Chapter XXII. The Chosen Task

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　Adam Colfax had gone through the battle unharmed, but thatterrible night left new gray in his hair. He was a religiousman, and, when the rifle fire died down in the forest and thenwent out, he uttered a devout prayer of thankfulness. He and histrain, on the whole, had come through better than he hadexpected. There had been moments in the bayou when he thought nomortal strength or skill could break the chain that bound them.But the savage army and navy had been beaten off, and the core ofhis fleet was saved. He could still go on to Pittsburgh with hisprecious cargo.

　　The trumpet was sounded again, and the boats, drawing together,began to count their losses. It was a long sad count, but thosewho survived were elated over their great victory.

　　It was then that Adam Colfax discovered the absence of the fivewho had helped him so much. Some one had seen them spring ashoreto protect the escape of the skirmishers, and he ordered thefleet once toward the land to save them, or, if too late, tobring their bodies to the boat.

　　A dozen boats swung in toward the bank and that of Adam Colfaxwas foremost. He was not conscious of the gentle rain, save thatit felt cooling and pleasant on his face after the heat and smokeof the battle. Yet the brain of the stern New Hampshire man wasstill fevered, too. The battle had ceased, but the roar of thecannon-shots and the crash of the rifles yet echoed in his ears.The black forest that came down to the water's edge, was full ofmystery and terror, and his was no timid heart. Smoke of thebattle drifted among the trees or over the river, and the raindid not drive it all away. In the far distance low thundermuttered, and now and then flashes of heat lightning drew a beltof coppery red along the dark horizon.

　　Adam Colfax, stern man that he was, shuddered. But he would notflinch. He was the first to spring ashore. The forest assumedits most somber aspect. The trees were weird and ghostly, andthere was no sound at all but the gentle drip, drip of the rain.Here the vapors and mists seemed to be imprisoned by the boughsand foliage, and the odors were heavy and acrid.

　　He had landed upon a little neck of land, and some one remarked:"It was here that the Kentuckians landed." But there was nosound in the forest and the scouts had reported already that theenemy had gone away. A great fear gripped at the heart of AdamColfax. "They are all dead," he thought.

　　Men brought torches, as they no longer had any fear ofsharpshooters; and Adam Colfax, followed by twenty others,entered the forest. The wind rose slightly and whipped the rainin his face, but he stepped into the deepest shadow, and, takinga torch from one of the men, held it aloft with his own hand.The light fell upon a little open space and, despite himself,Adam Colfax uttered a cry.

　　A figure lay outstretched under the shelter of arching boughs andbushes, and four more beside it were still and silent, leaningagainst a fallen log. There was such an absolute lack of motion,that Colfax at first thought that the soul of every one was sped.

　　"Good God! Dead! All dead!" he exclaimed.

　　But a great figure quickly uprose.

　　"No," said Henry Ware, a fine smile passing over his boyish face."We beat them off, and we're just resting and waiting. Only Paulis seriously hurt, and so far we've been afraid to move him."

　　Shif'less Sol, Jim Hart, and Tom Ross rose, too, and shook theraindrops from their clothes.

　　"We didn't have good shelter here," said Shif'less Sol, "but Ithink the rain and its coolness have helped Paul."

　　Adam Colfax bent over the boy and, in the dawning light, made acritical examination.

　　"He will live," he said. "We'd have come to your relief longago, had we known you were here."

　　"It was Braxton Wyatt who led the last attack against us," saidHenry, "and as usual, he has had the good luck to escape. Atleast, we can't find his body here, and I haven't the slightestdoubt that he's living to do more mischief and that we'll meethim again."

　　It was true, and a diligent search revealed no trace of Wyatt.He had escaped, fleeing North after the battle, to rejoin his oldfriends, the Shawnees and Miamis.

　　Paul was lifted gently, after receiving treatment from thesurgeon of the fleet, and carried to a boat, where he regainedconsciousness. His wound was severe, but his blood was sohealthy that he would recover, according to the surgeon, withgreat rapidity.

　　When all five were together, Adam Colfax said to themcollectively:

　　"You did the most of all to save the fleet."

　　That was enough reward for them.

　　The body of Father Montigny was buried in the forest, and alittle wooden cross was put at his head. Christian burial wasgiven to the body of Alvarez, too, and the supply fleet preparedfor a new start.

　　* * * *The fleet, two weeks later, was making its slow progressnorthward on the Mississippi. The great river was in anuncommonly friendly mood. Its usual yellow seemed silver in thebrilliant morning light. Heavy masses of green fringed eitherlow shore, and keen pleasant odors came from the wilderness.

　　Oliver Pollock, hearing of the battle of the bayou, had sent asecond detachment from New Orleans to replace the men and boatslost and the ammunition shot away by the first, and now, strongerthan ever, it continued under the brave and skillful leadershipof Adam Colfax, on its great mission.

　　The five sat in the end of one of the largest boats, under theshade of a sail. Paul's strength was fast coming back; he wouldnot suffer the slightest harm, and they were happy.

　　"This is jest the life fur a lazy man like me," said Shif'lessSol. "Nothin' to do but go on an' on, with people to wait on you,an' say you hey already done your part."

　　"We have had a wonderful escape," said Paul.

　　The face of the shiftless one became grave, even reverent.

　　"So we hev, Paul," he said. "Seems to me sometimes that we wuzspared fur a purpose. We wouldn't hev come alive, every one ofus, through all that, ef it hadn't been intended that we shouldgo on with the work that we are doin', helpin' and defendin' ourpeople the best we kin. I think we've been chose."

　　"I think so, too," said Paul, "and here and now we should devoteourselves to it, as long as it is needed. I want to do so. Arethe rest of you willing?"

　　"I am," said Henry with emphasis.

　　"And I!" said the shiftless one.

　　"And I!" said Tom Ross.

　　"And I!" said Long Jim.

　　"Amen!" said Paul.

　　THE END