Night, dark and gloomy, slowly settled over the forest. Nothing was
heard save the dull soughing of the wind through the tree-tops, or the
occasional howl of the wolf in the distance, or perhaps the near scream
of the panther. Heavy, tumultuous clouds were wheeling through the sky,
rendering the inky darkness doubly intense, and shrouding even the
clearings in impenetrable gloom.
By and by, the distant rumble of thunder came faintly through the air,
and then a quivering fork of fire, like a stream of blood, trembled
upon the edge of the dark storm-cloud for an instant. The heavy clouds,
growing darker and more awful, poured forward until they seemed to
concentrate in the western sky, where they towered aloft like some
old embattled castle. The thunder grew heavier, until it sounded like
the rolling of chariot wheels over the courts of heaven, and the red
streams of liquid fire streamed down the dark walls of the Storm
Castle. Now and then the subtle element flamed out into a dazzling,
instantaneous flash, and the bolt burst overhead.
“Keep close to me and step light, for I tell _you_ there’s enough
lightning.”
Seth had thoroughly reconnoitered the valley to which we have referred,
and had found, as he expected, that there was an ambush laid for them.
There was a sort of foot-path, apparently worn by the passing of wild
animals, which nearly crossed the valley. It was here that the Indians
supposed the fugitives would be entrapped, until the death of a too
daring member of their party led them to suspect that their intentions
were discovered.
The little band was hours in crossing this valley. Seth, with an almost
inaudible “sh!” would often pause, and they would stand for many
anxious minutes listening intently for the dreaded danger. Then they
would resume their march, stepping with painful slowness.
It was at least three hours after the fugitives commenced this journey,
and when Seth judged that he must be nearly through it, that he
suddenly discovered he was walking in the very path he had striven so
carefully to avoid. He was considerably startled at this, and left at
once.
“Sh! down!” he whispered, turning his face behind him.
They were not ten feet from the path, when they all sank quietly to the
earth. Footsteps were now audible to all. The darkness was too profound
to discern any thing, but all heard their enemies almost near enough to
touch them with the outstretched hand.
The situation of our friends was imminently perilous. The Mohawks
were not passing along the path, as at first supposed, but evidently
searching it! Haldidge and Seth felt that they could not be aware of
their proximity, and yet they knew a discovery was unavoidable.
Seth Jones rose to his feet so silently, that even Haldidge, who
was within a foot of him, did not hear a rustle. He then touched
Haverland’s ear with his mouth, and whispered:
“Scatter with the gal as quick as lightning, for they must find us out
in a minute.”
Haverland lifted Ina in his strong arm--she needed no caution, and
stepped forward. It was impossible not to make some noise, when the
wet bushes brushed against them. The savages heard it and started
cautiously forward. They evidently suspected it was the fugitives, and
had no suspicion that any one was lingering in the rear. The first
warning Seth had, was of a savage running plump against him.
“Beg your pardon, I didn’t see you,” exclaimed Seth, as each bounded
backward. “Curse you,” he muttered, “I only wish I could sight you for
a minute.”
Seth, Haldidge and Graham were now maneuvering against some five or six
Indians. Had a bright flash of lightning illuminated the scene, just
at this time, it is probable that all would have laughed outright, at
the attitude and movements of themselves. The Indians, upon finding
how near they were to their deadliest enemies, immediately bounded
backward several yards, in order to avoid a too sudden collision with
them. The three whites did precisely the same thing--each in his own
characteristic way. Seth leaped to one side, crouched down in his usual
panther-like manner, and with his rifle in his left, and his knife in
his right hand, waited until he could settle in his mind the precise
spot upon which one of the savages was standing, before making a lunge
at him.
It would be tedious to narrate the artifices and stratagem resorted
to by these two opposing forces. Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone, once
reached the opposite aides of the Ohio river at the same moment, and at
the same time, each became aware of the presence of another person upon
the other side. These two old hunters and acquaintances reconnoitered
for over _twenty-four hours_, before they discovered that they were
friends. For nearly two hours, the Mohawks and the whites maneuvered
with the most consummate skill against each other. Now retreating and
leading, dodging and eluding, each striving to lead the other into some
trap that was as skillfully avoided, until, judging that Haverland was
safe, Seth concluded to retreat himself accordingly, he cautiously
withdrew, and ten minutes later, found himself upon the outermost edge
of the valley.
