The Cabin on the Prairie Part 23

Charlie, to save further noise, chose the bold alternative of letting him drink on the spot; and retaining his prostrate condition, quickly put the pot to Bub's lips, and the child swallowed great draughts with satisfied gutturals that seemed to Charlie's apprehensive ear like the reports of pocket pistols. He let him drink his fill, however, then, pulling him down by his chubby legs, thrust him swiftly, but softly, through the aperture, following as fast as he could, and keeping perfectly still for a full hour before he dared venture forth again for the coffee-pot, which he was obliged to leave behind.

The vigilance of their father in the defence of the cabin not only kept the children in the tree longer than Charlie bargained for when he turned in, on that memorable afternoon, to play Crusoe, but also put their lives in jeopardy from their father's bullets. For, as we have said before, the tree being a large one, and conveniently near the cabin, the savages would creep up behind it to shoot from, which would be sure to bring a dangerous response; and Charlie was obliged to know more than once that the tree was perforated by b.a.l.l.s from his father's rifle. At such times the youngsters kept as close to the ground as possible.

When the Indians set fire to the roof of the cabin, Charlie was almost wild with excitement, fearing that his parents would now be burned to death. Nor was his anxiety lessened when he saw his father ascend the roof to extinguish the flames, thus exposing himself to the deadly aim of the foe.

Captain Manly's attack, however, he did not understand; for the soldiers did not pa.s.s near the tree, and the confusion and clamor, the horrid yells that rent the air, and the tramp of the contending parties in the dim twilight, seemed like the chaos of a whirlwind,--the fight was so sudden and so soon over,--and he dared not leave the tree after the battle, not knowing what it all meant. He had a bewildered idea that there had been an attack on the Indians by a party of whites, but which had been victorious he could not tell. So he watched on, trying to determine this point, until late in the night, when he saw a dark body moving cautiously from the cabin.

"The Indians have taken the cabin," he concluded, "and now they'll burn our house as they did the others."

And yet it puzzled him to see how closely together the savages kept, instead of being scattered about in all directions, as they were before. He could see them moving quietly away, and thought some of them were mounted on their ponies. After they were well out of sight, resting Bub's head against the skin powder-bag,--for the little fellow, overcome by weariness, had fallen asleep,--he crawled from his hiding-place and reconnoitred. Suddenly he stumbled over a dead Indian, lying with his rifle beside him; and soon he came across another. But all was still in the cabin.

"There has been a battle," said Charlie to himself, exultantly, "and the Indians are driven away;" and he entered the house.

All was dark and quiet; so, feeling his way to the chimney, he raked open the ashes, and found a few sparks. Going out, he gathered twigs and limbs, and, heaping them on the hearth, blew them into a blaze; then running to the tree, he awakened Bub, and hurried him to the cabin, and returned for his Crusoe provisions and ammunition.

"Where's father and mother?" asked Bub, looking round in dismay.

"I think," said Charlie, soothingly, with a profound air, "that the settlers have got together and driven off the Indians, and taken our folks where they'll be safe; and now, Bub, we'll live here like Robinson Crusoe on the island, and you shall be my Friday till our folks come back; for, you see, they'll find out that we ain't with them, and they'll come and take us away."

"Can't we go where our folks is now?" inquired Bub, beginning to cry.

"It's so dark we can't find them," said Charlie.

"Won't the Indians come and hurt us?"

Charlie started at the thought.

"I don't know," he replied, shaking his head doubtfully; "'twould be just like them. But I'll tell you what I'll do. There's a good many Indians been killed around the house, and I'll just go out and get all the rifles I can, and then let them try it if they want to. Why, Robinson Crusoe drove off twenty-nine canoes full, and I bet he didn't have so many guns as I'll have."

And hastening out, he kept finding and bringing them in until he had a dozen.

"Now," said he, "I'll bring in lots of wood, and we'll keep the fire crackling;" and he stirred the burning limbs to make the sparks fly; "and if the Indians return, they'll think there's a big houseful of men in here. Besides," he added, "if our folks see the sparks from the chimney, they'll know you and I are here, and return for us. And on the whole, I guess I'd rather go with them, than to fight the cannibals alone; for if I should happen to be killed, I suppose they'd have to eat me, and I'd rather not be eaten."

Charlie brought from the enclosure a fine pile of wood and a pail of water, then went out to see that the outer door was secured, and closed the shutter in the room. He then proceeded to examine the rifles,--for he was well versed in fire-arms, like western boys generally,--and carefully cleaned and loaded them.

