“Not a minit ago. When the alarm comes we must down an’ put for the river while the rest ar’ off.”
“Then, if can, take him?”
“The Irishman—yis. I’ll look at him. It’s likely we’ll have help. Ay, they’ve begun thar deviltries!”
The fierce maledictions and threats, delivered occasionally in broken English, ceased at this moment. Standing a few feet away, a half-dozen of the more experienced warriors began to test the nerves of the victim by throwing their knives toward him. On either side of his head struck the dangerous missiles, burying themselves in the post. The Irishman never winced. Evidently he had schooled himself for the trial. Of course due care was taken not to strike him fatally, as that would have shortened his coming period of torture by fire.
Full half an hour was thus occupied, when the programme was changed by introducing hatchets. These were thrown with such skill that they were allowed to clip the straggling locks of the victim’s hair, without touching his head. But at last, either accidentally or by design, one of the performers in the game threw his weapon cutting off a portion of the victim’s ear!
The yells that now arose, proclaimed that a new feature of the torture had begun. And Scarred Eagle knew that the victim would be pierced or struck about the arms and shoulders, till he was deemed fit for the flames.
“Eh! How pale-dog like it?” inquired one of the crew as he seized Devine’s hair.
Up to this moment the latter had not uttered a word or a groan. But now, probably hoping to provoke this tormentor to finish the work at once, he managed to draw back one foot, and suddenly planted it in the fellow’s stomach, pitching him backward upon the ground!
“Dthere, ye double-dom’d haithen, do y’ur worst, so!”
Like lightning the worsted Indian sprung to his feet and rushed back with upright weapon. At this instant two rifle-reports rung out, telling with deadly effect among the crowd. And hardly had the echoes of the first ceased, when another rifle spoke from behind the council-house! Three in all, telling as many deaths.