The Trail of the Seneca

  CHAPTER XXII--THE MAN IN THE RAVINE

  Very little time indeed was required for Return Kingdom to make clear toFishing Bird the work he wished to do. The Delaware was decidedlysurprised to learn that a white man, or men, of whom he knew nothing,were encamped near the Cuyahoga and he also exhibited the liveliestinterest in the information Ree gave him concerning the two men murderedat the salt springs.

  The probability that John Jerome had been captured, however, interestedthe Indian more than all else, though it distressed him, too. Repeatedlyhe shook his head with an air of utmost gravity and regret.

  Gen. Wayne was a man who did things. Once his plans were formed, theirexecution went ahead without a moment's unnecessary delay, and in a veryshort space of time he had caused men to be detailed to accompanyKingdom and his loyal friend.

  The boy's request that Sergeant Quayle be sent with him was promptlygranted and that good-natured son of Erin with three others, allexperienced woodsmen, gladly undertook the duty assigned them. Theyagreed with Kingdom, too, that a large force of men would not be needed,and that by care a small party would be able to accomplish more than agreater number. They would be far less likely to attract attention orinvite an attack from ambush.

  Late in the afternoon the well-armed band set out. By common consentKingdom was given general command, though he took counsel always withthe others. Only one circumstance marred his perfect confidence in theexpedition. This was the distrustful manner in which two of the woodsmenconstantly regarded Fishing Bird. They were Indian haters and Indianfighters. They could "see no good in 'ary a single red mother's son of'em," as one of them expressed it, "and didn't care who knowed it."

  The Sergeant, however, was more charitably inclined. Being of buoyantspirits, too, when somewhat relieved of the camp's restraints, he kepteveryone in a good humor with his droll remarks.

  Even over the badly decomposed bodies of the two unfortunate men, killedat the "big lick," his manner was the same.

  "Sure, they'd ha' be'an far better presarved if put in the brine! An' somuch o' it, handy like, 'tis a shame, it is!" said he.

  But notwithstanding, Quayle, as well as all the others, was muchaffected by the awful sight the removal of the brush heap disclosed. Reeknew from John's description just where to look for the bodies of themurdered men, and he hoped to find something that his friend might haveoverlooked, which would reveal the men's identities. Sergeant Quayle andthe woodsmen had also been anxious to see if they could not tell who theunfortunates were, and it was for these reasons that the springs werevisited, though they lay somewhat away from the direct trail.

  Nothing did the little party find to shed any light on the mysteriousmurder. The older woodsmen declared that both the dead men must havecome from some distant point. If either had belonged anywhere in thevicinity of the Ohio river, they would have seen them at some time, theywere sure. Sergeant Quayle was of the opinion, from the dress andgeneral appearance of the murdered pair, that they had come from some ofthe British posts in the Northwest, probably Detroit. Yet he expressedthe belief that Indians had committed the murder, and only when Kingdomreminded him of the evidence afforded by the pair of gloves that hadbeen found, did he say:

  "Leastwise, we'll agree to this, lad; savages done it. White men or redmen, they was blackhearted savages that done such a dirty deed!"

  The party spent a night in the vicinity of the salt springs. Thoughregretting the least delay, and anxious always to be pushing on, Kingdomwas greatly interested in the evidences of civilization having at onetime had a foothold at the "lick," as John had been. He was fortunate inlearning more about the matter than Jerome had learned, however, for oneof the woodsmen--a great, broad-shouldered young fellow, whose name,oddly enough, was Small,--knew much about the springs.

  In camp at night he told the others how, several years earlier, Gen.Samuel H. Parsons had come from Connecticut and attempted to establish asalt factory at the place. He undertook to purchase twenty-five thousandacres of land, embracing the springs and the territory about them, andexpected to reap a great fortune. He was greatly disappointed in thequantity of salt the water contained, but might have carried out hisplan, anyway, had it not been that, in returning from the springs to theeast, he was drowned by the upsetting of his canoe at the Beaver falls.The purchase of the great tract he had intended buying, was, therefore,never completed.

  "But as a rule, lad, ye'll note as ye go through life," said theSergeant to Ree--he nearly always addressed his words to Kingdom "as arule, ye'll note that parsons are more partial to poultry than to salt.Still, ye'll do well to tie to the parsons, Lord bless 'em! It's apreacher I'd ha' be'an me ownsilf but fur----"

  The Sergeant left his exclamation unfinished and with a sigh, which wasalso a chuckle, lay down and drew his blanket close about him.

  Kingdom planned to lead his party directly to the cabin on the Cuyahoga.He was hoping he would find John Jerome in that neighborhood or inhiding at the old poplar, even while he told himself how little groundhe had for such a thought.

  Men coming to Wayne's camp from Fort Pitt had brought word that John hadnot been there, and where to look for him, excepting near the cabin, oramong the Delawares, Ree did not know. He was depending on Fishing Birdto obtain information for him, however, and repeatedly, on the journeywest, the Indian would go a long distance from the others of the partyto find, if possible, some wandering redskins who might be able to givehim news of the capture of the lad they sought.

  Although at no time was the Delaware in any way successful, he neverfailed to rejoin Ree and his white friends at night. In every way, boththen and later, he proved himself thoroughly trustworthy and loyal,despite the daily predictions of Jim Small that he would turn up missingwhen he was most wanted, and be found hostile when his friendship wasmost desired.

  The march through the forest wilds was interrupted by no incident ofimportance. Ree had left his horse at Wayne's encampment, as he had nowish to ride while others walked, and, under the circumstances, the marewould be a hindrance. Rapid progress was made by the "expedition," asSergeant Quayle always called the little band of six, however, and theincreasing severity of the weather was almost the only hardship of theundertaking.

