CHAPTER XXII.
DANGER.
Three Indians walked leisurely down to the shore of the river, as thoughin quest of nothing particular, and stood gesticulating as theygenerally do with their whole arms. They were about two hundred yardsabove the point where Tim O'Rooney landed, but their position was suchthat the canoe might have rested on the surface of the water withoutbeing seen. Sensible of their danger, the boys at first sight of themwithdrew into cover, from which they cautiously peered out and watchedtheir movements.
"Those must be the three who fired the guns," whispered Elwood.
"Very probably they are; that looks more encouraging, for I do not seeTim among them."
"Maybe they have slain him and are talking as to where he came from."
"Heaven! I hope not."
"So do I; but it looks reasonable that they have made away with him andare now looking for us."
"How did they know he had any friends with him? Then, too, if they hadslain him, would they not have followed his trail straight down to thewater?"
"I didn't think of that. _That_ question makes me more hopeful thananything else. It does now look somewhat cheering. But what are theyafter?"
The Indians were still talking in an excited manner, and more than oncepointed across the river to the island as if there were something therewhich claimed their attention. It might be the boys themselves, or theymay have known that one of their race lay there in dire extremity; butwhatever the cause was it boded no good to the two boys, who werecrouching in the bushes and grass and furtively watching their motions.
The latter were still gazing at them when their hearts were thrilled bythe sight of Tim O'Rooney. The eyes of Elwood chanced to be fixed upon asmall open space, a rod or two from where the canoe lay, when he saw theIrishman come cautiously into view, and then pause and look around him.He had an animal slung over his shoulders, whose weight was sufficientto make him stop and travel with some difficulty. They saw him turn hishead and carefully scrutinize every suspicious point that was visible,and then he walked slowly toward the spot where the canoe was concealed.Whether his low stoop was caused by the weight of his game, or whetherit was a precautionary measure on his part, was difficult to decide. Theboys at once became painfully excited and alarmed.
"They will see him! they will see him!" said Elwood, "and it will be allover with us. What a pity! when he has got along so well!"
"Can we not warn him in some manner? The Indians do not know how near heis, nor does he know how close they are."
"How can we do it?" asked Elwood, who was anxious to give Tim somewarning of his danger. "If we make any sign the Indians will see us."
"Perhaps not; for they are not looking in this direction all the time,while Tim knows that we are watching him."
"Yes; but he has his hands full to see that the savages do not findhim."
The case looked critical indeed. Tim was nearing the point where itseemed inevitable that a discovery should take place. He paused atnearly every step or two, looked behind him and up and down the river ina manner that showed plainly enough his fear of his enemies. ElwoodBrandon in his eagerness had risen to his feet, and was looking intentlyat him, waiting until he should cast his eye toward the island that hemight give him warning. But the Irishman was so occupied with hisenemies that he appeared to forget the existence of his friends.
Elwood did not remove his gaze, and all at once he saw him raise hishead. Quick as a flash the boy sprung up a foot or two from the groundand waved his hat toward him.
"Did he see me?" he asked, as he sunk down to the earth again.
"He has paused and is looking toward us."
Tim had caught sight of the signal of the boy, but was uncertain as toits meaning. The waving of the hat might be supposed as an act ofencouragement than otherwise; but there was something in the silent,hurried manner of his young friend, united with the fact that he hadbeen, and was still, in great personal peril, that arrested hisattention and set him to thinking.
"Did the Indians see me?" asked Elwood.
"I can't say positively, as I was looking at Tim at the moment you madeyour signal, but they do not seem to act as if they had discovered us."
"Tim saw me, didn't he? He doesn't know what to make of it."
The Irishman had laid the animal he was carrying upon the ground, andstood looking toward the inland as if waiting for some furthermanifestation before advancing or retreating. Believing the safety ofthe entire party demanded it, Elwood begun cautiously rising to his feetto repeat his warning, when he was quickly caught by his cousin.
"Down! those Indians are suspicious; they are looking right at us--don'tstir."
The admonition was not a moment too soon; but while it preventeddiscovery on the part of the boys, it rendered the signal already giventhe Irishman void and of no effect. Tim, seeing nothing more of hisyoung friend, concluded that all was right, and lifting his game to hisshoulder continued his descent until he reached his canoe. This wasdrawn from its hiding place and launched in the water, and the animalplaced in the rear. Seating himself carefully in the front, Tim liftedhis paddle and began making his way toward the inland.
"Too bad! too bad!" muttered Elwood, unable to repress his feelings. "Heis coming right out where they will have a fair chance with theirrifles."
"If he would only turn up stream, they would see nothing of him."
"_Can't_ I warn him?"
"No, Elwood, it will make matters worse. Their eyes are fixed upon us."
Grasping the long oar Tim headed his boat somewhat up stream, so as notto let it drift by the island, and commenced paddling across. He hadgone twenty rods or thereabouts when he was discovered by the Indians,and one of them raised his rifle and took aim at him.
"Quick, Tim, drop down, or you'll be shot!" called out Howard, forgetfulof his own danger in the single hope of saving his friend from a violentdeath.
At the same instant that this cry was uttered the terrified boy saw apuff of smoke issue from the Indian rifle, and simultaneous with thesharp crack Tim O'Rooney was seen to fall flat in the canoe.
"He is shot!" called out Elwood.
"It is time then for us to do some of the same kind of business,"replied Howard, sighting his own gun at the savage upon the shore. Thedistance was too great and his skill too slight to guide the ball withanything like certainty, but it skipped over the water at their veryfeet, and so alarmed them that they immediately dodged back under theshelter of the rocks and trees.
"What is the use?" asked Elwood gloomily. "Poor Tim is killed and thereis no chance for us."
"Look! he is not dead!" whispered Howard.
The head of the Irishman was seen to rise stealthily from the bottom ofthe canoe, and to peer around, and then to dash down again as thoughfearful of another shot.
"I don't believe he has been struck!" added Howard. "He dropped down soas to save himself."
"Oh! I hope so, for we need him bad enough. See! he is fixing the bodyof the animal so that it shall be between him and the Indians' guns."
Such was the case. Tim was arranging and placing the carcass so that itmight shield his own body while he managed the paddle. This completed heturned his face toward his young friends and called across the water:
"Be aisy, me darlings! The owld bullet come close, but not a hair of TimO'Rooney's head was touched, and thanks be to heaven for it!"