CHAPTER X
Day broke slowly and heavily under a gray cloud, and found LordH---- and the Indian chief still seated side by side at the entranceof the farmhouse. A word or two had passed between them in the earlierpart of the night, but for many hours before dawn they had remainedperfectly silent. Only once through the hours of their watch had BlackEagle moved from his seat, and that was nearly at midnight. The earsof Lord H---- had been on the watch as well as his own; but though theyoung English nobleman heard no sound, the chief caught a distantfootfall about a quarter before twelve, and starting up he listenedattentively. Then, moving slowly toward the door, he stood there a fewmoments as still as a statue. Presently Lord H---- caught the soundwhich had moved him, though it was exceedingly light, and the nextinstant another dark figure, not quite so tall as that of the chief,darkened the moonlight, and threw its shadow into the doorway. A fewwords then passed between the two Indians, in their native tongue, atfirst low and musical in tone, but then rising high, in accents whichseemed to the ear of the listener to express grief or anger. Not morethan five sentences were spoken on either part, and then the lastcomer bounded away, with a quick and seemingly reckless step, into theforest, and the old chief returned and seated himself, assumingexactly the same attitude as before.
When day dawned, however, Black Eagle rose and said in English: "It isday, my brother; let the voice of the Cataract awake the maiden, and Iwill lead you on the way. Her horse has not yet come, but if it havenot run with the wind, or fed upon the fire, it will be herespeedily."
"Do you know, then, what became of it after it broke away from us?"asked Lord H----.
"Nay," answered the Indian, "I know not; but my steps were in yoursfrom the setting sun till you came hither. I was there for yoursafety, my brother, and for the safety of the maiden."
"We should often have been glad of your advice," answered LordH----, "for we were often in sore need of some better information thanour own."
"The man who aids himself needs no aid," answered Black Eagle. "Thouwert sufficient for the need; why should I take from thee thy right toact?"
As they were speaking, the light step of Edith was heard upon thestairs, and the eyes of the Black Eagle fixed upon her as shedescended, with a look which seemed to Lord H---- to have somesignificance, though he could not tell exactly in what the peculiarityconsisted. It was calm and grave, but there was a sort of tendernessin it which, without knowing why, made the young nobleman fear thatthe Indian was aware of some evil having befallen Mr. Prevost.
His mind was soon relieved, however, for when Edith had descended, thechief said at once: "Thy father is safe, my daughter. He passedthrough the fire uninjured, and is in his own lodge."
Edith looked pale and worn, but the words of the chief called a joyfulsmile upon her face, and the color back upon her cheek. In answer tothe inquiries of Lord H---- she admitted that she had slept hardly atall, and added, with a returning look of anxiety: "How could I sleep,so uncertain as I was of my father's safety?"
She expressed an anxious desire to go forward as soon as possible andnot to wait for the chance of her horse being caught by the Indians,which she readily comprehended as the meaning of the Black Eagle, whenhis somewhat ambiguous words were reported to her.
"They may catch him," she said, "or they may not, and my father willbe very anxious, I know, till he sees me. I can walk quite well."
The Indian was standing silently at the door, to which he had turnedafter informing her of her father's safety, and Lord H----, taking herhand, inquired in a low tone if she would be afraid to stay alone withthe Black Eagle for a few moments while he sought for some food forherself and him.
"Not in the least," she answered. "After his words last night, and thethrowing of his blanket upon me, I am as safe with him as Otaitsawould be. From that moment he looked upon me as his daughter, andwould treat me as such in any emergency."
"Well, then, I will not be long," answered Lord H----, and passing theIndian, he said: "I leave her to your care for a few moments, BlackEagle."
The Indian answered only by a sort of guttural sound peculiar to hispeople, and then, turning back into the house, he seated himself onthe ground as before, and seemed inclined to remain in silence, butthere were doubts in Edith's mind which she wished to have solved, andshe said: "Is not my father thy brother, Black Eagle?"
"He is my brother," answered the Indian, laconically, and relapsedinto silence again.
"Will a great chief suffer any harm to happen to his brother?" askedEdith again, after considering for a few moments how to shape herquestion.
"No warrior of the Totem of the Tortoise dares raise a tomahawkagainst the brother of the Black Eagle," answered the chief.
"But is he not the great chief of the Oneidas?" said Edith again. "Donot the people of the Stone hear his voice? Is he not to them as therock on which their house is founded? Whither in the sky could theOneidas soar if the Black Eagle led them not? And shall they disobeyhis voice?"
