the scouts of the valley-第44节

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love　a　fight；　an'　that　you　are　lookin'　fur　one。〃

But　Cornelius　Heemskerk　sighed；　and　shook　his　head。

〃It　is　flattery　that　you　give　me；　and　you　are　trying　to　make　me　brave　when　I　am　not；〃　he　said。　　〃I　only　say　once　more　that　I　ought　to　be　in　Holland　painting　blue　plates；　and　not　here　in　the　great　woods　holding　on　to　my　scalp；　first　with　one　hand　and　then　with　the　other。〃

He　sighed　deeply；　but　Solomon　Hyde；　reader　of　the　hearts　of　men；　only　laughed。

Colonel　Butler's　force　stopped　about　three　o'clock　for　food　and　a　little　rest；　and　the　five；　who　had　not　slept　since　the　night　before；　caught　a　few　winks。　　But　in　less　than　an　hour　they　were　up　and　away　again。　　The　five　riflemen　were　once　more　well　in　advance；　and　with　them　were　Taylor　and　Heemskerk；　the　Dutchman；　grumbling　over　their　speed；　but　revolving　along；　nevertheless；　with　astonishing　ease　and　without　any　sign　of　fatigue。　　They　discovered　no　indications　of　Indian　scouts　or　trails；　and　as　the　village　now　was　not　many　miles　away；　it　confirmed　Henry　in　his　belief　that　the　Iroquois；　with　their　friends；　the　Wyandots；　would　not　stay　to　give　battle。　　If　Thayendanegea　and　Timmendiquas　were　prepared　for　a　strong　resistance；　the　bullets　of　the　skirmishers　would　already　be　whistling　through　the　woods。

The　waning　evening　grew　colder；　twilight　came；　and　the　autumn　leaves　fell　fast　before　the　rising　wind。　　The　promise　of　the　night　was　dark；　which　was　not　bad　for　their　design；　and　once　more　the　five…now　the　seven　approached　Oghwaga。　　From　the　crest　of　the　very　same　hill　they　looked　down　once　more　upon　the　Indian　houses。

〃It　is　a　great　base　for　the　Iroquois；〃　said　Henry　to　Heemskerk；〃　and　whether　the　Indians　have　laid　an　ambush　or　not；　Colonel　Butler　must　attack。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Heemskerk；　silently　moving　his　round　body　to　a　little　higher　point　for　a　better　view；　〃now　I　feel　in　all　its　fullness　the　truth　that　I　should　be　back　in　Holland；　painting　blue　plates。〃

Nevertheless；　Cornelius　Heemskerk　made　a　very　accurate　survey　of　the　Iroquois　village；　considering　the　distance　and　the　brevity　of　the　time；　and　when　the　party　went　back　to　Colonel　Butler　to　tell　him　the　way　was　open；　he　revolved　along　as　swiftly　as　any　of　them。　　There　were　also　many　serious　thoughts　in　the　back　of　his　head。

At　nine　o'clock　the　little　colonial　force　was　within　half　a　mile　of　Oghwaga；　and　nothing　had　yet　occurred　to　disclose　whether　the　Iroquois　knew　of　their　advance。　　Henry　and　his　comrades；　well　in　front；　looked　down　upon　the　town；　but　saw　nothing。　　No　light　came　from　an　Indian　chimney；　nor　did　any　dog　howl。　just　behind　them　were　the　troops　in　loose　order；　Colonel　Butler　impatiently　striking　his　booted　leg　with　a　switch；　and　William　Gray　seeking　to　restrain　his　ardor；　that　he　might　set　a　good　example　to　the　men。

