The Border Watch: A Story of the Great Chief's Last Stand

by Joseph A. Altsheler

  CHAPTER XVI

  THE RIVER FIGHT

  Henry shook hands with them all in turn and they sat down under theshade of an oak. Mr. Pennypacker looked him over slowly and ratherquizzically.

  "Henry," he said, "I scarcely realize that you were a pupil of mine.Here in the wilderness I see that you are the teacher and that I am apretty poor and limping sort of pupil."

  "You can teach us all many and useful things," said Henry modestly.

  "What did you learn, Henry?" asked Paul.

  Henry told the tale in brief, concise words, and the others expressedpleasure at his news.

  "And so Clark is coming," said the schoolmaster thoughtfully. "It iswonderful what the energy and directing mind of one man can do. Thatname alone is enough to change the nature of a whole campaign. 'Tislucky that we have this Caesar of the backwoods to defend us. What isyour plan now, Henry?"

  Mr. Pennypacker, like the others, instinctively looked upon Henry as theleader.

  "We'll go straight to the Falls of the Ohio," replied Henry. "It willtake us two or three weeks to get there, and we'll have to live mostlyon our rifles, but that's where we're needed. Clark will want all themen he can get."

  "I am old," said the schoolmaster, "and it has not been my businesshitherto to fight, but in this great crisis of Kentucky I shall try todo my part. I too shall offer my services to George Rogers Clark."

  "He'll be glad to get you," said Tom Ross.

  After the brief rest they began the long journey from what is now themiddle part of the state of Ohio to the Falls of the Ohio and the newsettlement of Louisville there. It was an arduous undertaking,particularly for the schoolmaster, as it led all the way through woodsfrequented by alert Indians, and, besides deep rivers there wereinnumerable creeks, which they could cross only by swimming. Bearingthis in mind Henry's thoughts returned to the first boat which they hadhidden in the bushes lining the banks of one of the Ohio's tributaries.As the whole country was now swarming with the warriors the passage downthe Ohio would undoubtedly be more dangerous than the path through thewoods, but the boat and the river would save a vast expenditure ofstrength. Henry laid the two plans before the others.

  "What do you say, Sol?" he asked.

  "I'm fur the boat an' the river," replied the shiftless one. "I'd ratherbe rowed by Jim Hart than walk five hundred miles."

  "And you, Paul?"

  "I say take to the boat. We may have to fight. We've held them off onthe water before and I'm sure we can do it again."

  "And you, Tom?"

  "The boat."

  "And you, Jim?"

  "The boat, an' make Sol thar do his share uv the work."

  "What do you say, Mr. Pennypacker?"

  "I'm not a forester, and as all of you are for the boat, so am I."

  "That seems to make it unanimous, and in an hour we'll start for ourhidden navy. It's at the edge of the next big river east of the Sciotoand we ought to steer a pretty straight course for it."

  They traveled at a good pace. Mr. Pennypacker, while not a woodsman, wasa good walker, and, despite his age, proved himself tough and enduring.They crossed Indian trails several times, but did not come into contactwith any of the warriors. They swam three or four deep creeks, but infour days they came to the river not many miles above the place at whichthey had hidden the boat. Then they descended the stream and approachedthe point with some anxiety.

  "Suppose the boat isn't there," said Paul; "suppose the Indians havefound it."

  "We ain't supposing'," said Shif'less Sol. "We're shore it's thar."

  They waded among the bushes growing at the water's edge and theshiftless one, who was in advance, uttered a suppressed cry of pleasure.

  "Here it is, jest ez we left it," he said.

  The boat had been untouched, but Henry knew all the time the chanceswere in favor of their finding it so. With the keenest delight, theypulled it out into the stream and looked it over. They had made of it acache and they had left in it many valuable articles which they wouldneed. Among these were four extra rifles, two fine fowling pieces, alarge supply of powder and lead, axes and hatchets, and extra clothingand blankets. They had stocked the boat well on leaving Pittsburgh, andnow it was like retaking a great treasure. Shif'less Sol climbed aboardand with a deep sigh of pleasure reclined against the side.

  "Now, Saplin'," he said, "I'll go to sleep while you row me down toLouisville."

  "We'll do most of our traveling by night," said Henry, "and as we'llhave the current with us I don't think that you or Jim, Sol, will haveto work yourselves to death."

  After their examination of the boat to see that everything was allright, they pulled it back into the bushes, not intending to start untilthe dark set in. There was a considerable supply of salted food, coffeeand tea on board, but Henry and Sol killed two deer farther up the riverbank which they quickly cleaned and dressed. They now thought themselvesprovisioned for the trip to the Falls of the Ohio, and they carried, inaddition, fishing tackle which they could use at any time.

