Early hours were the rule among the settlers in those primitive days,
and by nine o'clock all was darkness and silence in the dwelling of
the Lamars.
A bed stood in one corner of the large family room, a trundle bed
beneath it, which was drawn out at night; and here slept the parents
and younger children.
One of two smaller apartments between this and the kitchen was
appropriated to Nell; the other occupied by the older children.
The young girl was roused from her sleep in the middle of the night
by something falling down the wall close to her side.
"Percy! Percy!" she screamed in affright.
"What is it, Nell?" answered the major, springing out of bed.
"Oh, I don't know, I don't know! It's too dark to see! But, oh, come
and bring a light quickly!"
That was more easily said than done; friction matches were as yet an
unknown luxury; the choice was between flint and steel and the fire
covered upon the kitchen hearth.
He chose the latter, but it was a work of time to hunt out a coal
from the ashes, and blow it into life till it would ignite the wick
of a candle.
The thing was accomplished at last, however, and the light revealed a
viper beneath Nell's bed.
The major succeeded in killing it, and soothing his sister's alarm
with a few kindly reassuring words, again retired to rest.
It was some time before Nell's fears were forgotten in sleep, and a
grumbling voice from the kitchen woke her early in the morning.
"Dear me, who's been rakin' ober dis fire? It's clar out, every spark
of it; an', Tig, you'll have to run over nex' do' for a bran' to
start it wid."
Silvy the cook was evidently very much out of humor.
"Pshaw! you didn't cober it up right," returned the boy.
"You git along!" was the wrathful answer. "I reckon you done raked
it ober yourself; and I'll tell de major ef you don' quit cuttin' up
sech shines. Be off after dat bran' now, fast as you kin go."
Nell turned over on her pillow and listened.
"Percy must have forgotten to cover up the coals again," she said to
herself. "What a narrow escape I had! What with Indians and vipers
in the town, bears, wolves and panthers in the woods, I seem to have
come into a dangerous place."
She sighed rather drearily, a homesick feeling creeping over her,
spite of her love for Percy and the rest.
But that presently vanished before the beauty of a balmy, sunshiny
May morning, the sight of the well-spread breakfast table, and the
affectionate greetings of her brother and the children.
"I'm going shopping, Nell," announced Mrs. Lamar two hours later,
when the house had been set to rights, and Silvy given her orders
for the day; "will you go with me?"
"Shopping!" echoed the young girl in incredulous surprise.
"Yes; do you think Philadelphia is the only place where one may shop?"
"No; but here in the woods?"
"Yes, here in the woods we can shop; we have already three stores."
So they donned their bonnets and sallied forth.
It was pleasant walking in the shade of the great forest trees,
traversing at the same time woodland paths and village streets, the
twitter of birds and rustling of leaves in the breeze mingling with
the busy hum of human voices and the sound of the woodman's axe; for
men were engaged here and there in laying the foundations for new
dwellings or clearing spaces preparatory to doing so.
Not many rods from the General Anthony Wayne they came upon Dr.
Clendenin and his friend Godfrey Dale, standing together in earnest
conversation, while some workmen stood near apparently awaiting their
directions.
The gentlemen lifted their hats, Kenneth with the grave, quiet smile
Nell had learned to know so well, Godfrey saying "A pleasant morning,
ladies."
"Are you going to build?" asked Mrs. Lamar, nodding in return.
"Yes; a double office with a hall between," said Dale. "We think it
will be sociable."
A man came staggering up axe in hand. "I--I'm after--a job; and
you--you wa--want these trees cut down?"
"We do, Davis, but you're in no condition to wield an axe at
present," returned Dale; and growling out an oath the fellow
staggered away.
"It's perfectly dreadful the amount of drunkenness we have here of
late!" remarked Mrs. Lamar looking after him.
"Yes, whiskey's too cheap," said Dale; "men, women and children are
getting drunk."
"How is that?" enquired Kenneth, "there is no distillery in the
vicinity?"
"No; but since keel boats have begun to run on the Scioto the
Monongahela whiskey manufacturers have rushed their firewater in here
in such quantities that the cabins are crowded with it and it has
fallen in price to fifty cents a gallon."
"They'll be making work for you, doctor," said Mrs. Lamar, "and I
hope you'll try to convince the people that whiskey taken in such
quantities is ruinous to health."
"Ruinous to body and soul," he said. "You may rest assured, Mrs.
