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Running Fox

<h1 id='t5454'>CHAPTER XIV—ANXIOUS DAYS</h1> Spotted Deer said that he had been surprised and captured soon after Running 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. He was taken to the center of the village and tied to the torture stake. Then the Mohawks suddenly discovered that he was a Delaware. They seemed greatly surprised, and it was evident that they feared the presence of a Delaware war-party somewhere near the camp. Thinking to frighten the young captive into telling them what they wished to know, Standing Wolf threatened him with all sorts of terrible tortures if he refused to give the 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 found him. “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,” replied Running Fox. Then he related his own experiences. When he told how he had defied the great 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. “I believe I will be killed, but you may live to get away and tell our people what they wish to know.” “No, Running Fox, I believe the Mohawks will kill me, too,” said Spotted Deer. At that moment Running Fox thought he heard some one moving cautiously away from the entrance of the lodge, and he feared that spies had been stationed there to listen. The Delawares immediately ceased talking. They lay there a long time listening, but all was still. The night-hush had fallen upon the camp, and it was evident that the Mohawks had retired to their lodges. However, the lads felt quite sure that the entrance to their own lodge was closely guarded. Still it seemed like an unnecessary precaution, for they had been so skillfully bound that they would have been unable to escape even if the way had been open. Left to their thoughts, the lads immediately began to speculate upon their chances. Running Fox believed that for himself at least death was inevitable, and he tried to become reconciled to the thought. However, his great fear was that by antagonizing the Mohawk chief he had also sealed the fate of Spotted Deer. The possibility filled him with despair. If only Spotted Deer might be spared to eventually learn and carry away the secret which had brought them to the Mohawk camp, Running Fox would have been willing to suffer and die without complaining. Now, however, he believed that his sacrifice would be in vain. The idea drove him into a frenzy. Carried away by emotion, he fought desperately to free himself from his bonds. His efforts were useless, however, and he soon saw the folly of wasting his strength, for the present escape seemed impossible. “It is no use to fight that way,” Spotted Deer told him. “No, we must wait until we get a better chance.” “That is true,” agreed Running Fox. The long night finally passed, and as day dawned the lads looked anxiously about the lodge to learn if they were guarded. They appeared to be alone, but they mistrusted that sharp-eared sentinels were just outside the entrance. However, the lads took advantage of their privacy to study the details of their prison. It was a square, one story structure about four bow-lengths high. It was made of slabs of bark which were held in place by two rows of upright saplings or poles. The roof, which was peaked, was also of bark, and had a small square opening in the center to let out the smoke of the camp-fire. The lads found themselves in a room about four bow-lengths square, with a shallow fire-pit in the middle, and low willow bunks or platforms along two sides. The lodge would have accommodated six or eight persons, and was similar in design and material to those erected by the Delawares. It showed no signs of recent occupancy. It was not long before the Delawares heard some one approaching. Their hearts quickened at the sound, for it suggested a number of disturbing possibilities. Then the robe which covered the doorway was drawn aside, and a warrior entered the lodge. He was a great powerful fellow, and he stared so fiercely at the captives that they felt quite sure he meant them no good. They returned his glances without wavering, and in a few moments he turned and called to some one outside. An aged woman answered the summons, and the lads saw that she brought food and water. The warrior kneeled and unbound their hands. Then the old woman placed meat and water before them, and hobbled away. The guard, however, instantly began to annoy them. Pointing at the bones and scraps of meat which had been set before them, he imitated the whining of a dog, and laughed boisterously. The Delawares knew that he was trying to make them understand that they had been fed with the leavings from the camp which ordinarily were given to the dogs. The lads gave no sign that they comprehended the insult. Realizing that refusal to eat the food might subject them to a brutal attack, they consumed it in sullen obedience. Then they looked expectantly toward the Mohawk. He was laughing and making significant gestures with his knife to make them realize the punishments that awaited them. They watched him without the slightest trace of emotion. Their indifference seemed to anger him, and he began to talk fiercely in the Mohawk dialect. The lads showed plainly that they did not understand his threats, and he suddenly seemed to realize that he was making himself ridiculous. A moment afterward he tied their hands 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 died away. “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 them great agony. However, they bore it in silence. Each knew what the