CHAPTER XII.
THE LAST TRIAL.
AT the sight, nearly all the cowardly followers of the Wyandot took flight and buried themselves in the woods, or burrowed like conies among the rocks. Willimack was evidently frightened beyond measure at the appearance of the being he so dreaded, but was too proud to seek safety in flight.
There stood the Skeleton Scout, the grinning death's-head revealed, the fire flashing from his lurid orbs, and that long finger pointing downward.
"Dog!" cried the spectral being in a hollow voice. "How much blood must you shed before you will be satisfied? How long must the spirits of the rocks and the trees carry your evil deeds to the Great Spirit before he sends the Great White Bear to carry you way to the abode of the lost?"
This was spoken in the Indian tongue, and seemed to have a terrible effect upon the savage, for he bowed his head in terror, with his arms folded upon his breast.
"Nabockalish is a strong spirit," he said. "The Wyandot nor the Shawnee is not strong enough to stand before him. Why does he hate the poor Indian?"
"Because the Indian is a fool!" replied the Skeleton Scout, fiercely. "Listen to the words of Nabockalish. I see a great cloud in the sky. The Indians have roused the anger of the Great Spirit, and an evil day is come upon them. There will be war along the Wabash, and many will fall in battle. The Shawnee will be driven out and no longer possess the land of his fathers. Perhaps the Wyandot will go with him? There is a cloud before my eyes and I can not see it plainly. Turn back, then, Willimack, and flee the wrath of the Great Spirit."
"Why should Willimack turn back?" replied the Indian, fiercely. "A lying spirit talks through Nabockalish—a spirit which has no love for the Indian. Let the lying spirit depart, for Willimack will not listen to his words. He will fight under the banner of the Prophet until the white man shall cease from the land."
"Then, listen," shrieked the specter. "The spirit of the rocks and trees have heard your words and will carry them to the Great Spirit. Behold!"
As he spoke there was a strange, hissing sound, and a brilliant flame leaped up, lighting the surrounding darkness. The flame ran in erratic circles like a fiery serpent and vanished into thin air, and when they looked again, the Skeleton Scout was gone, while the air was heavy with a sulphurous smell. The sight was too much for the savages, and they broke and ran in every direction, stumbling over the rocks, the redoubtable Willimack leading them in their flight. Bursts of horrible laughter followed them as they fled.
"Astonishing," muttered Will. "This passes my comprehension. Is my friend, the Skeleton Scout, an inhabitant of the lower world, after all? I am ashamed to say that he has very nearly succeeded in frightening me."
Terrible screams sounded through the forest and accelerated the flight of the savages. A dead silence succeeded, and then the stone was violently pushed aside.
"Now," cried Madge, "keep your word, if you love me, Will."
"Hold on," cried a voice they well knew, "none of that, Floyd; come eout. By gravy, that Skileton Scout is a gentleman of great penetration, and I'd give forty dollars fur the privilege of shaking hands with the darned fool. He's a little brimstony in his karacter, but darn it all, what's that, once yew git used tew it? He routed the Injins, hoss, foot and dragoons. Lord bless my heart alive, heow they did let eout. I thought Willimack would break his neck, sartin."
"Where have you been?" said Will, helping Madge out of their hiding-place.
"Oh, we shinned up the rocks thar. We couldn't lug the gal up or I'd 'a' done it afore. 'Twouldn't dew tew desart her, yew know. Now, chief, what are they dewing abeout these days?"
"Running," replied the Dead Chief, sententiously. "Very much scared."
"Yew look a little shaky yureself, old man!" said Seth, with a laugh, "and, by gosh, it set me back a leetle trifle, when that fiery sarpint went flashing deown the rocks. The outlandish critter desarves a pension for helping us eout of this scrape. Here; gimme the gal. Show a light, chief. The red devils will think it's the Living Skellington coming arter 'em ag'in, and run the faster. Haw! haw! haw! It tickles me most tew death tew see how the critters run."
The Dead Chief caught up a half extinguished torch which one of the Wyandots had dropped, and led the way out of the narrow pass. Once safe at the bottom, he extinguished the torch and led them in the darkness. The Yankee came next, carrying the girl in his arms, while Will Floyd, with leveled rifle, brought up the rear. In this way they passed on for over a mile, when they struck a well-beaten path, and pursued it for two hours in silence. Then the Yankee called a halt.
