Running Fox

by Frances Trego Montgomery

  CHAPTER XIV--ANXIOUS DAYS

  Spotted Deer said that he had been surprised and captured soon afterRunning Fox left him. At first the Mohawks mistook him for a Shawnee,and his appearance in the camp was the occasion for a wild commotion. Hewas taken to the center of the village and tied to the torture stake.Then the Mohawks suddenly discovered that he was a Delaware. They seemedgreatly surprised, and it was evident that they feared the presence of aDelaware war-party somewhere near the camp. Thinking to frighten theyoung captive into telling them what they wished to know, Standing Wolfthreatened him with all sorts of terrible tortures if he refused to givethe information they desired. However, Spotted Deer scorned the threats,and the Mohawks were unable to make him talk. At last they unbound him,and threw him into the lodge in which Running Fox so unexpectedly foundhim.

  "Now I have told you how I came here," concluded Spotted Deer.

  "Well, I see that you could not help it, but it is very bad," repliedRunning Fox.

  Then he related his own experiences. When he told how he had defied thegreat Mohawk war-chief, Spotted Deer exclaimed in astonishment.

  "That was a foolish thing to do," he declared.

  "Yes, I see that I did a bad thing," acknowledged Running Fox. "Ibelieve I will be killed, but you may live to get away and tell ourpeople what they wish to know."

  "No, Running Fox, I believe the Mohawks will kill me, too," said SpottedDeer.

  At that moment Running Fox thought he heard some one moving cautiouslyaway from the entrance of the lodge, and he feared that spies had beenstationed there to listen. The Delawares immediately ceased talking.They lay there a long time listening, but all was still. The night-hushhad fallen upon the camp, and it was evident that the Mohawks hadretired to their lodges. However, the lads felt quite sure that theentrance to their own lodge was closely guarded. Still it seemed like anunnecessary precaution, for they had been so skillfully bound that theywould have been unable to escape even if the way had been open.

  Left to their thoughts, the lads immediately began to speculate upontheir chances. Running Fox believed that for himself at least death wasinevitable, and he tried to become reconciled to the thought. However,his great fear was that by antagonizing the Mohawk chief he had alsosealed the fate of Spotted Deer. The possibility filled him withdespair. If only Spotted Deer might be spared to eventually learn andcarry away the secret which had brought them to the Mohawk camp, RunningFox would have been willing to suffer and die without complaining. Now,however, he believed that his sacrifice would be in vain. The idea drovehim into a frenzy. Carried away by emotion, he fought desperately tofree himself from his bonds. His efforts were useless, however, and hesoon saw the folly of wasting his strength, for the present escapeseemed impossible.

  "It is no use to fight that way," Spotted Deer told him. "No, we mustwait until we get a better chance."

  "That is true," agreed Running Fox.

  The long night finally passed, and as day dawned the lads lookedanxiously about the lodge to learn if they were guarded. They appearedto be alone, but they mistrusted that sharp-eared sentinels were justoutside the entrance. However, the lads took advantage of their privacyto study the details of their prison. It was a square, one storystructure about four bow-lengths high. It was made of slabs of barkwhich were held in place by two rows of upright saplings or poles. Theroof, which was peaked, was also of bark, and had a small square openingin the center to let out the smoke of the camp-fire. The lads foundthemselves in a room about four bow-lengths square, with a shallowfire-pit in the middle, and low willow bunks or platforms along twosides. The lodge would have accommodated six or eight persons, and wassimilar in design and material to those erected by the Delawares. Itshowed no signs of recent occupancy.

  It was not long before the Delawares heard some one approaching. Theirhearts quickened at the sound, for it suggested a number of disturbingpossibilities. Then the robe which covered the doorway was drawn aside,and a warrior entered the lodge. He was a great powerful fellow, and hestared so fiercely at the captives that they felt quite sure he meantthem no good. They returned his glances without wavering, and in a fewmoments he turned and called to some one outside. An aged woman answeredthe summons, and the lads saw that she brought food and water.

