The Pioneer Boys of the Ohio; or, Clearing the Wilderness

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER XV

  THE SUDDEN PERIL

  "OH! he's gone!"

  Bob uttered these words one morning just after daybreak. Being thefirst to awaken, he had thought to start the fire so that his mothermight prepare an early breakfast, since all of them were so full ofbusiness.

  For he and Sandy had planned to go into the woods that day, hoping tosecure a deer, since the stock of provisions was growing low.

  "What ails you, Bob?" grunted Sandy, as he sat up on his blanket anddug his knuckles into a pair of heavy eyes.

  "Blue Jacket--he's disappeared!" exclaimed the other, still looking asthough he could not just grasp the fact that was so apparent.

  Whereupon Sandy sprang up and stared at the corner where the woundedIndian had been accustomed to lying. The blanket was there, but no BlueJacket!

  "What can have happened to him, Bob?" exclaimed the younger boy,staring at his brother. "You don't think that ugly Anthony Brady didit? Oh! he surely could not have dragged him away to do him harm?"

  "Well, hardly," said the wiser Bob, with a negative shake of the head;"because you see, Sandy, I was sleeping not five feet away from him allnight, and you know I am not a hard sleeper. They couldn't have draggedhim away and I not know it."

  "But what do you think happened?" queried the puzzled Sandy.

  "Blue Jacket crept away while we slept. He believed he was well enoughto make the journey to his village home," Bob went on saying, just asthough he understood it all perfectly now.

  "And without saying good-bye to any of us? Did you ever hear of suchingratitude?" exclaimed the other, throwing up both hands in disgust.

  "Wait. You do not know. Pat is still in the settlement, and we can askhim what he thinks about it. Anyhow, Indians are queer fish. They neverdo things the same way we do;" and Bob smiled at the angry look on hisbrother's face.

  "But if he wanted to go home why didn't he tell us, and say good-bye inthe right sort of way, instead of sneaking off like a sly mink!" Sandykept on saying.

  "Listen, and I'll tell you what I think. You know what Mr. Brady saidabout his meaning to shoot an Indian every time he saw one in thewoods! Blue Jacket heard that, and he must have understood what itmeant."

  "Of course he did, for I saw him watching Mr. Brady," Sandy admitted.

  "Well," said Bob, "you see, he believed that man was on the watch forthe time he would leave us. Now you and I understand Brady has changedhis mind a little about all Indians being bad. But Blue Jacket didn'tknow that. No doubt he suspected that, if he went away in the daytime,some one would slip after him and lay him low. And so he determined togo while we were asleep. What do you think of my guess now, Sandy!"

  "It sounds all right," declared Sandy, enthusiastically; "yes, I'dwager a shilling that you have struck the truth, Bob. It takes you tosee through things. But here is father; let us put it up to him."

  Mr. Armstrong, upon hearing what had happened, immediately declaredthat the young Shawanee must have considered it the part of wisdomto slip away unnoticed while the settlement was wrapped in peacefulslumber.

  "Go out and ask the sentinels whether any of them saw him," he said tothe two boys; "but I wager you will find that nobody knows the firstthing about him."

  This proved to be the case, for, although the young pioneers made therounds of the men who had been on guard duty during the entire night,in no quarter could they learn that a single flitting figure had reallybeen seen.

  One man had believed he saw something, but reached the conclusion,after an investigation, that it had only been a prowling raccoon or anopossum, both of which animals were to be found in plenty near the newsettlement.

  On the way back they ran across the genial Irish trapper. He was oilingsome of his traps, as though ready to put them away until anotherseason.

  "The ridskin gone, is it, me byes?" he observed, after Sandy had toldhim why they were going around asking questions. "Well, upon me honorI'm not wan bit surprised, knowin' the sly ways av the animal so well.But, by yer lave, I'll go wid yees till the home, an' say if theungrateful skunk had the good manners to lave a sign to till what hethought."

  So it was Pat's eyes that discovered something fastened to a crevicebetween two of the logs, as yet unfilled by mud. It seemed to be abit of inner bark which Blue Jacket must have obtained possession ofrecently, after he was able to limp around the interior of the newcabin, and even venture outside a little way.

  Upon this he had scratched various rude signs. To the ignorant boysthey looked like the crude work of a little child attempting todraw a pig, and some other domestic animals; but with Pat O'Mara itwas different. Every little mark had a meaning of its own in hisexperienced eyes, for he had seen much of this Indian picture writing.

  "Sure, 'tis just what I thought, byes," he declared, as he scanned thispiece of bark with its cipher message. "He knowed wan av us min wouldbe able to rade this missage."

  "But what does it say, Pat?" demanded the impatient Sandy.

