CHAPTER XVI
Slowly up the steep middle street of Albany walked the great, powerfulform of the Woodchuck, about the hour of noon. He was clothed in hisusual shaggy habiliments of the forest, with his rifle on hisshoulder, his hatchet and his knife in his belt. His steps had none ofthe light activity, however, of former times, and his face, whichalways had a grave and sedate air, was now covered with heavy gloom.
Altogether he was a very singular-looking man; but--though situatedinland, and in one of the most central situations of theprovinces--the streets of Albany, from time to time, presented so manystrange figures of different kinds, what between Indians, negroes,half-breeds, scouts, soldiers, sailors, Dutchmen, Englishmen, andhunters, that the wanderer, however odd his appearance, attracted verylittle attention as he went. Slowly he found his way up to the gatesof the fort, and easily obtained admission to the person he sought. Hefound him in a mere barrack-room, with the simplest possiblefurniture, and no ornament whatever to distinguish it as the dwellingof a man of distinction. The little camp bed in one corner of theroom, the plain deal table, not even painted, at which he sat writing,the two or three hard wooden stools, without backs, were all such asmight have been used in a camp or carried with an army without addingmuch to the impedimenta; and yet there was something about the youngnobleman himself which instantly informed a visitor that he was in thepresence of no common man. He turned his head as Woodchuck entered,and as soon as he perceived who it was, he nodded, saying:"Immediately, immediately," and resumed his writing.
Captain Brooks drew a stool to some distance and fixed his eyes firstof all upon the young soldier, seeming to examine his countenance andform with great care. He then turned to another person whom the roomcontained, and scanned him with great accuracy. That person was anIndian, if one might judge by complexion and features, and yet he wasdressed like one of the followers of the British army. The sort ofhunting tunic he wore was not the ordinary _ga-ka-ah_ or Indian shirt,but a mere sort of cloth frock, with sleeves, fastened round his waistby a leathern belt. It was of a peculiar color, then very much wornboth by men and women, of the hue of dead leaves, and called philomot;and on his head he wore a curious sort of cap of untanned leather,much of the same hue. It was certainly a well-devised dress for thepurpose of concealing a wanderer through the woods in the autumnseason; but as I have before said, it was assuredly not Indian, andthe long hair, though black as jet, with a slight shading of moustacheupon the upper lip, showed that in all probability there was somewhite blood in his veins, though not at all apparent on the surface.The man had much of the Indian impassible gravity, however, and thoughhe must have seen that he was undergoing a very severe scrutiny by theeyes of Woodchuck, no movement of any of the muscles of the facebetrayed his consciousness, and he remained still and statue-like,with his gaze turned earnestly forward upon Lord H----.
The young nobleman soon concluded his letter, and beckoning the manup, placed it in his hands with some money. "Take that to Mr.Prevost," he said, "and tell him, moreover, that I shall myself be upto-morrow, before nightfall."
"Stay a moment," said Woodchuck. "I may have something to say, too,that will make changes. I guess the half-breed had better wait outsidea bit."
"Go down to the guard-room," said Lord H----, turning to the man, "andwait there till I send for you." Then giving an inquiring look toWoodchuck, he added: "He tells me he can reach Mr. Prevost's housethis night, if he sets out at once."
"To be sure he can," answered Woodchuck. "If he's the man I believehim to be, he'd go half as fur ag'in."
The runner took not the slightest notice of the conversation regardinghimself and his own powers, nor indeed of the sort of intimation ofrecognition uttered by Captain Brooks.
"Is not your name Proctor?" said Woodchuck, at last. "I guess it be,though your age, since I saw you----"
The other merely nodded his head, and Woodchuck continued, with a sortof grunt of satisfaction, "That'll do; he can speak, my lord, thoughhe never do, except at very rare times. Them Ingian devils are assilent as snakes themselves, but this man beats them all. I traveledsome two hundred miles with him, ten year or more agone, and neverheard the sound of his voice in the whole way but once, and then hesaid three words and a half, and stopped."
"I know he can speak," said Lord H----, "for he told me how long hewould take to go. Go down, Mr. Proctor, as I told you, and wait in theguard-room; you shall hear from me in a minute."
