Chapter III. An Invisible Chase

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　Deep in a shadowed glade sat the five, eating a quietbreakfast, and talking in low tones of satisfaction.

　　"I knew that you would come," said Paul, "and when I heardthe four cries of the wolf I knew, too, that all four of you werethere. When you sent the call Braxton Wyatt, who alone mighthave suspected, was asleep. The Spanish commander was awake, andhe was troubled, but he did not know why."

　　"Wa'al, I guess he knows now," said Shif'less Sol with asilent but deep laugh. "Ef he's the kind o' man you say he is,Paul, an' I guess he is - he needed our teachin' him a lesson. Ihate a man who knows too much, who is too almighty certain, an' Iguess the Spaniard is one o' that kind. Think o' him commin' outhere in the woods, breakin' faith, so to speak, an' holdin' you,Paul. Ef I wuz to go over to Europe, which I ain't ever goin' todo - an' wuz to light down in one o' them big cities, Paris orLondon, do you think I'd tell the fellers in the streets that Iknowed more about their town than they did?"

　　"No, Sol," said Paul, "you're too wise a man ever to do sucha thing."

　　"I should hope I wuz," said Sol emphatically. "Jest thinko' me stoppin' a lot o' French fellers in the streets o' Paris,me jest happened in from the woods fur the fust time, an' sayin'to them: ' Here, Bob, be keerful how you cross the street thar,it's a right bad spot fur wagons, an' you'd shorely git run overef you tried it,' or ' Now, Dick, that thar is the wrong streetthat you're takin', ef you foller it you'll land a full mile fromyour cabin.'

　　"But Frenchmen are not named Bob and Dick," said Paul with asmile.

　　"Wa'al ef they ain't they ought to be," said the shiftlessone with conviction. "Why they want to call theirselves by allthem long names nobody can pronounce, when there are a lot o'good, nice, short, handy names like Dick, an' Jim, an' Bill, an'Bob, an' Hank, layin' 'roun' loose an' jest beggin' to be used,is more'n I kin understand."

　　"We must soon decide what to do," said Henry. "If theSpanish captain concludes to help the Indians, and with BraxtonWyatt at his elbow I think he is likely to do it, our people inKentucky will again be in great danger. We must drive theSpaniards back to New Orleans."

　　"I agree with you," said Paul, "but how is it to be done?"

　　"Mebbe we kin shoo 'em back, skeer 'em, so to speak," saidShif'less Sol. "We're jest bound to keep Spain out o' thiscountry."

　　"It is true," said Paul. "Great things grow out of littleones. Such a land as this is sure to have a great populationsome day and what we five do now, obscure and few as we are, mayhelp to decide what that population is to be."

　　As Paul spoke, his comrades and the shadowed glen floatedaway, and the look of seer came upon him. Again he saw greattowns and a nation. The others regarded him with a little awe.The spiritual, or rather prophetic, quality in Paul always hadtheir deep respect.

　　"Paul shorely does take mighty long looks ahead," whisperedShif'less Sol to Henry, "And sometimes I can't follow him cleanto the end. I mostly drop by the way. I like to live this veryminute, an' I'm pow'ful glad to be alive right now. But I'm withhim clean to the finish o' our big job."

　　Henry nodded and presently he and the shiftless one wentaway through the woods. Paul, Ross, and Long Jim remained lyingat ease in the forest - Paul had learned the great wildernesslesson of patience - and about noon the two returned. They hadbeen spying upon the Spanish camp, and they reported that Alvarezand his men had not moved.

　　"They seem to be waiting for something," said Henry."Braxton Wyatt is still with them, and they have posted moresentinels in a wider circle. I don't believe they will move campfor several days. So long as they keep theirs there, we'll keepours here.

　　"0' course," said the shiftless one. "We must keep thewatch."

　　Several days passed and there was little to do. One oranother of the five at times crept close to the Spanish camp, andalways reported that the men there were lounging at their easeand still waiting. Now and then the Spaniards hunted indetachments, usually guided by Braxton Wyatt, and brought in bothdeer and buffalo. On the fourth day Henry and Paul also wenthunting.

　　"The country west of here," said Henry, "opens out into abig prairie, and we may see something worth seeing."

　　Paul did not ask what it was, content to go and see, and thetwo, rifle on shoulder, slipped away through the woods, taking adirect, western course.

　　Paul noticed that the country soon became much less hilly,and that the forest thinned. After a while hills and forestceased altogether and the two stood upon the edge of a wide sweepof gently rolling, open country, extending so far that it met thehorizon.

　　"Look," said Henry. "A great prairie!"

　　"And look what's on it!" exclaimed Paul.

