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Page 31
The mirth of the men was now succeeded by a seriousness
befitting the occasion, for it was clear to all that this
occurrence, absurd as it was, had been the means of
betraying a new plan of the enemy to get into the house.
If the drain was large enough to admit of the passage of
the bird--always remarkable for its size--it was highly
possible that some of the more slightly formed Indians,
might force their way through it also. They had evidently
tried to see if it could be done--the turkey-cock having
been put forward as a "feeler," and the necessity of
either closing the avenue, or weakening their strength
by keeping a man constantly on the watch, was now obvious.
"Find something to stop up that hole with Cass," ordered
the corporal.
"I can see nothing," replied the other, after a few
moments search, unless we stop it with the bedding."
"A wise plan that. The Injins would soon set fire to it,
and if they didn't burn us out, they would soon smoke us
out. Either would suit their purpose."
"Let him stuff it with his head, corporal," interposed
Green, "I'm sure that's thick enough for a plug."
"Perhaps there's a head in it already," suggested Philips,
"there was a hand just now--the other may have followed."
"By jingo I'll try," returned Green, "I'd give a week's
grog to be able to prick a feller with this playthin'"
So saying, he knelt upon the floor, and holding his musket
in a horizontal position, a few inches above it, he gave
a furious thrust into the aperture. To his astonishment,
for notwithstanding his half bravado, he had not seriously
anticipated such a result, he found the advance of his
weapon slightly arrested by a yielding body, and even had
not a sharp cry of pain from the other extremity of the
trough, satisfied him of the fact, the peculiar sensation
he experienced as the steel overcame the resistance was
sufficient to convince Green, little accustomed even as he
had been to bayonet men, that the bayonet had entered into
some soft part of the human body.
To the cry of the wounded man, succeeded a savage and
threatening yell from the united band, and now re-commenced
the grating sound which had two or three times before
excited the conjectures of the besieged.
"Ah I yell away you devils; that's all the good you'll
get," exclaimed Green, exulting at his success; "but
don't take so tight a grip of my bayonet. I say, Philips,
lend us a hand, if I shan't lose my musket with that
fellow strugglin' like a speared Mascalinga."
Both now pulled at the firelock, with all their strength.
Suddenly the resistance ceased, and they fell sideways
on the floor, bringing the musket with them, but without
the bayonet. At the same moment a shot was fired into
the aperture, and the ball whizzing by the ear of Philips,
and passing through Green's right leg, lodged in the
partition beyond.
"Stand aside, men," shouted the corporal, "stand from
before that hole, or we shall be marks in this light for
the skulking villains,"
Jackson, who had been dispatched for one of the small
round hickory logs that lay piled up in a corner near
the chimney, now approached with on that was just large
enough to fit tightly in the aperture. All seized it,
and taking the precaution to keep their legs out of
danger, jammed one end into the mouth of the drain, adding
afterwards a few heavy blows from the axes of Le Noir
and Ephraim Giles, which had been found in a corner of
the room.
"Now then," said the Virginian, after having examined
the small window of the bed room, and securely fastened
the shutter--"we've not much more to fear. They're two
to one its true, but I defy them to do us much harm before
daylight, when, I take it they'll be off, if not sooner."
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