Wild Western Scenes Part 22

"Let's go in the house and git something to eat," said Sneak.

"Hang me if I ain't willing to be with you there," said Joe.

The whole party entered the house to partake of a collation prepared by the dainty hands of Mary. Mary had frequently insisted upon serving them with refreshments during the night, but hitherto all her persuasions had been unavailing, for the dangers that beset them on every hand had banished all other thoughts than those of determined defensive operations.

[Ill.u.s.tration: He clasped her hand, and pressed it to his lips.--P.

120]

Boone was so certain that nothing farther was to be apprehended from the enemy, that he dispensed with the sentinels at the loopholes. He relied upon Ringwood and Jowler to guard them through the remainder of the night; and when a hearty meal was eaten he directed his gallant little band to enjoy their wonted repose.

Ere long Mary slumbered quietly beside her father, while Boone and Glenn occupied the remaining couch. Sneak was seated on a low stool, near the blazing fire, and Joe sat in Glenn's large arm chair, on the opposite side of the hearth. The fawn and the kitten were coiled close together in the centre of the room.

Save the grinding jaws of Sneak and Joe, a death-like silence reigned.

Occasionally, when Sneak lifted his eyes from the pewter platter that lay upon his knees, and glanced at the bandages on his companion's head, his jaws would cease to move for a few moments, during which he gazed in astonishment at the ravenous propensity of the invalid. But not being inclined to converse or remonstrate, he endeavoured to get through with his supper with as much expedition as possible, that he might enjoy all the comforts of refreshing sleep. Yet he was often on the eve of picking a quarrel with Joe, when he suffered a sudden twinge from his broken tooth, while striving to tear the firmer portion of the venison from the bone. But when he reflected upon his peculiar partic.i.p.ation in the occurrence which had caused him so justly to suffer, he repressed his rising anger and proceeded with his labour of eating.

Joe, on the other hand, discussed his savoury dish with unalloyed satisfaction; yet he, too, paused occasionally, and fixing his eyes upon the glaring fire, seemed plunged in the deepest thought. But he did not glance at his companion. At these brief intervals he was apparently reflecting upon the incidents of the night. One thing in particular puzzled him; he could not, for the life of him, conceive how his musket rebounded with such violence, when he was positively certain that he had put but one charge in it, and that only a moderate one. He was sometimes inclined to think the blow he received on the head was dealt by Sneak; but when he reflected it would be unnatural for one man to strike another with his _teeth_, and that Sneak had likewise sustained a serious injury at the same time, conjectures were entirely at fault.

"What are you a thinking about so hard?" asked Sneak.

"I'm trying to think how I got that blow on the back of my head," said Joe, turning half abstractedly to Sneak.

"Yes, and I'd like to know how you come to mash my mouth so dod-rottedly," said Sneak, in well-affected ill nature.

"Hang it, Sneak, you know well enough that I wouldn't do such a thing on purpose, when I was obliged to almost knock out my own brains to do it," said Joe, apologetically.

"If I hadn't thought of that," replied Sneak, "I don't know but I should've shot you through when I got up."

"And I should never have blamed you for it," said Joe, "if it had been done on purpose. Does it hurt you much now?"

"Don't you see how its bleeding?"

"That's gravy running out of your mouth, ain't it?"

"Yes, but its b.l.o.o.d.y a little," said Sneak, licking his lips.

"I shall have to sit up and sleep," said Joe; "for my head's so sore I can't lie down."

"I'm a going to lay my head on this stool and sleep; and I'm getting so drowsy I can't set much longer," said Sneak.

"All'll be square between us, about breaking your tooth, won't it?"

"Yes, I can't bear malice," said Sneak, shaking Joe's extended hand.

"Oh me!" said Joe, "I shan't be able to doze a bit, hardly, for trying to study out how the old musket came to kick me so."

"I've got a notion to tell you, jest to see if you'll sleep any better, then."

"Do you know?" asked Joe, quickly; "if you do, I'll thank you with all my heart to tell me?"

"Dod! if I don't!" said Sneak; "but all's square betwixt us?"

"Yes, if you're willing."

"Well, don't you remember when I told you to count the Indians standing out there, I leant agin you to look over your shoulder? I stole a cartrich out of your shot-bag then, and slipt it in the muzzle of your musket. Don't you know it was leaning agin the post?"

Joe turned round and looked Sneak full in the face for several moments, without uttering a word.

