rolf in the woods-第69章

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he　thought　he　heard　some　signal；　and　opened　wide　his　mouth　to

relieve　his　ear…drums　of　the　heart…beat　or　to　still　the　rushing

of　his　breath。



In　half　an　hour　he　reached　the　high…road。　It　was　deserted。　Then

he　heard　a　cry　of　the　barred　owl：



Wa　　wah　　wa　　wah　Wa　…　wah　　wa　　hooooo…aw。



He　replied　with　the　last　line；　and　the　answer　came　a　repeat　of

the　whole　chant；　showing　that　it　might　be　owl；　it　might　be　man；

but　it　was　not　the　right　man；　for　the　final　response　should　have

been　the　hooooo…aw。　Rolf　never　knew　whence　it　came；　but　gave　no

further　heed。



For　a　long　time　he　sat　in　a　dark　corner；　where　he　could　watch　the

road。　There　were　sounds　of　stir　in　the　direction　of　Plattsburg。

Then　later；　and　much　nearer；　a　couple　of　shots　were　fired。　He

learned　afterward　that　those　shots　were　meant　for　one　of　his

friends。　At　length　there　was　a　faint　tump　ta　tump　ta。　He　drew　his

knife；　stuck　it　deep　in　the　ground；　then　held　the　handle　in　his

teeth。　This　acted　like　a　magnifier；　for　now　he　heard　it　plainly

enough　　the　sound　of　a　horse　at　full　gallop　　but　so　far　away

that　it　was　five　minutes　before　he　could　clearly　hear　it　while

standing。　As　the　sound　neared；　he　heard　the　clank　of　arms；　and

when　it　passed；　Rolf　knew　that　this　was　a　mounted　British

officer。　But　why；　and　whither？



In　order　to　learn　the　rider's　route；　Rolf　followed　at　a　trot　for

a　mile。　This　brought　him　to　a　hilltop；　whither　in　the　silent

night；　that　fateful　north　wind　carried　still　the　sound



te　　rump　te　　rump　te　　rump。



As　it　was　nearly　lost；　Rolf　used　his　knife　again；　that　brought

the　rider　back　within　a　mile　it　seemed；　and　again　the　hoof　beat

faded；　　te　　rump　te　　rump。



〃Bound　for　Canada　all　right；〃　Rolf　chuckled　to　himself。　But　there

was　nothing　to　show　whether　this　was　a　mere　despatch　rider；　or　an

advance　scout；　or　a　call　for　reinforcements。



So　again　he　had　a　long　wait。　About　half…past　ten　a　new　and　larger

sound　came　from　the　south。　The　knife　in　the　ground　increased　but

did　not　explain　it。　The　night　was　moonless；　dark　now；　and　it　was

safe　to　sit　very　near　the　road。　In　twenty　minutes　the　sound　was

near　at　hand　in　five；　a　dark　mass　was　passing　along　the　road。

There　is　no　mistaking　the　language　of　drivers。　There　is　never　any

question　about　such　and　such　a　voice　being　that　of　an　English

officer。　There　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　clank　of　heavy　wheels　

