CHAPTER XIII
BEN COMEE HEAP BIG PALEFACE--TRAPPING BOB-CATS IN PRIMEVAL WOODS
When we arrived at camp we had something to eat. Rogers came to us andquestioned Amos, first as to the number of troops at Fort Ticonderoga,and how they were arranged, and afterward he inquired about hisadventures. When Amos told how Morin rushed in and freed Major Putnam,Rogers said:--
"Morin? I know him well. I scalped him and carved my name on his breastwith my knife."
"Well, I wished you h-hadn't. Then he m-might have given us something toeat."
Rogers turned and went off.
"Ugh! I don't like that man. You remember the time Lord Howe wask-killed. Well, that day I saw Rogers hit a poor wounded Frenchman onthe head with his hatchet. It was the meanest thing I ever saw done by awhite man, and I can't abide him."
"No, he's cruel and hard as nails. I wish John Stark was the commanderof the Rangers. He has all Rogers's good points as a fighter, is abetter man, and has better judgment. He never makes mistakes."
"Hello!" said Amos. "There's old Captain Jacob. I thought I'd n-neverwant to see an Injun again. But it's kind of good to see the old fellow.I wonder what makes him seem different from the Injuns on the otherside."
"Probably because he's a Christian Indian."
"I guess not. I d-don't think his religion struck in very deep, and itdon't worry him much. And when you come to that, they say those FrenchIndians are Christian Indians too. I n-never noticed m-much religionabout them. I guess we like him because he's on our side and shows hisgood points to us, and those other Injuns are agin us and show theirugly natures. It makes all the difference in the world whether theInjun's with you or agin you."
[Sidenote: BEN SENDS PRESENTS]
I had been feeling bad about the Indian that I wrestled with. He wassuch a fine fellow. How Jonas Parker would have delighted in him. Just abundle of steel springs. There must have been a great deal that was goodin a man like that.
I walked over to Captain Jacob, and said: "I had a wrestle with anIndian in that Fort Anne fight, Captain Jacob, and I killed him. I'msorry, for he was a fine fellow."
"Yes, I heard! Big fight. Big Injun."
"Well, I should like to show those Indians that I thought well of him,and want also to do something for his wife and children, if he has any.Now, I have ten Spanish dollars. I should like to buy some present, andsend it to them, and tell them how much I thought of him and that I'msorry I killed him."
"Oh, yes! Me send Injun. Me send what you call 'em--Injun flag of truce.Me send presents. Tell 'em you heap sorry. Me tell 'em you think himheap big Injun."
"That's it. That's the talk, Captain Jacob. Here's the ten dollars. Buywhat you think are the right presents for his wife and children, and Ishall be much obliged to you."
"All right! Me do it!"
Some days later, Captain Jacob came to me and said:--
"All right, Ben Comee. Me send Injun. He see them Injuns. He give 'emyour words. Injuns feel heap proud. They say that Injun, him big chiefof Canawaugha Injuns. His name Gray Wolf. Best man they have. They feelglad you think heap of him. My Injun give 'em presents for his squaw andchildren. Give 'em rum, tobacco, and chocolate."
"Rum, tobacco, and chocolate?"
"Yes, heap rum, heap tobacco, heap chocolate!"
"Well, that was a mighty good idea, Jacob. There's lots of comfort inall three of those things. But I should never have thought of givingthem to the widow and the orphans."
"Injuns ask, 'What that man's name?' 'Ben Comee in Captain Rogers'scompany. They give my Injun, pipe, wampum, and powder horn with carvingon it for you.' They say: 'Ben Comee heap big paleface to kill GrayWolf. We think as much of his scalp as of Captain Rogers's or JohnStark's.'"
[Sidenote: LOUISBURG FALLS]
Edmund and Amos, who were standing near by, grinned, and Edmund said:--
"You seem to be pretty popular with those Indians, Ben. Don't getstuck-up over it."
"I don't see anything very funny about it, and hope that all three of usshall pass through the fiery furnace, like Shadrach, Meshach, andAbednego, without a hair of our heads being touched."
