[Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and
italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.]
THE PIONEER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES
[Illustration]
OR: ON THE TRAIL OF THE IROQUOIS
THE YOUNG PIONEER SERIES
BY HARRISON ADAMS
ILLUSTRATED
[Illustration]
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE OHIO=,
Or: Clearing the Wilderness $1.25
=THE PIONEER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES=,
Or: On the Trail of the Iroquois 1.25
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSISSIPPI=,
Or: The Homestead in the Wilderness 1.25
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSOURI=,
Or: In the Country of the Sioux 1.25
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE YELLOWSTONE=,
Or: Lost in the Land of Wonders 1.25
=THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE COLUMBIA=,
Or: In the Wilderness of the Great Northwest 1.25
THE PAGE COMPANY
53 Beacon Street Boston, Mass.
[Illustration: "'KEEP AGAINST THE ROCK, ALL!' SAID KENTON, WHO WAS IN
THE LEAD" (_See page 261_)]
The Young Pioneer Series
THE PIONEER BOYS on the GREAT LAKES
OR: ON THE TRAIL OF THE IROQUOIS
By HARRISON ADAMS
Author of "The Pioneer Boys of the Ohio," etc.
[Illustration]
Illustrated and Decorated by
CHARLES LIVINGSTON BULL
THE PAGE COMPANY
BOSTON PUBLISHERS
_Copyright, 1912, by_
L. C. PAGE & COMPANY.
(INCORPORATED)
_All rights reserved_
First Impression,
September, 1912
Second Impression,
May, 1916
[Illustration]
THE COLONIAL PRESS
C. H. SIMONDS & CO.
BOSTON, U. S. A.
PREFACE
TO MY YOUNG READERS: Many of those among you who have read the first
volume of "The Young Pioneer Series" may be pleased to again make the
acquaintance of the two border lads, Bob and Sandy, as well as others
who figured in the earlier tale. Among these might be mentioned the
Irish trapper, Pat O'Mara; Kate, the pretty little sister of our two
heroes; Blue Jacket, a young Shawanee warrior, destined later to become
famous in history; and Simon Kenton, perhaps the best known among the
friends of Daniel Boone.
In this new story concerning the adventures of David Armstrong's boys
I trust that you will find much to interest you. It is my earnest
hope that such lads as read these stories of daring deeds along the
frontier, in those early days of the history of our country, may not
only find them intensely entertaining, but instructive as well.
I have tried to show what a sterling type of character, even in
young boys, the stern necessities of those perilous days produced.
Self-reliance was absolutely needed in order to successfully cope with
the multitude of dangers by which the pioneers of the Ohio and Kentucky
border were surrounded.
And, when you have finished the present volume, I can only hope that
you will agree with me in saying that Bob and Sandy were splendid
specimens of undaunted boyhood, and a credit to their Scotch ancestry.
I also trust that you will be eager to meet them again at no very
distant time in other fields of daring, whither the roving spirit of
Sandy, who has taken Simon Kenton as his ideal hero, may, in company
with his brother, be tempted to rove.
HARRISON ADAMS.
_August 10th, 1912._
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
PREFACE v
I. THE ALARM BELL 1
II. SEEKING REFUGE AT THE BLOCKHOUSE 12
III. THE BEE TREE 24
IV. WATCHING FOR THE HONEY THIEF 40
V. A STRANGE BEAR HUNT 49
VI. SERIOUS NEWS 60
VII. THE THREE FRENCH TRAPPERS 69
VIII. SIMON KENTON, THE BORDERER 83
IX. THE MOCCASIN TRACKS THAT TOED-IN 92
X. BLUE JACKET'S WARNING 106
XI. TENDING THEIR TRAPS 115
XII. THE CRUEL PARTING 127
XIII. THE GRAND HUNT 138
XIV. BLACK BEAVER STRIKES 150
XV. ON THE TRAIL OF THE IROQUOIS 164
XVI. THE BARK OF THE RED FOX 173
XVII. PERILS OF THE WILDERNESS 185
XVIII. THE BIG WATER AT LAST 197
XIX. A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT 208
XX. PONTIAC IN THE COUNCIL 220
XXI. PRISONERS 235
XXII. THE TABLES TURNED 244
XXIII. THE CAVERN OF THE WATER SPIRITS 255
XXIV. KENTON'S LIFE WITH THE INDIANS 266
XXV. A BIRCH-BARK MESSAGE 278
XXVI. THE WAR DANCE 290
XXVII. PONTIAC'S PERIL 301
XXVIII. WHEN ALL SEEMED LOST 312
XXIX. THE WORD OF AN INDIAN CHIEF 323
XXX. SAFE AT LAST 335
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
"'KEEP AGAINST THE ROCK, ALL!' SAID KENTON, WHO WAS
IN THE LEAD" (_See page 261_) _Frontispiece_
"'WHOOP! THERE SHE GOES!'" 40
"THE BEAR ALL THE WHILE KEPT ON CREEPING OUT CLOSER
AND CLOSER" 56
"PLAINLY MARKED AGAINST THE FACE OF THE HARVEST
MOON, THEY COULD SEE THE HEAD AND SHOULDERS
OF AN INDIAN BRAVE!" 174
"THE BOYS SAW THE SHEEN OF HIS SATINY SIDES AS HE SPRANG" 186
"DANCING AS THEY CIRCLED THE FLAMES" 222
[Illustration]
The Pioneer Boys on the Great Lakes
CHAPTER I
THE ALARM BELL
"HARK! Bob, what can all that shouting mean?"
