The Raiders by Elmer Kelton

Author:Elmer Kelton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 1989-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

ANDREW LET Eli and Zeb do the talking. He stood back and watched Michael’s face as the old man and the young one described the village. Michael frowned deeply, listening. He asked, “Are you sure you can find the right hut? They’ll look alike in the dark.”

Eli said, “The one the young’un’s in has another behind it, raised way up off the ground. They got food stored underneath. I hear tell they make the young girls sleep up there on the high floor with the ladder taken down so the boys can’t get to them. I doubt as it works very good. In my day it wouldn’t’ve.”

Zeb declared, “It don’t matter how dark, I’ll know which one Daniel is in. I’ll feel it.”

Michael gave him a glance that spoke more of sympathy than of belief. “I’d a lot sooner go by seein’ than by feelin’.” He looked back at Eli. “You said those huts look like beehives. They’ll buzz like beehives too, the minute we go in there. We’re apt to have the whole tribe down on us before we can get out.”

Andrew felt a nervous itching along his backside. A vague idea had come to him as they were riding back along the river. He hesitated to bring it up for fear Michael would automatically reject any idea of his. But perhaps he could plant the seed and let Michael believe the idea had been his own.

“Eli,” Andrew said, “somethin’s bothered me about them grass huts. How can they build a fire inside without burnin’ the place down?”

Eli explained, “They put the fire right in the middle, with stones around it and a hole in the roof for the smoke to go out. They don’t let the fire get too big. One good spark could put them out of house and home in a minute.”

Michael’s eyes brightened. Andrew saw that the seed had sprouted. Michael turned away for a minute or so, staring off into the distance. Then he announced, “It just come to me how we can get their attention away from the hut where they’re keepin’ the boy. We’ll set off a couple of huts on the far side. While they’re all rushin’ to try and stop it, we’ll run in and grab Zeb’s brother.”

Eli said, “Seems to me like that’s what Andy Jackson used to call a dy-version.”

Miles Nathan declared, “Whatever you call it, it sounds good to me.”

Zeb Willet said, “I’m with you, Michael.”

Michael frowned at Andrew. “I’m surprised you didn’t think of it yourself.”

Andrew suppressed a smile. “I don’t have your experience.”

Michael looked to the west, where the sun had dropped below the horizon and a heavy cloud was rapidly bringing night’s darkness upon the woods. A rumble of thunder shook the ground. He said, “If it sets in to rainin’, that accidental fire is apt to be hard to start.”

Andrew turned to the man with the eye patch. “Then, Reverend, looks to me like it’s time you prayed for dry weather.”

They waited for full dark.

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