His form was too well known to them; too strange and uncouth to be mistaken, and a flight of arrows was at once sent in his direction, while they bounded forward toward the spot where he stood. A parting shot from him, which made one of them bite the dust, was what they received in return, and then he fled away, while they followed on for awhile, in what they knew, from past experiences, would be hopeless pursuit.
Meanwhile those that remained behind carefully secured those of their prisoners that as yet had remained unbound.
Peleg Parker submitted to his bonds with very ill grace. With his hands bound tightly behind him he felt that he had not so good a hold upon his pack as he could have desired.
In fact now it was at the mercy of the savages whenever they saw fit to explore its mysteries.
That they would find an opportunity to do so sooner than he liked he had no doubt.
He had first tried to coax and then to hire the savages not to bind him.
He was magnanimous enough to offer them two dollars “and the darndest best chance to trade they ever had in their lives” to let him go, but it had no effect upon their hardened natures.
They kept at their work as unconcernedly as though he had not been talking to them as fast as his tongue could run.
At first it had been in a low tone, but as he found he made no impression upon them, he kept raising his voice, until at last it became a whining sort of a howl.
At last Rushing Water thought it was about time for him to stop, and striding up to where he lay he shook his knife threateningly at him.