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6
TRUE
AMER]
Author of "Th
"InFresdo
ILx
LONE
COPP CLAR]
TOEO
ITRUE TO THE OLD FLAG
A TALE OF THE
AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
BY
G. A. HENTY
Author of "The Won of the North" "With Clire in India" "Through the Fray
"In Fre^rfomi Cauw" "The Dragon and the Bavea" Facing Death" Ac
ILLUSTRATED BY GORDON BROWNE
/
LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, LIMITED
COPP CLARK CO. LTD. WILLIAM BRIGGS
TORONTO TORONTO
PPMr7£S
Ma
iwar between
[which we wei
lowing to th(
I anna, British
left for Amei
their own co
gazettes, lettei
only, have na
strong colour
writers have I
' implicitly. Tl
to the story, ai
whole of the I
relied upon as
account of the i
under Howe, CI
contemporary s
lul — and succes
bility— the Brit
PREFACE
Many people have been accustomed to regard the
Iwar between England and her Colonies in America as one in
which we were not only beaten but to some extent humiliated.
Owing to the war having been an unsuccessful one for our
anns, British writers have avoided the subject, and it has been
left for American historians to describe. These, writing for
their own countrymen, and drawing for their facts upon
gazettes, letters, and other documents emanating from one side
only, have naturally, and no doubt insensibly, given a very
strong colour to their own views of the events, and English
writers have been too much inclined to accept their account
implicitly There is. however, another and very different side
to the stoiy, and this I have endeavoured to show you. The
whole of the facts and details connected with the war can be
rehed upon as accurate. They are dn.wn fi.>m the valuable
account of the struggle written by Major Stedman. who served
under Howe. Clinton, and Cornwallis, and from other authentic
contemporary sources. You will see that although unsurcess-
lu^-and success was. under the circumstances, a sheer impossi-
bihty-the British troops fought with a bravery which was
-e... .._.eu. aud that their victories in actual conflict
^ PRBFAOI. \
vastly outnumbered their defeats. Indeed it may be doubted
wnether in any war in which this country has been engaged
have our soldiers exhibited the qualities of endurance and
couiage in a higher degree.
G. A. HENTY.
Chap.
T.
IL
IIL
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIIL
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.
XXL
An ]
Thi
Thb
Bunk:
Scx)in
Is TB
QCEBI
Thb £
A Tr]
Thi (
Thb S
Sabat
Bbsou:
Thb Ii
Thb G
Thb Si
Thb S:
In an
Thb V)
The E]
be doubted
en engaged
urance and
CONTENTS.
rEN'jy.
Chajk
T. A Pbontiib Farm. . . '^'^
• • . 9
IL Aw Indian Raid. . .
' S6
IIL Thb Red-skin Attaok. ,
rv. The Fioht at Lbxinoton, . --
V. Bunker's Him. . .
76
VI. SOOUTINO, ....
96
VII. In the Fobest, ...
""•^""^ '.'■".". :»2
IX. The Sdepbibb of Trenton, jgo
X. A Thbaoherocs Planter, -yo
XI. The Oaptcre o» Philadbuhia, . 200
XII. The Settler's Hot,
XIIL Saratooa,
2UV. Rescued. . . .
268
XV. The Island Refuoe,
XVI. The Oreat Storm,
XVII. The Scout's Story,
XVIII. The SiEOB Of Savannah, ! . 328
XIX. In an American Prison, . • g^j
XX. The War in South Carouna, .' .' . 867
XXL The End of the Struoqli. .... ' ooit
7
ILLUSTRATIONS
I
"That was a prettt good shot" «... "*®
Frontispiece 33
Tub Bboinnino op the War
70
Thb Seooxd Advance at Bunkeu's Hill ... -.
John Coffin AND BAiBNSFKATHEn IX THE Battert igg
A Tbbachebods Friend caught
181
The Defence of the Hut
226
"The Indian darted OFF across the ice" . . oo„
'•■••• 280
"The Highlanders maintained A DESPERATE RESISTANCE" . . 334
Plan of the Action at Bunker's Hill
■'•'••• 83
Sketch of Gen. Puttenham's Position and British Advance . . 147
Plan of Burgoyne's Position at Saratoga . . «>.«
Plan of the Siege of Savannah . .
839
Plan of the Battle fought near Camden . .
847
Plan of the Battle of Guildford
e 871
8
TRU;
A TALE OP
you gave us
a few monthi
future wUl e
it is therefoi
frontier life;
quietly at ho]
ture; but as ]
here and mov
"Maasachus
tern states, an
again, fc the g<
7o| TRUE TO THE OLD FLAG:
A TALE OF THE AMERICAN WAR OP INDEPENDENCE.
CHAPTER I.
A FRONTIER FARM.
JIT-Tk r^ "Concord, March 1,1774.
^ Y Dear Cousin,-! am leaving next week with
my husband for England, where we intend to
p^ some time visiting his friends. John and
1 have determined to accept tlu; invitation
you gave us last summer for Harold to co.ar3 and spend
?utTe wT' "'*' ^°" ^'' ''^^^^^ *^-ks that a gTat
iM« f>, /'" «^^y years open in the West, and that
Wi T/^'! """^ *^' ^y «^^"'^ ^'^^ something of
frontier life; for myself, I would rather that he stfyed
quietly at home, for he is at present over fond of adven-
ture; but as my husband is meditating selling his estate
here and moving west, it is perhaps better for him."
Massachusetts is in a ferment, a^ indeed are all the Eas-
tern states, and the people talk openly of armed resistance
Si^"4f---"""^ My husband being of English
Dir5„, „a(i x.«v.ag ijervea m tiie king's army, cannot brook
9
10
TlIE BEOINNINO OF TROUBLE.
what he calls the rebellious talk which is common among
his neighbours, and is already on bad terms with many
around us. I myself am, as it were, a neutral ; as an Ame-
rican woman, it seems to me that the colonists have been
dealt with somewhat hardly by the English parliament,and
that the measures of the latter have been high-lianded and
arbitrary; upon the other hand, I naturally incline toward
my husband's views. He maintains that as the king's army
has driven out the French and gives protection to the
colony, it is only fair that the colonists should contribute to
its expensea The English ask for no contributions towards |
the expenses of their own country, but demand that at
least the expenses of the protection of the colony shall
not be charged upon the heavily-taxed people at home.
As to the law that the colony shall trade only with the
mother country, my husband says that this is the rule in
the colonies of Spain, France, Portugal, and the Nether-
lands, and that the people here, who can obtain what land
they choose, and till it without rent, should not grumble
at paying this small tax to the mother country. How-
ever it be, I fear that troubles will come; and this place
being the head and focus of the party hostile to England,
my husband, feeling himself out of accord with all his
neighbours, saving a few loyal gentlemen like himself,
is thinking much and seriously of selling our estate here
and of moving away into the new countries of the West,
where he will be free from all the disputation and con-
tentious talk which occupies men's time here.
" Indeed, Cousin, times have sadly changed since you
were staying with rs five years ago. Then our life was a
peaceful and quiet one; now there is nothing but wrang-
,%t
REASONS FOR MOVINO WEST.
11
says was the case in England before the great civU
war the fomenters of this discontent There are many
busybodies who pass their time in stirring up the people
by violent harangues and seditious writing; therefore
everyone takes one side or the other, and there is neither
peace nor comfort in life.
" Accustomed as I have always been to living in ease and
affluence, I dread somewhat the thought of a life on the
Indian frontier. One has heard so many dreadful stories
of Indian fights and massacres, that I tremble a little at the
prospect; but I do not mention this to John, for as other
women are, like yourself, brave enough to support; these
dangers,I would not appear a coward in his eyes. You will
see, Cousin, that as this prospect is before us. it is well that
Harold should learn the ways of a frontier life. Moreover
John does not like the thoughtof leaving him here while we
«,re in England, for, as he says, the boy might learn to be-
come a rebel in his absence; therefore, my dear cousin, we
have r^olved to send him to you. An opporiiunity offers
m the fw;t that a gentleman of our acquaintance is, with
his family, going this week west with the intention of
settling there; and he will, he tells us, go first to Detroit
whence he will be able to send Harold forward to your
farm. The boy himself is delighted at the thought
and promises to return an accomplished backwoodsman.'
John joins me in kind love to yourself and your husband,
and believe me to remain your affectionate cousin,
"Mart Wilson."
Fo^ months after the date of the above letter a lad
some fifteen years old was walking with a man of middle
age, oii the shores of Luke Huron. Behind them was
12
A BACKWOODS CLKARINO.
distance of somfl thr-ac u j f cattle, stood at a
enlarging the U^its oS. *^^ proprietor w« atiU
at a ^disLc^ rf twe2 vS ^"""""'^-g *>>« h„u«e.
»me seven feet in S f^;77 ' """« "^^"^^
at the upper endC Jed ir2./T« '"^ f^*^
The house itseMrit ^'J' " ">« S™""-!
able thao X mferitf o^ri" 'P^ ""^ '"'^ """f-rt-
builtinthe^^rSon of s^r*^ ff^ahous^, ^^
designed to resist Xi' '°^' '"'* '"» '^"^^^y
SM ^^ ^te^arnr^-.^n''^^- » «"»
tatioa It would havfi hlT • *^® ''®^^* ^^bi-
ordinary circult^Ztl^eTuS™^ ^^^ -^«
lonely a position, so far remnvo.i - """^f^^ iiimself m so
assistance' in cas^ of alTte X ^^f "''^ »'
just after Pontiac, who waTatTll v. 7 f "' '«"'«''«,
aU the Indian Wbl of tt™! the head of an alliance of
and desperate sieS Fort Ktt''^'''^- '^*^' *''« ^»°«
finding that his friends the ^nlP!^'^"^'""^"''
thought of further r^istant to t^e e1,T° ?/'
entirely abandoned the counb^ Li^u 2t \°f
;^K in the <^^^:t^L:^^'C'XT^'f
".moved from the confines of civilizatioa ^' ^"
i he spot was a natural clearinjr of sonw fnr*.
extent, sloping down to thHlft^s^'l'^J ?!«.!"
charming i
had broug
East, and
cutting doi
In spite,
fertility of
advantages
supply of
convey his
regretted h
there had 1
the Indians
cursions; th
nately only
to beat off;
Wm, he had
child and hi
which he cai
refuge in the
ings destroy
had serious
gether; but i
wards him, «
before long, a
upon which h
hold on, hopii
other settlers
The house 1
He now emp]
since his retur
of this story,
taken up on tl
a extent; a
stood at a
' the lake;
n the sun;
I sound of
P was still
the house,
', stockade
es pointed
le ground
i comfort-
uses, was
evidently
B on this
rest habi-
ct, under
self in so
ibility of
however,
liance of
the long
us upon
t up all
ind had
ihought,
o reign
3h him-
?on, far
teres in
n SuOFO
A SETTLER'S TKOUBLEa 13
supply of &h and i rhighwav t wV f f''""'"^
convey his produce to markftTJh ^ "* ^ """"
regretted his choice ot^h^f' ^ *^ """^ " »«"»
there had beeTno Indi^ i,*"*'""" " ""^ '™« *>»*
the Indians h^ seve^'1,17 T " ^^' "«»'«; •»"
cumions; three timLhe^TK ''*" »"t in sudden in-
nately oily CsZTZj^ ^? '^^^^- l'»t forta-
to bit off; See whe^?"' '''""^ '•^ '"^ •>«» """Wed
him, he h^ w"bLd7" 'l"T *"«<>' ""^'"o-od
child and his m„«Sle d^Z^"? T?'' '"'^ "'^« <«'<'
which he carried hi! nli^ ^ *^^ " *'''' S^o^t scow in
refuge in Z^UlZ!n^T^r'"l''- ■"<• ^ad to take
mgs destroyed and hulil^aS^ itT *'^- '""."■
had serious thoughts nt l^. Z 7 *^** ^^"^^ ^«
gether; but the "^l:^e.t^tet'7ten^- '""""S, ''*<^
wards him, and with « TI ! *f'?''<*"'g rapidly to-
betore long ^d thTnatLa^r! °^ '"^^ neighbour,
upon whil' he h^^l"^"'""'"? *o «*™ "P* Place
hold on, hoping that m»rf^ Z^"^ *°"- "•* ''^^d^ to
"'Arhfv?^"-"^'^^^^^^^^^
He''n:Xt?ed'lr r ' -rr^'ythan befor.
since his return to ht"al;r ""^ *^^" unmolested
of this story Ak-adv^T' ?.' ''T ^^""^ «"« «J»te
taken up on theXl'f ^,';t°^.?"^ '«»;«»- '"^ '^•'
"" ™= .»k;b beyond him; a viUage
14
fiAD NEWS.
h
II
had grown up thirty-five miles away,aiid several settlers
had ^tabhshed themselves between that place and his
« So you are going out fishing this morning. Harold?"
Mr. Welch said. "I hope you will bring bfik a good
supply, for the larder is low. I was looking at you yes-
terday, and I see that you are becoming a first-rate hand
at the management of a canoe." I
" So I ought to be." the boy said. « considering that for
n^^rly three months I have done nothing butThoot andf
"You have a sharp eye. Harold, and will make a first-l
rate backwoodsman one of these daya You can shoot
nearly as well as I can now. It is lucky that I had a
good stock of powder and lead on hand; firing awav
by the hour together as you do consmnes a large amount
of ammumtioa See. there is a canoe on the lake: it is
coming this way too. There is but one man in it; he is
a white by his clothea" '
For a minute or two they stood watehmg the boat I
a^d ttien seemg that its course was directed towards'
the shore, they walked down to the edge of the lake to
meet it. - i
.u"^lff'^''' " *^** y°"^" ^^- Welch asked «I|
thought I knew your long sweeping stroke at a distence.
hZ ^^ti.^^'^ ^*«^g. I see; that is a fine stag you
have got there. What is the news?"
said. The Irroquois have dug up the tomahawk again,
and are out on the war-path. They have mass^ed
John Brent and his family. I heard a telk of it amongst
some hunters I met ten days since in tL« wnnH« ^^
AN INDUN OUTBREAK. j»
, wtx^:^7t :z rb?""' """ «■«'- «*'"'•
whole frontier had hLw- *^"''lr"'* ''*™^* »° «>«
told them, I i.e^d.^:tt"7al^r "' *° ""• «'
farther and farther into thfLkni^^? "T ^'"'^
less they drove them Ck theR^l T-^' *"'* '^^^ ""-
would be gone. I honTdtW ^C- "" '>"''«°g-g«'unds
but I migf t have kn'^t te 'flfh""!' T' "' ''^
begin to stir there is sn™ .„ i^ • Y}""" **" Red-skins
quiet again" » »>™ *» be mischief before they are
L.,^v* T'"" """^ somewhat left Mr Welrf.'. „i, i,
the hunter spoke. welch s cheeks as
badti"';rritsioS:;^h"'^?''>-' "•
Just when he eot wT^ i, ?^'' * "^"^ <>* PO't
saw smoke ntlf iL t d'a^i^-^ .*"'. '"J"", y*"^' -<«
and made trackf I met hS t\ "P^"* ^^ '^'^
just arrived. Johnson l„ "/°'"«'»''b. where he had
loanoe and come down the lalc« „; • ** **''* "y
Ion the way I siom..H ! c ' ? ""^ y"" "" warning
said he should dt^Tut ^t ol"T ^^ "~P^'''^ ^""^
Ling " th^ugr tir^ rsrrk"""'
fed's lSr^tldT^•^f^-^^-^^
Us bar raised if the Initio " ^^f^^o-ed he would get
ghat's his bu™» •''"" "^^ *^'" ''»y; bot in couL
ioni?:hi,'?afr.Sis t"r' v^ "■" ■«'« «''--
'■It „n.,l,i 1,7.^ ™ *''« "'^'^ Of the Red-skina»
' ■' "= " i'^y- '"«'« Welch, that's as true' as
16
A DITFICULT DECISION.
gospel; it's the likeliest clearing within fifty miles round,
and you've fixed the place up as snug and comfortable as
if it were a farm in the old provinces. In course the ques-
tion is, what this War Eagle intends to do. His section
of the tribe is pretty considerable strong, and although
at prese 1 1 ain't heard that any others have joined, these
Injuns are like barrels of gunpowder: when the spark is
once struck there is no saying how far the explosion may
spread. When one band of them sees as how another is
taking scalps, and getting plunder and honour, they all,
want to be at the same work. I reckon War Eagle ha
got some two hundred braves who will follow him; bu
when the news spreads that he has begun his work, ali
the Irroquois, to say nothing of the Shawnees, Delawares,
and other varmint, may dig up the hatchet The questio
is, what War Eagle's intentions are? He may make
clean sweep down, attacking all the outlying farms, an*
waiting till he is joined by a lot more of the red reptilei
before attacking the settlements. Then, on the othe
hand, he may think himself strong enough to strike j
blow at Gloucester and some other border villages a
once. In that case he might leave the outlying farmi
alone, as the news of the burning of these would reac
the settlements and put them on their guard, and h
knows in course that if he succeeds there he can eat yo
all up at his leisure."
"The attack upon Brent's place looks as if he mean
to make a clean sweep down," Mr. Welch said.
" Well,"the huntercontmued thoughtfully, "I don't kno,
as I sees it in that light. Brent's place was a long wa
from any other. He might have wished to give his ban,
a taste of blood, and so raise their spirits, and he migli|
on't mind losi
(f4ft) f>iaetuing to bra
(Ui)
.iles round, I "" hdntihs ARonMSNiSi „
fortablo as t^foably conclude that nout wo„M i i
othequea-l /»' days, perhaps weeks to ^^ b»W„ about
ais section r^k "night have been madrbv 2,e ^ ' f^"'"* **«
I although r'thout orders. Ifs a dubious ™,T '"'tSghng party
ined. thil" J^nds here, I think a.d;„S°"i hl°" '"'^ ^'
>e spark is|"f« »h«>' pretty straight with a rifll' . T ^^ y""
losion mayr. »»«.• «nd «s this yoSng C^he™ V ' '''* "^ "=<»"''
another ^r"* ^ »^°<"i"'g-iron,^t mak',; " ^''°'' "^ *^
.r, they all| « '^ong one,-and youlSd L?„l"^' y""' ?'■"»
E.«Ie hal-^y- My idea is, thatCfia^f ^f "7 '"''^S""?
hto; buf:^,.«»Hhe phce would make a litfl^.^T P'^''^
. work, al|^ ?"°« »>y making a regu wCk "!ff ^ " T * *'^'«
QelawareslfW »".' ^r twenty-foufho™ at Z^ • ^°" ""s""
.equestloJ?'" "^'t no shelter to beT^ wl ^?A»P™' »°d
■y ""*• fc: "fj".?' ""^ '"■1 this would 47^ J: "^« 'o
"? "Pti^fcfe''''' '-™ yo" alone forTe'L^"^? ' ^}?^
tarma, tauMT- ""•"" "moourage his warriors mv..*i xt "'S"^"'i
Bd reptil J^".Ea«le will leave yonXeforT^^' ^?' ^ "^^'^
the other ;!f 1 "^d a scout to see whefter vt /r'°*^ ^^^
> strike r J'tdy as not that oaeTS" r''"^'^"'' ''"''
tillages ar""W *^'> t«es now. I should ^^^ ,^ somewhere
in/f.!* the «iimals and .»fi„ J!'?, ^™« .»» t™e in driving
illages ai
ing farmi
'uld read
d, and hi
the animals and gettinr; J TZt^" '? "^"^S
you are prepared theviilli '"■■ "''^n they
» the present! a^terwaVllT* y»» alone, at lej
epend on how hey Z a^ ^1 Z^^^^' *^'" '^l
cceed there and ga^fb'j^:!!."'--^ » *ey
in eat yor^^" °n how they geis on at «,. o *.i '' »* ""*' "^^
™' ■^"1 cceed there and IJllZ ^ * '^t'l^menta If they
he meal? -y march ':L'°^^o^^ZfT':l'^^-
.m. hurry to get to their ymJZt^HrL^Z -"
on'tkno
long wa
> his ban
he mig]
(S46)
iinahunytogettothr,?., .^ ^'"'•' ">«y will
I reckon they will pay you a tSf f '^' »»t"ements,
» back without scalpa Cv w 11 ■ '""' *^''^ ''«'°'*
KC' l°^« '»- -" ^- - -— "■" ""•
"-mg «> b^g about when they g^t i^Z InZ^,
u
18
OALUNO IN THB HAND&
Master Welch, I must be going on, for I want to tak
the news down to the settlementa before War Eagle gets
there, and he may be ahead of me now for aught I know,
I don't give you no advice as to what you had best do
you can judge the circumstances as well as I can. Whei
I have been to the settlements and put them on thei
guard, maybe I shall be coming back again, and in tha
case you know Jack Pearson's rifle is at your disposa
You may as well tote this stag up to the house; yo
won't be doing much hunting just for the present, ani
the meat may oome in handy."
The stag was landed, and a minute later the canoe shu
away from shore under the steady stroke of the hunter)
powerful arma Mr. Welch at once threw the stag ove
his shoulders, and, accompanied by Harold, strode awa;
towards the house. On reaching it he threw down thi
stag at the door, seized a rope which hung agamst t:
wall, and the sounds of a large bell rung in quick sha
strokes summoned the hands from the fields. The soum
of the woodman's axe ceased at once, and the shouts
the men as they drove the cattle towards the house r
on the still air.
"What is the matter, WilUam?" Mra Welch asked
she ran from the house.
"I have bad news, my dear; the Indians are out aga
and I fear we have trouble before us. We must ho
that they will not come in this direction, but must
prepared for the worst. Wait till I see all the han
and beasts in the stockade, and then we can talk t
matter over quietly."
In a few minutes the hands arrived, drivrng bef(
them the horses and cattle.
"What u
bell sure eni
"The hi6
force. Thej
towards the
they may nc
Get the bea
scythes and
which is hij
nothing else
[yards of the
with you and
[heard the belj
[guess that W(
attempt a surj
[other ajar, wi
'lave to make
look-out while
Having seer
into the house,
usual, pale, ;
"Now, Jane
exactly how ma
ihe news, has t
ourae we had I
After he had
e reasons for i
'ent on, "Now
'hether ve sha
fainst any attj
'all at once en
lown to the settJ
PrJEPARAnONS TOB DIFENoi.
I beU rrel^oi^h'T '" ""'^ '^«^' "'^' w„ tho alar.-
towards the settlemenT^^Tht '^ ""^ "« ""k^*
they may not; at anyrate w. ^'^ ft^ "°°" *» ^V or
Get the beaato intTSe ^11?!, ^ ^^P"''' f« t^en.
scythes and set to work to ctiZ "l? "" ^O" »" ^^
which is high enough to °l T "■*' P*'* of coin,
nothing else which |rutvr!^*^™'.*«''«i there's
lyards of the house. 01 ZZ " .?""° * '""d'cd
jwith you and keep a dZ ^1^* "^ "^^ y<»" '^es
Iheard the beU if theySth^ • 'V^' ^^^^ '^ ^'^^^
(guess that we are ol Z l^Tt^^'^ «d "ill
lattempt a surprise. Shut on. J .i, °^ "* ■">* '"'ely to
lother ajar, w?th the t^'Cdy to'pS*" "?" '"^' ">«
fave to make a run for it Hardd ' •,? "" «^ y»»
W-out while you are at work " ">" «<> "P to the
I Having seen that all was rhI^j j ^ „
kto the house, where hiTwifetl*"' ^l' ^''* ''^t
I XNOW, Jane ha aairl w -x j
Wly how matters S ^farTp""^ ^ ^"^ *«" ^^u
[be news, has told -e C'you ste'^'^ '""^^*
[ourse we had better take." ^^^''^^ aa to the
After he had told her all ih.t- t>
he reasons for and against exneln "" ^^^ '^'^' ^^
ent on, "Now. it rLX for^^^^T'^ f ^°^' ^«
Whether ve shaU stay and defend?); ^ ^^^''' ^ ^^^^^e
Ut any attack LTityt^^"^' *? *^« ^-*
ball at once embark in thL^J^ a '''' "^^^^^^^ ^«
[own to the settlements." ' ^^ '"*^® *»^ way
11
20
TIIK FINAL DECISION.
"What do you think, William?" his wife asked
"I scarcely know myself," he answered; "but if I had
quite my own way, I should send you and Nelly down to
the settlements m the scow, and fight it out here with the
hands.
"You certainly will not have your own way in that"
his wife said. "If you go, of course I go; if you stay I
stay. I would a thousand times rather go through a'
siege here and risk the worst, than go down to Glouce-ste '
and have the frightful anxiety of not knowing what ww
happenmg hera Besides, it is very possible, as you say
that the Indians may attack the settlement itself; man
of the people there have had no experience in Indian wa'
and the Red-skins are likely to be far more successful
their surprise there than they would be here. If we g,
we should have to leave our house, our bams, our stack
and our animals to the mercy of the savages. You
capital IS pretty nearly all embarked here now, and th,
^^ of all this would be ruin to us. At anyrai
William, I am ready to stay here, and to risk what ma
come, if you are. A life on the frontier is necessarily'
lite of danger; and if we are to abandon everything
to have to commence life afresh every time the Ind
go on the war-path, we had better give it up at once
return to Massachusetts."
"Very well, my dear," her husband said gravely " Y.
are a true frontierman's wife; you have chosen as
should have done. It is a choice of evils; but God h
blessed and protected us since we came out into t:
wilderness; we will trust and confide in him now.
anyrate, he went on more cheerfuUy, "there is no £<
of the enemy starving us out We got in our store
provisions o
everything f
our well faili
dance; seeing
had an extra
^^y; there u
for months, a
cutting brou^
Jt will be use;
heap of it soal
with it in ca
their fire-arro\
The day pea
nightfall the
^minterrupted
hundred yards:
fell, two out of
'fastened out in
[e^hty yards o
within the stoci
|watche8, two me
5ach other everj
'is companion
«cited at the i
•ead of the desp
nd the Indians,
'enturous work ;
'ad come, and thi
a desperate sti
The first watcl
elch and Harolt
^ported that all -
id.
if I had
down to
with the
an<
^odhJ
ON THE ALERT.
provisions onlv a fni4«: i^ . ^'
everything for a th^^^J"?"- '»<' hsve enough of
our well failing „,. rdtf^^^fS* .^?ero is „o fL of
dance; seeing how Harold was "l?'"""."*'"'^* "•"■»-
had an extra supply whenTh^ f * '^"^^'^ »"<» M, I
day; there is pZy oTc^^! "^^ «»»« ^ tie other
for months, and I will hirZ ^ ^V"' *« '^'»«1»
cuttmg brought in as a lup^tTf'^i* the men are
It will be usefd for another nurnn/""'* for the cowa
heap of it soaked with water "S-,°°' "" ""' keep a
w.th it in case of atta* T? J?j" T"' ">' '''■%'es
then: fire-arrows." " "^ efiectuaUy quench
h'KXl^f J'^r^l:,* »%htest alarm, and by
'».ntem,pted view of ZjZf'^. "^"y- "«» »
hundred yards from the houS^ .ff^*? '^'"'*^<^ °f «
N, two out of the four do^bT ^"'^'"^ ^en night
fctened out in the open t^ d^'r^""* *° «>« f«™ w?,;
e«hjy yards of the'^ront tt'*°r''*'"'°'™'<»'tyto
'"thin the stockade. The^ „** "*"" •«"» retained
kches. two men being on^'!? r.*^"*"^ ^'» three
h* other every three ho™ Mr W fw"""*' "««^^«
^■» companion on the w^ih tT *? '~'' ^"^'d <«
read of the desperate fishta bot»,. *:? . ® '"^ often
»<i the Indiansfand bZlo^'iTJ^' frontier settlen.
enturous work ; he could sSvI^r' '^r ^ *« '«'-
»d «,me, and that he was rSLy f ^^?.'*''l "•« «»e
* a desperate stm<.gle ^^ " ''hat might
'«H r/C^ Zrl t^l-^ •' twelve Mr.
sported that al, was iZ t'LlZ?.'^Il">'^^^
- • -.>«o, oiiu mat they
ss
INDIAN SOOtmi
hod heard no suspicious cries of any kind. When the
men had retired to their room Mr. Welch told Harold
that he should take a turn round the stockade and visit i
the dogs. Harold was to keep watch at the gate, to close
it after he went out, to put up the bar, and to stand beside
it ready to open it instantly if called upon.
Then the famer stepped out into the darkness, and,
treading noiselessly, at once disappeared from Harold'sj
sight The latter closed the gate, replaced the heavy barJ
and stood with one hand on this and the other holding hi
rifle, listening intently. Once he thought he heard a lo^
growling from one of the dogs, but this presently ceasedl
and all was quiet again. The gate was a solid onel
formed of strong timbers placed at a few inches apar'
and bolted to horizontal bars.
Presently he felt the gate upon which his hand rested
quiver as if pressure was applied from without Hij
first impulse was to say "Is that you?" but Mr. Welch had
told him that he would give a low whistle as he ap|
preached the gate; he therefore stood quiet with hi
whole attention absorbed in listening. Without makiuJ
the least stir he peered through the bars, and made oi
two dark figures behind them. After once or twic
shaking the gate, one took his place against it and tl
other sprang upon his shoulders.
Harold looked up and saw a man's head appear
the sky. Dim as was the light, he could see that it wj
no European head-gear, a long feather or two projectid
from it In an instant he levelled his rifle and firej
There was a heavy fall, and then all was silent Harol
again peered through the barf. The second figure ht
j:.»««.%tta«<»1 ar\A A 1^To/>1r mnoA Iav at the foot of the £rat
3n the
larold
d visit
oclo3e
beside
agfi
iit wi
THE WATOH-DOO 8LAIN. 23
In an instant the men came running from the house
^t^'w'^^^r "''''' "-'^^^^ "^^-
"He went out to scout round the house. leaving me at
the gate, Harold said. "Two men, I think Lians
I thmk he IS lying outside-the other hw disappeared."
We must get the master in," one of the men said; "he
bened. Mr. Welch," he shouted, « it is all safe here, so far
we know; we are all on the look-out to cover you as
ou come up. ' ^
Immediately a whistle was heard close to the gate-
A ^^ ^'J^^^^fy opened a few inches, and was closed
md barred airectly Mr. Welch entered.
Harold told him what had happned.
"I thought it was something of the sort. I heard Wolf
'owl, and felt sure that it was not at me. I threw myself
lown and crept up to him, and found him shot through
;he heart with an Indian arrow. I was crawling ba<;k to
^e house when I heard Harold's shot. Then I waited to
lee If It was followed by the war-whoop, which the Red-
ikins would have raised at once on finding that they were
hscovered, had they been about to attack in force. Seeing
;hat all was quiet, I conjectured that it wa^ probably^
ittempt on the part of a spy to discover if we were upon
,he alert. Then I heard your call and at once came oa
do not expect any attack to-night now, as these fellows
iust have been alone; but we will all keep watch till the
lorning. You have done very well, Harold, and have
lown yourself a keen watchman. It is fortunate that •
'ou had the presence of mind neither to sfir nnr to "-u
u
THE DEAD INDIAN.
!!? ^'^ r^^"* ^^^^^ *^"'"' ^°^ ^^^ yo" done 80. yon
would proi.aMy have got an arrow baween your n\J.os
poor Wolf has done."
When it was daylight and the gate was opened, th
body of an Indian waa seen lying without; a small mari
on his forehead showed where Harold's bullet had entered
death bemg instantaneous. His war-paint and the em
broidery of his leggings showed him at once to be a
Im)quois. Beside him lay his bow. with an arrow whid
H^rnlH I i^^ ^l*'^ ^ *^^ «*""& ^^' i°«<^<^ work
Harold shuddered when he saw it. and congratulate^
himself on having stood perfectly quiet. A Save w^
dug a short distance away, the Indian was buried, an
the household proceeded about their work
The day, a^ was usual in households in America, w
begun with prayer, and the supplicatious of Mr. Welch
the protection of God over the household were warn
axid earnest The men proceeded to feed the animals
narft W ' 'Y ^""^'^ ""' °^ '^' ^"^^^^"re. one of Jh
party being always on watch in the little tower whicl
had been erected for that purpose some ten or twelvlf j
above the roof of the house. From this spot a vTew wa
obtamabk nght over the clearing to the forest whTr
surrounded it on three sides. The^other ^1^11^ e
to cut down more of the com. so as to extend thTlev
space around the house. ®^
\
iHATd;
night
remai
thati
the air.
" What sort
animals? for if
** No," the mi
to feel the noia
it was firing ve
"The iiight i
would be heard
" I cannot sa^
tromble in the a
W!ien the na
"'» H.i still aga]
intently.
** Jackson was
thing in the air.
a sort of murm
bear it, Harold?*
" I seem to hea
e 80, you
r ribs, as
ica, Wi
elch fo:
9 wa;
animals
of th
' whici
Ive fee
ew w
whic
)ceede
e lev
CHAPTER IL
AN INDIAN RAID.
jHAT day and the next passed quietly The fir«t
it was firing very many n>Se3 off" ' *°"" ^^ """
wouM It^a'aCi •■'"• ""' "'•' """"' »' ' «"»
a sort of murmur no Inn^n,. *k , . "' -^^ ^
[hear it, HaroldT" *^*" * '^^^P^'^' ^^ you
"I seem to hear something." Harold said, "i^
25
1^1 1
36
RETURN OP THE HUNTER.
the sound of the sea a very long way off, just as one can
hear it many miles from the coast, on a still night at
home. What do you think it is?"
"If it is not fancy," Mr. Welch replied, "and I do not]
think that we should aU be deceived, it is an attackl
upon Gloucester."
"But Gloucester is 35 miles away," Harold answered.
"It is," Mr. Welch replied; "but on so still a night aa\
this sounds can be heard from an immense distance. If
it is not this, I cannot say what it is." f
Upon the following night, just as Mr. Welch's watch
was at an end, a low whistle was heard near the gatel
" Who is there?" Mr. Welch at once challenged.
"Jack Pearson, and the sooner you open the gate the!
better; there is no saying where these red devils may be
lying round." "^
Harold and the farmer instantly ran down and openec
the gate.
"I should advise you to stop down here," the hunterl
said, as they replaced the bars; "if you did not hear me]
you certainly would not hear the Red-skins, and thej
would all be over the palisade before you had time tol
fire a shot. I am glad to see you safe, for I was badly
scared lest I should find nothing but a heap of ashes here.1
The next two men now turned out, and Mr. Welch led!
hia visitor into the house and struck a light. "Hallof
Pearson, you must have been in a skirmish," he saiS
seeing that the hunter's head was bound up with a blood]
stained bandage.
"It was all that," Pearson said, "and wusa I weni
down to Gloucester and told 'em what I had heard; buj
the darned fools tuk it as quiet as if all King George'J
BASH OONFTOENOK
S7
)op8 With fixed bayonets had been camped round 'em
'^^Tf.F^ *?^'*^^' ^^ palavered for an hour, and
included that there was no chance, whatever, of the
rrroquo^ venturing to attack such a powerful place as
ploucester. I told them that the Red-skins would go
bver their stockade at a squirrel's jump; and that as War
Gagle alone had at lea^t 150 braves, while there wam't
Dore than fifty able-bodied men in Gloucester and all
the farms around it, things would go bad with 'em if
Ihey did not mind. But, bless yer, they knew more than
I did about It; most of them had moved from the Ea^t
Jnd had never seen an Injun in his war-paint. Glou-'
bester had never been attacked since it was founded niffh
ten years ago, and they did not see no reason why it
bhould be attacked now. There wa^ a few old frontiers-
men like myself among them, who did their best to stir
them up; but It waa no manner of good. When the
bouncil was over we put our heads together, and just
irent through th^ township a talking to the women, and
.e had^ not much difficulty in getting up such a scare
^inong em, that before nightfall every one of 'em in the
farms around made their husbands move into the stockade
pi the village.
"When the night pa^ed off quietly, most of the men
rere just as savage with us as if it had been a false
Warm altogether I pinted out that it was not because
War Eagle had left them alone that night that he was
bound to do so the next night, or any night after. But
^ spite of the women they would have started out to
Iheir farms the fust thing in the morning, if a man
had not come in with the news that Carter's farm had
^,^,, ^^ „„e wuuie 01 ine people killed and
28
AN ATTACK ON ▲ SEITLEIIENT.
scoped As Carter'8 farm lay only about 15 mUes off
night before. Then they asked us old hands to take Z
utnf to'nr' *" "^ '"'^' "* '"'^ them; bif:ht'
It came to it theu- promises were not worth the breatl
ftj had spent upon them. There were lit ofte
houses outs.de the stockade, and in course we wLtod
these pulled down; but they would not hear ofTt ^wl
ever, we got them to work to strengthen the lck^«'
to make loopholes in the houses nL them!r^„ru1
"wT^ 7«d'vided into three watohes. |
well, just as I expected, about eleven o'clock at niirh
a.e Injuns attacked. Our watch might just « wtu W
h^ adeep for any good they did, f?r it waslT «11 ft
Eed-skms had crept up to the stockade aU round ^
opened fire between the timber on them, that ^Cl
fl^hfTr'* "r. ^ '*° them justice to say thatThe^
fought stiff' enough then, and for four hours they held ft
hne of houses; every Eed-skin who climbedThe st«bS
fell dead maide it Four fires had been light^ dS]
they attacked to enable us to keep them frl scaWth
•Thi Red V 'V'^r' "" *»» *» "^^ enemy,:f Zrt^
h./ Red-skms took possession of the houe4 which J
tor ua Then they shot such showers of bumini
sr t: ^:;f ^v'"'* '''^ »^ «>» house, w'.:'^!
Wight We tned to get our men to sally out and to holf
"Mumer of good; each man wanted to stick to his wife J
DESTRUCTION OF THE VILLAGE. 39
lan }i«lf ^; ^*1®^°* <^own; and when at last more
Ip our ifrd" whit teT . ^"'' °* """*• '"'' '°«' ""^0
be Injuns cImeT x^ 'to'kade, just opposite where
kd Kill T ? f^' """^ •f*"'' Sobi"' he wL shot
own and Bill.!.7V f?,' *™ °' *•"•*« ™ them went
Jdef Ln hS r ^""^'- ^"' •""! " M in the
lawk m h.H "''?, "^^ "•« "^^^-J ''ith » toma-
Tm w"^"?* ** '"'"« '" »° «tea rifle."
Mr. Welch told the hunter of the visit nf it,. *
rfian spies two nighta before. ""* *""
J!lfk*'i° ^1**' °*''^' "^ '«•*»" f<" the present you
b not hkely to be disturbed. The Injuns havTteken
binl ^ "' ""^.'""^ '■■^0 t- hundr^sS^!
puniinff tne wnmnn o»»/l «UJij , ,. "v-cw^/o,
^« vxiixuiun, ana tiiey moved off
80
AWAITINO ATTACK.
at daybreak this morning in the direction of Tottenj
ham, which I reckon they will attack to-nighi Howl
Bomever, Bill has gone on there to warn them, and aftei
the sack of Gloucester the people of Tottenham won't b^
caught napping, and there are two or three old frontiers
men who have pettled down there, and War Eagle wil|
get a hot reception if he tries it. As far as his banc
is concerned you are safe for some days; the only feaj
is that some others of the tribe, hurrying up^ at hearin/
of his success, may take this place as they go past. Ana
now, I guess that I will take a few hours' sleep; I hav^
not closed an eye for the last two nights."
A week passed quietly. Pearson, after remaining twJ
days, again went down the lake to gather news, anj
returned a day later with the intelligence that almost al
the settlements had been deserted by their inhabitant/
the Indians were out in great strength, and had attackeJ
the settlers at many points along the frontier, commit[
ting frightful devastations.
Still another week passed, and Mr. Welch began
hope that his little clearing had been overlooked asJ
forgotten by the Indians. The hands now went aboul
their work as usual, but always carried arms with thei
while one was constantly stationed on the watch-towe
Harold resumed his fishing, never, however, going ou
of sight of the house. Sometimes he took with hid
little IS elly Welch, it being considered that she was
safe in the canoe as she was in the house, especially
the boat was always in sight, and the way up from tli
landing to the house was under cover of the rifles of tl
defenders; so that, even in case of an attack, they wouj
probably be able to make their way back.
THE HIDDEN FOK,
31
One afternoon tney had been out together for two or
iree hours; everything looked as quiet and peaceable as
lu^; the hands were in the fields near the house, a few
•f the cows were grazing close to the gate. Harold had
.een successful in his fishing, and had obtained as many
^? ^A M frl^ ?^"^- ^® '*^PP^^ °"* f^«°^ tl^e canoe,
lelped Nelly to land, slung his rifle across his back, and
jcked up th.e fish, which were strung on a withy parsed
hrough their gills.
He had made but a few steps when a yell arose so loud
id temble that for a moment his heart seemed to stop
leatmg. Then from the corn-fields leaped up a hundred
ark figures; then came the sharp crack of rifles, and two
|f the hands dashed down at full speed towards the house.
^- had fallen. The fourth man was in the watch-
ir. The surprise had been complete. The Indians
lad made their way like snakes through the long com
^hose wavmg had been unperceived by the sentinel, who
m dozing at his post, half-asleep in the heat of the sun
larold saw m a moment that it was too late for him to
iegam the house; the Red-skins were already nearer to
* than he was.
"Now, Nelly! into the boat again; quick!" he said
We must keep out of the way till 'tis all over."
Nelly was about twelve years old, and her Hfe in the
|oods had given her a courage and quickness beyond her
rears. Without wasting a moment on cries or lamenta-
lons she sprang back into the canoe. Harold took his place
leside her, and the light craft darted rapidly out into the
like. Not until he was some three or four hundred yards
/om the shore did Harold pause to look round. Then wl^-n
le felt he was out of gunshot distance, he ceased paddling
S2
THE CANOB ON THE LAKE.
The fight WM raging now around the house; fron
loopholes and turret the white puffs of smoke darted
angnly out The fire had not been ineffectual, for severJ
dark forms could be seen lying round the stockade; anl
the bulk of the Indians, foiled in their attempt to carry th
piace at a rush, had taken shelter in the com, and kei
up a scattering fire round the house, broken only on t
side facmg the lake, where there was no growing croD
afford them shelter. ^ f
•'They are all right now," Harold said cheerfuUj
Do not be anxious, Nelly; they will beat them ofl
Pearson is a host in himself. I expect he must have bee]
lying down when the attack was made. I know he wal
scouting round the house aU night. If he had been oJ
the watch, those fellows would never have succeeded
creeping up so close unobserved."
"I wish we were inside," Nelly said, speaking for tl
first time. " If I were only with them I should not mine
I am sure I wish we were," Harold agreed. "It
too hard being useless out here when such a splend,
fight IS going oa Ah! they have their eyes on ud
he exclaimed as a puff of smoke burst out from sod
bushes near the shore, and a ball came skipping aloi
on the surface of the water, sinking, however, before
reached it.
" O^ose Indian muskets are no good," Harold said cod
temptuously,"and the trade powder the Indians get
very poor stuff; but I think that they are well witl
range of my rifle." ^
The weapon which Harold carried was an English ni
of very perfect make and finish which his father hj
given him on parting. ^
A LURKING TOE. mm
Lr-ge of that fellow Se ^U t ' 1' ^d iTn *°
:acUy where he is lying." ^ ' ^ ^ **" '««
Nelly, who was efficient in the management of a canoe
kthlrtold lir*?^'^ *»*•" ^"W »ii "Tour
m through the bodr T W f^ '-^f ^ *^P^' ^ •>"
d fired « little aSt N„w t^r^^^t '"" y"^'
wrhesaid nhere;th'l::^'^^„p?^„trr'i
e W. Put your hat on the paddle^IZat ir? "'
Kly" *''™"^'°« »*'»-«. Haroldr the girl
i long 88 the sieffe i« wl? "^ *1"'*^ ''^^^^ *^a*
|d tfere i,r^yCrwTo;^rmT;c'•-^rrt
K.'^'. What chance is there% ^tl "f^J^* *"
c
34
AN UNSUG0ES8FUL ATTEMPT.
Are there any other canoes on the lake within a shoi
distance?"
"They have one at Braithwaite's," the girl said, "foi
miles oflf; but look, there is Pearson's canoe Ivini? bv t
shore." Jf H y^
" So there is," Harold exclaimed. " I never thought
thai I expect the Indians have not noticed it. Tl
bank is rather high where it is lying. They are sure
find it sooner or later. I think, Nelly, the best pi
would be to paddle back again so as to be within ti
range of my rifle while still beyond the reach of thei
I think I can keep them from usmg the boat until it
dark."
"But after it is dark, Harold ?"
*' Well, then, we must paddle out mto the lake so as
be well out of sight; when it gets quite dark we (
paddle in again, and sleep safely anywhere a mile or t
from the house."
An hour passed without change. Then Nelly si
" There is a movement in the bushes near the canoe."
Presently an arm was extended, and proceeded to K
the canoe towards the shore by its head rope. As it touchi
the bank an Indian rose from the bushes and was about
step in, while a number of flashes of smoke burst out aloi
the shore and the bullets skipped over the water towa.
the canoe, one of them striking it with sufficient force
penetrate the thin bark a few inches above the watei
edge. Harold had not moved; but as the savage step
into the canoe he fired, and the Indian fell heavily
the water, upsetting the canoe as he did so.
A yell of rage broke from his comrades.
"I don't thmk they will try that game again as I
— >">^ Kuxiua xiaVi
bin a sho)
OUT ON THI LAKl
said, " fo
ing by t.
tliought
d it. T
are sure
best pli
within tl
I of theii
until it
^„ v ^ratei. still we may SB weU avoid aoci.
Jtsr another hour pa»ed the fi„ „„„d the house
, Do you think the Indian« have gone awayr Nel.y
a They ^ not fond nJ T °'^''* '"'* ">«" t^
ir father are no Sl tiT^ '"'"■ '"'' ^"^^'^ and
'. Harold m J^kTnef hfaL v'''' '^^' ">« ^'^■'
"e. while Nelly h^diete D he "nf^hT
g away from the shore ont into Zt^ *^' ^
^^iS::LzT^t^^r^^^H on.
eived. Harold doubttd wheteHrw ' .^k""' """'^
» the boat from shore but i.^ " T^^ ^ I^iW*
"» off the s^nt, shonM ml be ?^" ^ ?"" ""^
,»»f8 head to the soutt anTn Lt ! ^*' ""^ '"™«1
[perfectly dark ""* P*^""""* »^«y "ntU it
SP;.!L^Tr "" *"" '«"'«'" he said to Ven,
-- .kms „,ve wonderful eyes; so if they pr^^^
se
LAKDINa
at all, they will do it in that direction. At anyratoj
human being, unless he borrowed the eyes of an
could see us now; so we will turn and paddle the o
way."
For two hours they rowed in this direction. "We
go into shore now," Harold said at last. "We musi
seven or eight miles beyond the house."
The distance to the shore was longer than theyi
pected, for they had only the light of the atars to
them, and neither had any experience in night travel
They had therefore made much further out into the
than they had intended. At length, however, the
line of trees rose in front of them, and in a few miii
the canoe lay alongside the bank, arti its late occu
were stretched on a soft layer of moss and fallen lea
" What are we going to do to-morrow about ^uti
Nelly asked.
" There are four or five good-sized fish in the bol
of the canoe," Harold replied. *' Fortunately we cai
more than I could carry, and I intended to mal
second trip from the house for these. I am afrai
shall not be able to cook them, for the Indians cai
smoke any distance. If the worse comes to the wo:
must eat them raw, but we are sure to find some bei
in the wood to-morrow. Now, dear, you had better
sleep as fast as you can; but first let us kneel dowiij
pray God to protect us and your father and niother."tQ^T* "^" ^ "*^
The boy and girl knelt in the darkness and
their simple prayers. Then they lay down, and Hi
was pleased to hear in a few minutes the steady b;
ing which told him that his cousin was asleep. It
long time before he followed her example. Dur:
he had kept u
ake the best o
e he felt the fu
his companion
atened them b
d prolong the
that no reinfo
e gf iTison. Aj
e had pretended
nders of the hoi
10 large a numb(
t he felt certain
neutralizes th<
er marksmanshi
y down with th
he done so wh
istant firing.
scene of the enc
distinct to the
; and he could e^
the faint yells of
im, he sat listeni
consciously to h
a starts to find ]
streaming down i
e started to his i
t ago that I wi
If— "that is, thai
wad daylight."
Id's first care
canoe, and he four
>t
anyrato,
of an
i the o
AN ANXIOUS VIQIU
37
"We
'e musi
1 theyj
•8 to
travel
bo the
r, the
iw mi
occu
3n lea
t :iuii
he bofl
we caj
o mall
afraic
Qs can
> wor
ne be|
atteri
dowiil
)th6r.i
and I
id
lybB
.JwAf l'^! "f * *^'*^" ^'•^^t »«d had endeavoured
le he felt the fuU weight of the responsibility of imid
id DTOlom; «.. .• * " °''" **■*' "»e Indians
aiari?*^ -t **f* *" 'O"* «■"•■ « they would be
.e hS'73 ^ ^rr'' ""^ ''y "» ■»«»™ felt «> «u«
it hrfl ..!*•.? 'heir ravage foea In the day-
it be felt certain they could beat them off but d»rt
neut^lizes the effect both of superior ^^Id
f" f "ksmanship. It was nearly SshTL?
t rer^r t™^^"°" tJsSSlc^^ly
r^ of 2^" '^'"'°"«'' SIX or seven miles from
iim, ne sat listening to the distant contest anH ih^r.
mconsciously to himself, dozed off toXn L^- t
a stari, to find Nelly Wup b^e^^l^d^^^^^
streaming down through the boughs. '
te started to his feet "Bless m^" h^ r.^ i - ^ ,
kl dayjht-^' ' '" ™'* *'""''• """ "«" -« ««
»v*»uiia.uciy «, aaa touched
88
A FOREST BRIAKFAST.
the shore at a spot where the boughs of the trees o^
head drooped into the water beyond it» so that it cc
not be seen by anyone passing along the lake. This
the more fortunate, as he saw some three miles awa
canoe with three figures on board. For a long dista
on either side the boughs of the trees drooped into]
water, with only an opening here and there such as
through which the boat had passed the night before.
"We must be moving. Nelly; here are the marks wl
we scrambled up the banks laat night If the Indf
take it into their heads to search the shore both wayl
likely enough they may do, they will be sure to see ti
In the first place let us gather a stock of berries, and
we will get into the boat again, and paddle along m
this arcade of boughs till we get to some place wherJ
can land without leaving marks of our feet If]
Indians find the place where we landed here they willi
pose that we went ofi* again before daylight"
For some time they rambled in the wood, and succe
in gathering a store of berries and wild fruit 1
these Nelly made her breakfast, but Harold's apr
was sufficiently ravenous to enable him to fall to a
the fish, which, he declared, were not so bad after]
Then they took their places in the canoe again,
paddled on for nearly a mile.
"See, Haroldl" Nelly exclaimed, as she got a e\h
through the boughs into the lake, " there is another a
they must have got the Braithwaite boat; we paasedl
place coming here, you know. I wonder what
happened there."
"What do you think is best to do, Nelly?" Harold m
"Your opinion is just as good as mine about it: thai]
A nUlNDLT STRIAU. Jg
i« our canoe behind, land, and tako to the wood.- or
..U we etop quietly in the canoe in shelter hereTd,.S
■e take to the lake and trust to our speed t^";*. way
r^r "T ^?v '"'°''' " *'-«y "hould come up I cT^d
■I doXhrnWr^^"" t'T "''''8»' within reX«
.r head "Yon shoot very well, but it is not an e^
and they paddle so fast that if you miss them onc^
ithirjli f° r "^""Kside-at anyrate we shouldT
^ithm reach of their guns-before you could load again
hey would be sure to catch us, tor although we S
«.d^e nearly as fast for a time, they would fert^nlyte
out Then as to waiting here in the canoe, if thev
ime along on foot looking for us, we should be ik the'r
Itefr^an^i "'"•"• •"" ' "^"^ '""'' «>''' -"'<> ^e
"I think so too, Nelly, if we can manage to do it with-
.t eavmg a track. We must not go much farthertor
le tr^ are getting thinner ahead? and we sho,^d t
len by the canoes."
Fifty yards farther Harold stopped paddling. "Here
just the place, Nelly." ^ ®
At this point a little stream of three or four feet wide
^edm^ the lake; Harold directed the boat's head t^!
ards It. The water in the stream was but a few inches
"Now Nelly," he said, "we must step out into the
v^the sharpest Red-skin to find our track then."
' iney stepped into thn wnf^Ar tto««i^ *.!_•_- ,, ,
40
HIDmO THIIR TBAOKa.
rope of the caaoe and towing the light boat-whid
when empty, did not draw mo« th^ two mohes ll
ful as she walked, not to touch any of the bushes, whic
at times nearly met across the stream.
to m!'*^''?^^''^ or withered leaf would be quito enoug
toteU the Indians that we came along this way " he Z
"Where the bushes are thick you must maS to e^
ZH^' ''^™''^''»'»"'«»"-gwet.yo?^'=::
Slowly and cautiously they made their way no tl
stream for nearly a mile; it had for some dS^'^bed
narrowing rapidly, being only fed by little riSXn td
surrounding swamp land. Harold had so farloS?
marks of theur feet Presently they came to a d\2
... ^-^ '"I d». Nelly," Harold said. "Now above ,11
ftmgs, you must be careful not to break off'^yolj
mo» or bark; you had better take your shoes off L 1
:^Ll Eg ':z^' -' y- - -'^'^ ^^
It waa hard work for Nelly to take off her drenehedf
boote, but she n^anaged at la.t. Harold lifted her on to
the trunk, and said, "Walk along as far as vou^ ! J
get down as lightly as possible'on to a fim Tee o
^ound; It rises rapidly here, and is, I expecTa drsoa
where the upper end of the tree lies." ^ '
"How are you going to get out, Harold ?«»
I can swing myself up by that projecting root " I
the :^':!:rf^, ^^^ '^ -/ ^^^ --' -e end
tne canoe ana placed it on the trunk of the tree; then!
Ji-i
IN THE WOODa *j
tking especial p^i^ St !-,.''«''* ''"'' '^'^' ""d
^e found, <u he had expected thirth.^ 1°"^ ** *"«•
he upper end lay wa/S anT . ^ ^S""? "^°5 "^^
rfth great car« and Z^ j f ^" ^^ °'°PP«"1 <Jown
^.rdfhat nTC^rte^^^':/r,l''« 7"""* f""
"Be careful Nellv" h. T T^ f footmark was left
[not to trea^ ona^tttllT Vt'°^.J"°''* ■•-•
eet. and, above all to ^oM b^»W- fv '""^ ^"' ^o"
M you pass. ChZe tl,rr * '"« *^'' ™»"«»* ^■^g
Earfest." ** ""^' °P"" g""""!. " that is the
h»pXhe.'"^tt'^tt^ r^ r- " •"««
h gently and as ca^V :"^;:'^*''T 'X' Tt
^^rto"^upl-l£^4-^^^^
a^:^^r^:7^--s-when
)heberries,and carrvin^fi!: ., , ^" *?"» with
pt would be saf^fct°'^^'"*W agreed that
[, . . "" saier not to put them on— Uipt i,t„,*^
[their journey through the deep for«,r ^ '"'
CHAPTER III
THE RED-SKIN ATTACK.
to Uff V w * '"*" *'" *^'1« i"™: the farmer etooi^
to Mt him, bu sa«r that he was shot through «,e hi
vnir ^1^- I ?• ^® Indians were but fifty or six*!
yards behind when Mr Woi«k i. " "*v w six.ji
^ an emptied t^:S:'l'r^^^^^^
dTer'^-^-'^tU^fe-i^^
wi:^4t:^ne^?p:r''r^:!:'»'*^-»''^i-4
IHK PABBNTS' ANXIBTT. 4,
You must have been asleep," Pearson said savacelv
"Where were your eves tn lof *i, t» j , . "^^^S^v*
uicu wnenever the movement of a blarlA nf
com showed the lurking-place of an Indian.
The mstant the gate had been closed War Eaele had
cdled h.s men back to shelter, for he saw th"t aS^cS^t^
of a suT,™e w«s now over, and it was cont^r to ^
Eed-skm strategy to remain for one moment ZTe^W
exposed to the rifles of the whitea The far^r Z^i^
wrfe had rushed at once up into th, lo^ott^""
itXtr^.""" 'o '''^^"^ »" *»« -- ^g
"They are safe for the present, thank God!" Mr Wel.h
n':?rro™"^irp:se^^-»---^;?^^^^
Othera. n„r ««,*. ^.,*„ :! x? ft""*" ^?^' ^^* «« join the
ii
A BAD LOOK-OUT.
of the house. The young ones are in the hands of Ood.
We can do nothing for them."
"Well?" Pearson asked, looking round from his loop-
hole as the farmer and his wife descended into the room,
which was a low garret extending over the whole of the
house. "Do you see the canoe?"
"Yes, it has got safely away," William Welch said;
"but what that lad will do now is more than I can say."
Pearson placed his rifle against the wall "Now keep
your eyes skinned," he said to the three farm hands; "one
01 yer's done mischief enough this morning already, and
you will got your hair raised as sure as you are born
imless you look out sharp. Now," he went on, turning
to the Weir lies, "let us go down and talk this matter over.
The Injuns may keep on firing, but I don't think they
will Sihow in the open again as long as it is light enough
for U8 to diaw bead upon them. Yes," he went on, as he
looked through a loophole in the lower story, over the
lake, "the^e thay are, just out of range."
"What do you think they will do?" Mrs. Welch asked.
The hunter was silent for a minute.
" It ain't a easy thing to say what they ought to do,
much less what they will do; it ain't a good look-out
any way, and I don't know what I should do myself.
The whole of the woods on this side of the lake are full
01 the darned red critters; there are a hundred eyes on
that canoe now, and go where they will they will be
watched."
" But why should they not cross the lake and land on
the other side?" Mr. Welch said.
" If you and I were in that canoe," the hunter answered,
" that's about what we should do; but, not to say that it
. 1
WKLL NIGH HOPELESa 45
SO au nour. mere is my canoe Ivinff undfir fliA
bushes^she would carry four, Ji would Jo t!„™ttt
thin ^IdX™:' "'tf 7J"'*"' '"^'"'^ ''"<^' ""^
« V 1 pause: the Indians may not find it "
You need not hope that," the hunter answered "thev
out of heart; but I tell ye', ye will see them on the wJter
before many mmutes have passed."
"Then they are lost," Mre. Welch said, sinkine down
m her chair and burstmg into tears. ■ '""""S "^o™
it i,?„'^ " * "• ^'^'^ ''"''^'- »*'»'" *« hunter said, "and
It IS no use trying to deceive you."
"Would it be of any use," William Welch asked aft.r
a pause, "for me to offer the Red-skins that my ^Je I^d
imlnCL'^^ put ourselves in their iZs^Z^
JNot It, the hunter replied decidedly; "you would be
throwing away your own lives without savingtS not
can do when they attack us in earnest, to hold this nla™
with SIX guns, and with only four the chance would te
worth nothing. But that is neither here no" 1^1^ But
you would not save the young ones if you gave up ' You
f they went so far as not to kill them, they would <^
Uiem than to be brought up as Indians. There " he said
stoppmg snddenlv «a » JLr^ „. . _...,.?"' , !"*
= ^ j^vrfw vi a uiusK.eii Boimaea at
46
THE AITEMPT FOILED.
some little distance off; "the Injuns are trying their range
against them; let us go up to the look-out"
The little tower had a thick parapet of logs some three
feet high, and crouching behind this they watched the
canoe.
"He is coming nearer in shore, and the girl ha» go^
the paddle," Pearson muttered. " What's he doing n6w?"
—A puff" of smoke was seen to rise near the border of
the lake, then came the sharp crack of Ha^ld's rifle
They saw an Indian spring from the bushes and faU dead*
Well done, young un," Pearson exclaimed; "I told
yer he had got his head screwed on the right' way He
IS keeping just out of range of their guns, and ^hat piece
of his can carry twice aa far as theirs; I reckdn he has
thought of the canoe and means to keep them from using
It I begins to think, Mr. Welch, that there is a chance
tor them yet; now let's talk a little to these red devils
m the com."
For some little time Pearson and William Welch turned
then- attention to the Indians, whHe the mother sat with
ner eyes fixed upon the canoe.
•;He is coming closer again," she exclaimed presently.
He IS watching the canoe, sure enough," Pearson said
Then came the volley along the bushes on the shore, and
they saw an Indian rise to his feet " That's just where
she lies, Pearson exclaimed; "he is getting into it There '
well done, young ua"
The sudden disappearance of the Indian, and the
venge ul yell of the hidden foe, told of the failure of
the attempt "I think they are safe now till nightfall;
^L^^TT!'''^ ^'^ *^"* P"**^g themselves within
ranga of that 'ere rifle agaia"
•4-
THE GABRISON OF THB FARM. 47
Gradually tKe fire of the Indians ceased, and the de-
fenders were able to leave the loopholea Two of the
men went dowii and fastened up the cattle, which were
8 Ul standing loose in the yard inside the sf .ckade; the
other set to tp prepare a meal, for Mrs. Welch could not
take ^ eyes off the canoe.
The afternoon seemed of interminable length. Not a
8hot was fired; the men, after taking their dinner, were
occupied m bnngmg some great tubs on to the upper
storey, and filling them to the brim with water from the
well. '%■
IWs stpny projected two feet beyond the one below it
having been 80 baUt in order that, in case of attack, the
defenders might be able to fire down upon any foe who
might cross the stockade and attack the honse itself; the
floor boards over the projecting portion were all removUle.
The men *lso brought a quantity of the newly-cut com
to ihe tor, of the house, fl.«t drenching it with water.
rhe Bun sank, and as dusk was coming on the anxious
waWiera saw the canoe paddle out far into the lake.
An old frontiersman could not do better," Pearson
exckimed; "he has kept them out of the canU as long
» dayhght Usted, now he has determined to pad2
.way, and « making down the lake," be went on pre^
sentlyj "it « a pity he turned so -con, as they ZxZ
the course he is taking." ' ^
th Jlir'^!;'' v."'? 'i"" «»npl«to)y dark, but before
«» light quite faded they saw another canoe put out
from shore and start in the direction taken by the fugi-
^"Wm they catch them, do you think?" Mrs. Welch
48
AWAITINO THE ATTACK.
*• No, ma'am," Pearson said confidently; " the boy haa
got sense enough to have changed his course after it gets
dark, though whether he will make for shore or go out
towards the other side is more than T can say. You see
they will know that the Injuns are all along this side of
the lake, but then on the other hand they will be anxious
about us, and will want to keep close at hand; besides,
the lad knows nothing of the other side; there may be
Injuns there for ought he knows, and besides, it's a skearey
thing for a young un to take to the forest, especially
with a gal in his charga There ain't no sayilbg what he
will do. And now we have got to look .iftor tA'rselves,
don't let us think about them at present; the best thing
we can do for them, as well as for ourselves, is to hold
this here place; if they live they will come back to it
sooner or later, and it will be better for them to find it
standing, and you here to welcome them, than to get
back to a heap of ruins and some dead bodies."
"When will the Red-skins attack, do you think?" the
farmer asked.
"We may expect them »iny time now," the hunter
answered; " the Injuns' time of attack is generally just
before dawn, but they know well enough they ain't likely
to catch us asleep any time, and as they know exactly what
they have got to do they will gain nothing by waiting.
I wish we had a moon; if We had, we might keep them
out of the stockade; but there, it is just as well as 'tis
dark after all, for if the moon was up the young uns
would have no chance of getting away,"
The garrison now all took their places at the loopholes,
having first carried the wet fodder to the roof and spread
it over the shingles. There was nothing to do now but
TBI NIOBT ATTACK.
tt
to wait The night was so dark that they could not see
the outlme of the stockade. Presently a little spark sho
hrough the air, followed by a score of othera Mr. WeW.
had taken h« post on tho tower, and he saw the arrows
whuaing through the air, many of them falling on the
tied round their heads, was instantly eittinguiahed as the
„f !?° tT" fT^"^^ """l told the others of the failure
of the Indians' first attempt
"That -ere dodge is a first-rate un,» Pearson said: "we
^e safe from fire, and that's the only thing we have got
Everything was perfectly quiet; once or twice the
could, not distinguish their direction. After halt an
hours anxious waiting a terrific yeU was heard from
below and at the doots and windows of the lower rooms
came the crashing blows of tomahawks
The boards had already been removed from the floorinz
above, and the defenders opened a steady fire into thf
dark mjjss, Uiat they could faintly make'^out duTte^
Zf ,f'? TfT ""^ ^'"'^ ^* ^^^'^ suggestion
the buUete had been removed from the guns, and heavr
charges of buck-shot had been substituted for them, aS
yells of pain and surprise rose aa they fired. A few shots
were fired up from below, but a second disc^a^I ^m
fte spare guns completed the effect from the first volley.
The dark mass broke up, and in a few .seconds aU was i
4UIU6 as Deiore.
)
00 TRYING FTftm
Two hours passed and 4hen slight sounds were heard.
"They have got the gate opened, I expect," Pearson
said; "fire occasionally at that; if we don't hit them, the
flashes may show us what they are doing."
It was as he had expected; the first discharge was
followed by a cry, and by the momentary light they saw
a number of dark figures pouring in through the gate.
Seeing that concealment was no longer possible, the
Indians opened a heavy fire round the house; then came
a crashing sound near the door.
"Just as I thought," Pearson said; "they are goin^ to
try to bum us out."
For some time the noise continued as bundle after
I'jindle of dried wood was thrown down by the door.
The garrison were silent, for, as Pearson said, they could
see nothing, and a stray bullet might enter at the loop-
holes if they placed themselves there, and the flashes of
the guns would serve as marks for the Indians.
Presently two or three faint lights were seen approach-
ing.
"Now," Pearson said, "pick them off as they come up.
You and I will take the first man, Welch; you fire just
to the right of the light, I will fire to the left; he may
be carrying the brand in either hand." They fired together,
and the brand was seen to drop to the ground. The
same thing happened as the other two sparks of light
approached; then it was again quiet Now a score of
little lights flashed through the air.
"They are going to light the pUe with their flaming
arrows," Pearson said; " War Eagle is a good leader."
Three or four of the arrows feP on the pile of dry
wood. A moment later the flames crept up, and the
sifloke of bu
A yell of ti
changed into
contents of o]
of wood belo
guished.
" What will
"It is like
give the job
plunder and sc
us here in suci
on their way b
tuk our scalps
Eagle ain't liki
ain't sartin of \^
as it is, and he
gits back. If j
it would spoil tl
as he will give ii
"HewiUbeal
Mrs. Welch said
"It cannot be (
^ay/' Pearson ar
^7' I wish I w«
I can't help thin]
how."
The night passe
half the garrison
there waa little sl€
of daylight Mrs.
look-out
"There's two c«
EXTINQUlSHEDi
ir z:z ir ; f 54 --« t
of wood Wow them tt? fll "*'" °° '» ^e pile
guished. '"'' "•" """»«» were instonUy exUn!
give the job up atge^rC"'!^'^' "''«" '% win
plunder and scalps at the 8eTfl»!r^ ""* S°' Pl«nty of
us here in each Lrfc^S IXt' '^^^^'" """o^^g
on their way back to thdr vU wf %^t °' *^°' ""'«
tuk our scalps ea^y they wou^d^It 5 """^ '=»"'■' ^'ve
Eagle ain't likely to risk 7„,^ ^■^'ione it; but V/ar
«in:t ««rtin of win^ 1 "? ult "i """"' ^"""^ ^e
^ >t is, and has quite enoul ,A ^^""^ «<^<' work
gits back. If he we« to In? ^ '""^' "'»'" when he
it would spoil the Z^ Ir^^Z^. '^ "raves he^
«« he will give it „p „ J,,"' ^ e^PedUioa Nc, I think
it cannot be dernVfl »r„'„
way." Pearson ansCei"^ f^"',?',''* '!" <>» ^is best that
boy. I wish I was with hin> i^ L.r"'^' '''""gh. on the
W» Help thinking as CrsT^^t^r^r'
t^ere was little sleep takenlyt ''"'^*^f > ^°''°' "-t
of dayhght Mrs. Welch and hTb„^V'° ^' e'^"-
lookout ""^ ''«' husband were on the
"There's two mn/u.. ._i . ..
