Adrift in the Wilds;

 OR, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. 

 By EDWARD S. ELLIS

ILLUSTRATED. 

NEW YORK:A. L. BURT, PUBLISHER. 

Copyrighted 1887, by A. L. Burt. 

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

'May the good Lord preserve us! them are Injuns, ' saidTim. 

"The Indian drew forth a tiny canoe and shoved it intothe water"

"We are lost. "

ADRIFT IN THE WILDS;

OR, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. 

CHAPTER I. 

HO, FOR CALIFORNIA. 

One beautiful misummer night in 18-- a large, heavily laden steamer wasmaking her way swiftly up the Pacific coast, in the direction of SanFrancisco. She was opposite the California shore, only a day's saildistant from the City of the Golden Gate, and many of the passengers hadalready begun making preparations for landing, even though a whole nightand the better part of a day was to intervene ere they could expect toset their feet upon solid land. 

She was one of those magnificent steamers that ply regularly betweenPanama and California. She had rather more than her full cargo offreight and passengers; but, among the hundreds of the latter, we haveto do with but three. 

On this moonlight night, there were gathered by themselves these threepersonages, consisting of Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and HowardLawrence. The first was a burly, good-natured Irishman, and the twolatter were cousins, their ages differing by less than a month, and bothbeing in their sixteenth year. 

The financial storm that swept over the country in 18--, toppling downmerchants and banking-houses like so many ten-pins, carried with it inthe general wreck and ruin, that of Brandon, Herman & Co. , and thesenior partner, Sylvanus Brandon, returned to his home in Brooklyn, NewYork, one evening worse than penniless. While he was meditating, dejected and gloomy, as to the means by which he was to keep the wolffrom the door, his clerk brought him a letter which had been overlookedin the afternoon's mail, postmarked, "San Francisco, Cal. " At once herecognized the bold, handsome superscription as that of his kind-heartedbrother-in-law, Thomas Lawrence. His heart beat with a strong hope as hebroke the envelope, and his eyes glistened ere he had read one-half. 

In short, it stated that Mr. Lawrence had established himselfsuccessfully in business, and was doing so well that he felt theimperative need of a partner, and ended by urging Mr. Brandon to acceptthe position. The bankrupt merchant laid the epistle in his lap, removedhis spectacles and looked smilingly toward his wife. They held a longdiscussion, and both decided to accept the offer at once, as there wasno other recourse left to them. 

It was evident from the letter that Mr. Lawrence had some apprehensionsregarding Mr. Brandon's ability to weather the storm, but he could notbe aware of his financial crash, as it had only become known on thestreet within the last twenty-four hours. Mr. Brandon deemed it proper, therefore, before closing with the offer, to acquaint his brother-in-lawwith his circumstances, that he might fully understand the disadvantageunder which he would be placed by the new partnership. 

The letter was written and duly posted, and our friends rather anxiouslyawaited the answer. It came in the gratifying form of a draft for $1, 000to defray "his necessary expenses, " and an urgent entreaty to startwithout delay. 

The advice was acted upon, and within two weeks of the reception of thesecond letter, Mr. Brandon and his wife were on board the steamer at NewYork, with their state-rooms engaged for California. They had but onechild, Elwood, whom they had placed at a private school where he was toprepare himself for college, in company with his cousin, HowardLawrence, who had been sent from California by his father and hadentered the school at the same time. 

Mr. Brandon learned that Mr. Lawrence was a brother indeed. The positionin which the two men were placed proved so favorable to the former thatin a few years he found himself almost as wealthy as in his palmiestdays, when his name was such a power in Wall Street. He had come to likethe young and growing State of California, and ere he had been there twoyears both himself and wife had lost all longings for the metropolis ofthe New World. 

In the meanwhile, Elwood and Howard were doing well at their studies inBrooklyn. They had been inseparable friends from infancy, and as theiryears increased the bonds of affection seemed to strengthen betweenthem. They were the only children of twin sisters, and bore a remarkableresemblance in person, character and disposition. Both had dark, curling, chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and an active muscular organizationthat made them leaders in boyish pastimes and sports. If there was anyperceptible difference between the two, it was that Elwood Brandon was alittle more daring and impetuous than his companion; he was apt tofollow out his first impulses and venture upon schemes withoutdeliberating fully enough. Both were generous, unselfish, and eitherwould have willingly risked his life for the other. 

Thus matters stood until the summer when our young heroes had completedtheir preparatory course, and were ready to enter college. It wasdecided by their parents that this should be done in the autumn, andthat the summer of this year should be spent by the boys with theirparents in California. They had been separated from them for five years, during which they had met but once, when the parents made a journey toNew York for that purpose, spending several months with them. Thatvisit, it may be said, was now to be returned, and the boys meant thatit should be returned with interest. 

And so Tim O'Rooney, a good-natured, trustworthy Irishman, who had beenin the employ of Mr. Lawrence for eight years, almost ever since hisarrival in America, was sent to New York to accompany the boys on theirvisit home. 

Howard and Elwood were standing one afternoon on the corner of MontagueStreet, in Brooklyn, chatting with each other about their expected tripto California. They had closed their school studies a week before, andboy-like were now anxious to be off upon their journey. Suddenly anIrishman came in sight, smoking furiously at a short black pipe. Thefirst glance showed them that it was no other than Tim O'Rooney, theexpected messenger. 

"Isn't that good?" exclaimed Elwood, "the steamer sails on Saturday, andwe'll go in it. Here he comes, as though he was in a great hurry!"

"Don't say anything, and see whether he will know us!"

"Why shouldn't he?"

"You know we've grown a good deal since he was here, and the beard isgetting so stiff on my chin that it scratches my hand every time I touchit. "

"Yes; that mustache, too, is making you look as fierce as a Bluebeard;but here he is!"

At this instant Tim O'Rooney came opposite them. He merely glanced up, puffed harder than ever and was passing on, when both burst out in aloud laugh. 

"Be the powers! what's the mather with ye spalpeens?" he angrilydemanded. "Can't a dacent man be passing the sthrats widout beinginsulted----Howly mother! is it yerselves or is it your grandfathers?"

He had recognized them, and a hearty hand-shaking followed. Tim grinneda great deal over his mistake, and answered their questions in his dry, witty way, and assured them that his instructions were to bring themhome as soon as possible. Accordingly, they embarked on the steamer onthe following Saturday; and, passing over the unimportant incidents oftheir voyage, we come back to our starting point, where all three werewithin a day's journey of their destination. 

CHAPTER II. 

FIRE. 

"To-morrow we shall be home, " said Elwood Brandon, addressing hiscompanion, although at the time he was looking out on the moon-lit sea, in the direction of California. 

"Yes; if nothing unexpected happens, " replied his cousin, who waspushing and drawing a large Newfoundland dog that lay at his feet. 

"And what can happen?" asked his cousin, turning abruptly toward him. 

"A hundred things. Suppose the boiler should blow up, we run on a rock, take fire, or get struck by a squall----"

"Or be carried away in a balloon, " was the impatient exclamation. "Oneis just as likely to happen as the other. "

"Hardly--heigh-ho!"

Howard at that moment had twined his feet around the neck of Terror, theNewfoundland, and the mischievous dog, springing suddenly to his feet, brought his master from his seat to the deck, which, as a matter ofcourse, made both of the cousins laugh. 

"He did that on purpose, " said Howard, recovering his position. 

"Of course he did. You have been pestering him for the last half-hour, and he is getting tired of it; but I may say, Howard, I shall hardly beable to sleep to-night, I am so anxious to see father and mother. "

"So am I; a few years makes such a difference in us, while I can'tdetect the least change in them. "

"Except a few more gray hairs, or perhaps an additional wrinkle or two. What's the matter with Tim?"

"Tim! O nothing, he seems to be meditating and smoking. Fact is that isabout all he has done since he has been with us. "

"It's been a grand time for Tim, and I have no doubt he has enjoyed thetrip to and from California as much as either of us. "

The subject of these remarks was seated a few feet away, his armsfolded, while he was looking with a vague, dreamy expression out uponthe great Pacific, stretching so many thousand miles beyond them, rolling far off in each direction, until sky and ocean blended in greatgloom. 

"Maybe he is looking for Asia, " laughed Elwood in an undertone. 

"More likely he is hoping to get a glimpse of Ireland, for he would beas likely to look in that direction as any other. I say, Tim!"

The Irishman did not heed the call until he was addressed the secondtime in a louder tone than before, when he suddenly raised his head. 

"Whisht! what is it?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothin', I was dreaming. "

"Dreaming! what about?"

"Begorrah but that was a qua'r dream, was that same one. "

"Let's hear it. "

"But it's onplaiasnt. "

"Never mind, out with it. "

"Well, thin, if I must tell yees, I was thinking that this owld staamerwas all on fire, and all of us passengers was jumping around in thewather, pulling each other down, away miles into the sea, till we wasgone so long there wasn't a chance iver to git up agin. "

A strange fear thrilled both of the boys at the mention of this, andthey looked at each other a moment in silence. 

"What put that into your head, Tim?"

"And it's just the question I was axing meself, for I never draamed ofsuch a thing in my life before, and it's mighty qua'r that I should takea notion to do it now. "

"It ain't worth talking about, " said Elwood, showing an anxiety tochange the subject. 

"Be yees going to bed to-night?"

"I don't feel a bit sleepy, " replied Elwood. "I'd just as soon sit uphalf the night as not. "

"And so would I; it must be after eleven o'clock, isn't it?"

"It's near 'levin, " replied Tim. "I'm not able to examine me watch; andif I was, I couldn't tell very well, as it hasn't run for a few months. "

Howard took out his watch, but the moonlight was too faint for him todistinguish the hands, and the three were content to let the precisetime remain a matter of conjecture. 

"Tim, how close are we to land?" asked Elwood. 

"I should say about the same distance that the land is from us, andbegorrah that's the best information I can give yees. "

"I could see the mountains very plainly when the sun was setting, " saidHoward, "and it cannot be many miles away. "

"What sort of a country is it off here?" pursued Elwood, pointing in thedirection of the land. 

"It is wild and rocky, and there are plenty of Indians and wild animalsthere. "

"How do you know?" asked Elwood, in some amazement. 

"I have taken the trouble to learn all about California that I couldbefore coming. "

"I believe they have _gold_ there?" said Elwood, in rather a banteringvein. 

"Tim can tell you more about that than I can, as he came to Californiato hunt gold. "

"How is that, Tim?"

"Begorrah, but he shpakes the truth. I wint up among the mountains tohunt gowld. "

"And what luck had you?"

"Luck, is it?" repeated the Irishman, with an expression of ludicrousdisgust. "Luck, does ye call it, to have your head cracked and yourshins smashed by the copper-skins, chawed up by the b'ars, froze todeath in the mountains, drowned in the rivers--that run into the top ofyer shanty when yer sound asleep--your feet gnawed off by wolverines, asthey call--and--but whisht! don't talk to me of luck, and all the timeye never gets a sight of a particle of gowld. "

The boys laughed, Howard said:

"But your luck is not every one's, Tim; there have been plenty who havemade fortunes at the business. "

"Yis, but they wasn't Tim O'Rooneys. He's not the man that was born tobe rich!"

"You're better satisfied where you are. "

"Yis, thank God, that I've such a good home, and an ongrateful dog wouldI baa if I should ask more. "

"But, Elwood, it's getting late, and this night air begins to feelchilly. It can't be far from midnight. "

"I am willing; where's Terror? Ah! here he is; old fellow, come alongand keep faithful watch over your friends. "

"Boys, " said Tim O'Rooney, with a strange, husky intonation, "youremember my dream about this steamer burning?"

"Yes; what of it?"

"It is coming thrue!"

_He spoke the truth!_

CHAPTER III. 

AFLOAT. 

As Tim O'Rooney spoke, he pointed to the bow of the steamer, where, inthe bright moonlight, some smoke could be seen rising--where, too, thenext instant, they caught sight of a gleam of fire. 

"Oh, heaven! what shall we do?" exclaimed Elwood, struck with a panic. 

"Wait and trust to Providence. "

"Let us jump overboard; I'd rather be drowned than burned to death. Come, Howard, let's jump over this minute!"

He made a move toward the stern of the steamer, near which they had beenseated, as if he intended to spring overboard, when his arm was sternlycaught by the Irishman, who said in an indignant tone:

"Kaap cool! kaap cool! don't make a fool of yoursilf. Can ye swim?"

"Yes, " answered Howard, "we can both swim very well. Can you?"

"Indaad, I can--swim like a stone. "

"But good heavens!" exclaimed Elwood, who had not entirely recoveredfrom his excitement, "the land is miles off, and we can't swim there, not taking into account the heavy sea. "

"What does that mean?"

As Howard spoke, the bow of the steamer made a sweeping bend to theright. 

"They've headed toward shore, " said Elwood. 

This snatch of conversation had occupied the shortest possible space oftime. The fire had been discovered by the officials on board fully assoon as by our friends, and the men could be seen running hurriedly toand fro, all quiet and still, for they knew too well what the resultwould be if the alarm was communicated to the sleeping passengers. Thepilot had headed the vast craft toward land, and by the furiousthrobbing of the engines it could be seen that the doomed vessel wasstraining to the utmost, like some affrighted, faithful horse strivingto carry his master as nearly as possible to the port of safely ere hedropped down and died. 

It was fully midnight, and, as a matter of course, very nearly all thepassengers were in their berths. There were a few, however, who werelingering on the promenade deck, some smoking--here and there a coupleof lovers all unconscious of everything else--one or two avariciousspeculators; and but a few minutes could elapse before the startlingdanger should become known. 

The last words, which we have given as spoken by our friends, hadscarcely been said, when a man, who apparently had been stretched outsound asleep, suddenly sprung up, wild with terror. "The boat is onfire! _fire! fire_!"

He darted hither and thither like some wild animal compassed on everyhand by death, and then suddenly made a leap overboard, and wasswallowed up in the sea. 

The alarm spread with fearful rapidity, and was soon ringing throughevery part of the steamer, and now began that fearful confusion andpanic which no pen can clearly picture, and which, once seen, can neverbe forgotten to the dying day. 

Our three friends were gathered at the stern of the steamer, earnestlyand anxiously discussing the best course to pursue. 

"Let's stay here, " said Howard, "for every second is taking us nearerland. "

"That is what nearly all will do, " said Elwood, "but we can never reachthe shore, and when the time comes we shall all be in the sea together, struggling and sinking, and we shall then be sure to go down. "

"Yez are right, " said Tim, addressing the last speaker. "Our only chanceis to jump overboard this very minute, before the sea is full of thepoor fellows. They'll begin to go over the ship's side and will kaap itup until the thing is burned up. "

"It's time then that we hunted our life-preservers, " said Howard. 

"Git out wid yer life-presarvers!" impatiently exclaimed Tim. "Didn't meuncle wear one of 'em for six months, and then die with the faver! I'llheave over one of these settaas, and that'll kaap up afloat. "

"Be quick about it, Tim, " urged Elwood, who was beginning to getnervous. "See, the fire is spreading, and everybody seems to have foundout what the matter is. "

There was indeed no time to be lost. The steamer was doomed beyond allpossibility of salvation, and must soon become unmanageable, wheneverything would be turned into a pandemonium. One of the large setteeswas wrenched loose and lifted over the stern of the steamer. 

"Now, " said Tim, "the minute it goes over yez must follow. The owldstaamer is going like a straak of lightning, and if aither of yez wait, he'll be lift behind. "

"All right, no danger, go ahead!"

They now clambered up, and sat poised on the stern. In this fearfulposition Tim O'Rooney held the settee balanced for a few minutes. 

"Be yez riddy?"

"Yes. "

"Do yez jump a little to the right, Elwood, and yez a little to theleft, Howard, so as not to hit the owld thing. All riddy; here we go!"

The next moment the three were spinning down through the air, and struckthe water. They went below the surface, the boys sinking quite adistance; but almost instantly they arose and struck bravely out. 

"Tim, where are you?" called out Elwood, not seeing his friend. 

"Here, to the left, " responded the Irishman, as he rose on a huge swell. "Can ye swim to me?"

"I hope so, but my clothes bother me like creation. "

Strange! that not one of the three had once thought of removing theirsuperfluous clothing before jumping into the ocean. But Elwood was afine swimmer, and he struggled bravely, although at a greatdisadvantage, until his outstretched hand was seized by the Irishman, and he then caught hold of the settee and rested himself. 

"Where is Howard?" he asked, panting from his exertions. 

"Here he is, " responded Howard himself. "I struck the water so closethat when I came up my hand hit the settee. "

"I tell you what it is, " said Elwood. "We ought to have broughtsomething else with us beside this. We have got to keep all of ourbodies underwater for this to bear us. "

"And what of it?"

"Suppose some poor fellow claims a part. Gracious! here comes a man thisminute!"

"We can't turn him off, " said Tim, "but this owld horse has all thegrist he can carry. "

A dark body could be seen struggling and rapidly approaching them. 

"Whoever he is, he is a good swimmer, " remarked Howard, watching thestranger. 

"Of course he is, for it comes natural; don't you see it isn't a man, but old Terror. "

"Thank heaven for that! we never thought about him. I am glad he is withus. "

The next moment the Newfoundland placed his paw on the settee and gave alow bark to announce his joy at being among his friends. The sagaciousbrute seemed to understand how frail the tenure was that held them allsuspended over eternity; for he did nothing more than rest the top ofhis paw on the precious raft. 

CHAPTER IV. 

A PASSENGER. 

By this time our friends were a quarter of a mile in the rear of theburning steamer. The furious pulsations of the engines had stopped, andfrom stern to stern the great ship was one mass of soothing flame. Thelight threw a glare upon the clouds above, and made it so bright whereour friends were floating in the water that they could have read thepages of a printed book. The illumination must have been seen for manyand many a mile in every direction upon the Pacific. 

"Yes, the steamer has stopped, " said Howard; "the fire has reached theengines, and now they must do as we have done. "

"But they have boats and may escape. "

"Not half enough of them; and then what they have got will be seized bythe crew, as they always do at such times. "

"Look! you can see them jumping over. The poor wretches hang fast tillthey are so scorched that they have to let go. "

"It's mighty lucky yees are here, " said Tim, "for every mother's sonthat can swim will be hugged by a half-dozen that can't, which would bebad for me. "

"Why so; can't you swim?"

"Not a bit of it. "

"And nothing but this bench to keep us from sinking. "

"And be the same towken isn't that good enough, if it only kaaps usafloat? Can't ye be satisfied?"

"Look! how grand!"

It was indeed a fearful sight, the steamer being one pyramid of roaring, blazing fire, sweeping upward in great fan-like rifts, then blowingoutward, horizontally across the deep, as if greedy for the poor beingswho had sprung in agony from its embrace. Millions of sparks werefloating and drifting overhead and falling all around. The shrieks ofthe despairing passengers, as with their clothes all aflame they sprungblindly into the ocean, could be heard by our friends, and must indeedhave extended a far greater distance. 

For an hour the conflagration raged with apparently unabated violence, the wreck drifting quite rapidly; but the fire soon tired of its work, large pieces of burning timber could be seen floating in the water, andfinally the charred hull made a plunge downward into the sea, and ourfriends were left alone upon their frail support. 

"Now, it's time to decide what we are going to do, " said Howard. 

"You are right, and what shall it be? Shall we drift about here untilmorning, when some vessel will pick us up? I have no doubt this fire hasdrawn a half-dozen toward it. "

"No; let's make for shore. "

"That is the best plan, " said Tim. 

"But it is a good way off, " remarked Howard; "and I have little hope ofreaching it. "

"Never mind; it, will keep us busy, and that will make the time passfaster than if we do nothing but float. "

"We may need our strength; but it is the best plan. "

"But do we know the direction?"

"I can tell you that, " said Elwood; "for the moon was directly over theshore; so all we've got to do is to aim for the moon. "

"Begorrah! we can walk and talk, as the owld lady said when her husbandstopped on the way to the gallows to bid her good-by. So paddle away!"

It being a warm summer night, the water was quite pleasant, although ourfriends were sure to get enough of it long before they could hope toplace their feet upon the earth. Having now an object, they beganworking with a will, the boys swimming as lustily as possible straightfor the shore, while Tim assisted materially in pushing forward thecraft. 

The intelligent Newfoundland appeared to comprehend what was wanted, andcontributed not a little to the momentum. 

"Do you think we are making any progress----"

"O, save me! save me! I'm drowning!"

The voice sounded close by them, and caused an involuntary start fromall three. 

"Where is he?" asked Howard, in a terrified whisper. 

"There!"

At that moment they caught sight of a man fiercely buffeting the waves, as he rose on an immense swell, and then sunk down again in the troughof the sea. 

"Can we do anything for him?" asked Elwood. "It's too bad to see thepoor fellow sink when we may save him. "

"I'm afeared the owld bench won't bear another hand on it. "

But Terror had heard that cry and anticipated the wishes of his friends. Leaving them with their raft, he struck powerfully out toward thedrowning man, and they both went down in the vast sea chasm together. When they came in view again upon the crest of the swell, theNewfoundland had the hair of the man's head in his teeth and had begunhis return. A moment later the gasping man threw out his hands andcaught the settee with such eagerness that it instantly sunk. 

"Be careful!" admonished Howard, "or you'll drown us all. One of uscan't swim!"

"Won't your raft bear us?"

"Yes, if you keep only your head above water and bear very lightly uponit. Don't attempt to rise up. "

"All right!"

The buoyant raft came to the surface, and was instantly grasped firmlybut carefully by all. Poor Tim O'Rooney had come very near drowning. Aman when suddenly cast into the water for the first time has been knownto swim long and well; and the Irishman, by the most furious effort, hadsaved himself from strangling and sinking, although he had swallowed agood deal of the nauseating sea-water, and was now ejecting it. 

"Worrah! I took an overdose that time, and it wouldn't sthay on mystomach!" he said. "I'm thinking there'll be no necessity of meswallowing any salts for some time to coom, be the towken that I'veenough to last me me life-time. "

"We are all right now!" said the stranger. "I can swim, but I was justabout used up when your dog took me in tow. May I inquire who my friendsare?"

Howard gave their names and destination, and he instantly said:

"My name is Manuel Yard, and my place of business is next door to thatof your fathers. "

"You know them then. "

"I have known them both very well for years, and now that you have givenme your names I remember you both. "

After a few more words, our friends recognized him as a tall, pale-looking man, with whom they had exchanged greetings more than onceon their passage from Panama. 

"I've been down to the Isthmus, " he added, "and was on my way home whenthe steamer took fire. "

"Where were you when you heard the alarm?"

"Sound asleep in my berth; I had no time even to put on my clothes; but, thank God, if I can escape in any way. "

"Stick to us, and help shove this craft, and I'm in hopes we'll fetch upsomewhere by morning. "

CHAPTER V. 

LAND. 

Under the united propulsion of three men and a large Newfoundland dog, the small raft moved shoreward with no insignificant speed. It was foundamply sufficient to preserve them all from drowning had none known howto swim, provided they managed the matter prudently. There is so littledifference in the quantity of water and the human body, that a slighteffort, if properly made, will keep it afloat. The trouble with newbeginners is that when they first go beyond their depth their blindstruggles tend to carry them downward more than upward. 

"This is rather pleasant, " remarked Mr. Yard. "There is little doubt, Ithink, of reaching land. There is only one thing that makes the shiversrun over me. "

"What is that?"

"The thought of _sharks_!"

"Ugh! Why did you spake of them?" asked Tim, with a strong expression ofdisgust. "I've been thinking of 'em ever since I've been in the water, but I didn't want to skeer the boys. "

"They never once entered my head, " said Howard. 

"Nor mine either, " added Elwood. "Are they in this part of the ocean?"

"You will find them in almost every part of the sea, I was going to say. They abound off the coast of California. "

"But it is night, and they will not be apt to see!"

"This fire and the numbers of drowning people will draw hundreds of thefinny inhabitants toward us. You know a fire at night is sure to attractfish. "

"You seem determined to frighten us, " said Howard, "but I shall continueto think that God who has so mercifully saved us intends to save us tothe end. "

"Perhaps so, too, but it does no harm to understand all the dangers towhich we are subject. "

"I believe with Howard, " said Elwood. "I ain't afraid of sharks, but forall that, they are ugly creatures. They swim under you and the firstthing you know clip goes one of your legs off, just the same as a pairof snuffers would clip off a piece of wick. "

"They are the hyenas of the sea, " said Howard, "although I believe somekinds are stupid and harmless. I think I have heard them called that bysomebody, I don't remember who. They will snap up anything that isthrown to them. "

"Wouldn't it make their eyes water to come this way then? Jis' to thinkof their saaing four pair of legs dancing over their hids, not to spakeof the dog that could come in by way of dessart. "

"O Tim! keep still, it is too dreadful!"

"Worrah! it wasn't meself that introduced the subject, but as yez havegot started, I've no objection to continue the same. "

"Let us try and talk about something more pleasant----"

"A shark! a shark!" suddenly screamed Elwood, springing half his lengthout of the water in his excitement. 

"Where?" demanded Mr. Yard, while the others were speechless withterror. 

"He has hold of my leg! O, save me, for he is pulling me under!"

There was danger for a moment that all would go to the bottom, but Mr. Yard displayed a remarkable coolness that saved them all. 

"It is not a shark, " said he, "or he would have had your leg off beforethis. "

"What is it then? What can it be?"

"It is a drowning man that has caught your foot as he was going down. You must kick him off or he will drown you. Has he one foot or both?"

"My left ankle is grasped by something. "

"That is good; if he had hold of both feet it would be bad for you. Useyour free foot and force his grasp loose. "

Elwood did so with such vigor that he soon had the inexpressible reliefof announcing that the drag weight was loosed and his limbs were freeagain. 

"That is terrible, " said he, as they resumed their progress. "Just tothink of being seized in that way by some poor fellow who, I don'tsuppose, really knew what he was doing. "

"How came he there?" asked Howard. 

"You see, we ain't far from where the steamer sunk, and there may bemore near us. This man has gone down just as we were passing by him, andin his blind struggles has caught your ankle. "

"If a drowning man will catch at a straw, wouldn't he be after catchingat a leg?" inquired Tim. 

"It seems natural that he should do so; but we are in the most dangerousplace we could be. Let's keep a sharp lookout. "

Our friends peered in every direction, as they rose and sunk on thelong, heaving swell of the sea. They saw pieces of charred wood andfragments of the wreck, but caught sight of no human being until Mr. Yard pointed, to a dark mass some distance away. 

"That is a raft covered with people, " said he. 

"They seem to be standing still. "

"Yes, they merely want to keep afloat until morning, when no doubt theywill be picked up and cared for. Keep quiet, for if we talk too loudsome one may start for us. "

"And work hard, " whispered Tim, struggling harder than ever. "Aich ofyees shove like a locomotive. "

"Good advice, " added Mr. Yard, in the same cautions undertone. "Let'sget away as fast as possible. "

Hour after hour the men toiled, following the moon, that appeared torecede from them as they advanced. They had passed safely the debris ofthe wrecked steamer, and were again talking loudly and rathercheerfully, when Tim O'Rooney interrupted them:

"Yonder is something flowting in the darkness. "

"It is a boat full of people, " said Mr. Yard. "I have noticed it for thelast few minutes. "

All turned their eyes toward the spot indicated, and agreed that Mr. Yard was correct in his supposition. 

"I will hail it, " he quietly added, and then called out: "Boat ahoy!"

"What do you want?" came back in a gruff voice. 

"Can you take four drowning passengers on board?"

"Not much, " was the unfeeling answer, "Paddle away and you'll reachCalifornia one of these days. "

"How far are we from it?"

"Double the distance, divide by two, and you'll have it. "

Nothing further was extracted from the men, but they could be heardlaughing and talking boisterously with each other, and the odor of theirpipes was plainly detected, so close were the parties. 

"Thank heaven, we are not dependent upon them!" said Mr. Yard. "If wewere, we should fare cruelly indeed. "

"Who are they?"

"A part of the crew of the steamer, who seized the boat at the firstappearance of danger, and left the helpless to perish. "

An hour later, long after the boat had disappeared, and when our friendswere toiling bravely forward, a low, dark object directly in frontattracted their notice. 

"What is it?" whispered Elwood. 

"_It is land!_" was the joyful reply. "I am walking upon the sand thisminute, and you can do the same!"

CHAPTER VI. 

THE CALIFORNIA COAST. 

They were safe at last! The four dropped their feet and found themresting upon smooth packed sand, and wading a few rods they all stoodupon dry earth. Terror, as he shook his shaggy coat and rubbed his noseagainst his young masters seemed not the least joyful of the party. 

"Isn't this grand!" exclaimed Elwood. "When did the ground feel betterto your feet? Saved from fire and water!"

"Our first duty is to thank God!" said Mr. Yard reverently. "He haschosen us out of the hundreds that have perished as special objects ofhis mercy. Let us kneel upon the shore and testify our gratitude toHim. "

All sunk devoutly upon their knees and joined the merchant, as in a low, impressive tone he returned thanks to his Creator for the signal mercyhe had displayed in bringing them safely through such imminent perils. 

"Now, what is to be done next?" inquired Mr. Yard, as they arose totheir feet and looked around them. "The first thing I should like to dois to procure a suit of clothes, and I hope I shall be able to do itwithout stripping any of the dead bodies that will soon wash ashore. "

"What is the naad?" asked Tim O'Rooney. "Baing that it's a warrum summernight, and there saams to be few in the neighborhood that is likely totake exsaptions to your costume. "

"But day is breaking!" replied the merchant, pointing across the low, rocky country to a range of mountains in the distance, whose high, jagged tops were blackly defined against the sky that was growing lightand rosy behind them. 

"Yes, it will soon be light, " said Howard. "See! there are persons alongthe shore that have come down to the wreck?"

"They are some of the passengers that have managed to reach land. I willgo among them and see whether any of them have any clothing to sell, "laughed Mr. Yard as he moved away. 

As the sun came up over the mountains it lit up a dreary and desolatescene. Away in the distance, until sky and earth mingled into one, stretched the blue Pacific, not ridged into foam and spray like theboisterous Atlantic, but swelling and heaving as if the great deep was abreathing monster. A few fragments of blackened splinters floating hereand there were all that remained to show where a few hours before themagnificent steamer, surcharged with its living freight, so proudly cutthe waters on her swift course toward the Golden Gate. 

Several ghastly, blue-lipped survivors in their clinging garments werewandering aimlessly along the shore, the veriest pictures of uttermisery, as they mumbled a few words to each other, or stared absentlyaround. They seemed to be partially bereft of their senses, and wereprobably somewhat dazed from the fearful scenes through which they hadso recently passed. 

Several sails were visible, but they were so far away that it was vainto hope to attract their attention. Three large boats could be seen awayto the northwest, skirting along shore and making their way toward SanFrancisco as rapidly as muscle and oars could carry them. What reckedthey whether the passengers were buried with the steamer, sunk in theocean, or left to perish on the desolate coast?

The Coast Range, which descends into California from Oregon, in someplaces comes within twenty-five or thirty miles of the sea, while atother times it recedes to over a hundred. The particular point where ourfriends were suffered to land was rough, barren and rocky, and behindthem, with many peaks reaching the line of perpetual snow, rose thenoble Coast Range, between which and them stretched a smaller range ofmountains. 

Around them the country appeared desolate and uninhabited. Howard andElwood were well acquainted with geography, and had a general idea ofCalifornia, although they could not be expected to know much of theminor facts of the State. They were aware that at no great distance--butwhether north or south it was impossible to say--lay the missionary townof San Luis Obispo, and between them and the Coast Range ran the SalinasRiver, formerly known as the San Buenaventura, and a smaller chain ofmountains or highlands. 

They knew, too, that after crossing the Coast Range, you descended intothe broad and beautiful Sacramento Valley, where abounded wild animals, Indians, gold, silver, and the most exuberant vegetation. This was aboutall they knew; and this, after all, was considerable. When personsexpect to make a journey to some distant country they are very apt tolearn all that they possibly can about it; and this was the way theycame to understand so much regarding the young State of California. 

They had stood some little time conversing together when they saw Mr. Yard approaching, clad in quite a respectable suit of black, albeit, asa matter of course, it was thoroughly soaked with salt water. 

"You are fortunate, " remarked Howard. 

"Yes, " he laughed; "what strange beings we are! Do you see that elderlygentleman yonder, with his hands in his pockets walking back and forthas though he expected some arrival from the sea?"

The personage alluded to could be easily distinguished from the others. 

"Well, his berth was next to mine. When the alarm of fire was firstheard he sprung from his bed, dressed himself and caught up his valise, which contained an extra suit of clothing, and rushed on deck with theother passengers. "

"How was he saved?"

"It is hard to tell. He and several others hung fast to some such sortof a raft as we had, and managed to get ashore. And all the time hegrasped that valise, even when besought by his companions to let it go, find when it endangered his chances of life fully ten-fold. "

"He must be very poor. "

"Poor! He is worth half a million in gold this minute. That valisecontained all his property that he had entrusted to the steamer, and itwas his fear that he might lose the few dollars that it is worth thatmade him cling so tenaciously to it. "

"How was it that he gave them to you?"

"No fear that he gave them. I stated in the presence of two witnessesthat, I would give him a hundred dollars for the suit as soon as wereached San Francisco. He racked his brains to see whether there was notsome means of my giving him my note for the amount; but as that couldn'tbe done under the circumstances, he did the next best thing andestablished my obligation in the mouth of several witnesses. "

"Strange man! But, Mr. Yard, what is to be done?"

"I intend to wait here during the day, as I know of nothing better thatwe can do. I think some friends will find us before nightfall. "

"We have decided to go inland a short distance, dry our clothes and giveour bodies a good rubbing, to prevent our taking cold. "

"A wise precaution, but useless in my case as I have already caught avery severe one. "

"Should we become separated, you will tell our parents that we reachedthe land in safety and are in good spirits. "

"Of course; but don't wander too far away, as you may lose your chanceof being taken off. You know this isn't the most hospitable country inthe world. There are treacherous and thieving Indians in these parts, and they would have swooped down on us long ago if they had only knownwe were here. As it is, I fear their approach before a friendly sailcomes to us. "

"Never fear; we will take good care not to wander too far away. "

And the parties separated for a much longer time than any of themimagined. 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE RESCUE. 

Our three friends--although it seems equally proper to speak of four, asTerror was a most important member of the party--walked away from thesea-shore and began making their way back into the country. As we havehinted in another place, they found this section wild and desolate. Little else than huge rocks, bowlders and stunted trees met the eye, while there was no appearance of vegetation, nor was the slightestvestige of a human habitation visible, let them look in whateverdirection they chose. 

The air was clear, the sky decked by a few fleecy clouds over thePacific, and there was little doubt that the day would be a fine, warmone. The climate of California is mild, except when the winds from thePacific bring chilling fogs along the coast. The view in the east wasparticularly grand, the peaks of the gigantic Coast mountains and of thesmaller range rising and swelling in vast peaks, appearing as if thePacific when tossed and driven by some hurricane had suddenly congealedwith the foam upon the tops of its mountainous billows. Lookingnorthward, the last object that met the eye was these mountainsgradually blending with the brilliant sky, while to the southward theprospect was repeated. 

They wandered along, springing up the sides of rocks, jumping quite adistance to the ground, again passing around those that were too high toclimb, Terror all the time frolicking at their sides, certainly as happyas any of them, while they chatted and laughed, their hearts buoyant inthe beautiful summer and the pleasing retrospect of a thrillingadventure already safely passed through and the prospect of a few othersclose at hand. 

In this wandering manner they at last found themselves fully a mile fromshore, and in a wild, rocky place where they felt secure fromobservation. Here all removed their clothes, subjected their bodies to avigorous rubbing that made the surface glow with warmth and reaction, and then spread their garments out to dry. Their extended walk beforereaching this place had partially done the latter for them, so that inthe course of an hour or so they found them free from all moisture, andas they donned them they once more felt like themselves. 

