The Trail of the Seneca by Burt L. Standish
CHAPTER VII--THE SECRET LEAD MINE
"Listen, White Fox, listen, my Paleface brother," said Fishing Birdsoftly as he took Kingdom's hand and drew him gently into the barn; thendropping his voice to a whisper:
"Lone-Elk has been here. All night did Fishing Bird watch and followhim. Then Fishing Bird hid here for maybe Lone-Elk be coming back whenwhite brother still was sleeping. Morning comes now. No more danger."
How to thank this friendly Indian Ree did not know. As he realized thehardship Fishing Bird had undergone to guard him from the wily, craftySeneca, his voice trembled with emotion in trying to express hisgratitude. Almost in the same breath he begged further information andan explanation of Lone-Elk's presence; asked to know how, in thedarkness, the Delaware had been able to watch him without being himselfdiscovered. Where had Lone-Elk gone? Why had he come at all?
Seated on a little mound of hay, well within the stable yet where hecould readily see out, and dividing his attention between the clearingand Kingdom, who sat beside him, Fishing Bird told his story.
He had feared from the beginning that his warning to the two white boysto flee would be unheeded, he said, and so determined, since he couldgive them no assistance, that he would at least keep his eyes onLone-Elk. The Delawares had accepted the proposal of the Seneca that thedeath of Big Buffalo be not allowed to break up the Harvest Festivalentirely, and so the night of the feast day had been spent inmerry-making, as the custom was.
With but little rest the morning after the festival, however, FishingBird went on in his own simple but honest way. Lone-Elk, calling on asmany as wished to do so to accompany him, had set out for the house ofthe Palefaces. It was his purpose first to locate Little Paleface andcatch him off his guard, lest by witchcraft he should bring harm to theIndians before they could lay hands on him, Fishing Bird explained. Soall day the Indians had watched the cabin and kept themselves hidden sothat they would not easily be seen even if in approaching their home theboys should come upon them suddenly from behind.
Lone-Elk told the Delawares that a crow, which flew down in thecornfield, was almost certainly Little Paleface himself, and as nightcame on he assured them that the witch would either be found in thecabin in the natural form of a man or be caught trying to escape in theform of a bird.
Some had asked why the witch would not simply become an animal or acloud or some such thing and so easily evade them, but the Seneca's onlyanswer to this was a growl at their ignorance and a hint that onlychildren asked such questions.
Much that Fishing Bird told him was so nearly the same as Kingdom hadpreviously guessed that the information was in no way surprising. Butone thing which did surprise and interest him a great deal was thefriendly Delaware's account of the escape of John Jerome.
Fishing Bird, having no belief in Lone-Elk's talk of witchcraft andbeing anxious to aid in the escape, rather than the capture of theso-called witch, was even more intent in watching all that went on thanwere any of the others, Lone-Elk excepted. In this way he accounted forhis discovery of some object beside the river bank in the darkness as heand two other Delawares were paddling noiselessly toward the cabin--anobject which he partially recognized, though none of the others so muchas suspected its presence. Solely for the purpose of giving warning hehad made sounds which would be heard and which, he was certain, had beenheeded.
Ree could only thank his loyal friend again and again and he did nothesitate to tell the faithful fellow that he had almost certainly savedJohn Jerome from capture. This pleased Fishing Bird greatly. Hispleasure was quite equal to that of a child which is praised for someduty well done.
"In fact," added Kingdom, putting his hand gratefully on the Delaware'sarm, "we can never begin to pay you back for all you have done for us.But still you can help us so much more that I want to feel that I candepend on you. I won't ask anything of you which is going to get youinto trouble, and if I do, you must tell me. Neither do I want you to doanything or tell me anything which you do not feel that you canwillingly do or tell. Is this fair and friendly, Fishing Bird?"
The Indian thoughtfully nodded.
"First then, why did Lone-Elk come back here in the night?"
The Delaware did not know and said so.
"I can guess that, anyhow," Kingdom went on. "But here's a moreimportant question, Fishing Bird. Who, or what, do you think, killed BigBuffalo?"
The Indian shook his head. Kingdom scarcely knew whether he meant thathe did not know or that he did not wish to tell. But he tried anotherquestion.
"Was it Lone-Elk?"
For a second or two there was no reply. "Yes, maybe Lone-Elk killed BigBuffalo," came the answer, but the tone even more than the wordsexpressed doubt.
