Wild Western Scenes Part 23

"Hey! Dod! What is it?" cried Sneak, tearing the kitten (whose briery nails had penetrated the skin of his nose) away, and throwing it across the room. "I say! did you do that?" continued Sneak, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve, and addressing Joe, who kept his eyes fast closed, though almost bursting with suppressed laughter, and pretending to be steeped in earnest slumber. "I won't stand this!"

said Sneak, smarting with his wounds, and striking the chair in which Joe sat with his foot. "Now," continued Sneak, "if you done that, jest say so, that's all."

"Did what?" asked Joe, opening his eyes suddenly.

"Why, throwed that ere pestiverous cat on me!" said Sneak.

"No. Goodness! is there a pole-cat in here?" exclaimed Joe, in such well-counterfeited tones of anxiety and alarm, that the real encounter occurring to Sneak, and his pain being now somewhat abated, he gave vent to a hearty fit of laughter, which awoke every person in the house.

CHAPTER X.

The lead removed--The wolves on the river--The wolf hunt--Gum fetid--Joe's incredulity--His conviction--His surprise--His predicament--His narrow escape.

When Sneak opened the door, the sun had risen and was s.h.i.+ning brightly. In a moment the inmates of the house were stirring. The horses neighed in the stable for their accustomed food and water, and when Joe hastened to them, he embraced the neck of each, in testimony of his joy that they were once more saved from the hands of the Indians. The hounds pranced round Boone and Glenn, manifesting their delight in being relieved of the presence of the enemy. The gate was thrown open, and the scene of the explosion minutely examined.

Fortunately the channel cut under the snow by the savages ran a few feet apart from the powder, or the whole of them must inevitably have perished. As it was, not a single one lost his life, though many were blown up in the air to a considerable height. Joe and Sneak found only a few spears, knives, and tomahawks, that had been abandoned by the savages; and then they repaired to the west side of the inclosure, where the two dead Indians were still lying. They had scarce commenced searching their victims for booty, when a solitary Indian was seen approaching from the upper valley.

"We hain't got our guns!" exclaimed Sneak, pulling out his knife.

"I'll get mine!" cried Joe, running away with all his might.

"What's the matter?" inquired Boone, smiling, who had also seen the approaching Indian, and was walking to where the dead savages lay, accompanied by Glenn and Roughgrove, when he met Joe running swiftly towards the house.

[Ill.u.s.tration: They had scarce commenced searching their victims for booty, when a solitary Indian was seen approaching from the upper valley.--P. 126]

"Hang me, if the Indians ain't coming back again," replied Joe.

"There is but one, and he has a white flag," said Boone, who had discovered a small rag attached to a pole borne by the Indian.

"What can he want?" inquired Glenn.

"He wants permission to bury the dead," replied Roughgrove.

"He's the very rascal we let loose last night," said Sneak.

This was true. Although the singed savage had removed some of the black marks produced by the explosion, yet so many palpable traces of that event were still exhibited on his person, there could be no doubt of his ident.i.ty.

The Indian came for the purpose mentioned by Roughgrove, and his request was granted. He made a sign to a comrade he had left some distance behind, who, in a very few minutes, was seen to approach in a hasty though timorous pace.

"Don't go to shooting out here!" exclaimed Sneak, hearing a clicking sound, and the next moment observing Joe pointing his musket through the loophole nearly in a line with the spot where he stood.

"Come in! come in! come in!" cried Joe.

"Put your gun away, and be silent," said Glenn.

"I'll be silent," replied Joe, "but I'd rather stand here and watch awhile. If they ain't going to hurt any of us, it'll do no harm; and if they _do_ try to kill any of you, it may do some good."

When the second Indian arrived, he seized the body of the savage enveloped in the swine-skin, (knowing that permission to do so had been obtained by his comrade,) and bore him away with great expedition, manifesting no inclination whatever to tarry at a place which had been so fatal to his brethren. But the other had every confidence in the mercy of the whites, and lingered some length of time, gazing at the corpse before him, as if hesitating whether to bear it away.

"Why do you not take him up?" inquired Roughgrove.

