CHAPTER III
CAUGHT IN THE SNOW-STORM
"WHAT makes it so dark, Bob?" asked the younger brother, as theyfinished tying up the best part of the venison in the skin which hadbeen removed from the deer.
"Night is coming on ahead of time, and I reckon it will be one we'llnot forget in a hurry, either," replied the other, calmly; for Robertseldom gave way to excitement, leaving that to Sandy.
"Then the sooner we find some place for a camp the better," remarkedthe latter. "The wind keeps growing colder all the while, and it biteslike a knife when it drives the hail against your face. Do you know, Ithink I heard a wolf howl a little while ago?"
"That would hardly be surprising," was Bob's reply as he shouldered themeat wrapped up in the deerskin, leaving to his brother the two musketsand the small game. "It was only a few days ago that Amiel Teene hadan adventure with the pests not ten miles away from his cabin."
"Yes, and he said he had never seen them so savage," declared Sandy,glancing around at the snowy forest, as if in imagination he couldalready see a host of gaunt gray forms leaping toward them.
"The winter has been unusually long and hard, and, as we happento know, Sandy, game has been scarce. Perhaps it was so up in themountains, and the animals have been pushed to venture nearer thesettlements than at most times. This storm will make them even worse."
"Then, if we should meet a pack to-night, the scent of this fresh meatwould make them crazy to get at us," said Sandy, reflectively, as hefell in alongside his brother.
"Yes, I can easily believe it," grunted the larger youth, who had quitea load on his back, and could afford just then to expend little of hiswind in conversation.
"And perhaps we might have to take to a tree, just as I did two yearsago, waiting for dawn to drive the critters away; eh, Bob?"
"Not on such a night as this, brother," remarked the one addressed."You forget that it was not bitter cold weather when you met with yourlittle experience. To-night, if we climbed into a tree, we might freezeto death before morning."
"Then what can we do? I am sure I heard a far-off howl again just then;and perhaps those sharp-nosed rascals have already scented a dinner,"and Sandy pushed a little closer to his companion, deeply stirred.
It was no imaginary peril that hung over their heads. A single wolfmight play the part of a coward, and shrink from mankind; but whengathered in a pack the beasts became an object of dread to everysettler on the border. More than one man, in the history of Virginia,had been dragged down by starving wolves; and of all times of the yearthe end of a hard winter was the worst.
"I had thought of that, Sandy," the elder brother went on; "andremembered that, just before we sighted the deer, I had seen a placethat offered us a refuge. It is toward that point I am now trying tolead the way. Keep your eyes open for a fallen tree. I think we must benear the spot right now."
"And there it is," announced Sandy, joyfully, as he pointed ahead.
They were in fact right upon it, though the sifting, driving snowhad, up to that moment, hidden from their eager eyes all signs of thewished-for goal.
And when Sandy saw what a fortress was afforded them by the hole in theground, where the roots of the tree had once grown, he was ready tothrow up his cap and shout with satisfaction.
At some time in the remote past a great wind storm had evidentlyuprooted this forest monarch; but, in falling, it had not quitelain flat, so that, twenty feet from the roots, one might even walkunderneath the trunk.
A great cavity had been torn in the earth, and, as it happened that theupturned roots and the trunk were toward the storm, the barrier wouldafford a fine shelter against its biting force.
There, in the opening left by the uprooting of the great tree, theycould make themselves fairly comfortable. Sandy even saw possibilitiesfor fortifying themselves within the hole, so that they might defy anattack on the part of the fiercest pack of wolves that ever roamedthrough those woods.
The boys immediately set to work with a vim. They had travelled manymiles during the progress of the hunt, and it might reasonably beexpected that both would be tired; but one would never dream of sucha thing, judging from the vigor with which they hewed firewood, andproceeded to arrange their novel camp.
Accustomed to roughing it from early childhood, Bob and his brotherasked but little in order to find a reasonable degree of comfort. Givena fire and a warm bite to eat, they envied not a king his crown. And,if the bite were lacking, why, the fire was not to be sneezed at. Inthose early days boys knew nothing of luxuries.
While Sandy labored with the heavy camp hatchet, the elder brotherbegan to get the fire underway, for long practice had made him anexpert with flint and steel. Some small sticks were heaped up ina loose manner, and a bit of dry tinder shoved under it; then,with several deft strokes of the steel, sparks were sent into itsinflammable heart, and a tiny blaze sprang up, which was fostered untilit had seized upon the larger wood.
Things began to look much more comfortable to the young pioneers afterthat fire shed its ruddy glow upon their camp. And when Bob had slicedseveral fair portions of the fresh venison, and had thrust them nearthe fire on the ends of long splinters of wood, the odor that presentlybegan to arise made Sandy sniff the air, and try to restrain hisvoracious appetite.
They had nothing to drink with the meal. Tea was worth too much at thattime for boys to carry any of the precious stuff off on their tramps;and as for coffee, it was an almost unknown beverage with the colonists.
After all, as the famous Daniel Boone was often heard to declare, itwas astonishing what few actual necessities primitive man must havein order to keep him in fighting trim. And Boone patterned his lifeafter the redmen of that country beyond the mountain chain, of whom heprobably knew more than any living border man of the day.
