Guert marched next to the Indian, and I was third in the line. How often, that busy day, did I gaze at my file-leader, in admiration of his figure and mien! Nature appeared to have intended him for a soldier. Although so powerful, his frame was agile—a particular in which he differed from Dirck; who, although so young, already gave symptoms of heaviness, at no distant day. Then Guert's carriage waa as fine as his form. The head was held erect; the eye was intrepid in its glance; and the tread elastic, though so firm. To the last hour, on that long and weary march, Guert leaped logs, sprang across hollows in the ground, and otherwise manifested that his iron sinews and hardened muscles retained all their powers. As he moved in my front, I saw, for the first time, that some of the fringe of his hunting-shirt had been cut away in the fight, and that a musket-ball had passed directly through his cap. I afterwards ascertained that Guert was aware of these escapes, but his nature was so manly he did not think of mentioning them.
We made a single halt, as before, to dine; but little was said, at this meal, and no change in our plan was proposed. This was the point where we ought to have diverged from the former course, did we intend to proceed first to Ravensnest; but, though all knew it, nothing was said on the subject.
“We shall carry unwelcome tidings to Mr. Traverse, and his men,” Guert observed, a minute or two before our halt was up; “for, I take it for granted, the news cannot have gone ahead of us.”
“We first,” answered the Onondago. “Too soon for Huron, yet. T'ink so—nobody know.”
“I wish, Corny,” pursued the Albanian, “we had thought of saying a word to Doortje about this accursed expedition. There is no use in a man's being above his business; and he who puts himself in the way of fortune, might profit by now and then consulting a fortune-teller.”
“Had we done so, and had all that has happened been foretold, do you suppose it would have made any change in the result?”
“Perhaps not, since we should have been the persons to relate what we had heard. But, Abercrombie, himself, need have had no scruples about visiting that remarkable old woman. She's a wonderful creature, Corny, as we must allow, and a prudent general would not fail to respect what she told him. It is a thousand pities that either the Commander-In-Chief, or the Adjutant-General, had not paid Doortje a visit before they left Albany. My Lord Howe's valuable life might then have been saved.”
“In what way. Guert? I am at a loss to see in what manner any good could come of it.”
“In what manner?—Why, in the plainest possible. Now, suppose Doortje had foretold this defeat; it is clear, Abercrombie, if he put any faith in the old woman, would not have made the attack.”
“And thus defeat the defeat. Do you not see, Guert, that the soothsayer can, at the best, but foretell what is to happen, and that which must come will. It would be an easy matter for any of us to get great reputations for fortune-telling, if all we had to do was to predict misfortunes, in order that our friends might avoid them. As nothing would ever happen, in consequence of the precautions taken to avert the evils, a name would be easily and cheaply maintained.”