The Boy Captives | Page 5

French planters. Escape from thence through a deep
wilderness, and across lakes, and mountains, and almost impassable
rivers, without food or guide, is regarded as an impossibility. The poor
boys, terrified by the prospect of being carried still farther from their
home and friends, began to dream of escaping from their masters
before they started for Canada. It was now winter; it would have been
little short of madness to have chosen for flight that season of bitter
cold and deep snows. Owing to exposure and want of proper food and
clothing, Isaac, the eldest of the boys, was seized with a violent fever,
from which he slowly recovered in the course of the winter. His Indian
mistress was as kind to him as her circumstances permitted,--procuring
medicinal herbs and roots for her patient, and tenderly watching over
him in the long winter nights. Spring came at length; the snows melted;
and the ice was broken up on the lake. The Indians began to make
preparations for journeying to Canada; and Isaac, who had during his
sickness devised a plan of escape, saw that the time of putting it in
execution had come. On the evening before he was to make the attempt
he for the first time informed his younger companion of his design, and
told him, if he intended to accompany him, he must be awake at the
time appointed. The boys lay down as usual in the wigwam in the midst
of the family. Joseph soon fell asleep; but Isaac, fully sensible of the
danger and difficulty of the enterprise before him, lay awake, watchful
for his opportunity. About midnight he rose, cautiously stepping over
the sleeping forms of the family, and securing, as he went, his Indian
master's flint, steel, and tinder, and a small quantity of dry moose-meat
and corn-bread. He then carefully awakened his companion, who,

starting up, forgetful of the cause of his disturbance, asked aloud,
"What do you want?" The savages began to stir; and Isaac, trembling
with fear of detection, lay down again and pretended to be asleep. After
waiting a while he again rose, satisfied, from the heavy breathing of the
Indians, that they were all sleeping; and fearing to awaken Joseph a
second time, lest he should again hazard all by his thoughtlessness, he
crept softly out of the wigwam. He had proceeded but a few rods when
he heard footsteps behind him; and, supposing himself pursued, he
hurried into the woods, casting a glance backward. What was his joy to
see his young companion running after him! They hastened on in a
southerly direction as nearly as they could determine, hoping to reach
their distant home. When daylight appeared they found a large hollow
log, into which they crept for concealment, wisely judging that they
would be hotly pursued by their Indian captors.
(1) *Anathema maranatha* occurs at the close of St. Paul's first epistle
to the Corinthians, and in the English version is made to appear as a
composite phrase. It has so passed into common use, *maranatha*
being taken as intensifying the curse contained in *anathema*. The
words are properly to be divided, *maranatha* signifying "The Lord
cometh."
Their sagacity was by no means at fault. The Indians, missing their
prisoners in the morning, started off in pursuit with their dogs. As the
young boys lay in the log they could hear the whistle of the Indians and
the barking of dogs upon their track. It was a trying moment; and even
the stout heart of the elder boy sank within him as the dogs came up to
the log and set up a loud bark of discovery. But his presence of mind
saved him. He spoke in a low tone to the dogs, who, recognizing his
familiar voice, wagged their tails with delight, and ceased barking. He
then threw to them the morsel of moose-meat he had taken from the
wigwam. While the dogs were thus diverted, the Indians made their
appearance. The boys heard the light, stealthy sound of their moccasins
on the leaves. They passed close to the log; and the dogs, having
devoured their moose- meat, trotted after their masters. Through a
crevice in the log the boys looked after them, and saw them disappear
in the thick woods. They remained in their covert until night, when they

started again on their long journey, taking a new route to avoid the
Indians. At daybreak they again concealed themselves, but travelled the
next night and day without resting. By this time they had consumed all
the bread which they had taken, and were fainting from hunger and
weariness. Just at the close of the third day they were providentially
enabled to kill a pigeon and a small tortoise, a part of which they ate
raw,