The Indian said it was the false prophet Raven, and that he hardly deserved to be buried.

Sneak turned the dead Indian over, (he had been lying on his face,) and he was instantly recognized by the whole party.

"I'm glad its him," said Sneak.

"I think we will have peace now," said Boone, "for Raven has ever been the most blood-thirsty chief of the tribe."

"Where is the war-party encamped? When do they return to their own country?" asked Roughgrove.

The Indian replied that they were encamped in a small grove on the border of the prairie, where they intended to bury their brothers, and then it was their intention to set out immediately for their villages.

He added that one of their tribe, whom they had left at home, arrived that morning with intelligence that a war-party of p.a.w.nees had invaded their territories, and it was necessary for them to hasten back with all possible dispatch to defend their wives and children.

Glenn asked Boone how the Indians managed to sleep in the cold prairie; and, Roughgrove repeating the inquiry to the savage, they were informed that the war-party carried with them a long but very light sled, in the shape of a canoe, to which was tied a rope made of buckskins, by which they pulled it along on the snow with great swiftness. This kept them warm with exercise through the day. A quant.i.ty of furs and buffalo skins were packed in the canoe that served to keep them warm at night.

"Mr. Roughgrove! Mr. Roughgrove!" cried Joe, from his loophole.

"What do you want with me?" responded the old man.

"Why, Miss Mary's gone down to your house to see if the Indians have been there, and they may be there now, perhaps."

"There's no danger now, you blockhead," replied Roughgrove.

"Keep your mouth shet!" said Sneak.

"Your mouth's mashed--recollect who did it," retorted Joe.

The savage at length lifted up the dead body, and set off at a brisk pace towards the prairie. The party then returned to the house and partook of a plenteous repast that had been provided by Mary.

When the breakfast was over, they repaired to the cliff, to examine the place where the Indians had first penetrated the snow. They had commenced operations at the very brow of the cliff, on a shelving rock, to attain which, without being seen from the garrison, they must have crawled on their hands and knees a considerable distance. Below could be seen an immense heap of snow, which had been thrown down from the place of entrance, just as Boone had described.

"Jest look yander!" cried Sneak, pointing up the river. The scene was a remarkable one. They beheld a very small deer (the lightness of which enabled it to run on the snow that covered the ice with great fleetness, without breaking through the crust,) chased about on the river by a pack of wolves! These hungry animals had evidently been racing after it a great length of time, from the distressed appearance of the poor victim, and, having driven it upon the ice, they seemed resolved to prevent it from ever again entering the thickets. The plan they adopted was systematic, and worthy the imitation of biped hunters. They dispersed in various directions, and formed themselves in a circle of about a half mile in diameter, hemming the deer in on all sides, while only one or two of their number at a time chased it.

Round and round it ran; and though its pursuers were left far in the rear, yet it remained entirely surrounded by the enemy. Occasionally, when a chasing wolf became exhausted, one of the guards (abandoning his post) would enter the ring, and, not being fatigued, was able to carry on the pursuit with redoubled vigour. Thus the chase was kept up with increasing fierceness by means of a succession of fresh wolves, until the poor deer finally sank down and surrendered its life. The voracious pack then rushed from their stations indiscriminately, and coming in contact immediately over their prey, a most frightful contest ensued among them. Horrific yells and screams could be heard by the men as they looked on from their distant position. At times the wolves were so closely jumbled together that nothing could be distinguished but one black, heaving, and echoing ma.s.s. But the struggle was soon over. In a very few moments, they became quiet, and started off in a comparatively peaceful manner towards the island, whence their prize had been driven, in quest of others. When they abandoned the spot where their victim had fallen, not so much as a bone remained.

"That's making a clean business of it!" said Sneak.

"Its no such thing!" said Joe; "it's a nasty trick to swallow hide, bones, and bowels, in that manner."

"Its clean for wolves," said Sneak.

"Oh, may be you're part wolf," said Joe.

"Now, none of your gab, or I'll play some other trick on you, worse than that at the spring."

"You be hanged," retorted Joe; "I'll give you leave to do it when you get a chance the next time."