ned chadmund's only fear was that the chief would hear the throbbing of his heart. he dared not draw his head into the tree, fearing that the action would attract the notice of the apache; so he remained as motionless as the trunk of the tree itself, waiting for the danger to pass. finally, the indian was heard moving forward again, and the cramped and aching fugitive began to breathe more freely. he could detect that soft rippling through the water, such as is made by an angler who is hunting some choice place in the brook, and who examines every foot of the water which he passes. at last it was beyond hearing, and all was still again; but our young hero, impatient and anxious as he was to get forward, dared not leave his concealment while so many of his enemies were in the immediate neighborhood. he was confident that if he attempted flight and escaped running against some of these dusky wretches, they would speedily detect his trail and run him to the ground. he concluded to remain where he was until dark, when he would make another start, confident that by traveling all night, and taking advantage of all the means that came in his way, he could place a goodly distance between himself and the perilous neighborhood.
nothing more was seen or heard of the apaches during these long waiting hours, unless the distant report of a gun could be construed as their work, and the summer day gradually wore away. by this time the condition of the boy was truly pitiable. he was thirsty and nearly famished, feverish from his long abstinence. yet with water within a few feet of him he refrained, for the reason that he was fearful of imperiling his safety.
"i'll wait till it is nearly dark," he said, as he looked down at the cool water flowing beneath; "for this is the only chance i shall ever have of giving them the slip."
the time he had fixed upon to venture forth had not yet arrived when he observed a large tree floating along below him. it had probably become displaced at some point up the stream, and would drift along until it should again catch some obstruction, and remain moored for an indefinite time. yielding to a sudden inspiration, ned crept hastily out of his concealment, and dropped lightly upon the trunk, which was heavy and buoyant enough to bear his weight without sinking below the surface.
the course of the stream was such that this proceeding carried him back directly over the ground that he had passed, and, in case the apaches were in camp, would take him near it. but there was real woodcraft in this act, imprudent as it seemed; for nothing could be conceived, which, if successful, would more effectually throw the indians off his trail. knowing that he had gone northward, what inducement could there be for looking toward the south for him? the next thing after getting upon his raft was to stoop over and get a drink from the stream, which, having its source up among the mountains, was cold, clear, and pure.
oh! the refreshing draught! none but those whose frames have been consumed with flaming fever can appreciate the delicious nectar, the invigorating, permeating life that lay in that wonderful fluid, which is without smell, taste or color, and to which no other liquid can be compared.
"oh dear!" groaned the lad, as he raised his head. "another drink like that and there'll be nothing left in the creek."
but thirst satisfied left him with such a tormenting sense of hunger that the question of something to eat speedily became paramount to all others. he almost ceased to think of apaches in his wild desire for something with which to satisfy the cravings within.
the heavy trunk, covered with a few knotty protuberances, kept very nearly in the center of the stream and shifted on below the wood, across the open space and around the curve which has been already referred to, by which time it was fairly dark. beyond this he could discern the outlines of the grove in the encampment of the day before, and where his own rush for liberty had been made. were the apaches still there, awaiting the conclusion of the hunt for him? this was the question, and, in his desire to answer it, he carefully steadied himself until he stood upright upon the log, so as to look across the intervening space to the wood beyond.
"if they're there, they'd be sure to have a camp fire," was the truthful conclusion; "but i can't catch sight of anything."
had a point of light twinkled through the foliage, it is doubtful whether he could have had the courage to continue on down the stream to the point where it passed so close to the camp. no doubt he would have dodged it. but all continued dark and silent, and he was quite confident that they had gone. he crouched upon the raft again, and drifted with the current.
as he neared the rapids and narrow places where the water dashed over its rocky bed, it looked as if he would be unable to keep his seat upon the raft; but as this was the very section, where, above all others, he wished to keep his feet off the ground, he grasped the limbs and held on. he went safely on, although considerable water was splashed over him, and in a few minutes was in the broad, smooth current below, and so close to the grove that he trembled with fear.
in the dim moonlight he easily recognized the place, and for a few seconds he believed he had committed a fatal error in retracing his route in this fashion; but the silence remained unbroken, and he began breathing more freely, when all at once one end of the trunk struck the shore; the other end swung round, but it remained fast, and his journey for a time was at an end.
ned was dismayed and at a loss what to do, for the only way of breaking loose that he could see was to step ashore and shove off. he remained quiescent a moment or two, in the hope that the raft would loosen itself; but, as it did not, he sprang ashore for that purpose. as he did so, he looked around for some sign of his enemies, but there was none, and the fact gave him assurance that they had really gone.
"they must have had dinner there," was his conclusion, "and maybe they have left something that i can make use of."
encouraged by this hope, he moved over the intervening space, and speedily reached the spot where lone wolf and his band had encamped twenty hours before. as he had taken his departure from the savages before dinner, he was not really certain that that important meal had taken place; but he made diligent search, resolved that he would find out beyond all peradventure. the very best good fortune attended him. he had hunted but a few minutes, when he trod among the ashes where the camp fire had been burning. this proved that a meal had been partaken of, and in this country, so prodigal in the different species of game, the indians were not economical in the use of food. groping around in the dark, his hands soon came upon a goodly-sized bone, plentifully covered with meat, which had not been cooked so that it could be called overdone. a starving wolf could not have devoured this with greater gusto than did he, nor could a dozen starving wolves have enjoyed it more than did the poor fellow who had been so long without any nourishment.
when it was gnawed clean he hunted around for more. there was no lack of the material, and ned was thankful beyond expression for this wonderful piece of good fortune, by which he had escaped from lone wolf and his warriors, and then, when starving, had obtained the food he needed from them. he ate and ate, and then rested and ate again, until he had gormandized himself to his utmost capacity, when with a sigh of happiness, he rose to his feet, and stole back toward the stream where he had left his craft. it was found there as if waiting expressly for his return, and, shoving it loose, he made his way to near the middle, where he crouched down and looked around with a feeling of misgiving and fear.
"i wonder if it can hold me after such a supper? it is a little lower in the water, but i guess it can stand it."
whither the stream was tending was a question for the wanderer to consider; but as he was without any possible means of determining, he did not devote much time to the consideration thereof. his purpose was to get ahead without leaving a trail behind, and that was what he was doing.
