CHAPTER XV.
THE ISLAND REFUGE.
The night was intensely cold and still and the stars shone brightlythrough the bare boughs overhead.
"Are you sure you are going all right?" Nelly asked Harold. "It is sodark here that it seems impossible to know which way we are going."
"You can trust the Indians," Harold said. "Even if there was not a starto be seen they could find their way by some mysterious instinct. Howyou are grown, Nelly! Your voice does not seem much changed, and I amlonging to see your face."
"I expect you are more changed than I am, Harold," the girl answered."You have been going through so much since we last met, and you seemto have grown so tall and big. Your voice has changed very much, too;it is the voice of a man. How in the world did you find us here?"
Pearson had gone on ahead to speak to the Seneca, but he now joinedthem again.
"You mustn't talk," he said. "I hope there's no redskins within fivemiles of us now, but there's never any saying where they may be."
There was, Harold thought, a certain sharpness in the hunter's voice,which told of a greater anxiety than would be caused by the veryslight risk of the quietly spoken words being heard by passingredskins, and he wondered what it could be.
They were now, he calculated, within a mile of the hiding place wherethey had left the boat, and they had every reason for believing thatnone of the Indians would be likely to have followed the shore sofar. That they would be pursued and that, in so heavily laden acanoe, they would have great difficulty in escaping, he was wellaware, but he relied on the craft of the hunters and Senecas forthrowing their pursuers off the trail.
All at once the trees seemed to open in front, and in a few minutesthe party reached the river. A cry of astonishment and of somethingakin to terror broke from Harold. As far as the eye could reach thelake was frozen. Their escape was cut off.
"That's jest what I've been expecting," Pearson said. "The ice hadbegun to form at the edge when we landed, and three days and nightsof such frost as we've had since was enough to freeze Ontario. Whaton arth's to be done?"
No one answered. Peter and the redskins had shared Pearson's anxiety,but to Harold and Cameron the disappointment was a terrible one; asto Jake, he left all the thinking to be done by the others. Haroldstood gazing helplessly on the expanse of ice which covered thewater. It was not a smooth sheet, but was rough and broken, as if,while it had been forming, the wind had broken the ice up into cakesagain and again, while the frost as often had bound them together.
They had struck the river within a few hundred yards of the placewhere the canoe was hidden, and, after a short consultation betweenthe Seneca chief, Peter Lambton, and Pearson, moved down toward thatspot.
"What are you thinking of doing?" Harold asked when they gatheredround the canoe.
"We're going to load ourselves with the ammunition and deer's flesh,"Peter said, "and make for a rocky island which lies about a mile offhere. I noticed it as we landed. There's nothing to do but to fightit out to the last there. It are a good place for defense, for theredskins won't like to come out across the open, and, even covered bya dark night, they'd show on this white surface."
"Perhaps they won't trace us."
"Not trace us!" the trapper repeated scornfully. "Why, when daylightcomes, they'll pick up our track and follow it as easy as you couldthat of a wagon across the snow."
They were just starting when Harold gave a little exclamation.
"What is it, lad?"
"A flake of snow fell on my face."
All looked up. The stars had disappeared. Another flake and anotherfell on the upturned faces of the party.
"Let's thank the great God," Peter said quietly. "There's a chancefor our lives yet. Half an hour's snow and the trail 'll be lost."
Faster and faster the snowflakes came down. Again the leadersconsulted.
"We must change our plans, now," Peter said, turning to the others."So long as they could easily follow our tracks it mattered nothingthat they'd find the canoe here; but now it's altogether different.We must take it along with us."
The weight of the canoe was very small. The greater part of itscontents had already been removed. There was a careful look round tosee that nothing remained on the bank; then four of the men lifted iton their shoulders, and the whole party stepped out upon the ice. Thesnow was now falling heavily, and to Harold's eyes there was nothingto guide them in the direction they were following. Even the Indianswould have been at a loss had not the Seneca, the instant the snowbegan to fall, sent on one of his followers at full speed toward theisland. Harold wondered at the time what his object could be as theIndian darted off across the ice, but now he understood. Every minuteor two the low hoot of an owl was heard, and toward this sound theparty directed their way through the darkness and snow.
