HOW SIMON KEPT HIS OATH.
Summed up our situation was this. We had a few more than four score men
with which to stand against an attack of ten times that number of
Indians. And, as we would need to detail some men to put out fires,
started by blazing arrows, it would reduce our fighting force to about
eighty men.
Fortunately we had plenty of arms, powder was in abundance, and we had
lead enough to make all the balls we could fire. There were a number of
women, Captain Carteret said, who could mould bullets, and some who were
able to load muskets.
The block house was a strong and well built place consisting of an upper
and lower story, well pierced with loops, and comfortable quarters for
men and women. All about the place was a stout palisade of tough green
timber. We did not fear that the block nor the palisade could be set on
fire from the ground, but, as the roof slabs were dry from the sun,
there was some danger that an arrow, carrying a flaming bunch of tow,
might start a blaze over our heads.
However, there was a little place, like a watch tower, on the southeast
angle of the fort, and we reckoned that if we placed two men there they
could quench any fire which started on the roof.
These matters having been talked of, Captain Carteret tallied the men.
He gave me charge of two squads to look after the north and west sides
of the block, while he took care of the others. Ammunition was dealt
out, instructions given and a watch set, for though we did not expect a
night attack it was as well to be prepared. Then I went to the room
where the men not on duty were to sleep, and lay down on a rude couch.
It seemed that I had been slumbering but a little while, during which I
thought I was back in Salem gaol, ere there came a thundering summons at
the door, and I leaped up to find it almost dawn. Once more came the
knock, then the warning:
“The Indians! The Indians! Hurry!”
I needed no second telling. It was the message I had been waiting for,
and it meant there was sharp work ahead.
I drew on my boots, buttoned my coat about me, and, wondering how
Lucille had fared, grabbed up my sword and gun, to hasten where I might
find Captain Carteret.
I met him in the main room, where all was confusion. Men were getting in
each other’s way, some were looking for their garments, and many for
their weapons, so that little speed in preparation resulted. Had the
enemy been more alert they would have had us at a disadvantage. But the
red men were wary about rushing the palisades when they knew, as they
must, what force was behind them.
Captain Carteret was busy answering a dozen questions at once. His
lieutenants were issuing guns to those who had neglected to secure them
the night before. Powder horns were being filled from casks of the black
mixture, bullet moulds were gotten ready, and some women were melting
lead, while a number were dishing up the breakfast. It was a cold gray
dawn, hardly light enough to see by.
“Hot work,” was the Captain’s greeting to me, as he waved half a dozen
men with inquiries aside, to drain a mug of ale. “The scouts came in an
hour ago with the news that the skulking devils were moving about in all
their war paint, getting ready for an attack. The most of them are well
armed too, having as good muskets as we have. Well, ’tis as I often
remark, those in authority will never seem to learn that they are
putting weapons into the hands of devils, when they supply guns and
ammunition to the Indians.”
“How many are there?” I asked.
“About four hundred out there now as near as could be made out. There
are some of the Assumpinks, a few Roanokes, plenty of Mingoes, a score
of Andastakas and the rest Nashaimes and Shackamaxons. They will not be
here for an hour yet, since an Indian loves not to fight on an empty
stomach, when he can sound his war whoop on a full one.”
“The devils know they have us cooped up here where we cannot get away,”
I remarked.
“Aye, that they do, Captain,” agreed the acting Governor. “And, if we do
not stand them off until help arrives from Newark, it will go hard with
us who are alive after the place is taken.”
Something like order now began to make itself felt. Breakfasts were
hastily eaten, and the men sent to which ever side of the palisade they
were to defend. The muskets were all loaded, pails of water set handy
and boys were appointed to carry the discharged guns from the men to the
women, bringing back loaded ones in their place. Oh, how I wished for a
cannon or two on top of the block. Captain Carteret and I were about to
leave the main room, and go to our stations, when there came a knock at
the door. Simon entered as the Captain called out “come in.”
The sailor looked at the commander, but did not appear to see me. He
seemed to be excited about something, and was fumbling in his jacket
pocket.
“I have business with you, Captain Carteret,” he said.
I started to leave.
“It concerns you also, Captain Amherst,” went on the sailor, so I
remained wondering what was to come. Doubtless a request concerning his
position in the block.
