the jacket (the star-rover)-第31章

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

first　attack；　when　we　did　not　know　how　quickly　it　might　be　followed

by　a　second　one。　　And　now　it　was　too　late。　　At　fifteen　rods'

distance　from　the　Indian　position　on　the　hill　we　did　not　dare

unchain　our　wagons。　　Inside　the　corral；　south　of　the　graves；　we

constructed　a　latrine；　and；　north　of　the　rifle　pit　in　the　centre；　a

couple　of　men　were　told　off　by　father　to　dig　a　well　for　water。



In　the　mid…afternoon　of　that　day；　which　was　the　second　day；　we　saw

Lee　again。　　He　was　on　foot；　crossing　diagonally　over　the　meadow　to

the　north…west　just　out　of　rifle…shot　from　us。　　Father　hoisted　one

of　mother's　sheets　on　a　couple　of　ox…goads　lashed　together。　　This

was　our　white　flag。　　But　Lee　took　no　notice　of　it；　continuing　on　his

way。



Laban　was　for　trying　a　long　shot　at　him；　but　father　stopped　him；

saying　that　it　was　evident　the　whites　had　not　made　up　their　minds

what　they　were　going　to　do　with　us；　and　that　a　shot　at　Lee　might

hurry　them　into　making　up　their　minds　the　wrong　way。



〃Here；　Jesse；〃　father　said　to　me；　tearing　a　strip　from　the　sheet　and

fastening　it　to　an　ox…goad。　　〃Take　this　and　go　out　and　try　to　talk

to　that　man。　　Don't　tell　him　anything　about　what's　happened　to　us。

Just　try　to　get　him　to　come　in　and　talk　with　us。〃



As　I　started　to　obey；　my　chest　swelling　with　pride　in　my　mission；

Jed　Dunham　cried　out　that　he　wanted　to　go　with　me。　　Jed　was　about　my

own　age。



〃Dunham；　can　your　boy　go　along　with　Jesse？〃　father　asked　Jed's

father。　　〃Two's　better　than　one。　　They'll　keep　each　other　out　of

mischief。〃



So　Jed　and　I；　two　youngsters　of　nine；　went　out　under　the　white　flag

to　talk　with　the　leader　of　our　enemies。　　But　Lee　would　not　talk。

When　he　saw　us　coming　he　started　to　sneak　away。　　We　never　got　within

calling　distance　of　him；　and　after　a　while　he　must　have　hidden　in

the　brush；　for　we　never　laid　eyes　on　him　again；　and　we　knew　he

couldn't　have　got　clear　away。



Jed　and　I　beat　up　the　brush　for　hundreds　of　yards　all　around。　　They

hadn't　told　us　how　long　we　were　to　be　gone；　and　since　the　Indians

did　not　fire　on　us　we　kept　on　going。　　We　were　away　over　two　hours；

though　had　either　of　us　been　alone　he　would　have　been　back　in　a

quarter　of　the　time。　　But　Jed　was　bound　to　outbrave　me；　and　I　was

equally　bound　to　outbrave　him。



Our　foolishness　was　not　without　profit。　　We　walked；　boldly　about

under　our　white　flag；　and　learned　how　thoroughly　our　camp　was

beleaguered。　　To　the　south　of　our　train；　not　more　than　half　a　mile

away；　we　made　out　a　large　Indian　camp。　　Beyond；　on　the　meadow；　we

could　see　Indian　boys　riding　hard　on　their　horses。



Then　there　was　the　Indian　position　on　the　hill　to　the　east。　　We

managed　to　climb　a　low　hill　so　as　to　look　into　this　position。　　Jed

and　I　spent　half　an　hour　trying　to　count　them；　and　concluded；　with

much　guessing；　that　there　must　be　at　least　a　couple　of　hundred。

Also；　we　saw　white　men　with　them　and　doing　a　great　deal　of　talking。



North…east　of　our　train；　not　more　than　four　hundred　yards　from　it；

we　discovered　a　large　camp　of　whites　behind　a　low　rise　of　ground。

And　beyond　we　could　see　fifty　or　sixty　saddle…horses　grazing。　　And　a

mile　or　so　away；　to　the　north；　we　saw　a　tiny　cloud　of　dust

approaching。　　Jed　and　I　waited　until　we　saw　a　single　man；　riding

fast；　gallop　into　the　camp　of　the　whites。



When　we　got　back　into　the　corral　the　first　thing　that　happened　to　me

was　a　smack　from　mother　for　having　stayed　away　so　long；　but　father

praised　Jed　and　me　when　we　gave　our　report。



〃Watch　for　an　attack　now　maybe；　Captain；〃　Aaron　Cochrane　said　to

father。　　〃That　man　the　boys　seen　has　rid　in　for　a　purpose。　　The

whites　are　holding　the　Indians　till　they　get　orders　from　higher　up。

Maybe　that　man　brung　the　orders　one　way　or　the　other。　　They　ain't

sparing　horseflesh；　that's　one　thing　sure。〃



Half　an　hour　after　our　return　Laban　attempted　a　scout　under　a　white

