A Waif of the Mountains by Edward Sylvester Ellis (best free ereader txt) 📕

me; I think we can explain matters to the captain and the others so they won't bother the leftenant."

"And what am _I_ to do?" asked Russell.

"Push on to Sacramento as fast as you can, for though I think I can fix it, I wouldn't advise you to take too many chances."

"In other words, after Nellie and I have fled from the settlement and got this far on the road to safety, you urge me to give her up forever."

"Wal, that's lookin' a little further ahead than I meant to, but I 'spose it amounts to that."

"You mean well, Vose, but do you imagine that Nellie and I did not count the cost before turning our backs on New Constantinople? Don't you suppose we knew we should be pursued and were prepared for the consequences?"

"I can't say as to that, but it strikes me that the plan I laid before you is the only one there is."

"Why?"

"You cannot get away from the captain and the men with him."

"Well, there is no call for me to repeat my opinion, but I will say that the decision shall rest with Nellie herself. If she wishes to go with you I will interpose not a word of objection."

He looked toward her as an invitation for her to speak. There was a world of affection and faith in the lustrous eyes, as she walked resolutely forward and placed herself by his side.

"Only death shall separate us!"


CHAPTER XXIV

AN UNEXPECTED ALLY

The lovelight shone in the eyes of Lieutenant Russell, as he looked down at the slight figure beside him. He tenderly passed his arm around the girl and touched his lips to her forehead.

"It was not that I doubted you, Nellie," he said, "but that Vose might know the full truth."

Then turning to the guide, he asked:

"Do you still advise her to leave me?"

Vose Adams was unaccustomed to scenes like this. He moved about uneasily, coughed, cleared his throat, and for a few minutes was at a loss for words.

"I don't know what to advise," he finally said; "but don't you think, if she could go to the captain and let him see how she feels, he will give in? How would it do for both of you to walk back with your arms round each other's neck and sayin' sweet words--wouldn't that fetch him? Hanged, if I know what to tell you!" he exclaimed desperately, observing the smiles on their faces.

"I am afraid your plan wouldn't work," said the lieutenant, "but you have proved yourself the very friend we need."

These words were a hint of the scheme that had come into the brain of the young officer. Had he made a prisoner of Vose Adams, as he thought for a minute of doing, the guide would really be more dangerous, since there was no way of guarding against his treachery, but if he could be turned into a friend, it would be almost equivalent to saving the fugitives. It was that for which the young man planned, but he felt that the real work must be done by Nellie. He could not win the good will of Vose, but she could, for who was able to resist her appeals?

It was a proof of the brightness of the girl that she caught the purpose of her escort the moment his last words were uttered, and she performed her part with a cleverness that could not have been surpassed.

Tears were in the eyes of the emotional Nellie, but she stepped across the brief intervening space and laid her hand on the arm of Adams.

"How glad I am, Vose, that you will help us, for you have told enough to show that it will not do for us to meet father for some time to come; we are now in your hands."

"Blamed if I won't do anything I can! But what can _I_ do? 'Spose I sneak back, shoot the captain and then plug Ruggles and the parson? Will that suit you?"

"Gracious; I should rather you would kill me than harm a hair of father's head."

"Wal, 'spose I shoot you and the leftenant and the captain and the rest? No; that won't do; how the mischief shall I fix things?"

The cooler headed Russell saw that the problem had been solved; Nellie Dawson had won over Vose Adams, as may be said, by the turn of her finger. He was eager to do all he could to help them, but in the flurry of the moment could not reason with his usual acumen.

"We don't want any shooting, Vose; I am sure that if we can reach Sacramento without meeting the captain, his anger will pass away. In Sacramento, I shall be able to arrange a meeting between him and his daughter, and his love for her will break down the barriers and do the rest."

"I'm in too deep water when you get to figgerin' that way, but there seems to be reason in what you say, but what about Ruggles and the parson?"

"We'll leave them out; they are in this as the friends of Captain Dawson, and will not dare go contrary to his wishes, but if they do, it can make no difference to my plan."

"They're just as savage as the captain," said Vose significantly; "and it won't do to forget 'em; but what did you expect to do, when you left the kenyon? If you come back, you would have been sartin to meet us, and what then?"

"My intention was not to return, but to keep away from the main trail and hunt a shorter road through the mountains to Sacramento."

