WhenWhisperingWindsraisedherdarkeyestheyshowedradiantasalonestar;
whenshespokelowhervoicemademusic。
\"Beloved,\"shewhisperedonedaytohim,\"teachtheIndianmaidenmoreloveforyou,andtruth,andGod。WhisperingWindsyearnstogototheChristians,butshefearshersternfather。WingenundwouldburntheVillageofPeace。TheIndiantribestremblebeforethethunderofhiswrath。Bepatient,mychief。
Timechangestheleaves,soitwilltheangerofthewarriors。WhisperingWinds\'willsetyoufree,andbefreeherselftogofarwithyoutowardtherisingsun,wheredwellyourpeople。Shewilllove,andbeconstant,asthenorthernstar。Herlovewillbeaneternalspringwhereblossomsbloomeveranew,andfresh,andsweet。Shewillloveyourpeople,andraiseChristianchildren,andsiteverinthedoorofyourhomeprayingforthewestwindtoblow。Or,ifmychiefwills,weshalllivetheIndianlife,freeastwoeaglesontheirlonelycrag。\"
AlthoughJoegavehimselfupcompletelytohisloveforhisbride,hedidnotforgetthatKatewasinthepoweroftherenegade,andthathemustrescueher。KnowingGirtyhadtheunfortunategirlssomewhereneartheDelawareencampment,heresolvedtofindtheplace。Plansofallkindsheresolvedinhismind。ThebestonehebelievedlaythroughWhisperingWinds。FirsttofindthewhereaboutsofGirty;killhimifpossible,oratleastfreeKate,andthengetawaywithherandhisIndianbride。Sanguineasheinvariablywas,hecouldnotbutrealizetheperilofthisundertaking。IfWhisperingWindsbetrayedherpeople,itmeantdeathtoheraswellastohim。HewouldfarratherspendtheremainingdaysofhislifeintheIndianvillage,thandoomthemaidenwhoselovehadsavedhim。Yethethoughthemightsucceedingettingawaywithher,andplannedtothatend。Hisnaturalspirit,daring,reckless,hadgainedwhilehewasassociatedwithWetzel。
MeanwhilehemingledfreelywiththeIndians,andhere,aselsewhere,hiswinningpersonality,combinedwithhisathleticprowess,soonmadehimwellliked。HewasevenonfriendlytermswithPipe。TheswarthywarchieflikedJoebecause,despitetheanimosityhehadarousedinsomeformerloversofWhisperingWinds,heactuallyplayedjokesonthem。Infact,Joe\'spranksraisedmanyastorm;buttheyoungbraveswhohadbeensuitorsforWingenund\'slovelydaughter,fearedthemuscularpaleface,andthetribe\'sridiculemore;
sohecontinuedhistrickeryunmolested。Joe\'sideawastoleadthesavagestobelievehewasthoroughlyhappyinhisnewlife,andsohewas,butitsuitedhimbettertobefree。Hesucceededinmisleadingthesavages。Atfirsthewascloselywatched,thethevigilancerelaxed,andfinallyceased。
Thislastcircumstancewasowing,nodoubt,toafermentofexcitementthathadsuddenlypossessedtheDelawares。Councilaftercouncilwasheldinthebiglodge。Theencampmentwasvisitedbyrunnerafterrunner。Someimportantcrisiswaspending。
Joecouldnotlearnwhatitallmeant,andthefactthatWhisperingWindssuddenlylosthergladsomespiritandbecamesadcausedhimfurtheranxiety。
Whenheaskedherthereasonforherunhappiness,shewassilent。Moreover,hewassurprisedtolearn,whenhequestionedheruponthesubjectoftheirfleeingtogether,thatshewaseagertogoimmediately。WhileallthismysterypuzzledJoe,itdidnotmakeanydifferencetohimorinhisplans。Itratherfavoredthelatter。HeunderstoodthatthepresenceofSimonGirtyandElliott,withseveralotherrenegadesunknowntohim,wassignificantofunrestamongtheIndians。Thesepresagersofevilwereaccustomedtogofromvillagetovillage,excitingthesavagestoactsofwar。Peacemeantthedownfallanddeathofthesemen。Theywerebusyalldayandfarintothenight。OftenJoeheardGirty\'shoarsevoiceliftedinthecouncillodge。Pipethunderedincessantlyforwar。ButJoecouldnotlearnagainstwhom。
