CHAPTER V
AROUND THE CAMP-FIRE
On a tempestuous night in midwinter the little settlement ofCoatesville, in Kentucky, was assailed by a fierce band of Shawanoesand Hurons. The pioneers were surprised, for the hour was neardaybreak, and, accustomed as they were to the forays of the border,they were without the slightest warning of the danger which burstupon them. They rallied, however, and made an heroic defense, butwhen with the dawning of day the warriors withdrew, they left morethan half the hearthstones darkened with sorrow and woe, because ofone or more of its defenders who had fallen in the strife.
Among those that had perished was Abram Carleton, shot down on hisown threshold while fighting for his wife and his boy Jack, whothemselves were doing their utmost to beat back their mercilessenemies.
The youth, as he grew older, gradually recovered from his grief, butthe blow was so terrible to the stricken widow that its effectremained with her through all the years that followed. Thevivacious, bright-hearted wife became the sad, thoughtful woman, whorarely smiled, and who walked forever in the shadow of herdesolation. She had only her boy Jack, and to him she gave thewhole wealth of her attention; but she could never forget the braveone that had yielded his life for her and her child.
Some years later a portion of the settlers became dissatisfied withtheir home, peculiarly exposed as it was to attacks from maraudingred men, and determined to cross the Mississippi into that portionof Louisiana which to-day forms the great State of Missouri.
To many it seemed a strange refuge, for the change, it may be said,took them still further from civilization; but the reader wellknows that the settlement of no portion of the Union was marked bysuch deeds of ferocity as that of the Dark and Bloody Ground, andthe pioneers had good grounds to hope for better things in thestrange land toward which they turned their footsteps.
The lead mines of Missouri attracted notice a early as 1720, andSaint Genevieve, its oldest town, was founded in 1755. At thebreaking out of the Revolution, St. Louis contained nearly athousand inhabitants, the country at that time belonging to Spain,and a considerable fur trade was carried on with the Indians.
Among those who crossed the Mississippi was the widow Carleton. Herfriends believed that if she removed forever from the scene of hergreat affliction she might recover; but if she remained she mustsoon succumb. She suffered herself to be persuaded, and went in thecompany of those who promised to give her the tenderest attentionand care.
Her decision was not made until the little company, that had spentweeks in preparation, was on the eve of starting. It thus becamenecessary for Jack to stay behind to look after certain interests ofboth, his purpose being to follow in the course of a few weeks.
The long journey westward was made in safety, a thriving settlementbegun, and young Otto Relstaub, the son of a hard-hearted, penuriousGerman, was sent back over the trail, according to promise, to guideJack Carleton, who was impatiently awaiting him. The next morningafter his arrival the two started westward, all their earthlyeffects packed upon the single horse.
They took turns in riding the animal. Accustomed as they were toconstant activity, they would have enjoyed the journey on foot muchmore than on horseback. At first both walked, but, after theiranimal had run away several times, his capture causing much delay,trouble, and roiling of temper, they concluded that a change wouldhave to be made if they expected ever to reach their destination.
One afternoon, when Otto was riding considerably in advance of hisfriend, he was fired upon by Indians, narrowly escaping with hislife. The incidents immediately following have already been told thereader.
It was yet early in the evening when Deerfoot the Shawanoe actedupon the request of Otto, that some more convenient spot should beselected in which to continue their talk.
Inasmuch as the destination of the boys lay to the westward, itseemed to Jack Carleton that, the wisest thing to do was to enterthe canoe, and allow the young Shawanoe to paddle them across; buthe held the gifts and skill of the wonderful warrior in such highestimation that he feared a hint of the kind might not be receivedwith favor.
Deerfoot led the way through the wood until a depression wasreached, where considerable undergrowth grew. He came to a stop andseemed to be looking around in the darkness, which to the others wasimpenetrable.
"Let a fire be kindled," said he.
Only a few minutes were needed to gather all the fuel required. Itwas heaped against the trunk of a tree, and as each carried a flintand steel, a bright roaring blaze was soon under way.
Had Jack and Otto been alone, they would have been troubled by thefear that their campfire would be seen by prowling enemies but theair of unconcern on the part of the Shawanoe infused into them afeeling of confidence which drove away all fear.
Enough branches and leaves were piled together to afford them thebest sort of couch. Not one had it blanket with him, and had theweather been cold, they must have suffered not a little. The boyshad lost theirs when their horse ran away the last time, andDeerfoot had not brought any with him, though one remained in hiscanoe.
Fortunately the night was not only mild, but scarcely a breath ofair was stirring. The fire radiated all the heat needed to makeeach comfortable. They assumed easy postures on the ground, and, asthe reflection lit up each countenance, they looked curiously at oneanother, as if seeking more intimate knowledge of their appearance.
Deerfoot and Jack have already been sufficiently referred to, and alittle attention is due to the honest German youth, who has his partto play in the following pages.
Otto was about a year younger than his friend, and bore very littleresemblance to him. Jack possessed a certain rugged grace, and,while he was not handsome, his face showed intelligence with mentalstrength, sustained by bounding youth, and a physical vigor whichwas perfect.
