The Pioneer Boys of the Missouri; or, In the Country of the Sioux

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER IV

  THE CABIN OF BOB ARMSTRONG

  THERE was still danger in crossing the broad river in so small a boatas the clumsy dugout; so that the two lads had to be constantly ontheir guard against being caught broadside on, when the waves and windunited to beat against their craft.

  Fortunately their voyage was almost in the teeth of the elements, andthey were not compelled to expose the side of the boat.

  Dick always sat in the stern, as he was considered the captainand pilot, being better able to judge of what was proper to do inemergencies than Roger, since there was always a chance of the latterbecoming confused, as he himself very frankly admitted.

  On this occasion Roger was wild with impatience to get home. What hiscousin had just told him had excited him more than anything he had everheard; and the wonderful prospect that opened to them, if they couldobtain the consent of their parents to follow after the President'sexpedition in search of the distant Pacific, known only to Balboa'sparty long, long before, thrilled him.

  "ONCE EVEN DICK'S BEST WORK COULD NOT PREVENT THE DUGOUTFROM TURNING PARTLY, SO AS TO EXPOSE A SIDE TO THE WIND."]

  No doubt it affected his paddling to some extent, for Dick noticedthat he dipped deeper, and made more vigorous strokes, than he couldever remember Roger doing. In fact, he was put to his best efforts tocounteract the "swing" that these furious efforts on the part of thehead paddler gave the boat.

  Once even Dick's best work could not prevent the dugout from turningpartly, so as to expose a side to the wind, and they came very nearcapsizing.

  "Careful, Roger! Not so much ginger in your stroke! We'll get therein good time, if only you keep up a steady gait. There are no Indiansafter us, and the supper horn has not blown yet, that I have heard!"Thus Dick chided his impetuous cousin.

  After that the other lad, as though himself realizing the folly ofallowing his excitement to have such sway over his actions, managed tomoderate his speed and they had no more trouble.

  Besides, the nearer the boat drew to land, the more shelter theyobtained from the fact that the shore was covered with trees,which broke the force of the wind, so that presently they were incomparatively calm waters.

  They ran their boat upon a shelving beach, where it was usually keptwhen the stage of water permitted. The painter was secured to a stakethat had been driven into the ground, after which the two boys climbedthe bank, and headed for home.

  "After you've had a talk with your parents, when supper is done, getthem to come over to grandfather's cabin for a grand powwow," saidDick, as he and Roger were about to separate.

  "That's a good idea," replied the other; "and, if ever I wished foranything in all my life, it's that they may say 'yes.' I'll never behappy unless they do, because it would be a glorious thing if we couldfind that man, Jasper Williams, and get his signature to the paper thatwill save our homes."

  Dick was a boy of few words. He seldom gave expression to his feelingsafter the more boisterous manner of his cousin, but the hearty gripwhich he gave Roger's hand at parting was more expressive than words,and the other boy knew that his own sentiments were echoed in theheart of his companion.

  There were three log cabins not far from each other in the clearing.The middle one of these belonged to Grandfather David Armstrong, theoriginal settler of the place, while, on either side, his two sons, atthe time of their marriages, had built homes of a similar type.

  They had secured a grant of land that embraced many rich acres, andwhich, when the settlement of St. Louis grew in size, would becomemore and more valuable. Knowing this fact, then, it can be seen howthe prospect of having their land taken away by a defect in the titleaffected the Armstrongs, young and old.

  Dick strode straight to his own cabin home. He was carrying with himas many of the fish as he could well manage, and expected to send hisyounger brother, Sam, back to the boat to get the balance of what theyhad caught.

  The night was just settling down, though it would not be dark for sometime yet, as the long days had come in with the month of June, whichwas now not far from its close.

  In the west the glow of the sunset still lingered and once again didDick Armstrong stop for a brief interval to stare at the touches ofgold and crimson that flecked the heavens. No doubt the lad was vaguelywondering whether he and his cousin would be allowed to start forth topierce that unknown wilderness lying under that mysterious sky; and, ifso, what wonderful sights might they not set eyes on during the weeksand months of their absence, while trying to find Jasper Williams!

  Some such strange thoughts must have been passing through his mind,for he gave vent to a long-drawn sigh as he once more started for thecabin, from the small windows of which shone a cheery light.

  Even as he drew near, the door opened, and the form of a woman wasoutlined as she stood there, evidently looking out into the gloaming.It was Dick's mother, anxious, as any good mother would be, concerningher boy, who might have been upon the wild and riotous Missouri at thetime that summer squall first broke.

