TH E WO RKSJ AME S H ALL.

LEGENDS O F THE'WEST.

A U TH O R ’ S R E V I’

S E D E D I T I O N .

3m fin k

G . P . P UTNAM co .,1 0 PARKP LA C E .

M. D C C C .LI I I .

Entered accord ing to Actof Congress inthe yen 1853,

B7 G. P . Pu-n uu a Co. ,

Inthe Clerk ’s O ffi ce of the Dimia Court of tho United State. for the SouthernDittnctof NewYo:

PREFACE TO THE F IRST EDITION.

HE sole intention of the tales com pris ed in the following pages is to convey accurate des criptions of

the sc‘

ener and opulation of the countr inwich t e

aywdes . The only m erit he claim s for them is

fi delity. Itwill be for others to decide Whether thisclaim iswell supported.

to the

They are given to the

Am eri can reader With great difi i dence, and With a

di sposition to subm it cheerfully to any verdict Which

public opini onm ay award .

298672

PREFACE TO THIS EDITION.

S the Tales in th is volume are descriptive of scenery andmanners in theWestern country

,during the period of its

early settlement,itmay not be uninteresting to the reader to

know what have been the author’s opportunities for personalobservation in reference to the subjects . The descri tions

are obviously such as could notm have been gathered from_books

!they are valuablefi gly jmpmpoxtignkm‘ thweirm

fi d‘

eiity ;and they are accurate

,j ust so far as the writer has been able

to pourtray the scenes which have passed before h im,to te

peat the traditions he has heard, and to convey the vividimpressions made uponhis mind by a long and familiar intercourse with a very peculiar people .

More than thirty years ago he became a resident of Illi: .

nois,j ust then admitted into the Union as a state

,containing

butsi xty thousand inhabitants . The settlements were widelyscattered through a vastWi lderness

,lying chiefly along the

borders of the Mississippi,the Ohio

,and the Wabash .

_Thewas confined to the southern part of the St

viii P R E F A C E .

of the K ickapoo s and Pottowattam ies lingered about thesources of theWabash and the branches of the I ll inois ; the

\Vinnebagoes roamed over the wide plains to the North-west;

and the Sauk ies and Foxes were the sole possessors of thebeautiful and romantic gr ounds about Rock Island . Thenoted Black Hawk and the princely Keokuk dwelt there , attheir native Vill age

,as yet undisturbed by white men .

The settled parts of the State were organized into counties

,but the institutions, the manners and customs of the

people,were those of the frontier. The countrywas th inly

inhabited ; between the settlements were vast distri cts of

wilderness,over which the traveller might ride whole days

withoutmeeting with a human habitation . The panther andthe wolf still l urked in the forests, the marshes and poolswere alive with water-fowl

,and the broad plains

,covered

with unbroken carpets of verdure and wild-fi owers, were tenanted by myr iads of prairie fowl .

The inhabitants came from Kentucky,Tennessee

,and

North Carol ina,and were still l iving in the rude log-cabins i n

wh ich they had fi rst found shelter. Theyg verg the pioneers ,

Pand the immediate offspring of the igneggs, WhO hade ssed

the m ofintains, an'

d'

f g_l2g } e

_ir_w_ay through pi ni neredible

series o'

f"

hardShip'

sT-

b-

rivationshandj angers , had subdued the

beautiful valley of the Ohio to the dominion of_the white

man . Among the older men were somewho had slep-tm h-

y'

the camp—fi re of Daniel B oone,and had followed the daring

footsteps of Clarke,Shelby

,and Logan

,in long marches and

hard-foughtbattles . The greater number were the offspringof the pioneers

,accustomed in ch ildhood to the alarm s and

vicissitudes of border warfare,reared in the log—hut

,famil iar

only with sylvan occupations and sports,and whose eyes were

just Opened to the dawn of civil ization . Wers, buttheir_eharactermasrather pastoral than agricultural ;

P R E F A C E . ix

vegetables for food,but depended chiefly on herds of cattle

ahd hogs that roa‘

med'

at'

large_

i1i'

th e common pasturageafforded by the boundless wi lderness . They were all hunt

familiar with the haunts and hab its of every wild creature ,from the bear and the wolf down -bee .record of their accomplishments may be brieflymadehfi ? theywere daring and sk ilful riders

,loved horses

,and had a gen

tlemanly propensity for racing and horse-swapping ; such ofthem as soiight oflice developed an innate aptitiide for stumporatory

,an art whichwas greatly admired and cultivated ;

and at their publ ic assemblages,at courts

,elections

,vendues

,

and the l ike occas ions,they betted freely

,drank hard

,and

uttered compound oaths,with extraordinary COplO llSDeSS of

language and vehemence of elocution . Ordinarily they werea frugal and abstemious people , l iving quiet, unambitiouslives

,varied chiefly by the vicissitudes of the seasons

,and

occas ionally diversified by the episode of a. sp ree. Honestand simple were they in their ways

,brave and hospitable in

their deeds.

Among such a people the author commenced the practiceof the legal profession

,at an early age

,with about the usual

stock of dreamy reminiscences of Coke and B lackstone,Kent

and Chitty,butwith a somewhat richer store than ordinary

of history,poetry

,and romance . Itwas the search of ad

W M MLM M to

W . The legends of theWest,scattered in frag

ments over the land,were more alluring than . imaginary cl ients

or prospective fees . In the event,he became a laborious

practitioner ; while the constantand unavoidable contactwi thMM eme , enabled him to glean the fi eld of tradi tionarfiy'

lore,

Sm y.

“wwithoutany interference with profe

x

i

p R E F A CE .

The backwoodsmen were not the only inhabitants of Illinois

,at that time . There were the French , at K askaskia ,

Cahok ia,and Prairie -da Rocher

,who had been settled here

for several generations,without, losing their national charac

teristics . They were a very primitive people; whose characterand legends afforded much curious matter for reflection

Therewas an English colony recently settled near the Wa

bash ; and therewas some other inconsiderable settlements,which m ight form exceptions from the general and very briefsketch we have given of the mass of the people .

The lawyers not only rode large circuits, embracin g nineor ten counties each

,but those circuits were so arranged to

followeach other in succession,that the bar could pass from

one to another through several of them,and an industrious

practitioner passed half of his time on horseback . Thecounties were extens ive

,and the county seats being widely

separated,the journeys were long and toilsome . There were

no hotels,fewroads

,and fewer bridges . The traveller often

passed from county to county by mere bridle-paths,leading

from one settlement to another,crossed streams where ford

therewas none,

” and when'the channels were fi lled by heavyrains

,found both diffi culty and danger i n getting over. Some

times the close of the day found him far from the shelter ofa human habitation

,and then

,l ike the hunter

,he must l ight

his fi re,and encamp under a spreading tree

,the want of an

inn obliging him to camp ou t. The more usual resting-placewas at the log-house of a farmer

,where a cordial welcome

,

and a board spread bountifully with the products of the fi eldand the forest

,awaited him .

The seats of justice were small villages,mostly mere ham

lets,composed of a fewlog-houses

,i nto which the J udge and

bar were crowded,with the grand and petit jurors , l itigants,

witnesses,and

,in short

,the whole bodyof the county— for

P R E F A C E . xi

i n new counties every body goes to court. Herewas no re

spect to persons ; they ate together, slept together, congregated together in the crowded courth ouse , and assembledtogether around the stump to hear the bursts of patrioticeloquence from the candidates for office .

Such were the _s_e n s and such the o ulation amongwhichthe author sgent twelveyezg s i n thg egercise of a ErofessionwhichLabove all to its members famil iarviews of and. -Qf m 11ch of

all thatpasses in them g ssandbp somsfi flm n. Travell ingcontinually on horseback

,over broad and beautiful prairies,

and through forests shaded and tangled with all the luxuriance and majesty of their primitive state— encountering thehunter in his solitary ramble , or sitting with him by his fi res ide

,break ing his bread and partak ing of his convivial cup

l ivino'with them in short from da to frornj eek- r v’

to week,as their _fgllqwzcjti z ent their counsellg land theirwitr — his Opportunities for becoming well acquainted with

the haunts and homes of the backwoodsmen were qu ite asfavourable as could be well im agined.

How well,or howimperfectly

,those opportuniti es were

improved,is another question . They were enjoyedwith ex

quisite relish, and left impressions wh ich have remained vividlyengraved upon the memory . The backwoodsman is a social

cquainted with traffi c, gaining anabundant subsistence with but little exertion

,and spending

long intervals in repose or recreation,he knows noth ing of

the influence of the magic term bus iness,which sways and

excites the mind and the energy'

of the greatmass of our

nation . He is the oul Ameri canwho is never i n afl gyr

Beyer too busy to enjoy ‘

the sweets of sleeB and the refreshment of social interco Brave and hardy, he does not

xii P R E FA C E .

shrink from any privation or danger. F or days,and even

weeks together,he will l ive in the woods

,hunting all day

,

sleeping on the ground , eating game only, and drink ing fromthe running stream

,enduring exposure to all extremes of

weather,and practising abstinence with the patience of the

Indian . At his own board he feeds wel l and entertainsfreely

,for although the fare is simple

,it is spread out i n

prodigal abundance,and pressed upon the guestwith lavish

hospital ity. Though usually taciturn in the presence of

strangers,he is communicative to his friend or his guest

,has

often strong colloqu ial powers,with quaint

,singular

,fi gura

tive,and even eloquent forms of expression . H is language

,

which is commonly brief,sententious

,and abrupt

,becomes

,

when excited by the interest of the subject or by passion,

h ighly expletive,and redundant with exaggerated forms and

fi gures of comparison . When he swears— and he is probablynot more given to this exceedingly vulgar vice than othermen— but when he does swear in earnest

,his ph ilology be

comes concentrated,and explodes with an appalling energy

,

which would have astonished even the celebrated army inFlanders.

Inthe conversations of this people there is much to interest and entertain the stranger. To wile away the tedium of

a dull day’s ride,or a long winter evening

,they recite their

adventures , or communicate their observations on subjectsfamil iar to them

,but strange and curious to others .

Scrapsof history, reminiscences of noted m en

,incidents of the

chase and of border violence,the deeds of their fathers in

battle , the traditions of the wilderness and the lone path,

form the staple of these discussions ; and itwas from suchsources that the writer derived the lore which he has presented to the public in the several volumes he has published .

Since theseCne

’

ncls were written,great changes have

P R E F A C E

taken place in theWest. The pioneers and Indian hters

have Passed away. T hildren have been scattered and

dri ven ofi’

by an ozenz helm ing deluge of imm igration .

Kentucky and Tennessee,where there is a homogeneous

population,protected by certain institutions

,theWestern

character remains unchanged,except so far as it has been

modifi ed by the natural,

'

thongh rapid,increase of population

and wealth,of comfort and luxury— by the change from

border states to peaceful and flourishing’

civil communities,

surrounded by sister states,equally flourishing and peaceful .

om the valley

plains far to the west. The riverF inhfi sm tative

,with their fleets of keel—boats

and barges,no longer float on the bosom of the beautiful

river ;” the boat-song which broke the sweet silence of the

wilderness at sunrise,and the blast of the horn wh ich came

winding on the evening breeze,as the boat gl ided into sight

from beh ind the island of willows,are heard no more . The

log-cabin has ceased to be the only structure

,and is fast dis

appearing from the shore ; the gracefully rounded hills areshorn of their forests ; and nowthe farmh ouse and the cot

tage-ornée,themeadow

,the orchard

,and the vineyard

,crown

the river hills,while towns

,vill ages

,and steamboats give

evidence that art and commerce have taken possession of theland . Tm O ps of l aborious Germ ans and light-hearted Irishare scattered broadcast over the land ; and the universal

W i n ning steampog szand going aahe_a_d gener

ally in31YM “and perseverance may findemolument, howez er -noy d -mem W 02_m _

the

achievement. That pecul iar phraseology which marked theconversation of theWestern people thirty years ago

,is sel

dom heard . F or som of it the schoolmaster has substituted

P R E F A C E .

a urer thou b not a more signifi cant lan uage ; while themongrel vulgarisms of various tongues and people have flowedin and corrupted the whole mass . The touristswho havepretended to describe the colloquial peculiaries of theWest,have in some instances indulged freely their own inventivepowers

,and in others have been misled into the grossest ab

surdities,so that

,to use the figure of an old writer

,one would

suppose they had been at a feast of languages, and carriedaway the scraps.

PREFACE TO HARPE’

S HEAD.

HE reader of the following pages, should they be

so fortunate as to fi nd any, Wi l l natural l y Wish tok nowwhether any of the inc idents introd u ced are

fou n ded upon fact, or whether thewho le narrati ve is afabri cation of the author’s own bra in. Perhaps itwould be good po l icy to ev ade th is qu estion, leavinghim to ex ercise his ownjudgm ent upon the probabilityof the events and the real ity of the characters

,and by

thus awakening c ur iosity, ex cite m ore interest than

our unadorned tale w il l be l ik ely to produ ce by itsown m erits . But hold ing, aswe do, that in all caseshonesty is the best policy,we have determ ined to

acknow ledge cand id ly our ob l igations to h istory , andto avow

,in the face of the world

,our paternal

.

relationto so m u ch of thework as is the offspring of invention.

Two of the characters introd u ced are historical.Th eir deeds are still freshly rem em bered by m anyof the early settl ers ofKentu cky

,and their names w ill

be instant] y recogn ised by allwho are conversantWiththe traditions of that State. The real incidents of the

l ives of those persons have been very spari ngly alluded

P R E F A C E T O H A R P E ’ S H E A D .

to,as m ost of them were of a character too atrocious

for re cital in a work of this description, and because

they cou ld not be u sedwithout the introduction of

other nam es,which thewriter does not consider h im self

at liberty to p lace before the pub lic in this m anner.

The individu als al luded to have therefore been m erelyi ntroduced into a talewholly fi ctitious

, placed in

situations sim ilar to those inwhi"cl:i theyreally appeared,and m ade to act in conform itywith theirwell-knowncharacters.

It has been the intention of thewriter in this,

as in the other fi ctions published under his nam e,to

drawfrom nature. He has invented but little ; but

professes simply to connect together the traditi o—

ns‘

of’

a

region inwhich he has'

long_resided and to the

populatlon ofwhich he 1s attached,aswel l by a sincere

adm iration for them and their ”

9mendearing ties .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

18 L E G E N D S O F T H E \V E s r .

The countrywas ferti le,though wild and broken . The seaso n

was that inwhich the fo l iage is most l uxu riant and splendidto the eye

,the leaves being fully expanded ,whil e the rich

blossoms decked the scene with a variety of bri ll iant hues ;and ou r travel ler

,as he passed r idge after ridge

,pau sed in

del ight on thei r elevated summits,to gaze at the beautiful

gl ens that lay between them,and the gorgeous vegetation

that cl imbed even to the tops of the steepest accl ivities . Theday

,however

,which had been unusual ]y sultry for the season

,

was drawing to a close,and both horse and rider began to

f eel the effects of hunger and fatigue ; the former, thoughstrong and spirited

,drooped his head

,and the latter became

wearied with these l onesome though picturesque scenes .

During the whol e day he had not seen the dwell ing of a human being ; the clattering of his horse

’s hoofs upon the rock

,

the s inging of the birds,so numerous i n this region

,the roar

ing of themountain stream,o r the crash of timber occas ioned

by the f al l o f some great tree,were the only sounds that had

m et his car. Hewas glad,therefore

,to find his path de

scending,at last

,into a broad vall ey

,interspe rsed with farms .

He seemed to have surmounted the last hill,and before him

was a rich continuous forest,resembl ing

,as he overlooked it

from the high ground,a solid pl ane of verdure . The trans ition

from rocky steeps and precip ices to the smooth soil andsloping surface of the valleywas refreshing ; and not l ess so

were the coolness and fragrance of the air,and the deep and

vari ed hues of the forest,occas ioned by the rank luxuriance

of its vegetation .

It m ight be proper,as it certainly is customary

,before

proceeding to narrate the adventures of our hero,to introduce

him to the parti cular acquaintance of the reader by a ful ldescription o i

'his person

,character

,and l ineage ; but thi s

manner of narrati on , supported as it is by respectabl e p recedent,we must be permitted to decl ine. As we have norecord before us showing that the gentl eman i n question ever

H A R P E’s H E A D . 19

passed under a regimental standard,we are not aware that

his exact height could now be ascertained ; and as hewasneither a deserter from the serv i ce o f his country

,nor a fugi

tive from the protection of his guardian,we cannot think it

necessary to setforth the colour of his hair and eyes,or to de

scribewhat clothes he had o nwhen he went away . Toenlist the sympathies of our fair readers

,whose approbation

we would fain propitiate,it is enough to say that hewas a

young and handsome bachelor,l eav ing each o f them to f ancy

him the exact image of her favourite admirer ; but. aswe donotadmire the practice o f peeping into gentlemen ’ s heai ts or

pocket-books without any other warrant than the bare l icenseof authorship

,we cannot tel l what precious bil letdoux may

have fi lled the one,or what treasured image might have

occupied the other. These are questions which may beincidental ly touched hereafter ; and the curious reader willfind ample material s in the following pages

,fo r the gratifi ca

tion of a laudable thirst for knowledge on these interestingpo ints .

The sunwas about to set,and our traveller

,hav ing com

pletely l eftall the mountain passes behind h im ,could hav e

enjoyed the serenity of the calm hour and the bland landscape,

had not other thoughts harassed him . He needed rest and

refres hment, and knew notwhere to find the one o r the other.

While cons idering this matter,he reached a spot where two

roads crossed,at the same instant when two other persons

,

advancing from a different d irection,arrived at the same

point. They were an elderly gentleman and a young lady ,both of prepossess ing appearance . The formerwas a portlyman , hale and ruddy

,with a gay eye and a p rofus ion of gray

locks , as if the frost of age had prem aturely touched his headwithout penetrating so deep as to chi l l the fountains o f l ife .H is d ress was that of a country gentl eman ; itwas not expens ive

,nor yetwell

'

assorted,but rather evinced the care

lessness of onewho,l iv ing secl uded from the fashionable

20 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

world,felt independent o i

'its forms, or who adopted with

'

reluctance the changes which seemed every year to depart

further and further from certain standards of gracefulness to

which he had been accustomed in his youth , as well as f romthe pecul iar'notions of comfort that fasten

'

upon the m indwith the approaches of old age.

_Hewas mounted upon a

fine high-bred horse,rather oddly caparisoned ; for the

bridl e,though s i lver-mounted

,was broken i n seve ral places ,

and the fractures had been remedied,ato ne part by a hard

knot,at another by a coarse seam ,

and at a third by a thong _of buckskin ;whil e a Spanish saddl e

,which mightonce have

done honour to the bestcaval ier at a bull-fight, having lost thestirrup-l eather on the near side,was suppl ied withan aecomm odation-ladder of rope

,and the gi rthwas patched with

leather and l insey,until the original materialwas hardly d is

coverable . The worthy gentleman wore one spur,either

becau se hewas too indolent to put on the other, or.

from aconv i ction

,founded on a wel l-establ ished philosophical prin

ciple, that the effect produced on one s ide of his animal mustbe followed by a corresponding result on the other

,and that

consequently one armed heel is as effective as a pair . Indeed,

that gentleman]y weapon seemed to be worn more from habitthannecess ity

,for the free-spirited steed needed no prompter ;

and the rider,who satwith the ease and grace of an experi

enced horseman,would have estbem ed it a breach of

'the

dignity becoming his age and station to have proceeded atany pace faster than awalk . Hewas ev idently a wealthyplanter, accustomed to good l iving and good society , who hadarrived at a standing in l ife which placed him abov e anymere ]y outward forms that interfered with his comfort, andwho felt priv il eged to think as he pleased and do 'as he l iked ;while the frankness and benevolence of his countenance atonce assu red the stranger that his heartwas al ive to the bestfeel ings of kindne ss and hospital ity . His companionwas alovely girl of eighteen , ri chly and tastefully habited. Care

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 21

l ess as were the apparel and furniture of the elder rider, that

of the ladywas studi ously neat and appropriate .’

Her

palfrey had the fine l imbs,the del i cate form ,

and the brighteye of the deer

,with a gentleness that seemed to savour

more of reason than of instinct. His hairwas smooth andglossy as s ilk

,his harness elegantly and neatly fi tted ; and

as‘

the.

rider sat gracefully erect in her saddle,the proud

animal arched his neck as if conscious of the beauty of his

burden .

As the'

parties m et at the j unction of the roads,each of the

gentl emen reined up his hors e to allowthe other to pass ;the elder bowed and touched his hat

,and the other returned

the salutation with equal courtesy . Therewas a momentaryembarrassment

,as neither rider seemed disposed to take pre

cedence of the other whichwas rel ieved by the young lady,who

,slackening her rein as she touched the neck of her steed

with a hazel switch , rode forward, leav ing the gentlemen to

settl e the point of etiquette between them,which they did by

s il ently fall ing in abreast,the road being just wide enough to

admitthe passage of tworiders in thatmanner.

In our country there is none of that churl ish pol icy or thatrepuls ive pride which in other regions forbids strangers whothus meet from accosting each other ; on the contrary

,our

hearty old Virginian,on m eeting a young

,well-rnount-cd

,

handsome stranger,with the appearance and manners of a

gentleman,felt bound to do the honours of the country . He

accord ingly Opened a conversation,andwas so wel l pleased

with the stranger’s frankness'

and intel l igence,that be deter

mined to take him home,and entertain him

,at l east for the

night,and perhaps for a week or two ; and the worthy old

m anfeltno small inward gratifi cation in the idea, thatwhi lehewas discharging his duty as a true son of the Ancient Dominion

,he should secure a compan ion , and enlarge for a time

his own l ittl e circle of enj oyments. But the stranger antici

pated his inv itati on by observing ,

22 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

l have businesswith Major Heyward , who res ides somewhere in this neighbourhood , and am glad that l have fall enin with you

,s ir

,as you can probably direct me to a tavern

near his house,where I may lodge for the night.

”

That l cannot ; but I will w ith great pleasure show youto the house itself

,

”repl ied the other

,whowas the identical

Major Heyward,I am going d irectly there , and will con

duct you to the very doo 1 .

The stranget civ illy decl ined this ofi'er

,underthe plea that

hewas total ly unacquainted with the gentl eman alluded to,and thathis v is itwas sol ely on bus iness . He wished

,there

fore,to l odge for the nightat a Iiublic house, and to despatch

his bus ines s in the morning as early as might be.

I suspect,

”repl ied his companion

,that you will not do

the one nor the other. Public house there IS none ; you are

now in Virginia,sir

,whe re hospital ity is not an arti cl e of

trade therefore you m ust'of necess ity lodge with a private

gentl eman . And you are under a mistake,if you think to

despatch your bus iness to morrow,or the next day

,or under

a week at l east.”

Why so

S imply because,i n this country

,we do not turn peopl e

out of our houses,nor treat a guesti a

'

s if he were a sheriff ’soffi cer. There is to be a barbecue to morrow

,to which you

will be inv ited ; then you must hunt one day , and fish an

other, and after that but see, there is the house .

The stranger halted “I really cannot intrudeintrude , my dear Si? ! Why

,young gentl eman

, you

were certainly not raised i n Virginia,or you would have

learned that one gentl eman can never be considered as an iatruder in the house of another

,especial ly one who brings so

good a letter of introduction as yourself. ”

Pardon me,sir

,I have no such credentials .

Oh yes , you have— yes , you have , returned the planter,

laughing at his ownwit,and bowing to his companion ; as

H A R P E’s H E A D . 23

a late writer hath it,a good appearance is the best letter of

introduction ; and your modesty, young s ir,is an endorse

ment which gives it double value . Com e along , I’ll be an

swerable fo r your welcome .”“But I am a total stranger.

True,and so you wil l remain until you are introduced ;

then you will be so no longer.

”

“But it is so awkward to go to a gentl eman’s house j ust

at nightfall, as if begging for a night’

s lodging .

”

The very best hour in the world,for then you are sure to

catch the gentl eman at home , and at l eisure to ente rtain you .

Vi rginia,my dear

,

” continued be,cal l ing to the y oung lady

,

who rode a fewpaces before them,will you not j oin me in

a guarantee that this young gentleman shal l be wel come at

WalnutHil l 7”

With great pl easu re , if it were necessary, replied the

lad y,

but your introduction , my dear uncle, will be all

suffi cient.

”

The stranger,who began to suspect the truth

,and sawthat

he co uld not,without rudeness

,decl ine the proffered k indness

of his hospitable guide,now submitted

,and the party entered

a“l ong lane whi ch l ed to the m aii s ion. O u either side werelarge helds of corn and tobacco

,lately planted

,and exhibiting

the distinctive characteri stics of Virginia agriculture . Thescalewas extens ive . but the manner of culti vation rude . Thespacious domain

,spreading for more than a mile on either

hand,was covered with flourishing crops, which attested the

ferti l ity of the soil and the immen se worm-fences surround ingthe enclosures

,and div id ing them into accurate paral lelograms

,

were as substantial as they were uns ightly . The corne rs andski rts of the fi elds

,and every vacant spot

,were grown up

with weeds and bri ers . Stum ps of trees blackened with fi re,

and immense tall trunks,from which the bark and smaller

l imbs had f al l en,showed that not many years had elapsed

s ince the ground had been cleared ; but those syl van remains

24 LE G E N D S O F—

T H E W E S T .

became fewer and more decayed towards the m ans ion of the

owner,whichwas iii the centre of the opening, as if the ocen

pant,after fi xing his dwell ing, had been gradual ly clearing

away the forest from around it in every di rection . An appl eorchard had been planted so recently as to be nowready forhear ing its fi rst crop

,and peach-trees were seen scattered in

every d irection ; wherever a kernel had fallen by accident,and the young shoot had escaped the plough

,or outlived . the

nipping of the cattle,was a flourishing tree

,promis ing a lux

uriant harvest of this del ightful fruit.

The mansion stood on a ris ing ground,overlook ing the

whole plantation,andwas composed of a cluster o f buildings

rather inartificially connected . A stone house with two roomshad been fi rst erected ; then a

‘

fram ed buildingwas added ;and year after year

,as the family increased in wealth or

numbers,subsequent additions had been m ade

,consisting of

s ingle apartments,al l ou

'

the ground-floo r, except the originalbui ld ing

,which contained anupper story— the whol e connected

by piazzas,and being

,i n fact

,a number of separate

,though

contiguous houses,inconveni ently adapted for the res idence

of a s ingle family . The offi ces we re scattered about in therear of the main edifice— the k itchen

,the ice-house

,the smoke

house,being each a separate bu ild ing . Sti l l further back were

the negro-cabins,and beyond them the stables So that

,alto

gether, the place had more the appearance o i'a v il lage than

of the residence of a singl e family . The aspect of the whol ewas i

pleasing and respectable . Had it been surrounded by awal l and a d itch , it would have borne no small resemblanceto some of the earl iestof those old castl es in which the baronsresided with their fol lowers in patriarchal sunplicity. The

outbuild ings were so d isposed as not to intercept the v iewfrom the front of the man s ion ; and the l atter, being paintedwhite , l ooked wel l i n spite of its structure . A beauti fullawn surrounded it, setwith fine forest trees , the -venerableand gigantic aboriginals of the soil ; and on one s idewas a

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26 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

a third fi re, a fourth a glass of water, a fi fth sl ippers ; andin a fewminutes hewas comfortably seated , enjoying hisaccustomed luxuries ;whil e his guest retired to arrange his

dress.

O u the return of the latter, he found his host in the

same pos ition in which he had left him ; and approaching

him , said,“I have perhaps been to blame in delay ing so'long to announce my name and bus iness .

”

Your name,my young friend

,l shal l be glad to hear,

Whenever you please as for your business, we wil l talk of

thatwhen we get tired of every other subject.”

“l am wel l aware of your hospital ity, and that towardseither a friend or a stranger itwould be cheerfully exercised ;but neither of these characters can be claimed byLyttletonF ennimore.

”

The old man started as he heard this name ; a cloud pass edo'ver his features, and his frame seemed agitated with painfulrecollections. These feel ings he endeavoured to suppress , ashe replied

,“I had rather you had borne another name butthat is notyour fault.”

He then rose, extended his hand to his guest, and em phat

ically added,“Mr. Fennim ore , pardon an old man for not

being able to forget in a moment thatwhich has been a sub

ject of bitter reflection for years . The antipath ies of parentsshould not be entail ed on their chi ldren. You are cordiallywelcome to my house— make it your home

,and consider me

as your friend .

Teawas soon announced ; and Major Heyward, as he introduced his guest to his niece

,Miss Pendl eton

,resumed his

usual courtesy of manner,buthis gaiety had entirely forsaken

him , and immediately after this meal he retired to his apartment

,leaving the young couple to entertai n each other. We

need hardly add, that, predisposed as the latter were to be

H A R P E’s H E A D . 27

each other,the even ing passed agreeably ; and

thatwhenMr. Fennimore retired,he could not butack nowl

thatwhatever might be the character of the uncle, thewas one of the

'

m ost agreeable women that he had everseen .

28 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

C H A P T E R I I .

N the fol lowing morning, Fennimore rose early, and sal

l ied forth,but found that he had been preceded by Major

Heyward,whowas bustl ing about

,withouthis hat or coat, in

the sharp morning air,giving orders to his servants . The

cloud of the last even ing had passed from his brow ; the te

flections of his pillow had been salutary and he nowm ethis

guest,with his u sual cheeif ulness of countenance and kind

ness of manner. Mr. Fennimore,

”said he

,

“I did not receive you

,perhaps

,as Yought

,and I ask your pardon . Im ust

be frank with you,for I cannot be otherwise . Things have

passed between our famil ies which I have not been abl e toforget. But the ways o f Providence are always wise ; itwasnecessary for my peace thatyou should come here . I amtooold to cherish an unsettled feud . Let the past be buri ed .

We are friends .

”

I know so l ittle of the particulars of the affair to whichyou al lude

,

”repl ied Fenn imore

,that I can

'

say nothing,except that I des ire to stand in no other relation to MajorHeyward than that of a friend . I had not thought of i ntroducing that subject. My bus iness relates to a pecuniarytransactionWell , we

’l l talk of that’

another time . Any time will dofor bus iness . We can settl e that in fi ve minutes . There isto be a

'

barbecue to day,Mr. Fennimore ; we are all going

you mustgo with us.”

H A R P E’s H E A D . 29

In vain did Fennimore plead that his engagements requiredhis attention elsewhere— that he had no time for parti es ofpleasure— that he had no taste for such amusements, &c.“No taste for a barbecue !” ex cla imed Major Heyward.Y ou surprise me

,Mr. Fennim ore no taste for a barbecue !

Well,that shows you were not raised in Virginia. Time you

should see a l ittle of the world,sir ; there

’s nothing in l ife

equal to a barbecue,properly managed— a good old Virginia

barbecue. Sir,would not have you to miss it for the best

horse on my plantation i”“Talking of horses,

” continued the cheerful old man,

re

minds me that I can shO W'

you a s ight worth seeing ;” and

without waiting for a reply,he led his guest to his stables

,

where the grooms were feed ing and rubbing down a numberof beautiful blood ed anim als . These were success i ve]y paraded

,

and the proud owner descanted upon the merits of each,with

a volubil ity that excluded every other subject,until break

fastwas announced .

Has Mr. Fennimore consented to join our party to-dayinquired Miss Pendleton

,after they were seated atthe break

fasttable.“Certainly,my dear

,repl ied the Major ;“Mr. Penni

more would be doing injusti ce to us,and to himself

,if he did

not improve such an oppo rtunity of witness ing a festivity peenl ier to

'

our

'

State . I am sure he would not be depr ived of

it upon any’

cons ideration.

”

“I cannot res ist the temptation,

said Fennimore,with a

bowwhich Miss Pendleton took to herself,while her uncle re

ceived it as a tribute to his favourite amusement and after ahasty meal

,the parties separated to prepare for the excur

s ion .

The horses were soon atthe door,and the party proceeded

,

attended by several servants,to the place o f meeting . Itwas

a gay and beautiful morning . They passed over a highmountainous ridge

,by a winding and rugged path, which at

30 L E G E N D S ‘

o r T H E W E S T .

some places seemed impracti cable butthehorses,accustomed

to these accl iv ities,stepped cautiously from rock to rock

,or

nimbly leaped the narrow ravines that crossed the road,whil e

the riders scarce]y suffered any inconvenience from the irregu

larities of the surface . Sometimes the path led along the

edge of a precipi ce,and they paused to l ook down upon the

broad-spread valleys that lay extended in beautiful landscapebefore them . The song of the mocking-bi rd arrested their attenti on

,as he sat among the branches of atal l tree, pouring

forth his miscellaneous and volubl e notes,imitating success

fully al l the songsters of the grove , and d isplay ing a fulness,strength

,and richness of voice, which often aston ishes even

those who are accustomed to his melody . Upon reaching thehighest el evation of the ridge

,they wound along its l evel sur

face, by a path wel l beaten and beautifully smooth,but so

seldom travelled as to be covered with a growth of shortgrass . Its widthwas suffi cient only to admit the passage ofa s ingle horseman

,and its course so wind ing that the foremost

riderwas often concealed from the view of the l ast of the

train. Dense thickets grew on either hand,and the branches

of the trees i nterlocking above the r i ders ’ heads formed athick canopy, giving to this romanti c path the appearance ofa narrow

,serpentine archway

,carved with art out of the

tangled forest. Virginia, when she reached this elevated plain ,seemed to feel as if i n fairy land, and, loosening her rein

,

bounded away with the lightness of a bird, gracefully bending as she passed under the lowboughs ; gliding round theshort angles

,and leaping her beautiful steed over the logs that

sometimes lay in the way . Fennimore galloped after,ad

miring her skill,and equally elated by the inspiring scene ;

while Major Heyward,who thought it undignifi ed to r ide out

of a walk,at any time except when fol lowing the hounds

,

followed at his l eisure, wondering at , the l evity of 1 the youngpeopl e

,which made them forget their genti l ity and ride l ike

dragoons or hired messengers.

Il A R P E’s H E A D . 31

Suddenly the path seemed to end at the brink of a tallclifi

'

,and far belowthem they beheld the majestic Potomac,

meandering through its deep valleys,and apparently forcing

its way among piles of mountains . The charms of mountainscenery were enhanced by the endless variety of the rich andgorgeous, the placid and beautiful , the grand and terrifi c, thatwere here embraced . in one view . At one place the tallnaked rock rose in perpendicular cl iffs to an immense height,terminating in bare spiral peaks ; at another

,the rounded ele

vations were covered with pin es,cedars

,and laurel

,always

ind icating a ster il e soi l and a cold expo sure . The mountains ides were clothed with verdure

,in all the intervals between

the parapets of rock and the cl ear streams of water that fel lfrom ledge to l edge, enl i vened the prospect. F ar below, therich valley spread out its broad bosom

,studded with the

noblest trees of the forest,the majesti c tul ip-tree

,the elegant

l ocust,the gum

,the sugar-maple

,the broad spreading oak

,and

the hickory . The numberl ess flowering trees were in f ullbloom

,and their odours fi lled the airwith a rich perfume . The

ri ver,with its clear blue waters

,was full of attraction

,some

times dashing round rocky points of the mountain,and some

times flowing calmly through the valley at one po int placidly repos ing in a w ide bas in

,at another

,rush ing over a rocky

l edge whitened with foam .

How beautiful exclaimed Virginia,as she reined up her

horse and gazed,with a del ighted eye

,over the wides pread

landscape .Howexquisitely beautiful re-echoed Fennimore

,as his

admiring glance rested on the form of his lovely companion .

Her deer-l ike animal,smoking with heat

,and just suffi ciently

excited by exercise to bring every muscl e i nto ful l action , toexpand his nostrils and swel l his veins— his fine neck arched,his head raised

,his del icate ear thrown forward , and his cl ear

eye sparkl ing,stood on the very edge of the cl iff. The l ight

figure of Virginiawas rendered more graceful by an elegant

32 L E G E N D S - O F T H E W E S T .

ri ding-dress; cl osely fi tted to her person , and extending belowher feet. She satwith the ease of a practised r ider. Buther

chief attraction,at this moment,was the animated expression

o i'her features . Her bonnetwas pushed back from her fi ne

forehead,her eye l ighted up with pleasure, her cheek flushed

and dimpled,her l ips unclosed ; and as she extended her whip

in the direction indicated by her glance , Fennimore real izedthe most exquisite dreams that his fancy had ever formedof female lovel iness .

She turned towards her companion , as his express ion of

admiration m ether ear, blushed deeply when she discoveredthathis impassioned glancewas d irected towards hersel f

,and

then,with a l ittl e dash of modest coquetry

,which is quite

natural in a pretty woman of eighteen,laughed

,and resumed

her descriptions. Buther tones softened,and her conversa

tion,without los ing its sprightl iness

,assumed the richness and

v i vidness of poetry,from an invol untary consciousness that

all the young and joyous feel ings of her heartwere respondedinkindred emotions from that of her compan ion ;In a fewminutes theywere joined by MajorHeyward

,and

the whol e party descended the mountain by a precip itouspath

,which led to a part of the valley bordering on the Po

tomac.Arr ived at the place of rendezvous

,a novel and enchanting

scenewas presented to the eye of our stranger .A level spot

0 11 the shore of the river had been d ivested of al l its bushesand trees , except a fewl arge poplars , which were left forshade, whose huge trunks had risen to a majestic height, whilethei r spreading branches i nterlocked

,so as to form a canopy

i z1i perv ious to the sunbeams . Having been the scene of thesefestivities for m any years , the groundwas trodden hard , andcovered with a th ick sward of short grass . O u three s idesthe forestwas seen in its nati ve wildness

,tangled and luxu

riantas it came from the hand o i'nature on the other flowedthe ri ver. At the back part of the areawas a fountain o f

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34 L E G E N D S o r T 11 13 \V E s r .

alike as a body of sold iers in regimentals remindingPope’s description of a garden , where

No pleasing intricacies intervene,

No artfulwildness to perp lex the scene,Grove nods atgrove, each alley has a brother,

And half the platform justreflects the other.”

This neighbourhood being secluded, and d istantfrom the seaboard

,fashions

,comingwith a tardy step and from different

quarters,were partially adopted, and never generally acqu i

esced in,nor carried to excess . Manufactures of every k ind

were at thattime ata lowebb, and mechan ics were notto befound in country neighbourhoods . The Southern people, too,are habitually indolent

,and while they often exhibit on the

one hand great fondness for show,as often betray on the other

the most absolute carelessness for appearances ; an apparentcontradiction

,which arises from the fact that though lav ish in

the expend iture o i'money ; they wil l not endure any personal

l abour or discomfort i n the purchase of luxury . If a splendiddress

,vehicle

,or articl e of furniture , can be read ily procured ,

it is eagerly bought,without regard to the price ; but if it

cannot be had,the nearest substitute is cheerfully adopted ;

and they are too i ndependent, either to val ue each other on

such adventiti ous possess ions , or to m ar their own happinessby repining atthe want of them . From these various causesit arose , thatwhil e one l adywas rolled to the fete in an elegant coach, with four fat horses, and plated harness, anothero f equal wealth came in a sorry vehicl e

,which m ight havebeen very superb in the days o f her grandmother

,butwas

now‘faded and craz y, drawn by a pair of blooded nags , hitched

to itwith tackl e marvellously resembling plough-gear. An

ancient spinster,whose lastwill and testamentwas a matter o f

i nterest with al l kinsfolk , and of curiosity with the rest of heracquaintance

,rode in a sorry affair

,which had once been a

”creditable chaise,butwas now transformed by repeated mend

ings into something resembl ing a hangm au’s cart ; having un

H A R P E’s H E A D . 35

dergone the same mutilations to which our ships ofwar aresubjected

,in which timber after timber is suppli ed , unti l none

of the original material is left ; the only d ifi'

erence being,that

i n the case of the carri age no care had been taken to preservethe model

,or to

“adapt the last repair to the one which hadp receded it. The horses were general ly elegant— but such aheterogeneous assortment of equipments ! How could it beotherwise ? Therewas not a saddler within fi fty miles , and agentl eman who had the misfortune to break a rein

,or carry

away a buckl e,not being abl e to procure a new arti cl e

,must

neees sarily submit the old one to a negro cobbler,or l eave it

to the ingenuity of his own groom . The most usual planwasto supp]y the rent with the nearest string . Thus it happenedthat m any of the an imals were 110n caparisoned ; elegantsaddles

,dashing saddle-cloths , martingales , and double-reined

bridles,were abundant; but when one of these spruce affairs

had chanced to be broken,a knot or a spl i ce

,with a thong of

rein-d eer skin,not unfrequently united the several parts

,whil e

a rope or strap of l eatherwas sometimes substituted for agirth. Some gentl emen rode saddles without girths

,and some

rode with bl ind-bridles ; for am ong this equestrian order anything that could be ridden with, or ridden upon

,was better

than walking,and any thing atallwas far better than stay ing

away from the barbecue !However odd all this mightseem at fi rsts ightto a stranger

,

therewas something in it thatwas remarkably pl easant— a

something which showed that the most detestable o f allpride,

that which estimates an individual by his external appearance ,was totallywanting. Therewas a cordial ity,a confid ence i n

being kindly received for one’s own sake,whichwas cheering

to the heart. The girls , too, looked charmingly and itwasmarvellous to see them coming in pairs

,two on a horse

,or

mounted behind their fathers and brothers,laughing and chat

ting,and justas happy as if they had ridden in coaches . And

then the greetings ! one would have thoughtthat a s ingle clan

36 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

had peopl ed the whole neighbourhood the stately ol d gentle.

m en as they shook hands saluted each other as cousin Jones,cous in Lee

,and cous in Thompson , with here and there an oc

casionalMr. or Sir ; but the girls were all cousins , and the

old ladies were aunts to all the world— that i s,to all thatpart

of the world which paraded at the barbecue.

Itwas a gay scene the horses hitched to the surroundingtrees

,the lad ies s itting in groups or parading about

,and the

gentlemen preparing for the divers ions of the day . Somedispersed into the woods with their fowl ing-pieces

,some d is

tributed themselves along the rocks that overhung the ri ver,

and threw out their fi shing-l ines , and others launched theircanoes in the stream and soughtthe finny tribes inthe edd iesof the rapid current. A fewof the lad ies parti cipated in theamusement of angl ing

,whether to show their ski ll in throwing

out a bait7or to prove that they possessed the vi rtue of pa

tience,is not known ; but it is certain that they broke quite

as m any rods and lines as hearts .

C H A P T E R I I I .

IMMEDIATELY Oppos ite the spotat which our partywasassembled

,the river rushed over a series of rocky ledges

,

intersected by numberl ess fis sures, affording channels to thewater, which at the same time foamed and dashed over therocks . A number of the youth were amus ing themselves i nnavigating these ripples with canoes . By keeping the channels

,

they could pass i n safety down the rapids,but it requi red the

greatest sk i ll to avoi d the rocks,and to steer the boat along

the serpentine and sometimes angu lar pass es , by which aloneit could bebrought in safety through the ripples. Sometimesa canoe, miss ing its course, shoto ff into a pool or eddy, wherethe stil l water afforded a secure harbour butif ithappened totouch a rock , i n the rapid descent

,inev itable shipwreckwas

the consequence. The competitors i n this adventurous entertainm ent soon became numerous several of the young ladies

,

who loved sport too well, or feared the water too l ittl e, to bedeterred by the danger of a wetting

,engaged in it; so that

some of the canoes were seen to contain,bes ides the steers

man,a s ingle female

,for these frail vessels were only intended

for two persons .

They fi rst pushed their canoes up the stream with poles,keeping close to the shore

,where the currentflowed with l ittle

rapid ity,unti l they reached the head of the ripple ; then

taking their paddles they shot out into the stream , guidedtheir boats into the channels

,darting down w ith the velocity

298672

38 L E GE N D S o r T H E W E S T .

of an arrow,sometimes conceal ed among the rocks, and some

times hidden by the foam ,and in a fewminutes were seen

gl iding out over the smooth water below, hav ing passed fornearly a mile through this dangerous navigation . Sometimesthey purposely forsook the channel , and showed their sk il l byturning suddenly into the eddies on either s i de

,where they

would wait until the next boat passed, and dart after it i neager chase. Dangerous as this amusement appeared, therewas in fact l ittle to be apprehended ; for the upsetting of acanoe

,which seldom occurred

,would throw the

‘

passengers

into shallow water,or lodge them against a rock

,with no

other injury than a wetting, or perhaps a sl ight bruise .Fennimore

,who had walked with Miss Pendleton to the

shore,and watched the canoes for some time

,proposed to her

to join the party .

Can you manage a canoe Z” i nqu ired she,hesitating .

Trym e,

said he,gaily.

“I would surely not ventureto take so precious a charge without some confidence in myskill . I have been a western ranger for several years

,and

em quite familiar with the u se of the paddle . ”

Virginia stepped into the canoe,and having seated herself

in the prow, while Fennimore took possess ion of the stern,

exclaimed,“A ranger ! I em surprised

,Mr. Fennimore ; why , you

donot look l ike a ranger 1”“Am I at l iberty to cons ider that doubt as a compl iment

Oh no— I do notpay compl iments . But I always thoughtthat a rangerwas a great rough man

,with a blanket round

his shoulders, a tomahawk at his belt,and a rifle in his

hand .

”

Such indeed is a partof the equipment of .the backwoods

II A nP E’s H E A D . 39

Oh,terr ible ! you will destroy some of m y huest asso

ciations . I never think of a hero without fancy ing him a tallelegant man in dashing regimentals

,with a rich sword-knot

,

and a pair of remarkably handsome epaulettes .

”

Add to your picture a powdered head, a long queue, astifl

'form

,and measured tread

,and you have the beau-ideal of

a soldier of the school of Baron Steuben .

”

“Say not a word against that school,Mr. Fennimore ; it

has produced a noble race of heroes . Whatwould have become of our country had it not been for those hue old

generals,who trained our sold iers towar in the late revolu

tion,andwhowere models of that neatness and mil itary

etiquette,which [ am afraid you undervalue. We have a dear

old gentleman here,whom you wil l see at dinner, andwho is

an excel lent specimen of by-gone times .

”

Who is he 2”

General Armour,one of our revolutionary veterans , a

most excel l ent man , butwho seems to think that the highestdegree of human excellence cons ists i n looking and actingl ike a soldier. He continues to wear his three-cornered hat

,

his bufi'waistcoat

,and his blue regim ea coat turned up

with red,and would rather part with his estate than with his

black cockad e .”“I honour such men,

said Fennimore ; butsee,here we

are at the head of the rapids .

Fennimore paddled his l ight canoe over the smooth waterabove the rapids

,advancing towards the reefs and then re

tiring,describing circleswith his l ittl e v essel , as if to try his

skil l before he ventured among the breakers . Hewas evidently quite famil iar with this exercis e ; and Virginia, as she

beheld with admiration the strength and dexterity with whichbe handl ed the paddle,

‘

feltno longer the s l ightest timid ity,but enj oyed the exciting sport.Letme now acknowledge freely, said Fennimore, as be

cast his ey e over the ripple,

that I em unwill ing to attempt

40 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

a dangerous navigation,which is newto me , with so valuable acharge .”

Virginia smiled .

“I have often pas sed these rocks,

saidshe

,and feel no fear ; butif you have the sl ightestdesire to

return,let u s do so .

”

The stranger hes itated ; his prudence restraining him,

whi le the natural ambiti on which a young man feels in thepresence of a lady urged him ou

,unti l Miss Pendleton te

lieved him by saying,Let u s runno risks

,Mr. Fennimore .

I should not rel ish a wetting ; and Iem in fault for nottell ingyou sooner

,that it would be diffi cult

,if not imposs ible

,for

you to pass through the rapids without knowing the channel . ”

At this moment a canoe darted past them,containing a

young lady and a gentl eman. Both were laughing ; and the"

young man,proud of his sk ill

,i n attempting to floar ish his

paddle round his head,as a kind of salute to Mi ss Pendleton

,

unlucki ly threwit from his hand . An exclam ation of afi'right

arose from both parties ; for the canoewas rapidly approaching the breakers

,whil e the steersman had no means of

directing its course .Shall I follow cried Fennimore.By al l means ,

” exclaimed his companion ; and in a m o

m ent hewas rapidly pursuing the drifting canoe . The latterkept its course for a l ittl ewhile

,

‘

then swinging round,floated

with the broads ide to the current,ris ing and s inking with an

unsteady motion,now strik ing one end against a rock

,and

whirl ing round , and now the other, and sometimes dartinghead -foremost through the spray . Fennimore pressed on withadmirable skill

,urging his canoe forward with all his strength

to overtake them,and guiding itwith unerring sagacity . He

had nearly reached the obj ect of his pursuit,when it struck a

rock,and upset

,throwing the lady and gentleman into the

deepest part of the channel .Keep your seat

,Mr. Fennim ore Guide the canoe

exclaimed Virginia rapidly,as with admirable presence of

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42 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

What a fine b'uck

'

l” exclaimed several

'

vo ices .

“Ah,

Co lonel Antler, you always carry the day i”

And so he should,”

said General Armour, the veterans

should set good examples to the new recruits . I congratulate

you,my old friend .

”

True enough,

repli ed the hunter, we ought to lead theyoung fellows ; but to tel l the truth, I have trained these lads

until some of them know almost as much as myself.”

A loud laugh from the hunters followed this speech .

Come,

”said General Armour, do us the favour to make

your report ; tell us how the buckwas taken , before youalight

Hard duty,that

,

”repl ied the l ead ing hunter, for I em

as dry as a powder-horn . But the story is very short. Wehad agreed to drive. I had seen large tracks about the ColdSpring

,up in the North Hol low

,lately

,for several mornings

in succession,and I k newthat a big buck haunted aboutthere .

We determined to surround him,and accordingly stationed

ourselves at different points . I placed mysel f behind a largetree on a path l eading across the hol low . A driverwas sentin to startthe game

,and presently I sawthis fine fellow steal

ing along at an easy gallop, treading as gently as a cat,and

leaping over the logs so l ightly as hardly to crush a leaf.Therewas a light breeze from the south

,and some of the

young men had gone up in that direction,expecting that he

would runwith his nose to the wind— and so he d id,unti l he

scented them , when he suddenly turned towards the placewhere I stood . I knew exactly where he would stop

,and re

mained perfectly still . O u he ‘came at an easy lop e, unti l hereached the top of a l ittl e knol l about s i xty yards from me .There be halted, wheeled round, and stood perfectly stil l , withone fore-foot raised, the ear thrown forward

,and his eye

flashing— l isten ing and snufhng the breeze. I fi red, and downhe fell . In a moment he rose and dashed off ; but I k new.Ihad saved him, dropped the buttof my rifle

,and began to load.

H aa p a’s H E A D . 43

A hunter,General

,should never quit the spot from which he

fi res,unti l he loads up again .

”

That’s right, Colonel , on mil itary principlesI know it to be right

,on hunting pr i nciples .

It is mathemati cally and morally right,”

repl i ed theveteran ; military rules are all founded on the immutablebas is of truth— but I beg pardon proceed

,sir.

”

The company all knewthe crack of my rifle,and came

galloping up, thedogs took the trai l of the blood , and awaythey all went in chase

,as hard as their horses could carry

them . I mounted , rode quietly over the hil l , and fell i n aheadof them

,j ust as the buck had turned to bay . Up came the

young gentl emen and s l ipped in between me and the game,

but without seeing me . Charles Cleavel and had raised hisgun to his face

,and my nephew“Ti ll

,the rogue

,was taking

aim,when I said

,Boys They both looked round

,and at

the sam e mom ent my bullet whistled between them andknocked over the buck .

”

Bravo 1” cri ed several voices .

Thatwas not fai r,uncle

,

” cri ed Miss Pendleton ; yououtwitted the other gentlemen by your superior knowledge ofthe woods .

”

Hey ? CousinVirginia not fair ! Why,what’s the u se

of an old hunter’s experience but to outwit the bucks— the

o-l'

d bucks of the woods,and the young bucks of the settl e

ments .

”

0“I have done,uncle

,repl i ed Virginia

,laughing .

Well,here’s one who has nothing to complain of— George

Lee ; he found a fat yearl ing doe on the pine ridge,and

broughther 0th Henry Mountfort has another,and the rest

of them have shot small game . ”

The party nowal ighted,and the servants were soon em

ployed in preparing the game for d inner.

'A long tablewas now spread under the trees,and loaded

with an abundant and not inelegantrepast. Venison,poultry

,

44 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

hams,and rounds o f beef

,cooked on the ground , sent up their

savoury vapou rs,while numberless huge baskets of cold v iands

,

cons isting of pallets,tongues, bread , cakes , and pastry, sup

pl ied that var iety and profus ion of eatables,which are sup

posed to have characteri zed the hospitality of our worthygrandmothers . The company took their s eats with great decorum and no small parade of etiquette and the preparationsfor a general onset

,l ike the break ing ground of a besieg

ing army, advanced with system and with a due attenti onto al l the l ittl e details customarily observed on such sol emnoccasions . Butas the scene became more l ively

,good things

were said and eaten with a rapidity that would have defiedthe skil l of even a modern reporter ; and amidst the Babelof voices

,a fewonly of the most prominent speakers could be

occasionally heard .“I’ll trouble you,General Armour

,for a sl ice of thatveni

son,

— take it rare,if you please

,— pardon me for interrupt

ing you“Iwas about to remark,that when General Washington

determined to cut off the supply of provis ions from Philadelphia

Bad bus iness that— cutting off provis ions,

remarked thevenison-eater.

General , a morsel of the fat, if you please .When General Washington in ”

77determinedAllow me to recommend this fi sh

,General . ”

I am very wel l helped determined to cut off

D id you say fi sh, madam ? With great pl easure . Letme add some of this butter

,and a glass o f wine . My father

,

madam ,whowas a very facetious old gentleman

He detached six hundred militia over the Schuylk ill,un

der General PotterQuite awit ; I knewhim well .He intercepted their foraging parti es

,as directed by the

commander-in-chief

H A B P E’s H E A D . 45

-Was very fond of fi sh, m adam .

Who,General Washington“2”

No,sir

,my late father. He used to say that fish should

swim three timesO u the roads l eading to Chester, Lancaster, andThree times madam ; first i n the water, then in butter,

and then in wine .General Washington remarking that— Dancingwas a popular amusement— Gave strict ordersThe fi ddlers should be kept sober.“What did you say about the tender pass ion , madam ?General Knox— Who played the fi rst fi ddleWrote the Essay onMan

— Between sunset and rol l-cal l— So the l eather afi

'airs were sent to General Lee

— A very patheti c story— Told in Hume’s England .

-F or m y father, you know, m a’am ,was a witty man .

Buzz ! buzz ! buzz ! all became a confused clatter,which

continued unti l the clothwas removed and the l ad ies retired .

A separation of the three estates nowtook place — the eldergentl emen remained at the table

,the matronly portion of the

females betook themselves to the surround ing seats,and the

youthful part of the assembly arranged themselves in setsfor dancing. Mr. Fennimore had already discov ered thatMiss Pendletonwas emphatical ly the Belle and her titl e tothis d istinction became more evidentwhen the younger partof the company

,rel ieved from the presence of thei r seniors

,were <

enabled to act out their own characters more freely .

The young ladies evidently y ielded to her the precedence, andthe gentl emen were emulous i n paying her attention .

'As the

acknowl edged heiress of Major Heyward,her expectati ons, i n

point of fortune,were of the brightest character, and inbeauty

79

46 L E G E N D S o r T E R W E S T .

she had no superior ; while her vigorous'

understanding, the

decis ion of her mind,and the playfulness of her conversation

,

threw anair’

of freshness and original ity around her, as rare asitwas captivating . Among her constant admire‘rs, the mostdevotedwas George Lee, a young gentl eman , whose fine personwas only equalled by the utter imbecil ity of his mind.

Hewas tall,stout

,well built

,and easy in his deportment.

His features,taken singly

,were manly and handsome ; but

his face,as awho le

,‘had notthe sl ightest express ion of any

thing butgood-nature . Amiable, k ind , generous to prodigality, and s imple as a child

,there never l ived a more artl ess

,a

better tem pered,or a weaker man . His fine appearance and

gentl emanly deportment never failed to earn h im respect on

a fi rst acquaintance,and the goodness of his heart rendered

him a general favourite among thosewho had known him long.

Wi ll you dance with me, cousi n Virginia 2” said he,as

soon as he could plant himself ather s ide.“I have almost promi sed not“to dance to-day .

Butwith m e I knowyou will dancewith m e. I havebeen trying all day to getto , speak to you .

”“I em glad you were so much better employed .

N0 , thatwas not the reason butyou are always so sur

rounded . You knowthat I would rather talk to you than doany thing else in the world.

”

Do not talk so,cousi n George .

Why not? You know I think so. I em not ashamed ofit. You know that I have always told you so . But you do

not know the half that I feel“I will dance with you,Mr. Lee

,

”said M iss Pendleton

,

will ing to interrupthis s illy courtship .

Thank you , butdon’t cal l me Mr. Lee— you know I ean’tbear that ; and away they tripped .

The company separated at an early hour ; andMr. Pennimorewas not displeased athaving shared the festiviti es of thisagreeable day, or at being destined to pass another nightunder the hospitable roof of Major Heyward;

H A R P E’s H E A D . 47

C H A P T E R IV .

SMr. George Lee will come occas ional ly under the noti ceof the reader

,during the progress of this history

,we think

it ad v isable to devote a fewpages to some special details relating to his parentage and character. This i nteresting younggentleman

,the descendant of an ancient family ,was the only

son of a respectable planterwho l ived and died upon his ownestate

,adjoining that of Maj or Heyward

,to

‘

whom hewasdistantly related . The elderMr. Leewas only distingu ishedamong his neighbours as an industriousman

,who superintended

his labourers faithfully during the day and smoked his pipecontentedly at night. He pursued this l ife so evenly for manyyears

, that the only vicissitudes which marked his days werethose produced by the revolutions of the seasons or the

changes ‘

of the atmosphere— except,indeed

,that hewas occa

sionally induced to join a hunting expedition in the mountains,or al lured to the lowlands to participate in a feast of oysters .

Having been reared on the borders of the Blue Ridge, he hadbeen early instructed in the use of the gun and long beforehe reached the age of manhood

,could track the tim orou s deer

through all the Iabyr inths of the forest. He had even ventared upon more dangerous enterprises

,and onmore than one

occas ion had joined the_g_l_lant volunteers OW E ?

oi’_

th—

eéayagettz im he

m am e ung up his rifle and laid as ide his moccas ins,but

still cherished them as old acquaintances , and could be pre

48 L E G E N D S on T H E W E S T .

P

vailed upon at any‘

time, by slight errt‘reaty, to resume them

both . He had many acquaintances among the lowland gen

try, who loved his society because he had,agood appetite anda hard head

,was fond of oysters and apple-toddy, and 'was an

excel lent l istener ; and,whatwas perhaps not the least of hisgood qualities, he seldom made them a v is itwithout carry ingwith him a fatmountain-deer, as a present. Hewas

,there

fore,anoccasional , and always a welcome visitor, at those ,

glorious fi sh—feasts atwhich the gentlemen of Virginia display

such consummate skil l,in catching, cooking, and consum ingt

the inhabitants of the deep . He'

wes so wel l pleased uponsuch occas ions, that he might have become a punctual partici

pant in these festivities, had itnot been for the frequengadmonitions of Mrs. Lee, who observed that her husband ,though rigidly temperate at home, never returned from suchmerry-m eetings without exhibiting a certain unnatural exhilaration of spirits

,not exactly conforming with this good lady ’s

notions of propriety . She therefore more than once hintedthatoysters and toddy did not agree w ith Mr . Lee and that

,gentleman

,who had impl icit faith in the penetration of his

helpmate, as readily promised to eat fewer oysters and moretrout and to substitute brandy-and-water for toddy . Butas

this arrangement neither produced the des ired effect,nor sat

isfi ed the lady,he at last compounded matters

,l ike a good

husband, by agreeing to go to the l owlands buttwice a y ear;Under this convention

,whichwas kept inv i olate

,matters went

on l ike clock work the plough and the loom were pl iedincessantly ; the helds grew wider, and the tobacco cr0psmore abundant; the negroes were fat and wel l clad ; andMr.

Lee, as he ripened in years , increased in substance . The ladywhowas the moving cause of this prosperity may be sketchedoff in a fewwords. Like her husband

,she came of an aristo

cratic stock ; but, unl ike him ,shewas shrewd

,sens ible

,acti ve

,

and gifted with an uncommon knack formanaging every thingand every body around her. She managed the plantation,

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50 L E G E N D S o r T H E W s s r .

days she ventu red to ask her husband what engag ed his

thoughts so busi ly . Mr. Lee , l ike a -boy who is about to

ask a boon which he expects wil l not be granted, had not

courage to face the question when thus suddenly presented ;and hasti ly replying that he hardly knew what hewas think .

ing about, put on his hat and salli ed forth to his accustomed

promenade . After marching about for several hours withunusual agility, he returned with the air of a manwho hasmade up his mind , and s itting down by his good lady, said,“I’ll tel l you,Mrs . Lee,what I have been considering about.I think thatKing George is neither an honestm annor a gens

tlcm an and if he sends any more of his soldiers to murder

their fellow-subjects in these colon ies , I’ll be the fi rstm an to

shoulder a musket against them .

” To his surprise,his excel

lent better half not only applauded this spi rited resolution,but complimented his patriotism in the most flattering terms .

As we design to write the history of the father only as iatroductory to that of the son

,we shall not ask the reader to

accompany the former through all his campaigns . Suffi ce it

to say, that hewas a brave though not an active offi cer, andthat after serving his country faithfull y during the wholewar,and attaining the rank of captain, he retired , when the struggl ewas over, to his beloved retreat among the Blue Mountains .

Besides some honourable scars,he broughtback with him sev

eral newpropens ities . He rose at daybreak,and

,having

swallowed a mint-julep,sall ied f orth bare-headed

,in his

sl ippers , andwithouthis coat; and hav ing cooled himself inthe Open air

,repaired to his station in the chimney-cor ner.

This, which he called turning outat reveille,

” he practisedat all seasons. He had

,moreover

,l earned several mil itary

and pol itical maxims, which , as a soldier and a revolutionarypatriot, he feltbound to l ive up to . One of thesewas

,that a

captain should command his own company,a propos ition

which he fai led not to repeat to Mrs .Lee

,whenever he sus

pected her of intruding upon his authority ; and another

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . I

referred to the indefeas ible right of p ursu ing happ iness, asl aid down in the Declaration of Independence

,which guaran

teed to him,as be supposed

,the priv i lege of entertaining as

m uch company as be pl eased,and of eating as many oysters

and dr ink ing as much brandy as he found pleasantand palatable . His pipe became his inseparable companion , andthe management o f all his afi

'airs devolved on his wife . He

was a d il igent reader o f the newspapers,and pored inces

santly over the numerous pol iti cal tracts which iss ued from the

presses of thatday . He became a great talker, and describedthe various scenes of thewar i n which he had been engagedwith a minuteness which nothing but their intense interestcould have rendered tolerable. O f his own personal advenatures he spoke sparingly and with greatmodesty , though hismerits had been great. Once or twice only he i nformed aconfidential fri end

,that he des erved to have been mad e a

general for his exploits,and would undoubtedly have attained

that rank,had itnot been for his want of talents and educa~

tion ; but he ventured such remarks with great caution,and

neve r unti l after dinne r.Itwill be read ily imagined thatMr . George Lee, jun ior,was an apt pupi l in the school of so meritorious a parent.The heir o f a large estate

,he early l earned that he l ived only

to enjoy it,and to spend it l ike a gentl eman . The descendant

of a revolutionary hero,he felt it incumbent on him to

support the d ignity of his family . Accustomed to see his

father’s tabl e loaded with a profus ion of the bounties of nature

,and surrounded by crowds of welcome guests , hospital ity

became,i n hi s eyes

,the chief of the cardinal v irtues . His

father,doating upon the beautiful boy

,whowas said to be the

exact image of himsel f,carried himwith him ,

not only in hisdai ly walks and rides around his own plantation, but to thenumerous parties and carousals uponwhich hewas now a regular attendant. Befo re hewas twel ve years old , this preciousyouth co uld fo llow the hounds at flail speed throug h the

52 L E G E N D S o r T H E W s s'r .

woods,with the dexterity of a practised fox-hunter ; at four

teen, hewas a member of a fi shing-cl ub and an excellentjudge of cookery and Madeira ; and at s ixteen, when hisworthy progen itorwas gathered to his fathers , the aecomplished heir teok his place m society, qualifi ed in al l respects

to fi ll the void occasioned by thismelancholy event.To be brief— George Leewas a good fel low, a thorough

sportsman, and a most hospitabl e man . His purse, hishorses

,and his wine

,were always at the service of his fr iends .

Too good-humoured to make an enemy, too generous to envyothers

,and too feeble of intellect to lay any plan beyond the

enjoyment of the present moment, he had no des ires whichextended farther than the nextmeal , nor any anxieties whicha bumper oi

'Madeira could not dispel . His mother had longs ince abandoned the hopeless task of training his mind to anyseri ous pursuit or any sol id excellence

,because itwas im pos

s ible to cultivate thatwhich di d not ex ist. But he had afi'ec

tions which were easi ly moulded,and through these she

obtained all that in such a casewas practi cable : the entiremanagement of his estate

,and the accompl ishment of any

tem porary purpose onwhich she had sether heart.Itwas in consequence of a plan early m atu 1 ed by this

pol itic ladv that George Lee attached himself to VirginiaPendleton . The latterwas an orphan

,the niece

,not of Major

Heyward , but of his wife . Shewas adopted by them in herinfancy , and, as they had no children

'

of their'

own,became the

idol of their hearts and the acknowledged hei ress of MajorHeyward’s fortune . When Mrs . Heyward died

,Virginia

Was qu ite young, and Mrs . Lee supplied,to some extent

,the

place of a mother to the orphan girl,by giv ing her adv ice

from time to time , and directing her inqui sitive mind toproper studies and correct sources of information ; and oftend id she wi sh thatshe had found in her sona pupil of equal docility and intell igence . It therefore very natural ly occurredto her

, that if Georgewas deficient in intellect, itwas the

H A R P E’s H E A D . 53

m ore necessary that he should have a highly-gifted wife,who

could manage his affairs,and by her talents and personal

charms acqui re a decided influence over himself. For thisoflice Vi rginiawas eminent]y qualifi ed, and to this importantstationMrs . Lee had the kindness to devote her

,even in her

chi ldhood , They were thrown together continually ; the ai'

fectionate appellation of cou sinwas used between them ,and

their intercourse was that of brother and sister. Vi rginia,grateful for the kindness of Mrs . Lee, the full value of whosefriendship she had the d iscernment to see and the sens ibil ityto feel

,became s incerely attached tO

'George— but with an

aff ection precisely s imilar to thatwhich she felt for his motherand Major Heyward . They stood to her in the place of rel

ati ves . And such also were the feel ings of George Lee,

unti l hewas nearly grown to manhood , when the judicioushints of his mother

,pointing out the eminent attractions of

Virgini a,the suitableness of their ages

,tastes

,and tempers

,

and the contiguity of thei r estates,Opened his eyes to a new

idea,which

,once indulged

,remained for e ver implanted i n

his heart. Not that be for a moment entered i nto the spi ritof his mother’s calculating pol icy ; bewas too careless of

wealth,too improv ident, and too generous to’ form a sordid

wish ; but when the poss ibi l ity o f a marriage with Virginiawas suggested to his fancy , her ownmatchless charms warmedi nhis heart a love as ferventas itwas dis interested .