"Now, " said Elwood, "I am very tired and sleepy; is not this a goodplace to lie down and rest?"

"I was going to suggest the same thing, " added Howard. "I do not see inwhat better manner we can spend a few hours. "

"And it's the same idaa that has been strhiking me ever since we sotfoot in this qua'r looking place. It's meself that is so sleapy that ativery wink I makes I has to lift the eyelids up with my fingers, and meeyes feels as though the wind has been blowing sand in 'em all day. "

The proposal thus being satisfactory to all, they proceeded to carry itout at once. The day was so mild that the only precaution necessary wasto secure themselves against the rays of the sun. This was easily done, and stretching out beneath the shelter of a projecting ledge of rocksthey had scarcely laid down when all were sound asleep. 

And leaving them here for the time being, we give our attention for afew moments to the survivors of the steamer. 

Some thirty odd of the passengers succeeded in reaching the shore, whileabout a dozen were saved with the crew, who, as is generally the case atsuch times, acted upon the idea that it was their duty to take charge ofthe boats and prevent the passengers from risking themselves in suchfrail structures. After all, no doubt their lives were as valuable aswere those of the hundreds they carried, and their conduct, when viewedin an unprejudiced manner, perhaps was not so criminal. 

The destruction of so large a steamer along the California coast, in theregular track of the vessels going to and coming from Panama, could notoccur without the knowledge of many upon the ocean. Indeed, the glareupon the heavens was seen far up the coast, and in San Luis Obispo, tothe south, was pronounced by all to be caused by the burning of somelarge vessel at sea. 

It so came about that there were but two vessels near enough to go tothe relief of the unfortunate steamer; but these were controlled byrival captains, each of whom hoped to enter the Golden Gate an hour orso in advance of the other; and therefore they had not time to slackensail and lay to, but pressed forward with an expression of regret thatthe necessities of the case compelled them thus to refuse all succor tothe needy ones. 

But there were others at a greater distance who bore down upon the fieryscene at once; but they were miles away when the last vestige of thesteamer disappeared, and it was only a matter of conjecture as to wherea few of the survivors might be struggling with the waves. Not until thesun had been up over an hour did the man at the mast-head of the nearestvessel call out that he saw several boats pulling up the coast, while afew persons could be seen on the shore making signals to attract theirattention. 

Some time after, the Relief--happily named--cast anchor a half-mile fromland and two boats put off from her side. The survivors were quicklywithin them, and they were about putting off again when the mate of theRelief said:

"Are you all here?"

"Yes, yes, " was the impatient reply of Mr. Tiflings, the man who hadsold the suit of clothes to Mr. Yard, "don't wait any longer. I shalllose $500 by not being in San Francisco to-day. "

"But they are not all here, " interrupted Mr. Yard, in some excitement. "There are two boys in charge of an Irishman that are missing. "

"Where are they?" asked the mate. 

"They went back from the shore some time ago. I do not think they can beat any great distance. "

"Perhaps if you called to them they might hear you. "

Mr. Yard sprung out upon the beach, ran to and mounted a goodly-sizedrock, and shouted at the top of his voice. He called again and again, and listened intently, but there was no response. 

All this time Mr. Tiflings sat leaning his head forward and nervouslybeating a tattoo upon the side of the boat with his long, thin fingers. Occasionally he glanced at the "foolish" Mr. Yard, and muttered:

"What nonsense! What valuable time we are losing by his childishness!Time is too precious to fritter away in this manner!"

While the kind-hearted merchant was shouting himself hoarse, our friendswere heavily and sweetly slumbering, totally oblivious to externalthings, as indeed they would have been were he within a few rods ofthem, instead of over a mile away. Finally he was compelled to give upthe task and reluctantly return to the boat. 

"This is too bad, " said he, "to leave them in this manner. What willbecome of them?"

"They will be picked up by some of the passing vessels. "

"Certainly, certainly, " assented Mr. Tiflings, "don't wait any longer;it will be a week before we get into San Francisco. "

"We will row away, " said the mate, "and if we see anything of thembefore we reach the vessel we will put back and take them aboard. "

This was reasonable, and Mr. Yard could not object to it. The sailorsplied their oars, and the passengers were borne swiftly toward thefriendly Relief. Mr. Yard kept his eyes fixed upon the bleak coast whichthey were so rapidly leaving behind them. He saw nothing of his friends;but, after reaching the ship's deck, he took the spy-glass from thecaptain and discovered a party of a dozen Indians wandering up and downthe beach as if in quest of plunder. Finally, sail was hoisted, theRelief bore away to the northward, and the scene of the rescue dwindledaway and vanished in the distance. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

INDIANS. 

The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused byexternal disturbance. Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing ofthe shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sunwas just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes withthat confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession ofour faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared aroundand the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and themute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as ifto show he "slept with one eye open, " quickly recalled his situation. Inconsiderable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As theyrubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said inexcitement:

"Do you know we have slept ever since morning?"

"It can't be possible!" exclaimed Elwood. 

"I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels, "said Tim, with a most woeful countenance. 

"I don't see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in theseparts, " replied Howard. 

"And where else shall we look for the same?"

"Nowhere that I know of. "

"Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!" suddenlyinterrupted Elwood. 

"Wouldn't they have looked for us? But then they couldn't have knownwhere we were, " said Howard, asking and answering his own question inthe same breath. 

"We are in a pretty fix then, " was the comment of Elwood, laughing atthe doleful countenances he saw. 

"Boys, " said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head, "shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?"

"Of course, " answered Howard, "nothing could suit us better. "

"Well, then, while we've been slaaping, our friends along shore havebeen carried away, and we're lift to make ourselves comfortable, as thepeddler said when he hung himself up by his foot. "

"Let us see!" exclaimed Elwood, "perhaps we are not too late yet. "

The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side, and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed theramble. 

Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprungupon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a momentas he looked off toward the sea, he called back:

"Yes, yonder they are! We are not left alone. "

"But it's good to have company!" laughed Tim, "it won't be long beforesome vessel will step in and lift us aboard. "

"How odd they look!" remarked Elwood, as his friends clambered up besidehim. "They don't seem dressed in their usual fashion. "

The Irishman, upon rising to his feet on top of the rock, uttered anexpression of surprise, looked intently toward the sea, and then quicklysprung back again. 

"Off of there quick!" he commanded in a hoarse whisper, at the same timecatching the shoulder of the up-climbing Howard and forcing him backagain. 

"Why, what's the matter?" asked Elwood, a vague alarm taking possessionof him, as he rather hurriedly obeyed him. 

"May the good Lord presarve us! _them are Injuns!_"

[Illustration: "'May the good Lord preserve us! them are Injuns, ' saidTim. "]

"I thought they looked odd, " said Elwood, "but I did not think of that. Are they friendly?"

"Friendly!" repeated Tim, with an expression of intense disgust. "Do youknow what they are walking up and down the sand fur in that sassyshtyle?"

"Plunder, I suppose. "

"Yis; they are in hopes the saa may wash up some poor fellow that theymay have the pleasure of hacking him to pieces. "

"Are they such terrible creatures. Perhaps they have slain those whoescaped from the steamer. "

"Niver a fear; there was too many of 'em, as me brother used to say whenhis wife tuk her broomstick at him. "

"But they had no weapons to use. "

Tim shook his head. He evidently had a small opinion of the courage ofthe California aborigines. 

"Had they massacred the survivors, we could see their bodies alongshore, " remarked Howard. "The sun throws such a glare upon the sand thatwe can detect a very small object. "

This settled the matter in the mind of Elwood, who had been heartsick atthe great fear of such a fate having befallen his friends. 

"Then the burning of the steamer has attracted the notice of a greatmany vessels, and I think Mr. Yard was right when he was sure of beingtaken off by some one. "

"What a mistake we made in wandering away and going to sleep where noone could find us!"

"We did, indeed, Elwood; we voluntarily banished ourselves. "

"But Mr. Yard certainly knows we are here, and will he not get a companyof men to come after us?"

"Perhaps so; but, if he doesn't, your father and mine will certainly doso, so soon as they find where we are. "

"Yes, but what is to become of us between to-night and that time? I amhalf-starved to death, and must get something to eat pretty soon. "

"Providence, that has preserved us so kindly thus far, will still watchover us. "

"There's one bad thing, " remarked Tim, "them Injins will hang around theshore, and it won't do for us to show ourselves niver a bit. "

The faces of the two boys now blanched with fear, for they understoodthe danger that threatened them. It was truly a fear-inspiring sight, asthey gazed out from their hiding-place in the direction of the sea. Thesun was partially down the horizon, and appeared unnaturally large, while the gaunt Indians, in their fantastic costume, assumed the form ofgiants striding along apparently on the gleaming surface of the oceanitself. They were outlined with that sharp, black distinctness which isseen when at night a fireman runs along the outer walls of a burningbuilding. 

"Just to think!" said Elwood "we haven't a gun or a pistol with us. "

"And I'm a little hungry, as the man said after fasting three waaks. "

"Suppose they saw you?" said Howard. 

"I ain't sure but what they did. They are looking in this direction, andappear to be disputing about some matter. "

There were grounds for this alarming view of the case. The Indiansnumbered about a dozen, and half of these could be seen in a knot, gesticulating in their extravagant manner, while the others were runningup and down the shore as if they had detected something interesting inthe surf. 

"Are they looking at us?"

"There is such a glare, from the sun that I cannot tell whether theirfaces or backs are toward us. Tim, what do you say?"

The Irishman gazed long and carefully over the face of the rock, andfinally said:

"They've seen something this way that has tuk their eye. "

"They are moving, too. "

"Maybe they've seen the dog, and are coming to look for us. "

"Heaven save us!" exclaimed Tim, in some excitement, "there's no maybeabout it; they're coming, sure!"

CHAPTER IX. 

THE PURSUIT. 

It was not the first time that Tim O'Rooney made a mistake. The Indianswere excited over something, but as yet they held no suspicion thatthree white persons stood behind them and could be so easily reached. They were talking in a wild manner, and ran several rods from the beach, when they suddenly paused and picked up an object over which theyquarreled and were almost ready to proceed to violence. From where ourfriends stood it looked as if it were nothing more than a coat or somecast-off garment that had been thrown aside by so me of the survivorswhen they were taken away by the Relief. 

"No, they have not seen us yet, " said Howard, who was watching themintently, while his two companions where looking upon the readiest meansof escape. 

"Then why did they start after us, be the same token?" demanded Tim, with a great sigh of relief. 

"They are quarreling over something that lies upon the beach. "

"If they'd only have the onspakable kindness to go to fighting eachother like a lot of Kilkenny cats, and not sthop till there's not one of'em left--I say if they'd have the kindness to do that, it would befortinit for us. "

"Hardly probable, Tim; the fact, is they appear to have settled thematter already, and have gone down to the edge of the sea again. "

"I don't see the use of our remaining here, " said Howard. "We daren't goany nearer them than we now are, while if we put back into the countrywe stand a chance of getting something to eat. As near as I cancalculate, the Salinas River isn't very far away, and California is saidto be very fertile along its streams, if it is barren in such places asthis. "

"And we may come upon a party of miners further inland. "

"I don't know about that, " rejoined Howard. "The diggings are on theother side of the Coast Range, between that and the Sierra Nevada, inthe Sacramento Valley, and I think they are further north, too. "

"Let's lave, " said Tim; "if we only start tramping perhaps I may git mymind off the subjact and forgit that I'm hungry enough to eat a toad, which I'd starve to death afore I'd do the same. "

While they were thus debating with themselves, Terror, unobserved by anyof them, whisked to the top of a high rock and announced his discoveryof the Indians by several loud, gruff barks. At so great a distance itwas impossible that the dog should be heard, but the danger was that thelynx-eyed savages would see him, and thus discover the presence of hisfriends. The peril was imminent, and a hasty word from Howard broughtthe Newfoundland to their feet. 

But it was too late. He had scarcely ascended his perch when an Indiancaught sight of him, and giving out a strange half-whoop and stream, hestarted on a full run toward him, closely followed by half of the entireparty. 

"There's no mistake this time!" exclaimed Howard, wheeling round andspringing away. "Don't wait. "

There was no waiting by either Tim or Elwood. The two boys were slim andfleet-footed, and could easily distance their more awkward companion;but they could not leave him alone, although he besought them to securetheir own safety, while he would attend to his. 

There were several things in favor of the fugitives and several againstthem. It was growing dark quite rapidly, and they had a good start; butthe pursuers ran over the rocks and bowlders with the facility ofmountain goats and gained very rapidly; they were also familiar with theface of the country, while our friends were literally "going blind. "

"But don't we make 'em run!" called out Tim, glancing over his shoulder. "Them fellers was made to travel, and if they'd only throw down theirguns and take up a sprig of the shillaleh, like an ilegant gintlemanshould do, I wouldn't ax better fun than to jine in wid 'em and tach 'ema few scientific tricks, such as can be got in Tipperary and nowhereilse--Worrah!----"

Tim's exclamation was caused by catching his foot against a large stoneand falling flat upon his face with considerable violence. He quicklyscrambled up again, while Elwood anxiously inquired whether he was hurtby the fall. 

"Not by the fall, plase your honor, but by the stone that whacked mebetwaan the eyes. "

"They are gaining!" whispered Howard, pausing a moment for hiscompanions to come up. 

"Yes, but it will be so dark in a few minutes that they can't see us, and then we will hide ourselves until the danger is past. Let us getalong an fast as possible while the danger lasts. "

They did strain themselves to the utmost, and speedily reached a moreopen country, where they could travel with greater safety. This, whichat first appeared sadly against their prospects, was really the means ofsecuring their escape. The moment they reached it they darted away atalmost double their rate of speed, and shortly reached another hillyportion, into which they plunged, and running a short distance, at asignal from Howard, they dropped flat upon their faces, and crawledbeneath thy sheltering projections of the rocks, Terror at the same timenestling down by the prostrate form of Elwood. 

In a few minutes they heard the tramp of their swift-footed pursuers, who were running without exchanging words with each other, or utteringthose exultant whoops which the Indian of other portions of our countryare so accustomed to give when exulting in the certainty of capturingtheir enemies. 

Our friends did not venture to exchange a word with each other until along time after the Indians had passed, and nothing could be heard toindicate that they were anywhere in the neighborhood. Then they crawlednear together and spoke in low whispers. 

"They are gone!" said Elwood. 

"I think so, " replied Howard, "but they may be watching somewhere. Wemust be very careful. How is it, Terror, are there any strangers nearus?"

The dog snuffed the air, but made no sound, which was a negative reply. 

"I guess he is right, " added Howard. "We will get as far away from hereas we can, for I am sure those Indians will look around here untilmorning in the hope of getting us then. "

All three crawled a considerable ways on their hands and knees, whenthey stealthily arose to their feet, and seeing nothing suspicious, followed a northeasterly direction--one that would both lead them awayfrom their pursuers and at the same time take them toward the Salinas orSan Buenaventura River, which point they hoped to reach some time thenext day. 

After going some distance they walked more rapidly, and ventured toexchange words with each other. Terror kept the advance, fully aware ofthe responsibility that rested upon him. There was little fear but thathe would give timely notice of the approach of danger, and a sense ofcomparative security took possession of our friends as they proceeded. 

To their great surprise, after journeying a half-mile or so, thecharacter of the country underwent a great change. The ground becamemore level, and they found themselves traveling among stunted trees andsparse vegetation. The moon did not rise until quite late, so that untilthen they could barely see each other's bodies as they moved along. Thismade them uncertain as to whether they were following the right course;but they were greatly pleased to find that they had deviated butslightly from the line they intended to pursue. 

All at once a low whine from Terror arrested them. At the same instantall three detected the glimmer of a light among the trees. Cautiouslyapproaching, Tim O'Rooney in the advance, he said in his husky whisper:

"There's an owld Injin noddin' by the fire, and if he has a gun, oranything to eat, we'll try and get him to lend 'em to us!"

CHAPTER X. 

A GOOD SAMARITAN. 

The three carefully approached the camp-fire, and soon assured themselvesthat there was but a single person near it, an old Indian who sat withclosed eyes and nodding head, totally unmindful of their presence. 

"Yes, he is all alone, " remarked Howard, in response to the statementthat Tim had made on first seeing the fire. "But he has no gun, so faras I can see. "

"Has he anything to eat?" inquired Elwood. "For that is getting to bethe most important matter. "

"There doesn't appear to be any. "

"Jist howld still where you baas, till I takes a look around, " said Tim, with an admonitory wave of the hand. 

They obeyed while he went still nearer on tiptoe. When he was scarcelytwenty feet away he paused, and stooping down and bending his head firstto one side and then to the other, and raising and arching his neckuntil his longitudinal dimensions became fearful, he at last satisfiedhimself that the Indian was alone. 

Without moving his feet, Tim now turned his head and motioned for hiscompanions to join him. They did so very carefully and silently, and thethree men then stood where the light of the fire shone full in theirfaces, and where they could not help being the first objects the Indianwould see when he was pleased to look up. 

"We'll have to wake him, " whispered Tim, "and shall I yill, or hit himwith a stone on top of the head?"

"Neither; I have heard that the slumber of Indians is very light, and ifyou just speak or make a slight noise I have no doubt it will rousehim. "

The fire, which had at its first kindling been large, was nowsmouldering as though it had not been touched for several hours. TheIndian was seated on a large stone, his arms hanging listlessly over hisknees, and his head sunk so low that his features could not be seen. Instead of the defiant scalp-lock drooping from his crown, his hair waslong and luxuriant, and plentifully mixed with gray. It hung looselyover his shoulders, and in front of his face, and helped to give him astrange, repulsive appearance. 

"I say, owld gintleman, are you draaming, or--"

As quick as lightning the head of the Indian flashed up, and his blackeyes were centered with a look of alarm upon the individuals before him. Tim had had some experience with these people when a miner, and he nowbegan making signs to the savage, who seemed on the point of springingup and darting away. Naturally enough the Irishman continued talking, although it was certain that the one could not understand a word theother uttered. 

"We maan no harrum, " said the Irishman, raising his hands and lettingthem fall at his side, to show that he carried no weapons, and held goodwill toward the stranger. The boys judged it best to imitate theircomrade; and after standing a few moments, the three walked quietly upto the fire. The startled Indian instantly rose to his feet and placedhis hand upon the haft of a large knife at his waist. 

"None of that, ye spalpeen, or I'll smash you to smithereens!" said Tim, who, although his words were of such dire portent, spoke as gently as ifhe were seeking to quiet an infant. 

They now noticed that the Indian was very old. His face was scarred andwrinkled, his body bent, and his limbs tottered as if scarcely able tobear his weight; but his eye was as keen and defiant as the eagle's, andhe stood ready to defend himself if harm were offered him. 

Tim did the most prudent thing possible. He advanced straight to thesavage and offered his hand. This means of salutation was understood bythe latter, who, after some tottering hesitation, raised his right handfrom the knife and returned the pressure. Dropping it, he looked towardElwood and Howard, who saluted him in the same manner, and the partieswere now satisfied regarding the feelings of each other. 

"Ask him for something to eat!" said Elwood; "I am beginning to feelfaint for the want of food. "

"What good will the same do? He hasn't anything to give. "

"He must live some way himself, and what will support such an old man ashe is, is surely good for us. "

The signs that Tim now made were unmistakable in their import. He openedhis huge mouth until the cavern was fearful to contemplate; then hesnapped his teeth together like a dog that has failed to catch a pieceof meat thrown to him; after which he carried his hand back and forth tohis mouth, and opened and shut it again. 

The Indian watched these manuevers a moment, and then gave anexclamation intended solely for his own benefit--and which, therefore, it is not necessary to give, if we could, and we can't--and turning hisback, commenced moving away with the feeble, uncertain gait of old age. 

"What does that mean?" inquired Howard. 

The savage, seeing they did not follow, paused and looked back. 

"That is an invitation, " said Tim; "do yees foller. "

"But where will he lead us?"

"How can I tell?"

"But it may be into danger, " admonished the most cautious Howard. 

"It's the only chance we've got to save ourselves from starving, and forme getting a shmoke out of a pipe, which I am as hungry for as I am fora few pounds of mate. "

The three, the Irishman taking the lead, did not hesitate longer, butstepped forward, and the Indian immediately resumed his guidance. Theboys could not avoid some alarm and misgiving in thus following blindlyan Indian whom they had not seen until a few minutes before, and who, they had every reason to believe, was hostile; but there seemed no othercourse, and they obeyed the suggestion of Tim O'Rooney. 

The Indian led the way for several hundred yards, when he halted beforeone of the rudest and oddest habitations imaginable. It was made ofstones, stumps, limbs, dirt and skins, its dimensions being about twentyfeet in every direction. The savage paused but a moment when he shoved alarge skin aside, entered and held it open for his friends to do thesame. Tim O'Rooney peered cautiously into the lodge before trustinghimself within it, but seeing nothing alarming, he stepped brisklyforward, and was followed by the two boys and Terror. 

A dim fire was burning in one corner, against the face of a rock, andopposite it lay a bundle of clothes, which, upon being rather roughlytouched by the foot of the Indian, resolved itself into a being of thefeminine gender, unquestionably the partner of the master of the lodge. A few words were exchanged between the two, when the squaw busiedherself in preparing a meal, while her husband stirred the fire into acheerful blaze that brightly illuminated every portion of the singulardwelling. He seemed entirely forgetful of the presence of the strangers, who seated themselves upon a broad flat stone and calmly awaited theresult of his doings. 

The old lady speedily appeared with a huge piece of meat, which was soonroasting on the fire, its savory odor filling the apartment, andrendering our friends half frantic in their starving condition. It wasquickly cooked; the Indian severed it into four equal portions with hishunting-knife, and tossed one to each of his visitors, including thedog, which was really suffering for the want of nourishment. 

As Elwood and Howard ravenously ate the well-cooked, juicy meat, freefrom pepper and salt, they were sure they had never tasted such adelicious morsel in all their life. The pieces were of a generous size, and after all three had gormandized themselves until, absolutely, theycould contain no more, each had some left. This, as a matter of course, was thrown to Terror, and by the time he had swallowed them all, helicked his jaws to show that his pangs of hunger were also fullysatisfied. 

CHAPTER XI. 

FURTHER EAST. 

"With your lave?" said Tim O'Rooney, stepping forward and drawing thepipe of their Indian host from his mouth. The latter gazed at him inamazement but said nothing, and offered no objection to the impudentproceeding. 

"I fales better, " complacently added the Irishman as he emitted volumeafter volume of tobacco smoke. "We've had a good schlape, a good male, and I'm quieting my narves with the ould gintleman's pipe. "

"It strikes me, Tim, you were rather discourteous, " said Elwood. "Becareful that we do not trespass too much on his good nature. "

"This is the calomel o' pace, as they calls it, and when you shmoke itit manes there's no enmity atween us. You see, the ould gintleman andmeself have shmoked it together, and that makes us frinds. That is awise shtroke of policy on the part of Tim O'Rooney, beside the comfortit gives him. Will aither of yez indulge in a few whiffs?"

Both replied that they did not use the weed in any form. 

"That's right. It makes me indignant when I sees a youngster puffingaway at a pipe or a segar; but never mind that, boys; do yez jist lookover the top of our ould frind's head and tell me whether yez seesanything. "

"I have noticed that fine-looking rifle before, " replied Howard; "I onlywish each of us had such a one. "

"We will have that before we lave this mansion. Do ye mind that, boys?"

"I will starve to death before I will consent to take it away from theold Indian after the kind treatment he has given us, " said Howard. 

"So would I, " promptly added Elwood. "No matter how badly we may want itI shall never consent to steal it. "

"Shtale it! Who talks of shtaling it!" indignantly demanded Tim. "You'rea couple of fine spalpeens, ain't you, to think that of me. I mane tobuy it, and give the ould man his own price. "

"What have you to buy it with?" asked Elwood in surprise. "I have alittle money, but I don't believe it is enough to buy such agood-looking gun as that. "

"No; if your pockets were lined with gold pieces he would care nothingfor them, " said Howard; "but what will you offer him, Tim?"

"Each of you has a knife, and likewise have I; you carry two pretty finegold watches, while I've a bull's-eye as big as a half-dozen like them. An Injun will sell his squaw and lodge for such trifles. "

"Well, try it, then. "

The Irishman arose to his feet when, as a matter of course, the blackeye of the old man was fixed upon him. He pointed to the gun overhead, whereupon the Indian, with surprising quickness, caught it down and heldit with a nervous grasp, his squaw taking his seat beside him. Timoffered the three knives which the party owned for it, opening andflicking them to excite his cupidity. The eager look that came into hisface showed that he understood what was meant; but he only hugged hisproperty more tightly and shook his head from side to side. 

"I knew he wouldn't part with it, " said Elwood. 

"Howld on a minute, " replied Tim; "I'm only throwing out me skirmishers;I'll fetch him yet. He's larned how to make a bargain. "

The Irishman now produced his watch--an immense affair that would havemade a load for a small child. He pried open its gigantic case andshowed the dazzling array of brass wheels and the glittering coil ofsteel. It could not but be attractive to a savage mind, and the Indian'seyes sparkled as he looked upon it. 

"Keep yours and let me offer mine, " said Howard. 

"Howld on, I tell yees, howld on; maybe you'll both have to offer 'emafore he'll bite. My repater is like myself--it took too much salt waterfor its good and hasn't been well for a few months. If the ould thingwould only tick a little he couldn't resist it; it has a beautiful voicewhen it starts--like a thrashing machine. "

Equally to the surprise of Tim and the boys, the savage arose and handedthe gun to the Irishman, who was only too glad to put his watch andthree knives into his possession. 

"I only wish he had a couple more, " said Howard, "so that we could eachget one. We ought to be able to take care of ourselves then. "

Tim in the meantime was turning the rifle over in his hand and examiningit with an appearance of great pleasure. 

"That come from San Francisco, " said he. 

"How did it reach these parts?"

"Aisy enough, as me uncle said when he fell off the house. Some traderhas let him have it for about five hundred dollars' worth of furs andpeltries. "

"Don't forget the ammunition, " admonished Elwood, "or the gun will do uslittle good. "

"Worrah! it's meself that came nigh doin' the same. That's a finepowdther-horn that he has. I say, Misther----"

Tim now began motioning very earnestly for this article, bullet-pouchand box of percussion caps that the savage had at his side; but theshrewd old fellow was sharper than they expected. He indulged in apeculiar grin, and held them very rigidly. 

Howard laughed. 

"You don't get anything more without paying for it?"

"What shall I pay? I've alriddy overdrawn me bank account, as they say. "

"Let him take my watch, " said Elwood. "Fact is, I think it has beenruined by the salt water. "

"No, that's too much; haven't ye got some trinket about yees that isn'tgood for nothing and that you doesn't want?"

The boys searched themselves. Elwood finally produced a small silverpencil. 

"Just the thing, " said Tim. 

But the old Indian, evidently failed to consider it just the thing, forhe continued obdurate and shook his head. 

A new idea struck Howard. He wrenched off several brass buttons from hiscoat, and handed them to Tim. The eyes of their host fairly sparkled, asdoes a child's at sight of a coveted toy, and rising to his feet hetottered hastily toward them, and tossed the coveted articles into theIrishman's lap. 

"Now, if the owld gentleman would only dispose of his pipe and a ton ortwo of tobaccy to me, or make me a prisent of 'em, I'd lave and feelaisy. "

A few more brass buttons procured this also, and our friends had goodcause to feel delighted over the result of the bargain. 

"There doesn't seem to be anything more that we can do, and it strikesme that it would be prudent for us to leave, " said Howard. 

"I think so, " added Elwood. "I believe there are other Indians at hand, or within call, else he wouldn't be so willing to part with his gun. "

The savage now rose and acted in rather a singular manner. Walking tothe opening which answered for a door, he passed out and motioned forhis visitors to follow. They did so, and when upon the outside hepointed off to the east, nodded his head, and swept his left arm. 

"What does he mean?" asked Howard, totally at a loss to understand him. 

"He means that this is the direction for us to follow. "

"He maans, too, that there's danger in waiting here, and that we'dbetter be thramping. "

Elwood took a step or two in the direction indicated to test the meaningof their friend. He nodded very earnestly, and satisfied them all thatthe safest plan was for them to leave as soon as possible, and take thecourse pointed out by him. 

Accordingly, thanking him as well as they could by signs, the threemoved away toward the east. 

CHAPTER XII. 

THE SALINAS VALLEY. 

Our friends journeyed forward until broad daylight, when they foundthemselves fairly among the high range of hills which in this portion ofCalifornia comes down almost to the edge of the sea. The scenery wasbleak and rugged, and the country was barren and showed very few signsof vegetation, so that for all practical purposes they were littlebetter than if in the sandy desert of the south-eastern portion of theState. 

They observed, too, a disagreeable change in the climate. The moistwinds of the Pacific being cooled by these mountains caused the air tobecome chilly and foggy and all felt the need of additional clothing. 

They had now concluded to pass through these hills to the Salinas Valleyand then follow this northward until they reached the more settledportion of California, or come upon a party of miners or hunters, inwhose company they could feel safe against the treacherous Indians, andwho might perhaps afford them their much-needed weapons and moreabundant food. 

The latter question assumed the first importance with them. They saw nofruits, and very few animals. The discharge of their rifle wasdangerous, as it could be heard at a great distance, and if there is anycreature that is extraordinarily inquisitive it is the Americanaborigine. 

Several times they heard the faint report of guns in the distance, butfor some days saw no human beings except themselves. At night, when theylay down to rest, Terror kept a more faithful watch over them thaneither of their number could do. They generally found some secure placeamong the rocks where they could slumber in safety. 

On the third day after the shipwreck they crossed the dividing ridge andhad a view of Salinas or San Buenaventura Valley. It was comparativelynarrow, looking straighter than it really was, from the towering CoastRange that rose in vast massive ridges, several of the peaks piercingthe clouds and reaching far up into the snow line. This was indeed animpassable barrier to their further progress beyond the valley, had theywished to make the attempt; for among those wild regions, where atmidsummer the snow is whirled in blinding eddies, and the storm howlsthrough gorges and canyons, and the lost traveler gropes blindly for asecure foothold along the mountain paths--it would have been fatal forthem to venture without a sure guide. 

The Salinas Valley looked like a garden to them, and was indeed apromised land. There was fruit in abundance, and every prospect ofmeeting some of their own people. The Buenaventura, years ago, was afabled river, and the geographies made it a huge stream, taking everycourse except the true one. They found it a river inferior in breadthand length to the Hudson, but vastly more interesting from its primevalcharacter and the wild scenery along its banks. 

On the eastern slope of the mountains they discerned a great variety oftrees, among them the _Palo Colorado_ or Lambertine fir, some of them adozen feet in diameter, although they did not attain any remarkableheight. These were not the colossal pines so famous the world over. There were quite a number of beech, sycamore, oak, spruce, and maple, and other trees whose particular names they were unable to tell. 

There was a noticeable change in the climate also. The air had partedwith a great deal of its moisture, and although very warm, it had adryness about it that made it more grateful and pleasant than thecoolness along the coast. 

When fairly in the Salinas Valley, and along the river, they found thevegetation remarkably luxuriant. Oats grew wild in many places, and theplants partook greatly of a tropical character. Grapes were veryabundant, although it was too early in the season to find them ripe; yetthey gathered a few berries that were very pleasant to the taste. 

The first day among the hills was spent like the first one onshore--without food, although they had so gormandized themselves on thepreceding evening that they were able to stand this privation muchbetter. 

On the second morning among the hills, just as they had risen andresumed their journey, Terror gave notice of something unusual in hischaracteristic manner--by halting and uttering a low whine. At thatmoment they were making their way around a huge mass of rocks, in a paththat seemed to have been worn by the feet of wild animals. Tim paused, cocked his rifle and held it ready for instant use, while the boyslooked around for some covert into which to retreat, if dangerthreatened. 

While they stood in anxious suspense, an animal about the size of Terrorwalked leisurely into view, and catching sight of the strangers raisedits head with a look of alarm, then uttered a shrill _baa-aa_ after themanner of affrighted sheep, and turned to flee. But he was too valuablea prize to be let run away in this manner, and ere he could turn round, or the Newfoundland could reach him, Tim had sent a bullet through hishead that tumbled him over and over as if he had been hit by acannon-ball. 

Hurrying up to him, they found they had been fortunate enough to securea good large mountain sheep, a species of animal that run wild inCalifornia, and at certain seasons of the year are in prime condition. This was found only tolerable, but he was fully appreciated by ourfriends. Tim O'Rooney had managed to conceal a second knife about hisperson when bargaining with the Indian--one made on the liberal ideasthat was displayed in the construction of his watch, and far more usefulthan the ornamental trifles that the boys carried. 

With the help of this and the anatomical knowledge he possessed, he wasnot long in dressing the sheep, and everything was made ready forcooking him. The sticks were placed together, the choice steaks weresuspended on cross pieces, and the leaves heaped up, only awaitingignition. 

"I declare!" exclaimed Howard, "how are we going to kindle it?"

Every face looked blank, for the thought had never entered their mindsuntil that moment. 

"Haven't yees a match about you?" he asked, turning to the boys. 

Naturally enough the two searched every pocket, and having finishedsearched them over again, even turning them wrong side out, and thenturning them in and turning them wrong side out again; but all in vain, there was not a lucifer in the party. 

"Too bad!" exclaimed Elwood, "we are all as hungry as we can be, and weshall have to remain so for the want of fire. "

"If we wait a while we'll not need the match. "

"Why not?"

"It isn't very hard to git hungry enough to ate the same without waitingfor the benefit of cooking. "

"I can't do that, " added Elwood, with an expression of disgust. 

"Nor can I, " added Howard. 

"I've done it, and found it tasted good, " said Tim, "and so wouldyez--but howld on! One of yez whack me over the head!"

"For what?" they demanded in amazement. 

"For being an owld fool, and be the same towken it's yourselves that isthe same. "

"We do not understand you, " they said, in some perplexity. 

"Yez are talking about fire when we has it here at hand. "

They looked inquiringly around, but did not understand the allusionuntil he began loading the gun, when a new light broke upon them, andthey smiled knowingly at each other. 

Tim put in a good wadding composed of dry leaves, and placing the muzzleof his gun among the leaves that they had gathered for ignition, hedischarged it. The intense flame of fire that streamed forth for aninstant communicated itself to the kindlings, and this being quickly andvigorously blown by all three, almost immediately spread into a blaze, the wood gathered heat speedily, and in a few minutes the juicy steaksof the mountain sheep were steaming and ready for the voracious mouthsof the four gathered around. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

ANOTHER BARGAIN. 

Our friends were prudent enough to cook every available portion of themountain sheep, and to preserve what remained for future contingencies. The climate was so warm that they could not hope to keep it more than aday or two; and, as it was, they took the wise course of placing as muchof it within their stomachs as they could conveniently carry. Thegood-tempered red Newfoundland seemed to be growing corpulent on thisspecies of living, protracted hunger alternating with an over supply offood. 

They saw no more wild animals during the day, but just as they wereentering the Salinas Valley Elwood discovered something lying in thepath before them which at first he believed to be an Indian, eitherasleep or dead; but Terror instantly ran up, and seizing it in his teethlaid it at his feet, and discovered a beautiful Indian blanket. 

"Strange!" exclaimed the boy, holding it up before him. "This shows thatwe are not the first persons who have traversed this section. "

"I wonder that we do not see more savages. "

"Isn't it beautiful?" said Elwood, turning the blanket over andexamining its texture and designs. It was indeed handsome and veryvaluable, resembling much the famous blankets made by the ApacheIndians. It was fully a half-inch in thickness, so compactly knittogether as to be water-proof. Its border and the design of the figureswere a miracle of skill in color and combination. Every hue of therainbow seemed reproduced in the most pleasing combinations. Thecenter-piece was a figure of the sun which, with the rays radiating fromit, was of a most intense yellow, while around the border were picturedall the fruits that any one has ever heard as being indigenous toCalifornia. 

