CHAPTER XIV
A NEW HOME IN THE WILDERNESS
"SANDY!"
The younger lad heard his name called and, looking up, caughtthe beckoning finger of his brother. One look told him what wasthreatening, for the face of the advancing settler betrayed the uglythoughts that filled his mind.
Sandy immediately sprang over to join forces with his brother, forwhatever Bob did was right, in his mind, and he stood ready to back himup to the end.
"What does all this foolishness mean?" demanded the tall pioneer ashe came to where Bob was still kneeling beside his patient, with thebandage just secured by a strip of narrow linen which his mother wasnever without, since every housewife in those days had to be ready foremergencies.
Bob did not answer. He waited until Mr. Brady saw the young Indian, whomet the angry glare in the settler's eyes with a defiant look. BlueJacket even hastened to sit up, and fold his sinewy arms across hischest. It was the attitude which he conceived a true warrior ought toassume when ready to chant his death song, and laugh at Fate.
"An Injun!" roared the furious man, making a threatening movement withhis long musket. "They told me so, but I couldn't hardly believe it. Ared viper in our camp, to be nursed back to life so that he can bringhis fellows down on us some fine night, and scalp the whole company.We'll soon settle that!"
"Hold on, Mr. Brady," said Bob calmly. "What do you mean to do?"
He had placed himself in front of the wounded Indian, shielding hispainted body with his own. Sandy stood close at hand, ready to clutchthe arm of the infuriated man should he dare venture to extremes. AndMr. Armstrong came hurrying up, urged on by his alarmed wife.
"Shoot the snake as he deserves, if you must know!" shouted the man,who had worked himself up into a condition bordering on hysteria. "Whoknows but what it was him that wounded my poor brother, Caleb! OneInjun more or less can never matter much, anyway. So stand aside, BobArmstrong, and let me put him out of his misery, like you would a maddog."
But he greatly mistook the temper of Bob, if he thought that threatslike this could have any influence over him. On the contrary the youngpioneer only spread himself more squarely in front of his helplesscharge.
"No, you shall not hurt him, Mr. Brady. Sandy and I found him, and hebelongs to us. Pat O'Mara is still in charge of this company, and hehas told us we could do what we wanted with him. Besides, he is onlyone lone Indian, and can do us no harm. Perhaps, if we help him now, hemay not forget it some time in the future. For we are come here to stayalways, and his people belong here."
The man dared not attempt to fire while Bob thus interposed his bodybetween; besides, he had a healthy respect for the redoubtable Irishtrapper.
"Is that true, O'Mara?" he demanded. "Have you given these foolishlads permission to keep this varmint alive when he's better off ifdispatched?"
"'Tis a fact that they prejudiced me in favor av thot same ijee, aventhough I was opposed to the same in the sthart," responded the genialPat, winking at Sandy while he spoke. "And p'raps it's best thot ye dobe mindin' yer own business, Mr. Brady, meanin' no offence at all."
"And," said David, laying a heavy hand on the other's shoulder, "theyhave the approval of both their mother and myself, Brady, so please payno more attention to what we are doing here. The redskin will be ableto travel in a few days. Perhaps he may take a message to his peoplefrom us, and be the means of bringing about a lasting truce--who knows?At all events he is going to be doctored by Robert, and no one will laya finger on him without accounting to me!"
Anthony Brady was no fool, though doubtless a most impulsive man. Heknew that the conditions were most unfavorable for a continuance of theargument, so, shrugging his broad shoulders, and with a last scowl atthe impassive face of the young Shawanee brave, he turned on his heelin disgust.
"Well, have your way, Armstrong," he said, moodily. "But, if I happento run across this young savage in the forest, he will never return tohis people to tattle about our weakness."
"And if you attempt any treachery, Brady, you will answer to me forit, remember," declared David, sternly.
"An' to me, by the pipers!" echoed O'Mara, shaking his headaggressively.
"Have no fear as long as he is in your charge, neighbor, for I amnot the man to stir up strife over one wretched Injun; but, after he_leaves_ you the case is different, and he can be safely potted by anywhite with a ready gun," and with this dark threat Brady stalked away.
And the one who had been the cause for all this excitement did notutter a single word to show that he understood what a world ofgratitude he owed to the two boys. But there was a look of intelligencein his face. He understood, and would not forget.
The night was now gathering around them. Fires had been started, andevery soul in the new settlement seemed to be busily engaged.
Already had the Armstrong tent been raised, and things were assumingrather a cheery look around them. And, while they worked, many timesdid the eyes of those pioneers wander down to the placid surface ofthat broad and swift river, concerning which they had heard suchextravagant tales.
Supper was presently ready. It consisted of the simplest of fare, forluxuries were utterly unknown among these early settlers along theOhio; but there was plenty and to spare, and their good wives knew howto cook it in an appetizing manner.
Nor was the young Indian forgotten. He sat up and ate in silence.Not one word did he speak to express any gratitude, save when he wasthrough, and ready to lie back again, at which time he gave a grunt,and remarked:
"Ugh! good!"