So heavy was the fall that the island rose white before them as theyreached it. It was of no great extent--some twenty or thirty yardsacross, and perhaps twice that length. It rose steeply from the waterto a height of from ten to fifteen feet. The ground was rough andbroken, and several trees and much brushwood grew in the crevices ofthe rock.
The Seneca and the hunters made a rapid examination of the island,and soon fixed upon the spot for their camp. Toward one end theisland was split in two, and an indentation ran some distance up intoit. Here a clear spot was found some three or four feet above thelevel of the water. It was completely hidden by thick bushes from thesight of anyone approaching by water. There the canoe was turnedover, and the girls, who were both suffering from the intense cold,were wrapped up in blankets and placed under its shelter. The campwas at the lower end of the island and would, therefore, be entirelyhidden from view of Indians gathered upon the shore. In such asnowstorm light would be invisible at a very short distance, andPeter did not hesitate to light a fire in front of the canoe.
For three hours the snow continued to fall. The fire had beensheltered by blankets stretched at some distance above it. Longbefore the snow ceased it had sunk down to a pile of red embers. Asmall tent had now been formed of blankets for the use of the girls;brushwood had been heaped over this, and upon the brushwood snow hadbeen thrown, the whole making a shelter which would be warm andcomfortable in the bitterest weather. A pile of hot embers was placedin this little tent until it was thoroughly heated; blankets werethen spread, and the girls were asked to leave the shelter of thecanoe and take their place there.
The canoe itself was now raised on four sticks three feet from theground; bushes were laid round it and snow piled on, thus forming thewalls of which the canoe was the roof. All this was finished longbefore the snow had ceased falling, and this added a smooth whitesurface all over, so that, to a casual eye, both tent and hut lookedlike two natural ridges of the ground. They were a cheerful partywhich assembled in the little hut. The remainder of the embers of thefire had been brought in, and, intense as was the cold outside, itwas warm and comfortable within. Tea was made and pipes filled, andthey chatted some time before going to sleep.
Duncan Cameron was like a man transfigured. His joy and thankfulnessfor the recovery of his daughter were unbounded. Harold's pleasure,too, at the rescue of his cousin was very great, and the others wereall gratified at the success of their expedition. It was true thatthe Indians had as yet gained no scalps, but Harold had promised thembefore starting that, should the expedition be successful, theyshould be handsomely rewarded.
"We mustn't reckon as we are safe yet," Peter said in answer to oneof Harold's remarks. "The redskins aint going to let us slip throughtheir fingers so easy as all that. They've lost our trail and havenothing but their senses to guide 'em, but an Injun's senses ainteasily deceived in these woods. Ef this snow begins again and keepson for two or three days they may be puzzled; but ef it stops they'llcast a circle round their camp at a distance beyond where we couldhave got before the snow ceased, and ef they find no new trailsthey'll know that we must be within that circle. Then, as to theboats, when they find as we don't
come down to the two as they'vediscovered, and that we've not made off by land, they'll guess asthere was another canoe hidden somewhere, and they'll sarch high andlow for it. Waal, they won't find it; and then they'll suppose thatwe may have taken to the ice, and they'll sarch that. Either they'llgit to open water or to the other side. Ef there's open wateranywhere within a few miles they may conclude that we've carried acanoe, launched it there, and made off. In that case, when they'vesarched everywhere, they may give it up. Ef there aint no such openwater, they'll sarch till they find us. It aint likely that thisisland will escape 'em. With nine good rifles here we can hold theplace against the hull tribe, and as they'd show up against the snow,they can no more attack by night than by day."
"I don't think our food will hold out beyond seven or eight days,"Harold said.
