the scouts of the valley- 第6部分

Henry　followed　the　current　toward　the　south；　while　Sol　moved　up　the　stream。　　The　boy　went　cautiously　through　the　dense　foliage；　and　the　creek　soon　grew　wider　and　shallower。　　At　a　distance　of　about　three　hundred　yards　lie　came　to　a　point　where　it　could　be　waded　easily。　　Then　he　uttered　the　low　cry　that　was　their　signal；　and　went　back　to　meet　Shif'less　Sol。　　He　reached　the　exact　point　at　which　they　had　parted；　and　waited。　　The　shiftless　one　did　not　come。　　The　last　of　his　comrades　was　gone；　and　he　was　alone　in　the　forest。




CHAPTER　III

THE　HUT　ON　THE　ISLET


Henry　Ware　waited　at　least　a　quarter　of　an　hour　by　the　creek　on　the　exact　spot　at　which　he　and　Solomon　Hyde；　called　the　shiftless　one；　had　parted；　but　he　knew　all　the　while　that　his　last　comrade　was　not　coming。　　The　same　powerful　and　mysterious　hand　that　swept　the　others　away　had　taken　him；　the　wary　and　cunning　Shif'less　Sol；　master　of　forest　lore　and　with　all　the　five　senses　developed　to　the　highest　pitch。　　Yet　his　powers　had　availed　him　nothing；　and　the　boy　again　felt　that　cold　chill　running　down　his　spine。

Henry　expected　the　omnipotent　force　to　come　against　him；　also；　but　his　instinctive　caution　made　him　turn　and　creep　into　the　thickest　of　the　forest；　continuing　until　he　found　a　place　in　the　bushes　so　thoroughly　hidden　that　no　one　could　see　him　ten　feet　away。　　There　he　lay　down　and　rapidly　ran　over　in　his　mind　the　events　connected　with　the　four　disappearances。　　They　were　few；　and　he　had　little　on　which　to　go；　but　his　duty　to　seek　his　four　comrades；　since　he　alone　must　do　it；　was　all　the　greater。　　Such　a　thought　as　deserting　them　and　fleeing　for　his　own　life　never　entered　his　mind。　　He　would　not　only　seek　them；　but　he　would　penetrate　the　mystery　of　the　power　that　had　taken　them。

It　was　like　him　now　to　go　about　his　work　with　calmness　and　method。　　To　approach　an　arduous　task　right　one　must　possess　freshness　and　vigor；　and　one　could　have　neither　without　sleep。　　His　present　place　of　hiding　seemed　to　be　as　secure　as　any　that　could　be　found。　　So　composing　himself　he　took　all　chances　and　sought　slumber。　　Yet　it　needed　a　great　effort　of　the　will　to　calm　his　nerves；　and　it　was　a　half　hour　before　he　began　to　feel　any　of　the　soothing　effect　that　precedes　sleep。　　But　fall　asleep　he　did　at　last；　and；　despite　everything；　he　slept　soundly　until　the　morning。

Henry　did　not　awake　to　a　bright　day。　　The　sun　had　risen；　but　it　was　obscured　by　gray　clouds；　and　the　whole　heavens　were　somber。　　A　cold　wind　began　to　blow；　and　with　it　came　drops　of　rain。　　He　shivered　despite　the　enfolding　blanket。　　The　coming　of　the　morning　had　invariably　brought　cheerfulness　and　increase　of　spirits；　but　now　he　felt　depression。　　He　foresaw　heavy　rain　again；　and　it　would　destroy　any　but　the　deepest　trail。　　Moreover；　his　supplies　of　food　were　exhausted　and　he　must　replenish　them　in　some　manner　before　proceeding　further。

A　spirit　even　as　bold　and　strong　as　Henry's　might　well　have　despaired。　　He　had　found　his　comrades；　only　to　lose　them　again；　and　the　danger　that　had　threatened　them；　and　the　elements　as　well；　now　threatened　him；　too。　　An　acute　judge　of　sky　and　air；　he　knew　that　the　rain；　cold；　insistent；　penetrating；　would　fall　all　day；　and　that　he　must　seek　shelter　if　he　would　keep　his　strength。　　The　Indians　themselves　always　took　to　cover　at　such　times。