Elliott\'ssuave,oilyoratoryexhortedtheIndianstovengeance。ButJoecouldnotguessuponwhom。Hewas,however,destinedtolearn。
ThethirddayofthecouncilsahorsemanstoppedbeforeWhisperingWinds\'
lodge,andcalledout。Steppingtothedoor,Joesawawhiteman,whosedark,keen,handsomefaceseemedfamiliar。YetJoeknowhehadneverseenthisstalwartman。
\"Awordwithyou,\"saidthestranger。Histonewascurt,authoritative,asthatofamanusedtopower。
\"Asmanyasyoulike。Whoareyou？\"
\"IamIsaacZane。AreyouWetzel\'scompanion,ortherenegadeDeering？\"
\"Iamnotarenegadeanymorethanyouare。IwasrescuedbytheIndiangirl,whotookmeasherhusband,\"saidJoecoldly。Hewassurprised,anddidnotknowwhattomakeofZane\'smanner。
\"Good！I\'mgladtomeetyou,\"instantlyrepliedZane,histoneandexpressionchanging。HeextendedhishandtoJoe。\"Iwantedtobesure。IneversawtherenegadeDeering。Heisherenow。IamonmywaytotheWyandottown。IhavebeentoFortHenry,wheremybrothertoldmeofyouandthemissionaries。WhenIarrivedhereIheardyourstoryfromSimonGirty。Ifyoucan,youmustgetawayfromhere。IfIdaredI\'dtakeyoutotheHuronvillage,butit\'simpossible。Go,whileyouhaveachance。\"
\"Zane,Ithankyou。I\'vesuspectedsomethingwaswrong。Whatisit？\"
\"Couldn\'tbeworse,\"whisperedZane,glancingroundtoseeiftheywereoverheard。\"GirtyandElliott,backedbythisDeering,aregrowingjealousoftheinfluenceofChristianityontheIndians。TheyareplottingagainsttheVillageofPeace。Tarhe,theHuronchief,hasbeenapproached,andaskedtojoininaconcertedmovementagainstreligion。SeeminglyitisnotsomuchthemissionariesastheconvertedIndians,thattherenegadesarefumingover。
TheyknowiftheChristiansavagesarekilled,thestrengthofthemissionaries\'holdwillbeforeverbroken。Pipeiswildforblood。Theserenegadesareslowlypoisoningthemindsofthefewchiefswhoarefavorablydisposed。Theoutlookisbad！bad！\"
\"WhatcanIdo？\"
\"Cutoutforyourself。Getaway,ifyoucan,withagun。Takethecreekbelow,followthecurrentdowntotheOhio,andthenmakeeastforFortHenry。
\"ButIwanttorescuethewhitegirlJimGirtyhasconcealedheresomewhere。\"
\"Impossible！Don\'tattemptitunlessyouwanttothrowyourlifeaway。
BuzzardJim,aswecallGirty,isabutcher;hehasprobablymurderedthegirl。\"
\"Iwon\'tleavewithouttrying。Andthere\'smywife,theIndiangirlwhosavedme。Zane,she\'saChristian。Shewantstogowithme。Ican\'tleaveher。\"
\"Iamwarningyou,that\'sall。IfIwereyouI\'dneverleavewithoutatrytofindthewhitegirl,andI\'dneverforsakemyIndianbride。I\'vebeenthroughthesamething。Youmustbeagoodwoodsman,orWetzelwouldn\'thaveletyoustaywithhim。Pickoutafavorabletimeandmaketheattempt。IsuggestyoumakeyourIndiangirlshowyouwhereGirtyis。Sheknows,butisafraidtotellyou,forshefearsGirty。GetyourdogandhorsefromtheShawnee。That\'safinehorse。Hecancarryyoubothtosafety。TakehimawayfromSilvertip。\"
\"How？\"
\"Gorightupanddemandyourhorseanddog。MostoftheseDelawaresarehonest,foralltheirblood—sheddingandcruelty。Withthemmightisright。
TheDelawareswon\'ttrytogetyourhorseforyou;butthey\'llsticktoyouwhenyouassertyourrights。Theydon\'tliketheShawnee,anyhow。IfSilvertiprefusestogiveyouthehorse,grabhimbeforehecandrawaweapon,andbeathimgood。You\'rebigenoughtodoit。TheDelawareswillbetickledtoseeyoupoundhim。He\'sthickwithGirty;that\'swhyhelaysroundhere。Takemyword,it\'sthebestway。Doitopenly,andnoonewillinterfere。\"
\"ByHeavens,Zane,I\'llgivehimadrubbing。Iowehimone,andamitchingtogetholdofhim。\"
\"Imustgonow。IshallsendaWyandotrunnertoyourbrotheratthevillage。
