the scouts of the valley-第16节

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he　swamp　lay；　Solomon　Hyde；　the　so　called　shiftless　one；　and　wholly　undeserving　of　the　name；　was　young　again。

〃I've　got　a　fine　little　home　for　us；　Sol；〃　said　Henry。　　〃Best　we've　had　since　that　time　we　spent　a　winter　on　the　island　in　the　lake。　　This　is　littler；　but　it's　harder　to　find。　　It'll　be　a　fine　thing　to　know　you're　sleeping　safe　and　sound　with　five　hundred　Iroquois　warriors　only　a　few　miles　away。〃

〃Then　it'll　suit　me　mighty　well；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　grinning　broadly。　　〃That's　jest　the　place　fur　a　lazy　man　like　your　humble　servant；　which　is　me。〃

They　reached　the　stepping　stones；　and　Henry　paused　a　moment。

〃Do　you　feel　steady　enough；　Sol；　to　jump　from　stone　to　stone？〃　he　asked。

〃I'm　feelin'　so　good　I　could　fly　ef　I　had　to；〃　he　replied。　　〃Jest　you　jump　on；　Henry；　an'　fur　every　jump　you　take　you'll　find　me　only　one　jump　behind　you！〃　

Henry；　without　further　ado；　sprang　from　one　stone　to　another；　and　behind　him；　stone　for　stone；　came　the　shiftless　one。　　It　was　now　past　midnight；　and　the　moon　was　obscured。　　The　keenest　eyes　twenty　yards　away　could　not　have　seen　the　two　dusky　figures　as　they　went　by　leaps　into　the　very　heart　of　the　great；　black　swamp。　　They　reached　the　solid　ground；　and　then　the　hut。

〃Here；　Sol；〃　said　Henry；　〃is　my　house；　and　yours；　also；　and　soon；　I　hope；　to　be　that　of　Paul；　Tom；　and　Jim；　too。〃

〃Henry；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　〃　I'm　shorely　glad　to　come。〃

They　went　inside；　stacked　their　captured　rifles　against　the　wall；　and　soon　were　sound　asleep。

Meanwhile　sleep　was　laying　hold　of　the　Iroquois　village；　also。　　They　had　eaten　mightily　and　they　had　drunk　mightily。　　Many　times　had　they　told　the　glories　of　Hode…no…sau…nee；　the　Great　League；　and　many　times　had　they　gladly　acknowledged　the　valor　and　worth　of　Timmendiquas　and　the　brave　little　Wyandot　nation。　　Timmendiquas　and　Thayendanegea　had　sat　side　by　side　throughout　the　feast；　but　often　other　great　chiefs　were　with　them…Skanawati；　Atotarho；　and　Hahiron；　the　Onondagas；　Satekariwate；　the　Mohawk；　Kanokarih　and　Kanyadoriyo；　the　Senecas；　and　many　others。

Toward　midnight　the　women　and　the　children　left　for　the　lodges；　and　soon　the　warriors　began　to　go　also；　or　fell　asleep　on　tile　ground；　wrapped　in　their　blankets。　　The　fires　were　allowed　to　sink　low；　and　at　last　the　older　chiefs　withdrew；　leaving　only　Timmendiquas　and　Thayendanegea。

〃You　have　seen　the　power　and　spirit　of　the　Iroquois；〃　said　Thayendanegea。　　〃We　can　bring　many　more　warriors　than　are　here　into　the　field；　and　we　will　strike　the　white　settlements　with　you。〃

〃The　Wyandots　are　not　so　many　as　the　warriors　of　the　Great　League；〃　said　Timmendiquas　proudly；　〃but　no　one　has　ever　been　before　them　in　battle。〃

〃You　speak　truth；　as　I　have　often　heard　it；〃　said　Thayendanegea　thoughtfully。　　Then　be　showed　Timmendiquas　to　a　lodge　of　honor；　the　finest　in　the　village；　and　retired　to　his　own。

