Grace Harlowes Overland Riders in the Great North Woods | Page 8

lumberjacks went down under his charge.
"The cowards!" raged Hippy, also charging into the group and completing what his companion had begun.
"Run, you poor fish!" he yelled at the Indian, who had got to his feet and stood dazedly gazing at his rescuers. "Run!"
The Indian, suddenly recovering himself, darted between two buildings and disappeared.
"Good work!" chuckled Hippy, galloping up the street with Tom to join the girls, who were waiting for them.
"Oh, that was splendid!" cried Anne Nesbit as Tom and Hippy rejoined the party of Overland girls.
"It won't be splendid unless we step lively," answered Tom.
"Keep going, girls, keep going," urged Hippy.
"I hate to run away, but being a peace-loving person I run away whenever a fight is suggested to me."
"We know it," observed Emma.
"Thanks! Which way do we go?" questioned Hippy.
"Straight ahead and take the first right-hand turn about a mile from the village to reach Joe Shafto's place, the storekeeper told me," Grace informed them.
The party galloped on until they reached the turn indicated by Grace where they halted and consulted, deciding that the road to the right was the one they should take. This road, according to Grace's information, should lead them to Joe Shafto's place, ten or fifteen miles further on, though it was not their purpose to go on to Joe's that night.
The Overland Riders walked their horses after making the turn, there being no need for haste, as no one believed that the lumberjacks would follow, and further, the Overlanders were looking for a suitable camping place for the night.
"This appears to be a good place to make camp," finally called Tom Gray, who was riding in the lead of the party. Tom pulled up and looked about him, the others riding up to him and halting.
"No good!" answered a strange voice.
"What? Who said that?" demanded Hippy.
A man stepped out from the shadow of the trees and stood confronting the peering Overlanders.
"It's Lo, the poor Indian!" cried Hippy. "Hello, Lo!"
"So it is," agreed Tom. "How did you get here ahead of us?"
"Come 'cross," answered the man, indicating with a gesture that he bad taken a short cut through the woods, though how he knew where they were going, unless he had heard their discussion at the point where they took the right-hand road, the Overlanders could not imagine.
"You say this is 'no good' as a camping place. What is the matter with it?" demanded Tom Gray, regarding the Indian suspiciously.
"No water. You come, me show."
"Let him lead the way," suggested Elfreda.
"Yes. Give the poor red man a chance," urged Hippy.
The Indian, without asking further permission to lead them, turned and trotted along ahead at a typical Indian lope, and at a rate of speed that necessitated putting the ponies at a jog-trot in order to keep him in view. The Indian proceeded on for fully half a mile, then, turning sharply to the left, led them on until he reached the bank of a stream, to which he pointed as indicating their camping place.
The site was hidden from the road by which they had arrived by trees and a bluff, thus protecting the party from discovery by persons passing along the road, which they readily understood the Indian had purposely planned.
"Fine! Fine!" glowed Tom.
"We are much obliged to you, and thank you," added Anne.
"What is your name?" asked Elfreda as the girls began to dismount.
"Willy Horse."
"Ho, ho, ho!" exclaimed Hippy Wingate. "That's a horse of another color. Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to introduce to you Chief Willy Horse, and believe me he is some horse to stand the punishment those lumberjacks gave him and still be able to talk horse sense."
The Overlanders acknowledged the introduction laughingly, and shook hands with the Indian, at the same time giving him their names.
"Where you go?" demanded the red man, addressing Tom Gray.
"To the Pineries in the north."
"Good! What do?"
"Cruise them, Willy. Do you know what that is?"
The Indian nodded.
"Good! What you do?" he questioned, turning to Lieutenant Wingate.
"Oh, most any old thing, Willy old hoss," answered Hippy jovially. "It is mostly other persons who do the doing, in my case. They do me instead."
"Good! You Big Friend--big medicine. You help Willy Horse. Willy not forget. Mebby kill lumberjacks one day, too."
"Don't get naughty. They hang naughty Indians," reminded Hippy.
"Oh, Mister Pony--I mean Mister Horse--won't you sit down and have a snack with us?" invited Emma Dean.
"Of course he must," insisted Tom, pausing at his work of starting a cook fire.
The Indian shook his head.
"Me go," he announced briefly.
"Sorry. Hope we see you again," said Hippy.
"Me see. You Big Friend. Bye," he said, halting before Lieutenant Wingate. With that he trotted away.
"What a queer character," exclaimed Nora Wingate. "He loves my Hippy, because my Hippy is a brave man."
"Who runs away to fight another day--not!" added Emma