While we were being whipped by the French at Ticonderoga, another armyunder General Amherst and General Wolfe was besieging the fortress ofLouisburg, on the island of Cape Breton. That army had good generals;and on the 28th of August we heard that the fortress had surrendered.Edmund came out of Rogers's hut. We were waiting for him.
"Come along with me. Louisburg has fallen, and I've got to take someorders to the officers, about to-night. The four companies of Rangerswith that army did well. Rogers is mightily pleased over it, and isgoing to celebrate their good behaviour. Rangers to be at thebreastworks at six, and fire a salute. There's going to be high jinksto-night. I've got to go in here and see Stark."
The regiments were all under arms at the breastworks at six o'clock. Itwas the King's birthday, and the Royal Artillery began with a royalsalute of twenty-one guns. Then the regiments fired in turn, till allhad fired three times. After that the ranks were broken, and the funbegan.
More good news came soon after, and this time our own army had asuccess. For Colonel Bradstreet with two thousand men had set out on anexpedition against Fort Frontenac, and early in September he sent backword that he had taken and destroyed the fort.
These victories put new life into our men, and they became cheerful, anddid not continually harp on our defeat.
Through Hector and Donald we came to know the men of the Black Watchwell, and spent much of our leisure time with them, listening to theirtales of cattle-lifting and of fighting in the Border.
[Sidenote: BORDER TALES]
Most of their talk was about the Rebellion of 1745, for the regiment waslargely made up of Highlanders that had been "out" with Charlie. Andwhen they drank the King's health, it was to King James they drank, andnot to King George.
Their conversation was very interesting to Edmund and to me, for ourfamily had lived together like a clan in Lexington, and the older peoplestill kept certain Scotch customs and used queer expressions. As theHighlanders talked, a strange feeling would occasionally come over us,as if we had led that life and seen those sights at some dim, remoteperiod.
In our own camp with the Rangers we heard stories of adventures in thewoods with Indians, bears, and lucivees.
Old Bill McKinstry said, "I wish we had some good strong traps, and wecould go off and trap bob-cat."
"And why shouldn't we have traps? What am I a blacksmith for? Just findme some old iron, and I will get the use of the armourers' forge."
They procured the iron, and I made eight big traps with strong jaws anda chain for each trap.
McKinstry, John Martin, Amos, and I got a furlough for a week, and sodid Hector Munro, whom we asked to go with us. We packed up our trapsand provisions on an Indian sled.
The winter had set in. The river was frozen over, and the snow was deep.We fastened on our rackets and started to the southwest, where there waslittle likelihood that we should be disturbed by Indians. We went downthe river, and turned off into a path that led to the west, and followedit till well into the afternoon, when we came to a good-sized pond. Onthe way, we shot several rabbits with which to bait the traps. McKinstrykilled a hedgehog, which he said was just what he wanted. We chose aplace where there were a couple of good-sized saplings, some twelve feetapart in a level and sheltered spot, not far from the pond.
[Sidenote: BUILDING A CAMP]
We cleared away the brush behind them, and fastened a pole from one treeto the other, some eight feet from the ground. Then we cut a number oflong poles, and laying one end of them on the cross pole, and the otheron the ground, made the skeleton of a lean-to hut. McKinstry had built afire. He threw the hedgehog into it, and let him stay till the quillswere well singed. Then he pulled him out and tied a string to him.
"What are you doing that for?"
"For a scent. I'll show you."
McKinstry and I set out with t
he traps and bait, leaving our companionsto cut fir boughs, with which to thatch the roof and sides of the hut,and make a bed. He held the hedgehog up by the string, and we walkeddown to the pond, and along the edge of it.
"There's tracks enough, Ben. Must be game here. I'll scoop out a littlesnow, and you open the trap, and lay it in the hollow. Now, we'll coverit with twigs and leaves, to hide it. Cut up a rabbit, and lay thepieces on the twigs for bait. Bring me that log over there, and I'llfasten it to the chain for a clog. He'd gnaw, or pull his foot off, ifwe tied the trap to a tree. He'll haul the clog along, but he won't getmany miles with it. Now we'll drag the hedgehog round, and the burntquills will make a strong scent on the snow. That will do. We'll go onand pull the hedgehog through the snow behind us. When the animalsstrike that trail, they'll be apt to follow it to a trap."