Virginia d iscovered this pass ion , in the altered manner of

her young fri end, with unaffected regret,and with a deter

m ination to d iscourage it by every means in her power. Shecontinued to treat him with the same k indness and confi dencewhich had always characterized their i ntercou rse ; while sheendeavoured to withdraw herself from his society as much aspracticable

,withoutexciting observation . WV ithMrs . Lee

shewas more expli cit ; and when that lady , at first to feelher way

,and afterwards to advance a projectwhich seemed

feas ible,threw out repeated hints which at length became so

54 L E G E N D S 0 1? T HE WE S T .

broad as notto be misunderstood, she repl ied to them with a

frankness, an earnestness , and a spi rit which convinced the

female pol iti cian that she understood, deplored, and disrel ishedthe whole plan .

But Mr . Leewas not so eas ily repulsed . Hewas notsuffi ciently keen-sighted to d iscmver the bearing of a gentl ehint

,nor were his sensibil ities del icate enough to be wounded

by a sl ight repulse . He remained true to his fi rst l ove, following the idol of his afi

'ections into every company

,bes i eging

her at home, and urging his suit with press ing importunitywhenever a favourable opportunity— o r an unfavourable one

,

for hewas not very particular-fi -occu rred. More than oncewas his su1tk indly and respectfully

,but dec idedly

,rej ected.

Attera repulse,George betook himself to his h0 1'ses

,

'his dogs,

his gan, ,aud his wine, with unwonted ass iduity . No one d is

covered any evidence of despair i n his voice or l ook ; hislaughwas as loud as ever and his song as joyous ; but thenumber of foxes that he took

,and the bottles that he cracked

after each refusal,was marvellous . A fewweeks

,or at most

a fewmonths,brought him back to Virgini a’s feet. Such

was the state of afi'airs at the period which we have chosen

for the comm encement of this history .

H aa r a’s H E A D . 55

C H A P T E R V .

ITwas sunsetwhen Major Heyward and his party reachedhome . Never had Fennimore passed so delightful a day.

The hospital ity and pol iteness of his entertainmenthad taughthim to forget that hewas a stranger. Their free and joyoushilarity had excited his feel ings and given a fresh impulse tohis heart. His conversational powers were naturally fine

,and

were rendemd pecul iarly agreeable by a s impl icity and frankness peculiar to himself. But

,under the influence of a high

flowof spirits,his manner acqu ired a more than ordinary

vivacity,his language became copious and bri ll iant, an d the

r ich stores of his mind began to exhibit their exuberance .Two hours pas sed rapidly away ; the parties, pleased witheach other

,conversed with that freedom which is the resultof

perfect confidence,andwith a degree ofwit and animation

which showed how highly they all enjoyed the intel lectual repast. Itwas one of those happy moments which seldom cc

cur,when persons

,pleased with each otherand surrounded

by propitious circumstances, are happy without effort andagreeable without design .

Major Heywardwas in the habit oi'retiring early to bed ,and when his servant appeared to attend him to his chamber

,

Mr. Fennimore des ired an audience of a fewminutes , with somuch earnestness

,that he was invited to accompany the

worthy old man to his s leeping apartment. Here they re

m ained some time engaged inbusi ness,and then all the parties

separated for the night.

56 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

Mr.Fennimore

,finding that itwas stil l early, sat down to

write a letter to his friend Charl es Wallace, a young attorneyin Philadelphia

,in which the events of the day were al luded to

and certain characters described in language which the reader

m ay well supposewas quite as sentimental as the occas ion required .

We shall not copy this epistl e, butw ill content ou rselves with treating the reader to one or two of the concludingparagraphs .

So much for Virginia Pendleton , the bell e of the

Blue Mountains,the fairest and the b rightest v is ion that has

ever warmed my fancy ! How faint unti l now were al l m yconceptions of female lovel iness ! How l ittl e d id I dream of

that concentration of attracti ons , that intens ity of excel lence,

that combination of charms,which I have nowwitnessed !

How many excel lent qualiti es have I this day seen combinedin the character of this extraordinary female — exquis itebeauty

,superior intell igence

,elegantwit

,and the utmost

sweetness oi'disposition ! O f the other attributes of her

mind and heart I am ignorant ; but with respect to those thatI have enumerated

,I cannot be mistaken.

”

If the reader wil l pardonus for the interruption,we suggest

that the l ast averment savours of what the lawyers cal l surplusage. It is certainly an unnecessary averment

,for how

cou ld a young gentleman be mistaken in such plain matters ?We admire the argument of a love-l etter

,or of any letter

treating of the mysteri es of this all-pervading pass ion . Letusproceed

You will no doubt, now, take it into your wise headthat I am in love , or at l east that I am rapidly imbibing the

del ightful , the dangerous poison . Letme assure you seriouslythat nothing is further from my intentions .

I have alreadywooed a mistress , under whose banner I am enl isted Pl ightedto the serv ice of my country

,with the path of fame bright

before me, I may not l inger in the bowers of pleasure . EvenMiss Pendleton has no charms when weighed in the balance

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58 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

taste General Armour had a new story for the occasion ; thePeytons had new bonnets ; and we had a new beau . Thelatter made quite a sensation among the girls, and l have nodoubt I shal l have a dozen morning vis itors to-morrow, forhe is staying wi th as . Can you guess who it is ? If you can

not,you must remain in the dark , for I can give you l ittle

ass istance. He is a young offi cer, j ust dropped into our

neighbourhood from the moon, or from the frontier,or from

some other parts unknown . He is at our house , so that Ihave the honour of entertaining him . He is notat al l hand.

some,though I think him cl ever.“I shal l not be able, dear Carol ine, to spend to morrow

evening with you,as 1 propo sed , for my uncl e cannot aecom

pany me,and you know I am unwi ll ing to l eave him alone .

Mr. Fennimore,our guest

,wi ll remain

,I suppose

,some days

with us,and although his vis it is entirely to my uncle

,and on

business,I must

,as in duty bound

,make my appearance as

lady of the mans ion,and do the honours to the best of my

poor abil ity . Mr. Fennimore has travell ed a good deal,

and is quite intel ligent ; I think you would be pleased withhim .

Do come and dine with m e to-morrow—

you and Mr.

M If you are sti ll determined on tak ing that dreadfuljourney over the mountains

,it may be useful to you to see

Mr. Fennimore,who is just from that country, and can tel lyou all about it. He is remarkably agreeable in conversati on ; I em very sure you wil l l ike him .

Having sealed this note,Virginia retired to repose

,and

was soonwrapped in that calm forgetfulness which attendsthe sl umbers of the young and innocent.

About m idnightshewas awakened by the terrific cry of fi re !

” Springingto the floo r

,she hastily threw a cloak around her

,and rushed

to the chamber-door, but as she opened it,a thick volume of

smoke burst ia, and she beheldwith ati'right a sheet of flam e

enveloping the whole staircase ; retreat in that directionwas

H A R P E’s H E A D . 59

im poss ibl e . She had the presence of mind to close the door,

and recol l ecting that the roof'

of a p iazza extended under herwindow

,she determined to make her escape that way . But

here an objectm ether v iew,more terribl e than the devouring

element : the shoulders and head of a man of most hideousappearance occupied thewindow to which shewas approaching. The facewas largewr than common ,_an_d to her excited

m “_ u

imagination,seemed of superhuman dim ens ions. The com

pl exionwas_sangu ine, and its redness heig wtenetl by the glarem

)

: the features_were harsh and a heard ofseveral weeks’

_

growth covered the lower part oi; the face;while the uncovered head d isplayed an immense mass of tangled, coarse red hair. The malignanteye thatscowled upon herwas ful l of savage ferocity

,and a demoniac laugh which dis

tended the mouth of this human monster,conveyed to the

afirighted girl a sensation of horror,such as she had never

before‘

experienced : A s ingl e glance told her that the ap.

paritionwas not imaginary , that the formwas that of astranger

,and that the purpos e of his vis itwas s inister. But

Virginia Was of an heroic m ould— she neither screamed norfainted

,but sum moning all her reso l ution

,turned towards a

window in the oppos ite direction,andwas retreating

,when

Fennimore entered the chamber,having clambered up the

blazing staircase atthe risk of his l ife .F ly, fly Miss Pendleton he exclaimed

,as he caught

her hands,and drewher towards the samewindowatwhich

she had seen the object of her terror.

Oh,not there ! not there 1” she cried ; stop

,for mercy’s

sake,we shall all be murdered i”

F ennimore,attributing her incoherent express ions to an

excess of terror caused by the fire,delayed not; butcatching

her up inhis arms , proceeded towards the window.

Virginia uttered a piercing shri ek,and struggled to release

Pardon me,

said Fennimore ;“excuse my rudeness ,”

60 L E G E N D S o r T H Efl hV E S T .

and passed through itwith his

he stood 0 11 the roof of the

piazza.“See there ! ” screamed Virginia, as her eye caught a

gl impse of the figure of a man steal ing behind a d istant

chimney .Oh fly,Mr.

Fennimore hasten from this dread

indicated, and sawa man leaning against the chimney . He

looked again and the figure had disappeared .

The servants, who were fi lled with consternation, and

crowded

round the blazing pile , running to and fro without

order or definite purpose , now beheld'

them l and hastened to

their assistance . One of the stoute’

st'

negroesmounting on a

table under the eaves of the lowroofwas enabled to receivehis young mistress in his arms , whi le Fennimore leapednimbly to the ground .

No soonerwas Virginia in safety than she looked round

for her uncle , and not perceiving him in the crowd that

pressed round to congratulate her on her escape , eagerly in

quired for him . The negroes , habitually indolent, timid, and

thoughtl ess, stood gazing in terror on the confla’

gration with

out thinking on the possibil ity of extinguishing the flam es or

of rescuing either l ife or property : But they loved their

master,and when his namewas mentioned made a general

movement towards his apartment. In a momentthe voice of

Fennimorewas heard l ike that of one accustomed to com

mand,leading and directing them . The passive blacks, used

to implicitobedience,followed him with alacrity

‘

but itwasall in vain . The hrs seemed to have originated in Major

Heyward’s chamber,and the flam es were bursting from every

window . Fennimore burst open a door and rushed in, but

was speedily driven out by a volume of smoke and flame .“Follow me ! ” he exclaimed impati ently to the blacks ;rush m and save your master ! ” and again he entered the

H A R P E’s H E A D . 61

apartmentwith some of the most intrepid of the negroes .

Their efforts were herculean . Several times they had nearlyreached the bed

,and as oftenwere driven back by the flam es

and the negroes atlast returned, dragging outMr. Fennimore ,whowas struck down by a fall ing rafter. Exposure to the

cool air rev ived him instantly,and he returned with desperate

courage to the room,exclaiming

,Followme i i n there ia

,

m y brave boys 1”

Itwas a forl orn hope,but the effortwas

giganti c . The negroes,attached to their master and excited

by the heroic bearing of their young leader,nowworked as

if in’

their’

native element. The s ide of the house,whichwas

of frame,was torn away

,and in a fewminutes the l ifeless

body of,Major Heywardwas dragged outof the ru ins .

By this time the whole pilewas i n flames . Therewas nolonger any occasion for exertions

,except in removing

.

the

furn iture from some of the apartments . The neighbours,who

began to arrive, and the domestics, stood round in s i lence .Virginia hung in mute agony over the body of Major Heyward

,who had been to her more than a father. Norwas

she alone in her sorrow. Though none of those around herwere possess ed of sens ibil ities as keen as her own

,or had the

same personal cause for grief, yet the respect and affectionentertained by all for the worthy old m an

,and the awful

m anner of his death,caused universal sorrow . At l ength the

dames began to s ink ; Virgin iawas torn almost by fo rcefrom the

'

spot, and carr ied to the house of her friend Mrs .

Mountford ; the neighbours d ispersed ; darkness and s i l encesettl ed over the spot

,and a heap of smoking ruins occupied

the place_whichwas so lately the seat of hospital ity and

cheerfulness .

6° LE G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R V I .

THE whole neighbourhood assembled at the funeral ofMajor Heyward

,and itwas a melancholy sight to behold

the same individuals,who but two days before had mingled

together on a festive occas ion , now collected to pay the l astsad duties to one of the most conspi cuous of the number.

The feel ings excited by this reflectionwere rendered the morevivid by the awful nature of the catastrophe which hadoccurred ; and as the sad process ionmoved s i l ently away tothe family burial-place

,an un interrupted s i l ence pervaded

the company . The deceased had been universally loved andrespected. His age

,his wealth

,and his standing in society

,

had given him an influence over those around h im,which had

been honestly and kindly exercised,and although he held no

offi cial stati on, itwas felt thathis deceasewas a publ i c loss .

Another must inherit his wealth and sway its influence ; butwould his conci l iatory spirit descend to his heir, and hisvirtues be practised by the inheritor of his estate ? Suchwere the mingled sensations of those who followed the

remains of this most excellent m an to their last earthly receptacle.

But that intensity of feel ing which,on the occurrence of

an unexpected and strikingly melancholy event,absorbs for

awhile al l other subjects,and employs every faculty of the

mind , is of brief continuance . The practice observed at

m il itary funerals, of marching to the grave with solemn

H a a p n’s H E A D . 63

m usic,and returning from itwith cheerful

,inspiring notes

,is

natural,and beautifully express ive of human character ; for

it is thus that the heart of man throws off the burthen ofsorrow

,and though b'owed lowfor the moment

,regains its

cheerfulness,as the flower

,weighed down by the morning

dew,erects itself as the sun exhales the incumbentmoisture .

As the mourners retired from the grave,the s i l ence which had

prevailed among them began to be broken,and curios ity

,

which had heretofore been suppressed by grief and astonishment

,became aud ible . A thousand surm is es and reports

,

touching the fatal accident,were repeated and canvassed .

Every one had his own vers ion of the catastrophe,and its

attendant circumstances .

Have you heard the parti culars i nquired an old lady,

i n a tremulous tone,and convey ing the remainder of the

inquiry by a mysterious shake of the head .

The person addressed appl ied her handkerchief to her

eyes,and only ejaculated the words

,

“Too shocking 1”“One hardly knows what to bel ieve,there are so many

stori es,

”said an old maid .“I em to ld

,

”sai d a gentl eman

,that our lamented fri end

has lately been in the habit of read ing in bed,and it is sup

posed,that, having received some letters

,which he had not

had time to examine sooner,he had caused a light to be

placed by his bed-s ideAll a m istake

,

” cri ed Colonel Antl er,no man of sense

ever went to bed to read letters ; my worthy friend rose at

daybreak,and retired early to his pi llow for repose .

Hewas a man of plethori c habit,” said a consumptivegentleman

,who now intruded his ghostly form between the

last two speakers,

“very plethoric— and you know, gentl emen

,that such persons hold their l ives by a very uncertain

tenure . Your full-fed , lusty, corpulent men are short l ivedat best

,and subject to very sudden attacks . There is very

l ittl e doubt that thiswas a case of apoplexy, and that, in his

64 L E G E N D S o r T H E,

W E S T .

struggles,a cand l e that happened to be within reach ,was ‘

thrown overThat is _all surmise, said another speaker.

Mere surmise,

”rejoined yet another ; the truth seem s

to be,that when Major Heyward was last seen by his

servants,hewas s itting at a table covered with papers, i n his

arm -chai r,with his spectacles on

I am sure that you mustbe mis informed , cried a lady,forMrs .

Lee,who is very intimate with the family, assured

me that he had gone to bed fully two hours before the alarmtook place .I spoke to the Major’s body-servant, this morning, said

Colonel Antl er.

Oh ! did you 2”

Then you know all about ih l”

Major Heyward and Mr. Fennimore , the young gentl eman whowas on a vis it there, had some private bus iness, andretired to the Major’s chamber after teaThere 1” cried a lady , that is just what I

'

heard . The

bus inesswas of a very mysterious . character,was it not,Colonel

I cannot say as to that.

”

But did you not hear that both the gentlemen becam every much irritated

,and got to such high words thatVirginia

Pendleton,becom ing very much alarmed

,rushed into the

room just as MajorHeyward ordered the young man to l eavehis house instantly Z”

No, madam ,I did not hear that and I am very certain

that Major Heyward never ordered a stranger to l eave hishouse in the night. ”

But, my dear sir

,if he suspected the stranger of a design

to rob and murder him 2”

That, indeed , would alter the case .Well , I assure you , sir, I had it from a ladywho heard it

from a particular friend of the Walnut-Hill family,and that

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66 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

I beli eve you are right there ; there has always been a

strong attachment between them .

”

“Say rather a powerful attraction between Walnut Hilland Locust Grove. The estates are large, and we all knowwhat an excellentmanagerMrs. Lee is .

”

D id you not hear it surmised thatMajor Heyward haslatterly entertained different views for Virginia, and thatMr.

Fennimore is the son of a wealthy merchant in Phi ladelphia,and came by express i nv itation to see Miss Pendleton2”

La no i”

Yes, indeed , it is more than suspected .

Well,who would have thought it2”

Then itwas to marry Miss Pendleton , and notto murderand rob the family, that this young gentl eman came 2

”said

Colonel Antler.

O h— I had forgotten that. I em sure that thi s F ennimore is nothing more nor l ess than an incendiary— for I amtold thatVirginia

,whowas in a high fever

,and del irious all

the next day, continually exclaimed, ‘ Take away that dreadful man protectme from that horri dwr etch ! He has m ur

dered my uncle— he would destroy us all and s imilar expressions .

”

Very strange, that! she certainly must knowsomething .“

.The evidence of a‘ young lady i n a state of del irium is

quite conclus ive,”remarked Colonel Antl er

,dri ly .

It is certainly a curious fact,

”said one of the gentlemen

,

that thisMr. Fennimore has entirely disappeared s ince thehrs

, and that no one can give any account of him .

Colonel Antler seemed puzzled,while the rest of the com

pany united in cons idering this circumstance as one of a mostsuspicious character .

The young man is a stranger to me,

said the Ccolonel ;he may be a terribl e fel low

,for any thing I know— but at

the same time , I don’

t bel ieve a word of it. He looks l ike a

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 67

gentleman,and no one ever heard of a gentlemancom m itting

arson“Then you do not bel ieve that he fi red the house pur

poselylg”

Bel ieve it ! no : why should I bel ieve it2 what objectcould the young m an have 2”

His purposewas undoubtedly to run ofi‘

with Virginia .Incendiaries often set fire to houses in order to plunder themduring the confus ion . They say thatas soon as the alarmwasgiven be rushed into Virginia’s apartment

,caughther i n his

arms,and although she screamed dreadful ly

,attempted to

carry her off. ”

And what prevented him 2”

They say he forced her through awindow, .and succeededin reaching the r oof of the piazza

,where one of his confeder

ateswas waiting to as s ist him in his villainous design,when

the screams of Virginia drew the negroes to her rel ief. andthey rescued her.”

Poor Virginia screaming bloody murder all the while,

continued the consumptive gentl eman .

Poor Virginia echoed all the l adies .“I am told,Co lonel Antl er

,thatno will can be found .

All exertions to d iscover any trace of a will,have

,unhap

pily,been fruitl ess . Every gentlemanWho has been on such

terms of intimacy with Major Heyward,as to render it l ikely

that a document o f that k ind might have been depos ited withhim

,has been appl ied to in vain . .Mr. R. ,

who has been hislegal adviser formany years

,declares thata wil lwas executed

long s ince,which he is sure remained in the possess ion of our

lamented friend,but declines giv ing any informati on as to the

contents .

”

Then Miss Pendleton wil l notbe a greatfortune,after all .

Oh dear,what a pity

Such a bell e as she was !” exclaimed one of the old

maids ; I wonder if she wil l be as much admired now.”

68 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

Poor cousin Virginia 1”

Dear Virginia ! how I feel for her ! But you know,

Colonel,she had no right to expect any thing else . She is

not related to the Heywards, and there are a number of heirsat-l aw .

”

“She had a right,madam l” repl ied Colonel Antl er

,

warmly ; if not related to Major Heyward , she is niece tothe lateMrs . Heyward, and their adopted daughter. MajorHeyward ’s intention of leavmg his whol e fortune to her hasbeen declared so frequently , and is so wel l understood

,that:

no man of honou r will dispute her claim .

”

There will be claimants,I suppose

,nevertheless .

Thenthey ought all to beSpeak lower

,Colonel : there are some of them within

hearing .

”

“I care not who hears me . The girlwas raised underHeyward ’s' roof

,and is entitled to the estate and no true son

of the Old Dominion would take it from her .

”

The conversationwas here interrupted by the approach ofMrs . Lee’s carriage, containing that l ady and the unhappyVirginia. As the beautiful mourner passed slowly along

,a

common feel ing of . sympathy for the sudden and melancholystroke of fortune, which had in a s ingle moment bl ighted herbrill iant prospects and reduced her to sorrowand dependence, pervaded the whole party ; and dropping off

,one by

one,they repaired silently to their respective dwell ings .

H A R P E ’ S H E A D 9

C H A P T E R V I I .

N the following morning,at an early hour

,Mrs . Lee

vis ited the distressed Virginia,whowas now more com

posed and the worthy lady successful ]y exerted her talentsin endeavouring to calm the mind and fortify the courage ofher young friend . Although artful and pol itic

,shewas really

a benevolent woman,in all cases where the i nterests of others

did not interfere with her own and being s incerely attachedto Vi rginia

,she now devoted hers elf ass iduously to the task

of admini stering comfortto themourner. Her common sense,

her practical bus iness habits , and that del icate perception ofpropriety

.

in matters of feel ing,which all women possess in a

greater or less degree, enabled her to,do thi s with .much

effect ; and, after lead ing Miss Pendleton into the gaiden,

where they could converse'without interruption

,she began to

speak in a k ind and rational manner of that young lady ’sprospects

,and

,carefully avoid ing those topics which would be

merely calculated to awaken sens ibil ity,soon engaged her i n

earnest consultation .

‘ Virgini a acknowl edged that MajorHeyward had more than once assured her

,that

,on his death

,

she would inherit his estate,but he had never mentioned his

will in her presence, nor'

d id she know whether he had everexecuted such an instrument.“O u that subject

,

”said Mrs . Lee

,my own informati on

is m ore accurate . Knowing the determ ination of my excellent fr iend to make you the sole heiress of his property, l

70 L E G E N D S o r T H E W ES T .

repeatedly hinted to him the necess ity of making a will , and

the propriety of performing this duty without delay , and in

the most careful manner. He afterwards informed me that

itwas duly executed . I have no doubt, my dear Virginia,that m y evidence, with that of the gentleman whowrote thewill

,and of the witnesses to its execution, will restore you to

your rights.

”

Do not speak of that,”repl ied Virginia fi rm ly ; owing

every thing,as I do, to the benevolence of my uncle, I should

be most ungrateful to appear i n a court of justice, engagedin a contestwith his l egal hei rs .

”

My dear Virginia,how often have I reminded you

,that

feel ing is a deceitful guide in the serious concerns of l ife !You are no longer a young girl , protected by a fond guardian,and sporting inthe beams of affluence, without any other carethan that of imparting to others a share of the happinesswhich you enjoyed y ourself. You are nowa woman

,your

ownmistress,hav ing duties to perform and rights to assert ;

and you cannot,my dear

,testify your respectfo r thememory

of Major Heyward more su itably than by ins isting uponthe exact execution of his own views in relation to his

estate . Bes ides, are you awarewho your opponents woul dbe2

”

Indeed, I do not know exactly— m y uncle had no verynear relations .“He had not

,but a great manywho are very d istant;

and the embers will hardly be cold onhis ruined hearthstone,

before a number of claimants'

wil l be fi ercely engaged inl itigation for this noble estate.

”

Virginia melted to tears . Contending emotions of prideand affection for the dead swelled her heart. A number ofafi'ecting associations arose in her memory, and the thought

that the spot which had so long been the abode of peace,happiness, and hospital ity,was about to become the scene ofbitter contention , fi lled her mind with sorrow. DearMrs.

II A R P E’S H E A D . 71

Lee she exclaimed,

“I shal l never be a party to so dis

grac eful a contest. Oh,no ! never

,never 1”“I venerate your affection for the memory o f Major Hey

ward,

repl ied her friend, calmly : it is natural

,and perfectly

right. But,my dear

,what obl igations do you owe to his

relations 2”

None , parti cularly . They have always treated me withrespect and cordial ity .

Except i n a fewinstances,u rged the po l itic Mrs . Lee

,

i n an ins inuating manner. Openly they co uld not do otherwise

,for the very stones would have cried out at the sl ightest

inciv i l ity to the dear girl that we all loved and admired so

much . Bes ides , you were the presumptive heires s of a fineestate

,and

,as mistress of you r uncle’s mans i on

,d ispensed its

hospitalities . But you forget that you have sometimes beencharged with holding your head higher than became you

,and

with hav i ng used some address in procuring the execution ofthis very will . Even I have been accused of i nterested m o

tives in my exerti ons on your behal f. ”

Virgin ia turned pal e w ith emotion,and that spirit

,which

on some occas ions an imated her heart,and gave a s urpris ing

degree of dec is ion and vigour to the conceptions of her mind ,flashed for a moment in her eye . But the sens ibi l ity of adel icate mind overcame al l other feel ings . Unconscious o f asordid motive

,she shrunk with indescribable repugnance

from the thought of encounter ing a suspicion of thatdescription, and begged Mrs . Lee to change the subject.

Y ou have now,

”said she

,given the strongest reason

why I should not set up any claim to this property . Thebare idea of having ever been . suspected of entertaining theinterested views at which you hint

,is too shocking . Not for

worlds would I do an act,or give the sanction o f my name

to any proceed ing,which m ight bring the dis interestedness

of my cond uct i nto question,or throw the sl ightest shade

uponthe purity of my affection for my dear uncle. Let his

72 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

relatives take the estate . It will be happiness enough forme to be grateful for his goodness and to l ove and cherishhis . memory .

”

Mrs .Lee knew well the decis ion of her young fri end’s

character,and

,aware -of her inflexibility on points which

involved principle or touched her feel ings of delicacy,4 determ ined

,l ike an able pol itician , to change her mode of attack ,

and to resort to arguments whi ch she had before resolvedstudiously to conceal . And the manner i n which she openedher batteri es anewwas after the fol lowing fashion“There are two claimants to this property

,of whose

pretens ions you are probably not aware, and it is right thatyou should be informed in relati on to them . The fi rst ofthese is my son George .Indeed ! I heartily wish my cous in George success .

Your wishes,my dear

,are not his own. He has not the

sl ightest dispos ition or the most remote intenti on to set upany claim

,unless itmay become necessary for your interest.

With the exception of one person,'whom I will presently

name, my son is undoubtedly the nearest relati ve of our

deceased friend. There are several others , however, whoclaim to stand in the same degree of consanguinity . Now

,

what I would suggest is,that as my son has never for a

moment thought of placing his claim in com petition'with

yours , you might, should your own right to the property bethought doubtful, or should you pers ist i n refus ing to assertit, avail yourself of his . Understand me

,my dear— do not

get impati ent— all that I propose is the use of his name,

agency , and friendship, to procure thatwhich is undoubted lyyour own ; and when the intimacy between our famili es is

. cons idered— when you recollect that from infancy you haireshared my affection with him

,there can be no im proprietv i n

his assuming towards you the place of a brother. I havesurely some claim , my dear Virginia, to the privi l ege o f d isCharging towards you the duties of a mother ; and if George

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74 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

ment,by means of which we have all witnessed the dreadful

efl'ects .

Miss Pendl eton became dreadfully pale on hearing this

ins inuati on .The allusion to the melancholy event which

had deprived her of a home and a protectorwas i n itselfsuffi ciently

distress ing, but the foul accusation against thehandsome stranger, whose imagewas associated in her mindwith the recollection of a fewof the most happy hours of her

life, shocked and si ckened her heart. Determined to l istenno longer to what she could not cons ider as any thing butslander

xunwilling to offend one whose schemes in relation to

herself had been mingled with a long series of valuable kindnesses

,and dispirited by the affl icting troubles which seemed

to thicken in her path , and to add new embarrassments to hers ituation

,she now enjoined her friend to change the subject

,

i n tones of such patheti c suppl ication as l eft no room for

denial . They returned to the house,andMrs . Lee soon after

took her leave .To prevent further importun ity on the subj ectwhich had

so greatly distressed her feel ings,Miss Pendleton addressed

a note toMrs . Lee on the following morning,informing that

l ady of her intention to accompany her fri ends,the Mount

fords, in their proposed journey to Kentucky , to which countrythey were aboutto remove

,and where Virginia had anuncle

,who had more than once invited her to accept a home underhis roof.

H A R P E’s H E A D . 75

C H A P T E R V I I I .

weeks subsequent to the transactions narrated inthe last chapter

,a heavy travel l ing—carriage was seen

sl owly wind ing its way among the mountains of the Alleghenychain

,drawn by a pair of tal l . horses

,whose fi ne eyes and

muscular l imbs bore testimony,to an experienced observer

,

of excellent blood and gentle breeding,but who now tottered

along galled,raw-boned

,and dispirited

,from the effects o f a

long j ourney . The heav ily laden vehicle bore also incontestable marks of rough usag e, and resembled in its appearancea noble ship

,which

,having been dismantled i n a storm

,is

brought with diffi culty into port. It had once been bothstrong and costly

,andwas in truth one of the most elegant

of those cumbrous m achines which were used by such of our

ancestors as were suffi ciently wealthy to indulge in such luxuries

,bear ing a coat of arms upon its panels and being amply

decorated in the patrician taste of that day .

A jou rney over the Allegheny mountains , then inhabitedonly atdistant i ntervals , and whose best roads were merebridle-paths

,beaten by the feetof pack-horses and occasionally

travel led with d iffi culty by wagons carry ing merchandise,had left to the shattered coach but fewvestiges of its formersplendour. The tongue, which had been broken,was replacedby the green stem o f a young tree , hasti ly hewed out of theforest for the purpose a dislocation of one of the springs hadbeen remed ied by pass ing a long stout pol e underneath thebody of the c arriage ; and -a shattered axletree, which had

76 L E G EN D S 0 1? T H E Wms r .

been spl iced repeatedly, bent and creaked under its l oad , as

if every revolution of the wheels would be the last.‘

In

m atters of less moment the havoc had been even greater.

The curtains, by frequent and rather violent col l is ion with theoverhanging branches of the forest, had been rent and per.

forated in many places, and the straps within which they were

usually furled having been torn away , they nowfloated i nthe breeze intattered fragments or flapped against the s ides

of the carriage l ike the sai ls of a vessel i n a calm ; while abough had occasionally penetrated so far as to tear away thevelvet l ining and its gaudy fringe.Two ladies

,both of whom were young, and a female

negro servant,occupied this weatherbeaten conveyance ; ao

companied,as every experien ced reader wi ll readily imagine

,

by a voluminous store of trunks,bandboxes

,baskets

,bags,

and bundles . The husband of one of these ladies,a plain

gentl emanly-look ing man of fi ve-and-twenty y ears of age,

rode in advance of the caval cade on horseback,encumbered

with no other appendage than a brace of large pistols sus

pended across his saddle in a pair of holsters .

Then came a train of wagons,some drawn by horses and

others by oxen,carrying household furniture

,farming im ple

ments, and prov is ions . Behind these a drove of horses andcattl e stretched along the mountain path , strolled lazilyfo rward , halting frequently to drink at the clear rivuletswhich crossed the road

,or straying off to graze wherever an

inviting spot of green offered a fewrefreshing mouthfuls ofherbage to the wearied animals . M ingled with the cavalcadeor lagging inthe rear,was a large com pany of negro servants,m en

, women , and children of every age,from helpless infancy

to hoary decrepitude,whistl ing and s inging and laughing as

they went, inhaling with joy the mountain air, and luxuriatingin the happy exchange of daily labour for the l ighter toils of

the road .

Such were the retinue and appearance of awealthy planter

H anna’s H E A D . 77

from Virginia,whowas emigrating with all his family and

moveabl e property to the newly settl ed wilds of Kentucky,

and who bore no small resemblance to some ancient patriarch

,travel l ing at the head of his dependants and herds, i n

search of wider plains and fresherpastures than were affordedin the l and o f his fathers . Mr. and Mrs . Mountford and theun fo rtunate Miss Pendleton were the principal persons of theparty which we have attempted to describe

,and who se ad

ventures will occupy the remainder of this chapter.

They had passed nearly all the ridges of those formidablemountains

,and were nowlooking eagerly forward towards

the land of promise, and imag ining every clifl'that rose before

them to be the l ast. The daywas drawing to a close whenthey reached the summit o f one of those numerous ridgeswhich compose the Allegheny chain

,and halted for a few

moments to rest the animalswho were panting and weari edw ith the toi lsome ascent. Look ing forward

,they beheld be

fore them a deep valley, bounded on the opposite s ide by arange of mountains as steep and as high as the one on whosecrest they were now repos ing . Its s ides were composed of aseri es of perpendicular precipices of sol id rock

,clothed with

stinted pines, lau rel , and other evergreens , and which at thisdistance seemed to oppose an impassable barrier .to the

further advance of the travellers . O u more minute exam i

nation,parts of the road could be seen wind ing along the edge

of the cl iffs,and surmounting the ascent by a variety .of sharp

angles . A troop of pack-horses,with their large panniers

,

were seen descending by this path,at a d istance so great as

to render it barely poss ible to distinguish their forms and as.

certain their character— sometimes stretched in an extendedl ine along the summits of the elevated parapets o f rock

, thend isappearing behind a projecting clifl

'or a copse of eve rgreen

,

and again turn ing an abrupt angl e,as if countermarching to

retrace their footsteps . The sunwas now s ink ing behind theWestern hills

,and though still visibl e to our trave l lers

,no

8 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

longer shone upon the eastern exposure of the mountainwhich they were contemplating, a circumstance which gave asti l l more shadowy appearance to the descending troop, whoseregular array of s low-moving figures impressed upon the

perpend icular sides of the cl iffs , resembl ed the ai'ry creations

o i'a magi c lantern, rather than the forms of l iv ing beings .

Now they were seen travers ing the extreme verge of somebold promontory

,where the sunbeams flashed from the

shining harness,and afforded a momentary disclosure of a

.variety of different colours,which again were blended into

one dark mass as the cavalcade passed on into the deepershades of the mountain glens . As they gazed

,the s i lencewas

agreeably broken by the inspi ring notes o f the bugle,with

which the drivers cheered their lonesome way,and whose

sprightly sounds echoed from hi ll to hill,sometimes faintly

heard and sometimes bursting on the ear in f ul l chorus,gave

a tinge of wild romance to the scene .From the contemplation of this prospect

,their attention

was drawn to the western side of the mountain on whose summ it they stood

,and whose decl ivities they were about to

descend . Look ing downward,they sawfrom their d izzy

height a series of precipices,with bald s ides“and turreted and

spiral c rests, terminating in a dark valley, whi ch seemed tobe almost di rect]y below their feet

,although the distancewas

so great as to render it imposs ible to distinguish objects in thedeep abyss . Here, as on the oppos ite s ide of the valley , thepath wound from clifi

'to cliff

,and from one natural terrace to

another, l ike the angles of a winding staircase ; but l ittl e ofitwas vis ible from the spot occupied by our travel lers .

Inthis d irection the sound of voiceswas heard ascending andapproaching nearer and nearer ; and present]y a large drove o fcattle , conducted by several men

,was seen wind ing along the

base o f the precipice on which the party stood,at a short d is

tance from them ,and where the terrace traversed by the roadwidened into a plain surface containing several acres . Here

H A R P E’s H E A D .

a sudden terror seiz ed the cattl e. The foremost of the anim als halted and began to smell the ground with manifestations of violent agitation

,and then uttered a low terrifi c yell .

At this s ignal thewhole herd,which had been loitering drow

s i ly along, urged slowly forward by the voices of the d rovers ,rushed madly towards the spot

,bellowing w ith every appear

ance of rage and afi'right. In vain the drivers attempted to

force them onward . The largest and fi ercest of the herd surrounded the place where the fi rst had halted

,roaring

,pawing

the ground,and d riving their horns into the earth

,while the

others approached and retreated,bellowing in concert as if

sudden ]y possessed by a legion of demons . Foam ing at themouth

,their eyes gleaming with fury

,and al l thei r muscles

strained into action,they seemed a different race from the

quiet,inoffens ive anim als who but a fewminutes before had

been seen laz ily toil ing up the mountain-path . Thosewhowere intimately acquainted with their habits at once pronounced that blood had recently been spilt i n the road . Withthe ass istance of Mr. Mountford ’s negroes

,the alarmed herd

was at length driven forward , butnotunti l one of the drovers ,in l eaping his horse over a log

,at some distance from the

road,discovered the corpse of a man concealed behind it

,and

partly covered with l eaves . An exclamation of surprise andhorror announced this discovery

,and drew the other drovers

to the spot,where Mr. Mountford soon joined them . The

body,whichwas thatof a young gentleman

,was marked with

several wounds,which left l ittl e doubtthat a murder had been

committed .

However men may have been accustomed to danger orto scenes of violence

,there is something in the crime of m ur

der which never fails to alarm and shock them . Even wherethe injured party is a stranger

,and no particular circumstances

occur to awaken special sym pathy for him or fbr those whomay survive to mourn his fate , the dreadful act itself, strippedof all adventitious horrors

,strikes a chi l l into the heart.

80 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

When such a scene is presented in the solitary wild , where

the gloom of the forest and the s ilence of the desertare allaround

,and the quick breathing of the terrifi ed spectator is

whispered back by the Woodland echo, a deeper shade of so

lem nity'is thrown about the melancholy catastrophe . The

busy crowds,the cares and levities of l ife, are not there , to

cal l away the heart from the indulgence of natu ral emotions ;it has leisure to contemplate undisturbed the cold image o f

death,and to reflect on the atrocities of man . Fancy spreads

her wings and looks abroad in search of the perpetrator andthe motive of the crime , and the absence of every trace whichm ight l ead to discovery or explanation involves the darktransaction in the shadows of mystery . The deceased seemsto have been struck by some invis ibl e hand

,and a similar

blow may be impending over the spectator,on whom the eye

of the homicide may even now rest,as he meditates som e

new Violence in the concealment of an adjacent thicket or thegloom of a neighbour ing cavern .

Such were the meditation s of some of the party who werecollected around the body of the murdered stranger. A consultationwas immediately held as to the course which oughtto be pursued, when itwas arranged that a party should remainwith the corpse

,while an expresswas sentto the nearest

settlement to apprize the l egal author iti es of the outrage .Both of these duties were cheerfully undertaken by the

drovers ,withthe assistance ofMr. Mountford’s servants . The

latter gentleman resumed his journey,and on reaching the

bosom of the valley,and learning that his road still lay

through an uninhabited wilderness formany miles,determined

to encamp here for the night.Itwas an inviting spot. Though surrounded by moun

tains as savage and steri l e as the imagination can wel l conceive

,the gl en in which the party restedwas beautiful and

fertile . The r ich soilwas covered with a luxuriant growth offoresttrees and shrubbery . The sunbeams

,which duri ng the

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S2 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R IX .

AV ING seen the tents pitched , the horses and cattl e turned

out to graze, and every necessary arrangement made for .

spending the night in as m uch comfortas circumstances wouldadmit

,Mr. Mountford , invited by the refreshing coolness of

the evening and the beauty o f the scenery,proposed to the

ladies a stroll upon the bank of the stream . They wanderedslowly along

,following its meanders for a short time

,until

its serpentine course brought them nearly oppos ite to the

point from which they had setout; and they found themselveson a projecting point which overl ooked the pack-horse camp

,

and placed them within a fewyards of its noisy inmates,from

whom they were concealed by a clump of underbrush . Thehorses had been unharnessed and were now grazing at large ;the packs of

“merchandise which formed their lading were

piled up together and covered with canvass . The men hadthrown themselves lazily on the grass

,except two or three

,who were wrestl ing and play ing with a degree of hilaritywhich showed howl ittle they were affected by the toils of theJourney .

At this moment the partywas joined by a horseman,who

addressed them with the frankness of an acquaintance,though

hewas obv iously a stranger to them all . Hewas a young man ,dressed in a hunting-shi rt, carrying a rifle on his shoulder, andhav ing all the equipments o f a western hunter. His l imbswere as stoutand his face as sunburnt as those of the rough

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 83

m en around him,but neither his appearance nor carr iage

indicated a person accustomed to coarse labour. He hadthe plainness oi

'speech and manner which showed thathis

b reeding had not been in the pol ished circle,mingled with the

freedom and ease of one accustomed to hunting and martialexercises . He threw himself from his horse

,leavm g the

br idle dangl ing on the neck of the animal,who quietly

awaited his pleasure,and seated himself among the carriers

with the air of one who felt that hewas welcome,or who

cared but l ittl e whether hewas welcome or not. His dress,

though coarse and soiled,was neatly fi tted

,and adapted to

show off his person to the best advantage,and all his appen

dages were those of a young m an who had some pride in hisappearance . His featu res

,though not handsome

,were l ively

and intell igent; i nd icating a cheerful disposition, a goodopinion of his fel low-men

,and an equally good opinion of

himself,aris ing

,no doubt

,out of his republ i can principles

,

which would not al lowhim to place himself below the l evelof others . Therewas a b oldness i n his eye , a fluency of

speech,and a forwardness i n his whole deportment, which ,

without approaching to impudence,gave a dashing air to his

conduct,and a freshness to his conversation . His horse

seemed much fatigued,and from his saddle hung the hinder

quarter of a deer recently k illedGentl emen

,good evening

,said he, as he dism ounted,

this has been a powerful hot day.

”

Very sultry,

repli ed one of the carr iers .

No two ways about that,” sai d the hunter ; there’s as

good a piece of horse-flesh, to his s ize, as eyer crooked apastern

,and as fast a nag as can be started , for any distance

from a quarter up to four miles ; but this day has prettynearly used him up.

”

You seem to have b een hunting .

Why, yes ; I have been taking a l ittl e tower among the

m ountains here . I have j ust kill ed a hue deer, and as ] felt

84 L E G E N D S o r T H E'W E S T .

sort 0 ’ lonesomeIturned into the big road, in hopes of meet

an exercise common among our western youth, and far

supe

rior to wrestling or boxing, as it requires greater sk ill

and activity, and is far less savage than either of those

ancient games .

The object of each party is to throw his

adversary to the ground , and to retain his advantage by

holding him down unti l the victory shal l be decided ; and as

there are no rules to regulate the game , each exerts his

strength and skill i n any manner which his j udgment may

dictate,us ing force or artifi ce according to circumstances .

The two persons who now approached each other seemedeach to be intent on grappl ing with his adversary in such amanner as to gain an advantage at the outset. At fi rst, eacheluded the grasp of the other, advancing, retreating, seizing,

or shaking each other off, and each using every artifi ce in his

power to secure an advantage in the manner of grappl ingwith his opponent. Then they grasped at arm

’s-length , and

tried each other’s strength by pushing, pull ing, and whirl ing

round, testing the muscular powers of the arm and the nim

bleness of the foot to the utmost. Finally they becameclosely interlocked their bodi es i n contact, and their l imbs

twined , wrestl ing with all their powers, and after an arduous

struggle came together to the ground, amidst the shouts andlaughter of the spectators . But the strugglewas not over ;for now a fi erce contest ensued, in which each endeavoured to

get uppermost, or to hold his antagonist to the ground .

Their muscular strength and flexibility of l imb Seemed nowalmostmiraculous. Sometimes the person whowas undermostfairly rolled over and over his adversary, and sometimes he

H A B P E’

s H E A D . 85

raised himself by main strength,with his opponent sti l l

cl inging to him,and renewed the struggl e on foot ; and often

their bodies were twisted together and the ir l imbs interl ocked unti l every muscle and s inew were strained

,and it

was d iffi cult to tel l which was uppermost. At last thei rbreathing grewshort

,the violence of the exercise produced

exhaustion,and one of the parties relaxing his efforts

,enabled

the other to claim the victory . The tired parties,dripping

w ith perspiration,ceased the contest in perfect good-humour.

You must not tussle with me no more,Bill

,

”said the

victor ;“you see you ain’tno part of a priming to me .

That’s very well,

” cried the other,eyeing his comrade

with perfect complacency ;“I l ike to see you have a good

opinion of yourself. If I didn’t let you win once in a whileto enco urage you

,I could never get a chance to have no fun

out of you .”

Itwas nowperce ived that whi le the attention of the com

panywas fi xed upon the sport,another stranger had joined

them . He cautiously pushed aside the thick brushwoodbehind the merry circle, threw a quick j eal ous glance uponthe party , and then advancing with circumspection , halted inthe rear

,and remained for a while unnoticed . When the

contest which we have describedwas over, the eyes of the

whole party fel l on the intruder. His appearancewas toostriking not to rivet attention. In s ize he towered above theord inary stature

,his framewas bony and muscular

,his breast

broad,his l imbs giganti c . His clothingwas uncouth and

shabby,his exter ior weatherbeaten and dirty , ind i cating con

tinual exposure to the elements , and po inting outthis s ingularperson as one who dwelt far from the habitati ons of"men

,and

who mingled not in the courtes i es of civil ized l ife . Hewascompletely armed

,with the exception of a rifle, which seemed

to have only been laid as ide for a moment, for he carried theusual powder-horn and pouch of the backwoodsm an . Abroad leathern belt

,drawn closely round his waist, supported

86 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

a large and a smaller kni fe and a tomahawk . But thatwhich attracted the gaze of al l the company into whi ch hehad intruded

,was the bold and ferocious countenance of the

newcomer,and its strongly marked oppress ion of villainy .

His face,whichwas larger than ordinary , exhibited the l ines

of ungovernable pass ion, but the complex ion announced that

the ordinary feel ings of the human breast were extinguished ,and instead of the healthy hue which indicates the so cialemotions

,therewas a l iv id , unnatural redness

,resembling

that of a dri ed and l ifeless skin . The eyewas fearl ess andsteady

,but itwas also artful and audacious , glaring upon the

beholder with an unpleasantfixedness and bril l ian cy,l ike that

of a rav enous animal gloating upon its prey,and concen

trating all its mal ignity i nto one fearful gl ance . He wore nocovering on his head

,and the natural protection of thi ck

coarse hair,of a hery redness

,uncombed and matted

,gave

evidence of long exposure to the rudest v is itations o f the

sunbeam and the tempest. He seemed some desperate outlaw, anunnatural enem y of his species

,destitute of the nobler

sympathies of human nature,and prepared at al l points for

assault or defence, who in some freak of daring insolence hadintruded himself into the society of men

,to brave thei r

resentm ent or to try the effect which his presence mightoccasion .Although therewas something pecul iarly suspicious and

disagreeable in the appearance of this stranger,therewas

nothing to excite alarm or to cal l for the express i on of anydisapprobati on . Hewas armed l ike other m en of that frontier region, and the roadwas a publ ic highway

,frequented by

people of various character and condition . Stil l there was ashrinking and a sil ent i nterchange of glances among the

carriers on discovering his s il ent and almost m ysteriousmtrUSlO D ; One whispered,“What does that fellow want .

2”

and another muttered, Keep a red eye out, boys— that chapis not too good to steal . The young hunterwho had j ust

H A R P E’s HEA D . 87

joined themwas not of the kind oi'mettl e to sit sti l l on such

an occas ion . He j umped up, and address ing their vis itor i na bl ithe

,frank tone

,said

,Good evening

,stranger.

”

The person addressed tu rned his eye del iberate]y towards

the speaker,and returned his salutation With a nod, without

opening his l ips .

Travell ing,stranger 2”

Y es,

”repli ed the other . The sound of his voice, even

in uttering this monosyllable,was cold and repuls iye, and

any other than a resolute inquirer would have pursued thedialogue no further. But the young Kentuckianwas not soeas i ly repul sed .

Which way 2 if it’s a fair question,continued he.

West,was the lacon ic reply .

That fel low’s mouth goes off l ike a gun with a rusty

l ock,

”sa id the hunter as ide ; then address ing him again , To

Kentucky,eh 2 well , that’s right— there’s plenty of room

there— game enough , and.

a powerful chance of good l iving.

No two ways about that. Come from old Virgin ia,I sup

P0 86I

!”

The stranger, Instead of answering this questi on,turned

his head in another direction,as if he had not heard it

,stepped

a fewpaces off,as if about to retire

,and then again halted

and faced the party .

N0,I’ll be d’rot if ever that chap came out of old

V irginny, muttered the young man as ide, they don’t raisesuch humans in the Old Dominion

,no how. I

’ll see what he

is made of,however.

Then w inking at his companions he approached the

stranger,and tak ing a penknife from his pocket presented it

to him with a ci vil how. The strangerwas not to be takenby surprise . He recei ved the knife

,looked at it and at the

donor inqu iringly,as if he would have said

,What means

this 2” and then coolly put it in his pocketwithout saying a

word . .His tormentor d id not l eave him in doubt.

88 LE G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

“It is a rule in our country , said he, when a man is

remarkably ugly , to make him a present of a knife . Keep

that,if you please, stranger, till you meet with a homel ier

human than yourself, and then give it to him .

”

This p ractical j oke would , in some countr ies, have beencons idered as a quiz ; i n Kentucky itwas a k ind of chal l enge,which the receiver mighthave honourably avoided by joiningin the laugh

,or which

,on the other hand

,gave him ampl e

cause to crack his heels together, and assert that hewas notonly the handsomest, but the bestm an i n company ; whichassertion

,if concluded

,as the lawyers say, with a vers ifi ca

tion would have been tantamount to call ing for pistols fortwo. The stranger did neither

,but pocketed the knife and

the affront, and quietly turned to wal k awayTo a brave m an nothing causes more painful regret than

to have given an unprovoked affront to one who is unable orunwill ing to resent it. Had the stranger shown the sl ightestincl ination to take up the gauntlet

.

which had been thrown tohim,

the young Kentuckian,who v iewed him with intuiti ve

disl ike, would probabl y have challenged him to instant combat

, and have engaged him with the ferocity of a hungrybrute ; but no sooner did the latter discover that the personhe addressed neither relished his jok e norwas d isposed toresent it, than his generous nature prompted him to makeinstant atonement.“Look here, stranger he exclaimed drawing a flas k of

spi rits from his pocket, and offering it; you are a drol l sortof a white man you won’t talk

,nor laugh

,nor quarrel —will

you drink 2 Take a drop , and let us be fri ends. ”

This appealwas not i n vain . The uncouth m an of thewoods took the flask , raised it s ilently to his l ips,and drained

the whole of its contents, amounting to nearly a pint, withoutstopping to breathe ; then placing one hand on the shoulderof the young man , and leaning towards him

,he said

,in a low

vo1ce, We shall meet again,

”at the same time grasping the

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90 LE G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R X .

ISS PENDLETON had left the place of her nativityunder a melancholy depress ion of spirits . Reared in

affl uence,the favourite and only obj ect of affection of a kind

guard ian,surrounded by friends, fol lowed by a train of

admirers,and accustomed to every indulgence

,the sudden

reverse of her fortunes affl icted her heart with keen anguish .

Shewas too high-minded to mourn with unavail ing regretover the bl ight of those advantages which merely el evatedher above her companions. The truly generous mind estimates the gifts of fortune at something l ike their real val ue.But the loss of the dearly loved guardian of her youth

,and

the dreadful catastrophe which produced that melancholybereavement

,deeply touched her hear t

,and awakened al l her

sensibil ities.

The measure of her grief seem ed to be full ; butwhen she

came to the resolution of quitting the scenes of her childhoodand parting with her early fri ends

,she found that her heart

had sti l l room for other affl ictions,and she lefther native land

sorrowing and bowed down in spirit. Possessed,however

,of

a strong intellect and a buoyant temper,the exercise of trav

ell ing, the change of scene,and the k indness of her com

panions , if they did not diminish her sorrows,rendered them

supportable . By degrees her . mind began to assume itsnatural tone , and she reflected more calmly on the scenesthrough which she had lately passed . In these reveries the

H A R P E’s H E A D . 1

image of Fennimore continually presented itself. His vis itseemed to be intimate] y yet strangely connectedwith thedeath of her uncle . She had heard enough of the circumstances which we have detai led to know that it had relationto a pecuniary claim against the estate of Major Heyward,but knew nothing o f its j ustice

,extent

,or character. Mrs .

Lee had spoken of it as a demandwhich would absorb thewhole of her venerable relative’s vast fortune

,and which placed

the claimant i n the pos ition of a competitor with herself; andhad thrown out imputations against his integrity of the darkest import. O u the other hand , she remembered that he hadbeen received not only with the hospital ity extended to allvis itors atWalnutH il l , butwith affecti onate co rdial ity . I-Ier

uncle,whowas a man of excel lent d iscernment

,had treated

him with the confi dence of friendship,and shewas sl owto

bel i eve either that hewas deceived in the character o f his

guest,or that he had professed a show of kindness which he

d id not feel . Mr. Fennim ore’

s appearance and manners werehighly prepossess ing ; there was especially about him afrankness and manly dignity which could hardly be deceptive .She pas sed in rev i ewthe agreeable hou rs o f his short v is it

,

and a flush of maiden pride mantled her cheek as she recol

lected his earnest yet respectful attentions , and confessed thatof al l the homage which she had received in the triumph ofbeauty, none had ever been so acceptable as that of thishandsome and gallant sold ier. We have l ittl e faith in theromanti c doctrine o f love at fi rst s ight

,but on the other hand

we cannot think it strange that an intel l igent and susceptiblewoman should readily draw a distinction between the comm onplace civil ities oi

'ordinary men,or the s illy gallantries

of mere witless beaux,and the enl ightened preference of a

gentl eman of taste and j udgment,no r that she should feel

flattered by an appearance of partial ity from such a so urce.

Shewas at an age when the heart is feel ingl

ly alive to the

tender sensations,and it would have been s ingular ii

‘

she had

92 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

notbecome interested in a modest and highly-gifted m an, sonearly of her own years and condition , who had been hercompanion for several days ; nor would it have been natural

for one so accustomed as herself to the attentions o f the other

sex,to mistake the effectwhich her ow n attractions had pro

duced on the mind of the agreeable stranger. Then the

ready gal lantry withwhich he risked his own l ife to rescue

her from the flames,and his courageous efforts to save her

uncle -these, though she never spoke of them,awakened a

sentiment of gratitude which she felt could never be efl'

aced.

Again,when she recal led the circumstances underwhich he

left the neighbourhood ofWalnut H i l l , without any explanation to the fri ends of

'Major Heyward of the obj ect o f his

vis it,and without leav ing any message for herself, his conduct

seemed incomprehens ible , and strangely at variance withwhat she supposed to be his character; But these m y steri ouscircumstances

,although they excited momentary doubts

,and

sometimes awakened a sl ight glow of resentment,only served

in the end to renderMr. Fenn imore more interesting to MissPendleton ; for without inferring, as some ill-natured personswould do

,that the mind of woman is m ade up of contra

dictions,it is enough to say that she exercised her ingenuity

in imagining a variety of p ossible explanations, by which hisconduct might be placed in a favou rable l ight and his character exalted

,until she persuaded herself that such develop

mentswou ld undoubted]y be made in due time .Mrs . Mountford

,although she had never seen Mr. P enn i

more , had m ade up her mind that hewas an impostor ; amere fortune-hunter

,who had vis ited Walnut Hi l l i n the

pro secution of some desperate scheme against the person andfortune of

'her fair friend .

”

Without hav ing any definite ideasof that plan

,or being able to trace its connection with sabse

quent events , shewas charitable enough to attribute the

catastrophe whi ch had marred the fortunes of Virginia to thissource, and spoke of Fennimore as l ittl e less than an incan

II A R P E’s H E A D . 93

diary . Perhaps there m ight have been policy in this ; ford iscovering that Virginia always defended her uncle’s v is itorwith some spirit

,she often introduced the subject fo r the sole

pu rpo se of disturbing her reveri es,and awakening her mind

from the apathy into which it seemed to be s inking . In thesed iscuss ions Miss Pendleton

,with her usual frankness

,recapit

ulated all the ev idence in favour of Mr. Fennimore,with

some of the arguments which her own ingenuity had sug

gested,and thus became accustomed to defend his character.

After all,therewas but one argumentwhich had any weight

with the pertinaci ousMrs . Mountford itwas the same whichhad appealed so forcibly to the genuine Virginian feel ing ofColonel Antler

,namely

, that a gentl eman would not comm it arson .

” “If he is really a gentleman,my dear

,

”_was

Mrs . Mountford’s usual conclus ion,

that settles thequestion ;but how fewof those do we find north o f the Potomac 2 andthisMr. Fenn imore

, you know, did not pretend to have beenborn in the Old Dominion .

”

The unexpected d iscovery of a murdered body in the

road had deeply affected our heroine , and had led her thoughtsback to the most melancholy events in her own history . She

was this evening unusually depressed,and itwas i n the hope

o f diverting her reflections i nto some other channel that herfriends

,though much fatigued, had proposed the walk which

led them to the v i cinity of the pack-horse camp,and had been

induced to l inger,the concealed witnesses of the rude scene

whichwas there enacted .

The events which we have described arrested her attention .

It had so happened,however

,that she stood in such a-pos ition

as not to see the face of the person whose appearance causedso much curiosity

,until the moment of his drawing his knife,

when a movement of his body brought him full before her,and to her utter d ismay she recognised the same savage countenance which she had discovered at her windowon the nightof the oonflagration Her alarm and ag itation may be eas ily

94 L E G E N D 8 O F T H E W E S T .

conceived. An

‘

involuntary express ion of horror bursti

from .

her l ips,which drewthe attention notonly of her own friends,

but of the party 0 11 the oppos ite s ide of the stream . Withsome exertion she resumed her self-command , and returnedimmediately to the camp . She had heretofore described toMr. Mountford the apparition which had so greatly t errifi ed

her on the occasion above alluded to , and that gentleman aswell as others had supposed that she had been deceived byher imagination . But now, on her repeating that incident

,

the description which she gave of the supposed incendiarycorresponded so complete ly with that of the remarkableperson they had seen

,as to leave l ittl e doubt of the identity

of the one with the other ; and he hastened to the encampment of the carriers to acquaint them with his su spicions andprocure ass istance to arrest the stranger. Thei r services wereoffered with alacrity

,and all the adjacent coverts were care

fully examined,but night coming on

,any extensive search

was impracticable .Virginia spent a miserable night. In addition to the

affl icting recol lections that had previously depressed her mind,

the events of the day had suggested a new and dreadful trainof thought. Mightnotthe unfortunate person whose rem ai

lns

had been found concealed by the mountain-path have beenone in whom she felt an interest which she could not concealfrom he1'self 2 She had not seen the body

,and the friend for.

whose safety she now trembledwas unknown to Mr . Mountford . She knew thatMr. Fennimorewas on his way to the

western frontier when he called atWalnutH i l l— his presencethere on the night of the confiagration had probably defeatedto some extent the designs of the incendiary— and now ayoung gentleman , whose description answered too well withhis

,was found m urdered . in the very path that he had taken .

She had seen the murderer of her lamented uncle and cir

cum stances had occurred to render it not unl ikely that thesam e terrible assassin had waylaid Mr. Fennimore andwas

H A R P E’ s H E A D . 95

now tracking her own footsteps A dreadful mystery seemedto hang over her fate . In vain did she endeavour to find someclue to these dark transactions . Major Heyward had beenthe most inoffens ive of men ; she hersel f had no enemy, andwhy should she

,now an unprotected and penniless orphan,

be thus persecuted 2 These thoughts tormented her al readyagitated m ind and drove sl eep from her pillow.Miss Pendleton occupied a tent containing her own bed

and that of a negro maid-servant. Mr. Mountford’s negrotrain were accustomed to spend their even ings in those festivities to which the whol e of that careless race are so muchaddicted . They had nowcol lected a great pi le of logs

,whose

blaze ill um inated the camping ground,and threwa bril l iant

glare for some distance into the Surrounding forest. A grayhaired fi ddler

,whose mus i cal abil ities had contributed to the

amusement of several success i ve generations of the Mountfords — white and black— saton a log s craping his merry viol in

,while his sabl e comrades danced on the green . Happy

in the absence of al l care , and under the protection of an indulgent master who had grown up from childhood amongthem

,andwas endeared to them by the ti es of l ong associa

tion and the interchange of kindness known only to thosewho are acquainted with the relation of master and servant

,

these thoughtless beings gave themselves up entirely to

merriment. They had no property to care for,no want to

supply,no peril in anticipation to excite their fears

,no spee

ulation i n their eye to po ison the enjoyment of the presentmoment; and although undergoing the fatigue of a toilsomemarch

,their eyeballs gl istened

,their sabl e cheeks shone

,and

their sn'

ow-white teeth became vis ibl e at the fi rst note of thefi ddle. Seated in a circle round the bl azing log-heap

,they

ate their rations,told merry tales of Old V irginny,

” andthen joining in the dance capered with as much v igour andagil ity as if the ir whole bodies were made upon’ springs andm uscles

,whil e streams of perspiration rolled from their shin

Q

96 L E G E N D S o r T H E Wa s r .

ing visages. At length that part of the accompan iment, to

wh ich, not being a mus i cian , I am unable to gi ve a scientific

Italianname , butwhich cons ists in certain drowsy nods andcomfortable naps, on the part of the artist, interpolate be

tween the tunes, and spreading ofi‘

l ike the shad ing of a p10

ture, so as to mingle insensibly‘

with the brighter and gayer

parts of the performance, began to preponderate ; the heavyeyelids of the mus ician were raised l es s frequently and with

a’

duller motion , the elbow lost its elasti city , the sable belles

crawled away one by one to their pal lets , and the h ilar ity of

the night died away into a profound s i l ence .

O ur heroine, however, d id not share the contagious drowsiness .

She remained in a feverish state of excitement, sometimeswrapped for a fewmoments i n abstracted thought, as

ruminating on the past, and sometimes endeavouring to banishreflection

,by l istening with an ear acutely al i ve to the sl ight

est sound . As the vociferous notes of merriment diedaway

,other tones more congenial with her frame of m ind in

vaded the sil ence of the night. The atmospherewas clear andchill ; not a breath shook the trees or d isturbed the repose o f

the valley . The murmuring of the rivulet,scarcely percepti

ble during the day, now fell distinctly and pleasantly on the

ear. An occasi onal and d istant tinkl ingwas heard at i ntervals

,by the bells attached to the cattl e and carriers’ horses.

The wolf’s long howl,

reverberating from clifi'

to cl iff,was

answered by the bark of the travell ers’ dogs ; but even thesesounds ceased when the faithful animals soughtrepose by theirmasters’ s ides. The owl booted from her sol itary den ; andonce, when every other voi cewas hushed, and nature_seem ed

to repose in death-l ike sti l lness,a huge tree

,probably a

m aj estic pine,which had braved the mountai n storm for ages ,

fell on the ground with a terrific crash,which re-echoed from

rock to rocktand from one cavern to another

,roll ing along

the val ley l ike the prolonged reiterations of thunder or acontinuous discharge of arti llery, The scared owl shouted in

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8‘ LE G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C H A P T E R X I .

TWO days after the occurrence of the events detailed in thelast chapter, the inhabitants of the l ittl e village of Stan

ford,in Lincoln county, Kentucky , were surprised by the ap

pearance in their streets of a s ingular group of travel lers .

Although emigrants of various descriptions were continuallypass ing through this place to the newer settl ements

,ly ing

stil l farther to the west, therewas something about this partywhich attracted universal attenti on . The leader of the cavalcadewas the ferocious ind iv i dual who has already been morethan once brought under the noti ce of the reader. Hewas

,

as before,bare-headed

,and carried on his shoulder a long rifle

,while his belt supported two knives,a pistol

,and a tomahawk.

Without turning to the right or l eft,and scarcely appearing

to notice objects around him,he moved forward along the

m iddle of the streetwith a fi rm and rapid step and an air ofaudacious defiance. Yet a close observer mighthav e noticed,that although be neither turned his head

,nor seemed to regard

thosewho passed near him,hisfi erce eye rolled rapidly from

s ide to s ide with suspicious watchfulness. Behind him fol

lowed three women, two of whom were sun-burnt,coarse and

wretchedly attired , and the other somewhat m ore del i cateand better dressed . The females led two horses

,almost

broken down with fatigue, on whose backs were packed a fewcooking utensi ls, an axe, several guns , some blankets, and asmall quantity of provis ions. Three or four half-nak ed chil

H anr n’s H E A D . 99

dren , wild , sallow,and hungry-l ooking

,with smal l fi erce eyes

,

glancing timidly about,followed next ; and lastly came a

m an,smaller in s ize than himwho l ed the party , butsim ilarly

armed,having the same suspicious exterior

,and a countenance

equally herce and s in ister. The deportment o f all the individuals of this compan ywas that of persons who cons ideredthemsel ves in a hosti le or an al ien country

,and who

,accus

tom ed to the apprehens ion of danger,stood ready to evade

by fl ight,or res ist even to death

,any assault which might be

m ade on them . Even their dog,a thiev ish-looking cur

,re

sembl ing a wolf i n looks and action,stole al ong with a

stealthy tread,his

.tail

‘

d rooped, and his mal ignant eye scowling watchf ully around . Their determination seemed to be toproceed rapidly on without halting ; butwhen they had pas sedthe most populous part of the v i llage, and had nearly reachedits farther l imit

,they stopped

,apparent]y for the purpose of

procuring some articl e o f which they stood in need . Theleader proceeded to a smal l shop, whil e the rest of the partystood in the middle of the road

,exposed to the burnmg rays

o f the sun,and showing no incl ination either to seek shelter

or to hold intercours e w ith the inhabitants .

At this moment a d itferent scene was presented in theother end of the vi llage . A horseman , m ounted on a fo amingsteed

,covered with dust

,came spurring in at full speed

,and

d ismounted at the house of one o f the principal inhabitants,

whowas also a magistrate.

He had brought tid ings of the

murder committed in the mountains,and had traced the sup

posed perpetrators to this place . Without d isclos ing hisbus iness to any other person, he sought a private interv iewwith the m agistrate ; and in a fewminutes a planwas prepared for the arrest of the suspected persons . Intel l igencewas secret]y and rapid ]y pas sed from house to house , and thehardyvillagers , accu stomed to arm hastily forwar

,sal l ied

forth with their rifles and tomahawks, and d iv id ing themselvesinto small parti es , came so suddenly upon the supposed mur

100 LE G E N D S o r TH E WE S T .

dercrs,that itwas equally impossible for them to res ist or

escape . They expressed neither surprise nor fear, neither the

sham e of guilt nor the courage of conscious innocence, but

submitted to their captors i n sullen insolence . Some articleswere found in their possession, and a variety of facts proved ,which rendered their guilt so probable as to j ustify their com

m itm ent for further examinati on .

At that early peri od in the history of our country, jailswere neither abundantnor particularly wel l adapted for the

safe keeping o f prisoners . Therewas none at Stan ford , andit

’

becam e necessary to send the culprits to Danvill e, where awholesome institution of this kind had been provided . Themenwere therefore placed under the charge of a party of

armed citizens and marched ofi‘

,whil e the women and chil

dren,who were left at l iberty ; fo llowed at thei r l eisure. The

escort rested that night at the house of a farmer, a com fortable log cabin

,in one apartment of which the prisoners

,

securely tied,were placed

,under the charge of two sentinels

,

while the rest of the guard threw them sel ves down to reposeon the floor o f the same room . Here I must introduce a newcharacter

,who came on the scene at this place.

Hercules Short,or

,

‘

as he was more frequently cal led,

Hark Short,was the only son of a poor widow

,whose miser

able cottage stood on the borders o f an extens i ve swamp inNorth Carol ina . Itwas a wretched abode

,cons isting of a

s ingle apartment,plentiful ly suppl ied with crev ices

,which

admitted the l ight of heaven,and gave free ac cess to the

balmy airs of spring as wel l as the rude blasts of winter.

