CHAPTER XX

THE RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY

THEY parted from the Dacotah brave with what was doubtless intended to be grateful gestures on his part.

"He seems to understand that we have played the part of friends," said Roger, "and I think if the chance ever comes up he will stand by us."

"I am of the same opinion," declared Dick, "though for that matter I hope we may never need his help. After all, we did not lose much time, and it was worth while to save a life."

They pushed on diligently for a long time. Dick was not in doubt as to his course, for he had taken particular pains to notice as they came along on the preceding day, in the company of the Indians.

When Roger happened to ask once if he were quite sure the river lay directly ahead of them, Dick answered confidently.

"Unless it makes a great sweep to the north somewhere above us we will run upon the river by nightfall, take my word for it;" and Roger, accustomed to depending fully on his comrade, never doubted after that moment.

Something else was soon upon his mind, however, and he voiced his thoughts by appealing to Dick.

"Do you think it would be dangerous if you shot your gun off just once, in case we sighted some game? I feel very hungry, for that supper the Indians gave us didn't seem to do me much good. And breakfast is one of my best meals, you know."

Dick laughed at seeing the appealing look on his chum's face.

"I don't think the danger of the shot's being heard is one-half as great as you think you are of starving to death," he told Roger.

"Then you agree, do you?" demanded the other, eagerly. "I'll keep my eyes peeled for sight of a deer, and I do hope it isn't going to be long before we get a chance at one."

As luck would have it, before another ten minutes had passed the opportunity he was hoping for came their way. Dick was ready, and with the report of his gun a yearling doe fell in a heap, just when in the act of plunging into the dense thicket.

Of course Roger would not think of any delay in getting a fire going and some of the tender meat broiling before the flames. While he looked after the fire Dick cut up the game, and it was not long before an appetizing odor began to make both boys wishful for the feast to begin.

"We can make up for this stop," said Roger as he sat there devouring piece after piece of the half-cooked venison, "by not halting at noon for a rest. Then again, we can hurry our steps at times and so get along faster."

"No trouble about that," Dick assured him, "for I figure that we have plenty of time to get there by dark. You remember that we were only on the move some six hours yesterday, and we have the whole of to-day for tramping."

"Do you know, Dick, this reminds me of how we chased after the expedition for weeks and weeks when determined to find Jasper Williams, and get that paper signed for our parents. Hundreds of miles we followed the trail as it ascended the Missouri River, until at last we overtook them."[4]

"What we did once we can do again, this time on a small scale," Dick assured him. "I was just watching those crows over there in that tree-top. They seem to be holding a regular caucus, and keep on scolding like everything."

"Yes," added the other boy, "and sometimes crows turn out to be a pest in lots of ways besides eating the settler's corn. Old hunters have told me they hide from crows whenever they find themselves in hostile territory, because through their cawing the birds tell the Indians strangers are in the woods."

"There, the whole lot has flown away, and making all sorts of noises in the bargain," Dick went on to say. "I don't like crows myself any too much. They are too noisy, and seem to think every one is trying to creep up on them for a shot."

"When we do strike the river, Dick, can we easily tell whether the expedition has passed or not?"

"All we have to do is to examine the ground, for their horses would leave a plain trail, you know, Roger."

"And if, after searching, we do not find any sign, we will know they haven't come along yet. In that case all we have to do will be to sit down, and take things easy until they show up."

Roger seemed to have left most of his troubles behind, after making a good breakfast on the deer meat. With the intention of chiding him for displaying any eagerness for food when there was none to be had, Dick took up the subject again as they trudged manfully onward.

"It's very plain to be seen that you'd never make a good Indian brave, Roger," was what he told the other, and this excited the boy's curiosity just as Dick knew would be the case.

"Tell me why," he demanded. "I always thought I could stand pain without flinching as well as any Indian boy; and I've learned a lot about wild life in the bargain. Where do I fall short, Dick?"

"It's just this way," his cousin told him. "An Indian boy is taught never to display his feelings, no matter what he suffers inwardly. If he were struck by a poisonous rattlesnake, and could feel his body swelling, not a whimper would come from his lips."

"Well, what has that to do with me, Dick? So far I have never been attacked by a rattlesnake, though I've killed plenty of the ugly varmints, I wager."

"But you did put on a long face, and you complained because for once you missed your breakfast. Now, an Indian boy would never have said a word, but held in grimly to the end. Not that I blame you, remember, for I was hungry myself, and ready to use my gun, even before you mentioned it."

They both laughed at that.

"We were born 'paleface' boys," said Roger, "and it's hard for the leopard to change its spots, they say. When we're hungry we know it, yes, and we don't mind letting other people know it, too, if that will help things along."

Noon came and went.

They kept persistently moving forward. Occasionally they came to open places in the forest where the grass grew green, and often did they glimpse deer feeding in these glades. Once they even saw a small herd of buffaloes trooping off, having apparently winded the boys.

But Dick made no motion to use his gun again. They had all the fresh meat they required, and powder and balls were too precious to be needlessly wasted. So the afternoon came and found them keeping up that determined pace. If either of them felt tired they failed to mention the fact, which in itself was pretty positive evidence that they possessed many of the best traits of the Indian character, after all.

From long habit they were accustomed to such exercise as this, and would not have complained had the tramp kept up far into the coming night.

It was about the middle of the afternoon when Roger gave a low exclamation of delight.