Ten minutes after Seth departed, Haldidge moved off, of course unknown
to himself, in precisely the same direction. Graham soon adopted the
same course. They all came out of the dangerous valley within twenty
feet of each other. It took them some time before they came together;
but, as each suspected the identity of the other, this did not require
as long as it otherwise would.
“Now, boys,” whispered Seth, “I cac’late we’re out of the Valley of
Death. Best give it a wide berth, is the private opinion of Seth Jones.”
“But how about Haverland?” asked Graham.
“I think they must have come out near that point,” replied the other.
“Let us move round then, and we’ve got to be spry, for daylight can’t
be far off, and I’m thinking as how them Ingins will find out that
we’ve absconded; and my gracious! won’t they feel cheap?”
Just as the light of morning appeared in the east, they came upon
Haverland, and resumed their journey. No halt was made for breakfast,
for they were all too anxious to get forward upon their way. In the
course of an hour or so, they struck a sort of path, made by the
passage of wild animals, which, besides being so hardened as to conceal
their trail, was easily traveled.
Seth and Haldidge were too experienced woodsmen to relax their
vigilance. They maintained the same duties as before, the former taking
it upon himself to lead the way through the wilderness, and the latter
to guard against danger from behind. The settlement toward which they
were so anxiously hastening, was still several days distant, and to
reach it, it was necessary to cross a river of considerable breadth.
This river was reached by Seth at noon.
“By gracious! I forgot about this!” he exclaimed to himself. “Wonder if
the gal can swim? If she can’t, how are we going to get her over? Put
her on a chip, I s’pose, and let the breeze blow her across: the rest
of us can swim, in course.”
A few minutes later, our friends stood consulting upon the bank of the
stream.
This consultation ended in active preparations for crossing on a raft.
Hunting up material for constructing a raft now was the order of the
hour. This was work of extreme difficulty. They had no instruments
except their hunting-knives, and these were little better than nothing.
Large, rotten limbs were broken from the trees, and placed together by
Haverland, who took upon himself the task of lashing them with withes,
while the others collected wood.
Haldidge went up the river, and Seth and Graham went down. Graham soon
noticed a large, half-decayed log, lying partly in the water. “Just the
thing, exactly! Why it’s a raft itself. This will save further trouble.
Let us launch it at once, and float it up to the spot,” he said,
delightedly.
The two approached it, stooped, and were in the very act of lifting it
into the water, when Seth suddenly removed his shoulder, and arose to
the upright position.
“Come, give a lift,” said Graham.
“Graham, I guess I wouldn’t take the log, I don’t think it will answer.”
“Won’t answer? Why not? In the name of common sense, give some reason.”
“_Let that log alone! Do you understand?_”
Graham looked up, and started at the appearance of Seth. His eyes
fairly scintillated and he seemed ready to spring upon him, for daring
to utter a word of dispute.
“Come along with me!” commanded Seth, in a voice hoarse with passion.
It wouldn’t do to disregard that command; and, taking up his rifle,
Graham lost no time in obeying it. But he wondered greatly whether Seth
was suddenly become crazy or foolish. He followed him a short distance,
and then hastened up beside him. Seeing that his face had recovered its
usual expression, he gained courage and asked what he meant by such
commands?
“Didn’t you take notice that that log was holler?”
“I believe it was, although I did not examine it closely.”
“Wal, if you _had_ examined it closely or even loosely, so that you
took a peep into the log, you’d have seen a big Mohawk curled up there
snug and nice!”
“Is it possible! How came you to see him?”
