NEWS OF IMPORTANCE
When General Prideaux left Oswego for Fort Niagara he was well aware
that the French would more than likely make an attack on the new fort
Colonel Haldimand was building, consequently, he cautioned that officer
to be on his guard at all hours of the day and night.
But Haldimand needed no word of warning. His military training was of a
high order, and the very first thing he did before setting his men to
work to cut logs for the new fort was to have them arrange the pork
barrels, containing a large portion of their food, in a circle, and
outside of this lay a dense mass of brushwood in such a fashion that to
climb over or through it would be no easy task.
This "pork fort" as it was called later on, caused many a laugh, yet it
proved no mean defense, as we shall soon see. Behind the barrels
Haldimand planted such cannon as Prideaux had left him; and then went to
work to build the fort proper without loss of time.
The French came over the lake with as much secrecy as possible. In the
darkness they landed behind some brushwood and tall timber and took up
what they thought was a position of advantage.
The battle began the next day, while the English were hard at work
chopping down trees and cutting them up into proper sizes for the new
fort. A scout gave the alarm and this was immediately followed by
several shots from the French and the blood-curdling war-cry of the
hostile Indians.
Realizing at once that the enemy had tried to steal a march on him,
Haldimand ordered his command to stop work and make for the "pork fort."
Dropping their axes, the soldiers and pioneers seized their guns and ran
for the shelter of barrels and brushwood. Several were wounded, one
seriously, and seeing this, the command was given to fire in return, and
something of a pitched battle occurred. But the Frenchmen between the
English and the improvised fort were easily scattered, and then
Haldimand brought up his troops inside the barrel barricade and manned
his guns with such vigor that all of the enemy lost no time in seeking
the shelter of the forest so close at hand.
It was this first encounter which reached the ears of Henry and his
friends. By the time they were on shore the firing had ceased and utter
silence prevailed as they crept slowly forward in the direction of
Haldimand's command.
"Do you think it possible that the French have withdrawn?" asked Henry,
presently, as Barringford put up his hand as a signal to halt.
"I think they are up to some trick," was the low answer. "Hist! down
with ye!"
Barringford had seen a tall French soldier moving toward them. The
fellow was a sharpshooter and carried his rifle ready for immediate use.
The soldier was coming directly toward them and in a moment more Henry
felt they would be discovered. Then, without warning, Barringford leaped
forward like a lightning flash, caught the soldier by the throat, and
bore him to the ground.
Before Henry could recover from his bewilderment it was all over, and
the soldier lay flat on his back, for in going over his head had struck
on a sharp rock, rendering him unconscious. Barringford took the man's
gun and his ammunition box and handed them to the youth. "Now you're
armed as good as any o' us," he whispered. "It's lucky I cotched him
jest right, otherwise we might have had to do some powerful rasselin',
eh? Come."
Once again they moved forward, until they felt the barricade of pork
barrels could not be more than a hundred yards distant. Then a fresh
firing broke out on their left, and soon fifty or more French soldiers
hove into sight as they were making a detour from one side of
Haldimand's defense to the other.
"Come, we must get out of here!" shouted Barringford, and as the enemy
came closer, he fired at the leading soldier. Henry and Gangley also
emptied their pieces and three of the enemy went down, all badly
wounded.
Running with all possible swiftness, our friends soon reached a point
where they could see some of the pork barrels. Barringford held up his
hands and was recognized.
"Come in!" was the cry. "Don't stay out there!" And then the three went
forward again. But the French had also noticed them and half a score of
rifles were turned in that direction. Henry felt a bullet sing
unpleasantly close to his head and then saw Barringford, who was close
beside him, stagger and go down in a heap.
"Oh, Sam!" he cried, in deep horror, "are you hit?"
There was no reply to this, and Henry saw the blood beginning to show
itself around the old hunter's neck. In desperation he caught up
Barringford's body and commenced to drag it to the entrance between the
pork barrels. Gangley assisted him and soon they were behind the
temporary shelter with their burden.
"I hope he isn't dead?" said Henry, as he surveyed the motionless form.
"Isn't there a surgeon handy?"
A medical officer soon appeared, and Barringford was carried to an
improvised hospital but a short distance away, and here the medical man
made a hasty examination.
"He isn't dead, but he's pretty hard hit," was the surgeon's conclusion.
"I'll do what I can for him. No, you can't help me. Better go to the
front and do your duty. There is no telling how strong the French are,
and if they defeat us, you know what we can all expect--a dreary life in
a Canadian prison--or worse."
There was no time to say more, for the shooting had now started up once
more. It came from three sides. The enemy remained hidden behind the
trees and it was only occasionally that the English could get a shot in
return.
"Will they make a general attack, do you think?" asked Henry, of
Gangley.
