Marching on Niagara; Or, The Soldier Boys of the Old Frontier

by Edward Stratemeyer

  CHAPTER XXIII

  UP THE MOHAWK VALLEY

  "Henry! Sam! Schnitzer! Wake up! The camp is surrounded by Indians!"

  Dave uttered the cry loudly, and on the instant Barringford leaped tohis feet, reaching for his ever-ready gun as he did so. The Dutchtrapper was also awake in short order, and Henry followed.

  "Injuns?" queried Barringford. "Whar?"

  "In those bushes, and behind yonder trees. What shall we do?"

  Before the old frontiersman could answer that question, a voice came outof the darkness:

  "Are the white men English?"

  "Yes, we're English," answered Barringford.

  "Then the redmen are glad to meet their brothers. The redmen were afraidthe sleeping ones were French."

  "Who are you?" asked Henry.

  "Arrow Head, of the Miamis. We have joined the great English warriorJohnson, to fight the French. Let us be friends."

  A few words more followed, and Barringford told the Indians to comeforward. At this eight redmen advanced to the camp-fire, on which theboys threw some extra brushwood, so that they might see the newarrivals. The Indians had slung their weapons over their shoulders, as asign of peace, and our friends did likewise.

  Schnitzer had met Arrow Head before, and said he would vouch for it thatthe warrior was all right. From the under chief it was learned thatGeneral Johnson, with seven hundred Indians, had already marched to meetGeneral Prideaux and that the camp of the army was some forty milesdistant, up the river. Arrow Head had been left behind to "drum up" afew stragglers, but was now ready to go forward with the redmen underhim.

  "The war talk at Canajoharie castle was a great one," said the underwarrior. "Your General Johnson has treated us like brothers, and we willfight for him to the bitter end. We have sung our war songs and put onour war paints, and no French soldiers shall stand up against us.Henceforth the English shall be our brothers for evermore."

  "Yah, now you vos talkin' common sense," put in Schnitzer. "Ven youfight mid dem Frenchers you vos all fools--for dem Frenchers vill pelicked chust so sure as Henry Hudson discovered New York. I peen aDutch prophet, und I know," and he said this so earnestly that ArrowHead was duly impressed. Schnitzer, who afterward made himself famous asa pioneer in Ohio, could do a few sleight of hand tricks, and because ofthese tricks many of the redmen considered him something of a wizard.

  All rested until daybreak and then, after a hasty breakfast, in whichthe Indians joined the whites, the march forward was resumed. Soon itbegan to rain, but the drops did not come down heavily, and Barringfordsaid the storm had shifted to the westward. In this he was right for bynoon the sun was shining as brightly as ever.

  As they trudged along, Dave and Henry questioned Arrow Head concerningthe French Indians and their captives, and about Jean Bevoir. Theycould, however, get little satisfaction, excepting that Arrow Head hadheard that all the captives had been removed to the shores of Lake Erieand Lake Ontario, and that a general movement toward Montreal and Quebecwas contemplated.

  While our friends were trudging through the woods northward, GeneralPrideaux had gone to Schenectady. He had with him his own division ofthe army consisting of two regiments of English soldiers and twenty-sixhundred Americans, principally from New York, although with the NewYorkers were a good sprinkling of rangers from Vermont, Massachusetts,New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, men who roamed from one colony toanother, looking for a chance to better themselves and ever ready for afight, be it with the French or the Indians.

  From Schenectady General Prideaux moved up the Mohawk Valley, which wasthe most direct route to the lakes. This old Indian trail was protectedby Fort Herkimer, Fort William, Fort Stanwix, Fort Bull, and otherfortifications along the river and Lake Oneida. But this greatwilderness was a wilderness still, with stopping places few and farbetween, and had it not been for the friendliness of the Indians--thanksto the good work done by General Johnson--matters might have gone badlywith the English. More than once there was an alarm and at nightsentries were posted with as much care as though they were in the veryheart of the enemy's country.

  It was not until three days after meeting Arrow Head and his followersthat our friends came in sight of General Prideaux's command, toilingpainfully around some of the rapids in the river. This first sight ofthe army was a thrilling one, for uniforms and weapons shone brightly inthe clear sunlight. Dave's heart gave a bound.

  "Puts me in mind of the time I marched with Braddock," he said to Henry."Indeed, it might almost be the same scene over again."

  "Well, let us hope it isn't the same defeat over again," returned hiscousin, grimly.

  The army came to a halt half an hour later, and then they learned thatGeneral Johnson and his Indians were miles away. They talked the matterover and at length concluded to move forward with the soldiers, trustingto luck to interview Johnson later.

  It was an easy matter for Barringford and Hans Schnitzer to locate anumber of friends among the rangers, and they received a hearty welcome,and Dave and Henry were put at their ease. One old soldier asked Dave ifhe had seen much of the war, and when the lad told him he had been bothwith Braddock and with Forbes in the attacks on what was now Fort Pittthe old soldier shook his hand warmly and "reckoned as how" he'd "dofust-rate to fight them Frenchmen at Fort Niagara."

