The Keepers of the Trail

ss his knee, and his figure motionless. He carried in his belt a pistol, the keen hatchet of the border and also a long hunting knife, but it was the rifle u

tained complete command over his body. He could see from his position the bushes beyond the opening, and, above them

orm, and the most hardened hunters and scouts were glad of shelter when the great winds and rains came. The dryness and safety of the room made Henry feel all the more snug

theirs, and the rifle on his knees was far superior to any club that was ever made. His nerves quivered beneath a thrill of pleasure that was both mental and physical. His eyes had learned to cope with

saw lightning, dim at first and very distant, then growing brighter until it came, keen, hard and brillian

bright that it dazzled his eyes. One bolt struck near with a tremendous shock and the air w

rm!" h

can't reach us here. You might

w an' when to be lazy," said t

, and the thunder rolled and crashed with extraordinary violence. But he now heard an under note, one that he knew, the swish of the wind. It, too, grew fast an

ugh like bullets. He also heard the crash of falling trees, and one was blown down directly in front of the opening, hiding it almost completely. He was not sorry. Some

g, and at last he saw a thin shade of gray appear in the eastern sky. Day was near, although it would be dark with the storm. But that need not trouble them. On the other hand it would be to their advantage. The great camp of th

rain still pouring. It was several hours after sunrise before it ce

I never heard a t

good sleeper, you are, Paul. Put you atween fine white sheets, with a feather bed under your bod

ld. It's a sound

rld I didn't open my eyes. I jest went to sleep ag'in an' now, ef thar wuz anythin' to

d venison for the present. You'll find plenty of drinking water over

e we've had this noble inn I'm not sorry about the

ay have left yesterday or last nig

ought to do now, Henry

do anything today, and there is no need, since the Indians can't move.

eddicated like you an' Henry, Paul, but I kin do a power o' hard thinkin'. Now, ef Jim tries to think it makes his head ache so bad that

'less Sol," said Long Jim, "my scalp would hev b

hangin' thar. You hev got

leaves. The rising sun, brilliant and powerful, had now driven away all the clouds. The sky was once more a shining blue, all the brighter because it had been washed and scoured anew by wind and rain. The green of the for

r campfires anew, and were trying to dry themselves out. Indians as well as white men suffer from rain and cold and Henry knew that they would be sluggish an

ee at the entrance, but slipped out between the boughs, and walking on dead leaves and fallen brushwood, in order to leave as little trace as possible, reached the valley below. This low area o

had tents. They wouldn't go on so long an expedition as this without

site of their camp is not more than a mile distant now

smell smoke, and it's the smo

of the officers. We'll have to be slow and mighty par

silvery moonlight and the three used every tree and bush as they approached the point from which the tobacco smoke came. The w

ions are not to be taken lightly, W

es. "There are no roads in the wilderness. If we want one

ould move fast

'em. We can't break throug

arriors can annihilate anyth

sir, when we attacked

ership! Lack

the things they can do with their rifles are amazing. A musket is like an old-fashioned arquebus compared with their long-barreled weapons. I know one of

o speak!" said the heavy, gruff vo

was telling you about the one who is such a terrible marksman, though the others are nearly as good. Last night before the rain one of the Wyandots found the trace of a

ould we care anything f

rous, sir, I repeat, and he's su

l five?" There was a not

man of amazing skill and judgment. The other two are Tom Ross, a wonderful scout and hunter, and Long Jim Hart, the fastest runner in the West

lled Alloway, was a man of middle years, heavily built. His confident face and aggressive manner indicated that he was some such man as Braddock, who in spite of every warning b

with Wyatt. The older renegade, Blackstaffe, was leaning against a tree, his arms folded across his chest, a sneering l

hey had not spoken either while Alloway and Wyatt talked. They were imposing men, not as tall as the young chief whom Henry had seen distantly, and who was destined to have

d flung about him somewhat in the manner of a Roman toga a magnificent

at length raising his hand said to Wyatt in Shawnee, w

he goes upon the war path does not laugh at his enemy. He knows that he is

a little, and gaze with some apprehension at the two massive and silent figures, regarding him so steadily. It was likely too that the grim forest, the

