the scouts of the valley-第67章

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ll　say　this　for　you；　you　old　ornery；　long…legged　Jim　Hart；　it　ain't　any　better　than　the　venison　an'　bulffaler　steaks　that　you've　cooked　fur　us　many　a　time。〃

〃An'　that　I'm　likely　to　cook　fur　you　many　a　time　more；〃　said　Long　Jim　complacently。

〃But　it　will　be　months　before　you　have　any　chance　at　buffalo　again；　Jim；〃　said　Henry。　　〃We　are　going　on　a　long　campaign　through　the　Iroquois　country。〃

〃An'　it's　shore　to　be　a　dangerous　one；〃　said　Shif'less　Sol。　　〃Men　like　warriors　o'　the　Iroquois　ain't　goin'　to　give　up　with　one　fight。　　They'll　be　hangin'　on　our　flanks　like　wasps。〃

〃That's　true；〃　said　Henry；　〃but　in　my　opinion　the　Iroquois　are　overthrown　forever。　　One　defeat　means　more　to　them　than　a　half　dozen　to　us。〃


They　said　little　more；　but　by　and　by　lay　down　to　sleep　before　the　fires。　　They　had　toiled　so　long　and　so　faithfully　that　the　work　of　watching　and　scouting　that　night　could　be　intrusted　to　others。　　Yet　Henry　could　not　sleep　for　a　long　time。　　The　noises　of　the　night　interested　him。　　He　watched　the　men　going　about；　and　the　sentinels　pacing　back　and　forth　around　the　camp。　　The　sounds　died　gradually　as　the　men　lay　down　and　sank　to　sleep。　　The　fires　which　had　formed　a　great　core　of　light　also　sank；　and　the　shadows　crept　toward　the　camp。　　The　figures　of　the　pacing　sentinels；　rifle　on　shoulder；　gradually　grew　dusky。　　Henry's　nerves；　attuned　so　long　to　great　effort；　slowly　relaxed。　　Deep　peace　came　over　him；　and　his　eyelids　drooped；　the　sounds　in　the　camp　sank　to　the　lowest　murmur；　but　just　as　he　was　falling　asleep　there　came　from　the　battlefield　behind　then　the　far；　faint　howl　of　a　wolf；　the　dirge　of　the　Iroquois。




CHAPTER　XXII

LITTLE　BEARD'S　TOWN


The　trumpets　called　early　the　next　morning；　and　the　five　rose；　refreshed；　ready　for　new　labors。　　The　fires　were　already　lighted；　and　breakfast　was　cooking。　　Savory　odors　permeated　the　forest。　　But　as　soon　as　all　had　eaten；　the　army　marched；　going　northward　and　westward；　intending　to　cut　through　the　very　center　of　the　Iroquois　country。　　Orders　had　come　from　the　great　commander　that　the　power　of　the　Six　Nations；　which　had　been　so　long　such　a　terrible　scourge　on　the　American　frontier；　must　be　annihilated。　　They　must　be　made　strangers　in　their　own　country。　　Women　and　children　were　not　to　be　molested；　but　their　towns　must　perish。

As　Thayendanegea　had　said　the　night　before　the　Battle　of　the　Chemung；　the　power　beyond　the　seas　that　had　urged　the　Iroquois　to　war　on　the　border　did　not　save　them。　　It　could　not。　　British　and　Tories　alike　had　promised　them　certain　victory；　and　for　a　while　it　had　seemed　that　the　promises　would　come　true。　　But　the　tide　had　turned；　and　the　Iroquois　were　fugitives　in　their　own　country。

The　army　continued　its　march　through　the　wilderness；　the　scouts　in　front　and　heavy　parties　of　riflemen　on　either　flank。　　There　was　no　chance　for　a　surprise。　　Henry　and　his　comrades　were　aware　that　Indian　bands　still　lurked　in　the　forest；　and　they　had　several　narrow　escapes　from　the　bullets　of　ambushed　foes；　but　the　progress　of　the　army　was　irresistible。　　Nothing　could　check　it　for　a　moment；　however　much　the　Indian　and　Tory　chiefs　might　plan。

They　camped　again　that　night　in　the　forest；　with　a　thorough　ring　of　sentinels　posted　against　surprise；　although　there　was　little　danger　of　the　latter；　as　the　enemy　could　not；　for　the　present　at　least；　bring　a　sufficient　force　into　the　field。　　But　after　the　moon　had　risen；　the　five；　with　Heemskerk；　went　ahead　through　the　forest。　　The　Iroquois　town　of　Kanawaholla　lay　just　ahead；　and　the　army　would　reach　it　on　the　morrow。　It　was　the　intention　of　the　scouts　to　see　if　it　was　still　occupied。

It　was　near　midnight　when　the　little　party　drew　near　to　Kanawaholla　and　watched　it　from　the　shelter　of　the　forest。　　Like　most　other　Iroquois　towns；　it　contained　wooden　houses；　and　cultivated　fields　were　about　it。　　No　smoke　rose　from　any　of　the　chimneys；　but　the　sharp　eyes　of　the　scouts　saw　loaded　figures　departing　through　a　great　field　of　ripe　and　waving　corn。　　It　was　the　last　of　the　inhabitants；　fleeing　with　what　they　could　carry。　　Two　or　three　warriors　might　have　been　in　that　group　of　fugitives；　but　the　scouts　made　no　attempt　to　pursue。　　They　could　not　restrain　a　little　feeling　of　sympathy　and　pity；　although　a　just　retribution　was　coming。

