Wild Western Scenes Part 36

"If you'll untie my foot a minit, I'll bet I kick some of the ribs out of your body. Why don't you knock our brains out, and be done at once, you black wolves you!" said Sneak.

"Oh, Sneak! for my sake--your poor friend's sake, don't put such an idea as that into their heads!" said Joe, imploringly.

"You're a purty friend, ain't you? You'd give so _much_ to ransom me!

They aint a going to quit us without killin' us, and I want it all over jest as soon as it kin be done."

"Oh, no, Sneak! Maybe they'll take pity on us and spare our lives,"

said Joe, a.s.suming a most entreating look as the savage once more approached him.

"You make good big Osage; you come with us, if we let you live?"

demanded the old Indian.

"I pledge you my most sacred word and honour I will!"

"You run away, you rascal," said the savage, plucking another tuft of hair from Joe's head.

"I'll be hanged if I stand this any longer!" said Joe, striving to break the cord that confined him.

"Don't notice the black cowards," said Sneak.

"How can I help noticing them, when they're pulling out my hair by the roots!" said Joe.

"Look where they pulled mine out," said Sneak, turning that part of his head in view which had been made literally bald.

"Didn't it hurt you?" asked Joe.

"Sartinly it did," said Sneak, "but I grinned and bore it. And now I wish they'd pull it all off, and then my scalp wouldn't do 'em any good."

"That's a fact," said Joe. "Here, Mr. Osage," he continued, "pull as much hair off the top of my head as you want." The savages, instead of paying any attention to him, seemed to be attracted by some distant sound. They stooped down and placed their ears near the earth, and listened intently for some time. At length they sprang up, and then ensued another dispute among them about the manner in which the prisoners should be disposed of. The old savage was yet in favour of tomahawking the captives and retreating without delay. But the others would not consent to it. They were not satisfied with the small amount of suffering yet endured by the prisoners. They were resolved to glut their savage vengeance. And the prisoners now observed that all traces of mirth had vanished from their faces. Their eyes gleamed with fiendish fury, and drawing forth their glittering tomahawks, they vanished in the thicket, and were soon heard chopping off the small boughs of the trees.

"What are they doing Sneak?" asked Joe.

"Don't you know what they're doing? ain't they cutting wood as fast as they kin?" replied Sneak.

"Well, I'm not sorry for that." said Joe. "because its almost dark, and I'm getting chilly. If they'd only give me something to eat, I'd feel a heap more comfortable."

"You varasherous fool you, they're cutting wood to burn us up with.

Oh, I wish I was loose!"

"Oh, goodness gracious!" cried Joe, "I never thought of that! Oh, I'm gone!"

"Are you?" cried Sneak, eagerly; "I'd like to be off too, and we'd give them a race for it yit."

"Oh! Sneak, I mean I'm ruined, lost for ever! Oh! St. Peter, pity my helpless condition!"

"Don't think about pity now," said Sneak; "nothing of that sort is going to do us any good. We must git loose from these trees and run for it, or we'll be roasted like wild turkeys in less than an hour.

I've got one hand loose!".

"So have I almost!" cried Joe, struggling violently.

"One of 'em's coming!--shove your hand back, and pertend like you're fast, till he goes away agin!" said Sneak, in a hurried undertone.

The savage emerged from the bushes the next moment, and after depositing an armful of billets of wood at the feet of Joe, and walking round behind the prisoners to see if they were still secure, returned for more fuel.

"Now work for your life!" said Sneak, extricating his wrist from the cord, and striving to get his feet loose.

"Hang it, Sneak, I can't get my hand out, though the string's quite loose! Make haste, Sneak, and come and help me," said Joe, in a tone that indicated his earnestness.

"Let every man look out for himself," replied Sneak, tugging away at the cord that bound his feet to the tree.

"Oh, Sneak, don't leave me here, to be burnt by myself!" said Joe.

"You wouldn't promise to give any thing to ransom me, a while ago--I'll cut stick as quick as I kin."

"Oh, Sneak, I can't untie my hands! If you won't help me, I'll call the Indians." But Joe was saved the trouble. He had scarce uttered the word when all four of the Indians suddenly appeared, and throwing down their wood, proceeded with much haste to put their horrid purpose in execution. They heaped up the f.a.gots around their victims, until they reached half way to their chins, and when all was ready, they paused, before applying the fire, to enjoy the terrors of their captives.