O u three s ides itwas surrounded by a range o f barren ridgescovered with a stinted growth of evergreens . In frontwasa d ismal swam p '

fi lled with huge trees,whose great trunks

supported a‘

dense canopy of foliage,which excluded the rays

of the sun from the gloomy mass of turb id waters that cov

ered the earth . A11 undergrowth of tall weeds and rankgrass , nourished by the ferti l iz ing ooz e

,but deprived of the

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102 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

the existenceof feel ings common to the human animal . He

was bare-headed and bare-f ooted ; his tangl ed hair seemed neverto have known the d iscipl ine of a comb ; while his coarse andtorn garments

,which certainly performed no useful or agree

able othee in relation to the comfortof his bod y , m ight havebeen worn in deference to the customs ! I his species ; andthiswas probably the only instance in wh ich he compli ed so

far with the prej udices of society as to identify h imself as am ember of the human family .

This promis ing young gentl emanwas Mr. Hark Short,

the boy of the swamp,and the hei 1 of the pl easant cabin

described above . His father had , from necess ity or choice,

found it conven ient to select a reti red country residence ;and after his demise the widow

,whose l ove of sol itude

seemed congenial w ith that of her l ord , continued to inhabitthe family mansion . The earl iest employment of our herowas to gather for his mother the pine-knots

,which not only

constitute the fuel o f that country,but are the most fashion

able substitutes for spermaceti candles ; his fi rst amusementi n l ifewas to spear frogs and rob birds’ nests. His ambition

,

however, soon rose above these humble pursu its,and befo re

hewas twelve years ol d he took ’

to kill ing snakes,hunting

opossums, catching fi sh, and finding w ild pigs i n thewoods .

His practi ce in relation to pigswas a l ittl e remarkable . Thefarmers i n that country sufi

‘

er their hogs to run at large inthe woods , pay ing them l ittle attention exceptthat of markingthe ears of each generation of p igs while in their i nfancy; sothat each owner may be able to d istinguish his property .

O ur friend Hark, well aware of this practi ce, and of the carewith which the farmers performed it

,whenever an increase in

thei r swinish f amil ies rendered itexpedi ent,reasoned plausibly

enough that every pig whichwas not marked must be comm on property , o r, as he expressed it, awild varm ent

,subject

to be converted to the indiv idual u se of any onewho shouldfi rst appropriate it to himself. Whether be i nferred this

H A R P E’

S H E A D . 1 03

doctrine from the principles of natural law,or practised it as

an instinct,is not important

,and could not now be precisely

ascertained . We deal only in facts,and the truth is

,that

although Hark never acquired a pig either by descent o r

purchase,he made it a rul e to place his own mark in the ear

of every j uvenil e animal -of this species which he foundunmarked in the woods . Whenever the maternal care of afe1nale swine

,wilder or more cunn ing than usual

,induced

her to hide her l itter i n some un frequented covert of the

woods,or in some sol itary islet of the swamp

,inaccess ibl e to

the owner’s search,or when any unfortunate orphan strayed

from the herd and escaped the owner’s eye,Harkwas sure to

find them . His dexterity in accompl ishing this featwasremarkable . He would l ie at the root of a tree watching aherd for hours ; butno sooner were the grunters nestled intheir beds of l eaves than Hawk commenced operations

,

crawling towards them with a noiseless and almost imperceptible motion , unti l he could place his remorseless handupon an innocent pig,who never dreamt of being markedunti l the kni fewas athis ear, while the l eft hand of the dexterous Hark grasped the snout with su ch sk il l as to stifle the

cr ies of the afi'

righted animal . A whole l itter would thuspass through his hands i n the course of a short time .If any should be so squeamish as to obj ect to the pro

priety of this mode of gaining a l ivel ihood, we must urge inits extenuation the same apology which is considered as

suffi cient in most of the ordinary transactions of l ife,and

especially in reference to its pecun iary concerns,— that o f

necess ity . Hark had been raised a gentl eman , that is to say,

he had never been taught towork ; he had no fancy foragri cultural pursuits, and the barren sands around his mother

’s

cabinwere ill suited to that employment. He thereforenecessarily resorted to the woods for a support, where hesometimes shot a deer ; but although he handled a rifle well

,

he disl iked its use ; the labour of carrying the weaponwas

104 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

irksome to one of his gentlemanly nature, and the noi se of its

report particularly uncongenial with his habits of privacyand meditative turn of

'mind . Besides , gunpowder and leadcost money, which is not to be picked up every day in the

swamps of North Carol ina . And why should notmark ing apig be considered as respectable as gambl ing, or as honest asoverreaching a neighbour in a bargain ? Hark could see nod ifference . He knew l ittl e , of course , of morality ; but an

intuitive greatness of mind induced him ,early in l i fe

,to

adopt the magnanimous rule of the Spartan,which attached

no shame to any act, except that of doing it so awkwardly as

to be detected. Hark had no ambition to make a noise inthe world, but on the contrary shrunk habitually from ob

s’ervation and courted the society of his own thoughts . Likemany greatmen

,he seemed to have discovered thatingenuity

is a nobler qual ity than brute force and that d iscretionis the better part of valour. His mother’s table

,therefore

,was tolerablywel l suppl ied with game, cons isting entirely ofthe flesh of animals that might be taken without labour or

insnared by art. In the spring he caught fi sh,in the autumn

he shook the stupid opossum from the pers immon trees andpawpaw bushes

,and during the rest of the year he took

whatever chance threw in his way . Sometimes the weatherwas incl ement

,and nothing stirred in the woods but the

creaking bough or the trembl ing leaf,and sometimes Hark

,

who l ike other persons of genius had his dark days of despondency and lassitude,was dis incl ined to hunt, and he andDame Shortwere reduced to shortallowance ; but they wereused to this, and itwas marvellous to seewith what res ignation they could starve . They pol ished the bones which theyhad picked before, and when this resourcewas exhausted,passed whole days without eating

,the goodwife croaking over

the fire with a short black pipe in her mouth,and Hark

nestl ing in his pallet, l ike some hybernating an imalwho sleepsaway the long months of winter.

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1 06 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

the crawl ing an imal with both his feet, and trampled it to

death .

Theworld went quietly along with Hark unti l be "

ap

proached his eighteenth year, when several untoward eventsoccu rred to m ar his fel icity . In childhood he had been anhonest boy

,with a character perfectly unblemished except

by certain l ittl e improprieties, such as sucking eggs or milkingthe neighbours’ cowswhen he found them grazing in theswamps ; aud itwas thought that the undue severity of the

farm crs in flogging him for these l ittl e frailti es o f his naturecaused him to growup with the shy and misanthropic habitsfor .which hewas so remarkable . But as he became olderhis l arge herd of swine began to attractattenti on the fhrm ers

,

who bel ieved in the adage of the civil law, p artus sequ ilur,

&e.,which means in plain Engl ish that the ofl

‘

sprmg belongto the owner of the mother

,began to complain that the de

scendants of their hogs were pass ing frequently into the

possession of Hark the snake-k iller and threatened him with ,

the visitation oi'Lynch ’s law ; indeed, it is rum oured that hewas actually arraigned before a tribunal exercis ing this im

partial j urisdiction,but as there is no report o f the case we

suppose the allegation to be slanderous . Dangers,however

,

were thickening around him ; he nowspent all of his days inthe deepest recesses of the swamp

,and grew so wild that

whenever he heard the tramp of a horse or the crack of arifle

, he crept into s ome hollowtree or bounded away withthe caution of a startled fox . The fear of Lynch’s lawwascontinually before his eyes

,and he would rather have crawled

into a den of rattl esnakes than have shown his face in theneighbourmg settl ement.But the l ongest lane will have aturning, and the timewas

changed . One night on r eturning home he found his motherexpiring . Hewould have gone in search o f a physician,butsheknew that the hand of deathwas upon her

,and charged him

H an n a’s H E A D . 107

not to l eave -her beds ide . He l ighted some pine-knots,and

as the blaze i ll umined the cheerless cabin , gazed in stupefi edwohderat the pale and d istorted features of her who had beenhis sole companion through l ife . Shewas the only human beingwho had ever treated himwith kindness . He had not beentaught obedience by precept or example , but had served andsupported her from thatkind of instinctwhich induces

“animal s

to consort together for mutual protection , or to follow the

hand that feeds them . Blunted as his feelings were by hishabits of l ife

,he discovered for the first time an emotion of

tenderness swell ing athis heart. He watched for hours in si l encethe expiring taper of existence . Unable to render any ass istance

,and unski lled in those tender ass idu iti es which soothe the

pillow o f disease,he felt how helpless and how hopeless is the

sorrow of himwho watches alone in the chamber of death,awaiting the departure of the soul o f a beloved obj ect

,whose

fl ighthe cannotarrestnor retard . Atl ength,when her breathing

became indistinct,he leaned over the ghastly form and sobbed

in broken accents,Mother

,don’t— don’t die l” The dy ing

woman recognis ed the voiceof her son she turned her eyestowards him ; a gleam of maternal tenderness passed overher face

,and in the next moment her spirit passed from l ife

to etern ity .

Hark,whowas natural ly supers titi ous

,would nowhave

fled from the house of death,but a decent sense of pro

priety,restrained him ,

and renewing the blaze upon hisnow sol itary hearth, he sat with his face buried in his hands,giv ing unrestrained vent to his sorrow. These “were newfeel ings

,and

,l ike all sudden impulses , they were evanescent.

Gri ef soon exhausted itself, and when day dawned and thebeams of the sun began to dissipate the mist that hung over

his dwelling,his wonted habits resumed theirempire . The

events of that day neednot be told . The following nightthe

m oon shone brightly . A hunterwho had strayed far fromhome in search of game

,returning at a late hour, discovered

108 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

the diminutive form of Hark, perched on the summit of a

small knol l not far from the cabin of the late widow . He

satmotionless , with his head resting on his hand , unconsc ious

of the hunter’s approach . The latter, who knew the waryhabits of the boy ,was surprised at his remai n ing thus mo

tionless, and supposing hewas hurt or had fall en asl eep , drewnear with a friend]y intentto awaken or ass ist h im . But the

sound of his approaching footsteps soon broke the reveri e of

Hark,who no sooner became aware of being observed than

he started up, and after a cautious glance around instantlyfled in terror from the spot. The astonished hunter, on

examining,found that the boy had been s itting by a newly

made grave,over which the moist earth had j ustbeen closed .

The spade lay there with the fresh soil stil l cl inging to theblade . Alone; and by moonl ight, this s ingular being bad performed the melancholy rite of sepulture . O u the followingmorning some of the neighbours vis ited the cabinby the swamp,but found it deserted norwas Hark ever seen again in thatvicinity . Sometimes the hunter

,when engaged in the m azes

of thatwild morass,fancied he heard a sound l ike that of a

man striking his feet rapidly on the ground,and itwas

said that the form of Hark the snake-k ill erwas seen gl idingquietly over the turbid pools . Buthis fate remained unknown ;whether in his sol itary wanderings he had been stung to deathby some venomous reptil e or sunk ina quagmire

, or whetherthe Evil One, who seemed to have long s in ce marked him for

his prey, had carr ied him off; none could conjecture . It issaid that a variety of noxious animals took possess ion

'

of thedeserted cabin, as if in tri umph over their persecutor ; andwhen itwas vis ited long afterwards

, itwas surrounded by arank growth of weeds, and the entrance choked with thornsand briers ; a she-wolf had hidden her l itter under the ru ins ofthe chimney a numerous colony of rattlesnakes coi led theirloathsome forms beneath the dilapidated floor

,and the roof

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1 10 LE G E a o n T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R X I I .

ONTRARY to all the conjectures which had been formedrespecting him ,

Hark Short,the snake-ki ller

,was stil l i nthe land of the l i ving. Some months after his disappearan cefrom the place of his nativity, he presented himsel f nearlynaked and almost starved at the house of a farmer i nKentucky

,where hewas received in conformity with the hospih

abl e usages of that country,without suspicion or question .

Itwas enough that hewas destitute and a stranger. He Wasfed and clothed and continued to l inger about the house

,

wandering off in the daytime to the woods to huntor killsnakes

,and creeping quietly i nto the cabin at night, where he

nestled in a blanket upon the hearth,with his feet to the

fi re. When cal led upon to ass ist in any of the labours of the

farm , he complied with the most evident distaste . He couldnot handle any farming implement but the hoe

_and axe, andthese but awkwardly and evinced a thorough d isl i ke againstall domestic animals . If sent to r ide a h0 1 se to water

,or

l ead him to the stable,hewas sure to pinch or prick the

creature with a thorn,unti l those which were most sagacious

and spirited learned to show their antipathy for the unluckyboy by laying back their ears whenever he approached . Inshort, he could do nothing useful except to hunt raccoons andopossums or to ass ist the farmer in catching his half-wildhogs, which , as in al l newcountries, ranat large in the woods .

O noccasions l ike the latter, his exploits were the subjects of

H A R P E’s H E A D . 1 1 1

wonder and merriment. It seemed to afford him an honest

pridefi

to exhibit a gen ius superior to that of the swinish m ul

titude. Hewas an overmatch for the fi ercest and mostbulkyof these animals

,evin cing clearly in his triumphs the vast

disparity between intel lect and instinct. Having selected theobject 0 11 which to exercise his dexterity

,he would l i e for

hours coiled upon a log,unti l his victim approached, or would

drag his body along the ground towards it so sl owly that themoti onwas im perceptible, and at l ast springing upon its back ,seized the bristl es with his l eft hand

,and p ress his heels into

its flanks,cl inging with so fi rm a grasp

,that the enraged

an imal could neither assai l nor dislodge him unti l he broughthis prey to the ground by passing his knife into its throat.If he fai led to al ight on its back

,or if his pos itionwas un

favourable for this exploit,be seized one o f the hinder l imbs

,

and when the animal happened to be large and strong,it

would dart away on three l egs,dragging the l ight form o f

Hark rapidly over the d ri ed leaves and fallen timber. But

itwas imposs ible to shake him off ; in vain did the enragedswine dash through the closed thickets or plunge into them iry swamps ; Hark retained his hold unti l the dogs and mencame to his rel ief.These feats gained him applause

,and rendered his soci ety

to l erable to those who would otherwise have been disgustedwith his unsocial temper and unamiable habits . The onlybrute that he could endurewas the dog ; even these he atfi rstv iewed with manifest symptoms of repugnance y but afterwitness ing thei r good qual ities in catching hogs , and hunting,he admitted that if dogs would not bark , they mightbe madevery useful . T herewas one redeeming qual ity in the conduct of this s i ngular being

,whichwas fondness forchi ldren .

He had never until now asso ciated with any of the humanrace buthis mother of men he had an instincti ve dread, andseemed to hate thewhol e brute creation ; towards children aloned id he ev ince a show of k indness . Itwas a k indness which

1 12 L E G E N D S o r T H E’WE S T .

d isplayed itself in mute and almost negati ve actions , l ike

that o f the faithful dog, who watches the playing infantwitha complacent eye

,and sufi

'ers it to sport with his paws and

teeth,to pull his ears , and even to torment him , without the

l east show of resentment.Itwas to the house of the farmer with whom Hark had

found a temporary home, that the pr isoners taken at Stanford were brought, on the evening succeeding their arrest.0 11 their approach, the boy ,who sat in a corner

,in his accus

tom ed moody s il ence,was the fi rst to hear the tramp of

horses .Without speak ing to any body , he rose

,stole cau

tiously out,and under the shade of an out-house watched the

dismounting horsemen . With his usual stealthy habits, hecontinued to l inger about, l istening to all the conversation hecould catch

,without making his appearance . At last

,as if

satisfi ed thatno immediate danger threatened his ownsafety,

he entered the room in which the prisoners had been lodged,

vei l ing his constitutional fear of strangers under an assumedapathy of countenance

,or only betray ing it by an occas ional

wild and timid glance,l ike that of the wolf

,who

,crouching

in his den,

. listens to the distant bayings of the hunters’

dogs.After a l ittl e whil e

,the men who guarded the prisoners

left the apartment, some to take care of their horses andothers sauntering around the house

,so as stil l to be near

enough to prevent the poss ibil ity of their prisoners’ escape.The latter sat upon a bench

,with their feetbo und together,

and their arms strongly pinioned behind them,whi le Hark

continued immovable in his corner,unti l one of the men, in

a coarse tone, asked him for a drink of water. The boyarose , and , as if determined to profit by the opportunitywhich thus presented itself of indulging his curiosity withouthazard , presented a gourd of water with one hand

,whil e he

held a candle with the other. The person to whose l ips heheld the cool ing draught, whowas the larger of the two

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1 14 L E G E N D S O F T H E'W E S T .

Not, in petick lar

But she said something ; I’

d l ike to knowwhat itwas. ”Mammy didn’t know as you’d ever hear it.

”

Then itwas something bad 2”

Not in petick lar.

”

Then you might as wel l tel l me what itwas .

”

It would make you mad , ”

No,it wouldn’t— I don’t mind what women say, no

Well,she said

,if any bodywas to rake hel l w ith a fine

comb,they could not find s ich a

Here he hes itated.

O ut with it, boy .

S ich a tarnal villain .

Was that all 2” inquired the man coolly, and as if disappointed in not getting out some fact which hewas endeavcuring to drawfrom his stupid companion— “did she say

nothing more 2”

Well I don’t know as she ever sa id any thing'

else,i n

petick lar.

Give me some more water,

said Harpe ; and as theboy held the gourd to his l ips

,instead of drinking

,hewhis

pered something,in a hurri ed

,authoritative tone . Hark

stepped back in surprise and retreated across the room,much

agitated . He then resumed his former position in the cornermost distant from the prisoners

,coi led himself up upon the

floor,and appeared to sl eep ; andwhen the men compos ing

the guard returned,every thing seemed quiet.

As the night wore away,these hardy backwoodsmen con

tinned to sit to a late hour around the fi re ; for although itwas early i n the autumn,the nightwas cool

,and a cheerful

blaze glowed on the hearth . They amused themselves inconvers ing of the ir early homes from which they had emigrated, of the incidents connected with thei r j ourneys , and oftheir adventures in hunting andwar. These subjects are so

H ann a’s H E A D . 1 15

interesting as always to awaken attention, and they becameparti cularly so when discussed by a race of men who are elo

quent by natu re , and speak with a freedom o f sentiment andfluency of language which are not found in any other peopl ewho use our dialect.At last

,on e o f the hunters

,wrapping a blanket about his

brawny frame,threw himself on the floor

,and soon sl umbered

with a soundness which the bed of down does not alway safford ; another, and another, followed his example , unti l two0 11 1y, who were appointed for the purpose , were left to keepwatch over the prisoners

,for whom a pallet had been made

upon the floor. In the mean while, Hark had been lying inthe corner unnoticed

,and apparently fast asl eep ; his eyes

were closed,and those who might have look ed towards him

,

would not have been abl e to d iscover,by the uncertain light

,

that one eyel idwas partially raised,and that

,while seem

ine asl eep,hewas attentive]y watching all that passed . He

had changed his pos ition too,unobserved

,and the prisoners

having been placed near the middl e of the small apartment,

hewas now lying near them .

At l ength , one of the guards l eftthe room,and the other

was s itting with his back towards the prisoners,intently eu

gaged in cl eaning the l ock of his rihe . Hark now drew himsel f silently along the floor

,unti l he placed himself in contact

with the pallet of the capti ves , then pass ing his hand rapidlyunder the blanketwhich covered them both

,out the thongs

which bound thei r arms,pl aced the knife in the hand o f the

one nearest him,and hasti ly resumed his fo rmer place in the

corner. All thiswas the work of one m inute ; and i n another

,the Harpes were on their feet rushing towards the

doo r,and the sentinels started up onl y in time to witness

thei r escape . The whole companywas instantly al armed ;m en and dogs dashed into the surrounding thickets in eagerpursuit

,but the murderers el uded their sk il ful search

,and the

party retum ed dispirited and angry with each other. An

1 16 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

animated debate occurred as to the cause of the d isaster,but

its real authorwas not suspected unti l it found thatHarkwas missing. In the confusion of the fi rst alarm hehad sl ipped away

,andwas seen no m ore in that neighbour

hood .

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1 1 8 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

taste for them,and are content to l eave them to be imagined

by our tasteful and sentimental readers .

If there be any who are d isposed to l isten to a dry detailof events

,which are necessary to explain and connect the cir

cum stances which have been hinted at i n this history, we shal lintroduce them into a small Dutch tavern on the frontiers of

the settled part of Pennsylvania. Itwas a stone house,

’

builtwith an attention to sol idity which showed that the proprietorentertained the hope of transmitti ng it to his descendants. O uthe s ign-board

,which hung conspicuously before the door

,was

painted the bust of a woman with arms extended and with agreatsuitof long hair streaming l ike a birch

‘

broom down herback

,grasping a looking-glass i n one hand and a comb inthe

other,whil e the lower extremity of the figure tapered off into

something resembl ing the tai l of a sea-serpent. Over thiss ingular representationwas written THE MARE MADE

,

” andunderneath

,By Jecob Shultz hoover.

” The front dooropened into a bar-room

,in the centre of whichwas placed a

large tin-plate stove,around whose heated s ideswas collected

a circle of teamsters,smoking their pipes

,and convers ing with

all convenient del iberation in the harmonious accents of the

Dutch language . In a back room,sim ilarlywarm ed

,was a

table from which a traveller had lately risen,and over whose

ample surfacewas scattered in giganti c ruin the remains of agreat

’

dish of sour-kraut and pork,the rel ic of a rapacious

apple-pie, and a rye loaf, flanked by pitchers of cider and milk .

Several bouncing girls,’

with faces“round as my shield,

”

rotund forms, and flesby sun-burnt arms bare to the elbow,were clearing away the wreck of the eveningm eal with a m ar

vellons activ ity , s impering and smil ing all the while,as they

covert]y peeped at the handsome young gentl eman who satpicking his teeth by the stove

,so deep]y pl unged in m edita

tion as notto noticewhatwas pass ing around him . I am not

aware whether picking the teeth is altogether heroic,but a fit

of abstraction is the .very thing— it looks so l over-l ike and

II A a P s’s H E A D . 1 19

interesting . This meditative gentl emanwas our fri end Mr.

Fennimore,whowas hasten ing to join the arm y on the front

ier. Shortly after supper he retired to his chamber, took aset of writing materi als from his val ise

,and 'spent the evening

in compos ing a long letter, from which we shal l take the l ibertyof making some extracts

Lieut. Lyttleton F ennim ore, to 0 . Wallace,Esq.

My fatherwas a nati ve of England,who came to Virginia

when hewas quite a young man . Hewas of a good family,

and well educated ; if my mother be cons idered a competentwitness in such a case

,hewas even more

,— highl y aecom

plished and remarkably interesting in person and manners .

He brought letters of i ntroduction andwas wel l received ; andas soon as itwas understood that his extreme indigencewassuch as to render it necessary that he should embark in someemployment to earn a support

,hewas read ily received as

private tutor in the family of a gentleman resid ing not farfrom Mr. Heyward

,the father of the late Major Heyward

,

whose melancholy death I have descr ibed to you . Mr . Heyward also employed him to give lessons i n drawing and the

French language to his only daughter,then a girl .of about

seventeen . A mutual attachment ensued between m y fatherand this young lady , whichwas carefully concealed , becausethe Heywards

,though genero us and hospitable

,were proud

and aspiring .“I do not know howitwas thatm y father became unpop

ular among the young gentlemen o f the neighbou rhood . His

manners might not have been sufliciently conci liating, or hisspirit might have been above his stati on

,and have prompted

him to exact attentions which were not thought due to a private tuto r. Perhaps his attentions to Miss Heyward weresuspected

,and regarded as presumptuous . Whatever might

have been the cause the resultwas thathewas coolly receivedin society and subjected to many petty indigniti es . The

120 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

youngerMr.Heyward

,who had at first treated him with kind

ness,no sooner suspected him of paying attentions to his sis

ter,to whom hewas tenderly attached, than he became his

violentenemy , and insisted on his i mmediate discharge . Theelder Mr.

Heyward,too magnanim ous to do a del iberate act

of inj ustice, took time for reflection. During this interval anevent occurred which b roughtmatters to a cris is .

Although the American colon ies were at that time loyal

to the British king, and no plan of revolution had beenmatured, yet extens ive d iscontents prevailed, and language oi

'

the strongest reprehens ion against the ministrywas currentlyused . My father had , in writing to England , drawn a vividpi cture of the state of publ i c sentiment i n Virgi nia

,and the

letter having been shown to a cabinetminister, hewas so wel lpleased with the spirit displayed i n it

,as well as with the

talents of’the writer, that he intimated a wish that the

correspondence should be kept up . This l ed to a series ofletters

,written by m y father, expressly for the eye of the

m inister. Hewas a Briton by birth and allegiance,and d id

nothing d ishonourable in acting thus,as an agent of the gov

ernm ent; and as he adhered strictly to truth, and depicted themoti ves of the colonists even in favourable colours , he could notbe justly considered as violating hospital ity . This correspondence

,however

,was discovered ; its authorwas represented as

a spy, and loaded with all the Opprobri umwhich the ind ignation of an enraged community could suggest. Nothing butsudden flight could have saved his l ife . Miss Heyward wasthe fi rst to warn him of his danger. Having already givenhim her affections

,and being prepared to share his fortunes

,

she proved her s incerity and her devotion by nobly consentingto elope with him and become the companion of his povertyand mi sfortune . They commenced their hightat the dawn ofday, and before its close had indissolubly united their fates bythe marriage bond .“They retired for awhile from‘ notice

,hohihg

'

that'

my'

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122 LE G E N D S o r T H E

which al l her affections were concentrated in myself, the only

eaithlyobject of her regard . And I can remember, too , the

fervour with which I mentally vowed to devote my whol e l ife

to her service . The death of a relati ve of my father in England placed us in possess ion of a smal l annuity , which re

lieved my excel lent mother from the necessity of l abouring

for a support, and enabled her to educate me in a manner

suitable to her wishes though we were stil l poor, and obl iged ,as you are aware, to l ive in the most frugal manner.“At the decease of my grandfather, Mr . Heyward

,weIearned that a considerable sum of money

“would fal l to m y

mother, under the provis ions of a settlement made at themarriage

.

of her parents . But again her prid e and herwounded feelings induced her to prefer obscure i ndigencerather than make her s ituation known in any manner to her

family ; nor unti l I became old enough to take the management of my affairs i nto my own hands

,would she consent to

have her claim investigated . Thiswas the purpose of myvisitto Virginia. I have detailed to you most of the eventsattending that visit : it is enough to add, that m y uncle‘

satisfi ed me that we had been misinformed . No marriagesettlement had ever existed

,his father died intestate

,and he

,

tinder the rule of primogeniture, which then [prevail ed inV ir

ginia,was the sole heir. Thus a hope long cherished in secretby

'

my motherwas in a m oment blasted .

”

H a a r n’s H E A D . 123

C H A P T E R X I V .

Aof a fine autum n day

,a sol itary travel ler found

himse lf bewildered among the l abyrinths of the forest,

near the shores of the O hio . He had taken his departureearly i n the morning from the cabin of a hunter

,to whose

hospital ity he had been indebted for his l ast n ight’s lodgingand supper— if that deserves the name of hospital ity whichcons isted of l ittle more than a permiss ion to spread his blank et and eat his prov is ions by the woodman ’s hra. We callit so becaus e itwas granted in a spirit of k indness. ‘Vhenhe parted from his host i n the morning

,he learned that the

settl ement to which hewas destinedwas fi fty mil es distant,and he spurred onward in ‘

the confi dent hope of reaching hisjourney ’s end ere the setting in of night. Befb re the daywas half spent, he began to suspect that he had taken thewrong path but unwil l ing to retrace his steps

,he stil l pushed

on in the expectation of meeting with some human habitationfrom which he could take a newdeparture.

Itwas,as we have before remarked , forty years ago, and

this countrywas stil l awilderness ; the Indian tribes hadbeen driven to the oppos ite shore of the O hio

,but continued

to revisit their ancient huntingg rounds, sometimes in peace,but oftener impelled towar by their insatiabl e appetite forplunder and revenge . Smal l colonies were thinly s catteredthrougho ut the whol e of this region

,maintaining themselves

by constant watchfulness and courage, and every here and

124 L E G E N D S o r T H E WE S T .

there a station— a rude block-house surrounded with palisades— afi

'orded shelter to the travel ler, and refuge in time of

danger to al lwithin its reach . Between these settl ements,extens ive tracts remained uninhabited and pathless, blooming

in al l the native luxuriance and savage grace which had cap

tivated the heartof their earl i est admirer among the whites ,the fearless and enterprising Boon .

O n the same evening,Mr. Timothy Jenkins, the sol e pro

prietor, occupant, and commander of Jenk ins’ Station ,”

might be seen alter nately ply ing his axe, with a skill andvigour of which a backwoodsman alone is master, and shouldering huge logs of wood , under the burthen of which anyother sinews than such as were accustomed to the labour wouldhave been rentasunder. Itwas evident that Captain Jenkinswas preparing for a vigorous defence of his garrison againstan enemy of no mean importance

,andwas determined.

to

guard against the inroads of a hard frost,by building a log

h eap in his fi re-place . That the latter.was of no ordinary

dimens ions might have been readily inferred from the quantity of fuel required to hll it ; for Timothy , l ike a true Kentuck ian

, never cons idered his fi re made until the hearthwasstowed full of the largest logs which his hercul ean l imbs en:

abled him to carry . An unpractised observer might havesupposed that hewas lay ing in a supply of fuel for the winter

, when the hospitable landlordwas only performing a dailylabour. And here it is necessary to inform those who havenot enjoyed the l uxury of repos ing i n a cabin

,that the fi re

place is generally about eight feet in width,and four’

or fi ve

in depth , so as to contain conveniently about a quarter o f acord

’

of wood , which quantity produces a cheerful warmth ,the more necessary as the doors are l eft standing open .

Hav ing performed this duty,Captain Jenk ins threw down

his axe with the air of one greatly rel ieved by having gottenfairly th rough a disagreeable job

,and relaxing into the ordi

nary indolence of manner, from which themomentary stimulus

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126 L E G E N D S 61? T H E W E S T .

prietor, moreover, became a cap tain, by common consent;because as the peoplegathered here in time of danger, and it

was natural that he should command in his own house , thatoflice fel l to him during a s iege, and of course pertain ed toh im through l ife. And such is the love of mil itary titlesamong a peopl e who are most]y descended from warl ikeancestors, that however the individual thus honoured may beafterwards distingu ished, though he may become a legislator,or even a magistrate, his military des ignation is seldommerged inany other.The dwell ing of Captain Jeakinswas composed of two

log houses, covered under the same roof so as to leave awide passage between them , after the most approved fashionof a Kentucky log cabin . Round the fi re-plaee, which occa!

pied nearly the whol e gable-end of the house, sathye or six

men recently dismounted from their horses,whowere com

pensating themselves for the fatigue and abstinence of a day’s

travel,from the contents of a bottl e whichwas circulating

rapid]y among them .

Come on,Tim Jeakins

,said one of them to the land

lord,as he entered

,step forrard, and touch the blue bottl e

to your l ips. Your whiskey is as good as your fi re and thatis saying a great deal

,for you are the severest old beaver to

late wood that I ’ve seen for many a long day.

”“I l ike to warm my fri ends ins id e as wel l as out,when

they cal l on me,

”rejoined Jenkins

,the nights are getting

powerful cold , and they say it’s not good for a man to l ie

down to sl eep with a chi l l inhis blood .

”“I say so too,

”said the other “I don’t know what cold

is good for, except to give a m an an appetite

'

for his

l iquorO r long nights,

” continued the host,butto get sober i n

m sc here’s good luck to you,Mr. Patterson

,and to you . gen

tlem en,al l .

At this moment the attention of the companywas arrested

H anv s’s H E A D . 127

by a loud hallo l” uttered without,andMr, J enk ins hastened

to recei ve a newguest. He soon returned,introducing a

young gentl eman of a very prepossess ing appearance,whose

dress and manners announced him as an inhabitant of a morepol ished country than thatin which he found him self. Itwasour fri endMr. George Lee, who having been lost inthe forest,as we hav e seen

,had continued to grope his way in greatper

plexity, until he chanced to fal l into a path whi ch l ed to the

Station. ” Bowing cheerfully to the rough sons of the

forest,as they greeted him w ith the usual“How d ’ye do,

strange‘

r 2 he seated himself and began to throw off his spurs ,

l eggins,gloves

,and other travelling accoutrements , while

Patterson and his companions , after a passing glance , resumed

their bottle and their mirth .

Tired and cold,Mr. Lee drew his chair towards the fire ,and remained for a time in the enjoyment of its comfortable warmth. Patterson sat by the tabl e replenish ing hisglass and pressing his companions to drink , talk ing all the

while in a loud and overbearing tone, and growing more andmore bo isterous, unti l the annoyance awakenedMr. Lee froma kind of stupour thatwas creeping over him . He raised his

head , and discovered the eyes of one of the party fixed uponhim

,with a gaze so eager and so mal ignantas to attract his .

owninstantattention . The man , whose countenance displayednothing remarkable

,except a ferocity unmingl ed with the

l easttouch of human feeling, no sooner caught the eye of the

young.

traveller than he drew back , as if to avoi d obser.

vation .

Mr. George Leewas a young gentleman by no meansremarkable for penetration ; but hewas bold and manly , hadmixed with the world more than most persons of his years,and had a tolerable faculty of knowing men by the ir looks— e

a faculty which by no means evinces a high degree of intel lect,butmore fre quently is found in ordinary m inds . He lookedround upon the company into which he had been accidentally

128 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

thrown,and for the fi rst time his eye rested upon thesavage

features of Patterson. The latterwas a large stoutman , evidently

endued with more than common strength . Therewasa considerable degree of sagacity in his countenance, and his

strong peculiar language seemed to be that of one accustomed

to think and speak without constraint. His blood-shot eyeand bloated skin betokened habitual intemperance the herceand remorseless express i on of his facewas rendered more terrifi c by a large scar on his forehead and another on his cheek ,whil e thewhol e appearance of the m anwas bold

,impudent

,

and abandoned . He possessed, or whatwas more l ikely ,afi'ected

,jov ial ity and humour, continually press ing his com

panions to drink, and giving to every remark a strangely extravagant and original turn , which always created laughter.

Another pecul iaritywas the l oudness of his coarse voicepartly from habit, partly out of an assumed frankness and anafi

‘

ectation of not caringwho heard him ,and partly to pro.

duce an impression of his superiority upon those around him ;he always spoke as l oud even in a small room as another personwould in haranguing a multitude . But when intox icated

,

this pecul iarity became very strik ing ; then he bellowed androared— uttering his sentiments with an astonishing energy oflanguage and a horribl e profus ion of the most terrifi c oaths

,

in a voice natural ly loud,and nowpitched to its highest and

harshest note,and with a wonderful vehemence of gesture.

This characteristi c had gained for him the nickname of Roaring Bob ,

” by which hewas as wel l known as by his properchristian and surnames .

O ur friend George Lee,who had never before seen a man

whose presence excited so much disgust,turned from him and

looked round upon his associates . They were a v illainous andrufiian set

, who seemed fi t instruments to perpetrate any crimehowever base or bloody . Therewas one person present

,how

ever, whose countenance drew his regard the more forcibly,from the contrast it presented with those around . Itwas that

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30 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

or issue. It will be readily imagined that his conj ecturescould lead to no satisfactory conclusion, and that his s ituation— decoyed into the sol itude and darkness of the forest, by a

stranger— perhaps one of those whose felon glances hadattracted his attention— was such as to have created alarm in

the stoutest heart. Y et there is something in every young

and chivalric bosom which welcomes danger when it assumesanair of romance ; and George Lee, while internally blaminghis own imprudence, which seemed to be leading him from afancied to a real danger, could not res ist the curiosity whichhe felt to develop the mystery

,nor reso lve to abandon an

adventure which promised at l east novelty. His uncertaintywas of short duration ; for his guide after a fewminutes’ rapidwalking emerged into an open clearing and halted and as hestood exposed in the clear moonl ight

,Mr. Lee had no dith

culty in recogni s ing the young forester whose prepossessingappearance he had remarked as affording so strong a contrastto the suspicious looks and brutal manners of his associates.

Pointing to a ru ined cabi n near which they stood,

“It isfortunate for you

,sir

,

”said the guide

,that our landlord’s

stable within the stockadewas fil l ed before you arri ved,and

that your good nagwas sent to this sorry roof for shelter.

”

I shall be better abl e to appreciate my good fortune,

said Lee, endeavouring to imitate the com posure With whichthe other had spoken

,when I learn in whatmanner I am to

he benefi ted by the bad lodging of my home .”“By the badness of his lodging nothing,” said the other,

by its privacy,m uch— to be bri ef

,you must fly.

Fly !when— how 2”“Now , upon your horse , unless you prefer some othermode of travel l ing .

”

Fly repeatedMr. Lee incredulousiy, from what2”

From danger— press ing and immed iate danger.

”

The young travel ler stood for a m oment irresol ute,gazing

at the placid features of the backwoodsman,as if endeavouring

H A R P mis H E A D . 131

to dive into his thoughts . His embarrassed air and suspiciousglance did not escape the forester

,who i nquired,

Are you satisfi ed — wi l l you confi de in meI cannot choose buttru styou— and there is that inyour

countenance which tel ls me my confidence wil l not be m isplaced ; I only hes itated under the suspicion that Iwas to bemade the subj ect of some idl e jest. ”

I have been too familiar with danger,said the other

, to

cons ider ita fi tsubject for pleasantry . Had you l ooked deathin the face as often as I have done

, you would have learned torecognise the warning voi ce of a friendwho tells you of its

approach .

Enough,repl iedLee

,

“pardon my hasty suspi cion— and

let me know what has excited your apprehens ions for mysafety.

”

First let us saddle your horse,

—we delay here too long .

So saying,the young woodsman hastened into the cabin and

With Mr. Lee’s ass istance equipped the gallant steed,whom

they found sounding his nostrils over a fu l l trough, with avigour which announced as wel l the keenness of his appetite asthe excel l en ce of his food .

Your nag has a good stomach for his corn,

said thebackwoodsman , l ead ing him out into the moonlight, and if

he does not bel i e his l ooks, he trav els as well as he feeds ;”

and withoutwaiting for ar eply he threw the bridle over theanimal ’s neck

,and returning into the cabin , produced the bag.

gage, greabeoat, and other equipments of Lee,who nowmorethan ever astonished at the conduct of his companionprepared insi l ence for his journey.

Are you ready 2” sai d the forester.

I am ready .

Then mount,and follow me .

The guide struck into the woods , and proceed ing With.the same noiseless steps which Lee had before remarked

,

strode forward with a rapidity to which neither the darkness

132 L E G E N D S o r T H E VV E s'r .

of the forest nor the thick undergrowth of tangled bushes

seemed to present any obstac le . They proceeded in s i len ce ,

the horse following instinctively the footsteps of the forester,

until the latter striking into a hard foot-path halted , and ad

vancing to thehorseman’s s ide

,placed his hand on the pum

mel of the saddle .With common prudence you are now safe

,said he— and

after a moment’s hes itation he continued in a lowrapid tone :“those scoundrels in the house have laid a plan to rob and

murder you .

”

Is itposs ible ? Can they be such base

It is true— I have not alarmed you on bare suspi cion . Ioverheard their plan— and knowing the men, Iwas satisfi ed

that you could save your l ife only by fl ight.”“But our landlord— surely he is not privy to their de

He is not.

Why then should I fly ? If he and yourself wil l standby me

,I could defy a regim ent of such fel lows .

”

You do notknow your danger— to return would be madness— Jenkins

,though an honest

,is a timid man as for m y

self,I would cheerfully aid you

,but circumstances forbid that

I should em broil myself with those men at present. Besides,

you cannotremain at the Station always,and your departure

can never be effectedwith such safety as now,before the

enemy is on the alert. Farewel l— keep that path,and you

are safe . ” So say ing he disappeared,'

and our travel ler,with

a heavy heart,resumed his journey .

If Mr. Lee had found his s ituation perplexing on the preceding day, while wander ing in uncertainty through the forest,itwas certainly more so now

,when surrounded by the gloom

of night. Unable to see the way,hewas obl iged to trust eu

tirely to the i nstinct of his horse,who kept the path with

surpr is ing sagacity . Sometimes he found him self descendinginto a ravine, sometimes the splashing of water announced

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'134 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

denly broken by the savage bowl of the wol f, or the fearful

screaming of the owl , the travel ler involuntari ly started , and

was not ashamed to acknowledge a thri ll ing sense of danger.

Even now the panther might be si lently crawl ing along his

track, watching for a favourable opportunity to spring upon

his prey the hungry wolf might be scenting his approach , or

the Indian crouching in his path. Wearied with conjecture,a

feverish excitement took possess ion o f his frame,and he

thought he could cheerfully encounter any peri l rather thanbe thus tortured with darkness and suspense . Bodily fatigue“was added to his sufferings , and at l ength he dismounted to

seek a momentary rel ief by a change of posture , and threwh imself on the ground at the root of a tree

,holding his bridle

in his hand ; and the vividness of his sensations subs id ing withthe inacti on of his frame, hewas unconsciously overcome bysleep .

When GeorgeLee awoke, the morningwas far advanced .

The bridle had fallen from his hand, and his horsewas grazingquietly near him . Stiff and aching with cold, he remountedand pursued his journ ey . The road

,if such it could be cal led ,

was no other than a narrow path, winding through the forest,of suffi cientwidth to admitthe passage only of a single horsem an. Pursu ing the course of a natural ridge

,the travell er

passed through a hilly region,clothed with oak and hickory

trees,and thickly set with an undergrowth of hazel-bushes

and grape-vines ; often halting to seek the path whichwasconcealed by the intertwining brush or covered with fal lenl eaves

,and sometimes delaying to gather the nuts and fruit

which offered their l uxuries in abundance . Thence des cending into the rich all uvion flats

,his way led through groves of

cotton-trees and sycamore,whose gigantic trunks ascending to

an immense height were surmounted with long branches so

closely interwoven as almost to exclude the light of heaven.

Sometimes the graceful cane skirted his path,and he waded

heav ily through the tangled brake, embarrassed by the num e

H a a r a’s H E A D . 135

rous tracks beaten by the wild graz ing animals,who resortto

such spots,or al armed by the appearance of beasts of prey

,who l urk in these gloomy co verts . Alternately delightedwith the beauties of nature

,or chill ed by the dreary sol itude

of thewi lderness,ou r traveller passed rapid ]y ou

,sometimes

enjoy ing those absorbing reveries i n which young minds areapt to revel

,and som etimes indulging the apprehens ions

which his s ituationwas calculated to excite . F or the bear,

the wolf,and the panther

,sti l l l urked i n these solitudes

,

and the more dangerous Ind ian yet claimed them as his

heritage .The sunwas s ink ing towards the western horiz on when he

reached the broken country bordering on the Ohio. His

heart, which had been saddened by the monotonous gloom of

interminable flats and the intricacy of miry brakes,

cheered as the hills rose upon his view,and his faithful hors e

moved with renewed vigour when his hoof struck the fi rmso il . Stil l the apprehensi on o f approaching nightwas notwithout its terror. The backwood sman alone

,accustomed to

such scenes,inured to the toils of the chase

,and versed in the

stratagems of border warfare,can contemplate with ind ifi

'er

ence the prospect of a sol itary encampment inthe forest and

our travel ler began to l ook impatiently for the s igns of humanhabitation . He l istened with intense interest to every sound.In vain ; the deer sti ll gal loped across his path

,stopping to

gaze at the harmless stranger, then throwing back their hornsand leaping leisurely away with graceful bounds ! The owlhooted in the dark valleys

,sending forth yells so long

,so

l oud,and so dismal

,as to m islead the traveller into the mo

mentary bel ief that itwas the mournful wai l of humanmisery whil e the long shadows fall ing across the deepravines, and seen through myriads of yellow leaves whichfloated on the breeze

,assumed fantasti c shapes to the now

heated fancy of the tiredwayfarer.

L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R XV .

R. GEO RGE LEE had been accustomed his youthto active sports and severe bod ily exercises ; hewas

perfectly at home in the saddle,and

'

loved to wander aboutthe woods, better than to do any thing el se except to drinkwine . There were, therefore, some pleasures mixed with theperplexities of his present s ituation . He bore the fatiguesinto which hewas so unexpectedly thrown , l ike an experi encedhunter

,accustomed to l ong and weary excursions his native

courage rendered him careless of the dangers o f the way,and

his taste for f orest sportswas frequent]y gratifi ed by the s ightof animals which were new to him

,and of places charmingly

suited to the amusements in which he del ighted . The onlything that distressed himwas hunger. Although hewas inlove

,and had travel led all the way from Vi rginia

,i n pursuit

of Miss Pendleton,whose hand he cons idered indispensabl e

to his happiness, yethewas so unsentimental as to be actual ly

hungry— and well he might be,for the poor young man had

now been riding twenty-four hours without food .

When suffering a privation of this kind,we are apt to tor

ment ourselves with the recoll ection of the good . things thatwe have eaten“ in happier days . And who had been morefortunate in this respect than our fr iend George

,who had not

onlySate atgood m en

’

s feasts”

al l his l ife, but kept expert cooks, and gave famous d inners

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138 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

angl es round a dense thicket. A fewpaces before him, anduntil this instant concealed by the thick brush, stood a miserable squal id boy, intently engaged in watching som e object

not far from him . A small,gaunt, wolf-looking, starved dog

crouched near him ,equally intent on the same game, so that

even his quick ear did not catch the tread of the horse’s feet

as they rustled among the dry l eaves, unti l the parties werein close contact. The dog then

,withoutmoving, uttered a

low growl,which the ear of his master no sooner caught than

he looked round,and seeing Mr. Lee

,started up andwas

about to fly. But George exclaimed, My littl e man, I’ve

lostmy way,and the lad stopped, eyed the traveller timidly,

and then looked earnestly towards the spot to which hisglance had been before directed .“l have missed my way ,” continuedLee, and em almoststarved .

”

Can’t you wait a minute til l I kil l thatour snake,

”repl ied

Hark— for itwas he.

The travel ler looked in the direction indicated by theboy ’s finger, and sawan immense rattl esnake ooiled

,with its

head reared in the centre,his m outh unclosed

,his fi erce eyes

gleaming vindictively,and all his m otions indicating a watch

ful and enraged enemy . Hark gazed at the repti le with aneager and mal ignant satisfaction . H is features

,usually

stupid,were now an imated with hatred and triumph . The

scenewas precise]y suited to i nterest the sportsmanlike pro

pensities of Mr. George Lee,if he had not happened to be

too hungry to enjoy any thing which might delay him anylonger in the wilderness .“Kill the snake

,boy, said he

,impatiently

,and then

show me the way to s ome house .Hark motioned with his finger, as if enjoining s ilence

,and

repli ed lacon ically,It ain’t ready yet.

”

The rattl esnake now raised his tail and shook his rattl es ,as if in defiance ; and then , as if satisfi ed with this show of

H A R P E’s H E A D . 139

valour,and find ing that his enemies made no advance

,but

stood moti onless,slowly unco iled himself, and began to gl ide

away . Hark left his pos ition, and,with noisel ess steps

,

alertly made a smal l circuit,so as to place him i n front of

the enemy . The snake raised his head,darted out his tongue

,

and then turned to retreat i n another direction ; but nosooner had he presented his s ide to Hark

,than the i ntrepid

snake-k ill er bounded forward and al ighted with both his feet0 11 the neck of the repti le

,strik ing rapidly fi rstwith one foot

,

and then the other,but skilful ly keeping his victim pinned to

the ground so as to prevent the use o f its fangs . The snake,in greatagony

,now twisted the whol e of its long body round

Hark’s l eg ; and the boy, del ighted to witness the writhingso f his foe

,stood for a while grinning in tri umph . Then

carefully seizing the reptile by the neck,which he held

firm ly under his foot, he del iberately untwisted it from his

l eg, and threw it on the ground at some distance from him,

and seemed to be preparing to renewthe contest.You stupid boy,

” cried Mr. Lee,why don’tyou take a

stick and kill the snake ? ”

That ain’t the rightway, repl ied Hark ; and as the

venomous creature,disabled and sadly bruised

,essayed to

stretch its l ength on the ground to retreat,the snake-kill er

again jumped on it,and in a fewminutes crushed it to death

with his feet. Then taking it up in his hands,he surveyed it

with his pecul iar grin of joy, counting the rattles as heseparated them from the body

,with an air of tri umph as

great as that of the hunter when he numbers the antlers of anobl e buck .

Mr. Lee gaz ed at this scene with unfeigned astonishment.Though no mean adept hims elf in the art of destroyinganimal l ife

,he had never before witnessed such anexhibition .

The d iminutive size o f the youth,his m eagre and famished

appearance,his wretched apparel

,together with the sk il l and

intrepid ity displayed in this nondescript warfare, with a

140 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

creature scarcely his inferior in any respect, strongly excited

his curios ity .

Well,you’ve beaten your enemy , said he in an encour

aging tone .Yes

,I reckon I’ve saved him .

But why did you not take a club to it2”

It ain’t the right way . I never go snak in’ with a pole .

What is your name T’

Do you live about here, strangerNo

,I em a traveller from Virginia, andwas going to

Hendrickson’s settl ement, when I lostmy way .

”

People’s mighty apt to get l ostwhen they don’t knowthe repli ed Hark famil iarly

,encouraged by the

stranger’s affabil ity .

-Where do you l ive inquired Mr. Lee,endeavouring

to concil iate the half-savag e being whose fri endshipwas nowimportant to him .“I don’t. live nowhere

,in petick lar.

But you seem acquainted with these woods .

Y es,I u se about here some . ”

Howdo you employ yourself ? ”I hunt some

,and snake a l ittl e ; and when I k aintnothen

else to do,I go a liz ardz

'

n.

”

Liz ard in ! what i n the name of sense is thatKillen lizards

,

”repl ied the boy

,rather consequentially.

I useup al l the varments I come across .

”

Then you m ust f rog it som e,

”said Mr. Lee

,laughing.

'

O h . yes— and there’s a powerful chance of the biggest

bull-frogs you ever see down in the sl ash yander. Itwoulddo you good to go there in the night and hear

’em s ing. Ireckon there’s more frogs and water-snakes there than theyis i n al l V irginny.

”

“I have no curiosity to see them . And now,m y lad , if

you will guide me to the settl ement I w il l satisfy you generously for your trouble . ”

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142 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C H A P T E R XV I .

HE snake-k iller urged his way through the forestwith a

rapid but noiseless step,followed by our friend George

,

whose weary hors ewas scarcely able to keep pace with thehardy boy . After travell ing a short distance , they arrivedat the top of a h ill , whence the river O hio co uld be seen at ad istance

,gliding placidly

,and reflecting the sunbeams from

the broad m irror of its clear and beautiful surface. HereMr. Leewas requested to dismount and leave his horse ; anarrangementwith which hewas by no means disposed to

comply,for hewas too good a horsemannotto love the gen

erous animal wh ich had borne him safely through the fatigu'

es

of so long a journey. But the cautions pol i cy of Harkwasnot to be overthrown by any argument ; and after som e dis

cus s ien, the saddle and bridle were stripped of and hung upona tree, and the horse turned ‘

out to graz e, with his legs secured in such am anner

'

as to

‘

prevent him from‘wandering

far from the spot. They then descended the hil l unti l theyreached anextens ive plain of flat all uvion land

,covered with

a thick forest of tall trees,ski rting the shores of the beau

tzf ul stream ,

” and forming what is ealled i n this country ; theriver bottom . Here

,concealed in a tangled thick et

‘

onf brush

wood , matted with grape-vines,was a smal l lodge, constructed‘

of slender pol es , coveredwith bark . Hark paused,

.and castfurtive glances o f apprehension around

,before he d isclosed

the entrance to this prim itive and wretched abode,examining

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 1 43

with his eye the neighbouring coverts, and then looking timidly towards his companion

,as if stil l balancing in his mind

between prudence and hospital ity ; while the dog, im itatinghis master’s caution

,crept s i lently round the spot, snufling

the air. At l ast,Hark

,as if satisfi ed

,pushed as i de the l eafy

bran ches which concealed his place of retreat,and entering

hastily with his guest, carefully replaced the bushes behindhim .

If Mr. Lee had been astonished before, at all he had seenof the mysterious being into whose company he had been sostrangely thrown, his wonderwas not decreased on finding

himself introduced into“a l odge in some vast wilderness,

which seemed a more fi t habitation for a wi ld beast than ahuman creature . The lodgewas square

,and not more than

e ight feet i n d iameter, whil e.

its heightwas barely suffi cient

to al low the dwarfi sh proprietor to stand upright in the

centre . Itwas dry and tight. The floorwas formed by logsimbedded i n the ground , and covered with dried grass. Theonly vis ibl e articles of property cons isted of an iron stew-

pan,

a steel trap,an axe

,and a quantity of skins .

Motioning to his companion to seat himself on the floor,

Hark proceeded with some alacrity to prepare a meal . Inthe fi rst place he drew from a magazine of sund ries

,hidden

in one corner of his tent,several pieces of jerked venison

d ried so hard as to be nearly of the cons istency of wood,but

which,by the by,was by no means unpalatable and placing

them before his guest, signified that he might commence 0p

erations ; an intimation which Mr. Lee, with the ass istanceof a pocket-kn ife , obeyed without hes itation. Hark thenretired

,and having k indled a small fi re in a ravine near the

tent,produced the carcase of a fat opossum ,

which he cut upand placed in the stew-pan . In a fewminutes the savourymesswas in a condition to be placed before the travel ler ;and although totally unseasoned, and destitute of the aecom

panim ent of bread or vegetables , the famished wayfarer did

144 LE G Enns O F T H E W E S T .

ample justice to the cookery of Hark, who sat by, and refused

to partake

,until the hunger of his guestwas appeased .

Thiswas the proudest day of the l ife of Hark the snakekiller.

Unused to k indness , and accustomed from the earliest

dawn of reason to cons ider men as his enemies, this wasprobably the fi rst time that he had ever enjoyed the l uxury

of doing good from motives entire] y voluntary . Hewas i ncompany with a gentleman of fine appearance , and , to his apprehens ion

,of superior intell igence , Who treated him as an

equal.Although an aristocrat by birth , property , and asso

ciation,Mr. Leewas naturally good-humoured, and his habitsas a sportsman and man of pleasure had thrown him frequently into contactwith the lower classes of society

,and

this we suppose to be generally true of those who engagei nsensual pleasures , or in what 1 s more commonly cal led diss i

pation. And it is, ifwemistake not, a nati onal characteristic

,that our gentlemen can

,when circumstances render it

convenient,adapt themselves with perfect ease to the soci ety

of their i nferiors in education and manners . Mr. Lee,there

fore,without much effort

,had the tact to treat our friend

Hark as an equal,s imply by avoiding any supercil ious show

of avers ion or airs of superiority g

i

and the consequencewasthat he rose every moment in the esteem and affection ofthis uncouth boy

,who soon began to venerate him as a su

perior being .

Itwas nowdusk,and our travel ler had no choi ce left but

to spend the night under the miserable shelter which he hadfound so opportunely . Indeed

,contrasting his present s itua}

tion with the gloomy terrors o f the forest, and the d isqu ietude which he had experienced within the last twenty-fourhours, he found great room for congratulati on , and recoveredhis natul aIflow of spi i its suffi ciently to converse freely WithHark , whose reserve began imperceptibly to wear away .

While , they were thus engaged,

‘

the dog all at once showedsymptoms of agitation , pricking his

.

ears,then crawling out

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146 LE G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

paring to fi re with a deadly aim , when Hark perceiv ing his

intention, leaped towards him to implore mercy , throwinghimself on his knees, and regarding his savage captor withlooks of intense agony . Lee stood behind him unarmed andembarrassed ; while the Indians, dashing through the bushes

wi th the mostterribl e yells, and brand ishing their tomahawks ,crowded about their victims, prepared to glut their vengeance

Dy irnm olating them upon the spot. Butthe chi ef restrained

them ,m aking a brief but peremptory explanation in a

language unknown to the prisoners , but which probably sug

gested a respite from instant death only as a prel ude to amore l ingering and dreadful fate .Ferocious as this band of savages appeared to the eye of

Lee,to whom the s cenewas new

,an experi enced observer

would have remarked in their deportment a more thanordinary degree of moderation . The Ind ians

,l ike al l other

unlettered men, act from impulse . A battl e always whetstheir appetite for blood and they vis it upon the l ives of theirunfortunate captives th‘e i l l-humour occas ioned by their ownfatigues

,losses

,or sufferings . They are cru el always when

excited,and often without excitement ; and sometimes from

mere caprice treat their pr isoners with lenity and evenkindness.It happened that the captors of Lee were in a good

humour. They had perhaps made a successful inroad uponthe whites, or had m etwith no occurrence latelyto awakenresentfu l feel ings. . The fine horse of Mr. Lee

,the gun

,the

axe, and the sk ins of Hark,constituted in their estimation a

prize of no small value, and their ready tact enabled them to

see at a glance that their prisoners were not persons ofwarl ike habits . Some or al l of these reasons operated to protectthe captives from ill usage, and they were marched off to theshore of the Ohio, where the Ind ians embarked in canoes thatwere concealed among the willows

,and crossed to the opposite

bank, where they encamped .

H A R P E’s H E A D . 47

Atan early hour the following morn ing the whol e partyprepared to march ; but not unti l some of the warr iorsevinced a dispos ition to amuse themselves at the expense ofHark . The . d iminuti ve s ize and queer looks of the halfcivi l ized youth attracted their attention

,and they indulged

their drol lery by forming themselves into two paral l el l ines,

and making the d isconcerted snake-killer march backwardsand forwards between them . As he passed along one wouldprick him in the s ide with the point of his knife

,and when

the frightened boy turned his head towards his tormentoranother would trip him by placing an obstacl e in his path .

One of the tal lest of the braves l ed him to a tree,against

which he placed him,while with a tomahawk he marked his

diminuti ve height accurately upon the bark ; then measu ringand mark ing his own height upon the same tree

,he pointed

out the difference to the amu sed warr iors ,who laughed vociferously at this specimen ofwit.

GeorgeLee joined hearti ly in the laugh occasi oned by theludicrous appearance

‘

of his newacquaintance,but itwas not

long unti l he became himsel f a subject of merriment.Among the spoils was a large iron kettle

,into which the

Indians had packed the ir provi s ions,and when the marchwas

about to be~ com m eneed, itwas determined to make our

fri end George the bearer of this burden . In vain did heremonstrate

,both by emphati c s igns and imploring language

,

assuring them that hewas a gentleman , unused to labour, andtotally unable to carry such a burthen the Indians pers istedinplacing thekettl e on his head , and the unfortunate gentl eman

,will ing to try the v irtue of obed ience , and afraid to

refuse,moved forward . But although his head had always

been cons idered hard in one sense of the word, it did notprove so in

.

the present instance,and after proceeding a few

steps he began to falter, and showed a desire to set down his

load . A very muscular savage,a surly , m alicious look ing

rufi an;advanced towards him,and brandishing hiswar-club

148 L E G EN D S o r T H E W E S T .

ordered him to proceed . George , withoutunderstanding thelanguage

,readily comprehended the m eaning of the Indian

,

and turning towards him exclaimed, i n a tone of“vexati on ,“I say, my good fellow, if you think it’s so ni ighty easy to

carry this l oad , you had better try it yours elf.” The Indian

raised his club to strike,bUt George, whowas a theoreti cal

boxer and a man of spirit,threw the kettl e from his head

,

suddenly darted upon him,wrested the cl ub from his grasp

,

and throwing it from him stru ck his assai lantwith ‘

his fi st.

The Indians shouted applaus e , formed a circle , and encouragedtheir companion to continue the battl e ; and the latter,whocould not refusewithout disgrace, sprung furious]y upon the .

rebel l ious prisoner. Though stout and acti ve,he found his

ful l match in Lee,whowas a young m an of large frame

,in

the pr ime of manhood,and accustomed to athleti c exercises.

Hewas much stronger than the savage , while the latterwashis superior in cunning. Thus matched

,the battl e was

severely contested for several minutes,when George

,by a

lucky blow,stretched his adversary upon the ground

,.to the

infinite amusement of the bystanders,who m ade the forest

ring with their acelawm ations while they taunted their beatencomrade with the severest 1 ronyLee now rose cons iderably in the estimation oi' his

captors ; the kettlewas suspended upon a pol e and carried bytwo of the party

,and our friend accommodated-with a lighter

load .

They had notproceeded far when they reached the marginof abroad and rapid stream

,which they prepared to cross by

fording. To this evol ution Hark ev inced great repugnance ;for although accustom ed to dabble in marshy pools

,he could

not swim ,andwas marvellously afraid of deep water. The

Indians, who became more and more amused with his nutoward vagaries , drove him into the water before them withs houts of merriment. The streamwas aboutwaist deep tothe m en

,whowaded .firm iy through

'without diffi culty ; not '

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150 L E G E N D S O F - T H E W E S T .

its shining folds over the dry leaves , and seizing the repti l eby the neck with one hand , whirled the l ong body in the air

over his head, as a child would flourish a whip-lash . Then he

suffered it to coi l itsel f round his arm and neck , and disengaging it

,threw it into the air, catching itas it fel l . This he

repeated frequently , always tak ing care to seize the animaldexterously so near the head as to prevent the poss ibi l ity of

its biting . At l ength , he dropped on his hands and knees,and fi xing his teeth in the back of the creature

’s neck

,shook

it violently as a terrier dog worries a rat ; and finally takingthe head in his hand, he

.

rose and lashed the trees with thelong flexible body of his victim ,

unti l he dashed it to pieces,

exhibiting in the latter part of this s ingular exercise a degreeof spite and fury altogether foreign from his ordinary indolence of manner. The Indians

,i n the mean while

,gazed at

this novel achievem ent with del ighted admiration,clapping

their hands and shouting applau se ; and when Hark restedfrom his labours

,some of the oldest warri ors patted him on

the head,and exclaimed in broken Engl ish

,good velly

good I” They forthwith conferred upon him a sonorousIndian name

,which

,being interpreted

,signifi ed He that

k ills snakes,

” and treated him afterwards with len ity,and even

favour.

Itwas very evident that the Indians were neither i n hastenor fearful of pursuit ; for they loitered by the way, stoppingat particular places

,and examining for s igns

,as if expecting

to fall in with some otherwar party of their own tribe . At

l ength , towards evening, they reached the brow of a hil l,

where a small markwas discovered,which had been made by

chipping a portion of the bark from a sapl ing with a tomahawk ; and at a d istance, in the l ow ground, a thin col umn of

smokewas seen wreathing above the trees . Here they halted,

cuta large pol e,which

,after stripping off the bark

,they painted

with several col ours , and then planted in the ground. Theynow out a lock of hair from the head of each of the pris

H anna’s H E A D 15 I

oners,and after braid ing them placed them in a medicine

bag,which they hung upon the pole ; and endeavoured to ex

plain by s igns and brokenEngl ish,thatthese locks represented

the prisoners whom they intended to adopt into their tribe .All things being ready

,the chief shouted with a l oud voice ,

uttering certain pecul iar yell s,by which they intended to con

vey to their tribe the intell igence of their successful return,and the number of their prisoners . Then they formed aci rcle round the pole

,and joining hands with each other and

with the prisonerswho were now taken into companionship,

danced round it,s inging and l eaping with great vivacity .

After this exercise had continued about half an hour, theywere joined by some of their companions whose smoke theyhad seen

,and the whole party marched off i n great ceremony

to the camp, whereMr. Leewitnes sed a spectacle which filledhim with astonishmentand horror. What thiswaswil l beexplained in a future chapter.

152 Le e anns p o r'

r nn W s s 'r .

CHAPTER XV I I .

7

HE course of our narrative nowbrings us back to J enk insStation . .

Will iam Co lburn,the brave youth who effected

the e scape of Mr. Lee,was the same hunter to whom the

readerwas introduced at the carri ers’ encampment intheAllagheny mountains. He k new the ruflians by whom hewassurrounded

,and having saved a stranger from their cl utches

,

retired si lently to his lodging , l ittl e apprehens i veof any _dan

ger to himself. Buthis s ituationwas notwithoutperil , which,however he might be d isposed to despise it, occupied histhoughts ; whil e the interest that he felt i n the stranger, whoseemed to have been thrown upon him for protection

,cou

curred to drive sl eep from his pil low. The apartm ent whichhe occupiedwas a mere loft

,the

'

same which Mr. Lee had justleft, immediately above the room in which the noisy rufiianswere assembled , Their loud conversation had nowceased

,

and they seemed to have thrown them selves on the’ floor to

slumber. After some time he heard a slight noise in theapartment below, succeeded by a faint murmur of voices ;then a step could be distinguished

,as of one slowly ascending

to his chamber. He snatched his hunting-knife from the chairbes ide his bed

,and conceal ing

.

itunder the bed-cl othes,feigned

sl eep. A person entered and approached the bed which hadbeen occupied byL68 .

‘ A short s i lence ensued,then a blas

phem ous expression of disappointment escaped the i ntruder;

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1 54 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

Y es,you will

,said a coarse voice and the speaker fol.

lowed by another person entered the room .

Harpe l” exclaimed several voices .

Ay— that’s my name ; I am notashamed to own it.”

You ought to be,”

rej oined Patterson,for if ever there

was a bloody-minded v illain“That’s enough ,” said Harpe fi ercely, you and I knoweach other

,and the less we say of one another the better.

”

I never killed a m an said Patterson .Because you haven t the courage ,

” cried Harpe ; but

vou pass counterfeit money and steal horses— and bes ides

that,don’t I knowsomething about a man’s that just gone

from here,and another that’s asleep

,

” pointing signifi cantly

upwards .

Patterson sawthat Harpe had been eavesdropping, andfeltthe necessity of compromis ing matters .“Iwas only jok ing, Mr. Harpe

,

”said he what you do

is nothing to nobody but yourself— go your ways , and I’ll go

m ine .“I am will ing to do you a good turn,

repl ied Harpe ,and you m ust do me one that lad up there must beyou understand— or else you must quit the country— andthere’s another that I m issed inthe woods

,thatmustbe hunted

up in the morning— help me,and I’ll help you .

”

Colburn had been satisfied,unti l now

,that hewas safe for

thenight. Being the son of ai

respectable farmer in a neighbouring settl ement

,whose courage and enterprise were wel l

known,and being popular himself

,hewas aware thatPatter

son and his gang would not dare to molesthim under the roofof Jenkins

,where a deed of v iolence could not be perpetrated

without'

the risk o f discovery . Had he been a stranger,his

situation would have been hopeless the chancesof detectionwould in that case have been few

,and the danger of retribu

tion small , compared with the consequences that would res ultfrom an injury to himself. That an attempt would be made

H anna’s H E A D . 155

i n the morning to waylay him i n the woods,where no witness

would be present,

’

he sawwas probable,and to escape that

danger requ ired all his ingenuity . But the arr ival of theHarpes; and the disclosures he had heard, convinced him thathewas placed in imminent peril .At the time of the escape of the Harpes from justi ce in

the m anner formerly related,their names were unknow n i n

Kentucky . They were strangers in’

the country,and the

aggress ion for which they were then incustodywas the fi rstthat they were known to have committed . S ince then

,a

series of shock ing massacres had given them a dreadfulnotoriety . They had passed through the whole length of thescattered settlements of this wild region , l eaving a bloodytrack to mark their ruthless footsteps . They spared neitherage nor sex

,butmurdered every unprotected being who fel l

in their way . Whatwas most extraordinary, they appearedto destroy without motive or temptation . Plunderwas asecondary object ; the harmless negro and the child weretheir victims as often as the travell er or the farmer. Anative thirstfor blood, or a des ire of vengeance for some realor imaginary inj ury

,seemed to urge them on in their horribl e

warfare against their species . They had escaped apprehen

s ion thus far,i n consequence of the peculiar circumstances of

the country , and by a s ingular exertion of boldness and eunning. Mounted on fleet and powerful horses, they fled

,after

the perpetration of an outrage, and were heard of no more,

unti l they appeared suddenly at some distant and unexpectedpo int to comm it new enorm iti es . Their impunity thus farwas the m ore aston ishing, as the people of the frontier havealways been remarkable for the publ ic spirit, alertness , andsuccesswith which they pursue offenders,who seldom escapethese keen and indefatigable hunters .

