Meanwhile, what were his friends doing to rescue him? John and the two Saboros plunged across the hills much faster than it was possible to urge the team. The trail was soon discovered by his associates, and they stopped only when night fell. After partaking a hurried meal, they again moved forward for an hour, when voices were heard in the distance.
The mumblings grew more and more distinct, and when they halted were surprised to find a considerable body of savages ahead. If this was the same tribe which captured the Professor it must have been reinforced by a considerable body, as there were not more than a dozen in the party which took him.
Moving to the left quite a distance, in order to avoid them, they came unexpectedly on another body, still more numerous. Here was a mystery which John could not solve for the moment. Muro was the first to catch the meaning of it. This was a hostile tribe, and they were waiting for the morning before attacking.
It now appeared evident that the Professor’s captors were with one or the other of these warring factions, and they withdrew to the north, and found an elevation near by, so that they might be able to follow the events of the next day.
But the wagon was coming up in the rear. It must be intercepted, and the three scouted to the north in order to discover whether it had moved up near enough to the position before night fell. The night passed without finding the wagon. Undoubtedly they had made camp before reaching the comparatively level country now occupied.
In the morning the two tribes maneuvered, and the fight began. It would have been bad policy to mix in the affair, but Muro approached as close as possible in order to discover who the combatants were. When he returned his only words were: Osagas and Berees.
The latter were a new tribe to John, but he was gratified to know that the Osagas were so near, and it greatly increased his interest in the affair.
CHAPTER XI
FINDING MORE OF THE INVESTIGATOR’S BOYS
The fight was hotly contested. It was noticed that the combatants did not fight hand to hand. It was mostly a skirmish with bows and arrows, and considerable tactics were displayed in the effort to turn each other’s position, and to effect captures.
To say the least, the so-called battle was a tame affair. In numbers they were evenly matched. Sometimes, under cover, one party would approach close to the other and effect a rush, but this would be checked, and thus it raged back and forth with unvarying success. Those wounded would be captured in these rushes, and that seemed to be the main thing they were striving for.