CHAPTER XX

THE TWO-LEGGED WOLF

"I'M glad to be afloat once more!"

Of course that could be no one but Sandy making such a remark, under the circumstances. He was leaning over the side of the bulwark of the flatboat, and looking back up the river toward Fort Washington.

It was all very nice, stopping with friends who were interested in their welfare, as all pioneers must be; but for Sandy delay became monotonous. He liked action, and plenty of it.

Besides, his ambition to set eyes on that wonderful river of the west grew in volume, the further they advanced along their journey. It was now in the nature of a passion with the lad. And of course, his father and mother would never be happy again until they had selected a location for the new homestead in the wilderness bordering the Mississippi; so the sooner they reached their destination the better Sandy--yes, and Bob also--would be pleased.

Their plans had been talked over so often at the frontier post that several others manifested a desire to accompany the four families to the country they had heard so much about; but, although Mr. Armstrong declared he would be only too well pleased to have such a noble addition to their number, the capacity of the flatboat had already been reached, so that there was really no opportunity to stow even one more family on board.

It was settled, however, that they would leave some sign of their location, if the opportunity came about; or, failing that, get word back to these new friends, so that they too might build an ark, and float down to the Mississippi in turn, to join their fortunes with those of the first adventurous party.

Bob was not far away from his brother when Sandy made the remark with which this chapter opens, and he smiled to hear what the younger lad said.

"Well, I can understand what you mean, Sandy," he replied, "for I feel a little that way myself. But just now I was wondering where he can be, and how he makes his way across from one side of the river to the other?"

"Oh! now you're speaking of the mysterious Indian who sends those Delaware arrows every little while, and seems to mean to keep along with us, just like he was a shadow?" the other returned.

"Hardly that, Sandy," said Bob, "because you can see a shadow; but never once up to now have either of us set eyes on this queer friend who likes to work in secret. Think of how far away from his village he must have wandered; and it begins to look as if we might have him around to protect us even after we get to our new home down below."

"I heard father speaking about another difficulty we have ahead of us, which is the falls of the Ohio, down about where Harrodsburg lies," Bob went on presently.

"Oh! will we have to abandon our fine flatboat there, and take up the journey on foot?" cried Sandy, to whom the thought of a falls meant some grand cataract, like the famous one at Niagara, of which he had heard many times.

"Well, if there is water enough in the river, we expect to pass right through; but, if there seems to be any danger, father says he will anchor the boat above, and either investigate the conditions himself, or find some man who knows the channel. Hunters and trappers are used to passing down that way, and shoot through without bothering themselves about danger. And we'll get along all right, I guess, Sandy."

"Then the falls aren't so very high, after all?" asked the other, heaving a sigh of genuine relief.

"Oh! no," laughed Bob; "they are what some hunters call rapids. At high water you'd never know they were there, Pat says. He has seen the place only once, and never shot them, so father could hardly depend on him for a pilot. But you wait and see. We are in too great luck to get wrecked on the rocks like that. There will be a way for us to get through."

Several days later they saw smoke ashore, and discovered a party of hunters in camp. They were a hardy lot, ready to fight Indians as cheerfully as they were willing to shoot deer or buffalo.

The flatboat was anchored as close to the shore as seemed wise, and Mr. Armstrong invited the others to come out and visit; but they said they had no boat. One of them Pat immediately recognized.

"Sure that looks like me ould frind, Jo Davies," he remarked; and the man hearing what he said, called back:

"Just who it is, Pat O'Mara, and glad to see you again."

Thereupon Pat became wild to take the boat and go ashore after the hunter who had more than once been in his company when on the trail, or a trapping expedition.

Of course, by this time Pat's lame ankle had mended so that he could walk about as well as ever, though for perhaps a whole year he would have to favor the left foot a little, when he could.

He brought the four men out with him, and they spent a couple of hours aboard, asking for the latest news from the distant sea-coast.

In this far away country news travelled very slowly; yet evidently these pioneers understood the conditions existing between the Crown and the rebellious colonies; for their first question was whether there had been an open break as yet.