〃If　the　Iroquois　had　only　stood　neutral　at　the　beginning　of　the　war；　as　we　asked　them；〃　said　Heemskerk；　〃how　much　might　have　been　spared　to　both　sides！　　Look！　　Those　people　are　stopping　for　a　moment。〃

The　burdened　figures；　perhaps　a　dozen；　halted　at　the　far　edge　of　the　corn　field。　　Henry　and　Paul　readily　imagined　that　they　were　taking　a　last　look　at　their　town；　and　the　feeling　of　pity　and　sympathy　deepened；　despite　Wyoming；　Cherry　Valley；　and　all　the　rest。　　But　that　feeling　never　extended　to　the　white　allies　of　the　Iroquois；　whom　Thayendanegea　characterized　in　word　and　in　writing　as　〃more　savage　than　the　savages　themselves。〃

The　scouts　waited　an　hour；　and　then　entered　the　town。　　Not　a　soul　was　in　Kanawaholla。　　Some　of　the　lighter　things　had　been　taken　away；　but　that　was　all。　　Most　of　the　houses　were　in　disorder；　showing　the　signs　of　hasty　flight；　but　the　town　lay　wholly　at　the　mercy　of　the　advancing　army。　　Henry　and　his　comrades　withdrew　with　the　news；　and　the　next　day；　when　the　troops　advanced；　Kanawaholla　was　put　to　the　torch。　　In　an　hour　it　was　smoking　ruins；　and　then　the　crops　and　fruit　trees　were　destroyed。

Leaving　ruin　behind；　the　army　continued　its　march；　treading　the　Iroquois　power　under　foot　and　laying　waste　the　country。　　One　after　another　the　Indian　towns　were　destroyed；　Catherinetown；　Kendaia；　Kanadesaga；　Shenanwaga；　Skoiyase；　Kanandaigua；　Honeyoye；　Kanaghsawa；　Gathtsewarohare；　and　others；　forming　a　long　roll；　bearing　the　sounding　Iroquois　names。　　Villages　around　Cayuga　and　other　lakes　were　burned　by　detachments。　　The　smoke　of　perishing　towns　arose　everywhere　in　the　Iroquois　country；　while　the　Iroquois　themselves　fled　before　the　advancing　army。　　They　sent　appeal　after　appeal　for　help　from　those　to　whom　they　had　given　so　much　help；　but　none　came。

It　was　now　deep　autumn；　and　the　nights　grew　cold。　　The　forests　blazed　with　brilliant　colors。　　The　winds　blew；　leaves　rustled　and　fell。　　The　winter　would　soon　be　at　hand；　and　the　Iroquois；　so　proud　of　what　they　had　achieved；　would　have　to　find　what　shelter　they　could　in　the　forests　or　at　the　British　posts　on　the　Canadian　frontier。　　Thayendanegea　was　destined　to　come　again　with　bands　of　red　men　and　white　and　inflict　great　loss；　but　the　power　of　the　Six　Nations　was　overthrown　forever；　after　four　centuries　of　victory　and　glory。　　Henry；　Paul；　and　the　rest　were　all　the　time　in　the　thick　of　it。　　The　army；　as　the　autumn　advanced；　marched　into　the　Genesee　Valley；　destroying　everything。　　Henry　and　Paul；　as　they　lay　on　their　blankets　one　night；　counted　fires　in　three　different　directions；　and　every　one　of　the　three　marked　a　perishing　Indian　village。　　It　was　not　a　work　in　which　they　took　any　delight；　on　the　contrary；　it　often　saddened　them；　but　they　felt　that　it　had　to　be　done；　and　they　could　not　shirk　the　task。

In　October；　Henry；　despite　his　youth；　took　command　of　a　body　of　scouts　and　riflemen　which　beat　up　the　ways；　and　skirmished　in　advance　of　the　army。　　It　was　a　democratic　little　band；　everyone　saying　what　he　pleased；　but　yielding　in　the　end　to　the　authority　of　the　leader。　　They　were　now　far　up　the　Genesee　toward　the　Great　Lakes；　and　Henry　formed　the　plan　of　advancing　ahead　of　the　army　on　the　great　Seneca　village　known　variously　as　the　Seneca　Castle　and　Little　Beard's　Town；　after　its　chief；　a　full　match　in　cruelty　for　the　older　Seneca　chief；　Hiokatoo。　　Several　causes　led　to　this　decision。　　It　was　reported　that　Thayendanegea；　Timmendiquas；　all　the　Butlers　and　Johnsons；　and　Braxton　Wyatt　were　there。　　While　not　likely　to　be　true　about　all；　it　was　probably　true　about　some　of　them；　and　a　bold　stroke　might　effect　much。

It　is　probable　that　Henry　had　Braxton　Wyatt　most　in　mind。　　The　renegade　was　in　his　element　among　the　Indians　and　Tories；　and　he　had　developed　great　abilities　as　a　partisan；　being　skillfully　seconded　by　the　squat　Tory；　Coleman。　　His　reputation　now　was　equal　at　least　to　that　of　Walter　Butler；　and　he　had　skirmished　more　than　once　w