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Thepirateattackhadbeenacompletesurprise:asureproofthattheunscrupulousHookhadconducteditimproperly,fortosurpriseredskinsfairlyisbeyondthewitofthewhiteman.
Byalltheunwrittenlawsofsavagewarfareitisalwaystheredskinwhoattacks,andwiththewilinessofhisracehedoesitjustbeforethedawn,atwhichtimeheknowsthecourageofthewhitestobeatitslowestebb.
Thewhitemenhaveinthemeantimemadearudestockadeonthesummitofyonderundulatingground,atthefootofwhichastreamruns,foritisdestructiontobetoofarfromwater.
Theretheyawaittheonslaught,theinexperiencedonesclutchingtheirrevolversandtreadingontwigs,buttheoldhandssleepingtranquillyuntiljustbeforethedawn.
Throughthelongblacknightthesavagescoutswriggle,snake-like,amongthegrasswithoutstirringablade.
Thebrushwoodclosesbehindthem,assilentlyassandintowhichamolehasdived.
Notasoundistobeheard,savewhentheygiveventtoawonderfulimitationofthelonelycallofthecoyote.
Thecryisansweredbyotherbraves;andsomeofthemdoitevenbetterthanthecoyotes,whoarenotverygoodatit.
Sothechillhourswearon,andthelongsuspenseishorriblytryingtothepalefacewhohastolivethroughitforthefirsttime;buttothetrainedhandthoseghastlycallsandstillghastliersilencesarebutanintimationofhowthenightismarching.
ThatthiswastheusualprocedurewassowellknowntoHookthatindisregardingithecannotbeexcusedonthepleaofignorance.
ThePiccaninnies,ontheirpart,trustedimplicitlytohishonour,andtheirwholeactionofthenightstandsoutinmarkedcontrasttohis.
Theyleftnothingundonethatwasconsistentwiththereputationoftheirtribe.
Withthatalertnessofthesenseswhichisatoncethemarvelanddespairofcivilisedpeoples,theyknewthatthepirateswereontheislandfromthemomentoneofthemtrodonadrystick;andinanincrediblyshortspaceoftimethecoyotecriesbegan.
EveryfootofgroundbetweenthespotwhereHookhadlandedhisforcesandthehomeunderthetreeswasstealthilyexaminedbybraveswearingtheirmocassinswiththeheelsinfront.
Theyfoundonlyonehillockwithastreamatitsbase,sothatHookhadnochoice;herehemustestablishhimselfandwaitforjustbeforethedawn.
Everythingbeingthusmappedoutwithalmostdiabolicalcunning,themainbodyoftheredskinsfoldedtheirblanketsaroundthem,andinthephlegmaticmannerthatistothem,thepearlofmanhoodsquattedabovethechildren'shome,awaitingthecoldmomentwhentheyshoulddealpaledeath.
Heredreaming,thoughwide-awake,oftheexquisitetorturestowhichtheyweretoputhimatbreakofday,thoseconfidingsavageswerefoundbythetreacherousHook.
Fromtheaccountsafterwardssuppliedbysuchofthescoutsasescapedthecarnage,hedoesnotseemeventohavepausedattherisingground,thoughitiscertainthatinthatgreylighthemusthaveseenit:nothoughtofwaitingtobeattackedappearsfromfirsttolasttohavevisitedhissubtlemind;hewouldnotevenholdofftillthenightwasnearlyspent;onhepoundedwithnopolicybuttofallto[getintocombat].
Whatcouldthebewilderedscoutsdo,mastersastheywereofeverywar-likeartificesavethisone,buttrothelplesslyafterhim,exposingthemselvesfatallytoview,whiletheygavepatheticutterancetothecoyotecry.
AroundthebraveTigerLilywereadozenofherstoutestwarriors,andtheysuddenlysawtheperfidiouspiratesbearingdownuponthem.
Fellfromtheireyesthenthefilmthroughwhichtheyhadlookedatvictory.
Nomorewouldtheytortureatthestake.
Forthemthehappyhunting-groundswasnow.
Theyknewit;butastheirfather'ssonstheyacquittedthemselves.
Eventhentheyhadtimetogatherinaphalanx[denseformation]thatwouldhavebeenhardtobreakhadtheyrisenquickly,butthistheywereforbiddentodobythetraditionsoftheirrace.
Itiswrittenthatthenoblesavagemustneverexpresssurpriseinthepresenceofthewhite.
Thusterribleasthesuddenappearanceofthepiratesmusthavebeentothem,theyremainedstationaryforamoment,notamusclemoving;asifthefoehadcomebyinvitation.
Then,indeed,thetraditiongallantlyupheld,theyseizedtheirweapons,andtheairwastornwiththewar-cry;butitwasnowtoolate.
Itisnopartofourstodescribewhatwasamassacreratherthanafight.
ThusperishedmanyoftheflowerofthePiccaninnytribe.
