CHAPTER XIII--SURPRISED
Shortly after dark the impatient young Delawares set out on theirperilous search for the Mohawk camp. When they reached the base of theridge they stopped to listen. Then, as they heard nothing to arousetheir suspicions, they climbed carefully up the steep brushy slope. Theywere almost at the top when Running Fox thought he heard somethingmoving through the bushes. They immediately dropped and lay close to theground. They waited a long time, but nothing appeared. At last theydecided that they had been needlessly alarmed, and they rose andcontinued up the ridge.
Once on top the Delawares' first thought was to look for the glow of theMohawk fires. When they failed to find them they began to lose hope. Itwas evident that the Mohawk camp was not where they had expected to findit.
"I do not see what I expected to find--it is bad," whispered SpottedDeer.
Running Fox made no reply. He appeared to be listening.
"That smoke must have been another signal," said Spotted Deer.
Running Fox still continued silent. He sat with his bow across hisknees, staring moodily into the night. Having been unable to draw himinto conversation, Spotted Deer, too, subsided into silence and waitedpatiently for Running Fox to announce a plan of action.
They sat there for a long time, and then they were suddenly roused bythe sound of a dog barking somewhere near the spot where they had lookedfor the Mohawk camp. Running Fox instantly became alert. CautioningSpotted Deer to silence, he listened eagerly. In a few moments thebarking changed to sharp cries of pain, and it was evident that theanimal had been cowed into silence. Then for a long time all was still.
"Now I know what I came here to find out," said Running Fox. "My earshave told me what my eyes could not see. Spotted Deer, the great Mohawkcamp is down there where we heard that dog."
"Where are the fires?" demanded Spotted Deer.
"Perhaps there are no fires," replied Running Fox. "Perhaps they arehidden by the trees. Perhaps the camp is closed in by high stakes. I donot know how it comes that we cannot see the fires, but I believe thecamp is there."
"Then we will go down there and find it," Spotted Deer proposed,impulsively.
"No, I have a different plan," Running Fox told him. "I am going downthere alone. I will look around. Then I will come back and tell youabout it. You must wait here."
"Running Fox, that is not a good thing to do," protested Spotted Deer."I must go with you. Perhaps you will get into a fight down there. Yes,I must be there to help you."
"Spotted Deer, I am the leader," Running Fox reminded him. "I am doingthis thing because it is the best way to go about it. If we both go downthere and get caught then there will be no chance to get away. If I godown there alone and get caught then you must get me out of it. I willnot go into the camp without you, but I must go and look around. It isthe only way to do. I will not talk any more about it."
"Running Fox, you say that you are the leader, it is true," repliedSpotted Deer. "Yes, I will do what you tell me to do. I believe it isthe best way."
"That is good," said Running Fox. "Now I will tell you somethingdifferent. If anything had happens to me down there I will make the callof Quenischquney, the panther. If you hear that then you must come downthere and do what you can. But perhaps you will get into danger. Thenyou must make the call of Quenisehquney. Then I will come to help you.Now I am going away."
"I will keep singing the sacred songs to help you," said Spotted Deer.
"Yes, that will be a good thing to do," agreed Running Fox.
A moment later he disappeared into the night. Running Fox moved down theridge with great caution, for he felt quite sure that Mohawk sentinelswere somewhere within bow-shot of him. He stopped many times to listen,but heard nothing to alarm him. When he reached the bottom of the ridgehe turned directly toward the place where he had heard the dog barking.As he advanced he kept a sharp watch for the warning glow of the Mohawkfires. The forest was very dense, however, and as he believed that theMohawk village might be walled about by a log stockade he had littlehope of discovering the fires. Then he thought of a better plan.Moistening one of his fingers, he raised it above his head and learnedthat what little wind there was came from the north. As he was travelingalmost due west, he made a wide detour to get the wind in his face. Soonafterward he saw the value of the wily maneuver, when the unmistakableodor of smoke was borne to his nostrils. It filled him with joy, for herealized that at last he had found an easy trail to the hostile camp.
