Louder crackled the burning wood, and as the flames neared the limbs of the prisoners, the redskins began chanting a guttural song of triumph.
CHAPTER XII
Fritz and the Indians
General Greene had a council with his officers, and with the settlers of Peaceful Valley, and mapped out a plan of campaign against the Indians.
He decided to send out three forces of one hundred each, and have them go to the south, and west, and look for the bands of marauding redskins.
“We must put a stop to such work as has been going on here,” he said. “Here in Peaceful Valley all the homes of the settlers have been burned to the ground, and the Indians will be doing the same at other points, unless they are prevented, and the only way to prevent them is to give them such a rough handling that they will be glad to retire to their villages and be peaceful and quiet.”
The other officers and the settlers agreed with him, and General Greene named three officers to take charge of the three parties of soldiers, Captain Morgan being one of the officers named, and he would, of course, take his company.
“I wish that I had the Dare Boys here, to go with me,” he said. “I always feel that I can get good reconnoitering work done if Dick Dare is with me. But, it is not likely that he will be back in time to go with my company.”
“Likely not,” said General Greene, “but if he should come soon after you leave, I will send him after you, if you wish.”
The three officers after making preparations took their departure, with their companies, and went in diverging directions, so as to cover as large a territory as possible.
The company with Captain Morgan made its way slowly westward, keeping a sharp lookout ahead, and to the right and the left, looking eagerly for signs of Indians, but evening came and they had not succeeded. They were then about twelve miles from Peaceful Valley, and they went into camp on the bank of a creek, in the midst of the woods.