"You cold--me make some fire to warm--huh," said the old Indian, addressing Joe, while the others looked on with unmixed satisfaction.

"Oh! my dear Mr. Osage, if you only knew how much money you'd lose by killing me, I know you'd let me go!" said Joe, in tremulous but supplicating tones.

"You lie--you got no money," replied the savage; and, stooping down, he began to split some dry wood into very small pieces to kindle with.

Joe looked on in despair, and seemed to antic.i.p.ate a blister from every splinter he saw. It was different with Sneak. Almost hid by the wood heaped around him, he embraced every opportunity, when the eyes of the savages were turned away, to endeavour to extricate himself from the cords that bound him to the tree. Hope had not yet forsaken him, and he resolved to struggle to the last. When the old savage had split off a large quant.i.ty of splinters and chips, he gathered them up and began to arrange them in various parts of the pile of green timber preparatory for a simultaneous ignition. While he was thus engaged, Sneak remained motionless, and a.s.sumed a stoical expression of features. But when he turned to Joe, Sneak again began to tug at the cord.

"Oh pray, Mr. Indian!" exclaimed Joe, when he saw the savage carefully placing the combustible matter in all the crevices of the pile around him--"just only let me off this time, and I'll be your best friend all the rest of your life."

"Me warm you little--don't cry--poor fellow!" replied the Indian, striking a light with flint and steel.

"Oh, Sneak, if you've got a knife, run here and cut me loose, before I'm burnt to death!" said Joe, in the most heart-moving manner.

"Keep your mouth shet!" said Sneak; "jest wait till they go to put some fire here, and I'll show you a thing or two," he continued, pouring a handful of _powder_ among the dry splinters. The effect of the explosion when the Indians attempted to surprise Glenn's premises occurring to Sneak, and recollecting that he had a quant.i.ty of powder in his pockets, he resolved in his extremity to try its virtue on this occasion.

"But they're going to burn me first! Oh, Lord!" exclaimed Joe, as he beheld the savage applying the fire to the splinters near his feet.

"Don't say nor do nothing--jest wait till they come to me," said Sneak, with great composure. "Do you jess keep your mouth shet--it'll be a long while a kindling--it won't begin to burn your legs for an hour."

"Oh, goodness gracious! My knees begin to feel warm now. Oh, pray have mercy on me, good Mr. Osage!" cried Joe, before the flame was as large as his hand, and yet full three feet distant from him. The greater portion of the f.a.gots being green, the fire made very slow progress, and it was necessary for the savages to procure a constant supply of dry splinters to prevent it from going out.

At length, after the combustible material had burned out, and been replenished several times, the more substantial billets of Joe's pile began to ignite slowly, and the old Indian then took up a flaming brand and moved towards Sneak.

"Come on! you snarvilerous rattlesnake you, I'll show you sights presently!" said Sneak.

"You brave fellow--me burn you _quick_," said the savage, applying the torch, and, stooping down, placed his face within a few inches of the crackling blaze, and began to blow it gently. Sneak twisted his head round the tree as far as possible, and the next moment the powder exploded, throwing down the pile of wood, and das.h.i.+ng the savage several paces distant violently on the ground, and blackening and scorching his face and hair in a terrible manner. The other Indians instantly prostrated themselves on their faces, and uttered the most doleful lamentations. Thus they remained a few minutes, evidently impressed with the belief that the Great Spirit had interfered to prevent the destruction of the prisoners. Hastily gathering up their arms, they fled precipitately in the direction of their distant home, and their yells of disappointment and defeat rang in the ears of their captives until they died away in the distance.

"Sneak! make haste! they may come back again!" said Joe.

"They've tied my feet so tight I'm afraid I can't undo it in a hurry,"

replied Sneak, endeavouring to break the cord by thrusting a stick (that he had slipped from the pile to knock out the brains of one of the Indians should his gun-powder plot not succeed,) between it and the tree, and forcing it out until the pain produced became insufferable. By this means the cord was loosened gradually, and moving it a little higher up where the muscles had not yet been bruised, he repeated the process. In this manner he laboured with certain but tardy success. But while he was thus engaged, Joe's predicament became each moment more critical. The wood being by this time pretty well seasoned, began to burn more freely. The blaze was making formidable advances, and the heat was becoming intolerable.