the terrible tale which was related by slugs had the effect of changing robin gore’s plans. he resolved to pursue the murderers, and inflict summary punishment on them before setting off on the contemplated search for his lost children, and he was all the more induced to do this that there was some hope he might be able to obtain a clue to their whereabouts from some of the prisoners whom he hoped to seize.
it might be thought by some a rash step for him to take—the pursuit of a band of about fifty savages with a party of six men. but backwood hunters were bold fellows in those days, and indians were by no means noted for reckless courage. six stout, resolute, and well-armed men were, in robin’s opinion, quite a match for fifty redskins!
he could not muster more than six, because it was absolutely necessary to leave at least three men to guard fort enterprise. robin therefore resolved to leave his brother jeff to look after it, with two of the strangers; and jeff accepted the charge with pleasure, saying he “would defend the place agin a hundred red reptiles.” the third stranger—a man named stiff—he resolved to take with him.
the war-party, when mustered, consisted of robin gore, his nephew walter, larry o’dowd, the black swan, slugs the hunter, and stiff the stranger. armed to the teeth, these six put on their snow-shoes the following morning, and set forth on their journey in silence.
now this change of plans was—all unknown to robin—the means of leading him towards, instead of away from, his lost little ones. for roy and nelly had travelled so far during their long wanderings from the black hills—the place where they escaped from the indians—that they were at that time many long miles away from them in another direction. in fact, if robin had carried out his original plan of search, he would have been increasing the distance between himself and his children every step he took!
not knowing this, however, and being under the impression that each day’s march lessened his chance of ultimately finding his lost ones, he walked along, mile after mile, and day after day, in stern silence.
on the third day out, towards evening, the party descried a thin line of blue smoke rising above the tree-tops. they had reached an elevated and somewhat hilly region, so that the ground favoured their approach by stealth, nevertheless, fearing to lose their prey, they resolved to wait till dark, and take their enemies, if such they should turn out to be, by surprise.
soon after sunset robin gave the word to advance. each man of the party laid aside his blanket, and left his provisions, etcetera, in the encampment, taking with him his arms only.
“i need not say that there must be no speaking, and that we must tread lightly. you’re up to redskin ways as well as me, except mayhap our friend stiff here.”
stiff who was a tall yankee, protested that he could “chaw up his tongue, and go as slick as a feline mouser.”
on nearing the fire, they made a détour to examine the tracks that led to it, and found from their number and other signs that it was indeed hawk’s party.
robin advanced alone to reconnoitre. on returning, he said—
“it’s just the reptiles; there’s forty of ’em if there’s one, an’ they’ve got a white man bound with ’em; no doubt from what you said of him, slugs, it’s macdonell; but i don’t see wapaw. i fear me that his days are over. now, then, lads, here’s our plan: we’ll attack them from six different points at once. we’ll all give the war-whoop at the same moment, takin’ the word from walter there, who’s got a loud pipe of his own, then when the varmints start to their feet—for i don’t like the notion o’ firin’ at men off their guard—walter, larry, an’ stiff will fire. black swan, slugs, an’ i will reserve our fire while you reload; the reptiles will scatter, of course, an’ we’ll give ’em a volley an’ a united yell as they cut stick, that’ll keep ’em from waitin’ for more.”
the plan thus hastily sketched was at once carried out. advancing stealthily to their several stations, the six men, as it were, surrounded the savages, who, not dreaming of pursuit, had neglected to place sentinels round the camp. when walter’s loud “halloo!” rang in their ears, the whole band sprang to their feet, and seized their arms, but three shots laid three of them dead on the ground. as they fled right and left the reserve fired, and shot three others, among whom was hawk himself. black swan had picked him out, and shot him through the head. before they were quite out of shot, the three who had first fired had reloaded and fired again with some effect, for blood was afterwards observed on the snow.
slugs now made a rush into the camp to unbind macdonell, but to his horror he discovered that a knife was plunged up to the handle in his breast, and that he was almost dead. hawk had evidently committed this cowardly deed on the first alarm, for the knife was known to be his. macdonell tried hard to speak, but all that he was able to say was, “wapaw, wounded, escaped—follow.” then his head fell back, and he died. from the few words thus uttered, however, the pursuers concluded that wapaw was not dead, but wounded, and that he had escaped.
“if that be so,” said walter, “then they must have been on wapaw’s tracks, an’ if we search we shall find ’em, an’ may follow ’em up.”
“true,” said slugs, “and the sooner we’re away from this the better, for the reptiles may return, and find us not so strong a band as they think.”
acting on this advice, the whole party set off at once. wapaw’s track was soon discovered, being, of course, a solitary one, and in advance of his enemies, who were in pursuit. following the track with untiring vigour, the party found that it led them out of the lower country into a region high up amongst the hills.
