the scouts of the valley-第41节

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The　others　came　forth　presently　and　were　greeted　with　the　same　warmth　by　Adam　Colfax。

〃It　is　shore　mighty　good　for　the　eyes　to　see　you；　Mr。　Colfax；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　〃an'　it's　a　good　sign。　　Our　people　won　when　you　were　on　the　Mississippi　an'　the　Ohio'　…　an'　now　that　you're　here；　they're　goin'　to　win　again。〃

〃I　think　we　are　going　to　win　here　and　everywhere；〃　said　Adam　Colfax；　〃but　it　is　not　because　there　is　any　omen　in　my　presence。　　It　is　because　our　people　will　not　give　up；　and　because　our　quarrel　is　just。〃

The　stanch　New　Englander　left　on　the　following　day　for　points　farther　east；　planning　and　carrying　out　some　new　scheme　to　aid　the　patriot　cause；　and　the　five；　on　the　day　after　that；　received　a　message　written　on　a　piece　of　paper　which　was　found　fastened　to　a　tree　on　the　outskirts　of　the　settlement。　　It　was　addressed　to　〃Henry　Ware　and　Those　with　Him；〃　and　it　read：


　　　　　〃You　need　not　think　because　you　escaped　us　at　Wyoming　and　on　　　　　　the　Susquehanna　that　you　will　ever　get　back　to　Kentucky。　　　　　　　There　is　amighty　league　now　on　the　whole　border　between　the　　　　　　Indians　and　the　soldiers　of　the　king。　　You　have　seen　at　　　　　　Wyoming　what　we　can　do；　and　you　will　see　at　other　places　and　　　　　　on　a　greater　scale　what　we　will　do。

　　　　　〃I　find　my　own　position　perfect。　　It　is　true　that　　　　　　Timmendiquas　does　not　like　me；　but　he　is　not　king　here。　　I　　　　　　am　the　friend　of　the　great　Brant；　and　Hiokatoo；　Sangerachte；　　　　　　Hahiron；　and　the　other　chiefs　esteem　me。　　I　am　thick　with　　　　　　Colonel　John　Butler；　the　victor　of　Wyoming；　his　son；　the　　　　　　valiant　and　worthy　Walter　Butler；　Sir　John　Johnson；　Colonel　　　　　　Guy　Johnson；　Colonel　Daniel　Claus；　and　many　other　eminent　　　　　　men　and　brave　soldiers。

　　　　　〃I　write　these　words；　Henry　Ware；　both　to　you　and　your　　　　　　　comrades；　to　tell　you　that　our　cause　will　prevail　over　　　　　　yours。　　I　do　not　doubt　that　when　you　read　this　you　will　try　　　　　　to　escape　to　Kentucky；　but　when　we　have　destroyed　everything　　　　　　along　the　eastern　border；　as　we　have　at　Wyoming；　we　shall　　　　　　come　to　Kentucky；　and　not　a　rebel　face　will　be　left　there。

　　　　　〃I　am　sending　this　to　tell　you　that　there　is　no　hole　in　　　　　　which　you　can　hide　where　we　cannot　reach　you。　　With　my　　　　　　respects；　BRAXTON　WYATT。〃

Henry　regarded　the　letter　with　contempt。

〃A　renegade　catches　something　of　the　Indian　nature；〃　he　said；　〃and　always　likes　to　threaten　and　boast。〃

But　Shif'less　Sol　was　highly　indignant。

〃Sometimes　I　think；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　invention　o'　writin'　wuz　a　mistake。　　You　kin　send　a　man　a　letter　an'　call　him　names　an'　talk　mighty　big　when　he's　a　hundred　miles　away；　but　when　you've　got　to　stan'　up　to　him　face　to　face　an'　say　it；　wa'al；　you　change　your　tune　an'　sing　a　pow'ful　sight　milder。　　You　ain't　gen'ally　any　roarin'　lion　then。〃

〃I　think　I'll　keep　this　letter；〃　said　Henry；　〃an'　we　five　will　give　an　answer　to　it　later　on。〃

