At the enemy"s camp there was now huge commotion. At first the confusion had been so great that no one could guess what had happened.
Even Hurley himself had little more than an inkling, and it took him a few seconds to pick himself up and free himself of the snow and debris of the lean-to with which he had been covered. Then shouts of rage and fierce orders burst from his lips; in his anger he dashed hither and thither, shouting at his men, and even striking those who seemed to be dawdling.
"Put the other team into the sleigh, quick!" he commanded. "One of you help here to find my rifle. Those men have made a sneaking night attack, and will get clear off if we don"t move quick. Here, look for my rifle, I say. How in thunder did it get outside the lean-to?"
There were quite a number of little matters which he was likely to find difficult of explanation. But the gun was found eventually where Joe had placed it, while the second team of dogs were got into their harness. Then Hurley pressed two of the boldest of his followers into this special service, and putting them aboard the remaining sleigh, leaped there himself, and ordered the driver to set off in pursuit of our hero and his friends.
Beaver Jack never hesitated as to the course he ought to pursue once his fingers closed on the reins Hank tossed him.
"Clear back for the settlements," the little hunter had said, and the Redskin obeyed him to the letter. He steered his team over a portion of the lake, set them at the bank where it shelved very gradually to the ice, and, gaining a hollow, aimed directly for a huge patch of forest distinguishable with the aid of the moon"s rays in the far distance.
"He war born cute, he war," grunted Hank, some minutes later, when all the loads were secured, and he and Joe had time and opportunity to look about them. "Beaver Jack never stirs a foot, but he watches everything about him, and I reckon that he knows nigh every foot of the country; knows it, too, whether it"s fine weather or ef there"s snow about and landmarks is wiped out altogether. He aer steering downhill, knowing as the big lake back behind drains along the valley to another, and that again to a third. It means quick travelling all the way, and ef we"re to shake off them critters it"ll be before we reaches the third lake. Ah! Guess that"s Hurley. It"s a pity it"s stopped snowing."
It was necessary to cling to the sleigh tightly, for the going was fast and furious. There was no time to watch for obstacles ahead, while the snow covered the land so completely that deep brooks crossing their line of flight were not seen till they were on to them, and then there was a mighty shaking. The dogs, spurred on by the cracking whip, leaped across the hollow. The sleigh b.u.mped across with a great jolting which tossed those aboard it to either side; but still they clung tight, while the little hunter, seeing that a sleigh was following, nimbly turned about, spread himself face downward on the top of the sleigh, and placed his rifle before him.
"You jest take and sit on my legs, Joe," he called; "then ef there"s a bad jolt I"ll still be here. It won"t make no difference to my shootin", and it"s likely to save delay. Ef I was to roll over you"d have to stop, and that"d be serious."
Joe promptly did as he was asked, tucking the legs of the little hunter beneath him, and placing a blanket across them before he sat down. He could then afford to turn his own head and watch the enemy. Away behind them, tearing along at reckless speed, and at such a rate that a cloud of white was thrown up in front of each runner for all the world as if the sleigh were a ship at sea, Hurley and his comrades came chasing after the trio they had fondly hoped to kill. A figure crouched just behind the dogs, and the frosty air brought the sound of his shouts and the crack of the dog whip he wielded. A second figure was bundled up behind him, the face of the man on the shoulder of the driver, while a pair of staring eyes peered at the sleigh ahead.
Hurley sat right aft, his bulky form overlapping the sides of the sleigh, his head and shoulders well above his comrades. The moon, playing upon the scene, showed a rod projecting upward from a point just in front of the murderer, and at once Joe knew it was a rifle. He saw the ruffian lean forward and shout at his men, and then watched as he rose still higher--evidently he was half-kneeling and half-sitting--his weapon was lifted into a horizontal position and went to his shoulder. It was clear, in fact, that Hurley was about to fire.
"Best get down flat, every one of us," cried Hank, in warning tones.
"Beaver Jack, you lie flat same as me, facing forward. You"ll still be able to steer, and kin use the whip ef it"s wanted. Then Joe kin stretch hisself out on top of the two of us. It"ll be a cramping business, but it aer better"n bein" shot."
