_ CHAPTER VIII. INDIANS
The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused by external disturbance. Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing of the shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sun was just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes with that confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession of our faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared around and the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and the mute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as if to show he "slept with one eye open," quickly recalled his situation. In considerable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As they rubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said in excitement:
"Do you know we have slept ever since morning?"
"It can't be possible!" exclaimed Elwood.
"I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels," said Tim, with a most woeful countenance.
"I don't see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in these parts," replied Howard.
"And where else shall we look for the same?"
"Nowhere that I know of."
"Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!" suddenly interrupted Elwood.
"Wouldn't they have looked for us? But then they couldn't have known where we were," said Howard, asking and answering his own question in the same breath.
"We are in a pretty fix then," was the comment of Elwood, laughing at the doleful countenances he saw.
"Boys," said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head, "shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?"
"Of course," answered Howard, "nothing could suit us better."
"Well, then, while we've been slaaping, our friends along shore have been carried away, and we're lift to make ourselves comfortable, as the peddler said when he hung himself up by his foot."
"Let us see!" exclaimed Elwood, "perhaps we are not too late yet."
The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side, and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed the ramble.
Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprung upon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a moment as he looked off toward the sea, he called back:
"Yes, yonder they are! We are not left alone."
"But it's good to have company!" laughed Tim, "it won't be long before some vessel will step in and lift us aboard."
"How odd they look!" remarked Elwood, as his friends clambered up beside him. "They don't seem dressed in their usual fashion."
The Irishman, upon rising to his feet on top of the rock, uttered an expression of surprise, looked intently toward the sea, and then quickly sprung back again.
"Off of there quick!" he commanded in a hoarse whisper, at the same time catching the shoulder of the up-climbing Howard and forcing him back again.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked Elwood, a vague alarm taking possession of him, as he rather hurriedly obeyed him.
"May the good Lord presarve us! _them are Injuns!_"
"I thought they looked odd," said Elwood, "but I did not think of that. Are they friendly?"
"Friendly!" repeated Tim, with an expression of intense disgust. "Do you know what they are walking up and down the sand fur in that sassy shtyle?"
"Plunder, I suppose."
"Yis; they are in hopes the saa may wash up some poor fellow that they may have the pleasure of hacking him to pieces."
"Are they such terrible creatures. Perhaps they have slain those who escaped from the steamer."
"Niver a fear; there was too many of 'em, as me brother used to say when his wife tuk her broomstick at him."
"But they had no weapons to use."
Tim shook his head. He evidently had a small opinion of the courage of the California aborigines.
"Had they massacred the survivors, we could see their bodies along shore," remarked Howard. "The sun throws such a glare upon the sand that we can detect a very small object."
This settled the matter in the mind of Elwood, who had been heartsick at the great fear of such a fate having befallen his friends.
"Then the burning of the steamer has attracted the notice of a great many vessels, and I think Mr. Yard was right when he was sure of being taken off by some one."
"What a mistake we made in wandering away and going to sleep where no one could find us!"
"We did, indeed, Elwood; we voluntarily banished ourselves."
"But Mr. Yard certainly knows we are here, and will he not get a company of men to come after us?"
"Perhaps so; but, if he doesn't, your father and mine will certainly do so, so soon as they find where we are."
"Yes, but what is to become of us between to-night and that time? I am half-starved to death, and must get something to eat pretty soon."
"Providence, that has preserved us so kindly thus far, will still watch over us."
"There's one bad thing," remarked Tim, "them Injins will hang around the shore, and it won't do for us to show ourselves niver a bit."
The faces of the two boys now blanched with fear, for they understood the danger that threatened them. It was truly a fear-inspiring sight, as they gazed out from their hiding-place in the direction of the sea. The sun was partially down the horizon, and appeared unnaturally large, while the gaunt Indians, in their fantastic costume, assumed the form of giants striding along apparently on the gleaming surface of the ocean itself. They were outlined with that sharp, black distinctness which is seen when at night a fireman runs along the outer walls of a burning building.
"Just to think!" said Elwood "we haven't a gun or a pistol with us."
"And I'm a little hungry, as the man said after fasting three waaks."
"Suppose they saw you?" said Howard.
"I ain't sure but what they did. They are looking in this direction, and appear to be disputing about some matter."
There were grounds for this alarming view of the case. The Indians numbered about a dozen, and half of these could be seen in a knot, gesticulating in their extravagant manner, while the others were running up and down the shore as if they had detected something interesting in the surf.
"Are they looking at us?"
"There is such a glare, from the sun that I cannot tell whether their faces or backs are toward us. Tim, what do you say?"
The Irishman gazed long and carefully over the face of the rock, and finally said:
"They've seen something this way that has tuk their eye."
"They are moving, too."
"Maybe they've seen the dog, and are coming to look for us."
"Heaven save us!" exclaimed Tim, in some excitement, "there's no maybe about it; they're coming, sure!" _