THE TUG OF WAR.
The extinguishment of the burning roof, for the time, was complete.
Utter darkness came like the blowing out of a candle in a vault.
"The varmints know what it means!" muttered Jo Stinger, who made a
hurried retreat along the roof toward the trap-door, which had been
thrown wide open in readiness for his reception.
The Wyandots were quick to learn the cause of the sudden darkness, and
they opened a brisk fire on the roof. This necessarily was at random,
and the scout dropped through to the floor, without so much as a
scratch upon him.
Colonel Preston and his friends would have felt like uttering a cheer
over the success of Jo's boldness, but for the conviction that the
worst was yet to come and was close at hand.
One fact was so apparent that it caused a strengthening of hope: the
wind, which had been blowing almost a gale from the south, had
fallen, so that the lull was perceptible. Should the Wyandots fire
the cabin standing a short distance from the block-house, the flames
were not likely to communicate unless the gale appeared again.
All was darkness once more. The wind soughed dismally through the
trees and moaned around the block-house, which was scorched and still
smoking from the burning arrows of the Wyandots. The fine snowflakes
were still sifting downward, and far overhead was heard again the honk
of wild geese flying to the milder regions of the south.
From within the settler's cabin standing near the stockade came a dull
glow, but there was no other sign of life that eye could detect. And
yet the block-house was environed by hostile red men, who were as
eager as so many wolves to break into the fold.
Colonel Preston, Jo Stinger, Megill, Turner, and the boys were at the
loopholes watching and listening. Mrs. Preston alternated from the
side of her children to that of her husband, exchanging words with the
brave man who had been so cramped in his movements for the last day or
two that he was unable to do the service he wished to render his
friends.
The sounds of hurrying feet, the hoarse guttural exclamations and the
bird-like signals showed that the Wyandots were near the fort. They
had taken advantage of the Egyptian darkness to steal up close to the
sides of the building, where their presence could only be discovered
through some movement that made a noise sufficient to reach the ears
of the listeners above.
Several times the heavy log which they had dragged from the river bank
was carried stealthily up to within a few feet of the building, when,
having located the door, they ran forward with the battering ram.
Delivering the blow they dropped the log and scampered to escape the
shots which were sent after them in the darkness.
Now and then some of these bullets found their mark, and the
assailants learned to their cost that it was not simple amusement on
which they were engaged.
Believing they had made some impression on the door, eight Wyandots
stole forward, lifted the tree-trunk from the ground, and stepped
heavily and quietly backward several paces, where they paused to
gather breath for the fierce rush.
At the very moment they had concentrated their strength and were in
the act of moving, a flaming arrow sped upward like a rocket from the
other side the clearing, and, curving over, went a short distance
beyond the block-house, and, by a singular mischance, buried its head
in the log, which was held above the ground and in the act of being
plunged against the door.
The shaft stuck and the flaming twist of tow gave partial glimpses of
the eight swarthy figures laboring toward the building with the timber
between the two divisions. The knowledge that they were exposed to the
aim of the Kentuckians, spread consternation among the Wyandots, who
released the burden so suddenly that it fell upon one warrior's foot.
The pain was so acute that, like a civilized being, he caught the
injured member in both hands and danced round and round on the other
foot, howling with torture, while the others skurried away in the
darkness, as though a bomb-shell had burst among them.
The crack of several well-aimed rifles hastened the steps of these
frightened warriors, and he who was nursing his bruised foot dropped
it and limped off, with a haste that would have been impossible under
other circumstances.
This incident, which was not without its element of comedy, was
followed by a still more singular one.
Despite the vigilance of the garrison, the Wyandots were constantly
tempted to efforts which, it would seem, promised no success at all,
and which exposed them to great danger from the rifles of the
Kentuckians.
We have described the windows on the lower story of the block-house,
which were without panes, long and so narrow that it was not deemed
possible that any person could force his body through.
And yet there was one warrior who had probably spent most of the day
in considering the matter, and who concluded there was a chance for
him to succeed, where all others had failed.
A peculiar noise on the lower floor led Colonel Preston to descend the
ladder to investigate. For some minutes he was unable to conjecture
what the disturbance could mean, but the faint glow thrown out by the
flaming arrow which drove its head into the log, showed that the
window at the right of the front door was blocked up by an Indian,
who was wedged fast, and unable to get in or out.
He was struggling desperately, but could not extricate himself, and
the astounded commandant concluded that, if he was attenuated enough
to enter that far, he was probably capable of going still further, and
must be a curiosity in the way of bulk which was worth seeing.
