CHAPTER IV
BURNING OF THE CABIN
It was not long before the two young hunters heard the Indians quiteplainly. Evidently the redmen did not deem it necessary to advance withmore than ordinary caution for they conversed with each other in a lowtone, to which Dave and Henry listened with interest, although theycould understand little of what was said.
Presently one warrior took up a position in front of the crevice and notover five yards from where the youths lay concealed. Evidently he waslistening for some sound from them, and they hardly dared to breathe. Asmight be expected Dave at that instant felt a strong inclination tosneeze, but he suppressed the desire, although almost bursting a bloodvessel in consequence.
Soon another Indian came up and then a third. A talk lasting severalminutes followed, and one warrior started to light a torch. But theothers stopped this, fearing it might draw the fire of the whites. Thenone redman shifted to the right, another to the left, while a thirdcrawled up over the rocks and through the bushes growing above theopening.
By the time the Indians were out of hearing, and they dared to breathemore freely, the darkness of night had settled heavily and high overheadthe stars came peeping forth one by one. They waited a little longer andthen Henry caught Dave by the arm.
"What do you think?" he whispered. "Are they gone?"
"I think so," returned the younger lad. "But there is no telling whenthey will be back. Still I reckon we had better get out of here."
"I agree. But we can't take the course we were following. I think thebest we can do is to turn further to the left and strike Risley's fromthe west," added Henry.
Dave was willing, and as cautiously as possible they climbed back out ofthe crevice the way they had come. Just as Dave was about to step intothe clearing a sudden whirr of noise caused him to jerk back.
"What's that?" came quickly from his cousin.
"Some wild animal," was the answer after a pause.
"Did it attack you?"
"No, but it came pretty close. I thought first it was an Indian leapingup out of the grass."
They moved off, side by side, and each with his gun ready for use. AsHenry was the hunter of the Morris family and knew the forest betterthan anyone, Dave allowed him to do such guiding as seemed necessary.They pursued their course over one rise and then another, and after thatfollowed the windings of a tiny brook which Henry said ran to withingun-shot of the Risley homestead.
They were just making a bend of the watercourse when another wild animalstarted up directly under Henry's feet. It was a fox resting in a hollowlog, and in its anxiety to get away the animal struck against Dave'slegs, upsetting him.
"Oh!" cried Dave as he went down. "Help! shoot him!"
"It's a fox!" ejaculated Henry, and as the animal shot past him he madea dive and caught the beast by the brush. The fox gave a snarl and triedto bite him, but ere the head came around the young hunter swung the foxin a circle and brought him down with a dull thud on the log. The firstblow was followed by another, which crushed the beast's skull as thoughit were an egg-shell.
"There! he'll never bother anybody again," said Henry, as he threw thebeast down. "Wish I had time to skin him. But we had better not lose aminute."
"Henry, you're a wonder of a hunter!" burst out Dave. "I don't believe Icould have done that. It was much better than shooting him, for it savedpowder and saved making a noise too."
"Sam Barringford taught me that trick--although not on a fox. I once sawhim hammer the life out of a limping wolf that way, and he often catchesup snakes by the tail and snaps their heads off, whip fashion."
Leaving the fox where it had fallen, they continued on their way alongthe stream until a tiny clearing was gained. Beyond this was a belt oftall and heavy timber, which, on the opposite side, marked the boundaryof Uriah Risley's new land claim, one he had obtained, through ColonelWashington, from old Lord Fairfax, who still resided at Greenway Court.
"I see a light!" said Dave, as they stopped on the edge of the timber."Look!"
Henry did so. It was a small blaze, apparently, and in the directionwhere stood Risley's cabin.
"Can that be an Indian camp-fire?" went on the younger hunter.
"I don't think so, Dave. It's worse than that."
"Worse? Oh, Henry, do you think it is Risley's cabin that is burning?"
"Just what I do think. See, the flame is growing brighter. Either it'sthe cabin or that cattle shed he has been building. Come on; we'll soonknow."
Henry now set off on a run through the timber, picking the way with allthe skill of an old frontiersman. Dave kept close behind his cousin. Asthey advanced they saw the fire more plainly and beheld it spread outand mount further skyward. It was Uriah Risley's cabin beyond a doubt,and now the new cattle shed had caught and was also being consumed bythe devouring element.
"This is the work of the redskins," panted Henry, as they leaped overrough rocks and tore their way through a clump of saplings. "And itproves beyond a doubt that they are on the war-path."
