Possibly such a prompt course might have succeeded, but he allowed the critical moment to pass, through fear that some additional cruelty would be visited on the heads of those whom he left behind.
When Aunt Peggy resumed her culinary operations, the patriots1 sat down again on the log, excited and fearful that the events of the last few minutes would precipitate2 the crisis they had been dreading3 for hours.
Habakkuk McEwen was alarmed, but he could do nothing more than give expressions to his sympathy for the victim of the old lady's wrath5, while he regretted, with an anguish6 which cannot be described, his failure to get away with Fred Godfrey, who, as it seemed to the New Englander, was the born favorite of fortune.
"Thank God!" was the fervent7 exclamation8 of Mr. Brainerd, as he compressed his lips, "Fred is beyond their reach."
"Are you sure of that?" asked Maggie.
"Sure of it!" repeated her parent, turning his gaze on her, while he smiled grimly. "Of course I am. When he escaped the clutches of Queen Esther to-day he had no darkness to help him, and the rascals9 were at his heels. Yet he got away safely, and he never would have fallen into their hands again but for his anxiety to help us. Now he is out there somewhere in the woods, where it is as dark as Egypt, and do you suppose he is the fool to allow them to take him again? Not by a long shot."
Maggie was immeasurably relieved to hear these words of her parent, which, it may be said, removed every fear for her brother from her thoughts.
"But, father," she added, "what can he do, with his arms bound?"
"Faugh! what's that? We are tied with green withes or vines that hurt like the mischief10, but it will take only a few minutes to rub them against the corner of a stone or rock and separate them. Have no fears about Fred," continued her father, "these red skins can whoop11 and yell, and howl and crack their heels together, but they'll never have another such a chance to scalp Fred Godfrey as they had a little while ago."
Her heart bled for her father, who sat as proudly upright and defiant12 as though at the head of a brigade of men; but she could only pray and utter brave words, in the hope of cheering him.
Poor Eva was so terrified that she cried continually. She clung to her beloved parent, and, fortunately, as yet none of her captors made any objection. She was determined13 to stay by him to the last.
The American Indian admires bravery as much as does his civilized14 enemy, and it needed no student of human nature to see that the few who remained were as much disgusted as amused with the sorry figure cut by their Tory leader in his affray with Aunt Peggy Carey.
This was proven by their refusal to interfere15, and by the grins that appeared among them when the comedy was going on. But they were under the leadership of the same Tory, and, when he came stumbling back from his fall over the log, and the lady resumed culinary operations, the Senecas became as owlishly glum16 as seems to be their nature.
They were helped in this feeling by the flight of Lieutenant17 Godfrey, the prisoner most prized. As it was, the entire party came near starting for the young man, but, unfortunately, they checked themselves in time to prevent a stampede on the part of the rest of the captives.
Jake Golcher, as we have said, came back dazed and pretty well subdued18. A great deal of his straggling hair had been removed by Aunt Peggy, and his countenance19 gridironed by her vigorous finger-nails.
He dropped down in a collapsed21 condition at one end of the log, removed from the captives, who, like the Indians, looked at him askance, half disposed to laugh outright22, despite the alarming danger.
In the mean time, Aunt Peggy was broiling23 the slices of tender pig with such care that she had a couple finished.
"There," she exclaimed, as she tossed the two in the direction of the Senecas, "I like to see hog24 eat hog, and you might as well begin."
The facetious25 red men scrambled26, like a lot of school-boys after a handful of marbles, and had they been so many wolves, the food could hardly have disappeared with greater celerity.
Paying no attention to the Tory, who sat on the fallen tree with his head drooping27 forward and his eyes fixed28 on nothing, the warriors29 started a curious scene.
Approaching quite close to Aunt Peggy, they crowded and pushed each other, eagerly waiting when she should be ready to fling them the prize for which their stomachs yearned31.
All were on their feet, and their black eyes, and quick, fidgeting movements, showed that their souls were in the business, or fun, as it might be termed.
