Part 30 (1/2)
”How d'ye do, Rattles.h.a.g?” said Ethan.
The strange visitor made no reply, but walked deliberately up to the young exiles, gave his hand first to Ethan, then to f.a.n.n.y.
”Toler'ble, considering,” said he, at last.
”Whar did you kim from?”
”Over thar,” he answered, pointing to the settlement, and shaking his head.
”Anybody thar?” asked Ethan, anxiously.
”Injins.”
”No white folks?”
”All gone: some on 'em's killed, and some on 'em's kerried off. Awful times, everywhar,” added the trapper, shaking his head mournfully.
”Whar's the Injin boy?”
”Up thyer,” answered Ethan, pointing to the cabin where Wahena had been secured as soon as the raft was discovered, for another attack from the Indians had been antic.i.p.ated. ”You may let him loose again, f.a.n.n.y.”
She was always glad to perform this office for her captive friend, and she soon returned to the sh.o.r.e with Wahena.
”He's all safe--ain't he?” asked Rattles.h.a.g.
”Yes; we hain't hurt him; and he's as fond of f.a.n.n.y as a pet puppy dog.”
”Glad on't. I was tooken by the Injins over thar, and got nigh bein'
skelped. Lean B'ar let me go to kim over here arter the boy,” added the trapper.
”We can't let him go,” said Ethan.
”I reckon you mought.”
Ethan explained in what manner the presence of Wahena had saved them from the Indians.
”We can't spare him till we get out of the woods ourselves,” added Ethan.
”Then I must go back and be skelped,” replied Rattles.h.a.g, solemnly. ”I promised Lean B'ar thet I'd git the boy, or else I'd kim back myself; and old Rattles.h.a.g never broke his word to Injin or white man.”
”Thet's so,” said Ethan, who knew the reputation of the trapper for simple honesty and fidelity.
”Hev you got a boat?” asked Rattles.h.a.g.
”Yes.”
”Then I reckon we kin go down to Mankato. The sogers is drivin' the Injins back. Thyer's ben awful times all through the country; more 'n a thousand men, women, and children hes ben killed. I've trevelled all through from Big Stone, dodgin' the Injins all the way. They are as savage as painters. I kim down hyer to git away from 'em, but I found they'd ben hyer too,” added the trapper, with another melancholy shake of the head. ”It's awful.”
Rattles.h.a.g over-estimated the number of victims to this terrible ma.s.sacre, though it has been stated as high as seven hundred. He related to the young exiles his adventures in his long journey through the devoted region which had been the scene of so much cruelty and bloodshed. He told of the men, women, and children he had seen lying dead and mangled in the deserted settlements; of the wounded, starving, and dying fugitives he had met in their flight; and of the desolation which lay in the track of the merciless savages.
The listeners were appalled and horrified at the sad and b.l.o.o.d.y tale.