Boy's Cinema (1933)

22 one recompense for what I have done. I wish to talk to the Dark Hair in private." The chief's eyes narrowed. Then, with a slight smile, he signified that the Frenchman was at liberty to do what he asked. Dulac moved over to Cora, and drew her aside. "Listen," he said, in a threatening undertone, "your sister is in the power of my good friends, Juliard and Berticr. Unless you tell me the real whereabouts of that gold, I will go back to them and order them to kill her." "Dulac." Cora retorted. "I explained where the gold was hidden, and, if you failed to find it there, I don't know what's happened to it. But in any case, you can't harm my sister. Major Hoy- ward told us where she was, and a party of Magua's braves have gone to take her away from your two accomplices." From the cover of the brush Dulac nad seen that group of warriors leave the village a few minutes previously, but he had been unaware of their des- tination, and the news of their mission came as a shock to him. His first im- pulse now was to take the trail in an effort to forestall them, for he still did not believe that Cora had told the truth concerning the gold, and lie wanted to keep his clutches on Alice in the mis- taken idea of being able to force the older girl to talk. But Dulac was not allowed to carry out his design, for, even as he pushed past Cora, he found himself confronted by the imposing figure of Magna. "What?" the chief exclaimed mock- ingly. "My good friend would leave us so soon ? No, he must stay and see the sport that is to be staged for my wedding !" There was an ominous note in the Huron's voice, and it told the renegade that he was virtually a prisoner. He drew back a pace reluctantly after a moment's hesitation, and was standing there with a sullen expression on his face when Cora moved between him and the chief. "Magna, you want that gold for your- self," she said, "but if you kill Hawk- eye and the Mohicans I'll never tell you where it is." The words enlightened Dulac as to the situation, and he waited eagerly for Magma's answer. Nor was it long in coming. "The Dark Hair bargained for the safety of the Yellow Hair and the English officer," the chief declared harshly, with a glance in Major Hey- ward's direction. "Hawk-eye and the Mohicans did not figure in the bargain. They die ! And if the Dark Hair does not tell me what I want to know about the gold when the time comes for me to seek it, then the Yellow Hair and the officer die also !" Cora hung her head drearily, and with a grunt Magua made his way to the stake, where he ordered his braves to bind Hawk-eye and the Sagamore in the same manner as Uncas. The scout and the old Mohioan chief were promptly forced towards the stout wooden pole, and, with their backs placed against it, were tied to it securely by thongs of tough hide. The brushwood that was to form their funeral pyre was already scattered in profusion about the feet of the three captives. But before ordering it to be set on fire Magna selected a handful of his best bowmen, and commanded them to stand at a distance of thirty paces from the stake. "Hawk-eye and the Mohicans scorn death," he observed, ironically. "But April 15th, 1933. BOY'S CINEMA we shall sec how they react to Huron sport." With the words he signed to the band of men whom he had chosen from among his braves, and one by one they began to draw their arrows upon the human targets bound to the stake. It was not their intention to pierce the victims, however, but to miss them by the breadth of a hair, though there was always the possibility that a shaft, faultily aimed, might drive through flesh and bone. In the practice of their archery the warriors were circling around so that the three captives alike came under the threat of their marksmanship, ever at the range of thirty steps. Again and again an arrow flashed through the air, to thud between the prisoners and drive its flint head deep into the tough wood of the fire-post. It was an ordeal calculated to try the nerve of the most fearless of men, and perspiration bro'ke out on the brows of the victims as the deadly shafts stuck quivering beside them. But no cry or groan escaped them, and no movement of a muscle gave Magua the satisfaction of imagining that they flinched. Cora and Heyward looked on in horror. Standing on Magua's right, Dulac turned his face away, for he had the uneasy feeling that he might be dealt with in the same fashion before many hours had passed. The three prisoners at the stake con- tinued to face the bowmen with stoic calm. "Courage, friends," said Hawk-eye, needlessly perhaps. "If yonder dogs should lose their cunning and transfix any one of us to this post, 'twill be so much the better for him. An easier death than burning " The Skirmish in the Woods. EVENTS had been