the jacket (the star-rover)-第30章

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〃Go　ahead　and　make　it　deeper；　Jesse；〃　father　ordered；



He　stood　up　and　rushed　away　in　the　gray　light；　shouting　commands　as

he　ran。　　（I　had　learned　by　now　my　surname。　　I　was　Jesse　Fancher。　　My

father　was　Captain　Fancher）。



〃Lie　down！〃　I　could　hear　him。　　〃Get　behind　the　wagon　wheels　and

burrow　in　the　sand！　　Family　men；　get　the　women　and　children　out　of

the　wagons！　　Hold　your　fire！　　No　more　shooting！　　Hold　your　fire　and

be　ready　for　the　rush　when　it　comes！　　Single　men；　join　Laban　at　the

right；　Cochrane　at　the　left；　and　me　in　the　centre！　　Don't　stand　up！

Crawl　for　it！〃



But　no　rush　came。　　For　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　heavy　and　irregular

firing　continued。　　Our　damage　had　come　in　the　first　moments　of

surprise　when　a　number　of　the　early…rising　men　were　caught　exposed

in　the　light　of　the　campfires　they　were　building。　　The　Indiansfor

Indians　Laban　declared　them　to　behad　attacked　us　from　the　open；

and　were　lying　down　and　firing　at　us。　　In　the　growing　light　father

made　ready　for　them。　　His　position　was　near　to　where　I　lay　in　the

burrow　with　mother　so　that　I　heard　him　when　he　cried　out：



〃Now！　all　together！〃



From　left；　right；　and　centre　our　rifles　loosed　in　a　volley。　　I　had

popped　my　head　up　to　see；　and　I　could　make　out　more　than　one

stricken　Indian。　　Their　fire　immediately　ceased；　and　I　could　see

them　scampering　back　on　foot　across　the　open；　dragging　their　dead

and　wounded　with　them。



All　was　work　with　us　on　the　instant。　　While　the　wagons　were　being

dragged　and　chained　into　the　circle　with　tongues　insideI　saw　women

and　little　boys　and　girls　flinging　their　strength　on　the　wheel

spokes　to　helpwe　took　toll　of　our　losses。　　First；　and　gravest　of

all；　our　last　animal　had　been　run　off。　　Next；　lying　about　the　fires

they　had　been　building；　were　seven　of　our　men。　　Four　were　dead；　and

three　were　dying。　　Other　men；　wounded；　were　being　cared　for　by　the

women。　　Little　Rish　Hardacre　had　been　struck　in　the　arm　by　a　heavy

ball。　　He　was　no　more　than　six；　and　I　remember　looking　on　with　mouth

agape　while　his　mother　held　him　on　her　lap　and　his　father　set　about

bandaging　the　wound。　　Little　Rish　had　stopped　crying。　　I　could　see

the　tears　on　his　cheeks　while　he　stared　wonderingly　at　a　sliver　of

broken　bone　sticking　out　of　his　forearm。



Granny　White　was　found　dead　in　the　Foxwell　wagon。　　She　was　a　fat　and

helpless　old　woman　who　never　did　anything　but　sit　down　all　the　time

and　smoke　a　pipe。　　She　was　the　mother　of　Abby　Foxwell。　　And　Mrs。

Grant　had　been　killed。　　Her　husband　sat　beside　her　body。　　He　was

very　quiet。　　There　were　no　tears　in　his　eyes。　　He　just　sat　there；

his　rifle　across　his　knees；　and　everybody　left　him　alone。



Under　father's　directions　the　company　was　working　like　so　many

beavers。　　The　men　dug　a　big　rifle　pit　in　the　centre　of　the　corral；

forming　a　breastwork　out　of　the　displaced　sand。　　Into　this　pit　the

women　dragged　bedding；　food；　and　all　sorts　of　necessaries　from　the

wagons。　　All　the　children　helped。　　There　was　no　whimpering；　and

little　or　no　excitement。　　There　was　work　to　be　done；　and　all　of　us

were　folks　born　to　work。



The　big　rifle　pit　was　for　the　women　and　children。　　Under　the　wagons；

completely　around　the　circle；　a　shallow　trench　was　dug　and　an

earthwork　thrown　up。　　This　was　for　the　fighting　men。



Laban　returned　from　a　scout。　　He　reported　that　the　Indians　had

withdrawn　the　matter　of　half　a　mile；　and　were　holding　a　powwow。

Also　he　had　seen　them　carry　six　of　their　number　off　the　field；　three

of　which；　he　said；　were　deaders。



From　time　to　time；　during　the　morning　of　that　first　day；　we　observed

clouds　of　dust　that　advertised　the　movements　of　considerable　bodies

of　mounted　men。　　These　clouds　of　dust　came　toward　us；　hemming　us　in

on　all　sides。　　But　we　saw　no　living　creature。　　One　cloud　of　dirt

only　moved　away　from　us。　　It　was　a　large　cloud；　and　everybody　said

it　was　our　cattle　being　driven　off。　　And　our　forty　great　wagons　that

