A look of triumph swept over the blood-stained face of the Wolf Demon1 as he looked upon the lifeless form of the Shawnee warrior2.
From the cut in the head of the Wolf the blood was slowly trickling3, but he did not seem to mind the hurt.
With a hoarse4 cry of joy he knelt by the side of the man whom he had strangled to death with his powerful arms.
He tore the hunting-shirt from the breast of the dead chieftain; then he drew the dead man’s knife from his girdle.
Three rapid dashes and the Red Arrow, graven in the flesh, was blazoned5 on the breast of the Shawnee warrior.
“Inhuman dog, more like the wolf in heart than I, thus do I mark you,” the Wolf Demon cried in a voice hoarse with passion. “Eleven red demons6 slew7 the Red Arrow, eleven Shawnee warriors8 have I slain9. Not one of the murdering band has escaped my steel. She fell in the blazing cabin amid the great green wood, near where the Muskingum waters laugh and play. The assassins have fallen in the glade10 and in the woodland, by the banks of the Scioto and the Ohio, in the paths of the Shawnee village and by the lodge11-fires of the Chillicothe. I have struck them down by night and by day. And on each breast, in memory of the Indian maid that I once loved so well, have I stamped the Red Arrow. Now, at last, the chief of the red band of slayers has felt the edge of the scalping-knife. My work is done—my mission ended, and now, death, take me for thine own.” The Wolf Demon rose to his feet and glared wildly around him. His eyes were starting from their sockets12 and gleamed like balls of fire.
“What is this I see?” he cried, suddenly; “a river of blood! It is the blood of the red warriors that have fallen by my hand, and she the loved and lost is in its center. She beckons13 me to her. I see her as plainly as I did an hour ago when she sprung from the earth in the woodland glade by the hollow oak, to save the young Indian warrior from my vengeance14. I know that he was not one of the assassin band that took thy life, but in his veins15 ran the blood of the accursed Shawnees, and I had doomed16 him to the death. But I spared him. Did you not come from thy spirit home among the blest and lift up thy hand to stay my arm? Go on, I’ll follow thee! Death is near. It is welcome, for it brings me to thee, my love. I hear the song of angels in mine ears! I am coming.”
Slowly, with his eyes fixed17 vacantly on the air, the Wolf Demon came from the lodge, descended18 the bank, and hid by it from sight, left the Shawnee village.
Boone touched Kenton on the arm as if to call his attention, but Kenton had already perceived the terrible figure.
“Shall we fire at him?” questioned Kenton, in a whisper, and the usually firm hand of the borderer trembled as he fumbled20 with the lock of his gun.
“No, no!” cried Boone, quickly, and in a cautious whisper; “the report would bring the hull21 of the Shawnee village down upon as, jist like stirring up a nest of hornets.”
“What shall we do, then?”
“We’ll follow and attack him in the forest,” answered Boone.
The Wolf Demon came slowly on, his eyes staring full upon the air before him. He passed by the ambush of the two woodmen and entered the thicket22.
“Jist look at his face! it’s kivered all over with blood!” exclaimed Boone, in wonder.
“He’s fixed another Shawnee, I reckon,” said Kenton, seriously.
“Sim, it’s a terrible thing to attack this awful critter,” said Boone, with a grave look upon his honest face.
“I didn’t see as he had any we’pons, but ef he’s the devil, he don’t need any. Come on, we’ll give him a tussle27, anyway. Lord, I wish I could remember a prayer or two,” said Boone, seriously.
Then with cautious steps they followed on the trail of the Wolf Demon.
The singular being pursued the same path returning that he had taken when coming through the wood.
He moved so slow that the two in pursuit followed him without difficulty.
Every now and then he halted for a moment and then again went on.
His steps became irregular. The hunters, following close behind, noticed that he was reeling like a drunken man.
From side to side he swayed as he made his way through the forest.
He reached the little glade by the side of which stood the hollow oak.
“Let’s attack him in the glade!” cried Boone, as he and Kenton reached the edge of the opening and beheld28 the Wolf Demon standing29 motionless, as if irresolute30, in the center of it.
“Come on, then.”
Clubbing their rifles—they did not dare to fire for fear of the report arousing the Indian village—the two scouts31 dashed into the opening.
Hearing the noise of their footsteps, the Wolf Demon turned, extended his arms as if to stay their progress, and then, with a heavy groan32, fell sideways to the ground. The sudden shock burst the wolf-head from its fastenings to the body, and it rolled away from the prostrate33 figure.
The scouts halted in astonishment34.
The wolf-head gone, the head of a man, covered with light, clustering curls, was revealed to their gaze.