But Simon pulled from his inner pocket a folded parchment, which, by
certain stains of sea water on it, I knew must have been on board the
Eagle, probably a document that Sir George Keith carried, and had
desired Simon to deliver for him, when he found himself unable.
“When I have told what I have to tell,” began Simon, “and so fulfilled
my oath, I pray that there may be holden no enmity against me. For I
only do what I am bound to do.”
“Say on,” came from Captain Carteret. “If you are in no fault none will
bear you ill will. Be brief, for time presses.”
I stood there, wondering how Simon’s oath could have aught to do with
me.
“Well, then,” went on Simon, “I am, or was a servant to Sir George
Keith, who lately died.”
“What, Sir George Keith, of Lincolnshire?” interrupted Captain Carteret,
“was he in these parts?”
“He--he was,” said Simon, with such a hesitation over the words that the
commander cried out:
“Do you mean that he is dead?”
Simon nodded.
“Dead,” the sailor continued, “and lying beneath the sands, unless, as
is no doubt the case, the waves have ere this washed his body out to
sea.”
The Captain looked at Simon curiously and then at me.
“Before my lord died,” resumed Simon, “he called to me, and with almost
his last words swore me that I would do as he bade me, so that he might
be revenged on the man who had slain him.”
I started at this, for I began to see which way the wind blew.
“Having given my oath,” went on Simon, “I left my master, after he had
been foully slain----”
“’Tis a lie!” I cried, white with anger. “Sir George was killed in a
fair combat, and he would have made an end of me had not his sword
broke.”
In great wonder Captain Carteret held up his hand to end our dispute,
and Simon resumed.
“He gave me a message,” he said, like a child who repeats a lesson well
learned, “and it was of this import. ‘Say to Sir George Carteret, or to
his representative, that a traitor walks abroad in the land. I pray you
to see to it that he is taken and sent to England to answer for the
crime against His Majesty. As you are my friend fail not.’ And I took an
oath that I would do this, which I have done. Before he died Sir George
Keith gave me a parchment to give to the Governor, when I should find
him, as I have now, or one who stands for him. Therefore I have kept my
oath.”
“And the document, the parchment,” said Carteret hastily, “where is it,
man? What is it all about, now that you have done talking?”
“This is the document,” said the sailor, and he gave a water stained
parchment to the commander.
Now there was silence in the apartment, while a man might have counted a
score.
“Warrant, royal warrant,” read the Captain, bringing his eyes close to
the writing, while I listened, my heart almost ceasing to beat. Had I
fought so hard only to lose all at the end?
“Hum, what is this? ‘Warrant from His Majesty----’”
The reading was not finished, for it was interrupted by such a chorus of
savage yells sounding hideously from without, that it seemed the Indians
must be at the very door. At the same time we heard our men shout a
defiant reply, and then began shooting apparently on all sides at once.
“Quick!” cried the Captain, “to your men, Amherst. The imps have begun
the attack. This matter can wait,” and he thrust the warrant into his
pocket. “Join the defense,” to Simon. “I will see you again. Hurry now.”
Out ran Carteret, while I followed at his heels. There were many
emotions in my heart. As I passed the women’s quarters I saw Lucille
standing in the doorway. I blew a kiss to her from my finger tips as I
had no time to stop.
“Keep up a good spirit,” I shouted.
She waved her hand in reply, and I went to the fight with a happier
mind. A minute later I was among my men at the palisade, cautioning them
not to waste powder and ball.
That there was need of all our defenders I saw as soon as I peered
through a loop. For though not a foe was in sight save now and then when
one stepped from behind a tree or stone to deliver a shot, yet the puffs
of smoke all about us told me the scouts had not correctly rated the
strength of the enemy. They numbered nearer to twenty score than to
eight. The war party must have been joined by another band in the night.
Never had I heard such a din before. It seemed like one long endless
screech that rose and fell as might a weird song of death.
The savages would remain concealed while loading their guns. Then they
would peer out unexpectedly from behind some tree stump or stone, fire,
and drop back again before our men had time to take aim. It was like
shooting at quail.
This kind of firing kept up for some time with little advantage to our
side. We had four men badly hurt by bullets that came in the loops, or
by splinters knocked from the logs. And, as far as I could see, we had
not killed a single Indian. I ordered my men to cease firing, as it was
but a waste of good powder and ball, and the women were weary reloading
the guns. I noted that Carteret’s men had likewise held their fire.
