A Waif of the Mountains, Edward Sylvester Ellis [reading a book .txt] 📗

until a hundred yards beyond the camp. Suddenly the two halted, and half-facing around, waited until Brush and Ruggles joined them. The explanation of the guide showed that his plan had been rightly interpreted by Parson Brush.


CHAPTER XX

THE CAMP FIRE

The trail, as has been stated, was broad and comparatively level. The slope of the mountain to the right was so moderate that it could be climbed by a horse almost as readily as by a man. Its face was covered with a growth of cedars, continuing half way to the summit, when it terminated, only bleak masses of rock, sprinkled with snow, whose volume increased with the elevation, being visible above and beyond.

When the four pursuers came together, their faces showed that they comprehended the serious business before them. It was seen that Captain Dawson was slightly pale, but those who had been with him in battle had observed the same peculiarity. Accompanied, as it was in this instance, by a peculiar steely glitter of his eyes, it meant that he was in a dangerous mood and the man who crossed his path did so at his peril.

It was evident that he and Vose Adams had reached an understanding during the few minutes that they were riding in advance. The words of Vose Adams were spoken for the benefit of Ruggles and the parson.

"You'll wait here till I take a look at things."

"What do you mean to do?" asked Brush.

"I'm going up the slope on foot to find out how the land lays."

"And when you find that out, what next?"

"He is to come back and report to me," interposed the captain.

There was a world of meaning in these words. It showed that the captain allowed Adams to lead only when acting as a guide. In all other matters, the retired officer assumed control. The opportunity of Vose to pick off the offending lieutenant promised to be better than that of any one else, since he would first see him, but he had been given to understand that he must immediately return and let the captain know the situation. Adams had promised this and he knew Dawson too well to dare to thwart him.

Brush and Ruggles could make no objection, keen though their disappointment was. They watched Adams, as he slipped off his mule, not deeming it worth while to utter the warning both had had in mind. It was the parson who said:

"I suppose we have nothing to do except to wait here till you come back?"

"It looks that way, but you must ask the captain."

"You won't be gone long?"

"I don't think so."

"Be careful, but there's no need of waiting," said the captain.

The three watched the guide until he disappeared from sight among the cedars, when the captain added:

"Vose told me that it was possible that camp fire had been started by Indians, but it seems to me there is little likelihood of that."

"Why?"

"Those people are so skilled in woodcraft that they would have been on the alert against our approach, for a brief survey of the trail for the last half hour would have revealed us to them."

"It may be," suggested the parson, "that with every reason to believe there is no danger of anything of the kind, for it must be rare that a white man passes along this trail, they did not keep a lookout."

The captain shook his head.

"From what I know of the American race, it is unlike them."

"What knowledge have we that they have not maintained such a lookout and discovered us as soon as we noticed the camp fire itself? They may have formed an ambuscade at some point further along the trail."

"It is a disturbing possibility and I would be alarmed, but for my confidence in Vose. He has been through this region so often and knows these wild people so thoroughly that he could not commit a blunder like that. It seems to me," added the captain a few minutes, later, "that he is absent a long time."

"It's tough," remarked Ruggles, "that things are fixed so we won't have a chance to take any hand in this bus'ness."

The captain looked inquiringly at him and he explained:

"You and Vose have set it up atween you."

"I have told you that if your help is needed, it will be welcome; I can add nothing to that."

"The captain is right," interposed the parson, "but at the same time, he can see what a disappointment it is for us."

"I admit that, but we are not out of the woods yet."

Before he could make clear the meaning of this remark, Vose Adams emerged from the cedars, and the three breathlessly awaited his coming. He broke into a trot and quickly descended the slope to where they stood. The expression of his face showed before he spoke that he brought unwelcome news.

"Confound it!" he exclaimed with a shake of his head, "they're not there!"

"Then they have gone on up the trail," said the captain inquiringly.

"No; they haven't been there; it isn't their camp."

"Whose is it?"

"Injins; there are five of 'em; they've just had their breakfast and are gettin' ready to make a start."

"Didn't they see you?"

"That isn't the way I do bus'ness," replied Vose rather loftily; "it's more'n likely, howsumever, they seen us all awhile ago when we was further down the trail. They're traveling eastward."

"How can you know that?" asked the parson.

"The Injin that took his dive off the trail 'bout the time the captain fired off his revolver, was going that way. He b'longed to the party and was sorter leading 'em; he was a chief or something of the kind."

