"Never you mind me; go right off quick. Crawl up to the tree, and I'll soon fix 'em."
"Ho, wo, wo!" yelled the Indians, apparently satisfied that their work was accomplished, for the raft was within two rods of the shore.
Then one of them dropped his paddle, and, with an unearthly scream, leaped into the water, which was now so shallow that he could wade ashore. Ethan took good aim at this one, and fired. Though not killed, the sharp cry the savage uttered convinced Ethan that he was wounded. Without waiting to learn the effect of his shot on the rest of the party, he fired again at the same man, who was only partially disabled. The savage in the water, who had been the most dangerous assailant, uttered another yell of pain, and his companions seemed to be paralyzed by the continuation of the fire upon them. Probably they supposed the boy had but one gun, and, when he fired it, that he would not have time to load again before they could reach him. Ethan then discharged one ball from the revolver, which added still more to their confusion, for they were jabbering like wild turkeys.
"Go 'way!" shouted Ethan. "Go 'way, or I'll kill Wahena."
"No kill," replied one of the Indians, whose voice sounded like that of the messenger Ethan had met in the morning.
"Go 'way then!"
"Me go."
"Go then—consarn ye!" muttered Ethan, as, taking advantage of the confusion in the ranks of the enemy, he loaded the two guns again.
The two Indians on the raft helped the wounded one in the water to mount the platform again. Two of the three were evidently wounded, and it was not an easy thing for them to paddle the clumsy craft away from the island. One of the savages worked at the paddle for a while; but it was not till the more able of the other two assisted him that any sensible progress was made.
"Creation hokee!" exclaimed Ethan, when he was fully conscious that he had won the victory. "I've done 'em, Fanny!"