Davy Crockett
Page 2
“How did you get here? We saw you just walk into the woods over there.”
Davy laughed. “Sometimes I move fast. Come on. We’ve got food to find.”
The children followed Davy down a forest path. The tall trees blocked out most of the sunlight and it was cool in the woods, even though the sun was shining. Davy did not talk as he led them deeper into the woods. He moved quietly and turned his head from side to side watching for any sign of game. None of the children talked as they followed Davy. They watched him and were surprised how quietly he moved down the trail.
Suddenly Davy stopped and looked up into a tree. The children looked up and saw a raccoon clinging to a branch and staring down at the group. Davy raised his rifle and pointed it at the raccoon. The children put their hands over their ears in expectation of the rifle’s blast.
Davy slowly lowered his rifle. He gazed at the raccoon and began to grin at the animal. Addie, Dylan, and Braden lowered their hands from their ears and watched as Davy continued to grin at the raccoon. The raccoon seemed surprised as he stared back at Davy. For several minutes the raccoon looked down at the frontiersman who grinned up at him. Finally he climbed to another branch, found his way to another tree and disappeared. Davy watched him go, then shook his head in disappointment.
“What’s wrong, Davy?” Braden asked.
“Oh, I got this idea that I can grin an animal down. I’ve tried it on squirrels, rabbits, and now this raccoon. It doesn’t seem to work. Well, let’s get to hunting. There’s going to be some hungry folks at home tonight.”
Later Davy led the friends back down the trail toward his cabin. A deer was slung over his shoulder, and some rabbits were tied at his belt. When they came to the clearing, they saw that there were some men standing outside Davy’s cabin talking to Polly. She didn’t look very happy.
“Should we stay here, Davy?” Dylan asked.
“No. Come on. They can’t see you. Let’s find out what’s going on.”
Davy walked across the clearing toward the men. Addie and the two boys followed him. “Hello, boys,” he called out. “What’s going on?”
One of the men walked toward him. “Glad you’re back, Davy. We need you to come with us.”
Davy set the deer down on the ground. “Where are we going, Amos?”
Amos looked over at Polly, then back at Davy. “The Red Sticks have gone on the warpath. All the men are meeting in town to go fight them. We need you to join us.”
Davy looked down at the children, who were staring wide-eyed at him.
“Well, friends. Looks like you’re going to have a good story to write for your school.”
Chapter Four
The three friends walked beside Davy as he marched with the column of soldiers heading deeper and deeper into the forest. Some of the men sang or whistled or talked to each other as they walked along, but Davy was silent. Braden turned to Addie.
“What’s wrong with Davy? He hasn’t said a word since we left.”
Addie looked at Davy’s face. He had a little smile on his lips, and his eyes were half closed. “I think he’s thinking about home,” she said. “About his wife and children. He sure hated to leave them this morning.”
Dylan tripped over a tree root. He got up and brushed himself off. “Well, why did he leave? This walking all day is no fun. This forest has too many trees. I’m ready to get back to Eden Prairie.”
Davy looked down at the three children. “You’re right. I miss my family. I wish I was home with them right now. But sometimes a man has to do things to make a better place for his family to live. I want my family to be safe, so I have to leave them for a while to get rid of dangers to them.”
“Do you like to fight?” Braden asked.
Davy shook his head. “No. I don’t like to fight. I wish everybody could get along with each other. But, because I love my family, I am willing to fight for them.” Davy smiled. “And then when I come home, I’ll get some big hugs and we’ll have us a party.”
“What will you do at your party?” Addie asked.
“Why, we’ll cook a big dinner. Then afterward, we’ll sing some songs, maybe dance a little, and I’ll play my fiddle.”
“You can play the fiddle?” Dylan asked. “I wish I could. I am going to take violin lessons this summer. Would you play for us sometime?”
“Sure I will. Tonight when we camp, I’ll play you some real loud tunes. Why, we’ll have those Indians dancing to the music, and they’ll be so happy they won’t want to fight anymore.”
The column moved on, and finally the captain gave the order to stop for the night. Addie, Dylan, and Braden watched as the men set up the camp. Soon fires were blazing and the smell of roasting meat filled the air. The sun was setting as the men finished eating. Most of them lay back on the ground around the fires and talked. Finally one of the men called to Davy. “Hey, Davy. How about giving us a tune on your fiddle?”
Davy thought for a minute. “I reckon we are far enough away that the Indians won’t hear us,” he said.
Davy stood up and walked over to his bag. He reached in and pulled out a fiddle. He tuned it up and then began to play a song. Soon all the men were clapping their hands in time with the music. A few men stood up and began to stomp around. The music got faster, and the dancers kept up with it. Soon it was so fast that the dancing men were twirling like tops. Finally Davy stopped playing and the men fell to the ground, gasping for air while the rest of the camp roared with laughter.
“Wow,” Braden said. “That was some tune. Do you know any more?”
