Part 15 (2/2)
At that, Gravity spread his great jaws farther apart, until there seemed danger of their absorbing his ears.
”Yah, yah, dat's de fust time I ever knowed a man killed by a bullet dat nebber touched him.”
Maggie Brainerd bit her lips, while Aunt Peggy gave her usual sniff and said:
”It's the easiest thing in the world for some folks to make fools of themselves without knowing it.”
McEwen sought to divert the ridicule of his friends by his a.s.siduous attention to matters outside.
Stationing himself close to Mr. Brainerd, who was lying on his face with his rifle c.o.c.ked and extended in front, he also raised the hammer of his gun and whispered:
”s.h.!.+ I thought I saw an Injin's top-knot then!”
”Look out he doesn't shoot you wid it,” laughed Gimp. ”Dere's no tellin'
what dey'll fire wid, and--”
”That's enough of that,” interposed Mr. Brainerd, sternly. ”This is no time for mirth. There _are_ Indians out there, and I saw the head of one but a second ago.”
”What did I tell you?” demanded Habakkuk. ”You won't feel like laughing a few minutes from now.”
At this moment perfect silence fell on all, for they saw that Mr.
Brainerd had discovered something unusual and alarming.
More than that, he was taking deliberate aim at some object, only pausing long enough to make sure that when he fired the ball should not miss.
CHAPTER XXI.
The finger of Mr. Brainerd was pressing the trigger, and the hammer with its c.u.mbrous flint was on the very eve of descending, when he suddenly released the pressure, and gave utterance to a peculiar half-chuckle.
Those who were gazing along the line of direction indicated by the gleaming rifle-barrel, saw at the point where the Seneca was expected to appear, something which looked very much like the forerunner of that interesting person.
It was the top-knot and crown of an Indian, with several gaudy feathers projecting slightly beyond the wall of rock, the appearance suggesting that he was gathering himself for a spring.
This was the belief of the patriot, and, confident that at such a short distance he could not miss, he was about to fire, when there came a flash of suspicion that a sharp, but by no means original, trick was being tried on him.
The action was not precisely that of a real Indian while trying to peer around a dangerous point, and most probably was intended to draw the fire of the sentinel.
As soon as the bullet should leave the ready rifle, the waiting warrior would either leap or run the few intervening feet, and reach the vantage-ground before the other two rifles in the company could be aimed and fired.
”Why don't you shoot?” whispered Habakkuk, ”you've got him dead sure.”
”_That isn't an Indian_,” was the response, ”but there will be one in sight pretty soon. All of you keep well back out of the way, where there is no danger of being hit, and leave this fellow to me.”
The situation of the settler was trying. Lying flat on his face, with his gun c.o.c.ked and pointed toward a certain spot, he watched with such intensity that in the fading light his sight threatened to fail him.
<script>