CHAPTER I
CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP
"PADDLE harder, brother. The current is stronger than I ever knew it tobe before."
"But, Bob, we must be very near the place where we always land when wecome over to look after our traps?"
"Once we are in the lee of that point ahead, Sandy, we can go ashore.The river is so high that it's hard to recognize the old landmarks."
"Both together, then, Bob. There! that looks like business! and, justas you say, our dugout can lie safely under the shelter of that tongueof land, while we're off 'tending our traps. Another week, and we muststop setting any snares, for the fur will be getting poor; so PatO'Mara said the last time he came to the settlement."
Five minutes later, the two Armstrong boys sprang ashore on the Ohioside of the river, at a little distance below the spot where, acrossthe now unusually wide stream, their parents, together with other boldpioneers from Virginia, had, not more than a year before, started afrontier settlement.[1]
The clumsy, but staunch boat, fashioned from the trunk of a tree, wasdrawn partly out of the water. They had made the passage of the riverwith considerable hard labor, because of the vast volume of water whichthe heavy spring rains had brought out of the hills all the way up toand beyond old Fort Duquesne.[2]
Both boys were dressed after the fashion of that time among hunters andtrappers, who, scorning the homespun clothes of the Virginia settlers,found garments made of buckskin, not unlike those worn by many of theIndians, to give them the best service when roaming the great foreststhat stretched from the Alleghanies, off to the border of the mightyMississippi, in the "Land of the Setting Sun."
Having picked up their guns, the brothers started through the thickwoods; but not before Sandy, the younger, had cast a last wistful lookback at the swollen waters of the Ohio, that, seen in the dull light ofthe overcast afternoon, flowed steadily toward the west. Truth to tell,that unknown western region was drawing the thoughts of the pioneer boyvery much of late; and, even as he tramped along at the side of Bob,his first words told how he envied the rushing waters that were headedinto the country he longed to see.
"Abijah Cook is back at the settlement for a short spell, I heard Mr.Harkness say," he remarked, with a long sigh that caused his brother toturn an uneasy glance in his direction.
"And has he given up ranging the woods with young Simon Kenton?" theolder boy asked.
"Oh! no; but he brought his winter's catch of pelts in for Mr. Harknessto dispose of, when he found the chance," Sandy replied.
"And I suppose the old woodranger has been talking again about theregion of the Mississippi," remarked Bob, who could guess what was onthe mind of his brother.
"Well," Sandy went on, "Abijah has seen that wonderful country, and heknows how different it is from this hilly place, where the corn washesdown the sides of the slopes whenever a big rain comes. Out there it ismostly prairie, and the soil, he says, is black and rich. It will growmaize twice as high as your head. The stories he tells of what he sawon those prairies fairly make my heart ache."
"But Sandy, you must try to forget all that," returned Bob, who oftenfound it necessary to restrain his impatient young brother. "You areneeded at home, for father is not able to hunt and trap, besides takingcare of his crops. Nobody in the whole settlement brings in as muchgame as you do. Wait a few years, and then, when we are grown men,perhaps we may strike out for that country you have been hearing somuch about; where De Soto discovered the greatest of rivers, and liesburied under its waters."
Sandy sighed again.
"I suppose I must wait, just as you say, Bob," he observed, "but itmay not be for years, as you seem to think. Already some of the menare beginning to talk of making a flatboat, and floating down the Ohiountil they reach the father of all the waters. They do not like theidea of the rascally French taking possession of all that fine land,which is a part of our own Virginia. And it may not be so very longbefore we will lose some of our people in that way." (Note 1.)[3]
These brave men, who had already successfully braved the dangers thatbeset them on their journey across the mountains to the Ohio valley,had heard stories from the lips of trappers who had penetrated farinto the western land in pursuit of the rich skins of otter, beaver,fox, mink and marten. When their crops failed to turn out as well asthey had anticipated, a spirit of unrest began to pervade the littlecommunity; and these wonderful tales were repeated, from lip to lip,always with a longing to obtain a glimpse of the country that offeredsuch astonishing opportunities.
It was this spirit of unrest that peopled our great West. Those whofound themselves out-distanced in the race, unwilling that othersshould get ahead, gave up their holdings, partly improved as they mightbe, and once more started out to get in the van of the processionheaded toward the setting sun.
"Do you think we will have any trouble getting back to the other shoreof the river, this afternoon?" Sandy asked, after they had walked alongfor a few minutes in silence, headed for the first of their traps.
"I admit that I don't just like the way we were buffeted around on thevoyage over," replied Bob; "and, if the waters keep on rising to-night,as I think they are going to, we will not be able to visit our traps onthis side for several days."
"Then had we better take them along with us?" asked Sandy.
"No, they would bother us in the dugout," replied Bob; then, noticingthe quick glance his brother shot in his direction, he added: "Yes, Iam figuring on the chance of our boat being upset in the flood; and,if that happened, we'd have all we could do to save ourselves and ourguns, let alone half a dozen heavy traps. They can stay here until wefind a chance to cross again, after the water goes down."
"But, I wonder if Colonel Boone knew about such a thing as a flood whenhe led us to where the settlement now stands?" remarked Sandy, with afrown. "Because, if the water rises very much more, we, as well as someof the other settlers, stand to lose our cabin. Already the water hascovered the land where open fields lay, ready to be planted in maizethis spring. All Mr. Bancroft's new fence has been taken down, to saveit from being swept away."
