CHAPTER II
SEEKING REFUGE AT THE BLOCKHOUSE
"LOOK! there is father coming out! He has heard it now!" gasped Sandy,as he ran.
"And with poor little mother close behind him, waving her arms to usto hurry. But where can Kate be, do you think?" asked Bob, as a suddensuspicion came flashing into his mind.
"Perhaps at the spring. She often sits there, and plays. Surely shecould not be in the cabin, and fail to follow mother," his brotherdeclared.
"Keep straight on, and I'll go to see!" called Bob, suddenly turningaside from the straight course they had been pursuing.
Sandy hesitated, for he wished to accompany his older brother; but,during their many hunts, he had come to look upon Bob as the leader,and gradually fallen into the way of obeying any instructions the othermight see fit to give. So he continued on to the cabin, where hisparents were waiting so anxiously.
Mary Armstrong had darted back into the large front room, and now oncemore came into view, carrying the settler's trusty gun. Though hisleft arm was still in a sling, David Armstrong gripped the weapon withdetermination written on his sun-browned face. In defence of his lovedones he would forget his injuries for the time being, and, if need be,fight desperately.
Meanwhile, what of Bob?
The spring from which the Armstrongs secured their drinking waterbubbled up from the mossy ground under the trees at some littledistance from the cabin. It was reached by a circuitous path, wellbeaten from frequent pilgrimages to and fro.
Jumping over bushes that intervened, for he was too eager to follow thewinding path even when he struck it, Bob quickly came in sight of thespring. His heart was almost in his throat as he discovered the wellknown sun-bonnet of his pretty sister, Kate, hanging to the bush thatoverspread the spring; but failed to see the slightest sign of the girl.
Cold with the fear that oppressed him, he continued to advance. What ifKate had already been carried off by some wandering red man? With thevast wilderness stretching all around for hundreds of miles, how wouldthey ever know where to look for her?
"Kate! Oh! Kate!" he called, stopping short in his suspense to listen.
Then, to his great delight, a voice answered him; and the girl arosefrom a shady nook where she was accustomed to amuse herself.
Apparently she had paid no attention to the brazen sound of the alarmbell, being so wrapped up in her play. But, when Bob sprang to herside, and caught one of her hands in his, the girl's face grew whitewith fear.
"Oh! what is it, Bob?" she cried. "What has happened? The bell--Ididn't notice that it was sounding! Is there a fire? Has any one beenhurt like father was?"
"It must mean Indians!" answered Bob, as he hurried her along.
After that dreadful word had passed his lips there was no further needof urging. Kate's feet seemed shod with fear, and she even led him inthe race for the cabin. There she was enfolded in the motherly arms andhurried within, to be hastily burdened with several small packages incase they were compelled to flee for safety to the blockhouse.
David Armstrong and the two lads stood without, guns in hand,listening. The bell had now stopped its wild clamor; but they knew thatif it again burst out it would mean the worst. And thus, with everysense on the alert, they waited.
While peace had so long hung over the favored settlement on the Ohio,those who composed the little colony knew well what an Indian attackmust signify. True, few if any of them had had more than the oneexperience when the pack train had been assailed in the night whilethey were on the trail; but they were not apt to forget the fiercewhoops of the savages, on that occasion, which had been ringing intheir ears ever since.
David had built his cabin after the most approved fashion known amongpioneers of that perilous time. The walls had loopholes between thelogs in certain places, where guns could be thrust out and fired intothe faces of advancing foes. Even the small windows were securedwith heavy shutters, fastened from within, so that it would requireconsiderable skill and labor to effect an opening, should the inmatesbe besieged.
But, of course, it was not the plan of David and his fellow settlersto remain thus isolated, if an opportunity came whereby they couldgather in the blockhouse, which was always kept prepared for thereception of the colony.
Mary was now busying herself in closing and fastening these shutters.Bob sprang to assist his mother, ever mindful of her comfort, for hewas a thoughtful lad at all times. Impulsive Sandy had just as warm aheart, but was more inclined to be careless and short sighted.
Then, without warning, once more that fearful sound broke forth! Thebell was giving out its second call, which meant that every soul withinhearing would do well to hasten without delay to the central point.
Perhaps, after all, it might prove to be a needless alarm; but, underthe circumstances, no one could take the chance of being caughtnapping. For aught they knew those cruel Shawanees had finally overcomethe valiant defenders of far distant Boonesborough, and, determined towipe out every settlement west of the Alleghanies, were now advancingnorth to the Ohio River region with their victorious bands.
"Wife, that settles it!" said David Armstrong, firmly; "we must go atonce to the fort!"
Each of them knew what was to be done. They had talked this thingover on more than one occasion, and arranged a system that was to befollowed out in case of need.
The heavy puncheon door was closed, and locked with a ponderous padlockthat had been carried into the wilderness when they emigrated fromtheir former Virginia home. This being done, the little party startedon a run across the open field.
How gloomy, and filled with mysterious perils, did that denseforest seem now! It was so easy to people its aisles with creeping,treacherous foes, armed with bows and arrows, with guns sold by theFrench traders to be used against the English-speaking colonists,together with tomahawks and scalping knives.