"The people of the Stone have their laws," replied the chief, "whichare thongs of leather, to bind each sachem, and each totem, and eachwarrior; they were whispered into the rolls of wampum, which is in thehands of the great medicine man, or priest, as you would call him, andthe voice of the Black Eagle, though it be strong in war, is as thesong of the bobolink when compared to the voice of the laws."
Short as this conversation may seem when written down, it had occupiedseveral minutes, for the Indian had made long pauses, and Edith,willing to humor him by adopting the custom of his people, hadfollowed his example. His last reply was hardly given when LordH---- returned, carrying a dry and somewhat hard loaf and a jug ofclear cold water.
"I have not been very successful, for the people have evidentlyabandoned the place, and all their cupboards but one are locked up. Inthat, however, I found this loaf."
"They are squirrels, who fly along the boughs at the sound of danger,and leave their stores hidden," said the Black Eagle; "but dip thebread in water, my daughter; it will give you strength by the way."
Lord H---- laid the loaf down upon the table and hurried out of theroom again; but Edith had little opportunity of questioning her duskycompanion further before the young nobleman returned. He was absenthardly two minutes, and when he came back he led his horse behind him,somewhat differently accoutred from the preceding day. The demi-piquewas now covered with a pillow, firmly strapped on with some leathernthongs, which he had found in the house, thus forming it into a sortof pad; and the two stirrups brought to one side, stretched as farapart as possible, and somewhat shortened, were kept extended by apiece of plank passed through the irons, and firmly attached, thusforming a complete rest for the feet of anyone sitting sidewise on thehorse. Lord H---- had done many a thing in life on which he mightreasonably pride himself. He had resisted temptations to which mostmen would have yielded; he had done many a gallant and noble deed; hehad displayed great powers of mind and high qualities of heart interrible emergencies and moments of great difficulty; but it may bequestioned whether he had looked so complacently on any act of hiswhole life as on the rapid and successful alteration of his owninconvenient saddle into a comfortable lady's pad; and when he broughtout Edith to the door, and she saw how he had been engaged, she couldnot help rewarding him with a beaming smile, in which amusement had aless share than gratitude. Even over the dark countenance of theIndian, trained to stoical apathy, something flitted not unlike asmile, also. The young nobleman, lifting his fair charge in his arms,seated her lightly on the horse's back, adjusted the rest for her feetwith care, and then took the bridle to lead her on the way.
The Indian chief, without a word, walked on before, at a pace withwhich the horse's swiftest walk could scarcely keep up, and crossingthe cleared ground around the house, they were soon once more beneaththe branches of the forest. More than once the Black Eagle had topause and lean upon his rifle, waiting for his two companions; butdoubtless it was the difficulties of the narrow path, never made forhorse's
hoofs, and not the desire of prolonging conversation, nor thepleasure of gazing up the while into a pair of as beautiful eyes asever shone upon mortal man, or into a face which might have looked outof heaven and not have shamed the sky, that retarded the youngnobleman on his way.
Two miles were at length accomplished, and then they came into thesolitary high road again, which led within a short distance of Mr.Prevost's cottage. During the whole journey the Indian chief had notuttered a word; but as soon as he had issued forth from the narrowpath into the more open road he paused and waited till Edith came up;then, pointing with his hand, he said: "Thou knowest the way, mydaughter; thou hast no more need of me. The Black Eagle must wing hisway back to his own rock."
"But shall we be safe?" asked Edith.
"As in the happy hunting grounds," replied the chief; and then,turning away, he retraced the trail by which they had come.
Their pace was not much quicker than it had been in the more difficultpath. The seal seemed to be taken away from Lord H---'s lips. He feltthat Edith was safe, nearer home, no longer left, completely left, tohis mercy and his delicacy, and his words were tender and full ofstrong affection; but she laid her hand gently on his as it rested onthe peak of the saddle, and with a face glowing as if the leaves ofautumn maples had cast a reflection from their crimson hues upon it,she said: "Oh, not now--not now--spare me a little still."
He gazed up in her face with a look of earnest inquiry, but he sawsomething there in the half-veiled, swimming eyes, or in the glowingcheek, or in the agitated quivering of the lip, which was enough tosatisfy him.
"Forgive me," he said, in a deprecatory tone, but then the momentafter he added, with frank, soldierly boldness: "But, dear Edith, Imay thank you now, and thank you with my whole heart, for I am not aconfident fool, and you are no light coquette, and did you refuse, youwould say more."
Edith bent her head almost to the saddlebow, and some bright dropsrolled over her cheek.
