Chapter XIX. The Safe Return

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　The surface of the snow had frozen again in the night, and Henryfound good footing for his shoes. For a while he leaned most onthe right ankle, but, as his left developed no signs of soreness,he used them equally, and sped forward, his spirits rising atevery step. The air was cold, and there was but little breeze,but his own motion made a wind that whipped his face. Thehollows were mostly gone from his cheeks, and his eyes no longerhad the fierce, questing look of the famishing wild animal insearch of prey. A fine red color was suffused through the brownof his face. He had chosen his course with due precaution. Thebroad surface, smooth, white, and glittering, tempted, but he putthe temptation away. He did not wish to run any chance whateverof another Iroquois pursuit, and he kept in the forest that randown close to the water's edge. It was tougher traveling there,but he persisted.

　　But all thought of weariness and trouble was lost in his gloriousfreedom. With his crippled ankle he had been really like aprisoner in his cell, with a ball and chain to his foot. Now heflew along, while the cold wind whipped his blood, and felt whata delight it was merely to live. He went on thus for hours,skirting down toward the cliffs that contained "The Alcove." Herested a while in the afternoon and ate the last of his rabbit,but before twilight he reached the creek, and stood at the hiddenpath that led up to their home.

　　Henry sat down behind thick bushes and took off his snowshoes.To one who had never come before, the whole place would haveseemed absolutely desolate, and even to one not a stranger nosign of life would have been visible had he not possesseduncommonly keen eyes. But Henry had such eyes. He saw thefaintest wisp of smoke stealing away against the surface of thecliff, and he felt confident that all four were there. Heresolved to surprise them.

　　Laying the shoes aside, he crept so carefully up the path that hedislodged no snow and made no noise of any kind. As be graduallyapproached "The Alcove" he beard the murmur of voices, andpresently, as he turned an angle in the path, he saw a beam ofglorious mellow light falling on the snow.

　　But the murmur of the voices sent a great thrill of delightthrough him. Low and indistinct as they were, they had afamiliar sound. He knew all those tones. They were the voicesof his faithful comrades, the four who had gone with him throughso many perils and hardships, the little band who with himselfwere ready to die at any time, one for another.

　　He crept a little closer, and then a little closer still. Lyingalmost flat on the steep path, and drawing himself forward, helooked into "The Alcove." A fire of deep, red coals glowed in onecorner, and disposed about it were the four. Paul lay on hiselbow on a deerskin, and was gazing into the coals. Tom Ross wasworking on a pair of moccasins, Long Jim was making some kind ofkitchen implement, and Shif'less Sol was talking. Henry couldhear the words distinctly, and they were about himself.

　　"Henry will turn up all right," he was saying. "Hasn't he alwaysdone it afore? Then ef he's always done it afore he's shorelynot goin' to break his rule now. I tell you, boys, thar ain'tenough Injuns an' Tories between Canady an' New Orleans, an' theMississippi an' the Atlantic, to ketch Henry. I bet I couldguess what he's doin' right at this moment."

　　"What is he doing, Sol?" asked Paul.

　　"When I shet my eyes ez I'm doin' now I kin see him," said theshiftless one. "He's away off thar toward the north, skirtin'around an Injun village, Mohawk most likely, lookin' an'listenin' an' gatherin' talk about their plans."

　　"He ain't doin' any sech thing," broke in Long Jim.

　　"I've sleet my eyes, too, Sol Hyde, jest ez tight ez you've shetyours, an' I see him, too, but he ain't doin' any uv the thingsthat you're talkin' about."

　　"What is he doing, Jim?" asked Paul.

　　"Henry's away off to the south, not to the north," replied thelong one, "an' he's in the Iroquois village that we burned. Onehouse has been left standin', an' he's been occupyin' it whilethe big snow's on the groun'. A whole deer is hangin' from thewall, an' he's been settin' thar fur days, eatin' so much an'hevin' such a good time that the fat's hangin' down over hischeeks, an' his whole body is threatenin' to bust right out uvhis huntin' shirt."

　　Paul moved a little on his elbow and turned the other side of hisface to the fire. Then he glanced at the silent worker with themoccasins.

　　"Sol and Jim don't seem to agree much in their second sight," hesaid. "Can you have any vision, too, Tom?"

