“Go by all means,” answered Mr Rawlings. “I needn’t tell you to hurry, my boy, you know the necessity of that, on every account! Jasper shall stop here and help defend us in case the savages assail us before you get back;” and Mr Rawlings could not help smiling as he spoke, in spite of their perilous position, at the comical idea of the cowardly Jasper acting as a protector.
“Bress us and sabe us, Massa Rawlings!” ejaculated the negro in mortal terror, about which there was no pretence or affectation. “Don’t say dat, don’t now! mebbe it come out for true! I’se rader go ’th Mass’ Willerton, an’ bring back the waggin for Mass’ Seth, iss, sah.”
“No you won’t,” said Mr Rawlings. “You hesitated to go when I told you, and now you shall stop here whether you like it or not!” emphasising his words by laying his hand on the darkey’s shoulder, in such an impressive manner that he could not but submit to the command. But long before the question of Jasper’s staying behind or going off with the young engineer was settled, Ernest had started off on the back track towards Minturne Creek at a brisk run, and was shortly out of sight behind the top of the plateau they had just descended from.
Prior to leaving, however, Ernest considerately ordered Wolf to remain in his place, as he would be of much service in the event of an Indian attack, telling the sagacious animal to lie at Seth’s feet, with a “Hi, watch there; old man!” an order which the dog at once obeyed, while his master was off and away in an instant.
“Well, Seth,” said Mr Rawlings, when the young engineer had disappeared from their gaze, “you haven’t yet told me how this catastrophe occurred? But let me see your foot now, and I can examine it, and see what I can do to that while you are telling me all about it.” And Mr Rawlings proceeded to cut away a portion of Seth’s boot with his clasp knife—the same as he had had to do to his shirt before extracting the arrow, as it caused the poor fellow too much pain to pull it off—while the other went on with his yarn.
“Thaar ain’t much to tell,” began Seth. “I an’ Sailor Bill beat up the bush alongside that ther stream, arter partin’ with you, and then, when we seed nothin’ thaar, made tracks for this yere paraira, as I diskivered, when I got to the top o’ that risin’ ground yonder, some elk a feedin’ down hyar. There was a herd of seven of ’em or more, an’ soon as I gets near enuf I lets drive at ’em; and just then, hullabaloo! I heart a screech like somethin’ awful, an’ a Injun starts up, just like a deer a walkin’ on his hind legs.”
“That’s an artful dodge they have of putting on the skin of some animal, and approaching unsuspiciously within shooting range without alarming their game.”
“Waal, this hyar Injun,” continued Seth, without noticing Mr Rawlings’ explanatory interruption, “rushed on to me like a mad bull in fly time, and seein’ as how he meant bizness; I drawed the trigger again, but missed him, and he flung his tommyhawk, which cotched my fut, and brought me to the ground as slick as greased lightnin’, you bet!”
“And gave you a bad wound, too,” said Mr Rawlings, who by this time had managed to take off Seth’s boot and disclose the extent of the injury, a pretty deep cut right across the instep, which would probably lame the ex-mate for life, as far as he could judge.
“Waal, it do hurt some,” said Seth, when Mr Rawlings proceeded to bandage up the foot in the same way as he had done the poor fellow’s side previously. “But I dersay I’ll git over it soon, gineral. Ef I seed Sailor Bill agin I wouldn’t care a cent about it, I guess!”