Friend Seeker (Perry County, Pennsylvania Frontier Series)

by Roy F. Chandler

  Late Star saw his understanding and nodded a rueful acknowledgement.

  "It is Rain, my brother?" Star again nodded.

  Friend Seeker sighed, "You have promised to take her away, Late Star?"

  "Oh no, Friend Seeker, I have spoken no promises." His tone became discouraged, "I am sure she believes I am far away, never to return."

  His eyes begged understanding, "But I cannot leave her here, my brother." He almost shuddered with the thought |

  "Once I believed that when I escaped, I would return with the village men and free Rain from the Piscataway." His shrug was eloquent. "But that was a child's dreaming. If only you have come for me, who would come to rescue a strange maiden?"

  Friend Seeker held his tongue and Star continued, his voice firming, "I cannot abandon her, Friend Seeker. She has no other chance."

  Late Star sat straighter, his eyes meeting Friend Seeker's more directly, "As you once vowed to free your friend, so have I bound myself to bring Rain to our village. I must try, Friend Seeker."

  "Have you forgotten Hawk Claw, Late Star?" Friend Seeker could feel his anger mounting. To have come so far and to have succeeded so completely only to have his friend balk at the last moment was too much.

  "What chance have you of rescuing anyone, Star? You have no strength; you have no weapons or skill to use them. Do you know the land around you? Do you even know the way home?" Friend Seeker laid his words with brutal force.

  "Will it help Rain when Hawk Claw or some hunter runs you down and cuts your tendons? Will it help her to see you creeping about the village until the old squaw beats you to death?"

  Unannoyed by Friend Seeker's obvious anger, Late Star nodded agreement. "Your words are true. Friend Seeker, but I too have honor to stand beside. Beyond that, I wish to try. Can you understand that, my friend? There is always a chance and my heart and my mind demand that I try."

  His wry grin broke through some of the Seeker's anger. "And," he continued, "I have a strong friend of many plans who has not yet said he will not help me."

  The Seeker snorted his disgust, "This maiden means so much, my brother?"

  "She will be my only woman, Friend Seeker."

  "We have heard that from some who now have three squaws!"

  "You have not before heard it from me." Star's voice was determined.

  Friend Seeker shifted ground. "Have you thought at all about how you would accomplish this marvelous escape? Has the Great Spirit told you how to snatch one woman from the middle of many without great outcry?

  "Has he told you how to outrun and hide from hunters who will be only moments behind your woman's stumbling feet?" Again he snorted disgust.

  Star answered seriously, "No, Friend Seeker, those answers have not been given me." Then he brightened. "Perhaps we could again use these rocks."

  The Seeker groaned aloud. "Are the Piscataway fools that they would accept a second mysterious disappearance? This time they believe they somehow missed our track. Next time they will know they are being fooled, and they will search for men— not for tracks. Only distance will save you, my brother."

  Star's grin was broader. "My friend already plans our escape."

  Friend Seeker offered no answering smile and his voice remained grim. "This is no game, Late Star, and you should know that. Once, the Great Spirit guided our feet and blinded the eyes of our enemies. We can give thanks for his favor, but the wise do not plan on the Great Father's help. To approach the same village is a fool's risk and is about as promising as reaching into a hornets' nest in summer." Allowing anger to drain away he grew more solemn.

  "There can be no easy way this time, my friend." He sighed heavily. "You ask that I help you to rescue this maiden. You risk both our lives in an attempt that has little hope of success. Perhaps you also risk hers."

  Friend Seeker fixed Late Star with his strongest gaze. "I have chosen the warrior's path and you are my friend. If your spirit demands that you must risk this thing, I will accompany you, for that is the honorable way.

  "But I ask you to listen to your mind as strongly as your heart and know that your choice is right before you commit our lives to such a danger.

  "This time, some will die, Late Star. The Piscataway will not lie down for a second insult. Choose with care for it may be we who find the spirit trail."

  Star rose and paced agitatedly within the confines of the tumbled boulders. His thin body appeared vulnerable as he sought to clear his thoughts and select the right path.

