Far Past the Frontier

by James A. Braden

  CHAPTER XVI.

  The Hatred of Big Buffalo.

  The last of the sap had been reduced to sugar and made into a fine solidcake weighing nearly two pounds, the night that the foregoingconversation took place. With this as a present to the chief of theDelawares, Ree and John set out early the following morning for Capt.Pipe's town on the lake.

  It was a beautiful day. The red buds on the trees were bursting intogreen, in places, and in many sunny spots the spring plants and flowerswere shooting forth. All nature seemed to feel the same joy and freedomthe young pioneers felt as they journeyed through the valley and over thehills toward their destination. Birds were singing on every hand. Crowswere flying here and there and calling lustily to one another from alldirections.

  Once a young deer bounded toward the boys, then, after standing for amoment, gazing with great, timid, bright eyes, wheeled and was awayagain, springing over bushes and logs with a showy vigor as though itwere out only for a spring frolic. A wild turkey hen, wandering about insearch of a place for nesting, scampered softly out of sight as it caughtsight of the lads. A big woodchuck, fat and lazy, even after itsall-winter nap, circled around a tree, to whose trunk it was clinging,thinking, perhaps, that it was always keeping just out of sight of thehuman intruders upon its forest home, though it was badly fooled if suchwere its opinion. A dozen times either boy could have shot it had he beenso disposed.

  A myriad of ducks flew noisily from a stream near the lake in which theywere feeding as John threw a stone among them. He and Ree could havekilled a score of the wild fowls had they wished to do so, but they werein no mood for it. They had not set out to hunt, and moreover, the fresh,balmy air and invigorating sunlight, together with the delightful odorsof the spring-time, put upon them both a spell--a joy in living whichmade it seem inhuman to harm any living creature that day.

  This sense of gladness, of friendship with every thing the woodscontained, did not, however, prevent the boys from laying plans for thecapture of certain denizens of the forest's waters--the fish. They hadalready noticed that the lake beside which the Delawares lived, alsoother lakes not far away, and their own river, contained great numbers ofthe finny tribe, but they had been too busy with other things to trytheir hands at fishing. The opportunity for this fine sport, however,caused them to deeply regret that they had brought nothing in the line offishing tackle with them.

  "The Indians will surely have hooks, and spears, though," Johnsuggested.

  "If they haven't, we can make nets and spears too; I shouldn't besurprised if we could contrive hooks as well," Ree answered.

  "I wish we had a big mess of fish for dinner!" John exclaimed. "I'mhungry as a bear."

  His wish was realized sooner than he expected. As was their custom, theIndians at once placed food before their visitors, and the fare was justwhat John had wanted. There was one objection--the savages cooked thefish without cutting off the heads, but the boys did this for themselves.That they could not be over-particular in the wilderness, they had longsince discovered.

  They learned that the Delawares had caught the fish with hooks made ofbones--evidently small wish-bones, and readily saw how they could makejust such hooks for themselves.

  Capt. Pipe himself had received the boys, and it was in his lodge thatthey were eating. He sat nearby gravely smoking his pipe, seldom speakingexcept when spoken to. Gentle Maiden, the chief's comely daughter, wassitting in a pleasant, sunny place just outside the bark hut, sewing witha coarse bone needle, on some sort of a frock, the cloth for which wasfrom the bolt her father had secured from the young traders.

  "Pretty as a picture, isn't she?" John whispered, glancing toward theIndian girl. "Honestly, I never saw a white person more beautiful."

  Ree made no reply, for at that moment Big Buffalo put his head into thelodge. The boys had not seen him since early winter and both arose togreet him; but he ignored their action, and pausing only a second, strodehaughtily away.

  "What does that mean?" John asked in surprise.

  "Has the Big Buffalo cause to be unfriendly?" inquired Ree of Capt. Pipe,wishing to call the chief's attention to the Indian's apparenthostility.

  "Buffalo heap big fool," Capt. Pipe grunted, and then in the Delawaretongue he spoke to his daughter, and she arose and took a seat inside thelodge, behind her father.

