All the inhabitants, attracted by the noise of the capture, had left their lodges2 and now pressed forward to look upon the prisoner.
Great was the astonishment4 of the Shawnees when the flickering5 light of the flames, falling upon their captive, revealed to them the well-known face of Daniel Boone, the great scout6 of the border.
A howl of delight resounded7 through the Indian village at this discovery. The red-skins had no foe8 whom they dreaded9 more than the man they now held, bound and helpless, a prisoner in their midst.
A grim smile was upon the features of Ke-ne-ha-ha, the Shawnee chief, as he looked upon the face of the man who had so often escaped him on the war-path.
“The white-skin is no longer an eagle, but a fox; he creeps into the shadow of the Shawnee village, to use his ears,” said the chief, mockingly.
“The Shawnees have already had proof that I can use my hands,” replied the scout, nettled10 by the words as well as the tone of the savage11. “A chief that is not fox as well as eagle, is not worthy12 to go upon the war-path. His scalp should be taken by squaws.”
The Indians could not dispute the words of Boone.
“What seeks the white chief in the village of the Shawnees?” asked Ke-ne-ha-ha.
“Guess, and maybe you’ll find out,” replied the captive coolly.
“The white-skin comes as a spy—a foe into the village of the Shawnee,” said the Indian.
“When did any of your nation, chief, ever come except as a spy or a foe to the houses of the whites?” asked Boone.
“Ugh! the white-skin has stolen the land of the red-man. Cheated him with lies. Ke-ne-ha-ha is a great warrior—he will take the scalps of the long-knives and burn their wigwams,” said the Indian, proudly.
“You’ll have to fight afore you accomplish that, Injun, I reckon,” replied Boone, whose coolness and courage astonished the red warriors13.
“The white-skin shall die!” said the chief, fiercely.
“I reckon we’ve all got to die, sometime, Injun,” answered Boone, not in the least terrified by the threat.
“Let my warriors take the prisoner to the wigwam of Ke-ne-ha-ha,” said the chief.
The order was instantly obeyed. The prisoner was carried to the wigwam—one of the largest in the village. In the center of the lodge3 a little fire was burning.
The scout was laid upon a little couch of skins within the lodge; then, in obedience14 to an order from the great chief, the Indians withdrew and left the captive alone with Ke-ne-ha-ha.
The chief’s wigwam stood only a few paces from the banks of the Scioto, that stream running close behind the Indian lodge.
After the Indians had placed the helpless prisoner within the lodge, they returned again to their scalp-dance around the fire, excepting a few warriors, who, under the leadership of the White Dog—who suddenly found himself famous by his capture of the great scout—made a circuit of the forest surrounding the Shawnee village to discover if there were any more white foes16 lurking17 within the wood.
The search was fruitless. No trace could they find of the presence of a white-skin; and so, finally, they came to the conclusion that the daring ranger18 was alone. The Indians then returned to the village.
The escape of Kenton from the search of the Indians is[13] easily explained. He had approached the village on the west, and, skillfully taking advantage of the cover afforded by the bushes, had, like Boone, reached the edge of the timber. From his position he commanded a view of the village, and from his concealment19 beheld20 the capture of his friend. Guessing shrewdly that the presence of one white man might lead them to suspect that there were others in the neighborhood, he determined21 to withdraw from his dangerous position. He had seen no sign of Lark22 since he had parted with him at the hollow oak, and he came to the conclusion that Lark had not yet reached the village.
Kenton retreated from his exposed position. Slowly making his way through the wood, his eyes fell upon a large oak tree. The thought suggested itself to him that in the branches of the oak, he might find shelter.
So up the tree he mounted.
Once more in his hiding-place, vailed in as he was by the leafy branches, he felt that he could bid defiance23 to any search that the Indians might make.
Hardly had Kenton adjusted himself comfortably in the tree, when he heard a slight rustling24 in the bushes to the right of the oak. The keen ear of the alert scout instantly knew that some one was moving cautiously through the thicket25. The sound came from the direction of the village.
Kenton thought that, possibly, it was Lark, who, like himself, had scouted26 into the Shawnee village, and was retreating to safer quarters.
