"Gentlemen," said Bagsley, "bound or unbound. I will do my duty towards you, at least. I shall certify to the court, according to the statute, in such case made and provided, the names of the resisters, aiders, consenters, commanders and favorers, who have interfered with this arrest, and by a writ judicial, your bodies will be attached to appear in the same court."
The voice of the attorney was drowned in the yells of the now angry Senecas; and he, together with the bailiff, were at once led to one of the lodges, where they were left, bound hand and foot.
Ichabod laughed with great glee over the discomfiture of this new enemy, whom he looked upon as more formidable than the other.
"I thank you, red-skins, for this act of friendship; its ra'ally kind in you; and I shan't have nigh so bad an opinion of your nation, hereafter, as I have had. You do hate a lawyer; and there we agree. It's a pity that we can't be friends, under the circumstances; but I reckon that's impossible. So, proceed to business again, and get through with this part of your tortur' as fast as possible."
Order having been again restored, the Indian who had been interrupted by the arrival of Bagsley and his companion, again stepped forward.
"My brother," said he, addressing Ichabod, "is brave when he faces an Injin; but he does not like the men with long, forked tongues. We do not like them either. We think too much of our brother to give him up. He is a great warrior; and we want to do him honor according to Injin law. I may hit my brother, but I shall try not to."
He threw his tomahawk as he spoke, and the blade grazed Ichabod's head so closely that it severed a lock of hair from his brows. This was considered a great exploit; and the Senecas testified their admiration by loud yells.
One after one, the tomahawks of the Senecas were thrown, with divers success. Those who did not possess full confidence in their ability to perform the ceremony with credit to themselves, threw more at random; and many of the weapons did not even hit the tree. The perfect composure with which Ichabod endured this species of torture, which, to one at all fearful or timid, would be exquisitely painful, excited the admiration of the Indians to the highest degree. At last, Panther, who had stood calmly by, watching the ceremony, approached Ichabod, and said—
"It is now my turn to do honor to the pale-face. I must say that he is brave. We are glad that he is so brave. I shall now throw my hatchet, and I hope I shall not hurt my brother very much. I expect to hurt him a little. Should I hurt him very bad it will be a mistake, and I shall be very sorry; for we mean to try something else. We mean to know how brave our brother is."
He threw his tomahawk with fearful rapidity and seeming carelessness. It passed the side of Ichabod's head, opposite that from which the hair had been partially shorn; but it grazed so closely that the hair was shorn to the skin, almost as smoothly as it could have been done with a razor. It must have been exceedingly painful; but the smile which rested upon the face of Ichabod, as the hatchet left the hand of Panther, remained, as the Senecas, with admiration divided between the victim and their chief, crowded around Ichabod to examine the effects of the blow.