Such gymnastic efforts upon a sleigh rocking from side to side was no easy matter. But when there is a man within reasonable distance whose rifle is presented, and any moment may bring a bullet, the most difficult of evolutions are carried out with wonderful rapidity. In this case, Beaver Jack swivelled himself round with a dexterity there was no denying. Then Joe turned entirely, for he wished to have his eyes behind him all the while and watch Hurley. A second or so later he was also lying flat, his weight helping to hold the Redskin to the sleigh, while he gripped Hank now by the ankles. But he was hardly in position when a puff of smoke burst from the rifle held by the burly figure at the back of the pursuing sleigh, there was a dull flash, then a bullet screamed past the heads of Hank and his friends. The reply to this was sent without delay by the little hunter.
"Missed!" he grunted. "Shootin" at a moving object ain"t never too easy with a rifle, but when the consarn you"re fixed on is movin"
itself as well, why, a hit aer often a chance. Guess Hurley ha" got his eye in."
It was a cold-blooded observation, hardly likely to encourage either.
But the grin on Hank"s face showed that he himself was not greatly concerned by the close approach of a second bullet which Hurley had fired. For Joe, one can only say that he watched the duel fascinated, fear for his own person lost in his interest. Once again he saw Hurley"s rifle lifted, saw the smoke belch from the muzzle, and then heard--almost felt, one might say, without exaggeration--the pa.s.sage of the bullet.
Hank chuckled. "This here lyin"-down position bothers him fine," he cried. "He aer got to drop his muzzle a whole heap before he hits us.
But I"m not the one to give chances; I"m going to pick off that Hurley."
Up went his own rifle, for Hank leaned on one elbow. He took a long and careful aim and then pulled his trigger; but the result was not what he had antic.i.p.ated. As he himself had said, shooting was extremely difficult under such circ.u.mstances, for the sleigh swayed and jolted horribly. But the bullet missed the ruffian at whom it was aimed only because there was another man in front of him. Of a sudden the driver of the pursuing sleigh dropped his whip and doubled up, his chin on his chest. Then he swayed a little, and, as if with a mighty effort, gathered all his strength and threw himself backward, pulling on the reins and bringing his team to a standstill. But it was his last action. He toppled over to the left and fell into the snow.
"Wrong man; sorry," Hank jerked out grimly. "Hurley"ll have it next time. I"ll wait a bit to get him closer."
The chase after that settled down a little, Hank holding his fire, while Hurley himself copied the example of the little hunter and spread himself out flat on his sleigh, his new driver also. But this was apparent, with a lighter load the enemy were getting nearer.
"Ef that"s the case, we"ll make a stop precious soon," said Hank.
"What say, Joe?"
"I"m with you. We"re three now to their two, and if we could face eight of them some little while ago, surely we could----"
His argument came to an abrupt ending at that moment, for a wide ditch with vertical banks carved out by nature crossed their path, and the snow hid it from view. It was more than likely that the snow had formed a species of bridge over this deep hollow; but, in any case, it broke down as the last of the team of dogs crossed, causing the front end of the sleigh to dip suddenly. The runners cannoned against the iron-hard banks, and in a twinkling sleigh and men went flying.
"Surely we could face those two," gasped Joe, as if continuing the sentence where circ.u.mstances had caused it to be so abruptly broken, and at the same time picking himself up from the bank of snow into which he had been thrown. "Here"s fine cover. This ditch will hide us completely."
He threw himself down into the deep hollow at once, and found that he had quite a high bank before him, over which he had to lift his head to see the enemy. Hurley marked the occasion by firing at him, and his bullet swished past within an inch, causing Joe to duck suddenly. As for Hank, the sudden upset seemed to have caused him vast amus.e.m.e.nt, and certainly he wasn"t in the smallest degree hurt, though, being at the rear of the sleigh, he had been thrown over the heads of his comrades and had come down sprawling amongst the dogs. He picked up himself and his weapon instantly and crept to Joe"s side, still grinning widely, while Beaver Jack, undisturbed by the upset, his gravity of demeanour and his native dignity not in the least degree ruffled, coolly turned the sleigh the right way up, dragged it backward, and called hoa.r.s.ely to the dogs to lie down.