""""' -■" ™ "'o '»ke.- Peanon said;
6S
A QUIET DAY.
m
" they are paddling quietly; which is which I can't
say."
As the light became brighter, Pearson pronounced posi-
tively that there were three men in one canoe and four
in the other. "I think they are all Injuns," he said;
" they must have got another canoe somewhere along the
lake; w'all, they have not caught the young uns yet."
" The boats are closing up to each other," Mrs. Welch
said.
"They are going to have a talk, I reckon. Yes; one
of them is turning and going down the lake, while the
other is going up. I would give a heap to know where
the young uns have got to."
The day passed quietly. An occasional shot towards
the house showed that the Indians remained in tlie
vicinity, and indeed dark forms could be seen moving
about in the distant parts of the clearing.
" Will it be possible," the farmer asked Pearson when
night again fell, " to go out and see if we can discover
any traces of them ?"
"Worse than no use," Pearson said positively; "we
should just lose our har without doing no good what-
ever. If the Injuns in these woods — and I reckon alia-
gether there's a good many hundred of them — can't find
them, ye may swear that we can't. That's just what
they're hoping, that we shall be fools enough to put
ourselves outside the stockade. They will lie close round
all night, and a weasel would not creep thiough them.
Ef I thought there was jest a shadow of chance of find-
ing them young uns I would risk it, but there is no
chance — not a bit of it."
A vigilant watch was again kept up all night, but all
was still and i
still round the
"Don't yer
pale and wan
" you may bet
them."
"Why are y,
be dead by thi
"Not they, I
free as I am
Injuns' ways.
have brought
posts, jest out (
there, and then
up this place ar
and burnt und
they ain't caugl
dead neither; ft
their scalps to h
though it beats
and that is that
have gone. No
had better keep
to-morrow, and !
the young uns o
is quiet they wil
off, but if they ]
well enough that
William Weld
quarter of an hoi
were fired.
The next mom
INDIAN WAYS.
53
their scalps to have shown ver Nn f>.o„ i, ^rought
and that « that they might come baek before the Inj^S
^Zl5T\ '" ^ '"" y^ "•"" ^0 ''^<i betterVo^^we
had better keep up a dropping fire all night, and aU dlv
to-morrow, and so on until the Red-skins have^onT E^
fte young „ns come back across the lake at ZhtL M
on, but If they hear firmg still going on they will know
ouIL l7 f" " """^ '«^'''' to «■!» Pl"". and every
Cfire'd °" " " "" "'""^•' ">" -S"" » f-S
The next morning no InHinna ««„u k. „.,_ . , .,
,^ v--^ur-.i i/c avcii, anu there
04
CLEAR OF INDIANa
n
was a cessation of the dropping shots which had before
been kept up at the bouse.
"They may be in hiding," Pearson said in the afternoon,
" trying to tempt us out; but I am more inclined to think
as how they have gone. I don't see a blade of that com
move; I have had my eyes fixed on it for the last two
houra It are possible, of course, that they are there;
but I reckon not. I expect they have been waiting ever
since they gave up the attack, in hopes that the young
uns would come back; but now as they see that we are
keeping up a fire to tell them as how they are still round
us, they have given it up and gona When it gets dark
to-night I will go out and scout round."
At ten o'clock at night Pearson dropped lightly from
the stockade on the side opposite to the gate, as he knew
that if the Indians were there this would be the point
that tl|ey would be watching; then crawling upon his
stomach, he made his way slowly down to the lake;
entering the water and stooping low, he waded along by
the edge of the bushes for a distance of a mile; then he
left the water and struck into the forest Every few
minutes he could hear the discharges of the rifles at the
house, but, as before, no answering shots were heard.
Treading very cautiously, he made a wide detour and
then came down again on the clearing at the end farthest
from the lake, where the Indians had been last seen
movmg aboui All was stilL Keeping among the trees
and moving with great caution, he made his way for a
considerable distance along the edge of the clearing; then
he dropped on his hands and knees and entered the corn-
field, and for two hours he crawled about, quartering the
ground like a dog in search of game. Everywhere he
found lines v
edge nearest
sign of life. 1
towards the '.
distance outsi
"Yermaysi
are gone." 1
was opened ai
"Are you si
"Sure as g
gone four-and
" How do y<
" Easy enou|
m the woods;
ashes the groi]
for a long tim<
house then, bu
searching ever]
into the forest,
the young uns
have gone, and
the clearing. 1
will, safely enoi
Before doing
party together
offered up than]
ger, and implo
When this was (
" Now, Jane,
hours' sleep. It
chance whatevei
go down to the I
THE hunter's BXPORT. 00
found lines where the Indians had crawled along to the
!ff on-f^ *^'i?r^' ^"* "^"^^^'^ ^d ^^ d^^er a
3.11?; ^^°'«*^"*^^^i°g great care, he moved down
towards the house and made a circuit of it at a short
distance outside the stockade; then he rose to his feei
Yer may stop shooting," he shouted ; « the pesky rascals
axe gone.' Then he walked openly up to the gate; it
was opened at once by William Welch.
"Are you sure they have gone ?" he asked.
"Sure as gospel," he answered; "and they have been
gone four-and-twenty hours at least."
" How do you know that ?"
"Easy enough. I found several of their cooking-places
m the woods; the brands were out, and even under the
ashes the ground was cold; so they must have been out
for a long time. I could have walked straight qn to the
house then, but I thought it safer to make quite sure by
searchmg everywhere; for they might have moved deeper
mto the forest, and left a few men on guard here in case
the young uns should come back. But it ain't so; thev
have gone, and there ain't a living soul anywhere nigh
the clewing. The young uns can come back now, if they
will, safely enough." ^
Before doing anything else the farmer assembled the
party together in the living-room, and there solemnly
offered up thanks to God for their deliverance from dan-
ger, and implored his protection for the absent ones.
When this was over he said to his wife:
^ "Now, Jane you had better lie down and get a few
hours sleep. It is already two o'clock, and there is no
chance whatever of their returning to-night, but I shaU
go down to the lake and wait till morning. Place candies
liii.
iili!
\
1
1
1 s
66
A OLAD SOUND.
in two of the upper windows. Should they be out on the
lake they will see them and know that the Indians have
not taken the house."
Morning came without any signs of the absent ones.
At daybreak Pearson went out to scout in the vroods, and
returned late in the afternoon with the news that the
Indians had all departed, and that for a distance of ten
miles at least the woods were entirely free.
When it became dark the farmer again went down to
the lake and watched until two, when Pearson took his
place. Mr. Welch was turning to go back to the house
when Pearson placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Listen!" he said, and for a minute the men stood im-
movable. '
" What was it V* the farmer asked.
" I thought I heard the stroke of a paddle," Pearson
said; "it might ha/e been the jump of a fish. There!
there it is again!" He lay down and put his ear close
to the water. " There is a canoe in the lake to the north-
ward; I can hear the strokes of the paddle plainly."
Mr. Welch could hear nothing. Some minutes passed,
then Pearson exclaimed:
"There! I saw a break in the water over there! There
it is!" he said, straining his eyes in the darkness; "that's
a canoe, sure enough, although they have ceased paddling.
It is not a mile away."
Then he arose to his feet and shouted "Halloo!" at the
top of his voice. An answering shout faintly came back
across the water. He again hailed loudly, and this time
the answer came in a female voice.
"It's them, sure enough; I can swear to Nelly's
voice."
' svt-.
I* ■
WiUiam -^
hand before
the recovery
speed towan
he met his \
having infor:
in-hand they
was now swil
"Nelly, is 1
" Mammal
tones.
With a low
the ground,
endured had
Pearson had f
in her heart,
about her wo
the unexpectei
Two minute
shore, and Nel
"Where is n
"She is her
of your return
Nelly knelt
the farmer gra
"My brave
saving my chih
He dipped h
his wife's face;
afterwards the
Mrs. Welch bei
The two young
nn hktuiui op im pdoitives. 67
hZ'^T T-'"? ™«<'^<»-«d his head, and, patting his
hand before h« (ace, returned fervent thanks to God fo^
ZJZ:Z 1 'if *"'' ''''»'' •>« d-hed off atfuU
he met hir wif ''°"''- .^'''''"' ''<' «'«=•'«'' "■ '"'"over,
he met his wife running down to meet him, the shouts
m-hand they ran down to the water's edge. The canoe
■Welly, IS that you?"
fconef "''"''' '"'"''"''•" "^"^^ ^^^ ^ *^« girl's clear
the ground The strain wW.: . te had for four davs
?:aZh':A'r.\*""'^^' ^-- *^^ a^sulces o
Tbout her wn if ^^ ^P* "P ^"^^^^y* ^"d ^«d gone
about her work in the house with a pale, set face but
the unexpected relief was too much for w! '
Two minutes later the bow of the canoe crated on ih.
shor^and Nelly leaped into her fatheTarS '
^^ Where is mamma?" she exclaimed,
bhe IS here my dear; but she has fainted. The lov
of your return ha^ been too much for her " ^^
Nelly knelt beside her mother and raised her head an,!
the farmer grasped Harold's hand. ' ^
"My brave boy," he said. "I have to thank vou for
saving my child's life. God bless you '" ^
his wiKc«^' h'* "^ '^' ^'^^ ^^^ «P""^^^d ^^^^ in
afterwards the happy party walked up to the house
ThT Z^'t^^iy.-^"^^' ^y ^- h— and PeaZ;
iw. j,vu..g „„y« ^ere soon seated at a table raven-
Ill
08
HAROLD'S STORY.
i
I
14;
ously devouring food, and when their hunger was satis-
fied they related the story of their adventures, the whole
of the garrison being gathered round to listen. After
relating what had taken place up to the time of their
hiding the canoe, Harold went on:
"We walked about a quarter of a mile until we came
to a large clump of underwood; we crept in there, taking
great pains not to break a twig or disturb a leaf. The
ground was fortunately very dry, and I could not see
that our footprints had left the smallest marks. There
we have lain hid ever since. We had the fish and the
berries, and fortunately the fruit was ripe and juicy, and
quenched our thirst well enough, and we could sometimes
hear the firmg by day and always at night On the day
we took refuge we heard the voices of the Indians down
towards the lake quite plainly, but we have heard nothing
of them since. Last night we heard the firing up to the
middle of the night, and then it suddenly stopped. To-
day I crept out and went down to the lake to listen, but
it seemed that everything was still. Nelly was in a
terrible way, and was afraid that the house had been
taken by the Indians, but I told her that could not
be, for that there would certainly have been a tremendous
lot of firing at last, whereas it stopped after a few shots,
just as it had been going on so long. Our provisions
were all done, and Nelly was getting very bad for want
of water. I of course got a drink at the lake this
morning. So we agreed that if everything was still
again to-night we would go back to the place where
we had hidden the canoe, la\mch it, and paddle here.
Everything was. quiet, so we came along as we had ar-
ranged. When I saw the lights in the windows I made
PEARSON'S VERDICT. 59
sure aJl was right; stiU it was a great relief when I
heard the shout from the shore. I knew, of course, that
It wa^nt a Red-skin's shout. Besides, Indians would
have kept quiet till we came alongside."
Very hearty were the commendations hestowed on the
boy for his courage and thoughtfulness.
^ "You behaved like an old frontiersman," Pearson said
I could not have done better myself. You only made
one blunder from the time you set out from shore."
"What was that?" Harold asked.
"You were wrong to pick the berries. The Red-skins of
course, would find where you had landed, they woild
see the marks w'here you lay down, and would know
that you had paddled away again. Had it not been for
their seemg the tracks you made in picking the berries
they might have supposed you had started before day-
break, and had gone out of sight across the lake; but those
marks would have shown them that you did not take
to your canoe until long after the sun was up, and
therefore, that you could not have made across the lake
without their seeing you, but must either have landed or
be m your canoe under shelter of the trees somewhere
along of the shore. It is a marvel to me that they did
not find your traces, however careful you were to conceal
tliem. But that's the only error you made, and I tell
you, young un, that you have a right to be proud of
having outwitted a hull tribe of Red-skins."
IS
CHAPTER IV,
THE FIGHT AT LEXINGTON.
PAJtlOLD remained for four months longer with
1^ his cousin. The Indians had made several
[^ attacks upon settlements at other points of
the frontier, but they had not repeated their
incursion in the neighbourhood of the lake. The ftrming
operations had gone on regularly, but the men always
worked with their rifles ready to their hand. Pearson
had predicted that the Indians were not likely to return
to that neighbourhood. Mr. Welch's farm was the only
one along the lake that had escaped, and the l^ss the
Indians had sustained in attacking it had been so ueavy
that they were not likely to make an expedition in
that quarter, where the chances of booty were so small
and the certainty of a desperate resistance so great
Other matters occurred which rendered the renewal
of the attack improbable. The news was brought by a
wandering hunter that a quarrel had arisen between
the Shawnees and the Iroquois, and that the latter
had recalled their braves from the frontier to defend
their own villages in case of hostilities breaking out
between them and the rival tribe.
There was no occasion for Harold to wait for nf^wn
ore suii Stat
BACK IN CONCORD. 5]
from home for his father had before starting definitely
fixed the day for his return, and when that time ap-
proached Harold started on his eastward journey, fn
order to be at home about the date of their arrival
Pearson took him in his canoe to the end of the lake
and aecompamed him to the settlement, whence he was'
able to obtam a conveyance to Detroii Here he took
a passage m a trading boat, and made his vvay by water
to Montreal, thence down through Lake Champlain and
the Hudson River to New York, and thence to Boston.
The journey had occupied him longer than he expected
and Mr. and Mrs Wilson were alread,. m their'home
at Concord when he arrived. The meeting wa^ a joyful
^rL M ' wTk ^fT"" ^^''' ^^*™ ^^^"^^ -f«"^d letters
from Mr. Welch and his wife, describing the events which
had happened at the farm, and speaking in the highest
terms of the courage and coolness in danger which Harold
had displayed and giving him full credit for the saving
of their daughter's life. °»viiig
Upon the day after Harold's return, two gentlemen
called upon Captain Wilson, and asked him to signlhe
agreement which a number of colonists had entered into
^resist the Mother Country to the last This Capt^n
Wilson positively refused to do. - ^
.rl^JZr ?,^^"^^°^«" '" ^« «^H "and my sympathies
are wholly with my country. I do not say that the
whole of the demands of England are justifiable; I think
that Parliament ha^ been deceived as to the spirit existing
here. But I consider that it has done nothing whatever to
just.fy the attitude of the colonists. The soldiers of
England have fought for you against French and Indians.
uuu are sun stationed here to protect you. The colonists
6S
THI CAUSES OF DISPUTE.
t,
pay nothing for their land; they pay nothing toward*
the expenses of the government of the mother country*
and it appears to me to be perfectly just that people here
free as they are from all the burdens that bear so heavily
on those at home, should at least bear the expense of the
army stationed here. I grant that it would have been
far better had the colonists taxed themselves to p ly the
extra amount, instead of the mother country taxing
them; but this they would not do. Some of the colonists
paid their quotum, others refused to do so, and this being
the case, it appears to me that England is perfectly
justified in laying on a tax. Nothing could have been
fairer than the tax that she proposed. The stpmp-tax
would in no way have afiected the poorer classes in the
colonies. It would have been borne only by the rich,
and by those engaged in such business transactions as
required stamped documents. I regard the present re-
bellion as the work of a clique of ambitious men, who have
stirred up the people by incendiary addresses and writing.
There are, of course, among them a large number of the
men — among them, gentlemen, I place you — who conscien-
tiously believe that they are justified in doing nothing
whatever for the land which gave them or their ancestors
birth, who would enjoy all the great natural wealth of
this vast country without c atributing towards the ex-
pense of the troops to whom it is due that you enjoy
peace and tranquillity. Such, gentlemen, are not my
sentiments. You consider it a gross hardship that the
colonists are compelled to trade only with the mother
country. I grant that it would be more profitable and
better for us had we an open trade with the whole
T J^*.l ^ . T\«^ ^
UUtf iXl
xi vix.
17vk^4«*%r] ^««1«* M^k^M M«
lo j^uuxaixu
uuijr
OVUO CK3
A LOYAL GENTLEMAN. gg
countries towards their colonies iTror,- o • t.
and the Netherlands 1.11^ v ^' ^P^'"' I^^rtugal.
colonies; all Zr ml^^^^^ '^' *^^^« °f ^h^ir
colonies'as ^tesTreven^^^^^^^ ^T',' T'^'' ^^^'^
that the course that Enalpn^ iT ^ ''*' ^ ^° °°* ^^^
has beenalwlys wfse bu?T« ^"r'^ *^^^^ ^«
"No, sir," Captain Wilson said haughtily «Th« f
may come when the line fhaf T k ^^;"y- ^^e time
my fortune, and eVZ^L b„7\ tin """^ "^' "^
me one moment's rearAffl, JI t v , '"" °*™' -^u^e
. loyal Engl4 gLTmL »" ' "^'^ '*"^^" ">« P«' »f
father to ex2 to Z th» "T''"""''' '^''""» ^^
matters stood ' '"^' P"^'''™ i° ^'Wch
America hKt tr r^™ f deL o^ ""'''■=y f ^°*
«t^, in VtrivLf 7]^ "*!?: T ^'^'- "^^ *e min-
tuSd their;?3 ^ ttt^ : '^7:1 t'r^-
a population of over aooonnn , "^ "^ America
king, like themselves Sfree f rZ r T'^T. ^' *^^
their own lanH «n ^ -^ °™ ^®°* ^"^ *axes on
.xpens^oft'co^fay'''^is;:t^'^^^^^^^ '^ »■«' .
♦,v.j« _.xi- T, , "^wjT. mey were, it is true, fomo,? ^^
""° ""^ ^'»"<^ "»* «^ obUgation was set who% ,t
*ii;
64
TUJi STAMP-TAX.
nought A gigantic system of smuggling was carried on.
The custom-house officials had no force at their disposal
which would have enabled them to check these operations,
and the law enforcing a trade with England was virtu-
ally a dead letter.
Their first step wis to strengthen the navai force on
the American coast, and by additional vigilance to put
some sort of check on the wholesale smuggling which
prevailed. This step caused extreme dif^'^ntent among
the trading classes of America, and these set to work
vigorously to stir up a strong feeling of disaffection
against England. The revenue officers were prevented
sometimes by force from carrying out their duties.
After great consideration the English government
came to the conclusion that a revenue sufficient to pay a
considerable proportion of the cost of the army in America
might be raised by means of a stamp-tax imposed upon all
legal documents, receipts, agreements, and licenses — a tax,
in fact, resembling that on stamps now in use in England
The colonists were furious at the imposition of this tax.
A Congress, composed of deputies from each State, met,
and it was unanimously resolved that the stamp-tax
should not be paid. Meetings were everywhere held, at
which the strongest and most treasonable language was
uttered, and such violent threats were used against the
persons employed as stamp-collectors that these, in fear
of their lives, resigned their posts.
The stamp-tax remained uncollected, and was treated
bv the colonists as if it were not in existence.
The whole of the States now began to prepare for war.
The Congress was made permanent; the militia drilled,
and Drenared for fidhtins. and everywhere the position
grew more ai
head-quarters
the mother c
tJie more mo(
re^ionciliation
sent to the H(
had any spirit
consequences n
he majority ii
'he colonists 1:
was »io heavy a
jhoald be calle
army in Amer
their free fara
The plea of t:
chamber in whi
by the statemei
Chester, Leeds, i
unrepresented ii
In England i
colonists was u
selves to beliei
submit, still less
cessfully. Thej
the States was
that by far the g
men trained, eit
the use of the ri
offered almost inj
composed of re^
and thinly popu
DOnnlfli.inn fi»Uj.:
J ^. _,,, taj-imj
(846)
THl BRIAOB WIDINS. f(
grew more and more strained Uasaachuaetts was the
thf 1^" "' di«ffecUon. and here a total Trcrk wl
he mother «>o„try was openly spoken of. At fa^es
he more moderate spirits attempted «, bring abouH
Tto tle°H '°'"Tp*''^ '"" P««- Pet^ontwer:
hl^ X snirit „T- . ^""'"»»"'- ^d «^en at this time
X17ZI^ ,^ f , '^ ^°" prevented. Unfortunately,
ne majonty in parliament were unable to reco<rnize that
^he colomsts had any rights upon their side "xlltLn
TuM br'^,"!;'"""^ "■** ■"«"*«" '-"g»-t tilt tW
Jnou.d be called upon to pay for the keeping up of thi
Sfreet™rkn*°d T"* ""' -ta-i'co.!Z „ ,*
Tr,jrof7h.?1 '>?r!v''°"''^ '=°'""''"*« ""thing,
ino piea of the colonists that they were taxed W »
Chester TeTf ™* ""^ "^ *he case with Man-
Chester, Leeds, and many other large towns which we™
unrepresented in pariiament
In England neither the spirit nor the strength of the
colomsto was underatood. Men could „J Z- X
selves to believe that the^ 17d fi^h ^Z^ "jf""
submit, still less that « tW iTfilt f ""^'l *»"
pe.q«fiill„ Ti, ■ , . ' *"" "g"' « would be suc-
he sS; ^ '^r^ "''' *»«' *hat the population of
hit hvf *r '•°°-*°"'"' ■« '"■•g^ <« that of Eng?.^d
«ffn« ^ 1 f ."°®' ^"^at the enormous extent of countrv
^Trr^ """""''^ *« *■>« --t abkalj
composed of regular troops, and that the vast foresta
• ' TwV '*"""« ■" guenuia* against trained troops.
!.;. i.
^H
•6
WAB IHMINBMT.
I i-Ji^
1 5-»— , , 1.
' t
Had they perceived these things tho English people would
have hesitated before embarking upon such a struggle,
even if convinced, as assuredly the great majority were
convinced, of tLe fairness of their demands. It is true
that even had England at this point abandoned altogether
her determination to raise taxes in America, the result
would probably have been the same. The spirit of dis-
affection in the colony had gone so far, that a retreat
would have been considered as a confession of weakness,
and a separation of the colonists from the mother country
would have happened ere many years had elapsed. Aa
it was, parliament agreed to let the stamp-tax drop, and
in its place established some import duties on goods
entering the American ports.
The colonists, however, were determined that they
would submit to no taxation whatever. The English
government, in its desire for peace, abandoned all the
duties, with the exception of that on tea; but even this
concession was not sufficient to satisfy the colonists.
These entered into a bond to use no English goods. A
riot took place at Boston, and the revenue officers were
forced to withdraw from their posts. Troops were de-
spatched from England, and the House of Commons
declared Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion.
It must not be supposed that the colonists were by
any means unanimous in their resistance to England.
There were throughout the country a large number of
gentlemen, like Captain Wilson, wholly opposed to the
general feeling. New York refused to send members to
the Congress, and in many other provinces the adhesion
given to the disaffected movement was but lukewarm.
I*, ma a i»» 4' Via '^JAnT ITnfvlnn/l nwrnrinnao 4'V»o+. ^lio oniint At !**•
bellion was h
most part b;
untarily, exi
laws and re]
among a por
the present t
ernment of E
So far but i
could be mor
papers of bol
yond a few
brokea It \
majority of tl
obtaining not
loyalists and
down any rev<
The Congre
lish brought i
struggle. It ^
to his paren?;s
before the stcr
The disaffed
quantity of mi
Gage, who coai
to seize and de
only for use act
the 19th of Ap
panics of the v
mand of Lieut
Major Pitcaimc
were conveyed
Phinn'a Vc
\lpj
THB BXPEDiTION TX) OONCORIX 07
Tn^r *!(. ^""i"": ■»«'' 'ho had left England vol-
imtanly exiling themselves rather than submik iL #h-
laws and religion of the country, and^monrLm 1
«aong a portion of the Irish pjulation Tlmeri^ Ti
I'X EnT t ''^'^' "' '''"'<• against th^goj!
T*. f^^Sii^^ "»• » » way, hereditary.
So far but few acta of violence had taken plae aothi ;,
p~porsVb°oir •"' *■"" *"" ""S""?' o* « -- -
papers of both parties against their opponents > »i, be
orolcen. It was the lull before the storm. The meat
majority of the New England colonisto wew bent Cn
obtaining nothing short of absolute indepTnden^ Z
drX'^etrby'^::'' -- - ^^-^^^^ S
..h"^.^;n:er?^T.r^,»'S:^/4B^^
struggle. It was December when HariSrted home
to his parents, and for the next three monthT the M
before the stcrm continued.
qul^tltv^f ^n-^ °* Ma^achusetts had collected a large
quantity of miUtary stores at Concord. These Gene^
to'^;:^dTr''' '"" 'rP'"' Boston. deteS
o^forTseatuWr""* *'"'* '^"^ "^"^^ be collected
.x^- --..-. ..xxoxT, '.ney iaiiaed at midnight, having
68
pompey's report.
a day's provisions in their haversacks, and started on their
march to Concord, twenty miles distant from Boston.
The design, however, had been discovered by some of
the revolutionary party in the town, and two of their
number were despatched on horseback to rouse the whole
country on the way to Concord, where the news arrived
at two o'clock in the morning.
Captain Wilson and his household were startled from
sleep by the sudden ringing of the alarm-bells, and a negro
servant, Pompey, who had been for many years in their
service, waa sent down into the town, which lay a quarter
of a mile from the house, to find out what was the news.
He returned in half an hour.
" Me tink all de people gone mad, massa; dey swarm-
ing out of der houses and filling de streets, all with guns
on dem shoulders; all de while shouting and halloing
•Down with de English! Down with de Red-coats! dey
sha'n't have our guns; dey sha'n't take de cannon and de
powder.' Der were ole massa, Bill Emerson, the preacher,
with his gun in his hands, shouting to de people to stand
firm, and to fight till de last; dey all shout, 'We will.'
Dey bery desperate; me fear great fight come on."
"What are you going to do, father?" Harold asked.
"Nothing, my boy; if, as it is only too likely, this is
the beginning of a civil war, I have determined to offer my
services to the government. Great numbers of loyalists
have sent in their names, offering to ccrve if necessari
and from my knowledge of drill I shall, of course, be
useful. To-day I can take no active part in the fight,
but I shall take my horse and ride forward to meet the
troops, and warn the commanding officer that resistance
will be attempted here."
LEXINGTON.
69
May 1 go With you, father?"
i:es, if you like, my boy."
"Pompey, saddle two horses at nnn^ v
will be ta Sri CHw' ""l**"^' **'''« P'"™
guns and slZt ^l" tt, '^"^ ""^ '"P*""" "•»
brought round and cfXVr, m"i 1 ''°"*° ''«" ^oo"
and La off at'foll ,S^d n^?'^" 7^ "!" «»° -""""t^d
the town, and tten Hnl ^ \"^° * '^'*°"'' *» »™W
at full H^d n: ^r ®,.'¥ '''S'"™*'^' ''^t fo^ard
the people weie .«seXg Ttte stt^t/T ""^"^•
arms, while numbers ^JZ^/^tm\T7^
houses around. OnoA /., * "^«^*ng m trom the farm-
to defend the nl.^*^ IT °^^ '""^ t^ ""e ready
tant ^ the place, which numbered about 700 inhabit
70
liik^_
THI fTRST SHOT.
dose at hand. Some of the militia had dispersed to lie
down until the English arrived. John Parker, who
commanded them, ordered the drums to beat and the
alarm-guns to be fired, and his men drew up in two ranks
across the road.
"It is too late now, Harold," Captain Wilson said; "let
us get out of the line of fire."
The British, hearing the drums and the alarm-guns,
loaded, and the advance company came on at the double.
Major Pitcaime was at their head, and shouted to the
militia to lay down their arms.
It is a matter of dispute, and will always remain one,
as to who fired the first shoi The Americans assert that
it was the English; the English say that as they advanced
several shots were fired at them from behind a stone wall
and from some of the adjoining houses, which wounded
one man, and hit Major Pitcairne's horse in two places.
The militia disregarded Major Pitcairne's orders to lay
down their arms. The English fired; several of the
militia were killed, and nine wounded, and the rest dis-
persed. There waa no further fighting, and the English
marched on unopposed to Concord.
As they approached the town the militia retreated
from it. The English took possession of a bridge behind
the place, and held this while the troops were engaged
in destroying the ammunition nd gun-carriages. Most
of the guns had been removed, and only two 24-pounders
were taken. In destroying the stores by fire the court-
house took flames. At the sight of this fire the militia
and armed countrymen advanced down the hill towards
the bridge. The English tried to pull up the planks, but
f.ha Amorinana von tmngrnvA ^•nr^iA'l...
rn 17 I'-T- J
-\
, N
\
-■■v., V-i
!'■
V„'
^
#1'
-H^
y^ I
;i;' i-
m [ 'I
i j
t ^--
m^ti
M\ '^
fired; the <
were kille<
towa Hj
formed th
homeward
Then tl
many villa
capable of
The roac
every rock,
tage of by i
but their d
This they "v
nothing aga
sessed a ski]
soldier. Ver
a rout, whe
reinforcemei
was commai
ment into sq
utterly exha
some time,
whole force
assed the wh
stone walls
incessant fire
and rear, aga
last the retre
and worn out
136 wounded
Such was t
Many Americ
im ATTAOK ON THE OOlOTDf. f j
fired; the coloniste returned the fire. Some of the Eneliah
ZZ Rj'^^r^f'^^ the party fell b^kZS
towa Half ftn hour later Colonel Smith, having wr
formed the duty that he was sent to do, «S^J
homewarf mar,* with the whole of hi« troojT '
Then the mjitiamen of Concord, with those from
many villages around, and everv man in thT^- V°^
™ff rll'TTf.'^t'^" upon'^th^rring^'nSr
w7of bv ;r7 '''P'^'"° "' S"""'^ '"^ takenTd^
^f *f .l-y the Amencans. Scarcely a man was to be s^
5S s thTv "^^ *!! '"""^ "'''* "P°» ^e tiredtr^'
This they vainly attempted to return, but they could d^'
nothmg against an invisible foe, every man of wwl
s^sed a skiU with his rifle far beyoS S:' ^e BriCh
a rout, when near Lexmgton, the column met a stronf
^forcement whuJi had been sent out from bX nk
was commanded by Lord Percy, who formed hfa de(^
ment into square in which Colonel Smith's pa^ toT^
utterly exhausted that they were obliged to liTdo™ f^
some time, took refuge. When they we™ resteTSe
whde force moved forward again towards B^ton h«!
s":^ tttri^ ^'f ^«"<='^' -ho. from "d
stone walb and other places of shelter, kept ud an
m^sant fire upon both flanks, as well ^ in the froS
and rear, agamst which the troops could do nothhl M
last the retreating column safel/arrived at B^to7spett
and worn out with fatigue. Their loss was 66 m^ kXd
136 wounded, 49 missing. ™'
Such was the beginning of the War of Independence.
Many Amencan writers h.™ j„i j ^v.. "P™"™"*
■'■>-^""=" uiat, previous to
72
WHO WAS TO BLAME t
that battle, there was no desire for invIepencJence on the part
of the colonists; but this is emphatically contradicted by
the language used at the meetings and in the newspapers
which have come down to us. The pleaders may not h;v e
wished to go so far, may not have intende*! to gain luore
than an entire immunity from taxation, and an absolute,
power for the colonists to manage their own allairs. But
experience has shown that when the ipark of revolution
is once lighted, when resisit'ioo to the law has once com-
menced, things are carried to & ^>oini fur beyond that
dreamed of by the first leaderfi
Those who commenced tiiti French Bevolution were
moderate men, who desired only that some slight check
>hould be placed on the arbitraiy power of the king, that
the pe* pie should be relieved in some slight degree from
the horrible tyranny of the nobles, from the misery and
wretchediic-ss in which they lived. These just demands
increased sttp by step until they culminated in the reign
of terror and ihe most horrible scenes of bloodshed and
massacre of modern times.
Men like Washington, and Franklin, and Adams may
have desired only that the colonists should be free from
imperial taxation, but the popular voice went far beyond
this. Three years earlier wise counsels in the British
Parliament might have averted a catastrophe, and delayed
for many years the separation of the colonies from their
mother country. At the time the march began from
Boston to Concord the American colonists stood virtually
in armed rebellion. The militia throughout New Eng-
land were ready for fight Arms, ammunition, and mili-
tary stores were collected in Rhnf1<^ Island and New
Hampshire. The cannon and mil- .. / stores belonging
to the crc
«mnon bei
the case, it
as the caui
spark in {
primed, th(
to It.
The effort
real facts of
the violent i
sponsible foi
to seize cann
against them
astonishing ]
received.
From an (
retreat Capta
the attack u]
combatants d
defiles Captai
wards.
" The die is
the door. • " T
but one termi
the field twer
England can «
discipline; but
^^•quence in a
^ a country
^^dge of forest
■hese points th
THK DIB IS OAST.
to tfie crow ,v had been carrio,! „«• i
7S
<»nnon bei,-,g seized ^R^!7'r , °f ""y *" P^P'*- *0
the caee, it i^^ nonitr^sSk irlt"" .^'^»g
OS tlie cause of tlie «voluuZ ? *' Lexington
%«k m ,i,e powder Th!!7 ""• " ^"^ """"he
primed, the explosion w J in. ^"" "^ '^y ""d
ti. it. accidental incident which set fire
r<^^<^uTi?l trlT"-*"' ^^--. t° --»1 the
*he violent acts oTt^^etrr^dr 'f T ''"^■"'^»'
sponsible for the war becTuset' w_ /^^^ ^S''»<' '«"
to seize cannon and militar J^.t ■ 7 °°P^ ''«'•« ^e"'
against them, are so ateur^Lt J '"*'"'^'^ *" ''« ™»d
astonishing how wide a -.^ *" f "'"™' "^at it is
received. * "'^«"<=« »'«'I' statements have
-^clXr^Znl'^T '^"""^ ^""» *« '- of
the attack „p°n the Bri?f,W """ ^***^"> sorrowfully
combatants dCpptLed f t T\7''^" "' '-^t *«
-- -p^in ^^r credit »h:d c;
-st:^*tes^^^"^p>-rr^^^^
England can spare. nTvrT-°" i"^ """^ "-at
<ii3cipline; but these thtoZ which "." ^'^ ""^ '"
^ qnence in a Europe^Twi^ u ■■' °' """^ ^«»' <»°-
h a country as rsMwl^-r""' ■"" «'"« i»
-dge of for^t warfare i^\r;*tl^ """ !f' '^'""'-
ieee noints tl,„ ...,i™:.x_ '"^ """» important. Tn
i;!!ii
74
•MPTAIN WILSON'S DnZRHINATIOR.
ri
soldiers as they are fa pomt of numbera. Neverthe-
less, my dear, my duty is plain. I am an Englishman,
and have borne H« Majesty's commission, and I musi
fight for the kmg. Harold has spoken to me as we rode
home together, and he wishes to fight by my sida 1
have pointed out to him that as he was bom here he can
without dishonour remain neutral in the strngde. He
however insists that, as a loyal subject of the kL, he is'
entitled to fight for him. He saw to-day many iSs not
slronJi f himself in the rebel ranks, and he hL pleaded
strongly for permission to go with me. To this I have
agreed Which would you prefer, Mary?- to stay
quietly here, where I imagine you would not be molested
^ account of the part I take, or will you move into
Boston and stop with your relations there until the
struggle has ended one way or the other "
hu^n^'t/"""" ^t ^-^^l-^-fy talked over with her
husband the course that he would take in the event of
avil war ^stuaUy breaking out. the news that he would
at once ofl'er his services to the British authorities did
^t come as a shock upon her. Even the question of
»n7 uv'^TS^T^ ^^ **"'«' ^'^ »««» talked over;
and although her heart bled at the thought of husband
and son being both engaged in such a struigle. she Ced
to acquiesce in any decision that Harold m^ht arrive at
He was now nearly satoen, and m the colonies a lad of
^J^t "■ "" ri' 5 independence and self-reliance,
st^l ?w T ^"''' ^^- ^»™"' *»»• had already
shown that he possessed discretion and coolness as well
as «>«™«e,-^a„d although now. that the moment had
S". "^ Wjlson wept passionately at the thought of
their leavuig her. she abstamed from saying any wird Z
dissuade
upoa '
said tha
as in th(
in that c
more spe
out the o
too, be Ji
many of
band's, w]
be hostile.
Captain
as the whc
her to pac]
in the vali
Pompey
most valua
of Mra \\
Boston. T
brought in<
other old se
and its con
twenty-thre(
attached to
panion he h
horseback, as
As evening
tile party sti
which, after i
Boston at twc
jii
ARBIVAI, AT BOSTON.
dissuade them tmm «,•
»P0».^ When d.e "cofe'edT: *^''J^ "'"^"^-i
«"d that she would ^c^J^l'" *' °^ "^"g »he
■n that city, and that ii 1' 1^^^ ''"■'™« «»« Me
">ore speedy news the« 0^4*^ " '^""" '"'*»i° f«
out 0>e country than she would IT ^""^ °° through-
too, be living among her tends ,^'"^^- She would.
many of the «m>e?onvietf^rand„t ''""''* ""^^^ ^*^
band's, whereas in Oonco^ tte^t T°""" «« ^er hus-
be hostile. ™°™ *h» ^hole popuktion would
Captain Wilson said tb.t *i,
-> the whole town was in a tut^t'^K T.*^/ *° ""^ '<»'-
her to pack up such necesmr^^ *• i " *herefore advised
- «.e valises ^n the l^V^''"^ - <»»" be carried
of ^ Wilson's, who lived :S .t" '^ " "'««-
Bostoa There they would h» •.*''* """«» ^om
irought into the toVn it "J^ " ''*''*y' «°d could be
other old servants ZZ ^ZZ^' ^.^'^^'^ ""^ two
f d ite contents. Jake^^? "" "'""'S' »* the house
twentythree or twen^Cr T^" T"! "^S'" «>">«
attached to Harold. whWpe^S „ f ' ''''" ^"^ """"^
Pamon he had always betn w»?t^ attenw.t and com-
horseback, as was Jujy, ^ wfuon'r'""'""'^ «■»■ "^
As evening feU the fi™!,? "^"^""^ "egro maid,
the party sorted by a lonr T.'"°"S'>' 'o""* and
which, after riding forneZ Tt "*":""»"» """te by
R^ton at two o'ciy^^m^'!'' '^»' ""'^ "a^ed
) ,^
ii:-^:
CHAPTER V.
bunker's hill.
i^kJ^^^''^'^^'"'^''* *^"^®^ ^y *^® °«^s of the fight at
^■^ Concord waa intense, and as it spreaxi through
^*^ ir ''°;°'''®^ *^ '"^^ everywhere ruslied to arms.
The fray at Lexington was renresented as a
wanton outrage, and the facts wholly i^ored that the
^lonists concerned in it were drawn up in arms to oppose
the passage of the king's troops, who were marching on
their legitimate duty of seizing arms and ammunition col-
lected for the purpose of warring against Ihe king The
colonial orators and newspaper writers affirmed then as
they have affirmed since, that up to the day of .exin4n
no one had a thought of firing . hot .^ainst to govern-
ment A more barefaced misstatement waa never made
Men do not carry off cannon by ..r-^es and axjcumulate
everywhere great 3tores of warlike ammunition without a
thought of fighting. The colonists commenced the ^> .r bv
assemblmg in arms to oppose the progress of Britisi. troops
obeying the orders of the government. E tt. . not a
whit on which side the first shot waa fire- / erican
troops have many ^imes since that event fired upon
noters in th. streets, under circumstances no stronger
than those wliich brought on the fight at Lexington.
From al
^ra pour
armed mer
Roxburgh,
work thro
troops rem
neck of Ian
The stre(
populace wi
at two in tl
and all wen
battle. All
side it waa i
s'^ot down
aiiirmed tha
number who
officially aia<
ment.
C.:ptain W
friends. The;
Wilson, for si
the fighf tha
belonged to t
faults on botl
naoy of the ]
the colonists, j
u' force of I
country.
T^nti^ the 1
were talked o
after which Q
General Gage ,
■
^^B^S
i
Hri-
^
^■r;)
^
i
J
EXCITEMENT IN BOSTON. 7,
Roxburgh, thus Ce^'n; B^tr U "T "^^"-^ '"''
work throwing up formidfht '^u ^ ** *""=« ««' *<>
troop, remairfng wiU.™ thet f„f^T''' *''° ^S"*
«t two in the momina Nn Tv '1^*'^^ "'^^ "»» ■'»
and all were eSito th!^ ^^'"'"e'" »« going to bed,
battle. All sorS of t^ , ' ^^^^ »' «>« "««'» »* the
«de it was aCed that tt ?.'T'i'^- «" *■>« ~'oni.l
'>ot down theToten ' d K^'^'' '" *''' "t^^"' """i
a^med that th " irta w '",' '^"'^ "^^ "»'<'«'»
number who fell . ts" « u^*l'°^P"<* °"»y of their
officially ..ade by LoPe??*'. ^he latter statement was
ment. ^ ^*"J' "> his report of the engage-
Oiptain Wilson rode di t„ t\. i
friends. They werestill „n , *^l '"'™* "^ >>« "««■»
Wilson, for sucrexat™ 2 f ""^ ^^'^^^^ ^ «»« Mary
the figM that the/tT^tkr^H^^ ""if been received 3
belonged to the moderate ™T .*"' ''"" '^^^'y- They
faults on both si"e^ rd P t^' J^° ^'^ tbat there we«
naev of the eSwJ^ . '"""'^ '»«' ^eobsti-
thecolonisfa,Sdrw'", "" f^T^*^"" *» ^■'■■ee
■".<• force of Zs tie t *° !°""'"'^'''«'='*''0PP0=e
country. * legitimate rights of the mother
fer which Capli^wLtrnt'rrheT '"*'" ^"^
General Gage and offered his ^rti!l*''^!'.ti?'i*^ «*
n
SPREAD OF THE INBUKREOTION.
was the headquarters of the disr Tected party, no less
than 200 men came forward as volunteers in the king's
service; and Captain Wilson was at once appointed to
the command of a company of 60 men. He had, before
leaving the army, tak^n part in several expeditions
against the Indians, and his knowledge of forest warfare
rendered him a valuable acquisition. Boston was but
poorly provisioned; and as upon the day when the news of
Lexington reached New York two vessels laden with flour
for the use of the troops at Boston were seized by the
colonists, and many other supplies cut oflF, the danger of
the place being starved, out was considerable. General
Gage therefore ofiered no opposition to the exit from the
city of those who wished to avoid the horror of a siege,
and a considerable portion of the population made their
way through to the rebel lines. Every day brought news
of fresh risings throughout the country; the governors of
the various provinces were powerless; small garrisons of
English troops were disarmed and made prisoners; and
the fortress of Ticonderoga, held only by fifty men, was
captured by the Americans without resistance. In one
month after the first shot was fired the whole of the
American colonies were in rebellion.
The news was received in England with astonishment
and sorrow. Great concessions had been made by parlia-
liament, but the news had reached America too late to
avoid hostilities. Public opinion was divided; many
were in favour of granting at once all that the colonists
demanded, and many officers of rank and position resigned
their commissions rather than fight against the Ameri-
cans. The division, indeed, was almost as general and
complete as it had been in the time of our own civil war.
In London i
strong, but ii
repress tlie i
had with gre
to Europe u^
ton, giving tl
as a massacn
and the stor})
not, perhaps,
facts of the ca
colonists met
sistance; but
spoke of alto^
resolution wa
For the fii
Captain Wils
Harold was, <
ardour upon h
form his men
movement am
in the warfan
Accuracy in
steadiness in
principal obje
already taken
them were ge:
tain, had come
in the countrj
and off duty a
Towards th
siderable rein:
a step prcpun
w-t
WELINO IN ENGLAND.
79
In London the feeling in favour of the colonists was
strong, but in the country generally the determination to
repress the rining was in the ascendant. The colonists
had with great shrewdness despatched a fast-sailing ship
to Europe upon the day following the battle of Lexing-
ton, giving their account of the affair and representing it
as a massacre of defenceless colonists by British troops;
and the story thus told excited a sympathy which would
not, perhaps, have been extended to them had the real
facts of the case been knowa Representatives from all the
colonists met at Philadelphia to organize the national re-
sistance; but aa yet, although many of the bolder spirits
spoke of altogether throwing off allegiance to England, no
resolution was proposed to that effect.
For the first six weeks after his arrival at Boston
Captain Wilson was engaged in drilling his company.
Harold was, of course, attached to it, and entered vith
ardour upon his duties. Captam Wilson did not attempt to
form his men into a band of regular soldiers; accuracy of
movement and regularity of drill would be of little avail
m the warfare in which they were likely to be engaged.
Accuracy in shooting, quickness in taking cover, and
steadiness in carrying out any general orders were the
principal objects to be attained. Most of the men had
already taken part in frontier warfare; the majority of
them were gentlemen— Englishmen who, like their cap-
tam, had come out from home and purchased small estates
in the country. The discipline, therefore, we-s not strict,
and off duty all were on terms of equality.
Towards the end of May and beginning of June con-
siderable reinforcements arrived from England; and, as
a step prepuratory to offensive measures, General Gage,
80
bunker's hill.
1
on the 12th of June, issued a proclamation offering in
His Majesty's name a free pardon to all who should forth-
with lay down their arms, John Hancock and General
Adams only excepted, and threatening with punishment
all who should delay to avail themselves of the offer.
This proclamation had no effect whatever.
Near the peninsula of Boston, on the north, and sepa-
rated from it by the Charles river, which is navigable and
about the breadth of the Thames at London Bridge, is
another neck of land called the " Peninsula of Charles-
town." On the north bank, opposite Boston, lies the town
of Charlestown, behind which in the centre of the penin-
sula rises an eminence cailled " Bunker's Hill." Bunker's
Hill is sufficiently high to overlook any part of Boston,
and near enough to be within cannon-shot. This hill was
unoccupied by either party; and about this time the
Americans, hearing that General Gage had come to a
determination to fortify it, resolved to defeat his resolu-
tion by being the first to occupy it.
About 9 in the evening of the 16th of June a detach-
ment from the colonial army, 1000 strong, under the
command of Colonel Prescott, moved along the Charles-
town road and took up a position on a shoulder of
Bunker's Hill, which was known as "Breed's Hill," just
above the town of Chariestown. They reached this
position at niidnight. ' Each man carried a pick and
shovel, and all night they worked vigorously in intrench-
ing the position. Not a word was spoken, and the watch
on board the men-of-war in the harbour were ignorant of
what was going on so near at hand. At daybreak the alarm
was given, and the Lively opened a cannonade upon the
redoubt A battery of guns was placed on " Copp's Hill."
behind Bos<
this also oj
work, thro^
only one ma
redoubt. A
flat ground,
to the Myst
intrenchmen
Prescott s
little harmor
tween the c
common; th(
enforce his oi
place before i
In the mei
attack the p<
ments, with t
the light infi
embarked in
the outward g
a view of outfl
ing them. T
General Howe
Upon seein.
General Howi
forcements.
given them b
old ditch. He
ran up anothe
between the t
only the day I
Two battali
THE AMERICAN POSITION. 81
thhll^f""''"'^^^* ^^"° y^'^' '«"» *•>« ^0^^. and
work ir*^ ^'f J'^' ^'"^"««'' «'»t™«<i thoi-
work, throwing „p fresh intrenchments, and singularly
flat »™;,n/ '''ff'r"-'^ ^a^ »rried down the hill to the
flat ground wh«A, mtersected by fences, stretched away
litt^°** """ °* *■" '^nf^o^^ts; but there was
twin T""'' r°°« "'^ "°'°"^ »™°P»- »!»P"t«3 b«-
enZr^ T """ °° ^'"^ of ^'S^^nt '"'hority to
nw^ f " "If" "Pr *^" ^'"''^' ""d a long delay Lk
place before the reinforcements were sent forward.
In the meantime the English had been preparin.. to
men with ten companies of the grenadiers and ten of
n, J f *! '° °f "^' ''"'' * proportion of field-artillery,
he^^f '.° ^"'i'^^' "^'^ing the harbour, landed 7n
the outward side of the peninsula near the Mystic, with
f„r*T °"*«r''f ^ "'^ ^^"''^ P"^'*'"" and ^rilnd.
ing them^ The for..^ was under the command of Maior-
General Howe, under whom was Erigadier-General Pigott
Upon seeing the strength of the American position
General Howe halted and sent back for further rein-
forcements. The Americans improved the time thus
given them by forming a breast-work in front of an
old ditch. Here there was a post and a rail-fence. They
jan up another by the side of this and filled the space
le ween the two with the new-mown hay, which, cut
only the day before, lay thickly over the meadows
1 wo battalions were sent across to reinforce Howe.
1. MT^tf t ■ r
n
82
THE BRITISH ADVANOB.
while large reinforcements, with six guns, arrived to the
assistance of Prescott The English had now a force
consisting, according to different authorities, of between
2000 and 2500 men. The colonial force is also variously
estimated, and had the advantage both in position and
in the protection of their intrenchments, while the British
had to march across open ground. As individual shots
the colonists were immensely superior, but the British
had the advantages given by drill and discipline.
The English lines advanced in good order, steadily
and slowly, the artillery covering them by their fire.
Presently the troops opened fire, but the distance was too
great and they did bvit little execution. Encumbered
with their knapsacks they ascended the steep hill towards
the redoubt with difiSculty, covered as it was by grass
reaching to their knees. The colonists did not fire a shot
until the English line had rer-ched a point about 150
yards from the intrenchments. Then Prescott gave the
order, and from the redoubt and the long line of intrench-
ments flanking it flashed u line of fire. Each man had
taken a steady aim with his rifle resting on the earth-
work before him, and so deadly was the fire that nearly
the whole front line of the British fell. For ten minutes
the rest stood with dogged courage firing at the hidden
foe; but these, sheltered while they loaded, and only
exposing themselves momentarily while they raised their
heads above the parapets to fire, did such deadly execu-
tion that the remnant of the British fell back to the foot
of the hilL
While this force, whichf was under the command of
General Pigott, had been engaged, another division under
Howe himself moved against the rail-fence. The combat
^
^
•.^*^f
PLAN OF THE ACTION.
83
84
A HEAVY REPULSE.
was a repetition of that which had taken place on the
hill. Here the Americans reserved their fire until the
enemy were close; then, with their muskets resting on
the rails, they poured in a deadly fire; and after in vain
trying to stand their ground, the troops fell back to the
shore.
Captain Wilson was standing with Harold on Copp's
Hill watching the engagement
"What beautiful order they go in!" Harold said, look-
ing admiringly at the long lines of red-coated soldiers.
"It is very pretty," Captain Wilson said sadly, "and
may do in regular warfare; but I tell you, Harold, that
sort of thing won't do here. There is scarce a man
carrying a gun behind those intrenchments who cannot
with certainty hit a bull's-eye at 150 yards. It is simply
murder, taking the men up in regular order against such
a foe sheltered by earthworks."
At this moment the long line of fire darted out from
the American intrenchments.
" Look there!" Captain Wilson cried in a pained voice;
"the front line is nearly swept away! do you see them
lying almost in an unbroken line on the hillside? I tell
you, Harold, it is hopeless to look for success if we fight
in this way. The bravest men in the world could not
stand such a fire as that."
"What will be done iiow?" Harold asked as the men
stood huddled upon the shore.
" They will try again," Captain Wilson said. " Look at
the officers running about among them and getting them
into order."
In a quarter of an hour the British again advanced both
towards the redoubt and the gra^ fence. As before the
\
'}
,v'.N
c '■■'■^'
\^*.-:-
-^\^ '
-— a--_a^
M\
ys$>
^v
V--
..'■• "
^SW>^^\
j\ J
jm<
Amisricai]
troops we
more disa
companiej
of their dq
terrible fii
selves to
again reac
their exhc
peared, th
This time
the grass ;
to attack i
Knapsac
man nerve
harbour pi
General C
Copp's Hii
harbour, ai
Then with
ascent TI
many of tl
rounds left
British troc
fired a sho
pauo?, but
bayonet. I
volley was
they rushed
mounted w€
would not I
lAn*^^^ J^-
THE POSITION STORJnnx 8u
American, withheld their fire, and this time until the
troops were far closer than before, and the result was even
more duastrous. Some of the grenadier and light infantry
companies who led lost three-fourths, othe^lineTnthf
t^ZT'" /^"'"i *t ^"'""^ ''~P^ «<=*<» *™"» that
terrible fira General Howe and his officer e«rted them-
selves to the utmost to restore order when the taZs
again reached the shore, and the men gallantly repM to
their cKhortation^ Almost impossible as tte S a^
peared, they prepared to undertake it for the thW time
This tmie a smaU force only were directed to move JZst
the grass fence, while the main body, under HowXere
to attack the redoubt on the hill.
Knapsacks were taken off and thrown down and each
man nerved himself to conquer or die. TheThim in t^»
Snrf, hTi ' 7'"' ""^ ''*'<="°g the battle from
Upps Hill, ran down to the shore, rowed acros, fhl
T^en wtrl 'T J:'""" "' *« '^-^ o"™ ^iot
^ent Th ™/ '^■'^' '^' troops again sprang up t^
Z J^ American ammunition was rumiL Lrt
many of the men not having more than i},Jl^ T '
rounds left, and this time thfyTeld Ih^r t Uil Z
nrea a snot, the order beiiicr that there w«a f^ u
pau.^,but that the redoubt was to be ™ with, ^
bayonet For a moment they wavered Xnthrdt^':
voUey was poured in upon them. Then with . T^^
they rushed at the intrerichmente^ All rt t t^'
.v«j.-cti av-fii u^ou tile enemy.
86
RIAVT liOSSBS.
1
For a few minutes there was a hand-to-hand fight, the
Americans using the butt-ends of their muskets, the Eng-
lish their bayonets. The soldiers were exhausted with
the climb up the hill and their exertions under a blazing
sun, and the great majority of the defenders of the re-
doubt were therefore enabled to retreat unharmed, as,
fresh and active, they were able to outrun their tired
opponents, and as the balls served out for the English
field-pieces were too large, the artillery were unable to
come into action.
The colonists at the rail-fence maintained their posi-
tion against the small force sent against them till the
main body at the redoubt had made their escape. The
British were unable to continue the pursuit beyond the
isthmus.
In the whole history of the British army there is no
record of a more gallant feat than the capture of Bun-
ker's Hill; and few troops in the world would, after
two bloody repulses, have moved up^ the third time to
assail such a position, defended by men so trained to the
use of the rifle. A thousand and fifty-four men, or nearly
half their number, were killed and wounded, among whom
were eighty-three officers. In few battles ever fought
was the proportion of casualties to the number engaged
so great. The Americans fought bravely, but the extra-
ordinary praise bestowed upon them for their valour
appears misplaced. Their position was one of great
strength, and the absence of drill was of no consequence
whatever in such an engagement. They were perfectly
sheltered from their enemy's fire while engaged in calmly
shooting him down, and their loss up to the moment
itr\r^rA
iht
insignificai
tion was st
and amouD
wounded.
but from tl
highest ere
The batt
moral triun
ment shoul
from the fir
their immei
only willing
British troc
away. The
were so will;
and this poi
ness for the
They had nc
dishonour of
victory, and
never exceed
"We will fig
continent, an
your lives n
and prosper;
in arms."
From the J
the British h
full of enthu!
gallant charg
Harold:
if iS a. u,
J
THE LESSON OP THE BATTLES. 07
ins^ificant. Their casualties took place after the posi-
tion was stormed and on their retreat along the peninsula
and amounted in all to 145 killed and ca|tured and 3M
wounded. It may be said that both sidL fought weu!
but from the circumstances under which they fought the
highest credit is due to the victors.
The battle however, though won by the English, was a
moral triumph for the Americans, and the BriLh parl^
ment should at once have given up the contest It was
from the first absolutely certain that the Americans, with
their immense superiority in numbers, could, if they were
only wil mg to fight, hold their vast countr^r agai^t i^
British troops fighting with a base thous^ds^f mUe^
away. The battle of Bunker's Hill showed that they
were so wilhng. that they could fight sternly and bravely^
and this point once established, it was little short of mad-
?W td f "S«* g--"--' to continue the contest.
Ihey had not even the excuse of desiring to wipe out the
dishonour of a defeat. Their soldiers had won a briliant
victory, and had fought with a determination and valZr
°wf Tfi .'?' ""' ^°^'*'"' ~"'<' have afi'orded to say
We will flght^no more; if you. the inhabitants of a vli
continent, are determined to go alone, axe ready to give
your hves rather than remain in comiection with us I'
hl'lw.'"'' ''^ ^"^"o^'^dge we camK,t subdue a natbn
thfrt*t\''1^'"i* "^"PP'' ™ •' <=ould be seen that
ft. of enthusiasm when he saw the success of the last
pillant^ charge of the English soldier, but he said to
Hsastrous victory. A few such battles as
M DEFECTIVE OENERAT^HIP.
these and the English army in America would cease
to exist
But although they were aware that the losses were
heavy they were not prepared for the truth. The lone,
grass had hidden from view many of those who fell, and
when It was known that nearly half of those engaged
were killed or wounded the feeling among the English
Was akin to consternation.
The generalship of the British waa wholly unworthy of
the valour of the troops. There would have been no diffi-
culty in placing some of the vessels of light draught so
far up the Mystic as to outflank the intrenchments held
by the colonists; indeed the British troops might have been
landed farther up the Mystic in which case the Americans
must have retreated instai^^i, !;o avoid capture. Lastly
the troops, although figliii^i^^ within a mile of theh^
quarters, were encumberou with three days' provisions
and their knapsacks, constituting, with their muskets
and ammunition, a load of 125 Iba This was indeed
heavily handicapping men who had, under a blazing sun
to chmb a steep hill, with grass reaching to their knees'
and intersected by walls and fences.
American writers describe the defenders of the position
as inferior m numbers to the assailants; but it is due to
the English to say that their estimate of the number of
the defenders of the intrenchments differs very widely
from this. General Gage estimated them as being fully
three times as numerous as the British troops. It is pro-
bable that the truth lies between the two accounts.
Captain Wilson returned with Harold greatly dis-
pirited to his house.
"The look-out is dreadfully bad," he said to his wife,
after de;
see ther
Jong an<
is even i
hke this,
and disci
three sigj
but, tight:
beyond sc
any cann(
When the
a couple
work has
strategical
The enem^
he chooses,
It is like fi
" Well, J
it up? is it
"Altoget
morrow I \
It is not ai
cause becaui
must see th
to win with(
because evei
can render a
way, indeed,
their success
The Cong]
the English s
that state, wl
A BAD LOOK-OUT.
after descrihing the events of the d«v ..« .
see there are but two alt„..,.. ^' . ^o far as I can
.long and destructive waiw?rfV"''' ^'^- " «
is even more hopeleL tZjf *''"™ »' ''^ 'od- It
"ke "uMefended trirt?,ult^r'^r' " ^'«' <=°"»'-7
and disciplined ar^ rdfj'^it^^in Th f ""^ '™"^^
three signal victories miifht L^ t "^' "=**" ^■^o <>'
but. fighting with tl^e 5„Kfr' *" " ™™'"»'<»''
beyond so many of the enX^aM'" T? """"' '"'"'"e
any cannon to take no <,wL *" "" scarcely
Wlien the enemy kCten hf."' "'*®'^^ '» «'Pt''«-«^
a eoupje of days"g:tt:Xtt''Xr",°'^' "^"^ " '
worlc has no end Thera «tl ? position. The
»t™tegieal positions to occupy"! ''T" '" '^'' "»
Tlie enemy can march anS attf f' T^' *^ «•"•
he chooses, scatter, and ref^m wh T*^ "^''P«'^« <"
It is lilce fighting ihe wind " ^^ ''"^^ P^^^^d by.
it upTtitt' itT- ' ^^^"^ - ^"P^'-. cannot yo„ give
"AJtogether too late, Mary- and if i
morrow I would volunteer nl' • ' "^" '"•«« to-
It i3 not any the it my duty I^t "^^^ "^^' "^y-
cause because I believe the came ^S , "'' '=°'"''7'»
must see that youraelf dLT^X ," '°""8 ™«- You
•» win without'mraid tZUf^^''^^^ •'^^° »««>
because everyone's help l n !d L Z'^k '^^'^ " ^
can render are due to her IT 7 '"'='' "'="''''«« «« I
way. indeed, whose sons Ve IT'"^ 7"" »« '° * ^ad
their success was a cer^Ty - ""^^ ""^^ ^ fight when
*'E:s^r, XridTf *" ■':'«<* ^-o^ '-
that state, where th- Br''-"!"^- , k°"* '»' ""« ^'"^ion of
i.iavioii liud but a few
re,
'gular troops.
^.
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)
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Corporation
33 WIST MAIN STRilT
WBBSTER.N.Y. I4S80
(716) •72-4503
4^
.
90
MONTRSAL THREATENED.
i t
Captain Wilson was one morning summoned to head-
quarters. On his return he called together four or five of
the men best acquainted with the country. These had
been in their early days hunters or border scouts, and
knew every foot of the forest and lakes.
"I have just seen the general," Captain Wilson said.
"A royalist brought in news last night that the rebels are
raising a force intended to act against Montreal. They
reckon upon being joined by a considerable portion of the
Canadians, among whom there is, unfortunately, a good
deal of discontent. We have but two regiments in the
whole colony. One of these is at Quebec. The rebels,
therefore, will get the advantage of surprise, and may
raise the colony before we are in a condition to resist.
General Howe asked me to take my company through
the woods straight to Montreal. We should be landed a
few miles up the coast at night. I suppose some of you
know the country well enough to be able to guide us."
Several of the men expressed their ability to act as
guides.
" I have fought the Indians through them woodo over
and over again," said one of them, a sinewy, weather-
beaten man of some sixty years old, who was known as
Peter Lambton. He had for many years been a scout
attached to the army, and was one of the most experienced
huntera on the frontier. He was a tall angular man,
except that he stooped slightly, the result of a habit of
walking with the head bent forward in the attitude of
listening. The years which had passed over him had had
no effect upon his figure. He walked with a long noise-
less tread, like that of an Indian, and was one of the
men attached to his company, in whom, wisely, Cap-
tarn Wils
rudimentf
that the
drill as w(
but ^he ol
infinitely
he could t(
were in n
stowed up(
of this kin
the squabb
found thai
their servic
were attacl;
were dividt
alists.
Peter Lai
at Concord.
served as a
Wilson belo
with a porti
off by hostil
sprung up 1
there had I
frontier, Pet(
which he he
hunter, and '.
Wilson's esta
hunter of hi
fired Harold
and had giv(
had enabled ]
'W«B IiAHBrON.
91
tain Wilson had made no attempt to instU th« «r,
™d-ente of drill. It was. the 'oapj^n^^ouj . w5^
that the younger men should have such a knowled Jof
but '.he old hunters would fight in their oL w^ a 3'
mflmtebr better adapted for forest warfare t^S thtt
he could teach them. Peter and some of his ZZ^ons
were m rece pt of small pensions, which had ZTbe
hZ 7? "■"" *" **'' ">"'<^ ""h the teooL Men
1 ^? ""' "■" "''''y *» '»''« "-y lively interest ta
ound tt^ : '^ *" ''"^^'""" of *"-«»"> butcherly
herrse^^'\r '=""'"« '" ^^''""^ they again offered
were IttardtT"™"^*' "^ " """» »' «>»■««• Some
wl di'v^^H ^t^'"" ''•""P^ ^ »«"'te, while others
w«je^div,ded among the newly-raised companies of loy!
at cXrf"" H^ h:d 'r *•"* 'f^' '»" y^"" ''-° -"'^-l
'^""cora. He had, during the war with th« Fr«.nnK
offhv r*- T .. "^ """P^y ''« ^«« surrounded and cut
93
A FAVOURABLE OCCURRENCE.
On Harold's return the old hunter had listened with
extreme interest to the story of his adventures, and had
takcQ great pride in the manner in which he had utilized
his teachings. Peter made his appearance in the city
three days after the arrival of Captain Wilson there
"I louk upon this here affair as a favourable occurrence
for Harold," he said to Captain Wilson. " The boy has
lots of spirits, but if it had not been for this he might
have grown up a regular town greenhorn, fit for nothing
but to walk about in a long coat, and to talk pleasant to
women; but this will just be the making of him. With
your permission, Cap., I shall take him under my charge
and teach him to use his eyes and his ears, and I reckon
he will turn out as good an Indian fighter as you will
see on the frontier."
" But it is not Indians that we are going to fight, Peter,"
Captain Wilson said; " I heartily wish it was."
" It will be the same thing," Peter scid; "not here^ *
course; there will be battles between the regulars a
the colonists, regular battles like that at Quebec, where
both parties was fools enough to march about in tLs open
and get shot down by hundreds. I don't call that fight-
ing; that's just killing, and there ain't no more sense in it
than in two herd of bufifalo charging each other on the
prairie. But there will be plenty of real fighting; expe-
ditions in the woods and Indian skirmishes, for you will
be sure that the Indians will join in, some on 2>ne side
and some on the other; it ain't in their nature to sit still
in their villages while powder is being bumi A few
months of this work will make a man of him, and he
might have a worse teacher than Peter Lainbton. You
just hand him over to my care, Cap., and I will teach
PFi'ER LAMBTON ON EDUCATION.
93
him all I know of the ways of the woods, and I tell yer
there am't no better kind of edication for a young fellow.
He lams to use the senses God has given hira, to keep
his head when another man would lose his presence of
mind, to have the eye of a hawk and the ear of a hound,
to get so that he scare .iy knows what it is to be tired
or hungry, to be able to live while other men would
starve, to read the signs of the woods like a printed book,
and to be in every way a man and not a tailor's figure." '
" There is a great deal in what you say, old friend,"
Captain Wilson answered; "and such a training cajinot
but do a man good. I wish with all my heart that it
had been entirely with red foes that the fighting wa^j to
be done; hov/ever, that cannot be helped, and as he is to
fight he could not be in better hands than yours. So
long as we remain here I shall teach him what drill I can
with the rest of the company; but when we leave this
town and the work really begins, I shall put him in your
charge to learn the duties of a scout."
The young negro, Jake, had also enlisted, for through-
out the war the negroes fought on both sides, according
to the politics of their masters. There were only two
other negroes in the company, and Capuin Wilson had
some hesitation in enlisting them, but they made good
soldiers. In the case of Jake, Captain Wilson knew
that he was influenced in his wish to join solely by his
afiection for Harold, and the lad's father felt that in the
moment of danger the negro would be ready to lay down
his life for him.
There was great satisfaction in the band when they
received news that they were at last about to take the
field. The long inaction had been most wearisome to
94
A PITIFUL PABTIMO.
atiemt and they knew that any fighting that would take
place round Boston would be done by the regular troops.
Food too was very scarce in town, and chey were heartily
weary of the regular drill and discipline. They were
then in high spirits as they embarked on board the
Thetis sloop of war and sailed from Boston harbour.
It was a pitiful parting between Mrs. Wilson and her
husband and son. It had been arranged that she should
sail for England in a ship that was leaving on the fol-
lowing week, and should there stay with her husband's
family, from whom she had a warm invitation to make
their home her own Until the war was over.
The Thetia ran out to sea. As soon as night fell her
bow was turned to land again, and about midnight the
anchor was let fall near the shore some twenty miles
north of Boston. The landing was quickly effected, and
with three days* provisions in their knapsacks the little
party started on their march. One of the scouts had
come from that neighbourhood and led them by paths
avoiding all villages and farms. At daybreak they
bivouacked in a wood, and at nightfall resumed the
march. By the next morning they had left the settle-
ments behind and entered a belt of swamp and forest
extending west to the St. Lawrence.
bringing (
a vista th
surface of i
Harold, Ja
and two Ii
The com
safely to tl
hardships i
pend entirt
fish as thej
followed.
loss, and th
all about 5
had recently
It was cle
tile to the
the other co
English gen
CHAPTER VI.
