"Here's a pretty go," he growled3, as he sat down on the ground, his face contorted with pain; "it'll be a long time before I'll be able to stand, and the boys will have to bring one75 of the hosses here or else carry me home. Hello!"
He shouted at the top of his voice, feeling no alarm, for he knew that his friends would come to his relief before long, even if they did not hear his voice; but then he reflected, as he sat on the ground beside the two beavers4 that he had killed and was carrying to his home, that he was in bad form if a wild animal should assail5 him, or there should happen to be a hostile Indian prowling in the vicinity. He had left his gun at the cabin, as was his practice, since he needed all his strength to bring in the products of the traps.
He was startled, therefore, after his third shout; an Indian warrior6, fully7 armed, walked out of the wood and came toward him; but his signs of peace, and more than all, the words he uttered, removed his fears.
"My brother suffers; Deerfoot will help him to his cabin."
"If that's so," said the greatly relieved Bowlby, "you're just the chap I'm waiting for. We'll leave these beavers here for the others to come after, and if you'll let me lean76 on your shoulder I guess I can hobble back; but I'll have to lean heavy," he added, looking doubtfully at the Indian, "and you ain't much more than a likely lad."
"Let my brother try me," said Deerfoot, with a smile.
The disabled hunter did try him, often compelled, as he was, to bear to such an extent upon his new friend that it may be said the latter sustained half his weight. The progress was slow, and when they reached a small stream of water, Bowlby sat down and allowed the young Shawanoe to bathe the inflamed8 limb. Great relief was felt.
During this labored9 walk homeward, the two naturally talked a good deal together and learned much about each other. Deerfoot said that he had often hunted through the surrounding country, and he told why it was he had found it necessary to leave his tribe on the other side of the Mississippi. He said that he had spent more than one night in the deserted10 cabin of Bowlby and his friends during the summer months, when he found himself belated in the vicinity, and he once shot a wolf that was resolved on entering against his protest. It was his intention to make a call upon the hunters, and if they needed his aid, he was glad to give it in the way of helping11 trap or shoot game. You need not be told that though James Bowlby felt an innate12 dislike of the American race, there was now one exception: henceforth he was the sworn friend of Deerfoot the Shawanoe.
Linden and Hardin had got back from making their rounds, and were wondering what could have delayed their friend, when they saw him limping painfully on one foot, and supported by a fine looking young Indian warrior. Their astonishment13 was great, for they could not understand what it meant. Linden hastened to the help of Bowlby, but he waved him aside and said no one could do as well as Deerfoot.
While Hardin went out to bring in the two beavers that had been taken from the traps by Bowlby, the latter was assisted to a seat on the log in front of the cabin. Then Deerfoot insisted on giving attention to the injured limb. It had swollen14 a great deal since he bathed it. There was nothing in the cabin in the way of ointment15 or liniment, but Deerfoot hastened into the wood and soon came back with the leaves of some plant whose virtues16 seemed to be well known to him. These were wrapped in a piece of linen17, which the establishment managed to afford, and pounded to a pulp18, and then the poultice was gently applied19 to the inflamed ankle. Bowlby declared that it felt better at once, but his face lengthened21 when Deerfoot told him that it would be a moon, or several weeks, before he would fully recover the use of his limb.
"That will make us short-handed, and we need every one," said Mr. Linden; "I wish Fred was here to give us help."
"I think I can ride my hoss to Greville," said Bowlby, "and bring him back with me."
"That is hardly worth while."
"Where is the home of my brother?" gently asked Deerfoot.
"At the settlement of Greville, about a hundred miles to the north."
"Deerfoot knows where it is," he replied; "he will take a message for his brother, for his footsteps lead him that way."
"You're a mighty22 clever Indian; I will be ever so much obliged to you," said Linden; "I will write a few lines to my boy, which will explain our trouble, though I have no doubt you could take the message just as well; but it is such an unexpected one that the boy might doubt it unless it was in my own writing. See?"
