The bruises that Bucks nursed were tender for some days, and Scott
tried out some bear's grease for an ointment.
Scuffy, who had come out of the fight without a scratch, took on new
airs in camp, and returned evil for evil by bullying the two wounded
hounds who were too surprised by his aggressiveness to make an
effective defence.
Bucks, when he was alone with the dog and time dragged heavily, turned
for diversion to the only book in the camp, a well-thumbed copy of
"The Last of the Mohicans." He had brought it with him to read coming
out from Pittsburgh, and had thrown it into his bag when leaving
Medicine Bend. In camp it proved a treasure, even the troopers, when
they were idle, casting lots to get hold of it.
One day, when Bucks was absorbed in the romance, Bob Scott asked him
what he was reading. Bucks tried to give him some idea of the story.
Scott showed little apparent interest in the resume, but he listened
respectfully while cleaning his rifle. He made no comment until Bucks
had done.
"What kind of Indians did you say those were," he asked, contracting
his brows as he did when a subject perplexed him, "Uncas and
Chingachgook?"
"Delawares, Bob. Know anything about Delaware Indians?"
Scott shook his head. "Never heard of Delawares in our country. I saw
a Pottawottamie Indian once, but never any Delawares. Is this story
about Uncas a true story?"
"As true as any story. Listen here." Bucks read aloud to him for a
while, his companion at intervals asking questions and approving or
criticising the Indian classic.
"If you could only read, Bob, you ought to read the whole book," said
Bucks regretfully, as he put the volume aside.
"I can read a little," returned Scott, to Bucks's surprise. "All
except the long words," added the scout modestly. "A man down at
Medicine Bend tried to sell me a pair of spectacles once. They had
gold rims, and he told me that a man with those spectacles could read
any kind of a book. He thought I was a greenhorn," said the scout.
"Where did you learn to read?"
"A Blackrobe taught me."
Bucks held out the book. "Then read this, Bob, sure."
Scott looked at the worn volume, but shook his head doubtfully. "Looks
like a pretty big book for me. But if you can find out whether it's
true, I might try it sometime."
Stanley, after a few days, started up the river with Scott and
Dancing, leaving his men in camp. Bucks, who was still too stiff to
ride, likewise remained to receive any messages that might come.
There was an abundance of water-fowl in the sloughs and ponds up and
down the river, and Bucks, the morning after Stanley's departure,
leaving the troopers lounging in camp, started out with a shot-gun to
look for ducks. He passed the first bend up-stream, and working his
way toward a small pond thickly fringed with alders, where he had
often seen teal and mallards, attempted to crawl within gunshot of
it.
He was working his way in this fashion toward the edge of the water
when he heard a clatter of wings and the next moment a flock of
mallards rushed in swift flight over his head. He impulsively threw up
his gun to fire but some instinct checked him. He was in a country of
dangerous enemies and the thought of bears still loomed large in his
mind. An instant's reflection convinced him that it was not his
movement that had frightened the ducks, and he was enough of a hunter
to look further than that for the cause. As caution seemed, from the
soreness of his legs and arms, plainly indicated, he lay still to
await developments.
Soon he heard a movement of trampling feet, and, seemingly, across the
pond from him. Bucks thought of buffaloes. His heart beat fast at the
thought of getting a shot at one until he reflected that he had no
rifle. The next instant his heart stopped beating. Not ten feet from
where he lay in the thick willows, an Indian carrying a rifle, and in
war-paint, stole noiselessly along toward the camp. No sooner had he
disappeared than a second brave followed, and while Bucks was
digesting this fright a third warrior, creeping in the same stealthy
manner and almost without a sound, passed the staring boy; the
appearance of a fourth and a fifth raised the hair on Bucks's head
till he was almost stunned with fright, but he had still to count
three more in the party, one more ferocious-looking than another,
before all had passed.
What to do was the question that forced itself on him. He feared the
Indians would attack the troopers in camp, and this he felt would be a
massacre, since the men, not suspecting danger, would be taken wholly
unawares. Should he fire his gun as a signal? It would probably bring
the Indians back upon him, but the thought of allowing the troopers to
be butchered was insupportable. His hammers were cocked and his
finger was on one trigger when he considered how useless the alarm
would be. The troopers knew that he had gone duck hunting. They would
expect to hear him shoot and would pay no attention to it. To rush out
after the Indians would only invite his instant death.
There seemed nothing he could do and a cold sweat of apprehension
broke over him. But if he fired his gun he might, at least, surprise
the Indians. The report of a gun in their rear would alarm them--since
they knew nothing of his presence or his duck hunting and might take
fright. Without more ado he fired both barrels one after the other,
careful only to shoot low into the willows, hoping the smoke would not
rise so quickly as to betray him before he could make a dash for a new
hiding-place.
His ruse worked and he ran at top speed for twenty yards before he
threw himself into a clump of cotton-woods close to the camp trail and
began to reload. While he was doing so a shout came from the direction
of the railroad bridge. Not until then did Bucks understand what the
Indians were after. But had he not understood, he would have known a
moment later when he heard a sharp exchange of shots toward the camp,
heard the dogs barking furiously, and saw the Indians, now on their
ponies, running the troopers' horses past him at a breakneck gallop.
The Indians yelled lustily at the success of their raid, the stampeded
horses dashed panic-stricken before them, and the braves shouted back
in derision at the vain efforts of the troopers to stop them with
useless bullets. Bucks's own impulse was to empty a charge of birdshot
into the last of the fleeing warriors, but this he knew might cost him
his life, and he resisted the temptation. When he was sure all were
past he ran toward the bluffs, and gaining a little eminence saw the
fleeing Indians, a dozen in all, making their way jubilantly up the
river. At the camp the discomfited cavalrymen were preparing for a
siege, and in their excitement almost shot Bucks as he hove in sight.
Bucks gave a good description of the marauders, and, following him up
to the pond, six of the troopers attempted some pursuit. This, to
unmounted men, was useless, as they well knew. Indeed, they used
caution not to come unawares on any friends of the escaping braves
that might have lingered behind.
Colonel Stanley returned in the morning to hear that his escort had
been unhorsed. Bob Scott grinned at the cavalrymen as they told the
story. He assured them that they had got off lightly, and that if
Bucks's signals had not alarmed the little war-party they might have
carried away scalps as well as horses.
"We shall be in luck if we don't hear more of those fellows," said he
to Bucks afterward. There was now manifestly nothing to do but to go
in, and later in the day a freight train was flagged and the whole
party, with Scuffy and the hounds, returned to Casement's camp. Scott
sent his dogs thence to the ranch in Medicine Bend, and at Bucks's
urgent request Scuffy was sent with them to await his own return to
head-quarters.