Colburnwas aware that from such enem ies he had nochance of escape but in immediate fl ight, and hastily puttingon his clothes

,he had the good fortune to sl ip out of the

156 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

houseunperceived .

’ A fewm inutes afterwards, a loud hallooing fr

om beyond -the Stockade announced the“arrival of other

travell ers ; and Captain Jenkins soon appeared , i ntroducinga lady and gentl eman into the

“

common room , which served

as a receptacl e for al l the guests, gentle, s imple, br compound,whom chance or incl inati on brought to ,

this prim itive hotel .The lady'was Miss Virginia Pendleton, and the gentl emanColé>nel Hendrickson , her uncle— an elderly

~m an,of plain

,

but peculiarly impos ingexterior. Hewas spare and museular

,and

,though past the age of fi fty, seemed to be in the

”

vigour of strength and acti vity . His personwas erect,his

.step m artial , and somewhat statel y . His features,sunburnt

and nearly as dark as those of the Indian , were austere, andannounced uncom promis ing fi rm ness . There was i n hisdeporti nent towards Miss Pendleton a m ixture

‘

of parentalk indness with the puncti l ious courtesy observed by the

‘ gentlem en of Kentucky towards al l females

,as Wel l those of

their own famil ies as others . Therewas even a more thanordinary degree of pol ite observance

.

ia his attentions,which

might have arisen , in part, from a spontaneous admiration ofthe womanly graces of his lovely ward

,and have flowed in

papt from sympathy for her misfortunes . These feel ingsp roduced a kind of fatherly gal lantry, a mixture o f del icacyand respect with fondness and admiration

,which blended

harmoniously with the plain but dignified and ~ gentl emanlyair of the veteran pioneer. They were followed by twonegroes, a man and maid servant

,who

,having removed the

outer garm ents of their master and mistress,retired to the

kitchen;The arrival of C olonel Hendri ckson struck the rufiian

party whowere assembled round the fi re with awe,for he

bad long been a terror to ev i l-doers . They shrunk back tomake room for the travel lers

,whi l e Micajah Harps drew

Patterson out of the apartment,and disclosed to him a tre

mendons scheme of d iabolical revenge. Representing the

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1 58 LE G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

passed rapid]y over their bodies, and Fennimore and Colburn

stood by the s ide of Colonel Hendrickson , who in an instantcomprehended the scene, and acted warily on the defens ive .They were all braVe and athletic, and although opposed to

thrice their numbers, the gentlemen thus accidentally thro

together, stood erect, fearless, alert, and s i l ent. There is adignity in courage which awes even opposing courage, and

subdues by a look the mere hardihood which is unsupportedby principle . The ruflians had crowded tumultuously into

the room ; but when Col onel Hendrickson and his twofriends

,who were all armed , advanced to meet them ,

they

faltered .Harpe

,whowas again on his feet, with a voice of

desperation and the fury of a demon urged them to the

attack but they stood irresolute , each unwil l ing to commithimself by strik ing the fi rst blow, and fearful of being the

foremost in assail ing m enwho stood prepared to sel l theirl ives at the dearest price; and when Colonel Hendri ckson,in a tone of the most perfect composure and inthe mostcontemptuous language, commanded them to retire

,with

bitter reproaches on their baseness,they slunk away

,one by

one,unti l the two Herpes

,finding themselves deserted

,

retreated,muttering horribl e imprecations .

The doors were nowsecured,and the arrangement being

made that one of the party should act as a senti nel whi le theothers slept

,altem ately, the travellers separated , butnot unti l

Colonel Hendrickson returned to Co lburn,whowas his neigh

bour, and to Mr. Fennim ore,whom he now saw'

for the fi rst

time, his hearty thanks and commendations for their gal lantinterference. Miss Pendleton

,i n acknowledging her ao

quaintance with the young offi cer,extended her hand with a

cordial ity which ev inced her gratitude,and having introduced

him to her uncl e,retired .

H anna’s H E A D . 159

C H A P T E R XV I I I .

Othe following morning

,Miss Pendleton m et the young

offi cerwho had a second time been instrumental in savingher l ife

,with some embarrassment. She had seen him fi rst

i n the spr ing-day of her happiness and the pride of her beauty ,and had mentally awarded to him that prefe rence over mostother men of her acquaintance

,which the heart so readily ao

cords to a pleas i ng and amiabl e.

exterior . Hewas associatedin her mind with the l ast of her days of joy

,and with the

dawn of her misfortunes . She had twice witnessed his courage

,voluntarily and generously exerted in her behalf ; and

if she acknowledged to hersel f the ex istence of no more tenderfeel ing

,she felt that she at l eastowed him a debtof gratitude .

His abrupt departure froin Virgin ia,at a time when his own

conducthad seemed mysterious,and when some explanation

seemed to be due to hersel f,or to the representatives of the

deceased Major Heyward,surprised and perplexed her. She

had ascertained that hewas related,in what degree she knew

not,to the guardian of her youth

,and his interests had been

placed in painful opposition to her own. These recollectionspas sed hasti ly through her mind

,and she m et him with a

flushed cheek and a constrained manner, very foreign fromthe usual easy franknes s of her deportment. But she sawinhim the same traits of characte r which at fi rst won her con

fi denee— the same calm self-poss ess ion, cheerful conversation,and open co untenance ; and the th in clouds of suspicionwhich

160 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

had cast a momentary shadow over her mind , fleated rap idlyaway .

After an early break fas t, the whol e party mounted andcommenced the j ourney of the day , for i n new countries,ladi es as well as gentl emen trail el only on horseback . Theywere not without the ir apprehensions that the Harpes , whowere desperate and unrel enting villains , might endeavour totake revenge for the disappointment of the preceding nightby fi ring upon them from some covert in the woods ; butColonel Hend rickson

,confident that his name and standin g

would deter their late confederates from j oining in any suchattack . cons idered his party sufficiently strong to repel anyattempt thatmight be made upon it. But every precautionwas used to ensure safety ; the gentl emen , who were al l provided with rifles

,l oaded them carefull y

,and the l ittl e com

panywas arrangedwith all the preci sion that would haveattended the march of a squad ron o f cavalry . Fennimorem anaged

,as young m en are apt to do in such cases

,to place

him self by the s ide ofMiss Pendleton, the othe 1 two gentl ementook the van

,whil e the se1 y ants b ought up the rear. Their

way led through the same lonesome expanse of forestwhiehhad been traversed byMy.

‘

Lee,when suddenly ejected from

the hospitable roof of Captain Jenliins,i n themanner related :

a vast wilderness,rich in the spontaneous prod uctions of

nature, but 111 which the travellers could not expect to see ahuman being

,or a dwell ing until thei r arri val at their place

of destination .

In travell ing , many ofthe restraints of social i ntercourse arenecessarily laid aside ; and those whose lots are thus for thetime being casttogether

,fi nd

’

itexped ientas well as agreeabl eto render themsel ves acceptable to each other. There is a1 ace of islanders , who, in travel l ing, become even m ore unsocial

, morose, and supercil ious,than they m e at hom e ; but

the o i d1na1 y effect of this occupation upon human nature issuch as we have

fi

suggested and wel l-bred persons,in partien.

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L E G E N D S o r T H E \V a s r .

pursued by our travel lers ; and one of the trackswas pronounced by Colburn to be that of the horse of Patterson .

That the gang whose vil lainy they had so much cause to dread,should have taken the same d irection with themselves

,and at

the same time should have avoided the beaten path for so

great a distance, were circumstances so suspicious as to l eavel ittl e doubt of a des ign to attack them at some point

,which

was now probably near at hand . In the irritation of the moment

,noth ing would have pleased these gentlemen more

than to have marched directly upon the rufiians ; but a pro

per care for the lady under their charge rendered more pru

dent. m easures advisable ; and , after a short consultation,it

was determined to abandon the road and to endeavour toavoid

"

the danger by taking a circuitous route through theforest. They now proceeded rapidly through thewoods, oh.

serving all the precautions of a warl ike party avoiding thethickets and low grounds, and keeping along the ridges and inthemostopen woods . This mode of travell ingwas extremelyarduous

,for they were nowobliged to pass over many in

equal ities of ground,and to surmount a vari ety of obstacles .

At one moment they leaped their horses over the trunk of afallen tree

,at another they cl im bed a steep hi ll sometimes

deep ravines were to be crossed,and sometimes lowbranches

,

or the great grape-vines swi nging from tree to tree obl igedthem to howtheir heads as they passed along.

After rid ing several miles in this manner,-guided only by

that knowl edge of natural appearances which enables the experienced hunter to ascertain the points of

'the compass

,

under almost any circumstances,they arrived at the bank of

a deep creek , whichwas not fordable exceptatthe spotwhereitwas crossed by the road they had forsaken

,and where the

robbers wou ld be most l ikely toi

await their approach . As

there are several modes of passing over streams,practised by

backwoodsm en , they rode along the bank consulting as to themost practicabl e expedient, when they reached a place where

H anna’s H E A D . 163

a large tree had fall en across the creek,affording the very fa

cility which they des ired . Few ladies,however

,would have

possessed sufl‘icient courage and dexterity to have walked

over this natural b ridge . The banks of the creek were extrem ely high, and the trunk of the fallen treewas stil l further elevated by the large roots at the one end

,and the im

mense branches at the other, so that its d istance from the

waterwas so great,as to render it unpleasant to look down

wards . ButVirginia had a mind which could not be dauntedby ord inary dangers . and stepping nimbly upon the log

,she

walked with a fi rm step along its round and narrow surface,

and reached the oppos ite shore in safety . The saddl es andbaggagewere carri ed over by the same way . The greatestdiffi cultywas to cross the horses , for the banks were so steepand miry

,as to render it impossibl e to get them into the

water. By dint o f coaxing, pushing, and whipping, however,al l the an imals were forced in, except that belonging to Colburn ; and after swimming part of the way

,and floundering

through mi re the remainder,they struggled up the oppos ite

bank,where Co lonel Hendrickson and Fennimore stood to

recei ve them .

Colburn had remained alone,andwas aboutto send over

the last horse whichwas stil l fastened to a tree,when the

rapid tramp o f horses’ feetwas heard upon the dry l eaves ,and he had barely time to unloose his steed and spring uponits back

,when Patterson and his confederates came sweeping

towards him at ful l speed . To cross the creek with his horsewas now imposs ibl e ; to abandon the animal and seek safetyfor himsel f on the other s ide would have been but the worko i'an instant, but Colburn loved his horse , and had too much

spirit to give him up to an enemy . Besides, the heroic ideaoccurred to him at the moment

,of making a divers ion in fa

vou r of his friends,by drawing the pursuit upon himself.

Catching up his rifle which leaned against a tree, he shoutedto his companions to take care of themselves

,and turning

164 LE G E N D S 0 1? r nh W E S T .

towards the pursuers , flourished his weapon round his head inbravado

,and dashed off through the forest. The outlaws

sawthat the party which had crossed the creekwas beyondtheir grasp , as itwas but a fewmiles to Colonel . Hendrickson’s settlement, which could be reached by the fugiti ves be

fore they themselves could accompl ish the‘

ted ious process ofcross ing with their horses ; nor were they will ing to attempt

the passage in the face of two resolute men armed with rifles .

Their whole fury,therefore ,was turned towards Colburn, and

uttering a volley o f execrations,they put spurs to their

horses,and -went off at

‘

ful l speed . in pu rsu it of the youngforester.

C olburn,wel l mounted and .admi rably skil led in all

.

the

arts of the hunter, had l ittl e doubt of being able to evade hisenemies by speed or artifice ; and guided only by the sun

,

and by-his knowledge of the country , pressed onward throughthe trackless forest. Rely ing on the great strength of his

steed,and his own superior horsemanship

,he ‘often chose the

most difi‘icult grou11d,- leaping over“ravines, plunging down

steep declivities,

‘

or dashing through dense thickets wherethorns and tangl ed vines seemed to render it imposs ible forany animal to pass ; and he had the satisfacti on of s eeingmore than one of his pursuers thrown from their horses

,

while others were left in the rear. Stil l they kept upon histrack

,with the unerring sagacity bf woodsmen .

Patterson , who , although the largest m an,was best

mounted,soon l e ft his comrades

,straining forward to over

take the young hunter ; while Colburn, cenfi dent of success,

and anxious only to separate his pursuers and keep them inhis 1 ear

,so as to prevent their sui rounding or intercepting

l1 in1,hel

.

(l up his horse,to husband his powers for a long race.

But he had j udged too meanly of the anim al ridden by Patterson ,who soon came in s ight

,uttering a loud

'

yel l when hebeheld the young forester

,and madly u rging hi s steed over

every obstacle . Stil l the a dvantage Was in favour o f Col

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166 L E G E N D S O F T H E W’

ns r .

combat darted nimbly upon his foe, and throwing his armsaround him dragged him from the saddle . F or a m oment

they struggl ed fi ercely upon the ground the raflian abandoning his gun drew his kn ife ; but Colburn parried the strokeand at the same time disengaging himsel f seized the loadedrifle of his adversary and stood on the defens ive . Pattersonattempted to rise

,but his ca reer of crimewas ended !

The young forester nowcaught the outlaw ’

s horse,which

stood trembl ing bes ide his own disabled animal , and hav ingre-loaded his rifle continued his retreat. Hewas pursued nofurther. The tufl‘ian gang were struck with pani c when theyreached the spot where their comrade lay inhis gore, a mangled corpse . They had perhaps carried their scheme further

than had been at fi rst intended, and they now feared the consequences of their audacious attempt. The remains of Patterson were hastily buri ed atthe lone spotwhere he had fallen ;and the unprincipled companions of his guilty l ife

,dispers ing

in different directions,sought safety in concealment or flight.

Co lonel Hendrick sonand his young friends had been great]yshocked on beholding the peri l i n which Co lburnwas placedwhen surprised

,as we have narrated . But itwas impossi bl e

to render him any ass istance,and when the sounds of the pur

s uit d ied away,they recom rrienced their j ourney with heavy

hearts . They soon regained the road which they had left inthe morning

,and descending from the high grounds struck

into a rich flatthrough which a deep creekwas sl uggish]y meandering . O n their righthand the Ohio

,smooth and transparent

as a mirror, sudden]y burst upon their view. They stoppedand gazed for a momentwith del ight— for there is somethingso cheerful in

i

the appearance of a beautiful sheetof water,that

the same scenery which had seemed gloomy Without it,be

camewith this addition, gay, bri11iant, and romanti c. The

western bank of the riverwas low and fringed to the water’sedge with trees

,whose long l imbs dipped into the current

,

while their shadowsstretched faroverthe stream,and pictured

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 167

the exact contou r of the shore upon the green surface . Nearerto them the beams of the setting sun fel l upon the water

,

tinging itwith a golden hue. Therewas a softness and reposein this landscape that were i rres istibly charming ; no l ivingobj ectwas to be seen

,not a leaf moved

,not a soundwas

heard ; allwas se rene and s i lent.Thei r path now pursued the course of the ri ver for a short

distance,then turning from it at right angl es cross ed the creek

by a deep ford . They had nearly reached the ford ing-place,

when their horses pricked their ears,snorted aloud

,and stopped

trembl ing in the path . Atthe same instant the travellers discovered that they were beset on al l s ides by a party of Indians

,hideously painted

,who had r isen from an ambuscade

,

and stood around with their rifles pointed,and their black

eyes gleaming with a hel l ish tri umph . They uttered a terrifi cyell when they beheld their victims ; our travell ers sawtheirghastly smiles

,their murderous looks

,their flashing knives

,

and felt in anti cipation the tortures of a l ingering death . As ingl e glance satisfi ed them that itwas imposs ibl e to reachthe ford

,as the largest body of the savages stood in that

d irection , whil e on either hand they were so stationed as to cutoff all hope of retreat. One of superior stature stood in thepath a fewpaces before them ,

l aughing with demoniac exultation as he took a del iberate aim and discharged his rifle. Thiswas the s ignal O f attack ; several others fi red at the sametime

,and anurnber of tomahawks whistl ed around the heads

o f the assai l ed party .

Colonel Hendrickson and Mr. Fennimore cl osed up oneach side of Miss Pendleton

,endeavouring to shield her with

their own persons,and beating back the assailants with the

most desperate courage . But they were overpowered bynumbers . Co lonel Hendricksonwas dragged to the ground.

Fennimore rece ived a wound which caused h im to reel i n hissaddl e . A faint and s ickly numbnesswas creeping over him .

At this instanthis horse wheeled suddenly and plunged into

168 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

the thicket. He rushed through the savage band ,who i n vainattempted to arrest his flight, and .in a rnom cnt stood on themargin of the creek . The bankwas perpendicular, arising toa considerable height above the water but the nobl e

‘

animalwithout hes itating l eaped forward and al ighted in the turbidstream

,about midway from either shore . A'fewpowerful

struggles brought him to the oppos ite s ide,whichwas steep

,

but l ess prec ipitous than the other. Clambering up the bankhe soon reached the l evel of the plain

,and darted through the

forest with the swiftness of an arrow,bearing his rider

woundedand nearly insensible beyond the reach of pursuit.

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170 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

they exulted in his capture with no ord inary degree of triumph .

One of the warr iors approached him and addressed to him a

speech i n which he seemed to pour out a volurne of eloquenthatred

,contempt, and ridicule upon the defenceless captive ,

often brandish ing his tomahawk as he spoke , and describingwith gestures too s ignifi cant to be m istaken , the tortures thatwere proposed to be inflicted. The unfortunate gentlemaneyed him with perfect composure , and l istened to his speechwithout showing the l east appearance of fear or irritation .

Several warriors then placed themsel ves i n front of the captive

,and prepared to throw their tomahawks .

L‘

ee,whose good-nature and chivalrous feel ings began to

be warmly enl isted,now sprung up, and rushing towards the

victim exclaimed to the torturers,

“Gentlemen ! gentl emenIndians ’ cons iderwhatyou are about— don ’tmurder the gentlem ar ! If he has done you any harm ,

I’l l be security thathe shall make you ample satisfaction ;

”while poor Virgin iashri'eked and buri ed her face in her hands . In a momentGeorge Leewas ather s ide ;

“Virginia ! dear Virginia hecried ,“don’t be alarmed— they shall not touch you— I

’ll fight

for you whi le there’s a drop of blood in my veins !” But

the‘

lndians did not intend to slay thei r prisoner. Payingno attention to the distress of his fr iends

,which only afforded

them amusement,they threw their tomahawks

,one after an

other, in such a manner as to strike them into the tree immed iately over his head , each striving to come as near as poss ible to themark without actually hitting it. Others came andthrew spears in the same mode

,and a variety of other means

were used to torture and intimidate their victim,and to induce

him to degrade himself by showing som e symptom of alarm .

But all to no purpose : Colonel Hendri cksonwas wel l aoquainted with the habits of his enemies ; he had preparedhimself to die, and faced his savage persecutorswith the com

posure of intrepid resignation .

The feel ings of his companions inmisfortune may be better

H A B P E’s H E A D . 171

imagined than described . The unhappy Virginia, though herhigh spirit enabled her to display a show of res ignati on

,felt

herself bowed down by this unexpected calamity . The calmfortitude of her brave relative

,while it won her admi ration

and stimulated her courage,made her heart bleed for the

sufferings o f one so worthy of a nobler fate. Mr. IJee hadceased to entertai n any fears for his own safety

,but his l ove

for Virginia,and his native goodness o f heart

,i nduced him to

sympathise deep ]y with his fellow-sufferers ; while Hark ,whohadwithd iawn himsel f from observation as much as poss ible

,was lying on the ground,coiled up, gnawing a bone that had

been thrown to h im,and hid ing another which he had stolen

,

casting stealthy and watchful glances around him all the whi le,

as if in constant dread o f harm,but ly ing so motionl ess that

his eye alone afforded the s l ightest ind ication of his appre

hens ion.

At l ength the shades of night cl osed ia,and the warriors

prepared for repose. Co l onel Hendri ckson remained tied tothe tree ; Miss Pendleton satnot far from him onthe ground

,

but no intentionwas shown o f offering her any thing to l i eupon

,or any covering to protect her from the nightair. Lee

was more favoured,for

,as the Indians happened to have

several blankets among the plunder recently taken, one of

thesewas th rown to him . O ur friend George immediatelythrew his blanket over the shoulders of Virginia

,and obl iging

Ha rk to res ign a s imilar present that had been made to him ,was enabled effectually to protect the young lady from the

co ld . The Indians interposed no obj ection to thesearrangements ; though they look upon acts of gallantry with sov

ereign contempt, they knowhow to estimate a humaneacti on

,and thought none the l ess of George Lee for this

sacrifi ce of his own com fort i n favour of awoman of histribe.

S il ence reigned throughout the camp . Not a soundwasheard but the footsteps of the armed sentinels,who moved

172‘ L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

incessantly about, watching the prisoners with jealous eye,and l istening with intense eagerness to catch the most distant

sound which might announce the approach of an enemy . As

they gl ided slow ]y in the shade of night, rendered stil l deeperby the thick shadows of the overhanging forest, and but

s l ightly rel ieved by the faint glow of an expir ing fire, they

seemed more l i k e spectres than human beings . Co lonel Hendrick son remained in a stand ing posture, bound secure]y andpainfully to a great tree whichwas probably destined to behis place of execution . He knewthat the Indians more freiquently carry to their villages the prisoners destined to deathby torture

,in order that the women , the ch ildren , and the

whole tribe m ay participate in the horrid entertainment andderive instruction in the dreadful rites of cruelty . A con~

formity with that custom might procure him a repri eve for afewdays

,though itwould enhance the tortures thatinevitably

awaited him ; while a more speedy death on the spot theythen occupied would cut off all hope of rescue . Occupiedwith such reflections

,itwas imposs ible to s leep but though

denied repose,hewas notwithoutconsolation . Colonel Hen

drick sonwas a Christian ; and in this try ing hou r,when

enduring torture and anticipating a l ingering and excruciatingdeath he submitted with the most perfect composure to the

will of the greatD isposer o f all events . He p rayed s i l ent]ybutwith fervour and s incerity

,in the ful l bel ief that hewas

heard,and that hiswas the fervent effectual prayer of the

righteous, which availeth much to the humble petitioner.

His devotional feel ings became quickened and elevated bythis exercise

,until at last the overflowings of his heart b urst

from his l ips in audible and eloquent language .Virginia, who dozed , but did not sl eep

,raised her head

when these solemn accents struck her ear. The embers of anearly extinguished fi re threwa faint glare over the figure of

Colonel Hendrickson and rendered his features distinctlyvisible, whil e an impenetrable veil of darkness hung around .

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174 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

their vigilance, and as their eyes ight could nowavail nothing,other precautions were used to prevent any attempt to escape

on the‘

partof the prisoners . Itwas near daybreak,when

Colonel Hendrickson felt a hand pass ing slowly from his feetupward along v his person— and then another hand which evi

den‘

tly grasped a knife . He knew that almost every Ind ianhad some individual quarrel to avenge upon the white men ,which he broods over in secretunti l afavourable opportunityenables him to satiate his appetite for vengeance ; and hesupposed that some warrior who had lost a relative in battl e,was now about to take that revenge which is so grateful totheir l ust of blood . Brave as hewas

,a chill crept over him

,

and the blood almost ceased to flow in his veins as he felt thehand of the murderer cautiously seeking out

,as he supposed

,

the vital spot, into which he might plunge his weapon withthe certainty of reaching the life _of his victim . The point o fthe knifewas pressed to his back, and he expected to feel thesteel pass ing through from that direction , when the cord thatbound his bandswas suddenly cut

,and in a moment he stood

free from his bonds . His unknown fri end gl ided away witha step as noiseless as thatwith which he had approached an dthe released prisoner had now to exerthis own ingenuity ineffecting his es cape .His determinationwas soon made. To attempt to release

his com panions would endanger all their l ives ; and shouldhe

‘

succeed in escaping w ith them from the camp,itwas

next to impossibl e that such a party could elude the pursuitof a large number of skilful warri ors

,who would follow them

at the break of day,which could be l ittle more than an hour

d istant. But hewas himself a woodsman hardy,cunn ing

,

and swift of foot : with a start of an hour,he bel ieved he

could outstrip the fleetest of the savage warriors,and bring a

rescue to his fri ends,whose l ives were probably not i n imme

diate danger. He stole s i lently from the camp,passed the

sentinels , and in a fewminuteswas rapidly making his way

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 175

through the forest, with unerring skill , towards the waters of

the Ohio .Greatwas the astonishment and bitter the imprecations

of the savages,when they discovered

,at the fi rst dawn of

day,the escape of their prisoner . They were almost franti c

with disappo intment and fury , and were ready to sacrificetheir remain ing prisoners to their rage . Suspicion verynaturally fel l upon them as having been instrumental in theescape of Co lonel Hendrickson but after a cl ose examinationit

.

did notappear thatMr. Lee or Miss Pendleton had moved .

At length a track, different from that of an Indian,was d is

covered near the tree to which the V i ctim had been tied,and

a yel l of ragewas uttered by the whol e gang. Itwas the

track of Hark Short, the snake-kil ler,who, itwas nowper

ceived,was also miss ing .

176 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C H A P T E R XX .

0 sooner were these discoveri es made , than the greaterportion of thewarriors setout in immediate pursuitof the

fugiti ves, while a fewremained to guard the prisoners . Min,

Lee and M iss Pendletonwere now seated near each other,and for the fi rst time had the opportunity of convers ing to :

gether ; and the latter address ing her former playmate withthe frankness due to so old an acquaintance

,expressed her

regret for his misfortune, while she could not help congratulating herself on having a friend near her at so try ing a period .

Ah,cous in Virginia 1” excl a im ed George , how will ingly

would I bear captivity, or even death, to do you ‘ a service 1”

This speech savoured too much of gal lantry for the timeand place

,and Miss Pendleton looked very grave .

Dear Virginia,

” continued George,don ’t be castdown ;

they will not have the heart to do you any harm .

'

I havebeen a brother to you all my life— you have been kinder tome, and dearer to me, than a s ister— and they shal l not separate us, while I have a drop of blood i n my veins .

Thank you,cous in George

,

”was all thatVirginia couldreply, while the tears started from her eyes . This touchingproof of affection went

.

to her heart,and her noble nature

enabled her to comprehend the full extent of the sacrifi ce thather kind-hearted ' companionwas will ing to make for her.Had that affection flowed only from the friendship of the

playmate of her early years,itwould have been most grate

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178 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

enough buy to boat-loads of it, and promised to give his captormuch as would keep the whole tribe drunk for a month .

Hugh ! velly good .l” exclaimed the delighted Indian

,

who then inquired for tobacco .

Plenty,plenty , my dear fellow, cri ed George , who

thought hewas making a fine bargain, I raise ever so muchonmy own plantation every year. You shal l have as much

as you can use all your l ife l”

How much hos 2” inquired the warrior .

Horses ! no m an in V irginia has more horses or finer

ones.I have more than forty on my plantation now, as fine

blooded animals as ever you saw. ”“How much inquired the Ind ian,who had caught the

meaning suffi ciently to see that a large numberwas intendedto be expressed, but without understand ing exactly howmany .

Georgewas at a loss how to explain,unti l the Indian

d irected him to hold up his fi ngers. He then held up bothhands to express ten. The Indian nodded . Lee repeatedthe operation

,and the Indian nodded with sti ll greater satis

faction ; and this dum b showwas carr ied on unti l Mr. Leehad s ignifi ed that he was will ing to give forty horses

,in

addition to the whiskey and tobacco before stipulated,for

the ransom of the lady of his heart.Avarice is a pass ion which exists in some form in every

state of soci ety ; the Indian can make al l the other feel ingsand propensities of his nature bend

l

to his interest as wel l asthe most civ il ized inhabitant of a commercial city . Thewealth of George Lee had its usual effect upon his captor.Natural ly distrustful; he had some misgivings as to the sin

cerity of so generous an offer, and he

‘

could hardly conceivehow one man could be so rich as to possess so many hors esand such a quantity of whiskey and tobacco ; but then Leehad an ingenuous countenan ce and a rather imposing personand appearance, and, upon the whole, the Indian felt disposed

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 179

.to credit his word . Inasmuch,however

,as he had proffered

freely thus far,the crafty savage determined to try how far

he might extort from the l iberal ity of his capti ve ; and heagain inqu ired ifMr. Lee had nothing more to offer.

George“cons idered and muttered as ide,

“Y es,I have a

great gang of negroes— bnt I can ’t gi ve them to be roastedand eaten by the savages— no

,plague on it

,I couldn’t have

the heart to send my black people here” — and he prudentlyrepl ied that he had nothing more to give .The warri or shook his head and intimated that unless

morewas offered he should marry the lady himself.Heaven forbid l” exclaim ed the terrifi ed lover, take all

I have,— take my farm ! take my black people ! I have a

hundred l ikely negroes ; you shall have them all l”

N igger !” said the Indian , velly good— help squaw tomake corn— howmuch nigger 2”George had now to go through the tedious process of

counting his fingers , frequently stopping,in hopes that the

Cupidity of the savage would be satisfi ed without tak ing all ;but the latter possessed that faculty of the wily gambler orthe experienced merchant, whi ch enables its possessor to

j udge from the countenance of the subject under operationwhether he is sti l l able to bear a littl e more depletion

,and

continued to shake his head unti l George declared that theblack people were all counted . He then coolly remarkedthat he should keep the woman himself.George flew into a rage

,and then burst into tears You

unconscionable rascal l” he cried , will nothing satisfy you ?I offer you all I have in the world'for the l iberty of this lady .

[ am willing, bes ides, to stay and serve you myself all myl ife . Sether free

,you avaricious dog

,and I will stay and be

overseer for you among my own negroes l”

The white man has a forked tongue,”repl ied the warrior

calmly : when he offered horses,whiskey , and tobacco for

his squaw. I thought hewas honest. White men are fools ;

180 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

theywill g i ve al l they have fo r a palefaced woman. But

when the white man offers to sel l himself to be a servant to

the Indian women, and to send his squaw back to the thirteen

fi res, I knowthat he speaks l ies .

”

Se saying, he walked off . But the overture had a goodeffect. The idea of procuring a valuable ransom for MissPendleton determined the Indians to treat her with kindness .

A lodge of mats as prepared for her, and she soon foundherself placed in a s ituati on of comparative comfort. Shewas not an inattenti ve l istener to the preceding conversatio n.The sol icitude and generosity of Lee affected her deeply.

But shewas generous herself, and noble natures know how toreceive as wel l as to confer obl igations . Conscious that herwarm-hearted fri endwas offering no more than she would

have freely given to redeem him or any other human being

from so dreadful a fate, she did not attempt to interf ere unti l

he proposed to become a slave himself. Then she exclaimedNo notse— George— cous in George Lee— dear Georgebut he heard her not, and in the vehemence of his exertionsin her behal f he lost perhaps the tenderestwords that she

had ever addressed to him since the days of their childhood .

But however Miss Pendleton ’s heart might have beenawakened to sensations of gratitude

,she felt that thiswas not

the time nor place to indulge them ; and i n the exhaustedstate of her mind and body she readily and hasti ly acceptedthe shelter prepared for her

,and throwing herself

,stupefi ed

with sufferings of'variou s kind

,upon a m at

,endeavoured to

to find repose . She had sunk into a feveri sh sl umber,when

shewas awaked by the noise of loud and triumphant shouting.

The campwas again crowded w ith lnd ian‘Warriors the partywhich had gone in pursuit of the fugitiveswas returned ; theyhad overtaken Colonel Hendr ickson

,and that unfortunate

gentlemanwas again a pr isoner. His fatewas now sealed.

The determ ination which had originally been formed of carrying him to the village of the captors to be publ i cly sacrifi ced

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1 82 LE G E ND S'

O F T H E W E S T .

He is the hurri cane that scattered our wigwams and de

stroyed our corn-fields l”

He drove us from our hunting-grounds, and trampled in

scorn upon the bones of . our fathers l”

I-Iis knife has drunk the blood of the red man ; the blood

of our wom en and children is on his hands 1”

Lethim perish in torture 1”Let him be slowly consumed by fi re 1”The great Spirit wil l laugh , when he sees the white m an

writhing in agony l”

The spirits of our fathers will rejoi ce— they wil l shoutand clap their hands in the world of shades

,when they hear

the shri eks of the white warrior.

These exclamations were uttered severally by differentindividuals i n the Indian tongue; with which Colonel Hendrick sonwas acquainted, in the emphati c tones of savage declamation

,and with that earnestness of gesticulation which

renders their eloquence so impress ive . There were otherswho addressed the vi ctim in coarser language

,loading him

with opprobrious epithets,and pouring out the bitterness of

their mal ignant hearts in copious streams of vulgar invective . And now thewoodwas piled aboutthe victim torcheswere l ighted and blazing brands snatched from the fi re

,and

the hell ish crew,flourishing them around their heads, danced

round the prisoner with that mal ignantjoy with which devilsand damned spirits may be supposed to exult in the agoniesof a fal len soul .At l ength a chief stepped forward and commanded s i lence .

White man,

”said he

,are you ready to di e

I am l” repl ied the brave Kentuckian,in a calm tone

The white man’s God has whispered peace to my soul . ”

Can the God of the white man save you from torture ?Canhe prevent you from fe el ing painwhen your flesh shallbe torn,when . your l imbs shal l be separated

,one by one,

H A a r s’s H E A D . 183

from your body,and the sl ow flam es shal l scorch , without

consuming,your miserable carcase

My God is a merciful God,

”repl ied the undaunted pio

neer ; his ear is ever open to the prayers of those who puttheir trust i n him . He has fi lled my heartwith courage . Ihave no fear o f death— blessed for ever be the Lord God of

Israel'” Then rais ing his eyes upward,he exclaimed , with

devout fervour,Make haste

,O God

,to del iver me ; make

haste to help me,O Lo rd . Let them be ashamed and con

found ed that seek after my soul : let them be turned back.

ward,and put to confus ion , that desi re my heart1

”

Virginia,who had thus far endeavoured to restrain her feel

ings,now rushed forward

,and gl id ing rapidly through the

circl e o f warri ors,threw hers elf upon her uncle’s bosom,

exclaiming in fnantic accents,Let us die togethe r !”while

George Lee,who had gazed on the preceding scene with stu.

pid wonder,sought to follow her

,determined to share her

fate . Being prevented,he swore that itwas the most infa

mous transaction he had ever witnessed,and that if he got

back to old Virginia,he would have satisfaction

,at the risk

of his l ife .And now the whol e fury of the savage bandwas ready to

be poured upon thei r devoted but heroic prisoner,when the

report of a s ingle rifle rang through the woods,and the prin

cipal chief, who stood alone, received a death-wound . A vol

l ey instantly followed,and every bal l being aimed by a skil

ful hand at a particular object,brought one of the Indian

warriors to the ground ; i n another minute, a band of hardybackwoodsmen

,headed by Fennimore and Colburn

,rushed

into the camp . Before the Indians had time to array themselves for battl e

,the bonds of Colonel Hendri ckson were cut

,

and Fennim o re had °

passed one arm round Miss Pendleton,

whil e he prepared to defend her with the other.The assailants rushed upon the savage band

,and hewed

them down with desperate valour. Colonel Hendrickson

184 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

snatched up awar-club, and plunged into the thickest of the

fight. Norwas George Lee backward ; he first soughtV irginia

,and nuding her supported by the young soldier, he

caught upa weapon

,and mingled in the battle with more

hearty good-wil l than he had fo r some days shown for anyOperation in which he was called upon to join , except that

o f eating .The valour and skil l of the backwoodsmen soon

prevail ed. Itwas imposs ible to withstand thei r fury . Colonel Hendrickson seemed a new man ; he shouted unti l thewoods resounded with his battle-cry, and his friends, animatedby the sound o i'his voice

,returned the yell , and pressed on

with determined v igour. They l iterally cried aloud and

spared not. The Ind ians sounded thei r terrifi cwar-whoop ;butthat cry, so dreadful to the white man , so ful l of thri l l inghorror to the hearts of the borderers who have heard it in thelone hour of night, breaking in upon the repos e of the wilderness

,and ringing the death-knel l of

'the mother and the in

fant,was drowned in the louder shouts of the Kentucky

warriors .

The fi rst fi re had reduced the savages to a number l essthan that of the assailants

,and they now stood opposed to

men who were their superiors i n bodily strength , their equalsin courage and in al l the arts of border warfare . Thus overmatched

,they maintained the fight for but a l ittl e whil e,

when they began to give back ; thewhites sti l l pressed on,

cutting them down with the most revengeful hostil ity at

every step . The battle soon became a massacre,for the

Kentuckians not hav ing lost a s ingle man,the d isparity of

forcewas becoming greater every m oment ; and thosewhohad so often witnessed the scenes of savage barbarity

,o r

m oum ed over the affecting consequences of that unsparingwarfare

,now dealt thei r blows with unrel enting an imos ity .

Se long as the battl e raged round the spot where MissPendleton stood , Fennimore j oined in it, supporting her withhis arm and shielding her with his body , whil e he performed

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186 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

inhuman ferocity . ,Wherever his blow fell it crushed ; but

his furywas unabated . Blood seemed to whet his appetite

for blood . As he struck down the last enemy within his

reach he halted,and his eye seemed to gloat upon the v i ctims

o f his revenge . His cheekwas flushed , his nostri ls d istended,and his muscles ful l o f acti on— l ike those of a pawing

war-horse . In a moment this excitement began to subs ide,and he exclaimed

,

“God forgive my soul the sin of blood

gu iltiness l”

Colburn looked at him with‘

astonishment. The veteranturned towards him and said

,Young man

,I have this hour

shown how frai l are our best intentions . Iwas once a sold ierof some note . Butwhen I became a Chri sti an, and

.

felt theobl igation to l ove al l men and forgive my enem ies

,I de

term ined to fightno more except in defence of my home or

country . I even prayed that I might have strength to forgivean inj ury which had rankled in m y

-bosom for years . Youwere too young to remember my boy— m y only son

,who

was butchered.

in my presence by thi s very tribe . Dearlydid I revenge his death

,and devoutly did I afterwards pray

that I might forgive it. F or years have I discipli ned myfeel ings so severely that I had thoughtthe l ast spark of hatredwas extinguished

,and thatmy last day s would gl ide away in

charity with men,in peace with God . When I stood a

prisoner bound to the stake,and expecting a miserable death

,

1 endeavoured to subdue every vindictive feel ing. I prayedthat I mightdie the death of the righteous

,and feltthat peace

which the world cannot give nor take away . When itpleased God to cut m y bands

'

asunder,itwas my right and

my duty to defend the l ife which He spared,and the friends

who were dear to me . But no sooner did I raise my armedhand than all m y former feel ings of vengeance against the

race who had slain my child were kindled up . Hatred,long

smothered,broke forth with implacable fury

,and I tasted the

sweets of revenge . Itwas a bad,a wicked feel ing. It is a

H A R P E s H E A D . 187

dreadful,

unholy pass ion . Take warning from me, myyoung friend never let the pass ion of revenge find a place inyour bosom . Itwill poison your best enjoyments

,destroy

you r noblest feel ings,and make shipwreck of your purest

hopes . God preserve you from hating as I have hated,from

suffering as I have suffered l”

1 88 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

C HA P T E R XX I .

SEVERAL days had succeeded the terminati on of the

adventure described in our last chapter,and the pa rti es

were al l assembled at the m ans ion of Colonel Hendri ckson .

Thiswas a house somewhat l arger than ordinary , bui lt of

hewn logs after the plain but comfortable fash ion of the

country . Therewas not the sl ightest attempt at ornament,

but every thingwas substantial and neat ; and a strangermight see at a glance that itwas the abode of hospital ity andabundance . A large farm lying around cons isted of extensi vefi elds newly cleared

,whose deep rich soi lwas nowheavily

loaded with luxuriant crops of tobacco and com . A largenumber of negroes

,decently clothed

,cheerful and contented

,

were engaged in the various labours of agri culture .The Co lonel ’s family cons isted of himself

,his wife

,and an

only daughter,a beautiful girl of eighteen

,who combined in

her person and manners the truly feminine gracefulness , theeasy pol iteness

,the cordial ity and frankness

,so remarkably

characteristi c of the l adies of Kentucky , who unite, with sin

gular tact and elegance,the noble independence and generous

kindness of the ir countrywith the gentleness and del icacyappropri ate to their sex .

This young ladywas now walking arm in arm with Will iam Colbu rn on the beauti ful lawn in the front of the house .Itwas one of these fi ne autumnal days which are thought tobe pecul iar to the western country

,when the atmosphere is

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190 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Fri endship ! there it is, again— it is a shame to cal l suchdevoted love as mine by the cold name of friendship . I love

you better than my own life ; I have shown that.

”

You have indeed,

”repl ied Virginia, with much emotion,

and I should be most ungrateful not to be deeply affectedby your kindness , by an affection so long continued and disinterested. But it is painful , Mr.Lee“Don’t, don’t cal l me Mr. Lee. Y ou know, Virgi nia, 1

can never stand that. Refuse me,if you will— butdon’ttreat

me as a stranger.

Iwas only going to remark,howpainful it is to see you

persevere in a suit which I have never encouraged— and whichI have so often— se very often— decl ined . I feel towardsyou

,cousin George

,al l the affection of a relative ; if you

were my only brother,m y feel ings and sentiments i n regard

to you could hardly be different from what they are. Morethan this we cannot be to each other.

”

“There it is,again— that is just theway you always wind

up. I can ’t for my soul understand you . Why, if you loveme so much

,will not you marry m e2

”

Miss Pendleton,though grieved

,and even shocked at the

perseverance of her generous but s il ly lover,could notrepress

a melancholy smile as she repl ied,Because there is a great

difl’

erence, George, between s isterly afi

'ection and that l ove

which is necessary to happiness in marr iage.”

Well , I cannot for my l ife see that. I love you l ike abrother— yet I wish to marry you, to l i ve for you , to diefor you, to do any thing for you that would make youhappy

But if marrying you would not conduce to my happiness,

what then2”“Dear Virginia, you could not help being happy . Ishould be devoted to you . I have a large fortune

,a fine

house, plenty of servants, and every thing that heart could

H A R P E ’S H E A D . 191

Letus drop thesubj ect,Mr. Lee , nowand for ever.

George rose and walked across the room .

Se you have determined not to marry me I”

I have always told you so .

”

Vi rginia,it is not f or myself that I care . It is for your

happiness that I am interested . I cannot bear to l eave youhere i n this cabin

,i n these w ild woods

,and in the neighbour

hood of those dreadful savages . Say you will go back to the

O ld Dominion,l ive with my mother

,and be my sister ; let

me d iv ide my fortune equally with you ; and I will neveragain ask you to be my wi fe .Shewas deeply afl'ected . Shehad always known that this

s imple young m an,although almost an id iot i n intellect

,was

generous and s incerely attached to her. She had seen himforsake an affluent home and pleasures to which hewas fatal lyaddicted

,to follow her to the wildernes s . She had been the

i nnocent means of l eading him into capti vity and suffering .

There he had shown his devotion to her i n the most extrava

gant yet touching offers of self-saerifi ce. All this passedrapidly through hermind and his lastoffer brought tears intoher eyes .

N0,George

,said she

,ris ing and ofi

'ering her hand, which

be grasped with a lover’s eagerness ,“I cannot accept youroffer

,nor is it necessary— I cannot be your wife

,but if ever I

should need a fr iend or a brother I will frank ]y apply to you— if ever I shal l be destitute of a home or a

'

protector,most

willingly wi ll I seek them under your mother’s roof. ” Se

say ing she left the room .

While this scene went forward,Colonel Hendrickson and

Mr. Fennimore were engaged in close consultation ia‘

the gar

den . Mr. Fennimore , after communicating the facts withwhich the reader is already acquainted

,proceeded as fol

l ows zMajor Heyward having satisfi ed me thatmy mother had

no l egal claim uponhim ,added that he had already made his

192 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

will,by which he had bequeathed his whol e estate to Miss

Pendleton,who had been brought up as his adopted child,

and who,having been reared in the expectation of being his

sole hei ress,could notnowbe dis inher ited without inj usti ce.

Nor could his affection for her, whichwas that of a father,

permit him to make any d ispos ition of his fortune to the pre

judice of her interest. But he desired to be reconciled to mymother

,and spoke of making some provision for her.

Thatwil l,you are aware, has been lost. I am the heir

at l aw of my uncle, and I have come to you , as the l egalguardian of Miss Pendleton

,to say that I intend to fulfil

strictly his intentions . This i nstrument contains a form al relinqu ishm ent and transfer to her of al l m y right

,titl e

,and

claim,to the whole of my deceased uncle’s estate . Thiswas

one of the objects of my vis it here ; the other to bring to justi ce the murderer of Major Heyward

,who I am satisfied is

Micajah Harpe,and who

,with the ass istance of our friendMr.

Colburn,I have traced to this neighbourhood .

That paper,

”repl ied the Colonel

,

“I shall not acceptwithout consulting M iss Pendleton . I had determined to

divide my own property equally between her and my daughter. I shal l appriz e her of my intention

,and let her decide

for herself on your offer.

”

But I hope,my dear sir

,that you will advise her that it

is her duty to accept thatwhich of right belongs to her.

”

If my advice is asked,

”said Colonel Hendrickson

,

"‘ I

will give such as I think itbecomes my niece to accept. Youare the proper heir to your uncle . Had he l eft all his property to her, he would have done wrong ; and I shal l certai nlynot advise her to avai l herself of your generosity .

”

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194 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

— thiswas a bed , covered with a snow-white counterpane,and surrounded by a hue su it of curtains for as cabins— by

which we mean log houses— however large, contain but fewapartments , all of them are occupied as sleeping-rooms , and

the common s itting-room is always my lady’s chamber. One

consequence of this fashion is, an excess ive , and even osten

tatious neatness , rendered necessary by the fact, that everyapartment is open to the i nspecti on of visitors ; and another

is,that the mistres s of the m ansion must be an early riser,

thather room may be put in order before breakfast, and the

vis itors must retire early at night, to avoid encroaching uponher regular hours .

Therewas an engraved portrait of General Washingtonhanging over the fi re-plaee, and above it a rifle

,with a pow

der-horn and shotpouch. O f the rest,it is enough to say that

the whole interior of this prim itive dwell ing bore evidencethat it,was the res idence of comfort and abundance— that it

was the habitation of a hue,l iberal old gentleman

,and a

handsome,neat

,industri ous

,stately

,old lady . It was

,

'aswehave seen, and

'

this worthy couple were both revolutionarypatriots

,who

,having served their country well in their re

spective departm ents , were nowenj oy ing their laurels i ncontent and competency . The worthy lady

,who sat i n the

the corner oppos ite to her husband,dil igentl y ply ing her

knitting-needles, stil l retained traces of great beauty; andwore an air of demure sedateness

,mingled with a feminine

,

lady-l ike grace,and contrasted finely with the bold, manly,

countenance of her lord . Shewas a dear old lady ; fewofthe gi rls were as handsome

,and none of them l ooked half so

natural . Her soft eye beamed with bene volence , the charities of l i fe were in her smile

,and even her snow-white cap

had a matronly and Christiandik e appearancewhich inv itedrespect. Over the back of her chair hung the almanac for thecurrent year, conveniently at hand for frequent reference on

whose marginm ight be seen numerous mark s,m ade with a

H a a p n’s H E A D . 5

pencil , or sti l l oftener with the point of a needle , denotingcertain . days on which remarkabl e events had happened inthe family , such as the birth of a negro or a brood of chickens ,or the sal e of a crop of tobacco

,and mark ing the times in the

age of the m oon most proper for planting particular seeds,

or shearing sheep,or weaning children .

When supperwas announced , the whol e partywas seatedround a large table

,loaded with substantials

,wel l cooked

,

and piping hot. Other peopl e may know the luxury of goodeating

,but the Kentuck ians practise it. Before the master

of the housewas an ample dish of fried chickens,dressed with

cream and parsl ey,a l ittl e farther up

‘were venison steaks,

then fri ed ham ; thentherewas cold ham ,and chipped beef

,

and sausages,and

,better than all

,therewas a

‘

fine d ish of

hom iny, and a noble pil e of sweet potatoes , O f the eatabl escomposed of bread-stufl

's,served in various shapes , no one

who has had the misfortune to be raised north of Mason andD ixon’s l ine can form an adequate conceptioni The biscuits

,

white,l ight

,spungy, and smoking hot— the wheatbread

,smoh

ing hot — the corn bread,smoking hot— and the cakes

,almost

red hot— these are luxuries which defy the power of descrip

ti on,and the excel lentqual iti es of which can only be estimated

tru ly by that infall ibl e test which the old adage suPposes tobe necessary in reference to a pudding. Therewas no lackof sweetmeats and pastry ; but the pride of the feastwere thegreat pitchers of milk— sweet-milk , sour-milk , and betterm i lk ; for, after all , mil k is the staff of l ife, and is a thousandtimes better than the co ld water so much lauded by modernphilosophers . There were other good things ; but we shal lcontent ourselves with mentioning a capital cup of coffee, andleave the reader to form his own conclus i ons as to the Com

forts of a tea-tabl e in the backwoods.

After supper,when the company Were again ranged about

the fi re,the conversation took a l ively turn ; hunting,war,

and love naturally became the leading Subjects . The old,

96 L E G EN D S—

O F TH E W E S T .

when they are benevolent, love the conversation of the young .

Genuine s impl icity of character.

is always shown in a rel ish

for hearing the sentiments and witnessing the j oys of youth .

Persons of the strongest minds often read ch ildren’s bookswith interest, and mingle with del ight in the ir sports . Co lonel Hendricksonwas one o f those . Although dignifi ed in hismanners

,and even austere in his appearance , he could unbend

and win the eager attention of a youthful circle by his cheer

ful sall ies. O n this evening he was in high spirits,and

j oined freely in the mirth of his guests .“1 will tel l you,” said he,

“a very s ingul ar hunting ad

venture,which happened when Mrs . Hendrickson and I were

both young peopleMr. Hendrickson , interposed the venerabl e lady mild

ly, butwith a l ittl e spice of one having authority, I wouldnot tel l that story now .

”

Why not,my dear ? It is a good story .

Butyou have told it so often,Mr. Hendr ickson .

No matter for that,my dear ; our guests have never

heard it.”

3 31mm? title.

You must know,

said he,whi le the young folks all as

sumed the attitude of'eager l isteners

,thatmy fatherwas a

wealthy farmer,in the western ‘ part

‘

of old Virg in ia. \Ve

l ived near the mountain,and I l earned to huntwhen Iwas a

mere boy . We had plenty of servants,and I had l ittl e else

to do than to follow my own incl ination . At fourteen I usedto break my father’s colts

,and had gained the reputation of

a daring rider ; at the same age,I could track a deer as suc

cessfully as the most experi enced hunter ; and before Iwasgrown, I had been a volunteer against the Indians . Ats ixteenI began to get fond of going to see the young ladies ; so that

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198 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

man,as she passed ; but as the tal ewas becoming rather

personal,as respected herself, she remained absent until near

the close of it. ”“I cannot say that we ever fel l in love with each other ;for our m utual affection commenced with childhood , grewwith our growth , and filled our hearts so gradually, that itmay be said to have formed a part of our natures As fo r

courtship, therewas none ; I rede to meeting with Carol ineevery Sunday, wentwith her to the races and barbacues ,danced with her at every ball , and spent half of my time at

her father’s house . When returning home late in the evening

,after an absence of several days

,I used to stop at her

father’s,oratmy own, justas happened to be most conven ient,

and feltmyself as welcome at the one house as at the other.

But no explanationh ad taken place . When equipped forserv ice

,the lastthing I did before I marched away ,was to go

there in my new regimentals,to take l eave . She wept

,but

my mother and s isters did the same,and I thought nothing

of it at the time .“Iwas gone more than a year,was in several engage

ments,and went through

’

a great variety of hardship and suf

tering. We were poorly paid,badly fed

,and terribly

thrashed by the regulars whi le learning the disc ipl ine whichenabled us to beat them in return . At l ength our companywas com pletely destroyed ; some were k il l ed

,some taken

prisoners , some got s ick,and a fewgot tired of be ing pa

triots . The remainder were discharged,or transtierred into

other companies ; and I obtained l eave of absence. 1 had

lost my horse,spent all my money

,worn out my clothes

,

and had no means of travell ing,except on foot. Patriotism

,

young gentlemen,was a poor business then

,and is notmuch

better now. Like F alstafi ’s honour

,itwill not set a l imb ;

and I found to my sorrow that itwould not keep out cold orfurnish a barefoot soldier with a pair of shoes . But it

warmed the hearts and opened the doors of all true Whigs,

H A R P E’s -H E A D . 199

and I generally procured a meal and a night’s l odging at the

close of each day’s travel unde r the roof o f some friend tothe cause of l iberty.“I had lately thoughta great deal aboutCarol ine. Itwasnot unti l 1 parted from her that I knew how necessary shewasto my happiness . I nowrecol lected her remarks , and recalledwith delight the amusem ents in which we had participatedtogether. When ly ing upon the ground in my cheerless tent

,

or keep ing guard at some sol itary outpost, I amused the

weary hou rs in forming plans for the future,inwhich shewas

always one of the dram u lis p ersona . When any thing agreeable occurred

,I longed to tel l it

'

to her ; and when in troubleI

.

cou ld always fancy howentirely she would enter into myfeelings, and howtender would be her sympathy could she

be at my side . I had no doubt that her sentiments weresimilar to my own ; yet, when I recollected thatno disclosurehad been made or pledge given on either s ide

,and that she

was not even bound to knowo f my attachment, I condemnedmyself for having taken no precaution to secure a treasurewithout which the laurels [ hadwon would be valueless and

lifie itself a burden.

In order to get home I had to pass the door of Carol ine’s

father ; and I determined to stop there first,curi ous to know

whether I should be recognised in my wretched garb,and

howI should be received. Iwas as ragged a rebel as everfought against his unlawfu l k ing. I had no shoes on my feet

,

my clothes were faded , torn, and dirty, my long hair hungtangled over my face, I had been witho ut a razor for sometime

,and this sear which you see on my cheekwas then a

green wound,covered with a black patch. Altogether I

looked more l ike a deserter or a fugitive from a prison-shipthan a young offi cer. The dogs growled atme as I approachedthe house, the l ittl e negroes ran away, and the chi ldren of thefamily hid behind the door. No one recognised me

,and I

stood in the hall where most of the fam i ly were assembled,

200 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

l ike some being dropped from another worl d.

’

They wereengaged in various employments ; as for Miss Carol ine, she

spinning upon a large wheel in the farther end of the room ;for young ladies then , however wealthy their parents ,wereall taught to be useful . She looked at me attentively asI entered

,but continued her work ; and I never felt so happy

in my l ife as when I sawher graceful form and her l ight stepwhile she moved forward and backward , extending her handsome arm and d isplaying her pretty fingers as she drew her

cotton rolls into a fi ne thread . The ingenuity of wom annever invented a more graceful exerci se for showing off a

beautiful fi gure than spinning cotton on a large wheel .“1 , thought she l ooked pens i ve ; but her cheekwas as

bloom ing as ever,and her pretty round form ,

instead of beingemaciated with gri ef, had increased in stature and maturity .

I felt vexed to think that shewas not wretched , that her eyeswere not red with watching, nor her cheeks furrowed withtears . I endeavoured to speak in a feigned voice, but nosooner did the tones meether ear than she sprung up, eagerlyrepeated my name

,and rushing towards me

,clasped both my

hands in hers with a warmness and frankness of affectionwhich admitted no concealment and left no room for doubt.The whole family gathered round me, and itwas with somed iffi culty that I tore myself away .

When m y good mother had caused me to betrimmed ,and scrubbed

,and brushed

,I felt once more the luxury of

looking and feel ing l ike a gentl eman . I passed a happyevening under my nati ve roof ; and the next morning earlyshouldered my rifle for a hunting excurs ion . My friendsthought it strange that

,after the hardships I had recentl y

undergone, I should so soon ev ince a des ire to engage in th isfatiguing sport. But I had di fferent game in view from anythat they dreamed of. I took a by. path which led to the

res idence of a certain young lady,approaching it through a’

strip’

of forest which extended nearly to the garden . Caroline

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202 L E G E N D S o r r u n‘

Wa s r .

thing .To sleep in the woodswas no hardship, for I had long

been accustomed to lodging upon the hard ground inthe open

air ; indeed , I had been kept awake most of the preced ing

hight by the novel luxury of a feather-bed . Acco rd ingly l

k indled a fi re and threwmyself on the ground . I neverwassuperstitious ; but my mind was at that time in a state

o f pecul iar sensitiveness . My return home, the sudden relief

from pri vation and suffering,the meeting with my fam ily

,

and the interview with Carol ine, had all concurred to bewilderand intox icate my brain ; and as I lay in the dark shade of

the forest, gazing at the fewstars that twinkl ed through theintervals of the fol iage, some of the wild traditions of the

hunters occurred to my memory, and I persuaded myself thata spell had been placed upon my gun . When I fel l asleep Idreamed of being in battl e unarmed , of hunting without ammunition

,and being marri ed withoutgetting a

‘wife — the

upshot of the whol e matterwas, that I s leptwithout beingrefreshed .“I rose

,and was proceed ing towards a neighbouring

spring,when a strain of s ingular musi c burst upon my car.

Itwas so wild,solemn

,and incoherent

,that I could make

nothing of it,and became more and more convinced that I

certainlywas bewitched ; but determined to see the end of'

this mysterious adventure,I hastened towards the spot from

which the sounds p roceeded . As I approached,the tones

became familiar,and I recogn ised a voi ce which I had known

from childhood . I had rested near the foot of a mountainousridge, at a spot where a pile of rocky masses rose in tal lcl iffs abruptly from the plain. Againstthe bald s i des of theseprecipices the rising sun now shone

,l ighting them up with nu

usual splendour. O u a platform of rock,overhung by jutting

points, from which the sound of the voice was returned bynumerous echoes , knelt a superannuated negro

,whom I had

k nown from my infancy . From my earl iest recol lection,he

had been a kind of pr ivileged character,wandering aboutthe

H'

A a p s’s H E A D . 203

country,and fi lling the vari ous cflices of fi ddler, conjurer, and

preacher. Latterly he had quit fi ddling, and taken to philosophy, most probably because ambition , the last infi rm ity of

noble minds,had induced him to seek higher honours than

those ach ieved by the tri umphs of the viol in . The old manwas engaged in his morning devotions

,andwas chanting a

hymn at the top of his voice,with great apparent fervour and

sincerity . I made up my mind in a m om ent

'

that hewas thevery conjurer who had placed a spel l upon my gun

,and per

haps upon my courtship for he had long served as a kind oflay-brother at the altar of Hymen , andwas famous for hisskil l in del ivering billet-doux

,and huding out young l ad i es’

secrets . Moreover,his name was Cupid . As soon as

'

his

devotions were concluded,I approached and discl osed with

pe rhaps more seriousness of manner than I felt,and certainly

with more than I would have acknowl edged,the mysterious

conduct of my gun,whichwas as good a rifle as ever a m an

put to'

his shoulder,and my suspicions that some necromancy

had been practised . The old manwas overjoyed to see me,

for I had danced to his viol in many a long night ; he utteredsome very profound and philosophic moral reflections uponthe rapidity with which l ittl e boys grow up into big mencompl imented me upon my improved appearance and safe return from the wars

,and assured me that I looked ‘

m z'

gltty

sogerfi ed .

’ Then proceeding to inspect m y unlucky weapon,

he fi rst examined the lock , then drewthe ramrod,and hav ing

searched the barrel,handed it back , exclaiming, with a most

sarcasti c grin,

‘ Please goodnes s ! massa Charl ey, howyou sp eck yourgun go off;

’ou tno powder 7’

The truth broke upon my mind with the suddenness of

an explos ion . I stood with my finger in my mouth l ike aboycaught in a forbidden orchard

,a lover detected in the act of

sweari ng all egiance npon his knees, or an author whosewithas flashed in the pan. The simple factwas , that in the

204 L E G E N D S o r T H E'

W E s 'r .

pleasure of courting,and the del ight of winn ing my old dame

there,who

,plain as you see her now,was, as I sai d before, i n

her young days,allowed to be a great beauty

,I had totally

forgot to load my gun ! But old Cupid kept my secret— I

k ept any own counsel- Carol ine kept her word, and I havealways had reason to cons ider that as the best hunt I evermade. ”

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206 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

the party,but they decl ined participating in any amusement

whichwas considered as being more properly suited to boys.

But Georgewas not to be balked in his humour. A refusalfrom V 1rg1n1a Pendleton had always the effectof d riving him

to the sports of the fi eldwith renewed ardour, and he nowjoined the lads in their excurs ion with hearty good will .The party consisted of a number of lads

,some of whom

were nearly grown, and others quite small . They carriedaxes and blazing torches , and were fol lowed by a number of

dogs . O h reaching the woods,the dogs scattered in different

directions i n search of their game ; and the human animalsstrolled carel ess]y along

,waiting for a signal from their brute

com panions . The atmospherewas sti l l,but frosty ; itwas a

clear and starl ight night, but the heavy mass of decay ingleaves that stil l clothed the tops of the tall trees

yrendered

the darkness impenetrable,except where the torches carried

by the hunters threw a bright glare immediate]y aroundthem as they passed along. The stil lness thatreigned throughthe forestwas profound . As the hunters moved

,the l eaves

rustled under their footsteps,and their voices breaking in

upon the repose oi'nature seemed to have an unnatural loudness ; and when they stood sti l l to

.

l isten,nothing could be

heard butnowand then a d istant faint sound of the tread of

a dog, leaping rapidly over the dri ed vegetation , or the screamof an afi

‘

righted bi rd . They pursued no path,but stro ll ed

fearl essly through the cgverts of the forest,directed only by

their acquaintancewith the l ocal features ‘

of the country .

They often paused to l isten . The dogs continued to hunt,

tak ing wide circu its through the forest,and return ing at long

intervals , one by one to theirmasters , as if to reportprogress orto ascertain what had been the success of others .

‘ All atoncea'bark ingwas heard , fall ing upon the ear so faintly

,as to

show that it proceeded from a distant spot. It came from as ingle dog, and announced that he had fallen upon the scentof a raccoon ; and in a fewminutes a change in the tones of

H a a p s’s H E A D . 207

the animal which became more l ively,intimated that he had

chased the game to its hid ing-place . The other dogs , on

hearing this sound,all rushed eagerly towards 'the spot from

whence it proceeded,followed by the hunters at full speed .

They found the successful dog s itting at the foot of a largehoney-l ocust tree— or as the boys expressed it, barking upa honey-locust

,

” with every appearance of triumphant del ight.The fi rst thing whichwas nowdon e

,was, to coll ect a

quantity of fal len l imbs,which were piled into a large heap

,

and l ighted by means of the torches that had been broughtfor this purpose . In a fewminutes an intense blaze shot upwards

,throwing a brill iant glare of l ight upon the surround

ing scene ; and the animal for whose capture these preparations were made

,was seen standing on a bough forty feet

from the ground,endeavouring to conceal itself

,while it gazed

downwards in alarm and _wonder. A loud shout announcedthe del ight of the party on beholding their game

,the dogs

evinced an equal degree of pleasure,and itwould have been

hard to tel l which animals— the human or canine— experi

enced the greatest degree oi'enjoyment in the sport.

The young men now threw off , their coats and beganwith their axes to cut down thetree inwhich their preyhad taken refuge. Itwas several feet i n circumference ; butthatwhich would have been cons idered

,under other circum

stances,a laborious task

,was cheerfully undertaken in the

eager pursuit of amusement. Blow after blow fel l upon thesol id trunk in quick success i on

,and thewoods re echoed the

rapid and cheerful strokes of the axe . Two of the hunterswi elded the axe on oppos ite s ides of the tree

,striking alter

nately with regular cadence,and with such energy and skil l

that every blow made its appropriate impress ion ; others re

lieved them,from time to time

,by taking their places

,whil e

the smaller lads continued to supply fuel to the fi re. At

length the wo rkwas so nearly accomplished that a fewmore

208 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

blows only were required to complete it, and all of theexcept those engaged in chopping, retired to the s ide of the

tree oppos ite to the direction in which itwas expected to fal l ,gathering together all the dogs, and holding them fast bymain strength, to prevent them from running under the falling

tree,and being crushed by its descent. Norwas it an easy

matter to restrain the eager animals, for no sooner did the

great tree begin to totter and creak , than they began to whineand struggle, showing the greatest impatience to rush forwardand seize their prey , as soon as he should reach the ground .

The tall tree slowly bowed its top, trembl ing for‘ a moment

as if balanced , then crack ing louder and quicker, and at last

fall ing rapidly,tearing and crushing the boughs that inter

cepted its downward progress , and stretching its enormousl ength on the ground with a tremendous crash . The neigh

bouring trees,whose branches were torn off

,and whose tops

were di sturbed by the sudden rush of air accom panying thefall of so large a body

,bowed their heads over their prostrate

comrade,waved the ir spl intered l imbs

,and then relapsed into

their original state of majestic repose.

No sooner did the tree strike the ground,than the raccoon

darted from among its qu i vering branches and bounded awaypursued by the whole yell ing pack of dogs and boys . Andnow therewas shouting and scrambl ing . Surrounded by so

many foes,the raccoonwas soon brought to bay by a young

dog,who paid dearly for his inexperi ence

,for the enraged

animal turning suddenly,struck his sharp teeth into the head

of the dog,who yell ed lusti ly with pain ; thi s occupied but

a second the raccoon resumed his flight, and the beaten dog,whining and bleeding

,sl unk away . Again and againwas

the hard-pressed animal obliged to face his pursuers,who now

headed him in'

every di recti on that he turned , and more thanone dog felt his keen bite . The human tormentors crowdedaround , interfering no further than by encouraging the dogswith loud shouts ; and the sportwent bravely ou

,Until the

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210 La e swns o r T H E W E S T .

l ife dearly , while one of smaller s ize, or of the softer sex,fell

an easy prey . Sometimes the unhappy animalwas crushedto death by the fal l of the tree 'i n which it had taken refuge ;and sometimes after an immense tree had been fel led withgreat labour, itwas found that the wily game had stolen awayalong the interlock ing branches , and found refuge in the topo f another. Then the fi res were renewed

,and the bright

glare usually enabled the hunters to discover the fugitiveclosely nestled in a fork , or at the junction o f a large l imbwith the body of a tree

,where it lay concealed unti l curios ity

induced itto show its face in the sly endeavour to take a peepat the operations going on below

,or some sl ight motion be

traying a protruding paw or the qu ivering tip of the tai l .O ccas ional ]y the young dogs committed the d isgraceful m istake of“treeing a lazy fat opossum in the branches of as l ender sapl ing

,from which itwas quickly shaken down and

beaten to death ignom iniously with clubs .

