THE OLD WOODSMAN AND HIS DOG.
The sun was perhaps an hour above the mountain tops, when a solitary
hunter, in the direction of the cane-brake, might have been seen shaping
his course toward the hill whereon Algernon and Ella had so lately
paused to contemplate the dawning day. Upon his shoulder rested a long
rifle, and a dog of the Newfoundland species followed in his steps or
trotted along by his side. In a few minutes he reached the place
referred to; when the snuffling of his canine companion causing him to
look down, his attention instantly became fixed upon the foot-prints of
the horses which had passed there the day before, and particularly on
the two that had repassed there so lately.
"What is it, Cæsar?" said he, addressing the brute. "Nothing wrong here,
I reckon." Cæsar, as if conscious of his master's language, raised his
head, and looking down into the ravine, appeared to snuff the air;
then darting forward, he was quickly lost among the branching cedars.
Scarcely thirty seconds elapsed, ere a long, low howl came up from the
valley; and starting like one suddenly surprised by some disagreeable
occurrence, the hunter, with a cheek slightly blanched, hurried down the
crooked path, muttering as he went, "Thar's something wrong, for
sartin--for Cæsar never lies."
In less than a minute the hunter came in sight of his dog, which he
found standing with his hind feet on the ground and his fore-paws
resting on the carcass of a horse, that had apparently been dead but a
short time. As Cæsar perceived his master approach, he uttered another
of those peculiar, long, low, mournful howls, which the superstitious
not unfrequently interpret as omens of evil.
"Good heavens!" exclaimed the hunter, as he came up; "thar's been foul
play here, Cæsar--foul play, for sartin. D'ye think, dog, it war Indians
as done it?"
The brute looked up into the speaker's face, with one of those
expressions of intelligence or sagacity, which seem to speak what the
tongue has not power to utter, and then wagging his tail, gave a sharp,
fierce bark.
"Right, dog!" continued the other, as, stooping to the ground, he began
to examine with great care the prints left there by human feet. "Right,
dog, they're the rale varmints, and no mistake. Ef all folks war as
sensible and knowing as you, thar would'nt be many fools about, I
reckon."
Having finished his examination of the ground, the hunter again turned
to look at the carcass of the horse, which was lying on its left side,
some two feet from the path, and had apparently fallen dead from a shot
in the forehead, between the eyes. An old saddle, devoid of straps, lay
just concealed under the branching cedars. The ground around was trodden
as if from a scuffle, and the limbs of the trees were broken in many
places--while in two or three others could be seen spots of blood, not
even yet dry--none of which informants of the recent struggle escaped
the keen observation of the woodsman. Suddenly the dog, which had been
watching his master's motions intently, put his nose to the ground,
darted along the path further into the ravine, and presently resounded
another of those mournful howls.
"Ha! another diskivery!" exclaimed the hunter, as he started after his
companion.
About thirty yards further on, he came upon the carcass of another
horse, which had been killed by a ball in the right side, and the blow
of some weapon, probably a tomahawk, on the head. By its side also lay
a lady's saddle, stripped like the former of its trappings. This the
woodsman now proceeded to examine attentively, for something like a
minute, during which time a troubled expression rested on his dark,
sunburnt features.
"I'm either mightily mistaken," said he at length, with a grave look,
"or that thar horse and saddle is the property of Ben Younker; and I
reckon it's the same critter as is rid by Ella Barnwell. Heaven forbid,
sweet lady, that it be thou as met with this terrible misfortune!--but
ef it be, by the Power that made me, I swar to follow on thy trail; and
ef I meet any of thy captors, then, Betsey, I'll just call on you for a
backwoods sentiment."
As he concluded, the hunter turned with a look of affection towards his
rifle, which he firmly grasped with a nervous motion. At this moment,
the dog, which had been busying himself by running to and fro with his
nose to the ground, suddenly paused, and laying back his ears, uttered
a low, fierce growl. The hunter cast toward him a quick glance; and
dropping upon his knees, applied his ear to the earth, where he remained
some fifteen seconds; then rising to his feet, he made a motion with his
hand, and together with Cæsar withdrew into the thicket.