They remained silent, both conversing with their own thoughts for ashort time, and then they were roused from somewhat agitated reveriesby a loud and joyous call, and looking up the ascent before them theysaw Mr. Prevost on horseback, and two of the negro slaves on foot,coming down as if to meet them. They hurried on fast; father anddaughter sprang to the ground, and oh, with what joy she felt herselfin his arms.
It is unnecessary to give here the explanations that ensued. Mr.Prevost had little to tell; he had passed safely--though not withoutscorching his clothes and face, and no small danger--along the courseof the stream and through a small part of the thicker wood. He hadfound his house and all the buildings safe, and even the forestimmediately around still free from the fire, and out of danger as longas the wind remained easterly. Satisfied that his daughter would findthe farmer's family, and be kindly entertained, he had no anxiety onher account till about an hour before, when her horse had come back tothe house with the saddle and housings scorched and blackened, and thehoofs nearly burnt off his feet. The poor animal could give nohistory, and Mr. Prevost, in great alarm for Edith, had set out toseek her in haste.
Her tale was soon told, and again and again Mr. Prevost shook herprotector's hand, thanking him earnestly for what he had done for hischild. The distance to the house was now not great, and giving thehorses to the negroes, the little party proceeded on foot, talkingover the events of the last few hours. When they reached the housethere were somewhat obstreperous sounds of joy from the women servantsto see their young mistress return, and Edith was speedily carriedaway to her chamber for rest and refreshment. Breakfast wasimmediately prepared in the hall for Lord H----, who had tasted nofood since the middle of the preceding day; but he ate little evennow, and there was a sort of restlessness about him which Mr. Prevostremarked with some anxiety.
"My lord, you hardly taste your food," he said, "and seem not well ornot at ease. I trust you have no subject of grief or apprehensionpressing upon your mind."
"None whatever," replied Lord H----, with a smile; "but to tell youthe truth, my dear sir, I am impatient for a few moments' conversationwith you alone, and I could well have spared my breakfast till theyare over. Pray let us go into the other room, where we shall not beinterrupted."
Mr. Prevost led the way, and closed the door after them with a graveface, for, as is usual in such cases, he had not the faintest idea ofwhat was coming.
"Our acquaintance has been very short, Mr. Prevost," said LordH----, as soon as they were seated, feeling, indeed, more hesitationand embarrassment than he had imagined he could experience in suchcircumstances. "But I trust you have seen enough of me, taken togetherwith general repute, to make what I am going to say not verypresumptuous."
Mr. Prevost gazed at him in perfect astonishment, unable to perceivewhere his speech would end. And as the young nobleman paused heanswered: "Pray speak on, my lord. Believe me, I have the highestesteem and regard for you; your character and conduct through lifehave, I well know, added luster to your rank, and your noble blood hasjustified itself in your noble actions. What on earth can you have tosay which could make me think you presumptuous for a moment?"
"Simply this, and perhaps you _may_ think me presumptuous when I havesaid it," replied Lord H----. "I am going to ask you to give mesomething which I value very much, and which you rightly value as muchat least as anything you possess. I mean your daughter. Nay, do notstart and turn so pale. I know all the importance of what I ask, but Ihave now passed many days entirely in her society; I have gone throughsome difficulties and dangers with her, as you know--scenes andsensations which endear two persons to each other. I have been much inwoman's society. I have known the bright and the beautiful in manylands; perhaps my expectations have been too great, my wishes tooexacting, but I never met woman hitherto who touched my heart. I havenow found the only one whom I can love, and I now ask her of you witha full consciousness of what it is I ask."
Mr. Prevost had remained profoundly silent, with his eyes bent down,and his cheeks, as Lord H---- had said, very pale. There was a greatstruggle in his heart, as there must be always in a parent's bosom insuch circumstances.
"She is very young--so very young!" he murmured, speaking to himselfrather than to his companion.
"I may, indeed, be somewhat too old for her," said Lord H----,thoughtfully, "but yet I trust, in heart and spirit at least, Mr.Prevost, I have still all the freshness of youth about me."
"Oh, it is not that--it is not that at all," answered Edith's father;"it is that she is so very young to take upon herself both cares andduties. True, she is no ordinary girl; and perhaps if ever anyone werefit, at so early an age, for the great responsibilities of such astate, it is Edith. Her education has been singular, unlike that ofany other girl----"
He had wandered away, as was his custom, from the immediate questionto collateral issues, and was no longer considering whether he shouldgive his consent to Edith's marriage with Lord H----, but whether shewas fit for the marriage state at all, and what effect the educationshe had received would have on her conduct as a wife.
