the scouts of the valley-第42节

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〃It's　a　pow'ful　comf'table　feelin'；〃he　said；〃to　set　up　in　a　nice　safe　place　like　this；　an'　feel　that　the　woods　is　full　o'　ragin'　heathen；　seekin'　to　devour　you；　and　wonderin'　whar　you've　gone　to。　　Thar's　a　heap　in　knowin'　how　to　pick　your　home。　　I've　thought　more　than　once　'bout　that　old　town；　Troy；　that　Paul　tells　us　'bout；　an'　I've　'bout　made　up　my　mind　that　it　wuzn't　destroyed　'cause　Helen　eat　too　many　golden　apples。　but　'cause　old　King　Prime；　or　whoever　built　the　place；　put　it　down　in　a　plain。　　That　wuz　shore　a　pow'ful　foolish　thing。　　Now；　ef　he'd　built　it　on　a　mountain；　with　a　steep　fall…off　on　every　side；　thar　wouldn't　hev　been　enough　Greeks　in　all　the　earth　to　take　it；　considerin'　the　miserable　weepins　they　used　in　them　times。　　Why；　Hector　could　hev　set　tight　on　the　walls；　laughin'　at　'em；　'stead　o'　goin'　out　in　the　plain　an'　gittin'　killed　by　A…killus；　fur　which　I've　always　been　sorry。〃

〃It's　'cause　people　nowadays　have　more　sense　than　they　did　in　them　ancient　times　that　Paul　tells　about；〃　said　Long　Jim。　　〃Now；　thar　wuz　'Lyssus；　ten　or　twelve　years　gittin'　home　from　Troy。　　Allus　runnin'　his　ship　on　the　rocks；　hoppin'　into　trouble　with　four…legged　giants；　one…eyed　women；　an'　sech　like。　　Why　didn't　he　walk　home　through　the　woods；　killin'　game　on　the　way；　an'　hevin'　the　best　time　he　ever　knowed？　　Then　thar　wuz　the　keerlessness　of　A…killus'　ma；　dippin'　him　in　that　river　so　no　arrow　could　enter　him；　but　holdin'　him　by　the　heel　an'　keepin'　it　out　o'　the　water；　which　caused　his　death　the　very　first　time　Paris　shot　it　off　with　his　little　bow　an'　arrer。　　Why　didn't　she　hev　sense　enough　to　let　the　heel　go　under；　too。　　She　could　hev　dragged　it　out　in　two　seconds　an'　no　harm　done　'ceptin'；　perhaps；　a　little　more　yellin'　on　the　part　of　A…killus。〃

〃I've　always　thought　Paul　hez　got　mixed　'bout　that　Paris　story；〃　said　Tom　Ross。　　〃I　used　to　think　Paris　was　the　name　uv　a　town；　not　a　man；　an'　I'm　beginnin'　to　think　so　ag'in；　sence　I've　been　in　the　East；　'cause　I　know　now　that's　whar　the　French　come　from。〃

〃But　Paris　was　the　name　of　a　man；〃　persisted　Paul。　　〃Maybe　the　French　named　their　capital　after　the　Paris　of　the　Trojan　wars。〃

〃Then　they　showed　mighty　poor　jedgment；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol。　　〃Ef　I'd　named　my　capital　after　any　them　old　fellers；　I'd　have　called　it　Hector。〃

〃You　can　have　danger　enough　；when　you're　on　the　tops　of　hills；〃　said　Henry；　who　was　sitting　near　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　　〃Come　here；　you　fellows；　and　see　what's　passing　down　the　lake。〃

They　looked　out；　and　in　the　moonlight　saw　six　large　war　canoes　being　rowed　slowly　down　the　lake；　which；　though　narrow；　was　quite　long。　　Each　canoe　held　about　a　dozen　warriors；　and　Henry　believed　that　one　of　them　contained　two　white　faces；　evidently　those　of　Braxton　Wyatt　and　Walter　Butler。