  This incident filled Ree with misgiving though he was not sure enoughthat he had cause for such feeling to mention it at that time. John wasdifferently impressed.

  "Why," he exclaimed, "Big Buffalo is on a mighty high horse to-day! Heacts like a child that has been told it must wait till second table at adinner! I wonder if there is any love lost between him and the GentleMaiden?" he added in a whisper.

  Ree did not answer, but now that they had finished dinner, signifiedtheir wish to talk to Capt. Pipe about buying a canoe.

  The chief said he would make a trade with them and asked what the boyshad to give. In return they asked to see the craft he proposed swapping,and were then conducted to a hillside where a canoe had but recently beendug out of the dry muck and earth in which it was buried over winter tosave it from drying, cracking or warping.

  Ree and John examined the frail boat of bitter-nut hickory bark, withmuch interest. It was about eleven feet in length, well constructed, andwater-tight. With it were a couple of light, nicely carved paddles.

  John promptly pronounced the canoe a "regular macaroni" and laid down apair of brass buckles, signifying that he would give them for the skiff.

  Capt. Pipe gravely shook his head.

  "I'll add this," said Ree, and laid down a brand new hunting knife,having a leather sheath.

  The chief again shook his head, and a large number of Indians, who hadbeen lazily basking in the sun or idly paddling about the lake, and werenow gathered around to see the trade, also shook their heads.

  "The thing isn't worth as much as we have offered," cried John, goodhumoredly, "but I'll put in this," and he produced a large yellow silkhandkerchief, shaking it out, and holding it up to view in an attractivemanner.

  Still Capt. Pipe shook his head and all his braves did the same, thoughtheir eyes glistened.

  Ree hesitated before adding more to their offer and while he did so, Johnpicked up the handkerchief and with no thought but to display it to goodadvantage, turned to Gentle Maiden, who stood at her father's side. Witha quiet sweep of his hand he draped the bright cloth over the girl'sshoulder and arm.

  The next instant a stinging blow struck him in the face and he staggered,nearly falling. It was Big Buffalo's fist that had shot out at him.

  John sprang toward the burly Indian and they grappled in a terriblestruggle. All had taken place so quickly that before Ree could reachJohn's side, his friend's throat was in the redman's grasp and the breathsqueezed nearly out of him. Capt. Pipe also rushed in, and amid the yellsof the Indians, the chief and Ree soon separated the combatants.

  The incident created so much excitement that the young Palefaces scarcelyknew what to do. But Ree's firm voice and quiet dignity, as he told thechief that his friend had meant no offense, and should not have beenassaulted, had a quieting influence on the savages, and although Johncould scarcely refrain from speaking the angry words he thought, he didmanage to hold his tongue, and Capt. Pipe soon restored order.

  Big Buffalo slunk away like a whipped dog, as the chief berated him, andthe boys saw no more of him that day. How much better it would have beenhad they never seen him again!

  The bargain for the canoe was completed by Ree adding a secondhandkerchief to their offer, as much as a peace offering as anything, andthen as it was growing late, and the disturbance had made the question ofbuying more land a dangerous one to be brought up, at that time, the boysdeparted. They shook hands with Capt. Pipe and the braves standing near,and Fishing Bird went with them as they carried their canoe down to thewater and launched it.

  While pretending to show the lads about handling the canoe, this friendlyIndian warned them to watch out for Big
Buffalo; that he supposed them tobe admirers of Gentle Maiden, with whom he was in love, and would killthem if he got a chance. Moreover, that he had set out to kill them whenthey first arrived and would have done so but through fear of Capt. Pipewith whom they had made peace.

  The information Fishing Bird imparted, with the exception of the latterpart, was no news to the boys; but it was so disquieting that instead ofpaddling about the lake until evening, as they had intended, they crossedthe water, carried their canoe overland to the river, and went directlyhome.

  John was very blue over what had occurred, blaming himself for havingcaused the trouble. Ree was not so much depressed. His nature was not oneof extremes; he was never hilariously merry, never completely dejected.

