The people of the
woods do not lose faith, and he looked up at the dark skies as if
he found encouragement there. Then he resumed his circle about
the camp. He heard various noises-the hoot of an owl, the long
whine of a wolf, and twice the footsteps of deer going down to
the river to drink. But the sounds were all natural, made by the
animals to which they belonged, and Heemskerk knew it. Once or
twice he went farther into the forest, but he found nothing to
indicate the presence of a foe, and while he watched thus, and
beat up the woods, the night passed, eventless, away.
They went the next day much nearer to the Seneca Castle, and saw
sure indications that it was still inhabited, as the Iroquois
evidently were not aware of the swift advance of the riflemen.
Henry had learned that this was one of the largest and strongest
of all the Iroquois towns, containing between a hundred and two
hundred wooden houses, and with a population likely to be swollen
greatly by fugitives from the Iroquois towns already destroyed.
The need of caution-great caution-was borne in upon him, and he
paid good heed.
The riflemen sought another covert in the deep forest, now about
three miles from Little Beard's Town, and lay there, while Henry,
according to his plan, went forth at night with Shif'less Sol and
Tom Ross.
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