VII
It was a merry cavalcade that swung around the great oaks that springmorning in 1774. Two coaches with outriders and postilions led the waywith their precious freight--the elder ladies in the first coach, and thesecond blossoming with flower-like faces and starred with dancing eyes.Booted and spurred, the gentlemen rode behind, and after them rolled thebaggage-wagons, drawn by mules in jingling harness. Harry on a chestnutsorrel and the young Kentuckian on a high-stepping gray followed thesecond coach--Hugh on Firefly champed the length of the column. ColonelDale and Dave brought up the rear. The road was of sand and there waslittle sound of hoof or wheel--only the hum of voices, occasional sallieswhen a neighbor joined them, and laughter from the second coach as happyand care-free as the singing of birds from trees by the roadside.
The capital had been moved from Jamestown to the spot where Bacon hadtaken the oath against England--then called Middle-Plantation, and nowWilliamsburg. The cavalcade wheeled into Gloucester Street, and ColonelDale pointed out to Dave the old capitol at one end and William and MaryCollege at the other. Mr. Henry had thundered in the old capitol, theBurgesses had their council-chamber there, and in the hall there wouldbe a ball that night. Near the street was a great building which thecolonel pointed out as the governor's palace, surrounded bypleasure-grounds of full three hundred acres and planted thick withlinden-trees. My Lord Dunmore lived there. Back at the plantation Davehad read in an old copy of _The Virginia Gazette_, amid advertisementsof shopkeepers, the arrival and departure of ships, and poetical bitsthat sang of Myrtilla, Florella, and other colonial belles, how the townhad made an illumination in honor of the recent arrival of the elegantLady Dunmore and her three fine, sprightly daughters, from whose everylook flashed goodness of heart. For them the gentlemen of the Burgesseswere to give a ball the next night. At this season the planters camewith their families to the capitol, and the street was as brilliant as afancy-dress parade would be to us now. It was filled with coaches andfours. Maidens moved daintily along in silk and lace, high-heeled shoesand clocked stockings. Youths passed on spirited horses, collegestudents in academic dress swaggered through the throng, and from hisserene excellency's coach, drawn by six milk-white horses, my lord bowedgrimly to the grave lifting of hats on either side of the street.
The cavalcade halted before a building with a leaden bust of Sir WalterRaleigh over the main doorway, the old Raleigh Tavern, in the ApolloRoom of which Mr. Jefferson had rapturously danced with his Belinda, andwhich was to become the Faneuil Hall of Virginia. Both coaches werequickly surrounded by bowing gentlemen, young gallants, and frolicsomestudents. Dave, the young Kentuckian, and Harry would be put up at thetavern, and, for his own reasons, Hugh elected to stay with them. Withan _au revoir_ of white hands from the coaches, the rest went on to thehouse of relatives and friends.
Inside the tavern Hugh was soon surrounded by fellow students and booncompanions. He pressed Dave and the boy to drink with them, but Davelaughingly declined and took the lad up to their room. Below they couldhear Hugh's merriment going on, and when he came up-stairs a while laterhis face was flushed, he was in great spirits, and was full ofenthusiasm over a horserace and cock-fight that he had arranged for theafternoon. With him came a youth of his own age with daredevil eyes anda suave manner, one Dane Grey, to whom Harry gave scant greeting. Onepatronizing look from the stranger toward the Kentucky boy and withinthe latter a fire of antagonism was instantly kindled. With a word afterthe two went out, Harry snorted his explanation:
"Tory!"
In the early afternoon coach and horsemen moved out to an "old field."Hugh was missing from the Dale party, and General Willoughby frownedwhen he noted his son's absence. When they arrived a most extraordinaryconcert of sounds was filling the air. On a platform stood twentyfiddlers in contest for a fiddle--each sawing away for dear life and eachplaying a different tune--a custom that still survives in our own hills.After this a "quire of ballads" was sung for. Then a crowd of boysgathered to run one hundred and twelve yards for a hat worth twelveshillings, and Dave nudged his young friend. A moment later Harry criedto Barbara:
"Look there!"
There was their young Indian lining up with the runners, his face calm,but an eager light in his eyes. At the word he started off almostleisurely, until the whole crowd was nearly ten yards ahead of him, andthen a yell of astonishment rose from the crowd. The boy was skimmingthe grounds on wings. Past one after another he flew, and laughing andhardly out of breath he bounded over the finish, with the first of therest laboring with bursting lungs ten yards behind. Hugh and Dane Greyhad appeared arm in arm and were moving through the crowd with greatgayety and some boisterousness, and when the boy appeared with his hatGrey shouted:
"Good for the little savage!" Erskine wheeled furiously but Dave caughthim by the arm and led him back to Harry and Barbara, who looked sopleased that the lad's ill-humor passed at once.
