[The Scouts of the Valley by Joseph A. Altsheler]@TWC D-Link book
The Scouts of the Valley

CHAPTER XVI
15/47

They discovered no indications of Indian scouts or trails, and as the village now was not many miles away, it confirmed Henry in his belief that the Iroquois, with their friends, the Wyandots, would not stay to give battle.

If Thayendanegea and Timmendiquas were prepared for a strong resistance, the bullets of the skirmishers would already be whistling through the woods.
The waning evening grew colder, twilight came, and the autumn leaves fell fast before the rising wind.

The promise of the night was dark, which was not bad for their design, and once more the five-now the seven approached Oghwaga.

From the crest of the very same hill they looked down once more upon the Indian houses.
"It is a great base for the Iroquois," said Henry to Heemskerk, "and whether the Indians have laid an ambush or not, Colonel Butler must attack." "Ah," said Heemskerk, silently moving his round body to a little higher point for a better view, "now I feel in all its fullness the truth that I should be back in Holland, painting blue plates." Nevertheless, Cornelius Heemskerk made a very accurate survey of the Iroquois village, considering the distance and the brevity of the time, and when the party went back to Colonel Butler to tell him the way was open, he revolved along as swiftly as any of them.

There were also many serious thoughts in the back of his head.
At nine o'clock the little colonial force was within half a mile of Oghwaga, and nothing had yet occurred to disclose whether the Iroquois knew of their advance.


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