SCOUTINO.
^hJ' f Jw '"."f '""" "^^^ """""J a fire in
Harold Jake EnW U.*^ '""""''"^ "^ ^^'''f J^mbton,
and tw; Mk^P'""" Po't^'. -mother old frontie^^an.'
liardslups in the foZl rt v /f ®°"'8 """^id^able
fish as they ioZ ,»>i^' !,. *i^ '"'"''* *'""• »nd s»ch
followed. iTey had t'^ "'"^^hose course they
loss, and there thevitTir'/^'"''""' ^'""'«'' ^Who"*
.11 kbout 500 rellr^nM^r™' ^^^'^t"" had in
hadreeentl/LeX-er -""' '"" ^°'"°*«-» -^o
«.e^:r ^^rtLtVh t/ ?-^'' -'» - >««-
the other<»lonies thTl.W.f^^'^,'* "«" ""<»« "f
%.iah gener^Sfd T^ofS t » ^ t^^-'
9b
FEELING IN CANADA.
against the strong force which the Araericans were col-
lecting for its invasion. Fortunately this waa not the case.
Although the Canadians were of French descent, and the
province had been wrested by arms from France, they
for the most part preferred being under English rule
to joining the insurgent colonies. They had been in no
way oppressed by England; their property had been
respected, and above all things no attempt had ever been
made to interfere with their religion. In the New Eng-
land provinces the hard puritan spirit of the early fathers
had never ceased to prevail. Those who had fled from
England to obtain freedom of worship had been intolerant
persecutors of all religion different from their own. The
consequence was that the priests of Canada were wholly
opposed to any idea of union with the insurgent colonists.
Their influence over the people was great, and although
these still objected to the English rule, and would have
re" dily taken up arms against it under other circumstances,
they had too little symps.fchy with the New Englanders
to join in their movement, which, if successful, would
have placed Canada under the rule of the United States
instead of that of England.
The upper classes of Canadians were almost to a man
loyal to the English connection. They had been well
treated, and enjoyed indeed a greater state of indepen-
dence than had been the case under French rule. More-
over, they were for the most part descended from old
French families, and their sympathies were entirely op-
posed to popular insurrection. Thus, when Captain Wilson
and his party reached Montreal, they found that, in spite
of the paucity of English troops under the command of
General Carldton, the position was not so bad as had been
feared
probabL
of the 2
capturec
success (
spring il
forcemet
would il
byawid(
the great
tion, and
would be
pied by t
was probf
8ion woul(
The In(
near the J
offered the
cross the fr
which had
the war in
an exceed]]
from the he
the colonist
far as the ai
refused to a
On the ai
he was ordei
which was h
On arrivin
down toward
of the enen
(84S)
INDIAN WAKTARK
feared by General Qam u "^
probable, that Upper cLrf.J^t/r''''*' """^ indeed
of the America^ L^^f; ™;8ht [''" "to the h.„,l,
captured; but u„i;ss the ptoX „,'*"!'?° "'"'f '^eht be
"ucceaaof the latter wo.fd fe t "'•' ^'"«"'»™. the
spnng the navigation of the river t'uuT"^- ^^'"^ "">
forcemeats would arrive from f!7 > "P**"' ""^ •■»"'-
would then be at a disZ.TJt"^- "^^^ "^^dera
by a wide tract of forest clv!^ Separated from home
the greatest difficSlyta^l'^tl^r'^y' 'hey would have
tion,and stores, and ihtin™?'^"'^ "'•""«'7. "'"'nuni-
would be placed in a ve,t"|r "V™^ '" ^^•^'"'^ they
pied by the colonkVZuT::!^''''''' *" «'*' "-""^
was probable, however f hat 1 ^" ""''' K^'^id. It
sion would succeed ' " '""« "•« «de of inva-
lear theVruTshirratie^'If thf """^ °^ ""^« ''''el'ing
offered their servicesT *f f"""' ''"e called, had
ero- the frontie7to ^^tt t""1' ""'' ^o'-nteeredto
which had been seiST^ ^eTm'""^*'"'^ ^^o-Poi"'.
'he war into the colonil *''^/'"7'0f°s. and (k> carry
an exceedingly hum~ d 4Tw rt*""' ''"'^--^
from the horrors that such . ""'f'^^'''-*'^ man, shrank
^ On arriving at fh^ItfheT " *"^P^
down towards" Lake ChaZl tT" ?."'' '""* ''^» »«»'
"''•'A-'"^. Harold "S^tal^riti'r''^?^
o
98
Peter's advios.
father to accompany the scouts, and Jake had been per-
mitted to form one of the party. Peter Lambton had
grumbled a little at this last addition to the number; he
knew Jake's affection for his young master, and the great
strength of the negro would have rendered him useful
in a hand-to-hand fight, but he was altogether unaccus-
tomed to forest work, and his habit of bursting into fits
of laughter en the smallest provocation, as is the manner
of his race, enraged the scout to the last degree; indeed,
he had not left the fort above an hour when he turned
savagely on the negro.
" Look-ee here," ho said, " if that's the way ye'r agoing
on, the sooner yer turns yer face and tramps back to the
fort the better; when you were at Concord it did no harm
to make as much noise as a jackass braying whenever you
opened that mouth of yours, but it won't do in the forests;
it would cost us our har, and you your wool, ef yer were
to make that noise with the enemy anywhere within
fifteen miles of yer. I ain't agoing, if I knows it, to risk
my sculp on such a venture an this, still less I ain't agoing
to see this young chap's life thrown away. His father
hez put him in my charge, and I ain't agoing to see him
sacrificed in no such way. So ye've got to make up yer
mind; yer have got to keep that mouth of yours shut
tight, or yer 'ave got to tramp back to tht fort."
Jake gave many promises of silence, and although at
first he often raised his voice to a point far exceeding
that considered by the hunters safe in the woods, he was
each time checked by such a savage growl on the part of
Peter, or by a punch in the ribs from Harold, that he
quickly fell into the ways of the others, and never spoke
above a loud whisper.
At I
the tM
tion 01
well li
warrio
Thej
of LaI
eating i
that mo
They h
and Mo
Jaka 1
the froi
coming i
and call:
They we
the Five
them to j
"I pro
and he ha
what the^
knows wJ
and recom
till we cor
tinued to i
own langui
by circum
iake, and e
are in troui
to you. I)
of colonists
of the Five
tOe^^otdlaSX'ir.f ' "^ '"•' -" J<^««1 "7
«on on their »;„ ^c„„ni » ? r*""""* ''*'^-
well known both Tpeter JJ L. ''"'"r '^ '^°
warriore of the Seneca trik! X™""- They were
They had now S^^ f"^' ""^ »* ">» *"'»• Nations
of I«ke Champlai^ ^.7 ''*y' .»'' *•"> "««' "bore
e««ng. portion ofTdeeJtT-rr/i"'"^ ™"'«' » 6">
that morning. Sof^trevh.'l 'T"'"'* •'y^"™'''
They knew tha^ Xee Ih "*?" '"'*""8 »' ""« ™«»y-
«nd MontBome^ hart TT** '"™- ""d*'' Schuyler
'"ke. ne^Stsh^ be'^''''',^ *« »*» ""^ 0^ the
the frontier toTe toh»rrT"'"'«P"^""««»°»«»^s
coming as friends tflttt'f' "T^ ">"' ^^^ '««
»d calling npon them tl 1 f * y"""" »* ^g'"«J.
They were^lsfi^ ne "tilrw-f.""* '"^^^ *»' ^"^O^"'
the Five Nations mcTw fh ?., ^i" !"""' »* ">« "^iefs of
them to join wUh ttenT '^ °*'' ^"'^ '^bes, to induce
andl'KStfd hisl* t'" *^ -''" -» finished
what they ar! dig" '^dI-^S'i hT f" '"'''' '"'' "^
tnows where there is a ™^ v «■ " '"^ '' ■"» ">»' he
and reconnoitre a bit fZX' \^^">^^' ^d me will go
till we comes Ck with 'ws^r"' '"^ ^' ""'' >>-«
tinued to the other Indian Tft T"*' '*'«f-" J"' «»»-
own language what he iZ^lrt "i 'y'^^S ^ ""im in his
by o-cumsLcestyr,^ i^'r^"^! '««»ided
lake, and ef anything sho^rt ./ '""^ ''^^ ^"^^ the
«e in trouble, ™uZtk« . T^/°" *" *"■* «"" ''o
to you. It's Xluim^T^ »*r "^ -^y 'oo'" test
of colonists; but rfi ' '^°"''' "''"^ of the crowd
of the Five' N:«i"inS ttTe"^."^,""' ^'^^^
u uignant at the rejection of tlieir
IOC
AN EXPEDITION.
3-.
offers by the English general, have gone down and joined
the colonlHts, it will be a diH'erent affair altogether.
The " Elk," as the second Seneca chief was called,
nodded his assent. In a few words Peter told Harold
what had been arranged. Jake looked downcast when
he heard that he was not to accompany his master, but
as he saw the latter had, since leaving the fort, obeyed
without questioning every suggestion of the scout, he
ofllered no remonstrance,
A quarter of an hour later Peter rose, Deer -Tail
followed his example, and Harold at once took up his
tiAq and fell in in their steps. There was but little
talk in the woods, and the matter having been settled it
did not enter the mind either of Peter or of the Indian
to say a word of adieu to their comrades. Harold im-
itated their example, but gave a nod and a smile to Jake
as he started.
Half an hour's tramp took them to the shore of the
lake. Here they halted for a minute, while the Indians
closely examined the locality. With the wonderful power
of making their way straight through the forest to the
required spot, which seems to be almost an instinct
among Indians, Deer-Tail had struck the lake within
two hundred yards of the point which he aimed at. He
led the way along the shore until he came to a spot where
a great maple had fallen into the lake; here he turned
into the forest again, and in fifty yards came to a clump
of bushes; these he pushed aside and pointed to a canoe
which was lying hidden among them. Peter joined him,
the two lifted the boat out, placed it on their shoulders,
and carried it to the lake. There were three paddles in it.
Peter motioned Harold to take his place in the stem and
steer, i
their pi
"Ke(
fifty yi
being h
Thee
over th(
It was ],
they ha
canoe w
shadow (
the Red
paddles j
of the ti
of four C(
" Their
to see if 1
<^ouple of
ftave cros
month's v
were well
"What
For twc
in the Ind
"TheSf
enough th
must lay
would sign
back agair
expedition
being sure
The cam
TIIE ENEMY SEEN.
101
being ,„rki„«.bo„t;^:Thi='':".." "" ''" "' '^^""•'
ItWM late intheatrnin 1^'^'^.°* ">« "''«« P""!-!''™
they had gone ».TyTL"^'"''^''y «t"'«d. and Wore
cnoe was run irdl ^ .."'"''T '"^ f""^"- The
«h»dowof thetreesu^tilto "' "t*™ '*■« '»y *» «•<>
the Red-skin an? T./ ";°- ''"'' "^ ^^ »•'" ">«e,
to see if the S f^e K^r""*' "?^'^ "^ ^'""""S
-uple of gun-bJts u;th steftre;™'' "^ «"' '
nave crossed the lake an^ i, ™ enemy could never
month's worktotake th^ ''*^' 8'™" *''«'» ^
were well under the trfe ^""^ T"'^ "^ "'« '""ky we
;Wh.t hadtetrdt^^lT:^"^^'' ""^^ "-" -'^"
in Z IX ^^f ""'" '"^ """'^ ~-l '<««ther
en3%trarX:::tr' 'r ^* •■« >« ■*«
--t lay up here t rnSd^ ef""*^ '^"' ^''""^^ '«
would signal by smoke, Md we 11 ? "Z"^" *«y
hack again in no time. By their 1™ r" """'""'
ejipedition is starting butttwnnTi . "^ ^ *'=?«<=* «"«
heing sure of if "'" ^» 'o «» ^ack without
The canoe was paddled to a .n„» „.],.,. „ . .
102
RED-BKIN S0OX7TS.
grew thickly by the bank. It was pushed among these,
and the three, after eating some cooked deer's flesh which
they had brought with them, prepared to pass the day.
"The Seneca and I will keep watch by turns," the
scout said " We will wake you if we want ya"
Harold was by this time sufficiently accustomed to the
ways of the woods to obey orders at once without oflfering
to take his turn at watching, as his inclination led him
to do, and he was soon sound asleep. It was late in the
afternoon when he was awoke by the scout touching
him.
" There are some critters coming along the bank," he
said in a whisper. " They ain't likely to see us, but 'tis
best to be ready." Harold sat up in the canoe, rifle in
hand, and listening intently heard a slight sound such as
would be produced by the snappirg of a twig. Presently
he heard upon the other side of the bushes, about a few
yards distant, a few low words in an Indian tongue. He
looked at his companions. They were sitting immovable,
each with his rifle directed towards the sound, and Harold
thought it would fare badly with any of the passers if
they happened to take a fancy to peer through the bushes.
The Indians had, however, no reason for supposing that
there were any enemies upon the lake, and they conse-
quently passed on without examining more closely the
thicket by the shore. Not until it was perfectly dark did
Peter give the sign for the continuance of the journey.
This time, instead of skirting the lake, the canoe was
steered out toward its centre. For some time they
paddled, and then several lights were seen from ahead
"I thought so," the scout said; "they have crossed to
the Isle La Motte, and they are making as many fires as
ALONE ON WATCH.
103
*x ^ii^f ''*'''°^ * ^°^ ^^ P^^^c »* home. We must
wait till they burns out, for we dam't go near the place
with the water Ut up for two or three hundred yards
round. It won't be long, for I reckon it must be past
eleven o clock now."
The fires were soon seen to bum down. The paddles
were dipped in the water, and the canoe approached the
island.
"I would give something," Peter said, "to kn. whether
there are any Red-skins there; ef there are, our chance
ot landmg without being seen ain't worth talking of- ef
they are not, we might land a hull fleet; at anyrate we
must nsk It Now, Harold, the chief and me wiU land
and find out how many men there are here, and, ef we
can, how long they are likely to stop. You keep the
canoe about ten yards from shore, in the shadow of
the trees, and be ready to move close the instant you hear
my call I shall just give the croak of a frog. The
instant we get in, you paddle ofi" without a word. Ef ve
hears any shouts, and judges as how we have been seen,
ye must just act upon the best of yer judgment"
The boat glided noiselessly up to the shore, all was still
there the encampment being at the other side of the
island. The two scouts, red and white, stepped noise-
lessly on to the land. Harold backed the canoe a few
paces with a quick stroke upon the paddle, and seeing
close to him a spot where a long branch of a tree dipped
mto the water, he guided the canoe among the foliage,
and there sat without movement, listening almost breaL
Ere many minutes had elapsed he heard footsteps
^.mm^ c«u^g uae shore. They stopped when near him.
104
A CONFAB.
Three or four minutes passed without the slightest sound,
and then a voice said, in tones which the speaker had
evidently tried to lower, but which were distinctly audible
in the canoe:
" I tell yer, Red-skin, it seems to me as how you have
brought us here on a fool's errand. I don't see no signs of
a canoe, and it ain't likely that the British would be along
the lake here, seeing as how there is a score of canoes
with your people in them, scouting ahead."
" I heard canoe," another voice said, " first at other end
of the island, and then coming along here."
"And ef yer did," tlie first speaker said, « likely enough
it was one of the canoes of your people."
"No," the Indian answered; "if canoe come back with
news, would have come straight to fires."
"Well, it ain't here, anyway," the first speaker said,
"and I don't believe yer ever heard a canoe at all. It is
enough to make a man swear, to be called up just as we
were making ourselves comfortable for the night, on
account of an Indian's fancies; I wonder at the general's
listening to them. However, we have got our orders to
go round the island and see ef there is any canoe on either
shore; so we had better be moving, else we shall not get to
sleep before morning."
Harold held his breath as the group passed opposite to
him. Fortunately, tne trunk of the tree grew from the
very edge of the water, and there were seve- U bushes
growing round it, so that at this point the men had to
make a slight detour inland. Harold felt thankful in-
deed that he had taken the precaution of laying his
canoe among the thick foliage, for although the night
was dark it would have been instantly seen had it been
lying
close i
the pa]
all, tha
Hare
still soi
course,
but it V
there.
After
across t
Creeping
of flat-b<
from the
of carryi
towards
fires had
still sitti
remain q
clearing >
of detecti
dress afFo
attached.
A greal
ordinary j
forms for i
called to a
From th
all directio
some days
however, ^
way cautio
IN THE HOSTILE CAMP. |«^
lying on the surface of the lake. P„
close inspection might havl dlt^t /jT "^ " "•"' »
the party were fixed on th! i "^ '> *"" *« ^^^^ »«
all, that they expected li;™- " " ""^ *''««■« «»
Harold WM unelv .t^^ ""P*^ "^"^ 'y°g-
still some Z^Z^ont^^^Z^'V^"' "''"--
course, that the one he had wS-vxl """ P"^'"*- of
but it was more likely that t/h^^^'.^'''''"^ '"''«»«'.
there. ^ ""*' "*''«" of the tribe were also
Creeping cautious^ ^ tht'"ff ^Z ^T"""' ^"rl
offlat-bottomedboatsTwiulhTh-A * '"^e number
from the mainland, and wh"^te« ^eTtT ''^ "°^
of carrying two thousand men nl, „ ^""/'''' '^P*"*
towards the spot whai thTL^ ^ "'"' "^^ ""eir way
fires had burned Jw but r^u°H 7'''*r'^P^<^- The
still sitting and Zkin^ Mr" ^^ °' *"■" ""»' "ere
remain qui. Pet^tu'nterfdtSsl: "t '™^" ^^
clearing where the camp was Lt.^ 1? f °° ^o the
of detection, for he woreTo „?/ ^* ""^ ''«'« f^ar
dress afforded no i^dlxto the T'.""'' ^'' '>'"''«'•»
attached. ^ *** P^'^ to which he was
ori^ltC^.tS^r"'^ .-"> »«" in their
forms for so gr at TZIb^^T^^'.^ *""'^'' ""i-
eaW to arm! throuSh:'cri" '"^ "^^^^^-^^
some days upon^hftl^i' Wnumb'"" f ^'-^^
however, were sleeping in the o^T- ^" °* "«"-
way cautiously am^^m L £rCe./i.f'« ^"
-i-MiooxA uOwn at a
106
THE XNEUY'S plans.
short distance from one of the fires, by which three or four
men were sitting.
For some time they talked of camp matters, the short-
ness of food, and want of provisions.
"It is bad here," one said presently; "it will be worse
when we move xorward. Schuyler will be here to-morrow
with the rest of the army, and we are to move down to
Isle-aux-Noix, at the end of the lake, and I suppose we
shall land ai once and march against St. John's. There
are only a couple of hundred Britishers there, and we
shall make short work of them."
"The sooner the better, I say," another speaker re-
marked. "I am ready enough to fight, but I hate all
this waiting about I want to get back to my farm
again."
"You are in a hurry, you are," the other said. "You
don't suppose we are gomg to take Canada in a woek's
time, do you? Even if the Canadians join us, and by
what I hear that ain't so sartin after all, we shall have to
march down to Quebec, and that's no child's play. I
know the country there. It is now the 4th of September,
another month and the winter will be upon us, and a
Canadian winter is no joke, I can tell you."
"The more reason for not wasting any more time," the
other one grumbled. "If Montgomery had his way we
should go at them quickly enough; but Schuyler is always
delaying; he has kept us waiting now since 17th of last
month; we might have been half-way to Quebec by this
time."
"Yes," the other said, "if the Britishers had run away
as we came; but we have got St John's and Fort Chamblde
to deal with, and they may hold out some time. How-
MONTOOMIRY. iQy
P/>*« r. 1 "^ o*^ *^^'' we move to-m nrrnw "
to the CdnlolVl^'^'Tf' * g™mblu,g remark «,
the spot wt^hf hadS' T ^^''''^ """"y *»-«<»»
a tall figure^me oat frl ""r ■^•"' " ''« 'J'<' »»
tali and >.an^re'^^°^'attX-7^'':J^^-a
Clst:^;!':-."'^'"''" ""' "^''--' »'^. --able to
wood ; bit i^eS^;::'^^^'^. 7^'^ " «>«
Which regmient do you belong to?" ^ "°-
that't'S^fSht^':?''^'''*"'"^''''^-!-'*
expeditioa P'°"°~ ^o™^-! Part of the
"lit S KTat iC^^L^r-^ 1^ -^^y-
attack the enemy *» ^ ^^'^ ^''^** * ^^^^ to
wo'rk'Tti:? o» tir h^'^'i" ^''*^' '^'^^ ""'" '»"'>
home. I eX^T ,„ . ''*" "■>«" '"e ar« wanted at
time', n/thtbttXT" ■""""• '"'' "^^ «">"« «>«
in the lake. ^fZ^ h^ 1"' *""* ^"^ ""^ * «"" »"'
At that moment fiv, or s« men, headed by an Indi«,
V
III'
108
DETECTED.
I
issued from the wood close by. It was too late for Peter
to try to withdraw, but he stepped aside a pace or two as
the party approached.
''Well! have you found anything?" the general asked.
"No find," the Chippewa said shortly.
"I don't believe as there ever was a canoe there," the
man who followed him said; "it was just a fancy of the
Indian's."
XT "^°/j°°y'" *^® ^""^'^ asserted angrily. « Canoe there.
No find.
"It might have been one of our own canoes," Mont-
gomery said in a cohciliatory tone. "The Indians are
seldom mistaken. However, if no one has landed it matters
not either way."
"Only as we have had a tramp for nothing," the colonist
said. "However, there is time for a sleep yet. Hallo!"
he exclaimed, as his eye fell on Peter Lambton; " what
Peter! why, how did you get here? Why, I thought as'
how— General," he exclaimed, sh^>rply turning to Mont-
gomery; "this man lives close to me at Concord; he is a
royalist, he is, and went into Boston and joined the corps
they got up there."
"Seize him," Montgomery shouted; but it was too late.
As the man had turned to speak to the general Peter
darted into the wood. The Chippewa, without waiting
to hear the statement of the colonist, at once divined the
state of things, and uttering his war-whoop, dashed after
the fugitive. Two or three of the colonists instantly
followed, and a moment later three or four Indians who
had been lying on the ground leaped up and darted like
phantoms into the wood.
The general no sooner grasped the facts, than he shouted
raOAPED FKOM TOJ! ISLAND. ,„g
an order for pursuit, and a number of (h.
accustomed to frontier wort , ""^"^ °' ">« men most
party of pursuir oC' '' uT '"'r"*** ""« «"*
later the leading DuraiiPr« ^ "*''' ^'^^^^a" yell; a moment
Chippewa His^sk~d berclT -f.' '°'^ °^ ^^«
and the scalp was gone * ^'^^ * tomahawk.
saw their comrade ;ndwiIhT ! f"*^,'*" "*'' "^ they
Peter and the SeTeca wer! ! ""^^^ "^ P"™"''-
the trees, and J^lhT T i '"^'™'"' '" """"g
them.theyr^?d:£;oChrth:vhr';7.^ «"''■'
unmolested. ^ *^®y ^*<^ ^eft the canoe,
to the'^^r Nofa^fr- ^"°V' '^'^^''^ P^<J>e^'
was well out inX lak^ O^ "^''r "»«' 'he canoe
on shore as the pniul ^TTi'^'"' ""'<> heard
thought were mea^entl ," "^I^^t^.^hich they
from the shore. "Gently a loud Indian cry rose
"They see us," Peter mi(l «tj
*ot^ and can t;ke t as^^ T^Tri"' "^ °"' "'
words. "You are right chief." ''"° '*''' » *«w
thZltis i: t^sfd Th ^r"' "*-'' "
some canoes. The mo^n t f ' '"""^ **"* probably
hiU, and it Will uZ7Z^:r:^i;i}!^yon, tha^
o- '^ '^^ us iiftir across the
Ui'i
no
FURSUEIX
lake. It would not matter if the water was free; but what
with Injuns prowling along the shores and out on the
lake, we shall have to use our wits to save our har."
"Look!" he exclaimed two or three minutes later, as
two columns of bright flame at a short distance from
them shot up at the end of the island.
I'They are Injun signals. As far as they can be seen
Injuns will know that there are enemies on the lake.
Now, paddle your hardest, Harold; and do you, chief]
keep your eyes and your ears open for sights and sounds."
Under the steady strokes of the three paddles the bark
canoe sped rapidly oVer the water. When the moon was
fairly above the edge of the hill they halted for a moment
and looked back. The two columns of fire still blazed
brightly on the island, which was now three miles aatem,
and two dark spots could be seen on the water about
half-way between them and it
"You can paddle, my lads," Peter Lambton said to the
distant foes, "but you will never catch us. I would not
heed you, if it were not for the other varmint ahead."
He stood up in the canoe and looked anxiously over the
lake.
''It is all dear as far as I can see at present," he said.
"Can't we land, Peter, and make our way back on
foot?" "^
"Bless you," Peter said, "there ain't a native along the
shore there but has got his eye on this canoe. We might
as well take her straight back to the island as try to land.
Better; for we should get a few hours before they tried
and shot us there, while the Injuns would not give us a
minute; no, we must just keep to the water; and now
paddle on again, but take it quietiy. It is no odds to let
INTERCEPTEDt
every ounce of Zr ^!^g^f. ^^" '»"■«' '"' ^h.!! want
•■I would give a mJ7 i^. °"'^ '^''^'' ""^ni-
few black cCsoCtt: '■"""*''" ">«»<=»>■'. "for a
shore then, and 4k It ^t-^T' "* """''^ "^''e for
'ong. Ah » he e" cla^^ed ™ ^ ^'^f^ daylight before
stopped rowing, «a^„^; P^^'«d«nly, as the chief
to cut us off." °" '*'* "de is rowing out
theX' aTCrte'r^' W"'"''' """« *»" --' ^ad
the Loe shooU^™^ tj^^ "" ""'P^^'' 'o '-'
angles towards the shore th™ •""' ™"'"* »' ^ght
th^began to paddltCk^Sf" ™'* '°'"«^'
The canoes which h,>A u
nearly abreast of eS> other TlTr^*"" ''"^
opposite sides of the isCdiutttev^1,r ''"''*<' ^"'»
drawing together, althouThs«u*lL'?'^ ^'"^ 8™dually
Peter turned his canoe. W hi^? **"**""=' "P*^- ^hen
to head him off, but by ^doW I ^°"'"^- '"'"' *°™d
different position ta reTatlon ^f „ '^ r"?'^ "" ^'i'^'y
being nearly half a^ilent? * T^ "*''' <""> «»oe
"Take it easy* Pe" r ^T .'th "° """^ *''« °"'«^-
off, and we ha^ got to S h!f '"^"' "^ <=»» "»
neai^t to us befofe the oa« ^t ^^ "^^ ""??'" «'« »"«
The boats were now% *° "" "P"
which Promislfto 'Kt'f rj ''^ '™**' ^ * ^^
eoUision with that of S m. ^.r""" '^'«' i°
J«is of each other Peter c;a3e?rw^""° "'° "'""<»««'
-Now," he said, '-^oT^ T^
■ciKoia, see if you can pid. ,ne of
ua
CRIPPUNG A FOE.
those fellows off. It's no easy matter, travelling at the
pace they are. You fire first."
Harold took a steady aim and fired.
A yell of derision told that he had missed. The Indians
stopped paddling. There was a flash, and a ball struck
the canoe. At the same moment Peter fired.
" There is one down!" he exclaimed. The Seneca fire.],
but without result; and the three unwounded Indians in
the canoe— for it had contained four men— replied with
a volley.
Harold felt a buminig sensation, as if a hot iron passed
across his arm.
"Hit, boy?" Peter asked anxiously, as he gave a short
exclamation.
" Nothing to speak of," Harold replied.
" The varmint are lying by waiting for the other canoe.
Paddle straight at them."
The Indians at once turned the boat and paddled to
meet their companions, who were fast approaching.
" Now," Peter exclaimed, "we have got 'em in a line— a
steady aim this time." The three rifles spoke out, one of
the Indians fell into the boat, and the paddle of another
was struck from his grasp.
"Now," the scout shouted, "paddle away; we have
got them all fairly behind us."
Day broke just as they were again abreast of the island;
one canoe was following closely, two others were a mile
and a half behind, while the one with which they had
been engaged had made for the shore.
" What do you mean to do?" Harold asked Peter.
" I mean to run as close as I can round the end of the
island, and then make for the place where they must
have (
the sij
going
others
For
exertec
that tl;
there b
only ne
as woul
were di
the can(
stroke t
Atth(
and a ha
abated t
to draw
tween thi
nature tc
contest w
WKLL AHIAD.
113
«7« oa So no. ^^w ^o^r'Ct wT ""l',''" ''^-
others as far bel.ind as possible " °""' '^"o «>«
that there were al „ot lo""' ?J^ '"^ '""« *»'
there been they ^oluZT^ZiV^: T'' '"' ""^
only necessary to keep so far fi^ !u ''"^^ ^^ "as
- would take them oufo 'relTof ""fi '°^°' "^^ ■»'""<!
were discharged as thev i j . ^''^- '^"^oial shots
the canoe shft alo^gTi£Tl; ""f *'^^ ^o" ^^ort as
stroke taking it faler f^m^f °'' "^ "^ "P^' every
At the end of an hour^ ""i .r T " P"'^"*'-
«nd a half behind; 'rroVers i"? """^ '^"^ » ■»««>
abated their speed in orTr A ^ "T """y """""vha'
draw „p to them; for the^ea"rof 1°''" '"» '»"'«
tween their comrades and the Wi k ! *'""»""«'• be-
nature to encourage them te .2 T'f '"'^ "»' "^n of «
eontest with them. •"'dertake a single-handed
(245)
CQAPTER VII.
IN THE FOREST.
I EE, Peter!" Harold exclaimed; "there is a whole
fleet of boats ahead."
"I sees 'em," Peter said; "and have seed 'em
for the last quarter of an hour. It is Schuyler
with the rest of what they calls their army. Steer a little
out of the course; we must pass close by them; they
won't suspect nothing wrong, and will suppose we are
merely carrying a message."
In half an hour they were abreast of the flotilla, con-
sisting of flat boats laden with troops. With them were
two or three Indian canoes. Peter steered so as to pass
at a distance of a hundred and fifty yards. They rowed
less strongly now, but still vigorously. There was a shout
from the boat.
"All well on the island?"
"All well," Peter shouted back, waving his hand, and
without furthei 'J^'ird the canoe passed on.
"There! do JO hrmr that?" Peter exclaimed. "They
are firing shots fc: (J.ie '.-noea to call their attention.
The chances are Uie ^ woii t hear ♦hem; for the rattle of
their oars, and th^- i'Jii.>ig, and the row they are making
are enough to drown the sound of a cannon. Now put
r
H
it on I
us to t
The
boats t
heads j
tliree u
their be
as they
ing-pJa(
A fe\
from thi
"All y
"Did
" Yes,
"Wha
"Gene
been sen
"I'lls^
"for I pa
"I sup
haps soni(
you are q\
"As sar
• okfulof
"Well, i
said. " '^
or two. "V
tell the gei
"Marks!
'^tten on
must turn i
to shift the
<#rf»^
ON SHOR&
115
he«,l, a„„ iold " .h! * ~:<=°?P''"'''' " '""'^'l their
three mue, aWl anStC?"' """ ".^^ "*'« -" "«»
their being ovetoketThrrt ""."'"""^ '''""^^« «'
-« they apVo hedlke L?d t^d™''''^'''"^^^^
ing-place without any siinst !w ''l^ "^ '" *-••« '«"'l-
A few men were iL. "* «=''™<»-<l'n»ry haste.
from the island^ Li iTeXfr' , " f"'' ^ «"> "«'"'
;;A« well there/- Prrtld"*'^'""''^''
__^id you see anything of Schuyler?"
" wtif J? ""' ''™ "*"'"' '"'«-»™y across."
\Vhat have you come for?"
been r;tef a^.TeSs "'''' "° '^'^ "'""^ ''-
"for' "pXd a :lro? tC" "".f • '"^ "^'' -«'-"'«<».
n suppose the;ta:l ten Sw-Tr' *; 'r
haps some of the stor^, v. ""^'a'", Feter said. "Per-
you are quite sartin wt hatrhf ? "'^"^ °™' ">«"• ^f
"As sar.,„ , Iife;"4^m ^r p ier™I^'""°'''"«"
' .;kful of Hints; and tarnation T ... *''^" *» 'he
"Well, then, I need noT?!rM u^ """^ ""^ *^"
said. .. We will teV» , f 1' ••""" " f'""-!ier,» Peter
0' two. WJI^X" ar^: onT* "r"^ " "^ ""O"
'^"Mtff ?.' ^"^ '»'»*"- "'" ' " " ' ""^
-ittenon U i^ rbSTl't' ""'^•" ""^ ^«»™
■nust tumupanyhow I^evw' .? ?^ ^'^'^ '»»«• It
'- -^ ft the stori" ^ ^ ^^ " "''»•' they come
to
116
IN THE FOREST.
Then, accompanied by his two companions, Peter
strolled quietly through the little village. Stopping at a
small store, he purchased some flour and tea; then he
followed the road inland, and was soon out of sight of the
village; he stopped for a moment and then shook his
head.
"It's no use trying to hide our trail here," he said;
"the road's an inch thick in dust; and, do what we will,
they will be able to see where we turn off. It is our legs
as we have got to trust to for a bit. We've got a good
half -hour's start of the canoes; they were a long three
miles behind when we struck the shore."
Leaving the road, he led the way with a long swinging
stride across the cultivated land. Twenty minutes' walk
took them into the forest, which extended from the shore
of the lake many miles inland.
" Take off your boots, Harold," he said as he entered
the wood; "those heels will leave marks that a Red-skin
could pick up at a run; now tread, as near as you can, in
the exact spot where the Seneca has trodden before you
He will follow in my track, and you may be sure that 1
shall choose the hardest bits of ground I can come across.
There, the varmint are on shore!"
As he spoke an angry yell rose from the distant village.
At a long steady pace, which taxed to the utmost Harold's
powers as a walker, they kept their way through the
woods, not pursuing a straight course, but turning, wind-
ing, and zigzagging every few minutes. Harold could
not but feel impatient at what seemed to him such a loss
of time, especially when a yell from the edge of the wood
told that the Indians had traced them thus far — showed,
too, that they were far nearer than before. But, as Peter
aften
made
they
taken
hard;
obliffe
freque
tinned
at a I
here a
stream
lowed,
able dj
thick, I
out fro
a run, I
the Ind
than thi
would I
be uncei
As th(
they firs
died awi
It was la
"We(
the crittf
He be^
to assist.
"Yous
should gc
should hi
the woodi
A HALT.
117
afterwards explained to him all tl,!= . •
made it necejary forVhe M^Lfto t"""'^'"'* "'"'^'"8
they would an animal, to^Z ttV'''Z'*^P' «
tokea The weather had b^erd,t andT°° 'T ''"'
here and tS Sfeyt- ^^^ ^'«' »«^ing the trail
streams running dow^^^tot^dT^n 1^°.^ """« "'"«
lowed, in some ca^Jnn • 1 "''*• *««« ""ey fol-
able distencrC^X" W ''."'''™' ^"^ » ^"^''J^-
thick, and hid the milsoftheT r.*' ''"*^ g'*^
out from the water "ntM wo M itfv h'"^ '"^'^^
a ran, but Peter never quiekenld ht 8'*^'^,''*™ gone at
the Indians could not p^k unle^ ^T'^' '"'*" """
than that at which thev^t^ "^ *' * "'« faster
would be caused It ea^h 72!Zt "f *""' ^"' "^^'^^
be uncertain whether thev b!^ ''"!« streams, as it would
As the time pXel ttf T„rf ^"^'i, "P " <'°™-
they first entererthe wLl 7f '' "■>'* 'x^' ^^^n
died away, and a i:^^::^^!^^:^^^^'''-
It was late in the affprnnn« k '^^^^^ed m the forest.
-^ttrr^S??"-'^'^^-
toSi^------^^
;HouM Le air :h:i ex :^j;i r^- -
the woods on to u* No. the sticks .° Vll"'''
ins in
Seneca aiii]
118
A HUNTER'S MEAL.
me will pick up won't give as much smoke as you can put
in a tea-cup; but I would not risk even that if we was
nigh the lake, for it might be seen by any Red-skins out
in a canoe. But we are miles back from the lake, and
there ain't no other open space where they could get a
view over the tree-tops."
Harold watched the Indian and the scout collecting
dry leaves and sticks, and took particular notice, for
future use, of the kinds which they selected. A light
waa struck with a flint and steel, and soon a bright blaze
sprang up, without, so far as Harold could see, the slightest
smoke being given off.* Then the hunter produced some
food from his wallet, and a tin pot. He had at the
laat spring they passed filled a skm which hung on his
shoulder with water, and this was soon boiling over the
fire. A handful of tea was thrown in, and the pot
removed. Some flour, mixed with water, was placed on
a small iron plate, which was put on the red-hot ashes.
A few cakes were baked, and with these, the cold venison
and the tea, an ample meal was made.
After neariy an hour's halt they again proceeded on
their way. A consultation had taken place between Peter
and the Seneca as to the best course to be pursued
They could, without much difliculty or risk, have con-
tinued the way through the woods beyond the lake, but
It was important that they should reach the other side
by the evening of the following day, to give warning of
the intended attack by the Americans. There were,
they knew, other Red-skins in the woods besides those on
their trail, and the nearer they approached the shore the
greater the danger. They had, however, determined that
they would, at all hazards, endeavour to obtain another
BACK AT THB LAKE.
119
c5anoe and cross the lake. TJnti] ni«i,+*„ii xi.
their course and t^\l nightfall they continued
no longer L lllowTd th °^ .*^* ^^'^ *^^" <^°^d
6 i uo loiiowed, they made down in i-k^ i i
They were many miles distant from it I^d w u '•
completely worn out when at liri,!' f'** ^^
water through the tree! H„„ . ^^ * S'^*"" »«
ing tie lake ther b^2 ^^ *!;"'" ''"* '^ '•<'^'- Enter-
from the edge ^ ^"^ '"^"^ """"gl^ "' "' a few feet
which hrc;Si^"°"C2f M^ '"""" " "•« "'-'^«*
less than a minnl Wh^ t Joka T '"""' '^'^'P "
brightly. * ""''* *•"« s"" was shining
"he^s a"Ln?4t™ "f r '" ''"^'' *« -"O"* ""di
^:ft?..^^---J~i-"^ia
been out fishfng" '^°"' '''''' '°°"g'> they have
ey were nidden occupied the point
120
AN INDIAN OANOE.
at one extremity. In the centre of the little bay there
was a spot clear from bushes; to this the canoe was
directed As it approached the shore two other Indians
appeared at the water's edge. One of them asked a
question, and in reply a paddler held up a large bunch
of fish.
"Just as I thought; like enough there are a dozen of
them there," said Peter.
On reaching the shore the men sprang out, taking their
fish with them. The canoe was fastened by its head-rope
to the bushes, and the Indians moved a short distance
inland. -
" There is their smoke," Peter said, indicating a point
some thirty feet from the lake, but so slight was it, that,
even when it was pointed out to him, Harold could hardly
make out the light mist rising from among the bushes.
Presently he looked round for the Seneca, but the Indian
had disappeared.
"He has gone scouting," Peter said in answer to
Harold's question; "if there are only four of them it
would be an easy job, but I expect there is more of the
red varmint there."
In ten minutes the Seneca returned as noiselessly as
he had gone; he opened his hand and all the fingers twice;
the third time he showed only three fingers.
" Thirteen," Peter said; " too many of them even for a
sudden onslaught."
The Indian said a few words to Peter; the latter nodded,
and Deer-Tail again quietly stole away.
"He is going to steal the boat," Peter said; "it is a
risky job, for where it lies it can be seen by them as they
sit Now you and me must be ready with our shooting-
irons t
he get;
away 1
must (
wust, ;
some ti
ster, th
Hare
seemed
the bus
Thei
almost ;
gently 1
the surf
from th
edge of
the lake
in the I
canoe, si
that it •
to his f]
the bush
from the
watchful
by the b
stooped (
and agaii
that ever
discovere(
the Senec
of his kni
entered i<
STEALINO A BOAT. jgj
irons to cover him if need ha Vf i.^ • e -,
must do our best for him lli \ ''^^' *^'^ ""^
wusf T roni,« , " *^® ^"s* comes to the
Harold now sat intently watching the canoe It
gently before the flight breeze which wl-^S^fo™?
he surface of the lake. Half ito lei^h had Spea™d
Z *: °P«"/P''<=«- when an Indian appeare?by the
edge of the water. He looked at the canoe looked over
frl ?v. -^x ^^ '^"'^ "^"^ <''»™ a'ong until hidden
from the a.ght of those sitting by the fire ILTtt
watd,f„l Indian appeared, but fhe C wt iyinf "«!*
by the bushes at the full length of ite head rone III
stooped down to see that thl was securolvTlnSr
and agam retired. Harold held his S^'peS
that every moment the presence of the Senec^ would ^
d«overed. Scarcely had the Indian <u2« 1^
e Seneca crawled out from the bushe. Tth a "wt^
of his knife he cut the rope of the canoe - ■ • ■ ^
and as b« did
so
noiselessly
gave a shove with his foot
122
SAFELY AFLOAT.
which sent it dancing along the shore towards the spot
where Harold and his companion were hidden. Then
he seized the paddle, and in half a dozen strokes brought
it within reach of them. Harold and Peter stepped
into it; as they did so there was a sudden shout. The
Indian had again strolled down to look at the canoe,
whose movements, slight as they had been, had appeared
suspicious to him. He now, to his astonishment, saw it
at the point with two white men and an Indian on board.
He had left his gun behind him, and, uttering his war-
cry, bounded back for it.
"Round the point, ^uick!" Peter exclaimed; "they will
riddle us in the open."
Two strokes took the canoe round the projecting point
of bushes, and she then darted along the shore, driven
by the greatest efforts of which the three paddlers were
capable. Had the shore been open the Indians would
have gained upon them; but they were unable to force
their way through the thick bushes at anything like the
rate at which the canoe was flying over the water. The
first start was upwards of a hundred yards, and this was
increased by fifty before the Indians, arriving at the
point, opened fire. This distance is beyond anything like
an accurate range with Indian guns. Several bullets
struck the water round the canoe.
"Now, steer out," Peter said, as the firing suddenly
ceased; "they are making a detour among the bushes,
and will come down ahead of us if we keep near the
shore."
Two or three more shots were fired, but without effect,
and the canoe soon left the shore far behind.
"Now," Peter said, "I think we are safe. It is not
THE FLOTILLA AGAIN. jgg
likely they have another canoe anywhere nei^r n« *k-
side, as most of f>i«r« «,^ u r **"j wnere near on this
much attention?be°C„" ^h'sfdr' J'/"' "°* ""'-*
the way of a b<;at o^t in the akf '|Sn \r "°*T ^
eyes cao see moat »„„ ^- I x.*'"' *^^° Eed-skW
on to the IndiZt W» n f ""? ^°'"' '^''^'" ^^ ''«»'
and I will He down at ftXr^T!l" ""> ^""^ '"»
paddle quietly a^de^ilv 1, , °* ** '"*''• <^» y"
and even if you fee o?W J '^'" f "^*' "o »™P™°n.
in that wayS: tlTZ Zl oflh'""" """^ °°
ding to overhaul yoa" ^ *''"" "« '"'^n-
the^el^irM C^^^^ Harold stretched
paddled quietly and':Si;o„'%r::'htr t '""""^
was spoken in the canoA tt ^^ ^ ^°* * ^o^<^
offtoSeep^ AtLVrelnel^^pir""*'--'^-''
Many boats out on water-American army"
shown now it wonlrl Ko «r xi. „ '^^^^ ^ere
the time. We kTow hereTr *" '* ^' '"^ »* >=? «"
and they may be IjchL ^^C T" ""'.*"'' ^'"^•
way Oir. but there is no s^yi^g how f J^pJ V " '°"«
can carry. Can -r«n oo« *i- ^ A ® -Ked-skm's eyes
Noix, as we hearf tw /'* *'>^y h^^^ing for Isle-aux-
.^ne^^-rt"^^^
.ultation with PelJSrX' ""' ^"^' « •^"-
124
A rKESH 0HA8K
;; What if. he doing now?" Harold aalced.
Pete?ir"fL M P^f'-'^r" "^^ ^■"'' ""y "« 'heirs,"
soon see Tfia Lff ^ f^ *' ^o^ever, we shall
ooon see. it is better so than to turn anrl r.o^.ii •
o«.^di.ction. as that would be '^.t:tl^tTrZ
The fleet of boats had already passed the spot where
the canoe would have crossed had she been goinVdirectlv
across the lake when she wa3 first seen, afd waa twi
fore now ahead of it. The great flotilla ke^t on ^ « the'
fu'-T » r'"^-^'- Therefore, altho'grrendinf ove
the side of the canoe as if watching hi iJl T?
were never off the boats. ^ ''"''' """ '?''
h.'l!^*'! r,«^°«» ""^Wng for the shore both ways"
uCi:l^L" " ' '""' '"'' -^ -"''« "-'"^ Sd
rJ^>^^f?'"'°]^ ;* """^ '** "P ™ the boat and looked
round the lake, wh.ch at this point was about tenmiie.
A RACX
125
tance nearer to the western I t; *"'' ""* »»»« dis-
wen. detaching O^ZT^^fZ^IZl^T '™ «"•-
rowing direct for the shor. T ,,''"*' aPParently
for the canoe to have rt^,' T ' '■^^ '""'" ^^^
before she could have beer c^f i k xT'" ''^^ '4
find the Chippew.3 The m r ' ."' ^'"^ ^^^V '"'gU
.taken would^™,„Sw at? T^^^' ''"*' '^"^y ^'^
in hopes that somethi^a ^,11? ° ^ "? ^?'''<=» «* 'he lake
Besides, had they landed thtel"" '° '^^^ "^^^ »--*•
carry in time the news of th« » ^ ''^ "" """"^ t"
St John's. For the ^metit iP^'^^'^^ ""** "P""
up the lake near the CanaXn end '"P"^' ^^ '*'^''
point opposite to that at^S'thtr** *' ^'"'™ «' »
hostile canoes could cut thlm nff f ^ •'^ "^"^ before the
them there they wou^d be^wf 7? "• " '^ey headed
other end of th"^ lake before tr*" ""? '^»^" t" 'he
he could not calculate on b^^!bf;"S^''''>din^; while
n>ost of which carried fouTf^d,'*" ""f »!' 'he canoes,
every nerve to retrieve thX m^Z 7^° ''°'"'' »«°
Not a word was spoken t^.n . /''* P'"^""'^ day-
water. Harold, untc'lmed ;t/'''^?''"''S'' *^^
form no idea whether theSsten^i *^ *'**'"=^- """U
not intercept them. A pret^^r'"' T'** »' ^°"W
""■ning towards the shore on nlr"^ '''"'^ *" ^'"" ^ he
the shorter distance thaHhTlnr^ P""""' '=°""«». '"d
«eemed to place them fafah^dTt ''"""^ '"'''« '» 'O'-
not pa«.lH «, the Ind Cte™ tad^T ^^"«'' ^^«
-estointer^ptthecourserhSt^XtfeS
I
126
ROWING FOR LIFE.
sumg. As the minutes went by. and the boats converged
more and more towards the same point. Harold saw how
c ose the race would be. After twenty minutes' hard pad-
ding the boat« were within a quarter of a mile of each
other and the courses which they were respectively taking
seemed likely to bring them together at about a quartef
of a mile from the shore. There were three Indian
canoes, and these kept well together. So close did the
race appear that Harold expected every moment to see
Peter sweep the head of the canoe round and make a
stem chase of it by running down on the laka This
however. Peter had no intention of doing. The canoes, he'
saw. travelled as fasi a^ his own, and could each spare a
woL 11 r ^J^T^^y' ^^ile he and his companions
would all be obliged to continue paddling. Better ace...
tomed to judge distances than Harold, he wa^ sure, afc
the speed at which they were going he would be abi; to
pass somewhat ahead of his foes.
seJdt: atr '""' """''''" '^ "^'- "''^"' ^'^^^'
b„f r^f u^l^'!? "^'"^''^ ^ *^« "*°^°^* «f ^i« strength,
f 1. .1^ ^^ *^' ""^y *^^ «^°°« quivered at every
stroke, that his companions were only now putting out
their extreme strength. The boat seemed to fly through
the water, and he began to think for the first time
that the canoe would pa^s ahead of their pursuers. The
latter were clearly also conscious of the fact, for thev
now turned their boats' heads more towards the shore.
so that the spot where the lines would meet would be
close to tiie shore itself. The canoes were now withm
two hundred yards of each other; the Indians were
nearer to the shore; but the oblique line that they were
A ORinOAL MOMENT. I27
that the four canoerJ^n ,, ^- " "^^""^ '» him
same morZ TZ ZTJL"""' """"'^ •" *«
m hundred yards tta^t' ""^ ""^ """« ^^« »'
we« tt" eiT„t;t"!:2"''''"f ' """^ '"'» *•"« «--
sweep with hrpaddTefl^.^f^'v "P"^" ^«'«'- ""•> »
round, and n^XoU^Tt'tY' '^""l"'"'^ '"'"
purauen. almost aatm otht Thl 7' "" ^T'"^ ^^
hundred yards distant, ttey were W fiftv T ^V^J*"
puraueis. The latter gave I !o?d 111 f ^.^^f "* "^eir
in the position in the d.1 Thev td 07"""^ *^r'""«*
thepossibilityofsuchamovemellwwT'^''*""''''"
to prevent it Thev SZt ^ ^^'^ powerless
inafant one man ife^f ' T"'' P"?""'^' ^o' 0° «>«
standing up. fired ni,T '"''P''' '''' P'"^<««' '»<',
take aim when 8t„d?„„ • ^°'"'''"' " <^'«»»" «>ing to
vigorous sl^'rest^t r Pad<Sr T'"^ ^ *' "^^
difficult since the canoiwe'e at the "'". ' "'°''
rovn^d to follow the movent of t^Z ZT'
ht' ""^"^ '"'^''^ ^-0 "'^ can:e!b:t\„^it:
they could Xhopi t ':v~e t^t J^'"^. '^^ *>«"
was now but a few hnMh^f \ ""^- ^^'^'' <^°^
128
FRIENDS I
from the bushes on the shore three puffs of smoke shot
out and three of the Indians fell, one of them upsettiui?
his boat in his fall. A yell of surprise and dismay broke
from tL.m, the guns were thrown down, the paddles
grasped again, and the heads of the canoes turned from the
shore. The Indians in the overturned boat did not wait
to right it, but scrambled into the other canoes and both
were soon paddling at the top of their speed' from the
shore, not. however, without further damage, for the guns
in the bushes again spoke ou.,and Peter and the Seneca
added their fire, the instant they leaped from the boat to
shore, and another of the Indians was seen to fall. Harold
was too breathless when he reached the bank to be able
to fire. He raised his gun, but his hands trembled with
the exertion that he had undergone, and the beating of
his heart and his short panting breath rendered it impos-
sible for him to take a steady aim. A minute later Jake
burst his way through the bushes.
"Ah! Massa Harold," he exclaimed; "bress the Lord dat
we was here; what a fright you hab giben me, to be sure
we hab been watching you for a long time. Ephraim
and de Red-skin dey say dey saw little spot far out on
lake, behind all dose boats; den dey say other boats set
off m chase. For a long time Jake see nothing about
dat, but at last he see dem; den we hurry along de
shore, so as to get near de place to where de boats row
ebery moment me tink dat dey catch you up. Ephraim
say, no, berry close thing; but he tink you come along
first, but dat we must shoot when dey come close We
stand watch for some time, den Ephraim say dat you
no able to get to dat point. You hab to turn aloii.^
de shore, so we change our place and run along, and sure
BACK AT ST. JOHN'S.
over." ' """^ ^"6 Ked-skins dey tumble
-en if y^/kad gortTCrTf^.""°'™'^'''''J--
followed us. .„d the oddl 2i2"^ """^ """'J '-e
heavy." """^ "ga'^t us would have been
.n'l^f ,*"■ ''" » «'ose shave Peter" Vr.u ■
»ll-fired close shave I call it" ' *'P'«a"o said, "an
attack St. Job's t^!:^^,^^:' ^^, T'--'^ air going to
fort in time to put ^Ton' tTl ^'"l' *° «"' '^ "">
"des of the lake are sure It f^"*?' ^''^''- ^oth
Those canoes paddled Zt^^'J^lf ''<»«'« Injuns,
run might have worn ^o^' '^' ""^ ^ *« W
, ■• ^Ve had a ski™Uh C fh' hTm'r. «""S^'
sharp shave it war too bn/» ' ""' ""''^i "» P"tty
from them. Altogether 'we hav! T?'^''' *" »"P ""^"y
work, I can tell yi, ^J ithoZl '°T "''="'>'y «'ose
were going to be wiped out "' ■""'' *™ °-» « we
at . stt]JTarr„l':,^e ^ T '"' '''-^^ ^'^''ed
having fi„td„,wn up the eanoTrn;' "T '™"' ">« '«ke.
, It was late at night whenT ''T*"^ concealed it.
A message wa3 at on^ desnalhT^^' ^"''^ «^ J°h^
S^ecas, who were at their Xki ^ " P^^^ »f the
— ney arrived in the Stt"/ tf '^ "''^
"TOing, and, together with
away,
130
A SHARP REPULSE.
a portion of the garrison, moved out and took their place
in the wooded and marshy ground between the fort and
the river. Scouts were sent along ihe Sorrel, and these
returned about one o'clock, saying that a large number
of boats were coming down the lake, from Isle-aux-
Noix. It had been determined to allow the colonists
to land without resistance, as the commander of the
fort felt no doubt of his ability, with the assistance of
his Indian allies, to repulse their attack. Some twelve
hundred men were landed, and these at once began to
advance towards the fort, led by their two generals,
Schuyler and Montgomery. Scarcely had they entered
the swamp, when from every bush a fire was opened
upon them. The Invaders were staggered, but pushed
forward, in a weak and undecided way, as far as a
creek which intercepted their path. In vain General
Montgomery endeavoured to encourage them to advance.
They wavered and soon began to fall back, and in an
hour from the time of their landing they were again
gathered on the bank of the river. Here they threw up a
breastwork, and as his numbers were greatly inferior the
British oflBcer in command thought it unadvisable to at-
tack them. After nightfall the colonists took to their
boats and returned to Isle-aux-Noix, their loss in this
their first attempt at the invasion of Canada, being nine
menu
A day or two later the Indians again attempted to
induce General Carleton to permit them to cross the
frontier and carry the war into the American settle-
ments, and upon the general's renewed refusal they left
the camp in anger and remained from that time alto-
gether aloof from the contest.
AN EXPEDITION ROUTED. y^^
thirty Americans, and was joined bv ^icrhi^r n.r. a-
Da^ed by the success whiet had a^ffihe^S^
abo^t three mae^^l AeX"' ptr d" *"' '"^'^*
scouts who had been watchin„' J ^^ """^ "^^^^
higher up. a.d brou^t tte tis LXf"'' "^
:re.T^rer^e:i'':f4tr^^^^^^^^^
bvLt of CaTadTTwV r" t*^''*''"' So ftTe
hoped bA^t^l: X^dCltt? '^'^ >-"
complete failura ^PPeared likely to turn out a
CHAPTER VIII.
QUEBEa
ENERAL CARLETON.seeingthat Montgomery's
whole force was retained idle before St. John's,
began to hppe that the winter would come to
his assistance before the invaders had made
any serious progress. Unfortunately he had not reckoned
on the utter incapacity of the officer in command of
Fort Chamble'e. Major Stopford of the 7th Regiment had
a hundred and sixty men and a few artillerymen, and
the fort was strong and well provided with provisions.
American spies had found the mhabitants around the
place favourable to the Americans. Major Brown was
sent down, therefore, by Montgomery with a small de-
tachment, and being joined by the inhabitants sat down
before the fort. They had only two six-pounders, and
could have effected nothing had the fort been com-
manded by a man of bravery and resources. Such was
not the character of its commander, who, after a siege
of only a day and a half, surrendered the place with all
its stores, which were of inestimable value to the in-
vaders, who, indeed, were upon the edge of giving up the
siege of the fort, their ammunition being entirely ex-
hausted; but the six tons of gunpowder, the seventeen
182
A RETREAT TO QUEBEa 133
cannon mortars and muskets, which fell into their hands
renewed vigour. There was no excuse whatever for
the conduct of Major Stopford in allowing thte Tto «
to fall mto the hands of the Americans as even had
he not possessed courage to defend the i^orT hTmiit
before surrendering, have thrown the whole of the am '
mumtion mto the river, upon which there was a Ttl
sally-port, whe™ he could have carried on thriratTon
entirely unmolested by the enemy. The colouTof he
^tt^hrofr;:« -^ -' ^ ^o^^^^ tt:
The siege of St John's waa now pushed on by Mont.
gome.y with vigour. Colonel Maclean, with eieht hZ
crossing the St. Lawrence in small boata. On nearinff
wer7obltTd L . """T' P""^-* *''^'^ *»' they
were obliged to retire without effecting a landini^
St Johns; there was no hope whatever of relief from
the outside, and the officer commanding was thereC
SSdefenr"*^ "" '"^ ^*'» »^ ^0-^^^:
f r.;tchS ?ther™— - «^^?
. - ..«xx«xcu ana tnirty miles north of
134
A WONDERFUL MAROH.
Boston. Suffering enormous fatigue and hardship, the
force made its way up the river; past rapids, cataracts,
and through swamps they dragged and carried their boats
and stores. They followed the bed of the river up to its
source, and then crossing the watershed, descended the
Chaudiere and Duloup rivers on to the St. Lawrence,
within a few miles of Quebec
This was a wonderful march-— one scarcely equalled in
the annals of military history. Crossing the St. Lawrence
in canoes, Arnold encamped with his little force upon the
heights of Abraham. Such a daring attempt could not
have been undertaken had not the Americans been aware
of the extreme weajcness of the garrison at Quebec; it
consisted only of fifty men of the 7th Regiment, two
hundred and forty of the Canadian militia, a battalion of
seamen from the ships of war under the command of
Captain Hamilton of the Lizard, two hundred and fifty
strong, and the colonial volunteers under Colonel Maclean,
The fortifications were in a ruinous condition. It was
fortunate that Colonel Maclean, who had come from the
Sorrel upon the surrender of St. John's by forced marches,
arrived on the very day on which Arnold appeared before
the city. Directly he arrived Arnold attacked the city
at the gate of St. Louis, but was sharply repulsed. He
then desisted from active operations, and awaited the
arrival of Montgomery, who was marching down from
Montreal. The flotilla in which Carleton was descending
the river was attacked by the Americans, who came down
the^ Sorrel, and was captured, with all the troops and
military stores which it was bringing down. General
Carleton himself escaped in a small boat under cover of
nieht, and reached Quebec
THE SIEGE LANGUISHEa 135
Captain Wilson's company had been attached to the
command of Colonel Maclean, and with it arrived in
Quebec in safety.
Upon the arrival of Montgomery with his army the
city was summoned to surrender. A strong party in the
town were favourable to the invaders, but General Carieton
treated the summons with contempt, and turned all the
inhabitants who refused to join in the defence of the city
outside the town.
The winter had now set in in earnest, and the difficulties
of the besiegers were great. Arnold's force had been much
weakened by the hardships that they had undergone,
Montgomery's by desertions; the batteries which they
erected were overpowered by the fire of the defenders,
and the siege made no progress whatever. The men
became more and moro disaffected and mutinous; many
of them had nearly served the time for which they had
enlisted, and Montgomery feared that they would leave
him when their engagement came to an end. He in vain
tempted the besieged to make a sally. Carieton was
so certain that success would come by waiting that he
refused to allow himself to hazard it by a sortie.
The weather was fighting for him, and the besiegers
had before them only the alternatives of taking the place
by storm or of abandoning the siege altogether. They
resolved upon a storm. It was to take place at day-
break on the thirty-first of December. Montgomery deter-
mined to make four attacks-two false and two real ones.
Colonel James Livingstone with two hundred Canadians
was to appear before St. John's gate, and a parity under
Colonel Brown were to feign a movement against the
upper town, and from hiah ffro"nd *hpr'- '-— « *~ = - j
■*■
135
DEATH OF MONTGOMERY.
rockets as the signal for the real attacks to commence —
that led by Montgomery from the south, and that imder
Arnold from the north-west — both against the lower
town.
The false attacks were made too soon, the rockets being
fired half an hour before the main columns reached their
place of attack. The British were not deceived, but judg-
ing these attacks to be feints, left but a small party to
oppose them, and marched the bulk of their forces down
towards the lower town; their assistance, however, came
too late, for before they arrived the fate of the attack
was already decided. The Americans advanced under
circumstances of great diflSculty. A furious wind with
cutting hail blew in their faces; the ground was slippery
and covered with snow.
Half an hour before the English supports arrived on the
spot, Montgomery, with his leading company, reached the
first barricade, which was undefended; passing through
this they pressed on towards the next. The road leading
to it was only wide enough for five or six persons abreast.
On one side was the river, on the other a steep cliff; in
front was a log-hut with loopholes for musketry, and a
battery of two three-pounders. It was held by a party
of thirty Canadians and eight militiamen under John
CoflSn, with nine sailors under Bairnsfeather, the captain
of a transport, to work the guns. Montgomerj^ with
sixty men pushed on at a run to carry the battery, but
when within fifty yards Bairnsfeather discharged his
pieces, which were loaded with grape-shot, with deadly
aim Montgomery, his aide-de-camp Macpherson, Lieu-
tenant Cheeseman, and ten others fell dead at the first dis-
charge, and with them the soul of the expedition fled. The
REPULSE OF THE ASSAULT.
137
remaining officers endeavoured to get the men to advance
but none would do so, and they fell back without losinc^
another man. So completely cowed were they that they
would not even carry off the bodies of their general and
his companions. These were brought into Quebec next
day and buried with the honours of war by the garrison.
The force under Arnold was far stronger than that
under Montgomery. The Canadian guard appointed to
defend the first barrier fled at the approach, but the
small body of sailors fought bravely, and were all killed
TiT?T ^?°^^ ""^ '^°* *^^«"gh *he leg and dis-
abled. Morgan, who commanded the advanced companies
led his men on and carried the second barrier after an
obstinate resistance. They were attacking the third when
Th. Br^- wt ! ZZ ^''"^ '^' "PP^^ *°^^ ^-rived.
The British then took the offensive and drove the enemy
back, and a party going round fell upon their rear. Fifty
were killed m Arnold's column, four hundred taken
prisoners, and the rest retreated in extreme disorder
Thus ended the assault upon Quebec-an assault which
was all but hopeless from the first, but in which the
Americans showed but little valour and determination.
In fact, throughout the war it may be said that the
Americans, when fighting on the defensive behind trees
and entrenchments, fought stubbornly; but that they were
B^iroSn t ;r -^ '-'^''^ '' ^^^^ ^^^^-^
It would now have been easy for Carleton to have sal-
hed out and taken the offensive, but he preferred holding
Quebec quietly. He might have easily driven the Amer^
cans from their position before the walls; but with the
handful of troops under hln nr^«r« h. ' ij *^_'^"^,"»«
■ '-#:
138
THI SIEQE RAISED.
nothing towards carrying on a serious campaign in the
open.
Until spring came, and the rivers were opened, no re-
inforcements could reach him from England, while the
Americans could send any number of troops into Canada.
Carleton therefore preferred to wait quietly within the
walls of Quebec, allowing the winter, hardships, and dis-
union to work their natural effects upon the invaders.
Arnold sent to Washington to demand ten thousand
more troops, with siege artillery. Several regiments
were sent forward, but artillery coulJ not be spared.
Eight regiments entered Canada; but they iound that
instead of meeting, ^s they had expected, an enthusiastic
reception from the inhabitants, the population were now
hostile to them. The exactions of the invading army had
been great, and the feeling in favour of the English was
now all but universal.
On the 5th of May two frigates and a sloop of ,var made
their way up the river to Quebec. The Americans endea-
voured to embark their sick and artillery above the town.
Reinforced by the marines, the garrison sallied out and
attacked the enemy, who fled with precipitation, leaving
their provisions, cannon, five hundred muskets, and two
hundred sick behind them. The British pursued them
until they reached the mouth of the Sorrel.
The arrival of the fleet from England brought news of
what had taken place since Captain Wilson's company
had marched from Boston, a short time after the battle
of Bunker's HilL Immediately after the battle the colo-
nists had sent two deputies, Penn and Lee, with a peti-
tion to parliament for the restoration of peace. This
petition was supported by a strong body in parliament.
OPINION IN INOLAND. 139
m,. majority, however, argued that, from the conduct
of the Americans, it was clear that they aimed at nn-
conditionaJ, unqualified, and total independence. In all
their proceedings they had behaved as if entirely sepa-
.t„ K T ^"'" ^"'^ ^'"'^ profe^ions and p!l
tion breathed peace and moderation; their actions and
preparations denoted war and defiance; every attempt
that could be made to soften their hostility h^d been in
vain; their obstinacy was inflexible; and the more Ens-
land had given in to their wishes, the more insolent and
overbearing had the^r demands become The stamp-ta^
had been repealed, but their ill-will had grown rather
^an abated. The taxations on imports hadC en« elT
taken ofl; save on one smaU item; but rather than pav
this they had accumulated arms and ammunition, seked
for r t V i!^T ^^y '"" "'"^""tives remLed
for the British nation to adopt- either to coerce the
:iVnr ''""^'°" - "^ ^-"' "'^ ^'^^ -«-
whidr^adT'°"'*'7T7'" *™°'^^^: *•>« concessions
whwh had been made had but encouraged the colonists
to demand more. No good whatever would ha™ come
from entering into negotiation; there remained but the
two alternatives. It would, however, have been far better
had parliament, instead of deciding on coercion wia
drawn altogether f^m the colonies; for although hitwt
the Americans had shown no great fightinf qualife
It was clear that so small an army as En4and «>2
»pare could not pennanently keep dLn so vlTa c^ifn-
t7J *t P~.P'« "«« determined upon independence
They might wm everv bntt.l.^™i„j./^ F='"™ce.
^ -^x^tiw Ovox-^uwer every
I!! Hi
140
AN INCAPABLE GENERAL
aceuatoraed to defeat her sniri^fn ft 7"""- ™ "''■
and hieh' and hv » . ^P"'.'" "lose dajs was proud
the co±:i'i;^:'z^x! !:^T''\r'^ '"'
one unworthv «f tv. ^' . ^*' '**? *»''«° "^
embitterTheVar tdT'd^'//"?.''' '"" '""'- *»
wie war, and it added to the streno+h nf +»,«
num e^^ffof^Ttrp,"' TV":' ''^"^ »' ""•«'
into .Hh Ku»ia.K„THe3trdXZrS
of these proved ineffectual, but a considerable mn^bfr^
tioops were obtained from Hesse
strengthened.^^dhetookp^rsiotf^Do'LtsTl^eir
commandmg the town of Boston i v ^'"^sier Height,
was opened on the Zv ^ Briti,t ^^ "'^T'^^
vis "sr^ r^- «^ 'rmTi=:f i
:9:ofrc?rt:-st™Teti;rrutttt'
^rin« thepa^t four monthThS'a.,fort XH:::
suffered them to be cooped up for months in tte cHy
and had failed to take possession of the various hli^S'
commanding the towa ^Had he donelLI bX'^^
* HIRHIED EVAOUATXON. I4J
have resisted » force many times as strong as that which
:r^«teitrttTei7ts";^^^^^^
or to evacuate the city ^ ^ enormous loas.
that which was now adopted ' °'~"'' *■"
Having adopted this resolution, Howe carried it „„t
m a manner which wonld in itself be suffiS to eon
damn h,m as a military leader. Nothing wT done to
colonists to use Z^rE^^^.T'VZstXZ
to warn ships arriving from England of th^sn^nder of
™t ZLtrr*'"'"'^ "'^' *•"'' •" addrnto 'the
vast amount of stores captured in the town numbers of
the Bntish store-ships fell into the hands7f the iTerl
of the loyalist PopiTir" Zton^:^^;^^ ^^^
srTe^r'inX:,:^ t^tzT- -^ "'-
of th. troubles had S I • T ^ ^?^°^«"cement
^^nSoyl/^rn^ rhatl^^brenrVT
some terms of capitulation with wth t IT 'f "t"
they might have b^en permit Jt d^..!fl'?.' 7'f"''y
'"' -*co«n. uu wieir homes
143
CONTINUED SUCCESSES.