the settlements of the Yengees, lest they grow powerful and help their brethren in the East who are fighting against the King called George, we are

el was making too little of the five and their possible proximity. Despite himself, and the young renegade was bold, he felt a shiver o

ute men, trusting in their own methods, and they must be humored. If you don't defer somewhat t

olution to suppress it. He looked around at the vast and somber fore

chiefs and I lead jointly

the two chiefs a

send out all of their best trailers in search of the scout called Ware and his comrades. They a

t of it. "We'll halt while the warriors brush a

ttered by Braxton Wyatt's frank admission of their power, but they were annoyed that the footprint had b

k with the officer. It's possible that they're now between us and our new home in the cliff. It's always best to have a plan, and if the

said Shif'less Sol, protest

d upon our different tasks,

the utmost caution, through the woods. Twice, the red trailers passed near them, and they flattened themselves against the ground to escape observation. Henry did not believe now that they could

sed. Henry saw them through the screening bushes on the bank of the gully, their questing eyes eager and fierce. At the first trace of

e and resumed their progress. "Warm, purty warm, mighty wa

d the edge of a brook. But the bank, softened by the rain, cru

hat could be heard many yards away. From three points came fierce triumphan

your trail and curve about until you re

n of the forest summoned all his faculties. He called to his service his immense strength and agility, his extreme acuteness of sigh

irit flowed up in him. He was the hunted. Nevertheless it was sport to him to be followed thus. He laughed low and under his breath, and then, swelling the cords in his throat, he gave utterance to a

y would come on a vain errand. It taunted them, and aroused every kind of anger in their breasts. No Indian could remain calm under that cry

rd everything. He made no effort to conceal his trail, because he wanted it to be seen and he knew that th

. He listened for the answering shouts of the warriors, and felt relieved when they came. The spirit that was shooting through his vei

down with red, distended eyes at the flying youth, and, in the face of the unknown, using the wisdom that is the owl's own, flew heavily away from the forest. Some pigeons, probably a part of the same flock that he had seen, rose with a whirr from a bough and strea

avily and the red trailer lay still in the undergrowth. A little farther on a second fired at him, and now he sent his own bullet in reply. The warrior fell back with a cr

had left behind the outermost fringe of the scouts and trailers. He would encounter nobody lying in ambush, and,

shot without his knowledge. So, he sat quite still, taking deep breaths, and was without apprehension. He was not really we

might easily lose himself if the pursuit continued. Whether it continued or not was a matter of sheer indifference to him. He had d

e leaped lightly from stone to stone, until he knew the trail was broken beyond the possibility of finding, when he sat down between two great upthrust roots of an oak and leaned back against turf and

ayed upon these fierce red warriors. It had been an easy task, too. Save the two hasty shots from the trailers he had never been in

sition for a seasoned forest runner. Toward morning the wind rose and began to sing through the spring foliage. Its song grew louder, and before it was

ds, but he could see some distance into it, and he saw nothing. He listened a long time, and as the dusk began to thin away before the

l expedition which had already gone into the South and which was now returning. But he did not like the character of th

mples beat so hard that for a while it made a little singing in his h

red yards or so, and crouched behind dense bushes. The singers came on, about twenty warriors in single file, Shawnees by their p

s that of a woman. The warrior who waved it aloft, as he chanted, wore only the breech cloth, his nake

anced before them. The song of the wind before the dawn had aroused him to his coming

y attuned and he was a perfect instrument of vengeance. The rifle rose to his shoulder and he looked down the sights at a tiny bear painted in blue directly over the warrior's heart. Then he pulled the

ad shown him that the warriors, confused and puzzled at first, were standing in an excited group, looking down at their d

ors who waved the scalps, and he now had a cold and settled purpose. He intentionally made noise as he ran, le

dvantage of at least fifty yards. He let them come a little nearer, and, as the country was now more open they saw

d man in the pursuing group, a tall thin warrior, had been waving a scalp. Even now it was swinging at his belt,

esire for vengeance. The Indians had hesitated, but now they uttered the war whoop all together, and came on at their utmost speed. Henry noted the third

ly and then limped for a step or two. The simultaneous yell of the Indians was fierce and exultant, bu

at rate, and, as the warriors were no longer anxi