  They pulled clear of the bushes about 8 o'clock in the evening and roweddown the river. But as the stream was bank full and running fast, theydid not have to make any great effort. Toward midnight when they reachedsome of the wider parts of the river they set the sail and went ahead ata swifter pace. Henry calculated that they could reach the Ohio slightlyafter dawn, but as the night was uncommonly clear, with the promise of avery brilliant day to follow, they furled their sails at least two hoursbefore sunrise, and, finding another shallow cove, drew their boat intoit among the bushes.

  "Now for a sleep," said Henry. "Tom and I will keep watch until noon andthen Sol and Paul will take our places. At night we will start again."

  "And where does my watch come, pray?" asked Mr. Pennypacker.

  "We want you to help us to-night," replied Henry. "We'll need yourknowledge of the sail and the oars."

  "Very well," replied the unsuspicious schoolmaster. "It is understoodthat I do extra work to-night, because I do not watch to-day."

  Henry, when he turned his face away, smiled a little. It was understoodamong them all that they were to spare the schoolmaster as much aspossible, and to do so, they used various little devices. Theirs was agood roomy boat and those who were to sleep first disposed themselvescomfortably, while Henry sat in the prow and Tom in the stern, bothsilent and apparently listless, but watching with eyes and ears alike.The dawn came, and, as they had foreseen, it was a bright, hot day. Itwas so close among the bushes that the sleepers stirred restlessly andbeads of perspiration stood on the faces of the watchers. Not a breathof air stirred either in the woods or on the river. Henry was glad whenit was their turn to sleep, and when he awoke, night had come with itscool shadows and a wind also that dispelled the breathless heat.

  Then they pulled out of the bushes and floated again with the stream,but they did not hoist their sail. The air after the close heat of theday was charged with electricity, and they looked for a storm. It cameabout 11 o'clock, chiefly as a display of thunder and lightning. Theflashes of electricity dazzled them and continued without a break foralmost an hour. The roar of the thunder was like the unbroken dischargesof great batteries, but both wind and rain were light. Several times thelightning struck with a tremendous crash in the woods about them, butthe boat glided on untouched. About midnight they came out into theflood of the Ohio, and, setting their sail, they steered down the centerof the stream.

  All of them felt great relief, now that they were on the wide Ohio. Onthe narrower tributary they might have been fired upon from eithershore, but the Ohio was a half mile and sometimes a full mile from bankto bank. As long as they kept in the middle of the stream they werepractically safe from the bullets of ambushed Indians.

  They took turns at sleeping, but it was not necessary now to use theoars. The wind was still strong, and the sail carried them at greatspeed down the river. They felt safe and comfortable, but it was a wildand weird scene upon which they looked. The banks of the Ohio here
werehigh and clothed in dense forest which, in the glare of the lightning,looked like gigantic black walls on either shore. The surface of theriver itself was tinted under the blaze as if with fire, and often itran in red waves before the wind. The darkness was intense, but theflashes of lightning were so vivid that they easily saw their way.

  "We're going back on our old path now, Paul," said Henry. "You rememberhow we came up the river with Adam Colfax, fought the fleet ofTimmendiquas, and helped save the fort?"

  "I couldn't well forget it," replied Paul. "Why, I can see it all again,just as if it happened only yesterday, but I'm mighty glad thatTimmendiquas is not here now with a fleet."

  "Will we tie up to the bank by day as we did on the other river?" askedMr. Pennypacker.

  "Not on the Ohio," replied Henry. "As white immigrants are now comingdown it, Indians infest both shores, so we'll keep straight ahead in themiddle of the stream. We may be attacked there, but perhaps we caneither whip or get away from anything that the Indians now have on theriver."

  While they talked Shif'less Sol looked carefully to their armament. Hesaw that all the extra rifles and pistols were loaded and that they layhandy. But he had little to say and the others, after the plan had beenarranged, were silent. The wind became irregular. Now and then gusts ofit lashed the surface of the giant stream, but toward morning it settledinto a fair breeze. The thunder and lightning ceased by that time, andthere was promise of a good day.

  The promise was fulfilled and they floated peacefully on untilafternoon. Then shots were fired at them from the northern bank, but thebullets spattered the water a full fifty yards short. Henry and Sol, whohad the keenest eyes, could make out the outlines of Indians on theshore, but they were not troubled.

  "I'm sure it's just a small hunting party," said Henry, "and they can dous no harm. Their bullets can't reach us, and you can't run along thebanks of a great river and keep up with a boat in the stream."

