CHAPTER III.
The Beginning of a Perilous Journey.
"Hitch yer cheers up t' the blaze; it's a cool night fer September," saidCaptain Bowen, drawing his own splint-bottom chair toward the greatfire-place of his homely but thoroughly comfortable home, and slowlysipping new cider, just old enough to sparkle, from the bright pewter mugcontaining it.
"An' help yerselves to some more cider, naow dew; I like a man to feel athome," he went on as Return Kingdom and John Jerome gave heed to hiskindly bidding.
"Naow as I was a sayin'," Captain Bowen continued, "I r'ally kent adviseyeu youngsters t' undertake these plans yer minds air set on. The Injunshev hated us whites worse than ever sence the British turned their backto 'em after the war was over, an' comin' so soon after their hevin'helped the pestiferous Redcoats so much--they fit fer 'em tooth an'toe-nail as the sayin' is, ye know--as I was sayin' it rankles in theirin'ards. General Washington--peace to him--he's did all he kin towardpacifyin' 'em, an' it ain't no wonder they call him the 'Great Father';but so many other men hev cheated 'em, an' so many settlers air crowdin'into their huntin' graounds thet they air jist ready to lift the hair ofany white man they catch sight on, a'most. Ye air takin' long chances,boys, I do tell ye."
"We want to hear both sides of the matter," Ree answered, and CaptainBowen resumed, saying in his own slow, homely but kindly way, that it wasinto the very thick of the savages that the boys were planning to go. Hereminded them of the barbarous cruelties the Indians had practiced asallies of the King's troops in the war, and told them briefly the storyof the battle Col. Crawford had fought with the savages in the Ohiocountry, ending with the burning of Col. Crawford at the stake.
He cautioned his young friends further of the hazardous nature of thejourney through an unsettled country, a long part of the way lying overthe Allegheny mountains. He told them of the cutthroats they would belikely to encounter--rough men, who, for adventure's sake, had gone intothe war, and had never been satisfied to settle down to lives of peaceand respectability after the close of the Revolution. As he paused atlast, there was quiet for a minute or two. Then Return Kingdom said:
"We have thought of these things, Captain, and maybe we are head-strong,but we are bent on going. There is little future for a young man here. Iwill soon have no home, and John can well be spared from his. All we cando, if we do not emigrate and secure homes of our own, is to hire out asfarm hands, and, as you know, labor is not greatly in demand. And as wehave said, we expect to go among the Indians partly as traders. The landwe shall settle upon, we expect to buy from them.
"Traders who have behaved themselves have not had much trouble, and wehope to make peace with every tribe we fall in with. The truth is,Captain, we really have more fear of finding ourselves in the woods witha lot of stuff we do not need, taking up the room in our cart and addingto our load, while that which we should have will not be within reach,than we have of trouble with the Indians."
"People say it will be only a few years until all the country about theOhio river will be settled," put in John Jerome.
"Y-a-as, land agents say that," smiled Captain Bowen, "but I ain't sosure on it. Folks kin still find plenty of hardships right here inConnecticut 'thout pokin' off t' the Ohio Valley or the northwest kentry.But I tell you what, youngsters," he exclaimed with sudden enthusiasm, "Iwish I was ten years younger, I'd go with ye, bless me if I wouldn't!They do bring tales of a marvelous kentry from the valley where my ol'friend General Putnam an' his colony settled!"
From that moment Ree and John had smooth sailing so far as getting adviceand information from Captain Bowen was concerned. Then and there,however, the Captain had to tell them all he knew about the colony ofbrave men who had founded Marietta on the Ohio river, nearly three yearsearlier. "An' they do tell that game is thick there as fleas on ahomeless, yaller dog," he said.
Though he knew that his wish that he might accompany the boys could neverbe gratified, Captain Bowen entered into the spirit of their plans andhopes with whole-souled ardor. He took great delight in telling the boysof his own youth and his adventures. He seemed to grow young again intheir presence. Many times, too, he told them of sixteen-year-old JervisCutler, who, as a member of General Putnam's party, was the first to leapashore and the first to cut down a tree in the new country whosesettlement their enterprise had started.
Throughout, the boys found Captain Bowen's assistance of the greatestvalue. He went to town with them and helped them make their purchases,which he took into his own home, as a central point of assembling, thearticles bought for the expedition, and helped to pack them in thehandiest and most compact manner; and many a thing of value and use whichhe paid for with his own money, found its way at his hands into theoutfit the lads were getting together.
