Wild Nat, walking slowly at some distance behind, was startled suddenly by a succession of yells and shrieks of the negro, of such an earnest and explosive kind, as convinced him something serious was the matter.
Grasping his knife and revolver, he bounded forward, and in a moment had reached the scene. In the darkness he could only distinguish several dark forms struggling on the ground, among which he had no difficulty in recognizing Scip, from the volley of exclamations and ejaculations, interspersed with grunts and groans, which issued from his mouth.
The trapper fired his revolver at two of the enemy and then grappled with a third, leaving only one for the negro to contend with. The trapper’s adversary was a large, muscular Indian, and for a time it seemed doubtful which one would come off conqueror. They rolled over and over in the darkness, sometimes the hunter uppermost and anon the savage. At length the trapper, whose right hand held the throat of the savage, and whose left pinioned the arm of his adversary, discovered that the Indian, with his unoccupied hand, was endeavoring to draw his knife. Still keeping his hold he waited till the knife was partly drawn from the sheath, and then letting go his hold on the savage’s throat, he grasped the knife and plunged it into his red bosom almost to the haft.
Shaking himself loose from his now helpless foe, he turned to see how the negro fared.
“Take dat!” he was saying, “an’ dat, an’ dat! Yah, yah! Guess ye never see dis nigger butt! I’ll learn ye to tackle niggers what’s walkin’ peaceably ’long an’ mindin’ dere own concerns. Don’t ye wish ye’d never see’d dis chile? Yah, yah!”
“Want enny help?” asked Wild Nat.
“Not a spec’! Dis chile’s good fur one Injum. He’s mos’ dead now. Take dat; durn ye,” and with a tremendous whack on his adversary’s head, the negro rose to his feet. In the excitement of the flight he had forgotten his cowardice and fought with a purpose, and to a purpose, as his prostrate foe showed.
“We’d better be gittin out o’ this,” remarked the trapper, as he coolly replaced his knife. “It’s noways likely these are all thar is about. And in view of this fact, it might be as well for us tew emigrate.”
Accordingly the two men left the spot in silence, and with great caution. The trapper well knew that the four Indians were not alone, and that in all likelihood there was a large party not far distant.
When near the cave they encountered Vic, who had sallied out on hearing the firing, and together they entered the cavern.