CHAPTER IX--FORCED INTO HIDING
The Delawares had not gone far when they heard sounds which convincedthem that the Mohawks were already searching for them. The thoughtspurred them to greater efforts, and they scrambled frantically to thetop of a low hardwood ridge to reconnoiter. They saw what appeared to bea large spruce swamp directly ahead of them, and they determined to makeit their hiding place.
"If we reach that place it will be hard for the Mohawks to find us,"said Running Fox.
As they started down the ridge, however, the piercing Mohawk war-cryrang in their ears, and an arrow hummed angrily between them. SpottedDeer instantly turned to fight, but Running Fox seized his arm anddragged him forward.
"Run! If we stop we may be surrounded!" cried Running Fox.
They tore through the undergrowth at top speed and another arrow flewharmlessly above their heads. As they ran Running Fox continued toshout, "Saganaga! Saganaga!" It was the name by which the Delawares wereknown to the Iroquois, and Spotted Deer could not guess his reason forproclaiming his identity. They heard the Mohawk yelling savagelysomewhere behind them, and they knew that he was leading his comrades tothe trail.
"Let us wait, and kill that warrior," proposed Spotted Deer.
"Yes, yes, as soon as we get to the swamp," replied Running Fox.
However, as they neared the swamp they heard other cries still fartherbehind them, and they realized that more Mohawks had joined the chase.Then the cries and signals suddenly ceased, and the Delawares knew thattheir foes were hurrying along in silence in the hope of surprisingthem. The lads dared not slacken their pace, and when they finallyreached the border of the swamp they were almost exhausted. Then theyturned at bay, and waited in ambush to kill the Mohawk who had attackedthem on the summit of the ridge.
"How did that warrior come up with us so fast?" inquired Spotted Deer,
"Well, I believe that warrior was there all the time," declared RunningFox. "Perhaps he was traveling along that ridge when he heard the dangercry of his people. Then he stopped to listen. Pretty soon he heard uscoming through there. Then he tried to kill us. I do not believe heknows who we are."
"Then why did you keep calling out 'Saganaga'?" demanded Spotted Deer."Now he will know that we are Delawares."
"No, he will not know it," laughed Running Fox. "I called out that wayto fool him. He will take us for Shawnees. Yes, he will say, 'Hi, thefrightened Shawanos took me for a Saganaga.' Yes, he will tell hispeople about it. They will take us for the boastful Shawnees."
"Running Fox, you are very sharp," said Spotted Deer. "Now I see thatyou have done a good thing. But we must kill that warrior who found uson the ridge. Yes, he will lead his people to this place, and perhapsthey will find us."
"Well, I would like to kill him, but I do not believe he will rush aheadalone," replied Running Fox. "Perhaps he was with a war-party. I believethe best thing we can do will be to go into this big swamp and hide."
They watched and listened a few moments longer, and then they retreatedinto the dreary depths of the swamp. Two-thirds of the day had passed,and they believed that it would be impossible for the Mohawks to findthem before it grew dark. Then they hoped to steal away under cover ofthe night. However, the Mohawks seemed determined to transform the swampinto a trap, for instead of following the fugitives they scattered andsurrounded their hiding place. At nightfall the Delawares heard themsignaling on all sides of them, and their hearts filled with gloom.Running Fox began to fear that he had blundered.
"Spotted Deer, I believe we have done a foolish thing," he said,bitterly. "Yes, I believe we should have kept out of this place."
"The Mohawks cannot find us here," Spotted Deer declared, confidently.
"Well, I am not sure about it," replied Running Fox. "But it will behard to get away."
It was too late for regrets, however, and the Delawares determined tomake the best of their predicament. When it grew dark, therefore, theybegan a cautions advance toward the edge of the swamp. They movedthrough the darkness as silently as phantoms. They had gone aconsiderable distance when Running Fox suddenly stopped and whispered awarning to Spotted Deer, who was following a bow-length behind him.
"Listen, something is coming," cautioned Running Fox.
"Where is it?" inquired Spotted Deer.
"Sh," breathed Running Fox.
Then, as they hastily prepared their arrows and stood there endeavoringto identify the sound, they heard stealthy footfalls somewhere ahead ofthem. They had little doubt that it was one of their foes. They wonderedif it was the warrior who had surprised them on the ridge. A momentlater a pair of great glassy eyes glowed in the darkness, and then theyheard a frightened snort. The next instant a deer crashed off toward theborder of the swamp.
"It was only Achtu," said Spotted Deer.
