Boys' Book of Frontier FightersSabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
History
Boys' Book of Frontier Fighters
Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States; Indians of North America -- Wars
In that case, old Annawan himself was likely to turn up and make
serious trouble. Therefore the night passed gloomily and hungrily, on
this lonely, swampy Poppasquash Neck, with water at two sides.
As soon as day dawned, Captain Church took his party to a better
position, on a brushy little hill just outside the neck. Scarcely had
he done so, when they saw an Indian come running. It was Lightfoot.
"What news?" Captain Church hailed anxiously.
"Good news, great captain," Lightfoot panted. "We are all safe and
sound and we have 'catched' ten of the Annawan people!"
Nathaniel had done this. First there had been sighted two strange
Indians skinning a horse in an old Indian burying-ground. Nathaniel
had decoyed them on by howling the Wampanoag wolf signal. After they
had been taken they had told of eight others near by. Nathaniel had
howled those in, also. The ten had been carried to the rude fort built
last year on the main point, of Mount Hope. Lieutenant Howland was
waiting there, with them.
This August 28 was to be Captain Church's busy day. He and his men had
had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours; but without pausing to eat of
the horse-flesh brought by Lightfoot they hastened across eastward, to
talk with the prisoners, and see what they knew about Chief Annawan.
They found the prisoners happy. Nathaniel had assured his friends that
it was better serving Captain Church than hiding in swamps, and they
now agreed with him. Indeed, they wished the captain to send out for
their families, who were not far away. First the captain ordered that
enough horse beef be roasted to last a whole day. Then he easily
bagged the prisoners' families, until his captives numbered thirty.
These Wampanoags had been with Annawan only yesterday, but one and all
declared that they did not know where Annawan might be to-day, for he
never stayed long in one place. Then a Wampanoag young man asked leave
to go out and get his old father, four miles distant in a swamp.
Captain Church decided to go with him and explore. So taking a
soldier, Caleb Cook, whom he especially liked, and five scouts, he
went--for he was a man who did things. He never missed a chance.
This time he rode horseback, being tired. At the swamp the Indian who
was looking for his father scurried ahead, to howl the wolf signal.
While waiting for him, the captain saw an old Indian man coming down
through the swamp, with a gun on his shoulder, and with a young squaw
close behind, carrying a basket. They were quickly ambushed and
seized. The captain questioned them separately, after telling them
that if they lied to him they should be killed. He questioned the
young squaw first.
"What company have you come from last?"
"We come from Captain Annawan's."
"How many are there with him?"
"Fifty or sixty."
"How many miles is it to the spot where you left him?"
"I do not know how to count in miles," she said. "He is up in the
great Squannaconk swamp."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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