The　great　feast　was　over；　but　the　chiefs　had　come　to　a　momentous　decision。　　Still　chafing　over　their　defeat　at　Oriskany；　they　would　make　a　new　and　formidable　attack　upon　the　white　settlements；　and　Timmendiquas　and　his　fierce　Wyandots　would　help　them。　　All　of　them；　from　the　oldest　to　the　youngest；　rejoiced　in　the　decision；　and；　not　least；　the　famous　Thayendanegea。　　He　hated　the　Americans　most　because　they　were　upon　the　soil；　and　were　always　pressing　forward　against　the　Indian。　　The　Englishmen　were　far　away；　and　if　they　prevailed　in　the　great　war；　the　march　of　the　American　would　be　less　rapid。　　He　would　strike　once　more　with　the　Englishmen；　and　the　Iroquois　could　deliver　mighty　blows　on　the　American　rearguard。　　He　and　his　Mohawks；　proud　Keepers　of　the　Western　Gate；　would　lead　in　the　onset。　　Thayendanegea　considered　it　a　good　night's　work；　and　he　slept　peacefully。

The　great　camp　relapsed　into　silence。　　The　warriors　on　the　ground　breathed　perhaps　a　little　heavily　after　so　much　feasting；　and　the　fires　were　permitted　to　smolder　down　to　coals。　　Wolves　and　panthers　drawn　by　the　scent　of　food　crept　through　the　thickets　toward　the　faint　firelight；　but　they　were　afraid　to　draw　near。　　Morning　came；　and　food　and　drink　were　taken　to　the　lodges　in　which　four　prisoners　were　held；　prisoners　of　great　value；　taken　by　Timmendiquas　and　the　Wyandots；　and　held　at　his　urgent　insistence　as　hostages。

Three　were　found　as　they　had　been　left；　and　when　their　bonds　were　loosened　they　ate　and　drank；　but　the　fourth　hut　was　empty。　　The　one　who　spoke　in　a　slow；　drawling　way；　and　the　one　who　seemed　to　be　the　most　dangerous　of　them　all；　was　gone。　　Henry　and　Sol　had　taken　the　severed　thongs　with　them；　and　there　was　nothing　to　show　how　the　prisoner　had　disappeared；　except　that　the　withes　fastening　the　door　had　been　cut。

The　news　spread　through　the　village；　and　there　was　much　excitement。　　Thayendanegea　and　Timmendiquas　came　and　looked　at　the　empty　hut。　　Timmendiquas　may　have　suspected　how　Shif'less　Sol　had　gone；　but　he　said　nothing。　　Others　believed　that　it　was　the　work　of　Hahgweh…da…et…gah　（The　Spirit　of　Evil）；　or　perhaps　Ga…oh　（The　Spirit　of　the　Winds）　had　taken　him　away。

〃It　is　well　to　keep　a　good　watch　on　the　others；〃　said　Timmendiquas；　and　Thayendanegea　nodded。

That　day　the　chiefs　entered　the　Long　House　again；　and　held　a　great　war　council。　　A　string　of　white　wampum　about　a　foot　in　length　was　passed　to　every　chief；　who　held　it　a　moment　or　two　before　handing　it　to　his　neighbors。　　It　was　then　laid　on　a　table　in　the　center　of　the　room；　the　ends　touching。　　This　signified　harmony　among　the　Six　Nations。　　All　the　chiefs　had　been　summoned　to　this　place　by　belts　of　wampum　sent　to　the　different　tribes　by　runners　appointed　by　the　Onondagas；　to　whom　this　honor　belonged。　　All　treaties　had　to　be　ratified　by　the　exchange　of　belts；　and　now　this　was　done　by　the　assembled　chiefs。

Timmendiquas；　as　an　honorary　chief　of　the　Mohawks；　and　as　the　real　head　of　a　brave　and　allied　nation；　was　present　throughout　the　council。　　His　advice　was　asked　often；　and　when　he　gave　it　the　others　listened　with　gravity　and　deference。　　The　next　day　the　village　played　a　great　game　of　lacrosse；　which　was　invented　by　the　Indians；　and　which　had　been　played　by　them　for　centuries　before　the　arrival　of　the　white　man。　　In　this　case　the　match　was　on　a　grand　scale；　Mohawks　and　Cayugas　against　Onondagas　and　Senecas。

