CHAPTER XXI
ON THE WAY TO THE ARMY
Once inside the cabin, Mrs. Risley related her story in detail, to whichthe others paid the closest attention. Her trials had been great, andthe quick tears of sympathy coursed down Mrs. Morris's cheeks as shelistened, and the others were also affected.
"It was enough to kill you," said Mrs. Morris, at the conclusion. "Butnow you are back, safe and sound, we'll do our best by you. You can stayhere until your husband builds another cabin and gets everything elseinto proper shape for living on your land." And so it was settled.
When Dave and Henry retired once more it was not to sleep but to talk inan undertone, the subject of the conversation being little Nell and thetwins with her.
"I'm going to do what I can to rescue her," declared Henry. "It makes myblood boil to think of her being among those dirty redskins andFrench."
"I believe the best thing we can do is to join the army under GeneralPrideaux," declared Dave. "His force will most likely go right throughthe Mohawk valley to Lake Ontario and then along the lake to FortNiagara--just the territory where those Indians and French must be."
"I've got another idea," said Henry, after a thoughtful pause. "I gotthe news through White Buffalo. General Johnson has been commissioned tostir up the Indians in the Mohawk valley and get them to join in theattack on Fort Niagara. White Buffalo and his followers are going tojoin Johnson's force. Why not go with the white men in this crowd? We'llbe sure to hear more about those Indians and the French traders in thatway than if we went with the regular army."
"But to train with redskins, Henry!"
"We needn't train with 'em. There will be at least a dozen white menwith the crowd and we can go with them. I once met General Johnson. He'sa big-hearted Irishman, full of hard, common sense, and I know we couldget along with him. And when he heard our story he might put himself outto help us."
So the youths talked on until at last they fell asleep--to dream offierce fights with the French and Indians and daring rescues of littleNell. But these were only dreams. Little did they realize how many realdifficulties and perils still awaited them.
In the morning Dave insisted upon talking the matter over with SamBarringford. They found the old hunter ready enough to listen to whatthey had to say.
"I'm with ye!" he exclaimed, after they had finished. "It ain't no halfbad plan nuther. I know Sir William Johnson like a book--fact is, I knowhim a heap sight better nor any book. As ye say, he's whole-souled andchock full of common sense. The Injuns love him as they love few whitemen--an' all because he's treated 'em fa'r and squar'. Why he's donemore fer the English government nor any dozen Indian Commissioners puttogether. He knows jest how to handle 'em, an' he makes friends o' foesalmost afore ye can turn a hand. Yes, let us go to him by all means andI'll warrant when ye tell him the whole story he'll set some Injuns outto find little Nell an' them Rose twins."
That afternoon the subject was brought to the attention of the wholefamily. Mrs. Morris did not know whether to be glad or sorry, but in theend she told the boys to go, but be careful and not run into unnecessarydanger, and in private she asked Barringford to watch over themcarefully.
"I'll do my level best, ma'am," said the frontiersman. "And ef I canmake it, they'll come back to ye unharmed. But they're putty hot-likewhen they strike a trail as suits 'em, ye know thet as well as I."
Preparations were at once made for their departure. Both Dave and Henrywere fitted out with new hunting suits of the regular trapper patternand each took along the best gun he could obtain. Sam Barringford hadbought another rifle, which he christened Old Trusty No. 2. They went onfoot, not knowing if their progress with the whites and Indians wouldadmit of riding on horseback.
In the meantime it was decided that James Morris should remain at thecabin, to finish the building and do the planting, thus giving hisbrother ample time to regain his health and strength, and also making iteasier for Rodney, who during the past few weeks had been working harderthan was good for his constitution.
"Good-bye, my son," said James Morris, when the trio was ready to start."Be careful, but do not forget that we look to you to bring little Nellback, if such a thing is possible;" and then Mrs. Morris kissed theboys; and the long journey into what had been the Indian country wasbegun.
Dave felt somewhat sober so long as they were in sight of the newlybuilt cabin, but when the last rise of ground was passed, and they hadwaved a parting farewell, to which Mrs. Morris had answered by a wave ofher apron, his spirits returned, and soon he, Henry, and Barringfordwere chatting as though nothing out of the ordinary was occurring, yetdown in his heart, each felt that this search for little Nell was goingto prove a serious and, most likely, a dangerous undertaking.
"Where is Sir William Johnson now?" asked Dave, presently, after severalmiles of the trail through the forest had been covered.
