the spirit of the border-第43章

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something　from　the　ground。　It　was　a　girl。　It　was　Nell！　She　was　very　whitebut

alive。　A　faint；　glad　smile　lighted　up　her　features。



Not　a　word　was　spoken。　With　an　expression　of　tender　compassion　Mr。　Wells

received　her　into　his　arms。　The　four　missionaries　turned　fearful；　questioning

eyes　upon　the　hunter；　but　they　could　not　speak。



〃She's　well；　an'　unharmed；〃　said　Wetzel；　reading　their　thoughts；　〃only　worn

out。　I've　carried　her　these　ten　miles。〃



〃God　bless　you；　Wetzel！〃　exclaimed　the　old　missionary。　〃Nellie；　Nellie；　can

you　speak？〃



〃Uncle　dearI'mall　right；〃　came　the　faint　answer。



〃Kate？　Whatof　her？〃　whispered　George　Young　with　lips　as　dry　as　corn　husks。



〃I　did　my　best；〃　said　the　hunter　with　a　simple　dignity。　Nothing　but　the

agonized　appeal　in　the　young　man's　eyes　could　have　made　Wetzel　speak　of　his

achievement。



〃Tell　us；〃　broke　in　Heckewelder；　seeing　that　fear　had　stricken　George　dumb。



〃We　trailed　'em　an'　got　away　with　the　golden…haired　lass。　The　last　I　saw　of

Joe　he　was　braced　up　agin　a　rock　fightin'　like　a　wildcat。　I　tried　to　cut　Jim

loose　as　I　was　goin'　by。　I　s'pect　the　wust　fer　the　brothers　an'　the　other

lass。〃



〃Can　we　do　nothing？〃　asked　Mr。　Wells。



〃Nothin'！〃



〃Wetzel；　has　the　capturing　of　James　Downs　any　significance　to　you？〃　inquired

Heckewelder。



〃I　reckon　so。〃



〃What？〃



〃Pipe　an'　his　white…redskin　allies　are　agin　Christianity。〃



〃Do　you　think　we　are　in　danger？〃



〃I　reckon　so。〃



〃What　do　you　advise？〃



〃Pack　up　a　few　of　your　traps；　take　the　lass；　an'　come　with　me。　I'll　see　you

back　in　Fort　Henry。〃



Heckewelder　nervously　walked　up　to　the　tree　and　back　again。　Young　and　Edwards

looked　blankly　at　one　another。　They　both　remembered　Edward's　presentiment。　Mr。

Wells　uttered　an　angry　exclamation。



〃You　ask　us　to　fail　in　our　duty？　No；　never！　To　go　back　to　the　white

settlements　and　acknowledge　we　were　afraid　to　continue　teaching　the　Gospel　to

the　Indians！　You　can　not　understand　Christianity　if　you　advise　that。　　You　have

no　religion。　You　are　a　killer　of　Indians。〃



A　shadow　that　might　have　been　one　of　pain　flitted　over　the　hunter's　face。



〃No；　I　ain't　a　Christian；　an'　I　am　a　killer　of　Injuns；〃　said　Wetzel；　and　his

deep　voice　had　a　strange　tremor。　〃I　don't　know　nothin'　much　'cept　the　woods

an'　fields；　an'　if　there's　a　God　fer　me　He's　out　thar　under　the　trees　an'

grass。　Mr。　Wells；　you're　the　first　man　as　ever　called　me　a　coward；　an'　I

overlook　it　because　of　your　callin'。　I　advise　you　to　go　back　to　Fort　Henry；

because　if　you　don't　go　now　the　chances　are　aginst　your　ever　goin'。

Christianity　or　no　Christianity；　such　men　as　you　hev　no　bisness　in　these

woods。〃



〃I　thank　you　for　your　advice；　and　bless　you　for　your　rescue　of　this　child；　but

I　can　not　leave　my　work；　nor　can　I　understand　why　all　this　good　work　we　have

done　should　be　called　useless。　We　have　converted　Indians；　saved　their　souls。

Is　that　not　being　of　some　use；　of　some　good　here？〃



〃It's　accordin'　to　how　you　look　at　it。　Now　I　know　the　bark　of　an　oak　is

different　accordin'　to　the　side　we　see　from。　I'll　allow；　hatin'　Injuns　as　I

do；　is　no　reason　you　oughtn't　to　try　an'　convert　'em。　But　you're　bringin'　on　a

war。　These　Injuns　won't　allow　this　Village　of　Peace　here　with　its　big　fields

of　corn；　an'　shops　an'　workin'　redskins。　It's　agin　their　nature。　You're　only

sacrificin'　your　Christian　Injuns。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Mr。　Wells；　startled　by　Wetzel's　words。



