“I can pull, if I can’t break.”
With which, he made a furious plunge up the bank, thereby entailing a rather ludicrous occurrence. The Mohave who had hurled the second lasso, simply held it in his hand, he and his companion instantly dropping out of sight the moment they threw their ropes. The sudden and tremendous strain upon the rope found him totally unprepared, and he came scrambling headlong out of the bushes and over the bank before he could recover himself, observing which, Jim made a dash at him; but, as the first red man had secured his around the point of a projecting rock, the doughty fellow was brought up with a round turn, and the other made all haste to rectify the mistake which he had committed.
“Lucky for you I couldn’t cotch you! If I’d got one ob dem feet ob mine on you, I’d have mashed you.”
At this juncture the red men revealed themselves, three of them rising to their feet, and all motioning to their captive to come ashore. This command he obeyed, all the time puzzling his wits to see whether there was not some means by which he could extricate himself. The third Indian placed his loop over his arms, and they then mounted their horses, fastening the ropes to the saddle, and taking good care to keep their sable prey at a respectable distance.
Poor Jim Tubbs was now fairly secured. The three ropes, which encased him like a child, were woven of a peculiar thread, which made their tenacity almost equal to that of strands of iron. The Mohaves were perfect adepts at this kind of business, and, coming upon the African unawares, they had effected his capture with rare skill.
“Dey’ve got me dis time, sure,” he reflected, as he walked along between their horses, “an’ de ’portant question is, what am dey gwine to do wid me, an’ when dey gwine to do it, an’ how dey gwine to do it, an’ how it’s gwine to ’gree wid me when dey come to do it.”
He walked along a short distance in silence, but his thoughts were busy.
“I remember dat dat gentleman in New York dat put up at my boarding house, said de Ingins sometimes roasted de prisoners what dey took. Gracious! I hope dey don’t s’pose to do dat wid me.”
He scanned the face of each one for a few moments, and concluded:
“Dey don’t look very awful in de face; don’t b’leeve dey’ll roast me. Oh! jus’ hear dem gold pieces clink in my pocket. Wonder if I can’t bribe ’em wid one ob ’em to let me off. But den dey don’t know what gold am worth; dey’d jus’ as lieb hab my jack-knife, an’ I’d jus’ as lieb hab it, too; so I tinks I’ll let it stay in my pocket fur de present. Mighty glad dey didn’t tink ’bout my ole gun in de grass, for I can go back an’ get it myself arter a while.”