The suddenness of the defeat, pursuit, and massacre at Wyoming preventedanything like the use of boats by the fleeing patriots, who were besetby a merciless foe.
Had the scow been near where the main stream of fugitives were rushinginto the river and striving to reach the opposite bank, the boat wouldnot have kept afloat for a minute. It not only would have been graspedby a score of the fugitives, but it would have become the target fora number of rifles, which could hardly have failed to kill all theoccupants.
The stream rapidly deepened, and by and by Gimp was up to his neck andmoving rather gingerly, with his two broad hands resting on the stern ofthe boat.
Maggie Brainerd stood erect in the craft, pole in hand, and, bendingslightly as she pressed the support against the river bottom, held onuntil it was almost beyond her reach, when she withdrew it, and,reaching forward, placed the lower end against the bottom again, shovingthe awkward vessel with as much skill as the negro himself could haveshown.
Aunt Peggy, as trim and erect as ever, was seated near the prow, whileEva nestled at her feet with her head in her lap. When they observed howdeep the scow sank in the water, naturally enough their fears werewithdrawn from the great calamity, and centered upon the one ofdrowning.
The ancient lady glanced askance at the turbid current, while Eva turnedpale and shivered more than once, as she looked affrightedly at thehungry river that seemed to be climbing slowly up the frail partitionwhich kept it away from the fugitives.
Suddenly the feet of Gravity failed to reach bottom, and, sinking downuntil his ears and mouth were scarcely above the surface, he boreslightly upon the support and began threshing the water with his feet,so that at a distance the scow looked as if it had a steam screw at thestern driving it forward.
This rather cumbersome means of propulsion really accomplished more thanwould be supposed. Despite the fact that the African could not floathimself, he managed his pedal extremities with skill, and the boat wasquick to respond.
CHAPTER VII.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Fred Godfrey found himself mixed up in some eventsof a stirring character.
It will be recalled that while hunting for his friends he was told thatthey had taken to a flat-boat, or scow, and were probably across theSusquehanna.
If such were the fact, the true course for Fred was to follow themwithout a second's delay.
His informant no doubt meant to tell the truth, but he had given a wrongimpression.
It was true, as has been shown, that the female members of the Brainerdfamily had started across the river under charge of the herculeanGravity Gimp, but Mr. Brainerd himself was still on the side where thebattle took place, though his son believed he was with the others thathad taken to the boat.
Fred was making his way as best he could to the river side, when hebecame aware that he had attracted the notice of several Indians, whomade for him. In the general flurry he did not notice the alarming facttill the party was almost upon him. Then he turned and fired among them,threw away his gun, and made for the river at the top of his speed.
He was remarkably fleet of foot, and in a fair race would have held hisown with any Iroquois in Wyoming Valley; but there was no telling whenor where some more of the dusky foes would leap up and join in thepursuit.
It was fortunate, perhaps, that the Susquehanna was so near, for thepursuit was no more than fairly begun when it was reached. Knowing hewould be compelled to swim for life, he ran as far out in the water ashe could, and then took what may be called a tremendous "header,"throwing himself horizontally through the air, but with his head alittle lower than the rest of the body, and with his arms extended andhands pressed palm to palm in front.
He struck the water at a point beyond his depth, and drawing in onedeep inspiration as he went beneath, he swam with might and main untilhe could hold his breath no longer.
When he rose to the surface it was a long way beyond where he wentunder, and much farther than where the Indians were looking for him toreappear.
But they were ready with cocked guns, and the moment the head came toview they opened fire; but Fred expected that, and waiting only longenough to catch a mouthful of air, he went under and sped along like aloon beneath the surface.
Every rod thus gained increased his chances, but it did not by any meansremove the danger, for it takes no very skillful marksman to pick off aman across the Susquehanna, and many a fugitive on that fateful day fellafter reaching the eastern shore.
Working with his usual energy, Fred Godfrey soon found himself close toMonocacy Island, covered as it was with driftwood and undergrowth, andupon which many of the settlers had taken refuge.
Almost the first person whom he recognized was the middle-aged friend,who told him about the escape of the Brainerd family in the scow thatMaggie and the servant had propelled across the Susquehanna.
This friend was now able to add that he had seen them crossing at apoint considerably below the island. He saw them fired at by the Indiansand Tories on shore, but he was satisfied that no one of the littlecompany was struck.
To the dismay of the youth, the neighbor assured him that Mr. Brainerd,his father, was not with the company.
This made another change in the plans of the son. Quite hopeful thatthose who had crossed the river were beyond danger, his whole solicitudewas now for his beloved parent. Despite the danger involved, he resolvedto return to the western shore, and to stay there until he learned abouthis parent.
Fred was too experienced, however, to act rashly. He carefully watchedhis chance and swam down the stream until he was well below the swarm offugitives, and so managed to reach the shore without detection, orrather without recognition, since it was impossible that he shouldescape observation.
Finally, he stepped out of the water and went up the bank, without, ashe believed, attracting attention, and, suppressing all haste, walked inthe direction of Forty Fort.