other was enduring, but neither of them was willing to acknowledge that the Mohawk had made him suffer. As the day progressed they heard considerable noise and confusion in the camp, and they believed that the Mohawks were preparing for some important ceremony. The thought filled them with gloomy premonitions. Running Fox, especially, read a warning in the sounds. He knew that his bold defiance of the famous war-chief would not be permitted to pass unpunished, and he feared that at any moment he would be called out to pay the penalty. He had heard many stories about the awful tortures which the Mohawks inflicted upon their prisoners, and he wondered if he were 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, and stared at the captives. However, they made no attempt to annoy them, and left without speaking. The lads were at a loss to explain the visit. Then other warriors came, and several women and children. As none of the visitors showed any inclination to harm them, the Delawares felt somewhat reassured. They knew that the Iroquois tribes often adopted young warriors whom they captured, and they wondered if they, too, were to be spared. The thought gave them hope, for while they would not have thought of pledging allegiance to their foes, still they believed that they 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 to assemble. Their fears immediately returned. They listened anxiously as the Mohawks began to sing, and shout their war-cries. Then the noise suddenly ceased. The Delawares heard some one talking excitedly. They thought they recognized the voice of Standing Wolf, the Mohawk war-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 turning the Mohawks against us.” “Perhaps they are talking about something different,” Spotted Deer replied, hopefully. “Perhaps a war-party is going out to fight the Shawnees.” “No, I do not believe it,” said Running Fox. “Spotted Deer, I believe we will soon be killed.” However, no one came to disturb them until the end of the day, and then the warrior and the old woman again entered the lodge with food and water. When the Mohawk unbound their wrists the lads found that they had temporarily lost the use of their arms. They made several attempts to reach the food that had been placed before them, but for some moments they were unable to raise their hands from their sides. The Mohawk seemed to take great delight in their discomfort. He jeered, and laughed, and insisted upon their eating the food. The lads feared that if they were unable to comply with his demands he would take away the food, and tell the Mohawks that they had refused it. They made heroic efforts, therefore, and finally succeeded in getting the food to their mouths. Then the guard again bound their wrists, and left them to suffer. As the evening shadows fell upon the camp the Delawares once more heard sounds of hustling activity. The Mohawks were breaking wood for fires, and the lads felt a vague premonition of danger. In a few moments they heard the crackling of the flames, and saw the light through the hole in the roof of the lodge. They waited in anxious suspense. “Pretty soon we will know what is going to happen to us,” said Running Fox. “Do you feel brave?” “I believe we are in great danger, but I am not afraid,” replied Spotted Deer. An ominous hush had fallen upon the camp. Then the covering was drawn from the doorway of the lodge, and three warriors entered. The lads knew at once that these men had been sent to get them, and they feared that their hour of trial was at hand. For a moment they weakened. Then as the Mohawks came toward them, they recovered their courage, and waited calmly 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 no intention of taking Spotted Deer. The latter struggled furiously to rise and accompany his friend, but the Mohawks laughed and pushed him back. “Keep still,” said Running Fox. “You must keep alive to finish this thing. I am not afraid to die. Tell my father those words.” Before he had finished speaking the Mohawks were leading him toward the door of the lodge. He walked with difficulty, however, for his legs had been so tightly bound that circulation had been entirely stopped. Each step was agony, but the courageous lad fought hard to conceal his suffering. As he was pushed roughly from the lodge he heard Spotted Deer frantically singing the medicine-songs which old Sky Dog had taught him. Running Fox wondered whether they would save him in the present emergency. Running Fox saw the Mohawks gathered about a great fire in the center of the camp. They greeted his appearance with a wild outburst of yells, and he realized that he could expect no mercy. His guards led him toward the fire, and stood him with his back against a stout stake, a short distance from the flames. Then Standing Wolf and a number of important looking warriors walked up to him. For some moments they stared at him in silence, and Running Fox looked fearlessly into their eyes. He knew only too well the severity of the punishment which was about to be inflicted upon him, but he determined to endure it without flinching. He felt that the honor of his tribe was at stake, and the thought gave him courage. The last trace of fear had left him, and he found himself calm and unafraid. In a few moments he heard the Mohawk chief addressing him in the Delaware tongue. “Well, you were very boastful when you came here; do you feel brave now?” 