the spirit of the border-第57章

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clamor　increased。



〃Just　listen！〃　cried　Heckewelder。　〃Did　you　ever　hear　the　like？　All　drunk；

crazy；　fiendish！　They　drank　every　drop　of　liquor　the　French　traders　had。　

Curses　on　the　vagabond　dealers！　Rum　has　made　these　renegades　and　savages　wild。

Oh！　my　poor；　innocent　Christians！〃



Heckewelder　leaned　his　head　against　the　mantle…shelf。　He　had　broken　down　at

last。　Racking　sobs　shook　his　frame。



〃Are　you　all　right　again？〃　asked　Jim　of　Nell。



〃Yes。〃



〃I　am　going　out；　first　to　see　Williamson；　and　then　the　Christians；〃　he　said；

rising　very　pale；　but　calm。



〃Don't　go！〃　cried　Heckewelder。　〃I　have　tried　everything。　It　was　all　of　no


use。〃



〃I　will　go；〃　answered　Jim。



〃Yes；　Jim；　go；〃　whispered　Nell；　looking　up　into　his　eyes。　It　was　an　earnest

gaze　in　which　a　faint　hope　shone。



Jim　unbarred　the　door　and　went　out。



〃Wait；　I'll　go　along；〃　cried　Zeisberger；　suddenly　dropping　his　knife　and

stick。



As　the　two　men　went　out　a　fearful　spectacle　met　their　eyes。　The　clearing　was

alive　with　Indians。　But　such　Indians！　They　were　painted　demons；　maddened　by

rum。　Yesterday　they　had　been　silent；　if　they　moved　at　all　it　had　been　with

deliberation　and　dignity。　To…day　they　were　a　yelling；　running；　blood…seeking

mob。



〃Awful！　Did　you　ever　see　human　beings　like　these？〃　asked　Zeisberger。



〃No；　no！〃



〃I　saw　such　a　frenzy　once　before；　but；　of　course；　only　in　a　small　band　of

savages。　Many　times　have　I　seen　Indians　preparing　for　the　war…path；　in　search

of　both　white　men　and　redskins。　They　were　fierce　then；　but　nothing　like　this。

Every　one　of　these　frenzied　fiends　is　honest。　Think　of　that！　　Every　man　feels

it　his　duty　to　murder　these　Christians。　Girty　has　led　up　to　this　by　cunning；

and　now　the　time　is　come　to　let　them　loose。〃



〃It　means　death　for　all。〃



〃I　have　given　up　any　thought　of　escaping；〃　said　Zeisberger；　with　the　calmness

that　had　characterized　his　manner　since　he　returned　to　the　village。　〃I　shall

try　to　get　into　the　church。〃



〃I'll　join　you　there　as　soon　as　I　see　Williamson。〃



Jim　walked　rapidly　across　the　clearing　to　the　cabin　where　Captain　Williamson

had　quarters。　The　frontiersmen　stood　in　groups；　watching　the　savages　with　an

interest　which　showed　little　or　no　concern。



〃I　want　to　see　Captain　Williamson；〃　said　Jim　to　a　frontiersman　on　guard　at　the

cabin　door。



〃Wal；　he's　inside；〃　drawled　the　man。



Jim　thought　the　voice　familiar；　and　he　turned　sharply　to　see　the　sun…burnt

features　of　Jeff　Lynn；　the　old　riverman　who　had　taken　Mr。　Wells'　party　to　Fort

Henry。



〃Why；　Lynn！　I'm　glad　to　see　you；〃　exclaimed　Jim。



〃Purty　fair　to　middlin'；〃　answered　Jeff；　extending　his　big　hand。　〃Say；　how's

the　other　one；　your　brother　as　wus　called　Joe？〃



〃I　don't　know。　He　ran　off　with　Wetzel；　was　captured　by　Indians；　and　when　I

last　heard　of　him　he　had　married　Wingenund's　daughter。〃



〃Wal；　I'll　be　dog…goned！〃　Jeff　shook　his　grizzled　head　and　slapped　his　leg。　〃I

jest　knowed　he'd　raise　somethin'。〃



〃I'm　in　a　hurry。　Do　you　think　Captain　Williamson　will　stand　still　and　let　all

this　go　on？〃



〃I'm　afeerd　so。'



