osc.am2.redprophet-第50部分

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fe　to　the　east。　He　could　feel　it　from　farther　off　than　any　other　Red。　He　felt　it　also；　though；　from　the　movements　among　the　Whites　as　they　prepared　to　light　the　matches　for　their　cannon。　Four　fires；　hidden　and　therefore　revealed　by　spells　and　witchery。　Four　cannon；　poised　to　rake　the　city；　end　to　end。
　　Tenskwa…Tawa　walked　through　the　city；　humming　softly。　They　heard　him；　and　awakened　their　children。　The　White　men　thought　to　kill　them　in　their　sleep；　faceless　within　their　wigwams　and　lodges。　Instead；　they　emerged　in　the　darkness；　walking　surefooted　to　the　broad　meadow　of　the　meeting　ground。　There　wasn't　room　enough　for　all　of　them　even　to　sit。　They　stood；　families　together；　father　and　mother　with　their　children　in　the　circle　of　their　embrace；　waiting　for　the　White　man　to　spill　their　blood。
　　〃The　earth　will　not　soak　up　your　blood；〃　Tenskwa…Tawa　had　promised　them。　〃It　will　flow　into　the　river；　and　I　will　hold　it　there；　all　the　power　of　all　your　lives　and　all　your　deaths；　and　I　will　use　it　to　keep　the　land　alive；　and　bind　the　White　man　to　the　lands　he　has　already　captured　and　begun　to　kill。〃
　　So　now　Tenskwa…Tawa　made　his　way　to　the　bank　of　the　Tippy…Canoe；　watching　the　meadow　fill　up　with　his　people；　of　whom　so　many　would　die　before　him　because　they　believed　in　his　words。
　　
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　　〃Stand　with　me　today；　Mr。　Miller；〃　said　General　Harrison。　〃It's　your　kin　whose　blood　we'll　avenge　today。　I　want　you　to　have　the　honor　of　firing　the　first　bullet　in　this　war。〃
　　Mike　Fink　watched　as　the　hot…eyed　miller　carefully　rammed　wad　and　shot　down　his　musket　barrel。　Mike　knew　the　thirst　for　murder　in　his　eyes。　It　was　a　kind　of　madness　that　came　on　a　man；　and　it　made　him　dangerous；　made　him　able　to　do　things　beyond　his　normal　reach。　Mike　was　just　as　glad　that　miller　didn't　know　just　when　and　how　his　boy　had　died。　Oh；　Governor　Bill　hadn't　never　told　him　right　out　who　that　young　man　was；　but　Mike　Fink　wasn't　a　boy　in　short　pants；　and　he　knew　all　right。　Harrison　played　a　deep　game；　but　one　thing　was　sure。　He'd　do　anything　to　raise　himself　higher　and　put　more　land　and　people　under　his　control。　And　Mike　Fink　knew　that　Harrison　would　only　keep　him　around　as　long　as　he　was　useful。
　　The　funny　thing　was；　you　see；　that　Mike　Fink　didn't　think　of　himself　as　a　murderer。　He　thought　of　life　as　a　contest；　and　dying　was　what　happened　to　those　who　came　out　second　best；　but　it　wasn't　the　same　as　murder；　it　was　a　fair　fight。　Like　how　he　killed　Hooch　　Hooch　didn't　have　to　be　so　careless。　Hooch　could　have　noticed　Mike　wasn't　on　the　shore　with　the　other　poleboys；　Hooch　could　have　been　watchful　and　wary；　and　if　he　had　been；　why；　Mike　Fink　might　well　have　died。　So　Hooch　lost　his　life　because　he　lost　the　contest　　the　contest　he　and　Mike　were　both　playing　for。
