United States or Palestine ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Then the Chippewa glided into the low bushes bordering the creek. Legget followed him, with Brandt leading Helen, and the other Indians brought up the rear, each one sending wild, savage glances into the dark, surrounding forest. A dense white fog rose from the river, obscuring all objects, when the bordermen rolled out of their snug bed of leaves.
Get ready to run and be shot at," cried Brandt with a hiss of passion. Almost as he spoke the roof of the hut shook under a heavy blow. "What's thet?" No one replied. Legget glanced from Brandt's cold, determined face to the uneasy savages. They were restless, and handling their weapons. The chief strode across the floor with stealthy steps. "Thud!"
Perhaps it should be added, as somewhat significant, that Mr Bryant, the poet, a prominent democrat and editor of the New York Evening Post, has exerted himself in behalf of another memorial to Congress for justice to authors; which is the more observable, because Mr Legget, his late coadjutor and intimate friend, was perhaps the most radical writer on the other side that has ever appeared in this country, and regarded the maintenance of his extraordinary opinions as essential to genuine democracy.
With deliberation the outlaw shook the dice in his huge fist, and rattled them out upon the stone. "Hah!" he cried in delight. He had come within one of the highest score possible. Case nonchalantly flipped the little white blocks. The Indians crowded forward, their dusky eyes shining. Legget swore in a terrible voice which re-echoed from the stony cliff. The sailor was victorious.
"No." "You intended to let me shift for myself out here in this wilderness?" "Yes, after this Indian guides you to the river-trail," said Brandt, indicating with his finger the nearest savage. "I get what you frontier men call the double-cross'?" "That's it," replied Brandt with a hard laugh, in which Legget joined. A short pause ensued. "What will you do with the girl?" "That's my affair."
"I'm yer mate, cap'n. I've sailed with soldiers, pirates, sailors, an' I guess I can navigate this borderland. Do we mess here? You didn't come far." "Wal, I ain't pertikuler, but I don't like eatin' with buzzards," said Legget, with a grin. "Thet's why we moved a bit." "What's buzzards?" "Ho! ho! Mebbe you'll hev 'em closer'n you'd like, some day, if you'd only know it.
"He's a keen Injun." "He's not very keen now," replied Brandt, with bitter certainty. "He's what the settlers call a good Indian, which is to say, dead!" Legget scowled at his lieutenant. "I'll go an' see," he replied and seized his rifle. He opened the door, when another rifle-shot rang out. A bullet whistled in the air, grazing the outlaw's shoulder, and imbedded itself in the heavy door-frame.
A hasty examination convinced him that Legget and his Indian ally had fled this way with Wetzel in pursuit. The morning passed slowly. The borderman kept to the trail like a hound. The afternoon wore on. Over sandy reaches thick with willows, and through long, matted, dried-out cranberry marshes and copses of prickly thorn, the borderman hung to his purpose.
"Saved me ther trouble," he muttered, giving Case a kick. The Indians glanced at the little figure, then out into the flaming thickets. Each savage sprang behind a tree with incredible quickness. Legget saw this, and grasping Helen, he quickly led her within cover of the chestnut.
The dark eyes had become deadly; the square jaw was shut, the lines of the cheek had grown tense, and over his usually expressive countenance had settled a chill, lowering shade. "Lew thinks Brandt's in with Bing Legget. Well, d his black traitor heart! He's a good man for the worst and strongest gang that ever tracked the border."