He　wrapped　the　blanket　around　himself；　covering　his　body　well　from　neck　to　ankle；　putting　his　rifle　just　inside　the　fold；　but　with　his　hand　upon　it；　ready　for　instant　use　if　it　should　be　needed。　　Then　he　started；　walking　straight　ahead　until　he　came　to　the　crown　of　a　little　hill。　　The　clouds　meanwhile　thickened；　and　the　rain；　of　the　kind　that　he　had　foreseen　and　as　cold　as　ice；　was　blown　against　him。　　The　grass　and　bushes　were　reeking；　and　his　moccasins　became　sodden。　　Despite　the　vigorous　walking；　lie　felt　the　wet　cold　entering　his　system。　　There　come　times　when　the　hardiest　must　yield；　and　be　saw　the　increasing　need　of　refuge。

He　surveyed　the　country　attentively　from　the　low　hill。　　All　around　was　a　dull　gray　horizon　from　which　the　icy　rain　dripped　everywhere。　　There　was　no　open　country。　　All　was　forest；　and　the　heavy　rolling　masses　of　foliage　dripped　with　icy　water；　too。

Toward　the　south　the　land　seemed　to　dip　down；　and　Henry　surmised　that　in　a　valley　he　would　be　more　likely　to　find　the　shelter　that　he　craved。　　He　needed　it　badly。　　As　he　stood　there　he　shivered　again　and　again　from　head　to　foot；　despite　the　folds　of　the　blanket。　　So　he　started　at　once；　walking　fast；　and　feeling　little　fear　of　a　foe。　　It　was　not　likely　that　any　would　be　seeking　him　at　such　a　time。　　The　rain　struck　him　squarely　in　the　face　now。　　Water　came　from　his　moccasins　every　time　his　foot　was　pressed　against　the　earth；　and；　no　matter　how　closely　he　drew　the　folds　of　the　blanket；　little　streams　of　it；　like　ice　to　the　touch；　flowed　down　his　neck　and　made　their　way　under　his　clothing。　　He　could　not　remember　a　time　when　he　had　felt　more　miserable。

He　came　in　about　an　hour　to　the　dip　which；　as　he　had　surmised；　was　the　edge　of　a　considerable　valley。　　He　ran　down　the　slope；　and　looked　all　about　for　some　place　of　shelter；　a　thick　windbreak　in　the　lee　of　a　hill；　or　an　outcropping　of　stone；　but　he　saw　neither；　and；　as　he　continued　the　search；　he　came　to　marshy　ground。　　He　saw　ahead　among　the　weeds　and　bushes　the　gleam　of　standing　pools；　and　he　was　about　to　turn　back；　when　he　noticed　three　or　four　stones；　in　a　row　and　about　a　yard　from　one　another；　projecting　slightly　above　the　black　muck。　　It　struck　him　that　the　stones　would　not　naturally　be　in　the　soft　mud；　and；　his　curiosity　aroused；　he　stepped　lightly　from　one　stone　to　another。　　When　he　came　to　the　last　stone　that　he　had　seen　from　the　hard　ground　he　beheld　several　more　that　had　been　hidden　from　him　by　the　bushes。　　Sure　now　that　he　had　happened　upon　something　not　created　by　nature　alone；　he　followed　these　stones；　leading　like　steps　into　the　very　depths　of　the　swamp；　which　was　now　deep　and　dark　with　ooze　all　about　him。　　He　no　longer　doubted　that　the　stones；　the　artificial　presence　of　which　might　have　escaped　the　keenest　eye　and　most　logical　mind；　were　placed　there　for　a　purpose；　and　he　was　resolved　to　know　its　nature。

The　stepping　stones　led　him　about　sixty　yards　into　the　swamp；　and　the　last　thirty　yards　were　at　an　angle　from　the　first　thirty。　　Then　he　came　to　a　bit　of　hard　ground；　a　tiny　islet　in　the　mire；　upon　which　he　could　stand　without　sinking　at　all。　　He　looked　back　from　there；　and　he　could　not　see　his　point　of　departure。　　Bushes；　weeds；　and　saplings　grew　out　of　the　swamp　to　a　height　of　a　dozen　or　fifteen　feet；　and　he　was　inclosed　completely。　　All　the　vegetation　dripped　with　cold　water；　and　the　place　was　one　of　the　most　dismal　that　he　had　ever　seen。　　But　he　had　no　thought　of　turning　back。