"Jest about that," Peter answered; "but we can cut a hole in the iceand fish, and can hold out that way, if need be, for weeks. The wustof it is that the ice aint likely to break up now until the spring. Ireckon our only chance is to wait till we git another big snowstormand then to make off. The snow will cover our trail as fast as wemake it, and, once across to the other shore, we may git away fromthe varmints. But I don't disguise from you, Harold, that we're in avery awk'ard trouble, and that it 'll need all the craft of thechief, here, and all the experience of Pearson and me to get us outof it."
"The guid God has been vera merciful to us sae far," Duncan Cameronsaid; "he will surely protect us to the end. Had he na sent the snowjust when he did, the savages could hae followed our trail at once;it was a miracle wrought in our favor. He has aided us to rescue thetwa bairns frae the hands of the Indians, and we may surely trust inhis protection to the end. My daughter and her friend hae, I am verysure, before lying down to sleep, entreated his protection. Let us a'do the same."
And the old soldier, taking off his cap, prayed aloud to God to heedand protect them.
Harold and the frontiersmen also removed their caps and joined in theprayer, and the Senecas looked on, silent and reverent, at an act ofworship which was rare among their white companions.
As Peter was of opinion that there was no chance whatever of anysearch on the part of the Indians that night, and therefore there wasno need to set a watch, the whole party wrapped themselves up intheir blankets and were soon asleep.
When Harold woke next morning it was broad daylight. The Senecas hadalready been out and had brought news that a strong party of Indianscould be seen moving along the edge of the forest, evidentlysearching for a canoe. One of the Indians was placed on watch, andtwo or three hours later he reported that the Indians were nowentirely out of sight and were, when last seen, scouting along theedge of the forest.
"Now," Peter said, "the sooner we git another snowstorm the better.Ef we'd been alone we could have pushed on last night, but the galswas exhausted and would soon have died of the cold. Now, with a freshstart they'd do. Ef we can't cross the lake I calculate that we'reabout thirty mile from a p'int on the north shore below the falls ofSte. Marie, and we could land there and strike across through thewoods for the settlement. It'd be a terrible long journey round thenorth of Huron, but we must try it ef we can't get across."
"But we could go off by night, surely," Harold said, "even if thereis no fresh snow."
"We could do that," Peter replied; "no doubt of it. But ef they wereto find our track the next day, ay, or within three days, they'dfollow us and overtake us afore we got to the settlements. Ef we wasalone, it'd be one thing; but with the gals it'd be anotheraltogether. No, we must stop here till a snowstorm comes, even if wehave to stop for a month. There's no saying how soon some of themInjuns may be loafing round, and we daren't leave a trail for 'em totake up."
They had scarcely ceased speaking when a low call from the Indianplaced on watch summoned the chief to his side. A minute later thelatter rejoined the group below and said a few words to Peter.
"Jest as I thought!" the latter grumbled, rising with his rifleacross his arm. "Here are some of the varmints coming out this 'ereway. Likely enough it's a party of young braves jest scouting abouton their own account, to try and get honor by discovering us whentheir elders have failed. It would have been better for them to havestopped at home."
The party now crept up to the top of the rock, keeping carefullybelow its crest.
"Ef you show as much as a hair above the top line," Peter said,"they'll see you, sartin."
"Would it not be well," Harold asked, "for one of us to show himself?There is no possibility of further concealment, and if they go offwithout any of them being killed the others might be less bitteragainst us than they would if they had lost some of their tribe."
Peter laughed scornfully.
"Ye haven't had much to do with Injuns, lad, but I should havethought you'd have had better sense nor that. Haven't these Injunsbeen a-murdering and a-slaying along the frontier all the summer,falling on defenseless women and children? Marcy and pity aint intheir natur, and, fight or no fight, our scalps will dry in theirwigwams if they get us into their power. They know that we can shootand mean to, and that 'll make 'em careful of attacking us, and everyhour is important. Now," he said to the others, "each of you cover aman and fire straight through your sights when I gives the word.There's others watching 'em, you may be sure, and ef the whole fivego down together, it'll make 'em think twice afore they attack usagain."