"It is bad," declared Running Fox. "If the Mohawks are watching theywill hear Achtu. Then they will say, 'Something has frightened thatdeer. Perhaps it was the people we are looking for.' Yes, they will knowwhere we are. We must turn and go a different way."
"Yes, I believe it would be a good thing to do," agreed Spotted Deer.
The lads immediately changed their course, and planned to leave theswamp farther to the west. They were moving cautiously in that directionwhen they heard the call of Gokhos, the owl. They felt quite sure it wasa signal. In a few moments it was answered by the husky harking ofWoakus, the fox. Both calls seemed to come from somewhere in the swamp,and the Delawares feared that the Mohawks had sent scouts to exploretheir hiding place.
"The scouts have come to find us," said Running Fox. "We will foolthem."
They were almost at the border of the swamp when they were turned backby voices directly ahead of them. Then, as they retreated into thenight, they again heard the short, quick yapping of Woakus, the fox.This time it seemed to be almost within bow-shot, and the lads realizedtheir peril. They stopped and waited for the Mohawk scout to pass them.In a few moments they heard him. Then he seemed to stop, and theDelawares wondered if he had discovered them. Long, anxious momentspassed while they stood there, with arrows ready, peering expectantlyinto the night. At last, however, they heard their foe moving toward theedge of the swamp, and they knew that for the moment at least they weresafe.
"We must go back to the place we came from," whispered Running Fox. "TheMohawks are all around us. We cannot get away."
"We will hide until they go away," said Spotted Deer.
They began a slow, cautious retreat toward the middle of the swamp. Theywere stopped many times by mysterious sounds which often seemed withinbow-length of them, but each time the danger passed, and they finallygained the depths of the swamp in safety. Then they concealed themselvesin the dense top of a fallen hemlock, and determined to stay there untildaylight.
"Now we must find a better place," said Running Fox, as the soft graylight of dawn penetrated their hiding place. "Pretty soon the Mohawkswill come here to look for us. Then we must hide as close as Wisawanik,the squirrel."
"This is a good place," replied Spotted Deer. "If we keep still it willbe hard to see us in here."
"No, I do not like this place," declared Running Fox. "The Mohawks willbe sure to look into this tree-top. We must hide where they will notexpect to find us."
"Where shall we go?" asked Spotted Deer.
"Come, I will find a place," Running Fox assured him.
Running Fox led the way to a great black spruce with low sweepingbranches. Then, as he began to climb, he asked Spotted Deer to remainupon the ground. When Running Fox finally settled himself well up towardthe top of the tree, he called down to Spotted Deer and asked if hecould see him.
"No, I do not see anything of you," replied Spotted Deer, after he hadwalked carefully about the tree.
"That is good," said Running Fox. "Now you must climb up here."
As Spotted Deer began to climb they heard the first Mohawk signal. Itsounded a short distance south of them. In a few moments they heardother s
ignals from the east, the west and the north.
"The Mohawks have made a circle," said Running Fox. "Pretty soon theywill draw together. Well, I do not believe they will find anything intheir trap."
"No, Wisawanik has told us how to hide, and we will fool them," laughedSpotted Deer.
It was a long time before the lads heard anything further from theirfoes. Then a flock of crows made a great commotion a short distance tothe right of them, and the Delawares believed that the noisy birds haddiscovered one of the Mohawk scouts. They took delight in picturing therage of the helpless Mohawk as he heard the crows proclaiming hisadvance to all within hearing distance of them.
"Ahas is warning us," whispered Running Fox. "We must watch sharp."
"Ahas is a good friend," replied Spotted Deer.
When they had watched a long time without seeing any one they decidedthat either Ahas had fooled them, or else the Mohawk had turned in someother direction. Then the noise began again, and this time the crowswere much nearer. Peering carefully through the branches, the Delawaressaw them circling about above the tree-tops. As-they watched them, andrealized that the Mohawk scout might move directly toward their hidingplace, the lads suddenly understood their peril.
"I do not like that," Running Fox said, uneasily. "If Ahas flies thisway it will be bad. Yes, he will see us, and make a great noise. Thenthe Mohawks will know where to find us."
"That is true," agreed Spotted Deer.
They watched the crows with great anxiety. The birds were flying aboutin short circles, and making a great racket. Then some of the crowsswung off, and flew directly toward the stand of spruces in which theDelawares had taken refuge.
"Now we will see what is going to happen," said Spotted Deer.
"Keep very still," cautioned Running Fox.
As the crows approached their hiding place the Delawares huddled closeto the trunk of the tree, and sat as motionless as statues. The crowspassed so near that the lads distinctly heard the sound of their wings.They escaped discovery, however, and the thought gave them confidence.
