CHAPTER XXX
SAFE AT LAST
"WE must get away from here without delay, Sandy," said the elder ofthe young pioneers, after exchanging a few more words with Pontiac.
"Shall we accept the offer of Pontiac," asked Sandy, "and make for theriver under the guard of his men?"
"No," replied Bob, quickly; "for many reasons that must not be. He haspromised to give us a totem flag that will warn any wandering band ofIndians we may happen to meet that we are friends of the great Pontiac,and must not be disturbed. And I have promised him that it shall alwaysbe kept in our own cabin, only to be shown in case of any uprising."
"Then we must try to find Kenton, Pat and Blue Jacket?" questionedSandy, who was fairly wild to be away; for he seemed to fear lest theirlate good fortune turn out to be a dream, from which they might berudely awakened.
"Yes," Bob went on; "and if we go soon I believe we will run acrossthem at the place Kenton appointed. They will wait there for us thebalance of the night, I feel sure."
"What do you think they believed must have happened, Bob?" Kate in turnasked.
"Who can say?" her brother answered, shaking his head, as thoughpuzzled. "Fancy how astonished they must have been when all this racketbroke out, before they could make ready to start the fires, or BlueJacket get among the lodges to steal Kate, here, away. And then, ifKenton was near enough to see Pontiac take our hands in his, how hemust have stared!"
"But it seems all for the best, to me," said Sandy, softly; "even myfoolish rashness in firing without thinking. We have made a powerfulfriend in Pontiac, and perhaps saved our mother and father from thedoom that comes to so many settlers in the wilderness. And here is Kategiven over to our charge without either of us having to shoot down asingle Indian. Yes, Heaven was kind to us."
"Here comes the great sachem, and bearing in his hand the totem flagwhich is to stand between us and harm," remarked Bob, as he sawPontiac approaching them, followed by a retinue of jostling braves andchiefs.
The object which he thrust into the hand of Bob was a beautifullymade wampum belt that had been attached to a stick. It was of unusualwideness, and the symbols represented in its barbaric splendorundoubtedly told a story that every warrior could understand. (Note 8.)
It seemed as though every brave in the great Seneca village hadgathered to hear what the chief among ten thousand Indians had tosay, as he presented this badge of friendship to the young pioneers.Some scowled as they surveyed the palefaces; but the majority seemedfriendly, because they realized that as Indians they owed a debt ofgratitude to the white boy who had saved the life so valuable to theircause.
"Hear!" said Pontiac, elevating his wonderful voice, even as heraised his dusky arm with the air of a king, "these are the friendsof Pontiac. Let no Indian lift a hand against them, or dare to followas they pass over the back trail to the swift water. Where this totemhangs, that cabin is secure from the torch, those inmates safe fromthe hatchet, the flaming arrow, the knife. So long as Pontiac liveslet there be peace between the red men and those who bear the name ofArmstrong. I have spoken."
Once again he thrust out his hand, and gravely shook that of each ofthe whites, not even forgetting Kate. And, in the stirring times tocome, when the whole border would ring with the wonderful, masterfulability of this organizer and red leader, perhaps there would arisedays of alarm when Bob and Sandy would rejoice to know that the word ofa chief may never be broken.
So they took their parting look at the village on the Great Lakes, andplunged into the forest. Not a single brave dared to follow them, sogreat was their fear and respect for the mighty sachem of the Sacs.
Straight to the meeting-place of the five chestnuts Bob led the way.Unerringly he took his companions there, and at the first signal callKenton and the other three made their appearance.
"What does this magic mean?" asked the borderer, when he saw who wasthe companion of the Armstrong boys.
"Sure it makes me think I do be draming!" declared Pat O'Mara, as hewrung the hands of those he loved so well; nor did Kate hesitate tothrow her arms about the neck of this faithful friend of her parents,so wild with delight was she to see some one from home.
"Sandy did it," replied Bob, hastily, only too glad to tell what awonderful change in their fortunes the hasty act of his brother hadeffected. "He stopped Larue from bringing down a club on the head ofPontiac as the chief sat on a log, lost in thought. And, because ofthat, Pontiac has called us his friends. This totem flag will warnevery red-skinned warrior to injure us at the risk of making the chiefhis deadly foe. And the Armstrong cabin will never be put to the torch,or a single inmate harmed by an Indian so long as Pontiac lives!"
Loud were the expressions of astonishment on the part of theothers. Kenton, who saw himself reflected on a small scale in thequick-tempered Sandy, grasped hold of the boy, and shook him almostfiercely by the hand; after which Pat and Abijah, yes, even theundemonstrative Blue Jacket, followed suit.
"It seems almost too good to be true," cried the delighted Kenton."Not but that it would have been a great thing for the strugglingborder settlements if Pontiac had been slain here and now; yet howwonderfully that shot won our cause. But what is this you tell us ofLarue? We left him yet a prisoner in the cavern back of the cataract.We must see to that!"
He immediately started for the stream, and, as it would not be much outof their route, as they headed for the far-distant Ohio, both boys werequite willing. Besides, they were curious to learn just how the wilyFrench trapper had slipped his bonds.