The lover, in the meantime, habitually attaching himself and everythought to one important object, was impatient for something moredefinite, and he ventured to break across Mr. Prevost's spokenreverie, saying: "Our marriage would be necessarily delayed, Mr.Prevost, for some time, even if I obtained your consent. May I hopethat it will be granted me if no personal objection exists towardmyself?"
"None in the world!" exclaimed Mr. Prevost, eagerly. "You cannotsuppose it for a moment, my dear lord. All I can say is, that I willoppose nothing which Edith calmly and deliberately thinks is for herown happiness. What does she say herself?"
"She says nothing," answered Lord H----, with a smile; "for though shecannot doubt what are my feelings toward her, she has not been put tothe trial of giving any answer without your expressed approbation. MayI believe, then, that I have your permission to offer her my hand?"
"Beyond a doubt," replied Mr. Prevost. "Let me call her; her answerwill soon be given, for sh
e is not one to trifle with anybody."
He rose as he spoke, as if to quit the room, but Lord H---- stoppedhim, saying: "Not yet, not yet, my dear sir. She had little, if any,rest last night, and has experienced much fatigue and anxiety duringthe last twenty-four hours; probably she is taking some repose, and Imust not allow even a lover's impatience to deprive her of that."
"I had forgotten," said Mr. Prevost. "It is indeed true; the dearchild must, indeed, need some repose. It is strange, my lord, howsorrows and joys blend themselves together in all events of mortallife. I had thought, when in years long ago I entwined my fingers inthe glossy curls of my Edith's hair, and looking through the liquidcrystal of her eyes, seemed to see into the deep foundations of pureemotions in her young heart--I had thought, I say, that few joys wouldbe equal to that of seeing her, at some future day, bestow her hand onsome man worthy of her, to make and partake the happiness of acheerful home; but now I find the thought has its bitter as well asits sweet; and memories of the chilly grave rise up to call a solemnand sobered shade over the bright picture drawn."
His tone dropped gradually as he spoke, and fixing his eyes upon theground, he again fell into a fit of absent thought, which lasted long.
Lord H---- would not disturb his reverie, and walking quietly out ofthe room, he gave himself also up to meditation. But his reflectivemoods were of a different kind from those of his friend--more eager,more active--and they required some employment for the limbs while themind was so busy. To and fro he walked before the house for nearly anhour, before Mr. Prevost came forth and found him; and then the walkwas still continued. But the father's thoughts, though they hadwandered for a while, had soon returned to his daughter, and theirconversation was of Edith only.
At length, when it was nearly noon, as they turned upon the littleopen space of ground in front of the dwelling, the eyes of the youngnobleman, which had been turned more than once to the door, rested onEdith as she stood in the hall and gazed forth over the prospect.
"The fire seems to be raging there still," she said, pointing with herfair hand over the country toward the southwest, where hung a densecanopy of smoke above the forest. "What a blessing one of our autumnalrains would be!"
Lord H---- made no reply, but suddenly left her father's side, andtaking her extended hand in his, led her into the little sitting-room.They remained long enough together--to Mr. Prevost it seemed verylong--but when the lover led her to the door again there were oncemore happy tears in her eyes, glad blushes on her cheek; and thoughthe strong, manly arm was fondly thrown around her waist, she escapedfrom its warm clasp and cast herself upon the bosom of her father.
"She is mine!" said Lord H----. "She is mine!"
"But none the less mine," answered Mr. Prevost, kissing her cheek.
"Ah, no," said Edith. "No! always yours, my dear father--your child;"and then she added, while the glowing blood rushed over her beautifulface like the gush of morning over a white cloud: "Your child, thoughhis wife."
It cost her an effort to utter the word wife, and yet she was pleasedto speak it; but then the moment after, as if to hide it from memoryagain, she said: "Oh, that dear Walter were here. He would be veryhappy, I know, and say I had come to the end of my day-dreaming."
"He will be here probably to-night," said her lover.
"We must not count upon it," said her father; "he may meet many thingsto detain him; and now, my children, I will go in and make up myjournal till the dinner hour."
Edith leaned fondly on his bosom, and whispered: "And write that thishas been one happy day, my father."
The day went by; night fell, and Walter Prevost did not appear in hisfather's house. No alarm, however, was entertained, for out of thewide range of chances there were many events which might have occurredto detain him. A shade of anxiety, perhaps, came over Edith's mind;but it passed away the next morning, when she heard from the negroChaudo (or Alexander), who, having been brought up among the Indiansfrom his infancy, was better acquainted with their habits than anyperson in the house, that there had not been a single one in theneighborhood since the preceding morning at eight o'clock.
