Chapter XI. The Melancholy Flight

Paul revived in a few minutes. They were still lying in the bushes, and when he was able to stand up again, they moved at an angle several hundred yards before they stopped. One pistol was thrust into Paul's hand and another into that of Shif'less Sol.

Keep those until we can get rifles for you," said Henry. "You may need 'em to-night."

They crouched down in the thicket and looked back toward the Indian camp. The warriors whom they had repulsed were not returning with help, and, for the moment, they seemed to have no enemy to fear, yet they could still see through the woods the faint lights of the Indian camps, and to Paul, at least, came the echoes of distant cries that told of things not to be written.

"We saw you captured, and we heard Sol's warning cry," said Henry. " There was nothing to do but run. Then we hid and waited a chance for rescue."

"It would never have come if it had not been for Timmendiquas," said Paul.

"Timmendiquas!" exclaimed Henry.

"Yes, Timmendiquas," said Paul, and then be told the story of "The Bloody Rock," and how, in the turmoil and excitement attending the flight of the last four, Timmendiquas had cut the bonds of Shif'less Sol and himself.

"I think the mind o' White Lightnin', Injun ez he is," said Shif'less Sol, "jest naterally turned aginst so much slaughter an' torture o' prisoners."

"I'm sure you're right," said Henry.

"'Pears strange to me," said Long Jim Hart, "that Timmendiquas was made an Injun. He's jest the kind uv man who ought to be white, an' he'd be pow'ful useful, too. I don't jest eggzactly understan' it."

"He has certainly saved the lives of at least three of us," said Henry. "I hope we will get a chance to pay him back in full."

"But he's the only one," said Shif'less Sol, thinking of all that he had seen that night. "The Iroquois an' the white men that's allied with 'em won't ever get any mercy from me, ef any uv 'em happen to come under my thumb. I don't think the like o' this day an' night wuz ever done on this continent afore. I'm for revenge, I am, like that place where the Bible says, 'an eye for an eye, an' a tooth for a tooth,' an' I'm goin' to stay in this part o' the country till we git it!"

It was seldom that Shif'less Sol spoke with so much passion and energy.

"We're all going to stay with you, Sol," said Henry. We're needed here. I think we ought to circle about the fort, slip in if we can, and fight with the defense."

"Yes, we'll do that," said Shif'less Sol, "but the Wyoming fort can't ever hold out. Thar ain't a hundred men left in it fit to fight, an' thar are more than than a thousand howlin' devils outside ready to attack it. Thar may