CHAPTER XIV.

THE BOY TRAILER AT WORK.

It needed no second look to convince Mason that it was the giant's canoe his eyes beheld, nor did he stop to examine the moving object more closely.

Having arranged his course of action long before, he now stepped quietly into the water, and when it reached as high as his neck, began swimming out.

So dexterous were the movements of the boy trailer, whose cause Custer had taken up so readily, and might have carried out but for his untimely death, that no sound resulted from his locomotion through the water, beyond that which even the most suspicious of mortals would take to be the swishing of the wind-driven wavelets.

When the canoe came even with the spot on which he had stood before entering the water, Mason was directly in front of it.

As only his head remained above the water and the giant's direction was directed further on, it was not strange that Red Goliath failed to discover anything suspicious just at the prow of his canoe.

The boat glided past, and Mason's hand sought the ring he had hunted up previously.

Luckily he found it, and in this way managed to keep alongside of the boat, just behind the giant.

Red Goliath stood up like a statue, and for such he might indeed have been taken but for the regular pendulum motion of his arms, as the paddle was shifted from side to side, in order that the momentum caused by the current might be materially aided by long silent sweeps.

Adele sat in the bow, motionless.

Young Mason's heart gave a great throb of sympathy when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a sob from the girl.

His sister had been stolen from her home in New Orleans by Hoskins and this giant, and like a sleuth-hound this boy had followed on the trail, tracking the fugitives from one border town to another on their northward course, and yet always coming too late.

He had met Custer years before, and had been a friend of the yellow-haired cavalry leader, so when he found the general in these regions, the latter at once took up his cause, and sent out scouts to discover where Hoskins and his fair girl captive were.

These men, experienced as they were, failed to accomplish their end.

It was Mason himself, by his indefatigable efforts, who first discovered Sitting Bull's village, and reported the fact to the general, who was already heading in that direction, aiming for the Little Big Horn.

The boy also declared that Hoskins was with the Indians, which fact Custer was prone to believe.

After this Mason vanished, nor did he make his appearance until the doomed command was riding down the bluffs into the ambuscade.

How the latter proved fatal to the gallant troops is already known.

The wily Sioux allowed them to come on, pretending to give way, until the men were fairly in the trap, when they closed about them in a solid mass.

After this explanation, which I hold as due to the reader, I will resume the thread of my narrative where it was dropped.

The canoe passed down the stream for several miles in this way.

It may seem strange that Red Goliath, shrewd as he has shown himself to be, should risk so much in passing the Indian village after arousing the inhabitants by creating such an alarm, but the fact was, he proved to be one of those cunning fellows who believe that under the existing circumstances the safest place is that nearest the seat of action.

In spite of the danger that seemed to encompass him, the giant passed by without an alarm.

Soon the firing on the right shore could be heard, and this became louder as they drew nearer, until they were abreast of the scene of Reno's obstinate defense.

Passing by, the giant continued on its way down the river, until Mason began to wonder whether it would ever stop, his poor arm feeling the effects of the long pull.

Red Goliath had another object in view while taking this route, besides that already mentioned.

There was a cave in the hills below the village which he intended to occupy; for, although Adele was in his hands, only half of the mission which he had been intrusted with by the duelist was accomplished.

The boy yet remained, and although the words he had heard Hoskins boastfully utter had created a suspicion in his mind that Mason had fallen with Custer's command, he intended remaining in the vicinity until this could be proven by searching the battle-field.

Shortly after passing the bluffs where Reno was battling with overwhelming numbers of crafty foemen, the giant made a sudden sweep with the paddle, and turned the prow toward the shore.

As the boat struck, he sprang out and pulled it into a clump of bushes, which, with the reeds growing near the bank, proved an effectual hiding-place. Adele still sat motionless.

The giant addressed her, for the first time since starting on his water voyage, and Mason could see her tremble at the sound of his rough voice, as if it meant something of horror.

