Part 18 (1/2)
view became quite general. Of course I had known right along that the settlers as a whole did not look with favor upon indiscriminate slaughter of the natives. Dale nodded his approval and said:
”Well, that's something. Only you don't go far enough.”
Hughes angrily took up the talk, declaring:
”You cabin-men are mighty tickled to have us Injun-hating fellers come along when there's any chance of trouble. I've noticed that right along.”
”Course we are, Jesse,” agreed Davis. ”But that don't mean we're mighty glad when some of you kill a friendly Injun in the settlement and, by doing so, bring the fighting to us.”
”I 'low we've outstayed our welcome,” Hughes grimly continued. ”You folks foller this man's trail and it'll lead you all to the stake. I'm moving on to-night.”
”Don't go away mad, Jesse,” piped up old Uncle d.i.c.k. ”Talk don't hurt nothin'. Stick along an' git your fingers into the fightin' what's bound to come.”
”I'm going away to kill Injuns,” was the calm reply. ”That's my business.”
”Hacker, Scott 'n' me will go along with you,” said Runner. ”Now that Howard's Creek has got a trader to keep the Injuns off, we ain't needed here no more.”
”I can keep the Indians away,” cried Dale. ”When I offer them my belts, they'll be glad to receive them. You send them a few trade-belts in place of the b.l.o.o.d.y ax and they'll be your friends, too.”
”Bah!” roared Hughes, too disgusted to talk.
”What does the white Injun say?” yelled one of the young men.
He had barely put the query before John Ward stalked through the fort door and stood at Dale's elbow. Speaking slowly and stressing his words in that jerky fas.h.i.+on that marks an Indian's speech in English, he said:
”The trader is right. I have been a prisoner among Indians for many years.
I know their minds. Dale can go anywhere among Indians where he has been before, and no hand will be lifted against him.”
”You're a liar!” pa.s.sionately cried Hughes, his hand creeping to his belt.
Ward folded his arms across his deep chest and stared in silence at Hughes for nearly a minute; then slowly said:
”No Indian ever called me that. It's a man of my own race that uses the word to me.”
”And a mighty cheap sample of his race,” boomed Dale, his heavy face convulsed with rage. ”A cheap killer, who must strike from behind! Faugh!
It's creatures like you----” With an animal screech Hughes jumped for him.
Before we could seize the infuriated man Ward's arm was thrust across his chest and with the rigidity of a bar of iron stopped the a.s.sault. Before Hughes could pull knife or ax from his belt we hustled him into the background. His three friends scowled ferociously but offered no interference. It was obvious that the settlers as a body would not tolerate any attack on Dale.
Inarticulate with rage, Hughes beckoned for Hacker, Scott and Runner to follow him. A few rods away he halted and called out:
”Dale, I'll live to hear how your red friends have danced your scalp. Then I'll go out and shoot some of them. That white Injun beside you will be one of the first to stick burning splinters into your carca.s.s. He's lived with redskins too long to forget his red tricks. Come on, fellers.”
This sorry disturbance depressed the spirits of the settlers. War was on, and there was none of the Howard's Creek men who believed that any change in their att.i.tude could prevent the Ohio Indians from slaying at every opportunity. No matter how much they might decry the acts of Hughes and his mates in time of peace, there was no denying the fighting-value of the quartet when it came to war.
No word was spoken until the last of the four killers had filed away to secure their horses and be gone. Then Davis said:
”Time to eat, Ericus. Let's go back and see how the women-folks is gettin'
along.”