the scouts of the valley-第64节

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y　time　they　caught　sight　of　a　hostile　face　or　body　they　sent　a　bullet　at　it；　and　Wyatt's　men　did　the　same。　　The　two　lines　came　closer；　and　all　along　each　there　were　many　sharp　little　jets　of　fire　and　smoke。　　Some　of　the　riflemen　were　wounded；　and　two　were　slain；　dying　quietly　and　without　interrupting　their　comrades；　who　continued　to　press　the　combat；　Henry　always　leading　in　the　center；　and　Shif'less　Sol　and　Heemskerk　on　the　flanks。

This　battle　so　strange；　in　which　faces　were　seen　only　for　a　moment；　and　which　was　now　without　the　sound　of　voices；　continued　without　a　moment's　cessation　in　the　dark　forest。　　The　fury　of　the　combatants　increased　as　the　time　went　on；　and　neither　side　was　yet　victorious。　　Closer　and　closer　came　the　lines。　　Meanwhile　dark　clouds　were　piling　in　a　bank　in　the　southwest。　　Slow　thunder　rumbled　far　away；　and　the　sky　was　cut　at　intervals　by　lightning。　　But　the　combatants　did　not　notice　the　heralds　of　storm。　　Their　attention　was　only　for　each　other。

It　seemed　to　Henry　that　emotions　and　impulses　in　him　had　culminated。　　Before　him　were　the　worst　of　all　their　foes；　and　his　pitiless　resolve　was　not　relaxed　a　particle。　　The　thunder　and　the　lightning；　although　he　did　not　notice　them；　seemed　to　act　upon　him　as　an　incitement；　and　with　low　words　he　continually　urged　those　about　him　to　push　the　battle。

Drops　of　rain　fell；　showing　in　the　moonshine　like　beads　of　silver　on　boughs　and　twigs；　but　by　and　by　the　smoke　from　the　rifle　fire；　pressed　down　by　the　heavy　atmosphere；　gathered　among　the　trees；　and　the　moon　was　partly　hidden。　　But　file　combat　did　not　relax　because　of　the　obscurity。　　Wandering　Indians；　hearing　the　firing；　came　to　Wyatt's　relief；　but；　despite　their　aid；　he　was　compelled　to　give　ground。　　His　were　the　most　desperate　and　hardened　men；　red　and　white；　in　all　the　allied　forces；　but　they　were　faced　by　sharpshooters　better　than　themselves。　　Many　of　them　were　already　killed；　others　were　wounded；　and；　although　Wyatt　and　Coleman　raged　and　strove　to　hold　them；　they　began　to　give　back；　and　so　hard　pressed　were　they　that　the　Iroquois　could　not　perform　the　sacred　duty　of　carrying　off　their　dead。　　No　one　sought　to　carry　away　the　Tories；　who　lay　with　the　rain；　that　had　now　begun　to　fall；　beating　upon　them。

So　much　had　the　riflemen　advanced　that　they　came　to　the　point　where　bodies　of　their　enemies　lay。　　Again　that　fierce　joy　surged　up　in　Henry's　heart。　　His　friends　and　he　were　winning。　　But　he　wished　to　do　more　than　win。　　This　band；　if　left　alone；　would　merely　flee　from　the　Seneca　Castle　before　the　advance　of　the　army；　and　would　still　exist　to　ravage　and　slay　elsewhere。

〃Keep　on；　Tom！　　Keep　on！〃　he　cried　to　Ross　and　the　others。　　〃Never　let　them　rest！〃

〃We　won't！　　We　ain't　dreamin'　o'　doin'　sech　a　thing；〃　replied　the　redoubtable　one　as　he　loaded　and　fired。　　〃Thar；　I　got　another！〃