  "In so many worrds thin," began the other, wrinkling his brows, "thathe will niver, niver forgit what yees have done for him; and thatsome day perhaps he may have a chanct to repay ye for it all. Begorra,afther all the rid sarpint did have some falin' in him! I takes backall I iver sed aginst the lad. Who knows but thot this may be theinterin' wedge whereby we may make a treaty av pace wid the bloodyInjuns?"

  Both boys were sorry that Blue Jacket was gone. Bob in particular hadbegun to feel quite drawn to the young Indian. Of late they had spentconsiderable time trying to converse. The Shawanee had told him more orless about his tribe, and in turn had learned that the motives of theinvading whites were not at all warlike, if they were only let alone.

  The axes sounded through the livelong day, as the settlers continuedto clear away the woods which shut them in so closely. The furtherthe fringe of nearest trees could be moved back, the freer would theybreathe; for it seemed as though enemies must ever be lurking in thegloomy depths of the dense forest.

  Fish were taken from the river with the utmost ease, and furnished manya fine meal, though many of them were of a species utterly unknownto any of the settlers. Blue Jacket had said they were good to eat,however, and so they had been found on testing them.

  The cabins continued to arise, as it were, in a night. In this duty thenew settlers always assisted one another when the time came for the lograising, since what was the interest of one must ever be the interestof all.

  As fast as the trees were cut down, the virgin soil was turned over,rich as it was in valuable leaf mold, and some of the seeds, socarefully hoarded during the long journey from their Virginia startingplace, were planted.

  It was wonderful what rapid changes took place in that favored spot.Every sunset saw new cabins being topped with such rude shingles as thenewcomers could hew from the timber which was so plentiful. No soonerwas a cabin finished than the fortunate family would move in. Littlethey cared that there was not a piece of furniture awaiting them; andthat tables and seats would all have to be made. A sound roof overtheir heads in case of storm was the main thing; besides, no doubt thewomen naturally felt safer behind stout walls, rather than settled intents, or make-shift shelters of branches. They could not easily forgetthe terrors of that awful night when the Indians had attacked thecamp, and looked eagerly forward to the day when the entire settlementmight have a strong blockhouse where all could find safety in case ofsudden need.

  Then, by degrees, came the work of making things more comfortable forthe women. Nearly every man could use fairly well the primitive toolsof the day; and where this skill were lacking he might exchange hisabilities in some other line with a more accomplished neighbor, so thatthe necessary deal table, and the benches, as well as bunks, or rudebeds, for sleeping, were secured.

  Certain of the members of the little community were given other tasks.Food had to be secured, and fortunately there was no lack, with theadjacent river to supply plenty of fresh fish for the taking, and thebountiful store of game awaiting the com
ing of the marksman.

  Thus, in a very brief space of time, things began to take on a homelikeappearance. Outdoor cooking might still be indulged in to a greatextent; but there would also be times when the tempting venison roastwould again be made ready for the table by the turning of the familiarspit over a fire of red ashes on the big hearth.

  These hardy pioneers seldom had need of medicine, such was their activelife, and plain wholesome fare; nevertheless, every family always kepta store of certain dried herbs used for fevers and other ailments. Asa rule accidents alone required medical care; but there was alwayssome woman in a settlement more highly favored than her companions inknowledge of nursing; and to her they looked in times of need.

  Many of their cooking utensils they made themselves out of clay, whichwas baked after a rude fashion, just as the Indians did. These vessels,while not very fine looking, answered most admirably the purposes towhich they were put, and many of them have been handed down to thedescendants of these early Ohio settlers, to be treasured with duereverence.

  Salt they could obtain readily enough. In Kentucky and Ohio in thesedays there were what were called "salt licks," because deer and buffalofrequented the places in order to gratify their longing for this almostindispensable commodity. Here they were able to secure with littleeffort whatever quantity of salt was needed.

  Bob and Sandy were always on the lookout for such "licks." They knewfrom Daniel Boone and O'Mara that, whenever they wanted deer, it wassimplest to hide close to one of these salt licks, and wait until buckor doe came to gratify its craving; when they could usually securetheir game by a single shot.

  It might seem rather hard that the poor deer should be taken advantageof in this way; but these men of the border looked upon the stocking ofthe limitless forest with various kinds of game as a wise provision ofNature, intended primarily for their good while peopling the land, andextending civilization westward toward that wonderful river of whichthey never tired of talking, the Mississippi.

  David Armstrong had considered the situation carefully before startingfrom Virginia on this long journey. He also talked it over with PatO'Mara. Consequently he had utilized every bit of money he could layhands on to purchase certain articles which the Irish trapper assuredhim could be traded to the friendly Indians for their precious pelts ofmink, fox, beaver, bear and other kinds of wild animals.