had　rolled　over　the　Rockies　and　half　across　the　continent　stood　in　a

helpless　circle。　　Without　cattle　they　could　roll　no　farther。



At　noon　Laban　came　in　from　another　scout。　　He　had　seen　fresh　Indians

arriving　from　the　south；　showing　that　we　were　being　closed　in。　　It

was　at　this　time　that　we　saw　a　dozen　white　men　ride　out　on　the　crest

of　a　low　hill　to　the　east　and　look　down　on　us。



〃That　settles　it；〃　Laban　said　to　father。　　〃The　Indians　have　been　put

up　to　it。〃



〃They're　white　like　us；〃　I　heard　Abby　Foxwell　complain　to　mother。

〃Why　don't　they　come　in　to　us？〃



〃They　ain't　whites；〃　I　piped　up；　with　a　wary　eye　for　the　swoop　of

mother's　hand。　　〃They're　Mormons。〃



That　night；　after　dark；　three　of　our　young　men　stole　out　of　camp。　　I

saw　them　go。　　They　were　Will　Aden；　Abel　Milliken；　and　Timothy　Grant。



〃They　are　heading　for　Cedar　City　to　get　help；〃　father　told　mother

while　he　was　snatching　a　hasty　bite　of　supper。



Mother　shook　her　head。



〃There's　plenty　of　Mormons　within　calling　distance　of　camp；〃　she

said。　　〃If　they　won't　help；　and　they　haven't　shown　any　signs；　then

the　Cedar　City　ones　won't　either。〃



〃But　there　are　good　Mormons　and　bad　Mormons〃　father　began。



〃We　haven't　found　any　good　ones　so　far；〃　she　shut　him　off。



Not　until　morning　did　I　hear　of　the　return　of　Abel　Milliken　and

Timothy　Grant；　but　I　was　not　long　in　learning。　　The　whole　camp　was

downcast　by　reason　of　their　report。　　The　three　had　gone　only　a　few

miles　when　they　were　challenged　by　white　men。　　As　soon　as　Will　Aden

spoke　up；　telling　that　they　were　from　the　Fancher　Company；　going　to

Cedar　City　for　help；　he　was　shot　down。　　Milliken　and　Grant　escaped

back　with　the　news；　and　the　news　settled　the　last　hope　in　the　hearts

of　our　company。　　The　whites　were　behind　the　Indians；　and　the　doom　so

long　apprehended　was　upon　us。



This　morning　of　the　second　day　our　men；　going　for　water；　were　fired

upon。　　The　spring　was　only　a　hundred　feet　outside　our　circle；　but

the　way　to　it　was　commanded　by　the　Indians　who　now　occupied　the　low

hill　to　the　east。　　It　was　close　range；　for　the　hill　could　not　have

been　more　than　fifteen　rods　away。　　But　the　Indians　were　not　good

shots；　evidently；　for　our　men　brought　in　the　water　without　being

hit。



Beyond　an　occasional　shot　into　camp　the　morning　passed　quietly。　　We

had　settled　down　in　the　rifle　pit；　and；　being　used　to　rough　living；

were　comfortable　enough。　　Of　course　it　was　bad　for　the　families　of

those　who　had　been　killed；　and　there　was　the　taking　care　of　the

wounded。　　I　was　for　ever　stealing　away　from　mother　in　my　insatiable

curiosity　to　see　everything　that　was　going　on；　and　I　managed　to　see

pretty　much　of　everything。　　Inside　the　corral；　to　the　south　of　the

big　rifle　pit；　the　men　dug　a　hole　and　buried　the　seven　men　and　two

women　all　together。　　Only　Mrs。　Hastings；　who　had　lost　her　husband

and　father；　made　much　trouble。　　She　cried　and　screamed　out；　and　it

took　the　other　women　a　long　time　to　quiet　her。



On　the　low　hill　to　the　east　the　Indians　kept　up　a　tremendous

powwowing　and　yelling。　　But　beyond　an　occasional　harmless　shot　they

did　nothing。



〃What's　the　matter　with　the　ornery　cusses？〃　Laban　impatiently　wanted

to　know。　　〃Can't　they　make　up　their　minds　what　they're　goin'　to　do；

an'　then　do　it？〃



It　was　hot　in　the　corral　that　afternoon。　　The　sun　blazed　down　out　of

a　cloudless　sky；　and　there　was　no　wind。　　The　men；　lying　with　their

rifles　in　the　trench　under　the　wagons；　were　partly　shaded；　but　the

big　rifle　pit；　in　which　were　over　a　hundred　women　and　children；　was

exposed　to　the　full　power　of　the　sun。　　Here；　too；　were　the　wounded

men；　over　whom　we　erected　awnings　of　blankets。　　It　was　crowded　and

stifling　in　the　pit；　and　I　was　for　ever　stealing　out　of　it　to　the

firing…line；　and　making　a　great　to…do　at　carrying　messages　for

father。



Our　grave　mistake　had　been　in　not　forming　the　wagon…circle　so　as　to

inclose　the　spring。　　This　had　been　due　to　the　excitement　of　the

first　attack；　when　we　did　not　know　how　qui