THE LAST TRIAL.
At the sight, nearly all the cowardly followers of the Wyandot took
flight and buried themselves in the woods, or burrowed like conies
among the rocks. Willimack was evidently frightened beyond measure at
the appearance of the being he so dreaded, but was too proud to seek
safety in flight.
There stood the Skeleton Scout, the grinning death's-head revealed,
the fire flashing from his lurid orbs, and that long finger pointing
downward.
"Dog!" cried the spectral being in a hollow voice. "How much blood must
you shed before you will be satisfied? How long must the spirits of the
rocks and the trees carry your evil deeds to the Great Spirit before he
sends the Great White Bear to carry you way to the abode of the lost?"
This was spoken in the Indian tongue, and seemed to have a terrible
effect upon the savage, for he bowed his head in terror, with his arms
folded upon his breast.
"Nabockalish is a strong spirit," he said. "The Wyandot nor the Shawnee
is not strong enough to stand before him. Why does he hate the poor
Indian?"
"Because the Indian is a fool!" replied the Skeleton Scout, fiercely.
"Listen to the words of Nabockalish. I see a great cloud in the sky.
The Indians have roused the anger of the Great Spirit, and an evil day
is come upon them. There will be war along the Wabash, and many will
fall in battle. The Shawnee will be driven out and no longer possess
the land of his fathers. Perhaps the Wyandot will go with him? There is
a cloud before my eyes and I can not see it plainly. Turn back, then,
Willimack, and flee the wrath of the Great Spirit."
"Why should Willimack turn back?" replied the Indian, fiercely. "A
lying spirit talks through Nabockalish--a spirit which has no love for
the Indian. Let the lying spirit depart, for Willimack will not listen
to his words. He will fight under the banner of the Prophet until the
white man shall cease from the land."
"Then, listen," shrieked the specter. "The spirit of the rocks and
trees have heard your words and will carry them to the Great Spirit.
Behold!"
As he spoke there was a strange, hissing sound, and a brilliant flame
leaped up, lighting the surrounding darkness. The flame ran in erratic
circles like a fiery serpent and vanished into thin air, and when they
looked again, the Skeleton Scout was gone, while the air was heavy
with a sulphurous smell. The sight was too much for the savages, and
they broke and ran in every direction, stumbling over the rocks, the
redoubtable Willimack leading them in their flight. Bursts of horrible
laughter followed them as they fled.
"Astonishing," muttered Will. "This passes my comprehension. Is
my friend, the Skeleton Scout, an inhabitant of the lower world,
after all? I am ashamed to say that he has very nearly succeeded in
frightening me."
Terrible screams sounded through the forest and accelerated the flight
of the savages. A dead silence succeeded, and then the stone was
violently pushed aside.
"Now," cried Madge, "keep your word, if you love me, Will."
"Hold on," cried a voice they well knew, "none of that, Floyd;
come eout. By gravy, that Skileton Scout is a gentleman of great
penetration, and I'd give forty dollars fur the privilege of shaking
hands with the darned fool. He's a little brimstony in his karacter,
but darn it all, what's that, once yew git used tew it? He routed the
Injins, hoss, foot and dragoons. Lord bless my heart alive, heow they
_did_ let eout. I thought Willimack would break his neck, sartin."
"Where have you been?" said Will, helping Madge out of their
hiding-place.
"Oh, we shinned up the rocks thar. We couldn't lug the gal up or I'd
'a' done it afore. 'Twouldn't dew tew desart her, yew know. Now, chief,
what are they dewing abeout these days?"
"Running," replied the Dead Chief, sententiously. "Very much scared."
"Yew look a little shaky yureself, old man!" said Seth, with a laugh,
"and, by gosh, it set me back a leetle trifle, when that fiery sarpint
went flashing deown the rocks. The outlandish critter desarves a
pension for helping us eout of this scrape. Here; gimme the gal. Show
a light, chief. The red devils will think it's the Living Skellington
coming arter 'em ag'in, and run the faster. Haw! haw! haw! It tickles
me most tew death tew see how the critters run."
The Dead Chief caught up a half extinguished torch which one of the
Wyandots had dropped, and led the way out of the narrow pass. Once safe
at the bottom, he extinguished the torch and led them in the darkness.
The Yankee came next, carrying the girl in his arms, while Will Floyd,
with leveled rifle, brought up the rear. In this way they passed on for
over a mile, when they struck a well-beaten path, and pursued it for
two hours in silence. Then the Yankee called a halt.
