Part 25 (2/2)
”Such a proceeding would insure her instant death,” said Mr. Finley.
”And why? Boone can guide us to the direct spot, so there will be no mistake about that, and a quick rally and charge will decide it.”
”You forget, George,” responded the missionary, in his fatherly way, ”that though The Panther has established his camp on the other side of the gulch, all his warriors are not there; some of them are watching us, as best they can, from the sh.o.r.e; by the time we turned about, and long before we could reach land, it would be known to The Panther, or the ambuscade he formed hours ago would be made as effective as though you had all pressed on without halt.”
”Boone said a few minutes ago that if we had daylight instead of darkness to help us, there would be hope.”
”And he is wise, as he always is, for we should have put back at once; and doing so, immediately on the heels of our flight, the Shawanoes would not have been given time to prepare a surprise for us; it is too late now, and the circ.u.mstances prevent any attempt of that nature.”
”Then we can do nothing at all--nothing except to wait until Kenton makes his report,” remarked the father, despairingly.
Instead of replying, the missionary turned to Boone, at his elbow, and whispered something. The pioneer answered in the same guarded manner, and the conversation, inaudible to others, continued for some minutes.
Meanwhile two of the rangers kept toiling at the sweeps, so gently that it did not interfere with what was said and done by the others, and the craft slowly approached the Ohio sh.o.r.e.
Starting up, the missionary looked around and inquired:
”What has become of the canoe Jethro and I brought with us?”
”It floated free during the fight,” replied one of the rangers, ”and he swam after it. I reckon he has reached the other side of the river, and is waiting somewhere along the bank.”
A general turning of heads and peering in different directions followed, but nothing was seen of the missing youth. Several wondered why the reverend gentleman should have made the inquiry, when the more momentous subject was upon all minds, but he offered no explanation.
The wind that had brought the flatboat to this point on the river, and then died out, did not resume its force and direction. It blew gently, but veered around from the north, so that its tendency was to drive the craft back to the Kentucky sh.o.r.e. It required hard work at the sweeps to overcome the momentum, but as the Ohio side was approached the forest shut off and so lessened the power of the wind that the boat was forced in close to the bank and brought to a standstill, where all could leap ash.o.r.e without difficulty.
And now had the missing child been with them all would have been as hopeful as could have been desired. Some seven or eight miles away, and on the same side of the river, stood the strong, rugged block-house, where the small garrison, under charge of the veteran Captain Bushwick, could laugh to scorn the a.s.sault of a force ten times as numerous as that under the leaders.h.i.+p of The Panther.
A distinctly marked trail wound along the northern branch of the Ohio, so that it could be readily followed by the fugitives, even without the escort of the rangers that had been sent out to their a.s.sistance.
Mr. Finley gently suggested that the two families should push on to the block-house, leaving the others to do what they could for the help of the child. Mr. Ashbridge, as quietly but firmly, made answer that neither he, his son nor his wife would move a step until the fate of his child was determined beyond all doubt. Mr. Altman, his wife and daughter Agnes felt the same way, and the good man did not urge his proposal.
”I would probably feel and act the same if I were similarly placed,” he said, with a touch of sympathy which impressed every one. ”You have the sorrowful consolation of knowing that the suspense won't last long--”
”s.h.i.+p ahoy, dar! Show yo' colors!” came in a sepulchral voice from the shadows along sh.o.r.e. All recognized the tones, and before any reply could be made Jethro Juggens paddled up against the prow in his canoe.
”Wasn't suah dat war yo' or de heathen,” he added, stepping over the gunwale and joining his friends, who were all pleased to learn it had gone so well with him.
Called upon to explain, he promptly did so in characteristic style:
”While dat little flurry dat didn't 'mount to nuffin' was gwine on 'long sh.o.r.e, I seed one ob de heathen tryin' to run off wid de canoe. I wasn't gwine to stand nuffin like dat, and I was b'iling mad. So I flopped overboard and swam after de boat; de Injin seed me comin' and tried to dodge, but I cotched him by de heels and whanged his head agin de canoe; den I got in and paddled ash.o.r.e and waited for yo' folks, and hyar I is, and mighty glad to see yo' all.”
No one deemed it worth while to contradict this wild yarn, and Jethro naturally supposed it was believed.
”Friends,” said Mr. Finley, amid the hush that fell upon all, ”Mr. Boone and I, after talking over the matter, have made a change of plan. I shall cross the river to the other side and see what I can do, with the help of Heaven, for the little child.”
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