　　But　that　boy　yesterday；　he　wasn't　a　player。　He　wasn't　in　the　contest　at　all。　He　just　wanted　to　go　home。　Mike　Fink　never　wrassled　a　man　who　didn't　want　a　fight；　and　he　never　killed　a　man　who　wasn't　set　to　kill　him　first　if　he　got　a　chance。　Yesterday　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　killed　somebody　just　cause　he　was　told　to；　and　he　didn't　like　it；　didn't　like　it　one　bit。　Mike　could　see　now　that　Governor　Bill　thought　he　had　killed　Hooch　that　same　way；　just　because　he　was　told　to。　But　it　wasn't　so。　And　today　Mike　Fink　looked　at　the　young　man's　father；　with　all　that　rage　in　his　eyes；　and　he　said　to　that　man　　but　silently；　so　nobody　could　hear　　he　said；　I'm　with　you；　I　agree　with　you　that　the　man　who　killed　your　boy　should　die。
　　Trouble　was；　Mike　Fink　was　that　man。　And　he　was　plain　ashamed。
　　Same　thing　with　them　Red　men　in　Prophetstown。　What　kind　of　contest　was　it；　to　wake　them　up　with　grapeshot　whistling　through　their　own　houses；　setting　them　afire；　cutting　into　their　bodies；　the　bodies　of　children　and　women　and　old　men？
　　Not　my　kind　of　fight；　thought　Mike　Fink。
　　The　first　light　of　dawn　came　into　the　sky。　Prophetstown　was　still　nothing　but　shadows；　but　it　was　time。　Alvin　Miller　aimed　his　musket　right　into　the　thick　of　the　houses；　and　then　he　fired。
　　A　few　seconds　later；　the　cannons　banged　out　their　answer。　Maybe　a　few　more　seconds；　and　the　first　flame　appeared　in　the　town。
　　The　cannons　fired　again。　Yet　not　a　soul　ran　screaming　out　of　the　wigwams。　Not　even　the　ones　that　were　afire。
　　Didn't　anybody　else　notice　it？　Didn't　they　realize　that　the　Reds　were　all　gone　out　of　Prophetstown？　And　if　they　were　gone；　that　meant　they　knew　all　about　this　morning's　attack。　And　if　they　knew；　that　meant　they　might　be　ready；　lying　in　ambush。　Or　maybe　they　all　escaped；　or　maybe　Mike　Fink's　lucky　amulet　was　nearly　burning　him；　it　felt　so　hot。　He　knew　what　that　meant。　Time　to　go。　Something　real　bad　was　going　to　happen　to　him　if　he　stayed。
　　So　he　slid　off　down　the　line　of　soldiers　　or　what　passed　for　soldiers；　since　there　hadn't　been　more　than　a　day　or　two　for　training　some　of　these　raw　farmers。　Nobody　paid　no　heed　to　Mike　Fink。　They　were　too　busy　watching　the　wigwams　burn。　Some　of　them　had　finally　noticed　that　nobody　seemed　to　be　in　the　Red　city；　and　they　were　talking　about　it；　worried。　Mike　said　nothing；　kept　moving　along　the　line；　down　toward　the　creek。
　　The　cannon　were　all　on　the　high　ground；　they　sounded　farther　away。　Mike　emerged　from　the　trees　into　the　cleared　ground　that　ran　down　to　the　river。　There　he　stopped　short　and　stared。　The　dawn　was　still　just　a　grey　streak　in　the　distance；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　what　he　saw。　Thousands　and　thousands　of　Reds；　standing　shoulder　to　shoulder　in　the　meadow。　Some　were　crying　softly　　no　doubt　stray　shrapnel　and　musket　balls　had　e　this　far；　since　two　of　the　cannons　were　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　city　from　here；　firing　this　direction。　But　they　weren't　making　a　move　to　defend　themselves。　It　wasn't　an　ambush。　They　had　no　weapons。　These　Red　folks　were　all　lined　up　to　die。
　　There　was　maybe　a　dozen　canoes　up　and　down　the　bank　of　the　river。　Mike　Fink　pushed　one　out　into　the　water　and　rolled　himself　aboard。　Downstream；　that's　where　he'd　go；　all　the　way　down　the　Wobbish　to　the　Hio。　It　wasn't　war　today；　it　was　massacre；　and　that　just　wasn't　Mike　Fink's　kind　of　fight。　Nearly　everybody's　got　a　thing　so　bad　he　just　won't　do　it。
