Savage Ecstasy Page 2
The brave alertly observed each man and his moves as he stood erect and proud before his enemies. His contempt of them and of the danger he was in was clearly written on his face, and this inflamed the men. His confidence and prowess stung their pride and they tried harder to provoke some emotion, reaction or outburst from him. He rewarded their attempts with silence and stilness. They pranced around taunting him, but he only stared back in haughty arrogance. The men became more and more piqued by his lack of response to their words and actions. They wanted him to resist or show fear. Their egos demanded that he be broken or humbled before they kiled him. Gray Eagle rebuffed al their intimidations and tricks. They refused to recognize the leashed intimidations and tricks. They refused to recognize the leashed violence and strength of mind and body that he held in such tight control. If they had looked beyond the surface, they would have cringed in fear and respect at what they would have seen. Horace snarled, “Let’s get on with this. We’ve wasted enough time. He ain’t gonna beg yet. Let’s just see if’n he bleeds the same color as us. Hel! maybe his blood is as black as that damned heart of his.”
Jed shouted, “Tie the bastard face forward! I want to see his expression when he feels the bite of the whip. I want him to have to look us in the face when he pleads for mercy and screams with pain.”
Ben remarked, “Maybe I can wipe that smug look off’n his purty face with a few wel-aimed snaps of my bul whip.”
Alisha pushed and shoved until she managed to get through the crowd. She lunged for Ben’s hand and missed. She persisted until she was able to grab the arm of the giant man holding the rope securely in his powerful grip.
“You mustn’t do this, Ben! Uncle Thad wouldn’t permit such inhumane treatment. No one deserves this kind of cruel abuse, not even him. Please, don’t do this terrible thing,” she pleaded with him and the others close by.
But no matter what she said or how, the group continued its relentless onslaught of words and actions. Sneers and taunts became’bolder and louder, “Dirty Injun!” “You’re nothing but a filthy, murdering redskin!” “I say we kils him!” “No! Hang ‘im!”
“Cut out his tongue like they did ole Timkins…” “Hanging’s too good for the devil.” “Get the whip and give ‘im the licking of his life
…” “Tie him to the hitchin’ post and beat him to death.” “Let me at
‘im. I’l fix him up good.”
‘im. I’l fix him up good.”
Talk was running wild and loose and no amount of reasoning or begging seemed to penetrate the vengeance-crazed minds of the men. Al the anger, fear and hatred they knew and felt seemed to be centered upon this one man and this moment in time. Alisha wondered what had sent them to the brink of madness with his capture. They were acting and talking like he was the Genghis Khan of the West. Was this how it had been with Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas Beckett, or Joan of Arc? Was this how their mobs had screamed for their blood and heads? Were they not as guiltless as he appeared to be? Had there been others like her, forced to watch helplessly?
She had been told about the hatred and differences between the white man and Indian, but she had never before confronted it. They were ready to tear him limb from limb. She had never witnessed such uncaled-for behavior and violence to another. This whole situation went against her beliefs and teachings. How could his being an Indian provoke such hatred and anger from these people?
She watched as the men dragged him over to the post and tied him tightly face forward. Jedfetched the whip, demanding to be the first to inflict some lashes on him. Others grabbed at the whip handle begging for the same honor.
Ben, being the largest and most pçwerful man present, took the whip and stated, “I’m first! They’l be enough skin on his red arse for al of us to peel some off and leave some for the buzzards.”
Alisha made one last desperate plea for mercy and common sense. “How can you people ever hope to have peace and friendship with them when you treat them like this? Can’t you see this wil only cause more trouble and hatred? Wait for Uncle Thad this wil only cause more trouble and hatred? Wait for Uncle Thad to come back, Ben. He’l know what is best to do. Please…”
Horace snapped, “Who wants peace and friendship with those redskins? Best thing we could do is to wipe them al out and our problems solved for good. Besides, no one asked for your opinion anyway.”
Alisha stared at him incredulously and said, “Horace, you can’t mean that! You don’t know what you’re saying. That would be cold-blooded murder!" But she could read in his face that he did understand and mean what he said.
