The Settlers Part 9

"Ay, that I will, sir," answered Ben; "and every league we make good, the more sure I am that I am right."

"I believe that honest Ben is not mistaken, and that we may have a better hope of success than ever before," said Roger to Vaughan, when he joined him on the p.o.o.p. The s.h.i.+p continued running on all day; but the wind was light, and her progress, consequently, slow. Towards evening she brought up in a deep bay, in which Ben declared the _Sally Rose_ had come to an anchor on her downward pa.s.sage. The next morning she continued her course, and had run on with a brisk breeze for some hours, when Ben shouted out--"That's the bay, sir, where d.i.c.k Sponson and I, when we had Batten with us, found the _Sally Rose_, after he had escaped from the Indians; it is three days' pull, in a heavy boat with the wind against us, to the northward of this, where we took Batten on board. I should know the place again almost as well as I know Dartmouth harbour.

It was about six miles inland of that where our s.h.i.+pmates were killed.

If we sail on at the rate we are now going, we shall reach it before noon to-morrow, always provided the wind don't head us."

This information was, at all events, satisfactory, and Ben was so positive that Roger could not but believe him. Ben added, that, to his belief, a short distance farther on there was a river, up which the long-boat might pull for many a league, and that he calculated it would take them into the very heart of the country where Batten, according to his account, had been. As they sailed on, Ben, every now and then, exclaimed--"I mind that point, for we were becalmed off it for the best part of a day."--"Yes, that hill is just where I thought to find one."--"We pulled up yonder stream to get a fresh store of water, and had to pull down it again pretty quickly, with only half our casks full, by reason of a party of Indians."

Thus he ran on, recognising all the main features of the sh.o.r.e. The s.h.i.+p, however, did not reach the bay he had expected, and, accordingly, had to stand off the sh.o.r.e and bring up at night in a more open position than would have been chosen; but, as the weather was calm, that mattered not. Early the next morning, however, the bay he had indicated was reached, and some time before dark the s.h.i.+p came off the very spot where Batten had been taken on board. He knew it by the easy landing the sh.o.r.e afforded, and by two tall trees which leant over one towards the other as if affording mutual support. The spot for which Audley and Captain Layton and his son had been so eagerly looking was at length reached; as, however, it did not afford a secure anchorage, they determined to stand on in hopes of finding the mouth of the river into which they intended to run and bring up. It proved to be not more than a couple of leagues to the northward. Roger having gone ahead in the skiff to sound, piloted the s.h.i.+p to an anchorage just inside the mouth, where she could lie secure from any storms which might blow without, and at the same time too far from the sh.o.r.e to be a.s.sailed from thence by any hostile Indians; while her guns would enable her to defend herself against any attack which might be made in canoes, should the natives prove hostile. It being now nearly dark, nothing could be done on sh.o.r.e till the next morning. The night was perfectly calm; the stars glittering overhead were reflected on the mirrorlike surface of the water. The forest extending down to the sh.o.r.es of the deep bay in which the s.h.i.+p lay formed a dark wall round her, from which, ever and anon, came strange sounds; but no human voices were heard to denote that the country was inhabited. Still, a strict watch was wisely kept, for the silence which reigned was no proof that the savages were at a distance.

Meantime, preparations were made for the proposed expedition; the captain would willingly have led it, but Roger persuaded him to remain on board and look after the s.h.i.+p. "Half a dozen men, with you to command them, will be of more avail than a score without you," he observed; "we may thus take twenty with us and leave enough in charge of the boat."

To this the captain at length a.s.sented, knowing well that he could not move as fast, nor endure as much fatigue as his younger companions. At dawn the boat shoved off, each man carrying provisions for a week's march, with a further supply in the boat, to be ready should they exhaust their stock before they could return to her. Twenty men, besides the two leaders and Oliver Dane, were to form the expedition.

The rest were to remain in the boat. Quitting the river, Ben Tarbox piloted them to the very spot where he and his companion had received Batten on board their boat.

"That is the direction from whence we saw him coming," he said, pointing to the north-west; "and by his account he had been making, as far as he could judge, pretty straight for the sh.o.r.e, as he had the sun, when it rose, directly in his eyes, and he thus knew that he was holding on to the eastward."

"Then we will march in the direction from whence he came," said Roger.

