Part 16 (1/2)

He moved cautiously around, until fairly in front of the savage, when he uttered a low, peculiar whistle. The latter instantly raised his head, his black eyes open to their fullest extent, and gave a look that at once discovered his ident.i.ty to O'Hara.

”Oonamoo, and no mistake,” he muttered; and then repeating the whistle as a warning that he was about to approach, he stepped boldly forth and revealed himself. The Huron started with surprise, and then advanced with an expression of pleasure to greet his white brother.

”Glad to meet,” he said, speaking brokenly.

”And I'm derned glad to see you, Oonamoo, for I need your help this minute. What are you doing? Out on a scout?”

The Huron shook his head.

”No scout--Oonamoo live in woods--like the deer--can't sleep near white men's houses.”

”'Pears you can sleep here though, the way your head was bobbin'

around. Been up late at night, I s'pose?”

”No sleep now--meet 'Hara, white brother,” said he, with an expression of joy upon his swarthy countenance.

”Yes, I smelt the smoke of your fire, and follerin' it up I cone onto you. 'Pears to me it was rather careless kindling your fire here in broad daylight. Ain't there any Injins in the neighborhood?”

”Woods full of 'em--Shawnees, Miamis, Delawares, all over, like leaves of trees,” replied the savage, sweeping his arm around him.

”Ain't you _afeard_ they might come down on you?”

The Rifleman indulged in an inward laugh, for he well knew the reply that would be made. The dark face of the Huron a.s.sumed an expression of withering scorn as he answered:

”Oonamoo don't know _fear_--spit on Shawnee and Miami--he sleeps in their hunting-grounds, and by their wigwams, but they don't touch him.

He scalp their warriors--all he meets, but Oonamoo never lose scalp.”

”Don't be too sure of that; that proud top-knot of yours may be yanked off yet, Mr. Oonamoo. Many a Shawnee would be proud to have that hanging in his lodge.”

”He never get him though,” replied the Huron, with great readiness.

”I hope not, for I'd feel sorry to see such a good warrior as you go under when he is needed so much. You ain't on a scout or hunt just now, then?”

The savage shook his head from side to side as quick as lightning.

”Then you'll take a tramp with me?”

It now went up and down with the same celerity.

”To sum up then, Oonamoo, Lew, our leader, is in a bad sc.r.a.pe.”

”Shawnee got him? Miami got him?”

”That's what I want to find out. Shouldn't be s'prised if both have nabbed him.”

”How get him?”

There was something curious in the eagerness with which the Huron asked the questions. It was more noticeable from the fact that O'Hara spoke slowly and deliberately, so that the short, broken sentences of the savage seemed all the more short and broken.

”That I can't tell, Oonamoo,” repeated the hunter, who, it will be noticed, evinced the remarkable fact of being in a good temper with the Indian. ”You see, him and the gal----”