United States -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
Then they were passing out of the river by a narrow channel, and to
his surprise the Louisianian found that this led into a good-sized
lake, some ten miles across. The eight men who occupied the forward
boat rowed steadily through the darkness, Grigg giving them low
directions; there was a faint glare on the horizon, denoting the
burning craft they had abandoned. After an hour or more of this
progress, they drew in to a low shore ahead.
Norton was lifted and flung on shore, and as Red Hugh was sent after
him, he saw that the latter had recovered consciousness. Then, while
the cargoes were being transferred to wagons, Grigg and Duval engaged
in a swift discussion as to the disposal of the wounded men.
"I won't have them around the camp at this juncture," came the cold
tones of the lawyer. "When this business has been finished we'll
have to separate and had best start here. Send two men with the
wounded over to Kentucky in one boat, and sink the other three here
as usual."
So two of the raiders rowed off with the three wounded men, these
being unable to ride. The other boats were sunk under the
shore-trees, and with their trail covered behind them, the raiders
started. Norton and Red Hugh were lifted to a wagon, just as the
grey dawn was breaking.
The Louisianian was too firmly bound to dream of getting free, and
attempted no converse with his companion. Having fallen between two
huge sacks of flax, he could see nothing and at last dropped into a
troubled sleep, broken at short intervals by the jolting of the wagon.
Toward noon the first and only halt of the journey took place; and
here occurred an incident which to Norton seemed slight enough at the
time, but which was destined to have tremendous consequences later.
The stop had been made near a rude cabin built beside a spring, and
when Norton had been lifted out of the wagon, he saw that it was an
Indian clearing. The redskin farmer and his squaw were being forced
into cooking for the party, whom they seemed both to hate and fear,
probably with good cause.
Red Hugh lay beside Norton on the ground, watching grimly, in
silence. Indeed, the old man had said no word that morning, and in
his silent watching and his motionless endurance Norton read a tacit
menace of strength restrained. Duval sent the Indian squaw to feed
the prisoners some cornpone, refusing to loosen their bonds, while
one of the men stood guard.
As the woman bent over them, Norton heard Red Hugh murmur something
in the Indian tongue. The guard stopped him harshly, but the
wrinkled squaw looked at Norton, then started at sight of his
moccasins.
"Git to work," growled the guard, striking her roughly over the head.
"You got a man o' your own, so don't make eyes at them fellers!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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