"That must be very valuable, " said Howard. 

"It is so heavy it tires my arms to hold it. "

"That same thing would bring yez five hundred dollars, any day, in SanFrancisco, " added Tim O'Rooney. "It'll pay yez to carry it there. "

"It is just the thing to wrap around us when we lie down to sleep. "

"Yis, if ye wraps up in that yez'll wake up and find yersilves roastedto dith. Yez might as well crawl into an oven and bake yersilves and bedone with it. "

"We can then spread it on the ground, and protect ourselves from themoisture!" said Howard, who was beginning to appreciate the value of thearticle. 

"I've saan them things before, " added Tim O'Rooney. "The Apaches andMohaws in New Mexico make 'em. It has tuk a couple of squaws the bistpart of a year to do the same. "

"But where is the owner? An Indian could not lose such a thing withoutknowing it. Why, it is a load to carry, and I should expect to lose mycoat as soon as to part with this. "

Of course there could be no explanation of the cause of the blanketbeing found where it was. It was plain that no Indian could have partedwith it unknowingly, and its high value made it still more puzzling thatit should have been left in such a place. It might be that theowner--some fragile Indian girl--had wearied with carrying it, and hadthrown it down for a warrior friend of hers to pick up and take to itsdestination for her. 

This conjecture, made by Tim O'Rooney himself, raised a serious questionas to whether they had a right to carry the blanket away when there wasgood reason to doubt its being lost or abandoned. 

"If a year's work has been lavished upon it, " said Elwood, "it cannot bepossible that it has no owner. "

"I think Tim is right; he or she expects to return or send and get it. "

"But it is singular that if such is the case it should be left here, when it could have been easily hid in these bushes. "

"That only proves that there are no people about--no white ones atleast. If the owner had any fear of this place being visited by_Christians_, he would have taken pains to hide his property; but as hewas sure there were none but savages and heathen, he was certain hisblanket was safe. "

Howard Lawrence, jesting though he was, spoke the truth, and deeplyashamed are we to confess it. 

The question received an unexpected and unmistakable solution. Whilethey were still conversing, they descried a gaudily dressed, ratherhandsome-looking squaw tripping lightly behind them. Her head was bent, and she did not discover them until the growl of the dog caused her toraise her head. She was then within a dozen yards of Howard, he being inthe rear and holding the blanket in his hand. She looked at them with analarmed expression in her strange dark eyes, and seemed to be too muchfrightened to think of fleeing. 

Howard signified his friendship by walking quietly toward her andholding out the blanket as if inviting her to take it. She readilycomprehended the meaning of his advance, and when the article was withinreach she took it. 

"Now make a bargain if you can, " called out Elwood. 

Howard produced the gold watch--a small hunting-case--and offered it tothe young woman. She examined it with childish curiosity, but in amanner that showed that it was not the first time she had looked uponsuch an article. She held it a for moments, and then with a pleasedsmile passed the blanket to him, bowed gracefully, wheeled quickly, andslipped away charmingly. 

"Hurra!" fairly shouted Elwood, "you are as good as Tim at making abargain. "

"She must live somewhere about here, and no doubt will tell how she gotthe watch, and that may set some of her friends on our track. "

"Let 'em come, " said Tim. "I've a gun that I larned how to shoot, andthat blanket we can wrap around us, and I don't believe you could shoota bullet through it by raison of its thickness. "

The party resumed their journey, quite jubilant over the rifle andblanket. They still needed but one thing, or rather two things, guns forthe boys. Terror was such a sharp and faithful sentinel they would havefelt almost safe with these additional fire-arms. Howard and Elwood werequite confident that they could shoot with remarkable precision, although, neither had ever aimed or discharged a gun; but in thisrespect they were not so very different from other boys. 

At noon they made a hearty meal upon a portion of what still remained ofthe mountain sheep, and then stretched themselves out for an hour'srest. Tim O'Rooney was plentifully supplied with tobacco, and perhapscould not have felt more comfortable or satisfied with his situation. Helolled on the grass, and wondered whether Mr. Lawrence was anxious forhim to get home or not, finally reaching the conclusion that he wasrather indifferent upon the subject himself. The greatest distress ofHoward and Elwood was the pain that their parents would feel regardingthem; but they hoped to reach home without great delay, when they wouldquickly turn their weeping into joy. 

The two could not grow weary of admiring their beautiful blanket. It wasa wonderful affair indeed, and doubtless contained within it enoughmaterial to supply a "shoddy" contractor with the basis for a thousandarmy blankets. The boys would have willingly given both their watchesfor it and considered themselves greatly the gainers. They looked uponit as their joint property. 

"I do believe it is rifle-proof, " said Howard. "The fine threads ofwhich it is composed are woven so compactly that you can hardlydistinguish them. "

"I should be rather fearful of risking a rifle-shot from any one if thatwere all that protected me. "

"We can easily test it. Let's hung it up and shoot a bullet at it. "

"No, that would be too bad. The ball might go through, and then it wouldbe spoiled in its looks. Now it seems really perfect----"

"I say, me boys----"

Tim's utterance was checked by the discharge of a rifle and the nearwhistle of the bullet. He started up and glanced around him. 

"Injuns, or me name isn't Tim O'Rooney, from Tipperary, Ireland, the gemof the say!"

CHAPTER XIV. 

A STRANGE OCCURRENCE. 

On a slight eminence, about an eighth of a mile south of them, stood thesolitary Indian who had fired the alarming shot, he was in open view, asthough he had no fears of the results of his challenge, and appeared tobe surveying the white people with an air of curiosity that they shouldpresume to encroach upon his hunting-grounds. 

"If yez manes that, there's two of us, as me brother Pat towld the judgewhen he called him a good-for-nothing dog. "

With which exclamation Tim O'Rooney sighted his rifle at the aborigine, and taking a tedious, uncomfortable aim, pulled the trigger, and thenlowered his piece and stared at his target to watch the result. TheIndian stood as motionless as a statue, and finally the Irishman drew adeep sigh. 

"I wonder whether the bullet has reached him yet?"

"Reached him!" laughed Howard. "I saw it clip off a piece of rock fullyforty feet from him. "

"Worrah, worrah! but I've ate so much dinner I can't howld the gunstiddy. "

"I saw it vibrate----"

"Look out! he's going to shoot again!" called Elwood, as he and Howarddropped on their faces. "Get down, Tim, or he'll hit you. He's a bettermarksman than you are. "

"Who cares----Heaven! save me!"

The second discharge sent the bullet within a few inches of theIrishman's face, and somewhat alarmed him. 

"Load quick!" admonished Howard, "and shelter yourself, or you are adead man. "

The Irishman obeyed this, and had his gun reloaded in a few moments. 

"Now let me try my hand, " said Elwood; "you can never hit him. "

"Be all manes, if yez wish it. "

"The piece is too heavy for me to shoot off-hand and I'll rest it on myknee. "

The boy took the gun, and placing the barrel on his knee, drew back thehammer, when presto! the savage whisked out of sight like magic. Thenoble aborigine had come to the conclusion that discretion was thebetter part of valor. 

"Where is he?" asked the bewildered boy, rising to his feet and lookingaround him. 

"He is gone, " replied Howard. 

"I admire his sense; he doesn't care about being shot just yet. "

Howard laughed. 

"You have a good opinion of your marksmanship, Elwood, and he seems tofear you more than Tim. "

"But he didn't give me time to practice on 'im, " said the latter. "If hehad stood there an hour or two I'd hit him sure. "

"Yes, and he would have picked you off at the next fire. He's a goodmarksman at any rate. "

They kept their position for some time, but saw nothing more of theIndian. 

"He has left, " said Elwood, "and will give us a wide berth after this. "

"It was rather curious that he should expose himself in that manner. "

"Perfectly natural, " replied Elwood. "He knew there was no danger until_I_ took the gun; then he thought it best for him to clear out. "

"He may turn up again when we least expect it. "

"Do yees understand the maning of that?"

"Not precisely; do you?"

"He's a lover of the fair female that ye gave the watch to for theblanket, and he had been watchin' us till he sane me, and then he got sojailous of me that he has tried to put me out of the way. "

The boys laughed at this explanation, which Tim gave with everyappearance of earnestness, and were rather doubtful about believing it. 

There was some fear expressed that this Indian might send them a bulletfrom some covert, when he could make his aim sure and shelter himselffrom all danger of a return fire; although as regards that the specimenhe had been given of the skill of the whites should have convinced himthat there was no need of his being particularly alarmed on this point. 

Our friends were sufficiently rested, and the associations of the placewere such that they resumed their journey at once toward the Salinasriver. They had gone but a short distance when Howard exclaimed:

"Halloo! yonder goes that Indian!"

He pointed in the direction of the river fully a mile away, and lookingthere they saw very near the center of the stream a small Indian canoe, propelled by a single occupant. The distance was so great that theycould decide nothing regarding his dress and appearance, and for a timeit was doubtful whether there were one or two in the boat. They weresure, however, that it was the same personage that had so startled them, and that he was returning to his home. 

"That looks as though he did not belong to these parts, " said Elwood, "and seems to throw doubt on his being the young squaw's lover. "

"And it's a qua'r lover the same would be if he wouldn't go five hundredmiles for the smile of his beloved. Begorrah! but it was meself thatused to walk five miles and back agin ivery Sunday night in Tipperary tosee Bridget Ann Mulloney, and then lost her after all when I'd spentalmost half a pound on her. "

"There's another thing I'd like to buy, beside our rifles, " said Elwood. 

"What is that?"

"A canoe. See how smoothly the savage floats down the river. The currentis quite rapid, and it would take very little labor for us to make muchbetter headway than we now do. '"

"But we do not know how to paddle one of those frail concerns. "

"We could learn soon enough. "

"We may find one of them along the shore, as there seem to be plenty ofIndians hereabouts, and I suppose every one of them is the proprietor ofone of these establishments. "

"It isn't likely if yees finds one ye'll find the owner, " said Tim, "andI s'pose your conscience wouldn't let you take it unless you made a fairbargain with the owner. "

"I don't know, " laughed Howard, "but what under the circumstances wecould persuade ourselves to take it. "

In the course of a few hours they found themselves in the vicinity ofthe Salinas River, and turned to the left so as to follow its windingsas nearly as possible to the mouth, where they hoped to secure safer andspeedier transportation to their homes. 

At night when they encamped the soft murmur of the river was in theirears, and the cool, dry wind fanned them quietly as they sat down near acluster of thick cottonwood to smoke their pipe, chat and prepare forthe night's rest. They made a good meal from their mountain sheep, andgorging Terror, threw the rest away as they deemed it hardly fit forfurther use. 

It was quite late when they camped. Tim would have nothing to do withthe blanket, so the boys spread it upon the earth, lay down upon it, andthen drew the borders over them. 

Wearied out they soon fell asleep, depending, under the kindness ofheaven, upon the watchfulness of the faithful Newfoundland that hadnever yet proved unfaithful to his trust. 

In the middle of the night Elwood awoke from a feeling of uncomfortablewarmth, and threw the blanket off and slept thus until morning. He wasthe first to awake, just as light was dawning, and was on the point ofrising when he started and became suddenly transfixed with horror at asight directly before his eyes!

CHAPTER XV. 

THE CROTALUS. 

There are several species of rattlesnakes found in California, amongwhich are the black, spotted and striped. Some of them grow to anenormous size and are anything but pleasant strangers to encounter, especially when you come upon them suddenly and find them coiled. It isa peculiarity of these specimens of the _Crotalus_ of America that theystrike only from the coil, are easily killed, and generally, although_not always_, do they rattle before they dart forward their poisonousfangs. 

We can conceive of nothing upon the face of this beautiful earth moreshudderingly repulsive than a rattlesnake. The arrowy head, and shiny, flabby body, with its glistening scales and variegated color, itstapering tail, with that dreadful arrangement by which it imitates soclosely the _whirr_ of the locust, the bead-like eyes, with no lids anda fleshy film dropping over them--all these make up the most terriblereptile found on the American continent. 

And then imagine one of these creatures _coiled_! The thick, heavy bodywith the tail projecting upward from the center, the head drawn back, and the red, cavernous mouth open, with the curved, hollow teeth and thesacs at their roots filled nigh to bursting with this concentratedessence of the vilest of all poison--imagine this, we say--but don't doit either! If you have never seen a rattlesnake, don't go near one, unless you have a chance to kill it, even if his fangs have beenextracted. The heel shall bruise the serpent, and that is the best useto which they can be put. 

But as Howard Lawrence opened his eyes, in the dull light of this summermorning, he saw coiled within five feet of him a striped rattlesnake, its intensely black eyes fairly scintillating light, and its rattlegently waving but making no noise. 

In a single second his true peril flashed upon him. If he moved thereptile would strike. He might throw himself suddenly backward, but inthat case if he escaped, the malignant fangs would be buried in thesleeping Elwood ere he could open his eyes and understand the dangerthat threatened him. And he was afraid, too, to speak to him and Tim inthe hope of awaking them. There would be blundering upon their part, andblundering meant but one thing--death. 

Howard looked straight at the serpent's eyes and became conscious of astrange sensation passing through him. The small, black orbs seemed toadvance, shrink and float away through the air, enchaining his ownvision until the will, which had so vehemently repelled the danger grewindifferent, and the thought of peril merged into a vague, dreamysemi-consciousness, which, while it took knowledge of the terriblereptile, coiled and ready to strike, yet failed to impress the mind withthe energy to withdraw from its terrible power. His blood slowlychilled, as if vein by vein it froze throughout his person, until fromhead to foot the vital current was congealed. At times he strove tomove, or more properly sought, in the mysterious make-up of ourcomposition, to rouse the will from its torpor, but with the same resultas follows the effort of the sufferer to use his paralyzed limb. Thewill seemed to make a feeble twitch or two and then subside, unable tobreak the fatal spell spreading over his mind and faculties. The eyes ofthe reptile glared upon his own, their bead-like blackness taking theform of a point of fire waving, floating, gyrating and circling in theair, doubling in and out in rings of the rainbow's hues, melting awayinto the distance, then drifting forward until mingled with his own, upand down in the same bewildering maze of color and design that visitsthe patient when lost in the delirium of fever. And all the time it wasas if the rattlesnake was conscious of the dreadful power he held overhis victim. Its arrowy head and long neck were started silently towardhim, as if threatening instant destruction; and then, like the cattoying with her victim, it was withdrawn again, and the spell deepenedand increased. A strange whirl passed through the mind of the boy. By aviolent attempt to call in his wandering thoughts he gathered an idea ofthe mortal danger impending over him, but he could not centralize hismental powers. 

The bewildering sensations were somewhat similar to that of a man whosebrain has received a violent concussion--the mysterious chambers andchannels through which thought forced its way were choked up and thesubtle impetus recoiled, powerless to perform its function. He felt thenecessity of clear, vigorous thought, but his dull brain would notwork--the cold incubus upon it chilled it through and through; and allthe time the malignantly beautiful reptile was partly coiling anduncoiling, the articulated ring giving a faint rattle, as if caused bythe slight vibration of its body. After a while the serpent lay still, but never once was its eye removed from its victim. It was growing tiredof dallying with its prey and was making ready to strike. The coilbecame close and compact, the rattle rising from the center, and the eyeassumed a clear, metallic sharpness that appeared to throw forward itsfateful rays into his own. He saw that the sport was done and the snakewas ready to strike; he strove to move, but could not; he essayed tospeak, but the words choked him unuttered. He saw the reptile calling inits strength and----

_"Quick, Howard, draw the blanket over you! He can't strike throughthat!"_

The practical, energetic words of Elwood Brandon, whom he had imaginedasleep at his side, broke the dreadful spell that had enchained Howard. He felt the mist pass from his eyes, his mind threw off the incubuswhich had borne it down, and he was himself again, with clear mentalpowers. 

His right hand lay upon the thick blanket, and sensible of his extremeperil, he quickly closed it, grasping the edge firmly, and then threwhimself over upon his face and against his cousin, but covering boththeir bodies at the same instant with the heavy, closely-knit cloth. 

At the very moment of doing so the angry locust-like ring of the reptileand a sharp thrust against the blanket as if struck by a small stickannounced that it has given its blow. 

Howard and Elwood both shouted to Tim to come to their assistance; butere he could respond a rush was heard, followed by a fierce growl, andthey understood at once that Terror had appeared upon the scene. 

They let him rage for a few moments and then, Tim having informed themthat the snake was "kilt entirely, " they cautiously crept forth. As theylooked furtively around they saw at once that the Newfoundland had donehis work well. The reptile was torn into shreds and strewn over an areaof several yards. Its fangs had entered the blanket where, while theydid not pierce through they stuck irrevocably, holding the reptile aprisoner to the fury of the dog. 

Thankful indeed were the boys for their providential escape from thisdreaded creature. Elwood had been awakened by its slight rattling, when, suspecting the danger that was closing around his cousin, he uttered thewarning words which we have given and which proved the means of robbingthe blow of the reptile of its danger. 

The fangs were carefully extracted from the blanket, and Howard declaredhis intention of preserving them as a curiosity; but within a half-hourafter leaving the camp they were lost, and he did not judge it worthwhile to search for them. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

THE CAMP-FIRE. 

As our three friends on that bright summer morning stood on the slope ofthe mountains and gazed down into the beautiful Salinas Valley beforethem, Elwood Brandon suddenly pointed a little to the north and said:

"See! there are others beside us!"

About a mile distant, and not far from the river, they saw a thin, blackcolumn of smoke rising among the trees, of so dark and palpable acharacter that it could be distinguished at once. 

"Another party of Indians, " replied Howard. "We seem to be getting intotheir neighborhood. "

"I only wish they were a party of white hunters or miners, for I long tosee a friendly face. "

"What good could it do us? They wouldn't accompany us home, or take anytrouble to see that we were protected. "

"Perhaps not, but I tell you, Howard, this begins to look dangerous whenwe see nothing but enemies. There are but three of us, and one gun onlybetween us. I believe a single Indian could destroy us all if he choseto do so. "

"Except in one contingency. "

"What is that?"

"That you should aim the gun. He would then flee at once. "

Elwood laughed and added:

"But we have no breakfast, and we may as well be moving. "

"You're a sensible boy, " added Tim O'Rooney, "be the towken that when yespakes ye quiverally anticipates me own thoughts. "

They soon reached the level of the valley, and then took a directionstraight toward the spot where they had seen the camp-fire burning. Theintervening space was quite thickly grown with trees and vegetation, sothat they could obtain no sight of the fire itself until they were veryclose to it. 

"We must be careful, " admonished Howard. "If it is a party of Indiansthey may discover us before we do them. "

"I don't suppose it will do for us all to walk straight up to them, forthey'll be sure to see us then. "

"No, one must creep up and find whether the coast is clear. Tim has seenmore of California than we have, and he can do that if he wishes. "

"Sinsible agin, for I was about to spake the same. Do yees tarry herewhile I takes a look around. Whist! now, and kaap so still that ye'llhear me brathe all the way there and back agin. "

The boys took their position each behind a large tree, and lookingcautiously forth they awaited the return of their friend. 

When these precautions were taken they were not a hundred yards distantfrom the strangers. The Irishman stepped very carefully, moving ontiptoe, and not making any noise that was perceptible. This was no greatattainment in woodcraft, as any person could have done the same withordinary care, when the woods were of the character of this one. Hadthere been briers or brambles, or swampy ground, or that which wasunusually dry, and covered with twigs, it would have been a feat farmore difficult of attainment. 

Just before Tim disappeared from view they saw him sink down upon hishands and knees and creep forward; but the bushes soon shut him out fromview and they could only wait with all the patience possible. 

At the end of about ten minutes the genial face of the Irishmanappeared, and the expression upon it gave rise to pleasantanticipations. 

"Who are they?" asked the two boys together, as soon as they deemed itprudent. 

"Whist! now don't spake so loud. Ye'll wake 'em out. "

Tim looked behind, and became satisfied that there was no fear ofdiscovery, when he arose to his feet, and took his careless, saunteringmanner. 

"Well, Tim!'" said Howard inquiringly. 

"What is it yez wishes?"

"We wish to know whether these strangers are white men or Indians. "

"Well, ye saas, I had to crawl up to 'em mighty careful, for if you stepupon a stick no bigger than a tooth-pick, yees are sortin to wake up aslaapin' copper-skin----"

"So they were Indians, then, " interrupted Elwood somewhat impatiently. 

"Do yes be aisy now, and not be interruptin' of me, and yer observationsand questions which ain't naaded in this case. Me owld grandfather usedto till a great many stories to us spalpaans about the part he took withyoung Emmett--when owld Ireland stood up against England. He used totell us his stories--did the same--and just so sure as one of us axedhim a question, he'd go back to the beginning and till the whole storyover again. He'd begin airly in the evening, and kaap it going till tinor eleven o'clock. I belave the old gintleman rather liked to have us beinterruptin' him, for he laid bates for us wee ones, and ye see by thatmanes one story sometimes kept him going for a waak. Heaven bliss theowld gintleman--he had a habit of stopping in the middle of an excitingpart and lighting his dudheen, and then when he'd begin again, he'd skipover a part on purpose to make us ax him a question----"

"Well, Tim, we will talk about your grandfather some other day, " saidHoward, who, as naturally may be supposed, was impatient for him to cometo the point. 

"Yis, I was just through with him, but yees should never be overmuch inhaste. Me blessed mother always told me that it was the same as beingtoo slow, and if anybody could spake of the same, could me mother do it. I was about to obsarve when yees interrupted me, that a man must bemighty careful in going up to a camp-fire, for these Indians slaap soquietly that the overturning of a leaf is sure to wake 'em, and you saaby this, if we'd all three gone up, as we war thinkin' about, they'dheard us long before we could have got sight of 'em, and our tramping inCaliforny would be done with----"

"So they were Indians were they?" asked Elwood again, partly amused andpartly vexed at Tim's persistent dallying with their curiosity. 

"Who said the same?"

"You implied it. Were they red or white men? Answer us--yes or no!"

"And that is just the pint I's raching for, as me frind, MichaelO'Shanghangly, said when he took a half-quart of whisky. Yez understandsthat I wanted to make sure just who the same might be, and what wastheir number. 'Spose, now, I should have come back and said there warbut three of the same, and there should be a half-dozen, or I should saythey was white gintlemen like ourselves, and they should turn out to beof a darker hue. Ye saas that it wouldn't do. "

The boys had become so uneasy by this time that they were walking backand forth, and talking to each other in low tones. 

"I will go forward and see for myself, " said Elwood. "I don't care aboutwaiting an hour or two for him to answer my question. "

"He will soon answer us; he is only indulging in a little pleasantry. "

"Rather a bad time for jesting. "

"I think we can be sure of one thing, " added Howard a moment later. 

"What is that?"

"That we are not in much danger. If we were he wouldn't wait so long totell us. "

"I don't know about that; it would be in keeping with his foolishness. Itell you, Howard, I will ask him once more, and if he doesn't answer meat once, I shall go forward and learn for myself. "

"Well, do so. "

"Tim, are those Indians or white men?"

"That's it, is it? Why didn't yez ax me before? They're a party of whitemen, be the same!"

CHAPTER XVII. 

THE MINERS. 

"I wished to give yez a pleasant surprise, as the doctor said when hetold the man that his wife was dead, " remarked Tim, in explanation ofhis conduct. "Had there really been any of the red gintlemen around I'dhave told you soon enough. "

Our young friends were too well pleased at the intelligence to feelother than good natured, and they gladly forgave Tim for his trespassupon their patience. Without waiting further they walked hastilyforward, and a moment later stood by the camp-fire. 

Three men, apparently, had just aroused themselves from slumber, andwere now stirring around making preparations for their breakfast. Theywere shaggy, unshorn, grimy-looking fellows, who had "run wild" forseveral years, but who had not necessarily lost their humanity, eventhough they had in a great degree lost its outward semblance. In thecenter, a large bundle of sticks were burning quite briskly, and one ofthe men was turning and watching some meat that was cooking over it. Theothers had evidently just returned from the river, for their red templesand foreheads still glistened with moisture which sparkled like dew ontheir patriarchal beards. 

They were rough, hardy-looking fellows, but Elwood felt littleapprehension as he stepped forward and said:

"Good morning, gentlemen!"

He who was cook turned his head, but a hot drop of moisture from thesteaming meat at that moment flew in his eye, and clapping his finger toit, he muttered something, and forthwith and instantly gave hisexclusive attention to his culinary duties. 

The second man was rubbing his face with a piece of coarse cloth, and hesuddenly paused with his black eyes glaring over the top, his faceresembling the head of some huge animal clambering over the edge of arock, and who, having just gained a foothold, is looking hurriedlyaround for his prey. 

The third was combing his hair, and just at this moment it was moistenedand sticking straight over his forehead like the horn of an animal. Hewould run the comb through with his right hand and then smooth the hairwith his left. He stopped with both arms crooked over his head, andwheeled around like an automaton, and stared at the boy a moment, andthen said:

"Well, there! Why didn't you ring the door-bell? I say, youngster, comeforward and give us a grip of your hand. Halloo! you've got your brotherwith you!"

"Not my brother, but my cousin, Howard Lawrence. "

The two boys shook hands with the three, and the grip that they receivedfrom the horny palms made them wince with pain. 

"But where'd you come from? We don't see a couple of youngsters dressedup in your style promenading 'round in these parts every day. Where'dyou come from?"

"The steamer on which we took passage the other day from Panama, wasburned off the coast, and we got ashore on a raft. "

"Be you the only ones?"

"No; there were quite a number that escaped. "

"Where be they?"

"They were carried away by a vessel while we had wandered inland. "

"And you two--halloo! here's your grandfather!"

"No; that is Tim O'Rooney, a good friend of ours. "

"Your humble sarvint!" saluted the Irishman, removing his hat, making aprofound bow and scraping a large foot upon the ground. 

"Well, there! We're glad to see you. What's all your names?"

They were given several times, and then carefully spelled at the requestof the large-whiskered man, who desired that no mistake might be made. 

"You may call me Ned Trimble, and that ugly-looking fellow 'tending tothe fire is George Wakeman, and that horrid-looking chap scrubbing offhis dirty face, is Alfred Wilkins. Neither of them know much, and Ibrought them along to black my boots and dress my hair. "

It looked as though Ned was a sort of a wag, for his companions smiledas if they were used to that thing. He continued:

"We're a party of hunters that have been in Californy for the last fiveyears, and I rather guess I've prospected through every part of it. "

"You must be rich by this time. "

"Rich!" laughed Ned Trimble. "Well there, we're everything but rich. Somehow or other we hain't had the luck. We sold a claim up in thediggings for five hundred dollars, and the next week the party sold itfor fifteen thousand. That's the way it has always gone with us; but weare going to be rich yet--ain't we, boys. "

"Yes, if we only live long enough, " replied Wakeman. 

"I told you that chap hadn't much sense, " remarked Ned, addressing histhree visitors. "He doesn't know enough to answer a question as heoughter. I've been trying to teach him something, but I shall have togive it up as a bad job. Been to breakfast?"

"No--not yet. "

"Thought you hadn't. Cook, put up another slice, douse it in butter, salt and pepper, and serve it up as you used to do when I employed youat the Astor. Gentlemen, how do you like it, rare or well done?"

All made answer that they were not particular, and Ned replied thereuntoas follows:

"Sensible fellows! If you don't care what you get, you won't have tocare much for what you don't get. What will you select as a dessert?Plum, rice, bread, or cherry pudding? Apple, mince, cranberry, plum, peach, or lemon pie? Cup-custard, tapioca, watermelon, citron, orsherry, maderia, or port. Order which ever you choose, gentlemen, itdon't make any difference to us. We can give you one just as well as theother. "

"I suppose you can, " laughed Howard; "so we'll not take the trouble toorder any. "

"All right; as you please, gentlemen. We haven't any turkey or oystersleft so you will have to put up with a little antelope that we shotyesterday afternoon. Fine condition for this time of year, and the bestkind of flesh to starve to death on. "

"We haven't had a taste of it yet; but we devoured a goodly piece of amountain sheep. "

"Just so. I was going to speak of a mountain sheep, if my servantshadn't interrupted me so often with inquiries as to how they should makethe wine sauce. Ah! I see our meal is ready; we will therefore repair tothe banquet hall. "

The six took their seats upon the leaves, and ate the meal in the usualprimitive manner, verifying the adage, "hunger is the best sauce. "

Ned Trimble enlivened the meal in his usual loquacious manner; and aftera great many words and circumlocution, the fact was discovered that heand his friends had spent the last five years in California, not havingvisited a civilized post within two years. 

Disgusted with their ill success in the Sacramento Valley, they hadpulled up stakes and started off to hunt new fields for themselves. Theywere very cheerful and hopeful, and according to their accounts hadencountered every imaginable danger of the California wilds. 

Elwood inquired whether they had met any grizzly bears. 

"Grizzly bears!" repeated Ned, stopping just as he was about to insert ahuge piece of meat in his mouth. "Grizzly bears? Well, there! _We'velived among 'em!_"

"Is it possible?"

"Yes; I tracked a big grizzly in the Sierra Nevada for two days and thenI stopped. "

"What made you stop?"

_"I concluded the bear tracks were getting a little too fresh!"_

CHAPTER XVIII. 

A WANT SUPPLIED. 

One thing attracted the notice and pleased our friends, and gave them ahope of being able to supply a want they had felt every moment sincelanding upon the California coast. Each of the miners had two rifles, and were abundantly supplied with ammunition and mining tools. Thewonder was how they could carry so heavy a load for such a distance. Itcould not be understood until Ned Trimble stated that they had two good, tough mules pasturing in a secluded place about a half-mile distant. 

"That 'ere Injin blanket you're carryin' is rather pretty!" remarked Nedas he rubbed his greasy fingers through his hair. 

"Yes, we got it of an Indian girl, and take great pride in it. "

"You did, eh? What did you give her for it?"

"A gold watch. "

"Ah! Well, if the watch was a first-rate one maybe she got her pay; butwhat did she want with a watch? That's just the way with all women. They'll give ten times the value for some little gewgaw to wear about'em. I was engaged to a fine-looking girl in North Carolina, but I seenshe was getting so extravagant that I couldn't understand it, so I leftbefore it was too late. "

"A very wise plan. "

"Yes, she was very extravagant. "

"In what respect?" asked Elwood, who was quite amused at theirnewly-found friend. 

"Well, you see, she would persist in wearing shoes on Sunday instead ofgoing barefoot like the rest of the young ladies. I warned her two orthree times, but I catched her at church one day with them on, and so Iwent over to the house that night and told her I couldn't trust her anylonger, and we exchanged presents and parted. "

"Exchanged presents?" laughed Wakeman. "What sort of presents werethey?"

"I wish no trifling insinuations, sir, " replied Ned, with agrandiloquent air. "She returned to me a tooth brush that I hadpresented her some months before, and I gave back to her a tin buttonthat she had bought of a traveling peddler, and that I had been wearingon Sundays for my breastpin. 'Tis not the intrinsic worth you know, butthe associations connected with such things that makes 'em dear. But itis a painful subject, gentlemen, and let us, therefore, dismiss it. "

Howard and Lawrence thought it best to introduce the matter upon whichthey had been so long meditating. 

"I notice that each of you have two guns apiece. Did you leave SanFrancisco with that supply?"

"No; we've got 'em of the redskins we've run agin on the way. "

"Would you be willing to sell us a couple? You observe we have but onebetween us, and it makes it rather dangerous, as none of us are veryskillful in the use of the rifle. "

"You needn't take the trouble to tell us that, " replied Ned, with aquizzical look. "I'd like to accommodate you, but we had begun to thinkthat we needed three or four guns apiece; for, you see, we intend tostay in these parts some time, and we are sure to have trouble with theredskins. "

"If you really wish them, " remarked Elwood, "of course we cannot ask youto part with them. "

"What'll you give?" abruptly asked Ned. 

"What will you take?"

"I couldn't sell you both of mine, as I wouldn't have one; but, Wakeman, if I part with one of mine will you do the same?"

"Yes; for I know they'll need the arms before they get back to SanFrancisco. "

"Then the question is, what will you ask us for the two guns?"

"Can you give us a hundred dollars?"

"Apiece?"

"No, no, no; for both of 'em. "

"Yes; we will gladly do that. "

Now came the crisis. The party had not a dozen dollars among them. Howard and Elwood had left their money in the berth of the steamer, andof course it was irrevocably gone. But Elwood's watch remained, and thatat the least calculation was worth one hundred and fifty; but whetherthe miners would accept it at a fair valuation for their pieces, was intheir minds very doubtful. 

"We have no money, " said Howard, "but my cousin has a watch that isworth more than that sum, which he will give you for the two guns. "

"Let's see it. "

It was produced and passed around the company. Ned opened and shut it, and shook it and placed it to his ear. 

"It ain't running, " he suddenly said. 

"No; the salt water has stopped it, but I do not think it is reallyinjured. A little cleaning will speedily set it going. "

Ned passed the time-piece back again. 

"Don't want it; it won't do us no good. "

"But you are hunting for gold, and there is enough in it to make itworth your while to take it. "

"We expect to find all the gold we can carry back with us withoutloading our mules down with gold watches. "

Elwood replaced the watch in his pocket, disheartened at the failure ofhis offer. 

"We have no money; if you will call at my father's the next time you goto San Francisco, he will gladly give you your price. "

"Don't know as we shall go to San Francisco for the next five years;shan't go any way until we are loaded down with gold, and then we won'tcare about calling on your father--more likely he'll want to call onus. "

An idea struck Howard. 

"You are pleased with our blanket. Will you exchange your guns forthat?"

Ned shook his head. 

"Got all the blankets we want; don't want it; keep it yourself. "

"Will you not give us one gun for both the blanket and watch?"

The miner now laughed, and shook his head again. 

"Don't want either; can't do it. "

The boys now despaired. 

"Well, we may as well give up. We can't get any guns of you. "

"What is the reason you can't?"

"You seem unwilling to trade, and we can not buy them. "

"Of course you can't; but----"

And thereupon the miner rose to his feet and handed one gun to Elwoodand the other to Howard. 

"What does this mean?" asked the latter, not comprehending him. 

"You don't suppose we would be _mean_ enough to _sell_ you anything youneeded so bad, do you? No; take them both, and here's a lot of lead, gun-caps and ammunition. "

"But----"

"No _buts_ about it. Take 'em, you're welcome, for you need 'em. I wasonly joking with you. "

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE CANOE. 

Ned Trimble would not hear the repeated thanks of our friends, but wavedthem an impressive and magnificent farewell as they took theirdeparture. They were not yet beyond sight of each other when they heardhim calling to them in excited tones, and the next moment he camerunning after them. 

"I think you said you was going to undertake to foller the river downthe valley, didn't you?"

They made answer that such was their intention, whereupon he hastened toadd:

"About a mile down, under some bushes that stick out by a big rock, onthe same side that you're traveling, is a little Injin canoe that isjust the thing you want. You're welcome to it. "

"But how shall we thank you?"

"I don't know; again, my noble friends, I bid thee farewell, and ifforever, still forever, fare thee well. "

The eccentric miner lifted his hat, bowed very low, and sauntered backto his friends with the air of a monarch who had just indulged in somegracious act of condescension, while our friends, delighted beyondmeasure, hurried forward on their journey. 

They were now amply provided--each having a gun and plenty ofammunition, and their faithful dog. They began to look upon themselvesas on a holiday excursion. The only thing was, that there was rather toostrong a tinge of danger about it. If they were but a hundred or twomiles nearer home, and their parents had no anxiety regarding them, itwould be more pleasant. But then, they could easily understand how muchworse it easily could be, and they were heartfelt at the good fortunewhich had followed them thus far on their strange entry into California. The most that they could ask was that it might continue. 

Elwood and Howard were anxious to test their marksmanship, but prudenceforbade it, as the chances were that they would need all theirammunition, and the report of their guns might draw inconvenientattention to themselves. 

