CHAPTER I
THE PASSING FLEET
A late sun, red and vivid, cast beams of light over a dark river,flowing slowly. The stream was a full half mile from shore to shore, andthe great weight of water moved on in silent majesty. Both banks werelined with heavy forest, dark green by day, but fused now into solidblackness by the approach of night.
The scene was wild and primordial. To an eye looking down it would haveseemed that man had never come there, and that this was the dawn oftime. The deep waters lapped the silent shore until a gentle sighingsound arose, a sound that may have gone on unheard for ages. Close tothe water a file of wild ducks flew like an arrow to the north, and, ina little cove where the current came in shallow waves, a stag bent hishead to drink.
The sun lingered in the west and then sank behind the vast wall offorest. The beams of red and gold lasted for a little space on thesurface of the river, and then faded into the universal night. Under thegreat cloak of the dark, the surface of the river showed but dimly, andthe rising wind blew through the forest with a chill and uncanny sound.
The ordinary soul would have been appalled by the mighty isolation ofthe wilderness, yet the river itself was not without the presence ofhuman life. Close to the northern shore, where the shadow of the tallforest lay deepest, floated a long boat, containing five figures thatrested easily. Two of the crew were boys, but as tall and strong as men.The other three were somewhat older. The boat carried four pairs ofoars, but only one man rowed, and he merely pulled on an oar from timeto time to give direction, while the current did the work. His comradesleaned comfortably against the sides of the boat, and with keen eyes,trained to the darkness, watched for a break in the black battlement ofthe trees.
It was Henry Ware who first saw the opening. It was nearly always he whowas the first to see, and he pointed to the place where the dark linemade a loop towards the north.
"It's a wide break," he said a moment or two later. "It must be themouth of the river."
"You're shorely right, Henry," said Shif'less Sol, who sat just behindhim, "an' from the looks o' the break thar, it's a good, big river, too.S'pose we pull up in it a spell afore we make a landin'."
"It seems a good idea to me," replied Henry. "What say you, Paul?"
"I'm for it," replied Paul Cotter. "I'd like to see this new rivercoming down from the north, and it's pretty sure, too, that we'd besafer camping on it for the night than on the Ohio."
Jim Hart had been guiding with a single oar. Now he took the pair in hishands and rowed into the mouth of the tributary stream. The smallerriver, smaller only by contrast, poured a dark flood into the Ohio, and,seeing that the current was strong, the others took oars and rowed also,all except Paul, who was at the helm. Driven by powerful arms, the boatwent swiftly up the new river. Henry in the prow watched with all theinterest that he had for new things, and with all the need for watchingthat one always had in the great forests of the Ohio Valley.
The banks of this river were higher than those of the Ohio, but wereclothed also in dense forests, which, from the surface of the stream nohuman eye could penetrate in the darkness of the night. They rowed insilence for a full hour, seeing no good place for an anchorage, andthen, at a sign from Henry, came to rest on the stream. Shif'less Sol,strong of eye and mind, saw an unusual expression on the face of theleader.
"What is it, Henry?" he whispered.
"I thought I heard the sound of an incautious paddle, one that splashedwater, but I'm not sure."
"Ah," said the shiftless one, "then we'll listen a little longer."
The others heard the words also, but, saying nothing, they, too,listened. Very soon all heard the splashing of the single paddle andthen the swishing sound of many moved steadily in the waters by strongand practiced hands.
"It's a fleet behind us," said Henry, "and a fleet on this river canmean only Indians. Shall we pull ahead with all our might?"
"No," said Shif'less Sol. "Look how thick the bushes grow at the water'sedge. We can run our boat in among them and in all this darkness, theIndians, whether Wyandot, Miami or Shawnee, will not know that we arethar. Besides, curiosity is gnawin' at me hard. I want to see what's inthis Indian fleet."
"So do I," said Silent Tom Ross, speaking for the first time, and theothers also gave their assent. The boat shot diagonally across thestream towards the dark mass of bushes, into which it was pushed slowlyand without noise by the guiding arms of the rowers. Here it came torest, completely hidden in the dense covert of leaves and twigs, whileits occupants could see anything that passed on the surface of theriver.
"They'll come soon," said Henry, as the sound of the paddles grewlouder, "and I should judge that they are many."
"Maybe a hundred boats and canoes," said Shif'less Sol. "It's my guessthat it's a big war party of some kind or other."
