The Pioneer Boys on the Great Lakes; or, On the Trail of the Iroquois

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER XI

  TENDING THEIR TRAPS

  THE manner of Blue Jacket while saying this was grave. He had no likingfor the whites, save the family of David Armstrong. His sympathies mustbe wholly bound up in the interests of his race. And yet, unable torest easy when he knew these good friends would soon be in peril fromanother uprising of the allied tribes between the Great Lakes and theOhio, he had come to give them warning.

  Bob appreciated what a tremendous sacrifice this act must have been tothe red brave, for, in bringing his terrible news, Blue Jacket was inpart proving false to his teachings, and the interests of his tribe.

  "You must come home with us, and see our parents," Bob insisted, whenhe thought he saw an inclination on the part of the other to leave them.

  "Tell no more than that, Bob," remarked the young Indian. "All can saykeep open eyes for bad times along Ohio. Big chief think now can drivepaleface settlers back other side mountains, never return. Many tribessend back wampum belt wrap up round tomahawk. Know that mean hatchetdug up; and ready to fight. Watch out, see storm, get in fort! BlueJacket sorry, no can help."

  When it was known that fresh word had come in connection with thedreaded uprising, the pioneers of the Ohio would find new cause foranxiety. But there had never been a time since their arrival that theyhad not been concerned about the hostile attitude of the Indians.Despite the protestations of some of the tribes as to their desire forpeace, even to smoking the pipe with their white brothers, few believedthat they meant it; and hence no man ever went far from his cabinwithout making sure to have his gun along, and that the priming was inthe pan, ready for immediate use.

  Mr. Armstrong was indeed glad to see Blue Jacket, for while at first hehad distrusted him as an Indian, after the rescue of Sandy he could notdoubt the loyalty of the young Shawanee.

  In the morning he hoped to find out more particulars concerning theimportant news the newcomer brought, and which fully corroborated thatwhich Pat O'Mara and Simon Kenton had carried, after their trips to thenorth.

  But, when morning came, Blue Jacket could not be found. He had vanishedagain, after his usual way of leaving the cabin of his friends.

  "Here is some Indian picture writing on this piece of white birch bark,that he left behind him," said Sandy, when he had looked everywherewithout finding the dusky guest, who had slept on the hard floor by thefire, using for a bed only a bearskin thrown on the hard puncheon floor.

  By this time the two boys had learned to read the sign language of theIndians to a fair extent. Blue Jacket himself had taken pains to teachthem many things that had to do with his people, and their odd ways.

  Consequently, between them Bob and Sandy started to figure out justwhat the various signs stood for. But this time the friendly youngShawanee had confined his efforts to one subject. Cabins and wigwamswere given over to the flames, for the smoke curled up above each one.The various rude figures in sight they could understand to be Indianbraves, carrying on the massacre, dancing around fires, and wavingobjects in the air that must stand for scalps.

  "It is only the same warning he gave us last night," said Bob. "Hewants to make us believe that all this is coming, and we must keep onguard, day and night. But there was little need of that, because inAnthony Brady we have a leader who sleeps with one eye open. Whatevercomes, this little Ohio River settlement will never be caught napping."

  It was indeed a time that tried men's souls. And even pioneer boys feltthe terrible responsibility resting on their young shoulders, for, assoon as a lad could aim and fire a gun, he became one of the defendersof the home, and must face danger bravely, or be branded as a coward byhis kind.

  "When we go out hunting after this we must always be on the watch forsneaking enemies," said Sandy, with a tinge of disgust in his voice.

  "I only hope the scare will die out," ventured Bob, though his mannertold that he did not have great faith in this direction.

  "Well, we must not pull too long faces about it," remarked Sandy;"because poor mother is dreadfully worried even now about what maycome to pass. We can't prevent it, do what we will, and there's no usecrying till you're hurt."

  From that time on a feeling of uneasiness rested over the littlesettlement. Men went about their daily tasks as usual; but manysuspicious glances were cast upon the heavy forest beyond the clearing,as though they might be wondering how soon it would be before theshrill war cries of the painted foe burst from those gloomy depths, andblazing cabins told that the worst had come to pass.

  And the women stuck closer than ever to their homes, while childrenwere never allowed to stray away, as had been their habit during theearlier summer. Around the humble tables, when the supper was spread,the talk was chiefly concerning such shreds of news as floated in tothem from other settlements.

  As yet, so far as they could learn, no concerted outbreak had occurred,although, further south and west, the Shawanees were, as usual,harassing the settlements founded by Daniel Boone. But these valiantpioneers of Kentucky were so quick on the trigger, and so ready tomatch their cunning against that of the red foe, that the Indians hadnot made any great progress toward wiping out the hardy invaders.

  The lateness of the season caused some of the more hopeful to believethat the contemplated uprising might be delayed until spring, sincewinter was seldom a time for Indian warfare.

  As they already had every trap they possessed in use, Bob and Sandyknew that it was necessary for them to visit the entire line daily,unless they wished to lose what fur had been taken over night. Thesetraps had not been set any great distance from the settlement, for theyhad found plenty of traces of mink, marten, otter, badger and fox inthe ravines and creeks within a couple of miles of home; and while, atone time, they had contemplated going further away, the uneasiness oftheir mother influenced them to make a shorter circuit.

  Accordingly they started every other day to visit these traps. Sandyhad also discovered a colony of beaver up a lonely stream, and, as hecoveted their glossy pelts, he had made sure to leave several of hisbest traps hidden just under the surface of the water with the bait,scented with castor, above, so that, when one of the little animalstried to reach up, it would surely step into the open jaws of the trap,and be drowned.

