t turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho' I
reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuz loaded down
with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all them other Roman and
Rooshian delicacies Paul talks about in a way to make your mouth water.
But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' but turkeys!"

"You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde," said Long Jim.
"Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom both to hold you
back."

But Shif'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes were glued
on the turkeys.

"I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin'," he said, "but I'm goin'
to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for the coals. The
quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me."

While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lest the
sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the stepping stones and
scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign of Indian presence,
and, relieved, he returned to the islet just as breakfast was ready.

Long Jim had exerted all his surpassing skill, and it was a contented
five that worked on one of the turkeys--the other two being saved for
further needs.

"What's goin' to be the next thing in the line of our duty, Henry?"
asked Long Jim as they ate.

"We'll have plenty to do, from all that Sol tells us," replied the boy.
"It seems that they felt so sure of you, while you were prisoners, that
they often talked about their plans where you could hear them. Sol has
told me of two or three talks between Timmendiquas and Thayendanegea,
and from the last one he gathered that they're intending a raid with a
big army against a place called Wyoming, in the valley of a river named
the Susquehanna. It's a big settlement, scattered all along the river,
and they expect to take a lot of scalps. They're going to be helped by
British from Canada and Tories. Boys, we're a long way from home, but
shall we go and tell them in Wyoming what's coming?"

"Of course," said the four together.

"Our bein' a long way from home don't make any difference," said
Shif'less Sol. "We're generally a long way from home, an' you know we
sent word back from Pittsburgh to Wareville that we wuz stayin' a while
here in the east on mighty important business."

"Then we go to the Wyoming Valley as straight and as fast as we can,"
said Henry. "That's settled. What else did you bear about their plans,
Sol?"

"They're to break up the village here soon and th