"Not if they return to their duty," he answered.
"Then I think I can lead you to where they are," said Maysotta. "I
observed the light of a small fire reflected in the sky some little way
from this, and I feel sure that it must have been kindled by the men you
speak of."
"At all events, we will approach cautiously," said the lieutenant. "If
my men are there, we shall have no difficulty in recovering them; or
should the fire prove to be at the camp of hostile Indians, we shall be
able to retreat unobserved."
Maysotta had no fear on the latter point, and advising us to picket our
horses where we then were, she led the way towards the point she had
described. In many places the thick foliage prevented the moonbeams
from penetrating through the forest, and we could with difficulty
distinguish the figure of our conductress, at so rapid a rate did she
glide on through the forest.
"I hope that the girl is not deceiving us," observed the lieutenant.
"Is it not possible that she may have been sent merely to beguile us
into an ambush?"
"I do not think that at all likely," I answered. "There can be no doubt
that she is the daughter of whom Winnemak told my sister Clarice, and
that she has heard all about us from her father. She is thus anxious to
render us any service in her power."
Maysotta, hearing us talking, stopped, and putting her finger to her
lips, made us understand that we must be silent. She then moved forward
again, at a slower pace, keeping close in front of us. After going a
little farther, I observed the faint glare of a fire reflected on the
loftier boughs of the trees. As we advanced it grew brighter and
brighter, some of the rays penetrating even through the bushes which
concealed the fire itself.
Maysotta now touched my arm, and pointing to the fallen trunk of a tree,
observed, "Creep up there, and you will ascertain whether those are the
people you are in search of."
We cautiously made our way towards the point indicated; but even before
we could lift our heads to look over the fallen trunk, the sound of
Barney Gillooly's jovial voice reached our ears, accompanied by Klitz's
guttural notes.
The lieutenant was about to spring over the trunk and seize hold of the
deserters at once, but I held him back.
"Let us see what the fellows are about," I whispered; and we crept
closer, keeping ourselves concealed by the bushes.
Gillooly and Klitz were seated on the ground opposite each other, with
the fire between them. The Irishman was holding up a piece of venison,
which he had just cooked, at the end of a stick, while Klitz held
another piece to the fire.
"Arrah! now, this illigint piece of meat will be enough to last us until
we stop again for the night!" exclaimed Gillooly. "I'll race you now,
and see who can get his whack down the fastest. If I win, you must hand
over to me what remains of yours; and if you win, you shall have the
remainder of my whack."
"Dat would not be fair," answered Klitz. "You got big mout and short
body, and can stow away much faster dan I. You eat your breakfast as
fast as you like, but let me take mine at my ease."
"Arrah! thin, here goes," cried Gillooly; and he began gnawing away with
right good will at the _lump_ of venison.
It was pretty evident that either he or Klitz must have managed to kill
a deer, judging from the ample supply of meat they appeared to possess.
Their rifles lay at a little distance, and close to their wheel-barrow,
which seemed to be well loaded. There was no danger, therefore, of
their firing at us before they discovered who we were; and, besides,
they were not likely men to offer any determined resistance.
We amused ourselves for some little time in watching them; and certainly
no two individuals could have afforded a greater contrast. Gillooly
went on eating, laughing, and drinking, diverting himself by quizzing
his saturnine companion, who replied only occasionally, and in
monosyllables.
"We have had enough of this," at length whispered the officer to me.
"If you will seize the Irishman, I will manage the Dutchman. Hold your
pistol to Gillooly's head, and he will be as quiet as a lamb. I will
treat Klitz in the same way."
To bound over the trunk was the work of a moment, and the two deserters,
greatly to their astonishment and dismay, found themselves in our power,
without any hope of escape.
"Where were you going, you rascals?" exclaimed the lieutenant.
"Sure, your honour, a military life disagreed intirely wid me health,
and I thought it best to take French leave, to save me comrades the
trouble of burying me," answered Barney. "Sure, I niver dreamed of
deserting."
"And you, Mr Klitz, what have you to say?" asked the lieutenant.
"Dat I could not let dis fellow, like one big baby, go alone," answered
the German; "so I went to take care of him."
There was no use in bandying words just then, so the lieutenant ordering
Klitz to take up the muskets, and Gillooly, as before, to trundle the
wheel-barrow, we set off, guided by Maysotta, for the Indian camp.
We found but few persons in the camp, and these chiefly women and
children,--the men having accompanied their chief. From the assurances
Maysotta again gave us, we were convinced of the danger to which our
friends were exposed. The lieutenant accordingly at once decided to
leave the baggage-mules behind, and, as the Indians could supply us with
a couple of horses, to mount our two men, and return at full speed to
the farm.