We set all our traps along the edge of the pond, at quite a distancefrom each other; and at the last trap, cut up the hog, and baited thetrap with it.
When we got back to camp, we found the roof and sides of the hut wellthatched with boughs, and a good thick layer of them on the ground for abed. The boys had collected a lot of wood, and piled it up near by. Infront of the hut was a fire, at which Martin was baking some rye andInjun bread, and frying a large mess of pork.
When we had eaten our supper, it was solid comfort to sit in our hut,after our long day's work, to look at the fire blazing in front, to feelthe heat, and watch the smoke curl up through the tree. On the furtherside of the fire they had built up a wall of green logs, so that theheat was thrown into the hut. We were snug and warm.
[Sidenote: JOHN McNEIL]
"Boys," said McKinstry, "when we get through with this war, you mustcome to the Amoskeag Falls, and visit your old friends. We've got somefine men there,--one's a great wrestler. I don't think your Jonas Parkercould have stood up very long against him. His name is John McNeil. Heis six feet six inches high, and used to be strong as a bull. He is aNorth of Ireland man, and had a quarrel with some big Injun over there,who came along on horseback, and struck at him with his whip. Johnpulled him off his horse, gave him a pounding, and had to leave thecountry. He settled at the Falls, and no man, white or red, could standup against him for a minute. His wife, Christie, is a good mate to him,a big, brawny woman. One day a stranger came to the house and asked: 'IsMr. McNeil at home?'
"'No,' says Christie; 'the gude man is away.'
"'That's a pity; for I hear that McNeil is a very strong man, and agreat wrestler; and I've come a very long distance to throw him.'
"'Troth, man,' says she, 'Johnny is gone. But I'm not the woman to seeye disappointed, and I think if ye'll try me, I'll thraw ye myself.'
"The man didn't like to be stumped by a woman and accepted thechallenge. Christie threw him, and he cleared out without leaving hisname."
"That's a braw couple," says Hector. "I hope there were no quarrels inthat household."
"No, indeed; as nice, peaceable, and respectable a couple as you couldfind in the whole Province. It's a fine sight to see the old man and hiswife seated in front of the fire, smoking their pipes, and their bigsons around them."
"I'd like to see them. But what I do want to see is a panther orcatamount. There's very little game left in Lexington. Now and then abear, but the catamounts went long before my day. I suppose you havekilled them."
[Sidenote: A HAZARDOUS ADVENTURE]
"Yes, I've killed some; but Martin's brothers did about the best thingin that way that I know of. Tell them about it, Martin."
"All right. We lived on the Merrimac, at a ferry that they called afterus, Martin's Ferry. Father died when we were little chaps. Mother wasstrong, and we got along farming, hunting, and running the ferry. Oneday in winter, when I was about thirteen years old, my brothers, Nat andEbenezer, went up to Nott's Brook, to see if they could find some deeryarded in the swamp. They came on a big track, followed it, and saw acatamount eating a deer it had killed. Nat had an axe, and Eben a club.Nat said, 'Let's kill him, Eben.'
"'All right. It's a pretty slim show, but I'm in for it. How'll we doit?'
"'You go up in front of him and shake your club to take his attention,and I'll creep up behind and hit him with the axe.'
"'I don't think there's much fun shaking a club in a panther's face; butif you're sure you'll kill him, I'll try it.'
"Eben walked up in front with his club, and Nat crept up behind. Whenthe cat saw Eben, it growled and switched its tail round, and raised upthe snow in little clouds. It lay there with its paws on the deer andits head raised, growling at Eben, who felt pretty shaky. Nat crept upbehind the cat and gave it a blow with his axe that cut its backbone intwo."
"That was an awful p-plucky thing to do."
"It was a most unfortunate thing for my mother."
"How's that?"
"Why, it made me just wild to go bear-hunting with them. I kept plaguingmother to let me go. She used to say, 'Pshaw, boy, you'd run if you sawa bear.' One night I had been pestering her worse than usual. She leftthe room, and soon after I heard something bumping round outside. Thedoor flew open, and in walked a bear, which came at me, growling. Igrabbed a pine knot that was handy and hit the beast on the head, andover it rolled. The bearskin fell off, and there lay my mother stretchedout on the floor. I was afraid I had killed her, and ran and got a pailof water and threw it on her. She came to, and sat up in a kind of adaze.
