CHAPTER V.
SITTING BULL--THE FAIR CAPTIVE.
Fearless Frank stepped back aghast, as he saw the inhuman chief of theSioux--the cruel, grim-faced warrior, Sitting Bull; shrunk back, andlaid his hand upon the butt of a revolver.
"Ha!" he articulated, "is that you, chief? You, and at such work asthis?" there was stern reproach in the youth's tone, and certain it isthat the Sioux warrior heard the words spoken.
"My friend, Scarlet Boy, is keen with the tongue," he said, frowning."Let him put shackles upon it, before it leaps over the bounds ofreason."
"I see no reason why I should not speak in behalf of yon sufferinggirl!" retorted the youth, fearlessly, "on whom you have beeninflicting one of the most inhuman tortures Indian cunning couldconceive. For shame, chief, that you should ever assent to such anact--lower yourself to the grade of a dog by such a dastard deed. Forshame, I say!"
Instantly the form of the great warrior straightened up like an arrow,and his painted hand flew toward the pistols in his belt.
But the succeeding second he seemed to change his intention; his handwent out toward the youth in greeting:
"The Scarlet Boy is right," he said, with as much graveness as ared-skin can conceive. "Sitting Bull listens to his words as he wouldto those of a brother. Scarlet Boy is no stranger in the land of theSioux; he is the friend of the great chief and his warriors. Once whenthe storm-gods were at war over the pine forests and picture rocks ofthe Hills; when the Great Spirit was sending fiery messengers down invivid streaks from the skies, the Big Chief cast a thunderbolt inplayfulness at the feet of Sitting Bull. The shock of the hand of theGreat Spirit did not escape me; for hours I lay like one slain inbattle. My warriors were in consternation; they ran hither and thitherin affright, calling on the Manitou to preserve their chief. You came,Scarlet Boy, in the midst of all the panic;--came, and though then buta stripling, you applied simple remedies that restored Sitting Bull tothe arms of his warriors.[A]
"From that hour Sitting Bull was your friend--is your friend, now, andwill be as long as the red-men exist as a tribe."
"Thank you, chief;" and Fearless Frank grasped the Indian's hand andwrung it warmly. "I believe you mean all you say. But I am surprisedto find you engaged at such work as this. I have been told thatSitting Bull made war only on warriors--not on women."
An ugly frown darkened the savage's face--a frown wherein was depicteda number of slumbering passions.
"The pale-face girl is the last survivor of a train that the warriorsof Sitting Bull attacked in Red Canyon. Sitting Bull lost manywarriors; yon pale squaw shot down full a half-score before she couldbe captured; she belongs to the warriors of Sitting Bull, and not tothe great chief himself."
"Yet you have the power to free her--to yield her up to me. Consider,chief; are you not enough my friend that you can afford to give me thepale-face girl? Surely, she has been tortured sufficiently to satisfyyour braves' thirst for vengeance."
Sitting Bull was silent.
"What will the Scarlet Boy do with the fair maiden of his tribe?"
"Bear her to a place of safety, chief, and care for her until I canfind her friends--probably she has friends in the East."
"It shall be as he says. Sitting Bull will withdraw his braves andScarlet Boy can have the red-man's prize."
A friendly hand-shake between the youth and the Sioux chieftain, aword from the latter to the grim painted warriors, and the nextinstant the glade was cleared of the savages.
Fearless Frank then hastened to approach the insensible captive, and,with a couple sweeps of his knife, cut the bonds that held her to thetorture-stake. Gently he laid her on the grass, and arranged about herhalf-nude form the garments Sitting Bull's warriors had torn off, andsoon he had the satisfaction of seeing her once more clothed properly.It still remained for him to restore her to consciousness, and thispromised to be no easy task, for she was in a dead swoon. She was evenmore beautiful of face and figure than one would have imagined at afirst glance. Of a delicate blonde complexion, with pink-tingedcheeks, she made a very pretty picture, her face framed as it was in awild disheveled cloud of auburn hair.
A hatful of cold water from a neighboring spring dashed into herupturned face; a continued chafing of the pure white soft hands; thenthere was a convulsive twitching of the features, a low moan, and theeyes opened and darted a glance of affright into the face of theScarlet Boy.
"Fear not, miss;" and the youth gently supported her to a sittingposture. "I am a friend, and your cruel captors have vamosed. Lucky Icame along just as I did, or it's likely they'd have killed you."
"Oh! sir, how can I ever thank you for rescuing me from thosemerciless fiends!" and the maiden gave him a grateful glance. "Theywhipped me, terribly!"
"I know, lady--all because you defended yourself in Red Canyon."
"I suppose so: but how did you find out so much, and, also, effect myrelease from the savages?"
Fearless Frank leaned up against the tree which had been used as thetorture-stake, and related what is already known to the reader.
When he had finished, the rescued captive seized his hand between bothher own, and thanked him warmly.
"Had it not been for you, sir, no one but our God knows what wouldhave been my fate. Oh! sir, what can I do, more than to thank you athousand times, to repay you for the great service you have renderedme?"
"Nothing, lady; nothing that I think of at present. Was it not myduty, while I had the power, to free you from the hands of thosebarbarians? Certainly it was, and I deserve no thanks. But tell me,what is your name, and were your friends all killed in the train fromwhich you were taken?"
