With Axe and Rifle Part 14

"If you will hold my horse, I will go ahead and ascertain the nature of the ground," I said.

"Be careful then, for I should not be surprised if you found yourself suddenly on the brink of a precipice," replied Mr Tidey, as I dismounted carrying my rifle.

"Never fear," I answered as I ran forward. I had not gone fifty yards when I saw a deep gully on my right hand, and in another minute discovered a river a hundred feet below me fringed by trees, beyond which rose a line of perpendicular cliffs, the tops of which we had seen in the distance. Gazing up and down the stream I could perceive no place by which the waggons could pa.s.s. I returned to my companion, and we rode together for some distance to the south-west, in the hopes of finding the ground slope down to a level with the water. We were, however, disappointed. It was therefore necessary to return to the train and to inform my father of our discovery, that he might decide what course to take. This then was the point towards which the wily Indians had seen us proceeding and had hoped that we should not perceive our danger until the leading waggon had gone over the cliff, when they would have taken the opportunity, so we fancied, of setting on us and gaining an easy victory.

They would, however, be disappointed, though we might find it difficult to select a suitable spot for camping, where we could obtain water and fuel, and at the same time defend ourselves should we be attacked.

On getting back to the train, we learned that the Indians had not again been seen. My father, on hearing our report, directed our course as Mr Tidey advised, to the south-west.

We had still more than an hour of daylight, and we calculated that we should have time before dark to reach the river, though it was doubtful whether we should find a practicable way down to the water.

Never before had the poor oxen been made to go so fast, for our safety might depend on our reaching the river before Mr Tidey and I once more rode forward. At length we found the ground decline slightly in the direction we were going. "As we are still evidently at a considerable height above the level of the stream, though perhaps we shall be unable to cross, we may camp near the edge of the cliffs, so that, at all events, we shall be safe from attack on that side," I observed.

"Not so sure of that," said Mr Tidey. "The Indians may know of a path up them which we may fail to discover, and if so, the cunning rascals will be sure to take advantage of it and endeavour to surprise us, besides which, some of our cattle and horses may chance to tumble over it and break their necks. However, as we are aware of the dangers, we may guard against them."

A few minutes after this, we found ourselves once more close to the river.

"If you will hold my horse I will run along the brink of the precipice and try to discover a way down to the water," I said; "there is no lack of wood near the margin of the river, so if we can get down the cliffs we shall be able to obtain both those necessary articles." Still the cliffs were so steep, that I was almost in despair when I saw another gully, similar to the one I had before pa.s.sed. On examining it, greatly to my satisfaction I found that it formed a deep notch as it were in the precipice, and that not only could a person on foot descend by it with the greatest ease to the river, but that even horses and cattle might make their way to the water. I shouted to Mr Tidey, who, coming up, agreed with me that we could not hope for a better place for camping.

We accordingly galloped back to the train, and soon brought the waggons up to the spot, with which my father was perfectly satisfied. While the rest of the party were employed in placing the waggons so as to form the sides of a square, the cliffs and the gully serving as the two other sides to our camp, Mr Tidey, Dan, and I set off to explore the gully, for which purpose but little light now remained.

"Be cautious, boys, for that brushwood may conceal a lurking foe, though I don't think a red-skin is likely to show himself when he sees three rifles which may shoot him down if he does so," said the Dominie, as we commenced our descent. We found that by cutting away the brushwood and the trunks of a few trees we might form a road down to the level of the river, and that we might at once lead the horses and oxen to water. It was necessary, however, first to examine the foot of the cliff above which we were encamped, that we might ascertain what security it would afford us against a surprise from Indians on that side. On looking up it appeared to me to be perfectly precipitous, a few shrubs, however, projected here and there from the crevices of the rock, but they would not, I fancied, enable the most active savage to climb up, though by dropping from one to the other, a person might reach the bottom without breaking his neck. We examined the cliffs for some distance to the northward, of our camp. They retained the same character all the way.

"No savages can get up there, at all events," I observed, as we were returning.

"Not quite so sure of that," answered Mr Tidey. "We will not trust entirely to them. I will advise your father to post a sentinel on that side as well as the others." We hurried back, and were in time to a.s.sist in leading the horses and cattle down to the river. It would have been a fine opportunity for any lurking foes to have carried them off; probably, however, no Indians were in the neighbourhood, or if they were, they were deterred from approaching by seeing our rifles in our hands ready for action. My father was fully alive to the importance of guarding the two sides formed by the gully and the cliff, and he ordered all hands not required to keep guard on the outside of the camp, to employ their axes in cutting down enough timber for forming a breastwork,--by so doing we should, he remarked, lay bare the side of the gully and deprive our a.s.sailants of the protection the brushwood might afford them.

"If we are only to spend one night here, I wonder father thinks it necessary to take so much trouble," observed Dan.

