Edward Stratemeyer

“ There was no time to argue the matter, for even as Harry Parsons spoke the deer leaped the small brook which wound its way through the mighty forest and in a twinkling were out of sight again. Then all became as quiet as before.
“Don’t hear any Indians,” was Joe Winship’s comment, after straining his ears for a full minute. “And lost a tremendously good shot,” he added regretfully.
“Well, it’s best to be on the safe side. If half a dozen redskins were after those deer we wouldn’t stand any show at all against ’em,” said Harry Parsons, with a decided shake of his curly-haired head. ”

“ Joe and Harry had both begged hard for permission to go along, but their fathers would not listen to their pleadings.
“I know you are brave enough to go, Joe,” said Mr. Winship. “But I want you to remain behind and look out for Cora and Harmony.”
“And you, Harry, must look after your mother,” put in Peter Parsons. “And, besides, both you boys want to prepare all the food you can for the long winter that will soon be on us. If by some cause we do not get back as soon as expected, we don’t want anybody here to starve to death.” ”

“ Far to the westward the clouds were still red from the setting sun.
Eagerly the youth turned to where he imagined the camp-fire of the pioneers must be located. Not a single light came to view, either camp-fire or lantern.
“That is certainly queer,” he told himself. “Not a flare of any kind.”
The thought had scarcely crossed his mind when his attention was attracted to a location about half a mile to the northward of the camp. The light of a torch had blazed forth and was now revolving rapidly in a semicircle. ”

“ It was about Christmas time that there came an extra heavy fall of snow—for in those days the snow fell heavier in Kentucky than it does to-day—why, nobody can tell, exactly. Then followed a day of thawing and then more cold weather, so the surface of the snow was covered with a thick crust.
“Just the thing for snowshoes!” cried Joe. “We can travel almost anywhere and not break through.”
“Yes; and a deer will break through at every step and so will a bear,” returned Harry. “Just the right snow for hunting.” ”

“ Parsons, Harry is killed!”
It was Harmony who uttered the cry, for she had seen Harry go down with the two arrows sticking into him.
“My son killed!” screamed Mrs. Parsons, rushing forward to where she could catch sight of the form in Joe’s arms. “Oh, Harry! Harry! is it true that the Indians have slain thee?” she wailed.
“I don’t believe he is dead,” said Joe, his own face white and drawn. “He is struck in the leg and the arm.”
“Bring him to yonder cabin,” said the distracted mother, and Joe did as directed. ”

“ For one instant Joe had been of a mind to stand his ground and finish the loading of his gun. But now he saw that there would not be time in which to prime the weapon, and he made a rush behind some of the nearest bushes.
The buck came on and struck the bushes with terrific force, almost reaching the youth in spite of the thickness of the growth. Joe leaped further back and then ran for the rocks upon which Harry was standing.
“He means business, doesn’t he?” the young pioneer gasped. ”

“ Daniel Boone was a character almost unique in American history, a man the very embodiment of pluck and energy, and one who knew neither fear nor the meaning of the word fail. For years he had his eye on the great green fields of Kentucky, and he resolved, in spite of the dangers from natural causes and from the Indians, to open up this territory to the hundreds of pioneers who had become tired of life along the eastern seacoast or close to it, and who wanted to go where they would be less under the rule of those English who were making themselves offensive at that time. ”

“ The time for planting was once again at hand, and Joe and Harry worked early and late, and always with their weapons where they could lay hands upon the guns at the first intimation of danger. How little do boys of to-day realize the perils and hardships of the years gone by!
In the cabin Mrs. Parsons and the girls were equally busy. All arose at four o’clock in the morning, and it was rarely that anybody turned in to sleep before nine or ten in the evening. In those days there were no such things as amusements, for the dread of another attack by the Indians was on every mind. ”

“ Gun in hand, he stepped nearer to the gully, and peered searchingly among the brushwood and weeds.
At first he could see nothing, but at last he made out a dark object lying in the midst of a clump of bushes.
“A man, or I am greatly mistaken,” he told himself. “But if he is a white man, what is he doing there?”
Not to be taken by surprise, Joe dropped into the bushes himself, expecting to crawl away and tell his friends of his discovery. ”

“ He turned as if to attack Harry.
“Look out, he is coming for you!” yelled Joe, who was reloading with all possible speed.
At the sound of his voice the bear turned and, seeing Joe, paused. Then he changed his course.
“He is coming for you!” screamed Harry. “Get out of the way, unless you want to be hugged to death!”
Joe had scarcely time enough to throw some powder and a bullet into his rifle, and fix the priming, when the huge black beast made a leap for him. Crack! went the firearm, and the bear was struck on the side of the neck. ”

“ Nevertheless, Daniel Boone was much disturbed by the tidings that war with England was a stern reality. It had been difficult in the past to subdue the Indians, now it would be doubly hard, for the red men would feel that the English soldiers would no longer help the colonists, and the colonists, having to fight the foe from over the ocean, would be in no position to send troops to the West to aid the settlers on the frontier. ”

