The Lords of the Wild: A Story of the Old New York Border, Joseph A. Altsheler [the top 100 crime novels of all time TXT] 📗

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THE LORDS OF THE WILD

A Story of the Old New York Border

BY JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER

1919

FOREWORD

"The Lords of the Wild" tells a complete story, but it is also a part of the French and Indian War Series, of which the predecessors were "The Hunters of the Hills," "The Shadow of the North," "The Rulers of the Lakes" and "The Masters of the Peaks." Robert Lennox, Tayoga, Willet, St. Luc, Tandakora and all the principal characters of the earlier volumes reappear.

CHARACTERS IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SERIES

  ROBERT LENNOX A lad of unknown origin
  TAYOGA A young Onondaga warrior
  DAVID WILLET A hunter
  RAYMOND LOUIS DE ST. LUC A brilliant French officer
  AGUSTE DE COURCELLES A French officer
  FRANÇOIS DE JUMONVILLE A French officer
  LOUIS DE GALISONNIÈRE A young French officer
  JEAN DE MÉZY A corrupt Frenchman
  ARMAN GLANDELET A young Frenchman
  PIERRE BOUCHER A bully and bravo
  PHILIBERT DROUILLARD A French priest
  THE MARQUIS DUQUESNE Governor-General of Canada
  MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL Governor-General of Canada
  FRANÇOIS BIGOT Intendant of Canada
  MARQUIS DE MONTCALM French commander-in-chief
  DE LEVIS A French general
  BOURLAMAQUE A French general
  BOUGAINVILLE A French general
  ARMAND DUBOIS A follower of St. Luc
  M. DE CHATILLARD An Old French Seigneur
  CHARLES LANGLADE A French partisan
  THE DOVE The Indian wife of Langlade
  TANDAKORA An Ojibway chief
  DAGONOWEDA A young Mohawk chief
  HENDRICK An old Mohawk chief
  BRADDOCK A British general
  ABERCROMBIE A British general
  WOLFE A British general
  COL. WILLIAM JOHNSON Anglo-American leader
  MOLLY BRANT Col. Wm. Johnson's Indian wife
  JOSEPH BRANT Young brother of Molly Brant,
                                          afterward the great Mohawk
                                          chief, Thayendanegea
  ROBERT DINWIDDIE Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia
  WILLIAM SHIRLEY Governor of Massachusetts
  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Famous American Patriot
  JAMES COLDEN A young Philadelphia captain
  WILLIAM WILTON A young Philadelphia lieutenant
  HUGH CARSON A young Philadelphia lieutenant
  JACOBUS HUYSMAN An Albany burgher
  CATERINA Jacobus Huysman's cook
  ALEXANDER MCLEAN An Albany schoolmaster
  BENJAMIN HARDY A New York merchant
  JOHNATHAN PILLSBURY Clerk to Benjamin Hardy
  ADRIAN VAN ZOON A New York merchant
  THE SLAVER A nameless rover
  ACHILLE GARAY A French spy
  ALFRED GROSVENOR A young English officer
  JAMES CABELL A young Virginian
  WALTER STUART A young Virginian
  BLACK RIFLE A famous "Indian fighter"
  ELIHU STRONG A Massachusetts colonel
  ALAN HERVEY A New York financier
  STUART WHITE Captain of the British sloop,
                                          Hawk
  JOHN LATHAM Lieutenant of the British sloop,
                                          Hawk
  EDWARD CHARTERIS A young officer of the Royal
                                          Americans
  ZEBEDEE CRANE A young scout and forest runner
  ROBERT ROGERS Famous Captain of American
                                          Rangers

CONTENTS CHAPTER I.—THE BLUE BIRD II.—THE LIVE CANOE III.—IN THE CLIFF IV.—THE DARING ATTEMPT V.—TAYOGA'S REVENGE VI.—BLACK RIFLE VII.—THE FOREST BATTLE VIII.—THE BOAT BUILDERS IX.—THE MASKED ATTACK X.—IN THE FOG XI.—THE HAPPY ESCAPE XII.—THE FRENCH CAMP XIII.—EVE OF BATTLE XIV.—TICONDEROGA THE LORDS OF THE WILD A STORY OF THE OLD NEW YORK BORDER CHAPTER I THE BLUE BIRD

The tall youth, turning to the right, went down a gentle slope until he came to a little stream, where he knelt and drank. Despite his weariness, his thirst and his danger he noticed the silvery color of the water, and its soft sighing sound, as it flowed over its pebbly bed, made a pleasant murmur in his ear. Robert Lennox always had an eye for the beautiful, and the flashing brook, in its setting of deep, intense forest green, soothed his senses, speaking to him of comfort and hope.

He drank again and then sat back among the bushes, still breathing heavily, but with much more freedom. The sharp pain left his chest, new strength began to flow into his muscles, and, as the body was renewed, so the spirit soared up and became sanguine once more. He put his ear to the earth and listened long, but heard nothing, save sounds natural to the wilderness, the rustling of leaves before the light wind, the whisper of the tiny current, and