"I had no friends, sir, save a lady whose acquaintance I made on thejourney out from Cheyenne. As to my name--you can call me Miss Terry."
"Mystery!" in blank amazement.
"Yes;" with a gay laugh--"Mystery, if you choose. My name is AliceTerry."
"Oh!" and the youth began to brighten. "Miss Terry, to be sure;Mystery! ha! ha! good joke. I shall call you the latter. Have youfriends and relatives East?"
"No. I came West to meet my father, who is somewhere in the BlackHills."
"Do you know at what place?"
"I do not."
"I fear it will be a hard matter to find him, then. The Hills now havea floating population of about twenty-five thousand souls. Your fatherwould be one to find out of that lot."
A faint smile came over the girl's face. "I should know papa amongfifty thousand, if necessary;" she said, "although I have not seen himfor years."
She failed to mention how many, or what peculiarities she wouldrecognize him by. Was he blind, deaf or dumb?
Fearless Frank glanced around him, and saw that a path rugged andsteep led up to the prairie above.
"Come," he said, offering his arm, "we will get up to the plains andgo."
"Where to?" asked Miss Terry, rising with an effort. The welts acrossher back were swollen and painful.
"Deadwood is my destination. I can deviate my course, however, if itwill accommodate you."
"Oh! no; you must not inconvenience yourself on my account. I am oflittle or no consequence, you know."
She leaned upon his arm, and they ascended the path to the plainabove.
Frank's horse was grazing near by where the scarlet youth had takenhis unceremonious tumble.
Off to the north-west a cloud of dust rose heavenward, and he rightlyconjectured that it hid from view the chieftain, Sitting Bull, and hiswarriors.
His thoughts reverting to his companion, "General" Nix, and the trainof Charity Joe, he glanced toward where he had last seen them.
Neither were to be seen, now. Probably Nix had rejoined the train, andit was out of eye-shot behind a swell in the plains.
"Were you looking for some one?" Alice asked, looking into herrescuer's face.
"Yes, I was with a train when I first heard your cries; I left theboys, and came to investigate. I guess they have gone on without me."
"How
mean of them! Will we have to make the journey to the Hillsalone?"
"Yes, unless we should providentially fall in with a train or beovertaken by a stage."
"Are you not afraid?"
"My cognomen is Fearless Frank, lady; you can draw conclusions fromthat."
He went and caught the horse, arranged a blanket in the saddle so thatshe could ride side-fashion, and assisted her to mount.
The sun was touching the lips of the horizon with a golden kiss; moretime than Frank had supposed' had elapsed since he left the train.
Far off toward the east shadows were hugging close behind the lastlingering rays of sunlight; a couple of coyotes were sneaking intoview a few rods away; birds were winging homeward; a perfume-ladenbreeze swept down from the Black Hills, and fanned the pink cheeks ofAlice Terry into a vivid glow.
"We cannot go far," said Frank, thoughtfully, "before darkness willovertake us. Perhaps we had better remain in the canal, here, wherethere is both grass and water. In the morning we will take a freshstart."
The plan was adopted; they camped in the break, or "canal," near whereAlice had been tortured.
Out of his saddle-bags Frank brought forth crackers, biscuit and driedvenison; these, with clear sparkling water from the spring in thechaparral, made a meal good enough for anybody.
The night was warm; no fire was needed.
A blanket spread on the grass served as a resting-place for Alice; thestrange youth in scarlet lay with his head resting against the side ofhis horse. The least movement of the animal, he said, would arousehim; he was keen of scent and quick to detect danger--meaning thehorse.
The night passed away without incident; as early as four o'clock--whenit is daylight on the plains--Fearless Frank was astir.
Be found the rivulet flowing from the spring to abound with trout, andcaught and dressed the morning meal.
Alice was awake by the time breakfast was ready. She bathed her faceand hands in the stream, combed her long auburn hair through herfingers, and looked sweeter than on the previous night--at least, sothought Fearless Frank.
"The day promises to be delightful, does it not?" she remarked, as sheseated herself to partake of the repast.
"Exactly. Autumn months are ever enjoyable in the West."
The meal dispatched, no delay was made in leaving the place.
Fearless Frank strode along beside his horse and its fair rider,chatting pleasantly, and at the same time making a close observationof his surroundings. He knew he was in parts frequented by both redand white savages, and it would do no harm to keep on one's guard.
They traveled all day and reached Sage creek at sunset.
Here they remained over night, taking an early start on the succeedingmorning.
That day they made good progress, in consequence of Frank's purchaseof a horse at Sage creek from some friendly Crow Indians, and darknessovertook them at the mouth of Red Canyon, where they went into camp.
By steady pushing they reached Rapid creek the next night, for no haltwas made at Custer City, and for the first time since leaving thetorture-ground, camped with a miner's family. As yet no cabins orshanties had been erected here, canvas tents serving in the stead;to-day there are between fifty and a hundred wooden structures.
Alice was charmed with the wild grandeur of the mountain scenery--withthe countless acres of blossoms and flowering shrubs--with theromantic and picturesque surroundings in general, and was veryemphatic in her praises.
One day of rest was taken at Rapid Creek; then the twain pushed on,and when night again overtook them, they rode into the bustling,noisy, homely metropolis--Deadwood, magic city of the North-west.