THE PAYMASTER IN WAR-PAINT AND FEATHERS
"That is just what Miss Edith did," remarked Bullen, in a grieved tone,
when Donald's outburst of mirth had somewhat subsided.
"What?"
"Laughed. And when I tried to convince her that my unfortunate
predicament was not a subject for merriment, she only laughed the more,
until finally she ran away and disappeared in the forest, with which
most of the island was covered."
"Well, I don't blame her," said Donald. "Why, man, the spectacle must
have been enough to make a graven image chuckle. Didn't Madam Rothsay
laugh, too?"
"Certainly not. She only coughed and smiled and apologized in the
sweetest manner for having accidentally been a witness to my arrival;
hoped they would have the pleasure of seeing me later after I had
recovered from the effects of my voyage, and all that sort of thing.
Behaved in the most lady-like manner, by Jove."
"And the third lady? By the way, who was she?"
"Oh, she was only an Indian girl; but a stunner, for all that. She may
have laughed, but I didn't notice; for she ran after Miss Edith. I
found out about her afterwards. She is Pontiac's daughter, and her
name is Ah-mo, which means the bee or the sweet one. She was educated
in the convent at Montreal and went into society there. Refused a
French count, I believe, and all that sort of thing. Don't you
remember the fellows at Niagara were talking of her? As near as I
could make out, she had been sent by her father to look after the
ladies at the time of the attack on Cuyler's party, and was acting the
part of hostess when I met them, or something of that kind."
"Ah-mo," repeated Donald, meditatively, and smiling as though the name
recalled a pleasant vision. "Well, what became of you after that?"
"Oh! when they saw that I was a friend of the ladies, those Indian
chaps behaved very decently; took me to their camp, gave me something
to eat, and fixed me up as well as they knew how. Of course I was
obliged to do the best I could with what they had to offer, and as
paint constituted the principal part of their costume I was obliged to
make use of it. They all took a hand at decorating me, and I must say
that I think the _tout ensemble_ of my appearance as an Ottawa warrior
was rather neat."
"Extremely so," admitted Donald.
"That white blanket I borrowed from Miss Pontiac," continued the little
paymaster, "and the moccasins I got from her brother. Of course there
wasn't such a thing as a wig to be had, and so I made a liberal use of
feathers in its place. The best part of the day was spent in getting
me into shape, and when I called on the ladies in the evening I vow
they didn't recognize me. Took me for a sure-enough Indian, and
thinking I didn't understand English, I suppose, passed remarks on my
appearance.
"'Isn't he a guy?' said Miss Edith.
"'Not at all,' replied Madam Rothsay; 'he is by far the best-looking
Indian I have seen, and I shouldn't be surprised if he were Pontiac
himself.'"
Here Donald winked at Christie.
"When I thanked her for the compliment," continued the paymaster, "and
they recognized my voice, I thought that Miss Edith would have a fit,
she laughed so immoderately. In fact, she did nothing but laugh
whenever she caught sight of me until an event occurred that gave her
something more serious to think about. It struck me as being pretty
rough on a man who was trying to make the most of his opportunity to
win her good graces."
"What happened to divert her from the absurdity of your masquerade?"
inquired Christie.
"Nothing more nor less than news of the proposed attack on you,"
replied Bullen. "During the second day of my stay on the island, the
war-party destined for Presque Isle came along and camped there for a
few hours. I had been amusing myself and establishing a reputation as
medicine man among the few Indians stationed there, by rehearsing some
of my old tricks, and when this new gang appeared, nothing would do but
an exhibition for their benefit. They were so impressed with my power
over the fire-demon, that they invited me to join them. They promised
me all sorts of honors if I would comply, and threatened to test my
powers by subjecting me to torture by fire in case I refused. I had no
idea at that time of their especial mission, and was wondering how to
escape from my awkward fix, when at that moment Miss Edith appeared."
"Laughing as usual, I suppose?" said Donald, a little bitterly, for he
was beginning to think that his sister exhibited rather too much
lightness of heart, in view of the gravity of her own situation, to say
nothing of the dangers and hardships he was undergoing on her behalf.
"So far from it," replied the paymaster, "that there were traces of
tears on her cheeks, and she was evidently suffering great mental
distress.
"'Oh, Mr. Bullen!' she said in a low tone, so as not to be overheard by
the savages, in case any of them understood English, 'I have just
learned of something dreadful. This war-party is on its way to
surprise Presque Isle, and capture the survivors of poor Mr. Cuyler's
expedition, who have probably sought refuge there. Just think how
terrible it would be if they should succeed, and our friends should be
killed! Can't you do something to frustrate their wicked plan? You
seem to have gained such an influence over them, I am sure you can if
you only will.'
"I was rather staggered by this news, of course, and when she added:
'If you would only try, Mr. Bullen, and should succeed in saving the
brave men in that fort, I should ever esteem you among the very dearest
of my friends,' my resolution was instantly taken.
"I answered: 'For your sake, Miss Edith, I will make the effort and do
what lies in my power to thwart the design of the red villains.' With
that it was really touching to witness her gratitude and to hear her
say that she should pray for my safety and success from that moment."