"The allied Indian nations, no doubt," said Henry thoughtfully. "Despitetheir defeats in the East, they are yet almost supreme here in thevalley, and they hang together."
"Which means," said Shif'less Sol, a warlike tone coming into his voice,"that ef some big movement is afoot, it's our task to find out what itis an' beat it if we kin."
"Certainly," Henry whispered back. "It's what we've been doing, Sol, forthe last two or three years, and we won't stop until the work is done."
The tone of the great youth was low, but it was marked by the resolutionthat he always showed in times of danger. He and his comrades were onthe return journey to Wareville, after taking part in the campaigns ofWyoming and the Chemung, but it was scarcely the thought of any one ofthe five that they would travel the vast distance without interruption.Henry, as he sat in the boat in the darkness, felt that once more theywere on the verge of great events. Used so long to the life of thewilderness and its countless dangers, the sudden throb of his heart toldnot of fear, but rather of exultation. It was the spirit rising to meetwhat lay before it. The same strength of soul animated his comrades, buteveryone took his resolution in silence.
The boat, hidden deep in the mass of foliage, lay parallel with thecurrent of the stream, and it tipped a little on one side, as the fiveleaned forward and watched eagerly for the fleet that was coming up theriver. The regular and rhythmic sound of oars and paddles grew louder,and then the head of the fleet, trailing itself like a long serpent,came into view. A great canoe with many men at the paddles appearedfirst, and behind it, in lines of four, followed the other canoes, atleast a hundred in number, bearing perhaps five hundred warriors.
The five thrilled at the sight, which was ominous and full of majesty.The moon was now coming out, and the surface of the dark stream turnedto melted silver. But the high banks were still in darkness, and onlythe savage fleet was thrown into relief.
The paddles rose and fell in unison, and the steady swishing sound wasmusical. The moonlight deepened and poured its stream of silver overhundreds of savage faces, illuminating the straight black hair, the highcheek bones, and the broad chests, naked, save for the war paint. Noneof them spoke, but their silence made the passing of this savage arrayin the night all the more formidable.
Henry's attention was soon caught by a figure in the large boat thatled. It was that of a man who did not use the paddle, but who sat nearthe prow with folded arms. The upper half of his body was so rigidlyupright that in another place he might have posed for a figurehead ofsome old Roman galley. He was of magnificent build. Like the others, hewas naked to the waist, and the moonlight showed the great muscles uponhis powerful shoulders and chest. The pose of the head expressed pridethat nothing could quench.
Henry recognized the man at once. Had he not seen the face, the figureand attitude alone were sufficient to tell him that this wasTimmendiquas, the great White Lightning of the Wyandots, returning fromthe East, where he had helped the Indians in vain, but at the head of agreat force, once more in his own country.
Henry put his hand upon that of Shif'less Sol.
"I see," whispered his comrade very low. "It is Timmendiquas, an' wha
rhe comes, big things come, too."
Henry knew in his heart that the shiftless one was right. The coming ofTimmendiquas with so large an army meant great events, and it was goodfortune that had placed himself and his comrades there that night thatthey might see. His old feeling of admiration for the chief was asstrong as ever, and he felt a certain sympathy, too. Here was a man whohad failed despite courage, energy and genius. His help had not beenable to save the Iroquois, and his own people might some day meet thesame fate.
The long line of the fleet passed on in silence, save for the musicalswishing of the paddles. That sound, too, soon died away. Then all thecanoes blended together like a long arrow of glittering silver, and thefive in the bushes watched the arrow until it faded quite away on thesurface of the stream.
Henry and his comrades did not yet come forth from their covert, butthey talked frankly.
"What do you think it means?" asked the young leader.
"Another raid on Kentucky," said Tom Ross.
"But not jest yet," said the shrewd and far-seeing Shif'less Sol."Timmendiquas will go North to gather all the warriors in the valley ifhe kin. He may even get help in Canada."
"I think so, too," said Paul.
"'Pears likely to me," said Long Jim.
"That being the case," said Henry, "I think we ought to follow. Do youagree with me?"
"We do," said the four together, speaking with the greatest emphasis.
The decision made, nothing more was said upon the point, but theyremained fully an hour longer in the covert. It would not be wise tofollow yet, because a canoe or two might drop behind to serve as a rearguard. Nor was there any need to hurry.