  "That's true," said Shif'less Sol, "an' I think I'll tell 'em so. Ialways like to hurt the feelin's of a bloodthirsty savage that's lookin'fur my scalp."

  He opened his mouth to its widest extent and gave utterance to a mostextraordinary cry, the like of which had perhaps never before been heardin those woods. It rose in a series of curves and undulations. It had init something of the howl of the wolf and also the human note. It wasessentially challenging and contemptuous. Anybody who heard it was boundto take it as a personal insult, and it became most effective when itdied away in a growling, spitting noise, like the defiance of an angrycat. Henry fairly jumped in his seat when he heard it.

  "Sol," he exclaimed, "what under the sun do you mean?"

  The mouth of the shiftless one opened again, but this time in a widegrin of delight.

  "I wuz jest tellin' them Injuns that I didn't like 'em," he replied. "Doyou reckon they understood?"

  "I think they did," replied Henry with emphasis.

  "That bein' so, I'll tell 'em ag'in. Look out, here she comes!"

  Again the mouth of Shif'less Sol swung wide, and again he uttered thatfearful yell of defiance, abuse, contempt and loathing, a yell sopowerful that it came back in repeated echoes without any loss ofcharacter. The Indians on the bank, stung by it, uttered a fierce shoutand fired another volley, but the bullets fell further short than ever.Shif'less Sol smiled in deep content.

  "See how I'm makin' 'em waste good ammunition," he said. "I learned thattrick from Paul's tales o' them old Greeks an' Trojans. As fur ez Icould make out when a Greek an' Trojan come out to fight one another,each feller would try to talk the other into throwin' his spear fust,an' afore he wuz close enough to take good aim. All them old heroes donea heap o' talkin' an' gen'ally they expected to get somethin' out o'it."

  "Undoubtedly the Greeks and Trojans had thrilling war cries," said Mr.Pennypacker, "but I doubt, Mr. Hyde, whether they ever had any as weirdas yours."

  "Which shows that I'm jest a leetle ahead o' any o' them old fellers,"said Shif'less Sol in tones of deep satisfaction.

  The boat, moving swiftly before the wind, soon left the Indians on thenorthern bank far behind, and once more they were at peace with thewilderness. The river was now very beautiful. It had not yet taken onthe muddy tint characteristic of its lower reaches, the high and slopingbanks were covered with beautiful forest, and coming from north andsouth they saw the mouths of creeks and rivers pouring the waters ofgreat regions into the vast main stream. Henry, as captain of the boat,regarded these mouths with a particularly wary and suspicious eye. Suchas they formed the best ambush for Indian canoes watching to pounce uponthe immigrant boats coming down the Ohio. Whenever he saw the entranceof a tributary he always had the boat steered in toward the oppositeshore, while all except the steersman sat with their rifles across theirknees until the dangerous locality was passed safely.

  They anchored a little after nightfall. The current was very gentle andfortunately their anchor would hold near the middle of the stream. Henrywished to give rest to a part of his crew and he knew also that in thenight they would pass the mouth of the Licking, opposite the site ofCincinnati, a favorite place of ambush for the Indian boats. All theindications pointed to some dark hours ahead, and that was just the kindthey needed for running such a gauntlet.

  This time it was he and Tom Ross who watched while the others slept, andsome hours after dark they saw fitful lights on the northern shore,appearing and reappearing at three or four points. They believed them tobe signals, but they could not read them.

  "Of course there are warriors in those woods," said Henry."Timmendiquas, knowing that Clark has gathered or is gathering hisforces at the Falls, will send his best scouts to watch him. They mayhave seen us, and they may be telling their friends on the south side ofthe river that we are here."

  "Mebbe so," said Tom Ross.

  Changing their plans they took up the anchor and the boat, driven bywind and current, moved on at good speed. Tom steered and Henry sat nearhim, watching both shores. The others, stowed here and there, sleptsoundly. The lights flickered on the northern shore for a few minutes,and then a curve of the stream shut them out. The night itself wasbright, a full moon and many stars turning the whole broad surface ofthe river to silver, and making distinct any object that might appearupon it. Henry would have preferred a dark and cloudy night for thepassage by the mouth of the Licking, but since they did not have it theymust go on anyhow.

  They sailed quietly with the current for several hours, and the nightshowed no signs of darkening. Once Henry thought he saw a light on thesouthern shore, but it was gone so quickly that keen-eyed as he was hecould not tell whether it was reality or merely fancy.

  "Did you see it, Tom?" he asked.

  "I did, or at least I thought I did."

