betty zane-第4部分

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ry。　We　were　near　that　cranberry　bog　over　at　the　foot　of　Bald　mountain。　I　do　not　believe　we　shall　be　attacked。　In　my　opinion　the　Indians　would　come　up　from　the　west　and　keep　to　the　high　ridges　along　Yellow　creek。　They　always　come　that　way。　But　of　course；　it　is　best　to　know　surely；　and　I　daresay　Lew　will　come　in　to…night　or　to…morrow　with　the　facts。　In　the　meantime　put　out　some　scouts　back　in　the　woods　and　let　Jonathan　and　the　Major　watch　the　river。〃

〃I　hope　Wetzel　will　come　in；〃　said　the　Major。　〃We　can　trust　him　to　know　more　about　the　Indians　than　any　one。　It　was　a　week　before　you　and　he　went　hunting　that　I　saw　him。　I　went　to　Fort　Pitt　and　tried　to　bring　over　some　men；　but　the　garrison　is　short　and　they　need　men　as　much　as　we　do。　A　young　soldier　named　Clarke　volunteered　to　come　and　I　brought　him　along　with　me。　He　has　not　seen　any　Indian　fighting；　but　he　is　a　likely　looking　chap；　and　I　guess　will　do。　Captain　Boggs　will　give　him　a　place　in　the　block　house　if　you　say　so。〃

〃By　all　means。　We　shall　be　glad　to　have　him；〃　said　Colonel　Zane。

〃It　would　not　be　so　serious　if　I　had　not　sent　the　men　up　the　river；〃　said　Captain　Boggs；　in　anxious　tones。　〃Do　you　think　it　possible　they　might　have　fallen　in　with　the　Indians？〃

〃It　is　possible；　of　course；　but　not　probable；〃　answered　Colonel　Zane。　〃The　Indians　are　all　across　the　Ohio。　Wetzel　is　over　there　and　he　will　get　here　long　before　they　do。〃

〃I　hope　it　may　be　as　you　say。　I　have　much　confidence　in　your　judgment；〃　returned　Captain　Boggs。　〃I　shall　put　out　scouts　and　take　all　the　precaution　possible。　We　must　return　now。　Come；　Lydia。〃

〃Whew！　What　an　awful　night　this　is　going　to　be；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　when　he　had　closed　the　door　after　his　guests'　departure。　〃I　should　not　care　to　sleep　out　to…night。〃

〃Eb；　what　will　Lew　Wetzel　do　on　a　night　dike　this？〃　asked　Betty；　curiously。

〃Oh；　Lew　will　be　as　snug　as　a　rabbit　in　his　burrow；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　laughing。　〃In　a　few　moments　he　can　build　a　birch　bark　shack；　start　a　fire　inside　and　go　to　sleep　comfortably。〃

〃Ebenezer；　what　is　all　this　confab　about？　What　did　my　brother　tell　you？〃　asked　Mrs。　Zane；　anxiously。

〃We　are　in　for　more　trouble　from　the　Wyandots　and　Shawnees。　But；　Bessie；　I　don't　believe　it　will　come　soon。　We　are　too　well　protected　here　for　anything　but　a　protracted　siege。〃

Colonel　Zane's　light　and　rather　evasive　answer　did　not　deceive　his　wife。　She　knew　her　brother　and　her　husband　would　not　wear　anxious　faces　for　nothing。　Her　usually　bright　face　clouded　with　a　look　of　distress。　She　had　seen　enough　of　Indian　warfare　to　make　her　shudder　with　horror　at　the　mere　thought。　Betty　seemed　unconcerned。　She　sat　down　beside　the　dog　and　patted　him　on　the　head。

〃Tige；　Indians！　Indians！〃　she　said。

The　dog　growled　and　showed　his　teeth。　It　was　only　necessary　to　mention　Indians　to　arouse　his　ire。

