THE VENTURE.
I could not believe Simon Kenton would dare to make the venture of which
he had spoken, for of a verity it seemed no less than the killing of
one's self.
We knew beyond a peradventure that the Indians secreted in the thicket
round about us were keeping sharp watch over the cabin, on the alert for
a movement of such a kind, and there was not a single chance in a
hundred that one of us could even show his head out of either window or
door without being shot down.
That being the case, and there seemed no doubt about it, how might one
venture forth so far as where the poor captives were lashed to the trees
looking forward with almost certainty to all the terrible tortures
which these brutes could devise?
Thinking over the matter after Simon Kenton had declared his purpose, I
said to myself that he had spoken out of the fulness of his heart, and
not with a belief that he might carry his proposition into execution. I
argued, mentally, that his desire to aid the unfortunate creatures had
caused him to believe the impossible might be accomplished; but after he
should have time to consider the matter thoroughly, he would realize
that he could effect nothing more than his own death.
After having said what he would do, Kenton paced to and fro, keeping
sharp watch upon the thicket, and saying nothing.
Once I would have spoken concerning the time when Major Clarke's party
might be expected at Corn Island; but he motioned me away as if he had
no inclination for conversation.
I had promised myself not to look out in the direction where the unhappy
captives were to be seen; but it was as if their helplessness
fascinated me to such a degree that I could not keep my eyes from them.
I gazed at short intervals, but for no more than a few seconds at a
time, and saw no change, save once when it appeared to me as if the man
was speaking earnestly to the boy.
I could readily fancy that the elder was trying to encourage the lad for
that terrible time of trial, and the tears overflowed my eyes as I grew
faint with horror while thinking of what the evening would bring forth.
There is no good reason why I should try to give the details of our
movements or conversation during this wofully long day. We spoke
together but little, first because Simon Kenton was buried in his own
thoughts or plans, and secondly because my mother's grief had been
aroused by sight of the captives to such an extent that her sobs put an
end to speech.
Twice did Kenton get a glimpse of a tuft of feathers in the underbrush,
and both times he discharged his rifle; once bringing forth a shrill
cry of pain, and again evidently missing his aim, which was by no means
surprising under the circumstances.
Late in the afternoon mother cooked another meal, and we went through
the form of eating as if from a sense of duty. It was but justice to our
bodies for us to do so, since no one could say when we might have
another opportunity.
Then the shadows of evening began to lengthen, and I glanced at Simon
Kenton from time to time in order to learn how he might draw back after
having announced so positively that he should make an effort at aiding
the captives.
But he had no idea of drawing back, as I should have known had I been
acquainted with him longer.
During the latter part of the afternoon he surveyed the thicket in the
rear of the house at frequent intervals; partially opened the shutter
two or three times to make certain it could be swung outward
noiselessly, and, finally, threw off his hunting shirt lest the garment
should hamper his movements.
"Are you indeed counting on the attempt?" I asked when he had thus put
himself in trim for wriggling through the thicket.
"I have already said so," he replied calmly.
"There is too much danger! You must not risk your life when the chances
are all against you!" I cried vehemently.
"It will be easier to go than stay here and listen to that fiendish orgy
which will begin before many hours have passed!"
"You can hope to do no more than share the poor fellow's fate!" I
exclaimed impatiently.
"There is a chance I shall pull through, and the game is well worth the
candle. I may not tell the story to you; but there are good reasons why
I, above all others, should risk my life in an effort to save others;
or, to put it in other words, why I ought to die trying to help those
poor fellows, rather than remain idle."
He spoke in such a solemn tone that I could not have argued further
against his going, however much it pained me, and I gazed at him in
silence, wondering what might be the meaning of those strange words.
Now that it appeared positive he would set forth, and equally certain he
would be killed, I began to realize what might be our condition after he
had left my mother and myself alone to defend the cabin against the
painted crew who thirsted for our blood.
It was not probable the poor woman and I could hold out many hours after
the brave fellow departed, however good our courage or strong our
endurance. The Indians would speedily overpower us, and I knew full well
what the end must be unless I was so fortunate as to die fighting.
Therefore it was as if I was assisting in an attempt to take my own
life, when I did as Simon Kenton bid.