The　game　began　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　in　a　great　natural　meadow　surrounded　by　forest。　　The　rival　sides　assembled　opposite　each　other　and　bet　heavily。　　All　the　stakes；　under　the　law　of　the　game；　were　laid　upon　the　ground　in　heaps　here；　and　they　consisted　of　the　articles　most　precious　to　the　Iroquois。　　In　these　heaps　were　rifles；　tomahawks；　scalping　knives；　wampum；　strips　of　colored　beads；　blankets；　swords；　belts；　moccasins；　leggins；　and　a　great　many　things　taken　as　spoil　in　forays　on　the　white　settlements；　such　is　small　mirrors；　brushes　of　various　kinds；　boots；　shoes；　and　other　things；　the　whole　making　a　vast　assortment。

These　heaps　represented　great　wealth　to　the　Iroquois；　and　the　older　chiefs　sat　beside　them　in　the　capacity　of　stakeholders　and　judges。

The　combatants；　ranged　in　two　long　rows；　numbered　at　least　five　hundred　on　each　side；　and　already　they　began　to　show　an　excitement　approaching　that　which　animated　them　when　they　would　go　into　battle。　　Their　eyes　glowed；　and　the　muscles　on　their　naked　backs　and　chests　were　tense　for　the　spring。　　In　order　to　leave　their　limbs　perfectly　free　for　effort　they　wore　no　clothing　at　all；　except　a　little　apron　reaching　from　the　waist　to　the　knee。

The　extent　of　the　playground　was　marked　off　by　two　pair　of　〃byes〃　like　those　used　in　cricket；　planted　about　thirty　rods　apart。　　But　the　goals　of　each　side　were　only　about　thirty　feet　apart。

At　a　signal　from　the　oldest　of　the　chiefs　the　contestants　arranged　themselves　in　two　parallel　lines　facing　each　other；　inside　the　area　and　about　ten　rods　apart。　　Every　man　was　armed　with　a　strong　stick　three　and　a　half　to　four　feet　in　length；　and　curving　toward　the　end。　　Upon　this　curved　end　was　tightly　fastened　a　network　of　thongs　of　untanned　deerskin；　drawn　until　they　were　rigid　and　taut。　　The　ball　with　which　they　were　to　play　was　made　of　closely　wrapped　elastic　skins；　and　was　about　the　size　of　an　ordinary　apple。

At　the　end　of　the　lines；　but　about　midway　between　them；　sat　the　chiefs；　who；　besides　being　judges　and　stakeholders；　were　also　score　keepers。　　They　kept　tally　of　the　game　by　cutting　notches　upon　sticks。　　Every　time　one　side　put　the　ball　through　the　other's　goal　it　counted　one；　but　there　was　an　unusual　power　exercised　by　the　chiefs；　practically　unknown　to　the　games　of　white　men。　　If　one　side　got　too　far　ahead；　its　score　was　cut　down　at　the　discretion　of　the　chiefs　in　order　to　keep　the　game　more　even；　and　also　to　protract　it　sometimes　over　three　or　four　days。　　The　warriors　of　the　leading　side　might　grumble　among　one　another　at　the　amount　of　cutting　the　chiefs　did；　but　they　would　not　dare　to　make　any　protest。　　However；　the　chiefs　would　never　cut　the　leading　side　down　to　an　absolute　parity　with　the　other。　　It　was　always　allowed　to　retain　a　margin　of　the　superiority　it　had　won。

The　game　was　now　about　to　begin；　and　the　excitement　became　intense。　　Even　the　old　judges　leaned　forward　in　their　eagerness；　while　the　brown　bodies　of　the　warriors　shone　in　the　sun；　and　th