The Son of Monte-Cristo Volume I Part 66

CHAPTER XLVIII

THE WEDDING BREAKFAST

The Crocodile sped swiftly along that day. Clary, who had become tired, went to sleep, while the governess sat in a chair near the bed and dreamed.

The night pa.s.sed, and the next morning Clary asked the captain whether they were in sight of land.

"Yes," replied the captain.

"And how long will it be before we enter the harbor?"

"About two hours."

"Good. Let me make you a proposition. We can dine now, and you can tell us the conclusion of your story."

An hour later dinner was concluded, and the captain continued his narrative.

"At the moment I put foot on the threshold of the cabin I heard a peculiar noise, and at the same moment an arrow flew past my head and lodged itself in the door. Where had the arrow come from? What to do I knew not. Suddenly an inspiration came to me. The cabin was pretty solidly built, and the roof was constructed of thick canewood. Around the four sides were thick planks, which offered me shelter in case of an attack. That my enemies were Indians I felt sure. I locked the door, barricaded it from the inside, and felt sorry that the rattlesnake was dead, for it would have been a splendid weapon against the Indians.

Going up to the roof, and lying flat on my stomach, I peered out. I shuddered when I saw my enemies. They were Indians of the worst kind.

With the Sioux and Chippewas we had kept up friendly relations, but these were Arikaras, our bitterest foes. This tribe were deadly enemies of the whites, and the refined cruelty with which they tortured their prisoners made them feared by all. They were all armed with muskets, and numbered about fifty warriors. At the rear of the group I saw two Sioux.

One was a man and the other a woman. The man was Tu-Sam-Ba; the woman, his wife, the 'Prairie Flower,' the present Mrs. Wharton. They seemed to be prisoners, and when I thought of the custom of the Arikaras to roast their prisoners alive, a thrill of horror ran through my veins. The att.i.tude of the 'Prairie Flower' was so n.o.ble that she immediately won my heart. 'Either you or no one,' I thought, and firmly resolved to attempt the rescue of my angel."

The "angel" tried in vain to allay her husband's excitement. Madame Caraman could hardly restrain her laughter whenever she looked at the angel. Clary, on the other hand, preserved her gravity, and calmly said:

"I appreciate your feelings, captain; continue."

Wharton bowed profoundly and proceeded.

"The Arikaras surrounded the cabin, while I lay motionless, with my hand on the trigger of my gun. The savages now began to break in the door and soon effected an entrance. Immediately I heard a loud noise. They had discovered the two dead bodies and the rattlesnake. They thought the two whites had killed the rattlesnake, which is regarded as a sacred animal by them, and that Manitou, their G.o.d, had struck them dead. A place which Manitou visits is sacred to them, and I thought that they would leave the hut. An ugly Indian, who seemed to be the chief, commanded silence and delivered a long speech to his subjects. At its conclusion the Indians moved about and began to gather brushwood. They piled it in heaps on the floor of the cabin and the chief set fire to it. Presently the smell of burning flesh reached me. They were burning d.i.c.k and Osborne's bodies. At the same moment a bright flame licked the roof, my gun exploded in consequence of the heat, and, half dead with fright, I fell into the middle of the group. My fate was settled now.

They surrounded me, bound me with cords, and with wild yells they rushed out bearing me along. I--"

"Captain," interrupted Clary, "don't you think we have reached Bona yet?"

"No," replied Wharton, vivaciously, "not before the next two hours."

Clary laughed loudly, and the captain saw that he had committed a blunder.

"I fainted," continued the captain, "and when I came to my senses it was pitch dark and I lay on the ground, bound hand and foot. By the flickering light of a camp-fire I saw the Arikaras sitting around and calmly smoking their pipes. Tu-Sam-Ba was tied to a post, while the Prairie Flower crouched at his feet. I determined to speak to the Indians, and gathering courage, I exclaimed in the English language:

"'Comrades, do you intend to let me starve? Have I done you any wrong?'

"'You are an enemy of our race. You killed the sacred serpent.'

"'Should I have waited then until it had killed me?'

"'You have killed,' exclaimed one redskin, 'and you will be killed in your turn.'

"The chief now claimed my scalp. It was awarded to him. While the redskins were carrying on a war-dance, I again lost consciousness. I did not awake until I felt a hand pressed lightly on my forehead. It was the 'Prairie Flower.'

"'Tu-Sam-Ba is dead,' she softly whispered; 'he was roasted. Arikaras surprised--escaped!'

"She raised me from the ground, and, carrying me in her arms as if I had been a child, she brought me to a glade in the forest.

"'I am hungry,' I said, pointing to my mouth.

"The woman looked at me for a moment in despair, and shrugged her shoulders to indicate to me that there was no hotel in the neighborhood."

At this point of the story Mrs. Wharton disappeared, and Madame Caraman took advantage of her absence to ask a question.

"Has Minnie changed much since that time?"

"Oh, yes," replied the captain, his face lighting up with pleasure, "she has grown much handsomer."

This was too much for Madame Caraman's composure, and, coughing loudly, she pressed a handkerchief to her lips and vanished through the door.

The captain looked wonderingly after her, and, turning to Clary, said:

"My lady, I had much rather be alone with you! Not every one is able to appreciate the sacrifice Mrs. Wharton made for me."

"Please continue your story."

"Suddenly," said Wharton, taking up the thread of his story, "the squaw vanished, but returned soon after with a package carefully enveloped in leaves. She removed the leaves, and, with a light sob, handed me several pieces of roasted meat.

"I took them eagerly and ate ravenously of the food, which was very tasty. Seeing her melancholy looks, I asked her to partake of some. She shook her head.

"'I am not hungry,' she softly murmured.

"'Then I shall not eat any more,' I declared.

"Seeing me determined, she hesitated no longer, and joined me in the meal. When we had finished, I asked her where she had procured the meat, and, with bowed head, she replied:

"'Tu-Sam-Ba roasted--Arikaras disturbed--did not eat--Tu-Sam-Ba, Sioux--my husband.'

"Good G.o.d! I had eaten her husband, and the Prairie Flower had not hesitated to serve him up roasted to me! My lady, is there anything in history equal to this!"

"No, I know of none," replied Clary, hurriedly.

"Ah, I knew it; I--"

"Captain," said a sailor, opening the door, "we are nearing the harbor of Bona."

Clary rose hastily; she felt as if a terrible burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Do you not approve of my marriage?" asked Wharton, anxiously; "she is a Sioux, but has become a Christian?"

"Certainly, I can understand your case perfectly."