HAWK EYE'S REVENGE
From the fact that the camp was without tepees or squaws, and the
Chippeway's face was daubed with red paint, Hawk Eye knew that he had
fallen in with a small party on the warpath, but he could not account
for the Medicine Man's presence with the Sioux's hereditary enemy. As he
thought over the matter Slow Dog's detaining hand gripped his shoulder.
"Son of Running Deer," said the Medicine Man, "I have no cause to
quarrel with you. But between Black Eagle and me there is much bad
blood. You shall return to your village. It is mine no longer. Say to
Old Smoky Wolf that I have become a Chippeway; that I and my Chippeway
brothers will soon pay a visit to his village to take scalps. Say to
Black Eagle that I shall hold his stepson a captive."
As he finished, Ohitika gave a sudden spring, whipping the leash from
the hand of the Indian beside the fire. Leaping across the ground, he
sprang at Slow Dog's throat. As the Medicine Man raised his foot and
kicked the animal, Hawk Eye dealt him a blow between the eyes and darted
off, followed by the faithful dog.
On coming to a tree against which were propped two guns, with powder
horns and bullet pouches, he slowed down to pick them up, then dashed
ahead. At a distance of fifty feet or more he saw Raven Wing, bound to a
tree. One of the guns he had captured carried a ramrod sharpened at one
end, and on coming up to Raven Wing, he began to sever the thongs that
bound him with the sharpened point. Before he could finish, however,
Slow Dog, who had followed, sprang upon him. Staggering forward, Hawk
Eye fell to the ground, carrying the Medicine Man with him.
As Slow Dog attempted to rise, Hawk Eye raised his foot and struck him
so heavily upon the stomach that he fell with a groan and lay writhing
upon the ground. In the meantime, the Chippeway had come up and
springing like an infuriated tiger toward Raven Wing, drove a knife at
the boy's throat.
Fortunately, Raven Wing's arms were tied in front of him, so that by
raising them he was enabled to ward off the blow. The knife fortunately
merely scratched the fleshy part of his left arm, but in doing so
severed the thong that bound them. With a mighty wrench Raven Wing burst
the thong that Hawk Eye had all but severed, and slipped around behind
the tree. As the Chippeway again rushed after him, Hawk Eye felled him
with the butt of his gun.
"Follow me!" shouted Hawk Eye, and bounded toward the cave in the bluff,
which was not more than fifty yards distant. A couple of arrows from
the bows of two Chippeway Indians who were returning to camp from an
early hunting trip followed him. The suddenness of his flight, however,
had rendered their hasty aim uncertain, and in another moment he was
around and behind the sheltering cliff. With wild yells the Indians
darted forward in pursuit.
[Illustration: A COUPLE OF ARROWS ... FOLLOWED HIM.]
About thirty paces beyond the point of the cliff that hid him for a few
moments from view, was the cave in which he had spent the night. Quick
as thought he sprang up the steep trail to its entrance and darted in.
Crouching behind a ledge of rock close to the entrance, he waited for
the two Indians to appear. Presently he saw one of them peering around
the bend in the cliff wall. Raising his gun to his shoulder, he fired.
The Indian's face disappeared from sight, but whether the bullet had hit
the mark, Hawk Eye could not determine.
In the meantime Raven Wing, not daring to run into range of the arrows
from the two Indians, had darted into the bushes and made for the rocky
ground in the rear of the camp. In doing so he happened to pass the tree
against which Slow Dog had rested Hawk Eye's gun, with shot-belt and
powder horn. Picking them up, he climbed over the rocks and up to a
wooded ridge that overlooked the cave in which Hawk Eye had sought
shelter.
From this high point Raven Wing noticed that the bed of dried up water
course led through the bushes towards the cave. Without further delay he
hurried down to it, and sped swiftly along between its high
bush-bordered banks. But, on drawing near to the cave, he was
disappointed to find an open space, without tree or shrub, between it
and the edge of the bushes.
[Illustration: {Brave with headdress.}]