Chapter 12

AGNES' STORY AND HARTFORD

"We must not stay," the girl said, as soon as she had greeted her brothers. "The Indians will surely come back, and we must reach the other side of the river. I am glad you are here. Oh, how good the Lord is! I prayed for your deliverance ever since I was captured, but did not believe that the good Lord would hear my prayers and grant my request so soon."

"What do you want to do?" asked Fred.

"Tie the horses together, and swim the river. There are no Indians on the other side, and we can make Hartford easily."

"How do you know that?" Matthew asked.

"Don't ask foolish questions," the girl pleaded; "help me get these horses roped together. Then I will leap into the river with the end of the rope tied to my saddle, and the horses must follow. You bring up the rear."

She was so resolute that the boys did not resist, but did her bidding.

"But where did you get that fine Indian pony?" Fred asked when the work was done.

"No questions, until we are on the other side," Agnes said; "that belonged to a Pequot chief once; now it is mine by right of spoils."

She mounted her pony and at once drove it into the stream; the other horses followed, urged on by the showers of blows which Fred and Matthew gave them. The crossing was dangerous, for the river was wide and the current swift. But after much struggling they got across and spurred their mounts up the bank.

"There is a trail that leads north," Agnes said; "let's find it. Loose the horses, and let me ride ahead."

"What a wonderful girl she is!" Matthew exclaimed; "she is a veritable leader."

Soon the boys heard the hooting of an owl, and they whipped their horses into a trot. Agnes had found the trail.

"Come now," she admonished them, "we must do some fast riding, until we are safe. Then I will tell you my story."

For two hours they rode in silence, Agnes taking the lead on her piebald pony which was a wonderful traveler in the woods, much more clever and docile than their own horses.

Sometimes the trail was hard to find, but the Indian pony followed his sense of smell and walked on and on.

"We are making good time, thanks to my pony," Agnes said jubilantly. "Come on with your steeds, gentlemen; don't mind it, if they are a little tired."

However, the horses were showing signs of fatigue, since they had not eaten for two days.

"Very well," Agnes said; "look!"

The river made a sweeping bend, and from the high bank they could see the fort.

"Hurrah!" Matthew cried; "how good it is to see the dwellings of white men."

"We shall rest now," Agnes suggested, "and allow the horses their meal. Look at my pony; isn't it a wonder? And it was gotten by just a little trick."

"Yes, tell us the story," Matthew begged.

"Not until the fire is burning, and the meat is cooking, and the horses are eating!" the girl said with a roguish smile.

Soon the log fire blazed brightly, and the horses were tied to ropes, enjoying the rest and the grazing abundantly.

"Where did you get that meat from?" Fred asked; "why, you have stacks of it."

"All Indian meat," the girl laughed; "spoils of war."

"Oh, tell us the story," Matthew asked again.

"Wait, until we are eating."

Afterwards, while they were sitting around the fire with the juicy meat stuck on bits of wood, and eating as if they had fasted for a week, Agnes told her story.

"You see," she began, "I ventured out very bravely, but I made the mistake which others made, and did not look out for the Indians."

"Your brother is guilty," Fred smiled; "the same fool head rests on us both. We are flesh of one flesh."

"Well," the girl went on; "the first thing I felt, were two arms around me, and then a band which pinned my hands together. A rude hand was thrust before my mouth, so that I could not cry out. The Indians then carried me up the bank, and brought me to the camp, where they quartered me with the women, quite comfortably, but nevertheless a prisoner."

"Just my story," Fred interposed, "only they did not trust me with the women."

"You don't belong there either," Agnes said; "they might have made you marry one of their number."

They all laughed while Fred shook his head.

"Never in my life," he affirmed.

"But where did the women come from?" Matthew queried. "I thought it was a scouting party, consisting only of men."

"That is true," Agnes explained; "but the scouting party was supplemented by other Indians from across the river. That is the reason why I urged you to cross the stream. The Indians are all over the other side, headed for the south where they are going to unite and attack the white men conjointly. I heard it all, for the women spoke about it, not knowing that I understood the Pequot language. It is always good to know many languages."

"That is true," Matthew agreed; "and if we get out of this, I am going to study all kinds of languages, until I am a regular Babel. That's the way."

"Go on with your story, Agnes," Fred urged her; "you just finished