AT THE LOWER BLUE LICKS
It was in such crises that the great scout best displayed the qualities
which had made him a marked man among the pioneers. It had been
impossible for him to rescue the body of his fallen son. Around him on
every side were heard shouts and cries and the continual report of the
rifles.
Whatever occurred, Daniel Boone was never long at a loss how to act.
Controlling his feelings, he turned to the men who were near him and
said quietly, "Come with me!"
As the men obediently followed, the scout, who was familiar with the
entire region, instead of running toward the ford as most of the
fugitives now were doing, dashed into the ravine where many of the
Indians previously had been concealed. Apparently they had now left to
join in the wild pursuit of the demoralized settlers.
Boone and his comrades were not to escape, however, without attracting
the attention of some of the howling Indians. A half dozen or more
discovered the fleeing settlers and with wild whoops started in swift
pursuit.
It was here that Boone's knowledge of the region, as well as his
coolness, came to his aid. Leading the way to a place in the ravine
where there was a narrow passage between the rocks, he ordered his
companions to precede him, while he himself raised his rifle with
deliberation and fired at the approaching Indians.
The entire band halted, for their own rifles were not loaded at the time
and they were depending upon a similar condition among the whites. The
red men were now relying on their tomahawks.
As soon as the band halted, Boone waited a moment to assure himself that
his companions were safe, and then, running swiftly, rejoined them. When
the fleeing men came to the end of the ravine, once more they found a
small band of their foes awaiting them, and with wild cries they started
toward them. But the great scout, in spite of the need of haste, had
bidden his companions to reload in preparation for this very emergency.
After receiving the fire from their guns, the Indians dropped back,
while the white men, quickly making use of the advantage thus afforded,
were able to escape to the woods beyond.
"We shall now be able to make our way to Bryant's Station," said Boone.
"There will be no Indians to interfere with us from this time on."
His words proved to be correct, and by the middle of the afternoon the
half-dozen men with the great scout arrived safely at the fort.
Throughout the remainder of the day many of the men who had so
confidently gone forth in the morning came straggling back to the fort.
Peleg, who had been among those who rushed to the ford, returned to
Bryant's Station when it was nearly dusk. He had secured the aid of two
others, and the three were carrying young Daniel Boone, who also had
been shot in the fight at the Licks.
It was soon discovered that Boone's younger son was not seriously
wounded. When the welcome information was received the face of the great
scout remained unchanged in its expression, though the deathly pallor,
that for a moment had spread over it when he had been informed of what
had befallen his boy, disappeared.
"'Tis a wonder," said Peleg, "that any of us are left alive to tell the
story. Some of us ran up the stream and swam across. Young Dan was as
brave as any man in the crowd. Even after he had been shot in the
shoulder he did not give up, but he swam across the stream, keeping up
with the rest of us. The men who could not swim were the ones that were
shot down or were made prisoners without being able to do anything to
defend themselves."
"Were any shot after you had crossed the river?" inquired Boone.
"I do not know of any," replied Peleg. "But from the ravine clear down
to the ford the loss was heavy. One of the bravest deeds I ever saw in
my life was that of young Aaron Reynolds--he is the one who made us
laugh when Simon Girty mounted the stump and gave us his speech.
Reynolds was on horseback, and about halfway between the battle ground
and the ford he found Captain Patterson completely worn out. The captain
had dropped in his tracks, he was so exhausted, for you see he had been
wounded three or four times in the fights we had with the Indians two or
three years ago."
"I remember that he was," said Boone.
"The Indians were almost ready to close up on the captain, but just at
that moment Reynolds saw what was going on. He jumped from his saddle,
helped Captain Patterson to mount, and then turned and ran on foot as
fast as he could go. He ran like a deer after he was out of the main
road, then jumped into the river right where you said you crossed, and
swam to the other side. There he had some serious trouble, though. He
was wearing a pair of buckskin breeches and they became so heavy and
full of water when he was in the river that he could not run very fast
when he struck the shore. When he sat down and tried to get rid of a
part of the water some of the Indians rushed up and before he knew it he
was their prisoner."
"Did you say he is here now?" inquired Boone.
"Yes, sir. I was afraid the Indians would tomahawk him, but they kept to
their regular plan of not putting any of their prisoners to death until
they get back to their own country, so Reynolds wasn't troubled very
much at the time. They left him in charge of three of the braves while
the others started for some more of our men who were nearby. The three
Indians were so excited when they saw our men that two of them left
Reynolds in charge of the third while they ran to join in the chase with
the others. Then the Indian that had Reynolds in his charge started for
the woods."
"Were they both armed?" asked Boone.
"Reynolds had had his rifle taken away from him, but the Indian had a
tomahawk and a rifle in his hands. After they had gone a little way the
Indian stooped to tie the string of his moccasin and Aaron instantly
jumped upon him, knocked him down with his fist and then ran for the
woods. Captain Patterson has just come in and he says he is going to
give Aaron two hundred acres of the best land he owns."
Such of the bodies as had been recovered were now being brought to the
fort, and the fact that many of the men of Bryant's Station had been
made prisoners by the attacking Indians increased the feeling of gloom
that settled upon the place. Among the men who had fallen was Colonel
Todd, who had sought the advice of the great scout and then did not
follow it.