For some time no sound was heard to justify this precaution of the
woodsman; but at length a slight jarring of the ground became apparent,
followed by a noise at some distance, resembling the clatter of horses'
feet, which, gradually growing louder as the cause drew nearer, soon
became sufficiently so to put all doubts on the matter at rest. In less
than five minutes from the disappearance of the hunter, some eight
or ten horses, bearing as many riders, approached the hill from the
direction of Wilson's, and began to descend into the ravine. The party,
composed of both sexes, were in high glee--some jesting, some singing,
and some laughing uproariously. Nothing occurred to interrupt their
merriment, until they began to lose themselves among the cedars of the
hollow, when the foremost horse suddenly gave a snort and bounded to one
side--a movement which his companion, close behind, imitated--while the
rider of the latter, a female, uttered a loud, piercing scream of
fright. In a moment the whole party was in confusion--some turning their
horses to the right about and riding back towards Wilson's, at headlong
speed--and some pausing in fear, undecided what to do. The two foremost
horses now became very refractory, rearing and plunging in a manner that
threatened to unseat their riders every moment. Of the two, the one
ridden by the lady was the most ungovernable; and in spite of her
efforts to quiet or hold him, he seized the bit in his teeth, and,
rearing on his hind legs, plunged madly forward, until he came to where
the other carcass was lying, when, giving another snort of fear, he
again reared, and turning aside into the thicket, left his rider almost
senseless in the path he had just quitted. Fortunately the beast shaped
his course to where the hunter was concealed, who, with a sudden spring,
as he was rushing past, seized upon the bridle near the bit, and
succeeded, after a struggle, in mastering and leading him back to the
path.
By this time the companion of the lady had come up; and seeing her
condition, was dismounting to render her assistance; when his eye
falling upon the stranger, he started, and placed his hand quickly to
his belt, as if in search of some weapon of defence. The hunter saw the
movement, and said, with a gesture of command:
"Hold! young man; don't do any thing rash!"
"Who are you, sir?"
"A friend."
"Your name!" continued the other, as he sprang to the ground.
"Names don't matter, stranger, in cases sech as this. I said I war a
friend."
"By what may I know you as such."
"My deeds," returned the other, laconically. "Think you, stranger, ef I
wanted to harm ye, I couldn't have done it without you seeing me?" and
as he spoke, he glanced significantly toward his rifle.
"True," returned the other; "but what's the meaning of this?" and he
pointed toward the dead horse.
"It means Indians, as nigh as I can come at it," replied the hunter.
"But look to the living afore the dead!" And the woodsman in turn
pointed toward the lady.
"Right!" said the other; and springing to her side, he raised her in his
arms.
She was not injured, other than slightly stunned by the fall, and she
quickly regained her senses. At first she was somewhat alarmed; but
perceiving who supported her, and nothing in the mild, noble, benevolent
countenance of the stranger, who was still holding her horse by the
bridle, of a sinister nature, she anxiously inquired what had happened.
"I can only guess by what I see;" answered the hunter, "that some o'
your company have been less fortunate than you. Didn't two o' them set
out in advance?"
"Gracious heavens!" cried the young man supporting the lady; "it is Ella
Barnwell and the stranger Reynolds!"
"Then they must be quickly trailed!" rejoined the hunter briefly. "Go,
young man, take your lady back agin, and raise an armed party for
pursuit. Be quick in your operations, and I'll wait and join you here.
Leave your horses thar, for we must take it afoot; and besides, gather
as much provision as you can all easily carry, for Heaven only knows
whar or when our journey'll end."
"But do you think they're still living?"
"I hope so."
"Then let us return, Henry," said the lady, "as quick as possible, so
that a party for pursuit may be collected before the wedding guests have
all separated."
"I fear it will be difficult, Mary, but we must try it," replied the
young man, as he assisted her to mount. Then, turning to the stranger,
he added: "But won't you accompany us, sir?"
"No, it can do no good; besides I'm afoot, and would only cause delay,
and thar's been too much o' that already."
"At least, sir, favor me with your name."