　　"Yes," replied Tom Ross, "I kin. I shet my eyes, but I don't seelike either Sol or Jim, 'cause both uv 'em see wrong. I seeHenry, an' I see him plain. He's had a pow'ful tough time. Heain't threatenin' to bust with fat out uv no huntin' shirt, hischeeks ain't so full that they are fallin' down over his jaws.It's t'other way roun'; them cheeks are sunk a mite, he don'tfill out his clothes, an' when he crawls along he drags his leftleg a leetle, though he hides it from hisself. He ain't spyin'on no Injun village, an' he ain't in no snug camp with a dresseddeer hangin' by the side uv him. It's t'other way 'roan'. He'slayin' almost flat on his face not twenty feet from us, lookin'right in at us, an' I wuz the first to see him."

　　All the others sprang to their feet in astonishment, and Henrylikewise sprang to his feet. Three leaps, and he was in themellow glow.

　　"And so you saw me, Tom," he exclaimed, as he joyously graspedone hand after another. "I might have known that, while I couldstalk some of you, I could not stalk all of you."

　　"I caught the glimpse uv you," said Silent Tom, while Sol an' Jimwuz talkin' the foolish talk that they most always talk, an' whenPaul called on me, I thought I would give 'em a dream that 'wuztrue, an' worth tellin'."

　　"You're right," said Henry. "I've not been having any easy time,and for a while, boys, it looked as if I never would come back.Sit down, and I will tell you all about it."

　　They gave him the warmest place by the fire, brought him thetenderest food, and he told the long and thrilling tale.

　　"I don't believe anybody else but you would have tried it,Henry," said Paul, when they heard of the fearful slide.

　　"Any one of you would have done it," said Henry, modestly.

　　"I'm pow'ful glad that you done it for two reasons," saidShif'less Sol. "One, 'cause it helped you to git away, an' theother, 'cause that scoundrel, Braxton Wyatt, didn't take you.'Twould hurt my pride tre-men-jeous for any uv us to be took byBraxton Wyatt."

　　"You speak for us all there, Sol," said Paul.

　　"What have all of you been doing?" asked Henry.

　　"Not much of anything," replied Shif'less Sol. We've beenscoutin' several times, lookin' fur you, though we knowed you'dcome in some time or other, but mostly we've been workin' 'roun'the place here, fixin' it up warmer an' storin' away food."

　　"We'll have to continue at that for some time, I'm afraid," saidHenry, "unless this snow breaks up. Have any of you heard if anymovement is yet on foot against the Iroquois?"

　　"Tom ran across some scouts from the militia," replied Paul, "andthey said nothing could be done until warm weather came. Then areal army would march."

　　"I hope so," said Henry earnestly.

　　But for the present the five could achieve little. The snowlasted a long time, but it was finally swept away by big rains.It poured for two days and nights, and even when the rain ceasedthe snow continued to melt under the warmer air. The waterrushed in great torrents down the cliffs, and would have entered"The Alcove" had not the five made provision to turn it away. Asit was, they sat snug and dry, listening to the gush of thewater, the sign of falling snow, and the talk of one another.Yet the time dragged.

　　"Man wuz never made to be a caged animile," said Shif'less Sol."The longer I stay shet up in one place, the weaker I become. Mytemper don't improve, neither, an' I ain't happy."

　　"Guess it's the same with all uv us," said Tom Ross.

　　But when the earth came from beneath the snow, although it wasstill cold weather, they began again to range the forest far inevery direction, and they found that the Indians, and the Toriesalso, were becoming active. There were more burnings, moreslaughters, and more scalpings. The whole border was stillappalled at the massacres of Wyoming and Cherry Valley, and thesavages were continually spreading over a wider area. BraxtonWyatt at the head of his band, and with the aid of his Torylieutenant, Levi Coleman, had made for himself a name equal tothat of Walter Butler. As for "Indian" Butler and his men, nomen were hated more thoroughly than they.

　　The five continued to do the best they could, which was much,carrying many a warning, and saving some who would otherwise havebeen victims. While they devoted themselves to their strenuoustask, great events in which they were to take a part werepreparing. The rear guard of the Revolution was about to becomefor the time the main guard. A great eye had been turned uponthe ravaged and bleeding border, and a great mind, which couldbear misfortune-even disaster-without complaint, was preparing tosend help to those farther away. So mighty a cry of distress hadrisen, that the power of the Iroquois must be destroyed. As thewarm weather came, the soldiers began to march.

　　Rumors that a formidable foe was about to advance reached theIroquois and their allies, the Tories, the English, and theCanadians. There was a great stirring among the leaders,Thayendanegea, Hiokatoo, Sangerachte, the Johnsons, the Butlers,Claus, and the rest. Haldimand, the king's representative inCanada, sent forth an urgent call to all the Iroquois to meet theenemy. The Tories were' extremely active. Promises were made tothe tribes that they should have other victories even greaterthan those of Wyoming and Cherry Valley, and again the terribleQueen Esther went among them, swinging her great war tomahawkover her head and chanting her song of death. She, more than anyother, inflamed the Iroquois, and they were eager for the comingcontest.