"I can see the river ahead of us, Dick!" he cried, with a vein of deep satisfaction in his voice.

"Yes, I have been waiting to hear you say that, Roger, for I glimpsed it five minutes back. So you see after all we have made good time. We shall be there long before sunset."

"I must say I am glad to know it," Roger admitted; and then hastily added: "Not that I doubted your word a bit, but then, 'seeing is believing,' you know, Dick."

"Yes, and, confident as I was myself, I am relieved to see the river glimmering in the sunlight before us," Dick frankly admitted.

"It can hardly be more than two miles or so away from here, wouldn't you say?" questioned Roger, always ready to have any assertion he might make backed up by the word of his chum, in whom he had such positive faith.

"About that," the other told him, as they once more started ahead.

When finally they stood on the high bank of the river, no longer the mighty stream they knew it down near their home, and looked at the opposite shore, the sun was still more than an hour high.

"Now to find out if they have passed by, and whether we will have to keep on up the river," said Dick, as he began to look about him.

A brief search convinced them that no horses had passed that point. They saw the marks of deer, and buffaloes, as well as some very large imprints made by cloven hoofs, that startled the boys, for they did not know what sort of strange animal had made them; but it was sure that horses had not been present.

"That settles it then," said Roger, with a sigh of relief, for he would much rather just sit there and wait for the expedition to come along, than be compelled to follow for miles after it.

"We will make camp here to-night if they fail to show up," asserted Dick, which piece of information pleased Roger, his pleasure showing in the broad smile of contentment that broke over his face.

With plenty of good venison to last them through many days, what need had they to worry? They knew the exploring party bound for the other side of the mountains was sure to come along, sooner or later; when they could once more join their good friends, and take their accustomed places as though nothing unusual had happened.

Dick selected a certain spot on which to settle and wait for the exploring party. In doing this he had in mind the fact that it afforded them a clear view down the river. A bend lay just a quarter of a mile below their position, around which they could expect the boats to appear, sooner or later.

Lying at their ease the boys talked of many things as they awaited the coming of the expedition. Their recent experience of course came in for a good share of attention, for it still thrilled them to compare notes of the night attack, when those hideous whoops were ringing in their ears, together with the heavy percussion of blows as the fierce Shoshones invaded the camp of the Dacotahs and struggled hand-to-hand for the supremacy.

The sun was sinking lower and lower, so that it really began to look as though, after all, the boys would have to make camp where they were. Apparently the expedition had spent some little time looking for the lost ones, and Dick had struck the river further up than they had as yet penetrated.

Suddenly Roger discovered a moving object down the river. Then, around the bend, a boat came in sight, in which they could see white men, some of them soldiers.

At the same time voices from the shore reached their ears, and they caught fugitive glimpses of moving figures advancing along a buffalo trail close to the edge of the bank. These latter they realized must be the party mounted on the horses, and who always kept near the boats for mutual protection and company.

"That settles it then, Dick. We will not have to camp by ourselves to-night; and, after all, I'm glad of it. Not that I don't enjoy being off with you alone, but up here, so far away from the settlements, it makes me feel better to know I am in company with some dozens of other whites."

"I think there's still another reason why you are glad they are coming," ventured Dick, shrewdly; "you keep on hoping they may not have devoured all of those fine trout we caught yesterday, and that you can still have a chance to taste some of them."

Roger would neither admit nor deny the accusation, but only laughed and prepared to wave his cap toward the men in the leading boat a minute later.

It could be seen that quite some excitement followed the discovery that the two missing boys were above, waiting for the boats to arrive. Voices were heard conveying the intelligence to the other boats, and loud shouts attested to the fact that the men rejoiced over the safe return of the lost ones.

The spot offered very good accommodations for stopping over night, and so, upon arriving opposite the lads, the boats made for the shore. Dick and Roger soon found themselves being heartily greeted by all their good friends. Most of the men had really given them up for lost when they learned the fact that they had been carried off by the Dacotahs, after being so treacherously led into a trap by the seemingly friendly brave who had loitered so long about the camp.

The two captains were among the first to shake the hands of the pioneer boys, and assure them of their deep satisfaction at seeing them again. Of course every one was anxious to know what had happened to them, and the boys were compelled to tell their story again and again as the tents were being pitched and preparations made for the night camp.

It was admitted by all that they had been exceedingly lucky. At the same time, every one knew that the boys deserved great credit for their clever escape from the hands of the Dacotahs. Dick had planned it all very cleverly so as to make their escape possible even though there had been no midnight attack on the part of the Shoshones, though, of course, they might have been followed and had further trouble.

As darkness set in, the bustling scene gave the two lads much pleasure and contentment. They could not but compare this night with the one that had gone just before, when they had sat in the midst of their dusky captors, not knowing what lay in store for them in the near future.

No sooner was supper set before them than Roger turned a beaming face toward Dick, as he voiced his feelings of delight.

"You see, they didn't make way with those fish after all, Dick, because they were not found until late in the evening. So they just cleaned and salted them down, and we're to have the greatest treat you ever tasted to-night. It sometimes pays to wait patiently for things to come along," and, seeing Dick smiling, he winked knowingly, after which he bustled off to watch the process by means of which the fish were to be prepared for the coming meal.

FOOTNOTE:

[4] See "The Pioneer Boys of the Missouri."