On the road to the waterfall Kenton asked many questions. He, togetherwith his companions, had been stunned when the uproar burst forth, justbefore they were ready to begin operations. But all was made plain now,and, while Simon Kenton would have been happier had he found himselfin the thick of the fray, he could not complain at the way things hadturned out.
They found the two French trappers still where they had been left.All they would say was that Larue had seemed to suddenly break loose,and had basely left them, possibly in his haste to reach the villageand give the alarm, not wishing to linger long enough to effect theirrelease.
"The tricky Frenchman rolled into this pool of water, and let hisbonds soak," said Kenton, after he had made an examination. "When wet,the deerskin thongs stretched enough for him to work loose. He wasafraid we might come back and secure him again, so he fled withoutstopping to so much as lend a helping hand to his mates."
"Yes, and upon reaching the village he must have seen Pontiac sittingthere alone," said Bob, in turn. "Remembering how the great chief hadstruck him in the face, and humiliated him at the grand council underthe big oak, he was unable to resist the temptation to creep up andtry to obtain revenge. In doing it Larue never suspected that he wasplaying right into our hands."
"If the Indians only knew that we listened to what was said at thatsame council," remarked Kenton; "they might not be willing to let therest of us escape so easily."
"But what shall we do with these two men?" asked Bob, thoughtfully."We can't leave them here, for perhaps Larue may be put to the stakewith the dawn, and the story of their captivity would never be known.The Indians avoid this spot, Blue Jacket says, as the waterfall isbelieved to be haunted by the spirits of their ancestors, who call outconstantly, and try to make the red children understand what they aredoing in Manitou Land."
"No, we will take them along with us," determined Kenton. "Some dayshence we can let them go free. By that time they could not harm us byreturning to the Seneca village, and telling what they know of thecouncil spies."
They lost no time in starting. Though Kenton knew that Pontiac's totembelt would probably be able to protect them, he was, nevertheless,anxious to be well on the way to the Ohio.
So, for several days they journeyed; after which the two Frenchtrappers were let go, with a warning that they would be roughly treatedif they ever again showed themselves near the settlement on the riverbank.
And one day the little company arrived safely
at home. Great was therejoicing of Mrs. Armstrong. The entire community gathered around thathumble home in the clearing to hear the story of the wonderful journey.And every hand had to touch the wampum belt of Pontiac that was tostand between the Armstrongs and peril, in case of another Indianuprising.
Time passed on. It proved too late in the fall for the expected flameto develop; and from their scouts the settlers learned, much to theirrelief, that the uprising had been postponed until spring. Of coursethat did not mean they would be free from interference, because theShawanees were always on the warpath, and the hatchet remained dug upbetween them and the encroaching whites.
Bob and Sandy went on their way, gathering the pelts that they foundin their traps. Often they talked over the adventures that had markedtheir journey to the land of the Great Lakes. Sandy was more determinedthan ever to lead the life of an explorer, and follow in the footstepsof the bold and resourceful hero whom he fairly worshipped, SimonKenton.
"Some day," he would say, as they thus talked and exchangedconfidences, "I mean to set eyes on that wonderful river away to thewest, the mighty Mississippi, under which rest the bones of the bolddiscoverer, De Soto. I will never rest happy, Bob, until I can say thatI have seen the grandest river in all the world."
"Well," replied his brother with a smile, "perhaps I may yet concludeto go with you, Sandy. It is time our people knew more about what theFrench traders are doing in that region, establishing posts for dealingwith the Indians. But in a few days, now, we ought to hear somethingof father."
"Yes, winter is here, the snow is thick, and it is nearly time," sighedSandy; "and let us hope the good fortune that followed us all the wayto the far north, will bring him back to mother, safe and sound."
Though neither of them could see just how their ambition was to berealized, there was a way developing, and, in a new story concerningthe fortunes of Bob and Sandy, to be called: "The Pioneer Boys of theMississippi," we will have considerably more to narrate in connectionwith the fortunes of the two lads.
One afternoon there was a loud shout heard close to the Armstrongcabin; and a train of four horses was discovered heading from the mainsettlement, followed by a score of men and women, all greatly excited.
Of course it was David Armstrong, returned with a store of necessitiesthat must delight the heart of the good housewife, who, however, wasten times happier over the safe home-coming of the man she loved sofondly, than because of anything the newly-recovered money could buy.
They had a great time of feasting and rejoicing. The boys werecompelled to narrate every incident connected with their eventfuljourney in search of Kate; and, as Pat O'Mara still hung around,assisting Bob and Sandy in their trapping expeditions, he was able toadd many little touches to the wonderful story.
So the winter which they had dreaded so much proved to be a period ofjoy to the whole settlement on the Ohio. Mr. Armstrong would often takeup that magic wampum belt of the great sachem, Pontiac, and fondle itreverently, as his imagination pictured that stirring scene when, withhis apparently ill-advised shot, Sandy made a friend of the powerfulleader, and thus insured the safety of those he loved.
THE END.
The Pioneer Boys on the Great Lakes; or, On the Trail of the Iroquois Page 33