osc.am2.redprophet-第50节
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fe to the east。 He could feel it from farther off than any other Red。 He felt it also； though； from the movements among the Whites as they prepared to light the matches for their cannon。 Four fires； hidden and therefore revealed by spells and witchery。 Four cannon； poised to rake the city； end to end。
Tenskwa…Tawa walked through the city； humming softly。 They heard him； and awakened their children。 The White men thought to kill them in their sleep； faceless within their wigwams and lodges。 Instead； they emerged in the darkness； walking surefooted to the broad meadow of the meeting ground。 There wasn't room enough for all of them even to sit。 They stood； families together； father and mother with their children in the circle of their embrace； waiting for the White man to spill their blood。
〃The earth will not soak up your blood；〃 Tenskwa…Tawa had promised them。 〃It will flow into the river； and I will hold it there； all the power of all your lives and all your deaths； and I will use it to keep the land alive； and bind the White man to the lands he has already captured and begun to kill。〃
So now Tenskwa…Tawa made his way to the bank of the Tippy…Canoe； watching the meadow fill up with his people； of whom so many would die before him because they believed in his words。
***
〃Stand with me today； Mr。 Miller；〃 said General Harrison。 〃It's your kin whose blood we'll avenge today。 I want you to have the honor of firing the first bullet in this war。〃
Mike Fink watched as the hot…eyed miller carefully rammed wad and shot down his musket barrel。 Mike knew the thirst for murder in his eyes。 It was a kind of madness that came on a man； and it made him dangerous； made him able to do things beyond his normal reach。 Mike was just as glad that miller didn't know just when and how his boy had died。 Oh； Governor Bill hadn't never told him right out who that young man was； but Mike Fink wasn't a boy in short pants； and he knew all right。 Harrison played a deep game； but one thing was sure。 He'd do anything to raise himself higher and put more land and people under his control。 And Mike Fink knew that Harrison would only keep him around as long as he was useful。
The funny thing was； you see； that Mike Fink didn't think of himself as a murderer。 He thought of life as a contest； and dying was what happened to those who came out second best； but it wasn't the same as murder； it was a fair fight。 Like how he killed Hooch Hooch didn't have to be so careless。 Hooch could have noticed Mike wasn't on the shore with the other poleboys； Hooch could have been watchful and wary； and if he had been； why； Mike Fink might well have died。 So Hooch lost his life because he lost the contest the contest he and Mike were both playing for。
But that boy yesterday； he wasn't a player。 He wasn't in the contest at all。 He just wanted to go home。 Mike Fink never wrassled a man who didn't want a fight； and he never killed a man who wasn't set to kill him first if he got a chance。 Yesterday was the first time he had ever killed somebody just cause he was told to； and he didn't like it； didn't like it one bit。 Mike could see now that Governor Bill thought he had killed Hooch that same way； just because he was told to。 But it wasn't so。 And today Mike Fink looked at the young man's father； with all that rage in his eyes； and he said to that man but silently； so nobody could hear he said； I'm with you； I agree with you that the man who killed your boy should die。
Trouble was； Mike Fink was that man。 And he was plain ashamed。
Same thing with them Red men in Prophetstown。 What kind of contest was it； to wake them up with grapeshot whistling through their own houses； setting them afire； cutting into their bodies； the bodies of children and women and old men？
Not my kind of fight； thought Mike Fink。
The first light of dawn came into the sky。 Prophetstown was still nothing but shadows； but it was time。 Alvin Miller aimed his musket right into the thick of the houses； and then he fired。
A few seconds later； the cannons banged out their answer。 Maybe a few more seconds； and the first flame appeared in the town。
The cannons fired again。 Yet not a soul ran screaming out of the wigwams。 Not even the ones that were afire。
Didn't anybody else notice it？ Didn't they realize that the Reds were all gone out of Prophetstown？ And if they were gone； that meant they knew all about this morning's attack。 And if they knew； that meant they might be ready； lying in ambush。 Or maybe they all escaped； or maybe Mike Fink's lucky amulet was nearly burning him； it felt so hot。 He knew what that meant。 Time to go。 Something real bad was going to happen to him if he stayed。
