the jacket (the star-rover)-第27节

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ball。　　He　was　no　more　than　six；　and　I　remember　looking　on　with　mouth

agape　while　his　mother　held　him　on　her　lap　and　his　father　set　about

bandaging　the　wound。　　Little　Rish　had　stopped　crying。　　I　could　see

the　tears　on　his　cheeks　while　he　stared　wonderingly　at　a　sliver　of

broken　bone　sticking　out　of　his　forearm。



Granny　White　was　found　dead　in　the　Foxwell　wagon。　　She　was　a　fat　and

helpless　old　woman　who　never　did　anything　but　sit　down　all　the　time

and　smoke　a　pipe。　　She　was　the　mother　of　Abby　Foxwell。　　And　Mrs。

Grant　had　been　killed。　　Her　husband　sat　beside　her　body。　　He　was

very　quiet。　　There　were　no　tears　in　his　eyes。　　He　just　sat　there；

his　rifle　across　his　knees；　and　everybody　left　him　alone。



Under　father's　directions　the　company　was　working　like　so　many

beavers。　　The　men　dug　a　big　rifle　pit　in　the　centre　of　the　corral；

forming　a　breastwork　out　of　the　displaced　sand。　　Into　this　pit　the

women　dragged　bedding；　food；　and　all　sorts　of　necessaries　from　the

wagons。　　All　the　children　helped。　　There　was　no　whimpering；　and

little　or　no　excitement。　　There　was　work　to　be　done；　and　all　of　us

were　folks　born　to　work。



The　big　rifle　pit　was　for　the　women　and　children。　　Under　the　wagons；

completely　around　the　circle；　a　shallow　trench　was　dug　and　an

earthwork　thrown　up。　　This　was　for　the　fighting　men。



Laban　returned　from　a　scout。　　He　reported　that　the　Indians　had

withdrawn　the　matter　of　half　a　mile；　and　were　holding　a　powwow。

Also　he　had　seen　them　carry　six　of　their　number　off　the　field；　three

of　which；　he　said；　were　deaders。



From　time　to　time；　during　the　morning　of　that　first　day；　we　observed

clouds　of　dust　that　advertised　the　movements　of　considerable　bodies

of　mounted　men。　　These　clouds　of　dust　came　toward　us；　hemming　us　in

on　all　sides。　　But　we　saw　no　living　creature。　　One　cloud　of　dirt

only　moved　away　from　us。　　It　was　a　large　cloud；　and　everybody　said

it　was　our　cattle　being　driven　off。　　And　our　forty　great　wagons　that

had　rolled　over　the　Rockies　and　half　across　the　continent　stood　in　a

helpless　circle。　　Without　cattle　they　could　roll　no　farther。



At　noon　Laban　came　in　from　another　scout。　　He　had　seen　fresh　Indians

arriving　from　the　south；　showing　that　we　were　being　closed　in。　　It

was　at　this　time　that　we　saw　a　dozen　white　men　ride　out　on　the　crest

of　a　low　hill　to　the　east　and　look　down　on　us。



〃That　settles　it；〃　Laban　said　to　father。　　〃The　Indians　have　been　put

up　to　it。〃



〃They're　white　like　us；〃　I　heard　Abby　Foxwell　complain　to　mother。

〃Why　don't　they　come　in　to　us？〃



〃They　ain't　whites；〃　I　piped　up；　with　a　wary　eye　for　the　swoop　of

mother's　hand。　　〃They're　Mormons。〃



That　night；　after　dark；　three　of　our　young　men　stole　out　of　camp。　　I

saw　them　go。　　They　were　Will　Aden；　Abel　Milliken；　and　Timothy　Grant。



〃They　are　heading　for　Cedar　City　to　get　help；〃　father　told　mother

while　he　was　snatching　a　hasty　bite　of　supper。



Mother　shook　her　head。



〃There's　plenty　of　Mormons　within　calling　distance　of　camp；〃　she

said。　　〃If　they　won't　help；　and　they　haven't　shown　any　signs；　then

the　Cedar　City　ones　won't　either。〃



〃But　there　are　good　Mormons　and　bad　Mormons〃　father　began。



〃We　haven't　found　any　good　ones　so　far；〃　she　shut　him　off。



Not　until　morning　did　I　hear　of　the　return　of　Abel　Milliken　and

Timothy　Grant；　but　I　was　not　long　in　learning。　　The　whole　camp　was

downcast　by　reason　of　their　report。　　The　three　had　gone　only　a　few

miles　when　they　were　challenged　by　white　men。　　As　soon　as　Will　Aden

spoke　up；　telling　that　they　were　from　the　Fancher　Company；　going　to

Cedar　City　for　help；　he　was　shot　down。　　Milliken　and　Grant　escaped

back　with　the　news；　and　the　news　settled　the　last　hope　in　the　hearts

of　our　company。　　The　whites　were　behind　the　Indians；　and　the　doom　so

long　apprehended　was　upon　us。



This　morning　of　the　second　day　our　men；　going　for　water；　were　fired

upon。　　The　spring　was　only　a　hundred　feet　outside　our　circle；　but

the　way　to　it　was　commanded　by　the　Indians　who　now　occupied　the　low

hill　to　the　east。　　It　was　close　range；　for　the　hill　could　not　have

been　more　than　fifteen　rods　away。　　But　the　Indians　were　not　good

shots；　evidently；　for　our　men　brought　in　the　water　without　being

hit。



Beyond　an　occasional　shot　into　camp　the　morning　passed　quietly。　　We

had　settled　down　in　the　rifle　pit；　and；　being　used　to　rough　living；

were　comfortable　enough。　　Of　course　it　was　bad　for　the　families　of

