AN EXPLOIT OF HEZEKIAH SMITH'S.
Hezekiah Smith awoke two full hours before Waring. Looking toward him,
and noticing that he was still slumbering, he concluded not to disturb
him, as he well knew how exhausted his frame must be. Feeling perfectly
wakeful himself, he arose to his feet and looked around him. The first
sensation experienced by the New Englander was that of hunger--a
craving for food immediately. The sun had just risen, and although he
was well aware of the abundance of game in the wood, he dare not fire
his gun on account of the proximity of his enemies.
"I guess I'll take a tramp down the river," he concluded, "and when I
get out of their hearing I'll knock something over, and eat enough to
last me a week."
He looked down upon the tranquil face of Waring.
"He appears to sleep very sound, and I guess it's hardly worth while to
disturb him. He'll be there when I come back, and all the better for
the extra rest he has received."
With this philosophical conclusion, Hezekiah wandered off in the woods.
It was his intention to take a southerly direction, penetrating further
into Kentucky, and such was his course at first. But, unconsciously to
himself, he deviated to the right, parallel with the Ohio.
With no sensation, but that of hunger, with the resolve to attend
to that immediately, and at all hazards, Hezekiah hurried forward
without once noticing the course he was pursuing, or reflecting that
it was more than probable he would be entirely lost in the trackless
wilderness.
While still hurrying forward, his excited ear detected a faint gobble
in the woods, as if a lost turkey were calling its companions; and
proceeding stealthily onward, he suddenly came upon a gobbler, that was
wandering about disconsolately, as if indeed lost. Before it could get
out of his reach, Hezekiah discharged his piece, but only wounded it.
It started off on a rapid run, and, fearful that it would escape him
if he paused to load his rifle, he dashed after it at the top of his
speed, and now commenced a most interesting race.
All things considered, perhaps, in the condition of the gobbler,
Hezekiah could outrun it, that is, where both were given the same
chance; but the bird had a way of slipping through the undergrowth,
jumping under the bushes, and trotting over fallen trees, as though
they were not there, that gave him an immense advantage over his
pursuer.
The latter tore headlong through the bushes, sometimes a rod or two
in the rear, sometimes almost upon it, his hope constantly kept up to
a most exciting point, by the hairbreadth escapes it made from him.
More than once, he made a frenzied leap forward, and, as he fell on
his face, caught perhaps the tail feather of the bird, while the bird
itself glided through his grasp, leaving a most vivid impression of
its tapering form upon his hands, which had slipped over it so neatly.
Then, again, he would strike at it with his rifle, and perhaps pin
another feather to the ground.
"Drat it," exclaimed Hezekiah, after one of those fruitless attempts.
"It's enough to make me swear. I'll chase him as long as I can stand,
but what I shall get him."
It is a fact, to which all hunters will testify, that, in the exciting
pursuit of their game, they can travel mile after mile, with hardly
any sensible fatigue. It is not until they come to retrace their
steps, that they realize how great a distance they have passed over.
The attendant, perhaps, whose mind does not participate in the same
excitement, is exhausted even in following the hunter.
Thus it happened that Hezekiah Smith, who would not have believed he
had gone more than half a mile, chased the gobbler for fully ten times
that distance, at the end of which it did not seem fatigued in the
least, the wild turkey, as our readers are aware, being a noted runner.
With no thought of giving it up, Hezekiah still pursued it at the top
of his speed, occasionally making a leap forward at it, and the bird as
often eluding him, as cleverly as ever.
Suddenly he caught the glimmer of something through the trees, and
to his joy, saw that they were approaching the banks of a river. He
was now sure of the bird; he had fairly earned it; and his tormenting
hunger was about to be satisfied.
Gracefully, and majestically, as the bird reached the edge of the
river, it spread out its wings, and, sailing through the air, landed
upon the Ohio side, and disappeared in the woods.
"That is unpleasant. If my rifle had only been loaded, I would have
finished him."
In chasing the gobbler, with all his turnings and doublings, Hezekiah
had become "turned around," himself, so that it seemed to him the
Ohio River was running in the wrong direction, and that he was on the
other side of it. Concluding however, that such a phenomena would be
a miracle, he kept on down the river, having decided that it would be
useless to retrace his steps, in the hope of finding Waring.
