Gentlemen of the North/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI
BESIEGED
THE sudden appearance of Flat Mouth from the river and his fierce charge up the bank, perhaps, had as much to do with the Indians' failure to press the attack as did my gun. Their hesitation gave us an inch of room and, while I reloaded, the Pillager snatched up a dead warrior's bow and two quivers of arrows and, sheltered by the bank, began firing rapidly. The Indians scattered and ran to escape his shafts. While this was happening Miss Dearness secured the pack of white robes from the submerged canoe and threw me two and two to the chief and draped the fifth over her arm to serve as a shield.
The Sioux ahead of us had lost two of their number, and while they could have smothered us in a rush, had they remained instead of fleeing, they knew the victory would cost them dear. Ducking and dodging, they picked up their discarded shields of bull-hide. This retreat on the part of the enemy was to be commended from their point of view, as the Indians crossing the river would soon be landing above and below us. Then we would be hemmed in and they could kill us at their leisure.
With the canoe out of commission and the water road closed, there remained but one course—to attack at the weakest point. In other words, go ahead. The fewest warriors opposed us and with them were the horses of the entire war party.
"We must have horses!" I cried to Flat Mouth in Chippewa.
"Good cover here," grunted the Pillager, motioning for me to climb up the bank and survey the plain.
I joined him and saw that the growth on the river several hundred yards below us extended some distance into the plain.
I called to the girl to follow. Four savages were cautiously approaching the bank, depending on their shields, while their mates ran to procure some of the horses. Flat Mouth snatched up the white hides and held them before him with his left hand and ran toward the enemy. They began to fall back, shooting their arrows wildly. I gave Miss Dearness a hand, took my robes and fell in behind her to guard the rear. I had nothing but admiration for her coolness as we made for the woods, for she bothered to pick up the arrows the Sioux were wasting.
Once she turned to me and held up a knife she had picked up beside the two dead devils down the bank, and cried out—
"Use both barrels if you have to." Meaning that if the worst came she would kill herself to escape capture.
The four Sioux refused to dispute Flat Mouth's advance and began falling back. Either the white robes worried them, being big medicine, or else they believed they had the game in their own hands and could afford to wait. Suddenly they turned and ran zigzag toward the horses. This behaviour puzzled me. I glanced behind me, but as yet none of the Indians had mounted the bank. We were advancing obliquely toward the woods.
Now Flat Mouth called on us to hurry and turned to make cover along the shortest line. Miss Dearness ceased hunting arrows and ran like a deer. I pounded along at her heels, with no immediate danger visible and yet realizing that a crisis must be at hand, else the Pillager would not flee so precipitately.
He slowed up so that the girl and I caught up with him.
"Big medicine!" he exulted.
"The robes?" I panted.
"They sent the Sioux running away like old women!" And although we needed to conserve our breath he halted and indulged in a long-drawn-out howl of triumph.
There was no doubt now in my mind as to the effect of the robes. While an albino buffalo counted only as a hide among the Indians in the Red River department, the skins were objects of reverence among the tribes on the Missouri. The possessor of one was most fortunate. He was destined to be successful in the hunt, on the war-path, and in his accumulation of wives. He would part with his dearest belongings to secure such a robe.
Their value was so high that often the price was beyond any individual. When one was infrequently put on sale the village would undertake to purchase it. The robe was then cut into strips, and each contributor to the fund received a portion. Even a narrow width of the hide would guarantee good luck to a lodge.
Believing all this, it was natural they should view our five hides as a stupendous display of mighty medicine, worth any price to possess, yet to be sought for very cautiously. There was nothing partisan about a hide's medicine. It would benefit and protect us so long as we could hold it, but its benevolence would instantly be transferred to a new owner.
"They come from the river!" bawled Flat Mouth as we struck into the edge of the timber and turned to look back.
The warriors from the eastern shore were popping their heads above the bank. None had crossed directly behind us, out of respect for my gun. By going up or down stream they had lost time. The Sioux on the plain were now mounted and busy rounding up the rest of the animals. But the horses were reluctant to cease feeding and viciously rebelled. Two managed to break their hobbles and run clear of the herd. Flat Mouth watched the runaways through half-closed eyes. I gave my attention to the Indians.
