CHAPTER IX--WOLF'S CLOTHING
Excitement first arose when the dogs, growling, and the hair on theirbacks standing erect, began to circle the camp and peer angrily intothe darkness. The action of the animals caused the men at once to lookmore carefully to the horses. Every one of the beasts had been hobbled,and were all within the circle of the camp. Although few words werespoken, it was plain every man was suspicious that enemies were not faraway.
Soon in the deepening twilight several long, gaunt, shadowy forms wereseen creeping about the place. They were the timber-wolves, the mostsavage of all the wolf tribe. Reuben, congratulating himself that hewas no longer alone, thought what his own feelings would have been if,without the presence of the other trappers, he had heard these hungryand savage animals prowling about his camp. He was positive that hewould not have given in without a struggle, but his confidencecertainly was much stronger now that he was in the company of KitCarson and his men.
The actions of the guide, however, were peculiar. Only two of thewolves had been seen, and the sounds which they emitted were unlikethose which had been heard when they had been farther away.Occasionally one or the other seated itself upon its haunches and,throwing back its head, sent forth its mournful howls. At the same timeit was manifest that, although they kept well out of sight, the wolveswere stealthily creeping nearer the horses, which now had beenassembled at one side of the camp.
Kit Carson, too, was unusually watchful, although he had little to sayto any of his friends. When some of the men suggested that it would bewise to shoot the treacherous animals, he had quietly and yet sharplyobjected. "There isn't one of you," he said, "but might hit a dog,mistaking it for a wolf. I would rather have a dozen timber-wolvesyelling around here all night than to lose one dog."
The actions of the dogs also increased the uneasiness among thetrappers. Now they either were afraid or had lost the first fiercenessof their desire to drive away their foes. All four were whining and,although the hair about their necks was still erect, they displayedless inclination than before to attack the marauders. Crouching andgrowling, they slunk back toward their masters.
For several minutes Kit Carson remained seated near the border of thecamp, holding his rifle in his hand and listening intently to thesounds made by the two wolves. These animals had acted peculiarly fromthe first. Both now were near the horses, and the terror of thefrightened animals was almost pathetic.
Beckoning to his friends to remain where they were, Kit Carson suddenlyraised his rifle to his shoulder and shot one of the wolves.
A strange, well-nigh unearthly sound followed the report of his rifle.A scream, loud and prolonged, in no way resembling the howl of a wolf,broke the silence. For a moment the men in the camp stared blankly atone another, while Reuben was appalled by the weird and unnatural cry.
The guide, however, apparently was unmoved by the alarm of his friends.Laughing lightly, he ran quickly to the place where the wounded wolfwas lying. The other beast had instantly turned and fled into thedarkness.
The approach of the guide produced an immediate effect upon the woundedanimal. Struggling desperately, it rose upon its hind feet and for abrief time struggled to escape. The effort, however, was unavailing,and it soon fell to the ground again and became motionless and silent.
Every one in the camp now was watching the leader with intenseinterest, Reuben being the most excited of all. Indeed, the lad hadfollowed Kit Carson and was only a few yards behind him when the guidestopped to watch the struggles of the animal before him. When at lastthe wolf became motionless, Kit Carson advanced upon it and at oncelifted it to an upright position.
The strange events which had occurred were followed by those that werestranger still. Seizing the wolf by its fore-shoulders, the guidealternately with his foot and knee kicked the animal, compelling it towalk in advance of him on its hind feet.
"Look out there, Kit!" called some one in the camp. "If you let thatfellow bite you it will be sure poison!"
No response was made by the guide, who had been intently watching thewolf, which when standing up on its hind feet was as tall as he.Strange to say, the animal made no attempt to bite its captor. As soonas it was discovered that all efforts to free itself were useless, thewolf was forced to approach the campfire, where the men curiously werewatching the antics of the strange animal. Never before had Reuben seena sight like the one he was now beholding. Why the wolf did not fighthe was unable to understand. The very fact that it had been wounded wassufficient to arouse its anger, but, as far as he could see, it wasadvancing as meekly as if it had been a lamb instead of a wild animalin the hands of Kit Carson.
When the guide had brought his victim nearer to the fire in the camp,he suddenly forced back the head of his prisoner, and then with onequick motion tore back the skin, revealing the head and face of anIndian. The sight, startling as it was, caused most of the men tolaugh. Reuben recalled now the stories which Jean had told him of howsome of the Indians, disguising themselves as wild animals, in thedarkness of the night had crept near the camp of the trappers to stealtheir furs or run away with the ponies that belonged to the outfit. Thehowlings he had heard then had been made by the Indians, and yet asReuben looked at the prisoner it was difficult for him to believe thatthe human voice could so closely imitate the cries of a prowling wolf.
