The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service AgentsBarton, George
History
The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service Agents
Barton, George
Secret service; Spies
But presently the Sachem returned from his visit to the King and
from the air of activity which prevailed Job realized that something
important was on hand. It did not take him long to find out that that
something was war. Clubs that were armed with jagged teeth of stone
were brought from their hiding places and sharpened. Javelins, lances
and arrows became very much in evidence. The arrows were most numerous.
They were made of hard wood and with a feather from the eagle. These
various weapons were not unknown to Job, of course, but his own tribe
was composed of more peace-loving Indians and they were not in the
habit of using the more destructive weapons.
Finally one night the Sachem gathered the most important men of the
tribe about him and outlined the plans of King Philip. Job, who was
still in the confidence of the savages, was permitted to hear all that
was said. The proposal was shocking, even to a redskin. The intention
was to destroy the whites at one blow, if that were possible. The day
and the hour at which the descent was to be made upon Lancaster was
fixed and the method of attack outlined. This was news indeed, and
vastly more important than that which had been carried to Boston by
James.
Job Kattenanit knew that the hour had come to act. With haste he would
have time to warn the threatened settlers, but with not a minute to
spare. Creeping away, he made for the edge of the camp. Fortunately
most of the Indians—aside from those who were attending the council
of war—were asleep. He passed one sentinel unobserved and gained the
fringe of the encampment in safety. The road to Boston was familiar to
him and he counted on reaching there by dusk on the evening of February
8th.
But just as he struck the main road leading to his destination there
was a cry of anger and dismay from the Nipmuck camp.
His flight had been discovered.
Instead of halting he redoubled his speed. From time to time he heard
savage cries and he knew that he was being pursued. The thought of
giving up never once entered his mind. It was too late to retreat
now. The Nipmuck Indians had been credulous enough, but it would
be impossible to deceive them any longer. Job was in fine physical
condition and he ran with the swiftness of a deer. But his enemies
were equally fleet-footed and it seemed only a question of time when
he would be overtaken. Nearer and nearer came the footsteps in the
rear. He felt that there must be a number of Indians in the party, but
evidently they did not have time to give a general alarm.
Just when he was congratulating himself on the possibility of
outrunning his pursuers an arrow whizzed past his head. This was a new
danger and one that he had not anticipated. He paused for a second and
turned to look at the men who were after him. Instantly a well-directed
arrow struck him in the chest within an inch of the region of the heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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