“We will try an old trick and see how it works,” I remarked to my squad.
“It may be we can teach these red men something of the arts of war.”
I told off twenty of the best shots, and stationed them at the farther
ends of the sides of the palisade where I was in charge, leaving the
middle undefended. I gave four men two long sticks each, and had them
place hats and caps on the ends. These men I bade lie down on the
ground, about the centre of the palisade.
The score with the guns I had stationed at the upper loops, where they
stood on a little ledge of wood, built there for that purpose. Each man
had two loaded guns with him. The rest of my defenders I grouped near
the loops where the men with the caps on the sticks were. I told them,
when I gave the word, to fire as quickly as they could, but not to be
particular whether they aimed or not, as long as they kept up a steady
fusillade. All was now arranged to my satisfaction.
“Ready!” I called.
Up went the long sticks with the hats on the ends, and, at the same time
the guns of the men near them rattled out with flame and smoke. To the
Indians it must have looked just as I intended it should, as if we were
desperate and were attempting a sally under the protection of the fire
of a few of the men. The sight of the dozen caps at the top of the
palisade must have looked like the heads of men trying to climb over.
As there was no firing from the two ends of the stockade where I had
stationed the score of men, the Indians were deceived into believing
that part deserted. Those savages opposite the loops there at once
leaped out from behind their cover to take part in the fight they looked
for in front of the middle of the palisade, as soon as our soldiers
should have climbed over.
They uttered yells and whoops, and half the caps were riddled with
bullets. But half a hundred red skins were in the open now in front of
my marksmen.
“Let them have it all together!” I cried. “In the name of the King and
Elizabeth! Fire!”
There was a burst of fire and a hail of lead into the half naked ranks,
and the screeches that followed told us we had done some scath. Ere they
had time to recover from their surprise my men let them have the
contents of the second guns right in their midst.
When the smoke blew away we counted twenty-three dead bodies, while
several more were desperately wounded. We had struck them a hard blow
with no loss to ourselves, and they retreated to cover again.
“Ha, that was well done; most excellently done,” I heard a voice behind
me say.
I turned about.
“Traitor, or no traitor, that was as prettily planned and executed as I
could do myself,” and Carteret stood beside me.
“I am no traitor,” I said sternly, but, when I would have said more he
stopped me.
“They have learned a lesson that will serve them for some time,” the
Captain went on. “But, Amherst, grave matters press on the two sides I
command. I have lost three men killed, and the rest seem afraid to
fight, saying there is some mischief in the air. I think the devils are
massing to rush the place. At least there is something afoot, for they
have not fired a shot for the last five minutes. That is why I came
here.”
I went with the Captain to the south side and looked from a loop. There
was not an Indian in sight, nor were there any of the wicked puffs of
smoke to tell where they hid. It was puzzling.
“Have you noticed any suspicious movement?” I asked.
“None,” he said, “save that one of my men remarked not long since that
he never knew before how many stumps there were in the open space
between the block and the forest.”
“Stumps?” I said, and then I looked out again.
“Aye, stumps,” said Carteret. “For myself I cannot call to mind when
there were so many there, but, perchance I never noticed it closely.”
I saw what it meant now.
“They are stumps that have put forth green shoots since morn,” I said.
“And, mark you how those same stumps seem to have legs?”
“Green sprouts? Legs?” repeated the Captain, like a man sorely puzzled.
“Yes,” I said, “look.” Then I showed him that, though the body of the
stump was black and dead, yet on the top were bright green little twigs.
Carteret rubbed his eyes to see better.
“Note,” I went on, “that large stump with knobs on it, which give it the
appearance of a man’s face.”
“I see it,” he replied.
“There was a stone beside it three minutes ago,” I proceeded, “but it is
gone now.”
“Did the stone move?” he asked.
“Or the stump,” I suggested, and then he knew what I meant.
Every stump, and there were three score, hid an Indian. As the red men
slowly wiggled along after the manner of snakes, they pushed the dead
wood ahead of them to deceive us and protect themselves. It was a clever
ruse, but we must consider how to beat it. We could not hope to hit the
savages while they were so well protected. I said so, and the Captain
agreed with me. Then I called to mind his remark about traitors.
