Part 31 (2/2)

The first shot was now followed by a second, which fortunately hit none of the party. By this time f.a.n.n.y was awake; but Ethan peremptorily bade her lie still, so that the hostile Indians could not see her. Near the point where the boat had grounded there was a group of trees, which promised to afford the voyagers a partial shelter from the bullets of the enemy, and Rattles.h.a.g thought they had better take a position there.

”Now run for it,” said Ethan to f.a.n.n.y, as he gave her the revolver.

”I am not afraid,” she replied, as she took the pistol and ran to the covert of the trees.

Ethan and the trapper followed her; but the moment they showed themselves, the report of several rifles was heard, followed by the whistling of the bullets through the air, though the distance was so great that the shots were harmless.

”Now, we'll give 'em some,” said Ethan.

”'Tain't no use,” answered Rattles.h.a.g, seating himself on the ground behind one of the trees. ”Don't waste your lead for nothin'. You can't hit 'em.”

”But they have hit you. Are you hurt much?”

”No; 'tain't wuth mindin'.”

”Let me do up your wound, Rattles.h.a.g,” interposed f.a.n.n.y, tearing off a piece of her calico dress for the purpose.

”The blood kinder bothers me, and you may,” said the trapper, as he bared his muscular arm.

The ball had ploughed through the fleshy part of the arm, inflicting a severe, though not dangerous, wound. f.a.n.n.y bound it up as well as she could, with lint made from her linen collar, and Rattles.h.a.g declared that it felt ”fust rate.”

Wahena was still in the boat, where Ethan had taken the precaution to tie him to the mast, after first binding his arms behind him. He still lay in the bottom of the boat, the consciousness of his own danger preventing him from showing himself.

”We mought hev to stop here all day,” said the trapper, after they had waited some time for a further demonstration on the part of the Indians.

”As long as we are safe, we need not mind that,” replied f.a.n.n.y.

”I reckon we ain't safe much,” added Ethan.

He had scarcely uttered the words before a savage yell was heard from the enemy on the other side of the river.

”They're jumpin' inter the water to kim over here,” said Rattles.h.a.g. ”I don't like to shoot 'em, but I s'pose I must.”

”I like it,” replied Ethan, who had not yet conquered his hatred of the redskins.

”Don't be 'n a hurry, boy. Don't waste your lead,” interposed the trapper, as Ethan was taking aim. ”There ain't no more 'n six on 'em in the water, and we kin afford to wait till they git a little nearer. We kin fire shots enough to kill the whole on 'em without loadin' up.”

”Who be they?” asked Ethan, trying to be as cool as the hardy trapper.

”I dunno.”

”Be they Lean B'ar's men?”

”I reckon they ain't.”

”I was afeerd the redskins that kim down to keep us safe had turned agin us.”

”I reckon they hain't. They'd be afeerd we'd shoot the boy.”

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