the spirit of the border-第13节

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There　it　was　again；　a　slight　tearing　sound；　such　as　is　caused　by　a　knife　when

it　cuts　through　soft　material。



Some　one　was　slitting　the　wall　of　the　lodge。



The　hunter　rolled　noiselessly　over　and　over　until　he　lay　against　the　skins。　

In　the　dim　grayness　he　saw　a　bright　blade　moving　carefully　upward　through　the

deer…hide。　Then　a　long　knife　was　pushed　into　the　opening；　a　small；　brown　hand

grasped　the　hilt。　Another　little　hand　followed　and　felt　of　the　wall　and　floor；

reaching　out　with　groping　fingers。



The；　hunter　rolled　again　so　that　his　back　was　against　the　wall　and　his　wrists

in　front　of　the　opening。　He　felt　the　little　hand　on　his　arm；　then　it　slipped

down　to　his　wrists。　The　contact　of　cold　steel　set　a　tremor　of　joy　through　his

heart。　The　pressure　of　his　bonds　relaxed；　ceased；　his　arms　were　free。　He

turned　to　find　the　long…bladed　knife　on　the　ground。　The　little　hands　were

gone。



In　a　tinkling　he　rose　unbound；　armed；　desperate。　In　another　second　an　Indian

warrior　lay　upon　the　ground　in　his　death…throes；　while　a　fleeing　form　vanished

in　the　gray　morning　mist。







Chapter　VII。



Joe　felt　the　heavy　lethargy　rise　from　him　like　the　removal　of　a　blanket；　his

eyes　became　clear；　and　he　saw　the　trees　and　the　forest　gloom；　slowly　he

realized　his　actual　position。



He　was　a　prisoner；　lying　helpless　among　his　sleeping　captors。　Silvertip　and

the　guard　had　fled　into　the　woods；　frightened　by　the　appalling　moan　which　they

believed　sounded　their　death…knell。　And　Joe　believed　he　might　have　fled

himself　had　he　been　free。　What　could　have　caused　that　sound？　He　fought　off　the

numbing　chill　that　once　again　began　to　creep　over　him。　He　was　wide…awake　now；

his　head　was　clear；　and　he　resolved　to　retain　his　senses。　He　told　himself

there　could　be　nothing　supernatural　in　that　wind；　or　wail；　or　whatever　it　was；

which　had　risen　murmuring　from　out　the　forest…depths。



Yet；　despite　his　reasoning；　Joe　could　not　allay　his　fears。　That　thrilling　cry

haunted　him。　The　frantic　flight　of　an　Indian　bravenay；　of　a　cunning；

experienced　chiefwas　not　to　be　lightly　considered。　The　savages　were　at　home

in　these　untracked　wilds。　Trained　from　infancy　to　scent　danger　and　to　fight

when　they　had　an　equal　chance　they　surely　would　not　run　without　good　cause。



Joe　knew　that　something　moved　under　those　dark　trees。　He　had　no　idea　what。　　It

might　be　the　fretting　night　wind；　or　a　stealthy；　prowling；　soft…footed　beast；

or　a　savage　alien　to　these　wild　Indians；　and　wilder　than　they　by　far。　The

chirp　of　a　bird　awoke　the　stillness。　Night　had　given　way　to　morning。　Welcoming

the　light　that　was　chasing　away　the　gloom；　Joe　raised　his　head　with　a　deep

sigh　of　relief。　As　he　did　so　he　saw　a　bush　move；　then　a　shadow　seemed　to　sink

into　the　ground。　He　had　seen　an　object　lighter　than　the　trees；　darker　than　the

gray　background。　Again；　that　strange　sense　of　the　nearness　of　something

