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- float: left; - margin-right: 1em } - -.align-right { clear: right; - float: right; - margin-left: 1em } - -.align-center { margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto } - -div.shrinkwrap { display: table; } - -/* SECTIONS */ - -body { margin: 5% 10% 5% 10% } - -/* compact list items containing just one p */ -li p.pfirst { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0 } - -.first { margin-top: 0 !important; - text-indent: 0 !important } -.last { margin-bottom: 0 !important } - -span.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 1 } -img.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.5em 0 0; max-width: 25% } -span.dropspan { font-variant: small-caps } - -.no-page-break { page-break-before: avoid !important } - -/* PAGINATION */ - -.pageno { position: absolute; right: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.pageno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.lineno { position: absolute; left: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; text-indent: 0 } -.lineno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } -.toc-pageref { float: right } - -@media screen { - .coverpage, .frontispiece, .titlepage, .verso, .dedication, .plainpage - { margin: 10% 0; } - - div.clearpage, div.cleardoublepage - { margin: 10% 0; border: none; border-top: 1px solid gray; } - - .vfill { margin: 5% 10% } -} - -@media print { - div.clearpage { page-break-before: always; padding-top: 10% } - div.cleardoublepage { page-break-before: right; padding-top: 10% } - - .vfill { margin-top: 20% } - h2.title { margin-top: 20% } -} - -/* DIV */ -pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap } - -</style> -<title>UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG</title> -<meta name="PG.Rights" content="Public Domain" /> -<meta name="PG.Title" content="Under Wolfe's Flag" /> -<meta name="PG.Producer" content="Al Haines" /> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/img-cover.jpg" /> -<meta name="DC.Creator" content="Rowland Walker" /> -<meta name="DC.Created" content="1913" /> -<meta name="PG.Id" content="43265" /> -<meta name="PG.Released" content="2013-07-20" /> -<meta name="DC.Language" content="en" /> -<meta name="DC.Title" content="Under Wolfe's Flag" /> - -<link href="http://purl.org/dc/terms/" rel="schema.DCTERMS" /> -<link href="http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators" rel="schema.MARCREL" /> -<meta content="Under Wolfe's Flag" name="DCTERMS.title" /> -<meta content="flag.rst" name="DCTERMS.source" /> -<meta content="en" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC4646" name="DCTERMS.language" /> -<meta content="2013-07-20T17:19:18.528662+00:00" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.modified" /> -<meta content="Project Gutenberg" name="DCTERMS.publisher" /> -<meta content="Public Domain in the USA." name="DCTERMS.rights" /> -<link href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43265" rel="DCTERMS.isFormatOf" /> -<meta content="Rowland Walker" name="DCTERMS.creator" /> -<meta content="2013-07-20" scheme="DCTERMS.W3CDTF" name="DCTERMS.created" /> -<meta content="width=device-width" name="viewport" /> -<meta content="EpubMaker 0.3.20a7 by Marcello Perathoner <webmaster@gutenberg.org>" name="generator" /> -</head> -<body> -<div class="document" id="under-wolfe-s-flag"> -<h1 class="center document-title level-1 pfirst title"><span class="x-large">UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG</span></h1> - -<!-- this is the default PG-RST stylesheet --> -<!-- figure and image styles for non-image formats --> -<!-- default transition --> -<!-- default attribution --> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="clearpage"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="align-None container language-en pgheader" id="pg-header" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the </span><a class="reference internal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a><span> -included with this eBook or online at -</span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a><span>.</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-None container" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span>Title: Under Wolfe's Flag -<br /> -<br />Author: Rowland Walker -<br /> -<br />Release Date: July 20, 2013 [EBook #43265] -<br /> -<br />Language: English -<br /> -<br />Character set encoding: UTF-8</span></p> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-start-line"><span>*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-produced-by"><span>Produced by Al Haines.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span></span></p> -</div> -<div class="align-None container frontispiece"> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-center auto-scaled figure margin" style="width: 61%" id="figure-10"> -<span id="stop-stop-we-re-coming-down-p-34"></span><img class="align-center block" style="display: block; width: 100%" alt=""'STOP! STOP! WE'RE COMING DOWN.'" (p. 34)" src="images/img-front.jpg" /> -<div class="caption centerleft figure-caption margin"> -<span class="italics">"'STOP! STOP! WE'RE COMING DOWN.'" (p. </span><a class="italics reference internal" href="#id1">34</a><span class="italics">)</span></div> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container titlepage"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="x-large">Under Wolfe's Flag</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="medium">OR</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="large">THE FIGHT FOR THE CANADAS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">BY</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="large">ROWLAND WALKER</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="small">AUTHOR OF -<br />"THE OLD MANOR HOUSE," "THE TREASURE GALLEON," ETC.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">Publishers -<br />PARTRIDGE -<br />London</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container verso"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="small">MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container plainpage"> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="bold large">EVERY BOY'S -<br />LIBRARY</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><em class="italics medium">LIST OF TITLES</em></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="medium">THE CALL OF HONOUR By Argyll Saxby -<br />UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG; OR, THE FIGHT FOR THE CANADAS By Rowland Walker -<br />DICK DALE; THE COLONIAL SCOUT By Tom Bevan -<br />THE YELLOW SHIELD; OR, A CAPTIVE IN THE ZULU CAMP By Wm. Johnston -<br />ROGER THE RANGER By E. F. Pollard -<br />NORMAN'S NUGGET By Macdonald Oxley</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">New Titles to be added periodically.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><em class="italics small">Every book in this series has been -<br />specially chosen to meet the critical -<br />of the Boy of To-day, and the -<br />Publishers have no fear that he will -<br />be lacking in his approval of these -<br />robust and intensely absorbing stories.</em></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="medium">Publishers -<br />PARTRIDGE -<br />London</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container dedication"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">TO -<br />THE MEMORY OF -<br />MY GRANDFATHER, -<br />A BRAVE AND CHIVALROUS FRONTIERSMAN, -<br />WHOSE REMARKABLE EARLY ADVENTURES IN THE -<br />BACKWOODS OF CANADA AND AMERICA -<br />PROMPTED THE WRITING -<br />OF THIS BOOK</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="medium">R.W.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="align-None container plainpage"> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="small">IN GREAT BRITAIN BY PURNELL AND SONS -<br />PAULTON, SOMERSET, ENGLAND</span></p> -</div> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">CONTENTS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst"><span class="small">CHAP.</span></p> -<p class="noindent pnext"><span>I </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-trout-stream">THE TROUT-STREAM</a><span> -<br />II </span><a class="reference internal" href="#holding-the-fort">HOLDING THE FORT</a><span> -<br />III </span><a class="reference internal" href="#a-long-tramp-to-the-sea">A LONG TRAMP TO THE SEA</a><span> -<br />IV </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-watch-in-the-fore-top">THE WATCH IN THE FORE-TOP</a><span> -<br />V </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-fight-with-the-frigate">THE FIGHT WITH THE FRIGATE</a><span> -<br />VI </span><a class="reference internal" href="#prisoners-of-war">PRISONERS OF WAR</a><span> -<br />VII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#old-quebec">OLD QUEBEC</a><span> -<br />VIII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-night-watch">THE NIGHT-WATCH</a><span> -<br />IX </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-white-eagle-of-the-iroquois">THE WHITE EAGLE OF THE IROQUOIS</a><span> -<br />X </span><a class="reference internal" href="#a-lonely-frontiersman">A LONELY FRONTIERSMAN</a><span> -<br />XI </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-smoke-signal">THE SMOKE SIGNAL</a><span> -<br />XII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-wigwams-of-the-iroquois">THE WIGWAMS OF THE IROQUOIS</a><span> -<br />XIII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-moccasin-print-in-the-forest">THE MOCCASIN PRINT IN THE FOREST</a><span> -<br />XIV </span><a class="reference internal" href="#swift-arrow-disappears">SWIFT ARROW DISAPPEARS</a><span> -<br />XV </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-tragic-circle">THE TRAGIC CIRCLE</a><span> -<br />XVI </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-paleface-hunter">THE PALEFACE HUNTER</a><span> -<br />XVII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#a-broken-scalping-knife">A BROKEN SCALPING-KNIFE</a><span> -<br />XVIII </span><a class="reference internal" href="#a-lost-trail">A LOST TRAIL</a><span> -<br />XIX </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-ambush-at-seneca-falls">THE AMBUSH AT SENECA FALLS</a><span> -<br />XX </span><a class="reference internal" href="#the-plains-of-abraham">THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM</a></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-trout-stream"><span class="bold x-large">UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 3em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER I</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE TROUT-STREAM</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Here's a beauty, Jack!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hold him, Jamie, till I come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come quickly then, old fellow--he's -slipping away from me! Quick! Hang it, the -fellow's gone! I've missed him, and----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Splash!" The sentence was never -finished, for Jamie, stepping too excitedly on a -treacherous, moss-covered rock in mid-stream, -slipped, and the next instant found himself -sitting down, up to the armpits in the water -which raced past him like a mill-stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never mind," said his companion, when -the laughter which greeted this mishap had -subsided. "There's a likely spot, up under the -fall there, where I've landed many a big fish; -let's go and try it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This "likely spot," however, was a difficult -one, and for any other soul in the tiny village -of Burnside--these two young rascals -excepted--an impossible one. There, right -under the overhanging rocks, over which a -cascade tumbled twenty feet, into a swirling -pool which formed one of the deepest parts of -the stream, was a narrow ledge, where the -moss grew thick upon the wet, slippery rocks, -but in the cracks and fissures beneath that -ledge, many a lusty trout was hidden.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the two chums are wending their way -to this "likely spot," which lay at a bend in -the stream, just at the bottom of Hawk -Woods, leaping from boulder to boulder as -they crossed the broken stream, I will briefly -introduce the reader to a little of their previous -history.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack Elliot and Jamie Stuart were aged -respectively fifteen and fourteen years. -Only a week ago these two sturdy lads had -been soundly thrashed by Dr. Birch, for -playing truant and indulging in the tempting -but forbidden pastime of "tickling trout" -in the laughing stream, which, descending -from the blue moorlands above, sang its way -down through the densely wooded slopes of -Crow Hill.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was the youngest son of Squire Elliot -of Rushworth Hall, an old but somewhat -dilapidated manor, standing on one of the ridges -of the Pennine Chain. His eldest brother, who -was now twenty-two, was an ensign in the -celebrated "John Company," and at the -present time was engaged in active service in -India. His second brother was at Oxford. -Jack was still a scholar (though a dull one) at -the old Elizabethan Grammar School just -above the village, where stern Dr. Birch drilled -little else but Greek and Latin into unwilling -pupils.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's bosom chum and schoolfellow was -Jamie Stuart. Now, Jamie was an orphan, at -least so far as he knew, for his mother died -on the day that he was born, and his father, a -somewhat daring village character, who once -transgressed the game laws, was considered by -a bench of land-owning gentry as "too -dangerous a character to remain in Burnside, lest -he should lead other folk astray," and was -ultimately transported to the new colonies in -North America, and forbidden to set foot in -England again "on peril of his life," for those -were the days of the cruel game laws, when -sheep-stealing was a hanging business, and to -touch a pheasant meant transportation for life.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All this happened when Jamie was a little -chap of but two years, and so he never -remembered either his father or his mother. -His father was said to be very fond of his little -boy--for despite his transgression, he was a -good father and a brave man, and very much -the type of man that Merry England needed -at that time, to fight her enemies--and his -only request when he was sentenced was, that -before he left the country he might see again -his little boy--a request which the selfish and -hardened magistrates promptly refused.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Years passed away, and village rumours said -that he had escaped from his captors directly -he set foot on American soil, and had taken to -the forest, amongst the Indians tribes that -inhabited the backwoods of Pennsylvania, and -that he had become a great chief amongst -them; but this was perhaps only a rumour, for -no one really knew whether he was dead or -alive. So little Jamie grew up under the care of -a maiden aunt, who kept a Dame School in the -little village, and being a lady of some -property, when the lad became ten years old, he -was sent to the Old Grammar School.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The time of which I write was the middle of -the eighteenth century, and England was just -laying the foundations of her great future -Empire, which was to be the wonder and envy -of the world.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During the past twenty years, Anson and -his brave sea-dogs, though always outnumbered -in ships and men, had driven the French -and Spaniards from the seas, and had made the -name of England famous all over the world. -On all the seven seas the old flag was supreme, -and was proudly unfurled to every breeze that blew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Across the burning plains of India, and -under the very palace of the Old Mogul, was -heard the boom of British guns, for against -overwhelming odds Clive was winning brilliant -victories, that would soon end in bringing -the vast Indian Empire, with all its wealth and -treasure, and its multitude of dark-skinned -princes, to do homage at the feet of England's -king. Nor was this all, for over the Atlantic, -on the shores, the rivers, and the great lakes -of the new world, the long campaign had -already begun, which was to end in the -capture of Quebec, and the wresting of the -Canadas from our inveterate foes across the -Channel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So the Squire's son and the poacher's son -became fast friends. All the Squire's efforts -to separate them had failed. They were -kindred spirits, and there was no mischief or -devilry ever set afoot, either in the school or -the village, in which they did not participate. -All the rules and laws that were ever invented -failed to keep them within bounds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Their three great enemies were, Dr. Birch, -Old Click, the keeper of Hawk Woods, and -Beagle, the village constable. The first had -thrashed them a score of times, the second had -threatened to bring the penalties of the game -laws upon them, if they did not desist from -their depredations, whilst the third had once -put them in the stocks, and threatened them -with the lock-up for the next offence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus it happened, on this glorious afternoon -in the early summer of 1757, when the school -bell was calling its unwilling pupils to their -lessons, that these two boys were robbing the -nest of a humble-bee, in a meadow below -the school, extracting the wild honey from -the combs, when the bell suddenly ceased ringing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There goes!--that confounded bell has -stopped ringing, Jamie."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So it has. Now we're in for it again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The second time this week, too," and Jack -sat down and began to whistle, "There's nae -luck aboot the house," while a look of grim -despair settled on the countenance of his -friend.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And my back's still sore with that last -thrashing. What shall we do, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let's go trouting in Hawk Woods."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what about Old Click? He said that -the next time he caught us, he'd take us before -the magistrates."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, hang the magistrates and Old Click -too! Why shouldn't we fish there if we like? -Shall we go?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Agreed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And the next moment they were scampering -across the meadows in the direction of the -woods, taking care to keep under the shelter of -the hedges and walls as much as possible, till -they had entered the friendly cover of the trees.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Hawk Woods was a lovely bit of primeval -forest, that covered both sides of a deep -valley. In places, the descent was almost -precipitous, right down to the bottom of the -gully, where the burn threaded its way -amongst the rocks, boulders, and fallen -tree-trunks. It was a bewitching spot. The -shimmering of a thousand trees, on whose leaves -flashed the sunlight, their brown, aged and -distorted trunks, the huge scattered rocks, and -above all, the music of the stream as it tumbled -half a hundred little cascades, with the -speckled trout leaping amid its whirls and -eddies, made it a charming place. Who that -has seen that spot can forget it?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was the place that had wooed these two -boys from their lessons, and here beside the -big cascade we have found them again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie had tried twice to reach the ledge -behind the falls, by climbing along the face of -the rock, and clinging to the ivy roots, but -there was no foothold.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's no use," said Jack, "there's only one -way to get there, and that is by swimming. -We can easily duck, when we come to the fall."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then we'll try it, for I'm already wet -through, what with the spray from the falls, -and sitting down in the stream."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They quickly divested themselves of their -clothing, plunged in, swam across the pool, -ducked under the cascade, and reached the -narrow ledge, which was the object of their -immediate ambition, and within a quarter of -an hour they had succeeded in capturing -half-a-dozen fine trout, by the process known as -"tickling," and as they caught them, they -flung them far out on the bank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then they swam back, and after drying -themselves in the warm rays of the sun, they -dressed, and prepared to cook their afternoon -meal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>An armful of twigs and broken branches, a -bit of dry grass--these were quickly gathered. -Then Jack struck a spark with his tinder-box, -and there was a fire! Now the blue smoke was -curling upwards, and hanging like a wreath -over the tree-tops. Alas, that fatal smoke! -This it was that betrayed them, and was the -means of changing the whole course of their -lives, for other eyes had seen it from afar, and -were hastening to the spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In later days, amongst the backwoods of -another continent, when their nearest -neighbours were a scalping party of Algonquins or -fierce Iroquois, they learnt to be more careful -about that thin column of blue smoke which -rose from their evening camp-fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But at present they were unconscious of any -such danger. The feeling that they were most -conscious of at this moment was one of hunger -somewhere amidships, for their outdoor -exercise, and above all, the cold dip, had given -them healthy appetites. As soon, therefore, -as the fire had burned sufficiently clear, they -laid the spoils of the chase across a rude grid, -made of a few wet sticks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the savoury smell of roasted trout filled -the wood, and when this delicate repast was -ready, our two young heroes feasted sumptuously -on the royal dish of red-spotted trout. -When they had finished their repast, they -washed it down with a copious draught of cold -water from the stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There goes the old magpie back to her -nest. I wonder if the young ones are hatched -yet. I'm going aloft to see," said Jamie, and -he immediately began to climb the tall, -straight fir-tree, which stood on the very edge -of a steep slope, about twenty yards away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When he had shinned some fifteen feet up -the trunk he was able to clasp the lowest -branch, and in another minute he had ascended -to the very top of the tree, and was swaying -dangerously amongst the slender twigs where -the magpie had built her nest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How many young ones are there?" called -Jack from the foot of the tree.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Three and one egg left."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good! Bring the egg down. It's no -good to the old bird now. It's sure to be -addled. Bring it down--you know we -promised to get one for Tiny Tim the lame boy, -who can't climb."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the matter? Anything wrong?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sh! Sh!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie was signalling desperately from the -tree-top to his companion below, and pointing -across the stream, beyond the camp-fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who is it?" asked Jack, in a hoarse whisper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Old Click, I do believe--and--Beagle!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Snakes alive! What now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Better come up the tree. Quietly now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was just as expert at climbing as Jamie, -and never sailor-boy shinned up the truck to -the mast-head more quickly or more neatly -than he did up that tall fir-tree. In another -moment they were both perched aloft, and -hidden amongst the branches.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The two men had seen the smoke from the -distance, as it ascended above the trees, and -suspecting either trespassers or poachers, they -had crept quietly down to the place, and had -reached the neighbourhood of the fire, soon -after the boys had left the spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Imagine the feelings of the latter, as from -their lofty perch they looked down upon their -two bitterest enemies, only a stone's throw -away, and effectually cutting off their retreat. -Only a fortnight before, they had been hauled -before the magistrates for this very same -offence, and it had required all the influence of -Jack's father to protect the youngsters from -the penalty of the law.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The young vagabonds----" Old Click was -saying, as he kicked aside the embers of the -fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! Here be the heads of six foine -trout they have stolen," said Beagle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't know whether be the worst--Squire's -son or the poacher's son; but this I -know, they be both framing for Wakefield -gaol, or else the gallows."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How do ye know it be they, Mr. Click?" -asked the constable. "There be noa evidence -that I con see, as yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How do I know? Why, there ain't -another rascal in the village who dare come -into the woods and touch either fish or game -since Jem Mason was transported. Nobody -dare do it, 'cept these two vagabonds, who are -the plague o' my life."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye, the place is wunn'erfully quiet sin' I -copt Jem at his old tricks," said Beagle, -straightening his shoulders, as he recalled that -stirring incident, in which, however, he took a -very small part.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And I do think, constable, that you ain't -done your duty lately, to let these two rascals -play the pranks they ha' played."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that you say, Mr. Click?" said -Beagle, rather testily. "What have they done?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, 'twas only last Friday that Gaffer -John had a dead cat dropped down his -chimney, when he was just cooking his supper, -too, and it was all spoiled. And who was -it that fired Farmer Giles's hayrick, but -these same 'gallows-birds'? The young -varmint!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"First catch your man, Mr. Click, and then -you'll have evidence 'red-hot' that a bench -of magistrates will look at."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you hear that, Jamie?" whispered -Jack. "They're on our scent for dropping -that dead cat down 'Surly John's' chimney. -He deserved it, too, the skulking old miser, -for turning poor old Betty Lamb out of her -cottage. I'd do it again. But fancy blaming -us for firing that hayrick! Surely he can't -mean it!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll tell you what, Jack. This place is -getting too warm for us. Let's run away and -go to sea, as we always said we should."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Chance is a fine thing. Wait till we're -out of this hole. Wish we'd the chance to -run now, but if we stir they'll see us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point a shrill whistle rang through -the woods and startled them, and before they -had recovered from their surprise, the deep -bay of a hound was heard approaching from -the distance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Phew----" The boys looked at each -other, and for a moment their faces blanched, -as in an undertone these words simultaneously -escaped from their lips.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Old Click's dog----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We're up a tree now, Jack, in more than -one sense." And they were, for they both -knew the reputation of this wonderful hound. -He could track a poacher for miles, and having -once got the scent, he rarely let it go till he -had run his victim down. Nearer and nearer -came that deep bay, and soon the trampling of -the shrubs and undergrowth gave notice of its -arrival.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here, Charlie. Good dog.--Seek 'em.--Seek -'em," cried its master.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Instantly the hound began sniffing round -about the embers of the fire, till picking up -the newly-placed scent, it suddenly gave vent -to a peculiar howl, and then dashed directly -towards the stream. Here it paused abruptly, -and began sniffing the air, then it ran back to -the fire, picked up the scent again, and stopped -once more at the edge of the stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They've crossed the water, that's certain," -said the keeper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boys had watched this with great -consternation. They had given up all hope of -escape, but when they saw this fine dog twice -baffled by the stream, hope returned in an -overflowing measure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is just a chance," whispered Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The two men crossed the burn, and brought -the dog to the other bank, to see if it could -pick up the trail. Fortunately, the boys had -paddled a little way up-stream, when they -crossed, and this caused some further delay in -recovering the scent. Still the keeper -persevered, and in another quarter of an hour, the -hound uttered a joyful little bark, and with -tail erect and nose to the ground, it started -away in the direction of the fir. Suddenly it -stopped at the foot of the tree, where the -culprits were perched, and began clawing and -scratching at the bark.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="holding-the-fort"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER II</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">HOLDING THE FORT</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Aghast--horrified--the boys looked at each -other in silence. Most boys would have -blubbered and given up the game. Not so these -two lads. Their faces turned a shade paler, -but a stern heroic light shone from their eyes, -as they calmly awaited events.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A moment later the constable and the keeper -came struggling through the brushwood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here they are, Beagle! Caught at last. -It's the two of them. The same old birds," -cried Old Click joyfully, as he caught sight -of the prisoners. "Good dog! Good old -Charlie! There's a dog for you, Beagle! -Not another like him for twenty miles around. -See how he's run the vagabonds to earth!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's a good dog, I admit, Mr. Click, but -he hasn't quite run them to earth yet, seeing -that they're a good forty feet above the -ground; but we've got them tree'd and -cornered this time, proper, eh?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ho, there! Come down, ye young -varmint. Come down this minute, or t'ull be -worse for you," shouted the keeper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I shall come down when I please," said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"All right, you son of a poacher. I'll sit -down till you do as I tell you. I don't mind -a rest and a smoke, but I won't move from -this spot till you do come down."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Won't you move, though? You old -fox. You shan't stay there if you have -tree'd us. Take that, and that," and as he -spoke Jamie hurled with all his might a chunk -of dead wood, which he had torn from a -withered branch. "I'll teach you to call me -names. My father was a better man than you, -any day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The missile hit the keeper on the knee, as -he sat on the grass, and gave him a nasty -shock. Up he jumped in a rage, and for a -couple of minutes he fairly danced and limped -around the tree, in spite of his determination -a minute ago not to move. He clenched his -fist and shook it at the youngsters.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll have the law on ye--ye young jackanapes. -What's that, Beagle, but 'battery -and assault,' and what's the penalty for it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Twenty strokes of the birch, Mr. Click, -and ten years' imprisonment, or, more likely, -transportation for life."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye, that's it--transportation. Like -your father got, you young gallows-bird."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This second taunt about his father made the -blood rush to the lad's face, and he hurled -another chunk of wood at the irate keeper, -which narrowly missed his head, but hit the -hound instead, which set up a frightful yell -and bolted into the wood, and despite all the -blandishments of its master refused to come -anywhere near the zone of fire again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boys were as agile as monkeys aloft, and -they quickly got several more pieces of dead -timber ready for their captors. Things were -turning out much better than they feared, and -they were not having the worst of it, so far, at -least. How it would all end it was impossible -to say, but there was just this chance, that -they might drive away the two men by their -determined assault, until an opportunity -occurred for them to slip down the tree; and -once on the ground, with even a dozen yards -start, they could easily leave their pursuers -behind. As for the hound--well, another -chunk of wood would about settle him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Both the keeper and the constable were now -very chary about showing themselves, after the -narrow escape of the former, for the boys were -so expert with the missiles, and so determined -in their opposition that the two men kept -behind the tree trunks, some twenty or thirty -feet away. Both boys had their pea-shooters, -with a plentiful supply of dry wicken-berries, -and whenever their opponents showed so much -as an inch of face they were mercilessly pelted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You young rascals. You shall pay dearly -for this. Do ye know ye're insulting the -law?" cried the constable, trying hard to -dodge the pea-shooters as he spoke.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why don't you go home?" called out -Jack. "If either of you come near the tree -again, we'll break every bone in your body. -We've plenty of wood here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This game was continued for more than -half-an-hour, at the end of which time the two -men got behind a thick holly bush near by, -and began to consult together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment the boys would have been -free, for while the keepers were thus engaged, -their prisoners were preparing to slide down -the tree and make a dash for it, when, -observing this, the men rushed towards the tree just -in time to prevent them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come back, Jamie! Come back----" -cried his companion, hurling at the same -instant another piece of wood at Beagle, who -made a desperate spring, and tried to catch -hold of Jamie's legs, as he hung dangling from -a branch. The missile took effect, and the -constable quickly retreated, roaring like the -"Bull of Bashan."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment Old Click emerged from -the wood with an armful of bracken, with -which he quickly kindled a fire. Soon a thick -column of smoke arose, and drifted towards -the tree. More and more bracken and -brushwood were piled on, and the smoke became -chokingly dense up there in the tree, for the -fire had been lit with the express purpose of -smoking them out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boys plied them valiantly with -wood-chunks and wicken-berries, but their -ammunition soon failed them. The smoke had become -dreadful now. They were nearly choked with -it, and were already half-blinded. What -could they do? Still they held out. They -mounted to the very top of the tree, and sat -there with their faces buried in their hands to -keep that suffocating smoke from their eyes -and nostrils.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Coming down now, sir?" asked the -keeper, who had now begun to light another -fire at the root of the tree, for he saw that -there was no more ammunition aloft, but he -had counted without his host.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, you villains! Take that!--and that!" -shouted Jack, at the same time hurling down -through the smoke first one boot and then -another, as a last resort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The second boot caught Old Click in the -middle of the back as he was stooping down -to tend the fire, and made him give vent to -a yell which resounded through the woods. -This incident evoked a bit of high-sounding -English that I will not here repeat--suffice it -to say that the yell brought Beagle, who had -gone to fetch a woodman's axe, running to -the spot to see what had happened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The keeper sat down on the grass for a few -moments, and the boys were afraid that they -had killed him, but in a little while he sprang -up again and cried out angrily--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'll give you two minutes to come down, -gentlemen. At the end of that time I shall -cut down the tree."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was no answer, and at the end of the -two minutes the keeper spoke again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will you come down and go quietly to the -lock-up?" Still no answer, and the next -moment----</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Chip!--chip!" went the axe, and at every -stroke the tall tree shook. The trunk was more -than half-way through now, and the whole stem -trembled with the blows, when a voice called -from aloft, through the smoke--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stop! Mr. Click, if you please."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Quite willing to take a brief rest and to -enjoy the discomfort of the youngsters, the -keeper stayed his axe for a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll come down, Mr. Click, if you won't -take us to the lock-up. We've only had six -of your beastly trout, and they were not worth -two-pence each, but we're willing to pay you -for them, and to come down, if you won't -take us before the magistrates. We've done -nothing to deserve it," said Jack, as he -prepared to descend.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you hear that, Beagle? That's what -I call trying to bribe an honest man. What -do you call it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's it--bribery and corruption," -replied the constable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The terms of surrender are unconditional, -you young jackanapes." And with that Click -went to work with the axe again. The tree -quivered, and gave signs that it was about to -fall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext" id="id1"><span>"Stop! Stop! We're coming down." And -then, realising that the game was up, the two -chums quietly slid down the trunk into the -arms of their captors, and were triumphantly -marched off to the lock-up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was getting dark when they reached this -ugly little building, but they were unceremoniously -thrust inside, and when the key grated in -the lock and the two men had left them, with -only the rats for their companions, they were -just a little bit "skeered."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jamie! Where are you?" asked Jack, -when they had been left alone in the silence -and the darkness for some minutes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here! Here!" cried his companion, and -they crept along the wall until they were able -to touch each other. Then they cowered down -in a corner, against the wall.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll get out of this before morning, else -my name's not Jack Elliot, and then we'll -do that which we've often spoken about. -We'll run away--we'll go to sea--we'll tramp -to Liverpool, and we'll find a ship going -abroad, and we'll get taken aboard -somehow--and--and we'll stick together, and make our -fortunes. What say you, Jamie?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack, you're a brick. Give me your -hand. I'll go with you, and we'll stick -together. I've no father and no mother, and -no friends--except you. All the world's -against us. Old Click and Beagle have been -trying to catch us for months, and now they've -done it. They'll brag about it, and the whole -village will laugh at us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, they've threatened to turn us out of -school, and now they'll perhaps send us to -prison, just for taking a few trout, as though -God didn't make the trout, and the streams, -and the woods for all of us. And to-morrow -they'll bring us before the magistrates----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Will they, though? They won't have the -chance. Just hold this, while I get a light, -and then we'll examine the place," and Jamie -pulled a piece of tar-band out of his pocket, -unravelled the end, and handed it to his -companion. Next, he took out his tinder-box, -and quickly threw a shower of sparks on to -the tow, which produced a little flame, about -the size of a rushlight. Then they began to -look around them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a common type of village lock-up, -built of rough, undressed stones from the -neighbouring quarries. It had massive oaken -doors, which had been securely locked, and -there were no windows, for the only opening -was a small aperture, eighteen inches square, -and about seven feet from the ground, and it -was caged by several rusty iron bars. The -floor was flagged with stones and covered with -rushes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The place was used merely as a temporary -lock-up for poachers and other law-breakers -before their transference to the county gaol, -and was situated just outside the village. In -a few minutes they had examined the doors, -the walls and the floor, but they sought in -vain for any spot that offered a chance of -escape.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The grating, Jack! Let's try the grating. -I reckon that's our only chance. Here, -give me a leg! Let me climb on to your -shoulders and try the bars." This was no -sooner said than done.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here's luck! The middle bar is filed -through at one end, and here on the ledge is -a rusty file, thick with cobwebs. How jolly! -Some one's been at this game before, and it's -never been discovered. Half the work's been -done for us, but it must have been many years -ago. I believe if we can file through the other -end of this bar we can squirm through."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder who did it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Blessings on his head, whoever or -wherever he is. May he never want a friend!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was indeed a long time ago since the file -had been used. It had lain there for twelve -years hidden by cobwebs and dust, and the -poacher who had used it had been transported.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For the next half-hour the two boys took -turns filing away at that thick iron bar, -standing or kneeling on each other's shoulders. -Suddenly at the end of that time voices were -heard, and then footsteps approaching.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sh! Sh! Put out the light, Jamie, quick! -Some one is coming." The light was extinguished, -and the prisoners sat down quietly on -the rush-strewn floor.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Who could it be? Had the magistrates -sent some one already to remove them to the -county gaol? If so, their chances of escape -were already cut off. They determined to -wait quietly and see, for this was all they -could do.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nearer and nearer came the sounds they had -previously heard. The footsteps halted -outside the heavy doors. The rays of light from -a lanthorn flashed through the interstices and -the openings. Some one was examining the -lock. Who could it be? The boys' hearts -quaked with fear lest their efforts at escape -should be foiled. Then they heard the voices -of their captors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They ain't broke gaol yet, Beagle! The -lock's safe and sound. We've got them -safe--this time," said Old Click.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you, though?" whispered Jack, -under his breath.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo, there, ye young varmints! Who's -master now? You won't do any more poaching -in Hawk Woods, I'll warrant," said the -keeper, who seemed to have come purposely -to poke fun at them. Then Jamie pretended -to sob piteously.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, it's crying ye are, is it? Ah, well, -it's too late for repentance now. Ye should -ha' thought o' that before."