The five were in splendid shape for a new campaign. They had enjoyed along rest, as they floated down the Ohio, rarely using the oars. Theycarried a large supply of ammunition and some extra rifles and otherweapons, and, used to success, they were ready to dare anything. Whenthey thought the Indian fleet was several miles ahead, they pulled theirboat from the covert and followed. But they did not take the middle ofthe stream. Theirs was not a large force which could move rapidly,fearing nothing. Instead, they clung close to the eastern shore, in theshadow of the bank and trees, and rowed forward at an even pace, whichthey slackened only at the curves, lest they plunge suddenly into ahostile force.
About midnight they heard faintly the splash of the paddles, and thenthey drew in again among the bushes at the bank, where they decided toremain for the rest of the night. Henry was to watch about three hoursand Shif'less Sol would be on guard afterward. The four wrappedthemselves in their blankets, lay down in the bottom of the boat, andwere sound asleep in a few minutes. Henry, rifle across his knees,crouched in the stern. Now that he did not have the exercise of theoars, the night felt cold, and he drew his own blankets over hisshoulders.
Henry expected no danger, but he watched closely, nevertheless. Nothingcould have passed on the stream unnoticed by him, and every sound on thebank above would have attracted his attention at once. Despite the factthat they were about to embark upon a new task attended by many dangers,the boy felt a great peace. In the perilous life of the wilderness hehad learned how to enjoy the safety and physical comfort of the moment.He looked down at his comrades and smiled to himself. They were merelydark blurs on the bottom of the boat, sleeping soundly in theirblankets. What glorious comrades they were! Surely no one ever hadbetter.
Henry himself did not move for a long time. He leaned against the sideof the boat, and the blanket remained drawn up about his neck andshoulders. The rifle across his knee was draped by the same blanket, allexcept the steel muzzle. Only his face was uncovered, but his eyes neverceased to watch. The wind was blowing lightly through the trees andbushes, and the current of the river murmured beside the boat, all thesegentle sounds merging into one note, the song of the forest that hesometimes heard when he alone was awake--he and everything else beingstill.
Henry's mind was peaceful, imaginative, attentive to all the wonders ofthe forest, beholding wonders that others could not see, and the songwent on, the gentle murmur of the river fusing and melting into the windamong the leaves. While he watched and listened, nothing escaping him,his mind traveled far, down the great rivers, through the many battlesin which he had borne his share, and up to those mighty lakes of whichhe had often heard, but which he had never seen.
The moonlight brightened again, clothing all the forest and river in aveil of silver gauze. It was inexpressibly beautiful to Henry who, likethe Indians, beheld with awe and admiration the work of Manitou.
A light sound, not in unison with the note of the forest, came from thebank above. It was very faint, nothing more than the momentarydisplacement of a bough, but the crouching figure in the boat moved everso slightly, and then was still. The sound was repeated once and nomore, but Henry's mind ceased to roam afar. The great river that he hadseen and the great lakes that he had not seen were forgotten. With allthe power of his marvelous gift he was concentrating his faculties uponthe point from which the discord had come once, twice and then no more.Eye, ear and something greater--divination, almost--were bent upon it.
He listened several minutes, but the sound did not come a third time.Forest and river were singing together again, but Henry was notsatisfied. He rose to his feet, laid the blanket softly in the boat, andthen with a glance at the river to see that nothing was passing there,leaped lightly to the land.
The bank rose above him to a height of thirty feet, but the bushes werethick along its face, and the active youth climbed easily and withoutnoise. Before he reached the crest he flattened himself against theearth and listened. He was quite confident that someone had been passingand was, perhaps, very near. He was too good a forester to ignore theevent. He heard nothing and then drew himself up cautiously over theedge of the cliff.
He saw before him thick forest, so heavy and dark that the moon did notlight it up. An ordinary scout or sentinel would have turned back,satisfied that nothing was to be found, but Henry entered the woods andproceeded carefully in the direction from which the sound had come. Hesoon saw faint signs of a trail, evidently running parallel with theriver, and, used from time to time, by the Indians. Now Henry wassatisfied that his senses had not deceived him, and he would discoverwho had passed. He judged by the difference between the first and secondsounds that the journey was leading northward, and he followed along thetrail. He had an idea that it would soon lead him to a camp, and hereckoned right, because in a few minutes he saw a red bead of light tohis right.
Henry knew that the light betokened a camp-fire, and he was sure that hewould find beside it the cause of the noise that he had heard. Heapproached with care, the woods offering an ample covert. He soon sawthat the fire was of good size, and that there were at least a dozenfigures around it.
