"If we could get Mul-tal-la and three or four other Blackfeet we might have a show; but it would take more than you and me to down him. Come, it won"t do to wait any longer."
The brothers were pretty well convinced of what was coming and were scared. To Victor only one possible escape presented itself--that was to conciliate the Shawanoe. The lad made a brave attempt to do so.
Coming out from behind the rock, he strode rapidly down the gentle slope, as if he had just recognized the youth. Victor"s face was aglow, and he certainly meant all he said:
"I tell you, Deerfoot, that was the greatest victory you ever won! I don"t believe the man ever lived that downed Taggarak, and yet you did it without any weapon. People won"t believe the story, but you can refer them to us. Ain"t it lucky, now, that we happened to be where we could see you lay out that boasting chief?"
George caught at the straw thus held out by his brother.
"I tell you that"s so, Deerfoot. The news of this fight is bound to get out sooner or later. Some who don"t know you won"t believe anything of the kind, till we tell them we saw the whole business and it was just as you say. Ain"t you glad, Deerfoot, we happened by chance to be where we could see it all?"
The Shawanoe had thrust his knife into his girdle and held the switch firmly by its larger end. He looked gravely into the face of each lad while he was speaking. When they ceased he had something to say:
"When Deerfoot and his brothers left Woodvale was it not said that the Shawanoe should rule and guide them?"
"There can"t be any question of _that_," Victor promptly replied.
"And my brothers promised to obey him in all things?"
"It seems to me I remember something of that kind."
"Has Deerfoot been a hard master?"
"We couldn"t have had a kinder one. I tell you, Deerfoot, you know more in five minutes than George and I know in a month, or ever will know.
We couldn"t get along without you. We have been pretty obedient, as a rule, haven"t we?"
"Was not the agreement between Taggarak and Deerfoot that no person should look upon the fight between them?"
"Yes; but I don"t believe Taggarak kept his promise."
Deerfoot flashed a look of inquiry at Victor.
"What does my brother mean by his words? Did he see any other Blackfoot near?"
"Well, not exactly; but there were marks in the bushes which looked as if made by moccasins. I shouldn"t wonder if some were hiding there and ran away when they saw us coming and knew we meant to see you had fair play."
The appeal was wasted. Deerfoot took his station between the brothers, moving them apart so they were separated by a s.p.a.ce of five or six feet. He then deliberately, vigorously and impartially laid the switch over the shoulders of George and Victor. You would not suspect the vim with which this disciplining was carried out. Only the brothers themselves could testify feelingly as to that.
And the boys had to "grin and bear it," for there was no escape for them. It was useless to run, and had they tried it they would have been punished more severely. They were too proud to complain. The quicker-tempered Victor wanted to revolt and attack the Shawanoe, but he knew George would not join him, for such rebellion would have been disastrous to them. They had tested the ability of Deerfoot in that line too often to doubt his superiority. Had the shadow of a doubt lingered, the scene they had witnessed a few minutes before would have dispelled it.
The rod descended first upon the shoulders of Victor, then upon those of George, and there was no difference in the force of the blows. Oh, how they stung! Each boy wanted to scratch the smarting parts, but grimly stood it out. Finally Victor ventured to say:
"When you are tired, Deerfoot, you have our permission to stop."
"Tired! He won"t get tired in a week. Our only hope is that he will use up all the switches in the country."
And the Shawanoe kept at it till the rod broke in the middle and only the stump was left in his hand. He flung that aside, and, without speaking, turned and walked toward the village. As soon as his face was turned the boys devoted their efforts to rubbing and scratching their arms, shoulders and backs.
"How many times do you think he struck us?" ruefully asked George.
"I guess about four thousand; but I forgot to count."
"He started in with you and ended with me, so we both got the same.
Gracious alive, but he knows his business!"
"Anyhow, what we saw was worth all we had to pay. I didn"t think he would do anything of the kind, did you?"
"No; I thought we might keep our visit a secret, but not many things escape his eye. I suppose after all he was right."
"Wait till these smarts let up a little before you ask me to say that,"
replied Victor, still rubbing and fidgeting about. "Can"t you think of some way of getting even with him?"
"I wish I could, but the worst thing anyone can do is to tackle Deerfoot. We must try to believe we were lucky in getting off as lightly as we did."
"Lightly!" sniffed Victor. "I should like to know what you call _heavy_ if that is light."
"And he is still mad at us. He went off without speaking, and it may be days before he gets over his anger."
Bye and bye the smarts so subsided that the boys felt comparatively comfortable. As they picked their way homeward their resentment cooled, and they were able to see things in their proper light. They profoundly loved and admired the young Shawanoe, and required no one to remind them of his affection for them. The punishment he had administered was like that of a father to a wayward child. Moreover, it was well deserved, and they were willing to confess the fact before they reached their tepee.
"There"s no getting out of it," said the more impulsive Victor. "He forbade us to follow him, and it was breaking the agreement between him and Taggarak. The only thing for us to do when we meet him again is to say we are sorry and ask his forgiveness. I"m ready to do so. Are you, George?"
"Why didn"t we try that on him before he gave us the whipping?"
"It wouldn"t have worked. When I saw him cutting and tr.i.m.m.i.n.g that switch I knew what was coming, and there was no way for us to dodge it."
"It seems pretty hard, after a fellow has had his life almost whaled out of him, to say he is sorry. It seems to me it"s the other chap who ought to feel sorry."
"No, we were in the wrong and must apologize. You know how tender-hearted Deerfoot is. I believe he felt pity for Taggarak, even though he knew the chief meant to kill him. The Blackfoot isn"t the first enemy Deerfoot has had at his mercy and then spared him."
When the boys reached their lodge, after meeting and greeting a number of their dusky friends, they were disappointed not to find Deerfoot there. He did not come in until late in the afternoon. He raised the robe at the door, glanced at the brothers, but kept his lips closed.
Victor walked up to him without a moment"s hesitation and extended his hand:
"Deerfoot, you served us right. We are both sorry. Will you forgive us?"
The two saw the moisture creep into the handsome dark eyes and noted the tremor of the Shawanoe"s voice as he took each hand in turn and said:
"Yes, Deerfoot forgives you. We are brothers again."
CHAPTER XIX.
"BEHOLD HE PRAYETH."
Mul-tal-la the Blackfoot obeyed the command of Taggarak, his chief. But though he kept away from the meeting place of the duelists, he hovered not far off, in order to learn at the earliest possible moment the result of the most important personal encounter that had ever taken place in the history of the Blackfoot nation. Because of the circuitous course taken by George and Victor Shelton, Mul-tal-la saw nothing of them and never learned of the humorous appendix to the tragedy.