The brave words had scarce passed from Walt Wilder’s lips when the waggons2 became enveloped4 in a cloud of smoke. From all sides it rolled into the corral till those inside could no longer see one another.
Still through the obscurity rang their cries of mutual5 encouragement, repeating the determination so tersely6 expressed.
They knew they had no water by which to extinguish the fast-threatening flames; yet in that moment of emergency they thought of an expedient7. There were shovels8 in the waggons; and laying hold of these, they commenced flinging sand over the places that had caught fire, with the intent to smother9 the incipient10 blaze. Left alone, and with time, they might have succeeded. But they were not left alone, for the savages12, seeing the advantage they had gained, were now fast closing for a final charge upon the corral, and the implements13 of industry had to be abandoned.
These were thrown despairingly aside; and the besieged14, once more grasping their rifles, sprang back into the waggons—each with eager eye searching for an assailant. Though themselves half blinded by the smoke, they could still see the enemy outside; for the Indians, grown confident by the coup15 they had made, were now riding recklessly near. Quick came the reports of rifles—faster and more frequent than ever; fast as ten men, all practised marksmen, could load and fire. In less than sixty seconds nearly a score of savages dropped to the death-dealing bullets, till the plain appeared strewn with dead bodies.
But the crisis had come—the time for a general charge of the whole band; and now the dusky outside ring was seen gradually contracting towards the corral—the savages advancing from all sides, some on foot, others on horseback, all eager to secure the trophy16 of a scalp.
On they came, violently gesticulating, and uttering wild vengeful shouts.
With the besieged it was a moment for despair. The waggons were on fire all around them, and in several places flames were beginning to flicker17 up through the smoke. They no longer thought of making any attempt to extinguish them. They knew it would be idle.
Did they think of surrender? No—not a man of them. That would have been equally idle. In the voices of the advancing foe19 there was not an accent of mercy.
Surrender! And be slain20 afterwards! Before which to be tortured, perhaps dragged at the horse’s tail, or set up as a target for the Tenawa sharpshooters to practise at. No! They would have to die anyhow. Better now than then. They were not the men to offer both cheeks to the insulter. They could resign sweet life, but death would be all the sweeter with corpses21 of Indians lying thickly around them. They would first make a hecatomb of their hated foes22, and then fall upon it. That is the sort of death preferred by the prairie man—hunter, trapper, or trader—glorious to him as the cannon-furrowed field to the soldier. That is the sort of death of which Walt Wilder spoke23 when he said, “Let us die, not like dogs, but as men—as Americans!”
By this time the smoke had completely enveloped the waggons, the enclosed space between, and a fringe of some considerable width around them. But a still darker ring was all around—the circle of savage11 horsemen, who from all sides were galloping25 up and dismounting to make surer work of the slaughter26. The warriors27 jostled one another as they pressed forward afoot, each thirsting for a scalp.
The last throe of the conflict had come. It was no longer to be a duel28 at a distance—no more a contest between rifle-bullets and barbed arrows; but the close, desperate, hand-to-hand contest of pistol, knife, spear, club, and hatchet.
The ten white men—none of them yet hors de combat—knew well what was before them. Not one of them blanched29 or talked of backing. They did not even think of surrender. It would have been too late to sue for mercy, had they been so inclined.
But they were not. Attacked without provocation30, and treacherously31, as they had been, their fury was stronger than their fear; and anger now nerved them to frenzied32 energy of action.
The savages had already closed around the waggons, clustering upon the wheels, some like snakes, wriggling33 through the spaces left undefended. Rifles ceased to ring; but pistols cracked—repeating pistols, that dealt death at every shot, sending redskin after redskin to the happy hunting grounds. And by the pistol’s flash blades were seen gleaming through the smoke—now bright, anon dimmed, and dripping blood.
For every white man that fell, at least three red ones went down upon the sand.
The unequal contest could not long continue. Scarce ten minutes did it last, and but for the obscuring smoke five would have finished it. This was in favour of the assailed34, enabling them to act with advantage against the assailants. Such a quick, wholesale35 slaughter did the white men make with their revolvers that the savages, surprised and staggered by it, for a moment recoiled36, and appeared as if again going to retreat.
They did not—they dared not. Their superior numbers—the shame of being defeated by such a handful of foes—the glory of conquest—and, added to it, an angry vengeance37 now hot in their hearts—all urged them on; and the attack was renewed with greater earnestness than ever.
