THE CAVERN OF THE WATER SPIRITS
"WE must get away from here right soon," announced Kenton, after he had
asked the boys a few questions concerning the adventures that had been
met with on the long and dangerous journey across country from the Ohio
to the region of the Great Lakes.
"Whatever you say, we will do only too gladly," declared Bob; and Sandy
nodded his head eagerly, to denote that he was of the same mind.
"Very good," remarked the borderer, who had been thinking over matters
even at the time he questioned the boys. "And, as it happens, we know
of a fine hiding-place not a great way off, where we can keep these
fellows safe during the time we must stay around the Seneca town."
"Troth!" remarked Pat O'Mara, immediately; "'tis a jewel av a place.
They till me they have kept house in the same both toimes whin comin'
up till the counthry av the Great Lakes, to say phat the crafty ould
sarpint Kiashuta might be about. By the greatest luck in the worrld I
ran acrost Abijah Cook here, and was introduced to the cavern. 'Tis a
grand place I'm tilling ye, me boys; and bad cess to the ridskin that
iver discovers the same."
"Come, let us depart without any more delay," said Kenton, impatiently;
for he knew that there was more or less danger lest one of the medicine
men find some excuse to return to the sacred oak, and thus make a
discovery that must cause the Seneca village to buzz like an enormous
hive of bees, with scores of warriors rushing forth to scour the whole
neighborhood for signs of the bold palefaces.
The four Frenchmen evidently did not enjoy the prospect by which they
were confronted. Still, they were soldiers of fortune enough to accept
things as they came along. Who could tell what the next shuffle of the
cards might bring forth? The first often became last, and the under dog
might find himself in a position to make terms as victor.
That their air of indifference was assumed even the boys felt sure.
They could detect the cautious looks cast around by the leaders of the
Frenchmen, and understood how eagerly they would seize upon a chance to
escape.
Nor were the three white men in doubt as to what such a catastrophe
might mean for them; since it must bring a mob of cruel foes howling
at their heels like a pack of timber wolves eager for the blood of the
wounded stag.
Quitting the wonderful oak that had, perhaps, witnessed these strange
councils of the red men for centuries past, all plunged into the forest.
The French trappers were fastened together with a hide rope which
Kenton happened to have wrapped about his waist.
Guarded by men with ready rifles, and followed by the two boys and
Blue Jacket, the prisoners knew they would show their good sense by
refraining from any demonstration.
Crafty Larue might have sought to delay the march by pretended
stumbles, but he did not exactly like the manner of Kenton. Possibly he
knew something of the fiery nature of the rash borderer, and feared to
arouse his anger.
As they thus threaded the mazes of the deep woods, winding in and out
while following certain trails made doubtless by wild animals, not a
word was spoken. Kenton had warned the prisoners that talking would
not be allowed under any circumstances.
He himself wished to ask a score of important questions of the boys,
knowing that, since they had been hidden in the oak tree during the
holding of the great palaver, they must know much that he yearned to
grasp. But he could wait until they were in a position of safety before
making his inquiries.
"I hope we are nearly there," whispered Sandy in the ear of his
brother, for, to tell the truth, the boy was nearly exhausted after the
great strain of the last week, and then those two long hours up in the
tree, when he could hardly breathe freely, for fear of betraying their
hiding-place to the watchful enemy.
Pat O'Mara was close enough to catch the low words, or else he guessed
what Sandy must have said. At any rate, he dropped back a pace or two,
and managed to remark in his genial, consoling way:
"Whist now, be aisy, me boy; 'twill not be long afore we reach our
distination. And thin, by the powers, ye can rist as long as ye plaise.
Do be lookin' out that ye lave the trees alone, and save the skin av
your nose," he added, as Sandy, forgetting to be as careful as usual,
in his desire to hear what Pat had to say, ran full into a sapling
that he failed to see in time, and consequently suffered to the extent
of several scratches on his face.
It was almost marvellous the way those forest rangers managed to pass
in and out of the dense forest like so many shuttles in the hands of
an expert weaver. The moon was utterly missing now, and even the light
of the stars failed to penetrate beneath that thick canopy of matted
branches overhead, so that they stalked along in almost complete
darkness.
But they were at home under such conditions. The woods were an open
book to Kenton. He read the pages as readily as any Indian who ever
crouched in the war-dance, or lifted his voice in the whoop of a foray.
They used to say that Kenton possessed the eyes of a cat, so that he
could see when other men were blind. And perhaps they were right, for
he certainly led his little troop in and out with marvellous skill.
Some ten minutes later Bob heard the music of a waterfall ahead.
"Phat do yees think av that?" asked Pat O'Mara a moment later, as they
stood on the bank of a fairly large stream, and looked up at the sheet
of water that shot over the ledge above, to fall in a white tumbling
mass into the pool at their feet.
"It is beautiful," observed Bob, who, however was wise enough to know
that Kenton would not have brought them hither simply to admire the
cataract.
"Back of that sheet of water there is a cavern," said the leader, as
they stood on the shore. "I have been many times to the great Niagara,
and a friendly Onondaga chief took me back to the wonderful shelf of
rock that is hidden by that wall of falling water. So I suspected that
there might be just such a fine hiding-place here. Many months ago,
when I was up in this country on a mission for Governor Dunmore of
Virginia, I investigated, and found it to be true. Follow after me and
you shall see."