Meanwhile Kit Carson, who not for a moment had relaxed his grip of hiscaptive, suddenly tore away the skin in front, and as it fell to theground the entire body of a young Indian was revealed to the excitedassembly.
"Kill him!" shouted one of the men. The cry was taken up by others, andfor a brief time the fate of the young Indian was in the balance.
It was marvellous to Reuben at this time to see the young leaderquietly step in front of his men and say in a low voice, "We will havenone of that. He is my prisoner, anyway." The guide, slight and boyish,in his figure, speaking in a tone so low that it did not betray anyexcitement under which he might be labouring, instantly checked theanger of his men.
As they made no further effort to advance, he said: "This redskin isonly a boy. I shot him in the leg. I suspected just what he was tryingto do, and though he played the trick well, he lost. Come up here!" hesaid to his captive, as taking him by the arm he led him near the fire.
A hasty examination of the wound disclosed the fact that it was slight,the ball having not more than grazed the calf of his leg. A bandage wassoon made and applied, and after the feet and hands of the prisoner hadbeen securely bound he was placed upon the ground between the fire andthe trappers, who were soon asleep.
Meanwhile a guard had been established by the leader and a carefulwatch was to be maintained throughout the night. If Indians were asnear as the presence of the prisoner indicated, Reuben was at a loss tounderstand why the fire should have been kept up. However, as he hadcomplete confidence in the leader, he asked no questions, and soon he,too, was sleeping as soundly as his companions.
When morning dawned and Reuben arose, he found Kit Carson talking tothe prisoner. "Come here!" called the leader when he saw that Reubenwas awake. "Have you ever seen this young redskin before?"
Reuben looked keenly at the captive before he replied. "He looks likethe young Indian that I saw two or three nights ago," he said. "He wasone of the three I told you about that had been trying to steal horsesfrom the Pawnees. At least that's what the Indian said who could speakEnglish."
"Doesn't this one talk English?"
"He didn't that time, and the one who did speak it said he was the onlyone that understood it."
The trapper turned again to the Indian boy and tried to engage him inconversation, but either the lad did not understand what was said or hedid not want to, for he stolidly refused to reply.
Once more the guide examined the young Indian's wound, and soonafterward turned to his followers, explaining that as soon as they hadall had breakfast and the horses had been watered and permitted togather such food as they could obtain in the little valley, the entireband would
resume its journey.
"But what shall I do?" said Reuben. "Shall I go away without trying tofind Jean?"
"Jean can take care of himself if he is alive," said Kit Carsonquietly, "and if he is dead he will not need your help. I think theonly thing for you to do is to come with us."
"Where are you going?"
"That will depend somewhat on what comes to us. We shall go back tojoin the main camp pretty soon, but just now we are busy on some otherwork. You will be safe with us, and if you stay here you may not seeanother white face in a year."
"But I don't like to leave Jean," persisted Reuben.
"As far as I can see you are not the one that left him. He left you.Come, my lad, there's nothing else to be done."
"I have no pony."
"What became of it?" inquired Kit Carson.
"While I was chasing a buffalo I ran into a prairie-dog village and thehorse stumbled and fell, and broke its leg. I had to shoot it."
"We can fix you up. We have several ponies that are not being ridden.You may have one of them to use."
Somehow, feeling as if the matter had been decided for him rather thanthat he had had any part in the decision, an hour later Reuben foundhimself astride a stocky little pony riding beside Kit Carson, who wasleading the way. Conversation ceased, for still the guide did notexplain the purpose of their journey.
A brief time later he selected two men to go in advance of the others.It was evident to Reuben that they were following what appeared to bean Indian trail. The captive Indian was still in their midst, although,he was no longer bound. What had become of his companion no one in theparty knew. He had vanished in the night as soon as his comrade hadbeen hit by the bullet of Kit Carson.
The journey was uneventful until the noon hour had passed, then whenthe guide began to look about for a suitable place where they mighthalt and prepare such food as they possessed for the mid-day meal, hesaid abruptly: "Do you see what that is ahead of us?"
"Where?" inquired Reuben, who still was nearest the leader.
"Right ahead on the right. Close to the trail. Look at it closely andtell me what you see."
Doing as he was bidden, Reuben soon discovered an object that instantlyaroused within him a keen feeling of excitement.
"I see it!" he said, turning quickly to Kit Carson. "I see it! What arewe going to do?"