“The minute I seed the log was holler, I had my s’picions that there
might be something or other in it, and I made up my mind that we
shouldn’t undertake to lift it till I knowd how it was. When I come
to look closer, I knowed thar was something sure enough, for the way
the bark was scratched at the mouth showed that plain enough. It
wouldn’t do, you see, to stoop down and peep in, for like as not the
redskin would blaze away smack into my face. So I jest dropped my cap,
and, as I stooped down to pick it up, I kind of slewed one eye ’round
over my shoulder, and, as sure as blazes, I seen a big moccasin! I
did, by gracious! I then proceeded to argufy the question; and, after
considerable discussion, both in the affirmative and negative, I came
unanimously to the conclusion that as I’d seen an Injin’s foot, if
I’d foller it up, I’d be pretty sure to find the Injin himself; and,
moreover, also, if there was _one_ Injin about, you could make up your
mind that there are plenty more not far off. By gracious! If I hadn’t
looked a little ramparageous, you wouldn’t have let go that log so very
quick, eh?”
“No; you alarmed me considerably. But what is to be done?”
“The cowards are poking around the woods, fixing out some plan to
ambush us again. They’ve no idea we’ve smelt the rat that’s brewing in
the bud, and they’re too cowardly to show their faces until they find
they’ve got to, or let us slip.”
“Shall we tell Haverland?”
“No; I will let Haldidge know it, if he hasn’t found it out already.
The raft has got to be made, and we must keep on at it till it’s
finished, as though we knowed every thing was right. Keep still now, or
Alf will notice our talking.”
They were so close to the woodman that they changed their conversation.
“No material?” asked Haverland, looking up.
“It’s rather scarce down where we’ve been,” replied Graham.
“Shan’t I help you?” asked Ina, looking up archly.
“I guess we won’t need your help as Haldidge seems to have enough
already.”
The hunter at this moment approached, bending under the weight of two
heavy limbs. These were instantly lashed together, but it was found
that the raft was much too weak and light, and more stuff was necessary
before it would even float Ina. Accordingly, Haldidge plunged into the
wood again. Seth walked beside him until they were a few yards away,
when he asked:
“Do you understand?”
“What?” asked the hunter in astonishment.
“Over there,” answered Seth, jerking his thumb over his shoulder toward
the log mentioned.
“Redskins?”
“I rather guess so.”
“I smelt them, awhile ago. You’d better go back and watch Alf. I’ll get
enough wood. Danger!”
“No; they’ll try some game; look out for yourself.”
With this, Seth turned on his heel and rejoined Haverland. Graham was
a short distance away cutting withes, which the woodman was as busily
using. As Seth came up he noticed Ina. She was sitting upon the ground
a few feet from her father, and her attention seemed wholly absorbed
with some thing down the stream. Seth watched her closely.
“Isn’t that a log yonder?” she asked.
Seth looked in the direction indicated. With no small degree of
astonishment, he saw the identical tree which he and Graham disputed
over, afloat in the river. This awoke his apprehensions and he signaled
at once for Haldidge.
“What’s the row?” asked the hunter as he came up.
Seth gave his head a toss down stream, by way of reply, and added,
“Don’t let ’em see you’re watching it, for it might scare ’em.”
Nevertheless Haldidge turned square around and took a long, searching
look at the suspicious object.
“What do you make of it?”
“Them Mohawks are the biggest fools I ever heard of, to think that such
an old trick as _that_ can amount to any thing.”
“What trick do you mean?” asked Haverland.
“Why, you see that log yonder, half sunk in the water, that we are all
looking at? Well, there are four or five Mohawks behind that, waiting
for us to launch our raft.”
“Maybe it’s nothing more than a floating tree or log,” said the woodman.
“Y-e-s,” drawled the hunter sarcastically, “_maybe_ so; I s’pose a log
would be very apt to float _up_ stream, wouldn’t it?”
“Why, is it approaching?” asked Graham.
“Not _very_ fast,” answered Seth, “for I guess it’s hard work for them
fellers to swim up stream. Ah! by gracious! I understand the game.
Look; don’t you see it’s farther out than it was? They’re going to
get as near the middle as they can, and so close to us that when we
undertake to cross, the current will carry us right down plump against
’em, when they’ll rise up in their wrath and devour us. Fact, as sure
as you live.”
“We might as well understand matters at once,” added Haldidge. “The
plan of the Indians is undoubtedly the same as Seth suggests. In
crossing, we cannot help drifting downward, and they are trying to
locate themselves so as to make a collision between us. But they will
make no attack until we are in the water. So you may keep at work
upon the raft, Alf, without any fear, while Seth and I reconnoiter.
