Part 11 (1/2)

They pulled triggers, there were two sharp reports terribly loud to both under the circ.u.mstances, and three of the biggest and fattest of the turkeys fell heavily to the ground, while the rest flapped their wings, and with frightened gobbles flew away.

Henry was about to rush forward, but Silent Tom held him back.

”Don't show yourself, Henry! Don't show yourself!” he cried in tense tones.

”Why, what's the matter?” asked the boy in surprise.

”Don't you see that three turkeys fell, and we are only two to shoot?

An Injun is layin' 'roun' here some whar, an' he drawed a bead on one uv them turkeys at the same time we did.”

Henry laughed and put away Tom's detaining hand.

”There's no Indian about,” he said. ”I killed two turkeys with one shot, and I'm mighty proud of it, too. I saw that they were directly in the line of the bullet, and it went through both.”

Silent Tom heaved a mighty sigh of relief, drawn up from great depths.

”I'm tre-men-jeous-ly glad uv that, Henry,” he said. ”Now when I saw that third turkey come tumblin' down I wuz sh.o.r.e that one Injun or mebbe more had got on this snug little place uv ourn in the swamp, an' that we'd hev to go to fightin' ag'in. Thar come times, Henry, when my mind just natchally rises up an' rebels ag'in fightin', 'specially when I want to eat or sleep. Ain't thar anythin' else but fight, fight, fight, 'though I 'low a feller hez got to expect a lot uv it out here in the woods?”

They picked up the three turkeys, two gobblers and a hen, and found them large and fat as b.u.t.ter. More than once the wild turkey had come to their relief, and, in fact, this bird played a great part in the life of the frontier, wherever that frontier might be, as it s.h.i.+fted steadily westward. As they walked back toward the hut they faced three figures, all three with leveled rifles.

”All right, boys,” sang out Henry. ”It's n.o.body but Tom and myself, bringing in our breakfast.”

The three dropped their rifles.

”That's good,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol. ”When them shots roused us out o'

our beauty sleep we thought the whole Iroquois nation, horse, foot, artillery an' baggage wagons, wuz comin' down upon us. So we reckoned we'd better go out an' lick 'em afore it wuz too late.

”But it's you, an' you've got turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho' I reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuz loaded down with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all them other Roman and Roos.h.i.+an delicacies Paul talks about in a way to make your mouth water.

But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' but turkeys!”

”You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde,” said Long Jim.

”Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom both to hold you back.”

But s.h.i.+f'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes were glued on the turkeys.

”I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin',” he said, ”but I'm goin'

to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for the coals. The quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me.”

While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lest the sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the stepping stones and scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign of Indian presence, and, relieved, he returned to the islet just as breakfast was ready.

Long Jim had exerted all his surpa.s.sing skill, and it was a contented five that worked on one of the turkeys--the other two being saved for further needs.

”What's goin' to be the next thing in the line of our duty, Henry?”

asked Long Jim as they ate.

”We'll have plenty to do, from all that Sol tells us,” replied the boy.

”It seems that they felt so sure of you, while you were prisoners, that they often talked about their plans where you could hear them. Sol has told me of two or three talks between Timmendiquas and Thayendanegea, and from the last one he gathered that they're intending a raid with a big army against a place called Wyoming, in the valley of a river named the Susquehanna. It's a big settlement, scattered all along the river, and they expect to take a lot of scalps. They're going to be helped by British from Canada and Tories. Boys, we're a long way from home, but shall we go and tell them in Wyoming what's coming?”

”Of course,” said the four together.