Otto was a head shorter than Jack, and his growth seemed to runmostly to breadth. His short legs bowed outward at the knees, and acurve seemed necessary in order to preserve the harmony of generalexpanse.
His face was very wide, the small twinkling eyes fax apart, and thefunny pug nose inclined in the same direction. His neck was short,and hair long and thick. His dress was similar to that worn by JackCarleton, except that everything, even to the shoes, were of thecoarsest possible nature.
Jacob Relstaub, the father of Otto, was not merely penurious, but hewas miserly and mean. Jack Carleton knew him so well that he wascertain there would be serious trouble with the lad if he showedhimself in the little frontier town without the valuable horse whichhad run away and swam the river.
There was one respect in which the dress of the German differed fromthat of the American. Instead of wearing a cap, he was furnishedwith a hat something similar to those seen in some portions of theTyrol. It had a brim of moderate width, and the crown graduallytapered until it attained a height of six inches, where it ended init point. The thrifty mother possessed a secret of imparting astiffness to the head gear which caused it to keep its shape, exceptwhen limp from moisture.
Such youths as Otto and Jack are always blessed with the mostvigorous appetites, but they had eaten during the afternoon and werewell content to wait until the morrow. As for Deerfoot, it madelittle difference to him whether he had partaken since the rising ofthe sun, for he had been taught from his infancy to hold everypropensity of his nature in the sternest check. Oft-times he wenthungry for no other purpose than that of self-discipline.
"How was it you came to meet Otto?" asked Jack of the dusky youth,who, assuming an easy position on the ground, was examining his bow.He looked up, smiled faintly, and hesitated a moment beforeanswering.
"Two suns ago Deerfoot came upon a log cabin. It was raining andcold, and he was a long ways from home. He saw the glimmer of alight and reached for the latch-string, but it was pulled in. Heknocked on the door and it was opened by the man who lived there.Deerfoot asked that he might stay till morning, but the pale facecalled him an Indian dog, and said that if he did
not hasten away hewould shoot him--"
"Don't you know who dot vos?" interrupted Otto, whose face seemed togrow wider with its immense grin.
"How should I know." asked Jack, in turn.
"Dot was mine fader. I dinks yon vosn't such a fool dot youwouldn't know dot right away."
"I knew that he was the stingiest man in Kentucky, but I didn'tsuppose you spelled his name 'h-o-g."'
"Dot's just de way to spell it," said Otto, slapping his friend onthe shoulder and laughing as though pleased beyond measure. "Waittill you don't know him as well as I don't."
"Deerfoot turned to walk away," continued the young Shawanoe; "hehad slept many times in the wood, and he was not afraid, but he hadnot taken many steps when some one called him. It was too dark tosee, but the voice was of a boy. While Deerfoot waited he threw aheavy, blanket over his shoulders and made Deerfoot walk back to thecabin. He asked him to enter the window where the father could notsee him, and he told Deerfoot he would place him in his bed and heshould have food."
The narrator paused in his story and glanced toward Otto Relstaub.Jack, with a laugh, looked at the stubby youngster, who was blushingdeeply and holding one hand over his face, the fingers spread so farapart that he could see the others. Otto was also smiling, and hishand could not begin to hide it, so that each side of his mouth witsin sight.
"Deerfoot was too proud to receive the offer of the boy, but he tookthe blanket."
"And mine gracious!" struck in the lad again; "didn't mine faderwhip me for dat? He proke up three hickory sticks onto me and keptme dancing out of de cabin and in again, and over the roof, till Ivos so disgusted as nefer vos."
"How did you explain the absence of the blanket?" asked Jack.
"I told mine fader I didn't know not any nodings apout it, and hewhipped me 'cause I didn't know vot I did know, and, when Deerfootbrought pack de blanket next day, den he knows dat I lied and hewhipped some more as nefer pefore."
Jack Carleton threw back his bead and laughed, though he took carethat he made little noise in doing so; but the face of the Shawanoewas grave. His refined nature could see nothing mirthful in thecruel punishment inflicted upon the boy because he did a kindness toa stranger of another race. The brutal father had only to thank theChristian restraint of Deerfoot that he was not pierced by an arrowfrom his bow for his conduct.
The Shawanoe did not need explain that the little act of Otto hadsecured his lasting gratitude. The latter was not one to seek hiscompany or intrude himself upon him; but he was ready to do theyoung German any service in his power.
A few days before, when Deerfoot was returning from the direction ofthe Mississippi, he met Otto on horseback. The latter told him hewas going to Coatesville to bring back a young friend, whose motherwas in the new settlement. For some reason, which the Shawanoe didnot make known, he could not accompany Otto, or he would have doneso; but he gave him full directions and numerous suggestions, everyone of which Otto forgot within the following fifteen minutes.
Deerfoot, however, after making some calculations as to the time theboys would reach the Mississippi on their return, promised to meetthem there and to take them across in his canoe, which was hiddennot far away.
The Shawanoe particularly instructed Otto that, if the meetingshould take place at night, he would make known his departure fromthe Louisiana side by swinging a torch in a circular manner. It wasthis signal which recalled the agreement to the mind of OttoRelstaub, who remembered much more than he would have Jack Carletonbelieve.