Come, Graham, you may as well go along with us. Let us enter the wood
separately at first, and we’ll come together as soon as we can get out
of sight. Act as though we didn’t suspicion any thing, and I’ll wager
my rifle here against your hat that we’ll outwit the cowards after all.”
The three entered the wood as proposed. After going a few yards they
came together again.
“Now,” whispered Seth, “by gracious! you will see fun. Follow close,
boys, and keep shady.”
Being now fairly within the wood, they proceeded in a direction
parallel with the course of the river, using extreme caution, for it
was more than probable some of the Indian scouts were secreted in the
wood. Keeping entirely away from the river until Seth judged they were
below the suspicious log, they approached it. A reckless move, at this
point, would have been fatal. Fortunately, there was a species of grass
growing from the wood out to a considerable distance in the water.
Through this, they made their way much after the fashion of snakes.
Seth, as usual, was in front, and it struck Graham that he absolutely
slid over the ground without any exertion on his part.
In a moment, they were down to the river’s brink. They now slowly
raised their heads and peered over and through the grass out into the
river. The log was a short distance above, and they had a perfect view
of the side which was opposite to Haverland. Not a sign of an Indian was
visible. The tree seemed as if anchored in the middle of the stream.
“There is something there!” whispered Graham.
“--sh! keep quiet and watch and you’ll see!” admonished Seth.
A moment more, and the log apparently, without any human agency,
slightly changed its position. As it did so, Graham saw something
glisten on the top of it. He was at a loss to understand what it meant,
and turned inquiringly toward Haldidge. The latter had his keen eye
fixed upon it, and there was a grim, exulting smile upon his face. He
motioned for Graham to preserve silence.
As our hero turned his gaze once more toward the river, he saw that the
log was still further into the stream. Something like polished metal
was seen glistening even brighter than before. He looked carefully, and
in a moment saw that there were several rifles resting upon the surface
of it.
While gazing and wondering where the owners of these weapons could
conceal themselves, the water suddenly seemed to part on the side of
the log toward them, and the bronzed face of an Indian rose to view.
Up, up, it went, until the shoulders were out of the water, when he
remained stationary a moment, and peered over the log at Haverland.
Seemingly satisfied, he quietly sank down into the water again; but
Graham noticed that he did not disappear beneath the surface, where it
appeared he had hitherto kept himself, nestled in so close to the log
that almost any one would have supposed he was a part of it. His head
resembled exactly a large black knot in the wood. Graham now noticed
also that there were two other protuberances, precisely similar to the
first. The conclusion was certain. There were three fully armed Mohawks
concealed behind the log, who were doing their utmost to steal unawares
upon the fugitives.
“Just exactly one apiece, as sure as you live,” exclaimed Seth
exultingly. “Get ready each of you for your man. Graham, take the one
nearest this way; you the next one, Haldidge, and I’ll pick off the
last one in the genuine style. Get ready quick, for I’ve got to hurrah
over the way things is coming round.”
The three pointed their deathly instruments toward the unsuspicious
savages. Each took a long, deliberate, and certain aim.
“Now, then, together--_fire_!”
Simultaneously the three rifles flashed, but that of Seth missed fire.
The others sped true to their aim. Two yells of deathly agony broke
upon the air, and one of the savages sprang half his entire length
out of the water, and then sank like lead to the bottom. The other
clung quivering to the log for a moment, and then loosening his hold,
disappeared beneath the water.
“Thunder and blazes!” exclaimed Seth, springing to his feet, “hand me
your rifle, Graham. Something is the matter with mine, and that other
imp will get away. Quick! hand it here!”
He took the rifle and commenced loading it as rapidly as possible,
keeping his eye upon the Indian who now was swimming desperately for
the other bank.
“Is yer iron loaded, Haldidge?” he asked.
“No; I’ve been watching you and that chap’s doubling, to see who’ll get
the best, so long, that I didn’t think of it.”
“Load again, for s’posen this gun should miss fire too, he’d get off
then sure. Wal, my stars! if he isn’t coming out now.”
