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Page 20
"I hope they are good marksmen, corporal," replied the
man, as raising his right arm, he removed his forage cap
and placed it so that the upper half only could be seen.
"I've no great fancy for those rifle bullets, and give
them a wide berth when I can."
"Now are you convinced?" asked Weston, addressing the
corporal, as both distinctly saw the object upon which
their attention had been anxiously fixed, raise his head
and shoulders, while he deliberately rested his rifle
against the log on his right.
"Close down, Cass--don't move," enjoined the Virginian;
"the bait has taken, and we shall have a shot presently."
Two almost imperceptible jets of spiral smoke, and crack,
crack, went two rifles, while simultaneously with the
report, fell back into the boat, the perforated forage
cap. Both balls had passed through it, and lodged in the
heart of the tree to which the skiff was moored, and
behind which Jackson and Philips had taken their stand.
Evidently believing that they had killed a man, the whole
of the band, hitherto concealed behind logs and trees, now
rose to their feet, and uttered a fierce and triumphant yell.
"Devilish good firin', that," remarked Green, whose face
had been touched by a splinter of bark torn from the tree
by one of the balls.
"Don't uncover yourselves, my lads," hastily commanded
the corporal; "all the fellows want now is to see us
exposed, that they may have a crack at us."
"We've dried the muskets after a fashion," said Collins,
as he now approached Jackson and Philips. "Give us a
cartridge, and let's see if we can't match the varmint
at that sort of work." Then, having loaded, he, without
asking the corporal's permission, leaned his musket
against the tree, and taking a steady aim at the man who
had fired from the point first noticed by Weston, drew
the trigger.
The shot had evidently taken effect, for two other Indians
were now seen going to the assistance of their comrade,
whom they raised from the ground (where all had secreted
themselves after the yell), and hurried to the rear.
A loud cheer burst from the lips of Collins, which was
answered immediately by the whole of the savages, who,
from various contiguous points, sprang again to their
feet, and vociferating the war-whoop, dashed into the
river nearly up to their necks, seemingly thirsting to
overcome the only obstacle which prevented them from
getting at their desired victims.
But, at the very moment, when several of them were holding
their rifles aloft with their right hand, securing their
powder-horns between their teeth, while Corporal Nixon
issued to his men injunctions, not to pull another trigger
until the savages should begin to swim, to the astonishment
of all, came the sullen and unusual booming of the cannon
from the Fort.
For a moment, the men, taking their eyes off the sights
of their muskets, listened attentively for a repetition
of the shot, but no second report reached their ears.
"That," said Green, "was a warnin' for us."
"It was," observed the corporal. "Had the danger been
THERE, they would have fired again. Depend upon it, my
lads, there's more going on about here than we think. So
don't throw away your ammunition. Every bullet you send
must tell!"
"Well, we can but sell our scalps as dearly as possible,"
interposed Collins, who had again loaded, and was now in
the act of raising and supporting his, musket against
the tree. "But look--see how the fellows are stealing off?"
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