those　who　had　been　killed；　and　there　was　the　taking　care　of　the

wounded。　　I　was　for　ever　stealing　away　from　mother　in　my　insatiable

curiosity　to　see　everything　that　was　going　on；　and　I　managed　to　see

pretty　much　of　everything。　　Inside　the　corral；　to　the　south　of　the

big　rifle　pit；　the　men　dug　a　hole　and　buried　the　seven　men　and　two

women　all　together。　　Only　Mrs。　Hastings；　who　had　lost　her　husband

and　father；　made　much　trouble。　　She　cried　and　screamed　out；　and　it

took　the　other　women　a　long　time　to　quiet　her。



On　the　low　hill　to　the　east　the　Indians　kept　up　a　tremendous

powwowing　and　yelling。　　But　beyond　an　occasional　harmless　shot　they

did　nothing。



〃What's　the　matter　with　the　ornery　cusses？〃　Laban　impatiently　wanted

to　know。　　〃Can't　they　make　up　their　minds　what　they're　goin'　to　do；

an'　then　do　it？〃



It　was　hot　in　the　corral　that　afternoon。　　The　sun　blazed　down　out　of

a　cloudless　sky；　and　there　was　no　wind。　　The　men；　lying　with　their

rifles　in　the　trench　under　the　wagons；　were　partly　shaded；　but　the

big　rifle　pit；　in　which　were　over　a　hundred　women　and　children；　was

exposed　to　the　full　power　of　the　sun。　　Here；　too；　were　the　wounded

men；　over　whom　we　erected　awnings　of　blankets。　　It　was　crowded　and

stifling　in　the　pit；　and　I　was　for　ever　stealing　out　of　it　to　the

firing…line；　and　making　a　great　to…do　at　carrying　messages　for

father。



Our　grave　mistake　had　been　in　not　forming　the　wagon…circle　so　as　to

inclose　the　spring。　　This　had　been　due　to　the　excitement　of　the

first　attack；　when　we　did　not　know　how　quickly　it　might　be　followed

by　a　second　one。　　And　now　it　was　too　late。　　At　fifteen　rods'

distance　from　the　Indian　position　on　the　hill　we　did　not　dare

unchain　our　wagons。　　Inside　the　corral；　south　of　the　graves；　we

constructed　a　latrine；　and；　north　of　the　rifle　pit　in　the　centre；　a

couple　of　men　were　told　off　by　father　to　dig　a　well　for　water。



In　the　mid…afternoon　of　that　day；　which　was　the　second　day；　we　saw

Lee　again。　　He　was　on　foot；　crossing　diagonally　over　the　meadow　to

the　north…west　just　out　of　rifle…shot　from　us。　　Father　hoisted　one

of　mother's　sheets　on　a　couple　of　ox…goads　lashed　together。　　This

was　our　white　flag。　　But　Lee　took　no　notice　of　it；　continuing　on　his

way。



Laban　was　for　trying　a　long　shot　at　him；　but　father　stopped　him；

saying　that　it　was　evident　the　whites　had　not　made　up　their　minds

what　they　were　going　to　do　with　us；　and　that　a　shot　at　Lee　might

hurry　them　into　making　up　their　minds　the　wrong　way。



〃Here；　Jesse；〃　father　said　to　me；　tearing　a　strip　from　the　sheet　and

fastening　it　to　an　ox…goad。　　〃Take　this　and　go　out　and　try　to　talk

to　that　man。　　Don't　tell　him　anything　about　what's　happened　to　us。

Just　try　to　get　him　to　come　in　and　talk　with　us。〃



As　I　started　to　obey；　my　chest　swelling　with　pride　in　my　mission；

Jed　Dunham　cried　out　that　he　wanted　to　go　with　me。　　Jed　was　about　my

own　age。



〃Dunham；　can　your　boy　go　along　with　Jesse？〃　father　asked　Jed's

father。　　〃Two's　better　than　one。　　They'll　keep　each　other　out　of

mischief。〃



So　Jed　and　I；　two　youngsters　of　nine；　went　out　under　the　white　flag

to　talk　with　the　leader　of　our　enemies。　　But　Lee　would　not　talk。

When　he　saw　us　coming　he　started　to　sneak　away。　　We　never　got　within

calling　distance　of　him；　and　after　a　while　he　must　have　hidden　in

the　brush；　for　we　never　laid　eyes　on　him　again；　and　we　knew　he

couldn't　have　got　clear　away。



Jed　and　I　beat　up　the　brush　for　hundreds　of　yards　all　around。　　They

hadn't　told　us　how　long　we　were　to　be　gone；　and　since　the　Indians

did　not　fire　on　us　we　kept　on　going。　　We　were　away　over　two　hours；

though　had　either　of　us　been　alone　he　would　have　been　back　in　a

quarter　of　the　time。　　But　Jed　was　bound　to　outbrave　me；　and　I　was

equally　bound　to　outbrave　him。



Our　foolishness　was　not　without　profit。　　We　walked；　boldly　about

under　our　white　flag；　and　learned　how　thoroughly　our　camp　was

beleaguered。　　To　the　south　of　our　train；　not　more　than　half　a　mile

away；　we　made　out　a　large　Indian　camp。　　Beyond；　on　the　meadow；　we

could　see　Indian　boys　riding　hard　on　their　horses。



Then　there　was　the　Indian　position　on　the　hill　to　the　east。　　We

managed　to　climb　a　low　hill　so　as　to　look　into　this　position。　　Jed

and　I　spent　half　an　hour　trying　to　count　them；　and　concluded；　with

much　guessing；　that　there　must　be　at　least　a　couple　of　hundred。

Also；　we　saw　white　men　with　them　and　doing　a　great　deal　of　talking。



North…east　of　our　train；　not　more　than　four　hundred　y