They were walking cheerily along when a singular object caught theireyes. At first sight it resembled an Indian hut; but it was much toosmall to be inhabited by a human being, and therefore must have been thehandiwork of some animal. 

"Shall we batter it down?" asked Elwood. 

"No; we do not know what is in it, and there is no use of wantonlydestroying the home of any dumb creature. "

"It reminds me of me birthplace in ould Ireland, " said Tim, with a sigh. 

But Terror was not so considerate as his masters; for bursting forwardhe placed his snout at the lower orifice, snuffed furiously, and thenclawed so savagely that the greater part of the singular fabric cametumbling to the ground. It was made of brush and twigs, and likeeverything constructed by instinct, was put together with great skill. Terror could not be restrained until he had inflicted great injury. 

"Look! what are they?" exclaimed Howard in astonishment. "Whatstrange-looking creatures!"

"Snapping tortles!" replied Tim, staring with an expression of thegreatest astonishment at the objects. 

Three animals, about the size of a musk-rat, with webbed feet, and thecolor of mice, came scrambling forth and scampered away for the shelterof the rocks. 

Terror by this time had been brought under restraint, and was preventedfrom crushing them to death as they ran. 

Great speculation was caused by their appearance, as none of our friendshad seen anything like them, nor had they ever heard or read of such. They were, in fact, a species of mountain rat living in the vicinity ofmountains and constructing their singular-looking huts with remarkableskill, often building them to a height of six feet. Their fur is veryfine, and the hunters and trappers frequently take the animals for theircoats, although their diminutive size, when compared with the beaver, otter, and other fur-bearing animals, prevents their being much indemand. 

The hunters, as perhaps it is proper to term them, were too anxious todiscover the canoe to pause long at any curiosity unless it wassomething extraordinary. They carefully noted the distance theyjourneyed, and when they judged they had gone about a mile, stepped intothe edge of the river and looked about them. But they saw nothinganswering to Ned Trimble's description of the hiding-place of the boat. 

"Perhaps he was jesting, " remarked Elwood. 

"No; I think he is too kind-hearted for that. He may have been mistakenas to whether it is precisely a mile or not. "

"Whist! but it strikes me that the bushes are rather thick just ayonstyou. "

Tim pointed to a spot a hundred rods away which had failed to arresttheir attention. There was nothing unusual, except mayhap that theoverhanging shrubbery was rather denser than usual; but it held outhope, and the party hurried pell-mell to the spot. 

There, sure enough, they descried the rock, and lifting the bushes, caught sight of the small, delicate canoe concealed beneath. Elwood wasin the advance, and quickly pulled it forth with the wildest expressionsof delight. 

"Isn't it splendid!" he fairly shouted. "And here is a long paddle. Ourwork is now done. "

"Do yees jist stand up in the same, " said Tim, "and see what a beautifulrest it gives to the faat. "

The impulsive boy caught up the paddle, and rose to his feet; but it waslike unto him who first puts on skates. It flashed from beneath him, andhe was precipitated headlong into the water. The others, as a matter ofcourse, laughed. 

"That was done on purpose, " said Elwood as he clambered to his feetagain. 

"I wished to give yees a little insthruction, and that was me firstlesson. "

"Well, I learned considerable at any rate. "

The canoe was caught, and the three carefully entered and seatedthemselves. It was made of bark, bound together with cord and gum, andwould have held double their weight, being very light and buoyant. 

A vast amount of sport was afforded the party in learning to navigatethe frail vessel. Tim had had some experience in the matter, and couldpropel it quite dexterously; but the boys were much at fault: theyexpended far more strength than there was any need for, and soonexhausted themselves so thoroughly that they were obliged to relinquishthe sole management of the boat into the hands of Tim O'Rooney. 

"There's a bootiful current here, " said he, "and we can have theillegant pleasure of moving along without working ourselves, as mefrind, Michael McGubbens, said when they carried him off to Botany Bay. "

The Irishman first dipped his paddle upon the one side and then upon theother, and imparted quite a velocity to the canoe. The boys were sopleased with the easy, gliding motion that they failed to notice theshores they were passing between. When finally Tim lay down his paddleand rested they were charmed. 

All were tired enough to make them enjoy this relaxation and thesensation of floating so idly forward. The sky was clear and almost freeof clouds, the dry air was not uncomfortably warm, and an occasionalbreeze that came floating apparently from the snowy peaks of the CoastRange imparted delicious coolness. On the left stretched the high hillsintervening between them and the Pacific, and on the right rose the vastCoast Mountains, forming in its extensive line some of the finestscenery on the North American Continent. 

By-and-by, as they rounded a bend in the river, a small island appearednear the center of the channel. 

"There we will rest, " said Howard. 

A half-hour later the canoe lightly touched the shore, and springing outthey pulled it up on the land after them. They had scarcely done so whena groan very near them startled them all. 

"Whisht!" whispered Tim; "there's somebody else beside us on thisisland. "

CHAPTER XX. 

SHASTA, THE PAH UTAH. 

All three paused and listened. For a moment all was still; and then thesuppressed groan of distress was heard, as though the sufferer wereseeking to keep back the outcry that was forced from him. 

"There it is!" whispered Howard, pointing to a clump of bushes near theedge of the river. 

"It strikes me we had better leave!" replied Elwood, looking forward tothe canoe as if fearful that that would be taken from them and allescape be thus cut off. 

"Do you sind the dog forward and let him smell out the difficulty, "suggested Tim O'Rooney. 

Terror stood there between the boys, his head raised and his wholeappearance indicating that he had scented something unusual, but wasawaiting orders before advancing upon it. The Newfoundland looked up asif asking for directions. Elwood simply pointed toward the brush and thedog galloped to it. Instead of entering, he stopped by it and gave a lowgrowl of discovery. 

"What is it, Terror?" asked Howard. 

The brute whined and ran to his masters and then back to the bushes. 

"It maybe a trap to catch us, " said Elwood. "I prefer very much takingto the canoe and getting away from the island. "

"But it may be some one suffering and needing help. He may perish if weleave him here. "

"Yez spakes the truth, " said Tim. "The blessed Father would neverforgive us if we should desart one of his creatures when he neededhilp. "

Tim now advanced straight to the bushes, paused, and then parted themand looked in. He was heard to mutter something to himself; then he cameback. 

"It's an Injin, a-layin' on the ground, a-groanin' and a-rollin' over. Iguess the poor fellow has got his last sickness, and we can't help himany. "

All feelings were at once merged into that of pity. The three advancedand parted the bushes. There, sure enough, lay an Indian apparently nighunto death. He turned his black eyes up to the white people in a mannerthat would have melted the heart of a Nero. He lay doubled up on hisblanket, with his gun a short distance from him. He belonged to the PahUtah tribe, although their hunting-grounds are further to the southwest. This fact, as a matter of course, was unknown to our friends. 

The first impression was that he had been badly wounded, but a secondglance showed that he was deadly sick. 

Elwood Brandon had placed his hand upon the dusky forehead, and the heatand throbbing temples told him at once that he was possessed with aburning fever. 

The poor Indian muttered something unintelligible, but which bore someresemblance to the word "Shasta, " and he made a motion toward his mouthand then threw his head back and imitated the act of drinking. 

"He must be suffering with thirst, " said Howard. "How shall we manage togive him water?"

"God save the poor fellow! I will soon fix that!" exclaimed thekind-hearted Tim, rising to his feet and hurrying to the river's edge. Here he speedily constructed quite a capacious cup of leaves, andcarefully filling it with cool water he as carefully carried it back towhere he lay. 

"Now, me good felly, just tip up his noddle and we'll make him faalaisy. "

Elwood carefully raised his head, and the trembling sufferer eagerlyreached forward for the cooling fluid. It was placed to his parched lipsand swallowed hastily, when he immediately motioned for more. 

"Will it do to give it?" asked Howard. "Will it not injure him?"

"Niver a bit, " replied Tim, hurrying away for another supply. 

In a moment it was brought and swallowed with the same avidity. He thenlay his head back upon the blanket of the boys, which had been foldedinto a pillow by Howard. His great black eyes looked the thanks whichhis tongue was unable to express. 

"Now he will slaap, " said Tim. "Lave him alone. "

He was relinquished to slumber while our friends retired a shortdistance to consult. 

"How providential that we landed here, " said Howard. "He was too feebleto help himself, and might have died in great distress. "

"Yes, I am glad that we found him, for if he does die we may be themeans of robbing his last moments of great suffering. "

"Boys, " said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head, "me mind is made up to one thing. "

The boys looked inquiringly at him. 

"I stays here till that poor copper-skin gets well or dies. "

This decision pleased his companions, who declared their resolve ofdoing all they could for the sufferer. 

"How much more pleasant than shooting at him, " said Elwood. "I neverfelt better in my life than when I found I was able to do something forthis Indian. "

What a happiness it is indeed to minister to the wants of the sufferingand distressed! What purer joy than to wipe away the damp from the browof the dying and to speak words of consolation in their ears? That lastagony must come to us all sooner or later, and oh how deeply we shallthen appreciate the kindness of the friend who stands beside us, ministering to our wants and doing all possible to cheer and soothe oursuffering! True, we must go alone through the Dark Valley, but othersmay lead us down to the border, and their cheering words may yet lingerwith us as the day closes and we step into that awful gloom throughwhich we must pass before we can enter into the eternal day beyond. Though we know that He stands waiting to take our hand in His and leadus through the solemn darkness, yet the soul, hovering in its flight, longs for the companionship of the dear ones, until the final adieu mustcome! Oh, loving Father, whose sympathizing arms reach out to enfold usall, grant that such may be mine and the lot of all my friends. 

Upon looking at the Indian an hour later, he was seen to be sleeping ascalmly as an infant, while his face was covered with a mild, healthfulmoisture. 

"He will git well!" said Tim. "Did I not stand by the bedside of my poormother and give her the cowld water that brought her back to life agin?"

"The crisis of the fever has passed, or is passing, " said Howard. "Hemust have an iron constitution, like all his people, and he will rally, I have no doubt. "

"Yes, " added Elwood, with much feeling, "there is one thing certain;_all_ are not our enemies; we have made one friend at least. "

"True, an Indian never forgets an injury nor a kindness, and hisfriendship may be of benefit to us before we reach home. "

"I b'laves you, boys; that Injin will remember us as long as he lives, and will sarve us a good turn if the chances for the same be iver givenhim. "

"But see, he has awaked!"

CHAPTER XXI. 

A HUNT FOR FOOD. 

The Indian was awake and making signs to his friends. For some time theywere at a loss to understand their meaning, but Howard noticed that hehad a leaf in his hand which he offered to them. When the boy took ithis face showed that he was pleased, but continued his signs as before. 

Suddenly Elwood's eyes sparkled. 

"He wants us to bring him some of those leaves. Let me have it; theymust be on the island. "

He hastened away and was not long in finding a bush that bore preciselythe same species, and gathering quite a lot he returned to the Indianand offered them to him. But he did not seem satisfied. He looked at theleaves, nodded his head, and then taking them by the slight twigs towhich they were fastened, he made as if to pull them up again. 

"Ah! I know what he means!" said Howard. "It is not the leaf but theroot that he wishes. "

"I can soon get that. "

Elwood verified his words, and scarce ten minutes elapsed ere hereturned with several goodly-sized roots, which were washed and cleaned. The look of the Indian showed that he had now got what he wanted, and hebegan gnawing the bark and chewing it. 

"He's a docthering himself now!" said Tim, "as the patient said when hegave the docther his own medicine and pisened him to death by raisin ofthe same. He will get along. "

They watched the sufferer for a few moments. Gathering his mouth nearlyfull of the bark, he continued chewing and swallowing for some timelonger, when he finally shut his eyes and again slept. 

Picking up a piece of the root which he had gathered Elwood tasted ofit. He found it so bitter that he instantly spat it out. 

"It must have some medicinal quality, " remarked Howard, "or he would notuse it. I believe the Indians doctor entirely with herbs, and I have nodoubt that he will soon be well. "

"Do yez mind that if it isn't noon it is close to the same? And be thetame towken we are all slightly hungry. "

Now arose a query. The island was so small that it contained no game ofany kind, and so was unavailable to supply their wants. The riverabounded in fish, but there was no means of catching them; and finally, after some discussion, it was agreed that Tim should cross over to themainland and shoot something. 

"Do yez kaap your eyes about yez till I'z back again, for some of thecoppery gintlemen may take a notion to pay yez a visit. "

The boys felt a little uneasiness as they saw their companion enter thecanoe and paddle toward the eastern shore--the shore which as yet hadbeen unvisited by them. They watched until he landed, pulled the boat upbehind him into shelter, and then disappeared in the wood. 

"We shall be in rather a bad situation if he never comes back, " remarkedElwood. 

"I don't know about that; in what better occupation can we be found thanin ministering to the wants of a suffering Indian? Would not that itselfprotect us from injury?"

"Perhaps it might; but what would become of us any way? They wouldn't bekind enough to guide us up to San Francisco. "

"They might take us so far that we could find our way. "

"Hardly; I don't like to see Tim go to that shore; it looks toodangerous. I wonder why he did it?"

"He must have believed there is more game there. "

"But there is enough on the other side, and he would avoid this greaterdanger by going there. "

"I imagine that a river running through a hostile country is asdangerous upon one side as upon the other, and there is little choice, Howard, in the matter. "

"But I know _you_ feel unpleasant in being thus left alone. "

"I know I shall be glad to see Tim come back again, for there is alwaysgreat danger in such a small party separating. "

"Halloo! there goes his gun or somebody else's. "

The sharp crack of the rifle came from the shore, and Elwood was sure hesaw the faint smoke of the discharge ascend from some thick bushes nearthe edge of the wood. But he was no doubt mistaken, for as theyscrutinized the spot they detected nothing of him who had fired the gun. 

"I suppose it was Tim firing at some game. You know he is not a verygood shot, and so he has badly wounded without killing it. "

"Then we ought to hear his gun again. "

"We shall no doubt----"

"Hark!"

Crack went a gun, almost instantly followed by three similar reports. The boys turned pale and looked at each other. 

"What does that mean?" whispered Elwood. 

"That is bad; Tim is in trouble. "

"He ought to have had better sense than to paddle out there in open day, plunge right into the woods and go to shooting without stopping to seewhat the danger is. But what will become of him?"

"And of us?"

"This Indian here must have had some way of getting upon the island. Ibelieve he has a canoe hid somewhere. "

"But what of it? We cannot think of leaving until we know somethingdefinite about Tim. "

"Unless some of the Indians start to come over to the island, and thenwe'll leave. "

"Do you think that would be the wisest plan, Elwood? They can handle thepaddle so much better than we that it would take but little time forthem to overhaul us. Then, too, if they should find us by this sufferingbrother of theirs would it not make friends of them?"

"Suppose this Indian here is one of their enemies?"

This was a supposition that had never occurred to Howard before, butwhich he saw was very reasonable. All Indians not belonging to the sametribe might be supposed to be enemies of each other, and thus the mercyand kindness of our young heroes might be made the means of theirdestruction. 

"I didn't think of that, " said Howard, "it may be so. But let us hopefor the best. Tim may soon return to us again. "

"Not if he has a grain of sense left. "

"And why not?"

"He has been seen by Indians, and if they haven't got him now they willsoon have him if he undertakes to paddle his canoe over to the island. "

"You are right, Elwood; he will no doubt wait until it is dark, and thencome out to us as stealthily as he can. "

"That is if he gets the chance. I tell you, Howard, " said his cousin, starting up, "this begins to look bad. "

"I know it does. "

"We know how those red men handle their guns, and it don't look likelyto me that all those shots have missed Tim. "

"They may be quite a distance apart--far enough to make their aimuncertain. "

"But then they could cut off his return to the shore. "

Howard suddenly laid his hand upon the arm of his cousin and pointed tothe other shore. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

DANGER. 

Three Indians walked leisurely down to the shore of the river, as thoughin quest of nothing particular, and stood gesticulating as theygenerally do with their whole arms. They were about two hundred yardsabove the point where Tim O'Rooney landed, but their position was suchthat the canoe might have rested on the surface of the water withoutbeing seen. Sensible of their danger, the boys at first sight of themwithdrew into cover, from which they cautiously peered out and watchedtheir movements. 

"Those must be the three who fired the guns, " whispered Elwood. 

"Very probably they are; that looks more encouraging, for I do not seeTim among them. "

"Maybe they have slain him and are talking as to where he came from. "

"Heaven! I hope not. "

"So do I; but it looks reasonable that they have made away with him andare now looking for us. "

"How did they know he had any friends with him? Then, too, if they hadslain him, would they not have followed his trail straight down to thewater?"

"I didn't think of that. _That_ question makes me more hopeful thananything else. It does now look somewhat cheering. But what are theyafter?"

The Indians were still talking in an excited manner, and more than oncepointed across the river to the island as if there were something therewhich claimed their attention. It might be the boys themselves, or theymay have known that one of their race lay there in dire extremity; butwhatever the cause was it boded no good to the two boys, who werecrouching in the bushes and grass and furtively watching their motions. 

The latter were still gazing at them when their hearts were thrilled bythe sight of Tim O'Rooney. The eyes of Elwood chanced to be fixed upon asmall open space, a rod or two from where the canoe lay, when he saw theIrishman come cautiously into view, and then pause and look around him. He had an animal slung over his shoulders, whose weight was sufficientto make him stop and travel with some difficulty. They saw him turn hishead and carefully scrutinize every suspicious point that was visible, and then he walked slowly toward the spot where the canoe was concealed. Whether his low stoop was caused by the weight of his game, or whetherit was a precautionary measure on his part, was difficult to decide. Theboys at once became painfully excited and alarmed. 

"They will see him! they will see him!" said Elwood, "and it will be allover with us. What a pity! when he has got along so well!"

"Can we not warn him in some manner? The Indians do not know how near heis, nor does he know how close they are. "

"How can we do it?" asked Elwood, who was anxious to give Tim somewarning of his danger. "If we make any sign the Indians will see us. "

"Perhaps not; for they are not looking in this direction all the time, while Tim knows that we are watching him. "

"Yes; but he has his hands full to see that the savages do not findhim. "

The case looked critical indeed. Tim was nearing the point where itseemed inevitable that a discovery should take place. He paused atnearly every step or two, looked behind him and up and down the river ina manner that showed plainly enough his fear of his enemies. ElwoodBrandon in his eagerness had risen to his feet, and was looking intentlyat him, waiting until he should cast his eye toward the island that hemight give him warning. But the Irishman was so occupied with hisenemies that he appeared to forget the existence of his friends. 

Elwood did not remove his gaze, and all at once he saw him raise hishead. Quick as a flash the boy sprung up a foot or two from the groundand waved his hat toward him. 

"Did he see me?" he asked, as he sunk down to the earth again. 

"He has paused and is looking toward us. "

Tim had caught sight of the signal of the boy, but was uncertain as toits meaning. The waving of the hat might be supposed as an act ofencouragement than otherwise; but there was something in the silent, hurried manner of his young friend, united with the fact that he hadbeen, and was still, in great personal peril, that arrested hisattention and set him to thinking. 

"Did the Indians see me?" asked Elwood. 

"I can't say positively, as I was looking at Tim at the moment you madeyour signal, but they do not seem to act as if they had discovered us. "

"Tim saw me, didn't he? He doesn't know what to make of it. "

The Irishman had laid the animal he was carrying upon the ground, andstood looking toward the inland as if waiting for some furthermanifestation before advancing or retreating. Believing the safety ofthe entire party demanded it, Elwood begun cautiously rising to his feetto repeat his warning, when he was quickly caught by his cousin. 

"Down! those Indians are suspicious; they are looking right at us--don'tstir. "

The admonition was not a moment too soon; but while it preventeddiscovery on the part of the boys, it rendered the signal already giventhe Irishman void and of no effect. Tim, seeing nothing more of hisyoung friend, concluded that all was right, and lifting his game to hisshoulder continued his descent until he reached his canoe. This wasdrawn from its hiding place and launched in the water, and the animalplaced in the rear. Seating himself carefully in the front, Tim liftedhis paddle and began making his way toward the inland. 

"Too bad! too bad!" muttered Elwood, unable to repress his feelings. "Heis coming right out where they will have a fair chance with theirrifles. "

"If he would only turn up stream, they would see nothing of him. "

"_Can't_ I warn him?"

"No, Elwood, it will make matters worse. Their eyes are fixed upon us. "

Grasping the long oar Tim headed his boat somewhat up stream, so as notto let it drift by the island, and commenced paddling across. He hadgone twenty rods or thereabouts when he was discovered by the Indians, and one of them raised his rifle and took aim at him. 

"Quick, Tim, drop down, or you'll be shot!" called out Howard, forgetfulof his own danger in the single hope of saving his friend from a violentdeath. 

At the same instant that this cry was uttered the terrified boy saw apuff of smoke issue from the Indian rifle, and simultaneous with thesharp crack Tim O'Rooney was seen to fall flat in the canoe. 

"He is shot!" called out Elwood. 

"It is time then for us to do some of the same kind of business, "replied Howard, sighting his own gun at the savage upon the shore. Thedistance was too great and his skill too slight to guide the ball withanything like certainty, but it skipped over the water at their veryfeet, and so alarmed them that they immediately dodged back under theshelter of the rocks and trees. 

"What is the use?" asked Elwood gloomily. "Poor Tim is killed and thereis no chance for us. "

"Look! he is not dead!" whispered Howard. 

The head of the Irishman was seen to rise stealthily from the bottom ofthe canoe, and to peer around, and then to dash down again as thoughfearful of another shot. 

"I don't believe he has been struck!" added Howard. "He dropped down soas to save himself. "

"Oh! I hope so, for we need him bad enough. See! he is fixing the bodyof the animal so that it shall be between him and the Indians' guns. "

Such was the case. Tim was arranging and placing the carcass so that itmight shield his own body while he managed the paddle. This completed heturned his face toward his young friends and called across the water:

"Be aisy, me darlings! The owld bullet come close, but not a hair of TimO'Rooney's head was touched, and thanks be to heaven for it!"

CHAPTER XXIII. 

DRIFTING AWAY. 

The bullet of the treacherous Indian had indeed whizzed harmlessly bythe head of Tim O'Rooney and when he fell to the bottom of the canoe itwas for the purpose of preventing any more of their missiles passing toonear him. 

The savages, hastily driven to shelter by the unexpected shot from theisland, did not by any means relinquish their designs upon theunfortunate white man in the canoe. He who had taken the quick aim andfired saw that his bullet missed, but he understood the disadvantage ofhis enemy, and was confident that he would still fall into their hands. 

As we have shown, when the Irishman was thus suddenly interrupted, hewas but a short distance from the shore. So abruptly compelled torelinquish his paddle and simply shelter his person, the current carriedhim quite rapidly down the stream. 

Tim did not become sensible of his disadvantage until he had driftedbelow the island, and then upon partly rising to use his paddle thecrack of a gun from the shore told him that he was watched by vigilanteyes, and that _that_ occupation was vetoed most unmistakably. 

Forced thus to act entirely on the defensive, he carefully drew out hisrifle and resting it on the body of his game waited his chance to avengehimself upon the unrelenting savages. He could tell from the faint bluesmoke that curled upward where they were concealed, but could not catchsight of them. 

Had they shown themselves, the Irishman knew it was about impossible forhim to harm them at such a distance, while their dexterity in the use ofthe gun made it too dangerous for him to expose himself to their fire. He watched them until he had floated quite a way below, when he began tohope that they had given up their designs upon him, and he might makehis way back to his friends upon the island in safety. 

But when on the point of rising to a sitting position he saw them whiskthrough the bushes he knew they were following him along theshore--following him, too, with that skill and stealth which preventedhis getting a shot at them, and placing it totally out of his power toprevent himself from being "commanded by their fire. "

As may well be imagined, Howard and Elwood were deeply interestedspectators of these events. Now that they had revealed their presenceupon the island, and there was no further use in attempting to concealthe fact, they were eager to render their companion all the assistancepossible. 

But the nature of the occurrences made them helpless. Tim had driftedsuch a distance down stream, and had consequently drawn his enemies sofar after him, that they had not the slightest chance of reaching themwith their rifles, if they chose to expose themselves. They could onlywatch, therefore, and pray for their safety. 

Floating slowly onward, onward, they observed that Tim's canoe graduallyswerved to the left until it disappeared around a curve in the river. Itcrossed the center and was nearer the western than the eastern shore. This seemed to show that, despite his unfavorable situation, he was ableto impart a motion to the boat, which, slight as it was, wouldeventually bring him to the opposite side of the stream. 

Nothing more was seen of the Indians, although the report of severalguns, heard within a half-hour of the disappearance of the canoe, prevented their feeling too sanguine over the position of Tim O'Rooney. 

"We can now see the blunder he committed, " said Howard. "He did wrong ingoing to the eastern bank when he could have secured his game as wellupon the other side. "

"I think he will be able to get away, unless they have a canoe withwhich to follow him. "

"Even then he can take to the woods and hide himself until dark, andthen make his way back to us. "

"I hope so, but fear he will be prevented or overtaken before he canreach shelter. "

"But think, Howard, he has a gun and plenty of ammunition, and there arebut three of them. I should say they would hesitate some time beforeadvancing upon him. "

"But he is a poor shot, like ourselves. "

"He could not miss them if they came very close to him. "

"Yes; there seems to be a good chance, if they don't find more Indiansto unite with them in the hunt. "

This was a contingency that had not occurred to Elwood, and he wasalmost overwhelmed at its import until he came to reason upon it, whenthe likelihood of such being the case dwindled away until it almostvanished. 

"We have seen no large bodies of savages, and I don't believe they careenough about catching or slaying a single man to go to all thattrouble. "

"Not so much trouble, perhaps, as you are apt to think. War is thebusiness of the American Indians, you know, as it is of all barbarouspeople. "

"But look at Ned Trimble and his friends. There are but three of them, and I have no doubt that their security is in their strength--otherwisethey would not be so indifferent as to what is going on around them. Youremember they did not see us until we first spoke to them. "

"So it appeared; but I have an idea that they knew of our presencebefore Tim discovered them. "

"They did not show it, at any rate. "

"They looked surprised when we came up, but if we had been enemiesinstead of friends I believe we would have been the surprised parties. They have lived too long in the wilds of California to permit a party ofstrangers to steal upon them unaware. "

"But what is to become of us if Tim doesn't come back?"

"We shall have to put ourselves under the care of Shasta--that is, if hegets well. "

"Why do you call him _Shasta_? Where did you hear that name?"

"The only word I have heard him speak sounded like that, and I do notknow of any better name. Can you think of one?"

"No; that is good enough; let him be called Shasta, then. There may be agreater Providence in our coming upon this island than we imagine. "

"There is a Providence in everything that occurs, though it may be thatwe are not always able to see it. Do you remember the copy we had sooften at school, 'Misfortunes are often blessings in disguise?'"

"Yes; but like the truths that were driven into our heads so often atschool, we fail to appreciate them until some occasion like thisimpresses them upon our minds. But I declare, Howard, we are turningphilosophers. "

"What better can we do, when there is nothing else to employ ourselvesabout? We need all our philosophy at such a time. "

"But we must not forget our patient, Shasta. "

"True. He had gone almost out of my mind until you referred to him amoment ago. Let us look at him. "

The two had been stationed near the lower end of the island, and theynow walked back to where they had left the suffering stranger. What wastheir surprise to see him standing on his feet, his blanket wrappedaround him, and his attitude and position such as to raise a strongsuspicion that he understood all that had taken place within the lasthour or two. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

A HUNT. 

When Tim O'Rooney left the island and crossed to the eastern shore ofthe Salinas he had almost forgotten the existence of any such thing ashostile Indians. He was after something to eat, and some how or other itseemed to him that the climate of California had given him a mostravenous appetite, which demanded satisfaction regardless ofconsequences. 

Touching land, he pulled his canoe up the bank to prevent its beingcarried away by the current, and then plunged boldly into the forest. The land from the river rose quite rapidly until it reached an elevationof several hundred feet, when it was broken by gorges, ravines andchasms, which made it rattier difficult to travel, and gave it anextremely wild and picturesque appearance. 

Fairly among these broken hills, Tim began to look for his game, but fora time saw nothing to draw his fire. Finally he reached a wild-lookinggorge which descended over a hundred feet below him, while upon theopposite side it rose to a greater height than the place upon which hestood. 

The Irishman was so struck with the wild scenery that he stood a fewmoments contemplating it in silent admiration, when all at once hebecame conscious that something else beside himself was engaged inlooking. Directly across the gorge, so as to be almost opposite to him, he saw the head of an animal which he recognized at once as belonging toa black-tailed deer. 

"Be the powers! but you're jist the gintleman that I'd like to make anacquaintance with, as me mither said when me father axed her hand inmarriage. "

Tim drew his rifle carefully and rested it upon a rock beside him. Thedeer gazed at him with that expression of stupid wonder which wildanimals assume when confronted with something, and they seem to bedebating with themselves whether to leap away at high speed or to starea moment longer. 

The distance was so slight that Tim was sure of his aim. Nevertheless, he took great care in sighting his piece, and as his finger gentlypressed the trigger, he held his breath. The bullet sped true, enteringjust below and between the eyes, and with such deadly effect that themortally wounded deer sprung several feet in the air and fell deadwithin a rod of the spot where it had stood when struck. 

"That is plaisant, " muttered the Irishman, as he saw the animal fall, "and yez hav the distinguished honor of baing the first deer that TimO'Rooney brought down; but yez ain't the first he fired at--but whist, Tim, don't be telling your secrets, for somebody else might larn them. "

He now began making his way carefully down the gorge in order to ascendupon the opposite side and secure his prize. He had no thought that thereport of his gun could reach the ears of hostile persons, and he didnot heed anything except the place and manner in which he put his feetin going down and up the ravine. 

After no little toiling he reached the dead body, and found that he hadshot a rather small black-tailed deer. It was in middling condition, andwas the very prize he was anxious to secure for his hungry self andequally hungry friends. 

As he stood admiring it, for the first time the thought of personaldanger crossed his mind, and he glanced hurriedly around him, but sawnothing to occasion alarm. Then he leaned forward and gazed down thegorge, and as he did so he descried three Indians looking up the side ofthe chasm. Slight as was the distance his head projected, it was seen bythem, and he only drew it back to escape the effect of three dischargesof their guns. 

"And that is your shtyle of saluting a gintleman is it?" said Tim insome trepidation. "But yez has a forcible way of saying 'how do yez do, 'in this counthry, that a stranger would do well to imitate. "

The Irishman hastily debated with himself upon the best plan to pursueto escape the serious peril that threatened him, for he was sure thesavages would follow up their shot. 

"The best thing I can do is to lave, " he concluded. "There is strongraison for belaving that I've given some one slight offinse by walkinginto their house without ringing the bell. "

He stooped over and lifted his game. He found its weight somewhat lessthan he had suspected. 

"I have no objiction to your going wid me. If I has to have the samedispute about ivery deer I tips over, I may as well hang on to the fustone. "

Slinging it over his shoulder, he began his return with the carcass. Itproved beneficial to him in a way that he had little suspected. Notwishing to go any further down the gorge, where there was reason to feara collision with the savages, he clambered still higher, taking greatcare to shield himself from observation from below. 

This made his labor excessive, and he was often obliged to pause andrest himself. But at length he reached what might be termed the brow ofthe hill, and began making his way along the edge of a smaller ravine, that led toward the river. While thus engaged, the body of the deerstruck a projecting rock, and before Tim could save himself he rolledover and over for a distance of twenty odd feet, coming down plump uponthe deer without injuring himself in the least. 

"I'm obliged to yez, " he said, as he rose and stared around with abewildered air. "That was kind in yez, and I'll not forget the favor. "

Again raising his carcass to his shoulder, he resumed his journey towardthe river. But as he progressed the weight upon his shoulder seemed togrow heavier, and he was obliged to pause and rest himself quite often. On these occasions he looked around him half-expecting to see the threesavages spring out of the bushes. 

If such a thing should occur, Tim had already decided upon his mode ofprocedure. He intended to sink to the ground at once, with the body ofthe deer as a sheltering breastwork, and make as gallant fight aspossible. His success in bringing down his game, when it was fully fiftyyards distant, gave him quite a flattering estimate of his prowess. 

The Indians, as the Irishman had anticipated, hastened up the gorge tosecure the daring hunter, who had so audaciously exposed himself totheir anger. It required some time for them to find the exact spot wherethe deer had fallen, and when they did so, they followed him readily bythe blood which had trickled from its drooping head, which as Tim borehis prize away he little dreamed would betray the course he took. 

When the point of Tim's fall was reached, all signs of his trail ceased, and they supposed he had checked the flow of blood, and thus concealedhis tracks. The surface over which he traversed being rock and flintyground, left no evidence of his passage; and resigning, therefore, thepursuit in this manner, they made their way leisurely down to the riverand waited until the hunter appeared. 

Tim's heart beat high with hope when he found himself close by thestream and saw nothing of his pursuers. The hasty signal given by ElwoodBrandon, as we have shown, caused him some uneasiness, but not beingrepeated, and being very anxious to get back to the island, he placedthe deer in the canoe and paddled away. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

A SINGULAR ESCAPE. 

The shot from the treacherous Indian upon the shore was the firstintelligent warning Tim had that he was discovered by them. The kindProvidence who had so often turned aside the dangerous missile stillprotected him, and when he so suddenly dropped to the bottom of hiscanoe, it was with a bullet-hole through his coat but not through hisbody. 

"Another illigant compliment to mesilf that it would afford me greatpleasure to return, and if you'll only be kind enough to wait a fewmoments, I'll do the same. "

But ere he could bring his gun to bear, the wild shot from the islanddrove the savages to cover, and raised the Irishman's finger that waspressing the trigger. 

We have already told how, when he undertook to use the paddle, he foundit too dangerous, and coming again behind the deer, he floated down thecurrent. This, after the severe labor he had undergone, was an agreeablechange, but he was not long in discovering it was dangerous. He wasdrifting away from his friends, and the further he went the greater didthe danger become to both parties. He speedily discovered that theIndians were following him, and the interposing body of the black-taileddeer was a most effectual protection. More than his own bullets wereburied in it ere he had gone a half-mile down stream. 

"If I entertained a small doubt that yez was killed, I couldn't howld itwith them bullets rattlin' in your hide, me owld friend. "

The efforts of a child, if steadily persevered in, would move the GreatEastern in calm water, and Tim was not long in making the discoverythat, if he could not use the paddle, he still was able to exert amotive power upon the canoe by a very slight means. 

Reaching his hand over the side, he began paddling the water, and soonhad the gratifying consciousness that he was moving across the river. True, it was slow, but it was nevertheless certain and positive, and wascarrying him further away from his troublesome pursuers, and musteventually bring him against the western shore. 

But when the island disappeared from view, and he had barely crossed thecenter of the stream, he begun to think that this species of locomotionwas rather tardy, and he partially came to the sitting position andventured to take his paddle in hand. A discharge from the shore warnedhim of the danger he ran, and he was reluctantly forced to drop his headagain and resort to his tedious method of moving. 

By this time the afternoon was well advanced, and it looked as though itwould be fully dark before Tim could regain the ground he had lost. Nowand then he peered over the top of the deer to see whether he couldpossibly catch sight of his acquaintances, but they whisked from coverto cover so dexterously that he had not the encouragement even to hopefor success, and so he did not fire. 

But a new fear took possession of the fugitive. If they were Indians, itwas to be expected that they had canoes somewhere, and if they werespeedily found, he would as speedily be overhauled. 

"In which case Tim O'Rooney will lose his daar, and be the same towkenlose himself, and the boys won't get their dinner. "

He squinted at the sun, now low in the sky, and quickly asked himself:

"If a man doesn't git his dinner, and ates half-way atween noon andmidnight, is it his dinner or supper? But that is a mighty question, isthe same. "

He evidently concluded it was too vast for him to decide, for hespeedily dismissed it and turned his attention to that which more nearlyconcerned him. Still toiling with his hand, much in the same manner thata child would dabble in the water, he kept up the tardy movement of thecanoe until he began to grow fearless again, and he took his paddle oncemore. 