moving rapidly in the conflict between British and French. Following upon his honourable surrender of Fort William Henry, Colonel Munro and the rem- nants of his little garrison had been per- mitted to march out and make tracks for British headquarters, according to the terms of capitulation. On arriving at Fort Edward, where the main army of his Britannic Majesty was encamped, Munro had at once reported to General Stanwix, the commander-in- chief. The latter, realising his folly in having left Munro's small force to meet the onset of the entire French host, had taken immediate steps to repair the blunder. The outcome had been a call to arms —forced marching to the sound of fife and drum—horse, foot and artillery in a pitched battle near the shattered walls of William Henry—and the ultimate re- treat of the French in complete dis- order. The tide of invasion borne back and the British victoriously pushing on into French territory, Colonel Munro was free to take steps that might result in the rescue of his missing daughters, and General Stanwix was only too ready to give him the command of a troop of cavalry, with whom the anxious father set out. The village of Magua was now ex- posed to a direct attack, though the scoundrelly chief had as yet to learn that, and Munro, therefore, led his cavalrymen through the forest with the intention of launching a raid on the Huron settlement. It was a long ride and, though anxious to press forward, Munro felt obliged to call a halt when he saw that men and horses were alike sorely Every Tuesday fatigued. He did not know, when he drew rein and permitted the soldiery to dismount, that he was scarce a musket-shot's carry from his younger girl. Hard by Skull Rock, a little way up the river, Alice and her two renegade guards were seated thoughtfully on a fallen tree-log, Bertier and Juliard won- dering how Dulac's scheme had turned out, their captive brooding over the un- certainty of her sister's fate. . Neither she nor the renegades guessed how close Munro and his troop were to them, never even suspecting that British soldiery were anywhere nearer than dis- tant Fort Edward. Nor was it the sound of hoofs that suddenly brought Bertier and Juliard to their feet, but a stealthy rustle of foliage in some thickets not far away. "Did you hear that?" breathed Juliard, peering at the brush while ho held his musket ready in his hands. Berticr was reaching for his own musket, and even as his grasp closed on it he heard his comrade utter a shout. A scream from Alice accompanied the cry, but her voice as well as the Frenchman's was drowned by a medley of yells as a party of half a dozen Hurons bounded from cover, the small band that Magna had despatched from his village. Juliard brought up his musket and fired, dropping one of the braves, but an instant later a well-aimed tomahawk struck him fair and square in the middle of the forehead, felling him in a lifeless heap. The Hurons came on with triumphant whoops. Spurred to frantic activity by alarm, Bertier seized his dead com- rade's musket and ducked behind the tree-log, dragging Alice after him. "Here's powder and shot I" , he gasped, handing the girl what ammuni- tion he had, together with Juliard's musket. "Keep one musket loaded for me." Alice obeyed, and primed the weapon, feeling it was the least she could do against a common foe. Meanwhile, Bertier was taking aim with his own musket, and as it flashed fire, another brave tumbled into the undergrowth— with a bullet in his shoulder. The remaining four dived out of sight, and proceeded to engage the renegade in a grim duel, carried on at a range of seventy-five paces. Two of the Red- skins were armed with French cara- bines, the other two with bows. Alice handed Bertier the musket that had belonged to Juliard. She had made it ready for action again, and as the renegade passed back his own gun, she hastily reloaded this also. Bertier was taking few chances. He kept his head and shoulders well down, and occasionally jerked himself into view to attempt a shot at the Hurons. But, though he drew trigger five times in all, he scored no further hit. The Indians were creeping forward, craftily taking full advantage of every scrap of cover available. Berticr be- came a little desperate, and half-rose to his feet with a wild look in his eyes. Up came his musket as he singled out one of his enemies, but before the ham- mer of the gun could fall a flint-head arrow crashed into the renegade's chest. He spun around and pitched full- length beside Alice. With a little moan, the girl snatched his musket to defend herself, and made an attempt to cover the Hurons as they now leapt forward to close quarters. She was never able to fire a single shot, however, for a gigantic brave pounced on her and wrested the weapon from h^r grasp,