To each was allotted his proper station, in case of attack, and
we kept watch in succession like soldiers in war. Ringan, who had
fought in many places up and down the world, was our general in these
matters, and a rigid martinet we found him. Shalah was our scout, and
we leaned on him for all woodland work; but inside the palisade
Ringan's word was law.
Our plan was to make this stockade the centre for exploring the hills
and ascertaining the strength and purposes of the Indian army. We
hoped, and so did Shalah, that our enemies would have no leisure to
follow us to the high ridges; that what risk there was would be run by
the men on their spying journeys; but that the stockade would be
reasonably safe. It was my intention, as soon as I had sufficient news,
to send word to Lawrence, and we thought that presently the
Rappahannock forces would have driven the Cherokees southward, and the
way would be open to get Elspeth back to the Tidewater.
The worst trouble, as I soon saw, was to be the matter of food. The
supplies we had carried were all but finished by what we ate after the
stockade was completed. After that there remained only a single bag of
flour, another bag of Indian meal, and a pound or two of boucanned
beef, besides three flasks of eau-de-vie, which Ringan had brought in a
leather casket.
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