The odor of broiling2 fish was snuffed by the lads, and nothing could have been more delicious and appetizing. They were very hungry, and the night before they supposed they would have to wait indefinitely for their morning meal, but they opened their eyes to find that Deerfoot had provided the most toothsome breakfast that could be imagined.
In the early morning light, fully3 two hours before the sun appeared, Deerfoot crossed the stream in his own canoe, and, taking the trail, ran several miles at the highest speed. While he did not go far enough to see the camp-fire of the main war party of Winnebagos, he did not pause until certain that they had stayed in camp all night and would not cross the stream where the boys lay asleep until the forenoon was half gone. So the Shawanoe hastened back, and dropped a short distance down stream in his canoe, having obtained his paddle, to an eddy4 where it took but a few minutes for him to coax5 a half dozen fish from the cool, clear depths, and these were just browning to a turn when the boys opened their eyes.
Fred and Terry looked in each other's faces and laughed. They knew what an absurd failure they had made. They had promised to watch while Deerfoot slept, and then left him to act as sentinel until morning.
"It was your fault," whispered Fred, hunting in his pocket for the package of salt and pepper which survived, despite the wetting it had received; "why didn't you wake me up, as I told you to do?"
"How could I wake ye up when I was aslaap mesilf?" was the pertinent7 query8 of Terry; "I think I was only a half minute behind yersilf in beginning me swate dreams."
"Even if you had roused me," said Fred, "I suppose I would have dropped to sleep the same as you; no one can keep awake (unless it is Deerfoot) while sitting on the ground. Well, I am sure I shan't say any thing about it if he doesn't."
"Let us shake on that," whispered Terry, stealthily extending his hand.
Deerfoot acted as though unaware9 that any such lapse10 had occurred. The browned fish were spread on the green leaves, and Fred sprinkled the seasoning11 upon the portions to be eaten by himself and Terry; the Shawanoe preferred none on his.
"If nothing unexpected happens," said Fred, "we will arrive at the cabin to-day."
The Shawanoe inclined his head by way of answer.
"When will the Winnebagos that are following us come to this stream?"
Deerfoot pointed12 to a portion of the sky403 which the sun would reach in about three hours from that time.
"The Winnebagos are together; there may be a few coming from different parts of the wood, but Black Bear has most of his warriors13 with him, and he feels strong enough to destroy the cabin and our brothers who are there."
"There are three there now, and when we join them there will be six. If father and the rest have fair notice of their coming, they ought to be able to put every thing in good shape for a defense14. It won't take them long to gather enough food to last for weeks, but how about water?"
"They have no water; our brothers know not why they should have it."
The Shawanoe meant to say that the men, seeing no reason why they should collect any store of water within their primitive15 structure, never did so. It was at their door, and, when they wished to drink, they had but to stoop down and drink. Believing no such emergency as now threatened could arise, they failed to make any provision against it.
"I've been thinkin'," said Terry, "that404 bein' as how we started from Greville to j'in the Hunters of the Ozark, with the idaa of spindin' the winter with the same, that from the time we started we were mimbers of the same, but timporarily separated by a wide stritch of woods; what are yer own idaas?"
"I am not sure that I understand what you are trying to get at, but if you mean to say that we may call ourselves two of the Hunters of the Ozark, I see no objection if we are a few days behind the rest in reaching the beaver16 runs."
"Oblige me by tistifying to the same," said Terry, rather effusively17, shoving his hand toward his friend, who suspended operations with the fish long enough to salute18 him.
The breakfast was quickly finished, and the boys helped each other with their knapsacks, caught up their guns and followed Deerfoot as he led the way back to the trail. He did not hint any thing about their failure to keep guard for him the night before, though they felt sure that they would hear from him at some time not very far distant.
When they found themselves following the path that had become so familiar, they glanced furtively19 behind, half expecting to hear the Winnebago war whoop20 and to see the warriors rushing after them; but not a living soul beside themselves was in sight, and the quiet assurance of their leader very nearly removed all such fear from them.
"Are there any more streams to cross?" asked Fred, a moment after they started along the trail.
