"Good-evenin'," said the servant, bowing low, and making a salaam withhis broad hand, inasmuch as he was without his hat; "I hopes I finds yerwerry well dis ebenin."
Jake Golcher sprang to his feet, and his pipe dropped from his hand. Itoften happens that the very person of whom we are thinking turns upbefore us, but, although there was nothing supernatural in theappearance of the African, the renegade was startled for the moment intobelieving that such was the fact.
Quickly recovering, he muttered something, and sitting down again on thelog, picked up his pipe, took a puff or two, and looking at the lameAfrican, asked:
"Where did you come from? I thought you was Satan."
"Dat's purty rough on Satan; but I's Gravity Gimp, at your sarvice, andif it am all de same I'll sot down on de log beside yer, being dat I'vegot a tremenjus game leg."
As he spoke, Gravity limped to the fallen tree, and took his seat ashort distance away, uttering a groan of pain, and nursing the limb asthough his torture was great.
Jake Golcher was sure he never saw such impudence, but he concluded tohumor the fellow for a while, until he could extract some informationfrom him.
He was sorry his leg had been injured, for he would have liked to makehim run the gauntlet, and now the suffering to which he should be doomedwould have to take a different character.
The Tory first asked the Indians some questions, and gathered how thepowerful negro had been captured. It was done under the direction ofGray Panther, whose hand appeared in many a skillful achievement thatevening and the day following.
Golcher learned from the same chief that every movement of the fugitiveshad been noted, and that the whites had been deceived to such an extentthat they were likely to walk into the trap the Senecas had set forthem.
Jake was favorable to making an open attack on the whites, but thesachem assured him they could all be taken without the loss of any morewarriors, and so it was left to the chief.
There was only one point in which the Senecas were at fault, and thatwas respecting the man who fired the second shot, that killed the Indianas he was leaping for the rocks from which to shoot at the fugitives.
They supposed it was discharged from within the cavern, and were unawareof the fact that Lieutenant Godfrey was so near his friends withoutbeing with them.
They did not learn of his cautious descent, and only discovered hispresence among them after the capture of the African and the start madeby the fugitives to leave the ravine.
Golcher was much interested in the news, and he urged Gray Panther tospare no effort to make his success complete, assuring him of a bigreward, in addition to the praise of Queen Esther, who at that momentwas engaged on the other side the river in torturing a number ofprisoners.
The chief assured him that he had no cause for uneasiness, and then,turning about, withdrew with his warriors, leaving only a single onewith Jake Golcher to guard the prisoner.
CHAPTER XXXII.
While the conversation was going on between the Tory and Gray Panther,Gravity Gimp was rubbing and nursing his "game leg," with many sighs andgroans, which he took care should be heard by those around him, while atthe same time it did not annoy them.
"Sprained it, I s'pose," remarked Golcher, deeming it best to keep backhis intentions toward the negro until after he should have extracted allthe information he could.
"Wuss dan a strain," said Gravity, looking ruefully down at the limb andrubbing it with one hand.
"How can it be worse than a strain?"
"It's busted."
"You talk like a fool--what do you mean by bustin' a leg?"
"I mean dat it ain't no use any more--ain't wuth nuffin to dance dedouble shuffle wid."
"How did you hurt it?"
"Got struck by a cannon-ball dis arternoon--but I recovered from datslight inconwenience, and I strained and broke it in two or three placesa little while ago."
"How?"
"In flingin' Injins ober de rocks, I wrenched it."
The explanation was not very clear to Golcher, but he was satisfied thelimb was badly sprained, and he cared nothing further. It rendered whatmight have been a dangerous prisoner comparatively harmless, which was agood thing while the main party of Indians were away, engaged inentrapping the fugitives, whose possession was so much more valuable.
"All you folks got into the cavern, down among the rocks over there,thinkin' you was safe, didn't you?"
"We crept in dar not 'cause we thought it war safe, but 'cause it warthe bestest thing we could do."
"Do you know anything about Fred Godfrey?"
"Yes; he hab de honor ob my 'quaintance."
"That isn't what I mean: do you know where he is?"
"I tink he am ober on de oder side ob de riber slewing Injins andTories."
It will be recollected that Gravity left the cavern before thelieutenant put in his appearance, and the African therefore knew nothingof his presence with his friends.
"Wal," growled Golcher, finding it hard to repress the anger that wasgnawing at his heart; "the trouble to-day has been that too many of therebels got slewed themselves; if it hadn't been for that, things wouldhave gone different; but that Godfrey will be with the party up in therocks afore long."
"Guess you're 'bout right, Massa Golcher."
"Do you know," suddenly asked Golcher turning on the negro, "that we'regoing to have every one of that party afore daylight?"
"No, I didn't know it; did you?"
"They'll be here inside of two hours, and then there'll be fun."
"Reckons dere'll be a little fun afore you cotches 'em."
"They're in the rocks, but we can rout them out whenever we want to;they think we don't know what they're doing, but Gray Panther hasn'tmissed anything."
"I noticed that Massa Brainerd didn't miss either, when he plugged demInjuns dat was trying to sneak in behind the rocks."