"Well, can you tell me this, Fishing Bird: What is the secret of theSeneca's power among the Delawares and why is he a wanderer and anoutcast from his own nation and his own tribe? We all know that he is asort of a fugitive, yet even Captain Pipe allows him the greatestliberty."
"Listen," said the Indian slowly and solemnly, "Paleface brothers mustsee always that no hurt comes to Lone-Elk, the Seneca. Yes, Lone-Elk ishated and Lone-Elk is hunted by his own people; but listen, White Fox,listen to this: Lone-Elk and no other knows where much lead for bulletsis hidden in the ground. To Captain Pipe and to all the DelawaresLone-Elk brings lead--sometimes bullets, too--always lead. No, no!Lone-Elk will never show where lead comes from, so must no hurt come tohim. Anything Paleface brother asks will Fishing Bird do, but ifLone-Elk dies who will know where lead is found! Lead placed in theground by the Great Spirit for his children, the Delawares; for that isas Lone-Elk tells them."
Kingdom could not help smiling slightly at the simple earnestness of theIndian, but he was interested, too, greatly interested. Once or twicebefore he had heard Delawares make secret references to the finding oflead in the earth somewhere in the locality of the Cuyahoga river. Nowhe was convinced that a mine existed, the location of which was knownonly to the scheming Seneca.
"So that is why Captain Pipe harbors the fellow though he knows that hishistory is so bad," spoke Kingdom, partly to the Indian, partly tohimself.
"White Fox knows how all the Indians look always now for muchpowder--much lead," the Delaware returned. He was thinking of thetrouble along the border and the fighting which was sure to follow themarch of "Mad Anthony" Wayne's army into the Indian country to avengethe killing of so many of St. Clair's men the year before.
Kingdom read Fishing Bird's meaning easily as print, though never untilnow had he realized how fully the redskins were planning for theexpected battle, nor guessed how completely posted they were concerningthe probable object of the troops Wayne was assembling on the Ohio belowFort Pitt.
"But you followed the Seneca, Fishing Bird. You watched him nearly allnight, you say. Tell me, then, if Lone-Elk must not be harmed, what canyou do, what am I to do if he makes trouble? Are we to let him driveLittle Paleface from home--and me too? For of course if my friend cannotbe with me, I shall not wish to stay here."
The friendly Delaware shrugged his shoulders and looked puzzled.Glancing up, however, and seeing that Kingdom was waiting for him toanswer, he slowly shook his head. "Maybe White Fox can find how BigBuffalo died. Maybe Palefaces can tell Captain Pipe that and thenLone-Elk can talk of witches no more."
"Yes, but what if Lone-Elk kills somebody before somebody can do this?"Ree inquired.
"When Lone-Elk comes to do that then Lone-Elk must be killed," FishingBird admitted rather reluctantly. But to show that he meant what hesaid, he now told at some length how he had followed the Seneca from theDelaware village all the way back to the cabin of the two white boys,when he found the crafty fellow stealing away after the return from thefruitless watch and search for John Jerome the preceding day and night.He left no room for doubt that he would have given Kingdom warning ofthe fellow's presence if necessary; but Ree could not help but believethat his friend had also some other reason for spying upon Lone-Elk'smovements.
"This 'talk'
"All the Delawares ask how came Big Buffalo to die," was the Indian'sonly answer; and presently, though Kingdom asked him to remain, heslipped away, and wading the river at a place not usually used forcrossing, quickly disappeared in the thick brush of the western bank.
In spite of the restless night he had spent and his weariness andanxiety, Ree made all possible haste with his breakfast and morning workin house and barn and hastened away to meet John Jerome. He must carrysome provisions to him and let him know all that he had heard beforestarting for the Delaware town.
The distance to the place of meeting which the two boys had finallyagreed upon was four miles or more, the spot a well hidden gully runningback from the river until it lost itself in a dense growth ofunderbrush. From the midst of this matted mass there sprang up a greathollow whitewood tree with a large opening at the base. The lads hadonce hidden some traps there and knew the place well. In this naturalshelter they would be quite free from possible observation, and anythingleft there would be little likely to be found by straggling Indianshunting in the vicinity.
With much anxiety Kingdom approached the meeting place. The day had comeon dull and cloudy but still and in the vast silence of theleaf-carpeted forest the moist air made his every footfall seeminglyloud and heavy. Yet listen as he did, even holding his breath, Ree heardnot a sound to indicate that he would find John waiting for him. Thiswas the more surprising because of Jerome's customary carelessness sofar as being very quiet was concerned.
