the scouts of the valley-第47节

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ry　Long　James。　　I　see　it　clearly。　　I；　a　man　of　peace；　am　always　being　pushed　in　to　war。〃

〃We　hope　it　will　come　true；〃　said　the　five　together。

〃Do　you　go　back　to　Kentucky？〃　asked　William　Gray。

〃No；〃　replied　Henry；　speaking　for　them　all；　〃　we　have　entered　upon　this　task　here；　and　we　are　going　to　stay　in　it　until　it　is　finished。〃

〃It　is　dangerous；　the　most　dangerous　thing　in　the　world；〃　said　Heemskerk。　　〃I　still　have　my　foreknowledge　that　I　shall　stand　by　your　side　in　some　great　battle　to　come；　but　the　first　thing　I　shall　do　when　I　see　you　again；　my　friends；　is　to　look　around　at　you；　one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　and　see　if　you　have　upon　your　heads　the　hair　which　is　now　so　rich；　thick；　and　flowing。〃

〃Never　fear；　my　friend；〃　said　Henry；　〃we　have　fought　with　the　warriors　all　the　way　from　the　Susquehanna　to　New　Orleans　and　not　one　of　us　has　lost　a　single　lock　of　hair。〃

〃It　is　one　Dutchman's　hope　that　it　will　always　be　so；〃　said　Heemskerk；　and　then　he　revolved　rapidly　away　lest　they　see　his　face　express　emotion。

The　five　received　great　supplies　of　powder　and　bullets　from　Colonel　Butler；　and　then　they　parted　in　the　forest。　　Many　of　the　soldiers　looked　back　and　saw　the　five　tall　figures　in　a　line；　leaning　upon　the　muzzles　of　their　long…barreled　Kentucky　rifles；　and　regarding　them　in　silence。　　It　seemed　to　the　soldiers　that　they　had　left　behind　them　the　true　sons　of　the　wilderness；　who；　in　spite　of　all　dangers；　would　be　there　to　welcome　them　when　they　returned。



CHAPTER　XVII

THE　DESERTED　CABIN


When　the　last　soldier　had　disappeared　among　the　trees；　Henry　turned　to　the　others。　　〃Well；　boys；〃　he　asked；　〃what　are　you　thinking　about？〃

〃I？〃　asked　Paul。　　〃I'm　thinking　about　a　certain　place　I　know；　a　sort　of　alcove　or　hole　in　a　cliff　above　a　lake。〃

〃An'　me？〃　said　Shif'less　Sol。　　〃I'm　thinkin'　how　fur　that　alcove　runs　back；　an'　how　it　could　be　fitted　up　with　furs　an'　made　warm　fur　the　winter。〃

〃Me？〃　said　Tom　Ross。　　〃I'm　thinkin'　what　a　snug　place　that　alcove　would　be　when　the　snow　an'　hail　were　drivin'　down　the　creek　in　front　of　you。〃

〃An'　ez　fur　me；〃　said　Long　Jim　Hart；　〃I　wuz　thinkin'　I　could　run　a　sort　uv　flue　from　the　back　part　uv　that　alcove　out　through　the　front　an'　let　the　smoke　pass　out。　　I　could　cook　all　right。　　It　wouldn't　be　ez　good　a　place　fur　cookin'　ez　the　one　we　hed　that　time　we　spent　the　winter　on　the　island　in　the　lake；　but　'twould　serve。〃

〃It's　strange；〃　said　Henry；　〃　but　I've　been　thinking　of　all　the　things　that　all　four　of　you　have　been　thinking　about；　and；　since　we　are　agreed；　we　are　bound　to　go　straight　to　'The　Alcove'　and　pass　the　winter　there。〃

Without　another　word　he　led　the　way；　and　the　others　followed。　　It　was　apparent　to　everyone　that　they　must　soon　find　a　winter　base；　because　the　cold　had　increased　greatly　in　the　last　few　days。　　The　last　leaves　had　fallen　from　the　trees；　and　a　searching　wind　howled　among　the　bare　branches。　　Better　shelter　than　blankets　would　soon　be　needed。