〃What　do　you　think；　Mr。　Ware？〃　asked　Colonel　Butler。

〃I　think　we　ought　to　rush　the　town　at　once。〃

〃It　is　so！〃　exclaimed　Heemskerk；　forgetting　all　about　painting　blue　plates。

〃The　signal　is　the　trumpet；　you　blow　it；　Captain　Gray；　and　then　we'll　charge。〃

William　Gray　took　the　trumpet　from　one　of　the　men　and　blew　a　long；　thrilling　note。　　Before　its　last　echo　was　ended；　the　little　army　rushed　upon　the　town。　　Three　or　four　shots　came　from　the　houses；　and　the　soldiers　fired　a　few　at　random　in　return；　but　that　was　all。　　Indian　scouts　had　brought　warning　of　the　white　advance；　and　the　great　chiefs；　gathering　up　all　the　people　who　were　in　the　village；　had　fled。　　A　retreating　warrior　or　two　had　fired　the　shots；　but　when　the　white　men　entered　this　important　Iroquois　stronghold　they　did　not　find　a　single　human　being。　　Timmendiquas；　the　White　Lightning　of　the　Wyandots；　was　gone；　Thayendanegea；　the　real　head　of　the　Six　Nations；　had　slipped　away；　and　with　them　had　vanished　the　renegades。　　But　they　had　gone　in　haste。　　All　around　them　were　the　evidences。　　The　houses；　built　of　wood；　were　scores　in　number；　and　many　of　them　contained　furniture　such　as　a　prosperous　white　man　of　the　border　would　buy　for　himself。　　There　were　gardens　and　shade　trees　about　these；　and　back　of　them；　barns；　many　of　them　filled　with　Indian　corn。　　Farther　on　were　clusters　of　bark　lodges；　which　had　been　inhabited　by　the　less　progressive　of　the　Iroquois。

Henry　stood　in　the　center　of　the　town　and　looked　at　the　houses　misty　in　the　moonlight。　　The　army　had　not　yet　made　much　noise；　but　he　was　beginning　to　hear　behind　him　the　ominous　word；〃Wyoming；〃　repeated　more　than　once。　　Cornelius　Heemskerk　had　stopped　revolving；　and；　standing　beside　Henry；　wiped　his　perspiring；　red　face。

〃Now　that　I　am　here；　I　think　again　of　the　blue　plates　of　Holland；　Mr。　Ware；〃　he　said。　　〃It　is　a　dark　and　sanguinary　time。　　The　men　whose　brethren　were　scalped　or　burned　alive　at　Wyoming　will　not　now　spare　the　town　of　those　who　did　it。　　In　this　wilderness　they　give　blow　for　blow；　or　perish。〃

Henry　knew　that　it　was　true；　but　he　felt　a　certain　sadness。　　His　heart　had　been　inflamed　against　the　Iroquois；　he　could　never　forget　Wyoming　or　its　horrors；　but　in　the　destruction　of　an　ancient　town　the　long　labor　of　man　perished；　and　it　seemed　waste。　　Doubtless　a　dozen　generations　of　Iroquois　children　had　played　here　on　the　grass。　　He　walked　toward　the　northern　end　of　the　village；　and　saw　fields　there　from　which　recent　corn　had　been　taken；　but　behind　him　the　cry；　〃Wyoming！〃　was　repeated　louder　and　oftener　now。　　Then　he　saw　men　running　here　and　there　with　torches；　and　presently　smoke　and　flame　burst　from　the　houses。　　He　examined　the　fields　and　forest　for　a　little　distance　to　see　if　any　ambushed　foe　might　still　lie　among　them；　but　all　the　while　the　flame　and　smoke　behind　him　were　rising　higher。

Henry　turned　back　and　joined　his　comrades。　　Oghwaga　was　perishing。　　The　flames　leaped　from　house　to　house；　and　then　from　lodge　to　lodge。　　There　was　no　need　to　use　torches　any　more。　　The　whole　village　was　wrapped　in　a　mass　of　fire　that　grew　and　swelled　until　the　flames　rose　above　the　forest；　and　were　visible　in　the　clear　night　miles　away。

So　great　was　the　heat　that　Colonel　Butler　and　the　soldiers　and　scouts　were　compelled　to　withdraw　to　the　edge　of　the　forest。　　The　wind　rose　and　the　flames　soared。　　Sparks　flew　in　myriads；　and　ashes　fell　dustily　on　the　dry　leaves　of　the　trees。　　Bob　Taylor；　with　his　hands　clenched　tightly；　muttered　under　his　breath；　〃Wyoming！　　Wyoming！〃

