Guarded by a tall warrior on either side, he was forced to
head a sort of triumphal procession, and, accompanied by the sound of
the rattles and the kas-a-lal-ki, to march through and around the
village, to be gazed at and taunted by its entire population.
The lad walked with a firm tread, in spite of his painfully swollen
ankles, that had been cruelly bound for so long a time that they now
hardly supported him. His head was proudly lifted, and his youthful
countenance bore so brave and fearless a look that all who saw him
marvelled at it. It also caused them great joy, for they said one to
another, "He is so brave that the tortures must be many and long before
he will cry out, and we shall have rare sport with him on the morrow."
As this noisy procession passed on that side of the village nearest the
end of the trail that led away from the island through the swamp, it
attracted the attention of the warrior who was there on guard. So
great was his curiosity to see what was going on that he allowed it to
carry him a few yards from his post to a point where he could obtain a
better view.
While he thus stood, neglecting his duty for a moment and with his back
turned to the trail, three dark figures, hardly distinguishable from
the twilight shadows, glided noiselessly and swiftly from it. An
instant later they had vanished in the little thicket from which E-chee
had flung his billet of wood into the water on the night of his escape
from the Seminoles.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156