"
"The ground feels firmer," said Paul, who had some of the
prescience of the seer, "but the skies are no brighter. They
look red to me sometimes, Jim."
Tom Ross glanced at Paul and shook his head ominously. A
woodsman, he had his superstitions, and Paul's words weighed upon
his mind. He began to fear a great disaster, and his experienced
eye perceived at once the defenseless state of the valley. He
remembered the council of the great Indian force in the deep
woods, and the terrible face of Queen Esther was again before
him.
"These people ought to be in blockhouses, every one uv 'em," he
said. "It ain't no time to be plowin' land."
Yet peace seemed to brood still over the valley. It was a fine
river, beautiful with changing colors. The soil on either side
was as deep and fertile as that of Kentucky, and the line of the
mountains cut the sky sharp and clear. Hills and slopes were
dark green with foliage.
It must have been a gran' huntin' ground once," said Shif'less
Sol.
The alarm that the five gave spread fast, and other hunters and
scouts came in, confirming it. Panic seized the settlers, and
they began to crowd toward Forty Fort on the west side of the
river.
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