ON THE RIVER.
After the unceremonious flight of Mr. Perkins, the whites gathered
around the Mohawk and expressed a fear that their little joke had
resulted in the loss of the boat which the frightened settler was about
to place in their possession. But the Indian assured them there was no
loss on that account, as he knew the precise point where, if there was
any boat within reach, it would be found. He proved the truth of what he
said by leading them to the shore of the river, where, sure enough, the
very thing for which they were looking was discovered.
"I feel like forgiving Ike for all those tremendous yarns he told us,"
said Clinton, when the prize was found.
"Well, I don't think he has suffered any harm beyond a good scaring,
which he deserved," added Rosa, who enjoyed the discomfiture of the
settler as much as did the Mohawk himself.
When they came to examine the vessel more carefully, however, there was
some disappointment; for, instead of being a neat, clean canoe, like the
one in which the girl had spent a portion of the day, it was a very
ordinary structure, known along the rivers of the eastern part of the
country as a "scow," and which under any circumstances was incapable of
any speed. It was not propelled in the same manner as a canoe, the only
implement being a long pole, so that if they should happen to get beyond
their depth, they would be totally at sea. The only good quality it
appeared to possess was that it was perfectly tight,--a quality not
often seen in crafts of its class,--and the bottom was without a drop of
water. Ned and Jo were so disappointed in the boat that they proposed,
in the same breath, that they should look further before making the
attempt to reach the other side.
"Suppose we were seen by Colonel Butler or any of his men," said Jo. "We
would be at their mercy. It strikes me as very likely that we may
encounter them, and what will we do, with nothing but a pole to push the
old thing through the water?"
"I am of the same opinion," said Ned. "It will be a hard task to work
our passage over, any way, not to mention the danger of being seen by
some of the Iroquois. What do you think, Rosa?"
"I don't fancy a voyage in such a vessel; but the river is not very
wide, and I am afraid that if we stop to hunt up another, to-morrow
morning will find us on this side of the Susquehanna."
While these words were passing between the three, the Mohawk stood
somewhat apart, silent, grim, and listening. He appeared interested in
what was said, but showed no inclination to say anything until directly
appealed to.
"Are you satisfied to trust yourself in such a craft?" asked Jo, as he
faced the silent one. "Tell us what you think of it."
They were now entirely out of the forest, so that the faint light of the
moon enabled them to see each other's faces quite well. When Lena-Wingo
was appealed to, it was natural that the others should look him full in
the face and, as they did so, each saw the old grin with which they were
becoming so familiar.
"Lena-Wingo say nothing," was the unexpected reply of their guide, who
still leaned on the pole as if waiting for the others to finish their
discussion and enter the boat.
"But you must say something," persisted Jo; "you don't suppose we are
going to let our haste to cross blind us to the means we use."
"If want to go over t'other side, Lena-Wingo push over--if don't want to
go in boat, Lena-Wingo wait and get t'other boat."
This answer was hardly more satisfactory than the first, and Jo refused
to accept it as an answer at all.
"We aren't going to let you get out that way," continued the young
scout; "we want a reply to the question I put to you."
Without relaxing the broad grin on his painted face, the Mohawk said:
"Lena-Wingo take over in this boat, if want to go."
Jo was half angry, and was on the point of saying something impatient,
when his sister interfered.
"Lena-Wingo has answered your question, Jo; he says that he will take us
across in this boat, if we want him to, and I'm sure that is as plain
an answer as any one could ask for."
"It isn't as clear as I want, but if you are satisfied I'm certain that
Ned and I are also, and have nothing more to say."
"I am not afraid to trust myself in this boat with him, for I am
convinced he wouldn't undertake it if he wasn't confident he could
accomplish the voyage. So go ahead, Lena-Wingo, for there has been so
much delay that we'll never get across if we wait much longer."
This settled the question, and the preparations for the embarkation
followed immediately. The scow was shoved off a little from the shore,
so that the combined weight would not make it too difficult to move it.
Then Rosa took her place in the furthest part, and her brother and lover
did the same. Lena-Wingo waited till all had arranged themselves, when
he forced the craft clear of the land, and sprang lightly into it, as it
was still moving away into the stream.
The handling of a pole is not an occupation to which the Indians, as a
general thing, are trained, and it was not to be expected that the
Mohawk would display anything like the skill which he possessed in the
management of the paddle. But Lena-Wingo was one of those individuals,
occasionally seen, who seem to take naturally to any kind of physical
exercise, and he controlled the rather awkward implement in a way that
excited more than one commendatory remark from the two youths who were
watching him.
This species of craft is intended for water close to the land, and
always where it is shallow, so that the redman was under a disadvantage,
even with all his skill. As the pole was long enough to touch the bottom
in any portion of the stream, there was no fear that he would not reach
the other shore, provided he was not disturbed by his enemies; but when
his companions reflected on what might take place, in case they were
forced to resort to anything like a contest with the Iroquois, they
could not but shudder, and regret that the start was made.
They had hardly left the land behind them when, as if by a common
impulse, all three of the whites turned their heads and gazed doubtfully
at the shore they were approaching. In the gloom of the night it could
not be seen at all, a dark wall seeming to shut it from view. As the
water deepened, the current became swifter and the task of managing the
unwieldly craft more difficult, though it was hard to see how any one
could have done better than the Mohawk.
It was impossible to cross in anything like a direct line, and it was
found that they were drifting rapidly down stream. Still, Lena-Wingo
persevered in his calm, unexcited way until the middle of the river was
nearly reached, when it struck both the young scouts that it was hardly
the thing for them to sit idle in the boat while he was toiling so
manfully to work his way over. Ned whispered to Jo that he meant to take
a hand at the pole.
"Do so," whispered his friend back again, "and when you are tired, I
will try it, for it will tire us all pretty well before we make the
other shore. I am sure you can do as well as he."
Ned arose at once, and stepping across the length of the swaying craft,
reached out his hand for the pole.
"Let me help you, Jack; there is no need of wearying yourself out when
we are doing nothing."
Ned expected that the Mohawk would refuse to let him interfere, but, to
his surprise, he assented at once.
"Take him--he ain't a paddle," replied the redman, passing the implement
over to him.
"You are right on that point," laughed the youth as he accepted it from
him, and almost immediately found the truth of the declaration verified
in his own experience.
They were in deeper water than they supposed, the depth having increased
very rapidly in the last few minutes. But Clinton went at the work
manfully, with the determination to do all he could for the "good of the
cause."