"I guess he doesn't know much English," observed Sandy, chuckling.
"That may be," replied his brother; "but I've heard Pat say that theseIndians never tell what they think. I reckon he _feels_ it all right,for I can see something in those snapping black eyes of his that tellsme so every time he looks at either of us."
"Yes, and you in particular, Bob," declared Sandy; "because he justcan't understand why you treat him so fine, when he expected to beknocked on the head, like we do a lynx or a fox we find in our traps."
The customary precautions were taken that night to guard against asurprise. The gloomy mysterious forest surrounded them on every sidesave the river, and who could say what terrible perils it concealed?Here roved fierce beasts of prey, the bear, the panther, and the wolf,besides possibly other species of animals the nature of which they didnot know.
But still more to be feared ten times over were those dusky hordes ofsavages, whose country they had invaded, if not with hostile intent, atleast meaning to take it for the use of the white man.
But there was no night alarm. Doubtless more than one among the womentrembled as she lay awake during that first night on the bank of theOhio, and listened to various sounds from the forest that might notbe familiar to her ears, and which her fears magnified into signalsexchanged between different parties of prowling Indians waiting for achance to attack the intruders.
But morning dawned, bright and rosy, and all was well.
Bob had slept close to where his patient lay on a spare blanket. Heentertained some anxiety lest Brady, or another of the same stripe,might deem it a duty to creep up in the darkness and finish the woundedIndian. Perhaps he did the man an injustice in suspecting anything ofthe sort; but Bob had inherited his forefathers' Scotch caution.
All was soon animation. While the women prepared breakfast the hardymen selected the sites upon which they expected to begin erecting theirfuture cabin homes.
The Armstrongs were able to retain possession of the spot which had sopleased the boys, and David had even marked the dimensions of his newhome upon the rich soil; after which he took his axe and started to hewdown a tree that interfered with the raising of the cabin.
Every soul in camp had plenty to do that wonderful day. The men workedearly and late, assisting each other with the heavier labor of liftingthe logs, after they had been properly hewn to fit. Even Pat swung aspare blade with more or less skill, for he intended to stay aboutuntil he
had seen his good friends snugly installed in their new home.
The wounded Indian seemed to be getting along splendidly. His was atough constitution, and able to withstand a shock that would haveeasily been fatal to one less accustomed to privations and hardships.
He passed a few words with Bob now, though his accomplishments in theline of English seemed limited. Indeed, it was a mystery where he hadever picked up what he did know; though later on Bob discovered thatthere had been a white woman taken prisoner by his tribe a year ortwo previous, and that before she died from some fever she had takenespecial interest in young Blue Jacket, for some reason or other,teaching him many things.
When again night closed around the new settlement there were a dozencabins in process of being erected. If the good work kept up, more thanone might have a roof completed by another sunset.
A feeling of contentment reigned. Every one seemed delighted with thelocation, and expressed a feeling of gratitude toward Colonel Boone,in that he had guided them to this place, rather than allowed them tosettle elsewhere further up the river.
And, when another day was spent, the Armstrong cabin was among thethree that had the roof completed, so that they could actually movetheir belongings inside, and feel as though their period of pilgrimagewere at an end, since once more they had a place to call home.
Trust that wife and mother to quickly add the delicate littletouches that would give it the familiar air to which all of them wereaccustomed. It was commodious enough to allow of the wounded Indian'sbeing carried within, which task was performed by the two boys,assisted by David himself; and the little mother superintended the jobof making him comfortable.
He was improving rapidly, and Bob knew that it would not be many daysbefore his patient would be able to walk, for the wound had started toheal in a magical way.
Though Blue Jacket said little, he watched all the while. Not a thingwent on but that those beady black eyes saw it.
"I wonder what he thinks of it all," Mrs. Armstrong said several times,as she noticed how he followed her around with his gaze, while she wasengaged in some of her household duties.
"I only hope he appreciates what you are doing for him enough not tobring any of his friends down on us some fine night," said David, whowas only half reconciled to this state of affairs, and had little usefor the copper-colored sons of the wilderness.
As the days passed on, and there was no alarm of any kind, the newsettlers found reason to hope that the Indians, having been taught asevere lesson in that battle of the night, meant to leave them alone.
"Niver belave thot," said the wise O'Mara, when he heard this opinionexpressed, "they do be the most treacherous av varmints. 'Tis the lotav thim wud lull yees to slape, an' then take yees be surprise. Watchalways, me friends! Kape wun eye open whin yees slape! An' niver, nivergo away from home widout a gun an' plenty av powder an' ball. Faith,I wudn't giv sixpence for the life av the man as niglected the properprecautions whin dalin' wid ridskins."
More than a whole week had now gone since the little company of daringsouls came to a halt in this chosen spot; and then, one morning, therefell in the midst of the Armstrong family an unexpected shock that tookevery one by surprise.