"
They slipped from the house, turning toward the river bank, and
not long after it was full daylight they were at Forty Fort
again, where they found Standish and his family. Henry replied
briefly to the man's questions, but two hours later a scout came
in and reported the grim sight that he had seen in the Standish
home. No one could ask for further proof of the fealty of the
five, who sought a little sleep, but before noon were off again.
They met more fugitives, and it was now too dangerous to go
farther up the valley. But not willing to turn back, they
ascended the mountains that hem it in, and from the loftiest
point that they could find sought a sight of the enemy.
It was an absolutely brilliant day in summer. The blue of the
heavens showed no break but the shifting bits of white cloud, and
the hills and mountains rolled away, solid masses of rich, dark
green. The river, a beautiful river at any time, seemed from
this height a great current of quicksilver. Henry pointed to a
place far up the stream where black dots appeared on its surface.
These dots were moving, and they came on in four lines.
"Boys," he said, "you know what those lines of black dots are?"
"Yes," replied Shif'less Sol, "it's Butler's army of Indians,
Tories, Canadians, an' English.
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