"He runs like a deer," said Woodchuck, as the man left the room, "buthis way is generally to jog on at a darnation swinging sort of rate,which doesn't seem to trouble his shanks at all--a sort of trot,like--carries him through everything and over everything, brambles andbushes, and hills, and stones and rocks, land or water, all the same.I do believe he'd trot across the Hudson without much knowing orcaring what was anything. The Indians call him Munguokah; but as hisfather's father was an Englishman, we call him Proctor."
"But can he be relied upon?" asked Lord H----. "He was recommended tome very strongly by General Webb, who employed him upon some difficultservice."
Woodchuck paused. "Webb's recommendation," he said, at length, "is notworth much, for what would any give for any word out of the mouth of aman who would suffer a gallant comrade to fall, and a noble garrisonto be butchered, without striking one stroke or moving one step totheir assistance? But, if I recollect right, this Proctor is therunner who contrived to get through Montcalm's army and all the savagedevils that were with him, and carried poor Munro's dispatches toWebb. What became of the other one, nobody knows; but I guess we couldfind his scalp if we sought well amongst the Hurons. Yes, this must bethe man, I think; and if it be, you couldn't find a better. At allevents, you can trust him for holding his tongue, and that's somethingin a runner. He wouldn't get up words enough in ten years to tell anysecrets you wanted to keep. And now, General, I've come to talk withyou about what's to be done, and I think we had better settle thatbefore the man goes. He'll get to Prevost tonight if he stays thesetwo hours, and I guess we can settle sooner than that, for I'vethought the matter over and made up my mind."
"And to what conclusion have you come?" asked Lord H----.
Brooks looked down and rubbed his great hands upon his knees for amoment, as if he hesitated to give the resolution he had formed, afterso painful a struggle, the confirmation of uttered words. "Not apleasant one," he said, at length; "not one easily hit upon, my lord,but the only one--after all, the only one. I had a sore tussle withthe devil last night, and he's a strong enemy; but I beat him--manful,hand to hand. He and I together, and no one to help either of us."
The young nobleman thought that his poor friend's wits were beginningto wander a little, and to lead him back from the diabolical encounterhe spoke of, he said, changing the subject abruptly: "I suppose Icould send no one better than this man Proctor?"
"I'll tell you what it is, Lord H----," answered Woodchuck, "I must gomyself. There's no one can save Walter Prevost but Brooks. He's theman who must do it."
"And do you think it possible?" asked Lord H----, seeing the greatprobability of his companion himself being captured by the Indians,and yet hesitating whether he ought to say a word to deter him fromhis purpose.
"I do think it possible," said Woodchuck, with a grim smile, "for yousee if these Indians get the man they want they can't and daren't takeanother."
Lord H---- grasped the rough hand of the hunter, saying in a tone ofmuch feeling: "You are, indeed, a noble-hearted man, Captain Brooks,if I understand you rightly, to go and give yourself up to thesesavages to save your young friend. Nobody could venture to proposesuch a thing to you, because his having fallen into their hands wasnot your fault, and life is dear to everyone; but----"
"Stay! stay! stay!" cried Woodchuck. "Don't get along too fast! You'vesaid two or three things already that want an answer. As to life, itis dear to everyone, and I myself am such a fool that I'd rather by agood bit go lingering on here amongst all this smoke and dirt, anddull houses, and ro
gues innumerable, than walk up there and betomahawked, which is but the matter of a moment, after all; for themIngians isn't long about their work, and do it completely. Howsoever,one always clings to hope, and so I think that if I can get up thereamongst the woods and trails I know so well, I may, perhaps, find outsome means of saving the poor boy and my own life, too; and if I can,I'll do it; for I'm not going to throw away my life like a badshilling. If I can't do it, why then I'll save his life, cost what itwill. I shall soon know all about it when I get up there, for thesquaws are all good, kind-hearted critters, and if I can get hold ofone of them she'll be my scout soon enough, and fish out the truth forme as to where the boy is, and when they are going to make thesacrifice. Lord bless you, they set about these things, them Ingians,just as orderly as a trial at law. They'll do nothing in a hurry; andso I shall have time to look about and see what's to be done withoutrisking Walter's life in the meanwhile. Then you see, my lord, I'vegot this great advantage: I shall have a walk or two in my old hauntsamong them beautiful woods. The snow will be out by that time; and tomy mind there's no season when the woods look and the air feels sofresh and free as on a wintry day, with the ground all white, andwreaths of snow upon every vine and briar, and them great big hemlocksand pines rising up like black giants all around me. Some folks don'tlike the winter in the woods, but I could walk on or go on in a sleighthrough them forever. Why, that month among the woods, if I'm notcaught sooner, would be worth ever so many weeks in this dull, dirtyplace, or any other city; for Albany, I take it, is as good as most ofthem, and perhaps better."