Davy nodded. “I sure do. I know lots of tunes.” He looked at the dancers lying on the ground, gasping for air. “But I don’t know if they could stand another one right now.”
Addie looked up through the trees. She could see the moon shining and the stars twinkling in the night sky.
“This is sure pretty here, Davy. I see why you love this place so much.”
“Yes. This is as pretty a place as God ever made. But there are lots of pretty places. Why, I hear that west of here, there are lands that go on forever. Herds of deer and buffalo. Land just there for the taking. Someday I plan to go and explore that land. I want to know if it is as nice as everybody says it is.”
Dylan yawned, and Davy noticed that the men were getting their bedrolls ready to go to sleep.
“Guess we better get some sleep. I think we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”
Addie and the others lay on the soft ground. They listened to the sounds of the night. A dove cooed and another answered. Some unseen animal crashed its way through the thick brush that grew near the campsite. Addie watched as a cloud drifted across the face of the moon, cloaking everything in darkness. Then it just as quickly moved away, and the moonlight bathed the sleeping camp in its shimmering light. She wondered what the next day would hold for them. Soon she began to feel very sleepy. Before long she was sound asleep, along with Braden and Dylan.
In the whole camp only one figure was awake. Davy sat staring into the embers of the fire. He was thinking about his home and family and about how badly he wished he were with them.
Chapter Five
The three children woke up to the sounds of the camp getting ready to move out. They rubbed the sleep from their eyes and stood up. Davy walked over to them and handed each one a piece of bacon and a piece of hard bread.
“Good morning,” he said cheerily. “Are you ready to be moving out?”
Braden looked around at the men falling into line. “Where are we going?” he asked.
Davy pointed down the trail. “About five miles that way, there’s an Indian village. It is the one whose warriors attacked the settlers the other day. We are going to march to that village.”
Dylan started to say something, but an order to fall in was shouted. Davy motioned for the children to follow him and found his place in the line of soldiers. The sun was shining, and soon Addie and her friends were sweating as they walked alongside of Davy.
Addie, Dylan and Braden watched the activity in the camp. Women cooked over open fires while children played around the huts. Dogs sat near the cooking fires in hopes of getting scraps of food. Several men lay around the camp talking and smoking their pipes. Addie thought the scene was like any other family scene. She felt sad when she thought about the coming battle.
A shot was fired on the other side of the camp. Soon all the soldiers were shooting and yelling as they ran toward the Indian camp. The Indians were caught completely by surprise. Women ran screaming through the camp looking for their children. Warriors rushed into their tents to find weapons to meet the attack. Dogs barked, and children looked for somewhere to hide. Smoke from the rifles became so thick that it was hard to see. The children’s nostrils burned from the smell of gunpowder. They stayed back in the woods and watched the fight.
Soon the fighting stopped. The smoke cleared away and the friends saw a group of Indians surrounded by soldiers. Addie, Braden, and Dylan walked down to the camp and stood beside Davy. He leaned on his rifle as he watched the Indians. One of the officers walked up to Davy and said something to him. Davy nodded, then walked over and stood in front of the frightened Indians.
“Howdy. My name’s David Crockett. Who is your chief?”
A tall man with eagle feathers in his hair walked out of the group and stood before Davy.
“My name is Red Star. I am the chief of this band.”
Davy stuck out his hand. “Glad to meet you, Red Star. My friends and I came here because your warriors attacked a settlement last week. We want to live in peace, but we must protect our homes.”
“As must we,” said Red Star as he shook Davy’s hand. “The white chief told us we could live on these lands forever. Now white settlers are moving onto the lands and taking them from the Indians. We must protect our homes also.”
Davy nodded. “Yes, you must. We did not know of the white settlers taking your lands. When I get back home, I will go to the government and have them remove the settlers from your lands.”
Red Star looked puzzled. “You will do this for us?”
Davy smiled. “Sure as my name’s David Crockett. I give you my word and I give you my hand that as long as I am able, I will do everything I can to see you get to keep your home.”
“Then I give you my word and my hand that as long as the settlers stay off our land, there will be peace.”
Davy smiled. “Sounds like we have a deal. Now Red Star, this marching and fighting has made me hungry. Do you think your tribe can rustle up some food for us before we start back?”
Several hours later, Addie, Dylan, and Braden walked beside Davy as they headed for his cabin.
“Gosh, Davy,” Dylan said. “I can’t believe that the Indians would be so ready to make peace with you.”
Davy stopped and looked back toward the Indian village. “Dylan, they’re just folks like anybody else. They love their homes and their families and want to protect them, just like I would. I meant what I said about doing what I can to help them keep their land.”
“Davy, are you going to run for the legislature like the men talked about?” Braden asked.
Davy turned around and started walking. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Right now I just want to get home and see my wife and family. I guess tomorrow will take care of itself.”