  Finally he sat before Friend Seeker's rock, gesturing and speaking with sincerity.

  "To free Rain is my only wish, Friend Seeker. To join with her in raising our lodge along the Juniata, the Buffalo, and the Tuscarora is my only desire. To free her, I would risk my life and perhaps yours as well and believe it a right thing.

  "However, I am not yet a fool and I know my knowledge is less than yours. As my friend you warn of dangers, yet you agree to help. For those words alone Late Star will be forever grateful."

  Star hesitated, forcing himself to express unwelcome thoughts. "It is my wish to rescue Rain from the Piscataway, but if Friend Seeker studies for a plan yet finds there is no way, I will ask no more.

  "If Friend Seeker tells his friend that the chances are too small, that no reasonable plan can be found, Late Star will turn his back on this place and follow Friend Seeker home to the mountains."

  They were silent—Late Star, heavy with the burden of his decision, and Friend Seeker, contemplating the depth of his friend's dilemma.

  In time, he reached across and punched Star a boyish clout on the shoulder. His smile was soft and his voice encouraging. "Your choice is brave and strong with honor, my brother. Do not yet despair. Three Feathers spoke of many campaigns and Oak Neck of more. From one of these I may find an answer. If not, I will search the tales of lesser men; from them I have heard even mightier schemes. Finally I will examine my own thoughts, for even there a plan might linger. If a way exists, I will find it."

  — — —

  To concentrate undisturbed, Friend Seeker moved to a place within the jumbled boulders where warm sun washed the stones. He lay back, pillowing his head in his hands and allowed his mind to roam across the problems. Immediately, a dozen difficulties arose but he remembered how the plan to rescue Star had finally leaped full-blown into his thoughts. He could hope that if he again worried through the confusions of a second rescue a new idea might develop.

  Two difficulties seemed paramount. First, they would need food for three that would last until they were beyond the Piscataway influence and could safely hunt or gather. That problem did not appear insurmountable and the Seeker put it aside for later consideration.

  The second difficulty was the matter of being able to outrun or out-paddle Piscataway hunters. Once he had fooled the Piscataway but then he had been aided by surprise and had enjoyed a good lead over pursuers. Even Late Star's weakened running would be better than Rain's best efforts and he suspected this time the wolves would be closer behind.

  His thoughts frittered about, testing even the most outrageous of schemes. Fire had helped before and he wondered if he might somehow bum the forests or the great savannah behind them. Those ideas brought no solutions and he smiled to himself knowing that the hunters would pass the fires more quickly than he could set them. Other wild plans appeared and were discarded and with midday heat he gave it up to rest his thoughts and rejoin Late Star who waited hopefully in their rocky lair.

  Although they talked of other things, Friend Seeker's thoughts continued to toy with the rescue. When his eyes turned vague or his sentences grew lengthy, Late Star's hopes rose, but soon Friend Seeker would shake his head or his lips would purse in exasperation and Star's spirits would again fall.

  At times, Star considered offering his own solutions but he recognized them as crude affairs that ultimately ended in running wildly away, hiding by walking in streams, or climbing trees. They were boyhood games, and as Friend Seeker had warned, this
was no game and the penalties for being caught were death or mutilation.

  During the night, Friend Seeker wakened with a start. In a dream he had run his swiftest to escape pursuing warriors. Each had worn the mark of Hawk Claw and despite his efforts, they had cornered him against the great ravine where the trees had been broken and tossed into tangled piles. Desperately he had plunged into the gully, struggling to reach the other side, but the claw-marked warriors had stood above him and, laughing uproariously, they loosed arrows into his undefended body.

  The dream had caused night sweat and the Seeker chose to step beyond their shelter and let the cool breeze dry him. Late Star slept soundly, his breathing deep and regular. He slept as a boy without the ingrained watchfulness a warrior acquired. If a raccoon crossed the boulder field, Friend Seeker heard it and was instantly alert. Late Star slept like a log, not even detecting his companion's departure.