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come away now, Mr. Click. They're -safe till the morning, anyhow. Then we can -bring them before the magistrates and have -them whipped, and sent to prison, and perhaps -transported. Come away," said Beagle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'd like to see the man who would dare -to whip me," cried out Jack, his voice ringing -with anger and defiance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tut, tut! my little man! When a boy -begins training so early for the gallows, what -can he expect? Howsoever, 'tis no use -argefying, so I'll just bid ye good-night." After -which they both went off chuckling and -saying--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Twill be a lesson for them. T' squire and -schoolmaster seemed mightily pleased over it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>To do the janitors justice, however, I must -here say that it was not intended to punish -the lads further than by letting them spend -the night in the lock-up, in the hope that this -might teach them a severe lesson. To this -course Jack's father and the schoolmaster, who -had been already informed, quite agreed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads, however, took it more seriously, -and felt convinced from precedents within their -memory that the full severity of the law would -be meted out to them, and they determined -to prevent it by escaping and running away -from Burnside and saving their families this -terrible disgrace, for Jamie still looked upon -his aunt as his guardian, and though Jack had -no mother or sisters, he had a father and -brothers. Besides, they were just at that age -when romance begins; for all their heroes had -commenced life by running away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon, therefore, as their janitors were -out of hearing, they set to work again with -the rusty old file, which by this time had lost -much of its rust and had begun to bite keenly. -It was hard work, but their freedom and their -future were at stake. They were hungry, too, -for since dinner they had tasted nothing but -those few trout which they had taken from the burn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was damp and chilly too, but they did -not feel the cold, for they were aglow with the -exercise and flushed with the promise of victory.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hurrah! It's through at last!" exclaimed -Jamie, as the file slipped and the heavy -bar fell upon the floor with a jangle and a jar.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bravo, old fellow! Well done."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie put the file in his pocket, and swung -himself up by the remaining bars. There was -now an aperture about eleven inches square, -and though it required a bit of a struggle to -squeeze through that awkward gap, yet they -had both done more difficult things than that -in the past, and so within five minutes they -were both standing in the road outside the -lock-up.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-long-tramp-to-the-sea"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER III</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A LONG TRAMP TO THE SEA</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The village clock in the old church tower -was striking eleven. It was dreadfully dark, -but the lads were not afraid, and they started -off at a sharp trot, as soon as they had regained -their liberty. For some distance they followed -the tree-lined road that led away from the -village. They kept on in silence till they -reached the outskirts of Bogden Woods, then -they took one of the narrow, winding paths -that led down through the thicket, crossed the -stream at the bottom of the dell, and ascended -the opposite hill-side.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still they kept on--now through the more -open country, over hill and dale, until at the -end of two hours, despite the darkness, they -had put six good miles between themselves -and the lock-up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At last, fatigued beyond measure, they -halted for a rest below Lin-Crag, one of the -highest peaks in the Pennine Chain. Here, -on the lower reaches of the moor, they made -for themselves a bed of dried heather, where -they could lie down.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here, let us rest awhile, Jack, for I'm -dead beat," said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Right!" said his companion, "No one -will discover us here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a short breathing space, they began -to take stock of their possessions. Alas! -Jamie had but a few pennies and half-pence, a -piece of tar-band and a tinder-box, while Jack -could only find a penknife, a pocket compass -and a sixpence. This, then, was their -stock-in-trade, and it did not promise them much -luxury on their way to the sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now," said Jack, "I have an uncle who -is captain of a ship that trades between the -River Plate and Liverpool--Captain Elliot is -his name, and the ship is called the </span><em class="italics">Ilawara</em><span>. -If, when we get to Liverpool, he should -happen to be in port, I am sure that he would -give us both a berth aboard, for once, when -father took me to see him, he advised me to -become a sailor, when I had grown up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Capital! But let's see, how far away is -Liverpool?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It must be about sixty miles away, and -almost due west, right over the moors there, -for I've often measured it roughly on the map. -I think that's the west, though I can't -quite see the needle of the compass in the -dark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, Jack, that's the west, right over -the moors and over Lin-Crag too, and there -are about twelve miles of moorland, with -plenty of peat-bog, and soft ground, so that -it will not be safe to go much further till -daybreak."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're sure that's the west, Jamie?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, certain. Why, look, you don't need -a compass! There's the North Star, and the -Cassiopean Guards, and right opposite is the -south, and over there must be the east, as -you'll soon see when the day breaks."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bravo, Jamie! You're as good as a compass."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then we'll sleep here, and at sunrise -we'll get some food and start for Liverpool, -and there'll be no going back for either of -us. The die is cast, old fellow. What say you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The die is cast! We will not go back."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They both laid themselves down on a couch -of heather, there to spend the rest of the -night, but they were too excited to sleep--the -events of the past twenty-four hours chased -each other through their brains. Jamie was -nearly dozing off, however, when Jack -suddenly leapt to his feet, and exclaimed----</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here's a piece of luck, Jamie!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the matter? How you did -startle me!" cried the other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Just look here!" said Jack, ripping -open the lining of his jacket, and taking out -something that gleamed bright, even in the -starlight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why--it's a guinea! Where did you get it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'd forgotten all about it myself. About -a month ago, Aunt Emma drove over from -Honley, to see father, and when she went -away, she said something about my being a -poor motherless bairn, and she slipped this -into my hand as she left. She asked me to -buy myself a present with it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But you didn't?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No! I had a presentiment that when we -ran away, we should want it, so I just sewed -it into the lining of my coat, and till this -moment, I'd entirely forgotten it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We're rich men, Jack. We are indeed in luck."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were doubly excited now and quite -unable to sleep, so they talked on about the -future that lay before them, full of golden -promise, when once they reached Liverpool. -Then two hours before the dawn they fell fast -asleep, and they slept so soundly that when at -length they awoke the sun was nearly half-way -to the meridian. Even then they were -wakened by a rough but kindly voice that -sounded in their ears----</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here's a pretty sight, Jane! Come and -see it. Here are two young gen'elmen, -sleeping out o' doors." Then giving them both a -hearty shake, he exclaimed, "What's the -meaning o' this, young gen'elmen? Have -you run away from school?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Both boys sat up quickly, and rubbed their -eyes. Then they looked around them, -bewildered and astonished. Where were they? -How came they here? Who was this big, -burly-looking farmer before them?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a full half minute before they became -fully conscious of all that had happened. At -length they looked at each other, and then -burst out laughing, for they were both relieved -to find that the intruder was neither Old Click -nor Beagle. Jane the milkmaid came over to -the spot, leaving the cow that she had been -milking, some twenty yards away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boys looked around them again to take -their bearings before they replied to the farmer. -A dozen cattle stood round about, chewing -their cud lazily, and flicking off, with their long -tails, the flies that had already begun to bother -them, while beside the farmer stood his faithful -sheep-dog, which had really first attracted -his master's attention to the spot. The place -where they had been sleeping was a sheltered -little hollow, where the meadow joined the -moor, while about two hundred yards away -was a long, low farmhouse.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see you're running away from school, -gen'elmen," repeated the farmer, -good-humouredly, for there was a twinkle in his -eye.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir," replied Jack, thinking it best -to let it stop at that.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An' where are you goin' to?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Liverpool--to the sea----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A burst of laughter, like a minor explosion, -came from the farmer. "Ah, I see. But -ye'll be glad to get home before to-morrow -night. I once tried it myself, I did. Walked -all the way to Liverpool, and when I got -there--ha! ha! ha!--the sea was rough, and I was -'skeered' an' I didn't like the look of it, and -I turned back home, an' I tell ye, that for four -days and for four nights I had nothing to eat, -'cept a few raw turnips. My poor feet were -that sore an' blistered that I sometimes lay -down and cried, and when at last, after six -days, I limped back into the farm-yard yonder, -my faither said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'What! Home again so soon, Jock? I -didn't expect ye for anither week, lad!'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Could I ha' a basin o' porridge, faither?' -I said meekly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Jock,' he said, 'afore ye touch ony -porridge, ye mun' earn it. Do ye see that -heap o' stones there? Well, ye mun' wheel -'em across the yard there afore ye touch ony -porridge here.'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was the same heap of stones that I had -refused to wheel, and which had been the -cause o' my setting off to Liverpool. I were -that tired and faint an' hungry that I were -ready to drop, but I simply said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'All right, faither,' and I began the task; -but when I had wheeled a dozen barrow-loads -or so, the old man saw me stagger once or -twice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'That'll do! Porridge is ready, Jock, -lad.' An' to my dying day I shall never taste -anither meal half so foine as yon basin o' -porridge, an' if ye lads 'll take my advice, -ye'll just turn back, and go home again, for -it'll come to that later, only then ye'll be -footsore and tired and hungry. But please -yersel's, I don't suppose ye'll listen to an old -man," he added, as he saw a clouded and -uneasy look come over their faces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We're not going back," said Jamie -boldly. "Are we, Jack?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No! We'll die first."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought so. Maybe you're hungry, and -could do with a little breakfast, lads."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed, we could, sir, and we're willing to -pay for it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tut! tut! Come into the house, then." And -the kindly old man led them to the -farmhouse, where his wife simply said, "Puir -lads," and soon provided for them a substantial -meal.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A large steaming basin of oatmeal porridge -was soon laid before each of them, made -from rich milk, instead of water. They soon -made short work of this. Then Jane brought -in a plate of home-made cakes, well-buttered, -but still their hunger did not abate one jot. -The farmer was used to big appetites, and -neither his wife nor Jane expressed any -surprise. Then their host took out his huge -clasp knife and cut several rashers from a flitch -of bacon that hung suspended from the ceiling. -These were fried along with a few eggs, -and when they had cleared this third dish, the -keen edge was taken from their appetites, and -they declared that they were satisfied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They thanked the farmer for his great -kindness, and asked him how much they were -indebted to him, but when they offered to -pay, he held up both hands, and exclaimed--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not a penny! Keep your money. You'll -want it all before long. It does me good to -see lads with pluck like yours. Maybe you'll -get further than I did. I think you're made -of different stuff, and I ha' quite ta'en a fancy -to you. While we've lads like you, we shall -never want men to fight the Frenchers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I have a brother fighting under Clive now, -in India!" exclaimed Jack, with a touch of -family pride.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, maybe you're Squire Elliot's son, then!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this Jack's face fell, for he saw that he -had well-nigh given away his identity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah well, never mind! Perhaps ye did -not get on very well with the old squire. He -was a harder man after your poor mother died."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The mention of his mother gave Jack a -twinge of pain, and caused a lump to rise in -his throat. His mother's early death had -removed his guardian angel. Perhaps he -would have been a better lad if she had lived; -more tame and docile, like other boys.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Puir lad!" exclaimed the farmer's wife; -"and has he no mother then? He ma' weel -run away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's tears were very near the surface, but -he forced them back with an effort, for he -considered it a great weakness to give way to his -feelings.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they left the old farmhouse, yet another -kindness was shown to them, for Jane, secretly -bidden by the farmer's wife, had made up a -bundle of substantial oat-cakes, with a large -piece of cheese, and as they passed out of the -door she handed it to them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This last act of kindness to these two poor -motherless lads touched their hearts as -perhaps nothing else could have done. They had -not been used to such kindness, and they -expressed their gratitude, not by words, for they -couldn't speak, but by the great, big tears that -welled up in their eyes, despite their every -effort to keep them back now. Ah! nothing -penetrates a boy's heart like kindness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old farmer pointed out the way, across -the moors, and over Lin-Crag--the way he -had trodden fifty years ago, and soon they -were climbing the steep hill-side, knee-deep -in heather, and following the winding sheep -tracks. Again and again they turned round -to wave their handkerchiefs at the trio -standing by the farm-yard gate now far beneath -them, until at last, as they stood on the -summit of the crag, the house looked like a little -speck in the distance and soon disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then they footed it gaily across the lonely -blue moorlands. Sometimes they started a -covey of young grouse, hidden amongst the -heather; then the peewits wheeled around -them, uttering plaintive cries, as though -bidding them good-bye. The scenes of their -childhood, and the landscape on which their -infant eyes had first gazed, were now left -behind. The little lambs frisked about -playfully, or cropped the short, green patches of -tough grass near the water-courses, while -overhead the larks sang joyously, continuously, -and the sun shone brilliantly down from that -wide expanse of azure dome.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads sang, too, blithely, lustily, for -nothing could repress that feeling that was -bubbling up within them; they trod the -earth lightly, for they were in the "Land of -Havilah," which is the "Golden Land of -Youth," where the sun is always shining, -where all the visions and ideals are golden, -the enthusiasm and the energy boundless. -So life with all its charm was opening out to -them, but what was that life to be?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let us halt beside this spring, Jamie, for -we have come twelve miles since morning," -said Jack, about an hour after mid-day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So they rested awhile, and ate some of the -oat-cakes, and drank at the spring, where -commenced a little stream of clear water, which -sang its way down to the sea. Soon they left -the wild moorlands behind them, and descending -the western slopes of the Pennines, they -entered the county of Lancaster, and passed -through several hamlets and villages, where -the rude country people spoke a dialect which -they could scarcely understand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Towards evening their footsteps began to -lag. They had long ago ceased to sing, or -even to whistle. They were tired and footsore, -and for the last hour they had trudged on in -silence, for they were both very brave, and -neither would confess fatigue.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night they slept under a hayrick in -the corner of a field. They slept soundly, too, -but next morning they were up early, and -after performing their ablutions, and cooling -their blistered feet in a neighbouring pond, -they finished the oat-cakes and cheese, and -started again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The first day they had covered nearly half -the distance between their home and that rising -little sea-port town of Liverpool, whose docks -and wharves were now crowded with ships from -every part of the globe. The second day, -however, they were too footsore to travel half -that distance, and they had to break into that -golden guinea to buy food, but they still -persisted and never spake one word about turning -back, and in the afternoon of the fourth day -their hearts beat with joy, as they reached the -top of a little eminence, that is now part and -parcel of the great city of Liverpool, but was -then merely a country lane, and their eyes were -gladdened by a first glimpse of the forest of -masts and spars, that lay in the river beneath -them, while out there--beyond the bar, where -the breakers were rolling in by the -lighthouse--was the sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The sea! the sea!" they both exclaimed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And in the transport of joy which followed, -tired limbs and blistered feet were forgotten, -for this was their first glimpse of the sea.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-watch-in-the-fore-top"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE WATCH IN THE FORE-TOP</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Soon they were down by the Mersey's bank, -at a spot where the famous landing-stage has -since been erected. Then they passed along -the wharves and docks, but recently -constructed, where the big ships, with their -towering masts and spars, came in to unload their -valuable cargoes, for here were ships from the -Levant and the Eastern Archipelagoes, from -Spain and the West Indies, from the Canadas -and the new colonies of America.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Never before had they seen such noble -vessels, nor had they dreamt it possible that -such leviathans could be built. Never before -had they gazed upon such a vast concourse of -people, rushing hither and thither, shouting, -pushing, loading and unloading, as though -every ship must catch the next tide that flowed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Their hearts swelled with pride as they -stood and watched a stately barque, fresh from -the River Plate, being warped in to the bank -and made fast. Some of her swarthy crew -were aloft clewing up the sails, others were -below, stowing away, making fast, or squaring -the yards, singing snatches of songs, but all of -them eager and longing to get ashore and to set -foot in Old England again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Oh, how they envied these men, who had -sailed those far-away seas and seen those lands -with strangely-sounding names, and islands -that gleamed like gems set in the tropical seas. -East, west, north and south met here with all -their charm and romance, for then Liverpool -was rapidly becoming an emporium for the -sea-borne commerce of the world.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And so the lads forgot the toil and weariness -of the past four days, for they were bewildered -by the strange and wonderful scenes which -were being enacted before them. They were -both romantic and imaginative, and nothing -of it was lost upon them, for it all was so new.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They forgot that they were hungry and -tired, homeless and friendless, and almost at -the end of their tether. It was as though the -very ships were speaking to them of the places -whence they came. They told them of far -eastern seas, of dusky kings and princes, whose -palaces, crowned with minarets and towers, -lined the golden shores of those far-off lands. -They spoke of coral islands which shone like -gems in an emerald sea, of shining strands that -were edged with fronded palms, of rich and -spicy groves that were filled with new and -luscious fruits, of the jungle, the prairie and -the forest. All these things and more were -out there--in the west, beyond the lighthouse -and the sunset.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The big ship from the River Plate was -alongside now. The merchants were going aboard -to see the lading, but the sailors, with merry -hearts and other thoughts, were coming -ashore, dancing and singing like huge schoolboys -set at liberty. One had a parrot that he -carried in a cage, another had brought home -a monkey, while some had strange curios -worked by the natives, but each man seemed -to have brought some present or keepsake for -those at home. They all seemed so jolly, too, -that the boys made up their minds, there -and then, that they would take the first ship -that offered, whether eastward or westward -bound.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>'Twas getting toward evening, and in -another two hours it would be dark, but they -still wandered spellbound about the ships. -Several times they had spoken to sailors and -officers, and each time Jack had asked after his -uncle, Captain Elliot of the </span><em class="italics">Ilawara</em><span>, but no -one seemed to know him. They had now -begun to wonder where they would have to -spend the night, if no one would take them -aboard. They were beginning to feel a little -bit uneasy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In their wanderings they had several times -passed and repassed a fine ship that was almost -ready for sailing, and they now found -themselves close by her again. The men were -aboard, and several officers were on the -afterdeck, and they had wished very much to hail -them, but so far they had not had the temerity -to do so.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder where she's going to, Jack?" -said his chum, as they sat down upon a coil of -rope just alongside.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Out west, somewhere. To the Americas, -I believe."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"She's going out on this tide. I heard one -of the men aboard say so. I wish they'd take us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Clear that gangway, lads! Here comes -the captain, and the pilot, too!" cried one of -the officers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads looked around and saw a smart-looking -officer in uniform coming along the -quay, accompanied by an older man--a veritable -sea-dog, with his arm full of oilskins and -a sou'wester on his head.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How soon do you hope to reach America, -Captain Forbes?" the pilot was asking.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In five weeks, if this wind holds."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Have you got a full crew aboard?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We're three hands short of a full complement, -but I don't intend to wait, with this -wind blowing."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did you hear that, Jack? Three hands -short, and sailing to-night," whispered Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now is the time! Let's try our luck."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Agreed!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They boldly approached the captain, and -Jack, acting as spokesman, began somewhat -nervously thus--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If you please, sir, we want to go to sea."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that?" snapped the captain. -"Who are you? What do you want?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I heard you say, sir, just now, that you -were three hands short aboard your ship. If -you will take us we will try hard to serve you -in any capacity."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But, my little man," said the captain, -stooping down, for he was very tall, "I don't -take babies aboard my ship. You see, we -haven't got any nurses to look after them when -they cry."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads drew themselves up to their full -height, and told the captain that they were -fifteen, and that they had walked sixty miles -to reach Liverpool, and that they meant to go -to sea, if not aboard his ship, then aboard some -other vessel.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take an old sea-captain's advice, lads. -Don't go to sea till you're twenty, and then -you'll never go at all. The sea's not exactly -the place for young gentlemen like you. Go -home to your mothers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We've got no mothers, or perhaps we -shouldn't have come here!" said Jack, flushing -up a little at the captain's words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, come now, my little bantams. If -that's so it alters the case. For the boy who -hasn't got a mother the sea's not a bad place. -Just tell me who you are, and where you come -from?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So they told him all, for there was a glint of -kindness in that stern face, and a twinkle in -those clear, grey-blue eyes that gained their -confidence. They even told the story of Old -Click and Beagle, and the lock-up. When -they described the manner in which they had -held the keepers at bay with the wood-chunks, -till they were burnt out, both the captain and -the old pilot laughed heartily, and when they -had described their long, wearisome tramp to -find Captain Elliot's ship, the skipper clapped -them on the shoulder and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bravo! You've got grit and pluck enough -to become admirals. Captain Elliot, did you say?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir, Captain Elliot."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Of what ship?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The </span><em class="italics">Ilawara</em><span>. He is my uncle, and he -promised I should go to sea with him when I -was fifteen. Do you know him, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, yes! We were boys together -aboard the frigate </span><em class="italics">Monmouth</em><span>. We had many a -fight with the French in those days, and many -a close shave too. Fancy you being his -nephew." Then turning to the old pilot, the -captain said, "What say you, William? Shall -I take the young gamecocks? I like them, -but the sea's a rough place for young lads."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The pilot brought a pair of kindly eyes to -bear upon the youngsters, as though he envied -their youth and outlook upon life, and longed -to be young again, and then said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take 'em, Captain Forbes. A voyage will -do them no harm. 'Tisn't as though they -were taken crying from their mothers. It'll -larn 'em a useful lesson. 'Tis just the way I -went to sea meself. Take 'em."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Get aboard, youngsters, and report -yourself to Mr. Rogers, the first mate."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The youngsters did get aboard. Their -hearts were thumping with pride and glee, -for they had gained their hearts' desire, -and before long they had cleared the Mersey -bar and were standing out to sea, sailing out -into the sunset. When the pilot went -overboard, he nodded to them, and hoped that -they'd come home some day "Admirals of the Blue."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon as his duties permitted, Captain -Forbes himself took them in hand and assigned -them their work. He supplied them each with -a middy's outfit, enrolled their names on the -ship's books, and gave them a small cabin near -his own. Although the captain had taken a -special fancy to them, they were not to find it -all honey, however. They were to help the -men to take in sail, to share in the watches, -to personally attend upon the captain, and to -do much monotonous and arduous work, but -they never shied at it and never disobeyed a -superior officer. Each day, however, several -hours were set aside for study, and the captain -provided the books and set the lessons, which -were in mathematics, navigation and seamanship.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Captain Forbes took a kind and fatherly -interest in the lads, though he never relaxed -for one moment that stern discipline which is -so necessary for a headstrong youth. He -taught them that the only way to learn how -to command others was by first learning how -to command themselves. Nevertheless, to set -matters right at home he had sent a letter by -the pilot, addressed to Jack's father, telling -him where the lads were, and asking him not -to be uneasy on their account, as one voyage -would soon settle whether their future was to -be upon the sea or not. Under these favourable -conditions our heroes soon got their "sea-legs," -and made rapid progress in their new -studies, though they never forget the dreadful -fright they received the first time they were -sent aloft in bad weather.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>One dark night, in a fierce gale off the Irish -coast, they were ordered to assist the men in -furling the main-top-gallant and main-royal -sails. The vessel was creaking and straining -beneath them; rolling uneasily in the trough -of the sea. Long before they reached the -crosstrees their hearts were thumping wildly -and their teeth were chattering with fright, -and for a moment Jack wished that he were -safe ashore, even if in the old village lock-up -again; but the worst was yet to come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Far down beneath them the slippery decks -seemed black as night, except when a huge -green wave swept it from stem to stern. The -captain was shouting orders to the men aloft, -as though the lives of all aboard depended upon -a ready compliance, and for a while the men -in the rigging seemed helpless. The hoarse -voice of the first mate was heard calling to the -men who were struggling at the wheel, and -all seemed confusion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still, the lads felt that the eyes of the captain -were upon them, and they did not come down -till their work was done, although when they -reached the yards they thought their last -moment had come, as the canvas filled like a -huge bladder, and nearly hurled them off into -the boiling surf and the destruction that -threatened them below. They remained at -their posts, assisting the men, hanging on -sometimes by their teeth, until the sails were -dragged in and furled, and the gaskets made -fast and true.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After that experience they soon acquired -more confidence and were easily at home, -whether aloft or below, in fact, if anything, -they preferred to be aloft. 'Tis possible, even, -that they might have adopted the sea as a -profession, and that their names might have come -down to us with some of the illustrious admirals -of that period, but for an incident which -happened when they had been about four weeks -at sea, and which changed the course of their -lives once more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were within two hundred leagues of -Cape Cod on the New England coast, and -they were congratulating themselves on having -escaped the vigilance of the enemy's cruisers, -for they had a valuable cargo aboard, destined -for Boston, when the following incident -happened. Seven bells had just sounded in the -middle watch, and both Jamie and Jack were -on duty, perched on the crosstrees in the -foretop. It was very cold up there, and they were -both longing for the end of the watch that they -might descend and warm themselves at the -galley fire and appease their ravenous hunger -before turning in for a sleep. Day was just -breaking away to the east, but ahead it was -still dark and a little cloudy. Suddenly, -through a rift in the clouds, over there in the -north-west, towards the coast of the French -Canadas, Jamie saw a tiny speck, low down -on the horizon. He was about to hail the -deck, but first pointed it out to Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What can it be?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Take the glass, Jamie. My hands are so -numbed and cold I cannot keep it still."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie took the telescope, and steadying -himself for an instant, he leaned against the mast -and held the glass to his eye. As he brought -it to bear on that speck, the cry involuntarily -burst from his lips--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A sail! A sail!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where away?" called the first mate from the deck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"On the starboard bow, sir, north-west by west."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you make of her?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can't raise her hull yet, sir, but she must -be a big ship, for she carries a good head of -canvas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Almost instantly the mate was up in the -fore-top, carefully examining the stranger. -As he did so a grave look crossed his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Anything wrong, sir?" queried Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I don't like the look of her. I fear she's -no friend. We may have to run." Again -he examined her. Then, shutting up the glass -with a bang, he said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Go down, Elliot, and call the captain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye, aye, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the captain was being called, eight -bells sounded the end of the watch, and though -Jack had been eagerly longing for that blessed -sound before, he would now willingly have -remained aloft to watch that distant speck, -which seemed fraught with such danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he reached the deck he met the captain -coming up the companion ladder. The latter -immediately called out to the first mate, who -had remained aloft--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is she showing any colours, Mr. Rogers?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not yet, sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you think she is?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"She's a cruiser, sir. Of that I'm pretty -certain, but whether English or French I can't -yet say."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this alarming news, the captain himself -went aloft and keenly examined the movements -of the stranger for a few minutes, and -then said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"She's a French cruiser, Mr. Rogers, and -a fast one too. We must either fight her or -show her a clean pair of heels."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a few minutes the </span><em class="italics">Duncan's</em><span> course was -altered. Every stitch of canvas that she could -carry was flung out. Royals and stuns'ls were -set, and with the foam surging under her bows -she fairly bounded through the water, leaving -a wake astern that was a mile long.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-fight-with-the-frigate"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER V</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE FIGHT WITH THE FRIGATE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>There was no little excitement aboard when -it became known that the distant sail, "hull -down" upon the horizon, was probably a -French frigate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look at her white canvas, and her large, -square yards!" exclaimed Jamie. "She must -be a man-of-war, and even if she's only a -frigate she'll carry thirty guns against our ten, -and treble the number of men."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If she is a Frenchman she'll sink us, that's -certain, though I hope Captain Forbes will -make a fight of it," replied Jack, who could -not entirely suppress a feeling akin to dread, -as he watched the approaching ship.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's just a chance that she may be a -friend, after all, for even the English cruisers -do not always show their colours to the quarry -until all chance of escape is cut off."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It's just possible, of course, for there -should be plenty of them hereabouts. -Mr. Rogers tells me that last year they brought -no less than three hundred French ships and -their crews into English ports."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Breakfast was served as soon as the -excitement aboard the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span> had abated -somewhat, and afterwards the captain assembled -the crew and addressed them as follows--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lads, we're now within two hundred -leagues of the New England coast, and we're -carrying a valuable cargo. 'Tis our duty to -save it if we can, but yonder is a fast and -powerful frigate in our wake, who won't show -any colours, though mine have been flying at -the mast-head this half-hour."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hurrah! hurrah!" burst from the men, -as they saw the ensign they loved so well -unfurled to the breeze.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's right, lads! I'm glad to see that -you're not ashamed to fight for the old flag," -exclaimed the captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We'll die for it, captain, if need be!" -shouted several of the men, and no wonder, -for 'tis remarkable the courage that even -a flag inspires in the presence of an enemy, -especially when that enemy dares to insult -it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The fact that he has not yet shown his -colours," went on the captain, "means that -we've an enemy in our wake. Still, if this -breeze holds we may outsail him, but if we -can't do that we've got to fight him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye! aye! sir! Let's fight him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No Frenchman shall ever take my ship -while I live. I'll blow her up first. Mark my -words, lads. I will!" This was spoken in -such a fierce, but deliberate manner that the -men all saw that Captain Forbes meant it, -and they responded with a ringing cheer, which -rent the air like a broadside, and filled each -heart with courage and determination.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So now, lads, let's clear the decks, and -prepare for the worst."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye! aye! sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And the men went to work as only British -tars can work. They cleared the decks of -everything that was useless in an action. They -cleaned and loaded the guns, but they did not -as yet open the port-lids to run them out, lest -the lower decks should be swamped, and the -ship delayed. They ran out the boarding-nets, -and brought up the powder, wads and shot. -They got ready their cutlasses and boarding-pikes, -and in every way possible prepared to -meet a daring foe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell the men aloft to keep a sharp lookout. -We may sight an English frigate at any -moment, and then we shall see some fun, Mr. Rogers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye! aye! captain. That we shall," -replied the mate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Slowly the distant frigate gained upon the -</span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span>, and before noon it could be easily -seen from the deck, though still some five -leagues distant. Nearer and nearer she came, -and every man aboard the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span> had now -made up his mind that a fight was the only -possible ending, and the sooner it came, the -better.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The second mate, Mr. Hudson, and Jamie -were in the fore-top now, and just before -dinner the captain hailed them, and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ho, there! Can you make out her armament yet?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pretty well, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How many guns does she carry?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Twenty-six, I fancy, sir, for I can make -out thirteen portholes on her starboard side."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The captain trod the deck impatiently, -looking anxiously first at the approaching frigate, -and then into the weather quarter, as though -he anticipated a change.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I fear the wind's dropping, Mr. Rogers," -he said to the first mate, who paced the deck -beside him. "We shall have a calm shortly," -and within another half-hour the wind -moderated, and shortly after that it blew -spasmodically, and the frigate, now only two -leagues away, was "laying on and off," trying -to catch every breath of wind. The sails then -flapped idly against the masts, and there -followed a dead calm, when both ships lay -helpless upon a mirrored sheet of glass.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A puff of blue smoke broke away from one -of the starboard guns of the enemy, as she -now lay broadside on towards the English ship, -and then--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Boom!" came a report, rumbling over the water.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the same instant the French flag was -broken at the mast-head.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought as much, lads! Now we know -who she is, and what she wants. That shot is -a demand for surrender. What are those -other flags he's hanging out, Mr. Hudson?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He's signalling, sir. Wants to know if -we've struck. What shall I tell him, sir?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell him we haven't struck yet, but we'll -do so as soon as he comes a little nearer, in the -same way that Englishmen always strike."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At these words, which were heard all over -the ship, a rousing cheer, which the Frenchman -must have heard and wondered at, rang -across the water, for it summed up the feelings -of every man aboard. Shortly after this, the -event which every one was expecting, from the -captain down to the youngest cabin boy, -happened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're preparing to lower away the -boats, sir. They mean to cut us out," came -from the fore-top.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stand ready, my lads. Load every gun -with grape-shot, lads, but don't fire till I give -the order."