“If you will be so kind.”
“Aint no kindness; it’s jest plain duty,” said Chester.
The frontiersmen felt certain that no more Indians were left in the vicinity. Yet they promised to keep a strict guard, and a little later our friends moved off once more in the direction of Fort Oswego, the frontiersman named Chester carrying Dave on his back for a mile or two and then being relieved by his companion, and later by Raymond.
Thus the march was kept up all of that day and also part of the next, and at two o’clock in the afternoon they came in sight of Fort Oswego, with the flag of old England floating proudly in the breeze above it.
CHAPTER IX
WHAT BEFELL HENRY
Let us now return to Henry, and see what happened to him during the time that Dave was making his escape to Fort Oswego.
As we already know, Henry had attacked one of the Indians with his hunting knife. In a moment more both were struggling on the ground, in a close embrace which was truly desperate.
Henry was strong for his age and during his life had been in more than one close encounter with both red men and wild animals. He felt that he was fighting for his life and he did not intend to give the Indian the slightest advantage.
The young soldier felt the red man’s hand creeping toward his throat, but he caught the wrist and bent it backward, until the Indian had to squirm to one side to prevent that member from being broken. But then the Indian made another twist and got his arm over Henry’s neck, pressing him closer and closer.