The route of the journey Captain Bowen also aided the boys in planning,and his knowledge of the country stood them in excellent stead. Heprepared maps for them--home-made affairs it is true, and not absolutelyaccurate, but yet worth much to those who planned to cross a thinlysettled country to the wilderness beyond. It was by the way of Braddock'sroad that he advised the boys to go, following for the most part thecourse Gen. Putnam's party had taken after leaving Hartford in 1788. Thisparty had made the trip in three months, including a long wait whileboats were built in which to float down the Ohio river.
Captain Bowen figured that Ree and John could make better time and reachFort Pitt (Pittsburg) before November first. There they could probablysecure passage down the river without difficulty. In many other ways thegenial old man lent his aid, and the boys never went to him that they didnot find him brimming over with ideas for their benefit.
The news that Ree and John were going to the Ohio wilderness, andalone--soon spread through the surrounding country. Men who hitherto hadscarcely noticed them, now came up to shake hands and advise the lads asto this or that, whenever they chanced to meet them. Others shook theirheads gloomily and lost no opportunity to throw cold water on theproject. The young people of the community talked more of Ree Kingdom andJohn Jerome going west than of anything else. There were envious ones whopredicted that the boys would return a great deal faster than they went,or that they would not live to return at all. There were those of betterdispositions, however, who, while recognizing the peril of the proposedventure, hoped and promised for the chums, all success.
It was with one of the former that John had an encounter which was talkedabout for weeks afterward. Jason Hard, the cobbler, a stocky Englishman,thirty years old perhaps, had been making slighting remarks about bothJohn and Ree and their plans in the presence of a small company of menwho were at the tavern awaiting the coming of the stage. As Johnapproached the inn someone said:
"Now here's young Jerome himself, just say to his face what you weresaying behind his back, Jason Hard!"
"I was sayin' that if his father wasn't shiftless, the young 'un wouldn'tneed to be leavin' 'ome, an' I say it again," ejaculated the cobbler,with arms akimbo, standing directly in front of John in an insolentmanner.
"Look here! Take that back, you son of a Tory; my father has worked toohard to help his son get a start in life, for me to stand by and hearsuch talk! I say, take it back!" John bristled up like a porcupine.
The insolent Englishman sprang toward him as though to strike him, pauseda moment, then suddenly let fly a blow straight for the boy's jaw. Mostluckily John dodged in time, then with the agility of a cat he jumpedtoward the fellow and planted one fist just below his ear and the othersquarely on his chin tumbling him to the ground.
Captain Bowen, who drove up just in time to see the encounter, wastickled amazingly. Others enjoyed the exhibition almost as much, and gavea cheer for the boy, while the badly bruised cobbler stood by rubbing hishead, as though he wondered what had occurred.
Captain Bowen cautioned John against being too prone to take offense,especially as he would soon have Indians to deal with, but he secretlyrejoiced in the lad's spunk. The Captain drove out of his way to takeJohn home in
his light wagon, while he was thus advising him.
The day of their separation was drawing quickly nearer, and John wasspending as much time with his parents, brothers and sisters as heconveniently could. Often they urged him to abandon his preparations, butas it was with Return Kingdom that he was going, neither the father normother was willing to say he must not go. Both felt that he would be ingood hands and in good company.
And Mrs. Catesby and Mary more than once, also, sought to dissuade Reefrom emigrating. It was kind of them and their words of sympathy did Reegood, but he smiled at their fears and promised that he would return toassist in welcoming them home from the city, if they should be returningwhen Mary's education was completed.
How often Ree had cause to remember these promises so light-heartedlymade, and the comforts he was leaving behind, within a few shortmonths--when days of danger and sleepless nights of peril came!
There was so much to be done that time passed quickly. The Sundaypreceding the Monday morning on which they were to start, Ree and Johnwent to church together, and heard the good old preacher make specialreference to them in his prayer--that God would guide and protect theyoung wayfarers and that they would not forget His mercy and wisdom.Every eye in the church was turned toward the boys, embarrassing themmore than a little and making them wish they were safely started and wellaway from their excellent but altogether too curious friends.
Ree went home to dinner with John, and on his way to the Catesby farm inthe evening he went across the fields to the quiet church-yard. Under theclear, cold stars he sat beside a grassy mound and for an hour was quietas the grave itself. Many tender memories crept through his heart and inhis thoughts was an unspoken prayer. Thus he took leave of the spot tohim most sacred--his angel mother's grave.
To his surprise Ree found Mrs. Catesby and Mary waiting for him in thecombined sitting-room and kitchen, when he entered the house.
"As you will be leaving so very early, sir, we thought to say good-bye toyou to-night," said Mary with feigned solemnity. And a little later shesaid as they were talking, "I do hope you will be as good as your nameand will bring your scalp safely home with you when you do 'return'."