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aye, aye, sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>One, two, three boats had been lowered, and -filled with armed men. Each pulled ten oars, -and there were at least thirty men in each boat, -now pulling towards the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span>.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Guns were run out; matches lit; cutlasses -and pikes kept handy; but for the next -half-hour a deep silence pervaded the ship's -company. The men spoke not, for every order -had been given, except that one for which -they were all waiting; but the glow which was -upon every cheek, and the sparkle which was -in every eye, showed the tense feeling which -animated the men. It was as though every -man heard the words--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie and Jack were both stationed at the -same gun, one of the twelve-pounders on the -port-side, amidships. This was their first -action, and they had a strange feeling at this -moment. It was not fear, for who could fear -with the eye of that brave commander upon -them from the quarter-deck. It was rather a -feeling of mingled awe and suspense. Oh, -how slowly the moments crawled! -Five--ten--twenty minutes passed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They could now hear the swish of the -enemy's oars as they fell in measured strokes -upon the water. Nearer and nearer they -came. The first boat was now scarcely a cable's -length away, when--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fire!" came in a voice of thunder from the poop.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every gun that had been brought to bear -belched forth its contents of flame and iron. -The deadly missiles sped on their way, carrying -death and destruction.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As soon as the smoke had cleared away, the -awful effect of this concentrated fire could be -seen. The first boat was literally blown to -pieces; nothing was left of it but broken -fragments, and the sea seemed full of struggling -creatures, whose cries were pitiful. The -second and third boats, however, were -untouched, and while one went to the assistance -of the first, the other dashed alongside, and -with a wild cry of vengeance, the men -clambered up the side and attempted to board.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Repel boarders! Give it 'em, lads!" -cried the captain, and seizing their pikes and -cutlasses the men left the guns and attacked -the enemy, who came on cheering, led by their -brave officers. The third boat had stopped -but to pick up a few stragglers, and then -joined their comrades. There were now sixty -or seventy men attempting to board the -merchantman, but very few of them reached -the deck, for the nets impeded their progress, -and the stalwart defenders hurled them back -into the sea.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The carnage was frightful. No quarter was -asked, and none was given. The guns were -silent now. It was hand-to-hand. Once the -enemy succeeded in cutting away the nets, and -an intrepid officer, followed by a few men, -gained the deck, but in a trice Captain Forbes -was amongst them, hewing his way with his -long cutlass. A dozen men sprang to his -assistance, and in less time than it takes to -tell it, the intruders were stretched dead or -wounded upon the deck.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At another time the alarm was given that -the Frenchmen had gained the poop. Alas, -it was only too true; some of them had -clambered up and in at the stern windows, and had -thus gained the upper deck. There was not a -moment to spare, for already they were -attempting to turn one of the brass swivels on -the poop upon the crew.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Follow me, lads!" cried the captain, as -he sprang aft and up the companion ladder, -and every man who could leave his post -followed him, including Jamie and his chum.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A dreadful hand-to-hand fight took place. -The men fought like tigers. Only two of the -enemy escaped who had reached the poop, -and these were glad to leap into the sea, to -escape those avenging English, who fought -like demons.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While this fierce scuffle was taking place, -something happened that had passed unnoticed -until it was too late. The wind, which had -dropped to a dead calm, had sprung up and -freshened rapidly from the nor'-east, and the -frigate, receiving the first benefit of the breeze, -had crept in nearer to the ship, and almost -before Captain Forbes could get his vessel -under way, the enemy poured in his first -broadside of thirteen guns, with an awful, crashing -effect. The ship staggered, and shook from -stem to stern at this fearful impact. Down -came the foremast, and went over the side, -carrying with it a tangle of wreckage, torn -sails and rigging, giving the vessel a heavy list -to starboard, and killing several men on the -spot. More than twenty men were killed or -wounded within a few minutes, for broadside -now followed broadside.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Cut away that rigging, lads!" cried the captain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were almost his last words. As he -seized a hatchet and sprang forward to cut -away the wreckage, a cannon ball shattered his -right arm, and even as he fell, a musket ball -pierced his breast, and he fell upon the -blood-stained deck. Jack rushed forward to support -him, and tried to staunch his wounds, but the -captain shook his head and lapsed into unconsciousness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a most unequal fight, but the men -still fought on stubbornly. Half the guns -were dismantled, and there were not enough -unwounded men to serve the rest, but every -gun that could be manned was double-loaded -and fired with such precision, that great havoc -was worked upon the enemy's decks, which -were much more crowded than those of the -English ship.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For another hour the unequal contest -continued, and the French were preparing to -board again, when the </span><em class="italics">Duncan's</em><span> main-top-mast -went over the side with a crash, bringing -down with it the colours, which had till now -floated proudly over the wreckage of the -merchantman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This crash awoke the captain to consciousness -for a moment, and he noticed the colours, -hanging over the side, as he half raised himself -and endeavoured to assume command.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The colours! the colours!" he cried. -"Take the ensign aloft, some one!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie, who was bending over him, heard -and understood. He seized the ensign, -tattered and torn as it was, and tore it away. -The next moment he sprang into the mizzen -shrouds, for that was the only mast remaining. -Amid a shower of bullets from the French -sharpshooters, he reached the crosstrees. As -he reached the top-gallant yard a shaft of -pain seemed to grip his left shoulder; still, -up he went, and in another moment he had -made fast the colours above the mizzen-royal yard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A moment only he stayed there--to wave -his hat in defiance at the enemy, whose bullets -still whistled around him. This daring act was -not lost upon a gallant foe. The French -captain ordered his men to cease firing at </span><em class="italics">ce -brave fils</em><span>, and a cheer even broke from the -cruiser's deck as he began to descend.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was with difficulty that he came down -from that perilous post, for his left arm was -useless owing to the bullet wound in his -shoulder, from which the blood had been -flowing freely. Everything about was now -becoming blurred and indistinct.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When at last he reached the deck the -captain, supported by Jack and the second mate, -was breathing with great difficulty, but he -beckoned Jamie to him. Smiling faintly, -and holding out his hand, which the lad -grasped, he was only able to whisper--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well done! We'll go down with colours flying!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he raised his eyes, to look once more -at that tattered ensign, floating bravely at the -mizzen, and even while he gazed at it, still -holding the lad's hand, his eyes became fixed -in death, and that torn flag was the last thing -that he saw on this side.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus died a brave sailor, and an English -gentleman, whose courage and fidelity had -perhaps passed unnoticed but for this brief -record. And they laid him gently against the -foot of the broken main-mast.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the matter, Jamie? You're -wounded, too!" exclaimed Jack, one of the -few still aboard who remained unwounded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As Jamie looked at the dead captain the -mists swam before his eyes, and he reeled and -fell beside his leader, his idol and example, -who had died at the post of duty for his ship, -and the honour of his country.</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"And how can man die better,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>Than facing fearful odds,</span></div> -</div> -<div class="line"><span>For the ashes of his fathers,</span></div> -<div class="inner line-block"> -<div class="line"><span>And the temples of his gods."</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Wake up, Jamie! Wake up! Oh, comrades, -he's dying. Speak, Jamie! Speak!" -he cried in an agony of bitterness, quite -heedless of the shots that still flew around; but his -comrade spoke not, for he had swooned away -from weakness and loss of blood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In Jamie's ears the roar of battle now -seemed afar off, like the murmur of a distant -stream. The smoke, the enemy and the battle -faded from his vision, for it seemed to him that -he still sat in the old school-house at Burnside, -and Jack was beside him, while Dr. Birch, -book in hand, was speaking of the heroic deeds -of ancient days--of Hector and Achilles, of -Diomed and Ajax, of Æneas and Ulysses.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="prisoners-of-war"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">PRISONERS OF WAR</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"You've fought like Britons, lads! You've -done all that brave men could do! It remains -for us but to die like heroes," cried -Mr. Rogers, the first mate, who, though seriously -wounded himself, had led the fight since the -captain fell.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The remnant of the crew cheered these -words of the mate, who was already leaning -on a dismantled gun for support.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And what a remnant it was! Out of a crew -of fifty, only nineteen men remained alive, and -most of these were wounded. The condition -of the ship, which had sustained this unequal -contest, was pitiable in the extreme. Both -the fore-mast and the main-topmast were over -the side, giving the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span> a heavy list to -starboard. In several places her hull was -almost rent asunder, while her decks forward -were partly awash. Each instant she -threatened to founder.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The merchantman had fought for three -hours with one of the best French frigates -afloat, and several times she had repelled -boarders. The enemy's broadsides had ripped -open some of her seams, and there were already -eight feet of water in the hold. The last gun -was put out of action, owing to the angle of -the decks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's one more shot in the locker, -lads, and by Davy Jones, if the Frenchmen -attempt to board us again I'll send them -aloft!" exclaimed Mr. Rogers, half raising -himself from the gun to look at the frigate, -whose fire had now considerably slackened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the "Cease fire!" was sounded -aboard the French ship, and Jack, leaving -Jamie to the care of a seaman for a moment, -clambered up the steep deck to see what had -happened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're sending a boat, Mr. Rogers!" he -cried. "She'll be alongside in a minute, sir. -Shall I hail them?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tell them that if they set a foot aboard -my ship I'll fire the powder-magazine and blow -the vessel up," cried the first officer fiercely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boat came quickly alongside, and an -officer hailed them. "Do you strike, -messieurs? Do you strike?" he called, in a queer -accent, half French, half English. "If so, -haul down that ensign, messieurs, if you pleeze!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack leapt into the mizzen shrouds. "Stand -off, messieurs!" he shouted. "Come aboard -at your peril, and we will blow up the ship!" At -these words a panic seized the boarders. -Those who were climbing up the side hastily -dropped back again into the boat, which -quickly pulled off, lest the terrible threat -should be carried out.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Captain Alexandre, seeing that -nothing was to be gained, and that the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span> -was on the point of foundering, sent his chief -officer with a second boat offering the highest -honours of war. His respect for a gallant -enemy was such that he did not even ask them -to lower that tattered ensign, which still floated -proudly at the mizzen-top, where Jamie had -made it fast. The carnage had already been -dreadful, and he knew that unless he offered -honourable terms, men like these would -infinitely prefer to go down with a sinking ship -than lower their colours.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The terms offered to the Englishmen were -as follows: They were to remain prisoners of -war aboard the frigate until she reached -Quebec, when the captain would mention their -honourable and brave conduct to the Governor, -and if he were willing, they should then receive -their liberty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what is the alternative?" asked Mr. Rogers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The alternative," replied the Frenchman, -shrugging his shoulders and looking uneasily -around the horizon, as though he half expected -to see an English cruiser appear in the distance, -"is, that you may take your luck aboard this -derelict. But come, gentlemen, make up your -minds quickly. The </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span> must sail within -half-an-hour."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The mate cast his eyes around and saw but a -helpless wreck, with piles of dead and wounded -upon her decks. At that instant the vessel -gave a sudden lurch as though preparing to -descend into the gulfs, and some one cried--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look out! She's going, lads!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"M'sieur, for the sake of these brave men, -who have wives and children, I accept your -generous conditions, but, for myself, I will -stay with the captain." And at these words -a deathly pallor spread over the mate's face. -He lifted his hands to his eyes, as though to -shut out the sight of the dead. Then he -reeled and fell. They picked him up, but he -was dead. So they laid him beside his captain -and carried the wounded aboard the frigate. -Jamie and three others were still unconscious -when they reached the frigate's deck. The -rest stood by to see the last of their old ship. -It was a sight never to be forgotten. They -could distinctly see the body of Captain -Forbes propped against the stump of the -mast, with more than half of his crew -lying dead beside him, as the derelict went down.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! She's going!" came a hollow cry, -which was half a sob, as they clustered around -the bulwarks of the foreigner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stand by to fire a salute!" cried Captain -Alexandre, who was a chivalrous Frenchman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And as the </span><em class="italics">Duncan</em><span> took her final plunge, -and the tattered ensign went under, the </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span> -paid her last tribute of respect to a valiant -foe by a salute of seventeen guns.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Scarcely had the smoke rolled away and the -last reverberation ceased, when the frigate -turned her head towards the Gulf of -St. Lawrence, and left that lonely, watery grave -behind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie's wound was not very severe, although -at times it was exceedingly painful, and after -the ball had been extracted from his shoulder, -he soon recovered much of his usual health.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack was his constant attendant. Day and -night he scarcely left him, but nursed him -most assiduously with all the solicitude of a -mother; and no wonder, for Jamie was a hero -now, and with all the ship's company too. -His bravery in carrying the colours aloft on -a sinking ship, with the bullets flying all -around him, and his body a mark for all the -enemy's sharpshooters, his persistence in -completing the task, after a bullet had shattered -his shoulder--this had made him a conspicuous -hero, not only amongst his comrades, but -also amongst the officers and crew of the -</span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span>.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie, however, like all true heroes, bore his -triumphs modestly and his wound patiently, -though, to tell the truth, he was just a little -proud of the latter, and especially was he proud -of Captain Forbes' words to him when he -regained the deck--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well done!" He would never forget -those words, spoken as the captain breathed his last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack, however, was just a little envious of -Jamie's first wound, for, strange to say, -although Jack had been in the thick of the fight, -and the men had fallen around him in heaps, -yet he had not received a scratch during the -whole engagement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What exciting adventures had already fallen -to the lot of these two lads since they left the -old school and village so precipitately! Yet -even these adventures were but a foretaste, -compared with those that yet awaited them -out there, in the west.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every day Jamie grew stronger, and as he -and Jack paced the deck they talked of all -these strange events which had happened to -them since they left Burnside. What was the -old Squire thinking of now, when his last and -youngest son had left him to fight for the -Empire? What did Old Click and Mr. Beagle -say when they found the village lock-up empty -and the birds flown? And old Dr. Birch, -what did he think of the truants?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And they laughed over it all, with all the -sang-froid and carelessness of youth, and yet -they grieved when they remembered their -friend, Captain Forbes, in his ocean grave. -They could ill-spare him, yet the memory of -him would always be with them, to spur them -on to brave and manly deeds, for he had died -like an English gentleman, and a brave son -of Empire, fighting to the last for the flag that -he loved, as many a man still would do, before -that great land out there, beyond the ship's -bow--the Canadas--would pass from the hands -of the French, to become, as the ages unfolded, -the greatest jewel in the British Crown.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But what did the future contain for them? -They often asked each other this question, as -at evening they watched that great ball of fire -descend into the azure main. And when they -had watched that shaft of crimson fade into a -duller glow, they retired to the cabin that had -been allotted to them, and pledged each other -that, come good or ill, they would be friends -and comrades--to the Gates. And if God -willed it--for at this time they were specially -drawn to think of His mercies and His -watchfulness over them--they would yield their -lives a willing sacrifice, like Captain Forbes, -at the shrine of duty. For while their country -needed men to fight her battles, whether by -land or sea, even at the farthest bounds of -Empire they would faithfully serve and as -willingly die.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That pledge was never forgotten, and -through all the dangers and misadventures that -befell them, amid the virgin, trackless forests -and the rivers and great lakes of North -America, it was never broken.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus the voyage continued, with calm seas -and fair winds, for more than a week, but the -journey to the Gulf was not destined to be -entirely without excitement, for one afternoon, -when the wind had freshened a bit from -the south-east, they were all startled by a -sudden cry from the watch aloft of--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Sail ho!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where away?" called the officer of the watch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"To the south-west, low down, sir!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a careful examination the sail was -made out to be nothing less than an English -cruiser, on the watch-out for the enemy's -ships, and Captain Alexandre, feeling that after -his recent fight he was in no fit condition to -meet such a foe, crowded on all sail and stood -away N.N.W. with the cruiser in full chase.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All the afternoon the chase continued, and -the cruiser was slowly but surely gaining, and -had it not been that towards evening the -frigate ran into a fog off the Banks of -Newfoundland, there is little doubt but that she -would soon have been overhauled and -compelled to fight, and would in all probability -have been captured.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All night the Frenchman kept on, changing -his course several times to dodge his pursuer, -and next morning, although the fog had lifted, -the English cruiser was nowhere to be seen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Two days afterwards they entered the Gulf; -leaving Louisburg and the Ile Royale on their -left they stretched across that vast inland sea, -and in another four days entered the -St. Lawrence River.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads were charmed by the wonderful -scenery which bordered the river. The bold -cliffs and headlands, and the forest-lined -banks, the same which Jacques Cartier and his -brave little band of voyagers beheld for the -first time in 1535, when through every inlet in -this great continent they sought a way to the -spicy groves of the East Indies, and the -far-famed and wondrous, but distant, Cathay, -which they fondly imagined lay beyond this -new continent, as in truth it really did.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>While the frigate was working her way up -the St. Lawrence, an incident occurred that -was destined to have important consequences -on the after-life of our two heroes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When the ship was anchored for the night -off one of the small French settlements below -Quebec, a fierce Iroquois chief was brought -aboard as a prisoner. A great price had been -set upon his scalp by the French Governor, for -he was the greatest chief in all the "Five -Nations," and his people had been the bitterest -enemies of the Canadas, since the days of -Champlain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What a fine warrior he is!" said Jack. -"What a pity he is to be put to death when -he reaches Quebec!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fine, indeed!" said one of the soldiers -who had brought him aboard. "He has taken -more paleface scalps than any man of his race!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was a man of powerful stature, with a -defiant look, and an eye as proud and piercing -as that of the eagle had once been, whose long -white feathers now adorned his hair. Erect -and brave, with a sullen ferocity of demeanour, -he looked scornfully upon his captors, whose -petty tyrannies and insults could not drag -from him an exclamation of anger or pain, for -he seemed possessed of all the stoicism for -which his race was famous.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The fierce and implacable Iroquois, who -formed that wonderful confederation called the -Five Nations, consisting of the Mohawks, -Senecas, Onondagas, Oneidas, and the -Cayugas, and later the Tuscaroras, were the most -powerful of all the Indian tribes. They were -the deadly enemies of the Canadas, and during -the whole period of the French wars were -the irreconcilable foes of the latter, and -more or less the faithful allies of the English, -though their paleface friends did not always -show them that consideration which was their due.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They jealously guarded the passes and rapids -that lay between Quebec and Mont Royale -(Montreal) and right away to the "Thousand -Islands" and the lakes, they took every -occasion to harass the French, who had come to -steal their lands, to rob them of their -hunting-grounds, and drive them towards the setting sun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They scalped all the outlying bands of -soldiers who had the misfortune to fall into -their hands; they waylaid the fur-traders and -the </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, destroyed the harvests and -burned the villages of the settlers beyond the forts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So tiresome did they become that at length -a price was paid for every Iroquois scalp that -was brought into Quebec. It was, therefore, -considered a matter of no small importance -when the renowned "White Eagle," the most -powerful chief of the Iroquois, had been -captured.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Parties of soldiers from the various forts had -been repeatedly dispatched to trap him and to -bring him in dead or alive, but this wily foe, -retreating before his enemies, generally drew -them into the forest and harassed them in the -rear and the van, then cut off their supplies, -and scalped the stragglers, eluding their -vigilance at every turn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This desperate chief was now chained to one -of the guns on board the </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span>, and for -two days he was the object of cruelty and -ill-treatment, chiefly from those who had brought -him aboard. He was kept without food or -water. He was taunted with the fact that -a heavy price was set upon his head, and -that he would soon be tortured or roasted alive.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though hungry and parched with thirst, he -was too proud to ask his captors for a drink of -water. He remained sullen and obdurate, and -refused to speak. Once a tormentor offered -him a pannikin of salt water to drink, and -then, because he refused it, threw it over -him. But he remained as immovable as a -statue. Once a marlin-spike was hurled at -him. A white man would have dodged to -avoid such an unwelcome missile, but this -mighty chief was too proud. He never winced -or moved a muscle, though the spike went -perilously near his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack and Jamie both remonstrated, but were -told to mind their own business, and as the -Iroquois had been allied with the English, and -spoke a smattering of their tongue, they were -forbidden to converse with or even to approach -him. To speak to him was what they both -very much longed to do, for he was the first -real Indian they had seen, and very different -from the wretched specimens who hung about -the settlements of the white men. They -admired the haughty pride and fearlessness of -this child of the forest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He must be parched with thirst," said -Jamie, on the afternoon of the second day. -"I will give him a drink of water, whatever the -Frenchies say."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And he immediately took a pannikin of fresh -water and held it to the chief's mouth, for his -hands were bound. Before the water could -touch his lips the pannikin was dashed to the -ground, and the boys were ordered away, but -the look of gratitude that came into the chief's -eyes showed that he had understood that a -kindness was intended.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon after this the chief was removed to a -cabin for greater security, but next morning, -when the officer in charge of him unlocked the -door, the prisoner was gone and there was no -trace of him. He had in some mysterious way -slipped his bonds during the night, dropped -through the open porthole into the river, and -made his way to the shore without being -observed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Great was the consternation on board when -it was found that White Eagle, the terror of -the settlements, had escaped, but though a -search was made for him in every part of the -ship, it was only too evident that he had -obtained his freedom, and was at liberty to -harass his enemies once more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had now reached the Ile d'Orleans, a -huge island that lay in mid-stream, just below -the great Falls of the Montmorency. Now -piles of lofty cliffs fringed the northern bank -of the river, rising sheer out of the water at -high tide. Then they reached the mouth of -the St. Charles River, while before them, -crowning a lofty summit, with its churches and -houses, ramparts and bastions, stood the city -of Quebec.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span> fired a salute, which was -replied to by one of the forts, and the next -moment she anchored beneath the frowning -guns of the citadel--the Gibraltar of North -America.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="old-quebec"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">OLD QUEBEC</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The old town of Quebec in 1757 was a -picturesque and romantic spot. Clusters of -pretty white Canadian cottages, many of them -surrounded by gardens and orchards, filled -with apples, pears and vines, transplanted from -Old France, lined the margins of the St. Charles -River, and even the lower town, about -the banks of the St. Lawrence. Half-a-hundred -churches and convents already raised -their spires heavenward. The upper town -contained the governor's house, and many palatial -edifices of timber and stone, while high over -all, the frowning citadel crowned the lofty -eminence, looking down upon town and river.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For over two hundred years the children of -the French king had dwelt here, and no white -men had as yet seriously disputed their -possession of this mighty fortress, which was the key -to half a continent; but the sands were -running low. In her late wars with the sea-dogs -of Britain, France had lost the command of the -seas; her navies, her maritime commerce had -been well-nigh destroyed, and the sea-girt island, -where dwelt the sons of the Saxon and the -Viking, had become the "Mistress of the Seas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The penalty to be paid by France for this -was shortly to be the cession of all her North -American colonies to the victors, for she that -had failed to command the narrow seas at -home, could not hope to retain her Empire -abroad. Thus has it ever been with the citadel -of Mansoul; the heart of the Empire. Make -these impregnable, and all is well. Weaken -these, through slothfulness, carelessness or -ease, and the borders of the Empire, like dead -branches, are soon lopped away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As our heroes were compelled to remain in -Quebec for some nine months or more before -they had an opportunity to leave, they did not -grumble, but made the most of their time. -For the first three months they were more or -less the guests of Captain Alexandre, but after -the </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span> put to sea again with a convoy, -they entered the service of a Major Ridout, a -retired army officer, who had become a -fur-trader, which at that time was a very lucrative -business, and entailed an adventurous career.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Major Ridout saw that they were two likely -youths, who would be of great service, out in -the wilds, collecting furs from the Indians. -These distant tribes dwelt hundreds of leagues -in the forests, far away on the shores of the -great lakes, which at this time were practically -unknown, save by a few bold and reckless -adventurers, who frequently paid dearly for their -temerity.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He promised them that when the spring -unlocked the rivers and lakes, they should -accompany him on his travels into the -unknown forests and wilds of the interior, and as -this was the only method that had as yet offered -them a chance of earning a living or making -a fortune, they gladly accepted it. They were -also anxious to leave Quebec, as measures were -already being concerted to prepare for a siege; -for ugly rumours had come to hand that -Admiral Boscawen in command of a British -squadron had annihilated a French fleet, and -captured a convoy destined for Quebec.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every preparation, therefore, was made by -General Montcalm and his assistants, lest they -should be besieged by </span><em class="italics">ces Anglais perfides</em><span>. -The lads were, therefore, doubly anxious to -leave the city, lest they should be treated as -prisoners of war, for refusing to take up arms -against their countrymen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During their stay here they had much -leisure, and made many excursions about -Quebec. Sometimes they paddled down stream in -one of the major's canoes and visited the Ile -of Orleans, or the Falls of Montmorency, or -up the rapid stream of the River Charles, to -visit some of the friendly Indians. One day -they were returning down-stream from a visit -to Cape Rouge, some leagues above the city, -on the St. Lawrence, where they had been -camping some three days, fishing for salmon -and hunting the red deer, when suddenly, and -without the slightest warning, a fearful yell -burst from a point of the southern bank, scarce -a hundred yards away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indians!" exclaimed Jack, striking his -paddle into the water with all his might.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Iroquois!" said Jamie coolly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A shower of bullets and a flight of arrows -flicked up the water about the canoe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pull for your life, Jamie! They've been -lying in wait for us. Lucky we didn't land -there as we had intended."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lucky indeed! They would have had our -scalps by now, and they may have them yet. -Look there! One, two, three canoes! coming -as fast as they can. It's all over unless we -can beat them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were in a tight corner. They had been -warned that the Iroquois were watching the -river above Quebec, but they had never dreamt -that they were so near.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indians were gaining upon them, -although they were flying rapidly downstream. -They had ceased to yell now, for the -city was only two leagues away, and they were -straining every nerve to overtake the lads -before they could reach safety. An occasional -bullet struck the canoe, but they did not look -around, for they could hear the splash of the -Iroquois' paddles, and the sound seemed to -come nearer and nearer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can do no more, Jack! My arm's still -painful from the wound," and Jamie drew in -his paddle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hold on, Jamie! Don't give in. In -another five minutes we shall be out of danger. -There's the little cove where we've landed -many a time, just there on the northern bank. -If we can only reach that spot, we can quickly -climb up to the heights, and the Indians will -not dare to follow us there. Hold on for -another few minutes!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was the only chance that offered an -escape from the foe, and Jamie, despite his -wound, which at times of great exertion still -pained him, put in his paddle again. They -were running rapidly down under the -precipitous northern bank now, and with a skilful -twist of his paddle Jack sent the nose of the -canoe quickly ashore, right up on the narrow -strand, in the cove, at the foot of the cliffs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indians had perceived their intentions, -and with a loud yell had changed their course -to prevent them and cut them off. The first -canoe was not a dozen yards away, and in -another three seconds would have been beached -alongside theirs, when Jack seized his rifle and, -without taking any precise arm, fired point-blank -into the canoe. It was loaded with -heavy buck-shot, and the Iroquois at the -steering paddle received half the contents of it.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nothing could have been better done had the -aim been more skilfully taken. The paddle -dropped helplessly from his hand, and the -rapid current carried the canoe past the -landing-point. A savage yell burst from every -Indian within sight. The lads responded with -a shout of defiance, and then, abandoning -canoe, outfit, rifles and everything they -possessed, they leapt from the boat and swiftly -climbed the steep and narrow ascent, pulling -themselves up by the roots and branches of -trees that grew on this precipitous bank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This clever and successful shot had gained -them but a few seconds of time, but they -reached the summit unharmed, and after a -brief pursuit, the Indians, who were getting -too near the settlements, retired and gave up -the fruitless chase, and from the Heights of -Abraham, as they looked down upon the river, -they had the satisfaction of seeing their late -enemies pursued in turn by a party of -Algonquins, the active allies of the French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Spring came at last, unlocking the rivers and -the lakes, and the half-wild fur-traders, with -their Indian guides, were already preparing -to ascend the St. Lawrence, up past Mont -Royale, and the Thousand Islands, across the -great inland sea called Ontario, to the rude -fort of Niagara.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Even here the fatiguing journey would not -end, for after a brief respite, they must shoulder -their packages, and carry their long birch-bark -canoes over the rough portage that led -past the mighty, thundering cataract of -Niagara, near by the hunting-grounds of the fierce -and warlike Senecas. Then they must place -their canoes again on the upper reaches of the -swift Niagara River, and from thence enter -Lake Erie, pass the outposts of Presqu' Isle, -Miami and Fort Detroit, to the rivers, the -lakes and the forts beyond, where in the -surrounding forests the red man in all his -primeval simplicity hunted, fished, lived and -died. Even to the far-off lands of the -Kickapoos, the Ojibways and the Winnebagos these -brave fur-traders often ventured, drawn partly -by a desire for gain, and partly, no doubt, by -the added spice of danger and adventure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Such, then, was the adventure to which our -heroes were committed, as soon as the rivers -were clear of the dangerous ice-floes, and the -Algonquin chief Wabeno arrived with a dozen -of his braves to accompany them as guides and -scouts. Here was a prospect of adventure -which thrilled the lads, and they anxiously -awaited the arrival of the chief, which was to -be on the first day of the new moon. They -were to have a share in the enterprise, as a -reward of their services.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wake up, Jack! Here comes the chief, -in all his warpaint, with moccasins and -deer-skin hunting-shirt, and with a girdle of scalps -hanging from his belt," cried Jamie one -morning, rushing into the apartment that served -them both for sleeping purposes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hurrah!" cried his friend. "I'm coming. -Are the canoes ready?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, they're all loaded up and waiting -in the river, by the lower town."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Glad we're leaving Quebec at last, aren't -you? By all the preparations that the -Governor's pushing forward, there's going to be a -dreadful fight here some day, and the side that -wins will have Canada for a prize."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So you want to be out of the fighting, do -you, old boy? That isn't a bit like you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, don't misunderstand me, old fellow. -I mean that I don't want to be cooped up in -here when the fighting takes place, because our -fellows will be outside. I wouldn't mind a -hand in the storming, fighting under the -British flag, for although the French have been -pretty good to us--at least, some of them--they -didn't treat the rest of the </span><em class="italics">Duncan's</em><span> crew -too well, when they shipped them all back to -England in that leaky old tub."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had now reached the lower part of the -town, and were approaching the river by one -of the narrow steep streets of which Quebec -has so many, when Jamie, casting up a look -at the frowning, embattled citadel, said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That place will want some storming! A -handful of brave men, well supplied with -ammunition and provisions, might sit tight up -there for years, and defy the armies of the -world."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You're right, Jamie, and yet, I confess, -I'd like to see another flag up there, wouldn't -you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Turning to his companion, Jamie looked -him full in the face, and replied--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I would, Jack! And who knows? We -may help to plant it there, some day. And, -then, what would they think of us in Burnside?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, they'd forget that they once put us in -the lock-up for taking a few trout, and they'd -all turn out to welcome us home; or if we died -they'd put a tablet to our memory in the old -church. Ha! ha!" laughed Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this point their conversation, which had -been partly serious and partly jocular, was -interrupted by a sound somewhat unusual at -this early hour, for it was only about five -o'clock in the morning, and the sun had not -long been risen. Sounds of laughter and much -shouting greeted them, and the next moment -they turned a corner and came upon the -</span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, as these rough, half-wild fur-traders -are called. A dozen or so of rough but sturdy -Canadians were bidding good-bye to their -wives and sweethearts, though there seemed to -be more excitement and laughter than tears -and sadness of farewell. These men, hard as -nails, used to the terrors of the wilderness, -and the hardships of the forests, were dressed -nearly like their Indian allies, who stood -by--Wabeno and his braves.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They wore fur caps, deer-skin hunting-shirts, -moccasins and leggings, worked by the -Indian squaws. They were all armed with -rifles and long hunting-knives, and one or two -of them, who were probably half-castes, carried -tomahawks as well. Moored to the bank close -beside them were three very long canoes, -loaded with all the requirements for a six -months' trading outfit, and ready to start.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">Ah, mes camarades! Voici ils vient</em><span>," -cried Major Ridout, the leader of the -expedition, and then in loud, ringing tones, he -shouted, "</span><em class="italics">Aux bateaux!</em><span>"--"To the boats!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a moment the canoes were filled, Wabeno -and three of his men entering the first, and the -others distributing themselves as arranged. -There were twenty-three all told, and the -youths along with the leader, who was a genial -man, of great experience, born of a Canadian -father and a Scotch mother, entered the last -boat, which was rather larger than the other -two, and had several buffalo robes spread in -the stern sheets.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The last good-bye was said, and to the stirring -notes of a Canadian boat song, the rowers -paddled away, and soon left their friends and -their homes behind. Alas! how few of them -were ever to see those homes or those friends -again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were a merry party at present, -however, and the Indians took turns with the -hardy </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, as they paddled quickly -against the rapid stream. The canoes were -very light, being made of birch bark, for they -had to be carried over rough and sometimes -long portages. Yet they were very strong and -roomy, and at present were loaded so deeply -that the water was only a few inches below the -gunwales.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After two hours' hard work, pulling against -the stream, the leader gave a quick, sharp -command--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">À terre! À terre!