"You are to stand by the window as I leap out," he said when the
evening was nearly come, "and on the first flash of a redskin's rifle
shoot at random if you see no target. The smoke will serve to partially
hide my movements. Your mother is to take up her station at the front
door until she hears you fire, and then she'll shoot over my head as
soon as possible. I'm countin' that you can keep the savages back till
I've gained a shelter in the thicket. After that the shutter is to be
barred quickly, and you will both stand on guard at the front door,
unless some danger threatens from the rear. If you hear the cry of an
owl repeated three times from any quarter, you can be certain I have
succeeded, an' there's no need of sayin' that you're to be on the alert
for my coming. It's possible I shall be able to get in here again. If I
fail in that, and yet remain free, you may be positive help will soon
arrive to raise the siege."
He had crossed the room while speaking, and was now standing by the side
of the window through which he proposed to pass.
I stepped forward to press his hand, for I knew full well he would not
linger once everything was ready for the perilous venture.
It was as if he did not see me--perhaps it did not suit his mood to say
good-by. At all events he kept his face from me even after the shutter
was unbarred, and then, without turning his head, he whispered:
"Stand ready! Remember what I have said!"
Then, with a quick movement, he flung open the shutter and had leaped
through almost before I realized his purpose. His swift bound served to
bewilder me, and I stood gazing out, with my rifle raised, not realizing
the necessity of closing the opening.
It was mother who flung the shutter into place softly and replaced the
bars, and I stood there like a stupid until the house was barricaded
once more, when I said stupidly:
"The savages didn't see him!"
"It is God's mercy, Louis," my mother replied devoutly. "Possibly he may
be permitted to rescue those poor creatures who must have suffered an
hundred deaths already!"
"It can't be that he will succeed while so many keen eyes are close at
hand. It is only reasonable to suppose all the crew are near about the
captives, therefore how may one man prevail against them?"
"If it be the Lord's will, there need be no counting the odds," and
having said this, mother knelt by the side of the table, while I,
somewhat recovered from my fear and bewilderment, went to the loophole
in the door that I might keep the captives in view so far as the
darkness permitted.
It was not yet night, although the gloom of the forest was so dense that
one could not distinguish objects very far away.
Simon Kenton had ventured out at that time when the gray of twilight
distorts everything, causing even the most familiar features of the
landscape to appear weird, and in so doing he had shown much wisdom.
An hour later the Indians would have drawn closer to the cabin,
suspecting we might make an attempt to escape under cover of darkness,
and an hour earlier the light of day cut off any hope of getting out
unseen.
Calculating the time to a nicety, moving swiftly as but few could move,
he had left the cabin without alarming the wary foe, and thus far his
success was so great as to astonish me.
I could yet barely distinguish the forms of the unhappy prisoners, and,
moving to and fro near them like evil things, were shadow-like figures
which I knew to be Indians.
As a matter of course it was impossible for me to see the faces of these
two over whom hovered a most cruel death; but I could well imagine the
expression of despair on their faces.
They could not fail to understand that it was worse than vain to hope
aid would come in the hour of their extremity, and yet I doubt not they
tried to encourage themselves by saying it was possible a party of white
men might pass that way before the horrible orgy should be begun.
While gazing through the loophole, my mother remaining on her knees
praying fervently, I said again and again to myself that Simon Kenton
could do nothing single-handed against that mob of murdering brutes. In
fact, now he was outside the house all the chances were against my ever
seeing him again. It was hardly within the range of probability he could
save his own life if he made even the slightest effort to rescue the
prisoners.
The shadows of night gathered rapidly, and yet it seemed as if each
second was a full minute in length. I was in that agonizing frame of
mind where one is raised by hope and buried under despair at the same
instant.
Although my ears were strained to catch the lightest sound, I heard
nothing save the rustling of the foliage as it was stirred by the
gentle night wind. If Simon Kenton was attempting to approach the
prisoners, he must have made a detour through the thicket to avoid the
savages who undoubtedly kept close watch over the cabin lest we
unfortunate ones should give them the slip.
After a time, and it was impossible for me to decide whether I had
remained on watch one hour or two, a tiny gleam of light could be seen
in the direction where I knew the prisoners were stationed, and as it
increased in size I understood that the brutes were making ready for
their horrible sport.
