the spirit of the border-第34章

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to　the　ground。



When；　a　few　minutes　later；　having　recovered　his　breath；　he　got　up；　they　had

crossed　the　plain　and　were　in　a　grove　of　beeches。　Directly　in　front　of　him　ran

a　swift　stream；　which　was　divided　at　the　rocky　head　of　what　appeared　to　be　a

wooded　island。　There　was　only　a　slight　ripple　and　fall　of　the　water；　and；

after　a　second　glance；　it　was　evident　that　the　point　of　land　was　not　an

island；　but　a　portion　of　the　mainland　which　divided　the　stream。　　The　branches

took　almost　opposite　courses。



Joe　wondered　if　they　had　headed　off　the　Indians。　Certainly　they　had　run　fast

enough。　He　was　wet　with　perspiration。　He　glanced　at　Wetzel；　who　was　standing

near。　The　man's　broad　breast　rose　and　fell　a　little　faster；　that　was　the　only

evidence　of　exertion。　The　lad　had　a　painful　feeling　that　he　could　never　keep

pace　with　the　hunter；　if　this　five…mile　run　was　a　sample　of　the　speed　he　would

be　forced　to　maintain。



〃They've　got　ahead　of　us；　but　which　crick　did　they　take？〃　queried　Wetzel；　as

though　debating　the　question　with　himself。



〃How　do　you　know　they've　passed？〃



〃We　circled；〃　answered　Wetzel；　as　he　shook　his　head　and　pointed　into　the

bushes。　Joe　stepped　over　and　looked　into　the　thicket。　He　found　a　quantity　of

dead　leaves；　sticks；　and　litter　thrown　aside；　exposing　to　light　a　long；

hollowed　place　on　the　ground。　It　was　what　would　be　seen　after　rolling　over　a

log　that　had　lain　for　a　long　time。　Little　furrows　in　the　ground；　holes；

mounds；　and　curious　winding　passages　showed　where　grubs　and　crickets　had　made

their　homes。　The　frightened　insects　were　now　running　round　wildly。



〃What　was　here？　A　log？〃



〃A　twenty…foot　canoe　was　hid　under　thet　stuff。　The　Injuns　has　taken　one　of

these　streams。〃



〃How　can　we　tell　which　one？〃



〃Mebbe　we　can't；　but　we'll　try。　Grab　up　a　few　of　them　bugs；　go　below　thet

rocky　point；　an'　crawl　close　to　the　bank　so　you　can　jest　peep　over。　　Be

keerful　not　to　show　the　tip　of　your　head；　an'　don't　knock　nothin'　off'en　the

bank　into　the　water。　Watch　fer　trout。　Look　everywheres；　an'　drop　in　a　bug　now

and　then。　I'll　do　the　same　fer　the　other　stream。　Then　we'll　come　back　here　an'

talk　over　what　the　fish　has　to　say　about　the　Injuns。〃



Joe　walked　down　stream　a　few　paces；　and；　dropping　on　his　knees；　crawled

carefully　to　the　edge　of　the　bank。　He　slightly　parted　the　grass　so　he　could

peep　through；　and　found　himself　directly　over　a　pool　with　a　narrow　shoal

running　out　from　the　opposite　bank。　The　water　was　so　clear　he　could　see　the

pebbly　bottom　in　all　parts；　except　a　dark　hole　near　a　bend　in　the　shore　close

by。　He　did　not　see　a　living　thing　in　the　water；　not　a　crawfish；　turtle；　nor

even　a　frog。　He　peered　round　closely；　then　flipped　in　one　of　the　bugs　he　had

brought　along。　A　shiny　yellow　fish　flared　up　from　the　depths　of　the　deep　hole

and　disappeared　with　the　cricket；　but　it　was　a　bass　or　a　pike；　not　a　trout。

Wetzel　had　said　there　were　a　few　trout　living　near　the　cool　springs　of　these

streams。　The　lad　tried　again　to　coax　one　to　the　surface。　This　time　the　more

fortunate　cricket　swam　and　hopped　across　the　stream　to　safety。



When　Joe's　eyes　were　thoroughly　accustomed　to　the　clear　water；　with　its

deceiving　lights　and　shades；　he　saw　a　fish　lying　snug　under　the　side　of　a

stone。　The　lad　thought　he　recognized　the　snub…nose；　the　hooked；　wolfish　jaw；

but　he　could　not　get　sufficient　of　a　view　to　classify　him。　He　crawled　to　a

more　advantageous　position　farther　down　stream；　and　then　he　peered　again

through　the　woods。　Yes；　sure　enough；　he　had　espied　a　trout。　He　well　knew　those

spotted　silver　sides；　that　broad；　square　tail。　Such　a　monster！　　In　his

admiration　for　the　fellow；　and　his　wish　for　a　hook　and　line　to　try　conclusions

with　him；　Joe　momentarily　forgot　his　object。　Remembering；　he　tossed　out　a　big；

fat　cricket；　which　alighted　on　the　water　just　above　the　fish。　The　trout　never

moved；　nor　even　blinked。　The　lad　tried　again；　with　no　better　success。　The　fish

would　not　rise。　Thereupon　Joe　returned　to　the　point　where　he　had　left　WetzeL



〃I　couldn't　see　nothin'　over　there；〃　said　the　hunter；　who　was　waiting。　　〃Did

you　see　any？'