Throughout every scene in the strife38 Frank Hamersley had comported39 himself with a courage that made his men feel less fear of death, and less regret to die by his side. Fighting like a lion, he had been here, and there, and everywhere. He had done his full share of slaving.
It was all in vain. Though standing40 in the midst of thick smoke, unseeing and unseen, he knew that most of his faithful men had fallen. He was admonished41 of this by their less frequent responses to his cries of encouragement, telling him the struggle was close upon its termination. No wonder his fury was fast giving place to despair. But it was no craven fear, nor any thought of escape. His determination not to be taken alive was strong as ever.
His hand still firmly clasped his bowie-knife, its blade dripping with the blood of more than one enemy; for into the body of more than one had he plunged42 it. He clutched it with the determination still farther to kill—to take yet another life before parting with his own.
It was hopeless, useless slaughter; but it was sweet. Almost insane with anger, he thought it sweet.
Three dusky antagonists43 lay dead at his feet, and he was rushing across the corral in search of a fourth. A giant figure loomed44 up before him, looking more gigantic from the magnifying effect of the smoke. It was not that of a savage; it was Walt Wilder.
“Dead beat!” hoarsely45 and hurriedly muttered the guide. “We must go under, Frank. We’re boun’ to go under, if we don’t—”
“Don’t what, Walt?”
“Git away from hyar.”
“Impossible.”
“No. Thar’s still a chance, I think—for us two anyways. There ain’t many o’ the others left, an’ ef thar war, we can’t do ’em any good now. Our stayin’ ’ud be no use—no use dyin’ along wi’ ’em; while ef we get clar, we mout live to revenge ’em. Don’t ye see our two horses are still safe? Thar they air, cowerin’ clost in agin one o’ the waggons. ’Tain’t much kit46? I admit; still thar’s a shadder. Come, Frank, and let’s try it.”
Hamersley hesitated. It was at thought of deserting even the last of his faithful followers47, who had sacrificed, or were still sacrificing, their lives in his service. But, as the guide had truly said what good could he do them by staying and getting killed? And he might survive to avenge48 them!
The last reflection would have decided49 him! But Wilder had not waited for him to determine. While speaking the urgent words, he laid his huge hand upon Hamersley’s shoulder and half led, half dragged him in the direction of the horses. “Keep hold o’ yur rifle, though it air empty,” hurriedly counselled the guide. “If we shed get away, it will be needed. We mout as well go under hyar as be upon the pararira without a gun. Now mount!”
Almost mechanically the young Kentuckian climbed upon the back of the horse nearest to him—his own. The guide had not yet mounted his; but, as could be seen through the smoke, was leaning against the wheel of one of the waggons. In an instant after Hamersley perceived that the vehicle was in motion, and could hear a slight grating noise as the tire turned in the sand. The great Conestoga, with its load had yielded to the strength of the Colossus.
In another instant he had sprung upon his horse’s back and riding close to Hamersley, muttered in his ear, “Now I’ve opened a crack atween two o’ the wehicles. Let’s cut out through it. We kin18 keep in the kiver o’ the smoke as far as it’ll screen us. You foller, an’ see that ye don’t lose sight o’ me. If we must go under in the eend, let it be out on the open plain, an’ not shut up hyar like badgers50 in a barr’l. Follow me clost, Frank. Now or niver!”
Almost mechanically the young Kentuckian yielded obedience51; and in ten seconds after the two horsemen had cleared the waggon3 clump52, with the shouting crowd that encircled it and were going at full gallop24 across the sand-strewn plain.
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1
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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4
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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7
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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8
shovels
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| n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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9
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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10
incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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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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12
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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13
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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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
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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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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corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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23
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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24
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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25
galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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26
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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27
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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28
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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29
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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30
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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31
treacherously
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| 背信弃义地； 背叛地； 靠不住地； 危险地 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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33
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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34
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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35
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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36
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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37
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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38
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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39
comported
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| v.表现( comport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
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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41
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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42
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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43
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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44
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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45
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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46
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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47
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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48
avenge
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| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
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49
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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50
badgers
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| n.獾( badger的名词复数 )；獾皮；（大写）獾州人（美国威斯康星州人的别称）；毛鼻袋熊 | |
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51
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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52
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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