"That depends on how strong they are," was the reply.
It was a fearfully hot day and those behind the improvised
fortification suffered much both from heat and thirst. It was only
occasionally that a French soldier or an Indian showed himself and often
he was picked off before he could again find shelter.
Presently, about two in the afternoon, came a fierce yelling of Indians
to the west of the fort, and the redskins could be seen moving through
the forest, although they took care not to expose themselves too much to
an attack.
"They are coming!" was the cry.
But Haldimand was not to be caught by any trick, and he divided his
force, one half to meet the expected attack of the redmen and the others
to guard the side upon which the French were still located.
But the attack did not come off. Not over a score of redmen ran out into
the open, and when three of these were stretched lifeless by the
rangers, or the Royal Americans, as they were officially designated, the
remainder ran back with all possible speed.
After this came another lull, and Henry ran to where Barringford had
been placed. He found the old frontiersman propped up against some
brushwood, over which a pair of blankets had been spread. He tried to
smile at the youth.
"Got it putty bad," said Barringford, in a low voice.
"In--the--neck--can't talk."
"Then don't say another word, Sam," returned Henry tenderly. "I am glad
to learn it's no worse. You keep quiet. I reckon we are safe, so far;"
and that was all that was said between them.
"He'll be all right in a few days," said the surgeon. "But he had a
narrow escape. Had the bullet cut in half an inch deeper it would have
gone through his windpipe."
Slowly the hours dragged by after this, with only an occasional shot.
But now Haldimand was laying his plans for moving on the enemy. Some
guns were brought into play on a certain bit of forest before the pork
barrel fort and when these were discharged the cries that followed told
that the French had been taken by surprise.
"They are running for their boats!" was the announcement, a little while
later. "They are on the retreat!"
A cheer went up at this announcement, and regardless of orders some of
the rangers leaped out over the barrels and brushwood and made after the
French, who seemed to have suddenly become panic-stricken.
It was seen that La Corne was indeed retreating. The French soldiers and
the Indians were running in all directions, and in the excitement a
dozen or more were sent sprawling on the shore.
"After 'em! After 'em!" was the cry. "Don't let 'em escape!" And then
came the rapid crack-cracking of guns and rifles and long pistols and
thirty of the enemy were killed and wounded. La Corne was struck among
the number, but not seriously wounded.
With the rangers who left the fort was Henry, and soon he and Gangley
and four other pioneers were hurrying after a number of Indians who were
fleeing up the lake shore. These were the redmen who had made Henry a
prisoner and he was anxious to "square accounts" with them.
The Indians had three canoes secreted in the bushes and they were
anxious to gain possession of the craft. After a swift run of ten
minutes they came in sight of the spot where the canoes were located.
But now the rangers opened fire on them and two of the Indians went
down, both wounded. The Indians returned the fire with a rifle shot and
several arrows, but nobody was struck.
"They shan't git away so easy!" cried Gangley, and as the redmen leaped
into their canoes, he opened fire again. The others reloaded with all
speed, and a volley was delivered as the light craft shot out into the
lake. One more redman was brought low and fell into the water with a
loud splash, and then the canoes drew out of range with all possible
speed.
The Indian who had fallen into the water was a stranger to Henry. He was
not seriously wounded and not wishing to drown, came ashore, although
evidently in terror of the whites.
"Don't shoot him!" cried Henry, as two of the others leveled their guns.
"Why not?" drawled one of the rangers. "Reckon as how he desarves it,
don't he?"
"I want to question him."
In a few minutes more the Indian was a prisoner, and then the rangers
turned their attention to the pair that lay wounded some distance back.
One was dying, but the other suffered only from a slight wound in the
leg. The dying redman was left where he had fallen and the others were
taken back to the fort.
It was not until some time later that Henry got a chance to question the
captured Indians. One could speak fairly good English but it was only
with difficulty that the young soldier could make him tell anything
concerning the Indians in general and the prisoners they were holding.
But after Henry had taken the trouble to dress the wounded one's hurt
and had supplied him with water and food, the redman's tongue became
loosened, and he listened to what Henry had to say with increased
interest.
"Yes, Missapaw has seen the little girls," he said. "Two are of the same
birth, and the other is called 'Nell.'"
"And where are they now?" demanded Henry, eagerly.
"They are with some Indians and some French traders, in the west--at the
mighty fall of waters."
"You mean Niagara Falls?"
The Indian nodded.
"And who are the French traders?"
"Missapaw knows but one of them--a trader of the Kinotah."
"What, you don't mean Jean Bevoir?" cried the young soldier.
"Yes, that is his name."
"And they are helping the Indians to hold the little girls captive. What
is their object?"
"To make the little girls' fathers pay well for the return of the little
ones," was the answer.