Wild Western Scenes Part 18

"Had you witnessed the barbarous deeds that _I_ have seen _them_ perform--had you beheld the innocent babe ruthlessly butchered--your children--your friends maimed, tomahawked, scalped, _burned_ before your eyes--could you know the h.e.l.lish horrors they are _now_ meditating--you would not entertain much pity for them," said Boone, in a low tone, evidently moved by terrible memories, the precise nature of which the one addressed could not understand. But Glenn's scruples vanished, and as a matter of necessity he determined to submit without reserve to the guidance of his experienced friend.

"I should like to know how them yaller rascals got up here so close without being eyed sooner," said Sneak to Joe.

"That's what's been puzzling me, ever since I first saw them," said Joe, in scarce audible tones.

"Split me if you havn't been asleep," said Sneak.

"No indeed I havn't," said Joe. "I'll declare," he continued, looking out, "I never should have thought of _that_. I see now, well enough, how they got there without my seeing them. They've got a great big ball of snow, half as high as a man's head, and they've been rolling it all the time, and creeping along behind it. They're all standing before it now, and just as I looked one moved his leg, and then I saw what it was. This beats the old boy himself. It's a mercy they didn't come all the way and shoot me in the eye!"

"Hus.h.!.+" said Boone. "They must have heard something, or supposed they did, or else your neglect would have been fatal to you ere this. They are now waiting to ascertain whether they were mistaken or not. Move not, and speak no more, until I order you."

"I won't," said Joe, still gazing at the erect dark forms.

"See how many there is--can't you count 'em?" said Sneak, in a whisper, leaning against Joe, and slyly taking a cartridge from his belt, slipped it in the muzzle of the musket which was standing against the palisade.

"What're you doing with my gun?" asked Joe, in a very low tone, as he happened to turn his head and see Sneak take his hand away from the muzzle of the musket.

"Nothing--I was only feeling the size of the bore. It's big enough to kick down a cow."

"What are you t.i.ttering about? you think it's a going to kick me again, but you're mistaken--it ain't got two loads in this time."

"Didn't Mr. Boone jest tell you to keep quiet?" said Sneak.

"Don't you speak--then I won't," responded Joe.

The moon had not yet reached the meridian, and the dark shadow of the house reaching to the palisade on the west, prevented the Indians from observing the movements of the whites through the many slight apertures in the inclosure, but through which the besieged party could easily observe them.

After a long pause, during which neither party had uttered a word or betrayed animation by the least movement, Glenn felt the weight of a hand laid gently on his shoulder, and turning beheld Mary at his side.

Without a motion of the lips, she placed in his hand some bullets she had moulded, and then pa.s.sing on to the other men, gave each a like quant.i.ty.

"Retire, now, my la.s.s," said Boone; and when she returned to the house, he continued, addressing Glenn--"If they do not move one way or the other very soon, we will give them a broadside where they are."

"And we could do execution at this distance," observed Glenn.

"I'd be dead sure to kill one, I know I would," said Sneak.

"Let me see if I could take aim," said Joe, deliberately pointing his musket through the loophole. The musket had inadvertently been c.o.c.ked, and left in that condition, and no sooner did Joe's finger gently press upon the trigger, than it went off, making an astounding report, and veiling the whole party in an immense cloud of smoke.

"Who did that?" cried Boone, stamping with vexation.

"Was that you, Joe?" demanded Glenn.

Joe made no answer.

"Oh, dod! my mouth's smashed all to pieces!" said Sneak, crawling up from a prostrate position, caused by the rebound of the musket, for he was looking over Joe's shoulder when the gun went off.

"Where's Joe?" inquired Glenn, pus.h.i.+ng Sneak aside.

"He's dead, I guess--I believe the gun's busted," said Sneak.

"Now, sir! why did you fire?" cried Glenn, somewhat pa.s.sionately, stumbling against Joe, and seizing him by the collar. No answer was made, for poor Joe's neck was limber enough, and he quite insensible.

"He's dead in yearnest, jest as I told you," said Sneak; "for that gun kicked him on the shoulder hard enough to kill a cow--and the hind side of his head struck my tooth hard enough to've kilt a horse. He's broke one of my upper fore-teeth smack in two."

"Every man to his post!" exclaimed Boone, as a shower of arrows rattled about the premises.

Sneak now occupied Joe's station, and the first glance in the direction of the savages sufficed to determine him how to act. Perhaps no one ever discharged a rifle more rapidly than he did. And a brisk and well-directed fire was kept up for some length of time, likewise, by the rest of the besieged.

It was, perhaps, a fortunate thing that Joe _did_ fire without orders, and without any intention of doing so himself. It seemed that the savages had been meditating a desperate rush upon the fort, notwithstanding Boone's prediction; for no sooner did Joe fire, than they hastily retreated a short distance, scattering in every direction, and, without a moment's consultation, again appeared, advancing rapidly from every quarter. It was evident that this plan had been preconcerted among them; and had all fired, instead of Joe only, they might easily have scaled the palisade before the guns could have been reloaded. Neither had the besiegers been aware of the strength of the garrison. But they were soon made to understand that they had more than Glenn and his man to contend against. The discharges followed in such quick succession that they paused, when but a moment more would have placed them within the inclosure. But several of them being wounded, and Boone and Glenn still doing execution with their pistols, the discomfited enemy made a precipitate retreat. An occasional flight of arrows continued to a.s.sail the besieged, but they came from a great distance, for the Indians were not long in scampering beyond the range of the loopholes.

When Glenn could no longer see any of the dark forms of the enemy, he turned round to contemplate the sad condition of Joe. Joe was sitting up, with his hands locked round his knees.

"Well, split me in two!" cried Sneak, staring at his companion.

"What's the matter, Sneak?" asked Joe, with much simplicity.

"That's a purty question for _you_ to ask, after there for dead this half-hour almost"

"Have the Indians been here?" asked Joe, staring round wildly.

"Hain't you heard us shooting?"

"My goodness," cried Joe, springing up. "Oh! am I wounded? say!" he continued, evincing the most lively alarm.

"Well, if this don't beat every thing that ever I saw in all my life, I wish I may be shot!" said Sneak.

"What is it?" asked Joe, his senses yet wandering.

"Jest feel the back of your head," said Sneak. Joe put his hand to the place indicated, and winced under the pain of the touch. He then looked at his hand, and beholding a quant.i.ty of clotted blood upon it, fell down suddenly on the snow.

"What's the matter now?" asked Glenn, who had seen his man sitting up, and came swiftly to him when he fell.

"I'm a dead man!" said Joe, mournfully.

"That's a lie!" said Sneak.

"What ails you, Joe?" asked Glenn, his tone much softened.

"I'm dying--oh! I'm shot through the head!"

"Don't believe him, Mr. Glenn--I'll be smashed if its any thing but my tooth," said Sneak.

"Oh--I'm dying!" continued Joe, pressing his hand against his head, while the pain and loss of blood actually produced a faintness, and his voice became very weak.

"Are you really much hurt?" continued Glenn, stooping down, and feeling his pulse.

"It's all over!" muttered Joe. "I'm going fast. Sancte Petre!--Pater noster, qui es in coelis, sanctificeter nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tu--"

Here Joe's voice failed, and, falling into a syncope, Glenn and Sneak lifted him up and carried him into the house.