The hunters were nearly satiatedwith sport,when ithap

pened that the dogs on stri king a trai l went offwith greatvivacity

,following itto a cons iderable distance

,to the surprise

of their wearied masters ; for the raccoon runs slowly,and on

finding itself pursued , immediately cl imbs a tree . O u theywent

,full of hepe

,the scent growing fnore and more fresh

,

and the dogs bark ing louder and with greater animation asthey proceeded

,unti l the gamewas dri ven to a tree . The

fi rewas l ighted,when the trembling of a bough'showed that

the animalwas spri nging from one tree to another,where new

operations were commenced,and the axes were strik ing m er

rily, when an alarm from the dogswas heard,and itwas found

that the wily game after steal ing from tree to tree had déscended to the ground and dashed off. Away went the dogsand boys again in higher spirits than ever

,for the ingenuity

and boldness of the animal showed thatnobler gamewas nowstarted , and that they were on the trai l of a wild-eat, whowasso closely pressed as to be again obl iged

,afi ei a gallantrun

H a a p a’s H E A D . 21 1

of about half a m ile,to take refuge in the branches of a tal l

oak which happened to stand apart so that the an imal couldnot leap into a neighbo uring tree . F ires were now lighted allround the spot

,so that a considerable spacewas i l luminated

with a bri l l iancy as great as that of noond ay ; the catwasseen

,with back erect and glaring eyeballs

,looking fi ercely

down ; the axes were pl ied with renewed vigo ur and the oakwas soon . prostrated . Greater precautionswere now used topreventthe escape of their prey the youths armed with clubsformed a large circle and the dogs rushed in from differentdirections. The enraged animal sprung bold ]y out

,bounding

with vigorous l eaps,showing his white teeth and growl ing

defi ance. The dogs highly excited dashed fearl ess ly at their

preyf and a hot engagement ensued , for they had now to copewith one of the most ferocious brutes of the forest— one

whi ch,though not large in s ize

,is muscular

,active

,cunning

,

and undauntedly fi erce. Fighting with teeth and claws,he

inflicted deep wounds on his eager assailants. Growl ing,bark

ing,hiss ing, and shouting

,were mingled in horrible discord .

Dried leaves and earth and fur were thrown into the air,and

the slender bushes were crushed and tram pled ’

down by the

maddened combatants . Surrounded and attacked on all s idesthe furious cat foughtwith desperation. Sometimes Springing suddenly up over the heads of his assailants he alightedonthe back of a dog, hs ing his teeth deep in the neck, drivinghis sharp

'

claws into the throat on either s ide and bearing downthe agonized and suffocated anim al to the earth ; and sometimes overthrown , and fighting on his back , bitten and worriedfrom every direction , he sprang at the throat of one of his

tormentors,sunk his deadly fangs into the j ugular, nor released

his hold until the dog qu ivered with the pangs of death ; unti lwounded

,torn

,bleeding

,and exhausted

,.hewas overpowered

by numbers. Thus ended, in triumph , a most glorious hunt.The nightwas nearly wasted

,and the sportsmen, now sev

eral m i les fi ‘om home, began to retrace the ir steps. After

212’ L E G E N D S O F

-

T H E W'E s r .

proceeding a short distance they divided into several parti es,each taking the nearest direction to their respective habita

tions.One of the youths agreed to accompanyMr. Lee to

Colonel Hendrickson’s ; and our friend George , after expressing the delight he had experi enced in the“oshital sport”

which they had enjoyed , bade them a hearty good night andm arched off with his young guide through the dark and nows ilent forest. Fatigued with several hours of severe exercisethey sauntered sl owly along, and as the hunter walks habitually with a noiseless tread, their footsteps fel l s il ently on theleafy carpet of the forest. The death -l ike repose of theWoodsafforded a strong contrast to the fi res which had latelygleamed

,and the sounds of confl ict that had awakened the

echoes of the wilderness . Although the darknesswas alm ostimpenetrable

,the guide moved forward with unerring skill

,

keeping the direct course w ithout deviation , cl imbing overhills on whose summits the star-l ight glimmered faintlythrough the fol iage

,or descending into vales where nota gleam

of the l ight of heaven broke in upon the sol itary travel lers .

At length they crossed their former track at a spot whereone of the fi res had been lighted . The fuel had been heapedup at the foot of a dead tree of cons i derable magnitude , andas the pile had been great and the heat intense

,the flam es had

enveloped the trunk,extended upwards to the branches and

l ighted the whole fabri c in a blaze of glowing fi re. They firstsawthis beautiful sight from the summit of a neighbouringhill, from which , though sti l l d istant, itwas distinct]y v is ible— a tree of fi re

,standing alone in the dark forest The trunk

presented a tall column of intense redness,round which the

flam es curled and roll ed,giving to this maj esti c p il lar of fire

the appearance of a wav ing motion ; whil e the branches tand .

twigs were all l ighted up and completely envelopedwith theglowing element

,and parts of them were continually break

ing of? and fall ing to the ground l ike drops of blazing l iqu id .

As they stood gazing at this spl endid exhibition, several

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214 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

steps rannimbly away , without waiting to ascertain it

was that approached ; and the hunters resumed their homeward way

,which led in a direction Opposite to that tak en by

theHarpes.

H anp n’s H E A D .

’

215

C H A P T E R XX IV .

was nearly noon when Mr. Lee rose the followingmorning . He found Colonel Hendrickson and allhis guestswaiting for h im to accompany them in a r ide to the house ofa neighbou ring gentl eman

,whe re they had engaged to d ine .

When he communicated the intell igence of having seen theHerpes on the preceding night

,the gentlemen expressed

great regret atnot having heard it sooner, and determined to

go i n a body the nextday in pursuit of the ruflians .

The hors es were s oon at the door,and the gay party be

gan to mount,each of the young gentl emen selecting a fa

vourite fai r one for his ownspecial charge, as is customary andproper in all well-regu lated parti es of pleasure . Mr. Lee

,

who cons idered that he had a prescriptive right to wait uponMiss Pendl eton,was advancing to ass ist her to mount herhors e

,when be perce ived that Mr. Fennimore had al ready

taken her hand and turned back,jealous

,m ortifi ed

, and almost determined that he would not join the company . Theblood mounted into his cheeks

,and his brow lowered , as he

stood irresolute— a m'

omentary pass ion of rage struggl ing inhis bosom

,against his native good-humour and habitual

politeness .

Colonel Hendrickson sawhis embarrassment, and withready pol iteness endeavoured to remove it.Mr. Lee

,

”said he

,1 mu st show you a fewacres of fine

tobacco, as we ride along. I suspect you are a good j udge

216 L E GE N D S o r T H E'WE S T .

of such matters ; your father, if I recol lect,was a famoustobacco raiser.

”

George bowed,and s ilently walked w ith his host towards

their horses .“Cousin George, said Miss Pendleton,with one of her

sweetest smiles,as hewas stalk ing sulki ly by her hors e ’s

head,

“will you have the goodness to arrange that rein forme ? ” -the cloud passed from his brow ,

as he placed his handon the bridle not that one

,George

,the other— thank you

— there -that is exactly right— you are goihg with us,cous in

George and,bowing gracefully

,she rode oil; escorted by

Mr. Fennimore ; whil e George Lee , completely conci l iatedby this l ittle manoeuvre , swore, internally, that shewas the

sweetest creature in the world, and thatFennimore deservedto be

.

shot.As the gay company fi led off in coupl es

,Mr. Lee and the

Colonel l ingered in the rear ; the latter pointed outhis tobacco .

crop,his corn

,and his turnips

,talked of

'his horses

,and then

turned the subj ectto hunting,and told some stirring anecdotes

of backwoods adventure . George l istened unti l he becameinterested

,and

,before the r idewas ever

,had recovered his

usual spi rits . But stil l hewas not satisfi ed . To give upVirgin iawas sufficiently painful , but to see another carry off

thebright prizewas more than his slender stock of phi losophycould bear.

They found a large party assembled ‘

to dinner. We shal lnot stop to count the roasted pigs and turkeys

,. the j ui cy

hams,the fat haunches of venison

,the bowls of apple-toddy,

and the l oads of good things on which they were regaled .

More importantmatters l i e before us, and urge us forward to

the sequel of this history .

After d inner,when the gentl emen were stroll ing in the

Open air,Mr. Lee whispered to Mr. Fennimore that he

wished to eonwrse with him in pri vate,and led the way to a

retired place . Fennimore noticed his discontented air,and

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L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

And so you won’

tquarrel with me 2” said he,at l ast.

Not will ingly , Mr. Lee ,”repl ied Mr. Fennimore , l augh

ing I have seen such evidences of your prowess lately , that

I would much rather fightby your s ide than againstyou .

”

Would you do me a favour,Mr. Fennimore 2”

With a great deal of pleasure , sir.

”

Then just insult me, if you pl eas e ; say any thing thatI can ask satisfaction for ; do any thing that l oan take offence

at,and I will thank you as long as I l ive . ”“I am sorry I cannot gratify you, Mr. Lee, repl ied

Fennimore,much amused ° but real ly I l ike you too wel l

to feel any des i re to forfeit your friendship.

Well,if you wil l do nothing else to oblige me

,wil l you

go to the woods,and let us shoot at each other

,for amuse

ment2”“Excuse me,Mr. Lee, repl ied Fennimore

,i n the best

humour poss ible.Tell me one thing

,if you please

,sir

,and I have done

are you in l ove with Virginia Pendleton 2”

How shall I answer you 2” repl ied Fenn im ore ; to say

I am ,

'

m ight argue presum‘

ption to say I am not,would show

a want of taste . ”“Well , sir, allow me to put you on your guard . It is

useless to courther. She will not have you . I have beencourting her these ten years

,and have offered myself fi fty

times . It is perfectly useles s,sir

,to court

‘

her. I know herwell— she is determined not to marry . She is the huestwoman ever raised in Vi rginia— but she will not marry anyman— I have ascertained that. ”“I thank you ,Mr. Lee

,for your friendly warning ; and

should I be unsuccessful,I shal l recol lect that I have ventured

contrary to a friend’s advice .”

Recollect another thing, if you please, sir— I have a priorclaim to that lady ’s affection

,which I will maintain at the risk

of my life.

”

H A R P E’s H E A D . 219

Nay,but

,Mr. Lee

Excuse me,s ir

,— I have made up my mind on that

point ; any man who marri es Vi rginia Pendleton must fightme fi rst.

”

Se say ing,Mr . George Lee walked ofi

’

,leaving Fennimore

a l ittl e provoked,and very much amused ; though , upon re

flection,he felt only sympathy for this amiable young man

,'

who,with an excel lent heart and the most gentl emanly feel

ings,was betrayed by the weakness of his i ntel lect and his

perseverance in a hopeless passion into the most extravagant

L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

C H A P T E R XXV .

THE Harpes had heretofore escaped punishment in

quence of a variety of pecul iar circumstances . Thescene of their barbariti eswas sti l l almost a wi lderness , and avariety of cares pressed on the people . The spoi ls of theirdreadful warfare furnished them with the means of violenceand of escape . Mounted on fine horses

,they plunged into

the forest,eluded pursuit by frequently changing their course

,

and appeared unexpectedly,to perpetrate newenormiti es

,at

places far distant from those where they were supposed tol urk . More than once were the people lulled into securityand the pursuit of the rufhans abandoned by the suppos itionthat they had entirely disappeared from the country— whenthe conflagration of a sol itary cabin

,and the murder of all its

inm ates,awakened the whol e community to l ively sensations

of fear,and horror

,and indignation .

Miss Pendleton heard of these atrociti es with shuddering.

Th rice had she seen one of these assass ins,under circumstances

calculated to excite the most dreadful apprehensions. O u

each occas i on his handwas raised against her l ife,and his

malignant scow] seemed to announce the existence of somedeadly feud againsther. But why she should thus be an ob_

ject of vengeance and pursu it, shewas totally unabl e to discover

,or even conj ecture .

.In the meanwhile,the outrages of these murderers had

not escaped public notice,norwere they tamely submitted

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222 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

Leiperwas mounted on a horse of cel ebrated powers,which

he had borrowed from the owner for this occas ion . At the

beginning of the chase he had pressed his charger to ~ theheight of his speed

,carefully keeping 0 11 the track of Harpe

,

of whom he sometimes caught a glimpse as he ascended the

hills,and again lost s ight of him inthe valleys and the bru sh .

But as he gained on the foe, and became sure o f his v i ctim,

he slackened his pace,cocked his ri fle

,and deliberately pur

sued,sometimes cal l ing upon the outl aw to surrender.

Itwas an animating, but fearful s ight, to behold two powerful and desperately bold m en

,armed

,and mounted on

gallant steeds, pursuing each other so closely as to render italmost certain that a mortal struggl e must soon ensue . At

l ength Harpe’s horse,having strained all his powers i n leap

ing a ravine, received an injury which obl iged him to slackenhis pace

,and Leiper overtook him . Both were armed with

rifles . When near enough to fi re with certainty,Leiper

stopped,took del iberate aim ,

and shot the retreating rafiian

through the body the latter,turning in his saddle

,level led

his piece,which missed fire

,and he dashed it to the ground

,

swearing that itwas the fi rst time it had ever decei vedhim . He then drew a tomahawk

,and waited the approach

of'Leiper

,who

,nothing daunted

,drew his long hunting-knife

,

and rushed upon his desperate foe,grappled with him

,hurl ed

him to the ground,and wrested the weapon from his grasp .

The prostrate wretch,exhausted with the l oss o f blood

,con

quered, but unsubdued in spir it,now lay pass ive at the feet

of his adversaryLeiperwas a humane man

,easy

,slow-spoken

,and not

quickly excited,but a thorough soldier when his

.energi eswere aroused into action. Without insulting the expiringcriminal he questi oned him as to the m oti ves of his lateatrociti es . The murderer attem pted not to pall iate or denythem , and confessed that he had been actuated by no otherinducement than a settl ed hatred of his speci es

,whom he had

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 223

sworn to destroy without distinction,in revenge for so .ne

fancied inju ry . He expressed no regret for his bloody deeds.He acknowledged that he had amassed large sums of money

,

and described some of the places of concealment ; but asnonewas ever d iscovered

,it is presumed he did not declare

the truth . Leiper had fi red at Harpe several times duringthe chase

,and wounded him ; and when Harpewas asked

why,when he found Leiper pursu ing him alone

,he did not

di smount and tak e a t-ree,from behind which he could have

inev itably shot him as he approached,he repl ied that he had

supposed therewas not a horse in the country equal to the

one he rode,and that hewas confi dent of making his escape .

He thought also that the pursuit would be less eager,so long

as he abstained from shedding the blood of his pursuers . O u

the arr ival of the rest of the party the w retchwas dispatched,

and his head severed from his body . This bloody trophywasthen carri ed to the nearest magistrate

,before whom itwas

proved to be the head of Micajah Harpe after which itwasplaced in the fork o f a tree

,where it long remained a revolt

ing object of horror. The spot is sti l l called Harp e’s Head

,

and the publ ic road which pass es near it is called the Harpe’sHead Road .

Colonel Hendri ckson and his fri ends had ridden‘

out to

join in the pursuit,and had been scouring the forest some

hours when they m et a party who informed them of the

death of Harpe,and they turned their horses’ heads homo

wards . They were pass ing over a high but l evel tract o fcountry

,whose surfacewas undulated by gradual swells and

covered With a thick growth of timber ; to their rightwas ahilly

,broken tract

,called l e I( nobs

,

” i n which these v i llains had often harboured . In front of themwas a region ofopen

,brushy land

,destitute of trees

,and which seemed to

have been lately a Wi ld prairi e,with no other cover ing but

grass . Mr. Lee,whose feelings seemed to be l ess social than

usual,was rid ing by him sel f in advance of the party when

224 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

at a spotwhere two roads crossed hewas surprised to see

Hark Short l eaning against a tree in an attitude of fi xedattention . Hewas so completely ab sorbed as not to be at

all conscious of the approach ofMr. Lee,unti l the latter spoke

to him .

What’s the matter, Hark ? said he : have you found abig rattlesnake 2”

Hark started as he heard the voice,and looked timidly

round . His features , u sually melancholy , nowwore an express ion of fear and horror. Without answer ing the questions of Mr. Lee, he raised his eyes Wi ldly ; and Georgelooking upward in the direction indicated by the glance ofthe boy, beheld the bleeding head of Harpe ! F or a momenthe felthis own faculti es bewildered

,and a shuddering sensa

tion creptover him as he gaz ed at this shocking spectacle ;but a recol lection of the crimes of the del inquentwho hadbeen punished in this summary manner changed the currentof his feel ings

,and he exclaimed sharply

,

f‘ Is the boy mad — is itso strange a thing thata murderer

should be put to deathHark only groaned and looked perplexed .

This wretchwas an acquaintance of yours,it seems

you appear so much concerned about him that I am incl inedto have you taken up as an accompl ice .

”

No,don’t— don’t

,if you please, stranger

,exclaimed

Hark .

Then tel l me Why you seem so much interested in thedeath of thatmurderer.

”

Who— that gentl eman inquired Hark stupidly,point

ing to the mangled rel ic.“Y es,thatmiscreant

,who has been put to death for his

crimes,— what do you know about himWel l , I don

’t know nothen i n p etick lar .

The other gentl emen nowrode up, and on learning thesubjectof conversation ins isted that the boy shoul d disclose

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L E G E N D S O F‘

T H E W E S T .

She told me ’Kage Harpewas a powerful bad man . She

u sed to getmad and curse him a hour .

”

D id she ever tel l you any thing that he did 2”

Not in petick lar— only that he kil l ed every body that he

gotmad at— and that he would ski ll her and me if he got a

chance .Why should we wish to kil l you r mother T

’

I axed her thatmyself, but she wouldn’t tel l me .

Why then did you release Harpe , when you sawhim forthe fi rst time in custody 7”

I couldn’t help it.

Why not ? Come, tel l us all about it— nobody shal l

hurtyou .

Well— Harpe told me that hewas my father 1”And then you cut him l oose ”4”

Y es— wouldn’t you cut your daddy loose , if any bodyhad him tied

Hark,

”said George Lee

, you must go with me to V ir

ginia,and l ive with m e— I will take care of you .

I reckon I can ’t go .

Why notT’’Cause I don’t want to .

Would you not l ike to l i ve in a hue house , and haveplenty to eat

,and nothing to do 9”

I don’t like to l ive in housesYou don’t what is your objectionVVell— I can’t say in petick lar— only I

’d rather l i ve in

the woods . I can do j ust as I please in the woods , and be ashappy as a tree-frog .

”

So saying,Hark began to move off. He cast a look o f

terror towards the remains of his inhuman parent,as he re

tired . Itwas not afl'ection

,nor regret which chained his

glance to this revolting obj ect ; but a k ind'

of inst-inct— a

superstitious reverence for the only remaining being whosebloodwas k indred to his own

,mingledwith a d read of human

H anna’

s H E A D . 27

punishments,that seemed to have been insti l l ed into him in

infancy,andwhichwas the master-spring of all his actions .

He quickened his pace on find ing himself at libertv walkedrapid ]y away

,and neverwas seen again in thatregion nor is it

known,with any certainty

,whatever became of Hark Short

,

the snake-kil ler. It is most probable that he perished in thewilderness ; although it is altogether poss ibl e that he maysti l l be killing repti l es on some d istant frontier of our vastcountry .

A company of people nowarrived,who had in their pos

sess ion a number of arti cles which had been found in the

camp of the Harpes . Among the restwas a sm al l tin case,

whichwas fi lled with papers . Mr. Fennim ore hav ing hasti lylooked over this

,exp ressed a wish to examine itmore at his

l e isu re ; and itwas accordingly placed in his charge . Thefatigued woodsmen separated

,and Colonel Hendri ckson . con

ducted his fr i ends once more to his hospitable mans ion.

Their arri valwas joyfully wel comed by the family,whohad been under great apprehens ions during their absence .Miss Pendleton

,though m uch shocked at some of the par

ticulars which they related,cou ld not but feel rel ieved when

she heard that the enemy o f her peacewas no more . Fennirnore

,who had concealed from his fri ends

,as they rode home

,

an interesting di scovery which he had made, advanced to herwi th a face beaming with joy , and , presenting to her a parchment

,remarked

,

I am happy,Miss Pendleton

,to have it i n my power to

restore to you this document. It is the will of my uncl eHeyward

,and places you in full possess ion of all his estate .

Allow me to congratulate you on your good fortune .”

I do not know,Mr. Fennimore , whether I oughtto accept

the bounty of my uncle,which

,by making me rich , deprives

you of you r natu ral inheritance .Happily for u s both

,

”repl ied the offi cer, that is a ques

tion which need not nowbe argued ; Major Heyward ,who

228 L E G E N D S ‘O F T H E W E S T .

had the undoubted right to dispose of his own property, hasmade the decision, and we have only to acquiesce .

”

Mrs .Hendrickson, who seldom spoke except when spoken

to, butwho, with the sagacity pecul iar to her sex in matters

relating to the heart, had made some shrewd observations on

the deportment of these young people towards each other,now remarked in her quiet way,

If there is any diffi culty about the property , perhaps youhad as wel l letm e keep that i nstrument unti l you can devisesome plan for holding the estate jointly .

”

Virginia blushed deep]y and Fennimore,very gaily

,

handed the parchment to Mrs. Hendrickson .

O u those terms , madam ,

”said he

,

“I most cheerfullydepos it this document in your keeping, and shal l , on my part,submitthe controversy to your decis ion .

”

George Lee,when he heard thatthewillwas found

,danced

and capered about the room l ike a boy,wished his cous in

Virginia joy a hundred times,and shook Fennimore cordial ]y

by the hand,swearing that hewas the cleverest fel low in all

Kentucky but when he sawwhat he cons idered proof pos itive thatFennimorewas a successful candidate for the handof herwho had so long been the obj ect of his affections

,he

leftthe room,and began to make immediate preparations for

his return to his nati ve State .

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230 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

flowers mingled their blossoms with those of exoti c plants .

There is nothing so melancholy as such a scene , where l uxuryand art are beheld in ruin , and their remains revive the recol

lecti on of departed pleasures . There has always seemed tome to be something pecul iar]y desolate in the appearance ofa deserted garden, where the spot once adorned with taste

,

and cultivated with ass iduous care, has been suff ered to run

into wilderness .~Nowhere are the efforts of nature and art

so harmoniously bl ended as in the garden nowhere does embellishm ent seem so appropriate or labou r so productive .There is something qu iet, and innocent, and peaceful aboutthe beauti es of a garden that interests the heart

,at the same

time that the senses reap enjoyment.While Captain Fennim orewas stroll ing pens i vely about

,

he d iscovered a horseman rid ing up the avenue towards thesame place . O n reaching the large gate whi ch opened intothe l awn

,the person halted

,and remained s itting on his horse .

Fennimore supposing that it might be some one who hadbusiness with himsel f

,walked slowly towards the gate ; but

before he reached it,and while concealed from the stranger

by a cluster of bushes,hewas surprised to hear the voice of

the latter,as if i n conversation with another person .

She is not at home,eh“2” said the voice well

,tel l her

I called,boy

,d ’ye hear — tel l herMr.

lGeorgeLee cal l ed .

”

Fennimore,curious to know to whom Mr. Leewas speak

ing,advanced a fewsteps so as to see without being exposed

himsel f ; andwas surprised to find that no personwas withins ightbut themselves . Mr. Leewas mounted on a fine horse

,

and completely armed with a'

sword,a pair of large pistols

,

and a rifle. He wore his father’s revolutionary uniform coat,

buff waistcoat,and cooked hat

,and

,thus accoutred

,formed an

imposing fi gure. H is countenance wore the blush of habitualintemperance

,together with the mingled wildness and stu

pidity of partial derangement. After s itting s i l ent for a fewminutes

,he drew -his sword and exclaimed

,

H A R P E ’ S H E A D . 31

Gentlem en,I pronounce Virginia Pendl eton to be the

most beauti ful woman ever rai sed i n the Old Dominion,and

I am ready to make good my words . You unde rstand me,

gentl emen There she s its at her window—L— she has made avow that she will never marry

,and I stand here prepared to

cut any gentleman’s th roat who shall dare to pay her his addresses . Gentlemen

,shall we hunt to-morrow ? Pass that

bottle,if you please

,Mr. Jones— no heeltaps . My compl i

m ents to Miss Pendleton,boy

,d’ye hear and tell her I called

to inquire after her health .

”

Then drawing himsel f up, he saluted with his sword,and

sheathed it,took off his hat

,bowed towards the spot where

the house had been,and kissed his hand ; afte r which he

wheeled his horse about,and rode with a s low and stately

pace down the avenue .Poor George he had fallen a v ictim to the ev il example

of an intemperate father and the intrigues of an ambitiousmother. With a heart tenderly al ive to the best char iti es of

human nat,

ure and a dispos ition easily moulded to the pur

po ses of those with whom he associated,he might read ily

have been trained to respectabi l ity and usefulness,and ai

though he could never have become a bril l iantman , he m ighthave been what is far more important, an amiable and worthycitiz en . But his weak intel l ect

,assailed by the seductions of

pleasur e on the one hand,and by dazzl ing schemes of ambi

tion on the other, became unsettl ed , and at lasti

totally destroyed . H is v igorous constitution enabl ed him long to out

l ive the wreck of his mind , and he continued for many yearsto v isit the ruins of Major Heyward’s mansion, dressed in thefantasti c habil iments which we have described . He rem embered nothing which occurred after his i l l-starred journey to

the fronti er ; and the events of his early l ife were mixed upin his memory in the most s ingular confus ion . He continuedto be

.

the d evoted l over of Virginia Pendleton , and nothingever ru ffled his temper except the menti on of her marriage,

232 L E G E N D S"

O F T H E W E S T .

which he always denied with indignation , as an insult to herand himsel f ; while the recol lections of his early love werem ingled with v is ions of bacchanal ian orgies, and w ith hideousdreams of _bloody encounters with the savages . Many yearsafterwards

,when his cheeks were furrowed and his hair gray

w ith premature old age,he might be sti l l seen

,mounted on

his sl eek hunter, clad in his anci ent uniform ,with his hair

powdered and his long queue neatly ti ed,riding with stately

grace every day along the old avenue,paying his imaginary

morning vis it to the i dol of his heart. Hewas followed byan old negro valet

,as gray and nearly as stately as himself

,

who humoured all the fancies of his master,until itwas sup

.

posed that the faithful black began to be tinctured with the

madness which he had afl‘

ectionately humoured,and spoke of

Miss Virginia Pendleton with the most unaffected gravity,

l ong after that ladywas the mother of a numerous and thriving colony of young Kentuckians .

Mrs . Lee mourned over the d isappointment of all herhopes i n the bitterness of unavailing repentance . When ourerrors affectonly ourselves

,the pang of remorse may be borne

with pati ence ; butwhen they have extended to thosewelove,and our own conviction comes too late to restore peace to thebosoms we have ruined

,the cup of wretchedness is fatally

poisoned for the remainder of a miserabl e l ife . She neversmiled , andwas never seen to weep

,and bore the sufferings

which only a woman’s love can know,with a dignified resig

nation , of whi chwoman’s fortitude is alone capable .

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238 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

teemed with l iving creatures , for thiswas the parad ise of thebrute creation . Here were l iterally the cattl e Upon a

thousand hi lls .

” The buffalo,the elk

,and the deer roamed

in vast herds,and all the streams were ri ch in those animals

whose fur is so much esteemed in commerce . Here l urkedthe sol itary panther, the l ion of our region

,and here prowled

the savage wolf. The nutritious fruits of the forest and theju icy buds of the exuberant thickets reared the indolentbear to an enormous s ize . Even the bowels of the earth exhibited stupendous evidences of the master hand of creation .

The great l imestone beds of the country were perforatedwith spacious caverns of vast extent and splendid appearance

,many of which y ielded val uabl e m inerals ; whil e the

giganti c bones found buried in the earth,far exceeding in s ize

those of all known animals on the globe,attested the former

existence in this region of brutes of fearful magnitude .Such were the discoveri es of the fi rst adventurers ; such

the inducementwhich al l ured them onward,and incl ined them

to l inger in these sol itudes,enduring the severest privations

,

and beset by dangers which might have shaken the fi rm est

m anhood . Butthe piow whose characters were~ w

not now to be form edn

in the school of advers ity or dagg er.“Theywere the bordér

'e’

fs’

alfiem rained to war and the” m m

Chas“

the extens ivefro-

rit-im

'

our countr men cradl

‘

e‘

d foresiZehidfi fiW frdm their infanc to the

bay of the prowling wolf aM Efli

oi‘m

Trained to athletic shortsand martial ei‘

fi m mpropensities were cherished throughout their whole l ives , andbecame engrafted in their nature . Martial habits mingl ed inall theirit'was wwith an eye continually glancing intoear prepared to catch the sl ightest alarm of danger. Theyslept upon their arms

,and carried their rifles to the harvest

fi eld, to the marriage-feast, and to the house of worship.

T H E B A C K W O O D S M A N . 239

Simple,honest

,and inoffens ive in thei r manners , k ind and

just to each other,they were intrepid

,fi erce

,and vind ictive

inwar. Under an appearance of apathy,with a gait of ap

parent indolence,and with careless habits

,they were m uscu

lar and hardy,pati entof fatigue

,ardent in their temperament,

warm-hearted and hospitable . Theywere the borderers of

engaged withcknowledgem ent of our national inde

pendence brought peace tothe rest of our country , it left thefrontiers stil l embroiled with the savages .

The backwoodsmen,therefore

,when they first emigrated

into the western forests,had not to l earn the rude arts of

sylvan l ife,nor to study the habits of the Indian and the

beast of prey . These were enemies with whom they hadlong been familiar, and with whom they del ighted to cope .They l ived in cabins hasti ly erected for temporary shelter

,

and as hasti ly abandoned when a sl ight allurement at somedistant spot i nv ited them to change their res idence . Theirpersonal effects were of course few, and thei r domesti c utens ils rude and s imple . Their horses , their rifles

,and their

herds,constituted their wealth ; and with these they were

prepared at a moment’s warning to push farther into the wilderness

,sel l ing thei r habitations for a mere trifle

,or abandon

ing them to any chance occupant who m ight choose to takepo ssess ion

,and conquering for themselves a new home from

the panther and the Indian .

In the settl ement of Kentucky,the pioneers emigrated

s ingly,or in small parties . Unused to congregate in large

bodies,unless on special occas ions , and unaccustomed to mil i

tary discipl ine,they chose to rely for defence on their own

personal courage and vigilance. The boldest wentforemost,traversed the country fearlessly, ,

and having selected the

choicest spots, however remote from other settl ements, built

240 Lme s fi ns o r T H E W E S T .

their cabins,surrounded them with pal isades to protect them

from the Indians, and setal l enemies atdefi ance. Others fol:

lowed and settled around them ,forming l ittl e communities

,

detached from each other, and each organized independently,for its own defence ; and itwas not unti l these insulated set

tlem ents extended so as to come into contigu ity, that the arm

of governmentwas felt and the mild operation of l aw dif

fused . In the meanwhil e the vast deserts by whi ch theywere separatedcommon by themetwithm inafingcharacter._fi

The'fel Qoity p flthe Indianwas not l ikely to be tamed nor

hi s am m osrty to the wh ite_man to be concr late y i s state

which the savagewas always represented as.

the ag

gressor, and as a fi end stimulated ByW Basslgrrsdtrul conv , “tinually p

’

lottinjgfs'om e detestabl e outrage or horribl‘ewreven e.

M

Most of them hafi i tnessed'

the Indian mode of warfa re“,fl “~“fl -fl ‘

which spares neither age nor sex° and m am had“M fl 7 -2

suffered in their own fami l ies,or those oi

'their nearest friends.

They were fam ilmwiththe_cagww i hildren,

thfl bfi flaérati-

onof houses,and the m idnight assass inati ons?

the helpless and decrepid and they had grown up in a hatred of the perpetrators

‘

of such enormiti es which the philanthropist could hardly condemn , as it originated in generousfeel ings

,andwas kept al ive by the repeated violation of the

most sacred rights and the best affections .

As the settl ements expanded,thewealthy and intell igent

began to follow the footsteps of the pioneer. Virginia, theparent State

,had rewarded the patriotism of many of her

distinguished revolutionary offi cers,by large grants of land

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242 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

and the spirit of improvementwas awake . The sound of

the axe saluted the ear in every direction ; roads were‘opened magistrates had been appointed , and were assuming

the authority of their stations ; and females who had hereto

fore confined themselves within doors, brood ing over theiroffspring

,l ike watchful birds , andwho had found even the

sacred fortress of woman , the fi reside, no protecti on fromviolence

,now felt at l iberty to indulge the benevol entpro

pensity for visiting their neighbours,and talking over the

affairs of the community, which is said by those acquaintedwith human nature to be pecul iar to the sex.

Among other novelties , a camp m eetingwas about to beheld for the fi rst time . This popular mode of worshipwasfam il iar to the emigrants from Virgin ia and North Carol ina,where it had long been practised, and found highly benefi cialand conven ient in new settl ements

,where publ i c ed ifi ces had

notyet been erected , and where private habitations were toosmall to accommodate worshipping assemblies ; and the

effort nowabout to be made for its introduction in the west,was hailed as a happy omen for the country . The spotwas

selectedwith great care ; the whole neighbourhood united inclearing the ground

,erecting huts

,and making the most l ib

eral arrangements fo r the accommodation of the concoursewhichwas expected to be assembled . F or the convenienceof obtaining water

,a place was chosen on the margin of a

small r ivuletand near a hue spring . The groundwas a beautiful elevati on sloping off on all s i des and crowned with a thickgrowth of noble forest trees . The small est of these togetherwith all the underbrush were careful ly removed

,l eaving a few

of the most stately,whose long branches formed a thick

canopy at an elevation of fi fty feet from the ground . Thecampwas laid off i n a large square

,three s id es of which were

occupied by huts, and the fourth by the stand or pulpit. The

whole of the enclosed areawas filled with seats roughly hewedout of logs.

~TH E B A c xwo o ns ma u . 243

A busy scenewas presented on the day before the meeting commenced

,occas ioned by the arrival of the peopl e

,some

of whom had travel led an immens e d istance . The largernumber came on horseback

,some in wagons and some in ox

carts. They were loaded with beds,cooking utensi ls

,tabl e

fu rnitu re and prov is ions . These arti cl es,however

,were

chiefly furnished by the inhabitants of the v i cin ity,who

claimed the pri v i l ege of entertaining strangers . The personsresident in the immediate neighbou rhood had each erected hisown but, with the intention o f accommodating

,bes ides his

own family,a number of guests ; l arge quantiti es of game

had been taken,beef

,pigs

,and pou ltry had been k illed

,and

the good wives had been engaged for s everal days in cook ingmeatand preparing bread and pastry . The l oads upon loadsof good things for the body which were accumulated weremarvellous to behold ; not that therewas any indulgence ofl uxury or extravagant d isplay

,but aswas very jud iciously

remarked on the occas ion by a veteran hunter, ittook a

p owerf ul chance of truck to feed such a heap of f olk s,” and

the generous Kentuckians,accustomed to practise the most

l iberal hospital ity,could not be backward on a publ i c occa

s ion .

The meeting commenced on Thursday and lasted unti lMonday

,the whol e o f each day being occupied with rel igious

exercis es . At dayl ight in the morning the voice of prayerwas heard in each but

,where the famil ies were separately

assembled,as such

,for worship . Shortly afterwards the fires

were k indled around the encampment,and a fewof the

females were seen engaged in cooking . A fewi ndividualsthen coll ected on the seats i n the area and raised a hymn ;others j oined them

,and the num ber swelled gradual ly unti l

h early the whole oompah ywas col lected . They sang withoutbooks ; the pieces being those of which the words were generally known . Some of the tunes were rem ark ably sweet, andand thus sung in the open air under the broad canopy of. f

244 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

heaven,and as itwere in the immed iate presence of the great

Obj ect of all worship,were indescribably solemn and affectingsome were pecul iarly wild , and some cheerful ; many of thembeing the beautiful airs of popular ballads, which were inthism anner appropriated to D ivine worship . The balmy freshness of the morning air, the splendour .of the ris ing sun

,the

sti llness of the forest and the wild graces of the surroundingscenery gave a wonderful interestto this vol untary mati nvice . Itwas thus our fi rst parentsworshipped '

their Creatorin Parad ise

,thus the early Christians assembled in groves and

secluded places and so cl ose is the union between good tasteand rel igious feel ing, that while civ il ized nations have set

apart the most splend id edifices for worship , ruder commun ities

,in a s imilar sp i rit

,assemble for the same purpose at the

most genial hour and the most picturesque spot. The heartpowe rfully excited by generous feel ings always becomesromanti c ; the mind el evated by the nobl e pursu it of a highobject becomes enlarged and refined and although such impul ses m ay be temporary , the virtuous actions which theyproduce have a tendency towards the soft

,the graceful

,and the

picturesque in their development. After the morn ing hymn,

the preachers ascended the stand,and serv i cewas performed

before breakfast. The rest of the day,with the exceptionof

short i ntervals for refreshment,was fi lled in the same manner.

But nothing could exceed the solemn and beauti ful effect o f

the meeting atnight. The huts were all i ll uminated , andl ights were fastened to the trunks of the trees

,throwing a

glare upon the overhanging canopy of leaves,now beginning

to be tinged with the rich hues of autumn,which gave it the

appearance of a splendid arch finely'

carved and exquisitelyshaded . All aroundwas the dark gloom of the forest

,deep

ened to i ntense blackness by its contrastwith the bri ll iantl ightof the camp .

But we must hasten to our narrati ve . O n Sunday m om

ing a company cons isting of three personswas seen approach

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246 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

our of Ell en S ingleton , that the subjectwas su ited to the dayand the occasion . Shewas natural ly gay and volatil e ; butlatterly her thoughts had been tu rned to the subjectof rel igion ;and as the day approached when shewas to take upon her thevows of wedlock, and to enter upon new and solemn duti es

,

she felt more and more the necessity of directing her l ife

ag reeably to the precepts of the Gospel . To these virtuousresolutions a newimpulse had been given by the exercises ofthe camp-meeting . I‘Ier heartwas sens ibly awakened

,and

her j udgment fully persuaded ; and after seri ous reflectionandpreparation shewas now ready to make a profess ion of her

faith by uniting hersel f with the church,and assuming those

engagements which are imposed upon the discipl es of the Ré

deemer. These duti es she expected to take upon her thatday ; and Edward Overton felt deeply affected as he noti cedthe sol emn tone, the deep cohviction, and the fi rm determination of her mind ; for however a false shame may sometimesinduce the concealment of devotional feelings

,under the m is

taken notion thatthey will be cons idered as the evidence of

weakness,the truth is

,that a young lady is never so i nterest

ing in the eyes of her l over as when conscientiously engagedin the performance of her dutyThe senses of a young man are easi ly excited by beauty

,wit,gai ety

,and the thousand attractions of fem inine loveli

ness,butthere must be moral energy and pure principle to

secure his affections . Edward had admired Ell en when hesawher in the pride of beauty and the flush of overflowingspirits ; he had long known her to be refined and generous

,

and loved to contemplate her soft attractions and del icate

graces ; but he nowwitnessed the operations of her mindunder a new aspect

,and when he sawthe good sense

,the

energy , and the strength o f principl ewhich supported her inthe determination to act up to her sense of duty

,his love rose

to a sentiment of devotion . Formerly Ellen had been in hiseyes a beautiful v i s ion , flosting along in the tide of youthful

T H E B A C K W O O D S M A N . 247

enjoyment butnowthatshe had assumed an individual ity ofcharacter

,asserted her i ndependence as a moral agent

,and

acknowledged her accountabil ity to God,she became invested

w ith a dignity which gave an almost angel i c sacredness to her

O n that day the concoursewas greater than ithad beenbefore ; and those who had been for years accustomed to thesol itude of the forest, to alarm ,

toil,and privation

,felt their

hearts elevated with a new species of j oy and gratitude,when

the y found themselves su rrounded by their c ountrymen,and

united with them in social and sacred duti es . With many ofthem the Sabbath had long passed unhonoured and evenunnoticed

,and its publ i c acknowledgm ent call ed them back to

holy and happy feel ings ; for there is in the observance of thisday something so noble

,so heart-cheering

,so appropriate to

the most virtuous impulse of our bosoms,that even the

thoughtl ess cannot divest themsel ves of its influence. It is,

to allwho submit to restrictions,a day of repose

,when the

weary are at rest,and the wicked cease from troubl ing ;

” adayfrom which care and labour are bani shed , and when theburthens of l ife are l ightened from the shoulders of the heavyladen . But to himwho s in cerely worships at the altar oftru e piety

,and especial ly to one who has been l ed in infancy

to the pure fountains of rel igion,the return of the long

neglected Sabbath brings up a train of pure and ecstati c recoll ections . To all itwas the harbinger of peace

,security

,and

civi l order.

Itwas del ightful to see a whol e community,who but

recently had assembled only at the sound of the bugle,or by

the glare of the beacon fi re,now coming together

,by a spon

taneous impulse, to mingle their hearts and voices in the

rational and solemn exercises of rel igion . Insulated as thatcongregationwas from the rest of mankind

,the individuals

compos ing it felt as if they were reunited with the greathuman family

,when they resumed the performance of

248 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

Christian duties, and knelt before the Redeemer of men incommon with all Christendom on his appointed day . Many

of them had reared the altar of worship in their ownfamili es ,and the sweet accents of praise had been heard ascending

through the gloom of the forest, mingled with the fiendish

sound of thewar-whoop and the dissonant yel l of the beastsof prey, and they had seen days of moral darkness, of bod ilyanguish

,of almost utter despair, when it seem ed as if their

prayers were not heard, and that God had abandoned thatland to the blackness of darkness for ever. But now he hadsethis bow in the heavens ; his altarwas publ icly reared andhis presence sens ibly felt ; and they who bel ieved in the

reality of rel igion felt assured that a signwas given themthat they should not be destroyed from of? the face of the

land . Never did those s impl e and affecting words seemmore appropriate ,

“Howbeautiful upon the mountains are

the feet of him that bringeth tidings that publ isheth peace .In the evening, whenMr. S ingleton and his daughter were

about to return home,Edward Overton hastened to j oin

them . Ellen had that day been among the number whobecame attached to the church

,and

,deeply absorbed in

devotional feel ings, had abstracted her senses and thoughtsfrom all other subjects . Edward hadwatched her with deepemotion

,and he nowapproached her with a feel ing of rever

ence,such as he had never felt towards her before . She

extended her hand and spoke to him with her usual kindnessof manner

,but in a tone inwhich seriousnesswas mingled

with unwonted tenderness ; and as he ass i sted her to mounther horse

,whispered to him not to accompany them .

“Icannot converse with you this evening

,Edward

,said she ;“I wish to be alone

,and I am sure that you wil l gratify me

— come to morrow .

” He sawthe propriety of her request,

and pressing her hand affectionately bade her adieu,w ith a

promise to visit her early the next morning.

The sun had just set as Mr. S ingl eton and his daughter

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250 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

with an accent of agony ; and bef ore she could form anyother resolution , a party of Indians , ly ing in ambu sh on each

s ide of the road,rushed forward and dragged her from her

horse,while the high-bred animal , becoming franti c with

terror, tore the b ridle which they had seized from the irgrasp

,and made his escape at full speed .

The savages having secured thei r p rize,immediate]y

began to retreat towards their towns at a rapid pace , forcing

the afilicted girl to exert her utmost strength to keep up withthem . It soon

,however

,grew dark

,and they proceeded at a

m ore del iberate gait, but stil l pursued their j ourneythroughthe whole night, groping their way amidst dense thi cketsbesetwith thorns and b riars , and over ravines and the trunksof fallen trees, with ease to them sel ves , but with brutal v i ol ence to the del icate frame of their captive . Poor El len hadneed now of al l the consolations which the rel igion that she

had just professed could afford . She had been told that daythat she would meet with afflictions that would try her faith,but that God would never forsake those that bel ievedon him and she nowthrew hersel f entirely upon H im for

protection . She prayed earnestly and s incerely,and felt a

conv i ction that shewas heard . Her cou rage rose with confi dence

,and she went forward without a m urmur, resigned to

m eether fate whatever itmightbe. Ell en,too

,was natural ly

a gi rl of good sense and high spirit,and while she humbly

rel i ed upon di vine protection,sawal so the propriety of exert

ing hersel f ; and knowing that the Indians would soon bepursued

,she del iberately laid plans to retard the retreat and

disclose their path . Keeping up an appearance o f d il igenceand obedience

,she contrived to l inger at the various obstacles

which obstructed their way,whil e she employed herself

,whenever she could do so without attracting notice,in tearing

ofi’

smal l pieces of her dress,and dropping such articl es as

she could dispense w ith in places where they would be l ikelyto attract attention, The darkness of the n ight favoured this

TH E B A CKW O O D SMA N . 25 1

scheme ; her reticule,handkerchief

,&c. ,were thus strewed

by the way?and in brushing through the thickets she broke

the twigs with her hands as s ignals to her purs uers .

The morning added to her griefs . The warrior whoclaimed her, andwho seemed to be the leader of the party

,

hav ing l ed her during the nightby thongs of sk in bound roundher wrists, nowremoved the bands

,and seemed to contem

plate his prize w ith complacency . He assured her in broken ,and bare]y intell igible Engl ish

,of a kind treatment

,and pro

m ised that if she behaved well,he would make her his wife .

When E llen shook her head in alarm,as if dissenting from

this matrimonial arrangement,he said

,

“May be,you think I

cannot support you . That is a mistake . The Sp eck led Snak eis a great hunter. My lodge is on the bank of a great river

,

where the water is cold, and the big fi sh love to swim . Theplains all round my village are covered with deer and buffalo.The stars in the heavens are not so many as the cattl e on ourhunting-grounds . The white man does not come there todestroy every thing that the Great Spirit made for his red

people,l ike the hurri cane when it sweeps through the woods .

I can outrun the elk ; I am stronger than the buffalo ; I ammore cunning than the beaver. They call me the Sp eck led

Snak e, because I can conceal myself i n the grass , and so myenemies step on me before they see me . I have only threesquaws . I can support another very well , and my lodge isbig enough for three or four more . You need not be afraidof my women treating you ill. I will beat them unmercifully

if they strike you . My squaws fear me ; I whip them

severely when they quarrel with each other. Women needa great deal of whipping .

”

Late inthe morning they halted to eatand rest. El len hadno appetite for food. She had nowbeen walking for fourteenhours without cessation, over hil ls and through swamps andthickets . Her feet were swel l ed and lacerated, and her

hands and arms torn with briars . Worn down by extreme

252 L E G E N D S o r T H E VJ E s r .

fatigue and mental exhaustion , she began to suffer intense

thirst and violent pains . But her bodily afflictions werel ight in comparison with the gloomy anti cipations of her

mind,and the shock al ready inflicted on her sens iti ve heart.

She found her mpanionsco more brutal agdjgathsoni e thaneven prejudiced description had painted them . They had

m ”“ I

u rged her forward with po inted sti cks, and would“have beaten

her,had she not endeavoured to anticipate theirwishes . They

devoured their_.rawand alm ostp utrid meatwith the gluttonyof beasts ;to belong to fi ends rather IhflILLQJ lliweiIJPS.

oi'remaining in their powe1was dreadfi i l ; death, she thought,

would be infi nitely preferabl e to such captiv ity . Like all

generous minds,she had

,too

,in the moment of her severest

suff erings,a sympathy for others whichwas more poignant

than her own afflictions . She thought of her father, who hadno child but herself

,and whose heartwould be wrung with

intense agony by this event ; and of Edward Overton , thedevoted lover

,whose afl

'ections were so cl osely l inked with her

own, and pictured to herself the misery they would endure

upon her account. Still her courage remained strong,and

her confi dence in Heaven unshaken and,as her captors swal

lowed their hasty meal,she sunk upon her knees

,clasped her

hands together,and with a countenance beaming calm resig

nation, engaged in audibl e prayer, while the Indians gazed at

her with a wonder not unmingled with awe .Here we shall l eave her for the“present

,whil e we intro

duce another character to the reader’s -acquaintance. At adistance of some fifteen or twenty miles from the place of

holding the rel igious meeting above alluded to,a sol itary hun

terwas camp ed out” i n the woods . He had sel ected a spot

i n a range'

of l ow broken hills,on the margin of an extens ive

flat ofwet al luvion land,to which thewi ld graz ing animals

resorted at this season,when the grass and herbage were be

ginning to wither upon the uplands. His campwas simply

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L E G E N D S o r T II E VV E S'

T .

Same Spirit ih’ which the philosopher retires to the secl us ion of

his closet— to enjoy uum olested the train of his ownreflections,

and to followwithout interruption apursu it congenial with hisnature . Though unaccquainted with books , he had perusedcertain parts

‘

of the great vol ume of nature with d il igent at

tention .The changes of the seasons , the atmospherical phe

nom ena,the growth of plants , the habits of animals

,had for

years engaged his observing powers ; and without having anyknowledge of the philosophy of schools

,he had formed for

h imself a system which had the mer it of being often true, and

always original .O n the sam e night i n whi ch Ell en S ingl etonwas captured

by the Ind ians, the hunter whom we have described s lept in

his camp . Itwas dark , but perfectly sti ll,and his sl umbers

were undisturbed unti l near the dawn of day,when his dog:

which lay on the outside , suddenly started up and uttered alow whine . The watchful hunter, accustomed to awake atthe sl ightest alarm

,raised his head and l istened . The dog

snufl'

ed the air for a moment, and then crept cautiously intothe camp

,as if to app rise his master of approach ing danger.

The latter seiz ed his ri fle and crept from the, place of conceal

ment,while the dog

,with bristl ing hair, crouched on the

ground uttering at interval s a lowsuppressed moan , i ntendedonly for the ear of his master .

The hunter looked cauti ously around,and having satisfied

himsel f that no enemywas within strik ing d istance, d irectedhis scrutiny to a spotwhere thewar-path crossed the summitof a small knoll whichwas bare of timber, and beyond whichthe blue sk y coul d be seen . As he watched , a human figurewas seen dimly traced on the horizon , pass ing rapidly overthe summit of the knoll along the Indian trai l . Another

,and

then others followed,unti l the hunte r had counted seven

but their forms were too ind istinct to enablehim to makeany guess as to their character. He had other data

,however,

-upon which to form a judgment. .

“Indians ? muttered he

TH E B A CKW O O D SMA N . 255

to himsel f,“yes , Drag would not crouch between mN

.

trem blin andwhinino , and bristl ing l ike a sca1 ed pig, if hed id not scent a red skin . _I_c.an almost think I smel l themmysell

'l Teyhave been m some de1 ilm ent

,nowi hfi abomwinable wretches ! HW eak ofi“l ike

_thieves .

l” Then

M W1n s ight he placed his mouth against

a hollow tree to give a mo 1 e sepulchral tone to his voice, andimitated the screech of the owl . The fi gure halted , and ut

tered a low short sound resembl ing a different note o i'the

same bi rd ; but the hunter continued his mou rnful serenadein l oud pro longed accents

,unti l the human prowler

,apparent

ly satisfi ed that itwas the night-song of the real bi rd,and

not the s ignal of a friend,resumed his s ilent march . Ah

owl, the tenant o f a neighbouring oak

,and who was the

identical mus i c master of our hunte r,took up the strain with

increased v i vacity,but in a tone

’

so nearly resembl ing thatwhich had just ceased

,as to have deceived the nicest ear

,

and the hunter resumed his reflections .“Well,I’ve f ooled them — and not the fi rst time either .

Logan, the way we

’d fi x these seven Indians would be cu rious . Some honestman’s cabin is blaz ino gogg lwanwW “

.

fi x "

his w i fe and ch ildren butchered . It IS r zdzc’lou s

,l declare .

They have no m ore bowels o i‘ compass i on than a wolf. But

alities . They are1 : u— u -n

d_they_ are true tofor their hatred to

the i r cruelt to women0 good to nobody , andof hunting ; for a man

cannot take a l ittl e hunt of a month or two, without the dan

256 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

ger of having his cabin burnt, and his family murdered inhis absence . Well , it is no use fo r me to sit here ; I

’l l tak eanother nap

,and look after the Speckled Snake in the morn

ing .

At the fi rst appearance of dayl ight the hunter sprangfrom his bed of sk ins . N0 timewas requi red for the toilet,f or he had sl ept with all his accoutrements about him ,

and

came forth equ ipped at al l points . Hewas clad i n dress edbucksk in

,fi tted closely to his form ,

and so arranged as to

protect every part of his person from the thorns and briarswhich might assai l it in pass ing rapidly through the brushwood of the f orest. Under one arm hung a large powderhorn

,which had been selected for the beauty of its

" curve andtextu re

,carefully scraped and pol ished and covered with

quaint dev i ces traced with the point o f the hunter’s knife ;under the otherwas suspended a square pouch of l eather. containing flints

,patches

,balls

,steel

,tinder

,and other“l ittl e

fi xens,

as a backwoodsman would cal l them,constituting a

complete magazine of suppl ies f or a protracted hunt. O u

the belt supporting the pouch in a sheath contrived for thepu rpose

,was a hunter’s kni fe

,a weapon with a plain wooden

handle,marvel lously resembling the vulgar instrument with

which the butcher executes his sanguinary call ing .

’ From acrevice in a neighbouring rockwhere it had been artful ]y concealed

,our pioneer suppl i ed a smallwal let with a store of

dri ed venison,in order to be prepared fo r a m arch of several

day s , should occas ion require . A broad leathe rn belt,se

cured round thewaist by a strong buckl e,confined the whole

dres s and equipment and supported a tomahawk .

Thus clad and prepared for action the hunter,after care

fully examining the pr iming of his rifle,scraping the fl int

,and

W on the barrel to see that al lwas right,

strode off towards the place where 1e had seen the ln'

c'

l1ans .

f99£P§Ei k e le” muttered hea

/LN yKJ /

“the n mst know

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L E G E N D S o r r m : W E S T .

no comfort, and where there is so much stri fe . It is so withall anim als : conhue cattle in a yard and they ‘wil l hook eachother o r chickens in a coop, and they will peck out eachother s eyes . But there is no stopping them ; the pedlar

’s

carts will be along over this very spot before many years , andthe time will come when there wil l not be a buff alo in Kentucky . It is bad enough now . There are settlements alreadywhere a woodsman cannot find his way for the roads and

At this m oment the tread of a horsewas heard . Thehunter th rew his rifle over his arm

,and stepped behind a large

tree to be prepared for fri end or foe. In a mom ent,Edward

Overton m ade his appearance, dashing along thewar-path .

H is horsewas panting and covered with foam,his dress torn

,

and his countenance haggard . The hunter emerged from hisconcealment to meet him . They were strangers to eachother

,butno timewas l ost in usel ess cerem ony or unneces

sary questions,and Edward soon related the catastrophe of

the preceding evening .

Mr. S ingleton’s daughter,eh 2” said the hunter cool ly ;

I have heard tel l of the gentl eman,though I never sawhim .

Very much of a gentl eman,I expect — he came from Culpep

per— I k illed a deer once in sight of

'his plantation— though I

never sawthe man to know him . Well , the way these lndians act is curious .

”

Shocking l” exclaimed the youth,

this atrocious act exceeds all formerWell , I can

’t say as for that, repl ied the hunter

,though

I am sorry for the young woman— they took my own daughteronce

,and I feel for another man ’s child . But where is you r

company“I became separated from them in the woods,and acci

dentally struck this path .

”

The hunter then related what he had seen,and the youth

,

elate with newhepe,urged an instant pursuit.

TH E B a c xwo ons man. 259

There are six or seven of them,and but two of us

,said

the hunter.“No matter if there were a hundred,

repl ied the impatient Overton

,she is suffering agony

,and every moment is

precious . Even now she may be at the stake . ”

That is true . The savages treat their prisoners very ridiculous sometimes . But

,young gentleman

,I see you carry a

fine-looking rifle,— can you handl e it well .

”

As well as any m an. Never fear me— I wi l l stand byyou . I would die a thousand deaths for that dear girl . ”“I reckon you would ; I see it i n your eye . If there isnot good Vi rgin ia blood in you

,I am mistaken . The m isfor

tune is,that a m an can only die once

,however will ing he

m ay be to try it over again . Well , there is nothing gainedwithout risk— and I feel

'

for this poor child . Don’t be in afret

,young man

,I am j ustwaiting to let you take breath . I

will go with you provided you wil l obey my instru ctions .

Now,mark what I say ; hitch your horse to that tree

,and

l eave him— examine your priming and pick your fl int— thenfal l into my track

,tread l ight

,keep a bright eye out

,and say

nothing . be curious if we two cannot out-general a__

. <half-a-dozen nak ewf ’

The former apathy of the hunter’s m anner had entirelyvanished . The excitementwas suffici ent to cal l out his energies . His eyewas l ighted up with m artial ardour

,his l ips

were compress ed,and his step fi rm and elasti c . Without

waiting for farther parley , he dashed forward with a rapidstride

,fol lowed by his young and not l ess gallant companio n .

With unerring sagacity he struck at once into the trai l of theenemy .

“Here is plenty of Indian sign,”said he

,pointing

to the ground,where the youth could see nothing

,and a

beautiful plain track it is — almost as plain as some of theroads in the O ld Dom z

'

m'

on— there is the place where theycro ssed the branch , on that log and here is the print oi

'awoman ’s foot, a small sl ender footwith a shoe on, such as the

260 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

l adies wear i n the old settl ements — it is narrower than our

women’s shoes thatwe make in these parts— there . is the otherfoot without a shoe— she has lost one, poor th ing— and thereis a drop of blood on. that l eaf !”

Overton groaned , the tears started from his eyes,and his

l imbs trembled with emotion .

Keep cool,young man— be a soldier— no one can fight

when he is in a pass ion. Blood for blood is the backwoodsman’s rule . We shal l have them at the fi rst halt they make .They cannot travel all the time

,without stopping

,no more

than white folks .

”

The hunter 11 0W advanced with astonishing rapidity,f or

although his step seemed to be del ibe rate;it had a steadiness

and vigour which y ielded to no obstacl e . H is coursewas asd irect as the fl ight of a bee

,and his footsteps

,owing to a pecu

l iar and habitual mode of walking,were perfectly noiseless

,

exceptwhen the dry twigs cracked under the weight of his

body . His eyewas continual ly bent on the ground,at some

distance in advance of his course ; for he tracked the enemy ,notso much by the footprints on the soil

,as by the derange

ment of dry l eaves or growing fol iage . The upper s id e ofa leaf is of deep green colour and glossy smoothness ; theunder side is paler

,and of a rougher texture

,and when turned

by violence from its proper pos ition,it will spontaneously

return to it in a fewhours,and again expose the pol ished sur

face to the rays o f light. The hunter is aware of this f act,

and inattentively observing the arrangement o f the fol iageof the tender shrubs

,d is cov ers

,with wonderful acuten ess

,whether the l eaves retain their natural pos ition . So true isthis ind ication

,that where the grass is thick and tangled

,a

track of l ighter hue than the general su rf ace may be distinctlyseen for hours after the leaves have been disturbed . The occas ioual rupture of a twig , and the d isplacing o i

'the branches in

the thickets afford additional signs and in places where theground is soft, the foot-prints are carefully noticed . Other

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262 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T

El l en,in the posture already described , awaiting her fate

with all the courage of conscious innocence and all the resig

nati on of fervent piety . Overton ’s emotionwas so greatthatthe hunterwith diffi culty drew him to the ground

,while he

hasti ly whispered the plan of attack , a partof which had beenconcerted at their recent halt. Let us creep to yon log

,and

rest our guns 0 11 it when we fi re. I will shoot at that largewarrior who is standing alone— you wil l aim at one of thosewho are s itting ; the momentwe have fi red we will load again ,withoutmoving, shouting all the while, and mak ing as muchnois e as poss ible — be cool— m y dearyoung friend— be co ol .Take it quiet and comfortabl e. ” Overton smothered his feelings

,and during the confl ictemulated the presence of mind of

his companion .

They crept on their hands and knees to the fal len trunk ofa large tree

,which lay between them and the enemy

,and

hav ing taken a del iberate aim,the hunter gave the signal

,and

both fi red . Two of the savages fell,the others seized their

arms,while the heroi c Kentuckians reloaded

,shouting all the

while . E llen started up, uttering a shriek of joy , and rushedtowards her fri ends . Two of the enraged Indians pursued

,

with the intention of despatching her, before they shouldretreat. Edward Overton and his companion rushed to herass istance . One of the Indians had caught her long hair,which streamed behind her i n her flight, and his tom ahawkgl ittered above his head

,when Edward rushed between them

and received the blow,diminished in force

,on his own'arm .

Undaunted,he threw himsel f on the bosom of the savage

,and

they rolled together 0 11 the ground in fi erce conflict. Thehunter advanced upon his adversary more del iberately

,and

,

practis ing a stratagem,clubbed his rifle. The Ind ian , deceived

into the bel ief thathis piecewas not charged, stopped , andwas about to throw his tomahawk , when the backwoodsman,adroitly bringing the gun to his shoulder

,shot him dead .

Two other foemen remained,and were rushing upon the intrepid

T 11 13: B a c xwo o ns m an. 263

hunter,when the latter perceiv ing that the struggle between

Overton and his antagonistwas stil l fierce and doubtful,has

tened to his ass istance,and with a s ingle blow of his knife,

new encoun

umber,the two re

In another momentMiss S ingletonwas in the arms of the

heroic Overton . W'e shal l notattempt to descr ibe the joy of

the two lovers . Ellen,who had thus far sustained herselfwith

a noble courage,and whose res ignation to her fate

,dictated

by an elevated pr inciple of religious confi dence,had won the

admiration of her savage captors,and perhaps preserved her

l ife,nowfelt the tender affections of the woman resum ing

their gentl e dominion in her bosom . The faith,the hope

which had supported her,though resulting from rational deduc

ti ons,had been almost superhuman in their operation ; but

the gratitude to Heaven that now swelled her heart,and burst

in impass ioned eloquence from her l ips,was warm from the .

native fountains of sens ibi l ity . Sudden del iverance from all

the horrors by whi ch she had been surrounded,was i n itself

suffi ciently j oy ful ; but it came infinitely enhanced in value ,when brought by the hand of her l ov e r ; and when EdwardOverton found that

,though fatigued and bruised , she had suf

fered no material injury,his joy knew no bounds .

As for the hunter hewas engaged , l ike a prudent general ,in securing the v ictory . He had carefully reloaded his gun

,

and hav ing with his dog pursued the fugitives for a short distance

,to ascertain that they were not lurk ing near, began to

inspect the bod ies of the slain and coll ect their arms .

Not a bad morning’s work,

”said he

,here are four ex

col lent guns,tomahawks

,and knives . Some of our people

want arms bad ly,and these will j ust suit.

”

As he surveyed the held of battl e,a flush of tri umphwas

onhis cheek but itwas evident that his paramount feelings

264 L E G E N D S o n T H E W a sh .

were those of a benevolent nature,and that his sym pathies

were deeply enl isted .“There they sit,

”said he

,glancing at the young couple,

as happy as a pair of blackbirds i n a new ploughed furrow.

This has been a sorrowf ul night to both of them ,but they

wil l look back to it hereafter with grateful hearts . They didnot know before how much they thought of each other.

He then approached the young lady,and with the k indness

of a father i nquired into her sufferings and wants,and be

gan to provide for her comfort.In a fewminutes a shoutwas heard

,and another hunter

,

clad l ike the fi rst,j oined them .

“Ah,here you are

,

” exclaimed the new comer

,as he gazed at the scene of action ;

the work ’s all done,and here’s the Speckl ed Snake as cold

as a wagon tire . I have been on the trai l all the morning .“Pity but you had been h ere,

”replied the fi rst hunter

,

we have had a smart brush,I assure you .“A pretty chunk of a fight, I see ; there’s no two ways

about that. I knew the crack of your rifle when I heard it,and hurri ed ou . But I couldn’t get here no sooner, no how.Well

,there’s always plenty of help when it’s not wanted.

The woods is al ive with rangers .

”

Is my father among them inquired M iss S ingleton.Oh

, yes— and the old gentl eman is coming along pretty

pearl, I tel l you . I took a short out about a mile back,and

left them . I never sawsuch a turn out,no how . The camp

groundwas emptied spontenaciously in a fewminutes afterthe news came . How do you stand it

,Miss 2”“I am dreadfully bruised. but no bones are broken

,re

pl ied Ell en,smil ing.

That is a mere sarcum stance,

repl ied the rough son of

the forest,waving his hand ;

“it’s a mercy,Missz that the

cowardly varments hadn’t used you u body acwusly. TheseMingoes act redim with women and children .

MThey aint the raal true grit, no how. Vile on them ! they

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266 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

a plain respectable country gentleman . His carr iagewaserect

,and his person seemed more sl ender than when cased

in bucksk in. Though perfectly s imple and unstudied in hismanners

,therewas nothing in them of the clownish or bash

ful,but a dignity

,and even an ease approaching to graceful

ness . H is countenancewas cheerful and benevolent,and in

his fine eye therewas a manly confidence mingled with asoftness of expression which afforded a true index of the character of the man . His hair

,a l ittl e thinned and sl ightly sil

veredwith age,gave a venerable appearance to his otherwise

vigorous and elastic form . His agreeabl e smile,his wel l

known artl essness of character and amiabil ity of l ife,as well

as his publ i c services,rendered him a un iversal favourite

,and

his entrance caused a murm ur of pleasure .“I have had some trouble,

”said Mr. S ingleton

,in find:

ing our benefactor,whose modesty is as great as his other

good qual ities . But as the happiness of this occasion wouldhave been incomplete without him

,I have persevered. And

now,my friends and neighbours

,allow me to acknowledge

publicly my gratitude for his i ntrepid conduct on the latemournful occas ion , when my only childwas rescued from adreadful captivity by his generous interference ; and to exertthe last act of m y parental authority by decreeing that thefi rst k iss of the bride shall be gi ven to the p ioneer of the

west— the PATRIARCH or KENTUCKY .

”

Thank you ,”repl ied the veteran

,butas I have no wish

to take such a l iberty with any gentl eman’swife, I shall applynowfor my reward to M£33 Singleton, l eaving it to Mrs.

O verton to compensate a certain brave young gentleman,to

whom she owes a great deal more than to me .”

And so the matterwas settled,great]y to the satisfaction

o f all parties .

T H E DIV INING ROD.

ON a pleasant evening in the autumn of the year 18 twotravel lers were sl owly winding their way along a narrow

road which led among the hills thatoverhang the Cumberlandriver

,inTennessee, One of thesewas a farmer of the neigh

bourhood— a large,robust

,sun-burntman

,mounted ona s leek

plough-horse. Hewas one of the early settl ers,who had

fought and hunted inhis youth among the same valleys thatnow_teem ed with abundantharvests ; a rough, plain m an cladin substantial homespun

,he had about him an air of plenty

and independence which is never deceptive,and which belongs

almost exclus ively to our free and fertil e country . His companionwas of a di fferent cast— a small

,thin

,gray-haired m an

,

who seemed worn down by bodily and mental fatigue toalmost a shadow . Hewas a preacher, but one who wouldhave deemed it an insu lt to be call ed a clergyman for he belonged to a sectwho contemn all human learning as vanity ,andwho cons ider a trained minister as l ittl e better than animpostor. The person before uswas a champion of the sect.He boasted that he had nearly grown to manhood before heknew one letter from another ; that he had learned to readfor the sole purpose of gaining access to the Scriptures , and,

268 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

with the exception oi'the hymns used in his church

,had never

read a page in any other book . With cons iderable naturalsagacity and an abundance of zeal

,he had a gift of words

which enabled him at times to support his favourite tenetswith a plaus ibi l ity and force amounting to something verynearly akin to eloquence, and which, while it gave h im un

bounded sway among his own followers,was sometimes not

a l ittle troublesome to his learned opponents .