He was walking slowly forward, panting and fatigued, when it struck
him that there was a peculiar smell in the air. It seemed as though
something were burning, and, knowing that he was in the midst of an
Indian country, he guarded his steps, and kept a more watchful eye
upon his surroundings.
It turned out as he had expected. He was close upon an Indian
encampment. He caught a glimpse of the gaudy, fantastic costumes of
the savages through the trees, and approaching as nigh as he could, he
concealed himself, as well as his position would admit.
It was with singular emotions, that Hezekiah recognized this party as
the identical Shawanoes who had attacked his party, and who held Pat
Mulroony and Virginia Lander as captives. The fact that they must have
been here some time, proved that they had broken their last night's
encampment at an early hour, and departed even before he himself had
awakened.
The party seemed to have lost several of their number--some four or
five--but there was no mistaking the others. Hezekiah recognized them
at once. What surprised him still more, was that none of the captives
were visible. What had become of them? Had they been sent in advance,
in chance of a smaller party? What possible cause could the Shawanoes
possess for taking such a step?
These questions ran rapidly through the mind of the New Englander, but
there was another which constantly presented itself, and that was the
one in regard to obtaining food, for satisfying his hunger, which was
constantly growing greater. There seemed but one course left for him,
and that was to take to the woods again. He was on the point of doing
so, when his heart leaped at what appeared a most fortunate occurrence
to him.
Several times he thought he had detected the smell of burning meat, and
the cause of it was now explained. Some twenty rods to the right of the
encampment of the savages, was a smaller fire, at which a single squaw
was cooking. At the moment that Hezekiah caught sight of it, this squaw
had left it, and the meat was entirely unguarded.
The temptation was too great; Hezekiah was only sensible of his
intolerable hunger. Running back into the woods a few rods, he came
in the rear of the fire, and totally unmindful of his imminent danger,
snatched the meat, and seating himself upon the ground, commenced
devouring it like a wolf.
The first mouthful was dropped suddenly upon the lawn, being so hot
that his tongue was blistered. But he soon became used to it, and in a
few moments had swallowed the entire piece of meat, and was wiping his
fingers upon his hair.
"Just as much as I could possibly get down me," he muttered. "I
couldn't possibly swallow another mouthful, and--"
A shrill whoop suddenly broke the stillness of the woods, and turning
his alarmed gaze behind him, he saw the squaw, standing within a dozen
feet of him. She was fairly blue with fury, and was screaming as if to
split her lungs.
"Heavens!" exclaimed Hezekiah, who now saw how foolhardy he had been,
"the old woman is riled considerably, and if I ain't mistaken them
Indians are likewise."
The outcries of the infuriated squaw had attracted the instant
attention of the Shawanoes, who had caught a sight of the white man as
he was rising to his feet, and three of their fleetest runners started
in pursuit.
Hezekiah Smith's frame was gaunt and attenuated, and he was sinewy and
muscular. He was not only very fleet, but possessed bottom, and was
capable of holding his own against any one, and he now darted into the
woods at a rate that excited the admiration of his pursuers. The three
separated, so as to make sure of the fugitive, and called all their
energies into play to overtake him.
The forest for a considerable distance was open, and afforded a good
field for the runners. The distance between Hezekiah and the Shawanoe
remained about the same for five or ten minutes, when one of the latter
discharged his rifle, and the white sprang high in the air with a loud
yell.
But he hadn't been struck. It was only fright. The report of the gun
gave an impetus to his flight, and soon carried him far ahead of
the redskins. Dodging hither and thither, flitting in and out among
the trees, it was impossible for the latter to gain anything like an
accurate aim, and they did not repeat the attempt to bring him down.
All was now going well for the fugitive, and he would have escaped had
he understood the woods. But his ignorance was fatal. Directly ahead of
him was a deep gorge, or ravine, toward which the Shawanoes had managed
to turn his face without much difficulty, and unconsciously to himself
he was running directly into a trap.
It was not until he was on the very brink that Hezekiah realized his
peril. His hair fairly rose on his head, then, as he glanced about him.
To the right and left, stretched the deed yawning gorge, too broad
to be leaped over, and offering no means of access except a sheer
precipice, down which it would have been certain death for him to have
gone. Escape was cut off! There was no help for him! He was fairly at
bay!
"It's no use of talking," he exclaimed, wheeling round, and placing his
back toward the gorge. "I'm cornered this time, and there's going to be
a row!"
So saying, he clubbed his rifle, and awaited the onset of the Shawanoes!