Now, when it was almost too late, he found that he could use it withoutdanger to himself. By bending his body forward, the deer protected himand he could labor with impunity. 

"Tim O'Rooney, I fears yez are lacking in the iliments which go to makeup a mon of sense. Why didn't yez think of this when it would have doneyez more good?"

When he was yet within a few yards of shore, he looked back and was nota little frightened to see that the savages had launched a canoe andwere coming across the river with the speed of the swallow. 

"Whisht now! but that is onexpected, " said he, as he redoubled his ownexertions. Observing that his pursuers were rapidly gaining, he suddenlyrecalled an artifice that he had seen practiced during his experience inthe mines years before. Catching up his rifle, he aimed it at theadvancing Indians. 

Quick as a flash they ducked their heads and held up the two paddlesthey were using as a protection against the expected bullet. But it wasnot Tim's purpose to fire. He knew better than to do that, for ere hecould have reloaded they would have been upon him. 

The minute they stooped he lowered his gun and caught up his paddle andused it furiously. In this he was imitated by the Indians, whosesuperior skill sent their frail vessel forward with such velocity thatit looked as if they would reach the shore but a short distance behindhim. 

Again he raised his gun, and as before they attempted to screenthemselves from danger, while the next impulse of his paddle sent hiscanoe high up the bank, and he sprung out and plunged into the woods. 

Tim O'Rooney had no thought of the particular manner in which he was toeffect his escape. His one desire was to get away from them. Theprobabilities are that, beyond all doubt, he would have been speedilyovertaken and slain but for one of those singular occurrences which donot happen to a man more than once in a life-time, and which seem toshow unmistakably that Providence often interferes directly in favor ofthe innocent and distressed. 

He had run perhaps a couple of hundred yards, or thereabouts, when apeculiar whoop from his pursuers announced that they had landed and werenow coming speedily behind him. He knew that he had no chance inrunning, and was looking about him for some place in which to takeshelter, when a furious growl startled him and he found himself within adozen feet from enormous grizzly bear. This quadruped seemed anxious fora fight, for he came straight at the fugitive, who might certainly beexcused for being dazed at the combination of dangers by which he wassurrounded. 

That of the grizzly bear was the greatest; for with mouth open and hisred tongue lolling out he came fiercely at him. His gait was awkward andshambling, but he managed to get over the ground very rapidly. Indeed, the danger was so imminent that Tim, seeing there was no choice, raisedhis gun and fired at the monster. 

The bullet struck him near the head, but it did not kill him, nor did itcause him to fall, but it bewildered him, and he rose on his hind feetand clawed the air as if the bullet was a splinter and he was seeking topluck it from his flesh. 

This bewilderment was the means of Tim being saved. Before the animalhad entirely recovered, he had darted out of sight, and when the Indianscame up the bear was just in "fighting trim, " and immediately made atthem. Consequently they were compelled to give over all thoughts of theflying hunter and attend to their own personal safety. What the finalresult was Tim never learned, and we cannot speak with certainty. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

SHASTA'S HUNT. 

If the Pah Utah in the extremity of his suffering had been betrayed intothe extraordinary weakness of manifesting it, he now seemed anxious tomake amends for the humiliating fact. It may have been that among hisown people he would have restrained those utterances which declared hisagony, and borne the utmost with the stoicism of his race; but knowingthat civilization does not teach such outward indifference to pain, hehad adopted the surest means to reach the sympathy of the whitestrangers; or, if we may conjecture still further, the consciousness ofthe instinctive feud between the American and Caucasian race told himthat the plan he took was the only one that offered safety to himself. What reason had he to believe that the hunters were kind of heart? If hehid his distress, would he not be treated as a well Indian? And wasthere any but the one common ground upon which the two races met?

But the fever had passed and he was himself again. True, he was stillfeeble, and his limbs trembled at times like those of an old man; butthe disease had gone, and the stern, unbending will had resumed itssway. He was not a child, but he was Shasta, the Pah Utah Indian. 

The inexperience of Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence with thesestrange people made this savage an enigma to them. As he stood with hisarms folded, his blanket wrapped around him, his long black hairstreaming over his shoulders, and the mingling of the paint on his crownand over his face, and his midnight eyes fixed upon them, it was hardindeed to conjecture the thoughts filtrating through his brain. 

But there is a language in which the human heart can speak--that ofemotion. The boys felt no fear--ingratitude is not an element of thesavage character, though sad to say it is sometimes manifested among usof greater moral pretensions. 

He looked at them as they came up and paused a few feet from him. 

"You seem to be better?" asked Elwood, feeling it incumbent that heshould make some remark, even though it was incomprehensible to theirdusky friend. He muttered something and then stretched out his arms asif to show that he had recovered from his illness. 

At this point Terror went up to the savage and snuffed around him, as ifto satisfy himself of his identity. The latter laid his hand upon hisknife and watched the dog narrowly, but he appeared to judge the animalby the company, and quietly removed his hand and folded his arms again. 

He stood thus a moment, when he pointed to the eastern shore and thendown the river, nodding his head and gesticulating somewhat excitedly. The boys in return nodded, which satisfied the aborigine. All at once hemoved off and strode rapidly to the other side of the island, where hedrew forth a tiny canoe and shoved it into the water. 

[Illustration: "The Indian drew forth a tiny canoe and shoved it intothe water"]

When it was launched he turned again toward his friends, and lookingsteadily at them a moment, once more pointed down stream, sprang intothe boat and dipped his paddle first upon one side and then upon theother. 

It was a sight to see him manage the canoe! It seemed made to contain asingle person, and the way it skimmed over the water was a perfectmarvel to the spectators. It appeared fairly to fly, scarcely touchingthe water, while human art could not have exceeded the skill with whichhe managed the paddle. He sat as motionless as a statue, like theartistic violinist. It could not be seen that he raised his arms abovethe elbow. 

The sun was just going over the western hills, and the reflection of thewater as it flashed and rippled from his paddle gave a fairy-likeappearance to the Indian as he sped down stream that was pleasing to thelast degree. 

"What does that mean?" asked Elwood. 

"It means that he is going to the rescue of Tim. "

"If he goes after him he will bring him back. Just see the way in whichhe manages that canoe! It is worth going a hundred miles to see!"

"No doubt he has practiced it long enough. "

"But what of our remaining here?"

"I don't see how it can be helped. "

"Suppose those Indians that have followed Tim take it into their headsto pay us a visit?"

"He will take all their attention, if Shasta concludes to have a part inthe matter, and they won't have time to think of us. "

"But suppose they _do_ come back here?"

"We must be prepared at any rate; but don't let the thought make usuneasy. We have two good guns, and Terror would be worth half a dozenmen if we get into close quarters. "

"He may be all that; but a rifle-shot could quickly stretch him outlifeless. It won't do for us to go to sleep until Tim or Shasta comeback. "

"Of course not. I do not feel like it, even if we were satisfied that itwas safe for us to do so. "

"Look at Shasta!"

The Indian was far down the stream, still speeding with hisextraordinary velocity, using his arms as though they would never tire. 

"So sick a few hours ago!"

"Well enough now. "

"Didn't you notice how he trembled?"

"Yes; he is still weak, but an Indian soon recovers himself. "

"All he needed was the root which he chewed and which cured him almostimmediately. These savages are what you call Thomsonians I suppose. "

"They are the original ones no doubt. I have heard that some of theirmedicine men are the most skillful of physicians. "

"Yes; we hear all kinds of things about them. What stories we have read, and yet they don't look and act as I imagined they would. I thought theywould suffer and die without showing the least pain, and yet Shastawasn't anyways backward about it. "

"No doubt the poor fellow felt bad enough, and he hasn't got over ityet. You can tell that from his appearance. "

"It will take all his skill to help Tim. Just as like as not he willtake Shasta for an enemy and shoot him. "

"If they only see each other before dark, so that Tim can understandthat he has a friend at work. "

"But you see it is nearly dark now, and it is likely he is in the woodsby this time. "

"What danger can he be in then?"

"The Indians may cross over to follow him. "

They were silent a while when Elwood suddenly exclaimed. 

"Suppose Shasta is an enemy and has gone to help his people?"

Howard shook his head. 

"No fear of that. That is the last thing that can occur. "

The night gradually deepened and proved to be quite dark, a faint moonshedding a luster that made the dim light more impressive. The boyswalked back and forth, watching and listening for some evidence of theapproach of their friends, and gradually becoming apprehensive despitethe attempt each made to cheer the spirits of the other. 

It was not until quite late that Terror gave utterance to a low, warninggrowl, and as they looked across the river they descried a dark objectcautiously approaching. 

"What is it?" whispered Elwood. 

"It is too dark to tell; but it can't be Tim or Shasta for it's comingfrom the wrong direction. "

"Aisy now, Mr. Shasta, aisy I say, for the boys may be asleep and wewon't come upon them too sudden't like, as me uncle said when he sat ona barrel of gun-powder and it blowed up with him. Aisy, Mr. Shasta, aisy!"

CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE NIGHT VOYAGE. 

The indistinct object gradually took shape, and the boys then saw Shastasitting in his small canoe, while directly behind him was Tim O'Rooney, his left hand extended backward and grasping the prow of his own boat, which was being towed by the Indian. 

The next moment the foremost lightly touched the shore and the savagesprung out, quickly followed by the Irishman. 

"I beg yez pardon, boys, for the time I tuk to git your dinner; but toshpake the thruth, I was unavoidably detained, as me brother writ mewhen he was locked up in Tipperary jail on his way to visit me. "

"We are glad enough to see you again, but where is your game?"

"Worrah, worrah, but I had bad luck wid it. When I tuk it ashore, I satit down for a minit, and I hadn't the time to pick it up again. "

"But tell us all about it. "

This was quickly done, up to the point where Tim was saved by the timelyappearance of the grizzly bear, when, as may well be supposed, theexpressions of wonder were loud and continued. 

"You saw nothing more of your pursuers?" asked Howard. 

"Not a bit--nor be the same towken do I think they saw me. "

"How did you and Shasta meet?"

"That was shtrange, was the same. After I found I was cl'ar of thevarmints, from the raisin that their exclusive attention was occupied bythe b'ar, I stopped and went to thinking--did I. I could saa the greatnecessity of our having me own canoe and I went back to whom I left thesame. It took me some time to find it, and when I did find it, it wasn'tit, but the one that belonged to the red gintlemen. 

"There was little difference atwixt the two and I thought the best thingwas to make a thrade, and just as I thought that I spied another canoecoming along the shore as though it was looking for something. I steppedback and raised the hammer of my gun, when I obsarved there was but oneInjin in the same--was there. So, 'Tim, ' says I, ''twould be a shame, 'and I lowered me gun agin. 

"Just then, and fur the life of me I don't know what put it into mehead, I thought it was Shasta, though I knowed I had lift him with a bigpain all through him. So I give a low whistle like, and called out'Shasta, ' and with one whip of his paddle he sent his canoe right at myfaat, though I was sure he didn't saa me, and then waited fur me to stepin. 

"But he's a quaar fellow, is Shasta, " added Tim. "I rached out me handto shake his own, but he never noticed it, but motioned fur me to stowmesilf into the bottom of the canoe; and thin, after some muttering andthrowing of his arms, I could saa he wanted me to howld on to the othercanoe. "

"And I did the same, and the way he towed us over the water would havefrightened a steamboat. "

"He is a smart fellow, indeed. "

The Indian upon landing had just pulled his canoe slightly up the bankand then had gone at once to the opposite side of the island where hehad lain when sick. They could see him walking slowly back and forth usif searching for something which he had some difficulty in finding. 

"Well, boys, I shpose you are hungry, " said Tim, "If yez isn't I beginsto howld a very strong suspicion that it's meself that is. "

"Yes, " replied Elwood, "we are both very hungry, but we had littleappetite so long as we knew you were in danger. "

"It was very kind of yez to restrain your appetite out of respict to me, and I'll not forgit to do the same when yez git into throuble. "

"We can afford to go supperless to-night, " remarked Howard, "and feaston the contemplation of our good fortune. There was a time when ourprospects looked pretty dark. "

"Yis, sir; you may well say that. When I had the big bear walking at mefrom one direction and the three red gintlemen from the other, I thoughtto mesilf what a shplendid opportunity there was for the illigantexercise of one's idaas. But it was all the doings of the good Lordabove, " added Tim very reverently. 

"Yes; there can be no doubt of that, " replied Howard. "He has cared forus all the time. "

Tim now gave an account of his adventures in his hunt after the deer, previous to when he was first seen from the island. When he had finishedElwood asked:

"Are we to stay here over night?"

"I think not, but I defers to the judgment of Mr. Shasta. It's just ashe says about it. "

"He appears to be taken up with something over yonder. "

"He is searching for some object that he left when he made up his mindto get well, " said Howard. 

"He must know all that has occurred, for when we came back from watchingyou, there he stood with his arms folded, and a look in his eye thatsaid he understood more about matters and things than we imagined hedid. "

"He must know that we are in danger so long as we are upon this island, and I should think he would leave it while it is dark. "'

"Do yez rest on that pint?" said Tim. "The red gintlemen will attind tothe same--will he. "

At this juncture the Pah Utah was observed walking slowly toward them, his long blanket grasped at the breast by his left hand, while his rightwas free. As soon as he came up he pointed at the canoes and mutteredsomething. 

"What does he mean?" asked Elwood. 

"Terror understands him better than we do, " replied Howard, as theNewfoundland sprung into the larger boat and nestled down near thestern. 

Our friends were not long in imitating the action of the dog. Tim madeas if to step into the Indian's boat, but he motioned him back, and tookhis seat in the front of the larger canoe. The savage now produced acord, probably the tendon of some wild animal, with which he speedilyfastened the prow of the larger canoe to the stem of his own. 

This done he turned the head down stream and began using his paddle withthe same wonderful dexterity he had displayed during the afternoon. Theboys watched and admired his skill for a long time. The faint moonbarely revealed the shores on either hand, stretching away in mistygloom, while all before and behind them was darkness. 

The muscular arms of Shasta appeared to be as tireless as thepiston-rods of an engine, and at last our friends grow weary of watchinghim. The boys became drowsy, and they finally lay down in the bottom ofthe boat, with their blanket over them, and went to sleep. 

In the course of an hour Tim did the same, and the Pah Utah was thisleft alone to ply the canoe, the Newfoundland now and then raising hishead and looking over the edge as if to satisfy himself that all wasright. 

Once near the middle of the night Elwood awoke, and pushing his blanketfrom his face, raised himself on his elbow and looked around. The samepicture met his eye--the dark-hued Shasta, his long hair streaming overhis shoulders, the blanket down to his waist, and his bronzed armsworking with the silence, skill and regularity of a perfect machine. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

A PAH UTAH'S METHOD OF FISHING. 

The gray light of dawn was spreading over the wood and river when ElwoodBrandon again opened his eyes. He was somewhat startled to see nothingof the Pah Utah, although his canoe was still in the advance; but asecond look showed that they were resting against the bank, and theIndian lay asleep in the front of his boat, his body and face coveredentirely by his somber-hued blanket. 

"No doubt he needs rest, and so I will not wake him!" was Elwood'sthought, as he carefully raised himself to the sitting position. But hehad scarcely moved when the end of Shasta's blanket was raised, and theboy saw his dark eyes fixed inquiringly upon him. Satisfied that therewas nothing wrong the blanket dropped again and all was still. 

Elwood now looked around. Howard was sleeping soundly, his feet restingagainst the shaggy sides of Terror, who was equally oblivious to theexternal world. There could be no doubt of Tim's somnolence for he gaveunmistakable evidence of it. The light was just sufficient to afford adistinct view of the other shore, and in the clear summer air of themorning it had a cool appearance, very pleasing and refreshing to theeye. 

Elwood, of course, had no knowledge of the distance they had come duringthe night; but he believed Shasta had not slept more than an hour ortwo, and that as a consequence they were many miles from their startingpoint--far enough at any rate to make them perfectly easy regarding thetroublesome visitors of yesterday. 

He noticed the peculiar character of the place in which Shasta had runthe canoe. It was a small indentation covered with overhanging limbs andshrubbery in such manner that while the whites could peer out upon theriver there was no danger of their being seen by any passers-by, unlessparticular suspicion was directed toward the spot. 

Elwood's limbs were so cramped from the forced position in which he hadlain during the night, that he concluded there could be no harm instepping ashore to yawn and stretch himself. Of course he would takegood care not to wander away from the boat, as he had seen the danger ofsecession in a small party like theirs. As he was stepping over thecanoe he saw Shasta looking at him so intently that he paused. The PahUtah nodded, but made a rather odd gesture, which Elwood took as acaution not to wander away. He nodded assent and stepped out upon theland. At this juncture Howard awoke and followed him. 

"Shall we try and hunt something for breakfast?" asked Elwood. 

"Tim's troubles have proved that it is hardly safe; I think we hadbetter leave all such matters to Shasta. "

This was good advice certainly, and the boys acted upon it. They walkedup and down the banks of the river admiring the beautiful scenery, butseeing nothing of wild animals. They heard the whirr of a flock of birdsoverhead, alarmed by the apparition of two human beings, but theluxuriant vegetation allowed but a glimpse of them as they shot away. 

While a few rods distant, they heard the discharge of a rifle, and in nolittle trepidation they hastened back to their friends. They wererelieved by finding that it had been done by Tim O'Rooney for thepurpose of affording a means of ignition to some sticks and leaves. Heand the Pah Utah were on shore, making as much preparation for theirbreakfast as though they had a dozen men to provide for. 

"What does yez think of it?" asked Tim. 

"All very well, but where is your breakfast?"

The Irishman jerked his thumb in a very significant manner towardShasta. 

"You don't mean to eat him, " laughed Elwood. 

"Git out wid yer nonsense!" retorted Tim. "He and meself have beentalking together, and we've fixed the whole thing. "

"What language did you use?"

"This kind of talk. "

And the Irishman explained himself by several extravagant butmeaningless gestures. 

The fire being nicely burning, Shasta took some white crumbs from a sortof receptacle in his hunting-shirt, stepped carefully into the canoe, and then gently dropped them upon the surface of the water. Our friendwatched his movements with interest. 

Leaning carefully over the boat, he curved his arm and held his closedfingers so that they were just within the water, looking down into thestream all the time with the fixedness of gaze that characterizes thehawk when about to dart downward after his prey. 

Suddenly a flight ripple was heard, and before either of the three onshore comprehended what he was doing, something flashed before theirgaze, and a plump, glistening fish, fully two pounds in weight, layfloundering at their feet. 

"Capital!" shouted Elwood in his excitement, and he was proceeding topay the Pah Utah several highly flavored compliments, when he raised hishand as a warning for them to remain quiet. Bending still further overthe canoe, he soon thrust his hand beneath, and with the samelightning-like quickness flung a still larger fish up the bank. This wascontinued for some time, until he had five fine plump-looking fellowsall shining and fresh, waiting for the hungry stomachs. 

They had an abundance of food, and its preparation now only remained. Here Shasta displayed his remarkable culinary skill. With his keen-edgedhunting-knife he slitted the fish, excepting Terror's portion, which ofcourse was devoured raw, the entire length of the bodies, and throwingaside the superfluous portion, then skewered them upon some green prongsin such a manner that they were completely flat, and the entire internaland external surface exposed. 

The fire, which had been burning some time, was now raked down untilseveral square feet of live red coals lay bare, when one of the fish washeld down within a few inches. As soon as one side was thoroughly cookedthe other was turned under, and after this same fashion the four weremost speedily and thoroughly prepared for the palate. 

"Luxurious!" exclaimed Howard, as he took his prize and buried his teethin its flesh. "It is cooked to perfection--a trifle of pepper and saltwould make this the best dish I ever tasted. "

"I never enjoyed a meal more, " replied Elwood. "But when I come tothink, the first one I tasted in California was nearly as good as this. "

Tim was too much engaged to take time for conversation. He waited untilhe had filled himself to repletion, when he gave a great sigh of reliefand remarked:

"I ain't hungry--not a bit; I've lost me appetite very quickly. Mr. Shasta, you're an excellent cook--worthy of the honor of attending tothe wants of Timothy O'Rooney, Esquire. "

The Pah Utah paid no heed to this praise, but contented himself withdevouring his fish, which he did until he had all that he wished, whenfrom some hidden recess he produced a beautifully carved Indian pipe. 

"There I'm wid yees agin, " remarked Tim, as he replenished his own. "Thepipe is very soothin' to one's faalings after sevare labor, as mebrother's wife used to say after whacking a few hours wid herbroomstick--what is your opinion upon the same, Mr. Shasta?"

The Indian nodded his head and murmured some unintelligible reply. 

"Precisely, " assented Tim, as he puffed forth a thick volume of smoke;"that's me own idaas exactly, and the boys here will bear me witnessthat I've always contended for the same. "

"What's that?" asked Elwood. 

"Ax him, " replied Tin, nodding his head toward his dusky friend. "He'sable to explain better nor is meself. "

CHAPTER XXIX. 

A NIGHT DISTURBANCE. 

Neither the Pah Utah nor the Irishman were disposed to make a move untilthey had finished their "smoke, " and both of them whiffed as leisurelyas though they had contracted to spend several hours thus. Howard andElwood passed the time in walking around the woods and along the stream, taking particular care not to go beyond sight of Shasta, whose blackorbs they could see attentively following their movements. 

"All aboord!" shouted Tim at the expiration of an hour or so, and theboys hurried down to the "wharf" with as much alacrity as if they hadheard the last bell of the steamer. 

The Indian stood upon the shore with a look of inquiry. He pointed upstream and then down. 

"He is inquiring which way we wish to go, " said Howard. 

"That, is strange, after bringing us so many miles from the island. "

Elwood pointed down stream, but Shasta was not satisfied; he wished toknow something more. He described several circles, terminating each timeby pointing to the north. All three looked inquiringly at one other'sfaces. They could not comprehend his meaning. 

"What does he wish to say?"

"I am sure I cannot tell. "

"He wants us to travel the rest of the way by turning summersits. "

Seeing that he was not understood, the Pah Utah took the paddle from thecanoe and made in the air as if he were impelling the boat, thenpausing, he again pointed to the north, and took several long strides inthat direction, as though he were going to walk a long distance. 

Elwood's eyes sparkled. 

"I know what, he means! I know what he means!"

"What is it?"

"He wishes to ask whether we want to _go a good ways_!"

"You are right, " replied Howard. "He doesn't know whether we are huntingin these parts, and wish to stay in the neighborhood, or whether we arehurrying home as fast as we can. "

Shasta's motions and signs were imitated as nearly as possible, and henodded his head and muttered something doubtless to signify that he wassatisfied. Terror whisked into the canoe and took his position in theprow, while his three masters, if a dog can own that many, arrangedthemselves behind him. The tendon still united the two boats, and onesweep of Pah Utah's paddle sent the two far out into the river, where hebegan his work. 

For a time our friends gave themselves up to the enjoyment of thispleasant motion. At each dip of the paddle, or contraction of the ironmuscles of Shasta, they could feel the canoe jump forward as does asteamboat under the throbs of the mighty engine. At the same time themotion was light and airy, as if the boat were skimming over the verysurface. Indeed, by shutting the eyes and feeling the light wind fanningthe temples, it was easy to imagine that they were borne through the airby some great bird whose wings could be felt to pulsate beneath them. 

"Look at that machinery!" exclaimed Howard. "Did you ever see anythinglike it? Not an ounce of superfluous flesh upon him. See how the musclesswell and ridge, and yet he doesn't swerve his body a hair's breadth tothe right or left. "

"He can 'paddle his own canoe, '" laughed Elwood. 

"Look at those shoulders; they are perfect mountains of muscle, andthose sinewy arm! His legs are fully as perfect, and I'll warrant he canrun a dozen miles an hour for a whole day without getting tired. Hewould be a dangerous man to meet as an enemy. "

"And a good one as a friend. "

"Yes; I can hardly see what chances we would have had of reaching themouth of the river without his help. "

"We had no chance unless we could join a party of hunters and inducethem to go with us. "

"Boys, " said Tim, looking hard at them, "it isn't right--isn't thesame. "

"What do you mean?"

"That Mr. Shasta should tow us along in this shtyle, and we sit in theowld boat and permit him. No, it's wrong. "

The boys admitted that it looked hardly proper, whereupon Tim took thepaddle and began plying it with all the skill of which he was master. The Pah Utah looked over his shoulder now and then with a strangeexpression, as if he were amused at the white man's furious efforts, buthe did not abate his own labor in the least. 

Tim O'Rooney made a great deal of splashing, occasionally flirting ashower of spray over his friends as the paddle took an unexpected twistin his hand; but, as we have said before, he had had considerableexperience in propelling a canoe, and he gave a little assistance totheir dusky friend. 

When the sun was overhead, Shasta directed the prow of the boat towardthe western bank, and they landed in a place somewhat resembling that ofthe morning. The boats were drawn upon land in the usual manner, bywhich they were concealed from the observation of any passing up or downstream. 

The Indian resorted to the same means by which he had caught the fish inthe morning and with equal success. They were rather smaller, but nonethe less savory, either to man or brute. An hour sufficed to rest themall, and to give Shasta all the pleasure of his pipe that he wished, while Tim continued his after entering the canoe. Howard and Elwood madean essay with the paddle, but the result with the latter was that theinstant he so cautiously thrust it beneath the surface, it was suddenlywrung from his hand, and in an instant left a rod or two astern. Thisnecessitated a delay in order to pick it up, and the boys concluded toawait another time to perfect themselves in the art of managing anIndian canoe. 

It was not until it was quite dark that they once more set foot uponland and kindled their fire. There was quite a strong wind blowing, andthe chill of the air appeared to indicate that it came from the snowypeaks of the Coast Range. Fully an hour was taken in gathering wood, sticks, broken limbs and branches, for they had concluded to keep itburning until morning. 

The fire was kindled against the trunk of a giant sycamore, and as theflames waved up the shaggy bark the reflection upon the outstretchedlimbs and neighboring trees gave them a weird appearance that made theboys gather close to the somber-hued Pah Utah as though conscious of hisability to stand between them and evil. 

Tim and Shasta were leisurely smoking their pipes, and Howard and Elwoodwere conversing together in low tones of their homes and friends, when aquick bark from Terror, as he rose to his feet and looked in thedarkness, drew all eyes in one direction. A score of flashing eyes, gleaming teeth, lank, restless bodies and greedy jaws announced, that anew danger threatened them. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

THE WOLVERINES. 

The Pah Utah was the only member of the party that did not manifest anyalarm or excitement. Carelessly removing his pipe from his mouth, heturned his head, looked at the animals a moment, and then resumedsmoking, without giving utterance to a single sound or changing hisposture in the least. 

Tim O'Rooney, with an ejaculated prayer, caught up his rifle, andturning his back toward the fire, stood like a person driven at bay andwaiting to decide in his mind the best way to strike his last blow. Inhis haste and alarm his pipe fell from his mouth and lay unheeded at hisfeet. Shasta quietly picked it up, handed it to him, and motioned forhim to seat himself upon the ground again. Tim stared alternately at theanimals, the Indian and his pipe, and finally gathered the idea that noimminent danger threatened them. 

Howard and Elwood also held their rifles ready for it charge from thegrowling wolverines, for such they were, while the Newfoundland growledin turn, and glared defiantly at them. The intelligent brute appeared tocomprehend that it would not do for him to sally out and charge upon theenemy's works, but he stood ready to fight and die in the defense of hisfriends. 

"Why don't they attack us?" asked Elwood, seeing that they didn'tadvance nearer than a dozen feet. 

"Don't you know that wild animals are afraid of fire? That is whatrestrains them. "

"Of course! I didn't think of that. How fortunate that we gatheredenough wood to last!"

"Just look at Shasta! He doesn't even stop smoking!"

"He must know there is no danger. "

"Let us try our guns upon them!"

The proposal pleased both, especially as there was no fear but what theycould make every discharge tell. Each of them singled out two of thelargest wolverines, and fired their guns at the same instant. Anear-splitting clamor succeeded, and as the brutes scampered away in thedarkness two of their number were seen stretched out, quivering anddying. 

The wolverine is an animal found in California which unites thecharacteristics of the bear, weasel, fox and wolf. It is sullen andferocious, and one of the most troublesome of the wood-denizens. Whenfirst seen it is apt to be mistaken for a small bear, or ratherheavy-looking wolf. The sensuous neck and head bespeak the wolf andweasel nature, the sly persistency the fox, and the savage stubbornnessthat of the bear; while a resemblance to all four can be seen in thegeneral contour, appearance and habits of the animal. 

Attracted, no doubt, by the smell of the cooking fish, a number of thesebrutes had slyly gathered and crept to the camp, where, finding theirprey protected by the fire, they proclaimed their furious disappointmentby loud howls--half bark and half yell--springing hither and thitheramong each other, sometimes vaulting over each other's backs, anddarting as close to the bristling dog as their mortal dread of the firewould permit. 

Terror stood on the outskirts of the camp, occasionally moving forwardtoward the animals, as if to match his long white teeth and massivestrength against their glittering fangs and treacherous ferocity. 

When the two guns were discharged the rest disappeared as if a bombshellhad exploded in their midst; but scarcely a dozed seconds elapsed erethey closed together again, fiercer and more clamorous, if possible, than before. 

In a few moments the boys had their guns reloaded, and they immediatelyrepeated their former proceeding with precisely the same result. At thispoint a surprising occurrence came to pass. The dead wolverines werepounced upon by their survivors and torn instantly to shreds, and evendevoured with as much avidity as if they were Terror and his humancompanions. 

"Did you ever hear of such a thing?" asked Elwood, watching them ingreat amazement. 

"Yes; I have read of wolves doing the same, even when one of theirnumber was not killed but only wounded slightly. "

"Any animals that act in that manner deserve death; so let's send a fewmore rifle-balls among them. "

"If we keep this up for a few hours I don't see that there will be anyleft, and we may rest in peace. "

"They will keep on gathering until there are twice that number. If itwasn't for our fire we should have to take to the trees; and what, then, would become of poor Terror?"

"He will get into trouble as it is, " said Howard, "if we don't keep aneye on him. "

The dog had continued advancing closer to the wolverines, until therewas an imminent probability of a collision occurring between him and twoof the largest, that sprung forward until they were within a few inchesof him, when they darted back again to repeat the feint, seemingly withthe purpose of drawing the Newfoundland further toward their clutches. 

Howard spoke sharply to Terror, but he paid no heed to the call. The boyrepeated it with the same uselessness, and he was beginning to becomeseriously alarmed for his fate when Shasta laid down his pipe and roseto his feet. The eyes of the three were now centered upon him. 

The Pah Utah left his gun and blanket upon the ground, so that his armsand breast, excepting a few ornaments, were bare. He then drew his keenhunting-knife and held it rigidly grasped in his right hand. Stoopingdown, he caught a blazing brand with his left, swung it rapidly over hishead a few times to give it additional blaze, and then darted away likea meteor directly among the wolverines. The latter scattered in greaterterror than ever, but the Indian, instead of returning, actuallyfollowed them. 

The brand could only be seen flitting among the trees, its flaming glaregiving a wild, unearthly appearance to the face and breast of the Savageas he sped swiftly in and out among the trunks and vegetation, like anavenger bent on destroying the entire band. 

One of the largest wolverines, in his wild fear, sprung so close toElwood that his tail whisked against him. Ere he could clear himself theIndian burst upon him, his iron arm flashed out with lightning-likeswiftness, the wire-like fingers caught the brute by the neck, and theknife was buried so deep in his throat that when he was thrown back hefell limp and dead to the ground. After which Shasta sat down upon theground again, folded his blanket over his shoulders and appeared muchoccupied in contemplating the burning sticks before him. 

"Mr. Shasta, that was well done!" exclaimed Tim in admiration. "I verymuch doubt whether it could be excelled by your humble servant, theundersigned. "

"I very much doubt it also, " said Elwood. "I shouldn't fancy chasingthose animals with a firebrand. "

"No; if you should drop it or fall down unpleasant consequences mightfollow. "

The boys kept up their loading and firing among the wolverines untilthey had slain over a dozen. But instead of diminishing, the numbercontinued to increase till there must have been nearly two-scoregrowling, snapping and snarling around the camp-fire. 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

SHASTA'S HUMOR. 

The camp-fire was kept burning unremittingly until morning, and thewolverines as unceasingly continued their clamor, so that none of theparties secured a moment's sleep. The boys were signaled several timesby Shasta to lie down, but they were too unaccustomed to such sights andsounds to permit them to do so with anything like peace; so they usedtheir rifles upon the savage animals until prudence advised them tohusband their ammunition until they had better use for it. 

Tim O'Rooney was fully as restless as they. He was in continual dreadthat some of the treacherous animals would steal up behind him andfasten their teeth so securely in him that they could not be shaken off. This uneasiness caused him ever to be shifting his position, now on oneside the fire, now on the other--springing suddenly upward as though healready felt the nip of their fangs. 

The Pah Utah, at this time, displayed a grim humor, so exceptional withhis people, as to be almost incredible, except to the boys who werewitnesses to it. Believing such traits should be encouraged among allaborigines as an antidote for their melancholy dispositions, it gives usgreat pleasure to record it, and it will afford us far greater enjoymentto testify regarding any other such performances that may come under ournotice. 

Tim was standing with his back toward the fire, and his hands, carelessly crossed behind him. He was intently watching the quarrelsomeanimals, and all thoughts of attack in the rear had for the timedeparted. Shasta leaned silently forward and lifted a small brand torelight his pipe, which had gone out some time before. As he was passingit back to the embers the red coal just grazed one of Tim's fingers, while at the same instant the Indian imitated the snarl of the wolverineso exactly that the follow was sure he was seized, and he made the mostagile leap of his life. 

"Murther! murther! pull him off, Mr. Shasta, catch hold of him!"exclaimed the affrighted Irishman, springing wildly on every side of thefire, and striking with blind fierceness at the imaginary brute in hisrear. 

Howard and Elwood laughed till the tears rolled down their cheeks. Theyhad seen Shasta's trick and they could therefore appreciate it. Never asmile lit up the grim face of the Pah Utah. He continued leisurelysmoking, his keen black eyes looking dreamily into the fire, as if lostin some pleasant reverie. 

But what of that? Who can doubt, that he laughed internally full asheartily as the youngsters? Who can tell what surges, and waves, andripples of laughter went through and through him, until his whole beingwas absorbed in merriment?

Finally Tim's terror passed away and he became comparatively quiet. 

"Worrah! worrah!" he exclaimed, panting from his severe exertions. "Whata narra 'scape I had. "

"Did he really bite you?"

"Bite me! Didn't ye see him fasten his teeth in me and hang on till Ishuk him off?"

"No; I didn't observe him. "

"Git out wid ye nonsense. But I felt him sure and it was meself thatthought once he'd pull me off into the darkness and make me a prey tothe beasts there--that I did think, did I. "

"No danger, " remarked Howard, as he and his cousin were unable torestrain their laughter. 

"What be ye spalpeens laughing at?" indignantly demanded the Irishman. 

"But, Tim, are you sure you were not mistaken? We saw nothing of thekind, " pursued Howard. 

The fellow looked too full of indignation to speak. 

"What is getting into your heads? Ye saam to be losing your sinsesintirely. "

"And I can say I saw none of them touch you. "

"Then you was blind, " was the indignant retort. "Ye harrd him sing outat me heels, didn't you?"

"Of course, we heard them all the time, as we do now; but the one youimagined so close may have been a dozen feet distant. "

"_But he bit me!_" was the triumphant reply to this. 

"Where?"

"On the hand. "

"Let us see the mark!"