Even when he reached the thicket in which the old whitewood stood,Kingdom listened in vain for the slightest signal to indicate that hiscoming was expected. He had had no doubt John would be at the place longbefore he himself arrived. What else would he have to do save wait andwatch?
"Covered his trail better than he usually does if he has been anywherenear here!" Ree ejaculated beneath his breath when, after making theentire circuit of the mass of underbrush, he found nothing. Heavyhearted, he sat down with his back to a large maple to wait.
Now what Kingdom should have done, of course, was to make hisinvestigation thorough before he concluded that John had not come.Ordinarily he would have done so--would have gone to the bottom of thesubject before he reached a final conclusion; but as many another hasdone before and since he let a peck of troubles become greater still byshouldering some with which he might much better not have burdenedhimself, taking for granted, as it were, that trouble was his portion.
It was and is a bad thing to do. The fact was that while Kingdom waitedon and on, trying not to worry, but thinking very unhappy thoughtsindeed, John Jerome, curled among some dry leaves in the base of thegreat hollow tree, snoozed as composedly as ever he did in his far awayhome in Connecticut.
Kingdom rose to his feet. Something must be done! He shook off his heavythoughts and stood for a moment to consider. It was the movement of hisrising, perhaps, that awakened John. He, also, rose to his feet. Heheard soft footsteps among the leaves and peeped out. He heard them moreplainly and hurried cautiously to a part of the thicket from which hecould see beyond the brush. There was Kingdom marching away through thewoods as if he were going somewhere and in a hurry to arrive.
A whistle which might have been the call of a squirrel sounded. It was asignal both boys used for each other in the woods, and in anotherinstant the needless burden had rolled off Ree's mind. What a sea offresh difficulties must certainly have come to both of them but for thechance awakening of John, in the nick of time, the two boys did not longdiscuss.
"But you would have come into the tree to leave some grub for me,anyway, Ree," said John.
"Hanged if I thought of such a thing!" Kingdom answered. "You don'tdeserve it, nohow! Going to sleep and keeping me in such a stew aboutyou!" he added good-naturedly.
The lads were both seated on the ground inside the protecting whitewoodnow, and John, having long since eaten the provisions with which he lefthome, was making good use of those Ree brought. He had, he declared,with venison in one hand and bread in the other, a more immoderateappetite than any well-behaved witch should ever have.
John's friendly feeling for Fishing Bird was certainly not diminished bywhat Ree told him concerning the good turns the faithful Delaware haddone both of them. He quickly verified the statement that he had beenwarned by the voice of Fishing Bird at the brink of the river the nightbefore, though he had little suspected the source from which came the"Ughs" he heard.
More than all else, however, excepting Ree's own personal safety at thecabin, was John interested in the hidden lead mine of which Lone-Elkalone possessed definite knowledge. He declared at once his intention ofimproving his time in exile by watching the woods for the Seneca andfollowing him wherever he went.
"You'll do nothing of the kind, my boy," said Kingdom with playfulaffection, but yet very earnestly. "I more than half suspect that onereason Fishing Bird follows and watches Lone-Elk is the expectation thathe will find out where the mine is. With two of you on the Seneca'strail, it is altogether too certain that he will find you out. And, markthis good and seriously, John, there's no doubt whatever but thatLone-Elk would rather scalp you than not. I don't think for a minute,mind you, that he believes his own witch stories. But he means businessin the whole bad mess he has made for us. I'm confident he will notbother me very much, but for all practical purposes he has fullpermission and authority to take your topknot the first chance he gets.It's the witch law of pretty much all the Indians and of all theIroquois. The Delawares have all the Iroquois customs from having beensubject to them for so long, years ago. So we know what we will have toreckon with."
Jerome was rather inclined to demur but Kingdom would not hear to artyplan but that he should remain carefully in hiding.
"Well, then, I'll tell you what I'll do," John suggested, as a finaleffort to gain more freedom than Ree believed wise, "I'll take two orthree days to myself and make a pilgrimage to the 'salt lick' over bythe Mahoning river. Oh, I'll be wary! I'll look sharp enough, don't youfear!" he added, seeing what Ree was about to say.
And so it was agreed that while Kingdom undertook to clear up themystery of the death of Big Buffalo, Jerome should keep himself occupiedand out of sight by the journey he proposed. The plan, like many anotherplan, far more carefully deliberated upon, had, as events proved, a mostimportant bearing on the future.
But no man can tell what the next day, aye, the next hour, the nextminute, will bring forth, however much our every act is constantlyshaping the unknown fate and future.