flag。　　But　he　had　not　gone　twenty　feet　outside　the　circle　when　the

Indians　opened　fire　on　him　and　sent　him　back　on　the　run。



Just　before　sundown　I　was　in　the　rifle　pit　holding　the　baby；　while

mother　was　spreading　the　blankets　for　a　bed。　　There　were　so　many　of

us　that　we　were　packed　and　jammed。　　So　little　room　was　there　that

many　of　the　women　the　night　before　had　sat　up　and　slept　with　their

heads　bowed　on　their　knees。　　Right　alongside　of　me；　so　near　that

when　he　tossed　his　arms　about　he　struck　me　on　the　shoulder；　Silas

Dunlap　was　dying。　　He　had　been　shot　in　the　head　in　the　first　attack；

and　all　the　second　day　was　out　of　his　head　and　raving　and　singing

doggerel。　　One　of　his　songs；　that　he　sang　over　and　over；　until　it

made　mother　frantic　nervous；　was：





〃Said　the　first　little　devil　to　the　second　little　devil；

'Give　me　some　tobaccy　from　your　old　tobaccy　box。'

Said　the　second　little　devil　to　the　first　little　devil；

'Stick　close　to　your　money　and　close　to　your　rocks；

An'　you'll　always　have　tobaccy　in　your　old　tobaccy　box。'〃





I　was　sitting　directly　alongside　of　him；　holding　the　baby；　when　the

attack　burst　on　us。　　It　was　sundown；　and　I　was　staring　with　all　my

eyes　at　Silas　Dunlap　who　was　just　in　the　final　act　of　dying。　　His

wife；　Sarah；　had　one　hand　resting　on　his　forehead。　　Both　she　and　her

Aunt　Martha　were　crying　softly。　　And　then　it　cameexplosions　and

bullets　from　hundreds　of　rifles。　　Clear　around　from　east　to　west；　by

way　of　the　north；　they　had　strung　out　in　half　a　circle　and　were

pumping　lead　in　our　position。　　Everybody　in　the　rifle　pit　flattened

down。　　Lots　of　the　younger　children　set　up　a…squalling；　and　it　kept

the　women　busy　hushing　them。　　Some　of　the　women　screamed　at　first；

but　not　many。



Thousands　of　shots　must　haven　rained　in　on　us　in　the　next　few

minutes。　　How　I　wanted　to　crawl　out　to　the　trench　under　the　wagons

where　our　men　were　keeping　up　a　steady　but　irregular　fire！　　Each　was

shooting　on　his　own　whenever　he　saw　a　man　to　pull　trigger　on。　　But

mother　suspected　me；　for　she　made　me　crouch　down　and　keep　right　on

holding　the　baby。



I　was　just　taking　a　look　at　Silas　Dunlaphe　was　still　quivering

when　the　little　Castleton　baby　was　killed。　　Dorothy　Castleton；

herself　only　about　ten；　was　holding　it；　so　that　it　was　killed　in　her

arms。　　She　was　not　hurt　at　all。　　I　heard　them　talking　about　it；　and

they　conjectured　that　the　bullet　must　have　struck　high　on　one　of　the

wagons　and　been　deflected　down　into　the　rifle　pit。　　It　was　just　an

accident；　they　said；　and　that　except　for　such　accidents　we　were　safe

where　we　were。



When　I　looked　again　Silas　Dunlap　was　dead；　and　I　suffered　distinct

disappointment　in　being　cheated　out　of　witnessing　that　particular

event。　　I　had　never　been　lucky　enough　to　see　a　man　actually　die

before　my　eyes。



Dorothy　Castleton　got　hysterics　over　what　had　happened；　and　yelled

and　screamed　for　a　long　time　and　she　set　Mrs。　Hastings　going　again。

Altogether　such　a　row　was　raised　that　father　sent　Watt　Cummings

crawling　back　to　us　to　find　out　what　was　the　matter。



Well　along　into　twilight　the　heavy　firing　ceased；　although　there

were　scattering　shots　during　the　night。　　Two　of　our　men　were　wounded

in　this　second　attack；　and　were　brought　into　the　rifle　pit。　　Bill

Tyler　was　killed　instantly；　and　they　buried　him；　Silas　Dunlap；　and

the　Castleton　baby；　in　the　dark　alongside　of　the　others。



All　during　the　night　men　relieved　one　another　at　sinking　the　well

deeper；　but　the　only　sign　of　water　they　got　was　damp　sand。　　Some　of

the　men　fetched　a　few　pails　of　water　from　the　spring；　but　were　fired

upon；　and　they　gave　it　up　when　Jeremy　Hopkins　had　his　left　hand　shot

off　at　the　wrist。



Next　morning；　the　third　day；　it　was　hotter　and　dryer　than　ever。　　We

awoke　thirsty；　and　there　was　no　cooking。　　So　dry　were　our　mouths

that　we　could　not　eat。　　I　tried　a　piece　of　stale　bread　mother　gave

me；　but　had　to　give　it　up。　　The　firing　rose　and　fell。　　Sometimes

there　were　hundreds　shooting　into　the　camp。　　At　oth