Peering between some loose rocks, so that he could see withoutexposing his head above the line, Harold watched the five Indiansapproaching. They had evidently some doubts as to the wisdom of thecourse they were pursuing, and were well aware that they ran aterrible risk standing there in the open before the rifles of thoseconcealed, should the fugitives be really there. Nevertheless, thehope of gaining distinction and the fear of ridicule from thosewatching them on shore, should they turn back with their missionunaccomplished, inspired them with resolution. When within threehundred yards of the island they halted for a long time. They stoodgazing fixedly; but, although no signs of life could be perceived,they were too well versed in Indian warfare to gain any confidencefrom the apparent stillness. Throwing themselves flat on the snow andfollowing each other in single line, by which means their bodies werenearly concealed from sight in the track which their leader madethrough the light, yielding snow, they made a complete circuit of theisland. They paused for some time opposite the little forked entrancein which the camp was situated, but apparently saw nothing, for theykept round until they completed the circuit.
When they reached the point from which they had started there was,apparently, a short consultation among them. Then they continuedtheir course in the track that they had before made until theyreached a spot facing the camp. Then they changed order, and, stillprone in the snow, advanced abreast toward the island.
"The varmints have guessed that, if we are here, this is the placewhere we'd be hid," Peter whispered in Harold's ear.
As the Indians made their circuit the party in the island had changedtheir position so as always to keep out of sight. They were now onthe top of the island, which was a sort of rough plateau. The girlshad been warned, when they left them, to remain perfectly quiet intheir shelter whatever noise they might hear. Peter and the Senecawatched the Indians through holes which they had made with theirramrods through a bank of snow. The others remained flat in theslight depression behind it. At the distance of one hundred and fiftyyards the Indians stopped.
"The varmints see something!" Peter said. "Maybe they can make outthe two snow heaps through the bushes; maybe they can see some of ourfootsteps in the snow. They're going to fire!" he exclaimed. "Up,lads! They may send a bullet into the hut whar the gals is hid."
In an instant the line of men sprang to their feet. The Indians,taken by surprise at the sudden appearance of a larger number ofenemies than they expected, fired a hasty volley and then sprang totheir feet and dashed toward the shore. But they were deadly rifleswhich covered them. Peter, Harold, and Pearson could be trusted notto miss even a rapidly m
oving object at that distance, and the menwere all good shots. Not in regular order, but as each covered hisman, the rifles were discharged. Four out of the five Indians fell,and an arm of the fifth dropped useless by his side; however, hestill kept on. The whites reloaded rapidly, and Harold was about tofire again when Pearson put his hand on his shoulder.
"Don't fire! We've shown them that we can shoot straight. It's jestas well at present that they shouldn't know how far our rifles willcarry."
The four Senecas dashed out across the snow and speedily returned,each with a scalp hanging at his belt.
A loud yell of anger and lamentation had risen from the woodsskirting the shore as the Indians fell, but after this died away deepsilence reigned.
"What will be their next move?" Cameron asked Peter, as they gatheredagain in their low hut, having placed one of the Indians on watch.
"We'll hear nothing of 'em till nightfall," Peter said. "Their firstmove, now they know as we're here, will be to send off to fetch upall the tribe who're in search of us. When it comes on dark they'llsend scouts outside of us on the ice to see as we don't escape--notthat they'd much mind ef we did, for they could track us through thesnow and come up with us whenever they chose. No, they may be surewe'll stay where we are. It may be they'll attack us to-night, maybenot. It'd be a thing more risksome than redskins often undertake tocross the snow under the fire of nine rifles. I aint no doubt they'dtry and starve us out, for they must know well enough that we canhave no great store of provisions. But they know as well as we dothat, if another snowstorm comes on, we might slip away from 'emwithout leaving a foot-mark behind. It's jest that thought as maymake 'em attack."
"Well, we can beat them off, if they do," Harold said confidently.