H is sermons presented a curi ous mixture of the sententious and the declamatory , an unconnected mass of argumentand assertion

,through which there ran a vein of dry or iginal

humour,which

,though it often provoked a smile

,never failed

to rivet the attention of the audience . Butthese flashes werel ike sparks of fi re struck from a rock ; they communicated al ife and warmth to the hearts of

'others which seem ed to have

no ex istence in that from which they sprung,for that humour

never flashed in his own eye nor relaxed a muscle of his

melancholy,cadaverous countenance . Y et that ey ewas not

destitute of express ion ; there were times when it beamedwith intell igence, moments when it softened into tendernessbut its usual characterwas that of a vis ionary , fanatic enthusiasm . His ideas were not numerous

,and the general theme

of his declamation cons isted of metaphys ical d istinctions betweenwhat he called“head rel igion” and“heart rel igion

,

”

the one being a direct inspiration , and the other a spurioussubstitute learned from vain books . He wrote a tractto showitwas the thirst after human knowledge which drove our fi rstparents from paradise

,that through the whole course of suo

ceding time school larm’

ng had been the most prolifi c sourceof human misery and mental degradation

,and that col leges

,

bible societies,free masonry

,books

,the holy all iance

,and

the inquisition,were so many engines devised by king-craft

,

priest-craft,and school-craft to subjugate the world to the

power of Satan . He spoke of the mill ennium as a timewhen“there should be no king

,nor printer

,nor Sunday

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270 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

churches of his sect. Then itwas that he travel l ed thousands of miles

,encountering every extreme of fatigue and

privati on,and every vi ciss itude of cl imate, seldom sl eeping

twice in the'sam e bed,or eating two meal s at the same place

,

and counting every day lost i n which he did not preach a sermon . Gentlemen who pursue the same evocati on with praiseworthy ass iduity in other countries, have littl e noti on of the

hardships which are endured by the class of men of whomI am writing . Living on the fronti er

,where the settl ements

are separated from each other by immense tracts ofwi lderness

,they brave toi l and hunger with the pati ence of the

hunter . They traverse pathless wilds, swim ri vers,encamp

in the open air,and learn the arts

,while they acqu ire the

hardihood of backwoodsmen . Such were the labours of our

worthy preacher yet he would acceptno pay requ iring onlyhis food and lodging, which

“are always cheerfully accorded

,

at every dwel l ing in the west, to the travel l ing m inister.

Among his convertswas Johnson,the farmer

,i n whose

company we found him at the commencement of this history .

Tom Johnson,as hewas famil iarly called

,had been a daring

warrior and a hunter in the fi rst settl ement of this country .

When times became peaceable he marr ied and settled down,

and,as is not unusu al

,by the mere rise i n value of his land

and the natural increase of his stock,became in a fewyears

comparatively wealthy with but l ittl e labour. A state of

ease and afiluencewas notwithout its dangers to a man of histemperament and desultory habits ; and Tomwas beginningto become what in this country is called a Rowdy

,

”that is

to say, a gentleman of p leasure, without the high finish whichadorns that character in more pol ished societi es . He swap

ped” horses

,bred fine colts

,and attended at the race paths ;

he frequented all publ ic meetings,talked big at elections

,and

was courted by candidates for othee ; he played loo, drankdeep, and onproper occas ions took a small chunk of a fight.Tom“got rel igion” at a camp-meeting

,and for a whil e

~ T H E’

D 1 V I N 1 N G R o n; 271

was quite a reformed man . Then he relapsed a l ittl e, and

finally settled down into a doubtful state,which the church

could not approve , yet could not conveniently punish . He

neither drank nor swore : he wore the plaindress , keptthe Sabbath , attended meetings , and gave a cordial wel cometo the clergy at his house . But he had not sold his colts ; hewent sometimes to the race-ground ; he could count the run

of the cards and the chances of cand idates ; and itwas evenreported that he had betted on the high trump .

From thisstate he was awakened by Father Bangs

,who hold ]y ar

raigned him as a backsl ider “You’ ve got head religion,”

sai d the preacher, you’re a Sunday Christian— on the Sab

bath you put on a straight coat and your long face, and serveyour Master— the rest o f the week you s erve Satan ; now itdoesn’t take a Philadelphia lawyer to tell

,that the manwho

serves the master one day and the enemy six,has just six

chances outof seven to go to the devi l you are bark ing up tire

wrong tree, Johnson, - take a fresh start and try to get on therighttrail .” Tomwas conv inced by this argument

,became a

changed man,and feltthathe owed a heavy debtof gratitude to

the venerable i nstrumento f his refo rm ation,whom he always in

s isted onentertaining athis house when he vis ited theneighbourhood . O nthis occasion

,the good man having preached in the

v icinity,was going to spend a nightwith his friend Johnson.

As the travellers pass ed along, I am not aware that either

o f them cast a thought upon the romantic and picturesquebeauties by which they . were surrounded . The banks of the

Cumberland,at this point, are rocky and precipitous ; some

times presenting a parapet of several hundred feet in height,and sometimes shooting up into clifi

's,which overhang the

stream . The ri ver itsel f, r ushing through the deep abyss , appears “as a small ri vulet to the beholder ; the steamboats,struggl ing with mighty power against the rapid current, are

diminished to the eye,whil e the roaring of the steam and the

rattling of wheels come exaggerated by'a hundred

'

echoes .

272 Lne nni

ns o r T H E W E S T .

The travellers halted to gaze at one of these vessels , whichwas aboutto ascend a diffi cult pass, where the ri ver

,confined

on either s ide by j utting rocks,rushed through the narrow

channel with increas ed velocity . The prow of the boatplunged into the swift current, dashing the foam over the

deck . Then it paused and trembled a powerful conflict succeeded

,and for a time the vessel neither advanced nor reced

cd . Her struggles resembled those of an animated creature .Her huge hull seemed to writhe upon the water. The rapidmotion of the wheels

,the increased noise of the engine

,the

bu rsting o i'the escape-steam from the valve,showed that the

impel l ing power had been raised to the highest point. Itwasa moment of thri ll ing suspense . A sl ight addition of powerwould enable the boat to advance , - the l east fi i ilure

,the

sl ightest accident,would expose her to the fury of the torrent

and dash her on the rocks . .Thus she remained for severalminutes ; then resuming her way , crept heavily over the ripple

,reached the smooth water above

,and darted swiftly for

wardThem sort of craft didn’t use to crawl about on the

ri vers,when we fi rstknewthe co untry , brother Jchusca, said

the preacher.

No,indeed

,

”returned theother.

And more’s the pity,

” continued the preacher ;“doesnot the apostl e caution us against the inventions of men ?We had vain and idle devi ces enough to l ead our minds oil

from our true good,without these smoking furnaces of Satan

,

these fleating towers of Babel,that belch forth huge volumes

o f brimstone,and seduce honestmen and women from home

to go vis iting around the land in large compan ies, and talk toeach other m strange tongues .

’

I am told , said Johnson,

that some of them carrytracts and good books

,for the edifi cation of the passen

gets .

”

Worse and worse .l” repl ied the preacher tracts !what :

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274 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

I think I have,

said the other,but I

’

d l ike to hear itagain— it sort 0

’sti rs one up, to hear about old times .

Well,the traders had got here safe with their

‘plunder,when the news came that Indians were about. Therewas nochance to escape with their l oaded mules ; so they unloadedthem

,and buried the money somewhere among these rocks ;

and then being l ight,made thei r escape . So far

,the old set

tlers all agree ; but then some say that the Ind ians pursuedon after them a great way into Kentucky , and killed them all ;others say that they final]y escaped ; the fact is , that the peo.

ple never came back after the money,and it is supposed that

it l i es hid somewhere about here to this day .

”

Has notthat m oney often been searched after 2”

Oh,bl ess you

, yes ; a heap of times . Many a chap hassweated among these rocks by the hour. Only a fewyearsago, a great gang of folks came out of Kentucky and dugall around here as if they were going to make a crop butto

purpose .”

And what,think you , became of the money 2

”

People say it is there yet.”

But your own opinion 2”Why

,to tel l you my opinion sentim entally, repl ied

Tom,winking and lowering his voice

,

“I don’t bel ieve inthat story .

”

How 2” exclaimed the other incredulously.

It’s j ust a tale— a mere noratz

’

on,

”said Tom

,

“there’s no

twoways about it. ”Indeed how can you think so 2”

Why,look here

,father Z edekiah

,— I know very wel l

,

that every man,woman

,and child

,within fi fty m il es , thinks

there is certanily a vast treasure buried in these rocks ; butwhen I alm ost as good as know to the contrary

,I am not

bound to give up my opinion .

”

“Very right,that’s just my way ; but let. us have your

reasons .

”

T H E D I V I N I N G R 0 1). 275

I have fought the Indians myself,

”said the farmer

,and

I know al l their ways . They never come out boldly into theopen fi eld and take a fair fight, fi st and skull

,as Christians

do ; butare always sneaking about in the bushes studying outsom e devilment. The traders and hunters understand them

perfectly well ; the Indians and they are continually practising dev ices on each other. Many a trick I’ve played on them

,

and they have play ed me as many . Now it seems to me tobe nateral— j ust as plainas if Iwas on the ground and sawit— that them trad ers should have made a sham of buryingmoney , and run off while the Indians were looking for it.”

That’s not a good argument,brother Johnson.

I have great respect for your opinion,

repl ied the farm er

,but on this subj ect I have made up my mind“So have I

,

” interrupted the preacher ; and reining hishorse he fell in the rear of his companion

,as if determined

to hear no more .Johnson

,in broaching this subject

,had not been aware of

the interest it possessed in the m i nd of his fri end . The factwas

,that Bangs in his vis its to this country had frequently

heard the report alluded to,and itwas precisely suited to

operate upon his credulous and enthus iastic mind. At fi rst

he pondered on it as a matter of curios ity, unti l it fasteneditself upon his im agination. In his long and lonesome j ourneys

,when he rod e for whole days without seeing a human

face or habitation,be am used himself in calculating the proba

ble amount of the buried treasure. The fi rst stepwas to fixi n his own mind the number of mules, and as the traditionvaried from one to thirty, he prudently adopted the mediumbetween these extremes . He found some difficulty in deter

mining the burthen of a s ingle mule , but to fix the number

of dollars which would be requ ired to m ake up that burthen

was impos s ible,because the worthy divinewas so l ittl e ac

quainted with money, as not to know the weightof a s inglecoin. F or the fi rst time in his l ife he lacked arithm etic, and

276 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

found himself i n a strait i n which he con ceived that itmightbe prudent to take counsel of a friend .

Near the res idence of the reverend man dwelt an indus

trious pedagogu e . Hewas a tall , sallow, unh’

ealthy-lookingyouth

,with a fine clear blue eye and a

~

melancholy countenance

,which at times assumed a sly sarcastic express ion that

fewcould interpret. In the winter, when the farmers’ chi l

d ren had a season of respite from labour, he diligently pur.

sued his vocation . In the summer he strolled listl essly aboutthe country

,sometimes roaming the forest with his rifle,

sometimes eagerly devouring any book that might chance tofal l into his hands . Between him and the preacher therewasl ittle commun ity of sentiment yet they were often together ;the scholar found a source of i nexhaustible am usement in theodd

,quaint

,original arguments of the divine

,and the latter

was well pleased to measure weapons with so respectable anopponent. They never m et without d isputati on

, yet theyalways parted in kindness . The preacher

,instead of wonder

i ng with the rest of the neighbours,how one small head

could carry al l he knew,

” der ided the acquirements of hisfri end as wors e than van ity and the latter respectfully

,but

stoutl y,maintained the dignity of his profession .

Itwas not withoutmany qualms of pri de thatthe worthyfather now sought the schoolmaster

,with the intention of

gain ing information which he knewnot how to get from anyother source. Having once made up his mind, he acted withhis usual promptness

,and unused to intrigue or circum locu

tion,proceeded d i rectl y to the point.Charl es

,

”said he

,canyou tel l m e howm any dol lars a

stoutmule might conveniently carry 2”

Indeed I cannot. ”

Do none of your trumpery books treat of thesethings2

”

“They do not, Uncle Z eddy ; but they lay downthe

principles upon which such results may be ascertained.

”

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278 L E G E ND S o n T H E W E S T .

heretofore to a s ingle subject, itdeveloped a new, an immensefi eld of speculation . He seemed to have opened his eyes upona new world . He conj ured up in his mind all the harm that abad man might do with so much money ; and trembled tothink that any one ind ividual m ight

,by po ssib ility

,become

master of a treasure so great,as to be fraughtwith destruo

tion to its possessor,and danger to the whole community in

which he l ived. He thought of the l uxury,the dissipation ,

the corruption that itmight lead to ; and ris ing gradually toa cl imax

,he adverted to the ruinous and dreadful cou se

quences, if this wealth should fal l into the hands of some weakminded

,zealous man

,who was misl ed by false doctrines :

howmany Sunday-schools it would establ ish,howmany

preachers it would educate,howmany miss ionari es it would

send forth,to disseminate a spurious head religionthroughout

the worldTurning from this picture

,be reflected on the benefits

which a good man m ight with all this money conferi

on his

fel l ows. Ah ! Z edek iah,nowitwas that'

the tem pter whohad been all along sound ing thee at a distance

,began to lay

a regular si ege to thy integrity Nowitwas that he soughtto creep into the breast

,yea

,into the very heart’s core

,of

worthy Z edekiah . He had always been poor and contented .

But agewas 110W approaching,and he could fancy a train of

wants attendant upon helpless decrepitude. He glanced atthe tattered s l eeve o f his coat

,and straightway the vis ion of

a new suit of snufifcoloured broadcloth rose upon his mind.He thought of his old wife who sat spinning i n the chimneycorner at home shewas l ame

,and almost bl ind

,poorwo

m an ! and he promised to carry her a pound of tea and abottl e of good brandy . In short

,the Reverend Mr. Bangs

sethis heart upon having the money .

Suchwas the state of matters,when the conversation

occurred that I have just related . Itwas again renewed atJ ohnson

’s h ouse that n ight after a substantial supper

,and

-TH E D I V I N I N G R 0 1) . 279

ended, as such conversations usually do,i n confi rm ing each

party in his own opinion. Indeed,the old man had that day

got, as he thought, a clue which might l ead to the wished-ford iscovery . He had heard of an ancient dame who

,many

years before, had dropped mysterious hints, which induced abel ief that she knew more of this subject than she c hose to

O u the following morning, the preacher rose early , saddledhis nag and rode forth in search of the oldwom an’s dwell ing,without appris ing any one of his intention . He soon foundthe spot, and the object of his search . Shewas a poor

,de

crepit, superannuated V irago, who dwelt i n a hovel as crazy,as weatherbeaten

,and as frai l as hersel f. Shewas crouched

over the fi re smoking a short pipe,and barely turned her

head as the reverend man seated himself on the bench bes ide her.

It’s a rawmorning, said the preacher.I’ve seen colder

,

”was the reply .

So have I,

”returned Z edekiah , and there the téta-ci-téte

flagged . The old man warmed his hands, stirred the fi re

with his stick,and being a bold man advanced again to the

Pray,madam

,are you the widow Anderson 2”

That’s my name ; I’m notashamed to own it,

”repl ied the

woman sul lenly .

‘

You’re the person then that Iwas directed to ; I wishedto get some informati on on a particular subject. ”

Aye you’re after themoney too , I suppose— the devi l’s

i n al l the men‘ The dev il never had a worse enemy than I am ,

said the

old man archly .“I don’t know who you , are, repl ied the woman, but

you may travel back as wise as you came .The preacher mentioned his name, his vocation, and the

obiect‘

of his v is it. The V irago , in spite of her i ll-nature,was

280 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

ev idently soothed when she l earned that her vis itorwas noless a person than the Reverend Mr. Bangs . Who’d havethought that the l ike of you would come on such an errand 2”

said she ; well,well

,it’s l ittle I know

,but you are welcome

to that. ”

Now came the secret. The husband of Mrs . Andersonhad been a water-witch

,a huder of l iv ing fountains . These

h e d iscovered by the u se of the divining rod,which is wel l

known to possess a virtue in the hands of a favoured few, ofwhich it is destitute when used by others. Anderson wieldedthe hazel twig w ith wonderful success

,and became so cel e

brated thathewas sentfor far and near to find water. Inflatedwith success

,he became ambitious of higher d istinction and

greater gain . He imagined that the same art by which hed iscovered subterranean fountains

,would enable him to fi nd

m ineral treasures i n the bowels of the earth . He fanci ed hisfortune already made by the d iscovery of mines of preciousmetals ; the hidden s ilver on the shores of the Cumberlandwould of itsel f repay his labours . He put all his ingenuityin requis ition

,and bus i ed himsel f for years i n endeavouring

to find a wand that would work” i n the vicinity of minerals,

as the ordinary divining rod operates in the neighbourhood ofwater. In the latter process

,much depends 0 11 the kind of

wood of which the rod is composed ; the hazel , the peach, them ulberry

,and a fewothers

,al l of rapid growth

,are the most

approved . Proceed ing upon the same principle,he endeav

ou red to find a tree or shrub which should possess an attracti ve sympathy for metals . Success at l ength crowned hisoperations ; he found a tree whose b ranches had the des iredv i rtue. He d iscovered veins of i ron ore in the surround inghi lls

,and had announced to his wife that hewas on the point

o f fi nd ing the buried money , when death , who respects a waterwitch no more than a beggar or a king

,arrested his career.

Butwhen she came to speak of the manner of his death,

her voice faltered . She had often warned Anderson that it

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282 L E G E N D S O F T H E

could notreach itwithoutassistance,and having described the

place accurately to his fri end,he concluded by ofi

'ering him a

l iberal share,if he would accompany and aid him . To his

surprise, Johnson briefly and peremptor ily refused .

O fi’

ended at the obstinacy of the farmer,Father Bangs

l efthis house . O n the road he m et a stranger travell ing onfoot

,with whom he entered into conversation

,and huding

him prompt and intelligent i n his,replies , he engaged him as

an ass istant,and appointed a spot at which they were to

meet on the following morning.

Atthe hour appointed Uncle Z eddy proceeded to the rendez vou s

,where the stranger soon appeared

,bearing on

“his

shoulder an immense coil of rope . They proceeded to a tal lcl iff

,which

,spr inging from the m argin of the river

,towered

into the air to the height of two hundred feet. The summiton which they stood presented a tabl e surface of a rock

,to

which they had ascended by a gentl e accl ivity. Few v enturedto the edge of that precipice

,for its verge

,p rojecting over the

ri ver,overhung it at such a fearful distance that the boldest

trembled as they looked into the abyss . The face of the

precipice as viewed from the oppos ite shore seemed to benearly perpendicular

,the sl ight curve by which the summit

projected over the water,being not observable from that

d irection ; and about one-third of the way down might beseen the m outh of a cave

,whichwas deemed inaccess ibl e to

all but the birds of the air. The preacher, after due cons ideration , had arri ved at the concl usion that the moneywas i nthis cave and having fastened the cable abouthis own waist,he required his assistant to l ower him into the gulf.It would have been edifying to have seen the courage

with which that old m anpassed over the verge, and the steadyeye with which he looked upon the deep abyss, the j uttingrocks

,and the foaming torrent below ; whil e his companion,

having passed the end of the rope round’

a tree,advanced to the

edge of the rock , and gazed after him with wonder. Uncle

TH E D rvn z m s R 0 1) . 283

Z eddy found no ditiicu lty in descending but on getting oppos ite to the mouth of the cave

,itwas no small exploit to

achieve an entrance,for

.

as the cable.

hung perpendicularlyfrom the projecting peak , he found himsel f swinging in theair

,several feet in advance of the face of the rock . The only

chance for it,was to swing in by an horizontal movement,

and to do this itwas necessary fi rst to give the rope a motionl ike that of a pendulum . Itwas not easy to produce thiseffect

,for as the preacher hung suspended by the middle

,l ike

the golden fleece,itwas diffi cult to throw his weight in the

des ired direction . This, however,was at l ast accomplished ;and

,after swinging to and fro half an hour

,Uncle Z eddy suc

ceeded i n grasping the rock at the opening; and drew him selfinto the cave .The cavernwas small

,and our worthy adventurer soon

satisfi ed himself that the cavern did not contain the objectof his search . The s ides were all of sol id rock

,without a

crev i ce or other place of concealm ent. Being ready to te

turn,he gave the s ignal agreed upon

,by jerk ing the rope ;

he waited a fewm i nutes and jerked again— and again— andagain

,but without success . Was itposs ible thathis ass istant

could be so depraved as to abandon him ”! He crept to themouth of the aperture, and looked out. Under d ifferent circum stances he could have enjoyed the ru shing of the water,and the pleasant farming of the breeze as it swept along thevalley . Butnowthe wind seemed to murmur dolefully, thewaves looked angry

,and the cragged rocks had a fearful as

pect of danger. He shuddered at the thought of being for

saken to die of hunger. He shouted , and his voice echoedfrom rock to rock . An hour, and another hour, passed . Asteamboat came paddl ing along, and he screamed for help .

The crew looked up they sawthe cable, and a man’s headpeeping out of the cavern at a dizzy height above them , andshouted loud in admiration of his dari ng exploit. He wavedhis neckcloth in the air and uttered -piteous cries , but they

284 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T

understood him not,and only shouted and laughed the louder

as they beheld what they supposed to be the anti c bravadoes

of some daring hunter. The boat passed ou . N ight came ,and he gave himself up for lost. The sun rose and hewasstil l a prisoner. The morning wore awaywearily ; l oss of

sl eep,hunger and terror

,had nearly worn the old man out

when he felt the rope move A thri ll of joy passed throughhis chilled frame . He sprung to his feet and jerked it violently. The s ignalwas successful he felt that a strong andsteadv armwas drawing him

,as it were

,from the grave

,into

the regions. of the l iving. In a fewminutes he passed overthe verge

,and found himself in the arms of Johnson. The

latter,alarm ed at the unusual length of his friend’s absence

,

had set out in search of him,and knowing his plan of vis iting

the cave, had hastened to this spot,where

,huding the cable

attached to a tree,hewas so fortunate as to save the l ife of

his friend in the manner described. The ass istant hadabsconded with the preacher’s horse .When Father Bangswas a l ittl e recovered from his terror

,

he said,

“I have not found what I went for,but I have dis

covered something that convinces me I am not far from the

spot. Itwas here thatAnderson m et his fate . ”

How did you find that out2 therewas a heavy fall ofrain the night of his death

,and we could afterwards find no

marks to satisfy us where he fell .As I passed over the edge of the clifi

'I found this watchlying in the crevice of the rock . It seems to have been a longtime exposed to the weather

,and must have been in Ander

son’s pocketwhen the demon,or whatever itwas

,cast him

over.

Y ou sti ll bel ieve in this story, then 2”

“I have seen nothing to shake my bel ief ; but I begin tofeel sort 0 ’ dubious that if there be any money buried here, itis not altogether lawful for any but the right heirs to searchafi zer it. Anderso nwas punished for making the attempt,

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T H E S E VE N T H SON.

IHAD a classmate at co llege whose namewas JeremyGeode . Circumstances threw us together at that time

,

and we became attached friends . We occupied the sameroom and the same bed

,and freely communicated to each

other our most secret thoughts . I am notphilosopher enoughto account for the principle of attraction which operated uponu s ; the adhes ionwas very strong, butthe cause that produceditwas as deeply hidden from my feebl e power of perceptionas the properti es o f the loadstone . I once read a very learnedand unintelligible book of philosophy

,from beginning to end

,

f or the purpose of huding out why itwas that two humanbeings should be stuck together l ike particles of gran ite : butI had my labour for my pains . The reasonwas inscrutable ;stuck together we were

,and yet never were two indi viduals

more unl ike each other . We were perfect antipodes , and ourfriendship a moral antithes is . My readers will enter fullyinto the perplexiti es which this subject afforded m e,when Iinform them that m y friendwas d ismally ugly , while Iwasnot only a great admirer o f beauty , but

.

in my own opinion,at least

,very good-look ing. Hewas a sloven, Iwas neat and

dres sy . He loved books , I loved men— particularly those of

288 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

the femin ine gender. Hewas devoted to figures, and sowasI— but then his affections settled upon the figures of arithmetic and geometry

,whil e mine were running riot among

those of the coti l l ion . Hewas studious,grave

,and unsocial

,

and I gay,volati le

,and fond of company . I could talk by

the hour about any thing,or about nothing, while my fri endwas taciturn

,seldom opening his remarkably homely mouth

except to utter a syllogism or demonstrate a problem . Therewere occas ions

,it is true

,when his eloquence would burst

forth l ike the em ption of a vol cano . I have seen him rantl i ke a stum p orator over a geological specimen

,or pour forth

metaphors in al l the exuberance o f poeti c phrensy,while corn

m enting upon the wonders exhibited in the structu re of apoor

,unfortunate rri

'

usqu ito which had fallen into his clutches .

Strange as it m ay seem to those who are unacquainted withthe organization of such minds

,hewas awit of the highest

order . A sly inuendo, a sententious remark,a playful sar

casm,uttered with the most inflexible gravity

,would excite

in others a paroxysm o f laughter,whil e hewas apparently

unconscious of any feel ing akin to mirth . That he enjoyedhis own exqu is ite vein of humour and the humour of others

,

I have now no doubt,for every man who possesses any strong

ly-marked faculty of the mind exper iences a high degree ofpleasure in its exercise . But he passed for a misanthrope

,an

unf'eel ing

,selfi sh man who

,w rapped up in the abstraction of

his own mind , had no sympathi es in common with his fellowcreatures ; and he was willing to pass under any characterwhich m ight secure him from intrus ion

,and leave him at

liberty to pursue the l eadings of his own gen ius . His equanim ity under these surmises

,and under all the crosses of l ife

,

was absolutely miraculous ; the truthwas,that his vigorous

understanding and native good temper enabled him to lookdown upon the accidents that vex other men . I alone sus

pected that hewas kind and generous, because I had seen hiseye moisten and the rigid muscles of his face relax as he

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290 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

from one room,and kicked out of another

,and suffered m ar

tyrdom in so many shapes,that

,but for the plural ity of

'her

l i ves,she would long s ince have ceased to ex ist, at last took

refuge in our room . She entered with a truly fel ine stealth

of tread , and sought concealm ent with the cowardice of conscious felony . But no sooner did she attract the eye of Jere

m y, than a mutual attachment commenced, a s ingle glance

reveal ed to each a kindred spirit ; in a fewho urs pusswasrunning between the student’s feet ; before the close of theday shewas repos ing in his l ap

,and a fi rm fri endshipwas ce

m ented . Under his care she grew fat, social , and contented ,and j ustice requires me to say, thata more intel l igent or better behaved cat never i nhab ited the walls of a learned instition .

After the completion of our col lege course,we commenced

the study of our respective profess i ons . Nowitwas that aprinciple of repuls i on began to Operate

,which carried us per

petually i n oppos ite directi ons . O ur minds,which had here

tofore,to some extent

,inhabited the sam e sphere

,began to

diverge,as itwere

,from a comm on centre

,so thatwe entered

upon the great theatre o f l ife by d ifferent paths . My friend,

whowas cautious and plodding,betook him to the dusty turn

pike of science , careful ly noting the indications of the innum erable fi nger

-posts and mile-stones,which have been set up

by the industry of sundryworthy men on either s ide of thatgreat highway . Hewas will ing to reach the ultimate pointof his ambition by the beaten road

,which experien ce had

m arked out. Wisdom ’s ways are said to be pleasant ways

,

and all her paths -peace and I dare say he foundthem so ; but

I must confess that I had not suffi cienttaste to discern wherein that peace and pleasantness cons isted . I b etook myself tothat flowery path,whi ch , without having any particular sourceor destination, meanders through the regions of fancy and theresorts oi

'pleasure . But Iwas unwi ll ing

, at fi rst, to partwithm y friend ; Igrieved to see his youth withering i nmonasti c

T a r. S a v anna S on. 291

seclus ion, and his energi es wasted in a severe course of unproductive stud ies .

What do you expect to gain , said I to him,one day

,

by this incessant toil of the mind,this rigid self-denial

,this

total abstraction from the ord inary pursu its of youth 2”

Knowledge 1”was his laconic reply .

And w il l the accumulated stores of knowledge be worthso dear a purchase ? Are you not acting the partof the miserwho keeps up a mass o f useless wealth

,at the

‘

expense of all

the courtes ies of l ife, and all its enjoyments 2 Is this a rational way of spending time 2”“I l ike it

,

”said he.

Iwas nettled at his perfect composure . So does youreat l ike sl eep,

” I exclaimed,and pardo nme for saying that

I see l ittle d ifi'erence

’L— Iwas going to say,“between you

and you r eat,

”but I had the grace to mod ify the comparison

between dozing over the fire, or over musty books.

”

The books are far from musty,

”replied he very placidly,

and as for poor puss, she is quite happy and respectable, in

her way .

”

But,m y dear Geode , to whatend is this slavery of mind 2

”

Usefulness .

”

Usefulness 2 to whom,pray 2”

To myself,to my country, to mankind .“And the reward 2 Come, tel l us that. What do you

expect i n return for becoming the benefactor of an ungratefulworld 2”

The approbation of good men and of my ownconscience .He had reason and virtue onhis s ide

,and my lom c would

hold outno longer. Iwas awed , butnot convinced ; andweparted .

My friend studied medicine, a choice upon which I had

often rall ied him as growing out of his love for the occult

sciences ; for with his more sol id acqu irements he had min

gled an acquaintance with alchemy ,witchcraft, and all the

292 L E G EN D S o r win : W E S T .

m y stic lorewhich is found in black-l etter books . He coulddraw horoscopes and tell fortunes l ike an adept

,and so

gravely would he talk upon such subj ects,thathad itnotbeen

for a lurking roguishness of the eye,which he could never

wholly command,I should have feared thathewas in earnest.

I chose the science of law,because this profess ion is consid

ered the path to othee and honour. I had no rel ish for the

drudgery of a practis ing attorney . Framing declarations .

and exploring the intricacies of law reports had no attractionsfor me . My ambition soared higher ; and I imagined , asm ultitudes of young men do

,who crowd to the bar in the

hope of l eading a l ife of ease and dignity,that m y labours

would cease,and my tri umphs begin , with my maiden speech .

In common with al lwho have been deluded by this fallacy,I

have discovered my error. The labours of the l awyerwhopu rsues his professi on with energy are as severe as those ofthe farmer or mechanic

,while his pecun iary gains are l ess

certain . But then the farmer is a drudge and the mechani cis not an requ ire. The l egal profes s ion confers a patent ofgenti l ity on its m embers ; they are gentlem enof the bar ; and

the m anwho wishes to become a gentl eman by a short cut,

and to remain one dur ing l ife, has only to procure a l icenseto practise in a court of record , which con fers an indefeasibletitl e to thatd istincti on, whatever m ay be the properties of hisbody

,mind

,or estate .

But I sat down , not to write of myself, but to i nd ite theveritable history of Doctor Jerem y Geode, who, hav ing ohtained his diploma with great distinction , emigrated to the

Western States . He cal led to take leave of me,previous to

his departure . A suit of mourning announced thathe had losthis mother

,the only human being in memory of whom he

would have thought it necessary to exhibit this outward symbol of grief. I nursed her

,

”sai d he

,i n her last i l lness

,and

received her bless ing. Itwas mournful to sev er so dear atie ; but I feltthat I had gained, in her approbation of my 90 11:

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294 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

figures of speech are num erous,and drawn from natural

objects ; and they have a fund of that intel l igence whicharises from extens ive wanderings, from a close observance of

nature,and from habits of free discuss ion

,mingled with the

s impl icity induced by the absence of l iterature.A fewmonths passed away del ightfully with Doctor

Geode . He roamed the forests and the prairies with theeagerness of onewho had fal len upon a new world

,more beau

tiful than that of his nativ ity . He walked and rode,hunted

and fi shed, notfor sport, but i n search of scientifi c truth . Thecabin which he occupied as a study soon grew into a museumof natural curios iti es . Eve ry day brought some novel andinteresting subject under his investigati on. The treasuresof knowledge which he had accumulated over the midnightlamp

,seemed now to swell and burst forth into l ife, as the

exuberant flower springs from the folds of the bud . The

world around himwas teeming with l iving and beautifulil lustrati ons of those abstruse principles that had beengathered into his memory with so m uch toil and arrangedw ith so much care . Not a wind blew nor a shower fel l

,

not a flower regal ed his senseswith its gaudy beauti es or

rich perfumes,without fi lling his mind with a sensati on

of pleasurable emotion . To him the phenomena of'nature

were al l eloquence and mus i c and symmetry . He hadstudied these things in the cl oset as mere abstractions

,but

nowthey came before him as sens ible objects,bearing the

stamp of real ity,and glowing with the freshness and beauty

of life .But i n the midst of these pursu its, my worthy friend

enti rely forgot to employ the ord inary means of getting intopractice . He mad e 110 d isplay of his sk i ll nor courted theacquaintance o f any o f his neighbours . NO flashy adve rtise.

m ent extol led the merits of Doctor Geode and informed thepubl i c that hewas their humble servant. A wily competitor,taking advantage of this improvidence, represented my

T H E SE V E N T H SO N . 295

erudite friend as an insane gentl eman,who roamed about

gathering roots and catching prairi e flies,and the neighbours

feltno incl ination to consult a mad doctor. His own habitsconfi rm ed these mercenary slanders . His homely facewaspale and sallow ; his thick black heardwas often allowed toremain a whole week unshaven and in his total carelessnessof every thing relating to his own com fort

,he sometimes

walked from his shop to his lodgings withouthis hat,or with

one boot and one shoe . His collection of stufi'ed birds

,im

paled insects, and pickled repti les might well bring his sanityin question with those who could see no advantage in thishideous resurrection of dead bodies . Moreover

,he had tamed

a crow,a bird held in particular avers ion

,in consequence of

its depredations upon the corn-fi elds,and pronounced by a

popular vers e to have been,

Ever since theworld began,Natural enemy of man

and a black cat,who of her own accord had taken up herres idence with him ,

was his constant companion . He soonfound himself avoided

,l i ke a mad dog in a populouS

'

town,or

a freemason in the enlightened State of New York . Weekafter week rol led away

,and not a patient cal l ed the skill of

Doctor Geode into requis ition . He wondered at this circumstance

,and perplexed himself with vain endeavours to conjee

ture the reason . He sawthat hewas even shunned, but hismodesty as well as his independence prevented him from in

flu iring into the cause . In the mean while his finances wereexhausted

,and poverty

,with all its inconveniences and m or

tifi cations,stared him in the face .

There is one truth,as regards the moral government of

this world,to which there are fewexceptions ; it is that good

deeds always have their reward . So it happened to myfriend . Hewas one day induced to enter a sol itary cabin,in the outskirts of the village, by hearing, as he passed ; the’

96 L E G E N D S O F T H E Wns'r .

groans of a personwho seemed to be in pain . A decentwidow

,who supported a large family by her labour,was suf

fering under a high fever and in a state of del irium . Bes ideher sat a fair-haired girl , about fourteen years old, the daugh

ter of a neighbouring gentl eman , bathing her temples andvainly endeavouring to soothe her torture . Without ask ingany questions

,the humane phys ician rendered such ass istance

to the sufi'erer as her case requ ired ; nor did he qu it her bed

s ide til l every alarming symptomwas removed . The younggirl

,who atfi rst shrunk back in alarm ,

was soon drawn to hisass istance by the kindness of his tones, and now witnessedhis promptitude and success with astonishment. He continned to attend from day to day unti l his pati entwas completely restored , and then refused any compensation for whathe con s idered a sl ight and a voluntary service . Beinganintel l igent woman

,who had been accustomed to attend the

s ick,she readily discovered

,from his tender manner and

skilful prescriptions,that hewas no ordinary man ; and she

now,in the warmth of her gratitude

,revealed to him the arts

by which his competitor had depri ved him of the confi dence

of the publ ic.Doctor Geode never did things l ike other men . Instead

of getting angry, hewas amused at the ingenuity of hi s r ival ,~and athis own ridiculous predicament Hewas born toofar

east to be overreached by a specious pretender ; and as his

necessities were at thatmomentparticularly press ing,he soon

devised a plan for present rel ief,and for the utter d iscom fi ture

of his rival . Although his bashfulness and habits of'abstraetion had kept him aloof from an intercourse with his neighbours

,he had not been inattentive to their traditions and

modes of thinking ; while he spoke l ittl e, he had l istened andobserved much . Some of their superstitions had struck himas remarkably amus ing

,and hewas even then preparing an

essay on this subject. With these landmarks to assist him,

his‘

schem ewas soon digested. Having prepared a neatcard,

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298 L E G E N D S o n T H E W ri s 'r .

true that the charm som etimes fail ed ; but thiswas alwaysattributed to the unbel ief of the patient

,and the doctor forth

with p roceeded to treat such cases secu-ndum artem,conceal

ing the fact that he used the subtil e minerals of the pharmacopoeia, and leaving the world to suppos e that he practisedonly with the s impl es gathered in his botanic excursions .

The consequencewas that his practice spread not only throughthe country around

,but an immense number of pati ents

were brought to him from a distance . As for the regu lar

phys i cian,hewas obl iged to quit the vil lage .

Happening to pass through that region,when the fame of

Doctor Geodewas at its zen ith , Iwas astonished to hear thename of my old classm ate , of whom I had lost sight for someyears

,coupled with miraculous cures by faith ; and I deter

mined to pay him a v is it. Mufiled i n my cloak,and dis

guised sti l l further by the alterati on that time had made inm y features , I entered his dwel l ing . Itwas a spacious loghouse

,d iv ided into several apartments

,all of which, except

one,were occupied by the s ick . In the audience room

,if I

m ay so cal l it,sat the doctor ; his black beard ,which he had

suffered to grow,overhanging his breast

,and his raven locks

almost conceal ing his features ; while his mountainous nose,his calm but pi ercing eye , and his sarcasti c l ip

,reveal ed to

me,ata

‘ glance,m y former classmate . Hewas surrounded

by a group of personswho sought rel ief from real or imaginary diseases .

I have a desperate m isery i n my said one.

I’ve got the billiards fever,” groa another,

I am powerf u lweak ,” drawled a third .

My l imbs are sort0’ dead l ike

,

” whined a fourth .

Oh,doctor

,I’ve got the yaller janders powerful bad ; I

feel jiat l ike I’d naaterally di e off ; and I can

’t hop e m yself,

no how .

Can you cure the rheumatiz 2“I’ve an inward fever.”

TH E S E V E N TH SO N . 299

Doctor, my p eided cow is in a desp ut bad fi x with theholler horn .

”

“Ah, Doctor Gecho, you never seed s ich a poor affl ictedcrittur as I be, with the misery in m y tooth ; it seems l ike itwould jiatuse me up bodyaciously.

”

Oh, doctor, doctor, I’ve got the shaking agar so mighty

bad I aintno account,no how.

”

Mr. Geehead, I wish you’d look atmy boy ; he

’s got in

the triflingest way you ever seed he can’t lam his book,and

does nothing but jeest tel l l ies and steal,study, all the tim e ;

he aint inhis right mind,no how .

Canst thou minister to a mind diseased 2” inquired I ina feigned tone. His quick eye

,which had more than once

rested onme,s ince I had entered the room

,was turned has

tily towards me in eager scrutiny . Fail ing to penetrate myd isguis e

,he civ illy inqu ired my bus iness .“I know

,

”said I in a mock heroic tone

,that knowledge

is thy idol, usefulness thy creed , the approbation of good menthy reward . I se ek advice . ”

Your complaint2” he inquired in a tremulous voice, forhe more than suspected whowas his v is itor

The cacoethes scribend i .”

O h,si s i ck omnes l” exclaimed the seventh son

,waving

his hand over his valetudinarian levee, who stood gasplng mawe at this outlandish d ialogue.

Ithath affl icted me from my youth, rejoined I.Get you gone ,

” cried he in a tone of grave sarcasm,

while a j oyful recognition sparkled in his eye, Get you gone,it is a loathsome

,incurable disease, which criti cism may cor

rect,but the grave only can remove. It hath affl icted the

world for ages,carrying with

_it revil ings and j ealous ies and

war. It maketh a man lean in flesh and poor i n substance.

A hollow eye,a sunken cheek, a soiled finger, and a tattered

coat, are its symptoms .

”

I crave a pr ivate consultation, l earned doctor,”said I,

300 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

and accordingly,after dismiss ing his patients , he led me into

his sanctum and embraced me with the fervour of affectionatefriendship.

I remained with him that day, and we consumed nearlythe whole night in conversation . After he had recounted hisadventures, I inqu ired how he, whose moral principles I knewto be rigid

,could justify himself in assum ing a character which

d id not belong to him .

There is les s of imposture,

” he repl i ed,in the character

which I have assumed than you imagine ; my fatherwas aphysi cian

,and I am his seventh son.

”

But is it right to delude the ignorant,and give your

sanction to an idl e superstition 2”“Iwi l l not say that it is right. Nothing is right buttruth and plain deal ing . Y et I am not prepared to say thatit is morally wrong to do good to men through the med iumof thei r ownweakness . One half of the diseases which afi lictm ank ind are imaginary

,and should be treated as such . I prec

tise upon this rule,and have found faith quite as valuable as

phy sio. ”

But is itposs ibl e that you can pursue this l ife with satisfaction 2”“So far as there has been any deception in it

,ithas been

irksome . But it has afforded me a fund of amusement,and

has given me an ins ight into the human heart which I cons ider invaluabl e . I have acquired an intimate acquaintancewith the pecul iar iti es of a most original peopl e ; have seenthe workings of superstition in one of its mostpowerful forms ;and have closely studied one of the m ost

'curious incidents of

the mysterious connection between mind and matter.

”

Then you have some confi dence i n your system 2Oh yes : how can I help it? I have seen the sturdy

hunter,who could face the painted Indian or wrestl e with ahungry wolf

,quailing under a fancied or unimportant disor

der, and suddenly. at my bidding, by a mere vol ition of wi ll ,

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302 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E‘

s r .

During my res idence there,I had a fr iend who treated

m e with k indness . He had penetrated my disguise by hisown sagacity

,but appreciated my moti ves

,kept my secret

with inviolable honou r,and promoted m y infi uenoe with all

his'

influence. Iwas his family phys ician. He is d ead,and

his only daughter,the fai r-haired girl whom I told you of

,is

about to be deprived of her inheritance by a designing relative .My intimacy with the family has put me in poss essi on of

facts,which are unknown to her

,butwhich in my opinionwill

establ ish her claim . She is a mere chi ld,poor thing

,and does

not know her own rights . Come,you have the dyspeps ia

,I

am su re ; I prescribe a long journey .

”

Who could resi st the tem ptation of a tour to the fronti erin company with such a man ? The seventh son shal l beobeyed

,

”said I ; and the nextmorn ing found us on our way.

The journeywas delightful . The doctorwas full of anecdoteand brimful of science : both of which he poured out incopious streams .

'

His former taciturnity had given place toconversational powers of a high order. It had never beenbeen constitutional

,butwas the resultof circumstances. His

youth had been s ilently and dil igent]y employed in acquiringthe knowledge which now burst forth in rich exuberance ; andhe reminded me of the tree that i n the winter stands bare

,

sol itary,and ungraceful

,but in due season bears the leaf

,the

blossom,and the fru it. His inquis itive m indwas conti nually

on the stretch . Iwas struck with his various information,

his ati'

ability, and colloquial ski ll .We reached the broad prairies

,and the region of thinly

scattered population,and having procured horses

,struck into

the wilderness . The wide and beaten roadwas changed forthe path that winded over the plains or among the tangledwoods . We forded the l ittl e streams, and crossed the ri versi n canoes

,driving our horses before us . Instead of meeting

the'travelling carriage, the stage,and the l oaded wagon

,we

encountered the sol itary hunter i n his blanket—coat,treading

Tn s S E V E N T H So u . 03

along with the stealthy step of a cat and the watching glanceo f the wary Indian . We lodged no longer atthe inn

,attended

by as siduous servants , but slept at the settle r’s cabin,and

sat as equals at his board . Two more days would haveb rought us to when m y fri end was taken ill. Theattackwas severe, and he thought his own case doubtful .Therewas no physi cian in the neighbou rhood

,and he himself

was unprov ided with such m edicines as were suitable to hiscase . The feve rwas raging and the pain intense . Itwasone of those cases i nwhich the cris is approaches rapidly .

Two days passed,and he hourly grew worse . Iwas almost

frantic . At length the man o i'the house told us of an old

woman,who had lately settled in the neighbom hood, whowas“a despe rate good doctor.“Therewas a right smart chance of s ickness when she

came into the settl ement,

” continued the man,

“a heap o f

people cal led on her— she had abundance to do,and she flew

round among the folks mighty p earl, I tel l you . The wayshe fi xed

’

ernwas the right way,there’s no mistake in it. I

wouldn’t give her for naary high larutmaroary doctor I eversee

,no how .

”

But this is an extreme case .No matter

,

”repl ied the hunter cheerfully if the man

was as cold as a wagon-tire,provided therewas any l ife in

him,she’d bring him to there ’s no two ways about it. ”My friend smiled . Send for the woman I exclaimed,

she may te l l us of some remedy .

” A boywas accordinglymounted on the fleetest steed

,and soon returned with the

femal e fEsculapius .There was nothing pecul iar in her

appearance,except that she wore a large black veil , which

completely concealed her features . She required to be left

alone with the patient, but as I ins isted on being presentat

the interview,an exceptionwas made in my favour. She

approached the bed , felt the sufi'erer

’s pulse , and passed her

hand over his forehead , whil e the doctor, who seem ed re

304 L E G E N D S o r T H E‘ W E S T .

cognise the sk ilful touch of the practitioner, mechanical]y putouthis tongue . The woman turned to me and said in a lowvoice

,-I can do nothing for this gentl eman— he is very ill

,

and requires a greater phys i cian than I am .

”

Do your best,

” exclaimed I.Ah

,sir

,I have l ittl e skill in medicine . I am but a poor

weak woman ; a very humble instrument in the hands of

Providence . I can do nothing here . This man needs med icine .”

If you mean to say, that you do your work by a spell,I

ins ist upon your trying it. ”

Very wil l ingly,”said the woman meekly , and then rais

ing her voice , she exclaimed ,“let no one speak .

”

She next turned to her pati ent,and said

,S ick man do

you bel ieve that I can raise you from this bed of pain 2”

The doctor,who

,even in the hour of extremity

,seemed to

retain his rel i sh for 110 011 3 p ocus, nodded his head , while I feltan unaccountable awe“creeping over me .Then look upon m y face , continued she i n a sol emn tone ,

throwing back her vei l,and displaying in her right hand the

identi cal tablet of Doctor Geode , and l ook upon this tabletof health

,and these mysterious figures, and charmed words ,

drawn upon it by the hand of the seventh son of a celebratedIndian doctor— look on .them

,and bel i eve

,and be restored .

”

Thiswas more than the doctor could stand : .No soonerdid he behold the workmanship of his own hands and the

pupi l of his tuition,and witness thewhol e acting of that

curi ous scene,of which he had been the inventor

,than he

burst into an immoderate convuls ion of laughter. Thewom an gazed in amazement, for in the altered features of her

pati ent she did not recognise her master . I ran to him inalarm ; but he continued to laugh , roll ing from s ide to s ide

,

throwing up his l ong arms , and screaming as if di stracted .

As soon as hewas composed enough to speak , he exclaimed ,G i ve her a fi fty-dollar note, Charles ! Go

, go , good woman ,

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L E G E ND S o r T H E Wn‘

s r .

second,he assured me solemnly that shewas a p henomenon.

He had d iscovered a new scientifi c truth, namely , that in fiveyears a s l im girl of fou rteen may be metamorphosed into afull-grown lovely wom an .

Why,Charl es

,

”said he

,there is nothing in allthe arcana

of nature to be compared with it ; the bursting of the gor

geons butterfly from its Chrysal is , the expans ion of a beauti fulflower

,nor any of the most wonderful changes in the mate

rial world cannot equal it. ”

What’s the matter now, doctor 2”

Matter enough,sir ; matter for curious thought. Here

is this l ittle girl , who, when I sawher l ast,was dressed in cotton homespun

,wore a sun-bonnet

,and ran on errands for her

father— a l ittle s l ight thing, as pal e as a 1i and as timid asa fawn . She sat i n the corner knitting whi le her father andI conversed

,and never raised her eyes or uttered more than

one syllabl e at a time . I used to carry young birds,flewers

,

and pictures to her,as I would to any other chi ld . Now she

is a woman,as beautiful as Hebe

,as hospitabl e aswas her

own warm-hearted father,and as rational as anM.D . She is

a remarkable spec imen“If she is a specimen,interrupted I

,

“I can eas ily guessher fate . She wil l hardly escape so industrious a col lectoras yoursel f. Take her home, doctor, and place her i n yourcabinet ; she would be worth a thousand dr ied flies or pickledsnakes .

” The doctor put on his hat and walked off. I sawthat itwas al l over with him .

At the end of the third week of our stay,I began to grow

impatient ; but my fri end’s“phenomenon” sti ll engaged all

his thoughts and where is the ardent lover of science whowould have been will ing to rel inquish so i nteresting a subjectof investigation 2 Hewas anatomis ing the young lady’s affections with as much , pati ence of research as he would havebestowed on the complete skeleton of a mastodon . Ipopped

in upon them one day unexpectedly,as they stood convers ing

T H E S E V E N TH S O N. 307

at a window, and bef ore Iwas observed or had time to re

tire I heard her say in a tremul ous toneIndeed , Doctor Geode, I hardly knowwhat to say

— it is

so sudden— so— so very unexpected— so“I will tell you what to say ; say Y es .

The young lady covered her face,and uttered neither yes

no r no.I see through y our case

,continued the determined doc

tor, all that it requires is faith. As I used to ask mypatients here

,I now as k you

,have y ou faith in m e

It requ ires no exertion of credul ity to bel ieve thatDocto r Geode is all that is noble and excellent

,

” and then sheplaced her hand in his . The lover took it respectfully

,and

ev idently at a loss what he ought to do next,mechanical ly

laid his huger upon her pulse as if he expected to findthoughts of love and vows of truth throbbing in the arterialsystem .

I suppose I laughed,for they both turned towards me .

Ah,Charl es ! what

,eavesdropping "! well

,no matter

letme introduce you toMrs . Jeremy Geode that is to be .

We shal l be married to morrow, and the next day bid adieuto the frontier.

”

The wedding took place accordingly ; and I need scarcelv

inform the intelligent reader thatm y fri end is nowone of the

best and happiestof husbands , and is enjoying in the merid iano f l ife the rich harvesto f prosperi ty and honour, which crownsa youth o f virtue

,i ndustry

,and self-denial .

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3 10 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

yet seen . Therewas nothing here to recall to memory theirown l ovely homes— the beautiful villages of New England .

Therewas no green spotshaded with venerabl e trees,hal lowed

to the repose of the dead— no chu rch pointing its spire toheaven

,and offering a holy refuge to the l i ving. Here were

no rural embell ishments indicating taste,and neatnes s

,and

enjoyment— no domesti c trees,no honeysuckle bowers

,nor

any of those ornaments which beautify the v ill age and giveto the humblest cottage an air of el egance. Gardens

,and or

chards,and meadows

,there were none

,nor any dwell ing that

seemed to have been endeared to a human being by the nameof hom e. The ground

,newly cl eared

,was thickly set with

stumps,and covered with a rank growth of weeds . The frail

and uns ightly cabins,stand ing apart from each other

,and des

titute of out-houses and enclosures,seemed to be

,as they

really were,the tem porary

'

residence of an unsettled people ;But chee rl ess as this spotappeared

’

to thosewho had been aocustomed to all the comforts and many of the luxuri es of l ife

,

itwas such as al l new towns in the west had once been ; such ,perhaps

,as the hamlets were onthe shores of the Atlantic

,

where the voices of the pilgri m s fi rst ascended in prayer toH im who had brought them

‘m safety out of the land oi

'

per

secution.

And yet the scenewas not destitute of attraction . Art

had done l ittl e to spoi l and nothing to embell ish it,butnature

had been prodigal of her bounties . As the trav el lers stoodon the bank , they beheld the

“beauti ful ri ver,

”for miles

above and below them,rol l ing gently along with a surface as

smooth as pol ished crystal . The shores were sl ightly curved ,swell ing out on the one side and receding upon the other, soas to exhibit a series of l ong and grace ful bends. The banks,as far as the eye could reach

,were low and subject to inunda

tion by the spring flood s,but the vegetation which f ormed

their . chief beautywas rich beyond description . Spri ngingfrom . a deep

-

all uv ion soil,the forest trees reared . their i m

~ T H'

E'

s s ro nanrns . 1 1

mense trunks to an amazing height,whil e their interwoven

branches and fol iage formed an impenetrable shade . Thehues of the forest were as various as they were beautiful .Herewas the melancholy cypress

,with a dark trunk and

sombre leaf, and the tall sycamore with a stem of snowywhiteness and a fol iage of l ight-green . The poplar

,the elm

,

the maple,and the gum

,with numerous other trees

,exhibited

every variety of verdure between thes e extremes .The dog'

wood and the red-bud , countl ess in number, decked the wholescene with their r i ch blossoms

,the former of pure white

,and

the varieties o f the latter glowing with all the shades betweena pink and a deep scarl et. Then therewas the locust

,ri ch in

fragrance as in hue , the del icate catalpa, the yellow dower ofthe tul ip-tree . The graceful cane covered the ground

,thewil

lowfringed the stream,the vine crept to the tops of the tall est

trees,and the mistletoe hung among the branches . The luxu

riant soil , while it loaded its elf with a giganti c vegetation ,gave a depth and viv idnes s to the colouring of the landscape

,

that imparted a pecul iar strength and character to the scene .Butif the eyewas charmed , therewas a lovel iness , a stillnessand a s i lence reigning throughout this scene that touched theheart. The very beauties that del ighted , and the quietnessthat soothed

,testifi ed thatmanwas a stranger here, and told

the travel ler that hewas alone with his God.

Such Were the feelings of the miss ionaries as they gazedon this gentle stream and its wild shore. They had l efttheirhomes and their friends

,their pious companions, their

cherished relatives,and the scenes of . their childhood , and

were going beyond the confines of civil so ciety , to dwel l withthe savage in his own wild woods . As they travelled to thewest

,they had seen the traces of civil ization becoming every

day more faint— every day they had found the villages ruder

and more dis tant from each other— until at last they had

reached the abod es of the hunter, where the rifle and the axe

furnished the means of subsistence and of defence, An ims

312 L E G E N D S o r T H

'

E W E S T .

mense tract of wildernesswas yet to be traversed , beforethey could reach the scene of their future labours , and they feltsad to think how seldom the smile of a countryman or the

voice of a brother would cheer them on their way .

~Theirspirits sunk

,as they looked atthe boundless extent of forest

gorgeous as itwas to the eye,itwas stil l but a blooming

desert,containing nothing to warm the heart or cherish the

affections . Every object around themwas strange,and they

felt l ike exiles wandering far from the land of their birth.

These were tr ials,however

,that had been anticipated ; and

itwas easy to see i n the mournful countenances of these humble Christians

,as they wandered along the shore

,that a hea

v ier vis itati onwas pend ing over them,than those which were

necessari ly incident to their s ituation . One of their compauions

,a beloved s ister

,was aboutto breathe her lasts igh . The

messenger of death had arrested her i n the wilderness ; givinga solemn warning to those who journeyed with her

,that

although they had forsaken the haunts of m en,they had not

escaped the casualties of human existence . Even here,where

nature bloomed so fresh,where every surrounding obj ect

teemed with youth and vigour and fragrance,the messenger

of fate would reach its vi ctim . Bound on a m iss ion of loveand bearing the tidings of l ife to thousands

, they also borewith them the evidence of their own mortal ity . Deathwass i lently pursuing their footsteps

,watching his own appointed

time to claim the tribute which all must pay to the insatiateking of terrors .

The s ituation of the dy ing missionarywas soon known tothe vil lagers

,and a fewof them went to offer in their homely

way the offi ces of hospital ity ; but they came too late ; thesuffererwas too feeble to be removed

,and the mourning

strangers said that they needed nothing from human kindnessbut a grave for their companion . The v is iters were deeplyaffected . The death-bed exhibits at all times a solemn andtouching scene, .and though of daily occurrence its frequency

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314 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

The miss i on family embraced a number of persons of bothsexes

,and itwas gratify ing to see i n their deportment how

effi cient is rel igion in the hour of sorrow . Though deeplyaffl icted, therewas a decent composure, a quiet humil ity , andan entire res ig nation

,in al l their words and actions . They

spoke not of death as the l oathsome companion of disease,o r

the precursor of corruption,but as the natural consummation

of all earthly beings . They sorrowed not for her whowasgoing to a better world

,but for those who rema ined . Their

voices were fi rm and cheerful— and even the timid soul thatwas flattering in the hope and fear, and j oy and sorrow ,

of the

dy ing moment,acquired calmness from the serenity of othe rs .

Suchwas the day . Evening cam e,and the s ufi

'erer stil l

l ived . Prayer and hymn were heard at intervals throughoutthe night, but al l el sewas s il ent and ata late hour

,they who

cast a look at the shore,beheld a dim l ight stil l emanating

from the chamber of death , and appearing as a b right speckin the surrounding gloom— l ike the l ingering soul

,whose

feeble radiance sti ll gl eamed in the dark vall ey of the shadowof death .

”

The following day was the Sabbath . At the dawn,the

villagers hastened to the boats . The m i sswnari es were alreadyengaged at their morning devoti ons . The voi ce of prayerwas heard ascend ing through the stil lness of that quiet hour.The accents were low and trembl ing

,but distinctly audible .

The speaker al luded to her whose spirit had gone to the mans ions of the blessed , and prayed for the bereaved husband andthe orphan children ; and the v i l lagers then k new that she

in whose fate they had felt so deeply interested suffered nolonger. After a moment’s pause the notes of sacred song wereheard floating over the tide— so sweet

,so mournf

‘ul,thatevery

heartwas touched and every eye moistened .

At sunset the same day the remains of the stranger werehom e to the place of burial by her l ate companions

,followed

by the inhab itants of the vil lage . A large Indian mound in

TH E M I S S I O N A R I E S. 315

the rear of the town had been selected,as the only spotnot

subj ect to inundation . The gravewas opened on the summ itof its eminence, and herewas the body of a Christian femaledepos ited among the rel ics of heathen warriors . The inbahitants and the miss ion family stood around with their headsreverently uncovered while one of the miss ionaries addressedthem — then some one raised a hymn

,and thewhole company

joined, chanting with solemn fervour, as if a flood of devotionalfeel ing had burst spontaneously from every bosom at the

same instant— and when they all knelt upon the mound,it

was not from any s ignal or invitation given by man,but God

touched their hearts,and as the song of praise ceased

,they

al l involuntarily prostrated themselves before His throne .When the people rose

,and the offi ciating minister had d is

missed them with the usual benediction,the widowed husband

stepped forward,l eading one of his children in each hand.

F or a moment he stood by the new]y fi lled grave,gazing on

it with an agony whi ch he strove in vain to subdue . In abroken voice be thanked the people of the village for theirk indness

,and committed the remains of his wife to their pro

tection. He begged them to mark and remember the place‘

of interment,in order that if hereafter a stranger in pass ing

through their village should ask them for the grave of Mariathey could lead him to the spot. ”

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31 8 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Her babes clung around herwith tim orous cry,Alarm edwith the glance of her fi erce rolling eye,

And still o’

er those dear ones impassioned she hung,And m adly she kissed them , aswildly she sung

O h, children forsakenlwife, m other forlorn !The heartthat should cherish has spurned ye in scorn

Expelled from his bosom ,and banished his door,

The father, the husband, shall clasp us no m ore.

Howblestwere the days of my youth, when inprideI clim bed yonder m ountains, or bathed inthis tide ;WhenI chased the young fawn to itswoodland retreat,

And snatched a rich plum e from the gay paroquet.

Buthappier far when I roam ed through the shade,

Companion of himwhowith pride I obeyed ;His qu iver I carried , his gam e I secured,

I shared all his trium phs, his toils I endured.

Hewas strong as the oak,bewas straightas the reed,

Nowarrior could m atch him in courage or speed,

So truewas his arrow, so sharpwas his spear,The O tto and Pawnee-Loupe m ethim infear.

Howfaithful , howfond, howenduring my love,These tears and the pangs of a brokenheart prove ;Do I dream ? no, these pledges too dearly proclaim ,

Howhappy Iwas, and howwretched I am .

Had he died, I had m ourned himwith m any a tear,His son should havewielded his bowand his spear,His daughter in songs should have honoured his name,Every vale, every m ountain, had rungwith his fame.Ah

,subtle destroyer ! he charm ed as the, snake

,

Who basks onthe m ountain or lurks inthe brakeHe stung like the reptile ! the po ison is sure,No herb can relieve m e, no sorcery cure.

“False traitor whowon and caressed to destroy,

O h could I buthate thee, I still could knowjoy,But spurned

'

and degraded, this heart is so frail, 0

Love rem ainswhere deep hate and revenge should prevail.

T H E I N D I A N WI F E’s L A M E N T .

One spiritweworship, one chiefwe obey,

O ne brightsun gives lustre andwarmth to our day,

O ne mate has the eagle, the turtle one love,I em proud as the eagle, and true as the dove.

O h think not to tread inyour pride o’

er my grave lIwill sleepwith my babes buried deep in thewave,Where thou canstnot follow— unworthy to beA husband, a father, to them or to m e.

If stungwith rem orse, thou shaltseek for my tomb,

To m ock atm yweakness, or m ourn o’

er my doom ,

Thy voice shall be drowned inthe cataract’

s roar,

And my sp iritbe vexed with thy false vows no m ore i”

As she sung, the sad strain cam e prolonged o’

er the d ifi

Every cave,as in sym pathy, echoed her gri ef,

So deep each response, as itm urm ured along,

No mortal e’

er heard so terrifi c a song .

And onward the bark swiftly glides o’er the spray,N0 . hand gave the m otion, or guided theway,Butheadlong through breakers it sweptas thewind,No pathway before it, no trace leftbehind.A m om ent itpaused onthe cataract

's brow,

Then sunk into fathom less caverns below,And the bark, and the song, and the singer, no more

Were seen onthewild wave, or heard onthe shore !

319

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322 L E G E N D S o r r a n W s s r .

hopeful heir of a worthy mariner,whose domicilwas situated

in a small seaport of New England,but who

,being almost

constantly abroad,was obliged to l eave his only son to the

care of a m aiden aunt and to the teaching o f'a publ i c school .

This amiable youth exhibited,even in childhood

,some of the

touches of the dispos ition which adhered to him through l ife .He l iked saltwater better than atti cwit ; and loved to steer hislittl e boat

,in the most stormy weather around the capes and

headlands of the neighbouring sea coast,better than to trace

out the"labyrinths of a problem

,or to wander among the

shoals and quicksands of metaphys ics . Inhis tenderest'

years ,

he launched his bark upon the ocean with the temerity of aveteran pilot ; and when the gay b reeze swept along , and thewaves danced and sparkled in the sun

,his l ittle sai l might be

seen skimming over the surf ace l ike a sea bird . Often as hestrol led off in the morning might the sh ril l vonce of his aunt

,

‘

the worthy Miss Fidel ity Tom pk inson, be heard hail ing himwith,Where are you going

,Timmy dear Don’tgo near

the water,dear ;

” and as often would he toss his head andmarch on

,smil ing at the s impl icity of his watchful guard ian

and m arvel l ing at the tim idity O fwomen . ln vain did thevillage pedagogue remind him that time fl ies swi fter than awhite squall

,and that in the voyage of l ife there is but one

departure , which, if taken wrong, can never be co rrected .

Tim would l isten with a smile,and then placmg his tarred hat

on one s ide o f his head,strol l oti

'whistl ing to the beach .

At s ixteen itwas concluded that the years and gifts of

Tim othy rende red him a suitable cand idate for college honours

,and his namewas accordingly entered upon the books

of a celebrated institution . Here hewas soon d istinguishednot for Latin or logic, but fo r cleverness, ingenuity , and gymnasti c feats . He neverwas a great talker

,but

,on the con

trary, expressed himself with a laudable brevity , and withthat idiomatic terseness of language which is common alongshore

,where a significant sea-phrase answers all the purpose

TH E L E G E N D o r C A R O N D ELE T . 23I

of a long argument ; and he reasoned, plaus ibly enough , thatone who employed so fewwords

,had l ittle use for any other

tongue than his own , which afforded a copious medium forthe conveyance of his slender stock of ideas . In the mathem atical sciences , hewas better skilled . Few could estimatew ith more accuracy the number of superficial yards betweenhis own chamber and a neighbouring orchard

,or calculate

with more. nicety the difl'erence of distance between these

points upon a direct l ine,or by the meanders of a number of

obtuse angles . He knew the exact height of every windowin the college edifi ce

,and the precise force required to elevate

a proj ecti le from the col lege green to the roof of the tutor’sboarding-house . He knew precisely the angle at which anobj ect could be presented to the retina o f a professor’s eye

,

andwas acquainted with the depth of every intel lect and them easure of every purse in the Senior class . In short, however defi cient i n Athenian pol ish , he had all the hardihood ofa Spartan youth

,andwas especially gifted with that thrifty

qual ity called common sense . Hewas a luckyboy, too.

Though foremost in every act of mischief, hewas always thelast to be found out or punished ; and though he never studied

,he always managed to gl ide unnoticed through the college

examinations,or to obtain praise for productions which were

strong]y suspected to be not his own. In diffi culty or danger,hewas sure to have a dev ice to meet the exigency , andwasso often successful on such occas ions, that his companions

compared him to the active animal , which, when thrown intothe air, always l ights upon its feet.

It wil l be read ily imagined that our hero gained but fewscholastic attainments ; yet hewas , nevertheless, a generalfavourite . Hewas bl essed with the finest temper~

in the

world . His good naturewas absolutely invincible. Althoughthe very prince of mischief, none suspected him of malice . In

the midstof a bitter reproof he would smile in the professor’s

face ; and the studentwho treated him With insolencewas,

324 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

perhaps,the first to rece ive some k m d act from his hand . If

the faculty frowned upon him ,he had the facu lty of turn ing

the storm into sunshine,and of averting pun ishment by a

well-timed jest or compl iment. Every body loved Tim , andTim loved every body. He hated study but then he l ikedcollege

,because the students were j olly fel lows, and the pro

fessors took flatter ing k indly,and stood qu iaz ingwith that

pati ence whi ch is the result of long endurance .Howlong these hal cyon days would have lasted , and

whether the name of Tim othy El eazer Tom pk inson wouldhave been numbered among the alumni of the college, is nowbeyond the reach of conjecture ; for just as he had attainedhis twenti eth year

,the news came that his father had dis

charged the debt of nature, l eaving all his other debts unpaid ,his s ister fortuneless

,and his son a beggar. O ur hero paid

the tribute of a tear to the memory of his departed parent,and more than one drop attested his sympathy for the desolate condition of his k ind aunt. But he soon brushed themoisture from either eye, and as the good pres ident condoledwith him in a tone of s incere affection

,he acknowledged with

a smil e that his case might have been much more desperate .The worst of it is

,

”said the reverend pri ncipal

,that

you willnot be abl e to take out a degree .”

1 shal l be sorry to quit college,”repl i ed the youth

,

‘tbut

as for the degree, that is neither here nor there .”

The president shook his head and took snufl",whil e Tim

cast a s idelong glance out of the window,gazing wistfully

over the green landscape, whichwas now decked with theblossoms of spr ing, and longing to rove uncontrolled aboutthat beautiful world, that seemed so redolent of sunshine

,and

flowers,and balmy breezes .

It is a sad thing,”said the pres ident

,for a young man

to be cast upon the cold char ity of the wide worl d.

The wider the world i s the better, said Tim ; it is afine thing to have sea-room ; and as to its co ldness

,I don’t

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326 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

an obscure and ruinous hamlet,remarkable only for its out;

land ish huts and lean ponies , itwas then the good ]y seat of aprosperous community . It is situated on the western shoreof the river

,in a beautiful l ittl e amphitheatre

,which seemed

to have been scooped out for the very purpose . The banksof the Miss iss ippi at this place are composed of

’ a range ofhil ls ris ing abruptly from the water’s edge . The town occupies a sortof cove

,formed by a small plat of table land

,sur

rounded on three s ides by hi lls . The houses occupy the wholeof this l ittl e area , i ncluding the hills ides .and are models of

p rimitive rudeness,carelessness

,and comfort. They were

s ometimes of stone ; but usual ly of framed timber, with mudwalls ; and all the rooms being arranged on the ground floor

,

their circumferencewas often oddly disproportioned to theirheight. In a fewof the better sort

,spacious piazzas

,formed

by the p rojection of the roof,s urrounded the buildings

,giv ing

to them both coolness and a remarkable air of comfort. Theenormous steep roofs were often quadrangular

,so as to form

a point i n the middl e,surmounted by a ball

,a weathercock

,

or a cross . Gardens,stocked with fruit trees and flowering

shrubs,encompassed the dwell ings

,enclosed with rough stone

walls,or stockades made by d riving large stakes in the ground .

