the scouts of the valley-第33章

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　walk　faster。〃

Shif'less　Sol　was　invaluable　in　this　crisis。　　He　could　talk　forever　in　his…placid　way；　and；　with　his　gentle　encouragement；　mild　sarcasm；　and　anecdotes　of　great　feminine　walkers　that　he　had　known；　he　soon　had　them　moving　faster。

Henry　and　Tom　dropped　farther　to　the　rear。　　They　could　see　ahead　of　them　the　long　dark　line；　coiling　farther　into　the　woods；　but　they　could　also　see　to　right　and　left　towers　of　smoke　rising　in　the　clear　morning　sunlight。　　These；　they　knew；　came　from　burning　houses；　and　they　knew；　also；　that　the　valley　would　be　ravaged　from　end　to　end　and　from　side　to　side。　　After　the　surrender　of　the　fort　the　Indians　would　divide　into　small　bands；　going　everywhere；　and　nothing　could　escape　them。

The　sun　rose　higher；　gilding　the　earth　with　glowing　light；　as　if　the　black　tragedy　had　never　happened；　but　the　frontiersmen　recognized　their　greatest　danger　in　this　brilliant　morning。　　Objects　could　be　seen　at　a　great　distance；　and　they　could　be　seen　vividly。

Keen　of　sight　and　trained　to　know　what　it　was　they　saw；　Henry；　Sol；　and　Tom　searched　the　country　with　their　eyes；　on　all　sides。　　They　caught　a　distant　glimpse　of　the　Susquehanna；　a　silver　spot　among　some　trees；　and　they　saw　the　sunlight　glancing　off　the　opposite　mountains；　but　for　the　present　they　saw　nothing　that　seemed　hostile。

They　allowed　the　distance　between　them　and　the　retreating　file　to　grow　until　it　was　five　or　six　hundred　yards；　and　they　might　have　let　it　grow　farther；　but　Henry　made　a　signal；　and　the　three　lay　down　in　the　grass。


〃You　see　'em；　don't　you！〃　the　youth　whispered　to　his　comrade。

〃Yes；　down　thar　at　the　foot　o'　that　hillock；〃　replied　Shif'less　Sol；　〃　two　o'　em；　an'　Senecas；　I　take　it。〃

〃They've　seen　that　crowd　of　women　and　children；〃　said　Henry。

It　was　obvious　that　the　flying　column　was　discovered。　　The　two　Indians　stepped　upon　the　hillock　and　gazed　under　their　hands。　　It　was　too　far　away　for　the　three　to　see　their　faces；　but　they　knew　the　joy　that　would　be　shown　there。　　The　two　could　return　with　a　few　warriors　and　massacre　them　all。

〃They　must　never　get　back　to　the　other　Indians　with　their　news；〃　whispered　Henry。　　〃I　hate　to　shoot　men　　from　ambush；　but　it's　got　to　be　done。　　Wait；　they're　coming　a　little　closer。〃

The　two　Senecas　advanced　about　thirty　yards；　and　stopped　again。

〃S'pose　you　fire　at　the　one　on　the　right；　Henry；〃　said　Tom；　〃　an'　me　an'　Sol　will　take　the　one　to　the　left。〃　〃　All　right；〃　said　Henry。　　〃Fire！〃

They　wasted　no　time；　but　pulled　trigger。　　The　one　at　whom　Henry　had　aimed　fell；　but　the　other；　uttering　a　cry；　made　off；　wounded；　but　evidently　with　plenty　of　strength　left。

〃We　mustn't　let　him　escape！　　We　mustn't　let　him　carry　a　warning！〃　cried　Henry。

But　Shif'less　Sol　and　Tom　Ross　were　already　in　pursuit；　covering　the　ground　with　long　strides；　and　reloading　as　they　ran。　　Under　ordinary　circumstances　no　one　of　the　three　would　have　fired　at　a　man　running　for　his　life；　but　here　the　necessity　was　vital。　　If　he　lived；　carrying　the　tale　that　he　had　to　tell；　a　hundred　innocent　ones　might　perish。　　Henry　followed　his　comrades；　reloading　his　own　rifle；　also；　but　he　stayed　behind。　　The　Indian　had　a　good　lead；　and　he　was　gaining；　as　the　others　were　compelled　to　check　speed　somewhat　as　they　put　the　powder　and　bullets　in　their　rifles。　　But　Henry　was　near　enough　to　Shif'less　Sol　and　Silent　Tom　to　hear　them　exchange　a　few　words。

〃How　far　away　is　that　savage？〃　asked　Shif'less　Sol。

〃Hundred　and　eighty　yards；〃　said　Tom　Ross。

〃Well；　you　take　him　in　the　head；　and　I'll　take　him　in　the　body。〃

Henry　saw　the　two　rifle　barrels　go　up　and　two　flashes　of　flame　leap　from　the　muzzles。　　The　Indian　fell　forward　and　lay　still。　　They　went　up　to　him；　and　found　that　he　was　shot　through　the　head　and　also　through　the　body。

〃We　may　miss　once；　but　we　don't　twice；〃　said　Tom　Ross。

The　human　mind　can　be　influenced　so　powerfully　by　events　that　the　three　felt　no　compunction　at　all　at　the　shooting　of　this　fleeing　Indian。　　It　was　but　a　trifle　compared　with　what　they　had　seen　the　day　and　night　before。