"I'm sure I don't know, Sandy."
"It comes from the other side of the settlement, doesn't it?"
"True enough, brother; for you see the wind carries the sounds; and
that is now in the west."
"Oh! I wonder what it can be; and if it means trouble for us, after all
these months of peace!"
The two Armstrong boys, Robert and Alexander, who usually went by the
shorter names of Bob and Sandy, stood resting on their hoes while
listening anxiously to the rapidly increasing clamor.
In the clearing close by stood the cabin of the Ohio settler, David
Armstrong. The time was close to early fall, at a time when the
strained relations between England and her American colonies had
almost reached the breaking-point. But away out here, far removed from
civilization, the hardy pioneers were only concerned regarding possible
uprisings of the red men; and the widening of their fields, where corn
might be cultivated profitably, and tobacco grown.
Early in the preceding spring the Armstrong family, consisting of
David, his gentle wife, Mary, the two lads, now fifteen and sixteen
years of age, and a young sister named Kate, had left their Virginia
home to dare the unknown perils of the wilderness in the hope of
bettering their condition.[1]
During the long summer, now drawing to a close, the dozen or more
families constituting the little settlement on the bank of the Ohio had
been joined by a number of new arrivals, so that by degrees they formed
a strong colony.
Some of the fears that had oppressed the more timid of the first
settlers now began gradually to vanish, as they saw their numbers
increasing, with a corresponding addition to the fighting men of the
border post.
Daniel Boone had been an early friend of these Ohio settlers. He it was
who had really piloted them to this fair site for a town, on the hill
which afforded a magnificent view up and down the beautiful river.
Taking the advice of the famous pioneer, a strong blockhouse had been
built as soon as possible. This was completely surrounded by a high
and stout palisade, behind which the defenders of the place might find
shelter from the enemy in case of an attack.
Thus, even while peace seemed to be hovering over the section, these
cautious settlers were constantly prepared for any Indian uprising; and
there was even a code of signals arranged, whereby those most remote
from the central station were to be warned in case of need.
Twice during the summer Daniel Boone had favored them with brief
visits, while on his way back and forth between the distant Virginia
plantations and his own settlement far down in the heart of Kentucky.
But Boone had little time for visiting that particular season. While
the Armstrongs and their neighbors were enjoying a comparatively
peaceful summer, the reverse was the rule around the settlement
that had been pushed far out on the frontier line and located at
Boonesborough.
Enraged by the boldness of these pioneers, the Shawanees, aided by some
of the Delawares, and even Cherokees, made desperate efforts to wipe
out the gallant little bands that had been drawn to the outposts of
civilization by the prospect of the rich land.
Rumors reached the Ohio settlers from time to time of the serious
difficulties their fellow settlers were encountering. These served to
keep them on their guard, so that they did not fall into a false sense
of security.
Whenever Bob and Sandy Armstrong went into the great forests to seek
game, or discover likely places where their traps might be set to
advantage in the approaching autumn, they were always warned before
leaving home to keep constantly on the watch for Indians. If they met
with one or more red men they were never to fully trust any professions
of friendship, for the settlers of that day did not have a high opinion
of an Indian's word.
These two lads were fairly well versed in the ways of woodsmen. They
had always been accustomed to roaming through the forest after game;
and, besides, they had received many a hint concerning the secrets of
the wilds from a genial Irish trapper, named Pat O'Mara.
This worthy was in a measure possessed of the same unrest that caused
Daniel Boone to keep almost constantly on the move. In the case
of O'Mara, however, it was simply a desire to see new sights, and
encounter novel perils, that caused him to wander through unknown
countries, rather than any keen longing to open up rich farming lands
to civilization.
Occasionally the Irish trapper dropped in unexpectedly at the Armstrong
cabin; but after a few days' rest his uneasy spirit would again cause
him to disappear.
This very morning, while they worked in their little patch of ground,
Bob and Sandy had been talking about their quaint Irish friend, and
wondering where he might happen to be at that time, since they had not
seen him for over a month.
When the new settlement was in its infancy the Armstrong boys, feeling
that conditions had changed, began to alter their dress. It was one
thing to be living in Virginia, not so very far from the sea coast; and
quite another to be hundreds of miles inland, beyond the great chain of
mountains that served as a barrier between them and the oppressive tax
collectors of the king across the water.