[Sidenote: MARTIN'S MOTHER PLAYED BEAR]
"'What's the matter? Have I been in the river?'
"'No, mother, you played you was a bear, and I hit you over the head;I'm awful sorry.'
"'Don't say a word more, Johnny. Don't say a word more. I was an oldfool. Serves me right.'
"She got up, threw the bearskin in the corner, and went about her work.In the morning I asked her again if I could go bear-hunting with theboys.
"She put her hands on her hips, looked at me, and laughed to herself,and then she said:--
"'Yes, Johnny, you can go. But be sure and take a club with you. I thinkyou'll be a great help.'"
Just as Martin had finished his story we heard a series of the mostterrific screeches and caterwauls.
"Heavens and earth, man," said Hector, "what's that? That must be thefather of all cats."
"That's just what he is, and you'll think so to-morrow when you see him.That is, if he don't get away. That's what we call a bob-cat. The Frenchcall them lucivees; and he's the biggest cat in the country, except thecatamount. It's just as well to leave him alone over-night. We don'twant to go fooling round him in the dark."
"Weel, mon, generally speaking I have nae fear of a cat; but if this onehas claws and teeth like his screech, I think we'd better defer ourveesit till the morrow. And it's surprising to me how comfortable we allare out here in the forest in the dead of winter. 'Deed, if Donald and Iwere out here alone, we'd be freezing; and here we are as happy askings."
"Yes, and a bagpiper at hand with his music."
"Now, Benny, don't run the bagpipes down. They're a grand instrument.Our friend down there does very well in his way; but he hasna thescience. And I was thinking that all we'll be wanting is a little gudepeat in the fire. The peat makes a bonny fire. We're no so wasteful ofwood as you are."
[Sidenote: THE LAIRD OF INVERAWE]
"Well, Hector, we burn peat in our fires at Lexington, too."
"Then you're more civilized than I thought."
"Oh, all we really lack are the bagpipes and some of those second-sightmen and Scotch ghosts, who foretell what is going to happen. It'sstrange some of them didn't tell Nabby Crombie he ought to take hiscannon with him when he attacked Ticonderoga."
"We kenned more about Ticonderoga than you think, Comee. Didn't everymother's son in the Black Watch know that our major, Duncan Campbell,would meet his death there? He had his warning years ago."
"A wise man don't do anything great if he tells a soldier that he'slikely to be killed some time. But as you seem to think there issomething remarkable in your story, you'd bett
er give us a few solidfacts. We might not look at it just as you do."
"Duncan Campbell was the laird of Inverawe Castle in the Highlands, andwith us was called, from his estate, Inverawe. One evening he heard aknocking at his door, and, opening it, saw a stranger with torn clothesand his hands and kilt smeared with blood. He said that he had killed aman in a quarrel and that men were after him in order to slay him. Heasked for shelter. Inverawe promised to conceal him. The man said,'Swear it on your dirk,' and Inverawe did so. He hid the man in a secretroom in his castle. Soon after there was a knocking at his gate, and twomen entered.
"'Your cousin Donald has just been murdered, and we are looking for themurderer.' Inverawe couldna go back on his oath, and said he kennednaught of the fugitive; and the men kept on in pursuit. He lay down in adark room, and went to sleep. Waking up, he saw the ghost of his cousinDonald by his bedside, and heard him say:--
"'Inverawe! Inverawe! Blood has been shed. Shield not the murderer.'When the morning came, he went to the man and told him he could concealhim no longer.
"'You have sworn on your dirk,' the man replied. The laird didna knowwhat to do. He led the man to a mountain, and hid him in a cave, andtold him he wouldna betray him.
[Sidenote: INVERAWE'S FATE FORETOLD]
"The next night his cousin Donald appeared to him again, and said,'Inverawe! Inverawe! Blood has been shed. Shield not the murderer.'
"When the sun came up, Inverawe went to the cave, but the man was gone.That night the ghost appeared again, a grewsome sight, but not so stern.'Farewell! Farewell! Inverawe!' it said. 'Farewell till we meet atTiconderoga.'