"More warriors," he said to himself, "probably bound for the same placeas the fleet."
But as he drew yet nearer he saw that not all the men around thecamp-fire were warriors. Three, despite their faces, browned by wind andrain, belonged to the white race, and in the one nearest to him, Henry,with a leap of the heart, recognized his old enemy, Braxton Wyatt.
Wyatt, like Timmendiquas, had come back to the scene of his earlierexploits and this conjunction confirmed Henry in his belief that somegreat movement was intended.
Wyatt was on the far side of the fire, where the flames lighted up hisface, and Henry was startled by the savagery manifested there. Therenegade's face, despite his youth, was worn and lined. His black hairfell in dark locks upon his temples. He still wore the British uniformthat he had adopted in the East, but sun and rain had left little of itsoriginal color. Wyatt had returned to the West unsuccessful, and Henryknew that he was in his most evil mind.
The short, thick man sitting by Wyatt was Simon Girty, the most famousof all the renegades, and just beyond him was Blackstaffe. The Indianswere Shawnees.
The three white men were deep in conversation and now and then theypointed towards the north. Henry would have g
iven much to have heardwhat they said, but they did not speak loudly enough. He was tempted totake a shot at the villain, Simon Girty. A single bullet would remove ascourge from the border and save hundreds of lives. The bullet sent, hemight easily escape in the darkness. But he could not pull the trigger.He could not fire upon anyone from ambush, and watching a little whilelonger, he crept back through the forest to the boat, which he regainedwithout trouble.
Henry awakened his comrades and told them all that he had seen. Theyagreed with him that it was of the utmost importance. Wyatt and Girtywere, no doubt, cooperating with Timmendiquas, and somewhere to thenorth the great Wyandot intended to rally his forces for a supremeeffort.
"This leaves us without the shadow of a pretext for going on toWareville," said Henry.
"It shorely does," said Shif'less Sol. "It's now our business to followthe Indians an' the renegades all the way to the Great Lakes ef they gothat fur."
"I hope they will," said Paul. "I'd like to see those lakes. They sayyou can sail on them there for days and days and keep out of sight ofland. They're one of the wonders of the world."
"The trail may lead us that far," said Henry. "Who knows! But since theenemy is on both land and water, I think we'll have to hide our boat andtake to the forest."
The truth of his words was obvious to them. The renegades or Indians inthe woods would certainly see their boat if they continued that methodof progress, but on land they could choose their way and hide wheneverthey wished. Reluctantly they abandoned their boat, which was staunchand strong, but they hid it as well as possible among bushes and reeds.In such a vast wilderness, the chances were twenty to one that it wouldremain where they had put it until they returned to claim their own. Toowise to burden themselves, they buried all their extra weapons andstores at the base of a great oak, marked well the place, and then,everyone with a blanket and light pack, started forward through theforest. They intended to go ahead of the renegades, observe theanchorage of the boats, and then withdrawing some distance from theriver, let Wyatt, Girty and their friends pass them.
Although it was yet several hours until daylight, they resumed theirjourney along the eastern bank of the stream, Henry leading and SilentTom Ross bringing up the rear. In this manner they advanced rapidly andjust when the first beams of dawn were appearing, they saw the Indianfleet at anchor on the west shore.
They examined them at their leisure from the dense covert of thethickets, and saw that their estimate of five hundred warriors, made thenight before, was correct. They also saw Timmendiquas more than once andit was evident that he was in complete command. Respect and attentionfollowed wherever he went. Paint and dress indicated that warriors ofall the tribes inhabiting the Ohio Valley were there.
The Indians seemed to be in no hurry, as they lighted fires on the bank,and cooked buffalo and deer meat, which they ate in great quantities.Many, when they had finished their breakfast, lay down on the grass andslept again. Others slept in the larger canoes.
"They are waiting for more of their friends to come up," whispered Henryto his comrades. A few minutes later, Wyatt, Girty and their partyhailed the great war band from the east bank. Canoes were sent over forthem, and they were taken into the Indian camp, but without much sign ofrejoicing.
"We know that Timmendiquas does not like Wyatt," said Henry, "and Idon't believe that he really likes any of the renegades, not evenGirty."
"Red man ought to stick to red man, an' white man to white," saidShif'less Sol, sententiously. "I think that's the way Timmendiquas looksat it, an' I'd like to stan' ez high ez a white man, ez he does ez a redman."