Quickly they knelt by the side of the Wolf Demon and wiped the blood and war-paint from his face.
The superstitious35 fear of the woodmen was all gone now, for they knew that it was a human form that lay extended on the earth before them.
The terrible Wolf Demon was dying. The tomahawk of the Shawnee had given him his death-wound. The strong limbs, once so powerful, were now made feeble by the near approach of that terrible mystery that human mind never yet has solved.
The two scouts lifted up the head of the dying man. His eyes opened slowly and, with a vacant look, he gazed around him.
“Oh, what a terrible dream!” he murmured, faintly.
“It seems as if I have waded37 through a river of blood—fresh, warm blood, gushing38, freely, from terrible wounds. I dreamed that I had been changed into a wolf, a beast with a human soul, and in that soul one thought only, vengeance on the Shawnee nation. In the light and in the darkness I sought that vengeance. The red braves fell around my path as the wheat falls around the reaper39, yet I staid not my hand, for the cry went up for blood, rivers of it. On each victim I cut my mark, a Red Arrow, in remembrance of the wife that the red demons tore from me a year ago by the Muskingum. I was gifted with the cunning of a maniac40, for at times I am mad. The wound on my head, that I received from a falling rafter on that fearful night when my wife was killed, affected41 my brain. In my madness I must have dreamed all these terrible things. Dreamed that I fashioned myself a wolf-skin like a wolf, and then struck down my foes42. A hollow oak in the forest was my home; there I concealed43 my wolf-skin when my mad fit was over. Oh! it was a terrible dream.”
Boone and Kenton exchanged glances; they knew that the dream was a reality.
Then the eyes of the stricken man, glaring around him, fell upon the strange disguise that covered his person.
“What is this?” he cried, in horror; “the skin of a wolf! Then it is not a dream! No, no, I see all clearly now; the near approach of death has cleared my eyes unto the truth. In my madness I have been like an avenging44 angel to the Shawnee nation. I see their tall forms around me now—masculine warriors—the tomahawk cut is on their skulls45, and on their breast is graven in lines of warm blood the emblem46 of vengeance, the Red Arrow!”
“Heaven have mercy on his soul,” said the rough old Indian-fighter, solemnly.
Kenton turned his head aside to brush away a tear. He had seen many a death-scene, but none like this.
Again the dying man raised his head. A soft light now gleamed in his blood-shot eyes.
“I see you,” and he extended his hand feebly toward the thicket. Kenton and Boone looked in amazement48, but they beheld nothing. The sight was visible to the eyes of the stricken man, alone.
“See, she beckons me to come—no more blood, but peace—peace and love eternal. I will come—see! she is there amid the cloud, I come—wait.”
[44]
No more would the Wolf Demon carry terror to the hearts of the Shawnee warriors.
With their hunting-knives the two scouts scooped53 a shallow grave beneath the boughs54 of the hollow oak, and there, by the pale light of the dying moon, they placed the mortal remains55 of Abe Lark, the terrible Wolf Demon, the white husband of the Indian girl—Ke-ne-ha-ha’s daughter—“The Red Arrow.”
The blood on Lark’s cap was easily accounted for by the woodmen when they noticed a slight wound on the forehead of the body, made by some bramble in the madman’s rapid flight through the forest.
Boone and Kenton returned to Point Pleasant, and great was the wonder of all when they learned who the Wolf Demon was.
The Indian expedition was abandoned. The death of the Shawnee chieftain broke up the proposed confederacy.
Winthrop and Virginia were married in due time, much to the disgust of Clement56 Murdock, who, shortly after, with Bob Tierson, emigrated to Kentucky, and there met his death at the hands of the Regulators for horse-stealing. Tierson, less guilty, escaped with a sound thrashing.
Kate bore her cross with resignation, and none guessed the love that was in her heart.
Our task is ended. The strange legend of the Wolf Demon is ended. It is some six years since—with fishing-rod in hand—the writer explored the pleasant tract57 of country bounded by the Scioto, the Ohio, and the Muskingum; and he little dreamed then, when, in a rude log-hut, an aged58 hunter told the strange old Indian legend, that he should ever give to the world the story of the Red Arrow and the Wolf Demon.
THE END.
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1
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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blazoned
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| v.广布( blazon的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布；夸示；装饰 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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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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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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10
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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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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sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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beckons
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的第三人称单数 ) | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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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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avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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tussle
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| n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩 | |
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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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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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irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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31
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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32
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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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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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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reaper
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| n.收割者，收割机 | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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42
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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43
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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44
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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45
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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46
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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48
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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50
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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51
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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52
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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53
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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54
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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55
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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56
clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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