MY SPRAINED ANKLE--MIKE'S DEVOTION--REUBEN BROUGHT TO THE CAMP--THE
INDIANS BIND US TO TREES--THE DEBATE ON OUR FATE--I AM RELEASED BY SANDY
MCCOLL--OLD SAMSON AGAIN--THE SECRET CAVERN--SAMSON IS VERY KIND AND
ATTENTIVE TO ME--HIS CLOSE ATTENTION TO MY ACCOUNT OF THE BURNING OF THE
SETTLEMENT, AND THE RESCUE OF LILY AND ME WHEN CHILDREN--I RECOVER, AND
SAMSON AND I LEAVE THE CAVERN TO RECONNOITRE--THE INDIAN MASSACRE--
SANDY, REUBEN, AND MIKE ARE HOTLY PURSUED--OUR FORTRESS BESIEGED--WE
HOLD OUT, AND BEAT OFF OUR BESIEGERS--OUR START--THE ELK.
The Indians, instead of binding Mike, as I expected they would do,
allowed him to come and sit by me under the tree; narrowly watching him,
however, though they did not interfere with us.
"Faix, thin, Masther Roger, I don't think these Ridskin gintlemen can be
intending to do us much harm, or they would not be afther letting us sit
so quietly by ourselves," he observed.
"I am not so confident of that, Mike," I answered. "We must wait till
the rest come up, to judge how they will treat us; at all events, I
would advise you, when you get the chance, to mount one of their best
horses and gallop off. I am afraid that I shall be unable to make the
attempt, or I would try it."
"Why, thin, Masther Roger, would you be afther belaving that I would go
and desart you? Even if they were to bring me a horse, and tell me to
mount and be off, it would break me heart intirely to think that I had
left you to their tinder mercies. Whativer they do to you, they may do
to me; and I'll stop and share iverything with you."
"I deeply feel your generosity, Mike," I said; "but you might have saved
yourself and got back to the waggons, had you not attempted to carry me
off, and I therefore wish you to try and escape if you have the
opportunity."
Mike laughed and shook his head; and when I still urged him to escape if
he could, he put on that look of stolidity which an Irishman so well
knows how to assume, and refused to reply to any of my remarks.
While we had been talking, the Indian I had seen following us
approached, having slowly walked his horse, which had apparently been
lamed. I now caught sight of the person behind him, and with much
concern recognised my friend Reuben. One of our captors assisted him to
dismount; and Reuben, with his hands bound, was dragged forward to a
short distance from us, where he was compelled to sit down on the
ground, the Indians intimating by signs that he must not move. He
looked very melancholy, evidently imagining that he was soon to be put
to death. I tried to cheer him up by telling him that we had not been
ill-treated.
"That may be," he answered; "but I know their treacherous nature.
Depend upon it, when they all eat together, and talk over the number of
their warriors who have been slain, they will wreak their vengeance upon
us. Are you prepared to die, Roger? We must make up our minds for
that, and we may consider ourselves fortunate if we are not scalped and
flayed first. I have often read, with very little concern, of the
dreadful tortures the Redskins inflict on their prisoners, little
dreaming that I should ever have to suffer the same."
"It is not wise to anticipate evil," I said. "Let us hope for the best;
and perhaps means may be offered us, that we do not now think of, to
make our escape."
"I don't see where they can come from," he replied. "These fellows keep
too sharp a look-out on us to give us a chance. Look there! here come
the whole tribe of savages, and they will soon settle our fate."
He pointed as he spoke to a large number of horsemen galloping across
the country from different directions, towards us. They halted outside
the wood, and several of them appeared to be wounded; but they did not
allow themselves to exhibit any sign of suffering. Having taken the
saddles and bridles from their horses, the greater number led them down
towards the water to drink; while six, who, from their more ornamental
dresses, appeared to be chiefs, advanced towards us. Their principal
man, or head chief, spoke to us; but as we could not understand what he
said, we knew that it would be useless to reply. He then pointed to
Mike and me, and addressed a few words to his companions. They nodded,
and we were led to separate trees, to which we were bound, with our
hands secured behind us in a very unpleasant fashion.