"If the trouble is not taken, it might prove our last night, my boy,"

answered the Dominie, who overheard him: "if we cannot manage to keep the Indians out of the camp, we may find our scalps off our heads before the morning."

Two or three of the men, who were somewhat discontented with the last few days' hard travelling and short commons, though they had hitherto gone on without grumbling, began to express themselves much as Dan had done. Dio, who had been engaged in arranging the camp, and who had just come up axe in hand, overheard them.

"What you say, you boys?" he exclaimed; "dis n.i.g.g.ar show you how to chop de trees," and, raising his axe, he began to strike away with a vigour which quickly cut through half a stout trunk. "Dare, dat de way dey chop in Kentucky!" he again exclaimed, as the tree came down with a crash. Tree after tree quickly fell beneath his axe. The rest of the men, put to shame by his zeal, followed his example, and we soon had timber sufficient for our purpose.

Our next business was to drag it into the required position.

This we did with the help of the oxen, for without them we should have been unable to accomplish the undertaking.

At length we got up a rough breastwork on two sides of the camp, while our waggons and their cargoes, with the aid of a few additional posts, served to strengthen our position.

We surveyed our fort with considerable satisfaction. One side we might consider impregnable; the second, that along the edge of the ravine, was not likely to be attacked, and we had a sufficient force of rifles to defend the other two against a whole horde of savages without fire-arms.

"Yes, our fort is a strong one," observed the Dominie, "but many a stronger has been captured when the garrison thought themselves secure.

We must still be on the watch against surprise or treachery. Depend upon it, the red-skins will employ their usual cunning rather than run the risk of losing their lives by an open a.s.sault on our position. Your father is too old a soldier not to think of that, but I want to impress the importance of the matter on your uncle and the rest of the men, who appear to fancy that all we shall have to do is to remain here quietly, until the captain thinks fit to move on again."

"I'll promise you to keep my eyes open, and to impress the same duty on the other men," I answered.

"Especially keep them open towards the very point which you fancy so secure, down that cliff. You or I might find it a tough job to climb up it with our boots and gaiters, and heavy coats, but a half-naked savage, with his scalping-knife in his teeth, would not think it so hard a matter, and hard or not hard, if mortal man can do it, he'll try, if he hopes to catch us napping when he gets to the top."

We were now summoned to the supper which had been in the meantime preparing, and my mother, with Kathleen and Lily, followed by Biddy and the nurse Rose, joined us round the camp-fire. The security which we now enjoyed made us forget the dangers we had pa.s.sed, and those we might antic.i.p.ate, and put us all into good spirits.

Of course the usual number of men were on the watch, but I observed that my father was constantly in the att.i.tude of listening; and both he and the Dominie frequently got up and walked round the camp, the Dominie especially taking many a peep over the breastwork above the cliff.

"In my opinion, that part should not be left unguarded for a moment," he said. "The rush of the water below prevents us from hearing anyone moving beneath, and we can hardly see ten feet down, while an Indian would not take half as many seconds to spring to the top and be in our midst."

As it was important that the men should obtain some rest after the fatigues they had gone through, those not required to be on guard were ordered to lie down. Before doing so, however, the horses and cattle were brought inside the camp, where they might be in security should the Indians suddenly come upon us during the hours of darkness.

My father, Uncle Denis, and the Dominie divided the watch between them, so that one was always on duty. I was appointed to act under Mr Tidey, and it fell to his lot to keep the morning watch. I don't think I ever slept more soundly in my life, for I had been on horseback, or in active exercise since sunrise. I rubbed my eyes when called by Uncle Denis.

"We have had a quiet night, not a sign of the redskins, and I suspect, should they have reconnoitred our camp from a distance, they have thought it wise to let it alone," he said.

"You may be right, Mr O'Dwyer; but, notwithstanding, the night is not over, and until I see the sun rise I shall not be satisfied that we are to move on without a skirmish," observed the Dominie.

"Well, well! I hope to get my night's rest out without interruption,"

answered Uncle Denis, as he stretched himself on the ground, and turned on his side to go to sleep.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

READY FOR THE FOE--DIO'S MASTER-STROKE--THE BATTLE--DEFEAT OF THE REDSKINS--WATCHING THROUGH THE NIGHT--A RECONNOITRING PARTY--A PERILOUS DUTY--THE COAST CLEAR--EXPLORING THE WOODS--THE RUSTLING IN THE LEAVES-- AN AMERICAN LION--FIGHT BETWEEN A PUMA AND BOAR--FRESH PROVISIONS--NO ENEMY NEAR--TIM CASEY'S REDSKINS--THE START--SEEKING A FORD--CROSSING DISCOVERED BY DIO--A CAVALRY ENGAGEMENT--DEATH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF--A STRANGE COLONY--PRAIRIE DOGS--SCARCITY OF WATER--SUFFERINGS OF THE PARTY--SET OUT TO PROCURE RELIEF--MAKE FOR FORT HAMILTON--HORSES BITTEN BY RATTLE-SNAKE--A WELCOME SIGN--FRIENDS OR FOES--THE SERGEANT OF THE GUARD--THE CHALLENGE AFTER THE SHOT--THE FORT REACHED--OUR RECEPTION-- THE DOCTOR'S TREATMENT OF MY HORSE--A VISIT TO THE FORTIFICATIONS.

