by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE VISITOR AT THE ISLAND.
"Ho, wo, wo!" yelled the savages on the raft; and their tones soundedmuch like the barking of a large mastiff.
Ethan saw one of their number fall, and the commotion in the groupindicated that the savages had been thrown into confusion by Ethan'swell-directed shot. They ceased paddling, and appeared to be consultingin regard to their next movement.
"Lay right down flat on the ground, so thet they can't see you, Fanny,"said Ethan, as he hastily loaded the rifle, on which he principallydepended.
"Won't they go away now you have found out they are coming?" asked she,as she obeyed the requirement.
"I dunno; we shall see. I don't keer much whether they go or kim. Keepstill, and don't move. I reckon they can't see us, and don't know jestwhar to fire."
"They can see you, Ethan."
"No, they can't," replied the resolute boy, as he took careful aim asecond time with the rifle.
He fired, but apparently without any result, except another yell fromthe savages. Three of them could still be seen standing and kneeling onthe raft. As soon as the second shot had been fired, they reached theirconclusion, and commenced paddling with all their might towards theisland. Ethan now took the fowling-piece, which he had charged withduck-shot, and fired again. The Indians yelled as before, and one ofthem seemed to be wounded, for he ceased to paddle, and the third manimmediately took his place.
Both of Ethan's guns were now empty; but he had the revolver, which wasgood for six shots, though the fire could hardly be effective at thepresent distance of the raft from the island. Keeping this weapon inreserve, he loaded the two guns again. It was very strange that theIndians did not fire at him, and he could not tell whether it wasbecause they had no guns, or because they were afraid of killingWahena. The party had probably been sent by Lean Bear to recover hisson, and the success of the expedition was to depend upon finding theexiles asleep. The good judgment of Ethan had therefore saved them fromthe calamity of a surprise.
When Ethan had completed the loading of the guns, the raft was withinfour or five rods of the shore of the island, and the Indians werepaddling vigorously, though the unwieldy craft they navigated movedvery slowly through the water.
"Don't you stop here no longer, Fanny; 'taint no place for you, nohow.Jest crawl up to the tree, and keep behind it. Keep both eyes wide opentight, but don't let the redskins see you."
"But what will become of you?" asked Fanny, unwilling to leave her bolddefender even for a moment.
"Never you mind me; go right off quick. Crawl up to the tree, and I'llsoon fix 'em."
"Ho, wo, wo!" yelled the Indians, apparently satisfied that their workwas accomplished, for the raft was within two rods of the shore.
Then one of them dropped his paddle, and, with an unearthly scream,leaped into the water, which was now so shallow that he could wadeashore. Ethan took good aim at this one, and fired. Though not killed,the sharp cry the savage uttered convinced Ethan that he was wounded.Without waiting to learn the effect of his shot on the rest of theparty, he fired again at the same man, who was only partially disabled.The savage in the water, who had been the most dangerous assailant,uttered another yell of pain, and his companions seemed to be paralyzedby the continuation of the fire upon them. Probably they supposed theboy had but one gun, and, when he fired it, that he would not have timeto load again before they could reach him. Ethan then discharged oneball from the revolver, which added still more to their confusion, forthey were jabbering like wild turkeys.
"Go 'way!" shouted Ethan. "Go 'way, or I'll kill Wahena."
"No kill," replied one of the Indians, whose voice sounded like that ofthe messenger Ethan had met in the morning.
"Go 'way then!"
"Me go."
"Go then--consarn ye!" muttered Ethan, as, taking advantage of theconfusion in the ranks of the enemy, he loaded the two guns again.
The two Indians on the raft helped the wounded one in the water tomount the platform again. Two of the three were evidently wounded, andit was not an easy thing for them to paddle the clumsy craft away fromthe island. One of the savages worked at the paddle for a while; but itwas not till the more able of the other two assisted him that anysensible progress was made.
"Creation hokee!" exclaimed Ethan, when he was fully conscious that hehad won the victory. "I've done 'em, Fanny!"
"Have they gone?" she asked, when she had joined him.
"They are go'n as fast as they kin; but I reckon they won't git back tothe settlement till some time into mornin'. We're all right now, Fanny,and you kin go to sleep as soon as you've a mind to."
She was too excited to think of sleeping, and she sat with Ethan on theshore for an hour, talking about their deliverance from the peril thathad menaced them. Fanny was devoutly grateful to God, who had againpreserved them; and when she had uttered the prayer her heart would notpermit her to keep back, she felt more composed, and retired to thecabin, where she soon dropped asleep from sheer exhaustion.
This was the only attempt made by the savages to capture the exiles onthe island. The next day, they continued to work upon the house,interrupted only by a heavy shower in the forenoon; but the boat roofafforded them a perfect shelter from the pouring rain. It was threedays before the house was finished; but when it was completed, thewanderers were as proud of it as though it had been a Fifth Avenuemansion. At night they took turns in keeping the watch; and when thehouse was done, both of the exiles were nearly worn out by the hardwork they had done, and the loss of sleep to which they had beensubjected. They decided that it would be best to rest a few days beforethey commenced upon certain additions which they contemplated.
The stock of provisions was already much reduced, and the question ofsupplies for the future demanded attention. There were plenty of fishin the lake, but none could be caught in the shallow water whichbordered the island. It was necessary to go out a short distance, andEthan found a couple of logs among some drift wood, gathered on thebeach, with which he constructed a raft, just large enough toaccommodate himself.