..d^p^..
and to the enjoyment of their property. Nothing of the
sort waa attempted; and the only choice offered to a
loyahst waa to remain in the town, exposed to certain
msult and ill-treatment, perhaps to death, at the hands
of the rebels, or to leave in the transports for England
or Halifax, and to be landed here penniless and starving
Howe's conduct in this was on a piece with his be-
haviour throughout the campaign; he was, however, little
if at all inferior to the other generals, who vied with
each other in incapacity and folly. Never, indeed, in the
whole history of England were her troops led by men so
inefficient, so sluggish, and so incapable as those who com-
manded her armies in the American revolutionary war.
The first ships from England which arrived at Quebec
were followed a few days later by the Niger and Triton
convoy transports, with troops. The British now took
the offensive in earnest. From the west Captain Forster
marched from Detroit with forty men of the 8th Regi-
ment, a hundred Canadians and some Indians, a^^ainst
a pass called the "Cedars," situated fifteen leagues above
Montreal. This was held by four hundred men, with two
cannon. As soon as the British force opened fire the
Americans surrendered. The following day Vorster's
force, advancing, came upon a hundred and forty men
under Major Sherbourne, who were marching to reinforce
the garrison at the Cedars. The.o were forced to retreat,
and a hundred of them taken prisoners.
Arnold, with seven hundred men, advanced against the
British force. The British officer, fearing that in case
of an attack the Indians with him might massacre the
prisoners, released the whole of them, four hundred and
seventy-four in number, under the promise that an equal
CANADA OLEABID OP INVADERS. J 43
number of Britiah prisoner should be returned Thi«
engagement was ahamefully broken by the Americans
who ra-sed . number of frivolous excuses, among oth n
that prisoners token by the British were ill-treated-an
Zr.r T'^'^ *' indignation of the prisoners
themselves some of whom wrote to membeis of Con..re.,s
sUtmg that nothing could be kinder or more courteous
than the treatment which they received
tU^"! ^nff """ advancing towards Montreal from
TZlt ? n T """"^ "P "S'''''^' »•"» Americans
t^ \T. ^"'''f ^^ *" <»"''"> of Montgomery.
Wo^ter had token the command of the main AmericS
force. He had been succeeded by Thompson; but the
latter dying of smallpox, Sullivan took his pl^^e. The
new commander determined to take the offensive against
the Engl«h, and despatched a force of about two thou-
sand men to attack General Fraaer, who ueld a Dost at
a place called the Three Elvers. ^
A Canadian peasant brought news to General Fraser of
the approach of the Americans; and as he had received
Sol!^^^ A ^'^'"''™'°™t' ^'ere completely successful.
Tht^ ? ^ IT^T- '^'"' ^""'^''^ ^«" ki»^ and
l^Z- ""f f y f "^'^ P™""*"^ The rest succeeded
in returning to Sorrel.
rivI^lT^'''- \^^ ""^ ^^' ^"*^^^ ^^y '^^^ came up the
ZZt 'v^'' "^^ ^' '^'^ approached Sorrel, SuUi!
^2 1^ • ^^VT"'"^^'^ ^* ^^°*^^^^' evacuated the
town and jomed Sullivan's army at St. John's.
nad the English Duahod fn,rxr,>r.A ^u^
. „^^ Willi any energy, ihe
t'
144
THE WKECK OF AN ARMY.
whole of the American army of invasion would have
fallen into their hands. They were completely broken
in spints. and suffering terribly from sickness, and were
wholly incapable of making any defence. Burgoyne, how-
ever, who commanded the advance of the English army
moved forward very slowly, and the Americans were en-'
abled to take to their boats and cross, first to Isle-aux-
Noix, and then to Crown Point. An American historian
who saw them after they landed, says: "At the sight of so
much privation and distress I wept until I had no more
power to weep. I did not look into a tent or hut in which
I did not find either a dead or dying maa Of about
5000 men full hal^ were invalids. In little more than
two months they had lost by desertion and death more
than 5000 men."
Captain Wilson and his company were not present with
the advance of the British troops. General Howe after
evacuating Boston, had sailed with his army to Halifax
there to wait until a large body of reinforcements should
be sent in the spring from England. General Carleton
had m his despatches mentioned favourably the services
which the little company of loyalists from Boston had per-
formed, and Lord Howe wrote requesting that the com-
pany should be sent down by ship to Halifax, as he was
about to sail from New York to undertake operations on
a large scale, and should be glad to have with him a body
of men accustomed to scouting and acquainted with the
country. Accordingly the company was embarked in a
transport, and reached Halifax early in June. On the
11th they sailed with the army, and arrived at Sandy
Hook on the 29th. On the 3d of July the army landed
on Staten Island, opposite Long Island, and soon after-
PBAOB PROPOSALS. 145
wards Lord Howe, brother of General Howe, arrived with
fT.^!^"^^ ^'^^'^ England, raising the total force to
nearly 30,000 men. It consisted of two battalions of Ught
mfantry, two of grenadiers, the 4th, 5th, 10th, 17th 22d
23d, 27th, 35th, 38th, 40th, 42d, 43d, 44th, 45th, 49th 52d'
55th, 63d, and 64th Kegiments of foot, part of the'4Gth
and 71st Regiments, and the 17th Regiment of light
dragoons. There were besides two battalions of volunteers
from New York, each a thousand strong. Had this force
arrived, as it should have done, three months earlier, they
might have achieved great things; but the delay had
enabled the Americans to make extensive preparations
to meet the coming storm.
Lord Howe brought with him a communication from
parhament, giving to him and his brother full power to
treat with the Americans on any terms which they might
thmk fit. Upon his arrival Lord Howe addressed a
letter to Dr. Franklin, informing him of the nature of
his communication; expressing hopes that he would find
m America the same disposition for peace that he brought
with him, and requesting his aid to accomplish the desired
end. Dr. FrankUn, in answer, informed Lord Howe that
"prior to the consideration of any proposition for friend-
ship or peace, it would be required that Great Britain
should acknowledge the independence of America, should -
defray the expense of the war, and indemnify the colonists
for all damages committed."
After such a reply as this. Lord Howe had no alterna-
tive but to commence hostilities, which he did by landme
the army in Gravesend Bay, Long Island. The enemy
offered no opposition to the landing, but retreated at
once, setting fire to all the honsA« an'i ---n-r-"" «-^
146
THE CAPTURS OF LONQ ISLAND.
taking up a position on the wooded heights which com-
manded the line by which the English must advance.
The American main force, 15,000 strong, were posted
on a peninsula between Mill Creek and Wallabout Bay,
and had constructed a strong line of intrenchments aoxoss
the end of the peninsula. The intrenchments were
strengthened by abattis, and flanked with strong redoubts.
6000 remained to guard this post, and 10,000, under Gen-
eral Puttenham, advanced to hold the Ime of wooded hills
which run across the island.
In the centre of the plain, at the foot of these hills,
stood the village of " Flat-bush."
The Hessian division of the British army, under General
De Heister, advanced against this, while General Clinton
with the right wing of the English army, moved forward
to attack the enemy's left.
This force marched at 9 o'clock at night on the 26th
of August; General Sir William Howe himself accom-
panied it. The Ime of hills trended away greatly to the
left, and the enemy had neglected to secure the passes
over the hills on this flank; consequently at 9 o'clock in
the morning the British passed the range of hills without
resistance, and occupied Bedford in its rear. Had Sir
William Howe now pushed on vigorously, the whole of
Puttenham's force must have been captur«jd.
In the meantime the Hessians from Flat-bush attacked
the centre of the Americans, and after a warm engage-
ment routed them, and drove them into the woods with
a loss of three pieces of cannon.
On the British left General Grant also advanced, and
at midnight carried a strong pass on the enemy's left.
Retiring, they held a still stronger position farther back,
The BRITISH POSITION
U7
;ffiS|| ' ' Americans I
148
ESCAPE OF THE AUSRIOAN&
and offered a fiene resistance, until the fires at Bedford
showed that the jinglish had obtained a position almost
in their rear, when they retreated precipitately.
The victory was a complete one, but it had none of the
consequences which would have attended it had the
English pushed forward with energy after turning the
American left. Six pieces of cannon were captured, and
2000 men killed or taken prisoners. The English lost
70 killed and 230 wounded.
So impetuously did the English attack, that even Sir
William Howe admitted that they could have carried the
intrenchments. He alleges he did not permit them to
do so, because he ^tended to take the position by regular
approaches, and wished therefore to avoid the loss of life
which an immediate assault would have occasioned. On
the 27th and 28th regular approaches were commenced;
but on the 29th, under cover of a fog, the Americans em-
barked in boats, and succeeded in carrying the whole of
their force, without the loss of a man, across to the main-
land.
The escape of this body of men waa disgraceful in the
extreme to the English commanders. They had a great
fleet at their disposal, and had they placed a couple of
frigates in the East River, between Long Island and
New York, the escape would have been impossible, and
General Washington and his army of 15,000 men must
have been taken prisoners Whether this misfortune
would have proved conclusive of the war, it is now too
late to speculate; but so splendid an opportunity was
never before let slip by an English general, and the neg-
ligence was the more inexcusable inasmuch aa the fleet
of boats could be seen lying alongside of the American
nOSH NKOOTIATIONa ..,
posiUoa Their pu^jose must have been known, and they
could at any moment hare been destroyed by the guns
of a ship of war taking up its position oitside them.
^^l^lt^^^'fT"*"^!^ the American General SulUvan,
who had been taken prisoner on Long Island, to Congress
repeating h,s desire to treat A^iommitiee of C
them Zr;""'"* ? '^'^*^ O" ^'^ H°''«' ^^'^ ^<^^
them that it waa the most ardent wish of the kine and
government of Great Britain to put an end to the di4&.
faction between the mother country and the colonists To
accomplish this desire every act of parliament which wa!
considered obnoxious to the colonists should undergH
revM «id every just cause of complaint should be re!
moved If the colonists would declare their willingness to
submit to the authority of the British government ^he
committee replied that it was not America wWeh had
separated he«elf from Great Britain, but Great Britain
had separated herself from America. The latter S
never declared herself independent until the former h^
made war upon her, and that even if Congress were
wi ling to place America in her former situationit cIuM
not do so, as the declaration of independence h^ b^^
made m consequence of the congregated voice of the whde
people, by whom alone it could be abolished. The countoy
^^as^^termmed not to return under the domination of
The negotiations were therefore broken oflE Lord
Howe published a declaration to the people of AmeriT
g.ymg the «iswer of the committee to his oiTer olreZ^
cihation He acquainted them with the fact thaHho
n^W-'^^.^'l: """"8 *° '^''"' »*« '^ bosom ,md
protection all who might be willing to return to thSr
160
PASSAGE OF THE EAST RIVER.
former obedience. In taking this step, Lord Howe wa«
convinced that a majority of the inhabitants of America
were still willing to enter into an accommodation of the
differences between the two powers, and the conviction
was not ill founded. The declaration, however, produced
but little effect, for the domijtiant section, that resolved
to break off all connection with England, had acquired
the sole management of affairs, and no offers which could
possibly have been made would have been accepted by
tuem.
Convinced that all further negotiations would be in-
effectual, Lord Howe prepared to carry his army across
from Long Island to New York, where the American army
had taken up their post after the retreat from Long
Island. The armies were separated by the East River,' , ith
a breadth of about 1300 yards. A cannonade was kept
up for several days. On the 13th of September some
ships of war were brought up to cover the passage.
Washington, seeing the preparations, began to evacuate
the city and to abandon the strong intrencL' nents which
he had thrown up. At II o'clock on the morning of
the 15th the men-of-war opened a heavy fire, and Clinton's
division, consisting of 4000 men in 84 boats, saiLsd up
the river, landed on New York Island at a place called
Kipp's Bay, and occupied the heights of Inclenberg, the
enemy abandoning their intrenchments at their approach.
General Washington rode towards " Kipp's Bay " to take
the command of the troops stationed there, but found the
men who had been posted at the lines running away, and
the brigades who should have supported them flying in
every direction, heedless of the exertions of their generals.
Puttenham's division, of 4000 men, was still in the
rUOHT OP THE OOLONISra 161
lower dty «n4 would U cut off unless the British ad-
v^ce should be checked. Washington therefore m^de
he greatest efforte to rally the f ugitL. and to Z Zm
to make a stand to check the advancing enemybut S
vam, for as soon as even small bodies of red-cc^to wer"
seen advancing, they broke and fled jn panic
Howe as n-ual delayed giving orders for'an advance
and thus permitted the whole of Pnttenham" brS
who were cut off and must have been taken pr^oneSl''
escape unharmed. And thus with compaXely Ut t
few W '""^ ^T °« '^''^■'g ''^hind them^on^y a
few heavy cannon and some bayon,k and storea ^
Endish'itf . «« """ "'g''* "' 'he approach of the
CHAPTER IX.
THE SURPRISE OP TRENTON.
IJHE Americans, finding that they were not pur-
^ sued, rallied from their panic, and took up a posi-
^ tion at Harlington and Kingsbr Jge. So great
was the disorganization among them, that, had
the British advanced at once, they would have taken the
place with scarcely any loss, strong as it was by nature
and by the intrenchments which Washington had pre-
pared. Great numbers deserted, disputes broke out be-
tween the troops of the various states, insubordination
prevailed, and the whole army was utterly disheartened
by the easy victories which the British had obtained over
them. Washington reported the cowardice of his troops
to Congress, who passed a law inflicting the punishment
of death for cowardica
Before leaving New York the Americans had made
preparations for burning the whole town, but the speedi-
ness of their retreat prevented the preparations being
carried into effect. However, fire was set to it in several
places, and a third of the town was destroyed.
The position taken up by the enemy was so strong
that it was determined to operate in the rear. Some
162
PORT WASHINGTON. jg,
it^oJZ *"""■ ? *? f ™' New York during the
absence of the mam part of the British foroe
thir "".f ^^ Briti^htrmywas landed at a point
skirmMhes of no great importance tools place The
enemy fell back from their most advanced workTbnt no
general move was undertaken, although. asTe numL^
on both sides were about even, and the superior fighW
h« col t "^f "' '"^. '^° ampl/dem^jS
there could have been no doubt as to the result of .
LTs^fttt""'' ^°^^' -o—- ^-'edte tl
XZtlu *T A ™ • "" "P°° ">« '^"l'- "^d served
only to enable the Americans to recover from the ut*»r
depre^ion which had fallen upon them afte"v^ul
tion of Long Island and the loss of New York.
Gradually the Americans fell back across a count™ .„
swampy and difficult that it was nowTTongrSe
bring on a general actioa Their retreat, howevThad
the effect of isolating the important positi;n^ orSnt
bridge and Fort Washington. The latL post wL o X
utmost importance, inasmuch as it secured the^ericl
intercourse with the Jersev ahor« Ti,« i .TTT
wereve.ystrong.andstr/;:n:SngI^ Sttnd
t was garrisoned by 3000 of the be^tAmeKr^
under the command of Colonel Magaw WashiZ^^
was gradually withdrawing his army^L hTaSy
given orders that Fort Washington should be "ted
urged that ,t should be retained, that, greatly aeainst
his own judgment, he was obliged to co^sSt MX
defended, especially as Colonel M„™^ w...^ if. "*
--- — j5~w uxaxouvu buat tile
104
CAPTURE OF THE PORT.
fort could stand a siege. On the night of the 14th of
November the British paased some troops across the
creek, and Lord Howe summoned the place to surrender
on pain of the garrison being put to the sword. Magaw
had, upon the previous day, received large numbers
of reinforcements, and replied that he should defend
the fort. Soon after daybreak on the 16th the artilleiy
opened on both sides. Five thousand He sians, under
the command of General Knyph?"sen, moved up the
hill, penetrated some of the advanced works of the
enemy, and took post within a hundred yards of the
fort. The second division, consisting of the guards and
light infantry, with two battalions of Hessians and the
33d Regiment, landed at Island Creek, and after some
stiff fighting forced the enemy from the rocks and trees
up the steep and rugged mountain. The third and fourth
divisions fought their way up through similar defences.
So steep was the bill that the assailants could only climb
it by grasping the trees and bushes, and so obstinate was
the defence that the troops were sometimes mixed up
together.
The bravery and superior numbers of the British
troops bore down all resistance, and the whole of the
four divisions reached their places round the fort. They
then summoned it to surrender, and its commander, after
half an hour's consideration, seeing the impossibility of
resisting the assault which was threatened, opened the
gates.
Upon the English side about 800 men were killed -and
wounded, of whom the majority were Hessians. These
troops fought with extreme bravery. The American loss,
owing to their superior position, was about 160 killed
WINTER QUARTERa
165
and founded, but the prisoners taken amounted to over
On the 18th Lord Howe landed a strong body on the
Jersey shore under Lord Comwallis. who marched to
Fort Lee and surprised it. A deserter, however, had in-
formed the enemy of his approach, and the garrison had
fled m disorder caving their tents, provisions, and mili-
tary stores behind them. Lord Comwalli; pusWng
forward with great energy, drove the Americans out
Island'.'' '^' "" expedition occupied Rhode
Cold weather now sec in, and the English went into
winter quarters Their success had been complete, with!
out a single check and had they been led vigoVou 1
Wn Tn Y'f^^^S''^ °^ight on two occasions have
b en wholly destroyed. In such a case the moderate
portion of the population of the colonies would have ob-
tamed a hearing, and a peace honourable to both parties
might have been arrived at. ^
The advantage gained by the gallantry of the British
troops wa3, however, entirely neutralized by the lethargy
and mactivity of their general; and the colonists h!d
defeat of their troops had given them, to put another
army m the field, and to prepare on a great fcale for the
following campaign.
The^ conduct of General Howe in allowing Wash-
ington s army to retire almost unmolested w^ to the
officers who served under him unaccountable. His arrange-
ments for the winter were even more singukrly defective.
Instead of concentrating his troops he scattered them over
a wide extent of country at a distance too a...«t ^- -"-
156
DISAPPOINTMENT.
Irl I'i
port each other, and thus left it open to the enemy to
crush th n in detail.
General Huwe now issued a proclamation offering a
free pardon to all who surrendered, and great numbers
of colonists came in and made their submissioa Even
in Philadelphia the longing for peace was so strong that
General Washington was obliged to send a force there to
prevent the town from declaring for England.
During the operations which had taken place since the
landing of the British troops on Long Island Captain
Wilson's company had taken but little part in the opera-
tions All had been straightforward work, and conducted
on the principles pf European warfare. The services of
the volunteers as scouts had not therefore been called
into requisition. The success which at first attended the
expedition had encouraged Captain Wilson to hope for
the first time since the outbreak of the revolution that the
English might obtain such decisive successes that the
colonists would be willing to accept some propositions of
peace such as those indicated by Lord Howe— a repeal
of all obnoxious laws, freedom from any taxation except
that imposed by themselves, and a recognition of the
British authority. When, however, he saw that Lord
Howe, instead of actively utilizing the splendid force at
his disposal, frittered it away in minor movements, and
allowed Washmgton to withdraw with his beaten army
unmolested, his hopes again faded, and he felt that the
colonists would in the long run succeed in gaining all
that they contended for.
When the army went into winter quarters the company
was ordered to take post on the Delaware. There were
four frontier posts at Trenton, Bordenton, White-hon-e.
SOOUTINO ON THE DELAWARB. 157
and Burlington. Trenton, opposite to which lay Wash-
only 1200 Hessians; and Bordenton, which was also on
the Delaware, wa^, like Trenton, garrisoned by these
troops. No worse choice could have been made. The
Hessians were brave soldiers, but their i^r-.nce of the
language and of the country made them p .culia. ! ^ unsuit-
abe troops for outpost work, as they w'.;e m tble to
obtain any mformatioa As foreigners, foo, Oicf were
greatly disliked by the country people.
Nothing was done to strengthen these frontier posts
which were left wholly without redoubts, or intrench-'
ments, into which the garrison could withdraw in case of
attacK.
Captain Wilson's little company were to act as scouts
a ong the line of frontier. Their headquarters were fixed
at Bordenton where Capi^in Wilson obtained a large
house for their use Most of the men were at home ft
work of this kind, and Peter Lambton, Ephraim, and
the other frontiersmen were despatched from time to time
in different directions to ascertain the movements and
intentions of the enemy. Harold asked his father to
a low him as before, to accompany Peter. The inactivity
ot a life at a quiet little station was wearisome, and with
Peter he waa sure of plenty of work, with a chance of
adventure. The life of exercise and activity which he had
ed for more tha^ a year had strengthened his muscles
and widened his frame, and he was now able to keep up
with Peter, however long and tiresome the day's work
might be. Jake, too, was of the party. He had de-
ve oped into an active soldier, and although he was but of
iitUe use for acoutinij purposes, even P«f^r AiA «^i ^v.-„x
— - » - - ■ '"'- -SIM iivw vujvKh
158
THB HBSSIANa
ijo his accompanying him, for the negro's unfailing good
temper and willingness to make himself useful had made
him a favourite with the scout
The weather was now setting in exceedingly cold. The
three men had more than once crossed the Delaware in
a canoe and scouted in the very heart of the enemy's
country. They were now sitting by the bank watching
some drifting ice upon the river.
"There won't be many more passages of the river by
water," Peter remarked; "another ten days and it will be
frozen right across."
"Then we can cross on foot, Peter."
"Yes, we can do that," the scout said; "and so can the
enemy. Ef their general has got any interprise with him,
and ef he can get those chaps as he calls soldiers to fight,
he will be crossing over one of these nights and capturing
the hull of those Hessians at Trenton; what General Howe
means by leaving them there is more nor I can think;
he might as well have sent so many babies; the critters
can fight, and fight well too, and they are good soldiers,
but what's the good of them in a frontier post; they know
nothing of the country, they can't speak to the people,
nor ask no questions, nor find out nothing about what's
doing the other side of the river. They air no more than
mere machines. What was wanted was two or three
battalions of light troops, who would make fricLds with
the country people, and lam all that is doing opposite.
If the Americans are sharp they will give us lots of
trouble this winter, rnd you will find there won't be
much sitting quiet for us at Bordentoa Fortunately,
Bordenton and Trenton ain't far apart, and one garrison
ought to be able to arrive to the assistance of the other
ON HOSTILE QROUNDc 159
another is more nor I can see " ^
beyond L n.rj\z ":^ zi ^j-^tz
morning dawned, then they tamed their facrtheotC
best I had tcfth^ose who came^ Cti ha''"^*'
™ch numbers goin, one way andl'e ol^Sherma^!
mg to join the army or running away to retun, f^tr?
n.onl fZ SSctV^'^" ^^'^^ -0' ^™g -e
"Then come in and sit down "
^^^a few minutes an excellent breakfast waa put before
"Just that," Peter replied. "We ihinV U'o v x
Delaware gets frozea I heard >^Tne ^TT."^.^. *^®
-^v^itu — i,i5j vCTiiv. ouuuc li from
160
A NEUTRAL FARMER.
some men who came past yesterday. Their time waa
expired, they said, and they were going home. I hear, too,
that they are gathering a force down near Mount Holly,
and I reckon that they are going to attack Bordenton."
"Is that so?" Peter asked, "In that case we might as
well tramp in that direction; it don't matter a corn shuck
to us where we fight so as it's soon. We've came to help
lick these British, and we means to do it."
"Ah!" the farmer said, "I have heard that sentiment a
good many times, but I have not seen much come of it
yet; so far it seems to me as the licking has been all the
other way."
"That is so," Peter agreed. "But every one knows that
the Americans are just the bravest people on the face
of the habitable arth. I reckon that their dander is not
fairly up yet; but when they begin in amest you will see
what they will do."
The farmer gave a grunt which might mean anything.
He had no strong sympathies either way, and the conduct
of the numerous deserters and disbanded men who had
passed through his neighbourhood had been far from
impressing him favourably. "I don't pretend to be
strong either for the Congress or the King. I don't
want to be taxed, but I don't see why the colonists
should not pay something towards the expenses of the
government; and now th ^. parliament seems w^illing to
give all we ask for, I don't see what we want to go on
fighting for."
"Wall!" Peter exclaimed in a tone of disgust, "you are
one of the half-hearted ones."
"I am like the great majority of the people of this
country. We are of English stock, and we don't want to
PUBUO OPINION.
161
!»?!„ p ? i ' * "'"• ^ I "-^^ it. it's just the civil
wa m Engla^l over again. We were all united at the
first agamst what we considered as tyr^y on the ^h «(
the parhament and now we have gone .ettL „p d^Cndl
wh,ch no one dreamed of at first! and which most of us
r:hirs.w^xx.rri-for^2
fmrs there was neither freedom of speech noTrXil
No, s.r, what they called freedom ^l simply the 1°^
dom^t^^ make every one e.e do and th^ tVX
■ Wall, we won't argue it out," Peter said, "for I am not
good at argument, and I came here to figkl ZlZtt
Sn^lrl^e-'^^-^^^^^^^^
^^^^^ t'stf trnt^fit
l-^W'o^iZo^rvrmtfg^-ri?'^^^
dh.ction They entered mtoco^vZtrw'ith thelX:
could »ly learn that some four hundred and fif tv tf th'
162
A tlUSE OF THE ENEMY.
militia from Philadelphia, and the counties of Gloucester
and Sailing, had arrived on the spot. The men whom
they had overtaken were armed countrymen who were
going to take a share in the fight on their own account.
Entering the place ^^th the others, Peter found that
the information given him was correct.
" We better be out of this at once," he said to Harold,
"and make to Bordenton."
" You don't think that there is much importance in the
movement," Harold said, as they tramped along.
" There ain't no importance whatever," Peter said, "and
that's what I want to tell them. They're never thinking
of attacking the* two thousand Hessians at Bordenton,
with that ragged lot."
*' But what can they have assembled them for, within
twelve miles of the place?" Harold asked.
"It seems to me," the hunter replied, "that it's just a
trick to draw the Germans out from Bordenton and so
away from Trenton. At anyrate it is well that the true
account of the force here should be known ; these things
gets magnified, and they may think that there is a hull
army here."
It was getting dusk when they entered Bordenton,
and Harold was glad when he saw the little town, for,
since sunset on the evening before, they had tramped
nearly sixty miles. The place seemed singularly quiet;
they asked the first person they met what had become of
the troops, and they were told that Col. Donop, wno
commanded, had marched, an hour before, with his v hole
force of two thousand men towards Mount Holly, leaving
only eighty men in garrison at Bordenton.
" We are too late," Harold said; "they have gone by the
THE GERMANS DBOEIVKD. ^^^
^dter- ""''' ^*"'^" "■""g'> '"o wood,, .„d so
rabble will run without fiJhtTnt' ^ ). "T" ***
colonel sees as how thar i, if ! ^' .1 °^^ '^^*™ *»
in.^ he Will .a^hXtrray^r -"^ ^P-.^"
outposts told themTfbl <""» *»Pe'«od when tHir
the German offic" tnf .."T^ "* *« ^"«^^i ^^'
».ained for twodaT; ^ar Mount Hn'^^;"'^"*'^' ""
selves thatXhi hZ^T f"^ *^" ''°"«« *° th^"-
fatigued by wf Lg^r^tfd^*?; ^"^ *'"'™"S'''^
HflOlanlce, and vl^^^'v^^l :;^:CTdt'^
WiU you go^tT.^ l7l*^^ *" »^« '''"'* ^ doing there.
o^^^,k:^r;itryrfSy« - ^^^ --
whafi 'S"^'ir PeI;.'I"t »*?' »*-'=»-«• "Well,
or not?" ' ***'- "* ">«y «kely to come back
hul whSLy wilJt'n!:" " ■I?.*'"'' "•-''* *>""'
gather. I have never sLtt t *'^''"'" '"^'^' ""o"
not since the wHeZ hinl "^,f ^^'^^ y«'-
gooddealbettertf thelTad but^iJ""''' ^^^ «<"" "
consequence to them TW l! °^''*'' ™«'"» »* °»
mght.and I r«.vl";.. .^."^^ "I*"*?'* ^^^^^ ■"Ues last
" " ""^"y "»' mey will halt to-day,
164
and
A DISOllOANIZED KFXJIMSNT.
I feel
won't be back till to-morrow. 1 teel oneasy in my
mind about the whole affair, for I 'lan't see a smgle reason
for the enemy sending that weak force to Mount iiolly,
unless it was to draw away the troops froEi hare, and the
only motive there could be for that would be^ b:? ause they
intended to attack Trenton."
" Very well, Peter, I will go with yo-."
Accomvanied bv Jake they set out at once for Trenton.
On arriving ther ■ they found no particular sigKs ol
vigilance. Since tht Hec^laBs ha*! reached Trenton their
disciplme had much 'f;kxy'3; a broad river separated
them from the enemy, "Vflo weie known to be extremely
discontented and disorganized. They had received instruc-
tion on no account to cross the river to attack the colonifi.is,
and the natural consequence of this forced inactivity had
manifested itself. Discipline was lax, and but a slight
Witch was kept on the movements of the enemy across
the stream. Ignorant of the language of the people,
they were incapable of distinguishing between those who
were friendly and those who were hostile to the crown;
and they behaved as if in a conquered country, taking
such necessaries as they required without payment, and
even sending parties to a considerable distance on plunder-
ing expeditions.
Peter, on his arrival, proceeded to the headquarters of
Col. Rhalle, who was in command, — an officer of great
bravery and energy. One of his officers was able to
speak English, and to him Peter reported the departure
of the force from Bordenton, of which CoL Rhalle was
already aware, and the weakness of the American for
at Mount Holly. He stated also his own belief that •
was merely a feint to drav. ;T CoL Donop, and th* i
m
A WARNING DISREGARDED. jgg
Vr^y^^^B^onTrent^ The officer treated
t.^T"^ ^'?^^^^ *°^ ^'^'^S to the mass of ice
rioating aown the river, a^ked whether it would be pos.:ble
for boats to crosa "When the river freezes," he said
there may be some chance of attack; till then we are
a'.o..:ely safe/" Peter, shaking his head, rej^nl^ U
compamons and told them of the manner in which hL
ad\ice Iiad been received.
•'But it would be difficult to cross the river," Harold
said; "look at the masses of ice on the water "
"It would be difficult," the hunter admitted, "but not
bynomanner of means impossible; determmed men could
f !t ^^!' ^"^^ ^^""^ "^y ^"^y' ^^^ ^^ do no more:
ef the mght passes off quietly we will cross again before
daybreak, and go right into the Yankee camp and see
what they are up to. Now, Harold, you can take it easy
till mghtfall, there is nought to be learnt till then, and ^
we^shall be on foot all night ye may a. well sleep
Returning to a spot on the bank of the river at a short
distence from the town, they made a fire, on which Jake
cooked some steaks of venison they had procured. After
smoking a pipe the hunter set the example by stretching
himself on the ground near the fire, and going off tl
sleep Used as he was to night marches he had Luired
the faculty of going to sleep at any hour at will. Jake
and Harold were some time before they followed his
example, but they too were at last asleep. At sunset thev
were on their feet again, and after taking supper ml
ceeded along the river. ^
The night passed off quietly, and Harold became con-
meed that his companion's fears were iinfound«4 To=
166
THE SURPRISE.
wards morning he suggested that it was time to be
crossing the river.
"I am not going yet," the hunter said. "Before I start
we will go down to Trenton Ferry, a mile below the
town; ef they come over at all it's likely enough to be
there. There will be time then to get back and cross
before it is light. It's six o'clock now."
They kept along the road by the river until they were
within a quarter of a mile of the ferry. Presently they
saw a dark mass ahead.
"Jerusalem!" Peter exclaimed; "there they are." They
immediately discharged their rifles and ran back at full
speed to the outpbsts, which were but a quarter of a
mile from the town. The Americans had also pressed
forward at full speed, and the outposts, who had been
alarmed by the discharge of the rifles, were forced at once
to abandon the post and to run into the town, whither
they had, on hearing the rifles, already sent in one of their
number with the news. Here all was in confusion. The
Hessian leader was trying to collect his troops, who were
hurrjdng in from their quarters; but many of them
thought more of storing their plunder away in the wag-
gons, than of taking their places in the ranks.
Washington had crossed with 2500 men, with a few
field-pieces, and upon gaining the Jersey side had divided
his troops into two detachments, one of which marched
by the river-side, the other by an upper road. Hurrymg
forward they surrounded the town, and placing their
field-pieces in the road, opened fire on the astonished
Hessians. Rhalle had by this time succeeded in assem-
bling the greater part of his force, and charged the
Americans with his usual courage. He received, however,
JOY IN THE PROVINCES.
167
a mortal wound as he advanced. His troops immediately
lost heart, and finding their retreat cut off, at once sur-
rendered. A body of Hessian light horse succeeded in
making their escapa The casualties were few on either
side, but a thousand prisoners were taken. Two other
divisions of the Americans had attempted to cross, the
one at Bordenton, the other at Mackenzie's Ferry; but both
had failed owing to the quantity of floating ice. Washing-
ton retired across the Delaware the same afternoon.
The consequences of this success were great. The
spirits of the Americans, which had fallen to the lowest
ebb in consequence of the uninterrupted series of defeats,
rose greatly. They found that the British were not
invincible; and that if unable to oppose them in great
battles, they might at least inflict heavy losses on them
and weary them out with skirmishes and surprises. The
greatest joy reigned throughout the various states; fresh
levies were ordered; the voices of the moderate party,
which had been gaining strength, were silenced, and the
determination to continue the war vigorously was in the
ascendency.
The lesson given at Trenton was wholly lost upon the
English commander-in-chief. Instead of at once ordering
General Leslie to advance from Princetown and to hold
the enemy in check by reoccupyir^ and fortifying
Trenton, he allowed Colonel Donop to abandon Bor-
denton and to fall back to Princetown— thus laying it
open to Washington to cross the Delaware again and
carry the war into New Jersey. Washington, after wait-
ing eight days, seeing the indecision and ineptitude of
the British general, again crc^^sd with 4000 men md
occupied Trentou,
168
THE SrOF]!^ aacAT-K.
■I
Peter Lambton and hia two companions were not
among the prisoners taken at Trenton. On entering the
town, Harold was about to join the Hessians assembling
under Colonel Rhalle; but Peter gave a vioV'i' *ug to
his coat
" Come along, young un," he said. " The darned fools
have let themsnUes be caught in a trap, and they will
find there is n^* way out of it. In ten minutes the
Americans will bi^ all round the place; and as I don't
wish to spent u year or two in a Yankee prison at pre-
sent, I am going to make tracks at once. Fighting aren't
no good now. Men who will let themselves be caught in
a trap like this will never be able tc cut their way out of
it. Come on."
Much against his will Harold yielded to Peter's wishes,
and the three kept strc'ght on through the town by the
river-side and issued into the country beyond before the
Americans had surrounded it. A minute or two after
leaving the town the light horse galloped past.
"There are some more out of the hole, and I ijckon
that's about all. There, d^' yer hear tb guns? The
Yanks have brought their u ullery over — 1 reckon the
fight won't last long."
For two or three minii ' is the :e -/as a roar of musket / ;
then this suddenly ceased.
"I thought as much," Peter said. "TheT- ..ave sur-
rendered. If they had only kept tog' ^ her i nd fought'
well they should have cut their way th^ ig^ the enemy.
Lord! what poor tilings regular soldierf i-re ia> the dark!
A frontiers -r^ an would just as soon fight m the dark as in
the light; but here are the men who climbed up the hill
to Fort Washington — and that was no child's play— no
THE ADVANCE OF THE BRITISa J(g
Mleep «nd half-awake just as day is breaking."
The three comrades walked to Bordenton which thev
were relieved to find, had not been attacked. Afew
miles beyond th,.s place they met Colonel Donop march
.ng back at full speed with his cot«, having Sv"d^e
?:' whi ^z^itt"- "'•""^^"^ '^' --""'' ^"-^
A fortnight later Lord Comwallis, with the forcos'at
Brunswck under Gene«U Graat, advanced to Prmce
Trlln P '° r:^ ^°"""^ 'o "'t^k the afmv at
Whe «^°^™'7'«'>ingt„n, on his approach, retled
rom the tow. and crossing a rivulet at the ba;k of it
took post on so>. , high ground there, with the apparent
!, Vr *Lf '="'° ■■ ""d a heavy cannonade wa^ ke^
up till n,ght-t.me i.ord ^ornwallis determined to attal
ne.tmornmg. At two 'he morning. howeverCh
rn^n retired suddenly, leaving hU firS' bumlng^" Q^H
tmg the main road he made a long circuit through Allens-
town and marched with all speed toward Princt own
whu|h place he mtended to surprise. When Lord Com
bSI^C '' "^ '^^' '''' ^^*' *»«•• -^^^
On arriving at Trenton, however, he had sent word
rillll h!.f . f *' *° '"'™°°'' *° Maidenhead-
a village half-way between Princetown and Trenton.
Co onel Mawhood, who commanded, marched at daS
but scarcely had l>e started when he nut Wa.hClon
|«lvancmg with his army. The morning w ^ f^g"^
■t was at first ..,pp<«ed that the enem °w„re a Tiy of
1- I I
170
THE TiQBT AT PRINOETOWN.
British troops marching back to Princetown; it was soon,
however, found that the foi e was a hostile one. Its
strength could not be seen on account of the fog, and
he determined to engage it. Possessing himself of some
high ground, he sent his waggons back to Princetown, and
ordered the 40th Regiment to come out to his assistance.
As the Americans advanced, the artillery on both sides
opened fire. The leading columns of the colonists soon
showed signs of disorder. The 17th Regiment fixed
bayonets and with great gallantry charged the enemy in
front of them, driving them back with considerable
slaughter; and so far did they advance that they were
separated from thq other battalions, and cutting their
way through the American force, the regiment pursued
its march to Maidenhead. The 40th and 65th fought
stoutly, but were unable to make their way through the
American force, and fell back to Brunswick, while the
Americans occupied Princetown. At daybreak Lord
Cornwallis discovered the retreat of the American army,
and, being apprehensive for the safety of Brunswick,
where great stores of the army were accumulated,
marched with all haste towards that town.
Brigadier Matthew, the oflScer commanding there, on
hearing of the approach of the enemy, at once despatched
the store waggons towards the rear, and drew up his
small command to defend the place to the last. The gal-
lant resistance before Princetown had, however, delayed
the Americans so long that the van of the army of Corn-
wallis was already close to their rear as they approached
Brunswick. Seeing this, "Washington abandoned his de-
sign on that town, and crossed the Millstone River, break-
ing down the bridge at Kingstown to stop pursuit
DISGUST OF THE ARMY. jy,
an equal number of English LZ^ ^^ ^PPosmg
wander unchecked to r^nT T^ """'^ ^"°^^^ *°
""L.iieLKea, to attack and harn<ja iha ir„ v i.
pickets, and to utilize the whol^ nf\h ^^''^
country Had OpZ«i w *^® resources of their
-MWUktAUAuiUwi
I ! m
CHAPTER X
A TREACHEROUS PLANTER.
pT must not be supposed that the whole of the time
I J was spent in scouting and fighting. Between the
^ armies lay a band of no man's land. Here, as
^ elsewhere, the people of the country were divided
in their opinions, but generally made very little display of
these, whatever they might be. It is true that, as a rule,
non-combatants were but little interfered with; still, a
warm and open display of sympathy with one side or
the other was likely to be attended by the loss of cattle
and damage to crops when the other party got the upper
hand. In some other states feeling ran much higher.
In the Carolinas the royalists were most cruelly perse-
cuted. Their property was destroyed, and they were in
many cases shot down without mercy; but as a rule,
throughout the colonies a considerable latitude of opinion
was allowed. This was especially so in the zone between
the armies in the Jerseys. None could tell what the
positions of the armies a week hence might be, and any
persecution inflicted by the one party might lead to re-
taliation upon a shift of positions a few weeks later. A
general toleration therefore reigned.
Next to Peter Lambtoii, Harold's greatest friend in the
172
A QUUiT TUi&
m
corps was a young man named Harvey. He was of .rooH
fanuly and belonged to New York. fiLgasCngK
.St he had, hke many other gentlemen, enlLd forSe
tTnt amonf th^- f ^^-'-'"ly «-y acquT
tances a,mong the county families, and Harold often ac-
During the winter, when things were quiet, the duties
of the scouts were light, and it was the habit amoni
the rest being free to move about a^ they liked. S
scouts had no fixed order or position; they went oul
alone, or m twos or threes, as it pleased them^heir d„Ty
3 mply being to watch everything that wa; going on
along the enemy's line of outposts, to bring in th!3i^t
parties of the enemy's horsemen from making raids into
or behind the British lines. They were nolo""
expected to check bodies of cavalry starting on 7rTd
but simply to obtain information of their having kft
back to the .Bntish posts, whence a force of cavalrv
would be sent out to intercept or check the inTXf
Many dashing exploits were performed by the cavaC^
q"™u'^^ '''''"' behind IheiropponeVJ
quarters cutting off provision trains, attacking small
posts, and canying off straggling parties. ^
One of the houses to which Harold used most fre-
near y half-way between the rival armies, and was about
eight mi es from either. The owner-M^ JackZl^^*
a man of considerable wealth, and the house wa^ laZ
and weU appointed. He had before the ■ " • ^
;ro
us/ica
uegiin a
.4
I
ill
iiiiii
I
174
THE NEUTRAL ZONlB.
fine business as a lawyer in New York; but when the
outbreak of hostilities put a stop to all business of a legal
kind in tha,t city he had retired to his country house.
Although himself bom in England, he professed to be
entirely neutral; but his family were undisguisedly
loyal. It consisted of his wife and two daughters, girls
of seventeen and eighteen years old.
When the English army advanced to the neighbourhood
of his property Mr. Jackson was aiways ready to offer his
hospitality to the officers of corps which might be stationed
near him, and he similarly opened his house to the Ameri-
cans when they in ; turn advanced as the British turned
back. Being, as he always made a point of saying, perfectly
neutral in the struggle, he was glad to meet gentlemen,
irrespective of the opinions they held. The line taken
by Mr. Jackson was one which was very largely pursued
among the inhabitants of the country houses and farms
scattered over what was throughout the war a debatable
land. So frequent were the changes of the position of
the armies that none could say who might be in pos-
session in a week's time; and it was therefore an abso-
lute necessity for those who wished to live unmolested to
abstain from any strong sliow of partizanship.
Aa is always the case in struggles of this kind, the
female population were more enthusiastic in their parti-
zanship and more pronounced in their opinions than the
men; and although, upon the arrival of a troop of cavalry
or a detachment of foot belonging to the other side, the
master of the house would offer what hospitality he was
capable of, impartially, it was not difficult to perceive, by
the warmth or coldness of the female welcome, what were
the private sentiments of the family.
PLEASANT ACQtTAINTANCfi. j^j
^i^tr X! '""^ *" <l''r^ring. from the frequency
mZ If T^ P™'""'''^ ^ excursion to the Jeek-
sons and from his conduct there, that Isabelle the eldll
daughter was the object which mainly at Icted htm
n': ir: L: tJ""' ^^r '"^"'^^' '""» Harve;.iithou;^
fter own The friends were always cordially received bv
htct aT the?ra.r, 7^ '"""'"^ '''-'-
^ore dusk. an?:Lrsittf ::.^;roLf::
we^theX?!^' *"■" fr "'™*y '^"'' "Wquitousness.
were the betes-nmra of the Americans, whose most secret
plans were constantly detected and foi ed by the sa^^^
and watchfulness of these men, whose uC nS
made frequent gaps in the ranks of the oificerr^ They
foe^ and a^. '' T5 ""Z °'' *''''^<' "o^' troublesome
toe., and Harvey and Harold knew that a report of thei,
presence at the Jacksons' would suffice to bring a partv
of horsemen from the American lines. Thfir vWte
therefore, were always made after dark and at rrelu ^'
mtervals; and in spite of their inclination to tK
Other visitors were often present at the Jacksons' thn
js and daughtei. of neighbours, and thel was .Jnt
ally music and singing, and sometimes the youn. ;eopTe
stood up for a dance. ' " ^ ^
The scouts wore no regular uniform, althon^h there
as a ffeneml o!mii„,;»,. :_ it_. ... ' ."'""o" mere
■ ,»„. , . — '-6".™i uiiiiurm. aitnouffn
B was a general similarity in their .».- ->.=->- --'
iSS " ~ ''-'-"■ «-vwj»v, TTiiiUit Wits
that
176
A MUTUAL DISLIKE.
of an ordinary backwoods hunter. When off duty they
wrere allowed to dress as they pleased, and at Mr. Jack-
son's the two friends were attired in the ordinary
dress of colonists of position. At these little gatherings
political subjects were never discussed, and a stranger
spending an evening there would not have dreamt that
the house stood between two hostile armies, that at
any moment a party of horsemen belonging to one side
or other might dash into the courtyard, and that even
those laughing and talking pleasantly together might be
of opinions diametrically opposed.
Harvey and Harold were introduced to visitors simply
as friends from New York; and although the suspicions
as to their character and position might be strong, no one
thought of asking questions.
"I do not like that fellow Chermside," Harvey said
one night as he and his friend were returning to their
quarters.
They were mounted; for although when on duty the
scouts worked on foot, many of them, who were men of
property, kept horses which they used when not so en-
gaged. Harvey had two horses, and one of these was
always at Harold's service.
" I am not surprised you don't like him," Harold replied
with a laugh; "and I imagine the dislike is mutual,
When two gentlemen are paying attentions to one lady
. they seldom appreciate each other's merits very cordially."
"I don't think it is entirely that," Harvey laughed.
"Isabelle and I understand each other, and I have no
fear of his rivalry; but I do not like him."
" I do not think 1 like him myself," Harold said more
seriously; "and yet I do not know why I should not.
ill
A SIGNAL ROCKET.
177
Wh«i he has been there alone with us and the family he
has frequenOy used expressions showing his strong W
ing towards the loyalists' side." ^
"I don't put much faith in that," Harvey said. "He
knows how strongly Mr. Jackson and the [iris lean Z
wards the crown, and would say anything that he thought
thmks that he is sincere; m fact she has rather a good
opinion of him. However, we shajl see. It was Xr
curious tha that party of Morgan's cavalry should CI
ndden up the o her night and searched the house t Jo
hours after we left. You see we had agreed to sleln
there that nigh^ and only changed our minds after the
others had all left, when we remembered that we were both
for duty early next morning It might have been a co-
incidence of course, but it had an ugly look. I think Mr
Jackson thought ^ too for he did not ask us to s^p
to-night; anyhow I wish Chermside's plantation waa S
so near this, and that he did not drop in so often."
A week later they paid another visit. When dinner
was over Harold was chatting with Mr. and Mrs Jack!
son. Harvey was sitting at the piano where the eldest
wmIw ^^"'^' *' ^"""S"' ""^ ^'^^^S out rf
"We are going to have another fall of snow." she said-
suddTnly ' *° ^' '""^ ^^'■" ^he exclaimed
" What is it, my dear?" Mr. Jacfe™ asfecd.
Ihere is a rocket gone up from iJie vv',ods."
•'A rocket!'- Mr. Jackson reneated.
l^^'J^^^' ^^^ "* ""e ^**" Ming now."
a curious t'
(8«6>
ig, " Mr, ..faeksoa
ocMu, Willie tn©
178
WHO WAS THE TRAITOR f
othera went to the window. They stood watching for
some minutes, but nothing was to be seen.
" I do not like that rocket," Mr. Jackson said as they
left the window; "it means something. It can only be
a signal. People don't let off rockets for amusement
nowadays. Did you meet anyone on the road?"
"No, sir," Harvey said; " not a soul."
" I do not like it," their host repeated. " It means mis-
chief of some sort or other. I do not wish to seem
inhospitable, but my advice to you is, get on your horses
at once and ride to your quarters. You are on duty
to-morrow, and yoij told me you would pass near here on
your way towards the enemy's linas. You might look in
as you go past and hear whether anything came of it.
If I mistake not we shall have another visit from Mor-
gan's horse this evening."
Much against their inclination the young men followed
Mr. Jackson's advice.
The next day they, with Peter and Jake, stopped at
the house as they passed.
" I was right," their host said as the two young men
entered; " an hour after you left twenty of Morgan's horse
rode up here. They would not take my word that we
were alone, but searched the house from top to bottom,
and were evidently greatly disappointed at finding no one.
I have been making inquiries this morning and find that
all the servants were in the house at the time my daughter
saw the rockeis, so I hope that I have no traitor here;
still it is clear that someone must be keeping watch over
your movements."
"Bave you asked, sir," Harvey said after a pause,
"whether anyone came after we had arrived?"
A SDSWOIOtJS OIRCUMSTANca !;„
«™ZL„ ^'' * "*^ '*"'""" appeared
thesf geSr r e*" Itt'b "" "^''"^- '^' '^'^^
of that sort r "'^-"'y "^gg" <" pedlar, o, anyone
»ra.saHarveyandta2^„rZCV4\V::Sf
'°~:t'tre;:ttr^,^™'^'^--"^^^^^^^
servant left the S «! l" T'' '^"' r"*"" *'
fellow's honesty!" ' ' ''"^^^ ^""^^^ ««"
"Oh^ noiisense!" Mr. Jackson replied: "yoa must h«
mad, Harvey Chennside's father was In oH frieni rf
me, hoi amused The girls wmt%" P^P"^'^^"™! W^^
old playfellow!" ^ ^ "* ^°'" »'«P««t"g their
"I hope I may be mistaken, sir," Harvev said- "h„t
I mZho fireT^eT^ket tn" '"^^ "" """^ «" ""'
in<r m w« ™=Ke6. Well, now, we must be push-
>n arriving at the ford they found that Morgan's
le had only crossed an ho,,,. lJf„~. *i.. .=^ ^i-gana
M
180
ANOTHER VISIT.
they arrived at Mr. Jackson's. One of the scouts had
instantly taken word to the nearest cavalry outpost, but
the enemy had recrossed the river before these had
arrived on the spot.
After three days on duty at the front the party re-
turned to their lines, and the next time that the young
men rode out to their friends they took with them Jake
and Peter, to whom they related the circumstances.
The scouts proceeded on foot, and separated from the
others a mile before reaching the house, having arranged
that Peter should scout round it, while Jake should
proceed to the plantation of Mr. Ohermside and keep a
sharp look-out there.
They had arranged with Mr. Jackson that no mention
of the rocket should be made to anyone, however intimate
with the family.
" I am glad to see you again," the host said as they
entered the room where the family were assembled;
" although I own that these two raids of Morgan's horse
have made me uneasy. The girls have been immensely
amused at your suspicions of young Ohermside."
" How could you think such a thing?" Isabelle said; "he
was here on the following evening and was as indignant
as we were at the thought of treachery being at work,
He quite agreed with us that the coming of the Yankees
QQuld hardly have been accidental."
"** You said nothing about the rocket, I hope?" Harvey
asked.
"No, we kept quite silent about that, as you made
such a point of it; but it seemed ridiculous with hici
But I shall be in a fright now every time you come."
" We have brought two of our men ^ith us," Harvev
16 scouts had
r outpost, but
:e these had
the party re-
at the young
bh them Jake
stances.
,ted from the
dng arranged
Jake should
e and keep a
it no mention
ever intimate
said as they
e assembled;
Morgan's horse
3n immensely
lide."
)ellesaid;"he
as indignant
dng at work,
the Yankees
pe?" Harvev
Eis you made
us with him,
ou come."
us," Harvejj
A TREACHEROUS FRIEND CAUGHT.
OAUQIIT AT HIS WORK. ]g]
»«id "and they are scouting round, so we shall hear if
another rocket troes ud- anrl Ava»> -4? ai.
UD susDecta thJih.F*!' '^ *^^ P®™°° ^^o let it
up suspects that the last wa^ seen-as he might do from
our having left so suddenly^and tries ^ome" other plan
to warn the enemy, we can trust our men to fire I shot
and so give us warning in time We hiLv« fnU ^u
o..ta..esaddles^.theh„l^^^^^^^^
^.ke etteed'tif " '^^'"'^'""'' ""^ '"'"'J -"te^'e. and
itrit ""' '""^^'"^ "'"» ''™ "y -^ force
th;r L'.^reHit'^i'i;^^^ '"''°" -■^^- -
"Me tell yon, sar," Jake answered. "M» l,.j j
from Ma^a Harold to watch outside ob df hou^^ Z'Z
fc TJ"""' «°"« °° '^"'^ About hTan hour
«to me got dere a nigger come along mnnin^f ""
dis directioa Dat no business of Jake's aoT5 ,V^
I his hold of him. ^ave him so violent ' ^ ^!>\^'^^^ed
I fain to be silent.
shake that he was
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Its
A CONTEMPTUOUS DISMISSAL
It:
I ill
Wm
" This is a scandalous indignity," he exclaimed furiously
when Jake finished. "What do you mean, sir," he
demanded of Harvey, "by setting this nigger to watch
my abode? I will have satisfaction for this treat-
ment"
" It seems, sir," Mr. Jackson said, signing to Harvey to
be silent, "that you have been detected in a gross act of
treachery. My friends have suspected you of it, but I
indignantly denied ii Could we believe, I and my
family, that you, whom we have known as a child, would
betray our guests to the Americans. Loyalists and
republicans are alike welcome here. I do not ask my
friends their opinions. My house is neutral ground, and
I did not think that any who used it would have had the
treachery to turn it into a trap; still less did I imagine
you would do so. These gentlemen would be perfectly
within their right did they take you out and hang you
from the nearest tree, but for my sake I trust that they
will not do so; but should the American cavalry evei
again visit this house, under circumstances which may
lead it to be supposed that they have been brought here
to capture my guests, I shall let them punish you as you
deserve. No word of mine will be raised in your favour.
Now, sir, go, and never again enter this house, where the
loathing and contempt that I feel for you will, I know,
be shared by the ladies of my family."
At a nod from Harold, Jake released his hold of the
captive, who, without a word, turned and left the room.
Not a word was spoken for a minute or two after he
had left The youngest girl was the first to speak.
"The wretch!" she exclaimed; "to think that Herbert
Chermside should turn out such a mean traitor I Pap,
A DANOEaoira Bmarr,
I would
served
183
have let them hang him at once. It would have
_ him right Now he may do us all harm."
1 do not know that you are not right. Ada" Mr
Jaclcson replied gravely. "I am far fool «yi„g that
I acted wisely; young Chemside hae many friends Long
the Amencans, and it is possible that he may work m
hZ nr'""'' "^u Pf""" •" » "™'™1 " ^0" estab-
lished Office™ on both sides have at times been wel-
Z^2Z-^ ^u "^P"'*' ""''^f"™' *•><" O"' friends
here are often with us can do us no harm. However
hence orth he must be regarded as an enemy. andXe
wiU always be danger in these visits. So long ^Z
American outposts are within an hour's ride he »n have
he road watched and although he is not likely to vel!
ture upon signalling with rockets he may send or take
word on horseback. A bonfire too might be lit at the
other side of the hiU to call them over.^ Altogether you
wiU never be safe from home except when ;ou hi™ «
stag body of your own troops between this and Z
"I am glad to say," Harvey answered, "that in con-
body of 200 infantry and a troop of cavalry are to mov.
to-morrow and teke up their position by the forTsowe
shall be safe from any surprise from that directioa"
I am very glad to hear it," Mr. Jackson said; "it will
you are in this neighbourhood; you have made a bitter
enemy, a«d after what he has proved himself capabTot
we caimot do^bt that he would hesitate at nothC I
uuderstand," he went on with a smUe towards his rfdest
daughter, "what is at the bottom of his conduct and"
184
A TRAITOR AMONG THE SCOUTS,
I have long suspected his hopes in that quarter I am not
surprised that he is somewhat hostile to you; still 1
never for a moment deemed him capable of thia"
The next day Mr. Jackson learred that his neighbour
had left his plantation, and had told hi» servants that he
was not likely to return for some time.
Shortly after this a series of bad luck attended the
doings of the British scouts, — several parties were killed
or captured by the enemy, and they were constantly baffled
by false reports, whilo the Americans appeared to fore-
stall all their movements. It was only when enterprises
were set on foot and carried out by small bodies that
they were ever euccessful, anything like combined action
by the orders of the officers constantly turning out ill.
" There must be a traitor somewhere," Peter said, upon
the return of a party from an attempt which, although it
promised well, had been frustrated, to carry off a number
of cattle from one of the American depots. "Tt ain't
possible that this can be all sheer bad luck. In't no
one in our company, I will he bound. We ain't had any
new recruits lately, and there ain't a man among us whom
I could not answer for. There must be a black sheep in
Gregory's or Vincent's corps. The enemy seem up to
every move, aixd between us we have lost more than thirty
men in the last few weeks; there ain't no doubt about it,
there is a traitor somewhere and he must be a clever one,
and he must have pals with him, or ho could not send
news of what we are doing so quickly. It beats me
altogether, and the men are all furious."
"I have been talking with some of our men," Peter
said a few days afterwards, "and \e agree that we are
bound to get to the bottom of this matter. "We are sartin
A COUNTERPLOT.
180
sure that the traitor don't belong to us. What we pro-
pose IS this, that the hull of us shall go up together
without saying a word to a soul, and scatter ourselves
along the rmr at all the points where a chap going with
a message to the enemy would be likely to cross The
night we go out we will get the three captains all to give
orders to their men for an expedition, so that whoever it
:s that sends messages from here would be sure to send
over word to the Yankees; and it will be hard if we
do not catch him— what do you say?"
''I think the plan is a very good one," Harold answered:
If you like I will go with my father an.] ask Gregory
and Vincent to send their men."
Captain Wilson at once went to these officers. Thev
were as much irritated and puzzled a^ were their men
by he failures which had .aken place, and agreed that
next evening an order should be issued for the men of
he three corps to act in combination, and to allow it to
oak out that they intended to surprise an American post
situated near the river, 2i miles distant. Captain Wil-
sons scouts, instead of going with the others, were to act
on their own account.
On the day arranged, as soon as it became dark, the
forty scouts quietly left their quarters in small pakies
and made their way towards the river, striking it at
the point where a messenger would be likely to cross
upon his way to give warning to the American post
of he attack mtonded to be made upon it. They took
post along the river at a distance of 50 or 60 yards
apart and silently awaited the result Several hours
passed, and no sound broke the stillness of the woods.
An hour before dawn P^t^f Tn«,vf^^ i.,, -, ,. . '
_ -,1^^ xjoiinDrou n«'ara a slight
m
186
A 0/FTTVK
crack, as that of a breaking twig. It was some dis-
tance back in the woods, but it seemed to him by the
direction that the man who caused it would strike the
river between himself and Jako, wh'' raa stationed next
to him. He noiselessly stole along toward the point.
Another slight sound afforded him a sure indication of
the direction in which the man, whoever he might be,
was approaching; he hastened his steps, and a minute
later a negro issued from the wood close to him; he stood
for an instant on the river-bank and was about to plunge
in when Peter threw his arms around him.
Although taken by surprise, the negro struggled despe-
rately, and would have freed himself from the grip of
the old scout had not Jake ran up instantly to his com-
rade's assistance; in a minute the negro was bound, and
two shots were then fired, the concerted signal by which
it would be known along the line that a capture had been
effected. In a few minutes the whole body was assem-
bled. The negro, who refused to answer any questions,
was carried far back into the woods, and a fire was
lighted.
" Now, nigger," Peter said, taking as captor the lead in
the matter, "just tell us right away where you was going
and who sent you,"
The negro was sileni
"Now, look ye here, darky, you are in the hands of
men who are no jokei-s. Ef you tell us at once who
put ye on to this trick, no harm will happen to you; but
ef ye don't, we will just bum the skin off your body
bit by bit."
Still the negro was sileni
"Half-a-dozen of yez," Peter said, "as have got iron
EUOITINO THE TRUTH.
187
ramrods, shove them into the fira We will soon find this
niggers tongue."
Not a word was spoken until the ramrods were heated
red-hot
"Now/' Peter said, "two of yez clap your ramrods
agamst this darky's flanka"
The negro struggled aa the men approached him, and
"I will tell you. sars-ohl have mercy upon me and I
will tell you eberytingl"
"I thought," Peter said grimly, "that you would find
a tongue soon enough. Now, then, who sent you ?"
"My maasa," the negro answered.
"Aiid who is your master?"
The negro was again silent; but as, at a nod from
.t. *^® ""^'^ ^S^'^ raised the ramrods, he blurted out,
"MassaChermside."
The name was known to many of the scouts, and a cry
of anger broke from them.
"I thought as much," Harvey said; «I suspected that
scoundrel was at the bottom of it aU along."
"Where is he?" he asked the negro.
" Me not know, sar."
"You mean you won't say," Peter said. "Try the
vartue of them ramrods again."
" No, no!" the negro screamed. « Me swear me do not
know where him be. You may bum me to death if you
will, but I could not teli you."
J I think he is speaking the truth," Harvey said.
V\ ait a mmute. Have you done this before ?" he asked
the negra
188
A CONFESSION.
"Yes, sar; eight or ten times me swim de river at night."
"With messages to the Americans?"
"Yes, sar; messages to American officers."
"Have you any written message — any letter?"
"No, sar, me never take no letter; me only carry this;"
and he took out from his hair a tiny ball of paper smaller
than a pea.
It was smoothed out, and upon it were the words,
"Gen. Washington." "Where I go, sar, I show dem this,
and dey know then dat de message can be believed."
"But how do you get the message? How do you see
your master?"
"Massa's orders were dat me and two oders were to
meet him ebery night after it got dark at a tree a mile
from de place where de soldiers are. Sometime he no
come; when he come he gibes each of us a piece of
money, and tell us to carry a message across the river.
We start by different ways, swim across de water in
different places, take de message, and come back to de
plantation."
"A pretty business!" Peter said. "Now you must come
back with us to the post, and tell your story to the com-
manding officer. Then we must see if we cannot lay
hands on this rascally master of yours."
Upon the news being told, the general in command
sent a party out, who, after searching the house and out-
buildings of the plantation in vain, set fire to them and
burned them to the ground. The negroes were all carried
away, and employed to labour for the army. The town
and all the surrounding villages were searched, but no
trace could be obtained of the missing man. One of the
men of Gregory's corps of scouts disappeared. He had
A SHOT IN THE WOODa
189
recently joined, but his appearance as a man with beard
and whiskers in no way agreed with that of the planter.
He might, however, have been disguised; and his disap-
pearance wa^ in Itself no proof against him. for the scouts
were under no great discipline, and when tired of the
service often left without giving notice of their intention
ot doing so It was, moreover, possible that he might
have fallen by an enemy's bullet.
The strongest proof in favour of the deserter being
Chermside was that henceforth the scouts were again ai
successful a^ before, often surprising the enemy success-
Now that the ford nearest to Mr. Jackson's was strongly
guarded, the young men had no apprehension of any
surprise, although such an event was just possible, a^ the
cavalry on both sides often made great circuits i^ their
raids upon each other's country. That Chermside was
somewhere in the neighbourhood they believed, having
mdeed strong reason for doing so, a^ a rifle was one
evening fired at them from the wood as they rode ove.
the ball passing between their heads. Pursuit at the
time w^ impossible, but the next day a number of scouts
searched the woods without success. Soon after they
heard that Chermside had joined the Americans, and
obtained a commission in a body of their irregular horse
Harvey was now formally engaged to Isabelle Jackson
and at was settled that the wedding should take place
m the early spring at New York. When not on duty
he naturally spent a good deal of his time there, and
Harold was often over with him. Since he had been
nred at m the woods, Isabelle had been in the highest
state of nervous anxiety lest h^r Im^er'" en^-r- ^^— i »
it:
190
SURPRISED.
a^ain try to assassinate him, and she begged Harold
always to come over with him if possible, as the thought
of his riding alone through the wood filled her with
anxiety.
Although he had no order to do so, Jake, whenever he
saw Harold and his friend canter off towards the Jack-
sons', shouldered his rifle and went out after them to the
house, where, so long as they stayed, he scouted round
and round with the utmost vigilance. Very often Harold
was ignorant of his presence there; but when, after his
return, he found by questioning him how he had been
employed, he remonstrated with him on such excessive
caution.
"Can't be too cautious, massa," Jake said. "You see
dat fellow come one of dese days."
Jake's presentiment turned out correct. One evening
when with several friends the young men were at Mr.
Jackson's, the sound of the report of a rifle was heard at
a short distance.
"That must be Jake's rifle 1" Harold exclaimed; "quick,
Harvey, to your horse."
It was too late; as they reached the door a strong
party of American cavalry dashed up to it.
"Surround the house!" an officer shouted; "do not let
a soul escape."
The young men ran upstairs again.
"We are caught," Harvey said; "escape is cut off; the
Yankee cavalry are all round the house. Good-bye,
Isabelle; we shall meet one of these days again, dear."
The girl threw herself into his arms.
"Be calm, love," he said; "do not let this scoundrel
have the s&tisf action of trinmnhino' over yott."
PRtSONIRS.
1»1
A moment later Chennside, accompanied by several
soldiers, entered the room. ' several
"I am Sony to disturb so pleasant a party," he said in
a sneenng vo.ce; "but if Americana choose to entc to n
*:^rraZ:" """' "-"-"^ "^^^ """ -p-' «- ""••
Mr. Jackson abruptly turned his back upon him, and
no one else spoke, although he waa personally well kaZn
Id r„„ ^ ^"^ *" headquarters, where a short shrift
and two strong ropes will bo their lot "
p.Wul rajtor as yourself the better, I should say." Harvey
said qmetly; and walking forward with Harold he pTaled
himself m the hands of the soldiers. ^
hefrd Z T ^^ ^"'''* ""^ fo'-t^'J ^hen she
heaM the threat of execution against her lover. Ada
stood before her with a look of such anger and contempt
10 horsel he said sullenly, . nd turning, followed his
men and prisoners downstairs. "'oweanis
fibres. They had with them a number of riderless horses
wh»e accoutrements showed that they belonged to an'
Engl«h regiment; most of the men, too. had sacks of
plunder upon their horses. They hak ev denOy made a
successful raid, and had probably attacked a post^and sur!
pnsed and dnven off the horses of a squadron of cavZ
IS IS an awkward business. Harold," Harvey said, as
193
A 8BVEKK REPROOF.
m
iiii
in the midst of their captors they galloped off from the
Jacksons'. "Of course it's all nonsense about our being
hung; still I have no wish to see the inside of a prison,
where we may pass years before we are exchanged.
Once handed over to the authorities we shall be safe, but
I shall not feel that we are out of danger so long as we
are in this scoundrel's hands. Fortunately, there are
officers of superior rank to himself with the squadron,
otherwise I have no doubt at all that he would hang us
at once."
Such was indeed the case, and Chermside was at that
moment fuming intensely at the chance which had thrown
his rival in his hands, at a time when he was powerless
to carry out his vengeance. He had, indeed, ventured
to suggest that it would be less trouble to hang the
prisoners at once, but the major in command had so
strongly rebuked him for the suggestion that he had at
once been silenced.