〃Like　ez　not　they've　been　lookin'　fur　us；〃　said　Tom　Ross。

〃Quite　likely；〃　said　Henry；　〃and　at　the　same　time　they　may　be　engaged　in　some　general　movement。　　See；　they　will　pass　within　fifty　feet　of　the　base　of　the　cliff。〃

The　five　lay　on　the　cave　floor；　looking　through　the　vines　and　foliage；　and　they　felt　quite　sure　that　they　were　in　absolute　security。　　The　six　long　war　canoes　moved　slowly。　　The　moonlight　came　out　more　brightly；　and　flooded　all　the　bronze　faces　of　the　Iroquois。　　Henry　now　saw　that　he　was　not　mistaken；　and　that　Braxton　Wyatt　and　Walter　Butler　were　really　in　the　first　boat。　　From　the　cover　of　the　cliff　he　could　have　picked　off　either　with　a　rifle　bullet；　and　the　temptation　was　powerful。　　But　he　knew　that　it　would　lead　to　an　immediate　siege；　from　which　they　might　not　escape；　and　which　at　least　would　check　their　activities　and　plans　for　a　long　time。　　Similar　impulses　flitted　through　the　minds　of　the　other　four；　but　all　kept　still；　although　fingers　flitted　noiselessly　along　rifle　stocks　until　they　touched　triggers。

The　Iroquois　war　fleet　moved　slowly　on；　the　two　renegades　never　dreaming　of　the　danger　that　had　threatened　them。　　An　unusually　bright　ray　of　moonshine　fell　full　upon　Braxton　Wyatt's　face　as　he　paused；　and　Henry's　finger　played　with　the　trigger　of　his　rifle。　　It　was　hard；　very　hard；　to　let　such　an　opportunity　go　by；　but　it　must　be　done。

The　fleet　moved　steadily　down　the　lake；　the　canoes　keeping　close　together。　　They　turned　into　mere　dots　upon　the　water；　became　smaller　and　smaller　still；　until　they　vanished　in　the　darkness。

〃I'm　thinkin'；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　〃that　thar's　some　kind　uv　a　movement　on　foot。　　While　they　may　hev　been　lookin'　fur　us；　it　ain't　likely　that　they'd　send　sixty　warriors　or　so　fur　sech　a　purpose。　　I　heard　something　three　or　four　days　ago　from　a　hunter　about　an　attack　upon　the　Iroquois　town　of　Oghwaga。〃

〃It's　most　likely　true；〃　said　Henry；　〃and　it　seems　to　me　that　it's　our　business　to　join　that　expedition。　　What　do　you　fellows　think？〃

〃Just　as　you　do；〃　they　replied　with　unanimity。

〃Then　we　leave　this　place　and　start　in　the　morning；〃　said　Henry。




CHAPTER　XVI

THE　FIRST　BLOW


Summer　was　now　waning；　the　foliage　was　taking　on　its　autumn　hues；　and　Indian　war　parties　still　surged　over　the　hills　and　mountains；　but　the　five　avoided　them　all。　　On　one　or　two　occasions　they　would　have　been　willing　to　stop　and　fight；　but　they　had　bigger　work　on　hand。　　They　had　received　from　others　confirmation　of　the　report　that　Long　Jim　had　heard　from　the　hunters；　and　they　were　quite　sure　that　a　strong　force　was　advancing　to　strike　the　first　blow　in　revenge　for　Wyoming。　　Curiously　enough；　this　body　was　commanded　by　a　fourth　Butler；　Colonel　William　Butler；　and　according　to　report　it　was　large　and　its　leaders　capable。

When　the　avenging　force　lay　at　the　Johnstown　settlement　on　the　Delaware；　it　was　joined　by　the　five。　　They　were　introduced　to　the　colonel　by　the　celebrated　scout　and　hunter；　Tini　Murphy；　whom　they　had　met　several　times　in　the　woods；　and　they　were　received　warmly。

〃I've　heard　of　you；〃　said　Colonel　Butler　with　much　warmth；〃　both　from　hunters　and　scouts；　and　also　from　Adam　Colfax。　　Two　of　you　were　to　have　been　tomahawked　by　Queen　Esther　at　Wyoming。〃