The boys arose and walked up to their friend, who bent over the fire, held his hand close to his face, turning it over and over andscrutinizing it with the closest attention. Concluding he was mistaken, he exchanged it for its fellow, which was subjected to an equally severecross-examination. Still nothing confirmatory of his words could befound. 

The amazed Irishman now held up both his hands, turning them over andover and pressing them close to his face. 

"Do yees saa anything?" he abruptly asked, thrusting them toward theboys. 

They went through the form of a search for a scratch or a bite, butdeclared themselves unable to discover any. 

"Don't you feel any pain?" asked Howard. 

"I thought I did, " replied Tim, with a serious, puzzled look upon hiscountenance. 

"In what part of your body?"

"Whisht!"

He motioned to them to maintain silence, while he closed his eyes andwaited for some evidence of the pain he had so sharply felt a fewminutes before. As he stood thus, he stealthily brought each hand aroundin front of his face and subjected them to the same examination. 

Suddenly his eye sparkled, and he held out his left:

"That's the hand!" he exclaimed exultingly. 

"Let's see?" asked the boys, stepping up to him. 

"Yees'll find it somewhere there, if yees'll take the throuble toexamine it closely. "

They did so, but declared themselves unable to find the wound. 

Tim finally showed a small red spot upon one of the fingers, which heaffirmed was where the cruel tooth did bite him. 

"That cannot be, for the skin is not broken. "

"But it faals as if the same had been bit off. "

"It looks more like a burn, " added Elwood. 

Tim now turned around and looked at the Pah Utah. The latter was smokinghis pipe, as if unconscious of the presence of any being or animal nearhim. Perhaps they were mistaken, but Howard and Elwood always affirmedthat they detected a twitching at the corners of his mouth, as if hewere ready to explode with laughter. 

But if it was that, it was nothing more, and it manifested itself in noother manner. Tim gazed fixedly at him a moment, and then turning to theboys, asked in a whisper:

_"But didn't ye hear it snarrl at meself?"_

CHAPTER XXXII. 

AGAIN ON THE RIVER. 

The Newfoundland, Terror, occasioned more apprehension to his friendsthan did anything else. They came to see that no personal dangerthreatened so long as the fire kept burning, and as there was anabundance of fuel, this settled that point; but the dog grew enraged atthe furious uproar, which drove away all sleep, and appeared to give himfear that the entire party were in danger. 

Several times, when some of the wolverines came too close, he made aspring at them, and they snapped back. But the good sense of the dogkept him from venturing among the ravenous brutes, and they in turn werein too much dread of the fire to do more than spring at him and then asquickly dart back again. 

It was an impressive sight and one which could never be forgotten. Thelarge, noble Newfoundland, standing out in relief against the glare ofthe camp-fire, his eyes aflame with anger, every muscle braced, the jawsparted and his eyes fixed upon the dark bodies plunging over each other, darting forward and back again, snapping, snarling and furious; the PahUtah stretched upon the ground, deliberately smoking, all unheedful ofthe deafening clangor and the savage brutes that sometimes approachedalmost within striking distance; the two boys, so close to the fire thatthey were often scorched by it, gazing at the animals with an expressionof half fear and half wonder, starting when one of them came unusuallynear, and now and then sending the fatal bullet among them; the nervousIrishman, darting hither and thither, taking great care that the firewas kept fully burning; all these, we say, made a scene impressive inthe highest degree. 

Terror, when sharply spoken to, would withdraw from his dangerousproximity to the wolverines, but almost immediately he stepped forwardto the same spot he first occupied, and his obedience to the commands ofthe boys was so sullen and ill-natured that they forebore speaking tohim except when his safety seemed absolutely to demand it. 

At times there was an interruption in the clamor, but the wolverines didnot appear to relax their vigilance in the least. It was as if they haddetermined to make their evening meal upon the party though they wereforced to wait until morning for it. During these intervals ofcomparative silence our friends gained opportunity for the exchange of afew words, but they were often compelled to shout at the top of theirvoices to make themselves heard. 

During one of these lulls Elwood spoke to Howard. 

"What will take place in the morning, when these creatures are notafraid of our fire?"

"I think they will go away. "

"Perhaps so: but we are not so sure of that. "

"Shasta will no doubt turn the whole thing over in his mind, and beprompt enough to act when the danger comes. I suppose we can take to ourcanoes and give them the slip in that manner. "

"Yes; the Indian appears to have rather a contemptible opinion of them. He scarcely heeds their wrangling. "

"He is not so timid as we and Tim are; but he doesn't forget to look atthem once in a while, so as not to forget what they are doing. "

"They are a savage set of animals. How angry Terror is! Don't you noticethat they are trying to entice him to venture out a little nearer them?They hate him more than all of us. "

"Do you think so?"

"You can see it in their manner. If they can once get hold of him theywill tear him to shreds. "

"And they will catch him, too, if he isn't careful. He is so surly andcross himself that it is dangerous to touch or speak to him. "

"We can't afford to lose him. We must watch, and if he gets too close toany of them, why, all we shall have to do is to crack them over, andgive the others warning to keep their distance. "

While they were speaking a huge wolverine darted close enough to strikeTerror. Instantly the two closed and rolled upon the ground in thefierce death struggle. Over and over, snapping, snarling, growling, biting, scratching with lightning-like fierceness, now one below andthen the other, and finally the dog on top. 

The conflict was as short as it was furious. The massive jaws of theNewfoundland closed on the throat of his antagonist and his teeth metthrough his windpipe. There they stuck for a minute, and when he relaxedhis hold it was all over with the reckless animal. 

Still it would have fared ill with the dog but for Shasta, for the otherwolverines would have sprung upon him and destroyed him before he couldhave escaped. At the moment the two closed the Indian darted forward, seized a brand and flourished it over the combatants. This so terrifiedthe others that they kept their distance until the conqueror resumed hisplace in triumph by the fire. 

This encounter proved it lesson to both the dog and the wolverines. Thelatter appeared to comprehend the disadvantage under which they wereplaced, while Terror, having had a taste of their mettle, was satisfiedfor the time, and kept a safe position further away from the brutes thatwere so eager to fasten their teeth in him. 

It was now verging toward morning, and the Pah Utah looked about him asif he were going to make his preparations for moving. He looked towardthe raging creatures, still fierce and furious, and then glanced at thecanoes drawn up within a few feet of the camp-fire, and pointed towardthem and the river. 

Fortunately but a few feet intervened between their present position andthe stream, so that the latter was easy of access in case it shouldbecome necessary to retreat before the wolverines. Still the fire didnot protect this enough to make it a safe undertaking in their presentsituation. 

Shasta picked up several blazing sticks, and carrying them to thewater's edge, placed them together and covered them with some drybrush-wood. They speedily fanned themselves into a flame, and thegathering brutes withdrew and offered a fine approach to the river. 

The Indian's next proceeding was to launch the two boats. This was doneeasily and without difficulty. The blankets and guns were placed within, and then motioned for the dog to follow; but Terror did not seemdisposed to leave his present quarters. Perhaps the idea worked its wayinto his shaggy head that it savored too much of deserting his friends, or it may be that he still coveted a taste for another collision withthe audacious animals that had pressed him so sorely. 

Our brave soldier boys, who abhor bloodshed from a principle, still havea love for the wild abandon of camp life, and many a one looks back witha sigh to the rough experiences which we all pray may never come again. So it may be the Newfoundland, naturally peaceful, having had his bloodfairly roused by his tussle and triumph, yet longed for more of victory. 

Finally Howard and Elwood took their seats, and Tim O'Rooney followed;then Terror, casting one reluctant look behind him, jumped into the boatand lay down in his usual position; and so, at length, they all wereembarked in safety. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

A HALT. 

It was just growing light as the two canoes shoved out in the river andresumed their journey. The rapacious wolverines, enraged at the loss oftheir expected prey, followed them to the very edge of the stream, wheretheir ear-splitting clamor grew more furious than ever. At one time, indeed, it looked us though they were about to jump into the water andswim out to them; and both the boys looked inquiringly at the face ofthe Pah Utah. The stolid, indifferent expression that they there sawrelieved them, and they withdrew all further thought regarding thetroublesome animals. 

Shasta had loosened the connection between the two boats--not, perhaps, that he was unwilling to carry them also along, but because he judged itwas time that the party learned to navigate for themselves. 

Tim O'Rooney grasped the paddle, and his handling of it showed noordinary skill. He had greatly improved upon his performance ofyesterday, and kept his position slightly in the rear of the othercanoe, whose owner, as a matter of course, timed his speed to that ofhis pupil. 

When the Irishman was tired he passed the paddle to Howard, who had beencarefully studying the "style" of Shasta, and whose efforts were modeledafter his. Practice alone can make perfect, no matter if the theory inabsolutely so. The mind may hold the exact idea, and may send theprecise message through the nerves to the muscles, but the latter mustmake a good many trials before they can carry out orders with exactness. 

And so the boy, although, as he believed, he imitated exactly the mannerof their dusky friend, was not long in finding that the paddle was by nomeans as obedient. The reason was that the delicate play of the ironmuscles of the Pah Utah could not be seen. They had done this thing sooften that it became a matter of course with them. 

But having started upon right principles, by the time the boy was soexhausted that he could not move his arms, he could see that he hadimproved, or as the sovereign people say, "he was getting the knack ofit. " It was now Elwood's turn, and he caught the paddle with all theenthusiasm which might be expected in a youngster who had beenimpatiently waiting to take part in some game. 

By the time Elwood needed rest, Tim O'Rooney was ready, and so thepaddle did unceasing work, each member having all the time necessary forrest, until after they had been to work some hours, the boys found theirarms remained tired, and a longer cessation needed. 

Shasta seemed to look upon these essays of his friends with no littlepleasure. He watched their movements all the time, and a horriblesuspicion once entered the head of Tim O'Rooney that he saw him comevery near smiling. Whether there were any grounds for this suspicionprobably will never be known, unless the Pah Utah takes it into his headto write and tell us. 

Shasta remained a few feet in advance, his back being placed toward theprow of his own boat. This relative position--and our "pale faced"friends, it may be said, labored savagely--was kept by him without anyeffort. Now and then he touched the point of his paddle, but there wasscarcely a ripple. It was as a fish is sometimes seen to move throughthe water with the slightest quiver of its fins. 

When all three of our friends were used up, red in the face, panting andsighing for a chance to take a good long rest, a tiny island came inview round a bend in the river, and to their joy they saw Shasta fix hiseye upon it and then head his canoe toward the point. Cheered by theprospect, they renewed their work with greater ardor, and in a fewmoments the boats buried their points in the luxuriant undergrowth alongthe shore. 

The island was quite small, and offered no inducements in the way ofgame, unless some animal in crossing the river had paused to rest itselfand make an exploration of the place. This was scarcely to be expected, and none of the party based any hopes upon it. 

After the inmates of the large canoe had stepped upon shore, Shasta senthis backward into the river again by a sweep of his paddle, and headedfor the eastern bank, shooting over the surface with amazing speed. Hismovements were watched with interest and some surprise. 

"What can it mean?" asked Elwood. 

"Perhaps he is going to leave us. "

"I don't think he would do it in that manner. He will make an elaborategood-by for us, for we are getting to understand each other quite wellby means of signs. "

"Arrah now!" exclaimed Tim O'Rooney, "didn't ye saa that he wasdisgusted wid our paddling and kaaping him back, and has gone out jistthat he may enj'y the pleasure of shtretching his arms in theowld-fashioned manner, as Father O'Shaughnessy said when he tipped overhis brother?"

This may have satisfied the Irishman, but hardly the boys. It did notlook reasonable to them that the Indian, having just finished threetimes the amount of work performed by each, was in so great need ofadditional exercise that he must abandon his friends and paddle off overthe river. 

"I think he is going to hunt for fish, " said Elwood. 

"But he could have caught them without going to land. "

"Perhaps not. I noticed yesterday that he went where there was a sort ofeddy, and you see he can't find that very well unless it is close byland. "

Howard pointed to the lower end of the island:

"What better place could he find than that? It is just the spot to catchfish. "

By this time Shasta's canoe had reached the bank, but instead of landinghe turned the prow down stream, and slowly glided along as if in questof something. This to Tim O'Rooney was proof of the truth of hisdeclaration. 

"What did I tell yees? The thrip to shore was not enough, and he'staking a wee turn further. "

"He is looking for a good fishing ground, " affirmed Howard. "If it wereanything else he would not go so slowly. "

"But, see! he has stopped?"

As Elwood spoke the Pah Utah rose in his canoe and stepped ashore. Hestooped and employed himself a moment with the canoe and thendisappeared. 

"It cannot be that he has left us, " said Elwood, in considerable alarm. 

"No; I think he is hunting for game. "

This seemed very reasonable, and the party waited patiently for hisreturn. No personal danger to himself could be expected, as he could notbe approached undiscovered by any hostile white man, and being an Indianhe could have no cause to fear anything from his own race. 

Still there was a vague misgiving that everything was not right--thatsomething unusual would be the result of this separation--and eachmember of the little party awaited, with more anxiety than he would haveconfessed, some evidence of the intention of the Pah Utah. 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

EXIT SHASTA. 

The three whites were still gazing toward the eastern shore, intentlylooking for some sign, or listening to some sound which might tellsomething regarding Shasta, when they were startled by a loud whirringor buzzing overhead, and looking up saw a large bird passing within afew feet of them--so close that its claws could be seen curled upagainst its body, as it made a sudden sweep to the right, frightened atits near approach to its human enemies. 

"Shoot it!" called out Elwood to Howard. "My gun isn't loaded, and itwill make us a good breakfast. "

But the bird, whatever it was, did not choose to wait until the heavyrifle could be brought to bear upon it; and by the time Howard hadfairly got the idea through his head, it was skimming away over thecountry toward the Coast Range. 

But a sharper eye and an unerring aim was leveled against it, and asthey were watching its flight it suddenly turned over and over, itsgreat wings going like the arms of a windmill as it dropped swiftly tothe earth; and, as it disappeared in the trees and undergrowth, thecrack of a rifle came across the intervening space. 

"That was Shasta!" exclaimed Elwood in delight. 

"Certainly, we might have known what he was after. He thinks we do notadmire fish as a steady diet and has gone after fowl for us. "

"I don't know about that, " said Elwood, who sometimes seemed toalternate with Howard in his knowledge of the ways of the wood. "I can'tsee that there was any more chance of seeing birds there than upon theisland. That same fowl passed closer to us than it did to him. "

"I suppose, " laughed Howard, "that he was hunting after game of somekind, and had no idea of shooting the bird until it passed so near himthat he saw it was quite the thing we needed, and so he toppled itover. "

"Me views intirely, " assented Tim. "I agraas wid both of yees. "

A few moments later the Pah Utah appeared with the bird in his hand, andflinging it into the canoe quickly paddled back to the island. His birdproved to be a species of wild goose, that seemed to have strayed fromits flock and gone wandering through the Salinas Valley at this seasonof the year ultimately to fall before the rifle of Shasta. 

Our friends were in ecstasies over their prospective meal. The Indiandisplayed the same skill in dressing the bird that he did in preparingthe fish. The feathers were quickly twitched off, and the dry driftwoodpiled upon the upper end of the island was the best fuel they could havehad for the purpose. When done, it was "done brown, " and to a turn; andto the famishing travelers nothing could have been more savory andluscious. 

The truth of it was, the boys found that this kind of life was agreeingwith them amazingly. Their appetites were fierce, their sleep sound, anda feeling of perfect health diffused itself through their glowingframes, such as they had never known before. Their exposure to the nightair troubled them at first, but they soon recovered from it and enjoyed"camping out" as thoroughly as did old campaigners. 

It was a very good thing, it is true, for a while; but don't let anyboys get the idea of following their example, unless they are compelledin precisely the same manner to do so. If any youngster imagines he hasformed true ideas of distant countries from the narratives of adventureswhich he may have read, he will find himself most woefully mistaken. Never think of traveling until you are a married man, and by that timeyou will have made up your mind to be sensible and stay at home. 

When the meal was finished, and their appetites satisfied, the Pah Utah, instead of immediately embarking, walked to the lower end of the island, and stood for some time apparently examining some sign further down theriver. Following the direction of his eyes, our friends could seenothing unusual until Elwood detected something in the air on thewestern bank which at first resembled a light cloud, but which theyimagined might be caused by a camp-fire. 

Whatever it was that attracted the attention of Shasta he took but a fewmoments to decide regarding it. Going again to his canoe, he entered itwithout a word or sign, and paddled away at his swiftest rate straighttoward it, while his companions watched the proceeding with as muchinterest as in the preceding case. 

The camp appeared fully a half-mile distant, and it took but a shorttime for the Indian to reach a point opposite, when he sprung lightlyashore and disappeared with his usual celerity. 

"He is cautious, " remarked Elwood. "He doesn't wish us to undertake topass it unless he is sure there will be no trouble. "

"A sinsible young man!" asserted Tim. "His parents have the best raisonfor faaling proud of so promising a young gintleman. "

"And so have we. "

A few moments elapsed, when the Pah Utah reappeared and came back asrapidly as he went. 

The first thing he did upon reaching the island was again to fasten theboats together, and then motion to the three to enter. This, of course, they did without delay, and took their usual positions. 

But Shasta was not satisfied. He told them, in his manner, to lie down;and not until the three had so arranged themselves as to be invisiblefrom both shores, did he dip his paddle and resume his journey. 

"This means danger, " said Elwood. "He doesn't wish any one to know weare in the boats. "

"And we must be sure and obey him. "

"It's aisy doing, as my brother used to say whin his wife tould him, inher gintle manner, by the help of her broomstick, to go to bed. "

"And, Elwood, you are close to Terror, see that he doesn't let hiscuriosity got the better of his judgment. "

The Pah Utah was satisfied, and now began plying his paddle. It wasdifficult for the three so to govern their curiosity as not to peep overthe side of the canoe; but there were good reasons for their not doingso, and they scarcely moved a limb for the next hour. 

They had gone but a little way when Terror raised his head and uttered aslight bark; but a word from Elwood quieted him. Finally, Shasta pausedand uttered a guttural sound in his own tongue, which was taken aspermission for them to rise. 

As they did so, they looked behind. The dim smoke ascending in thesummer sky was seen far behind, and between it and them the Salinas madeanother bend, so that they had no cause to fear observation from thatparty at least. 

Shasta again disconnected the two canoes--an act which did not surprisethem; but his next proceeding astonished them a good deal. 

Reaching across the boats, he shook hands with them all, at the sametime muttering a word or two to each. 

"He is going to leave us, " said Elwood, with an air of disappointment. 

"He has good reason for doing so, but I am afraid it will be bad forus. "

"Adieu, Mr. Shasta, adieu!" said Tim O'Rooney, with considerablefeeling. "You've done us a good turn and we'll not forget you. If yezever drifts into San Francisco, give us a call. "

The Indian motioned to them to proceed, and using his paddle with hisextraordinary skill, he sped up the river toward the camp-fire, and in avery short time vanished. 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

THE WESTERN SHORE. 

The departure of Shasta gave rise to all manner of doubt andspeculation. None of them believed he meditated bidding the partygood-by until he went through the ceremony of shaking hands. Thissettled the matter, and they could have no cause for hope of seeing himagain. 

"That must have been a party of his people, " said Howard, "or he wouldnot have taken the pains to help us out of sight. "

"At any rate, he has done us good service, " replied Elwood. "I don'tknow what would have become of us but for him. "

They had not yet begun using their paddle, but were drifting with thecurrent, debating upon their course of action. 

"I think I understand why he left us, " added Howard, after a moment'spause. 

Tim and Elwood looked up in his face. 

"I think we have passed through most of the danger, and he thought wewere just as safe without him as with him. Don't you see, Elwood, thatwe have come a good ways down the river, and we must be near somesettlement. I think there is a place called Soledad somewhere along thisriver, but whether on the eastern or western bank I cannot tell. "

"It is a good ways off, I should say fifty miles, and is on the westernbank. "

"How comes it that _you_ are so well informed?" asked Howard, repeatingthe question that had been asked him by his cousin when on the steamer. 

"It is only accidentally that I know that. A few weeks ago I wascomparing an old and new geography and noticed what different views theygave of the western part of our country. The old maps had theBuenaventura so wrong in every particular that I learned considerableabout the true one, which you know is called Salinas by most people. "

"If we are very careful, I think we can get home without trouble; butalthough there must be white people--settlers and miners--in theseparts, still they are so scattered that we are less likely to see themthan we are the Indians. "

"Boys, " said Tim O'Rooney, who had not let his pipe go out sincemorning. "Shall I give yez some good advice?"

Both expressed their eagerness to receive it. 

"There bees plenty of the rid gintlemen yet in this counthry, and wehaven't got beyant them. If we goes paddling in this canoe when the sunis shining overhead, some of 'em will see us, and if we don't put intoshore they'll put out after us--that they will. "

"What is it that you propose, then?"

"That we turns the night into day, and slaaps and smokes and meditatesby sunlight, and does our traveling by moonlight, or what is bether, without any light at all. "

This proposal suited the boys exactly. It was so plainly dictated bycommon sense that the wonder was they had not thought of it long before. Elwood took the paddle in his hand and held it poised. 

"Which way--east or west?"

Howard pointed to the left bank. 

"That is the side where _they_ are, " replied Elwood, referring to theIndian party they had passed. 

"And where _he_ is, " meaning their good friend, the Pah Utah. 

"To the left--to the left, " said Tim. "Didn't I git into the worstthrouble of me life--always barring the repulse me Bridget give me--byhunting in them parts?"

Elwood delayed no longer, but plied the oars with a dexterity thatshowed his experience had not been lost upon him. 

"You understand it quite well, " said Howard approvingly. 

"Yes; but my arms ache terribly. "

"Ah! here we are. "

The prow of the canoe moved as silently and easily into the undergrowthas if it were water, and our friends at a step passed from every portionof it to dry land. 

As they intended remaining in their present quarters until darkness, they took some pains to select a suitable place. They finally hit upon aspot, on an incline of the river bank, and about a dozen yards distant. Here the grass was green and velvety, and the wood so thick that theyhad little fear of discovery, unless by some who had seen them land andtook the trouble to hunt them out. 

It was about noon when they landed, and as they had all spent a wakefulnight, their first proceeding was so to arrange themselves as to enjoy aquiet sleep. Terror was placed on duty as sentinel, and all lay downwith a sense of security to which they had been strangers in a longtime. 

As usual, the boys were the first to awake, doing so almost at the samemoment. They saw by the sun that the afternoon was about half gone, butthey were not troubled from hunger, as their morning meal may be said tohave been their midday one, and had been one of those royal ones whosememory is apt to linger a long time with us, especially if we are boys. 

"This is tiresome, " said Elwood, yawning and stretching his limbs, "letus take a tramp of discovery. "

The proposal suited Howard, although prudence told him to remain wherehe was and keep his friend with him. But the restraint was so irksomethat he was all too willing a listener to the persuasions of hiscompanion. 

"I noticed there was quite a high range of hills just back of us, " addedElwood. "Let's take a look at them. "

"Is it prudent?" and Howard only repeated audibly the question that hisconscience had just asked him. 

"Prudent? Of course it is, if we only take good care of ourselves. "

"Shall we awake Tim before we go?"

"No; he will sleep until to-morrow morning. "

"We must leave Terror to watch him then, for it wouldn't do for him tolie alone and asleep. "

"Of course not. "

The Newfoundland, which had risen to his feet, was told to remain onguard, and the boys started off on a ramble that was to be a mosteventful one to them. 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE RAMBLE. 

After the restraint the boys had undergone, cramped in the canoe, andnot daring to wander out of sight of their camp-fire when upon shore, there was a delicious relief in rambling through the woods. The clear, pure air that was dry and cool in the shadow of the forest, theundulating, charming scenery, the novel look that rested upon all theysaw--these possessed a charm to our young friends which they hardlycould have resisted, even if they had the will to do so; but when we saythat after starting forth scarcely a thought of their imprudence enteredtheir heads, it was but natural that they should find themselves ledmuch further away than was either wise or consistent with the resolveswith which they left their friends, Tim and Terror. 

They took no notice of the direction they were following, nor of thedistance they had gone, until near the middle of the afternoon Howardabruptly paused and asked, with a look of alarm:

"Elwood, what have we done?"

"Why? What is the matter?"

"We must be a mile off from Tim, and it will be dark before we can getback. "

"O! I think not. You know we have walked very slowly, and we can hurrywhen we take it into our heads to return. "

"But do you know the way?"

"Certainly. Don't you?"

"What course must we follow?"

Elwood pointed to the northwest, which, while it was not far from theirgeneral course, was by no means the proper one by which to rejoin theircompanion. 

"How strange!" said Howard. "It seems to me that yonder is the pointfrom which we started. "

And _he_ pointed nearly due west, just as wrong as he could possibly be. 

"You are wrong, " said Elwood positively. "I am sure of the right way. "

"We won't dispute over it, " replied his companion, with some sadness, "for it is very doubtful if either of us is right. "

"All we have to do then, is to hunt for the river and follow that upuntil we find Tim sound asleep. "

"Yea; but how is the river to be found? To you it lies in one place, andto me in another. "

"But I can prove that you are wrong, and, " laughed Elwood, "that I am, too, although I was never right. "

"How so?"

"The sun sets in the west, and notice where it is. "

Howard now opened his eyes in amazement. He would have been sure that itwas going down in the other part of the sky; but the proof before hiseyes was irrefragable. 

"It must be, " he replied. "We have been 'turned round. ' Just as when weleft the wharf at New York. I was below when the steamer came out, andso long as New York was in sight I was sure it lay in the wrong place. "

"But, how bad even that makes it! We cannot reach the river before dark, and we shall not know whether we am a mile above or below where Tim issleeping. "

"If we go straight for the river, I think it likely that we shall comemuch nearer him than that. "

"It may be, but how are we to tell?"

"Why, if we don't find him by night, we can fire oft our guns and callto him. "

"And bring a party of the savages down upon us. "

"That may be if there are any in the neighborhood, but we shall have torun the risk. "

By this time the boys were fully impressed with their want of discretionand with the urgent necessity of making all haste back to the river. 

"Let us keep our thoughts about us, " said Howard, "for we have beenwithout them long enough. Now, the Salinas River runs very nearly northand south, doesn't it?"

"This portion of it does. "

"Then we must go as nearly east as we can, and let's be off. "

Turning their backs upon the sun, they began retracing their steps; butthey had journeyed scarce half an hour when they found themselves near arange of hills, which they were sure they had not passed through, anddid not remember to have seen. 

"What does this mean?" asked Howard, still more alarmed. "We never havebeen near these. "

"Are they not the hills we noticed just us we were about starting?"

"They cannot be;--these are larger, have not half as much wood uponthem. I tell you, Elwood, there is one thing sure. "

"I know what you mean. "

"What is it?"

_"We are lost!"_

[Illustration: "We are lost. "]

"You are right. We may find Tim again, but we are going to have troubleto do it. "

"Listen! He may call to us. "

They stopped walking find held their breath, but not a sound broke thesolemn stillness, save a faint, hollow roar--whether the deep murmurthat is always heard in a great forest, or the sound of the distantPacific Ocean they could not tell. 

"No; he is asleep yet, " said Elwood. "If he would only wake up he wouldshout to us. "

"Thus you see, if we shoot our guns, the chances are that _he_ will nothear it, while it may be the means of bringing to us the very ones weare so anxious to keep away. "

So they concluded not to fire their rifles for the present. 

"But these hills, " continued Howard, "they don't extend in any greatdirection either north or south. The question now is, shall we passaround the northern or southern end?"

"What difference will it make?"

"All the difference in the world. If Tim is to the south of us, and wepass around that way, I think we shall find him without much hunting, while if we take the wrong course it will be night before we can getanywhere near him. "

"I see, " replied Elwood. "We shall have to guess at it. But, hold!" heexclaimed, with sparkling eyes. "You go one way and I will another!"

Howard shook his head. 

"There is too much risk. "

"Not at all. The distance is short, and we can whistle to each otherevery few minutes. Then, you know, as we shall be looking for eachother, we cannot lose ourselves in these still woods. The minute I getsight of the river I can tell whether we are above or below Tim. "

Howard would not consent at first, but his cousin set forth theadvantages of the plan so eloquently that he finally agreed. Arrangingtheir signals and manner of proceeding, the boys, therefore, separated. 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

BACK TO CAMP. 

The hill which the boys proposed to pass around was about a quarter of amile in length and but slightly less in breadth--much greater thaneither of them suspected when they set out. It rose like a peak to theheight of several hundred feet, as if it were an offshoot from the mainridge of hills, left to flourish by itself. 

Howard walked slowly along, after glancing back at his cousin until theintervening wood concealed him from view, when he gave a short, sharpwhistle, which was immediately answered. Then, appreciating thenecessity of haste, he quickened his footsteps. 

As he advanced the hills assumed proportions of which he had notdreamed, and that raised in his mind strong doubts as to the wisdom ofseparating from his companion. He would not have done it had not thelatter urged him so. Misgivings now arose in the mind of the boy. Helooked upon his duty as that of restraining and tempering Elwood'simpulsiveness. He had done so several times to his manifest advantage;but on this day, as Howard looked back, it really appeared as if he hadbidden good-by to his senses. Their separation from Tim was almostcriminal in its foolishness, and yet he had scarcely raised anobjection; and now, was not the last proceeding still more imprudent? Asit stood, the three members of the little party who should never havebeen out of each other's sight, were now a good distance from eachother, and that, too, when in a hostile country. 

From these rather sad reflections Howard was roused by the faint, echoing whistle of Elwood. 

"He is all right, " thought he, feeling much relieved, as he placed hisfingers to his mouth and returned the whistle. "We are both now passingaround the hill, so that we cannot get further apart, and can keepwithin call all the time. "

Admonished by the lateness of the hour, Howard almost ran. He grewsomewhat impatient at the unexpected extent of the hill; but finally hepassed beyond the southern point, and as he stood and listened, he heardthe murmur of the river--proof that it was close at hand. 

"Now, " thought he, "if Elwood will only hurry, we have a good chance offinding Tim before he gives us up for lost. "

The boy could not see that anything at all was gained by their course inpassing around the ridge. Neither of them, were in sight of the river, and would have to advance still further before they could form any ideaof their whereabouts. He was resolved to do this in company with hiscousin, so that precisely the same thing would have been accomplishedhad they remained together. 

Howard having hurried a great deal, thought it likely that he was somedistance in advance of his cousin. He stood some minutes listening forhis signals, and then began walking toward the northern end of the hillthat he might meet him as he came around. He observed as he advancedthat they increased in rocky ruggedness, and could see that it was quitea feat to pass through them. 

Going some distance he paused again, and listened intently, but nothingbeside the deep murmur of the woods reached his ear. 

"What can it mean?" he finally asked himself, as a vague alarm creptover him. "We must be much closer together than we were before, and Ihaven't heard him whistle for the last half-hour. "

He began to doubt whether it was best to proceed further or not. Itmight serve only to mislead in case Elwood was searching for him. Stillhearing nothing to indicate the location of his friend, he made thesignal himself--a long, screeching whistle, that rang out in the solemnstillness with a penetrating clearness that sent the chills over himfrom head to foot. 

"He must hear that if he is within a mile, " was his reflection, as heleaned his head forward and listened for the first approach of theanswering sound. 

Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed away, but nothing was heard, and thepoor boy looked around in sore alarm. 

"Can it be that Elwood is jesting?" he asked himself. "He would not doso if he knew what I am suffering. "

Howard was now in great distress. He could not decide what to do. If headvanced he could feel no assurance of meeting his friend, while aretreat was equally hopeless. 

Where was Elwood? Had he wandered off among the hills, tempted by thewild scenery, and had he lost his way? Was he searching for his cousin?Or had he been found by Indians?

The last inquiry had been rising in Howard's mind for a half-hour, buthe had resolutely forced it down again, until he could keep it away nolonger. He could find no other reason to account for the silence, andfailure to answer his call. The whistle which he had given must havespread miles in every direction--so far that Elwood could not have gotbeyond its range had the course of both been precisely opposite. No; itmust----

But, hark! A faint, tremulous whistle comes to his ear. It is far awayand sounds among the hills behind, as though it had labored up from somecave or chasm miles distant. Howard held his breath, and as heanticipated, it came again so faintly and distantly that had he beenwalking he could not have heard it. 

On both occasions it sounded behind him among the hills, though itstremulous faintness made it appear as though it came from far up in theair, or down deep in some of the gorges of the hills--so uncertain wasthe exact point of its starting. 

Poor Howard was now in a dilemma. Whether to attempt to follow up thesignal or to go on to the river and search out Tim O'Rooney and theNewfoundland was a question which was difficult to decide. But hiseagerness to find his cousin led him on into the hills, until he hadpenetrated quite a distance. He then paused and listened for the signal, but none was ever to come to his ears again. 

Howard repeated the whistle over and over, and finally fired his gun;but both were equally fruitless. He waited where he was until dark, whenwith a sad heart he withdrew and resumed his tramp toward the river. Gloomy indeed were his meditations, as he reflected on the occurrencesof the day, and there was scarcely anything he would not do, if by anymeans he could recall _his_ part since he landed upon the main shore. 

In the course of half an hour he reached the river, and looked intentlyout into the semi-darkness to see whether he could recognize anythingfamiliar; but so far as he was able to see, all was strange, from whichhe concluded that he had struck at a point lower down than where Tim hadbeen left. 

He therefore began making his way south, that is, toward the source ofthe river, after halting and listening for some sound that might tellsomething either of Tim or Elwood. Suddenly a threatening growl startledhim, and then came the welcome bark of Terror, and the next moment thedog was frolicking around him and showing his delight in the mostextravagant manner. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

WAITING AND WATCHING. 

"Worrah! worrah! but this is a fine scare you've been givin' TimO'Rooney, so me uncle said whin they towld him his wife was coming overto Ameriky to see him. Here I've been awake fur the last two hours, jist, looking and expacting you to come back, and thinking the redcolored gintleman had carried you away entirely----"

Howard impatiently interrupted him. 

"Have you seen or heard anything of Elwood?"

"No-o-o!" replied Tim, his answer rising and falling in a circumflexthrough a half-dozen notes of the scale. 

_"Then he is lost!"_

"What?" fairly shrieked the Irishman. 

"He is lost in the woods. "

Howard had little heart to go over the experiences of the afternoon. Hesimply told his friend that he and Elwood had separated on their return, and he had been unable to find him again. 

"What did you separate for?" asked the listener. 

"Because I was a fool; but O, Tim, there is no use of regretting whathas been done. If Elwood is lost, I shall never leave this place. "

After a while Howard became more composed, and they conversed rationallyupon the best plan for them to follow. Tim O'Rooney was strenuous in hisbelief that Elwood had wandered off among the hills, and finding itgrowing dark, had sought some secure shelter for the night. He was surethat he would give vigorous signs of his whereabouts as soon as daydawned. 

There was something in the daring nature of the boy that made itprobable that Tim was right. Tempted out of his path by some singular orunexpected sight, he had wandered away until he found it too dark toreturn, and so had made the best of the matter and camped in some tree, or beneath the ledge of some projecting rock. 

Such was the theory of Tim O'Rooney, and so ingeniously did he enforceit that Howard could not avoid its plausibility. None knew better thanhe the impulsive nature of the boy, and such an act upon his part wouldbe in perfect keeping with similar exploits. 

There was but one thing that raised a doubt in the mind of Howard--andslight as was this, it was enough to give him sore uneasiness, and attimes almost to destroy hope. At the time the boys separated, Elwood hadshown a great anxiety to reach Tim, and proposed his plan in the beliefthat it would bring them together the more quickly. 

This made it seem improbable to Howard that he would have allowedanything to divert him from his course unless his personal safety causedhim to do so; but Tim said that if such were the case they would haveheard his gun. 