Matters now began to look more serious than at first. Darkness was
coming on, and our captors lighted a large fire near to the spot where
we were bound, and those among them who acted the part of cooks began
dressing the evening meal. They then sat down to discuss it--an
operation which was soon concluded. We in the meantime were left bound
to the trees, watching what was going on. After supper, a similar fire
having been lighted near where we were bound, the principal Indians took
their seats round it and began to smoke their long pipes, while, as I
suspected, they deliberated on our fate. They were some little distance
off, but the flames from the fire cast a red glow on their figures, and
enabled me to observe the expression of the countenances of those turned
towards me, from which, with painful anxiety, I endeavoured to learn how
they were disposed towards us. Though I could hear their voices, I
could not understand a word that was said.
After talking for some time, one of them, whose back, however, was
towards me, got up and addressed his companions. He spoke at some
length, and I would have given much to know what he was saying. His
spear he held with one hand; with the other he pointed, now to the sky,
now to some unseen distant object, now he waved it in the air. The
other Indians gazed up at his countenance, as if greatly moved by his
address; but whether he was pleading for us or advocating our death, I
could by no means discover. In vain I listened to catch any words I
might understand.
At last he brought his address to a conclusion, and sat down; when
another slowly rose and commenced a harangue which was equally
unintelligible to me. Still, I felt very sure that the discussion was
one on which our lives depended; and, judging from the countenances of
the Indians, I was nearly certain that they intended to kill us.
The next speaker was even more long-winded than the first. I thought
that he would never bring his address to a conclusion.
A fourth man got up. His face was also turned away from me. His action
was more vehement than that of his predecessors, and the tones of his
voice afforded me but very little hope of mercy from his hands.
While he was speaking, another Indian, whom I had not hitherto seen,
stalked into the circle, and regarding the speaker with a fixed and, as
I thought, somewhat contemptuous look, sat himself down among the
others. His appearance evidently created a considerable amount of
astonishment, little as the natives are accustomed to show their
feelings. So soon as the last had ceased speaking, he rose and
addressed the assembly. As he did so, it struck me that he bore a
strong resemblance to Manilick, though he was much more gaudily dressed
than I had ever seen that young chief.
All eyes were turned towards him as he spoke, and scarcely had he
commenced when I heard a voice whisper in my ear, "Trust to me!" At the
same moment I felt that the thongs which bound me were being cut, and
the next instant I was at liberty; but, recollecting my sprained ankle,
I feared that it would not avail me. To my surprise, however, when I
tried to move I found that I could do so without much pain.
I slipped round the tree, when I felt my hand grasped by that of my
deliverer, who, discovering that I could move but slowly, stooped down
and lifted me on his back. The darkness prevented me from seeing who he
was, but I felt convinced, from his dress and the tone of his voice,
that he was a white man. He moved along cautiously under the trees
towards the bank of the river.
"Can you swim?" he asked in a low voice, "Yes--like a fish," I answered.
"Then we will take to the river at once. There are horses waiting on
the opposite side, lower down. We can float with the current till we
reach them," he continued.
We were not more than three or four minutes in reaching the bank, and we
at once glided in so as to create no splash.
"Strike out towards the middle of the river," he whispered; "but do so
as gently as possible."
I followed his directions, and found that I could swim without any pain
to my ankle.
"Now throw yourself on your back, and we will float down with the
current," he said.
We could all this time hear the voice of the Indian addressing the
assembly of warriors. So intent were they in listening to what he was
saying, that they had evidently not discovered my escape.
"Can nothing be done to save my companions?" I asked, thinking of the
dreadful fate which might await Reuben and Mike.
"Others will look after them," he answered. "Don't speak, lest the
water should convey your voice to the shore."
After we had gone some distance he told me to turn round again and swim,
so that we might make more progress.
"Now make for the shore," he said.
In a short time we gained a spot where the trees grew close down to the
bank. Climbing up there, he led me through the wood. On the further
side I found a man holding three horses.
