CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
VENGEANCE.
The terrible tale which was related by Slugs had the effect of changingRobin Gore's plans. He resolved to pursue the murderers, and inflictsummary punishment on them before setting off on the contemplated searchfor his lost children, and he was all the more induced to do this thatthere was some hope he might be able to obtain a clue to theirwhereabouts from some of the prisoners whom he hoped to seize.
It might be thought by some a rash step for him to take--the pursuit ofa band of about fifty savages with a party of six men. But backwoodhunters were bold fellows in those days, and Indians were by no meansnoted for reckless courage. Six stout, resolute, and well-armed menwere, in Robin's opinion, quite a match for fifty redskins!
He could not muster more than six, because it was absolutely necessaryto leave at least three men to guard Fort Enterprise. Robin thereforeresolved to leave his brother Jeff to look after it, with two of thestrangers; and Jeff accepted the charge with pleasure, saying he "woulddefend the place agin a hundred red reptiles." The third stranger--aman named Stiff--he resolved to take with him.
The war-party, when mustered, consisted of Robin Gore, his nephewWalter, Larry O'Dowd, the Black Swan, Slugs the hunter, and Stiff thestranger. Armed to the teeth, these six put on their snow-shoes thefollowing morning, and set forth on their journey in silence.
Now this change of plans was--all unknown to Robin--the means of leadinghim towards, instead of away from, his lost little ones. For Roy andNelly had travelled so far during their long wanderings from the BlackHills--the place where they escaped from the Indians--that they were atthat time many long miles away from them in another direction. In fact,if Robin had carried out his original plan of search, he would have beenincreasing the distance between himself and his children every step hetook!
Not knowing this, however, and being under the impression that eachday's march lessened his chance of ultimately finding his lost ones, hewalked along, mile after mile, and day after day, in stern silence.
On the third day out, towards evening, the party descried a thin line ofblue smoke rising above the tree-tops. They had reached an elevated andsomewhat hilly region, so that the ground favoured their approach bystealth, nevertheless, fearing to lose their prey, they resolved to waittill dark, and take their enemies, if such they should turn out to be,by surprise.
Soon after sunset Robin gave the word to advance. Each man of the partylaid aside his blanket, and left his provisions, etcetera, in theencampment, taking with him his arms only.
"I need not say that there must be no speaking, and that we must treadlightly. You're up to redskin ways as well as me, except mayhap ourfriend Stiff here."
Stiff who was a tall Yankee, protested that he could "chaw up histongue, and go as slick as a feline mouser."
On nearing the fire, they made a _detour_ to examine the tracks that ledto it, and found from their number and other signs that it was indeedHawk's party.
Robin advanced alone to reconnoitre. On returning, he said--
"It's just the reptiles; there's forty of 'em if there's one, an'they've got a white man bound with 'em; no doubt from what you said ofhim, Slugs, it's Macdonell; but I don't see Wapaw. I fear me that hisdays are over. Now, then, lads, here's our plan: we'll attack them fromsix different points at once. We'll all give the war-whoop at the samemoment, takin' the word from Walter there, who's got a loud pipe of hisown, then when the varmints start to their feet--for I don't like thenotion o' firin' at men off their guard--Walter, Larry, an' Stiff willfire. Black Swan, Slugs, an' I will reserve our fire while you reload;the reptiles will scatter, of course, an' we'll give 'em a volley an' aunited yell as they cut stick, that'll keep 'em from waitin' for more."
The plan thus hastily sketched was at once carried out. Advancingstealthily to their several stations, the six men, as it were,surrounded the savages, who, not dreaming of pursuit, had neglected toplace sentinels round the camp. When Walter's loud "halloo!" rang intheir ears, the whole band sprang to their feet, and seized their arms,but three shots laid three of them dead on the ground. As they fledright and left the reserve fired, and shot three others, among whom wasHawk himself. Black Swan had picked him out, and shot him through thehead. Before they were quite out of shot, the three who had first firedhad reloaded and fired again with some effect, for blood was afterwardsobserved on the snow.
Slugs now made a rush into the camp to unbind Macdonell, but to hishorror he discovered that a knife was plunged up to the handle in hisbreast, and that he was almost dead. Hawk had evidently committed thiscowardly deed on the first alarm, for the knife was known to be his.Macdonell tried hard to speak, but all that he was able to say was,"Wapaw, wounded, escaped--follow." Then his head fell back, and hedied. From the few words thus uttered, however, the pursuers concludedthat Wapaw was not dead, but wounded, and that he had escaped.
"If that be so," said Walter, "then they must have been on Wapaw'stracks, an' if we search we shall find 'em, an' may follow 'em up."
"True," said Slugs, "and the sooner we're away from this the better, forthe reptiles may return, and find us not so strong a band as theythink."
Acting on this advice, the whole party set off at once. Wapaw's trackwas soon discovered, being, of course, a solitary one, and in advance ofhis enemies, who were in pursuit. Following the track with untiringvigour, the party found that it led them out of the lower country into aregion high up amongst the hills.