"Now," said he, "Crusoe had his seven guns mounted, and I'll mount my twelve."

Fortunately for his scheme, the places had been already prepared.

After this was done, he went down into the cellar to see if there was anything to eat, and finding some food, he returned, and hanging the tea-kettle over the fire, he poured some boiling water upon the tea-grounds in the tea-pot, then set the table for himself and Bub, and a.s.signing Bub one chair, and getting another for himself, said,--

"We might as well live like folks, as long as we are out of the tree."

Then, having finished their repast, he said,--

"I feel tired, it's so long since I've had a good sleep; so I guess we'd better go to bed." And lying down upon the bed in the corner, with an arm lovingly clasping little Bub, they sank into the sweet sleep of childhood.

CHAPTER XIX.

BUB'S BROADSIDE.

It was nine o'clock next morning when Charlie awoke, much refreshed.

Some moments elapsed before he could recollect where he was, and how he came there. Then, hastening, first to the port-holes, through which his guns were pointed, he scanned the field on all sides, to see if any enemy was in view. The result being satisfactory, he commenced preparations for breakfast, for Bub was now awake, and hungry as a "starved kitten."

"I tell you what," said he to Bub, as they ate their morning meal, "I've got a jolly plan for us. I'm going to dig a cave in the cellar, so that if the Indians _should_ get into the cabin, we could hide there just as we did in the tree."

"And you'll have some water in there for me to drink," suggested Bub.

"Yes," answered Charlie; "we'll have everything that we want."

So, a.s.suring himself, by another examination, that matters outside wore a peaceful aspect, he repaired to the cellar, to commence the excavation. Luckily for Charlie's plan, the cellar walls had been carelessly constructed, and in a corner he found a large-sized stone, that he could remove from its place in the foundation without disturbing the others. Taking this out, with the iron fire-shovel, he soon had drawn forth a large quant.i.ty of the loose sand.

"Now," observed Charlie to Bub, "you must take the shovel, and throw the sand about the cellar, while I work with my hands."

This was quite an easy task, the sand was so light and dry. And ere long he had a place large enough to conceal himself and Bub.

"But," said he, "I shall make it extend farther in, so that if the cabin is burnt over our heads, it won't be too hot for us."

But Bub made little headway in shovelling the sand; so Charlie finished the job for him, and then from a heap of litter, which he had before taken the precaution to sc.r.a.pe into a corner, he took enough to cover the fresh sand all over.

"Now," said he, "let's try our new cave;" and, squeezing through the hole from which he had taken the stone, Bub creeping in after him, Charlie reached out and drew the stone into its place again. Charlie was delighted.

"I like this!" he exclaimed; "it's more like Robinson Crusoe's cave."

Bub thought he liked it too, but soon cried out, "I can't hardly breeve; an' it's drefful dark."

"It's lucky I've tried it," replied Charlie; "but I'll fix it all nice."

And pus.h.i.+ng out the stone with his foot, he went up stairs, and returned with an old bayonet, with which he succeeded in dexterously working some small holes through the mortar, with which the crevices of the ill-matched stones were filled. This was so ingeniously done, that it would not be noticed; and yet enough light and air were let in to make the place tolerable for the purpose for which it was intended.

It was now past noon, and they went up stairs, and Charlie looked out again, to see if there were any signs of danger; but still "all was quiet along the Potomac."

"I don't think," sagely observed Charlie, "that the Indians are ever coming back. In my opinion they have had about enough of fighting, they cleared off so quick, and there is so many of them dead."

At which Bub waxed valiant, and said,--

"I wish I had my big stick to stick into their backs, if they do come."

Charlie could not forbear a laugh at this, notwithstanding the sanguinary scenes that had crowded the last few days with horrors, but answered,--

"I know what you can do, Bub, to drive them away, if they should come;" and, drawing a ball of twine from his pocket, he tied it to the trigger of one of the mounted rifles, then feeling again in his pocket for his knife to cut off the string, he said,--

"Where's my jackknife? I must have lost it in going to the spring for water; lots of things tumbled out as I crawled through the gra.s.s.

Never mind; I can use a case-knife;" and, taking one from the table, he divided the string so as to leave the end of it hanging within easy reach of Bub. He did the same to all the guns.

"Now," he explained to Bub, "when I tell you to pull one of these strings, you must do it as quick as you can. I will whisper, Pull! and you must take right hold of the twine, and draw it so;" and, contrary to Charlie's intention, bang went the rifle.