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Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander), 1862-1919

"The Scouts of the Valley"

"
"An' that I'm likely to cook fur you many a time more," said Long
Jim complacently.
"But it will be months before you have any chance at buffalo
again, Jim," said Henry. "We are going on a long campaign
through the Iroquois country."
"An' it's shore to be a dangerous one," said Shif'less Sol. "Men
like warriors o' the Iroquois ain't goin' to give up with one
fight. They'll be hangin' on our flanks like wasps."
"That's true," said Henry, "but in my opinion the Iroquois are
overthrown forever. One defeat means more to them than a half
dozen to us."

They said little more, but by and by lay down to sleep before the
fires. They had toiled so long and so faithfully that the work
of watching and scouting that night could be intrusted to others.
Yet Henry could not sleep for a long time. The noises of the
night interested him. He watched the men going about, and the
sentinels pacing back and forth around the camp. The sounds died
gradually as the men lay down and sank to sleep. The fires which
had formed a great core of light also sank, and the shadows crept
toward the camp. The figures of the pacing sentinels, rifle on
shoulder, gradually grew dusky.


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