"See here," exclaimed Golcher, turning upon him; "you'd better keep acivil tongue in your head."
"Dat's all right--I was jes' joking wid you--but, if you hain't any'bjection, Massa Golcher, I'd like to know what yer gwine to do wid me?Am yer gwine ter take me up in York State and put me to work on a farm?"
"If you live a couple of hours longer, you'll be put through thesprouts."
"Put frough de sprouts," repeated Gimp, as if to himself; "wonder whatdat means."
While this conversation was going on, the Indian who was keeping guardwas seated on the other side the fire in a lounging attitude, and hishead now and then bobbed down on his breast in a way that showed he waspartly asleep.
Gravity Gimp did not appear to notice him, but he saw every movement,and, without appearing to do so, hitched a little closer to the Tory.
The latter seemed to conclude that nothing more was to be gained fromthe negro, and he ceased asking him questions.
The servant groaned and rubbed his leg with every appearance of greatpain.
"Massa Golcher," said he, with a groan, "I'd be much obliged to yer, ifyou'll jes pull off my shoe and rub dat ankle for half an hour."
And as he made this astounding request he moved still nearer, and thrusthis enormous shoe almost in the face of the renegade, who turnedsavagely upon him.
"I'll teach yer manners, you black--"
He rose to his feet and whipped out his knife as he spoke, but Gimp alsocame to the standing position, and he was a little quicker than theTory. Golcher had drawn his weapon, but before he suspected the designof his assailant, Gimp lowered his head and ran like a steam-enginestraight at him.
The iron-like skull struck Golcher "'midships" and knocked him overbackwards, his heels going up in the air, while he described an almostcomplete somersault, with the breath gone from his body.
The drowsy Seneca roused up just in time to witness the performance, andto see the same battering-ram charging down upon him.
He turned to leap aside until he could draw his tomahawk, but he was asecond too late, and the projectile took him in the pit of t
he stomach,and banged him against a neighboring tree with such violence that thebreath left his body also, and there is reason to believe it neverreturned.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
There was not a particle of lameness in the movements of Gravity Gimp ashe went through this programme, but his actions were like those of anathlete.
Catching up the gun of the prostrate Indian, he was off like a shot,running with the speed of a deer among the trees, and with great risk,for the darkness was too dense to permit him to see where he was going.
"Dat ere pertendin' dat I was lame was a stroke ob gen'us," he muttered,with a huge grin, as he slackened his gait somewhat, "and, if it hadn'tbeen for dat lameness, I'd been 'sassinated.
"Shouldn't wonder if dey did scoop in all de folks," he added, with apang of fear, "and if dey does, why Aunt Peggy must go to buttin' deInjuns ober de same as I done. _Sh!_"
He listened for sounds of pursuit, but there was none, and he drew asigh of relief, hoping that his friends were in as safe a situation ashe.
Gray Panther, chief of the Senecas, conducted his portion of theprogramme, as we have already seen, with cunning and skill.
Fred Godfrey, Richard Brainerd, Maggie and Eva, Aunt Peggy, and HabakkukMcEwen were his prisoners, and within five minutes after they becamesuch they were started, under the charge of the warriors, for the camp,where Jake Golcher was expecting them.
The hands of the males were tied behind them so securely that they feltthere was no possibility of freeing themselves. Their weapons wereremoved, as a matter of course, but no one of the three females wasoffered any indignity by the Indians, who were carrying out theinstructions of Jake Golcher himself.
Since the captors did not seem to feel any objection, several of thewhites ventured on a few words. Habakkuk, however, as he stumbled alongover the obstructions at the rear, felt in anything but a conversationalmood, and for a time held his peace.
"These are the most scand'lous purceedings that I ever heard tell of,"ventured Aunt Peggy, in her snappish way.
"You are right," said Fred Godfrey; "it is the most terrible reverse Iever saw."
"Oh, I don't mean that."
"What do you refer to?"
"That Injin actually tried to kiss me--didn't you see him?"
"No, I wasn't aware of it."
"I gave him one slap that he'll remember, I reckon!"
The situation was too solemn for Fred to utter the remark that wouldhave come to his lip at any other time. He therefore directed his nextwords to Maggie, who was close to her father, and holding the hand ofEva.
"This looks pretty bad, Maggie," said he, in a low voice, "and it ishard to find we were mistaken, when I was so hopeful that we had passedall danger."
"So it is, but how many of our friends and neighbors have fared stillmore ill!"
"They are to be envied," said Mr. Brainerd, speaking for the firsttime, "for their woe is ended, and ours is to come."
"There may be hope," remarked the daughter, though it must be confessedshe saw none; "we must not despair."
"It is well enough to talk about hoping on forever," said her father,who seemed more dejected than the others, "but every man that is bornmust sooner or later reach the hour when hope is ended: we struck thehour and minute just now."
"I'm disposed to hold out as long as any of you," said Fred Godfrey,"but I must own that I feel about as you do."