Theyshallbewarned。Good—by。Goodluck。Maywemeetagain。\"
JoewatchedZanerideswiftlydownthelandanddisappearintheshrubbery。
WhisperingWindscametothedoorofthelodge。Shelookedanxiouslyathim。
Hewentwithin,drawingheralongwithhim,andquicklyinformedherthathehadlearnedthecauseofthecouncil,thathehadresolvedtogetaway,andshemustfindoutGirty\'shidingplace。WhisperingWindsthrewherselfintohisarms,declaringwithanenergyandpassionunusualtoher,thatshewouldriskanythingforhim。SheinformedJoethatsheknewthedirectionfromwhichGirtyalwaysreturnedtothevillage。Nodoubtshecouldfindhisretreat。
WithacunningthatshowedherIndiannature,shesuggestedaplanwhichJoeatoncesawwasexcellent。AfterJoegothishorse,shewouldridearoundthevillage,thenoffintothewoods,whereshecouldleavethehorseandreturntosayhehadrunawayfromher。Aswastheircustomduringafternoons,theywouldwalkleisurelyalongthebrook,and,trustingtotheexcitementcreatedbythecouncils,getawayunobserved。Findthehorse,ifpossiblerescuetheprisoner,andthentraveleastwithallspeed。
Joeleftthelodgeatoncetobegintheworkingoutoftheplan。Luckfavoredhimattheoutset,forhemetSilvertipbeforethecouncillodge。TheShawneewasleadingLance,andthedogfollowedathisheels。ThespiritofMosehadbeenbroken。Poordog,Joethought,hehadbeenbeatenuntilhewasafraidtowaghistailathisoldmaster。Joe\'sresentmentblazedintofury,buthekeptcooloutwardly。
RightbeforeacrowdofIndianswaitingforthecounciltobegin,JoeplantedhimselfinfrontoftheShawnee,barringhisway。
\"Silvertiphasthepaleface\'shorseanddog,\"saidJoe,inaloudvoice。
ThechiefstaredhaughtilywhiletheotherIndianssaunterednearer。TheyallknewhowtheShawneehadgottheanimals,andnowawaitedtheoutcomeofthewhiteman\'schallenge。
\"Paleface——heap——liar,\"growledtheIndian。Hisdarkeyesglowedcraftily,whilehishanddropped,apparentlyincarelesshabit,tothehaftofhistomahawk。
Joeswunghislongarm;hisbigfistcaughttheShawneeonthejaw,sendinghimtotheground。Utteringafrightfulyell,Silvertipdrewhisweaponandattemptedtorise,butthemoment\'sdelayinseizingthehatchet,wasfataltohisdesign。Joewasuponhimwithtigerlikesuddenness。Onekicksentthetomahawkspinning,anotherlandedtheShawneeagainontheground。Blindwithrage,Silvertipleapedup,andwithoutaweaponrushedathisantagonist;buttheIndianwasnotaboxer,andhefailedtogethishandsonJoe。Shiftyandelusive,theladdodgedaroundthestrugglingsavage。One,two,threehardblowsstaggeredSilvertip,andafourth,deliveredwiththeforceofJoe\'spowerfularm,caughttheIndianwhenhewasoffhisbalance,andfelledhim,batteredandbloody,onthegrass。ThesurroundingIndianslookeddownatthevanquishedShawnee,expressingtheirapprovalincharacteristicgrunts。
WithLanceprancingproudly,andMoseleapinglovinglybesidehim,Joewalkedbacktohislodge。WhisperingWindssprangtomeethimwithjoyfulface。ShehadfearedtheoutcomeoftroublewiththeShawnee,butnoqueeneverbestoweduponreturningvictoriouslordaloftierlookofpride,asweeterglanceoflove,thantheIndianmaidenbentuponherlover。
WhisperingWindsinformedJoethatanimportantcouncilwastobeheldthatafternoon。Itwouldbewiseforthemtomaketheattempttogetawayimmediatelyaftertheconveningofthechiefs。AccordinglyshegotuponLanceandrodehimupanddownthevillagelane,muchtothepleasureofthewatchingIndians。Shescatteredtheidlecrowdsonthegrassplots,shedashedthroughthesidestreets,andleteveryoneintheencampmentseeherclingingtotheblackstallion。Thensherodehimoutalongthecreek。Accustomedtoherimperiouswill,theIndiansthoughtnothingunusual。Whenshereturnedanhourlater,withflyinghairanddisheveledcostume,noonepaidparticularattentiontoher。