"When it went off," continued Sneak, "it made the tremendousest crack I ever heard in all my life, except when the keg of powder busted."

"You confounded, blasted rascal you!" exclaimed Joe, doubling up his fists, and preparing to a.s.sault his friend.

"Now don't go to waking up the folks!" said Sneak.

"I'll be hanged if I hain't got a great notion to wear out the iron poker over your head!" continued Joe, his eyes gleaming with rage.

"Look at my tooth," said Sneak, grinning in such manner that the remaining fragment of the member named could be distinctly seen. The ludicrous expression of his features was such as constrained Joe to smile, and his enmity vanished instantaneously.

"I believe you got the worst of the bargain, after all," said Joe, falling back in his chair and laughing quite heartily.

"You know," continued Sneak, "I didn't mean it to turn out as bad as it did. I jest thought it would kick you over in the snow, and not hurt you any, hardly."

"Well, let's say no more about it," said Joe; "but when you do any thing of that kind hereafter, pause and reflect on the consequences, and forbear."

"I'll keep my mouth out of the way next time," said Sneak; "and now, as all's square betwixt us, s'pose we agree about how we are to do with them dead Indians. S'pose we go halves with all the things they've got?"

"No, I'll be hanged if I do!" said Joe quickly. "The one I shot was a chief, and he's sure to have some gold about him."

"Yes, but you know you'd never a killed him if it hadn't been for me."

"But if it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have got hurt," replied Joe, reproachfully.

"Well, I don't care much about the chief--the one I killed maybe took all his silver and gold before I shot him. Anyhow, I know I can find something out there in the snow where they were blowed up," said Sneak, arranging a buffalo robe on the hearth and lying down.

"And we must hereafter let each other alone, Sneak," said Joe, "for the fact is, we are both too much for one another in our tricks."

"I'm willing," replied Sneak, lazily, as his eyes gradually closed.

Joe placed his dish on the shelf over the fireplace, and folding his arms, and leaning back in his great chair, likewise closed his eyes.

But a few moments sufficed to place them both in the land of dreams.

And now the silence was intense. Even the consuming logs of wood seemed to sink by degrees into huge livid coals, without emitting the least sparkling sound. The embers threw a dim glare over the scene, such as Queen Mab delights in when she leads her fairy train through the chambers of sleeping mortals. A sweet smile rested upon the lips of Mary. A loved form flitted athwart her visions. Roughgrove's features wore a grave but placid cast. Boone's face was as pa.s.sionless and calm as if he were a stranger to terrific strife. Perils could now make no impression on him. There was sadness on the damp brow of Glenn, and a tear was stealing through the corner of his lids. A scene of woe, or the crush of cherished hopes, was pa.s.sing before his entranced vision. Sneak, ever and anon grasped the empty air, and motioned his arm, as if in the midst of deadly conflict. And Joe, though his bruised face betrayed not his cast of thought, still evinced a partic.i.p.ation in the ideal transactions of the night, by the frequent involuntary motions of his body, and repeated endeavours to avoid visionary dangers.

The kitten lay upon the soft neck of the fawn, and at intervals resumed its low, humming song, which had more than once been hushed in perfect repose. At a late hour, or rather an early one, just ere the first faint ray of morning appeared in the distant east, puss purred rather harshly on the silken ears of its companion, and its sharp claws producing a stinging sensation, the fawn shook its head violently, and threw its little bed-fellow rather rudely several feet away. The kitten, instead of being angry, fell into a merry mood, and began to frisk about in divers directions, first running under the bed, then springing upon some diminutive object on the floor as it would upon a mouse, and finally p.r.i.c.king again the ear of the fawn.

The fawn then rose up, and creeping gently about the room, touched the cheeks or hands of the slumbering inmates with its velvet tongue, but so softly that none were awakened. The kitten, no longer able to annoy its companion by its mischievous pranks, now paced up to the fire and commenced playing with a dangling string attached to Joe's moccasin.

Once it jumped up with such force against his foot that he jerked it quickly several inches away. But this only diverted puss the more.

Instead of being content with the palpable demonstration thus effected, it followed up the advantage gained by applying both its claws and teeth to the foot. While it confined its operations to the stout buckskin, but little impression was made; but when it came in contact with the ankle, which was only covered with a yarn stocking, the result was entirely different.

"Ugh! Confound the fire!" exclaimed Joe, giving a tremendous kick, which dashed puss most violently into Sneak's face.