The frontiersmen

by Gustave Aimard

It was probable that their precise position was unknown, although the sagacity of the Indians would convince them that the fugitives must be concealed somewhere on the northern shore. The woods had been thoroughly searched, and no traces of the fugitives had been found, while the disappearance of the boat, together with the fact that they could not observe it upon the pond, was sufficient to induce them to believe that the fugitives were yet in their power, had they any means to reach them. They could not, without days of labor, construct canoes by which they would be able to compete in speed with the boat in the possession of the fugitives; but by building a large raft, which could be accomplished in two or three hours, they might man it with sufficient numbers to move it readily from place to place, as well as to capture the fugitives, should they overtake them.

An hour or two had elapsed since Eagle's-Wing discovered the employment of the Senecas, when they saw a large number of Indians collected together at the place where the raft was being constructed. Soon they saw the unwieldy structure moved into the pond; when about fifteen of the Senecas, some with poles for urging the raft along the shore, and others with paddles for use in the deeper water, got upon it, and forced it into the pond. At first, they kept close to the shore, but soon struck out into the deeper water. Their progress was extremely slow; but it was sufficiently rapid to keep pace with the anxiety of the fugitives.

The point was earnestly debated between Ichabod and his companions, whether they should trust to the cover in which they now were, or whether, on the near approach of the Indians, they should push out into the pond. But it was finally agreed, as the safest course, to trust to the water; as, were they to remain where they now were, and should they be discovered, they would be compelled to fight at great odds; and besides, there would be no means of flight; while, should they adopt the other course, they might keep out of reach of the rifles of the Indians; or if not, they could, at least, be in a condition to maintain the fight at less odds and with greater chance of escape.

The raft had been urged to some distance from the shore into the deep water; it was moved towards the north-east shore, with the intention, evidently, of carrying it thence, along the whole southern side of the pond. It finally reached the shore, at which point, it was from thirty to forty rods from the spot where the boat was concealed. As the Indians began to move along the shore, partly by the use of poles, and partly by pulling upon the willows, the boat shot out from its cove into the pond. The Indians witnessed it with loud yells of joy both from the raft and the shore; and three or four rifles from the raft were discharged, but the bullets struck in the water, their force being spent before reaching the boat. The fugitives moved leisurely towards the centre of the pond, while the Indians who manned the raft, resumed the use of their paddles, and endeavored to follow them. The boat kept its distance from the raft, moving towards the south-west shore, until it had reached a position just out of range of the fire of the Senecas from the land. As the Indians upon the raft came up almost near enough to use their rifles effectively, the boat, urged by five paddles, passed between it and the south shore. It took no little time and labor to check the motion of the raft, and when that had been accomplished, the boat was again approaching the northern shore, and had nearly reached the point from which it started. It was evident to the Indians upon the raft, that they might thus be evaded during the whole day and they now ceased their attempt to follow the fugitives.

It was now nearly noon; and both the raft and boat lay motionless upon the water.

"There's deviltry in this business, somewhere," said Ichabod.

"Injins done what they should have done this morning," said Eagle's-Wing. "They gone after canoe."

"That's it, Eagle's-Wing; and I reckon that when they've got it launched, we shall have our hands full."

"I am not certain," said Ralph, "but that we may hold out until night; and then, perhaps, we should take to the shore, and run our chance in the woods."

"I'm of your opinion, Captin," said Ichabod, "provided we can hold out until night. But I reckon—and I ain't use to giving up a speculation, while there's a chance of making anything out of it—that if we stay here, we shall lose our scalps, and if we go there it will be just about the same thing. I'm blamed if I see my way out of it."