"On, lads!" he exclaimed, having given his last orders to the crew to lie off the sh.o.r.e at anchor, and to allow no Indians on board under any pretext till his return. The forest was tolerably open, and the boat's compa.s.s enabled them to keep the course they desired. No wigwams were seen, nor cultivated fields, nor did any natives make their appearance.

Now and then a deer started from before them: Roger and Vaughan were too careful leaders to allow their men to chase the animals, lest the natives might take the opportunity of setting upon them while thus separated. "Better empty insides than cloven skulls, lads," observed Roger; "ere long we shall have a deer crossing our path near enough to bring it down without the risk of being taken at a disadvantage."

The men, seeing the wisdom of this, marched forward without complaint.

Night coming on, they camped in the centre of a tolerably wide s.p.a.ce of open ground, near which, at a little distance, ran a stream from whence they could obtain a supply of water, while the bushes which grew near it afforded them fuel. Here also they might hope to get a shot at some animal coming down to drink, which would give them fresh meat and enable them to husband their provisions. Vaughan had often carried a fowling-piece amid the woods and hills of Devons.h.i.+re, and was the best shot of the party; he accordingly volunteered to watch for a deer, keeping near enough to the camp to obtain a.s.sistance if required. It wanted but half an hour to sunset, at which time animals were most likely to come down to drink. Oliver, also carrying a gun, went with him. But few trees or shrubs grew on the banks of the stream, which ran foaming and bubbling over a stony bed, with rocks on either side. As the time was short, they had at once to select a convenient shelter: the best they could find was between a rock and a thick bush, which overhung the stream. Here, leaning against the bank, they could command the opposite sh.o.r.e, which shelved gradually to the water, as it did also some way lower down.

Vaughan was beginning to get weary of waiting, when he saw a couple of deer moving amid the tall gra.s.s and brushwood which covered the country for some distance on the opposite side: Oliver saw them also.

Recollecting the way Gilbert and Fenton had been entrapped, he thought it possible that the Indians might be attempting to play them a similar trick. The deer trotted forward, and the wind coming from them, they did not discover their enemies, and reaching the bank, began to drink.

Vaughan and Oliver raised their pieces, and as the deer lifted up their long necks, they fired together and both fell dead. A shout of triumph raised by Oliver brought several from the camp to the spot, who das.h.i.+ng across the river, the deer were soon cut up, and several pieces of venison were quickly roasting before the fire.

Their success encouraged them to hope that they might obtain ample food, and be able to prosecute their search much further than they had intended. The sound of the shot, however, and their fires, might attract the natives to their neighbourhood; and a very vigilant watch was therefore kept during the night. Somewhat to their surprise, however, it pa.s.sed away quietly, and the next morning they resumed their march. They were pa.s.sing the borders of a thick wood, nearly knee-deep in gra.s.s, when Roger felt his foot strike against a hard substance which emitted a hollow sound, as it gave way before him. Stooping down, he rose with a human skull in his hand, white and clean. He and Vaughan examined it: the top showed a deep cleft. Others at the same time cried out that they were walking among bones.

"Some Indian battle has taken place here," observed Roger.

"That is no Indian skull," said Vaughan, "but that of a round-headed Englishman. The blow which killed him, it is clear, was inflicted by an Indian tomahawk."

The men, who had been searching about, now brought up from among the gra.s.s several other skulls, each one giving the same indubitable evidence of the manner in which the owner had been slain.

"This must be the very place where Batten saw the crew of the _Sally Rose_ slaughtered," observed Vaughan. "It proves that we are on the right track, and should warn us to be cautious in our advance, lest the natives play us the same trick."

Further search produced altogether ten skulls, the number, it was concluded, of the unfortunate party cut off. Their clothing and arms had evidently been carried away, the bodies alone being left as a feast for the vultures and armadillos. The incident was not encouraging; Roger, however, quickly revived the spirits of his party by remarking that all they had to do was to keep a watch on every side, and not to be cajoled by any tricks the Indians might attempt to play them.

Having already provisions for a couple of days, they pushed on bravely, and would have continued even longer than they had intended, had they not unexpectedly arrived on the banks of a broad river, to cross which without a boat would prove a difficult matter and a dangerous one, should Indians attempt to stop their landing on the opposite bank. They agreed therefore that their best course was to proceed up the river, and to borrow canoes, should they find them--as they had no doubt that it was the river at the mouth of which their s.h.i.+p lay, they could without difficulty return to her, provided they could find canoes of sufficient burden to carry them; and if not, they might descend the stream by a raft--no very hazardous undertaking to men such as they were.

