Part 9 (1/2)
”What do you take e?” was the reproachful return ”Do you think that Skipper Mackintosh is going to alloa laddies like you to go wandering aboot the backwoods when he can guide you? And when Skipper fails, is there no' the Haggis and Bannock--a pair o' the finest scouts and trackers that ever set foot in bush or prairie? What do you take me for, I'd just like to know?”
”One of the kindest hearts in the world, Mr Mackintosh,” said Bob fervently
”Bah! Fiddlesticks and porridge-sticks!” was the rough rejoinder, though a pair of eyes were turned kindly enough upon the youths--eyes that glistened in a way that rather suggested the nearness of water ”All a pack o' nonsense! If a man is no' ready to help his fellow-creatures when they need hih his thorax andmy moths, labelled, 'A horrible freak o' Nature' And I'd have you know, too, that my name is Mackintosh--Skipper Mackintosh There's no 'Misters' in the backwoods
'Skipper' is the naave me to commemorate his discovery o' a new variety of skippers in the entoht to you, laddies Good-night, and God bless the pair o' you”
CHAPTER VIII
NIGHT IN THE WIGWAM
While the two boys had been holding their lonely watch at the ca on their disappointing search,place at the encahty Hand and his brother Dacotahs
Thunder-ethat surprises him When the unusual is not understood, he does not search for a simple and natural explanation He iood and evil spirits actions that a little common sense would have readily explained in an everyday way
The Medicine Man of a tribe is different from others of his race He is the brainy exception of craft united to coe for his own interests Thunder- was very simple after all--nay, even childish We have seen it perforlers, as we have also seen the same effects produced by Arab diviners on the Syrian desert
The explanation is found in the fact that serpents are exceedingly sensitive to blows A cut with an ordinary and is usually sufficient to break the spine and disable all but the h the first blow may daze a snake, it is some time before the final effect takes place, and the creature riggle about for soy is practically nil--that is to say, it th
Now, Thunder- ell aware of all this, and when he dropped the rattler from his teeth he was careful to do so in such a way that the creature would touch the ground with considerable violence
Then he allowed it to wriggle about until in tilishmen That was the moment for which he had waited, and immediately he started forith a cry that startled the snake into still fear
A few passes with his hands fascinated the creature long enough for the Medicine Man to show the Indians that the creature was undoubtedly pointing in the direction of the captives, and when that was done the crafty redskin had achieved his purpose:
The serpent had divined whom the sacred totem of the tribe had called that day
Then Thunder-maker had replaced his assistant in the linen cloth before it revived sufficiently to coain, and, perhaps, point its supernatural head to sohty Hand had been wavering between reason and superstition until the intervention of the Medicine Man had caused superstition to take the uppermost place A moment before, and the chief would have released the captives and sent theuide But the art of Thunder-maker had stepped in to convince the people that the sacred tote that day, and that it was the Englishmen for whoers found inexplicable Of this, however, there was no doubt: their arrival had been at a most unfortunate time, when some answer to the supposed call of the totem was then expected
They were that answer, and the result--who can say what the consequences would be when falsehood and superstition had a savage people at colishmen were requested to return within the teepee that had been reserved for their prison But, curiously enough, they were not treated in any way after the traditional Indian uard was placed at the entrance, though sentries were placed round the camp of which the prison teepee was the centre The best food that the Indians possessed was supplied to them, as well as a sufficiency of fur robes to sleep upon All the sahtful attentions, there was no roo that they were prisoners ere not to be allowed any opportunity for escape, and the men could only accept the present situation in a philosophic spirit, and await the course of events with such patience as they could muster
As the day passed, and darkness fell upon the forest, the Englishmen stretched themselves upon the robes, while in whispers they tried to arrive at the solution of the mystery and for to that scoundrel Thunder-hty Hand would have released us I could see by his face that he was favourably disposed towards us”
”It is a serious business,” said Holden
”Serious enough for us, for there is no knohat et mixed up with native superstitions At the same tihed at the thought of Bob and his son Alf being alone at the deserted ca happens to us--ive up hope of co-run, and weover very little after all Butnow?”
At this question the elder h