CHAPTER XI--A SKIRMISH WITH THE SHAWNEES
The Delawares immediately set out to find the distant lake, and learnthe identity of the people whom Spotted Deer had seen. They followed theroute which Running Fox had taken several days before, and late thesecond day they climbed to the top of the high mountain from which hehad discovered the lake. They judged that the water was about two days'journey away.
"Does that look like the water you saw!" Running Fox asked Spotted Deer.
"Yes, it is the same," replied Spotted Deer.
Then he turned toward the west, and pointed out the route which theunknown war-party had followed.
"Well, if they did not turn off some other way they must be at the waterby now," declared Running Fox. "It would be foolish, to try to catch upwith them. We must go ahead carefully, and see if we can find theircamp."
"Yes, that is how I feel about it," agreed Spotted Deer.
They spent the night on the mountain-top, and at dawn resumed theirjourney toward the lake. Later in the day, as they were making their waythrough a dense swamp, they heard a harsh cry over their heads. Lookingup they saw a large bald eagle circling slowly above the tree-tops.Running Fox immediately became excited.
"See, there is Woapalanne!" he cried. "That means a fight. Yes, I sawhim flying around like that before I had the battle with the bear. Doyou hear him calling? Well, that is the war-cry of his people. SpottedDeer, I believe we are going into some kind of danger."
"Well, I do not know about those things, but I believe that what you sayis true," said Spotted Deer.
They watched the eagle with gloomy forebodings, and as it chanced todisappear into the north their suspicions were strengthened. Running Foxfelt confident that they were about to have an encounter with theirfoes.
"We must keep together, and watch sharp," he warned Spotted Deer.
At the end of the following day they reached the lake. Having seennothing of the roving company of warriors that Spotted Deer hadencountered, the lads wondered whether they were encamped somewherealong the shore of the lake. They determined to take every precaution,and instead of advancing directly to the lake they stopped on the top ofa low ridge some distance back from the water.
"We will wait here until it gets dark," said Running Fox. "Then we willcrawl down there, and see if we can find out anything."
The lake was large, and the Delawares had little doubt that it was thebody of water for which they had been cautioned to watch. They wonderedwhere the Mohawk camp was located. They believed it was somewhere towardthe north. Still they saw no evidence of it. They searched the sky untildark, but were unable to find a trace of smoke. Then, as night finallyshut down, they determined to go to the shore of the lake to search forthe war-party.
The Delawares stole down through the silent black woods as softly and ascautiously as Woakus, the fox. When they reached the edge of the waterthey immediately sat down to watch and listen. They had little hope offinding the telltale gleam from a camp-fire, for they knew that if theMohawks were actually on the war-trail they would not dare to exposethemselves in that manner, even in the heart of their own stronghold.Therefore, when the lads found nothing to alarm them, they advancedcarefully along the shore of the lake. They had gone some distance whenthey were astonished to see the light of a fire shining out over thewater. It was far ahead of them near the other end of the lake, and forsome moments the Delawares watched it in silence.
"It must be that those warriors have stopped there," said Spotted Deer.
"It is mysterious," replied Running Fox. "If those people are on thewar-trail why do they make a fire?"
The lads were unable to explain it. They had seen the Mohawks paintedfor war, and under those circumstances it seemed incredible that theywould dare to make a fire. It appeared as if it must have been lightedby some one else. Still, that too seemed beyond belief. The Delawaresrealized that even a large war-party of enemies would scarcely be sobold in the domains of their foes. Then Spotted Deer suggested that itmight be a company of warriors from one of the western villages of theIroquois.
"Yes, that may be true," agreed Running Fox. "But there is somethingstrange about it."
"What is it?" inquired Spotted Deer.
"Well, these people may he Oneidas or Onondagas," said Running Fox."Perhaps they have come here to talk with their brothers, the Mohawks.Perhaps they do not know that the Mohawks are on the war-trail. Perhapsthey have not seen any enemies on their journey. Well, if this water isnear the Mohawk village, why did these people stop here? If they are thesame people you saw, then they must have arrived here before the lastsun appeared. Why did they wait here? If they had gone on they would bepretty close to the Mohawk camp by now."
"What you say is true," replied Spotted Deer. "But I will tell you howit might be. I do not believe these people are Mohawks. I believe I waswrong about that. I believe that they are Oneidas or Onondagas. Perhapsthey are Cayugas or Senecas from far away toward the placeWhere-The-Sun-Goes-To-Sleep. Well, perhaps they have made a longjourney. Perhaps they want to rest. Perhaps the Mohawks do not know theyare here. Then they must wait. Yes, they must send scouts to tell theMohawks that they are coming to see them. Then the Mohawks will getready a big feast. It is the proper way to do. I believe that is why wehave found them here."
"Well, I see that it may be as you say," said Running Fox. "But we willnot find out about it by sitting here and talking. We see a fire. Well,we must creep up close, and find out who made it."
"I am ready," declared Spotted Deer.
They rose and began a daring advance along the edge of the lake. Theymoved with great caution, stopping frequently to listen for a warning ofdanger. However, the fire was a considerable distance ahead of them, andthey believed that they would be comparatively safe until they gotwithin bow-shot of it. Then they were startled by a loud splash in theriver.