It was high time to meet with Indians, and they hoped soon to do so, provided they could establish friendly relations with them, for by their means only could they obtain the information they required. They therefore marched on merrily, and having the river on their right, they had now only one side to guard. As the land was level and not thickly timbered, they could keep close to the water. As Batten had not spoken about a river, they concluded that he had not been carried to the north of the stream along which they were making their way, and that therefore they must be in the neighbourhood of the district in which he had been held captive. As they had cooked the remainder of their venison at their last halting-place, they judged it wise not to light a fire lest they might attract Indians to their camp at night, who might at all events disturb their rest. Thus Roger and Vaughan thought they might probably have pa.s.sed Indian villages without being discovered. They came to two or three small streams, through which they waded, though the water was above their waists, while Ben Tarbox carried Oliver on his shoulders.

At length, however, another stream was reached too broad and deep to be crossed in this fas.h.i.+on; a ford might exist, they thought, further up, and they accordingly were proceeding along the bank when Roger's eye fell upon a canoe hauled up on the sh.o.r.e some way ahead. This would afford them the means of crossing, they hoped; but on reaching her it was found that she was formed of birch bark, that her side was battered in, and that she was indeed little better than a sieve. She was of no avail, therefore, for their purpose.

The existence of a canoe in that place went to show that the natives were not far off; still Roger and Vaughan determined to cross, as they were unwilling to get farther from the main stream. They set to work, therefore, to cut down a number of small trees to form a raft. While they were thus engaged, Vaughan with his usual companion, Oliver Dane, proceeded a little higher up along the bank in search of game, Roger cautioning them not to go far. In a short time Oliver came back, saying that he had caught sight of an Indian in a canoe, spearing fish amid some rapids which ran across the stream; but as the fisher had not seen him, they might easily go back without being discovered.

"If we can avoid alarming him, and get him to come to us, which he may do, by seeing only two persons, it may prove a favourable opportunity for obtaining information," observed Vaughan; "we must proceed cautiously, however, and I will keep out of sight while you make signs to the fisher."

They accordingly crept along behind some thick bushes which effectually concealed them from the person in the canoe. At length they reached the spot, whence Vaughan could see the fisher. "Why," he whispered to Oliver, "that is a young girl; but though hot dress is that of an Indian, she appears to me, at this distance fairer than even the Princess Pocahontas--a graceful young damsel, too. See, she has struck another fish, and is hauling it in. Do you, Oliver, go and show yourself on the bank; sing as you have been wont to do on board, and beckon to her; it will calm any alarm she might be inclined to feel, and she will come more readily than were she to see me."

Oliver did as he was bid. The girl just then caught sight of him, and as she did so, she laid down her lance and seizing a paddle, with a couple of strokes sent her canoe out of the rapids into the smoother water below them; then, lifting a bow with an arrow, drew it to the head. Just then Oliver, having found his voice, began to sing the first air which came into his head. The maiden stood balancing herself in her frail bark, motionless as a statue, listening with eager ears to the notes which reached her, then, slowly withdrawing her arrow, let it fall with her bow into the canoe. Oliver sang on, observing the effect of his music, and beckoned as he had been directed. She quickly understood him and sinking into her seat, with rapid strokes she urged the canoe towards the bank, her countenance turned with an eager and wondering gaze at his face. She came on till the bow of the canoe almost touched the sh.o.r.e; then, standing up, she beckoned him to come down to her from the top of the bank, when with another stroke of her paddle she brought the canoe close to him.

"Who are you? whence do you come?" she asked eagerly. Oliver knew enough of the Indian language to understand her, though scarcely enough to reply. He pointed therefore down the river, intimating that he came thus far in a big s.h.i.+p, though he said nothing of his companions. She appeared to comprehend him, looking up all the time eagerly as before in his face; then she put out her hand close to his as if comparing the colour; hers indeed was the lightest of the two. Next she pointed to her face, which though sunburnt, was not so dark as his. Her countenance showed the thoughts which were pa.s.sing rapidly through her mind. At last she inquired his object in coming thither. He told her that it was to seek for some friends, white people, who were supposed to be in that part of the country. She stood with her finger on her brow for a minute or more, as if meditating what to do; then, having made up her mind, she took his hand and signed to him to step into the canoe and sit down. Oliver was a brave lad, and without hesitation he complied.