"Do you s'pose he's the boy to lit a wild animal or any of them redgintlemen step up to him without his tachin' thim manners? But he's theyoungster that wouldn't do the same. You'd hear that gun of his crackingaway as long as there was any lift for him to crack. "

"It may be as you think, Tim, but I believe it is worse. Suppose he isin the hands of some of these wandering bands of Indians. "

"S'pose he isn't. "

"We have done that; but let us face the worst. If he has been taken awayby them, what shall we do?"

"Hunt him up. "

"That is true, but how that is to be done is the difficulty. If we onlyhad Shasta with us. "

"Arrah, now, if ye'd had him ye'd've niver gone thramping off in thewoods and having me alone here with the dog. The red gintleman knowedwhat was best for us, and do ye mind, he kept his eye upon yez all thetime. "

Howard had thought the same thing a score of times since noon, and therewas no need of his being told how the Pah Utah would have acted had heremained with them. 

"I thinks Mr. Shasta isn't a great many miles off. P'rhaps, " added Tim, significantly, "he's kapin' watch upon us and will come to our help inour throuble. "

But the contingency, to Howard at least, was too remote for him to buildany hopes upon it. It seemed more probable that the Indian's friendshiphad led him much further out of the way than they had suspected, andthat he was now many a long mile off, speeding toward home. 

"He may find out that the youngster is wid 'em, " added Tim, "whin hewill hasten to his relaaf. "

"That seems the most likely. "

"There's but one thing agin it. "

"And what is that?"

But the Irishman was silent. The boy repeated his question. 

"It's bad--let it be. "

But Howard insisted. 

"Wal, you know, they may--wal--_put him out the way_. "

"O Tim!" groaned Howard, "that cannot be, that cannot be!"

"I hopes not, but there's no telling what these sarpints may take intotheir heads to do. They're a bad set of craytures, always barring Mr. Shasta, and I'd've thought a good daal more of the same if he'd onlystaid a few days longer wid us. "

"He thought we had enough sense to take care of ourselves, after he hadseen us through the most dangerous part of our journey, otherwise hewould have remained with us to the end. But, as I said a minute ago, itdoes no good for us to lament what cannot be helped. As soon as it islight we must go up among the hills with Terror and make a hunt forElwood. "

"Yees spake the truth. The dog may be smarter than we is, and I'mthinkin' it wouldn't have to be very smart to be in that same fix, andwe'll sarch till we finds out something about him. "

"It is fortunate for poor Elwood that the night is so mild andpleasant. "

"Fort'nit for ourselves, be the same towken; for without our fire we'dbe rather cool when we slept, and the cold would keep us awake allnight. "

"But we have the blanket with us, and that would protect us at any time, no matter how cold it might be. "

"Yis, " assented Tim, with a great sigh. "If I only had me pipe under wayI'd faal somewhat more comfortable, barring the worriment I faals at theabsence of the youngster. May God watch over him through the darkniss!"

"Amen!" was this reverent response of Howard. 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

THE SEARCH. 

All through the night Tim O'Rooney and Howard Lawrence sat in closeconsultation. Hunger and sleep were alike unthought of. Elwood Brandonwas lost, and that was all of which they could think or speak. How theylonged for the morning, and how impatient they were to be on the hunt!It seemed to Howard as if he could go leaping and flying down the chasmsand gorges among the hills, and never tire until he had hunted out andbrought back his cousin. Where could he be? If nestling in the branchesof a tree, or hid away among the rocks, was he asleep? Or if awake, ofwhat was he thinking? Did he believe that Howard was searching for him?Or did he imagine him also lost? It would not be reasonable to supposethat he had any suspicion of his finding Tim O'Rooney. 

If in the hands of California Indians----But it would be vain to traceout all the thoughts and speculations that ran through the head of theboy. Some of them were of the wildest and most grotesque character, andwould assume a ludicrous phase to one whose mind was not in such a whirlof excitement and distress. 

In the gloom of the wood the darkness was so intense that neither Timnor Howard could distinguish each other, though only a few feet apart. The Newfoundland lay close to his master, seemingly sound asleep, butmore heedful than the two of the approach of danger. 

Occasionally through the night the call of some wild animal washeard--sometimes distant and sometimes so near that they started totheir feet and were about to enter their canoe and shove out into thestream; but when it came no more they were reassured. Then somethinglike the report of a gun came faintly up the river to their ears. 

These sounds only served to render the night more gloomy and lonely, andto make the daylight the more welcome. 

"Now let's be off, " said Howard, as soon as it was light enough todistinguish each other's faces. 

"We must find some means of remembering this place, or we'll never seethe canoe agin, and will be obliged to sail into San Francisco on fut. "

The boat was drawn entirely out of the water and covered as much aspossible with leaves and undergrowth; for it was a loss that under anycircumstances they could not sustain. The feat of marking the place sothat they could readily return to it from any direction was moredifficult; but Howard finally hit upon quite an ingenious scheme. Theywaited until the sun had approached near enough to the horizon that theycould tell precisely the point where it would appear, and then turningtheir backs against it they walked forward until they reached the hillswhere Elwood had disappeared. Here they noticed the character andformation of the rocks so particularly that they could recognize themthe moment they saw them. Thus the hills were such a conspicuouslandmark as to be seen from a great distance; and, as they did notintend to go out of their sight, all they had to do was to hunt tillthey found this spot, and then walk due east. 

All this was agreed upon, and they were among the hills just as the sunwas coming up the horizon. Here, after whistling and shouting forsometime without receiving any response, they concluded to search forthe point where the boys separated. This was quite distant, and over anhour was required to find the place, and when it was discovered Howardcould not be positive that he was right. 

But as time was of the greatest importance, they pressed on, the dogsnuffing the ground as though he had scented the footprints, but hefailed to follow them with certainty. Several hundred yards brought themto an opening in the hills just broad enough to admit the body of a man. It was not a tunnel-like opening, but a rent, as if the hills had beenpulled a few feet asunder by the power of an earthquake. 

The two paused in doubt before this. 

"He went in there, " said Tim. "He couldn't help it, no matter how greathis hurry. "

"I am half disposed to believe you; at any rate let us follow it someways. "

Terror was running over the ground, as though he had made a discovery, and he finally whisked forward out of sight. 

"That looks as if he were upon his trail. "

"Yis, or somebody ilse's; maybe some of the rid gintlemen has took hismarnin' walk in this direction. "

They followed the path with caution, and were surprised the further theyadvanced. It wound around and among the rocks, which came so closetogether as to forbid the passage of a man, and the sides neverwithdrawing more than a dozen feet. 

"It looks as though it had been made on purpose, " said Tim, gazingaround him in admiration. 

Finally, it was broken up among the hills, after winding through everypoint of the compass for fully an eighth of a mile. It gradually rosefrom its commencement--occasionally interrupted by sharp ascents--untilits termination, when they found they had reached no mean elevation. 

Still the rocks rose on every hand, and shut out their view of thesurrounding country, but showed them a specimen of the wild sceneryproduced in California. The interior of the hills was cut up by chasms, gorges and ravines, and they heard, but did not see, the rush of a smallstream of water. 

They stood in silence a few moments and then Howard said:

"If he is lost in here there is no need of us looking for him. "

"And why not?"

"We might search till we died of old age, and never find the least traceof him. "

"And might discover the poor youngster's body the first half-hour wespint in looking. "

This last remark caused Howard to start off at once, fully resolved notto pause again in the search until compelled to do so. 

Terror was constantly commanded to hunt for the trail of the boy, andthe dog appeared to understand what was expected of him, for he wasrunning constantly hither and thither, but never gave sign that he hadfound anything positive. 

This fact led Howard to doubt whether Elwood had preceded them in thisplace. If he had really been here, he must have passed directly over thespot upon which they were standing, and it seemed hardly possible thatthe dog could miss the scent. So strong was he impressed with this thathe proposed to Tim O'Rooney to turn back and resume their search outsidethe hills; but he was so sure that Elwood Brandon could never havepassed unentered such an inviting opening that he would not consent towithdraw until they examined further. 

Looking around they saw several paths by which they could enter thewild, desolate-looking scene before them. Of course, it was all a matterof chance whether they took the one which had been followed by theirlost friend. Tim affirmed that the one that looked the most dangerousand uninviting was surely the right one; but Howard was hardly preparedto admit this. Selecting the most accessible, they carefully followed itfor over an hour. In and out among the rocks, sometimes over their tops, then between or around them, down through ravines, and then along theiredges, up the stony, earthy sides of the gorges, until at length theyhalted as they believed in the very heart of this wild looking place. 

"Here we are!" said Howard. "I don't see how we can advance much furtherwithout going out to the other side. "

"It's the qua'rest sight I iver looked upon, " said Tim, turning roundand round, meaning the wild scenery. 

"But there is nothing learned of Elwood. "

"Niver a sign do I saa of the youngster, " rejoined Tim. "I graive tothink we cannot be near him. "

"We have gone on the wrong track. "

"I'm a feared so. "

"Too bad, too bad, " wailed Howard, "what is to come of the poor fellow?"

"But we can't till, " hastily added Tim, "do yees put your fingers inyour mouth and give that jolly little whistle. "

Howard Lawrence was in the very act of doing so when his arm wassuddenly arrested by his companion, who, with an exclamation of surprisepointed to a ledge of rocks above them. 

CHAPTER XL. 

THE END OF THE SEARCH. 

About a hundred and fifty feet above them, almost perpendicularlyupward, stood an antelope, its small neck outstretched, and its dark, beautiful eyes fixed upon them with a wondering expression. It was onthe very edge of a projecting rock where one step more would bring itover. 

"It is jist the jintleman we wants, " whispered Tim, fearful that hewould alarm the timid animal. "We've ate but once in twenty-four hours, and I've jist learned from me stomach that it would have no objection tobreaking the same fast; so do yez jist kape still till I pops him over. "

"Can you hit him?" asked Howard, scarcely less excited than hiscompanion. 

"Be aisy now till ye see the scientific manner I takes to doot. "

"Well, be quick, for he is likely to vanish any moment. "

Tim O'Rooney carefully sighted his rifle, took a quick, steady aim, andpulled the trigger. Howard, who was keenly watching the antelope, saw itspring up, and as it came down it missed the cliff and fell almost attheir very feet with a violence and crash which must have broken halfthe bones in its body. 

"Arrah now, an' wasn't that done nicely?" exclaimed Tim, in greatexultation, as he ran up to the animal with his knife. 

"Are you going to dress it?"

"Yis; an' do yez gather what sticks an' stuff ye can, an' we'll have himcooked in a jiffy. "

Howard set about it, for he understood the wisdom of providingthemselves with food in the prosecution of this hunt, which in allprobability would employ them for some time to come. 

"Now, I will give the signal, " said he, when his work was completed. "Ifhe is within hearing he will answer it. "

"Yis; do your bist, while I pays my respects to this gintleman, an' doye do the listenin' while ye are about it, for I'm so taken up with thisjob that I haven't the time to attend to that aither. "

Howard strained his cheeks nearly to bursting, and completely exhaustedhimself in giving forth those ringing screeches which seem to comenatural to all school-boys, and are made by uniting the ends of twofingers, inserting them between the lips, and blowing with all themight. 

He listened--listened--listened--and then repeated the signal with adesperate fierceness that left him no strength at all; but all invain--the echoes died away among the rocks and hills, but no answer cameback. 

"It's no use, " remarked Tim O'Rooney, who despite what he had said waslistening as earnestly as his young friend. 

"The youngster don't hear us. We've got to make a hunt through this oldplace, and afore we begins it we'll take something for the stomach'ssake. "

The fire was kindled in the usual manner, and the dinner was notunskillfully prepared by the Irishman. They ate all they could hold. Thedog did the same. Tim lit his pipe, and then declared that he was readyfor any duty that might be required of him. 

As they rose to their feet they were somewhat alarmed at the appearanceof the sky. It was overspread with dark, threatening clouds, from whichissued rumbling peals of thunder and arrowy lines of lightning. Theybecame darker and more tumultuous each moment, until semi-darknessshrouded them. 

"We are going to have a storm, " remarked Howard. 

"Yis; and a good-sized one, too. "

"We shall have to find shelter for ourselves. If much rain falls, thisgorge looks to me as if it will be filled with water. "

"Worrah, now, but yez are a smart child!" exclaimed Tim O'Rooney, looking admiringly at the boy. "Scarcely mesilf would have thought ofthe same, and what a credit, therefore, that it should have come intoyour own. "

"I see nothing so wonderful about that. Almost any one would see thedanger we are in if we remain here when there is much rain falling. Itis just the place for a stream of water. "

"So it is--so it is; and yez can saa that there has wather been runningover the stones upon which we are standing. "

The storm which was so near at hand admonished them to lose no time inseeking shelter. This was a matter of small difficulty, as in such awild, rugged place there were any number of retreats. They clambered upthe path and over the rocks until they reached a point higher yet thanwhere the antelope had stood when pierced by the bullet that had tumbledhim over the cliff. They had brought a goodly portion of his meat withthem, for there was no telling when they would dare fire a gun again. 

A gaping, overhanging ledge, which fortunately was turned from thedirection of the storm, was selected as their house, and here they andthe dog nestled and waited for the storm to burst. A few large dropsthat cracked smartly upon the rocks and stones, was the herald of thecoming deluge; and then, at the same moment, with a terrific flash andreport, came the rain in torrents. 

They stood and watched the storm as it raged, and when there was amomentary cessation Howard threw his blanket over his head and said:

"I will run out to the edge of that rock and see whether there is anywater in the place where we took our dinner. "

"Be careful yez don't tumble over, " admonished Tim, feeling it his dutyto say something. 

"Never fear. "

Howard stepped hastily to the spot and looked carefully over. A tinystream was just beginning to run through the path they had occupied, which was increasing each moment, and would speedily reach theproportions of a torrent. But, although he saw this, there was somethingwhich interested him still more, and that was a party of five Indiansattentively examining the remains of the antelope, and the signs aroundit, as if they were seeking their explanation. They looked down to theground, and two of them pointed precisely in the direction which Tim andHoward had taken in leaving the place. 

The rain began falling again more copiously than ever, but Howard wouldnot have heeded it had he not been shrouded in the water-proof blanket. Those Indians had found their camp-fire and were at that momentdiscussing the best method of capturing him and Tim; but the rain camedown so furiously that they finally darted away to seek shelter, andHoward thereupon hurried back to his friend and told him all that he hadseen. 

"That settles the matter, " he added. "Elwood is in their hands, and ifwe aint careful we shall be with him, for they are searching for us. "

"But they can't find us--that they can't. "

"Why not?"

"This rain will wipe out our tracks as aisy as if yees had taken a clothand done it yourself. "

"That is true. "

Howard was greatly relieved when he reflected that this was true, andthat he and Tim were in no danger of capture from being pursued. 

The storm lasted several hours, and when it was finished they camecautiously forth and made their way stealthily back to where they hadleft the canoe. They had deliberated long and earnestly regarding ElwoodBrandon, and neither of them had any doubt but what he was in the handsof Indians. They had little fear of his being put to death, but believedhe would be held a prisoner until either rescued by Shasta, or a partycould be sent from the nearest post to ransom him. They had concluded tomake all haste homeward and adopt this method of rescue. 

And now, as they had given him up for a while, it is high time we tookhim in hand. 

CHAPTER XLI. 

A BOY LOST. 

When Elwood Brandon separated from Howard Lawrence on the afternoon oftheir ramble in the woods, it was with the firm intention of making allhaste around the range of hills, and there to unite with him in theirhunt for Tim. 

But, like too many boys, he suffered himself to be led from the surepath by the allurements of the false one. His example furnished astriking moral lesson, which he will doubtless remember to the day ofhis death. 

When we are following the course which conscience tells us is the trueone, although it may be rough and stony, and at times most difficult tokeep, yet the knowledge of what awaits us at the end should be proofagainst temptations to turn aside. Woe to him who chides the voice ofconscience and listens to that of the charmer!

Elwood had gone some distance, and was walking very rapidly, when hecame abruptly upon the opening in the rocks which has been mentioned inanother place. 

"Ah! here is a shorter cut across, " was his reflection as he saw it, andnot stopping to think further, he turned and walked rapidly through it. "I will beat Howard, " and he smiled at the thought. "What will he thinkwhen he gets around to see me waiting for him? I know he will run so asto be there first. "

Thus hopeful, Elwood hurried forward, thinking only of the surprise hewould give his cousin when they met again. As he found the path taking amost sinuous course, a dim idea came through his head that perhaps afterall he had not gained so much by "cutting across. " He would have turnedback as it was but for the rapidly increasing darkness and the beliefthat he must speedily emerge from the eastern side of the hills. 

While walking through a narrow part of the path, he was alarmed by therattling of some dirt, stones and debris over his head, and before hecould retreat or advance he was stricken on the head by several pieceswith such violence that he staggered and fell to the ground. 

He was not senseless, but somewhat stunned, and placed his hand on hishead to see whether it was cut. Finding no blood, he arose to his feetand replied to the whistle of Howard, which had been ringing in his earsfor the last ten minutes. 

Immediately after, he was taken with a sickness at the stomach, theresult, doubtless, of the mental shock received. Such was his faintnessand nausea that he lay down upon the ground for relief. When a boy feelsso sick--as shown also by older persons in seasickness--he generallybecomes perfectly indifferent to everything else in the world. Elwoodconcluded that Howard might whistle as long as he chose, and he wouldreply when he felt able. As for the gathering darkness, wild animals andsavages, what did he care for them? They could exist and get alongwithout his taking any trouble to think about them. 

And so he lay still until his sickness diminished and was graduallysucceeded by drowsiness, which was not long in merging into slumber. 

Whoever yet remembered the moment he went to sleep? Whoever lay still togain a few moments of slumber without obtaining far more than heexpected, and regretting it when his intellect became sharp and clear?

It was near midnight when Elwood awoke, and all was blank darkness. Hecalled to Howard and Tim, and not until he had felt around with hishands, did he remember his situation. Then it all came to him. 

"This is a pretty piece of business, " he thought, as he arose to hisfeet. "Poor Howard is half-frightened to death, and I suppose is stillhunting for me. But I don't hear him. "

He listened, but all was still. 

"It may be that he has grown tired, but will hear me if I call to him. "

Whereupon he whistled again and again, and shouted and listened and thenrepeated his signals, but there was no response. But for the interveninghills his cry would have reached the two watchers by the river shore, but with twice the penetrating power he still would have failed to reachthem. 

"Well, the best thing I can do is to wait here until morning, and then Ican make my way back again. "

His sickness was gone, but he felt somewhat chilled from lying upon theground with no extra covering, although the night was quite moderate, ifnot really warm. The contact with the ground had made a portion of hisbody cold, and the sluggish circulation prompted him to exercise. 

"I hardly know whether to stay here or to go back to the woods and takerefuge in a tree. Some animals may find me here, while I shall be safeif I am only twenty feet above ground. "

The vivid recollection of the wolverines gave him this fear and finallyinduced him to leave the place and seek shelter. 

But at the moment of starting he was confronted by an alarmingdifficulty. He found it impossible to decide upon the proper course tofollow, and could not tell with certainty which way led in or out. Thisresulted from his having turned around several times in his effort torestore warmth and circulation on awaking from his sleep. Had he notdone this the position in which he lay during slumber would have toldhim the truth. 

"How strange!" he reflected, vainly seeking to recover from hisbewilderment. "If I only had a little light I think I could tell, butthis is rather delicate business when I don't know whether I may go overthe rocks or not. "

He leaned against the wall of the path and thought. At last he believedhe knew which way to turn, and facing backward he began to pick his wayout. This, we may say, was the right course, and had he only perseveredin it would have brought him out of the hills into the woods, restoredhim to Tim and Howard a few hours later and saved him one of the mostmomentous experiences of his life. 

He had retreated but a few rods when he became sure he had made amistake and was going wrong. It seemed from his contact with the rocksand the curious windings it made, that he had never passed over theground, but was advancing further into the hills. 

"This will not do, " he said aloud, as he paused. "I am astray and mustchange about. "

He did so at once, and believing, of a surety, that he was now upon theright path he walked much faster than was prudent. The truth was, theassociations of the plate were such as to make him in a hurry to getaway from it. He knew he would feel relieved when he could get once moreinto the open air of the woods. A strange fear that the overhanging rockwould fall or imprison him caused him to hasten still more. Afterwalking some time further he slackened his steps. 

"I must be pretty near the opening, judging by the distance I have come;and if such be the case--"

Further words were checked, for at that instant Elwood stepped off thepath and went down--down!

CHAPTER XLII. 

A DREARY NIGHT. 

Elwood fell about twenty feet, striking the solid earth, without losinghis own perpendicular position. He was considerably pained, but notseriously hurt. His rifle had fallen from his hand, and was not foundagain until daybreak, as not knowing where he stood, whether upon theedge of some precipice or ravine, he scarcely dared move a limb. 

Ah! if the night was so weary to the watchers by the river shore, it wasmuch more so to him for whom they thus lay awake. Utter midnightblackness all around, the profound and impressive stillness made moreprofound and impressive by the trickling of some current near, theoccasional glimpse of some tiny star twinkling among the dark, straggling clouds overhead; such was Elwood Brandon's situation andsurroundings. 

His only resource was thought, and the direction which this took for atime was anything but a relief. He saw that he himself was to blame forthe disaster of the day. It was he who proposed this ramble, and he whoinsisted so strenuously upon separating from Howard in the journeyaround the hills. And then his present situation resulted wholly fromhis own foolishness--to call it no milder term--in entering an unknownpath with the simple hope of reaching a designated point a few minutesin advance of his friend, whom he knew well enough had carried out tothe letter their agreement, and was waiting his coming. 

Had Howard found Tim O'Rooney? That was the next question. Or was hestill lingering on the other side of the hills, waiting for the morningto renew his hunt for himself before he sought out his companion? Thelatter seemed the most probable supposition to Elwood, and the odd whimtook him that his cousin was close at hand and listening for thefamiliar signal. So he placed his fingers to his mouth and repeated thewhistle which they had used so many times between them. 

He did this again and again, but there was no response, and he finallyconcluded that it was rather a monotonous manner of passing the time andceased, and again gave himself up to thought. 

If he ever lived to see his friends at home what an experience would behis to tell! The burning steamer, the hours spent in drifting ashore, the wanderings through the wilds of California, this adventure among thehills--surely they were enough to last a life-time. 

Now and then a cold draft of wind swept by him, as though thetemperature of the air was changing. It was in fact the premonition ofthe gathering storm to which we have referred in another place. 

Elwood had been in his constrained position a couple of hours when hewas subjected to a terrible fright. Suddenly some dirt and stonescommenced moving near him and he felt it strike his feet. He was fearfulthat a landslide was about to take place, but did not dare attempt toget out of the way. He could only shrink closer against the rocks, prayto Heaven for protection, and await the issue. 

The pebbles rattled around him for a long time, and when they had nearlyceased he learned that the whole tumult was caused by some wild animal. This dissipated all fear of being engulfed by a landslide, but scarcelyrelieved him. It was simply a change of species in the danger. 

He could hear the footsteps of the animal as it walked back and forth. They sounded above his head, but he could not judge with certainty. Several times it gave a low growl, from which he was sure that it wasdangerous, and if it knew of his presence and could reach him wouldspeedily end his reckless conduct forever. 

The animal was still for a while and the boy was indulging in the beliefthat it had gone, when he heard its footsteps so near that his hairfairly rose with terror. He stooped down and felt around in the darknessfor his gun, but it was not within reach. He caught a huge stone andheld it in reserve for defense. 

Straining his eyes through the darkness, he fancied he could see a darkobject above him; but it was only fancy, for to his excited imaginationthe most extraordinary phantoms were flitting before him--floating inthe air, around and above him, like the wonderful visions that visit usin delirium--until he closed his eyes to shut out the tormentingfigures. 

Perhaps, after all, the presence of the wild animal was the means ofsaving him, for it kept his mind down to the hard, practical fact thatimminent danger was close at hand, and all his thoughts were needed tomeet it. He stood a long time grasping the stone and expecting theassault; but the tumult finally ceased and all became still. 

When Elwood looked up again he saw that it was growing light, and daywas indeed breaking. 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

WANDERINGS. 

The light increased each moment, and Elwood Brandon soon saw theposition in which he was placed. He had walked along the path and fallenabruptly off, alighting on a projection that ran along the edge of theravine, and was of sufficient width to only comfortably hold him. Had hegone a yard forward he would have fallen over to another ledge, althoughthis was not more than a dozen feet below. Indeed, his rifle had donethis, and now lay on this broad band of earth and gravel, which heresloped so gradually down to the bottom of the ravine that it could bedescended without difficulty. 

His first proceeding, after thanking Heaven for the protection of thenight, was to let himself down to where his rifle lay. An examinationproved it uninjured, and with its possession came a feeling ofconfidence and safety such as he had not felt for a moment during thehours of darkness. 

"Now, if that wild creature, whatever it was, would like to introduceitself, I am prepared. "

And he looked around as if he expected its appearance; but it had leftsome time before. At first he was at a loss to understand what it hadchosen as its parade ground, but, concluded it must have been the verypath from which he had fallen, and where, had he remained, he could nothave avoided falling into its power. 

Elwood could not see the possibility of extricating himself by the sameway in which he had entered. In some places it was necessary to climb ascore or two feet up the perpendicular side of the ravine; and as therewas no means at hand for doing this, he thought it best to press on downamong the hills in the hope of discovering a new way of egress, or aneasier access to the paths behind him. 

He wandered rather aimlessly forward, his path being over loose, rattling stones, constantly descending, until he reached the hard-packedearth, and judged himself to be in about the lowermost part of thevalley. On every hand rose the ridges, rocks and peaks of the hills, until, as he looked up at the cloudy sky so far above him, he seemed butthe merest pigmy. 

As he turned his head he caught sight of something a few rods ahead thatpuzzled him. For some time he could not make out its meaning, butfinally he saw that it was a smouldering camp-fire, while around it werestretched five Indians--although at the moment he could not be positiveas to their number--their blankets over them and they seemingly soundasleep. 

He concluded that the best thing he could do was to leave that immediateneighborhood as speedily as possible. He looked hurriedly around for thebest line of retreat. It was difficult to decide, and he was stilldebating with himself when, as he glanced at the terrifying forms, hefancied, or really saw, one of them move. Without further reflection hedarted a rod or two backward and shrunk in behind a breach in the rocks. 

This was no hiding-place in case the Indians came along this path. Hecould not conceal his body, as it was merely a niche such as would havebeen made had this portion of the rocky wall been set back about a footfrom the rest. If the savages left the ravine by another direction therewas no cause for fear, but if they came this way he had good reason totremble. 

He had scarcely ensconced himself in this place of refuge when from thewoods and rocks above him came the clear, echoing whistle of HowardLawrence. It startled him as if it were the whoop of this Indians soclose at hand. Of course he dare not reply to it, for it could onlyprecipitate his capture. 

But he trembled more for the safety of his friends than himself. Theywere advancing hurriedly in their search, without one suspicion of theenemies so near them. Had he dared, to make a noise it would have havebeen one of warning for Tim and Howard to hasten away ere it was toolate; but even that small comfort was denied him. 

He peered cautiously out and saw that the Indians were awake, butcuriously enough appeared to pay no heed to the whistling, which to theboy were uttered twenty times as often and as loud as there was anyneed. One of the savages was stirring the fire with a stick, while theothers were looking stupidly on. 

Drawing back his head, Elwood looked up among the rocks in the directionof the signals for some sign of his friends. He was startled into asuppressed exclamation by the sight of Tim O'Rooney's hat and facepassing along the path above him; but before he could catch his eye itwas gone and he saw it no more. 

The whistling sound now gradually retreated until it sounded quite faraway, and Elwood began to feel more at ease, although not entirely so. He wondered greatly that the suspicions of the Indians were not excited, and that they did not hasten away at once to destroy his friends. 

The report of Tim O'Rooney's gun that slew the antelope soundedfearfully near, and sent a shiver of terror through the youngstercrouching in his hiding-place. At the same time, as he looked stealthilyout, he saw that it had attracted the attention of the Indians. All fivewere standing on their feet, with their loose blankets hung over theirshoulders, and gesticulating with their arms. The sound of their voiceswas plainly heard where he stood, and a thrill of hope ran through himas he imagined that he recognised in one of them a resemblance to thatof Shasta, the Pah Utah. 

At this point the boy observed the storm gathering overhead--the sullenbooming of thunder, the black clouds sweeping tumultuously across thesky, the vivid spears of lightning darting in and out among them. A coolwind whistled through the gorge overhead, and dust and leaves camewhirling in the air and settled all around him. 

The boy looked above, and saw that when the storm did burst it was sureto spend its full fury upon his head. Not the least particle of sheltercovered him, and he had to expect a full drenching; but this he waswilling to bear, if it would only tend to keep the attention of theIndians diverted. It seemed to him very probable, as he stood betweenthem and his own friends, that in following up the suspicious report ofthe rifle they would pass directly by him, in which case he had aboutone chance out of a thousand of remaining unseen by them. 

Elwood did not dare to look out, so fearful was he of being seen. Hebelieved that the heads of the savages were turned toward him, in whichcase the risk was too great. He therefore, unheedful of the large dropsthat were beginning to patter around him, stood and listened. 

Hark! He hears their tread! His heart throbs faster than ever, as heknows they are coming toward him! Closer and closer he shrinks to therock, as if to bury himself in its flinty surface. 

All at once, an Indian, too tall and muscular to be Shasta, steps toview and passes beyond him without turning his head; the second is aboutthe right height, but the one furtive glance stole at him shows that heis a stranger; so as regards the third; the fourth is too short, hepasses on in the procession. The fifth and last Elwood at first believedto be Shasta, but a second look showed him his mistake. Had he held anydoubts they were removed by the Indian abruptly pausing, turning hisface full toward him, and uttering the _"hoogh!"_ of surprise, as he sawthe boy cowering against the rocks. 

CHAPTER XLIV. 

A OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 

The instant the hindmost Indian uttered his exclamation of surprise, theothers paused, and thus, before Elwood Brandon fully realized hisdanger, he found himself confronted by the whole force. Resistance orflight was not to be thought of, so he merely stood still andtremblingly awaited their will regarding him. 

They were plainly surprised at finding a boy pressing against the rookswith an appearance of the greatest terror, and they gazed at him amoment as if uncertain what to do about it. However, they didn't seem tobe particularly savage or blood-thirsty, nor frightened, as they kepttheir guns in their hands and their knives in their belts. 

He who stood nearest to Elwood reached out his brawny arm, grasped himfirmly and drew him out from his hiding-place. All then scrutinized himas if to make sure whether he was some wild animal or human being. Satisfied on this point, the boy was then shoved forward so as to bebetween the savages, and as they stepped off he was motioned to do thesame. Elwood understood that he was a prisoner, and he philosophicallysubmitted to his fate. 

As yet they had not disturbed his weapons; but he had gone a shortdistance only when the Indian directly behind him placed his hand uponthe muzzle of the gun which was protruding over the youngster's shoulderand began drawing it. The latter disliked very much to part with therifle, and held it as tightly as possible; but as the savage only drewit the more powerfully, he finally let go and it instantly went from hispossession. 

Elwood could not forbear looking around at the one who had thus deprivedhim of his property. As he gazed into his face he was at a loss tounderstand the expression. The Indian fixed his black eyes upon him, buthis lips were closed and not a feature moved or twitched. The boy couldnot withstand the fierceness of those orbs and was glad to turn his headagain. 

They walked quite rapidly up the path, making a turn that gave them avery steep ascent. The thunder was booming louder than ever, and therain by this time was falling furiously. The party hurried forward untilthey reached the camp which Tim O'Rooney and Howard had so recentlydeserted. Here Elwood took the liberty of protecting himself by backingagainst the overhanging rock. This was precisely the position which heoccupied when Howard Lawrence gazed over and missed seeing him by such anarrow chance. 

When the descent of the rain became so copious as to scatter thesavages, two of them ran up beside Elwood and imitated his action inprotecting himself from the descending deluge. This was only a partialsuccess, yet much preferable to standing in the open air and receivingthe full pelting of the storm. 

It will be remembered that Howard Lawrence waited until he saw theIndians hurry away for shelter, when he returned to Tim O'Rooney and thetwo effected a safe retreat from the dangerous locality. They sawnothing more of the savages, and their conjecture that Elwood was aprisoner among them was merely a conjecture, although absolutelycorrect. 

The tiny stream running so quietly at the feet of the two aboriginalAmericans and Elwood Brandon increased so rapidly that it was evident itwould speedily become a torrent that would sweep them off their feet, and that the only safety was to effect as speedy an escape as possible. Taking him between them, they started directly up the path in thedirection of their companions. The falling rain and splashing wateralmost blinded Elwood, but he pressed bravely forward until consciousthat they were beneath some kind of covering, and looking around, sawthat they stood in a sort of cave, and where they had rejoined the threeIndians who had fled some time before. 

The shelter proved a secure one, although it was reached rather late tobe of much benefit to Elwood, who was thoroughly wetted to the skin. Hewas, however, rather pleased at the lenient disposition shown by hiscaptors. They had not offered him the least violence, rudeness orinsult, and appeared to maintain a very indifferent watch over him. Hedid not believe they intended him any bodily harm, although he trembledat the consequences when they joined another party or should reach theirown homes. They probably intended to hold him a prisoner so long as hewas no particular trouble to them; but their leniency was more theresult of indifference than of genuine kindness--and indifference thatwould as soon witness death as life, and that would not stretch out thehand to avert the impending doom. 

The storm raged with unabated fury for several hours, and the tinystream, whose murmur could scarcely be heard as it coursed its waythrough the hills, was now swelled to the dimensions of a torrent, androared through its course with a clamor almost deafening. A vast amountof water had fallen within the few hours, and it would have been veryperilous had any of the party remained where the fire that cooked theantelope was kindled. A yellow stream some six feet in depth rushedfuriously through the narrow passage, like some river when compressedinto its narrow canyon. 

The Indians stood as motionless as the rocks themselves until the stormwas over. Each had his blanket slung over his shoulder, extending downto his knees, and effectually protecting their bodies from the rainwhich had so thoroughly soaked poor Elwood. None of them sported thedefiant scalp-locks so common among the more northern Indians; but theirlong, black, stiff hair, resembling precisely that of a horse's mane, dangled around their shoulders, neck and ears and over their breasts. Mixed in among the hair on the crown were a number of painted feathers, which, having had a touch of rain, drooped down like those of an humbledchanticleer that has been rescued from the river by some kind hand. Their faces being daubed over with green, yellow and red, mixed andmingled with a sublime disregard of proportion, gave their features apeculiarly unnatural appearance, such as we see when we survey ourparticular friends through differently and highly colored pieces ofglass. They were fine specimens of the "noble red man" that areoccasionally met with now-a-days; but they are of that species of sightsof which it may be said "distance lends enchantment to the view. "However, they were happy, for as yet they had not come in contact withcivilization, and had had no taste for the white man's "fire-water, "that scourge of the aboriginal race, and which seems destined finally tosweep them from the continent. 

Elwood occupied himself in looking from one of these Indians to theother, and speculating regarding their thoughts and opinions abouthimself, of whose presence they seemed so unconscious. Indeed, theyscarcely looked at him except when he sneezed, and then their heads shotround as suddenly as if they were moved by machinery and the spasm hadlet on the steam. 

Finally, when the falling of the rain ceased, two of the Indians wentout to look for the remainder of their prisoner's party, which theyknew, if not already there, had been so recently among the hills. Thevast rush of water, of course, had obliterated all signs where they hadmade any, and they could only hope to find them by discovering the trailmade since the storm, or by the sight of themselves. 

Not a word did the savages exchange with each other. They appeared tounderstand what each thought, and what duty was required of them, whichduty for the present resembled that of watching and waiting. 

As the day wore away the boy began to feel chilly and hungry. His wetclothes were anything but comfortable, and his hollow stomach was a poorprotection against the sinking feeling. As his captors showed nodisposition to leave the place, or even to change their statue-likepositions, he began to grow anxious. He feared an attack of sickness ifhis wants were not supplied; and after debating with himself a fewmoments, he walked up to the tallest Indian and motioned that he neededsomething to eat. 