Chapter Six
Addie, Dylan, and Braden sat under a tree and watched as Davy paced back and forth in front of the cabin door. They had never seen Davy look so worried. Inside the cabin a doctor and some of the local women were taking care of Polly. She had become sick and Davy had sent for the doctor, but she did not seem to be getting any better. Davy stopped his pacing and leaned against the wall of the cabin. His eyes were closed, and his lips moved in a silent prayer.
“I wish there was something we could do for him,” Braden whispered to Addie.
“So do I,” she replied. “He looks so sad.”
The door to the cabin opened and the doctor walked out. He was drying his hands on a towel. He walked over to Davy and put his hand on his shoulder. Davy looked at the doctor with hope in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Davy. We did all we could. She was just too sick. I’m afraid she is gone.”
Davy’s shoulders slumped. He leaned against the wall to keep from falling to the ground. He lifted his head and tried to speak, but no words came from his mouth. Addie saw a tear fall from his eye and run down his cheek. For several moments everyone was silent. Finally, Davy brushed the tear from his cheek and straightened up. He looked at the doctor.
“Thank you for all you did for her.” He put out his hand, and the doctor took it. “I would like to see her alone now.”
The doctor called the women who had been assisting him outside. The children watched as Davy walked into the house and closed the door. A while later, Davy came outside. His eyes were red, but he forced a smile.
“I will bury her on that little hill overlooking the valley. It was her favorite place. Once again, thank you all.”
The day of Polly’s funeral was cloudy, and a soft rain fell. The preacher gave a short service, and the neighbors who had come to the funeral all gave their support to Davy. When the service was over and the people had left, Davy walked around inside the empty cabin. He seemed to be hearing laughter and voices from happier days.
Finally he walked out of the cabin into the rain and headed to the woods. The children hurried after him. He walked deep into the forest and finally stopped under a giant tree. He sat down and leaned back against the tree trunk. Addie and the boys sat down next to him and waited for him to speak. After several minutes, Dylan spoke up.
“What are you going to do now, Davy?”
Davy looked at the children as if he did not know they were there.
“I don’t know. I think I’ll just pack my gear and head off into the forest. I’ll live out here and I won’t have anybody to bother me.”
“You can’t do that,” Braden said.
“And why can’t I?” Davy asked.
Braden looked at Davy. “A lot of people look up to you. They are counting on you to help make this country a safe place to live.”
“He’s right, Davy,” Addie said. “You can make this a better place to live for a lot of people.”
Davy shook his head and looked down at the ground.
“Why do I care if this is a better place for other people to live? What makes you think I could do anything to make this better anyway?”
Dylan got up and walked over and stood in front of Davy.
“Because you are Davy Crockett. And nobody can do the things you can do. I know you are sad right now, but tomorrow I think you will believe that you should help make this country better. Remember what you told the Indians? They are trusting in you too. You have a lot to offer everyone, and you can’t do it if you are hiding in the forest.”
Addie reached over and took his hand. “Davy, whether you like it or not, people look up to you and count on you. You don’t have a choice. You are Davy Crockett.”
Davy looked at the children.
“Yes, I’m Davy Crockett. I wish I was David Crockett, because he could walk off into the forest and forget everything. But this Davy, he is the one that has to help people and make something of this country.” He stood up and brushed off his pants. “So, I guess that Davy needs to get back. I believe there is an election to win.”
Chapter Seven
The campaign was a success, and Davy was elected to the state legislature.
He worked hard to pass bills that would permit settlers to have new land, while at the same time he kept his promise to the Indians that they could keep their homes.
Davy worked hard, and when he had a chance, he liked to go hunting in the nearby forests and hills. One day while he was out hunting, he found the track of a large bear. Addie, Dylan, and Braden watched as Davy followed the track for several miles. Suddenly he stopped and the children saw a cave in the side of a small mountain.
Davy slowly walked toward the cave, being careful to stay hidden in the trees. When he got to the edge of a clearing, he stopped and watched the cave. The children sat next to Davy and did not say a word. After a while, the bear walked out of the cave and sniffed the air. Davy slowly raised the gun to his shoulder and prepared to fire.
Before he could pull the trigger, three bear cubs came tumbling out of the cave. They ran to their mother and playfully tugged at her. Davy slowly lowered his rifle and slipped quietly back into the woods. The children followed him, and when they were away from the cave, Braden walked beside Davy.
“Why didn’t you shoot that bear? It would have made a nice rug.”
Davy put his hand on Braden’s head. “Those cubs need a mother much more than I need a rug. One thing you should remember is that you should never kill something for no reason. All God’s creatures have a right to live. That bear had a family to take care of. It would not be right to take her from her family for no reason except I want something to put on my floor.”
The children followed Davy back to his room. When they got there, they found several men waiting for them.
“Davy, glad you are back.” One of the men stuck out his hand to Davy. “We have something we want to talk to you about.”
Davy shook the man’s hand. He opened the door to his room so they could enter.
“What’s on your minds?” he asked.
“Well, Davy, you have done a fine job here in the state legislature. But we think you could do an even better job for us in Washington. We want you to run for the United States Congress.”