"All gone west, Missy," he said; "the last to go were old Chief BlackEagle. I hear ob him coming to help you, and I go out to see."
Edith asked no questions in regard to the sources of his information,for he was famous for finding out all that was going on in theneighborhood, and with a childlike vanity making somewhat of a secretof the means by which he obtained intelligence; but she argued,reasonably, though wrongly, that as Walter was not to set out fromAlbany till about the same hour the Indians departed, he could nothave fallen in with any of their parties.
Thus passed the morning till about three o'clock; but then, when thelad did not appear, anxiety rose up and became strong, as hour afterhour went by and he came not. Each tried to sustain the hopes of theothers; each argued against the apprehensions he himself entertained.Lord H---- pointed out that the commander-in-chief, to whom Walter hadbeen sent, might be absent from Albany. Mr. Prevost suggested that theyoung man might have found no boat coming up the river; and Edithremembered that very often the boatmen were frightfully exorbitant intheir charge for bringing anyone on the way who seemed eager toproceed. Knowing her brother's character well, she thought it verylikely that he would resist an attempt at imposition, even at the riskof delay. But still she was very, very anxious, and as night againfell, and the hour of repose arrived without his presence, tearsgathered in her beautiful eyes and trembled on the silken lashes.
The following morning dawned in heavy rain. A perfect deluge seemeddescending from the sky, but still Lord H---- ordered his horse at anearly hour, telling Edith and Mr. Prevost in as quiet and easy a toneas he could assume, that he was going to Albany.
"Although I trust and believe," he said, "that my young friend Walterhas been detained by some accidental circumstances, yet it will besatisfactory to us all to know what has become of him; and, moreover,it is absolutely necessary that I should have some communication asspeedily as possible with the commander-in-chief. I think it likelythat Walter may have followed him down the river, as he knows myanxiety for an immediate answer. I must do so, too, if I find himstill absent; but you shall hear from me when I reach Albany, and Iwill be back myself as soon as possible."
Edith gazed at him with a melancholy look, for she felt how much sheneeded, and how much more she still might need, the comfort of hispresence; but she would not say a word to prevent his going. Thebreakfast that day was a sad and a gloomy meal. The lowering sky, thepouring rain, the thoughts that were in the hearts of all, banishedeverything like cheerfulness. Various orders were given, for one ofthe servants to be ready to guide Lord H---- on his way, forascertaining whether the little river was in flood, and other matters;and the course which Walter was likely to take on his return wasconsidered and discussed, in order that the young nobleman might takethe same road, and meet him, if possible; but this was the onlyconversation that took place.
Just as they were about to rise from table, however, a bustle washeard without, amongst the servants, and Mr. Prevost started up,exclaiming: "Here he is, I do believe!"
But the hope was dispelled the next instant, for a young man in fullmilitary costume, but drenched with rain, was ushered into the room,and advanced toward Lord H----, saying in a quiet, commonplace tone:"We arrived last night, my lord, and I thought it better to come upand report myself immediately, as the quarters are very insufficient,and we may expect a great deal of stormy weather, I am told."
Lord H---- looked at him gravely, as if he expected to hear somethingmore, and then replied, after a moment's pause: "I do not exactlyunderstand you, Captain Hammond; you have arrived where?"
"Why, at the boatmen's village, on the points, my lord," replied theyoung officer, with a look of some surprise; "have you not receivedLord London's dispatch in answer to your lordship's own letters?"
"No, sir," replied Lord H----; "but you had better come and conferwith me in another room.
"
"Oh, George, let us hear all!" exclaimed Edith, laying her hand uponhis arm, and divining his motives at once. "If there be noprofessional reason for secrecy, let us hear all."
"Well," said Lord H----, gravely, "pray, Captain Hammond, when werehis lordship's letters dispatched, and by whom?"
"By the young gentleman you sent, my lord," replied Captain Hammond;"and he left Albany two days ago, early in the morning. He was a fine,gentlemanly young fellow, who won us all; and I went down to the boatwith him myself."
Edith turned very pale, and Mr. Prevost inquired: "Pray, has anythingbeen heard of the boat since?"
"Yes, sir," answered the young officer, beginning to perceive thestate of the case. "She returned to Albany the same night, and we cameup in her yesterday, as far as we could. I made no inquiries afteryoung Mr. Prevost, for I took it for granted he had arrived with thedispatches."