〃Enough。　I'm　ready　to　guide　you　to　Fort　Henry。〃



〃I'll　never　go。〃



Wetzel　looked　at　the　other　men。　No　one　would　have　doubted　him。　No　one　could

have　failed　to　see　he　knew　that　some　terrible　anger　hovered　over　the　Village

of　Peace。



〃I　believe　you；　Wetzel；　but　I　can　not　go；〃　said　Heckewelder；　with　white　face。



〃I　will　stay；〃　said　George；　steadily。



〃And　I；〃　said　Dave。



Wetzel　nodded；　and　turned　to　depart　when　George　grasped　his　arm。　The　young

missionary's　face　was　drawn　and　haggard；　he　fixed　an　intense　gaze　upon　the

hunter。



〃Wetzel；　listen；〃　his　voice　was　low　and　shaken　with　deep　feeling。　〃I　am　a

teacher　of　God's　word；　and　I　am　as　earnest　in　that　purpose　as　you　are　in　your

life…work。　I　shall　die　here；　I　shall　fill　an　unmarked　grave；　but　I　shall　have

done　the　best　I　could。　This　is　the　life　destiny　has　marked　out　for　me；　and　I

will　live　it　as　best　I　may；　but　in　this　moment；　preacher　as　I　am；　I　would　give

all　I　have　or　hope　to　have；　all　the　little　good　I　may　have　done；　all　my　life；

to　be　such　a　man　as　you。　For　I　would　avenge　the　woman　I　loved。　To　torture；　to

kill　Girty！　I　am　only　a　poor；　weak　fellow　who　would　be　lost　a　mile　from　this

village；　and　if　not；　would　fall　before　the　youngest　brave。　But　you　with　your

glorious　strength；　your　incomparable　woodcraft；　you　are　the　man　to　kill　Girty。

Rid　the　frontier　of　this　fiend。　　Kill　him！　Wetzel；　kill　him！　I　beseech　you　for

the　sake　of　some　sweet　girl　who　even　now　may　be　on　her　way　to　this　terrible

country；　and　who　may　fall　into　Girty's　powerfor　her　sake；　Wetzel；　kill　him。

Trail　him　like　a　bloodhound；　and　when　you　find　him　remember　my　broken　heart；

remember　Nell；　remember；　oh；　God！　remember　poor　Kate！〃



Young's　voice　broke　into　dry　sobs。　He　had　completely　exhausted　himself；　so

that　he　was　forced　to　lean　against　the　tree　for　support。



Wetzel　spoke　never　a　word。　He　stretched　out　his　long；　brawny　arm　and　gripped

the　young　missionary's　shoulder。　His　fingers　clasped　hard。　　Simple；　without

words　as　the　action　was；　it　could　not　have　been　more　potent。　And　then；　as　he

stood；　the　softer　look　faded　slowly　from　his　face。　A　ripple　seemed　to　run　over

his　features；　which　froze；　as　it　subsided；　into　a　cold；　stone　rigidity。



His　arm　dropped；　he　stepped　past　the　tree；　and；　bounding　lightly　as　a　deer；

cleared　the　creek　and　disappeared　in　the　bushes。



Mr。　Wells　carried　Nell　to　his　cabin　where　she　lay　for　hours　with　wan　face　and

listless　languor。　She　swallowed　the　nourishing　drink　an　old　Indian　nurse

forced　between　her　teeth；　she　even　smiled　weakly　when　the　missionaries　spoke

to　her；　but　she　said　nothing　nor　seemed　to　rally　from　her　terrible　shock。　A

dark　shadow　lay　always　before　her；　conscious　of　nothing　present；　living　over

again　her　frightful　experience。　Again　she　seemed　sunk　in　dull　apathy。



〃Dave；　we're　going　to　loose　Nell。　She's　fading　slowly；〃　said　George；　one

evening；　several　days　after　the　girl's　return。　〃Wetzel　said　she　was　unharmed；

yet　she　seems　to　have　received　a　hurt　more　fatal　than　a　physical　one。　It's　her

mindher　mind。　If　we　cannot　brighten　her　up　to　make　her　forget；　she'll　die。〃



〃We've　done　all　within　our　power。　If　she　could　only　be　brought　out　of　this

trance！　She　lies　there　all　day　long　with　those　staring　eyes。　I　can't　look　into

them。　They　are　the　eyes　of　a　child　who　has　seen　murder。〃



〃We　must　try　in　some　way　to　get　her　out　of　this　stupor；　and　I　have　an　idea。

Have　you　noticed　that　Mr。　Wells　has　failed　very　much　in　the　last　few　weeks？〃



〃Indeed　I　have；　and　I'm　afraid　he's　breaking　down。　He　has　grown　so　thin；　eats

very　little；　and　doesn't　sleep。　He　is　old；　you　know；　and；　despite　his　zeal；

this　border　life　is　telling　on　him。〃



〃Dave；　I　believe　he　knows　it。　Poor；　earnest　old　man！　He　never　says　a　word

about　himself；　yet　he　must　know　he　is　going　down　hill。　Well；　we　all　begin；

sooner　or　later；　that　descent　which　ends　in　the　grave。　I　believe　we　might　stir

Nellie　by　telling　her　Mr。　Wells'　health　is　breaking。〃



〃Let　us　try。〃



A　hurried　knock　on　the　door　interrupted　their　conversation。



〃Come　in；〃　said　Edwards。



The　door　opened　to　admit　a　man；　who　entered　eagerly。



〃Jim！　Jim！〃　exclaimed　both　missionaries；　throwing　themselves　upon　the

newcomer。



It　was；　indeed；　Jim；　but　no　answering　smile　lighted　his　worn；　distressed　face

while　he　wrung　his　friends'　hands。



〃You're　not　hurt？〃　asked　Dave。



〃No；　I'm　uninjured。〃



〃Tell　us　all。　Did　you　escape？　Did　you　see　your　brother？　Did　you　know　Wetzel

re