"Waal, we may and we may not," the scout answered. "Anyhow we cankill a grist of 'em afore they turn us out on this 'ere island."
"That's sartin enough," Pearson put in; "but they're a strong tribe,and ef they can harden their hearts and make a rush it's all up withus. I allow that it's contrary to their custom, but when they see noother way to do with, they may try."
"I suppose if they do try a rush," Harold said, "they will do itagainst this end of the island?"
"Yes, you may bet your money on that," the scout answered. "In otherplaces the rock goes pretty nigh straight up from the water, but hereit's an easy landing. Being so close to 'em they're sure to know allabout it; but even if they didn't, the chap that got away would tell'em. I don't much expect an attack to-night--the bands won't be backyet. They'll have a grand palaver to-night, and there'll be a bigtalk afore they decide what is best to be done; so I think we're safefor to-night. To-morrow we'll set to work and build a shelter for thepretty ones up above, where they'll be safe from stray shots. Thenwe'll throw up a breastwork with loose rocks on the top of the sloperound this cove, so as to give it to 'em hot when they land."
"You have plenty of powder?" Harold asked.
"Dollops," Peter replied; "more'n we could fire away if we wasbesieged here for a month."
"Then you could spare me twenty pounds or so?"
"We could spare you a whole keg if you like; we've got three full.But what are you thinking of now, young un?"
"I was thinking," Harold answered, "of forming a line of holes, saythree feet apart, in the ice across the mouth of the cove. If we wereto charge them with powder and lay a train between them, we could,when the first dozen or so have passed the line, fire the train andbreak up the ice. This would prevent the others following, and givethem such a bad scare that they would probably make off, and we couldeasily deal with those who had passed the line before we fired it."
"That's a good idea of yours, lad. A fust-rate idea. The ice must bea foot thick by this time, and ef you put in your charges eightinches and tamp 'em well down you'll shiver the ice for a long wayround. The idea is a fust-rate one."
Pearson and Cameron assisted in the work, and the Indians, when Peterhad explained the plan to them, gave deep gutteral exclamations ofsurprise and approval. The process of blasting was one wholly unknownto them.
"I will mak' the holes," Cameron said. "I hae seen a deal of blastingwhen I was in the army. I can heat the end of a ramrod in a fire andhammer it into the shape of a borer."
"A better way than that, Cameron," Harold said, "will be to heat theend of a ramrod white-hot. You will melt holes in the ice in half thetime it would take you to bore them. That was what I was thinking ofdoing."
"Right you are, lad!" Pearson said. "Let's set about it at once."
A large fire was now lighted outside the hut, for there was no longerany occasion for secrecy. The ends of three or four of the ramrodswere placed in the fire, and two lines of holes were bored in the iceacross the mouth of the little cove. These lines were twelve feetapart, and they calculated that the ice between them would becompletely broken up, even if the fractures did not extend a good waybeyond the lines. The holes were of rather larger diameter than theinterior of a gun barrel. It was found that the ice was about fifteeninches thick, and the holes were taken down ten inches. Three or fourcharges of powder were placed in each; a stick of a quarter of aninch in diameter was then placed in each hole, and pounded ice wasrammed tightly in around it until the holes were filled up, a fewdrops of water being poured in on the top, so as to freeze the wholeinto a solid mass. There was no fear of the powder being wetted, forthe frost was intense. Then the sticks were withdrawn and the holesleft filled with powder. With the heated ramrods little troughs weresunk half an inch deep, connecting the tops of the holes; lines ofpowder were placed in these trenches; narrow strips of skin were laidover them, and the snow was then thrown on again. The two lines oftrenches were connected at the ends at the shore, so that they couldbe fired simultaneously.
While the men were occupied with this work the girls had cooked somevenison steaks and made some cakes.
It was just nightfall when they had finished, and all sat down andenjoyed a hearty meal. Peter and one of the Senecas undertook thewatch for half the night, when they were to be relieved by Pearsonand the chief. The early part of the night passed off quietly, but anhour before morning the party were aroused by the sharp crack of tworifles. Seizing their arms, all rushed out.
