Chapter VII. Catharine Montour

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　The five lay deep in the swamp, reunited once more, and full ofcontent. The great storm in which Long Jim, with the aid of hiscomrades, had disappeared, was whirling off to the eastward. Thelightning was flaring its last on the distant horizon, but therain still pattered in the great woods.

　　It was a small hut, but the five could squeeze in it. They weredry, warm, and well armed, and they had no fear of the storm andthe wilderness. The four after their imprisonment and privationswere recovering their weight and color. Paul, who had sufferedthe most, had, on the other hand, made the quickest recovery, andtheir present situation, so fortunate in contrast with theirthreatened fate a few days before, made a great appeal to hisimagination. The door was allowed to stand open six inches , andthrough the crevice he watched the rain pattering on the darkearth. He felt an immense sense of security and comfort. Paulwas hopeful by nature and full of courage, but when he lay boundand alone in a hut in the Iroquois camp it seemed to him that nochance was left. The comrades had been kept separate, and he hadsupposed the others to be dead. But here he was snatched fromthe very pit of death, and all the others had been saved from alike fate.

　　"If I'd known that you were alive and uncaptured, Henry," hesaid, " I'd never have given up hope. It was a wonderful thingyou did to start the chain that drew us all away."

　　"It's no more than Sol or Tom or any of you would have done,"said Henry.

　　"We might have tried it," said Long Jim Hart, "but I ain't surethat we'd have done it. Likely ez not, ef it had been left to memy scalp would be dryin' somewhat in the breeze that fans aMohawk village. Say, Sol, how wuz it that you talked Onondagawhen you played the part uv that Onondaga runner. Didn't knowyou knowed that kind uv Injun lingo."

　　Shif'less Sol drew himself up proudly, and then passed athoughtful hand once or twice across his forehead.

　　"Jim," he said, "I've told you often that Paul an' me hez theinstincts uv the eddicated. Learnin' always takes a mightystrong hold on me. Ef I'd had the chance, I might be apurfessor, or mebbe I'd be writin' poetry. I ain't told youabout it, but when I wuz a young boy, afore I moved with thesettlers, I wuz up in these parts an' I learned to talk Iroquoisa heap. I never thought it would be the use to me it hez beennow. Ain't it funny that sometimes when you put a thing away an'it gits all covered with rust and mold, the time comes when thatsame forgot little thing is the most vallyble article in theworld to you."

　　"Weren't you scared, Sol," persisted Paul, "to face a man likeBrant, an' pass yourself off as an Onondaga?"

　　"No, I wuzn't," replied the shiftless one thoughtfully, "I'vebeen wuss scared over little things. I guess that when your lifedepends on jest a motion o' your hand or the turnin' o' a word,Natur' somehow comes to your help an' holds you up. I didn't getgood an' skeered till it wuz all over, an' then I had one fitright after another."

　　"I've been skeered fur a week without stoppin'," said Tom Ross;"jest beginnin' to git over it. I tell you, Henry, it wuzpow'ful lucky fur us you found them steppin' stones, an' thissolid little place in the middle uv all that black mud."

　　"Makes me think uv the time we spent the winter on that islandin the lake," said Long Jim. "That waz shorely a nice place an'pow'ful comf'table we wuz thar. But we're a long way from itnow. That island uv ours must be seven or eight hundred milesfrom here, an' I reckon it's nigh to fifteen hundred to NewOrleans, whar we wuz once."

　　"Shet up," said Tom Ross suddenly. "Time fur all uv you to go tosleep, an' I'm goin' to watch."

　　"I'll watch," said Henry.

　　"I'm the oldest, an' I'm goin' to have my way this time," saidTom.

　　"Needn't quarrel with me about it," said Shif'less Sol. "A lazyman like me is always willin' to go to sleep. You kin hev mywatch, Tom, every night fur the next five years."