Henry　indicated　the　two。

〃What　you　saw　at　Wyoming　is　not　likely　to　decrease　your　zeal　against　the　Indians　and　their　white　allies；〃　continued　Colonel　Butler。

〃Anyone　who　was　there；〃　said　Henry；　〃　would　feel　all　his　life；　the　desire　to　punish　those　who　did　it。〃

〃I　think　so；　too；　from　all　that　I　have　heard；〃　continued　Colonel　Butler。　　〃It　is　the　business　of　you　young　men　to　keep　ahead　of　our　column　and　warn　us　of　what　lies　before　us。　　I　believe　you　have　volunteered　for　that　duty。〃

The　five　looked　over　Colonel　Butler's　little　army；　which　numbered　only　two　hundred　and　fifty　men；　but　they　were　all　strong　and　brave；　and　it　was　the　best　force　that　could　yet　be　sent　to　the　harassed　border。　　It　might；　after　all；　strike　a　blow　for　Wyoming　if　it　marched　into　no　ambush；　and　Henry　and　his　comrades　were　resolved　to　guard　it　from　that　greatest　of　all　dangers。

When　the　little　column　moved　from　the　Johnstown　settlement；　the　five　were　far　ahead；　passing　through　the　woods；　up　the　Susquehanna；　toward　the　Indian　villages　that　lay　on　its　banks；　though　a　great　distance　above　Wyoming。　　The　chief　of　these　was　Oghwaga；　and；　knowing　that　it　was　the　destination　of　the　little　army；　they　were　resolved　to　visit　it；　or　at　least　come　so　near　it　that　they　could　see　what　manner　of　place　it　was。

〃If　it's　a　big　village；〃　said　Colonel　Butler；　〃it　will　be　too　strong　to　attack；　but　it　may　be　that　most　of　the　warriors　are　absent　on　expeditions。〃

They　had　obtained　before　starting　very　careful　descriptions　of　the　approaches　to　the　village；　and　toward　the　close　of　an　October　evening　they　knew　that　they　were　near　Oghwaga；　the　great　base　of　the　Iroquois　supplies。　　They　considered　it　very　risky　and　unwise　to　approach　in　the　daytime；　and　accordingly　they　lay　in　the　woods　until　the　dark　should　come。

The　appearance　of　the　wilderness　had　changed　greatly。　in　the　three　months　since　Wyoming。　　All　the　green　was　now　gone；　and　it　was　tinted　red　and　yellow　and　brown。　　The　skies　were　a　mellow　blue；　and　there　was　a　slight　haze　over　the　forest；　but　the　air　had　the　wonderful　crispness　and　freshness　of　the　American　autumn。　　It　inspired　every　one　of　the　five　with　fresh　zeal　and　energy；　because　they　believed　the　first　blow　was　about　to　be　struck。

About　ten　o'clock　at　night　they　approached　Oghwaga；　and　the　reports　of　its　importance　were　confirmed。　　They　had　not　before　seen　an　Indian　village　with　so　many　signs　of　permanence。　　They　passed　two　or　three　orchards　of　apple　and　peach　trees；　and　they　saw　other　indications　of　cultivation　like　that　of　the　white　farmer。

〃It　ain't　a　bad…lookin'　town；〃　said　Long　Jim　Hart。　　〃But　it'll　look　wuss；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　〃onless　they've　laid　an　ambush　somewhar。　　I　don't　like　to　see　houses　an'　sech　like　go　up　in　fire　an'　smoke；　but　after　what　wuz　done　at　Wyomin'　an'　all　through　that　valley；　burnin'　is　a　light　thing。〃

〃We're　bound　to　strike　back　with　all　our　might；〃　said　Paul；　who　had　the　softest　heart　of　them　all。

〃Now；　I　wonder　who's　in　this　here　town；〃　said　Tom　Ross。　　〃Mebbe　Timmendiquas　an'　Brant　an'　all　them　renegades。〃

〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　Henry。　　〃This　is　their　base　and　store　of　supplies。　　Oh；　if　Colonel　Butler　were　only　here　with　all　his　men；　what　a　rush　we　could　make！〃

S