  One thing the boys had faithfully promised their parents. This was toalways keep close together when out in the forest, either in search offresh meat or visiting their traps to remove the captured fur-bearers.

  Bob was particularly interested in every sort of information which hecould secure concerning the Indians of this Northwest Territory. Heknew the chief differences between the many tribes, and that, while allthe rest were in favor of the wily French traders, most of the Iroquoisor Six Nations inclined toward the English.

  But this did not mean that they would be friendly toward the settlersbeyond Fort Duquesne, later known as Fort Pitt; for already were thestrong signs of rebellion rife in the Colonies; and the Indians beganto take the side of the loyalists against the Americans.

  Often, while he and Sandy were making the rounds of their traps, Bobwould relate something of interest that he had managed to pick up; andhis brother, though not as deeply concerned as himself, always askednumerous questions.

  Some days passed after the visit of Blue Jacket, and thus far nothinghad come about that might excite new alarm. Almost daily some scoutor courier belonging in the settlement would come in with news; butthe reports all seemed to point to a possibility of the outbreak beingpostponed, for a while at least. Pontiac had not had sufficient time inwhich to mature his terrible scheme; because it was so difficult to getanswers from distant tribes, in the confederacy of treachery.

  Things were drifting on in this fairly satisfactory way when therecame a sudden break in the calm, so far as the Armstrong family wasconcerned.

  As usual, the two boys had been out on their line of traps, andwere returning home late in the afternoon. They had been unusuallysuccessful, which accounted for their tardiness, for as a rule theywere home long bef
ore this.

  Sandy had succeeded in shooting a deer, and bore a bountiful supply offresh meat on his broad shoulders. Bob, on the other hand, staggeredunder a goodly bunch of pelts, consisting of two beaver, a beautifulblack fox, three mink, and some muskrat skins that were not worthanything at the time in the market, but were used by the settlers formaking warm mitts for winter wear, or snug caps calculated to keeptheir ears from freezing when the cold winds howled, and the snow fell.

  The boys had just come in sight of their cabin when Sandy saw somethingthat caused him to call to his brother.

  "Look, Bob, what do you suppose all those people are doing around ourhome? I can count five, six, seven women standing, talking; and there'sMr. Brewster and Mr. Lane coming out of the cabin. Oh! I wonder if thatfirebrand has been about again, trying to burn us out?"

  And Bob, looking hastily, was also thrilled to see that his brotherspoke the truth, in so far as the gathering of neighbors was concerned.He too became immediately deeply concerned, and his boyish face lostevery particle of color.

  "No, it couldn't be that, Sandy," he said, in a voice that trembledwith new-born anxiety; "but I fear it may be father has hurt himselfagain. Ever since that tree fell on him, and nearly took his life, hehas been hardly himself."

  "But you must surely be wrong, Bob," spoke up the other, eagerly; "forsee, there is father coming out of the door now, and shaking handswith Mr. Lane. If there is any one ill it must be our darling mother,because I can see sister Kate with the women right now."

  "But no, that cannot be either, Sandy," said Bob, as he stared at thegroup near the cabin. "If our mother were ill you do not believe thatboth father and Kate would leave her alone, while they gossiped withthe neighbors outside the doors? It must mean something else! See, Kateis dancing about as though she could not quite contain herself. Now shelooks this way, and I believe she sees us."

  "Which is quite true," Sandy observed, still trembling from excitement,"because the little witch is running straight toward us as fast as herdear feet will carry her. Listen, she is calling something too; but forthe life of me I can't quite make out what she says."

  "Anyhow, Sandy," Bob said, smilingly, "we need not fear that it can bevery terrible, or Kate would not be looking so gay. See her wave herhands to us as she dances along! Come, why longer hang back, when bymeeting her half-way we shall the sooner learn just what has happenedto bring the neighbors to our home."

  "Just as you say, Bob. I was afraid at first, thinking that somethinghad gone wrong with our loved ones; but--why, there is mother rightnow, joining the rest at the door. Look, they seem to be saluting her,as though there might be some cause for congratulations. Bob, I nolonger fear that trouble has visited us; but, if I am shaking, it iswith eagerness to know what it all means."

  Kate had ceased trying to make them understand; but all the time shewas rapidly approaching the heavily laden boy trappers.

  Almost out of breath she came up finally, to throw her arms about theneck of one brother, and then affectionately embrace the other.

  "Come, what ails you, Kate?" demanded Bob, when the girl had repeatedthis demonstration twice, as though unable to articulate, owing to herexcitement and loss of breath through running.

  "Good news!" she managed to say, beaming at them in turn.

  "Something's happened then," cried Sandy; "something good, you say?Bob, can you make her stop dancing around like that, and speak? I'mfeeling like I was in a dream, and just can't for the life of meunderstand what could happen out here so far away from everywhere."

  Bob caught his sister, and, having dropped his burden, threw an armaround her.

  "Now, tell us at once," he said, in his commanding way; "was it aletter?"

  "Yes, yes!" she answered, with a happy gasp, and merry eyes that seemedsuspiciously moist with tears of very joy. "A letter from the lawyer inRichmond, telling father that at last, after these years of waiting,the great case has been decided, and in his favor. He is to come andreceive the money of which his wicked cousin robbed him ever so longago. Is it not splendid news, brothers?"