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Chapter Five: Fort William Henry

Moving out of the canoes, which floated soundlessly atop the murky and shallow waters of the fort's surrounding lake, Alice felt a strong hand grip around her slender arm, holding her up through the water as they approached solid ground. The fabric of her drenched skirts, which soaked up the lake water like a sponge, added extra weight to her, making it difficult to move. Glancing briefly to her side, she noticed that it was Uncas that helped her. His face seemed clouded with worry, and Alice could imagine why as she was also aware of those that were pursuing them from behind. He gave her a quick glance over, making sure that she was alright, and then continued forward. A startled tremor rippled through her as cannons, without warning, began to detonate and roar not far in the distance, followed by shouted commands of soldiers.

They walked together up toward the fort, stopping at the sally port. Exchanging a few words, Heyward managed to convince the soldier guards to open the fort gates. All rushed in quickly without hesitation, moving through a long and murky tunnel with British officers escorting them along the way. As they approached, Alice glanced down at Uncas' wound. It wasn't quite serious but, nonetheless, it did need to be patched up. They had been trying to get to the canoes when Canadians had attacked them, one stabbing a sharp bayonet into Uncas' side.

Alice moved unconsciously closer to him, just as Cora seemed to move closer to Nathaniel's side. Neither one was clearly comfortable in this place, with the exception of Duncan who now led at the front; suddenly at ease as the fort was familiar territory.

A dim torchlight suddenly illuminated the dank tunnel and in the distance, Alice could see the silhouette of an approaching officer.

"I'm Major Duncan Heyward."

The officer, a middle-aged man with a haggard expression, nodded in recognition and Alice felt Uncas release her arm as he said, "Captain Jeffrey Beams. We didn't think you'd make it through!"

"Where's Colonel Munro? His daughters are here too."

Captain Beams held up the torch, a look of shock crossing his face as he checked them over. There was no doubt in Alice's mind that he was astonished to hear that they had actually traveled with Duncan from Albany... and their muddied and soaked dresses probably didn't lessen the effect.

Nodding, Captain Beams guided them from the sally port tunnel to headquarters. On their pass through, Alice silently observed the fort's interior, which wasn't a very pleasant scene. The sight was consumed with chaos... and very little peace. Upon the far ramparts of the fort, she saw men, quite obviously not British soldiers due to their colonial attire, snipping at French officers below. On the grounds, small fires roared and crackled from different regions, attracting those that sat nearby for warmth. Women with smudged and grim looking faces, clothed in dirty, torn dresses, huddled next to their sick and dying.

"Cora! Alice!"

Snapping out of her observations, Alice looked up, finally confronted with the familiar sight of their father. It shocked Alice to realize that the man was scowling, fuming with silent but uncontrollable anger as his eyes nearly burned into them. Cora appeared just as stunned as she and they looked at one another briefly, exchanging a knowing look. He hadn't expected them to be here.

"Why are you here?!" he questioned, enraged, as he took both girls under his arm, leading them to his quarters. Craning his neck, Munro glanced at Duncan. "Why did you allow them to come... and where the hell are my reinforcements?!"

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Uncas and Nathaniel, walking not far behind, stopped momentarily as they heard a familiar voice shout, "Uncas! Nathaniel..."

They both turned briefly to see Ian approach. "I thought you and Nathaniel weren't join'in up."

"We didn't," Uncas answered, not slowing his stride as he pressed forward.

Nathaniel didn't glance back as he replied, "Just dropped in to see how you boys were doin'."

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Minutes later all stood within the dimly lit headquarters room, each looking at Munro expectantly. "I told you to stay away! Why did you disobey me, girls?"

"When? How?" Cora asked, confused.

"My letter..."

Alice shook her head, replying, "But there was none."

"What?!"

"There was no letter," Cora added.

Munro, his face revealing shock, bellowed incredulously, "I sent three couriers to Webb!"

"One called Magua arrived," Heyward supplied soberly.

"He delivered no such message."

Stunned, Munro glanced back to Heyward. "Does Webb not even know we are besieged?"

"Sir, Webb has no idea and he certainly does not know to send reinforcements!"

Alice, as everyone else, watched as barely concealed rage rippled through him. His overwhelming hatred for the fellow British officer, Webb, was held back momentarily as he looked at his two daughters... "What happened to you?"

"Ambushed, on the George Road," Heyward informed, sighing tiredly, "This Magua led us into it... eighteen killed. These men saved us and guided us here..."

Alice's eyes slowly followed her father's to where Uncas, Nathaniel, and Chingachgook stood. The two brothers stood near to the door while their father remained off to the side, his gaze somber as he watched the exchange.