"We war jest meant to stop and have it out with them critters," said Hank, when he had shaken the snow out of his eyes and mouth. "Gee!
that war a tumble. Lucky fer us there"s soft snow. Ef it had been on bare ice, there"s some of us would have had cracked heads. Ha! Hurley ha" thought better of coming along towards us. Guess this business is gettin" a little more serious than he wanted. Yer see, he had jest three at fust, three as didn"t know he was following. Now he"s got the same three, and only one to help him agin them. You sit low, lad; bullets has a way of striking jest when they ain"t expected."
His own head went down of a sudden, while a bullet buzzed above them.
Evidently it must have gone extremely near to the Redskin, who was then crawling towards them, for Beaver Jack"s impa.s.sive face broke into a smile. His sensitive lips actually curled, those deep-set, penetrating eyes twinkled, while his curious chin went up and seemed almost to embrace the tip of the hooked nose.
"None the wuss if you ain"t hit, mate," laughed Hank. "Joe, how do yer like bullets flyin" close beside you?"
To look at our hero it was an experience which he enjoyed, for he was smiling. But it was not because of the bullets. He was smiling at the sudden change in their fortunes, at the complete success of the special efforts which he and Hank had made, and at the thought that, instead of being chased by Hurley now, they might well turn the tables on him.
"We"ve a duty to do," he said so sharply, that the little hunter swung round upon him.
"Eh? Duty?" he asked.
"Yes; there"s a murderer, a criminal wanted by the law. Our duty is to take him, so that he can do no more mischief."
"In course," came the ready answer, "that"s what we"re going to do.
See here, Joe, I don"t return to the settlements till we"ve got our man or rubbed him out entirely. It"s the same thing to me whichever happens; only stop his game we will."
"Right! I"m with you," cried Joe.
"Then jest look spry and don"t get standin" in the way of his rifle,"
grunted Hank, as he peered cautiously at the enemy.
CHAPTER XX
Back to the Farm
The minutes which pa.s.sed as Joe and his friends lay in the hollow into which the upset of their sleigh had thrown them proved, as they rapidly increased in number, that plans, however carefully made, do not always become accomplished. It had been agreed between the little hunter and our hero that it was their plain duty to capture Hurley; for was he not an escaped criminal, a murderer, a brute who sought to slay them? But try as they might to circ.u.mvent the rascal, he outwitted them.
"It aer one of them tarnation difficulties that one don"t realize till one comes up agin them," said Hank after a while, for immediately on their upset Hurley had caused his own team of dogs to be pulled up short, and had himself taken advantage of a hollow. Hidden in it, he bobbed up every now and again and sent a shot swishing over the little party, while apparently the bullets fired by Joe and his friend had no better effect. They were, in fact, merely wasting time.
"Doing no harm, and just keeping us here till his men come up to join him," ventured Joe.
"Huh!" grunted the trapper. "But we"ll see as they don"t get quite up to him, unless, of course, there"s a hollow which will give them cover all the way. Lad, this aer likely to get serious."
"Then why not make a bolt for it?" asked Joe. "I don"t mean run away altogether," he added, as Hank flashed round upon him, "but make a rush and draw him after us. If Beaver Jack steers so as to take us into broken country, where there are patches of trees and undergrowth, we could select a suitable place, stop suddenly, and then shoot as Hurley came after us."
Hank struck the b.u.t.t of his rifle violently. "Ef that ain"t a wheeze!"
he cried exultantly. "Ef he follows us--and it ain"t dead sartin--but ef he does, Beaver Jack"ll manage the move for us easy. Let"s see; yes, there"s trees "way ahead--only to reach "em we"ve got to run the gauntlet."
"Well? What matters?" asked Joe. "Better that than have all those rascals close up to us and shooting."
"We"ll do it," exclaimed Hank. "Beaver Jack, you aer heard this proposition?"
The Redskin hardly deigned to answer; instead, he swung his dogs round, pulling them by means of the reins, till he had them lying in the hollow itself.