  The warrior kneeled and unbound their hands. Then the old woman placedmeat and water before them, and hobbled away. The guard, however,instantly began to annoy them. Pointing at the bones and scraps of meatwhich had been set before them, he imitated the whining of a dog, andlaughed boisterously. The Delawares knew that he was trying to make themunderstand that they had been fed with the leavings from the camp whichordinarily were given to the dogs. The lads gave no sign that theycomprehended the insult. Realizing that refusal to eat the food mightsubject them to a brutal attack, they consumed it in sullen obedience.Then they looked expectantly toward the Mohawk. He was laughing andmaking significant gestures with his knife to make them realize thepunishments that awaited them. They watched him without the slightesttrace of emotion. Their indifference seemed to anger him, and he beganto talk fiercely in the Mohawk dialect. The lads showed plainly thatthey did not understand his threats, and he suddenly seemed to realizethat he was making himself ridiculous. A moment afterward he tied theirhands behind them, and drew the buckskin thongs deep into the flesh.Then he laughed gleefully, and left the lodge.

  "That warrior is very fierce," said Spotted Deer, as the footfalls diedaway.

  "Well, he did not frighten us," boasted Running Fox.

  "That made him mad," laughed Spotted Deer.

  It was not long before they began to feel the effects of his cruelty.The tight buckskin thongs ate slowly into their flesh, and caused themgreat agony. However, they bore it in silence. Each knew what the otherwas enduring, but neither of them was willing to acknowledge that theMohawk had made him suffer.

  As the day progressed they heard considerable noise and confusion in thecamp, and they believed that the Mohawks were preparing for someimportant ceremony. The thought filled them with gloomy premonitions.Running Fox, especially, read a warning in the sounds. He knew that hisbold defiance of the famous war-chief would not be permitted to passunpunished, and he feared that at any moment he would be called out topay the penalty. He had heard many stories about the awful tortureswhich the Mohawks inflicted upon their prisoners, and he wondered if hewere about to experience them. The possibility tried his nerve.

  "Running Fox, what I hear makes me feel bad," Spotted Deer said,uneasily. "Perhaps the Mohawks are getting ready to kill us."

  "We must be brave," Running Fox told him.

  Soon afterward several fierce looking warriors entered the lodge, andstared at the captives. However, they made no attempt to annoy them, andleft without speaking. The lads were at a loss to explain the visit.Then other warriors came, and several women and children. As none of thevisitors showed any inclination to harm them, the Delawares feltsomewhat reassured. They knew that the Iroquois tribes often adoptedyoung warriors whom they captured, and they wondered if they, too, wereto be spared. The thought gave them hope, for while they would not havethought of pledging allegiance to their foes, still they believed thatthey might be able to turn the opportunity to good advantage.

  "Yes, we will fool the Mohawks until we find a chance to get away,"whispered Spotted Deer.

  "They are sharp," Running Fox warned him.

  Then they heard criers going about the camp calling the people toassemble. Their fears immediately returned. They listened anxiously asthe Mohawks began to sing, and shout their war-cries. Then the noisesuddenly ceased. The Delawares heard some one talking excitedly. Theythought they recognized the voice of Standing Wolf, the Mohawkwar-chief. At the end of the talk a great shout went up from the camp.

  "I do not like that," said Running Fox. "I believe some one is turningthe Mohawks against us."

  "Perhaps they are talking about something different," Spotted Deerreplied, hopefully. "Perhaps a war-party
is going out to fight theShawnees."

  "No, I do not believe it," said Running Fox. "Spotted Deer, I believe wewill soon be killed."

  However, no one came to disturb them until the end of the day, and thenthe warrior and the old woman again entered the lodge with food andwater. When the Mohawk unbound their wrists the lads found that they hadtemporarily lost the use of their arms. They made several attempts toreach the food that had been placed before them, but for some momentsthey were unable to raise their hands from their sides. The Mohawkseemed to take great delight in their discomfort. He jeered, andlaughed, and insisted upon their eating the food. The lads feared thatif they were unable to comply with his demands he would take away thefood, and tell the Mohawks that they had refused it. They made heroicefforts, therefore, and finally succeeded in getting the food to theirmouths. Then the guard again bound their wrists, and left them tosuffer.

