Riding the Flood
When the flood of foaming, seething water swept over Dick, Tom and Ben
and engulfed them, they thought at first that their time had come; but
Dick shouted; “Grab hold of a log and stick to it if possible.” Each
managed so to do and by holding to the logs tightly, they were born
along with the rushing flood. They swallowed a good deal of water but
escaped being drowned. As the boys disappeared beneath the onrush of the
torrent, the Indians standing on the edge of the precipice, gazed down
with a look of awe on their bronzed faces.
Onward down the gulch the boys were carried, however, with great speed,
and when they had gone what seemed like two or three miles from the
point where they had been overtaken by the flood, they came to a point
where the gulch split, becoming two gulches, one going off at right
angles while the other turned slightly to the left. As the one leading
to the right was wider, had lower banks and the water was not swirling
at such a terrible rate, the three youths were able to guide the logs
into the gulch on that side, and were soon being borne onward at a more
moderate pace.
Onward they were swept, until finally they suddenly shot out from the
mouth of the gulch and found themselves in a good-sized river.
They let go now their holds on the logs, swam to the shore and clambered
out upon the bank, which was low and sloping, and dropping down on the
sand, they lay there, panting and resting.
“Well, didn’t that beat any experience that we have ever had since we
joined the patriot army?” cried Tom, presently, when he had become
rested and was breathing normally again.
“It wasn’t a very pleasing experience,” said Dick.
“I should say not,” remarked Ben.
“That torrent certainly carried us away from the vicinity of the
redskins very quickly,” said Tom.
“Yes, it did that much good, anyhow,” agreed Dick.
“I wonder where we are,” said Ben, presently.
“In the land of the living,” replied Tom, with a laugh. “And that is
more than I expected would be the case, an hour ago, when that torrent
struck us.”
The youths now doffed their outer garments, wrung them out and spread
them out to dry. By the time they were ready to wear, they themselves
were rested, and putting the clothing on again, they set out through the
forest, heading in a direction that would take them to about the same
point they were aiming for before they ran into the Indians.
Till evening they tramped along, and they were beginning to think they
would have to sleep out in the woods, when they caught sight of a light
ahead of them. The next moment they emerged into open country, and made
their way toward the light.
Presently they came to what looked like a fort, as seen in the
starlight, and they made out that there was a high stockade-wall around
the building.
“Well, I’m glad we’ve found some place to stay for the night, anyhow,”
suggested Tom.
“Who comes there?” cried a voice, from above their heads.
“Friends,” replied Dick. He did not know that the inmates of the fort
were friends, but he thought it likely they were patriots, and hoped
that such was the case.
“How many are there of you?” was the next question.
“Three.”
“Who are you? You are not British, and of course not Indians?”
“No, we are strangers, who were caught in the torrent from the
cloud-burst and have had a terrible time. Will you kindly let us in?”
There was the sound of low conversation, and then the voice spoke up
again:
“Yes, we’ll let you in.”
Then a few moments later they heard the squeaking of the gate as it was
opened and they hastened around there and entered the stockade.
The man that had admitted them, Mr. Holden, fastened the gate and then
said: “Come with me.”
He led the way into the fort, where the youths found themselves the
center of interest. The men, women and children of the families of the
settlers looked at the youths wonderingly and inquiringly.
“You are strangers, sure enough,” said Mr. Holden.
“Yes,” said Dick. “Are you folks patriots?”
Holden nodded. “We are,” he said.
“Good. I’m glad of that. We are patriots also, and members of the army
of General Greene, who is about one hundred miles north of here.”
“Ah, we are glad to hear that,” said Holden. “I wish that General Greene
would come down here and give the Indians a thrashing.”
“That is what he is figuring on doing if there is need,” said Dick.
“He sent us to do some scouting and reconnoitering,” put in Tom. “He had
heard that there were lots of Indians down here, and that they were
murdering patriots and burning their homes, and if we learned that this
was the case, he would come down here and put a stop to their work.”
“Well, you can return to him and tell him that his presence in this part
of the country is sorely needed. The Indians are pillaging and burning
homes, and they have committed a number of murders. They attacked us,
here in Peaceful Valley, this afternoon, and drove us to the shelter of
this fort and then burned our houses.”
“That was bad,” said Dick.
“Yes, but they were overtaken by the flood, while they were sitting on
the ground, about halfway between here and the mouth of the gulch, and
three of them were struck by logs and knocked senseless, and were
drowned.”
“That was good,” said Tom, his eyes shining.
“We were in the flood, too, as we told you before you let us in,” said
Dick. “We were chased by Indians, and were trying to escape. We swung
down on the end of a tall tree, and dropped into the gulch, then
suddenly a torrent came rushing down upon us and bore us a considerable
distance before emptying into a river several miles from here. We swam
ashore, dried our clothes and then came here.”
“You were fortunate, in that you were not hit by any of the logs,” said
Mr. Perkins.
“Yes, so we were,” said Dick. “We grabbed hold of logs, and kept from
being swept underneath the water and drowned.”
There was some further talk, and then the youths were given something to
eat, after which all settled down to take matters as easy as possible.
The settlers rather expected an attack, but were prepared to offer
battle, and did not doubt but what they could drive the redskins away,
unless they came in much stronger force than when they made the attack
in the afternoon.
Dick asked the settlers many questions, and gained a good knowledge of
the situation in that part of the country. He learned that Ninety-Six
was garrisoned by about five hundred British and Tory soldiers, and that
they were inciting the Indians to attack the patriot settlers, and when
he had gathered all the information possible, Dick said that he would
take his leave about midnight and start northward to carry the report to
General Greene.
“Hadn’t you better let me take the news to General Greene, Dick?” said
Ben. “You might be able to do good work here, scouting and spying on the
Indians, redcoats and Tories.”
“No, I guess I will take the news to the general,” said Dick. “It is
going to be exceedingly dangerous getting back through the lines of the
Indians, and I have had more experience in woodcraft than you have, and
think I can slip through with greater ease and safety than you could.”
“I’ll go, Dick,” said Tom. “I can slip through the Indians’ lines, all
right.”
“No, you and Ben stay here,” said Dick. “I’ll take the news to General
Greene, and we’ll be back here pretty quick, with the army, and then the
redskins, redcoats and Tories will have to look out.”
“Good!” said Mr. Holden. “The quicker the soldiers get here, the better
it will be for the patriots in this part of the country.”
Shortly after midnight Dick said good-by to Tom, Ben and the settlers,
and passing out of the stockade he stole away in the darkness.