"Glad to get you out of the clutches of the Indians, my son Reuben," he
said.
"I am not Reuben," I answered; "but I heartily wish that he had escaped.
I am Roger Penrose."
"Why, Sandy McColl, I told you to try and set Reuben at liberty; though
I am glad to see you, Roger," said the speaker, whom I now recognised as
the old trapper, Samson Micklan.
"I should have been discovered if I had attempted to reach the two
others, for they were much nearer the fire; and, in truth, I could not
distinguish one from the other," said Sandy.
"Well, we must see what can be done to rescue Reuben and the Irishman,"
said old Samson. "Our friend Manilick promised to plead for you and
Mike, and, should he fail, to come and let me know; and he will, I
trust, exert his influence in favour of Reuben, when he finds that you
have got off. At all events, the Indians will not put their prisoners
to death till they get back to their lodges, and we must try and set
them at liberty before then. Though they have vowed to have my hair, I
fear them not, for I have outwitted them a hundred times--and intend to
outwit them as many more, if I have the chance. But we must not delay
here, for when they find that you have got away they will suspect that
you took to the river, and will scour the banks in search of you."
Anxious as I was to save my friends, I had no wish again to fall into
the hands of the Indians, I therefore very readily mounted one of the
horses.
"If you, Samson, will go on to the cave with this young man, I will
return and try to help the others," said Sandy. "Maybe, while the
Indians are looking for me, they may leave them unguarded, and I may
have a chance of carrying out my object."
"That's what we'll do, then," answered old Samson. "I needn't tell you
to be cautious, because I know that you will be so."
As he spoke, Samson threw himself on one of the horses, and took the
rein of the third. "We shall better deceive the Redskins if we take
this one with us," he observed. "They may possibly discover that it has
no rider; but it will puzzle them, at all events, if they come upon our
trail, and they will be less likely to suspect that you are watching
them."
"Don't fear for me," answered Sandy. "I'll keep my wits about me; and
if the other two can make good use of their legs, we will overtake you
before long, should I manage to set them free. If I am caught, why, I
shall only suffer the fate I have often thought would be my lot."
Saying this, Sandy again plunged into the wood out of which we had come;
while Samson and I galloped away across the country. It was too dark to
discern objects at any distance, but my companion seemed to be
thoroughly acquainted with the ground. At last I saw before me a hill,
rising out of the plain. As I got nearer, I observed that the sides and
summit in many places were covered with trees; in others, it was barren
and rocky. We directed our course towards a gap in the hillside, up
which we wound our way.
"Can you walk?" asked old Samson.
"I will try," I answered, imitating his example and dismounting--when I
soon found that I could get on better than I should have supposed
possible.
He led two of the horses, while I followed with the third; but, passing
amid the trees, the animals had to lower their heads to enable them to
creep under the boughs.
On getting out of the wood, I found that we were proceeding up a steep
zigzag path, along which two people could not make their way abreast.
At last we reached a narrow terrace, with a few trees growing on it. We
made our way between them till Samson entered a cavern, the mouth of
which would admit only a horse, or, at the utmost, a couple of persons
at a time. I followed; and having gone through this narrow archway,
Samson told me to stop. He then, using his flint and steel, lighted a
torch, and by the flame I discovered that we were in a large vaulted
chamber. On one side there were some rude stalls, and litter for
horses; on the other, a couple of rough bunks, and a table and some
stools, showed that it was used as a human habitation.
"This is my home and fortress," said Samson. "I come to it occasionally
when tired of hunting; and I always keep here a store of provisions. At
the further end is a spring of water, so that I might hold it for any
length of time against a host of foes. I have never as yet been
attacked, for the Indians know that they could not attempt to drive me
out with impunity, and think it wiser to leave me and my companion
unmolested."
I asked him how he came to know that we had been captured by the
Indians.
"Because I witnessed with my own eyes what happened," he answered. "I
was on the hillside overlooking the train, but had no time to warn you
of the approach of the enemy, nor could I at first help you; but I saw
you three carried off, and then made my way here to get the assistance
of Sandy, who had remained at home, as well as the three horses."