“The Mohawks, you say, have then captured her?” remarked Graham, after
a moment’s pause.
“Yes; I know it’s them.”
“Did you get a glimpse of them?”
“I came up as soon as possible, and they were leaving at that moment.
I saw one or two of them, and know’d it was them, sure ’nough.
Howsumever, that don’t make no difference, whether it’s the Mohawks,
Oneidas, or any of them blasted Five Nation niggers. They are all a set
of skunks, and one would just as lief run off with a man’s gal, as not.
There ain’t any difference atwixt ’em.”
“I suppose not. The same difficulties would have to be surmounted in
each case. The point is not whether one shall make an attempt at a
rescue, but how shall it be done. I confess I am in a maze. The Mohawks
are an exceedingly cunning people.”
“That’s a fact, that needn’t be disputed.”
“But then, you know, if we outwit them, we will not be the first whites
who have done such a thing in their day!”
“That’s a fact, too. Now, just hold on a minute, while I think.”
Graham ceased talking for a moment, while Seth remained as if in deep
and anxious thought. Suddenly lifting up his head, he remarked.
“I have it.”
“Have what? The plan which must be pursued by us?”
“I cac’late I have.”
“Well, out with it.”
“Why, it’s this. _We’ve got to git that gal_, an’ no mistake.”
Despite the gloominess which had been upon Graham, he could not help
laughing outright at the serious tone in which this was uttered.
“What are you laughing at?” indignantly demanded Seth.
“Why, I thought we had arrived at that conclusion long since.”
“I didn’t think of that; so we did. Howsumever, I’ve thort
further--hey, what’s that off yonder? ’Nuther building burning?”
Graham gazed in the direction indicated, and saw that day was breaking.
This he remarked to his companion.
“Yes; so ’tis, and I’m glad of it, for we want some light on this
subject.”
In a short time, the sun appeared above the forest, and poured a flood
of golden light over the woods and streams. Birds were singing their
morning songs in every part of the wood, and every thing wore as gay a
look, as though no deed of blood had been committed during the night.
As soon as it was sufficiently light, Seth and Graham made their way
toward the stream.
“As we shall shortly start,” remarked the latter, “I will attend to my
horse, which I brought with me. He is not a short distance away, and I
will be back in a moment.”
So saying, he departed in the wood. He found his horse, completely worn
out, asleep upon the ground. He unloosened his fastening, and as there
was abundant provender around, in the shape of young and tender twigs
and luxuriant grass, he removed the saddle and bridle, and concluded
to allow him free scope of the wood until his return, trusting to the
rather doubtful chances of ever recovering him again. This done, he
returned to his companion.
He found Seth leaning upon his rifle, and gazing meditatively into the
silent stream flowing before him. Graham looked curiously at him a
moment, and then said:--
“I am ready, Seth, if you are.”
The individual addressed, turned without a word and strode toward the
clearing. When the ruins of the house were reached, they both halted,
and in an undertone, he said:
“Hunt up the trail.”
Each bent his head toward the ground, and moved in a circle around the
clearing. Suddenly Graham paused, and proceeding quickly several yards
in the wood, halted and exclaimed:
“Here it is, Seth.”
The latter hastened to his side, and stooping a moment, and running his
eye along the ground, both forward and backward, replied:
“This is the trail! They ain’t very keerful ’bout it now, but I reckon
it’ll make us open our peepers wider to see it, after we get into the
wood.”
“Well, as the starting point is now reached, we must perfect our
arrangements. You must take the lead in following this up.”
“Can’t you?” asked Seth, looking up in his eyes.
“Not as well as you. From what little I have seen of you, I am sure you
excel me in the knowledge of the forest. I have had some experience in
fighting, but very little in tracing a foe through such a wilderness as
this.”
“Don’t say? That’s just where you ’n I disagree. I was always the one
to track the tories or red-coats for old Colonel Allen, and I remember
one time--but I guess I won’t go to telling stories now, being as I
haven’t much time; but I can say, though pr’aps I oughn’t to, that
I can foller any red-skin as far as he can go, and I don’t care how
much pains he takes to cover up his tracks. You see, if I undertake to
foller this, I’ve got to keep my nose down to the ground, and won’t be
likely to see any danger we’re running into: that’ll have to be your
business. You just hang close to my heels, and keep yer eyes traveling
all over.”
“I’ll endeavor to do my part, although I shall expect some aid from
you.”
“I may give some, as I can tell purty near about when the imps have
gone over the tracks I’m looking at. And now we must start. I promised
Haverland that I wouldn’t show myself again, until I could tell him
something about his darter, and I swow, I won’t. Come ahead!”