The Indian, as if scorning the danger, rose slowly from the water, and
walked leisurely toward the shelter of the wood.
“Now, my fine feller, see if you can dodge this.”
Seth once more aimed at the retreating Indian, and this time pulled the
trigger; but to his unutterable chagrin, the rifle flashed in the pan!
Before Haldidge could finish loading his gun, and before Seth could
even reprime his, the Indian had disappeared in the wood.
“By the hokey-pokey! what’s got into the guns?” exclaimed Seth in a
perfect fury. “That’s _twice_ I’ve been fooled! Worse’n two slaps in
the face by a purty woman, I’ll swow. Hallo! what’s that?”
The discharge of a rifle across the river had sent the bullet so close
to him as to whisk off a tuft of his long sandy hair!
“By gracious! that was pretty well done,” he exclaimed, scratching his
head as though he was slightly wounded.
“Look out, for heaven’s sake! Get down!” called Graham, seizing him by
the skirt of his hunting dress, and jerking him downward.
“Don’t know but what it _is_ the best plan,” replied the imperturbable
Seth, going down on his knees in time to avoid another foul shot.
“There are plenty of the imps about, ain’t there?”
The firing so alarmed Haverland that he desisted from his work, and
sought the shelter of the wood. By this time, too, the afternoon was
so far advanced that darkness had already commenced settling over the
stream and wood. Crossing on the raft was now out of the question, for
it would have been nothing less than suicide to have attempted it, when
their enemies had given them such convincing evidence of their skill in
the use of the rifle, even at a greater distance than to the middle of
the stream. But the river had to be crossed for all that and the only
course left, was to shift their position to some other place, build a
new raft, and make another place.
There was no excuse for further delay, and the party immediately
set forward. The sky again gave signs of a storm. Several rumbles
of thunder were heard, but the lightning was so distant as to be
of neither benefit or use to them. The sky was filled with heavy,
tumultuous clouds, which rendered the darkness perfectly intense and
impenetrable; and, as none of them understood a foot of the ground over
which they were traveling, it may well be supposed that their progress
was neither rapid nor particularly pleasant. The booming of the thunder
continued, and shortly the rain commenced falling. The drops were
of that big kind which are often formed in summer, and which rattle
through the leaves like a shower of bullets.
“Can you look ahead, Seth?” asked Graham.
“In course I can. The darkness don’t make no difference not at all
to me. I can see just as well on a dark night as I can in daylight,
and, what is more, _I do_. I should like to see me make a misstep or
stumble--”
Further utterance was checked by the speaker pitching, with a loud
splash, head foremost over or into something.
“_You_ hurt, Seth?” asked Graham in alarm, yet half tempted to give way
to the mirth that was convulsing those behind him.
“Hurt!” exclaimed the unfortunate one, scrambling to his feet, “I
believe every bone of my body is broken into, and by gracious! my head
is cracked, and both legs put out of joint, the left arm broke above
the elbow, and the right one severed completely!”
Notwithstanding these frightful injuries, the speaker was moving about
with wonderful dexterity.
“My gracious! what do you suppose I’ve tumbled into?” he suddenly asked.
“Into a pitfall or a hole in the ground,” replied Graham. “It’s my
opinion, too, that it will be very easy with this noise we are making
to stumble into the Mohawks’ hands.”
“I should think you ought to know that I _didn’t_ fall,” retorted Seth
angrily. “I happened to see sumthin’, and I stepped forward to see if
it would hold my weight. What you are laughing at, I should like to
know!”
“What is it that you have stepped into?” asked Haverland.
“Why, nothing less than a _boat_, dragged up here by the varmints, I
’spose.”
Such indeed was the case. There was a very large-sized canoe directly
before them, and not a sign of the presence of others beside
themselves. Not a more fortunate thing could have happened. Upon
examination, the boat was found to be of unusual length and breadth,
and amply sufficient to carry twenty men. It was quickly pushed back
into the stream.
“Come, tumble in and we’ll set sail,” said Seth.
The fugitives without any hesitation entered the boat, and Seth and
Haldidge, bending their shoulders to it, shoved it into the river, and
sprang in as it floated away.