  As the evening shadows fell upon the camp the Delawares once more heardsounds of hustling activity. The Mohawks were breaking wood for fires,and the lads felt a vague premonition of danger. In a few moments theyheard the crackling of the flames, and saw the light through the hole inthe roof of the lodge. They waited in anxious suspense.

  "Pretty soon we will know what is going to happen to us," said RunningFox. "Do you feel brave?"

  "I believe we are in great danger, but I am not afraid," replied SpottedDeer.

  An ominous hush had fallen upon the camp. Then the covering was drawnfrom the doorway of the lodge, and three warriors entered. The lads knewat once that these men had been sent to get them, and they feared thattheir hour of trial was at hand. For a moment they weakened. Then as theMohawks came toward them, they recovered their courage, and waitedcalmly to learn their fate.

  "Be brave," said Running Fox.

  "I am a Delaware," Spotted Deer replied, proudly.

  One of the Mohawks stooped and freed Running Fox from his bonds.

  Then they motioned for him to rise. It was evident that they had nointention of taking Spotted Deer. The latter struggled furiously to riseand accompany his friend, but the Mohawks laughed and pushed him back.

  "Keep still," said Running Fox. "You must keep alive to finish thisthing. I am not afraid to die. Tell my father those words."

  Before he had finished speaking the Mohawks were leading him toward thedoor of the lodge. He walked with difficulty, however, for his legs hadbeen so tightly bound that circulation had been entirely stopped. Eachstep was agony, but the courageous lad fought hard to conceal hissuffering. As he was pushed roughly from the lodge he heard Spotted Deerfrantically singing the medicine-songs which old Sky Dog had taught him.Running Fox wondered whether they would save him in the presentemergency.

  Running Fox saw the Mohawks gathered about a great fire in the center ofthe camp. They greeted his appearance with a wild outburst of yells, andhe realized that he could expect no mercy. His guards led him toward thefire, and stood him with his back against a stout stake, a shortdistance from the flames. Then Standing Wolf and a number of importantlooking warriors walked up to him. For some moments they stared at himin silence, and Running Fox looked fearlessly into their eyes. He knewonly too well the severity of the punishment which was about to beinflicted upon him, but he determined to endure it without flinching. Hefelt that the honor of his tribe was at stake, and the thought gave himcourage. The last trace of fear had left him, and he found himself calmand unafraid. In a few moments he heard the Mohawk chief addressing himin the Delaware tongue.

  "Well, you were very boastful when you came here; do you feel bravenow?" demanded Standing Wolf.

  "A Delaware is always brave," replied Running Fox.

  "Well, we will see about it," Standing Wolf declared, warningly.

  He turned and spoke a few words to the warriors behind him, and RunningFox saw them smile contemptuously. Then Standing Wolf began to addressthe great throng of people who had gathered about the fire. His speechseemed to greatly excite them, and when he finished they began to shout,and jeer, and threaten the captive. However, Standing Wolf and hisescort kept them in control. Then the chief spoke to the warriors whohad brought Running Fox from the lodge, and they immediately bound thelad to the stake.

  "Young man, you are about to see how the Mohawks treat their enemies,"said Standing Wolf. "You, alone, are to blame for whatever happens toyou. You are young, and I might have saved you. But you talked veryboastful. Yes, you have made my heart black against you. Now you mustpay for it."

  Running Fox remained silent. There was nothing to say. He realized thathe had blundered, and that the blunder was to cost him his life.