thrilled　him。



Moments；　passedto　him　long　as　hours。　He　saw　a　tall　fern　waver　and　tremble。　A

rabbit；　or　perhaps　a　snake；　had　brushed　it。　Other　ferns　moved；　their　tops

agitated；　perhaps；　by　a　faint　breeze。　No；　that　wavering　line　came　straight

toward　him；　it　could　not　be　the　wind；　it　marked　the　course　of　a　creeping；

noiseless　thing。　It　must　be　a　panther　crawling　nearer　and　nearer。



Joe　opened　his　lips　to　awaken　his　captors；　but　could　not　speak；　it　was　as　if

his　heart　had　stopped　beating。　Twenty　feet　away　the　ferns　were　parted　to

disclose　a　white；　gleaming　face；　with　eyes　that　seemingly　glittered。　　Brawny

shoulders　were　upraised；　and　then　a　tall；　powerful　man　stood　revealed。　Lightly

he　stepped　over　the　leaves　into　the　little　glade。　　He　bent　over　the　sleeping

Indians。　Once；　twice；　three　times　a　long　blade　swung　high。　One　brave　shuddered

another　gave　a　sobbing　gasp；　and　the　third　moved　two　fingersthus　they　passed

from　life　to　death。



〃Wetzel！〃　cried　Joe。



〃I　reckon　so；〃　said　the　deliverer；　his　deep；　calm　voice　contrasting　strangely

with　what　might　have　been　expected　from　his　aspect。　Then；　seeing　Joe's　head

covered　with　blood；　he　continued：　〃Able　to　get　up？〃



〃I'm　not　hurt；〃　answered　Joe；　rising　when　his　bonds　had　been　cut。



〃Brothers；　I　reckon？〃　Wetzel　said；　bending　over　Jim。



〃Yes；　we're　brothers。　Wake　up；　Jim；　wake　up！　We're　saved！〃



〃What？　Who's　that？〃　cried　Jim；　sitting　up　and　staring　at　Wetzel。



〃This　man　has　saved　our　lives！　See；　Jim；　the　Indians　are　dead！　And；　Jim；　it's

Wetzel；　the　hunter。　You　remember；　Jeff　Lynn　said　I'd　know　him　if　I　ever　saw

him　and…〃



〃What　happened　to　Jeff？〃　inquired　Wetzel；　interrupting。　He　had　turned　from

Jim's　grateful　face。



〃Jeff　was　on　the　first　raft；　and　for　all　we　know　he　is　now　safe　at　Fort　Henry。

Our　steersman　was　shot；　and　we　were　captured。〃



〃Has　the　Shawnee　anythin'　ag'inst　you　boys？〃



〃Why；　yes；　I　guess　so。　I　played　a　joke　on　himtook　his　shirt　and　put　it　on

another　fellow。〃



〃Might　jes'　as　well　kick　an'　Injun。　What　has　he　ag'in　you？〃



〃I　don't　know。　Perhaps　he　did　not　like　my　talk　to　him；〃　answered　Jim。　〃I　am　a

preacher；　and　have　come　west　to　teach　the　gospel　to　the　Indians。〃



〃They're　good　Injuns　now；〃　said　Wetzel；　pointing　to　the　prostrate　figures。



〃How　did　you　find　us？〃　eagerly　asked　Joe。



〃Run　acrost　yer　trail　two　days　back。〃



〃And　you've　been　following　us？〃



The　hunter　nodded。



〃Did　you　see　anything　of　another　band　of　Indians？　A　tall　chief　and　Jim　Girty

were　among　them。〃



〃They've　been　arter　me　fer　two　days。　I　was　followin'　you　when　Silvertip　got

wind　of　Girty　an'　his　Delawares。　The　big　chief　was　Wingenund。　I　seen　you　pull

Girty's　nose。　Arter　the　Delawares　went　I　turned　loose　yer　dog　an'　horse　an'

lit　out　on　yer　trail。''



〃Where　are　the　Delawares　now？〃



〃I　reckon　there　nosin'　my　back　trail。　We　must　be　gittin'。　Silvertip'll　soon

hev　a　lot　of　Injuns　here。''



