Part 27 (1/2)

Cousin was fairly out of his head with the l.u.s.t to kill the chief, but the Shawnee took no chances. He was careful to keep the girl and her father between him and the cabins. I pushed Cousin's gun aside and fiercely upbraided him for placing the Dales' lives in jeopardy.

”You fool!” he cried. ”They're gone already. Are you, too, blind? If you love that gal out there and want to do her the greatest kindness a man can ever do to a border woman, shoot her!”

Granville began shouting:

”Me 'n' my sister are comin' out. We surrender. Tell 'em, Mr. Dale! G.o.d knows 'nough blood's been spilt.”

I heard their cabin door open. Then it closed with a bang and we heard the heavy bar drop into place. For a moment I believed they had changed their minds; then they crossed our line of vision, the man walking ahead with empty hands held high, his sister walking behind and wildly waving a white cloth. It was the Englishman, skeptical, because of our advice, who dropped the bar.

Cousin began muttering under his breath. I soon discovered the reason.

John Ward was approaching the group from the opposite side of the valley and trying to keep some of the whites between him and our cabin. The nearer he drew to the group, the easier this maneuver was. Ward had made a half-circuit of the valley and was advancing through the lines of hidden braves. Cousin would have tried a shot at the renegade if not for fear of instant reprisal on the girl. It was horrible to hear him curse and moan as he nursed the set of triggers.

”Shut up!” I whispered. ”Watch them close!”

I meant Granville and his sister; for as they entered the zone held by the enemy I observed a clump of low bushes dipping and swaying behind them.

The woman saw something that frightened her, for she pressed close to her brother and shook the white cloth toward the ground. The grotesque fancy came into my head that she would do the same thing if she wanted to shoo some chickens out of a garden.

Granville and his sister walked up to Black Hoof, the woman still waving the cloth to make sure the chief beheld it and recognized its sacred character. Dale turned to give Cousin, the Englishman and me one last chance to save our lives; and the hideous work began.

John Ward seized Patricia from behind, holding her by her arms as a bulwark against our lead. Black Hoof with a lightning gesture raised his ax and struck Dale with the flat of it, sending him cras.h.i.+ng to the ground. Almost at the same moment two devils leaped from the ground and with their axes struck Granville and his sister from behind. Black Hoof dropped behind his log the moment he struck Dale.

Ward remained standing, sheltered by the girl. But the two who had killed Granville and his sister forgot us in their l.u.s.t to secure the scalps. I got one as he was kneeling on the man, and Cousin shot the other through the head before he could touch the woman. I shall never forget the terrible scream which burst from the lips of Patricia Dale. Then she went limp and her head sagged over Ward's arms, and he began to walk backward with her to the forest.

I ran to the door and Cousin stuck out his foot and tripped me, and my head hit against the logs, and for a minute confused me beyond the possibility of action. When I would have renewed my efforts to pursue and die in attempting the rescue of the girl Ward was dragging her into the woods. Cousin's arm was around my neck, and as he pulled me back he pa.s.sionately cried:

”Will it help her to git killed? The ground's alive with 'em! You can't more'n show your head afore they'd have your hair!”

I got to a loophole and looked out. Several guns banged and the bullets pattered into the logs. There was no sign of life in the valley beyond this scattering volley, however. Ward and the girl were gone. The dead Indian and dog were partly in view among the weeds beside the lick-block.

The gown of the dead woman made a little patch of melancholy color against the green of the gra.s.s and ranker ground growth. Granville had been dragged behind some bushes to be scalped. I came near firing when I beheld two Shawnees making for the timber.

”Fellers we potted,” murmured Cousin. ”They've hitched cords to 'em an'

are draggin' 'em to the woods so's no one'll git their hair.”

From the Granville cabin a gun roared loudly; and an Indian, clawing at his b.l.o.o.d.y breast, shot up in the heart of a clump of bushes and pitched forward on his face.

”Lawdy! But the Englisher must 'a' used 'bout a pint o' buckshot!”

exclaimed Cousin admiringly. ”Pretty smart, too! He traced the cord back to where th' Injun was haulin' on it, an' trusted to his medicine to make the spreadin' buckshot fetch somethin'. Wish he had smoothbores an' a few pounds o' shot!”

Yells of rage and a furious volley against the two cabins evidenced how the enemy viewed the Englishman's success. Again the smoothbore roared and a handful of b.a.l.l.s scoured another thicket. A warrior leaped from cover and started to run to the woods. Cousin shot him off his feet before he could make a rod.

Our admiration for the smoothbore and its wholesale tactics was beyond expression. The Indians, also, thoroughly appreciated its efficacy, and there was a general backward movement toward the woods. No savage showed himself except for a flash of bronze leg, or the flutter of a hand, too transient for even Cousin to take advantage of. The Englishman fired again, but flushed no game.

”We oughter be goin',” Cousin mused. ”But the ridge behind us is still alive with 'em. Reckon we must wait till it gits dark.”

”Wait till night? Oh, I can't do that!” I cried.

”Your gal may be skeered to death, but she ain't been hurt any yet,” he encouraged. ”She's safe till they git her back to the towns. Black Hoof is too smart to hurt her now. If he gits into a tight corner afore he reaches the Ohio he'll need her to buy an open path with. She ain't in no danger s'long as he wants her on hand to swap if the settlers git him penned.”

”No danger? And in the hands of that d.a.m.ned renegade!”

”Cataheca.s.sa is boss o' that band. Ward was only a spy. They may burn your gal when they git back on the Scioto where every one can enjoy it. But she won't be hurt any this side o' the Ohio. Our first job is to git clear o'