CHAPTER XV
DISAPPEARANCE OF LITTLE NELL
As was natural Dave and Henry journeyed side by side. They moveddirectly behind Mrs. Morris and little Nell, who brought up in the rearof the litter on which Joseph Morris rested, and the horses under thecontrol of Rodney. Dave's father was not with the party, nor was trustySam Barringford, both having joined the party of rangers who formed theadvance guard.
Following the instructions given them the pioneers and their familiesmoved through the great forest as silently as possible, only theoccasional groan of a wounded one, or the cry of some little childbreaking the stillness. The route was past the rocks bordering one ofthe watercourses previously mentioned and then along what in those dayswas called the Old Buffalo Trail,--a well-beaten path along which inyears gone by countless buffaloes had passed in their migrations to theeast and return. The buffaloes were now fast disappearing from thisterritory, as are to-day the deer, wolves, and other wild animals whichwere likewise numerous.
It was a trying time, for the ears of all were ever on the alert tocatch the first sign of an approaching enemy. Onward went Dave and Henrywith their guns ready for instant use. Rodney guided the horses with thegreatest of care, yet there were many jolts to the litter which morethan once caused Joseph Morris to utter a groan he could not suppress.
It was calculated that if nothing out of the ordinary occurred the partywould be able to reach Winchester in three days, but if the Indiansfollowed them up and attacked them the journey would take much longer,for they would have to make a stand behind whatever breastworks theycould manage to erect, and there remain until the coast was clear or theenemy drove them forth. There was also the ever-present possibility thatthe Indians would wipe out the expedition entirely, a possibility thatmade many of the married men shudder, as they thought of their wives anddefenseless children.
"We can consider ourselves lucky if we reach Winchester without any morehair-raising," observed Henry, as they trudged along.
"Right you are," replied Dave. "The Indians seem worked up to the lastdegree. They'll trap us if they possibly can."
"There is one thing in our favor, Dave. Captain Tanner is as good ascout as you'll find in these parts, and with such men with him asBarringford and your father he won't fall into any trap unless it's amighty slick one."
"To think that Jean Bevoir should be in this neighborhood with histhieving traders," went on Dave, after a pause. "I declare I wish he hadfallen instead of one of those Indians we brought down. He isn't as goodas some of the Iroquois, to my way of thinking."
"He'll get what he deserves one of these days, Dave. He has cheated somany redskins that some of them will lay for him some night, and thatwill be the end of him and his band. But I must admit, I can'tunderstand how any redskins can follow the leadership of such a rascal,who gives them liquor only in order to rob them of their hard-earnedpelts."
Two miles had been covered when there came a shot from the front,followed by three others. Immediately the pioneers and their familiesgathered behind a semi-circle of rocks and brush which happened to benear. Several Indians had shown themselves to the scouts, but as soon asone was shot the others fled. The whole party remained on guard half anhour longer, but none of the enemy returned, and the onward march wasresumed.
Late that night Dave heard that two more white men had joined theexpedition and not long after this he caught sight of Uriah Risley. Heran up to meet the Englishman, and Henry did the same.
"My wife, where is she?" asked Uriah Risley, of Henry. "Tell mequickly!"
"I can't tell you," answered Henry.
"But you were with her--so Dave told me."
"I was with her. But some Indians came and attacked us, and I told herto run and hide in the woods. Then the Indians came at me and I wasstruck down, and that was all I knew until long afterward when I foundmyself strapped to the back of a horse and traveling with a band ofredskins." And Henry gave the particulars of the encounter, and of howSam Barringford had afterward come to his rescue.
"Do you think my wife got away into the woods?"
"I really can't say. I know she ran off as well as her hurt ankle wouldlet her, but it may be that some of the Indians went after her. I had myhands so full I couldn't look," concluded Henry.
Uriah Risley was pale and haggard and said he had not slept for twonights, nor had he had a regular meal for forty-eight hours. He had beento the vicinity of his burnt cabin and had followed up Henry's trail asbest he could for several miles, but nowhere had he found a trace of hiswife.
"I fear she is either dead or in the hands of those murderous redskins,"he groaned, his eyes growing suspiciously moist. "Poor dear Caddy! Shenever could get used to this life either! It was a sorry day when wedidn't remain in England, or in Annapolis." And he turned away to hidehis emotion. Several came and offered him food and a portion of this heate mechanically. Sleep, although he needed it badly, was out of thequestion.
Strange to say no Indian attack occurred during the following day, andthat night found the expedition well on its way to Winchester. Some ofthe pioneers were of the opinion that the enemy had retreated westward,satisfied with the damage done and the booty obtained, but at this SamBarringford, Captain Tanner, and a number of other old frontiersmenshook their heads.
"The Injun's at his worst when he's layin' low," was the way Barringfordexpressed himself. "We've got to keep our eyes peeled or fust thing youknow we'll all wake up skulped."