Running Fox followed the tell-tale smoke scent with the eagerpersistence of a famished wolf. As long as the breeze held steady hehurried along with little fear of going astray. However, when the windweakened, or shifted, his task became more difficult. Under thoseconditions he invariably lost the trail, and was compelled to circleabout until he found it. Thus he felt his way toward his goal, until atlast he was halted by the familiar sounds from the camp itself. Hestopped and raised his eyes to Getanittowit.
"O Getanittowit, I have come near to the camp of my enemies, the proudand boastful Mohawks," whispered Running Fox. "O Getanittowit, I am ingreat danger. O Getanittowit, make me as sharp as Woakus, the fox, andas brave as Machque, the bear. O Getanittowit, take pity on me and helpme."
Having made this earnest appeal to Getanittowit, the Great One, thedevout young Delaware resumed his daring advance toward the Mohawk camp.As he neared it the sounds increased, and he knew that the villagecontained many people, The thought made him more cautious, and hestopped to reconnoiter. Running Fox felt sure that he was within a fewbow-shots of the village, and yet he could see no trace of it. Hescouted cautiously through the woods looking for it, but although thesounds warned him that the camp was dangerously close at hand the nighteffectually hid it from his sight.
"This comes of not following the advice of Gokhus, the Medicine Owl,"the superstitious young Delaware told himself. "Gokhus is the only onewho can see through the dark. Yes, if I had the skin of the great whiteMedicine Owl I believe I would be able to see this camp."
Nevertheless he determined to continue looking for the Mohawk village.He knew that to come within sight of the camp he must run the risk ofcapture and death, but he felt little fear. He believed thatGetanittowit would help him, and the assurance gave him courage. Headvanced, therefore, with every faculty keenly alert, determined toactually see the hostile camp before he thought of turning back.
Running Fox was moving slowly through the woods when he suddenly foundhimself on the edge of a large clearing. Corn and squashes were growingthere, and the Delaware instantly realized that he had found the Mohawkcamp. The thought set his heart beating wildly. Then he heard a numberof persons chanting a song, and looking toward the sound he saw a longhigh, shadow stretching across one side of the clearing. He knew at oncethat it was a log stockade enclosing the camp. He saw a pale yellow glowabove it, and he believed it came from the Mohawk fires.
Having finally got within arrow-range of his goal, Running Fox shrankback into the shadows of the forest, and looked upon the great Mohawkcamp with awe. For a moment or so it frightened him, and he foundhimself trembling with nervousness. It looked like a huge trap fromwhich it would be hard to escape. The thought weakened his confidence.He heard a dog barking, and he wondered if it had caught his scent. Heraised a moistened finger into the air to test the wind. It was in hisfavor, and he felt much relieved. A few moments afterward a small squareof light appeared in the long black wall. Something black flashed acrossit, and then the light vanished into the night. Running Fox wasperplexed. He wondered if it had been a signal of some sort. Perhaps hehad been discovered. The possibility brought sweat to his brow. For aninstant he thought of retreating. However, the very suggestion filledhim with shame. He asked himself if Running Fox, the son of the greatwar-chief, Black Panther, were a coward.
"No, I will not run away," he whispered, savagely. "I will stay here,and see what is going to happen to me."
Then, as he continued to watch the grim black outl
ine of the stockade,the square of light again appeared, and this time it was some momentsbefore it vanished. In the meantime a number of dark objects had flashedacross it. Running Fox was unable to explain it. It seemed as if it mustbe a signal to some one outside of the village. Still he could notunderstand how it was done. He knew that there was no fire outside ofthe stockade, else he would have seen the glare. Then where did thelight come from, and what made it? For a long time Running Fox wasunable to guess. At last, however, the truth flashed across his mind.
"Hi, now I know about it," he told himself.
