The enemy were upon him, and the tall scout was cast heavily to the ground, with a dozen hands clutching him. A brief, furious struggle, and the savages arose, while the counterfeit Indian lay beside the body of his dead foe, a helpless captive.
CHAPTER VII.
A TANGLED TRAIL.
Buenos Ayres had not overestimated the danger and peril that would attend his effort to pass by the vigilant red-skin, on his journey toward the Main Trail, in quest of help for the beleaguered emigrants.
And then, under the circumstances, he was about the last person who should have been chosen as the forlorn hope, although he was undeniably brave, and usually, keen-witted and far-seeing. But now these latter qualities were in a measure overpowered by the anxiety he felt to perform his mission with the least delay possible, in order that a thorough and systematic search might be made for the missing maiden, Clara Calhoun, and, to this desire, he sacrificed prudence and caution to a degree nearly fatal.
He swam rapidly down-stream, though the water was not waist-deep, but, in this manner he could proceed more silently than by wading. He lay low down in the water, that he might present a less fair mark for prying eyes to rest upon, and, hidden in the shadow, he believed that he could succeed in passing the lines of the enemy, unseen.
In this manner he had gained the edge of the timber, before-mentioned, that extended nearly to the verge of the river-bank. But then he suddenly paused in his advance.
Before him lay something dark, evidently resting in or upon the water, and at only a few yards’ distance. For a moment Buenos believed that this was the head of a man, whose body—like his own—was covered in the water.
But then a movement on the part of the object undeceived him. It slowly swung around, as though under the influence of the feeble current, and he could see that it was a log; evidently one of those upon which the savages had descended the river, in order to gain and attack the rear of the emigrants.
With a low laugh at his unnecessary fright, Ayres advanced, swimming rapidly, intending to use the log in his further progress. But he speedily saw that this action had been made too quickly for his own safety.
His keen eyes detected a suspicious circumstance connected with the log, and he instantly paused. From the further side of the stick he beheld an object that had escaped his eyes before, or else had recently made its appearance there.