Our situation was desperate. The strong timber we had entered followed a rivulet only for a short distance. It was only a thin grove on each side of the tiny stream, and to the north of it was the open plain again. It was surrounded on all sides by the plain except in the east, where the river flowed. Could we have had a brief respite we might have raised the canoe, patched it up and trusted to luck. While I was regretting our inability to do this, two of the Sioux scrambled over the bank, dancing and hooting and waving pieces torn from the damaged craft.
"That closes the river to us," Miss Dearness calmly observed.
I cut a slit in one of the robes and dropped it over her head so it formed a long apron in front and behind. She thanked me with a smile. She knew she would not be taken alive and this knowledge gave her strength.
I put on a robe, only I allowed it to hang on both sides. While this left my back and breast exposed, it gave me free play with the gun, and in case of arrow-fire I could turn sideways. Against a ball the robe would offer but small protection. Flat Mouth grunted in approval as he watched me prepare myself. Taking two of the robes, he slit them in the middle and put them on as I had done, making his armour doubly thick. The calfskin he hung down his back.
"Dig holes," he said, walking to the edge of the timber.
"What is it now, Eshkebugecoshe?" I called after him, fearing he planned a fanatical display of bravery by charging the Sioux single-handed.
"We must have horses. It is the only way," he answered without looking back. Standing in the open, he paused to study the enemy. Again he cried out:
"Dig! Dig! I will watch."
I found a hole where an uprooted oak had torn the soil. Jumping into this, I began excavating with my knife. The girl joined me with her borrowed blade. We worked side by side, her red hair falling over her face and at times brushing against mine. I threw out the dirt with my hands and placed it as a breastwork, the butt of the tree with its long roots forming a good half of the defence.
Digging was slow work, however, and we soon shifted to dragging fallen timbers and building a barricade. Leaving her to finish the little fort with a mask of willow branches, I searched until I found a spot near-by where several mouldering trunks lay crisscrossed. This I fashioned into a refuge for the Pillager. Having accomplished this while the chief stood guard, I crept forward and announced—
"We have dug the holes."
He did not appear to have heard me but continued staring at the Sioux. Those from the river were warily advancing. Only one of them that I could see carried a gun. I took careful aim and fired. It was a long shot and I missed, but the ball must have passed close to his painted head, for he ducked wildly and threw himself down, the whole line following his example. I let them have the second barrel on top of the first, believing I had ample time to reload. This double discharge from one gun was acknowledged with yelps of alarm.
They remained in the grass, their brown bodies scarcely to be distinguished from the brown earth. The effect of the two shots on the other group was equally pronounced. Abandoning the herd, they galloped to the river and took up a position be hind those afoot. I reloaded and, aiming high, fired twice at the horsemen and wounded one of their animals.
Flat Mouth considered this to be a suitable time for his endeavour. Loudly singing his song of triumph, he stalked from the timber. He was rather imposing in his white robes. Nor was the effect lost on the Sioux, for I heard low cries of envy. They shot their arrows but the distance was too great, and he remained untouched. To rush him they would have to enter the zone of my gun-fire crossing from east to west in front of me. The mounted Sioux now realized their mistake, and galloped back, making a deep detour.
I began to believe he might succeed in securing at least one of the animals, one that had broken its hobbles and had halted to graze on the short grass. Dropping his voice to a monotone, the Pillager began to advance toward this brute. The Sioux afoot and on horseback set up a loud howling, to frighten the animal, and discharged arrows in high arcs in the hope one might descend on the horse and send him galloping off. But the runaway continued feeding, quite used to his master's hullabaloo. When Flat Mouth was within ten or a dozen feet and moving slowly, the brute raised its head and glared viciously. The Pillager made to pass him, still chanting.
"He'll get that one!" Miss Dearness exclaimed.
For the moment I had forgotten her, so intent was I on watching the chief. One horse might mean freedom for her.
