CHAPTER VIII. THE NIGHT ON THE ROAD.
We will now follow Latham Wentworth and Joseph Fisher in their longjourney to Fort Stanwix. When they left General Schuyler they found thequarterly-sergeant, and went with him to secure the supplies which wouldbe needed. This sergeant, named Wilson, was a talkative fellow, and ashe aided them in making up their packs, asked:
"Has any one told you about the latest act of the Continental Congress,lads?"
Receiving a negative reply, he went on:
"We only got the word a few days ago. It seems that on June 14thCongress passed this act, I saw a copy and remember every word:'Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteenstripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars whiteon a blue field, representing a new constellation.' So we have anational banner at last, and I hope, before the next fight with thered-coats, that we'll have them floating above all our fortifications."
"I wonder how it would look?" Late asked of himself, half-closing oneeye, and gazing in the air as if viewing the flag from a distance.
"Fine," the sergeant declared. "I'll show you," and he drew from hiscoat-pocket a piece of paper. Unfolding it he showed the boys aminiature flag, drawn in its proper colors. There were seven red and sixwhite stripes, and the stars on the union were arranged in a circle.
"There!" he exclaimed, "isn't she a beauty? I drew this myself, and atthe first chance I'm going to show it to the general, in the hope thathe'll let me make one."
"We'll get ahead of you by making one for Fort Stanwix," Joe remarkedsportively, never dreaming that his words would come true.
The boys were ready for their long tramp, and, bidding Master Wilsongood-day, they left the fort, turning their faces westward. Gaining theHudson river, at that point where the Mohawk flows into it, they crossedover to the northern bank, and plunged into the great forest, intendingto avoid the settlements as much as possible, lest their hurried trip tothe fort awaken needless alarm throughout the valley.
Scarcely had the scouts disappeared amid the foliage when an old man, ofgigantic size, with hair that fell upon his shoulders and a beard thatcame nearly to his knees, arose from a thicket on the easterly side ofthe river, and, wading across, plunged into the forest on the trail ofthe boys. Like them, he was armed with a rifle and knife, and carried apack upon his back. He muttered to himself while striding vigorouslyalong:
"I'll catch you yet, you young devils! I'll catch you yet!"
His rapid gait told of a strength quite unusual for one of his years,and it was clear he would prove no mean antagonist for the lads whom hewas following.
The scouts started late in the day, and by the time they had traveledten miles the shades of night were falling fast.
"It's time to go into camp," Late suggested.
His comrade agreed to this, and selecting a cleared space beside a smallstream, they erected a shelter of bark and brush, made a bed of firboughs, and sat down to eat their supper.
Owing to this labor, and the noise they had made while at work, neitherof the boys heard the sound of footsteps, nor did they suspect that aman stood behind a huge tree a few rods away, watching and listeningwhile they ate and talked.
"Think we better keep guard to-night, Late?" Joe asked.
"Hardly worth while," the former replied. "I sleep light, you know, an'any noise out of the ordinary will waken me. We ain't far enough awayfrom the fort yet for Indians or red-coats to bother us, an' we'll haveall the watchin' we need when farther up country, so I guess we'd betterturn in tonight."
"We must have come at least ten miles," Joe continued.
"All of that."
"Then we have ten times as many before us yet. Can we do it in fourdays?"
"I'd like to make it in three," Late declared. "We can't get to the fortany too soon, an' my long legs are good for the thirty-odd miles a day.How is it with yours?"
"I reckon they'll hold out."
"We'll start early, make brief stops, an' travel late, if need be; butwe must deliver the message to Captain Swartwout by Saturday night."
At these words the listener behind the big tree leaned out sufficientlyfrom his place of concealment to shake his fist at the boys, afterwhich, as he shrank back into the gloom again, he muttered to himself:"Perhaps you will, youngsters; but not if David Daggett can prevent it."
He still stood there when the lads stretched themselves out upon the firboughs, and fell asleep. Then, smiling grimly, he slipped the pack fromhis back, sat upon it with his back against the tree, and waited.
An hour passed; the heavy breathing of the occupants of the shack toldthe old man that the young scouts were sleeping soundly. He arosecautiously, leaned his rifle against the pine, drew the hunting knifefrom his belt, and, gripping it between his teeth, slowly crept on allfours toward the camp.
Gaining it, he paused and listened. A loud snoring told him that thelads were unconscious. Again he smiled, and creeping noiselessly to theopen end of the rude shelter, he gazed at the sleepers. They lay withtheir feet toward him; and far enough apart for him to crawl betweenthem, a feat he accomplished so stealthily that they were not disturbed.