Speaking to Uncas, Munro responded, "Thank you, I'm indebted to you. Is there anything you need?"

Nathaniel nodded. "Help ourselves to a few horns from your powdered stores."

"... And some food," Uncas added.

"Done... and see to it that you get your side sewn up, young man. Mr. Phelps!"

A short elder man with a crimson colored shirt and worn trousers entered at his call, his face creasing with fatigue. Upon seeing their guests, a welcoming smile lit up. "Miss Cora and Miss Alice! How are you?"

Alice smiled, as did Cora as she replied, "We're both fine, Mr. Phelps. Have you cat gut and a suturing needle? And we could also use some rum, clothes, and a place to wash..."

Grasping Cora's hand in hers, both followed Mr. Phelps out, leaving Heyward and their father behind.

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"Do you think father will do something?"

"Hmm?"

"The cabin, what we saw on our way here," Alice informed her. They had both managed to get quickly cleaned up and clothed in borrowed laundress dresses, each completed with a dusty tan and blue colored blouse.

"What would he be able to do about it?" Cora asked, her brow furrowing in curiosity as she handed her sister the supplies for surgery.

Alice accepted the materials. Both women were preparing to assist Mr. Phelps in the surgery quarters. "The men out in the fort... some of them are colonial militia. They have homes out there, like the family we saw. He has the authority to let them take leave."

Cora nodded... but the truth of it was, their father wouldn't allow it. The British Army was his life, and he blindly believed in its institutions... one policy was not to let personal attachments get involved. He would think that such a thing as they had witnessed was only a mere terrible feature of war here, in the Americas. He wouldn't let their "duty" get compromised for the sake of those caught in the middle of this war... and the thought was a very appalling one.

Alice looked at her soberly... seeming to come to the same conclusion. "He won't, will he?"

Cora didn't answer, only continued to grab supplies silently. "Come, Alice, we got work to do."

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She presumed that Mr. Phelps had taken care of it, but one look at her next patient told Alice otherwise. He sat opposite of her as she started cleaning his wound, her fingers astonishingly steady... and Alice tried not to look up, lest she wanted to be distracted from her task. Once she managed to get the offending gash properly cleansed, Alice grasped the suturing needle; her small hands delicately working to sew it back up. Staring at her intently for a spell, mesmerized, Uncas glanced back down at his wound.

"They know what they're doin'?" Asked Nathaniel, gazing into the surgery room.

Mr. Phelps looked up over his shoulder at the two munro sisters, responding a bit indignantly, "Well, one should certainly hope so. Miss Cora first assisted me in Austria when she was fourteen, Miss Alice when she was fifteen."

Glancing at Cora through the doorway, Mr. Phelps informed. "Miss Cora? Gentleman looking for you."

Cora looked up from her patient. "Mr. Poe?"

Nathaniel nodded, his eyes moving to a roll of cotton. "Miss... May I?"

Cora nodded, curious, but too busy with her soldier patient to ask questions.

Nathaniel grabbed the material, quickly stuffing it into a small leather pouch before looking at his brother. "You 'bout done there holding hands with Miss Munro... We got work to do."

Uncas chuckled at his brother, looking from Alice to Nathaniel. After her sewing was completed, Alice glanced up, silently telling him that she was done. Nodding, Uncas stood, his eyes following her as she started to tend another wounded patient. Both remained unaware to Cora and Nathaniel's exchange and Alice, not as unsettled around him as before, glanced back at him, her eyes shining.

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"You told him about the raid?"

Nathaniel nodded. "He doesn't want to hear it. But he is just gonna have to."

Jack, standing next to a militia officer, quickly ordered, "Get together by the West Battery James and Ian, Sharitarish and William."

Nathaniel quickly pulled out the cotton he took from Cora.

"Tight weave," Uncas observed.

"Another forty yards?"

Uncas nodded and watched silently as Nathaniel soaked the material to make a tighter gas seal. His brother glanced below from the ramparts, watching as the courier exited the gates from ground level. The young man, running without a hat or pack to slow him down, made his way through the front. He carried two pistols, which were holstered in a crimson sash around his chest... but his weapons would do no good at the moment, as he was too busy running to escape the oncoming Canadians.

Uncas and Nathaniel, handed already-loaded rifles, aimed through to the hill while four men behind them reloaded the two just fired. Upon the hillside, three more Canadians came to intercept the courier...

Nathaniel fired and Uncas, a half second later, both shots killing two of the three approaching men. The third pursuer was now farther, becoming barely visible and Nathaniel reached his hand out, receiving the Killdeer with the heavier load. He aimed with deep concentration, as it was a difficult shot to make, and fired. The third Canadian pursuer was next to fall, his head shot through from the impact.