The battle-field, whereon the famous monument was afterwards erected,was about two miles above Forty Fort, where a feeble garrison was leftwhen Colonel Zebulon Butler marched up the river bank, and met theTories and Indians on that July afternoon.
Fred had landed at a point near the battle-ground, and he was in doubtwhether to make search through the surrounding wood and marsh, or tosteal down the river to the fort in the hope of finding his fatherthere.
Many of the fugitives in their wild flight had thrown away their weapons(as indeed Fred Godfrey himself had done), so that it was an easy matterfor him to find a gun to take the place of the one from which he hadparted.
The youth made up his mind to visit the fort, and he had taken a dozensteps in that direction, when with whom should he come face to face buthis beloved father himself?
The meeting was a happy one indeed, the two embracing with delight.
The father had no thought that his son had reached Wyoming, though heknew that Washington had been asked to send them re-enforcements.
Fred told the good news about the rest of the family: it was joy indeedto the parent, who was on his way to the river bank to look for them atthe time he met his son.
Mr. Brainerd said that he had fought as long as there was any hope, whenhe turned and fled with the rest. It was the same aimless effort to getaway, without any thought of the right course to take; but he was morefortunate than most of the others, for he succeeded in reaching thecover of the woods without harm.
"The best thing for us to do," said the parent, "is to go up the riverso as to get above the point where, it seems, the most dangerthreatens."
"You mean toward Fort Wintermoot--that is, where it stood, for I seethat it has been burned."
"Yes, but we needn't go the whole distance; night isn't far off, and itwill be a hard task to find the folks after we get across."
Accordingly, father and son moved to the north, that is up the westernbank of the river. This took them toward Fort Wintermoot, which wasstill smoking, and toward Fort Jenkins, just above. At the same timethey were leaving the scen
e of the struggle a short time before.
Mr. Brainerd had no weapon, while his son carried the newly-found rifleand his two pistols. He had drawn the charges of these and reloadedthem, so that they were ready for use.
"There's one thing that ought to be understood," said Mr. Brainerd,after they had walked a short distance; "and that is what is to be doneby the survivor in case one of us falls."
"If I should be shot or captured," said Fred, impressively, "don't wasteany time in trying to help me, but do all you can to get across theriver, rejoin the family, and push on toward Stroudsburg; for I don'tbelieve you'll be safe at any point this side."
"I promise you to do my utmost in that direction; and, if it should bemy misfortune to fall into their hands, you must not imperil your lifefor me."
"I shall be careful of what I do," said Fred, refusing to make any moredefinite pledge, after having secured that of his companion not to stepaside to befriend him in the event of misfortune.
Little did either dream that the test was so close at hand.
CHAPTER VIII.
The two were compelled to pick their way with extreme care, for therewas no saying when some of the wandering Indians would come upon them.It was necessary, as our friends thought, to go considerably farther up,before it would be at all safe to cross the river.
They were yet some distance from the point, when a slight disturbancewas heard in a patch of woods in front, and they stopped.
"Wait a minute or two, until I find out what it means," said Fred; "itwill save time to go through there, but it won't do to undertake it ifit isn't safe."
And before Mr. Brainerd could protest, his son moved forward, asstealthily as an Indian scout, while the former concealed himself untilthe issue of the reconnoissance should become known.
The old gentleman realized too vividly the horrors of the massacrestill going on around them to permit himself to run any unnecessaryrisk, now that there was a prospect of rejoining his family; and heregretted that his courageous child had gone forward so impulsively,instead of carefully flanking what seemed to be a dangerous spot.
But it was too late now to recall him, for he was beyond sight, and Mr.Brainerd could only wait and hope for the best, while, it may be trulysaid, he feared the worst.
It was not long before Fred Godfrey began strongly to suspect he hadcommitted an error, from which it required all the skill at his commandto extricate himself.
The wood that he had entered covered something less than an acre, andwas simply a denser portion of the wilderness through which they hadbeen making their way. He had scarcely entered it when the murmur ofvoices told him that others were in advance, and he knew enough of theIndians to recognize the sounds as made by them.
It was at that very moment he ought to have withdrawn, and, rejoiningMr. Brainerd, left the neighborhood as silently as possible, but hiscuriosity led him on.
That curiosity was gratified by the sight of six of his own people heldprisoners by a group of twice as many Indians, who, beyond question,were making preparations for putting their victims to death.
As seems to be the rule, these prisoners, all of whom were able-bodiedmen, most of them young, were in a state of despair and collapse; theywere standing up unbound and unarmed, and looking stolidly at theircaptors, who were also on their feet, but were talking and gesticulatingwith much earnestness.
The most remarkable figure in the group was a woman. She was doing theprincipal part of the talking, and in a voice so loud, and accompaniedby such energetic gestures, that there could be no doubt that she wasthe leader.
She was attired in Indian costume, and was evidently a half-breed,though it has been claimed by many that she was of pure Indian blood.She was beyond middle life, her hair being plentifully sprinkled withgray, but she still possessed great strength and activity, and was wellfitted to command the Indians, as she did when they marched into andtook possession of Forty Fort on the succeeding day.