"Come, gal, we leave the creek here. There's a snug little hiding-place I intend taking you to, where there'll be no chance of discovery. Now that you're in my power again, I don't intend losing sight of you. You're in somebody's way, therefore you have to be removed. It depends on yourself how this is to be done. Two ways are open: one, by carrying you off to some foreign land; t'other, leaving you to the mercy of the forest beasts," and the unfeeling giant laughed to himself.

"And they would prove more merciful than such a monster as you," declared Adele, as she stepped from the unsteady boat and faced Red Goliath. How her eyes shone, as they flashed out the scorn born of her soul!

"Bravo! I see the little gal hain't lost her spirit yet. I acknowledge the corn without hesitation; hain't got such a thing as a heart; never had, either. Remember how I used to delight in pinching the wings of butterflies, and running pins through 'em when I was a little boy--which, considering my present size, was a long time ago. So you see, gal, I must be what they call a modern monstrosity, a man without a heart. However, I can say this hain't my doing. I only wanted to get a ransom from your mother; but this other fellow must step into the pie."

"Do you think I can't tell who you mean? It is a fit idea to originate with such a man as Luke Camden," said the girl, in scornful tones.

Red Goliath started, and when he spoke his voice was as gruff as ever.

"Remember, I mention no names. Now, gal, we'll be going. Give me your hand."

Adele drew back with a shudder of horror; willingly she would never touch it.

"I will walk beside you in plain view," she said.

"All right," growled the giant, who could not but notice the shudder and knew its import, and he looked at his hand as if half believing that he would see the red marks that had so often dyed it.

"All right, my gal; but remember no tricks, or as sure as there is life in the air we breathe, I shall shoot you down;" and as if to enforce this horrible threat, he whipped out a revolver.

Side by side, the man and his intended victim walked through the woods. When speaking of his method of traveling, stalked would be a better word, for he covered three or four feet with every step, so that Adele was compelled to almost run in order to keep up with him.

Neither of them saw the water-drenched form that flitted from tree to tree in their rear.

Half a mile, perhaps, was covered.

Mason, on several occasions, thought he heard a noise in his rear, as though the trailer himself was being trailed; but his attention being almost fully occupied in front, it soon passed from his mind.

The hills were reached at length, and the ascent commenced.

Before five minutes had passed Red Goliath came to a pause.

Before them a black orifice yawned in the rocks. The giant made Adele enter first, and himself followed after, as if afraid lest she should give him the slip after all.

Another moment and they stood in a cavern some twenty feet square, the dimensions of which could be seen by the star-light that found ingress through the large cracks above.

In spite of his protestations as to not harming her, there were dark thoughts in the mind of the giant.

Bloody deeds were every-day affairs with him; the girl stood in his way; therefore she must be removed.

Why he had not done the deed before I cannot say.

Perhaps, in the beginning his plan was different; and, once in the canoe, the outcry she would make might draw a cordon of enemies around him.

Red Goliath replaced his revolver and drew his knife, running his finger along the edge in a deliberate way.

His eyes gleamed like those of a snake, and appeared to fascinate the girl.

Not a word did the giant utter, but his actions needed no explanation.

He took a step towards Adele.

She sank on her knees terribly frightened at the savage monster's move.

The little hands were clasped and wrung despairingly, but they might just as well have appealed to a man of stone.

As the long blade was raised the light glittered along the steel.

"Be merciful, as you expect to receive mercy," moaned Adele.

The giant did not expect any mercy; at least his actions betokened as much, for, as if he had not heard her at all, he continued to advance.

Another step and he would be upon her.

She seemed to shrink even closer to the rocky floor, and seeing no hope in that ferocious countenance, covered her eyes with her hands to shut out the dread sight.

Unknown to himself, Red Goliath was sealing his own doom.

As the knife quivered in the air, and was just about to descend, Mason's voice rang out through the cavern.