　　He ranged himself against the wall, and in three minutes wassound asleep. Henry and Paul found room in the line, and they,too, soon slept. Tom sat at the door, one of the captured riflesacross his knees, and watched the forest and the swamp. He sawthe last flare of the distant lightning, and he listened to thefalling of the rain drops until they vanished with the vanishingwind, leaving the forest still and without noise.

　　Tom was several years older than any of the others, and, althoughpowerful in action, be was singularly chary of speech. Henry wasthe leader, but somehow Tom looked upon himself as a watcher overthe other four, a sort of elder brother. As the moon came out alittle in the wake of the retreating clouds, he regarded themaffectionately.

　　"One, two, three, four, five," he murmured to himself. "We'reall here, an' Henry come fur us. That is shorely the greatestboy the world hez ever seed. Them fellers Alexander an' Hannibalthat Paul talks about couldn't hev been knee high to Henry.Besides, ef them old Greeks an' Romans hed hed to fight Wyandotsan' Shawnees an' Iroquois ez we've done, whar'd they hev been?"

　　Tom Ross uttered a contemptuous little sniff, and on the edge ofthat sniff Alexander and Hannibal were wafted into oblivion.Then he went outside and walked about the islet, appreciating forthe tenth time what a wonderful little refuge it was. He wasabout to return to the hut when he saw a dozen dark blots alongthe high bough of a tree. He knew them. They were welcomeblots. They were wild turkeys that had found what had seemed tobe a secure roosting place in the swamp.

　　Tom knew that the meat of the little bear was nearly exhausted,and here was more food come to their hand. "We're five pow'fulfeeders, an' we'll need you," he murmured, looking up at theturkeys, " but you kin rest thar till nearly mornin'."

　　He knew that the turkeys would not stir, and he went back to thehut to resume his watch. just before the first dawn he awokeHenry.

　　"Henry," he said, "a lot uv foolish wild turkeys hev gone to reston the limb of a tree not twenty yards from this grand manshun uvourn. 'Pears to me that wild turkeys wuz made fur hungry fellerslike us to eat. Kin we risk a shot or two at 'em, or is it toodangerous?"

　　"I think we can risk the shots," said Henry, rising and takinghis rifle. " We're bound to risk something, and it's not likelythat Indians are anywhere near."

　　They slipped from the cabin, leaving the other three still soundasleep, and stepped noiselessly among the trees. The first palegray bar that heralded the dawn was just showing in the cast.

　　"Thar they are," said Tom Ross, pointing at the dozen dark blotson the high bough.

　　"We'll take good aim, and when I say 'fire!' we'll both pulltrigger," said Henry.

　　He picked out a huge bird near the end of the line, but benoticed when be drew the bead that a second turkey just behindthe first was directly in his line of fire. The fact aroused hisambition to kill both with one bullet. It was not a mere desireto slaughter or to display marksmanship, but they needed theextra turkey for food.

　　"Are you ready, Tom?" he asked. " Then fire."

　　They pulled triggers, there were two sharp reports terribly loudto both under the circumstances, and three of the biggest andfattest of the turkeys fell heavily to the ground, while the restflapped their wings, and with frightened gobbles flew away.

　　Henry was about to rush forward, but Silent Tom held him back.

　　"Don't show yourself, Henry! Don't show yourself!" he criedin tense tones.

　　"Why, what's the matter?" asked the boy in surprise.

　　"Don't you see that three turkeys fell, and we are only two toshoot? An Injun is layin' 'roun' here some whar, an' he drawed abead on one uv them turkeys at the same time we did."

　　Henry laughed and put away Tom's detaining hand.

　　"There's no Indian about," he said. "I killed two turkeys withone shot, and I'm mighty proud of it, too. I saw that they weredirectly in the line of the bullet, and it went through both."

　　Silent Tom heaved a mighty sigh of relief, drawn up from greatdepths.