Lord H---- turned his eyes toward the face of Edith, and saw quitesufficient there to make him instantly draw a chair toward her andseat her in it.
"Do not give way to apprehension," he said, "before we know more. Thecase is strange, undoubtedly, dear Edith, but still the enigma may besolved in a happier way than you think."
Edith shook her head sadly, saying in a low tone: "You do not knowall, dear George--at least I believe not. The Indians have receivedoffence--they never forgive. They were wandering about here on thenight we were caught by the fire, disappearing the next morning; andsome time during that night my poor brother must have been----"
Tears broke off the sentence; but her lover eagerly caught at some ofher words to find some ground of hope for her--whatever he might fearhimself. "He may have been turned from his course by the burningforest," he said, "and have found a difficulty in retracing his way.The woods were still burning yesterday, and we cannot tell how far thefire may have extended. At all events, dearest Edith, we have gainedsome information to guide us. We can now trace poor Walter to theplace where he disembarked, and that will narrow the ground we have tosearch. Take courage, love, and let us all trust in God."
"He says that Walter intended to disembark four miles south of theKing's road," said Mr. Prevost, who had been talking earnestly toCaptain Hammond. "Let us set out at once and examine the groundbetween this place and that."
"I think not," said Lord H----, after a moment's thought. "I will ridedown as fast as possible to the post, and gain what information I canthere. Then, spreading a body of men to the westward, we will sweepall the trails up to this spot. You and as many of your people as canbe spared from the house may come on to meet us, setting out in anhour; but for heaven's sake, do not leave this dear girl alone!"
"I fear not--I fear not for myself!" replied Edith. "Only seek forWalter, obtain some news of him, and let us try to save him, if therebe yet time to do so."
Covering her eyes with her handkerchief, which was sometimes wettedwith her tears, Edith took no more part in what was going on, but gaveherself up to bitter thought, and many and complex were the trainswhich it followed.
While Edith remained plunged in these gloomy reveries, an active, butnot less sad, consultation was going on at the other side of the room,which ended in the adoption of the plan proposed by Lord H----, veryslightly modified by the suggestions of Mr. Prevost. An orderly whomCaptain Hammond had brought with him was left at the house as a sortof guard for Edith, it being believed that the sight of his red coatwould act as a sort of intimation to any Indians who might be in thewoods that the family was under the protection of the Britishgovernment. Lord H---- and the young officer set out together for theboatmen's village--whence Walter had departed for Albany, and where asmall party of English soldiers were now posted--intending to obtainall the aid they could, and sweep along the forest till they came tothe verge of the recent fire, leaving sentinels on the differenttrails, which, the reader must understand, were so numerous throughoutthe whole of what the Iroquois called their Long House, as often to bewithin hail of each other.
Advancing stealthily along these narrow pathways, Lord H----calculated that he could reconnoitre the whole distance between thegreat river and the fire with sufficient closeness to prevent anynumerous party of Indians passing unseen, at least till he met withthe advancing party of Mr. Prevost, who were to search the countrythoroughly for some distance round the house, and then to proceedsteadily forward in a reverse course to that of the young nobleman andhis men.
No time was lost by Lord H---- and Captain Hammond on the road, thepath they took being for a considerable distance the same by whichLord H---- had first arrived at Mr. Prevost's home, and throughout itswhole length the same which the young officer had followed in themorning. It was somewhat longer, it is true, than the Indian trail bywhich Woodchuck had led them on his expedition; but its width andbetter construction more than made up for the difference in distance;and the rain had not been falling long enough to affect its solidityto any great extent. Thus little more than an hour and a half sufficedto bring the two officers to the spot where a company of Lord H----'sregiment was posted; and the first task, that of seeking someintelligence of Walter's movements after landing, was more successfulthan might have been expected.
A settler, who supplied the boatmen with meal and flour, was even thenin the village, and he averred truly that he had seen young Mr.Prevost, and spoken with him, just as he was quitting the cultivatedground on the bank of the river, and entering the forest groundbeyond. Thus his course was traced up to a quarter before threeo'clock on the Thursday preceding, and to the entrance of a governmentroad which all the boatmen knew well. The distance between that spotand Mr. Prevost's house was about fourteen miles, and from theboatmen's village to the mouth of the road, through the forest, somesix or seven. Besides the company of soldiers, numbering someseventy-three or seventy-four men, there were at least forty or fiftystout, able-bodied fellows amongst the boatmen well acquainted withall the intricacies of the roads round about, and fearless and daringfrom the constant perils and exertions of their mode of life.
