IN WHICH PHIL FIGHTS THE INDIANS ON THE ISLAND.
"Get behind the trees!" I called to my companions, as I promptly
adopted the tactics of Kit Cruncher; for in fighting Indians discretion
is eminently the better part of valor.
"Was any one hit?" asked Morgan, the man nearest to me, as he dodged
behind a cotton-wood tree.
"I am not," I replied.
"Nor I," added Plunkett, the other soldier; "but that ball came within
a quarter of an inch of my right ear."
"Who fired that shot?" asked Morgan. "I didn't see anybody."
"The Indians are here," I replied.
"Then we had better take ourselves off as quick as possible," suggested
Plunkett.
"Not without the gun," I continued. "The three Indians you fired at on
the river last night have come over here. You don't mean to run away
from three Indians--do you?"
"No; but I don't like the situation," said Plunkett.
The cotton-wood trees were large enough to furnish us ample shelter,
and we waited a reasonable time, with our guns pointed, for the savages
to show themselves; but they were no more disposed to do so than we
were. It looked like a slow and lazy fight, and I was afraid the main
body of the redskins would attack the lieutenant before we could reach
him with the gun.
"What shall we do? We don't want to stay here all day," said Morgan.
"It is just as dangerous to go back as it is to go forward," I replied.
"Forward it is, then," added Morgan. "I don't want to be shot in the
back, if I am to be shot at all."
As my companion did not suggest a plan of operations, unless the
proposition of Plunkett to run away may be regarded as such, I
endeavored to solve the problem myself. The formation of the island,
like many others in the Mississippi and Missouri, was peculiar. Its
surface was a gradual slope from the point where we had landed to the
up-river end, which was a bluff of considerable height. On the most
elevated portion grew the tallest of the trees, which gradually
diminished in size, till at the lower end they were mere bushes. The
current of the river beating against the upper end washed away the
earth, and carried the soil to the lower end, leaving an annual deposit
there.
From the high ground the water had gullied for its passage a channel to
the lower end. As the descent was considerable, it was dry except
during heavy rains. This gully in the part of the island where we had
halted was about four feet deep. Farther up and lower down it was less
than this. In leading the way up to Mr. Gracewood's house, I had
followed this channel, and when we stopped, I had taken shelter behind
a tree on the side of it, whose roots reached into it. The Indians were
some distance from the gully, which led, in a sinuous course, within a
few rods of the house.
"I am going to do something," said I, when I had arranged a plan to
take advantage of the shelter the gully would afford me. "I will follow
this channel up till I can got a good shot at the Indians. When I fire,
you do the same."
"Don't be rash, Phil," said Morgan, who perhaps thought he ought to
perform the perilous work of the expedition; but really one place was
just as safe as the other.
"I will take care of myself," I replied. "Twenty rods farther up the
gully I shall be in position to see behind the trees where the Indians
are. I shall bring down one of them then."
"All right, Phil; but the Indians will see you when you leap into the
gully," added Morgan.
"I shall run the risk of that. If you will do the same, we can make a
sure thing of it."
"I will, for one. I won't have a boy like you get ahead of me; but I
thought you wanted us to stay here."
"One of you stay behind the tree, and the other jump into the ditch."
"All right. I'll jump in," said Morgan.
"I will go up the gully; you go down. I will go without noise; you will
make a noise, so as to make the Indians think we have both gone down
towards the place where we landed. Do you understand me?"
"Like a book."
"And, Plunkett, you must keep both eyes wide open. If an Indian shows
his head, shoot him."
"I'll do that."
"But don't show your own head."
"I won't do that."
I leaped into the gully as soon as I had completed my preparations. One
of the Indians fired instantly. Morgan promptly followed me, and
without drawing the fire of the Indians. I crept carefully up the
gully, while my companion took the opposite direction, making plenty of
noise. He had gone but a short distance before the discharge of
Plunkett's musket assured me the ruse had been successful so far. The
savages, thinking we were escaping to the water, had left their trees,
and shown themselves to our sentinel.
I hastened on my winding way with all practicable speed, careful not to
betray my presence. Every step brought me nearer to the Indians, and,
as I crept along, I occasionally stole a glance over the brink of the
gully; but as yet I could not see the foe. I continued on my way, not
daring to step on a stick or a stone, lest the noise should reveal my
presence, until I had reached my objective point. A cautious glance
then assured me that I was abreast of the savages. I was exactly at
their right hand, and not ten rods from them. I could distinctly see
them, with their rifles elevated in readiness to fire, and glancing
with one eye, from behind the tree, at the position of Plunkett.