〃The　dog　has　been　uneasy　of　late；〃　continued　Colonel　Zane　〃He　found　the　Indian　tracks　before　Wetzel　did。　You　know　how　Tige　hates　Indians。　Ever　since　he　came　home　with　Isaac　four　years　ago　he　has　been　of　great　service　to　the　scouts；　as　he　possesses　so　much　intelligence　and　sagacity。　Tige　followed　Isaac　home　the　last　time　he　escaped　from　the　Wyansdots。　When　Isaac　was　in　captivity　he　nursed　and　cared　for　the　dog　after　he　had　been　brutally　beaten　by　the　redskins。　Have　you　ever　heard　that　long　mournful　howl　Tige　gives　out　sometimes　in　the　dead　of　night？〃

〃Yes　I　have；　and　it　makes　me　cover　up　my　head；〃　said　Betty。

〃Well；　it　is　Tige　mourning　for　Isaac；〃　said　Colonel　Zane

〃Poor　Isaac；〃　murmured　Betty。

〃Do　you　remember　him？　It　has　been　nine　years　since　you　saw　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Zane。

〃Remember　Isaac？　Indeed　I　do。　I　shall　never　forget　him。　I　wonder　if　he　is　still　living？〃

〃Probably　not。　It　is　now　four　years　since　he　was　recaptured。　I　think　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　keep　him　that　length　of　time；　unless；　of　course；　he　has　married　that　Indian　girl。　The　simplicity　of　the　Indian　nature　is　remarkable。　He　could　easily　have　deceived　them　and　made　them　believe　he　was　content　in　captivity。　Probably；　in　attempting　to　escape　again；　he　has　been　killed　as　was　poor　Andrew。〃

Brother　and　sister　gazed　with　dark；　sad　eyes　into　the　fire；　now　burned　down　to　a　glowing　bed　of　coals。　The　silence　remained　unbroken　save　for　the　moan　of　the　rising　wind　outside；　the　rattle　of　hail；　and　the　patter　of　rain　drops　on　the　roof。



CHAPTER　II。

Fort　Henry　stood　on　a　bluff　overlooking　the　river　and　commanded　a　fine　view　of　the　surrounding　country。　In　shape　it　was　a　parallelogram；　being　about　three　hundred　and　fifty…six　feet　in　length；　and　one　hundred　and　fifty　in　width。　Surrounded　by　a　stockade　fence　twelve　feet　high；　with　a　yard　wide　walk　running　around　the　inside；　and　with　bastions　at　each　corner　large　enough　to　contain　six　defenders；　the　fort　presented　an　almost　impregnable　defense。　The　blockhouse　was　two　stories　in　height；　the　second　story　projecting　out　several　feet　over　the　first。　The　thick　white　oak　walls　bristled　with　portholes。　Besides　the　blockhouse；　there　were　a　number　of　cabins　located　within　the　stockade。　Wells　had　been　sunk　inside　the　inclosure；　so　that　if　the　spring　happened　to　go　dry；　an　abundance　of　good　water　could　be　had　at　all　times。

In　all　the　histories　of　frontier　life　mention　is　made　of　the　forts　and　the　protection　they　offered　in　time　of　savage　warfare。　These　forts　were　used　as　homes　for　the　settlers；　who　often　lived　for　weeks　inside　the　walls。

Forts　constructed　entirely　of　wood　without　the　aid　of　a　nail　or　spike　（for　the　good　reason　that　these　things　could　not　be　had）　may　seem　insignificant　in　these　days　of　great　nasal　and　military　garrisons。　However；　they　answered　the　purpose　at　that　time　and　served　to　protect　many　an　infant　settlement　from　the　savage　attacks　of　Indian　tribes。　During　a　siege　of　Fort　Henry；　which　had　occurred　about　a　year　previous；　the　settlers　would　have　lost　scarcely　a　man　had　they　kept　to　the　fort。　But　Captain　Ogle；　at　that　time　in　charge　of　the　garrison；　had　led　a　company　out　in　search　of　the　Indians。　Nearly　all　of　his　men　were　killed；　several　only　making　their　way　to　the　fort。