These were soon gathered round Lord H----, whose rank and militarystation they now learned for the first time; and he found that thetidings of the disappearance of Walter Prevost, whom most of them knewand loved, excited a spirit in them which he had little expected. Headdressed a few words to them at once, offering a considerable rewardto each man who would join in searching thoroughly the whole of thatpart of the forest which lay between the spot where the young man waslast seen and his father's house. But one tall, stout man, of aboutforty, stepped forward and spoke for the rest, saying: "We want noreward for such work as that, my lord. I guess there's not a man of uswho will not turn out to search for young Walter Prevost, if you'llbut leave redcoats enough with the old men to protect our wives andchildren in case of need."
"More than sufficient will remain," replied Lord H----; "I cannotventure for anything not exactly connected with the service, to weakenthe post by more than one-quarter of its number; but still we shallmake up a sufficient party to search the woods sufficiently, if youwill all go with me."
"That we will! that we will!" exclaimed a dozen voices; and everythingwas soon arranged. Signals and modes of communication and co-operationwere speedily agreed upon; and the practical knowledge of the boatmenproved fully as serviceable as the military science of Lord H----. Hewas far too wise not to avail himself of it to the fullest extent; andsoon, with some twenty regular soldiers, and thirty-seven orthirty-eight men from the village, each armed with his invariablerifle and hatchet, and a number of good, big, active boys, whovolunteered to act as a sort of runners and keep up the communicationbetween the different parts of the line, he set out upon his way alongthe edge of the forest, and reached the end of the government road,near which Walter had been last seen, about one o'clock in the day.
Here the men dispersed, the soldiers guided by the boatmen; and theforest was entered at some fourteen different places, wherever an oldor a new trail could be discovered. Whenever an opportunity presenteditself by
the absence of brushwood, or the old trees being wide or farapart, the boys ran across from one party to another, carryinginformation or directions; and though each little group was oftenhidden from the other as they advanced steadily onward, still itrarely happened that many minutes elapsed without their catching asight of some friendly party on the right or left; while whoop andhalloo marked their progress to each other. Once or twice the trailscrossing, brought two parties to the same spot; but then, separatingagain, immediately, they sought each a new path, and proceeded asbefore.
Few traces of any kind could be discovered on the ground, for therain, though it had now ceased, had so completely washed the face ofthe earth that every print of shoe or moccasin was obliterated. Thetracks of cart wheels, indeed, seemingly recent, and the foot marks ofa horse and some oxen, were discovered along the government road, butnothing more, till, at a spot where a large and deeply indented trailleft the highway, the ground appeared a good deal trampled by hoofmarks, as if a horse had been standing there some little time; and,under a thick hemlock tree at the corner of the trail, sheltering theground beneath from the rain, the print of a well-made shoe wasvisible. The step had evidently been turned in the direction of Mr.Prevost's house, and up that trail Lord H---- himself proceeded, witha soldier and two boatmen.
No further step could be traced, however; but the boatman who had beenthe spokesman a little while before, insisted upon it that they mustbe on young Master Walter's track. "That's a New York shoe," he said,"made that print, I am sure; and depend upon it, we are right where hewent. Keep a sharp look under all the thick trees at the side, mylord. You may catch another track. Keep behind, boys--you'll brush 'emout."
Nothing more was found, however, though the man afterward thought hehad discovered the print of a moccasin in the sand, where it had beenpartly protected; but still some rain had reached it, and there was nocertainty.
The trail they were then following was, I have said, large and deeplyworn, so that the little party of Lord H---- soon got somewhat inadvance of all the others, except that which had continued on thegovernment road.
"Stay a bit, my lord," said the good boatman, at length; "we are toofar ahead, and might chance to get a shot, if there be any of them reddevils in the wood. I know them well, and all their ways, I guess,having been among them, man and boy, these thirty years; and it wasmuch worse when I first came. They'll lie as close to you as thatbush, and the first thing you'll know of it will be a ball whizzinginto you; but if we all go on in time they can't keep back, but willcreep away like mice. But what I can't understand is, why they shouldtry to hurt young Walter, for they were all as fond of him as if hewere one of themselves."
"The fact is, my good friend," replied Lord H----, in a low tone, "theday I came down to your landing last, one of the Oneidas was,unfortunately, killed, and we are told that they will have some whiteman's blood in retaliation."
"To be sure they will!" said the man, with a look of consternation."They'll have blood for blood, if all of 'em die for it. But didWalter kill him?"