  "It was no more your fault than my own, John," said he, as they talked ofBig Buffalo's display of malice. "You meant no harm, and if the uglyfellow had not hated us to start with, he would not have taken offense soeasily. We may have some trouble with him, and again we may not. Capt.Pipe will be on our side, I'm sure, for you heard what the chief saidabout the rascal. The fact is, that in spite of all the stories we haveheard about Capt. Pipe and his cruelty, he has certainly been friendlywith us, and honest."

  By talking in this way Ree restored John to a happier mood, and they wereboth quite jolly again as they prepared and ate their supper. They lookedforward to many happy days in their canoe on the lake and river, and Johnproposed to rig up a sail with the canvas which had been over their cart,and by doing so to give the Indians quite a surprise.

  That evening the boys turned their attention to making spears forfishing. They used some seasoned hickory which Ree had put in the loftduring the winter for the making of bows, and were able to whittle stout,sharp prongs out of that hard, tough wood. It was too late when the taskwas completed, however, to try the spears that night, but the boys wentto bed promising themselves good sport the next evening.

  Although it was still the month of March, the early spring of that yearenabled the young pioneers to begin at once active preparations forplanting corn, potatoes, beans and squashes. The brush cut during thewinter was so dry that it burned readily, and the green brush was easilydisposed of also, when piled upon the hot fires the dry wood made. Inthis way the natural clearing was soon rid of the scattered undergrowthupon it.

  In a week or two the boys were ready to put the seed into the ground,digging up a space a foot square wherever they planted a hill of beans,corn, potatoes or squashes. It was slow work, nevertheless, and thesturdy, youthful farmers were obliged to toil early and late.

  The coming of Indians frequently interrupted the boys at their work, andthey came at last to continue their labor after greeting their visitors,unless the latter wished to trade. This the redmen liked none too well.They seemed to think their Paleface neighbors were devoting too much timeto agricultural pursuits, and they feared and hated any and all thingswhich threatened to turn their forests into farm lands. But Ree and Johnagreed that, since they had bought the land of the Indians, they might aswell give the former owners to understand, first and last, that theymeant to do with it as they liked.

  Big Buffalo was among a party which stopped at the cabin one day. Herefused food and made himself generally disagreeable. The boys, however,ignored his ill humor and by paying no attention to him, showed that theyneither cared for his hatred nor feared him, even though they knew therewas murder in his heart.

  Frequently strange Indians were among those who called and they asked theboys to visit their towns, some of which were not many miles away, totrade. As all of those Indians traversed the Portage trail or path, theboys were reminded almost daily of the desirability of securing land fora trading post, at the junction of the trail and the river. As theytalked the matter over and looked into the future, more and more did theyregret that the violent conduct of Big Buffalo had prevented theirprolonging their bargaining with Capt. Pipe on the occasion of their lastvisit to him.

  About this time, also, another reason arose for the two friends wishingto visit Capt. Pipe again. It was the discovery that he had secured somehorses. During the winter he had had none of which the boys knew. Now,they reasoned, if they could buy a horse, they would rig up their cartand carry their furs to Pittsburg. It would be a much shorter and safertrip than to undertake to reach Detroit, and they would require noassistance. There was some probability, too, that among their friends inPittsburg they might get some word concerning Tom Fish.

  It was one night when they had returned from fishing, bringing in a greatstring of rock bass, that the lads talked this over, and at lastconcluded to go again to the Delaware town, even at the risk of havingmore trouble with Big Buffalo.

  It seemed like a holiday after their hard work when, next day, the boysfound themselves in their canoe, gliding over the river's rippling waterson their way to Capt. Pipe's home. They carried the craft overland to thelake and soon approached the Indian village.

  But suddenly as they drew near, the noise of many voices was borne tothem by the breeze. First loud, then low, the sounds came across thewater. Ree's face grew grave, and John, who had been whistling, abruptlypaused.

  "Ree," he exclaimed, "that is the song of the war dance!"

  "It means that the Indians are going on the warpath, as surely as we hearit," was the answer. "Be on your guard, John. We will soon find out justwhat it means; for we won't turn back now, even if we see the whole tribein war paint."