own affairs to spend a great deal of time spyingabout the clearing. Yet when he started from the cabin the followingmorning he traveled in a direction at right angles with that in which hewished to go, and moved very cautiously. He did not doubt that theIndians were searching for John Jerome, but concerning his own movementshe reasoned that he would not be suspected of intending to go far, sincehe went on foot. And at the worst, if he found himself followed, hecould gradually make his way home, leaving the spies no wiser thanbefore.
For a considerable distance Kingdom walked along the old trail to theeast as if he were but strolling through the woods. The day was brightand sunny and except for the raw north wind would have been of an idealIndian summer type. Overhead great flocks of crows were cawing lustily.Eddies of the breeze whirled leaves here and there, and all in all therewere many sounds abroad to drown the noise of footfalls on the soft moldand the leafy carpet of the forest.
For two miles or more Kingdom followed the irregular course of theeastward trail. Now he would turn abruptly to the north, he thought, andsoon be safe from discovery in the unmarked depths of the woods. Hepaused and listened for a moment before leaving the path.
Hark! The sound of footfalls soft as a cat's, but coming steadilynearer, reached the boy's ears. He was followed.
Quick as the thought which flashed across his brain, and without noise,Kingdom stepped from the beaten trail and crouched behind a little knollthickly overgrown with low bushes. Now if his pursuer, whoever he mightbe, would but pass on, he could effectually throw him off the scentbefore the latter discovered that his game had left the traveled pathand so eluded him.
The breathless interest with which Ree listened to the approach of thestealthy footfalls can more easily be imagined than described. He hadlittle doubt that it was Lone-Elk who was, dogging his movements. Butsoon he would know for certain. Whoever it was he would pass within ayard of the knoll and the brush which screened him. Would he go on by,and how far would he be likely to go before discovering that he hadmissed the course?
The pursuer came quickly forward. His body was bent in an eager attitudeof listening and careful watchfulness, as if he would look far aheaddespite the brush and trees and the low boughs which shut out his view.A hound, following a scent so faint that he might at any moment lose it,could not have been more intent or more keenly in earnest.
Listening and watching with bated breath, Kingdom saw the fellowapproach and steal quickly on. It was Lone-Elk.
Hardly had the Seneca passed the spot of Kingdom's concealment, however,than he stopped, and stooping down, placed his ear to the ground. Heseemed perplexed and uncertain. For several seconds he intentlylistened. But at last, still doubtful apparently, but anxious lest hewas allowing himself to fall too far behind, he continued on, ratherfaster than before.
In spite of the danger of his position, Kingdom could scarcely suppressan audible chuckle as he saw Lone-Elk outwitted; but he realized that he"laughs best who laughs last," and without losing an instant inself-congratulation he rose and stepped into the path again. The Senecahad passed out of sight. "And so goodbye to you for this time," the boythought, as he listened carefully and heard nothing, then exertinghimself to the utmost to move quietly, he sped back along the path inthe direction from which he had come.
For a quarter of a mile Ree continued his flight, then with a suddenbroad leap left the path and traveled more moderately toward the northand west. At every step through the unbroken woods he sought to avoidleaving any trail which could be followed. Too cautious and too wise torisk going straight forward to the hollow poplar, although he had everyreason to believe he had completely eluded the Seneca, Kingdom loiteredhere and there and traveled quite a zig-zag course.
By degrees, however, he came to the vicinity he sought and, to assurehimself that he was not now watched, he sat down on a big boulder torest and listen. As he waited he felt that somehow his sense ofsatisfaction in having given Lone-Elk the slip was disappearing. Why wasit? Had he "counted his chickens before they were hatched," after all?The feeling grew on him that he was not alone, that somewhere near therewere eyes which were on him constantly.
It is a dreadful sensation to feel that you are spied upon. Even toimagine that some one is secretly watching every breath you take, gazingintently, as if to read your very thoughts, is painful. To Kingdom, withthe conviction growing in his mind that Lone-Elk had picked up his trailand had at no time been far behind him, the feeling was almost enough tounnerve him.
There was one way to determine whether this new trouble was real orimaginary, Kingdom told himself, and soon made use of it. Risingquickly, he started off at a brisk pace, looking neither to right norleft. Then, setting himself to catch the slightest sound, he suddenlystopped. A thrill ran through him. The noise he heard was unmistakable.There was a distinct rustling among the leaves. It stopped an instantafter he did.
Ree well knew the wonderful power many of the Indians had for followingothers in the woods, especially along unbeaten trails, without revealingthemselves. He knew, too, that Lone-Elk of all others was most certainto be adept in such practices. To go on to the meeting place agreed uponwith John would be, therefore, the height of foolishness.
