Wild Western Scenes. J. B. Jones
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the buffalo was observed to quiver slightly, and after some exertion to extricate himself, the long snake-like form of the redoubtable "Hatchet-face" came forth and stood erect before the gaping mouth and staring eyes of Joe.
"If I didn't hear a white man speak, I wish I may be singed!" exclaimed Sneak, wiping the moisture from his face, and rolling his eyes round.
"What did you stick that sharp thing in the calf of my leg for?" demanded Joe, shaking his head threateningly and coming forward.
"He! he! he! That's revenge for shooting my pups," replied Sneak.
"But how came you here?" inquired Boone.
"I was taking a hunt"—here Boone interrupted him by asking where his gun was. "I had no gun," said Sneak; and then stooping down and running his arm into the body of the buffalo, he produced a pronged spear, about four feet in length; "this," he continued, "is what I hunted with, and I was hunting after muskrats in the ponds out here, when the fire came like blazes, and like to 'ave ketched me! I dropped all the muskrats I had stuck, and streaked it for about an hour towards the river. But it gained on me like lightning, and I'd 'ave been in a purty fix if I hadn't come across this dead bull. I out with my knife and was into him in less than no time—but split me, if I didn't feel the heat of the fire as I pulled in my feet! I knew the Injins was about, by the buffalo; and the tarnation wolves, too, are always everywhere, and that accounts for my jobbing that feller's leg when he sot down on top of me."
Glenn's laughter at the above narration was arrested by Boone, who placed one hand on his shoulder, and with the other pointed out towards the fire about a mile distant, before which and thrown in relief by the flames could be distinctly discerned the flitting forms of a band of savages! A number were mounted, and others could be seen on foot, and all moving about in various directions round a large herd of buffalo, which occasionally made a stand to resist the foe that harassed them on all sides, but were soon driven forward again by the flames. Now a mounted chief could be seen to ride boldly up within a few paces of the dark mass of animals, and drawing his arrow to the head, discharge it, shaft and all, into the defenceless side of his victim. The enraged animal thus pursued either fell or rushed furiously on its foe; but the skilful savage, by a dexterous turn or sudden leap, seemed to avoid him with ease, and flying round, sent forth another barbed messenger as he careered at full speed.
"As I'm afoot, I'll go ahead!" cried Sneak, starting off at a gait that verified his words.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed Joe, leaping on his pony and whipping after Sneak, while Boone and Glenn followed in a brisk gallop.
CHAPTER IV.
The retreat—Joe makes a mysterious discovery—Mary—A disclosure—Supper—Sleep—A cat—Joe's flint—The watch—Mary—The bush—The attack—Joe's musket again—The repulse—The starting rally—The desperate alternative—Relief.
The guidance of Sneak was infallible. Ere long the party reached the vicinity of the river, which was indicated by the tall trees and the valleys, and all apprehensions of immediate danger subsiding, they slackened their pace.
Sneak, though not so much distressed as the panting horses, fell back, and entered into conversation with Boone relative to the probable operations of the Indians, while Joe continued some little distance in advance, apparently wrapped in contemplation of the recent scenes that had so much astonished him. When he was within about a hundred paces of his long-wished for home, he thought he saw an object moving about in front of the palisade. He checked his pony for an instant; but convinced that the savages could not possibly have arrived already, he again whipped onward, inclined to believe it to be nothing more than a phantom of the brain. But when he proceeded a few stops farther, his pony stopped suddenly and snorted, while a being, which he could not exactly define, was distinctly seen to rise up and glide swiftly out of view round the inclosure.
"Who's that!" shouted he, and at the same time looking eagerly back at his companions, whose near approach induced him to maintain his position.
"Go on, Joe! What's the matter?" remarked Glenn, the head of his steed having passed over the back of the pony as he stood across the path and blocked up the way.
"I beg to be excused! As sure as I'm alive, I saw an Indian run round towards the gate!" replied Joe.
"Foller me," said Sneak, poising his spear in the air, and advancing.
"Thank Heaven, it's you!" exclaimed the mysterious object, coming forward fearlessly, on hearing the men's voices.
"Dod rot your cowardly skin!" said Sneak, after looking at the approaching form and turning to Joe, "how dare you to be frightened at sich a thing as that—a female woman!"
"It was not me—it was my pony, you great—"
"What?" asked Sneak, sharply, turning abruptly round, as they paused at the gate.
"You great long buffalo tapeworm!" said Joe, alighting on the side of the pony opposite to his quarrelsome companion, and then going forward and opening the gate in silence.
"What brings thee hither at this late hour, Mary?" inquired Glenn, on recognizing the ferryman's daughter.
"Nothing—only—I"—stammered the abashed girl, who had expected only to see our hero and his man.
"Speak out, lass, if you have any thing important to say," remarked Boone, when they entered the inclosure, placing his hand encouragingly on the girl's head.
Mary still hesitated, and Boone was no little puzzled to conjecture rightly what it was she intended to impart; but he was convinced it must be something of no ordinary nature that would induce a maiden of reputed timidity to leave her father's hut at a late hour of the night.
"Now tell me, Mary, what it was you wished to say," remarked Glenn, addressing her in a playful tone, when they were seated in the house, and a lamp suspended against the wall was lighted.
"I did not expect to find Mr. Boone and Sneak with you—and now—"
"What?" inquired Glenn, much moved by her paleness, and the throbbing of her breast, which now seemed to be gradually subsiding.
"Nothing—only you and Joe are both safe now," she replied, with her eyes cast down.
"Were we in danger? How are we safe?" inquired Glenn, regarding her words as highly mysterious.
"Everybody is safe where Mr. Boone is," replied Mary.
"But what was the danger, my pretty lass?" inquired Boone, playfully taking her hand.
"Why Posin, one of father's boatmen—"
"Speak on, lass—I know Posin to be an unfeeling wretch, and a half-blood Indian; but he is also known to be a great coward, and surely no harm could have been feared from him," said Boone.
"But I heard him speaking to himself when I was filling my pitcher at the spring, and he was standing behind some rocks, where he couldn't see me, and didn't think any one was within hearing."
"What said he?" inquired Glenn, impatiently, and much interested in the anticipated disclosure, for he had often remarked the satanic expression of Posin's features.
"These were his words: 'The Osages will be here before to-morrow morning. If Raven, the chief, will go halves with me, I'll tell him how much money the young men have, and help to get it!' Such were his very words!" continued Mary, her dark eyes assuming a brightness, and her voice a boldness unwonted on ordinary occasions, as she proceeded: "He then started off towards the prairie with his rifle, and nobody has seen him since. I told father about it but he wouldn't believe there was any danger; and when night came, he told me not to be uneasy, but to sleep like a good girl. I did lie down, for I never like to disobey my father; but I couldn't sleep, and so I got up and came here to wait till you returned, to tell you all about it."