And, when they had entered among the tall trees that grew so closetogether, how every slight movement along the trail made them quiverwith sudden dread, in the belief that they were about to be confrontedby a painted horde of Indians, seeking their lives!
The blockhouse, fortunately, was not very far distant. When they beganto catch glimpses of it through the trees the hopes of the Armstrongsonce more mounted upward.
By now they had overtaken other fugitives, also making for the safetyof the central point, and laden with the most precious of theirpossessions, which consisted for the most part of some family heirloomwhich they dreaded to have go up in flame and smoke, if the savages puttheir deserted cabins to the torch, as was their universal custom.
When they reached the palisade they found an excited crowd. The womenand children were hurried inside as fast as they arrived; while thedefenders of the post clustered near the gates, engaged in anxiouscommunion.
"Who saw the Indians?" asked David, always seeking information; andboth of his boys hovered near, with ears wide open to catch every wordthat might be dropped.
Anthony Brady, who exercised something of the characteristics of acommander among the settlers, by virtue of his age and experience, madeimmediate answer.
"Old Reuben Jacks, the forest ranger, spied the bloodthirsty villains,"he said. "He came first to my cabin, which is further away than therest. Then, as we ran, we shouted warning, and others, who heard, tookit up. Here he comes now. Ask him how many of the red scoundrels hesighted, neighbors."
The man in question was clad in greasy buckskin garments. He had nofamily; but stopped with different persons whenever he came to thesettlement. But, after the manner of the Irish trapper, old Reubencould not long remain in one place, and thus he spent most of his timeroaming.
David quickly cornered old Reuben. The forest ranger was a quaintfellow, who carried one of those long-barrelled rifles which were sodeadly in the hands of a good marksman. He had several rows of nickson the stock, and the boys had always been curious to know whetherthese signified the various wild animals, like bears, and panthers, andwildcats, that he had shot with
the weapon, or something perhaps moreterrible. But Old Reuben would never tell.
"Where did you see the Indians, Reuben?" asked David, as others of themen began to cluster around, filled with curiosity to know the worst.
"I reckons as how 'twar 'bout three furlongs t'other side o' Cap'nBrady's cabin I see 'em," replied the old ranger in a mumbling tone,due to the absence of teeth in his jaws.
"How many were there?" continued Mr. Armstrong.
"I see three before I turned and run," Reuben answered. "But the busheswas shakin' like they mout 'a' ben a host more a'comin'. They was armedwith bows an' arrers, an' I dead sartin saw a scalp hangin' at the belto' one on 'em."
Bob and Sandy exchanged horrified glances at hearing this. They hadthemselves passed through quite an experience with the hostile Indiansearly in the season, when one of the brothers was captured and carriedaway to the village of the Shawanees, from which he had finally beenrescued, after considerable peril had been encountered.
To hear that Indians had been seen so close to the settlement caused athrill to pass through the heart of the boldest man; and the hands thatclutched their guns tightened convulsively on the weapons.
"Were they Shawanees, Reuben?" David continued to ask.
The veteran ranger shook his head, with its straggly gray hair thatfell down on his shoulders from under the beaver cap.
"Delaware, I reckons," he said, simply; and they believed that soexperienced a woodsman could not be mistaken, for there were manycharacteristics that distinguished the different tribes, even among thefamous Six Nations or Iroquois. (Note 2.)
"Are all here?" asked Captain Brady at this juncture; for they could nolonger see any sign of new arrivals hurrying toward the blockhouse.
A hurried count assured them that all families had reached thestockade, with one exception.
"The Bancrofts are missing!" cried one man.
"And their clearing is almost as far away as mine! This looks bad,men!" said Brady, with a grave expression on his set features.
"Something ought to be done, it seems to me," remarked David; for thefamily in question had been among the first dozen seeking new homes onthe Ohio; and between them and his own little brood there had alwaysexisted more or less friendship.
"Who'll go with me ter look 'em up?" demanded old Reuben, hoarsely.
Every man present signified his readiness to be of the rescue party;but Captain Brady, of course, would not hear of such a thing.
"It would weaken our defence!" he declared. "We must hold this stockadeabove all things. Take four men if you wish, Reuben, but no more. Andbe careful lest you run into an ambush. These savages are treacherousat the best. They would strike you in the back if the chance arose. Andif so be you have to shoot, make every bullet tell!"
Sandy pushed forward. He really hoped that the old ranger would pickhim out as one of those who were to make up the rescue party. Alwaysreckless, and fairly revelling in excitement, Sandy would have gladlyhailed a chance to undertake this perilous adventure.
"Wait!" called out David Armstrong just then. "Perhaps, after all, itmay not be necessary to go. Look yonder, Captain Brady, and you willsee that the Indians are even now coming out of the woods!"
These words created a new spasm of excitement. Turning their eyes inthe direction David had pointed, the gathered settlers saw that heindeed spoke the truth; for several painted figures had just thenissued forth from the shelter of the fringe of forest, and startedtoward the stockade!