The Border Watch

half mile from shore to shore, and the great weight of water moved on in silent majesty. Both banks were

The deep waters lapped the silent shore until a gentle sighing sound arose, a sound that may have gone on unheard for ages. Close to the water a

ttle space on the surface of the river, and then faded into the universal night. Under the great cloak of the dark,

long boat, containing five figures that rested easily. Two of the crew were boys, but as tall and strong as men. The other three were somewhat older. The boat carried four pairs of oars, but only one man rowed, and he merely pulled on an

y always he who was the first to see, and he pointed to t

a moment or two later. "It mu

ind him, "an' from the looks o' the break thar, it's a good, big ri

to me," replied Henry.

iver coming down from the north, and it's pretty sure, too, th

flood into the Ohio, and, seeing that the current was strong, the others took oars and rowed also, all except Paul, who was at the helm. Driven by powerful arms, the boat went swiftly up

uman eye could penetrate in the darkness of the night. They rowed in silence for a full hour, seeing no good place for an anchorage, and then,

, Henry?" h

an incautious paddle, one that s

ss one, "then we'll li

Very soon all heard the splashing of the single paddle and then the swishin

a fleet on this river can mean only India

among them and in all this darkness, the Indians, whether Wyandot, Miami or Shawnee, will not know t

eam towards the dark mass of bushes, into which it was pushed slowly and without noise by the guiding arms of the rowers. Here it came to re

e sound of the paddles grew louder, "a

Shif'less Sol. "It's my guess that it's

fully. "Despite their defeats in the East, they are yet a

into his voice, "that ef some big movement is afoot, it

've been doing, Sol, for the last two or three y

carcely the thought of any one of the five that they would travel the vast distance without interruption. Henry, as he sat in the boat in the darkness, felt that once more they were on the verge of great events. Used so long to the life of the wildern

eet that was coming up the river. The regular and rhythmic sound of oars and paddles grew louder, and then the head of the fleet, trailing itself like a long serpent, came into view. A

now coming out, and the surface of the dark stream turned to melted silver. But the

lver over hundreds of savage faces, illuminating the straight black hair, the high cheek bones, and the broad chests, naked, save

per half of his body was so rigidly upright that in another place he might have posed for a figurehead of some old Roman galley. He was of magnificent build. Like the others

to tell him that this was Timmendiquas, the great White Lightning of the Wyandots, returning from the East

and upon that o

y low. "It is Timmendiquas, an' wh

himself and his comrades there that night that they might see. His old feeling of admiration for the chief was as strong as ever, and he felt a certain sympathy, too.

ound, too, soon died away. Then all the canoes blended together like a long arrow of glittering silve

t yet come forth from their c

k it means?" aske

on Kentucky,"

s Sol. "Timmendiquas will go North to gather all the warrio

so, too,"

ly to me," s

Henry, "I think we ought to

together, speaking with

n hour longer in the covert. It would not be wise to follow yet, because a canoe o

s, they were ready to dare anything. When they thought the Indian fleet was several miles ahead, they pulled their boat from the covert and followed. But they did not take the middle of the stream. Theirs was not a large force which could

to watch about three hours and Shif'less Sol would be on guard afterward. The four wrapped themselves in their blankets, lay down in the bottom of the boat, and were sound asleep in a f

act that they were about to embark upon a new task attended by many dangers, the boy felt a great peace. In the perilous life of the wilderness he had learned how to enjoy the safety and physical comfort of the mo

he same blanket, all except the steel muzzle. Only his face was uncovered, but his eyes never ceased to watch. The wind was blowing lightly through the trees and bushes, and the current of

tle murmur of the river fusing and melting into the wind among the leaves. While he watched and listened, nothing escaping him, his mind traveled far, down th

a veil of silver gauze. It was inexpressibly beautiful to Henry who,

slightly, and then was still. The sound was repeated once and no more, but Henry's mind ceased to roam afar. The great river that he had seen and the great lakes that he had not seen were forgotten. With all t

ogether again, but Henry was not satisfied. He rose to his feet, laid the blanket softly in the boat,

e. Before he reached the crest he flattened himself against the earth and listened. He was quite confident that someone had been passing and was,

he sound had come. He soon saw faint signs of a trail, evidently running parallel with the river, and, used from time to time, by the Indians. Now Henry was satisfied that his senses had not deceived him, and he would discover who had passed. He judged by the

cause of the noise that he had heard. He approached with care, the woods offering an ample covert.

himself, "probably bound for

ree, despite their faces, browned by wind and rain, belonged to the white race, and in the o

his earlier exploits and this conjunction confirmed He

despite his youth, was worn and lined. His black hair fell in dark locks upon his temples. He still wore the British uniform that he had adopted in the E

y, the most famous of all the renegades, and just be

was tempted to take a shot at the villain, Simon Girty. A single bullet would remove a scourge from the border and save hundreds of lives. The bullet sent, he might easily escape in the darkness

was of the utmost importance. Wyatt and Girty were, no doubt, co?perating with Timmendiquas,

hadow of a pretext for going

r business to follow the Indians an' the renegades

hey say you can sail on them there for days and days and keep

s! But since the enemy is on both land and water, I thi

but they hid it as well as possible among bushes and reeds. In such a vast wilderness, the chances were twenty to one that it would remain where they had put it until they returned to claim their own. Too wise to burden themselves, they buried all their extra weapons and stores at the base of a

e stream, Henry leading and Silent Tom Ross bringing up the rear. In this manner they advanced rapidly an

the night before, was correct. They also saw Timmendiquas more than once and it was evident that he was in complete command. Respect a

falo and deer meat, which they ate in great quantities. Many, when they had finished th

nutes later, Wyatt, Girty and their party hailed the great war band from the east bank. Canoes wer

" said Henry, "and I don't believe that he real

ess Sol, sententiously. "I think that's the way Timmendiquas looks at it

son all the way across the river," said Ji

d meat for us this ti

ention. Now they took out strips of dried venison with which they were always provided, and ate it slowly. It was not particularly delicious to the taste, but it furnished

nt back an answering cry, a shrill piercing whoop that rose to an extraordinary pitch of intensity, and then sank away gradually in a dy

an' its expected. That's the reason why White Lightnin' has b

ently they saw a fleet of thirty or forty canoes emerge into view, welcomed with loud shouts by the men of Timmendiquas. When the re-enforc

ved distance by making a straight line between curves, but they knew that they would always come back to the stream. Thus it was easy traveling for such capable woodsmen as they. They saw the fle

rallel pursuit the five disc

ng near to a vill

f'less Sol, "an' I think it li

hering? Do they mean to go South against Kentucky? Do they mean to go East against New

got to find out," s

to try. Then we must follow again. It's my opinion that they intend to go further north

w fur north this chase takes us, even ef we come right spang up ag'in' the Gr

t it seems probable to me that we'll

followed at a convenient distance. They observed that the water of the river was now shallowing fast.

ilar signals. Then the fleet swung to the bank, and all the warriors disembarked. Other warriors came throu

e, they followed. The sun was now gone, and only a band of red light lingered on the horizon in the West. It, too, faded quickly as they marched through the woods, and t

and laughed with great freedom. The five in the covert had both

ahead, but yet at some distance. The lights, though scattered, were numerous, and seemed to