The ark made good progress during the next day and the day following. By three o’clock of this third afternoon it reached Letart’s “Falls.” Here the sweeps were double-manned, and the boat was about to run down this bit of quick water when the sudden onset of a thunder-squall led Marion Royce to countermand his order, and pole the ark to the shelter of the trees on an island just above the rapids.
The delay bade fair to be brief, but it was fraught with grave consequences. While lying-by there, waiting for the gust of rain to spend itself, Shadwell Lincoln espied a new barge on rough timber ways, masked by cedar shrubbery, upon the Virginia side of the river. The wind and rain, waving the cedar aside, gave them glimpses of it, otherwise it would have escaped notice.
They hailed it, but received no answer. Moses Ayer then fired his rifle to attract the attention of those ashore. At the report a flock of buzzards rose from close by the barge.
“That’s queer,” said Lewis Hoyt. “Let’s have a look at that barge, Cap’n.”
Marion nodded. Lewis and Moses Ayer climbed into the small skiff, which the ark towed astern, and pulled into the bank, distant no more than a hundred yards. Landing a little above the barge, they pushed through a tangled thicket of cedar and wild grape-vines, and disappeared from view; but Moses soon came off again in haste.
“’Tis a new fifty-foot barge,” he exclaimed, “and four men have been at work on her—but they will never do any more work!”
“’Cause they’re dead and scalped!” replied the boy, his dark young eyes dilating with suppressed excitement.
“Redskins!” muttered several of the crew.
Captain Royce cast a hasty glance alongshore, and then toward the thick trees of the island, in the shadow of which they were lying.
“Are you sure? The rain would freshen the signs,” he said. “Are you very sure—and why did not Lewis come off with you?”
“He’s watching!” exclaimed Mose. “He said he would watch while I came off to tell you. There’s a path leads back from the barge to three cabins and a clearing. We smelled smoke from the cabins. Lewis said he would watch them.”
“But if redskins are about they heard you fire”, said Marion. “Stand by, to pole off, men.”
Then, after another searching glance alongshore, he jumped into the skiff himself and rowed hurriedly to the shore to fetch Lewis aboard. He knew Indians well, and feared that they were lying in wait to capture the ark.