He　tapped　the　muzzle　of　his　rifle；　and　every　one　of　the　four　gravely　tapped　the　muzzle　of　his　own　rifle　after　him。　　It　was　a　significant　action。　　Nothing　more　was　needed。

The　next　morning　they　bade　farewell　to　the　grateful　Mary　Newton　and　her　children；　and　with　fresh　supplies　of　food　and　ammunition；　chiefly　ammunition；　left　the　fort；　plunging　once　more　into　the　deep　forest。　　It　was　their　intention　to　do　as　much　damage　as　they　could　to　the　Iroquois；　until　some　great　force；　capable　of　dealing　with　the　whole　Six　Nations；　was　assembled。　　Meanwhile；　five　redoubtable　and　determined　borderers　could　achieve　something。

It　was　about　the　first　of　August；　and　they　were　in　the　midst　of　the　great　heats。　　But　it　was　a　period　favoring　Indian　activity；　which　was　now　at　its　highest　pitch。　　Since　Wyoming；　loaded　with　scalps；　flushed　with　victory；　and　aided　by　the　king's　men；　they　felt　equal　to　anything。　　Only　the　strongest　of　the　border　settlements　could　hold　them　back。　　The　colonists　here　were　so　much　reduced；　and　so　little　help　could　be　sent　them　from　the　East；　that　the　Iroquois　were　able　to　divide　into　innumerable　small　parties　and　rake　the　country　as　with　a　fine　tooth　comb。　　They　never　missed　a　lone　farmhouse；　and　rarely　was　any　fugitive　in　the　woods　able　to　evade　them。　　And　they　were　constantly　fed　from　the　North　with　arms；　ammunition；　rewards　for　scalps；　bounties；　and　great　promises。

But　toward　the　close　of　August　the　Iroquois　began　to　hear　of　a　silent　and　invisible　foe；　an　evil　spirit　that　struck　them；　and　that　struck　hard。　　There　were　battles　of　small　forces　in　which　sometimes　not　a　single　Iroquois　escaped。　　Captives　were　retaken　in　a　half…dozen　instances；　and　the　warriors　who　escaped　reported　that　their　assailants　were　of　uncommon　size　and　power。　　They　had　all　the　cunning　of　the　Indian　and　more；　and　they　carried　rifles　that　slew　at　a　range　double　that　of　those　served　to　them　at　the　British　posts。　　It　was　a　certainty　that　they　were　guided　by　the　evil　spirit；　because　every　attempt　to　capture　them　failed　miserably。　　No　one　could　find　where　they　slept；　unless　it　was　those　who　never　came　back　again。

The　Iroquois　raged；　and　so　did　the　Butlers　and　the　Johnsons　and　Braxton　Wyatt。　　This　was　a　flaw　in　their　triumph；　and　the　British　and　Tories　saw；　also；　that　it　was　beginning　to　affect　the　superstitions　of　their　red　allies。　　Braxton　Wyatt　made　a　shrewd　guess　as　to　the　identity　of　the　raiders；　but　he　kept　quiet。　　It　is　likely；　also；　that　Timmendiquas　knew；　but　be；　too；　said　nothing。　　So　the　influence　of　the　raiders　grew。　　While　their　acts　were　great；　superstition　exaggerated　them　and　their　powers　manifold。　　And　it　is　true　that　their　deeds　were　extraordinary。　　They　were　heard　of　on　the　Susquehanna；　then　on　the　Delaware　and　its　branches；　on　the　Chemung　and　the　Chenango；　as　far　south　as　Lackawaxen　Creek；　and　as　far　north　as　Oneida　Lake。　　It　is　likely　that　nobody　ever　accomplished　more　for　a　defense　than　did　those　five　in　the　waning　months　of　the　summer。　　Late　in　September　the　most　significant　of　all　these　events　occurred。　　A　party　of　eight　Tories；　who　had　borne　a　terrible　part　in　the　Wyoming　affair；　was　attacked　on　the　shores　of　Otsego　Lake　with　such　deadly　fierceness　that　only　two　escaped　alive　to　the　camp　of　Sir　John　Johnson。　　Brant　sent　out　six　war　parties；　composed　of　not　less　than　twenty　warriors　apiece；　to　seek　revenge；　but　they　found　nothing。

