At least every one had seen him fall from the roof and roll to the ground. It is true, his body had not been recovered, but there were other bodies which had similarly disappeared.

When his first feeling of astonishment had pa.s.sed and Peleg was convinced that it indeed was Henry who was beneath him, a feeling of intense anger swept over the young settler. Henry was white, and yet had renounced his allegiance to his own people and gone back to the Shawnees, and with them he was now making war upon his own nation! There was little in his present appearance to distinguish him from other braves of the tribe. He wore the scalp-lock and was clad in the Indian garb.

Peleg's problem in part was solved when at that moment the rotten wood gave way beneath him, and the tree, unable longer to support the weight of the young scout, fell with a crash to the ground. As it struck the bank the tree was rent asunder, and to the white Shawnee's astonishment Peleg scrambled to his feet from out of the wreckage.

Before he could brush the dust from his eyes and bring Singing Susan to his shoulder Henry leaped forward and placed both hands upon the barrel of the rifle, saying, "No shoot broder."

"You are no brother of mine!" said Peleg. "You are a Shawnee and not a white Shawnee, either! You are fighting us!"

"No fight broder," repeated Henry. "Broder show way to fort."

For some strange reason which Peleg was unable to explain even to himself, he said abruptly: "Lead the way, then! If you can take me safely through the line of these savages, I shall never forget you."

The young scout was eager to inquire of his companion what had befallen him and why he had returned to the Shawnees. His present peril, however, was so great that he restrained his impulse, and in silence followed Henry as he led the way toward Bryant's Station.

Occasionally a halt was made when from some nearby place shots were heard indicating that the scattered settlers were being pursued either in small detachments or individually, for the terrified men had scattered when first the ambuscade had been discovered.

When Henry, who apparently was aware of the location of the besieging braves, drew near the fort he stopped and said: "Now go."

Peleg looked about him, and, unable to discover any of his enemies nearby, followed the advice which had been given him, and, placing his hat on the end of the barrel of Singing Susan as a token of his peaceful intentions, approached the gate.

He was at once admitted, and his relief was great when the first to greet him was Israel Boone.

"How many are here?" asked Peleg.

"I do not know," answered Israel. "I have heard that only six of our men were killed or wounded. When we all started toward Lexington they might have chased us all the way and taken the fort there, because there was n.o.body left to fight for it."

"How many Indians were in that ambuscade?" asked Peleg.

"I hear there were three hundred."

"How did you get to the fort?"

"I ran straight ahead for an hour," replied Israel with a smile. "How did you come?"

"Henry got me through the lines."

"Henry!" demanded Israel in surprise. "Henry! I thought he was dead."

"So did I, but he is very much alive. I had no time to ask him how he came to be here. I was thinking mostly of getting inside the fort."

"It is a comfort to know that at least Girty will not lead any more----"

Israel stopped speaking as a l.u.s.ty shout was heard from a stump that stood near one of the bastions, and the two young defenders to their amazement beheld Simon Girty himself standing erect upon the stump and waving a cloth which at some time in its history may have been white.

In response to this hail every man ran to hear what the renegade leader of the Indians had to say.

They were soon to know the purpose for which Girty, on his hands and knees, had crept to the place where he now was standing.

"What do you want?" shouted one of the defenders.

"I have come," replied Girty in a loud voice, "to save your lives. We have more than six hundred warriors here, and by to-morrow we shall have more. Some of our friends will bring cannon, and when we have them we can blow every cabin in Bryant's Station into flinders. If we storm your fort, as we sure can do when we get our cannon, I will not promise that one life will be spared. You know the redskins well enough to understand how I shall not be able to hold them back. If you surrender now, I give you my word of honour that not a hair of the head of any one of you shall be hurt. I am Simon Girty, and you know you can rely upon every word I speak."

A derisive cry from several of the defenders greeted this a.s.sertion, but when Peleg and Israel looked about them they were aware that many of the men had been strongly moved by Girty's appeal.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE STRUGGLE IN THE RAVINE

Before any conference of the defenders could be held, one of the younger men leaped to the wall to reply to Girty's plea.

"You know who I am, don't you?" called Girty.

"Indeed I do know!" shouted young Reynolds: "Everybody south of the Falls of Ohio knows that you are Simon Girty. I have a good-for-nothing cur dog which I have named Simon Girty, or Simon Dirty, he looks so much like you. If you have any reinforcements or artillery, bring them up!

But let me warn you that if you or any of those naked rascals with you ever get into this fort we shall not use our guns upon them. We have no powder to waste on such wretches. We have cut some big bunches of birch switches and have scattered them all through the fort; and that is just what we cut them for--to thrash you and your rascally comrades. And let me tell you," he continued, "that you are not the only ones who are expecting reinforcements! We have received word that the whole country is aroused and marching to help us, Simon Girty!" he shouted. "If you and your gang of murderers stay twenty-four hours longer before the fort you will never be able to leave. Your scalps will be drying in the sun on the roofs of our cabins."

A loud laugh from his friends greeted the words of the young backwoods orator, and it was plain that the spirit which young Reynolds had displayed had aroused the drooping courage of his companions. Many of the men were aware that on more than one occasion the Indians had indeed brought cannon with them, and by their aid had succeeded in destroying two of the stations.

All became silent when Simon Girty once more stood up to reply. "It is too bad," began the renegade, "it's a pity that such people should be tomahawked and scalped! I can protect you now, if you will surrender, but I give you fair warning if you do not I shall not be able to hold back my warriors."

A derisive shout greeted this declaration, and in apparent sorrow Simon Girty at once withdrew.

It was not known within the fort that he instantly ordered preparations to be made for raising the siege. Throughout the night not a sound was heard, and when daylight came the Indian camp was deserted!

When Peleg and Israel sought the place where the warriors had encamped they found the fires still burning brightly and even pieces of meat left on the roasting-sticks.

"You see!" said Israel gleefully. "They left just a little while before daylight."

"Yes," said Peleg, "that is when they usually roast their meat. I wonder if they are all really gone?"

The rejoicing at Bryant's Station was great when it was known that the Indians had departed. Before noon the fighting force of white men was increased to one hundred and sixty-seven. Among those who entered came Daniel Boone, or Colonel Boone as some now called him, since he had received his commission from Colonel Clark.

"What does this mean?" demanded Israel when he saw his younger brother Daniel among the men in the a.s.sembly, "What are you doing here?"

"I think I have as good a right to come as you," retorted Boone's younger son. "I am almost seventeen."

"And old enough to know better," laughed Peleg, who was fond of the boy and many a time had taken him with him on his expeditions into the forest.

The officers, who had hastened to the place as soon as reports of its peril had been brought, now a.s.sembled, and at once called the men of Bryant's Station to a conference.

"It is known," explained Colonel Todd, "that Colonel Logan has collected a strong force in Lincoln and that it will be here within twenty-four hours. If we wait for his coming we shall be that much stronger when we start in pursuit of Girty and his savages. What do you think?" he asked, addressing Boone, who stood leaning upon his rifle in the rear of the a.s.sembly.

"It will be wise to wait," replied Boone quietly. "I have never found it to be a mistake to get ready before you attempt to do anything. Girty, according to his story, has treble our numbers. The trail which the Shawnees have left behind is so plain and so broad that I am suspicious that they have made signs which they hope will lead us to pursue them.

My advice is to wait until Colonel Logan shall come with his men."