　　
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　　In　the　darkness　of　the　root　cellar；　Measure　couldn't　see　if　Alvin　was　really　there　or　not。　But　he　could　hear　his　voice；　soft　but　urgent；　riding　in　over　the　crest　of　the　pain。　〃I'm　trying　to　fix　you；　Measure；　but　I　need　your　help。〃
　　Measure　couldn't　answer。　Speech　wasn't　one　of　the　things　he　could　manage　right　at　the　moment。
　　〃I've　fixed　your　neck；　and　some　of　your　ribs；　and　the　guts　that　got　tore　up；〃　said　Alvin。　〃And　your　left　arm　bones　were　pretty　much　in　a　line；　so　they're　all　right；　can　you　feel　that？〃
　　It　was　true　that　there　wasn't　no　pain　ing　from　Measure's　left　arm。　He　moved　it。　It　jostled　the　whole　rest　of　his　body；　but　it　could　move；　it　had　some　strength　in　it。
　　〃Your　ribs；〃　said　Alvin。　〃Poking　out。　You　got　to　push　them　back　in　place。〃
　　Measure　pushed　on　one　and　nearly　fainted　from　the　pain。　〃I　can't。〃
　　〃You　got　to。〃
　　〃Make　it　not　hurt。〃
　　〃Measure；　I　don't　know　how。　Not　without　making　it　so　you　can't　move。　You　just　got　to　stand　it。　Everything　you　get　back　in　place；　I　can　fix　it；　and　then　it　won't　hurt　no　more；　but　first　you　got　to　straighten　it；　you　got　to。〃
　　〃You　do　it。〃
　　〃I　can't。〃
　　〃Just　reach　out　and　do　it；　Alvin；　you're　big　for　ten；　you　can　do　it。〃
　　〃I　can't。〃
　　〃I　once　cut　your　bone　for　you；　to　save　your　life；　I　once　did　that。〃
　　〃Measure；　I　can't　do　it　cause　I　ain't　there。〃
　　This　made　no　sense　to　Measure。　So　he　knew　he　was　dreaming。　Well；　if　he　was　dreaming；　why　didn't　he　e　up　with　some　dream　where　things　didn't　hurt　so　bad？
　　〃Push　on　the　bone；　Measure。〃
　　Alvin　just　wouldn't　go　away。　So　Measure　pushed；　and　it　hurt　him。　But　Alvin　was　as　good　as　his　word。　Soon　after；　the　place　where　he　straightened　out　the　bone　didn't　hurt　no　more。
　　It　took　so　long。　He　was　so　tore　up　that　it　seemed　there　just　wasn't　no　end　to　the　pain。　But　in　between　times；　while　Alvin　was　making　things　heal　up　where　he　just　fixed　the　bones；　Measure　explained　to　Alvin　what　had　happened　to　him；　and　Alvin　told　him　what　he　knew；　and　pretty　soon　Measure　understood　that　there　was　a　lot　more　to　this　than　saving　the　life　of　one　young　man　in　a　root　cellar。
　　Finally；　finally　it　was　over。　Measure　couldn't　hardly　believe　it。　He　had　hurt　so　much　for　so　many　hours　that　it　felt　downright　strange　not　to　hurt　anywhere。
　　He　heard　the　thump；　thump　of　cannon　firing。　〃Can　you　hear　that；　Alvin？〃　he　asked。
　　Alvin　couldn't。
　　〃The　shooting's　started。　The　cannon。〃
　　〃Then　run；　Measure。　Go　as　fast　as　you　can。〃
　　〃Alvin；　I'm　in　a　root　cellar。　They　barred　the　door。〃
　　Alvin　cussed　with　a　couple　of　words　that　Measure　didn't　know　the　boy　had　ever　heard。
　　〃Alvin；　I　got　me　a　hole　half…dug　here　in　the　back。　You　got　such　a　knack　with　stone；　I　wondered　if　you　could　loosen　things　up　for　me　here；　so　I　could　dig　out　real　fast。〃
　　And　that's　how　it　worked　out。　Measure　rolled　himself　into　the　hole　and　just　closed　his　eyes　and　pawed　at　the　dirt　above　his　head。　It　was　nothing　like　digging　the　day　before；　rubbing　his　fingers　raw　on　the　dirt。　It　just　fell　away；　sl