"There is a hole in that log wall. Yes, some one pulled something away,and made it open. Then some one moved something across that place. Thensome one closed it up again, and made it dark. Pretty soon some oneopened it again. Then some one moved something across that place manytimes. Perhaps it was a signal."
Having guessed that much, it was only a few moments until thesharp-witted young scout learned the full truth. He realized that theopening must have been an entrance or door into the village, and thatthe mysterious black objects which had momentarily shut out the lightwere people either entering or leaving the camp. That, however, was theonly point about which he had any doubt. He would have given much toknow whether the people who had passed through the opening were warriorsreturning from the war-trail, or scouts going out to look for the enemy.Then, as a great commotion suddenly broke out in the camp, Running Foxbelieved that the answer had been given by the Mohawks themselves.
"Yes, I believe some warriors have come back from the fight with theShawnees," said Running Fox.
Each moment the noise increased, and it was evident that a celebrationof some sort was in progress. Then the glow above the stockadebrightened, and Running Fox believed that the fires were being rekindledin preparation for some important ceremony. The thought pleased him, forhe believed that with the Mohawks absorbed in celebrating a victory, itwould be easier to approach the village. Having discovered the entranceinto the camp, the reckless lad resolved to have at least one peep athis foes before he returned to Spotted Deer.
Running Fox waited until the noise indicated that the celebration waswell in progress, and then he moved toward the camp. He had carefullynoted the location of the opening in the stockade, but he feared toapproach it, for he knew that at any moment he might encounter some oneleaving the village. He turned toward the end of the stockade,therefore, and was almost within leaping distance of the camp when hewas halted by a challenge directly behind him. Acting upon the impulseof the moment, Running Fox stopped for an instant, and mumbled anunintelligible reply. Then, as the night hid the person who had hailedhim, he tried to hurry away. He planned to dodge around the end of thestockade and dash into the woods. The ruse failed, however, for thesuspicious Mohawk followed him. Aware that further attempts to deceivewould be useless, Running Fox ran off at great speed. The Mohawkimmediately raced after him, yelling at the top of his voice.
As Running Fox dodged around the end of the stockade he crashed into twoMohawks who were running up at the call of their tribesman. The surprisewas mutual, and all three fell to the ground. A moment afterward theyoung Delaware found himself lying helplessly upon his back with twostalwart warriors holding him down. As he attempted to shout a warningto Spotted Deer one of the Mohawks seized him by the throat and began tochoke him unmercifully. However, Running Fox had no idea ofsurrendering. He fought with the fury of a wildcat until one of his foesstruck him a stunning blow on the head with a war-club.
When the lad regained his senses some moments later he found himselfsurrounded by a number of Mohawk warriors. His arms had been tightlybound behind him, and a heavy piece of buckskin had been tied over hismouth. As Running Fox opened his eyes, the warrior who had choked himkneeled and glared fiercely into his face. Then he seized him roughly bythe shoulder, and motioned for him to rise. As the Delaware obeyed theMohawks crowded excitedly about him, peering eagerly into his face, andthreatening him with their weapons. Running Fox showed no fear, however,and in a few moments they ceased tormenting him and led him into thecamp.
The Mohawk village was lighted by several large fires, and Running Foxsaw a great many people gathered in the center of the camp. They weremostly women and children, with a small company of old men and guardswho had been left behind to protect the village when the warriors hadrushed out at the cry of alarm. As Running Fox was led into thefirelight the Mohawks quickly recognized him as a Delaware, andimmediately began to taunt and abuse him. The old women and the boyswere particularly vicious, and several of the latter ran up and began tobeat him with sticks. The Delaware's eyes flashed threateningly, but heknew better than to resist for he realized that it would only expose himto still harsher treatment from his tormentors.