  At the middle of an afternoon much pleasanter than the raw, cold dayswhich had preceded it, the expedition reached a point only a few milesfrom the clearing and the river. A council of war was held and it wasdecided that Ree and Fishing Bird should go forward to look for John atthe cabin, while Sergeant Quayle and the others turned off to the northto await their report at a certain rocky ledge of which both Kingdom andthe woodsmen knew.

  The chief reason for this action was the secrecy which must be observedto prevent knowledge of the presence of so large a party reaching themysterious camp in the gully. The camp itself would be inspected undercover of darkness and a decision could then be reached concerning thebest time and manner of surprising the murderers, and effecting theircapture. If it were found that the camp seemed permanently occupied, andthe occupants intending to stay indefinitely, they would be allowed torest in supposed security while John Jerome was being located.

  Ree had seen from the first that the men who accompanied him were morekeenly interested in the lead mine than anything else. He would ratherhave made the finding of John Jerome the first object to be achieved,but he gave way to the wishes of the Sergeant in this instance, and nowhe and Fishing Bird hastened on to the cabin.

  Cautiously Kingdom and the Delaware approached the clearing. The sunshone lazily, the air, though cool, was soft and still. Peace seemedeverywhere. It was hard to believe the reverse was true. And then camethe shock.

  From the edge of the woods Ree saw the awful work Lone-Elk and hiswarriors had done. Not a muscle of his face moved. Though even FishingBird sorrowfully shook his head and put his arm before his eyes to shutout the most unhappy scene, the boy remained cool and collected. No signof the tempest of grief and boiling anger that raged within him wasvisible on the surface. With sur
prise the Delaware observed his calmdemeanor and heard him say:

  "Whose work this is, Fishing Bird, we don't know. Just what has beendone, though, we can plainly see. I am afraid it means something worse.So what I want you to do, good Fishing Bird, is to hurry to the Delawaretown. Hurry to the village and learn anything and all you can about whathas happened to Little Paleface. Whether the Delawares know much, ornothing, come to me at the rocks where I am to meet my friends, tomorrowmorning. Come early, Fishing Bird, and bring good news if you can. Bringbad news if you must. But most of all don't fail me."

  "Every word Fishing Bird understands," the Indian answered, and inanother minute was gone.

  For a very short time Ree lingered at the clearing's edge. Tears came tohis eyes, now that he was alone, when he looked at the fire-stainedchimney rising like a spectre above the ruin of ashes around it,--theonly thing left of his home. Quickly, however, he wiped the evidence ofhis sorrow from his face. He glanced around for old Neb, the cart horse,but saw nothing of the animal. "They've taken him too, no doubt," hethought, and his heart grew more bitter and his face more stern, as heturned away.

  The ease with which Kingdom traversed the forest, up hill and down hill,and his familiarity with the country for miles around, enabled him toreach the meeting place at the rocky ledge almost as soon as SergeantQuayle and his companions. Briefly he told them what he had seen. Theyasked questions which he could not answer, as he had not minutelyinspected the clearing, but he did not tell them his reason for nothaving done so, though he knew it well. It was because he could not bearto undertake the heart-breaking task.

  "Anyway," said Sergeant Quayle, "our business tonight is t' see thisqueer camp ye've tould us of, an' hear what the redskin tells in themornin'."

  So were plans made accordingly and after a cold supper all hands set outstealthily to inspect the haunt of the mysterious man in the gully. Reeled the way, nor was his task difficult. The light of a small campfirewas seen reflected on the branches of the trees, even before the ravinewas reached.

  Stooping low, and taking every step with care, all five approached theedge of the bluff. For a few minutes nothing more than the small blazecould be seen. But the fire had lately been replenished with fresh woodand, with this evidence that some one was near, the watchers werecontent to wait.

  Soon a man came into view. He carried several slices of meat and,sprinkling them freely with salt from a pouch at his belt, prepared tobroil them. Little did he suspect how intently his every movement wasscrutinized, for he mumbled to himself, and spread his great hands outto the warmth of the blaze, as if he had no thought but to enjoy themeal he was preparing. When the meat was cooked he ate greedily, thendisappearing for a few seconds, returned with more. This he disposed ofin the same way.

  For perhaps half an hour he continued to sit near the fire, but risingin a regretful manner, at last, he covered the embers with ashes, thendisappeared and returned no more.

  Until far into the night Ree and his four companions remained watching,then cautiously withdrew. The moonlight filtered through the leaflessbranches of the trees and the air was very frosty. For warmth and restKingdom led the party to the hollow whitewood. Here a conference washeld and the decision reached to return to the camp in the gully justbefore daybreak.

  Whether the others slept Ree did not know. They all were wrapped intheir blankets and very quiet. But he knew that he did not sleep, norcould he had he tried. The loss of John, the burned cabin, the wholesorrowful end of all the bright hopes of a few weeks before kept histhoughts too unhappily occupied, and he was glad of the darkness that itconcealed his grief and pain.

  Sometime before dawn Sergeant Quayle stretched himself and sat up.Kingdom did likewise and the others were also soon astir. With the samecare as before, they moved upon the haunted ravine, and chose theirplaces, each a little distance from the others, but all where they couldhurry down the steep hillside at a moment's notice.

  The sun was just rising as the tenant of the lonely camp came suddenlyinto the light, stretching himself and yawning.

  The click of the Sergeant's rifle as he cocked it was the signal, and itsounded loud enough. Silently, swiftly and almost noiselessly the fivemen descended the bluff, and, almost before the murderer's yawnpermitted his mouth to close, it was open again, but this time inextraordinary astonishment. He was surrounded by stern, strange faces.