"No," replied Lord H----; "it was our friend the Woodchuck--but he didit entirely in self-defence."
"What! Brooks?" exclaimed the boatman, in much surprise. "Do let'shear about it, and I guess I can tell you how it will all go, betterthan any other man between this and Boston;" and he seated himself onthe stump of a tree, in an attitude of attention.
Very briefly, but with perfect clearness, Lord H---- related all thathad occurred on the occasion referred to. The boatman listened withevident anxiety, and then sat for a moment in silence, with the air ofa judge pondering over the merits of a case just pleaded before him.
"I'll tell you how it is, my lord," he said, at length, in an oraculartone; "they've got him, depend on't. They've caught him here in theforest; but you see, they'll not kill him yet--no, no, they won't.They've heard that Woodchuck has got away, and they've kidnapped youngWalter to make sure of someone. But they'll stay to see if they can'tget Brooks into their clutches somehow. They'll go dodgering about allmanner of ways, and try every trick you can think of to have him back.Very like you may hear that they've killed the lad, but don't youbelieve it for a good many months to come, for I guess it's likelythey'll set this story afloat just to get Brooks to come back, forthen he'll think that they've had all they wanted, and will know thathe's safe from all but the father, or the brother, or the son of theman he has killed. But they'll wait and see. Oh, they're the mostcunnin'est set of critters that ever lived, and no doubt of it. Butlet's get on, for the others are up--there's a redcoat through thetrees here--and they may, perhaps, have scalped the boy; though Idon't think it's nohow likely."
Thus saying, he rose and led the way again through the dark glades ofthe wood, till the clearer light of day shining amidst the trunks andbranches on before, showed that the party was approaching the spotwhere the late conflagration had laid the shady monarchs of the forestlow. Suddenly, at a spot where another trail crossed, the soldier whowas with them stooped down and picked something up off the ground,saying: "Here's a good large knife, anyhow."
"Let me see--let me see!" cried the boatman. "That's his knife, for ascore of dollars! Aye--'Warner, London'--that's the maker. It's hisknife. But that shows nothing. He might have dropped it. But he's comeprecious near the fire. He surely would never try to break through andget himself burnt to death. If the Ingians had got him, I should havethought they'd have caught him farther back. Hallo! What are they alldoing on there? They've found the corpse, I guess."
The eyes of Lord H---- were bent forward in the same direction, andthough his lips uttered no sound, his mind had asked the same questionand come to the same conclusion. Three negroes were standing gatheredtogether round some object lying on the ground, and the figure of Mr.Prevost himself, partly seen, partly hidden by the slaves, appeared,sitting on a fallen tree, with his head resting on his hand,contemplating fixedly the same object which seemed to engage all theattention of the negroes.
Lord H---- hurried his pace and reached the spot in a few moments. Hewas somewhat relieved by what he saw when he came nearer, for theobject at which Mr. Prevost was gazing at so earnestly was Walter'sknapsack, and not the dead body of his son. The straps which hadfastened it to the lad's shoulders had been cut, not unbuckled, and itwas, therefore, clear that it was not by his own voluntary act that ithad been cast off; but it did not appear to have been opened, and theboatman, looking down at it, muttered: "No, no, they would not stealanything--not they. That was not what they wanted. It's no use lookingany farther. The case is clear enough."
"Too clear!" said Mr. Prevost, in a dull, stern tone. "That man Brookshas saved his own life and sacrificed my poor boy!"
The tears gushed into his eyes as he spoke, and he turned away to hidethem. Lord H---- motioned to the negroes to take up the knapsack andcarry it home, and then, advancing to Mr. Prevost's side, he took hishand, saying in a low tone: "There may yet be hope, my dear sir. Letus not give way to despair, but exert ourselves instantly andstrenuously to trace out the poor lad and save him. Much may yet bedone--the government may interfere--he may be rescued by a suddeneffort."
Mr. Prevost shook his head heavily, and murmuring, "Are all my familydestined to perish by Indians?" took his way slowly back toward hishouse.
Nothing more was said till he was within a quarter of a mile of hisown door, but there, just emerging from the cover of the wood, theunhappy father stopped and took the hand of Lord H----. "Break it toher gently," he said, in a low tone; "I am unfit. Misfortunes,disappointments and sorrows have broken the spirit which was oncestrong, and cast down the energies which used never to fail. It is insuch moments as these that I feel how much I am weakened. Prepare herto leave this place, too. My pleasant solitude has become abhorrent tome, and I cannot live here without a dread and memory always upon me.Go forward, my good lord. I will follow you soon."