“ The hunters and pioneers moved to their stations without the slightest noise. Each man carried not only his rifle, but also a pistol and a long hunting knife.
Joe’s heart was thumping wildly, for he knew that this was to be the most dangerous battle in which he had so far taken part. ”

“ Neither of the boys had ever smoked out bees before, and they went at it in their own way. At the bottom of the hollow tree was an opening, and into this they thrust the lighted torches.
“Whoop! Here they come!” cried Joe, and as he spoke a swarm of bees swept from the upper portion of the hollow. Then came the thick smoke and more bees—a swarm much larger than they had anticipated.
“They are going to fight for their home!” cried Harry, and he was right. Having emerged from the smoke the bees swept around and around the tree in a circle, and then swooped downward upon the two young pioneers. ”

“ Colonel Boone immediately assembled his force and gave each man and youth his station, and also told the women and girls what they might do if called on for assistance. Every part of the fort and grounds was wet down, so that there might be no danger of fire.
The first shock of the attack was not long in coming. Relying upon their superior force, the Indians advanced boldly, sending a flight of arrows against and over the stockade, and also firing off the few muskets they possessed. Their yells and war-whoops were deafening, and the pioneers answered with a ringing shout of defiance. ”

“ As Daniel Boone had said, it was truly the land of plenty.
But Harry’s mind was just then centered upon but two things—to find Joe and to get back as soon as possible to the camp,—provided anything was left of the latter, which was questionable. As he thought of the Indians he shook his head doubtfully.
“They won’t give up this land to us if they can help it,” he told himself. “They will fight for it to the bitter end. For all I know to the contrary, all of the others, including Joe, may be either dead or prisoners.” ”

“ The sight of the fox was a little cheering. “If he can sneak around the Indians must be pretty [246] far away,” was the way the young pioneer reasoned.
At last Joe’s watch came to an end, and he and Cora laid down to rest, leaving Harry and Harmony on guard. Then another hour dragged by, seeming little short of an age.
Harmony had just uttered a long sigh of weariness when something caught her eye and caused her to become once again on the alert. Something was moving among the trees nearest to the cabin. ”

“ Leaving his gun hanging on a limb, he commenced to climb from one branch to the next. Joe was about to follow but concluded that it would be best for one to remain below on guard, for the top of this giant of the forest was fully eighty feet above the position he now occupied.
The climbing of such a tree is by no means an easy task. As Harry approached the top he found the branches further apart and quite slender, and he had all he could do to haul himself from one safe position to another above it. ”

“ In their trip back to the former camp Mr. Winship and Pep Frost had seen but two Indians and they were a long distance off. In coming through a patch of timber they had heard the cry of a child and this had led them to a shelter where they had found those that they had now brought with them.
“We must rescue those who have been carried off,” said Ezra Winship. “I cannot consent to go on to the fort until that is done. My own wife and daughter are missing and so are five or six others. To leave them to the mercy of the savages would not be human.” ”

“ They were the largest and heaviest of the packs, and in a twinkling their fellows leaped upon them, rending them limb from limb.
“What horrible creatures!” said Harry. “They haven’t the slightest feeling for one another!”
“They have been half starved by the heavy fall of snow, Harry. They wouldn’t be that way if they could get anything else.”
Returning to the fire, they reloaded and chopped more wood. In the hollow the wolves continued to snarl and yelp, each trying to get the best of the meat. Occasionally there would be a fierce fight between two wolves lasting for several minutes. ”

“ Four squaws stood close by, each with a whip in hand, ready to flog either of the captives should they show any signs of disobedience.
In the center of a clearing another post was planted, and presently Joe was led forth from the wigwam and stood up against this. Then a rope, soaked in water, was tied around both the youth and the post, making him a prisoner once more.
The Indians had a pile of brushwood handy, and this was speedily shoved up around the captive. Then Long Knife stepped forward and faced Joe, his black eyes gleaming more maliciously than ever. ”

“ Luckily for Joe there was at the foot of the [26] cliff a small stretch of rocks and sand less than a yard wide. Standing on this the youth surveyed the surface of the dark water before him with interest.
It was no pond to which he had descended, but a good-sized stream which flowed rapidly to the northward, being hedged in on one side by the cliff, and on the other by a rock-bound forest. The stream disappeared around a curve of the cliff.
A rapid search along the sandy shore under the cliff revealed nothing more than Harry’s rifle, which had caught in a bush just over the water’s edge. ”

“ Before the exodus began Ezra Winship called the men and the older boys aside and gave them a little advice.
“We are moving into a strange territory,” he said. “There is no telling what perils we may have to face. You have made me your leader, and that being so, I feel it my duty to warn each one to be on his guard constantly. In traveling, always be sure to keep the rest of our train in sight, and never discharge your weapons without reloading immediately. If any Indians appear, treat them well so long as they are friendly, but do not trust them too far.” ”

