“It’s Cherokee Billy, brother of Oconostota, who can send the whole Cherokee nation against you, or hold it back.”
“I don’t care what Injun it is,” howled Hacker. “Hair’s hair. Git out the way, or you’ll git acquainted with my ax. I’ll have that scalp.”
“Not so fast,” I warned. “The hair belongs to Crabtree here. Kill your own scalps. Crabtree doesn’t care to take that scalp. He knows Oconostota has a long memory.” And I swung about, my rifle across the saddle and in a direct line with the murderer’s chin.
“It’s my kill,” growled Crabtree. “Morris held me up with his gun, or I’d bagged t’other two of ’em.”
“I’d like to see him hold me up when there’s red meat to be run down!” snarled Runner.
There were four killers present in addition to the irresponsible Kirst. I was helpless against them, I could not shoot a man down for proposing to follow two Indians, let the reds be ever so friendly toward the whites. But Patrick Davis had come to Howard’s Creek to stay, and it was a problem he could handle. It at once developed that he did not fancy the prospect of a Cherokee reprisal. He stepped in front of Runner and in a low ugly voice said:
“You fellows quit this talk. ’Nough mischief has been done. Unless Oconostota can be smoothed down there’ll be trouble from Rye Cove to Tygart’s Valley. As for following t’other two, you’ll reckon with me and my neighbors first.”
“A dead Injun ain’t worth quarreling over,” spoke up Widow McCabe from the edge of the group; and her eyes glowed as they rested on Cherokee Billy.
Mrs. Moulton now came on the scene. She still had her husband, and she frantically called on her friends to prevent further bloodshed. The greater number of the men, while unwilling to criticize Crabtree for his dastardly murder, did not care to add to the Cherokees’ anger, and they took sides with Davis. I believed the whole affair had ended, but Crabtree was crafty, and he caused fresh fear by reminding them:
“You folks are fools to let the only witnesses to that dawg’s death git away and take word back to the Cherokees. If Morris hadn’t took a hand there wouldn’t ’a’ been that danger.”