ThatafternoonJoeandhisbridewerethefavoredoffortune。WithMoserunningbeforethem,theygotclearoftheencampmentandintothewoods。
OnceintheforestWhisperingWindsrapidlyledthewayeast。Whentheyclimbedtothetopofarockyridgeshepointeddownintoathicketbeforeher,sayingthatsomewhereinthisdensehollowwasGirty\'shut。JoehesitatedabouttakingMose。Hewantedthedog,butincasehehadtorunitwasnecessaryWhisperingWindsshouldfindhistrail,andforthisheleftthedogwithher。
Hestarteddowntheridge,andhadnotgoneahundredpaceswhenoversomegraybouldershesawthethatchedroofofahut。Sowildandsecludedwasthespot,thathewouldneverhavediscoveredthecabinfromanyotherpointthanthis,whichhehadbeensofortunateastofind。
HisstudyandpracticeunderWetzelnowstoodhimingoodstead。Hepickedoutthebestpathovertheroughstonesandthroughthebrambles,alwayskeepingundercover。Hesteppedascarefullyasifthehunterwasbehindhim。Soonhereachedlevelground。Adenselaurelthickethidthecabin,butheknewthedirectioninwhichitlay。Throwinghimselfflatontheground,hewormedhiswaythroughthethicket,carefully,yetswiftly,becauseheknewtherewasnotimetolose。Finallytherearofthecabinstoodinfrontofhim。
Itwasmadeoflogs,rudelyhewn,andasrudelythrowntogether。Inseveralplacesclayhadfallenfromchinksbetweenthetimbers,leavingsmallholes。
LikeasnakeJoeslippedclosetothehut。Raisinghisheadhelookedthroughoneofthecracks。
Instantlyheshrankbackintothegrass,shiveringwithhorror。Healmostchokedinhisattempttopreventanoutcry。
ChapterXVIII。
ThesightwhichJoehadseenhorrifiedhim,forseveralmoments,intohelplessinaction。Helaybreathingheavily,impotent,inanawfulrage。Asheremainedtherestunnedbytheshock,hegazedupthroughtheopenspaceintheleaves,tryingtostillhisfury,torealizethesituation,tomakenohastymove。Thesoftblueofthesky,thefleecycloudsdriftingeastward,theflutteringleavesandthetwitteringbirds——allassuredhimhewaswideawake。
HehadfoundGirty\'sdenwheresomanywhitewomenhadbeenhidden,toseefriendsandhomenomore。Hehadseentherenegadesleeping,calmlysleepinglikeanyotherman。Howcouldthewretchsleep！HehadseenKate。Ithadbeenthesightofherthathadparalyzedhim。Tomakeacertaintyofhisfears,heagainraisedhimselftopeepintothehole。Ashedidsoafaintcrycamefromwithin。
Girtylayonabuffalorobenearabarreddoor。BeyondhimsatKate,huddledinonecornerofthecabin。Alongbuckskinthongwasknottedroundherwaist,andtiedtoalog。Herhairwasmattedandtangled,andonherfaceandarmsweremanydiscoloredbruises。Worsestill,inherplaintivemoaning,inthemeaninglessmovementofherhead,inhervacantexpression,wasproofthathermindhadgone。Shewasmad。EvenasanagonizingpitycameoverJoe,tobefollowedbythesurgingfireofrage,blazingupinhisbreast,hecouldnotbutthankGodthatshewasmad！ItwasmercifulthatKatewasnolongerconsciousofhersuffering。
LikeleavesinastormwaveredJoe\'shandsasheclenchedthemuntilthenailsbroughtblood。\"Becalm,becool,\"whisperedhismonitor,Wetzel,everwithhiminspirit。ButGod！Couldhebecool？Boundingwithlion—springhehurledhisheavyframeagainstthedoor。
Crash！Thedoorwasburstfromitsfastenings。
