The Keepers of the Trail: A Story of the Great WoodsAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
General
The Keepers of the Trail: A Story of the Great Woods
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
Wilderness areas -- Fiction
"No, Paul. It'll have to be Shif'less Sol, while the rest of you stand
by as a reserve. What call shall we use, the owl or the wolf?"
"Let it be the wolf," said the shiftless one, "'cause I feel like a wolf
tonight, ready to snap at an' bite them that's tryin' to hurt our
people."
"Sol gits mighty ferocious when thar ain't anythin' more terrible than a
rabbit close by," said Long Jim.
"It ain't that. It's my knowin' that you'll run to my help ef I git into
trouble," said Shif'less Sol.
Paul felt a little disappointment, but it disappeared quickly. He knew
that Shif'less Sol was the one who ought to go, and in the high tasks
they had set for themselves there were enough dangers for all.
"Then it will be the cry of the wolf," said Henry. "To most people their
yelps are alike, but not to us. You won't forget the particular kind of
howl that Sol and I give forth?"
"Never," said Long Jim. "Thar ain't another sech wolf in the woods ez
Shif'less Sol."
A few more brief words and Henry and his comrade were gone, traveling at
a swift rate toward the Indian camp. Dark and the forest separated the
two from the three, but they could send their signal cries at any time
across the intervening space, and communication was not interrupted.
They advanced in silence several miles, and then they became very
cautious, because they knew that they were within the fringe of scouts
and hunters. With so many to feed it was likely that the Indians would
hunt by night, especially as the wild turkeys were numerous, and it was
easy to obtain them in the dark.
Both Henry and Shif'less Sol saw turkey signs, and their caution
increased, when they noticed a dozen dusky figures of large birds on
boughs near by, sure proof that the warriors would soon be somewhere in
the neighborhood, if they were not so already. They began to stoop now,
and use cover all the way, and presently Henry felt that their
precautions were well taken, as a faint but distant sound, not native to
the forest, came to his ear.
"There, Sol!" he whispered. "Did you hear it? To the right."
The shiftless one listened a moment or two and replied:
"Yes, I kin make it out."
"I say it's the twang of a bowstring, Sol."
"So do I, Henry."
"They're probably shooting the turkeys out of the trees with arrows.
Saves noise and their powder and lead, too."
"Wherein the Injun shows a heap o' sense, Henry."
"I can hear more than one bow twanging now, Sol. The turkeys must be
plentiful hereabouts, but even with bows and arrows only used against
'em they're bound to take alarm soon."
"Yes, thar go some o' 'em gobblin' now, an' they're flyin' this way."
They heard the whirr of wings carrying heavy bodies, and frightened
turkeys flew directly over their heads. As the Indians might come in
pursuit, Henry and Shif'less Sol lay down among the bushes. A shouting
broke out near them, and the forest, for a wide space, was filled with
the whirring of wings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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