Forest Sentinels

Book excerpt: Coming off the disaster on the Monongahela , Jacob Murray and his young friend Joshua return to Fort Cumberland under the command of George Washington. The defeated British army soon withdraws further east, leaving the frontier virtually undefended. With the frontier left unprotected, Delaware raiding parties begin striking the settlers in an effort to clear their lands of the English. Jacob and Joshua lead a company of militia deep into the French-held Pennsylvania frontier. They plan to build a fort that will not only give the local settlers peace of mind and added protection, but serve as a ‘home base’ from which they can continue the search for Jacob’s wife Maggie and Joshua’s best friend One-Ear. Though the raids seem to lessen with the presence of the well-constructed fort, the Delaware have not withdrawn completely. A rescue mission soon turns out disastrous when the men are ambushed and Jacob is taken prisoner by chief Tewea, the dangerous warrior nicknamed Captain Jacobs. Help often comes from unexpected sources, and the Murrays soon find themselves face to face with ghosts from the past and a mysterious band of sentinels that are keeping watch over the Pennsylvania forests. www.thegauntletrunner1754.com