Girtyleapedupwithstartledyell,drawinghisknifeasherose。IthadnottimetodescendbeforeJoe\'ssecondspring,morefierceeventhantheother,carriedhimdirectlyontopoftherenegade。AsthetwowentdownJoecaughtthevillain\'swristwithagripthatliterallycrackedthebones。Theknifefellandrolledawayfromthestrugglingmen。Foraninstanttheytumbledaboutonthefloor,claspedinacrushingembrace。Therenegadewasstrong,supple,slipperyasaneel。Twicehewriggledfromhisfoe。Gnashinghisteeth,hefoughtlikeahyena。Hewasfightingforlife——life,whichisneversodearastoacowardandamurderer。DoomglaredfromJoe\'sbigeyes,andscreamafterscreamissuedfromtherenegade\'swhitelips。
Terriblewasthisstruggle,butbrief。Joeseeminglyhadthestrengthoftenmen。TwicehepulledGirtydownasawolfdragsadeer。Hedashedhimagainstthewall,throwinghimnearingandnearertheknife。OncewithinreachofthebladeJoestrucktherenegadeasevereblowonthetempleandthevillain\'swrestlingbecameweaker。PlantinghisheavykneeonGirty\'sbreast,Joereachedfortheknife,andswungithigh。Exultantlyhecried,madwithlustforthebrute\'sblood。
ButtheslightdelaysavedGirty\'slife。
TheknifewasknockedfromJoe\'shandandheleapederecttofindhimselfconfrontedbySilvertip。Thechiefheldatomahawkwithwhichhehadstrucktheweaponfromtheyoungman\'sgrasp,and,tojudgefromhisburningeyesandmalignantsmile,hemeanttobrainthenowdefenselesspaleface。
InasinglefleetinginstantJoesawthatGirtywashelplessforthemoment,thatSilvertipwasconfidentofhisrevenge,andthatthesituationcalledforWetzel\'scharacteristicadvice,\"actlikelightnin\'。\"
SwifterthanthethoughtwastheleaphemadepastSilvertip。Itcarriedhimtoawoodenbarwhichlayonthefloor。Escapewaseasy,forthedoorwasbeforehimandtheShawneebehind,butJoedidnotflee！HeseizedthebarandrushedattheIndian。Thenbeganaduelinwhichthesavage\'squicknessandcunningmatchedthewhiteman\'sstrengthandfury。SilvertipdodgedtheviciousswingsJoeaimedathim;heparriedmanyblows,anyoneofwhichwouldhavecrushedhisskull。Nimbleasacat,heavoidedeveryrush,whilehisdarkeyeswatchedforanopening。Hefoughtwhollyonthedefensive,craftilyreservinghisstrengthuntilhisopponentshouldtire。
Atlast,catchingthebaronhishatchet,hebroketheforceoftheblow,andthen,withagilemovement,droppedtothegroundandgrappledJoe\'slegs。Longbeforethishehaddrawnhisknife,andnowheusedit,plungingthebladeintotheyoungman\'sside。
Cunningandsuccessfulaswasthesavage\'sruse,itfailedsignally,fortogetholdoftheShawneewasallJoewanted。Feelingthesharppainastheyfelltogether,hereachedhishandbehindhimandcaughtSilvertip\'swrist。
Exertingallhispower,hewrenchedtheIndian\'sarmsothatitwasnotonlydislocated,butthebonescracked。
Silvertipsawhisfatalmistake,butheutterednosound。Crippled,thoughhewas,heyetmadeasupremeeffort,butitwasasifhehadbeeninthehandsofagiant。Theladhandledhimwithremorselessandresistlessfury。Suddenlyhegraspedtheknife,whichSilvertiphadbeenunabletoholdwithhiscrippledhand,andthrustitdeeplyintotheIndian\'sside。
AllSilvertip\'smusclesrelaxedasifastrongtensionhadbeenremoved。
Slowlyhislegsstraightened,hisarmsdropped,andfromhissidegushedadarkflood。Ashadowcreptoverhisface,notdarknorwhite,butjustashadow。Hiseyeslosttheirhate;theynolongersawthefoe,theylookedbeyondwithgloomyquestion,andthenwerefixedcoldindeath。Silvertipdiedashehadlived——achief。
JoeglaredroundforGirty。Hewasgone,havingslippedawayduringthefight。
Theladturnedtoreleasethepoorprisoner,whenhestartedbackwithacryoffear。Katelaybathedinapoolofblood——dead。Therenegade,fearingshemightberescued,hadmurderedher,andthenfledfromthecabin。
