CHAPTER XII
AGNES' STORY AND HARTFORD
"We must not stay," the girl said, as soon as she had greeted herbrothers. "The Indians will surely come back, and we must reach theother side of the river. I am glad you are here. Oh, how good the Lordis! I prayed for your deliverance ever since I was captured, but didnot believe that the good Lord would hear my prayers and grant myrequest so soon."
"What do you want to do?" asked Fred.
"Tie the horses together, and swim the river. There are no Indians onthe other side, and we can make Hartford easily."
"How do you know that?" Matthew asked.
"Don't ask foolish questions," the girl pleaded; "help me get thesehorses roped together. Then I will leap into the river with the end ofthe rope tied to my saddle, and the horses must follow. You bring upthe rear."
She was so resolute that the boys did not resist, but did her bidding.
"But where did you get that fine Indian pony?" Fred asked when thework was done.
"No questions, until we are on the other side," Agnes said; "thatbelonged to a Pequot chief once; now it is mine by right of spoils."
She mounted her pony and at once drove it into the stream; the otherhorses followed, urged on by the showers of blows which Fred andMatthew gave them. The crossing was dangerous, for the river was wideand the current swift. But after much struggling they got across andspurred their mounts up the bank.
"There is a trail that leads north," Agnes said; "let's find it. Loosethe horses, and let me ride ahead."
"What a wonderful girl she is!" Matthew exclaimed; "she is a veritableleader."
Soon the boys heard the hooting of an owl, and they whipped their horsesinto a trot. Agnes had found the trail.
"Come now," she admonished them, "we must do some fast riding, until weare safe. Then I will tell you my story."
For two hours they rode in silence, Agnes taking the lead on her piebaldpony which was a wonderful traveler in the woods, much more clever anddocile than their own horses.
Sometimes the trail was hard to find, but the Indian pony followed hissense of smell and walked on and on.
"We are making good time, thanks to my pony," Agnes said jubilantly."Come on with your steeds, gentlemen; don't mind it, if they are alittle tired."
However, the horses were showing signs of fatigue, since they had noteaten for two days.
"Very well," Agnes said; "look!"
The river made a sweeping bend, and from the high bank they could seethe fort.
"Hurrah!" Matthew cried; "how good it is to see the dwellings of whitemen."
"We shall rest now," Agnes suggested, "and allow the horses their meal.Look at my pony; isn't it a wonder? And it was gotten by just a littletrick."
"Yes, tell us the story," Matthew begged.
"Not until the fire is burning, and the meat is cooking, and the horsesare eating!" the girl said with a roguish smile.
Soon the log fire blazed brightly, and the horses were tied to ropes,enjoying the rest and the grazing abundantly.
"Where did you get that meat from?" Fred asked; "why, you have stacksof it."
"All Indian meat," the girl laughed; "spoils of war."
"Oh, tell us the story," Matthew asked again.
"Wait, until we are eating."
Afterwards, while they were sitting around the fire with the juicy meatstuck on bits of wood, and eating as if they had fasted for a week,Agnes told her story.
"You see," she began, "I ventured out very bravely, but I made themistake which others made, and did not look out for the Indians."
"Your brother is guilty," Fred smiled; "the same fool head rests on usboth. We are flesh of one flesh."
"Well," the girl went on; "the first thing I felt, were two arms aroundme, and then a band which pinned my hands together. A rude hand wasthrust before my mouth, so that I could not cry out. The Indians thencarried me up the bank, and brought me to the camp, where they quarteredme with the women, quite comfortably, but nevertheless a prisoner."
"Just my story," Fred interposed, "only they did not trust me with thewomen."
"You don't belong there either," Agnes said; "they might have made youmarry one of their number."
They all laughed while Fred shook his head.
"Never in my life," he affirmed.
"But where did the women come from?" Matthew queried. "I thought itwas a scouting party, consisting only of men."
"That is true," Agnes explained; "but the scouting party wassupplemented by other Indians from across the river. That is the reasonwhy I urged you to cross the stream. The Indians are all over the otherside, headed for the south where they are going to unite and attack thewhite men conjointly. I heard it all, for the women spoke about it,not knowing that I understood the Pequot language. It is always goodto know many languages."