The homespun woollen garments gave way to those which nearly all
hunters and forest rangers of that day delighted in. Thus, while both
lads boasted of tanned buckskin tunics, and nether garments, fringed
and ornamented with colored porcupine quills, besides real Indian
moccasins, after the manner of the attire worn by Daniel Boone, Simon
Kenton and the witty Irish trapper, Bob also owned a cap made of
coonskin, with the tails dangling down behind; while his brother's was
fashioned from the cured skins of gray squirrels.
They had, of course, left the outer garments at the cabin when starting
out, that morning, to accomplish a little hard work in the fields that
had been planted earlier in the season, for the day was quite warm.
Besides the sound of the ax, or it might be the crash of a falling
tree, there were not many loud noises heard as a rule about the
settlement. Sometimes a dog might give tongue as he chased after a
rabbit that had ventured too near the borders of the colony; again, a
proud rooster, that had been carried so carefully over these hundreds
of miles of rough country to his new home, would wake the echoes by his
clarion crow. It was a busy time for the settlers, and even the older
children were compelled to do their share of labor in these first few
months on the Ohio.
So it can be easily understood that, when the Armstrong lads heard
that constantly increasing series of loud shouts, they felt the blood
leaping through their veins both in curiosity and alarm.
Sandy, always impulsive, threw his clumsy hoe to the ground, and,
jumping over to the adjacent tree, against which their flint-lock
muskets leaned, caught up his own weapon with trembling fingers. (Note
1.)[A]
Bob was the more composed of the two, and it was his voice that now
restrained his brother.
"Wait, Sandy," he said, "we are not so far off but that we can reach
the cabin quickly."
"But, listen to all that noise, Bob," returned the other, fingering his
gun eagerly. "Surely something has happened. Perhaps another tree has
fallen the wrong way, and this time done worse than what happened to
our father."
The matter to which Sandy referred had been an unfortunate accident
whereby David Armstrong had barely escaped with his life. A tree he
was chopping had by some means twisted around in falling, so that the
settler was caught under the heavy limbs. Only by what seemed a miracle
had his life been spared. As it was, he still had an arm in a sling,
and was unable to keep up the work he had planned, so that a double
duty devolved upon his sons.
"No, I don't think that can be the trouble," continued Bob, slowly.
"I heard no crash of a tree. Besides, I fear that there is a note of
alarm in the cries; it is as if men were answering each other. There!
that time I could almost hear what was being shouted, only the breeze
changed a second too soon."
"Could it be Daniel Boone who has come, or perhaps that young ranger,
Simon Kenton, whom you and I liked so much when we saw him long ago?"
suggested Sandy, with new eagerness; for, to tell the truth, he had
greatly admired Kenton when the young friend of Colonel Boone visited
the new settlement, and he secretly aspired to follow in his footsteps.
"No, I am afraid it cannot be that," Bob went on, soberly. "They might
shout in that case; but there would be joy, and not fear, expressed.
Hark! there it rises again! You have keen hearing, Sandy; did you not
make out what our neighbor, Peleg Green, was calling then?"
Sandy turned a pale face toward his companion. These two boys had
been through numerous perils in common, and were possessed of a great
measure of courage; but, after all, they were only half-grown lads, and
the sudden coming of this unknown peril filled them with dread.
"I am not sure, Bob," he replied, with quivering lips; "but I believe I
could catch something that sounded like--_Indians_!"
His brother nodded his head at these words.
"I did not like to say so, for fear I might have been mistaken; but it
sounded like that to me," he said, gravely.
Now it was Bob who dropped his hoe, and stooped to possess himself of
his gun. Carefully he looked to see that the priming was in order,
since everything always depended upon a small pinch of powder being in
the pan when the time for firing arrived. The flint never failed to
strike sparks; but, lacking powder, these would be of no avail.
"Had we not better run for the house?" suggested Sandy, glancing over
across the field toward the cabin, where the smoke arose from the clay
chimney, the whole forming a peaceful scene in the sunshine of that
late summer morning.
"They have not heard the sounds yet, I think," said Bob, as he failed
to note any signs of excitement around the log cabin; "and it would
be cruel to frighten mother, if there is no need. Let us wait a bit
longer, Sandy. We can easily cover that little distance if there is
necessity."
So the boys continued to stand there, gripping their guns, and waiting.
Meanwhile it can be readily understood that both lads turned anxious
eyes in all directions.
"It seems to me the shouts are not so loud as before," said Bob,
presently.
"That might be because the running men have reached their homes,"
quickly remarked his brother.
"Perhaps we had better go to the cabin. We can say we came in for fresh
water, if mother wonders at seeing us. After all it may amount to
nothing;" but, hardly had Bob Armstrong completed this sentence, than
a new sound came to their ears that sent them running like mad in the
direction of the humble home in the clearing.
High above all else came the harsh notes of the alarm bell that had
been hung in the blockhouse to give warning of sudden impending danger!
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See "The Pioneer Boys of the Ohio."
[A] The notes will be found at the end of the book.