CHAPTER XXVITHROUGH THE SWAMPS
Robert had maintained that they would soon overtake Black Hawk, but such did not prove to be the case. Winnebagos had come into camp with information that they knew where Black Hawk was located and their offers to guide the troops to the spot had been accepted. As a consequence many days were wasted in running wild goose chases through the treacherous swamps and sink holes of that region. The Winnebagos had been constantly endeavoring to lead the army into a trap and only their good fortune had saved them from destruction more than once.
“I’m getting discouraged,” exclaimed Robert in despair. A week had been spent in following false clues, none of which had proved of any value.
“Don’t get discouraged, Red,” urged John Mason. “Better times are coming.”
“Maybe they are,” replied Robert disconsolately. “Not many seem to think so, though. Governor Reynolds left us this morning.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he did, and a lot of other officials went with him. They think that the Indians have taken to the swamps and that we’ll never get them out.”
“I don’t think it’s as bad as that.”
“But so many of our men are sick,” protested Robert. “This business of floundering around in the marshes isn’t very healthy, you know. We are almost out of provisions, too.”
“That’s the worst thing,” admitted Mason reluctantly. “Our food supply is low, I guess.”
“It certainly is, from all I hear. Something will have to be done soon.”
As he finished speaking Joseph approached. He hurried along as if he had some important news to communicate.
“What is it, Joe?” inquired Robert as his brother drew near.
“We’re going to Fort Winnebago,” Joseph announced.
“To Fort Winnebago?” exclaimed John Mason. “Why are we going there?”
“To get supplies.”
“Who is going?” demanded Robert, his spirits immediately reviving at the prospect of an expedition.
“Our brigade and General Alexander’s, and Dodge’s squadron.”
“When do we start?”
“In an hour.”
“Good,” exclaimed Robert. “How about Deerfoot? Is he going with us?”
“Yes, indeed. I just arranged it for him. He thought he might be left behind and he couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from us.”
“How far is it to Fort Winnebago from here?” Joseph inquired of John Mason.
“Nearly eighty miles, I should say.”
“What do we care?” cried Robert. “We’re going to leave this hole and that is enough to make me cheerful again.”
“You’ll strike worse holes than this on the way to Fort Winnebago,” cautioned Mason. “We may all wish we were back here again before many days have passed.”
“It’s a change anyway,” Robert persisted. “That is the principal thing just at present.”
An hour later the start for Fort Winnebago was made. The journey was a hard one and it was with a great feeling of relief that the troops finally reached their destination. At the fort were many Winnebago Indians who were eager to give advice to the white chiefs.
“No trust them,” said Deerfoot earnestly in speaking of these offers. “They fool white men too much already.”
“I wouldn’t trust them either,” exclaimed Robert hotly. “It seems to me we ought to know better by this time.”
The four scouts were seated together at one end of the enclosure discussing the future plans of the army. They were tired from their long trip and as a consequence were low in spirits. The rest of the men seemed to share their feelings and many were anxious to give up the struggle and go home.
“I don’t want to go home,” said Robert warmly. “What I want to do is to find Black Hawk, and find him soon too. I can’t help but think that there is some way to do it.”
“If we only had a trustworthy guide,” saidJohn Mason. “Some man who knows what he is talking about and whose word can be relied upon.”
“But where can we find such a man?” demanded Joseph.
“I wish I knew,” exclaimed Mason.
“We can get supplies here,” remarked Joseph. “That is some consolation anyway.”
“Yes, but a pretty poor one,” growled Robert. “What we want is Black Hawk, not supplies.”
“We must have supplies first though, Red,” reminded Mason. “Don’t you know what I told you the other day that no man can fight on an empty stomach?”
“Nor without sleep either,” added Joseph. “I’m going to bed.”
The fifteenth of July came and the troops left Fort Winnebago. General Alexander’s men insisted upon returning by the shortest possible route to General Atkinson and the main army. Consequently they set out with twelve days’ provisions. Henry and Dodge, however, had received a clue as to Black Hawk’s whereabouts and decided to follow it.
At Fort Winnebago there was a famous halfbreedtrader and scout named Pierre Paquette. He had long been a trusted employee of the American Fur Company and to all appearances answered John Mason’s requirements of a man whose word could be relied upon and who knew what he was talking about. Paquette had informed General Henry of the true location of Black Hawk’s camp and with a dozen Winnebago assistants was engaged to lead the army there.
On July eighteenth they reached the village where Black Hawk and his band had been quartered, but the enemy had fled. The Winnebago guides insisted, however, that the Sacs had just gone to Cranberry Lake, a half-day’s march up the Rock River. It was then noon and the commanders decided to wait until the following morning before proceeding. Camp was made and the men settled down to wait until the next day came.