Twice again Ree stopped to harken for his pursuer's footsteps. Once hewas certain be heard them. The other time he was sure he heard nothing;but when he walked back along his own trail a little way, he wasconscious of a shadow having moved among the trees in the distance,though he saw nothing more tangible.
Ree's first impulse was to go in pursuit of the Seneca; for he did notquestion the identity of the spy, but thinking better of it, he resolvedslowly to change his course so as to go at no time near the old poplar.He would reach the river after a time and, following its banks,eventually return to the cabin. A grievous disappointment it was to giveup the meeting with John, but there was no help for it if that younggentleman's scalp was to be kept in safety where nature placed it.
Constant as his own shadow always, Kingdom felt the Sene
ca's presencesteadily near him. He did not need to look around. He did not need topause or listen. In his heart he knew the redskin was close by, as wellas if they were walking side by side. He was getting into the rough andbroken country now, just back from the river valley. Soon he would alterhis course again to head more directly toward home.
Thus was Ree thinking when in a little gully, nearly bidden by high,precipitous banks, he suddenly beheld the ashes of a campfire and,spread upon a few broad strips of bark, something white and glistening.It couldn't be snow. There had been none. It was salt spread out to dry.
Like a flash the thought came to Ree and with it the certain convictionthat John Jerome was just out of sight in the sheltered place below, orgone, perhaps, to keep the appointment at the old poplar.
Instantly Kingdom changed his course. His whole effort now was to keepthe Seneca from seeing what he had seen. He dared not run, lest hecreate suspicion in Lone-Elk's mind; but he quickened his pace and heldto a direction which he hoped would result in the Indian, intent only onwatching him, cutting off the sharp corner he had turned and so notapproaching as near to the edge of the bluff as he had done.
In his thoughts Ree scolded John Jerome sharply. What did the boy mean,anyway, by so exposing himself? What was the drying of a little saltfrom the "big lick" as compared to his own safety? And at a time whenhis very life was at stake!
At last the river was reached. Lone-Elk was still coming on behind.There could be no doubt of it. Repeatedly Kingdom had heard the gravelunder his feet as the Seneca clambered down the steep banks after him.
What a change his chance discovery of John's camp had caused, Reethought. A little while ago he was distressed because the Indian wasalways coming after him. Now he would be worried, indeed, should he findthat the fellow had discontinued the pursuit. If the Seneca should giveup the chase now it could mean but one thing--that he, too, had seen thecamping place and was going there in search of more immediate resultsthan his present labor promised.
A variety of tactics did Ree adopt to keep the pursuing Indianinterested in watching him. Often did he pause and pretend to look allabout with the greatest caution, and to listen closely, as if he hadcome at last to the very place which he had set out to reach. Again, hewould suddenly hurry forward among the trees, or dart in here or thereamidst the bushes, as though trying to escape the observation of anyonewho might be near.
Up to the cabin was the game played. Only when the clearing, was reacheddid it end. Tired, alarmed, and more or less out of spirits, as hereckoned the extent of time wasted--a large part of the day--Kingdom satdown on a shock of corn which the Delawares had upset the night before.As he did so, he caught sight of the Indian for the first time sincemorning. The Seneca was moving silently from tree to tree, butapparently watching all that the white boy did.
Moved by the grim humor of the long, unavailing chase he had led theredskin, Kingdom called out to the fellow:
"Hi, there, Lone-Elk, haven't you had enough of that sort of thing forone day?"
In an instant the savage stepped into the clearing.
"Paleface is a fool," he spoke in English, and raised his riflemenacingly.
"Put up that gun, Lone-Elk, and come sit down here! Come, sit down, andlet's talk matters over just by ourselves," Kingdom returned in afriendly tone. The ugly manner of the Indian really alarmed him, but hetook this way of concealing the fact; and, moreover, if the Seneca couldbe persuaded to discuss their differences just between themselves, muchmight be accomplished.
With a contemptuous "Ugh!" Lone-Elk threw his rifle over his arm again.But instead of accepting Kingdom's invitation, he turned into the woodsand was soon gone from sight.
Still Kingdom remained sitting on the bundle of fodder. He was thinkingof John Jerome and the camp in the gully near the river. The more hereflected, the more inclined he was to believe that it was not John'scamp that he had discovered. How could John have brought salt from the"lick?" He had not had time enough to make any. That he had obtained itof some one whom he found there was possible, but hardly likely. But, onthe other hand, if the camp was not John Jerome's, whose in the worldwas it? Who was spreading salt to dry in the depths of the Ohiowilderness?