Kept on the alert by Mr Tidey's warnings, I continued racing up and down the portion of the camp which had been allotted to me to guard. It was the north-west angle, contained by the line of breastwork which ran along the edge of the ravine and half of that by the brink of the cliff.

I frequently stopped to listen, stretching over as far as I could to look down into the depths of the gorge below, I had been on watch about an hour and had just reached the eastern end of my beat, where it joined that of Dio, who was posted at the northern angle, when I saw the black come creeping towards me.

"Hist! Ma.s.sa Mike," he whispered, "me tink me hear someting down below, may be bear or painter, or may be red-skin comin' to try and cut our t'roats. He no get in so easy 'dough. Jes' come an' say what you t'ink it is, Ma.s.sa Mike, but not show yourself, or if red-skin savage him shoot his arrow."

Following Dio's example, I stooped down and crept cautiously on to the point to which he conducted me. We listened attentively. The sound of the cattle cropping the gra.s.s, or the cry of some night-bird, and now and then the snore of a sleeper, alone broke the silence of night.

"I can hear no sounds, Dio," I whispered.

"Dat show me dat he no bear, painter, or wolf, for dey rush about de brushwood. Red-skin too clever for dat."

"Keep watch then, Dio," I said, "while I call Mr Tidey. You very likely are right; and if he thinks so, we must rouse up the rest of the camp. You must keep an eye to my post, which I ought not to quit except on an emergency."

I ran to the opposite angle, where the Dominie had stationed himself, and told him that Dio had heard a movement below us.

"Just what I expected," he answered; "go back to your post, and I will call up your father and uncle, and the rest of the men if necessary."

I hurried back and had scarcely got half-way across the camp, though it was not many paces wide, when I saw Dio lift up his double-handed axe, and strike a blow with it at some object which was to me invisible. The Dominie, who had seen the occurrence, rushed back to the breastwork. We were just in time to catch sight of the feather-bedecked heads of two Indians rising above the bank, on which they were about to place their knees. The next moment Dio's axe came down on one of them, while the Dominie struck a blow at the other which hurled him backwards.

"Give a look to the side of the gully, they will be attempting to get in there presently. The Indians expect to surprise us, but we will turn the tables on them," whispered Mr Tidey.

I followed his directions, but on looking over the breastwork could see no one. My father and the other men were on their feet in a moment.

Hitherto not a word had been spoken above a whisper, so that should any redskins be making their way up the gully they would not discover that we were on the alert, unless the sound of the falling bodies of those who had been killed had reached their ears. I was quickly joined by Uncle Denis and Dan, who had crept along so as not to show their heads over the fortifications. We had thrown a quant.i.ty of brushwood on the logs, which served more effectually to conceal us, with here and there an opening through which we could look. We each of us stationed ourselves at one of these loop-holes. Several minutes had pa.s.sed, I listened, expecting that some sound would indicate the approach of the enemy, but I could neither hear nor see anything, and I began to fancy that the three Indians we had disposed of were alone engaged in the attempt to surprise us, or that their companions, if they had any, on their being killed, had taken to flight. What was going on, on the other side of the camp, I could not tell, but I felt very sure that my father was keeping a vigilant watch, and was prepared for whatever might occur. The camp was wrapped in as perfect silence as if we had all been asleep. Presently it was broken by the reports of rifles fired almost simultaneously, succeeded by a chorus of the most fearful yells and whoops I had ever heard, proceeding from the throats it seemed of a whole legion of savages. The horses and terrified cattle tugged at their tether ropes, two or three breaking loose and rus.h.i.+ng up to the side I was on for protection, being the furthest from the dreaded sounds. Others stood trembling, too paralysed with fear to move. Had it not been for the breastwork, I suspect we should have lost many of them over the cliff. My first impulse was to hasten to the side attacked, but in the interval between the war-whoops, I heard my father's voice shouting, "Stay all of you at your posts, we don't know on which side we may next be attacked."

Our men continued firing as rapidly as they could load, and as far as I could judge were successfully keeping the foe at bay; though showers of arrows kept falling into the camp, and we on the opposite side ran no slight risk of being wounded. I was looking through my loophole, when I saw some dark objects creeping out from amid the brushwood on the opposite side of the ravine. Under other circ.u.mstances I should have supposed that they were four-footed animals, wolves, or wild hogs, but as it was, I was very certain that they were men. They advanced but a few paces, then stopped as if surveying the side of the fort in front of them. Once more they began to creep on slowly. Hurrying up to Dan, I despatched him to tell our father what I had seen, and that within a minute probably we should be attacked.