　　"I'm tre-men-jeous-ly glad uv that, Henry," he said. "Now when Isaw that third turkey come tumblin' down I wuz shore that oneInjun or mebbe more had got on this snug little place uv ourn inthe swamp, an' that we'd hev to go to fightin' ag'in. Thar cometimes, Henry, when my mind just natchally rises up an' rebelsag'in fightin', 'specially when I want to eat or sleep. Ain'tthar anythin' else but fight, fight, fight, 'though I 'low afeller hez got to expect a lot uv it out here in the woods?"

　　They picked up the three turkeys, two gobblers and a hen, andfound them large and fat as butter. More than once the wildturkey had come to their relief, and, in fact, this bird played agreat part in the life of the frontier, wherever that frontiermight be, as it shifted steadily westward. As they walked backtoward the hut they faced three figures, all three with leveledrifles.

　　"All right, boys," sang out Henry. "It's nobody but Tom andmyself, bringing in our breakfast."

　　The three dropped their rifles.

　　"That's good," said Shif'less Sol. "When them shots roused usout o' our beauty sleep we thought the whole Iroquois nation,horse, foot, artillery an' baggage wagons, wuz comin' down uponus. So we reckoned we'd better go out an' lick 'em afore it wuztoo late.

　　"But it's you, an' you've got turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho'I reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuzloaded down with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all themother Roman and Rooshian delicacies Paul talks about in a way tomake your mouth water. But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' butturkeys!"

　　"You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde," said LongJim. "Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom bothto hold you back."

　　But Shif'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes wereglued on the turkeys.

　　"I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin'," he said, "but I'mgoin' to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for thecoals. The quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me."

　　While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lestthe sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the steppingstones and scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign ofIndian presence, and, relieved, he returned to the islet just asbreakfast was ready.

　　Long Jim had exerted all his surpassing skill, and it was acontented five that worked on one of the turkeys - the other twobeing saved for further needs.

　　"What's goin' to be the next thing in the line of our duty,Henry?" asked Long Jim as they ate.

　　"We'll have plenty to do, from all that Sol tells us," repliedthe boy. "It seems that they felt so sure of you, while you wereprisoners, that they often talked about their plans where youcould hear them. Sol has told me of two or three talks betweenTimmendiquas and Thayendanegea, and from the last one he gatheredthat they're intending a raid with a big army against a placecalled Wyoming, in the valley of a river named the Susquehanna.It's a big settlement, scattered all along the river, and theyexpect to take a lot of scalps. They're going to be helped byBritish from Canada and Tories. Boys, we're a long way fromhome, but shall we go and tell them in Wyoming what's coming?"

　　"Of course," said the four together.

　　"Our bein' a long way from home don't make any difference " saidShif'less Sol. "We're generally a long way from home, an' youknow we sent word back from Pittsburgh to Wareville that we wuzstayin' a while here in the east on mighty important business."

　　"Then we go to the Wyoming Valley as straight and as fast as wecan," said Henry. "That's settled. What else did you bear abouttheir plans, Sol?"

　　"They're to break up the village here soon and then they'll marchto a place called Tioga. The white men an' I hear that's to be alot uv 'em-will join 'em thar or sooner. They've sent chiefs allthe way to our Congress at Philydelphy, pretendin' peace, an'then, when they git our people to thinkin' peace, they'll jump onour settlements, the whole ragin' army uv 'em, with tomahawk an'knife. A white man named John Butler is to command 'em."

　　Paul shuddered.

　　"I've heard of him," he said. "They called him 'Indian' Butlerat Pittsburgh. He helped lead the Indians in that terriblebattle of the Oriskany last year. And they say he's got a son,Walter Butler, who is as bad as he is, and there are other whiteleaders of the Indians, the Johnsons and Claus."

　　"'Pears ez ef we would be needed," said Tom Ross.