"What was that?" Spotted Deer whispered, anxiously.
"Sh," cautioned Running Fox.
They listened many moments but the silence was unbroken.
"Perhaps it was some one paddling a canoe," said Spotted Deer.
"I believe it was a big fish," replied Running Fox. "Perhaps it wasMaschilamek, the trout."
Then, as they heard nothing more, they continued toward the fire. Theyhad not gone far before they smelled smoke. They knew that the wind wasin their favor. It gave them confidence, for they realized that therewas less likelihood of being heard. A short time afterward they saw asmall light flash across their path. A moment later it appeared at oneside of them. Spotted Deer stopped.
"It is only Sasappis, the fire-fly," whispered Running Fox.
"He is carrying his torch to frighten the witches out of the woods,"declared Spotted Deer. "My mother has told me about him. We must becareful not to harm him."
A short distance farther on they were halted by the deep ringing notesof the big horned owl. The call seemed to come from somewhere to theright of them. It was repeated three times in rapid succession, and theDelawares immediately became suspicious. A few moments afterward theyheard another owl calling directly behind them. It was so near that theyeasily detected a number of false notes in it. They knew it was asignal, and their hearts filled with alarm.
"We have run into a trap," Running Fox whispered, savagely. "Come, wemust get to the water. It is the only chance."
They were close upon the river, but as they turned to reach it theyheard twigs snapping directly ahead of them. Then they realized thatthey had been surrounded, and that they must fight against heavy odds tosave themselves. They saw now that the fire was a clever ruse of theirenemies to draw their foes into an ambush. The lads had little doubtthat they were again face to face with the hated Mohawks.
"Stand still!" whispered Running Fox, as they heard some one passingthrough the bushes at the edge of the river. "It is dark, and they maygo by us. Then we must rush into the water, and swim to the other side."
"Let us climb into a tree," proposed Spotted Deer.<
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"No, that would be foolish," replied Running Fox. "These people havesurrounded us. They are close. If we climb into a tree they will knowwhere we have gone. Then they will wait until it gets light, and kill uslike Wisawanik, the squirrel."
The next moment a piercing yell rang through the night, and theDelawares heard their foes rushing forward on all sides of them. For aninstant they stood there, filled with panic. Then Running Fox recoveredhis wits, and took command.
"Come, we must fight our way to the water!" he cried.
Fitting arrows to their bows they hurried toward the river. They had notcovered half of the distance, when two stalwart figures rose out of thedarkness to oppose them. An arrow sped close to Running Fox, and thenext instant his own arrow dropped his enemy to the ground. Turning tocall Spotted Deer, he heard him thrashing about in the undergrowth.Rushing to his assistance, Running Fox found him fighting valiantly forhis life. Running Fox drove an arrow between the shoulders of hisassailant, and as the warrior rolled over the young Delaware stooped andpeered eagerly into his face. He felt sure that he was not a Mohawk, buthe was unable to identify him. Running Fox noted, however, that thewarrior's face was streaked with charcoal, in token of war. Then thelads heard their foes closing in upon them, and they realized that theymust be off. As they sped toward the river they heard some one behindthem shouting, "Mengwe! Mengwe!" at the top of his voice.
"Now I know who these people are," cried Running Fox. "That personbehind us is shouting the Shawnee name for the Mohawks. Yes, this is aShawnee war-party. They take us for Mohawks. It is good."
The Delawares reached the edge of the water in safety, and had waded inknee-deep when the first Shawnees appeared on the shore. Then, as anarrow hummed ominously above their heads, the lads plunged forward andswam furiously to escape from bow-shot. They heard the Shawnees rushinginto the river in pursuit of them, and as soon as they reached deeperwater the Delawares dove from sight. They rose to the surface withinseveral bow-lengths of each other, far out in the river. They listened amoment to make sure that none of their foes were within reach of them,and then they turned and swam toward the opposite shore. They passedthrough the water as silently as Winingus, the mink, for they knew thatsharp-eared foes were listening to catch the faintest sound. They hearda number of signals from the shore they had left, and once they thoughtthey heard voices within bow-shot of them. It drove them to greaterefforts, and they raced through the water at top speed. However, as theydrew near the shore and found themselves in shallow water they movedmore cautiously. They believed that, having lost sight of them in thedarkness, their crafty foes were listening to hear them leave the water,and they determined to take every precaution against giving a clue.
"We will swim ahead until we are a long ways above this place," proposedSpotted Deer.
"No, that would be a bad thing to do," Running Fox told him. "If theShawnees reach land they will travel faster than we can move through thewater. Perhaps they will send scouts along the edge of the water. Thenit would be hard to get into the woods. We will swim ahead a littleways, and then we will walk out."
They swam some distance farther, and then waded ashore. They waited amoment at the edge of the forest to listen for the Shawnees. The firewas still burning brightly on the opposite shore, and the Delawaressmiled grimly as they realized how easily they had blundered into thetrap that had been set for their enemies, the Mohawks. Then, as theyfeared that the Shawnee swimmers had reached land and begun to searchfor them, they turned and sped away into the night.
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