The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-05

tering my back. For the last three
miles the trail had run through a de-
preston parallel to the river, and some
distance back. 1t was quite hot down
in there out of the wind, and the
gloomy glen looked cool and inviting.
/ turned to the left and hurried up the
rocky trail alongside the babbling
brook which seemed to have it's head
in a spring beneath the oak. Through
the overhanging tree tops, the direct
rays of the sun shot down brilliant,
perpendicular shafts; and 1 was admir-
ing their reflections on a trembling cas-
cade, when, above the Drawing of the
waters 1 heard a human voice. Sink
ing to my knees and hands, 1 crawled
cautiously to the next rise in the trail,
and peering above it, saw the forms
Of two white men sitting on the roots
of the old oak. They were eating, as 1
could see by the movement of their
hands, but their faces l could not dis
tinguish, owing to the gloom that per-
vaded this retreat. Then, too, their
backs were toward me. The sloping
shoulders of one, however, looked
strangely like those of Beacraft. 1t
must be he and the other,-yes. Those
were the bulky square shoulders of Nc
Donald. 1 crawled into the brush and
endeavored to reach a place where
could see better without being seen.
This 1 found impossible, so I crawled
over the ridge south of the spring, and
there waited until 1 heard their voices
as they went down the glen. They
seemed so careless that I concluded
that they did not apprehend the APP
proach of our army or its advance
scout. 1 wondered at this, but later
learned our men were on the east side
of the river six miles south of Chenan-
doanes and west of the big creeks
which debouch into the curve of the
Genesee near Chenussio: also that
these two worthless knew 1t.
l knew of a shallow ford Just north
of the mouth of Old Smokes creek, and
believed that the two had come north
through Chenandoanes in pursuit of
me, had crossed the river and were now
going back along the trail which had
come up along down the east side in
the hope of intercepting me as l made
my way back to our army. 1 feared
that they would pick out my larger
footprints in the soft mold of the river
trail, and would comprehend that | had
passed north while they were in the
glen. But would they not turn, and,
coming back, pursue me north? They
would be more likely to do this for
distance at least, until they realized
the fact that there were no tracks of
mine farther north than this little
creek. 1 hurried to the oak, and there
beneath the roots in the darkest recess,
wrapped round with British blanket
found my rifle, horn of powder, At
bullets, a small piece of thin buckskin
for patches, a good knife, bag Of
parched corn, a leather bonnet my
own buckskin hunting coat, a light
shirt of fawnskin and other articles.
The smaller of these had been careful
ly placed in the pockets of the coat,
that I might not miss them in the
darkness. Who the young warrior was
that Brant sent on the errand, I have
never learned, but he certainly did his
work well. Rigging out with all haste
loaded my rife and hurried down the
trail. AS l came out of the glen I
heard sound of horses on the stony
path over from the river. Squatting
in the brush. examined my printing
and when the two horsemen came out,
was ready. That they had already seen
my track knew. from the first word
that Mcdonald uttered. Also, by their
evident excitement
What dom hinnies we ware to set
up there in the glen, an let the bird
fly past. But then-he's not fair be-