rolf in the woods-第57节

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He　reached　the　woods　absolutely　unchallenged。　After　a　few　yards

in　its　friendly　shade；　he　dropped　the　thorny　bundle　and　strode

swiftly　toward　his　own　camp。　He　had　not　gone　a　hundred　yards

before　a　voice　of　French　type　cried　〃'Alt；〃　and　he　was　face　to

face　with　a　sentry　whose　musket　was　levelled　at　him。



A　quick　glance　interchanged；　and　each　gasped　out　the　other's

name。



〃Francois　la　Colle！〃



〃Rolf　Kittering！　Mon　Dieu！　I　ought　to　shoot　you；　Rolf；　I　cannot；

I　cannot！　But　run；　run！　I'll　shoot　over　your　head；〃　and　his

kindly　eyes　filled　with　tears。



Rolf　needed　no　second　hint；　he　ran　like　a　deer；　and　the　musket

ball　rattled　the　branches　above　his　shoulders。



In　a　few　minutes　other　soldiers　came　running　and　from　La　Colle

they　heard　of　the　hostile　spy　in　camp。



〃I　shoot；　I　t'ink　maybe　I　not　hit　eem；　maybe　some　brood　dere？　No；

dat　netting。〃



There　were　both　runners　and　trackers　in　camp。　They　were　like

bloodhounds　and　they　took　up　the　trail　of　the　fugitive。　But　Rolf

was　playing　his　own　game　now；　he　was　〃Flying　Kittering。〃　A

crooked　trail　is　hard　to　follow；　and；　going　at　the　long　stride

that　had　made　his　success；　he　left　many　a　crook　and　turn。　Before

two　miles　I　they　gave　it　up　and　the　fugitive　coming　to　the　river

drank　　a　deep　and　cooling　draught；　the　first　he　had　had　that　day。

Five　miles　through　is　the　dense　forest　that　lies　between　La　Colle

and　the　border。　He　struck　a　creek　affluent　of　the　Richelieu　River　and

followed　to　its　forks；　which　was　the　place　of　rendezvous　with　Quonab。



It　was　evening　as　he　drew　near　and　after　long；　attentive

listening　he　gave　the　cry　of　the　barred　owl：



The　answer　came：　a　repetition　of　the　last　line；　and　a　minute

later　the　two　scouts　were　together。



As　they　stood；　they　were　startled　by　a　new；　sudden　answer；　an

exact　repetition　of　the　first　call。　Rolf　had　recovered　his　rifle

from　its　hiding　place　and　instantly　both　made　ready　for　some

hostile　prowler；　then　after　a　long　silence　he　gave　the　final　wail

line　〃hoooo…aw〃　and　that　in　the　woods　means；　〃Who　are　you？〃



Promptly　the　reply　came：



〃Wa　wah　wa　wah　Wa　wah　wa　hoooo…aw。〃



But　this　was　the　wrong　reply。　It　should　have　been　only　the　last

half。　The　imitation　was　perfect；　except；　perhaps；　on　the　last

note；　which　was　a　trifle　too　human。　But　the　signal　was　well　done；

it　was　an　expert　calling；　either　an　Indian　or　some　thoroughly

seasoned　scout；　yet　Quonab　was　not　deceived　into　thinking　it　an

owl。　He　touched　his　cheek　and　his　coat；　which；　in　the　scout　sign

language；　means　〃red　coat；〃　i。　e。；　Britisher。



Rolf　and　his　partner　got　silently　out　of　sight；　each　with　his

rlile　cocked　and　ready　to　make　a　hole　in　any　red　uniform　or　badge

that　might　show　itself。　Then　commenced　a　very　peculiar　duel；　for

evidently　the　enemy　was　as　clever　as　themselves　and　equally

anxious　to　draw　them　out　of　cover。



Wa…wah…wa　hooo…aw　called　the　stranger；　giving　the　right　answer　in

the　wrong　place。　He　was　barely　a　hundred　yards　off；　and；　as　the

two　strained　their　senses　to　locate　him；　they　heard　a　faint　click

that　told　of　his　approach。



Rolf　turned　his　head　and　behind　a　tree　uttered　again　the　Wa…wah

…a　…　hoo　which　muffled　by　his　position　would　convince　the　foe

that　he　was　retreating。　The　answer　came　promptly　and　much　nearer：



Wa　…　wah　…　wa　…　hoooo…aw。



Good！　the　medicine　was　working。　So　Rolf　softened　his　voice　still

more；　while　Quonab　got　ready　to　shoot。



The　Wa　…　wa　…　hooo…aw　that　came　in　answer　this　time　was

startlingly　clear　and　loud　and　nearly　perfect　in　intonation；　but

again　betrayed　by　the　human　timbre　of　the　aw。　A　minute　or　two

more　and　they　would　reach　a　climax。



After　another　wait；　Rolf　muffled　his　voice　and　gave　the　single

hooo…aw；　and　a　great　broad…winged　owl　came　swooping　through　the

forest；　alighted　on　a　tree　overhead；　peered　about；　then　thrilled

them　with　his　weird：



Wa　…　hoo　…　wa　…　boo



Wa　…　hoo　…wa　…　hooooooooo…aw；　the　last　note　with　the　singular

human　quality　that　had　so　completely　set　them　astray。







Chapter　77。　Why　Plattsburg　Was　Raided



The　owl's　hull　reputation　for　wisdom　is　built　up　on　lookin'　wise

and　keepin'　mum。　　　Sayings　of　St　Sylvanne



THE　owl　incident　was　one　of　the　comedies　of　their　life；　now　they

had　business　on　hand。　The　scraps　of　news　brought　by　Quonab　pieced

out　with　those　secured　by　Rolf；　spelt　clearly　this：　that　Colonel

Murray　with　about　a　thousand　men　was　planning　a　raid　on

