The Lords of the Wild: A Story of the Old New York BorderAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
History
The Lords of the Wild: A Story of the Old New York Border
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1754-1763 -- Juvenile fiction
"Here went Sharp Sword," he said after looking about a while. "I find
traces of his moccasins, which I would know anywhere because I have
seen them so many times before. Here another Frenchman joined him and
walked beside him for a while. It was Jumonville, whose imprints I
also know. They talked together. Perhaps Jumonville was narrating the
details of his encounter with us. Now he leaves St. Luc, who is joined
by another Frenchman wearing moccasins. But the man is heavy and
walked with a heavy step. It is the Canadian, Dubois, who attends upon
Sharp Sword, and who is devoted to him. Perhaps Sharp Sword is giving
him instructions about the camp that they will make when the day
is over. Now Dubois also goes, and here come the great moccasins of
Tandakora. I have seen none other so large in the woods, and a child
would know them. He too talks with Sharp Sword, but Sharp Sword does
not stop for him. They walk on together, because the stride continues
steady and even, just the length that a man of Sharp Sword's height
would make when walking. Tandakora is very angry, not at Sharp
Sword--he would not dare to show anger against him--but at the will
of Manitou who would not let him win a victory over us. He did not get
much satisfaction from Sharp Sword, because he stayed with him only a
very short time. Here his trail leads away again, and Sharp Sword once
more walks on alone.
"Perhaps Sharp Sword prefers to be alone. Most men do after a
disappointment, and he knows that his attack upon the boat builders
has been a failure. Sharp Sword does not like failures any more than
other people do, and he wants to think. He is planning how to win
a great success, and to atone for his failure here. I do not see
anything of De Courcelles. I do not find his trail anywhere, which
shows that the wound you gave him, Dagaeoga, was severe. He is being
carried either by warriors or French soldiers on a litter. It is far
more likely to be soldiers, and here I find them, the trail of four
men who walk exactly even, two by two all the time. The rage of De
Courcelles will mount very high against you, Dagaeoga, and you will
have to beware of him."
"I am ready for him," said Robert, proudly.
The broad trail led steadily on toward the north, but Willet, after a
while, spread out his own little force, taking no chances with forest
ambush. He considered it highly probable that before long Tandakora
would curve aside with some of his warriors, hoping to trap the
unwary. He was confirmed in his opinion by the Onondaga's reading of
the trail.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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