It was his object to put the savage out the way, and as he did not wish to raise an alarm by firing his gun he resolved to trust in his shillalah.
The Indian was seated with his face down the stream, and, as Flick approached him, he discovered him to be a half-breed. He was dressed in an old ragged suit of clothes, no doubt taken from some white victim. An old straw hat surmounted his head, with what little there remained of the brim lopped down over his eyes almost concealing his face.
Flick crawled on with the silence of a shadow, and had nearly reached the canoe when his foot caught in a vine and he was thrown heavily to the ground, making no little confusion. An involuntary oath escaped his lips as he sprung up and prepared to flee, but to his surprise he saw the Indian never moved.
“Success to mees’ plan, he’s dafe!” muttered the hunter, and he moved on toward the red-skin.
He had almost succeeded in reaching the water’s edge when the savage turned his head and saw him. In a moment the red-man snatched up his tomahawk from the bottom of the canoe and hurled it at the head of the Irishman. But the latter divined his intention, and falling flat upon his face in the mud, the weapon passed harmlessly over. The savage did not utter a single word nor sound, and it was quite evident now that he was both deaf and dumb.
“And sthill so much the better,” exclaimed the Irishman, and quicker than thought he sprung up and into the canoe, and giving the half-breed a tap on the head, settled him down perfectly unconscious.
In a minute the Irishman had stripped him of his ragged clothes and donned them himself. As the Indian was the largest man, he (Flick) had no trouble in putting the clothes on over his own, and with the two suits on he appeared fully as large as the red-skin and equally as woeful.
Flick then saw a little bark canoe resting under some willows that fringed the bank. Drawing it out he placed the unconscious half-breed therein and sent him adrift, knowing that ere he recovered his senses he would be far enough away.
So far things had worked like a charm, and having smeared his face and hands with a pigment of dark clay, and drawing the old hat-brim down over his eyes, the disguise was completed, trusting to the gathering twilight to hide all imperfections.
Flick now concealed his shillalah under his ragged coat, his rifle under the seat of the capacious canoe, and then, procuring the savage’s tomahawk, took his seat in the canoe.