On　their　way　they　passed　Oghwaga；　a　mass　of　blackened　ruins；　among　which　wolves　howled；　the　same　spectacle　that　Wyoming　now　afforded；　although　Oghwaga　had　not　been　stained　by　blood。

It　was　a　long　journey　to　〃The　Alcove；〃　but　they　did　not　hurry；　seeing　no　need　of　it；　although　they　were　warned　of　the　wisdom　of　their　decision　by　the　fact　that　the　cold　was　increasing。　　The　country　in　which　the　lake　was　situated　lay　high；　and；　as　all　of　them　were　quite　sure　that　the　cold　was　going　to　be　great　there；　they　thought　it　wise　to　make　preparations　against　it；　which　they　discussed　as　they　walked　in；　leisurely　fashion　through　the　woods。　　They　spoke；　also；　of　greater　things。　　All　felt　that　they　had　been　drawn　into　a　mightier　current　than　any　in　which　they　had　swam　before。　　They　fully　appreciated　the　importance　to　the　Revolution　of　this　great　rearguard　struggle；　and　at　present　they　did　not　have　the　remotest　idea　of　returning　to　Kentucky　under　any　circumstances。

〃We've　got　to　fight　it　out　with　Braxton　Wyatt　and　the　Iroquois；〃　said　Henry。　　〃I've　heard　that　Braxton　is　organizing　a　band　of　Tories　of　his　own；　and　that　he　is　likely　to　be　as　dangerous　as　either　of　the　Butlers。〃

〃Some　day　we'll　end　him　for　good　an'　all；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol。

It　was　four　or　five　days　before　they　reached　their　alcove；　and　now　all　the　forest　was　bare　and　apparently　lifeless。　　They　came　down　the　creek；　and　found　their　boat　unharmed　and　untouched　still　among　the　foliage　at　the　base　of　the　cliff。

〃That's　one　thing　safe；〃　said　Long　Jim；　〃an'　I　guess　we'll　find　'The　Alcove'　all　right；　too。〃

〃Unless　a　wild　animal　has　taken　up　its　abode　there；〃　said　Paul。

〃'Tain't　likely；〃　replied　Long　Jim。　　〃We've　left　the　human　smell　thar；　an'　even　after　all　this　time　it's　likely　to　drive　away　any　prowlin'　bear　or　panther　that　pokes　his　nose　in。〃

Long　Jim　was　quite　right。　　Their　snug　nest；　like　that　of　a　squirrel　in　the　side　of　a　tree；　had　not　been　disturbed。　　The　skins　which　they　had　rolled　up　tightly　and　placed　on　the　higher　shelves　of　stone　were　untouched；　and　several　days'　hunting　increased　the　supply。　　The　hunting　was　singularly　easy；　and；　although　the　five　did　not　know　it；　the　quantity　of　game　was　much　greater　in　that　region　than　it　had　been　for　years。　　It　had　been　swept　of　human　beings　by　the　Iroquois　and　Tory　hordes；　and　deer；　bear；　and　panther　seemed　to　know　instinctively　that　the　woods　were　once　more　safe　for　them。

In　their　hunting　they　came　upon　the　ruins　of　charred　houses；　and　more　than　once　they　saw　something　among　the　coals　that　caused　them　to　turn　away　with　a　shudder。　　At　every　place　where　man　had　made　a　little　opening　the　wilderness　was　quickly　reclaiming　its　own　again。　　Next　year　the　grass　and　the　foliage　would　cover　up　the　coals　and　the　hideous　relics　that　lay　among　them。

They　jerked　great　quantities　of　venison　on　the　trees　on　the　cliff　side；　and　stored　it　in　〃The　Alcove。〃　They　also　cured　some　bear　meat；　and；　having　added　a　further　lining　of　skins；　they　felt　prepared　for　winter。　　They　had　also　added　to　the　comfort　of　the　place。　　They　had　taken　the　precaution　of　bringing　with　them　two　axes；　and　with　the　heads　of　these　they　smoothed　out　more　of　the　rough　places　on　the　floor　and　sides　of　〃The　Alcove。〃　They　thought　it　likely；　too；　that　they　would　need　the　axes　in　other　ways　later　on。