When Running Fox and his guards reached the center of the village theywere beset by a great throng of people who seemed intent upon reachingthe prisoner. They appeared so hostile that the Delaware feared theyintended to kill him there and then. They surged wildly about himshouting their war-cries, and striking at him over the shoulders of hisguards. The latter were struggling valiantly to protect him, but itlooked as if they would be overpowered at any moment. At the height ofthe tumult, however, Running Fox saw several warriors hurrying forwardfrom the other end of the camp. As they approached, the foremost warriorcalled out, and at the sound of his voice the Mohawks immediately fellback. It was evident that the warrior was a man of great authority, andRunning Fox wondered if it could be Standing Wolf, the famous Mohawkwar-chief.
A few moments afterward the Mohawk stood before him. He was a tall,broad-shouldered man of middle age, with a cruel face and restless blackeyes. For a moment Running Fox felt afraid of him. Then, as the Mohawklooked searchingly into his face, the lad suddenly remembered that hemust uphold the honor of his tribe. He raised his head and met thechallenge unflinchingly. They gazed steadily at each other for severalmoments, and the vast assemblage of Mohawks watched them in silence.Then the Mohawk laughed scornfully, and turned to his people. Headdressed them in a few sharp sentences, and his words were receivedwith what seemed to be expressions of approval. At any rate the Mohawksmade no further demonstrations against the prisoner, and Running Foxwondered whether the warrior had spoken in his behalf. It seemed toomuch to expect, however, and the young Delaware feared that his reliefwas only the prelude to a more trying ordeal yet in store for him. Thenhe saw the man whom he took to be Standing Wolf, talking to the threewarriors whom Running Fox had encountered outside of the camp. A momentlater one of them approached him, and untied the buckskin bandage whichhad been placed over his mouth. For an instant Running Fox was temptedto shout a warning to Spotted Deer. Upon second thought, however, heabandoned the idea. He doubted that Spotted Deer would hear it, andbesides, he believed it would be foolish to acquaint the Mohawks withthe fact that he had a companion. In the meantime the Mohawk leader hadagain approached him. Running Fox was greatly astounded to hear himspeak in the Delaware dialect.
"Do the boastful Delawares send boys to fight their enemies?" heinquired, sarcastically.
Running Fox made no reply.
"Well, do Delaware children remain silent when they are spoken to?" theMohawk demanded, angrily. "I do not like that. When Standing Wolf speakshe must be answered. Come, speak fast or I will teach you how to obey."
"I will answer you," Running Fox said, angrily. "Standing Wolf, you haveasked me something. Well, I will tell you what you wish to know. Mypeople keep their men to fight the brave Shawnees. My people send theirboys to kill the Mohawks."
It was a reckless speech, and Running Fox immediately realized that hehad sealed his doom as he looked into the angry eyes of Standing Wolf.For a moment the great Mohawk war-chief looked upon him in unconcealedamazement. Then he mumbled something, and advanced threateningly.Running Fox showed no signs of weakening, however, and Standing Wolfstruck him a stinging blow across the mouth. It was the signal for awild outbreak from the onlookers, for they realized that their famouswar-chief had been insul
ted by a mere lad. The thought drove them into afrenzy, and only the prompt interference of Standing Wolf himself savedthe Delaware from instant torture and death. When he had quieted thepeople, the Mohawk chief called several trusted warriors to lead RunningFox away.
The unhappy lad was taken to a square bark lodge or shack. It containeda single room or compartment, and appeared dark and uninhabited. Onceinside the building, the Mohawks threw Running Fox to the ground andbound his feet, which until that moment had been free. Then they lefthim.
The two guards had barely gone from hearing when Running Fox heardsomething stirring over in a corner of the lodge. However, darkness madeit impossible to tell what it was. He listened anxiously, and finallythought he heard some one chanting a medicine-song. It was low andindistinct, but still there was something about it that soundedfamiliar. A few moments later Running Fox identified it as one of thesongs which he had learned from old Sky Dog, the Delaware medicine-man.Then the startling truth suddenly confronted him.
"Spotted Deer!" Running Fox cried in a tense whisper.
"Yes, Running Fox, I am here," replied Spotted Deer. "This is very bad.Now I know that there is no chance for us."