The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient WildernessAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
General
The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient Wilderness
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction
He sat down among the bushes and continued to look at the valley, which
reminded him now of a vast white river, all of it flowing northward,
with the signals of the warriors still coming out of its depths, puzzled
evidently, as they had a good right to be. Although they were only a few
hundred yards away, Henry felt that there was little danger. The miracle
was continuing. The great white flood poured steadily down the valley
and rose higher and higher on the slopes. He went to the top of the
hill, where it followed him and spread over the forest.
When he found a comfortable place in a thicket he lay down and drew
around him the painted robe that had served him so often and so well.
He knew the warriors would ascend the slopes, but the chances were a
thousand to one against their finding him in so dense a mist, and the
longer he rested the better fitted he would be for flight. Meanwhile the
fog increased in thickness, rolling up continually in dense masses, and
he inferred that he could not be far from some large stream or a lake or
great flooded areas. Perhaps the creek that flowed down the valley
emptied not far away into a river.
If he had not been so worn by the tremendous tests to which he had been
put he would have gone on, despite everything, in the fog over the
hills, but instead he lay close like an animal in its lair, adjusted
anew about him the blanket and the painted coat and luxuriated. At
intervals he heard the warriors calling in the valley, and once the
sound of footsteps not more than twenty yards away reached him, but he
was not disturbed. The chance that they would stumble upon him was still
only one in a thousand.
He remained at least four hours in the bushes, and throughout that time
he scarcely moved, having acquired the forest art of keeping perfectly
still when there was nothing to be done. Then he saw the fog thinning
somewhat, but he was completely restored. Youth had its way. His nerves
and muscles were as strong as ever, and the great mental elation had
returned. Why not? It was obvious that he was protected by the supreme
powers. Miracle after miracle had occurred in his behalf. They had sent
the wolves just in time, and then they had drawn the fog from the earth,
hiding him from the warriors and giving him a covert in which he could
lie until his strength was restored.
He rose now and began his cautious passage through the white veil over
the hills. The fog was not lifting yet, but it was continuing to thin.
He could see in it ten or fifteen feet, and he was not sorry, as the
distance was enough for the choosing of a path, but not enough for the
warriors to come within sight of him before they were heard.
Twice, the sounds of the searching warriors came to him, but each time
he lay in the bush until they passed, when he would rise and continue
his judicious flight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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