So he slid off down the line of soldiers or what passed for soldiers； since there hadn't been more than a day or two for training some of these raw farmers。 Nobody paid no heed to Mike Fink。 They were too busy watching the wigwams burn。 Some of them had finally noticed that nobody seemed to be in the Red city； and they were talking about it； worried。 Mike said nothing； kept moving along the line； down toward the creek。
The cannon were all on the high ground； they sounded farther away。 Mike emerged from the trees into the cleared ground that ran down to the river。 There he stopped short and stared。 The dawn was still just a grey streak in the distance； but there was no mistaking what he saw。 Thousands and thousands of Reds； standing shoulder to shoulder in the meadow。 Some were crying softly no doubt stray shrapnel and musket balls had e this far； since two of the cannons were on the opposite side of the city from here； firing this direction。 But they weren't making a move to defend themselves。 It wasn't an ambush。 They had no weapons。 These Red folks were all lined up to die。
There was maybe a dozen canoes up and down the bank of the river。 Mike Fink pushed one out into the water and rolled himself aboard。 Downstream； that's where he'd go； all the way down the Wobbish to the Hio。 It wasn't war today； it was massacre； and that just wasn't Mike Fink's kind of fight。 Nearly everybody's got a thing so bad he just won't do it。
***
In the darkness of the root cellar； Measure couldn't see if Alvin was really there or not。 But he could hear his voice； soft but urgent； riding in over the crest of the pain。 〃I'm trying to fix you； Measure； but I need your help。〃
Measure couldn't answer。 Speech wasn't one of the things he could manage right at the moment。
〃I've fixed your neck； and some of your ribs； and the guts that got tore up；〃 said Alvin。 〃And your left arm bones were pretty much in a line； so they're all right； can you feel that？〃
It was true that there wasn't no pain ing from Measure's left arm。 He moved it。 It jostled the whole rest of his body； but it could move； it had some strength in it。
〃Your ribs；〃 said Alvin。 〃Poking out。 You got to push them back in place。〃
Measure pushed on one and nearly fainted from the pain。 〃I can't。〃
〃You got to。〃
〃Make it not hurt。〃
〃Measure； I don't know how。 Not without making it so you can't move。 You just got to stand it。 Everything you get back in place； I can fix it； and then it won't hurt no more； but first you got to straighten it； you got to。〃
〃You do it。〃
〃I can't。〃
〃Just reach out and do it； Alvin； you're big for ten； you can do it。〃
〃I can't。〃
〃I once cut your bone for you； to save your life； I once did that。〃
〃Measure； I can't do it cause I ain't there。〃
This made no sense to Measure。 So he knew he was dreaming。 Well； if he was dreaming； why didn't he e up with some dream where things didn't hurt so bad？
〃Push on the bone； Measure。〃
Alvin just wouldn't go away。 So Measure pushed； and it hurt him。 But Alvin was as good as his word。 Soon after； the place where he straightened out the bone didn't hurt no more。
It took so long。 He was so tore up that it seemed there just wasn't no end to the pain。 But in between times； while Alvin was making things heal up where he just fixed the bones； Measure explained to Alvin what had happened to him； and Alvin told him what he knew； and pretty soon Measure understood that there was a lot more to this than saving the life of one young man in a root cellar。
Finally； finally it was over。 Measure couldn't hardly believe it。 He had hurt so much for so many hours that it felt downright strange not to hurt anywhere。
He heard the thump； thump of cannon firing。 〃Can you hear that； Alvin？〃 he asked。
Alvin couldn't。
〃The shooting's started。 The cannon。〃
〃Then run； Measure。 Go as fast as you can。〃
〃Alvin； I'm in a root cellar。 They barred the door。〃
Alvin cussed with a couple of words that Measure didn't know the boy had ever heard。
〃Alvin； I got me a hole half…dug here in the back。 You got such a knack with stone； I wondered if you could loosen things up for me here； so I could dig out real fast。〃
And that's how it worked out。 Measure rolled himself into the hole and just closed his eyes and pawed at the dirt above his head。 It was nothing like digging the day before； rubbing his fingers raw on the dirt。 It just fell away； sl
