when some gathered around the fallen man, and jeered and taunted him with his defeat, others busied themselves in making preparations for their next scene in the tragic entertainment.
the pyre was soon in process of construction around the trunk of a tree, and as there were many willing hands to gather the dry fagots and green boughs of which it was composed, it did not take long to complete it.
space was left between the fuel and the tree for the prisoner to stand, and there was also an opening through the pile wide enough to admit of his passage and to allow access to him for any preliminary torments.
still, no haste was made in leading the condemned man to execution. the pleasure of anticipation was something, and, perhaps, it was deemed best not to have the popular show terminate too soon.
it was yet only about eight o’clock in the morning, and while some of the women and children surrounded the captive—who had again been bound—and amused themselves by inflicting small annoyances upon him, the warriors gathered in squads and entered into an animated discussion of the sport in which they had just been engaged.
some justified their blunders; some extolled their skill, which had only been defeated by the most extraordinary ill luck; but all agreed in awarding the honors of the day to valiant bulboo—whatever that[275] might mean—whose club had brought the exhausted man down.
now, as bulboo was a half brother to strong arm, this result was generally satisfactory, and was probably considered a proof of approval of the ordeal on the part of those unseen powers which guide the destinies of men.
however this may have been, the victor had certainly gained caste and influence by his success, and the thought at once occurred to buffalo bill that if anything more could be attempted in behalf of the prisoner in the short time which remained for action, this was the most promising field for effort.
running water could do nothing, and the proud black panther could not even be approached directly by the white men, to whom he had evidently conceived a hatred; but bulboo, satisfied with his exploits, might, perhaps, listen to the voice of mercy, for a “consideration,” and be made the medium of a new communication with, and further overtures to, the imperious black panther.
buffalo bill, in younger days, had been an amateur artist, and he was still a ready, if not very correct, draftsman with the pencil.
seated under a tree, with his knee for an easel, he drew on the blank leaf of a letter a picture of a prancing horse saddled and bridled, with a tolerable likeness of bulboo at his side, holding him by the reins.
then he sketched two other horses, similarly caparisoned, eight or ten guns, two kegs, and made a rather bungling attempt to represent a box of clay pipes and a pile of blankets.
having completed this picture writing, he watched his opportunity when black panther was at a distance, and then he dispatched congo to ask the chief if he would come and see his white brother once more for[276] a few minutes, and would bring the great warrior bulboo with him.
running water was seated on the grass, smoking his reed pipe and watching the proceedings of those around him, and when he saw the negro approaching he motioned to him to go back, and pointed to the place where the boats were moored, as an intimation that the strangers ought now to depart.
but these inhospitable gestures were evidently made more in sorrow than in anger, and as joe insisted on coming forward, and began to speak, the chief, by a quick motion of the hand, signified to him to sit down on the ground, with his back to the crowd, of whom but few, if any, were near enough to hear what might be said.
congo obeyed, and then delivered his message as intelligibly as he could.
“my brother is not wise,” replied running water. “he is free now. by and by he may be tied to a tree.”
“guess notty,” replied congo. “come—be goody, mr. running water. you great chiefy.”
the indian smiled, and replied with a brief eulogy upon his own greatness, of which joe could understand but little except the drift, but he nodded gravely at the end of each sentence, and repeated:
“great chiefy.”
but the potent leader did not deport himself like one at liberty to do all that he pleased.
he looked carefully on either side of him, and particularly in the direction in which black panther had vanished, and then informed congo that he would meet his brother in one of the remote wigwams, which he pointed out to him.
“him go; i come,” he said.
“an’ bring cap’n bully boy?” asked the negro.
“yes, me bring um.”
