The Scouts of the Valley [41]
rifles.
"All right, boys," sang out Henry. "It's nobody but Tom and myself, bringing in our breakfast."
The three dropped their rifles.
"That's good," said Shif'less Sol. "When them shots roused us out o' our beauty sleep we thought the whole Iroquois nation, horse, foot, artillery an' baggage wagons, wuz comin' down upon us. So we reckoned we'd better go out an' lick 'em afore it wuz too late.
"But it's you, an' you've got turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho' I reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuz loaded down with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all them other Roman and Rooshian delicacies Paul talks about in a way to make your mouth water. But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' but turkeys!"
"You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde," said Long Jim. "Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom both to hold you back."
But Shif'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes were glued on the turkeys.
"I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin'," he said, "but I'm goin' to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for the coals. The quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me."
While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lest the sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the stepping stones and scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign of Indian presence, and, relieved, he returned to the islet just as breakfast was ready.
Long Jim had exerted all his surpassing skill, and it was a contented five that worked on one of the turkeys - the other two being saved for further needs.
"What's goin' to be the next thing in the line of our duty, Henry?" asked Long Jim as they ate.
"We'll have plenty to do, from all that Sol tells us," replied the boy. "It seems that they felt so sure of you, while you were prisoners, that they often talked about their plans where you could hear them. Sol has told me of two or three talks between Timmendiquas and Thayendanegea, and from the last one he gathered that they're intending a raid with a big army against a place called Wyoming, in the valley of a river named the Susquehanna. It's a big settlement, scattered all along the river, and they expect to take a lot of scalps. They're going to be helped by British from Canada and Tories. Boys, we're a long way from home, but shall we go and tell them in Wyoming what's coming?"
"Of course," said the four together.
"Our bein' a long way from home don't make any difference " said Shif'less Sol. "We're generally a long way from home, an' you know we sent word back from Pittsburgh to Wareville that we wuz stayin' a while here in the east on mighty important business."
"Then we go to the Wyoming Valley as straight and as fast as we can," said Henry. "That's settled. What else did you bear about their plans, Sol?"
"They're to break up the village here soon and then they'll march to a place called Tioga. The white men an' I hear that's to be a lot uv 'em-will join 'em thar or sooner. They've sent chiefs all the way to our Congress at Philydelphy, pretendin' peace, an' then, when they git our people to thinkin' peace, they'll jump on our settlements, the whole ragin' army uv 'em, with tomahawk an' knife. A white man named John Butler is to command 'em."
Paul shuddered.
"I've heard of him," he said. "They called him 'Indian' Butler at Pittsburgh. He helped lead the Indians in that terrible battle of the Oriskany last year. And they say he's got a son, Walter Butler, who is as bad as he is, and there are other white leaders of the Indians, the Johnsons and Claus."
"'Pears ez ef we would be needed," said Tom Ross.
"I don't think we ought to hurry," said Henry. The more we know about the Indian plans the better it will be for the Wyoming people. We've a safe and comfortable hiding place here, and we can stay and watch the Indian movements."
"Suits me," drawled Shif'less Sol. "My legs an' arms are still stiff from them deerskin thongs an' ez Long Jim is here now to wait on me I guess I'll take
"All right, boys," sang out Henry. "It's nobody but Tom and myself, bringing in our breakfast."
The three dropped their rifles.
"That's good," said Shif'less Sol. "When them shots roused us out o' our beauty sleep we thought the whole Iroquois nation, horse, foot, artillery an' baggage wagons, wuz comin' down upon us. So we reckoned we'd better go out an' lick 'em afore it wuz too late.
"But it's you, an' you've got turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho' I reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuz loaded down with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all them other Roman and Rooshian delicacies Paul talks about in a way to make your mouth water. But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' but turkeys!"
"You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde," said Long Jim. "Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom both to hold you back."
But Shif'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes were glued on the turkeys.
"I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin'," he said, "but I'm goin' to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for the coals. The quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me."
While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lest the sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the stepping stones and scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign of Indian presence, and, relieved, he returned to the islet just as breakfast was ready.
Long Jim had exerted all his surpassing skill, and it was a contented five that worked on one of the turkeys - the other two being saved for further needs.
"What's goin' to be the next thing in the line of our duty, Henry?" asked Long Jim as they ate.
"We'll have plenty to do, from all that Sol tells us," replied the boy. "It seems that they felt so sure of you, while you were prisoners, that they often talked about their plans where you could hear them. Sol has told me of two or three talks between Timmendiquas and Thayendanegea, and from the last one he gathered that they're intending a raid with a big army against a place called Wyoming, in the valley of a river named the Susquehanna. It's a big settlement, scattered all along the river, and they expect to take a lot of scalps. They're going to be helped by British from Canada and Tories. Boys, we're a long way from home, but shall we go and tell them in Wyoming what's coming?"
"Of course," said the four together.
"Our bein' a long way from home don't make any difference " said Shif'less Sol. "We're generally a long way from home, an' you know we sent word back from Pittsburgh to Wareville that we wuz stayin' a while here in the east on mighty important business."
"Then we go to the Wyoming Valley as straight and as fast as we can," said Henry. "That's settled. What else did you bear about their plans, Sol?"
"They're to break up the village here soon and then they'll march to a place called Tioga. The white men an' I hear that's to be a lot uv 'em-will join 'em thar or sooner. They've sent chiefs all the way to our Congress at Philydelphy, pretendin' peace, an' then, when they git our people to thinkin' peace, they'll jump on our settlements, the whole ragin' army uv 'em, with tomahawk an' knife. A white man named John Butler is to command 'em."
Paul shuddered.
"I've heard of him," he said. "They called him 'Indian' Butler at Pittsburgh. He helped lead the Indians in that terrible battle of the Oriskany last year. And they say he's got a son, Walter Butler, who is as bad as he is, and there are other white leaders of the Indians, the Johnsons and Claus."
"'Pears ez ef we would be needed," said Tom Ross.
"I don't think we ought to hurry," said Henry. The more we know about the Indian plans the better it will be for the Wyoming people. We've a safe and comfortable hiding place here, and we can stay and watch the Indian movements."
"Suits me," drawled Shif'less Sol. "My legs an' arms are still stiff from them deerskin thongs an' ez Long Jim is here now to wait on me I guess I'll take