Part 12 (1/2)
”I've been a woodsman all my life, I reckon,” answered the latter, ”and I don't need any instructions on that point.”
”I don't suppose you do, friend,” said Ichabod, ”and least of all from me. I can't say as _I_ have been a regular woodsman, although I've had a little experience in the way of savages. A man who has spent a few years fighting for his life, learns, after a while, to know when it's in danger; but can you guess what that black lump may be, out yonder--right ahead of your eyes?”
”Well, if I can see straight, it's a stump, and nothing more.”
”I ain't much acquainted in these parts, friend, and it may be you've got stumps here that wander round the lots at pleasure, but _I_ calculate that object ain't nothing but a venomous reptile,” said Ichabod, taking sight over his rifle upon the object which attracted his attention. ”Now, you see, if that's a stump, this bullet won't hurt it much; but if it's an Injin, he'll signify it some way.”
The rifle of Ichabod was discharged; and the Seneca--for an Indian it was--who, creeping to reach a cover under the walls--rose to his feet with a leap, and then staggered and fell.
Again was that wild yell renewed, but in a moment all was silent.
Guthrie ashamed, became angry, and turned with a fierce scowl on Ichabod.
”You havn't a very civil way to _strangers_, friend,” said he, ”and we may find time to settle this business. You may bully Injins, but you won't me.”
”I've just did my duty on that red varmint there,” answered Ichabod coolly; ”and all I've got to say, friend, is, that we've got enemies enough out-doors to attend to, without any civil war inside; but I ain't particular.”
”Ichabod! Guthrie!” exclaimed Barton, ”let there be no ill-blood between you now; the mistake of Guthrie might easily have been made by any one, however experienced.”
Guthrie turned again towards the loop-hole, muttering indistinctly. As for Ichabod, he quietly reloaded his rifle saying:
”That's right, Squire, I'm a man of peace, any way--except with them infarnal Senecas. If I have any particular gift of which I can boast, it is in another sort of speculation. Give it to 'em Eagle's-Wing!” said he, as at this moment, he saw the Tuscarora about discharging his rifle.
At the discharge, the whole ravine seemed to pour out a tempest of shrieks.
”That Injin,” said Eagle's-Wing, ”won't fight any more--great pity lose his scalp though.”
”Never mind the scalp, Eagle's-Wing,” replied Ichabod, ”if you fix the owner, so that he won't have any more use for it; that's my doctrine.”
”That bad doctrine for Injin--good doctrine for pale-face p'raps.”
Notwithstanding the utmost watchfulness, on the part of the besieged, no further demonstration was made by the Senecas, for nearly an hour; until, at length, they began to hope that the contest might already be terminated, and that the loss of three of their warriors, without having been able to inflict any injury upon the garrison, had discouraged the Indians. As time pa.s.sed by, no further attack being made, even Ichabod and the Tuscarora began to yield to the belief which Barton had expressed, but they did not for a moment relax their watchfulness.
Barton, Ralph and Ruth, had finally withdrawn from the loop-holes, while Guthrie lounged moodily about.
”I think,” said Barton, ”we shall have nothing more to apprehend to-night. The savages have doubtless repented of their temerity in attacking a place so well defended as this.”
”Heaven grant it may be so,” replied Ruth. ”We have had but little experience, thus far, in the terrors of Indian warfare but as it is, it is horrible.”
”I hope, with you, Miss Barton,” said Ralph, ”that the Indians have abandoned the attack; and yet I know so well their treacherous mode of warfare, that it would not be surprising to me, were the severest part of our labor yet to come. Ichabod seems, by his actions, to have the same opinion.”
”Yes, Captin,” answered Ichabod. ”I _do_ mistrust these infarnal villians; and I shall mistrust 'em till day-light, sartin. You'll find that they're plotting some deviltry which we shall know about before we are many hours older.”
”It is strange,” said Ruth, ”that these savages should so resist all attempts for their improvement; and that they should persist in their cruel mode of warfare, after having received so much instruction from Christian teachers.”
”I do not think it so very strange, perhaps,” answered Ralph. ”Their habits--their modes of life, are the result of ages of barbarity, and traditions communicated from father to son. No continuous effort has ever been made to Christianize them; and it would be a miracle, were we to find them now with Christian sentiments--adopting an entirely new mode of life.”
”That's my opinion, Captin,” said Ichabod. ”That speculation has been a failure, and it always will be a failure. You might as well talk of civilizing wolves. Why, there's the Oneida nation, who have pretty much all been to school, and sat under sermons month after month,--let them hear the war-hoop, and they're as crazy as devils, and don't think of anything but scalps. There's Eagle's-Wing, being just as good a gentleman, for an Injin, as ever wore moccasins--I'll warrant you some foolish missionary reckons _him_ for a convarted Injin; and yet,” said he, with a whisper, ”you'll find that infernal Seneca's scalp somewhere about him now. Don't talk to me of convarting Injins. I don't think they were ever intended to be convarted.”
”You remember the divine injunction to the apostles, Ichabod?” asked Ruth; ”that they were to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature?”
”Lord love you, girl!” answered Ichabod, ”you don't suppose that meant to come over to America among these tomahawking savages! You see, in the first place, it would have been something of a job for one of them apostles to have got here; and in the second place, he'd wished himself away again, in a hurry.”