  The French traders had, up to now, monopolized this business along thefrontier all the way from the great inland seas, of which so littlewas known, down to the great province of Louisiana on the Gulf. Theyunderstood that their day would soon be brought to an end once theEnglish invaded this vast territory; and consequently they were foreverendeavoring to arouse the savages against Daniel Boone and those otherhardy spirits who meant to chop out trails through the new country, andfound a race of English-speaking settlers.

  Mr. Armstrong intended to become a trader. In this way he believed hemight earn enough to support his little family; especially since he hadtwo such industrious boys, who could do so much to help out by bringingin game in season, tilling the little garden around the new home, andmaking good use of the few rusty and cumbersome traps they had broughtall the way from Virginia.

  In their hunts the boys had already learned that there was anapparently endless supply of small fur-bearing animals among thevalleys within ten miles of their new home.

  "Just think what great times we can have next winter," said Sandy, asthey prepared for another jaunt into the timber, and this subject wasbrought up by the sight of Pat's rusty traps hanging from a peg onthe side of the inner wall; for Pat was now ready to take one of hisperiodical lonely trips deeper into the unknown region further down thegreat river.

  Just then the Irish trapper himself came out from the inner room, wherehe had been saying good-bye to their mother.

  "Sure it's off I am, me byes," he observed, as he held out a hand toeach, while his humorous blue eyes twinkled as he strove to keep backthe tear which tried desperately to break loose. "Take good care avyersilves, now. And whist, lads; until the spring rains do be comin' towit down the dead laves in the forest, it wud pay yees to be carefulhow ye set a fire goin'. Wanst caught in a forest fire was enough forme, thank ye."

  "Why, of course we will, Pat," said Bob, shaking the honest hand of thetrapper warmly; "and we all hope you will be back this way before long."

  "And if you run across Colonel Boone," remarked Sandy, "as I reckon youmean to, tell him how glad we are to be here."

  To all of which Pat promised faithfully; after which he shoulderedhis long barrelled rifle, gave a hitch to his leather trousers, wavedhis hand to Kate, who was looking out of the window, her prettyface bedewed with tears, and then, whistling merrily to hide his ownemotion, he strode away.

  A minute later he waved to them from the border of the dense woods;then he was gone, and no one could say whether they would ever againlook upon the genial face of the happy Irish trapper. For his life wasone constant succession of perilous adventures amidst wild beasts andeven wilder human beings, so that he actually held his existence in thehollow of his hand.

  "Come on, let us make a start," said Sandy, as impatient as ever.

  Presently the two lads found themselves tramping along through thewoods, on the alert for any game worth wasting precious powder and leadupon.

  It had been quite mild of late, but to-day the wind had veered backinto the old quarter where the ice king dwelt, and was growingstronger all the time. To the young hunters, however, the air was onlyinvigorating, and gave tone to their efforts.

  "Queer that we have seen nothing worth shooting up to now," remarkedSandy, after they had been tramping a full hour. "What do you think isthe matter, Bob? Can the Indians be about, and have they frightened allthe deer and buffalo away?"

  Bob shook his head.

  "I was just wondering," he said, "if we made too much noise stalkingthrough all these dead leaves. Did you ever see such a thick mass? Andas dry as tinder, too. See, when the wind catches them up, how theywhirl like mad."

  "Goodness!" remarked Sandy, remembering the caution of the trapper;"wouldn't it just be awful if they caught fire? We must be miles awayfrom home, and could never reach it. What in the world would we do,Bob?"

  Then, as he glanced up at his brother when asking this question, hediscovered that Bob was standing there, sniffing the air suspiciously!In the present excited condition of Sandy's nerves that, of course, wasenough to set him wild.

  "What is it? You smell something--oh! Bob, please don't tell me that itis smoke!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with sudden alarm.

  "That is just what I do smell," replied Bob, uneasily, though, seeingthe distress of his brother, he immediately tried to laugh it off."But perhaps it comes from some campfire started by the Indians. How dowe know but what we may be close to a village, since no one has evercome this way before?"

  "Now I get it," cried Sandy, "and, Bob, listen, what can that roaringsound mean? Are we near the river, and is that a rapids of any sort?"

  In spite of his bravery, and his desire not to frighten Sandy, Bob feltthat his face turned pale, for he knew instinctively what that strangesound meant.

  "Come, perhaps we had better turn around, and walk this way," he said,suiting his action to the words.

  "You know something, and you're trying to keep it from me, brother.That isn't fair. Tell me the worst, Bob! That rushing sound up on thewind--_does that mean the woods are on fire_?"

  "That is just what it means, Sandy," said the other, "and we must runlike mad now!"