"This is fine," observed Sandy, a little later.
They were sitting close to the fire and devouring their roast venisonwith infinite gusto. No doubt the pampered boy of to-day might hardlyhave relished the rude fare; but these pioneer lads were made ofdifferent stuff, and thankful for exceedingly small things.
"Yes," replied Bob quietly; "but we must get to work quickly, and addto the pile of firewood, as well as barricade the open side of thehole."
"Did you hear it, too?" demanded his brother, instantly.
"Yes, and more than one wolf answered the long howl. They are sendingsignals across the forest. I think we will have visitors before thenight is over."
Sandy hurried through the remainder of his primitive supper, almostbolting the last few morsels. Then he once more started to make gooduse of the sharp hatchet. While he worked after this fashion hisbrother began to search for objects with which to fill up the gap toleeward as much as possible.
"Good!" Sandy presently heard him exclaim from the midst of theblinding snow close by. "Here lie several old logs. This way, and giveme a hand. They will make a grand fort."
It required considerable effort to drag the half-rotted logs intoposition; but where there is a will there is nearly always a way, andin the end the object of their desires was accomplished.
"Could hardly be much better, I take it," was Sandy's enthusiasticcomment, as he stood back and surveyed the result of their labors.
"No, and I wager it would be a pretty rash wolf that would dare try toleap that barrier," remarked his brother, now taking a turn with thehatchet, as the size of the pile of fuel did not altogether please him,with a long night ahead and that bitter wind rushing through the woods.
Finally both were too wearied to attempt anything more, so they satdown alongside the cheery blaze, to rest ere trying to sleep. Onemight think it rather a hazardous thing to lose themselves in slumberwithout any covering; but they knew many of the tricks of the pioneersof the day, and that, if they kept their feet warm, all would bewell. Besides, both boys had been warmly clad when starting forthon their search for game, for they had an industrious mother, whosespinning-wheel seldom knew a day's rest. (Note 3.)
> It was decided that a watch must be kept, since they were surroundedby so many perils. If the fire went out they might have a foot or handfrozen, and the absence of the blaze must encourage the forest howlersto make an attack, eager to secure a share of that fresh venison.
Bob had placed the meat, again wrapped up in the skin, as far back aspossible under the matted roots of the fallen monarch of the forest.Both boys were grimly determined that they would fight desperately toretain possession of their prize, since that store of food meant muchto the dear ones back at the humble cabin home.
"What are you thinking about, Bob?" asked Sandy, as he watched theplay of the fire across his brother's resolute face, and noted theexpression, almost wistful, that came upon it at times.
"It was about father," he replied, speaking the word tenderly, forDavid Armstrong had ever been a kind and affectionate parent, and wasfairly worshipped by his little flock.
"Yes, I knew that was it," said Sandy, quickly. "Oh! I do hope he hasbeen successful in finding work to-day, for he declared it would be thelast time he would try. What do you suppose we can do if he fails, Bob?"
"There is only one thing," came the reply, with compressed lips; "wemust leave here, and go further west. I know father is thinkingseriously about it. The last time that jolly trapper, Pat O'Mara,was here, father questioned him often about the stories he had heardColonel Boone tell of that wonderful country beyond the mountains, andthe beautiful Ohio River."
"DISCOVERED A HALF CIRCLE OF GLEAMING YELLOW EYESWATCHING HIM."]
"I think I should like that," observed the impetuous Sandy, alwayseager to see new sights, and filled with the enthusiasm of alight-hearted boy. "If half they say about that country be true, itmust be glorious. And the hunting and trapping we could do, Bob! Yes, Ihope father decides to join fortunes with the first company of peoplepassing through here."
Bob said no more. He knew that the little mother would be sorry tobreak many ties; but also that she would utter no word to dissuade herhusband, when the time came. And perhaps the more thoughtful Bob couldalso foresee better than Sandy what new perils might await the daringpilgrims who ventured into the hunting-grounds of the warlike ShawaneeIndians.
Presently he made Sandy lie down to snatch an hour's sleep, when hepromised to awaken him so that he in turn might watch. This rulewas carried out, and each of them had managed to secure quite a littlesleep by the time the night was two-thirds passed.
It was Sandy's turn on guard. The fire was burning briskly, the stormseemed to be slackening up somewhat, and everything looked so promisingthat the boy grew a trifle careless. He allowed himself to doze besidethe fire, his musket between his knees. This was, after all, hardlyto be wondered at, as any one knows who, being desperately in need ofsleep, tries to withstand the soothing heat of a warm blaze.
Perhaps Sandy may have been dreaming of boyish troubles with some ofthe young fellows of the town, once their warm friends, but just nowcommencing to ape their parents in turning the cold shoulder toward theArmstrong family.
Be that as it may, Sandy awoke with a start. He found the fire had gonedown so that only now and then a tongue of flame shot upward from thelog that had been burning so fiercely the last thing he remembered.
And, as some grinding sound caught his ear, he glanced up anddiscovered a half circle of gleaming yellow eyes watching him from overthe top of the barricade!