Jed shouted, “Horace, keep her out of the way! Hold her or something. She ain’t got no part in this business. Let’s get on with this, me lads.”
Alisha was seized and held in Horace’s strong grip. The whip rose and fel with a loud snap and pop. Alisha flinched at the gruesome sight and cried, “Let me go, Horace! I can’t watch. I’l be sick …” she stammered.
He was tempted to force her to stay and watch but decided against it. If she did get sick, it might stop the action and he surely didn’t want that. Reluctantly he released her and watched her flee to her cabin. It had been very nice to hold her so close for even such a short time, to feel the heat of her body next to his and to have her under his control. Too bad they hadn’t been alone… he would not have been so curt and tough with her. Why wouldn’t she alow him to be gentle and nice to her? Why did she provoke him into behaving that way to her every time? One day she wil come around, he thought. I’l have her yet if it’s the last thing I do. In time, Alisha, in time…
Again the whip sang out and cut a fresh, bloody gash across the brave’s chest. Unexpectedly, Alisha appeared between Ben and the brave’s chest. Unexpectedly, Alisha appeared between Ben and the brave with a loaded, primed gun in her hands. Horace was infuriated by her daring interruption and her open concern for the Indian. He halted instantly and paled as she turned the gun on him as he began to advance toward her. How dare she! he fumed to himself.
“No more,” she stated firmly, “or I’l shoot the first man who tries. Uncle Thad wil deal with this when he returns. Put the whip down, Ben.”
Horace moved again and she lowered the weapon to aim directly into his stomach. She warned, “Don’t try it, Horace. You’re the very man I’d have no qualms about shooting. I won’t stand by and watch you beat him to death.”
His face flamed in embarrassment and rage, but he didn’t dare cal her bluff. She held that gun like she knew how to use it and would. How dare she defend that scum and humiliate him like this before the others! He would set her straight later about a few things. Jed suggested, “If we al rush her at one time, we could easily take her. She can’t get off but one shot and that probably couldn’t hit the side of a barn.”
Alisha glared at him and retorted, “I assure you, Mr. McDoogan, that one of you would be shot in the attempt. Do any of you dare chance who it wil be? Wil you take that risk?’ she openly chalenged him. While she had their ful attention, she said,
“Al of you know that this is wrong. We’re supposed to be the civilized people, but look how we’re acting—like wild animals with a scent of blood and out for the kil. Al I ask is that you wait for Uncle Thad and the others.”
No one moved or argued with her. She stepped a little to the side. Holding the gun securely, she took a sideways glance at the side. Holding the gun securely, she took a sideways glance at the Indian. Two red slashes crossed his chest. Welts were just beginning to rise. The brave had never winced or moved, nor had his facial expression changed from its arrogant, cold stare at Ben and the other men.
He had said nothing since being forced to walk into the fortress. He glared at his captors with inky black eyes filed with contempt and fury. He surely was a handsome man, and so very brave…
Abruptly, she was seized by two rough hands and the gun fired harmlessly into the sky. Horace whispered in her ear, “If you had not been so enchanted with the brave, Alisha, you coulda had
your revenge. Too bad…”
Her eyes blazed spite at him. She struggled vainly in his tight grip. “Let me go!” she screamed at him. “You’l be sorry for this. Just wait and see. One day you’l push someone too far and they’l kil you. I despise you, you scoundrel!”
He laughed in her face and dragged her back to the edge of the crowd. “Sick!” he mocked her. “This time you’l watch, sick or not. You’l watch him die!” he threatened boldly.
As the whip rose for the third strike, a deep voice belowed out, “What’s amiss here? We heard a shot.” Observing the scene that confronted him, Thad inquired, “Who’s responsible for this? I don’t agree to horsewhipping a man and especialy not on his chest. Whose idea was this?”
The whip stopped in mid-air and was slowly lowered to the ground. “We’s dealing out a little justice to this here Injun,” Ben quickly informed him.