"But I am afraid in the winter your plan of getting information wouldnot succeed very well," said Lord H----. "In the first place, theIndian women are not likely to go very far from their wigwams, amongstwhich you would hardly venture; and in the next place, your feet wouldbe easily tracked in the snow, for these Indians, I am told, are mostcunning and pertinacious hunters, and will follow any tracks they seefor miles and miles."
"I've dodged an Ingian afore now," said Captain Brooks, with a look ofsome self-importance, "and in the snow, too. I've got the verysnowshoes I did it in. I can walk in my snowshoes either way, one aswell as t'other; and so I made 'em believe that I was going east whenI was going west, and going west when I was going east. Sometimes Ihad the shoes on the right way, and sometimes the wrong, so theycouldn't make nothing of it, and they think still--for, Lord help you,they are sometimes as simple as children--that the devil must havegiven me a lift now and then; for when I got where the trees grewthick together, so that the big branches touched, and I could catch agreat bough over my head by a spring, I would get up and climb alongfrom one to another, like a bear or squirrel, sometimes two or threehundred yards, before I came down again. I saw a set of them once uponthe trail, and when they came to where the tracks stopped they gotgaping up the tree, with their rifles in their hands, as if they werelooking after a painter; but I was a hundred yards off or more, andquite away from the right line. Then, as to the women, I've thoughtabout that, and I've laid a plan in case I can't get hold of any ofthe women. Now, I'm going to tell you something very strange, my lord.You've heard of Free Masons, I dare say?"
Lord H---- nodded his head, with a smile; and Woodchuck continued:"Well, they've got Free Masons among the Ingians; that's to say, notexactly Free Masons, but what comes much to the same thing,[2] peoplewho have got a secret among themselves, and who are bound to help eachother in good or evil, in the devil's work or God's, against their ownnation or their own tribe, or their own family, and who, on account ofsome deviltry or other, dare not for the soul of them refuse what abrother asks them. It's a superstition at the bottom of it, and it'svery strange, but so it is."
While he had been speaking he had unfastened his coat at the collar,drawn his arm out of the sleeve and bared it up above the elbow, wherethere appeared a small blue line tattooed on the brown skin. "There,"he said; "there's the mark."
"You do not mean to say that you are one of this horribleassociation?" asked Lord H----, with a grave look.
"Not exactly that," answered Woodchuck; "and as to its being ahorrible association or not, that's as folks use it. It may be for badand it may be for good, and there are good men amongst them. I am asort of half-and-half member, and I'll tell you how it happened. Iwent once, in the winter, up into the woods to hunt moose, by a placewhere there's a warm spring, which melts the snow and keeps the grassfresh, and the big beasts come down to drink, and mayhap eat, too.Well, as soon as I got there, I saw that someone had been before me,for I saw tracks all about, and a sort of stable in the snow, made forthe moose, such as hunters often make to get a number together and toshoot them down when they herd it. There were moose tracks, too, andsome blood on the snow; so I thought that the Ingians had killed someand scared the rest away. I was going back by another trail when Icame upon an old man, lying partly against a basswood tree, just asquiet as if he was a corpse, and I should have thought he was as deadas a statue if I hadn't seen his shining eyes move as I passed. Nevera word did he say, and he'd have lain there and died outright ratherthan call for help. But I went up to him, and found the old critterhad been poked terribly by a moose, all about his chest and shoulders.So I built up a little hut for him with boughs, and covered it overwith snow, and made it quite snug and warm. I took him in and nursedhim there, and as I was well stocked with provisions, parched corn,and dry meat, and such like, I shared with him. I couldn't leave thepoor old critter there to die, you know, my lord, and so I stayed withhim all the time, and we got a couple of deer, and fine venison steakswe had of them; and at last, at the end of five weeks, he was wellenough to walk. By that time we had got quite friendly together, and Iwent down with him to his lodge, and spent the rest of the winter withhim. I had often enough remarked a blue line tattooed upon his arm,and sometimes he would say one thing about it and sometimes another;for these Ingians be like parrots. But at last he said he would tattooa line on my arm; and when he had done it he told me it was the bestservice he could render me in return for all those I had rendered him.He said that if I ever met any of the Five Nations tattooed like that,and spoke a word which he taught me, they would help me against theirown fathers. He told me something about them and about their set, buthe would not tell me all. I was quite a young lad then, and the oldman died the next year, for I went to see him, and found him just atthe last gasp. I have heard a good deal about those people, however,since, from other Ingians, who all have a dread of them, and call themthe children of the devil; so I take care not to show my devil's markamongst them; and I have never had need to use it till now."