　　Henry laughed and glanced at his comrade's pleased face. Asfar as the eye could reach the prairie was covered with amultitude of great, dark animals, grazing on the short, sweetgrass. Near by these animals, as Paul saw, were a few feet apart,but further on they seemed to blend into one solid, black, butheaving mass.

　　"A real buffalo herd," said Henry.

　　Paul had seen buffaloes often in Kentucky, but there theywere usually in small groups of a dozen or so, owing to thewooded nature of the country, and now he looked for the firsttime upon a great herd, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, maybemore - one could not calculate. The spectacle appealed greatlyto his imaginative temperament.

　　"What a grand sight!" he said.

　　"Yes," said Henry, "it is wonderful, but, Paul, this isnothing to what you can see on the great plains. When I was acaptive with the northwestern Indians I've seen a herd that waspassing our party all day, and it was also so wide you could notsee across it.

　　They stood there some time looking. The huge, savage bullswere on the outskirts of the herd, and just beyond them at thefringe of the forest were snarling timber wolves, waiting for achance to drag down some careless calf, or a bull weakened to thelast degree by old age.

　　As the two youths looked they heard a shot and saw amovement among the buffaloes. Another shot followed and then ahalf dozen. The portion of the herd near by seemed suddenly tocontract and to roll in upon itself. The waiting wolvesdisappeared in the woods, and snorts of terror arose from theherd.

　　"There they are! I see them!" exclaimed Paul. "It is theSpaniards, sure enough!"

　　Five or six men in the Spanish military attire burst fromthe forest, not more than a hundred yards away, and continued tofire as fast as they could into the herd.

　　"How foolish!" exclaimed Henry. "Either they are wastingtheir shots or if they don't waste them they are killing far morebuffaloes than they can use!"

　　The boys withdrew into a thicket, as they did not wish to beseen by the Spaniards, and watched closely. The soldierscontinued to reload and fire and uttered shouts of joy whenever abuffalo fell. Transported by excitement they scattered, and oneman ran down near Paul and Henry, detaching himself unconsciouslyfrom the rest of his comrades.

　　This Spaniard was, young and athletic, and he fired at ahuge bull. Had he been an experienced hunter, he would haveknown better, as the bull was too big and tough to eat, and hewas also one of the savage guardians of the herd. Moreover, theSpaniards were armed mostly with muskets, a weapon far inferiorto the Kentucky rifle.

　　The great bull stung in the flank, but stung only, uttered aroar of pain, and, sharp horns down, charged directly upon theyoung Spaniard. He was a terrifying sight as he tore up thegrass of the prairie, his red eyes flaming. The Spaniard,appalled, dropped his musket and ran for the woods, the greatbeast thundering at his heels, and his hot breath, in fancy atleast, upon his back. Both Paul and Henry at that instantrecognized him. It was one of unfortunate sentinels, Luiz.

　　"I'll save him," said Henry, "but keep back, Paul! Don't lethim see you!"

　　The Spaniard was about to reach the edge of the wood, butanother jump would bring the raging buffalo upon him. His footcaught among some root, and with a despairing cry he fell uponhis face. But as he struck the ground there was a sharp, lashingreport, far different from the dull boom of a musket, and thegreat animal suddenly ploughed forward on his head. So violentwas his plunge, as he was stricken in mid-charge, that his neckwas broken, and, after his crashing fall, he lay quite still.

　　The young Spaniard, Luiz, sprang to his feet unharmed, andhe was confronted by a figure that startled him, the figure of avery tall and powerful youth, clad wholly in deerskin, leaning ona long, slender barreled Kentucky rifle, and looking at himcontemplatively. So sudden was his appearance and so fixed hisgaze that Luiz, although joyful over his escape from death, wasstartled and awed. His adventure of a few nights before when hewas seized, bound, and gagged by unseen but powerful hands hadleft him shaken, and now his brain was whirling.

　　The young Spaniard stared at the figure, which neither movednor spoke, but which returned his gaze with a fixed look. Was ita spirit, or was it really one of the Americans? But whatever itwas, it had, beyond a doubt, saved his life, and deep down in hisSpanish heart he was not ungrateful.

　　"Thanks, Senior!" he stammered. "Your shot-it was just intime!"

　　The apparition spoke, but only a few words.

　　"We are your friends, not your enemies, don't forget," itsaid, and the startled Luiz rubbed his eyes. The figure of thegreat youth was gone. It had been there and then it was notthere, and only some bushes, waving slightly, told where it hadbeen. He regained his musket, and, still bewildered, rejoinedhis comrades to tell them a story that they did not more thanhalf believe.

　　Henry, laughing a little, returned to Paul. It had been asimple trick. He had merely darted away among the bushes, whileLuiz was still in a daze.

