CHAPTER III
DISCOVERY AND PURSUIT
It must be confessed that both youths were thoroughly alarmed, and withgood reason. Since Braddock's defeat they had heard of the uprising ofthe Indians at Nancoke, Lusher's Run, Willowbury, and several othersmall settlements, and had heard of the murder of several Germanfamilies twenty-five miles to the north of Will's Creek fort, and themurder of Lee Cass, and his wife and four children, thirty miles downthe valley. The outbreaks had not resulted from any united efforts onthe Indians part, but there was no telling how soon the different tribeswould dig up the war hatchet and descend upon all the frontiersettlements in force and simultaneously.
From the top of the hill Henry had expected to go straight home, butthis course would necessitate the crossing of a clearing quarter of amile in extent and such a path he now deemed unwise to take.
"If they are following us, it will be dead easy for them to spot us inthe open," he said. "We had better stick to the forest. Of course theycan follow the trail of the drag easily enough, but I hate to think ofgiving up so much meat,--after we had such a journey to bring it down."
"Don't let's give it up yet," pleaded Dave. The deer was the largest hehad yet laid low, and he was correspondingly proud of the showing."Perhaps they aren't after us at all."
On they went, traveling as fast as their somewhat tired limbs permitted.There was another rise to cross, beyond which was a watercourse leadingdown to the rear of their homestead.
"I think I know where there is a rough raft to be found," said Henry."And if I can find it, we can place the deer on that and tow them home.We may get wet, but it will be easy work and we can make quicker timethan over the ground."
"Right you are, Henry, and remember, water leaves no trail," respondedDave.
They were soon at the side of the stream, which at this point wasseveral feet deep and five to ten yards wide. The banks were thicklyoverhung with bushes, now, however, bare of leaves. At one spot was aninlet and here Henry pointed out the raft he had mentioned, a crudeaffair of four short logs lashed together with willow withes.
"We can pull that with ease," said Dave, as he surveyed the affair."Come, let us dump the deer aboard at once. We can wade along the bankand----."
He broke off short and clutched his cousin's arm. His glance had strayedup the stream to a bend several rods away and there he had seen the prowof an Indian canoe and the headgear of several painted warriors.
"By ginger! More Indians!" ejaculated Henry, and both dropped flat ontop of their dead game. "How many did you see, Dave?"
"Three or four,--and there are several more!"
"Yes, and they are in their war-paint! Dave, do you know what I think?"
"That they are on the war-path? Oh, Henry, if that is so----." Dave didnot finish, but looked anxiously at his cousin.
"If that is so, it means that every homestead for miles around is indanger. And we haven't a single soldier within fifty miles!" added theolder youth, with almost a groan.
All the while they were talking they kept their eyes on the Indians, andthey now saw the redmen come out on the stream and cross to the sidethey occupied. Then of a sudden the warriors sent up a shout calculatedto strike terror to their hearts.
"They have discovered us! They are after us!" burst from Dave's lips."What shall we do?"
"We've got to run for it," was Henry's answer. "Hurry up, before it'stoo late."
"But the deer----."
"We'll have to let them go. Come!"
Side by side they darted into the forest back of the watercourse andmade their way with all possible speed between bushes, trees and rocks.There was no trail and neither knew exactly where he was going. OnceDave tripped on some roots and pitched headlong, but he picked himselfup in a hurry and, panting for breath, kept on as before.
The retreat of the two young hunters came none too quick, for scarcelyhad they reached the shelter of the wood when several of the Indians letfly with their arrows, one of which almost clipped Henry's shoulder.This fixed the situation beyond all dispute.
"They are on the war-path, or they wouldn't fire on us," said Dave. "Areyou winged?"
"No, but it was a pretty close aim. Who can they be?"
"I believe they are some of Fox Head's dirty band. If they catch us Ibelieve they'll kill us."
"Or keep us to torture," answered the older youth. "But they are notgoing to catch us if I can help it--and I think I can."
While the two were talking they sped on and on, deeper and deeper intothe forest. Both wished to turn in the direction of home, but did notdare do so, fearing the Indians would be waiting to head them off.
At the start the shouts of their pursuers had sounded unpleasantly closebut now they died out utterly. But whether the redskins had given up thechase or were coming on in silence they could not tell.
"I don't think they'll give up so quick," was Henry's comment, as theypaused a few seconds to get their breath. "I reckon they've found itdoesn't pay to yell. We may get another volley of arrows before we knowit."