"How will it serve you now?" asked Lord H----, not at all liking orconfiding in the support of such men.
"Well, if I can get speech of one of them, even for an instant,"replied Woodchuck, "I can get together a band of the only men who willgo against the superstitions of their people and help me to set thepoor boy free; and they will do it, whether they be tortoises, orbears, or wolves, or snipes, or stags."
"What! what!" exclaimed Lord H----, in utter amazement. "I do notunderstand what you mean!"
"Only names of their totems, or tribes, my lord," answered Brooks."These Ingians are queer people. You must not judge of them, or dealwith them, as you would other men; and these are the only crittursamongst them I could get to help me, if their habits came in the waythe least bit. Now, you know, though I may do something by myself, Imay not be able to do all. If I am to get the boy out of the holewhere they have doubtless hid him, I have to find it out first, and tomake sure that we are not followed and overtaken afterward. I wouldfain save my life if I can, my lord," he continued, looking up in theface of his noble companion with a sort of appealing look. "I think aman has a right to do that if he can."
"Assuredly," replied Lord H----. "The love of life is implanted in usby God himself; and all which can be expected of us by our country orour fellow man is a readiness to sacrifice it when called on to do so.But now, my good friend, I have another plan to propose. It ispr
obable that hostilities have ceased for this year, and since I sawyou last night a small party of the scouts which you know we alwayshave in pay, has been put at my disposal for the very purpose we havein view. They are all acquainted with wood warfare, with Indianhabits, and with the art of tracking an enemy or a friend. Would itnot be better for you to have these six men with you, to give youassistance in case of need? Your own life, at all events, would bemore secure."
"I think not," answered Woodchuck, musingly; "they might cumber me.No, my lord, I had better go alone. As for my own life, I may as welltell you at once, I have made up my mind to save the boy or lose it.The devil put it hard to me that it was no fault of mine he wastrapped; that my life was as good to me as his was to him, and a greatdeal more; but, knowing it does not do to stand parleying with thatgentleman, I said: 'Peter Brooks, it is your fault; for if you had notshot the Ingian, Walter would never have been taken. Your life is notas good to you or anybody else as his is to him and all the world.He's quite a lad, and a young lad, too, with many a bright year beforehim. You'll never see forty-eight again; and what's your fag-end worthto anyone?' 'Not a stiver,' answered conscience; and so I resolved togo. Now, as to these men, some of them are capital good fellows, andmight help me a good deal when once I'm in the thick of the business;but seven men can't get altogether into the Oneida country withoutbeing found out. But I'll tell you what, my lord, if you'll let meplace them where I want, one by one, in different places, and theyslip into the country quietly, one at a time, they may do goodservice, and not be discovered."
"Will it not be dangerous so to divide your force?" asked Lord H----.
"Ingian ways with Ingian people," answered Woodchuck. "But I don'tthink you understand the thing, my lord. You see, through a great partof this Ingian territory, we English have built a little fort here,and a little fort there, all the way up to the shores of Ontario,where they made sad work of it last year at Oswego. Well, if I stowaway these scouts at different posts, the nearest I can to OneidaCreek, they will be only at arm's length, and can stretch out theirhand to help whenever they're called upon. They'll be able to get inone by one, too, quite easily, for I've a great notion some of theseIngians have got a spite at Walter, and are not very likely to lookfor anyone in his place. If they caught me, they'd be obliged to haveme; and if the scouts went all together, they'd stop them, for theydon't like their number; but one at a time they'll pass well enough,if they understand their business, which is to be supposed."