　　"I did not want to see the man killed," he said, "and maybewe have sowed a good seed, that will grow up in time, and producesomething."

　　"It may be," added Paul.

　　They went a little farther into the forest and watched theSpaniards finish their hunt, gather up as much of their game asthey could carry, and depart. When they were well out of sight,Henry and Paul went to a slain cow that the soldiers hadneglected, cut out some of the choicest portions, and took theway to their own camp.

　　"I think the Spaniards are likely to be disturbed over whathas happened," said Henry.

　　In fact, the shiftless one, who was the scout the followingnight, returned with a story that the Spanish camp was greatlyagitated. Braxton Wyatt and Alvarez were positive that the fivewere still lingering somewhere near, but the uneducated soldierswere not sure that a spirit was not lurking in the wilderness.It might be a beneficent spirit, as it had saved Luiz, but, onthe other hand, it had taken away the American prisoner, and theywere afraid of the unknown and mysterious. These vast, darkwoods were so different from the open and sunny plains of Spain,where a man knew what to expect, that they were inspired withawe.

　　Yet Alvarez would not move, so Shif'less Sol reported. Heseemed to be still waiting for something, and on the followingnight Henry, Paul, and Shif'less Sol went forth to watch theSpanish camp again.

　　"I've a feelin' in me," said the shiftless one, "thatsomethin' is goin' to happen to-night. I often have thesefeelin's, omens some people call 'em, mm' readins' other peoplesay. I notice that I gena'lly have 'em jest about when all thecircumstances show that things are comm' to a head, jest ez efPaul here wuz to feel along about 6 or 7 o'clock in the afternoonthat sundown couldn't be fur away. You can't beat it. Now whenI've gone fifteen or eighteen hours without food I have afeelin'- an' it's a strong one, too - that I'm goin' (to behungry, an' I'm sca'cely ever mistook, jest ez I've got a feelin'when the skies are filled with big black clouds that it's liableto rain purty soon. I tell you, Paul, it's a great thing to havethis here power you call second sight."

　　The three walked steadily on in Indian file through theforest, their trained feet making no sound among the trunks andbrushes. The night was dark, just suited to their purpose, andclouds floated up to dim the skies. No stars came out, and themoon was hidden. By and bye the wind rose, and dashes of rainwere whipped into their faces. But the three did not mind. Suchthings as these had become trifles to them long since. Henry ledwith sure step, Shif'less Sol came next, and Paul brought up therear. Henry stopped after a awhile and sank down among thebushes. The other two did likewise, and, after a little pause inwhich they heard nothing, they began to creep forward, taking theutmost care to make not even the slightest sound. They sawpresently through the trees and bushes a faint red shade thatgrew fast to a glow and then to a glare.

　　Henry stopped, sank lower, and beckoned to his comrades.They crept to his side and looked over a steep little cliffdirectly upon the Spanish camp. Most of the soldiers weregrouped about a large camp fire, and Francisco Alvarez was amongthem in a place of honor.

　　Hidden in the deep shrubbery the three occupied points ofvantage, and, while secure from observation themselves, theycould easily see all that passed in the glade. Several tents hadbeen set, although the flaps were wide open and within one ofthese sat Francisco Alvarez in all the gorgeous attire of aSpanish officer, most fastidious in his taste. The gold on hisuniform glittered, the lace on his cuffs was snowy and fresh, andthe polished hilt of his small sword gleamed in the firelight.He had the air of one who expected distinguished guests.

　　"Now I wonder what has become of Braxton Wyatt," whisperedPaul. Nowhere could he see a sign of the renegade.

　　"He is coming," whispered Henry, who had what Shif'less Solwould have called an intuition.

　　Two of the Spaniards heaped more wood upon the fire. Thelogs crackled and blazed merrily, casting long tongues of flameacross the glade, and sending a grateful heat into the veins ofthe warm-blooded Southerners. The flurries of rain ceased, andthe skies brightened a little. A star or two peeped out.

　　Said Henry in the lowest of whispers, "here they come!"

　　The bushes at the far side of the glade parted and threefigures came into the open. They took but two or three stepsforward and then stopped full in the blaze of the firelight,where every feature showed like carving in the red glow.The hidden watchers recognized at once the three who had come.They were Braxton Wyatt, Yellow Panther the Miami chief, and RedEagle the Shawnee chief. Paul repressed a little cry ofamazement that he should see the two Indian leaders so far fromthe territory of their tribes. They must intend much to comesuch a journey.