Only　once　during　these　arrangements　did　they　pass　the　trail　of　Indians；　and　that　was　made　by　a　party　of　about　twenty；　at　least　ten　miles　from　〃The　Alcove。〃　They　seemed　to　be　traveling　north；　and　the　five　made　no　investigations。　　Somewhat　later　they　met　a　white　runner　in　the　forest；　and　he　told　them　of　the　terrible　massacre　of　Cherry　Valley。　　Walter　Butler；　emulating　his　father's　exploit　at　Wyoming；　had　come　down　with　a　mixed　horde　of　Iroquois；　Tories；　British；　and　Canadians。　　He　had　not　been　wholly　successful；　but　he　had　slaughtered　half　a　hundred　women　and　children；　and　was　now　returning　northward　with　prisoners。　　Some　said；　according　to　the　runner；　that　Thayendanegea　had　led　the　Indians　on　this　occasion；　but；　as　the　five　learned　later；　he　had　not　come　up　until　the　massacre　was　over。　　The　runner　added　another　piece　of　information　that　interested　them　deeply。　　Butler　had　been　accompanied　to　Cherry　Valley　by　a　young　Tory　or　renegade　named　Wyatt；　who　had　distinguished　himself　by　cunning　and　cruelty。　　It　was　said　that　Wyatt　had　built　up　for　himself　a　semi…independent　command；　and　was　becoming　a　great　scourge。

〃That's　our　Braxton；〃　said　Henry。　　〃He　is　rising　to　his　opportunities。　　He　is　likely　to　become　fully　the　equal　of　Walter　Butler。〃

But　they　could　do　nothing　at　present　to　find　Wyatt；　and　they　went　somewhat　sadly　back　to　〃The　Alcove。〃　They　had　learned　also　from　the　runner　that　Wyatt　had　a　lieutenant；　a　Tory　named　Coleman；　and　this　fact　increased　their　belief　that　Wyatt　was　undertaking　to　operate　on　a　large　scale。

〃We　may　get　a　chance　at　him　anyhow；〃　said　Henry。　　〃He　and　his　band　may　go　too　far　away　from　the　main　body　of　the　Indians　and　Tories；　and　in　that　case　we　can　strike　a　blow　if　we　are　watchful。〃

Every　one　of　the　five；　although　none　of　them　knew　it；　received　an　additional　impulse　from　this　news　about　Braxton　Wyatt。　　He　had　grown　up　with　them。　　Loyalty　to　the　king　had　nothing　to　do　with　his　becoming　a　renegade　or　a　Tory；　he　could　not　plead　lost　lands　or　exile　for　taking　part　in　such　massacres　as　Wyoming　or　Cherry　Valley；　but；　long　since　an　ally　of　the　Indians；　he　was　now　at　the　head　of　a　Tory　band　that　murdered　and　burned　from　sheer　pleasure。

〃Some　day　we'll　get　him；　as　shore　as　the　sun　rises　an'　sets；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol；　repeating　Henry's　prediction。

But　for　the　present　they　〃holed　up；〃　and　now　their　foresight　was　justified。　　To　such　as　they；　used　to　the　hardships　of　forest　life；　〃The　Alcove〃　was　a　cheery　nest。　　From　its　door　they　watched　the　wild　fowl　streaming　south；　pigeons；　ducks；　and　others　outlined　against　the　dark；　wintry　skies。　　So　numerous　were　these　flocks　that　there　was　scarcely　a　time　when　they　did　not　see　one　passing　toward　the　warm　South。

Shif'less　Sol　and　Paul　sat　together　watching　a　great　flock　of　wild　geese；　arrow　shaped；　and　flying　at　almost　incredible　speed。　　A　few　faint　honks　came　to　them；　and　then　the　geese　grew　misty　on　the　horizon。　　Shif'less　Sol　followed　them　with　serious　eyes。

〃Do　you　ever　t