"That is true," Matthew agreed; "and if we get out of this, I am goingto study all kinds of languages, until I am a regular Babel. That'sthe way."
"Go on with your story, Agnes," Fred urged her; "you just finishedchapter one, and I am anxious to hear the rest. The reader is alwayslooking for the climax."
"There is no climax to my story," Agnes smiled; "it is all thewonderful grace of God which freed me. You know, the women were veryimpolite. After I had been lying in the tent for some time, trying invain to sleep, for the bands were cutting into my flesh and causing memuch discomfiture, the women all left the tent and went out where ahuge fire was burning and the men were eating. In fact, the men hadeaten, for they were as impolite to their women, as these were to me.Well, the women went out to eat, and I thought that I ought to havesome meat, too."
"So you stole away and got some," Fred interrupted. "That is just theway I acted."
"No, I did not," Agnes replied; "I was too firmly bound for gettingaway. But while I was thus lying in the tent, feeling miserable,suddenly a young Indian girl came in, who addressed me in the Pequotlanguage. Talk about Indian ingratitude! When the war is over; I amgoing to locate right here, and start a huge Indian school, and invitethem all to Sunday school every Sunday. Why, it pays wonderfully toteach the Indians religion!"
"That is what I believe," Matthew joined in; "I am going to be anIndian missionary like the good Pastor John Eliot. We must not destroythe Indians, but save them."
"That is true," Fred joined in; "and in order that you two missionariesmay continue your work and not starve, I am going to build up thetrading post again, and you shall be my guests as long as you live, andwhatever expenses you have, I will repay."
"We shall hold you to your promise," Agnes replied, "shall we not,Matthew?"
"Not one word shall he have spoken in vain," Matthew said. "He mustpay every cent. But now continue with your story."
"This good Indian girl," Agnes said, "had attended our Sunday school,and she was very grateful. Silently she cut my fetters and freed me.Then she told me to escape. It was not yet quite light, and so no onenoticed me, as I lifted the rear part of the tent and crept through.But that was not all. My dear benefactress led me herself, and inorder that I might not starve, she showed me the Indian kitchen, wherelarge supplies of meat were kept, smoked sufficiently to keep it fromspoiling. After I had taken all I could carry, she showed me where thehorses were, and urged me to take the one belonging to the chief, sinceit was clever and gentle. At first I had compunctions of conscience,but no choice was left me, and I had to do it. I made a rude bridle ofbirch bark, and jumping on the horse, came here just a little beforeyou."
"But what about the Indians?" the boys asked; "where did they go?"
"The girl told me," Agnes replied; "they were on their way west tojoin the other Indians, having received orders to come as soon aspossible."
"Then we would have been safe on the other side!" Matthew stated."Why was it necessary for us to cross? I am all wet from the task."
"There are many stray Indians on the other side," Agnes replied; "but,no doubt, they will
soon be gone; the whites are gathering their forcestogether, and then they will strike a speedy blow. But now we hadbetter move on."
They tied the horses together, and after a while found a place wherethey could cross the river. They arrived safely, much to the surpriseof the settlers who had gathered at the fort, which was filled to itscapacity so that the stockade had to be enlarged to accommodate thefleeing settlers that left their homes in haste when they heard of thehostilities of the Indians.
A number of outrages had been perpetrated already, and the pioneerswere lashed into fury over the horrid tales which were related.
Our three friends were received with open arms; no one manifestedgreater surprise than John Rawlins, who had gotten as far as Hartford,where he was confined to his bed by a severe attack of rheumatism, whichmade him as helpless as a child. He had now recovered sufficiently tolimp about, but he was still in a bad shape so that he could not be ofmuch service to any one.
"Your presence here will make me well in a short time," he exclaimedjoyfully as he embraced the children. "And I am sure you have a realstory to tell."
But how great was his surprise when he learned from the children the warplan of the Indians. Why, that is real news, for which we have beenlooking all this while. We were all interested in what the Indianswould do. Tomorrow you must go to good Captain Mason and relate to himwhat you know. That will greatly help him in freeing the country fromthe Indian pest.
"Yes, tomorrow," said Agnes; "for tonight we are too tired, and thematter does not press."
For the first time after a long, long trip they slept as white men do,in real beds, protected by American soldiers.
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