Part 22 (1/2)

By the cras.h.i.+ng of the bushes the fugitives could hear strong parties making their way along the sh.o.r.e in either direction. An hour pa.s.sed, during which the fugitives floated nearly opposite the clearing.

”Hullo!” Peter exclaimed presently. ”There's a canoe coming along the lake. I expect they got it from Cameron's.”

As he spoke a canoe appeared round the point. Two men were standing up holding blazing torches; two others paddled; while two, rifle in hand, sat by them. Almost at the same moment another canoe, similarly manned, pushed out from the sh.o.r.e immediately opposite.

”I wish we had known of that canoe,” Peter said; ”it would have saved us a lot of trouble; but we had no time for looking about. I suspected them settlers must have had one laid up somewheres. Now,” he went on, ”let's make our plans. The canoes are sure to keep pretty nigh each other.

They'll most likely think as we've gone down the lake and'll not be looking very sharply after us at present. It'll never do to let 'em pa.s.s us. Now Jake and I and two of the Injuns will take one canoe, and the chief and three of his braves the other. We must move round so as to get between 'em and the sh.o.r.e, and then dive and come up close to 'em. Now, Harold, do you swim out a bit further and then make a splash so as to call their attention. Do it once or twice till you see that they've got their eyes turned that way. Then be very quiet, so as to keep 'em watching for another sound. That'll be our moment for attacking 'em.”

They waited till the two canoes joined each other and paddled slowly out from the sh.o.r.e. Then the eight swimmers started off to make their _detour_, while Harold swam quietly further out into the lake. The canoes were about three hundred yards from sh.o.r.e and were paddling very slowly, the occupants keeping a fixed look along the lake. There was perfect quiet on the sh.o.r.e now, and when Harold made a slight splash with his hand upon the water he saw that it was heard. Both canoes stopped rowing, the steerers in each case giving them a steer so that they lay broadside to the land, giving each man a view over the lake.

They sat as quiet as if carved in stone. Again Harold made a splash, but this time a very slight one, so slight that it could hardly reach the ears of the listeners.

A few words were exchanged by the occupants of the boats.

”They are further out on the lake, Bill,” one said.

”I am not sure,” another answered. ”I rather think the sound was further down. Listen again.”

Again they sat motionless. Harold swam with his eyes fixed upon them.

Every face was turned his way and none was looking sh.o.r.eward. Then, almost at the same instant there was a shout from both boats. The men with torches seemed to lose their balance. The lights described a half circle through the air and were extinguished. A shout of astonishment broke from the occupants, mingled with the wild Seneca war-yell, and he knew that both canoes were upset.

There was a sound of a desperate struggle going on. Oaths and wild cries rose from the water. Heavy blows were struck, while from the sh.o.r.e arose loud shouts of dismay and rage. In two minutes all was quiet on the water. Then came Peter's shout:

”This way, Harold! We'll have the canoes righted and bailed in a minute.

The varmin's all wiped out.”

With a lightened heart Harold swam toward the spot. The surprise had been a complete success. The occupants of the canoes, intent only upon the pursuit and having no fear of attack--for they knew that the fugitives must have thrown away their rifles--were all gazing intently out on the lake, when, close to each canoe on the sh.o.r.e side, four heads rose from out of the water. In an instant eight hands had seized the gunwales, and, before the occupants were aware of their danger, the canoes were upset.

Taken wholly by surprise, the Americans were no match for their a.s.sailants. The knives of the latter did their work before the frontiersmen had thoroughly grasped what had happened. Two or three, indeed, had made a desperate fight, but they were no match for their opponents, and the struggle was quickly over.

On Harold reaching the canoes he found them already righted and half emptied of water. The paddles were picked up, and, in a few minutes, with a derisive shout of adieu to their furious enemy on the sh.o.r.e, the two canoes paddled out into the lake. When they had attained a distance of about half a mile from the sh.o.r.e they turned the boats heads and paddled north. In three hours they saw lights in the wood.

”There's the troops,” Peter said. ”Soldiers are never content unless they're making fires big enough to warn every redskin within fifty miles that they're coming.”

As they approached the sh.o.r.e the challenge from the English sentinel came over the water:

”Who comes there?”

”Friends,” Peter replied.

”Give the pa.s.sword.”

”How on arth am I to give the pa.s.sword,” Peter shouted back, ”when we've been three days away from the camp?”

”If you approach without the pa.s.sword I fire,” the sentinel said.

”I tell ye,” Peter shouted, ”we're scouts with news for the general.”

”I can't help who you are,” the sentinel said. ”I have got my orders.”