The Lords of the Wild eBook

Joseph Alexander Altsheler
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 289 pages of information about The Lords of the Wild.

The Lords of the Wild eBook

Joseph Alexander Altsheler
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 289 pages of information about The Lords of the Wild.

He lost sight of his feathered guide two or three times, but the bird never failed to reappear, a brilliant blue flame against the green wall of the wilderness, his emblem of hope, leading him over the hills and valleys toward Andiatarocte.  Now he saw the lake from a crest, not a mere band of silver showing through the trees, but a broad surface reflecting the sunlight in varied colors.  It was a beacon to him, and, summoning the last ounce of his strength and will, he ran at amazing speed.  Once more he heard the warriors behind him calling to one another, and they were much farther away.  His mighty effort had not been in vain.  His pulses beat hard with the throb of victory not yet won, but of which he felt sure, and he rejoiced too, because he had come again upon rocky ground, where his flight left so little trace that Tandakora himself would be baffled for a while.

He knew that the shores of the lake at the point he was nearing were comparatively low, and a vague plan to hide in the dense foliage at the water’s edge came into his mind.  He did not know just how he would do it, but he would be guided by events as they developed.  The bird surely would not lead him on unless less to safety, and no doubt entered his mind.  But it was highly important to widen yet more the distance between him and the warriors, and he still ran with all the speed at his command.

The last crest was reached and before him spread the splendid lake in its deep green setting, a glittering spectacle that he never failed to admire, and that he admired even now, when his life was in peril, and instants were precious.  The bird perched suddenly on a bough, uttered a few thrilling notes, and was then gone, a last blue flash into the dense foliage.  He did not see it again, and he did not expect to do so.  Its work was done.  Strong in the faith of the wilderness, he believed and always believed.

He crouched a few moments on a ledge and looked back.  Tandakora and his men had not yet come in sight, nor could he hear them.  Doubtless they had lost his trail, when he leaped from one stone to another, and were now looking for it.  His time to hide, if he were to have one, was at hand, and he meant to make the most of the chance.  He bent lower and remained there until his breathing became regular and easy after his mighty effort, all his five senses and the sixth that was instinct or divination, alert to every sound.

Two or three birds began to sing, but they were not his bird and he gave them no attention.  A rabbit leaped from its nest under the bushes and ran.  It went back on his trail and he considered it a sure sign that his pursuers were yet distant.  He might steal another precious minute or two for his overworked lungs and heart.  He knew the need of doing everything to gain a little more strength.  It was his experience in border war and the stern training of Willet and Tayoga that made him able to do so, and he was ruler enough of himself to wait yet a little longer than he had planned.  Then when he felt that Tandakora must be near, he straightened up, though not to his full height, and ran swiftly down the long slope to the lake.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Lords of the Wild from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.