" I blush that I should have heard such words from
the mouth of an American officer. It is by such deeds,
sir, that our cause is too often disgraced. We are
soldiers fighting for the independence of our country, not
lawless marauders. Had these men been taken in their
civilian dress over on our side of the river, they would
have been tried and hung as spies; but they were on
neutral ground, and in fact in the rear of their own
posts. There is no shadow of defence for such an accu-
sation. Should I ever hear a similar suggestion I shall
at once report your conduct to General Washington, who
will know how to deal with you."
•' I wonder what has become of Jake," Harold said to
his comrade; " I trust he was not shot dowa"
n;'i
MICK OOIS TOK AID.
Its
"Not he » Harvey wid ; "he made ofTafter firinK hi, rifle
TbeZe ' Th:'n^ "^ "" """ '»■"« "" -'S
i^ k. !v r V ? ™ •*" ™" "l«« » •'»'•«. and I have
no doubt that by this time he ha. either got baek to the
village aj,d given the alarm there, or h J mat for the
ford There are 100 cavalry there now a« well m the
he started The dragoons will be in the saddle five
nunutes later and it is just possible they may cut off
our retreat before we have crossed the river plr 1« !„
duty there, and if he happens to be at theTost wht Jake
arnves, he w, 1 hurry up with all the scouts he can collect "
Jake had taken flight as Harvey supposed. He hid
after firmg h.s rifle, taken to the wood, and had re-
mamed near the house long enough to see which wly
the cavalry rode when thev started T),«n i, j /^
the post at the ford at theCftis sp 1 Vwt 1^'
than an hour rem starting when he Lved tAerTand
• Trhre"'"Aft "'' "™.''^ '™'"P^'' -™ "-i"2
.— ,lke":rnt tZl^Z:: tt ^L 1
"What the tamel I upl^T "'" """^ ''''"^
Jake hastily related what had taken place.,
Tarnation Peter exclaimed. "This is a bad iob
They are making, no doubt, for Finchley's Ford, uJal
Wretr us ^'' '''' '"-' ^'"^ 'W a. su^et
o/:uX wldTSyr '"' ^''''■' '-' ^°" «»•'"«
"Thinking of running to the moon!" fh« c«.„t --h
1
194
THE SCOUT'S PLAN&
')';
•■'
'it
contemptuously; "you can run well, I don't deny, Jake,
but you could not run 15 miles with the dragoons; and
if you could, you would get there too late. Yer bel-
lows are going pretty fast already. Now don't stand
staring there, but hurry through the camp and get all
our boys together; tell them to meet by the waterside.
Get Gregory and Vincent's men as well as our own. There
are twenty or thirty altogether in the place."
Without asking a question, Jake ran off to carry out
the orders, and in a few minutes twenty-four men were
collected together on the bank,
"Now, you fellows," Peter said, "we've got to rescue
these two young chaps out of the hands of the Yankees.
Those who don't want to join, and mind you the venture
is a risky one, had better say so at once and stop behind."
No one moved.
"What I propose is Ma: we will take the ferry-boat,
which ain't no good to no one seeing as how the Yankees
are one side of the river and we the other, and we'll
drop down the stream about 10 mile. Then we will land
on their side of the river and strike inland, hiding the
boat under the bushes somewhere. They will halt for
the night when they are safe across the river. There
are 500 or 600 of their infantry camped on the ford.
There are 200 on our side, but the Yankees will ride
through in the dark, and get across before the red-coats
are awake. Now, I proposo that after we have landed
we make a detour until we get near the Yanks' camp.
Then the rest will wait and two or three of us will go in
and see if we cannot get the young fellows out of whar-
ever thay have put them. Then we will join you and
malro a r iinnin o- fiDrht of it back to the boat."
IN THE KNKMY'S CAMP.
19S
tJ^n T T"'f '^^ ^"-^ ""^ ""Ply iMge enough
d„^\ •P""'"! ■•'' ""' "'» '•'o »'"'«». they dropped
down, keeping under shelter of the trees on the BriUsh
rt. f«w '"j \T '^*'' "'"y ""^d ^'"ted ttey heard
the femt sound of distant musketry.
fl,I"?-r{ ^""" f"' "*« ^""ks are riding through
the British camp, close to the ford." A few more shote
:Z f '"^' *"' *'" "" ^-^ »"-'• The ste^T^
wifUor It w^ swollen by recent rains, and at three fa
the monnng the boat touched the .nk about a m^
above the ford. The party disembarked noi^kLy.^d
^ S""^' toa treemoved along towards the^ck^
When they were within 400 or 600 yards of the
«%e Peter chose Jake and two othe« of L tnd, ^d
temng the rest to remain where they were, read^ for
action, he struck inland. He made a wide sweep^and
came m at the back of the camp. ^
Here there were no sentries, as the only danger to be
appn>hended was upon the side of the river. Pete tW
sentry was walking up and down, and he, L the fre^
aud-easy manner usual in the American army, gMy
entered mto conversation with the new-comers. ^
All pretty quiet about here?" Peter asked. "We are
romthe West and havejust come down todoalittleflgh"
nig with the Britishers I reckon they ain't far off n^}-
you »S;';::r ^'^'^ ""' "'"'" "^'^ '^'^'^ »"'^; " '"'-
and^l^T K°^* ^""'^"'"g like 200 miles this week,
We ZT^ ™ V*y "' ^'"''' '«»' l^f^e we begin.
,y!.!!.''«l*'°°^'°""« ^'"^'^ fighting, n-y mates ^d L
- .-.. »,u.e, ana we says to ourselves it was about tim«
196
NEWS OP THE PRISONERS.
i
■|
we burned a little powder against the Red-coats. Things
seem quiet enough about here; nothing doing, eh?"
" Not much," the sentry said; "just skirmishes. Some
of our cavalry came across through the Red-coats late
to-night. I hear they have got a quantity of plunder
and some fine horses, and they have brought in a couple
of the British scouts."
"And what have they done with them?" Peter asked.
" Strung them up, I suppose."
" No, no; we am't fighting Indians now; we don't hang
our prisoners. No, they are safe under guard over
there in the cavalr} camp, and will be taken to head-
quarters to-morrow."
"Wall," Peter said, stretching himself, "I feel mighty
tired, and shall jest look for a soft place for an hour's
sleep before morning."
So saying, he sauntered away, and the sentry resumed
his walk.
Peter and his three companions now moved oft towards
the spot where, as the sentry had indicated, the cavalry
were encamped. They were not in tents, but were sleep-
ing wrapped up in their blankets. Two tents, however,
had been erected, lent probably by the infantry on the
spot. One was much larger than the other, and sentries
were placed before each. They had some difficulty in
making their way, for the night was dark, and the cavalry
had picketed their horses without order or regularity.
In their search they had to use great caution to avoid
stumbling over the sleeping men; but at last they saw
the tents faintly against the sky. They crawled cautiously
up. There were two sentries on the smaller tent.
« XT Tai — »» r>a^/««. nrViiartovarl " -cnn Rw* the blackest,
AN ALARM.
197
and 80 had better do the trick. Don't cut a hole in the
tent, for they would be safe to hear the canvas tear.
Crawl under. It's been put up in haste, and ain't likely
to be pinned down very tight. They are safe to be
bound, and when you have cut the cords, and given them
time to get the use of their feet, then crawl along and
join us."
Jake did as he waa instructed. One of the sentries
was pacing up and down before the entrance, the other
making a circuit round the tent The circle was a
somewhat large one to avoid stumbling over the tent
ropes. Jake, therefore, watching his opportunity, had
no difficulty in crawling up and squeezing himself under
the canvas before the sentry returned.
"Hush!" he whispered, as he let the canvas fall behind
him, "it's Jake."
Both the captives were fast asleep. Jake, feeling
about in the darkness, found them one after the other,
and, putting his hands on their mouths to prevent them'
making an exclamation, he woke them, and soon cut the
cords with which they were bound hand and foot. Then
in whispers he told them what had happened. They
chafed their limbs to produce circulation, for they had
been tightly tied, and then one by one they crawled out
of the teni
Harvey went first, and was safely across before the
sentry returned. Harold followed, but, as he went, in
his hurry he struck a tent rope.
"What's that?" the sentry in front asked sharply
"Bill, was that you?" ^'
"No," his comrade replied; "something's up; look into
198
TH|i; END OF THE TRAITOR.
And so saying, he ran round behind, whilst the
sentry in front rushed into the tent, and, kicking about
with his feet, soon found that it was empty.
Jake, on hearing the exclamation, at once crawled from
the tent, but, as he did so, the sentry, running round,
saw him and levelled his rifle. Before he could flxe, a
shot was heard, and the man fell dead.
Jake started to his feet and joined his friends. The
other sentry also discharged his rifle, and the whole
camp awoke and sprang to their feet. The horses,
alarmed at the sudden tumult, plunged and kicked; men
shouted and swore,' every one asking what was the
matter. Then loud cries were heard that the sentry was
shot and the prisoners had escaped.
Running closely together, and knocking down all who
stood in their way, the fugitives hurried in the darkness
until at the edge of the camp, and then started at full
speed.
The trumpets were now sounding to horse, and several
shots were fired after them. Many of the horses had not
been unsaddled and mounted men at once dashed off.
Several had seen the little party rush away, and the
horsemen were speedily on their track. The six men
ran at the top of their speed, and were soon close to their
hidden friends.
"This way, this way, I see them," shouted a voice,
which Harold and Harvey recognized as that of their
enemy, who a minute later galloped up with half a dozen
troopers. It was not until he was within a few yards
that his figure was clearly discernible, then Peter Lamb-
ton's rifle flashed out, and the planter fell from his horse
wifh a. bullet in his braivL
ESOAPEIX
m
Jake and the other two men also fired, and the horse-
men, astonished at their number, reined in their horses to
await the coming up of more of their comrades.
In another minute Jhe fugitives were with their friends,
and at a rapid trot the whole ran up the river bank
towards the spot where they had hidden their boat
The country was covered with brushwood and forest
and as the cavalry, now swollen to a considerable force'
advanced, they were greeted by so heavy a fire, that'
astonished at this strong force of foes upon their side of
the river, and not knowing how numerous they might be
they halted and waited for the infantry to come up'
Long before the enemy were prepared to advance against
the unknown foe the scouts reached their boat and
crossed in safety to the other sida
Shortly after this adventure Mr. Jackson and his
family moved for the wmter into New York where
soon after their arrival the wedding between Harvey and
Isabelle took place, the former retiring from the corns
of scouts. *^
1 i'
|:-V" ■ ■'■ i '^
CHAPTER XL
THE CAFTUBE OF PHILADELPHIA.
' URING the course of the spring of 1777 a large
number of loyal colonists had volunteered their
servicea They had been embodied into battal-
ions, and when the army prepared to take the
field they were placed in garrisons in New York and
other places, thus permitting the employment of the whole
of the British force in the field. The Americans had
occupied themselves in strongly fortifying the more de-
fensible positions, esp^'scially those in a mountain tract of
country called the Manor of Courland. This was converted
into a sort of citadel, where large quantities of provisions,
forage, and stores of all kinds were collected. About
fifty miles from New York, up the North River, was
a place called Peeks Hill, which served as a port to the
Manor of Courland. The country was so difficult and
mountainous that Genera] Howe shrank from engaging
his army in it. He determined, however, to attack and
destroy Peeks Hill, and a party of five hundred men,
under the command of Col. Bird of the 15th Regiment,
were sent up the river in two transports to destroy it.
The garrison, consisting of 800 men, set fire to the place
and withdrew without firing a shot The British com-
200
THE MARCH TO DANBURY.
201
pleted the destruction of the stores and returned to New
York.
A little later 2000 men were sent on a similar expedi-
tion against the town of Danbury, another place on the
confines of Courland Manor, where great stores had also
been collected. They proceeded up the Ea^t River and
landed at Camp's Point. They started on foot at ten
clock at night, and after a ten hours' march arrived at
eight clock at Danbury. The enemy evacuated the place
on their approach, and the English set fire to the great
magazines filled with stores of all kinds.
The news of the march of the English had spread
rapidly, and the enemy assembled from all quarters and
posted themselves under the command of General Arnold
at a town called Ridgefield, through which the English
would have to pass on their return. Here they threw up
entrenchments. It was late in the afternoon when the
English, fatigued with the long march, arrived at this
spot. They did not hesitate, however, but when the
Americajis opened fire they boldly assailed the entrench-
ments and carried them with the bayonet. They were
unable to march further, and lying down so as to form an
oblong square, slept till morning. All night the Americans
continued to come up in great force, and in the morning aa
the troops advanced, a terrible fire was opened upon them
from the houses and sf -^^ walls in which the country
abounded. The British had to fight every foot of their way
General Wooster had brought up some field-axtiUery on
the side of the Americans. Gradually, however, the
column fought its way forwards until it arrived within
half ji mile of Camp's Point. Here two strong bodies of
t_e enemy barred their way. The column were by this
302
A OALLAJn' OHAROB.
time greatly exhausted ; the men had had no real rest for
three days and two nights, and several dropped on the
road with fatigue. Brigadier-general Erskine, however,
picked out 400 of those who were in the best condition,
and attacked the two bodies of the enemy with such
vigour that he put them utterly to flight, and the column
again advancing reached their destination without further
molestation. Nearly 200 men, including 10 officers, were
killed and wounded on the part of the British; the loss of
the Americans was still greater, and General Wooster
and some field-ollicers were among the slain.
Many other skirmishes took place with varied success.
The Americans at Bond wick, seven miles from Brunswick,
1200 in number, were surprised and routed by Comwallis;
while on the other hand, the American Col. Meigs carried
out a most dashing expedition by crossing to Long
Island and destroying a quantity of stores at a place
called Saggy Harbour, burning a dozen brigs and sloops
which lay there, taking ninety prisoners, and returning
safely across the sound.
In June, Washington with 8000 men waa encamped in
a strong position at Middlebrook. General Howe, al-
though he had 30,000 men, hesitated to attack him here;
by a feigned retreat, however, he succeeded in drawing
General Washington from his stronghold, and inflicted a
decisive defeat on 3000 of his men. Washington fell back
to his position in the mountains, and General Howe
retired altogether from Jersey and withdrew his troops
to Staten Island. A dashing feat was executed at this
time by CoL Barton of the American army. Learning that
General Presscott, who commanded at Rhode Island, had
bis headquarters at a distance of a mile from his troops.
WUTORT OPIRATIONa JOS
he crossed from the mainland in two boats, seized the
Qeneml m his bed, and carried him off through the
Bntoh iJeet. The object of this dashing enterpr^e was
to obtain a general to exchange for the American General
Le^ who had been captured by the British.
General Howe, in June, again marched against Wash-
ington, and agam fell back without doing anything. Had
he, jm,tead of thus frittering away hia sLngth, march^
to the De We, crossed that river, and advanced against
Philadelphia Washington would have been forced to irve
his strongho d and either fight in the open or allow that
important city to fall into the hands of the English.
F^T -r 7* "r T^"^"^ »>!» »™y in transports.
Had he sailed up the North River to Albany he would
have effected a junction with General Bnrgo^e's army
which was advancing from Canada, and with the united
force could have marched through America from end to
end aa he chose. Instead of doing so he sailed down to
Chesapeake Bay and there disembarked the whole army
which had been pent up in transports from the 3d of July
to the 24th August. Not till the Uth of September did
they advance in earnest towards PhUadelphia. The
Americans, therefore, had ample time to take up a strong
petition and fortify it This they did on the other side of
L iTi^."^ ^T^ ^'"*^' "O™' "f « cannonade
the Bnbsh advanced, mastered the fort, and carried the
entrenchments. General Sullivan, with a considerable
force had now arrived, accompanied by General Washing-
from the Braaidywme; his artillery well phuied and his
flanks covered with wooda F -"^u ana nis
The followini! afternoon the B"tish -t*-»i— ■ mi
I !'
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104
A SUCCESSFUL SURPRISB.
lyBihyiiii
Americans fought well, but the British were not to be
denied, and rushing forward drove the enemy from their
position into the woods in their rear. Here they made a
stand and were only dislodged after a desperate resist-
ance. The greater portion of them fled in all directions.
Washington himself, with his guns and a small force,
retreated eight miles from Chester, and then marched by
Derby to Philadelphia. Here he waited three days
rallying his troops, and then having recruited his stores
from the magazines, marched away.
All this time the British remained inactive on the
ground they had \^on. In the battle, the Americans lost
300 killed, 600 wounded, and 400 prisoners. Several
guns were also taken. The British lost 100 killed and
400 wounded.
On the 20th of September they advanced towards
Philadelphia. The American General Wayne had con-
cealed himself in the woods with 1500 men, with the
intention of harassing the rear of the British army.
News of this having been obtained Major-general Grey
was despatched at once to surprise him; he ordered his
men not to load but to rely wholly on the bayonet The
success of the expedition was complete. General Wayne's
outpost was surprised, and the British troops rushed into
his encampment. 300 of the Americans were killed or
wounded, and 100 taken prisoners. The rest escaped
through the woods. On the Elnglish side 1 officer was
killed, 7 privates killed and wounded.
The capture of Philadelphia was an important advan-
tage to the British, but it could not be thoroughly utilized
until the fleet could come up the river to the town. The
American Congress, which had sat at Philadelphia until
THE Art-AGK ON GERMAN TOWN.
206
General Howe approached the town, had taken extensive
measures for rendering the passage impracticable. Three
rows of chevaux-de-frise, composed of immense beams
of timber bolted and fastened together and stuck with
iron spikes, were sunk across the channel, and these lines
were protected by batteries. At these forts were fourteen
large row-boats each carrying a heavy cannon, two float-
ing batteries carrying nine guns each, and a number of
fire-ships and rafts.
The forts commanding the chevaux-de-frise were aban-
doned on the approach of the British, and Captain
Hamond, of the Roebuck, succeeded, in spite of the
opposition of the enemy's boats and batteries, in making
an opening through the chevaux-de-frise sufficiently wide
for the fleet to pass.
Large numbers of troops having been sent away from
" German Town," a place seven miles from Philadelphia,
where the main body of the British army were posted,
General Washington determined to attempt the surprise
of that position. For this purpose he reinforced his
army by drawing 1500 troops from Peek's Hill, and 1000
from Virginia; and at daybreak on the 4th of October,
under cover of a thick fog, he made an attack on the
troops posted at the head of the village.
Half of the British force lay on one side of the village
and half on the other, and had the attack upon the place
succeeded the British army would have been cut in sunder.
The village was held by the 40th Regiment, who, fighting
obstinately, were driven back among the houses. The
Americans were pushing forward in five heavy columns,
when Lieutenant-colonel Musgrave, who commanded the
40th, threw himself into a larce stone house,
^MHf
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AM OBflTINATV tlESlSTANC&
offered a desperate resistance, and so impeded the advance
of the enemy that time was given for the rest of the
British troops to get under arms.
General Washington ordered a whole brigade of in-
fantry to attack the house, and turned four guns against
it. Colonel Musgrave and his men, however, resisted
desperately, and held the post until Major-general Grey
with the 3d Brigade, and Brigadier-general Agnew with
the 4th Urigade, came up and attacked the enemy with
great spirit The engagement was for some time very
hot At length a part of the right wing fell upon the
enemy's flank, and the Americans retired with great
precipitation. The fog was so dense that no pursuit could
be attempted.
On the part of the English 600 were killed and wounded.
The loss of the Americans amounted to between 200 and
300 killed, 600 wounded, and 400 taken prisoners. Gen-
eral Howe had, on the previous night, been acquainted
with the intention of General Washington to attack the
place, and had he taken the proper measures to have
iTceived them the American army would have been
destroyed. He took no measures whatever, gave no
warning to the army, and suffered the camp t.j tie taken
by surprisa
After this battle the fleet and army united, cleared
away the chevaux-de-frise across the Delaware, and took
the Corts commanding them after some hard fighting.
Th. n&ssage of the Delaware being thus opened and
the v'o; V ^ ■\: am 'inication secured, the army went to their
wintei^ q\>>» 'te!:i-, at Philadelphia.
C&fk'STi Vilson and uis son had taken no part in any
of these ODerations. as a short time after the canture of
THE 0ORP8 DISBANDED. 207
Harold and Harvey by the American cavalry, the com-
pany had been disbanded. The men. when they entered the
service, hr4 volvmteered for a year. This time already had
bee,; oxerily exceeded-twenty months had passed since
the outfc . of Bunker's HiU-and although the men were
« illmg to continue to give their services so long as it ap-
peared to them that there was a prospect of a favourable
termination of the war. no such hope any longer remained
r^T"^'- ^^' ^'^* ^^°^y ""^'^^ England had sent
over had done nothing towards restoring the king's au-
thority in the colonies; and if, after a year's fighting, its
outposte were still within a few miles of New York, how
could It be expected or even hoped that it could ever
subdue a country containing hundreds of thousands of
square miles? The retreat from the Delaware and the
Zl7^ r^u-^ ""''' '^ ^'^ ^'"'^y ^S^^ *o Washington
Zl^' f r ?? t^'"^" ^^^^^ ^'"^^'^ *^« volunteers to
demand their discharge, according to the terms of their
engagement Except during the Caiiadian campaign they
had had but httle fighting, nor in such a warfare's, tha^
Inn« f .1 ^°''' ""^ '^"y^"^ °° ^«^ *h^re much
TZaV '"""''''''• ^"°y «^ *^« gentlemen who
formed the majonty of the company, aiid who for the
0) St part had fnends and connections in England, sailed
or tha country; some had left wives and families on
their estates when they took up arms; and most of them,
despaurmg of the final success of the war, had instructed
their agente to sell these estates for any sum that they
would fetch; others-among them Captain Wilson-now
tollowed their example. It was but a mere tithe of the
value of the property that was obtained, for money wus
scarce m the colonies; and sn mor,^ i.o^ -«i^ ^„x __ r
, ^..^ .,„^ ovi-ui Out* iiuu gone
ll!:
208
Harold's cRoiotc.
to England, rather than take part on one side or the other
of the fratricidal strife, that land and houses fetched but
nominal prices.
Mrs. Wilson had long since gone to England; and her
husband, having made arrangements for the disposal of
his property, now determined to join her. Fortunately
he possessed means irrespective of his estate in America.
This, indeed, had come to him through his wife, and his
own fortune and the money obtained by the sale of his
commission had remained invested in English securities.
While determined on this course for himself, he left it to
his son to choose his^own career. Harold was now nearly
eighteen, and his life of adventure and responsibility had
made a man of him. His father would have preferred that
he should have returned with him to England, but Harold
finally decided upon remaining. In war men's passions
become heated, the original cause of quarrel sinks into
comparative insignificance, and the desire for victory, the
determination to resist, and a feeling of something like
individual hatred for the enemy become predominant
motives of the strife.
This was especially the case in the American war; on
both sides there were many circumstances which height-
ened the passions of the combatants. The loyalists in
the English ranks had been ruined by the action of their
opponents — many had been reduced from wealth to
poverty, and each man felt a deep passion of resentment
at what he regarded his personal grievance. Then, too,
the persistent misrepresentations both of facts and mo-
tives on the part of the American writers and speakers
added to the irritation. The loyalists felt that there
were vast numbers throughout the colonies who agreed
THE WAR SPIRIT.
30»
rather than the expression of the general will In thh
no doubt, they were to some extenfmistaken for by *5,Ts'
soul'if Z Tft ''■ ""^ P^°P'« ""^ J»™d heart ^d
soul m the conflict. Men's passions had become so stirred
up that ,t was difficult for any to remain neu ra a^d
although there were still large number of loyXte
throughout the States, the vast bulk of the people had
resolved that the only issue of the contest llZpU^
and entire separation from the mother country. ^
Harold had now entered passionately into the struB,.Ie-
he was in constant contact with men who had been ruted
by the war; he heard only one side of the questbnld
sttuZe terr'' V""' "" ^"^'-^ cLnitdThe
struggle, to fight on for a cause which he considered
sacred. He was unable to regard the prospectsTsu^s
as hopeless; he saw the fine army which Knrfandt^'
«.llected; he had been a witness of the defeTof tSo
Z'^2lTr "-^y/-'"-! to ^tand the shock of
na u™ of thffi r'' ""'* " '^'^ »f "•« unsatisfactory
nature of the first campaign, he could not bring himself
to beheve that such an army could fail
When the company was disbanded L decided to con-
tinue to serve as a scout; but, sharing in the general
iTf ""'^", r^,"* '^^ '"«»P'«'''y »f General Howe
he determined to take ship again for Canada and tele
ervice mider General Burgoyne, who was prepays with
a well-appointed army to invade the States^roi tZ
When he communicated his determination t« Peter
I Umbton. the latter at once agreed to accompany him
■ " im)" ^ '^ ""^ business/ tHe hunter said, "and
210
aENERAL BURGOYNB'S EXPEDITION.
! i
I mean to see it through; settling down don't suit me. I
ain't got any friends at New York, and I shud be miser-
able just loafing about all day doing nothing. No, I shall
see this business out to the end, and I would much rather
go with you than any one else."
Jake was of the same opinion. Accustomed all his life
to obey orders, and to the life on his master's plantation,
he would not have known what to do if left to his own
devices. Captain Wilson pointed out to him that he
could easily obtain work on the wharves of New York,
or as a labourer on a farm; but Jake would not listen to
the proposal, and was, 'indeed, hurt at the thought that
he could leave his young master's side as long as Harold
continued in the war.
Accordingly, the day after Captain Wilson sailed for
England the three comrades embarked in a ship for
Halifax, whence another vessel took them to Quebec.
They then sailed up the river to Montreal, and took
service as scouts in General Burgoyne's army.
For political reasons General Burgoyne had been ap-
pointed to the command of the expedition which had
been prepared, and General Carleton, naturally offended
at being passed over, at once resigned the governorship.
His long residence in Canada, his knowledge of the coun-
try, of the manners of its inhabitants, and the extent of
its resources, and his acquaintance with the character of
the Indians, rendered him far more fit for command than
was General Burgoyne. In military knowledge and ex-
perience, too, he was his superior, and had he retained &
command the fate of the expedition would probably have
been very different.
The army uudcf GciiGfol jjurgoyns consiSuCd ot ii/w
THE BRITISH ADVANCE.
211
men, exclusive of artillerymen. Of these about half
were Germans. The Canadians were called upon to
funush men sufficient to occupy the woods on the frontier
and to provide men for the completion of the fortifications
at Sorrel, St. John's, Chamblde, and Isle-aux-Noix, to fur-
nish horses and carts for carriage, and to make roads when
necessary. A naval force wa^ to go forward with him on
the lake. The Indian question had again to be decided.
Several tnbes volunteered to join the British. General
Bur,.oyne hesitated, as General Carleton had done before
to accept their services, and only did so finally on the
certainty that if he refused their offers they would iom
the Americans. He resolved, however, to use them as
little as poasible. He knew that their object in all wars
was murder and destruction, and although he wished to
conquer the Americans he did not desire to exterminate
tnem.
On the 16th of June, 1777, General Burgoyne advanced
from St. John s. The naval force had preceded the army
and opened a way for its advance. The troops were
earned in a flotilla of boate, and under the protection of the
fleet passed Lake Champlain and landed at Crown Point
Harold and his companions had joined the army a
fortmght previously, and as they crossed the lake with
the fleet they could not but remember their last expedi-
tion there. At Crown Point they were joined by 1000
Indians, who marched round the lake, and at this place
General Burgoyne gave them a great fea^t, and afterwards
made a speech to them, exhorting them to abstain from
all cruelty, to avoid any ill-treatment of unarmed com-
batants, and to take as prisoners all combatants who feU
into their hands.
I !
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212
AN ILL-JUDGED PROCLAMATION.
But while thus exhorting the Indians to behave with
humanity and moderation, the general took a most ill-
judged step, which not only did the English cause great
harm, but was used by the Americans with much effect as
a proof of the cruel way in which England warred against
the colonists. He issued a proclamation threatening to
punish with the utmost severity all who refused to attach
themselves to the British cause, and at the same time he
magnified the ferocity of the Indians, pointing out with
great emphasis their eagerness to butcher those who con-
tinued hostile to the mother country, whose interests
they had espoused. ^
This proclamation was naturally construed by the
Americans as a threat to deliver over to the tender
mercies of the Indians to slay, scalp, and destroy all who
ventured to resist the authority of the king.
The Americans had fallen back on the approach of the
British, and upon the landing being effected the scouts
were instantly sent forward.
Among the Indians who had joined at Crown Point
were the Senecas — among them their old friend Deer-
Tail.
The scouts received no particular orders, and were free
to regulate their own movements. Their duty was to
reconnoitre the country ahead, and to bring in any infor-
mation they might gather as to numbers and position of
the enemy.
Finding that Peter and his companions were about to
start, Deer-Tail said that instead of waiting for the
feast he would take five of his warriors and accompany
them.
It was at Ticonderoga that the Americans had pre-
SCOUTINa
213
pared to make the,r first stand. The place lies on the
western shore o the lake a few miles to the northwarf
of the narrow mlet uniting Lake Champlain to Lake
„ZT* * T *° "<'<""'~t>^ the fort that the party
now set out. News had been brought that the Amerieaii
had been e«cutmg great additional works, and the British
frXnTd.'^"" "^ '"™ '''' """"-^ "' «>- ^'"'^
It was certain that the enemy would on their side have
sent out scouts to ascertain the movements of the royal
army, and the party proceeded with the greatest care.
They marched in the usual fashion in Indian file; the
Seneca ch.ef led the way, followed by one of his brkves;
then came Peter, Harold, and Jake; the other Senecas
marched in the rear.
When they came within a few miles of the fort their
process was marked with profound cautioa Not a
word was spoken, their tread wa^ noiseless, and the
greatest pains were taken to avoid stepping on a twiff
or dried stick The three scouts, when they left St
Johns, had abandoned their boots, and had taken to
Indian moccasins. Several times slight murmurs were
heard m the forest, and once a party of four American
frontiersmen were seen in the wood. The party
halted and crouched in the bushes. The Senecas turned
towards Peter as if asking if an attack should be made,
but the latter shook his head. A single shot would have
been heard far away in the woods, and their further pro-
grass would have been arrested. Their object now was
not to fight, but to penetrate close to the American in-
trencnments.
When the enemy had passed on the party continued
'4
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214
nOONDEROGA.
its way. As they neared the fort the caution observed
increased; several times they halted; while the Seneca,
with one of his braves, crawled forward ahead to see that
all was clear. At last they stood on the edge of a great
clearing; before them, just within gun-shot range, stood
the fort of Ticonderoga. Peter Lambton was well ac-
quainted with it, and beyond the fact that the space
around had been cleared of all trees, and the stockades
and earthworks repaired, little change could be seen.
As he was gazing the Indian touched his shoulder, and
pointed to a high hill on the opposite side of the narrow
straits. This had been deared of trees, and on the top
a strong fort had been erected. Many cannon were to
be seen along its crest, the roofs of huts, and a large
number of men. Half-way up the hill was another bat-
tery, and a third still lower down to sweep the landing.
" They have been working hard," the hunter said, " and
the army will have a mighty tough job before it. What
do you think of that, Harold?"
"It is a very strong position," Harold said, "and will
cost us a tremendous number of men to take it. The
fort cannot be attacked till that hill has been carried, for
its ffwaa completely command all this clearing."
For some time they stood gazing at the works, stand-
ing well back among the trees so as to be screened from
all observation. At last Harold said, " Look at that other
hill behind; it is a good bit higher than that which they
have fortified, and must be within easy range both of it
and the fort. I don't see any works there; do you?"
Peter and the Seneca chief both gazed long and ear-
nestly at the hill, and agreed that they could see no forti-
fication there.
II
OROSSINO THE RIVSR.
215
"It won't do to have any doubt about it," Peter said;
"we must go round and have a look at it."
" We shall have to cross the river," Harold remarked.
"Ay, cross it we must," Peter said; "that hill's got to
be inspected."
They withdrew into the wood again, and made a wide
sweep till they came down upon the river, two miles
above Ticonderoga. They could not reach the water
itself, as a road ran along parallel with it, and the forest
was cleared away for some distance. A number of men
could be seen going backward and forward on the road
Having made their observations, the scouts retired
again into a thick part of the forest and waited till
nightfall.
"How are we to get across?" Harold asked Peter.
"It's a good long swim, and we could not carry our
muskets and ammunition across."
"Easy enough," the scout said. "Did you not notice
down by the road a pile of planks? I suppose a waggon
has broken down there, and the planks have been turned
out, and nobody has thought anything more about them.
We shall each take a plank, fasten our rifle and am-
munition upon it, and swim across; there won't be any
difficulty about that. Then when we have seen what
there is on the top of that ere hill we will tramp round
to the other end of the lake. I heard that the army was
to advance half on each side, so we shall meet them
commor.
When it was perfectly dark they left their hiding-
place and crossed the clearing to the spot where Peter
had seen the planks. Each took one of them and pro-
ceeded to the river -side. Peter, Harold, and Jake
:
216
A COHMANDINQ HILL.
divested themselves of some of their clothes, and fastened
these with their rifles and ammunition to the planks.
To the Indians the question of getting wet was one of
entire indifference, and they did not even take off their
hunting shirts. Entering the water the party swam
noiselessly across to the other side, pushing their planks
before them. On getting out they carried the planks
for some distance, as their appearance by the water's edge
might excite a suspicion on the part of the Americans
that the works had been reconnoitred.
After hiding the planks in the bushes they made their
way to Sugar Hill, as tjie eminence was called. The
ascent was made with great circumspection, the Indians
going on first. No signs of the enemy were met with, and
at last the party stood on the summit of the hill. It
was entirely unoccupied by the Americans.
" Well, my fine fellows," laughed the scout, " I reckon
yer have been doing a grist of work, and that yer might
just as well have been sitting down quietly smoking your
pipes. What on arth possessed ye to leave this hill
unguarded?"
In point of fact General St. Clair, who commanded the
Americans, had perceived that his position was com-
manded from this spot. He had, however, only 3000
men under him, and he considered this number too small
to hold Ticonderoga, Mount Independence, and Sugar
Hill. The two former posts could afford no assistance to
the garrison of a fort placed on Sugar Hill, and that place
must therefore fall if attacked by the British. On the
other hand he hoped that should the attention of the
English not be called to the importance of the position
by the erciction of works upon it, it might be overlooked.
■:r
PEFKNSIVE WORKa 217
attack the po3.t.on which he had prepared wifh so m °S
Having ascertained that the hill was unoccuDied
Peter proposed at once to continue the march Sw
would tll/"^' ■"/"■" ^l*^'' ^°% position they
hues of defence, and might therefore obtain informa«on
vantage of the suggestion; two of the Indians w«e
step AtTtK- "l' '^ '^' °* *« P"'y '"id dowTto
leep. At daybreak they saw that the delay had been
fully justified for they had now a view of^hfwato
which separated Ticonderoga from Mount IndependTnd
and perceived that the Americans had inlTs3e
bndge of commumcation between these posts. 22 S
had been sunk at equal distances, and between them
^ts were placed, fastened with chains to the plera A
strong bridge of planks connected the whole On thi
Uke Cnamplain side of the bridge a boom 'coSosed
of great trees fastened together with double chains had
been placed. Thus not only had a communication be^
established across the stream, but an effectual Crier
erected to the passage of the fleet Fully satisfied
fte result of their investigations, the partyL „ut on iZ
'.^
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•
CHAPTER XIL
THE settler's HUT.
JEFORE starting; they stood for a minute or two
looking over the forest which they were to
traverse. To Harold's eye all appear3d quiet
and still; here and there were clearings where
settlers had established themselves, but, with these excep-
tions, the forest stretched away like a green sea.
"Tarnation!" Peter exclaimed; "we shall have all our
work to get through safely, eh, chief?"
The Seneca nodded.
"What makes you say so?" Harold asked in surprise.
" I see nothing."
Peter looked at him reproachfully. " I am downright
ashamed of yer, lad. You should have been long enough
in the woods this time to know smoke when you see it.
Why, there it is curlmg up from the trees in a dozen, ay,
in a score of places. There must be hundreds of men out
scouting or camping in them woods."
Harold looked fixedly again at the forests, but even
now he could not detect the signs which were so plain to
the scout. " You may call me as blind as a bat, Peter,"
he said with a laugh; " but I can see nothing. Looking
SIS
TOM IN IBB FOREST.
219
? Mill"^^' \^'' T ' "«'" ■"'«* •">" ""d there, but
1 believe jt la nothing but fancy."
"It is clear enough to me, lad, and to the Red-skins.
What do you say, chief?"
"Too much men," the Seneca replied sententiously.
mg the forest, and then in a few words consulted together
^ to the bast line to follow to avoid meeting the Who
to their eyes, swarmed in the forest '
"It's mighty lucky." the hunter said, as they turned
to descend the hill, which was covered ;ith trees Tfta
vepr summit, "that they are white men, and not Red
kms who are out in the woods there. I don't Jv that
there are not many frontiei^men who W theTa^^
the woods as well as the Red-skins. I do myteTf Ld
r Th; P.d J™"""^ r."'"'' '""'''«'«• ""' «>e best of
of aS^tr ''"° *" ^r: ™ *°^""'=* ■»"« «ke that
man a mile off as a dog can do, but he seems to know
we cant, his eyes can see marks on the gromid when
the keenest-sighted white man can see nothing. H that
wood was as full of Red-skins as it is of whiL Z T
our .ulps would not be worth a chlgetf ^oX^"^'''
isup;i7Hiirafkr/"'""'"'^ ^---^ *^« ^^^'>-
ttZwlf t'" 'f ' '! *'y '''" ^ ^ ">!* «s peas down
there watching for the first sight of our fleet No ™
silent as ef the trees had ears. You had best look to th,
primmg of yer piece before we goes farther forTtt U^y
1 !':
iii!<;r;;i,
S90
A QUARRKL IN THE WOODa
enough you will have to use ifc before the clay's done, and
a mirs-fire might cost you yer life. Tell that nigger of
yours that he is not to open his mouth again till I gives
him leave."
With a long stealthy tread the party descended the
mountain and took their way through the woods. Every
hundred yards or so they stopped and listened intently.
When any noise, even of the slightest kind, waa heard,
all dropped to the ground until the chief had scouted
round and discovered the way was clear. Once or twice
they heard the sound of men's voices and a distant laugh,
but they passed on without seeing those who uttered them.
Presently they again heard voices, this time raised as
if in angry dispute. The Seneca would, as before, have
made a long detour to avoid them, but Peter said, " Let
us have a squint at what's going on, chief."
With redoubled caution they again advanced until
they stood at the edge of the clearing. It was a patch
of land some hundred yards wide, and extending from
the shore of the lake nearly a quarter of a mile inland.
In the centre stood a log-hut, neatly and carefully built.
A few flowers grew around the house, and the whole
bore signs of greater neatness and comfort than was usual
in the cabins of the backwood settlers.
The point where the party had reached the edge of the
wood was immediately opposite the house. Near it stood
a group of some twenty men, one of whom, apparently
their leader, was gesticulating angrily as he addressed a
man who stood facing him.
" I tell yer, ye are a darned royalist; ye are a traitor
to the country, and I have a mind to hang yer and all
belonging to yer to the nearest bough."
A LOYAL SETTLER.
221
I tell you, the man answered calmly, but in the
still air every word he said could be heard by those at
he edge of the forest. "I hae naething to do with the
trouble ane way or the ither. I am a quiet settler, whose
busmess only is to mak a hame for my wife and bairn;
but If you ask me to drink success to the Congress and
confusion to the king's troops. I tell you I will na' do it •
not even if you are brutal enough, but this I canna
believe possible, to carry your threats into execution I
hae served my time in a king's regiment. With the
bounty I received instead o' pension on my discharge I
settled here wi' my wife and bairn, and no one shaU
say that Duncan Cameron was a traitor to his king We
do no harm to anyone; we tak no part for or against
you; we only ask to be allowed to live in peace.
"That ye shall not," the man said. "The kinc's
troops have got Indians with them, and they are going
to bum and kill all those who will not take part with
them. It s time we should show them a^ we can play at
that game too Now. ye have either got to swear to be
faithful to the States of America, or up ye go "
" I canna' swear." the settler said firmly; " you may kill
me If you will, but if you are men you will nae harm my
wite and girl. "^
"We will just do to you as the Red-skins will do to
our people the man said. "We will make a sweep of
the huU lot of you. Here, you fellows, fetch the woman
and girl out of the house and then set a light to it "
Four or five of the men entered the house; a minute
later screams were heard and a woman and child dragged
out. The settler sprang towards them, but three or four
men seized him.
223
A RISKY SHOT.
" Now," the man said, stepping towards the house, "we
will show them a bonfira"
As he neared the door a crack of a rifle was heard and
the ruffian fell dead in his tracks. A yell of astonishment
and rage broke from his followers.
" Jeerusalem! youngster, you have got us into a nice
fix. However, since you have begun it, here goes."
And the rifle of the hunter brought down another of
the Americans. These, following the first impulse of a
frontiersman when attacked, fled for shelter to the house,
leaving the settler with his wife and daughter standing
alone. i
" Yer had best get out of the way," Peter shouted, "or
ye may get a bit of lead that wasn't intended for yer."
Catching up his child, Cameron ran towards the forest,
making for the side on which his unknown friends were
placed, but keeping down towards the lake so as to be
out of their line of fire.
"Do yer make down to them, Harold," Peter said. " Tell
them that they had best go to some neighbour's, and stop
there for a day or two. The army will be here to-morrow
or next day. Be quick about it, and come back as fast
as yer can. I tell yer we are in a hornet's nest, and it
will be as much as we can do to get out of it."
A scattering fire was now being exchanged between
the Red-skins behind the shelter of the trees and the
Americans firing from the windows of the log -house.
Harold was but two or three minutes absent.
"All right, Peter!" he exclaimed as he rejoined them.
"Come along then," the hunter said. "Now, chief, let
us make up round the top of this clearing and then foot
it"
A NEST OP HORNETS.
323
The chief at once put himself at the head of the party
and the nine men strode away again through the forest.
It was no longer silent. Behind them the occupants of
the hut were still keeping up a brisk fire towards the
trees, while from several quarters shouts could be heard
hLr"^^ *^^ o^c® *h« Mian war-whoop rose in the
"That's just what I waa afeard of," Peter muttered-
there are some of those darned varmint with them We
might have found our way through the Whites, but the
Red-skms will pick up our trail ss sartin as if we were
driving a waggon through the woods."
Going along at a swinging noiseless trot the party made
their way through the forest. Presently a prolonged
Indian whoop was heard in the direction from which
they had come. Then there were loud shouts and the
firmg ceased.
"One of the red reptiles has found our trail," Peter
said; he is with a party of Whites, and they have shouted
the news to the gang in the clearing. Wall, we may
calculate we have got thirty on our trail, and as we can
hear them all round it will be a sarcumstance if we get
out with our sculps." ^
As they ran they heard shouts from those behind
answered by others on both flanks. Shots too were fired
as signals tq call the attention of other parties. Several
times the Seneca chief stopped and listened attentively
and then changed his course as he heard suspicious noises
ahead Those behmd them were coming up. although
still at some distance in the rear. They could hear the
Ste^thtt^'bJ^^^ "^' '"'" " *'^^ P"'^--
224
A CLEARINQ.
"Ef it was only the fellows behind," Peter said, "we
could leave them easy enough, but the wood seems alive
with the varmint,"
It was evident the alarm had spread through the forest,
and that the bands scattered here and there were aware
that an enemy was in their midst. The dropping fire
which the pursuers kept up afforded an indication as to
the direction in which they were making, and the ringing
war-whoop of the hostile Indians conveyed the intelli-
gence still more surely.
Presently there was a shout a short distance ahead,
followed by the sound of a rifle-ball as it whizzed close
to Harold's head and buried itself in a tree that he was
passing. In a moment each of the party had sheltered
behind a tree.
"It is of no use, chief," Peter said; "we shall have the
hull pack from behind upon us in five minutes. We
must run for it, and take our chances of being hit."
Swerving somewhat from their former line, they again
ran on; bullets whisked round them, but they did not
pause to fire a shot in return.
"Tarnation!" Peter exclaimed as the trees in front of
them opened and they found themselves on the edge of
another clearing. It was considerably larger than that
which they had lately left, being 300 yards across, and
extending back from the lake fully half a mile. As in
the previous case, a log-hut stood in the centre some 200
yards back from the lake.
"There is nothing for it, chief," Peter said; "we must take
to the house and fight it out there. There are a hull
gang of fellows in the forest ahead, and they will shoot
us down if we cross the clearing."
THE LOG-CABIN.
226
Without a moment's hesitation the party rushed across
the clearing to the hut; several shots were fired as they
dashed across the open, but they gained the place of
refuge m safety. The hut was deserted; it had probably
belonged to royalists, for its rough furniture lay broken
on the ground, boxes and cupboards had been forced open
and the floor was strewn with broken crockery and por-
tions of wearing apparel.
Harold looked round; several of the party were bleed-
ing from slight wounds.
"Now to the windows," Peter said as he barred the
door. "Pile up bedding and anything else that yer can
fand against the shutters, and keep yerselves well under
cover. Don't throw away a shot; we shall want all our
powder, I can tell yer; quickly now, there ain't no time
to be lost.
While some began carrying out his instructions below
others bounded upstairs and scattered themselves through
the upper rooms. There were two windows on each side
of the house-one at each end. Disregarding the latter,
Peter and Harold took post at the windows looking
towards the forest, from which they had just come. The
chief and another Indian posted themselves to watch the
other side. At first no one was to be seen. The party
who had fired at them as they ran across the open had
waited for the coming up of the strong band who were
toUowmg before venturing to show themselves. The ar-
rival of the pursuers was heralded by the opening of a
heavy fire towards the house. As the assailants kept them-
selves behind trees no reply was made ; and the de-
fenders occupied themselves by piling the bedding agamst
the shuiters, that they had hastily closed. Loopholes had
'''ii
226
A SIEOK
been left in the walls when the hut waa first built; the mo3s
with which they were filled up was torn out, and each
man took his post at one of these. As no answering shot
came from the house, the assailants became bolder, and
one or two ventured to show themselves from behind
shelter. In a moment Harold and Peter, whose rifles
would carry more truly and much farther than those of
the Indians, fired.
" Two wiped out!" Peter said as the men fell and shouts
of anger arose from the wooda " That will make them
careful"
This proof of the accuracy of the aim of the besieged
checked their assailants, and for some time they were
very careful not to expose themselves. From both sides of
the forest a steady fire was maintained; occasionally an
answering shot flashed out from the house when one of
the enemy incautiously showed an arm or a part of his
body from behind the trees, and it was seldom the rifles
were fired in vain. Four or five of the Americans were
shot through the head as they leaned forward to fire,
and after an hour's exchange of bullets the attack ceased.
"What are they going to do now?" Harold asked
" I expect they are going to wait till nightfall," Peter
said. " There is no moon, and they will be able to work
up all round the house. Then they'll make a rush to-
gether at the door and lower windows. We shall shoot
down a good many on them; and then they'll burst their
way in, or will set fire to the hut, and there'll be an end
of it. That's what will happen."
"And you think there is no way of making our way
out?" Harold asked.
" It's a mighty poor chance, if there is one at all," the
and shouts
oaake them
a
X
H
Eb
O
U
u
b
M
Q
a
1
li!
r '
;l : ;lPMf|
ii
1 H
|ta^^ ' ^^^^^^n
1
THE ATTACK POSTPONEIX 227
it eeto du»t *T,. ^ ""** '""*' "^ °'»''y- As soon M
NowttT It "'"'' '^'^ 8''«'"'^'y '<>* op to it
eaUh , J„ ^ T' "'**■'! "« >»»'« had nothing to
got to be kilTe irniir ' "*" " "' '"'^*
home'^d^lL^'' ""^ If "" ""^^ 0" «"=»• -ide of the
«r. w 1-i ^*''" gathered in the room below where
^^^!r/ ° ^"^S over it. Harold admired the ai,
na.ure of the position, but no allusion was made to it
2^I7y r ^" *^ "P*^' 0' '''» compHbut ht
s^^ca ''"""^*yP"'<»"«<i Ws imitating their habit^
"Dis bad affair, Master Harold," he said. "We iust
eee yoTi^ Zh a ^'» ^''"' ""^ ''"' '"' "^^ ^"y ^
he cJuir^i"^. ''P'V?''' ■" ^''">''* »"'<' ■« cheerfully as
a^dTitii^^i^r^fer'^^etiifdn'i'-^^
«4 r- f r.„^'?fL^^'_r - p-^hiiity of
i. ^„„ „.,,„y Qogg rascals come to
i:mi-ii
. I
tjinm
228
A PLAN OF ESOAPB.
climb de stairs, dey will find dat it are bery b-^rd
work."
"I don't think they will try, Jake; they are more
likely to heap brushwood against the door and windows
and set it alight, and then shoot us down as we rush out.
This hut is not like the one I had to defend against the
Irroquois. That was built to repel Indians' attacks; this
is a mere squatter's hut."
After the meal was over Peter and the Seneca chief
went upstairs, looked through the loopho'os, and talked
long and earnestly together; then they rejoined the party
below. '
"The chief and I are of opinion," Peter said to Harold,
"that it are of no manner of use our waiting to be
attacked here. They would bum us out to a sartinty;
we should have no show of a fight at eU. Anything
is better than that. Now, what we propose is that
directly it gets fairly dark we should all creep out and
make for the lake. Even ef they have formed their
circle round us, they ain't likely to be as thick there
as they are on the other side. What they will try to do,
of course, is to prevent our taking to the forest; and there
will be such a grist of them that I don't believe one of us
would get through alive if we tried it. Now they will not
be so strong towards the lake, and we might break
through to the water. I don't say as there's much chance
of our gitting away, for I tell you fairly that I don't
believe that there's any chance at all; but the chief here
and his braves don't want their scalps to hang in the
wigwams of the Chippewas, and I myself, ef I had the
choice, would rather be drowned than shot down. It
don't make much diflference, but of the two I had rather.
A POOR CHANCI,
329
H w, c«. r««A the lake, we can swim out of gmuA«t
Jake Mid the Indians swim as a matter of coui«e. Ef we
dive at first, we may get off; it will be so dark thly
won t see us with any sartinty beyond fifty yardf When
And IS there a chance, Peter? Although, if ther.< is
none, I quite agree with you that I wouU ra her 1^
killed by the first shot that would be the easiest death
bu If we were only wounded they would probably hat
US m the morning. "^ **
twt?w •"'" '^ '""''"' '""^ "'^»"' I "=»» hardly say
an t In the first place, they may have some canoes and
2ZC 1**' '^irt^'"' "" P""y ^'^o t» be some along
&hingT '**"*" *°"''' '"'^« '"«* "'»"' f«
■;But what ,*ance will that give us?" Harold asked.
Wall, the hunter replied, "I reckon in that case as
our chance is a fair one. Ef we dive and come „rdos^
^ongside we may manage to upset one of them. Ld in
that case we might get off Wall, that's one chance. Then
ef they don t come out in canoes we might swim three or
ourmiles down the lake and take to land. They could nol
tell which way we should go, and would have to scatter
over a long Ime; it's just possible as we might land with-
out bemg seen. Once in the woods and we should be
Ihr^w . ^°" '^ '^^ ''*™ *"" "^^'^^ 1° «»""« we must
tt wat^7 °" ""* """"^"o" ^^0" ^0 «»ne to
"At anyrate." Harold saW "th** nl-n '- - v — -i- i
- Esss — , Miv picui u» a uupexui one:
.+ -
!'"'
230
WAimTOk
and I agree with you that it is a thousand times better to
try it than it is to stop here with the certainty of being
shot down before morning."
The afternoon passed quietly; a few shots were fired
occasionally from the wood, and taunting shouts were
heard of the fate which awaited them when night ap-
proached.
A vigilant watch was kept from the upper windows,
but Peter thought that it was certain the enemy would
make no move until it became perfectly dark, although
they would establish a strong cordon all roun 1 the
clearing in case the besieg'ed should try and break out.
Harold trembled with impatience to be off as the night
grew darker and darker. It seemed to him that at
any moment the assailants might be narrowing the circle
round the house, and had he been the leader he would
have given the word long before the scout made a move.
At last Peter signalled that the time had come. It was
perfectly dark when the bars were noiselessly removed
from the door and the party stole out Everything
seemed silent, but the veryN stillness made the danger
appear more terrible. Peter had impressed upon Harold
and Jake the necessity for moving without making the
slightest noise. As soon as they left the house the whole
party dropped on their hands and knees. Peter and the
Seneca chief led the way; two of the braves came next;
Harold and Jake followed ; the remaining Indians crawled
in the rear. Peter had told his comrades to keep as close
as possible to the Indians in front of them, and grasping
their rifles they crept along the ground. As they led the
way Peter and the Seneca carefully removed from before
them every dried twig and threw it on one sidot
A FIGHT IN THE DARK.
231
wJtt f r'\*^ ^ ^'^"^""'^ ^'«°^ *^« l^"t *o the water
ovTr tf r ^"^^^'^ y^^^^' ^^ ^^^ ^f this waa passed
over before they encountered any obstacle. Then suddenly
ZZl T r. '^^^^"^^tion. and Peter and the Seneca
sprang to their feet as they came in contact with two
men crawhng m the opposite direction. They were too
tZl' T *heir rifles, but a crushing blow from the
Seneca s tomahawk cleft down the man in front of him
buned It m the body of his opponent.
The others had also ..apt to their feet, and each as he
Tw'l, ' .^* f"^ ^^'^ ^^"'^^ ^^^^^ r<>«« ^r<>"^d them.
Ihey haa ihe advantage of the surprise; several scattered
hots answered their volley, then with their rifles clubbed
hey rushed forward. For a moment there was a hand-
to-hand fight. Harold had just struck down a man
opposite to him when another sprang upon him ; so sud-
den was the attack that he fell from the shock. But in
an in^cant Jake buried his knife between his opponent's
shoulders and dragged Harold to his feet
u on'^!""'' ^°'''' ^'^®' ^^'* °*^^^^' ^^ ^^°^® g*°g «
And indeed the instant the first shot broke the silence
ot the woods a babel of sounds arose from the whole
circuit of the clearing; shouts and yells burst out from
hundreds of throats. There was no further use for con-
cealment and from all sides the men who had been ad-
vancing to the attack rushed in the direction where the
conflict was taking place. This, however, lasted but
a few seconds. As Peter had expected, the line was
thinner towards the lake than upon the other sides.
anu Mi6 rush o* nine men had broken through it Shouts
is I
|>
232
TAKING TO WATER.
were heard from the woods on either side extending down
to the water, showing that the precaution had been taken
by the assailants of leaving a portion of their force to
guard the line of forest should the defenders break
through the circle.
At headlong speed the little band rushed down to the
water's edge, dropped their ammunition pouches by its
edge, threw their rifles a few yards into the water, to be
recovered, perhaps, on some future occasion, and then
dived in. The nearest of the pursuers were some 30 yards
behind when they neared the water's edge. Swimming
as far under water as they could hold their breath, each
came to the surface for an instant, and then again dived.
Momentarily as they showed themselves they heard the
rattle of musketry behind, and the bullets splashed thickly
on the water. The night, however, was so dark that the
fire could only be a random one. Until far out from
the shore they continued diving, and then gathered
together.
"We are pretty well out of range now," Peter said;
" and quite out of sight of the varmint. Now we can wait
a bit and see what they do next."
The enemy were still keeping up a heavy fire from the
shore, hallooing and shouting to each other as they
fancied they caught a glimpse of their enemies.
" There must be two or three hundred of them," Peter
said, " We have fooled them nicely so far."
By the crashing of the bushes the fugitives could hear
strong parties making their way along the shore in either
direction. An hour passed, during which the fugitives
floated nearly opposite the clearing.
"Hallo!" Pet-er exclajimed presently; "there is a canoe
THE CANOEa
233
1A & PiinnA
coming along the lake. I expect they got it from
Cameron's."
As he spoke a canoe appeared round the point Two
men were standing up holding bhizing torches; two others
paddled; while two, rifle in hand, sat by them. Almost
at the same moment another canoe, similarly manned,
pushed out from the shore immediately opposite.
"I wish we had known of that canoe," Peter said; "it
would have saved us a lot of trouble; but we had no time
for looking about. I suspected those settlers must have
had one laid up somewherea Now," he went on, " let's
make our plans. The canoes are sure to keep pretty nigh
each other. They will most likely think as we have gone
down the lake, and will not be looking very sharply after
us at present. It will never do to let then) pass us. Now
Jake and I, and two of the Injun , ,vi\\ take one canoe,
and the chief and three of his braves the other. We
must move round so as to get between them and the
shore, and then dive and come up close to them. Now,
Harold, do you swim out a bit further and then make a
splash so as to call their attention. Do it once or twice
till you see that they huve got their eyes turned that way.
Then lie very quiet, so as to keep them watching for
another sound. That will be our moment for attacking
them."
They waited till the two canoes joined each other and
paddled slowly out from shore. Then the eight swimmers
started oflf to make their detour, while Harold swam
quietly further out into the lake. The canoes were about
300 yards from shore, and were paddling very slowly, the
occupants keeping a fixed look along the lake. There was
Derfect auiet on the shnrA now nnH whon TTfiiv%1/1 vno/4a
234
A SUDDEN ATTACK.
a slight splash with his hand upon the water he saw it
was heard. Both canoes stopped rowing, the steerers
in each case giving them a steer so that they lay broad-
side to the land, giving each man a view over the lake
They sat as quiet as if carved in stone. Agam Harold
made a splash, but this time a very slight one, so slight
that it could hardly reach the ears of the listener.
A word or two was exchanged by the occupants of the
boats. „ .1 „T
"They are farther out on the lake. Bill, one said. 1
am not sure," another aJiswered; "I rather thmk the
sound was farther down. Listen again."
Again they sat motionless. Harold swam with his
eyes fixed upon them. Every face was turned his way,
and none were looking shoreward. Then, almost at the
same instant, there wa^ a shout from both boats. The
men with torches seemed to lose their balance The
lights described a half circle through the air and were
extinguished. A shout of astonishment broke from the
occupants, mingled with the wild Seneca wax-yell, and
he knew that both canoes were upset
There was the sound of a desperate struggle going on.
Oaths and wild cries rose from the water. Heavy blows
were struck, while from the shore arose loud shouts of
dismay and rage. In two minutes all was quiet on the
water. Then came Peter's shout—
"This way, Harold; we shall have the canoes righted
and bailed in a minute. The varmin are all wiped out
With a lightened heart Harold swam toward the spot
The surprise had been a complete success. The occupants
of the canoes, intent only upon the pursuit, and having
no fear of attack-f or they knew that the fugitives must
A SUOOBSSFUL SURPRISE. 236
ouTofar?^'"^.'^*" "*"-"«" »" g-^ng intently
BW ZA''^! T. *™'" °»* »f 'he water. In m in!
o«„panto were .ware of their danger the canoes were
ma^forT^""^ hy /nrprise the Americans were no
t"t^ w^k w'^'^r'^i *^* ■'"'^'^ °f the latter did
^ZJZt^Tv. "" ''»"««"n.en had thoroughly
grwped what had happened. Two or three indeed h J
Srn^r^dt '^f '' •"^* *^'^ ""^ - "atS;^*^
opponMts, and the struggle was quickly over.
righted^ hTl:'"^**; T'^ ^^ f""""' them already
SSed uri^ «mpt.ed of water. The paddles we«
Su to tJ,^, f '" '""°"'°'' '^^ » <J«i«i^« »hout of
^Id outinrr f^*"'^ °" *'"' *"'«• *« two canoes
dCt °of atut^-ira re'^frfjtHr h*'^'":^' "
turned the hoats> heads ^d^^^jlrn ^^^""^^ ^
hours they saw lights in the wood. ". in three
"There are the troops," Peter said. "SoIdieiB are
never content unless they are makine fires W tnonTh
to warn every Red-skin within fifty miles that'th^'St
As they approached the shore the challenge from the
English sentinel came over the water: ^
who comes there?"
"Friends," Peter replied.
"Give the pass- word."
.t.'^Tv"","'"' "n I to give the pass-word" Peter
tmt^i.:'"'- -* >>- ^ «>- 4 IZ
In,
236
BACK IN CAMP.
" If you approach without the paas-word I fire," the
sentinel said.
" I tell ye," Peter shouted, " we are scouts with news
for the general."
" I can't help who you are," the sentinel said. " I have
got my orders."
"Pass the word along for an oflBcer," Harold shouted;
" we have important news."
The sentry called to the one next him, and so the
word was passed along the line. In a few minutes an
officer appeared on the shore, and after a short parley jthe
party were allowed to land, and Peter and Harold were
at once conducted to the headquarters of General Bur-
goyne.
CHAPTER XIIL
SABATOO^
^HAT ir ^ r report?" asked General Bur-
goyn.: ui> fche scouts were conducted into
his tent.
, "We have discovered, sir, that the
Americans have strongly fortified Mount Independence,
which faces Ticonderoga, and have connected the two
places by a bridge across the river, which is protected by
a strong boom Both positions are, however, overlooked
fL^."^^* ^"' ""^ ^^^ *^"^ ^^^« ^^«^ely 'neglected to
fortify If you were to seize this they would have to
retire at once.
The general expressed his satisfaction at the news, and
gave orders that steps should be taken to seize Sugar
Hill immediately. He then questioned the scouts as to
conduct ''^''*"''^' ^""^ ^^^^^^ *^^°' ^'^^^y ^^'^ *^«^^
The next day the army advanced, and at nightfall both
divisions were in their places, having arrived within an
hour or two of each other from the opposite sides of
the lake. Sugar Hill wa^ seized the same night, and a
strong party were set to work cutting a road through
tHe trees. ITie next morninxy th^ fin«m,, ^;geo„«-.-j xv.
S87
m-
238
OONDEBOOA EVAOUATZDl
British at work erecting a battery on the hill, and their
general decided to evacuate both Ticonderoga and Mount
Independence instantly. Their baggage, provisions, and
stores were embarked in 200 boats and sent up the river.
The army started to march by the road.
The next morning the English discovered that the
Americans had disappeared. Captain Lutwych imme-
diately set to work to destroy the bridge and boom, whose
construction had taken the Americans nearly twelve
months' labour. By nine in the morning a passage was
effected, and some gun-boats passed through in pursuit of
the enemy's convoy. They overtook them near Skenes-
borough, engaged and captured many of their largest
craft, and obliged them to set several others on fire,
together with a large number of their boats and barges.
A few hours afterwards a detachment of British troops
in gun-boats came up the river to Skenesborough. The
cannon on the works which the Americans had erected
there opened fire, but the troops were landed, and the
enemy at once evacuated their works, setting fire to
their store-houses and mills. While these operations had
been going on by water, Brigadier-general Fraser, at the
head of the advance corps of grenadiers and light in-
fantry, pressed hard upon the division of the enemy
which had retired by the Hubberton Road, and overtook
them at five o'clock in the morning.
The division consisted of 1500 of the best colonial
troops under the command of Colonel Francis. They
were posted on strong ground, and sheltered by breast-
works composed of logs and old trees. General Fraser's
detachment was inferior in point of numbers to that of
the defenders of the position, but as he expected a body
:!: 1
1, and their
and Mount
visions, and
ip the river.
d that the
ych imme-
)oom, whose
irly twelve
passage was
Q pursuit of
ear Skenes-
tieir largest
3rs on fire,
ad barges,
'itish troops
ough. The
lad erected
id, and the
ing fire to
rations had
aser, at the
d light in-
the enemy
id overtook
»st colonial
cis. They
by breast-
al Fraser's
} to that of
ted a body
THE PURSUIT OF THB ENEMY. 239
iWdiatl^h^ 'r^' "'^^'^ ^'""''^^ ^^id«««J to arrive
bravery ThT^; . ^ ^°'* "^'^^ ^^^^^ resolution and
wre/pectid .nfr^^ ^'^ '''' ^-i-e «o soon as
wa^ expected, and for some time the British made no
FranL and' many^'^t wte k^ef at-^OoTk'^^^
Pnsone.. On the English side 120 mtn ^l ll^t,^
^^ w FindingrT*;rit:re?^^^^^^^^^^ iz
Schuyfer wa. joined hy Genertl sf Claf H"' ^^""'^^
this addition thp fnfoi a • ^^*^''' ^^* ^^^n with
4400 ^^ "^""""^^ strength did not exceed
j«.n© uiiiiumweB oi
': ,iH
34d
RUINOUS DELAY&
the passage were immense : swamps and morasses had to be
passed, bridges had to be constructed over creeks, ravines,
and gulleys. The troops worked with great vigour and
spirit Major-general Phillips had returned to Lake
George and transported the artillery, provisions, and
baggage to Fort George, and thence by land to a point on
the Hudson river, together with a large number of boats
for the use of the army in their intended descent to
Albany.
So great was the labour entailed by this work that it
was not until the 30th of July that the army arrived on
the Hudson river. The delay of three weeks had afforded
the enemy time to recover their spirits and recru't their
strength. General Arnold arrived with a strong rein-
forcement, and a force was detached to check the progress
of Col. St. Leger, who was coming down from Montreal
by way of Lake Ontario and the Mohawk river, to effect
a junction with General Burgoyne.
General Burgoyne determined to advance at onca
The army was already suffering from want of transport,
and he decided to send a body of troops to Bennington,
a place twenty-four miles to the eastward of the Hud-
son river, where the Americans had large supplies col-
lected. Instead of sending light infantry he despatched
600 Germans — the worst troops he could have selected
for this purpose, as they were very heavily armed and
marched exceedingly slowly. Several of the officers
remonstrated with him, but with his usual infatuated
obstinacy he maintained his disposition.
On approaching Bennington, Col. Baum, who com-
manded the Germans, found that a very strong force was
gathered ther& He sent back for reinforcements, and 500
ice at onca
DEFEAT OF THE HESSIANa 241
TiS^rrcrL; ""r*-""'- ^^y"'"'' --» ^-patched
f^Tff 'T.*^? ^"'^ •>»'"g«'J t^ fall hUk. iTtw
two nffaira they loai 600 men
Johj»on with a party of regulara and . number of
Leger that General Bur^ovne hJ K ° - ""'^ ^^^- ^^
1.1
I' '
ucjLCttfecu ana uLi
'•\f\/ZX
A Mj
243
A HAMPERED ARM7.
army cut to pieces, and that General Arnold, with 2000
men, was advancing to raise the siege. Col. Si Leger
did not credit the news, but it created a panic among the
Indians, the greater portion of whom at once retired
without orders, and St, Leger having but a small British
force with him was compelled to follow their example,
leaving his artillery and stores behind him.
On the 13th of September General Burgoyne, having
with immense labour collected thirty days' provisions on
the Hudson, crossed the river by a bridge of boats and
encamped on the heights of Saratoga. His movements
had been immensely hampered by th«i vast train of
artillery which he took with him. In an open country a
powerful force of artillery is of the greatest service to
an army, but in a campaign in a wooded and roadless
country it is of little utility and enormously hampers
the operations of an army. Had General Burgoyne, after
the capture of Ticonderoga, pressed forward in light order
without artillery he could unquestionably have marched
to New York without meeting with any serious opposi-
tion, but the six weeks' delay had enabled the Americans
to collect a great force v *> oppose him.
On the 19th, as tl • army were advancing to Stillwater,
6000 of the enemy attacked the British right. They were
led by General Arnold, and fought with great bravery and
determination. The brunt of the battle fell on the 20th,
24th, and 62d Regiments. For four hours the fight con-
tinued without any advantage on either side, and at night-
fall the Americans drew off, each side having lost about
600 men. After the battle of Stillwater the whole of the
Indians with General Burgoyne left him and returned to
Canada.