Notallunavengeddidtheydie,forwithLeanWolffellAlfMason,todisturbtheSpanishMainnomore,andamongotherswhobitthedustwereGeo.Scourie,Chas.Turley,andtheAlsatianFoggerty.
TurleyfelltothetomahawkoftheterriblePanther,whoultimatelycutawaythroughthepirateswithTigerLilyandasmallremnantofthetribe.
TowhatextentHookistoblameforhistacticsonthisoccasionisforthehistoriantodecide.
Hadhewaitedontherisinggroundtilltheproperhourheandhismenwouldprobablyhavebeenbutchered;andinjudginghimitisonlyfairtotakethisintoaccount.
Whatheshouldperhapshavedonewastoacquainthisopponentsthatheproposedtofollowanewmethod.
Ontheotherhand,this,asdestroyingtheelementofsurprise,wouldhavemadehisstrategyofnoavail,sothatthewholequestionisbesetwithdifficulties.
Onecannotatleastwithholdareluctantadmirationforthewitthathadconceivedsoboldascheme,andthefell[deadly]geniuswithwhichitwascarriedout.
Whatwerehisownfeelingsabouthimselfatthattriumphantmoment?
Fain[gladly]wouldhisdogshaveknown,asbreathingheavilyandwipingtheircutlasses,theygatheredatadiscreetdistancefromhishook,andsquintedthroughtheirferreteyesatthisextraordinaryman.
Elationmusthavebeeninhisheart,buthisfacedidnotreflectit:everadarkandsolitaryenigma,hestoodalooffromhisfollowersinspiritasinsubstance.
Thenight'sworkwasnotyetover,foritwasnottheredskinshehadcomeouttodestroy;theywerebutthebeestobesmoked,sothatheshouldgetatthehoney.
ItwasPanhewanted,PanandWendyandtheirband,butchieflyPan.
Peterwassuchasmallboythatonetendstowonderattheman'shatredofhim.
TruehehadflungHook'sarmtothecrocodile,buteventhisandtheincreasedinsecurityoflifetowhichitled,owingtothecrocodile'spertinacity[persistance],hardlyaccountforavindictivenesssorelentlessandmalignant.
ThetruthisthattherewasasomethingaboutPeterwhichgoadedthepiratecaptaintofrenzy.
Itwasnothiscourage,itwasnothisengagingappearance,itwasnot—.
Thereisnobeatingaboutthebush,forweknowquitewellwhatitwas,andhavegottotell.ItwasPeter'scockiness.
ThishadgotonHook'snerves;itmadehisironclawtwitch,andatnightitdisturbedhimlikeaninsect.
WhilePeterlived,thetorturedmanfeltthathewasalioninacageintowhichasparrowhadcome.
Thequestionnowwashowtogetdownthetrees,orhowtogethisdogsdown?
Heranhisgreedyeyesoverthem,searchingforthethinnestones.
Theywriggleduncomfortably,fortheyknewhewouldnotscruple[hesitate]toramthemdownwithpoles.
Inthemeantime,whatoftheboys?Wehaveseenthematthefirstclangoftheweapons,turnedasitwereintostonefigures,open-mouthed,allappealingwithoutstretchedarmstoPeter;andwereturntothemastheirmouthsclose,andtheirarmsfalltotheirsides.
Thepandemoniumabovehasceasedalmostassuddenlyasitarose,passedlikeafiercegustofwind;buttheyknowthatinthepassingithasdeterminedtheirfate.
Whichsidehadwon?
Thepirates,listeningavidlyatthemouthsofthetrees,heardthequestionputbyeveryboy,andalas,theyalsoheardPeter'sanswer.
"Iftheredskinshavewon,"hesaid,"theywillbeatthetom-tom;itisalwaystheirsignofvictory."
NowSmeehadfoundthetom-tom,andwasatthatmomentsittingonit.
"Youwillneverhearthetom-tomagain,"hemuttered,butinaudiblyofcourse,forstrictsilencehadbeenenjoined[urged].
TohisamazementHooksignedhimtobeatthetom-tom,andslowlytherecametoSmeeanunderstandingofthedreadfulwickednessoftheorder.
Never,probably,hadthissimplemanadmiredHooksomuch.
TwiceSmeebeatupontheinstrument,andthenstoppedtolistengleefully.
"Thetom-tom,"themiscreantsheardPetercry;"anIndianvictory!"
Thedoomedchildrenansweredwithacheerthatwasmusictotheblackheartsabove,andalmostimmediatelytheyrepeatedtheirgood-byestoPeter.
Thispuzzledthepirates,butalltheirotherfeelingswereswallowedbyabasedelightthattheenemywereabouttocomeupthetrees.
Theysmirkedateachotherandrubbedtheirhands.
RapidlyandsilentlyHookgavehisorders:onemantoeachtree,andtheotherstoarrangethemselvesinalinetwoyardsapart.
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