The　Iroquois；　yielding　slowly　at　first；　began　now　to　give　way　faster。　　Some　sought　to　dart　away　to　right　or　left；　and　bury　themselves　in　the　forest；　but　they　were　caught　by　the　flanking　parties　of　Shif'less　Sol　and　Heemskerk；　and　driven　back　on　the　center。　　They　could　not　retreat　except　straight　on　the　town；　and　the　riflemen　followed　them　step　for　step。　　The　moan　of　the　distant　thunder　went　on；　and　the　soft　rain　fell；　but　the　deadly　crackle　of　the　rifles　formed　a　sharper；　insistent　note　that　claimed　the　whole　attention　of　both　combatants。

It　was　now　the　turn　of　the　riflemen　to　receive　help。　　Twenty　or　more　scouts　and　others　abroad　in　the　forest　were　called　by　the　rifle　fire；　and　went　at　once　into　the　battle。　　Then　Wyatt　was　helped　a　second　time　by　a　band　of　Senecas　and　Mohawks；　but；　despite　all　the　aid；　they　could　not　withstand　the　riflemen。　　Wyatt；　black　with　fury　and　despair；　shouted　to　them　and　sometimes　cursed　or　even　struck　at　them；　but　the　retreat　could　not　be　stopped。　　Men　fell　fast。　　Every　one　of　the　riflemen　was　a　sharpshooter；　and　few　bullets　missed。

Wyatt　was　driven　out　of　the　forest　and　into　the　very　corn　field　through　which　Henry　had　passed。　　Here　the　retreat　became　faster；　and；　with　shouts　of　triumph；　the　riflemen　followed　after。　　Wyatt　lost　some　men　in　the　flight　through　the　field；　but　when　he　came　to　the　orchard；　having　the　advantage　of　cover；　he　made　another　desperate　stand。

But　Shif'less　Sol　and　Heemskerk　took　the　band　on　the　flanks；　pouring　in　a　destructive　fire；　and　Wyatt；　Coleman；　and　a　fourth　of　his　band；　all　that　survived；　broke　into　a　run　for　the　town。

The　riflemen　uttered　shout　after　shout　of　triumph；　and　it　was　impossible　to　restrain　their　pursuit。　　Henry　would　have　stopped　here；　knowing　the　danger　of　following　into　the　town；　especially　when　the　army　was　near　at　band　with　an　irresistible　force；　but　he　could　not　stay　them。　　He　decided　then　that　if　they　would　charge　it　must　be　done　with　the　utmost　fire　and　spirit。

〃On；　men！　　On！〃　he　cried。　　〃Give　them　no　chance　to　take　cover。〃

Shif'less　Sol　and　Heemskerk　wheeled　in　with　the　flanking　parties；　and　the　riflemen；　a　solid　mass　now；　increased　the　speed　of　pursuit。　　Wyatt　and　his　men　had　no　chance　to　turn　and　fire；　or　even　to　reload。　　Bullets　beat　upon　them　as　they　fled；　and　here　perished　nearly　all　of　that　savage　band。　　Wyatt；　Coleman；　and　only　a　half　dozen　made　good　the　town；　where　a　portion　of　the　Iroquois　who　had　not　yet　fled　received　them。　　But　the　exultant　riflemen　did　not　stop　even　there。　　They　were　hot　on　the　heels　of　Wyatt　and　the　fugitives；　and　attacked　at　once　the　Iroquois　who　came　to　their　relief。　　So　fierce　was　their　rush　that　these　new　forces　were　driven　back　at　once。　　Braxton　Wyatt；　Coleman；　and　a　dozen　more；　seeing　no　other　escape；　fled　to　a　large　log　house　used　as　a　granary；　threw　themselves　into　it；　barred　the　doors　heavily；　and　began　to　fire　from　the　upper　windows；　small　openings　usually　closed　with　boards。　　Other　Indians　from　the　covert　of　house；　tepee；　or　tree；　fired　upon　the　assailants；　and　a　fresh　battle　began　in　the　town。

