rolf in the woods-第59章

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miles　the　captain　began　to　have　his　doubts。　The　scout　badge　might

have　been　stolen；　Canadians　often　pass　for　Americans；　etc。　At

length　they　stopped　the　sleigh；　and　Rolf　led　into　the　woods。

Before　a　hundred　yards　the　officer　said；　〃Stop；〃　and　Rolf　stopped

to　find　a　pistol　pointed　at　his　head。　〃Now；　young　fellow；　you've

played　it　pretty　slick；　and　I　don't　know　yet　what　to　make　of　it。

But　I　know　this；　at　the　very　first　sign　of　treachery　I'll　blow

your　brains　out　anyway。〃　It　gave　Rolf　a　jolt。　This　was　the　first

time　he　had　looked　down　a　pistol　barrel　levelled　at　him。　He　used

to　think　a　pistol　a　little　thing；　an　inch　through　and　a　foot

long；　but　he　found　now　it　seemed　as　big　as　a　flour　barrel　and

long　enough　to　reach　eternity。　He　changed　colour　but　quickly

recovered；　smiled；　and　said：　〃Don't　worry；　in　five　minutes　you

will　know　it's　all　right。〃



Very　soon　a　sharp　bark　was　heard　in　challenge；　and　the　two

stepped　into　camp　to　meet　Quonab　and　little　dog　Skookum。



〃Doesn't　look　much　like　a　trap；〃　thought　the　captain　after　he　had

cast　his　eyes　about　and　made　sure　that　no　other　person　was　in　the

camp；　then　aloud；　〃Now　what　have　you　to　show　me？　〃



〃Excuse　me；　captain；　but　how　am　I　to　know　you　are　Captain

Forsyth？　It　is　possible　for　a　couple　of　spies　to　give　all　the

proof　you　two　gave　me。〃



The　captain　opened　his　bag　and　showed　first　his　instructions

given　before　he　left　Ogdensburg　four　days　ago；　he　bared　his　arm

and　showed　a　tattooed　U。　S。　A。；　a　relic　of　Academy　days；　then　his

linen　marked　J。　F。；　and　a　signet　ring　with　similar　initials；　and

last　the　great　packet　of　papers　addressed　to　General　Hampton。

Then　he　said：　〃When　you　hand　over　your　despatches　to　me　I　will

give　mine　to　you　and　we　shall　have　good　guarantee　each　of　the　other。〃



Rolf　rose；　produced　his　bundle　of　papers；　and　exchanged　them　for

those　held　by　Forsyth；　each　felt　that　the　other　was　safe。　They

soon　grew　friendly；　and　Rolf　heard　of　some　stirring　doings　on　the

lake　and　preparations　for　a　great　campaign　in　the　spring。



After　half　an　hour　the　tall；　handsome　captain　left　them　and

strode　away；　a　picture　of　manly　vigour。　Three　hours　later　they

were　preparing　their　evening　meal　when　Skookum　gave　notice　of　a

stranger　approaching。　This　was　time　of　war；　Rolf　held　his　rifle

ready；　and　a　moment　later　in　burst　the　young　man　who　had　been

Captain　Forsyth's　driver。



His　face　was　white；　blood　dripped　from　his　left　arm；　and　in　his

other　hand　was　the　despatch　bag。　He　glanced　keenly　at　Rolf。　〃Are

you　General　Hampton's　scout？〃　Rolf　nodded　and　showed　the　badge　on

his　breast。　〃Captain　Forsyth　sent　this　back；〃　he　gasped。　〃His

last　words　were；　'Burn　the　despatches　rather　than　let　the　British

get　them。'　They　got　him　　a　foraging　party　　there　was　a　spy　at

the　hotel。　I　got　away；　but　my　tracks　are　easy　to　follow　unless　it

drifts。　Don't　wait。〃



Poor　boy；　his　arm　was　broken；　but　he　carried　out　the　dead

officer's　command；　then　left　them　to　seek　for　relief　in　the

settlement。



Night　was　near；　but　Rolf　broke　camp　at　once　and　started　eastward

with　the　double　packet。　He　did　not　know　it　then；　but　learned

afterward　that　these　despatches　made　clear　the　weakness　of

Oswego；　Rochester；　and　Sackett's　Harbour；　their　urgent　need　of

help；　and　gave　the　whole　plan　for　an　American　counter　attack　on

Montreal。　But　he　knew　they　were　valuable；　and　they　must　at　once

be　taken　to　General　Hampton。



It　was　rough；　hard　going　in　the　thick　woods　and　swamps　away　from

the　river；　for　he　did　not　dare　take　the　ice　route　now；　but　they

pushed　on　for　three　hours；　then；　in　the　gloom；　made　a　miserable

camp　in　a　cedar　swamp。



At　dawn　they　were　off　again。　To　their　disgust　the　weather　now　was

dead　calm；　there　was　no　drift　to　hide　their　tracks；　the　trail　was

as　plain　as　a　highway　wherever　they　went。　They　came　to　a　beaten

road；　followed　that　for　half　a　mile；　then　struck　off　on　the　true

line。　But　they　had　no　idea　that　they　were　followed　until；　after