No sooner was he on board than with one stroke of her paddle she sent the canoe away from the bank, directing its head up the stream towards the rapids down which she had descended. As she got near them she handed him another paddle, and intimated to him that he was to use it in ascending the rapids. He had frequently paddled about in James River in Indian canoes, and was therefore able to obey her. On seeing this, she uttered an expression of approbation. Vaughan, who had watched these proceedings with much interest, saw his young companion, and the Indian girl paddle on till they had reached smooth water above the rapids, when they darted away at a rate which quickly took them out of sight.

"He is a brave fellow to go thus unhesitatingly, and I trust that no harm will befall him; he probably was afraid of frightening the young damsel or he would have called to me, to ask my advice." Such was the tenour of his thoughts, as he made his way back to where he had left the rest of the party. Roger was highly pleased when he heard of Oliver's courage in going thus alone with the Indian girl, and agreed with Vaughan as to the motive which induced him to accompany her.

"One thing is certain," he observed, "that it will be useless for us to continue making the raft, as we must either wait Oliver's return here, or follow him up along the stream to the place to which the girl has conveyed him."

Vaughan agreeing that this was the best thing to do, the men were ordered to get into marching order. After pa.s.sing the spot near the rapids where the Indian girl had taken Oliver into her canoe, the ground became very rough, a high and rugged ridge making their progress, laden as they were, exceedingly difficult. Still, they felt bound to follow Oliver, for the maiden's friends might not be disposed to treat the lad as kindly as she might, supposing him to be alone and unprotected-- whereas the appearance of an armed band such as theirs was might overawe them, and show them that it was their interest to be on friendly terms with their visitors. Vaughan and Roger leading the way, the men scrambled over the rocks after them, keeping as close as they could above the river, that, should the canoe return with Oliver, they might not fail to see her.

Having at length surmounted the ridge, they found themselves looking down into a broad and pleasant valley, watered by another small rivulet, by the side of which appeared an Indian village and a considerable number of people moving about, while a group, in the midst of which they distinguished Oliver and the young girl, was collected in front of the largest wigwam. The princ.i.p.al figure was an old Indian, who by his dress, and the ornaments on his head, they knew must be a chief. The girl was apparently endeavouring to explain to the old chief how she had found the young paleface.

"They see us," cried Roger, as he and Vaughan with their men appeared on the top of the ridge; "keep your weapons lowered, lads, we must do nothing to alarm them. Stay here, and I will go down and make friends with the old chief--that fair damsel will, I doubt not, be on our side-- they will be less likely to be alarmed by seeing one person approach alone."

As he was speaking, many of the Indians ran into their wigwams, and brought forth their bows and arrows, and other weapons. Those about the chief, however, remained perfectly quiet, merely turning their eyes in the direction of the strangers. Roger therefore advanced without any anxiety towards the chief, who stood waiting his arrival. Going up to the old man he took him by the hand, and explained in the choicest language he could command the object of his, and his companions' visit to that part of the country. The chief replied that he had gathered as much from what the girl had told him, and that he had heard some days before of the appearance of the white-faces on their sh.o.r.e. Roger expressed his surprise at this, when the Indian remarked that they had been seen on landing, and that their progress had been watched day after day, but as they had done no harm they had been allowed to proceed.

"Our people are not fools," observed the old chief, "and we knew well that the further you proceeded into the country the more easily we could destroy you if we deemed it necessary."

Roger knew by this that the precautions he had taken had not been useless. His object being to win over the chief, he did not boast of his power to resist the attack; the well-armed party on the top of the hill would produce more effect, he knew, than anything he could say. He now turned to Oliver and his companion. On looking at the maiden, he had no doubt, from the form of her features and her fair complexion, that she was of English parentage, though not a word of English had she uttered. His curiosity to know how she was thus living among the Indians was very great; on this point, however, she could give him no information. She had lived always with them, and she believed that the old chief was her grandfather; from the latter, therefore, only could he hope to obtain an answer to his questions. The old chief was, however, evidently not disposed to reply to him; the maiden was one of their tribe, and such she must always be, he answered at length; so Roger saw that it would be wise not to press the matter just then. He accordingly, feeling satisfied with what the chief had said, asked if he knew aught of a white man who had long been in that region, or of two youths who had lately been brought thither.