  "Is that you, Dick?" she called out eagerly, seeing a figureapproaching.

  "Yes, mother," came the reply; "we had to wait till the waves went downsome, before trying to cross; because, you see, the old dugout is aclumsy thing in a heavy sea. But we came over without shipping muchwater, and with plenty of fish. I'll leave them in the shed here, andwash up before I come in."

  But, before doing so, Dick, who knew how anxious his mother must havebeen during the gale, went up and kissed her.

  A short time later he entered the house. The interior of the cabin waslike all of its kind. To the boys of the present generation it woulddoubtless have seemed a very poor makeshift for a home, since so manyof the comforts to which they are accustomed were lacking; but in theeyes of Dick Armstrong it meant everything; and with father, mother,and his brother, Sam, present, he could wish for nothing more.

  The fire burned brightly on the wide hearth, where the simple supperwas cooking. From the heavy rafters overhead hung strings of herbs,and onions, and such things as the good housewife of those days deemednecessary for the welfare of her household. There was also a ham,home-cured; and some strips of dried venison, buffalo meat and evenportions of a young bear that Dick had shot during the preceding fall.

  White dimity curtains at the windows gave the room a homelike air. Theyounger boy was oiling several traps that he meant to store away until,with the coming of the crisp frosty air, the next season for takingpelts would have arrived. The father, who has been known in earlierstories concerning this pioneer family as Bob Armstrong, was engaged inreading a newspaper from the Far East that had come to old David, andwas such a rarity that it was passed from hand to hand, until decrepitfrom age and much handling.

  Bob had developed into a sturdy man. As has been stated before, he hadmarried the daughter of another settler, whose home was in St. Louis;and made both a good husband and a kind father. Being industrious, hewas by degrees developing the farm that had come to him as his share ofthe grant secured by David Armstrong from the French company owning agreater part of the land around the new settlement. Even now they weregetting good crops, and had a barn in which these could be stored.

  Taken all in all, this Armstrong settlement was the most thrifty withinfifty miles; and people who saw the fields of grain, as well as theanimals raised upon the several farms, said that David and his twosons deserved great credit for their persistent energy.

  Evidently supper had been waiting on account of the absence of theolder boy, for Mrs. Armstrong immediately began serving it, piping hot.If there was not a great variety on the board, at least one could notcomplain on account of the quantity.

  Bob was impatient to hear an account of the fishing excursion, andwhile the meal went on Dick entertained them all with the story of howhe and his cousin happened on the den of the bear in the big hollow oakand, seeking refuge from the storm there, had been surprised by thereturn of the owner, with the result that they were compelled to treatMr. Bear
rather meanly in order to induce him not to crowd in on them.

  Young Sam laughed heartily as he heard the particulars; and even Bobseemed to be vastly amused. No doubt it brought many a similar sceneback to his mind, connected with those days in the past when two otherboys, himself and his brother Sandy, roamed the woods and valleys insearch of game, and met with many surprising adventures by field andflood.

  Dick purposely refrained from saying a word concerning the bold schemewhich he and Roger had conceived, until after the meal was over.

  Mrs. Armstrong was washing up the dishes, and Sam still busily engagedwith his traps, with which he and Dick had done good work during theprevious winter, when, unable to hold in any longer, Dick sprung hissurprise.

  "Father, there's something I want to talk with you about," he began;and Bob, realizing from the sober tone in which his son spoke that itcould be no trifling matter, laid down the paper, and looked at theboy's flushed face.

  "Well, what is it, Dick?" he asked, uneasily; while the mother stoppedher work to glance up, and even Sam laid his trap down on the floor,and listened.

  "While we were sitting there on the shore, waiting for the wind toquiet down a bit, so we could take chances and cross over, Roger andI got to talking. I told him all you said to me about the shadow thathas fallen on our homes here, and, father, Roger, in his impetuousway, declared that we ought to follow up the Lewis and Clark company,to find that man, Jasper Williams, and get his signature to the paperthat will save our land from being taken away. And, father, as I heardRoger say that, something in me seemed to rise up and declare thatsuch was our duty. I promised him to get you to go over to GrandfatherArmstrong's cabin after supper, where we could have a council ofwar, and see if something could not be done to let us two go on thismission!"

  When Dick stopped speaking a silence fell upon them all. Father andmother exchanged quick glances, and there were tears in their eyes.