Almostblindedbyhorror,andstaggeringwithweakness,Joeturnedtoleavethecabin。Realizingthathewasseriously,perhapsdangerously,woundedhewiselythoughthemustnotleavetheplacewithoutweapons。Hehadmarkedthepegswheretherenegade\'sriflehung,andhadbeencarefultokeepbetweenthatandhisenemies。Hetookdownthegunandhorns,whichwereattachedtoit,and,withonelastshudderingglanceatpoorKate,lefttheplace。
Hewasconsciousofaqueerlightnessinhishead,buthesufferednopain。
Hisgarmentsweredrippingwithblood。Hedidnotknowhowmuchofitwashis,ortheIndian\'s。Instinctratherthansightwashisguide。Hegrewweakerandweaker;hisheadbegantowhirl,yethekepton,knowingthatlifeandfreedomwerehisifhefoundWhisperingWinds。Hegainedthetopoftheridge;hiseyeswereblurred,hisstrengthgone。Hecalledaloud,andthenplungedforwardonhisface。Hehearddimly,asthoughthesoundwereafaroff,thewhineofadog。Hefeltsomethingsoftandwetonhisface。Thenconsciousnesslefthim。
Whenheregainedhissenseshewaslyingonabedoffernsunderaprojectingrock。Heheardthegurgleofrunningwaterminglingwiththesongofbirds。
NearhimlayMose,andbeyondroseawallofgreenthicket。NeitherWhisperingWindsnorhishorsewasvisible。
Hefeltadreamylassitude。Hewastired,buthadnopain。Findinghecouldmovewithoutdifficulty,heconcludedhisweaknesswasmorefromlossofbloodthanadangerouswound。Heputhishandontheplacewherehehadbeenstabbed,andfeltasoft,warmcompresssuchasmighthavebeenmadebyabunchofwetleaves。Someonehadunlacedhishunting—shirt——forhesawthestringswerenotasheusuallytiedthem——andhaddressedthewound。Joedecided,aftersomedeliberation,thatWhisperingWindshadfoundhim,madehimascomfortableaspossible,and,leavingMoseonguard,hadgoneouttohuntforfood,orperhapsbacktotheIndianencampment。TherifleandhornshehadtakenfromGirty\'shut,togetherwithSilvertip\'sknife,laybesidehim。
AsJoelaytherehopingforWhisperingWinds\'return,hisreflectionswerenotpleasant。Fortunate,indeed,hewastobealive;buthehadnohopehecouldcontinuetobefavoredbyfortune。Oddswerenowagainsthisescape。GirtywouldhavetheDelawaresonhistraillikeapackofhungrywolves。HecouldnotunderstandtheabsenceofWhisperingWinds。Shewouldhavediedsoonerthandeserthim。Girtyhad,perhaps,capturedher,andwasnowscouringthewoodsforhim。
\"I\'llgethimnexttime,orhe\'llgetme,\"mutteredJoe,inbitterwrath。Hecouldneverforgivehimselfforhisfailuretokilltherenegade。
TherecollectionofhownearlyhehadforeverendedGirty\'sbrutalcareerbroughtbeforeJoe\'smindthesceneofthefight。HesawagainBuzzardJim\'sface,revolting,unlikeanythinghuman。TherestretchedSilvertip\'sdarkfigure,lyingstillandstark,andtherewasKate\'swhiteforminitswinding,crimsonwreathofblood。Hauntinglyherfacereturned,sad,sterninitscoldrigidity,。
\"Poorgirl,betterforhertobedead,\"hemurmured。\"Notlongwillshebeunavenged！\"
Histhoughtsdriftedtothefuture。Hehadnofearofstarvation,forMosecouldcatcharabbitorwoodchuckatanytime。Whenthestripsofmeathehadhiddeninhiscoatweregone,hecouldstartafireandroastmore。Whatconcernedhimmostwaspursuit。Histrailfromthecabinhadbeenabloodyone,whichwouldrenderiteasilyfollowed。Hedarednotriskexertionuntilhehadgivenhiswoundtimetoheal。Then,ifhedidescapefromGirtyandtheDelawares,hisfuturewasnotbright。Hisexperiencesofthelastfewdayshadnotonlysobered,butbroughthometohimthisrealborderlife。Withallhisfireanddaringhenewhewasnofool。Hehadeagerlyembracedacareerwhich,atthepresentstageofhistraining,wasbeyondhisscope——notthathedidnotknowhowtoactinsuddencrises,butbecausehehadnothadthenecessarypracticetoquicklyandsurelyusehisknowledge。
