Part 15 (1/2)
”The young white chief carries an old head on young shoulders,” at last he said approvingly. ”He speaks truly when he says that the air is thick with danger. When the blackness of night comes, then will come, also, those who make war from behind the trees of the forest. In the darkness, how is the young white and his friends to tell enemies from friends? The jackals will wriggle through and over the wall of trees like snakes through tall gra.s.s. After what they have seen, can my white friends expect mercy at hands already stained red?”
Charley shook his head. ”Thou speakest my thoughts, but are we to be murdered in the dark by creatures such as those?”
”The mind of the young is ever quick and hasty in its flights,”
reproved the wounded chief, gravely. ”What use for the medicine man to point out the sickness, unless he has the proper barks and plants?”
”Well,” said Charley, ”let the wisdom of one grown wise in councils tell us of the cure for this disease.”
The wounded savage was again seized with a fit of coughing, and it was some moments before he could reply. ”Between the glades and here--a swift half day's journey--a small island lies in the middle of the river. There, four men could stand off an army. If I commanded the paleface friends as I do my tribe, I would say, bury all things too heavy to carry away in the canoes of cloth, while it is yet light, turn the ponies loose that they may not starve. Put all else in the cloth boats. Let some keep up a noise and fire from the wall of trees to convince the white men without hearts that you are going to stay and fight. With the first darkness of night let all take to the boats. I with the Little Tiger will lead the way, then may come him you call captain with the little one whose face is like the night, lastly, may come you and the one with the eager face (Walter). Without noise must we go, and keep close to each other, for the river has many arms stretched out for the unwary stranger. At the island of which I spoke, you may camp in safety while we go on alone. I stop at my wigwam to die, alone, in peace and quietness with the great spirit, as becomes a chief of a long line of chiefs, but he, who will soon he chief, will travel quickly on gathering together my people. With them he will return, and of the twelve who murder from behind trees not one shall return to boast of his deeds. When the buzzards are feeding off their bones, then, may you return and secure that which you have buried, the ponies, and all of that which is yours. That is the counsel of one of a race of chiefs. What is the answer of the young white chief?”
”I must consult with those who share my dangers, Chief,” said Charley gravely. ”We talk not like squaws, and in five minutes you shall have our answer.”
The Seminole rolled over on his side exhausted from his long speech and frequent coughing spells, while Charley beckoned the captain and Walter out of earshot.
”You have heard it all, now I want your opinion,” he said simply.
”After this last terrible mistake of mine, it will be long before I trust to my judgment again.”
”We all fell into the same error, lad,” said the captain, kindly. ”The blame, if any, belongs to us all. Forget it, Charley, and don't let it weaken your self-confidence. Now what do you think of the plan of our red-skinned friend?”
”I believe it's our only chance for life,” he answered regretfully, ”those cut-throats have got us foul. It's run away or be killed.”
”Then I'm for running. But, think you, he can be trusted to pilot us aright?”
”He will not pilot us far, I fear,” said Charley, sadly. ”I doubt if he will reach his wigwam. That bullet touched a lung all right. If he dies on the way we must look to the son; he is of the same spirit as the father, or I am no judge of character.”
”They both speak English wonderfully well,” said Walter musingly.
”So do most of the Seminoles,” explained Charley. ”They come in to the outlying towns at rare intervals to exchange their venison and skins for ammunition and cloth, and it's wonderful how quickly they pick up the language. But I am rambling. The question before us is, shall we abandon all our things and run away with a fair chance of escaping with whole skins, or stay and fight it out with the certainty of being killed, sooner or later?”
”Run,” said the captain decisively, ”and trust to luck and the chief to recover our things.”
”Retreat,” voted Walter regretfully.
Without another word, Charley turned back to the bedside of the suffering savage, whose pain-tortured eyes had never strayed from their faces during the conference.
”Chief, we have decided that your plan is the only one to follow,”
Charley said, simply.
Exultation showed for a second on the Indian's, set features. ”Good,”
he exclaimed, ”listen, young white chief. Do not mourn the loss of ponies and things such as you must leave behind. To-day you risked your life to save a stranger Indian and his boy. Great shall be your reward when this trouble is over. That with which to trade for many ponies shall be yours.”
In his excitement the wounded man had partly raised himself on his elbow, but the exertion was too much; there was a rush of blood from his lips and he sank back on his couch in a dead faint. In a second Charley was by his side forcing down more brandy between the clenched teeth. The powerful stimulant acted quickly. In a moment the sufferer again opened his eyes to consciousness. Charley beckoned to his chum.
”Go relieve his boy,” he whispered, ”and send him here. I want him to get his instructions from his father before there comes another attack.
The captain and I will fix for our departure.”
”Good,” exclaimed the chief, whose keen ears had caught the low-whispered conversation, ”we won't die yet, though. Die in our own wigwam when Great Spirit tolls the bell of mystery.”
Walter was off like a shot, and the young Seminole soon stood by his father's couch. While the two indulged in earnest conversation in their own tongue, the captain and Charley worked hastily, for the sun was already setting. What things they dared risk carrying were hustled into the frail canoes. One of the couches was conveyed to the dugout and spread out in the bottom and two of the thickest blankets spread on top of the leaves. The ponies were cast loose to s.h.i.+ft for themselves.