CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
Certainly there was a body of our defenders five-and-twenty yards awayin one direction, and sixty in another; but while the alarm wasspreading a dozen active Indians would be able to scale the fence.
At least so it seemed to me, as without hesitation I uttered a wild cryfor help, Pomp raising his voice to supplement mine.
"Here! This way! Here! Indians!" I shouted; and I heard the sound ofhurrying feet, and a sharp decisive order or two being given; but at thesame moment there was a peculiar scraping sound on the rough fence whichtold me that the Indians were climbing over, and I stood hesitating,puzzled as to whether it was my duty to run or stop where I was, so asto keep up the alarm and guide our people through the darkness to theexact spot.
All this was a matter of moments, and I hesitated too long. I wasconscious of our people being close at hand; then of feeling Pompdragging at me, and saying something excitedly. Then it was as if a bigmass had fallen from above, and I lay crushed down and senseless in adarkness far greater than that of the night.
When I came to my senses again, I found that I was lying on my face withsomething heavy across me, from beneath which I managed to creep atlast, shuddering the while, as I felt that it was the body of a dead orwounded man. Everything about me was still, but I could hear voices ata distance, and I wondered what had taken place, and why I was leftthere like that.
It was very puzzling, for my head was so confused that I could notrecollect what had taken place before, so as to understand why it wasthat I was lying out there in the darkness, close to this wounded man.
At last I concluded to shout for help, and my lips parted, but no soundcame. This startled me, and I began to tremble, for it was all so newand strange.
But by degrees my brain grew clearer, and I began to have faint rays ofunderstanding penetrate my darkened mind. These grew brighter andbrighter, till at last I was able to understand that I had been struckdown by a tremendous blow on the head, the very realisation of that factbeing accompanied by such acute pain, that I was glad to lie thereperfectly inert without thinking at all.
But this fit did not last long, and I could see now the matter in itstrue light, and it all came back about how I gave the alarm, and musthave been standing there as the Indians came over, and I was struck downat once.
Then as I lay there in the darkness, I began to recall how I had beenlying with some one across me, and half suffocating me.
I had crawled away a few yards in my half insensible condition, but nowa shuddering desire came over me to creep back, and find out who it wasthat lay there dead or dying.
It was terrible, that feeling, for I felt that I must go, and as I creptback, it was with the idea that it was probably one of those who wouldbe the first to rush to the defence of the palisade, and in a confused,half-dreamy way, I found myself combating the fancy that it might be myfather.
I paused when about half-way back, afraid to go farther, but the intensedesire to know the worst came over me again, and I crept on and thenstopped with my hand raised, and held suspended over the prostratefigure, afraid to move it and touch the body.
At last, and I uttered a faint sigh full of relief, for my hand hadfallen upon the bare breast of a man, and I knew that it must be one ofthe Indians. It was puzzling that he and I should be there, and no onenear, for I could not detect the presence of either of the sentries.Where was everybody? Some one was coming, though, the next minute, forI heard soft footsteps, and then the murmur of voices, which came nearerand nearer till I heard a familiar voice say--
"Oh, Mass' George, do 'peak."
I tried to obey, but no sound would come, even now that I felt a vastsense of relief, for I knew that I must have been hurt, and the twoblacks were in search of me.
"Ah, here him are," suddenly cried Pomp, and I next felt two great handslifting me gently, and I was carried through the darkness to what I knewmust be the block-house, where I had some recollection of being laiddown. Then I directly went off to sleep, and did not awake till nearlyday, to see a black face close to the rough pallet on which I lay, andas the day grew broader, I made out that it was Pomp watching by myside.
"Mass' George better now?"
"Better? Yes; I am not ill," I said, and I tried to get up, but laystill again, for the effort seemed to give me a violent pain in the headwhich made me groan.
"Mass' George not seem very better."
"But I am. I'll get up directly. But tell me, Pomp, how was it all?"
"How was?"
"Yes; how did it happen?"
"Done know, Mass' George. 'Pose Injum come over big fence and jump onand knock poor lil nigger and Mass' George down. Den um hab big fightan kill de Injum, an noder big fight by de gate an kill more Injum, andden Injum say good-night, time go to bed, an dat's all."
"The Indians gone?"
"Yes; all gone."
"Then we have beaten them. Hurrah! Oh, my head!"
"Hurrah--oh my head!" cried Pomp, in imitation. "Why say `Hurrah! Oh,my head'?"
"Oh, don't, Pomp. You make me laugh."
"Dat right; glad see Mass' George laugh. Mass' George couldn't laughlil bit when Pomp fess um fader carry um."
"No; I remember now. I had forgotten."
"Mass' Dockor say good job Mass' George got tick head, or kill um."
"Did the doctor say that, Pomp?"
"Yes, Mass' Dockor say dat. Injum hit um wif um lil chopper, same timesome one shoot and kill Injum; den Pomp knock down, and all jump on um,and dey pick um up, and take um 'way, and bring um here."
"Then were you hurt too?"
"Yes, hurt dreffle, and dockor laugh, and say nuffum matter wif um, andsend um 'way 'gain. Den Pomp go an' fine um fader, and come an' fineMass' George, and bring um here. Dockor no laugh at Mass' George, onysay, `Poor fellow!' and `Put um to bed,' an' `Good job um got such tickhead,' and put plaster on um."
I raised my hand to my head, and sure enough there was somesticking-plaster there.
"Does my father know?" I said, as a sudden thought occurred to me.
"Pomp done know, Mass' George. Haben see Mass' Capen long time."
Our conversation was checked by the entrance of the doctor, who smiledas he saw me sitting up on the rude bed.
"Well, squire," he said, "you seem determined to be a patient. How areyou now?"
"My head aches a good deal."
"No wonder, my lad, you got an ugly crack with the flat of a tomahawk.The man must have slipped as he was leaping from the fence. A narrowescape for you."
"But the Indians are beaten off," I said, eagerly.
"For the present at all events. But they may attack again to-night, andI am beginning to be busy."
"Must I stop here, sir?"
"Certainly not, if you feel well enough to get up."
At that moment a shadow darkened the door, and my father came inquickly, followed by Hannibal.
"George? Hurt?" he exclaimed, huskily.
"Not much, father," I said, "and the doctor says I may get up."
"Thank Heaven!" muttered my father. Then aloud, "I have only just heardfrom Hannibal here. You gave me a terrible fright."
My father took hold of my hands to hold them in his for a few moments,as he looked full in my eyes; and I wondered at it, for I was not oldenough then to understand his emotion, nor to think I was bad enough tostop in bed.
Ten minutes later I was out in the enclosure, and learned a little moreabout what had taken place after I was knocked down insensible. Howthere had been several hand-to-hand encounters where the Indians haddeterminedly climbed over and gained a footing, from which they weredislodged directly, with the result that several were killed andwounded--four of our party also having ugly wounds.
As I was going across the enclosure, hearing how the enemy had beenfinally beaten off, and had retreated into the forest, where it was notconsidered safe to follow them, Colonel Preston met us, looking jadedand anxious, but his face brigh
tened up as he saw me, and he came up andshook hands.
"Why, George Bruton, you are a lucky fellow," he cried, laughingly."Two wounds. This is grand. Of course he must be promoted, Bruton, assoon as peace is proclaimed."
"Why, George," said my father, as we went on, "what's the matter?"
"I don't like to be laughed at, father," I said; "and Colonel Prestonwas making fun of me, as if I were a little child."
"He did not mean it unkindly. There, come and have some lightbreakfast, and you must keep out of the sun."