Bitter,indeed,washisself—scornwhenherecalledthatoftheseveralcriticalpositionshehadbeeninsincehisacquaintancewithWetzel,hehadfailedinallbutone。TheexceptionwasthekillingofSilvertip。HerehisfuryhadmadehimfightasWetzelfoughtwithonlyhiseverydayincentive。Herealizedthattheborderwasnoplaceforanysavetheboldestandmostexperiencedhunters——menwhohadbecomeinuredtohardship,callousastodeath,keenasIndians。FearwasnotinJoenorlackofconfidence;buthehadgoodsense,andrealizedhewouldhavedoneawiserthinghadhestayedatFortHenry。ColonelZanewasright。TheIndiansweretigers,therenegadesvultures,thevastuntrammeledforestsandplainstheircovert。Tenyearsofwarhadrenderedthiswildernessaplacewherethosefewwhitemenwhohadsurvivedwerehardenedtothespillingofblood,sterneveninthosefewquiethourswhichperilallowedthem,strongintheirsacrificeofallforfuturegenerations。
AlowgrowlfromMosebrokeintoJoe\'sreflections。Thedoghadraisedhisnosefromhispawsandsniffedsuspiciouslyattheair。Theladheardaslightrustlingoutside,andinanothermomentwasoverjoyedatseeingWhisperingWinds。Shecameswiftly,withalithe,gracefulmotion,andflyingtohimlikearushofwind,kneltbesidehim。Shekissedhimandmurmuredwordsofendearment。
\"Winds,wherehaveyoubeen？\"heaskedher,inthemixedEnglishandIndiandialectinwhichtheyconversed。
Shetoldhimthedoghadledhertohimtwoeveningsbefore。Hewasinsensible。Shehadbathedandbandagedhiswound,andremainedwithhimallthatnight。Thenextday,findinghewasillanddelirious,shedecidedtoriskreturningtothevillage。Ifanyquestionsarose,shecouldsayhehadlefther。Thenshewouldfindawaytogetbacktohim,bringinghealingherbsforhiswoundandasoothingdrink。AsitturnedoutGirtyhadreturnedtothecamp。Hewasbatteredandbruised,andinawhiteheatofpassion。GoingatoncetoWingenund,therenegadeopenlyaccusedWhisperingWindsofaidingherpalefacelovertoescape。Wingenundcalledhisdaughterbeforehim,andquestionedher。Sheconfessedalltoherfather。
\"WhyisthedaughterofWingenundatraitortoherrace？\"demandedthechief。
\"WhisperingWindsisaChristian。\"
Wingenundreceivedthisintelligenceasablow。HedismissedGirtyandsenthisbravesfromhislodge,facinghisdaughteralone。Gloomyandstern,hepacedbeforeher。
\"Wingenund\'sbloodmightchange,butwouldneverbetray。WingenundistheDelawarechief,\"hesaid。\"Go。DarkennomorethedoorofWingenund\'swigwam。
LetthefloweroftheDelawaresfadeinalienpastures。Go。WhisperingWindsisfree！\"
TearsshonebrightlyintheIndiangirl\'seyeswhileshetoldJoeherstory。
Shelovedherfather,andshewouldseehimnomore。
\"Windsisfree,\"shewhispered。\"Whenstrengthreturnstohermastershecanfollowhimtothewhitevillages。Windswillliveherlifeforhim。\"
\"Thenwehavenoonetofear？\"askedJoe。
\"Noredman,nowthattheShawneechiefisdead。\"
\"WillGirtyfollowus？Heisacoward;hewillfeartocomealone。\"
\"Thewhitesavageisasnakeinthegrass。\"
Twolongdaysfollowed,duringwhichtheloverslayquietlyinhiding。OnthemorningofthethirddayJoefeltthathemightriskthestartfortheVillageofPeace。WhisperingWindsledthehorsebelowastoneuponwhichtheinvalidstood,thusenablinghimtomount。Thenshegotonbehindhim。
Thesunwasjustgildingthehorizonwhentheyrodeoutofthewoodsintoawideplain。Nolivingthingcouldbeseen。Alongtheedgeoftheforestthegroundwaslevel,andthehorsetraveledeasily。SeveraltimesduringthemorningJoedismountedbesideapileofstonesorafallentree。Themilesweretraversedwithoutseriousinconveniencetotheinvalid,exceptthathegrewtired。Towardthemiddleoftheafternoon,whentheyhadriddenperhapstwenty—fivemiles,theycrossedaswift,narrowbrook。Thewaterwasabeautifulclearbrown。Joemadenoteofthis,asitwasanunusualcircumstance。Nearlyallthestreams,whennotflooded,weregreenincolor。
