the spirit of the border-第52章

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naturally；　harmoniously。



But　suddenly　the　hunter　raised　his　head。　A　note；　deeper　than　the　others；　a

little　too　strong；　came　from　far　down　the　shaded　hollow。　To　Wetzel's　trained

ear　it　was　a　discord。　He　manifested　no　more　than　this　attention；　for　the

birdcall　was　the　signal　he　had　been　awaiting。　He　whistled　a　note　in　answer

that　was　as　deep　and　clear　as　the　one　which　had　roused　him。



Moments　passed。　There　was　no　repetition　of　the　sound。　The　songs　of　the　other

birds　had　ceased。　Besides　Wetzel　there　was　another　intruder　in　the　woods。



Mose　lifted　his　shaggy　head　and　growled。　The　hunter　patted　the　dog。　In　a　few

minutes　the　figure　of　a　tall　man　appeared　among　the　laurels　down　the　slope。　He

stopped　while　gazing　up　at　the　ledge。　Then；　with　noiseless　step；　he　ascended

the　ridge；　climbed　the　rocky　ledge；　and　turned　the　corner　of　the　stone　to　face

Wetzel。　The　newcomer　was　Jonathan　Zane。



〃Jack；　I　expected　you　afore　this；〃　was　Wetzel's　greeting。



〃I　couldn't　make　it　sooner；〃　answered　Zane。　〃After　we　left　Williamson　and

separated；　I　got　turned　around　by　a　band　of　several　hundred　redskins　makin'