Then, rising to his knees, he took the knife from his teeth with hisleft hand, clutched the handle firmly with his right, and raised italoft, intending to plunge it rapidly into first one and then into theother.
But before the weapon could descend Late moved, and the man, loweringthe blade, shrank back a little, waiting for the boy to sink intoslumber again.
Instead of quieting down, Late stretched out one of his long arms,striking the intruder in the face, and knocking him over. Both lad andman were on their feet in an instant, one seeking to grapple with theother, but the stranger, too quick for the young scout, arose anddisappeared in the darkness.
Joe, aroused by the brief struggle, sprang up crying loudly:
"What is it, Late?"
"Some one crept in here to steal or to kill," was the reply as thespeaker darted out of the shack to peer through the gloom, hoping to seeor hear something of the fugitive.
But all was still, and, satisfied that the intruder had made good hisescape, he turned to Joe, "I awoke suddenly, an' felt, rather than saw,a man on his knees 'tween you an' me. I swung my arm 'round an' knockedhim over, an' 'fore I could grab him he vanished. If it wan't for theache in my arm where I whacked him, I should think I'd been dreamin'."
"I don't 'spose it's safe to light a torch," his companion whispered.
"No, it might give him the very chance he's waitin' for, an' we betterhave our guns ready, in case he sends a bullet this way."
They seized the rifles and sat motionless a long while, but the forestwas as silent as if they alone were in it. At length Late stepped softlyout under the trees until he could get a view of the stars, when he wentback to his comrade, saying:
"It isn't much more than midnight now, Joe. Lie down an' get what sleepyou can. I'll call you in 'bout two hours to take a spell of standin'guard."
In such manner they spent the remaining hours of the night, and when itwas light enough, made a thorough search of the woods all around theencampment, but not the slightest evidence could they find that any onehad been in that vicinity.
"We'll have to give it up," Late finally said, "an' get breakfast so'sto be off. But I swaney, my arm is still lame where I struck some one orsomething last night. I know 'twasn't a nightmare."
Half an hour later the boys were moving westward again, and not untilthe sun was directly overhead did they halt. Perhaps they might not havestopped just then, but, on coming into a little clearing, the ladscaught sight of an old man cooking fish near the river bank. A canoe wasdrawn up near him, in which was the usual outfit of a voyager. Heclearly was not suspecting any danger, for his rifle lay in the boat,and he made no effort to reach it on seeing them. Instead he criedcheerily:
"Good day, lads. Come along and have a bite with your uncle David. Thereare fish enoug
h for three, and you are as welcome as if you had caughtand cooked them yourselves."
Holding their guns ready for instant use the boys advanced, and he,noting their caution, laughed merrily.
"Put up your shooters, youngsters, for David Daggett never yet hurt ahuman being, white or Indian. It isn't his mission," and then, loweringhis voice as though he was imparting a profound secret, he continued,"Don't you know who it is? Haven't you heard of me before?"
Being told by the young scouts that they had never seen or heard of himbefore, and, therefore, could not know what his mission might be, heseemed disappointed.
"Never heard, eh? I thought the whole world knew of me. I am DavidDaggett, and my mission is to reckon up the birds of the forests. I havetraveled miles doing it, and do you see that one flying across theriver? He makes exactly twenty thousand I have counted. It's slow work,lads, but David Daggett will some day be able to tell just how manybirds there are in the Mohawk valley."
The young scouts could but believe that the old man was crazy. They laiddown their rifles, threw off the packs, and partook of the food whichhe, with a liberal hand, gave them. When, however, the boys would havecontributed their share to the noon-day meal, he stopped them.
"No, no," he said. "You are my guests now," and, with a cunning glance,"though no one knows where I get my money, I always have enough to buyfood for myself and my friends."
While they were eating he told them many things about the birds whichflew through the clearing. Evidently he knew the names and was familiarwith the habits of all the feathered visitors, and as each passed, hecounted it, adding ten to his number before the meal was at an end.
When the lads, thanking him for his hospitality, arose to resume theirjourney, he asked:
"Were you going up the river, my sons?"
"Yes," they replied.
He seemed lost in thought during a dozen seconds or more, and then said:
"I like you, lads. You don't make fun of the old man and his whims assome do, so I'll carry you a piece up the river, though I've just comedown stream. Get into the canoe; it will be a sight easier thantramping, and save you many a mile around the great swamp."
