With such thoughts as these passing rapidly through her mind, the terror of her situation was doubly increased.
On a rude bench that stood in a corner of the cabin, Virginia sat motionless as a statue, and wept many a bitter tear.
What her fate was to be, she understood only too well. A girl reared on the border, she understood the customs of the savages11 that claimed the valley of the Ohio as their own. And over her soul crept a sickening fear when she thought of the life that was in store for her, a slave to some Indian brave.
There was little chance of rescue. A miracle alone could save her.
A low knock at the door roused her from her abstraction.
How long she remained in the cabin she could not tell, but she knew that some hours must have passed away.
The cabin door opened slowly, and a man dressed in frontier fashion entered, cautiously.
It was the man who had called himself Benton. Of course he was unknown to the girl. Benton had washed off the war-paint, and appeared a white man, as he was.
A cry of joy rose to Virginia’s lips and she sprung to her feet, but at a sign of caution from him she restrained herself.
To her the face of a white man gave hope of deliverance. She had little suspicion that all her captors were of her own color, and not of the dusky hue12 of the savage10.
“Be silent and cautious,” said Benton, in a whisper; “a word above a breath may cost both of us our lives.”
“You will save me from the hands of these terrible savages?” murmured the girl.
“Yes, I will try to,” replied Benton, “but it will be a task of danger. You must follow my instructions to the letter or we will never escape the toils13 that surround us.”
“I will do so,” replied Virginia, quickly.
“Come, then; tread cautiously. The savages have left but one man to guard the house, and he has fallen asleep in the thicket14.”
Then Benton led the way from the house, and the girl followed, cautiously.
The two passed close to where Bob Tierson lay in the bushes, fast asleep.
Benton, in leaving the flask15 of potent16 corn-juice with the worthy17 Bob, had rightly calculated that Bob would speedily dispose of the contents, and get gloriously drunk on the same.
The trap that the swarthy-skinned stranger had laid had caught the redoubtable19 Bob, and once he had fallen into deep and heavy slumber20, it was an easy task for Benton to remove the prisoner from the log cabin.
Benton had fastened the bar again across the door of the house, so that it seemed all secure, and left no trace of the prisoner’s escape.
When they had crossed the little clearing, and gained the shelter of the wood, Benton halted.
“Now, young lady, I must take you in my arms and carry you for a little while, so that the ground shall bear no traces by which you may be tracked and recaptured. These red-skins have the scent21 of a bloodhound, and the moment they discover your escape they will scour22 the country for miles around in search of you. Therefore, for your safety as well as for my own, we must leave, in border parlance23, a blind trail.”
“Adopt any method that you please to secure my escape from these terrible savages and I will bless you for it,” said Virginia, earnestly.
Benton raised the light figure of the girl in his strong arms as though she had been a child, and then rapidly threaded his way through the forest.
The course that Benton followed led toward the Ohio, and ran parallel with the Kanawha.
For some thirty minutes, with rapid steps, Benton went onward24, making his way through the thicket without doubt or hesitation25, as if he were perfectly26 familiar with the country.
At the end of the thirty minutes he halted on the edge of a little clearing, close by the banks of the Kanawha. In the center of the clearing stood a log-cabin, something like the one which had held Virginia a prisoner.
The cabin, too, like the other, was deserted27. The perpetual danger existing of Indian attacks had caused the settlers to seek the protection of the station.
[18]
“There, young lady, this must be your home for a little while,” said Benton, as he strode into the cabin and placed Virginia upon her feet.
“Must I remain here?” asked the girl, in wonder.
“Yes, for a short time,” replied Benton.
“But why not take me at once to Point Pleasant?”
“Why it would probably cost both of us our lives should we attempt to reach the station at present,” replied Benton. “The woods between here and the mouth of the river are swarming28 with red-skins. You can judge how bold they are, when they dared attack and carry you off from so near the station.”
Virginia had little idea that one of her captors, one of the “red-men,” was even then speaking to her.
“Did you see my capture in the ravine?”
“Yes; I was concealed29 in the bushes. I did not dare to show myself, for the Indians were too strong. But I followed, hoping to get the chance by cunning to get you out of their hands.”
“And the young man that was with me?” Virginia asked, tremblingly. She wished to learn the truth, yet feared to.
“He was killed by the shot that struck him, fired by one of the Indians,” and Benton spoke30 what he believed to be the truth. He did not believe it possible that Winthrop could have survived his wound.
Virginia’s heart sunk within her at the fatal news. Her lover dead, she felt almost willing to die too.
“You remain here and I will go at once to Point Pleasant, find your father, tell him where you are, and then with a party strong enough to cope with the red-skins, he can come and rescue you.”