Lamar, that my influence will be decidedly against its use."
"We will take a stroll round the town, Nell, before making our
purchases," Clare said, moving on. "What a grave, quiet manner Dr.
Clendenin has, for so young a man!"
It was a new phase of life now presenting itself to the young girl,
and she found it interesting. Her attention was presently attracted
by a squaw walking a little distance ahead of them, wearing a shawl
completely covered with silver brooches.
"They get them at Detroit in exchange for furs, moccasins and
baskets," explained Clare. "You know, I suppose, that they are quite
skilled in ornamental work with beads and porcupine quills."
The major joined them and they extended their walk for a mile or more
through the woods, climbing the hill that forms the western boundary
of the valley, from which they had a birdseye view of the village and
the surrounding country, a beautiful landscape, in all its native
wildness, diversified with hill and valley, forest and prairie,
traversed by streams of living water.
Returning, they called upon Mrs. Nash, whom they found in excellent
spirits, full of enthusiastic delight with her new home and her
restoration to the companionship of her husband, after months of
separation. That seemed to make amends for everything: accustomed
comforts could be done without, inconveniences easily borne, they
would soon be remedied, and in the meantime were mere subjects for
mirth.
"She's a cheery and wise little woman," was the major's remark, as
they went on their way again.
"Yes; always the same," assented his wife; "but we'll hear a
different story here," as they approached another cabin. "This is
where the Barbours live, Nell, and I know Nancy of old."
"So do I, and we part company here," said the major laughingly,
lifting his hat to his wife and sister, and hurrying on his way,
while they drew near the open door of the dwelling.
"Walk in, ladies," said Mr. Barbour, putting his little girl off his
knee, and trying to give them seats.
"How do you do?" said his wife, coming forward. "I was just wondering
if you two were going to be formal with an old friend like me. How
fortunate you are in being able to run about enjoying yourselves,
while here I've been hard at work since daylight; no time to rest
after my long journey, but I must go to work washing up our dirty
clothes the first thing."
"No, now, Nancy," expostulated her husband, "you needn't have done
it. I told you there were camp-women about, from Wayne's army, that
would be glad of the job."
"And I wouldn't have one of them near me if I never have any help,"
she retorted; "but I never get any thanks from you, work as hard as I
will."
"Father's been at work too," put in Flora, leaning up affectionately
against him; "and so have I, and we've got most everything fixed now."
"Yes, you look quite settled already," Mrs. Lamar remarked, glancing
round the room.
"It needn't take long for that when you've but one room and next to
nothing to put in it," whined Mrs. Barbour. "But perhaps it's just
as well not to have much, or it might be stolen from you; for I dare
say those camp-women and soldiers are thievish; and I don't suppose
there's any sort of government here yet, to protect property."
"I've never heard of anything being stolen here," said Mrs. Lamar;
"though to be sure the town is not a year old yet."
"Well, there was a suspicious looking woman prowling about here last
night; she came in making an excuse that she wanted to light her pipe
at the fire, and stared round as if she was taking note where things
were, in case she should get a chance to help herself."
"Pooh! only idle curiosity," said Mr. Barbour. "You're always meeting
trouble more than half way, Nancy."
"We're out shopping," remarked Nell, willing to change the subject of
conversation.
"Shopping!" echoed Mrs. Barbour with a derisive laugh.
"Yes," said Mrs. Lamar, rising; "and that reminds me, Nell, that we
should be attending to it at once."
It was no very arduous undertaking; in the first store they entered
they were promptly supplied with the darning needle and skein of
thread they were in search of. Change was made in a novel way;
literally made by cutting a silver dollar into halves, quarters and
eighths.
The merchant, an unmarried man, was extremely polite and courteous,
and while waiting upon the ladies cast many a furtive, admiring
glance at the slight, graceful figure and fair face of the major's
young sister.
Kenneth had a call that afternoon to a case of delirium tremens,
which took him past the dwelling of the Barbours.
He knew they were not in, having seen them but a few moments before
strolling in the opposite direction, and was therefore surprised,
within a few yards of the cabin, to see a man issue from the back
door, with a bundle under his arm, and disappear among the trees.
The doctor paused for an instant, with the thought of giving pursuit,
but the call for his services was urgent, and he hurried on again.
Turning a corner the next moment he came suddenly upon a man and
woman conversing together in low tones, who at sight of him shrank
guiltily back into the shadow of the trees; but not before his quick
eye had caught a sight of their faces in the gathering gloom, for
twilight had already set in, and his ear a few words of their talk.