[277]
joe returned with this message, being careful to keep his eye on the lodge which had been named as the rendezvous, and buffalo bill, with hopes slightly revived, was soon on his way thither, accompanied by the negro, and regardless of the renewed entreaties of captain meinhold to embark, and of the threats of some of the party that they would seize the boats and go without him.
he went saunteringly, so as not to attract attention, and when he was sure that he was unwatched, unless by running water, he entered the deserted cabin, and from its one open window looked anxiously forth for the approach of the two men to whom this his last appeal was to be made.
the fact that this was his last hope, and that if it failed his young friend and companion would in a few minutes be in the hands of his tormentors and executioners made him exceedingly nervous.
at one moment he thought that he was foolishly persistent and that, so far from there being any prospect of success, he was only risking his own life and that of his other comrades and the safety of the women by his importunities. but at the next there seemed a little ground for hope, and he could not bear to abandon it.
running water and bulboo soon came, the latter evidently wondering and looking by no means mild and benignant. yet if his war paint had been washed off, perhaps all his fierceness of expression would have gone with it.
he was a young man, scarcely past thirty years, tall and slim, and clad in a kirtle of deerskin, which extended to his knees, and which, with his leggings and moccasins, constituted his only apparel.
two dried claws of the grizzly bear, fastened by a leathern string around his neck, rested like epaulets[278] upon his shoulders, and were the badge of his rank as a brave, he having killed the monster whose trophies he thus wore.
buffalo bill opened the conference by frankly informing running water of his designs, and, by way of making his meaning clear, he exhibited the pictures he had drawn, which at once enlisted the curiosity and excited the admiration of the savages.
bulboo at once recognized the portraits of himself, for the figure and dress were sufficient to individualize it, and he seemed much pleased with it as a work of art before he comprehended the object for which it had been drawn.
buffalo bill, before making any offer of presents which were so likely to delight a savage, reminded the chief that he did not propose to pay for the blood of strong arm; but if his people were inclined to be just and merciful he wished to show them what they would gain by it.
the prisoner, he said, was rich. he would give three horses, like those in the sketch, all saddled and bridled, to running water, black panther, and bulboo, so that they might each ride to the chase or the battlefield as became their rank.
he would also give a dozen good rifles, a dozen broadcloth blankets, five kegs of fire water, five pounds of powder, two hundred pipes, a barrel of tobacco, a big box full of colored glass beads, and enough earrings and finger rings of the best brass to supply the whole tribe.
“an’ de rigimintals, massa cody,” said the watchful congo, when the other had ended this enumeration of tempting gifts; “put in de rigimintals, for de injuns t’ink an orful sight of dem.”
yes, it was well thought of. two military suits, with epaulets, were added to the list—these also being[279] sketched by buffalo bill’s facile pencil—one of them being for the great chief and the other for the great brave, black panther.
“an’ one for bully boy,” whispered congo.
no. buffalo bill did not wish to make these coveted articles too common, and, but for the fear of offending the chief, he would have offered only one, making it a special prize for black panther, whose extensive influence he was especially anxious to secure.
the savages listened with an amazed and puzzled look to this catalogue of treasures, but, much to the disappointment of buffalo bill, who watched their countenance closely, they showed no sign of being particularly pleased.
after conversing gruffly, and with seeming anger, in their own language, the chief took up the pictured paper, and said:
“my brother is not wise. these things are not for men—they are for children.”
“no good! no shoot!” added bulboo.
“why, massa cody,” added joe, “i’m blamed if dey don’t t’ink it’s de paper horses an’ guns you’se offerin’ dem. ha! ha! what a pair of ninnyhammers!”
“keep still, joe,” replied the other, smiling, and then proceeding to correct the mistake by assuring the red men, in the best mixed english and indian that he could command, that he offered them real, living horses, of any color that they chose, and real rifles and blankets, and everything else which he had enumerated, real and substantial, and of the best kind.