Meanwhile two men, Adjutants Merriam and Woodbridge, were dispatched to the south to carry the news to General Atkinson. Little Thunder, a Winnebago chief, went with them to act as guide. Mounting their horses they rode off, leaving behind them seven hundredand fifty very much disheartened and discouraged troops.
“There’s nothing to do hut wait till morning, I suppose,” exclaimed Robert peevishly. “It seems as if we spent half our time in waiting.”
“You must be patient, Red,” advised John Mason. “Surely you wouldn’t have us start for Cranberry Lake now. Why, we’d just about arrive there as it was growing dark; the Indians would discover us and get away again. They could easily escape us in the darkness.”
“That’s right, Bob,” agreed Joseph. “I think we are doing just the right thing.”
“Probably we are,” admitted Robert. “I guess I’m in too much of a hurry. Besides I don’t like this business of having nothing to do.”
“Why don’t you look after your horse?” suggested Joseph. “I’m going to give The Swallow a good rub down this afternoon.”
“That’s a good scheme,” exclaimed Mason. “Come on, Red. Come on, Deerfoot. We’ll all go and do as Joe advises.”
The four friends were soon busied with their horses, and being busy the afternoon soon passed. Darkness approached by the time they had finished and soon after supper they rolledthemselves in their blankets and prepared for sleep.
To the four tired volunteers it seemed as if scarcely a half-hour had elapsed when they were suddenly aroused from their slumbers. The camp seemed to be in an uproar. Men ran hither and thither. Loud commands were being shouted and all was bustle and noise.
“What is it?” exclaimed Robert. “Are we being attacked?”
“I don’t know,” replied his brother hastily. “I guess not though, for I don’t hear any guns. Let’s see what it is all about.”
Together with John Mason and Deerfoot they hastened to headquarters.
“What’s all the excitement?” Robert inquired eagerly of the first man they met.
“We’ve found him at last,” the man answered gleefully.
“Found who? What do you mean?” demanded Mason.
“Is Black Hawk captured?” exclaimed Robert.
“Here’s what has happened,” said the man quietly. “You know that Merriam and Woodbridge started for General Atkinson’s campwith Little Thunder as a guide. Well, when they had covered about twenty miles of the distance they suddenly came upon a broad fresh trail leading west. Little Thunder at once began to wave his arms and shout, but the two adjutants couldn’t understand a word of what he said. Suddenly, however, he turned his horse around and started at full speed back over the way he had come. Woodbridge and Merriam were afraid to go any farther without a guide, so they had to follow Little Thunder. They all got back here just a little while ago, and it seems that they just happened to stumble across Black Hawk’s trail.”
“Are we going to follow it as fast as we can?” said Robert.
“Exactly,” agreed the man. “We start very soon.”
“Hooray!” cried Robert, turning a full handspring to show his approval of this move.
“We must get our horses and be ready to start at once,” reminded Mason. “Let’s waste no time.”
The news that the trail of Black Hawk had been discovered was received with great joy in the camp. The men were all eager to startand with rapidly rising spirits they awaited the order to move. More enthusiasm was shown by the troops than they had displayed at any time up to the present. If it was fighting and danger they wanted there would be no cause for their enthusiasm to lag again either. At last the preparations had been all made and General Henry drew his men up in order to address a few words of advice to them.
“We have at last struck the right track,” he said. “The trail is fresh and we must follow it like hounds on the scent. We have reason to believe that our enemies are sorely pressed for food. That fact will help us, but we must take quick advantage of it. We must strike before Black Hawk can secure supplies and consequently our watchword must be ‘speed.’ We must sacrifice everything to speed and to that end I charge you men to discard every article that is not absolutely essential to you. We must not be weighted down with unnecessary baggage. I have confidence in you all and I know that every man can be counted on to the utmost.”
This speech of General Henry’s was greeted with wild cheering and every man immediatelydid as he had been advised. Blankets, cooking utensils, and all sorts and kinds of camp equipage were thrown aside. Ammunition and a scanty supply of food was all that the men retained.
The word to advance was given and the army moved forward. What had been a band of discouraged and gloomy men was now a body of spirited and eager soldiers. Every man realized that at last they were not following a will-o’-the-wisp, but a certainty. They knew that Black Hawk was not far away now and that if they tried hard enough they could probably overtake him. They were all determined to do their utmost.
“What an awful country!” exclaimed Robert, when they were a few miles out from camp. “Is the whole region filled with swamps and sink holes like this?”
“Pretty much so, I’m afraid,” replied Mason. “It makes the traveling pretty hard, doesn’t it?”
“I should say so,” agreed Joseph. “The men don’t seem to mind it though. Just look at them! They look like a lot of schoolboys out for a picnic.”
“They’re on the trail of big game now,” said Mason. “Nothing else matters. We cannot be so far away from it, either,” he added. “Just look there.”