"Now, see here," said Jack1; after the young Indian straightened up, "you have told me more than once that that deer is yours. I don't know whether it is or not, for the creature didn't fall till I shot him----"
"He mine! he mine!" interrupted the other, laying his hand in a threatening manner on his knife. "My name Arowaka--me Wyandot; father, Hua-awa-oma--he great chief!"
"He may be a great chief among his own people, but you won't find him of much account among white folk. What I meant to say, Arowaka, is that your saying that the game is yours doesn't make it yours. You have your hand on your knife. I have a knife too, and I am not afraid of you."
The young Wyandot showed by his manner that he was surprised. Clearly he did not expect such a rebuff as this, and, though his swarthy hand still rested on his weapon, he did not draw it forth2.
"What is your bow good for, any way?" continued Jack, with a smile at the primitive3 weapon. "You Indians can't do half as much with your bows and arrows as we can with our guns. I killed two painters with my rifle last night, and I'll warrant that that's more than you ever did in all your life."
At this point it struck Jack that he would do a foolish thing to engage in a quarrel with the young Indian over the ownership of so small a thing as the carcase of a deer. Since he had not only defied the other, but forced him to pause in his demands, the white youth felt more kindly5 towards him.
"See here, Arowaka," he added, "I think I have as much right to the game as you, but I don't want it half as bad. I'll let you have it. Why don't you pick it up and carry it off?"
The Wyandot, who must have understood these words, looked at the speaker with a curious expression, that is, so far as it could be seen through the paint with which his face was daubed.
"What your name?" he asked, in a lower voice than before.
"Jack Gedney, and I live only a short distance up the path yonder."
"Me know," said the other. "Jack have fine gun."
"You are right about that," was the proud answer of the lad.
"Me like see him."
Jack was too wise to trust his valuable weapon in the hands of the young scamp, who would be glad enough to steal it. Still, he thought it safe to let him have a better view of it than he could have so long as it was held in the two hands of the owner.
So our young friend was foolish enough to compromise. He leaned his gun against the nearest tree, where the eye could trace its whole beautiful shape, from the muzzle7 to the lowermost corner of the ornamented8 stock.
Jack took care to stand quite close to the piece, so that, if the young Wyandot should make an attempt to seize it, he could be ahead of him.
To the surprise of Jack, the Wyandot, instead of advancing towards the weapon, moved back several paces, just as a person does when he wishes to view all the points of some large object.
"He knows better than to try to take it from me," was the conclusion of Jack, "for I would fight him like a painter, and I would never give up that gun except with my life."
At this moment came the greatest surprise of Jack Gedney's life. He was looking admiringly at his weapon when the hand of an Indian warrior9 softly reached from behind the tree, and grasped the barrel. An instant later the figure of a Wyandot stepped into sight, holding his bow in one hand and the captured rifle in the other.
No one can imagine the consternation10 of Jack Gedney, who had allowed his prize to pass from his possession without so much as raising a finger to prevent it. It looked indeed as if the young Wyandot had been trying to get him to do the very thing that he had done. This, however, could not have been the case, for two Indians must have felt able to overcome so young a lad as Jack, even with his loaded gun.
Jack could hardly keep from crying, for his grief overflowed11. The next instant he was filled with anger.
"That is mine," said he, stepping towards the Indian, and reaching out his hand.
The savage12 extended the weapon, as if he meant to pass it back to the lad; but before the latter could seize it it was withdrawn13, and the Indian grinned more than ever.
The warrior was dressed similarly to Arowaka, the paint on his face being daubed in much the same fashion. From this, and the fact that several glances passed between the two, Jack Gedney rightly concluded that they were father and son, the warrior being Hua-awa-oma, who, as his offspring claimed, was a great chief.
"Want gun?" asked the savage, speaking for the first time.
"Yes, it is mine. I must have it! I will have it!"
In his indignation, Jack was ready to draw his knife, and leap at his tantalising enemy. Such a step could not have helped him, while it might have caused him much harm.
Hua-awa-oma showed that, like many an American Indian, he had a vein15 of waggery in his composition. The race to which he belonged is probably the most melancholy16 in the world, but there are times when its people show something akin14 to mirth. The chief set the gun against the tree where it was standing17 a few minutes before, and then beckoned18 to his son to come nigher.
Arowaka walked forward until he stood near the wondering Jack Gedney.
The meaning of this was clear enough: the ownership of the gun was to be decided20 by a wrestling bout6 between Jack Gedney and the young Wyandot.
The heart of the white youth gave a quick throb21 of delight, for there was no boy in the settlement within two years of his age whom he could not easily master in such a contest. He had thrown Will Burton, taller and older than he, with as much ease as he had every lad anywhere near his age.
The lads, having been told to begin, lost no time in doing so. It was fortunate for Jack that his opponent proved to be left-handed, since that gave Jack the hold which he wished. With their arms encircling each other, and the hands clasped in front, their heads bent22 slightly forward, so that they could watch each other's feet, the struggle began.
"If I do throw this fellow and win, will the chief keep his promise?"
It must be confessed that there was little reason to believe that Hua-awa-oma (He who fights without falling) would show the least regard for his pledge. This, however, did not weaken the arm of Jack Gedney, who, bending his body slightly forward and downward, suddenly caught his opponent on his hip4 and flung him on his back before the fellow could prevent it. Jack fell so heavily across him that he almost forced the breath from his body.
But Arowaka was on his feet scarcely a second behind Jack, who was given no time to see how the chief took it, when he found both shoulders seized by his opponent.
Jack was quick to do the same, so that the two contestants24 faced each other. The young Wyandot took a lesson from his fall, and he was so guarded that he defeated several efforts to catch him unawares.
All at once, like a flash, Jack, tightly grasping the arms of Arowaka, dropped his own shoulders, kicked the feet of the other from beneath him, and, with the most powerful effort he could put forth, lifted the Wyandot clear from the ground.
Finding himself going, Arowaka struggled desperately25, his feet beating the air like frantic26 drumsticks, but he could not save himself. The next instant he shot over Jack's head as if fired from a gun, and struck the ground with a shock that seemed violent enough to break his neck.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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3
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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4
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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6
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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7
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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8
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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10
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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11
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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12
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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13
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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14
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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15
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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16
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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17
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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18
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
wrestle
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| vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付 | |
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20
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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21
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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22
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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23
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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24
contestants
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| n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 ) | |
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25
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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