The Colonel shuddered to think what would have been the result if this
savage had secured an entrance. It would have taken him but a minute
or two to remove the fastenings of the door, when the whole horde of
ferocious red men would have swarmed in.
The officer immediately ran forward and, catching the two arms of the
intruder, pinioned them. Then he began pulling with might and main.
That he might not throw away any strength, he placed both feet against
the logs below the window, and, leaning back, threw all his energy in
the effort.
So great was the force exerted that in all likelihood he would have
succeeded in drawing the exceedingly thin warrior through the window,
had not a couple of friends, at the same moment, seized his legs,
which were frantically beating vacancy, and commenced pulling with
equal ardor in the opposite direction.
The Wyandot was now as anxious to retreat as he had been to advance,
and he strove to help his friends; but his efforts were so handicapped
that he gave them little if any assistance.
The arrow which had burned so brightly for a minute or two expired, so
that all was darkness once more, and the singular tug of war went on.
When Colonel Preston held his breath, compressed his lips and did his
utmost, he felt the Indian move forward several inches in response;
but there were a couple fully as muscular, and inspired by as strong
enthusiasm as the pioneer. The tug which they put forth brought the
brave back again, with probably a slight gain.
The warriors at the heels had the additional advantage of the
sympathies of the one over whom they were disputing, and who bid fair
to become elongated to an alarming extent by this singular
controversy. He kept twisting his hands in such a way that he broke
the hold of Colonel Preston more than once, while he quieted his legs
so as to favor his friends all he could.
The first flirt which the Indian made was so sudden and unexpected
that the Colonel fell backwards on the floor; but he was up on the
instant, and grappled the sinewy arms again.
"If this keeps on much longer," thought the officer, "something must
give way. Suppose we should pull the rascal in two, with half inside
and half out. That might be fair to us, but the Indian, considered
strictly as an Indian, would not be of much account. I wonder
whether----"
"Hello, Colonel, what's going on?"
Jo Stinger had heard the singular disturbance, and, unable to guess
its meaning, was hurrying down the ladder to inform himself.
The exquisite absurdity of the situation caused a momentary reaction
from the gloom which had oppressed Colonel Preston, and led him to
reply--
"I've got a red man here that we're using as a cross-cut saw, and
we've stretched him out to almost double----"
At that instant the individual referred to, knowing that all depended
on one supreme effort, wrenched his wrists loose and, like a flash,
struck the Colonel such a blow in the face that he reeled backwards
almost to the other side the room.
The Wyandots at the other end of the line were reinforced at the
critical juncture by two others, who caught hold of their man wherever
it was the most convenient, and the four gave a long pull, a strong
pull, and a pull altogether, that was sure to accomplish something
definite.
Fortunately for the elongated Indian his legs were equal to the
strain, and he shot backward through the opening like the lady in the
show, who is fired from the giant cannon by the aid of springs alone.
He and his friends rolled over in one promiscuous heap, but were
quickly on their feet and skurried away in a twinkling.
Jo Stinger scarcely credited the singular story when the Colonel
related it, but when the particulars were given, he could not refuse
to believe.
"You could have ended it, Colonel, when you had his head inside," said
the scout.
"I know that, but I did not like the thought of taking such a
frightful disadvantage of an enemy."
"Then you ought to have done it without thinking," muttered Jo, who
was beginning to feel less mercy toward the Wyandots, since they had
made their own furious hatred so manifest.
"If there's any likelihood of that varmint trying the thing over
again, I'd stay here; but a chap who goes through, or tries to go
through what he did, is apt to get enough."
"I am sure of that," assented Colonel Preston, who was still rubbing
his face where the vigorous blow had fallen upon it.
There was no occasion to remain below-stairs, and the two went up the
ladder, where a consultation was held as to what was best to do, if
indeed they could do anything in their perilous situation.
Midnight had passed, and a hope was gaining ground that, if they could
hold out until morning, the prospect of beating off the Wyandots would
be improved. The American Indian seems incapable of doing his best
work except in darkness, and another night of such utter gloom as the
present was not likely to come.
It was not known, of course, that Deerfoot had escaped from his
enemies, and the belief was general that his career had been brought
to an untimely end; but, as we have shown, the young Shawanoe, with
all his fleetness, could not bring reinforcements from Wild Oaks
before the succeeding night, and it would have been a great feat
could he accomplish it in that limited time.
The garrison had enough food to last them a week, and the supply of
water was sufficient for the same time, unless too many draughts
should be required by the work of the torch and burning arrows.
A continuous assault upon the door and the frequent firing into the
loopholes and windows promised something, but the danger and delay
which attended such work were too great for the red men, who knew the
value of time as well as did the settlers themselves.