Then, through the dim aisles27 of the forest came a dark form gliding28 onward29 with stealthy steps. In the uncertain light Kenton thought he recognized the figure of Abe Lark, the scout. Bending down from his hiding-place, Kenton was about to warn him that a friend was near, when the dark form crossed a little opening upon which the moonbeams cast their rays of silvery light, and Kenton caught a glimpse of the form as it glided30 through the moonlit opening.
The lion-hearted scout almost dropped from the tree when his eyes fell upon that form. The hair upon his head rose in absolute fright. His eyeballs were distended31, and cold drops of sweat stood like waxen beads32 upon his bronzed forehead.
Well might he feel a sense of terror, for there below him glided—what?
The vast proportions of a huge gray wolf, walking erect33 upon hind15 legs, but the wolf possessed34 the face of a human!
A moment only the wolf—man or phantom—whatever it was—was beheld by the astonished scout, then it disappeared in the gloom of the thicket.
With the back of his hand Kenton wiped the perspiration—cold as the night-dew—from his brow.
“I’ve seen it!” he muttered, to himself. “It’s the Wolf Demon35. Jerusalem! I’d rather fight forty Shawnees than have a tussle36 with a monster like that. I always thought that the Injun story ’bout the Wolf Demon was all bosh, but now I’ve seen it; so near the Shawnee village, too. Thar’ll be a hurricane soon, or I’m a Dutchman.”
Leaving the scout to his meditations37, we will follow the course of the terrible figure that had so affrighted the stout38 Simon Kenton, who was one of the bravest hearts on the border.
Cautiously and carefully through the thicket the creature glided. It was making its way to the Scioto river.
Suddenly the figure paused, and apparently39 listened for a moment.
The sound of footsteps of the Indian warriors, headed by the White Dog, scouting40 through the forest, broke the stillness of the night.
But for a moment the mysterious Wolf Demon listened; then as the Indians came nearer and nearer, with a leap, as agile41 as that of the squirrel, the terrible form seized hold of a branch of the oak beneath which it was standing42, and swung itself up into the concealment of the leaves of the tree.
The Indian braves came on and paused for consultation43 under the branches of the very tree that concealed44, in its leafy recesses45, the terrible scourge46 of their race.
“Wah! The pale chief is alone,” said one of the warriors; “no other pale-face is within the woods.”
“He is a brave chief to come alone to the lodges of the Shawnee nation,” said another of the warriors.
“Boone is a great brave,” said the White Dog, who felt a natural pride in extolling47 the bravery of the prisoner whose capture was placed to his credit.
“He will never take the war-path against the Shawnees again,” said one of the braves, with on accent of satisfaction.
“No; his scalp shall blacken and dry in the smoke of a Shawnee’s lodge,” said the White Dog.
“The great white-skin will die by the fire, and the red braves will dance around him with joy,” said the Indian who had first spoken, with a fierce expression of delight in his voice.
“The long-knife was alone—no more are within the wood; let us return to the village,” said the White Dog.
The other warriors grunted49 their assent50, and the party, turning upon their heel, took the way leading back to the village.
Hardly had the figure of the rearmost savage disappeared in the gloom of the wood, when forth51 from the tree came the terrible figure.
Lightly it bounded to the ground, and, with a glittering tomahawk clutched in its paw, followed swiftly but cautiously on the track of the red-men.
The Indians, however, kept together. Had one remained behind the other, he would never have lived to have told what struck him.
The terrible form followed to the edge of the timber, and ground its teeth in rage at the escape of its foe.
Then it headed again for the river, keeping within the shelter of the timber. The river reached, the mysterious prowler took advantage of the stream’s bank, which had been hollowed out by the washing of the water, to reach the wigwam of Ke-ne-ha-ha in which Boone was confined.
There, in the very shadow of the wigwam, the terrible figure lay upon the ground concealed by the darkness, and listened intently.
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1
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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lodges
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| v.存放( lodge的第三人称单数 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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8
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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10
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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11
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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17
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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23
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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26
scouted
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| 寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等） | |
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27
aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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28
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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31
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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36
tussle
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| n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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39
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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40
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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41
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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42
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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43
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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44
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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45
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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46
scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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47
extolling
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| v.赞美( extoll的现在分词 )；赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的现在分词 ) | |
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48
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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49
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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50
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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51
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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