　　Braxton Wyatt stepped back a little, as if having performed hisfunction of guide he would now remain awhile in the background,but the two great chiefs stood motionless, side by side,magnificent specimens of savage life, bronze of skin, tall offigure, powerful of chest, thin, eagle-like faces, and defiantscalp-locks waving above. The imaginative Paul, seeing how wellthey fitted into the wilderness scene, was forced to admire. Thefirelight flickered and blazed over them, but they were immovablein all their savage dignity. Henry put his hand upon Paul'sshoulder, and pressed gently. It was an intimation to look withall his eyes and listen with all attention. But Paul did notneed the hint.

　　Francisco Alvarez also was impressed. He loved the townsand luxury, but he had acuteness and perception, and he knew thatthese were strong men of their kind, men with whom he must dealaccording to the courtesy of the woods. He rose from his tent,bowed to them, and walked forward. He himself was a splendidfigure in his gorgeous uniform, and his carriage was marked bydignity.

　　"Now see them salute," whispered the shiftless one in Paul'sear.

　　Braxton Wyatt stepped forward again, produced a pipe with abeautifully carved horn handle, and filled it carefully withtobacco, which he lighted with a coal from the fire. Then hehanded it to Red Eagle, who was the older of the chiefs, and RedEagle gravely took a half dozen whiffs. Then he passed it toYellow Panther, who did likewise, and the chief in his turnhanded it to the Spanish commander. Alvarez smoked gravely for ahalf minute, and then Braxton Wyatt took the pipe.

　　"Now for the big confab," whispered Sol.

　　Fine buffalo robes were spread before the fire, and thethree leaders and Braxton Wyatt sat upon them. All others keptat a respectful distance. The four began to talk and, althoughonly an occasional word reached the watching three, they knew toowell their subject of converse. It was the great conspiracy todraw the Spanish from Louisiana into an attack upon the infantsettlements, upon the ground that, they were or would beinterlopers. It was cannon that the assailants needed to smashthe block houses, and cannon in abundance could be brought on thegreat rivers from New Orleans.

　　The watchers presently saw Braxton Wyatt take a small parcelfrom the inside of his deerskin hunting shirt. He unfolded theparcel and the watchers could see that it consisted of largepieces of the finest, tanned deerskin.

　　"Maps," said Paul intuitively. "That scoundrel, BraxtonWyatt, has made them for the advantage of the Spanish, and todisclose all our weak points!"

　　The fire blazed higher and they could see that on the whitedeerskin were drawn lines in colored pigment, and the rest theyguessed. It was true enough. Braxton Wyatt, no meandraughtsman, had drawn, with the most elaborate care andattention to detail, maps on a large scale of every one of theinfant settlements.

　　There was nothing about Wareville in particular that he didnot show, and he also designated all the rivers, hills, andvalleys as far as they were known. With such aid a Spanishforce, backed by cannon and the warriors, must triumph over everypost in Kentucky.

　　"I never thought of this," whispered Paul. Henry merelypressed his shoulder again to indicate that they were ready todeal with it, if man could.

　　The three watchers remained there more than an hour, andAlvarez, Wyatt, and the chiefs still discussed the maps withevery appearance of agreement, bending their heads over them, andnow and then disclosing eager faces, as they lifted them in thefirelight.

　　"Alvarez wants to help them," whispered Paul. "He hates us,and, if he can, he will commit the Governor of Louisiana to theIndian alliance."

　　"Beyond a doubt," replied Henry, "and so it's not worthwhile for us to wait here any longer."

　　They slid away in the dark and returned to their own camp.There Long Jim and Tom Ross were placidly awaiting them, and theywere not at all surprised with the news. Then the five heldanother of their conferences.

　　"I think it likely," said Paul, "that Alvarez will go backat once to New Orleans. He will tell the Governor there thatarmed bands of Americans are trespassing upon Spanish territoryand that they must be driven off. He will come back with cannonand a powerful force to do the driving. That means war, ofcourse, and an attack upon us in Kentucky.

　　"How will the Governor of New Orleans know whether thefighting is on Spanish territory or not? And, even if Alvarezoverstepped the limits he could say that he was attacked first."

　　"Of course," said Henry, "and it means that we must followAlvarez all the way to New Orleans, if necessary, and it may bethat we shall have to carry the message of the Kentuckians toBernardo Galvez, the Spanish Governor General himself."

　　"We're ready," said Shif'less Sol lazily. "I wouldn'tmind seem' that furrin town. I saw a town once when I wuz alittle boy. It wuz Baltimore, an' a pow'ful big place it wuz,most nigh set my head to swimmin'. I heard tell that ez many ezeight or ten thousand people lived thar. Sounds impossible butsome o' 'em swore it wuz true."

　　"We'll prepare at once for the journey," said Henry.All set to work.