■I'M' I ':
I; M ! il
IDE BATTLE OF SARATOGA HEIOHML 243
an exceedinfflv strnncr r.«o,-*- ^"^^""J eneLjy posted in
Wmg the camp under the command of Genii hII
M:t^srrd Thenar "-^^"
furious attack on the ft^tJ w/ m"?'"'' ."""^^ »
with the grenadiers, wL S ^ hetl'and r .t'"'^'''
fended himself with great b™ ' ^1 ithf • T f "
and 2«h were sent tS their TfaSiee h„f^ "'*'^
bv nnmbon, *),« 1 tr . '^'^""co. but, overpowered
,7 .""^""^ra. the left wmg was forced to retreat i^Z
ttejr mtrenchments. These the enemy, led by G LS^
1 i. ?, ^ ^* '*""" *«* <J<»'l'«nI. ^d it was not
ceased. In the meantime the intrenchments defended bv
i..^a, v,/viwaei isreyman Jtiiied, and
.1 . i!
244
THE SURRENDER OF AN ARMY.
his troops retreated with the loss of all their baggage
and artillery. Two hundred prisoners fell into the hands
of the Americans.
That night the British army was concentrated on the
heights above the hospital. General Gates, who com-
manded the Americans, moved his army so as to entirely
inclose the British; and the lat^e., on the night of the
8th of October, retired to Saratoga, being obliged, how-
ever, to leave all their sick and wounded in hospitil
These were treated with the greatest kindness by t.ie
Americans. An attempt was now made to retreat to
Fort George or Fort Edward, but the Americans had
taken up positions on each road and fortified them with
cannon.
Only about 3500 fighting men now remained, of whom
but one-half were British, and scarce eight days' provisions
were left. The enemy, four times superior in point of
numbers, held every line of retreat, and eluded every
attempt of the British to force them to a general engage-
ment. 1! r\ i. V
The position was hopeless; and on the 13th of October
a council of war was held, ar.d it was determined to open
negotiations for a surrender. Two days were spent in nego-
tiations; and it was finally agreed that the army should
lay down its arms, that it should be marched to Boston,
and there allowed to sail for England on condition of not
serving again in North America during the contest. The
Canadians were to be allowed to return at once to their
own country. On the 16th the army laid down its arms.
It consisted of 3500 fighting men and 600 sick, and
nearly 2000 boatmen, teamsters, and other non-effectives.
Never did a general behave with greater incompetence
GENERAL BURGOYNE's POSITION.
leir baggage
bo the hands
rated on the
J, who com-
s to entirely
night of i\i
ibliged, ho^ r-
in hospitil
Inesa by the
A) retreat to
[lericans harl
d them with
led, of whom
ys* provisions
• in point of
eluded every
aeral engage-
bh of October
ained to open
spent in nego-
army should
ed to Boston,
idition of not
contest. The
once to their
own its arms.
100 sick, and
aon-efFectives.
incompetence
245
246
THE sodirr's mission.
than that manifested by General Burgoyne from the day
of his leaving Ticonderoga; and the disaster which befell
his army was entirely the result of mismanagement, pro-
crastination, and faulty generalship.
Had Harold remained with the army until its surrender
his share in the war would have been at an end, for the
Canadians, as well as all others who laid down their arms,
gave their word of honour not to serve again during the
war. He had, however, with Peter Lambton and Jake,
accompanied Colonel Baum's detachment on its march to
Bennington. Scouting in front of the column, they had
ascertained the presence of large numbers of the enemy,
and had by hastening back with the news enabled the
German colonel to make some preparations for resistance
before the attack burst upon him. During the fight that
ensued the scouts, posted behind trees on the German left,
had assisted them to repel the attack from that quarter,
and they had, when the Germans gave way, efiected their
escape into the woods, and managed to rejoin the army.
They had continued with it until it moved to the hos-
pital heights after the disastrous attack by the Americans
on their camp. General Burgoyne then sent for Peter
Lambton, who was, he knew, one of his most active and
intelligent scouta
'* Could you make your way through the enemy's lines
down to Ticonderoga?" he asked.
•' I could try, colonel," Peter said. " Me and the party
who work with me could get through if anyone could;
but more nor that I can't say. The Yanks are swarming
around pretty thick, I reckon; but if we have luck we
might make a shift to get through."
" I have hopes," the general said, " that another regi-
A DIFFIOULT BNTERPRISK.
347
ment, for which I asked General Carleton, haa arrived
there. Here is a letter to General Powell, who is in com-
mand, to beg him to march with all his available force,
to fall upon the enemy posted on our line of communi-
cation. Unless the new regiment ha /-^ched him he
will not have a sufficient force to att/ mpfc iu \ but if this
has come up he may be enabled to d< SvJ Ho s to march
in the lightest order and at full speeJ so as to take the
enemy by surprise. Twelve hours bei ..e he starts you
will bring me back news of his coming, and I will muve
out to meet him His operations in their rear will con-
fuse the enemy, and enable me to operate with a greater
chance of success. I tell you this because, if you are
surrounded and in difficulties, you may have to destroy
my despatch. You can then convey my instructions by
word of mouth to General Powell, if you succeed in
getting through."
Upon leaving headquarters Peter joined his friends.
"It's a risksome business," he went on, after informing
them of the instructions he had received. "But I don't
know as it is much more risksome than stopping here.
It don't seem to me that this army is like to get out of
the trap into which their general has led them. What-
ever he wanted to leave the lakes for is more nor I can
telL However, generaling ain't my business, and I would
not change places with the old man to-day, not for a big
sum of money. Now, chief, what do you say? How is
this 'ere business to be carried out?"
The Seneca, with the five braves who had from the
first accompanied them, were now the only Indians with
the British army. The rest of the Red-skins, disgusted
with the dilatory progress of the army, and foreseeing
I ';■
248
RED-SKIN WARFARE.
inevitable disaster, had all betaken themselves to their
homes. They were, moreover, angered at the severity
with which the English general endeavoured to suppress
their tendency to acts of cruelty on the defenceless
settlers. The Red-skin has no idea of civilized warfare.
His sole notion of fighting is to kill, bum, and destroy,
and the prohibition of all irregular operations, and of the
infliction of unnecessary suffering, was in his eyes an
act of incomprehensible weakness. The Seneca chief
remained with the army simply because his old comrade
did so. He saw that there yras little chance of plunder;
but he and his braves had succeeded, in fair fight, in
obtaining many scalps, and would, at least, be received
with high honour on their return to their tribe.
A long discussion took place between the chief and
Peter before they finally decided upon the best course to
be pursued. They were ignorant of the country, and of
the disposition of the enemy's force, and could therefore
only decide to act upon general principles. They thought
it probable that the Americans would be most thickly
posted upon the line between the British army and the
lakes, and their best chance of success would therefore
be to make their way straight ahead for some distance,
and then, when they had penetrated the American lines,
to make a long detour round to the lakes.
Taking four days' provisions with them, they started
when nightfall had fairly set in. It was intensely dark,
and in the shadows oi the woods Harold was unable to
see his hand before him. The Indians, however, appeared
to have a faculty of se Ing in the dark, for they advanced
without the slightest pause or hesitation, and were soon
in the open country. The greatest vigilance was now
SAFELY THROUGH.
249
necessary. Everywhere they could hear the low hum
which betokens the presence of many men gathered
together. Sometimes a faint shout came to their ears,
and for a long distance around the glow in the sky told
of many fires. The party now advanced with the greatest
caution, frequently halting while the Indians went on
ahead to scout; and more than once they were obliged to
alter their direction as they came upon bodies of men
posted across their front. At la^t they passed through
the line of sentinels, and avoiding aU the camps, gained
the country in the Americans' rear.
They now struck off to the right, and by daybreak
were far round beyond the American army, on their way
to Ticonderoga. They had walked for fifteen hours when
they halted, and it was not until late in the afternoon
that they continued their journey. They presently
struck the road which the army had cut in its advance,
and keeping parallel with this through the forest they
arrived the next morning at Fort Edward. A few hours'
rest here and they continued their march to Ticonderoga.
This place had been attacked by the Americans a few days
previously, but the garrison had beaten oflf the assailants.
On the march they had seen many bodies of the enemy
moving along the road, but their approach had in every
case been detected in time to take refuge in the forest
On entering the fort Peter at once proceeded to General
Powell's quarters, and delivered the despatch with which
he had been intrusted. The general read ii
^^ "No reinforcements have arrived," the general said;
"and the force here is barely suflicient to defend the
place; and it would be madness for me to set out on such
a march with the handful nf frnnr%<> o* «,^ a: „-i »•
250
THE STORMING OF FORT CLINTON.
He then questioned Peter concerning the exact position
of the axmy; and the latter had no hesitation in saying
that he thought the whole force would be forced to lay
down their arms, unless some reinforcements reached
them from below.
This, however, was not to be. General Clinton cap-
tured Forts Montgomery and Clinton, the latter a very
strong position, defended with great resolution by 400
Americans. The 7th and 26th RegimentSj and a com-
pany of grenadiers, attacked on one side, the 63d Regi-
ment on the other. They had no cannon to cover their
advance, and had to cross ground swept by ten pieces
of artillery. In no event during the war did the British
fight with more resolution. Without firing a shot they
pressed forward to the foot of the works, climbed over
each others* shoulders on to the walls, and drove the
enemy back. The latter discharged one last volley into
the troops and then laid down their arms. Notwith-
standing the slaughter effected by this wanton fire after
all possibility of continuing a resistance was over, quarter
was given, and not one of the enemy was killed after
the fort was taken. The British loss was 140 killed
and wounded; 300 Americans were killed, wounded, and
taken prisoners. The fl t attacked the American squad-
ron on the river and entirely destroyed it. Beyond
sending a flying squadron up the river to destroy the
enemy's boats and stores of provisions, nothing further
could be done to effect a diversion in favour of General
Burgoyne.
Four days after Harold's arrival at Ticonderoga the
news of the surrender of General Burgoyne reached the
place. Upon the following day he suggested to Peter
A RtTIMED HOUS.
Ml
Lambton that they should visit the dearing of the ex-
soldier Cameron and see whether their interference had
saved hm and his family. Upon arriving at the spot
whence Harold had fired the Saot which had CZl
discovery upon them, they saw a few charred stumps
alone remammg of the snug house which had stood there
In front of it, upon the stump of a tree, Cameron himself
was sitting m an attitude of utter depressioa
*i, TI*"^*** T**' ** "^^"^S to the spot; but al-
though the sound of their foototeps must have reached
htr tslTo'lSdf ""' '"* "^ ""*" ^"'^ *»"«^«^
^mmt has happened?" he asked; "who has done this
he had not heard the quesUon
"We had hoped that you had escaped," Harold went on.
We were hidden in the wood when we saw those rut:
fians dnve your wife and daughter out, and it was the
shot from my nfle that killed their leader and brought
IT Tw '";"">» ""'"w escape we had of it; but
we hoped that we had diverted them from their determl
nation to kill you and your family "
oi h!^^,/V",, ' ?l ''^'* *" yo"' interference on
Zht t^"h„ '"""■'' •"": "^"'"'y y« ^"'^ ^* that
us, and when the royal army arrived the next day we
mS'.J^ "''" ""^ ■•' P"°*«* to""*!' «>• re-
mams of the house, "is Eed-stin H«„ii»™ a .-.,?.
—"—-jr. «, XUItUIgm
253
THE TRACK OP THE RED-SKIN.
^^^'Z'^f^^Tt,rr\'^ ^"--^ The,
my bairi" """^ ""^ '"»'=«• ^<» ^a' carried off
;; Who were they?" Harold asked.
•nine whTe tSl t^T ^"f"'^^- "''"* » "eebour o'
«»lpedLd',fftTortfd'' t'*'''.?"'^ "'«'"' """y ^
o' the IrroqnoL who W "! """ *'^*y ''«'« " ^^nd
with the otheTE^iTi- ^ ""• ^» ="■! «>at they,
plunder v^.td^tot^^^''^™/'^^" their hopeso^
to their tribi twZiff ' A *" "" ^'" ™y bacic
they came I:r tf K "^"^^'^ ^^'^ ^^"'""'^nt
war^. He 3 th^n"' f' *"^ ■"- ^''^^ «>«'
tha« I am." "*^' ^^^ ^^ ''•^ "-air lucky
"™» tamal ruffians!" Peter «xclaiiT.«H- "ti,.
»ng varmint! and to think „frt' • ® °'"^*"'-
purty litUe gal of TOmi, t ^''".""^ing off that
are at their dd l^"^ , ^^^^'^ ^^ ""» time they
frontier. Xt^loTZ f F^'^T^ "'"' '^^^S O" the
scalp, andXdert aU tw";^''''''' ^f ^'^^ ^^ht on;
tL , * f'^'^uer IS all that they care for."
A OENEROUS OFFER.
253
we three— of course I count Jake, and the settler might
do something. I have an old grudge against these Irro-
quois myself, as you have heard; and, for ought I know,
they may long ere this have murdered my cousins."
"The Seneca will jom," Peter said, "willing enough.
There is an old feud between his tribe and the Irroquois.
He will join fast enough. But mind, youngster, this ain't
no child's play; it ain't like ."^ghting those American
clodhoppers. We shall have to deal with men aF shaip
as ourselves, who can shoot as well, hear as well, 3ee as
well, who are in their own country, and who are a hun-
dred to one against us. We have got hundreds and
hundreds of miles to travel afore we gets near them
Its a big job; but if, when ye thinks it all over, you are
ready to go, Peter Lambton ain't the man to hold back
As you say, there is nought to do this winter, and we
might as well be doing this as anything else."
The two men then went back to the settler.
"Cameron," Harold said, "it is of no use sitting here
gneving. Why not be up in pursuit of those who carried
otf your daughter?"
The man sprang to his feet. "In pursuit!" he cried
fiercely; "in pursuit! Do ye think Donald Cameron wad
be sitting here quietly if he kenned where to look for his
daughter-where to find the murderers o' his wife? But
what can I do? For three days after I cam' back and
tound what had happened I was just mad. I could na
think nor rest, nor do ought but throw mysel on the
ground and pray to God to tak' me. When at last I
cou d think, it was too late. It wad ha'e mattered
naething to me that they were a hundred to one If
I could ha' killed but one o' them I wad ha' died
264
THB MOUKtTER ROUSEDi
mon-show me the w^y- and if 'Jf TZ^''' *° '»"-
airth, I will go after W * ^ '" '^' ""^^ »' ">»
fri:nT:a:;"4e« we*^s :is!" ^r'" ^^-^'^ -^^
were with us when w7t 1 h! V r "■" '"'" """' ^^«
ca«. the other r°irf„' r '"f""' ^''^^ '"'' '^^o-
fire and wate'r ^1^'%,^°; m«e 2"" ^ f ""'^"S''
vices beino. rennin d -J^ ,l • °^*"'^ »' O""" se'"
a^y. We a^' r-tef, Tfr '*"* "'"'«'• ^"^ the British
search for h^- pISI^u' u ^^"'P^^y ?»" ^" the
and if anyone couirieXTto'^r '11,7^ ^""'
her^r^ tho. who ^ied'Ler IVrU^mlt -"^
Iruly! gasped the Scotchman "And will x ,
g-g wr me to find my baimrMay^he « d^'oof ^
and SonrdnlSo X.T'^'' "^^ *° '^^' "? ">« ^^er
Erie, and ^en ^t fL,? , """' l" °" '»'"• «™' t"
into Lake Huron Id^f °°!J ""* ^o on by Detroit
tile. ^^S:nZ::'zzif\7X!-V''^ "-'■
the whereabouts of the ZZ^^h'T^'^^'""
this eipeditioa" '^ '^'^ ''^»>' ^
The Scotchman took u^ ihe rifle. "I am r^, ■■ he
THE SI4RT.
BOUlfl I fcHJow
where to look,
the ends o' the
250
If
Id sp.'d
even men who
Five art l^ene-
Id go through
ice of our ser-
th the British
e pretty child
ny you in the
country well;
d and rescue
> man."
will ye truly
guid God o'
lis cheeks.
," Peter said.
• will set the
°ie, be glad
ate to follow
n will be to
a boat if we
up the river
'oat, cross to
by Detroit
: these rf ">-
discover]
reifcvi V " he
said; and without another word the party started for the
Upon their arrival there a consultation waa held with
he Seneca. The prospect of an expedition against his
Kceditary foes filled him with delight, and three of hL
braves also agreed to accompany them. Jake received the
news with the remark: "All right, Massa Harold; it make
7.utX1^ ^''^ "" '^ ^^^^^ ^- ^-« -^ d« -rd,
Half an hour sufficed for making the preparations, and
WAA .r? P'°'''^'^ *^ *^^ P°^^* ^h^re they had
hidden the two canoes on the night when they joined
General Burgoyne before his advance upon Ticonderoga.
fnfn ^ V. t'"'"*^ '^ *^' ^^"^^ ^^^ d«^ this river
into the St I^wrence, and thence to Montreal. Their
nfles they had recovered from the kke upon the day
D erTil h '" ".'"^ ^eonderoga wa. first captured"^
Deer-Tail having despatched to the spot two of his
braves, who recovered them without difficulty by diving
and brought them back to the fort ' ^'
At Montreal they stayed but a few hours. An ample
2- f, ^"f^^^ition waa purchased, and provisions
sufficient for the voyage; and then embarking in the two
canoes they started up the St Lawrence. It wa. thrTe
weeks later when they arrived at Detroit, which ^Z
garnsoned by a British force. Here they heard Zi
there had been continuous troubles with the Indians on
h.d ^'"^*7'/^^V ^''^* "^^°y ^^™« ^«d settlemente
had been destroyed, and numbers of persons murdered.
Their stay at Detroit was a short one. Harold ob-
tamed no news of his cousins, but th«r« ^...Tl.^^
E3V uiaul
256
THE RUINED FARM.
tales told of Indian inassacres that he was filled with
apprehension on their account His worst apprehen-
sions were justified when the canoes at length came within
sight of the well-remembered clearing. Harold gave a
cry as he saw that the farm-house no longer existed.
The two canoes were headed towards shore, and their oc-
cupants disembarked and walked towards the spot where
the house had stood. The site was marked by a heap
of charred embers. The outhouses had been destroyed,
and a few fowls were the only living things to be seen
in the fields.
" This here business must have taken place some time
ago," Peter said, breaking the silence. "A month, I should
say, or perhaps more."
For a time Harold was too moved to speak. The
thought of his kind cousins and their brave girl all mur-
dered by the Indians filled him with deep grief. At last,
however, he said, "What makes you think so, Peter?"
" It is easy enough to see as it was after the harvest,
for ye see the fields is all clear; on the other hand, there
is long grass shooting up through the ashes; it would take
a full month, perhaps six weeks, afore it would do that;
don't you think so, chief ? "
The Seneca nodded. "A moon," he said.
" Yes, about a month," replied Peter. " The grass grows
quick after the rains."
"Do you think that it was a surprise, Peter?"
" No man can tell," the hunter answered. " If we had
flfeen the place soon afterwards we might have told.
There would have been marks of blood. Or if the house
had stood, we could have told by the bullet holes and the
colour of the splintered wood, how it happened, and how
AN INDIAN SURPRISE.
367
grass grows
long back; as it is, not even the chief can give yer an
"Not an attack," the Seneca said; "a surprise."
"How on arth do you know that, chief?" the hunter
exclaimed in surprise, and he looked round in search of
some sign which would have enabled the Seneca to have
given so confident an opinioa "You must be a witch
surely.
"A chiefs eyes are not blind," the Red-skin answered
with a slight smile of satisfaction at having for once
succeeded when his white comrade waa at fault "Let
my friend look up the hill; two dead men there."
Harold looked in the direction in which the chief
pointed, but could see nothing. The hunter, however
exclaimed : » « •
"There is something there, chief, but even my eyes
could not tell they were bodies."
The party proceeded to the spot and found two
skeletons; a few remnants of clothes lay around, but the
birds had stripped every particle of flesh from the bones.
There wa^ a bullet in the forehead of one skull, the other
was cleft with a sharp instrument.
" It is clear enough," the hunter said, "there has been a
surprise. Likely enough the hull ' were killed without
a shot being fired in defence."
Ilii
(i<8)
R
a
CHAPTER XIV.
RESCUED.
|AROLp was deeply touched at the evidences of
- the fate which had befallen the occupants of
his cousin's plantatioa
• .. X ''^^*^^^®*^^anymor-of chesetobefound."
pointing to their remains, "we might find out for
certainty whether the same fate befell them all "
The Seneca spoke a word to his followers and the four
Indians spread themselves over the clearing. One more
body wa3 found-it was lying down near the water as if
killed m the act of making for tne cunoe,
"The others are probably there," Pr er said, pointing
^nd Tl /T^ '^''' ■'^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^«d ^ the fields^
and most likely the attack was made at the same momen
for the boay by the water i:3s face downward,, with hi.
head towards the lake. He was no do- U shot from
behind a. he was running. There mr^t hav. been Injuns
round the house then, or he woulo ,v nade for tb
instead of the v^ater."
The Seneca touched Peter on the shoulder and pointeu
towarc^ the farm. A figure was seen approaching As it
came nearer they could see that he was a tall man dressed
258
AK OLD AOQUAINTANOB. S59
m the deer. skin shirt and leggings usually worn by
"It are Jack Pearson." the hunter said; "though for the
^^ ^V. ^' '^'^"^"^^^ ^^ ^^^°g«d tones, "it's
that boy Harold growed into a man."
;'It is," Harold replied, grasping the ^ ontieraman's hand.
though ^it 8 twenty years since we fought side by side
against the Mohawks." «» u« uy siae
"Why, old boss are you above ground still?" the hunter
exclaimed heartily. "I p.m rrUri *« "^*uuLer
r • 1 » ^"^""j'. X am glad to see you again old
friend 4.d what are vo« doing here, yL J H Jd
and thes .eneca,? for they is Senecas sure enough. I
have been u. the wcoda for the last hour, and havl been
puzzlmg mv ,f nigh to death. I seed them IniZ
gomgabou. overt' clearing sarching, and for the life S
me I could not ti what they were adoing. Then I
seed them gathered do™ here, with two Ihite men
among them, so I guessed it was right to show myselt"
ihey were searching to see how many had fallen
m_th. terrible business," Harold said, poi^nting to t
Ji'undef 7'"'°'' f' ''"^' "^ '"" f«"^<' *ey have all
gone under. I were here a week afterwards; it were iust
^ t IS now I found the three hands lying killed "d
sculped m the fields; the othe«, I r^ckon,^is fhe^ I has
be that the gal has been carried off" ^
"Do you think so?" Harold exclaimed eagerly «If so
we may lad her too wif K ^.h. «*i .- >, "^^'7- Af so,
may 1 ad her too with the otL
er.
ill!
MO
A FRESH REC;UIT.
"What oOier?" Peareon naked
brought them to the spot, and of the object they had in
"You can count me in," Pearson said, "There is iii,t «
chance that Neil. Welch may be in their h^d s H find
"^d ! i / ? T '"' "•''■" »"<• he loolced round him
»d a hundred other massacres round this frontier"
1 am glad to hear ye say so," Peter renlied "I «»
pected as „„ch of ye. Jack/ I dont know muth of t^s'
country, having only hunted here for a few weeks ^1
with a party of Delaware,, twenty years rfor4e W
quois moved so far west."
deal rf HuntHig m their country; it are good country for
patiTtl toT "' "' "* °""'" ^'"°'<^ -■'^'l- --
"We cannot move ta-night" Pearson answered- and
Why not? he asked. "Every hour is of importance "
That « so," Peter said; "but there is no goin.. out on
the lake to-night. In half an hour we shfu hCour
first snow-storm, and by morning it will be Zo Zl
Harold turned his eyes towards the lake and saw what
h.s companions had noticed long before. TheTv wL
up across the lake, and the thick mist seemed to hZ
between the clouds and the water. "That's snow " Pet?
A SNOW-STORM.
S61
said "It is late this year, and I would give my pension
if it were a month later.**
"That is so," Pearson said. "Snow ain't never pleasant
in the woods, but when you are scouting round among
Indians it are a caution. We'd best make a shelter before
it comes on."
The two canoes were lifted from the water, unloaded,
and turned bottom upward; a few charred planks which
had formed part of the roof of the outhouses were brought
and put up to form a sort of shelter. A fire was lit and
a med prepared By this time the snow had begun to
tall After the meal was over pipes were lit, and the two
hunters earnestly talked over their plans, the Seneca
chiet throwing in a few words occasionally; the others
listened quietly. The Indians left the matter in the
hands of their chief; while Harold and Cameron knew
that the two frontiersmen did not need any suggestion
from them. As to Jake, the thought of asking questions
never entered his mind He was just at present less
happy than usual, for the negro, like most of his race,
hated cold, and the prospect of wandering through the
woods m deep snow made him shudder, as he crouched
close to the great fire that they had built.
Peter and Jack Pearson were of opinion that it was
exceedingly probable that the Welches had been destroyed
by the very band which had carried off little Janet
Cameron. The bodies of Indians i^ho had been on the
war-path with the army had retired some six weeks before
and It waa about that time Pearson said that the attack
on the settlements had been made.
"I heard some parties of Eed-skins who had been with
the British troops had passed through th« nftmhKnn..K^^
'
„ ii
li
NH
262
A 00NSX7LTATION.
imd there were reports that they were greatly dissatisfied
with the results of the campaign. As likely as not some of
that band may have been consamed in the attack on this
place three years ago, and passing nigh it may have deter-
mined to wipe out that defeat. An Injun never forgives.
Many of their braves fell here, and they could scarcely
bring a more welcome trophy back to their villages than
the scalps of Welch and his men."
"Now, the first thing to do," Peter said, "is to find out
what particular chief took his braves with him to the
wars; then we have got to find his village; and there
likely enough we shall Ond Cameron's daughter, and
maybe the girl from here. How old was she/ "
"About fifteen," Peawon said; "and a fine girl, and a
pretty girl too. I dun know." he went on after a pause,
which of the chiefs took part in the war across the
lakes, but I suspect it were War Eagle. There are three
great chiefs, and the other two were trading on the
frontier. It was War Eagle who attacked the place
afore, and would be the more likely to attack it again if
he came anywhere near it. He made a mess of it before
aiid would be burning to wipe out his failure if he had a
chance.
"Where is his place?"
"His village is the furthest of them all from here. He
lives up near the falls of Sault Ste Marie, between Lake
Superior and Huron. It is a village with nigh three
hundred wigwams."
"It aiii't easy to see how it's to be done. We must
make to the north shore of the lake. There will be no
working down here through the woods; but it's a pesky
difficult job, about as hard a one as ever I took nari-. in."
A FRESH START.
263
"It is that," Pearson said; "it can't be denied To
steal two white girls out of a big Indian village ain't a
easy job at no time; but with the snow on the ground it
comes as nigh to an impossibility as anything can do."
For another hour or two they talked over the route
they should take, and their best mode of proceeding.
Duncan Cameron sat and listened with an intent face to
every word; since he had joined them he had spoken but
seldom; his whole soul was taken up with the thought of
his little daughter. He was ever ready to do his share, and
more than his share, of the work of paddling and at the
portages, but he never joined in conversation; and of an
evening, when the others sat round the fire he would
move away and pace backwards and forwards in anxious
thought until the fire burned low and the party wrapped
themselves in their blankets and went off to sleep.
All the time the conversation had been going on the
snow had fallen heavily, and before it was concluded the
clearing was covered deep with the white mantle. There
was little wind, and the snow fell quietly and noiselessly.
At nighfc fhe Indians lay down round the fire, while the
white men crept under the canoes, and were soon fast
asleep. In the morning it was still snowing, but about
noon it cleared up. It was freezing hard, and the snow
glistened as the sun burst through the clouds. The
stillness of the forest was broken now by sharp crackinc?
sounds, as boughs of trees gave way under the weight of
snow; in the open it lay more than two feet deep.
" Now," Peter said, " the sooner we are off the better."
" I will come in my own canoe," Pearson said; "one of
the Injuns can come with me, and we shall keep up with
thereat." ^ *^
II
S(!4
PMIPABATIONS FOR THE WOODS,
jrb.-. is room for you in the other canoes." Ha«,ld
Hl^TiLt """"■" "■" ''«"*«'• »«^««d. « But you see
aarold, the more canoes the better There «.;«■* !„ •
how closely we may be chasedfand by h diLruT^
canoes at diffprpnf r^io^ . ^ aiamg up the
more chit* beiu^^l T 'T> """^'^^^ ^ ""*
took the opDortunii-v nf ff^ . " P^^^^^^e. Ihe Senecas
uuce oegan to practise their usp Th^ ^^
comical in the extreme in l^i.T . A ""^^^^ ^^
so loudly With lairjrTa^U r ^l\X;rhe:d^^^^^^
mc«t .nto the snow that Peter said to him ^^^-'^^
SNOW-SHOES.
265
noes," Harold
ye here, Jake, it's dangerous enough letting off a rifle at
a deer in these woods, but it has to be done because we
must lay in a supply of food, but a musket-shot is a mere
whisper to yer shouting. Thunder ain't much louder
than you laughing— it shakes the hull place, and might
be heard from here well nigh to Montreal. Ef you can't
keep that mouth of yours shut ye must give up the idee
of learning to use them shoes, and must stop in the canoe
while we are scouting on shore."
Jake promised to amend, and from this time when he
fell in the soft snow-wreaths he gave no audible vent to
his amusement; but a pair of great feet, with the snow-
shoes attached, could be seen waving above the surface,
until he was picked up and righted again.
Harold soon learned, and Cameron went at the work
with grim earnestness. No smile ever crossed his face
at his own accidents or at the wild vagaries of Jake,
which excited silent amusement even among the Indians!
In a short time the falls were less frequent, and by the
time they reached the spot where they were determJned
to cross the lake at the point where Huron and Michigan
join, the three novices were able to make fair progress in
the snow-shoes.
The spot fixed upon was about twelve miles from the
village of War Eagle, and the canoes were hidden at
distances of three miles apart. First Pearson, Harold, and
Cameron disembarked; Jake, Peter, and one of the In-
dians alighted at the next point; and the Seneca chief
and two of his followers proceeded to the spot nearer
to the Indian village. Each party as they landed struck
straight into the woods, to unite at a point eight miles
266
IN HIDINO.
I ICh'
tr^vT "".* *°"" »"y 1°*^ «»■»« »««» the
be^ th '"'P'"'°° r"''' ''^ *^*<» than would We
been the case were they found skirting the river as it
nnght^ be thought that they were n.adf by IndSToul
«nn^r'iT-f ""* ^°'' *'"' "*'»«'■ P""*' ^»"ld find the
spot to which Pearson had directed them, but in due time
all arrived at the rendezvous. After some search a Zt
was found where the underwood grew thickly, and there
was an open place in the centre of the dump. In th '
the camp was established. It was composed solely of a
low tent of about two feet high, made of dee«' hides
sewed together and large enough to ahelter them all
The snow wa^ cleared away, sticks were driven into the
Wn ground and strong poles laid acro» them; the
deer-skm was then laid flat upon these. The top was ittle
higher than the geneml level of the snow, an inch or two
of snow was scattered over it, and to rniyone passing
outade the bushes the te^t was completely invisible ^
Ihe Indiam now went outside the thicket and with
great care obliterated, as far as possible, the marks upon
the snow This could not be wholly done, but it wL t°
far complete that the slightest wind which would se^d a
drift over the surface would wholly conceal all traces of
fn^^^i^ ^/°" "^^^ *''" ^^^ •'ooked a supply of
food sutEcient for some days. Intense as was the cold out-
side It w,^ perfectly warm in the t«nt. The entrance as
they crept mto it was closed with a blanket, and in the
centre a lamp composed of deer's fat in a calabash with a
cotton wick, gave a sufficient light.
" What is the next move ?" Harold asked,
BIABTINO FOR THK UttlOQTOIS VULAOll 267
"The Chief wiU start, when it comes dusk, with Pear-
^(Wf t ^"^ '''" P"^"' ^""'J""'^ before he |oe^"
"No," Peter said. « It would be no good at all Tf if
comes to fighting they are fifty to one'and the t "^
V uld have no more chance than two. If they are fou^
out, which ain't likely, they must run for it, II they can
nothmg of Cameron and Jake. They must shift for
nTe f? Tf."'" "'"'^ ^"S*-' '0' 'he nearest anoe
In the forest they must be run down sooner or later for
the^ tracks would be plaia No, they must go aJone."
and l"o°ft TT °" ''"' ^'""^ Grodno J l^is pits,
and one of his followers marked his face and arms with
ft Imes and flourishes in use by the Irroquois; Then
without a word of adieu he took his rifle and glid;d out
rom the tent, followed by Pearsoa Peter ako put on
his snow-shoes and prepared to follow
;; I thought you were gomg to stay here, Peter."
ir. V ' .?" ^"""S half-way with them. I shaU be able
to hear the sound of a gun. Then in case tiZl^
apped we must make tracks for the canoes at oZ tor
after following ihem to the lake thevai^ safe toteke un
heir back track to see wher. they h^ve come ffom so ef
I hear a gun I shall make ba. k h-r- aa ouictT'T
liQjae." quicK as 1 can
tenl^Thf^ f^t^ °"° ^^ ^' ""'«■' «'«"<=« Ml on the
h! ell T- ?r?t ^"«" '»y l-^' thSking over
tlie events which had hannon.,! *« k:! i_ .1. , ^." °'
TF — ™ »^ "**" *u uie iass. Uiree
S68
PETER RETURNS.
STT; J''"'-.?™'"'" '*y '''"> ^^ f»«« '""-od toward,
the lamp with a set anxious look on his face. Several
H^t n .1 ^ TT, ^'"^^^^ ^""Sh came to his ear.
Hours pa^ed and at last Harold dozed off, but Cameron's
eyes never closed untU about midnight the birkeTa
the entrance moved and Peter entered
•'Hae ye seen the others?" Cameron exclaimed.
all St 11 to the time I came away, and afore I moved I was
d.ecLn and mak; II;^!^^^ ^^^^^
be here for hours yet; not that there is much chance o
their tracks being traced. It has not snowed forTv« a
week, and the snow round the village must be t^pled
th ck for a mile and more with thTsquaws comiTand
gojng for wood, and the huntera going out ,^Z,h^,
I have crossed a dozen tn«ks orlorf on my way bal
It It were not for that we darn't have go/elt all for
If the snow wa^ new fallen the sight of fresh tmck
would have set the first Injun that cfme alongTworder
ing; and when a Red-skin begins to wonder hrsert^t
ease h^ mmd at onee by finding out all about it, ef rt
takes him a couple of days' sarch to do so. No you
^a. I. down now for some hours; they won't be C/Z
So sarng, the scout set the example by wrapping
drfunirlT^": ^'"P'>' Cameron'f eyes S
Closed until the blanket was drawn on one side airain
and in the gray light of the winter morning tte stS
and Pearson crawled into the tent
NEWS OP TTIE CAPTIVEa 269
^i^l7^ ^""'"' '^''^' '" «— - too
"Both gals are there," Pearson answered
" Wall, teU us all about it," Peter said. "I can ask thp
chief any questions afterwards."
" We went on straight enough to the village " th«
creleH T w? •! °^"'™° '" *« '"'«' """^t have in-
creaseA I didn t expect to find no watch, the Ked-skins
W °:.„^«'^-^'"°» moving about among them. We
kep on t.U we could get quite close, and^hen we W
Ther^ we r^ "^ f ^""^^ ''* '^' '^S" «* '^e clearing!
Ihere were a sight too many of them about for the
Seneca o go ,n yet a while. About half an hour arter
we got there we saw two white gals come out Tone of
t^a .la^'Ne iTweSlWh' "" '""' "^" "^'^ "
was thre^ 1 ft "^''"h' I ''°«" her, m course. The other
other seemedmo?^ T'""^ '."''' ""'' '^^'^ '"^^- ''"' 'he
the Ld S T «' h<"°«-«I>e laughed with some of
the Ked-skm gals, and even joined in their play. You
W L ' \"r^.*° ^*"'<=^<'"' "''"' ^'^ heiL captured
longer and children's spirits soon rise again. Arter a
"uiueu uown, and the r»rAix'd +v.,',,^^j _. j .1
- 5/iiiiiiicu, iiuvi bnei'ti was
270
DIER-TAIL'S STX)RT,
only « few left sitting in groups round the emler, the
Seneca started For a long time I saw nothing Jh m
but once or twice I thought I saw a figurf „ol '
among the wigwama Presently the fires burnt oTtf
down and the last Indian went off. I had begun te
me^ We made tracks at once, and have been trampin.
s tVe^bS bts:i'r ''' "''-' -" *•>" ^- '^ p-
"Well chief, what have you found out?" Peter asked
Ihe Indian answered in his native tongue, which Peter
interpreted from time tp time for the be/efit of ^ s wh te
companions: *»"ii/o
"When Deer-tail left the white hunter he went into
the village ft was no use going among the men, and he
went round by the wpams and listened to the Shatter!
the hand brought back a great deal of plunder which
Thil h .T^^' "1°" their way back fL the ^my
Sfd^r^ r °^^™'*''- "^^ "^'^y »"« ^'^ pleased
The destruction of the settlement of the white man who
had repulsed them before was a special matter for re"
ihev-f i ^"^'^. "' ^^ ^"""^ '"'^ «»'' hi^ wife areTn
the village. War Eagle's son, the Young Elk is coin^ to
marry the white girl There are seveml of he'Z
whose heads have been turned by her white skin and by
r^n™ r*h ° ^•''* *T'"^ ""•> «J«i«ing= since the
return of the warnors. but they are to be joined to-
ZT"^ the Beaver's band, and then they wiU feas^
the white girls are confined An old squaw and two of
THE WHin MAIDBNS. 37]
War Eagle'8 daughters are with them. Deer-tail had
l^tened while they prepared for rest, and knew on which
ttl t *\' 7T"^ ">• **" ^•"'» ""den sleTt He
fought that she would be awake. Her heart wouldTe
sad, «id deep would not come to her soon, so he creni
n" . .P * '"' '^^ ■" at the hole, and whiscered
"Do not let the white girl be afraid it is a friend'
Does she hear him?' She whispered, -Yes.' friends
are near," he said. 'The young warrior Harold whom
she knows, and others, are at hand to take her Twav
The Irroq„o« will be feasting to-morrow nighi ThTn
W Ktr!.r^- "/ " '^^^'■"^^ '^^ her steafaway wi h
her litUe white sister and she will find her friends wait
mg. Then Deer-tail elosed the slit and stoleaway to h s"
fnend the white hunter. I have spoken." ^ '
SD^h to thL ^^ . '^ 'T y°" ^°°'<1 ""'"''g« to get
k hlrd V ^ T''""'- " *''«'•« i= » fe«8t t<^night it
.s hard ef we don't manage to get them off." ^
X suppose we must lie still all day, Peter."
You must so," the hunter said "Not «. .„„i
vL J \ 1 ''^' set as much sleep as yer ian for
had already been mo^o ?* ^ ^" arrangements
tbe SentS^s&.f 1 J! ^ !fl^!^ ^^'Z^-"" -d
„- _^ .^ „„„ Tiiiago, tne loimex being
372
THE PLilN OP ESCAPIL
I ill J
I! fin
,11
I si
Chosen because he was known to Nelly. Peter and one
fj^ ?«'-8kms were to take post a hundred vard^
farther back ready to give assistance in c^eof i™
while the r^t were to remain about half a mile dUtlT
P^LeL T ^f '<"• P<""«°g out to him that his com-
f,r^.!i!, ™'',"' progression in snow-shoes would
in case of discovery, lead to the recapture of the rirls he at
once agreed to the decision. If the flight of thf girl's wt
thatTV""""^; ^^"S "-^--P'" wasfrinja
should drlw „r*'K °'*^' "''''" *■>« "">«' '''O Indian,
should draw off their pursuers in another direction In
the Indians beforv U<^ve was a chance of the girls bein.,
l'2l^:V' '" "'"" ""'^y- ^''^^ -- '"^^ ' 'ft to
walk quietly back i„ camp, aa they had nothing to fear
from the Indians. Peter and the Seneca werf then ?„
work round by a circuitous route to the tearwL^Thev
were to be joined by the main body, and t^ draw off u^t^
another opportunity offered for rep'^ating the aUempr
It was eight o'clock in the evening when Pearson and
he Seneca approached the village. Ihe fires were Z
ng high, and seated round them were all the wlrto^^f
he T^^t LT^. r? J'"''" '" " "^-"^ ^™«'J
the pursuit and defeat of an enemy The women were
standing „ an outer circle clapping their haadsTd ™V
^ the dance became faster and fastpr Thn ^ •
bounded high, b^indisbing thefr torn hawk^^ IX
time could not have been chosen for the evasion of the
fugitives Nelly Welch stood close to a num3 Indt
Safely oi*.
273
She held the hand of
girls, but slightly behind them,
little Janet Camei on.
Although she appeared to share in the interest of the
Indians m the dance a close observer would have h no
difficulty in perceiving that Nelly wa^ preoccupie(' ae
was, indeed, intently listening for the signal. Sh. was
afraid to move from among the others lest her absence
should be at once detected, but so long a^ the noise wa^
going on she despaired of being able to hear the signal
agreed upoa Presently an Indian brave passed close to
her, and as he did so whispered in her ear in English,
Behmd your wigwam-friends there." Then he passed
on and moved round the circle a^ if intending to take his
seat at another point.
The excitement of the dance wa^ momentarily increas-
ing, and the attention of the spectators wa^ riveted to
^e movements of the performers. Holding Janet's hand
Nelly moved noiselessly away from the place where she
had been standing. The laovement was unnoticed, a^
she was no longer closely watched; a flight in the depth
of winter appearing impossible. She kept round the
circle till no longer visible from the spot she had left
Then leaving the crowd she made her way towards the
nearest wigwams. Once behind these the girl stole
rapidly along under their shelter until they stood behind
that which they usually habited. Two figures were
standing there. They hesitated for a moment, but one
of them advanced.
"Jack PearsonI" Nelly exclaimed, with a low cry of
R„7rV*^** ^"^f' ^'"y' ^^^ "g^* S^^^ to see you.
i5Ut we have nn fimo tar a^— a: .«. v ?' -
i*AK g^'sobiiig uow; ihe hull taribo
a
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
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■tt Ui2 122
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^;i»*'
rliuiL^cipiJiic
Sciences
CorporaliGn
•a WIST MAIN STREr
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580
(716) 872-4503
4«^
.^
^.^
374
A JOYFUL MEETINQ.
may be after us in another five minutes. Come along,
pretty," he said turning to Janet, "you will find some-
body yer know close at hand."
Two minutes later the child was in her father's arms,
and after a moment's rapturous greeting between father
and child, and a very delighted one between Nelly Welch
and her cousin Harold, the flight was continued.
" How long a start do you think we may have?"
"Half an hour maybe. The women may be some time
afore they miss her, and they will sarch for her every-
where afore they give the alarm, as they will be greatly
blamed for their carelessness."
There had been a pause in the flight for a few seconds
when the Seneca and Pearson arrived with the girls at
the point where Peter and the other Indians were posted,
two hundred yards from the camp. Up to this point the
snow was everywhere thickly trampled, but as the camp
was left farther behind the footprints would naturally
become more scarce. Here Pearson fastened to the girls'
feet two pairs of large moccasins; inside these wooden
soles had been placed. They therefore acted to some
extent like snow-shoes, and prevented the girls' feet from
sinking deeply, while the prints which they left bore no
resemblance to their own. They were strapped on the
wrong way, so that the marks would seem to point to-
wards the village rather than away from it Both girls
protested that they should not be able to get along fast
in these encumbrances, but one of the men posted himself
on either side of each, and assisted them along; and as
the moccasins were very light, even with the wooden
soles inside, they were soon able to move with them at a
considerable pace.
THB FUOBT DISCOVERBDi
276
Once united the whole party kept along at the top of
their speed. Peter Lambton assisted Cameron with
Janet, and the girl, half lifted from the ground, skimmed
over the surface like a bird, only touching the snow here
and there with tbe moccasins. Nelly Welch needed no
assistance from Harold and Pearson. During the long
winters she had often practised on snow-shoes, and waa,
consequently, but little encumbered with the huge moc-
caams, which to some extent served the same purposa
They had been nearly half an hour on their way when
they heard a tremendous yell burst from the village.
"They have missed you," Peter said. "Now it is a
fair race. We have got a good start, and shall get more,
for they will have to hunt up the traces very carefully,'
and may be an hour, perhaps more, before they strike upon
the right one. If the snow had been new fallen we
should have had them after us in five minutes; but even
a Red-skm's eye will be puzzled to find out at night one
track among such hundreds.
"I have but one fear," Pearson said to Harold.
"What is that?"
"I am afeard that, without waiting to find ♦.he tracks
they may send off" half-a-dozen parties to the laka They
will be sure that friends have taken the gals away, and
will know that their only chance of escape is by the
water. On land we should be hunted down to a cer-
tainty, and the Red-skins, knowing that the gals could
not travel fast, will not hurry in followmg up the trail
So I think that they will at ^nce send off parties to watch
the lake, and will like enough make no effort to take up
the trail till morning."
This WM said in a low whisper, for although they were
276
MA3IN0 FOR THE CANOH
at one or the other" ^ °" "®
could avoid this they we« sure to read, tt"^ loe Wo™
~g, and ^itely to find the mdia^^r™ ^2
htidtrtht-^ *^'-^' '^^ cr rrr r
CHAPTER XV.
THE ISLAND KEFUQE.
r^jHE night was intensely cold and still, and the stars
VJJIg/ shone brightly through the bare boughs over-
orH^ head.
"Are you sure you are going all right?" Nelly
asked Harold; " it is so dark here that it seems impossible
to know which way we are going."
"You can trust the Indians," Harold said. "Even if
there was rot a star to be seen they could fi..d their way
Dy some mysterious mstinct How you are grown, Nelly t
Your voice does not seem much changed, and I am longine
to see your face." ^ ^
"I expect you are more changed than I ^m, Harold"
the girl answered. "You have been going through so
much since we last met, and you seem to have grown so
tall and big. ^our voice has changed very much too; it
IS the voice of a man. How in the world did you find
us here?" ^
Pearson had gone on ahead to speak to the Seneca, but
he now joined them again.
"You must not talk," he said. "I hope there are no
Red-skms within five miles of us now; but there is never
any saying where thev mav Ke."
277
278
THE LAKB FROZEN.
llfli
III
m.
would be caused by th^slLnf; T^*^ ^.n
spoken words being h^frdbTp^tr^V''' """ity
wondered what it Lid be. ^ ^ Ked-skms, and he
They were now, he calculated, within a mile nf ♦),«
I..J.ng.place where they had left the boTt and thev hL
bSTha™ f n""!.r "°"^ <" '"e'^anSd
fwTreTu'f wHVftrfriTW^ r^^
Se^ecas for throwing thVl^^rl o'ff ttt;:^" '""
All at once the trees seemed to open in front and in »
few mmutes the party reached the river A crv „Tl!
"That's just what I have been expecting," Pearson said
Wie ice had begun to form at the edge when we^lZf
and three days and nights of such frLt we hat td
smce were enough to freeze Ontario. What on artlis to
No one answered. Peter and the Red-skins had shared
Pearaons anxiety, but to Harold and Cameron the dTmp-
pomtment was a terrible one- i» to T«i,« i, i 1 ,,P
thinking to be done by the"!!*" ^^m' t^J tit
helplessly on the expanse of ice which covered the Tauf
M It while It had been forming the wind had broken tU
ZZ"''^^^''t'''^ '"<' •^°- -hile the trostt "ften
bad bound them together.
WEIXTOMB SNOW.
279
Tliey had struck the river within a few hundred yards
of the place where the canoe was hidden, and after a short
consultation between the Seneca chief, Peter Lambton
and Pearson, moved down towards that spot
"What are you thinking of doing?" Harold aaked, when
they gathered round the canoe.
"We are going to load ourselves with the ammunition
and deers flesh." Peter said, "and to make for a rocky
island which lies about a mile off here; I noticed it as we
anded. There is nothing to do but to fight it out to the
last there; it are a good place for defence, for the Red-
skins won't like to come out across the open, and even
covered by a dark night they would show on this white
surface.
"Perhaps they won't trace us."
"Not trace us !" the trapper repeated scornfully. "Why
when daylight comes they will pick up our track an.l
follow It as eaay as you could that of a waggon across the
snow.
They were just starting when Harold gave a little ex-
clamation.
"What is it, lad?"
"A flake of snow fell on my face."
All looked up. The stars had disappeared; another
flake and another feU on the faces of the upturned party
"Let us thank the good God," Peter said qiSetlyj
there is a chance for our lives yet; half an hour's snow
and the trail will be lost."
Faster and faster the snow-flakes came down. Again
the leaders consulted.
"We must change our plans now,' Peter said, tuminff
to the others. "So long as they could easily follow om
280
THE ISLAND.
the bank- then f™,- J*i «>s«e that nothing remained on
and the whole .irtv^l *' T" '"'*'' " "» *«'' *ouIde«,
nothing to guide thim in 1 *°,?"?'<'» «y« there wm
following. Iten thell "'f?t° *■"" ^^ey were
had not the Seneol *h! • T 7"" ''*''* •>'» «' » loss
sent on one XX'''^\ '^ ™»* ''««'«' ^ fall,
island M wldereH If ^"^ '"""'^ *^«
could be as the Cr^T^ j i *""* '''«" ""^ "bjeot
of from in to fiCnteT ^ne"" "" ?'" *° " ''''g'"
broken, and several tr.1 7 ^""^ ^"^ ""-gh and
of ttetS,rd'aoo: L'd*'" "t ' ^P"* •'-»■'»«<'»
Towards on;rd"h:lTa^d"Cs;rL'"t ''^"T^-
mdentation ™„ some distance C intl ^"r:,""', ""
spot was found some three or four feet aLe^b?,' "M
the water. It was completely hidden from tf„ 7/ 1
»yone approaching by Ur^ by tWck'Zsht "Cf
'^>.-
BUILDING SHELTERS. 281
suZirr"" ^""led over, and the girls, who were both
suffering from the intense cold, were wrapped up in
blankets and placed under its shelter. The camp w^s at
the lower end of the island, and would therefore be
entirely hidden from view of Indians gathered upon the
Shore. In such a snow-storm light would be invisible at
a very short distance, and Peter did not hesitate to light a
hre in front of the canoe. *^
For three hours the snow continued to fall The fire
had been sheltered by blankets stretched at some distance
above It Long before the snow ceased it had sunk down
to a pile of red embers. A small tent had now been
formed of blankets for the use of the girls; brushwood
had been heaped over this, and upon the brushwood snow
had been thrown, the whole making a shelter which
would be warm and comfortable even in the bitterest
Zf r, .f P ' ""! ^^* '"^^"^ ^«^ P^«^ed in this little
tent until It was thoroughly heated; blankets were then
spread, and the girls were asked to leave the shelter of
the canoe and take their place there.
f Jf' "^T ^^^'^^^^ °«^ raised on four sticks three
feet from the ground; bushes were laid round it, and snow
the roof. All this was finished long before the snow had
ceased fa^Ung. and this added a smooth white surface all
over, so tha,t to a casual eye both tent and hut looked like
n!l ri "^^'\f '^' ^°"°^ They were a cheerful
party which assembled in the little hut.' The remainder
L wLThr 1^ *'•! ""'^ ^'^" '^^"^'^ '^' '^^ i-*«-««
witZ t1 '"^'f '^ ™ ^^ ^^^ comfortable
T^Ia . "^^ ""^^^ ^'^^^ *^« PiP«« filled, and thev
chatted for some time before going offto sleep; ^
283
1^1 ■ |!
ii ill
ii I ;
I
Mil
IHl OHANOES OF OISCOVIRr.
Duncan Cameron was like a man transfigured. His iov
and thankfuluess for the recovery of his dau^htc" were
unbounded. Harold's pleasure Z, at the r^ue of h
cousin was very great; and the others were all gratified
at the suc^ss of their expeditioa It was true that the
n^iTfv r/" ^"'"^ "° "^P'- *•"' Harold had pro-
mised them before starting that should the expedition be
successful they should be handsomely rewarded.
We must not reckon as we are safe yet," Poter said in
X"t„ iT "' r "7,1''' "'""''^ •"^^'' '^■^^'- "in't
fZ^ Th r P, "l™^'' '^'" ^"Sors so easy as all
that They have lost our trail and have nothing but
their senses to guide them, but an Indian's senses ain't
easily deceived in these wooda Ef this snow begins
again and keeps on for two or three days they may be
puzzled; but ef it .stops they will cast a circle roLTfheir
camp at a distance beyond where we could have got
fW ft ™°':,'=««'^d, and ef they find no new trails
they will know that we must be within that cii-cle. Then
«^ to the boats, when they find as we don't come down to
1 1! fl't "r^''T <''^«'^«'-«''. and that we have not
made off by land, they will guess as there waa another
Z1 !? w n"'r'""*' ""• "">y ^"' «*■•'='> high and
low for It Well, they won't find it; and then they will
suppose that we may have taken to the ice, and they will
other side. Ef there is open water anywhere within a
ew mdes they may conclude that we have carried a canoe
launched it here, and made ofK In that ca.,e, whenthe y
have sarched everywhere, they may give it up Ef tho.e
r ■ °. f?*^ °Pf ° '""^' *-^^y "'" «»'<='' «U they find ua
It arnt hkely that this island will escape thei. With
CAMERON'S TRUST.
28S
nine good rifles here we can hold the place against the hull
tribe, and as they would show up against the snow they
can no more attack by night than by day."
"I don't think our food will hold out beyond seven or
eight days," Harold said.
"Jest about that." Peter answered; "but we can cut a
hole in the ice and fish, and can hold out that way if need
bo. for weeks. The wust of it is that the ice ain't likely
to break up now until the spring. I reckon that our only
chance is to wait till we get another big snow-storm and
then to make off; the snow will cover our trail as fast
as we make it, and once across to the other shore we may
get away from the varmint But I don't dis-uise from
you, Harold, that we are in a very awkard trouble, and
that It will need all the craft of the chief here, and all the
experience of Pearson and me to get us all out of it."
"The guid God has been vera merciful to us sae far"
Duncan Cameron said; "he will surely protect us to the
end. Had he na sent the snow just when he did the
savages could ha'e followed our trail at once; it was
a miracle wrought in our favour. He has aidr-. as to
rescue the twa bairns frae the hands of the Indians and
we may surely trust in his protection to the end My
daughter and her friend ha'e. I am vera sure, before lying
down to sleep entreated his protection ; let us a' do the
Ti\ -^^ *^? ^^^ '^^^^''' *^^^°g ««■ ^i« cap. prayed
aloud to God to heed and protect them.
Harold and the frontiersmen also removed their caps
and joined in the prayer, and the Senecas looked on silent
and reverent at an act of worship which was rare anion.,
their white companions. °
As Peter was of opinion that there was no chance
S84
TIIB scout's PIJlNa
1
fa
III
ijii
1
l,«J, : J
■ ^UJBJKii^lBfe^
ill
iil.
1
1
If*
f
i
whatever of any .earch on the part of the Indiana that
CI «"e7 """'''"" "P '° """^ "»"'""» »»<' "ere
lier'^h^'sr" "f ! r' "»""« " "" broad day.
new^ that f !. ^'"' "'*?''' ''*«" O"'' "■"» l""! brought
L!f^ .,, V ""* ^°'''"" «"« placed on watch and
two or three hours later he reported th«t *1,„ t J-
would soon have died of tt. .^'u' T *"'"'"''*'' ""*
start thev woulL„ Tf ?"• ^'"' "'"> » fre^h
the north of T?,,!? i, . '* '°"« JO'irney round
tdem,rth of Huron, but we must try it it we can't get
"eCfn tf le-"^'* ^? °! ^^ "^S*"*' ""o'y" Harold said,
even it there is no fresh snow."
Bu'IT^r''^ ''° x"""*'" ^''^^ "?"«>; "no doubt of it
But ef they were to find our tracks the next day ave or
Cft^weTotrt^^^" '*" "» --» -«^k-
wouM I! ™.^,.- ' 'f ^■»«°t»- Ef we were alone it
would be one thmg; but with the gals it would be
^.other altogether. No. we must stop here til7„
storm comes, even if we have to stop for « montL 5Z
ely," Harold said,
THK RBDSKIN ON THE TRACK. Jti
is no saying how soon some of those Indians may bo
loahng^round. and we daren't leave a trail 7r ZL to
hrside IT ^rfr r'"*" """'"""''^ the chief to
^wtdtirt tyt ^r '^^°'"^'' '"' «"'-'•
his"rS: iLlWr^.'-lerr «™'"''^'' T"^ "'"'
young braves j«,,t scouting about on their oVn^^t
Xped af home" '"" '^" '^''^' '"' ">«- »» ""'ve
PeS" 'tw "^.r* " * '"''' '"»^« ">« top «ne."
reter swd, they will see you sartin."
"s TsSoVhitein V'"- "^'^ '^'"^' "'" »- of
conceaZr- ^Ilu i' "^ Possibility of further
^n!^ ,K :i '* ""^ SO off without any of them beinJ
killed the others mieht be ]»«« >>;>>». • i^ , ^
would if thev hlTt^T^ less bitter against us than they
wouia It they had lost some of their tribe."
reter laughed scornfully,
"Yer haven't had much to do with H,o i„- i ,
anaaslayingalojThTf^Ut^irrsutrrr^^^^^^^
(I,.- • r. Sht or no fight our scalps wiU Hro- in
the r wigwams if they get us into their power uJS^o^
that we can shoot, and mean to. aod that wiU make
■B 'vrr* mvw - «-ie.ww w
I siieBttt. i
286
HBCMJNNOlTRINa
careful of attacking us, and every hour is important.
JNow he said to the others, "do you each cover a man
and fire straight through your sights when I gives the
word. There's others watching them, you may be sure,
and ef the whole five go down together it will make em
think twice afore they attack us again."
Peering between some loose rocks so that he could see
without exposing his head above the line, Harold watched
the five Indians approaching. They had evidently some
doubts as to the wisdom of the course they were pursuing
and were well aware that they ran a terrible risk stand-'
rng there in the open 'before the rifles of those concealed
should the fugitives be really there. Nevertheless, the
hope of gaining distinction, and the fear of ridicule from
those watching them on shore should they turn back
with their mission unaccomplished, inspired them with
resolutioa When within three hundred yards of the
Bland they halted for a long time. They stood gazing
fixedly; but although no sign of life could be perceived
they were too well versed in Indian warfare to gain any
confidence from the apparent stillness. Throwing them-
selves flat on the snow and following each other in single
line, by which means their bodies were nearly concealed
from sight in the track which their leader made through
the light yielding snow, they made a complete circuit of
the island. They paused for some time opposite the little
forked entrance in which the camp was situated, but
apparently saw nothing, for they kept round until they
completed the circuit.
When they reached the point from which they had
started there was apparently a short consultation among
them. Then they continued their course in the track
THE HUTS DISOOVBEED. jg.
that they had before made iintn *%<.„ — v ,
facing the camn Th^ *v v ^ reached a spot
S "le camp, ihen they changed order im<l .till
prone m the snow, advanced abreast towa^rthe^Li
The varmmt have guessed that ef we are here Si,
isi^dtaitr^rth^f i^tr " '^^ "^^ » ^^^ -
out of siffht TV. Jt position so as always to \ ^p
which ^a ^%::z,7z:"'^! °v';ir
warned when th«Tr l«ff *i Pf ^^^"- ^^^ girls had been
snow. Th^heB L^LT'':^\i^~"g'' " ^^ of
"The varmmt see something!" Peter ««,•,! «m u
tow^mTIore ButT^ *" ''t '^^* """^ <^-'>«d
covered them Pete llu ^.T "'"^'y ""^ "''i'*
not to missTven » rl^i ' "^^ ^'*'^° '«»'''* *>« tested
-d thrre:^::ra--^<>^!?«t that distance.
„ -« s_^^ ^^„^ jjjj regular order
'«1;
288
A DEADLY VOLLEY.
but as each covered his man the rifles were discharged.
Four out of the five Indians fell, and an arm of the fifth
dropped useless by his side; however he still kept on.
The whites reloaded rapidly, and Harold was about to
fire again when Pearson put his hand on his shoulder.
"Don't fire; we have shown them that we can shoot
straight. It is just as well at present that they should
not know how far our rifles will carry."
The four Senecas dashed out across the snow and
speedily returned each with a scalp hanging at his belt.
A loud yell of anger and lamentation had risen from
the woods skirting the shore as the Indians fell, but after
this died away a deep silence reigned.
"What will be their next move?" Cameron asked Peter
as they gathered again in their low hut, having placed
one of the Indians on watch.
"We shall hear nothing of them till nightfall," Peter
said. "Their first move, now they know as we are here,
will be to send off" to fetch up all the tribe who are
in search of us. When it comes on dark they will send
scouts outside of us on the ice to see as we don't escape,
not that they would much mind ef we did, for they
could track us through the snow and come up with
us whenever they chose. No, they may be sure we
shall stay where we are. It may be they will attack us
to-night, maybe not; it would be a thing more risksome
than Red-skins often undertake, to cross the snow under
the fire of nine rifles. I ain't no doubt they vould try
and starve us out, for they must know well enough that
we can have no great store of provisions. But they know
as well as we do that ef another snow-storm come on we
might slip away from them without leaving a foot*
THE CHANCES OF A RUSH. 289
Zi"'^''''^' ^*'' •'"'* *^** ^^^^^^'^ ^ °^*y "^*^« *^«°»
confi'^iur "" '"* *'" °^ '' '"'^ '''" °"^'' "^'
"Wall, we may and we may not," the scout answered-
anyhow we can kill a grist of them afore they turn us
out on this here island."
"That's sartin enough," Pearson put in; "but they are
a strong tnbe and ef they can harden their hearts and
make a rush it's aJl up with us. I allow that it's contrary
to their custom, but when they see no other way to do with
tney may try.
"I suppose if they do try a rush," Harold said, "they
will do It against this end of the island?"
"Yes, you may bet your money on that," the scout
^.swered. "In other places the mk goes pretty Th
straight up from the water, but here it's an Z,y iL^
Bemg so dose to them they are sure to know aU aboui
U; but even ef they didn't, the chap that got a^y would
WW -i r '°"°'' "^^ "" »«<»«k to-night, the
bands won t be back yet They will have a grand paUver
wh7 'w /""rr"' ^ " "e **"' "^"^ the/decile
what IS best to be done; so I think we are safe for to-
7m ,^°:r"°'' "^^ '^" ™' to ''Oft «id build a
shelter for the pretty ones up above, where they will be
safe from stay shots. Then we will throw up a IZ^.
work with loose rocks on the top of the slope round this
cove so as to give it them hot when they land."
Joa haycpleiity of powder?" Harold asked
aoUops, Peter replied; "more than we could fire
away If we were besieged here for a month."
Ihen you could spare me twenty pounds or bo?"
290
A GOOD ItEA.
"We could spare you a whole keg if you like; we have
got three full. But what are you thinking of now
young un ?" *
" I waa thinking," Harold answered, "of forming a line
of holes, say three feet apart, in the ice across the mouth
of the cove. If we were to charge them with powder and
lay a train between them, we could, when the first dozen
or so have passed the line, fire the train and break up the
ice; this would prevent the others following and give
them such a bad scare that they would probably make
off, and we could easily deal with those who had passed
the line before we fired it"
"That's a good idea of yours, lad. A fust-rate idea
The ice must be a foot thick by this time, and ef you put
in your charges eight inches and tamp them well down
you will shiver the ice for a long way round. The idea
is a fust-rate one."
Pearson and Cameron assisted in the work, and tlij
Indians, when Peter had explained the plan to them,
gave deep guttural exclamations of surprise and approval.
The process of blasting was one wholly unknown to
them.
"I will mak' the holes," Cameron said; "I ha'e seen a
deal of blasting when I was in the army. I can heat the
end of a ramrod in a fire and hammer it to the shape of
a borec"
"A better way than that, Cameron," Harold said, "will
be to heat the end of a ramrod white hot. You will
melt holes in the ice in half the time it would take you to
bore them. That was what I was thinking of doing."
"Right you are, ladl" Pearson said; "let's set about it
at once."
PBBPABINO A SraPMSa 39]
A larg« fire was now lighted outside the huts, for there
was no longer any occasion for secrecy. The ends rf
three or four of the ramrods were puj in the C anl
Tt^Tmf ^°''' :r '""^'^ '» ">« '<=« across the~h
of the httle cove. These lines were twelve feet «n»rf 15
hey calculated that the ice between CwoX C
pletely broken up, even if the fractures did not eSend a
good way beyond the lines. The holes were rfrajher
found that the ice was about fifteen inches thick andTl^
holes were taken down ten inches. Three or fo» 2if^
of powder were placed in each; a stick of IZ^Z
an inch m diameter was then placed in ea^h'h^and
pounded ice was rammed tightly in around U „ In ^
hoi. were filled up, a few dilps"^ l^blg p"otdt
on the top so as to freeze the whole into aSmJ
There was no fear of the powder being wetted for Z
1 lit! tlf i ^^* PT'^"'- ^"'' ">« heated mm-
?th topnf tLT,""r '"" f ""=" ''^^P- '=«'"'-'-
• xu . ^ ? **^® ^°^®^' ^i^es of powder were nlftn«^
t"eL LTr'"' "*""" ^'"P' of 'l^- we^Wd oTe'
them, and the snow was then thrown on aoaii. T^.. V
Imes of trenches were connected atThe enT^ t^l "
"wv/'l^ -""W be fired simultenets^'' "' *"' "'"'''■
hfr^sr:— £rm!^:^
Seneca^ undertook the watch for half the ni^ht J
irly part of the night passed
off quietly, but an hour
-Ifi
893
AN ALARM.
before morning the party were aroused by the sharp
crack of two riflea Seizing their arms aU rushed out
"What is it, Pearson?"
"Two of their scouts," Pearson answeredj pointing to
two dark bodies on the snow at a distance of about one
hundred yards. "I suppose they wanted to see if we was
•on the watch. We made them out almost as soon as they
left the shore, but we let them come on until we was
sartm of our aim. There ain't no more about as we can
see, so yer can all turn in again for another hour or two."
There was no fresh alarm before morning, and when
the sun rose it shone over a wide expanse of snow, un-
broken save where lay the bodies of the two Indians-
whose scalps already hung at the belt of the Seneca— and
those of their four comrades who had fallen in the firsi
attack.
The day passed quietly; towards the afternoon two
Indians were seen approaching from the shore. They
were unarmed, and held their hands aloft as a sign of
amity. Peter and Pearson at once :'«iid down their guns
left the island, and advanced to meet them. They were
Indian chiefs of importance.
Why have my white brothers stolen in at night upon
the village of the War-Eagle and slain his young men?"
"It is what you have been doing all last year, chief"
Person, who spoke the dialect better than Peter, 'replied.
"But we injured no one; we did not kill women and
children, as your warriors have done in the white villages.
We only came to take what you had stolen from us, and
ef your young men have been killed it is only because
they tried to attack us."
"The white men must see," the chief said, "that they
I said, "that they
A CONFERENCE. ^ 293
e»miot get away. The water is hard and their canoe
fee InT" t '1 ""• "^'"' '» "««?• »" thTt3~
feet cannot walk through it; my warriors are very nu-
ZrVT^ th« ^hite men cam,ot fight their way Jo "^h
them^ The white settlements are very far away and thdr
faends cannot reach them, and it will be m^ months
before the water softens, and long before that t^e wUte
men will have eaten their moccasins "
"Wall, chier Pearson said, "we are in a tight hole I
^nt you; but I am far from allowing that ^e aintno
chances left to us yet What do you propose? I ZlZ
you have some proposition to make." ^^PVose
"Let the white man leave behind them their guns and
fwT*" ^v™ * °''°'"»"§*- "■"^"•Eagle must think
that the white men are foolish. What is to prevenTu^e
"You may not lie, chief," Pearson said bluntly; "but I
have known many a treaty broken afore now. TouTid
your people may not touch us, but there are other iS
*m, about, and I would not give a beaver. ."toL^;
»«Jp3 ef we were to take the back traU to the settl'meZ
without arms in our hands Beai.!*, f I,.* * ™"* "«°"«
us th« f.rt,., ^t .1, 1 , "^^"^ *■>»*. we have among
as the father of the gal who was stole far away off from
Lake Champlain, and a relative of her whose pirnts you
have killed down on the lake. If we were to Cee t^
give up our armfl if atan'J" fn •• • T {V- ^ '°
^ ' *" ""aaw to iciison ID ami iikelj they
294
THE TERMS REJEOTED.
would agree to give up the gala No, no, chief; your
terms are not reasonable. But I tell you what we will
do: if you will give us your word that neither you or
your tribe shall molest us in our retreat we will go back
to the settlements, and will engage that when we get
back there we will send you nine of the best rifles money
can buy, with plenty of powder and ball, and blankets,
and such like."
