We and the savage Redskins were both utterly helpless; they from being
overcome by liquor, we from having our arms firmly bound to the trees.
All the efforts we had made to liberate ourselves had only tended to
draw more tightly the thongs; while we were left to contemplate the
dreadful fate to which we were doomed as soon as the savages had
recovered from the fumes of the spirits they had swallowed. All sorts
of horrible ideas passed through my mind. Should a pack of wolves come
to the camp, they might, helpless as we were, tear us to pieces, as well
as the unconscious Indians. It would be a worse fate than any the
savages might inflict upon us. Scarcely had the idea entered my brain,
than the well-known howls and yelps of the animals I dreaded reached my
ears. Louder and louder they grew. They were approaching the camp. In
a few minutes they would be upon us. It was no fancy of my brain, for
my companions heard them also. Darkness prevented us from seeing each
other's countenances; but I could distinguish Dick, who was nearest me,
again making efforts to free himself, and he could not help crying out
in desperation when he found himself foiled as before. The wolves were
close upon us, when presently we heard the tramp of a horse's feet, and
one of our own animals, which either Armitage or Jack had been riding,
and from whose back the Indians had neglected to remove the saddle
dashed by, closely pursued by a pack of large wolves, who intent on the
chase did not regard us. I saw the head of an Indian lifted up for a
moment, awakened to partial consciousness by the yelping of the wolves
and the tramp of the horse; but perhaps the savage fancied he was
dreaming, for the next moment his head again sank to the ground. We
were preserved for the moment, but what would happen should the wolves
succeed in pulling down and devouring the horse? They would, to a
certainty, return and attack us, as we had feared; or, even if they did
not, the Indians would be recovering from their debauch. I could only
hope that they had not consumed all the liquor, and that the first to
awaken would take another pull at the bottles. In spite of our fearful
position, a drowsiness began to steal over me, produced perhaps by
exhaustion. I even now do not like to think of those dreadful hours,
when my mind dwelt on the various tortures the savages were wont to
inflict on their helpless prisoners. I fully expected that arrows would
be shot at my limbs while all vital parts were avoided; to have my flesh
burnt with hot irons; to be scalped; to suffer the most lingering and
painful of deaths. In vain I tried to banish such thoughts, and to
encourage the stupor stealing over me. At length I had almost
succeeded, though I was not really asleep, when I heard a voice whisper
in my ear, "Do not move or speak when you find the thongs cut."
The next instant I was free. The darkness prevented me seeing clearly
what was happening to my companions, but I could distinguish a figure
stealing along the ground, and appearing behind each of them.
"Now friends! you have your choice, either to cut the throats of the
Redskins as they lie, or to catch the horses and put a wide space
between them and yourselves before daybreak," said a voice which I
recognised as that of old Folkard--"don't trust those villains, they may
not be as fast asleep as you fancy. If they hear you moving they may be
on their feet again before you have had time to pass your knives across
their throats."
"Savages as they are, I would not for one moment dream of killing them,
whatever they intended to do to us," said Jack.
Armitage and Story agreed with him, as did I. We therefore at once
resolved to steal off as soon as we had recovered our rifles, the only
weapons of which we had been deprived; and though they were close to
where our captors were sleeping, they might easily be reached. Our plan
was then to try and get hold of our horses, and when they were secured
we might recover the remainder of our property and deprive the Indians
of their arms. We should thus teach them a lesson of mercy; for when
they recovered their senses they could not fail to see how completely
they had been in our power, and that we might have put the whole of them
to death had we been so disposed.
The old trapper volunteered to manage the most dangerous part of the
undertaking, that of recovering our rifles. Telling us to remain where
we were, apparently still bound to the trees, he crept forward on hands
and knees, disappearing in the surrounding gloom. Not a sound did we
hear until he came back, carrying in either hand a rifle, which he
placed at our feet. He then made a second trip, which was as successful
as the first; but the Indians' spears and several of our spare rifles
had still to be obtained. He went very cautiously to work, for he was
evidently not at all confident that one of the Indians might not awake.
I would gladly have assisted him, had he not urged us to remain quiet.
I felt greatly relieved when he at length returned with the last rifles.
"But we want our saddles!" whispered Dick.