The dwell ing stood apart,having

'

each its own l ittle domainabout it; and when it is added that the streets were narrowand i rregular

,it wil l be observed that the whole scenewas

odd and pi cturesque .The inhabitants presented

,as I suppose

,a fair specimen of

the French peasantry,as they existed in France previous to

the fi rst revolution . They had al l the l ev ity,the kindness

,

and the contentment which are so wel l described by Sterne,

with a s impl icity whichwas perfectly childl ike . Though sub

ject at the date of our tale to a foreign king,they were as

good republ icans as if they had been trained up in one of ourown colonies. They k newthe restraints and distinctions of amonarchy only by report

,practis ing the most rigid equality

A L E G E N D o r C A R O N D E L E T. 327

among themsel ves , and never troubl ing their heads to inquirehowthings were ordered el sewhere . The French commandants and priests, who ruled in their num erous colonies

,had

always the knack of givmg a parental character to their sway,

and governed with so much mildness,that the people never

thought o f'

questioning either the sou rce or extent of theirauthority while theEngl ish invariably alienate the affectionsof their colonists by oppression . The inhabitants of VidePoche were al l plebeians ; a fewwho traded with the Indianshad amassed some littl e property the remainder were hunters and boatmen— men who traversed the great prairi es oi'

theWest, and traced the largestrivers to their sources, fi ddlingand laughing al l the way , lodging and smoking 1n the Indianwigwams, and never dreaming of fatigue or danger.

To retur nto our story . Itwas a su ltry afternoon inJune.Not a breath of airwas stirring— the intense glare of the sun

had driven every animal to some shelter— the parched soilglowed with heat, and even the plants drooped . Therewas

,

however,a pleasant coolness and an inv iting serenity among

the dwell ings of the French . The trees that stood thickaround them threw a dense shade

,which contrasted delight

fully with the glaring fierceness of the sunbeams . The broadleaf of the catalpa and

'

the rich green of the locu st atl'orded

rel ief to the eye ; bowers o f sweetbrier and honeysuckle,

mingled with luxuriant clumps o f the white and red rose, gave

fragrance to the air,and a romantic beauty to the scene.

In the cool veranda of one of the l argest of those dwellings

,sat a round-faced

,laughing Frenchman . Near him sat

Madame,his wife

,a dark-eyed

,wrinkled , sprightly old l ady ;

and at her sidewas a beautiful girl of seyenteen,their only

daughter. The worthy couple had that mahogany tinge of

complexion which belongs to thi s region ; as to the young lady,pol iteness compels me to describe her hue as a b runette— anda beautiful brunette itwas — fading into snow-white upon herneck

,and deepening into a ri ch damask on her round smooth

328 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

cheek . The lad ies were sewing ; and the gentl emanwas puffing his pipe with the composure of a man who feels consciousthat he has a rightto smoke his own tobacco in his ownhouse,and with the del iberation of one who is master of his own time .While thus engaged

,their attenti onwas attracted by the

apparition of a man leading a jaded horse along the street.The strangerwas young and sl ender his dress had once beengenteel; butwas much worn , and showed s igns of recent exposure to the weather. The traveller himsel fwas tanned andweather-beaten

,his hair tangled

,and his chin unshaved while

the sorry nag,which he led by the bridle

,had just l ife enough

left in him to l imp upon three legs . Worn down with fatigue,

and covered with sweat and dust,the new comer halted inthe

street,as if unable to proceed, and looked around in search

of a publ ic house . O f a boy,who passed along

,he i nquired

for a tavern ; but the lad , unable to unde rstand him ,shook

his head . He put the same question to several others,with

no better success until Mons i eur Dunois,the gentl eman

whom we have described abov e,seeing his embarrassment

,

stepped forward and inv ited him into his porch .

The strangerwas no other thanour friend Timothy EleazerTompk inson, who, in the course of a fewmonths, had madehis way from New England to Louis iana. [t is unnecessaryto recount the variou s expedients by which he maintainedhimself upon his j ourney . Hewas a lawyer

,a doctor

,or a

mechanic,as occas ion requ ired . At one place

,he pleaded a

cause before a magistrate at another,he drew a tooth ; for

one man he mended a lock ; f or another he set a timepiece ;and by these and s imilar dev ices

,he not only supported him

self,but procured the means to

'

purchase a horse, saddle, andbridl e . Arrived at the fronti er oi

'

Kentucky,his restl ess spirit

stil l urged him forward,and he determ ined to strike across

the wilderness to the French settl ements , on the Miss iss ippi .The distancewas nearly three hundred miles

,and the whole

region through which he had to travelwas uninhabited,except

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330 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Timothy hoped he d idn’t intrude but a m an who hasbeen lost in the woods is not very apt to stand on ceremony ;and as he glanced at the symptoms of plenty which surroundedhim , at the good -humoured hostess , and at the fair Mari e

,a

spectator would have j udged that his fears of intrus ion wereoverbalanced by feel ings of selfigratulation at hav ing fal leninto the hands of such good Samaritans . He soon found thatthe hospital ity of this worthy familywas of the most substantial k ind . In a m oment his tired nagwas l ed to the stable,and ou r hero

,so late]y a wanderer

,found himself an honoured

and cherished guest.The air of Vide Poche agreed wel l with him . The free

and social habits of the French were exactly . to his taste .Although their pockets, as the name of their town impl ies

,

were not l ined With gold , therewas plenty in their dwel l ingsand cheerfulness i n their hearts .

Hewas delighted with the harmony and the apparentunity

,both of feel ing and interest

,which bound this l ittl e

community together They were l ike a single family theirhearts beat in unison

,as the heart of one man .

” Therewasbut one circle . Though some were poorer than others

,they

all mingled in the same dance ; and as none claimed superiority, or attempted to put others to shame by affecting a showof wealth

,therewas l ittl e envy or mal ice . All were equal ly

il l iterate,with the exception of Mons . Dunois and the pri est

,

who had travel led,andwho spoke

,the one Latin

,and the

other,as we have seen

,Engl ish . But so far from assuming

any airs on account of these attainments, they were the plainest and most sociable men in the vil lage, and were reverencedas much for their benevolence as for their superi or knowledge .All this ch imed so well with the feel ings of Mr. Timothy

Eleazer Tom pk inson, that he resol ved forthwith to engrafthimself upon this cheerful and vigorous stock . The nextthingwas to choose a profession buthe had too much common sense to sufi

'er so small a matter as this to cause him

A L E G E N D o r C A R O N D E L E T . 331

any embarrassment. l am not aware of the precise motivewhich determined him to embrace the practi ce of phys io. It

might have been benevolence,or a conviction of special voca

tion for the heal ing art ; but I rather attribute it to a motivewhich I suspect too often allures ou r youth to become thed isciples of fEsculapius, namely, the occult nature of the

science,which enables an adroit practitioner to cover his

ignorance so completely as to defy detection . Timothy hadd iscovered that when he practised law

,any spectator could

expose the fallacy of his arguments ; when he mended clocks ,they often refused to go ; but the casewas differentwith hispatients ; if, i n spite of his drugs , they refused to go, itwaswell for them and for him ; and if they did go, nobody knewwhom to blame . To say the truth

,he never presumed to

exhibit” any d rug more active than charcoal , brickdust, orflour ; and his success had heretofore been quite marvellous .

He therefi ire took the earl iest opportunity of d isclos ing to

his host that hewas a phys ician , andwas disposed to exercisehis cal l ing for the benefi t of the good people of Carondelet.“Ell, bienl” exclaimedM. Dunois

,unm edecin.

’ ver good

ver m osh fine ting for Vide Poche ; vat can you cure 7”

Oh,I am not particular ; I can cure one thing alm ost as

well as another.

”

You can cure every ting, eh ?_ defevre, de break -bone, de

catch-cold— dat is fine ting,you shall stay chez Vide Poche.

So the questionwas settled .

Had there been a newspaper in Carondelet, the name ofDoctor Timothy Eleazer Tom pk inson, from the UnitedStates

,would

,doubtl ess

,have figured in its columns . But

as therewas no such thing , our hero resorted to other means

of acqui ring notoriety . In the fi rst place, hav ing procured asu itable cabin , the whole v illagewas searched for v ials , and

gall ipots,and l ittl e boxes, and big bottles , which, being fi lled

with l iquids and unguents of various hues, were wisely set

for show,

”at the window . But the greatestafl

'air of al lwas

32 L E G E N D S O F T H E W a s h .

a certain machine,for the invention of which Doctor Tomp

kinson ought to have had a patent. Thiswas no other thana wheel

,turning on an axis, and surrounded by an immovable

rim,within which it revol ved . Upon the wheel Timothy

wrote the name of every disease which he could recollect, aswel l as every dreadful accident towhich flesh is heir ; and onthe rim he inscribed the cures . When the remedy for anydisorderwas required

,the wheelwas set i n moti on , and on

its stopping,the curewas found Oppos ite the d isease . The

honest villagers crowded to see the magic wheel ,” and vied

in their courtesi es to its fortunate possessor,whowas risingfast into cel ebrity

,when his prospects were clouded by an

untoward event.In the midst o f the vil lage stood the chapel— a low

,oblong

build ing,whose gable endwas presented to the street

,and

behind whichwas a cemetery,where all the graves were

marked by great wooden crosses,instead of tombstones .

Here the good Cathol ics repaired every morning and even ingto perform the ir devotions

,and confess their peccadil loes to

the priest. H ither one morning,at an earl i er hour than

usual,was seen repairing the fair Mari e Dunois

,with a step

as l ight as the zephyr and a face radiantas the dawn . Kneeling bes ide the worthy old man , who placed his w ithered handupon her raven locks

,she began in a low

,earnest tone to

unburthen her mind . Suddenly the eccles iasti c started fromhis seat

,exclaim ing

,

Ah, the i nsolent how did he dare to make such an

avowalHe meant no harm

,I assure you

,father

,

”repl ied Mari e.

How do you know that2”

He told me so,with his own mouth . He said that he

valued my happiness more than his own ; and .that he wouldrather swal low all the physio in his shop

,than ofl

'end me . ”

Very pretty talk,truly ! Do you not knowthat he is a

heretic, and thatno reliance can be placed in him

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334 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

dem rogue You very pretty docteur very unsome Yankeedocteur .

’ can you no mix de physique, and draw de blood,vidoutmake love avec all the F rench gal“I assure you

,s ir

,the ladies have misconstrued something

that I have said merely in j estJ est! vat is jest ? ah ha raillerie f on — vat

,sair

, you

courtmafi lle for fon .9 very ansom efon you make l ove avec

de F rench gal forf on, eh .9 Suppose bam bye you marry some

of dem for f on diable .

’ Suppose,m aybe, I b reak all your

bone,for f on, vid my cane

,eh

,how you l ike him 2”

My dear s ir,if you wil l tel l me cool ly what you com

plain of,I w ill endeavou r to explain .

”

“Saz'r, I complain for many ting. I sorry for you makelove avec ma fi lle, vidout my leave— dat iswonting I verym osch incense for you court ma Chile for fon— dat is nodder

ting den I rwe raison to be facile for you faire la com a two,

tree lady all same tem .

”

The last of these accusationswas unjust. Timothy hadnot really intended to payhis devotions to more than onelady . But the females all admired him

,and in their confi

dential con versations with the priest, whowas no great connoisseur i n the affairs of the heart, spoke of h im in such highterm s of approbation, as to i nduce the holy man to -bel ievethat hewas actually play ing the coquette . What Monsi eurDunois and the priest bel ieved

,soon became the bel ief of the

v il lage and the men all condemned,whil e the ladies sympa

thiz ed with, the ingenious stranger. The doctor,of course

,

changed his lodging and ceased to have any intercourse withMademoisel le Dunois

,exceptb y means of express i ve glances

and signifi cant pressures of the hand as they m et in the

dances,which occurred almost every evening.

Things nowlooked gloomy ; our friend Timothy lost hispracti ce ; and a fortunate circumstance itwas for him ,

as

well as for those who might otherwise have been his patients.

He nowhad l e isure to make hunting excurs ions, and exped i

A L E G E N D o r C A R O N D E L E T . 335

tions upon the water ; and his ski ll in the management of aboat, as wel l as his courage and address in every emergency

,

soon gained him friends. His v ivacity,his versatil ity and

promptness ,won daily upon his com rades ; he became a daring hunte r, a skilful woodsman

,and a favourite of all the

young men of the v i llage.Suchwas the posture of affairs

,and Doctor Tom pk insonwas s itting one evening in his lonely room

, qu ite outof patients

,as a punster would say, when hewas cal led in haste to

vis ita‘ young lady who had m etwith themisfortuneof havinga fi sh-bone stuck in her throat. The pri est had exercised al lhis sk ill— the old ladies had exhausted their recipes withouteffect ; and , as a last resort

,itwas determined to consult

Dr . Tom pk in’

son and the'

m agicwheel . O ur hero,with great

alacrity,brushed the dust from the neglected machine

,set it

inmotion,and

.

waited patiently unti l it stopped,when oppo

site to the word choking” was found bleeding.

”The doc

tor,somewhat perplexed

,repeated the experiment; but, the

result being the same,resolved to obey the oracle

,and trust

to fortune . Having prepared his bandages and lancet, he repaired to the sufferer

,who

,opening her eyes and beholding

the operator brand ishing a bright instrument, and naturallysupposing that the part affected would be the fi rst point ofattack

,and that her throat would be cut from ear to ear

,ut

tered a terrifi c scream,and— outflew the bone ! “St. Antho

ny ! what a miraculous cure l” exclaim ed the priest.“Ste Genevieve ! what a noble phys ician !” cried all the

lad ies .

And the whole village of Vide Pochewas alive withiwonder and loud in praise of the consummate sagacity of theyoung Amer i can . Never did a man rise so suddenly to thehighest pinnacl e of publ ic favour— never did Doctor Tompkinson shake so many hard hands , or receive so many bright

smiles and courtes i es,as on this evening.

‘

.The news soonflewto the teatable of Mons i eur Dunois , who had already

“

336 LE G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

‘

begun to repentof his harshness to our hero,and whose ardent

feel ings,eas ily excited

,nowprompted him into the oppos ite

extreme . See ing the object of his sol icitude pass ing his

door,while the fi rst gush of returning k indnesswas flowing

through his heart,he rushed out and caught him in his arms .“Ah

,m on am i f

” exclaimed he,

“I av‘

e been m istak e ! I avebeen imp ose ! you are de grand m edecz

'

n ! you shal l marryavec my gal !

” and withoutwaiting for any reply, be draggedhim into the house .Shortly after this event, the smartest and m erriest wed,

ding that everwas seen in Carondeletwas cel ebrated underthe hospitable roof of Mons ieur Dunois

,and our hero be

came the happy husband of the beautiful and artl ess Mari e .O u that night

,every fi ddle and every foot in Vide Poche did

its duty ; even the pri est wore his best robes and kindestsmile at the marriage feast of the lucky heretic. .

Mr . Tompk inson immediately abandoned the practi ce of physio ; themagic wheel disappeared and he embarked in bus iness as anIndian trader. Here his genius found an appropriate fi eldWith his band of adventurous boatmen he navigated the longrivers of the West to their tributary fountains ; he vis itedthe Wigwams of tribes afar oil; to whom the white manwasnot yet k nown as a scourge ; he chased the buffalo over plainsunti l then untrodden by any human foot but that of the

savage,and returned laden with honest spoil . Year after

year he pursued this toilsome traffi c ; unti l , having earned acompetency

,he sat down contented, and waxed as fat, as l azy,

and as garrulous as any of his townsmen . He grew as

swarthy as his neighbours,and as he wore a capotand smoked

a short pipe, no one would have suspected that hewas not anati ve

,had itnot been for his aunt

,the worthy Miss Fidel ity

Tom pk inson, who occupied the best room in his“mansi on,

andwho resolutely refused,through l ife

,to eat gumbo-soup,

to speak French, or to pay any reverence to that respectable

man,the priest.

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338 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

object of my voyage, and risk the entire loss of a large sum ,or

by remain ing expose my constitution , already debil itated andpred isposed to d isease, to the dangers of a s ickly cl imate .Unfortunately I adopted the latter course .I found the weather as hot here as in Cuba, the language

as incomprehens ible , and the bi ll iard-tables quite as devoido f interest. The s i ckly seasonwas fast approaching

,and as

I determined not to escape d isease by flight,I endeavoured

to avoid itby precauti on. It is amus ing enough to those whocan look on from a distance

,to see the various expedients by

which m en“endeavour to contend with death ; as if the greatdestroyerwas a foe who could be eluded by cunning or

batfled by force . The yellow fever assailed the inhabitants ; Ifelt the malady , or I thought I felt it creeping slowly into mysystem

,and resorted to every preventive which my own reason

,

or the experi ence of others , suggested . I fi rst tried the Sangrado plan ; drank water, ate vegetabl es, and suffered phle~

botom‘

y. ButI soon found that I could not endure starvation,

nor carry on the functions of l i fe without a due supply of thecirculating medium . I resorted to stimulants and tonicsa mint julep in the morning, bitters at noon

,and wine after

dinner ; but, alas ! with no better success ; fo r every timeI looked in the glass

,I d iscovered

,by my sal low visage

,that

the enemywas s i lently m ak ing his approaches . My eyesbecame jaundiced

,my pulse heavy

,m y skin dry, and my

complexion rece ived a new coat of yel low every day,deep

ening at fi rst into a del icate orange,then to a saffron

,and

lastly to a copper-colour ; unti l I began to fear that Iwasactually degenerating into a Spaniard

,

‘a Quarteroon,or 3

Cherokee.

Coming events throwtheir shadows before,”

and on this occasion the shadows that tinged my face werebut too prophetic. The dreaded fever came at l ast

,and I

‘

sunk into a state of helpless and hopeless m isery,which none

TH E I N T E S T A T E. 339

cantrniy estimate but those who have felt its poignancy.

Iwas a stranger, far from home in a cl imate tainted withd isease; and attacked by a d isorder supposed to be fatal .Thatmalady, among other d istress ing characteristics

,has one

which is pecul iarly aggravating . I know notwhether othersare s imilarly afi

‘

ected,but to me a fever brings a state of ex

citem entand sens iti venes s , which produces the most exquisitetorture . My whole nature is subti l ized— every feeling isquickened— and every sense sharpened into a painful acuteness of perception . The judgment is weakened

,but the

imagination acqu 1 res a supernatural activity the body s inks,

but the spirit is feel ingly al ive . Suchwas my state . In theearly stages o f my disease

,a thousand wild visages were in

m y brain . I made rhymes ; repeated pages of Latin , althoughin a moment of sanity I cou ld not have connected a sen

tence I sawpeople whose faces had been forgotten for years ;I called up events which had transpired in my childhood ; Iplanned novels

,composed essays

,and dev ised theories ; I

fought battl es ; I recal led thej oys and repented the sins ofmy whole l ife . Iwas a madman, a philosopher, a devotee,and a wag

,i n the same hour. At one moment I prayed fer

vently ; at another I d ropped the doctor’s nostrums in my

sl eeve,and amused myself with inventing ingen ious answers

to deceive him,and feigning symptoms which did not exist. I

j ested,moral ized

, groaned , wept, and laughed and found ineach new m ood that came over me, a pang as agonizing as

thatwhich I had suffered in the one that had passed . Such isfever ! excruciating bodily pain , with a brill iancy and strengthof intell ectual vis ion, which looks back to infancy, and forward to etern ity

,and around upon the whol e scene of l ife,

whil e the mental eye .is crowded with images ,whose numberand v i vidness weary and distract the brain . Loss of strength,stupor

,and melancholy , succeeded . I thought of home, of

m ys el f,and of death and m y vis ions assumed every day a

deeper and more death-l ike hue .

340 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Therewas one object which intruded into al l my dreams .

I need only name its character,in order to enl ist the sympa

thy of every tender-hearted reader. Itwas a young Widowfor whom I felt a particular regard

,and to whom— if I must

speak out— I was engaged to be marri ed on my returnhome . Shewas my fi rst love . I had paid my addresses toher before her marriage

,butwas too bashful to declare mv

sel f expl icitly ; and whil e I balanced matters in my ownmind

,and sought by the gentl est hints to d iscl ose my passion ,

she by some fatal ity— by mere accident, as I have since um

derstood— marri ed a certain Jerem iah Smith ! a fel low forwhom and forwhose name I had always entertained a sovereignand special contempt. I d id not blame her for marrying, forthatwas her privil ege — butto wed a fel lownamed Jerry andof al l the Jerries i n the world to pitch upon Jerry Smith

,a

dissipated,s i lly profligate, not worth a cent in the world ,was

too bad ! Itwas flying i n the face of propri ety , and treatingher other lovers

,who were numerou s

,with indign ity . Poor

girl ! she had a sad time o f it, for Jerry treated her worsethan a brute ; but at the end of two years he had the grace topop off

,leaving her penniless and as pretty as ever . Itwas

a long time after her widowhood before we m et; I woul dnot cal l onher

,and as to courting Jerry Smith’s widow

,that

seemed out of the question . But when we did meet,she

looked so sad and so beauti ful,and smiled so pens ively

,and

talked so sweetly of old times,that all her power of f ascina

tion over me revived. I began to vis ither,thinking of noth

ing more at fi rst than to show her my superiority over JerrySmith

,and to convince her how great a sl ight she had shown

to my merits in selecting him . But,in trying to make m y

sel f agreeable to the widow,she became so very agreeabl e

to me,that in spite of all my former resol utions I offered her

my hand,whichwas accepted with the most charming g race

imaginable. Thiswas j ust before my journey, and as that

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342 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

a cabin on the shore of the Mi ss issippi . A kind family hadreceived and nursed me

,and had broughtme back to l ife after

I had been long insens ible . They were poor people,who

made their l iving by cutting fi rewood to supply the steamboats - a l ean and sallow family

,whose bil ious complex ions

and attenuated forms attested the withering influence of a corrupted atmosphere . They had the languid southern

.

eye,the

heavy gait and sl ow speech of persons enervated by burningsunbeams and humid breezes .

F or two weeks Iwas unable to rise from the mi serabl epal let with which thei r kindness had suppl ied me . I countedevery log i n the wretched cabin— m y eye became familiarwith all the coats

,gowns, and leathern hunti ngs hirts that

hung from the rafters— I noti ced each crevice— and set downin my memory all the furniture and cooking utensils. F or

fourteen long summer days m y eyes had no other employm entbut to wander over these fewobj ects again and again

,

unti l at last nothingwas left to be discovered,and I closed

them in the d isgust occas ioned by the sameness of the scene,

or strained them in search of someth ing new unti l my eye

balls ached . But I had no more fev‘erish dream s,andwhen I

thought of the widow Smith , itwas with the del ightof a newlyawakened hope

,and with the confi dence thatbetter days and

brighter scenes awaited me at home .At last Iwas abl e to crawl to the door and to see the sun

,

the green trees,and the water. Itwas a mostrefreshing sight

,

although the landscape itselfwas any thing but attractive .The cabin'

stood 0 11 the bank of the river i n a lowall uvionbottom . Itwas surrounded and overhung by a forest of imm ens e trees, whose tal l dark trunks ros e to the heightof sixtv

or seventy fiect without a branch , arid then threw out their

vast l ateral boughs and heavy foli age so lui uriantly as entirelyto exclude the sun. Beneath that dense canopy of shadewere long

,dark

,and gloomy vistas, where the Ind ian mightwell fancy himself surrounded by the sp irits of his departed

1 4

Tna'l s r s s r a r a . 343

friends . The soil itself had a d ismal aspect ; the whole surface had been inundated but a fewweeks past; the fallenl eaves of lastyear, saturated and blackened by long immersi on

,

were covered with a thick depos it of m ud,and the reeking

mass sent up volumes of noxious vapour.Before the housewas a naked sand-bar sparkl ing and glowing with heat. In the

middle of the riverwas a large sawyer , an immens e log, theentire trunk of a majestic oak , whose roots cl ung to the bottom

, while the other end, extending down the stream,rose to

the su rface, the currentgiv ing it a heavy and eternal motionnowuprear ing some twenty feet of the huge black mass abovethe surface, and then s inking it again in the water with theregular swing of a pendulum . I gazed for hours at thatper

petual seesawfwondering whatlaw ofnature governed its exactvibrations. Here the hideous al l igatormightbe seen

,rocking

through half a day as if in the enjoymentof an agreeable recreation ; while droves of those animals, sporting in the streamor crawl ing on the beach

,roared l ike so many bulls

,fi lling

the who l e fo rest with their bellowings . Added to thosesounds were the braying of the wolf

,the croaking of innu

m erable frogs,and the buzz ofmyriads of m usqu itoes . Under

any other circumstances I should have thought myself in apandemonium ; but I had in the last fewweeks endured so

much pain,passed through so many horrors, and trembled so

often and so long upon the brink of the grave, that I enjoyedthe sun

,the breeze

,and the verdure, even with these dismal

accompaniments . Iwas even agreeably s ituated for so

great and so pleas ingwas the change in having my mindrel ieved from its abstraction, that I could gaze placidly forhours upon natural objects of the most common descriptionand converse with interest on the most triv ial subjects . O f

all forms none are so hideous or so terrify ing as the horr iblecreations of a distempered imagination.

F or another fortnight I remained contented, gradually gain~

ing strength ; and then finding myself again abl e to travel , I

344 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

took my passage in a steamboat for Louisvill e . The ri verwas nowextremely low, and we advanced sl owly

,sometimes

running aground upon the sand-bars,and always getting for

ward with d iffi culty. At l ength we reached our port,and l

sprung with del ight upon the soil ofKentucky . Among thesteamboats ly ing along the shore

,dismantled and laid up for

the season,was the vessel in whi ch I had embarked atNew

Orl eans,s feeble inval id

,and which had left me almost a

corpse .My baggage cons isted of several wel l-fi lled trunks one of

which,a common black l eather travell ing trunk , I had purchased

atNew Orl eans and packed with articl es of finery for myintended br ide . O u setting me ashore at the wood-cutter’s ,the captain of the boat had been careful to land my s everalchattels

,and I nowproceeded with them to a hotel in Louis

v ill e . My baggagewas carri ed into a bar-room crowded withgentlemen

,and I had scarcely time to turn round

,when a lank

,

agil e Frenchman,with tremendous whiskers

,darted forward

,

and seizing my black trunk , seemed to be about to appro

priate to his own use all my nuptial presents .

That is my trunk,s ir

,

”said I.

Aha,sair ! you say dat your tronk ? By gar, sair, dat

is notyour tronk l”

Excuse me,sir

,it is undoubtedly mine.

Ah ! ma foi I shal l not excuse you,sair ! By gar,

sair,if you say dis your tronk you no gentim an.

”

As he said this he j erked a key from his pocket,thrust it

i nto the lock,threw open the disputed tnm k

,and to my utter

consternation,and the infinite amusementof al l others present

,

d isplayed a magazine of“su ndri es” as undoubtedly Frenchas his own accents

Dare ! vat you say now, sai r ?” he exclaimed tri umph

tly, as he threw out the contents,

y ou say dat your coat?dat your waistcoat? your fi ddle-string ’

! your mus ique note ?

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346 L E G E N D S O F‘

T H E W s s'r .

“I am the drawee,

returned I.There must be some mistake

,replied the clerk very

coldly ;“Mr. M

,in whose favour that bill is drawn

,is

certainly dead . We have it from his heir.

”

“Heir ! don’t you suppose,sir

,that I am the best judge

whether I am dead or al ive 1”

Can ’t say, sir— sorry to dispute any gentleman’s wordbutmy orders

Sir, you don

’t only d ispute my word

,you deny my exist

ence— don’tyou see me,and hear me

,and can’tyou feel me 2”

said I,lay ing my long

,cold hand upon his soft

,white palm .

Very sorry,

repeated the book-keeper,withd rawing his

hand as if a V iper had touched it, butmy principal is absent— Iact under instructi ons— andMr. M ’

s accountis closedin our books.

”

This is the strangest turnof all,

said I to myself,as I

stepped into the street.

“I am dead— m y heir has enteredupon the estate— the widowm ourns over my grave ! Verypretty, truly I shal l n ext be told that this is not Kentucky

,

and that I am not,and neverwas

,Edward M

Angry and dispirited,I turned into a publ i c reading-room

and sought for a hle of newspapers publ ished in my ownneighbourhood . I looked for an old date

,and soon found

my own obituary ! and learned that in my untim ely deathsociety had been deprived of a useful member ; my kindred ,of an affectionate relati ve ; and my servants, of a kind master !Upon further research

,I stumbled upon a notice from my

administrator— the next of kin— inviting al l my debtors tosettl e their accounts. I sawno announcement of the widow’sd issolution— and concluding that her strength of mind hadenabled her to survive my untim ely determined toset out for home instantly, as well to rel ieve the burthen of

her sorrows,as to resume the pri vi lege of collecting my own

debts .

After a tiresome journey, I arrived on the night of the

T 11 11: IN'r s s r a'r s . 347

third day in my own neighbourhood . Concealed by the darkness, I reached my owndoor without being recognised . Twoof my negro men stepped up to the carriage as it stopped

,

and of them, in a disgu ised voice,I inquired for myself

,by

my Christian and surname .“Bless you , sir,” repl ied one of them, old master’s dead

and bu ri ed long ago i”

And who is your master now2”Why , young master,— old master’s nephew

,Mr.Charles.

I stepped out of the carriage,and the negroes no sooner

beheld my form in the moonl ight than they shouted,A

ghost ! O ld master’s ghost !” and scampered into the house .I entered after them

,but could not obtain an audience of any

human being . My servants fled when they perceived me,

screaming with surprise and terror. I followed them to the

k itchen . Itwas de serted by all but an old palsied woman .She reminded me that she had been my nurse

,that she had

served me faithfully al l my l ifetime,and begged my spiritnot

to injure her. She asked me affectionately whattroubled me ,and promised to do any thing in her power to enable me torepose quiet]y m my grave . She told me I had been agood and k ind master

,and that all my people l iked me while

I lived,and besoughtme not to make them hate my memory,

by haunting them after my death . And finally she told me

that the spir it of a gentleman lik e me, who had beenwellraised

,might find some better empl oyment than that of dis

turbinga peaceable family and scaring a parcel of poor negroes.Iwas too much affected to make any reply to old Elsey, andturning from her, stepped into the house . In the hal l stood agentl eman and lady ,who had been drawn thither by the

uproar.They were the next of kin” and— the Widow

Smith ! The former, being a man of spirit, stood his ground,butthe lady screamed and fled .

Will you be good enough to tell m e,sir, sand I,

whether I em dead or al ive 2”

348 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

We have mourned your death,

”said my nephew

,with'an

embarrassed air,butI am happy to hnd thatyou are alive

,

and most s incerely welcome you home .”

Suppos ing the fact to be that I am al ive , said I,

“wi llyou do me the k indness to tel l me whether I em master ofthis house

Surely you are,and

Do not interruptme ; you are my admin istrator, I find ;do you claim al so to be my guardian ? these characters are

not usually doubled .

”

“I claim nothing,s ir

,but an opportunity to expla in those

matters which seem to have offended you so deeply .

”

Then,sir

,being master here

,and having neither adm inis

trator nor guardian , I des ire to be alone .”

The young man looked offended , and then smil ed superciliously, as if he thoughtme insane, and turning onhis heelwalked off.I retired to a chamber, and having with some diffi culty

drawn my servants aboutme and convinced them of my identity

,took supper and went to bed . About thewidow I made

no inquiry ; circumstances looked so suspicious thatI dread edto hear the truth .

In the morning I rose late . I sall ied forth and gazed withdelight upon my fi elds , m y trees , and the thousand famil iarobjects thatare comprisedwi thin that one endearing wordhom e. My negroes crowded aboutme, to welcome m e

,inquire

after my health,and tell me all that had happened to them .

Pass ing over these matters as briefly as poss ibl e,I proceeded

to probe the subj ect nearest my heart, and— what think you ,gentl e reader

,was the result — the widow Smithwas m ar

ried to the“next of kin !” They had leftmy house at thedawn

,that morning .

I have only to add that I have entirely recovered my health.and spirits and that as Jerry Smith’s widowhas twices l ipped through my fingers, undervalued my character, sl ighted

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MICH ELDE COUCY.

A TALE O F FORT CHARTRES.

N a pleasant day in Septem ber,1750

,two horsemen were

seen s lowly winding their way along the road leading bythe margin of the Miss iss ippi ri ver

,from the French village

of NotreDame deKask ask ia,to FortChartres . One of them

,

who appeared to be about forty years of age,was a man of

gay and martial appearance . He wore an elegant mil itaryundress

,and rode gracefully on a fine and high-mettled horse .

Hewas the commandant of Fort Chartres , and in virtue of

that offi ce,governor of the French settlements in Ill inois,

which be ruled with a power l ittl e less than despotic, butwitha mildness that savoured more of parental than of

'sovereign

authority . His companionwas the superior of the convent

of Jesuits at Kaskaskia,of whose personal appearance we

have no accurate account butwe suppose that hewas a tall,l ank

,homely man

,with a cunning, mysterious , austere look ,

such as monks and superiors ot' convents usually wear on

public occas ions,and who

,whil e be ruled his own little com

mun ity with a high hand, acquired cons iderabl e influence i nthe affairs of the colony by his deferential deportmenttowards

the commander of his majesty ’s forces . The riders were fol

352 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

l owed by a small train,which seemed to be paraded rather

for show than for protection,cons isting of half a dozen gaudily

dressed huz z ars,mounted on the smal l hery horses of the

country,which

,hav ing run wild in their early years

,retained

ever after their original impatience of restraint.Their way led through that beautiful plain which is .now

cal l ed the American bottom,an extens ive tract of r ich

,flat

,

alluvial soil,which l ies along the eastern shore of the Miss is

s ippi and Ill inois,and reaches from the river to the blufl

's,

and which is j ustly regarded as containing the greatest bodyof fertil e land in this country

,or perhaps in the universe .

Part of this plain is covered with timber,the remainder is

open prairi e,and thewhole interspersed with groves of vine

and native fruit. Here are to be seen the ind igenous producti ons of this climate i n the greatest variety and highest perfection. The tallest cotton-wood and sycamore trees

,which

rear their enormous shafts to an amazing height,are covered

w ith vines equally aspiring , whil e the thickets are mattedtogether with smaller v ines

,and loaded with innumerable

cl uste rs of fine grapes . O ur travel lers beheld groves of thewild apple

,whose blossoms i n the spring season fi ll the air

of this regionwith a delightful fragrance,and whose l imbs

were nowbending under l oads of useless fruit. They sawhundreds of acres covered with the wild plumb

,of which

there are many varieties , deepen ing in colour from a l ightyellow to a deep crimson , and the ripe fruit of which nowhung i n amazing quantities , and i n appearance ri ch and beantiful beyond description . The walnut, the pecca-n, and otherfine nuts abounded , the whole combining with the remarkabl ebeauty of the .

autumn sk y in this country, and the serenityand mildness of the atmosphere, to fi ll the mind with ideas ofl uxury and plenty .

The plain,which at some places spreads outto the breadth

of twelve miles,was confined to a narrowstrip , at the point

nowtravel led by the riders whom we have described,and

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354 L E G E N D S o r T H E W is e r .

ripening crop of Indian corn,andwei e entering the village

when their attentionwas attracted by a crowd of persons assembled in fr ont of the cottage of Michel de Coucy . HonestMichel himself

,who when at home usually sat under a

spread ing catalpa before his owndoor,with a red cap on his

head,and a short black pipe in his mouth, the very emblem

of content and placid composure,now stood in the midst of

the concourse,weeping, raving, and threatening , with the. most

vehement gestures . Hewas a small,thin, dark man , with

black hair,and an eye that he might have been suspected of

inheriting from the aborigines,had nothis character been so

genuinely French as fully to redeem the pur ity of descent.Hewas as honest as gay

,and as contented a soul as ever

breathed,famed for the s impl icity and benevol ence of his char

acter,as wel l as for a vein of humour, which rend ered him at

al l times an agreeable companion . In fact,to sm oke his pipe

,

to do k ind actions,and to tell pleasant tales and sly jest

‘

s,

seemed to be the bus iness of his l ife,his other occupations

being of secondary importance . Born in the wilds of Canada,and reared in the woods and upon the water

,hewas equally

at home,whether paddl ing his canoe to the sou rces of our

l argestrivers, ,or wandering alone through the trackless f orest.

After his emigration to the borders of the Miss issippi,his

chief occupation became that of a boatman,and none pulled

a better oar or sung with truer cadence the animating notesof the boat song than M i chel d

'

e Coucy . The Canadian boatmen are the hardiest and merri est of men ; if their boat isstranded they plunge into the water in all weathers

,diving

and swimming about as if i n their native element ; if itstorms

,they sl eep or revel under the protection of a high

bank,and whether pul l ing down the stream

,or pushing labo

riously against it, the shores ring with the ir voi ces . One willrecount his adventures , another will imitate the Indian yel l ,the roar of the alligator

,the hissing of the snake

,or the chat

tering of the paroquet ; and anon the whole wil l chant their

M I C H E L D E C o v e r 55

rude ditti es concerning the dangers of rapids,snags, and

sawyers , or the pleasures of'home

,the vintage

,and the dance .

Michelwas an adept at all these things,and he loved them

as a Co ssack loves plunder,or a Dutchman hard work and

m oney . Hewas the darl ing of the crew,for he could skin a

deer, cook a fi sh, scrape a chin or a fi ddle with equal adroitness , and always performed such offi ces so good-hum ouredly,

that his companions,in compl iment to his universal genius

,

kept it in continual employment. When the boatwas. inm otion hewas always tugging at the oar or the fi ddle-bow

,

when it landed,and the crew sat round their camp hrs

,he

cooked,sung

,and told m’ erry stori es ; on Sunday he shaved

the whol e company,even at the risk of neglecting his own

v isage,andwas ~

after all themerri estand mostrespectable manin the boat. With all this, Michelwas temperate and carefulo f his earn ings

,which he shrewdly husbanded in a leathern

purse during every voyage, and handed over on his return tohis wife

,who hid them under the floor of their cabin . Such

talents could not fail to bring honour and promoti on to theirposses sor Michel became popular among his comrades, andhav ing acquired experience in his craft, in a fewyears rose tothe charge of a boat and the title of captain .

Hav ing acqu i red a decent competency by the time he

reached the merid ian of l ife , Michel thought it exped ient, and

his wife thought so too , that he should consult his own com

fort for the rest of his days . He therefore abandoned his frai lcabin , which in truthwas beginn ing to s tum ble abouthis ears ,and built a good ly housewith substantial m ud walls , sur

rounded on all s ides by cool piazzas , and planted his yard full

of catalpas and bl ack locusts . He purchased a large lot in the

common fi eld,and took unto himself herds of black cattl e

and droves of French ponies .

Michel,however

,sti l l loved the water, and l ike a sprightly

spaniel, co uld be induced to leap into it upon the sl ightest in

vitation. He continued to make a voyage of three or four

356 L E G E N D S o r T H E Wa s 'r .

months annually,and spent the remainder of

'his time in

cultivating his crop,smoking his p ipe, attending the king-balls,

and play ing the fiddle . He had his crosses l ike other menhis chimney ot

’

te‘n smoked,and Madame Felicité

,his wi fe,

sometimes got out of temper ; his cattl e occasionally had themu rrain

,the frost nipped his corn

,and more than once he lost

both boat and cargo by running on the snags and sawyers of’

theMis s iss ippi . But none of these things ever disturbed theplacid spi rit of Michel ; a s ingle shrug, and a Sacre l

” werethe strongest symptoms of

'emotion which ever were el icitedfrom him by such d isasters

,and he would most frequently

smile,and exclaim in the moment o f misfortune , C

’esttou te

le mem e chose.

”It is said that he could even bear the break

ing of a fi ddle-string, a l ecture from his wife,or a publ ic

admonition from the pri est for not gcmg to confess ion,with

the sam e composure which be preserved 0 11 l ess provokingoccas ions . He had his j oys

,too

,and these greatly predomina

ted . H is wifewas an excel lent manager, m ade charming

gum bo soup ,and coul d interpret dreams ; his daughter, Gene

vieve,was as fair as the swans that sailed on the Miss iss ippi

and his neighbours l oved him . Hewas head man at the

balls ; for as they had no hirel ing fiddlers in those days,the

honourabl e offi ce of musi ci anwas fi lled in turn by such headsof famil i es as were blessed with m us ical ears and l imberelbows ; and none

’

touched the viol in so cleverly as Michel,

who continual]y cheered the dancers with his voice,as he kept

time with head and feet. Happy days of equal ity and glee !when every man who owned a cabin , a car, and a ponywas aFrench gentleman , when the evening gun of the fort and thematin h el l of the chapel were dai ly heard ; and the song anddance prevai led

,wherever a plank floor

,a French girl

,and a

fi ddle could be paraded .

Such being the character and standing o f worthy Michel deCoucy

,it is not surpr is ing that thewhol e vill age of Prairi e de

Ro cher should have been astonished at beholding him i n the

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358 L E G E N D S o r T H E WE S T .

neighbours,he bethought himself of a certain Pedro Garcia,

a Spaniard,who l ived on the opposite side o f the r iver

,in

a wilderness track of broken country,where no law was

known,and where the m i l itary arm of the French authority

could scarce]y reach him . This Pedrowas a black-whiskered,

i ll-l ook ing fel low,who had amassed a l arge fortune

,nobody

knew how . He had a farm,and a good m any slaves ; he

traded With the Indians,who hated him

,and went often to

New Orl eans,were he lost and won large sums by gambling

,

andwas more than once in the hands of the pol ice . Nobodyl iked Pedro ; the French had l ittl e to say to him ,

and the Indians l ooked with distrust at the long dirk which he carri edrather ostentatiously in his bosom . ButMichel wanted money

,and Pedro had it

,and withoutmore ado

,the distressed

Frenchman appl ied to the Spaniard f or a loan . Pedro,who

knew that Michelwas abundantly'able to repay him

,and

sawthat hewas only hard pressed at‘

the m oment,in conse

qnence of his reluctance to cal l u pon those who owed him,

readily advanced the ‘Sum requi red,tak ing Michel ’s bond for

the amount,payable at the end of six months

,w ith usury .

The six months soon rolled round,and Michelwas not

prepared to pay his bond . He had waited from day to dayin the vain hope thathis debtors would d ischarge their dues ;and at last finding that they did not come forward voluntari ly , be deferred from hour to hour the disagreeable task ofdunning them

,becau se itwas so abhorrent to his feel ings

,

that he could notmuster sufiicient resolution to undertak e it.

The day of payment came,andwith it came Pedr o Garma

,

and Michelwas constrained to acknowledge that he could nottulhl his engagement. Garcia kn it his black brows andswore l ike a trooper, and although his debtor spoke fairly andhumbly

,and made l iberal propos itions

,the rel entl ess creditor

would take nothing but. ‘his money,and forthwith hied to the

c iv i l magistrate of the‘village . The min ister of the law

heard the appl icationwith surprisef and expressed inemphatic

M I C H E L D E C o nc r . 359

language his astonishment that a subj ect o f Spai n shouldthink of su ing a subject of the~Grand Monarque

,within the

territory o f France, and above all that he should have the assurance to propose to employ an offi cer of the French crown

,

i n ‘

so flagrant an act of contumacy . The laws of France,

”

said"

thisworthy functionary , are made for the benefit of theFrench people and the honour of their king

,and not for

Spani ards , and my duty is to administer those laws to myfel low-subjects, not to foreigners . Go

,you are not under my

j urisdicti‘on— I know nothing of you,— and am only in doubt

Whether you r attempt to employ the laws of my countryagahrst a Frenchman is not a high misdemeanour.

”

Pedro,hud ing that he could obtain no satisfaction from

the civil authority,determined to resort to the military

,and

as the commandant ‘was absent,laid the matter before his

l ieutenant. This gentl eman called to his assistance the chapIain

,avery Worthy priest, who having been long attached to

the fa ‘

rmy,was experi enced in questions o f m eum and lawn

,

and being thus fortifi ed,proceeded to hear the complaint

,and

‘

eiiam ine the papers of Pedro Garcia .Ma f oi l what is this 2

” exclaimed Captain de la Val,as

he glanced his eye over the unlucky instrument ofwriting,laid before him by the Spaniard .

It is Michel de Coucy’s bond, for the sum I loaned

him,

rep l ied the plaintiff.how shal l I know this to be a .bond, seeing that

it iswritten in an unknown tongue 2”It is Spanish , a language which your excel lency no doubt

speaks with the e legance and propriety of a native Cas

til ian .

”

You do my excellency unm erited honour, and mustper

m itm e to inform you, that ofi icz’

ally I am not to be presumedto know any other language than my own .

”

The purport o f the instrument,”

said Garcia, mayread i ly be ascertained by means of an interpreter.

”

360 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Indeed l” exclaimed the offi cer,

can you not also provide a deputy-commanding offi cer to perform the rest of myduty 2 If I must read your papers by -

proxy, I may as wel ldecide in the same way .

”

Captain de la Val,

”said the priest

,takes a very pro

per and nice distinction . The fi rst step i n the adjustment ofa controversy is to ascertain the true intent and meaning ofthe contract between the parti es l itigant, and itwould ill become the dignity of any high tri bunal to entrust the decision of that important point to an irresponsible

'

agent.”

What shal l I do 2” inquired the alarmed money-Iender.

Thatl cannottell,

repl ied the offi cer ; of this,however

,

I am cl ear, that a paper written in Span ish can be of no

val idity in a French court,for there would be an obvious

absurdity in requiring the ministers of j usti ce,whether ci vi l or

mil itary,to decide on that which they cannotread .

”

Besides,

”said the priest, who began to envy the wisdom

of the captain,his most Christian Majesty has appointed

notaries whose business it is to draw such writings betweenparties

,and as this paperwas not drawn by a proper notarial

scribe,we cannot know whether it is i n due form of law.

Whatmatters it about form,

”said the Spaniard

,if the

writing contains a substantial prom ise 2”

My son,

”repl ied the chaplain

, you do not understandthese matters . If a man makes a verbal engagement

,the

form thereof is notmaterial,because in that case the creditor

trusts to the honour and honesty of the debtor,and the latter

is bound in conscience not to abuse that confi dence ; but if

the parties reduce their contract to writing,the cred itor re~

poses his trust,not in the virtue of the other party

,but in the

binding operations of the law,and if the work of the law is

notmade secure,the creditor must lose thereby

,for he looked

to thatonly for his payment. ”

My bond is suffi cient in law,contended Pedro ;

“itis inthe form used by our Spanish notaries.

”

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362 LE G E N D S o r T H E

to the inquisition,began to supplicate for mercy

,and being

permitted to retire,hasti ly made good his retreat

,marvel l ing

at the strange tu rn in his atl'airs

,which’

,from a s 1m ple creditor

of Michel de Coucy,had converted him into an enemy of his

Hol iness the Pope and his m ost Christian Majesty the Kingo f France .Michel

,who

,when he sawPedro take the road to Fort

Chartes , had suspected his business,and hastily fol lowed him

,

entered the quarters of Captain de la Val during the conference above described and standing respectful ly with his capinhis righthand

,his l eft stuck in his waistband

,and his mouth

wide open, .

listened in m ute admi ration of the wisdom and

nice sense of justice d isplayed by the pri est and offi cer. As

Pedro retired,he sl ipped after him

,and

,tapping him on the

shoulder as he passed out of themain gate,said tr iumphantly

,

Banjour, Senor Garcia, your bond is too small— it will notcover the sore place ! it is not worth a sous ! Nowcome tomy house when you get in a good humour and I wi ll make anew bargain to pay you all I owe, and give you the word of

honour of a French gentleman,which

,Father Fel ix says

,is

better than a Spanish bond .

” Pedro paused a moment andlaid his hand on his dirk— then turned on his heel and retired

,without deig ning to reply .

When he reached home hewas half incl ined to turn backand embrace Michel’s offer

,but stil l bel ieving that a bond

,

good or had,was better than any parol engagement

,he hast

ened to his friend the notary,on his own s ide of the river

,and

having informed him of al l that had passed,requested him

,

when Michel should nextcross into their territo ry,to have him

arrested for his debt. To his surprise,the notary decl ined

interfering in the business,highly extoll ing the good sense and

courtesy displayed by the French functionaries,and declaring

that he knew no law under which a Spaniard could sue aFrenchman, and that at all events itwas extremely properand decorous that the offi cers of France should abstain from

Mr c

'

na r. D E Co u c r . 363

meddl ing in matters of such high import,which ought to be

left to ministers plenipotentiary,or to the crowned heads

themselves .

Then the long and short of the matter is,

said Pedro,

as he retired, that I am to be cheated out of my moneyand he forthwith prayed to all the saints of whom he had anyknowledge, to vis it with special maledictions

,the heads of

Michel de Coucy , Cheval ier Jean Phil ippe de la Val , FatherFelix the priest, and all others direct]y or indirect]y concernedin preventing him from recovering the amount nominated inhis bo nd , with interest thereon, at the rate of ten per cent.per annum unti l paid .

People who l i ve on the frontier imbibe very accuratenotions of j usti ce

,and adopt summ ary modes of obtaining

it ; and Senor Pedro Garcia, not being a man to sitdownquietly after a loss

,and hud ing the door of the l aw closed

against him,began to cast about for some other remedy .

After brooding over the matter for several days,he at length

devised a plan and getting into his canoe in the night,pad

dled secretly over to the Ill inois shore,where he remained

concealed in a thicket,unti l Genevieve, the daughter of

Michel,pass ing that way alone , he sall ied out

,and mak

ing her his prisoner, carr ied her off,l eaving a placard in

these words,Meshell Goosy French rascal ! pay m e my

m oney,and you shall have your daughter Genev ievewas

a beautiful child of twelve years of age, the pride of the v i llage, and the darl ing of her parents . She had seen Pedrobefore

,and alway s with repuls i ve feel ings ; and when she

found hersel f rudely seized by him ,sued piteously for mercy,

bel i ev ing that he would sell her to the S ioux, the Engl ish, or

the Long Knives,

of whom by parcels she had somethingheard

,

”— or to some other outlandish people, to be eaten at

a greatwar-feast. Ped ro,without. regarding her cries , bore

her to a seclu ded place, am ong the broken hills, and, summon

364 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

ing a score of his associates and dependents,prepared to make

a stout res istance in case of pursuit.When Michel discovered the outrage committed against

him,in the person of his child , onwhom he doated, hewas

i nconsolable ; not only were his parental feel ings awakened ,but his sense of honourwas touched to the quick . He wept

,

raved,swore strange oaths

,and vowed bitter vengeance . All

who were acquaintedwith him knewthat, gentl e as hewas,hewas brave ; he had been accustomed to face danger fromhis chi ldhood and when they heard the deep imprecationswhich he now poured forth

,they were satisfied that Pedro

would pay dearly for the cruel insult he had perpetrated .

The whole m al e population of the vi ll age immediately voluntee red to accompany him to the rescue ; and the distressedfather

,after thanking them with tears of gratitude

,urged them

to arm themsel ves withoutdelay . Itwas atthis j uncture thatthe commandant and the superior of the Jesu its opportunelyarrived

,and hav ing heard o f the ci rcumstances

,Michelwas

enjoined to proceed 110 further in his plan of revenge,the

commandant promis ing to take immediate measures for therestoration of his daughter.

Michel,who

,bel ieving that in wisdom

,power

,and good

ness the commandantwas second only to the king,was

greatly composed by this assu rance,and although his fellow

vil lagers continued to be ripe for an immed iate 1nroad into thewilderness whe re Pedro lu rked

,he restrained their ardour

,and

passed the night i n more tranquil l ity than could have beenexpected . Early on the following morning he received asummons to attend the commandantat Fort Chartres

,which

Was distant two miles from the village and set out,with

Madame Fel icité,in one of those commodious vehicles

,half

chaise and half-cart,which were fashionable among the Cana

dian French of those days,and are sti l l to be seen in daily

use among thei r descendants,at the famous v i l lage of Vide

Poche,otherwise cal led Carondelet

,inMissouri .

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366 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

m eans would be used to settl e the unfortunate d i fference between Michel and himsel f. Being naturally bold and im pudent

,and fi nd ing, too, that the del icate l ittl e Genev ievewas

withering l ike a plucked flower, andwas at best a troublesome guest

,— he came at the summons

,and stood confronted

with the incensed Frenchm an . There,too

,came all the rela

tions of Michel and Fel icité,and divers other of the v il lagers

,

burning with indignation— there stood Captain de la Val,

Father Felix,the magistrate , and the notary , as dignified and

complacentas if nothing had happened— and there sat severalaged chiefs o f the Kaskaskia tribe

,i n grave and solemn ex

pectation, wondering at the l ev ity of the whites,who could

hold a co unsel on a matter of such high import, withoutmakingpresents

,tendering the wampum

,and smoking the g1eatpipe .

The commandant exam ined the bond,heard the evidence

and the decis i ons of his l ieutenant,and oi

'

the civi l cflice1 s onboth s ides of the ri ver. He pronounced the conduct of all thefunctionari es , civi l and mil itary , to have been highly decorousand proper

,and hoped that

,i n future

,11 0 Spaniard would

presume to sue a Frenchman withouthis leave fi rst had andobtained . He censured Pedro for the v iolent capture of theinnocent Genev ieve

,and finally decreed that the latter should

be safe]y returned to her parents , that Michel should pay toPedro the principal borrowedwithout i nterest, the latter being w ithheld as a fine for the viol ence committed in the Frenchterritory , and that both the parti es l itigant should stand comm itted unti l this sentence should be f ul ly compl ied with .

Pedro remonstrated against the latter part of the decree,as

a breach of his safe-conduct, but the com m andant decidedthat he had guaranteed his safety in going and com ing, but

he had not precluded himself from fi xing the l ength o f timeduring which he should have the pl easu re of Senor Garcia’scompany . The latter

,find ing himself entrapped , made a

m er it of neces s ity , and despatched an order for the l ittleGenev ieve ,whowas soon givento,

her parents’ arms .

M I C H E L D E C o u c r . 367

We cannot describe thei r joy,nor the spontaneous burst

of sympathy which ran through the assembly,when the lost

childwas restored . The Ind ians,who had sat motionless as

statues throughout thewhole scene,preserv ing an inflexibility

o f muscle which nothing could change, rose when they beheldthis affecting meeting, and said to each other

,

“Very good .

One of them then stepped f orward,and addres sing the com

mandant, said , Father, we came to see you do justice ; weopened our ears , and our hearts are satisfi ed .

The cunningblack serpent crawled into the nest of the turtl e

,and stole

away the young dove but our father is an eagle,very strong

and brave ; he is wiser than the serpent; he has broughtback the young dove

,and the old turtles s ing with joy . F a

ther,we are satisfi ed

,it is all very good . We bid you fare

well . ” Then ad vancing to the commandant,each of the chiefs

gave his r ight hand,and stalked out of the audience chamber

,

without deigning to notice any other person .

As for Michel,he had now no diffi culty inpaying his debt;

for those who owed him,when they found that his m isfor

tune had grown out o f their own del inquency, immediatelyraised among them the sum required ; and Michel retiredwell satisfi ed

,but convinced of three truths, which he contin

ued to m aintain through l ife fi rst,that French laws surpass

all others in wisdom and justice second, that Spaniardsw ith black whiskers are not to be trusted ; and third, that

it is sa fer to bury money under the floor than to embark it

in traffi c ; and he thereupon made a vow to his patron saint,that whenever the leathern bag should be replen ished, it

should be restored to a place of depos it, there to remain as atal isman against the like misfortune in future .

Nom — This talewas suggested by an incidentwhich really occurred

inthe early history of the French settlem ents inIllinois. A ladywas still

living there, a fewyears ago,who had been capturedwhena child by a

creditor of her father, and carried to the opposite side of the river,where she

was detained until the debtwas arranged, Although the country onboth

368 L E G E N D S O F T H E VV E S T .

sides of the riverwas under the sam e jurisdiction, som e am using negotia

tions took place, in consequence of the ignorance of the parties of that factand of their respective rights. Inour picture, the French offi cers are sup

posed to havehum oured them istak e for thejoke of the thing, aswell as forthe sak e of rescuing the child from durance. Therewereno newspapers inthose days, and the schoolmasterwas notabroad, wherefore honestMicheland his hi ende may be pardoned for supposing that theKing of Spain

ruled the western side of theMisé ssippi.

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370 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

one end and a manufactory of wooden clocks at the other ;yet they were in sober earnest.The season of the year was that which poets del ight

to describe : when the bi rds are singing their sweetest notes,

and the'

trees assuming the beautiful hues of sp ring . The .

snows were melting on the mountains,and the channels of

those l ittle stream s which,at a later season

,murmured

quietly along their vall eys,were now fi lled to thei r b rinks

with foaming torrents . The Ohio was swoll en to a greatflood

,fil l ing its deep channel to the b 1 i 1n ; and its tidewas

crowded with the vessels and passengers who throng the greatavenues of commerce at this propitious season . Am ong theboats were m any of that de scription in which famil iesemigrating to theWestusually descended the Ohio , before theintroduction of steamboats into general use. Thes e werelarge flat-boats

,unfit to stem the current

,and so constructed

as to float with the stream . Though slow and unwieldy,

they were large,safe

,and roomy

,afford ing space enough for

fam i l ies,merchandise

,and even cattle .

One hue morning,a boat o f'the k ind describedwas seen

to approach the landing-place at a small town on the Ohio.The pass engers sprung joyously ashore

,as if del ighted to

escape from their confinem ent. Itwas an Engl ish f amily,

j ust arr i ved from the old country . Mr. Edgarton,the head

of this l ittle band of ad venturers,was a man o f about thirty

hy e,sprightly

,and good-l ooking

,but rather oddly accoutred ;

for his dress exhibited a whimsi cal mixture o f fashion and

rudeness . He wore cambric rufllcs,a d iamond b reast-pin

,a

dandy waistcoat,and a store of jewelry appended to a gold

watch-chain ; but his nether l imbs were clad in long spatterdashes

,reaching to the knee

,a farmer’s coarse frock covered

his shoulders,and a great fur capwas on his head . .Hewas

equ ipped,moreover

,with a powder-horn

,shot-pouch

,and bird

bag,and held inhis hand an elegantdouble-barrelled gun. We

mention these things to show howdifficult it is for men

TH E E M I G R A N T S . 371

to throw off their accustomed habits,and to assume those

which are suitable to a change of country or condition . Mr.

Edgarton , when at home,was a modest, and a well-dressedman ; but in atteinping to assume the guise of a farmer andthe equipm ent of a hunter, had j umbled together a grotesqueassortment of costume, which gave him the appearance of astage-player dressed for exhibiti on

,more than that of a plain

man of bus iness,whichwas his real character. His wifewas

a genteel,handsomewoman ; a neat article, and neatly put

up ; for her dress was as graceful as herself ; and the

children some four or fi ve in number,looked as fresh and

rosy as the morning. Then therewas a maid,a greyhound,

a pug-dog, and a parrot, all in good order and well conditioned .

Therewas another member of the family , whom I havereserved

,as in duty bound , for a separate mention . This

was Mr. Edgarton’s s ister,a fair lady whose age, if it be not

impol ite to specify too particularly 0 11 so del icate a point,was somewhere on the right side of twenty . A maiden sis

ter is a very creditable and useful appendage in any gentleman’s family . If she happens to be y oung, pretty, sentimental

,and affected

,nothing can be more amusing whil e the

oppos ite of these qual ities most generally elevate her into arational companion .

Jul ia Edgartonwas handsome enoughto pass for a beauty in any country ; shewas sentimental

enough to admire the beauties of nature, yet not so sentimental as to travel with a pencil in her hand or a book in

her reti cul e ; she had just afl'ectation enough to be very

agreeable,for a handsome woman should always have a

sl ight tinge of coquetry ; she had taste enough to enjoy the

writings of Scott, butnot so much as to enable her to dreamover the rhapsodi es of Byron . In short, shewas a sensible,clever girl

,and that is saying as much as it becomes any

grave historian to say of a young lady— especially it there 18

any chance that his work wil l ever be reviewed imEngland.

372 L E G E N D S O F T H E ‘V E S T .

The goods and chattels of this party were numerous,but

not bulky,nor particularly well assorted . The k nick -nack s

cons iderably outnumbered the useful arti cles— indeed,there

was no end to those nondescrz’p t contrivances which brotherJonathan very aptly denominates notions . O f household furmitare there was but l ittle ; of farming utens i ls therewasrather more than a l ittle ; the latter cons isting chicfly of newinventions

,remarkably neat and useless— horse-rakes

,patent

ploughs,straw-cutters

,and man-traps . The heaviest articl e

of transportationwas the wardrobe, which was suffi cient to

have furnished a respectable slop-shop . The stores of l inenand flannel

,the dozens upon dozens of night-caps and socks,

the c oats,great-coats

,frock-coats

,coatees

,and surtouts

,

'

pro

vided to suit every occas ion and contingency,were absolutely

miraculous .

AlthoughMr. Edgartonwas going to farm in a new country, he had not been a farmer at home . Hewas a mercanti le clerk in London

,who by his as s idu ity and good manage

ment had ‘been able not only to supporthis family respectably

,but to lay by each year a small portion of his earnings .

He had never been out of London unti l latterly, when, beginning to feel independent, hewas induced on several success ive holydays to make excurs ions into the country

,aecom

panied by his wife ; whereby his mindwas im proved, and histhirst for travel l ing increased to such an extent

,that be ven

th red at l ast to a watering-place on the coast, where he spenta week . He became enamoured of the country , and beganto talk of rustic pursuits and sturdy independence

,fresh air

,

rosy cheeks,and healthy peasants . His wife threw as ide al l

her songs,except such as treated of cottages and love, inno

cence and rural fel icity . He determined to study agriculture,

and immediately purchased Speed the Plough,

” TheFarmer’s Boy

,

”“The Cotter’s Saturday N ight,

” and The

Shepherd of Sal isbury Plain,”all of which he read with such

delight and advantage, that he soon determined to exchange

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374 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

Pray,sir

,can I get the favour of a passage down the

river in your boatThe fi rst sensation of a travell ing Engl ishman which is

awakened on such an occas ion is that of pride and Mr. Ed

garton,being qu ite indignantat being asked to tak e ap assen

ger, repl ied coldly, Mine is not a passage boat 1”

So I supposed from her looks ; she seems to be rather acrazy kind of concern

,but I am not particular about that ; I

can put up with .any thing.

We have no wish to increase our company,

said theEngl ishm an .

The young m an looked surprised,and seemed to think

h imsel f rudely treated ; his eye brightened , and the colourdeepened upon his cheek

,but without making any reply he

turned on his heel and walked away .

The boatwas again shoved out into the stream,and floated

heavily on its course . Nothing worthy of note occurred unti lthe following even ing about sunset, when, as they drifted nearthe shore

,our emigrants beheld

,on pass ing a l ittle headland

,

a deer standing on the margin of the stream from which hewas drinking . They came upon him so suddenly

,as the boat

turned the wooded point behind which he had been concealedfrom them

,that on fi rst discovering him they were near

enough to distingui sh al l the l ineaments of his fine form,and

even to see the flashing of his dark eye as he gazed for aninstant atthe boat. Itwas but an instant, when he turned tofly butat the same moment the report of a riflewas heard

,

and the graceful animal , after a fewl eaps, fel l upon the sand .

The hunter,who had been concealed in a tuft of willows that

overhung the r iver,nowsprung from his covert and ap

o

p roached his victim . As be advanced,the deer discovered his

enemy,and

,starting .nimbly to his feet

,prepared to avenge

hims elf. He swelled ‘with rage , madness flashed from his eyeballs

,and all his motions showed that a momentary ferocity

had ban ished the tim iditv of his nature and overcome the

T m : E M I G R A N T S. 375

sense of pain and of weakness . The boatmen,who knew wi

th

what vindi cti ve and desperate courage a wounded deer willturn upon his assailant, gazed in s ilent anxiety as they beheldthe hunter standing alone upon the sandy beach

,exposed to

the assault of the en raged animal . As the furious beastrushed upon h im with his head down and his sharp antl ersthrown forward , the hunter stepped nimbly as ide

,and for

that time avoided the deadly thrust,while the spectators

l oudly shouted their applause . But the active animalwasnot to be thus foiled

,and suddenly turning he rushed again

upon his enemy , and in an i nstant beat him to the groundwith his fore feet ; then ris ing quickly upon his hinder l egshe continued to j ump upon the prostrate

.

hunter,striking so

rapid ]y and v iolentiy with his fore hoofs . that the blows wered istin ctly heard as they fell in quick success ion on the ground.

But the hunter l ost none of his presence of mind under theseappal l ing ci rcumstances , and by dint of roll ing and dodgingcontrived to avoid his adversary ’s blows

,until

,watching a

favourable moment,he suddenly sprang up and threw his

left arm round the animal ’s neck,while with the right he

plunged his l ong hunting-kni f’e deep in his s ide .Curios ity

,as wel l as concern for the fate of the hunter

,now

induced some of the boatmen to jump into the small skiffwhich usual ly accompanies such boats and to rowto the shore .They soon returned

,bringing the hunter and his spo il

,and our

travell ers we re not a l ittle surprised to recogni se in the formerthe same young man who on the day betbre had sol icited apassage in thei r boat. The meetingwas equally unexpectedto him

,and he would have returned immediate]y to the shore

,

had notMr. Edgarton pressed him to remain with a cordial itywhich suffi cient]y atoned for his former rudeness .

The young stranger,whom we shall cal l Logan

,was a

native of Kentucky, who had been reared in the practi ce ofall the athleti c exercises and sports of his country

,while his

intellect had been cultivated by the best instruction which

376 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

that region afi'orded . His fine form and vigorous understand

ing corresponded wel l with each other,and he possessed in a

high degree that hilarity of disposition and ease of mannerwhich so often d istinguish his countrym en . Having studiedlaw

,be determined to emigrate to a n ewer State than his own,

and had reached the Ohio river when the accidental loss ofhis horse

,and the want of means to purchase another, induced

him to proceed on foot. He accordingly sold his'

saddle,bridle

,

and other equipments,and having purchased a rifle and hunt

ing-shirt,was about to renew his journey,when the boat of

Mr. Edgarton stopped at the vi llage in which he happened tobe. D isappointed in his attempt to procure a passage, hem anfully threw the

‘

sm all val ise containing his wardrobe ov erhis shoulder

,and struck into the woodsabout the same time

at which the Engl ishman ’s boat departed ; but as the latterfloated with the current round a circu itous bend of the river

,while Mr. Logan pursued a shorter path which led across thecountry

,they m et again as we have stated .

Where al l parti es are d isposed to be pl eased with eachother

,cordiality is quickly establ ished . The family of Ed

garton,accustomed to the excitement of a city l ife , and to the

enj oyment of the various exped ients by which the idle hoursof persons in easy circumstances are amused in the Britishmetropol is

,had begun to tire of the silence and monotony of

the forest and the confinem ent of a boat. To them,therefore

,

the access ion of an agreeable member to thei r partywas notanunimportantevent ; and no sooner didMr. Edgarton ascertainthatthe person whom he had before treated with so much indifferencewas a gentl eman of easy manners and culti vated mind

,

than he felt his curios ity awakened and feel ings of kindnessspringing up in his bosom towards the stranger. As forMr.