The four prisoners held back. They did not like the idea of braving
the wrath of those descending waters. Perhaps there may have been some
superstitious fear connected with their hesitancy, for the Indians had
legends concerning this same cataract, and believed that the spirits
of the departed came hither, to sing again the war chants and songs of
love that they had known when on earth.
But there was nothing left for the Frenchmen to do but obey, when those
grim keepers urged them on. Life was sweet, even to such reckless
rovers, and so, overcoming their reluctance, they obeyed the directions
given, and passed in safety behind the sparkling, water curtain.
"Keep against the rock, all!" said Kenton, who was in the lead.
Sandy stumbled; but, as usual, Bob was quick to throw out a helping
hand, so that the other was saved a plunge over the edge of the rock,
which must have resulted in a good ducking, if nothing more serious.
"Now stand still," came the voice of their leader from a point close at
hand. "I have torches handy, and, as soon as I can get at my tinder,
you shall have light."
Presently, as they stood patiently waiting, holding on to the prisoners
lest they be tempted to make a dash for liberty in the dark, they heard
Kenton striking his flint against the steel. Then a tiny blaze sprang
up, which in turn was communicated to a long splinter of fat pine,
taken from a tree, they afterwards learned, that had been lately riven
by a thunderbolt, and hence was scrupulously avoided by the Indians.
When the torch lighted up the cavern the boys found that, owing to the
formation of the rocks, it was next to impossible for any one outside
to see signs of human occupancy. Besides, should a Seneca warrior
discover a strange weird glow behind the water curtain, he would very
likely fall on his face in the full belief that the spirits were
holding council there, and that the fire was not of this world, but
from the land of the great Manitou.
"Here you can rest, my brave boys," said Kenton, kindly. "We have
plenty of meat, and there is no lack of fuel. The smoke of the fire
escapes through crevices in the rocks above. See, yonder are beds of
leaves and stripped hemlock. After we have eaten, and you have told me
what you heard while hidden in the oak, you must lie down to rest. As
to the rescue of Kate, we will make our plans later."
A fire was soon started, the same supply of pine wood doing service.
And, under such singular conditions, the two young pioneers ate the
first good meal they had enjoyed for more than a week.
Afterwards Bob sat beside Kenton while the borderer plied him with many
questions. Of course Bob was not always able to give as intelligent
an answer as he would like, since his ignorance of the Indian tongue
had prevented his understanding much that had been said by Pontiac and
the other head chiefs during the council; but Kenton, in his customary
shrewd way, managed to guess at what was lacking.
"It is all plain to me, Bob," he said, later on. "Pontiac is at his old
game, and hopes to weld all the various tribes from the Alleghanies to
the Mississippi in a grand confederation in favor of the French, whom
he loves, and against the English colonists, whom he despises. The
Sacs, his own people, the Pottawottomies; the Foxes; the Delawares;
even the Illinois tribes he is sure of; also the Shawanees. He longs to
add the Six Nations, or Iroquois, to the list. That is why his silver
voice is heard in the land of the Senecas," he added bitterly.
"But the Iroquois are the friends of the English?" Bob exclaimed.
"Yes," Kenton went on, a frown mantling his fine face. "They have been,
in the past; but the artful French have long tried to undermine this
old established friendship. They constantly seek opportunities to make
the Onondagas, the Oneidas, the Mohawks, the Cayugas, the Tuscaroras,
and the Senecas believe that the English governor of Virginia is
playing them false, and speaking with a double tongue."
"But they have not wavered, up to now," said Bob. "Surely they hate the
French so much that they will refuse to join with them in warring on
our settlements, just because the lilies of France seek to run a line
of trading posts all the way down the Mississippi?"
"We believe that is true with most of the tribes; but the Senecas have
acted in a suspicious way," returned the borderer. "That is why we two
came up to this northern country. News reached Boone that Pontiac was
sending his wampum belt to the Seneca chief, Kiashuta, with word that
the owner expected to personally follow it up, and address a great
gathering of the various tribes under the famous Seneca council oak."
"If that was Kiashuta with whom Pontiac departed, I greatly fear he is
leaning toward the teaching of the great plotter," Bob declared.
"Yes, he has little love for the English, the more the pity," Kenton
added; "but, left to himself, the Seneca would have been swayed by his
fellow chiefs of the Six Nations. Now that he has heard the fiery,
persuading voice of Pontiac, I fear he, too, will be ready to dig up
the hatchet that has been buried these many years, and go with his
young braves on the warpath, burning and slaying."
Sandy had already thrown himself down on some of the hemlock boughs,
and was far gone on the road to slumberland. The warmth of the cavern,
together with his more satisfied mind, and the good supper of which he
had just partaken, combined to make the lad very sleepy.
Nor was Bob averse to following his example when he found that Kenton
had no more important questions to ask. He did not inquire as to what
plans the other might have already budding in his mind, looking to the
stealing of their captive sister from the clutches of the Senecas.
Kenton was a man to be trusted when he had such a task on hand. He
would sleep on it, and, with the coming of another day, no doubt they
might hear just how he expected to go about entering the village of the
Senecas, and robbing Black Beaver's wigwam of its latest tenant, the
paleface girl whom the young chief had stolen to replace the daughter
so mourned by the old squaw, his mother.