you will remember that when the three boys separated with the purpose of finding out who started the camp fire, will went to the right and jack to the left.
will, being the oldest of the three, felt that in a certain sense he was the leader of the party, and the one to whom the others looked for guidance. he knew at the same time that jack gedney was just as well qualified as he, and that in some respects he was his superior. but a year makes a big difference with a youngster of his age.
will made quite a long circuit to the right, his intention being to approach the camp fire from a point some distance beyond. there was little change in the general character of the wood, though at some points the undergrowth was so plentiful as to require labour and patience on his part.
he was pushing forward in this fashion when he caught his toe in one of the troublesome running vines, and went forward on his face. the fall was not violent enough to hurt him, though it caused a natural exclamation of impatience.
"it's well i am a good way from the camp," he thought, resuming his feet; "for if indians were near they would have heard me sure."
a hundred yards farther, and he began turning to the left with the intention of approaching the camp; but he had gone only a short distance when he became aware that there was some one in front who was following the same course. he knew this by the bent and broken twigs, the pressed bushes, and more than all by sounds of a moving body only a short distance off.
"that's queer," was the natural thought of the boy; "i wonder whether jack or george has got over on my side. they ought to know better than to move that way."
the thought had hardly taken shape in the mind of will when he caught a glimpse of the figure a few rods in advance. it was an indian warrior, whose back was turned towards him.
he was walking among the trees and through the undergrowth in a leisurely fashion, that showed he not only knew how close he was to the camp, but that the parties gathered there were his friends.
when the boy observed him he stepped softly behind the nearest tree, and hardly dared to peep out until the red man had passed beyond sight. had the savage turned his head at first, he must have detected the lad.
"that's strange," muttered will, when he peeped around the tree, and found the indian had disappeared; "if i had been a minute later in falling he must have heard me. his people don't travel in that style when they suspect enemies are near."
will was sure he was right in his conclusion; the camp fire belonged to indians, and the warrior who had just vanished was one of the party, as was shown by his carelessness of movement.
such being the case, the boy felt that he had learned all that he needed to know, and it was not prudent for him to go farther. it was now certain that a war party of indians were in the neighbourhood, and the right thing for the boys to do was to hasten back home, so as to warn their friends.
it cannot be denied that this was a sensible decision, and will lost no time in acting upon it.
his belief was that he was ahead of the others in learning about the red men, and he was anxious to notify jack and george, so as to keep them from running into danger. remembering the signal that had been agreed upon, he placed the hollow of his hands together, applied his lips to the thumbs, and gave out the whistle like that made by a steam engine, when the sound comes a long way over land and through forest.
"they will hear that," he said to himself, as he stood a minute and listened, "and will keep away from the camp. the indians will hear it too, but they won't have any idea what it means. hallo!"
to the surprise of will he detected an answer to his signal. it sounded faint and far off; but you remember what i said about the trouble of knowing the point from which such a signal comes. to save his life, the lad could not have told whether it issued from the north, south, east, or west.
"that's good," he said to himself, starting back over the course by which he had advanced. "i don't think either jack or george has got nigh enough to the camp to run any risk, and it was fortunate that i found out the truth in time to warn them."
some minutes later, when he had made fair progress, he stopped in his walk and repeated his signal, thinking possibly that the first had been heard by only one of his companions.
"that will reach both, and start them towards the top of the ridge."
while he was listening he again caught the reply. since he was half expecting it, he laughed.
"i think that's jack. there isn't any need of his answering, but i suppose he wants to show how well he can do it."
you would think that will was sure of the course of the faint hollow whistle that trembled among the trees, but he was not. it may have been that because he expected the reply from a certain point that it seemed to come thence, but all the same he was mistaken.
"i'll be the first to the ridge, and most likely will be the only one that has got any news. my gracious!"
this time the tremulous call was so close that he could not mistake its direction. it sounded in front, and not twenty rods distant. the affrighted will halted, knowing that something was wrong.
"i don't believe that is either jack or george," he said to himself. "they couldn't have got back there in time."
whatever doubt might have lingered in the mind of will was removed by the sight of the one who had just emitted the signal. the head of a wyandot warrior was thrust so far from behind the trunk of a tree that his shoulders was seen through the black mass of coarse hair dangling about them.
the redskin was within easy gunshot, and he held his rifle pointed straight at the boy, but the latter, not knowing whether it was a summons to surrender, or whether the savage meant to fire, bounded behind the nearest tree.
"i've got a gun as well as you, and you don't catch me for the asking."
the same signal that had been heard several times once more fell upon the ear of will. like the last, it was so near that he could not mistake its direction--it was from the rear.
turning his head, he saw a second indian within fifty feet, with a bow and arrow. he did not try to screen his body, but his primitive weapon was held in such a position that he could launch the shaft before the boy could have used his weapon.
will was caught between two fires, for you will see that since one of his enemies was in front and the other in the rear, he could not use the tree as a screen against both; in whatever position he took he would be exposed to their aim.
"there is no help for it," was the despairing thought of the lad, when both indians began walking towards him. not wishing to exasperate them, he dropped the butt of his gun to the ground, as he stepped out from behind the tree that he had used for the moment as a screen against the first warrior.
his captors accepted this as a sign of friendship, and the one with a rifle also lowered his weapon, though both he and his ally kept a close watch on the youth, who, like ripe fruit, had fallen into their hands without "shaking."
it was a trying ordeal for will to stand motionless while these two aborigines drew nigh, but he recalled what jack had told him about his meeting with the chieftain hua-awa-oma, and his wrestling bout with arowaka, his son.
"this must be his party; maybe that fellow with the bow and arrow is the chief himself. if he was so kind to jack, he may show a little indulgence to me. but there is no way now of helping myself, and i must trust to god to take care of me, as he has done all my life."
the first act of the indian with the bow and arrow was to take the gun of will burton from him. he did not ask for the powder-horn and bullet-pouch, satisfied, no doubt, that they were his whenever he chose to take them. but the gun was loaded, and the safest course was to withdraw it from the hands of him who might feel like doing harm with it.
will looked sharply at the redskin as he passed his rifle to him. he observed that he was dressed as jack had described, and his face was hideously painted.
"are you hua-awa-oma?" asked the boy.
the savage looked inquiringly at him, and will repeated the question. the warrior muttered something, and shook his head. he was not hua-awa-oma, for he did not understand a word said to him.
the other wyandot stood for a moment while this brief interview took place. then pointing toward the camp fire, he made an angry gesture, nodded his head several times, and said something in his own tongue, which was clearly meant as the order "march!"
will did not wait for a second command, but stepped briskly forward, and a few minutes later joined the group which i have already described as gathered around the wyandot camp fire.