Joe turned to Late, waiting for him to decide. Both knew of the swampnot far away, and understood that the old man was correct. It would beeasier, and much time might be saved by paddling up the stream a fewmiles. They were two to one, and it was broad daylight. Surely therecould be no risk in accepting Master Daggett's invitation, thereforeLate said:
"All right, sir; but let Joe and me take the paddles. We know how tohandle them, an' oughter be willin' to do that much in return for yourfavor."
The old man made no protest to this proposition, and during two hours ormore the boys drove the light craft up the river until arriving at aconsiderable waterfall.
"We'll have to land here," the bird missionary said, "and carry the boataround."
"We can hardly ask you to take us any farther," young Wentworth replied."We are now beyond the swamp, an' you have saved us a good five-miletramp, so we'll thank you again for your kindness, an' push on afoot."
"Not by any means," Master Daggett declared. "It makes no differencewhere I am. I find birds, birds, everywhere. I have counted seventy-twosince we came up the river. I'll see more above the falls. We'll go ontogether until night."
The boys could not persuade him to any other course, therefore theycarried their packs above the falls and returned for the canoe, the oldman walking by their side and assuring them he had not found suchpleasant companions for many a day.
"I cannot bear to part with you," he declared. "We'll go on together aslong as you can get along with the old man."
The voyage above the falls differed greatly from that below. There thecourse had been through an unbroken wilderness; now they occasionallypassed small clearings, in which were the cabins of hardy settlers; butthey made no stops, and when the day was nearly spent entered again along tract of forest. After having paddled another mile they came to aseries of rapids, where a portage became necessary.
To their urging that he accompany them no farther, the old man grewindignant.
"I shall stay with you to-night," he declared. "We'll go around therapids, and then make camp. You'll have to land on the south bank forthe portage, because the north side is impassable, except by making along detour."
Believing this statement to be correct the boys steered the canoe to thesouthern shore, and disembarked. The lads carried their packs around therapids, while Master Daggett remained by the boat. Returning in a fewminutes, they waited for him to shoulder his own traps, when they liftedthe light craft and followed the old man up the bank. Traveling somewhatslower than he did, they had a chance to talk over the situation.
"We must get rid of him," Late said in a whisper.
"Yes," Joe agreed. "Let us cross over to the other bank for our camp,and then we can slip away in the mornin' 'fore he wakes up."
"A bright idea," was the reply.
Therefore when they arrived at the upper end of the rapids, youngWentworth, turning to Master Daggett, said carelessly:
"There's a better place for a camp across the river, Uncle David. Whycan't we go over there for the night?"
"Because I don't want to," the old man growled. "I never spend the nighton the north side of the river. It gives me rheumatism."
"An' Late an' I never camp on the south side; it gives us the chills andfever," Joe retorted, thinking the separation with the old birdmissionary might as well come then as in the morning, "so we'll get youto set us across."
For a moment the old man glared at him angrily, then said curtly:
"All right. Stow in your traps. I'll leave mine here, for I shall comeback after taking you over."
Pleased with their success the young scouts put their packs into thelight craft, and stepped in themselves. The owner of the canoe followed,taking up the paddle.
"I'll row the boat across," Late said, reaching for the oar.
"Sit where you are," was the stern command. "I can handle this craftwithout any of your help."
Apparently Master Daggett was in a surly mood, but the lads cared littlefor that, so long as he granted their request. With a vigorous strokethe old man sent the boat into the middle of the stream.
"See!" he cried. "I can whirl it around and around and around," and ashe spoke he set the canoe spinning with a rapidity that made hiscompanions dizzy.
"Now we'll go down the rapids," he shouted, and drove the craft straighttoward the falls.
Satisfied that the old man had suddenly gone mad, the lads sprang up towrest the paddle from him, when, with a loud yell, he leaped on thegunwale, overturning the boat.
The water was deep, and the young scouts sank, as a matter of course.Joe was the first to get his head above the surface, only to find MasterDaggett on the lookout for him. Seizing the boy by the neck, the crazyman forced him beneath the water again, shouting:
"Now you shall drown! Now you shall drown!"
Late got his head into the air just in time to see this attack, and swamto his comrade's assistance. But the old man caught him by his hair witha grip as of iron, crying at the full strength of his lungs:
"I'll drown you both, you young devils! I'll drown you both!"
At this instant Joe succeeded in freeing himself from the grasp of themadman, and, nearly choked though he was, sprang upon the old fellow'sshoulders, forcing him beneath the surface.
This proved to be a fortunate move, for, finding himself in danger ofdrowning, Master Daggett let go his hold of Late, and, by a tremendouseffort threw Joe off his back, swimming vigorously for the southernshore. The boys, still believing him crazy, made no attempt at pursuit;but struck out for the opposite bank.
