He paused a moment, shuddering as he half lost his hold on the limb.
Again that stern command rung in his ears:
“Come down!”
His efforts at moving along the branch toward the body of the tree were attended with better success, now that the limb began to grow larger and his seat more secure. Still his progress was very slow. He could have moved forward easily enough, but he dared not turn around.
When he paused to take breath a moment, he heard the big hunter say in his implacable voice:
“Come! D’ye want ter be shot?”
He exerted himself to the utmost, and five minutes later slid down the trunk of the tree and stood doggedly before his captor.
“Ku-nan-gu-no-nah is a great chief, ain’t he?” the giant said, tauntingly. “He climbs trees and can’t get down ag’in without help. Ain’t ye glad I happened along ter help ye down? He is a mighty warrior! He goes with twenty or thirty of his greasy braves in the night to kill and scalp a white-haired old man and a decrepit old woman! Some time I’m goin’ ter wipe ye out, ye cowardly red divil! but not now. I’m goin’ ter let yer live a little longer, and then when I git ready to kill ye, you’ll suffer as many awful deaths as all of your victims put together! Yer can go, now. I’m done with yer for the present. Come, don’t stand there! Go!”
He drew his rifle to his face and kept it aimed at the Indian’s head till he had gone out of sight.