SURROUNDED BY THE INDIANS
For the moment after James Morris made the announcement that he might
kill the Indian discovered by Henry in the bundle of skins, there was
silence on the part of the Indian chief outside the palisade of the
trading-post.
"My white brother is hard-hearted," said Rain Cloud at last. "Why must
there be trouble between us?"
"The trouble is not of my making," answered the trader. "Rain Cloud is
playing false. The Indian in the bundle was not drunk. Rain Cloud and
his warriors must go away. I have had my say."
"Rain Cloud will go away," answered the Indian, and turning he vanished
into the wilderness from whence he had come.
"Do you think he will really go away?" questioned Henry.
"I wish I could answer that question truthfully," said his uncle.
"Perhaps he will go--for fear we may kill our prisoner."
"Who is the prisoner?"
"Some kind of an under chief, by his outfit. He will not tell his name."
Jadwin was anxious to know the result of the conference, he having been
too far away to hear all that was said. The trader hurried to the old
hunter and explained the situation.
"Don't trust 'em," said Jadwin. "We've got to do our best to hold the
post till morning."
"I'd like to know how many of the enemy there are."
"No telling that, now."
With hearts that beat anxiously the men and Henry remained on guard,
moving from one part of the inclosure to another. Once Henry thought he
saw two warriors stealing along the frozen brook, but he was not sure.
"If they are going to do anything at all, they'll do it soon," thought
the youth. "It's too cold for them to stand around and do nothing," and
he slapped his hands to keep them warm.
An hour passed--a long time just then to those in the inclosure. Henry
was sleepy and gaped more than once. To keep himself awake he commenced
to walk briskly from one loophole to another.
"What's up, Henry?" called out his uncle.
"Trying to keep warm."
"This doesn't look like an attack," went on James Morris. "You can go
in for a few minutes and get warm, if you wish."
"All right, Uncle Jim. If you want me, call."
The fire in the main living room of the post had been stirred up and
Henry hurried inside, to enjoy the cheerful blaze. In one corner was
the Indian who had been discovered in the bundle--Mr. Morris having
brought him in to keep him from being frozen to death. He was tightly
bound and glared wickedly at the youth as he entered.
"Caught you nicely, didn't I?" said Henry.
"Let poor Indian go," said the red man.
"Not just yet."
Henry turned toward the fire and prepared himself a cup of hot coffee.
He had just taken one swallow of the beverage when there came a whistle
from outside, followed by a shot.
"The attack must be on," he muttered, and catching up his rifle he
darted away to where he had left his uncle. He found James Morris at
the gates, with one bar already down.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Quick, Henry, two of the men are outside--the redskins are after 'em,"
answered the trader.
There was no need to say more, and Henry leaped to pull away the other
bar. Only one gate was opened and through this dashed the two hunters
who had gone out in the morning after the deer. Then the gate was again
closed and barred.
"Jadwin fired the shot," said James Morris. "He saw the redskins coming
after these men. Are you hurt?" he questioned of the hunters who had
entered.
"Got a nip in the arm, that's all," answered one, Bill Lemington by
name, who had drifted to the post from the Mohawk Valley. "We had to
scoot for it though, I can tell you," he added, panting.
"We didn't see the red varmints until we were almost on top of them,"
said the second hunter, a tall, slim individual who rejoiced in the
name of "Peaceful" Jones, as he was such a fighter. Peaceful Jones came
from the South, and it was said upon good authority that he had once
fought seven Indians single-handed, and come out of the battle with
only three wounds, none of them serious. He was very meek usually, but
when aroused was a regular tiger for rage. On more than one occasion
Peaceful Jones had served as a guide to Sir William Johnson, the Indian
Superintendant.
"But how happened it that you were on the move at this hour of the
night?" questioned James Morris.
"We got wind that something was wrong about sundown, and we have been
trying to get in to tell you ever since," answered Bill Lemington. "We
made two attempts before, but thought the redskins too many for us.
I didn't think it best to risk an open fight, although Peaceful was
willing enough."
"There were only nine Injuns that we see," explained Peaceful Jones. "I
could have had a beautiful shot at two on 'em. But Bill wanted to come
in quiet-like if we could, so we done it. Any trouble here yit?"
"A little," and James Morris related how the Indian had been found in
the bundle. Both hunters laughed loudly and congratulated Henry on what
he had done. They were so accustomed to fighting that the thought of an
attack in the near future did not bother them.
From Jones and Lemington it was learned that the other hunters were
several miles away, but that six expected to return to the post by noon
of the next day, along with several of the friendly Indians.