〃One；　and　a　big　fellow。〃



〃Did　he　see　you？〃



〃No。〃



〃Did　he　rise　to　a　bug？〃



〃No；　he　didn't；　but　then　maybe　he　wasn't　hungry〃　answered　Joe；　who　could　not

understand　what　Wetzel　was　driving　at。



〃Tell　me　exactly　what　he　did。〃



〃That's　just　the　trouble；　he　didn't　do　anything；〃　replied　Joe；　thoughtfully。

〃He　just　lay　low；　stifflike；　under　a　stone。　He　never　batted　an　eye。　But　his

side…fins　quivered　like　an　aspen　leaf。〃



〃Them　side…fins　tell　us　the　story。　Girty；　an'　his　redskins　hev　took　this

branch；〃　said　Wetzel；　positively。　〃The　other　leads　to　the　Huron　towns。　

Girty's　got　a　place　near　the　Delaware　camp　somewheres。　I've　tried　to　find　it　a

good　many　times。　He's　took　more'n　one　white　lass　there；　an'　nobody　ever　seen

her　agin。〃



〃Fiend！　To　think　of　a　white　woman；　maybe　a　girl　like　Nell　Wells；　at　the　mercy

of　those　red　devils！〃



〃Young　fellar；　don't　go　wrong。　I'll　allow　Injuns　is　bad　enough；　but　I　never

hearn　tell　of　one　abusin'　a　white　woman；　as　mayhap　you　mean。　Injuns　marry

white　women　sometimes；　kill　an'　scalp　'em　often；　but　that's　all。　It's　men　of

our　own　color；　renegades　like　this　Girty；　as　do　worse'n　murder。〃



Here　was　the　amazing　circumstance　of　Lewis　Wetzel；　the　acknowledged　unsatiable

foe　of　all　redmen；　speaking　a　good　word　for　his　enemies。　　Joe　was　so

astonished　he　did　not　attempt　to　answer。



〃Here's　where　they　got　in　the　canoe。　One　more　look；　an'　then　we're　off；〃　said

Wetzel。　He　strode　up　and　down　the　sandy　beach；　examined　the　willows；　and

scrutinized　the　sand。　Suddenly　he　bent　over　and　picked　up　an　object　from　the

water。　His　sharp　eyes　had　caught　the　glint　of　something　white；　which；　upon

being　examined；　proved　to　be　a　small　ivory　or　bone　buckle　with　a　piece　broken

out。　He　showed　it　to　Joe。



〃By　heavens！　Wetzel；　that's　a　buckle　off　Nell　Well's　shoe。　I've　seen　it　too

many　times　to　mistake　it。〃



〃I　was　afeared　Girty　hed　your　friends；　the　sisters；　an'　mebbe　your　brother；

too。　Jack　Zane　said　the　renegade　was　hangin'　round　the　village；　an'　that

couldn't　be　fer　no　good。〃



〃Come　on。　Let's　kill　the　fiend！〃　cried　Joe；　white　to　the　lips。



〃I　calkilate　they're　about　a　mile　down　stream；　makin'　camp　fer　the　night。　　I

know　the　place。　There's　a　fine　spring；　an；　look！　D'ye　see　them　crows　flyin'

round　thet　big　oak　with　the　bleached　top？　Hear　them　cawin'？　You　might　think

they　was　chasin'　a　hawk；　or　king…birds　were　arter　'em；　but　thet　fuss　they're

makin'　is　because　they　see　Injuns。〃



〃Well？〃　asked　Joe；　impatiently。



〃It'll　be　moonlight　a　while　arter　midnight。　Well　lay　low　an'　wait；　an'

then…〃



The　sharp　click　of　his　teeth；　like　the　snap　of　a　steel　trap；　completed　the

sentence。　Joe　said　no　more；　but　followed　the　hunter　into　the　woods。　Stopping

near　a　fallen　tree；　Wetzel　raked　up　a　bundle　of　leaves　and　spread　them　on　the

ground。　Then　he　cut　a　few　spreading　branches　from　a　beech；　and　leaned　them

against　a　log。　Bidding　the　lad　crawl　in　before　he　took　one　last　look　around

and　then　made　his　way　under　the　shelter。



It　was　yet　daylight；　which　seemed　a　strange　time　to　creep　into　this　little

nook；　but；　Joe　thought；　it　was　not　to　sleep；　only　to　wait；　wait；　wait　for　the

long　hours　to　pass。　He　was　amazed　once　more；　because；　by　the　time　twilight　had

given　place　to　darkness；　Wetzel　was　asleep。　The　lad　said　then　to　himself　that

he　would　never　again　be　surprised　at　the　hunter。　　He　assumed　once　and　for　all

that　Wetzel　was　capable　of　anything。　Yet　how　could　he　lose　himself　in　slumber？

Feeling；　as　he　must；　over　the　capture　of　the　girls；　eager　to　draw　a　bead　on

the　black…hearted　renegade；　hating　Indians　with　all　his　soul　and　strength；　and

lying　there　but　a　few　hours　before　what　he　knew　would　be　a　bloody　battle；

Wetzel　calmly　went　to　sleep。　Knowing　the　hunter　to　be　as　bloodthirsty　as　a

tiger；　Joe　had　expected　he　would　rush　to