"Somewhere near Fort Johnson," answered Barringford. "He's out to getthe Six Nations to join General Prideaux's army either at Fort Stanwixor at Oswego--if Prideaux can get that far. Johnson is the very best manthey could send to the Indians."
"Were you ever out with him?" asked Henry.
"Many a time, lad. He's a great hunter, too, let me tell you--can hitthe bull's-eye at a hundred paces without half trying. And when it comesto dancing an Indian war dance he can do that, too."
"And yet he's an Irish nobleman!"
"Yes, I allow as how he's an odd mixture of a man. But that mixturemakes him just the right kind for the redskins. He understands 'em--top,bottom and sides, as the saying goes. He appeals to their brains as wellas their instincts--and when he once makes friends of 'em they arewilling to lay down their lives for him. In 1756 he was appointed solesuperintendent of the Six Nations Indians, and he made a perilous tripall the way to Onondaga, their capital, and staid with 'em two weeks,and got 'em to swear that they would remain neutral. That was a bigfeather in his cap. Then the next year he joined Webb at Fort Edwardwith some of his Indians, but he was too late to do anything, althoughI've heard he was more than willing to fight. He was also on hand tofight Montcalm when Abercrombie attacked Ticonderoga, but his threehundred Indians didn't see the use of being slaughtered in the open atmid-day and they refused to fight, although they told Johnson they wouldtake part in the battle in their own way."
"It's queer the English soldiers can't fight as we do," said Henry. "Ireally can't understand it. They get out in the open and the Indian getsbehind a tree, and who has the best of it? Certainly not the man in theopen."
"I think the English soldiers have learned a lesson or two," said Dave."I don't believe you'll find General Prideaux marching on Fort Niagarain the broad sunlight."
They were trailing through a dense forest, with trees on every side,lifting their heads a hundred feet and more to the sky. Gigantic rootslay sprawling on every side and they had to pick their way with care,for fear of pitching headlong or spraining an ankle. It was clear andmoderately warm, and would have been warmer had the sunlight reachedthem.
"Years ago this was a great ground fer b'ar," said Barringford, as theyrested for their noonday lunch, eating some things they had broughtalong from the cabin. "There war a cave 'bout two miles from here wharthe b'ar ust to gather to the number of fifteen or twenty. But the cavewas cleaned out so many times ain't likely to be any b'ar left."
"Shall we go near the cave?" questioned Dave. "I'd like to have a lookat the spot."
"Yes, we'll go putty clost, lad. But you don't want to waste no time ongame jest now, do ye?"
"Not unless it came very easy. If we got a bear it would give us somefine meat to take along, and we could sell the skin at Cherry Run."
"Ain't no b'ar there, I'm putty sure on it. But we can stop an'see--jest out o' curiosity sake."
They did not rest long, for they were anxious to join General Johnson atas early a date as possible, and knew that it would take them at leasttwo weeks to make the trip. They were on rising ground, but soon theystruck a downward path, fil
led with rough rocks and loose stones, wherethe footing was far from certain.
"The cave is over yonder," said Barringford, pointing with his hand."The opening to it is on the other side. Come, I'll show ye the way. Andhave your guns ready--in case a b'ar should turn up."
After this no more was said, and they went forward, side by side--sothat no one might hinder the aim of a companion. There was a slightundergrowth between the rocks but for the most part only tall trees,bare for a distance of thirty feet upward, marked the locality.
Suddenly Barringford put up his hand, to warn his companions. All cameto a halt and listened, at the same time straining their eyes to seewhat might be ahead. They heard a low thump, followed by another, andthen all became as silent as before.
"What was it?" at last whispered Dave.
"Some wild animal," returned Barringford, in an equally low tone. "Don'treckon as how it was a b'ar though."
They waited a moment longer, and then the old hunter again led theadvance. There were several large rocks to cross and then they roundedone end of the cave, which, on top, was shaped very much like a hugerocky egg.
"A deer!" ejaculated Henry. "Look out!"
All looked and saw a magnificent deer standing close to the mouth of thecave, gazing cautiously forward. Suddenly a fox leaped out of theopening and the deer started back in alarm.
Bang! It was the report of Barringford's rifle and the deer leaped highin the air, to fall dead immediately afterward.
"A good shot--" began Henry, when a noise behind him caused him to swingaround swiftly. What he saw filled him with horror. A huge buck wasglaring at him from the opposite end of the rocky eminence. In a secondmore the buck charged the crowd, rushing forward with lowered antlersand with the swiftness of the wind.