"A pretty good haul considering."
"Yes; and now we'd best be off."
Suspicious words enough, but Kenneth had no time to think of them
then, nor for hours afterward--so critical was the condition of
his patient. It was only when on returning about sunrise the next
morning, they were recalled to his mind by the sound of Mrs.
Barbour's voice lifted up in scolding and lamentation.
"Yes, they're gone, every one of them;--that overcoat, just as good
as new, the shirt I finished only the day before I started from
home, and that elegant bandanna handkerchief. I told you somebody
would get in and rob us in our sleep, if you didn't fasten the door
well. Perhaps you'll believe another time that my opinion's worth
something."
"There, there, Nancy, don't go on as if everything we had was lost.
The town isn't so large that a thief can keep himself hid very long
in it," Mr. Barbour was replying as the doctor stepped up to the open
door.
"Good morning," he said, "I accidentally overheard Mrs. Barbour's
lament, in passing, and I think I can throw some light on this
matter," then went on to tell of what he had seen and heard the
previous evening.
"So you see, Nancy, we weren't robbed in our sleep after all," was
Mr. Barbour's comment, addressed to his wife.
"No thanks to you, anyhow," she retorted; "and it's your fault all
the same; because I wouldn't have gone out and left the house alone
if I'd had my way."
Mr. Barbour subsided. Why could he not learn how utterly useless it
was to attempt to justify himself under the accusations of his wife?
"And there you sit never moving hand or foot to find the thief and
get your own out of his clutches!" she whined, moving about with
disconsolate and martyrlike air at her work of preparing the morning
meal.
"Well, well, I'll go and see what can be done," he said, rising and
putting on his hat. "Doctor, would you recognize the thief?"
"I am quite sure I should know again the suspicious looking persons
I have been telling you of," Kenneth answered as they stepped out
together.
"Now don't be gone all day, Mr. Barbour; breakfast will be on the
table in half an hour," his wife called after him.
"Very well," he said looking back, "am I to let the thief escape
rather than keep you waiting for an hour?"
"Of course you'll do one or the other--probably both," she fretted,
as he walked on without waiting for an answer, "though it needn't
take half that time to scour this wretched little town from end to
end."
It did not; scarcely ten minutes had elapsed before it was known by
every inhabitant that a theft had been committed, and that a man
named Brannon and his wife, people of low character, whose absence
would be gain to the place, had absconded during the night. They were
not desirable citizens, but the stolen property must be recovered,
and the larceny punished.
A hot pursuit was immediately begun, and before noon the culprits
were taken and brought back in triumph.
But as yet the town had no constituted authorities. What was to be
done?
The citizens gathered together on the river bank, chose one of their
number, a Mr. Samuel Smith, as judge, and proceeded to try Brannon in
due form; a jury was empanelled, the judge appointed Godfrey Dale
as attorney for the prosecution, and another young lawyer, Maurice
Gerard by name, for the defence.
Witnesses were called and examined. The goods had been found in
possession of the accused, but he stoutly affirmed that they were his
own.
Barbour, however, was able to prove property, and Dr. Clendenin's
evidence was strong against the prisoner, whom he identified without
hesitation as the man he had seen carrying away a bundle from
Barbour's cabin the previous evening.
There was other testimony, but Kenneth's was the most conclusive.
The judge summed up the evidence, the jury retired to a short
distance, and in a few moments returned with the verdict of guilty,
and that the culprit be sentenced according to the discretion of the
judge.
The latter presently announced his decision:--ten lashes upon the
naked back of the prisoner, or that he should sit upon a bare
pack-saddle on his pony, while his wife taking it by the bridle
should lead it through every street of the village, pausing before
the door of each house with the announcement, "This is Brannon who
stole the great-coat, handkerchief, and shirt."
Brannon chose the latter horn of the dilemma, and a responsible
person was appointed by the judge to see the sentence immediately and
faithfully executed.
The crowd waited to see the man mounted upon the pony, then scattered
to their homes or other positions favorable for watching his progress
through the town.
He submitted to his punishment in dogged silence: glancing about him
with an air of sullen defiance as he took his seat. Then his eye
caught that of Kenneth fixed upon him in grave pity, and the look was
returned with one of bitter hatred and revenge.
"Curse you!" he muttered under his breath, "the day will come when
you'll repent of this."