"The first white hunter o' old Kaintuck," answered the other, stroking
the neck of the fiery beast on which the lady was now sitting.
"What!" exclaimed the other, in a tone of surprise: "Boone! Colonel
Daniel Boone?"
"Why, I'm sometimes called colonel," returned the hunter, dryly, still
stroking the horse's neck; "but Daniel's the older title, and a little
the most familiar one besides."
"I crave pardon for my former rudeness, Colonel," said the other,
advancing and offering his hand; "but you were a stranger to me you
know."
"Well, well, it's all right--I'd have done exactly so myself," answered
Boone, grasping the young man's hand with a cordiality that showed no
offence had been taken. "And now--a--how do you call yourself?"
"Henry Millbanks."
"Now, Master Millbanks, pray be speedy; for while we talk, our friends
may die, and it goes agin nater to think on't," said Boone, anxiously.
As he spoke, he led forward the lady's horse past the other carcass;
while Henry, springing upon his own beast, followed after. Having seen
them safely out of the ravine, the noble hunter turned back to wait the
arrival of the expected assistance. He had just gained the center of the
thicket, when he was slightly startled again by the growl of his dog,
and the tramp of what appeared to be another horse, coming from the
direction of Younker's. Hastily secreting himself, he awaited in silence
the approach of the new comer, whom he soon discovered to be an old
acquaintance, who was riding at a fast gallop, bearing some heavy weight
in his arms. As he came up to the carcass of Ella's horse, he slackened
his speed, looked at it earnestly, then gazed cautiously around, and was
about to spur his boast onward again, when the sound of Boone's voice
reached, his ear; requesting him to pause; and at the same time, to his
astonishment, Boone himself emerged into the path before him.
"Ha! Colonel Boone," said the horsemen, quickly; "I'm glad to meet ye;
for now is a time when every true man's wanted."
"What's the news, David Billings?" inquired Boone, anxiously, as he
noticed a troubled, earnest expression on the countenance of the other.
"Bad!" answered Billings, emphatically. "The Injens have been down upon
us agin in a shocking manner."
"Heaven forbid thar be many victims!" ejaculated Boone, unconsciously
tightening the grasp on his rifle.
"Too many--too many!" rejoined Billings, shaking his head sadly. "Thar's
my neighbor Millbanks' family--"
"Well? well?" cried Boone, impatiently, as the other seemed to hesitate.
"Have all been murdered, and his house burnt to ashes."
"All?" echoed Boone.
"All but young Harry, who's fortunately away to a wedding at Wilson's."
"Why, the one you speak of war just now here," said Boone, with a start;
"and I sent him back to raise a party to trail the red varmints, who've
been operating as you see yonder: Good heavens! what awful news for poor
Harry, who seems so likely a lad."
"Yes, likely you may well say," returned the other; "and so war the
whole family--God ha' mercy on 'em! But what's been done here?"
"Why, I suppose Ella Barnwell--Younker's niece, you know--and a likely
young stranger who war along with her, called Reynolds, have been
captured."
"Ha! well it's supposed Younker and his wife are captives too, or else
that thar bones lie white among the ashes of thar own ruins."
"Good heavens!" cried Boone. "Any more, David?"
"Yes, thar's Absalom Switcher and his wife, and a young gal of twelve;
and Ephraim Stokes' wife and a young boy of five; who war left by
themselves, (Stokes himself being away, and his son Seth at the wedding,
as was a son o' Switcher's also) have all bin foully mardered--besides
Johnny Long's family, Peter Pierson's, and a young child of Fred Mason's
that happened to be at Pierson's house, and one or two others whose
names I disremember."
"But when did this happen, David?"
"Last night," replied the other. "It's suspected that the Injens ha bin
warting round here, and took advantage of this wedding, when the greater
part on 'em war away. It's thought too that thar war a white spy out,
who gin 'em information, and led 'em on--as a villainous looking chap
war seed about the vicinity not long ago."
"Do they suspicion who war the spy?" asked Boone.
"Why some thinks as how it war that thar accussed renegade, Simon
Girty."