　　"I don't think we ought to hurry," said Henry. The more we knowabout the Indian plans the better it will be for the Wyomingpeople. We've a safe and comfortable hiding place here, and wecan stay and watch the Indian movements."

　　"Suits me," drawled Shif'less Sol. "My legs an' arms are stillstiff from them deerskin thongs an' ez Long Jim is here now towait on me I guess I'll take a rest from travelin."

　　"You'll do all your own waitin' on yourself," rejoined Long Jim;'an I'm afraid you won't be waited on so Pow'ful well, either,but a good deal better than you deserve."

　　They lay on the islet several days, meanwhile keeping a closewatch on the Indian camp. They really had little to fear exceptfrom hunting parties, as the region was far from any settledportion of the country, and the Indians were not likely tosuspect their continued presence. But the hunters were numerous,and all the squaws in the camp were busy jerking meat. It wasobvious that the Indians were preparing for a great campaign, butthat they would take their own time. Most of the scouting wasdone by Henry and Sol, and several times they lay in the thickbrushwood and watched, by the light of the fires, what waspassing in the Indian camp.

　　On the fifth night after the rescue of Long Jim, Henry andShif'less Sol lay in the covert. It was nearly midnight, but thefires still burned in the Indian camp, warriors were polishingtheir weapons, and the women were cutting up or jerking meat.While they were watching they heard from a point to the north thesound of a voice rising and failing in a kind of chant.

　　"Another war party comin'," whispered Shif'less Sol, "an' singin'about the victories that they're goin' to win."

　　"But did you notice that voice?" Henry whispered back. " It'snot a man's, it's a woman's."

　　"Now that you speak of it, you're right," said Shif'less Sol."It's funny to hear an Injun woman chantin' about battles as shecomes into camp. That's the business o' warriors."

　　"Then this is no ordinary woman," said Henry.

　　"They'll pass along that trail there within twenty yards of us,Sol, and we want to see her."

　　"So we do," said Sol, "but I ain't breathin' while they pass."

　　They flattened themselves against the earth until the keenest eyecould not see them in the darkness. All the time the singing wasgrowing louder, and both remained, quite sure that it was thevoice of a woman. The trail was but a short distance away, andthe moon was bright. The fierce Indian chant swelled, andpresently the most .singular figure that either had ever seencame into view.

　　The figure was that of an Indian woman, but lighter in color thanmost of her kind. She was middle-aged, tall, heavily built, andarrayed in a strange mixture of civilized and barbaric finery,deerskin leggins and moccasins gorgeously ornamented with heads,a red dress of European cloth with a red shawl over it, and herhead bare except for bright feathers, thrust in her long blackhair, which hung loosely down her back. She held in one hand alarge sharp tomahawk, which she swung fiercely in time to hersong. Her face had the rapt, terrible expression of one who hadtaken some fiery and powerful drug, and she looked neither toright nor to left as she strode on, chanting a song of blood, andswinging the keen blade.

　　Henry and Shif'less Sol shuddered. They had looked upon terriblehuman figures, but nothing so frightful as this, a woman with thestrength of a man and twice his rage and cruelty. There wassomething weird and awful in the look of that set, savage face,and the tone of that Indian chant. Brave as they were, Henry andthe shiftless one felt fear, as perhaps they had never felt itbefore in their lives. Well they might! They were destined tobehold this woman again, under conditions the most awful of whichthe human mind can conceive, and to witness savagery almostunbelievable in either man or woman. The two did not yet knowit, but they were looking upon Catharine Montour, daughter of aFrench Governor General of Canada and an Indian woman, achieftainess of the Iroquois, and of a memory infamous forever onthe border, where she was known as "Queen Esther."

　　Shif'less Sol shuddered again, and whispered to Henry:

　　"I didn't think such women ever lived, even among the Indians."

