The Keepers of the Trail

es, while the stars lay hidden behind mists and vapors, making the conditions suitable fo

went down means rain," said T

onight," s

l come, shore. Them warriors hev built up thei

them and upon it came the

festival," said Paul. "They must have an im

doubt,"

Henry leading, the shiftless one next, then Paul, followed by Long Jim while Silent Tom covered the rear. There was no noise as they p

es trained like theirs in the hardest of all schools, that of continuous danger. Henry twice heard the swish of a heavy night bird over their heads, but he k

ch undergrowth. Here Henry was the first to see a low, barely discernible light upon the eastern horizon, and he called the attention of the oth

hould remain in reserve to cover their retreat, if it were forced, or to go forward to possible rescue, if they did not return befor

e to stay lay close in a clump of bushes growing near the base of a great elm that Henry and Shif'less

gger even than we thou

o went forward with unbelievable skill. Not even the ear of a warrior could have heard them fifteen feet away, an

dor of burning wood became strong, and they saw sparks and wisps of smoke flying among the leaves. Long fierce whoops like the cry

nce," whisp

tless on

orward, like crawling animals. They were coming to one of the openings, like a tiny prairie, frequent in early Ke

for chiefs of high degree. In the center burned an immense bonfire, or rather a group of bonfires, merged i

s of Indian warriors gathered and indulging in one of those savage festivals upon which nobod

f the tribes were perfect little political organizations, and the league of the Iroquois was worthy of a highly civilized race. They

w the Indian and liked him in many respects-his captivity in the northwest had been no

re heaped upon the earth. Every man would seize a piece to suit himself, broil it hastily on coals and then eat. He ate like th

pening. Then he would begin to leap back and forth and chant with unnatural energy. They could keep up this ma

r dance," wh

g incessantly and monotonously upon the Indian drums. These drums (Ga-no-jo) were about a foot in height and the drummer used a single stick. The dance itself wa

der a night sky, heavy with drifting clouds. The whole civilized world had vanished, gone utterly like

awnee, imposing men both, but not the equals of an extremely tall and powerful young chief, who was destined later t

ess, began to feel that his own brain was being heated by it, and he saw as through a dim red mist. The silent and impassive figures of the chiefs seemed to grow in height and size. The bonfires blazed higher, and the mon

The warriors gathered into two great masses, a lane between them. Save the chiefs, all

ver the trees and were borne far by the wind. At intervals, prolonged war whoops were u

aring headdresses of feathers. The drums beat again, furiously now, and the men began to dance, swinging to and fro and

some powerful drug, and their emotions were quickly communicated to all the rest of the band. Fierce howls rose above the chant of the war songs. Warriors

was black and menacing, and the circular ring of woods looked solid like a wall. But within this ring the heat and fur

m was another and older renegade named Blackstaffe, famed along the whole border for his cunning and cruelty. Then he saw

non?" he whispere

ies o' the Injuns hev brought 'em from Detroit to b

ey were not. They were probably the first cannon ever seen in that wilderness, the sisters of those used later with success

himself something wild and fierce in his blood again responded to the primeval appeal the warriors were making. A red haze floated before his eye

nother leaped gladly into his place. The unconscious man

t you?" whispered Henry. "I'd fe

here any longer. 'Sides, we know all we want to know. This is a big war party,

glish and t

kon, that ever come across the Ohio. Our palisades can turn the bullets

us five to see that those two big guns never appear before Wa

kin stop them two cannon it'll be ez much ez winnin' a campaign.

some way or other. We beat off a great attack at Wareville once, but we couldn't stand

in. It's a long way to Wareville, an' while red warriors kin travel fast cannon can't get through a count

uns through the forests and thickets and canebrake, and across so many rivers and creeks

'roun' 'till they've slep' it all off, an' nobody kin move 'em 'till they git ready, even if them Br

d. All that strange influence was gone now. He no longer saw the red mist, and his heart ceased to beat like a hammer. The hea

most of the way the faint echoes of the whoops came to them. When they approached the bushes in which the

d Paul, as they emerged

saw two chiefs, Yellow Panther, the Miami, an' Red Eagle, the Shawnee, that we've had dealin's with

xclaimed Paul. "What

ers and some men too have come from Detroit to help the warriors wipe us out in Kentucky. They've brou

llies, Henry?" said Pa

on wheels, and that speaks

underst

a missile that can smash through a

You surely don't m

glish with 'em, mean to use 'em against us. It's our business to destro

e!" said

e!" said

verything,

we'd better do righ

ndians will be so gorged from their orgie, and will feel so secure f

avin' nothin' else to do, will watch over me all through the rest of the night, an' tomorrow when the sun comes

"Ef thar's anything fannin' you tomorrow, when you wake up, a

carried a light blanket, but very closely woven and warm, upon which he usually slept, drawing a fold over him. The dry leaves and the blankets would ma

he said, and he pushed hi

ty to the soil of a great region in Kentucky. It is this decaying stone or a

containing leaves, and also a strong animal odor, which showed that in t

time of night the opening faced a bit of the moon that had made a way through the clouds, and, Henry peering into the dusky interior, judged that

ps five feet high. He stepped on smooth stone, but as soon as he was inside he stopped and listened intently. He heard a fa

degree, to the dusky interior, he, at length, made out the opposite wall which was of white stone. Stepping carefully he fo

ome of the water from the palm of his hand, found it fresh and cold. He experienced a singular

ors, hundreds of thousands of years ago, would have rejoiced to find such a place, and

sleep here

t?" ask

e found a be

his is

but I hav

t is

no furniture in it now, but we don't need any. It's buil

imestone," hazar

we've had great luck to find it, I tell you, this sto

aitin' a good whil

ace of a trail. This house is intended for us only, and we don't want any

less Sol. "I'm gitt

ad for other reasons as well as safety that they had found their stone house in the hill. T

heavy growth of bushes, but Henry, pulling

" he said to Long J

into a b'ar's mouth? Let Sol go. He's the

fifty was in there, the first bear herd I ever saw, but I killed th

lace, Henry," said Long Jim, "I g

ently in single file, swallowed up by the dusk. Then they stood in a grou

t I done well by you? Isn't our new

hy, we haven't had such a place since that time we lived on the

ook at the river over thar, runnin' along ag'in the wall. 'Tain'

wo or three hundred thousand years ago," said

livin' here two or three hundred thousand years ago! Why, t

It may have been a thousand times as long. Men did live in caves sever

so," said Long Jim, with the bordere

low. He didn't have even bows and arrows.

an' meet the arrers of the Injuns? Why, all uv them warriors kin shoot arrer

no Indians

hat ever come through these parts found the woods full uv 'em. I take a hea

d Paul laughing, "but whether you be

n have we got, T

pinch to last

e shiftless one, "but ez fur me I'm a man o' sense, a lazy ma

n the stone floor, lay

Sol's a man of intelligence, and, as he

"Guess there's no need uv a watch

he room. The others stretched out, even as Shif'less Sol had done, and brea

beside the door, his rifle across his knees. Although saying nothing Henry had paid attention to what Paul had said about the ancient cave man, and now it was easy for his fancy to transform Ross into such a being. The rifle on his knees

e called

ooked

s it?"

, as I'm going to stay by the opening, you

nt on watch

intend t

ll go to

anket, and Henry took