CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SOLDIERS AGAIN.
Never was Dick Arbuckle more astonished than when the big bear leapedout from behind the bushes and confronted himself and Nellie Winthrop.
"Oh, Dick! a bear!" screamed the girl, and stood still, too paralyzedwith fright to move.
As we know, Dick had just brought down several birds with hispistol--indeed it was this very shot which had clipped the bear--and nowthe weapon was empty and useless, having had but one chamber loaded.
But as the great beast came forward, Dick knew enough not to standstill. He retreated in double-quick order, and forced Nellie toaccompany him. Away they went through the woods with the bear in closepursuit.
At the start of the chase girl and boy were at least forty feet inadvance, but despite his bulk the bear made rapid progress, and slowlybut surely began to lessen the distance between himself and those hesought to make his victims. Looking over his shoulder, Dick saw himlumbering along, his mouth wide open and his blood-red tongue hangingout as though ready to lick him in.
"I--I--can't run any more," gasped Nellie. Her heart was beating asthough ready to break. "Oh, Dick, what shall we do?"
"Here is a tree with low branches--jump for that--I will help you up!"returned the youth, and in a few seconds they were in the tree, a scruboak, with the big bear underneath, eying them angrily, and speculatingupon how he could bring them down within reach of his powerful embraceand his hungry maw.
"He is going to climb up," came from Nellie's lips a few seconds later.She was right. Bruin had attacked the tree trunk and now he was comingup slowly, as though afraid of moving into some trap.
Dick did not answer, for talking would have done no good. He wasre-loading the pistol with all possible speed.
Crack! Dick had leaned down through the branches of the oak and takenaim at one of those bloodshot eyes. There was a howl and a roar, and thebear fell down with a crash that shook the forest. As to whether thebullet had found that eye or not Dick could not tell, but certain it wasthat once on the ground the bear picked himself up in short order andstarted to run away.
"You hit him!" cried Nellie. "Oh, Dick, if only he don't come back!"
"He's not going away--very far," answered the boy. The shot hadencouraged him and his blood was up. A moment later Nellie was horrifiedto behold him drop to the grass and make off after the beast.
"That bear will kill him sure!" she ejaculated. "Oh, Dick, come back!please do!" she screamed.
A shot answered her, a shot which was quickly followed by another. Aminute of painful silence; then suddenly the bear staggered into viewwith Dick at his heels.
"I've nailed him!" shouted the boy, joyfully, and another shot did thework. With a groan the bear keeled over, gave a jerk or two, and died.
Nellie was in such a tremble she could scarcely descend from the tree.When she did come down she found Dick hard at work cutting out a juicysteak from the bear's flank.
"We'll have a breakfast fit for a king now," he said, with a littlelaugh, to scatter his former nervousness. "Just wait till I light afire. I must gather the driest available sticks, so as to make as littlesmoke as possible."
"Yes, we don't want our enemies to locate us," answered the girl, andsaw to it that every twig which went on the blaze which was kindled wasas dry as a bone.
In less than half an hour the steak had been done to a turn, and theysat down to eat it. It was certainly a most informal meal, withoutplates or platter, and only Dick's pocket knife to cut the steak with.Yet neither had ever enjoyed a repast more. Having finished, theyprocured a drink at a flowing stream behind them, and then Dick cut offa chunk of the bear meat, wrapped it in a bit of skin and slung it overhis shoulder.
"We may want another meal of it before we reach civilization," heexplained, "Nothing like preparing one's self, when we have the chance."
"It's a shame to leave such a beautiful bear skin robe behind," answeredNellie. "But I suppose it cannot be helped. Oh, if only we were safeonce more."
Again they set off on their weary tramp northward, and thus nearly twomiles were covered. The sun was now coming out strongly, and Dick sawthat his fair companion was beginning to grow tired.
"We will rest a little, Nellie," he said, "I think perhaps we can affordto take it easy now."
"I am so fearful that Indian is following us!" answered the girl with ashudder. "If he should find that bear, and--Oh, Dick, look!"
Nellie leaped to her feet from the seat she had just taken, and pointedbehind her. Dick gave one look and his heart sank within him. Yellow Elkwas bearing down upon them as swiftly as his long legs would permit!
In his hand the Indian chief carried a gun, and as Nellie arose hecaught sight of the pair and pointed the weapon at Dick's head.
"White boy throw down pistol!" he called out, when within speakingdistance.
"Let Yellow Elk throw down his gun," answered Dick. His pistol was upand now he shoved Nellie behind him.
"White boy fool--cannot shoot against Yellow Elk," growled the redskin.He had been following their trail since sun-up and was somewhat winded.
"Perhaps I can shoot. Did you see that bear I brought down?" rejoinedDick.
At this the Indian frowned.
"Bear must have been sick--white boy no bring game down like that ifwell--too powerful."
"I brought him down and I'll bring you down if you don't stop where youare," was the steady answer.
"Oh, Dick, he'll shoot you," whispered Nellie. She wanted to get beforehim, but he would not allow it.
