They did not advance immediately to the attack, as the defenders2 expected. Instead, they sat on their horses like bronze statues, as soon as they had taken up their positions.
The men of the little garrison3, clutching their rifles tightly, waited impatiently for the fray4 behind the log walls where they lay concealed5.
In a few moments three men rode out from the Indian host, one of them, in the center, bearing a white flag, which he waved above his head as he approached the walls of the fort.
He was a man of gigantic stature7, and he rode a big horse which absolutely dwarfed8 the small ponies9 of his companions.
As he halted about twenty yards outside the fort, Buffalo10 Bill could see at a glance that he was a white man, although he was dressed in the paint and feathers of a Sioux chieftain.
His two companions were redskins, one being a Cheyenne and the other a Crow. Thus the three tribes which had entered into a confederacy were represented under the flag of truce11.
“That’s the renegade Irishman, sure enough!” said Buffalo Bill to the colonel, who nodded agreement.
“We want to come inside the fort to discuss terms of surrender with you.”
“This fort will never surrender while I am in command,” the colonel answered, “and we will hold no talk with renegades and murderers. Go back to your redskin allies at once, unless you want a bullet through your head!”
The renegade had expected this answer, but he had had a lingering hope that he might have been allowed inside the fort on the pretense14 of discussing terms of surrender, and then he would have been able to gain some valuable information as to the number of the garrison and the strength of the defenses.
His disappointment showed plainly in the vicious grin which flitted for a moment over his evil face. His left eye, which had a squint15, glared horribly.
It was this defect that had gained for him his Sioux name, Bad Eye.
He shook the rein13 of his horse, and tried to urge the animal right underneath16 the wall of the fort; but before it had advanced three steps a bullet from Buffalo Bill’s rifle cut a feather from the headdress of the rider.
As Kennelly hastily reined his horse back, Buffalo Bill sang out:
“The next bullet will go through your head, Bad Eye, unless you clear out at once. The white flag was never meant to protect such scoundrels as you are.”
Seeing that nothing further was to be gained, the three men turned their horses and rode back to the ranks of the Indians.
Before he departed, however, the representative of the Cheyennes drew his scalping knife, and sent it hurtling through the air at the log wall of the fort, where it stuck, quivering. Then he raised his arm and uttered a defiant17 war cry.
One of the soldiers lifted his rifle to shoot the brave, but Buffalo Bill struck the weapon upward before the man could fire.
“He has a right to defy us,” said the border king, “and he is a brave man. We won’t shoot him under the white flag, even if he is a redskin.”
True to their natural instincts, they were cautious at first, beginning by long-range firing.
Some of them dashed toward the walls of the fort on horseback, circling around and lying down in the saddle to avoid presenting an easy mark. They fired their rifles, and then retreated hastily.
But the greater portion of the Indian army dismounted and advanced to the attack on foot, taking advantage of every bit of cover they could find.
Following out Buffalo Bill’s suggestion, the garrison only made a feeble reply to the heavy fusillade poured in upon them.
The volleys of the Indians did little harm, most of their bullets burying themselves harmlessly in the thick walls of the log fort.
Two of the soldiers were killed by bullets which entered the loopholes through which they were firing, and three others were slightly wounded.
On the other hand, at least a dozen redskins bit the dust in the first few minutes’ fighting, although only twenty or thirty men fired at them.
They approached nearer to the fort, and the colonel ordered another twenty-five men to join the firing party.
By gradually increasing the resistance, he wanted to make it appear that he was putting forth19 his greatest possible effort to repel20 the onslaught.
Suddenly there was a loud war whoop21, which Buffalo[24] Bill recognized as coming from the renegade, Kennelly.
Next moment the entire force of the Indians leaped to their feet and charged toward the fort, uttering a chorus of frightful22 yells that would have made the blood of most men run cold.
When the leaders of the host were within about thirty yards of the walls, the colonel shouted:
“Now, boys, let them have it!”
Instantly there was a blaze of flame all around the fort.
Over five hundred rifles discharged their dreaded23 messengers of death at the same moment, and the four field guns, posted one at each corner of the fort, hailed shell at the advancing Indians, tearing terrible gaps in their ranks.
It was impossible for any army to withstand such a sudden and fearful shock. The redskins halted with one accord, as if they had suddenly been struck with paralysis24.
Another volley was poured into them as they ran, and they fell all around the fort by dozens.
The colonel hastily gave orders for a sortie and a charge, with the idea of cutting them up as they fled and keeping them on the run.
The horses were at hand, all saddled, for this purpose, and in less than two minutes three hundred men were speeding from the fort, headed by Buffalo Bill.
But by this time the Indians had reached their own horses and were galloping26 away in all directions. Many of them were shot before they could escape, and the rest were chased for two or three miles, until they began to bunch together in strong parties and return the fire of the white men.
Then Buffalo Bill, who had been placed in charge of the pursuing party by the colonel, ordered a retreat to the fort.
He did not wish to get too far away in the darkness and risk spoiling the great victory by a subsequent reverse.
The Indians still greatly outnumbered the band under his command, and if they turned on him they would be able to do serious damage. He, therefore, gave them a parting volley and rode back at the head of his men.
“I reckon we must have killed at least two hundred of them around the walls of the fort,” said the colonel, clasping him warmly by the hand. “How many did you get in the pursuit?”
“Fifty or sixty, as nearly as I can figure it,” replied the border king.
It was a great victory, and it had been bought at a comparatively trifling27 cost. Only about a dozen of the defenders had been killed, most of them during the pursuit, and not more than twenty were wounded.
“Do you suppose the redskins have had enough?” asked the colonel.
“No, I don’t,” Buffalo Bill said. “Of course, this is a galling28 repulse29 for them, but all three of the tribes are brave and persevering30 in warfare31, especially the Sioux. This defeat will merely enrage32 them and make them all the more anxious to have revenge on Uncle Sam’s troopers.”
Wild Bill rode at this moment to the two men as they stood talking. He was mounted on one of the swiftest horses in the fort, and he led another splendid animal, which he offered to Buffalo Bill.
“These are the best beasts I could pick out of the bunch, Buffler,” he said.
Buffalo Bill mounted without a word, and offered his hand to the colonel.
“Where are you going?” asked the astonished officer.
“Where else but to Fort Hays,” said Buffalo Bill. “We had arranged to ride there as soon as it was dark, and if you will hand us the dispatch we will get off at once.”
“But the country is full of the fleeing Indians,” the colonel objected, “and there is not one chance in ten thousand of your getting through. It is sheer madness to attempt to ride under these new conditions.”
The border king laughed lightly, and said:
“We are still waiting for that dispatch, colonel.”
The officer looked at him steadily33 for a moment, and saw that argument would be useless. Nothing would turn the gallant34 and famous scout35 from his heroic purpose. Nor was Wild Bill one whit6 less resolute36.
Without another word, the colonel took the dispatch from his pocket and handed it to Buffalo Bill. Then he shook the two scouts37 by the hand, and a minute later they were galloping away in the direction of Fort Hays.
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1
deployed
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| （尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用 | |
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2
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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3
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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4
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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5
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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6
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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dwarfed
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| vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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9
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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10
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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11
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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12
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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13
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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14
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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15
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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16
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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17
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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18
envoys
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| 使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份 | |
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19
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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20
repel
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| v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥 | |
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21
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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22
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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23
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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24
paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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25
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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26
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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27
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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28
galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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29
repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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30
persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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31
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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32
enrage
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| v.触怒，激怒 | |
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33
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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34
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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35
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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36
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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37
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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