On　the　day　following　Major　McColloch's　arrival　at　Fort　Henry；　the　settlers　had　been　called　in　from　their　spring　plowing　and　other　labors；　and　were　now　busily　engaged　in　moving　their　stock　and　the　things　they　wished　to　save　from　the　destructive　torch　of　the　redskin。　The　women　had　their　hands　full　with　the　children；　the　cleaning　of　rifles　and　moulding　of　bullets；　and　the　thousand　and　one　things　the　sterner　tasks　of　their　husbands　had　left　them。　Major　McColloch；　Jonathan　and　Silas　Zane；　early　in　the　day；　had　taken　different　directions　along　the　river　to　keep　a　sharp　lookout　for　signs　of　the　enemy。　Colonel　Zane　intended　to　stay　in　his　oven　house　and　defend　it；　so　he　had　not　moved　anything　to　the　fort　excepting　his　horses　and　cattle。　Old　Sam；　the　negro；　was　hauling　loads　of　hay　inside　the　stockade。　Captain　Boggs　had　detailed　several　scouts　to　watch　the　roads　and　one　of　these　was　the　young　man；　Clarke；　who　had　accompanied　the　Major　from　Fort　Pitt。

The　appearance　of　Alfred　Clarke；　despite　the　fact　that　he　wore　the　regulation　hunting　garb；　indicated　a　young　man　to　whom　the　hard　work　and　privation　of　the　settler　were　unaccustomed　things。　So　thought　the　pioneers　who　noticed　his　graceful　walk；　his　fair　skin　and　smooth　hands。　Yet　those　who　carefully　studied　his　clearcut　features　were　favorably　impressed；　the　women；　by　the　direct；　honest　gaze　of　his　blue　eyes　and　the　absence　of　ungentle　lines　in　his　face；　the　men；　by　the　good　nature；　and　that　indefinable　something　by　which　a　man　marks　another　as　true　steel。

He　brought　nothing　with　him　from　Fort　Pitt　except　his　horse；　a　black…coated；　fine　limbed　thoroughbred；　which　he　frankly　confessed　was　all　he　could　call　his　own。　When　asking　Colonel　Zane　to　give　him　a　position　in　the　garrison　he　said　he　was　a　Virginian　and　had　been　educated　in　Philadelphia；　that　after　his　father　died　his　mother　married　again；　and　this；　together　with　a　natural　love　of　adventure；　had　induced　him　to　run　away　and　seek　his　fortune　with　the　hardy　pioneer　and　the　cunning　savage　of　the　border。　Beyond　a　few　months'　service　under　General　Clark　he　knew　nothing　of　frontier　life；　but　he　was　tired　of　idleness；　he　was　strong　and　not　afraid　of　work；　and　he　could　learn。　Colonel　Zane；　who　prided　himself　on　his　judgment　of　character；　took　a　liking　to　the　young　man　at　once；　and　giving　him　a　rifle　and　accoutrements；　told　him　the　border　needed　young　men　of　pluck　and　fire；　and　that　if　he　brought　a　strong　hand　and　a　willing　heart　he　could　surely　find　fortune。　Possibly　if　Alfred　Clarke　could　have　been　told　of　the　fate　in　store　for　him　he　might　have　mounted　his　black　steed　and　have　placed　miles　between　him　and　the　frontier　village；　but；　as　there　were　none　to　tell；　he　went　cheerfully　out　to　meet　that　fate。

On　this　is　bright　spring　morning　he　patrolled　the　road　leading　along　the　edge　of　the　clearing；　which　was　distant　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　fort。　He　kept　a　keen　eye　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　river；　as　he　had　been　directed。　From　the　upper　end　of　the　island；　almost　straight　across　from　where　he　stood；　the　river　took　a　broad　turn；　which　could　not　be　observed　from　the　fort　windows。　The　river　was　high　from　the　recent　rains　and　brush　heap