“Hi-hi!” the negro chuckled; “guess dat imp’s squaw’ll be waitin’ a good while for her next beatin’.”
Not another savage appeared; and Ebony returned to camp to watch and wait.
Two or three hours passed without any demonstration on the part of the savages, and the watchful whites began to congratulate themselves on their enemies’ having withdrawn, when, suddenly, the whole heavens over them became lit up with the glare of the mid-day sun, and the next moment a great ball of dry, matted pine brush came rolling over the edge of the cliff, wrapped in a sheet of red, hissing flame. It fell at the feet of our friends, lighting up their hiding-place with a blinding glare, and exposing them to the savages’ aim, while to them all was inky gloom beyond the radius of light made by the burning brush.
There was no alternative but to take to the woods.
“Foller dis nigga, boys!” exclaimed Ebony, springing from under the rock and rushing across the opening.
Willis and Ralph did as commanded, and they all would have succeeded in reaching the shelter of the wood safely, but, unfortunately, Ralph stumbled, and before he could gain his feet he was seized by a number of savages that lay in ambush near, and made prisoner.
Ebony and Willis saw their companion captured, but, as they could render no assistance against such fearful odds, they dashed on and made good their escape into the woods.
They could hear the yell of the Indians back at the cliff, and to ascertain what was going on they crept back to a point of observation. They saw the red-skins, a score in number, grouped around the captive under the edge of the cliff, but of course they could not tell what disposition they were going to make of him.
For some time the negro sat in a deep study. Presently he started up with what he considered a “bright idea,” and which he at once communicated to Willis.
Ten minutes later, had the savages under the cliff glanced across the opening, they would have seen the body of their comrade, that was slain by the negro, dragged from the edge of the glade by some invisible power, into the clump of shrubbery some ten feet away. This was done by Ebony fixing the screw of his ramrod in a long pole which he slid along upon the ground until it came in contact with the savage’s body; he then twisted the screw into the dead fellow’s garments and dragged him into the brush--for what purpose will soon be shown.