"You must not despair, Ichabod," said Ruth—"if you do that; we shall lose heart altogether."
"Lord bless you, girl, I shouldn't despair till them villainous reptiles have got my scalp beyond the hope of redemption; and when that thing happens, I shall have to give it up. But what do you say, Eagle's-Wing?"
"Guess we lose our scalps. That's what I say," sententiously replied the Tuscarora.
"But not without a fight for 'em, though," said Ichabod.
"Has any one ever explored this swamp?" suddenly asked Ralph. "Is it not possible that we may find some tolerably safe cover in it?"
"I do not know that it has ever been thoroughly explored," answered Barton; "but any place where we can go, those Senecas can follow."
"I am not so certain about that," replied Ralph. "If you will put me ashore, I will reconnoiter it."
The boat again entered the cover, and Ralph stepped out upon the turf, and instantly sank to his knees in the mud. But, clinging to the willows, he extricated himself, and, assisted by the roots, which furnished a sure footing, he passed some twenty rods from the shore, when he discovered a little island of hard soil, not more than twenty feet across in either direction, and which could only be reached, as he ascertained on examination, by one path, part of which was formed by the trunk of a fallen tree, some forty or fifty feet in length. He returned with a heart relieved of half its load, to the boat; and he had but just reached it, when the Indians upon the raft set up a loud yell of joy. The cause was soon ascertained; for immediately afterwards, four Senecas were seen approaching with a canoe, which they had brought from the river. No time was to be lost, as the canoe and raft together would, undoubtedly, be able to outmatch the boat, and either compel them to a fight against great odds, or drive them to the shore.
Ralph hastily communicated the result of his reconnoisance, and their resolution was instantly formed. The party immediately left the boat; and in a few minutes, although with great difficulty, they reached the little island which had been discovered by Ralph. As soon as it was reached, they saw its capabilities as a place of defence. It was surrounded upon all sides by the swamp, and was approachable from no point, except from that at which they reached it. Upon the island were two large trees, behind which Ruth and Singing-Bird could remain in safety, in case of an attempt to dislodge them from the only practicable point. There were also thick clumps of willows around it, behind which they could remain concealed, except upon a near approach of the enemy, against which they thought themselves able to guard. Ichabod was highly delighted with this new place of defence.
"We're safe here, Captin. I'll risk all the Injins this side of the infarnal legions, as long as our ammunition holds out. I'd like to see them red devils poking their heads over them bushes, yonder."