“ The exclamation came from Joe, and scarcely had he spoken when another howl went up.
“There must be a whole pack of them,” cried Harry. “And if that is so we are bound to have a lively time of it.”
Each young pioneer had placed his gun where he could put his hands upon it, and each caught up his weapon.
[179] The wolves now came closer, and, in their fight among themselves, three of the pack tumbled up against the shelter and broke through the snow piled there.
“Hi! here they come!” ejaculated Joe, and, taking aim at the nearest wolf, he let drive with his rifle. ”

“ Come, let us both give him another shot!”
Joe already had his gun leveled, and he blazed away the moment his chum was beside him. Harry followed suit, filling the small opening with dense smoke.
A roar followed the shots, ringing loudly in their ears in that confined space. As they could no longer see the bear they took no chances, but leaped back into the snowbank, and then began to scramble up the rocks as fast as they could. Joe reached the top first, and gave a willing hand to his companion.
The first work of the young pioneers was to reload once more. ”

“ Hardly had the first carcass gone down than the live wolves were on it, rending and tearing it apart in a mad fury to get the meat.
“I’m glad it’s that meat instead of ourselves,” was Harry’s comment, and he gave a shudder.
The dead wolves disposed of, they returned to the camp-fire, and while Joe piled on what was left of the wood Harry cut more, so that the blaze might not die down even for a moment.
“Wild beasts hate fire worse than anything else,” said Joe. “A good blaze will prove our greatest protection.” ”

“ During those days of waiting the young pioneers were not idle. There were many things to do in and around the frontier home, and when not employed there the two youths went gunning or fishing, or else set traps. It was Daniel Boone himself who showed them how to make several traps of a superior sort, and with them the game captured was by no means to be despised.
“He is a natural-born hunter and trapper,” said Harry, in speaking of Boone. “He takes to it like an Indian to a buffalo trail.”
Among the traps made by Joe was a large one, strong enough to hold a catamount, and possibly a bear. ”

“ The high winds had swept the rocks free of all loose snow, so traveling was not as difficult as it had been. They went again on snowshoes, and took their firearms as before.
“As we are not after any big game we can now shoot anything that strikes our fancy,” said Joe, and on the way bagged several rabbits and a wild turkey, while Harry knocked over several ruffled grouse, or pheasants.
“Not a bad haul in itself,” said Joe, when their game bags were fairly stuffed with their quarry. “Counting these, and the deer, and the bear, I reckon we have done as well as many older hunters could do.” ”

“ As the game grows more scarce, the old hunters will drift elsewhere for shots, and that will give the game here a chance to catch up again.”
At last they came in sight of the bee tree, standing in a little clearing by itself. The tree was not as tall as those around it for which they were thankful. It was hollow, and near the top flew a few bees, basking idly in the sunshine.
“Their work for the season is over,” remarked Harry.
“It seems a pity to rob them of their store of honey,” returned Joe. “But there is no help for it—unless we want to go without.” ”

“ While Harry was shooting at the buck Joe had started to reload his rifle. Harry dropped his empty pistol and pulled out his hunting knife, thinking to rush in and cut the buck’s throat.
“Look out for him, or he’ll gore you!” yelled [119] Joe, and his warning came none too soon, for just then the buck leaped forward and rushed at Harry with lowered antlers. The young pioneer knew he could not withstand such a shock and leaped to one side.
“He has got lots of fight in him yet, even if he is clipped,” panted Harry, rushing to the top of some rocks. “Look out for him, Joe!” ”

“ But if Harry was brave, the girls and Mrs. Parsons were equally so, and all rushed in to offer what assistance they could. While they held the limb as far up as possible Harry gave it a blow or two with his sharp ax and then the branch was bent back until it snapped and broke.
“Now out of the way, all of you!” panted Harry, and caught Joe up in his arms.
The others leaped away from the tree and Harry followed with his burden. Then the hickory began to crack and groan, and in half a minute more it rolled partly over into a slight hollow and lay still. ”

“ Two wolves that had not taken part in the attack on the lads were trying their best to haul away one of the carcasses.
Catching up another firebrand, Joe hurled it at the wolves, and it landed between them, directly on the deer meat. At once the wolves dropped their hold, and slunk back into the circling pack.
The young pioneers were now both at the fire, and did what they could to make it blaze up. As the light grew brighter the wolves slunk still further back, and the fighting, for the time being, came to an end. ”

“ They were not without their days of sport. Saturday was generally more or less of an “off day,” and if the youths did not go hunting, fishing, or swimming, they would join the other lads of the settlement in games or friendly contests—rowing, running, jumping, wrestling, or shooting at a target. The target-shooting made each a good shot, much to their own satisfaction.
“It’s a great thing to know you can depend on your eye if you are ever placed in a tight hole,” said Joe. “A clever shot may sometime save a fellow’s life.”
“As that shot of Colonel Boone’s saved mine,” added Harry. ”