The flame grew brighter and brighter until I could distinguish the forms
of the helpless ones, with dark figures flitting between my line of
vision and the fire, and I mentally joined my mother in her prayer for
the relief of those whom I believed were beyond all earthly aid.
As I knew the savages had done many times before, so they were about to
do now--torture us at the same time they inflicted death on their
prisoners.
We were to be shown what would speedily be our own fate.
While I stood there helplessly watching the horrible preparations, a
certain frenzy of rage took possession of me, and I no longer gave heed
to anything save a desire to bring death upon some of that fiendish crew
before they began the work of torture.
"I cannot stay here longer, mother!" I exclaimed suddenly. "If Simon
Kenton risks his life to aid those who are strangers to him, why should
I not be as brave? Alone he cannot hope to effect a rescue, and will
surely perish. With one other to help him, that which now seems
impossible may be compassed."
As I think of the scene now, the wonder is that my dear mother did not
remind me of what would be her fate if both Kenton and I were captured;
but the brave woman gave no heed to herself, nor to her love for me.
Looking up while still remaining on her knees, she said softly:
"If you believe it your duty, my son, go, and may the good God grant
that you come back to me alive!"
These were not exactly the kind of words best calculated to give a lad
courage, and I realized that by listening to her many seconds I should
become cowardly. Even as I stood by her side my determination grew
fainter; in five minutes more timorousness might overcome me.
"I will leave the cabin as he did, mother, and you shall stand at the
door ready to give us entrance, if it so be we come back."
Mother rose quickly to her feet; kissed me fervently, and then, without
delay, as if understanding that it was not well to prolong the parting,
began to unbar the shutter.
In a twinkling I had put on powder horn and pouch; looked well to my
rifle, and was ready to follow Simon Kenton in his desperate venture.
The shutter was open. Not daring to look back, I sprang out, believing
as I did so that the report of a rifle would be my death knell; but no
sound came.
The savages, thinking we were securely caged, had gathered around the
prisoners in readiness to begin the terrible work, and I was free to
rush on to my own doom.
While believing there was little chance I should succeed in saving my
own life, I was not careless.
Moving onward stealthily; stopping at each yard of distance to learn if
one of the foe might be near at hand, I pressed forward in a circle,
counting on coming within view of the prisoners at a point midway
between the cabin and that fork in the path which led to the riverside.
Each instant I expected to come upon Simon Kenton, and as the moments
went by I began to understand that if he heard me approaching from the
rear he might leap upon me, believing one of the savages was creeping
upon him, and such realization caused me to hope it would be possible to
avoid him.
It was a strange situation, this being equally afraid of friend and foe,
and could have been in a certain degree avoided if I had but accompanied
the young scout.
Nothing interfered with my progress, however, until I was arrived at the
point for which I had been aiming, and saw full before me the
preparations for the torture.
Two fires had been built ten or twelve yards distant from the prisoners,
evidently for purposes of illumination, and at the feet of the
unfortunate ones was heaped a quantity of dry wood, which would be
kindled into a flame when the first portion of the terrible work had
been concluded.
Now the savages were making ready for the dance around their victims,
and I saw fourteen of the painted brutes, hideous in feathers, beads and
gaudy coloring.
To describe that which followed immediately after I had a view of the
scene, would be impossible. The fiends were alternately advancing toward
the prisoners, and retreating, moving with a certain measured step, and
brandishing weapons in the faces of the two who were helpless.
The lad seemed literally frozen with terror; but the man faced his cruel
enemies as if defying them to wring a cry of pain from his compressed
lips.
Perhaps five minutes passed while I thus remained motionless in the
thicket within half a rifle-shot distance, and then one of the murderous
brutes approached the boy knife in hand.
I knew the poor lad was to be maimed in some manner. The same blinding
rush of rage which had come upon me while I was in the cabin,
overpowered all sense of danger.
Giving no heed to my own peril; thinking only to save the frightened lad
from immediate pain, I fired point blank at the brute who would have
drawn the first blood, and when he fell, as though struck by lightning,
a cry of triumph rang from my lips.
What followed I am unable to set down of my own knowledge, for I was
become like one in a fever of rage and desperation.