"No, I do not believe such a rise has been known for many years," Bobwent on to say. "You know how it flows between banks that are coveredwith trees. These countless hills are crowned with great forests, andunder the trees the ground is carpeted with moss and dead leaves. Thisis like a great sponge, father says, that soaks up the water duringrainy seasons, and lets it out again in time of drought. I heard himsay only this morning that the Indians never knew of a flood like thisone. They believe that the Great Spirit is angry because they have notdriven the palefaces from Kentucky. And there will be a renewal of thefighting, after this rainy spell is over, he fears." (Note 2.)
"Well, here's where we set our first trap," Sandy cried. "And the nextis only a short distance along the trail. I'll take a look at thisone, while you go on and attend to the next."
"That is the best way, Sandy," returned Bob, with a quick glance towardthe darkening heavens. "I do not like the looks of those clouds, and itmay be that the rain will set in again. If that happens, we would findit all we could do to make a safe passage across the river, for thedarkness will fall early to-night."
"And we must not forget to keep our eyes open for a sight of thoserascally French trappers, Jacques Larue and Henri Lacroix," remarkedSandy, with a suggestive movement of his gun. "They have been reportedas being seen not far away from here of late, and you know, Bob, theyhave never forgiven us the way we managed to outwit Larue last fall,and bring Henri Lacroix's brother to justice."[4]
"But they also know," Bob replied, "that because you and I were ableto do the great Indian sachem, Pontiac, a favor, he gave us his wampumbelt, which has served to keep the Indians who were on the war-pathaway from our little settlement. Those Frenchmen understand that, ifeither of us were hurt, the Indians would visit vengeance on the headof the guilty party. Larue learned that before he escaped from theIndians." (Note 3.)
The boys had learned t
hat Jacques Larue had loosened his bonds andescaped from his Indian captors through the connivance of a young buckfor whom he had once performed some service, and was again free to workwith Henri Lacroix such damage against the latest English settlers astheir evil minds might suggest.
"I am convinced it was they who robbed our traps several times thiswinter, so that we had to change their location," Sandy declared,indignantly. "And, when that brush was piled up against our cabin, thatdark night, and fired, did we not find tracks that were never made byIndian feet? I seem to feel that we have not seen the last of thoseFrench trappers. And Pat O'Mara told me that, if ever I had to shoot todefend myself against either of them, to get the full value of my lead!"
"Well, let us hope that they will go elsewhere, and do their trapping,"said Bob, as he turned and left his brother. "I think it is a greatpity that, with a string of trading posts all the way from the biglakes down to the sea, these greedy French from the North cannot letus alone here. They seem to want the earth. But I'll wait for you atthe second trap, Sandy. Be as quick as you can."
Sandy made no reply, but hastened forward to where they had set thefirst trap. He was filled with thoughts of the stories he had heardconnected with the Mississippi country, and he pictured in his mind theloveliest scene that could ever greet the eager eyes of a pioneer--gamewaiting to be shot and trapped; the earth so rich that it would growbountiful crops upon being simply stirred; the fields glorious withmyriads of wild flowers; and all to be had by simply reaching out ahand and taking possession, in defiance of the French, who claimedeverything from the far North to the gulf.
He found in the trap a fine red fox, which he succeeded in knocking onthe head without injuring the pelt. Laying his gun aside, Sandy startedto reset the trap, believing that, as it seemed to be a lucky place,perhaps the mate of the fox might come along, and also step into thesteel circle.
As he began his task, an accident occurred that had never happened toSandy before in all his trapping experience, and probably never wouldagain. In some manner, which he could not fully explain, in turningaround to secure something, he managed to thrust his foot into the settrap, which he had quite forgotten.
There was a snap, and an acute feeling of pain that caused the boy togive a startled cry. His heavy leggings saved him to a great extentfrom the cruel teeth of the trap, for at that time the smooth jaws nowin universal use had not come into vogue; but the boy knew he wouldhave a sore ankle for some days because of his carelessness.
Sandy tried to get at the trap to release himself, and found that,because of the formation of the ground at that particular spot, itwould prove a difficult task. He persisted in his efforts, however,and refrained from calling out to his brother, not wishing the morecautious Bob to learn what a foolish thing he had done.
He was still striving to squirm around so as to get at the doublespring, and by pressure release his foot, when he heard a sound closeby that riveted his attention. Looking up, what was the boy's dismay todiscover a creeping animal gradually drawing closer and closer to him.
It needed only that one look to tell Sandy that he was being stalkedby one of the most dreaded animals of the forest, a gray panther, thathad evidently scented the blood of the captured fox, and was bent onsecuring a supper.
"HE WAS BEING STALKED BY ONE OF THE MOST DREADED ANIMALSOF THE FOREST, A GRAY PANTHER."]
Of course, Sandy's first thought was of his musket. He rememberedplacing this against a neighboring tree, and, sure enough, it stillstood there; but, when he made a movement to reach the weapon, he foundto his dismay that the chain of the fox trap was too short to allow hisfingers to come within a foot of the gun!
In vain he writhed and pulled; the trap had been made only too secure,and Sandy realized that there was nothing he could do but lift up hislusty young voice in an appeal for help.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See "The Pioneer Boys of the Ohio."
[2] Now known as Pittsburg.
[3] The notes will be found at the end of the book.
[4] See "The Pioneer Boys on the Great Lakes."
The Pioneer Boys of the Mississippi; or, The Homestead in the Wilderness Page 4