Ben always seemed a little edgy when confronted with men in command like Thad, who represented leadership and the law. If it command like Thad, who represented leadership and the law. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have even bothered to defend himself or his actions. He would have simply clobbered any man who dared to interfere in his affairs. It galed him to yield to any man, but he did when he had to.
“We caught us an Injun sneaking around in the woods,” Jed stated at Ben’s hesitance.
“Probably planning an attack. I bet he was checking out our defenses and strength,” Thomas added.
Many of the others began to shout answers and comments at the same time. Thad raised his hand for silence and said, “One at a time. You start, Ben, since you seem to be at the crux of it al.”
Hesitantly, Ben began, “Like they said, Thad, we was out hunting and come upon this here Injun. He had hisself caught in one of Jed’s rope snares and was trying to cut hisself free. We captured him, tied him up and brung him here.” Ben shifted on his left foot as he watched the effect of his explanation on their appointed leader. Then, he continued defensively, “Hel, Thad, he’s just a dirty redskin. Let’s kil ‘im now and it’l be one less savage to worry about attacking us later.”
Thad thought for a minute and asked, “Have you tried to talk with him? Any of you guess which tribe he’s from? Didn’t anybody try to find out who he is or what he was doing out there?”
“What difference does that make, Thad? An Indian’s an Indian! ‘Sides, he can’t talk or won’t. He knows our fortress and how many people are here. We can’t let him go now,” Ben argued.
“I keep teling al of you that not al Indians are our enemies.”
Thad was disgusted and exasperated. “Many of them are our friends and have helped us. We can’t just capture one of them and kil him for no good reason. First, we should make sure that he’s a kil him for no good reason. First, we should make sure that he’s a threat to us. Besides, he wouldn’t know our defenses if you men hadn’t brought him in here. He might be a valuable hostage,” Thad finished quietly.
“Come on, Thad. You know them Injuns don’t trade for hostages. They prefer to die if fool enough to get caught. Something about their pride and face,” Ben retorted hotly.
“That’s pure poppycock, Ben! No man wants to die
needlessly.” Such prejudice and bulheadedness! Thad thought.
“Untie him and lock him in the smokehouse until we can discuss this more calmly and reasonably. Then we’l decide what to do with him and this messy situation.”
So amidst the disappointed grumbles and bickering, Ben, Jed and Thomas cut him free from the post and puled him by the neck rope to the smokehouse. They not only locked him in, but staked him out spread-eagled upon the hard ground, tying his hands to the stakes so tightly that his circulation was nearly cut off. Ben was cursing under his breath as he worked.
Gray Eagle made no moves to stop the men, knowing he could not attempt an escape yet. But he had been in tougher spots before and gotten away. He would be free of this one soon and return to punish them al. He silently accepted their rough handling and insults for now and offered them no resistance. Thomas shivered involuntarily and commented, “Γd sure like to know what he’s thinking. He has the eyes of the Devil himself. Gives me the creeps just to touch him. You think there’s any more of them out there?”
“I wish you’d a kiled him before Thad returned,” Jed said coldly. “We could have, too, if it had’na been for that consarned niece of his. Damn her good intentions! I’d like to give her a whack niece of his. Damn her good intentions! I’d like to give her a whack or two for good measure.”
Thomas piped up quickly, “That ain’t what you say when she takes up for you or helps you, Jed. You know why she did what she did. She just don’t know these Injuns like we do. Just give her a little time, she’l come around and hate ‘em same as we do. You wait and see,” hevowed confidently.
“Hel, we shoulda done what we did the last time. Too bad he was traveling alone, right, Ben?” Jed spoke mysteriously to Ben, who understood his meaning and laughed.
Gray Eagle’s eyes did not reveal the intense anger that boiled inside. He realized if he had not been so excited by the thoughts of overtaking his father’s enemy, he would not have been caught in the wasichu snare by his carelessness. He knew it was dangerous to let his anger and hate blind his eyes and ears in the forest. Now, that sunka ska would escape and not feel the point of his blade in his evil heart. The wasichus wil pay for this interference with my tracking and kiling of the man who shot my a’ta, he threatened them mentaly. I wil kil them al, sunka skas! They wil no longer kil my people or destroy our lands. This I promise you, Wakantanka…
Thomas asked, “Wonder what Thad’l do with him?