Ree laughed and promised he would do so, but he blushed, and seeingwhich, Mary Catesby did the same, and looked her very prettiest.
"We shall think of you often, Return, and maybe you will be ablesometimes to send us a letter. We shall be glad to hear from you, and oh,my boy, be careful--careful in all things," Mrs. Catesby said.
There were more teasing words from Mary, and more advice and real tears,from Mrs. Catesby and her daughter, too, before the final good-byes weresaid at last.
* * * * *
The late September sun spread a soft, warm haze over old Connecticut. Agreat, two-wheeled, canvas-covered cart lumbered slowly along the countryroad. Walking beside the one large horse which drew the vehicle, wasReturn Kingdom, his battered beaver hat on the back of his head, a smileof buoyant hope upon his lips. Sitting on a chest, his feet hanging overthe front of the wagon box, his back against a bundle of blankets whichmade a fine cushion, was John Jerome. Joy in living and satisfaction withhimself and all mankind were written in every line of his face. It waseight o'clock of a Monday morning. Two hours earlier the long journeytoward the unknown Northwest had begun.
"Why, ye'r in a terrible hurry, youngsters! Thought I'd never ketch ye!"
It was Captain Bowen who called out, driving his spirited team alongsideof the emigrant wagon as he did so.
"After ye'd gone, it come to me all of a sudden that ye'd stand a chanceof meetin' an old friend of mine. He is an Iroquois Injun of the Mohawktribe an' his name is High Horse. General Putnam gave him this knife ferdoin' some thin' or other one time, an' High Horse gave it to me 'cause Ishared powder an' bullets with him when he was out, an' durin' the war atthat. Seems t' me naow, tew, that I pulled him through some sick spell orsomethin'. Any haow he give me the knife. If ye see him tell him ye knowme. I heerd that he was livin' up some crick emptyin' into the Ohio."
Almost before the boys could thank the Captain he had turned and wasgone, having thrown a long-bladed knife with a curiously carved ivoryhandle--a relic of some Dutch trader perhaps--to Ree.
"I say! Maybe ye didn't hear as haow Jim Huson was able to git aboutt'day! Ye'll be hungry enough fer news I was thinkin', before ye air backagin!"
John waved his old cap and Ree shouted their thanks again, but if CaptainBowen heard he gave no heed; at least he did not look back.
At noon a halt was made at the roadside, close to a running brook, whilethe horse was fed and watered and the boys ate their lunch. They wouldnot have exchanged places with a prince, now that they felt themselvesfairly launched upon their long-talked-of enterprise. Their hopes wereunblemished by any unhappy circumstance and the fine weather was as atonic to their already lively spirits. They carefully examined theirgoods and wagon to see that all was in proper order before starting on,resolving to be attentive to every detail and let no mishap come to themthrough carelessness. On the road, too, they exercised care, rememberingthat a steady gait and not too fast, was necessary. And so the first dayof their journey was passed most pleasantly.
For the novelty of it the boys camped out the first night, beneath aclump of beech trees, and no two young men ever more fully enjoyed acampfire's cheerful blaze.
Another and another day passed. It was in the afternoon of the fourth dayof the journey that John stopped whistling "Yankee Doodle" to inquire ofhis companion who was taking his turn riding on the box:
"Ree, do you know much about this Eagle tavern where we are to stopto-night? I just happened to remember a story that was told in war time,that the house was haunted."
"Haunted by Redcoat spies, I guess," Ree answered. "The whole kit of themthere at that time were the worst kind of Tories at heart, I have heardfolks say, and Captain Bowen said something about it, too, you remember?But I guess they are all right now--got on the right side of the fenceafter the war was over."
"I don't mind Indians or wild animals--fact is, I'm just hankering tokill a bear, but I don't want anything to do with spooks or witches oranything of that sort," returned John. "I'll keep my eyes wide open forghosts and robbers if we stay at the Eagle, at any rate."
"There is probably more reason to be afraid of bed-bugs," laughed Ree. "Idon't believe the Eagle is so very bad a place or Captain Bowen would nothave marked it as a stopping place. There was a man robbed and murderedthere, it is true; but that was years ago, and needn't worry us."
So with talk of their journey and the progress they hoped to make in viewof the necessity of reaching the wilderness before winter set inseverely, the lads whiled away the time. It was nearly sundown when,passing through a woods which skirted both sides of the road, they foundthe Eagle tavern in view.
"See any spooks about?" asked Ree with a smile.
"No," said John quite seriously, "but I did see a mighty wicked lookingman peeking out of the window of the barn across the road from the tavernthere, just now. He seemed to be wanting to find out who we were and whatsort of an outfit we had, without being seen by us. Without joking, Ree,I tell you I don't like it!"