Not one of the party slept much on this night. There was much to do,
and much to be looked after. Captain Sinclair, as it may be supposed,
was fully occupied with Mary Percival, of whom more anon. As soon as
they had taken up their position in the clearing, and made arrangements
for the accommodation of Mary, they relieved the Strawberry from her
charge of the prisoners, whom they brought to the clearing, and made to
sit down close to them. Percival, who had not yet been freed from his
bonds, was now untied, and suffered to walk about, one of the men
keeping close to him and watching him carefully. The first object which
caught his eye was the body of the Angry Snake. Percival looked on it
for some time, and then sat down by the side of it. There he remained
for more than two hours, without speaking, when a hole having been dug
out by one of the party, the body was put in and covered up.
Percival remained a few minutes by the side of the grave, and then
turned to the two wounded Indians. He brought them water, and spoke to
them in the Indian tongue; but while he was still with them, Mary sent
for him to speak with him, for as yet she had scarcely seen him. The
sight of Mary appeared to have a powerful effect upon the boy; he
listened to her as she soothed and caressed him, and appearing to be
overcome with a variety of sensations, he lay down, moaned, and at last
fell fast asleep. The soldier who had been shot by the Angry Snake was
buried before they buried the chief. Martin's wound had been dressed by
his wife, the Strawberry, who was very skilful in Indian surgery. She
had previously applied cataplasms made from the bruised leaves which she
and the Indian woman had sought for to the feet of Mary Percival, which
were in a state of great inflammation, and Mary had found herself
already much relieved by the application. Before the day had dawned the
two Indians who had been wounded were dead, and were immediately buried
by the side of the chief.
Alfred and Malachi had resolved to set off the next morning, on their
return home, if they found it possible to convey Mary Percival; but
their party was now reduced, as one of the soldiers had been killed, and
Martin was incapable of service. The Indian woman would also be fully
loaded with the extra rifles, the two which they had captured from the
Indians, the one belonging to the soldier, and Martin's who could not
carry anything in his present state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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