“Ay, a hundred,” said Mark Harmon. “If he and Silver Hand were in the fort!”
“We can get along without ’em,” grated Strong, shooting a fierce look at the young frontiersman. “We’ll fight our own battle without the aid of illegal squatters and Indians!”
His last sentence was uttered in a subdued tone, as he turned from the group, and other men than the old settler and Mark Harmon thought that the captain would bear watching.
CHAPTER IV.
CAUGHT.
Wolf-Cap entertained several good reasons for suggesting Strong’s fort as a place of refuge for the Armstrong family. Throop’s block-house was nearer the settler’s cabin than Strong’s; but the latter was better adapted for defense. It was the strongest post in the “fire-lands,” and the trapper assured himself that Zebulon Strong would receive the fugitives with open arms, and hail the settler’s presence with joy.
Left to his own choice, Levi Armstrong would have sought shelter at Throop’s, which post his hands had helped to rear, and consequently he could well claim protection there. The Logans, too, belonged to Throop’s; but fearful lest the little block-house, illy-defended, would soon succumb to the red tomahawk, they resolved to seek Strong’s. As the sequel will show, they would have fared better at the first-named fort.
The band of six fugitives, after leaving the Armstrong cabin, traveled fast. Levi counseled a delay till the arrival of Wolf-Cap; but John Logan and his sisters would listen to no such counsel, and the settler therefore broke his promise to the trapper.
The mouth of Eel Creek was reached, and the Huron crossed in safety, and the fears of the fugitives began to subside.
Strong’s fort would soon be reached, and then they could bid defiance to the fiends of the fire-lands.
But suddenly, while pushing down the left bank of the Huron, the report of a rifle saluted their ears, and John Logan fell to rise no more. Instantly the settler turned to combat his foes, when three more shots were poured into their little ranks by the hidden enemies, and then the fugitives, knowing themselves near Strong’s and ahead of the slayers, turned and fled.