</em><span>"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This order to land for breakfast was obeyed -with alacrity. Camp-fires were lit. The -"billies" were soon boiling, and a hearty -meal of pemmican and bread was washed -down with a drink of water from the river. -After an hour's rest, they continued their -journey.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night they camped on the northern -bank, in a little clearing of the forest, about -thirty miles above Quebec. They had hardly -yet approached the danger zone, though small -parties of the Iroquois did sometimes penetrate -thus far. A watch was set, however, and -campfires were permitted, and after supper the men -chatted and laughed and smoked. Then a -song was called for--a song with a chorus. -And while the flames from the burning logs -lit up the surrounding pines, one after another -trolled forth a song, and the </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span> took -up the chorus, till the woods resounded with -their voices, and the creatures of the forest -must have wondered what strange beings these -were that disturbed their haunts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indians looked on at all this merriment -with stoic countenances, as though they -disapproved of such light-heartedness, but at last -one of the men cried out--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wabeno! Give us a war-dance!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Instantly the expression of every Indian -changed. Wabeno readily acceded to the -request. A post was driven into the ground, -and a circle formed around it. A few minutes -sufficed to arrange their fluttering feathers and -scalp-locks, and to paint their faces with red -ochre and white lead. Then, suddenly, -Wabeno, their chief, with a loud, blood-curdling -yell, leapt into the circle, brandishing his -tomahawk, and began reciting, in a fierce -tone, all the deeds of prowess accomplished by -himself and his ancestors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A second warrior imitated his example, and -then another, until at length the war-dance -began in real earnest, and the whole pack of -Indians were yelling and whooping, like so -many demoniacs, hacking and tearing at the -wooden post as though they were scalping -an enemy. When they had thus worked -themselves up into a frenzy, a final whoop -from the chief ended the wild frolic, and -instantly every warrior assumed a mask of -boredom and indifference. A few minutes more, -and all except the watch were fast asleep, -wrapped in blankets or buffalo robes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus passed the days and nights, until after -they had passed the small fort of Mont Royale. -Then the merriment ceased, for they were in -an enemy's country. The watch was doubled -every evening, and fires were left unlit, or -extinguished as soon as possible. Once or twice, -suspecting the near presence of an enemy, -they slept in the canoes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When they had passed the rapids of La -Chine and Long Sault, several Indian scouts -were thrown out in advance, along either -bank, in order to prevent a sudden attack from -an ambushed foe. All went well for some -days, although the subdued manner of the -</span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, and the keen alertness of the -redskins, created an uneasy feeling in the minds -of the youths. Towards sunset one afternoon -Jack, who had been examining the river bank -some distance ahead of the first canoe, -suddenly exclaimed--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! Wabeno is signalling! What has he seen?"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-night-watch"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER VIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE NIGHT-WATCH</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Quickly the canoes were drawn to the bank -and hidden amongst the overhanging bushes. -A moment later a rustling was heard amongst -the branches, and Wabeno stood before them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What has my red brother seen?" asked -the major.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Wabeno has seen the trail of a serpent!" -replied the chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Had the serpent moccasins?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes! The moccasins of the Iroquois."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Humph! How many?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Algonquin held up seven fingers, to -indicate how many footprints he had seen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis only a small scalping party, then, -which has passed this way. We'd better camp -here for the night."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Wabeno insisted, however, that there was -probably a larger party of Iroquois in the -neighbourhood, and was for resting only until -sunset, and then travelling rapidly through the -night in order to reach the lakes as soon as -possible. He seemed to think, also, that for -several days past they had been watched by the -scouts of the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the chief spoke he looked keenly at the -forest on the other side of the stream, as -though he would like to read some fatal secret -which that dense, virgin growth held inviolate; -then, without further words, he turned and -disappeared into the forest, as though to join -his scouts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"His words seem rather ominous, Jamie," -said Jack, when he had gone, and they were -busying themselves making fast the canoes and -unloading a few things.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I'm sorry that the major paid so little -attention to his words. He seems to think -that they are only a small band of marauding -Indians who have recently crossed the river, -and that if they do attack us we shall be more -than a match for them. Well, let's hope he's -right."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There's something wrong, and I like not -the redskin's uneasiness, old fellow. He -scents danger, though he won't press his -opinions upon the leader. He believes it's -more than a scalping party, but he evidently -thinks he's a match for Iroquois cunning."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did you notice the way he looked across -the river? I wonder if that's the quarter he -suspects? But come, we must lend the men a -hand, for 'twill be dark in a few minutes," -said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Major Ridout took every precaution, however, -against a surprise attack. All the Indians -except two were sent into the forest to keep a -strict watch. A few trees were felled and a -rude abattis constructed, which instilled a -certain amount of security into each mind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then darkness fell, and one by one the men -stretched themselves on the ground and slept, -with their rifles beside them. The two -comrades, however, still talked in whispers as they -lay rolled in their blankets.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Just look at the men, Jack! How quiet -they all are to-night? No noise, no -singing or dancing this time. 'Tis my belief -that we're in a tight corner, and if the -Iroquois manage to get in past the scouts, -there won't be a scalp left on any of us at -daybreak."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never mind, we can only die once. The -scouts are sure to give us warning, and then -we'll sell our lives dearly. We've been in -many a scrape before, old fellow, and we've -always pulled through. There seems to be a -Providence over us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, yes, it seems so. Do you remember -the fight with the French cruiser?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Shall I ever forget it? I thought every -moment would be my last when the broadsides -opened upon us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hush! What was that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hoot of an owl was distinctly heard -twice, and a moment afterwards it was -answered by the call of the night-raven. The -first call seemed to come from the depth of -the forest on the other side of the river.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Scarcely had the last sound died away when -the two Indians who remained in the camp, -though apparently fast asleep, sprang to their -feet, seized their rifles and disappeared into the -thicket. Several of the men half raised themselves, -looked around, and then lay down once more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>For a moment the boys listened in silence, -their faces turned first to the deep gloom of -the forest shades, half expecting to hear from -thence the deadly whoop of the fierce Iroquois, -and to see the rush of savage warriors upon the -sleeping camp, then they looked suspiciously -across the stream that flowed at their feet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Overhead the stars shone brightly, and the -placid stream reflected their fiery points on its -broad bosom. Now and again its mirrored -surface was broken by the splash of the salmon -and the large river-trout.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Twas only a bird after all, Jack. Let us -go to sleep. See, the men are sleeping peacefully."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If 'twas only a bird, then why did the -Indians leave to join the scouts?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can't say. Perhaps 'twas only a private -call for extra scouts. You know the call to -arms is the howl of the coyote, repeated twice. -Besides, 'tisn't likely that the enemy will get -through the scouts without being seen. An -Indian is all eyes, even in the dark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The boys laid down again, but though Jamie -was soon asleep Jack remained awake, gazing -up at those bright twinkling points, and -listening acutely for any sound that might come. -Once or twice he raised himself and looked -around.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A ripple in mid-stream caught his attention. -While in the starlight he gazed upon it, it -seemed to come nearer. Then another ripple, -and another, that spread themselves out wider -and wider, and in the middle of the disturbed -area there appeared a tiny speck, as though a -swimmer were breasting the stream. But -even as he watched it, it disappeared and was -lost in the darkness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Five minutes--ten minutes passed, but the -speck, whatever it was, did not reappear. -What could it be? It would be foolish to -alarm the camp prematurely, so he would just -creep down to the water's edge and make sure. -He threw off his blanket and crawled along -through the reeds and willows. He had nearly -reached the water when a rustling amongst the -reeds caused his heart to cease beating for an -instant. What could it be?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Two glaring eyeballs, that glowed like fire, -were fixed upon his, not six feet away. Jack -instinctively felt for his pistol, when, horror -of horrors, he had left it beside the embers of -the fire. He drew his hunting-knife from its -sheath, keeping his eyes fixed the while upon -those glaring eye-balls; when the wild -creature, evidently a wolf, attracted to the river -by thirst, suddenly uttered a snarl, turned tail -and made off.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank God!" he gasped. "Better a wolf -than an Indian." For though naturally a -brave lad this sudden apparition had given him -a shock that made the perspiration stand out -like beads on his forehead, but he quickly -recovered himself and crept down to the edge -of the stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He could just make out the dark, indistinct -outline of the forest on the opposite bank, but -no ripples or dark objects were visible. Then -he looked down-stream, but nothing could he see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I must have been deceived. What a good -thing I didn't alarm the camp! How they -would have laughed at me," he muttered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Just then, however, he cast his eyes -upstream. As he did so, he started again. A -long, dark shadow, like a log or a canoe, -half-way across, seemed to be drifting towards the -northern shore on which they were camped. -It was not more than two hundred yards away. -It seemed to crawl along, then close behind it -he saw a similar object, and still another.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What were the scouts doing? Had they -been betrayed? What could they be, but -canoes--Indians? Then the enemy must be -crossing over, and he raised his voice for one -mighty shout of--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Iroquois."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But even as he uttered that startling cry -the fierce howl of the coyote, repeated twice, -the signal to alarm the camp, came from -the woods, and the crack of a rifle awoke a -hundred echoes and roused the men to a sense -of their danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Even as for an instant he lingered beside the -river-bank a blood-curdling yell, the -war-whoop of the Iroquois, rang across the stream -and echoed and re-echoed through the forest. -A dozen rifles spattered out their leaden hail, -for the conflict had begun at last.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack rushed back into the camp and found -Major Ridout and the men already in position -behind the logs, prepared to receive the enemy -as soon as they should burst through that thin -line of Algonquin scouts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hullo, Jack!" cried Jamie. "Where -have you been? I feared that you were a -prisoner. Have you been scouting too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, yes! That is, I couldn't sleep, and -I thought I saw a curious object in mid-stream -and went down to see what it was."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what did you find?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I could no longer see it when I -got there, but just as I was coming away I -happened to look up-stream, and I saw -three canoes crossing over from the southern -bank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder why the chief did not discover -them before. He seems to have been watching -the forest instead of the river! Hullo! -What's this?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sounds of a desperate struggle, a -hand-to-hand fight in the bushes a few yards away, -attracted their attention. It was too dark, -however, to see anything as yet, although the -dawn would be upon them shortly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stand ready, lads!" cried their leader, and -every man levelled his rifle in the direction -whence the sounds came.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment a wounded Algonquin -rushed into the camp, leaping over the abattis, -and then rolled over on the ground dead. He -was fearfully gashed, and it was evident that -an attempt had even been made to scalp him. -How he had escaped was a marvel. The yells -and war-whoops had ceased now, and for a -brief space even the rifles had ceased to speak, -and there was a dead silence. The men waited -impatiently behind that rude barricade, -reserving their fire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly a sharp, short, piercing scream, -broken short, fell upon their ears, as though a -mortal wound had been given and received.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah, Wabeno! That is the end of -Wabeno!" exclaimed one of the men.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was indeed Wabeno who uttered that -scream, and it was both his war-cry and his -death-cry, for at that instant he had met -in single combat the Iroquois chief, and the -tomahawk of the greatest warrior within a -hundred leagues of the lakes, had sunk into his -brain and stretched him lifeless.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now the Algonquins will scatter like the -leaves of the forest, and we must fight it out -alone, lads. Oh! that the dawn would -come!" exclaimed the major, casting a brief -look towards the east.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Even as he spoke the first flush of the sunrise -was lighting up the edge of the forest and the -river, but the dawn only revealed to them the -utter hopelessness of their position. The -enemy were in great numbers, and had almost -completely surrounded them, for though the -river was at their rear it was being eagerly -watched from the opposite bank.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Still, for some reason, the enemy did not -attempt to rush the camp as yet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I wonder why they're hanging back, -Jamie," said his comrade, who lay behind the -same log with his rifle at the "ready."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps they've had enough scalps already, -and are thinking of going back to their -wigwams."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah," replied one of the </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, who -was a regular frontiersman, "that might be -true of any other tribe but the Iroquois; -they'll not be satisfied until their girdles are -full of reeking scalps. We must teach them a -lesson they'll not forget. Here goes," and -raising his rifle as he spoke he fired quickly at a -dark figure that was approaching the camp, -leaping quickly from tree to tree.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A yell of pain escaped the Indian as he rolled -over in an agony, and paid with his life for his -temerity. A wild cry of vengeance came from -the dark aisles of the forest, and a dozen -Iroquois leapt forward to snatch away the dead -body, lest it should fall into the hands of the -palefaces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was the opportunity that had long been -waited for, and the order came sharp and -short--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fire!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A dozen flashes of fire burst forth from -behind the barricade, and a hail of bullets was -poured out upon the Indians, and a confused -heap of dead and wounded lay beside their -fallen comrade, but ere the smoke had cleared -away the piercing scream of an eagle rent the -air. It was the signal for a general attack -given by the Iroquois chief, and before the -palefaces had time to reload their pieces, a -hundred braves leapt from the cover of the -trees, where they had been hidden on three -sides of the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The forest rang with their wild whoops, as, -brandishing their hatchets and tomahawks, -they leapt over the tree trunks and fell upon -the </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>. A desperate hand-to-hand -fight ensued. Frightful blows were given and -received. Paleface and redskin fought like -demons. Some of the former, seeing the -hopelessness of prolonging the fight against -such numbers of their fierce and crafty foe, -rushed to the river bank, and launching one -of the canoes pushed off and threw themselves -in, followed by a storm of bullets and arrows.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>From that moment the fight was lost, and -even those who thus deserted their comrades -gained nothing but dishonour and death, for -they were quickly overtaken, and killed and -scalped.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The rest of the small band still fought on -bravely against desperate odds, for they were -outnumbered by more than ten to one. -Major Ridout seemed to have the strength of -ten, for single-handed he encountered four -Indians at once, and had stretched two of them -on the ground, and wounded a third, when a -fierce painted warrior, with a plume of eagle's -feathers upon his head, uttered a wild cry and -buried his knife in the brave man's heart.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Where were the lads all this time? As soon -as the general attack was made, they placed -their backs against a pine-tree that stood -nearly in the middle of the clearing, and -defended themselves against all-comers. They -were the last survivors of that little band, and -they still fought desperately with their clubbed -muskets, which they wielded with a vigour and -frenzy that had already sent half-a-dozen -Iroquois to the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The end was not far off, however. They -had both received several nasty wounds, and -Jack was both stunned and bleeding.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good-bye, Jamie!" he said, as he sank to -the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie felt that he, too, must soon follow -him, but when Jack fell he stepped across his -body and swung his clubbed musket about so -fiercely that the enemy fell back for a minute. -An Indian hurled a hatchet, which just missed -his head and buried its keen, trembling blade -in the tree behind him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He looked down at Jack's pale, death-like -face. He called him by name, but no answer -came, and he feared that his comrade was dead. -The blood was flowing freely from his own -wounds, and he felt himself getting weaker -and weaker.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was reeling now from sheer weakness and -loss of blood. He could hardly hold his -musket. This, then, was to be the end of it -all. Deserted by the French </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span>, to -be killed and scalped by the cruel Iroquois.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Never mind! We will die together," he -mumbled to himself, "fighting to the last."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indians were returning now from the -capture of the canoe. He could see a dozen -or more gesticulating forms, dancing in frenzy -before him. He could do no more. He was -falling--falling--such a long way it seemed to -the ground. Then he felt the sharp steel of -an Indian knife cutting into his flesh, as it was -hurled at him from a distance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He felt some one clutch his scalp-lock, but -he was unable to resist. He had become -unconscious and oblivious of all these things. -He seemed to be in another land where, -instead of the dark forest with its interminable -tangle and endless dangers, he roamed with -Jamie beside a broken stream, where the -red-spotted trout leapt in a sunlit burn, the music -of whose waters charmed and soothed his tired -and weary spirit.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay! He is the paleface brother of -the White Eagle," said a voice that broke his -sub-conscious reverie; and at these words Jack -opened his eyes for an instant and looked into -the face of a mighty warrior whose plumed -eagle crest and haughty features seemed -strangely familiar.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-white-eagle-of-the-iroquois"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER IX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE WHITE EAGLE OF THE IROQUOIS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>The Indian who had raised his scalping-knife -drew back, and a plumed and painted -chieftain stepped forward. It was none other -than the renowned "White Eagle"--the -greatest chief amongst the Six Nations. The -same daring and unconquered spirit who had -made his escape from the frigate, as she lay -anchored in the river below Quebec.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay! Let me see the young palefaces, -who do not run like the hares," he commanded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As he bent over the prostrate youths, he -was unable to restrain a slight, involuntary -start. A sudden gleam of remembrance -flashed across his countenance, and chased -away for an instant the ferocity of the savage. -He recognised in them the young prisoners -who, aboard the </span><em class="italics">Sapphire</em><span>, had dared to offer -him a drink of water at the risk of losing their -own promised liberty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, in a loud voice which all could hear, -he uttered those words, which caused Jack to -open his eyes for an instant--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Stay! He is the paleface brother of the -White Eagle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The braves quickly gathered around him, -for they were all astounded at these words; -but he continued--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"These are not the children of the Canadas. -They are the friends of the red man, and the -children of the Yengeese. They come from -the land of the sun-rising. They were -prisoners with White Eagle, in the big canoe -with wings, in the river of Canada, and when -the children of the French king treated the -Eagle as the squaw of a Delaware, and even -offered him the bitter salt water to drink, the -hearts of these children of Miquon burned -with pity for the red chief, and they offered -him sweet water to quench his thirst, but even -that was not permitted by these dogs of Canada."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! The children of the French Father -are snakes and cowards. They are singing-birds -which speak a lie," cried one of the warriors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Algonquins are crows, who fly to -their rookeries when they hear the scream of -the eagle," cried another.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Listen!" continued the chief. "The -French are women, like the Delawares, and -should wear petticoats. They offered gold and -fire-water for the scalp of an Iroquois chief, but -the caged eagle despised their threats, and -while his captors slept, his proud spirit burst -the bars, and his strong wings bore him aloft, -back to the hunting-grounds of his fathers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Exclamations of pride and assent greeted -these words, for the prowess and courage of -their leader were recognised by all of them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When the White Eagle of his tribe gained -his freedom once more, his heart went back -to the Yengeese prisoners who had dared to -show him a kindness, and he longed to see -their faces again, for an Iroquois never forgets -a kindness, though he quickly repays an insult, -and now the Manitou has sent hither my -paleface friends. They are brave, for they do not -run even from my warriors. The white blood -shall be washed from their veins, and when -their wounds are healed they shall be adopted -into my tribe, for the Great Spirit has said, -that between the children of Miquon and the -red man there shall be peace, and the hatchet -shall be buried so deeply that none shall ever -find it again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These remarkable words, uttered by the red -chief, contained both wisdom and prophecy, -though expressed in that flowery and boastful -language which has always been a peculiarity -of the North American savage.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Quickly, then, medicinal herbs were -brought from far and near to heal the boys' -wounds, and all the knowledge and skill of the -tribe were used to restore them to life and -health. Fortunately their wounds were not -serious, and soon they were able to sit up and -to walk, and then they learnt how fortunate they -had been. They thanked God in that moment -for all His preserving care, and especially that -they were led to do that simple act of kindness -to the great chief aboard the frigate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In accordance with a peculiar Indian custom, -water was then brought from the river, and -the usual rites of adoption were performed. -When the white blood had been washed away -from their veins, the chief declared them to -be his brothers and members of his tribe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were provided with deer-skin shirts -and leggings, embroidered with quills and fine -bead work. Indian moccasins were placed -upon their feet, and belts of wampum around -their waists, while the feathers of a newly-killed -hawk served as crests or head-gear. Except -that their faces were a little paler than those -of their companions, they might easily have -been taken for young Indian braves, just -entering upon their first war-path.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then it only remained to find Indian names -for them, so they called Jamie "Red -Feather," for when they found him his head -and face were covered with blood, as he lay -upon the ground, and so they dyed the hawk-feathers -that served as his crest a deep crimson. -And Jack they called the "Black Hawk," -for they said, though his face was pale, his -spirit was as fierce, and his eyes as keen, as -the bird of prey whose plumes he bore. So -they left his feathers black.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So now we're both Iroquois braves, Black -Hawk!" said Jamie, as soon as they were left -together.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, and the brothers of White Eagle, -too!" laughed his companion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, I suppose it's a great honour they've -conferred upon us, so we must not grumble."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The greatest honour that an Indian can -confer. And for a time I shouldn't mind it, -at any rate, until we can make our escape to -the settlements of Pennsylvania or Virginia, -if it were not for those horrible, reeking -trophies that our comrades carry at their -girdles."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! the scalps, you mean----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. Do you know that I've counted no -less than fifteen fresh scalps amongst them, -every one of which was this morning rooted -where God had placed it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Horrible! What can we do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nothing!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Are we the only survivors?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Some of the Algonquins escaped, I think, -and a few of the Frenchmen, who made for -the forest, but none of those who entered the -canoe, for there she is. She was captured and -brought back again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And Major Ridout?" asked Jamie. -"What has become of him? Is he dead, too?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I fear so, but all the bodies have been -dragged into the forest and hidden. I suppose -the chief did that to save us a little pain, for -he probably knows that we are unaccustomed -to such a sight."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm glad to hear that, for it shows that he -possesses a sense of decency and good feeling, -although he's such a mighty redskin chief."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And 'tis certain that he remembers a -kindness, too, however small," said Jack. -"And it's my opinion that he's not at all a -bad fellow, but as generous as he is brave. -He remembered us at once, and we owe him -our lives, and I intend to thank him when I -get the chance."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We owe our lives also to the fact that -we stood our ground, when the others ran -away, for if we had taken either to the canoes -or the forest the chief would probably not have -come our way, and we should have been -scalped by his braves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So once more the path of duty has been -the path of safety, as old Dr. Birch was so -fond of saying."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The only pleasant feature, apart from -our marvellous escape, that I can see, is -that the Iroquois as a part of the Six -Nations are allied with the English against -the French in this war, and they speak of -the English king as their Great Father across -the water."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>During this time the Indians, who had not -followed the fugitives into the forest, had been -overhauling the three big canoes which belonged -to the fur-traders, and examining their -contents.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had made a great capture, for the -canoes were deeply laden with provisions, -arms, ammunition and trading goods. The -first thing that White Eagle did was to pour -out all the fire-water into the river, lest his -men should drink it, for he knew what dire -consequences would ensue to the whole band -if that "devil in solution" were only -permitted to pass their lips.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night they camped on the same -clearing where the battle had been fought, but -next morning at sunrise they took the -captured canoes along with their own, and paddled -rapidly up-stream towards Lake Ontario. The -youths were both invited into the chief's -canoe, and as their wounds were still painful, -they took no part in the paddling, but -remained sitting in the bottom of the canoe, or -lying upon the skins which had belonged to -Major Ridout.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The chief and several of his men spoke a -little broken English, and one spoke the -Canadian patois, for he had been a prisoner -amongst the Algonquin tribes for some time, -so that they were able to converse a little -during the day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Towards evening they reached the "Thousand -Islands," where the St. Lawrence -broadens out into a lake studded with a -multitude of islets, just before it leaves Lake -Ontario. Here the hand of the great -Landscape Painter seems to have made the "beauty -spot" of the world, and our heroes were -charmed and even roused to a pitch of -enthusiasm, as they passed one green, verdant, or -pine-wooded island after another, while the -setting sun, flinging its last ruddy beams upon -the trees and the water, completed the -enchanting picture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis well to be a red man when the Great -Manitou gives His children such hunting and -fishing grounds as these," said Jamie to the -chief, for he had been deeply stirred by the -beauty that surrounded him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Great Spirit loves His red children," -said the chief solemnly. "He made for them -the fish in the stream, and the deer in the -forest; but He has forgotten them for a while, -for they have displeased Him, and the children -of the sun-rising have chased them from their -hunting-grounds."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie made no reply, for he saw that the -chief's heart was not a little sad, for they were -approaching Fort Frontenac at the entrance -of the lake, where the presence of the French -behind their wooden palisades was a constant -reminder to the Indians that even the graves -and the hunting-grounds of their fathers were -defiled by the presence of the paleface children -of the Canadas.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>That night they camped on one of the -islands, but long before daybreak they -departed and stole swiftly but silently past the -fort, and entered the broad waters of Lake -Ontario. There was just a chance that some -of the survivors had reached the fort and -alarmed the soldiers, but all was quiet as they -paddled quickly by. Count Frontenac, who -established the fort, was a clever soldier, but -even to this day his name is remembered with -hatred by the Iroquois for his severity and -cruelty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And now they were entering their own -country, for the Iroquois claimed as their -homeland all that great tract of country that -lies south of Lake Ontario, from the Hudson -River and Lake Champlain on the east, away -to the ridges of the Blue Mountains behind -Virginia and westward some little way beyond -the Falls of Niagara, and the eastern shores -of Lake Erie; but by right of conquest they -claimed much more, for they had conquered -all the surrounding tribes, from the river of -Canada on the east, to the southern shores of -Lake Michigan on the west, far away -southwards to the Ohio Valley.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At the present time, however, the wigwams -and lodges of the White Eagle were pitched -on the banks of a small stream that flowed -through the forest to the south of the Great Falls.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though they still thought much of their -late comrades, the youths had now become -more cheerful, and their wounds had nearly -healed, thanks to the kind attention of the -Indians. They had even begun to admire these -fierce Iroquois who had adopted them. They -were not nearly so bad as they were described -by the French. They were lords of nature, -these children of the forest, and had desired -nothing more than to be left alone in their -happy hunting-grounds. It was the paleface -who had been the intruder and the plunderer. -At first the red men had welcomed the -palefaces, and received them as brothers, but the -baser types of the settlers, the outcasts and -pariahs of the settlements, and especially the -hated "Rum-carriers," had taken advantage -of, and had traded upon, the childishness, the -ignorance and the simplicity of the Indians, -with the result that outrage, vengeance and -border wars had been the result. The insults -of Champlain were never forgotten by the -Iroquois. On the other hand the compact -made between Miquon (William Penn) and -the Indians was never broken by the Delawares, -till the white men broke it themselves.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Several times during their progress along -the shores of the lake smoke had been -perceived, rising above the tree-tops in the forest. -The keen eyes of the chief, who was in the -first canoe, never relaxed their vigilance for a -moment, for though they were almost in their -own country, yet at any hour they might be -set upon by a marauding band of French -Indians, who were out for scalps.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Each evening they would draw in to the -bank, set a watch, by posting scouts some -little way into the forest, then, lighting a fire, -they would cook their evening meal. Oftentimes -this would consist of a fine buck that -had been killed during the day, as they coasted -along by the edge of the forest-lined bank, or -sometimes of the sturgeon and salmon taken -from the lake.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads noticed that several times, when -smoke had been observed, that the chief -ordered the boats to make a wide detour, as -though to avoid a possible enemy. At other -times the boats would pass close in as though -there were no danger. Jamie was determined -to find out the reason of this, so the next time -that he saw a faint column of blue smoke he -remarked to the chief--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look, White Eagle! There's more -smoke ahead!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But the chief, who had seen it long before, -merely remarked--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Iroquois smoke!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>How he could tell the difference between -one smoke and another the lads could never -make out, for he seemed unable to explain it -to them; but that he did know, and could -often tell something of the people who fed the -fire by the tell-tale column of smoke, they -never doubted.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once, as the White Eagle looked long and -keenly at a very faint column of blue smoke, -about half-a-mile inland, Jamie thought that -for an instant he could trace a somewhat -puzzled and anxious look clouding the face of -the chief; but it passed as quickly as it came, -and the faintest promise of a smile spread over -his countenance, as though the smoke recalled -pleasant memories.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is that Iroquois smoke, too, chief?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No Iroquois smoke this time," he replied</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Can it be an enemy, then?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No enemy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then who can he be who has lit that fire?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Paleface!" ejaculated the chief.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-lonely-frontiersman"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER X</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A LONELY FRONTIERSMAN</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Paleface?" exclaimed the lads, standing -up in the canoe, and straining their eyes as if -to catch a glimpse of that mysterious stranger -who was hidden in the depth of the forest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Aren't you afraid that we may be attacked?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" replied the warrior, without moving -a muscle of his dark face, or showing the -slightest trace of alarm. "Him--great paleface -hunter. Friend of the Iroquois. Smoke -peace-pipe with the White Eagle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they paddled quickly past the spot Jamie -turned again and again to look at that faint -column of receding smoke, now growing -fainter and fainter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who can this paleface hunter be, so far -away from his home and friends, dwelling -alone in these dark forests? Perhaps he is an -exile from his country!" murmured the lad -to himself. Then a strange yearning came -over him. He longed to go ashore, that he -might join this lonely frontiersman, and share -his hardships and his perils, but he hesitated -to suggest it to the chief, whose face now bore -such a stolid, mask-like look. And soon the -long, swift strokes of the paddles bore them -past the spot.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There must be something in nature--though -perfectly inexplicable to us, who know -so little of the unseen verities--that transmits -through the ether that surrounds us, feelings -of sympathy and love to kindred souls, just as -in these later days of our civilisation the -wireless message is flung from ship to ship and -coast to coast. For the fact remains, that just -at this moment the sturdy paleface hunter, as -he stooped to place more pine-wood on his -blazing fire, felt at his very heart a twinge of -pain, so that for an instant his eyes were -blurred, and he saw no longer the blazing fire, -the dark forest, or the pile of beaver skins that -his skilful hands had taken, for another vision -rose before his face.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>'Twas the vision of an old-world village, in -a sweet little island that rose out of the main, -far-off; and to him 'twas "Home, sweet -home" still, though his feet must never tread -that land again, for he was an exile, a victim -to the cruel game-laws, that had banished him -from his country. Here, 'twas true, the whole -forest was his, with all it contained. The -beaver, the otter, the fish in the streams, and -even the red-spotted deer were his for the -taking; but still his heart stole back again to -that forbidden land.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Oh, that I might drop a tear and plant a -flower on thy grave, Lisbeth! Thou wert all -the world to me--a true wife and a friend. -And the bairn? Oh, my God! the bairn! -Where is he?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And here this strong man, hardened by -nature to all the toils and dangers of the forest, -the rapids, the wild beasts, and the scalping -parties of red foes, broke down in an agony of -tears and wept, for he thought of his little -blue-eyed laddie of two years; the poor -motherless bairn, as he had last seen him, with -his flaxen curls nestling in his arms.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>How often he had longed to go home and -find his boy, to find even if he were yet alive; -but the thought came to him each time--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How have they taught the lad to regard -his father? Perhaps they have told him that -I am dead! Well, maybe 'tis better so! Or -perhaps they have said, 'He is an exile in a -far-off land, and he will return no more, for -in the eyes of the law he is a criminal.' Then -so it must remain, lest the father's curse should -blight the lad; but what would I not give to -see my child again after all these years."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he flung himself down upon a pile of -skins and wept again. That night sleep fled -from his eyelids, as it had often done before -when these longings for the homeland had -come over him, but never, never before had -his agony been so great. He prayed his God -for something he had never dared to ask -before. It was that he might be permitted, -before he died, to look upon the face of his -child again, even though the lad should not -know him. And his prayer was answered, for -an angel from the stars above came down and -kissed him, as he lay beneath the silent pines, -and whispered--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It shall be!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And he slept, for his cares had fled, and a -deep peace had filled his soul.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Such were thy sons, oh, England! Their -bold, proud spirits chafed and were cramped -within thy narrow limits, and narrower laws, -made by and for the selfish few, in days, -happily, long past. And yet they loved their -native land, though exiled from hearth and -home; and when duty called, they lined thy -distant frontiers; they held thy far-flung -borders, and were content to leave their bones -to bleach beside some lonely outpost of the -Empire they helped to build. But let us for a -while leave this lonely frontiersman, and return -to our friends and their Iroquois companions.