"Whut you reckon I c'n do with this hat?"
"Put it on!" smiled Barbara; but it was so ludicrous surmounting hishunter's garb that she couldn't help laughing aloud. Harry lookeduneasy, but it was evident that the girl was the one person who couldlaugh at the sensitive little woodsman with no offense.
"I reckon you're right," he said, and gravely he handed it to Harry andgravely Harry accepted it. Hugh and his friend had not approached them,for Hugh had seen the frown on his father's face, but Erskine saw Greylook long at Barbara, turn to question Hugh, and again he began to burnwithin.
The wrestlers had now stepped forth to battle for a pair of silverbuckles, and the boy in turn nudged Dave, but unavailingly. Thewrestling was good and Dave watched it with keen interest. One hugebull-necked fellow was easily the winner, but when the silver buckleswere in his hand, he boastfully challenged anybody in the crowd. Daveshouldered through the crowd and faced the victor.
"I'll try you once," he said, and a shout of approval rose.
The Dale party crowded close and my lord's coach appeared on theoutskirts and stopped.
"Backholts or catch-as-catch-can?" asked the victor sneeringly.
"As you please," said Dave.
The bully rushed. Dave caught him around the neck with his left arm, hisright swinging low, the bully was lifted from the ground, crushedagainst Dave's breast, the wind went out of him with a grunt, and Davewith a smile began swinging him to and fro as though he were putting achild to sleep. The spectators yelled their laughter and the bullyroared like a bull. Then Dave reached around with his left hand, caughtthe bully's left wrist, pulled loose his hold, and with a leftward twistof his own body tossed his antagonist some several feet away. The bullyturned once in the air and lighted resoundingly on his back. He got updazed and sullen, but breaking into a good-natured laugh, shook his headand held forth the buckles to Dave.
"You won 'em," Dave said. "They're yours. I wasn't wrastling for them.You challenged. We'll shake hands."
Then my Lord Dunmore sent for Dave and asked him where he was from.
"And do you know the Indian country on this side of the Cumberland?"asked his lordship.
"Very well."
His lordship smiled thoughtfully.
"I may have need of you."
Dave bowed:
"I am an American, my lord."
His lordship flamed, but he controlled himself.
"You are at least an open enemy," he said, and gave orders to move on.
The horse-race was now on, and meanwhile a pair of silk stockings, ofone pistol's value, was yet to be conferred. Colonel Dale had given Hughpermission to ride Firefly in the race, but when he saw the lad'scondition he peremptorily refused.
"And nobody else can ride him," he said, with much disappointment.
"Let me try!" cried Erskine.
"You!" Colonel Dale started to laugh, but he caught Dave's eye.
"Surely," said Dave. The colonel hesitated.
"Very well--I will."
At once the three went to the horse, and the negro groom rolled his eyeswhen he
learned what his purpose was.
"Dis hoss'll kill dat boy," he muttered, but the horse had alreadysubmitted his haughty head to the lad's hand and was standing quietly.Even Colonel Dale showed amazement and concern when the boy insistedthat the saddle be taken off, as he wanted to ride bareback, and againDave overcame his scruples with a word of full confidence. The boy hadbeen riding pony-races bareback, he explained, among the Indians, aslong as he had been able to sit a horse. The astonishment of the crowdwhen they saw Colonel Dale's favorite horse enter the course with ayoung Indian apparently on him bareback will have to be imagined, butwhen they recognized the rider as the lad who had won the race, thebetting through psychological perversity was stronger than ever onFirefly. Hugh even took an additional bet with his friend Grey, who wasquite openly scornful.
"You bet on the horse now," he said.
"On both," said Hugh.
It was a pretty and a close race between Firefly and a white-starred baymare, and they came down the course neck and neck like two whirlwinds. Awar-whoop so Indian-like and curdling that it startled every oldfrontiersman who heard it came suddenly from one of the riders. ThenFirefly stretched ahead inch by inch, and another triumphant savage yellheralded victory as the black horse swept over the line a length ahead.Dane Grey swore quite fearfully, for it was a bet that he could illafford to lose. He was talking with Barbara when the boy came back tothe Dales, and something he was saying made the girl color resentfully,and the lad heard her say sharply:
"He is my cousin," and she turned away from the young gallant and gavethe youthful winner a glad smile. Just then a group of four men stoppednear, looked closely at the little girl, and held a short consultation.One of them came forward with a pair of silk stockings in his hand.