With these words, Seth started ahead on a rapid walk. He was slightly
inclined forward, and his keen gray eye was bent with a searching look
upon the ground. Graham followed him a few feet distant, with the
barrel of his rifle resting in the hollow of his left arm, while the
stock was held in his right so as to be ready at a moment’s warning.
The signs that led Seth Jones forward were faint, and to an ordinary
observer, invisible. The Indians, although they had little fears of
pursuit, were yet too cunning and experienced to neglect any caution
that would mislead what enemies might be disposed to follow them. They
traveled in Indian file, each one stepping in the track of the one
before him, so that, judging from the tracks made, it would appear
that but a single savage had been journeying in these parts. Ina
was compelled to walk in this matter, and more than once when she
inadvertently made a misstep, a cruel blow warned her of her task.
Sometimes the leaves, as they lay, appeared perfectly devoid of the
slightest depression or disturbance, yet, had one stooped and carefully
scrutinized the ground, he would have seen the faint outlines of a
moccasin defined upon it, or observed that a leaf had been displaced,
or perhaps a slender twig had not yet recovered the position from
which it had been forced by the passing of human feet. All these were
trifling indications, it is true, yet they were unerring ones to the
practiced eye of the hunter, and as plain as the footprints upon the
dusty roads. Soon Seth paused, and raising his head, turned toward
Graham.
“We are gaining on ’em.”
“Ah--are we? Glad to hear it. When is it probable we shall overtake
them?”
“Can’t exactly say, but not for a considerable time yet. They are
tramping at a purty good gate, and they only halted last night to rest
Iny now and then. Darn ’em! she’ll wan’t rest, I cac’late, more’n once
afore she’s done with ’em.”
“Can’t you conjecture their number?”
“There’s somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty of the best warriors
of the Mohawks. I can tell that by their tracks.”
“How is that? They make but a single one, do they?”
“Of course not, but I rayther cac’late they make that a little
different, fur all that, from what one would. Are you hungry?”
“Not at all, I can stand it till noon, without the least inconvenience.”
“So can I; keep a good look-out, and now ahead again.”
With these words, Seth again plunged in to the woods, and the two
prosecuted their journey much as before. The sun was now high in the
heavens, and its warm rays pierced the arches of the forest at many
points, and there were golden patches of light scattered over the
travelers’ path. Several times they crossed small, sparkling streams,
where sometimes could be seen signs of the pursued having slaked their
thirst, and more than once the frightened deer bounded ahead, and
paused and gazed in wonder at them, then leaped away again. Graham
could hardly resist the temptation of bringing one of them down,
especially as he began to feel a desire to taste them; but he too well
knew the danger of risking a shot, when it might bring down their most
mortal enemies in a moment upon them.
All at once, Seth halted and raised his hand.
“What does this mean?” he asked, gazing off in a side direction from
the trail.
“What is it?” queried Graham, approaching him.
“The trail divides here. They must have separated, though I can’t see
what has made them.”
“Isn’t it a stratagem of theirs to mislead pursuers?”
“I believe it is! Here, you follow the main trail, while I take the
side one, and we’ll soon see.”
Graham did as directed, although it cost him considerable trouble to
perform his part. It proved as they expected. In a short time, the two
trails united again.
“We must look out for such things,” remarked Seth. “I’ve got to watch
the ground closer, and you must look out that I don’t pitch heels over
head into a nest of the hornets.”
They now proceeded cautiously and rapidly forward. About the middle of
the afternoon, they halted beside a stream of considerable size. Seth
produced a quantity of dried venison, which he had brought with him
from the settlement, and of this they made a hearty meal. This done,
they arose and again proceeded upon their journey.
“See there!” said Seth, pointing to the middle of the stream. “Do you
see that stone there? Notice how it is marked, and observe that print
of a moccasin beside it. One of their number has slipped off of it. Let
us be keerful.”
He stepped into the water, and made his way carefully across, followed
by Graham. When they stepped upon dry land again, the shades of evening
were gathering over the forest, and already the birds had ceased their
songs. There was, however, a bright moon,--in fact, so bright, that
they determined to keep up their pursuit.
The progress was now necessarily tardy, as it required the utmost
straining of Seth’s vision to keep the trail, and had it not been
for the friendly openings in the wood, where it was as plain as at
mid-day, they would have been compelled to abandon it altogether until
the morning. Several times, Graham was compelled to stand, while Seth,
almost on his hands and knees, searched out the “signs.” They came
across no evidence of the Indians having encamped, and judged from
this, that they either intended reaching their tribe before doing so,
or that they were somewhere in the vicinity. The latter was the most
probable supposition, and prudence, demanded them to be cautious and
deliberate in their movements.
