Wild Western Scenes Part 35

"Do," continued Joe, contemptuously, "and if you'll only recollect all you hear me say, you may get a tolerable education after a while."

"I'll be s.h.i.+vered if this ain't the edication I wan't," said Sneak, turning round with one or two dead bees in his hand, that he had found near the root of the tree.

"Huzza!" cried Joe, "we'll have a mess of honey now. I see the hole where they are--its in a limb, and we won't have to cut down the tree," and before Sneak could interpose, Joe mounted up among the branches, and asked for the axe, saying he would have the bough off in five minutes. Sneak gave it to him, and when he reached the place, (which was not more than fifteen feet from the ground,) he commenced cutting away with great eagerness. The cavity was large, and in a few minutes the bough began to give way. In spite of Sneak's gesticulations and grimaces below, Joe did not bethink him that one of his feet still rested on the bough beyond the place where he was cutting, but continued to ply the axe with increasing rapidity.

Presently the bough, axe, and Joe, all fell together. Sneak was convulsed with laughter. Joe sprang to his feet, and after feeling his limbs and ribs, announced that no bones were broken, and laughed very heartily himself. They began to split open the severed bough without loss of time. But just when they were in the act of lifting out the honeycomb, four stalwart savages rose softly from the bushes behind, and springing nimbly forward, seized them both before they could make any resistance. The surprised couple yelled and struggled to no purpose. Their hands were soon bound behind them, and they were driven forward hastily in a southerly direction.

"Oh! for goodness sake, Mr. Chief, please let me go home, and I'll pay you whatever you ask!" said Joe, to the tallest of the savages.

The Indian, if he did not understand his captive's words, seemed to comprehend his terrors, and was much diverted at his ludicrous expression of features.

"Oh pray! good Mr. Chief--"

"Keep your mouth shet! They'll never git through torturing us, if you let 'em know you're afraid," said Sneak.

"That's just what I want," said Joe; "I don't want them to ever quit torturing us--because they'll never quit till we're both dead. But as long as they laugh at they'll be sure to let me live."

Ere long, the savages with their captives, entered the dense grove where Mary had been taken, before they set out with her over the prairie. But it was evidently not their intention to conduct their present prisoners to their villages, and demand a ransom for them. Nor were they prepared to convey them away in the same dignified and comfortable manner, over the snow-clad plains. They antic.i.p.ated a gratification of a different nature. They had been disappointed in all their attempts to obtain booty from the whites. The maid they had taken had been recaptured, and their chief was in the possession of the enemy. These, to say nothing of the loss of a score of their brethren by the fire-weapons of the white men, stimulated them with unerring precision to compa.s.s the destruction of their prisoners.

Blood only could satiate their vengeful feelings. And the greater and longer the sufferings of their victims the more exquisite would be the luxury of revenge. And this caused them to smile with positive delight when they witnessed the painful terrors of poor Joe.

When they reached their place of encampment, which was in the midst of a cl.u.s.ter of small slim trees that encircled an old spreading oak of huge dimensions, the savages made their prisoners stand with their backs against two saplings that grew some fifteen paces apart. They were compelled to face each other, that they might witness every thing that transpired. Their arms were bound round the trees behind them, and a cord was likewise pa.s.sed round their legs to confine them more securely. The savages then seemed to consult about the manner of despatching them. The oldest and most experienced, by his hasty gestures and impatient replies, appeared to insist on their instantaneous death. And from his frequent glances northward, through the trees, he doubtless feared some interruption, or dreaded the arrival of an enemy that might inflict an ample retaliation. During a long pause, while the Indians seemed to hesitate, and the old crafty savage drew his steel tomahawk from his belt, Sneak sighed deeply, and said, in rather mournful tones--

"The jig's up with us, Joe. If I was only loose seven seconds, you wouldn't ketch me dying like a c.o.o.n here agin a tree." Joe made no other response than a blubbering sound, while the tears ran down and dropped briskly from his chin.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Joe and Sneak in difficulty.--P. 194]

The savages gave vent to a burst of laughter when they beheld the agony of fear that possessed their captive. The three that were in favour of the slow torture now turned a deaf ear to the old warrior, and advanced to Joe. They held the palms of their hands under his chin, and caught the tears as they fell. They then stroked his head gently, and appeared to sympathize with the sufferer.