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 Running Fox saw them smile contemptuously. Then Standing Wolf began to address the great throng of people who had gathered about the fire. His speech seemed to greatly excite them, and when he finished they began to shout, and jeer, and threaten the captive. However, Standing Wolf and his escort kept them in control. Then the chief spoke to the warriors who had brought Running Fox from the lodge, and they immediately bound the lad 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 to you. You are young, and I might have saved you. But you talked very boastful. Yes, you have made my heart black against you. Now you must pay for it.” Running Fox remained silent. There was nothing to say. He realized that he had blundered, and that the blunder was to cost him his life. Standing Wolf gave the signal, and a noisy company of women and boys formed about the prisoner, while the warriors looked on. Then several old men raised their voices in a weird chant, and the Mohawks began to dance about the post. Running Fox saw that they were armed with supple willow wands or whips, and he easily imagined what they intended to do with them. They beat him unmercifully, but he endured it without a tremor. Many diabolical old women tried to blind him by striking him across the eyes, but he foiled them by slightly raising his head so that the blows fell short. Standing Wolf and his warriors looked on with sullen indifference, and Running Fox wondered if they intended to have him beaten to death. Not until many of the women had exhausted themselves did the Mohawk chief finally interfere, and stop them. Then he again confronted the prisoner. “Have you any words now?” he inquired scornfully. Running Fox was covered with welts and gashes, but his eyes flashed as defiantly as ever. He ignored the taunt, and remained silent. “Well, I see that you are afraid to speak,” said Standing Wolf. “When your mouth is closed your ears must be open. Listen to what I am about to say. What you have just gone through is only the beginning of what is going to happen to you. The women and boys have beaten you. Now we will show you something different.” When Standing Wolf finished speaking he called to the warriors, and they formed a great circle about the prisoner. Most of them carried knives and war-clubs, but a few had bows and arrows. When they had taken their places Standing Wolf pointed at Running Fox, and spoke briefly in a fierce tone. What he said seemed to rouse the Mohawks to a fury, and as soon as he finished they began to dance wildly about the captive. “O Getanittowit, help me,” whispered Running Fox. “O Getanittowit, make me strong.” As they danced past the stake each warrior crouched and yelled fiercely into the ears of the erect young Delaware. Several struck him across the face with their open palms, but he gave no evidence that he felt the blows. Convinced that he was about to receive the full fury of the hatred which the Mohawks held for his people, Running Fox resolved to die like a hero. The Mohawks were rapidly rousing themselves into a frenzy. They had drawn their knives, and were making vicious passes within a few inches of his body. Some who carried war-clubs rushed forward and struck the post within a handbreadth of his head. Running Fox 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 his escort aside and began to talk earnestly. A number of fiendish old women immediately took advantage of the opportunity to attack the prisoner. They rushed upon him with their sticks, and began to beat him over the head and shoulders. Standing Wolf saw them, however, and promptly ordered them to stop. A moment or so afterward he spoke to the warriors. Running Fox watched him closely. He was unable to guess whether Standing Wolf was talking for or against him. The Mohawks received his words in silence, and the Delaware imagined he read disappointment in many of the faces. At the conclusion of the talk two warriors left the circle, and approached the prisoner. They stopped in front of him, and one drew his knife. He stood a moment staring fixedly into the eyes of Running Fox. The great crowd of Mohawks watched in ominous silence. Standing Wolf was standing with his arms folded across his breast, smiling grimly. Running Fox felt that his end was at hand, and he straightened proudly to receive the knife-thrust in his heart. A murmur of approval rose from the Mohawks. Many moments passed. Still the warrior hesitated to carry out his command. Running Fox felt himself weakening under the suspense. It was evident that the wily chief was hoping to break down his courage before he killed him. The thought gave the lad new strength. Having endured that far, he determined to maintain his nerve to the end. He waited, therefore, smiling scornfully into the eyes of the warrior who confronted him. Then the Mohawk darted forward to perform his mission, but instead of driving his knife into the heart of the prisoner he passed behind him, and severed the thongs which bound him to the stake. A moment afterward two guards led the astounded Delaware back to the lodge in which he had been imprisoned. “Well, my brother, Getanittowit has listened to the medicine-songs!” Spotted Deer cried, joyfully, as soon as the Mohawks had passed out. “I believed the Mohawks killed you, and I wanted to die. Now my heart is filled with songs. Tell me how you come to be alive.” “I cannot tell you that,” Running Fox said, confusedly. “I believed I would be dead by now, and here I am alive. It is very mysterious.” <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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