  The moon was down and the night lay heavy with only a few creatures of the dark searching their hungry ways. A few bats executed passes close to the river where insects were thickest and a slight breeze stirred leaves on taller trees. The scent of honeysuckle drowned even the river smell and the Seeker felt able to relax and enjoy the serenity of the night.

  Since freeing Late Star, he had thought little of Hawk Claw. The Piscataway warrior had been in his mind however; his dream showed that. He had been close to guessing the warrior's name; Hawk Foot had been a reasonable choice.

  It had been as well that Hawk Claw and his companions were gone from their village, for a warrior might have moved swiftly enough to have caught them. If that had occurred, either the Seeker or the Claw would surely have taken his final breath.

  The night dream had been foolish, for even the greenest warrior would see the trap of being caught within the great tangle. That was a place to avoid in his planning. Yet—a glimmer of an idea stroked his imagination. He rejected it out of hand, but the thought persisted, and despite a certainty that his reasoning was wasted, he began rolling the small idea and building on it.

  Later he sat up, cradling his chin thoughtfully. He measured distances in his mind and tried to place himself within the moccasins of the Cats. If he did this, would they act how? The thinking was hard and the planning more complicated than he liked. Three Feathers stressed the value of simple plans. The more complex, the more opportunity for errors. He refined his premises, eliminated wasteful elements, and the thing began to take more hopeful shape.

  Small sounds interrupted his concentration and a moment later Late Star slid down beside him.

  "Do I disturb your thoughts, Friend Seeker?"

  "No, my brother, your coming is good. I have questions to ask."

  Excited, "You have a plan then?"

  Friend Seeker calmed him. "Only an idea, Late Star, but that is more than I had earlier. If it becomes ready, I will tell it.

  "At this time I would hear of Hawk Claw. If he has returned, he will be our greatest danger and I must learn what I can of him."

  Late Star's respect for the Claw was great and he made no attempt to conceal it. He saw Hawk Claw with clarity and he spoke of him with enthusiasm.

  "Of the Piscataway I have known, Hawk Claw is greatest. He is a warrior, Friend Seeker. He is larger than you, and I would guess his strength is much greater. Perhaps you are quicker of movement, but I could not be sure.

  "Hawk Claw is skilled with his weapons, and I have seen him teaching those who are now with him. They are like children in his hands and they stand in awe of him.

  "The Claw seeks honor in the way of our grandfathers. His tribe's enemies are his enemies and his word is as true as his arrows. Hawk Claw shows no enemy his back, but he is wise in the ways of war and would not be reckless in battle."

  "He gained little honor attacking Delaware boys!"

  Star nodded agreement. "Hawk Claw has so said many times. His anger at his men of that time was great, but the words were strange and I could not understand them. Later I was told the story.

  "Hawk Claw took young men on a long scout into Iroquois land. The dangers of this we know. When they heard our approach, they sought concealment but the young men were hungry and leapt upon us. That is why Little Boy escaped. If Hawk Claw had planned an ambush, we would all have been easily taken. That is also why Eagle was killed and you escaped. The young men were untrained and performed poorly.

  "Hawk Claw has since denied his friendship to those on that scout. He has called them children and unfit for warrior training. Hawk Claw is hard, Friend Seeker, and he is to be feared, but he holds his honor in a high place and for that he is respected."

  "You say his companions are again poorly trained?"

  "They have come from other villages to learn from Hawk Claw, but it is plain that he holds them in small esteem and does not regard them as brothers."

  "Then he truly stands alone."

  "He stands alone, Friend Seeker, but that may be his real strength, for he depends on no others."

  "Your words are wise, oh Star, and I see Hawk Claw more clearly." Late Star beamed at the compliment and Friend Seeker was again aware of the distance they had grown apart. Star looked upon him almost as an older uncle while he increasingly saw Star as a sort of inexperienced younger brother. Perhaps they would one day again be equal, but Star had much learning to do even as he, Friend Seeker, continued to grow.

  For a day, Friend Seeker left Late Star in the rocks. Cautious as a rabbit among foxes, he scouted trails and measured distances. At times he crouched for long periods considering alternatives before moving on.