HerememberedthatduringhiswanderingswithWetzeltheyhadfoundonestreamofthisbrown,copper—coloredwater。TheladknewhemusttakearoundaboutwaytothevillagesothathemightavoidIndianrunnersorscouts,andhehopedthisstreamwouldprovetobetheonehehadoncecampedupon。
Astheywereridingtowardagentleswellorknollcoveredwithtreesandshrubbery,WhisperingWindsfeltsomethingwarmonherhand,and,looking,washorrifiedtofinditcoveredwithblood。Joe\'swoundhadopened。Shetoldhimtheymustdismounthere,andremainuntilhewasstronger。Theinvalidhimselfthoughtthisconclusionwaswise。Theywouldbepracticallysafenow,sincetheymustbeoutoftheIndianpath,andmanymilesfromtheencampment。
Accordinglyhegotoffthehorse,andsatdownonalog,whileWhisperingWindssearchedforasuitableplaceinwhichtoerectatemporaryshelter。
Joe\'swanderinggazewasarrestedbyatreewithahugeknottyformationneartheground。Itwaslikemanytrees,butthispeculiaritywasnotwhatstruckJoe。Hehadseenitbefore。Heneverforgotanythinginthewoodsthatonceattractedhisattention。Helookedaroundonallsides。Justbehindhimwasanopeningintheclumpoftrees。Withinthiswasaperpendicularstonecoveredwithmossandlichens;aboveitabeechtreespreadlong,gracefulbranches。Hethrilledwiththeremembrancethesefamiliarmarksbrought。ThiswasBeautifulSpring,theplacewhereWetzelrescuedNell,wherehehadkilledtheIndiansinthatnightattackhewouldneverforget。
ChapterXIX。
OneeveningaweekormoreafterthedisappearanceofJimandthegirls,GeorgeYoungandDavidEdwards,themissionaries,satonthecabinsteps,gazingdisconsolatelyupontheforestscenery。HardashadbeenthetenyearsoftheirlaboramongtheIndians,nothinghadshakenthemasthelossoftheiryoungfriends。
\"Dave,Itellyouyourtheoryaboutseeingthemagainisabsurd,\"assertedGeorge。\"I\'llneverforgetthatwretch,Girty,ashespoketoNell。Why,shejustwiltedlikeaflowerblastedbyfire。Ican\'tunderstandwhyheletmego,andkeptJim,unlesstheShawneehadsomethingtodowithit。IneverwisheduntilnowthatIwasahunter。I\'dgoafterGirty。You\'veheardaswellasIofhismanyatrocities。I\'dratherhaveseenKateandNelldeadthanhavethemfallintohispower。I\'dratherhavekilledthemmyself！\"
Younghadagedperceptiblyintheselastfewdays。Theblueveinsshowedathistemples;hisfacehadbecomethinnerandpaler,hiseyeshadalookofpain。Theformerexpressionofpatience,whichhadsatsowellonhim,wasgone。
\"George,Ican\'taccountformyfanciesorfeelings,else,perhaps,I\'dbeeasierinmind,\"answeredDave。Hisface,too,showedtheravagesofgrief。
\"I\'vehadqueerthoughtslately,anddreamssuchasIneverhadbefore。
Perhapsit\'sthistroublewhichhasmademesonervous。Idon\'tseemabletopullmyselftogether。Icanneitherpreachnorwork。\"
\"NeithercanI！Thistroublehashityouashardasithasme。But,Dave,we\'vestillourduty。Toendure,toendure——thatisourlife。Becauseabeamofsunshinebrightened,forabrieftime,thegrayofourlives,andthenfadedaway,wemustnotshirknorgrowsouranddiscontented。\"
\"Buthowcruelisthisborderlife！\"
\"Natureitselfisbrutal。\"
\"Yes,Iknow,andwehaveelectedtospendourliveshereinthemidstofthisceaselessstrife,tofarepoorly,tohavenopleasure,nevertofeelthecomfortofawoman\'ssmiles,northejoyofachild\'scaress,allbecauseoutinthewoodsaretenortwentyorahundredsavageswemayconvert。\"
\"Thatiswhy,anditisenough。Itishardtogiveupthewomenyoulovetoablack—souledrenegade,butthatisnotformythought。Whatkillsmeisthehorrorforher——forher。\"