The plan was reasonable enough, and Virginia could find no fault with it, though she trembled to remain alone in the cabin while the woods around swarmed31 with hostile Indians.
“Suppose the savages should discover my retreat while you are absent?” Virginia asked.
“There is very little danger of that. All the Indians, with the exception of the party that captured you, have kept on the other side of the Kanawha. There is nothing to bring them on this side of the river. Keep within the shelter of the house. I will return by nightfall with your father and his friends.”
“Heaven will reward you, sir, I am sure, for this kindness to a helpless girl,” said Virginia, earnestly.
“I hope so,” replied Benton, with a grim smile upon his sallow face. Then he left the house, crossed the clearing, and disappeared in the thicket.
Virginia sunk upon her knees and poured out her heartfelt thanks to the Great Power that was, apparently32, watching so carefully over her life, and had brought a stranger to rescue her from the terrible danger that had menaced her well-being33.
Poor, innocent girl, she knew not that as she was thanking Heaven for her rescue, the snare34 was still close around her; that the man whom she looked upon as a friend and deliverer was a more deadly foe than any painted warrior6 that roamed the forests of the Ohio valley.
“The bird is in the net, and yet she imagines she is free! Oh, this will be a glorious vengeance36. Once before, years ago, I made the heart of my enemy writhe37 with anguish38, and now again I tear it. And this cunning plotter, Murdock, would use me as his tool. In yonder settlement for the moment I was in his power. Had he but spoken my name aloud, the settlers would have torn me to pieces with as little mercy as the wolves show to the wounded deer. But here, in the free woods, the tide of affairs is changed. Here I own no man as master.”
On through the forest, retracing39 his steps toward the cabin where Virginia had been confined, he went.
“Watega’s death I can not understand,” he said, musingly40, communing with himself as he walked onward. “Can it be possible that there is a spirit-form that haunts the woods and marks the Indians for his prey41? It is almost beyond belief, and yet there is no disputing the terrible evidence of his hand. Watega was a great brave; few warriors in the Shawnee tribe as good as he, and yet he falls by the hand of this Wolf Demon42, apparently without even a struggle for his life, if the words of Kenton can be believed, and he always speaks the truth. Can it be that it is some borderer in disguise that is doing this terrible work? No, that is improbable. Is it then a fiend from below that walks the earth in this dreadful shape? It is beyond my comprehension. I’d like to have him within rifle range once more, though; I’d soon prove whether the Wolf Demon be a demon indeed, or a mortal in a wolf’s skin.”
Proceeding43 rapidly onward with his swinging stride, Benton soon reached the cabin again. Bob was, as he had left him, fast asleep in the bushes.
The events that followed the arrival of Clement44 Murdock—how he found the cabin deserted and his prisoner gone—we have already related.
“Well, dog-gone my cats, if ’tain’t funny,” said Bob, scratching his head in wonder.
“I can not account for it!” cried Murdock, angrily.
“I wonder if this ’ere clearin’s got any spooks ’round it?” said Bob, with a nervous glance about him.
“One thing is certain, the girl is gone,” observed Benton.
“Yes, but how?” exclaimed Murdock.
“Maybe she clumb out of the roof,” suggested Bob.
“The roof is tight, you fool!” said Murdock, angrily.
“Let us search the forest; she may be concealed near here,” Murdock said.
We have omitted to state that Benton had replaced the war-paint upon his face before coming again to the little clearing.
“That will be your best plan,” observed Benton. “I wish you luck,” and as he spoke he turned upon his heel to depart.
“You are not going?” Murdock asked.
“Yes, I have kept my word with you and did what I promised, and now my way lies different from yours.”
“Well, I’ll keep your secret.”
“What do I care, now that I am out of the stockade46 of Point Pleasant, whether you do or not? Here, in the woods I fear no man,” and, with the haughty47 speech, the stranger departed. His form was soon lost to view among the foliage48 of the forest.
“Well, he’s a cuss, now, anyway,” said Bob, looking after the stranger in astonishment49.
“A man better to have for a friend than an enemy,” said Murdock, quietly; “but, come, let us see if we can not discover some traces of the girl.”
At the end of an hour the two were no wiser than when they began.
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1
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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2
ambushed
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| v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着 | |
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3
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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5
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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6
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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7
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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8
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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9
brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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10
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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11
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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12
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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13
toils
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| 网 | |
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14
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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15
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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16
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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17
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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18
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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19
redoubtable
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| adj.可敬的；可怕的 | |
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20
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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21
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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22
scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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23
parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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24
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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25
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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26
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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27
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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28
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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29
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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30
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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31
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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32
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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33
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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34
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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35
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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36
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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37
writhe
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| vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼 | |
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38
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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39
retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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40
musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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41
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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42
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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43
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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44
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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45
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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46
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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47
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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48
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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49
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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