  "Then, since we both saw it, it must have been reality, and it indicatesto my mind that Indians are on the south as well as on the north bank.Maybe they have seen us here."

  "Mebbe."

  "Which renders it more likely that they may be on watch at the mouth ofthe Licking for anything that passes."

  "Mebbe."

  "According to my calculation we'll be there in another hour. What do youthink?"

  "I say one hour, too."

  "And we'll let the boys sleep on until we see danger, if danger comes."

  "That's what I'd do," replied Tom, casting a glance at the sleepingfigures.

  No word was spoken again for a long time, but, as they approached thedangerous mouth, Tom steered the boat further and further toward thenorthern bank. Both remembered the shores here from their passage up theOhio, and Henry knew that the gap in the wall of trees on the southbetokened the mouth of the Licking. Tom steadily bore in toward thenorthern bank until he was not more than thirty yards from the trees.The moon and the stars meanwhile, instead of favoring them, seemed togrow brighter. The river was a great moving sheet of silver, and theboat stood out upon it black and upright.

  Henry, with his eyes upon the black wall, saw two dots appear there andthen two mor
e, and he knew at once their full significance. The ambushhad been laid, not for them in particular, but for any boat that mightpass.

  "Tom," he said, "the Indian canoes are coming. Keep straight on down theriver. I'll wake the others."

  The remaining four aroused, took their rifles and gazed at the blackdots which had now increased from four to six, and which were taking theshape of long canoes with at least half a dozen paddlers in every one.Two of the canoes carried sails which indicated to Henry the presence ofrenegades.

  "In a fight at close quarters they'd be too strong for us," said Henry."That force must include at least forty warriors, but we can run ourboat against the northern shore and escape into the woods. Are you infavor of our doing that?"

  "No," they answered with one accord.

  Henry laughed.

  "I knew your answer before I asked the question," he said, "and as weare not going to escape into the woods we must prepare for a river raceand a battle. I think we could leave them behind without much trouble,if it were not for those two boats with the sails."

  "Let 'em come," said Shif'less Sol. "We've got plenty of rifles an' wecan hit at longer range than they can."

  "Still, it's our business to avoid a fight if possible," said Henry."George Rogers Clark wants whole men to fight, not patients to nurse.Tom, you keep on steering and all the rest of us will take a hand at theoars."

  The boat shot forward under the new impetus, but behind them the sixcanoes, particularly the two on which sails had been fitted, were comingfast. The night was so bright that they could see the warriors paintedand naked to the waist sending their paddles in great sweeps through thewater. It was evident also that they had enough extra men to work inrelays, which gave them a great advantage.

  "It's to be a long chase," said Henry, "but I'm thinking that they'llovertake us unless we interfere with them in some rude manner."

  "Meaning these?" said Shif'less Sol, patting one of the rifles.

  "Meaning those," said Henry; "and it's lucky that we're so wellprovided. Those boats are not led by ordinary warriors. See how they'reusing every advantage. They're spreading out exactly as Indian pursuersdo on land, in order that some portion of their force may profit by anyturn or twist of ours."

  It was so. The pursuing fleet was spreading out like a fan, two boatsfollowing near the northern shore, two near the southern and two in thecenter. Evidently they intended neglecting no precaution to secure whatmany of them must already have regarded as a certain prize. Mr.Pennypacker regarded them with dilated eyes.

  "A formidable force," he said, "and I judge by their actions that theywill prove tenacious."

  "Shorely," said Shif'less Sol, as he tapped the rifle again, "but youmust rec'lect, Mr. Pennypacker, that we've oncommon good rifles an' someo' us are oncommon good shots. It might prove better fur 'em ef theydidn't come so fast. Henry, kin you make out any white faces in them twoboats in the center?"

  "It's pretty far to tell color, but a figure in the right-hand boat,sitting close to the mast, looks to me mightily like that of BraxtonWyatt."

  "I had just formed the same notion. That's the reason I asked, an' ef Iain't mistook, Simon Girty's in the other boat. Oh, Henry, do you thinkI kin git a shot at him?"

  "I doubt it," replied Henry. "Girty is cunning and rarely exposeshimself. There, they are firing, but it's too soon."

  Several shots were discharged from the leading boats, but they fell farshort. Evidently they were intended as threats, but, besides Henry'scomment, the pursued took no notice of them. Then the savages, for thefirst time, uttered their war cry, but the fugitives did not answer.

  "Ef they mean by that yell that they've got us," said Shif'less Sol,"then they might ez well yell ag'in."

  "Still, I think they're gaining upon us somewhat," said Henry, "and itmay be necessary before long to give them a hint or two."

