UP AND DOING.
Worrell, the traitor, had been gone nearly an hour from the cavern in
which the three fugitives were sleeping, when Rosa Minturn awoke, no
doubt because she was not so much in need of sleep as the others, and
held a lingering suspicion of the loyalty of the man who had brought
them to the retreat. This distrust went to sleep with her, but it is a
peculiarity of the mind that the emotions which have been with us
through our waking hours frequently remain with us when we are wrapped
in slumber. It is as if the innumerable train that is forever wending
its way through the mysterious labyrinths of the brain repeats the
procession, and those which affected us the most strongly when in
command of our senses often do the same when we are unconscious. But
without stopping to consider the question, suffice it to say that at the
time mentioned Rosa opened her eyes in full possession of her
faculties, and with the impression that the man Worrell was an enemy
instead of a friend.
She did not move at first, supposing he was still within the cavern;
but, as she peered cautiously around the dimly lighted space, she saw
only the forms of her two sleeping friends. The fact at once deepened
the suspicion, and caused her great distress of mind, for all doubt of
the hostility of the man was removed upon making the discovery. Still
she supposed it possible that he was close at hand, and waited several
minutes to see whether he reappeared; but her condition of mind was such
that every second of delay caused her increasing uneasiness.
"I am sure he has gone to tell Colonel Butler and the Indians where we
are," she said to herself, as she rose and walked to where her brother
was asleep.
Stooping over, she shook him by the shoulder until he opened his eyes
and, recognizing her, asked what the matter was.
"That man has gone."
"Where has he gone?"
"To tell the Indians we are here!"
Jo sprang to his feet.
"What are you talking about, Rosa? What do you mean?"
"Just as I say; he has gone to bring the Indians, and will soon be back,
too."
"How do you know that?"
"Don't ask me, but I _know_ what I say."
This was alarming news, and though Jo suspected his sister based all
upon her dislike of the man, without positive knowledge of the facts,
yet he was impressed with the belief that she had good cause for her
words.
"He may be on the outside, keeping watch," said the youth, after they
had talked over the matter. "Wait till I take a look. If he can't be
found, we'll awake Ned."
Jo crept out of the cavern dreading a hostile shot as he did so, and
made as thorough an examination of the surroundings as was possible. He
saw nothing of the man whom they missed, that individual at that moment
being a quarter of a mile or more away, holding his vehement argument
with Captain Bagley about the advance with the six Iroquois upon the
sleeping fugitives. His invisibility confirmed the young man in his
misgivings as to the treachery of the man.
"I have no doubt Rosa is right," he muttered, as he walked thoughtfully
back toward the cavern. "She was always quick to detect anything like
that, and it is strange that neither Ned nor I had any such thought. The
only thing that troubled us was whether we could convince Lena-Wingo we
did right in leaving the place where he left us. The thought never
entered our heads that there was anything of this kind in the wind."
He had reached the mouth of the cavern again, where his sister was
anxiously waiting him.
"Did you find anything of him?"
"No," he answered, with a shake of the head. "I believe you are right;
the man has gone off somewhere after his promise to keep watch over us
while we slept; that's enough for me. Is Ned awake?"
"Not that I am aware of."
"He must be aroused at once, for it will not do to stay here after what
has taken place."
Jo passed inside and awakened his friend, without pausing to be very
gentle as to the means. It took but a minute to make plain the trouble.
He became as alert and suspicious as they on the instant.
"There!" he exclaimed; "I had a suspicion when he came under the tree
that I had seen him somewhere."
"So had I, but I couldn't recall where and when it was."
"Don't you remember when the battle was going on the other day, we saw
one man among the Tories who was tomahawking the whites as savagely as
any of them?"
"Yes, I remember him well, but he didn't look like this fellow!"
"Not a great deal, that's true, but I believe it was he for all that."
Jo was silent for a moment, as if in deep thought.
"There was something about him that reminds me of this fellow, though
one had whiskers and the other had not, and it is hard to tell just how
they resemble each other."
The youths were more anxious to take themselves and Rosa away from the
cavern than they were to discuss the question, upon which they agreed
quite well. Hastily picking up their rifles, they passed outside. When
they found themselves within the shelter of the wood again, and beyond
the vision of any one who might approach the retreat, the relief was
inexpressible.
"We agree that the counsel of Rosa was wise," said Ned Clinton, as they
came to a halt, "but you see how it may be possible she was mistaken.
Now it won't do to go wandering too far from the place, for when the
Mohawk comes back and finds us gone he may not hunt for us."
"Why not, then, go back over the same route that we followed in coming
here?" asked Jo.
"That is what I would like to do, if it wasn't for the danger; it seems
to me that that is the path which Worrell will take when he starts for
the cavern again with his Indians, and we don't want to meet him face to
face, for we can do that by waiting in the cavern."
"I have it!" exclaimed Ned. "I will take the back trail alone, on the
lookout for the Mohawk and for the white man, too. What do you say?"
"And shall Rosa and I wait here till you come back?"
"That will be the safer plan, unless another Worrell comes along and
takes you away to a new cavern or hiding-place."
"We will be as safe here as anywhere," said Rosa, believing that her
opinion would have some weight in the matter.
"I suspect she is right," assented her brother. "If the Iroquois come to
the cavern and find we have left, they will think we have got as far
away as we can, and they won't be apt to look for us so close at hand;
and then, too, these stones over which we have traveled haven't left any
trail for them to follow."
"Which shows why you shouldn't go hunting for some other location,
unless the Indians happen to come so close that you can't help it, for
it will be impossible for me to hunt you up."
This was simple truth, and Jo promised that nothing should be done to
increase the difficulty of their speedy reunion, whenever his friend
should want to find him and Rosa again. The day was passing and it
seemed that they were trifling away the time which was so valuable to
all the fugitives. There was something, too, in the continued absence of
their guide, Lena-Wingo, that caused them uneasiness. They recalled that
he had promised a speedy return, and it was rarely that the Mohawk made
them a promise which was not fulfilled in spirit and letter.