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Four days had been spent in navigating -Lake Ontario, and they were now approaching -Niagara, below whose thunderous rapids stood -the French fort that guarded both the river -and the lakes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Towards evening on the fourth day a -distant speck was seen approaching from the -westward, and the White Eagle, standing in -the bow of the foremost canoe, as he gazed -into the face of the setting sun, permitted a -sudden cry of surprise to escape from his lips--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Algonquins!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>'Twas only too true, for there, rapidly -approaching and hugging the southern shore of -the lake, was a large party of their hated foes, -in their big canoes of elm-bark.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The discovery appeared to be mutual, for -both parties rent the air with their respective -war-cries, and hastened ashore to make ready -for the coming battle. Darkness soon settled -over forest and lake, but all through the night -the woods resounded with the dreadful -war-whoops of the Indians, as they chanted their -war-songs, and worked themselves into a -frenzy of fury.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What a night that was for the two young -paleface warriors! The war fever of the -Iroquois had in a measure entered into their -blood, for they saw in the Algonquins the -allies of France and the enemies of England, -so they prepared to defend themselves in the -morning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Day dawned at last, and White Eagle and -his braves pressed forward to battle; not -shoulder to shoulder, nor in unresisting -phalanx, as the soldiers of the palefaces fought, -but in true Indian fashion the dark-skinned -warriors leapt from tree to tree, and cover to -cover. Showers of arrows and bullets rattled -amongst the trees and rocks, and the wild yells -became every moment fiercer and fiercer. -Several warriors had fallen on each side, and a -dozen scalps had been taken, as the frequent -yells of triumph announced.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Deeds of desperate valour were recklessly -performed. Homeric contests, ending in -frightful wounds or instant death were -frequently engaged in, when suddenly, from -behind the cover of a huge elm-tree, the -Algonquin chief, his plume of black raven feathers -nodding with his frenzied action, rushed into -the open and challenged the Iroquois leader -to single combat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With a yell of delight White Eagle bounded -into the clearing, and accepted the offer. -Then, instantly, as if by instinct, every weapon -was lowered, and the non-combatants ranged -themselves on either side, in a rude semicircle, -with a rising back-ground of tall pines and -elms, to watch this gladiatorial contest, which -threatened to be both brief and sanguinary.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then followed a pause, during which the -two chiefs addressed each other in the -figurative but boastful braggadocia, in the use of -which the red men excelled all the other nations -of the world. The Algonquin chief, whose -name was "Black Raven," began as follows--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Mingo dog! where are the scalps of the -Iroquois warriors who came to the Canada -River? Ten of them have not returned to their -tribe, since the snows melted. My children -went to the lodges of the Maquas and the -Oneidas, but they found only squaws and -children. The scalps of the Iroquois are in -the wigwams of the Canadas, and the Canada -Father has rewarded his children with many -hatchets, and powder to burn in the face of -their enemies, because they have cleared the -snakes from the woods! The moccasins of -the Iroquois cannot be found in the forest. -They have been driven from the hunting-grounds -of their fathers, never, never to -return----!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Skunk of the Algonquins!" retorted the -Iroquois, "your tongue is forked, like the -serpent that hides its head in the grass, and -your arm is feeble as the squaw of the -Delaware. The singing-birds have called your -young men from their Canada lodges, so that -my warriors may take their scalps, for before -the sun is amongst the pines, your warriors will -have followed him into the hunting-grounds of -the Great Spirit."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Iroquois muskrat! Your tongue is sharper -than your knife!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hark! What is that sound that I hear? -'Tis the wailing of the squaws in your Canada -lodges, because their young men return no more."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Iroquois snake! Skulking fox!" retorted -the Algonquin. "'Tis to you that the -singing-birds have spoken, but they have spoken -falsely. Slaves of the Yengeese! Never more -will your war-whoop be heard in the woods; -never more will you fish the streams and hunt -the deer, for before the sun shall rise the -girdles of my young men will be heavy with -your scalps. 'Tis the Mingoes who are women, -like the Delawares. They killed my young -men when the face of the Manitou was turned -away from His children in anger, but now -the Great Spirit has delivered you into our -hands, and nevermore shall your squaws behold you."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Dogs of the Canadas! The Iroquois are -free and strong as the eagle that soars to the -clouds, but the Algonquins are skunks and -muskrats. They are slaves to the Canada -palefaces. Go hunt the deer and the moose -for your French Father, and when, for your -portion, he throws you the offals--be grateful."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The tomahawk of the French Indian whirled -in the air, as, stung by this biting insult to his -tribe, he hurled it at his enemy, and so true -was the aim that it only missed the scalp of -the Iroquois by an inch, for it carried away -half his plume of eagle feathers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A loud cry of vengeance arose from his -warriors as this deadly missile whizzed past -their leader.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next instant the wild scream of an eagle, -which was the peculiar war-cry of this -renowned chief, rang through the glades and -across the lake as the leaders closed in deadly -combat. Like the leap of the panther, when -robbed of its young, was the fierce onset of the -Iroquois chief. Fifty gleaming knives were -snatched from their sheaths, and held aloft; -but before the warriors on either side could -reach the spot, the tomahawk of the White -Eagle had stretched his opponent upon the -ground, and with keen knife he had already -snatched away the trophy that honour demanded.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, amid war-whoops and wild yells of -savage fury, the fierce passions of the warriors -became undammed, and a short but sanguinary -conflict occurred. The Algonquins, despite -the loss of their leader, fought bravely for a -while, but were at length overwhelmed by the -relentless fury of the Iroquois. Then they -quickly broke and scattered through the forest, -pursued by their enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus ended another of those fierce fights, -so common amongst the Indians tribes in the -middle of the eighteenth century, while all -the time the armies of the two paleface nations -from towards the sun-rising were preparing -for that final death grapple, which was to settle -for ever the destiny of the northern half of -that mighty continent; and to drive the -scattered tribes of the children of the Manitou -ever westward towards the setting sun.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In this brief fight the youths had remained -little more than passive spectators, for they -soon saw how the conflict must end, and that -without their help the Iroquois, although -outnumbered, would secure the victory.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do wish, Jack, that our allies would -desist from that barbarous practice of taking -scalps. See there! a dozen scalps already hang -at the girdles of our comrades, and even yet -they are not satisfied, but must pursue their -wretched victims into the woods. Bah! My -heart sickens at the sight!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis Indian nature, Jamie. Victory -brings them no honour unless the victim's -scalp be taken. Even the squaws look askance -at the warrior who returns from the war-path -without these hideous trophies hanging at his belt."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There seems little honour to me in -mangling the corpse of a fallen victim."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, the youth is scarcely regarded as a -man till he has brought home his first scalp. -Their belief is, that the spirit and strength -of the dead man enters into the victorious -brave, and, horrible as it is, and God knows -how I hate it all, 'tis not more horrible than -the deeds of some of the paleface pirates in -the Southern Seas, who sometimes treat their -unfortunate victims in a cruel and barbarous manner."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had been leaning on their rifles, on a -little rising ground near the lake, watching -the fight and the pursuit, when suddenly -from out the dark aisles of the forest there -came the piercing scream of the eagle once more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What can be the matter now? Surely the -enemy are not returning, reinforced!" cried -Red Feather, quickly bringing his rifle to the ready.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. 'Tis the signal for the return of the -braves; evidently White Eagle scents a new -danger, and is anxious to get away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What new danger can there be?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, don't you see that the Algonquins -have taken the route that will lead them to the -French fort at Niagara, where almost every -soldier will turn out to their assistance, when -they hear that the renowned White Eagle is -within twenty miles of the fort? At least, I -assume that is the cause; but look! Here -comes the chief himself, and he is making for -the canoes. Let us speak with him."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-smoke-signal"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE SMOKE-SIGNAL</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"What is the matter, chief?" asked Jack. -"What new danger has my red brother discovered?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look!" replied White Eagle, pointing in -the direction of the fort and along the shore -of the lake. "What does my paleface brother -see yonder?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack strained his eyes in the direction -indicated, but for some seconds even his keen -eyes did not notice anything unusual. At -length, however, he perceived a thin column -of smoke far away in the distance, rising above -the forest and lake; then a second and a third -column, but so faint as to be nearly indistinguishable.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I see the smoke from the camp-fires of a -party of hunters, perhaps Yengeese trappers, -but nothing that threatens danger."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sachem shook his head sagely, as he replied--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No Yengeese! It is Algonquin smoke. -A signal to the paleface warriors at the fort, -who will hurry to burn their powder in the -face of White Eagle. Too much price on -Iroquois scalp!" And here the chief's face -relaxed into the faintest of smiles, as though he -appreciated the value that was placed upon his -head by the French, and considered it a great -honour and a tribute to his prowess and the -impotence of his enemies.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then for an instant his face became clouded -and a momentary wave of irresolution passed -over his countenance. To escape the net that -was being drawn around him was comparatively -easy, but to convey all the plunder of the -expedition safely to the lodges of the Iroquois -was another matter. His resolution, however, -was quickly taken. They were now within ten -miles of the mouth of a stream, called "Twelve -Mile Creek," that entered the forest south of -Lake Ontario, and only a dozen miles from -the fort. To gain that creek, to take the -loaded canoes up the stream against the rapids -and rifts, and then to make a portage of four -miles to gain the Niagara River above the fort, -was the daring resolve of the White Eagle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a piece of daring that was worthy of -an Iroquois chief, who had already secured a -reputation for reckless daring that was second -to that of no other chief amongst the Six -Nations. The great danger lay in the fact that -at one bend in the stream they would be within -seven or eight miles of the fort, with all the -possibilities of being ambushed by their hated -foes and also by the Frenchers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The whole party now took to the canoes, -and proceeded as rapidly and as silently as -possible along the shore in a westerly direction. -Soon after mid-day they reached the mouth -of the creek, and without a moment's delay, -except to land a couple of scouts on either -bank, they paddled as quickly as possible up -the narrow stream, while the scouts went ahead -to explore the forest-lined banks and to give -the alarm as soon as they should discover the -slightest sign of the enemy, who could not now -be far away. To these eager warriors their -progress seemed to be painfully slow. Fallen -trees sometimes blocked their way. At other -times the canoes had to be dragged through -the shallows and lifted over rocks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was hard work, but the youths bore their -share of all this arduous toil. It was exciting, -too, for at any moment they might hear the -crack of the Algonquin and French rifles. -Sometimes they were up to their knees in the -water, pushing and lifting the canoes forward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As they advanced further and further up -the watercourse, for it could hardly be called -a river, the creek narrowed and the trees -overhung and interlaced, shutting out the sun, so -that, though it was little past mid-day, it was -scarcely more than twilight. Not a word was -spoken for a while, and except for the music -of the stream the forest was as silent as death. -Even the birds had ceased to sing, and the -little squirrels watched them furtively from the -branches overhead, wondering what strange -creatures these were who were toiling so -arduously at the canoes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not a signal had come as yet from the scouts, -on whom they were implicitly relying. They -were getting perilously near to that fatal bend -in the river where if an ambush was in hiding, -it was sure to be. The Indians exchanged -suspicious glances. They fingered their knives -and tomahawks uneasily and frequently looked -to the priming of their rifles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is that noise I can hear, rising and -falling, very faintly, like the water of the Big -Salt Lake in a storm, when the Manitou is -angry?" asked Jack of one of the Iroquois -braves, who was called the Panther.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis the Spirit of the Wacondah in the -caverns under the Great Falls!" answered the -Indian in low and reverent tones.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Niagara!" whispered Jack to his comrade, -"and only a few miles away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. The Iroquois believe that the Great -Spirit, the God of Thunder, dwells under the -Falls, and they speak of him always in a -whisper, even by their firesides far away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! What was that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The crackle of a twig was heard on the -western bank, and the eye of every Indian was -instantly turned in that direction, while many -a hand instinctively grasped its weapon more -tightly. The bushes parted, and an Iroquois -scout came forth from the cover of the forest -and sought the eye of his chief. Evidently -he had something of importance to communicate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>White Eagle left the batteaux and -approached him. Then a few guttural -exclamations passed between them, and the scout -disappeared once more as quietly as he had come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Did you hear what he said, Panther?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. The Algonquins, with whom we -fought early this morning, have fallen in with -another party under Le Grand Loup, a -renowned chief, who is White Eagle's greatest -enemy, and they have laid an ambush for us -two miles further up the stream. In addition, -help is expected from the fort within an hour," -replied the brave.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Snakes alive! What will the chief do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! White Eagle no afraid. The -Wacondah fights for him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The scouts had done their work bravely and -well. They had soon discovered the prints of -Algonquin moccasins in the woods. Some -they found had led towards the bend in the -river where the ambush had been laid. They -had even penetrated to this spot, past the -enemy's scouts, and had learnt of the juncture -of the two parties. They had also discovered -the trail of an Indian runner in the direction -of the fort, and had heard the drums of the -French calling the men to arms.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's to be done, Jack? We're scarcely -out of one fix before we're in another."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It seems so!" said that worthy. "I -don't know what the Eagle will do, but -something will have to be done, and quickly, if -we're to retain our scalp-locks."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! What is the chief about? The -men are dragging the canoes ashore and piling -the brushwood around them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, he's going to burn them to prevent -them falling into the hands of the enemy. -'Tis certain that we shall never get them past -the next bend; so, after all, our labour has -been in vain."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jack's surmise was correct. Without a -moment's hesitation, as soon as the scout had -departed, the sachem ordered the boats to be -so placed that at a given signal they could be -immediately fired by a small party who were -to be left in charge. The rest were to follow -him and take the enemy unawares in the rear -before the French could arrive to their support.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This plan was put into operation without a -moment's delay, and leaving a small party of -four in charge of the canoes, the rest entered -the forest and moved quickly in the direction -of the enemy. As they were likely to -encounter the French, the lads decided to -accompany the attacking party. They had not -proceeded far when the scout met them who -had reported the presence of the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The paleface warriors are half-way from -the fort. What will White Eagle do? They -will be here before the sun is below the -top-most branches of the pines," said the scout, -addressing the chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! Ugh!" merely remarked the -Iroquois; then turning towards the two -paleface warriors who accompanied him, he said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My brothers, Black Hawk and Red -Feather, are great warriors from the land of -Wabun. Can they delay the rifles of the -French Father for one hour till they hear the -scream of the Eagle, while my warriors take -the scalps of the Algonquin dogs, who lie in -wait like the serpent in the grass?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Give us but a dozen rifles, chief, and we'll -hold them back for a day!" exclaimed Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! My brother will be a great chief -before the snows have settled upon his head. -Let him chose a dozen rifles from amongst my -braves, and they shall accompany the paleface -chiefs and follow their orders."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A dozen men were quickly chosen, including -the scout and the Panther, and they -at once started out, led by the scout through -the forest in the direction whence the French -must soon come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Half-a-mile further on they selected a spot -where they could await with advantage the -arrival of the soldiers from the fort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here! This spot will do! They will soon -be here. Let us make ready," said Jamie. -The Indians were soon under cover on either -side of the rough track which led to the fort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They could now hear plainly the drums of -the advancing army. Soon they caught a -glimpse of the white uniforms of the French -through the vista of trees.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There are over a hundred of them, Jamie! -Can we hold them back for an hour?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We promised the chief that we would, and -we must keep our promise," said Jamie, whose -lips were compressed and whose brows were -knit, as he narrowly watched the approaching -French.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The drums were silent now as the foe, -with shouldered rifles and martial equipment, -marched boldly forward, threading their -circuitous route through the forest glades. -Careless of any ambush, they came forward -singing and laughing, to show how much they -despised the savage horde they were expecting -shortly to encounter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the sound of distant firing burst -upon them. Mingled with the shots were -savage yells and whoops, which showed that -the Iroquois had attacked the party at the bend -of the river. Louder and louder became the din.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">Avancez, mes camarades! Allez vite -donc! Il y a ces diables Iroquois!</em><span>"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this command the French advanced more -quickly, lest the fighting should be all over -before they arrived, and the drums beat out -again bravely. Their whole attention was -engrossed by the distant firing, and they knew -not that already the head of their column was -entering an ambush, and that fourteen rifles -were levelled at their leading files.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Fire!" shouted Jack, and a deadly hail -of bullets followed a blinding flash and a report -that echoed through the forest. Taken thus -suddenly by surprise, the head of the column -staggered and wavered. Many a man fell to -rise no more. A panic seized the whole party, -and for a few moments it seemed doubtful -whether their officers would succeed in -rallying them, so susceptible even are the bravest -troops to sudden fright when unexpectedly -ambushed by an unseen foe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A second volley was poured in upon the -confused mass, and a scene of indescribable -terror prevailed. Hoarse shouts of command -were heard. The cries of the wounded and the -wild yells of the Iroquois resounded through -the woods.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The second fire revealed the position of the -Iroquois as well as the paucity of their -numbers, and the French commander shouted out--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">A moi, camarades! Suivez-moi! Voilà -l'ennemi!</em><span>" and waving his sword he dashed -towards the revealed ambush followed by half -his troops with fixed bayonets.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Like chaff before the wind the Indians -scattered and sought cover in the deeper shades of -the forest, leaping from tree to tree, and bush -to bush, firing upon the foe, who were -compelled to deploy and enter the thicket in single -file. This was Indian warfare with a -vengeance, for neither party came into the open. -For an hour this was kept up, and the French, -who could never come to grips with the wily -foe, who always retreated like a phantom -before their bayonets, were compelled to retire, -for their leader had at length come to see that -the whole aim of the enemy was merely to -delay their approach to the Algonquins.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly, from a distance, the scream of the -Eagle was heard twice in rapid succession.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Our work is done now, Jamie! Let's -give the French a final salute and depart."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A parting volley was let loose upon the -enemy, and then the two paleface chiefs led -back their band quickly, and rejoined the -victorious warriors of the Iroquois chief, who -had driven the Algonquins across the river with -great slaughter. Only two were wounded, -and none were missing, as Jack looked at his -dusky warriors, but of the French quite twenty -had been killed and wounded.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-wigwams-of-the-iroquois"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE WIGWAMS OF THE IROQUOIS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"The Algonquins are reeds that bend, but -my paleface brothers are like the oak-tree!" -exclaimed the Iroquois chief, as soon as he -beheld the youths.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thus briefly did the savage warrior pay a -graceful tribute to the skill and courage of his -friends who had held back the French, and at -the same time refer modestly to his own victory.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is no time to lose!" exclaimed Jack. -"The soldiers from the fort are close upon our -heels, we did but delay their approach till we -heard your signal. What is to be done? They -are in a mood for vengeance."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! Let the boats be burnt!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The howl of the wolf, repeated twice, was -given, and the next moment a column of -smoke was observed in the direction of the -canoes, followed by several loud explosions, as -the kegs of gunpowder, which formed part of -the lading, blew up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next instant the head of the French -column appeared through the trees, and -White Eagle, seeing the uselessness of -continuing the fight against such overwhelming -odds, withdrew across the stream with his -warriors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Wacondah calls us to our wigwams," -he said; and now, lightened of their loads, and -carrying only their rifles and scalps, the -Iroquois struck across the forest in a south -easterly direction, and soon put several leagues -between themselves and the French, who -arrived soon afterwards, only to find the ashes -of the fire and the fragments of the canoes -strewn around.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Chagrined and vexed beyond measure that -they had once more been baulked of their prey, -and that the "Iroquois devils" had got the -best of them, they discontinued the useless -pursuit, and returned to the fort.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indians travelled quickly, and soon -reached the head waters of the Genesee River, -and on the afternoon of the fifth day, from a -lofty eminence they looked down upon the -lodges and wigwams of their tribe in the -peaceful valley below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A triumphant yell broke from their lips as -they beheld this welcome sight, for ever -welcome to the soul of the returning warrior is -the lodge that he calls his home. The village -was quickly deserted by its inhabitants, for -every stripling and maiden, all the squaws and -children came dancing and shouting to receive -them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With all the agility and suppleness of the -deer, the Indian youths came bounding forth -to caper about the braves, to finger those -gruesome trophies that hung at their girdles, and to -carry their rifles and tomahawks. Their faces -were radiant with the lofty hero-worship that -burned in their young hearts. How they -longed to leave the comparative security of -the village and join the war parties!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The maidens, too, well versed in all the art -and coquetry of the forest, their long raven -tresses decked with flowers, their dark eyes -beaming with love, welcomed home their -sweethearts with unfeigned joy. But there is -always a fly in the honey, and the joy of victory -was somewhat marred by the bitter lamenting -of those squaws whose husbands and sons -returned no more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A hasty meal was then prepared and set before -the Indians in wooden platters and gourds, -and as soon as this was cleared away by the -attendant squaws, a fire was lit and the braves -seated themselves in a circle and waited -solemnly for the passing round of the -peace-pipe and the council that was to follow. A -feeling of reverence and awe seemed to pervade -the very atmosphere, and the paleface youths -became not a little uneasy, wondering what -important event was about to happen next.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The two strangers had caused no little -curiosity by their presence, especially amongst -the squaws and striplings, but so far no one had -addressed them personally. Evidently they -were all waiting for some explanation as to why -these two palefaces returned home with the -braves and were not treated as prisoners. -Their curiosity was soon to be satisfied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A low murmur of voices ran around the -council fire, and as if by instinct the braves -rose to their feet, and in one place the serried -ranks opened to admit a very aged chief, who -came from one of the lodges near the "painted -post" and slowly made his way to the -assembly. He was accompanied by several -other aged chiefs, but none amongst them -looked so wise or even so old, by a generation -at least, as the Sagamore, who now toiled -painfully across the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His form had once been straight like the -fir-tree, but it was now bent, and he leaned -heavily on his staff. His face was covered with -wrinkles, and his white locks carried the snows -of more than a hundred winters. Not till this -aged chief had taken his seat at the post of -honour amongst the chiefs that formed the -front circle did the Indians deign to follow -his example.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the sacred pipe, the calumet, was lit -and solemnly passed from mouth to mouth, -and amid a silence that could almost be felt, -the blue smoke curled upwards around the fire -and scented the still air of the early evening.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At last the White Eagle rose to speak, and -as he did so every eye was intently fixed upon -him; even the squaws, who stood at a respectful -distance from the charmed circle, stayed their -gossip and strained their ears to listen to the -weighty words of this renowned sachem.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Father, you see that we come not back -with empty hands. The wigwams of the -Algonquins are empty. Their squaws and -their children gaze no longer upon their braves, -for the scalps of their warriors hang at the -girdles of my children."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A hum of satisfaction arose from every part -of the circle at these words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Great Spirit has called ten of my -braves to the happy hunting-fields out there -beyond the sunset," continued the chief, -raising his right hand as he spoke and pointing -to where the sun had just set amongst the -pines, leaving a train of red and gold. "But -they had no wounds upon their backs, for their -faces were never turned away from their -enemies. Their squaws and their children -shall be provided for. I have spoken, for the -words of a chief are few!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A low buzz of conversation went round the -circle as White Eagle resumed his seat, and -many an eye was turned towards the palefaces, -as though some explanation of their presence -was needed. At length the aged chief rose -slowly, assisted by two other chiefs.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every voice immediately lapsed into silence -as the old Sagamore, with flowing locks that -were white as the driven snow, began to speak. -So aged was he that the oldest warrior in that -grim circle could scarcely remember him -otherwise than he now was. The children of his -generation, and the generation that followed -him, had passed away like leaves before the -north wind.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My children!" he began, and his voice at -first was low and broken, but they listened to -him with all the reverence that awe and -superstition can give.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Many suns have risen and set since -'Keneu,' the war-eagle of his tribe, led his -people forth to battle. A hundred winters -have whitened the forests and the plains since -he first followed the trail of the deer. Then -we were chiefs and sagamores from the shores -of the Great Salt Lake, far back to the Gitche -Gumee and the mountains beyond the plains -where, amid the eternal snows, the Manitou -dwells in the Silence. Then the forests were -full of deer, the plains were full of herds, and -the streams were filled with fish; and no -paleface was to be found in all the land, for the -Wacondah had placed his red children in a land -of plenty, and the smoke from the council fire -and the calumet, the peace-pipe, rose from -every valley, and beside every stream were -their lodges, for my people were happy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" came the ready cry of assent from -many a dark-skinned warrior, and many a -furtive glance was cast in the direction of the -two palefaces.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then from the land of the sun-rising," -continued the Sagamore, "in his white-winged -birch canoe, that brought the thunder and the -lightning, came the paleface; and he laid the -forest low before him, and he drove my people -westward, for the face of the Manitou was -turned in anger from his children. Then we -turned our faces westward, towards the land of -the setting sun, and the regions of the -Home-Wind, and we said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Here we will hunt the red deer and the -beaver, and from these clear streams we will -take the sturgeon and the salmon, and here, -when the Manitou calls us, we will die, where -we see not the smoke of the paleface, nor hear -the sound of his axe.' Was it well then, chief, -to bring hither the children of the East Wind?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man ceased speaking and sank down -once more upon the rude log that served as -a dais, and the silence became even yet more -intense when the White Eagle rose again and -said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Once a mighty paleface came to the lodge -of Keneu. Hungry and weary, he came from -the land of Wabun, driven here by the cruel -laws of his people, and he brought to us the -thunder and the lightning, and he taught my -people knowledge and wisdom from the sacred -writings in the shining land of Wabun. He -became the brother and the friend of the red -man, and we taught him to hunt the moose -and the deer and the beaver, and the Great -Sagamore loved him, and gave him a place at -the council fire of my people."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is the friend of Keneu, and since many -moons his lodge stands empty; but who are -these? Are they the children of Miquon?" -abruptly asked the aged chief, "or the children -of the Canadas?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are the children of the Yengeese, and -they raised their hands to help the Eagle when -his wings were pinioned by the French of the -Canadas, and the red man forgets not his -friends, when his fetters are freed, else would -the Manitou be angry. They are my brothers, -and the white blood has been washed from their -veins. Will the great father turn them from -his lodge?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This speech produced a wonderful transformation -in the faces of all who heard it, and -when several other warriors had spoken of the -prowess and courage of Red Feather and Black -Hawk, a gentler look came over the Sagamore's -face as he spoke.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is well!" he said. "The Wacondah -has willed it. They shall dwell in the lodges of -the Iroquois, and my young men shall teach -them to hunt the swift deer and the beaver." Then -the council broke up, and the men -repaired to their wigwams.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This formal introduction over, the youths -were shown to a lodge, next the one that -awaited the return of the paleface hunter just -referred to, and during the weeks and months -of their sojourn amongst the tribe they were -treated with all the respect and esteem that -belonged to an Indian brave. The war hatchet -had been buried for a while, so they joined -the hunting-parties that often scoured the -forests, and they soon became expert in the -arts and crafts of these children of the forest, -until each could handle a canoe, shoot the -rapids and hunt the deer like a true Indian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come with me, my paleface brothers," -said White Eagle one day, just before the first -snow of winter. "Come with me and I will -show you how the Manitou provides for his -red children."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So they took their canoes and paddled all -day, and then next day they carried their -canoes over a portage until they reached the -sweet waters of the Tioga River. As soon as -the sun had gone down the chief took a pine -torch and held it, lighted, over the stream. -Almost immediately a dozen fine salmon, -attracted by the torch, came to the very edge -of the stream. Then a fire was kindled close -to the bank, and immediately the river seemed -full of living creatures of the finny tribe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! What a glorious sight!" -exclaimed Jamie; "the water is alive with -fish." And it was true, for, attracted by the huge -blaze, they came tumbling over each other, -leaping out of the water by dozens, until the -whole surface glowed and shimmered, green -and red and purple.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the Indians who had accompanied -them in order to get a supply for the tribe, -entered the water, and with long spears made -of hard wood, something after the fashion of a -trident, speared and hooked the salmon to their -heart's content.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the youths stood spellbound, gazing at -this almost miraculous sight, the chief tapped -them on the shoulder and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Does the Manitou fill the rivers of the -palefaces with fish and their forests with furs?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We have never seen such plenty, chief, -in the land of the palefaces. Very often if a -man takes a fish from a stream, or a deer from -the forest, he is sent to prison and sometimes -put to death."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Humph!" said the chief in a tone of -surprise. "Now I know why the paleface comes -over the Salt Water to the hunting-grounds -of his red brother."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lads were so dumfounded by this -unusual sight that their thoughts turned instinctively -to that little burn that sang its way down -through a wood-lined vale far away in another -land, where to land a single fish was a heinous -crime, and yet how they loved that little spot, -now so far away; but the voice of the chief -awoke them from their reverie, saying--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come, my brothers, and fill your canoe -with the gifts of the Manitou."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They needed no second bidding, and the -next minute they, too, were enjoying the -magnificent sport. Very soon all the canoes -were filled, and then after a hearty supper of -fresh salmon, the fish were sorted, dressed and -prepared for drying, after which they were -carried home for the winter's supply.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-moccasin-print-in-the-forest"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE MOCCASIN PRINT IN THE FOREST</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>During their stay amongst the Iroquois, -which had now extended over rather more -than a year, the two English youths had gained -the esteem and friendship of two young -Indians, both the sons of the White Eagle. -Their names were respectively "Young -Eagle" and "Swift Arrow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The former was a strong and supple youth -of seventeen, sturdy as an oak, but as straight -as a cedar. His brother, who was a year -younger, had gained his title of "Swift -Arrow" because he was so fleet of foot that -he could overtake the swiftest deer of the -forest with comparative ease. Both inherited -much of the courage and fearlessness of their sire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These four companions spent much of their -time, now that the summer had come again, -in hunting and fishing, often staying for weeks -together in the fastnesses of the forest. They -became well-nigh inseparable. Many were the -adventures and escapades, and many the -dangers, too, that they braved in each other's -company.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once, in descending the rapids of a neighbouring -stream, their canoe had struck a rock -which capsized her and hurled all the occupants -into the boiling surf. This was nothing -unusual, but they were expert swimmers, and -immediately struck out for the bank. Arrived -there, the Young Eagle missed one of his -paleface friends. It was Jack, who had struck the -rock in falling and was rendered unconscious, -and carried away down the stream. The other -two, exhausted with their desperate struggle -in the rapids, were hardly able to reach the -shore; but Young Eagle, arriving there first, -and seeing the unfortunate youth being carried -away, immediately leapt into the boiling surf, -and succeeded, after a desperate struggle, in -saving Jack from drowning.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This brave, unselfish act Jack was able to -repay the week afterwards, for in pursuing a -wounded bear too keenly Young Eagle had -the misfortune to lose his footing, and when -he attempted to rise the bear was just in the -act of tearing him to pieces in its mad wounded -frenzy; when Jack, heedless of the danger -which he himself ran, rushed into the very -"hug" of the wounded bear, and plunged his -long hunting-knife into its heart. The bear -rolled over upon them both, but the last wound -proved fatal, and the huge monster lay still in -death.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A dozen incidents of this nature had only -cemented the ties which bound these friends -together, and the English youths could -scarcely bear to think of that near future when -they must part from their red brothers, for -much as they loved the forest, they felt -somehow that their life was not to end here, and -their desire to help their country, either on -land or sea, during the present war with the -French, which, though it had commenced on -the continent of Europe, and had been -continued on the high seas, had yet had its echo -in the forests and backwoods of the North -American Colonies, and, indeed, was destined -to have its end there.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once, during the latter part of the summer -of the year 1759, they had been absent from -their lodges for several weeks, hunting the -shaggy brown bear, the jaguar, the fox, and -the wolf, for their skins, in that part of the -forest which stretched far away from the head -waters of their own streams to the Mohawk -River, when one afternoon they suddenly -struck a fresh trail, which showed the prints -of moccasined feet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" exclaimed the Young Eagle, who -was the first to discover them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is the matter? Is it the trail of an -enemy or a friend?" demanded Jack. "By -your demeanour I should say that you've -struck the trail of a serpent."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I like it not," merely remarked the Indian -youth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All four of them now got down to the work -of examining the trail. Every bit of turf, -every leaf or broken twig was carefully -examined. Then they cautiously followed the -trail, with bent figures and cocked rifles. At -any moment they might be ambushed, if it -should prove to be an enemy that had passed -that way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why do you suspect that it is an enemy, -when we are so near the hunting-grounds of -the Oneidas and the Mohicans?" asked Red -Feather.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! This no Iroquois moccasin," said -the Young Eagle, stooping to pick up a -worn-out, discarded moccasin, worked with beads -after the pattern of the French Indians.