"I guess we may as well halt, boys. More as like ez not we'll foul a snag ef we keep on in the dark. The woods are chock full of Injins, and when Willimack gets over his little scare he'll come a-raving, and charging arter us, that I know. Sit down on this log, little 'un. Yew don't weigh so much on the start, but, Lord love yure little heart ef yew don't grow mitey heavy arter a while! I'm glad we got eout of that trap. How dew yew feel, little gal? Considerable kind o' tired, eh?"
"Very tired, and I am sorry to say, a little sleepy," replied Madge.
"That's all rite," said long Seth. "Nat'ral ez life. Waal, thar ain't anything ag'in' a snooze, ez I knows on. We won't go any furder till morning. Scrape up them leaves and make a bed fur the gal. Capting, yew won't mind lending her yure coat, I guess?"
He stooped and spread out the leaves, and Madge lay down beside the log and her lover spread his coat over her, and sat down to watch while the Yankee took his station, rifle in hand, to wait for any emergency which might arise, while the Indian rolled himself against the log and fell asleep, but with his weapons ready to start up, at a moment's warning. Madge was awakened at early morning and found her friends ready for a start.
"Rouse up, little 'un," said the Yankee. "We ain't got any time tew waste. I ain't got anything fur yew tew eat 'cept this cracked corn. The Dead Chief took it from an Injin last night that didn't want it no more. You kan eat it as yew march."
She followed them cheerfully, eating the corn he had given her, and laughing lightly. In the midst of great danger she maintained a cheerful confidence which was inspiriting to the men who had come to save her. This happy confidence in them made their task lighter. Yankee Seth would have carried her again, but she refused utterly, saying that her night's rest had left her strong and able to bear any ordinary fatigue. They marched slowly, for the signs were ominous, and once or twice the scout stopped and listened carefully to see if the sounds about him were suspicious. She could see that he feared danger, yet maintained an unswerving fortitude.
"Brave gal," muttered the Yankee. "Make a good sojer's wife, she will!"
They stopped at noon beside a little brook, which the young man remembered to have crossed the day before, and again took food. But, the Yankee scout kept glancing from side to side and often started up and looked about him. Near by was a giant sycamore, with a hollow near the root, large enough for a person to enter.
"See here, Miss Madge," said Seth. "We've got tew scout a little. I don't see no other way, so yew jest git intew that holler tree and wait fur us. We won't leave yew long. Yew'll find a step cut in the side, wide enough fur yew tew stand on. Yew'd better git up on that, fur mebbe an Injin might take it intew his darned old head tew look in thar. Now, boys, come with me."
The hollow was very dark, but Madge grasped the stiletto which her lover had given her, and did not fear. An hour passed, and they did not return. At the end of that time a head was thrust into the cavity.
"Bright Eyes," said a voice which sounded strangely hollow in the cavity. "Come down; the Yellow Hair has sent for you."
"Who is that?" said Madge.
"Dead Chief," was the reply.
She descended hurriedly, and stooped to emerge from the opening. As she did so, she was roughly seized upon and a hand pressed so tightly upon her mouth and nostrils that she found it impossible to cry out. A scarf was torn from her neck and speedily transformed into a gag, which was thrust rudely into her mouth, and when she looked up she saw the leering face of Willimack close to her own.
"Aha!" he hissed. "Where is the Skeleton Scout? Where is Nabockalish now to save you? The spirit of the rocks and trees are things at which a great chief laughs!"
Taking her in his arms he dashed into the forest which bordered the path, and she found herself in the midst of the remnant of the band of Willimack, and in their midst, tightly bound and bleeding from a cut in the forehead, was her lover. He uttered a cry of horror as he saw her brought in.
"You too, Madge! Then the cup of my misery is full indeed."
She tried to speak, but the gag forbade it, but he understood her.
"Yankee Seth is dead. I saw him fall into a deep gully, shot by the hand of this traitorous savage. The brave fellow fought gallantly, but fell overpowered by numbers."
The Wyandot laughed in a sardonic manner, evidently triumphing in the misery of which he was the cause. He approached and took the gag from the mouth of Madge.
"Talk to him, talk," he shrieked. "Let him tell you how Willimack, the Wyandot, avenges himself upon those who have done him great wrong. The Long Man is dead, though warriors have not yet found his body. The Dead Chief is flying though the forest with four fleet runners upon his track, and you two are here, to try what it is to dare the vengeance of a great chief."