Henry　and　his　comrades　had　found　a　remarkable　camp　at　the　edge　of　one　of　the　beautiful　small　lakes　in　which　the　region　abounds。　　The　cliff　at　that　point　was　high；　but　a　creek　entered　into　it　through　a　ravine。　　At　the　entrance　of　the　creek　into　the　river　they　found　a　deep　alcove；　or；　rather；　cave　in　the　rock。　　It　ran　so　far　back　that　it　afforded　ample　shelter　from　the　rain；　and　that　was　all　they　wanted。　　It　was　about　halfway　between　the　top　and　bottom　of　the　cliff；　and　was　difficult　of　approach　both　from　below　and　above。　　Unless　completely　surprised…a　very　unlikely　thing　with　them…the　five　could　hold　it　against　any　force　as　long　as　their　provisions　lasted。　　They　also　built　a　boat　large　enough　for　five；　which　they　hid　among　the　bushes　at　the　lake's　edge。　　They　were　thus　provided　with　a　possible　means　of　escape　across　the　water　in　case　of　the　last　emergency。

Jim　and　Paul；　who；　as　usual；　filled　the　role　of　housekeepers；　took　great　delight　in　fitting　up　this　forest　home；　which　the　fittingly　called　〃　The　Alcove。〃　The　floor　of　solid　stone　was　almost　smooth；　and　with　the　aid　of　other　heavy　stones　they　broke　off　all　projections；　until　one　could　walk　over　it　in　the　dark　in　perfect　comfort。　　They　hung　the　walls　with　skins　of　deer　which　they　killed　in　the　adjacent　woods；　and　these　walls　furnished　many　nooks　and　crannies　for　the　storing　of　necessities。　　They　also；　with　much　hard　effort；　brought　many　loads　of　firewood；　which　Long　Jim　was　to　use　for　his　cooking。　　He　built　his　little　fireplace　of　stones　so　near　the　mouth　of　〃The　Alcove〃　that　the　smoke　would　pass　out　and　be　lost　in　the　thick　forest　all　about。　　If　the　wind　happened　to　be　blowing　toward　the　inside　of　the　cave；　the　smoke；　of　course；　would　come　in　on　them　all；　but　Jim　would　not　be　cooking　then。

Nor　did　their　operations　cease　until　they　had　supplied　〃The　Alcove〃　plentifully　with　food；　chiefly　jerked　deer　meat；　although　there　was　no　way　in　which　they　could　store　water；　and　for　that　they　had　to　take　their　chances。　　But　their　success；　the　product　of　skill　and　everlasting　caution；　was　really　remarkable。　　Three　times　they　were　trapped　within　a　few　miles　of　〃The　Alcove；〃　but　the　pursuers　invariably　went　astray　on　the　hard；　rocky　ground；　and　the　pursued　would　also　take　the　precaution　to　swim　down　the　creek　before　climbing　up　to　〃The　Alcove。〃　　Nobody　could　follow　a　trail　in　the　face　of　such　difficulties。

It　was　Henry　and　Shif'less　Sol　who　were　followed　the　second　time；　but　they　easily　shook　off　their　pursuers　as　the　twilight　was　coming；　half　waded；　half　swam　down　the　creek；　and　climbed　up　to　〃The　Alcove；〃　where　the　others　were　waiting　for　them　with　cooked　food　and　clear　cold　water。　　When　they　had　eaten　and　were　refreshed；　Shif'less　Sol　sat　at　the　mouth　of　〃The　Alcove；〃　where　a　pleasant　breeze　entered；　despite　the　foliage　that　hid　the　entrance。　　The　shiftless　one　was　in　an　especially　happy　mood。

〃It's　a　pow'ful　comf'table　feelin'；〃he　said；〃to　set　up　in　a　nice　safe　place　like　this；　an'　feel　that　the　woo