To prevent accidents, he tied together all the lines which had beenused about the sail, and pushed off the length of his rope. There werefish-lines in the boat, and bait was obtained on the island. In an hourEthan returned to the shore with a large muskellunge and half a dozenlarge lake trout. The problem of supplies, therefore, seemed to besolved, especially as there were abundant opportunities to shoot thewild duck, plover, and grouse, that visited the little domain of theexiles.
However pleasant it would be to follow out in detail the daily life ofthe residents of the isle, our space prevents us from doing so. Afortnight of severe labor and constant watchfulness was passed by theexiles, when a great event occurred to them. Ethan had one day mooredout his raft the length of the line from the shore, on the side of theisland where they had first disembarked, when his attention wasattracted by an object on the water, in the direction of thesettlement. He watched it with interest and anxiety, and soonascertained that it was a raft, on which stood a single person, who waspaddling towards the island.
Ethan immediately pulled in his raft, and went for his fire-arms, whichhe carefully loaded, in readiness for a hostile visit from a foe. Thestranger approached very slowly, and the exiles were at last satisfiedthat he was not an Indian. As he drew nearer to the island, he waved awhite rag, which was intended and understood as a sign of peace.
"Who can it be?" asked Fanny, greatly excited by the incident.
"I dunno; can't tell yet," replied Ethan.
"Do you think it is an enemy?"
"I don't reckon it is."
Both of them continued to watch the approaching visitor, until he hadcome within twenty rods of the shore. He did not look like any humanbeing that Fanny had ever seen before. His clothes were tattered, andof all colors. Great patches of tent canvas were sewed over a tunicmade of red and yellow blankets. He wore Indian leggins, and his headwas covered with a coon-skin cap. His
hair and beard, of grizzly gray,were tangled and matted in knots and snarls. Crossed on his breast werethe straps by which were supported his powder-horn and shot-flask.
"What a strange-looking man!" exclaimed Fanny, when the raft had comenear enough to enable her to make out the uncouth object upon it.
"I know him now," replied Ethan, "though I hevn't seen him afore formore 'n a year."
"Who is he?"
"Thet's Rattleshag."
"Who?"
"Rattleshag--leastwise that's the only name anybody knows him by. He'sa hunter 'n trapper that goes roamin' round over the peraries."
"Where does he live?"
"He don't live nowhar; he goes travellin' round, livin' on the whitefolks and Injins. They say he is the best shot west of the Miss'sip."
"He won't shoot us--will he?"
"No; he won't hurt nothin'."
The raft came up to the shore, and the trapper landed.
"How d'ye do, Rattleshag?" said Ethan.
The strange visitor made no reply, but walked deliberately up to theyoung exiles, gave his hand first to Ethan, then to Fanny.
"Toler'ble, considering," said he, at last.
"Whar did you kim from?"
"Over thar," he answered, pointing to the settlement, and shaking hishead.
"Anybody thar?" asked Ethan, anxiously.
"Injins."
"No white folks?"
"All gone: some on 'em's killed, and some on 'em's kerried off. Awfultimes, everywhar," added the trapper, shaking his head mournfully."Whar's the Injin boy?"
"Up thyer," answered Ethan, pointing to the cabin where Wahena had beensecured as soon as the raft was discovered, for another attack from theIndians had been anticipated. "You may let him loose again, Fanny."
She was always glad to perform this office for her captive friend, andshe soon returned to the shore with Wahena.
"He's all safe--ain't he?" asked Rattleshag.
"Yes; we hain't hurt him; and he's as fond of Fanny as a pet puppydog."
"Glad on't. I was tooken by the Injins over thar, and got nigh bein'skelped. Lean B'ar let me go to kim over here arter the boy," added thetrapper.
"We can't let him go," said Ethan.
"I reckon you mought."
Ethan explained in what manner the presence of Wahena had saved themfrom the Indians.
"We can't spare him till we get out of the woods ourselves," addedEthan.
"Then I must go back and be skelped," replied Rattleshag, solemnly. "Ipromised Lean B'ar thet I'd git the boy, or else I'd kim back myself;and old Rattleshag never broke his word to Injin or white man."
"Thet's so," said Ethan, who knew the reputation of the trapper forsimple honesty and fidelity.
"Hev you got a boat?" asked Rattleshag.
"Yes."
"Then I reckon we kin go down to Mankato. The sogers is drivin' theInjins back. Thyer's ben awful times all through the country; more 'n athousand men, women, and children hes ben killed. I've trevelled allthrough from Big Stone, dodgin' the Injins all the way. They are assavage as painters. I kim down hyer to git away from 'em, but I foundthey'd ben hyer too," added the trapper, with another melancholy shakeof the head. "It's awful."
Rattleshag over-estimated the number of victims to this terriblemassacre, though it has been stated as high as seven hundred. Herelated to the young exiles his adventures in his long journey throughthe devoted region which had been the scene of so much cruelty andbloodshed. He told of the men, women, and children he had seen lyingdead and mangled in the deserted settlements; of the wounded, starving,and dying fugitives he had met in their flight; and of the desolationwhich lay in the track of the merciless savages.
The listeners were appalled and horrified at the sad and bloody tale.Fanny wept, and Ethan with difficulty choked down the emotions whichagitated him.
"What shall be did?" asked the trapper, at last. "Kin you let the boygo, or shall I go back and be skelped?"
"You certainly shall not go back!" exclaimed Fanny.
An earnest consultation followed, and a plan was soon agreed upon bywhich Rattleshag could be saved.