The chief waved his hand in contemptuous refusal of
the terms. *' There are six of my young men's scalps at
your girdles, and their places are empty. War-Eagle has
spoken." ^
"Very well, chief," Pearson said; "if nothing but sculps
will content you, to fighting it must come; but I warn you
that your tribe will lose a good many more afore they get
ours."
So saying, without another word they separated, each
party making their way back to their friends.
" What on earth can he have proposed such terms as
these for?" Harold asked, when Pearson had related what
had taken place between him and the chief. "He must
have known we should not accept them."
" I expect," Pearson said, " he wanted to see who we
were, and to judge what sort of spirit we had; it may be
too that there was a party among the tribe who had no
stomachs for the job of attacking this place, and so he
was obliged to make a show of offering terms to please
them; but he never meant as they should be accepted
No, I take it they will wait a few days to see what
hunger will do. They must be pretty sure that we have
not a very large supply of food,"
CHAPTER XVI.
THE GREAT STORM.
^ET US overhaul our packages," Harold said; "and
' see what provisions we have left. It would
. be as well to know how we stand."
It was found that they had a sufficient
supply of flour to last with care for a fortnight. The
meal was nearly exhausted. Of tea f ^ey had an abun-
dance. The sugar was nearly out. and they had three
bottles of spirits. "Could we not make the flour last
more than the fourteen days by putting ourselves on half
rations?" Harold asked.
'^ We might do that," Peter said; "but I tell you the
rations would be small even for fourteen days. We have
calkilated accordmg to how much we eat when we have
plenty of meat, but without meat it would be only a star-
vation ration to each. Fortunately we have fish-hooks
and lines, and by making holes in the ice we can get as
many fish as we lika Wall, we can live on them alone
if need be, and an ounce or two of flour, made into cakes
will be enough to go with them. That way the flour
would last us pretty nigh two months. I don't say that
if the wust comes to the wust, that we might not hold
on. on fish, right to the spring. The lake is full of thea,
m
IJ !
|i
! !i
II 1
I; I-
296
FlSHWa
cnneve" Lr.-,T7'"^' ""^"''^O' "I"*- nature
there is never no saying" ^ ^ ' "^^
nighr If i doze L r "* '''P* ' "'""^ *•>« '"' "^»
bei"o'i'nd\TL*t'';il'' "-^ ^'""«»°! Jake b'<«I«
b«7fi3hf» five ^: 'Zit %"f ' "'k^'^^ "°«'s
of flsh." months. Jako nebber bery fond
well, let us see how the fish will bite " ^ ^
b^tedwHh dee^fLr^ds^fn ^^ v""? '"" ""^
girls took g^eat int:tri^rS:e^ Sf ""Ci ^'^
Mes Tw\t r ''■"""''^ themselves by the other
noies. There had been some discussion aa to whether
A STORE OF PROVISIONS.
297
n them that they
the fishing should take place on the side of the island
facing the shore, or behind the rocks, but the former was
decided upoa This was done because all were anxious
that the expected attack should take place as soon as
possible, and the event was likely to be hastened when
the Indians saw that they were provided with lines, and
were therefore able to procure food for a considerable
time.
It was soon manifest that if they could li/e upon fish
they need feel no uneasiness as to its supply. Scarcely
had the lines been let down than fish were fast to them
Harold and the other men soon had trout, from three to
SIX pounds, lying on the ice beside them, but Nelly was
obliged to call Pearson to her assistance, and the fish
when brought to the surface was found to be over twenty
pounds in weight. An hour's fishing procured them a suf-
ficient supply for a week's consumption. There was no
fear as to the fish keeping, for in a very short time after
being drawn from the water they were frozen stiff and
hard. They were hung up to some boughs near the huts
and the party were glad enough to get into shelter again'
for the cold was intense. *
As before, the early part of the night passed quietly
but towards morning Peter, who was on watch, ran down
and awakened the others. " Get your shooting-irons and
hurry up, he said; "the varmint are coming this time
in amest."
In a minute every one was at the post assigned to
mm. A number of dark figures could be seen coming
over the ice, °
uuT^^T.^'^t ""'^^ ^"^"^ hundred of them," Peter said.
War-Eagle has brought the hull strength of his tribe."
298
I!
THB RED-SKIls ATTACK.
In lu LI
Contrary if, thmr usual practice the f'^'^ians did not
attempt to crawl ,. p to the place they were about to
attack, but advanced at a run across the ice. The de-
fenders lost not a moment in opening fire, for some of
their nfles would carry as far as the shore.
"Shoot steady," Peter said; " don't throw away a shot-
Each man loaded and fired as quickly aa he could
taking a steady aim, and the dark figures which dotted
the ice behind the advancing Indians showed that the
fare waa an effectual one. The Indians did not return
a shot. Their chief had no doubt impressed upon them
the uselessness of firing against men lying in shelter, and
had urged them to huf ry at the top of their speed to the
laliL i and crush the whites in a hand-to-hand fight.
It waa but three or four minutes from the time the
first shot was fired before they were close to the island
They made, as Peter had expected, towards the little
cove which WM indeed the only place at which a landing
could well be effected. Harold ran down and hid himself
in a bush at the spot where the train terminated, carry-
ing with him a glowing brand from the fire.
" War-Eagle means to have our sculps this time," Peter
said to Pearson "I never seed an uglier rush. White
men could not have done better."
The India/is had run in scattered order across the ice
but they closed up as they neared the cove. As they
rushed towards it four fell beneath the shots of half the
defenders, and another four a few seconds later from a
volley by the other sectioa
In a wonderfully \o,t time the first were ready agam
and the mdians wi.vc;. ■ t.^ tl .. slaughter and opened fire
upon the brewtwo k. b 4iu4 whicfc ^be defenders were
THK FIRINO OF THl TRAIN. 299
croucHng ITiose behind, however, preyed on, .nd with
temhc yelU the maas of Indians bounded forward.
HaroU had remained in^tive. crouching behind the
bu h He saw tho ho«d of the dark mass 4h past him
and then apphed the brand to the traia
There wa, » tremendous explosion. Yells and screams
rent the r. ,■ .ad .n an instant a dark line of water
twenty feet wide stretched across the mouth of the cove^
In this were pieces of floating ice, and numbers of Indians
struggling and yelling. Some made only a faint struS
before they sank while others struck out for the fue
larthest from the island.
The main body of Indians, appalled by the explosion
checked themselves in their course, and at once IT^
ftght; some, unable to check their impetus. feU into the
water upo^n the wounded wretches who were struggling
turmng leapt mto the water. As they struggled to get
dllv fi " '^^^ ""' ""> "'«f»^^'« mdntaiTed^a
deadly fire upon them, but in two or three minutes the
LtartrstrT"""''' ""' "'^ -^ -- - '^ %>>'
;l think we have seen the last of the attacks" Peter
said J. they .ame down from their breastwork a^d jfi^ed
'W m t ,, cove. "That was a fust-rate not on 7l
yo„is, lad; et it had not been for that we should have
Wen rubbed out sure enough; another minute ^d we
should have gone down; they were in amest Zd Z
mistake; they had got the steam up, aaa was detemin^
to finish with ua at once whatever it cost them."
The instant the attack had ceased Cameron had
hastened to the hut where the girls were Ivin/
i' I
I vinor fn ««««"
lire
' ~T5
300
PONTTAa
them that all danger was over, and that the Indians were
entirely defeated. In an hour a fresh skin of ice had
formed across the streak of water, hut as through its
clear surface many of the bodies of the Indians could be
seen, the men threw snow over it, to spare the girls the
unpleasantness of such a sight every time they went out
from the cove. The bodies of all the Indians who had
fallen near the island were also covered with snow.
Those nearer the shore were carried off by the Irroquois
in their retreat.
"I suppose, Peter," Harold said as they sat round the
fire that evening, "you have been in quite as awkward
scrapes as this before, and have got out all right?"
" Why, t!iis business ain't as nothing to that affair we
had by Lake Champlain. That war as bad a business,
when we was surrounded in that log-hut, as ever I went
through—and I have been through a good many. Pear-
son and me nigh got our hair raised more nor once in
that business of Pontiac's. He were a great chief, and
managed to get up the biggest confederation agin us
that's ever been known. It were well for us that that
business didn't begin a few years earlier when we were
fighting the French; but you see, so long as we and
they waa at war, the Indians hoped as we might pretty
well exterminate each other, and then they intended to
come in and finish off whoever got the best of ii Well,
the English, they drove the French back, and finally a
treaty was made in Europe by which the French agreed
to clear out.
" It was just about this time as Pontiac worked upon
the tribes to lay aside their own quarrels and to join the
French in fierhtincr acrin us. Ha o-nf ^ha »/it,a^o« ^^a iv^
THE SIONAL FOR WAR.
301
Delawares and the Shawnees, the Wyandots, and a lot
of other tnbes from the lakes, and the hull countiy
between the Niagara River and the Mississippi
"Jack Pearson and me, we happened to be with the
Miamis when the bloody belt which Pontiac was sendincr
round as a signal for war arrived at the fort there. Jack
and me knew the Red-skins pretty well, and saw by their
manner as something unusual had happened. I went to
the commandant of the fort and told him as much. He
didn t think much of my news. The soldier chaps always
despise the Red-skins till they see them come yelling
along with their tomahawks, and then as often as not it's
jest the other way. Howsumdever, he agreed at last to
pay any amount of trade goods I might promise to the
Miamis if the news turned out worth finding out. I dis-
covered that a great palaver was to be held that evening
at the chiefs village, which was a mile away from the
tort.
"I had seen a good deal of the Miamis, and had fought
wit. them against the Shawnees; so I could do as much
with them as most. Off Pearson and I goes to the chief-
and I says to him, 'Look ye here, chief, I haVe good
reasons to believe that you have got a message from
Pontiac, and that it means trouble. Now don't you go
and let yourself bo led away by him. I have heard
rumours that he is getting up a great confederation agin
the English. ^ But I tell you, chief, if all the Red-skins
on this continent was to join together, they could do
nothing agm the English. I don't say as you mightn't
wipe out a number of little border forts, for no doubt you
might; but what would come of it? England would send
out as manv men aj* ih^fo. o,.^ i •_ ^r «
^ -.iv*^, „io icavca m. tne lorest, who
111.
if' ■ '
■illi
I
" I
ill -,
ill
im
30d
i>ttAnuB Doa
would scorch up the Red-skin nations as a fire on the
prairie scorches up the grass. I tell yer, chief, nd good
can come on it. Don't build yer hopes on the French;
they have acknowledged that they are beaten, and are all
going out of the country. It would be best for you
and for your people to stick to the English. They can
reward their friends handsomely; and ef you jine witli
Pontiac, sooner or later trouble and ruin will come upon
you. Now I can promise you, in the name of the officer
of the fort, a good English rifle for yerself, and fifty
guns for your braves, and ten bales of blankets, ef yer
will make a clean breast on it and first tell us what
devilry Pontiac is up to, and next jine us freely — or at
anyrate hold aloof altogether from this conspiracy till
yer see how things is going.'
"Wall, the chief he thought the matter over, and said
he would do his best at the palaver that night, but that
till that was over and he knew what the council decided
upon he could not tell me what the message was. I was
pretty well satisfied, for the 'Prairie Dog' was a great
chief in his tribe, and, I felt pretty sartin, he would get
the council to go the way he wanted. I told him I should
be at the fort, and that the governor would expect a
message after the council was over.
" It was past midnight when the chief come with four
of his braves. He told us that the tribe had received a
bloody belt from Pontiac and a message that the Mingoes
and Delawares, the Wyandots and Shawnees, were going
to dig up the hatchet against the Whites; and calling
upon him and his people to massacre the garrison of the
fort, and then to march to join Pontiac, who was about
to fall upon Detroit and Fort Pitt They were directed
A PKRILOUS JOlTRNltY. J03
faithful to him TK« ^"giana that the Miamis were
English governor at New Ylrk and "1 "'? '° *^
presents which I had plSd to h ' ST °'''r ^ ""*
h1'!fir ^--'^ -' ^"- ^^en^^li^ad'-got
upon the frontier Whethl^hi i^ ■ ""' *" "'"'^'
is doubtful; but now I am on *'^" '^" "^^P t™"
difficult to kke tSe tot B^^r ^"^ '^'^ ^"' ^--^ "
the news nf wL/t ^ "' *''® S>-«*' "^8 « *» carry
"In coLe we S Zght^ ^ rhr^^'"- b
was a risksome one for it wm,U Z *^® J°^
ng we seed a hull fl^^* * ^"® '^^^^ "lorn-
Dui;, Deins'
fully
Mm '>irTiMii
304
AN INDIAN FLOTILLA.
manned, the chances was as they would have cut us oft,
and seeing that at present war had not been declared,
we judged it best to seem as if we weren't afeard. So
we paddles up to them, and found as they were a lot of
Wyandots whose hunting-grounds lay up by Lake Su-
perior. In course I did not ask no questions as to whar
they was going, but jest mentioned as we was on our way
down to Detroit. ' We are going that way too,' the chief
said, ' and shall be glad to have our white brothers with
us.' So we paddled along together until, about noon, they
landed. Nothing was said to us as how we were prison-
ers; but we could see as how we was just as much captives
as ef we had been tied with buckskin ropes.
"Jack and me talked it over, and agreed as it was no
manner o' use trying to make our escape; but that as
long as they chose to treat us as guests we had best
seem perfectly contented, and make no show of consider-
ing as they were on the war-path; although, seeing as
they had no women or children with them, a baby could
have known as they were up to no good.
"The next morning they started again at daybreak,
and after paddling some hours landed and hid away their
canoes and started on foot. Nothing was said to us, but
we saw as we was expected to do as they did. We went
on till we was within ten miles of Detroit and then we
halted. I thought it was best to find out exactly how
we stood, so Jack and I goes up to the chief and says that
as we was near Detroit we would jest say good-bye to
him and tramp in.
"'Why should my white brothers hurry?' he said
'It is not good for them to go on alone, for the woods are
very full of Indians.' 'But/ I said, 'the hatchet is buried
i;'
PRISONEK&
305
Sr.nVw':^^ ^f :,f;,t^^- - the. . „„
white brothers have joined theW T? ""' ''*"'*• '^V
tany with the. r^Xy^t: KetiT^Th^^ ""'
many Red-skins there unrl *if .„X^^^^^' There are
the Wyandots ImZ^^"' "'" "^ « ^"-^^ I»^«r,
thJSirwl^Tttail'-^t?,*^^''^ •>"'
was the Ked-skin, » „!„, • v? ' ^ °*" '^" y""- Here
ready to fell „Z the ^""^ ''''' '^'^ '^"'^^ Detroit.
we. ^h„ ;»! a;r':ret':?x'r^'"' --^
prisoners among the Red ..tin. rf ® "'^^er, was
though «,ey 4ht lotteke'::, I tj^rtLtT'd*^'
tacked the ffarrionn *u , ^^ ^'^^J ^ad at-
pleasure of teTS t^l'":, *'"'^. ''^"'"^ "» *» ">e
ation was plTZL tC f^^'^'^ The situ-
us sitting by their fires and l^wL L^ar^."'' T'^^
know as we wa« there but viTl f^ "^"^ ' «™°
watching us, and ^Jl Z ^^ " '''"P «y<« ''"^
hull lotiouid ^ on oufZ^^ "^ ^"« fi™ y-'i^ the
knXtow ' Civ Ir' ""^ ""'* *" «"•" »*''-. fo' we
themtorinllte^J"!:'?'^''*' """ '"<'°'' --t
few words weirdn^Tif^^V" *"=*P«' »» after a
time to lie Z^torZ Z T w""* ^"^ «" 't got
» thinking. wTsaw when w^ . ' . '^ '""' ^'^ ^"'^
'ay Prett/weil aZiI twhi leTwo"™ .t' *^ '""''-^
rifles ready to hand sat 2Z^ I ? *""' '^"' 'heir
ou some lo^ aatftC tol A 1 *" '^°'' ^^^ "^^ ""rew
"It was I ,J^^LT^:^ttJZ ^"'f '
a camDinff-ffTy^»«^ -_ j carmg aa t^ey had chosen fnr
^.^^-g o-..«., ouu we should have had to run some
m
306
OLOSXLT aUAKDEfii
distance afore we got to the shelter of the trees. The
moon too was up. and it war well-nigh a^ light as day
and anxious as we was to get away, we agreed that there'
war no chance of sliding off, but that it would be better
to wait till next day.
"When we woke our guns was gone. We complained
to che chief, who said coldly that his young men would
carry the guns, and would give them back to us when we
got to Detroit. It were no use saying more, for he might
at any moment have ordered us to be bound, and it were
better to keep the use of our legs as long as we could.
"For two days we stayed there, not seeing the shadow
of a chance of getting away. Several Red-skin runntra
came in and 6poke to the chief, and we got more and
more anxious to be off. We were stiU allowed to walk
about, provided we did not go near the edge of the clear-
ing; whenever we went that way two Indians who kept
guard by turns over us, shouted to us to go no further.
"The third morning, after a runner had come in, the
chief gave the word for a move, and we set out We
saw that they was not taking the direct line to Detroit
although still going in that direction, and after two hours'
marching through the woods we got down on to the
Detroit river. Here was a big encampment, and some
threto or four hundred Shawnees and Delawares was
gathered here. A chief came up to us as we entered the
open. He gave an order to the Wyandots, and in a minute
we was bound hand and foot, carried to a small wigwam,
and chucked down inside like two logs of wood.
"After a little talk Jack and I agreed as after all we
had a better chance of escaping now, than when we was
watched by a hull tribe, and we concluded that there
IHK KOPI IKicK.
S07
werent no time tobelost TI,. -nr j. .
been brought up in Ka^LV ?^f *»^<» '"«' "0 doubt
if we had known „o^^.t .^^^'' """ ""''• "«» oven
been sure that Sefl^w*'. "?"■ 7' *<""<» h"™
bands of red '^^11 lu*^"^'^ "''«» *•>«« three
It was sarti^ ZZm d:loCnrtm"-tV" '""^ ""^
strained our cords JZT ^ U night, but we both
stretch a bit. ^dgi"rabe« ^T*"'' '" 8^* «>^'" '»
of them, n; one C^l^trtT t'' '"^^^ ""'
could hear the sound of 7^Z ZT Ttl'^'^ '^''"^
We unbound our thonlrd thl fT' *^'" ^ ""<""! «»•
eo that to the eyeS^kedi^^l^'^ them up again
yer m7find f oCe ":S.eY°^'' ^-'''' «>- 'i-e.
.s befo^, and it'truM h^^ ttr ^"^ "J" "^ "s''^
to see that we was not tiedl t^^h i .veT Tr*"*''""
was spoken a«d we was «« quift af mIL f ' '"''^
hear two Red-skins talking outlide Y^' "^ """'"^
"as pretty sUck about it- LTlalt. C *'' ^^ '''
m thankful as when we I^^ \ , ^""^ *" '^o' ^ ^''t
as we had ^on'ZoTj^tiZfZ'Z'^Zrl
iavrng opened and a red face peered in. ""* ^'
A quarter of an hour later « R^ .1 •
looked at u^ Seem™ J ;! - - ?t^1^ «"»«> ^ ""J
-e-e, J I. ,»„^ea to Mm, as we hadn't
308
WAITING FOR TEK MOMENT.
moved, he went but again. Just before nightfall two on
them came in together, rolled us over and looked at the
knots; they found as these was all right; then one sat
down just in the door of the tent, and the other took his
place outside. We waited some hours.
"At last the fires burnt low and the camp got quiet.
We knew it was well-nigh hopeless to wait for them all
to be asleep, for Red-skin nature is a restless one, and
especially when there is anything on hand they will turn
out two or three times in the night to smoke their pipes
by the fires, and they would be the more restless since,
as we had seen, there was only four or five wigwams
erected and all wo^ld be sleeping on the ground. At last
I thought the time was come, and gave Jack a nudge and
we both sat up.
"It were a ticklish moment, young 'un, I can tell yer,
for we knew that it were scarce possible to get off with-
out the alarm being raised. Ef the wigwam had stood
close to the edge oi the forest it would have been com-
paratively easy, for once among the trees we might have
hoped to have outrun *em though the moon was so
pesky bright; but unfortunately it was built not far from
the river, and we should have to cross the hull clear-
ing to gain the woods. The chances weren't good, I can
tell you, but it was clear as we had to try them. We
had purposely moved about pretty often so that our
movements would not attract the attention of the Indian
It did not take a minute to slip out of the cords,
now.
which, tight ta they looked, really were not fastened at
all, there being two loose double ends between our arms
and our bodierj. We could see the outside sentry through
the open door, and we waited till he turned his back and
TRX AURH.
309
boked out on the nver; then suddenly I gripped the Red-
8km sitting at the entrance by the neck with both my
h»ds pretty tight as you may reckon, and Jack «^Lh"d
.. ^''f '■■'"" '"''''" «■"» tmied it in his body.
Ihat WM soon over, and not a sound made as would
have startled a mouse. Then, standing up, I madTa
spring on to the sentiy, while Jack ns«l hs kn^a!
twi; J f * ' "'^^"' ""' ""-whoop sounded not
twenty feet away. One of the Red-skins, finding the
ground hard I suppose, was strolling up to speak to the
sentry when he saw us tackle him.
h„Ilr» rT!°t. '"' "" ^ """^ ™T™J to hoUer;
L .W ? / T • ^\«T ' y*" •= ''«»'g''t the hull tribe
WeM on the Red-skm; and before the 'whoop' was
rfcealog!" '^ "'" ^^ ^^ ""* ''« went down
.1,2* *'J°'' !>^^ *» look round to see .3 there was no
chance of getting to the trees, fur two hundred Red-skins
was between us and them.
"■We must take to the river, Jack,' I said. It wur but
thirty yards away. I expected every moment, as we
nm, to hear the nfle bullets whistle round us, but I gues^
Pontiac h.^ given orders that no gun was to beS
1 fi 7^^^ """"^ " *^ f»^ Whow, not a sTot
was fired, and we got down safe to the bank.''
HI !|
ji'i
m
iliii
Ml
CHAFTER XVII.
TUB scout's story.
UCKILY enough, there was a canoe lying close
at our feet. * Shove it out, Jack,' says I, ' and
1 then kefep along the bank.' We gave it a
shove with all our strength, and sent it dancing out into
the river. Then we dived in and swam down close unJer
the bank. There was bushes growing all along, and we
came up each time under them. The Red-skins waa
some little distance behind us as we reached the river,
and in course thought we had throwed ourself flat in the
canoe. In a minute or two they got another and paddled
off to it, and we soon heard the shout as they raised when
they found it was empty. By this time we was a hundred
yards below the spot where we had taken to the water,
and knowing as they would be off along the bank and
would find us in no time, we scrambled straight up and
made for the trees.
"We was within fifty yards of the edge of the forest,
and none of the Red-skins was near us, as the hull body
had clustered down at the spot where we had jumped m.
We hadn't fairly set foot on the bank afore they saw us,
and with a whoop — which sometimes wakes me even now
in my sleep, and makes me sit up with the <»weat on my
310
iK
THB ESOAPB.
Sll
forehead— they started. I could run faster then than I
can nowr, and ye may guess that I went my best. We
plunged into the trees, and went as hard aa we could foot
it, the Red-skins being fifty or sixty yards behind.
"Our hope was to find a place with a thickish under-
wood. It was darker a deal under the trees than in the
clearing, still it was not dark enough to hide us from Red-
skii eyes. We run straight, for we knew that they
cou)a ste us, and after about four hundred yards we came
upon a place where the undergrowth grew thick. Here
we began to dodge them, turning now one way and now
another, keeping always low in the bushes. They had
lost us by sight now, but there were so many of them
that we pretty nigh despaired of getting through. Some
of them had tried to follow us, but the best part had
run straight on for a bit, and then, when sure they had
headed us, scattered right and left, so that they were
ahead of us now as well as on our traces, and we could
hear them shouting all round us, so wc did the only thing
there was to be done, and made the best of our way back
to the clearing, keeping low, and taking good care not to
cross any patch where the moonlight through the trees
fell on the ground.
"It were lucky for us that it waa a camp of braves.
Had it been an ordinary Red-skin encampment there
would have been squaws, and boys, and wuss still, dogs,
who would have seed us the moment we got back; but
being all braves on the war-path the hull gang' had
started arter us, and not a soul had remained in the
clearing. We did not rest there long, you may be sure,
but made straight down to the water. There we picked
out a canoe and crossed the river, and got into the shade
813
8AFK IN DETROIT.
Iin
f! I i
of the trees the other side. Then we kept along down
It till we got close to the fort of Detroit
"We could see a good many smouldering fires out
afore it. and guessed that a strong body of Red-skins
pretending to be friends, had camped there. However'
we made round them, and reached the gate of the fort
safe. The sentries would not let us in; but when a ser-
geant was fetched it turned out as he knew us, seeing
that we had been scouting out from thar in the summer
Fretty thankful we waa when the gate closed arter us
Our news would keep, so we waited till morning afore
we saw the major, and then told him the whole history
of the matter, and how Pontiac had raised all the tribes
east of the Mississippi against us.
"We found that Pontiac had been into the camp with
Mty of his warriors three days afore, professing great
friendship, and had said that in two or three days he
would call again and pay a formal visit.
"Detroit then was but a trading post, defended by a
stockade twenty feet high and 1200 yards in circumfer-
ence. About 50 houses of traders and store-keepers stood
within it The garrison was composed of 120 men of the
18th Regiment and 8 officers. They had three guns, two
six-pounders and a three-pounder, and three mortars but
their carriages was so old and rotten that they was of
no real service. Two vessels mounting some small guns
lay m the river off the fort. The governor was a good
soldier, but he was naturally startled at hearing that
there was something like a thousand Red-skins in the
woods round; however, he said that now he had warning
he was not afraid of them. A messenger was sent off in
a canoe to carry the tidings east and to ask for reinforce-
M!m
PONTIAC'S VISIT.
313
mentfl. and the traders was all told to get their arms
ready.
"At eight o'clock in the morning Pontiac waa seen ap-
proaching with three hundred warriors. There had been
no declaration of war, and the Red-skins was supposed to
be friendly, so the Major did not like to be the first to com-
mence hostilities, as folks who knew nothing of it might
likely enough have raised an outcry about massacring the
poor Injuns. Howsumever, he called all the troops under
arms, and disposed them behind the houses. The traders
too. with their rifles, were drawn up ready. The gates
was opened when Pontiac arrived, and he and his war-
riors entered. They had left their rifles behind them, as
they pretended that their mission waa a peaceful one
but they had all got their tomahawks and knives under
their blankets. They advanced in a body towards where
Major Gladwin and his officers was standing in front of
his quarters.
"Jack and me and two or three scouts who happened to
be m the fort stood just behind careless like with our
rifles, so that in case of any sudden attack we could keep
them back for a moment or two. I noticed that Pontiac
carried m his hand a wampum belt. I noticed it be-
cause it waa green on one side and white on the other
and it turned out arterwards that when he twisted
that belt with two hands it was to be the signal for an
attack.
"Pontiac spoke soft for a time. He was a fine Red-skin •
that can't be denied. He waa a Catawba by birth but
had been adopted into the tribe of Ottawas. and' had
risen to be their chief. He waa a great brave, and war
one of the best speakers I havA Av^r IiooH tt^
TV as a
PI li
314
TRBAOHBRY BAFFLEIX
Ilii ill""
il iiil
! ^
wise chief, as you may guess by the way he got all the
tribes to lay aside their private quarrels and make com-
mon cause against us. I watched him close; he kept his
eyes on the Major, and spoke as cool and as calm as if
he had nothing on his mind; but I could see the war-
rior glancing about, wondering, no doubt, what had
become of the soldiers. Presently the chief changed his
tone, and began to pretend as he was in a rage at some
grievance or other.
"The Major just put his whistle to his lips, and in a
moment from behind the houses the soldiers and traders
marched out rifle in hand. You never saw a more dis-
gusted crew than those Red-skins. I will do Pontiac
justice to say that he never so much as moved, but just
went on talking as if he had not noticed the troops at all.
The Major answered him in the same way, and after half
an hour's talk the Red-skins went out again without so
much as a knife having been shown. Major Gladwin
gave Jack and me papers testifying as how we had saved
Detroit from destruction, and sent an account of it to
Governor Amherst, and to this day Jack and me draws
special pensions for that ere business besides what we
earned as British scouts."
"That was an adventure, Peter!" Harold said. "They
did not take Detroit after all, did they?"
"No; we beat them off handsome when they tried it.
Then they laid siege to Fort Pitt, and tried very hard
there too, but the place held out till some troops who had
come up marched out from here and raised the siege. At
some of the little places they succeeded. Lots of settlers
was massacred. At Fort Sandusky Ensign PauUi and
the garrison was massacred by a party of Hurons and
THE END OP THE CONFEDERACY.
315
Ottawas, who came in as friends. This was on the same
day as they had intended to do for us at Detroit.
"At St. Joseph's an English ensign with fourteen
soldiers were killed by the Pettawatomies, but nowhere
did Pontiac obtain any real successes. The French in
Illinois were preparing to leave, and he could get no
assistance from them. After the siege of Fort Pitt was
raised, peace was patched up again. Pontiac's confederacy,
finding as they had got none of the successes he promised
them, was beginning to break up, and the English saw
no chance of doing any good by hunting the Red-skins
among the forests, so both parties was willmg for peace.
"Pontiac never gave any more trouble, and some years
afterwards, coming into one of the towns, he was killed
by an Indian who had a private grudge agin him. And
now I am longing for a quiet pipe, and you had better
turn in. There's no saying whether we shall have a
quiet night of it"
A fortnight passed without further incident. Then the
sky became overcast, and Peter and the Indians agreed
that snow would soon fall. All hands were at once set
to work to make up their stores into packages. The
deers' skins and blankets were tied in bundles; besides
these there were only two kegs of powder and about
200 lbs. of frozen fish.
Harold was in high glee at the thought that their im-
prisonment was to come to an end, although there was
no doubt that the attempt would be a hazardous one, as
the backwoodsmen were sure that the instant the snow
began to fall the Indians would be out in great numbers
round the island to prevent the defenders taking advan-
tage of the storm.
316
A COMING STORM.
11 jiii iifi
II I
i'illilil
|l,iilii
Several times Harold observed the two backwoodsmen
talking with the Seneca chief and looking at the sky
and he thought that their countenances expressed some
anxiety.
" What is it, Peter?" he asked at length. " Don't you
thmk we shall have a snowstorm?"
"We may have snow," Peter said, "but I think it is
more than a snowstorm that is coming up. The clouds
are flying past very fast, and it seems to me as ef we
were m for a big gale of wind."
"But that will drift the snow and cover our footsteps
almost aa well as a snowstorm," Harold said.
"Yes, it would do all that," the scout answered.
"What is the objection to it, Peter?"
"In the first place, lad, ef it don't snow we may stop
, where we are, for there would be no chance of getting
through the Injuns unless it snowed so thick that you
could not see five feet away. It will be difficult enough
anyhow. There will be four or five hundred of the
varmint out, for they will bring even their boys with
them, so as to form a pretty close line round the island
Our only chance will be for the Senecas to go first, and to
silence, before they can give the alarm, any they might
meet on our line. That might be done in a heavy snow-
storm, but without snow it would be impossible. In the
next place, even if we got through them we should have
to carry our canoe."
"Why?" Harold asked, surprised. "What good could
the canoe be to us, with the lake frozen hard?"
" You see the wind is on the shore here, lad, and when
it does blow on these lakes it blows fit to take the ha'r oflf
your head. It is as much as a man can do to make way
A GALE BREWING.
317
ength. "Don't you
agin it, and I doubt whether the gals could face it even
with our help. As to carrying a canoe in its teeth, it
could not be done."
"But why carry the canoe at all, Peter? that's what I
cannot understand."
"Well, you see, lad, that the force of the wind acting
on such a big sheet of ice will move it, and like enough
you would see it piled up in a bank forty feet high on
this side of the lake, and there will be a strip of clear
water half a mile wide on the other. That's why we
must take the canoe."
Harold was silent In the face of such a probability, it
was clear that they must encumber themselves with the
canoe.
The prevision of the Scout proved well founded; before
evening the wind was blowing with tremendous force;
small flakes of snow were driven before it, inflicting
stinging blows on the face and eyes of those who ven-
tured out of shelter. Aa it became dark the look-out
announced that he could see large numbers of Indians
starting from the shore at some distance to the right and
left of them, showing that the Red-skins were fully alive
to the possibility of the garrison of the island taking
advantage of the storm, which would hide their trail, to
effect their escape.
Every hour the fury of the gale increased, and it was
unanimously agreed that until it diminished it would be
impossible for the girls, and for men carrying a canoe, to
face it.
Two men were placed on watch at the mouth of the
cove, where mines similar to the first had been sunk
in ih
'h& 1C6 in
318
A HURRICANE.
that before exploded. This precaution had been taken on
the day succeeding the great repulse of the enemy
although the scouts felt assured that the attempt would
not be repeated. It was, however, thought possible that
the Indians might, towards morning, if they found the
Whites did not attempt to pass them, take advantage of
the storm to attempt a surprise.
After it became dark Cameron and Harold, as was
their custom, went into the girls' hut to chat until it was
time to turn in. The deer's skin and blankets had again
been unrolled, and the covering of snow kept the interior
waim in spite of the storm without
"What m that nbise?" Nelly asked, in a pause of the
con vei«ation.
^ "i don't know," Harold answered. "I have heard it
for some time."
All were silent, intent upon listening; even above the
fury of the gale a dull grinding sound with occasional
crashes could be heard.
"I think it must be the ice," Harold said. "I will ao
out and see."
On issuing from the hut he waa for a time blinded by
the force of the wind and the flying particles of snow.
The din was tremendous. He made his way with diffi-
culty in the teeth of the storm to the edge of the rocks.
Then he started in surprise. A great bank of cakes and
fragments of ice waa heaped up against the wall of the
rock, crashing and grinding against each other as they
were pressed onward by fresh additions from beyond.
Already the bank waa nearly level with the top of the
rock, and some of the vast blocks, two feet in thickness,
had been thrust on to it The surface of the lake bevond
A NEW DANGER.
319
i, in a pause of the
"I have heard it
dsaiA "I will go
was no longer a brilliant white; every particle of snow
had been swept away, and the dull gray of the rough ice
lay unbroken.
He made his way at once to the hut of the men, and
just as he reached the entrance Peter (who had also been
out to reconnoitre) came up, and before Harold had turned
to speak he put his head into the hut.
'•Turn out," he said. «I tell yer, we are in a fix.
This ain't no common gale. I don't know as ever I have
been in a worse one."
"What is the use of turning out?" Pearson asked
"We can do nothing; and it is warmer here a sight than
it is outside."
" I tell yer, ye have got to go. The ice is breaking up
fast, and it is level with the top of the island already.
Unless I am mistaken there will be forty foot of ice
piled over this island before an hour."
This was, indeed, alarming news. And in a minute
the occupants of the hut were all in the open air.
"You can call in your scouts, Seneca; there ain't no
fear of an attack to-night; no mortal soul— not even an
Injun— could stand the force of the wind out on the
lake."
A very short examination sufficed to show the truth of
Peter's anticipations.
Already the upper part of the bank was sliding over
the rock, and it was clear that in a very short time the
whole would be covered.
"What is to be done, Peter?" Harold shouted.
"We must take to the canoe; there is clear water on
the other side."
— _ „.,, „„„ i^jiBDu, tMiu aaw wiai what i'eter
320
AN ICE CATARACT.
said was correct. ' A broad strip of black water stretched
away m the darkness towards the shore. The whole ice
sheet was moving bodily before the wind, and as the
island stood up in its course the ice to windward of it
was forced up over it, while under its lee the lake wa^
clear. Not a moment was lost. The canoe was got out
carried over the rocks, and carefully lowered into the
water under shelter of the island. All the stores and
provisions were lowered into it. A deer's skin waa spread
on the bottom, and the girls, having been helped down
into the boat, were told to lie down, and were then
covered with blankets. The men wrapped themselves up
m skins and blankets, and took their places in the canoe
the four Indians taking paddles.
Quickly as the preparations had been made, there were
but a few feet of the island uncovered by the ice as the
last man descended into the boat and they pushed off,
and, after a couple of strokes, lay with the boat's head
facing towards the island at a distance of fifty yards
from it. Although somewhat sheltered from the wind
the Indians were obliged to paddle hard to maintain
their position. Harold wondered at first that they had
not kept closer to the island, but he soon understood their
reason for keeping at a distance. The massive blocks of
ice, pressed forward by the irresistible force behind, began
to shoot from the top of the island into the water, gliding
far on beneath the surface with the impetus of the fall,
and then shooting up again with a force which would
have destroyed the canoe at once had they touched it.
Soon a perfect cataract of ice was falling. Peter and
Pearson took their places on each side of the bow of the
canoe, with poles to push off the pieces as they irifted
THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE-FIELD. 321
before the gale towards the shore. The work r«niiir«^
the utmost strength and care Onl ^^^'^ "q"»red
was great, and it needed all the strength Z acUvitv o
the white men and the skill nt the ».jji 7 """"'y °'
some indues into the water. Ld these. iho„STf
ZlX ^T^'"^'"'"'' ""« •>»»» f™"^ being stove ta
Ha!:Mirleli:g iJL" dtU^^ft ^ "f ' ^^
long night p^ed in's^^T^^ wfht''
^ndslikethe booming of e^onw^:::^-.^:;
^■:^'h:wrs;:ti:.r "*^^ "^ '" '^'^ '*^^*- --*
geZ:-'"^ up," the chief replied. "Break „p alto-
4'.rterartt^nf%he1a^r.J,^-
doubled in strength a.nd f^^ ' X ?* • '"^^'^ '^-
(246) '°~' -^^ ^sreviuciiwj lae we was seen to
X
322
IN SHELT£It.
llillll !
I
I i
lil'ii
heave and swell. Then with a sound like thunder it
broke, and great cakes were forced one on the top of
another, and soon, instead of a level plain of ice, a chaos
of blocks were tossing about on the waves.
Harold watched the change with anxiety. No longer
was the channel on either side marked by regular defined f
lines, but floating pieces encroached upon it, and, looking
towards the shore, the channel appeared to be altogether
lost. The danger was overwhelming, but the Indians,
paddling with increased strength, urgf;d the boat forward
until within ten yards of the island.
A few minutes before, such an approach would have
assured the immediate destruction of the boai But
Harold saw with surprise that almost simultaneously
with the breaking up of the ice-sheet the fall of blocks
from the island had ceased. A moment's reflection showed
him the reason of this phenomenon. With tht» break-up
of the ice-field the pressure from behind had suddenly
ceased. No longer wer3 the blocks piled on the island
pushed forward by the tremendous pressure of the ice-
field. The torrent was stayed, and they could approach
the island with safety. As soon as they were assured
that this was so, the canoe was brought close to the rocks.
Pearson leapt ashore, climbed the rocks, and the ice piled
twenty feet above them, and with his pole convinced him-
self that at this point there were no loose blocks likely to
falL Having satisfied himself on this head he descended
again and took his place in the boat. This was moored
by a rope a few feet long to a bush growing from a fis-
sure in the rock close to the water's edge. He and Peter
remained on watch with their poles to fend off any pieces
of ice which might be brought round by the waves, while
AN OPEN LAKK
SIS
Hanw! 'f ^' """' '"""PP^e themselves np in their
blaxJcets, lay down at th. bottom of the boat
Jhe next morning the storm still raped «n,1 rt. i i
presented the appe»«nce of an angTl sti/ :?
under the lee of the island, the part^wTreTroteeTe^^
Its effects although the light oL. JlTanTfeU 1^^
gr^t bank of loe as high as the tree tops. *
said "Sf°^'''^'^!f''°°''*'*"'' D^-ld Cameron
us ^^th^fl"*'^'*' "*«/»™i«t <^ not likely to fSTw
us. In the first place, unless they thoneht of taki„» /w
our 4e%re;';^nrha\:t n fml^ed^r ^^^^
lu the second place, they could not oaS„, a^he^^'^'
canoes, for as we have eiaht „. j-iu .■ ^ ""^
made out of the selwh™ J ' "°?*'°8 *""«« "o
be able to laSTthl^ IdTasI^'Z 7 ^"f.^
such a taste of the quality of ti ShatCtf tw
arrd£Hr?«---=^i^-
«et„trrni^\Sti?'::^-r --'
I
llljiiniHiiti
! i'llli
iilJiJiiiiiiHiiiiiiiii
ii!;
:P|i i
324
AT THE 8ETTLEMKNT8.
"Now, boys," Pearson said cheerfully, *'ef ye don't want
to get froze up again you had best be sharp, for I can
tell yer about thirty-six hours of this waather and the
lake will be solid again."
Five minutes later the canoe with its eight sturdy
paddlers started on its way, speeding like an arrow
from the ice-covered island which had done them such
good service in their greatest need.
"Now, Jake," Peter said, "the more strength you put
into that paddle of yours the sooner you will have a piece
of meat atween your jaws."
The negro grinned. "Don't talk ob him, Massa Ptber;
don't say a word about him until I see him. Fish bery
good when der noting else to eat, but Jake never want
to see him again; he hab eaten quite enough for de rest
ob his life."
Cameron, who was not accustomed to the use of the
paddle, sat in the stem with the two girls; but ihe others
were all used to the exercise, and the boat literally
bounded along at each stroke from the sinewy arms, and
by nightfall they had reached the opposite shore. After
some hours' work together, two of them had rested, and
from that time they took it by turns, six paddles bein^
kept constantly going. °
Without any adventure they arrived safely at the end
of the lake. The clearing where Nelly Lad lived so long,
and where her father and mother had been killed, was
pissed in the night, much to Harold's satisfaction, as he
was afraid that she would have been terribly upset at the
many sad memories which the sight of the place could
not but call up. On their way down they had seen many
gaps in the forest caused by the gale, but it was not
NELLY FINDS FRIENDS.
895
until th.y reached the landing-place that the full effect
of Its destructive force was visible. Several scows and
other boats lay wrecks upon the shore, every house in
the little viUago wa^ levelled to the ground, the orchards
were ruined, palings and fences torn down, and the whole
place strewn with fragments.
^I^^r^'fl ""^'^ °'°''^°^ *""°°g *h« ^''ns. They
gazed with a dull apathy upon the new-comers, apparently
dazed by the misfortune that had befallen them Harold
learnt on questioning them that twenty-seven persons had
been killed and the majority of the survivors more or less
seriously injured With the e..ception of the few whom
they saw about all the survivors had been taken off to the
town m boats down the river, or in waggons lent by
neighbours whose villages, sheltered in the woods, had
escaped the ravages of the gale. After a few hours' halt
having obtained meat and other stores, they proceeded on
their way to Detroit.
Here Nelly had several friends, who had long believed
her to have fal.en at the massaxjre at the farm; by them she
was gladly received, and she took up her abode in a family
with some daughters of her own age. Harold found that
there was^ a considerable sum of money in the bank in
her fathers name, and from this, after a consultation with
her, a sum of money sufficient to provide the Seneca and
his followers with blankets, powder, and Indian finery for
years, was drawn and bestowed upon them,
A day or two afterwards the Indians left for their own
ountry highly gratified with the success of the expedi-
eaTh Tt^trfll^' """" '^''' "'^^' '"^^ '^^"
Harold learned that th^vA waa k«* ^H^„ z!_i.x-._
-. -.. _i — , ,,vnj uuw iiDuc ui£uuxig going
826
WINTER QUARTER&
on along the Canadian frontier. The winter had set in
again with extreme severity; the Si Lawrence would be
frozen, and he would have no means of leaving Canada;
he was therefore well content to settle down until the
spring at Detroit, where he received numerous and hearty
invitations to stay for any time, from the various friends
of his cousina Jake, of course, remained with him. Peter
(vent up to Montreal, where he had some relations resid-
tng, Harold promising to call for him on his way east in
the spring. Pearson, after a few days' stay in Detroit,
started again with a comrade on a hunting expedition.
Cameron and his daughter also spent the winter at
Detroit «
The months passed very pleasantly to Harold. Since
the war began he had had no period of rest or quiet, and
he now entered with zest into the various amusements,
sleighing and dancing, which helped to while away the
long winter in America. He also joined in many hunt-
ing parties, for in those days game abounded up tc
the very edge of the clearings. Moose were abundant,
and the hunt of these grand deer was full of excitement
Except when the snow is on the ground these animals can
defy their pursuers, but the latter with their snow-shoes
go lightly over the frozen snow, in which the moose sink
heavily.
There were many discussions as to the future of Nelly.
Several of her friends would gladly have adopted her as
a member of their family; but Harold warmly urged that
she should go to England and take up her abode with his
mother, who was her nearest relative, and Nelly, some-
what to the surprise of her friends, finally agreed to this
proposal. A purchaser was readily found for the farm,
SWEET HOME.
8S7
which was an excellent one, and the proceeds of the sale
with the amount of savings in the bank gave her a little
fortune of some two thousand five hundred pounda
When the spring came and the navigation of the lake
was open, Harold, Nelly, the Camerons, and Jake started
m a ship for Montreal. There they were joined by Peter
and sailed down to Quebec, where Nelly and the Camerons'
took passage for England. Very deep was the gratitude
which Donald expressed to the friends who had restored
his daughter to him. He had had enough of the colonies
and intended to spend the rest of his life among his own
people in Scotland. Harold, Peter, and Jake sailed to join
the English army in the south.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE SIEGE OF SAVANNAH.
?FTER the surrender of General Burgoyne at
Saratoga, the English parliament made another
effort to dbtain peace, and passed an act renoun-
cing all rights to tax the colonists, and yieldmg
every point 83 to which they had been in dispute. Com-
missioners were sent over with full authority to treat,
and had the colonists been ready nominally to submit to
England, a virtual independence, similar to that possessed
by Canada and the Australian Colonies at the present
time, would have been granted. As a very large body
of the Americans had from the first been desirous of
coming to terms, and as the paralysed state of trade
caused great and general distress, it is probable that these
terms might have been accepted, had it not been for the
intervention of France. That power had all along en-
couraged the rebellion. She had smarted under the loss
of Canada, and although her rule in her own colonies
was far more arbitrary than that of England in America,
she was glad to assist in any movement which could
operate to the disadvantage of this country. Hitherto,
nominally, she had remained neutral, but now, fearing
that the offers of the English would induce the colonists
PHILADELPHIA EVACUATED.
329
to make peace, she came forward, recognized their
independence, and engaged herself to furnish a large
fleet for their assistance.
The colonists joyfully accepted the offer, seeing that
the intervention of France in the struggle would com-
pletely alter its conditiona Hitherto the British had
been enabled to send over men and stores at will; but
were they blockaded by a French fleet their difficulties
would be immensely increased.
As there had been no cause of quarrel between England
and France, this agreement was an act of wanton hostility
on the part of the latter. On obtaming mformation of
the signature of the treaty between France and the
colonies, the English ambassador was recalled from Paris,
and both countries prepared vigorously for war.
The first result was that the English deemed it prudent
to evacuate Philadelphia and retreat to New York.
Washington endeavoured to cut off their retreat, and
a battle took place at "Freehold Court-house," in which
the Americans were worsted; Washington drew off his
army, and the British army continued its march to New
York without further opposition. Early in May the
French sent off a fleet of twelve ships of the line and six
frigates carrying a large number of troops commanded
by Count D'Estaing. An English fleet, under Admiral
Byron, waa lying at Portsmouth, and this sailed on the
9th of June in pursuit; for it was not until that time
that information was received of the intended destination
of the French fleet
D'Estaing reached the American coast upon the very
day on which the English army re-entered New York,
— **^ — 6 " v'^^iuviiawrawun ouiur^ max town the
p Is
m
330
THE MOVEMENTS OF THE FLEET.
French fleet sailed for Ehode Island to expel the British
troops, under Sir Robert Pigott, who held it
Lord Howe sailed with the fleet from New York to
give battle to that of D'Estaing. For two days the teets
manoeuvred in sight of each other. Howe, being inferior
in force, wished to gain the weather-gauge before fighting.
Failing to do this on the third day he offered battle,
but a tremendous storm prevented the engagement and
dispersed both fleeta The French vessels retired to
Boston and the English to New York.
Taking advantage of the departure of the French fleet,
Sir Robert Pigott attacked the American force, which
had crossed to Rliode Island to act with the French, and
drove them from it The fleet under Admiral Byron had,
while crossing the Atlantic, met with a tremendous storm,
which had entirely dispersed it, and the vessels arrived
singly at New York. When their repairs were completed
the whole set out to give battle to the French; but
D'Estaing, finding that by the junction of the two Eng-
lish fleets he was now menaced by a superior force,
sailed away to the West Indies.
After his departure an expedition was sent down
along the coast to Georgia and East Florida. This met
with great success. Savannah was captured, and the
greater part of South Carolina was occupied. The ma-
jority of the inhabitants joyfully welcomed the troops,
and many companies of volunteers were raised.
Harold had arrived in New York early in the spring.
He had been offered a commission, but he preferred
remaining with his two comrades in the position of
scout In this way he had far greater independence,
and while enjoying pay and rations sufficient for his
■HE FLEET.
DOWN SOUTH.
331
maintenance, he waa to a great extent master of his
own movementa At an earlier period of the war he was
offered by General Howe a commission in the army, and
his father would have been glad had he accepted it
Harold, however, although determined to fight until the
struggle between the colonists and the mother countrv
came to an end one way or the other, had no great liking
for the hfe of an officer in the regular army, but had
resolved at the conclusion of the war, to settle down
upon a farm on the lakes; a life for which ho felt far
more fitted than for the stri.f r?i.cipHne and regularity
of that of an officer in the a^ ^
As, with the exception o. tm attack by the French
fleet and Amencan army upon Rhode Island, both parties
remained quiet all through the summer of 1778 the year
passed uneventfully to him, and the duties of the scoute
were httle more than nominal. During the winter fighting
went on m the Carolinas and Georgia with varied success
^ the spring of 1779 Harold and his comrades were'
rnnlnf ^l"^^ . ""'''"^'' ''°* ^^^'^ ^ ^«°W where'
constant skirmishes were going on, and the services of
a body of men accustomed to outpost duty were required
They were landed in May. and joined General Prevost's
orce on the island of St. John situated close to the main-
end of which, on the mainland, a post had been erected.
Shortly afterwards General Prevost left for Savannah,
taking with him most of the troops, which were carried
away m the sloops which had formed the bridge of boats
On the American side General Lincohi commanded ac^n-*
iderable army, which had been despatehed by CongTeL
j o — ' -.v.« vuav ssaiic oaa line uarolinaa
S33
THE APPROACH OP THE ENEMY.
I
l!!ii;!il!||'i!
11 !
^'"1
i! ■■
ll!
on^H» r^ >*' *'''"*"'^' """O •^■""•andecl the post
on the mamland, wm left with only a flat boat to keep
up hia eommumoation with the island. He had under
his command the first battalion of the 7lst HigWanS
now much weakened in numbers, part of a hS
olTtaierTT: "Tr" ^l-*-" --J « -Jet^m-
Mearing that General Lmcoln was advancing against
him. Colonel Maitland sent all hia sick, bagfage Z
horses across to the island, and pUced th; fc^TCl
possible m a defensive position. Most of the scouts wC
had come down from New York had accompanied Genl^J
^vost tj Savaniah; but Harold, with Peter Lambte
Jake and three or four others, had been ordered f»
remain with Colonel MaitUnd, and were sent" r^
goitre when the enemy were known to be approa^.
T I^nl '^ ?™®*^^°g like our old work, Peter, upon
Lake Champlain/; Harold said, as with his two co^rad"
' erfadvanc;: J ^^ ''' '''''''''' '''^ ^^^^ *^« --^
thlm ^.^ J^.1; ^""^ *n'{ ^^"^^ °°°' ^^ *^« Red-skins with
them and there will be no great difficulty in finding out
just about here Jake can do better than we can. Niaae„
swarm all over the country, and are as ready to work for
one side a^ the other, just as their masters go. All Jake
has got t. do is ^ dress himself as a plantation ni^
and stroll into their camp. No question will be afked
hnn, as he will naturally be taken for a slave on some
neighbouring estate. What do you say, Jake?"
Jake at once assented, and when they approached the
OUTPOST WORK.
333
Son H " °°""''^" ""■ '»™<' «>«' P'- into
thattt °* "" *™y ^''^ '"»'«. and 'etarned saying
^L^L'""^ to eat „s up .Uhout t.nble, ^'^
Co onel Maitland news of their clw *° ^'^
^jt wa. late in the afternoon when^'they reached the
.u'n'r''f *!"! ''° y°" *'''"'' they will arrive here»»
th Colonel «ked when Jake had made his report
befo« Jo^* *¥?• ^''' ^f ' "'J'J^J. "they wiU attack
wLure morning. They would not. be likelv fn f r^ ;* •
Thf' ""' ■'r''^^ ""^ ■»'"« of theS- "^ " °
The commander was of the same opinion- but to n™
^^ fence round the fort, the scouts being, of cou«e, of the
Pete^H^Urd'' ?t"y' >"" "' »^'«n in the morning
adv^cf^f 1: ^1, '' "^ ""'■" ** """ne distance if
feeTthe" pt °td ■fT.,*^ ""'"y Wroaching. They
Pwces and fell back npoa the outposta Thehr
SS4
A GALLANT RESISTAMCS.
position was rather to the right of the line of defence.
The pickets were about to fall back when seventy men,
being two companies of the 7lst under Captain Campbell,
were sent out to feel the enemy.
" We are going to have a skirmish," Peter said. "I
know these Highlanders; instead of just firing a bit and
then falling back, they will be sticking here and fighting
as if they thought they could lick the hull army of the
x'ankees."
It was as Peter predicted. The Highlanders took post
behind a hedge and maintained a desperate resistance to
the advance of the enemy. Harold and his comrades for
some time fought with them.
" It is time for us to be out of this," Peter said pre-
sently ; " let's jest get back to the fort"
"We C8.nnot fall back till they do, Peter."
" I don't see that," Peter said. " We are icouts, and I
don't see no advantage in our chucking away our lives
because these hot-headed Highlanders cho^ie to do so.
Peter Lambton is ready to do a fair share of fighting; i
but when he is sure that fighting ain't no good, then he i
goes;" and, suiting the action to the word, Pete): rosej
from his recumbent position and began to make his way i
back to the camp, taking advantage of every bit of cover.
Harold could not help laughing; for an instant he!
remained irresolute, and then, seeing the overwhelming i
forces with which the enemy were approaching, he called
to Jake and followed Peter's example. So obstinately
did the Highlanders fight that they did not retreat until
all their officers were killed or wounded, and only eleven
men out of the two companies succeeded in regainioj;
the camp.
ITAMCB.
i of the line of defence.
)ack when seventy men,
inder Captain Campbell,
rmish," Peter said. "I
of just firing a bit and
eking here and fighting
3k the hull army of the
i Highlanders took post
k desperate resistance to
Id and his comrades for
•f this," Peter said ^n-
fort"
do, Peter."
" We are icouts, and I
lucking away our lives j
mders cho'ie to do so,
fair share of fighting;!
ain't no good, then he |
► the word, Pete): rosej
began to make his way I
ge of every bit of cover.
ng; for an instant he
sing the overwhelming
) approaching, he called
ample. So obstinately
ey did not retreat until
unded, and only eleveo
succeeded in regaining
Wm
HiiMiimii
RKPULSK OF THE ENBMT.
335
The whole force oif the enemy now advanced against
the wovks, and halting at a distance of 300 yards opened
la tremendous fire from their cannon on the intrej ch-
I ments. The defenders replied; but so overwhelming waa
the force of the assailants that the Hessians abandoned
the portion of the works committed to them and fell
I back.
The enemy pressed forward, and had already gained
the foot of the abbatis when Colonel Maitland brought
jup a portion of the 7lst upon the right, and these gallant
jtroops drove the Americans back with slaughter. Colonel
iMaitland and his officers then threw themselves among
■the Hessians, and succeeded in rallying them and bring-
^g them back to the front. The provincial volanteers
bad also fought with great bravery. They had for a
kime been pressed backward, but finally maintained their
position.
The Americans, finding that all their efforts to carry
fhe post were unavailing, fell back to the forest. On the
English side the loss amounted to 129. The Americans
lought in the open, and suffered much more heavily.
I The position of matters was suddenly changed by the
Irrival of Count D'Estaing with a fleet of forty-one ships
K war off the coast. The American general, Lincohi, at
■nee proposed to him to undertake a combined movement
) force the English to quit Georgia. The arrival of the
Irench fleet was wholly unexpected; and the ExpeH-
ynt, a frigate of fifty guns, commanded by Sir James
Fallace, having two or three ships under his convoy
lU m with them off the mouth of the Savannah river.'
mhough the ExpeHment had been much crippled by a
We through which she had recently passed, Sir James
536
SAVANNAH SUMMONED.
Wallace would not haul down his flag, and opposed a
desperate resistance to the whole of the French fleet, and
did not surrender until the ExpeHrmnt was completely
dismasted and riddled with shot.
Upon the news that the French fleet was off the mouth
of the river. Captain Henry, who commanded the little
squadron of four small English ships, fell back to Sa-
vannah after removing all the buovs from the river. He
anded his guns from the ships and mounted them on
the batteries, and the marines and blue-jackets were also
put on shore to assist in the defence. Two of the brigs
of war were sunk across the channel below the town
to prevent the French frigates coming up. A boom wai
laid across above the town, to prevent fire-rafts from
being sent down.
D'Estaing landed the French troops at the mouth of
the river and, marching to the town, summoned General
Prevost to surrender. The English commander, who had
sent off a messenger to Colonel Maitland, ordering him to
march instantly to his assistance, with the force under
him, which now amounted to 800 men, asked for twenty-
four hours before giving an answer. D'Estaing, who
knew that General Lincoln was .lose a4; hand, made sure
that Prevost would surrender without resistance, and so
granted the time a^ked for. Before its expiration, Colonel
Maitland, after a tremendous march, arrived at the town
As the French commanded the mouth of the river he had
been obliged to transport his troops in boats through the
marahes by a little creek, which for two miles was so
shallow that the troops were forced to wade waist-deep,
dragging the boats by mdn force through the mud
Upon the arrival of this reinforcement General Prevost
s flag, and opposed a
P the French fleet, and
iment was completely
leet was oflT the mouth
commanded the little
lips, fell back to Sa-
-"N from the river. He
id mounted them on
blue-jackets were also
;e. Two of the brigs
inel below the town,
ing up. A boom was
event fire-rafts from
)ops at the mouth of
Q, summoned General
commander, who had
land, ordering him to
ivith the force under
en, asked for twenty-
rer. D'Estaing, who
e at hand, made sure
•ut resistance, and so
fcs expiration, Colonel
arrived at the town.
h of the river he had
in boats through the
)r two miles was bo
to wade waist-deep,
rough the mud.
lent General Prevost
THB COMMENCKMBNt Ot THE SIEOK. 337
returned an answer to Count D'Estaing thaf the town
would be defended to the last. Some time was spent by
he enemy m landing and bringing up the heavy artillery
from the ships and the French and AmericZ did no^
tZw ^^ '.'^T* *^^ *°^^ ""*il *he 23d of Sep-
to them to erect new defences. The allied force of the
Z^T IT'*'^ '! ""'"' ^^^ ^^'^^^ A"^«"cans and
6000 French troops, while the garrison, including regulars
Nevertheless they did not allow the enemy to cany on
!aTe "t^ rfT!.'"'"?*^^'^ «--^^ sortiesTre
made. The firat of these under Major Graham of the 16th
Regiment reached the lines of the enemy, and threw them
into confusion. Large reinforcements came up to their
a^istance, and a. Graham's detachment fell back upon
L th^TrV .' r'^y^T^^onslj pursued it so close up
broulfflf " '^t^''^ "'*^"^^y ^^ '""^ketry were
brought to bear upon them, and they lost a large number
of men before they could regain their works On the
morning of the fourth of October the batteries of the
besiegers opened fire with fifty-three pieces of heavy
artillery and fourteen mortars. General Prevost sent in
a request to Count D'Estaing that the women and ch 1
dren might be permitted to leave the town and embark
issue of the fight; but the French commander refused the
request m a letter couched in insulting terms
ixtroL'^^^^^^^^ ^e
tially flooded by it covefer^tkr TheTth^T^C
938
A RE80LUTB DEFENO&
open to the country, which in front of them was for
several miles level and clear of wood. The works which
had been thrown up on these sides were extremely strong.
When the French first landed there were but ten pieces
of cannon upon the fortifications, but so incessantly did
the garrison work that before the conclusion of the sioqe
nearly 100 pieces of artillery were mounted on the re
doubts and batteries erected round the town. Upon t
side of the swamp there was not much fear of attack; but
three redoubts were erected to prevent a surprise from
this direction. The defence on the right face of the town
was conducted by Colonel Maitland. The defence on the
left, consisting of two strong redoubts and several bat-
teries, was commanded by Lieutenant -colonel Cruger,
In the centre were several strong works of which General
Prevost himself took the special supervision. The whole
British line, except where the swamp rendered no such
defence necessary, was surrounded by a thick abattis.
The French fire made no sensible impression upon the
English defences, and finding that the British artillery
equalled his own, D'Estaing determined to discontinue
the attack by regular approaches, and to carry the pi
by storm. His position was a perilous one ; he had alreadj
spent a long time before the place, and at any moment
the English fleet might arrive from the West Indies a
attack his fleet, which was weakened by the men and guns
which had been landed to carry on the siege; he therefore
determined to risk an assault rather than remain longer
before the town. To facilitate the attack an ofiicer witt
five men on the eighth of October advanced to the abatfe
and set fire to it. The wood, however, was still green,
and the flames were easily extinguished.
i
BNOft
ront of them was for
K>d. The works which
were extremely strong,
re were but ten pieces
but so incessantly did
conclusion of the sio^i^e
'6 mounted on the ro-
l the town. Upon t
luch fear of attack ; but
revent a surprise from
5 right face of the town
d. The defence on the
oubts and several bat-
tenant -colonel Cruger. I
«rorks of which General
ipervision. The whole
amp rendered no sucJij
by a thick abattis.
)le impression upon the I
it the British artillery
srmined to discontinue
and to carry the place
Dus one; he had already
se, and at any moment |
tn the West Indies a
3d by the men and guns I
I the siege; he therefore
her than remain longer
5 attack an officer witl
kdvanced to the abattis
wever, was still green |
lished.
PLAN OP THE SIEGE.
339
340
THE COLUMNS OF ASSAULT.
The attack was fixed for the following morning. Bodies
of the American militia were to feign attacks upon the
centre and left, while a strong force of the combined
armies were to make a real attack in two columns upon
the right The troops composing the two columns con-
sisted of 3500 French soldiers and 950 Americans. The
principal force, commanded by Count D'Estaing in per-
son, assisted by General Lincoln, was to attack the Spring-
field redoubt, which was situated at the extreme right of
the British central line of defence, and close to the edge
of the swamp. The other column, under the command of
Count Dillon, was to move silently along the margin of
the swamp, to pass the three redoubts, and get into the
rear of the British lines.
The troops were in motion long before daylight. The
attempt to burn the abattis had excited the suspicion of
the English, that an assault might be intended; and ac-
cordingly pickets were thrown out in front of the in-
trenchments, and the scouts were ordered to keep a sharp
watch among the trees which grew in and near the swamp.
Harold with his friends had accompanied Colonel Mait-
land's column in its march to Savannah, and had laboured
vigorously at the defences, being especially occupied in
felling trees and chopping wood for the abattis. Before
daybreak they heard the noise made by the advance of
the enemy's columns through the v. ood, and hurried back
to the Springfield redoubt, where the garrison at once
stood to arms. In this redoubt were a corps of provincial
dismounted dragoons i ipported by the South Carolioa
Regiment.
Just as daylight ap' eared the column led by Count
D'Estaing advanced towards the Springfield redoubt; but
341
nm REPOME OP ran assailant.
a blaze of muswt^ distance of the works. Then
cross-fire wrpoutd T^f T" ^^ ^^^^ " <''^*™<'«^«
heavywastheKaHhrC'lftrr """"'"• «"
swept awav Th^ .r<,.-i f v ™° *°'"'"° ''"^ almost
perate handX"h"St:t nl' "'° n" ''"* " "*-
fell with many of his™™ tojt pl«ca Ci.ptain Tawse
and an Ameri^sttL«T' ** f" * """"*"' » French
neveHheie^raSr:sLStxtrr'
and every foot was desperately contet?et"^ "" ^""^
^turiaoiL
i|l!i!l>!i:!!;i:i!i
M
THE FRENCH FLEET DISPEBSED.
A few days afterwards the French withdrew their ar-
tilleiy and re-embarked on board ship.
The siege of Savannah cost the allies 1500 men, while
the loss of the garrison was only 120. The pleasure of
the garrison at their successful defence was marred by
the death of Colonel Maitland, who died from the effects
of the unhealthy climate and of the exertions he had
made.
The French fleet, a few days after the raising of the
siege, was dispersed by a tempeiit, and Count D'Estaiug,
with the majority of the ships under his command, re-
turned to France. ,
During the course of this year there were many skir-
mishes round New York, but nothing of any great im-
portance took place. Sir Henry Clinton, who was in su-
preme command, was unable to undertake any offensive
operations on a large scale, for he had not received the
reinforcements from home which he had expected. Eng-
land, indeed, had her hands full, for in June Spain joined
France and America in the coalition against her and de-
clared war. Spain was at that time a formidable marine
power, and it needed all the efforts that could be made
by the English govemment#o make head against the
powerful fleets which the combined nations were able to
send to sea against them. It .vas not only in Europe that
the Spaniards were able to give effective aid to the allies.
They were still a power on the American continent, and
created a diversion, invading West Florida, and reducing
and capturing the town and fort of Mobile.
In the spring of 1780 Sir Henry Clinton sent down an
expedition under the command of Lord Comwallis to cap-
ture Charlestown and reduce the province of South Caro-
THB CAPTURE OP CHARLKSTOWN. 343
lina. This town was extremely strongly fortified. It
could only be approached by land on one side, while the
water, which elsewhere defended it, was covered by the
fire of numerous batteries of artillery. The water of the
bay waa too shallow to admit of the larger men-of-war
passmg and the passage was defended by Fort Moultrie
a very formidable work. Admiral Arbuthnot, with the
Renown, Romulus, Roebuck, Richmond, Blonde, Raleigh,
ma Virginia {ngates, with a favourable wind and tide
ran the gauntlet of Fort Moultrie, succeeded in passing
up without great loss, and co-operated on the sea face
with the attack of the army on the land side.
A force wa^ landed on Sullivan's Island, on which Fort
Moultrie stood, and the fort, unprepared for an attack in
this direction, was obliged to surrender. The American
cavalry force, which had been collected for the relief of
the town, was defeated by the English under General
larleton. The trenches were pushed forward wHh great
vigour, and the batteries of the third parallel opened at
short range on the town with great execution. The ad-
vances were pushed forward at the ditch, when the gar-
mo, seeing that further resistance was impossible, sur-
ronuered Five thousand prisoners were taken, 1000 Ame-
rican and French seamen, Md 10 French and American
ships of war.
