For several seconds the scout and the giant faced each other. Buffalo Bill’s muscles grew tense. He would try leaping upon the fellow, at any rate, although the possibility of his dodging the rock looked exceeding small.
And then there suddenly flashed into his mind such a simple dodge for getting the best of his foe that the scout hesitated to use it. It seemed so exceedingly simple and childish. But the moments were flying, and the Mad Hunter was on the point of flinging the rock down upon him with terrific force.
Cody stood so that his hands just touched the water. He hollowed his palms, swung both arms back, and suddenly scooped up the water and flung it in a blinding sheet of spray into the maniac’s face.
Again and again he splashed the water over the fellow. The Mad Hunter uttered a howl of rage, and, as Cody threw himself to one side, still splashing the water, the rock was thrown. But the scout had destroyed the maniac’s aim and escaped the missile altogether.
Cody could not land, however. The best he could do was to plunge back into the deeper water and there dive and remain swimming under the surface until he had placed the island between himself and the fire. Here the trees threw black shadows, although the whole northern sky was red as blood, and the flames danced wildly upon the tree tops on the mainland.
The Mad Hunter had disappeared, yet the scout did not know whether he had gone back to watch Texas Jack and the raft or was lurking in the shadow, waiting to spy upon him again. Meanwhile he was becoming thoroughly chilled, and feared to remain out beyond his depth, for a cramp might take him, and he could never struggle ashore then.
Carefully he waded shoreward once more, watching the shadows beneath the trees, fearing to see the bulk of the maniac burst out of the brush and attack him again. There were several frightened creatures on the island, but they cowered and were dumb. All the scout could hear was the lapping of the water and the crackling of the conflagration on the mainland.
The fire was eating through the forest very rapidly. It had reached the shore and was passing swiftly around the entire lake. Cody and Texas Jack could not return to the mainland now under any circumstances. It was the island or drowning for them!
And Cody feared that his brave comrade had already succumbed to the cold water, or mayhap to a bullet from the maniac’s rifle. The fire as it ate around the lake began to illuminate this side of the island, too, and he feared that he would soon be a shining mark for the Mad Hunter.
He kept his body under water and crept in toward the shore, his head only showing. He knew that he was taking his life in his hands, but the water was chilling him to the bone.