while the fugitives were pushing their way through the wilderness, and especially after they had entered the more romantic and mountainous section, they had become somewhat separated from each other.
gravity gimp, the colored guide, was fully a hundred feet in advance—a piece of imprudence that should never have been permitted, while eva came next, aunt peggy directly behind her, and maggie and her father were less than a rod distant from her.
habakkuk mcewen had disappeared!
that which caught the attention of father and daughter while they were conversing so earnestly, was a serpent-like "sh!" from the african, who, stopping instantly, turned part way round, and raised his hand in such a warning manner that the four paused, knowing he had made some alarming discovery.
gravity remained stationary but a second or two, when, in a stooping posture, he began moving back toward his friends.
at this juncture, and before the little party had fully noticed the absence of mcewen, he was seen approaching from the left, with such a terrified look on his painted face that his shock hair seemed to be standing on end.
he advanced much faster than the stealthy african, and he had hardly reached his friends when he exclaimed, in a husky whisper:
"we're gone! it's all up!"
"what do you mean?" demanded brainerd.
"i saw four thousand injins just now."
"where?"
"right out there; i believe colonel butler and his villain of a son walter, and brandt, the mohawk chief, and queen esther are at their head."
this wild assertion served to lift part of the load from the listeners, but they knew the fellow must have some grounds for his terror.
before he could explain, gravity gimp had a word to say.
"dere am injuns all about us; de wood am full ob 'em."
"tell us the truth, that we may know what to do," commanded mr. brainerd, sternly, while the affrighted females gathered around.
"i war pushing along," said the servant, "when i heerd something like de call ob birds in de woods, and i begin to smell a mouse, and i walked slower like, thinking you folks war right onto my heels. all at once i seed two injuns stealing along—"
"did they see you?"
"no, 'cause dere backs was turned toward me, but i knowed dey war looking fur us, so i wheeled on my heel, and remarked, 'sh!' jist to stop you from running ober me; as i done so, de injuns wanished in de wood, but you can make up your mind dey'll be back agin mighty soon."
"and what was it that you saw, habakkuk?"
"i guess it must have been the same savages," replied mcewen, who had begun to regain something of his self-possession.
"didn't you see any more?"
"no. but when you find two red men, you can feel sartin thar's a big lot more at hand; they're the same as rattlesnakes, in that respect."
"it's not so bad as i thought, but the case is bad enough. gravity, how far off is that place in the rocks we're hunting for?"
"reckon it can't be fur away now."
"we must make all haste to it, then. the indians seem to be, so far as we know, on our right, and you must bear off to the left, so as to avoid them, if we can."
"hold on," interrupted mcewen. "gimp seen two injins, didn't he?"
"dat's de fac'," replied the negro.
"i seen the same number, but in addition, i had a fair glimpse of a white man, too."
"did you recognize him?"
"i did. he was jake golcher, the tory."
"oh, the scand'lous villain!" exclaimed aunt peggy. "i'll get my hands on him yet, and the next time, i'll shake the life out of him."
mr. brainerd had heard the story of this man's doings, a comparatively short time before, and he needed no other proof that he had brought a horde across the susquehanna for the purpose of wreaking vengeance upon his family.
he knew that the tory, who was more guilty than the fiercest of the iroquois, was a discarded suitor of his daughter, and he was to be dreaded all the more on that account.
"quick," said mr. brainerd, addressing his servant; "we haven't a second to spare; bear off to the left, as i told you, and don't let the grass grow under your feet."
it need not be said that no one of them lagged. the very peril from which they were fleeing was almost upon them.