"These are for the loveliest maiden present here. The committee choosesyou."
And later he reported to his fellow members:
"It was like a red rose courtesying and breathing thanks."
Again Hugh and Dane Grey were missing when the party started back to thetown--they were gone to bet on "Bacon's Thunderbolts" in a cock-fight.That night they still were missing when the party went to see theVirginia Comedians in a play by one Mr. Congreve--they were gaming thatnight--and next morning when the Kentucky lad rose, he and Dave throughhis window saw the two young roisterers approaching the porch of thehotel--much dishevelled and all but staggering with drink.
"I don't like that young man," said Dave, "and he has a bad influence onHugh."
That morning news came from New England that set the town a-quiver.England's answer to the Boston tea-party had been the closing of Bostonharbor. In the House of Burgesses, the news was met with a burst ofindignation. The 1st of June was straight-way set apart as a day offasting, humiliation, and prayer that God would avert the calamitythreatening the civil rights of America. In the middle of the afternoonmy lord's coach and six white horses swung from his great yard and madefor the capitol--my lord sitting erect and haughty, his lips set with theresolution to crush the spirit of the rebellion. It must have been anotable scene, for Nicholas, Bland, Lee, Harrison, Pendleton, Henry, andJefferson, and perhaps Washington, were there. And my lord was far frompopular. He had hitherto girded himself with all the trappings ofetiquette, had a court herald prescribe rules for the guidance ofVirginians in approaching his excellency, had entertained little and,unlike his predecessors, made no effort to establish cordial relationswith the people of the capitol. The Burgesses were to give a great ballin his honor that very night, and now he was come to dissolve them. Anddissolve them he did. They bowed gravely and with no protest. Shakingwith anger my lord stalked to his coach and six while they repaired tothe Apollo Room to prohibit the use of tea and propose a generalcongress of the colonies. And that ball came to pass. Haughty hostsreceived their haughty guest with the finest and gravest courtesy, bentlow over my lady's hand, danced with her daughters, and wrung from mylord's reluctant lips the one grudging word of comment:
"Gentlemen!"
And the ladies of his family bobbed their heads sadly in confirmation,for the steel-like barrier between them was so palpable that it couldhave been touched that night, it seemed, by the hand.
The two backwoodsmen had been dazzled by the brilliance of it all, forthe boy had stood with Barbara, who had been allowed to look on for awhile. Again my lord had summoned Dave to him and asked many questionsabout the wilderness beyond the Cumberland, and he even had the boy tocome up and shake hands, and asked him where he had learned to ride sowell. He lifted his eyebrows when Dave answered for him and murmuredwith surprise and interest:
"So--so!"
Before Barbara was sent home Hugh and Dane Grey, dressed with greatcare, came in, with an exaggeration of dignity and politeness thatfooled few others than themselves. Hugh, catching Barbara's sad andreproachful glance, did not dare go near her, but Dane made straight forher side when he entered the room--and bowed with great gallantry. To theboy he paid no attention whatever, and the latter, fired withindignation and hate, turned hastily away. But in a corner unseen hecould not withhold watching the two closely, and he felt vaguely that hewas watching a frightened bird and a snake. The little girl'sself-composure seemed quite to vanish, her face flushed, her eyes weredowncast, and her whole attitude had a mature embarrassment that was farbeyond her years. The lad wondered and was deeply disturbed. The halfoverlooking and wholly contemptuous glance that Grey had shot over hishead had stung him like a knife-cut, so like an actual knife indeed thatwithout knowing it his right hand was then fumbling at his belt. Davetoo was noticing and so was Barbara's mother and her father, who knewvery well that this smooth, suave, bold, young daredevil wasdeliberately leading Hugh into all the mischief he could find. Nor didhe leave the girl's side until she was taken home. Erskine, too, leftthen and went back to the tavern and up to his room. Then with his knifein his belt he went down again and waited on the porch. Already guestswere coming back from the party and it was not long before he saw Hughand Dane Grey half-stumbling up the steps. Erskine rose. Grey confrontedthe lad dully for a moment and then straightened.
"Here's anuzzer one wants to fight," he said thickly. "My young friend,I will oblige you anywhere with anything, at any time--except to-night.You must regard zhat as great honor, for I am not accustomed to fightwith savages."
And he waved the boy away with such an insolent gesture that the lad,knowing no other desire with an enemy than to kill in any way possible,snatched his knife from his belt. He heard a cry of surprise and horrorfrom Hugh and a huge hand caught his upraised wrist.
"Put it back!" said Dave sternly.
The dazed boy obeyed and Dave led him up-stairs.