By this time Yellow Elk had arrived to within a dozen steps of them.Now he stopped and the frown upon his ugly countenance deepened.
"Did white boy hear what Yellow Elk said?"
"I did."
"Does white boy want to die?"
"Does Yellow Elk want to die? I can shoot as straight as you."
The words had scarcely left Dick's mouth than there came a clear click.
The redskin had fired point-blank at the lad, but the gun had failed togo off, the weapon being an old one the Indian had found at the fort--agun some soldier had discarded as useless.
Following the click Nellie uttered a scream. Then came a crack as Dickfired, and Yellow Elk uttered a yell of pain, having received a painfulwound in the side.
With clubbed gun the Indian now rushed in and a hand-to-hand strugglefollowed. Dick fought valiantly, but was no match for the tall redskin,and a well-directed blow laid him senseless upon the prairie grass. "Youhave killed him!" screamed Nellie. She was about to kneel at Dick'sside, when Yellow Elk hauled her back.
"White dove come with me--boy no killed--be right by-an-by," said theredskin.
"I will not go with you!" she gasped. "Let me down!" for Yellow Elk hadraised her up to his broad shoulder.
The redskin merely smiled grimly and set off on a swift walk, whichspeedily took both Nellie and himself out of sight of poor Dick.
The girl's heart was almost broken by this swift turn of affairs. Shehad hoped in a few more hours to be safe among her friends, and here shewas once again the captive of the Indian she so much feared.
On and on kept Yellow Elk until the stream was reached upon which waslocated the log cabin where Nellie had been a prisoner. She wondered ifYellow Elk was going to take her there again, but she asked noquestions.
Presently the Indian chief came to a sudden halt and raised his head asif to listen. Nellie listened, too, and at a distance heard the tramp ofseveral men. At once Yellow Elk darted behind a number of bushes.
"White girl make noise Yellow Elk kill!" he hissed into his faircaptive's ear, and drew his hunting knife.
The tramp of feet came closer. A detachment of foot soldiers were movingthrough the woods. Soon they came within sight of the pair.
As they came closer Nellie saw they were Government troops. A prisonerwas between them--a man. It was Jack Rasco.
"Uncle Jack!" she moaned, when Yellow Elk clapped his hand over hermouth and pointed
the hunting knife at her throat.
"Hush!" he commanded, but this was unnecessary, for the discovery andher great fear had caused Nellie to swoon. She fell back, and for a longwhile she knew no more.
In the meantime Dick had slowly recovered consciousness. The blow hadbeen a fearful one, and long after he sat up he was unable to rise tohis feet, so shaky was he in the legs. Slowly the realization of whathad occurred came back to him.
"Gone--poor Nellie!" he gasped, and braced himself as best he could.Gazing around he saw that neither girl nor redskin was in sight. Withoutdelay he started to search for Yellow Elk's trail.
He was loping along over the prairies when a shout from his left struckupon his ears. As he gazed in the direction he beheld a number ofsoldiers swooping down upon him. These were the men who had Jack Rasco aprisoner, the cavalrymen having turned the man of the plains over tothem. In a moment Dick was surrounded.
"Jack!" cried the youth, and rushed up to Rasco. "What does this mean?"
"It means I'm a prisoner," answered Rasco, sadly. "Have you seenanything of Nellie?"
In a moment Dick had told his story, to which the soldiers as well asRasco listened closely. At once several of the guard were sent off tohunt up the redskin, if it were possible to do so. Rasco wanted to goalong, but his request was refused.
"You'll slip us if you get the chance," said the officer in charge."You'll go to the fort. And I fancy the boy will go, too, since he seemsto belong to the boomers."
And against his earnest protestations Dick was made to accompany thesoldiers, being bound hand to hand with the man of the plains.
An hour later the soldiers' camp was reached, and Rasco and Dick wereplaced in a temporary guard house. They had been there but a short whilewhen a visitor entered. It was--Louis Vorlange!
"So they have you safe, I see," began Vorlange, when Rasco sprang at himand knocked him down.
"Will you make my niece a prisoner," he cried, wrathfully, for Dick hadtold him the story. "You dirty spy!"
"Hold up," gasped Vorlange, his face growing white. "Rasco, don't be afool. I--I--made her a prisoner because I have orders to arrest anybodyfound roaming around----"
"I won't argy the p'int!" roared Rasco. "I know you, Vorlange, and sodoes Dick here. You robbed and nearly murdered thet boy's father!"
At these words Vorlange staggered back as though struck a blow.
"Who says I--I did that?" he faltered.
"I say so."
"And so do I," put in Dick, boldly. "We'll have a nice story to tellwhen we are brought out for examination, I'll tell you that."
Vorlange breathed hard and glared from one to the other. Then of asudden he caught Dick by the arm and turned him to one side.
"Boy, beware how you cross me," he hissed into Dick's ears. "Beware, Isay! I have known your father for years, and I have the knowledge in mypossession which can send your father to the gallows."