In The Woods

You have not forgotten what I told you about the mountain range,
which shuts in Wyoming Valley on the east. It is a thousand feet
in height, abounding with ravines, clefts, rocks, boulders and the
most rugged kind of places.

The fugitives who fled from the Susquehanna to escape the Indians
had to make their way over these mountains, and then find their
way through sixty miles of trackless woods to the Delaware River.
A great many succeeded in doing so, but the deaths and sufferings
in the vast stretch of forest gave it the dreadful name of "The
Shades of Death," by which it is often referred to even to this
day.

Omas swam at the rear of the small canoe, as I told you, with Mrs.
Ripley and her two children seated inside and balancing themselves
with great care to prevent the heavily loaded craft from sinking
or overturning.

More than one Seneca or Oneida Indian, or perhaps a Tory, that had
chased some terrified fugitives to the edge of the river, halted
and made ready to fire upon the canoe, whose occupants were seen
to be three white persons.

When they looked again, however, they observed the head and shoulders
of an Indian warrior, who was plainly propelling the craft in front
of him. That was enough to satisfy them.

On the way over, Linna, the little Indian girl, amused herself by
diving under the canoe, sometimes appearing on one side and then
on the other, sometimes in front and then at the rear. She even
ventured to impose upon her father by splashing water in his painted
face. She did little of that, and he paid no attention to it.