CHAPTER VI.
RECONNOITERING THE ISLAND—A STARTLING OCCURRENCE.
As the moon rose above the forest, and shone down upon the river, the whites began to gather some idea of their situation. They found that the island upon which they had been stranded was about in the centre of the stream, and that, as a consequence, it would require considerable wading to reach the mainland on either side.
The wooded bank of the Kentucky shore being thrown into deep shadow by overhanging branches, it was impossible for them to discern whether any canoes were lying under it or not. The hearts of all beat painfully as they looked upon the flat-boat, now of no further earthly use to them, standing out like a beacon to inform all where the whites had taken refuge. It seemed to them impossible that the Shawanoes could fail to see it.
The island was found to be more considerable in extent than had been first supposed. It was over an eighth of a mile from one extremity to another, thickly wooded, and covered with rank grass and a dense undergrowth. It was oval-shaped, and remarkably regular in its contour, being somewhat over two hundred feet broad in its widest portion.
"What a splendid summer sate this would make fur a gintleman like meself," said Pat, as the two stood under the shadow of a tree, on the lowermost portion of the island.
"It really would," replied Hezekiah. "Now I shouldn't wonder if it should be used for that very purpose in a few years."
The speaker was right in his prophecy. These very lines are being written upon that very island—one of the most beautiful of all the isles of the beautiful river.
"Be the same token, it's the summer sate of a party of travelers at this minute, and it's likely that we'll make quite a stay upon it."
"I hope there ain't any Indians watching us," said Hezekiah, as he shiveringly looked toward the shore of the dark and bloody ground.
"So does Pat Mulroony, but"——
"Jerusalem! jest look there!" exclaimed Hezekiah, springing clean off his feet.
"Whisht! where? I see nothing."
"Here! here! this way!" whispered Hezekiah, pulling his shoulder around. "It ain't there—it's on the island, right above us! Look—don't you see it?"
"I see the traas, and the darkness, and that's all."
"It was gone the minute you looked. There it is again! There, it's gone! What makes it act that way?"
"What is it, man, you're making such a hullabaloo about?"
"Why, sir," said Smith, solemnly, "as sure as you and I are living, I seen a light moving around on the island!"
"It's Pat Mulroony that"——
Smith suddenly caught the Irishman's shoulder as with a grip of iron, and without whispering a word pointed meaningly toward the trees where he had first seen the alarming manifestation. There was no mistaking this time. Pat Mulroony saw a bright light shining steadily through the trees, so brightly and steadily that he knew it could not be many rods from them. Withdrawing more closely under the dark shadow of their own tree, Pat whispered:
"We must craap up and see what the haythens are doing."
"I say, Pat, I say—that is—you've no objection to go alone, have you?"
"Why can't yees go with me?"
"I can, of course I can, but then what's the use? I'll stay here, and keep watch."
"And what's the naad of your kaaping watch at this poortion?"
"You know some of the Indians might slip onto the island while we are gone, or," added Hezekiah, catching at the thought, "these same Indians might try to slip off. Jerusalem! that wouldn't do, you know."
"Doesn't yees wish to go with me?" persisted Pat.
"I would prefer remaining here, my dear Patrick."
"Well, then, kaap quiet and sthill like, and I'll soon be back wid yees. Don't stir if you hear a noise."
"I say, Patrick"——
But the Irishman was gone.
"I hope he doesn't think I'm afraid," soliloquized Hezekiah when he found he was alone. "I think I have proved by this time that I am not. If I was scairt any I would never have come out into this outlandish country. I don't know about that though," he added, after a moment's thought; "I did hate to come into this wilderness most terribly, but I had to do it, and I might as well own up, when there's no one to hear me, that I was most thunderingly scairt, and am this minute. What do I want to go crawling around this cussed island for? I wish I had never seen it. I've a great notion to wade over to the Kentucky shore, and go home."
We must do Smith the credit, however, of stating that he did not even attempt to act upon this thought. When a moment's reflection showed him how contemptible and cowardly such a course would be, he felt like butting his head against a tree, that he should have allowed himself to entertain such an idea for a moment.
"I hope the Irishman knows enough to keep his eyes about him," he continued. "That young Waring was right in saying the crisis of the danger would be reached to-night. We're in the crisis now, and a derned ticklish affair it is, too."
Hezekiah was standing in the attitude of acute attention, every faculty absorbed in the one of listening, when his whole being was thrilled by the explosion of two rifles, followed by a series of horrid yells that made his blood curdle. It needed no thought to tell him that these came from the throats of the Shawanoes, and that the most that he had feared had taken place.
His first impression was that Pat Mulroony had been discovered, and fired upon, and that his own safety was in imminent danger; but, when he came to reflect more quietly, he knew by the distance of the sounds, that they came from the upper portion of the island, and that it was the friends who had been left behind that were attacked. Believing, then, that Pat was safe for the present, he decided to remain in his present position until he was rejoined by him.
Hezekiah had hardly come to this conclusion when a slight grating noise upon the shingle of the beach caught his ear, and turning his head he saw that a canoe had just landed within twenty feet of him, and, at that very moment, two painted Indians were in the act of stepping ashore. With his heart in his throat, he shivered around to the opposite side of the tree, and tremblingly watched the actions of these savages.
They were very deliberate in their movements, seeming to take notice of the tumult which, a moment before, had broken the profound stillness of stream and wood.
First pulling the canoe high upon the land, each took a rifle from it, and then strode directly toward the tree which concealed the frightened man. As they passed so near, that he could have touched him with his own rifle, he absolutely believed they would hear his heart beat. But such a thing has never taken place, no matter how wildly that organ has throbbed, and then the Indians, who would have detected the faintest sound, passed on, and disappeared in the wood of the island, without once suspecting how nigh they had been to one of the very beings for whom they were searching.
They had hardly gone, when Pat Mulroony stole cautiously forth into view, and looking carefully about him to satisfy himself that he had not lost his reckoning, ran on tiptoe to where Hezekiah stood.
"What did you see?" breathlessly inquired the latter.
"May our howly mother presarve us, but the island is full of the haythen!"
"What was that light we seen?"
"It was the camp-fire of a whole pack of the divils! But we're in a bad fix."
"Didn't you hear them rifles? They're in a worse fix," said Hezekiah, in an undertone. "What's to be done?"
"That's what puzzles me. We must get back if we can, and see what the outlandish divils have been at."
The two started toward the upper end of the island, the Irishman not disdaining to use the utmost caution. Every dozen yards or so, he paused and listened for the slightest warning of danger; and, as for Hezekiah, he expected each moment to see a whole horde of screeching Shawanoes rush out from the trees and annihilate them.
Some two-thirds of the distance was thus accomplished without any further evidence of the presence of their foes, when the Irishman, who was only a few feet in advance, again halted with a whispered exclamation.
Following the direction of his finger, Hezekiah saw several dark objects moving away from the island, which he made out to be canoes.
Fearful of being seen, the two whites withdrew further from the shore.
They had gone but a few feet, when they found themselves in a sort of natural clearing, some twenty yards in diameter, seemingly made by some terrific whirlwind. And here, in the centre of this clearing they saw a sight that made their blood run cold with horror!
The moon by this time was high in the heavens, and the centre of the clearing was lit up as if at noon day; and directly under the full tide of light, was stretched the lifeless form of Mr. Lander. He lay on his back, all his limbs outstretched, with his skull cloven by a tomahawk! He seemed to have made no resistance when the awful blow was given, but had fallen back, and instantly expired. His features were so disfigured that, had it not been for his clothes, our friends could not have recognized him. Spell-bound, and horror-struck, they gazed at the heart-sickening sight for a long time!