"Wretch!" muttered Boone, grasping his rifle almost fiercely; "I'd like
to have old Bess, here, hold a short conflab with him. But what have you
got thar in your arms, that seems so heavy, David?"
"Rifles, Colonel. I've bin riding round and collecting on 'em for this
mad party of Younker's, who went off without any precaution; and I'm now
on my way to deliver 'em, that they may start instanter arter the cussed
red skins, and punish 'em according to the Mosaic law."
"Spur on then, David, and you may perhaps overtake some o' them; and all
that you do, arm and send 'em here as quick as possible--for I'm
dreadful impatient to be off."
The colloquy between the two thus concluded, the horseman--a
strongly-built, hard-favored, muscular man of forty--set spurs to his
horse; and bounding onward toward Wilson's (distant some five miles--the
ravine being about half way between the residence of the groom and
bride,) he was quickly lost to the sight of the other, who quietly
seated himself to await the reinforcement.
In the course of half an hour, Boone was joined by some three or four of
the wedding party, who bad been overtaken by Billings, learned the news,
accepted a rifle each, bidden their fair companions adieu, and sent them
and the horses back to the house of the bride, while they moved forward
to meet danger, rescue the living, and seek revenge.
In the course of an hour and a half, Billings himself returned,
accompanied by some seven or eight stout hearts; among whom were young
Switcher, Stokes, Millbanks, and, lastly, Isaac Younker, who had been
roused from the nuptial bed to hear of the terrible calamity that had
befallen his friends. Isaac, on the present occasion, did not disgrace
his training, the land which gave him birth, nor the country he now
inhabited. When the messenger came with the direful news, although
somewhat late in the morning, Isaac had been found in his bed, closely
folded in the arms of the god of sleep. On being awakened and told of
what had taken place, he slowly rose up into a sitting posture, rubbed
his eyes, stared searchingly at his informant, gathered himself upon his
feet, threw on his wedding garments, and made all haste to descend
below; where he at once sought out his new wife, Peggy, who had risen
an hour before; and grasping her by the hand, in a voice slightly
tremulous, but with a firm, determined expression on his features, said:
"Peggy, dear, I 'spect you've heard the whole on't. Father, mother, Ella
and Reynolds--all gone, and our house in ashes, I'm going to follow,
Peggy. Good bye--God bless you! Ef I don't never come back, Peggy"--and
the tears started into his eyes--"you may jest put it down I've been
clean sarcumvented, skinned, and eat up by them thar ripscallious
Injens;" and turning upon his heel, as his tender-hearted spouse burst
into tears, he seized upon same provisions that had graced the last
night's entertainment, gave Black Betty a long and cordial salute with
his lips, shook hands with his wife's father and mother, kissed Peggy
once again, pulled his cap over his eyes, and, without another word, set
forth with rapid strides on the eastern path leading to the rendezvous
of Daniel Boone.
On the faces of those now assembled, who had lost their best and dearest
friends, could be seen the intense workings of the strong passions of
grief and revenge, while their fingers clutched their faithful rifles
with a nervous power. The greatest change was apparent in the features
of Henry Millbanks. He was a fine-favored, good-looking youth of
eighteen, with light hair and a florid complexion. The natural
expression of his handsome countenance was an easy, dignified smile,
which was rendered extremely fascinating by a broad, noble forehead, and
a clear, expressive, gray eye; but now the floridity had given place to
a pale, almost sallow hue, the forehead was wrinkled with grief, the
lips were compressed, and the smile had been succeeded by a look of
great fierceness, aided by the eye; which was more than usually sunken
and bloodshot.
But little was said by any of the party; for all felt the chilling
gloom of the present, so strongly contrasted with the bright hours and
merry jests which had so lately been apportioned to each. Boone called
to Cæsar and bade him seek the Indian trail; a task which the noble
brute flew to execute; and in a few minutes the whole company were on
their way; with the exception of Billings; who, by the unanimous request
of all, returned to Wilson's; to cheer, console and protect the females;
and, if thought advisable, to conduct them to Bryan's Station--a strong
fort a few miles distant--where they might remain in comparative
security.