While he was speaking a gun-shot sounded out, coming from a greatdistance. Another report followed and then all became as silent asbefore.
"That must be Risley, or somebody else, fighting the Indians off," saidDave. "We'll have to be careful or we'll run into a trap."
"Keep in the timber," answered Henry. "For all we know there may be ahundred redskins in this vicinity. Hark! They are around the cabin sureenough."
They listened and amid the crackling of the flames they now heard thewhooping and yelling of a score of Indians, while the flickering glareshowed to them the dusky forms moving in one direction and another. Someof the Indians had found a demijohn of liquor belonging to theEnglishman and were gulping this down in great glee, while othersparaded around with various spoils of war in their hands.
"I'd like to give 'em a shot--they deserve it," muttered Dave.
"Don't you do it," interposed Henry, hastily. "They'd be on us like awind-fall."
"What do you suppose has become of Mr. Risley and his wife?"
"Heaven alone knows, Dave. I trust they have escaped."
"If that was Mr. Risley shooting, do you suppose his wife is with him?"
"There is no telling. Perhaps he wasn't home when the Indians came up.If that's so then Mrs. Risley is either dead or a prisoner."
"Was she alone?"
"I think so--at least I didn't hear of anybody going over lately."
"I wonder if we can't get a bit closer without being seen? Perhaps wecan learn something to our advantage."
"We might skirt the timber a bit. But be careful, and if the Indianscome for us we had better run without stopping to fire,--unless, ofcourse, they get too close," added Henry.
Once again he led the way, slowly and cautiously, flitting from one treeto another in absolute silence. The fire was now at its height, lightingup the sky for a long distance around. The sparks were blowing in theirdirection, but the light fall of snow had wet the trees and brushwood,so no harm was done.
Presently they found themselves again close to the brook, which at thispoint crossed a garden patch that Uriah Risley had gotten into shape theseason before. At the side of the brook was a roughly constructedmilk-house, made of large stones for walls and untrimmed timbers for aroof. Behind this the boys crouched, to take another view of what wasgoing on in the center of the clearing.
The Indians who had been drinking from the demijohn were growinghilarious and their wild whooping could be heard for a long distance. Atthe start of the fire some furniture had been hauled forth, a chest ofdrawers and a bureau, and now some of the redmen set to work to breakopen both articles, to see what they contained.
"They are after everything of value they can lay hands on," mutteredDave. "What a shame! Do you see anything of----?"
The young hunter broke off short, for at that instant came a low moan ofpain from the interior of the milk-house.
"Are you--you white people!" came in a gasp. "If you are, for the lo
veof heaven--sa--save me!"
"It's Mrs. Risley!" burst out Dave, for he remembered that voice well.He raised his head up to a crack in the rude planking. "Mrs. Risley, areyou alone?" he questioned. "It is I, Dave Morris, who is speaking."
"Dave Morris!" A groan followed. "Oh, Davy, lad, save me, won't you? Iam almost dead!"
"I'll do what I can for you, Mrs. Risley. My cousin Henry is with me. Wewere out hunting when the Indians almost captured us. The woods are fullof them. Is Mr. Risley around?"
"No, he went to Will's Creek on business. I saw the Indians coming and Itried to run away. But they shot at me with their arrows and one passedthrough my left shoulder. Then I pretended to go into the house andhide, and when they came in I leaped through a back window and ran forthis place. I got into the water up to my shoulders and pulled a bit ofa board over my head, to keep out of sight. They came down here and Ithought sure they'd find me, but they did not. But I am nearly perishedwith the cold, and the wound from the arrow has made me very faint. Youwill help me, won't you?"
"To be sure we'll help you," put in Henry. "But all we can do at presentis to lead you into the woods, and you can have my dry jacket if youwant it. We had better start directly for our house."
"I see a glare of a fire. Have they--they----?" The poor woman could notfinish.
"Yes, I am sorry to say the cabin is about burnt up," said Dave. "Butcome, if your husband isn't around, we had better not waste time here.We may be needed at home. It may be just as bad there, you know."
Both of the young hunters crawled around to the milk-house door and wentinside. The board was quickly raised and they helped Mrs. Risley fromthe watery hole in which she had been squatting with her chin resting onher knees. She was so chilled and stiff, and so weak from her wound, shecould scarcely stand, and they had literally to carry her into thetimber whence they had come.