Evidently　the　captain　heard　the　conversation；　for　he　appeared　at　the　cabin

door；　smoking　a　long　pipe。



〃Captain　Williamson；　I　have　come　to　entreat　you　to　save　the　Christians　from

this　impending　massacre。〃



〃I　can't　do　nuthin'；〃　answered　Williamson；　removing　his　pipe　to　puff　forth　a

great　cloud　of　smoke。



〃You　have　eighty　men　here！〃



〃If　we　interfered　Pipe　would　eat　us　alive　in　three　minutes。　You　preacher

fellows　don't　understand　this　thing。　You've　got　Pipe　and　Girty　to　deal　with。

If　you　don't　know　them；　you'll　be　better　acquainted　by　sundown。〃



〃I　don't　care　who　they　are。　Drunken　ruffians　and　savages！　That's　enough。　　Will

you　help　us？　We　are　men　of　your　own　race；　and　we　come　to　you　for　help。　Can　you

withhold　it？〃



〃I　won't　hev　nuthin'　to　do　with　this　bizness。　The　chiefs　hev　condemned　the

village；　an'　it'll　hev　to　go。　If　you　fellars　hed　been　careful；　no　white　blood

would　hev　been　spilled。　I　advise　you　all　to　lay　low　till　it's　over。〃



〃Will　you　let　me　speak　to　your　men；　to　try　and　get　them　to　follow　me？〃



〃Heckewelder　asked　that　same　thing。　He　was　persistent；　and　I　took　a　vote　fer

him　just　to　show　how　my　men　stood。　Eighteen　of　them　said　they'd　follow　him；

the　rest　wouldn't　interfere。〃



〃Eighteen！　My　God！〃　cried　Jim；　voicing　the　passion　which　consumed　him。　　〃You

are　white　men；　yet　you　will　stand　by　and　see　these　innocent　people　murdered！

Man；　where's　your　humanity？　Your　manhood？　These　converted　Indians　are　savages

no　longer；　they　are　Christians。　Their　children　are　as　good；　pure；　innocent　as

your　own。　Can　you　remain　idle　and　see　these　little　ones　murdered？〃



Williamson　made　no　answer；　the　men　who　had　crowded　round　were　equally　silent。

Not　one　lowered　his　head。　many　looked　at　the　impassioned　missionary；　others

gazed　at　the　savages　who　were　circling　around　the　trees　brandishing　their

weapons。　If　any　pitied　the　unfortunate　Christians；　none　showed　it。　They　were

indifferent；　with　the　indifference　of　men　hardened　to　cruel　scenes。



Jim　understood；　at　last；　as　he　turned　from　face　to　face　to　find　everywhere

that　same　imperturbability。　These　bordermen　were　like　Wetzel　and　Jonathan

Zane。　The　only　good　Indian　was　a　dead　Indian。　Years　of　war　and　bloodshed；　of

merciless　cruelty　at　the　hands　of　redmen；　of　the　hard；　border　life　had

rendered　these　frontiersmen　incapable　of　compassion　for　any　savage。



Jim　no　longer　restrained　himself。



〃Bordermen　you　may　be；　but　from　my　standpoint；　from　any　man's；　from　God's；　you

are　a　lot　of　coldly　indifferent　cowards！〃　exclaimed　Jim；　with　white；　quivering

lips。　〃I　understand　now。　Few　of　you　will　risk　anything　for　Indians。　You　will

not　believe　a　savage　can　be　a　Christian。　You　don't　care　if　they　are　all

murdered。　Any　man　among　youany　man；　I　saywould　step　out　before　those

howling　fiends　and　boldly　demand　that　there　be　no　bloodshed。　A　courageous

leader　with　a　band　of　determined　followers　could　avert　this　tragedy。　You　might

readily　intimidate　yonder　horde　of　drunken　demons。　Captain　Williamson；　I　am

only　a　minister；　far　removed　from　a　man　of　war　and　leader；　as　you　claim　to　be；

but；　sir；　I　curse　you　as　a　miserable　coward。　If　I　ever　get　back　to

civilization　I'll　brand　this　inhuman　coldness　of　yours；　as　the　most　infamous

and　dastardly　cowardice　that　ever　disgraced　a　white　man。　You　are　worse　than

Girty！〃



Williamson　turned　a　sickly　yellow；　he　fumbled　a　second　with　the　handle　of　his

tomahawk；　but　made　no　answer。　The　other　bordermen　maintained　the　same　careless

composure。　What　to　them　was　the　raving　of　a　mad　preacher？



Jim　saw　it　and　turned　baffled；　fiercely　angry；　and　hopeless。　As　he　walked　away

Jeff　Lynn　took　his　arm；　and　after　they　were　clear　of　the　crowd　of　frontiersmen

he　said：



〃Young　feller；　you　give　him　pepper；　an'　no　mistake。　An'　mebbe　you're　right

from　your　side　the　fence。　But　you　can't　see　the　Injuns　from　our　side。　We

hunters　hevn't　much　humanityI　reckon　that's　what　you　called　itbut　we've

lost　so　many　friends　an'　relatives；　an'　hearn　of　so　many　murders　by　the　reddys

that　we　look　on　all　of　'em　as　wild　varmints　that　should　be　killed　on　sight。

Now；　mebbe　it'll　interest　you　to　know　I　was　the　feller　who　took　the　vote

Williamson　told　you　about；　an'　I　did　it　'cause　I　had　an　interest　in　you。　I　wus

watchin'　you　when　Edwards　and　the　other　missionary　got　shot。　I　like　grit　in　a

man；　an'　I　seen　you　had　it　clear　through。　So　when　Heckewelder　comes　over　I

talked　to　the　fellers；　an'　all　I　could　git　interested　was　eighteen；　but　they

wanted　to　fight　simply　fer　fightin'　sake。　Now；　ole　Jeff　Lynn　is　your　friend。

You　just　lay　low　until　this　is　over。〃



Jim　thanked　the　old　riverman　and　left　him。　He　hardly　knew　which　way　to　turn。

He　would　make　one　more　effort。　He　crossed　the　clearing　to　where　the　renegades'

teepee　stood。　McKee　and　Elliott　were　sitting　on　a　log。　　Simon　Girty　stood

beside　them；　h