The Shawanoe nodded his head to signify that it was all clear to him. Linden passed within the cabin, where he hurriedly wrote the few lines that are already known to the reader, folded the paper, and wrote on the outside:
"FREDERICK LINDEN, **ususual
Grevil."
He then handed it to Deerfoot, saying:
"There is no special hurry, and if you are in the neighborhood of Greville, and can make it convenient to leave that at my house, it will be a great kindness to me."
"If the Great Spirit does not will different it shall be in his hands before the setting of three more suns, but," added Deerfoot, looking80 at the superscription on the back of the paper, "has not my brother made a mistake?"
"What do you mean?"
"When Deerfoot writes the word 'Greville,' he adds two letters more than does my brother; perhaps, though, Deerfoot is wrong."
No pen can describe the amazement23 that appeared on the faces of Linden and Bowlby. Here was a young Indian teaching a white man old enough to be his father how to spell in the English language! Was the like ever known?
For a full minute neither of the hunters spoke24. They were sitting on the log, while Deerfoot was standing25 in front of them. He held his rifle in his right hand and the folded piece of paper in his left, while he looked inquiringly down in the faces of the two men, whose mouths and eyes were open, as though they could not believe the evidence of their own senses. Finally, with a deep sigh, Linden slowly rose to his feet—
"Well, by gracious! if that don't beat every thing! Do you mean to say that you can read writing? Impossible!"
Then, as if still in doubt, he reached out and took the paper. Drawing a stump26 of a lead pencil from his pocket he completed the word properly, opened the paper, and handing it back to the Indian, said:
"Let's hear you read that."
"My brother writes so that any one can read his words," observed the young Shawanoe by way of introduction, and then in a low, soft voice he read the brief note from beginning to end.
Bowlby, who had not yet spoken, seemed unable to express his emotions. Unable himself to read, the attainment27 of the Indian was almost past belief. As the best thing, therefore, that he could do, he solemnly reached out his hand to Linden and shook it with great earnestness. Settling painfully back on the log, he nodded his head several times as if he was almost overcome, as indeed was the case.
I should state at this point that although Linden had not seen fit to make it known, he had heard of Deerfoot the Shawanoe long before. He knew of some of his exploits in Kentucky, as well as those of later years on82 the western bank of the Mississippi (which are told in the "Young Pioneer" and the "Log Cabin Series"), but he had never met the youth, nor had he ever heard or suspected that he knew how to read and write. Taking hold of his arm, he asked:
"Where in the name of all that is wonderful did you learn that? When I wrote to Fred that I would tell him some things about you I did not know of the most extraordinary of all—that which I have just seen. Sit right down here, between me and Jim, and let us know all about it."
Deerfoot held back, but yielded, and finally answered in his modest way the numerous questions with which he was plied20. Bowlby had managed to find his tongue, and his queries28 were about twice as numerous as those of his companion. By the time that Deerfoot had time to rest, Hardin came back, and there was little left to tell.
The Shawanoe had captured the Hunters of the Ozark. They insisted that he should stay to dinner with them, and he did so. Then he was badgered to enter into a shooting match. All were fine marksmen, and Linden was the best shot in Greville. Using his own rifle, Deerfoot beat every one of them. Then he exchanged weapons and allowed the crippled Bowlby to rest his piece, and the Shawanoe beat all three just as badly as before. They were delighted, and slapping him on the back, asked him to spend a week with them, but he shook his head.
The sun was already beyond the meridian29, and there were reasons for his departure which he could not explain. They liked him too well to insist, though they made him promise that on the first chance he would make them a visit. Then Deerfoot gravely pressed hands with all and quickly disappeared in the woods, taking the trail that led toward Greville. You have already learned about his meeting with Terry Clark and Fred Linden.
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1
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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2
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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3
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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4
beavers
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| 海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人 | |
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5
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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7
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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8
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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10
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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11
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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12
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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13
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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14
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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17
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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18
pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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23
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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24
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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25
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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26
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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27
attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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28
queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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