Vose Adams gave a low whistle of astonishment.

"That's the worst I ever heard!"

"And why?"

"You're not follerin' any trail at all; you would be sartin to get lost and would never find your way through the mountains; anyhow it would take you three or four years, which I ca'clate is longer than you want to wait."

"How can you be so positive?"

"It's true I never went to Sacramento and back, except by follerin' for most of the way the trail that I know so well, but other folks as smart as you have been lost in the mountains and you couldn't help it."

"You advise against it then?"

"I'm so sure of your goin' wrong that I won't try to help you unless you give up the idee."

"Then I hereby give it up."

Since Vose Adams had committed himself to Russell and Nellie's interests, there was no more talking at cross purposes. The object of the three was the same, and they sat down on the rocks for consultation. There was abundance of time in which to do this, since those whom they feared would not leave the canyon until the return of their guide, and he did not mean to go back until the day was so far spent that further delay was unavoidable.

"They will be mad when they see me," he said with a grin, "but it won't do them any good and I'll fix up a yarn about gettin' on and then off your trail agin, that they'll have to be satisfied with."

"That will serve for to-night, but you will all be astir at an early hour to-morrow morning."

"They will still have to depend on me to guide 'em, and I rather think I can steer 'em off the track, so as to give you plenty of time to get out of the way."

"How?"

"As soon as they leave the kenyon, that is as soon as the way is clear, you must ride back to it and put on all steam for Sacramento, for I understand, leftenant, that you've give up your idee of finding a new route through the mountains."

"I have."

"You've got two good animals and you'll gain a full day's start."

"You forget about poor Cap," said Nellie.

"So I did! if he can't go with you, you'll have to leave him behind and ride double, but it will be rather tough on your horse, leftenant."

"Nellie doesn't weigh enough to make any difference, and I expect to walk most of the distance."

An unexpected piece of good fortune raised the spirits of the three. To the amazement of all, Cap, the pony, was seen hunting for grass and bearing upon the lame foot with little inconvenience. That which was thought to be a bad sprain was only a wrench, from which he promised speedily to recover.

"He'll be as well as ever by to-morrow mornin'," said Vose Adams; "you'll need to humor him at first, but not for long."

As has been intimated, the guide remained with them through most of the afternoon, for, if he had gone back to his friends earlier than he did, he would not have dared to offer any excuse for not leading them in the pursuit, and he meant to avert all possibility of that. The reader understands by this time why the guide formulated such an astounding fiction when attempting to explain the cause of his delay. Had his listeners been in cooler mood, they might have tangled him up with a few questions, but their exasperation and disgust prevented.

Before parting with the fugitives, Vose assured them that he was confident their plans could not fail.

"All they've got to do," he reflected, "is to do nothing afore to-morrow and then when the road is open, strike out over the main trail as hard as they can travel. I hope none of them Injins that we had the row with will be pokin' 'round to-night, for if there's to be any trouble, it'll come from them."

It will be recalled that the story of Adams was received with such coolness that he indignantly resigned and told the captain to run matters himself.

"And he'll make purty work of it," chortled Vose "he won't be able to come within miles of where they are hidin'."

When the moody silence had lasted for some time, the guide was moved to remark in a more conciliatory spirit:

"There's one thing that mustn't be forgot: Colonel Briggs and his folks won't make any trouble, but we're not done with them Injins."

"Isn't there likelihood that Colonel Briggs will divert them?" asked the parson.

"No; for the redskins can't be fooled; they'll know it wasn't any of the colonel's folks that give their chief his walkin' papers, but us, and they're the sort of people that don't forget a thing of that kind."

"I was thinking of hunting up enough wood to start a fire," said the captain; "but we don't need it, and I suppose it will be safer without it."

"It seems to me," observed Ruggles, "that what we've got the most to fear is that the Injins will run off with our animals: we would be left in a bad fix."

"We must look out for that; I'll stand guard the first part of the night."

Each was ready to take his turn, and it was arranged that Captain Dawson should act as sentinel until midnight, when he would awake Vose Adams, who would assume the duty till morning. Soon afterward, the three wrapped themselves in their blankets and stretched out on the ground, near the boulders, where they speedily sank into deep slumber.

It seemed to Adams that he had slept