Cover of The Scouts of the Valley

The Scouts of the Valley

  • Free to read
  • 7 hours to read
  • 24 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"The Scouts of the Valley" by Joseph A. Altsheler is a historical novel set in the late 19th century, reflecting a time of exploration and tension between the early American settlers and Native Americans. The narrative primarily follows a young frontiersman named Henry Ware, who embodies the spirit of adventure and survival in the wilderness. As he navigates through the dangers of the Ohio Valley, the story explores themes of conflict, loyalty, and the perseverance of the human spirit. The opening of the novel immerses readers in the rugged landscape as Henry paddles his canoe up a river, showcasing his keen instincts and resilience. The calmness of the waters quickly shifts when he encounters a contingent of Indian warriors, led by the formidable chief Timmendiquas. This encounter sets the stage for a broader conflict between various tribes and settlers, hinting at the impending dangers that await. As the story unfolds, Henry transitions from a solitary hunter to a central figure in a precarious struggle involving lost comrades and alliances, driving home the challenges faced in a land rife with both wonder and peril.

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  • Historical fiction
  • Wyoming Valley (Pa.)
  • Chemung River Valley (N.Y. and Pa.)

Read the opening

Chapter I: The Lone Canoe

A light canoe of bark, containing a single human figure, moved swiftly up one of the twin streams that form the Ohio. The water, clear and deep, coming through rocky soil, babbled gently at the edges, where it lapped the land, but in the center the full current flowed steadily and without noise.

The thin shadows of early dusk were falling, casting a pallid tint over the world, a tint touched here and there with living fire from the sun, which was gone, though leaving burning embers behind. One glowing shaft, piercing straight through the heavy forest that clothed either bank, fell directly upon the figure in the boat, as a hidden light illuminates a great picture, while the rest is left in shadow. It was no common forest runner who sat in the middle of the red beam. Yet a boy, in nothing but years, he swung the great paddle with an ease and vigor that the strongest man in the West might have envied. His rifle, with the stock carved beautifully, and the long, slender blue barrel of the border, lay by his side. He could bring the paddle into the boat, grasp the rifle, and carry it to his shoulder with a single, continuous movement.

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Contents

  1. Chapter I: The Lone Canoe
  2. Chapter II: The Mysterious Hand
  3. Chapter III: The Hut on the Islet
  4. Chapter IV: The Red Chiefs
  5. Chapter V: The Iroquois Town
  6. Chapter VI: The Evil Spirit's Work
  7. Chapter VII: Catharine Montour
  8. Chapter VIII: A Change of Tenants
  9. Chapter IX: Wyoming
  10. Chapter X: The Bloody Rock
  11. Chapter XI: The Melancholy Flight
  12. Chapter XII: The Shades of Death
  13. Chapter XIII: A Forest Page
  14. Chapter XIV: The Pursuit on the River
  15. Chapter XV: “The Alcove”
  16. Chapter XVI: The First Blow
  17. Chapter XVII: The Deserted Cabin
  18. Chapter XVIII: Henry's Slide
  19. Chapter XIX: The Safe Return
  20. Chapter XX: A Gloomy Council
  21. Chapter XXI: Battle of the Chemung
  22. Chapter XXII: Little Beard's Town
  23. Chapter XXIII: The Final Fight
  24. Chapter XXIV: Down the Ohio

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About this edition

This free edition of The Scouts of the Valley by Joseph A. Altsheler comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #1078, released 1997-10-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Historical Novels, Adventure, American Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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