The　riflemen；　directed　by　their　leaders；　met　the　new　situation　promptly。　　Fired　upon　from　all　sides；　at　least　twenty　rushed　into　a　house　some　forty　yards　from　that　of　Braxton　Wyatt。　　Others　seized　another　house；　while　the　rest　remained　outside；　sheltered　by　little　outhouses；　trees；　or　inequalities　of　the　earth；　and　maintained　rapid　sharpshooting　in　reply　to　the　Iroquois　in　the　town　or　to　Braxton　Wyatt's　men　in　the　house。　　Now　the　combat　became　fiercer　than　ever。　　The　warriors　uttered　yells；　and　Wyatt's　men　in　the　house　sent　forth　defiant　shouts。　　From　another　part　of　the　town　came　shrill　cries　of　old　squaws；　urging　on　their　fighting　men。

It　was　now　about　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　The　thunder　and　lightning　had　ceased；　but　the　soft　rain　was　still　falling。　　The　Indians　had　lighted　fires　some　distance　away。　　Several　carried　torches。　　Helped　by　these；　and；　used　so　long　to　the　night；　the　combatants　saw　distinctly。　　The　five　lay　behind　a　low　embankment；　and　they　paid　their　whole　attention　to　the　big　house　that　sheltered　Wyatt　and　his　men。　　On　the　sides　and　behind　they　were　protected　by　Heemskerk　and　others；　who　faced　a　coming　swarm。

〃Keep　low；　Paul；〃　said　Henry；　restraining　his　eager　comrade。　　〃Those　fellows　in　the　house　can　shoot；　and　we　don't　want　to　lose　you。　　There；　didn't　I　tell　you！〃

A　bullet　fired　from　the　window　passed　through　the　top　of　Paul's　cap；　but　clipped　only　his　hair。　　Before　the　flash　from　the　window　passed；　Long　Jim　fired　in　return；　and　something　fell　back　inside。　　Bullets　came　from　other　windows。　　Shif'less　Sol　fired；　and　a　Seneca　fell　forward　banging　half　out　of　the　window；　his　naked　body　a　glistening　brown　in　the　firelight。　　But　he　hung　only　a　few　seconds。　　Then　he　fell　to　the　ground　and　lay　still。　　The　five　crouched　low　again；　waiting　a　new　opportunity。　　Behind　them；　and　on　either　side；　they　heard　the　crash　of　the　new　battle　and　challenging　cries。

Braxton　Wyatt；　Coleman；　four　more　Tories；　and　six　Indians　were　still　alive　in　the　strong　log　house。　　Two　or　three　were　wounded；　but　they　scarcely　noticed　it　in　the　passion　of　conflict。　　The　house　was　a　veritable　fortress；　and　the　renegade's　hopes　rose　high　as　he　heard　the　rifle　fire　from　different　parts　of　the　town。　　His　own　band　had　been　annihilated　by　the　riflemen；　led　by　Henry　Ware；　but　he　had　a　sanguine　hope　now　that　his　enemies　had　rushed　into　a　trap。　　The　Iroquois　would　turn　back　and　destroy　them。

Wyatt　and　his　comrades　presented　a　repellent　sight　as　they　crouched　in　the　room　and　fired　from　the　two　little　windows。　　His　clothes　and　those　of　the　white　men　had　been　torn　by　bushes　and　briars　in　their　flight；　and　their　faces　had　been　raked；　too；　until　they　bled；　but　they　had　paid　no　attention　to　such　wounds；　and　the　blood　was　mingled　with　sweat　and　powder　smoke。　　The　Indians；　naked　to　the　waist；　daubed　with　vermilion；　and　streaked；　too；　with　blood；　crouched　upon　the　floor；　with　the　muz'zles　of　their　rifles　at　the　windows；　seeking　something　human　to　kill。　　One　and　all；　red　and　white；　they　were　now　raging　savages；　There　was　not　one　among　them　who　did　not　have　some　foul　murder　of　woman　or　child　to　his　credit。

Wyatt　himself　was　mad　for　revenge。　　Every　evil　passion　in　him　was　up　and　leaping。　　His　eyes；　more　like　those　of　a　wild　animal　than　a　human　being；　blazed　out　of　a　face；　a　mottled　red　and　black。　　By　the　side　of　him　the　dark　Tory；