Fortunately for the party one of the advance guard had brought down adeer and another had bagged a number of birds with some fine shot. Thebirds were made into a stew for the sick and wounded and the venisonwas cut up and divided all around. The expedition was in the midst of awide timber belt, at a spot where there was a small clearing. Here, in ahollow, a camp-fire was lit and the meat cooked and stew made, and whileone half of the able-bodied pioneers and soldiers remained on guard theother half had their first full meal since leaving the fort. Then theguard was changed and the other half satisfied the cravings of the innerman, after which sentinels were posted and the camp settled down to seeif it could not obtain a much-needed night's rest.
Mrs. Morris and the others were gratified to see that while JosephMorris's wound pained him not a little it did not break out afresh andgave every promise of healing rapidly when once the sufferer shouldreach a place where he could have a couple of weeks' quiet. Beforeretiring with little Nell the wife washed and re-bound the wound andgave her husband all the nourishment he cared to take.
Dave was on guard during the first half of the night, with his father onthe next post not a hundred feet away. The night was dark and a low windwas rising which betokened a storm. All else was quiet and the camp-firewas allowed to burn low until only a few embers were left.
"It looks as if the Indians had really given it up," said Dave, as heand his father met on their walks up and down the two posts.
"Don't be too sure," answered James Morris. "At this very minute theymay be preparing to rush in and overwhelm us. I won't believe we aresafe until we come in sight of Winchester."
"Is the fort there in good shape?"
"Fairly good, although Colonel Washington is going to strengthen it allhe can. The trouble is, Washington is having trouble with GovernorDinwiddie. The governor thinks he knows it all and won't give thecolonel half the soldiers or equipments that are needed. He doesn't seemto realize that if Winchester should fall all the English settlers wouldbe driven back over the Blue Ridge and would lose everything theypossess in this locality."
When it came time to turn in Dave was glad enough to throw himself downand go to sleep, with nothing more than a thin blanket to cover him. Hisfather lay beside him, with Joseph Morris, Mrs. Morris and Rodney andlittle Nell not far off.
How long he slept Dave did not know, but when he awoke it was with astart and a cough. There was a fierce shouting and shooting going on andthe forest seemed full of smoke and fire. Hardly had he gained his feetwhen an arrow whizzed past his
head burying itself in the tree trunkbehind him.
"The attack is on!" came from James Morris, who was already up. "Theyhave fired the woods on two sides of the camp and they are laying for uson the other two sides. I'm afraid it is going to be a fight to thefinish."
There was no time to say more for the confusion on every hand was great.The shouting and shooting continued, and in the midst of this CaptainTanner ran around, followed by Lieutenant Baldwick, giving orders to themen and advising the women and children what to do. To the uproar wasadded the mad prancing around of some of the horses, who sniffed thesmoke, and the screams of the frightened children, some clinging to theskirts of their mothers and others running about looking for theirparents, who had become lost to them in the general mix-up.
"Stay with your aunt and uncle, Dave," said James Morris. "They'll needyou. I'll go out with the soldiers," and in a second he was boundingaway, to learn how bad the situation really was, and what might be doneto remedy it.
What happened during the next hour seemed to the boy, afterward, morelike some horrible dream than a reality. The war-whoops of the Indianscontinued to ring out on the night air, punctuated by numerous shots andyells from the wounded, while the fire in the forest grew brighter andbrighter, driving the sick, wounded, and the helpless before it. Rodneyand the others tried to get Joseph Morris back on the litter, but beforethis could be done both horses bolted away in the darkness, oneupsetting Mrs. Morris and bruising her shoulder severely. Then Henry andDave locked hands chair-fashion and started to carry the suffererbetween them, only to stumble over some tree roots and go sprawlingheadlong. In the meantime Mrs. Morris looked around her, to discoverthat little Nell was missing.
"Nell! Nell!" she screamed. "Come here! Nell!"
"Isn't she with you, mother?" came quickly from Rodney.
"No. But she was here a moment ago. Nell! Nell!"
No answer came back to this cry, and now both Mrs. Morris and Rodney ranhither and thither in search of the little girl. Little could be seen,for the smoke was so thick it fairly blinded them.
As quickly as possible Dave and Henry arose and picked up Mr. Morris.The fall had hurt the sufferer's wound and he had to groan in spite ofhis efforts to choke back the sounds.
"Never--mind m-m--me!" he gasped. "Sa--save th--the others!" And then hefainted dead away.
"Your mother is calling for Nell!" cried Dave. "Here, Henry, put him onmy back. I'll carry him somehow, and then you can go back to her." Andafter an effort Dave mastered his load and staggered on, in thedirection already taken by a number of others. He was now more carefulwhere he placed his feet and thus kept from going down again, althoughthe load made him pant and exert himself far beyond his youthfulstrength. On and on he went, over rocks and tearing through lowbrushwood. An arrow went by his shoulder but he paid no attention. Heheard more shots, and once a blaze of fire seemed to flash up almost infront of him. But he was not struck, and ten minutes later he felt thathe had in some marvelous manner left the battleground behind him. Heplunged into a hollow filled with wet grass and went down up to hisknees. Unable to carry his load further he allowed his uncle's body toslip down beside him, and there he rested, trying his best to get backhis breath and wondering what would happen next.