〃It　is　the　Iroquois　who　suffer　now；〃　said　Heemskerk；　as　he　revolved　slowly　away　from　a　heated　point。

Crashes　came　presently　as　the　houses　fell　in；　and　then　the　sparks　would　leap　higher　and　the　flames　roar　louder。　　The　barns；　too；　were　falling　down；　and　the　grain　was　destroyed。　　The　grapevines　were　trampled　under　foot；　and　the　gardens　were　ruined。　　Oghwaga；　a　great　central　base　of　the　Six　Nations；　was　vanishing　forever。　　For　four　hundred　years；　ever　since　the　days　of　Hiawatha；　the　Iroquois　had　waxed　in　power。　　They　had　ruled　over　lands　larger　than　great　empires。　　They　had　built　up　political　and　social　systems　that　are　the　wonder　of　students。　　They　were　invincible　in　war；　because　every　man　had　been　trained　from　birth　to　be　a　warrior；　and　now　they　were　receiving　their　first　great　blow。

From　a　point　far　in　the　forest；　miles　away；　Thayendanegea；　Timmendiquas；　Hiokatoo；　Sangerachte；　〃Indian〃　Butler；　Walter　Butler；　Braxton　Wyatt；　a　low；　heavybrowed　Tory　named　Coleman；　with　whom　Wyatt　had　become　very　friendly；　and　about　sixty　Iroquois　and　twenty　Tories　were　watching　a　tower　of　light　to　the　south　that　had　just　appeared　above　the　trees。　　It　was　of　an　intense；　fiery　color；　and　every　Indian　in　that　gloomy　band　knew　that　it　was　Oghwaga；　the　great；　the　inviolate；　the　sacred；　that　was　burning；　and　that　the　men　who　were　doing　it　were　the　white　frontiersmen；　who；　his　red…coated　allies　had　told　him；　would　soon　be　swept　forever　from　these　woods。　　And　they　were　forced　to　stand　and　see　it；　not　daring　to　attack　so　strong　and　alert　a　force。

They　sat　there　in　the　darkness　among　the　trees；　and　watched　the　column　of　fire　grow　and　grow　until　it　seemed　to　pierce　the　skies。　　Timmendiquas　never　said　a　word。　　In　his　heart；　Indian　though　he　was；　he　felt　that　the　Iroquois　had　gone　too　far。　　In　him　was　the　spirit　of　the　farseeing　Hiawatha。　　He　could　perceive　that　great　cruelty　always　brought　retaliation；　but　it　was　not　for　him；　almost　an　alien；　to　say　these　things　to　Thayendanegea；　the　mighty　war　chief　of　the　Mohawks　and　the　living　spirit　of　the　Iroquois　nation。

Thayendanegea　sat　on　the　stump　of　a　tree　blown　down　by　winter　storms。　　His　arms　were　folded　across　his　breast；　and　he　looked　steadily　toward　that　red　threatening　light　off　there　in　the　south。　　Some　such　idea　as　that　in　the　mind　of　Timmendiquas　may　have　been　passing　in　his　own。　　He　was　an　uncommon　Indian；　and　he　had　had　uncommon　advantages。　　He　had　not　believed　that　the　colonists　could　make　head　against　so　great　a　kingdom　as　England；　aided　by　the　allied　tribes；　the　Canadians；　and　the　large　body　of　Tories　among　their　own　people。　　But　he　saw　with　his　own　eyes　the　famous　Oghwaga　of　the　Iroquois　going　down　under　their　torch。

〃Tell　me；　Colonel　John　Butler；〃　he　said　bitterly；　where　is　your　great　king　now？　　Is　his　arm　long　enough　to　reach　from　London　to　save　our　town　of　Oghwaga；　which　is　perhaps　as　much　to　us　as　his　great　city　of　London　is　to　him？〃

The　thickset　figure　of　〃Indi