for　the　Village　of　Peace。　I　went　back　again；　but　couldn't　find　any　sign　of　the

trail　we're　huntin'。　Then　I　makes　for　this　meetin'　place。　I've　been　goin'　for

some　ten　hours；　and　am　hungry。〃



〃I've　got　some　bar　ready　cooked；〃　said　Wetzel；　handing　Zane　several　strips　of

meat。



〃What　luck　did　you　have？〃



〃I　found　Girty's　trail；　an　old　one；　over　here　some　eighteen　or　twenty　miles；

an'　follered　it　until　I　went　almost　into　the　Delaware　town。　It　led　to　a　hut　in

a　deep　ravine。　I　ain't　often　surprised；　but　I　wus　then。　　I　found　the　dead　body

of　that　girl；　Kate　Wells；　we　fetched　over　from　Fort　Henry。　Thet's　sad；　but　it

ain't　the　surprisin'　part。　I　also　found　Silvertip；　the　Shawnee　I've　been

lookin'　fer。　He　was　all　knocked　an'　cut　up；　deader'n　a　stone。　There'd　been

somethin'　of　a　scrap　in　the　hut。　　I　calkilate　Girty　murdered　Kate；　but　I

couldn't　think　then　who　did　fer　Silver；　though　I　allowed　the　renegade　might

hev　done　thet；　too。　I　watched　round　an'　seen　Girty　come　back　to　the　hut。　He

had　ten　Injuns　with　him；　an'　presently　they　all　made　fer　the　west。　I　trailed

them；　but　didn't　calkilate　it'd　be　wise　to　tackle　the　bunch　single…handed；　so

laid　back。　　A　mile　or　so　from　the　hut　I　came　across　hoss　tracks　minglin'　with

the　moccasin…prints。　About　fifteen　mile　or　from　the　Delaware　town；　Girty　left

his　buckskins；　an'　they　went　west；　while　he　stuck　to　the　hoss　tracks。　　I　was

onto　his　game　in　a　minute。　I　cut　across　country　fer　Beautiful　Spring；　but　I

got　there　too　late。　I　found　the　warm　bodies　of　Joe　and　thet　Injun　girl；　Winds。

The　snake　hed　murdered　them。〃



〃I　allow　Joe　won　over　Winds；　got　away　from　the　Delaware　town　with　her；　tried

to　rescue　Kate；　and　killed　Silver　in　the　fight。　Girty　probably　was　surprised；

an'　run　after　he　had　knifed　the　girl。〃



〃'Pears　so　to　me。　Joe　had　two　knife　cuts；　an'　one　was　an　old　wound。〃



〃You　say　it　was　a　bad　fight？〃



〃Must　hev　been。　The　hut　was　all　knocked　in；　an'　stuff　scattered　about。　　Wal；

Joe　could　go　some　if　he　onct　got　started。〃



〃I'll　bet　he　could。　He　was　the　likeliest　lad　I've　seen　for　many　a　day。〃



〃If　he'd　lasted；　he'd　been　somethin'　of　a　hunter　an'　fighter。〃



〃Too　bad。　But　Lord！　you　couldn't　keep　him　down；　no　more　than　you　can　lots　of

these　wild　young　chaps　that　drift　out　here。〃



〃I'll　allow　he　had　the　fever　bad。〃



〃Did　you　hev　time　to　bury　them？〃



〃I　hedn't　time　fer　much。　I　sunk　them　in　the　spring。〃



〃It's　a　pretty　deep　hole；〃　said　Zane；　reflectively。　〃Then；　you　and　the　dog

took　Girty's　trail；　but　couldn't　catch　up　with　him。　He's　now　with　the　renegade

cutthroats　and　hundreds　of　riled　Indians　over　there　in　the　Village　of　Peace。〃



〃I　reckon　you're　right。〃



A　long　silence　ensued；。　Jonathan　finished　his　simple　repast；　drank　from　the

little　spring　that　trickled　under　the　stone；　and；　sitting　down　by　the　dog；

smoothed　out　his　long　silken　hair。



〃Lew；　we're　pretty　good　friends；　ain't　we？〃　he　asked；　thoughtfully。



〃Jack；　you　an'　the　colonel　are　all　the　friends　I　ever　hed；　'ceptin'　that　boy

lyin'　quiet　back　there　in　the　woods。〃



〃I　know　you　pretty　well；　and　ain't　sayin'　a　word　about　your　runnin'　off　from

me　on　many　a　hunt；　but　I　want　to　speak　plain　about　this　fellow　Girty。〃



〃Wal？〃　said　Wetzel；　as　Zane　hesitated。



〃Twice　in　the　last　few　years　you　and　I　have　had　it　in　for　the　same　men；　both

white…livered　traitors。　You　remember？　First　it　was　Miller；　who　tried　to　ruin

my　sister　Betty；　and　next　it　was　Jim　Girty；　who　murdered　our　old　friend；　as

good　an　old　man　as　ever　wore　moccasins。　Wal；　after　Miller　ran　off　from　the

fort；　we　trailed　him　down　to　the　river；　and　I　points　across　and　says；　'You　or

me？'　and　you　says；　'Me。'　You　was　Betty's　friend；　and　I　knew　she'd　be　avenged。

Miller　is　lyin'　quiet　in　the　woods；　and　violets　have　blossomed　twice　over　his

grave；　though　you　never　said　a　word；　but　I　know　it's　true　because　I　know　you。〃



Zane　looked　eagerly　into　the　dark　face　of　his　friend；　hoping　perhaps　to　get

some　verbal　assurance　there　that　his　belief　was　true。　But　Wetzel　did　not

speak；　and　he　continued：



〃Another　day　not　so　long　ago　we　both　looked　down　at　an　old　friend；　and　saw　his

white　hair　matted　with　blood。　He'd　been　murdered　for　nothin'。　　Again　you　and

me　trailed　a　coward　and　found　him　to　be　Jim　Girty。　I　knew　you'd　been　huntin'

him　for　years；　and　so　I　says；　'Lew；　you　or　me？'　and　you　says；　'Me。'〃　I　give　in

to　you；　for　I　knew　you're　a　better　man　than　me；　and　because　I　wanted　you　to

have　the　satisfaction。　Wal；　the　months　have　gone　by；　and　Jim　Girty's　still

livin'　and　carryin'　on。　Now　he's　over　there　after　them　poor　preachers。　I　ain't

sayin'；　Lew；　that　you　haven't　more　agin　him　than　me；　but　I　do　say；　let　me　in

on　it　with　you。　He　always　has　a　gang　of　redskins　with　him；　he's　afraid　to

travel　alone；　else　you'd　had　him　long　ago。　Two　of　us'll　have　more　chance　to

get　him。　Let　me　go　with　you。　When　it　comes　to　a　finish；　I'll　stand　aside　while

you　give　it　to　him。　I'd　enjoy　seein'　you　cut　him　from　shoulder　to　hip。　After

he　leaves　the　Village　of　Peace　we'll　hit　his　trail；　camp　on　it；　and　stick　to

it　until　it　ends　in　his　grave。〃



The　earnest　voice　of　the　backwoodsman　ceased。　Both　men　rose　and　stood　facing

each　other。　Zane's　bronzed　face　was　hard　and　tense；　expressive　of　an

indomitable　will；　Wetzel's　was　coldly　dark；　with　fateful　resolve；　as　if　his

decree　of　vengeance；　once　given；　was　as　immutable　as　destiny。　　The　big；　horny

hands　gripped　in　a　viselike　clasp　born　of　fierce　passion；　but　no　word　was

spoken。



Far　to　the　west　somewhere；　a　befrilled　and　dedizened　renegade　pursued　the　wild

tenor　of　his　ways；　perhaps；　even　now　steeping　his　soul　in　more　crime；　or

staining　his　hands　a　deeper　red；　but　sleeping　or　waking；　he　dreamed　not　of

this　deadly　compact　that　meant　his　doom。



The　two　hunters　turned　their　stern　faces　toward　the　west；　and　passed　silently

down　the　ridge　into　the　depths　of　the　forest。　Darkness　found　them　within

rifle…shot　of　the　Village　of　Peace。　With　the　dog　creeping　between　them；　they

crawled　to　a　position　which　would；　in　daylight；　command　a　view　of　the

clearing。　Then；　while　one　stood　guard；　the　other　slept。



When　morning　dawned　they　shifted　their　position　to　the　top　of　a　low；

fern…covered　cliff；　from　which　they　could　see　every　movement　in　the　village。

All　the　morning　they　watched　with　that　wonderful　patience　of　men　who　knew　how

to　wait。　The　visiting　savages　were　quiet；　the　missionaries　moved　about　in　and

out　of　the　shops　and　cabins；　the　Christian　indians　worked　industriously　in　the

fields；　while　the　renegades　lolled　before　a　prominent　teepee。



〃This　quiet　looks　bad；〃　whispered　Jonathan　to　Wetzel。　No　shouts　were　heard；

not　a　hostile　Indian　was　seen　to　move。



〃They've　come　to　a　decision；〃　whispered　Jonathan；　and　Wetzel　answered　him：



〃If　they　hev；　the　Christians　don't　know　it。〃



An　hour　later　the　deep　pealing　o