"And so does every one," added Mr. Brainerd, "for the days of miraclespassed long ago; some of our escapes to-day came about as close to themiraculous as they could well do, and that may have led us to expectunreasonable things."
At this juncture Gray Panther seemed to think there was too muchconversation going on, and in broken English he ordered all to keeptheir tongues still.
No one of the prisoners regretted the command, for it was a dismalthing to talk when their hearts were so oppressed.
The route they followed was through the wood, that was stony and rocky,and in the deep shadows it was anything but pleasing work. The captorskept close to the captives, so as to prevent any break for freedom ontheir part.
The distance was not far, but it was not yet passed, when something tookplace which caused some alarm, though none of the prisoners could tellwhat it was.
One of the Indians in front uttered a peculiar signal, which caused ahalt on the part of every Seneca. Gray Panther hastened forward.
It was idle for Godfrey to look for any interference in their behalf,but he did feel, for a few brief seconds, something akin to such hope.
But Gray Panther speedily returned, and the march was resumed, with thesame stillness and care as before.
What the cause of the interruption was, became known to none but theSenecas themselves.
A few minutes later, the glimmer of a light was seen among the trees,and as the faces of the party were turned in that direction, they knewit was the camp-fire that was their destination.
Only a few steps more were passed when the entire party, with theexception of the African servant, stood in the presence of Jake Golcher,the Tory.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
After a courageous struggle against the Indians, the fugitives, as Ihave shown, were taken prisoners.
It was a singular scene, as the six whites, the men having their handsbound behind them, came out of the gloom of the wood, and, under theescort of more than a dozen Seneca warriors, approached the camp-fire,where Jake Golcher, the Tory, awaited them.
Mr. Brainerd, who walked close to Fred Godfrey, said, in a low voice,
"Under Heaven, my son, you are our only hope; if you see a chance, nomatter how desperate, take it."
"I will," was the low answer; "I shall make a break before the lastscene comes."
As the party emerged into the light thrown out by the burning wood, thechief interest of the captors seemed to center in Habakkuk McEwen, forthe reason, as the reader will recall, that he was partially disguisedas an Indian. The fact that such was the case had been noted, of course,by his captors, who seemed to be in some doubt as to the cause, but notuntil now did they gain a good view of him.
The place where the camp-fire was burning was a small natural clearing,with a fallen tree lying extended one side, so as to afford a seat for ascore of persons, if they chose to use it.
The fugitives were brought up and arranged in front of the log, Mr.Brainerd standing first, McEwen second, Fred Godfrey third, while AuntPeggy, Maggie Brainerd, and Eva supported each other.
Even the whites themselves looked at the eccentric New Englander withsome curiosity, for only the females had seen him by the light of day.His dress was of that mongrel character, worn alike by frontier Indiansand white scouts, while his face still retained the paint that had beendaubed on it by his friend, miles away in the wilderness.
The little company were placed in the order named, standing so that thereflection of the firelight revealed every countenance with thedistinctness of mid-day, when, as we have intimated, there was a generalscrutiny of Habakkuk, who stood the ordeal well.
He threw his shoulders back, and tried hard to look like an Indianwarrior, all unconscious of the curious eyes bent upon him.
The Senecas were grouping themselves in front, when Gray Panther utteredan exclamation that drew attention to him. He had stumbled over theinanimate figure of the warrior whom he left to guard the coloredprisoner for Jake Golcher.
At the same moment the Tory himself rose from the farthest end of thelog, bent over as though suffering great pain, while his face was paleas ashes. He said to the chief that it had all been caused by the negro,who was supposed to be helplessly lame, but was only feigning it. Hedeveloped into an animated pile-driver with such suddenness that thewarrior who received his full attentions would never recover, and Jakehimself felt much doubt whether he should ever feel entirely wellagain.
Such creatures as Golcher are the most abject of cowards when in thepresence of death, and while he lay on the ground, gasping for breathand certain that the blow receiv
ed from the iron skull of the Africanhad finished him, he became altogether a different man from what he hadbeen during life.
He was repentant, and begged Heaven not to punish him for hismultitudinous sins. He pledged himself that if the little patriot bandshould fall into his hands he would release every one, and conduct thembeyond the dangerous neighborhood.
Alas, for human resolution! Immediately after making the pledge he beganto rally, and as he came back to his natural self his good intentionswere scattered like thistle-down in the wind. By the time the captiveswere ranged along the log in front of him he was the same malignant Torythat he had always been.
The discovery of the dead body of the Indian caused some confusion amongGray Panther's band, and there was considerable lamentation, duringwhich the prisoners were partly forgotten.
Fred Godfrey was watching like a cat for his chance, and twice he was onthe point of making a break. Had his hands been unfastened he would havedone so, but he waited for what he hoped would be a more favorableopportunity.
A guard of two warriors took charge of their dead comrade, while theothers again centered their gaze upon the New Englander, who stood thescrutiny with the same assurance as before.
Jake Golcher, rising to his feet, came painfully down the line, andwithout paying any attention to the others, stopped in front of McEwen,whom he scrutinized a full minute, both standing motionless and lookingsquarely in each other's eyes, without uttering a syllable.