“me no see um,” replied the chief, affecting to look around through the door and window. “does my brother keep his horses in the clouds or under the great lake?”
that both the indians were altogether incredulous, and were now inclined to depart in disgust, was quite[280] apparent, and it was with no little difficulty that buffalo bill succeeded in making them understand the remaining part of his proposition.
they should retain their prisoner, he said, until the time came, which should be at the farthest by the next new moon—about twenty days ahead—and if they failed to receive all that had been promised they might then carry out their sentence against him.
as a pledge of his sincerity and of his expectations to redeem his promises, he offered the chief his watch to keep until he came back, bringing all the gifts; and joe added to this offer that of his magic corkscrew, on the special condition that it should be kept safe and should be returned to him “w’en de hosses and guns come.”
the indians, though still looking amazed, now seemed much pleased, and said they would both talk to black panther and to their people, and try to turn their hearts if it was not too late; but that the prisoner was already being led to the tree, as his friends could see, and that his tortures had probably begun.
“then, for heaven’s sake, make haste!” exclaimed cody, who remembered the pistol in hare’s possession; “and you, congo, run! run! get as near to him as you can, and tell him what we are doing.”
“yes, sah; i’ll try,” said joe. “but black panther, he’ll drive me off, i know, and i ’fraid he tommyhawk me.
“run! run! i’ll follow as fast as i can. if you can’t get near enough to speak to him, make signs that we are coming.”
the four men all started for the scene of torture, but at very different rates of speed, for the two indians walked with stately gravity, conversing as they went.
buffalo bill and congo ran as fast as they could.
the negro, being the swifter of the two, was soon[281] hovering on the outskirts of the crowd of men, women, and children who were gathered around the execution tree.
finding it impossible to get through the throng, he imitated the example of many of the indian boys and girls, and climbed a tree, from the lowest branches of which he could overlook the crowd and get a view of all that was going on.
the condemned man was bound to a small maple by a rope of bark, which was passed several times around his waist, but his limbs and head were left free, probably for the additional amusement to be derived from seeing him attempt to dodge or ward off the various missiles aimed at him by his persecutors.
this sport had already begun, as was apparent from some arrows and knives sticking in the tree near his head, and a shout of laughter which rang through the crowd just as congo attained his elevated seat applauded the successful feat of pinning one ear of the captive to the tree by a shaft from a bow.
pale as a ghost and frantic with terror, poor hare now put up his hands to ward off the flying weapons, and now tried to extricate the arrow from his ear, groaning meanwhile and begging for mercy in language, of course, which would have been unintelligible to most of his tormentors if heard, but which was drowned by their own shouts and cries.
he had been left clad in the garments in which he had run his race, with the exception of his hat, which was off, and congo could plainly see the stock of his pistol slightly protruding from his pocket, as if he had partly drawn it out, but feared to use it.
his hand wandered irresolutely toward it now and then, and as it seemed that his sufferings and dread must nerve him to a speedy use of this effectual means of escaping the malice of his enemies, joe hastily[282] tried to attract his attention without drawing upon himself the observation of the savage crowd.
he drew from his pocket a yellow cotton kerchief, and waved it toward him; but, failing to accomplish his object in this way, and seeing that his hand again sought his pistol and rested with firm grasp upon the protruding stock, he shouted desperately to him, heedless of the danger which he was drawing upon himself.
“massa hare, massa hare!” he cried. “hold on, dar! don’t shoot yourself! dey’se comin’ to save you yit!”
probably little or nothing of this was understood by the prisoner, but he heard the negro’s voice, and, following the eyes of the crowd who turned like one man to look at the intruder, saw him still waving his yellow flag.
great confusion ensued, many of the savages believing that the black “medicine man” was performing some incantation to save the life of his friend, and others, less superstitious, aiming guns and arrows at him, seemingly by direction of the irate black panther, whose shouted orders sounded over the field.
the vigilant joe, seeing his danger, leaped to the ground and ran to meet buffalo bill, who was now close at hand, followed at a little distance by the chief and bulboo, who had also quickened their speed and were fast coming up.