A warrior leaped up from the ground and yelled to the horsemen. They began a turning movement and started a shrill "Hi-yi-yi!" to alarm the animal, at the same time recklessly charging the Pillager. I could have easily brought down one if not two of their ponies, but held my fire for fear of startling Flat Mouth's prize. The chief needed to exercise much patience. The enemy were coming toward him at a smashing gallop. The grazing pony was suspicious and kept turning so as to watch him. If not encumbered by the robes, he could have covered the distance in one spring and caught the beast by the nose. As it was, he manœuvred as coolly and deliberately as if he were alone on the plain.
"To the left!" softly cried the girl, tugging my arm.
I pivoted and beheld the warriors leaving the grass to run forward. The menace of the double-barrel was sufficient to send them to earth again.
"Good!" cried the girl. "I'll watch them."
Back went my gaze to the Pillager. The Sioux horsemen were perilously near, and I prepared to shoot. He was close to the pony, which snorted and jumped back a few feet, then ducked its head to snatch a mouthful of the poor feed. In the next second the Pillager had him by the muzzle, was on his back and darting like a white streak for the herd, the flapping of the robes giving him the appearance of some gigantic bird.
The advancing horsemen, as if afraid of the sacred robes, swerved deeper into the plain, then conquered their reluctance and bore down on him. I took two quick shots, one a clear miss, the other wounding a warrior. His fellows instantly reined in.
"On the left!" cried the girl.
I wheeled and bumped into her, because she was standing so close and she had interposed her body between me and the men in the grass. I threw my arm about her and swung her behind me as a volley of arrows struck the ground around us, several rattling harmlessly against my robe. I raised my empty gun and the line of kneeling men flattened out, none daring to learn if I could fire more than two shots without reloading. They must have approached in a most subtle manner, or the girl would have warned me. At the least they had managed to get within long arrow range.
"Now you can stand between them and me," I told her.
Behind cover of her white robe I hastily reloaded without them seeing me; then I again placed her behind me. One of the scoundrels was lying on his back and sending arrows in a high curve.
Leaving her to watch them, I turned my attention to Flat Mouth. He was guiding his animal with his knees and sending arrow after arrow at the horsemen as he rode. Now he was up at the edge of the herd and the horsemen were manœuvring on the opposite side of the wide circle and wheeling into position to charge.
I fired one barrel and hit a nag, sending the rider flying to the ground. This halted their advance long enough for the Pillager to gather up two halters, lean low and cut the hobbles. When he turned to retreat the brutes balked and dragged back. The horsemen started to interfere, yelping fiendishly. I fired my second barrel and, although I could not see that I scored, my shot stopped them. Now the Pillager was coming at a hard gallop and I swept the Indians in the grass with my empty gun. To my great relief they did not rise, although they continued shooting their arrows until the chief had smashed into the undergrowth.
"For the Medicine Hair," he proudly announced as he leaped to the ground and made two of the ponies fast to an oak branch.
"I'll let you ride one of them, Mr. Franklin," she encouraged with a sad little play at cheerfulness.
"I will go back and get all of them," cried Flat Mouth, fighting his vicious beast to a standstill against a tree before he could mount him.
"No!" I cried, pointing to the line of Sioux, who had quit the grass during our minute of forgetfulness and were now racing toward the herd.
They were bent half double and grotesquely leaped from side to side as they ran to escape my lead.
"They will try to ride us down in force," muttered Miss Dearness.
I believed this to be their plan and urged her to fall back to our fort. She insisted on remaining with me until the attack was under way. The path to the river was open but we had no canoe. We could pass through the timber and race north and, at night, I would have asked for no better chance. Flat Mouth secured his pony and began gathering arrows from the grass. I could account for two with my gun and the Pillager was sure to score as good a tally, yet we must go under if they pressed the charge home.
I called for the Pillager to return to the timber and asked him which it should be—a break through the woods and a gallop north, or a last fight where we were.
"Stay till night," he promptly decided. "They can not dig us out. In the dark we will ride home."
"Can't they ride in here and get us?" she asked him.
"They could if they would pay enough," he admitted. "But they want scalps without losing any men. They have lost heavily on this war-path and they lost heavily when they brought the pipe the time before. If they ride at us they will not come too near. At night they will creep in. We shall not be here."