  Our four friends were assigned to a company under Captain John Mollett,who was known to Barringford, and inside of a couple of days feltthoroughly at home.

  In those days the Mohawk River was navigable with canoes and batteaux towithin four miles of Lake Oneida. From this point the boats had to becarried across the watershed, on the backs of horses, Indians, andsoldiers to the lake. From Lake Oneida it was clear sailing down theOswego River to Lake Ontario.

  As they had done so many times in the past, some of the English soldierswere apt to sneer at the provincials, and this led to more than onewordy quarrel and not infrequently to blows.

  "They make me sick!" declared Henry, one day, after listening to thebluster of several grenadiers. "To hear them talk one would think onlythey were able to fight. I reckon we can do our full share."

  "If they say anything to me I'll tell 'em what happened under Braddock,"returned Dave. "And they can take it as they please."

  Barringford counseled moderation, but secretly he was as much put out asthe boys even though some of the English were his warm friends. He hadcome near to having a quarrel with an English lieutenant named Nasterand he was still much disturbed over this.

  That very night Dave, while on picket duty, heard Lieutenant Nasterfinding fault with an old ranger named Campwell. Campwell was a pioneerover sixty-five years of age, and while a good shot and a good fighterwas at times not just right in his mind, although he could by no meansbe called crazy. The pair came close to where Dave was on guard and theyoung soldier heard the lieutenant poke all manner of fun at the oldman.

  "Better go home and mind the babies, Campwell," said the Englishlieutenant. "It's more in your line of duty, isn't it now?"

  "Let me alone!" cried the old man. "If I was to mind babies I'd not mindsuch a one as you, I'll warrant. 'T would have been better had youremained in England."

  "Ha! so you call me a baby?" roared Lieutenant Naster, sourly. "If I am,how do you like that from me?" And he gave the old pioneer a shove thatsent him headlong over the roots of a nearby tree.

  The action was so cowardly, and so entirely uncalled for, that it madeDave's temper rise on the instant, and regardless of consequences heleaped to where Lieutenant Naster was standing and caught him by theshoulder.

  "Leave him alone, you brute!" he ejaculated. "How dare you treat an oldman like that?"

  In sudden fear the English lieutenant wheeled around. When he saw it wasonly a boy who had spoken, and a hated provincial at that, his ragereturned.

  "What do you mean by placing your dirty hand on me!" he roared. "I'llhave you arrested on the spot! This to me--an officer of the King'sGuard! Preposterous!"

  "It wasn
't right to molest old Campwell," returned Dave, sturdily. "Heis as brave as any of us, and I have heard tell that he has fought wellall through this war. You ought----"

  "Don't tell me what I ought to do, you dirty little plantation hand! Sayanother word and I'll report you at headquarters."

  "As you please," answered Dave, recklessly. "But if you worry Campwellany more you'll have an account to settle with Colonel Haldimand--and Ican tell you that he won't put up with it any more than any of us."

  At the mention of the officer in charge of the provincials the Englishlieutenant was for the moment nonplussed. He knew Colonel Haldimand tobe a Swiss-American of stern military bearing and one to whom many ofthe pioneers were warmly attached.

  "You--you threaten me?" he asked, after an ugly pause.

  "You can take it as you please."

  "My affair with this old man was my own--not yours."

  "Yes, but I'm glad he took my part," came from Campwell, as he aroseslowly to his feet, for the fall had deprived him of his breath. "Youtook a mean advantage o' me. I've a good mind to fill ye full o'buckshot!" And he caught hold of his gun threateningly.

  It was now that Lieutenant Naster showed his true nature. Much of hiscolor forsook him and he retreated in alarm.

  "Don't--don't!" he cried, hurriedly. "I--I didn't mean tobe--ah--serious. The whole thing was meant in fun."

  "No fun in shoving me down."

  "I--ah--I didn't mean to shove you so hard--upon my honor I did not,Campwell. Let us drop it; won't you?"

  The old pioneer gave a grunt. He was too open-hearted to understand sucha mean, sneaking nature as that of the Englishman.

  "We'll drop it--but keep your hands off of me in the future," he said,at last.

  "I won't bother you. But you--" The lieutenant turned to Dave. "I'llbear you in mind, my fine young cock-of-the-walk,--and I'll take youdown a peg or two ere I'm done with you, remember what I say!" And witha shake of his fist he hurried away in the darkness.

  A minute after this Barringford came up, asking what was the matter.When told his brow contracted.

  "That lieutenant is a regular sneak," he said. "Keep your eye open ferhim, Dave--an' don't trust him a farthing's worth. He is just the kindto play you dirty the first chance he gits."