"I guess we may as well halt, boys. More as like ez not we'll foul a
snag ef we keep on in the dark. The woods are chock full of Injins,
and when Willimack gets over his little scare he'll come a-raving, and
charging arter us, that I know. Sit down on this log, little 'un. Yew
don't weigh so much on the start, but, Lord love yure little heart
ef yew don't grow mitey heavy arter a while! I'm glad we got eout of
_that_ trap. How dew yew feel, little gal? Considerable kind o' tired,
eh?"
"Very tired, and I am sorry to say, a little sleepy," replied Madge.
"That's all rite," said long Seth. "Nat'ral ez life. Waal, thar ain't
anything ag'in' a snooze, ez I knows on. We won't go any furder till
morning. Scrape up them leaves and make a bed fur the gal. Capting, yew
won't mind lending her yure coat, I guess?"
He stooped and spread out the leaves, and Madge lay down beside the log
and her lover spread his coat over her, and sat down to watch while the
Yankee took his station, rifle in hand, to wait for any emergency which
might arise, while the Indian rolled himself against the log and fell
asleep, but with his weapons ready to start up, at a moment's warning.
Madge was awakened at early morning and found her friends ready for a
start.
"Rouse up, little 'un," said the Yankee. "We ain't got any time tew
waste. I ain't got anything fur yew tew eat 'cept this cracked corn.
The Dead Chief took it from an Injin last night that didn't want it no
more. You kan eat it as yew march."
She followed them cheerfully, eating the corn he had given her, and
laughing lightly. In the midst of great danger she maintained a
cheerful confidence which was inspiriting to the men who had come to
save her. This happy confidence in them made their task lighter. Yankee
Seth would have carried her again, but she refused utterly, saying that
her night's rest had left her strong and able to bear any ordinary
fatigue. They marched slowly, for the signs were ominous, and once or
twice the scout stopped and listened carefully to see if the sounds
about him were suspicious. She could see that he feared danger, yet
maintained an unswerving fortitude.
"Brave gal," muttered the Yankee. "Make a good sojer's wife, _she_
will!"
They stopped at noon beside a little brook, which the young man
remembered to have crossed the day before, and again took food. But,
the Yankee scout kept glancing from side to side and often started up
and looked about him. Near by was a giant sycamore, with a hollow near
the root, large enough for a person to enter.
"See here, Miss Madge," said Seth. "We've got tew scout a little. I
don't see no other way, so yew jest git intew that holler tree and
wait fur us. We won't leave yew long. Yew'll find a step cut in the
side, wide enough fur yew tew stand on. Yew'd better git up on that,
fur mebbe an Injin might take it intew his darned old head tew look in
thar. Now, boys, come with me."
The hollow was very dark, but Madge grasped the stiletto which her
lover had given her, and did not fear. An hour passed, and they did not
return. At the end of that time a head was thrust into the cavity.
"Bright Eyes," said a voice which sounded strangely hollow in the
cavity. "Come down; the Yellow Hair has sent for you."
"Who is that?" said Madge.
"Dead Chief," was the reply.
She descended hurriedly, and stooped to emerge from the opening. As
she did so, she was roughly seized upon and a hand pressed so tightly
upon her mouth and nostrils that she found it impossible to cry out. A
scarf was torn from her neck and speedily transformed into a gag, which
was thrust rudely into her mouth, and when she looked up she saw the
leering face of Willimack close to her own.
"Aha!" he hissed. "Where is the Skeleton Scout? Where is Nabockalish
now to save you? The spirit of the rocks and trees are things at which
a great chief laughs!"
Taking her in his arms he dashed into the forest which bordered the
path, and she found herself in the midst of the remnant of the band of
Willimack, and in their midst, tightly bound and bleeding from a cut in
the forehead, was her lover. He uttered a cry of horror as he saw her
brought in.
"You too, Madge! Then the cup of my misery is full indeed."
She tried to speak, but the gag forbade it, but he understood her.
"Yankee Seth is dead. I saw him fall into a deep gully, shot by the
hand of this traitorous savage. The brave fellow fought gallantly, but
fell overpowered by numbers."
The Wyandot laughed in a sardonic manner, evidently triumphing in the
misery of which he was the cause. He approached and took the gag from
the mouth of Madge.
"Talk to him, _talk_," he shrieked. "Let him tell you how Willimack,
the Wyandot, avenges himself upon those who have done him great wrong.
The Long Man is dead, though warriors have not yet found his body. The
Dead Chief is flying though the forest with four fleet runners upon his
track, and you two are here, to try what it is to dare the vengeance of
a great chief."
