"They looked surprised when we came up, but if we had been enemies instead of friends I believe we would have been the surprised parties. They have lived too long in the wilds of California to permit a party of strangers to steal upon them unaware."
"But what is to become of us if Tim doesn't come back?"
"We shall have to put ourselves under the care of Shasta--that is, if he gets well."
"Why do you call him _Shasta_? Where did you hear that name?"
"The only word I have heard him speak sounded like that, and I do not know of any better name. Can you think of one?"
"No; that is good enough; let him be called Shasta, then. There may be a greater Providence in our coming upon this island than we imagine."
"There is a Providence in everything that occurs, though it may be that we are not always able to see it. Do you remember the copy we had so often at school, 'Misfortunes are often blessings in disguise?'"
"Yes; but like the truths that were driven into our heads so often at school, we fail to appreciate them until some occasion like this impresses them upon our minds. But I declare, Howard, we are turning philosophers."
"What better can we do, when there is nothing else to employ ourselves about? We need all our philosophy at such a time."
"But we must not forget our patient, Shasta."
"True. He had gone almost out of my mind until you referred to him a moment ago. Let us look at him."
The two had been stationed near the lower end of the island, and they now walked back to where they had left the suffering stranger. What was their surprise to see him standing on his feet, his blanket wrapped around him, and his attitude and position such as to raise a strong suspicion that he understood all that had taken place within the last hour or two.
When Tim O'Rooney left the island and crossed to the eastern shore of the Salinas he had almost forgotten the existence of any such thing as hostile Indians. He was after something to eat, and some how or other it seemed to him that the climate of California had given him a most ravenous appetite, which demanded satisfaction regardless of consequences.
Touching land, he pulled his canoe up the bank to prevent its being carried away by the current, and then plunged boldly into the forest. The land from the river rose quite rapidly until it reached an elevation of several hundred feet, when it was broken by gorges, ravines and chasms, which made it rattier difficult to travel, and gave it an extremely wild and picturesque appearance.