Long before nightfall Colonel Logan and his men arrived at Bryant's
Station. In his force were no less than four hundred and fifty men. Upon
their arrival they learned from the men who had succeeded in returning
to the fort of the fate which had befallen the band which Colonel Todd
had led against the Indians.
Waiting to hear no more, greatly alarmed for his friends and suspecting
that only a part of the disaster had been reported, Colonel Logan at
once led his men over the way by which the defenders of the fort had
gone in their untimely pursuit of their wily foe.
[Illustration: "Silently the men crossed the ford"]
With Colonel Logan went Daniel Boone and Peleg, as well as many others
of the defenders. The great scout showed plainly the suffering through
which he was passing. Two of his boys had been shot by the relentless
Shawnees and his third son had received a severe wound. Apparently Boone
did not believe that his sufferings were to be relieved by anything his
friends could do to aid him. He had seldom spoken since the men had
departed from the Station, but Peleg was confident that he understood
the purpose which was urging the gentle-hearted hunter forward.
The second day the advancing soldiers came near to the place where the
fight had occurred. Long before they had arrived, however, Peleg had
shuddered when he discovered flocks of circling buzzards that were
hovering over the battle ground. He glanced into the face of his
companion when the discovery had been made, and knew that the scout also
understood the meaning of their presence.
When the advancing band approached the bank of the river they discovered
many of the bodies still floating near the shore. They were the
unfortunate victims that had been shot by the Indians after they had
rushed into the stream.
A silence, indescribable, intense, awful, settled over all the men.
There were tears in the eyes of some of the hardiest of the settlers at
the fearful sight upon which they looked. No man was able to recognize
among the putrid bodies the face of his lost friend.
Silently the men crossed the ford and advanced toward the ravine. In
the scene of the recent fight the sight was even more heartbreaking.
Here, too, the bodies of the many who had fallen could no longer be
distinguished one from another.
Daniel Boone, unmindful of the presence of his comrades, had been
searching quietly among the bodies for that of his missing boy. Even the
men who were most eager in their search for their friends stopped a
moment as they watched the man in his agonizing and fruitless quest.
The great scout soon turned to Colonel Logan and said: "'Tis no use,
Colonel. We must give the poor fellows decent burial here and now."
The men at once carried out the bidding which their leader gave.
Silently the settlers, for the moment all thoughts of vengeance gone
from their minds, dug trenches wherever the soil permitted, and in these
the bodies of their dead and mutilated friends were buried.
There were many faces in the band down which the tears were rolling
while this task was being accomplished. The manner of the great scout,
however, was unchanged. Only the deepening of the lines in his face and
his unusual pallor gave indications of the strain through which he was
passing. His manner still was silent and self-controlled, as in the days
when the joyous things of life had more often been his portion.
When the gruesome task at last was finished, it was Daniel Boone
himself who said to Colonel Logan in reply to the latter's inquiries:
"It is useless now to try to follow the Shawnees."
"Why do you say that?" inquired the colonel.
"Because by this time they are far beyond our reach. They have lost no
time, you may be sure."
"How many captives do you think they have taken with them?"
"Not many," said Boone.
"But there are some sixty-seven of our men missing."
"Yes," assented Boone, "but we have accounted for nearly sixty this
day."
"I am told," suggested the colonel, "that they will put every prisoner
to death, or so many of them as may be required to make good any loss
they themselves have had."
The great scout shook his head as he replied: "The Indians have not lost
as many as we."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because the advantage was all with them. They greatly outnumbered us,
and in a good part of the fight they were sheltered by the rocks while
our men were fighting in the open. It was the bloodiest fight I was ever
in."
"And to you one of the saddest," suggested the colonel.
Boone nodded his head but did not speak.
"I cannot understand," continued the colonel, "why it is that you take
your own troubles so quietly. You certainly have suffered more than most
men on the border, and yet I fancy the man has yet to be born who has
heard you complain."
"And why should I complain?" inquired Boone, smiling as he looked into
the face of his friend. "It does not make my own griefs less to try to
have another share them. That is something no one can do. My heart, at
least, must bear its own burden. If any one thinks that his troubles are
less than those that come to his friends, he is probably mistaken. My
experience has led me to believe that almost every one has about all he
can bear. There are only two classes of people, at least as far as I
have observed--and I am well aware how little I know in this
particular--but as I said--there are only two classes of people that cry
and laugh easily."
"Who are they?"
"Children and savages. Neither class has learned to control itself. A
strong man shows his strength, at least in my humble judgment," Boone
added modestly, "by being able to refrain from useless words, and by not
whining over his troubles."
"I think you are correct," said Colonel Logan musingly. "Now, then," he
continued after a moment, "is it your judgment that the best thing for
us to do is to return to Bryant's Station?"
"It is."
"Then if it is a good thing to do it will be well for us to do it
quickly. I shall see that the order is given. We have some stirring days
before us because I am sure it will never do to let the Shawnees believe
for any length of time that they have been able to defeat the white
men."