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They clustered round this piece of evidence, -which seemed incontestable, for a rude attempt -had been made to work even the Lilies of -France on the discarded footgear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>When they had finished their scrutiny of -this moccasin, one word broke from all their -lips--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Algonquins!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But what were the fiends doing here, so far -from the River of Canada? And how many -of them had come from across the lakes?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>These were the questions they set themselves -to settle next, as they continued their -keen search for any little trifle which might -help to explain these things, for to the Indian -the forest is an open book, and every twig and -leaf may be a written page.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They followed the trail cautiously for -another quarter of an hour, until they came to a -spot where the footprints showed more deeply -in the soft black earth, and after another -careful examination, Swift Arrow declared that -there were at least fifteen or twenty of the -enemy, and that they must be a war party, -out for scalps, and to harass the enemies of -the Canadas.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! This is not an Algonquin moccasin -that has left this mark," said Red Feather, -who for some minutes had been examining a -footprint that was both broader and longer -than the rest, and also of a different pattern. -"Here, get down to it, Eagle, and examine it -for yourself."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The young chief did as he was requested, -and measured the print with the palm of his -hand, and compared it with the others.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You see, the heel mark is deeper than any -of the other prints, as though the man had -walked like this----" and here Jamie imitated -the carriage of a man who plants his heels -firmly on the ground when he walks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" exclaimed the Eagle, rising from -the ground. "My paleface brother is right. -'Tis not the moccasin of an Indian at all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not an Indian?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who, then, can it be?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis the moccasin of a paleface that has -left that mark!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A paleface?" exclaimed the English -youths, raising their voices above a whisper, -for the first time since the trail had been -discovered.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then it must be a French officer who is in -command of the party!" and this seemed to -all of them the solution of the problem.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trail was a fresh one, too, and the -enemy could not be far away, so they -immediately held a council of war, to decide what -had best be done. But the sun had set and it -was almost dark, and they were compelled to -camp in a little bower near by, where the -overhanging trees afforded them a secluded spot, -not easy for an enemy to find.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They did not light a fire, lest it should -discover their position to the enemy. In silence -they ate their evening meal, which consisted -of a little dried venison. Then they resolved -to wait till morning before they followed the -trail further.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let my paleface brothers sleep, and Young -Eagle and Swift Arrow will watch," said the -young chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That's not quite fair," said Jamie, "for -you'll never wake us till sunrise, and you must -be just as much fatigued as we are, for you did -more than your share in carrying the canoes -at the portage."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Young Eagle all ears and eyes when an -enemy is near. He feels not fatigue. Let my -brothers sleep."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The English youths had to give way, for -they had to confess that though they had learnt -many things during their sojourn amongst the -Iroquois, yet their sense of alertness and -keenness of perception could in no wise be matched -against these children of the forest. Soon, -therefore, the young palefaces were fast asleep -upon a bed of leaves and spruce branches, -unconscious of the dangers that surrounded them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had been asleep perhaps for an hour, -when the cry of a night-hawk, followed by the -howl of a coyote, was heard in the distance. -On hearing these the Young Eagle gave a -significant look at Swift Arrow, and without -speaking a word, the latter arose, quietly -pushed aside the branches, and disappeared -into the forest in the direction of the sounds.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was quite dark now, for there was no -moon, and the stars showed but faintly through -the thick foliage of the trees overhead.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>An hour passed--two hours--but the Indian -youth returned not. Had he scented danger? -Was the enemy lurking near? Then why did -he not return? Surely nothing had happened -to him. The young chief noticed that Jamie's -sleep began to be troubled. Once or twice he -had murmured something in his sleep, and -Young Eagle had touched his lips, as if to close -them, lest the sounds might betray them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Wacondah is speaking to my paleface -brother," said the young chief inwardly, "for -his sleep is still troubled."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The lad's slumbers were indeed troubled, -and yet 'twas only a dream, that he had often -dreamt before. His brain had often been -puzzled as to why this particular dream should -recur to him so often. He dreamt that he was -a little bairn again, far away across the Big -Salt Lake, in the Homeland; and that a rough -but kindly man took him on his knee, and -spoke to him in tones of melting tenderness. -"Poor motherless bairn!" he said, and the -tears rained down his rough face. But the -little child, with sunshine in his bonny face, -and laughter in his bright blue eyes, crowed -and chuckled, and pulled the rough man's -beard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was at this point that Young Eagle had -placed his hand on the lips of his sleeping -companion, causing him to start, and to open his -eyes for an instant, but he quickly closed them -again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then his dream continued, but it changed -suddenly. Side by side with Jack, and his -two dusky companions, he ranged the forest, -hunting the bear, and trapping the beaver in -his lodges of bark and logs, when suddenly -they came upon an Indian camp in a little -clearing of the forest, and there with his back -to an elm-tree, tied hand and foot, was an old -paleface hunter, undergoing torture at the -hands of a band of cruel red men.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Bravely he suffered it all, like a hero, and -not a cry of pain escaped his lips. A dozen -arrows, knives and hatchets pierced the tree -about his head and face, and although the -</span><em class="italics">coup de grâce</em><span> had not been given, yet the -blood flowed freely from several wounds. His -lips were compressed, and not a groan escaped -them, but inwardly he prayed to God that -death might bring him release from this slow -and cruel torture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A fierce-looking chief taunted him with -being a paleface snake, and a Yengeese, and -urged his warriors to prolong the torture.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let us see if a cursed Yengeese has red -blood in his veins, or whether he has the heart -of a Delaware," he cried.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Your tongue is forked, Muskrat, and your -warriors tremble at the sight of a paleface, so -that their knives cannot find his heart!" cried -the hunter, in the hope of urging his enemies -to end his torture by a fatal blow.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My young men wish to know if a Yengeese -can bear pain like a red warrior."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Your young men are squaws! Go tell -your Canada Father to find them petticoats!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This stinging insult brought a shower of -tomahawks and knives about his head. One of -them pierced his arm, and pinioned it to the -tree, but he bore the pain bravely, and smiling -grimly back upon his captors, said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let your young men come nearer, chief, -so that a paleface may show them where lies his -heart, for they are weak and unsteady with the -fire-water of the Canadas, and they miss their mark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The chief lifted up his hand, and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Great Spirit has given the paleface -the heart of a red man, so that he fears not the -hatchet and the tomahawk. Let us see if he -fears the spirit of the flames."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A shout of hellish delight greeted this -suggestion of their leader, and the Indians -scattered into the forest to collect brushwood -and dead timber, for an Indian delights in -prolonging the torture of his prisoner.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Quickly the faggots were piled at the feet -of the hunter, and the match was about to be -applied, when the intense agony and suspense -of the moment burst open the gates of -slumber, and Jamie opened his eyes, and awoke -suddenly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The first faint tinge of dawn was lighting up -the eastern horizon. He sprang to his feet, -immensely relieved, and murmuring to himself--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank God! 'Twas only a dream, then! -And yet it was the same face that I have -seen so often in my dreams. What can it mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he turned and beheld the Young -Eagle and the sleeping form of Black Hawk, -but Swift Arrow was missing. He forgot his -troubled sleep in an instant when he -remembered that Young Eagle had watched with -sleepless vigilance throughout the whole night, -and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My red brother is too kind. He should -have called me, and let me watch, while he slept."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist!" remarked the other, rising -suddenly, and holding up a finger to indicate -silence, as a slight rustle was heard amongst -the bushes a few yards away. Both instinctively -grasped their rifles, and stood ready for -whatever foe might suddenly appear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The branches parted, and Swift Arrow -stepped quietly into the opening. This brave -youth had spent the night in the forest, -sometimes lying still as a log, at other times -crawling and wriggling like a snake, or crouching -like a panther. He had discovered the scouts -of a cruel enemy, within ten arrow-flights of -their present abode. He had done more.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had succeeded in passing the scouts -unobserved, and in penetrating to the very edge -of the hostile camp. His unsleeping vigilance -had saved the lives of his comrades, and he had -even covered up his own tracks in returning to -the camp, by taking a circuitous route and -wading for some distance in the bed of a little -stream, and had so well timed his efforts that -he reached the camping-ground just as dawn -was breaking.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Beyond the customary "Ugh!" he -remained silent; though even Jack, who had now -awakened, could see that he had something -of importance to communicate, but he seemed -already possessed of all the restraint of his -tribe, and quietly sat down with the rest to a -breakfast, which consisted of a little pemmican -and hominy, which was soon finished.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My brother has seen an enemy?" said -Young Eagle, when the meal was over.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" replied Swift Arrow, as though -he considered the news of little importance and -scarcely worth the telling.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Swift Arrow will tell us what he has -seen?" said Jack, and then the young warrior -spoke briefly and as follows--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ten arrow-flights towards the sun-rising -is an Algonquin camp, of twenty-four -braves--and one prisoner...."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And the prisoner? Who--what is he?" -asked Jamie, remembering his dream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is the great paleface hunter, the friend -of White Eagle."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="swift-arrow-disappears"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">SWIFT ARROW DISAPPEARS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"The paleface hunter, did my brother say? -Is he the prisoner?" exclaimed Jamie, leaping -to his feet, trembling with suppressed excitement.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! my brother forgets that an enemy -is near!" said Young Eagle, raising his finger -to request caution.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At this moment, after several cabalistic -signs, Swift Arrow left the camp and quietly -disappeared in the forest, and Jamie, expressing -regret at permitting his feelings to gain -the mastery over him at such a moment, -resumed his seat on the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whither away, Swift Arrow?" called -Jack softly, as the Indian youth glided past -him, but he either did not hear him, or heeded -not his question.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Swift Arrow has gone to the wigwams of -the White Eagle, to say that his friend is in -the hands of the Algonquins," said the Young -Eagle, who had now assumed all the gravity -and demeanour of an Iroquois chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Phew! That means a journey of sixty -miles at least. Rather a long step for a lad, -who hunted all day yesterday and scouted all -last night. When will he get there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When the sun touches the tree-tops -to-morrow White Eagle will know!" replied the -young chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then he will come with all the warriors -who are not away hunting, and fight the -Algonquins?" asked Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh!" said the Indian, signifying yes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Perhaps that may be too late to save the -paleface. I fear they will have put him to -death," said Jamie gloomily. "Cannot we -go and save him now?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, what's the matter, old chap? You -seem very despondent," said Jack, as his -comrade heaved a sigh deep enough to break his -heart. "Do you despair of your life, that you -want to throw it away so cheaply? If we are -discovered by yonder crew, our lives are not -worth a toss, and our scalps will be carried to -the Canada lodges."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Wacondah has spoken to my brother, -and his heart is heavy," said the Indian, looking -straight at Red Feather with his piercing eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is it, Jamie? Out with it. We -agreed that there should be no secrets between -us," said Jack, half in jest and half in earnest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack," said his friend solemnly, "I -dreamt last night that I saw this paleface -hunter in the clutches of the Algonquins. He -was bound to a tree, and they were practising -upon him every conceivable torture that even -a red devil can invent. I saw him pierced and -wounded, and the blood flowing freely from -his head and face. Then, having tormented -him to the utmost bounds, and finding that his -brave heart quailed not beneath it all, they -brought faggots and brushwood and kindled -them at his feet. They were going to burn -him to death, yes, roast him alive, while they -danced around him in mad delight. But just -as they kindled the fire, and my heart was -bursting with grief and agony, because I was -unable to help, I awoke, for I could bear it -no longer. Then Swift Arrow returned and -told what he himself had seen, but I believe -that I saw even more than he did, for he saw -not the tortures--and--and--I fear that we -shall be too late when the chief arrives with -his braves. That is why I wished to go -straight to the camp now, and what is more, -the face of that hunter is as familiar to me as -your own, that is by night, for I have often -dreamt of him before, but by daylight his -features become indistinct, and I cannot recall -his face. So now that is why my heart is so -heavy! Cannot we do anything to save him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This last question was addressed to the young -chief, who had been a serious listener to all that -Jamie had just said, for the Indians take -dreams very seriously, and treat them as messages -from the Manitou.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Grey Badger is a great hunter, and -his rifle has often left its mark upon the -Algonquins, as well as the bear and the panther. -Red men no kill him quickly. He is too great -a prize. They will keep him till the new -moon, and then kill him," replied the Indian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When is the new moon?" asked Red Feather hastily.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Two days!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And when will our friends arrive?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The young chief made the circle of the -sun's course twice, and then pointed to the -zenith.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then there is just a chance that we may be -able to save him after all."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. For why should the Wacondah -speak a lie?" said the Indian earnestly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What do you mean? I don't understand you!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, Jamie, it's as clear as noon-day what -he means. He says, 'Why should the Wacondah -speak a lie?' That is, if the Great Spirit -has put it into your heart to save this paleface -hunter, why should he withhold the means to -do it, when He is all-powerful? The lad's -faith in his God is greater than your own. So -cheer up, and we'll save him yet, or we'll know -the reason why."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Young Eagle, I thank you. You have -lifted a load from my heart, and your faith is -greater than mine, though I have been bred -in a Christian country," said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! My paleface brother has often told -me of the sacred writings in the land of the -sun-rising, and how the Great Spirit has -spoken to his white children; why, then, -should he disbelieve the words of the Wacondah?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This conversation was suddenly interrupted -by an Indian whoop, which seemed to come -from the distant camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What can that mean? Listen! There -it comes again," said Jack. This time it was -repeated from several quarters.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It simply means that they have been joined -by another party of their friends," said the -Indian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What can they be doing so far away from -their own hunting-grounds?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Depend upon it, they are here for no good. -They're out for scalps, and to harass their -inveterate foes, the Iroquois, and any Yengeese -woodsmen they can lay hands upon."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Must we remain here, like rats in a hole, -Young Eagle? Is there nothing that we can -do?" said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes! We must watch all their movements, -and if they move, follow them, leaving -a broad trail that White Eagle can follow in -the dark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lead the way, then, Eagle, and we'll -follow your trail."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then they crept stealthily from their lair, -and cautiously advanced through the tangled -forest, in the direction of the camp, for now -that the enemy were excited by the arrival of -their allies perhaps they would be a little off -their guard.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon they struck the trail that they had -seen on the previous evening, and followed it -carefully; sometimes creeping on their hands -and knees, crawling through the brushwood, -watching furtively the while for any signs of -the outlying scouts who were sure to be -guarding the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the hiss of a serpent caused them -to start. It came from the direction of the -young Indian, who was but a few paces in -advance, and was the signal for them to halt -and lie still. Immediately they became as -dead logs, hugging the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Had the Eagle seen the first scout?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Yes, surely! What was that dark object -creeping through the forest, not fifty yards -away? Was it not the skulking form of a -redskin prowling about like a wolf, and all the -while coming nearer and nearer. He had -evidently not seen them as yet, for he still -continued to approach, but he seemed so wary -and so alert that if he continued he must -discover them within another minute. Jamie -covered him with his rifle, but he was too wise -to shoot, unless all other measures failed, as -the crack of a rifle so near the camp would -alarm the whole party and bring the -Algonquins upon them in a moment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Slowly, slowly the seconds passed, and each -one seemed in itself an age. They scarcely -dared to breathe, lest the slightest sound or -movement should attract the attention of the scout.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was only ten paces from the young chief -when he halted, as though his suspicions had -been aroused. He was looking full in the -direction of his enemies, when some fluttering -object in a bush, near the Iroquois lad, caught -his attention. He would examine that -particular bush before giving the alarm, so he -advanced cautiously, looking warily around him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was a young warrior, perhaps out for his -first scalp. How kingly it would be to return -to the camp with a scalp at his girdle, and -without boasting, quietly to take his place at -the council fire, while all eyes were fixed upon -that trophy which he had won, unaided and alone.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The dark-eyed Indian maidens, too--how -they would glance at him with love-lit eyes and -point out the trophy, and sing of his courage -when he returned home. Perhaps these -thoughts were in his mind as he approached the -bush. One thing, however, he must avoid, -that was, creating a false alarm and thereby -making himself a laughing-stock amongst his -comrades by mistaking a tree or a log for an enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This temerity cost him dear. To reach the -bush which had aroused his suspicions, he had -to pass within a few feet of Young Eagle. As -he did so, the latter made a sudden bound, like -a panther springing upon his prey, and cleft -his skull with his keen hatchet.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Without a groan even, the Algonquin sank -to the ground, and his spirit passed to the -hunting-grounds of his people. The youths -turned their faces away, whilst the young chief -secured his first scalp. Having obtained this -trophy, he next dragged the lifeless form of -the scout into the forest and hid it away -amongst the bushes, lest its discovery should -bring down upon them a swarm of hornets, in -the shape of the inmates of the neighbouring -camp. Then he proudly retraced his steps in -the direction of his companions, who were -eagerly awaiting his return.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Was it well done, Young Eagle, to risk -all our lives and our chances of saving the -hunter for a single scalp?" asked Jamie, who -felt somehow that his redskin friend might -have left the scalp alone, for the present, at any -rate, forgetting in his anxiety to save the -paleface that an Indian will go without food -willingly for a whole week in order to obtain one -scalp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Young Eagle is a warrior! He saw only -an Algonquin dog!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But prudence is a virtue, even in a great -warrior!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let him alone, Jamie. For an Indian to -leave an enemy's scalp behind is a disgrace, and -just as dishonourable as for a paleface to leave -his ensign in the hands of the enemy," said Jack.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Their present position was one of great -danger, though for the moment the death of -the scout had reduced the chances of their -being discovered. Nevertheless, their only -chance to avoid the enemy was to find a spot -where they could lie hidden till dark, for the -scout would be sure to be missed shortly, and -then a search would be made for him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A spot was found not twenty yards away, on -the edge of a little rivulet that ran through the -forest. They, therefore, took a circuitous -route to this stream, and then walked cautiously -down the bed of the rivulet, so that the -water would wash away their footprints in the -sandy bottom. Having gained this secluded -spot, they were hidden from sight of an -approaching enemy, owing to the branches of -the willows and alders drooping to the ground -and meeting the tangled undergrowth, and -they could yet watch the surrounding forest -through the interstices of the branches.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Here they lay hidden during the rest of that -day. As the afternoon wore on they several -times heard the whoops and yells of the -Algonquins, and once they heard the report of a rifle, -and Jamie feared that it denoted the end of the -paleface prisoner, but the young chief said that -that was very unlikely.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This close confinement at length became -very irksome, and the youths were so wearied -and impatient that it needed all the influence -and sagacity of the Indian to urge them to -remain till sunset. How wise this counsel was -will shortly be seen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hist! What does that mean, Young -Eagle?" said Jamie, when rather late in the -afternoon a sound very much like the -"cawing" of a rook was heard to proceed from a -spot scarce a hundred yards away. No answer -was given, and the sound was repeated twice; -each time it sounded a little nearer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indian did not speak, for he was keenly -scrutinising the forest in the direction of the -sound, and at the same time unconsciously -fingering his tomahawk, while his every sense -seemed alert.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis another scout who seems to expect a -reply from his fallen comrade, I fear, Jamie," -said Jack, "and he can't understand why he -gets no answer."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah! He is becoming suspicious. He is -searching for him, and--and--he's coming this -way," whispered Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look! I can see him now through the -trees. What if he finds his dead comrade? -Hist! He's looking this way."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Nearer and nearer came the Algonquin. He -was within forty yards now, and within twenty -feet of where his companion had been slain. -Suddenly he started and a half-smothered -exclamation escaped his lips. He was looking -at the ground, examining it carefully. He -knelt down and carefully removed the turf and -leaves, raising his head every few seconds, as -though expecting to see his comrade.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Had he discovered a trail, or something -worse? He was only thirty feet away from -the mangled corpse of the first scout. He was -only ten feet away from the spot where the -death-blow had been given. It was the trail -of his lost comrade that he had discovered, but -what next?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a moment fraught with intense excitement -for the watchers. The issues to these -three adventurers were life or death. Once he -discovered the truth that was hidden in those -bushes, a single call for assistance would fill -the forest with blood-thirsty hornets, and all -would be lost.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What could be done? He was too far away -to be dispatched like his comrade, and a -rifle-shot would alarm the camp. Step by step he -advanced. Then his eager eyes caught sight -of the fresh blood-marks and evidences of the -recent scuffle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indian gazed at the red spots, and -followed their trail to the bushes. Then, as his -eyes caught sight of the mangled corpse, he -uttered a blood-curdling yell that made the -dark aisles of the forest resound. At the same -instant Jamie's rifle spoke out, and the Indian -fell to the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Five seconds had scarcely passed when from -the camp there came the answering yell. It -was a wild, fierce cry of revenge that brought -the whole pack upon their trail.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-tragic-circle"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XV</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE TRAGIC CIRCLE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>There was not a moment to lose. The two -youths seized their rifles and plunged into the -forest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This way, Jack. Come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lead on, quickly!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Young Eagle remained but a few seconds -to take the victim's scalp and to give the -defiant war-whoop of the Iroquois, and then -he, too, followed in their trail.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On they went. Their only chance of saving -their lives now lay in putting as great a -distance as possible between themselves and their -pursuers, and in keeping up the race till dusk. -'Twas getting dark already, but they stumbled -on through the tangled undergrowth, over -fallen trunks lying prostrate across their pathway.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Several times they heard the yells of the -Algonquins, and once they heard the crack of -a rifle, followed by an Iroquois yell.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Listen! That's Young Eagle's rifle, I'll -swear. He's either missed our trail, or he's -purposely misled them to give us a chance of -getting away."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then I fear it's all up with him," cried -Jamie, who was a little way in advance. -"That second scalp has cost him too dear."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>'Twas getting quite dark now, and they -were compelled to slacken their pace, partly -from sheer exhaustion, and partly because they -were constantly being tripped up by ground -vines, trailers and fallen trunks.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once they got separated, and Jamie thought -that he heard Jack call him. He halted -and listened, but hearing the swish of branches -close behind him he thought that his comrade -was following, and continued for another ten -minutes, when, coming to a little clearing, he -glanced back, but saw no one following.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jack!" he called softly. "Where are -you?" but no answer came back from the gloom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Again he called--louder still, but only the -cry of the night-raven and the screech of an -owl gave reply. Then he retraced his footsteps -across the clearing, but he failed even to -discover the spot where he had left the forest. -Five--ten minutes he remained there, searching -for his own trail, but in the darkness he -had lost his bearings, and not only Jack, but -he himself was lost!--lost!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Endless leagues of trackless forest, of brown -tree-trunks, and dark, dank undergrowth, -closing in upon him like a thick screen, -separated him from the nearest habitation, and even -the nearest fort. What was to become of him?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In his despair he threw himself down upon a -rough, raised bank that ran part way round -the clearing; then he remembered that fancied -cry, back there by the swamp, when he had -thought for an instant that Jack had called him -by name.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Twas not fancy, after all!" he -murmured. "It was Jack calling for help; it -must have been. Perhaps he sank in the -swamp, or perhaps the Indians attacked him -from the rear suddenly and quietly and he died -calling my name."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then the agony of his soul knew no bounds, -for he felt that he had wilfully deserted his -comrade, and in his despair he longed to die.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ah--to die! That would be easy, if only -Jack were here. We have too often faced -death together to be afraid, but this wild -loneliness unmans me," and here the lad broke -down and sobbed in his bitterness.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This weakness, if such it can be called, was -of short duration, however, for certain sounds -fell upon his ear in the stillness, that told him -something or somebody was approaching. A -rustling amongst the branches, a heavy but -stealthy tread amongst the tangled undergrowth. -All this came from the forest not -fifty feet away.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was just enough light to see half-way -across the small clearing. His every faculty -became alert, and he instinctively raised his -rifle, examined its priming, and fixed his eyes -at that spot where the object must leave the -forest to enter the clearing.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Perhaps it was Jack--at last. Should he -call? Better wait and see. Perhaps it was an -Indian, though the footfall seemed too heavy. -What could it be?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next instant a shaggy head was thrust -out from amongst the bushes, scarce twenty -feet away from where he sat, and then a -huge brown bear shambled into the clearing, -stopping every few yards to raise his snout, -and to sniff the air, as though it scented -danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie's left hand slid down, almost unconsciously, -to feel if his hunting-knife were there, -lest his rifle should fail him. The bear caught -the movement, quick as it was, and looked -suspiciously in the direction of the youth.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Having reached the middle of the clearing, -the huge monster reared itself up on its hind -legs, and beating the air with its fore-paws, -began to advance in the direction of Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie forgot every other danger in the face -of this new one that now threatened. He forgot -also all his fears, in his desire to overcome -the bear. 'Twas to be a fair fight and no -favour, and unless he killed "Bruin," then the -beast would kill him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>With steady eye and steady nerve Jamie -levelled his rifle, as the bear shambled towards -him, uttering a low growl, and preparing to -hug his victim in a fatal embrace. The youth -knew the vulnerable spot in that thick, shaggy -hide, and if he could only place his bullet there -it would end the combat, but on a dark night -like this could he do it?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was about to pull the trigger when -a strange diversion, entirely unexpected, -occurred.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A plumed and painted warrior, from the -Algonquin camp, hot upon the trail of the -young paleface, quickly entered the clearing -and almost rushed into the embrace of the -huge monster. Discovering his mistake, and -uttering a sudden exclamation of horror, the -warrior fell back in dismay, and dashed into -the forest, followed by Bruin, who left his -erstwhile enemy and suffered him to escape. -The branches closed upon the bear and the -Indian, and they were hidden from sight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank God I didn't fire!" exclaimed -Jamie, as he slipped quietly into the forest in -another direction, thanking Heaven for this -double escape, and taking hope, for he felt -that God had not deserted him, and would -somehow deliver him from his still terrible -plight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On he stumbled in the darkness, till he came -to a little stream. Here he stooped to quench -his burning thirst and to bathe his face, for -he was fevered with excitement, after the -quick transitions of feeling he had undergone -since they alarmed the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then he followed the path of the brook some -little way, hiding the trail of his moccasins in -the bed of the stream, for unlike the soft, oozy -mould of the forest the water yields no secret. -Then, after a while, he struck into the forest -again. Forward he went, lest the murdering -Algonquins should discover his trail once more, -and a tomahawk end his career. Once or twice -he thought he heard the stealthy tread of an -Indian behind him, but he stayed not in his -fierce flight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The moon was rising now, and it was becoming -much lighter, and Jamie was able to make -more rapid progress; but he was becoming -exhausted, and felt that he must stop soon, -when suddenly he noticed that the giant pines -and firs were becoming fewer and fewer, and -the undergrowth less tangled.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A tiny red glow--the glow of a camp-fire, -appeared through the trees, and the next -moment he halted breathlessly on the outskirts -of a deserted camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Now at length help is at hand, he thought, -and he prepared to enter the place.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Horror of horrors! It was the same camp -from which he had so blindly fled two hours -before. Some malevolent deity had led his -bewildered footsteps in a tragic circle, a -mistake not uncommon, even for experienced -travellers, who crossed the forest hastily, and -without due precaution.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Where was now the Providence that had -guided his footsteps? He almost cursed his -ill-luck and his bad fortune, and yet, as kindly -fate would have it, this was the best thing that -could have happened to him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He had indeed been guided by Providence, -for while both Jack and Young Eagle had been -made prisoners, Jamie, by walking up the -watercourse, and unconsciously doubling back -upon the deserted camp, had thrown even -the quick-witted Algonquins off the scent, -who never suspected such cunning in a paleface.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>I have said that the camp was deserted, -although the fire still burned, and the evening -meal remained untouched, for at the first -sound of that fatal cry from the woods every -inmate of the camp, except the paleface -prisoner, started in pursuit of the daring -enemy who had scalped their warrior. In this -sudden call to arms the prisoner was for a while -forgotten, as we shall shortly see.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie's heart sank with dismay as he beheld -the fatal error he had made. Wearied and -exhausted, he was ready to sink and perish, -but even thus a new feeling of terror seized -him, the terror of the returning Algonquins. -What if they discovered him here?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Once more he plunged into the thicket, for -a strange new strength had come to him, but -it was the strength of despair, occasioned by fear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Torn, lacerated and bleeding, his hair dishevelled, -and his clothes in tatters, he rushed -madly away from the spot. Whither he went -he cared not. Anywhere--away from that -terrible camp. He rushed blindly on, until at -the end of half-an-hour he sank down, utterly -exhausted, beneath the friendly shelter of an -elm-tree, and careless now whether the wild -beasts or the Algonquins tracked him to his doom.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>His brain reeled; his heart beat wildly, and -he swooned away rather than sank into sleep; -but soon his breathing became more regular, -and his slumber more peaceful.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The moon rose above the topmost branches, -climbed to the meridian, and sank once more -amongst the pines. Then the golden orb of -day unbarred his eastern shutters, tinged the -far horizon with saffron and yellow, and flooded -the landscape of forest, and river, and lake, -with gold, but still the youth slept on. Would -he never awake?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At length, when the sun was high above -the tree-tops, Jamie stretched himself, then -opened his eyes. As he did so his first gaze -fell upon a man, somewhat past middle-age, -but still strong and sturdy. He was in the garb -of a hunter, for he wore a hair-fringed hunting-shirt, -moccasins, and Indian leggings, while on -his head was a beaver cap.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie started, but felt relieved when he saw -it was no redskin that bent over him.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This man sat upon a fallen tree-trunk, -against which leaned his rifle also. His arms -were folded across his broad chest, and while -he vigorously puffed wreaths of smoke from -his pipe, he was complacently looking at the -lad, as though he had been keeping watch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The same face----" murmured Jamie. -"It is--it must be--the great paleface hunter!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-paleface-hunter"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVI</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE PALEFACE HUNTER</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>Jamie half rose from the ground, rubbed his -eyes, and appeared surprised and mystified at -this unexpected turn of events.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Am I still dreaming?" he wondered. "I -have seen this man many a time in my dreams, -but never, to my knowledge, have I seen him -before in the flesh. Who can he be, that he -thus haunts me, asleep and awake?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"So you've woke up at last, youngster! I -was beginning to fear that you might never -wake again," said the stranger, in a kindly and -not unfamiliar voice that awoke the echoes of -memory.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then you've been watching over me? -Guarding me, perhaps, whilst I slept?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The stranger nodded assent.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who are you? Tell me your name, that -I may thank you, for friends are not too -numerous hereabouts, and I have already lost -two comrades since I came on this trail. Tell -me who you are, if you please?" for the lad -saw by the stranger's kindly manner, his -honest, sunburnt face, and his clear but -piercing eyes, that he was no enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My real name doesn't matter, my lad, -though I am well known in these parts, for -the Indians on this side the lakes know me for -a trapper, and they call me the 'Paleface -Hunter,' and sometimes the 'Grey Badger.'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But how came you here?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This is my home--this forest! I have -lived here for fifteen years," said the trapper, -indicating the wide stretch of forest land with -a broad sweep of his hand.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And how did you happen to find me, just -when I needed a friend, too? When I sank -down last night I never expected to see the -light of another sun."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I stumbled across you here at dawn. You -were fast asleep, and I saw by your torn clothes -and the scratches and flesh wounds on your -hands and face that the Indians had been hot -on your trail. I half feared to find your -scalp-lock missing, but when I examined you I found -that you were living, but so exhausted and -dead-beat that to wake you up might finish -you, so I just carried you in here, covered up -your trail, and waited for you to awake."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And for four hours," replied Jamie softly, -and with tears in his voice--"for four hours, -since dawn, you have watched over me like -a child in a cradle, though any moment -the Algonquins might have discovered your -trail."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tut! tut! my lad! That's nothing----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Paleface--if I may so call you--you have -saved my life, and I thank you with all my -heart, though last night, when I lost my best -friend, I cursed my fate and wished to die."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis more likely you who have saved my life."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"How so?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Was it you who fired that shot last evening -just before sunset?