"What is it, Pearson?"
"Two of their scouts," Pearson answered, pointing to two dark bodieson the snow at a distance of about one hundred yards. "I suppose theywanted to see ef we was on the watch. We made 'em out almost as soonas they left the shore, but we let 'em come on until we was sartin ofour aim. There aint no more about as we can see, so ye can all turnin again for another hour or two."
There was no fresh alarm before morning, and, when the sun rose, itshone over a wide expanse of snow, unbroken save where lay the bodiesof the two Indians--whose scalps already hung at the belt of theSeneca--and those of their four comrades who had fallen in the firstattack.
The day passed quietly. Toward the afternoon two Indians were seenapproaching from the shore. They were unarmed and held their handsaloft as a sign of amity. Peter and Pearson at once laid down theirguns, left the island, and advanced to meet them. They were Indianchiefs of importance.
"Why have my white brothers stolen in at night upon the village ofWar Eagle and slain his young men?"
"It is what you have been doing all last year, chief," Pearson, whospoke the dialect better than Peter, replied. "But we injured no one.We didn't kill women and children, as your warriors have done in thewhite villages. We only came to take what you had stolen from us, andef your young men have been killed it's only because they tried toattack us."
"The white men must see," the chief said, "that they cannot get away.The water is hard, and their canoe will not swim in it. The snow isdeep, and the tender feet cannot walk through it. My warriors arevery numerous, and the white men cannot fight their way through them.The white settlements are very far away, and their friends cannotreach them; and it will be many months before the water softens, andlong before that the white men will have eaten their
moccasins."
"Waal, chief," Pearson said, "we're in a tight hole, I grant you; butI'm far from allowing that we aint no chances left to us yet. What doyou propose? I suppose you've some proposition to make."
"Let the white men leave behind them their guns and their powder andthe maidens they have taken from War Eagle's camp; then let them goin peace. They shall not be harmed."
Pearson gave a short laugh.
"War Eagle must think the white men are foolish. What's to preventthe red warriors from taking all our scalps when our arms are intheir hands?"
"The word of a great chief," War Eagle said. "War Eagle never lies."
"You may not lie, chief," Pearson said bluntly, "but I've known manya treaty broken afore now. You and your people may not touch us, butthere's other redskins about, and I wouldn't give a beaver's skin forour sculps ef we were to take the back trail to the settlementswithout arms in our hands. Besides that, we've among us the father ofthe gal who was stole far away off from Lake Champlain, and arelative of hers whose parents you've killed down on the lake. Ef wewere to agree to give up our arms, it stands to reason it aint likelythey'd agree to give up the gals. No, no, chief; your terms aren'treasonable. But I tell ye what we will do; ef you'll give us yourword that neither you nor your tribe'll molest us in our retreatwe'll go back to the settlements, and 'll engage that, when we getback there, we'll send you nine of the best rifles money can buy,with plenty of powder and ball, and blankets and such like."
The chief waved his hand in contemptuous refusal of the terms.
"There are six of my young men's scalps at your girdles, and theirplaces are empty. War Eagle has spoken."
"Very well, chief," Pearson said. "Ef nothing but sculps will contentyou, to fighting it must come; but I warn you that your tribe'll losea good many more afore they get ours."
So saying, without another word, they separated, each party makingtheir way back to their friends.
"What on earth can he have proposed such terms as those for?" Haroldasked, when Pearson had related what had taken place between him andthe chief. "He must have known we should not accept them."
"I expect," Pearson said, "he wanted to see who we were and to judgewhat sort of spirit we had. It may be, too, that there was a partyamong the tribe who had no stomachs for the job of attacking thisplace, and so he was obliged to make a show of offering terms toplease 'em; but he never meant as they should be accepted. No, I takeit they'll wait a few days to see what hunger'll do. They must bepretty sure that we've not a very large supply of food."