“It is perhaps ill for one accused of treason to advise what to do,” I
said stiffly.
“Tut, tut, man, I have not judged you yet,” he spoke quickly. “Every man
is innocent until he is proved guilty. To me you are what you seem, a
brave soldier. That is enough for us now.”
I liked him better after that, and told him a plan I had formed. It
would need to be put into operation quickly, as the stumps were
approaching nearer.
It was the plan of the Indians to get as near to the stockade as
possible under cover of the stumps, and then to make a rush. Then the
block would be turned to a shambles, for we could not cope with the
overwhelming numbers that would clamber in, once all our force was
engaged on one side. The only way I saw to defeat the enemy was to fire
as many volleys as we could just as they charged on us, throwing them
into a panic as quickly as possible, and breaking up their ranks.
I thought, as did the Captain, that we could safely draw most of the men
to the south side of the stockade, leaving a few on the other sides to
keep up a slow fire, so that the Indians would not see that we had
discovered their ruse. Carteret agreed that this was the best to be
done.
Accordingly most of the force was summoned quietly to the south face,
and all the available muskets were collected, so that there was three
for each man. The guns were all loaded, one being held ready to fire
when the word was given, the other two being on the ground back of each
defender. I had the women loaders come as near to the men as was safe,
so that they could be on hand to charge the first gun as soon as it was
fired, and the second one taken up. They could do the same with the
second gun, and, as they were quick fingered, we would be able to fire
five volleys so rapidly that I did not believe the line of Indians would
be able to travel more than half way to the palisade from the place
where they emerged from behind the stumps. Then having sent two more men
to the little watch tower to pick off the Indians who might get to the
top of the stockade I reckoned that we were all prepared.
It was a pity, I thought, that the block was not built with bastions, so
that we could deliver a cross fire. But I nearly secured this effect by
having the men cut the loops slanting so that the gun barrels could be
pointed in to the left and right from either side.
Closer and closer came the stumps. We could see now that the twigs of
green extended back beyond the logs, trailing on the ground. Beneath
this green bower was the Indian. On they came slowly, like emerald
serpents, with huge black heads. Of a sudden I noted that the forward
movement had ceased. There were undulations of the trailing twigs.
“Make ready!” I shouted. “Here they come!”
And on they came with a rush. Whooping, yelling and screaming like so
many imps of darkness, nigh a hundred of them, and each one with a gun
or tomahawk. The dead stumps had come to life.
“Fire!” shouted the Captain and I in the same breath.
The volley that answered laid many of the savages low. Backward each man
threw his discharged piece, to have it snatched up by the waiting women,
who braved death in their own defense. Up were caught the second guns.
“Fire!” I called again.
Once more the muskets spat out death. A score of red men toppled over on
their faces, their dying yells sounding high above the din. The useless
guns were tossed aside, and the third musket thrust through the loops.
The bullets of the attackers rattled on the logs of the palisade as hail
in winter. Several of our men were killed because the loops were so
large.
The triple rain of lead had cut a wide swath in the Indians’ ranks, but
they never seemed to heed, and came on as fiercely as at first. They
were so near now that when the men tried to draw back the discharged
guns from the loops some of the enemy seized them by the barrels and
tried to pull them through the slits.
By this time the women had the first lot of muskets reloaded. It was
almost our last hope.
“Fire!” I called again, drawing my sword, in anticipation of a rush of
savages over the palisade.
The fourth volley pealed out. As the smoke rolled away I saw a few
hideous faces, surrounded with feathers, thrust over the top of the
logs. The men in the tower fired, and they dropped back.
Four more of our men fell away from the loops; three dead, the other
sorely wounded. The remainder of the defenders seized the muskets they
had fired the second time, which would have made the fifth round. If it
went out, and did not stay the assault, then it was all over with us.
But it did.
I peered out and saw the Indians on a dead run for the forest. They had
enough of the white man’s leaden medicine. And they did not stop to take
their dead with them, in such great haste were they. But they could
scarce have done so, had they desired, for the dead far outnumbered the
living. Our volleys had mowed them down as a reaper does the ripe grain.
For a time we were safe, but at great cost, for we had lost ten men, and
there was much sorrow in the block.