  At mid-afternoon he climbed high in a thick tree from which he could watch the women working their corn and squash patches. As before, Rain was among them, bearing the brunt of ridicule while struggling with the most unwelcome tasks. Twice he circled the open savannah and stood at length studying the trap of the tree-strewn gully. Each time he turned away, shaking his head.

  Star had waited impatiently and quizzed the Seeker rigorously upon his return. He gained little from his efforts, for the Seeker was again preoccupied with his thoughts and withdrew to study them alone.

  Despite his anxiety, Late Star slept well. When he awakened, Friend Seeker sat close and the intensity of his eyes spoke a decision that jerked the last sleep from Star's mind.

  Though he spoke with certainty, Friend Seeker's voice was solemn and Late Star felt his concern.

  "There is but one way, Late Star. It is not a clever plan about which we can later boast or a path along which we can linger to gather berries. The danger is great and our risks many." He gripped his fingers and deliberately relaxed them, forcing tension from his body. He sighed in resignation and slid to a more comfortable rest against his stone.

  "In telling, the plan will sound simple and that is good, but in performing, any error will destroy us. This then is my plan."

  "Tonight we will raise the canoe. Then we will paddle upstream until we can enter a small creek beyond the village. There we will hide the canoe and ourselves until late in the day.

  "When there is only a little time left for the women to work in the corn, we will bring the canoe close. Before the village trail crosses the stream, the water becomes too shallow and the canoe will be left.

  "Silent as snakes we will walk the trail until we see the women. When Rain is closest, we will capture her and run back along the trail. You, Star, and Rain will run like deer to the water while I move slower making certain that no one follows too closely.

  "You and Rain will paddle swiftly to the river and turn north holding close to the shore where you will not easily be seen. Dark will come quickly. Then you will be safe, but you must paddle throughout the night. Stay close to the shore so that you can seize tree branches to rest. If you rest on the river the current will pull you back. If you see fishing fires, circle them widely.

  "Before first light, choose a safe place and sleep through the day. Paddle each night until the river narrows and ridges begin. There you will find a point of roc
ks and there you will meet rapids and people of the Fox clan. They are a timid village but they will give you food for our return to the Juniata."

  Friend Seeker paused to chew a bit of dried venison and Late Star squirmed in impatient silence. Finally he continued, "Your escape depends on how well I can confuse the Piscataway.

  "At the creek, I will make marks to show that we crossed. Because the creek is barely a step across, they will not at first suspect a canoe and they will follow my tracks on the great path. Beyond the stream, a vast savannah the you have seen lays open and I will draw those who follow into crossing it. On the far side there is a mighty draw with only a single crossing path. There I will hold back the Piscataway until it is dark. Then I will run faster than I have ever run. By daylight I will be beyond catching and I will rest in a thicket.

  "If I am not delayed, I will be at the point of rocks waiting for your canoe." He smiled grimly at Late Star and added, "If I do not appear, you must take Rain and travel north. Piscataway come among the Foxes and they are not to be trusted long. I will find you along the way, but if not, you will in time reach the mountains and our people."

  Star was a-brim with questions, but Friend Seeker held up a placating hand. "There are many supposings, my brother, but they only confuse the plan. Once begun, we will do what we must. We will be like the willows and bend to whatever comes against us.

  "Still, the thing is simple. You will have all the food; you can carry it easily and it will be enough to reach the Foxes. I will carry only weapons, for I must run hard and I can gather berries and enjoy raw rabbit or squirrel." They both grimaced, strong white teeth shining in the shadow of the rocks. Thereafter their talk remained serious as Late Star raised his objections.

  "You make your part sound easy, oh Seeker, but while you fight, I flee to safety. You will not delay the Piscataway with words and they will be close after you."

  "It is my plan to loose only a single arrow, Late Star. Before the Piscataway reach the gully of broken trees, I will be across. As they appear I will warn them with an arrow and loud noises. To enter the gully with an enemy at the edge would be certain death, and they will not attempt it. The Piscataway will send runners each way to cross beyond my reach, but dark will be close and I will be well away before they can circle."