〃We'd　better　take　the　weapons　an'　ammunition　o'　both　uv　'em；〃　said　Sol。　　〃They　may　be　needed；　an'　some　o　'　the　women　in　that　crowd　kin　shoot。〃

They　gathered　up　the　arms；　powder；　and　ball；　and　waited　a　little　to　see　whether　the　shots　had　been　heard　by　any　other　Indians；　but　there　was　no　indication　of　the　presence　of　more　warriors；　and　the　rejoined　the　fugitives。　　Long　Jim　had　dropped　back　to　the　end　of　the　line；　and　when　he　saw　that　his　comrades　carried　two　extra　rifles；　he　understood。

〃They　didn't　give　no　alarm；　did　they？〃　he　asked　in　a　tone　so　low　that　none　of　the　fugitives　could　hear。

〃They　didn't　have　any　chance；〃　replied　Henry。　　〃We've　brought　away　all　their　weapons　and　ammunition；　but　just　say　to　the　women　that　we　found　them　in　an　abandoned　house。〃

The　rifles　and　the　other　arms　were　given　to　the　boldest　and　most　stalwart　of　the　women；　and　they　promised　to　use　them　if　the　need　came。　　Meanwhile　the　flight　went　on；　and　the　farther　it　went　the　sadder　it　became。　　Children　became　exhausted；　and　had　to　be　carried　by　people　so　tired　that　they　could　scarcely　walk　themselves。　　There　was　nobody　in　the　line　who　had　not　lost　some　beloved　one　on　that　fatal　river　bank；　killed　in　battle；　or　tortured　to　death。　　As　they　slowly　ascended　the　green　slope　of　the　mountain　that　inclosed　a　side　of　the　valley；　they　looked　back　upon　ruin　and　desolation。　　The　whole　black　tragedy　was　being　consummated。　　They　could　see　the　houses　in　flames；　and　they　knew　that　the　Indian　war　parties　were　killing　and　scalping　everywhere。　　They　knew；　too；　that　other　bodies　of　fugitives；　as　stricken　as　their　own；　were　fleeing　into　the　mountains；　they　scarcely　knew　whither。

As　they　paused　a　few　moments　and　looked　back；　a　great　cry　burst　from　the　weakest　of　the　women　and　children。　　Then　it　became　a　sad　and　terrible　wail；　and　it　was　a　long　time　before　it　ceased。　　It　was　an　awful　sound；　so　compounded　of　despair　and　woe　and　of　longing　for　what　they　had　lost　that　Henry　choked；　and　the　tears　stood　in　Paul's　eyes。　　But　neither　the　five　nor　Carpenter　made　any　attempt　to　check　the　wailing。　　They　thought　it　best　for　them　to　weep　it　out；　but　they　hurried　the　column　as　much　as　they　could；　often　carrying　some　of　the　smaller　children　themselves。　　Paul　and　Long　Jim　were　the　best　as　comforters。　　The　two　knew　how；　each　in　his　own　way；　to　soothe　and　encourage。　　Carpenter；　who　knew　the　way　to　Fort　Penn；　led　doggedly　on；　scarcely　saying　a　word。　　Henry；　Shif'less　Sol；　and　Tom　were　the　rear　guard；　which　was；　in　this　case；　the　one　of　greatest　danger　and　responsibility。

Henry　was　thankful　that　it　was　only　early　summer　the　Fourth　of　July；　the　second　anniversary　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence…and　that　the　foliage　was　heavy　and　green　on　the　slopes　of　the　mountain。　　In　this　mass　of　greenery　the　desolate　column　was　now　completely　hidden　from　any　observer　in　the　valley；　and　he　believed　that　other　crowds　of　fugitives　would　be　hidden　in　the　same　manner。　　He　felt　sure　that　no　living　human　being　would　be　left　in　the　valley；　that　it　would　be　ravaged　from　end　to　end　and　then　left　to　desolation；　until　new　people；　protected　by　American　bayonets；　should　come　in　and　settle　it　again。

At　last　they　passed　the　crest　of　the　ridge；　and　the　fires　in　the　valley；　those　emblems　of　destruction；　were　hidden。　　Between　them　and　Fort　Penn；　sixty　miles　away；　stretched　a　wilderness　of　mountain；　forest；　and　swamp。　　But　the　five　welcomed　the　forest。　　A　foe　might　lie　there　in　ambush；　but　they　could　not　see　the　fugitives　at　a　distance。　　What　the　latter　needed　now　was　obscurity；　the　green　blanket　of　the　forest　to　hide　them。　　Carpenter　led　on　over　a　narrow　trail；　the　others　followed　almost　in　single　file　now；　while　the　five　scouted　in　the　woods　on　either　flank　and　at　the　rear。　　Henry　and　Shif'less　Sol　generally　kept　together；　and　they　fully　realized　the　overwhelming　danger　should　an　Indian　band；　even　as　small　as　ten　or　a　dozen　warriors；　appear。　　Should　the　latter　scatter；　it　would　be　impossible　to　protect　all　the　women　and　children　from　their　tomahawks。

The　day　was　warm；　but　the　forest　gave　them　coolness　as　well　as　shelter。　　Henry　and　Sol　were　seldom　so　far　back　that　they　could　not　see　the　end　of