The silence lasted for perhaps, a full minute, and then was broken by a yell as startling and terrific as an explosion of thunder in the clear summer sky. Instantly a half dozen tufted heads was seen dodging hither and thither over the deck, all centering around one burly, bareheaded figure, that was struggling like a lion amid a score of enemies which had dogged him nigh to death.
While the two men gazed transfixed with horror, a powerful-limbed Indian shot up like a rocket in midair, and came down in the river. Ere he had struck, another went spinning after him, falling flat on his face in the water, with a concussion that cracked like a pistol. While they were swimming with all speed, back to the boat, a heavy fall was heard, a faint shuffling noise, and then all was still.
As the foremost Indian was in the act of pulling himself over the gunwale of the flat-boat, he let go with a horrid whoop, and fell back dead, shot through the brain by a bullet from the rifle of the hunter. The other attempted to swim behind the stern, but Smith shot him ere it could be accomplished.
There could be but one cause for the sudden cessation of the tumult upon the flat-boat. Teddy had either been overcome or slain. The silence that succeeded the fearful yell and struggle was equally painful to his two friends. They waited long and impatiently for it to be broken.
“It’s all up with him,” whispered Smith, as he primed his rifle. “I pity him, but our hands are clear of his blood.”
“Too bad, too bad,” muttered Joe, who had just loaded his rifle, “he was a good fellow, my dear Teddy was indeed. I am sorry that he has come to this bad end.”
“We must look out for ourselves, now. The best thing we can do, is to get off this infernal island, which has been the scene of so much misfortune to us, I am afraid that if we remain much longer, you will take it into your head to perform some such feat, and I shall be left alone.”
“No, indeed, I won’t; there is no danger of that,” replied Joe. “I’ve lived long enough to larn common sense I think.”
“It is yet early in the forenoon, and I suppose we shall be compelled to remain here until night.”
“Of course we shall! It won’t do to start out in the river in open daylight. We’d be killed before we had gone a dozen yards.”