　　Timmendiquas had gone back to the Ohio country in the winter,but, faithful to his promise to give Thayendanegea help to thelast, he returned in the spring with a hundred chosen warriors ofthe Wyandot nation, a reenforcement the value of which could notbe estimated too highly.

　　Henry and his comrades felt the stir as they roamed through theforest, and they thrilled at the thought that the crisis wasapproaching. Then they set out for Lake Otsego, where the armywas gathering for the great campaign. They were equippedthoroughly, and they were now so well known in the region thatthey knew they would be welcome.

　　They traveled several days, and were preparing to encamp for thelast night within about fifteen miles of the lake when Henry,scouting as usual to see if an enemy were near, heard a footstepin the forest. He wheeled instantly to cover behind the body ofa great beech tree, and the stranger sought to do likewise, onlyhe had no convenient tree that was so large. It was about thetwelfth hour, but Henry could see a portion of a body protrudingbeyond a slim oak, and he believed that he recognized it. As heheld the advantage he would, at any rate, hail the stranger.

　　"Ho, Cornelius Heemskerk, Dutchman, fat man, great scout andwoodsman, what are you doing in my wilderness? Stand forth atonce and give an account of yourself, or I will shoot off thepart of your body that sticks beyond that oak tree!"

　　The answer was instantaneous. A round, plump body revolved fromthe partial shelter of the tree and stood upright in the open,rifle in hand and cap thrown back from a broad ruddy brow.

　　"Ho, Mynheer Henry Ware," replied Cornelius Heemskerk in a loud,clear tone, "I am in your woods on perhaps the same errand thatyou are. Come from behind that beech and let us see which hasthe stronger grip."

　　Henry stood forth, and the two clasped hands in a grip sopowerful that both winced. Then they released handssimultaneously, and Heemskerk asked:

　　"And the other four mynheers? Am I wrong to say that they arenear, somewhere ?"

　　"You are not wrong," replied Henry. "They are alive, well andhungry, not a mile from here. There is one man whom they wouldbe very glad to see, and his name is Cornelius Heemskerk, who isroaming in our woods without a permit."

　　The round, ruddy face of the Dutchman glowed. It was obviousthat he felt as much delight in seeing Henry as Henry felt inseeing him.

　　"My heart swells," he said. "I feared that you might have beenkilled or scalped, or, at the best, have gone back to that farland of Kentucky."

　　"We have wintered well," said Henry, "in a place of which I shallnot tell you now, and we are here to see the campaign through."

　　"I come, too, for the same purpose," said Heemskerk. "We shall betogether. It is goot." "Meanwhile," said Henry, "our campfire is lighted. Jim Hart, whom you have known of old, iscooking strips of meat over the coals, and, although it is a mileaway, the odor of them is very pleasant in my nostrils. I wishto go back there, and it will be all the more delightful to me,and to those who wait, if I can bring with me such a welcomeguest."

　　"Lead on, mynheer," said Cornelius Heemskerk sententiously.

　　He received an equally emphatic welcome from the others, and thenthey ate and talked. Heemskerk was sanguine.

　　"Something will be done this time," he said. "Word has come fromthe great commander that the Iroquois must be crushed. Thethousands who have fallen must be avenged, and this great firealong our border must be stopped. If it cannot be done, then weperish. We have old tales in my own country of the cruel deedsthat the Spaniards did long, long ago, but they were not worsethan have been done here."

　　The five made no response, but the mind of every one of themtraveled back to Wyoming and all that they had seen there, andthe scars and traces of many more tragedies.

　　They reached the camp on Lake Otsego the next day, and Henry sawthat all they had heard was true. The most formidable force thatthey had ever seen was gathering. There were many companies inthe Continental buff and blue, epauletted officers, bayonets andcannon. The camp was full of life, energy, and hope, and thefive at once felt the influence of it. They found here oldfriends whom they had known in the march on Oghwaga, WilliamGray, young Taylor, and others, and they were made very welcome.They were presented to General James Clinton, then in charge,received roving commissions as scouts and hunters, and withHeemskerk and the two celebrated borderers, Timothy Murphy andDavid Elerson, they roamed the forest in a great circle about thelake, bringing much valuable information about the movements ofthe enemy, who in their turn were gathering in force, while theroyal authorities were dispatching both Indians and white menfrom Canada to help them.