The reply was startling and decisive. The dusky rascal surveyed himsharply a moment, and then drew his knife and raised it in a menacingmanner over his head. And thereupon Elwood retreated to his position, and concluded he wasn't quite as hungry as he first imagined. 

It is hard to tell what this singular captivity of Elwood Brandon'swould have eventuated in had not an unexpected diversion occurred in hisfavor. Just as it was getting dark, the two Indiana who had gone out atthe close of the storm returned. They had a companion with them, and weleave our readers to imagine what the boy's feelings were when herecognized in the third his old friend Shasta, the Pah Utah. 

CHAPTER XLV. 

A FRIEND IN NEED. 

When the Pah Utah entered the cave he did not appear to notice ElwoodBrandon. The latter attributed this to the semi-darkness in which hestood, and was about to go forward and claim his friendship whensomething restrained him, and he concluded to wait until the Indianfirst recognized him. 

Shasta exchanged a few words with his friends, and immediately severalof them went out in the darkness. When they returned, which was veryspeedily, they each bore a goodly bundle of sticks and kindlings. Inwhat part of the wide creation they obtained them, directly after such adeluge of rain, it is impossible to tell, but American Indians have apeculiar faculty of doing such odd things. 

A few minutes later a blaze sprung out from the center of the bundleplaced in the middle of the cave, and when Elwood looked downward towardit, he saw that Shasta was kneeling before the pile engaged in ignitingit. As the flame flared out and illuminated the cave, the Pah Utahlooked up and met the eyes of Elwood. For an instant, his black eyeswere fixed upon him, and then he placed his finger to his lips andlooked down again. The boy understood it all. _He didn't know anythingof the Pah Utah. _

The fire burned vigorously and soon diffused a genial warmth throughoutthe cave. It was most grateful indeed to Elwood, who approached andsubjected himself to a toasting process. The savages offered noobjection, and he soon managed to secure a pleasant warmth, andpartially to dry his damp clothes. 

He could not prevent himself from continually glancing at Shasta, but henever once caught his eye, and understanding the Indian's wishes, hecompensated for this impertinence by staring twice as long at the otherhideous visages. 

After all the great want of Elwood was food. He had fasted for thirtyhours, and was faint and feeble. A month before such severe abstinencewould have left him unable to stand; but the severe deprivation andhardship of the last week, united with its firm, buoyant constitution, and his freedom from the degrading use of tobacco, had developed astrength and endurance remarkable in one so young. He felt that he couldwait until the next day without a mouthful, and still be able to travel;but the fainting, craving, hollow feeling rendered him uncomfortable andcaused more than one longing look around the cavern and in the faces ofhis dusky-hued friends; but if the Indians understood his suffering theycertainly did not care enough about them to give them heed. 

His hope was in the Pah Utah, but his situation was such as to deprivehim of the expression of this hope. Shasta had given him to understandin an unmistakable manner that for the present they were to remainstrangers; and no matter what his distress might be, he dare notdisregard this command. 

Yet Elwood Brandon believed, if the Indian understood his case, he wouldfind some means to relieve him, slight though it was. Finally he decidedupon his course of action. 

Walking up to the tall Indian, who had received his previous request insuch a threatening manner, and halting when at a safe distance, hemotioned to him for something to place in his mouth. The unfeelingfellow scrutinized the boy a moment, and then coolly turned his backupon him, and acted as though the supplication had not been made. 

He was equally unsuccessful with the others, and the refusal of Shastawas made in a most emphatic manner. Glaring at the boy like an enragedtiger, he brandished his knife and sprung toward him with such acurdling yell that the youngster sprung trembling back to the furtherestverge of the cavern, and the eyes of the other Indians were all turnedtoward the expected tragedy. But Elwood wasn't frightened--not a bit; heunderstood what it all meant. 

The performance was followed by a conversation between Shasta and thetall Indian, who doubtless belonged to the Pah Utah nation or some tribefriendly with them. It's precise import Elwood found impossible todetermine, but he could not avoid a feeling of uneasiness when he saw byunmistakable signs that it referred to himself. 

It looked very much as though Shasta was urging immediate disposal ofthe prisoner, and his friend was strenuously maintaining a differentaction. The Pah Utah showed great excitement, very often turning andgesticulating toward Elwood, and once or twice he look a step or two inthat direction, as if he had resolved on a certain and speedy death forhim. 

Finally, he appeared to yield the point, and turned his back upon hisdisputant and walked to the fire. As he did so his face was revealedalone to Elwood Brandon, and looking toward him, the boy again saw himplace his finger to his lips and give that warning expression, whichsaid as plainly as words, "Don't be frightened; all things are workingright!"

This was certainly gratifying, but our young friend was alreadysatisfied upon this point, and would have much preferred a moresubstantial mark of friendship in the shape of something to supply thecraving within. But on the very eve of despair he was delighted to see acouple of Indians--whose absence he had noted for the lasthalf-hour--return heavily laden with fish. These were immediately takenin charge, by Shasta, and the savor of them as they were cooking drovethe famishing boy almost frantic. 

While he sat with longing eyes, watching the motions of the cook, one ofthe fat roasted fellows suddenly shot from his hand and fell into thelap of the boy. The Pah Utah did not raise his head, and the act lookedas if it were a voluntary one upon the part of the fish to escape thehands of its tormentors--so dexterously was the whole thing done. 

Elwood did not stop to thank his considerate friend, but devoured thefood precisely in the fashion that a boy attacks a pile of gingerbreadwhich he has been expecting and longing for during a half-day. When hehad finished the fish, another in just as prime condition dropped intohis lap, apparently from the top of the cave above. 

This satisfied his hunger, and he arose to his feet, casting his eyestoward Shasta, and testifying by his looks the gratitude which he darenot express audibly. He remained in the rear of the cavern, patientlywaiting the pleasure of the Pah Utah regarding himself. 

The Indians completed their meal, and then exchanged a few words, whenthey prepared to leave. Elwood watched them with interest, and when thetall fellow motioned for him to come forward, he did so with alacrity, and took him place in the rear of the line which was formed. Glancingback as they were about to start, he saw by the light of the fire thatthe one immediately behind him was Shasta. 

The night was utterly dark--above, below and all around. The hand of thePah Utah was placed upon his shoulder, as if to guide him aright, andthe march began. 

Of course it was impossible for Elwood to tell where he was going, buthe followed blindly the direction of him behind for a hundred yards, when he knew by the brushing of his hands against the sides that theywere passing through a narrow passage. All at once he felt himselfseized by an iron grip from behind, lifted from his feet and tossed intothe air. He did not fall back in the path they were traversing, but litlightly upon a ledge, where he concluded to remain until he heardfurther from the gentleman who had elevated him to that position. 

CHAPTER XLVI. 

WHAT SHASTA DID. 

The night was still, and the regular tramp of the Indians sounded likethe march of a file of soldiers, as they passed over the grass-coveredearth. Elwood listened, hardly daring to breathe, as the tread grewfainter, fainter, fainter still, then died out; then was revived by asigh of the night air, and all was still. 

The boy raised his eyes and looked upward. Through the dark cloudsdrifting tumultuously across the sky he detected the glimmer of a staror two, and in that moment of deep solemnity a passage of the Holy Biblecame to him. 

 "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. "

 "Hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted in them. "

 "When they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress. "

It came from his heart, and he repeated it over again. 

How beautiful! How appropriate to the situation! The tears welled to hiseyes, and his heart overflowed at the repeated remembrance of theall-merciful Father, whose eye alone saw him and whose ear alone heardthe thankfulness that would find expression. 

He fell into a sweet reverie, from which he was awakened by a slightnoise below. He leaned his head over the ledge and listened. All at oncehe heard a soft rush, and the next moment an Indian was holding on tothe edge of the tabular-like projection with one hand, while his otherwas outstretched and placed upon his body. 

"Is that you, Shasta?"

"Oogh! Sh-e-asta!"

"All right! I am waiting for you. "

The hand closed upon his right arm; he was lifted bodily as if he werean infant, and held in mid-air; and the next instant the Pah Utahdropped lightly to the earth, and the two stood upon their feet. TheIndian uttered an exclamation which seemed to be one of inquiry, and theboy made answer in this manner:

"I am ready for anything, Shasta; lead the way. "

Instead of allowing him to walk, as Elwood confidently expected, the PahUtah flung him over his shoulder and then started on a long, loping trotup the path. His extraordinary agility and muscular power made theweight he carried of the same effect as if it were his rifle he was thustransporting. 

This rapid progress continued but a few minutes, when he sunk into awalk--one of long strides, such as would have compelled the boy to amoderate run to equal. He could tell that he was going up quite anascent, but toward what point it was impossible to tell. Occasionallyhis hand or his foot struck the projecting rocks, and the rush of thewind now and then against his face told when they were passing throughthe more open space. 

Wonderful indeed was the skill of the Pah Utah, that in the densedarkness showed him, just where and just the outlay of strength thatwould land his young white friend upon the shelf of safety. Equallyextraordinary was the woodcraft that brought him back to the precisespot, and enabled him to thread his way through the impenetrable gloomwith the surety of the mountain chamois, which bounds over thefastnesses of the Alps at midday. 

Elwood was quiescent, for he know whose hand held him upon those brawnyshoulders, and he felt that the moccasined foot which touched the earthso lightly was too sure to miss its hold, and the heart throbbing withinthat dusky bosom pulsated too powerfully with the common humanity of ournature ever to falter or hesitate in its work of love. 

This singular means of progress was continued for the better part of anhour, when the Indian paused and placed him gently on his feet. The sky, which had partially cleared, enabled him to see that they had emergedfrom the ridge of hills whose entrance had been so eventful to him, andthey now stood in the open woods. 

Elwood Brandon admitted to himself that the work of Shasta was nowfinished, and he fully expected to be left alone in the forest to seekhis way back to his friends; but if _he_ thought so the Pah Utahcertainly did not. 

Even in that moment the boy could not fail to notice that the Indian'sbreathing could not be heard. Not the slightest panting nor exhaustionfrom the tremendous exertion undergone!

Shasta waited but a moment, and then gripping Elwood by the wrist hebegan threading his way through the forest. As he did so, instead ofallowing the youngster to walk by his side, he held his arm backward, sothat to all intents and purposes the boy was following behind him, andyet at such an angle that their feet did not interfere with each other. 

Not once did either the Pah Utah or his dependent strike a tree. Oftendid they graze the back, and brush through the limbs and undergrowth, but the uplifted arm of the Indian parted asunder the obstructions, andopened the way, as does the snow plow of the locomotive to the enginethat drives it forward and the train coming behind. 

Whether the marvelous vision of the Pah Utah penetrated the Egyptiandarkness or not, cannot be said. The veteran backwoodsman, as he stridesthrough the midnight forest, seems to _feel_ the presence of eachtree-trunk as he approaches it, just as the fingers of pianists strikethe piano keys with such bewildering certainty, without their oncelooking at them. 

Onward they pressed, Elwood only now and then able to catch a glimpse ofhis faithful guide, who never vouchsafed a word or exclamation for hisbenefit. There was no need of it. Both fully understood each other, andthe boy did not attempt to divert the attention which was so needed, atthe present time, for the work before him. 

Finally Shasta seemed to hesitate--not the hesitation of doubt anduncertainty, but as if he had neared if not reached his destination, andhad slackened his pace that he might not pass the exact point. 

He was not long in finding the proper spot, and Elwood could see that hewas stooping down and busy at something. While he was closelyscrutinizing him, he suddenly became aware that they stood beside theriver, and the Pah Utah was engaged with his canoe. It occupied him buta moment, when he turned around, lifted the boy over and laid him downupon the blanket which was spread over the bottom of the boat, theremainder was folded carefully around his body, and then the Indianstood back, as if to command his young friend to go to sleep without anydelay or questioning. 

The boy had lain but a short time when he found the blanket sointolerably warm that he threw a portion from him. It was instantly andrather roughly replaced--evidence that Shasta meant that his wishesshould be obeyed. At any rate the boy thought so, and dared not repeatthe act. 

The great warmth of the blanket caused Elwood to break out into acopious perspiration from head to foot, and caused him almost to gaspfor breath; but when he seemed only to meditate on relieving himself ofthe superabundant clothing, the dusky watcher leaned forward to seewhether he dared violate his implied commands. It looked very much asthough the Pah Utah was acting as a physician to his youthful friend. 

CHAPTER XLVII. 

STILL WAITING. 

Tim O'Rooney and Howard Lawrence, after making their way out of therange of hills to the river-side, where their canoe lay, waited untildark, in accordance with their agreement, before venturing out upon theriver. They were quite uneasy, and to prevent their trail revealing themthey dropped a few hundred yards down the shore, where they awaited thecoming of darkness. 

"Worrah! worrah!" said Tim with an immense sigh, "this is a bad day whenwe came to leave the youngster with the rid gintleman. A fine youngsterwas the same--bowld and presumin'. It's a qua'ar failin', MastherHoward, that comes to me. "

"Yes, I am sad enough, too. "

"Ah! but it is not exactly that be the towken of another faalingintirely. "

"What is it then?"

"Whin it's yourself that is lost and awandtherin' off by yourself allalone, and nobody with yees, then I thinks it's yees that I loves morenor him that stays with me. But now, whin it's Elwood--God blesshim!--that's gone, he's dearer to me than all the rest of the world, notexceptin' yourself. But, " and Tim scratched his head in greatperplexity, "it's the same that puzzles me sorely. Could yees be aftheraccounting for it?"

"Elwood and I both know that you think a great deal of us, and no doubtit is because your affection is so equally divided. "

"That's it. Yees have made it all plain. I likes each of yees more thanthe other, and both of yees a great deal the most, whither be the towkenof takin' yees apart or together, or takin' both of yees separate, andalso wid each other. "

Tim nodded his head again and again, as if to signify that it was clearto his mind. Perhaps it was; but if so, one may doubt whether it was asclearly expressed. 

"There's another thing that troubles me, " added the Irishman, with oneof those great inhalations of breath which seem to fill the entirebeing. 

"What is that?"

"Me pipe has gone out, and I hasn't the maans convanient to relight it. "

"That is a small infliction which you can well afford to bear. I am onlyanxious for the night, that we may speed on our way home to getassistance for poor Elwood. "

"Yis, if it's bist. "

And just in that exclamation Tim O'Rooney echoed the sentiments of hiscompanion. Ever since leaving the range of hills, with the resolve tohurry away in search of help, the question had been constantly rising inhis mind: "Is it best to do so?"

He tried to put it out of hearing, with the determination that he hadalready decided; but, as if it were the pleadings of conscience, itwould not be stifled, and it came again and again, until when Tim spokeit seemed almost as loud as his. 

"I can't make up my mind about that, " said he. "When we left the hills Ihad not a moment's doubt but that he was in the hands of the Indians, where there was great danger of our getting ourselves; but then we arenot sure of it, and suppose we go away and leave him wandering throughthe woods until he is captured or is obliged to give himself up to keepfrom starving. I imagine him following along the shore of the riverlooking for us----"

"There! there! do yez shtop! No more for me; I've plenty, " and theIrishman drew his sleeve across his eyes, as if he were wiping an undueaccumulation of moisture, while Howard Brandon was scarcely lessaffected at the touching picture which he had drawn, and which he feltmight be realized from his own remissness. 

"I am sure I cannot tell which is for the best, " he added in greatperplexity. "If a prisoner, he may be able to get away. "

"Yis, yees are right; some dark night he can give the owld haythen theslip, and make thracks for the river. "

"And who knows but he has been able to elude them, and is only waitinguntil dark to hunt us up?"

"Yez are right agin; I was about to obsarve the same myself. "

There was one view of the case, which if it did occasionally forceitself upon the attention of Howard, he resolutely refused to utter areference to it. It was that Elwood had been killed accidentally, or bythe savages. That was too terrible a contingency to take definite shapeuntil there was no escaping it, and as all of us know better we won'trefer to it again. 

"Then he may be in the power of these wandering Indians that took suchan interest in the antelope we left lying down among the rocks. "

"Yis; yez are correct sure. "

"How is it, Tim, that you agree with every supposition I make, no matterbow different they are from each other?"

"Wal, you saas me mind is a little foggy, be the towken that I hasn'thad the pipe atween me lips since yesterday. When I'm deprived of thatpleasure I finds meself unable to reason clearly. "

"That is the first time I have heard that smoke makes a thing clearer. "

"Ah! that's the trouble, " added Tim, with a desponding shake of hishead. "If this bad state of things continyees fur a few days longer, yees'll have to laad me around wid a string, or else taach Terror to dothe same, as yez have saan a poor blind man and his dog do. "

"You draw rather a woeful picture of yourself. But I suppose you canhold out for a few hours longer, and when it becomes dark, we can make afire, light your pipe and get far away from it before any of the Indianscould reach the spot. "

"I think yez are right, but me intellect is working so faably thisafternoon, that I faars to tax it too hard lest it topples over and gitsupsit intirely. Yis, yez are right. "

"Somehow or other I think Shasta is in this neighborhood----"

"So does meself, " interrupted Tim, in his anxiety to give assent. 

"If he is, he will not forget the kindness of Elwood. "

"Never!"

"And whether we wait here or not he will attend to his safety all thesame. "

"That he will--you may depend on it. "

"Then shall we wait here or hurry down the river for help?"

"Both, or aither as yez plaise. "

"But, Tim, we must do one or the other. "

"Let us slaap and draam over it. "

This struck Howard as a good suggestion, as they both needed slumbersorely, and adjusting themselves in the canoe, with the Newfoundland asever maintaining guard, they were quickly wrapped in deep slumber. 

When they awoke it was broad day, and the whining of the dog told themat once that he had detected something suspicious. 

CHAPTER XLVIII. 

THE MEETING. 

Tim O'Rooney and Howard Lawrence, awaking at the same moment, observedthe alarming action of the dog. Raising their heads they lookedcarefully around but could detect nothing unusual. They were so securelydrawn under the overhanging shrubbery and undergrowth that they werepretty certain no one else was aware of their presence; but the gaze ofthe dog being turned toward the river they judged that something must benearing them from that direction. 

Nor were they mistaken. A slight ripple was heard, and the next moment acanoe glided to view. In the center, controlling its movements, satShasta, the Pah Utah, and directly behind was Elwood Brandon. 

Howard could scarcely believe his eyes. He stared again and again, whileTim rubbed his organs of vision, winked and blinked, as though vainlyseeking to recover from the bewilderment of a sudden awaking from sleep. Finally he muttered to himself:

"Heaven save me! me intellect has toppled over intirely by raison of thewant of me pipe. "

"Elwood! Elwood!" called Howard, leaning forward and pulling the bushesapart. 

But secure as they deemed their concealment, the eagle eyes of the PahUtah had penetrated it, while they were yet several rods apart, andabruptly turning the prow of his canoe to one side, he brought it torest directly opposite and within two feet of the other boat. 

Elwood heard his name and saw his friends the next instant. Reachingforward, he grasped the hands of his cousin and the tears trickled downtheir smiling faces, while Tim continued rubbing his eyes. 

"Am I draaming? as me uncle said when they towld him his grandfather haddied and willed him two pounds and a half, or does I raaly see before methe youngster that the rid gintlemin had burned up? Let me faal the baalof yer hand. "

The two closed hands, and the joy of both was unbounded. Shasta, at thispoint, showed a delicacy of feeling that did his heart credit. Joiningthe canoes together in the old-fashioned manner, he motioned Elwood toenter that of his friends, while he gave his exclusive attention to thatof propelling the two. 

Of course, now that the three were reunited, they overran each otherwith questions, exclamations and the interchange of experiences sincethey had separated. It did not require much time for the voluble tongueof Elwood to rattle on his brief stay with the Indians and theremarkable manner in which Shasta had secured his escape. Howard had butlittle to tell, and that was soon given, and they were left to speculateand conjecture on the future. 

Tim's joy drowned his craving for his tobacco, and as he joined in theglowing conversation of the boys he made no reference to it. 

"I think for the prisent, " he remarked, "we won't take any hunts uponshore, especially if aich of us has to go alone. The red gintlemen, forsome raisin at all, or more likely without any raisin, have taken agreat anxiety to make our acquaintance. As fur meself, I prefers to liveupon fish to having these same fellows faading upon me. "

"Yes, " replied Elwood, "I have learned something during the last fewdays. It is all well enough to be reckless and careless about dangerwhen we are at home and there is no danger, but it is another thing whenwe are in these parts. "

"As the Frenchman remarked, 'tiger hunting is very fine so long as wehunt the tiger, but when he takes it into his head to hunt us themischief is to pay. "

"If Shasta will have the onspakable kindness to tow us along in thisshtyle for a few waaks, I think we will cast anchor at the wharf in SanFrancisco without any loss to passingers and freight. "

"He has seen what ninnies we were, " said Elwood, "and no doubt willaccompany us some distance further when he certainly ought to let us tryit alone again. "

"Ah! but he's a smart young gintleman, as the acquaintances of TimO'Rooney used to say when they made the slightest reference to him. Couldn't we persuade him to go on to San Francisco wid us? I think yourfather would be plaised to take him in as a partner in their businesswid them. "

"But _he_ would hardly fancy the change, " laughed Howard. 

"He might now. When we should state the sarvices he has rindered to us, it's meself that doesn't think they'd require him to put in a very largepile of capital. "

"I am sure if he should prove as keen and sharp in business matters ashe does in the way of the woods, he would make one of the mostsuccessful merchants in the country. "

"It's a pity that he doesn't understand the illegant use of the tongue, that we might confaar wid him. We could lay the proposition forninsthim, and he could gives us the tarms to carry wid us. "

However philanthropic this might be as regarded the Pah Utah, ourfriends deemed it hardly feasible to make the attempt to reach his viewsthrough the medium of signs. 

As for Shasta, he did not once look backward to observe what hispassengers were doing. He was propelling his boat through the water withhis usual celerity, his head occasionally turning slightly as he glancedfirst at one shore and then the other, as though looking for some signor landmark. 

The day that succeeded the storm was beautiful and clear, everything innature wearing a fresh and rosy look, as if refreshed by the neededshower. The current of the Salinas was as clear and crystal-like asthough it had not received the muddy contents of a thousand brooks, rivulets and torrents gorged with the debris and leaves of its ownvalley. 

"I am troubled by one sore anxiety. "

"What can that be?"

"It is for Mr. Shasta. He seems quite forgetful this morning. "

"In what respect?" asked Elwood, who did not see the drift of theIrishman's remarks. 

"He hasn't had his breakfast, and he must be faaling a wee bit hungry, and be the same token, he must be the victim of great distress, that hehasn't indulged in the use of his pipe. "

As Tim O'Rooney had made similar remarks on more than one previousoccasion, it may be that the Pah Utah gathered an inkling of hismeaning, for the words were scarce uttered when the canoes were headedtoward shore, and a landing speedily made. 

A piscatorial meal was provided after the manner already fully given, and when finished the soothing pipe of Tim O'Rooney was produced andenjoyed to its full extent. 

But Shasta showed no disposition to wait, or to indulge in the solace ofthe weed. Motioning to his friends to enter the boat, he towed them tothe center of the river, where he loosed the fastenings, and without aword or sign he headed his canoe up stream and sped away. 

"He is going home, " said Howard. 

"He must imagine that we are owld enough to walk alone, " remarked Tim ashe took the paddle. 

"But why not bid us good-by?" asked Elwood. 

"As he has already done so, " replied Howard, "he doubtless does notbelieve in adding a postscript. "

CHAPTER XLIX. 

HOMEWARD BOUND. 

Now that our friends were left entirely alone, it became a questionwhether they should continue journeying by day or night. 

"It seems to me that we are approaching a more civilized part of thecountry, " said Howard. "I think there will be little risk in continuingour journey. "

Tim industriously used his paddle, and shortly afterward, Elwood pointedto an open space some distance inland. 

"Yonder are people, and they look as if they were gathered around acamp-fire at their dinner. "

Tim jerked his head around, gave a puff of his pipe and said:

"Rid gintlemen ag'in, and I'll shy the canoe under the bank, and craapalong till we gets beyonst thim. "

"No, they are not Indians--they are white men, " quickly added Elwood. 

A careful scrutiny by all ended in a confirmation of Elwood's suspicion. 

"That is good, " said Howard, with a pleased expression, "it shows thatwe are getting beyond the wild country into a neighborhood where whitemen abound, and where we can feel some degree of safety. "

"I suppose they are miners or hunters who are taking their midday mealin the open air, " added Elwood, who was still gazing at them. 

"Shall we heave too, pitch over the anchor, and s'lute them?" asked Tim. 

"No; go ahead, we have no time to spare. "

The cheering signs continued. An hour later they descried several whitemen seated in canoes and fishing near shore. They exchanged thecourtesies of the day with them and passed on, growing more eager asthey neared the goal. 

It would have been no difficult feat of the imagination for one standingon shore to fancy that the cause was a pocket edition of a Hudson Riversteamboat, so powerfully did Tim O'Rooney puff at his pipe, the whiffsspeeding away over his shoulder in exact time with the dipping of thepaddle, as though the two united cause and effect. The fellow was in thebest of spirits. Suddenly he paused and commenced sucking desperately athis pipe-stem, but all in vain; no smoke was emitted. 

"What is the matter?" asked Elwood. 

"Steam is out, and the paddle won't go. "

"Let me relieve you. "

The boy used it with good effect, while Tim shoved his blunt finger intothe pipe-bowl, shut one eye and squinted into it, rattled it on hishand, puffed at it again, turned his pockets wrong side out, then putthem to rights, and repeated the operation, just as we open the door ahalf-dozen times to make sure our friend isn't behind it, then gave oneof his great sighs and looked toward Howard. 

"I put the last switch of tobaccy I had in the world into that pipe, just arter throwing myself outside of that quince of fish. "

"Quience?" laughed the boy, "you mean _quintal_. "

"Yis, and what's to come of Tim O'Rooney, if he doesn't git some moreright spaddily. His intellect toppled all the mornin', and can't standanother such strain, or it'll be nipped in the bud afore it has reachedthe topmost round at the bar of fame. "

"Why, Tim, you are growing poetical, " called Elwood over his shoulder, not a little amused at his bewildering metaphors. 

"We shall doubtless come across some friends before long who will beglad to supply you. "

"Elwood!" called Tim. 

"What is it!" he asked, pausing in his paddling. 

"If you saas a rid gintleman do yez jist rist till I takes aim andshoots him. "

"Why so blood-thirsty?"

"Not blood-thirsty, but tobaccy thirsty. The haythen deal in thearticle, and if we saas one he must yield. "

Elwood promised obedience, but they saw nothing of the coveted peoplewhom they had been so anxious to avoid hitherto, but a half-hour laterHoward said:

"Heigh-ho! Yonder is just the man you want to see!"

A single person dressed in the garb of a miner was standing on the shoreleisurely surveying them as they came along. There could be no doubtthat he was supplied with the noxious weed, for he was smoking a pipewith all the cool, deliberate enjoyment of a veteran at the business. 

"Shall I head toward shore!" asked Elwood. 

"Sartin, sartin. Oh that we had Mr. Shasta here that he might hurry toland wid the ould canoe!"

A few minutes sufficed to place the prow of the boat against the shore, and Tim O'Rooney sprung out. The miner, if such he was, stood with hishands in his pockets, looking sleepily at the stranger. 

"How do yez do, William?" reaching out and shaking the hand which wasrather reluctantly given him. 

"Who you calling William?" demanded the miner gruffly. 

"I beg yez pardon, but it was a slip of the tongue, Thomas. "

"Who you calling Thomas?"

"Is your family well, my dear sir?"

"Whose family you talking about?"

"Did yez lave the wife and childer well?"

"Whose wife and childer you talking about?"

"Yez got over the cowld yez had the other day?"

"'Pears to me you know a blamed sight more about me than I do, stranger. "

"My dear sir, I have the greatest affection for yez. The moment I seenyez a qua'ar faaling come over me, and I filt I must come ashore andshake you by the hand. I faals much better. "

"You don't say?"

"That I does. Would yez have the kindness to give me a wee bit oftobaccy?"

The sleepy-looking stranger gazed drowsily at him a moment and then madeanswer:

"I'm just smoking the last bit I've got. I was going to ax you for some, being you had such a great affection for me. "

CHAPTER L. 

RESCUED. 

The miner having made his reply, turned on his heel, still smoking hispipe, and coolly walked away, while Tim O'Rooney gazed after him inamazement. The boys were amused spectators of the scene, and Elwood nowcalled out. 

"Come, Tim, don't wait! We shall meet somebody else before long; and asyou have just had a good smoking spell, you can certainly wait a while. "

"Yes, " added Howard, "no good can come of waiting; so jump in and let'sbe off. "

The Irishman obeyed like a child which hardly understood what wasrequired of it, and taking his seat said never a word. 

"Let me alternate with you for a while, " said Howard to his cousin, "youhave worked quite a while with the paddle. "

"I am not tired, but if you are eager to try your skill I won't object. "

The boys changed places, and while Howard gave his exclusive attentionto the management of the canoe, Elwood devoid himself to consoling TimO'Rooney in the most serio-comic manner. 

"Bear up a little longer, my good fellow. There's plenty of tobacco inthe country, and there must be some that is waiting expressly for you. "

"Where bees the same?"

"Of course we are to find that out; and I haven't the least doubt butthe way will appear. "

"Elwood, " sighed Tim, "'spose by towken of the severe suffering thatmeself is undergoing I should lose me intellect----"

"I don't think there's any danger. "

"And why not?" demanded the Irishman, in assumed fierceness. 

"For the good reason that you haven't any to lose. "

Tim bowed his head in graceful acknowledgment. 

"But suppose I does run mad for all that?"

"I can easily dispose of you?"

"Afther what shtyle?"

"A madman is always a dangerous person in the community, and the momentI see any signs of your malady all I have to do is to shoot you throughthe head. "

"Do yez obsarve any signs at presint?"

"You needn't ask the question, for the moment it breaks out the reportof the gun and the crash of the bullet will give you a hint of thetrouble. "

Tim laughed. 

"Yez are a bright child, as me mother used to obsarve whin I'd wash meface in her buttermilk and smiled through the windy at her. If yecontinues to grow in your intellect yez may come to be a man that Iwon't be ashamed to addriss and take by the hand when I maats yez in thestraats. "

"I hope I shall, " laughed Elwood, "the prize that you hold out is enoughto make any boy work as he never did before. I hope you will not wish towithdraw your offer. "

"Niver a faar--niver a faar, as Bridget Mughalligan said, when I askedher if she'd be kind enough to remimber me for a few days. "

"Tim, " added Elwood, after a moment's silence, "we are out of thewoods. "

"What do yez maan by that?"

"We can see signs of the presence of white men all around us, and wehave nothing further to fear from Indians. "

At this point Howard called the attention of his companion to a largecanoe which was coming around a curve in the river. It contained nearlya dozen men, and was the largest boat of the kind which they had everseen, and savored also of a civilized rather than a savage architect. 

"They are white men, " said Howard. 

"Do yez obsarve any pipes sticking out of their mouths?"

"One or two are smoking. "

"Then boord them if they won't surrender. "

"They have headed toward us, " remarked Elwood, "and must wish to saysomething. "

A few moments later the two boats came side by side, and before any oneelse could speak Tim made his request known for tobacco. This wasfurnished him, and as he relit his pipe he announced that he had noobjection to their proceeding with their business. 

There were nine men in the larger boat, and all were armed with pistols, rifles and knives. In truth they resembled a war party more thananything else bound upon some desperate expedition. 

The boys noticed as they came along, and while Tim O'Rooney wasspeaking, that several of the men looked very keenly at them, as thoughthey entertained some strong suspicion. Finally one of the men asked:

"Are you youngsters named Lawrence and Brandon?"

"Yes, sir. "

Here the questioner produced a paper from his pocket, and seemed to readhis questions from that. 

"And is that man Timothy O'Rooney?"

"Timothy O'Rooney, Esquire, from Tipperary, at your sarvice, " called outthe Irishman from the stern of the canoe, where he was elegantlyreclining, and without removing the pipe from his mouth. 

"Were you on the steamer ---- ---- that was burned off the coast ofCalifornia?" pursued the interlocutor. 

"Yes, sir. "

"Then you are just the party we are looking for. "

"Where do you come from?"

"We are from San Francisco, sent out by Messrs. Lawrence and Brandon insearch of their children, whom they learned a few days ago from Mr. Yard, one of the survivors, were left on the coast, having wanderedinland at the time the others were taken off by the Relief. "

This was to the point. 

"It is fortunate for all parties that we met you, " added the man with asmile, "for we receive a very liberal reward to bring you back, nomatter whether we met you within a dozen miles of San Francisco, or wereobliged to spend the summer hunting for you among the mountains, only tosucceed after giving the largest kind of a ransom. "

"Prosaad, " said Tim O'Rooney, with a magnificent wave of his hand, without rising from his reclining position. "We're glad to maat yez, asme uncle obsarved, whin Micky O'Shaunhanaley's pig walked into hisshanty and stood still till he was salted down and stowed away in thebarrel, by raisin of which Micky niver found his pig agin. "

The next day the party reached the outlet of the Salinas River, MontereyBay, where they succeeded in securing transit to San Francisco, and thetwo boys were once more clasped in the loving arms of their anxiousparents. 

Howard and Elwood remained in San Francisco until autumn, when they cameEast again and entered college, and having passed through with honorthey returned to the Golden City, and are now partners in a flourishingbusiness. Tim O'Rooney is in their service, and they both hold him ingreat regard. He is as good-natured as when "Adrift in the Wilds" withthe boys, and his greatest grief is that he has never been able to meetMr. Shasta, the most "illigent savage gintleman that iver paddled hisown canoe. "

THE END. 

 * * * * *

THE BOYS' HOME SERIES. 

Uniform with this Volume. 

This series affords wholesome reading for boys and girls, and all thevolumes are extremely interesting. --_Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. _

Joe's Luck; or, A Boy's Adventures in California. By HoratioAlger, Jr. 

Julian Mortimer or, A Brave Boy's Struggles for Home and Fortune. ByHarry Castlemon. 

Adrift In The Wilds; or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. ByEdward S. Ellis. 

Frank Fowler, The Cash Boy. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 

Guy Harris, The Runaway. By Harry Castlemon. 

Ben Burton, The Slate-Picker. By Harry Prentice. 

Tom Temple's Career. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 

Tom, The Ready; or, Up from the Lowest. By Randolph Hill. 

The Castaways; Or, On The Florida Reefs. By James Otis. 

Captain Kidd's Gold, The True Story of an Adventurous Sailor Boy. ByJames Franklin Fitts. 

Tom Thatcher's Fortune. By Horatio Alger, Jr. 

Lost In The Caņon. The Story of Sam Willett's Adventures on the GreatColorado of the West. By Alfred R. Calhoun. 

A Young Hero; or, Fighting to Win. By Edward S. Ellis. 

The Errand Boy; or, How Phil Brent Won Success. By HoratioAlger, Jr. 

The Island Treasure; or, Harry Darrel's Fortunes. By Frank H. Converse. 

A Runaway Brig; or, An Accidental Cruise. By James Otis. 

A Jaunt Through Java. The Story of a Journey to the Sacred Mountain byTwo American Boys. By Edward S. Ellis. 

The King of Apeland. The Wonderful Adventures of a Young Animal-Trainer. By Harry Prentice. 

Tom, The Boot-Black; or, The Road to Success. By HoratioAlger, Jr. 

Roy Gilbert's Search. A Tale of the Great Lakes. By William PendletonChipman. 

_The above stories are printed on extra paper, and bound in HandsomeCloth Binding, in all respects uniform with this volume, at $1. 00 percopy. _

_For sale by all Booksellers, or will be sent post-paid on receipt ofthe price by the publisher. _

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