"Listen to me, Wyandot," cried Will, angrily. "I am in your hands, and
you have it in your power to use me as you will. But, so surely as you
do a wrong to this sweet girl, I will find a way to haunt you from my
grave."
"You shall never know a grave," screamed the chief, shaking his
clenched hand in his face. "Your ashes shall be scattered to the four
winds of heaven. Even your bones shall be consumed and the winds shall
carry them away. She shall look on and see. Aha! Her face grows paler!
She is like the white lily that lies upon the summer water when the sun
is high."
"Chief," she said, "here I am and in your power. Let me see if you care
for me as you say. Let Floyd go free."
"And if I do, will you go into my wigwam?"
"I am in your power, as you know."
"Do not promise," cried Floyd. "Do you think I would purchase my life
on such terms as these?"
"Ha! ha! ha! Is a Wyandot a fool to let you go free? No; she shall see
you die, and then she shall enter my wigwam all the same. A great chief
never lies. You shall die upon the spot where you came and stole the
Bright Eyes away, when the accursed fire-water of the white man had
robbed me of my strength. Come!"
He made a signal, and several Indian ponies were led from the
surrounding thickets. Madge was forced to mount one of these and Will
another. The latter had his feet tied beneath the horse, and in this
condition was led away, surrounded by about twenty of the wild band.
It was growing dark when they reached the scene of the first escape of
Madge; there the party dismounted and tethered their horses. This done,
they tied the young soldier to a tree, and heaped light wood about him,
while Madge threw herself at the feet of the stern chief and begged for
her lover's life. He only showed by a scornful smile that he saw and
heard her, but stood gazing at the prisoner, the second time he had
seen him at the stake.
"You escaped from the Prophet; from me you can not escape," he
hissed. "Away, squaw! How dare you come between a great chief and his
vengeance?"
"As you hope for mercy, chief; as you expect ever to know a quiet home,
do not torture him," cried Madge. "I ask it on my knees."
"Away!" cried the chief. "Light the pile!"
As a hand was outstretched to do his bidding, there was a rush of many
feet, and the glade was filled with mounted Indians of the Shawnee
nation! Willimack understood at a glance that they had come to rob him
of his prey, and, with a yell of baffled rage, darted at Madge with
uplifted hatchet. But, there started up before him the giant figure of
Yankee Seth, who dealt him a tremendous blow with his fist which felled
him to the ground. Madge started up with a glad cry and threw herself
into his arms.
"Thank God you have saved us, gallant man! A life would not repay the
debt I owe you now."
"Oh, git eout," replied the excited scout. "I don't ask it, dew I?"
There was a suspicious moisture in his eyes, however, and he brushed
the sleeve of his hunting-shirt across them in a hurried manner, and
putting her gently aside, ran to cut Will Floyd loose.
"Who are these?" said Will, after pressing the hand of the Yankee
warmly in his own. "They are Indians. I am afraid it is out of the
frying-pan into the fire."
"Not a bit of it!" replied the Yankee. "Tecumseh is here."
"Tecumseh!"
"Yes," replied the full rich voice of that noble chief, advancing.
"The white man has been wronged by those who claim to be friends of
Tecumseh, and who but he should set it right? Willimack has a bad
heart. He has done more evil than he knows to the Shawnees. Bright
Eyes, let the chief tell how glad he is to see you safe."
Madge came forward and gave him her hand thankfully.
"You came in time, chief. How did it happen?"
"Yankee Seth is a great brave. He fell into a hole which was very deep,
but the Great Spirit was watching over the safety of Bright Eyes, and
saved his life. Tecumseh was already on the march to save you from
Willimack, and we met. The rest you know."
Willimack had risen, and was looking on with a lowering brow. His men
were standing, cowed and fearful, in the presence of the great chief,
but he alone maintained an undaunted mien.
"Can Tecumseh come to me and steal away my prisoners?" he said. "Is
this being a friend to the Wyandots?"
"A great chief should not be cruel," replied Tecumseh. "Willimack was
never the friend of Tecumseh. Chief, you have been very wicked, but you
are the friend of the Prophet. Go; I will take care of your prisoners."
Willimack scowled fiercely about him, and for a moment seemed to
meditate an assault upon the great Shawnee. But the abject submission
of his men showed that he would have no backers, and he dared not trust
himself alone against the mighty arm of Tecumseh. Shaking his hand in
anger at the chief, he turned away, and the forest hid him from view.
"Go on," muttered Seth. "Yew are a marked man from this hour. I _am on
yer trail_!"