HORNETS WITH AND WITHOUT WINGS
During Francois's visit a runner came in with the report that two
Indians, descending the Ohio River in a canoe, had been fired upon and
killed by the whites. Inflamed by the brandy they had drank, and
infuriated by the report, several of the younger men blacked their
faces, set up a war post and danced around it in the firelight like
demons, yelling and throwing their hatchets into the post. The
following morning a party of them set out for revenge.
On such occasions Rodney kept in hiding as much as possible and his
mind was dark with forebodings, so that he would wake in the night
from dreams of torture and find himself wet with perspiration.
A little later Logan himself came to the village, pleading that the
Indians dig up the hatchet and unite in a war of revenge upon the
whites for the outrage committed against him. He was a distinguished
looking Indian, straight and tall, a typical chieftain of the better
sort. Ahneota pleaded the necessity of delay, but, that being of no
avail, urged him to secure the services of Cornstalk, the wise and
wily Shawnee chief.
Rodney sympathized with the Indians until a returning party brought
back scalps torn from the heads of women and children as well as from
men, and then his heart sickened and he looked on them with trembling
to see if among them he could discover that of his father.
Having no rifle, the boy armed himself with the bow, this being his
only defence in case of attack, though he knew it would be of little
use against savages armed with rifles. One day, in the latter part of
July, he was strolling through the forest not far from the village
when he heard voices.
During his captivity Rodney had learned to stalk game and this
training he now put to use. Stealthily approaching, he saw a group of
strange Indians, and with them Caughnega. The latter had set up, in a
little opening among the trees, his wigwam of skins, in which he was
accustomed to perform certain of the rites of a "medicine man." The
boy knew that Caughnega's fame was not confined to the local tribes,
and at once concluded these Indians had come to consult him, probably
as to what the spirits, good and evil, might have to say respecting
the approaching war.
Evidently Caughnega had begun his work, for he was now ready to enter
his wigwam. Silence came upon the group waiting patiently outside.
After quite a long wait a medley of sounds issued from the interior
of the wigwam in which Caughnega was shut and the structure itself
rocked as if in a gale. Knowing that Indians can mimic the sounds of
all animals and birds with which they are acquainted, the boy had no
doubt these sounds were made by Caughnega himself. If so, he was
certainly an artist, and the assembled group sat around awestruck, for
they had no doubt the noises were made by the spirits.
After the disturbance subsided, Caughnega came out and, standing
before them, addressed them, telling what, he said, the spirits had
told him. The message incited the savages to great ardour, which they
manifested by brandishing their tomahawks and yelling.
"So this is the work that villain is doing unknown to Ahneota,"
thought Rodney. Just then he espied a large nest of hornets suspended
to a limb overhanging the group. He recognized the nest as that of a
variety of hornet which is large and valiant. The spirit of mischief
entered the boy and, taking careful aim, he shot an arrow, which
struck and tore away a portion of the paper nest.
Now a hornet does not hold a council of war when disturbed, but
instantly attacks, like an Indian, the first object that presents
itself, and in this instance Caughnega was the first target.
He stood, his back toward the nest, pouring out the words of the
message in sonorous tones. Suddenly this flow of language was
punctuated by a blood-curdling yell, as one of those winged bullets
struck him just behind the left ear. About the same moment others in
the group were hit. Yells and back somersaults were mingled for a
moment, and then those doughty warriors fled as never from the face of
a white man.
Rodney lay on the ground in convulsions of silent laughter.
On returning to the village the boy related his story to the old
chief, who listened gravely and at the end said, "The Great Spirit
will be angry."
"Do you believe the 'medicine man' can talk with him?" asked Rodney,
incredulously.
"Ahneota knows the ways of the birds and the beaver, but the ways of
the spirits he does not know. I see the medicine lodge tremble and
hear voices; they are not the voices of Indians."
Rodney did not dare to argue the matter, and there was silence for a
long time. In the flickering firelight the old chief's face was
ghastly.
The boy fell into an unpleasant reverie. Soon would come the moment
when he must flee, for to remain, he was sure, would mean his death.
The difficulties of escape, because of the uprising among the Indians,
had greatly increased.
"Between here and La Belle Riviere are many Mingoes, Delawares and
Shawnees. Little Knife cannot fly nor leap from tree to tree like
panther. He must be brother of Ahneota."
The boy was startled. It seemed to him that the Indian had been
reading his thoughts.
"The paleface comes and Ahneota's brother must take his scalp. That
Little Knife cannot do," Rodney replied.
Silence of many minutes followed. Rodney became uneasy and was about
to leave when the chief, taking a stick in his trembling hand, drew it
over the sand and began to describe the country which lay between them
and the Ohio River.
"Before another moon," he said, "the palefaces will come in many
canoes to the Indians' country. Little Knife will run to meet them. He
will not be the brother of the chief. He must go to his people. He
must go like the fox."
The following day Ahneota called in several men of the village and
Rodney. Then, giving his rifle to the boy, he said: "Little Knife has
been brother of Ahneota, has brought him meat when he starved. He must
have gun to bring more meat, for the chief is old and cannot hunt."
The Indians did not look pleased, for the rifle was a valuable one and
much coveted. One said, "White blood must be washed away," but, as the
old chief made no reply, they went away.
As the boy started to leave the lodge the Indian lifted his head and
said, "When Little Knife points the old chief's gun at man, let him
not see the colour of skin."
Rodney now began to store up, against the emergency he knew was
approaching, a stock of dried venison, and hominy and parched corn.
His experience when surrounded by hostile savages had taught him the
difficulty of securing food on the march.
As he lay in the shadow of a bush one day he noticed a little worm
travelling along a twig. It was the variety commonly called an "inch
worm," which advances by pulling its rear up to its forward feet, its
back in a curve, and then thrusts forward its length. As the boy
watched its laborious progress he thought, "If one may only keep going
he'll get there in time," and somehow he felt encouraged. Had he not
thought it his duty to remain and care for the old chief he would have
set forth that very hour.
As he came near the village several guns were fired in quick
succession down at the creek and he knew a party of savages had
returned from one of their raids!
The inmates of the village hurried down to meet the newcomers, but the
boy lagged behind. Soon they came running back and formed two lines.
Some captive must run the gauntlet!
The prisoner was a man of forty years or more. His hair was long and
matted and his arms were bound. Evidently his captors had found him a
difficult subject with whom to deal. In running the gauntlet he could
not ward off the blows, his arms being tied, but he delivered one well
directed kick that doubled a brave up in agony. He got through, but
was horribly beaten. All the while he was yelling at the savages in
derision, calling them old women and apparently doing everything in
his power to enrage them.
A post was set in the ground in front of the encampment, and the
prisoner was led out and tied to it. On the way he kicked an Indian,
who in his rage would have killed him on the spot, had not another
interfered. Sudden death in preference to torture was evidently what
the captive sought, but it was not to be granted.
Thinking Ahneota might prevent the torture, which now seemed
inevitable, Rodney hurried to the chief's lodge. Within, it was almost
dark and he could but dimly see the figure of the man seated on a bear
skin, his back against a bale of furs. His head was inclined forward,
his chin on his breast.
"Ahneota!" called the boy loudly in his excitement, but there was no
answer.
Thinking the Indian slept, the boy grasped him by the arm to wake
him.
Ahneota had passed to the "happy hunting ground!"