"Quick!" Late cried as soon as he was out of the water. "If we hurrydown below the falls we may save our packs."
"But we've lost our guns," Joe added, following his comrade as rapidlyas his wet garments would permit.
They found, despite
the statement of the old man, that there was a fairtrail around the rapids on that side, and were soon at the lower end.But, rapidly as they moved, the lunatic outstripped them, and not onlysecured the packs, but began dancing about with, his rifle in hand,crying:
"I'll shoot if you attempt to come over here! I'll shoot you!"
The boys watched him in silence a few minutes, and then Joe exclaimed:
"This is a pretty fix! Our rifles are lost, the food is gone, we are wetto the skin, night is comin' on, I'd like to know what we are goin' todo?"
"Go back to the upper end of the falls and build a fire. Dry our clothesand camp out till mornin'. Then fish up the guns, an' go our way!" hiscomrade said sharply, fumbling to see if the flint and steel were stillin his pocket.
When they gained the higher bank it was to find that Master Daggett hadbeen equally active, for he stood on the opposite side, stillthreatening to shoot them.
"We'll get out of range before building a fire," Late said as he led theway into the woods.
They soon came to a small clearing in which was a huge oak tree.
"Here's a good place," Joe cried.
"Yes," his companion admitted.
They soon had a fire built under the tree, on the branches of which theyhung their outer garments. The inner clothing they took off, wrung outand put on again, standing near the blaze to "dry out," Joe meanwhilescolding.
"Talk 'bout gainin' time by takin' to the canoe. I guess we'll knowbetter than listen to a madman again."
"I'm not so sure he is a madman," Late said with emphasis.
"Why?" his companion asked in surprise.
"There's too much method in his actions. Think it over. He's managed torob us of our guns an' packs, an' put us in a place where we may easilybe shot down. I suspect he's the fellow who visited us last night, an'don't believe that we have seen the last of him."
"That may be," Joe replied after a time of thought, "an' we've gotnothin' but our knives to fight him with. It looks dubious, Late."
The hours passed drearily. The garments dried slowly; there was nothingto eat; they could not sleep while half-clad, and there was the dangerthat the enemy would appear. Therefore they spent the time gatheringfuel, and in keeping guard lest they be surprised. As the night grewolder a cool breeze sprang up, and the boys began to feel uncomfortable.
"We shall have to put on our clothes, even if they are not entirelydry," Late at length said, leaning over to feel of the garments.
Just as he stretched out his hand the sharp crack of a rifle rang out,and a bullet whistled close to his head. Then came a second report, andJoe, who appeared to be the target, dodged behind the huge oak.
His comrade joined him, and from behind this shelter they peered intothe darkness mystified by the rapid firing. Then, from the rear could beheard a third report, and a ball buried itself in the tree-trunk.
"We are surrounded!" Late exclaimed in a low tone. "Quick! We must runbefore they have time to re-load. It's our only hope of escape!"
Hatless, bootless, without breeches, coat or vest, the two scouts fledinto the darkness, running as they never had before.
During a short time they heard the sound of footsteps, as of some one inpursuit, and then the noise grew fainter and fainter until it finallydied away. The boys halted beneath a great pine, panting heavily.
"We are as safe here as anywhere," young Wentworth declared, "and may aswell stay where we are until mornin'."
His comrade made no answer for a full minute, when he said:
"I don't understand those three shots. Where could old Daggett havefound any one to help him?"
"I don't know," was the reply, "but there must have been three in theparty. No one had time to re-load."
Slowly the moments passed, and then Joe spoke again:
"What shall we do in the morning?"
"Go back, an' see if they have taken our clothes."
"And if they have?"
"Keep on without them."
The thought was not pleasing, and yet they could devise no other plan.If the hours had been long and dreary at the camp-fire, they were nowtedious. Yet the young scouts made the best of a bad matter, and at thecoming of day crept back to the clearing, only to find it deserted.There, in the slumbering coals, were the charred remains of their boots,their garments, and their guns.
When Late's eye fell on the stockless barrels of the weapons, heexclaimed in anger:
"Old Daggett was the only one here last night! See, Joe, he fished outour rifles, and cleaned and re-loaded them before attacking us! Afterdriving us away he burned everything, and cleared out."
To confirm this supposition they went back to the river, and looked overto the opposite side where they had last seen their enemy. His trapswere gone. The great forest had swallowed him and them.
During a moment only did the discomfited lads stand there inactive.Then, turning their faces for the third time westward, hungry, footsore,unarmed, scantily clad, yet undaunted, they set out through the foresttoward their destination.