　　A dozen warriors followed Queen Esther, stepping in single file,and their manner showed that they acknowledged her their leaderin every sense. She was truly an extraordinary woman. Not eventhe great Thayendanegea himself wielded a stronger influenceamong the Iroquois. In her youth she had been treated as a whitewoman, educated and dressed as a white woman, and she had playeda part in colonial society at Albany, New York, and Philadelphia.But of her own accord she had turned toward the savage half ofherself, had become wholly a savage, had married a savage chief,bad been the mother of savage children, and here she was, atmidnight, striding into an Iroquois camp in the wilderness, herhead aflame with visions of blood, death, and scalps.

　　The procession passed with the terrifying female figure stillleading, still singing her chant, and the curiosity of Henry andShif'less Sol was so intense that, taking all risks, they slippedalong in the rear to see her entry.

　　Queen Esther strode into the lighted area of the camp, ceased herchant, and looked around, as if a queen had truly come and waswaiting to be welcomed by her subjects. Thayendanegea, whoevidently expected her, stepped forward and gave her the Indiansalute. It may be that he received her with mild enthusiasm.Timmendiquas, a Wyandot and a guest, though an ally, would notdispute with him his place as real head of the Six Nations, butthis terrible woman was his match ' and could inflame theIroquois to almost anything that she wished.

　　After the arrival of Queen Esther the lights in the Iroquoisvillage died down. It was evident to both Henry and theshiftless one that they had been kept burning solely in theexpectation of the coming of this formidable woman and herescort. It was obvious that nothing more was to be seen thatnight, and they withdrew swiftly through the forest toward theirislet. They stopped once in an oak opening, and Shif'less Solshivered slightly.

　　"Henry," he said, "I feel all through me that somethin' terribleis comin'. That woman back thar has clean give me the shivers.I'm more afraid of her than I am of Timmendiquas orThayendanegea. Do you think she is a witch?"

　　"There are no such things as witches, but she was uncanny. I'mafraid, Sol, that your feeling about something terrible going tohappen is right."

　　It was about two o'clock in the morning when they reached theislet. Tom Ross was awake, but the other two slumberedpeacefully on. They told Tom what they had seen, and he toldthem the identity of the terrible woman.

　　"I heard about her at Pittsburgh, an' I've heard tell, too, abouther afore I went to Kentucky to live. She's got a tre-men-jeouspower over the Iroquois. They think she ken throw spells, an'all that sort of thing-an' mebbe she kin."

　　Two nights later it was Henry and Tom who lay in the thickets,and then they saw other formidable arrivals in the Indian camp.Now they were white men, an entire company in green uniforms, SirJohn Johnson's Royal Greens, as Henry afterward learned; and withthem was the infamous John Butler, or " Indian" Butler, as he wasgenerally known on the New York and Pennsylvania frontier,middle-aged, short and fat, and insignificant of appearance, butenergetic, savage and cruel in nature. He was a descendant ofthe Duke of Ormond, and had commanded the Indians at the terriblebattle of the Oriskany, preceding Burgoyne's capture the yearbefore.

　　Henry and Tom were distant spectators at an extraordinary councilaround one of the fires. In this group were Timmendiquas,Thayendanegea, Queen Esther, high chiefs of the distant nations,and the white men, John Butler, Moses Blackstaffe, and the boy,Braxton Wyatt. It seemed to Henry that Timmendiquas, King of theWyandots, was superior to all the other chiefs present, even toThayendanegea. His expression was nobler than that of the greatMohawk, and it had less of the Indian cruelty.

　　Henry and Tom could not hear 'anything that was said, but theyfelt sure the Iroquois were about to break up their village andmarch on the great campaign they had planned. The two and theircomrades could render no greater service than to watch theirmarch, and then warn those upon whom the blow was to fall.

　　The five left their hut on the islet early the next morning, wellequipped with provisions, and that day they saw the Iroquoisdismantle their village, all except the Long House and two orthree other of the more solid structures, and begin the march.Henry and his comrades went parallel with them, watching theirmovements as closely as possible.