"I see your plan now," said Lord H----, "and perhaps you are right.You can concentrate them upon any point very rapidly. They shall besent for, and put under your command this very day."
"No need of command," answered Woodchuck; "scouts don't like to becommanded; and if they don't help with a good will, better not help atall. Just tell them what I'm about, let them know that a young man'slife is at stake, and they'll work well for me if they're worth apenny. And now, my lord, you call up that man Proctor and send him offto Prevost's house. Call him up here! call him up here! I've got thislarge powder horn I want to send back, though it's a doubt whether theman can muster words enough to tell who it comes from, and I must gethim to do so, one way or another."
"I can take it to-morrow myself," said Lord H----; but Woodchuck shookhis head.
"That won't do," he said, with a shrewd look. "The runner must takeit. He'll tell Prevost before some of his negroes, and the negroeswill tell any Ingians that are prowling about; and so it will getround that I've left the hunting grounds for good, and I shall slip inthe more easily. Always think of everything you can; and if you can'tdo that, think of as much as possible. A hunter's life makes onemighty cautious. I'm as careful as an old raccoon, who always looksnine ways before he puts his nose out of his hole."
Lord H---- called up the runner; and into his hands was delivered thepowder horn for Mr. Prevost, with Woodchuck's message repeated overand over again, with manifold injunctions not to forget it.
"Tell him I took it that unlucky day I shot the Ingian," saidWoodchuck, "and I don't like to keep what's not my own. It's nearly asgood as stealing, if not quite. There, Mr. Proctor, you can get upwords enough to say that, can't you?"
The man nodded his head and then turned to the door, without anyfurther reply, beginning his peculiar sort of trot before he reachedthe top of the stairs, and never ceasing it till he arrived at thedoor of Mr. Prevost's house.
In the meanwhile, Lord H---- made Captain Brooks stay to partake ofhis own very frugal dinner, while the scouts were being collected andbrought to the fort. They came about two o'clock, ready prepared, atleast in part, for what was to follow; for in the little town ofAlbany, such an adventure as had befallen Walter Prevost was a matterof too much interest not to spread to every house, and to be told atevery fireside. Most of the men, accustomed to continual action andenterprise of various kinds, were very willing to go, with theprospect of a fair reward before them. Life was so often periled withthem, dangers and difficulties so often encountered, that existencewithout activity was rather a burden than otherwise. Each probably hadhis selfishness of some kind; but only one, in whom it took the formof covetousness, thought fit to inquire what was to be his recompensebeyond the mere pay, for this uncovenanted service.
"Your recompense will be nothing at all," answered Woodchuck at once,without waiting for Lord H---- to speak; "I won't have you with me.The man who can try to drive a bargain when a brave boy's life is atstake is not fit to have a share with us. There, go along and knitpetticoats; you may get a dollar apiece for them. That's the sort ofwinter work fit for you."
The man shrunk sullenly out of the room, and all other matters weresoon settled with his companions. The method of their entrance intothe Oneida territory, the different routes they were to take, and thepoints where they were to halt till called upon, were all arranged byWoodchuck, with a sort of natural military skill, which was more thanonce displayed by the American people during after wars. The part ofthe nobleman who was present was merely to listen, and give someletters to officers commanding different posts; but he listened, wellpleased, and attentively; for his was a mind always eager to acquireinformation and direction from the experience of others, and theinsight which he gained into the habits of the new people amongst whomhe was might have been highly serviceable to others as well ashimself, had not a sort of pedantry prevailed amongst the olderofficers in the British army at that time, and for many succeedingyears, which prevented them from adapting their tactics to the newsituations in which they were placed. Wolfe was a splendid exception,but Wolfe was a young man, coming in the dawning of a better day; andeven had he not been so, it is probable that his genius, like that ofWellington, would have shown him that he was now to make rules, ratherthan to observe them.
As soon as the scouts were gone, Woodchuck rose to take his leave; andas Lord H---- shook him very warmly by the hand the good man said, ina tone of strong feeling: "Thank you, my lord, for all your kindness.You'll be glad to know that I feel very happy, and I'll tell you why.I'm doing something, and I'm doing my duty."