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Which shot?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The one that alarmed the camp!";</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You mean when the scout was----"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Scalped."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, I fired it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who took the scalp? I reckon that is not -your gift, my lad."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie shuddered at the remembrance, and -said, "No. I should hope not."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then you were not alone? Who was the -redskin that was with you?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"An Iroquois youth, named 'Young Eagle.'"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The son of White Eagle, the great chief?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The same. There was another also--a -young paleface friend of mine. We lost each -other in the forest, after dark, when the -redskins were hot on our trail. After that I -missed my way, and wandered back to the -camp in mistake. Then, filled with terror and -despair, I plunged madly back into the forest, -until I sank exhausted, where you found me; -but tell me, trapper, how did I save your life? -for 'tis all a mystery to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When you fired that shot at sunset, I was -in a tight corner, for I was a prisoner in the -Algonquin camp. Red Wolf, the Algonquin -chief, is a great enemy of mine. Long he has -tried to trap me, but I have always been able -to circumvent him. This time he took me -unawares. He and six of his braves pounced -upon me suddenly in the forest three days ago, -when I was splitting a few logs for my fire, -and before I had a chance to defend myself I -was tied up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And they tortured you, did they not?" -asked Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See here what the fiends did!" and the -hunter showed a dozen scars and open wounds -that had not yet healed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The monsters! How did you escape?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You know their custom of torturing their -prisoners from sunset till dawn."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, after all this they made a fire, and -after a few more tortures I believe the -varmint would have burnt me to death, for one -fiend had made an iron red-hot, with which to -sear and brand me, when suddenly the -half-uttered yell of their scout, followed by the -crack of your rifle, burst upon their ears."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes! yes! What happened then?" asked -Jamie impatiently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, every man Jack of them seized their -rifles and tomahawks, and bolted out of the -camp to the help of the scout, leaving me -alone, bound hand and foot to a tree."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And how did you free yourself?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, the scamp who had been threatening -to brand me, when he bolted with the rest, -dropped the hot iron at my feet, so that it -burnt this hole in my moccasin. See here. -The opportunity was too good to be lost, so I -wriggled and shuffled my feet till the iron -came in contact with the lowest thong. It -was burnt through in less than a minute, and -in another five minutes I was free."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That was worthy of a trapper and a -frontiersman. The implement of torture was -a blessing in disguise."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I didn't remain long in the camp, I can -tell you, for at any moment the redskins might -have returned, and there is no doubt that they -would have scalped me on the spot, in revenge -for what the Young Eagle had done. I was -unable to walk for a few minutes, so tightly -had they bound me; but I rubbed and chafed -my limbs till the circulation was restored, and -then I seized my rifle and knife and walked -off. At dawn I stumbled across you, and--here -we are; a match for a dozen Indians yet, -let them come when they will," and the -trapper laughed silently.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Paleface, I'm glad to have met you," said -Jamie, rising from the ground and extending -his hand to his new friend. "I have had so -many unhappy experiences during the past -twenty-four hours, that I had begun to doubt -the Providence which has delivered me so -often, but I shall never doubt again, for God -has never failed me yet."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was something very much like a tear -that trickled down the rough face of the -trapper as he grasped the extended hand and -said, in quiet but earnest tones--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He never will fail you--if you trust Him."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If only my two comrades were alive I -should be the happiest creature in all this wide -forest."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are both alive."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What!" exclaimed the lad. "Both alive? -How do you know that?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Before dawn I heard the Indians return -to camp, and their yells of triumph told me -that they had either brought in prisoners or -scalps. Being anxious to know whether their -prisoners were Indians or Yengeese, I crept -back again to the edge of the camp."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed!" interposed Jamie, interrupting -the narrative. "Weren't you afraid of being -captured again?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Tut! tut! He'll be a smart Indian who -can catch an old trapper twice."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what did you discover?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Before I reached the spot I heard a fierce -yell of anger. That I knew to be caused by -the discovery that I had escaped. When at -last I reached a little rising ground overlooking -the camp, where the shrub was very thick, I -saw two prisoners tied to the self-same tree to -which I had been tied but a few hours before."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What were they like?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"One was an Indian youth. I knew him -at once. He was the eldest son of White -Eagle, and the other was a stranger to me. -He was a paleface in the garb of an Indian -hunter, and he must have been your -companion. This only I discovered, for my stay -was a brief one, and the reason why I have -remained in the vicinity of the Algonquins is -because I have been hopeful that an opportunity -will occur to save them, else they will -either be tortured to death, or carried to the -Canada lodges."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You fill me with joy and with hope, -trapper. We must and will save them! -Nothing shall prevent us!" exclaimed Jamie, -who was overjoyed at this good news.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If only we had White Eagle and twenty -of his Iroquois braves here we might do -something, before it is too late."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"White Eagle will be here with some of his -warriors by noon to-morrow," replied the lad.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's that you say? Who has gone for him?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Swift Arrow. We dispatched him at -dawn yesterday, as soon as we found that you -were a prisoner." And then Jamie told the -old man all he knew--how they had struck the -trail of the Algonquins, how the Indian lad -had scouted all night, and had crept up to the -enemy's camp, and reported that they held as -a prisoner a great paleface hunter, who was -the friend of White Eagle, and how Swift -Arrow had departed for assistance. He told -all, except his dream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hunter was bewildered when he heard -all this, but merely remarked--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Swift Arrow. I know the lad. He has -the swiftest foot in all the Six Nations, and he -will bring the warriors back, but whether they -will arrive in time is another matter. And -now there is something for us to do."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What can we do, trapper? Speak, for I -am ready. Inaction alone is inglorious, while -my comrades are in the hands of those fiends. -What can we do?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must hold the trail till the chief comes -up. The Algonquins are pretty sure to clear -off quickly, for they are in the hunting-grounds -of the Iroquois, and my escape will have -hurried their departure. Probably they are -already preparing to move. Let us go. But -stay, you are famished, and cannot stand a -long journey. We must have breakfast, and -then we will hasten, lest the game should slip -through our hands."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They made a hasty breakfast of some dried -venison and half-cooked hominy, which the -trapper bad snatched from a cooking-pot -when he hurried away from the deserted camp; -then feeling much refreshed by this rude but -welcome meal, they shouldered their rifles and -departed in the direction of the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They cautiously continued their way -through the forest, sometimes wading in -narrow streams in order to hide their trail; -sometimes crawling on all fours through the -dense undergrowth, till they reached the -outskirts of the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not a word was spoken during this tedious -journey, which took upwards of an hour, lest -a solitary sentinel should discover their -approach. Once, indeed, they passed within a -hundred feet of a scout, without even raising -his suspicions. At length they paused for a -moment to rest at the bottom of a little -densely-wooded hillock, scarce an arrow-flight -from the camp. They were entirely hidden in -the thick shrub, and were so close to the enemy -that they could hear the voices of the Indians, -and see the blue smoke curling up from their -fire, though the fire itself they could not see, -because of the little brow or hillock that -intervened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then they crawled from their hiding-place, -through the brush to the top of the brow, and -looked down upon the encampment. They -doffed their beaver caps, and only permitted -their eyes to peep for an instant at the scene -below, lest the sharp glance of a warrior should -chance to see them, but what a thrill came to -Jamie's heart!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Thirty or forty braves were standing or lying -about, some of them in little groups occasionally -pointing to the forest. Others were -examining their rifles and knives, as though -expecting to be attacked. A few were hanging -over the remains of a feast, the remnants -of a deer. But what remained longest in -Jamie's memory, during that brief glance, and -excited his feelings most, was the sight of his -two comrades bound to a huge tree near the -middle of the camp. Whether they had -already suffered torture or not, or were merely -waiting helplessly until such time as pleased -their captors to commence their vile and -fiendish practices, he knew not; but his own -feelings were roused to such a pitch of fury by the -sight that it needed all his strength of will to -command his feelings, and to restrain his desire -to rush forward and liberate the prisoners.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Just at that moment a hand was placed upon -his shoulder, and a voice whispered--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He turned and followed the trapper quietly -until they were once more ensconced in their -late hiding-place.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were not a moment too soon, for -scarcely had they hidden themselves when a -scout came along, peering amongst the trees -and bushes, as though expecting to find an -enemy behind every cover. Suddenly he -stopped almost opposite to them, and looked -suspiciously at the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Something unusual had evidently attracted -his attention. What was it? He was within -a few feet of their trail. Had he discovered it? -It was a critical moment for the two palefaces. -A single movement, however slight, would -betray them. It was dangerous to breathe -even, or to stir an inch, for the crackling of a -twig would have been fatal. Their very lives -hung on a slender thread.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-broken-scalping-knife"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A BROKEN SCALPING-KNIFE</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>It was a period of awful suspense, and the -two palefaces held their breath for a moment -as they watched the scout keenly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>What was it that had attracted the attention -of the Algonquin?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He stooped down and picked up something -that lay upon the ground. It was a broken -scalping-knife that had evidently been dropped -or lost in some scuffle long, long ago, for it -was thick with rust. He gazed at it for some -seconds, turning it round, then flung it away -into the forest. The next instant he ascended -the hillock and disappeared, entering the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Fortune had once more favoured Jamie and -his friend, for the discovery of the scalping-knife -had both arrested and deflected the course -of the scout, when he was only a few feet away -from the fresh trail of the two palefaces. Had -he continued on his original course, he could -scarcely have failed to discover the prints of -their moccasins, and a very awkward situation -would have arisen. The alarm once given, -fifty braves would have been upon them within -a minute.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sound of voices now reached them more -frequently, and it was evident from the -commotion that was going on that some movement -was imminent. Once the piercing cry of the -hawk was heard to come from over the hillock.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They're moving the camp, and that's the -signal for the scouts to draw in. They'll be -gone in half-an-hour," whispered the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hadn't we better prepare to follow?" said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. We shall gain nothing by being too -eager. Besides, we have still got several -incoming scouts in our rear. We must keep -closely to cover till they have passed."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This precaution was a very necessary one, -for within half-an-hour no less than three -scouts passed within a hundred yards of them, -each going in the direction of the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Another hour passed away, and the sounds -they had previously heard became fainter and -then died away. At length the trapper rose -from his crouching position in the brushwood -and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let us go!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They now crept carefully through the long -grass that partially clothed the hillock, until -they could peer over the brow and obtain a -view of the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The place was deserted, for the Indians had -gone and taken their prisoners with them. -The fire was still burning, and several half-cooked -pieces of venison and bear's flesh lay -about, also several broken utensils and a pair of -cast-off moccasins.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whither have they gone, think you?" -asked Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Back to the Canadas, and we must follow them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They cannot have killed their prisoners, -then, or we should have heard them, and there -would have been traces of blood."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See. Here is the tree to which they were -tied. The thongs have been so tight that -they have cut into the bark."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. That means that they will have to -travel slowly, unless they kill their prisoners, -for they will scarcely be able to walk fast yet -awhile."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trapper looked anxiously up at the sun, -which was now declining, and had reached the -topmost branches of the trees on the western -side of the forest; then he proceeded to -examine the prints of the Algonquin moccasins, -following them a little way into the forest -for the purpose, while Jamie still examined the -ground about the root of the giant elm-tree to -see if he could find traces of blood.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There were several spots of blood about -the tree and several splashes of it on the -bark. There were also many deep cuts and -gashes, and an arrow still remained fast in the -wood about six feet from the ground, as -though they had practised the same cruelties -upon the lads that they had essayed upon the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Only to think," muttered Jamie between -his teeth, "that an hour ago both Jack and -Young Eagle were tied up here, expecting a -cruel and lingering death from their captors. -What were their thoughts? Oh, if they could -only have known that help was so near! -Hullo! Where is the trapper? He has -disappeared!" and the lad was suddenly -awakened from his reverie by becoming conscious -that the hunter was nowhere to be seen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After a few minutes' search he found the old -man some little way in the forest, examining -very keenly the trail of the Algonquins.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, what do you make of it?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trapper still continued for another -minute to examine the prints of the departing -redskins, and then he said, speaking very -slowly as though he had come to his conclusion -only after much thought--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They are making tracks for one of the -streams that flows into Lake Seneca, where -they have probably left their canoes hidden in -the forest; then they will pass down the lake -to the Seneca River, and from thence into -Lake Ontario and thus to the Canadas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then what chance shall we have of recovering -the prisoners? Where can we overtake them?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Not till we reach the Seneca Falls, I fear," -replied the trapper. "Some distance below -the outlet of the lake there is a portage past -the Falls where they must land to carry their -canoes to the river below. That is the spot -where we must surprise them. By that time -the Eagle will be with us and some of his braves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That sounds all right, but what about the -prisoners? I had hoped that something might -have been done to rescue them before then," -said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The lads are safe for another three days, -at any rate, unless they attempt to escape, for -it now seems more than likely that they are to -be carried off to the Canadas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What is that picture that you are drawing, -trapper?" for the old hunter had stripped a -large piece of bark from a birch-tree, and on -the inner side had begun to draw a few rough -pictures. It contained a cryptic message in -the Indian style of "picture-writing," by -which these children of the forest spoke to each -other at a distance.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It depicted the whole length of Lake -Seneca, and the Falls in the river below, then -a badger and a feather, representing the Grey -Badger and Red Feather following up a trail, -while a few wigwams ahead represented the -departing Algonquins. Next a White Eagle -making a swift curve towards the Falls -completed the picture, and the message was -complete.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It is a message to the White Eagle, to ask -him to make direct for the Falls and there to -prepare an ambush for the foes," replied the -trapper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Capital! He'll understand that, easily -enough, when he reaches here at noon to-morrow."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. The meaning will be as plain as a -pikestaff when he sees it. He'll probably be -at the Falls long before us, for he'll travel -day and night when he scents the game he's -after. And now let us start, while the trail is -warm."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The piece of bark was fastened to a tree, and -they departed quickly. Night soon overtook -them, and they camped for a brief while in -the forest. A drink of water and a piece of -bear's flesh, which they had brought from the -Algonquin camp, sufficed for supper, and then -they lay down to sleep, but Jamie thought -that he had only just closed his eyelids when -a hand was laid on his shoulder and the hunter -said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come! The dawn is breaking, and there -is the promise of a fine day."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All that day they followed the trail; not -without difficulty, for although in the soft soil -of the forest the moccasins had left a deep -print, yet at times, where the earth was dry -and barren from lack of moisture, or where -the redskins had followed the beds of the -streams, wading in the water, the trail became -difficult and the progress slower. There was -also another danger that made them proceed -with care. The Algonquins might have placed -scouts in their rear, and at any moment an -ambush might be sprung upon them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If only we could reach the canoes first and -set them adrift, we could then delay and -harass them," said Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No! no! That would never do," replied -his companion. "Our business is to locate -them and then to make a detour, joining our -companions at the Falls, without letting them -discover our presence. Once they find that -they are being tracked, the prisoners' lives are -endangered, for to facilitate their progress -they will kill the prisoners."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See, here is a broken twig, and the leaves -have scarcely withered, showing that it cannot -be more than a few hours since they passed -this way," said the lad, who was now keenly -alert for every little sign that would guide them.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, and here is a deeper print in the soft -earth, as though one of the prisoners had gone -slightly out of his way to leave it for our -assistance."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You are right, trapper! That is the mark -of the Young Eagle's moccasin, for here is the -little patch on the left heel that he repaired but -two days ago, when he had burned a hole in -his moccasin by standing too near the fire. -But look here! What does this mean?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And a few feet further on they both stood -still and gazed at several splashes of blood -which had dyed the ground.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The villains! One of them has inflicted a -wound on Young Eagle, probably for snapping -the twig, or leaving a footprint in the -soft mould, which shows that they will be -watched in future, and that we shall have no -more signs."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The wretches!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I hope White Eagle will not miss our -trail, should he decide to follow us, rather -than go direct to the falls," said Jamie, when -the day had worn on into the afternoon.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is no fear of that. White Eagle is -the greatest chief in all the Six Nations, and -he could follow the trail of a humming-bird. -Besides, look there. I have left him a trail -that he could follow in the dark," and for -about the twentieth time the trapper barked a -tree with his knife in a peculiar manner, which -evidently had a significant meaning for one -who was versed in the secret code of the forest.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The ground hardened again now, and the -trail almost disappeared, and sometimes failed -altogether, so that a full hour was spent -hunting for some hidden clue. At length Jamie -exclaimed--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Here is something, trapper! A broken -file that Jack has purposely dropped to guide us."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A broken file?" queried the other.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. Rather a strange thing to carry in -the forest, but--but--he used it to sharpen -his knife, and such things," said Jamie, -reddening a little as he remembered the history -of that little file in the old country. It was -the one which had secured their escape from -the lock-up two years ago, and Jack had kept -it as a memento, saying--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It has brought us luck once; it may do so -again. At any rate, it is sure to be useful, and -I will keep it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hunter carefully examined the file, and -then passed it over to his friend. He, too, -remembered to have seen a file exactly like -that once--long ago--in a little land across the -sea, but all the secrets and memories that it -recalled were painful ones.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Well, here's the trail, let us follow it," -exclaimed Jamie. "It's as good as following -a paper-chase through the woods at Burnside, -I do declare."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Where did you say?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Burnside! In the old country."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The old man looked long and keenly at the -youth, whose features were now so brown and -tanned that he was more like a redskin than -a paleface. Then he was about to speak -further, but he checked himself, for at that -instant, when they had only followed the -newly-discovered trail for a hundred yards or so--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whisht!" went an arrow so close to them -that it pierced Jamie's beaver hat and pinned -it to the bark of a tree.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>In a second they had gained the shelter of -a friendly elm, whose huge trunk offered cover -for them both. Scarcely had they done so when--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Whisht!" went a second arrow, and a -third, both perilously near.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I can see him, trapper," whispered Jamie, -as he caught sight of a dark shadow behind a -tree fifty yards away, just as the third winged -messenger whizzed by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The trapper had seen that dark form too, -and had covered it with his rifle, but he -hesitated to fire, and looked behind him uneasily -once or twice, as though conscious that some -one was advancing from the rear. Were they -trapped? Had the stalkers themselves been -stalked?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He was not mistaken, for a dark figure was -flitting from tree to tree behind them, and each -instant coming nearer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Who could it be?</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Keep your gun levelled at that red devil -in front, lad. There's some one approaching -from behind! Whether friend or foe, I -know not, but I'll soon find out," said the -hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie did as he was bid, and before long the -opportunity he sought was offered to him. -He caught sight of the Algonquin again. As -he stood fitting another arrow to his string, his -right arm was exposed.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bang!" a flash of flame spurted from -Jamie's rifle. The leaden messenger found its -mark, and the Indian's arm fell helpless at -his side, even as he prepared to shoot. With -a yell of pain the scout plunged into the thicket -and disappeared.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment a dark figure bounded -from the cover of a tree in the rear and quickly -advanced. The trapper had him covered with -his rifle, but the instant he caught sight of his -face he dropped the piece and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Welcome, Swift Arrow!"</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="a-lost-trail"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XVIII</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">A LOST TRAIL</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Swift Arrow?" exclaimed Jamie, -lowering his smoking rifle, as he almost rushed -forward to greet his companion, in a truly -English fashion, for he was heartily glad to see -him again.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The Indian, however, remained cold and -reserved, and his only response to the warm -greeting of his paleface friend was the customary -"Ugh!" which seems at times to be the -only stock-in-trade of the Red Indians. The -fact was, the youth was on his first war-path, -and at such a time the practice of his tribe -demanded deeds, not words.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My red brother has the speed of a deer -and the heart of a lion. He has seen the White -Eagle, and has brought us tidings. Let him -speak, and the palefaces will listen to his -words," said the trapper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>After the usual pause demanded by Indian -convention, the youth replied--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"White Eagle, with thirty braves, will -reach the Seneca Falls at sunset. Will the -palefaces continue to follow the Algonquin trail?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes," the scouts replied.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>And then, without another word, Swift -Arrow turned away and disappeared into the -forest, almost in the direction in which he had come.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Though Jamie was now fairly acquainted -with Indian manners and customs, he was -rather taken aback with this abrupt departure, -and would have called him back again, but the -trapper said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Leave him alone, lad. He is only following -the traditions of his race. He has followed -our trail, and delivered the chief's message, -and is now probably going to rejoin White -Eagle. He has discharged his duty with a -fidelity that many a white man might envy."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He must be tired!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, during the last fifty hours he must -have traversed near a hundred and fifty miles -of forest and streams, and I doubt very much -whether he has tasted food during the whole -journey."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Hunter, I have lived amongst the red men -a little while now, and I have often discovered -amongst them a sense of honour and an unselfish -spirit that I have never seen surpassed -by the members of more civilised races."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I'm glad to hear you say it, lad. During -the last fifteen years my truest friend has been -a red man."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You mean the White Eagle?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is a great chief. I owe him my life. -But for him my scalp would now be hanging -at the girdle of one of his braves. I knew he -would come to your rescue, too, if he only -knew of your danger."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Come to my rescue? He would have -crossed the lakes and the plains to the -mountains beyond, even to the utmost bounds of the -Oregon River, if he had but known that my -life was in danger, and he would not have -expected the slightest reward; but come, let -us break our fast that we may follow the trail."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look, trapper. There is our dinner, and -a right royal one, too," said Jamie, pointing -to several wild turkeys that were feeding in -the half-dried bed of a little stream near by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hunter raised his rifle to his shoulder -quickly, and fired, and one of the birds fell -over, struggled for a few seconds, and then lay -still with its claws in the air. Jamie rushed off -to secure it, and quickly dressed it while the -trapper lighted a fire, and in a few minutes this -fine fat bird was roasting on a spit, scenting -the forest with the smell of roast turkey, and -promising to allay every pang of hunger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They made a hearty repast, and then washed -it down with a drink at the little stream, before -they continued their march. They had a trail -now that a child could have followed, for at -very frequent intervals there were splashes of -blood, which marked the ground and showed -the track of the wounded Algonquin, so that -they were able to move rapidly and without -any loss of time for several miles.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We must keep a sharp look-out for scouts -now, trapper, for the varlets know that we are -on their track."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That will only make them hurry forward, -and I don't think that they will place many -scouts in their rear. The only thing that I -fear is that they will not camp to-night, but -press on in order to get to the Canadas as -quickly as possible. In that case, should the -chief be detained, they may pass the Falls -before he gets there, and reach Ontario. So -we must follow close. We cannot be far from -Lake Seneca now."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Cannot we follow them there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No. They will be safe behind the guns of -the Frenchers."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is it true then, hunter, that all the -Canada Indians look up to Louis as their king, -and call him their 'Great French Father' -across the water, and that they are in league -with him to drive all the English from the -Americas, and to make it a great French Empire?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Tis even so, my lad! And 'tis my firm -belief that the Canada war-parties, like the -one whose trail we are now following, are sent -to stir up strife, to tomahawk and scalp the -English settlers, to destroy their harvests and -burn their houses, by the Frenchers at Quebec -and the frontier forts; but they defeat their -own objects, for they have lately stirred up all -the tribes of the Iroquois as well as the -Delawares to become the active allies of the -English."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And what will be the end of it all, trapper?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The end of it will be, that the Frenchers -themselves before long will be driven out of -Canada, just as they have lately been driven -out of India, by a few determined Englishmen, -under that brilliant merchant-soldier, Clive."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed! Do you think it possible to drive -the French out of Quebec? They have made -the place impregnable. When I left there -they ridiculed the idea that the English would -ever attempt to take it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Time will show," said the trapper. "Do -you know that even now a British fleet is -holding the river, and an English army is encamped -about Quebec?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Is it possible? How I should like to be -there and to serve under Wolfe's flag; but -how did you learn all this in the forest?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Even the forest can speak to those who -have ears to listen. Why did the Algonquins -depart so rapidly, and make no attempt to -recapture me, when the price of fifty -beaver-skins has been set upon my scalp by the -Canadas during the past five years? They -could not know then that the Iroquois were -upon their trail."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, indeed; unless they were summoned -hastily back to their own country, or was it -that they feared the wrath of the Senecas and -the Cayugas, whose hunting-grounds they had -invaded?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Partly that, perhaps, for the Senecas, like -all the other tribes of the Six Nations, are a -fierce and warlike race; but there was another -reason."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What was it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Listen! The night before I escaped, a -messenger, with a war-hatchet all covered with -blood, entered the Algonquin camp. He also -carried a broad belt of wampum, and the skin -of a rattlesnake filled with arrows; while his -tomahawk was stained a deep red, in token of -war. He was received with great deference, -and when he had handed the war-belt to the -Algonquin chief, he declared that a fierce and -bloody war had broken out between the French -Father and the children of Miquon, and that -the former needed all his red children to come -and assist him. He promised them 'a great -plenty' of paleface scalps if they would come; -but if they refused, then, if the English won, -they would take from the children of the -Manitou all their hunting-grounds, and burn -their wigwams and lodges to the ground, until -the prints of their moccasins should no longer -be found in the forests.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When the messenger had finished speaking -he showered the arrows upon the earth, and -then flung the blood-red hatchet upon the -ground, saying--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"'Even now the River of Canada is full of -big canoes that carry the thunder and the -lightning, and the paleface warriors from over -the great Salt Lake, led by a mighty chieftain -named Le Loup [Wolfe], have settled around -the fortress of Canada, like a swarm of locusts. -Come, my brothers! Who will take up the -hatchet to fight for the Great Canada Father?'</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"After a long pause, as if to give due weight -and consideration to this important message, -the Algonquin chief arose from his seat by the -council fire, and made a brief but solemn -speech, which, after extolling the prowess of -his ancestors and himself, ended in a promise -to return and assist the French, as soon as the -scattered members of the party returned, and -the scouts were called in. He then proceeded -slowly to the spot where the hatchet was half -buried, and solemnly took it up.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A wild burst of savage yells greeted this -action, and the evening was given up to a -war-dance. Next day, while the parties were -coming in, one of the scouts was scalped, as -you know, by Young Eagle, and the departure -was delayed another day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thus it was," continued the trapper, -"that I learnt of the arrival of Wolfe, and -that the plight of the French was so bad that -all their Indian allies had been called in to -assist them, with a promise of a 'great plenty' -of paleface scalps. A promise which never -fails to attract a red man."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This was news that fired Jamie's soul. -What would he not give to join his countrymen, -and to help in wresting the Canadas from -the French? At that moment he envied the -smallest drummer-boy in Wolfe's army the -part he was to play in the siege.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"If only Jack were free," he said to -himself, "we would start for Quebec to-morrow, -and offer our services; and Jack shall be free, -if brave men can save him!" Then overtaking -the trapper, who was a few yards in -advance, for during this conversation they -had been following the trail in single file, he -said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"In another two hours the sun will be entering -the pines. I shall be glad when we reach -one of the streams that flows into the lake. -Surely we cannot be far away now!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The hunter at that instant halted suddenly, -and exclaimed, "The varmint!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What's the matter?" inquired Jamie, -noting the anxious look on the face of his -companion.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They have misled us. This is a false trail. -Several of the Algonquins have come this way -in order to mislead us, and then doubled back, -walking backwards. It must be so, for -look--the trail ends here."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was only too true. For nearly a mile, -through tangled forest, across streams and -open glades, they had followed a false trail.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That comes of talking too much. Your -Indian, when he is on the warpath, doesn't spill -a word, except his blessed 'Ugh!', for he keeps -his nose down to the trail. However, there is -no help for it. We must go back till we strike -the main trail again." This all took valuable -time, but at last they discovered the spot where -the tracks diverged, and they got the scent -once more. The real trail had been so neatly -covered up, for fifty yards or more, and the -false one left open, that it was no wonder that -the mistake was made.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Even here their difficulties did not end, for -within another quarter of an hour they came -to a spot where several small streams met, and -here also the trail ended abruptly, and although -they examined each bank for some distance -they were unable to discover any clue as to the -route taken by the Algonquins.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Time was precious, and a full half-hour had -already been wasted here, when the trapper, -who had carefully examined each of the bigger -streams, turned his attention to the third, -which was a mere rivulet. Proceeding twenty -yards up the bank of the stream, he dammed -up the rivulet with a few stones, backed by -earth-sods, and turned it temporarily out of its -course, so that almost immediately it ran dry. -Then, following the dried-up bed of the -stream, he soon perceived the print of a -moccasin, that had only been half-washed away -by the water.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look!" he said, "even the water sometimes -gives up its secrets. Here is the trail--let -us follow it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Half-a-mile further on they came to a place -where the whole band had left the stream, and -struck into the forest again, and just as the -sun was getting low amongst the trees they -struck a larger stream that was capable of -bearing a canoe.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"They have taken to the water! See, -here are the marks made by the bows of the -canoes, as they pushed off," said the trapper.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And here is the spot where the boats were -hidden amongst the bushes!" exclaimed Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes. Let us look around and see if by any -chance they have left us a spare canoe, for if I -am not mistaken they have left nearly a dozen -of their warriors in the Iroquois forests."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A diligent search was made, but no trace of -a canoe could be found anywhere. The only -thing they could find was a spare paddle, which -the trapper took along with him, saying--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"A paddle without a canoe is not worth -much, but if we discover a canoe and haven't -got a paddle, we shall not be much better off."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They had not proceeded far down the bank -of the stream when the keen eyes of the -hunter, despite the failing light, perceived a -stranded canoe on the other side of the river.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I thought so!" he exclaimed. "The -rascals had one canoe too many, but to prevent -us using it they set it adrift, and the current -has landed it across there. I will fetch it."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No, no!" said Jamie. "I'll fetch it," -and, throwing off his hunting shirt, he plunged -into the stream, and swam across to where the -canoe had gone ashore, jammed between two -rocks. He had taken the paddle with him, and -he quickly returned in the canoe, which was -none the worse for its little adventure, except -that there was a small hole in the bow, which -the trapper soon repaired.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There is no time to lose. We must -hasten; for unless the Algonquins camp -somewhere along the lake, we shall be too late," -said the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sun had set half-an-hour ago, as they -paddled swiftly down stream; but there was -still a crimson glow from amongst the pines -on the western side of the river. Sometimes -they skimmed along with the current without -putting in the paddle, the next moment they -danced and twisted amongst the rapids; but -the trapper piloted the canoe safely amongst -the rocks, the eddies and the swirls, ever -seeking the most sheltered spots.