This feeling of suspense and apprehension for his companions changed to something akin to horror when he saw Wistar Royce swing himself up by a stanchion to the roof of the ark and move about, feeding and watering the poultry in their cages up there. Surely the Indian could not hope for a fairer mark!
Apparently the latter thought so himself, for the boy saw him raise the long barrel of a rifle into view and slide it slowly across a log of the drift heap.
For some seconds Moses had been holding his own rifle in readiness to shoot. It was his first experience stalking an Indian, however, and he felt not a little afraid. If he missed his aim, the redskin would no doubt return the shot on the instant, or else rush upon him with knife and tomahawk before he could reload.
But the sight of the savage making ready to fire at Wistar served to renew his courage, and he cautiously cocked his rifle.
At so little a distance, however, the savage heard the click of the hammer. He glanced suddenly in Moses’ direction. Their eyes met as the boy fired. Through the smoke he saw the Indian leap to his feet with a frightful whoop, and dropping his own empty rifle, he darted back through the underbrush to escape. But he immediately perceived that the savage was down, writhing about and making distressful sounds. But even these movements wholly ceased before Moses had his rifle reloaded, for his bullet had entered near the Indian’s right armpit and passed completely through his body.
Meanwhile the shot had produced a considerable commotion on the ark. The crew seized their guns to repel an attack. Moses’ absence was immediately discovered, however, and seeing the skiff at the other bank, the men at once concluded that he had gone ashore to shoot the turkey. Shadwell Lincoln hailed him by name, and fearing lest the arksmen might fire on him in the brush, Moses was constrained to answer.
“Come aboard, you young scamp!” shouted Lincoln. Bidding Wistar and Lewis haul the skiff round, he went ashore after Moses himself, being minded to give the boy a “wigging” for disobeying orders. “Come aboard, you scamp!” he shouted again. “Did you not hear me tell you not to go ashore after that gobbler?”
“HERE’S YOUR TURKEY GOBBLER!”
But Moses, who had by this time possessed himself of the Indian’s rifle, knife and feather-bedecked head-dress, stepped proudly out of the brush in full view of them all, and holding up his trophies, said, “Here’s your turkey gobbler!”