Henry　made　a　shrewd　guess　as　to　whither　the　path　led；　but　he　inferred　from　the　appearance　of　the　stepping　stones…chiefly　from　the　fact　that　an　odd　one　here　and　there　had　sunk　completely　out　of　sight…that　they　had　not　been　used　in　a　long　time；　perhaps　for　years。　　He　found　on　the　other　side　of　the　islet　a　second　line　of　　stones；　and　they　led　across　a　marsh；　that　was　almost　like　a　black　liquid；　to　another　and　larger　island。

Here　the　ground　was　quite　firm；　supporting　a　thick　growth　of　large　trees。　　　It　seemed　to　Henry　that　this　island　might　be　seventy　or　eighty　yards　across；　and　he　began　at　once　to　explore　it。　　In　the　center；　surrounded　so　closely　by　swamp　oaks　that　they　almost　formed　a　living　wall；　he　found　what　he　had　hoped　to　find；　and　his　relief　was　so　great　that；　despite　his　natural　and　trained　stoicism；　he　gave　a　little　cry　of　pleasure　when　he　saw　it。

A　small　lodge；　made　chiefly　of　poles　and　bark　after　the　Iroquois　fashion；　stood　within　the　circle　of　the　trees；　occupying　almost　the　whole　of　the　space。　　It　was　apparently　abandoned　long　ago；　and　time　and　weather　had　done　it　much　damage。　　But　the　bark　walls；　although　they　leaned　in　places　at　dangerous　angles；　still　stood。　　The　bark　roof　was　pierced　by　holes　on　one　side；　but　on　the　other　it　was　still　solid；　and　shed　all　the　rain　from　its　slope。

The　door　was　open；　but　a　shutter　made　of　heavy　pieces　of　bark　cunningly　joined　together　leaned　against　the　wall；　and　Henry　saw　that　he　could　make　use　of　it。　　He　　stepped　inside。　　The　hut　had　a　bark　floor　which　was　dry　on　one　side；　where　the　roof　was　solid；　but　dripping　on　the　other。　　Several　old　articles　of　Indian　use　lay　about。　　In　one　corner　was　a　basket　woven　of　split　willow　and　still　fit　for　service。　　There　were　pieces　of　thread　made　of　Indian　hemp　and　the　inner　bark　of　the　elm。　　There　were　also　a　piece　of　pottery　and　a　large；　beautifully　carved　wooden　spoon　such　as　every　Iroquois　carried。　　In　the　corner　farthest　from　the　door　was　a　rude　fireplace　made　of　large　flat　stones；　although　there　was　no　opening　for　the　smoke。

Henry　surveyed　it　all　thoughtfully；　and　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　a　hut　for　hunting；　built　by　some　warrior　of　an　inquiring　mind　who　had　found　this　secret　place；　and　who　had　recognized　its　possibilities。　　Here　after　an　expedition　for　game　he　could　lie　hidden　from　enemies　and　take　his　comfort　without　fear。　　Doubtless　he　had　sat　in　this　hut　on　rainy　days　like　the　present　one　and　smoked　his　pipe　in　the　long；　patient　calm　of　which　the　Indian　is　capable。

Yes；　there　was　the　pipe；　unnoticed　before；　trumpet　shaped　and　carved　beautifully；　lying　on　a　small　bark　shelf。　　Henry　picked　it　tip　and　examined　the　bowl。　　It　was　as　dry　as　a　bone；　and　not　a　particle　of　tobacco　was　left　there。　　He　believed　that　it　had　not　been　used　for　at　least　a　year。　　Doubtless　the　Indian　who　had　built　this　hunting　lodge　had　fallen　in　some　foray；　and　the　secret　of　it　had　been　lost　until　Henry　Ware；　seeking　through　the　cold　and　rain；　had　stumbled　upon　it。

It　was　nothing　but　a　dilapidated　little　lodge　of　poles　and　bark；　all　a…leak；　but　the　materials　of　a　house　were　there；　and　Henry　was　strong　and　skillful。　　He　covered　the　holes　in　tile　roof　with　fallen　pieces　of　bark；　laying　heavy　pieces　of　wood　across　them　to　hold　them　in　place。　　Then　he　lifted　the　bark　shutter　into　position　and　closed　the　door。　　Some　drops　of　rain　still　came　in　through　the　roof；　but　they　were　not　many；　and　he　would　not　mind　them　for　the　present。　　Then　he　opened　the　door　and