"Mr. Indian, if you'll let me go, I'll give you my gun and twenty dollars," said Joe, appealing most piteously to the one that placed his hand on his head. The Indian seemed to understand him, and held his hand out for the money, while a demoniac smile played on his dark lips.

"Just untie my hands," said Joe, endeavouring to look behind, "and I'll go right straight home and get them."

"You rascal--you want to run away," replied the old Indian, who not only understood Joe's language, but could himself speak English imperfectly.

"Upon my sacred word and honour, I won't!" replied Joe.

"You lie!" said the savage, bestowing a severe smack on Joe's face.

"Oh, Lord! Come now, Mr. Indian, that hurts!"

"No--don't hurt--only kill musketer," replied the savage, laughing heartily, and striking his prisoner on the other side of the face.

"Oh! hang your skin!" cried Joe, endeavouring to break away, "if ever I get you in my power, I'll smash--" Here his sudden courage evaporated, and again the tears filled his eyes.

"Poor fellow!" said the savage, patting his victim on the head. "How much you give for him?" he continued, pointing to Sneak.

"If you'll only let _me_ go, I'll give you every thing I've got in the world. He don't want to live as bad as I do, and I'll give you as much for me alone as I will for both."

"You're a purty white man, now, ain't you?" said Sneak. "But its all the same. My chance is jest as good as your'n. They're only fooling you, jest to laugh. I've made up my mind to die, and I ain't a going to make any fun for 'em. And you might as well say your prayers fust as last; they're only playing with you now like a cat with a mice."

The old Indian moved towards Sneak, followed by the others.

"How much you give?" asked the savage.

"Not a c.o.o.n's tail," replied Sneak, with firmness.

"Now how much?" continued the Indian, slapping the thin lank cheek of his prisoner.

"Not a dod-rotted cent! Now jest take your tomahawk and split my skull open as quick as you kin!" said Sneak; and he bowed down his head to receive the fatal blow.

"You brave rascal," said the Indian, looking his captive in the eye, and hesitating whether to practice his petty annoyances any further.

At length they turned again to Joe.

"That wasn't fair, Sneak," cried Joe, when the savages abandoned his fellow-prisoner; "you ought to have kept them away from me as long as I did from you."

"I'm gitting sick of this tanterlizing business," said Sneak. "I want 'em to git through the job, without any more fooling about it. If you wasn't sich a coward, they'd let you alone, and kill us at once."

"I don't want them to kill us--I'd rather they'd do any thing in the world than to kill us," replied Joe.

"Me won't hurt you," said the old savage, again placing his hand on Joe's head; but instead of gently patting it, he wound a lock of hair round one of his fingers, and with a sudden jerk tore it out by the roots.

"Oh, my gracious! Oh, St. Peter! Oh, Lord! Mr. Indian, I beg and pray of you not to do that any more. If you'll only untie me, I'll get down on my knees to you," exclaimed poor Joe.

"Poor fellow, me won't hurt him any more--poor head!" said the Indian, tearing off another lock.

"Oh! oh! goodness gracious. _Dear_ Mr. Indian, don't do that! You can have no idea how bad it hurts--I can't stand it. I'll faint presently!" said Joe, trembling at every joint.

"You're a fool," said Sneak, "to mind 'em that way. If you wasn't to notice 'em, they wouldn't do it. See how they're laughing at you."

"Oh, Sneak, I can't help it, to save my life, indeed I can't. Oh, my good Lord, what would I give to be away from here!" said Joe, his eyes fit to burst from their sockets.

"I've killed many a deer in a minit--it don't hurt a man to die more than a deer. I wish the snarvilorous copper-skinned rascals would git through quick!" said Sneak.

"Me try you agin," said the savage, again going to Sneak.

"Well, now, what're you a going to do? I'm not afraid of you!" said Sneak, grinding his teeth.

"Me rub your head," said the savage, seizing a tuft of hair and tearing it out.

"Take some more," said Sneak, bowing down his head.

"A little more," iterated the savage, grasping a handful, which, with much exertion, he severed from the head, and left the white skin exposed to view.

"Won't you have some more?" continued Sneak, without evincing the least pain. "Jest take as much as you please; if you tear it off till my head's as bald as an egg, I won't beg you to let me alone."

"You brave fellow--won't pull your hair any more," said the chief.

"You be dod rot!" said Sneak, contemptuously.

"You mighty brave, shake hands!" continued the laughing savage, holding his hand out in mockery.