"Where are their ponies?"

"They haven't any,--leastways he was the only one that had, which is why I said he was some kind of a chief. We shall hear from 'em agin."

"Why?"

"I mean after they find out about that little row."

"Why need they find out about it?"

"They can't help it; they'll miss their chief; they'll run across that horse of his and that'll give 'em the clue."

This unexpected discovery put a new face on matters. Five mountain Indians, the bravest and most implacable of their race, were almost within stone's throw of the party. But for the occurrence of a brief while before, they probably would have permitted the white men to continue their journey unmolested, since the strength of the two bands, all things considered, was about equal, but when the hostiles learned of the death of their leader, they would bend every effort toward securing revenge. They would dog the miners, watchful, alert and tireless in their attempts to cut them off from the possibility of ever repeating the deed.

"But that chief, as you seem to think he was," said Captain Dawson, "is gone as utterly as if the ground had opened and swallowed him. They will never have the chance to officiate at his funeral, so how are they to learn of the manner of his taking off?"

"It won't take 'em long," replied Adams; "his pony will hunt them out, now that he is left to himself; that'll tell 'em that something is up and they'll start an investigatin' committee. The footprints of our horses, the marks on the rocks, which you and me wouldn't notice, the fact that we met the chief on that narrer ledge and that he's turned up missing will soon lay bare the whole story, and as I remarked aforesaid, we shall hear from 'em agin."

"It looks like a case of the hunter hunting the tiger," said the parson, "and then awaking to the fact that the tiger is engaged in hunting him; it is plain to see that there's going to be a complication of matters, but I don't feel that it need make any difference to us."

"It won't!" replied the captain decisively; "we haven't put our hands to the plough with any intention of looking back. What's the next thing to do, Vose?"

"We've got to look after our animals."

"But there's no grass here for them."

"A little further and we'll strike a stream of water where we'll find some grass, though not much, but it's better than nothing."

Vaulting into the saddle, the guide after some pounding of his heels against the iron ribs of Hercules, forced him into a gallop, which the others imitated. The trail continued comparatively smooth, and, being slightly descending, the animals were not crowded as hard as it would seem. A mile of this brought them to the water, where they were turned loose. The stream gushed from the mountain side, and, flowing across the trail, was lost among the rocks to the left. The moisture thus diffused produced a moderate growth of tough, coarse grass, which the animals began plucking as soon as the bits were removed from their mouths. They secured little nutriment, but as the guide remarked, it was an improvement upon nothing. The men bathed their faces in the cold, clear water, took a refreshing draught, and then ate the lunch provided for them by the thoughtful Adams. Though they ate heartily, sufficient was kept to answer for another meal or two, if it should be thought wise to put themselves on an allowance.

They had just lighted their pipes, when Wade Ruggles uttered an exclamation. Without explaining the cause, he bounded to his feet and ran several rods to the westward, where he was seen to stoop and pick something from the ground. He examined it closely and then, as he turned about and came back more slowly it was perceived that he held a white handkerchief in his hand. His action caused the others to rise to his feet.

"What have you there?" asked Captain Dawson, suspecting its identity.

"I guess you have seen it before," replied Wade, handing the piece of fine, bordered linen to him. He turned it over with strange emotions, for he was quick to recognize it.

"Yes," he said, compressing his lips; "it is hers; she dropped it there--how long ago, Vose?"

The latter examined the handkerchief, as if looking for the answer to the question in its folds, but shook his head.

"Even a mountain Injin could not tell that."

The parson asked the privilege of examining the article. His heart was beating fast, though no one else was aware of it, for it was a present which he had made to Nellie Dawson on the preceding Christmas, having been brought by Vose Adams, with other articles, on his trip made several months before the presentation. There was the girl's name, written by himself in indelible ink, and in his neat, round hand. It was a bitter reflection that it had been in her possession, when she was in the company of the one whom she esteemed above all others.

"It may have been," reflected the parson, carefully keeping his thoughts to himself, "that, when she remembered from whom it came, she flung it aside to please him. Captain," he added, "since this was once mine, I presume you have no objection to my keeping it."

"You are welcome to it; I don't care for it," replied the parent.

"Thank you," and the parson carefully put it away to keep company with the letter of Nellie Dawson which broke her father's heart; "I observe that it is quite