"She must have reasoned that I would be searching for her among
Cuyler's fugitives and would very likely be in Presque Isle," reflected
Donald.
"I don't see how that could be," retorted Bullen; "for I had carefully
avoided any mention of your name, or of the fact that I had met you,
thinking it useless cruelty to arouse her anxiety before your fate was
definitely known."
"Which showed remarkable good sense on your part, and I thank you for
your consideration," cried Donald. "Her anxiety then must have been
for--"
"But how did you proceed to make good your promise?" interrupted
Christie, hastily. "It seems to me you undertook a pretty big
contract."
"So it was," responded the paymaster, "and in order to carry it out, I
became, from that moment, an Indian of the Indians, a redskin of the
redskins, and a savage of the savages. Why, for the sake of my paint I
even gave up my daily tubbing, which, by the way, in my present
position of deposed medicine man and white captive, I suppose I may
have the melancholy satisfaction of resuming. I immediately agreed to
accompany the war-party, telling them that, having once adopted the
Indian costume, I had thereby cut myself off from all companionship
with the whites. I promised to teach them the art of war as practised
by the redcoats, and show them how to capture Presque Isle without the
loss of a man.
"Oh you did, did you?" growled Christie.
"Yes, I did, and to begin with, I delayed their progress as much as
possible, in the hope that Cuyler might reach you before we overtook
him, and that you might join his retreat to Niagara. For this purpose
I insisted that they carry along my tub, which, as I truly affirmed,
contained all my medicine. Every morning when they were ready to
start, I sat in it, under a closed tent of matting, and performed magic
which they dared not interrupt. Sometimes the main body went on
without us, so fearful were they of interfering with my mystic rites."
"What did you do under the tent?" asked Donald.
"Oh, just jabbered gibberish and rattled things and made smokes,"
replied the ex-medicine man.
"Then, when we reached Presque Isle and found it still occupied, I
dissuaded them from an assault and proposed the scheme of a mine by
which the fort might be destroyed without the loss of a warrior.
According to their belief this mine was to run directly to the
blockhouse, but I so laid it out that it should strike a building some
distance away. Then I meant to collect all their powder, harmlessly
explode it beneath the empty building, and thus leave them without
means for prosecuting the fight. This plan miscarried through a
cave-in of the roof, which showed them the true location of the mine's
end and gave them a chance to set fire to the building nearest the
blockhouse, which they hoped thus to destroy.
"When that plan failed, they continued the mine in the direction
indicated by their new bearings and you would have been blown sky-high
the moment it was completed, had I not persuaded them to first demand a
surrender, and then wait until morning for your answer. Then I hoped,
after getting you safely out of the place, with your arms and
ammunition, under the pretence of surrendering, to harmlessly explode
the mine, thus destroying all the enemy's powder, and leaving you
masters of the situation. How that plan was frustrated, you know as
well as I, though how the powder ever got moved and prematurely
exploded, I never expect to discover unless you had a hand in it,
Christie."
"No," replied the ensign, who had just received an expressive glance
from Donald. "Neither I nor those with me had any definite knowledge
of your mine before the explosion occurred."
"Well, however it was caused, my plans were completely defeated," said
Bullen, "and not only that, but my reputation as a medicine man was
ruined. As soon as we got to this place, a council was called, and I
was charged with exploding the mine so as to destroy the Indians
instead of the blockhouse. When I protested my innocence, they argued
that I must, then, have lost my power over the fire-demon, and ordered
me to repeat the magic tricks by which I had gained their confidence.
You witnessed my humiliating failure, and its results; even my
effervescing powders had become damp and failed to act.
"That is my story, gentlemen, and, if after hearing it, you still doubt
my loyalty to the service to which we are all pledged, I can have no
hope that others will believe me. In that case I have no desire to
live and should make no struggle against the fate these savages
contemplate for me. If, however, you can believe my story, wildly
improbable as I know it must sound, then am I once more restored to
life and hope."
As he thus concluded, the poor little man, grotesquely painted,
battered, and bruised, turned a face of such intense pleading toward
the comrades who had become his judges, that they both were moved by an
overwhelming impulse to spring forward at the same moment and grasp his
hands.
"We do believe you!" they cried.
"I am convinced," added Christie, "that you have acted as becomes an
officer and a gentleman, Bullen, bravely and according to your best
judgment for the honor and advancement of our cause. This I not only
say now, but am prepared to state and maintain hereafter, officially
and publicly, and there is my hand on it."
"And I say," cried Donald, "that you are a trump, Bullen, a genuine
trump. Not only do I offer you my sincere friendship from this time
forth, but I hereby pledge all the powers of the Metai--whatever that
may be--so far as I can control them, and of the totem, whose emblem I
wear, to your service!"
The effect of these hearty assurances of faith in him, and of continued
friendship, was such that the little man's overstrained nerves suddenly
gave way. He tried to speak, failed to utter a sound, and sank down
sobbing like a child.