a　rich；　tangy　voice　from　some　one　in　advance　said：　〃Oui。　Parbleu；

tows　ce　que　je　sais；　c'est　par　la。〃　A　body　of　about　one　hundred

Britishers；　two　or　three　wagons；　guns；　and　a　Frenchman　for　guide。

Rolf　thought　he　knew　that　voice；　yes；　he　was　almost　sure　it　was

the　voice　of　Francios　la　Colle。



This　was　important　but　far　from　conclusive。　It　was　now　eleven。　He

was　due　at　the　canoe　by　midnight。　He　made　for　the　place　as　fast

as　he　could　go；　which；　on　such　a　night；　was　slow；　but　guided　by

occasional　glimpses　of　the　stars　he　reached　the　lake；　and　pausing

a　furlong　from　the　landing；　he　gave　the　rolling；　quivering　loon　call：



Ho…o…o…o…ooo…o　Ho…o…o…o…ooo…o。　Hooo…ooo。



After　ten　seconds　the　answer　came：



Ho…o…o…o…o…o…o…o　Hoo…ooo。



And　again　after　ten　seconds　Rolf's　reply：



Hoo…ooo。



Both　his　friends　were　there；　Fiske　with　a　bullet…hole　through　his

arm。　It　seemed　their　duty　to　go　back　at　once　to　headquarters　with

the　meagre　information　and　their　wounded　comrade。　But　Fiske　made

light　of　his　trouble　　it　was　a　mere　scratch　　and　reminded

them　that　their　orders　were　to　make　sure　of　the　enemy's

movements。　Therefore；　it　was　arranged　that　Seymour　take　back

Fiske　and　what　news　they　had；　while　Rolf　went　on　to　complete　his　scouting。



By　one　o'clock　he　was　again　on　the　hill　where　he　had　marked　the

horseman's　outward　flight　and　the　escorted　guns。　Now；　as　he

waited；　there　were　sounds　in　the　north　that　faded；　and　in　the

south　were　similar　sounds　that　grew。　Within　an　hour　he　was

viewing　a　still　larger　body　of　troops　with　drivers　and　wheels

that　clanked。　There　were　only　two　explanations　possible：　Either

the　British　were　concentrating　on　Chazy　Landing；　where；　protected

from　MacDonough　by　the　north　wind；　they　could　bring　enough　stores

and　forces　from　the　north　to　march　overland　independent　of　the

ships；　or　else　they　were　in　full　retreat　for　Canada。　There　was

but　one　point　where　this　could　be　made　sure；　namely；　at　the　forks

of　the　road　in　Chazy　village。　So　he　set　out　at　a　jog　trot　for

Chazy；　six　miles　away。



The　troops　ahead　were　going　three　miles　an　hour。　Rolf　could　go　five。

In　twenty　minutes　he　overtook　them　and　now　was　embarrassed

by　their　slowness。　What　should　he　do？　It　was　nearly　impossible　to

make　speed　through　the　woods　in　the　darkness；　so　as　to　pass　them。

He　was　forced　to　content　himself　by　marching　a　few　yards　in　their　rear。



Once　or　twice　when　a　group　fell　back；　he　was　uncomfortably　close

and　heard　scraps　of　their　talk。



These　left　little　doubt　that　the　army　was　in　retreat。　Still　this

was　the　mere　chatter　of　the　ranks。　He　curbed　his　impatience　and

trudged　with　the　troop。　Once　a　man　dropped　back　to　light　his

pipe。　He　almost　touched　Rolf；　and　seeing　a　marching　figure；　asked

in　unmistakable　accents　〃Oi　soi　matey；　'ave　ye　a　loight？〃



Rolf　assumed　the　low　south　country　English　dialect；　already

familiar　through　talking　with　prisoners；　and　replied：　〃Naow；　oi

oin't　a…smowking；〃　then　gradually　dropped　out　of　sight。



They　were　nearly　two　hours　in　reaching　Chazy　where　they　passed

the　Forks；　going　straight　on　north。　Without　doubt；　now；　the　army

was　bound　for　Canada！　Rolf　sat　on　a　fence　near　by　as　their

footsteps　went　tramp；　tramp；　tramp　　with　the　wagons；　clank；

clank；　clank；　and　were　lost　in　the　northern　distance。



He　had　seen　perhaps　three　hundred　men；　there　were　thirteen

thousand　to　account　for；　and　he　sat　and　waited。　He　did　not　have

long　to　wait；　within　half　an　hour　a　much　larger　body　of　troops

evidently　was　approaching　from　the　south；　several　lanterns

gleamed　ahead　of　them；　so　Rolf　got　over　the　fence；　but　it　was　low

and　its　pickets　offered　poor　shelter。　Farther　back　was　Judge

Hubbell's　familiar　abode　with　dense　shrubbery。　He　hastened　to　it

and　in　a　minute　was　hidden　where　he　could　see　something　of　the

approaching　troops。　They　were　much　like　those　that　had　gone

before；　but　much　more　numerous；　at　least　a　regiment；　and　as　they

filled　the　village　way；　an　officer　cried　〃Halt！〃　and　gave　new

orders。　Evidently　they　were　about　to　bivouac　for　the　night。　A

soldier　approached　the　picket　fence　to　use　it　for　firewood；　but

an　officer　rebuked　him。　Other　fuel；　chiefly　fence　rails；　was

found；　and　a　score　or　more　of　fires　were　lighted　on　the　highway

and　in　the　adjoining　pasture。　Rolf　found　himself　in　something

like　a　trap；　for　in　less　than　two　hours　now　would　be　the　dawn。



The　simplest　way　out　was　to　go　in；　he　crawled　quietly　round　the

house　to　the　window　of　Mrs。　Hubbell's　room。　These　were　times　of

nervous　tension；　and　three　or　four　taps　on　the　pane　were　enough

to　arouse　the　good　lady。　Her　husband　had　come　that　way　more　than　once。



〃Who　is　it？〃　she　demanded；　through　a　small　opening　of　the　sash。



〃Rolf　Kittering；〃　he　whispered；　〃the　place　is　surrounded　by

soldiers；　can't　you　hide　me？〃



Could　she？　Imagine　an　American　woman　saying　〃No〃　at　such　a　time。



He　slipped　in　quietly。



〃What　news？〃　she　said。　〃They　say　that　MacDonough　has　won

on　the　Lake；　but　Plattsburg　is　taken。〃



〃No；　indeed；　Plattsburgh　is　safe；　MacDonough　has　captured　the　fleet。

I　am　nearly　sure　that　the　whole　British　army　is　retiring　to　Canada。〃



〃Thank　God；　thank　God；〃　she　said　fervently；　〃I　knew　it　must　be

so；　the　women　have　met　here　and　prayed　together　every　day；

morning　and　night。　But　hush！〃　she　laid　a　warning　finger　on　her

lips　and　pointed　up　toward　one　of　the　rooms　　〃British　officer。〃



She　brought　two　blankets　from　a　press　and　led　up　to　the　garret。

At　the　lowest　part　of　the　roof　was　a　tiny　door　to　a　lumber

closet。　In　this　Rolf　spread　his　blanke