"There are none."
"That is good, and since we are several hours in advance of the Indians, we ought to be able to reach the cabin in time to give them warning, that is, if they are in need of it."
"How can they help being in need?" asked Terry.
"The horses were turned loose to look after themselves, and though I can't know for some time how it is, it seems to me that it could well happen that they would not miss the animals for several days and possibly not for a week or two."
The best ground for doubting that the Hunters of the Ozark were aware of the theft of the horses was the fact that there had been no pursuit. Those men, it is safe to say, would not have stayed idle had they known that three vagabond Indians were astride of their property and riding to the northward21. With the three fleeter animals at command, they would have been after them in a twinkling: they would not have been obliged to wait till they met Fred Linden before receiving some rifle shots.
Fred was confirmed in this theory by Deerfoot, who declared that such was his explanation of the failure of the hunters to pursue the thieves.
For two hours the trail which they were following steadily22 ascended23, until they were considerably24 higher than when they left camp in the morning. The undergrowth was abundant, and the wood in some places was so dense25 that they could see only a short distance on either hand. The trail was sinuous26, winding27 in and out among the rocks in a way that would have bewildered any one not used to such traveling.
At last they reached the ridge28 of the elevation407 up which they had been climbing, and found themselves on the margin29 of a plateau or rather valley, beyond which rose the rugged30, precipitous Ozarks. Since the ground sloped away from them, in the direction of the mountains, their view was extended over many square miles of forest, stream and natural clearing, to the mountain walls beyond, looking dim and soft in the distance, with the hazy31 air between.
"Do my brothers see the gleam of the water yonder?" asked Deerfoot, pointing to a winding stream, large enough to be called a river, though it was half hidden by the woods. Its course was in the main at right angles to the trail which the boys had been following, though, at times it seemed to run straight toward and then away from them.
The youths answered that they could not very well look in the direction indicated by their friend, without seeing the stream to which he directed their attention.
The Shawanoe placed himself so that he stood in front of the two.
"Now," said he, "let my brothers follow Deerfoot's finger and tell me what they see."
Pointing well to the right, he slowly swung his index finger toward the left, until he had described about a quarter of a circle.
Since it was not easy for the two to look exactly at the point meant, at the same time, Terry Clark first tried it. Removing his cap, he closed one eye and carefully peered along the extended arm of the Shawanoe as though it was a rifle which he was about to aim and fire.
"What is it?" asked Fred, a moment later, with some impatience32 over the plodding33 deliberation of his companion.
"I obsarve a big lot of traas, some rocks, some water and a claarin' where ye could raise a big lot of praties, and—and—and—"
"I see what you mean!" exclaimed Fred in some excitement; "right in the middle of the clearing stands a large cabin made of logs."
"It's mesilf that obsarves the same," added Terry, replacing his cap and looking inquiringly at the Shawanoe, who let his extended409 arm fall as he faced about and said: "That is the home of my brothers; that is the cabin of the Hunters of the Ozark."
"But we don't know how matters stand," said Fred; "even Deerfoot can not tell whether they are all alive or dead."
"I know bitter than that," remarked Terry, appealing straight to the Shawanoe, who, without directly answering the question, notified them of an interesting fact: a thin column of smoke was rising from the cabin.
"That shows that some one is in there," said the Irish lad, "but whither he is white or rid, I don't s'pose the Shawanoe, with all his smartness, can tell even at this distance."
"My brother speaks truth," said Deerfoot; "our brothers may be well and they maybe dead and the Winnebagos may have built the fire to lure6 us to them: we shall soon know."
Here for the present we must pause, for we have already filled the space assigned to us; but we propose soon to tell you all about the adventures of Deerfoot, Fred and Terry, and of their friends the Hunters of the Ozark, whom they were trying to help. The story in which this will be related will appear under the title of
"THE CAMP IN THE MOUNTAINS."
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1
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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2
broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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7
pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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8
query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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9
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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10
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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11
seasoning
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| n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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14
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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15
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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effusively
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| adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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30
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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32
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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