The moon had come and gone, so that there was no longer a chance to float down the river after nightfall, since it would be too dangerous in the darkness. Accordingly they determined to spend the night where they were, supper being cooked ashore, after the boat had been urged in by means of the stout poles.

The four hunters remained to partake with them, and Jo Davies even promised to stay with the party to see them safely over the falls, which he said were just below a few miles, and would be reached early on the morrow. Afterwards, he would rejoin his companions at a certain rendezvous; when the bold quartette, already on their way back from the Mississippi, where they had been annoying the French trappers exceedingly, intended setting out for that region where the settlements founded by Boone were struggling hard to hold their own against the savage foe.

Thus they found the needed pilot; for Jo Davies had been over the ground many times, so that he knew well the channel that was safest, between the rocks that might destroy the boat if an inexperienced hand sought to show the way.

This undertaking was successfully accomplished on the next day. The boys were of course particularly fascinated by the passage of the falls of the Ohio. Sandy was sorry when it had been accomplished, and they were safely moored to the bank below the dangerous zone. But as for Bob, he breathed much easier; for at one time he had feared that they were bound to strike heavily against a snag that looked wicked enough to do them considerable damage, and perhaps bring about a wreck.

But now all was well; and presently, after they had put their kind friend ashore again, so that he might rejoin the other three hunters and hasten to the assistance of their old comrade, Boone, they could resume the voyage with no further obstacle in the way worth mentioning.

And now began glorious days for the boys. They could see the wooded hills of Kentucky on the left, and the prairie lands of what is now Indiana and Illinois off to the right, across the widening river. Crossing over, they even went ashore at a place where there seemed to be no danger of an Indian ambush, and here spent one whole day.

During that time Mr. Armstrong and the other heads of families showed a keen interest in the nature of the soil, and the wonderful growth of flowers and grass that it seemed to support, all of which pleased them immensely.

Of course Sandy and Bob, being wild for another hunt after fresh meat, easily persuaded their father to let them go forth; and, as before, Pat accompanied them.

As they had discovered many signs that showed that buffalo roamed over these prairie lands, the young hunters were of course eager to get a chance to shoot one of these animals. Such splendid quarry would yield a good supply of fresh meat, and be a change besides from the jerked venison, of which they were growing heartily tired.

In this particular Pat's previous acquaintance with the country came into good service. He knew just where the buffalo were apt to be found at that time of day, and at the season of the year, for it was now not far from early summer.

"We'll be afther takin' up our way among thim bunches av trees beyant the knoll yonder," he remarked, leading them forth; "and the chances be tin to wan we'll say somethin' worth while before we come back. Be aisy now, and walk in Injun file, bendin' low, an' saying niver so much as a single worrd."

They went in this way for a mile or more, and then Pat declared he knew they were near the game. Sure enough, peeping up over the top of the tall grass in which they were hidden, the boys discovered that a number of buffalo were either eating lazily, or else lying down; for the sun seemed rather hot at this noonday hour, and the shade cast by the foliage of the trees felt grateful.

How to crawl close enough to pour in a hot fire was the question Pat had to decide; but it did not give him any great amount of trouble to settle that. He noted which way the wind, what little there chanced to be at the time, was blowing; for, in a case like the one now confronting them, that was a prime factor. Then they began to glide along like so many snakes.

From time to time they would cautiously raise their heads, in order to take an observation, and, so far as they could see, the buffalo did not appear to be alarmed.

"We ought soon to be close enough to shoot," whispered Sandy, after he had raised his head for one of these inspections. "They don't seem to be afraid of anything right now. Why, would you believe it, there's a sneaking old gray wolf prowling around there; and none of them pay any attention to him. Looks like they only have fear of wolves when they come in packs."

"What's that ye say; a wolf, is it?" whispered Pat; "whist! now, till I be afther takin' a peep at the same."

Ten seconds later, and he drew back his head; and Bob could see that there was a black frown on the face of the jovial Irish trapper.

"Bad cess to the luck, it do be surely irritatin'," he whispered again, as they put their heads close to his. "Be careful now, lads, an' take another look, to say what that blissed wolf do be afther."

And as Bob and Sandy did so, they saw the big gray wolf raising up until he almost stood on his hind legs, while the twang of a bow-string came to their astonished ears.