The three positions occupied respectively by Plunkett, the savages, and
myself, were at the three angles of an isosceles triangle, the two
equal sides of which were about twenty rods, while the other and
shortest side was ten rods, the latter being between the Indians and
myself. They were straining their eyes to take advantage of any
movement where Plunkett stood.
I placed my ammunition so that I could reload with the greatest
possible haste after I had fired, and then prepared to make the shot
upon which our fate in a great measure depended. Indeed, it was
necessary to do something to end my own suspense and anxiety, for my
nerves were so strained up that I thought they would crack. This
holding of one's breath, and moving in absolute silence on penalty of
death for failure, is a terrible trial to a boy, whatever it may be to
a man inured to peril and hardship.
Having completed my preparations, and considered where and how I should
retreat in case of failure, I took careful aim at the Indian nearest to
me, and fired. The savage uttered a howl, and clapped his hand upon the
back of his head. I had wounded him, but evidently had not disabled
him. I loaded my rifle again, regarding my first shot as an unfortunate
one. I could hear the enemy talking earnestly together, and I realized
that they were not satisfied with the situation. The report of a musket
below assured me the Indians had changed their position. Another shot
from our side told me that Morgan was improving his opportunities.
These bullets from the front, although they appeared not to have done
any harm, compelled the savages to resume their first position, which
again opened them to my fire. I aimed a second time, and fired at the
mark as before. The discharge was followed by a fearful howl, and the
savage raised his hand to his face. He was not killed, but by this time
he was badly demoralized. He turned his head to see where the ball had
come from. His face was covered with blood.
I stooped to load my rifle again. While doing so, I could hear the
savages chattering violently. They had evidently discovered the
insecurity of their position, and felt that, if they staid there long
enough, they would certainly be shot. I did not deem it prudent to
remain where I was any longer, lest the enemy should take it into their
heads to charge upon the gully. I retreated a few rods towards the
house. While I was doing so, the reports of the two muskets of the
soldiers assured me the Indians were making a movement. I raised my
head, and saw that they were running with all speed towards the north
side of the island, where they had landed the preceding day.
Morgan and Plunkett had come out of their hiding-places, and were
already in hot pursuit. I followed their example, and being nearer the
enemy than they, I fired. This time an Indian dropped: but his fall did
not delay the flight of the others. I paused to load, and presently
heard the shots of both the soldiers. They also halted to load again,
and I ran ahead of them; but the savages were more fleet of foot than
we, and gaining rapidly upon us, reached their boat without further
loss or damage.
[Illustration: THE WOUNDED INDIAN. Page 203.]
"We are lucky," said I, as we gave up the chase, and gazed at the
dugout, half way across the river.
"That's so. Was any one hit?" added Morgan.
"No; and of all the shots we have fired, we have brought down but one
Indian."
"If we had been as near as you were, Phil, we should have dropped one
every time," replied Plunkett. "However, I knocked over that one that
fell."
"You did!" I exclaimed.
"Why, yes; didn't you see him fall?"
"I did; but he fell the instant I fired," I replied.
"You are a little fast, Phil. You haven't hit anything to-day," said
Plunkett.
"I hit every time I fired."
"You! Nonsense!"
"I fired the first shot after the Indians started to run, and this one
dropped before you had fired at all," I persisted, indignant that
Plunkett, who had wished to run away in the beginning should claim to
have done all the execution that had been accomplished.
"Keep cool, Phil," laughed Plunkett. "That redskin dropped when I
fired."
"We will settle that matter another time," I answered, leading the way
towards the house.
We passed the Indian who had fallen. He was not dead, and I saw
Plunkett fixing his bayonet, evidently with the intention of finishing
the work I had begun. I protested, and so did Morgan, against his
course. The savage reclined on one side, resting upon his elbow. He had
torn away his blanket, so that we could see where the ball had struck
him in the hip.
"You didn't fire that ball, Plunkett," said Morgan. "You couldn't have
hit him there from the place where you fired."
"What's the reason I couldn't?" demanded the braggart.
"Because the Indian was running ahead of you, and you couldn't have hit
him on the side of the hip. Phil was up by the house, and his shot did
it. Half his nose is gone, and he has a wound on the back of the head."
"He turned round when I fired; but I will finish him," said Plunkett,
approaching the Indian with his bayonet pointed at him.
"No!" I shouted, earnestly. "It is murder."
The Indian, who had watched us with savage dignity, apparently
regardless of the pain his three wounds must have given him, suddenly
grasped his tomahawk, and raised himself as far as his injured hip
would permit. He looked ugly and defiant, and Plunkett paused.