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly, a bend in the river revealed to -them the opening of the lake, and in another -moment they were skimming along its glassy -surface, close in-shore. This narrow lake is -thirty-five miles long, and from one to three -miles broad, and long before they had covered -half its length darkness fell, but they slackened -not their efforts. They paddled in turn, -quietly but swiftly, ever keeping a careful -watch lest they should discover the camp-fire -of the enemy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were approaching a headland that -jutted out some little way into the lake, and -were scarce a dozen yards from the thick -bushes which overhung the bank, when the -screech of an owl reached their ears from the -shore.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie, who held the paddle, stayed his hand -for a moment, and peered into the darkness. -A dark shadowy form was standing on a rock -at the very edge of the water, with an uplifted -hand that indicated danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>He knew that form and that call too well -to hesitate. "It is Swift Arrow," he whispered; -and drove the canoe in gently towards -the shore.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-ambush-at-seneca-falls"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XIX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE AMBUSH AT SENECA FALLS</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>What new danger threatened them now? -As they drew ashore at a spot where the -bushes parted to allow the rock to jut into the -water, Jamie was about to inquire from the -Indian youth what was the matter, and how he -had managed to strike their trail again, at a -moment when perhaps they most needed his -presence, but a low "Hist!" which came -from the dark figure upon the rock, silenced -him. Evidently the lad had feared for their -safety, and at great peril had come to save -them, or at any rate to make them conscious -of the approaching danger.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Silently, they landed on the margin of the -forest, and crept ashore. The rustle of a leaf, -the snapping of a twig might betray their -presence to a lurking scout, though as yet they -knew not what danger threatened.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Wacondah has made Swift Arrow -his messenger, in order to save our scalps. -Swift Arrow will now speak," whispered the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then in a low, soft, musical voice, -untouched by excitement at the nearness of -danger, or emotion at seeing his friends again, -the Indian pointed to the dark headland, -scarce a hundred yards further along the lake, -and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Swift Arrow has kept watch for his friends. -There is the Algonquin camp, and their -scouts are close to us; watching both the lake -and the forest. A singing-bird has spoken to -them, and they think White Eagle is behind -them. Before daybreak, they will enter the -Seneca River, at the outlet of the lake, on their -way back to the Canadas."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"But must we remain here till they are -gone?" asked Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"No," smiled the youth. "Swift Arrow -will now lead his paleface friends out of danger, -and pilot them safely to the spot where the -White Eagle awaits the Algonquins, at the -portage by the Seneca Falls."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Saying this, he stepped into the canoe and -took the paddle, motioning the others to lie -down in the bottom of the craft, and then -noiselessly pushed off from the bank. The -Indian did not attempt to continue the former -direction, but paddled cautiously back a little -way, hugging the shore; then he struck -directly across the lake, which is here about -two miles broad, and having approached the -opposite bank, he turned the head of the canoe -once more towards the outlet of the lake, and -paddled swiftly.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This manoeuvre succeeded perfectly, and -they got away unobserved. Taking turns at -the solitary paddle, they soon reached the -outlet, and entered the swift stream which -takes its name from the lake. Now they were -piloted swiftly and safely past the rapids, -aided only by the light of the stars, and the -daring skill of the Indian.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Two hours before dawn, a dull roar fell upon -their ears. It was the cataract, where the -whole river tumbles in a frenzy of froth and -foam down a chasm of fifty feet, forming the -far-famed Seneca Falls.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The canoes were drawn to the bank at the -portage, and as they stepped ashore, the dark, -shadowy forms of several painted warriors -emerged from the cover of the trees. They -were the Iroquois scouts, who were keenly -watching for the approach of the enemy. -Then a powerful and haughty chief -confronted them. It was the White Eagle -himself, but the stern stoicism of his countenance -relaxed for a moment as he greeted his two -paleface friends.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The paleface hunter is welcome to the -camp of the Iroquois. Many moons have -passed since White Eagle and his friend -hunted the red deer, and struck the trail of -the moose together," said the chief.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The home of the Grey Badger is in the -wigwams of the Iroquois, and when he has -struck his Canada enemies, he will return to -his seat at the council fire of the White -Eagle," replied the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Ugh! It is well! I feared that the -Canada snakes had charmed away my friend, -but then I remembered that the Grey Badger -is too great a warrior to permit his scalp to -hang upon the poles of their lodges."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"It was a mighty close shave this time, -chief. I didn't expect to see my red friends -again."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Bah! The river is now netted for the -Canada salmon. My braves will take 'plenty' -scalp before another sunset. Come! My -warriors will watch."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A couple of Indians took up the canoe and -carried it to the other end of the portage, -while several others eliminated from the soft -bank the marks made by the bow of the boat -and the prints of the moccasins. This -precaution was adopted to prevent an alarm being -given to the Algonquins, who were shortly -expected. Then the party retired within the -precincts of the forest, there to await the -coming of the dawn.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Dawn came at last--towards the sun-rising -a faint yellow streak lit up the horizon. Next, -a saffron tint flushed the sky, and then the -stars faded and disappeared, as the gates of the -morning were unbarred, and a hundred -streamers of flashing, roseate hues flooded the -blue vault of heaven. Myriads of songsters -awoke the stillness of the forest, for the day -had come, and the dark curtain of night rolled -westward.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Another two hours passed, and then the -hawk-eyed vigilance of the watchers was -rewarded by a first glimpse of the enemy. -The dull, constant roar of the cataract in their -ears prevented their hearing the sound of the -approaching paddles, or the crunching of their -birch-bark canoes upon the beach, but long -ere this, the Iroquois scouts had reported the -enemy in sight, and every one was ready for -the approaching fight.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The portage was a short one, and the chief -had spread his warriors over the whole length -in order to prevent the escape of any of the -Algonquins. A few scouts headed the party, -then came the Indians carrying the five canoes, -and after them, the two prisoners, their arms -bound with thongs, walking between a couple -of braves with tomahawks in their hands.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Every one now eagerly awaited the signal -for the combat. The advance party had -reached a point about half-way over the -ground, when the shrill scream of an eagle -rose in the air. At the same instant, the -clatter of a dozen rifles, and the fierce war-cry -of the thirty Iroquois, burst upon the ear. -The very trees about the unfortunate -Algonquins seemed to turn into frenzied warriors, -who, brandishing their tomahawks, rushed -upon their foe. The canoes were thrown to -the ground, and in the confusion which -followed, brave deeds were done. A fierce -hand-to-hand fight ensued, but the Algonquins, -mowed down by that first fire, and -hopelessly outclassed, were driven nearer and -nearer to that perilous brink, where leapt the -mighty cataract into the foaming rapids and -whirlpools below.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>A few bold spirits, rather than leave their -scalps in the hands of their enemies, leapt into -the chasm beneath, and were never seen again. -Except these, not a soul escaped the vengeance -of the Iroquois.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The two braves in charge of the prisoners -were the first to fall, for from their first -landing they had been covered by the rifles of -the hunter and Jamie. The latter then drew -his hunting-knife from its sheath, and rushing -forward, cut the thongs that bound the two -prisoners, and quickly drew them out of the -</span><em class="italics">mêlée</em><span> into a place of safety, and left the -contest to the Iroquois, for he had no doubt -whatever of what the result would be, and -taking scalps was not exactly to his liking.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Meanwhile, the White Eagle wielded his -tomahawk with all the strength and fury of -an Iroquois chief. He fought his way to where -Red Wolf was heading and encouraging his -braves, and hewed him down. It was quickly -over, and in less than a quarter of an hour the -Iroquois were masters of the field.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thanks, Jamie! You have saved my life, -and I can never repay you. I had given up -all hope of escape. So rigidly were we watched -that there was not the slightest opportunity -for us to gain our freedom. We were to have -been tortured and put to death at sunset, at -soon as we had reached the shambles of Fort -Oswego, for you know the French have taken -the place, after a dreadful slaughter, and now -claim to be masters of both shores of the lake. -Still, all that is past now, and I am thankful -to be with my friends once more. Jamie, old -fellow, how can I thank you for all this?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You've had a narrow squeak, Jack, but -you must thank the hunter here, and Swift -Arrow, who I believe has not taken food -since you were made a prisoner. Come!" -and Jamie led his old comrade towards the others.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Let me introduce you to the 'Great -Paleface Hunter' who held your trail till -the White Eagle could arrive with his braves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"What! the Grey Badger, the friend of the chief?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The same. He is a mighty paleface, and -I have learnt to love him already. He is the -most renowned hunter in all the forests south -of the lakes."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>So, while the Indians harvested the spoils of -the enemy, the three palefaces lit a fire, and -cooked a breakfast from a large salmon, -speared in the river below, satisfied the pangs -of hunger at a spot a little apart from the -braves, near by the lower end of the portage, -and then talked for an hour about all the -news that had filtered through the forest -relative to the great conflict, which was -already raging so fiercely on both banks of -the St. Lawrence.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The youths listened with pent-up feelings, -while the hunter told all he had heard from -passing </span><em class="italics">voyageurs</em><span> and Indian runners of the -disasters that had befallen the English arms of -late. He described the disaster of -Ticonderoga, the fall of Fort Oswego, and the -partial success of Dieskau, but when he spoke -of the capture of Fort William Henry and the -frightful massacre which followed, the lads -sprang to their feet, and declared in one -breath--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"We will go and offer our services to -General Wolfe, for our country needs us!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The light of battle was in their eyes, the -courage of manhood mounted to their brows, -as they clasped each other's hand across the -fire, and repeated their promise to join the -English lines; then, turning to the trapper, -who remained seated by the fire, smoking -calmly and puffing the blue smoke from an -Indian calumet, Jamie said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Say, hunter! Will you join us on yet -another trail, where the game shall be, not -redskins, but the recreants of Montcalm, and -the reward, not Indian scalps, but the honour -of the old flag, or--a soldier's grave?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Lads," he replied, "my country has not -been over kind to me. I am an exile from my -native land, and yet I have never committed a -crime. My conscience is clear; but I, too, feel -my country's call, and I know her need, and -it shall never be said of me that I shirked the -call of duty, when already so many exiles have -left their bones to bleach in the forest, for the -land that has denied to them a hearth and a -home. I will go! Let us bid good-bye to the -chief and his braves."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The parting scenes between the White -Eagle and the hunter, the paleface youths -and their Indian friends, was affecting in the -extreme, when it became known that they -were now about to part, and perhaps for ever. -All the rich memories of their forest life were -brought back to them, and to the palefaces -especially the fidelity of their red brothers, -their lofty characters, despite their many -failings, their simple faith in the Great Spirit, -the Wacondah of their race; their comradeship -in hunting the red deer and the shaggy -brown bear amid all the savage scenery of -mountain and forest, and taking from the -streams and lakes the salmon and the sturgeon, -or descending wild rapids and torrents in -their frail birch-bark canoes, with these -children of the Manitou--all this they recalled, -and forsook it with a pang of regret; but -another voice was calling to them, and their -beating hearts were but responding to the call -of Duty.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At last, they stood by their canoe ready to -depart, at the lower end of the portage, below -the Falls; and the Indians were standing -around them, sad and melancholy, for their -grief had for once broken down their manly -reserve, and the stoic mask, which had enabled -some amongst them to endure torture without -flinching, could not now keep back the -moisture from many an eye.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Listen! the great chief, in prophetic strain, -is speaking his last solemn words of farewell--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The face of the Manitou is hid behind a -cloud, and the hearts of his red children are -sad. Nevermore will the Great Paleface -Hunter, the friend of the White Eagle, hunt -the deer in the hills of the Iroquois. -Nevermore will he sit at the council fire of my -people, and smoke the calumet, while his red -brothers listen to the wisdom that falls from -his lips like the dew from heaven. Nevermore -will he speak to us of the sacred writings that -the Wacondah has given to the children of the -Sun-rising!</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"When his canoe has sailed into the regions -of the East-wind, then shall my people be -scattered like the leaves in autumn, and the -few that remain, to fish the streams and hunt -the moose and the elk, will be but as blasted -pines, where the fires of the forest have raged."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Nay, chief! The sun will shine again, and -I shall return if the Manitou wills it," urged -the hunter, as he flicked the water impatiently -with his paddle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The Wacondah has said it! My paleface -brother shall nevermore look upon the face of -the White Eagle."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then I shall look for my red friend in -the happy hunting-grounds of the Manitou. -Good-bye!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment the canoe shot into the -stream, and began to descend rapidly towards -the great lake. A last long look was cast -behind, a last adieu waved to their friends, -who stood watching till they passed from view, -then the low murmur of the Falls ceased as -they sped on their way.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Soon, they passed the ruins of Fort Oswego, -and entered Lake Ontario. Then they -stretched across the lake to the Thousand -Islands, and entered the St. Lawrence and -stole quietly past the French post at Fort -Frontenac. Then for hundreds of miles they -were carried by the swift current of the Canada -River, down past Mont Royale, and the mouth -of the Ottawa River, past Trois Rivières, -until one day they heard the sounds of heavy -firing, as though a battle were in progress.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>'Twas early in September 1759, and the -guns of Quebec were firing at the English -ships and batteaux, as they passed the citadel, -to gain the upper reaches of the river. As -they passed the next bend in the river, they -saw the French warships which had retreated -up the stream, away from those terrible -English. They also perceived on the heights -to the left, in the vicinity of Cape Rouge, the -sentries of Bougainville's detachment, and -here they ran a narrow escape of capture, -being taken by the French for spies.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Before sunset on the eleventh of September, -they espied with great joy, on the southern -bank, the white tents and the red coats of -Wolfe's army.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> -</div> -<p class="center pfirst" id="the-plains-of-abraham"><span class="bold large">CHAPTER XX</span></p> -<p class="center pnext"><span class="bold medium">THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Halt! Who goes there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>It was a burly Highlander, an outpost sentry -of the British army, that challenged the three -paleface scouts.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Friends!" cried Jamie.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then ye'll just gi'e me the password," -replied the soldier, levelling his musket at the -youth who had acted as spokesman.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"I do not know the password," said Jamie, -boldly confronting the levelled firearm. "We -have just come in from the frontier to offer our -services to General Wolfe."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then ye'll just ground your arms, and bide -a wee, till I call the sergeant!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sergeant in charge of the party came -up in response to the sentry's call, and while -he was engaged in conversing with the -strangers, an aide-de-camp to General Wolfe, -who was a field officer in the Royal Americans, -galloped by. Seeing three men in the garb of -the forest, and knowing the value of such -hardy, trained frontiersmen, having seen a -good deal of such service himself, he reined in -his charger, received the salute of the sergeant, -who, on being requested, reported the business -of the strangers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look here! Do you fellows know anything -of Quebec, or the river and the forts?" -asked the field officer.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir!" replied Jamie. "Two of us -lived there for nearly twelve months as nominal -prisoners of the French."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Indeed? When did you leave there?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Last spring, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Do you know the river this side of the city?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Every creek and cove, sir, between Cape -Rouge and the narrows."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"That will do! Shoulder your rifles and -come with me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then, putting as much dignity into their -carriage as their rough appearance would -permit, the three scouts followed the officer. -They passed through several lines of sentries, -but they were not challenged further, as the -aide-de-camp gave the password at each -barrier.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They soon entered the inner camp and -passed between rows of white tents. Groups -of Highlanders, Anstruthers, and Grenadiers -in their scarlet uniforms were sitting about the -camp-fires, seeing to their equipment, cooking -rations, etc. Others were just landing from -the transports and batteaux which lay in the -river opposite the camp.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Despite their deer-skin shirts, Indian moccasins -and beaver caps, there was a deep bronze -upon the faces of the strangers, and a keen -alertness about their movements, and especially -their eyes, that bespoke them real scouts -of the backwoods and pioneers of the Empire, -with an experience that few could boast, even -amongst those five thousand red-coats that -were the flower of the British army; and many -a soldier lifted his eyes to gaze after them as -they passed by.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Having reached the vicinity of the General's -tent, the field officer handed them over to an -orderly of Monckton's Grenadiers, with orders -to find them quarters and rations until the -General expressed his pleasure concerning -their offer of service.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All that day they remained in the camp, -but no message came from the commander. -Evidently he was busy with more important -duties, and could not be bothered about the -services of a few rude frontiersmen; but next -morning, towards noon, the field officer -returned in person and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Wolfe desires to speak with you. -Come with me!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie's heart beat wildly at the thought of -speaking with this great soldier, the darling -and the genius of the whole army. They -arrived at the large tent which served as the -head-quarters of the staff. A sentry barred -the way till the password was repeated, and -then, following the officer, they entered, Jamie -first, then Jack, and last of all the hunter.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>All three quickly brought their hands to the -salute as they stood before a large table, at -which sat three officers of high rank. They -were Generals Murray, Monckton and Townshend, -and although unknown to the youths, -who wondered which of the three was Wolfe, -they have each left an honoured name on the -scroll of Empire.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>But who was that pale, ascetic-looking -invalid, reclining on a couch beside General -Murray? Surely he was no soldier! He was -weak and sickly, and appeared to be suffering -from some painful malady. What was he -doing here? wondered Jamie, giving him a -passing glance, and then directing his attention -to the three officers, who were conversing -amongst themselves, and examining charts and -maps with such intensity that they scarcely -seemed as yet to have noticed the newcomers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly the invalid on the couch said something, -and instantly the three soldiers ceased -their conversation, dropped the charts and -maps, and listened to his every word with -marked reverence and respect.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Murray," he said, "which are the two -scouts who were prisoners in Quebec till last -spring? Let them come to me."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The aide-de-camp indicated Jamie and Jack, -and then General Murray approached them -and said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Step forward! General Wolfe desires to -speak with you," at the same time making a -respectful gesture in the direction of the couch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General Wolfe! Could that feeble person -be the great soldier on whom England relied -to win the Canadas from the French?" -thought Jamie, as he stepped forward and -saluted the invalid. He was amazed and -dumfounded. It was well for him at that -moment that he had learnt something of the -Indian virtue of hiding his feelings, or his face -might have shown something of his disappointment.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Why, you are quite a lad! Come, let me -look at you! There, that will do! I like -your face, and yours, too."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, General!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now tell me what you know of Quebec, -and when you landed there, and when you left, -and how."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then Jamie, acting as spokesman for the -two, told him briefly but clearly his history, -commencing with the sea-fight, his capture, -and how he spent his time at Quebec, his -adventure with the Iroquois on the St. Lawrence, -and his escape by the steep pathway -that led up on to the Plains of Abraham, and -how that Jack had accompanied him in that -and all the other adventures he had met with -on the frontiers.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Good!" exclaimed the General, into -whose eyes the fire had leapt as the lad -described his adventures, especially the fight -with the French frigate.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Pass me that chart of the river and the -Plains, Monckton. There, that will do! Just -show me, lad, the spot where you landed that -day and climbed to the Plains. Here, take -hold of this chart!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie took the chart, spread it out on the -ground, and knelt down by the couch.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There," he said, pointing to a tiny dent -in the northern shore, "is the spot where we -made our escape. It is a league or so above -the city."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And if I sent you down there with a boat -in the dark, could you find it again?" said the -General in a soft voice.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir, I could!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"And if I ordered you to land a boat-load -of soldiers on the top of the cliffs there before -dawn to-morrow morning, how would you set -about it?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie flushed with pride at the thought of -such a commission, but he answered quietly -and firmly--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General, if you trusted that boat to me I -would wait till the second ebb tide to-night, -then, under cover of darkness, I would drop -down with the current, keeping in mid-stream -till nearly opposite the cove, then, edging in -to the northern bank, I would run the boat -ashore at the inlet, and lead the men up on -to the Plains two hours before dawn."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By George, Townshend, he'll do! Let -him have a seat in the first boat, and his -companions too. But see that they are kept in -charge of the orderly, and not permitted -outside the lines till I send for them."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Yes, sir."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"By the way, Monckton, is there a guard -at that point above the cove?"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Vergois' guard is stationed there, sir. It -is part of Bougainville's command."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"My lad," said the General, half rising from -the couch and putting his hand on Jamie's -shoulder, "it is a very important duty that I -am entrusting to you to-night. I am going -to put you in the first boat, along with the -other guides, as your knowledge of the spot -may be useful, and it is of the first importance -that we should not pass that cove in the -darkness. The safety of the British army, to a -great extent, will be entrusted to you, and -perhaps--who knows?--the destiny of Canada. -You will be kept under the charge of the -orderly till nightfall, as there are plenty of -spies about the camp. If you do your duty -this night, your King and your country will -be grateful to you. Good-bye!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Darkness came at length on that famous -12th of September, 1759, and as soon as the -northern bank disappeared in the gloom of -evening, the English camp was astir with quiet -and concealed movements. Only to a few was -the plan of campaign known, for in the -rapidity and secrecy of the movement lay the -only chance of success--for against the -English the odds were desperate. Wolfe, -however, was so far recovered from his sickness -that he was able to command in person, and -the inspiration that this knowledge gave to the -men was equivalent to the addition of an army corps.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>An officer who took part in the events of -that night has left it on record that despite -the reverse at the Montmorency six weeks -before, "the men were uncommonly eager and -difficult to restrain, and yet," he added, -speaking to a comrade a few hours before the -event, "if we succeed in scaling and capturing -that rock-crowned citadel, I shall think little -in future of Hannibal leading his army over -the Alps."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At nine o'clock thirty boats collected from -the warships and transports, rendezvoused in -a line in front of Admiral Holmes' flagship. -Then the last "general order" issued by -Wolfe was read to the troops by the generals -in command. It contained these striking -words--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Now is the time to strike a stroke which -will determine the fate of Canada."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Then fifteen hundred men, the forlorn hope -of the expedition, selected chiefly from the -Highlanders, the Anstruthers and the Light -Infantry, were crowded into the boats, and now -nothing remained but the final issue, as the -troops calmly waited for the second ebb tide, -which was to carry them down-stream.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At one o'clock the tide ebbed, and the order -was given to cast off. Not a soldier or a sailor -remained behind who was not cursing his -ill-luck that he had not been chosen to go ahead -in the boats. The order had been given for -silence, and nothing could be heard but the -gurgling of the water as it washed the sides -of the boats; but the excitement, though -suppressed, must have been intense as the men -grasped their muskets and lay close together, -looking at the stars above or those rugged -heights, which ever and anon loomed darkly -from the northern shore.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Jamie, with his two companions, was in the -first boat eagerly scanning that dark outline -and noting every headland, watching for that -little indentation just between St. Nichol and -Le Foulton, where he and Jack had so often -landed their little fishing canoe during their -enforced stay in Quebec.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Suddenly a low voice broke upon their ears -from the stern sheets of the next boat, which -was only a dozen feet away. It was the voice -of Wolfe reciting to his officers and to a young -midshipman, named Robinson, who has left -the incident on record. He was quoting from -memory the stanzas from "Gray's Elegy"--</span></p> -<blockquote> -<div> -<div class="line-block outermost"> -<div class="line"><span>"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."</span></div> -<div class="line"> </div> -</div> -</div> -</blockquote> -<p class="pfirst"><span>"Gentlemen," Jamie heard him say, "I -would rather have written those lines than take -Quebec to-morrow." And every English -schoolboy now knows how strangely -prophetic and appropriate were those lines.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>They were now rapidly approaching the -little cove, and Jamie signalled to the steersman -of his boat to edge in a little closer to -the northern shore, which now towered above -them like a great barrier. As he did so the -voice of a sentry came through the gloom from -the heights above--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">Qui vive?</em><span>"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">La France!</em><span>" replied a captain of the -Highlanders from Jamie's boat.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">A quel régiment?</em><span>" came back from the -heights.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"</span><em class="italics">De la Reine!</em><span>" answered the Highlander.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The sentry appeared satisfied, as the Queen's -regiment formed part of Bougainville's -command, which had been sent further up the -bank in order to watch Wolfe's movements.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Shortly afterwards they were challenged -again, but a few more adroit answers saved the -situation.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"This is the spot," whispered Jamie, and -the boat was run upon the bank in the little -sandy cove beneath the cliffs, and a hundred -men were quickly clustered upon the little -beach. Wolfe was amongst the first to land, -and as he looked up at the rugged heights he -shook his head and coolly remarked--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"You can try it, but I don't think you'll -get up."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment Jamie and his -companions, closely followed by twenty -volunteers, were climbing the precipitous front, -dragging themselves up by the roots and -branches of the shrubs and trees which -overhung the steep ascent. For another moment -those below waited with breathless suspense. -Then quick, ringing shots were heard, as those -few determined men overpowered the small -French guard at the top. This was followed -by a thin British cheer, and immediately the -Highlanders below, with the Light Infantry -and the others, clambered up the apparently -impossible heights and gained the plains above.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>At dawn fifteen hundred men stood upon -the Plains of Abraham, and then the ships, -which had dropped down the river behind the -boats, landed the rest of the army. When -the sun rose on the 13th of September, the -watch on the citadel beheld with amazement -the red coats of the British army forming up -into lines--and preparing for battle.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Swift couriers had carried the tidings across -the St. Charles to Montcalm, and the roll of -drums was heard amid his camp, and soon -the French division were pouring across the -bridge of boats. At nine o'clock, the armies -were facing each other on the Plains above the -city. Then the rattle of musketry began as -the French sharpshooters lined the bushes -and entrenchments previously prepared to the -north-west of the city.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>On came the columns of Montcalm, firing -and shouting in an inspiriting manner, led by -their renowned leader in person.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>How different those thin red lines of -Highlanders, Grenadiers and hardy colonial levies. -An ominous silence hung like a cloud over the -English ranks. It was the silence that -presages the storm--the calm, still waters of -a dam about to burst its bounds and spread -havoc and death.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>As the French fire became more effectual, -the gaps in the English ranks became frequent, -but they were filled in silence as the rear men -stepped to the front. In those ranks scarce -a word was spoken, and as yet not a shot had -been fired. Officers of Montcalm have since -said that this ominous silence cast a chill over -the French columns that half decided the issues -of the day.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Not till the French were within forty yards -was the word given to fire, then simultaneously -the long line of muskets were brought to the -level, and from end to end of the English ranks -a crashing blaze of leaden hail was poured upon -the enemy. The columns of Montcalm reeled -and staggered before this dreadful impact. A -second volley was fired, and then, before the -smoke had rolled away, or the enemy had had -an opportunity to reform his shattered ranks, -a deafening cheer rang from end to end of the -Plains. The flood of British fury was at -length undammed, and trampling the dead and -dying they swept the shattered columns before -them in one mad, wild stampede. The Highlanders, -wielding their terrible broadswords, -chased the fugitives right up to the gates of -the city and across the St. Charles River.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The defeat was crushing and absolute, and -in that moment of victory the destiny of -Canada was settled, but the cheers of the -victors were silenced as the sad news passed -from rank to rank that Wolfe had fallen. In -the heat of the fight, leading on the -Grenadiers, his wrist had been shattered by a ball. -He quickly bound it in a handkerchief, and -continued the fight. A second ball pierced his -side, but he stayed not. Then a bullet entered -his breast, and he reeled and fell.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Four soldiers raised him up, and carrying -him to the rear laid him gently upon the grass. -He appeared to be unconscious, but when a -soldier near him exclaimed--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"See how they run!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Who run?" asked the dying soldier, -opening his eyes.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"The enemy, sir! They give way everywhere!" -was the reply.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Then tell Colonel Burton to march -Webb's regiment down to Charles River to -cut off their retreat from the bridge. Now, -God be praised! I will die in peace," were -the last words of General Wolfe. That -day England gained an Empire, but lost a hero.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The three scouts had finished their task when -they led the forlorn hope up the precipice and -on to the Plains, but they were not to be -denied a share in the fight, for they had -received permission to join the ranks of the -centre column, which was under the personal -command of Wolfe, and bore the brunt of the -fight on that never-to-be-forgotten morning. -They were in the forefront of that wild rush to -the bridge, where the fight was thickest, and -where many hundreds were hurled into the -St. Charles River, and where Montcalm's -retreat was effectually blocked and victory -made secure.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The battle was over now, for though one -of the most glorious, it was one of the briefest -in history, and though they had lost each other -in the pursuit, the three comrades were glad -to rejoin the ranks at the roll-call on the Plains -and find each other alive and well, except for -minor wounds, though the joy of victory was -damped and a chill went to every heart when -the word was passed down the ranks that their -illustrious leader had fallen.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Next morning General Townshend passed -to the head of every regiment in succession, -and thanked the troops for their brilliant -services, and soon afterwards one of his -aide-de-camps approached the scouts and requested -their immediate presence in the General's tent. -They followed him, wondering that he had not -forgotten them altogether in the excitement -of so great a victory. When they stood in -his presence they saluted and waited for him -to speak.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Jamie Stuart and Jack Elliot!" said -General Townshend, and instantly several -other officers, who had been busily engaged -writing dispatches for England, rose and stood -at attention. "In the name of His Most -Gracious Majesty, King George the Second, -I thank you for the eminent services you have -rendered to your country. I have appointed -you both from this day to be ensigns in the -Royal Americans. Here are your commissions. -Right nobly have you won them. May -you be spared long to serve your country! -God save the King!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The youths were overwhelmed with this -generous tribute from so great a soldier. They -could find no words to express their gratitude -for this signal honour conferred upon them. -A commission in His Majesty's victorious -army seemed too great a reward for their poor -services, so each raised his hand to the salute -again and repeated the General's words--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"God save the King!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The General then turned to the hunter, who -had been an interested and sympathetic witness -of this stirring scene, but as he spake his -voice softened, for he had noticed that down -the bronzed cheek of the old man there trickled -a tear.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Frontiersman, what is your name?" he asked.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>There was a pause, and for a few seconds the -hunter's eyes were turned to Jamie, and a -strange far-away look came into his face. -Then in a half-broken voice he answered--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"John Stuart of Burnside! An exile!"</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Father!" burst from Jamie's lips, and the -next instant the paleface hunter and his son -were hugging each other with joy.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>The next moment General Townshend -advanced to the hunter, and pinning the -King's medal upon his breast, he said--</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"He is no longer an exile who wears this -honoured decoration. John Stuart, I thank -you for the work you have already done, but -there are still further services that I wish to -ask of you. I understand that your knowledge -of the river and the forest from this point to -Mont Royale is unsurpassed by that of any -person in the camp. Your knowledge will -shortly be invaluable to us. I appoint you as -Frontiersman and Chief Guide to the British -Army in the Canadas, and, furthermore, I -desire to say that His Majesty shall be -reminded after the war of the important -services which I trust you will then have -rendered to your country."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"General," said the hunter, "I am an -exile from my native land, but I have never -committed a crime, and my conscience is clear. -England has treated me unkindly, but I love -my country, and without any thought of -reward I freely offer you my services. If -necessary, I will gladly die for my country."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Thank you, Frontiersman!" said the -General, touched by these words. "A grateful -country will not forget your devotion to her -interests in the hour of her need. May every -son of Britain likewise forget his private -wrongs in England's hour of danger."</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Four days later, on that memorable 17th of -September, 1759, the white flag was hung out -from the citadel at Quebec, and on the next -day the Gibraltar of North America passed for -ever from its old masters into the hands of -Britain.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"Look, Jack! The French ensign is -coming down," said Jamie, and they both looked -towards the citadel, and a moment afterwards, -amid the clash of martial music, the salute of -the batteries, and the wild cheering of the -soldiers, the English flag waved proudly over -the fort and the river.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>"There, Jamie, our dream has come true, -it's the old flag at last, and, thank God, we -have helped to plant it there."</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst"><span>After the fall of Quebec, the paleface hunter -and the two youths accompanied the army in -its victorious march upon Mont Royale, and -when the war was over they returned to -England. Jack survived his two brothers, and in -time became the Squire of Burnside, and I -find that to John Stuart, Esquire, of -Burnside, Yorkshire, a grant of Crown land was -made for his services to his country, and that -the old farmhouse, which still stands, above -the wood and the trout-stream, was built by -him and his son Jamie in 1775. And there -they lived happily for many years, and there -Jamie's descendants live to this day, for only -two years ago, while visiting his ancestral home -and poring over ancient deeds and the old -family Bible, with its records and dates, the -author discovered this forgotten story of -adventure and peril.</span></p> -<div class="vspace" style="height: 6em"> -</div> -<!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> -<div class="backmatter"> -</div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line"><span>*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK </span><span>UNDER WOLFE'S FLAG</span><span> ***</span></p> -<div class="cleardoublepage"> -</div> -<div class="language-en level-2 pgfooter section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<span id="pg-footer"></span><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><span>A Word from Project Gutenberg</span></h2> -<p class="pfirst"><span>We will update this book if we find any errors.</span></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>This book can be found under: </span><a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43265"><span>http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43265</span></a></p> -<p class="pnext"><span>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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