"Listen to me, Wyandot," cried Will, angrily. "I am in your hands, and you have it in your power to use me as you will. But, so surely as you do a wrong to this sweet girl, I will find a way to haunt you from my grave."
"You shall never know a grave," screamed the chief, shaking his clenched hand in his face. "Your ashes shall be scattered to the four winds of heaven. Even your bones shall be consumed and the winds shall carry them away. She shall look on and see. Aha! Her face grows paler! She is like the white lily that lies upon the summer water when the sun is high."
"Chief," she said, "here I am and in your power. Let me see if you care for me as you say. Let Floyd go free."
"And if I do, will you go into my wigwam?"
"I am in your power, as you know."
"Do not promise," cried Floyd. "Do you think I would purchase my life on such terms as these?"
"Ha! ha! ha! Is a Wyandot a fool to let you go free? No; she shall see you die, and then she shall enter my wigwam all the same. A great chief never lies. You shall die upon the spot where you came and stole the Bright Eyes away, when the accursed fire-water of the white man had robbed me of my strength. Come!"
He made a signal, and several Indian ponies were led from the surrounding thickets. Madge was forced to mount one of these and Will another. The latter had his feet tied beneath the horse, and in this condition was led away, surrounded by about twenty of the wild band. It was growing dark when they reached the scene of the first escape of Madge; there the party dismounted and tethered their horses. This done, they tied the young soldier to a tree, and heaped light wood about him, while Madge threw herself at the feet of the stern chief and begged for her lover's life. He only showed by a scornful smile that he saw and heard her, but stood gazing at the prisoner, the second time he had seen him at the stake.
"You escaped from the Prophet; from me you can not escape," he hissed. "Away, squaw! How dare you come between a great chief and his vengeance?"
"As you hope for mercy, chief; as you expect ever to know a quiet home, do not torture him," cried Madge. "I ask it on my knees."
"Away!" cried the chief. "Light the pile!"
As a hand was outstretched to do his bidding, there was a rush of many feet, and the glade was filled with mounted Indians of the Shawnee nation! Willimack understood at a glance that they had come to rob him of his prey, and, with a yell of baffled rage, darted at Madge with uplifted hatchet. But, there started up before him the giant figure of Yankee Seth, who dealt him a tremendous blow with his fist which felled him to the ground. Madge started up with a glad cry and threw herself into his arms.
"Thank God you have saved us, gallant man! A life would not repay the debt I owe you now."
"Oh, git eout," replied the excited scout. "I don't ask it, dew I?"
There was a suspicious moisture in his eyes, however, and he brushed the sleeve of his hunting-shirt across them in a hurried manner, and putting her gently aside, ran to cut Will Floyd loose.
"Who are these?" said Will, after pressing the hand of the Yankee warmly in his own. "They are Indians. I am afraid it is out of the frying-pan into the fire."
"Not a bit of it!" replied the Yankee. "Tecumseh is here."
"Tecumseh!"
"Yes," replied the full rich voice of that noble chief, advancing. "The white man has been wronged by those who claim to be friends of Tecumseh, and who but he should set it right? Willimack has a bad heart. He has done more evil than he knows to the Shawnees. Bright Eyes, let the chief tell how glad he is to see you safe."
Madge came forward and gave him her hand thankfully.
"You came in time, chief. How did it happen?"
"Yankee Seth is a great brave. He fell into a hole which was very deep, but the Great Spirit was watching over the safety of Bright Eyes, and saved his life. Tecumseh was already on the march to save you from Willimack, and we met. The rest you know."
Willimack had risen, and was looking on with a lowering brow. His men were standing, cowed and fearful, in the presence of the great chief, but he alone maintained an undaunted mien.
"Can Tecumseh come to me and steal away my prisoners?" he said. "Is this being a friend to the Wyandots?"
"A great chief should not be cruel," replied Tecumseh. "Willimack was never the friend of Tecumseh. Chief, you have been very wicked, but you are the friend of the Prophet. Go; I will take care of your prisoners."
Willimack scowled fiercely about him, and for a moment seemed to meditate an assault upon the great Shawnee. But the abject submission of his men showed that he would have no backers, and he dared not trust himself alone against the mighty arm of Tecumseh. Shaking his hand in anger at the chief, he turned away, and the forest hid him from view.
"Go on," muttered Seth. "Yew are a marked man from this hour. I am on yer trail!”