The condition of the country into which they had entered steadily
grew worse. They were well into the mountains, a region
exceedingly wild and rough, but little known to the settlers, who
had gone around it to build homes in the fertile and beautiful
valley of Wyoming. The heavy forest was made all the more
difficult by the presence everywhere of almost impassable
undergrowth. Now and then a woman lay down under the bushes, and
in two cases they died there because the power to live was no
longer in them. They grew weaker and weaker. The food that they
had brought from the Wyoming fort was almost exhausted, and the
wild whortleberries were far from sustaining. Fortunately there
was plenty of water flowing tinder the dark woods and along the
mountainside. But they were compelled to stop at intervals of an
hour or two to rest, and the more timid continually expected
Indian ambush.
The five met shortly after noon and took another reckoning of the
situation. They still realized to the full the dangers of Indian
pursuit, which in this case might be a mere matter of accident.
Anybody could follow the broad trail left by the fugitives, but
the Iroquois, busy with destruction in the valley, might not
follow, even if they saw it.
Pages:
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244