"I know this Indian," said Lemington, on entering the living room of
the main building. "He is Black Ear, and he used to hang around the
trading-post run by Jean Bevoir."
"Then he must be one of Jean Bevoir's old tools!" cried Henry. "I'll
hate him worse than ever for that," he continued, thinking of the many
things the rascally French trader had done to cause the Morrises
trouble, and of how the unfriendly Indians had aided him in this work.
The slight wounds Jones and Lemington had received were attended to,
and then the whole party went on guard. Several Indians had shown
themselves, and Jadwin said he had wounded one of the number, although
how seriously he could not tell.
"The fellow staggered pretty well after I nailed him," said the
frontiersman. "But he got behind the trees and I couldn't see if he
fell or not."
"He must have been done for if you hit him," remarked Lemington, who
knew that Tony Jadwin was not the one to waste a shot, especially on an
unfriendly Indian.
Another hour went by, and it began to cloud over a little. Jadwin had
just gone to the house for a hot drink and now he set up a sudden shout.
"That prisoner is gone!"
"What's that?" came from James Morris, quickly.
"Your Injun's got away from you, Jim."
"You don't mean it!" ejaculated the trader. "Why, I tied him up good,
hands and feet."
"Some on them are reg'lar rattlesnakes fer crawling out o' cords," was
Peaceful Jones's comment. "The question is, whar did he go to?"
Several lanterns were lit and a search instituted, but nothing could be
found of the missing prisoner. The sudden turn of affairs worried Mr.
Morris a great deal.
"Do you think he is hiding around here, Uncle Jim?" asked Henry.
"It is possible--although I have looked everywhere. If he went over the
palisade it's queer some of us didn't see him."
"Is anything missing?"
"Yes, my old hunting knife, and that rifle Dave used to use before he
got his new one."
"We can be thankful that he didn't throw all the extra arms over the
stockade."
"Perhaps he was afraid of being seen. He may have slipped away under
our very noses."
"If he went out to join the others we'll be sure to hear from them
before the night is over," said Henry.
Black Ear had gone over the palisade less than ten minutes before. It
had been a hard task to release himself from his bonds and it had cost
him a badly skinned wrist. He had thought of little else but flight,
fearing the whites would come after him any instant, and had picked up
the old knife and gun only because they chanced to be handy.
Once outside, the Indian lost no time in joining Rain Cloud and the
others of the band to which he belonged. They were surprised to see him
and listened to his story with keen attention.
"They are now but five or six persons in the post," said Black Ear,
in his native tongue. "Perhaps on the morrow there will be a dozen or
more. Now is the time to strike."
"My brother is right," answered Rain Cloud. "We should have struck
before, but the trader threatened you with death. Now we are free to
act, and the sooner 'tis done, the more certain we are of victory."
All told, the Indians under Rain Cloud numbered twenty-two. They were
of several tribes, gotten together more for plunder than for the
purpose of aiding the conspiracy which will be described in detail
later on. Several of them had aided Jean Bevoir in the past, and had
heard from the rascally French trader that James Morris was rich and
had much of value stored at his trading-post.
The Indians consulted together and it was not long before their plan
for attack was complete. The band was to divide into two parts, one
under Rain Cloud and the other under Black Ear. Black Ear, with four
warriors, was to steal down to a point between the river and the brook
and make a demonstration there, as if to get into the grounds at that
point. As soon as those in the trading-post rushed forward in that
direction, the Indians under Rain Cloud were to make a rush for the
palisade close to the gates. As soon as some were over the palisade
they were to throw the gates open, thus letting in the others, and then
between both parties the whites were to be shot down or tomahawked as
speedily as possible.
The plan pleased all of the Indians present, and it took but a few
minutes to make up the two parties. Then Black Ear departed, making a
wide detour, so that his movements might not be witnessed by those at
the post. It was no easy task to get through the woods and down to the
river, but the red men thought nothing of this, their whole mind being
set on capturing the post.
"There is much of value there," said Black Ear. "I saw it with my own
eyes--rum, and tobacco, and furs, and great quantities of provisions."
His description was correct excepting for the rum. James Morris kept
but very little liquor on hand, and did not advocate its use excepting
in cases of necessity.
After the departure of Black Ear, Rain Cloud called the other Indians
together and made a fiery war speech to them.
"The whites are tired out with watching and they cannot shoot
straight," said he. "We shall win an easy victory. We have but to be
bold and before the sun rises the post shall be our own." And then he
added: "Spare them not, for if they be allowed to live it will be but
to tell tales about us--and that would cause trouble. A dead enemy can
tell nothing."