Dick Onslow | Page 5

by his side. One thing also I saw, that as he
could not manage to get up to me, I must contrive to descend the tree to
meet him. Tearing, therefore, a neck-kerchief up into strips, I lowered
my gun and pistols down by it, and then prepared to descend myself. I
made it secure, as close to the trunk as I could, and grasping the short
boughs which grew out from the trunk, I threw my chief weight upon
them, while I steadied myself with the line I had made; keeping my
useless legs stretched out, lest I should fall on them, I gradually
lowered myself to the foot of the tree. We could not shake hands, but
we greeted each other most warmly. Obed complained bitterly of thirst,
for he had not moved out of the first shelter into which he had crawled,
and did not know how near the stream was. I accordingly put my hat
into his mouth, and told him to stoop down where the stream was
deepest, and to ladle up some water. This he did, and then kneeling
down I held the hat to his mouth, while he drank. I took a draught
myself, and never have I enjoyed so much the choicest beverage in my

father's house as I did that cool draught.--I now pointed to the racoon,
and asked him if he was hungry.
"Very," was his answer; "I could eat that brute raw."
"No need of that," said I; "just collect materials, and we will quickly
have a fire." Obed understood me, and with his feet soon kicked
together a pile of sticks and leaves sufficient to make a good fire. I had
a flint and steel, and we speedily had the bacon spitted and roasting on
some forked sticks before it in proper woodman's style. The food
revived us both, and restored our spirits. We neither of us were inclined
to despondency; still we could not help thinking, with sad feelings, of
what might have befallen our friends, and what might too probably be
our own fate. As Obed could not help himself, he had to sit down close
to me while I fed him; and when we had done, he assisted me to
remove myself away from the fire. I then dressed his wounds as well as
I could, bathing them freely in cold water. Some sinews were cut
through, I suspected, which prevented him from moving his arms, but
no bones were broken; and, in consequence of his fine constitution and
temperate habits, I trusted that he would recover the use of them. I was
in a worse condition, for both my legs were so much hurt that I could
not hope to walk on them for many weeks to come. However, my upper
limbs were in good case; and we agreed that, with a pair of strong arms
and stout legs between us, we might both get on very well. Obed had
left his gun in the thicket into which he had dragged it when he fell. It
was discharged, and so he went for it, bringing it to me in his teeth, that
I might clean and reload it. As he could not use it, he left it by my side;
and we had now our two rifles, and his and my revolver pistols; so that
I felt, with my back to a tree, cripple as I was, I might prove a
formidable adversary either to man or beast. While Obed and I sat near
the fire, talking over our prospects, we remembered that a number of
things had dropped from the wagons; so he volunteered to set out in
order to discover whether they had been carried off by the Indians.
"Farewell, Dick," said he, as he rose to go. "If I don't come back you'll
know those varmint redskins have got my scalp; but though I can't use
my arms, they'll find I can use my legs before they catch me."

With many misgivings I saw him make his way out from the thicket.
When he was gone I lay back with my head on my arm, thinking over
many of the events of my past life, and contrasting them with my
present condition, till at length my eyes closed, and I forgot all recent
events in sleep. I believe that I slept very soundly without stirring my
legs or arms. At last my eyes slowly opened, and horrible indeed was
the spectacle which met them. The embers of the fire were before me,
and close to it, as if to enjoy its warmth, lay coiled up a huge
rattlesnake not two yards from me. In an instant of time I felt that its
deadly fangs might be fixed in my throat. What use to