CHAPTER VIII.
INDIANS.
The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused byexternal disturbance. Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence,sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing ofthe shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sunwas just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes withthat confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession ofour faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared aroundand the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and themute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as ifto show he "slept with one eye open," quickly recalled his situation. Inconsiderable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As theyrubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said inexcitement:
"Do you know we have slept ever since morning?"
"It can't be possible!" exclaimed Elwood.
"I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels,"said Tim, with a most woeful countenance.
"I don't see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in theseparts," replied Howard.
"And where else shall we look for the same?"
"Nowhere that I know of."
"Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!" suddenlyinterrupted Elwood.
"Wouldn't they have looked for us? But then they couldn't have knownwhere we were," said Howard, asking and answering his own question inthe same breath.
"We are in a pretty fix then," was the comment of Elwood, laughing atthe doleful countenances he saw.
"Boys," said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head,"shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?"
"Of course," answered Howard, "nothing could suit us better."
"Well, then, while we've been slaaping, our friends along shore havebeen carried away, and we're lift to make ourselves comfortable, as thepeddler said when he hung himself up by his foot."
"Let us see!" exclaimed Elwood, "perhaps we are not too late yet."
The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side,and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed theramble.
Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprungupon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a momentas he looked off toward the sea, he called back:
"Yes, yonder they are! We are not left alone."
"But it's good to have company!" laughed Tim, "it won't be long beforesome vessel will step in and lift us aboard."
"How odd they look!" remarked Elwood, as his friends clambered up besidehim. "They don't seem dressed in their usual fashion."
The Irishman, upon rising to his feet on top of the rock, uttered anexpression of surprise, looked intently toward the sea, and then quicklysprung back again.
"Off of there quick!" he commanded in a hoarse whisper, at the same timecatching the shoulder of the up-climbing Howard and forcing him backagain.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked Elwood, a vague alarm taking possessionof him, as he rather hurriedly obeyed him.
"May the good Lord presarve us! _them are Injuns!_"
"'May the good Lord preserve us! them are Injuns,' saidTim."]
"I thought they looked odd," said Elwood, "but I did not think of that.Are they friendly?"
"Friendly!" repeated Tim, with an expression of intense disgust. "Do youknow what they are walking up and down the sand fur in that sassyshtyle?"
"Plunder, I suppose."
"Yis; they are in hopes the saa may wash up some poor fellow that theymay have the pleasure of hacking him to pieces."
"Are they such terrible creatures. Perhaps they have slain those whoescaped from the steamer."
"Niver a fear; there was too many of 'em, as me brother used to say whenhis wife tuk her broomstick at him."
"But they had no weapons to use."
Tim shook his head. He evidently had a small opinion of the courage ofthe California aborigines.
"Had they massacred the survivors, we could see their bodies alongshore," remarked Howard. "The sun throws such a glare upon the sand thatwe can detect a very small object."
This settled the matter in the mind of Elwood, who had been heartsick atthe great fear of such a fate having befallen his friends.
"Then the burning of the steamer has attracted the notice of a greatmany vessels, and I think Mr. Yard was right when he was sure of beingtaken off by some one."
"What a mistake we made in wandering away and going to sleep where noone could find us!"
"We did, indeed, Elwood; we voluntarily banished ourselves."
"But Mr. Yard certainly knows we are here, and will he not get a companyof men to come after us?"
"Perhaps so; but, if he doesn't, your father and mine will certainly doso, so soon as they find where we are."
"Yes, but what is to become of us between to-night and that time? I amhalf-starved to death, and must get something to eat pretty soon."
"Providence, that has preserved us so kindly thus far, will still watchover us."
"There's one bad thing," remarked Tim, "them Injins will hang around theshore, and it won't do for us to show ourselves niver a bit."
The faces of the two boys now blanched with fear, for they understoodthe danger that threatened them. It was truly a fear-inspiring sight, asthey gazed out from their hiding-place in the direction of the sea. Thesun was partially down the horizon, and appeared unnaturally large,while the gaunt Indians, in their fantastic costume, assumed the form ofgiants striding along apparently on the gleaming surface of the oceanitself. They were outlined with that sharp, black distinctness which isseen when at night a fireman runs along the outer walls of a burningbuilding.
"Just to think!" said Elwood "we haven't a gun or a pistol with us."
"And I'm a little hungry, as the man said after fasting three waaks."
"Suppose they saw you?" said Howard.
"I ain't sure but what they did. They are looking in this direction, andappear to be disputing about some matter."
There were grounds for this alarming view of the case. The Indiansnumbered about a dozen, and half of these could be seen in a knot,gesticulating in their extravagant manner, while the others were runningup and down the shore as if they had detected something interesting inthe surf.
"Are they looking at us?"
"There is such a glare, from the sun that I cannot tell whether theirfaces or backs are toward us. Tim, what do you say?"
The Irishman gazed long and carefully over the face of the rock, andfinally said:
"They've seen something this way that has tuk their eye."
"They are moving, too."
"Maybe they've seen the dog, and are coming to look for us."
"Heaven save us!" exclaimed Tim, in some excitement, "there's no maybeabout it; they're coming, sure!"