“stop, massa cody! stop! an’ let’s git behind de chief an’ cap’n bully boy!” exclaimed the frightened joe. “or dey’ll shoot us bofe, just as sure as a gun.”
cody complied with this prudent request, for many of the indians were rushing toward them.
running water waved them back with an authoritative gesture of his hand, and, placing himself in front[283] of the imperiled men, bade them sit down on the grass and keep quite still.
“is he alive?” asked cody, in a whisper, as he complied with this order, for his solicitude for hare still outweighed his sense of personal danger.
“yes, massa, but he got de pistol in his hand, and i expect to hear it go off every minute.”
“no—you’ve effected a diversion, for the present, i guess.”
“i don’t t’ink it’s very diverting, massa,” replied the trembling negro. “see how mad dey is.”
“they won’t come any nearer. see, the chief is speaking to them, and bulboo stands close at his side to show that he agrees with him.”
“what does he say?”
“he is only telling them to be quiet, i believe, and to send black panther to him. at least, i judge so by his gestures, and his frequent mention of the orator’s name.”
“yes—yes—dare comes black panther lookin’ as fierce as a turkey gobbler; and a lot of others jest like him. it’s all up with us now, massa cody. i never was so scairt before. i tell you dey’ll burn us all.”
“well, well, keep still. there’s nothing else that we can do now; for to speak would incense them still further, and to run would probably be fatal.”
but little of the dialogue which now ensued between the chief and his warriors was understood by cody, but, judging from its tones, it was not over-courteous on either side.
if it was not an angry altercation, it was something very near it, and if running water had not been supported by bulboo—the victor in the lists, and a near relative of strong arm—he would scarcely have gained a hearing in asking, as he now did, for an hour’s suspension of the proceedings against the prisoner until[284] a new talk could be had and a new proposition considered.
shouts of indignant refusal met this request at first, but when bulboo had gone over to black panther and whispered a few words to him, doubtless about the presents, that dignitary consented to a respite and a new council, but scouted the idea of its terminating differently from the preceding ones.
that no time might be lost, the braves were at once separated from the crowd and were seated upon the ground under the shade of a large tree, while the prisoner, still bound, was left exposed to such annoyances as the squaws and small children saw fit to inflict. but they did not use any weapons upon him, for they had received orders not to do so.
they pulled his hair, they pinched his flesh, they made mocking faces at him, they pelted him with tufts of sod and dirt, and loaded him with opprobrious epithets. these last, however, were lost upon him, as he did not understand them.
but his friends, cody and congo, although not allowed to approach him, were now within his view, and as long as he was not abandoned he would not quite despair, nor resort to suicide, as he had been momentarily tempted to do in order to escape the indignities and tortures which were being heaped upon him.
as to hope of escape or release, he could scarcely be said to indulge it, for he knew nothing of the reason why his severer tortures were suspended, and he supposed it was only for the purpose of giving the women and children their share of the sport.
buffalo bill and his sable friend did not know whether they were in custody or not. several armed savages remained near them, and joe, who had evidently given serious offense, was disposed to take a somber view of affairs.
“if black panther has his way, it’s all up with us, sah,” he said. “he won’t believe in all these promises. ’cause why? you’ve offered dem too much, sah. he’ll say you’se only goin’ hum after soldiers to rescue massa hare. you’ll see. why for they no send for you to de council if dey friendly?”
sure enough, cody was far from easy in his mind; and almost at this moment a new cause for alarm was discovered, and was announced to them by one of the red men. he came near, and then, with some unintelligible ejaculation, pointed to the lake, where captain meinhold’s boat was seen rapidly departing, and already many rods from the shore.
the chase after congo had added the climax to the fears of the officer and his companions. they were alarmed for the safety of the women.
meinhold was as brave as a lion personally, and he would have stayed behind with cody gladly; but he and the rest had felt that they dared not risk the lives or safety of the helpless women in their care.