"I kin smell that cookin' buffler an' venison all the way across theriver," said Jim Hart, "an' it's makin' me pow'ful hungry."
"It'll have to be cold meat for us this time, Jim," said Henry.
They had been so engrossed in the spectacle passing before them thatthey had forgotten food until the savory odors came across the streamand recalled it to Jim Hart's attention. Now they took out strips ofdried venison with which they were always provided, and ate it slowly.It was not particularly delicious to the taste, but it furnishedsustenance and strength. All the while they were lying in a densethicket, and the sun was steadily climbing to the zenith, touching thevast green forest with bright gold.
A shout came from a point far down the river. It was faint, but the fivein the covert heard it. Someone in the fleet of Timmendiquas sent backan answering cry, a shrill piercing whoop that rose to an extraordinarypitch of intensity, and then sank away gradually in a dying note. Thenthe first cry came again, not so remote now, and once more it wasanswered in a similar way from the fleet of Timmendiquas.
"Another fleet or detachment is comm'," said Shif'less Sol, "an' itsexpected. That's the reason why White Lightnin' has been lingerin' here,ez ef time didn't hev no meanin' at all."
Many of the Indians, and with them Girty, Wyatt and Blackstaffe werelooking down the stream. The eyes of the five followed theirs andpresently they saw a fleet of thirty or forty canoes emerge into view,welcomed with loud shouts by the men of Timmendiquas. When there-enforcement was fused into the main fleet, all took their place inline and once more started northward, the five following in the woods onshore.
Henry and his comrades kept up this odd pursuit for a week, curving backand forth, but in the main keeping a northern course. Sometimes theyleft the river several miles away to the left, and saved distance bymaking a straight line between curves, but they knew that they wouldalways come back to the stream. Thus it was easy traveling for suchcapable woodsmen as they. They saw the fleet joined by three moredetachments, two by water and one by land. One came on a small tributarystream flowing from the West, and the total force was now increased tonearly a thousand warriors.
On the sixth night of the parallel pursuit the five discussed it sittingin a thicket.
"We must be drawing near to a village," said Henry.
"I believe with you," said Shif'less Sol, "an' I think it likely thatit's a Wyandot town."
"It's probable," said Paul, "and now for what purpose is such a greatIndian force gathering? Do they mean to go South against Kentucky? Dothey mean to go East against New York and Pennsylvania, or do they meanto go northward to join the British in Canada?"
"That's what we've got to find out," said Long Jim tersely.
"That's just it," said Henry. "We've got to stick to 'em until we learnwhat they mean to try. Then we must follow again. It's my opinion thatthey intend to go further northward or they wouldn't be gathering at apoint two or three hundred miles above the Ohio."
"Reckon you are right, Henry," said Shif'less Sol. "Ez for me I don'tcare how fur north this chase takes us, even ef we come right spang upag'in' the Great Lakes. I want to see them five wonders o' the worldthat Paul talks about."
"We may go to them," said Henry, "but it seems probable to me that we'llreach a big Wyandot village first."
The Indians resumed their voyage in the usual leisurely fashion the nextmorning, and the five on shore followed at a convenient distance. Theyobserved that the water of the river was now shallowing fast. The Indianboats were of light draft, but they could not go much further, and thevillage must be near.
That evening just before sunset long cries were heard in the forest, andthose in the boat replied with similar signals. Then the fleet swung tothe bank, and all the warriors disembarked. Other warriors came throughthe woods to meet them, and leaving a guard with the boats the wholearmy marched away through the forest.
The five were observers of all that passed, and they knew that theIndian village was at hand--perhaps not more than three or four milesaway. Still keeping their distance, they followed. The sun was now gone,and only a band of red light lingered on the horizon in the West. It,too, faded quickly as they marched through the woods, and the night camedown, enveloping the forest in darkness. The five were glad that thelanding had occurred at such a time, as it made their own pursuit muchsafer and easier.
The Indians, feeling per
fectly safe, carried torches and talked andlaughed with great freedom. The five in the covert had both the lightand the noise to guide them, and they followed silently.
They passed over a gently rolling country, heavily wooded, and in a halfhour they saw lights ahead, but yet at some distance. The lights, thoughscattered, were numerous, and seemed to extend along an arc of half amile. The five knew that the Indian village now lay before them.
The Border Watch: A Story of the Great Chief's Last Stand Page 3