"See, those other birds are going away," Spotted Deer whispered,excitedly, a few moments afterward.
The crows had suddenly ceased their noise, and were flying off towardthe opposite end of the swamp. The Delawares watched them with thankfulhearts. They believed that Getanittowit had suddenly chased them away.However, the lads knew that the danger was far from over, for at thatmoment they heard a signal within bow-shot of their tree. A few momentsafterward they heard an answer. Then they heard twigs snapping, and theylooked at each other in alarm.
"The Mohawks are here," whispered Running Fox.
They looked carefully down between the branches and saw a Mohawk warrioremerge from the shadows. He stopped within bow-length of the spruce, andthe lads breathed fast with excitement. Then they heard him speak, andthey saw that another Mohawk had joined him. The newcomer had approachedso quietly that they had failed to hear him, and they realized howeasily one of those soft-footed scouts might steal upon them under coverof the night. The two Mohawks exchanged a few words, and then they movedcautiously toward the top of the fallen hemlock. The lads trembled asthey realized what would have happened if they had remained in thathiding place. The Mohawks stooped and looked carefully into the densetangle of branches, and then they seated themselves upon the prostratetrunk. It was not long, however, before another signal sounded close athand, and one of the warriors raised his hands to his mouth and imitatedthe gobble of the wild turkey. It brought an immediate response, andsoon afterward a third warrior appeared. It looked as if the Mohawks hadselected that very spot for a meeting place, and the alarmed Delawaresfeared the result. They knew that at any moment one of the keen-eyedscouts might decide to look into the tree-tops, and the possibility keptthem in painful suspense. Signals were constantly being exchangedbetween the scouts who had met, and those who were still searching theswamp, and the crafty Delawares were careful to memorize the calls. Whenthe signaling finally ceased the lads courted ten Mohawks sitting incouncil near the base of the spruce. They were stern, fierce lookingmen, and the Delawares could easily guess what their fate would be ifthey fell into their hands.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity to the anxious lads in thetree-top, the Mohawks rose and prepared to leave. However, at the verymoment when the Delawares were rejoicing in their good fortune, one ofthe scouts turned and looked toward the big spruce. The lads believedthat in some mysterious way he had suddenly learned their whereabouts.Their hearts almost stopped beating at the thought. The Mohawk was stilllooking up at the tree, and saying something to one of his companions.That warrior, too, seemed to have discovered something of interest inthe top of the spruce. The Delawares were almost afraid to breathe. Theyknew that the slightest move would betray them. Then as the momentspassed, and the Mohawks showed no intention of attacking them, theybegan to hope that they had not been seen. Still the two Mohawkscontinued to talk, and watch the tree. The other scouts had alreadypassed from sight.
"Come, these warriors are alone, let us kill them before they tell theirfriends about us," whispered Spotted Deer.
"No, we must wait until we are sure they have found us," cautionedRunning Fox.
A moment afterward they saw the wisdom of his advice, for the twoMohawks turned and disappeared after their comrades. The Delawareslooked after them in wide-eyed astonishment. They could scarcely believethat they had gone.
"See, the robe Wisawanik gave us hides us from our enemies," saidRunning Fox. "Yes, Ahas flew over us, and could not find us. Then theboastful Mohawks looked into this tree, and could not see us."
"Perhaps the Mohawks have gone to tell their friends about us,"suggested Spotted Deer. "Perhaps they will come back."
"No, they would not leave us here to get away," replied Running Fox. "Ibelieve that warrior was looking at this great tree. Yes, I believe hewas telling his friend something about it. Perhaps something happened tohim at this place. I do not believe he saw us."
However, the lads watched anxiously for some time after the Mohawks haddisappeared. More than once they thought they heard them returning, butas the time passed and they failed to appear the Delawares began to hopethat they had actually left the swamp. They had little doubt that otherMohawks were stationed along the boundaries of the swamp, and theybelieved it would be folly to attempt to leave their hiding place beforetheir foes had abandoned the search. They felt quite certain that theMohawks would loiter along the edge of the swamp through the night,hoping that the fugitives would attempt to escape under cover ofdarkness. Therefore, the wily Delawares determined to remain in theswamp until the following day.
"It is the best thing to do," declared Running Fox. "If the Mohawks donot hear anything of us when it grows dark, then I believe they willgive up the hunt. Yes, I believe they will go away before the next sunappears."
"You are a good leader," Spotted Dear declared, loyally, "You havefooled the Mohawks. Now I believe we will get out of here."