Once more they went on. Their course was now in a wide semi-circle,calculated to bring them up in the clearing on the east side of theirhomestead.
"We'll pass Uriah Risley's new cabin," said Dave. "It is our duty towarn him of this danger. He isn't much of an Indian hunter, and if theredskins come here he and his wife will be at their mercy."
Uriah Risley was an Englishman who had settled in the vicinity with hiswife several years before. When Dave was once on a trip to Annapoliswith his uncle the two had stopped at Risley's home and been agreeablyentertained. Since that time, the Englishman, having grown moreaccustomed to pioneer life, had moved further westward and built himselfa cabin twice as large as that previously occupied. But though the manwas a good farmer and wood cutter, he was a poor marksman and hunter,and both he and his wife lived in dread of large wild animals andunfriendly Indians.
As said before, night was coming on, and under the lofty trees it wasdark. They had now to pick their way with care, for fear of falling intosome dangerous hole. Half a mile more was covered when Henry called ahalt. Dave was glad of this for he had stepped on a loose stone but amoment before and given his ankle a nasty twist.
"I'm wondering which is the most direct road to Risley's," said theolder youth.
"I believe that is the direction," answered Dave, pointing with hishand.
"I reckon you are right, Dave. And how far do you calculate we are fromhis cabin?"
"The best part of a mile."
"I agree again. Let us take a direct course. The Indians must be far tothe rear--if they haven't given up the chase altogether."
A few minutes later they were again tearing their way through theforest, the growth being here so thick they could scarcely pass.Overhead a slight breeze was blowing, but they felt little of this. Farto the westward the sun was slowly sinking behind the mountains, castinglong shadows across the tree-tops. Here and there the night birds weretuning up, but otherwise all was as quiet as a graveyard.
The coming of night, and the gravity of their situation, made the boysthoughtful, and for a long while not a word was spoken. Henry wasthinking of his parents and his sister and brother, and wondering ifthey were yet in peril, while Dave's thoughts turned to his father, whohad said that morning that he intended to go to Will's Creek fort onbusiness. Was his parent at the fort, and would the soldiers there getnews of the coming Indian raid?
Both of the young hunters were thus deep in thought when Henry espied alight directly in front of them. They had just come over a rise ofground and found the light in a hollow between several rocks. It was anIndian encampment, and around the blaze were seated fully a score ofwarriors, smoking their long pipes, and listening to the speech beingmade by a tall chief who stood in their midst.
"More Indians!" muttered Henry, and threw himself flat. "Theneighborhood seems to be full of them. Dave, this means an awfuluprising! We must get back as fast as we can and warn everybody!"
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sp; "I have seen some of those Indians before," whispered the younger youth."They were in the band that attacked the trading post while father cameon here. They belong to Fox Head's band and I believe that is Fox Headhimself addressing them, for he had a fox's head trailing over hisshoulder, and a fox brush among his head feathers. I'd like to shoot himwhere he stands. He deserves it,--for all he has done to injure us." AndDave gave his gun a sudden tight clutch which was very suggestive.
"No! no!" interposed his cousin. "If you dropped him the whole packwould be on us like so many wolves. The only thing we can do is to getaway and give warning. Let us crawl back to the other side of the riseand go around."
Without delay they started to do as Henry had advised. It was no easymatter, for the brushwood was thick and the rocks sharp and uneven. Theyhad not gone a distance of fifty feet when Henry struck a loose stoneand sent it bumping down over a dozen others.
Instantly half a dozen Indians leaped to their feet and the speech ofthe leading Indian came to a sudden end.
"The game is up!" cried Dave. "Let us run!" And run they did, as fast asthe darkness and the nature of the ground would permit. The Indians cameafter them, calling on them to halt and then sending forth severalarrows and a gun-shot, none of which, however, took effect.
"We are in for it now!" panted Dave, as they came to a halt in a smallclearing, hedged in on all sides by rocks and dense thickets. "I'm sureI don't know how to turn, do you?"
"If it comes to the worst, we can take a stand against these rocks,"answered his cousin, grimly. "But, come, I think I see an opening."
He moved over to the rocks and stepped cautiously into the darkness.There was an opening they had not noticed before, a crevice several feetwide and both deep and long. Into this he squeezed, and Dave came afterhim. They pushed forward among the dead vines, leaves and rubbish for adistance of thirty feet, and then halted in what would have been a smallcave had it not been for the slit of an opening at the top. With batedbreath they waited, while their pursuers gradually grew closer.