  Standing Wolf gave the signal, and a noisy company of women and boysformed about the prisoner, while the warriors looked on. Then severalold men raised their voices in a weird chant, and the Mohawks began todance about the post. Running Fox saw that they were armed with supplewillow wands or whips, and he easily imagined what they intended to dowith them. They beat him unmercifully, but he endured it without atremor. Many diabolical old women tried to blind him by striking himacross the eyes, but he foiled them by slightly raising his head so thatthe blows fell short. Standing Wolf and his warriors looked on withsullen indifference, and Running Fox wondered if they intended to havehim beaten to death. Not until many of the women had exhaustedthemselves did the Mohawk chief finally interfere, and stop them. Thenhe again confronted the prisoner.

  "Have you any words now?" he inquired scornfully.

  Running Fox was covered with welts and gashes, but his eyes flashed asdefiantly as ever. He ignored the taunt, and remained silent.

  "Well, I see that you are afraid to speak," said Standing Wolf. "Whenyour mouth is closed your ears must be open. Listen to what I am aboutto say. What you have just gone through is only the beginning of what isgoing to happen to you. The women and boys have beaten you. Now we willshow you something different."

  When Standing Wolf finished speaking he called to the warriors, and theyformed a great circle about the prisoner. Most of them carried knivesand war-clubs, but a few had bows and arrows. When they had taken theirplaces Standing Wolf pointed at Running Fox, and spoke briefly in afierce tone. What he said seemed to rouse the Mohawks to a fury, and assoon as he finished they began to dance wildly about the captive.

  "O Getanittowit, help me," whispered Running Fox. "O Getanittowit, makeme strong."

  As they danced past the stake each warrior crouched and yelled fiercelyinto the ears of the erect young Delaware. Several struck him across theface with their open palms, but he gave no evidence that he felt theblows. Convinced that he was about to receive the full fury of thehatred which the Mohawks held for his people, Running Fox resolved todie like a hero. The Mohawks were rapidly rousing themselves into afrenzy. They had drawn their knives, and were making vicious passeswithin a few inches of his body. Some who carried war-clubs rushedforward and struck the post within a handbreadth of his head. RunningFox bore it all without flinching.

  Then Standing Wolf once more interrupted the proceedings. This time,however, he did not address the prisoner, but called several of hisescort aside and began to talk earnestly. A number of fiendish old womenimmediately took advantage of the opportunity to attack the prisoner.They rushed upon him with their sticks, and began to beat him over thehead and shoulders. Standing Wolf saw them, however, and promptlyordered them to stop. A moment or so afterward he spoke to the warriors.Running Fox watched him closely. He was unable to guess whether StandingWolf was talking for or against him. The Mohawks received his words insilence, and the Delaware imagined he read disappointment in many of thefaces. At the conclusion of the talk two warriors left the circle, andapproached the prisoner. They stopped in front of him, and one drew hisknife. He stood a moment staring fixedly into the eyes of Running Fox.The great crowd of Mohawks watched in ominous silence. Standing Wolf wasstanding with his arms folded across his breast, smiling grimly. RunningFox felt that his end was at hand, and he straightened proudly toreceive the knife-thrust in his hear
t. A murmur of approval rose fromthe Mohawks. Many moments passed. Still the warrior hesitated to carryout his command. Running Fox felt himself weakening under the suspense.It was evident that the wily chief was hoping to break down his couragebefore he killed him. The thought gave the lad new strength. Havingendured that far, he determined to maintain his nerve to the end. Hewaited, therefore, smiling scornfully into the eyes of the warrior whoconfronted him.

  Then the Mohawk darted forward to perform his mission, but instead ofdriving his knife into the heart of the prisoner he passed behind him,and severed the thongs which bound him to the stake. A moment afterwardtwo guards led the astounded Delaware back to the lodge in which he hadbeen imprisoned.

  "Well, my brother, Getanittowit has listened to the medicine-songs!"Spotted Deer cried, joyfully, as soon as the Mohawks had passed out. "Ibelieved the Mohawks killed you, and I wanted to die. Now my heart isfilled with songs. Tell me how you come to be alive."

  "I cannot tell you that," Running Fox said, confusedly. "I believed Iwould be dead by now, and here I am alive. It is very mysterious."