CHAPTER V
A WONDERFUL JOURNEY
Mr. Bradley was glad that he had his old reliable clerk with him inAmerica, for he was anxious to leave the colony, and establish tradingposts along the Connecticut River, west of the Massachusetts Colony.
Already the year before, in the summer of 1685, many settlers had leftthe Boston Colony and gone west through the unbroken wilderness to theConnecticut River. They were courageous men and women, for the journeywas very tedious and dangerous, and by no means inviting.
Yet they were dissatisfied with many things in the Colony, especiallywith the farms allotted to them, for they were sterile and did notproduce rich crops.
Every one had the pioneer spirit in full measure; for the men who hadcome from England, braving many dangers, would not linger helplessly ina place where they did not find what they wanted.
The country was immensely large, and opportunities welcomed themeverywhere. The first adventurers, who blazed the trail, reported richand fertile lands along the Connecticut River, with fine opportunitiesfor fishing and trading; for this river, which in the North divides thetwo states of Vermont and New Hampshire, flows through Massachusetts andConnecticut, where it pours rich deposits of silt into the ocean.
For the early settlers the rivers were means of travel and traffic, andwe need not be surprised that so many of the Boston Colony left theirhomes and sought out this new country.
In the course of time three settlements were made, the towns of Windsor,Whethersfield, and Hartford. The last is now a flourishing city and thecapital of the state of Connecticut.
As soon as John Rawlins had acquainted himself with the intricacies ofMr. Bradley's business, and knew all the prices of the various articles,and could converse somewhat in the language of the Indians, Mr. Bradleyprepared for the expedition.
At first he wanted to go alone, but after a while he decided to takeFred with him, who was well acquainted with the interior of the country.Agnes begged so long, until she, too, was permitted to go. Then Matthewhung his head and looked sorrowful, because he had to remain behind.So he, too, was included. Finally Mrs. Bradley insisted on going also,and so, what was originally planned as a little trip of one, became, inthe words of John Rawlins, a "huge earthly pilgrimage."
After all, however, Mr. Bradley would not have permitted the family togo, had the expedition been connected with serious dangers, or had thefur season been on. But as it was, the season was dull, and JohnRawlins did not have many customers.
He was one of the singular men of whom it is said that to know them isto love them. His age gave him a certain dignity, and his height madehim tower above the heads of all ordinary persons. The Indians calledhim the "tall oak," a name of which he was quite proud. He was kind tothe poor and humble but a terror to the bully, who tried to bluff him.Every one who came to the store was treated with cordiality andfairness, and Mr. Bradley knew that as long as John Rawlins was incharge of the business, the management was in safe hands.
So on one bright morning in August the party started out on theexpedition. Two large, faithful dogs ran ahead, barking and jumpingwith glee. Then came Fred and Matthew who knew the trail somewhat,though for safety's sake they had secured a reliable Indian guide, whowalked alongside the boys. Next came Agnes and Mrs. Bradley, while Mr.Bradley followed in the rear, superintending the five pack horses, whichwere in charge of three trustworthy Indian servants. All the white menwere armed, and even Agnes carried her gun at the side of the saddle.
Besides the muskets they had also bows and arrows, which were useful forshooting birds and light game of which the forests were full. On thesethey depended for their provisions, for the large amount of wares whichMr. Bradley carried with him, prevented them from loading on the packhorses rich supplies of food. Nor was this necessary, for on the waythey passed through many Indian villages, and in these they couldpurchase corn meal, which besides meat was the staple food of thepioneers when away from home.
The distance to Hartford, for which the expedition was bound, was aboutone hundred and fifty miles, which Mr. Bradley hoped to cover within aweek's time. This made the journey quite comfortable, though at timesit was arduous enough, since often the trail was very narrow, and manystreams and rivers had to be crossed.
Toward evening the expedition would halt. The Indian guides wouldunload the pack horses, and start a huge fire. Fred and Matthew thenerected the tent for the ladies, while they laid around it rich furblankets on which the men slept. The Indians camped near by, one ofthem watching over the horses which grazed on the tender grass, withtheir front feet tied so that they could not roam away too far.
While the men were busy preparing the camp, the women cooked the foodin a large kettle which hung over the fire. This usually contained aturkey or partridges shot by one of the men on the way. In addition,there were primitive spits on which were broiled huge pieces of meat,while in the hot ashes Mrs. Bradley skillfully baked small loaves ofdelicious corn bread. In a smaller kettle Agnes cooked the tea, ofwhich the pioneers were very fond, and which was the only beverage thewhite people drank while on the journey. For while the Indians drankfreely of the streams, the pioneers were careful to refrain from it, asit might prove a cause of sickness, which would delay the trip.
After the meal was finished, Mr. Bradley read from the Bible, which wasthe constant companion of the Puritans, and after that the wholecompany joined in singing a hymn or two.
The service was simple, but sublime, and the Indians listened withdelight to the pious worshipers.
Fred and Agnes, who spoke the Mohican language as fluently as theirmother tongue, would then explain to the Indians the contents of thechapter read, in their native language, and sometimes Agnes would singone of the fine songs which she had cleverly translated into theirlanguage.
Finally, when the service was over, the ladies crept into their tent,the men stretched out on the warm blankets, and with the exception ofthe Indian guard and Fred or Matthew, who watched over the camp, allwere soon fast asleep.
Through the thick foliage the stars gleamed down upon the quiet world,and Fred, looking up to the heavens, was absorbed in deep thought as helistened to the breezes that rocked the crowns of the trees, or to thestrange, weird noises that came from out of the forest in which beastsof prey were looking for their food. On the other side of the camp theIndian servant watched over the horses, while the Indian guide, everwary and cautious, would at times raise his head as he listened tostrange sounds like the hooting of the owls, or the weary wail of thewhippoorwill.
And over all rested that strange peace of God which is found in theforest or on the prairie, where God is near and wicked men are far away.
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