"Wise men do not reply till they have time to consider the object of the questions put to them," answered the chief; "if you come as friends, as friends we will receive you, and give you the best our country affords.

You may invite your companions down into the valley, they need fear no danger."

"It is not our habit to fear danger," answered Roger, "but we have confidence in your friends.h.i.+p; when danger is threatened, we know how to defend ourselves." Having made this remark, which had its due effect, he hastened back to Vaughan, and after a short consultation, they agreed to accept the chiefs invitation, but to keep a strict watch, in case of treachery.

CHAPTER TEN.

Oliver and the young girl were, in the mean time, eagerly endeavouring to understand each other. They had left the group and were seated together on the bank of the stream. Some new ideas had evidently come into her mind; it seemed to flash upon her that she was of the same race as the young paleface by her side. She had never known a father, she said, or mother, and the squaw who had more especially tended on her in her childhood had as tawny a skin as the rest of her tribe. Now and then she talked with Oliver, but oftener sat with her finger on her brow, lost in thought. After some time she began to understand his questions better than at first. She replied that she would try to find out what he wanted to know and tell him. Oliver felt himself every instant becoming more and more interested; he could not help thinking, as he watched her varying countenance, that she must be of his own race.

Perhaps her name would a.s.sist him to discover the truth. He asked, looking up in her face, what she was called. "Manita," she answered, "does it sound pleasant in your ears?"

"Very pleasant indeed," he replied, repeating it, "I shall remember it as long as I live."

The old chief received the adventurers in a friendly manner, and to prove his good intentions, said that he would direct his people to build wigwams for them on any spot they might choose. Roger replied that as he and his people were fond of water, they should prefer encamping on the bank of the river, where the rivulet ran into it; his true motive being that they should thus have only two sides to defend should they by any chance be attacked; while they might also, by building rafts, descend the stream into the main river and thus regain their s.h.i.+p.

The whole of the population at once set to work to supply the wants of the white strangers, the men even being condescending enough to a.s.sist, though the women were chiefly employed in bringing the materials for the huts and putting them up. The Englishmen, however, as soon as they saw their mode of proceeding, greatly lightened their labours. The rest of the men went out hunting, and before evening returned with a plentiful supply of game. In a wonderfully short time a village had sprung up, affording ample accommodation in fine summer weather.

After the Indians had left them, the young girl came fearlessly into their midst, bringing the fish she had caught as her present to Oliver and the two officers, for she at once distinguished them from the rest of the men. She had then a further talk with Oliver; she inquired whether he would be willing to accompany her in her canoe up the stream, and as they would have a long way to go, he must a.s.sist in paddling, but no one else must accompany them, nor must the Indians or his own friends know where they had gone. There might be some danger, she confessed, though it was not such as to make her hesitate if she could serve her new friends.

Oliver, who liked the notion of the danger, replied that he would willingly go.

She advised him to sleep soundly and to be awake two hours before dawn, when he would find her with the canoe at the mouth of the stream, beneath a high bank, from which he could easily step on board without being seen. "I will tell you more when we are away," she added, "but if any one is awake and asks where you are going, you can let them understand that you are about to fish in the stream, and my people will not be surprised, as it is my chief occupation. I have no pleasure in working with the squaws, who have little love for me, because I am the favourite of my grandfather, who allows me to do what I like."

Such, in substance, was what the young girl said to Oliver. He promised faithfully to obey her injunctions, and to be ready to accompany her at the time she had fixed on. He had some difficulty in going to sleep for thinking of the expedition he was to make on the morrow, but he at length succeeded in dropping off. After sleeping for some time he opened his eyes, and feeling broad awake, crept out of the hut, thinking that it was time to set out; but as he could see the sentries at their posts--for Roger judged it wise to place men on the watch lest the Indians might play them false--he waited till the one next him had moved to the end of his beat, and then keeping under the shade of the huts, stole down towards the river's bank. Moving on cautiously, he soon reached the spot at which the girl had told him to wait for her.

Sitting down, he gazed at the stream which rippled by in front of him, ere it joined the broad river on his right. The murmuring of the water as it sounded in his ears soon had the not unusual effect of sending him off again to sleep. He awoke with a start on hearing a gentle voice calling to him. Rubbing his eyes as he looked round, he saw the shadowy form of the maiden standing up in her canoe, just below his feet.

Forgetting its frail structure, he was about to leap into it, when she, observing his intention, exclaimed in a louder voice than she would otherwise have used--