In the front room of Mr. Wells' cabin Edwards lay on a bed, his face turned to the wall, and his side exposed. There was a bloody hole in his white skin. Zeisberger was probing for the bullet. He had no instruments, save those of his own manufacture, and they were darning needles with bent points, and a long knife-blade ground thin.
"There, I have it," said Zeisberger. "Hold still, Dave. There!" As Edwards moaned Zeisberger drew forth the bloody bullet. "Jim, wash and dress this wound. It isn't bad. Dave will be all right in a couple of days. Now I'll look at George."
Zeisberger hurried into the other room. Young lay with quiet face and closed eyes, breathing faintly. Zeisberger opened the wounded man's shirt and exposed the wound, which was on the right side, rather high up. Nell, who had followed Zeisberger that she might be of some assistance if needed, saw him look at the wound and then turn a pale face away for a second. That hurried, shuddering movement of the sober, practical missionary was most significant. Then he bent over Young and inserted on of the probes into the wound. He pushed the steel an inch, two, three, four inches into Young's breast, but the latter neither moved nor moaned. Zeisberger shook his head, and finally removed the instrument. He raised the sufferer's shoulder to find the bed saturated with blood. The bullet wound extended completely through the missionary's body, and was bleeding from the back. Zeisberger folded strips of linsey cloth into small pads and bound them tightly over both apertures of the wound.
"How is he?" asked Jim, when the amateur surgeon returned to the other room, and proceeded to wash the blood from his hands.
Zeisberger shook his head gloomily.
"How is George?" whispered Edwards, who had heard Jim's question.
"Shot through the right lung. Human skill can not aid him! Only God can save."
"Didn't I hear a third shot?" whispered Dave, gazing round with sad, questioning eyes. "Heckewelder?"
"Is safe. He has gone to see Williamson. You did hear a third shot.
Half King fell dead with a bullet over his left eye. He had just
folded his arms in a grand pose after his death decree to the
Christians."
"A judgment of God!"
"It does seem so, but it came in the form of leaden death from Wetzel's unerring rifle. Do you hear all that yelling? Half King's death has set the Indians wild."
There was a gentle knock at the door, and then the word, "Open," in
Heckewelder's voice.
Jim unbarred the door. Heckewelder came in carrying over his shoulder what apparently was a sack of meal. He was accompanied by young Christy. Heckewelder put the bag down, opened it, and lifted out a little Indian boy. The child gazed round with fearful eyes.
"Save Benny! Save Benny!" he cried, running to Nell, and she clasped him closely in her arms.
Heckewelder's face was like marble as he asked concerning Edwards' condition.
"I'm not badly off," said the missionary with a smile.
"How's George?" whispered Heckewelder.
No one answered him. Zeisberger raised his hands. All followed Heckewelder into the other room, where Young lay in the same position as when first brought in. Heckewelder stood gazing down into the wan face with its terribly significant smile.
"I brought him out here. I persuaded him to come!" whispered Heckewelder. "Oh, Almighty God!" he cried. His voice broke, and his prayer ended with the mute eloquence of clasped hands and uplifted, appealing face.
"Come out," said Zeisberger, leading him into the larger room. The others followed, and Jim closed the door.
"What's to be done?" said Zeisberger, with his practical common sense. "What did Williamson say? Tell us what you learned?"
"Wait—directly," answered Heckewelder, sitting down and covering his face with his hands. There was a long silence. At length he raised his white face and spoke calmly:
"Gentlemen, the Village of Peace is doomed. I entreated Captain
Williamson to help us, but he refused. Said he dared not interfere.
I prayed that he would speak at least a word to Girty, but he denied
my request."
"Where are the converts?"
"Imprisoned in the church, every one of them except Benny. Mr. Christy and I hid the child in the meal sack and were thus able to get him here. We must save him."
"Save him?" asked Nell, looking from Heckewelder to the trembling
Indian boy.
"Nellie, the savages have driven all our Christians into the church, and shut them up there, until Girty and his men shall give the word to complete their fiendish design. The converts asked but one favor—an hour in which to pray. It was granted. The savages intend to murder them all."
"Oh! Horrible! Monstrous!" cried Nell. "How can they be so inhuman?"
She lifted Benny up in her arms. "They'll never get you, my boy.
We'll save you—I'll save you!" The child moaned and clung to her
neck.
"They are scouring the clearing now for Christians, and will search all the cabins. I'm positive."
"Will they come here?" asked Nell, turning her blazing eyes on
Heckewelder.
"Undoubtedly. We must try to hide Benny. Let me think; where would be a good place? We'll try a dark corner of the loft."
"No, no," cried Nell.
"Put Benny in Young's bed," suggested Jim.
"No, no," cried Nell.
"Put him in a bucket and let him down in the well," whispered
Edwards, who had listened intently to the conversation.
"That's a capital place," said Heckewelder. "But might he not fall out and drown?"
"Tie him in the bucket," said Jim.
"No, no, no," cried Nell.
"But Nellie, we must decide upon a hiding place, and in a hurry."
"I'll save Benny."
"You? Will you stay here to face those men? Jim Girty and Deering are searching the cabins. Could you bear it to see them? You couldn't."
"Oh! No, I believe it would kill me! That man! that beast! will he come here?" Nell grew ghastly pale, and looked as if about to faint. She shrunk in horror at the thought of again facing Girty. "For God's sake, Heckewelder, don't let him see me! Don't let him come in! Don't!"
Even as the imploring voice ceased a heavy thump sounded on the door.
"Who's there?" demanded Heckewelder.
Thump! Thump!
The heavy blows shook the cabin. The pans rattled on the shelves. No answer came from without.
"Quick! Hide Benny! It's as much as our lives are worth to have him found here," cried Heckewelder in a fierce whisper, as he darted toward the door.
"All right, all right, in a moment," he called out, fumbling over the bar.
He opened the door a moment later and when Jim Girty and Deering entered he turned to his friends with a dread uncertainty in his haggard face.
Edwards lay on the bed with wide-open eyes staring at the intruders. Mr. Wells sat with bowed head. Zeisberger calmly whittled a stick, and Jim stood bolt upright, with a hard light in his eyes.