an　hour　of　travel；　the　sun　came　up　and　on　a　far　distant　slope；

full　two　miles　away；　they　saw　a　thin　black　line　of　many　spots；　at

least　a　dozen　British　soldiers　in　pursuit。



The　enemy　was　on　snowshoes；　and　without　baggage　evidently；　for

they　travelled　fast。　Rolf　and　Quonab　burdened　with　the　sled　were

making　a　losing　race。　But　they　pushed　on　as　fast　as　possible　

toiling　and　sweating　at　that　precious　load。　Rolf　was　pondering

whether　the　time　had　not　yet　come　to　stop　and　burn　the　packet；

when；　glancing　back　from　a　high　ridge　that　gave　an　outlook；　he

glimpsed　a　row　of　heads　that　dropped　behind　some　rocks　half　a

mile　away；　and　a　scheme　came　into　his　mind。　He　marched　boldly

across　the　twenty　feet　opening　that　was　in　the　enemy's　view；

dropped　behind　the　spruce　thickets；　called　Quonab　to　follow；　ran

around　the　thicket；　and　again　crossed　the　open　view。　So　he　and

Quonab　continued　for　five　minutes；　as　fast　as　they　could　go；

knowing　perfectly　well　that　they　were　watched。　Round　and　round

that　bush　they　went；　sometimes　close　together；　carrying　the　guns；

sometimes　dragging　the　sled；　sometimes　with　blankets　on　their

shoulders；　sometimes　with　a　short　bag　or　even　a　large　cake　of

snow　on　their　backs。　They　did　everything　they　could　to　vary　the

scene；　and　before　five　minutes　the　British　officer　in　charge　had

counted　fifty…six　armed　Americans　marching　in　single　file　up　the

bank　with　ample　stores；　accompanied　by　five　yellow　dogs。　Had

Skookum　been　allowed　to　carry　out　his　ideas；　there　would　have

been　fifty　or　sixty　yellow　dogs；　so　thoroughly　did　he　enter　into

the　spirit　of　the　game。



The　track　gave　no　hint　of　such　a　troop；　but　of　course　not；　how

could　it？　since　the　toboggan　left　all　smooth　after　they　had

passed；　or　maybe　this　was　a　reinforcement　arriving。　What　could　he

do　with　his　ten　men　against　fifty　of　the　enemy？　He　thanked　his

stars　that　he　had　so　cleverly　evaded　the　trap；　and　without

further　attempt　to　gauge　the　enemy's　strength；　he　turned　and　made

all　possible　haste　back　to　the　shelter　of　Ogdensburg。







Chapter　71。　Sackett's　Harbour



It　was　hours　before　Rolf　was　sure　that　he　had　stopped　the

pursuit；　and　the　thing　that　finally　set　his　mind　at　rest　was　the

rising　wind　that　soon　was　a　raging　and　drifting　snow　storm。　〃Oh；

blessed　storm！〃　he　said　in　his　heart；　as　he　marked　all　trail

disappear　within　a　few　seconds　of　its　being　made。　And　he　thought：

〃How　I　cursed　the　wind　that　held　me　back　　really　from　being

made　prisoner。　How　vexed　I　was　at　that　ducking　in　the　river；　that

really　saved　my　despatches　from　the　enemy。　How　thankful　I　am　now

for　the　storm　that　a　little　while　back　seemed　so　bitterly　cruel。〃



That　forenoon　they　struck　the　big　bend　of　the　river　and　now　did

not　hesitate　to　use　the　easy　travel　on　the　ice　as　far　as

Rensselaer　Falls；　where；　having　got　their　bearings　from　a

settler；　they　struck　across　the　country　through　the　storm；　and　at

night　were　encamped　some　forty　miles　from　Ogdensburg。



Marvellously　few　signs　of　game　had　they　seen　in　this　hard　trip；

everything　that　could　hide　away　was　avoiding　the　weather。　But　in

a　cedar　bottom　land　near　Cranberry　Lake　they　found　a　〃yard〃　that

seemed　to　be　the　winter　home　of　hundreds　of　deer。　It　extended　two

or　three　miles　one　way　a　half　a　mile　the　other；　in　spite　of　the

deep　snow　this　was　nearly　all　in　beaten　paths。　The　scouts　saw　at

least　fifty　deer　in　going　through；　so；　of　course；　had　no

difficulty　in　selecting　a　young　buck　for　table　use。



The　going　from　there　on　was　of　little　interest。　　It　was　the　same

old　daily　battle　with　the　frost；　but　less　rigorous　than　before；

for　now　the　cold　winds　were　behind；　and　on　the　27th　of　February；

nine　days　after　leaving；　they　trotted　into　Ticonderoga　and

reported　at　the　commandant's　headquarters。



The　general　was　still　digging　entrenchments　and　threatening　to

annihilate　all　Canada。　But　the　contents　of　the　despatches　gave

him　new　topics　for　thought　and　speech。　The　part　he　must　play　in

the　proposed　descent　on　Montrea