“Split me if you didn’t accidentally throw a handful of bullets among their legs that crack!” said Sneak, observing the now discomfited and retreating Indians, as they endeavoured to bear off their wounded, and then firing on them again himself as they vanished down the valley. The like result was witnessed above, and again in a very short time there was not a savage to be seen.
“What’s the matter? Why don’t you get up?” asked Sneak turning to Joe, who still remained prostrate on the ground.
“My mouth’s bleeding—I don’t know but I’m wounded. Didn’t an arrow come through the hole when I was shooting?” asked Joe, rising partially up and spitting out a quantity of blood on the snow.
“It was nothing but the gun kicking you like it did in the bear hunt. If it was an arrow you must have swallered it, for I don’t see the shaft. But maybe you did—you’re sech a gormandizer,” said Sneak.
“Hang it all, I don’t believe I’m much hurt!” exclaimed Joe, jumping up suddenly. “Get from before the hole!” he continued, ramming down a cartridge hastily, and thrusting out the muzzle of his gun.
“Why don’t you blaze away?” asked Sneak, laughing, observing that he hesitated.
“Why, they’re, all gone!” cried Joe, joyfully, “and it was my old cannon that swept them off, too.”
Once more silence pervaded the scene. Boone, after the repeated solicitations of Mary, partook of another bountiful repast, and the others in turn likewise refreshed themselves, and then resumed the watch.
Nor was it long before the Osages were once more heard to howl like fiends, and the sound had hardly ceased to vibrate through the air before a singular and unexpected assault terrified the besieged party for a moment. This was a shower of blazing arrows coming from below, (where all the savages now seemed to be collected,) which ignited the palisade in many places where the snow had fallen off. But the fire was easily extinguished, and all, with the exception of Boone, were disposed to attach but little importance to any further device of the enemy. Boone, on the contrary, was unusually grave, and requested his companions to be on the alert, or they would yet be the victims of the savages.
“I like these kind of arrows the best,” said Joe, “for I can see how to dodge them.”