Читать книгу The Trail of Black Hawk онлайн

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Bang! A shot suddenly struck the hat squarely in the center and splintered the stick, tearing it from Deerfoot’s hand.

“Now, Bob,” exclaimed Joseph, springing to his feet.

Both boys immediately jumped up and taking quick aim fired into the bush whence the bullets had come. Then they once more dodged behind the sheltering log. A shrill cry at that moment startled them, however, and looking up they saw Deerfoot, knife in hand, charging the spot where their enemy was located. He uttered the war whoop of the Pottowattomies and it was this that the boys had heard.

“We mustn’t let him go alone,” cried Robert, and as he spoke the two young woodsmen dashed forward to lend what assistance they could to their ally.

There was nothing for them to do, however, when they reached the bush. Stretched upon the ground lay the Indian who had so nearly succeeded in shooting and perhaps killing one of the three. Hideous he looked in his gaudy war paint, smeared as he was with it from head to foot. One glance was sufficient to convince the two brothers that their foe was dead, and it was hard for them to repress a shudder, as they looked at the cruel face on the ground before them, and realized what might have been their fate had they fallen into the hands of such an enemy.