All within noted the direction and strength of the wind with an
anxiety which cannot be described. The space separating the
block-house and the cabin was so small that a slight gale from the
right quarter was certain to carry the flames from one to the other.
Both parties therefore were watching the indications with an equal
intensity of interest.
Once the wind was just right, but a lull came, as the torch was about
to be applied, and Waughtauk, after recovering from the terror caused
by the appearance of the scout at the window, must have felt a grim
impatience, as he saw the hours steadily slipping away, with no marked
change in the situation.
But the fiery arrows had done excellently well, although at the
critical moment a wet blanket, in the full sense of the word, was
thrown upon the prospects of the assailants. Waughtauk and his
sharpshooters knew how cleverly they had been outwitted, and they were
sure the strategy could not succeed a second time.
The orders were therefore given to try the blazing missiles again, and
in a few minutes a converging fire was opened, which looked as if a
miniature bombardment had begun.
The pyrotechnic display, under the peculiar circumstances, was
singularly striking.
By and by the missiles found a lodgment on the roof of the
block-house, and the twists of flame once more lit up the rough
surface, scorched and blackened in many places, and on which the
flakes, instead of sliding off, as aforetime, seemed to stick with an
unusual persistency.
There were broad patches of snow over the greater portion, and
although some of the arrows held, yet the major number fell over,
after striking and flickering a few minutes, and went out. The flakes
which had collected now helped blot out the flames.
The cause of these changed conditions was due to a number of saturated
blankets that had been carefully spread over the roof. During the
darkness which followed Jo Stinger's exploit, and after Colonel
Preston's failure to win in his tug of war with the Wyandot, the
garrison had wisely improved the time by soaking quilts with water and
laying them over the most ignitable portion of the roof.
Men and boys had given up those appropriated to their use; indeed all
had been taken, except those which protected the little girls while
sleeping. The mother offered those, if needed, willing to enfold and
warm her little ones with her own loving arms, and such few extra
garments as could be gathered among the company; but the scout
declined, saying he had all he could use. At the same time he would
have given anything in his possession for enough material to plaster
the entire surface.
Favored by the sheltering darkness, Jo then stretched these coverings
over the slabs. He fastened them together and balanced them over the
ridge, so there was no possibility of their slipping off.
This was done with such care that no space was lost. The temperature
was so low that in a few minutes the blankets were stiff with frost,
and, although the hunter was toughened by many years' exposure, his
hands became so benumbed he could hardly use them.
It was these frosty blankets which caught the snow and held it, and
which rendered useless so many of the burning shafts discharged by the
Wyandots.
But there were spaces where the seasoned wood was exposed. Several of
the blazing missiles, as might have been expected, lodged there and
began burning their way into the timber.
Furthermore, as these flames lit up the gloom, the Wyandots, eagerly
looking upon the scene from every point of the compass, saw a sight
which must have amazed them: it was the figure of a man stretched out
at full length on the roof, holding on with one hand, while the other
seemed to be occupied in giving the finishing touches to the
saturated goods, which, so far as they went, were an effective shield
against the fire.
Was ever such reckless daring known? It looked as if the scout Jo
Stinger deliberately invited this manner of his taking off, in
preference to torture by flame, or at the hands of his dusky enemies.
If such were the fact, the Wyandots did not restrain their fire. Every
one who commanded the position immediately opened upon the poor
fellow, and the sharpshooters in the cabin near at hand discharged
their pieces with unerring accuracy.
Bullet after bullet struck the figure which, as it lay at full length,
was a fair target for the many rifles. Still he held on and made no
effort to lift the trap-door and drop beyond range of the deadly sleet
hurtling about him.
But there is a limit to the capacity of the strongest, and all at once
the hold was loosened. He seemed to catch vainly at the steep roof,
over which he began slipping; but there was nothing which he could
grasp that would stay his downward flight. Faster and faster he went,
until he shot over the eaves, and, striking the ground, collapsed in
a limp heap in which there was not a particle of life.
The Wyandots, with whoops of delight, dashed forward from the
darkness, each eager to be the first to scalp the man whom they well
knew, and regarded as the most formidable member of the garrison.
Forgetful of the risk they ran (for the spot where the inanimate
figure fell was revealed by the burning arrows), the warriors
scrambled with each other as to who should secure the coveted trophy.
Scarcely a full minute had passed when cries of rage and chagrin were
heard from the disappointed group: for that which they seized and
struck at was not a man at all, but a dummy cunningly put together,
and placed in such a position on the top of the block-house that not a
Wyandot who fired at it had the slightest suspicion that he was
throwing his ammunition away.