Words cannot picture the amazement and delight of the little company in
the cavern, when their strange visitor, who descended so suddenly upon
them, was recognized as Fred Godfrey.
Mr. Brainerd, when the fortunate shot was fired some time before, felt
just the faintest suspicion that it might be his son; but he said
nothing to the others, through fear of exciting hopes that could only be
disappointed.
Maggie, herself, thought of Fred, and prayed that it might be he; but
she, too, held her peace--and now here, was her daring brother among
them.
It required but a few minutes, after greeting his relatives, to tell of
his extraordinary escape from Queen Esther, and his prolonged hunt for
his friends. From what passed between him and Mr. Brainerd while making
their way up the western shore, he suspected that when he should join
his family, some such manner of flight would be adopted.
He knew of this romantic place in the rocks, but it never occurred to
him until after he had wasted considerable time in hunting for traces of
them.
He had visited the spot more than once in his hunting excursions through
the Wyoming Valley, and it did not take him long to learn the condition
of affairs.
He conducted this delicate business with such skill that his presence
was never suspected by his enemies, and he did his utmost to keep it
concealed. He ventured on one or two signals, with a view of apprising
Mr. Brainerd of his proximity, but, if that gentleman heard him, he
suspected the calls were made by the Indians, and therefore paid no
attention to them.
Understanding the peril which threatened his friends, Fred extended
himself on the rocks above the cavern, and held the gun that he had
taken from the dead body of a soldier, pointed toward the spot.
Just before he was ready, Mr. Brainerd shot the warrior, and then Fred
leveled his piece for the next one. Thus it was that, instead of one
rifle, there were two aimed at the second savage, and when the first
flashed in the pan, the other completed the business.
This was providential, but Fred was wise enough to see that nothing like
permanent safety could be gained by that kind of defense.
He ventured on another reconnoissance, and it was while he was thus
engaged that Gravity Gimp emerged from the cavern, and walked straight
into the trap set for him.
"How was it you managed to get down here?" asked Mr. Brainerd.
"I used a grape-vine," replied Fred; "it took me a considerable while to
arrange it, and I came near slipping my hold and dropping to the bottom
of the ravine, as it was."
"Was it a wise proceeding?" continued the father.
"I hope so."
"Why did you not come down the regular path?" inquired Maggie; "Gravity
seemed to have no difficulty in going away by it."
"There must be at least half a dozen Indians up there; they could have
captured him without trouble, but they allowed him to get so far away
that they calculated you would not suspect the danger, and might try to
follow him, in which case every one of you would be in their hands this
minute."
This information was startling, and the listeners were silent. Fred
added:
"You can understand how great the risk was which I ran, and it is hard
to explain why they didn't discover what I was doing."
"Perhaps they did."
"They would have fired on me had they known it; but there is so much
deep shadow above, and they were so unsuspicious of any such proceeding,
that I succeeded."
"It was a daring act, indeed, but what is to be the issue?"
"I saw that it would not do for you to remain until morning. If
to-morrow's sun finds you here, you are doomed. You have no means of
obtaining any food or water, and they can converge a dozen rifles on
you, for they will gain the position from which we kept them a while
ago."
"They have already done so," said Mr. Brainerd. "I saw, and was unable
to prevent them."
"That settles the matter, then; we must get out of this place within the
next two hours, and be well on our way toward the Delaware by daylight.
We can't venture up the path, and, therefore--hello! What's that?"
In taking a backward step at that moment, Fred placed his foot directly
on the stomach of Habakkuk McEwen, who lay flat on his back, sound
asleep.
The New Englander emitted a groan, and sprang to his feet.
Several minutes passed before everything was understood.
Fred apologized, and shook hands with him, as well as he could in the
gloom, and Habakkuk then became a listener to the all-important
conference that followed.
Fred, in making his reconnoissance, had discovered that Jake Golcher was
the leader of the Indians.
The coolness with which Fred Godfrey discussed the situation had the
effect of inspiring his friends with something of his courage.
He stood erect while talking, and Maggie leaned on one arm, while Eva,
fully awake now, clung to the other side. Even Aunt Peggy relaxed from
her usual reserve, and only expressed displeasure when the young man
said that he saw Golcher and failed to shoot the "scand'lous villain."
Habakkuk possessed sense enough to take no part in the conference,
feeling that he had forfeited all consideration in such a matter.
"The moon is working around in the sky," said Mr. Brainerd, "so that I
am afraid we shall not have the shadow until morning."
"Consequently we must not wait; nothing is to be expected from Gimp, and
we may as well venture at once."
There could be no disputing this decision, and all waited for Fred to
make known his plan.
It was very simple, though of course attended with peril: he proposed
that the grape-vine which had served him so well should now be used to
assist each to the bottom of the ravine, where, in the deep shadow that
prevailed, they would do their utmost to steal out into the open wood,
and so pass over the mountain.
It seemed impossible to do this without detection from the Indians, who
were besieging the fugitives, but desperate as was the risk, no one
hesitated. In fact, Habakkuk McEwen proposed that he should go first.
"I can look around and see whether everything is all right; and if it
isn't, I'll let you know, and you needn't come."
"Instead of being the first, you'll be the last," said Mr. Brainerd,
curtly.
Habakkuk thought it not worth while to argue the matter, and he replied
not to the severe stricture of the elder.
Fred Godfrey now ventured to the mouth of the cavern, where the vine was
still dangling, the lower end being invisible in the darkness below.
From the platform in front of the cavern to the bottom of the ravine was
something like twenty feet--not a very great distance, but too great
for any one to let himself drop to the flinty floor below.
"The end of the support reaches half-way," said Fred, "and each must
fall the remaining distance. If we are all careful, no harm will be
done."
"Is it securely fastened above?"
"It would not have sustained me were it not. There is one thing that
must be borne in mind," added Fred, speaking to all, "and that is, that
no matter what happens, no noise must be made. The least exclamation
will be heard by the Indians, some of whom are probably still at the
upper end of the path, and if they suspect what is going on, failure is
certain."
All were so desirous of leaving the place without delay that the
directions of Fred seemed almost superfluous.
When the young man was about to lower himself by the vine, Brainerd
touched his arm and said:
"My recollection of that ravine below is that there is no way out of it;
why not, therefore, climb upward instead of going down?"
"It won't do; the only ones in this party beside myself who could reach
the top in that fashion are Maggie and Eva. With your age, you couldn't
draw yourself half-way up, even with help."
As silently as a shadow, the young patriot drew in the crooked vine
which still dangled in front of the opening, and, flinging his gun back
of his shoulder, where it was held in place, he grasped the support. The
next minute those standing in the gloom behind him observed the dark
figure, with legs drawn up, slowly descending, as if he were going down
a well.