第39章

Kindle up that fire a little, will you, Sol? I want some smoke to come out of the chimney."The shiftless one raked away the ashes, and put on two or three pieces of wood that lay on the hearth.Little flames and smoke arose.Henry looked curiously about the house.It was the usual cabin of the frontier, although somewhat larger.The bed on which Shif'less Sol sat was evidently that of the father and mother, while two large ones behind the curtain were used by the children.On the shelf stood a pail half full of drinking water, and by the side of it a tin cup.Dried herbs hung over the fireplace, and two or three chests stood in the corners.The clothing of the children was scattered about.Unprepared food for breakfast stood on a table.Everything told of a hasty flight and its terrible need.Henry was already resolved, but his heart hardened within him as he saw.

He took the hatchet from his belt and cut one of the hooks for the door bar nearly in two.The others said not a word.They had no need to speak.They understood everything that he did.

He opened the window again and looked out.Nothing yet appeared.

"The dawn will come in three quarters of an hour," he said, "and we shall not have to wait long for what we want to do."He sat down facing the door.All the others were sitting, and they, too, faced the door.Everyone had his rifle across his knees, with one hand upon the hammer.The wood on the hearth sputtered as the fire spread, and the flames grew.Beyond a doubt a thin spire of smoke was rising from the chimney, and a watching eye would see this sign of a peaceful and unsuspecting mind.

"I hope Braxton Wyatt will be the first to knock at our door,"said Shif'less Sol.

"I wouldn't be sorry," said Henry.

Paul was sitting in a chair near the fire, and he said nothing.

He hoped the waiting would be very short.The light was sufficient for him to see the faces of his comrades, and he noticed that they were all very tense.This was no common watch that they kept.Shif'less Sol remained on the bed, Henry sat on another of the chairs, Tom Ross was on one of the chests with his back to the wall.Long Jim was near the curtain.Close by Paul was a home-made cradle.He put down his hand and touched it.He was glad that it was empty now, but the sight of it steeled his heart anew for the task that lay before them.

Ten silent minutes passed, and Henry went to the window again.

He did not open it, but there was a crack through which he could see.The others said nothing, but watched his face.When he turned away they knew that the moment was at hand.

"They've just come from the woods," he said, "and in a minute they'll be at the door.Now, boys, take one last look at your rifles."A minute later there was a sudden sharp knock at the door, but no answer came from within.The knock was repeated, sharper and louder, and Henry, altering his voice as much as possible, exclaimed like one suddenly awakened from sleep:

"Who is it? What do you want?"

Back came a voice which Henry knew to be that of Braxton Wyatt:

"We've come from farther up the valley.We're scouts, we've been up to the Indian country.We're half starved.Open and give us food!""I don't believe you," replied Henry."Honest people don't come to my door at this time in the morning."Then ensued a few moments of silence, although Paul, with his vivid fancy, thought he heard whispering on the other side of the door.

"Open!" cried Wyatt, "or we'll break your door down!" Henry said nothing, nor did any of the others.They did not stir.The fire crackled a little, but there was no other sound in the Standish house.Presently they heard a slight noise outside, that of light feet.

"They are going for a log with which to break the door in,"whispered Henry."They won't have to look far.The wood pile isn't fifty feet away.""An' then," said Shif'less Sol, "they won't have much left to do but to take the scalps of women an' little children."Every figure in the Standish house stiffened at the shiftless one's significant words, and the light in the eyes grew sterner.

Henry went to the door, put his ear to the line where it joined the wall, and listened.

"They've got their log," he said, "and in half a minute they'll rush it against the door."He came back to his old position.Paul's heart began to thump, and his thumb fitted itself over the trigger of his cocked rifle.

Then they heard rapid feet, a smash, a crash, and the door flew open.A half dozen Iroquois and a log that they held between them were hurled into the middle of the room.The door had given away so easily and unexpectedly that the warriors could not check themselves, and two or three fell with the log.But they sprang like cats to their feet, and with their comrades uttered a cry that filled the whole cabin with its terrible sound and import.

The Iroquois, keen of eyes and quick of mind, saw the trap at once.The five grim figures, rifle in hand and finger on trigger, all waiting silent and motionless were far different from what they expected.Here could be no scalps, with the long, silky hair of women and children.

There was a moment's pause, and then the Indians rushed at their foes.Five fingers pulled triggers, flame leaped from five muzzles, and in an instant the cabin was filled with smoke and war shouts, but the warriors never had a chance.They could only strike blindly with their tomahawks, and in a half minute three of them, two wounded, rushed through the door and fled to the woods.They had been preceded already by Braxton Wyatt, who had hung back craftily while the Iroquois broke down the door.