Suddenly Graham noticed the woods appeared to be growing thinner and
lighter in front, as though an opening was at hand. He called the
attention of Seth to this, who remarked that it was very probable. In
a few moments they heard a noise as of flowing water, and immediately
after stood upon the bank of a large creek, or more properly a river.
The current was quite rapid, yet without much hesitation, they plunged
boldly in and swam across. The night being warm and moderate, they
suffered little inconvenience from their wet and clinging clothes, as
the exercise of walking kept them sufficiently warm.
As they ascended the bank, they stood upon a vast and treeless plain
over which the trail led.
“Must we cross this?” asked Graham.
“I don’t see any other way. There ain’t any chance to skirt it, ’cause
it appears to run up and down about four thousand three hundred miles,
while you can see the other side.”
This was true--that is the latter part of his assertion. The plain
before them, from all appearances, was a prairie of great length, but
comparatively narrow breadth. The dark line of the woods upon the
opposite side could be plainly seen, and did not appear more than a
good hour’s walk away.
“I don’t see any other way,” repeated Seth, musingly to himself. “It’s
got to be crossed, although it’s a ticklish business, I swow!”
“Would it be better to wait until morning?” asked Graham.
“Why so?”
“We may walk into danger without seeing it, in the night.”
“And how do you s’pose we’re going to walk over here in daylight,
without being targets for all the Ingins that are a mind to crack away
at us?”
“Can we not pass around it?”
“Stars and garters! hain’t I told you it reaches five thousand miles
each way, and it would take us three years to get half-way round?”
“I was not aware that you had given me such interesting information,
until just now; but, as such is the case, of course nothing is left for
us but to move forward, without losing time talking.”
“The trail goes purty straight,” said Seth, turning and looking at the
ground, “and I’ve no doubt it heads straight across to the other end.
Hope so, ’cause it’ll be convenient.”
“You must help me keep watch,” said Graham, “you will not need to
watch the ground all the time, and you will need to keep a look out
elsewhere.”
As might naturally be supposed, our two friends, although quite
experienced backwoodsmen, had miscalculated the distance to the
opposite side of the prairie. It was full midnight, ere they reached
its margin.
All was as silent as death, as they cautiously and stealthily entered
the wood again. Not a breath of wind stirred the boughs on the
tree-tops, and the soft murmur of the river had long died away into
silence. There were a few flying clouds that obscured the moon at
intervals, and rendered its light uncertain and treacherous. Seth still
pressed forward. They had gone a few hundred yards, when they heard
voices! Cautiously and silently they still picked their way, and soon
saw the light of fire, reflected against the uppermost limbs of the
trees. The fire itself was invisible, although it could not be far
distant. Seth whispered for Graham to remain quiet, while he moved
forward. He then stepped carefully ahead, and soon reached a massive
natural embankment, up which on his hands and knees he crawled. He
peered carefully over this and saw, down in a sort of hollow, the whole
Indian encampment! There were over twenty gathered around, most of
whom were extended upon the ground asleep, while several sat listlessly
smoking and gazing into the fire. Seth looked but a moment, as he knew
there were watchful sentinels, and it was fortunate that he had not
been discovered, as it was. Carefully retreating, he made his way down
again to Graham.
“What’s the news?” asked the latter.
“--sh! not so loud. They’re all there.”
“_She_, too?”
“I s’pose, though I didn’t see her.”
“What do you intend doing?”
“I don’t know. We can’t do nothin’ to-night; it’s too near morning.
If we could git her, we couldn’t get a good ’nough start to give us a
chance. We’ve got to wait till to-morrow night. There’s a lot of ’em
on the watch too. We’ve got to lay low till daylight, and foller ’long
behind ’em.”
The two made their way off in a side direction, so as not to be likely
to attract notice in the morning, should any of the savages take the
back trail. Here they remained until daylight.
They heard the Indians, as soon as it was fully light, preparing their
morning meal; and, as they deemed they could see them without incurring
great peril, they determined to obtain a glimpse of them, in order to
assure themselves whether Ina was among them or not. Each had suspicion
the company had separated, and that their trail had been overlooked in
the darkness.
Accordingly, the two crept noiselessly to the top. There was a heavy,
peculiar sort of brier growing on the summit of the embankment, which
was fortunately so impenetrable as to effectually conceal their bodies.
Seth pressed against this and peered over. His head just came above the
undergrowth, and he could plainly see all that was transpiring. Graham,
with an unfortunate want of discretion, placed his arm on Seth’s
shoulder, and _gazed over him_! Yet singularly enough, neither was
seen. Graham was just in the act of lowering his head, when the briers,
which were so matted together as to hold the pressure against them like
a woven band, gave way, and Seth rolled like a log down the embankment,
directly among the savages!