  Now it was his turn to tap the rifle significantly, and Henry with acalculating eye measured the distance between their own and the leadingboat. He saw that the warriors were gaining. It was a slow gain, but intime it would bring them within easy rifle shot. The fleeing boatcarried many supplies which weighed her down to a certain extent, butthe pursuing boats carried nothing except the pursuers themselves. Henryraised his rifle a little and looked again at the distance.

  "A little too fur yet, Henry," said Shif'less Sol.

  "I think so, too," said Henry. "We'd best wait until we're absolutelysure."

  A cry broke from Paul.

  "Look ahead!" he cried. "We've enemies on both sides!"

  The alarming news was true. Two large boats loaded with warriors hadshot out from the northern bank four or five hundred yards ahead, andwere coming directly into the path of the fugitives. A yell full ofmalice and triumph burst from the savages in the pursuing canoes, andthose in the canoes ahead answered it with equal malice and triumph. Thefate of the fugitives seemed to be sealed, but the five had been in manya close place before, and no thought of despair entered their minds.Henry at once formed the plan and as usual they acted with swiftdecision and boldness. Tom was now steering and Henry cried to him:

  "Shelter yourself and go straight ahead. Lie low, the rest of you fireat those before us!"

  Their boat went swiftly on. The two ahead of them drew directly intotheir path, but veered a little to one side, when they saw with whatspeed the other boat was approaching. They also began to fire, but thesix, sheltered well, heard the bullets patter upon the wooden sides andthey bided their time. Henry, peeping over, marked the boat on the rightand saw a face which he knew to be that of a white man. In an instant herecognized the renegade Quarles and rage rose within him. Without theaid of the renegades, more ruthless than the red men themselves, theIndians could never have accomplished so much on the border. He raisedhis rifle a little and now he cocked it. Shif'less Sol glanced up andsaw the red fire in his eye.

  "What is it, Henry?" he asked.

  "The renegade Quarles is in the boat on the right. As we have to run agauntlet here, and there will be some shooting, I mean that one of therenegades shall never trouble us any more."

  "I'm sorry it's not Girty or Wyatt," said the shiftless one, "but sinceit ain't either o' them it might ez well be Quarles. He might be missed,but he wouldn't be mourned."

  The boat, with Tom Ross steering, kept straight ahead with undiminishedspeed, the wind filling out the sail. The Indians in the two boatsbefore them fired again, but the bullets as before thudded upon thewooden sides.

  But Henry, crouching now with his cocked rifle, saw his opportunity.Quarles, raising himself up in the canoe, had fired and he was justtaking his rifle from his shoulder. Henry fired directly at the tannedforehead of this wicked man, who had so often shed the blood of his ownpeople, and the bullet crashed through the brain. The renegade halfrose, and then fell from the boat into the stream, which hid his bodyforever. A cry of rage and fear came from the Indians and the nextmoment four other marksmen, two from the right and two from the left,fired into the opposing canoes. The schoolmaster also fired, although hewas not sure that he hit any foe; but it was a terrible volleynevertheless. The two Indian boats contained both dead and wounded.Paddles were dropped into the water and floated out of reach. Moreover,Tom Ross, when his cunning eye saw the confusion, steered his own boatin such a manner that it struck the canoe on the right a glancing blow,sidewiping it, as it were.

  Tom and his comrades were staggered by the impact, but their boat,uninjured, quickly righted itself and went on. The Indian canoe wassmashed in and sank, leaving its living occupants struggling in thewater, while the other canoe was compelled to turn and pick them up.

  "Well done, Mr. Ross!" called Mr. Pennypacker. "That was a happythought. You struck them as the old Roman galleys with their beaksstruck their antagonists, and you have swept them from our path."

  "That's true, Mr. Pennypacker," said Shif'less Sol, "but don't you go tostickin' your head up too much. Thar, didn't I tell you! Ef many morebullets like that come, you'd git
a nice hair cut an' no charge."

  A bullet had clipped a gray lock from the top of the schoolmaster'shead, but flattening himself on the bottom of the boat he did not givethe Indians a second shot. Meanwhile Henry and the others were sendingbullets into the crews of the boats behind them. They did not get achance at Girty and Wyatt, who were evidently concealing themselves fromthese foes, whom they knew to be such deadly sharpshooters, but theywere making havoc among the warriors. It was a fire so deadly that allthe canoes stopped and let the boat pass out of range. The little bandsent back their own shout, taunting and triumphant, and then, layingaside their rifles, they took up the oars again. They sped forward andas the night darkened the Indian canoes sank quickly out of sight.

  "I think we'll have the right of way now to the Falls," said Henry.