With the fall of Chariestown all resistance ceased in
South Carohna. The vast majority of the inhabitants
made their submission to the British government, and
several loyalist regiments were raised
Colonel Tarleton. with 170 cavalry and 100 mounted
infantry wa^ despatched against an American force under
Colonel Burford. consisting of 350 infantry, a detachment
3H
SICKNESS IN THE ARMY.
Of cavalry and two guns which had taken post on the
border of North Carolina. Tarleton came up with him
and after a sharp action the Americans were entirely de-
teated. One hundred end thirteen were killed on the
spot, and 207 made prisoners, of whom 103 were badly
wounded. ^
_ For some months the irregular operations were con-
tinued, the Americans making frequent incursions into
the Carolina^. The British troops suffered greatly from
the extreme heat and the unhealthiness of the climate
In August the American General Gates advanced to-
waxds Camden, and Lord Cornwallis also moved out to
that town which wa^ held by a British garrisoa The
position there was not hopeful. Nearly 800 were sick
and the total number of effectives was under 2000 of
whom 600 were provincials. The force under Genml
Gates amounted to 6000 men, exclusive of the corps of
Colonel Sumpter, 1000 strong, which were mancEuvring
to cut off the English retreat. Cornwallis could not fall
back on Charlestown without abandoning the sick and
leaving all his magazines ajid stores in the hands of the
enemy, besides which, a retreat would have involved the
abandonment of «ie whole province, with the exception
of Charlestowa He therefore decided upon giving battle
to the enemy, who were posted at Rugeley's Milk a few
miles distant leaving the defence of Camden to Major
M Arthur, with some provincials and convalescent sol-
^2,Z\^ detachment of the 63d Regiment, which wa.
expected to arrive during the night.
The army marched in the following orderr—The 1st
division, commanded by Lieut-colonel Webster, consist-
ing of four companies of light infantry, and the 23d and
THE BATTLE OP RnGEtEVs MILM. 345
'Ity^Th^-JT^"^ '-y *'' '"^™«''^<J g««d Of forty
reserve. The dZoL of tj ' I ?""?*' *°"°^«<' "^ »
mi.M Ti,«f ® , *™ '®S""> formed the rear-
in which the British set'^^ttt GMesTrhT ^"
Llted and w2ed t . It^^ "^ T" 'T '^ ''«»
Webster's division ontr^^ht 1 ""f 'j-^''^^'*
which was under the command of ltd T^f *™'"°-
left; the battalion kno~ the V^b ^''^rr *«
were on the right of iTd^ ^ Volunteers of Ireland
mumcatedwithtt.e!r)rd P ^""1°°' '"™'''°' ^<J "O""
In the fronU L were io^r'"!,* "^ ^' '"" °' ^«>»'^''-
™der the comrd^X^-tSrst 'KT
With two 6-DOUnflprc. «r„o • "■^'^eou, It. A. ihe 7lst,
placed behinTrarwrrST;"" "'*'""™ "^'"S
reserve tocharge in thle^ntlflfl^"™.-^ "'"' ^'^^ ^
The flanks It the Cfeh w^ °^''°''"°"y-
-amps which somewhTntoC :he''""T"f "^
vented the Americans from uSint fK '^' P'"-
:Zt^-"^ ^eAmerTc^^^t'forC
^^^tl&t^^^t-tZlZ:^-^ -one,
O
00 nerceiy
346
ROUT OP THE AMBRICANSL
did the English regiments attack that the Virginia and
North Carolina troops who opposed them qvjickly gave
way, threw down their arms, and fled Generki Gates ana
General Cftsswell in vain attempted to rally tijem. They
ran like a torrent and spread through the wood;j in t yen
direction. Lord Rawdon began the action on the left wiil
no less vigour and spit if ^han i.ord Cornwallis on the righ:;
but here and in the c t- tre the eontest was more obstinatelj
maintained by the Amerloft; •:=. 7'heii reserve were brought
up, and the artillery ;i,c lorisiderable execution. The!
left flank was, however, ..^cposed by the flight of the troops
of Carolina and Yirgiiiia, and the light infantry and 23i!;
Regiments were halted in the pursuit, and wheeling
round came upon the Hank of the enemy, who after a
brave resistance of nearly three-quarters of an hour were
driven into total confusion and forced to give way on
both sides. Their rout was completed by the cavalry,
who coiiiinued their pursuit twenty-two miles from the
field of action.
Between 800 and 900 of the enemy were killed, and
about 1000, many of whom were wounded, were taken
prisoners. Among these were Major-general Baron de
Kalbe ^nd Brigadier-general Rutherford. All the baggage
stores and camp packages, a number of colours, and several
pieces of cannon, were taken. General Gates, finding
himself unable to rally the militia, fled first to Charlotte,
90 miles from the seat of action, and then to Hillsborough,
180 from Camden. General Gist alone of all the Ameri-
can commanders was able to keep together about 100
men, who, flying across the s^^mp on their right, thrri;?))
which they could not be pi v ed by the cavalry, v
their escape in a body. The loss of the British tro^i
^RICANSL
I that the Virginia and
sed them q\iickly gave
fleil Genera: Grates anu
}d to rally tjiem. They
ugh the wood;5 in t-ven
e action on the left mil
Cornwallis on the righi :
jst was more obstinately
nt reserve were brought
cable execution. Th(;i
'• the flight of the troops
light infantry and 23i'!;
pursuit, and wheeling
le enemy, who after a
larters of an hour were
'orced to give way on
pleted by the cavalry,
ty-two miles from the
lemy were killed, and
wounded, were taken
ajor-general Baron de
rford. All the h&ssm
r of colours, and several
Jeneral Gates, finding
fled first to Charlotte,
I then to Hillsborough,
-lone of all the Ameri-
p together about 100
an their right, thrnirrh ^^
by the cavalry, r |^
of the British tro^; I
PLAN OF THE BATTLE.
347
..•^^.a:.^^^.^*^
7%*=. *- -^ -«*«-» ^'^^ ^TV^tl-^jp^S -^^ One English
PLAN
OF THE BATTLE
Ql •Fbught near CAMDENI
August le.**
V i\ ^ -•■ 1780.
^' ft. J
British
Americans
Mile
•''•'■■'"firlrtVB'ir" i\ i ,o-^
a. ^^-a '.' *• ■>- '
v. ^ -^M(« A ■'*■ ^ ^
rrr
'■-V&ife*£Sj^"s^r#««^te.-.-
348
THE CASUALTIES.
amounted to 69 killed. 245 wounded, and 11 missin.,
The loss of the Americans in killed, wounded, and take!
exceeded the number of British regular troops engaged
by at least 300. It was one of the most decisive victories
ever wop.
CHAPTER XIX.
IN AN AMERICAN PRISON.
rPON the morning after the victorv nf r>« ^
3oIo„el Sumpte. who trh'sofcn'a" :i'° ''"^H
cannon, had, upon hearing l.t^ .* • ?. . ™° P'«<»3 of
defeat, marched away St:] '"|lt''T"" «'"«'"
of danger he halted at mid dav tot «tl^ "^ i""'''* »"'
ca... upon them by 8uroril:^l^n ^^^f ^''^Bri&h
Ud 300 made prisone J S.^° were hUed or wounded .
Two ^ and IZ'Z, ^l^^ ^Xr f"^'"™'"
baggage were taken- and i%nT'- ""'^'o'^sand
Britiah soldiers, and ^^ .^ft nr",'-.'"'"' "^ *^''»
Sumpter had captured nlrl7 """^ "' "''<»»
Wd CornwalUsXrTt^ " '"' ""* "''<«»«'l
and taking sZ forth. i""?? ^PP"^ ^O' •>« troops
'bout to m^r w?str'ct:r T ^-^
jtec'eived news of the destm-H^r. „* pa^olma when he
mounted partisans, most of thLTT/^^ ^^ ^""O
i 349 ■ ^'
Iw
r
MO
A TOa.noMB RETREAT.
gi P
I !
I ill •
hill called King's Mountain. This from its height would
have been a good position for defence, but >>oiV- covered
with wood it offered great opportunitio. lor Wie aasailauU,
who dismounted and fought behind trees in accordance
with the tactics laught them in Indian warfare. Again
and again the TlJuglish charged with the bayonet, each
time driving tl.eir assailants back; but these, from their
shelter beh"n'l the trees, instantly recommenced their
destructive firo. In little over an hour from the com-
mencement of the fight 150 of the defenders were killed
and many more wounded, still they repulsed every attacic
until their commander fell dead; then the second in com-
mand, judging further resistance in vain, surrendered
On the news of this misfortune Lord Cornwallis fell
back, as the western frontiers of South Carolina were now
exposed to the incursions of the band which had defeated
Fergusson. In the retreat the army suffered ten
It rained for several days without intermission The
soldiers had no tents and the water was f erywhere over
their shoes. The continu ' rair ; fillec the rivers and
creeks prodigiously and rendered the roads almost im-
passable. The climate was mo.^t unhealthy, and for wm] i
days the troops were without rum. Sometimes the army I
had beef and no bread, sometimes bread ani no hd\
For five days it was supported on Indian cc- a, which was
collected in the fields; five ears bei se ved out ass
daily allowance to each two soldiera ih had to coot
it as they couhl, and this was generally done by parching
it over t fc fire. One of the officers of the quarter-masteri
department found some of the loyal militia grating their
com. This was done by breaking up a canteen
punching iholes in the bottom with their bayonets, thai
BTREAT.
tiis from its height would
afence, bu*i >ipi»-'- covered
tuniti(^ lor ine assailuuw,
ihind trees in accordance
Indian warfare. Again
with the bayonet, each
ck; but these, from their
ntly recommenced their
an hour from the com-
;he defenders were killed
ley repulsed every attack
; then the second in com-
I in vain, surrendered
ine Lord Comwallis fell
South Carolina were now ,
band which had defeated
army suffered ten. .,
hcot intermission The I
ter was e ery where over
jca filled the rivers aiid|
»d the roads almost in-
unhealthy, and for wm]
m. Sometimes the armyj
mes bread ani no I
a Indian co^ i, which was
3 be Bf ed out asj
iiera Ai had to cool
leraliy done by parching
rs of the quarter-masteril
>yal militia grating theirj
king up a canteen i
dth their bayonets, thol
IM BUTCH ,om THE COAUI,0». „,
making a kind of ra.sn Ti, j
themselves, and theCof Lorf»P ''°"^'.P™"'i«d than
"83 the same as their" wn ^o™"*"" «" iUwdon
had tr^r r S^„„~ - end at ,ast, and the arm,
occurred of importance •Jl°"';°"'°;: ™''''"' '^'"*
under Colonel Tarleton aid o^ T"°" ''''"*''" " *<»•'»
»t-<?th under ,erd"l"lf ^"1"''"^™?''™'
commanding positi, Th, T*-\ T"^'^ P^'^d on a
but General | ' ,, ^^' l"^f attack was repulsed,
off the liel. duri4 K Tilht aL^'dTl' ' "'^ """'<"»
command at once disr raed ^"""^ ""^^^ >»«
No other event occurred ti,
in winter quarters till *%.'"■ ''™y P*«™d its time
winter the'enen,t*'*^4f-f?' 1781. »"™g *•>«
the acces.t,„ j the 7W v .*'" "^"^ "-einforced by
which England wl' cabled un V''' *'"" *">« '^"^
g'eat In Europe Fmnct Z- "f * '"^^ ''"'«"J
oanded against her- in Ma ^"1' *'"' ^""^-^ '^'^
-esp^-ate warwithHyder A iT- wlV^^ "^'^ "^'"S "
to retain their hold on tl,r"'^y^<'re struggling
infed,theope™tion3hrdf^/, i"""™"" '"^"'^o^ "4
"»«»; and althoueh the R * ^?"''^ ''«^« extremely
«-tod the AmXn?in evet a'r '"'""' ■"^"""'y
^"ch they st^r t:rt t'ii^ ^^.^r^^;
"" ^^^J "iigiii De, the
352
TH<B ATTACK ON KlNO'S MOUNTAIN.
•m
country beyond the reach of their rifles swarmed with
their enemies, and it became increasingly clear to all
impartial observers that it was impossible for an army,
which in all did i )i amount to more than twenty thou-
sand men, to conquer a continent in arms against them.
Harold was not present at the later events of the cam-
paign of 1780. He and Jake had been with the column of
Major Fergusson. Peter Lambton had not accompanied
him, having received a bullet wound in the leg in a pre-
vious skirmish, which, although not serious, had compelled
him to lay up for a time.
" Me no like the look ob dis aflfair, Massa Harold," Jake
said, as the Americans opened fire upon the troops ga-
thered at the top of King's Mountain. " Dese chaps no
fools; dey all backwoodsmen, dey know how to fight de
Red-skins; great hunters all ob dem."
" Yes," Harold agreed, " they are formidable opponents,
Jake; I do not like the look of things. These men are
all accustomed to fighting in the woods, while our men
have no idea of ii Their rifles are infinitely superior to
these army muskets, and every man of them can hit a
deer behind the shoulder at the distance of one hundred
and fifty yards, while at that distance most of our men
would miss a haystack."
The scouts and a few of the provincials who had been
accustomed to forest warfare took up their position be-
hind trees, and fought the advancing enemy in their own
way. The mass of the defenders, however, were altogether
puzzled by the stealthy approach of their foes, who ad-
vanced from tree to tree, seldom showing as much as8
limb to the fire of the defenders, and keeping up a deadly
firt ipon the crowd of soldiers.
MOUNTAIN.
* SURRENDUI.
Had there been time f.,r ii • ^ ""
■ttacked, to have felled a cirS/ F"«"'T' ^'^^"^ ''"'"S
work round the top of he 111^""'',°"'^'"' ••"«»'-
been different A<~in ,!j . ""^ '*'™" ""ight have
charged down with^Z^'^^r t T''' ^^""""^
they did 80 glided away .n.on?ir'. ""* "ssailants aa
or two into the .dvancfngto^ '\« ^^f^*^ «"■>? « *ot
yard, or so, only to reco»m»™' tW J'*''** * ''""*-'d
the defender retired aw^^wt ■^*"" '^''""=« " »oon a«
the a^ailant, w«, ve.Zl"ht h!' f ^^''^ '^'"' '<»» "f
the most part kilfed 7y ZmtllZ '"'° !"" •"""« '«
"It am no use. Massa HamM •• 1 u °~'"*
how dem poor fello^af ^ L It ?'"• "•'««* '"^k
wid us this time." '"« *""" ^owa U ,« „p
When upon the fall of Mainr p.
'■"command surrendered the Xtter.'"' ™°«^««»
«med. The Kentucky men ^! ! <^f ^-J"" were dis-
agamst Indians, had noT^Ttt"''' °"'^ *" '^o*"
I ~ed the prisoner withlreaVbn,MT I'"' »'«'
loyalist volunteera of Caroli^ .1 ''™/*'"y- Ten of the
trees. There was someT -^^^ """"S »' <>nce upon
'!■« -t- The border mtriJ" *" ^"^ *»?'"»'«'
otjeot, were anrious to &pei 't *„ "O'o-plished their
Some of them proposed tW f^ . '""^ *» *«r homes
«" further trou'r^XtinA''™'?, ""^ '^"'"^l^^^i
"as overruled by the maToZ ^^T ""• ^'"»' '^^»^"er,
h ?:f -tion were ..^d^""^::^ -l^^.P-t up
354
A PRISONER AT RICHMOND.
ifil; '
fW
NilllllH.iL, J
11
lllllll' 111
.i'l#|!'
!i
I' , t
1 1 ii I
bid of a tall Eentuckian, who without a word fastened a
rope round his neck, mounted his horse, and started fcr
his home. The guards conducted the white prisoners to
Woodville, eighty miles from the scene of the fight This
distance was accomplished in two days' march. Many of
the unfortunate men, unable to support the fatigue, fell
and were shot by their guards; the rest struggled on,
utterly exhausted, until they arrived at Woodville, where
they were handed over to a strong force of militia ga-
thered there. They were now kindly treated, and by
more easy marches were taken to Richmond, in Virginia,
where they were shut up in prison. Here were many
English troops, for the Americans, in spite of the terms
of surrender, had still retained as prisoners the troops of
General Burgoyne.
Several weeks passed without incident The prisoners
were strongly guarded, and were placed in a building ori-
ginally builii for a jail, and surrounded by a very high wall
Harold oft 3n discussed with some of his fellow-captives
the possibility of escape. The windows were, however,
all strongly barred; and even should the prisoners break
through these they would only find themselves in the
court-yard. There would then be a wall thirty feet high
to surmount, and at the comers of this wall the Ameri-
cans had built sentry-boxes, in each of which two men j
were stationed night and day. Escape, therefore, seemed
next to impossible.
The sentries guarding the prison and at the gates were
furnished by an American regiment stationed at Eicli-
mond. The warders in the prison were for the most part I
negroes. The prisoners were confined at night in separate
cells; in the daytime they were allowed in parties of
Wki again.
3S6
fi%tow«lkfortwohourai„th« ^
several toge room, in whTch rhT'^T'^ '^'"'«"'««
mealMwo sentries with Cdedt^w f""* '"* their
m each room. Thus «IfK .. "'"'*'* "^^'ng stationed
lit«e to complain ofT'theffofa r^'o^-.there ^L'
and the prisoners paked L ? . °™"« ''"^ plentiful
and in such games Sr wt.it" '"fj "'"^^S ""^s;
One day when two of the f'' "^""^ '"''«»'•
the dinners of the room to whgh° T"*'" *°'*'^'' ^'^
later was «t„«ndedT «c„!S* J'f '»''' •'^'^ged. the
faithful companion Jako.^r^f ^ V' °* *<''° his
te suppressed an exdamation J , 7* •"^""1*7 "-at
Jj^e paid no attentionTwm h ♦^ "J^"™ ""<* ™'P™«-
« helped np with ^a^ ^^eh If 'r' ''« ^ '*"
fortnight passed without a worf t!- ' *''? '""^ A
t«en them. Several timL^.^ hemgjezchanged be-
n^ro; but the guards w^TtS™, '^ ^'"''^ ^'^ *«
when he had his ha-k to thlTT '"r"*' ^"'J "'^ough
d»lged in a momentMy Jl ^ "' '''** '""°^«"'«» S-
fcrther communication pS h," P°'^''*<"« wink; „„
, .0°«%ht at the end 741;'''*^° "•««"•
I point of going to sleep, though tTt ^"' ""» o" ">«
door gently opening.^ irwfs^erfT* ? °°™ •« »^ *"
*nmg for „ moLnt hHafd t-°t '^*' «"<» ^ter
hmkmg that he had been mi!* t " ^""^ ""own again
»» *e bed the words' i'TCtofcr "'*" ""^ ''-"^ ^-
4:'^"»W.MassaHaroldr-
|'»!-. wtveXl:ro,^""-- "^' -^ good
M .bo\tT- " """^ "^ »«'''••" Joko said;
"tta tell yon
356
THE negro's story.
" Have you shut the door again, Jake ? There is a sentry
coming along the passage every five minutes."
" Me shut him, massa; but dere ain't no fastening on dia
side, so Jake will sit down with him back against him."
Harold got up and partly dressed himself, and then sat
down by the side of his follower.
" No need to whisper," Jake said ; " de walls and de
doors bery thick, no one hear. But de sentries on de
walls hear if we talk too loud."
The windows were without glass, which was in those
days an expensive article in America, and the mildness of
the climate of Virginia rendered glass a luxury rather
than a necessity. Confident that even the murmur of
their voices would not be overheard if they spoke in their
usual way, Jake and Harold were enabled to converse
comfortably.
" Well, massa," Jake said, " my story am not a long one,
Dat man dat bought me he rode in two days, someting
like 100 miles. It war a lucky ting dat Jake had
tramp on his feet do last four years, else soon enough he
tumble down, and den de rope round him neck hang
him. Jake awful footsore and tired when he get to de
end of dat journey. De Kentuckyman he live in a clear-
ing not far from a village. Ha had two oder slaves; dey
hoe de ground and work for him. He got grown-up son
who look after dem while him fader away fighting. Dej
not afraid of de niggers running away, because dere
plenty Red-skin not far away, and nigger scalp just as ^
good as white man's. De oder way der were plenty ol
villages, and dey tink nigger get caught for sure if he
try to run away. Jake make up his mind he not stop
dere bery long. De Kentuckian was a bery big, strong
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. jg*
ma^, but not so strong as he wa^ ten years a^o anH t i.
tmk he more dan a matoh fn.. k- t , ^ ' ^^^ *^^^®
himself, massa." ^' ^'°^ *^^^^ P^«% strong
" ^ T""^^ *^i°k you were, Jake," Harold said « Tu
are not many men, white or bla<5k, who can 1^; ^ ''!
a weight as you can." " *^ ^f^at
"For a week Jake work berv hard n«f tt . i
hab a way ob always carrvm^^ V* . * ^^ntucken
and as long a^ he do Z7^^ 'f ' ^^^'^^ °^ ^^^ ^^m,
De son he flwajTs^lb a stick^a^d he"^".f % '^' ^^^*'
HehitJakesebLltimesSrsayrL^^^^^^^^^^
man, you better mind what vnn ^n- \t ' """S
not like de look dat I rib him W. ^TF?" '''" •"
and he cum aad swear awTul ^VT^*" '"'^ '''"'»^>
olo^e by, and tell daTL If tis ^ f ^°'' ''r 1 "^^ ""«
he do, massa, for someTmf T«\ .""P *^*''"- »"'
Je make a no'te ob rai^Lrin mJl "rf"^' '"*
d«y de son eo awav M / -n ■'^^ W next
work; hecuL^d swt^^;^T^' T' "'*°'' "« '*
and swear he cut de Zr^ ' * f " *"" '*^ '«»■'"),
-e quite cCld^It hrfis7in''7il'e?r"\''«
was a foolish tine to do ^Tu v^^' **°^ 0»'
hands on de gun he col '""^ as he keep bofe him
hut when h ^t one Tand u?J f' '; r'^ ■»""« ^'^^
different ting altoTthe, Zil^ "^'^ ""'"' '^'''
^ d«e wid him. De ^'„ tSe do°" "^ f ''*°'* '»<'
, «nd fight. He BtrongZlnZZtZZ ""^ ^f ^"^
«t«nger. We roll ofer and obe: :k de f^uX* ! ""'«
nunutes; at last Jake „„t j» ■ S™"™ for some
white man bHe thro5 , ?'"' ^"""^- """^ »«^^ <»»
him life out Den he m-ctr, * ^'""^ •"''*'^ <=h*e
uen he pick up de gun, and wait for de son-
ximMHimmmiiu
888
JAKE MAKES FOB RICHMOND.
when he come back he put a bullet trough him. Den
he go to de hut and get food and powder and ball, and
start into de woods. De oder niggers dey take no part
in de aflfair. Dey look on while de skirmish lasts, but
not interfere one way or other. When it ober me ask
dem if dey like to go with me, but dey too afraid of de
Ked skins; so Jake start by himself. Me hab plenty of
practice of de woods, and no fear of meeting Red-skins,
except when dey on de war-path. De woods stretch a
bery long way all over de country, and Jake trabel in
dem for nigh tree weeks. He shoot deer and manage
bery well; see nb Red-skin from de first day to de last;
den he come out into de open country again, hundreds
of miles from de place where he kill dat Kentuckian. He
leab his gun behind him now, and trabel for Richmond,
where he hear dat de whiie prisoners was kept; he
walk all night, and at day sleep in de woods or de planta-
tions, and eat de ears of Indian corn. At last he get to
Richmond. Den he gib out dat him massa wanted him to
fight on de side of de English, and dat he run away. Ee
go to de prison and offer to work dere. Dey think him
story true, and as he had no massa to claim him dey
say he state property, and work widout wages like de
other niggers here; dey all forfeited slaves whose massas
had joined the English. Dese people so poor dey can't
afford to pay white man, so dey take Jake as warder,
and by good luck dey put him in to cany de dinner to
de bery room where Massa Harold was.
" And have you the keys to lock us up ?'*
"No, massa, dese niggers only cook de dinners and
sweep de prison and de yard, and do dat kind of job; de
white warders—dere are six of dem— dey hab de keya"
m OETS THE KITS. jjj
keep de kerne no* H^ l "l"*" ^'"^ '°^- 1'™ dat
pnsoners he take Jake rm,nS I-i^i- "'' "P ^e
de big bunch ot keysl^rkevl i*"^ """'^ "'^'"^
he lock p de doorherriT., Tf ^^''^^^ ^^en
put on to de bunTatl^ »«<! hand de key to Jake to
head and twist "frofndde ^/'u"".' ' ""^^ "^ ^^
know him again Dat nfJ * °^''' "^^^ '•> "" ^
work him up w°th some^^l tT f ' " ?'""' "^ ^'"^^ <»d
me steal to Vchief walJ' ''''"' ''"^^ P""^' ^'^
hang up close to Wm bid 'jXT ^t '"' '^ "^"y^
stood up berv silent ffl .•'f V °" ^""^ "^ ™d he
.nd ca4 d7m off nf Jtl: ^? t ''"""='' '"' "^^y'
light, and search trougMfLvs'tmhrn':?' ^*"''^ "
de hair round if den h^ t^t ] ? """^ "^^ »°« ''"h
with de hreadTdt^t'^^.'^^bardrrr'';?'"'
dem up Jake not allowed to^eaTe de prisS ' W ™f
as much prisoners a« Ho wku "e pnsoa We just
out to get a key m^e hT.f • 7^"° '"' "»' ""^ '» go
sorts of tools and v!e It ■ u t ''7«-'-<>»"> dere are Si
about amont ZkeUt 7/^ " ^' *"«• <*«" ^e look
and places which lire not wT f f '° ^'""-""""^
find a key just de St s ^^^ f '^."P" ^' '«^' *«
a little diflirent deytl of de ^TA '^' ^"'"^ ^«^«
to work and filed K It f * '''"'■P'' ^^'^^ ««*
[ lid not agree X df shape Inttn i""*- '^''."=''
-Sdrk^'arcid^yr^ ?-°-^^^^^^
«. With a ^ir ^sit -rdei„!^t?,t
860
THE ESCAPE PLANNEOk
key till it turned without making de least noise. Den
to-night me waited until de sentry came along de corridor,
and den Jake slip along, and here he is."
" Capital, Jake!" Harold said. "And now what is the
next thing to do? Will it be possible to escape through
the prison?"
" No, Massa Harold, der am tree doors from de prison
into de yard, and dere is a sentry outside ob each, and
de main guard ob twenty men are down dere too. No
possible to get out of doors without de alarm being
given."
" With the files' Jake, we might cut through the bars."
"We might cut trough de bars and get down into
de court-yard; dat easy enough, massa. Jake could get
plenty of rope from de store-room; but we hab de oder
wall to climb."
" You must make a rope-ladder for that, Jake."
" What sort ob a ladder dat, massa?"
Harold explained to him how it should be made.
"When you have finished it, Jake, you should twist
strips of any sort of stufi", cotton or woollen, round and
round each of the wooden steps, so that it will make no
noise touching the wall as we climb it. Then we want a
grapnel."
" Me no able to make dat, massa."
"Not a regular grapnel, Jake; but you might manage
something whi-^h would do."
" What sort ob ting?" Jake asked.
Harold sat for some time in thought. "If the wall were
not .so high it would be easy enough, Jake, for we could
do it by fastening the rope within about three inches of
the end of a pole six feet long and three inches thick.
Ihl
r de least noise. Den
ut you might manage
HOW TO CUMB THE WAU. jgj
like dat balance I^JslX^t" "^ ^"^ " '''"^
"It would not balance it Jake- h^^i■ *k n
a side pull, and would nof \- It^ *^® P"" ^^^^^^ ^e
Piee. a.o:^ de «.e.woodTarwS'/„r r-"'^"^ °'
the wan In aSt 1 f^ f .V"" ^''«'' " ^t^k^s
length of i tgTnoiht t'tnTth-'""- r' "
the ground, and another Wh of &^ """''°" '»
twice the height of the wall » "^ * """« ""^
delayer, and „ec:lS':ororattg^^^^ ^^ -''^
t« fi^, with ,o„. .0 that we can Z^ZSL^Zi
"All right, massa; now me <ro"
the cell. ^ '*"'• "" •^^''^ »'»'« noiselessly from
cea z\r:!e:;rnthr'th" '^^'^ r'^-^ °-''''»
whiatled around the iail^dP u""^ '"^ 8°' "P <"»<!
-M take aav^:r;rl^5S2tL"!:
.-, »'-*■«, •mmm'i^mmiMm ^/.
iiX
363
THB ATTEMPT.
his bed without undressing and awaited his coming. It
was but half an hour ^f ter the door had been locked for
the night that it quietly opened again.
"Here me am, sar, with ebery thing dat was wanted;
two files and some oil, de rope-ladder, de short rope for
us to shde down, and de long thin rope and de piece of
wood SIX feet long and as thick as de wrist."
They at once set to work with the files, and in an hour
had sawn through two bars, making a hole sufficiently
wide for them to paas. The rope was then fastened to
a bar. Harold took off his shoes and put them in his
pocket and then sljd down the rope into the court-yard.
With the other rope Jake lowered the ladder and pole to
him and then slid down himself. Harold had already
tied to the pole, at four inches from one end, a piece of
rope of some four feet long, so as to form a loop about
half that length. The thin rope was put through the
loop and drawn until the two ends came together.
Noiselessly they stole across the yard until they reached
the opposite waU. The night was a very dark one, and
although they could make out the outline of the wall
above them against the sky-line the sentry-boxes at the
corners were invisible. Harold now took hold of the
two ends of the rope, and Jake, stepping back a few yards
trom the wall, threw the pole over it. Then Harold drew
upon the rope until there was a check, and he knew that
the pole was hard up against the edge of the wall. He
tied one end of the rope-ladder to an end of the double
cord, and then hauled steadily upon the other. The rope
running through the loop drew the ladder to the top of
the wall All this was done quickly and without noise.
Now, Jake, do you go first," Harold said; "I wiU hold
aited his coming. It
• had been locked for
in.
ing dat was wanted;
er, de short rope for
rope and de piece of
3 wrist."
I files, and in an hour
ig a hole sufficiently
vas then fastened to
nd put them in his
into the court-yard,
le ladder and pole to
Harold had already
1 one end, a piece of
form a loop about
as put through the
ime together.
:d until they reached
k very dark one, and
outline of the wall
sentry-boxes at the
7 took hold of the
ng back a few yards
Then Harold drew
:, and he knew that
?e of the wall. He
a end of the double
he other. The rope
adder to the top of
and without noise.
Id said; "I will hold
OUT OF PRISON.
363
" Whir^u "«*"" across the country.
Which way we go, m«sa?" Jake iked
I have been thinking it over" iwu ,. ,
have decided on making for the T» ^- "P"'<^' "»■"»
be there before mornifg and l:^^""/'™'- W« sM
We can guide ourselvIT;theI ""^"f^ ^^ » ■»<"•
the woods the 6ir^ZolfC^A''''i''^"' ^"S'* »to
The distance wrabonf t^! T^^^'^^ ^ »"«'='«'"•"
customed to seou W at ni^h^t^ '"'''%''"* ""'"'"g'' «»-
«"% in making Z^ wfv ihrZ wl" '"'"'' ^"^ *«•
morning, had they not et™i .^n ® *' ""^ ^^ 'he
di^«tion in whic/4t™tdTg: ^"^ '""^S " *"«
-h^rihirm^irvi'Th'^^;^?"^''' '^'■^ ''■ey
»11 the way, andluhlpdnrtT ^t ^"^^""'^ *h« '""d
there was a village of c„Setl?''°'' "*'*«'* "«"'ank
men's boats were^mfoS^^'dTlr'-^'™''" ^''-
these, they unloosed the W^l 1 ^P^^ ^*'' »"« »*
'he stream. The boatwas t^WdeT ^l''""" ""' •°*''
hoat X^^thTw^^r :^1 r -P~ ^-
'an rapidly down the river ^dW '.'"'' "^^ »'™*
were many miles from thel^ifT ff '^''' ^^^
banks of the James River a^lln^^ / ^^'^S- The
'■- - human h.hitatiirrser ^^-.t^r
364
COASTING.
It widened rapidly as they descended, and became rougher
and rougher. They therefore steered into a sheltered
spot behind a sharp bend of the river and there anchored.
In the locker they found plenty of lines and bait, and
setting to work had soon half a dozen fine fish at the
bottom of the boat. They pulled up the kedge and
rowed to shore, and soon made a fire, finding flint and
steel in the boat. The fish were broiled over the fire
upon sticks. The boat was hauled in under some over-
hanging bushes, and stretching themselves in the bottom,
Harold and Jake were soon fast asleep.
The sun was setting when they woke.
"What are you going tc do, sar?" Jake asked "Are
you tinking ob trabellmg Itj land or ob sailing to New
York?"
" Neither, Jake," Hai <}] 1 i' aswered, " I am thinking of
sailing down the coast inside the line of keys to Charles-
town. The water there is comparatively smooth, and as
we shall be taken for fishermen it is not likely that we
shall be overhauled. We can land ocasionally and pick a
few heads of Indian corn to eat with our fish, and as there
is generally a breeze night and morning, however still
and hot the day, we shall be able to do it comfortably.
I see that there is an iron plate here which has been used
for making a fire and cooking on board, so we will lay in
a stock of dry wood before we start."
The journey was made without any adventure. While
the breeze lasted they sailed; when it fell calm they fished,
and when they had obtained a suflScient supply for their
wants they lay down and slept under the shade of their
sail stretched as an awning. Frequently they passed
within hail of other fishing-boats, generally manned by
* TOYTOL MEBnuo.
noffroes. But beyond » f
no queationa were asked tLv »' ^"n*" **'■• «"~««.
*ore, and when they auw anT T"^ ^ '"'^^ "^^^ »«
hauled the boat up ofra^Tnto L of 7. """ «'»^- «"''«
he coast abounds It wal l^h / ' "'^''^ '» "l>i«h
last they saw in the diatZ^TK ''™' ?'«■"""•« that at
Charieatown harbour ""' ""^^ »* '^^ "Wpping te
;S:;t:rairji7tt^t j:jrtr-^^ the boat
joned. As they were walk L^on *° ^' ""^'' "''■'»»''■
theyaawa well-known ficurTftul^!^- ',''.""•='?»" »'•■««»
*««.. His head was bZCT^"J'VT''^y ^"^^rd
them until Harold hailed him wUhtb t*'' ""* °°««
Peter, old fellow, how goes it" ' '''''"" "^ "H^Uol
«ter, although not ...-i
y^-^f delight ^hirLridTfp:;:r- ^^« »
Ah! my bov" ho lu^^i • i passers-by.
-y old ey^ He«l . 'Het ? r\? " ^~^ ^■>'" ^^
■"g m;^elf for the last three month/ ]'"« """^ * ''»>•'•?-
«ck that I was not with vT^^f T'"« "^ ^afd
Mountain. Atfin,t. when /hid of v f*'' °" king's
■The young 'un got out nf :* , °^ '*• ^ ™d to mvself
be caught <Sleep.- We, /ktnr"i°^- ^« ^i"'* going to
no longer, and was forced to con2l * ?° '^"'''''* "y^e^
been ™bbed out or taken prfeont Ik' f" '"'"' ^'«'«'
»;e got from the Yankees a lT,t V i*""" » -"onth ago
they had captured, and Id 1 t ,*'"* '"""'' °^ thofe
hem. However, a^ I ttoChtasT^f "''' y°»" "-"ong
IMAGE EVALUATION
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WEBSTER, N.Y. 145M
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366
THE scout's views.
Jakes laugh, and altogether things didn't seem natural
Ilka Jake, I am glad to see you. Your name was not
in the list; but I thought it likely enough they might
have taken you and set you to work and made no account
of yer."
"That is just what they did; but he got away after
settling his scores with his new master, and then made
for Richmond, where I was in prison; then he got me
loose, and here we are. But it is a long story, and I must
tell it you at leisure.'*
CHAPTER XX
«B WAB n, SOOTH CAROLm.».
. , "th of December th?.^/°~"'* 0° the
l^I-e, arrived, and on the S, ™ Tf " ""''<>' «»«'»!
l™ Lord Comwallk ^oldl^^'""'' ^"^ ''""'8. *»
them, and the united arm^ni ^ "i" ™'^ ««compaS ed
the Koanoke river 1n"XP^r<'f ""th-west, Jtw^„
w^ detached with a fot^ o?Xt ^"^"""^ ^arleton
hght and Qennan LesioTTnf . "^ °''°' consisting of
Regiments and of the :ftL?>^"^J * P"'''"" »* the 7tt
"1 2 field-pieces, nt'o^^"" <>^,the 7lst. 350 cavaW
•force of some 800 of ^1!^ "^ *° P"™« ""J destrZ
The htter. findiiig h^sdf ITVf'" ^""^'^ Mot^
;^ '« near . /^ ^ » ^S" »P his troops'^
*e one action in the whole w«,^ T' ^'^ en^-ed
he^g superior in nnmbl^ suffi7ed'l . "'' ^ ^"g'^^h.
Tuleton, confident of v^ct^n! , /u f''"* <lefeat.
^."ithout n.aking aTy ^' '1 '"^ """?' ^ *« "t-
^e infantry advanc^ ZvM^ /"^P^^tions for it
- mf^try heid ^S^a^tli?^^. J:^^
BRITISH DEFEAT.
stinacj, they drove them back, and the victory appeared
to be theira Tarleton now sent orders to his cavalry to
pursue, as his infantry were too exhausted, having mardied
at a rapid pace all night, to do so. The order was not
obeyed, and Major Washington, who commanded the
American cavalry, advanced to cover his infantry. These
rallied behind their shelter, and fell upon the disordered
British infantry. Thus suddenly attacked when they
believed that victory was in their hands, the English gave
way, and were driven back. A panic seized them, and a
general rout ensued. Almost the whole of them were
either killed or taken prisoners.
Tarleton in vain endeavoured to induce his German
Legion cavalry to charge; they stood aloof, and at last
fled in a body through the woods. Their commander and
fourteen officers remained with Tarleton, and with these
and forty men of the I7th Kegiment of dragoons he
charged the whole body of the American cavalry, and
drove them back upon the infantry.
No partial advantage, however brilliant, could retrieve
the misfortune of the day; all was already lost, and
Tarleton retreated with his gallant little band to the
main army under Lord Cornwallis, twenty -live miles
from the scene of action. The British infantry were all
killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, with the exception
of a small detachment which had been left in the rear,
and who fell back hastily as soon as the news of the
result of the action reached them. The Legion Cavalry
returned to camp without the loss of a man.
The defeat of Cow Pens had a serious influence on the
campaign; it deprived Lord Cornwallis of the greater
portion of his light infantry, who were of the greatest
''«E foRDa OP tati n.*
H.eir superior arL? I^"*'"^ »* "remrth T ""'"'*'
indeed hadnn ."''*''e« of tj>e BrifS?' • /^ "«■"« "«-
«0M »^dT^'«,*«<' ""ccess urged t^. ""/'^ '" ">«
wave"" ''^''ff'" *» their ^e f^^ ^o ^esh e.-
river h^ fin^"^ i°' «1I the firs^ rfl?" *<»^-^ of the
•^olone We£ ™*"»«^ *» render a^r"^ ">»' 'he
'"i-oZ/Sn'i^y 'heir liSnirr " "">
the stream .n If ^® ^^^er w^ 500,?^ <^ompanies
«ver. took « sha^, t„„ ^ ^^^ ^dfc^f
J The nio-Iif ],«• , ® *^* the
[until the; had rpf . ^'^' *^« ^"^^ds were n .
Hatel/opel^^^^d ^^^^ point, when th ^'"'''^'^
h'thout LTh? ^'f "P«« them. The J! -J^ ""^'"^ i*""
(««, ^^^'^^^ HalJ, not knowinx. nf .r^l ^, ^^^ to
° ""^ oeod in the
370
flUILDFOnD COtTRT-HOTTSR.
ford, led his men straight forward towards the opposit
bank ; and although their difficulties were much increase
by the greater depth of water through which they had t
pass, the mistake was really the means of saving thei
from much loss, as the Americans were assembled to mee
them at the head of the ford, and would have inflicted
heavy loss upon them as they struggled in the strean
They did not perceive the change in the direction of th
column's march until too late; and the guards on landinj
met them as they came on, and quickly routed and dia
persed them. Thie British lost four killed, among whoK
was Colonel Hall, and thirty-six wounded.
The rest of the division then crossed. Colonel Tarletoi
with the cavalry, was sent against 500 of the American
who had fallen back from the various fords; and bumiri<
with the desire to retrieve the defeat of Cow Pens, thi
Legion Horse charged the enemy with such fury tha
they were completely routed, fifty of them being killed
Morgan and Qreene withdrew their army through th(
river Roanoke, hotly pursued by the English. For a few
days the British army remained at Hillsborough, but nc
supplies of food sufficient for its maintenance could be
found there; so it again fell back. General Greene,
being reinforced by a considerable force, now determined
to fight, and accordingly advanced and took up a position
near Guildford Court-housa
The American force consisted of 4243 infantry and
some 3000 irregulars — for the most part backwoodsmen
from the frontier; while the British force amounted to
1445, exclusive of their cavalry, whp, however, took little
part in the fight About four miles from Guildford tbs
advanced guards o£ the army met, and a sharp figlit en-
IT-HOUSR
!trd towards the opposite
Ities were much increased
irough which they had to
le means of saving them
s were assembled to meet
id would have inflicted a
struggled in the stream.
^e in the direction of the f'
nd the guards on landing
quickly routed and dis- '
four killed, among whom
: wounded
rossed. Colonel Tarleton,
1st 500 of the Americans
irious fords; and burning
defeat of Cow Pens, the
my with such fury that
ty of them being killed
7 their army through the
the English. For a few
i at Hillsborough, but no
ts maintenance could be
back. General Greene,
)le force, now determined
Bd and took up a position
d of 4243 infantry and
nost part backwoodsmen j
iritish force amounted to J
whp, however, took li
miles from Guildford thuj
[let, and a sharp fight en-j
'^N OF THE BAITLE.
371
THE RRITISII ADVANCR.
iued — the Americans, under Colonel Lee, maintainin
their ground staunchly until the 23d Regiment cam
up to the assistance of Tarleton, who commanded th
advance.
The main American force was posted in an exceedingl
strong position. Their first line was on commandin
ground, with open fields in front; on their flanks wer
woods, and a strong fence ran along in front of thei
lina The second line was posted in a wood 300 yard
in rear of the first, while 400 yards behind were thre
brigades drawn vtp in the open ground round Guildfon
Court-house. Colonel Washington, with two regiment
of dragoons and one of riflemen, formed a reserve for th(
right flank; Colonel Lee, with his command, was in re
serve on the left
As soon as the head of the British column appeared ir
sight two guns upon the road opened fire upon them, and
were answered by the English artillery. While the can-
nonade continued the British formed in order of attack.
The 71st, with a provincial regiment supported by the
first battalion of the guards, formed the right; the 23d
and 33d, led by Colonel Webster, with the grenadiers
and 2d battalion of guards, formed the left. The light
infantry of the guards and the cavalry were in reserve.
When the order was given to advance the line moved
forward in perfect steadiness, and at one hundred and
fifty yards the enemy opened fire. The English did not
fire a shot till witJun eighty yards, when they poured in
a volley and charged with the bayonet. The first line of
the enemy at once fell back upon the second; here a stout
resistance was made. Posted in the woods and shelter-
ing themselves behind trees, they kept up for some tima
1 • a
a galling fire which ^'a 373
'f- ">HlhiS';72' second lit'„:„"^^''jP "•«
the struffaJe Wi.o ^on^posed of their k7x ! ^'^^^ ««
"^upied 80 W a T^ ,*''«"• vastly superior „ v
"""dew, in order r,^""'' *''•' the T' ."r"*"
Poned that Weh.f "° *''«''ent regiment.. *t . ®*''e
'■•ghtinfantrT^'!'!'- '»'■» ""h the^^^Vi"" " ''•P-
'°»'«rd, th7wf 5' '*"»'"' battahon of T^"*"". 'he
f»'ofthetro!^\^7,''<l 'himself s:;,"^efj"* '""ed
tte guards -n; ^««e «g«in w«!l " ""etween
P^;. r«r '«-- Of -hat .^-i^^^^-g 0^.^
I ^fle second huffoi- - « *« ocner
force drtwn „n I^ """^^iately attoS' °* *^""<'ford
H""'- »»d impetao,^ '?""•"■"« them ^th <^ '*o
btr- - "hVsrc;tr- ^-^ tl^tf s
^' «>« moment the bSi. '^*=^
"* «"•"' -"vanoinj along
374
THE STRUGGLE IN THE WOOD.
the road through the wood, issued into the open and
checked the pursuit of the Americans by a well-directed
fire. The 71st and the 23d now came through the wood.
The second battalion of guards rallied and again ad-
vanced, and the enemy were quickly repulsed and put to
flight The two guns were recaptured with two others.
Colonel Webster, with the 33d, returned across the
ravine through which he had driven the enemy opposed
to him, and rejoined the rest of the force. The Americans
drew off m good order. The 23d and 21st pursued with
the cavalry for a short distance, and were then recalled.
The fight was now over on the centre and left; but on the
right heavy firing was still going on. Here General Leslie,
with the first battalion of guards and a Hessian regiment,
had been greatly impeded by the excessive thickness of
the woods, which rendered it impossible to charge with
the bayonet As they struggled through the thicket the
enemy swarmed around them, so that they were at times
engaged in front, flanks, and rear. The enemy were
upon an exceedingly steep rise, and lying along the top
of this they poured such a heavy fire into the guards that
these suffered exceedingly; nevertheless, they struggled
up to the top and drove the front line back, but found
another far more numerous drawn up behind. As the
guards struggled up to the crest they were received by a
tremendous fire on their front and flanks, and suffered
so heavily that they fell into confusion. The Hessian
regiment, which had suffered but slightly, advanced in
compact order to the left of the guards, and wheeling to
the right took the enemy in the flank with a very heavy
fire. Under cover of this the guards reformed and moved
forward to join the Hessians, and complete the repulse
FIB WOOD.
* OKJISIVI VIOTOHy. J..
VmuSatXt l'fl?l ^fy.'^o™. however,
'<"' they completeKr Siil T^.*"'' ""> ''"• ^ut a
■inis battle was nno «« lu
contested throughout tl^e war r,\t'"""''"' ""» ""»
ene»y, dead wfXnd tTThe « U "Ji^"" "' ">»
great portion of the r al?^ u f^ "* **'"«■ <"'' «
of the wounded on the fdL-"'^"^l^- ^'>« ^^^g^
tremendous rain fVtd hThir'^^r" 8™**- ^
«o large an area that ,> • '"'* ""^'^ "t^^ded over
them.^ The trc^p'td C 'Trj,''!? *° "■"* '»'' <»"«='
h«i marched several luesW„!!f/''™« *"> '^''y- ""d
nearly 50 of the wounded di^dT • '^.f"' '"'° """on;
Decisive as the vict^^l -^ "°^ ** "'g^t
Lord CornwalHs Z'^^pTd tr?"'T """> "«'"•
that which the force had »„ff^ i '''*:!;y '''^' ^""owing
two battlea had dVm Lstd L7 1^"" ^^-^^ ^h*
by fully half. ProXiot 1» j-rf" °* '''^ '""'« ^orce
inhabiLts. son."f~ h '' tT'\ '» °'^'«''"' '»'' "•«
vious occasions for their W»f ^^^ ^''^''^ "P"" P^e-
-ess of the force and thiTn"''KT?!' ""'"^ "■» ''"'k"
abled to maintainlfaelf LT;*^^' ''? °* "^ ''^"g »»-
THB STORMING OF HOBKIRK RILL
retired, leaving seventy of the wounded who were unable
to move, under the protection of a flag of truce. From
Guildford Court-house he moved his troops to Wilmington
in North Carolina, a seaport where he hoped to obtain
provisions and stores, especially clothing and shoes.
General Greene, left unmolested after his defeat, reas-
sembled his army, and receiving reinforcements, marched
at full speed to attack Lord Rawdon at Camden, thinking
that he would, with his greatly superior force, be able to
destroy him in his isolated situation. The English com-
mander fortified his position, and the American general
drew back and encamped on Hobkirk Hill, two miles
distant, to await the coming of his heavy baggage and
cannon, together with some reinforcements. Lord Rawdon
determined to take the initiative, and marching out with
his whole force of 900 men, advanced to the attack. The
hill was covered at its foot by a deep swamp; but the
English marched round this i\nd stormed the position.
The Americans made an obstinate resistance ; but the Eng-
lish climbed the hill with such impetuosity, in spite ol the
musketry and grape-shot of the enemy, that they were
forced to give way. Several times they returned to the
attack, but were finally driven off in confusion; 100
prisoners were taken, and Lord Rawdon estimated that
400 of the enemy were killed and wounded. The Ame-
rican estimate was considerably lower, and as the Ame-
ricans fought with all the advantage of position, while
the English were exposed during their ascent to a terrible
fire, which they were unable to return effectively, it is
probable that the American loss, including the wounded,
was inferior to that of the English, whose casualties
amounted to 258.
ji.iiL:;
CIRK HILL
MNETY8IX.
377
Hobkirk Hill, havinrbeen ^'^f"'^ °' '" ""at of
" Ni„ety.,ix. becaie a lil^"'' ^ ">" '»" known
"Pon it stood "in trvilLT'\t"? "'"i ""''« ««-e^
the command of LioutenanfU f n""' ^"^ "« ""Jer
him 150 men of a provMcL t u™^*''- "■"> I""" '^ith
«00 of the second baSn of ^'^''''T'' '^ »»'<"=«y»-
«nd 200 local loyalisr Ue n^? ^ewJeraey volunteer
»o long .3 Lord Ra Jdon ZlC I"?.'"' ""^'^"^''^ •">
W.3 not considered to ^ dr^.l-^'^STp '°,''? P"^"""
however, after winning the S ofS m ?''.''' S''""™'.
ccived news of the retirement of r!^ ,?"•'''''■'' ""'■ «"
WUmington, and seeing that hf„u ,?'•"'''"«« towards
to the whole of the Amenta 7°"". ""^'"''y ^ «^Posed
•ndwonldinfalliblyt.uT^f""*^''' f°""' ^ar^'ina,
m>ned to reti« upon tC fj "^ Charleston, he deter-
-nt several messengers L'^ln.tn"' ^"'""S Wk he
h-m of his intentioa So w^? h""' ^"'^ot. acquainting
guarded by the enemy tw\?*T' "^"^ *« «>adf
reached Ninety-six ^ ''°°' '^ *•>« messenger
Harold and the two sccTlZj^ZTl""^'''"'-^'''
Jheir way towards the m^ml7v ""'""=''0™ to make
bring in a prisoner. nTftL i'T" ""'• '^ P"^'"*, to
'» doing. Finding out hf S^ v "^ ■""'■> *ffi«""y
the Americans, they XJd ^^ '?" °' *'^° P-^ios of
t«e„ them, ko W lime 'f'^'f ?« "n the road be-
officer came along. A sWf'^^ ^^""""^ ^"'""o^
to^cand before^e offiteo^d '*''''' ""^ '^'"»'» hi^
''-hythes.ut. C::^nrS^:.f-;-
378
PaEPARATIONS FOR A SIEGE.
during the day, and at night returned with their prisoner
to Ninety-six, thirty miles distant, avoiding all villages
where resistance could be offered by hostile inhabitants.
From the prisoner Colonel Cruger learnt that Lord
Rawdon had retreated from Camden, and that he was
therefore entirely isolated. The position was desperate,
but he determined to defend the post to the last, confident
that Lord Rawdon would, as soon as possible, undertake
an expedition for his release.
The whole garrison was at once set to work, stockades
were erected, earthworks thrown up, a redoubt formed of
casks filled with earth constructed, and the whole strength-
ened by ditches and abattis. Block-houses were erected
in the village to enable the troops to fire over the stock-
ades, and covered communications made between the
various works. The right of the village was defended by
a regular work called the Star. To the left was a work
commanding a rivulet from which the place drew its
supply of water.
Colonel Cruger offered the volunteers, who were a
mounted corps, permission to return to Charleston, but
they refused to accept the offer, and, turning their horses
into the woods, determined to share the fate of the gar-
rison. In making this offer the colonel was influericed
partly by motives of policy, as the stock of provisions
was exceedingly scanty, and he feared that they would
not last if the siege should be a long one. Besides this,
he feared that, as had already too often happened, should
the place fall, even the solemn engagement of the terras
of the surrender would not be sufficient to protect the
loyalists against the vengeance of their countrymen.
On the 2l8t of May General Greene with his army
A SIEGE.
irned with their prisoner
nt, avoiding all villages
by hostile inhabitants.
Iruger learnt that Lord
,mden, and that he was
I position was desperate,
DOst to the last, confident
m as possible, undertake
Be set to work, stockades
L up, a redoubt formed of
I, and the whole strength-
lock-houses were erected
ps to fire over the stock-
ions made between the
1 village was defended by
To the left was a work
hich the place drew its
volunteers, who were a
•eturn to Charleston, but
and, turning their horses
ihare the fate of the gar-
le colonel was influenced
1 the stock of provisions
» feared that they would
a, long one. Besides this,
)0 often happened, should
sngagement of the terras
sufficient to protect the
of their countrymen.
J Greene with his army
'^ FIRST BLOW
appeared in siVht of th. i ^^^
"1 the course of the nieht tu ^* ''»' "o time and
»«venty paces of Vf^J^T "P *"» works t^twf
of f »/fnd!r;:^t.ord*nr, *'r •="«- '^^^^•^^y
rtl*^''*'°PP»-'Xwort^'y *» the sailed
in the morning these sudd™i, ' , *' «'®^en o'clock
ketry from the parapet t. ''""''' "'«' "^^^ by mu^
totely retreated, and™Cv T'^^S fo«e preS
^ied the intrenchllnte".'*'''"'^ »'" '«>" the fort
her troops foUoweTttl' T^^""'^ t^eir defender
"■t-nching tools ca4d X^.^.^:: "^t-^ed, andlhe
advancing with his whol« „ ^°'* <^«n«ral Greene
-the l-t of the saStrf; rr^r °"'^ *" timet'
'I call that a riehtd™ ^*''**'' 'he village,
tambton said in »r»ff T° ^""^ beginning" L
like h!ff;„ . ^"^t exultatioa -Tt ■^' ^®ter
"W hitting a hard blow at rtIT • ^"^ " nothing
-* at a z:t::i:z^i,T' ''^^
Peter was riffht Th^ v.i ? distance."
t ^.'"^"'^" g»-?Li''7„'^-''«'! the impetuosity of
opened his trenches J 77- ? ^ ""Sht of the 2'id J.f
» 'ai^e a force wl/bw"' "V"" ^^^^ H^l.
™PWity, although thl^at P"* ^"'"a-'d with 2
'- to interfere^witt th ~ """'« -ve™! gallant^
380
THE ENEMY'S APPROACHES.
On the 3d of June the second parallel was completed
A formal summons was sent to the British commander to
surrender. This document was couched in the most in-
solent language, and contained the most unsoldierlike
threats of the consequences which would befall the gar-
rison and its commander if he offered further resistance
Colonel Cruger sent back a verbal answer that he wa^
not frightened by General Greene's menaces, and that he
should defend the post until the last.
The American batteries now opened with a heavj
cross-fire, which enfiladed several of the works. Thej
also pushed forward a sap against the Star fort, anc
erected a battery composed of gabions, thirty-six yardi
only from the abattis, and raised forty feet high so as t(
overlook the works of the garrison. The riflemen postec
on its top did considerable execution, and prevented th(
British guns being worked during the day.
The garrison tried to burn the battery by firing heatec
shot into it, but from want of proper furnaces they wer<
unable sufficiently to heat the shot sufficiently, and th(
attempt failed. They then protected their parapets at
well as they could by sand-bags with loopholes, througl
which the defenders did considerable execution witl
their riflea
Harold and his two comrades, whose skill with theii
weapons was notorious, had their post behind somf
sand-bags immediately facing the battery, and were abl(
completely to silence the fire of its riflemen, as it wju
certain death to show a head above its parapet.
The enemy attempted to set fire to the houses of the
village by shooting blazing arrows into them, a heavj
musketry and artillery fire being kept up to prevent th«
A DlSORACfiFUL TRiUMPa
The Americans 8tr»n„.i .P™""*"'
"«>I» who had Vd" I r'** •'^ *« J-nctzon of tl.
»"«nued to direct th„ ' ^^- ^^Ue General r
[ 0» "-e nightT^fe™' '"« Star "^ '''""«
— ^®»6 they
(■P''
382
A NOBLE RESISTANOB.
discovered the mouth of a mine intended to be carried
under one of the defences of the Star.
The division on tb^ left fell in with the covering party
of the Americans, killed a number of them, and made
their commanding officer a prisoner.
On the 12th Colonel Lee determined to attempt a storm
of the stockade on the left, and sent forward a sergeant
and six men with lighted combustibles to set fire to the
abattis. The whole of them were killed before effecting
their purpose. A Wmber of additional cannon now ar-
rived from Augusta, and so heavy and incessant a fire was
opened upon the stockade from three batteries that on
the 17th it was no longer tenable, and the garrison evacu-
ated it in the night.
The suffering of the garrison for want of water now
became extreme. With great labour a well had been dug
in the fort, but no water was found, and none could be
procured e 'cept from the rivulet within pistol-shot of the
enemy. In the day nothing could be done, but at night
negroes, whose bodies in the darkness were not easily dis-
tinguished from the tree-stumps which surrounded them,
went out and at great risk brought in a scanty supply.
The position of the garrison became desperate. Colonel
Cruger, however, was not discouraged, and did his best to
sustain the spirits of his troops by assurances that Lord
Rawdon was certain to attempt to relieve the place a^
soon as he possibly could do so.
At length one day, to the delight of the garrison, an
American royalist rode right through the piquets under
the fire of the enemy and delivered a verbal message from
Lord Rawdon to the effect that he had passed Orange*
burgh and was on his march to raise the siege.
•ANCE.
intended to be carried
Star.
vrith the covering party
3er of them, and made
er.
lined to attempt a storm
lent forward a sergeant
stibles to set fire to the
B killed before effecting
iitional cannon now ar-
and incessant a fire was
three batteries that on
and the garrison evacu-
for want of water now
)ur a well had been dug
und, and none could be
ro^ithin pistol-shot of the
d be done, but at night
ness were not easily dis-
vhich surrounded them,
jht in a scanty supply,
ime desperate. Colonel
Lged, and did his best to
)y assurances that Lord
to relieve the place as
ght of the garrison, an
ough the piquets under
i a verbal message from
he had passed Orange"
lise the sieg&
'•HB ASSAULT.
Lord Rawdon had ha^ * ^^^
Ireland enabled him to LZVu f*^? >^gimente from
»a^ to «.e relief otVC^yV^^ §!^l ^ ^^^'^ »d
IIZ • T'"^ •'"J 150 ca4] * c ^T' """"""ted
-lue American works J,o^ u
forts; the third par^tl h^ b^ !'""''«<' °P dose to the
»d two trenehes extendedtithtaT^'f ^''' '^^ » ""^e
On the morning of the 18th If ? ^^ ***' «* *« diteh
of the batteries and trencheirr ■• '"^ ^he whole
whose fire prevented STsri^^ ""'"^ '''«' "fl«>»»!
leads above the parapete M ^"'" '^""^g their
»;»y advanced undefc^vert Z" 1"° ^'''^ "^ ^^
« lodgment in the ditch Th "" ''^"<*^ and made
As the main body of Am • *™°'P'«d to storm.
''e third p.™„e, XlHeTtf ' T '"^'-- "^^ond
»ch ^n . ^^^^ ^ inffict a hea^ hi ' "'Ifo^'nander
I8i
RELIEVKD.
Americans who had made the lodgment with such im-
petuosity that they drove everything before them until
they met. The bayonet alone was used and the carnage
was great— two-thirds of those who entered the trenches
were either killed or wounded.
General Greene finding it useless any longer to continue
the attempt called off his troops, and on the following
day raised the siege, and marched away with all speed,
having lost at least 300 men in the siege. Of the garrison
27 were killed and' 58 wounded.
On the 21st Lord Rawdon arrived at Ninety-six, and
finding that it would be hopeless for him to attempt to
overtake the retreating enemy, who were marching with
great speed, he drew off the garrison of Ninety-six and
fell back towards the coast.
A short time afterwards a sharp fight ensued between
a force under Col. Stewart and the army of General
Greene. The English were taken by surprise and were
at first driven back, but they recovered from their con-,
f'lsion and renewed the fight with great spirit, and after
a desperate conflict the Americans were repulsed~2
cannon and 60 prisoners were taken; among the latter
Col. Washington, who commanded the reserve. The loss
on both sides was about equal, as 250 of the British
troops were taken prisoners at the first outsei The
American killed considerably exceeded our own. Both
parties claimed the victory; the Americans because they
had forced the British to retreat; the British because they
had ultimately driven the Americans from the field and
obliged them to retire to a strong position seven miles in
the rear. This was the last action of the war in South
Carolina.
CHAPTER XXI
THE END OP THE STBUQOIE.
British force ^^ «" effect a junction with the
*0". Arnold adv^^d^' f »«'-«J Arnold, ope^tit
f<ted « junction ^r,^^:^*^'?'"^''. «md CornwalSf
Maquis de La F^^^ '^ °° *« 20th of May. The
forces here, fel, bS\TatTT^'^ ^"""^ ^'"n^
a™™e, with a large PrS S f ' '""' ">« Count de
»d after someconfultat^rtifhr "^T*^ °* ">« «»«*
tennined that the Fren<* 5^! iT *' ^««I>ington de-
•™y should operate Cht tT^* *« ^^'oi^ Aleri^
lord Comwallis. ^^ **' *° '"^ the forces under
^-^StXd'f^^^.tt"^ ''^^ «>•' ">e
•fd >t was not untU thL .^ ^ '«*'''»* New York
^o»peake that the true obiL *i">P"'* *''o line at
•MB. A portion of the CuTfl /''' "^f'^^ion was
"t^ irregular a«tion8^«„ «««' encountered them-
IB
1'
'1.
till
S86
BOTH SroES EXHAUSTED.
draw off some of the enemy who were surrounding Corr
wallis. The Fort of New London was stormed after bom
desperate fighting, and great quantities of ammunitio
and stores, and fifty pieces of cannon, taken, Genert
Washington, however, did not allow his attention to b
distracted. Matters were in a most critical conditioi
for although lo the English the prospect of ultimat
success appeared slight indeed, tlie Americans were in
desperate condition. Their immense and long-continue
efforts had been unattended with any material succes
It was true that the British troops held no more groun
now than they did at the end of the first year of th
war, but no efforts of the colonists had succeeded i
wresting that ground from them. The people were es
hausted and utterly disheartened. Business of all sori
was at a standstill Money had ceased to circulate, an
the credit of Congress stood so low that its bonds ha
ceased to have any value whatever. The soldiers wer
unpaid, ill fed, and mutinous. If on the English side i
seemed that the task of conquering was beyond then
the Americans were ready to abandon the defence fror
sheer exhaustion. It was then of paramount necessity t
General Washington that a great and striking succes
should be obtained to animate the spirits of the people.
Cornwallis, seeing the formidable combination whicl
the French and Americans were making to crush him
sent message after message to New York to ask for aic
from the commander-in-chief, and received assurancei
from him that he would at once sail with 4000 troops tc
join him; accordingly, in obedience to his orders, Lord
Cornwallis fortified himself at York Town.
• On the 2&th of September the combined army of
^BB SIEOB OF vnj>^
P- 1 'ORK TOWN
'••enches again!! ?"'*^'"'e3ted the town anrf
abundance rf? *^'""' 'heir fleet ^'"f T"<"^ 'heir
their r*r ^""y '"■'Uie>T and!! !v ^ ''*'' <'™wn an
Britishtr^tr^^ed their tZ'^ JZ''^ T'^
^^i:^^-^t^^^ 't
"ente did nT ''?*''' ""d still thl^ ° *'''^ exliausted.
Se St'"^*--ted^ - ct,1^.^^^^^^^^ or
'w;err-^?r--S'teSr^
""•baj-ked lA^? **8""<i8,«ndnart!f 1? ""^'ntry.
11,.'
888
THB SURRENDER OF 0ORNWALU8.
shell and a hundred small ones remained. The defences
had in many places tumbled to ruins, and no effectual re-
sistance could be opposed to an assault.
Accordingly Lord Comwallis sent out a flag of truce,
and arranged terms of surrender. On the 24th the fleet
and reinforcements arrived off the mouth of the Chesa-
peake. Had they left New York at the time promised
the result of the campaigni would have been different.
The army surrendered as prisoners of war until ex-
changed, the officers with liberty to proceed on parole to
Europe and not to serve until exchanged. The loyal
Americans were embarked on the JBonito sloop of war
and sent to New York in safety. Lord Comwallis having
obtained permission to send off the ship without her being
searched, with as many soldiers on board as he should
think fit, so that they were accounted for in any further
exchange. He was thus enabled to send off such of the
inhabitants and loyalist troops as would have suffered
from the vengeance of the Americans.
The surrender of Lord Comwallis's army virtually
ended the war. The burden entailed on the people in
England by the great struggle against France, Spain,
Holland, and America united in arms against her was
enormous. So long as there appeared any chance of re-
covering the colony the English people made the sacrifices
required of them; but the conviction that it was impos-
sible for them to wage a war with half Europe and at
the same time to conquer a continent had been gaining
more and more in strength. Even the most sanguine were
silenced by the surrender of York Town, and a cry arose *^
throughout the country that peace should at once be
mode.
30RNWALU8.
HA«OU> RKTUBNS «. ENOLANft ...
menced, and the war terminated t .^ V ""^ '='»^
'on'^r Ct:r::rr''^e'r^'^ ^ «•>»"-
and remained there until thT "'"** °' Ninety-six
tiation, were on Ct^d*"! "r" »""ed that the nel:
Then he took his dtch"' a^*d IT. T "°* ""^^
'and. accompanied by S P.f r *' "'"^ *" Eng-
.^- U^ to^4«Jtintn^-„ -1;
he arrived at their re^SncetVv"'"'""* "'«»''«.
years since his mother hX!!n ,.•'"'*''«• " was eU
B»ton before its su"»1Ti m! "'"" ''^ ^'^ ^"m
settling in Canada. ™* *° '^« Amencan continent and
.n/;"Sd?L;;??;^-'fjc^«^^--
"here it flows from Uke Tnterfo '''' "**' "•» "P"'
it.an?r;ZP™:Ji^-^"^a.mfortab.eho„seup.n
• f 'f - :nror4:rarS L^^bi-f ^ ">« ^-' -
country. "'^^®^' *°a best managed in the
'^^-^t:^lT^Z'Z,t- ~^ ^orhim.
estate, supplying it with fiah and
IBf==-
I i'
! I
t*'.
'l£
!fi
890
nma.
game so long as his strength enabled him to go about, and
enjoying the society of Jack Pearson, who had married
and established himself on a farm close by.
As years went on and the population increased, the
property became very valuable, and Harold, before ho
died, was one of the wealthiest and most respected men
in the colony. So long la his mother lived he and his
wife paid occasional visits to England; but after her
death his family and farm had so increased that it was
,gWonv nient to leave them, his father therefore returned
with bun to Canada, and ended his life there. Jake lived
to a feood old age, and was Harold's faithful friend and
right-hand man to the last
THK laCD
!• f ^ -^
11
3534 4
i him to go about, and
ion, who had married
lose by.
ulation increased, the
nd Harold, before he
i most respected men
ther lived he and his
gland; but after her
increased that it was
her therefore returned
life there. Jtike lived
i's faithful friend and