I set about re-charging my rifle without giving heed to the rush which
should have followed the shot, and dimly, as if it was something in
which I had no concern, I heard the report of another rifle; another cry
which seemed but the echo of my own.
Before my feverish brain had taken in all this as a fact, I was ready to
shoot again, and never had I aimed with more deliberation. I felt
certain this second bullet of mine would find its target, and when it
sped on its way I needed not to gaze at the be-feathered brute within
range to know that he was dead or disabled.
[Illustration: The brute fell as though struck by lightning, and a
cry of triumph rang from my lips.--Page 62. _On the Kentucky
Frontier._]
Again came what was like the echo of my own gun, and I saw four of
the villains on the ground, while the others had made for the nearest
shelter, each seeking some tree trunk that would shelter his worthless
body.
Now I realized that I had come up nearly opposite where Simon Kenton was
stationed, and he it was who had fired immediately after my rifle spoke.
Thus attacked on either hand, the savages must have believed they were
beset by a large force, and their only desire was to shelter themselves
from the deadly fire.
While loading my rifle I looked for an instant at the boy. His eyes were
opened wide; his lips parted as if to cry out, and on his face was an
expression of mingled hope and doubt painful in its intensity.
Again I saw a target. Twenty paces away was one of the brutes leaping
from tree to tree as if striving to gain the river, and him I stopped on
the instant.
Ten seconds later came the report of a rifle from the opposite side of
the path, and I knew Simon Kenton had not wasted a bullet.
No less than six of the feathered brutes were out of the fight, and it
was only with difficulty that I repressed a cry of triumph, for I knew
full well the villains would not linger long against an unseen foe whose
aim was so deadly.
Twice more did I fire, and once Kenton's rifle rang out. Then I believed
the brutes had taken refuge in flight, for two passed within my line of
vision while I was reloading my weapon.
"Kenton!" I shouted, holding the rifle at my shoulder meanwhile, lest by
raising my voice I might have brought the foe upon me, and before one
could have counted twenty the young scout was by my side.
"Is it indeed you, lad?" he asked as if overcome with astonishment.
"And why not? I have been able to take some part in the rescue?"
"_Some part_, lad? You have made it possible when I believed nothing
might be done. But for your attack, yonder poor fellows would even now
be in agony, because I could not have fired without bringing the whole
gang upon me. A shot from both sides was what caused them to believe we
had a large force."
"Let us cut those prisoners loose," I cried, waiting to hear no more,
and eager to relieve them, from their misery.
"Wait," he whispered, clutching me by the arm. "The snakes may take it
into their heads to turn back, and it will be well if I quicken their
pace a bit. Stand here, and do not come out from cover till I get back."
He was off like a flash, and with no more noise, while I remained on the
alert for an attack; but burning to set free the poor lad, who was
seeking here and there with his eyes to learn if those who had saved him
from pain were yet near at hand.
Then the man spoke words of hope to the boy, as I could understand, by
the expression on both their faces, and I waited with finger on the
trigger of the rifle lest the savages should make one desperate effort
to accomplish their cruel work.
Surely if any of the Indians were near at hand now, some attempt would
be made to kill the prisoners, and after waiting perhaps five minutes, I
stepped boldly out within the rays of light.
Near at hand were four rifles, where they had been left against a
sapling while their owners took part in the dance of death, and I knew
we might add the prisoners, well armed, to our force.
The lad gave vent to a low cry of most intense joy as he saw me; but the
man said quietly, as if it was quite natural I should be there:
"You came in good time. How many are with you?"
"Only one other, sir, and he is in pursuit of the savages," I replied,
wielding my hunting knife to sever the bonds which held both prisoners
helpless.
I had no more than given the poor fellows freedom, and while they stood
chafing their wrists to restore the circulation of blood, Simon Kenton
came up swiftly.
"It is well we get back to the cabin; the snakes have halted just under
the river bank, and it may be they will turn back to find out how many
we can muster. Come on!"
Stopping only sufficiently long to secure the rifles which were near at
hand, we four ran to the cabin, the door of which my mother held open;
and once we were inside, the dear soul clasped me to her bosom as if I
had come back from the dead, as indeed was very nearly the case.