Sometimes he’s a mite too gentle and easily tricked by that kind nature.”
Ben reasoned, “Hel, what can he do ‘sides kil him now?
Can’t afford to let him go and have his whole tribe come down on us.”
Having secured his bonds, the three men left. Gray Eagle spat after them. He quickly tested the strength of the bonds and found them too strong and tight to loosen or break. He would have to bide his time until his opening came.
bide his time until his opening came.
When Thad had noticed Horace’s grip on Alisha, he had demanded an explanation. Alisha jerked free as Horace loosened his grasp on her arms and delivered a stunning slap to his face. He glared at her for a moment, nearly returning the gesture, but turned and stalked off.
Alisha gave an account of the events before his arrival. “Uncle Thad, it was awful. I believe they would have beaten him to death if you had not arrived in time tostop it. Why are they so filed with hate and violence toward him and other Indians?”
“Now, child, don’t judge the people so harshly. You haven’t seen the havoc and cruelties these Indians have been accused of inflicting on the whites.” Thad raised his hand for silence as she was about to interrupt. “Listen a moment more. Some of these people have lost friends, family members, and homes during raids. I have heard of terrible tortures committed against whites. Women have been attacked, people kiled or taken prisoner and homes and farms burned and looted. We’ve only been here a short time, and you’re stil unaware of what these people are realy like. We tried to make peace with them, but they repay us with death and violence. They seem to understand only strength.”
“An offer of peace would carry little weight when written in Indian blood, Uncle Thad. If we treat al the Indians the way we did him today, I can understand why they hate us and don’t want us here. We acted more savage than he did. We are the intruders here in their lands and forests. If there is no way to have peace between us, then why do we stay?” Alisha was confused at the ilogic of the situation. “If both sides hate and reject the other, but neither wil give in or offer peace, the only outcome can be more death and give in or offer peace, the only outcome can be more death and destruction,” she said sadly. “Like today…”
Thad answered calmly, “When we’ve been here a little longer, yo
u wil love and want this land and life as much as I do. We came here for a new beginning, Lese. We wanted to escape the war and tyranny in England and back on the Colony Coast. Couldn’t you feel the noose tightening on the Colonists’ necks? Life was becoming stifling and confining. They’ve been fighting smal skirmishes with the British for a long time now and soon a real war wil begin. There wil be kiling, hunger and ravished lands and homes. You’re aware that England is imposing harsh and unfair tariffs and laws on this new land. They wil rebel soon, Lese. You mark my words. Men take these things for so long and then they are forced to fight and protect the things they have worked for and built. They have come too far to back down to the Mother Country now. Neither the British nor the Americans are going to give in. War wil soon be inevitable. They’l not only have to fight the Mother Country, but some of the Indians as wel. Many sided with the British before and wil again when it comes to war. Out here, we wil be safe from al of that.”
“I’m not so sure that is al true. Most of what you have said, Uncle Thad, applies out here between the Indians and the whites. This is their Mother Country and they are fighting to protect it from us. War wil be inevitable here someday! Aren’t we being unfair to the Indian? Aren’t we asking for too much and in the wrong way? I know there is much that I do not know or understand, but what I do see and hear is wrong and unjust.”
Thad sighed heavily and knew that it would be futile in the light of the day’s events to reason with her. He tried a new approach.
“You saw the company books, Lese. We were losing a great deal
“You saw the company books, Lese. We were losing a great deal of money and trade due to the Port Bil and other tariffs. Our end was near back there. I felt our ruin coming. I could not endure to lose everything again, my child. You know that we couldn’t have fled south, not with slavery so widespread there. Besides, the war wil touch there before it ends. Don’t you see and understand? We had no choice but to come here. This is a land of problems also, but in time, we’l solve them and live in peace. It won’t be much longer before we start that new trading post and bevery busy. By next year, we’l be buying sheep and be into the wool and mutton business again. There won’t beany taxes and mortgages to ruin us this time. Perhaps we’l even do some farming…”