Joe　intended　to　ask　the　hunter　about　what　had　frightened　the　Indians；　but

despite　his　eager　desire　for　information；　he　refrained　from　doing　so。



〃Girty　nigh　did　fer　you；〃　remarked　Wetzel；　examining　Joe's　wound。　〃He's　in　a

bad　humor。　He　got　kicked　a　few　days　back；　and　then　hed　the　skin　pulled　offen

his　nose。　Somebody'll　hev　to　suffer。　Wal；　you　feller　grab　yer　rifles；　an'

we'll　be　startin'　fer　the　fort。〃



Joe　shuddered　as　he　leaned　over　one　of　the　dusky　forms　to　detach　powder　and

bullet　horn。　He　had　never　seen　a　dead　Indian；　and　the　tense　face；　the

sightless；　vacant　eyes　made　him　shrink。　He　shuddered　again　when　he　saw　the

hunter　scalp　his　victims。　He　shuddered　the　third　time　when　he　saw　Wetzel　pick

up　Silvertip's　beautiful　white　eagle　plume；　dabble　it　in　a　pool　of　blood；　and

stick　it　in　the　bark　of　a　tree。　Bereft　of　its　graceful　beauty；　drooping　with

its　gory　burden；　the　long　leather　was　a　deadly　message。　It　had　been

Silvertip's　pride；　it　was　now　a　challenge；　a　menace　to　the　Shawnee　chief。



〃Come；〃　said　Wetzel；　leading　the　way　into　the　forest。





Shortly　after　daylight　on　the　second　day　following　the　release　of　the　Downs

brothers　the　hunter　brushed　through　a　thicket　of　alder　and　said：　　〃Thar's　Fort

Henry。〃



The　boys　were　on　the　summit　of　a　mountain　from　which　the　land　sloped　in　a　long

incline　of　rolling　ridges　and　gentle　valleys　like　a　green；　billowy　sea；　until

it　rose　again　abruptly　into　a　peak　higher　still　than　the　one　upon　which　they

stood。　The　broad　Ohio；　glistening　in　the　sun；　lay　at　the　base　of　the　mountain。



Upon　the　bluff　overlooking　the　river；　and　under　the　brow　of　the　mountain；　lay

the　frontier　fort。　In　the　clear　atmosphere　it　stood　out　in　bold　relief。　A

small；　low　structure　surrounded　by　a　high　stockade　fence　was　all；　and　yet　it

did　not　seem　unworthy　of　its　fame。　Those　watchful；　forbidding　loopholes；　the

blackened　walls　and　timbers；　told　the　history　of　ten　long；　bloody　years。　The

whole　effect　was　one　of　menace；　as　if　the　fort　sent　out　a　defiance　to　the

wilderness；　and　meant　to　protect　the　few　dozen　log　cabins　clustered　on　the

hillside。



〃How　will　we　ever　get　across　that　big　river？〃　asked　Jim；　practically。



〃Wadeswim；〃　answered　the　hunter；　laconically；　and　began　the　descent　of　the

ridge。　An　hour's　rapid　walking　brought　the　three　to　the　river。　　Depositing　his

rifle　in　a　clump　of　willows；　and　directing　the　boys　to　do　the　same　with　their

guns；　the　hunter　splashed　into　the　water。　His　companions　followed　him　into　the

shallow　water；　and　waded　a　hundred　yards；　which　brought　them　near　the　island

that　they　now　perceived　hid　the　fort。　　The　hunter　swam　the　remaining　distance；

and；　climbing　the　bank；　looked　back　for　the　boys。　They　were　close　behind　him。

Then　he　strode　across　the　island；　perhaps　a　quarter　of　a　mile　wide。



〃We've　a　long　swim　here；〃　said　Wetzel；　waving　his　hand　toward　the　main　channel

of　the　river。　〃Good　fer　it？〃　he　inquired　of　Joe；　since　Jim　had　not　received

any　injuries　during　the　short　captivity　and　consequently　showed　more

endurance。



〃Good　for　anything；〃　answered　Joe；　with　that　coolness　Wetzel　had　be