　　These great scouting expeditions saved the five from muchimpatience. It takes a long time for an army to gather and thento equip itself for the march, and they were so used to swiftmotion that it was now a part of their nature. At last the armywas ready, and it left the lake. Then it proceeded in boats downthe Tioga flooded to a sufficient depth by an artificial dambuilt with immense labor, to its confluence with the largerriver. Here were more men, and the five saw a new commander,General James Sullivan, take charge of the united force. Thenthe army, late in August, began its march upon the Iroquois.

　　The five were now in the van, miles ahead of the main guard.They knew that no important movement of so large a force couldescape the notice of the enemy, but they, with other scouts, madeit their duty to see that the Americans marched into no trap.

　　It was now the waning summer. The leaves were lightly touchedwith brown, and the grass had begun to wither. Berries wereripening on the vines, and the quantity of game had increased,the wild animals returning to the land from which civilized manhad disappeared. The desolation seemed even more complete thanin the autumn before. In the winter and spring the Iroquois andTories had destroyed the few remnants of houses that were left.Braxton Wyatt and his band had been particularly active in thiswork, and many tales had come of his cruelty and that of hisswart Tory lieutenant, Coleman. Henry was sure, too, thatWyatt's band, which numbered perhaps fifty Indians and Tories,was now in front of them.

　　He, his comrades, Heemskerk, Elerson, Murphy, and four others,twelve brave forest runners all told, went into camp one nightabout ten miles ahead of the army. They lighted no fire, and,even had it been cold, they would not have done so, as the regionwas far too dangerous for any light. Yet the little band felt nofear. They were only twelve, it is true, but such a twelve! Nochance would either Indians or Tories have to surprise them.

　　They merely lay down in the thick brushwood, three intending tokeep watch while the others slept. Henry, Shif'less Sol, andHeemskerk were the sentinels. It was very late, nearly midnight;the sky was clear, and presently they saw smoke rings ascendingfrom high hills to their right, to be answered soon by otherrings of smoke to their left. The three watched them with butlittle comment, and read every signal in turn. They said: "Theenemy is still advancing," "He is too strong for us...... We mustretreat and await our brethren."

　　"It means that there will be no battle to-morrow, at least,"whispered Heemskerk. " Brant is probably ahead of us in command,and he will avoid us until he receives the fresh forces fromCanada."

　　"I take it that you're right," Henry whispered back."Timmendiquas also is with him, and the two great chiefs are toocunning to fight until they can bring their last man intoaction."

　　"An' then," said the shiftless one, "we'll see what happens."

　　"Yes," said Henry very gravely, "we'll see what happens. TheIroquois are a powerful confederacy. They've ruled in thesewoods for hundreds of years. They're led by great chiefs, andthey're helped by our white enemies. You can't tell what wouldhappen even to an army like ours in an ambush."

　　Shif'less Sol nodded, and they said no more until an hour later,when they heard footsteps. They awakened the others, and thetwelve, crawling to the edge of the brushwood, lay almost flatupon their faces, with their hands upon the triggers of theirrifles.

　　Braxton Wyatt and his band of nearly threescore, Indians andTories in about equal numbers, were passing. Wyatt walked at thehead. Despite his youth, he had acquired an air of command, andhe seemed a fit leader for such a crew. He wore a faded royaluniform, and, while a small sword hung at his side, he alsocarried a rifle on his shoulder. Close behind him was the swartand squat Tory, Coleman, and then came Indians and Toriestogether.

　　The watchful eyes of Henry saw three fresh scalps hanging from asmany belts, and the finger that lay upon the trigger of his riflefairly ached to press it. What an opportunity this would be ifthe twelve were only forty, or even thirty! With the advantageof surprise they might hope to annihilate this band which had wonsuch hate for itself on the border. But twelve were not enoughand twelve such lives could not be spared at a time when the armyneeded them most.

　　Henry pressed his teeth firmly together in order to keep down hisdisappointment by a mere physical act if possible. He happenedto look at Shif'less Sol, and saw that his teeth were pressedtogether in the same manner. It is probable that like feelingsswayed every one of the twelve, but they were so still in thebrushwood that no Iroquois heard grass or leaf rustle. Thus thetwelve watched the sixty pass, and after they were gone, Henry,Shif'less Sol, and Tim Murphy followed for several miles. Theysaw Wyatt proceed toward the Chemung River, and as theyapproached the stream they beheld signs of fortifications. Itwas now nearly daylight, and, as Indians were everywhere, theyturned back. But they were convinced that the enemy meant tofight on the Chemung.