A son of this strange woman had been killed a short time before, and shewas roused to the highest point of fury. She demanded not only the bloodof those already captured, but that others should be brought in; and shehad established a camp in the place named, until a sufficient numbercould be secured to satisfy, to a partial extent, her vengeful mood.
She is known in history as Queen Esther and as Katharine Montour. Shewas queen of the Seneca tribe of Indians--one of the Iroquois or SixNations--the most powerful confederation of aborigines ever known onthis continent.
Her home was in central New York, where the Six Nations had been ruledby Sir William Johnson, the British superintendent, and, among all thefuries who entered Wyoming Valley on that day in July, there was nonewho excelled this being in the ferocity displayed toward the prisoners.
"That must be Queen Esther," thought Fred Godfrey, as he cautiouslysurveyed the scene; "I have heard of the hecate--"
At that instant a slight rustling behind caused him to turn his head,just in time to catch sight of a shadowy body that came down upon himlike an avalanche.
He struggled fiercely, but other Indians joined in, and in a twinklingthe lieutenant was disarmed and helpless, and was conducted triumphantlyinto the presence of Katharine Montour, whose small, black eyes sparkledas she surveyed this addition to her roll of victims, for whose tortureshe was arranging at that moment.
CHAPTER IX.
Gravity Gimp bore as lightly as he could on the stern of the boat, whichwas already so heavily laden that a little more weight would have sunkit below the surface.
But steady progress was made, and everything was going along"swimmingly," as may be said, when the craft and its occupants began toreceive alarming attention from the shore.
The reports of guns, and the shouting and whooping were so continuousthat the fugitives had become used to them. The whistling of the bulletsabout their ears, and the call of Gimp, notified the ladies of theirdanger, and caused an outcry from Aunt Peggy.
"They're shooting at us, as sure as you live; stoop down, Maggie!"
The elderly lady and little Eva got down so low that they were quitesafe. Maggie, however, kept her feet a few moments. Looking back towardthe shore, she saw six or eight Indians standing close to the water anddeliberately firing at them.
"Stoop down," said Gravity, in a low voice. "I'll take care ob de boatand you see what you can do wid de gun."
The plucky girl acted upon the suggestion. Picking up the weapon of theAfrican (with which she had shot more than one deer), she sank upon herknee, and took careful aim at the group on the shore.
Gravity stopped threshing the water, and twisted around so as to watchthe result, while Aunt Peggy and Eva fixed their eyes on the group withpainful interest.
When the whip-like crack of the gun broke upon their ears, thespectators saw one of the Iroquois leap in the air and stagger backward,though he did not fall.
"You hit him!" exclaimed the delighted Gravity; "dey'll larn dat someoder folks can fire off a gun as well as dey."
The shot of the girl caused consternation for a minute or two among thegroup. They had evidently no thought of any one "striking back," nowthat the panic was everywhere. They could be seen gathering around thewarrior, who was helped a few steps and allowed to sit on the ground.
Dropping the rifle, Maggie Brainerd caught up the pole once more andapplied it with all the strength at her command, while Gravity threshedthe water with renewed vigor.
Hope was now re-awakened that the river might be crossed in safety.
In the nature of things, the dismay among the Iroquois could not lastlong. They were joined by several new arrivals, among whom was at leastone white man.
They saw that the boat was getting farther away, and the fugitives werelikely to escape.
Gravity, who continually glanced over his shoulder, warned Maggie andthe rest (who, however, were equally alert), so that when the boat wasagain struck by the whistling bullets no one was harmed.
"Miss Maggie," whispered Gravity, peering o
ver the gunwale, his roundface rising like the moon under a full eclipse, "you know dere's anotherloaded gun; try it agin."
"I musn't miss," she said to herself, sighting the weapon, "for if everthere was a case of self-defense this is one."
All remained quiet while she carefully drew a bead at the foremostfigure. Before her aim was sure, she recognized her target as JakeGolcher.
She was startled, and for an instant undecided; but she could not shoothim, even though he deserved it. She slightly swerved the point of herpiece, hoping to strike one of the Indians, with the result, however,that she missed altogether.
"Maggie," said Aunt Peggy, with rasping severity, "I've a mind to boxyour ears; you missed that Tory on purpose; you ought to be ashamed ofyourself; I'll tell your father what a perjurer you are."
"I could not do it," replied Maggie, smiling in spite of herself at thespiteful earnestness of her relative.
"Then load up and try it again."
"Time is too precious to delay for loading guns and shooting at our oldacquaintances, even if they are Tories."
Aunt Peggy was wise enough to see that Maggie could not be dictated tounder such circumstances. She, therefore, held her peace, and watchedthe young lady, who applied the pole with a vigor hardly second to thatof Gravity in his efforts of another kind to force the scow through thewater.
Under their joint labors the clumsy craft advanced with considerablespeed, every minute taking it farther from the shots that still camefrom the enemies they were leaving behind.