Plattsburg。



Their　duty　was　to　notify　General　Hampton　without　delay。



Burlington；　forty　miles　away；　was　headquarters。　Plattsburg；

twenty　miles　away；　was　marked　for　spoil。



One　more　item　they　must　add：　Was　the　raid　to　baby　land　or　water？

If　the　latter；　then　they　must　know　what　preparations　were　being

made　at　the　British　naval　station；　Isle　au　Noix。　They　travelled

all　night　through　the　dark　woods；　to　get　there；　though　it　was　but

seven　miles　away；　and　in　the　first　full　light　they　saw　the

gallant　array　of　two　warships；　three　gunboats；　and　about　fifty

long　boats；　all　ready；　undoubtedly　waiting　only　for　a　change　in

the　wind；　which　at　this　season　blew　on　Champlain　almost　steadily

form　the　south。



A　three…hour；　ten…mile　tramp　through　ways　now　familiar　brought

Rolf　and　his　partner　to　the　north　of　the　Big　Chazy　where　the

canoe　was　hidden；　and　without　loss　of　time　they　pushed　off　for

Burlington；　thirty　miles　away。　The　wind　was　head　on；　and　when

four　hours　later　they　stopped　for　noon；　they　had　made　not　more

than　a　dozen　miles。



All　that　afternoon　they　had　to　fight　a　heavy　sea；　this　meant　they

must　keep　near　shore　in　case　of　an　upset；　and　so　lengthened　the

course；　but　it　also　meant　that　the　enemy　would　not　move　so　long

as　this　wind　kept　up。



It　was　six　at　night　before　the　scouts　ran　into　Burlington　Harbour

and　made　for　Hampton's　headquarters。



His　aide　received　them　and；　after　learning　that　they　had　news；

went　in　to　the　general。　From　the　inner　room　now　they　heard　in

unnecessarily　loud　tones　the　great　man's　orders　to；　〃Bring　them

in；　sah。〃



The　bottles　on　the　table；　his　purple　visage；　and　thick　tongued

speech　told　how　well…founded　were　the　current　whispers。



〃Raid　on　Plattsburg？　Ha！　I　hope　so。　I　only　hope　so。　Gentlemen；〃

and　he　turned　to　his　staff；　〃all　I　ask　is　a　chance　to　get　at　them

　Ha；　Ha！　Here；　help　yourself；　Macomb；〃　and　the　general　pushed

the　decanter　to　a　grave　young　officer　who　was　standing　by。



〃No；　thank　you；　sir；〃　was　the　only　reply。



The　general　waved　his　hand；　the　scouts　went　out；　puzzled　and

ashamed。　Was　this　the　brains　of　the　army？　No　wonder　our　men　are

slaughtered。



Now　Macomb　ventured　to　suggest：　〃Have　you　any　orders；　sir？　These

scouts　are　considered　quite　reliable。　I　understand　from　them　that

the　British　await　only　a　change　of　wind。　They　have　between　one

thousand　and　two　thousand　men。〃



〃Plenty　of　time　in　the　morning；　sah。　Plattsburg　will　be　the　bait

of　my　trap；　not　one　of　them　shall　return　alive；〃　and　the　general

dismissed　his　staff　that　he　might　fortify　himself　against　a

threatened　cold。



Another　young　man；　Lieut。　Thomas　MacDonough；　the　naval

commandant；　now　endeavoured　to　stir　him　by　a　sense　of　danger。

First　he　announced　that　his　long　boats；　and　gunboats　were　ready

and　in　six　hours　he　could　transfer　three　thousand　troops　from

Burlington　to　Plattsburg。　Then　he　ventured　to　urge　the　necessity

for　action。



Champlain　is　a　lake　of　two　winds。　It　had　brown　from　the　south　for

two　weeks；　now　a　north　wind　was　likely　to　begin　any　day。

MacDonough　urged　this　point；　but　all　in　vain；　and；　shocked　and

humiliated；　the　young　man　obeyed　the　order　〃to　wait　till　his

advice　was　asked。〃



The　next　day　Hampton　ordered　a　review；　not　an　embarkation；　and

was　not　well　enough　to　appear　in　person。



The　whole　army　knew　now　of　the　situation　of　affairs；　and　the

militia　in　particular　were　not　backward　in　expressing　their　minds。



Next　day；　July　30th；　the　wind　changed。　Hampton　did　nothing。　On

the　morning　of　July　3Ist　they　heard　the　booming　of　guns　in　the

north；　and　at　night　their　scouts　came　with　the　news　that　the　raid

was　on。　Plattsburg　was　taken　and　pillaged　by　a　force　less　than

one　third　of　those　held　at　Burlington。



There　were　bitter；　burning　words　on　the　lips　of　the　rank　and

file；　and　perfunctory　rebukes　on　the　lips　of　the　young　officers

when　they　chanced　to　overhear。　The　law　was　surely　working　out　as

set　forth　by　Si　Sylvanne：　〃The　fools　in　command；　the　leaders　in

the　ranks。〃



And　now　came　news　of　fresh　disasters　　the　battles　of　Beaverdam；

Stony　Creek；　and　Niagara　River。　It　was　the　same　story　in　nearly

every　case　　brave　fighting　men；　ill…drilled；　but　dead　shots；

led　into　traps　by　incompetent　commanders。



In　September　Lieutenant　Macomb　was　appointed　to　command　at

Plattsburg。　This　proved　as　happy　an　omen　as　it　was　a　wise　move。

Immediately　after；　in　all　this　gloom；　came　the　news　of　Perry's

famous　victory　on　Lake　Erie；　marking