There can be little question that, incredible as it may seem, the action of Aunt Peggy had rendered her somewhat of a favorite with the Indians. It is just such people who admire the vim32 and bravery of any one—especially when not expected.
There can be no means of knowing, and yet it is safe to suspect, that the most reverential of these Senecas was the warrior30 who had received such a ringing slap in the face when he dared to touch his painted lips to the virgin33 cheek of Aunt Peggy.
Such is human nature the world over. The red men laughed and tumbled about, as they scrambled for the bits of meat, while even Aunt Peggy's features relaxed into a grim smile, when she looked upon the amusing performance.
It was no more than natural that as she had gone up in the estimation of these dusky warriors, the one who had been vanquished34 sank correspondingly low.
Strange complications might result from this condition of affairs.
Perhaps a dozen or more slices of the pig were broiled35 and tossed among the struggling red men, by which time their appetites were so well attended to that they lost a great deal of the vigor20 with which in the first place they scrambled for the food.
But during this same time, which was only a few minutes, Jake Golcher was rapidly regaining36 a correct idea of the situation, and it was not long before he raised his head and surveyed the scene with interest.
He straightened up and watched them a brief while, when the stinging scratches on his face reminded him of the episode in which he had cut such a sorry figure.
"She beats ten thousand wildcats," he muttered, glaring at Aunt Peggy, who just then was smiling at the efforts of the Indians to seize the slice of young pork she tossed toward them.
"I don't understand how it was she knocked the spots out of me in that style; it must have been her awful temper, and because she come at me afore I knowed anything about it."
Very probably the causes named had much to do with the result.
"Why didn't some of them Senecas pull her off? It's just like 'em to be pleased with it, and I'm sure the rebels busted37 themselves with laughter to see me catch it."
Sitting on the fallen tree, he muttered:
"These warriors have all been put under me, and they've got to do what I tell 'em to do; we've played the fool too long in sparing 'em. They ought to have been put out of the way before this. Let me see—I'll fix it this way."
He first looked at Aunt Peggy, toward whom he felt a hatred39 inconceivable to any one not in his situation.
"I'll settle with her for this; it will be just like the Senecas to refuse to burn her at a tree, because she is such a she-panther; but I'll give her a touch of the knife myself, that will prevent her ever pulling out half my hair agin.
"I'll keep the two gals40 there, for they'll stick together, and I'm bound to bring that proud Maggie Brainerd to terms. If she'll do the right thing by me I'll let up on her father that I hate worse than p'ison. As for that long-legged Habakkuk, I don't know what to think of him; it may be he's one of us, though I have my doubts. I'll wait and see; but won't I level things up with that 'ere Fred Godfrey? Wal, I should rather guess so. I'll make sure he's out of the way. I s'pose he's sittin' over there wondering when his turn is comin'. He won't be kept wondering long."
Wishing to gratify his nature, he leaned forward and peered around Mr. Brainerd to see how Fred Godfrey was taking it.
But he failed to discover the young man.
Making sure he was not on the log, Golcher rose to his feet and stared here and there in a hurried search for the youth.
He was invisible, and, with a vague fear, the Tory strode to Mr. Brainerd.
"Where's that son of yours?"
"Well, sir," was the response, "I judge that by this time he's about half a mile away in the woods, and safely beyond the reach of all the warriors and Tories that ever had their hair yanked out by an elderly lady not in the enjoyment41 of very rugged42 health!"
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1
patriots
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| 爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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rascals
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| 流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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19
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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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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broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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24
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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25
facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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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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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vim
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| n.精力，活力 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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broiled
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| a.烤过的 | |
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regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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38
gauging
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| n.测量[试]，测定，计量v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的现在分词 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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39
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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40
gals
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| abbr.gallons （复数）加仑（液量单位）n.女孩，少女( gal的名词复数 ) | |
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41
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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42
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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