"Inverawe joined the Black Watch. They were hunting us down in theHighlands, after we had been out with Charlie. When this war came on,the King granted us a pardon if we would enlist; and right glad we wereto get out of the country. We reached here and learned that we were toattack Ticonderoga. All of us knew the story. When we reached there, theofficers said: 'This is not Ticonderoga. This is Fort George.' On themorning of the battle, Inverawe came from his tent, a broken man, andwent to the officers, ghastly pale. 'I have seen him. You have deceivedme. He came to my tent last night. This is Ticonderoga; I shall dieto-day.'"
"But he didn't die that day," said Martin. "He was hit in the arm, anddidn't die till ten days after."
"If you're going to split straws about it," said McKinstry, "the ghostdidn't tell him he would be killed there. He got his death wound, at anyrate; that was near enough. A good deal better guess than you couldmake. Between the yelling of that bob-cat and Hector's grisly story,we're likely to have a good night's sleep. I think we'd better frightenthe ghosts off, and then turn in."
In the morning, Hector, Amos, and I wanted to go to the traps at once toexamine them; but Martin said, "It may be hours before we get back, andif you were to start without your breakfast, you might be callingyourselves pretty hard names later in the day."
We cooked breakfast, and after we had eaten it, took our guns, and wentto the pond. Our first trap was gone; but there was a big trail wherethe clog had been dragged through the snow and bushes.
We followed it for nearly half a mile, till Martin stopped us and said,"There he is."
[Sidenote: THEY KILL A BOB-CAT]
We looked into a clump of bushes, and saw a pair of fierce blue eyes,which looked like polished steel. As we gazed, they seemed to growlarger and flash fire.
"'Deed, mon," said Hector, "a more wicked pair of eyes I never saw."
Martin raised his gun and fired at the bob-cat; but though he woundedit, the cat jumped at us, pulling the clog after it. McKinstry gave itanother shot, which knocked it over. It died hard.
When the animal was dead, we examined it. It was over three feet longand about two feet high. Its tail was about six inches long. Its headwas about as big as a half-peck measure. Its ears were pointed, withlittle black tassels at the ends. It had whiskers on its cheeks andsmellers like a cat. The fur was gray, except that on the belly, whichwas white.
Hector was looking at its claws, which were nearly two inches long.
"McKinstry, what do these animals eat?"
"Well, if you were alone here in the woods, I think likely they'd eat aScotchman."
"I was a thinking that same thing myself."
We skinned the bob-cat, and cut off some of his flesh with which to baitthe trap, and then we carried the trap back, and set and baited itagain.
We found nothing in our other traps till we came to the spot where theseventh one had been, and that had disappeared.
We followed the trail, and finally saw the cat on a stump among somebushes. McKinstry shot it. It jumped at us, but fell dead.
It was like the other, and weighed something over thirty pounds, thoughit looked much heavier on account of its long fur.
We skinned it, and set and baited the trap again. The last trap had notbeen touched.
As we were going back, Amos said: "What a p-pity Davy Fiske c-couldn'thave been with us. He'd have talked of this all his life."
"Well, the only difference is, that Amos Locke will, instead."
Just before we left the pond, we saw that an animal had turned in onour tracks, and had followed them up toward the camp.
[Sidenote: A FISHER]
"That's a black cat or fisher," said Martin. "His tracks look like alittle child's. I'd like to get him, for a black cat's fur is worthsomething."
The tracks kept along with ours, and when we got to the camp, we foundthat he had eaten up one of three partridges we had left there.
"I'll fix him," said McKinstry, and the next day he brought up a trapand set it near the hut, and baited it with partridge. The followingday, while we were away, the black cat came again, passed by our trapand bait, and though there was a fire burning, went to the hut and atesome baked beans which were there. He made two more calls on us, butscorned the trap.
On the second day out, Martin shot a deer, so that we had plenty offresh meat; and we cut holes in the ice on the pond and caught pickerel.
When the week was up, we had eight bob-cats and an otter. We packed ourtraps and skins on the sled, started back, and reached Fort Edward inthe evening.
Edmund had been unable to go with us on this trip, as Major Rogers wasat Albany, and Edmund's duties as adjutant kept him in camp.