|
gerly. "I find heem good."
It was toward the close of the afternoon when again Jerry's hiss warned
Cameron that the Indian was returning upon his trail. Cameron stepped
into the brush at the side, and, crouching low, prepared for the
encounter, but as he was about to spring Jerry flashed past him, and,
hurling himself upon the Indian's back, gripped him by the throat and
bore him choking to earth, knocking the wind out of him and rendering
him powerless. Jerry's knife descended once bright, once red, and the
Indian with a horrible gasping cry lay still.
"Quick!" cried Cameron, seizing the dead man by the shoulders. "Lift him
up!"
Jerry sprang to seize the legs, and, taking care not to break down the
brush on either side of the trail, they lifted the body into the thick
underwood and concealing themselves beside it awaited events. Hardly
were they out of sight when they heard the soft pad of several feet
running down the trail. Opposite them the feet stopped abruptly.
"Huh!" grunted the Indian runner, and darted back by the way he had
come.
"Heem see blood," whispered Jerry. "Go back tell Copperhead."
With every nerve strung to its highest tension they waited, crouching,
Jerry tingling and quivering with the intensity of his excitement,
Cameron quiet, cool, as if assured of the issue.
"I am going to get that devil this time, Jerry," he breathed. "He
dragged me by the neck once. I will show him something."
Jerry laid his hand upon his arm. At a little distance from them there
was a sound of creeping steps. A few moments they waited and at their
side the brush began to quiver. A moment later beside Cameron's face
a hand carrying a rifle parted the screen of spruce boughs. Quick as
a flash Cameron seized the wrist, gripping it with both hands, and,
putting his weight into the swing, flung himself backwards; at the same
time catching the body with his knee, he heaved it clear over their
heads and landed it hard against a tree. The rifle tumbled from the
Indian's hand and he lay squirming on the ground. Immediately as Jerry
sprang for the rifle a second Indian thrust his face through the screen,
caught sight of Jerry with the rifle, darted back and disappeared with
Jerry hard upon his trail. Scarcely had they vanished into the brush
when Cameron, hearing a slight sound at his back, turned swiftly to
see a tall Indian charging upon him with knife raised to strike. He had
barely time to thrust up his arm and di
|