Logan,hewas infinite]y amused at the odd ways of the emi

grants,their strange notions aboutmatters and things i n Amer

ica,and especial ]y with their cultivation and intel l igence in other

respects as contrasted with their total ignorance of this coun

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78 L E G E N D S o r T H E WE S T .

vations and inconveni ences of'

the journey accustomed to acertain round of duties and enj oyments

,hewas keenly sens i

ti ve of the sl ightest encroachment upon his personal comfort,

and selfi sh i n his exactions of attention from all around himand

,proud of his native country

,was offended ii'others did

not flatter his national vanity . H is habits were formed in aland abounding with artifi cial l uxuries , where al l the arts whichpromote comfortor faci l itate business ex ist in high perfection

,

and where money can purchase ev ery necessary of l ife,and

every personal attention which the most fastidious requi re .Hewas now in a country where many of these com forts andl uxuries could not be purchased

,because they did not exist

,

or existed only in the possess ion of those who would notba1ter them for money , and where the stranger could onlyprocure them from the hospital ity of the people . But too

proud to accept that for which money would not be recei ved,

too reserved to cultivate the acquaintance of strangers,he

passed through the country without acqui ring any knowledgeof the character of its inhabitants or rubbing off any of his

own prej udices, and suffered many p ri vati ons which a l ittl eafi'ability on his own part would have taught him how to

rel ieve .Logan had all the freshness and original ity of character so

common to the youth of our country . Accustomed to regardhabits and modes of -] ife in reference to their usefulness

,and

to pay but l ittl e deference to mere form,hewas prepared to

adapt h imself to circumstances,and to take the world as he

found it. Mr. Edgarton,though he could not res ist the at

traction produced by the intel ligence, amiabi lity , and interesting frankness of the manners of the young Ameri can

,who

seemed as much at home as if in the bosom of his ownfamily

,could not

,on the other hand

,divest himself o f that

suspicious and repuls i ve feel ing which his countrymen are

apt to entertain towards strangers . Logan,unaccustomed to

the refined deceptions which are practised in crowded cities,

TH E E M I G R A N T S. 379

oonmdcred every man a gentl eman whose exterior and conduct entitl ed him to that appellation

,and felt a dispos ition to

cultivate the acquaintance of any such whom he mightmeet;while Edgarton , who buttoned his pocket-flaps and kept abright l ook-out at his trunks whenever a stranger approached,was continual ly wondering that so genteel a young m an

should travel without l etters of introduction,and that he him

self should be so imprudent as to admit into his family-circle a person of whom he had no personal knowledge. Theseoppos ite feel ings occas ioned some amus ing interludes in thefi rst scenes of the intercourse between the parties

,who

approximated each other much after the fashion of vesselsfloating on an ag itated sea

,which meetwith a jar and in

stantly recoil,but which stil l float along together

,and come

into harmonious contact at lastwhen the waves subs ide . So

the ge ntl emen in question,after some sharp repartees

,and

after their respective national ities had bumped and jostledawhile

,settled down into amicable travell ing companions

,

and maintained the most friendly relations unti l their arri valatthe place of debarkati on, where the Edgartons, find ing thatMr. Logan’s route lay inthe d irection of their own

,insisted

on his ‘ continuing to travel with their party .

The place at which the party landedwas a small v illageon the bank of the river

,d istant about fi fty miles from a set

.tlem ent in the i nterior to which they were destined .

Here we are on dry land once more,”said the Engl ish

m an as he jumped ashore ; come,Mr. Logan

,let us go to

the stage-house and take our seats .

” Logan smiled , and fol

l owed his companion.“My good friend,

”said Edgarton, to a tall , sallow man in

a hunting-shi rt,who sat on a log by the river with a rifle in

his lap, can you directus to the stage-house 2”

Well,I can’t say that I can.

”

Perhaps you do not understand what we want,”

sai d

Edgarton ; we wish to take seats in a mail-coach for

380 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T

Well,stranger

,it’s my sentimental bel ief that there

isn’ta coach,male or female

,in the county

This fellow is ignorant of our m eaning,

said Edgartonto Logan .

What’s that you say, stranger ? I sp ose maybe youthink I never seed a coach ? Well, it

’s a free country

,and

every man has a right to thinkwhat he pleases but I reckonl’ve sawas many of them arefi xens as any other man . Iwas

raised in Tennessee . I sawGeneral Jackson once rid ing in theele'

gantest carriage that ever mortal man sot his eyes onwith glass winders to it l ike a house

,and sort 0 ’ s ilk curtings.

The harnesswas mounted with ' s i lver ; itwas drawd by fourblooded nags

,and drav by a m ighty l ikely nigger boy .

The travellers passed oh,and soon learned that therewas

indeed no stage in the country . Teams and carriages of

any kind were diffi cultto be procured and itwas with somediffi culty that two stout wagons were at last hi red to carryMr. Edgarton’s moveables

,and a dearborn obtained to con

vey his family,it being agreed that one of the gentl emen

should drive the latter vehicl e while the other walked,alter

mately . Arrangements were accordingly made to set out the

next morning.

The settlement in which Mr. n arton had judiciouslydetermined to pitch his tent,

'

and enjoy the healthful innocenceand rural fel icity of the farm er’s l ife

,was new and the coun

try to be traversed to reach it entirely unsettl ed . Therewere two or three houses scattered through the wilderness onthe road

,one of which the party might have reached by set

ting out early in the m orning, and they had determined to doso . Buttherewas so much fixing and preparing to be done ,so much stowing of baggage and packing of

'trunks

,such

momentous preparations to guard against cold and heat, hun

ger and thirst, f atigue, accident, robbery , disease , and death,that itwas near noon before the cavalcadewas prepared tomove . Even then they were delayed some minutes l onger

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382 L E G E N D S o r T H E WE S T .

ground is trodden by grazing animals , and a hard sod is

formed . However secl uded such a spot may be, it bears them arks of civi l ization’ : the l owing of cattl e is heard

,and many

species of songsters that hover round the habitations o f m en

and are never seen in the wilderness,here warbl e their notes .

In the western forests of Ameri ca all is grand andvsavage.

The truth flashes i nstantly upon the mind of the observer,

with the force of conviction,thatNature has been carry ing on

her operations here for ages undisturbed . The leaf has fallenfrom year to year ; succeeding generations o i

’trees have

mouldered,spreading over the surface layer upon layer of

decayed fibre,unti l the soil has acqui red an astoni shing depth

and an unrivalled ferti l ity . From this rich bed the trees areseen rear ing thei r shafts to an astonishing height. The

tendency of plants towards the l ight is well understoodof course

,when trees are crowded closely together

,instead

of spread ing,they shoot upwards

,each endeavouring

,as it

were,to overtop his neighbours

,and expending the whole

force of the vegetative powers in rearing a great trunk to thegreatest possibl e height

,and then throwing out a top l ike an

umb rella to the rays of the sun. The functions of vital ityare carri ed on with vigour at the extremiti es , while the longstem is bare of leaves or branches ; and when the under:growth is removed nothing can exceed the gloomy grandeurof the elevated arches of fol iage

,supported by pillars of Ina

jestic size and venerable appearance . The great thicknessand ag e of many of the trees is another strik ing pecu l iar ity .

They grow from age to age,attaining a giganti c s ize

,and then

fall,with a tremendous force , breaking down al l that stands

in their downward way,and heaping a greatpil e of timber on

the ground,where it remains untouched until it is converted

into soil . Mingled With al l our timber are seen aspiring vines,

which seem to have comm enced thei r growth with that of theyoung trees

,and risen with them

,thei r tops sti l l flourishing

together far above the earth , whil e their stems are al ike ham

T H E Em i e a anr s . 383

The undergrowth cons ists of dense thickets,made up of the

offspring of the larg er trees, mixed with thorns , briers , dwarfish v ines , and a great variety of shrubs .

The ground is nevercovered with a firm sward

,and seldom bears the grasses

,or

smaller plants , being covered from year to year with a densemass of dried and decay ing leaves

,and shrouded in eternal

shade .Suchwas the scene that m et the eyes of our travellers

,

and had they been treated to a short excurs ion to the moonthey would scarcely have witnessed any thing more novel .The wide spread and trackless ocean had scarcely conveyedto their imaginations so vivid an impression of the vast andsol itary grandeur of Nature

,in her pathless wildernesses .

They could hardly real ise the expectation of tra vel l ing saf elythrough such savage shades . The path

,which could be seen

only a fewya rds in advance,seemed continually to have

terminated , l eaving them no choice but to retrace their steps .

Sometimes they came to a place where a tree had fallenacross the road

,and Edgarton would stop under the suppos i

tion that any further attempt to proceedwas hopeless— unti lhe sawthe American dri vers forsaking the track

,guiding their

beams am ong the trees,crushing down the young sapl ings that

stood in their way,and thus winding round the obstacle

,and

back to the road,often through thickets so dense

,that to the

stranger’s eye it seemed as if neither man nor beast couldpenetrate them . Sometimes on reaching the brink of a rav ineor small stream

,the bridge of logs , which prev ious travel

lers had erected,was found to be broken down , or the ford

rendered impassable ; and the wagoners with the same imperturbabl e good nature

,and as if such accidents were m at

ters ofi course,again l eft the road

,and seeking out a new

cross ing-place,passed over with scarcely the appearance of

diffi culty.

Once they came to a sheetof water, extending as far as the

eye . could, teach, the tal l trees standing in it as ! thickly as

384 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

upon the dry gronnd, with tufts of grass and weeds instead ofthe usual undergrowth .

Is there a ferry here 2” i nquired Edgarton .Oh no sir

,it’

s nothing but a slash.

”

What’s that”

4”

Why,sir

, jist a sort 0’swamp .

What i n the world shall we doWe’ll jist put right ahead

,sir ; there

’s no diffi ck ulty ;

it’s n1ce good driving all about here . It

’

s sort 0 ’ muddy,but

there’s good bottom to it all the way .

0 11 they went. To Edgarton itwas l ike going to sea ;

for no road could be seen ; nothing but the trackless surfaceof the water ; because instead of l ooking down

,where his

eye could have penetrated to the bottom,hewas glancing

forward in the vain hope of see ing dry land . General ly thewaterwas but a fewinches deep

,but sometimes they soused

into a hole ; then Edgarton groaned and the lad i es screamedand sometimes itgot gradual ly deeper unti l the hubs of the

wheels were immersed,and the Engl ishman then cal led to the

wagoners to stop .“Don’t be afeard,sir

,one of them repl ied

,it is not

bad ; why this aint nothing ; it’s right good going ; it aint

a-going to swim your horse,no how.

Anything seems a good road to you where the horse willnot have to swim

,

”repl ied the Engl ishman surl i ly .

Why,bless you ,

”said the backwoodsman

,this aintno

part of a prim ing to places that I’ve seed afore,no how. I

’

ve

seed race paths i n a worse fix than this . Don’t you reckon,

stranger,that if my team can drag this here heavy wagon ,

l oaded down with plunder,you can sartainly get along with

thatar l ittl e carry-al l , and nothing on the face of the yeatk totote

,butjist the women and children7

”

They had but one such swamp to pass . Itwas only abouthalf a mile wide

,and after travel l ing that far through the

water,

'

the fi rm soi l of the woods, which before seem ed gl oomy,

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386 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

of Eden,while to the worldly eye he is known in the vi ces of

a fallen creature .The sunwas about to set when the wagoners halted at an

Open spot,covered with a thick carpet o f short grass

,on the

margin of a small stream of cl ear water. O u inqui ring thereason

,Mr.

’

Edgarton was assured that this was the bestcamp ground on the route

,and

'

as therewas no house withinmany miles

,itwas advisable to make arrangements for pass

ing the night there .Impossibl e exclaimed the European gentl eman

-what ! l i e on the ground l ike beasts ! we shall all catchour death of cold“I should never l i ve through the night

,

” groaned his fairpartner.

We shall be li euten up by mild valves or angry binging,whined the maid .

Don’t let us stay here in the'

dark,papa

,cri ed the chi l

dren .Logan expressed the opinion that an encampmentmight

be made qu ite comfortabl e,and the sentimental Jul ia declared

that itwould be del ightful Edgarton imprecated m aled ictions on the beggarly country which could notafl

'ord inns

for travellers,and wondered if they expected a gentleman to

nestl e among the leaves l ike RobinHood ’s foresters .“I wisht I hadn ’t ne ver leftLunnun,

”sobbed the lady ’s

m aid,this comes of hem igratin out of H ingland to these

here back voods . Only to think of gentle volks and vim m en

and children having to vaunder in the voods,l ike Rob Boy

in the novel,or Walentine and Horson in the play . Oh ! I

shall never l i v e to see the morning,so I vont ! doMrs . Hed

garton let us tu rn back i”

This storm,l ike other sudden gusts

,soon blew over

,and

the party began in earnest to make the best of'a bad bus i

ness by rendering their situation as comfortabl e as possibl e .The wagoners

,though highly amused at the fears of their

T H E E M I G R A N T S. 387

compan ions, showed great alacrity and kindness in their endeavours to d issipate the apprehens ions and prov ide for thecomfort of the foreigners ; and , ass isted by Mr.

Logan,soon

prepared a shelter. Thiswas m ade by planting some largestakes in the ground, i n the form of a square

,fi lling

up thes ides and covering the t0ps with smalle r poles

,and suspend

ing blankets over and around it,so as to form a complete en

closure . Mrs . Edgarton had a carpet taken from the wagonsand spread on the ground ; on this the beds were unpackedand laid , trunk s

‘

were arranged for seats,and the emigrants

surprised at fi uding themsel ves i n a comfortable apartment,

became as m erry as they had been before despondent. A fi rewas kindled and the tea-kettl e boiled,and there being a large

store of bread and provis ions already prepared,an excel lent

repastwas soon placed before them and eaten with the relishproduced by severe exercise .The night had nowclosed in

,butthe blaze of a large fi re

and the l ight of several candles threw a brill iant gleam overthe spot and heightened the cheerfulness of the evening meal .The arrangements for sl eeping were very s imple. The tent

,which had been divided into two apartments by a curtainsuspended i n the middle , accommodated al l ofMr. Edgarton ’shousehold : Logan drewon his greatcoat, and spread ing as ingl e blanket on the ground

,threw himself down with his

feet to the fi re ; the team sters crept into their wagons, andthe several parties soon enjoyed that luxury which

,if Shaks

peare may be bel ieved,is often denied to the“head that

wears a crown .

T he l ight of the morning broughtwith it cheerfulness andmerriment. Refreshed from the fatigues of the preceding day,inspi red with new confi dence, and amused by the novelties

that surrounded them,the emigrants were in high spirits.

B reakfastwas hasti ly prepared, and the happy party , seatedin a circle on the grass

,enjoyed their meal with a keen relish

88 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T

The horses were then harnessed and the caval cade renewedits march .

The daywas far advanced when they began to rise to moreelevated ground than that over which they had travelled .

The appearance o f the woodswas sensibly changed . Theywere now travell ing ove r a high upland tract with a gentlywav ing surface

,and instead of the rank v egetation

,the dense

fol iage and gloomy shades by which they had been surrounded,

beheld woodlands composed of smaller trees thinly scatteredand interm ingled with rich thickets of young timber. Thegrowth though thickwas l ow, so that the rays of the sun

penetrated through many openings,and the beaten path

which they pursuedwas entirely exposed to the genial beams .

Groves of the wild apple , the plum ,and the cherry

,now in

ful l bloom ,added a rich beauty to the scene and a del ightful

fragrance to the air.But the greatest natural curi os ity and the most attractive

scenic exhibition of our Western hemispherewas sti l l in reserv e ; and a spontaneous express ion of wonder and del ightburst from the whol e party

,as they emerged from the woods

and stood on the edge of a p rairie. They entered a longv ista

,carpeted with grass , interspersed with numberl ess

flowe i s among which the blue vi ol et predominated ; whil ethe edges of the forest on either hand were elegantly fringedwith low thickets loaded 'with bl ossoms— those of the plumand cherry of snowy whiteness

,and those of the crab-appl e

of a del icate pink . Above and beyond these were seen therich gre en , the i rregular outl ine, and the variegated l ight andshade of the f orest. As if to produce the most beautifulperspective, and to afford every variety of aspect

,the vista

increased inwidth until it opened l ike the estuary of a greatriver into the broad prairie , and as our travel lers advancedthe wood lands receded 0 11 either hand

,and sometimes in

dented by smal ler avenues opening into the woods , and sometimes throwing out points of timber, so that the boundary

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390 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

O h arri ving at the place , they were a l ittl e disappointed ,to

find thatthe abundance o f houseroom which had been promisedthemwas a'mere figure of speech, an id iomatic express ion bya nati ve

,having a comparati ve signi fi cation. The dwell ing

was a leg house, d iffering from others only in being of a largers ize and better construction . The logs were hewed and squaredinstead of being put up in their original state , with the barkou ; the apertu res were carefully closed , and the openings representing windows

,i nstead of being stopped when urgent

occasi on requ ired the exclus ion of the atmosphere , by hats ,old baskets

,or castofi

'garments

,were fi lled with glass

,in

im itation of the dwell ings of more highly civ i l ized lands .

The wealth of this farmer,cons isting chiefly of the p lenty to

eat which had been boasted,was amply ill ustrated by the

noisy and numerous crowd o i'chickens,ducks

,turkeys

,pigs

,

and cattl e,that cackl ed

,gobbled

,and grunted aboutthe house

,

fi lling the air with social though discordant sound s,and so

obstructing the way as scarcely to leave room for the newlyarri ved party to approach the door.As the caval cade halted

,the foremost driver mad e the fact

known by a vocifiarous salutation .

Hal-low Who keeps houseA portly dame made her appearance at the door

,andwas

saluted with,

How de do,ma’am— all well

,ma’am ?

All right well,thank you

,sir.

”

Here’s some strangers that wants l odging ; can we getto stay all night with you 2”

Well,I don’t know ; he

’s notat home

,and I har]y know

what to say.

I’

ll answer for him ,repl i ed the driver,who understood

distinctly that the pronoun used so emphati cal ly by the goodlady al luded to her inferior m oiety he wouldn’t turnaway strangers at thi s time of day when the chickens is jistgoin to roost. We’ve ben a travellin all day

,and our crit

TH E E M I G R A N T S . 391

ters is mighty tired and hungry, as well as the rest of

u s7,

Well , said the woman , very cheerful ly, I reckon youcan stay if you can put up with such fare as we have

,you

are very welcome . My man will be back soon ; he’s only

jist gone up to town .

The whole party were now received into the dwel ling ofthe backwoodsman by the smil ing and voluble hostess

,whose

ass iduous cordial ity placed them at once at their ease in spiteof the plain and primitive

,and to them uncomfortable aspect

of the log house . Indeed , nothing could be more un invitingin appearance to those who were accustomed only to the

more convenient dwel l ings of a state of society farther ad

vanced i n the arts of social l ife . Itwas composed of twolarge apartments or separate cabins

,connected by an area or

space whi chwas floored and roofed,but open at the sides

,

and which served as a convenient receptacle to hang saddles,

bridles,and harness

,or to stow travellers’ baggage

,whil e in

fine weather it served as a place in which to eat or sit.

In the room into which our partywas shown therewasneither plastering nor paper

,nor any device of modern inge

unity to conceal the bare logs that formed the s ides of thehouse

,neitherwas there a carpet on the floor

,nor any furni

ture for mere ornament. The absence of all superfluities andof many of the conveniences usually deemed essential inhous ehold economywas quite strik ing . A table, a fewchairs,a smal l l ooking-glass

,some cooking utens ils, and a m ultitu

d inous array of women’s apparel , hung round on wooden pins,as if for show

,made up the meagre l ist, whether for parade

or use,with the addition of several bedsteads closely ranged on

one s ide of the room ,supporting beds of the mostplethori c and

drops i cal dimens ions , covered with clean cotton bedding, andostentatiously tricked out with gaudy, parti-coloured quilts .

The man” soon made his appearance, a stout, weather

beaten person , of rough exterior, butnot l ess hospitably dis

392 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

posed than

'

his better half,and the whol e household were

now actively astir to furnish forth the evening’s repast,nor

was their diligent kindness,nor the inquis iti ve though respect

ful cross-examination which accompanied it,at al l d iminished

when they discovered that their guests were English people .*

Soon the ample fi replace, extend ing almost across one en d ofthe house

,was pil ed full of blazing logs ; the cr i es of afi ‘

righted

fowls and other signifi cant notes of preparation announcedthat acti ve operations were commenced in the culinary de

partm ent. An array of pots and kettles, Skillets , ovens, andfrying-pans

,covered the hearth

,and the astonished travellers

d iscovered that the room they occupi edwas not only used asa bedchamber

,but served them for parlour

,and kitchen

,and

ball .We shal l not attempt to describe the processes of making

b read,cook ing meat and vegetables

,and preparing the de

l ightful beverage of the evening meal,a portion ofwhich'

took

place in the presence of the surprised and amused guests,while other parts were conducted under a shed out of doors .

A large tablewas soon spread with clean l inen,and covered

with a profusion of viands such as p robably could not befound on the board of the mere peasant or labouring farmerin any other part of theworld f Cofi ieewas there

,with sweet

The term Britishers which English writers, and especially their

tourists, persist in attributing to our , people, as one in general popularuse. is entirely unknown, in conversationor otherwise

,in any part of the

United States. If any foreign traveller ever heard it in this country, hem usthave brought it with him ,

or gathered itfrom anEnglish book.I cannot resist the oppmtunity of nailing to the counter awretched

fabrication of som e traveller,who represents him self as dism ounting at a

Westernhouse of entertainm ent, and inqu iring the price of a dinner. The

answer is,Well, stranger— withwheatbread and chickenfi xens , itwould

be fi fty cents,butwith cornbread and com m on doins , twenty-fi ve cents.

”

The slang here used is of thewriter’s own invention. N0 one ever heardintheWestof chicken fi xens

,

”or comm on doins.

”

On such occasions, thetable is spread with every thing thatthe house aff ords, or with whatever

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394 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

the ladies declaring with one voice that m artyrdom in'

any

shapewould be preferabl e to l odging thus l ike a drove of

cattle . Unreasonable as such scrupl es might have seemed ,they were so pe i tinaciously adhered to on the one s ide

,and

so obstinately res isted by the exceed ingly diffi cult nature ofthe case on the other

,that there is no knowing to what ex

trem ities matters might have gone,had not a compromise

been effected bywhich Logan and the wagon -dr ivers weretransferred into the room occupied by the farm e r’s family

,

whil e the Edgartons,the s ister

,the maid

,the greyhound

,

the pug-dog, and the parrot

,remained sole occupants of the

apartment prepared for them .

A fewmore ho u rs brought them to the place of thei r destination. Mr. _Edgarton had as yet no house, nor any spotselected f or his re s idence . In choosing a neighbou rhood

,he

had been directed by the adv i ce of som e Engl ish fri ends,but

he had nowto exercise his own j udgment i n p11 rchas ing landand e recting buildings . He fo und the inhabitants kind andhospitabl e

,especially in giving him such ad vi ce and informa

ti on as his s ituation required,and many el igibl e spots were

pointed out to him on the vacant lands o f the government.Ah Engl ishman

,however

,d rop where he may

,cons iders it

his prerogative to know m ore about the country than its owninhab itants

,and our emigrant wisely concl uded that hewas

the best judge of his own bu si ness . He l ooked for a picturesque spot. Unacquainted with the nature of soil s

,or the

bus iness of farm ing,he im agined that rural occupation s coul d

be carried on as successful ]y at one place as at another,and

hav ing pleased his eye on the surround ing scenery,was satis

fi ed that he had found al l thatwas necessary to happiness .

His fancywas attracted by a l ong arm of the prairi e reachingback into

.

the forestto the vicinity of a l arge rivulet. In thedepth of this recess he placed his house

,so that its front com

m anded a view of'the widening vista

,while its s ides and rear

were embowered in woods. In vainwas he told that the

TH E E M I G R A N T S. 395

prair ie at this pointwas l ow and flat,that the soilwas a cold

steri le clay , and that the su rface being'

concave retained theWater. He could drain it; the mostdreary morasses had beenreclaimed in England. In vainwas he told that the rivuleti n the rear of his house annually overflowed its banks

,leav in

gstanding pools , and creating noxious vapours . He would c/anvert these inundated lands into meadows

,and become a bene

factor to the country by abating a nuisance . His l ittle cottagewas soon reared upon the spot atwhich he intended

,at some

future day, to build a splendid mans ion,and the delighted

man,surrounded by scenes as beauti ful as the most romantic

fancy could imagine,sat down contented in the sol itary wil

derness .

Whatwas to be done next? Fields were to be enclosed,

grain to be planted , and stock to be purchased,and our

farmer’s notions of either of these operations were so vague,that hewas unable to take the fi rst step without adv ice . Theneighbours

,whose admon itions had been already rejected

,

were appl ied to,and gave the des ired information . Books

were also consulted, and at lengthMr. Edgarton matured ascheme of operations . A plan of the farmwas laid downupon paper.

Herewas to be a garden , and there a lawn ;here an orchard , there meadows, and there corn-fi elds . The

requis ite lanes, hedges , fences, and ditches, were dotted off

with mathemati cal accuracy ; plans of the mans ion , the i cehouse

,the dairy , the barn, &c.

,were drawn separately ; Miss

Jul ia,who

.

had a pretty taste for drawi ng, coloured them all

very handsomely , and they were shown to vis itors with no

small degree of exultation . Hope bloomed with promis ingluxuriance, and the happiness of expectation was fully

enjoyed .

The next thing was to put these splendid plans intooperation ; but Mr.

Edgarton now found , to his surprise,

that itwas almost imposs ible to procure labourers. The

fi rst settlers of a new country are farmer s who do their own

396 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

“

work,and but fewpersons could be found who would work

for h ire . With great diffi culty a fewmen were empl oyed atextravagant pri ces ; the bui ldings were deferred unti l anotheryear

,and the en clos ing the fi elds commenced . Plantingwas

out of the question,because the groundwas toowet ; drain

ingwas attempted , but for this also the seasonwas unpro

pitious,and after a fast expenditure of labour and money,Mr.

Edgarton found that he had scarce]y advanced a step towardsaccomplishing the herculean task before him . We shall notweary the reader with a detail of all his bad speculations

,i n

buying horses that turned out tobe unsound , cattl e that ran

away,and were never again heard of

,and sheep that were in

continently eaten up by the wol ves , nor shock the feelings ofthe sympatheti c by reciting the dismal fate of numerousbroods of innocent chickens and gosl ings , nurtured by the

tender assiduity of Miss Edgarton,and which fel l an easy

prey to the cunning fox and the audacious raccoon . Troublesthickened on every s ide ; the sturdy peasantry afforded nosociety for the pol ished inmates of the cottage , and the ad

vantages of rural fel icity began to be doubted . Often didMr. andMrs . Edgarton wish themselves back again in theirsnug back parlour i n one of the smokiest streets of London ;and as often did the pretty Jul ia wish to see Mr. Logan

,whowas understood to be figu ring at the bar of ameighbouring county .

Summer came, and the l ittl e cottage

,which served for

parlour,kitchen

,and hall

,was found to be oppress i vely con

fined and hot. Norwas this all : whil e the salubrious regionaroundwas blessed with genial breezes

,the dreadful malari a

hung in baleful c louds over the dwell ing of Edgarton . Therivuletwas dried up by the fervent heats of the season

,l eaving

along its former channel a fewstagnant pools,which gav e

birth to myriads of m usquitoes, who, from their mus ical pro

pensities and sangu inary dispositions,might be im agined to

sing, as they hovered around this ill-fated family.

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398 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

parents and children,still withered in the grasp of the pesti

lence . Julia,pale and worn downwith fatigue and watching

,was their devoted nurse . G iving up her whol e heartto thisduty with that intens ity of affection and s ingl eness of purposeo f which woman is al one capable

,she had become sk ilful in

the management of her patients . A phys ician came as oftenas his duty to others would permit; the neighbours werek ind

,but they were few

,and their own cares often called

them away . Then came the long, the sol itary,the anxious

hours,when poor Jul ia

,left alone with her heavy charge

,had

need of all her fortitude to support her. The inval ids underwent many changes ; some grew better and others worsealternately hopewas excited one day by the favourabl esymptoms of one

,and on the next the danger of another

created thrill ing alarm . At last there came a trying crisi s.

The youngest child,an interesting boy of two years old

,

breathed his last i n the arms of Jul ia . The restof the familywere"ly ing some insens ibl e

,and all unabl e to rise . Not

another human beingwas near,and as Miss Edgarton wept

over the corpse,shewas bowed under a sense of hopeless

despondency that seemed to wither al l her energies . All the

fond hopes that had so long cheered the path of duty weredestroyed— the angel of

_

'death had entered the dwel ling ; one

victim had fal len,and the others

,all

,all seemed to be

hovering on the br ink of the grave . Itwas evening whenthis melancholy event happened . The sunwas setting . Jul iawent often to the door

,and looked over the prairi e in the

eager hope of seeing some human being ; but none appeared .

N ight came,and shewas alone with the dead and the dying .

At l asther agony became insupportabl e,and she l eft the

chamber of disease for the purpose of refreshing herself for a m e

ment i n the open air. As she stepped outof the door a bri l l iantl ightattracted her attention , and she d iscovered to her surprisethatthe southern horiz on glowed with a resplendentblaze

,which

threwits radiance over the whole landscape,and rendered

T H E EMI G R A N'r s . 399

every object as d istinctly v is ible as at noonday .The prairiewas on fi re The novelty of the spectacle could be equalled

only by its splendour. The fi re itselfwas not yetvisible, inconsequence of the ri sing ground that intervened

,but the spot

where it ragedwas d istinctly indicated by a strong and viv idglare , which extended along the horizon from east to west.Above were seen heavy volumes of smoke roll ing upwards inmasses o f inky blackness

,tinged with a hery redness on those

parts which were exposed to the reflection of the element.The foreground o f the scenewas a prai ri e

,covered with dried

and yellow grass,i lluminedwith a fearful and pecul iar radi

ance . Here and there stood a sol itary tree,tinged with l ight

on one s ide and throwing from the other a shadow of supernatu ral l ength across the plain . The forest on either s idewas thrown back into a deep shade

,which bounded the

p rospect, except where here and there a point of timber,

running out into the prairi e l ike a cape into the ocean,became

exposed to the ful l glare of the fire,and presented its hues

and outl ines distinctly to the eye . Allwas sti ll and silent;no an imated obj ectwas seen upon the plain

,not a soundwas

heard except that occas ioned by the confiagration, a low,i ncessant roaring resembling the distant but tremendous rushof waters .

The fi re had now reached the most elevated grounds , andwas seen ad vancing in a long l ine, fanned by a breeze fromthe south . Its marchwas slowbut fearful ]y regular. Thenthe breeze died away andwas succeeded by a calm . Thesmoke now curled upwards for a short d istance, and thendescended in thick volumes upon the plain, discolouring theatmosphere

,and giving a red and ghastly hue to the sur

rounding objects.

Jul ia Edgarton gazed at this scene with intense interest.

At fi rst its subl ime beauty awakened a l ively feel ing of ad

m iration ; and she watched with timid wonder the progress

of an elem entalways awful when raging uncontrolled in its

400 L E G E N D S o r T H E VVE s 'r .

splendid and terrifi c m aj esty ; butwhen the flamewas seenextend ing across the whole plain

,and advancing towards the

dwell ing that contained the helpless obj ects of her affection,

heart s icknessand unconquerable panic fi lled her bosom . In

another hour perhaps thatdwell ing would be surrounded bythe flames

,and they must al l perish together. Her fi rst itn

pul se was to fly ; but the selfi sh thoughtwas instantlybanished

,and she resolved rather to die than forsake her

charge . A sl ightnoise drew her attention,and looking round

she beheld several animal s that she knew to be wol ves,

crouching upon the ground,and glaring upon her with their

fi erce eyeballs . By a sure instinct they had scented the

house of death,and waited for their prey . Jul ia rushed dis

tractedly into the house .Aunt

,

”said one of the l ittl e girl s

,is the sun ris ing ? oh

how cheerful the l ight is l”

O h ! the dreadful flame groaned Mr. Edgarton,whose

senses were quickened to an exquis ite acuteness ,“I see it i I

hear the dreadful roaring ! The fi ends are preparing their tortures ! oh my God , why did I not seek thee before itwas toolate 1”

J ul ia was stricken to the heart by these words. Likemost rational and well -disposed persons , she had always eh

tertained a respect forrel igion , but it had formed no part of

her education , and had seldom occupied her thoughts . Now,

abandoned by al l the world , and surrounded by the dreadfulm inisters of death

,shewas conv inced of the solemn truth

,

thatno hand l ess powerful than thato f an Almighty God couldb ring rel ief. In vain had she exe rted her tenderness

,her

abil ity , her heroism— in vain had she rel ied on herself. Thewords of her brother sunk into her heart,“Why d id I notseek thee before itwas too late ! ” She dropped upon herknees

,and f or the fi rst time in her l i fe prayed with earnest

ness and s incerity . A calm res ignation followed the performance of this act of duty , and although no supernatural hand

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402 L E G E N D S o r T H E WE S T .

investthe remains of his fortune inmerchandis e . The changewas a happy one . Mr . Edgarton

,embarked in business for

which his education and talents fi tted him,succeeded to the

utm ost extent of his hopes . Health and cheerfulness smiledagain at his fi reside. The interesting J ul ia became Mrs.

Logan; both famil ies are now in easy circumstances and the

members of the happy circle,i n reciting their adventures

,

never fai l to ascribe praise to that Providence,which con

ducted them in safety through the perils of the ocean,the

wilderness,and the pestil ence

,and gave them a pleasanthome

in a land of strangers .

T HE

BARRACK-MASTER’S DAUGHTER.

A LEGEND O F FORT CUMBERLAND .

VERY person of taste who has enjoyed the luxury of

l ing over that splendid monument o f national m a

nifi cence,the Cum berland road

,must have been struck with

the romanti c beauty o f the v i llage from which it takes its

name . It is s ituated on a small plain in the bosom of a deepval ley

,surrounded by tall mountains, whose abrupt cl if

’f‘

s

seem to be inaccess ibl e , unless to the soaring eagle or the

adventurous hunter.A small tributary o f the Potomac

flows i n a clear and beautiful stream th rough the vale , wind

ing its se rpentine course round the bold promontories and

sharp angles of the mountain, unti l it reaches the plain, where

it forms a g raceful curve round the s ite of the v il lage . The

s ides of the mountains are rocky , and their summits covered

with pines ; but the valleys are ri ch, and thicklywooded ,l uxuriant in vegetation , and lovely to the eye .

He re stood Fort Cumberland, a frontier fortress , in the

colon ial wars between theFrench and Engl ish .At the

period atwhich we commence this narrative, in the year

404 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

1758 , the fortwas garrisoned by a numerous and gallanthost

,engaged in acti ve preparations f or a distant enterprise.

Colonel Grant,a Scottish offi cer

,at the head of eight hun

dred Highlanders,was about to lead an expedition against

Fort Da Quesne,on the Ohio, and every young officer Who '

panted for famewas anxious to volunteer in this arduousserv ice .“What think you

,Major Gordon

,said the colonel to

his second i n command,as they strolled one evening along

the banks of W i l l ’s creek,at some d istance from the fort

,

will the French be able to stand against our brave H ighlanders

O f the French,could we meet them fai rly in the held

,

I have l ittl e fear,

”repl i ed the other but I mustconfess that

I think our troops but poorly calculated to contend in themountains against thei r

‘Indian al l i es .

”

“P shaw ! Major .Gordon,I’m ashamed of you . It is a

reflection upon the honour of His Majesty ’s troops,to men .

tion them in the same b reath with a horde of naked savagesSir

,with my regiment

,I can burn al l the Wigwams in North

Amer ica ; and puni sh the mutinous sachem s for their contum acy, at a drum-head court-martial

,if they should dare to

obj ect.

”

You m ay, perhaps , l i ve to change that opinion . At all

events,be adv ised

,i n so important an enterprise as the

one before u s,to employ the necessary caution to en sure

success f’

What cautious measure would the chivalrous descendantof the noble l ine of Gordon suggestT ’ inqui red the colonel

,

i n a tone which alm ost con veyed a sneer.

The one I have so often pointed out,

”repl ied his fri end

calmly,

the employment of a smal l body of men from the

frontiers of Virginia,whose knowledge of the country

,and of

the habits of the enemy , m ight serve as a safeguard agai nststratagem s

,to which our ignorance would expose us .

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406 L E G E N D S o r T H E W'

E s r

versary, who by an occas ional twitching of themuscles showedthat l i fewas not enti rely gone .

I guess he’s sort 0’ ’l£ve yet, said one of the boys .

Let’s give him another pil l,

”rej oined the other.

Accord ingly,the othe r gunwas pointed over the l og

,and

discharged . The larger boy then advanced with a l ong stick,

with which he felt his adversary at a d istance ; and havingthus satisfied himsel f

,he at last approached the body

,and

seated himsel f on it in triumph . He then shouted for hisbrother

,Come here

,Bill ! where are you it why you

’re no

account,to be afraid of a dead bear. I’ve u sed him up , the

ri ght way . He’s cold as awagon-tz

’

re.

The oflicers now cam e forward to speak to the heroi c children

,and l earned that they had discovered the bear while at

play,and ranto the house butfinding that both thei r parents

were absent,and knowing that their father’s guns were always

l oaded,they had determined to attempt the exploit them

selves .

*

When the officers turned to retrace thei r steps,Co l on el

Grant expressed his admiration of this s ingular adventure instrong language ; and Major Gordon took the opportunity toremark that it afforded an apt il l ustrati on of the subject onwhich they had been conversing . It is thus

,said he

,that

the people of the frontier rear their children. Their verysports l ead them into danger, and they learn the artifi ces o f

the chase so early , that the knowledge is almost an instinct.

The moment a lad can carry a gun , he becomes a hunter; asthe young falcon as soon as he can prune his wing darts uponhis prey .

”

What inference do you draw from that factS imply

,that these backwoodsmen are better fitted for a

campaign in their own forests than our European soldiers .

”

Perhaps the colonelwas convmced . It is no small evi

Founded on fact.

TH E B A RKA CK- M A S T E R ’ S D A U G H T E R . 407

dence in favour of such a suppos ition,that he dropped the

subject and remained si l ent for some time . He then gailyasked his young friend, when he had last seen the barrackm aster’s daughter

This morning,

”repl ied the other with some hesitation .

And will not the gallantMajor Gordon who has m etHis

Majesty’s enemies on so many fi elds

,acknowledge that his

sto ck of prudence has been very suddenly and marvellouslyincreased by his tenderness for the safety of a fair lady 7”

Whenevermy commanding offi cer can show his righttoact the part of the father-confessor

,I wil l answer the ques

tion .

”

Pardon me , Gordon ; I pry not into your secrets . Herewe are at the gate . Go to the fair Alice

,if such be your in

tention . At two we meet in counci l at the mess-room .

”

Perhaps the most important character,at this time

,in

Fort Cumberland,was the barrack-master. Ens ign Hagerty

had entered the serv i ce some thirty years before,a sp ruce

,

Irish lad,with no other ambition than that of l iv ing l ike a gen

tlem an and dy ing l ike a soldier. The fi rst he had alwaysdone

,and the last he had never avoided . But although he

used to boast that he had been in more battles than he hadhairs on his head

,he had somehow never been able to ad

vance bey ond the grade of ens ign . Yet he had all thosegood qual iti es that used to be so highly regarded in themess

room . His good-humourwas infinite, he sung an excellentsong

,told a story well

,loved good eating, and could starve,

on proper occas ions,with the patience of a camel .

.He had

married,for love

,a beautiful but penniless woman, and be

come the happy father of five girls , who were now grownthe youngest just turned of fi fteen, and the eldest in the fullbloom of her beauty . Whatwould have become of these girls

after the death of their mother, it is hard to tel l , had not a

relative in Phi ladelphia taken them and reared them . Thedecease of their k ind fri end which had recently taken pl ace

408 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T

threwthem once more on the hands of the ens ign,or

,as he

expressed it,obl iged him to take command of his own com

pany .

It is necessary to state in this place,thatthe worthy ens ign

was not only above the ordinary stature,but had been nu

nually increasmg in c lrcum ference,unti l he had grown so un

wieldy as to be wholly unfit for actual service . Putting allthese things together

,he conceived himself a fi t subject for

the special favour of H is Majesty’s government,and accord

ingiy waited on the commander o f the forces to sol icit someemployment which would impose less duty and yield more

profi t, ass ign ing for reasons that he had a larger amount ofclay to nourish than ordinary men

,and more daughters than

became an ensign . The consequencewas thathe received theappointment of barrack-master at Fort Cumberland

,where

there were no barracks to superintend,with s everal other

s inecures,the aggregate emoluments of which placed him in

easy circumstances . Whatwas sti l l better,hewas promised

,

onthe reducti on of Fort du Quesne,the offi ce of town major

,

with the addition of a lucrative post in the commissariat.After all

,his fi ve daughters constituted his greatest wealth .

They were tal l,beautiful women

,v ery showy

,and quite ao

compl ished . A remarkabl e circumstancewas the strong l ikeness which they all bore to each other i n form and featurethe two youngest particularly could scarce]y be distinguishedby their acquaintances . Itmay be well supposed that

,with

such a family,the barrack-masterwas a prosperous cand idate

for all sorts of honours . The titl e of major fel l to him bycourtesy. His house became the rendezvous of al l the offi cers

,

as it certainly afforded the most attracti ve society in the garr ison . Whenever therewas a profi table job to be executed,or a fat contract to be given , hewas sure to get it and

‘

after

spend ing the prime of his l ife in hardship, negl ect, and poverty, he had reached that enviabl e period i n the career of anold sold ier,when he might lawfully sit by his own fi res ide,

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410 L E G E N D S o r r u n \V E s r .

‘

ally,through the openings of the woods

,see its proud flag,

waving gaily in the breeze and she feltno apprehens ion of an

enemy while in s ight of that emblem of her country ’s power.

It would be easy , too , to retrace her steps,and

'

she wasabout to do so

,when a bird of beautiful plumage attracted

her attention . Young lad ies in love are fond of birds toofor the tender pass ion so ftens the heart and renders it sens itive to all that is lovely in nature , and the pl um ed songster

,

so melodious i n the express ion of his attachments,so ten

der,faithful

,and ass iduous, is an especial object of sympathy .

She followed it with her ey e as it al ighted on the bough of alarge tree

,andwas attentively watch ing its graceful move

ments,when the figure of an Indian s itting among the branches

arrested her attention . He was painted with colours so

near]y resembling those of the bark of the tree,that itwas

diffi cult to d istinguish his form among the branches ; andAl ice would not have discovered him

,had not her glance

been intensely fi xed upon the very spot where he sat,but a

fewyards above her head . She started back in terror,and

the spy, for such hewas,hasti ly d ischarged an arrow that

whistl ed by her ear and buried itsel f in the ground . Uttering a p iercing shriek

,she turned to fly,while the Indian,

dropping from his place of concealment,pursued

,caught

her flowing dress , andwas raising his tom ahawk to stri ke,

when a young man of athl etic frame thrust him self betweenthem . With one hand he pushed back the assai lant

,and with

the other brandished his knife . The Indian waited not for theattack , butdarting backward , fled at f ull speed . The forestershouted a s ignal cry, and in a moment a number of the

fri endly Indians appeared , who, being informed of the causeof the alarm ,

dashed off i n pursu it of the fugitive . Thewarerywas re-echoed by a hundred voices : the whol e of the

surrounding woods seemed instant]y to be al ive the terrifi cyell sounded on every side ; the tread of feet upon the dryleaves and the tramp of horses announced that the who le In

TH E B A R B A C K -Ma s r na ’s D A U G H T E R . 4 1 1

dian hostwas awakened . Then allwas s il ent. The alarmgiven and the cause understood

,the warriors were tracking

the fugitive spy with noiseless steps . Again,another shout

arose ; they had secured their victim .

In the mean while , the stranger who had so providentlyrescued the barrack-master’s daughter from the tomahawk

,

offered her his arm and reconducted her to the fo rt. Hewasa young man ,who might have been cons idered surpass ing]yugly , it it had not been that his features , though coarse andirregular, wore an expression of courage and honesty . He

was a l ieutenant in a company of volunteers recently arri vedfrom the frontiers of Virginia

,and had already served seve

ral campaigns against the enemy . Though of a good family,

hewas rugged and unpol ished ; for the country,in its then

unsettled state,afforded none of the means of educati on

,and

while other gentl emen were sent to distantschools,the youth

ful Danger]y engaged as a private soldier in all the militaryenterprises

’

o f'the frontier. Natural ]y modestand sensible of

his ungraceful appearance,he soon became bashful

,andwas

famous among his comrades for his avers ionto female society ;and whil e he never shrunk from the face of an enemy, theapproach o f a lady never failed to put him to instant flight.In the fi eld hewas in his element

,daring

,acti ve, and ferti le

of exped ient ; in camp hewas the best of all good fellowsalways happy

,ready for duty , and true to his friend , enjoyed

an excellent appetite,and slept as sound ]y on the ground as

in a feathe r-bed .

Mr.Danger]ywas not a woman-hater— he had too much

go od feel ing for that but a woman -fearer ; and on this occas ion the distress of the beautiful gi rl , who stood trembl ing andalmost f ainting

,called al l his better qualities into action. He

gentleman . He assured her of the absence of all danger,

and soothed her inquietude in tones which, though hab1tually

La e nx ns 0 T H E W E S T .

rough,were bland and sympathetic. Had he been patting

his favourite horse on the neck he coul d not have used morecoaxing language 3 and his brother offi cers were struck withastonishmentwhen they beheld the worthy l ieutenantadvancing towards the fort arm in

.

arm with the barrack-master’sdaughter

,and pouring soft express ions i n her ear with the

eagerness of a devoted lover.

Mr. Dangerlywas not aware of the warmth of his express i ons or the tenderness o f his manner

,for they sprang warm

from as kind a heartas ever th robbed,and thinking only of the

fears of his companion,he gave full vent to the utterance of

his nati ve benevol ence . Hewas placed,too

,for the first

time,in contact with a young and lovely woman

,who

,bes ides

being habitually pol ite,was under the excitement of a deep

sense of gratitude towards her protector,and repl ied to his

remarks with an ease and spi rit, softened by the circumstanceso f the moment i nto that confi dence which so eas i ly stealsinto youthful hearts . The gracefulness of her beauti ful form

,

as it hung for support on his manly arm,her low

,tremulous

voice,and the rich m elody of her tones

,all went directly to

the heart of the gallantVirginian and he wondered how ithappened that, am ong the numberl ess enjoyments of l ife , hehad never before learned to estimate the most exqu isite of

them all,the l ove of woman . Itwas therefore with some sur

prise that,0 11 accidentally looking round, he found himself an

obj ect of general attention , and sawthat hewas detected inthe fact o f gallanting a l ady . But the 1 ewas no room for

retreat ; the l adywas under his escort, and although the mainentrance of the fortwas thronged with spectators

,drawn

thither by the alarm ,and whose glances were more form ida

ble to him than the guns of that fortress would have been inan engagement, yet, hav ing satisfied himself

,by

'a hastyglance

,that he m ust run the gauntl et, be bold ]y prepared“. to

pass defi le i n front,” and push on. The evolutionwas hap

pily accompl ished and the British oflicers being all engaged

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4 14 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

cons isting of the Highlanders and a small body of Virginiansfrom the regiment of Colonel Washington

,attached to it

much against thewill of Grant,was organized

,and set forward

on thei r m arch towards FortDa Quesne . The alacrity of

this l eader,and his gallant bearing

,were now as conspicuous

as his total ignorance of the country and of the habits of his

enemy . He had no idea of the rapid ity and secrecy of movement which form the most strik ing feature of border warfare ;where every soldier carri es his own ammunition and pro

visions,sleeps i n his blanket under a tree

,and is ready for a

m arch or for battle at a moment’s warning . But under everydisadvantage the brave Highlanders moved forward with anoble spirit. The newly cut road by which they passed

,em

bracing all the ridges of the Alleghany mountains,was

already blocked up i n som e places by fallen trees,or ren

dered almost impracti cable by deep rav ines washed by the

heavy rains that poured in torrents down the s ides of thesep recipitous heights . Sometimes the path wound over a seriesof hideous precipices

,which seemed inaccessible ; and some

times an i inpetuous r iver, rushing and f oaming over the sharpfragments of rock which formed its bed

,seemed to render

any further advance impracticable . But this inhospitableregionwas at l ength left behind them ,

and they entered that

great Western vall ey which was destined to become the

home of mill ions .

Major Hagerty,the barrack-master, accompanied the ex

pedition, for the purpose of being on the spot to enter on thenew duti es which would devolve on him at the capture of

FortD u Quesne . Notwithstanding his unwieldy ponderanceof body

,he made his arrangements with the alacrity of an

old campaigner. Though not elated l ike his j uni or companions with the hope o f laurels to be gathered on the fi eldo f battle he entered with spirit into their cheerfulness

,and

seemed to share their bright anti cipations of success . Therewas

,it is true . some d iffi culty in procuring him a su itabl e

T H E B A R R A C K -Ma s r na ’s D A U G H T E R . 415

con veyance some of'the offi cers proposed to stow him in an

extra baggage-wagon others suggested that a fatigue partyshould be detail ed to carry him on a l itter

,while a better

opinion seemed to be that he might be advantageouslymounted in a horizontal pos ition on a gun-carriage and d rawnby four horses . The worthy man

,however

,was seated at

last 0 11 a strong charger,and set out inhigh glee ; and if on

any occas ion his unwieldy bulk and d ifficulty of locomotionrendered him burthensome to his companions

,be fully com

pensated for the inconvenience by the l ife and merrimentwithwhich be i nspired the whole party .

After many toils they descended into thevale of the Monongahela, and never did the traveller

’

s eye trace the courseof a more lovely stream . Winding through bold hillswitha gentle current

,the river itself is as placid as the surrounding

scene ry 1 s wild and picturesque . At some places the steeppromontories that hemmed it in seemed barely to affordroom for its passage, and at others itwas margined by fertil evall eys and rich table lands . The most remarkable feature

of the scenerywas the gigantic growth of the forest trees

and the exqu isite l uxuriance of the fol iage . The boughs wereweighed down with their lead of l eaves ; therewas also adepth and ri chness of colouringwhich the face of Natured isplay s only in the most favou red cl imates and luxuriant

spots .In the many vari eties of green exhibited in the forest,

therewas always a bril l iancy of hue which conveyed to the

mind an impression of vigour and freshness the flowers andwi ld fruits assumed every shade of the gorgeous and the

del icate in co lour ; while the wholewas il lumed with the intense bri ll iancy o f a September sun

, which had sl ightly tinged

the most prominent points of the uplands with autumnal tints,

without destroy ing the verdure of summer.

Ah excurs ion through such a region in so del ightful a sea,

son m ight, under differentcircumstances , have afl

‘

orded high

enjoyment to a romantic. m ind . But here were dangers to be

416 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

surmounted and to ils to be endured . Som etimes the thundercloud

,rol ling al ong the mountain s ide

,poured down torrents

of rain,the vivid lightning shattered the tal l trees

,and the

heavy explos ions,reverberated from a thousand caverns

,

struck the stoutestheart with awe . Sometimes a whole day ’smarchwas performed without restor food . A lurking Indianwas occas ionally seen prowling around the camp

,and darting

away when discovered with the fleetness o f the antel ope,

yell ing defi ance or laughing in der is ion. The straggler whoimprudently wandered from his companions

,perished of hun

ger among these savage fastnesses or fell under the tomwhawk ; while thenightly howl of the wolf admonished theweary soldiers that the beast of p reywas patiently pu rsuingtheir footsteps and eagerly thirsting for thei r blood .

After a long and arduous march,they at l ength reached

the vicinity of Fort Du Quesne . Itwas late in the nightwhen they descended towards the fortress and encamped on

the brow of a small eminence which overlooked it. Theenemy sl ept in security

,unconsc ious of their approach . The

”

French were doubtl ess aware that such an expeditionwas inprogress

,but the attempts of the Engl ish to penetrate the

wi lderness in this direction had hitherto been uniformly d isastrous

,and but l ittle dangerwas now apprehended from the

troops of that nation . Perverse i n their opin ions,rash and

headstrong in their plans,they had neither concil iated the

Indian tribes,avai led themselves of the aid of the native

American troops,nor gathered wisdom from the l essons of

exper ience . The French , therefore , prepared and awaitingtheir enemy in the confi dence of success

,supposed him to be

stil l at thedistance of several days ’ march .

The British soldiers s lept that“night with their accoutrements on and thei r arms at their s ides , ready for action uponthe fi rst alarm .

An hour before the dawn o f day,Colonel Grantwas

awakened by a sl ight touch of a fri endly hand . He sprung

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418 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

seemed to bid me f arewel l . I arose,l ook ed round

,but saw

no one . The sentry i n front of m y tent assured me that noone had entered . I threw m yself down, butagain , and again ,and again the same apparitions appeared . This incident hashil'ectcd me . But com e

,1et us shake off these unbecoming

fancies ; they are unworthy o f B ritish soldiers,especial ly of

us,who have real ly no danger to encounter

,and are sent

to crush a nest of half-c iv i l ized French and ignorant sav

ages .

”

“You despi se our foe too much,

repl ied Major Gordon °

howeve r defi cient they may be in d iscipl ine,they are brave

and cunning ; and their fortress is capable of afi i irding a stoutres istance to a force l ike 0 a

3unp rovided with a train of

arti l le ry ”

.

Mere fudge exclaimed the col onel,

they know bette rthan to res i stus . Atthe fi rst s ight of his maj esty ’s flag theywi l l sue for peace .Bel ieve it not ; with their advantage of numbers

,of

pos ition,of ample suppl i es

,and of a famil iar knowledge of

the country,success on our part will be gained only by hard

fighting and artful management.”

What artifi ce would Major Gordon p ropose 2”

No other than an ear]y attack,by wh ich the enemy shal l

b e su rprised bef ore he is aware of our presen ce . ”

No,by Jupiter ! l ’l l fight the rascals leere

,and by day

light. I hate ambuscades,midnight attacks

,and scal ing walls

l ike a thief in the night. They wil l be suffi ciently s u zp risea',

I take it,atnot being allowed time to run away . No

,s ir

,we

wil l fight them at our l eisure . Let the revei llebe sounded .

We will try the metal of these Mons i eu’

rs . If they are b rave,

let them come outand fight us on the plain ; if not, let themsurrender.

”

“Pe 1haps they may not choose to do either.

Then by St. Andrew we shal l scale their ramparts inbroad day . A band of brave Scots, with a Grant and a Gor

TH E B A R R A C K -M A S T E R ’ S D A U G H T E R . 419

don at their head , need fear no odds . Let the mus ic sound,

if you please,

‘

major.

”

With a rel uctant step,and a melancholy foreboding of

the disastrous consequences of so imprudent a measure,the

second in command obeyed the orde rs of his superior . In afewminutes the cheerful tones o f the bugle were heard echoing from bil l to bi ll , the rutfl e of the drum and the shrillnotes of the fi fe succeeded

,and then the martial melody

o f the full band burst upon the repose of the Valley .The

troops paraded at the sound and stood by their arms,slowly

and gradually fi lling up the long l ine,as a number of the

beautiful airs of their native gleus were played in success ionand the mus ic floated over the hills . The darkness of thenightwas around them

,but a number of l ights held by the

serj eants who called the rolls,shed a f aint l ight along the

ranks,and showed a l ine of stern faces and athletic figures,

clad,as was allowable , in all the varieties of military un

dress . Some were in regim entals,some in great coats, some

were the H ighland bonnet, and others nightcaps ; but al lthese gallant soldiers , as they leaned on thei rmuskets , showedthe stern ind ifference or careless courage of men who

,having

imbibed the opinions of their leader, felt no sense of danger

to themselves or of respectfor their foe. The offi cers strolledalong the l ines , yawning from their slumbers , or collected in

groups, some look ing suspiciously towards the surrounding

thickets , and others conversing in 'low accents on the antici

pated events of the ensuing day .“These are newtactics, said the old serjeantm ajor to

the barrack-master, as they sat together on the end of a log.

Quite novel ,”repl ied the latter ; the Frenchman ought

to be much obl iged to us for giving him timely notice of our

approach . If Mons i eur would only stretch his courtesy so

far as to i nv ite ,

us all to breakfast, I should take it as a k md

ness .

This bush-fighting, O’

Doherty, makes sad inroads upon

the regular habits of old cam paigners l ike you and I. Noth

420 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

ing but cold meat and forced marches . If we were snug inyonder fort I should l ike it

,if it were only for

,

the honour of

the regiment and the creditof s itting once more at a decenttable . ”

Young m en wil l have their own way,cro

'

aked the ser

J eant-major

,whose appetite j ust thenwas not the keenest.“Aye

,

”rej oined his fri end

,and old soldiers who look

for promotion should have quiet tongues — bushes have carsas well aswalls f ’The day nowbegan to dawn

,and Colonel Grant

,advancing

towards a circle of offi cers , began to give orders .“Major Lewis,

”said he to a brave Virginian

,who com~

m anded the smal l corps from the regiment of Colonel Washington, you wil l take charge of the baggage

,and retire with

it two miles to '

the rear.

”

The maj or bowed assent,re1nark ing that it would have

been gratifying to him and to his men to parti cipate in theaction .

Itwi l l be a mere skirmish,

’repl ied the commanding

officer,

these f e llows will not fight,depend upon it ; and if

they should,your mil itia

,major

,would only be in the way .

”

Captain B rinton,

” continued he,you wil l take an escort

and reconnoitre the enemy ’s works . We have 11 0 time tospare

,s ir ; ride up to the esplanad

‘

e and take a rough plan .

If there are any build ings i n the vicin ity that would interrupt our approach

,burn them . Let us dress for parade

,

gentl emen,and after that

,if the Frenchman should not be

pol ite enough to give us the fi rst call,we will pay him a

morning v isit.”

The troops di spersed,and were soon engaged in acti ve

preparations for breakfast, for the morning parade,and for

battle . Fires were kindled round the encampment,and the

bus iness of cooking commenced . Men were seen brushingtheir clothes

,burnishing their guns

,placing new fl ints in their

locks, and preparing in various ways for the acti ve business

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422 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Suddenly a thick colum n of smokewas seen ascending intothe air

,and in another moment the cabins near the fort were

wrapped in flames . Stil l not an enemywas seen . The en.

giacer who had been charged with the duty of reconnoitringthe fo rt

,and who had fi red the vi llage, marched l e isurely and

ca relessly back to camp,with the security of one who having

taunted the foe by approaching to the muzzles of his guns,was conv i nced o f his cowardice or weakness .

What news 2” mquired the colonel,as his emissary ad

vanced to report the execution of his orders “I hope youhad a pleasant vis it

,captain

,and found Mons ieur i n good

health and spirits .

”

Mons i eurwas notathome,

repl ied the officer 1 foundthe gate locked

,and not even a porter to answer my cal l .

Having no opportun ity,therefore

,of even leaving my card

,I

k indled a bonfi re,as the only feas ible mode of announcing to

him that 1 had paid my respects .

”

A very good idea,captain now

,gentlemen

,let us to

breakfast,and after that

,if this unsocial Frenchman should

continue to keep his gates barred,we wil l try the virtue of

an escalade .The offi cers retired to their tents

,the so ldiers sat in l ittl e

groups in the open air with their smoking messes before them,

and all were engaged i n doing j usti ce to the coarse fare of acamp with the keen appetites o f veteran campaigners

,when

the report of a musketwas heard and a bul let whistled overtheir heads. The sold iers started to the ir feet and the offi

cers rushed from their tents .

Who fi red that gun 2” demanded the cfiicer of the day.

N0 one replied,and the sold iers l ooked round at each

other,for even yet none suspected that a foemanwas near.

The enemy ! the enemy l” shouted several of the sentinels

,and the same moment a shower of balls poured in upon

the B ritish,accompanied by the s ignal calls of numerous

bugles and the loud yel l of the savage .

T H E B A R R A C K - M A S T E R ’ S D A U G H T E R. 423

To arms exclaimed the colonel .Fal l in fall i n l” cri ed the company offi cers .

Fo rm your companies , gentl emen l"roared the colonel,

the day is our own,my brave Highlanders Music there

beat al l the drums and drown that cursed yell ing Let theguard be called in 1 Major Gordon

,take a company and dis

lodge the enemy from the thickets on our rightBefore these several orders could be executed

,the battl e

thickened around the devoted party,and the bullets poured in

Upon them from every s ide . LILhe Indians , hideously paintedand decked in thei r savage fi 1i ehy

wzz1ch

'

m1cefd audacm so“

neaf that thei r“dark forms could be plainly d istinguished as

they glided from tree to tree . The sharp shrill sound of the

war-whoop, uttered intones resembling the-b'a'rk idgm gn—

allogt du ired a terrific vo lum e

'

aiid'

frightf'dl e

'

fiéig'

f fm m t e

"

Tihm ber o f voi ces engaged in the horrible concert. The sentinels disdaining to fly, were slain at their posts before they

M f tm réfi fi fimm hexfi jg £1111view of their comrades by thegefdwhm amem m-meemwith hell ish exnltation.

Colonel-

m I

-

J layed all the coolness and gallantry of

an accomplished soldier, expos ing a solid front to the enemy,and bravely attempting , by desperate charges , to dis lodgethem from the surrounding coverts . But he now learnedhow unavail ing is courage when it is not guided by prudentcounsel s and accurate information , and howineffi cientare thetacti cs of regular warfare in a contest with barbarian hordes

in their native forests . The’

F rench and Indians , dispers ing

themselves through the woods , occupied every thicketwhichafforded concealment; and lurked behind every object whichafforded the protection of a

‘ natural rampart. Some wereplaced in the rav ines and hollows , stretched at ful l length on

the ground some kneeled behind the great trunks of fallen

trees,while the boldest warriors advanced singly , each select

ing a standing tree as a cover, and hring from behind itwith

24 L E G E N D'

S o n T H E W E S T .

but l ittl e exposure of his own person . If they pressed f orward

,itwas by darting rapidly from one tree to another ; if

they retreated,the same operationwas practised in an inverted

order ; and thus whil e the European troops stood togethe r incompact ranks

,affording a broad and stationary mark to an

army of sharp-shooters,their own bul lets whistl ed harmlessly

through the forest.The l ines of the b rave H ighlanders were rapidly thinned

,

and their l eader,stung to desperation

,determined at last to

rush into closer confl ict, be the consequence what it might.Placing himself at the head of the whol e detachment

,he

dashed forward into the thi ckest body of the enemy . TheIndians

,smeared with blood and excited to fury

,closed around

them . The bayonet and the cutl ass came into contact withwar-club and tomahawk

,and the shouts of the maddened sol

diers were mingl ed with the yell of the savage . F or a m o

ment the stout Scots felt the stern joy of gratifi ed revenge astheir fees f

‘

el l around them ; but their successwas butmomentary ; outnumbe red , hemmed in, and entangled in thebru shwood

,they were rapidly dwindl ing in force, whil e the

places of their slain fees were continually suppl ied by newreinf orcements .

At this cris is a heavy volleywas heard in the rear,min

gled with l oud and reiterated cheers,and Major Lew i s

,with

thatband of V irgnnans who had been ordered away , thattheymight not impede the motions of the regulars

,was seen ad

vancing. Adopting,to some extent

,the Indian m ode o fwar

fare,his men came forward ina long , irregular l ine, fi ring

from behind the trees,and each indiv idual a iming at a par

ticular foe, and discharging his rifle at his own di scretion withdeadly effect. Rapidly but cautiousl y they moved on

,sweep

ing the enemy before them ,and reached the battle ground

just as Colonel Grant had been struck down andwas aboutto be dragged away by the Indians . Major Lewis ru shed tothe rescue; but these oflicers were soon separated from their

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426 L E G E N D S o n T H E“TE S T .

growing more faint,his mil itary ardour began to kindle

,and

seizing the sword of an offi cer who had fallen,he stepped into

his place . Here he performed good serv iceunti l the retreatwas ordered

,an evolutionwhichwas performed ingood order

,

butwith such rapid ity that hewas soon left puffing and blowing in the rear. The Indians in ful l pursuit were yell ingbehind him l ike a pack of hungry wolv es

,whi le the Virginian

rangers were fi ercely beating them back and covering theretreat. 0 11 hewaddled nearly exhausted ; at last the H ighlanders were almost outof s ight

,and the covering party came

sweeping by, l ed by an offi cer mounted on horseback,and

covered with blood and dust.Run

,Falstaff ! ” shouted the o ffi cer.

Run yourself 1” repl i ed the exhausted veteran,my race

is over.

”

Hurra,boys shouted the offi cer ; beatback the blood

hounds ! Old Virginia for ever ! Run,old gentl eman

The barrack-master stopped,folded his arms

,staggered

against a tree,and stood in sullen desperation awaiting his

fate ; 1 can go -no further,

”said he

,faintly ; I can die

m y po or children i”

In a moment the ofiicer,whowas Mr Dangerly,was at

his s ide,and dismounted Take my horse

,said he.

Hagertywas brave,but exhausted with heatand unwonted

exertion,daunted by the near approach of a cruel death

,and

overcome by the recoll ection o f his helpless family,a desperate

apathywas creeping over him . He gazed at his preserverwildly . A mingled expression of stupidity and fi erceness

m arked his features,mental agony and bodily exhausti on

combined to unsettl e his faculties . Let them come ! ” heexclaimed ;

“I can die but once . Tel l my poor girls that Iacted l ike a sold ier

,and run as long as I could .

Dangerly, ass isted by his m en,placed him on the horse ;

the change of pos ition brought him to his sen ses,he looked

round for a moment l ike one awakened from a dream ,then

TH E B A R R A C K -Ma s r na’

s D A U G H T E R. 427

press ing his heels into the charger’s sides,was borne in a few

minutes to his companions .

There goes the last of them i” shouted Dangerly ; nowfo r another charge Hurra

,my brave fel lows Vi rginia for

eve r !”

T he Indians, once more dri ven back , pursued no further,and the covering ‘ party

,dripping w ith sweat and blood

,soon

jo ined the m ain body .

Thiswas a proud triumph for the Virginia troops. At

the commencement o f the exped ition thei r services had beenpressed upon Co lonel Grant against his wishes

,and he had on

the morning of thi s eventful day ordered them away fromthe held of battl e in the m ost ungracious manner. Forgettingthese indignities

,they cam e to the rescue of the king’s troops

with a magnanimity as creditable to them as the skill andgallantry d isplayed in the conflict. They had decis ively beatenthe same enem y which had fi rst defeated a vastly superiornumber o f the regular forces ; and while the latter were wellcontent to escape captiv ity or death

,the brave Virginians

were entitl ed to all the laurels of this hard-fought held . Mr.

Dangerly especial ly looked back upon the events of this daywith emotions o f p 1 ide and pleasure . Although a very young

offi cer,the death or capture of all his superiors had placed

him in comm and , and to him chicfly redounded cthe glory of

retri ev ing the battl e . But,above all

,he felt a secret joy in

the sc rxice which he had rendered to the barrack-master.

The beautiful v ision of Alice Hagerty had not faded from hismemory .

The adventure atFortCumberland, the only one of

his l i fe in which a fair ladywas a party, had been cherishedand brooded over unti l it had made a permanent impress ionupon his imagination .

A rdent and romantic in his tempera

m ent.he su fi

'

ered his f ancy to dw'e l l upon this agreeable incident, unti l that which was at fi rst V lcwed as a mere pos

s ibility,began to assume the form of truth, and he not only

became fully persuaded that hewas in love himself, but even

428 L E G E N D S O F T H E WV E s 'r .

ventured to fancy that the young l ady“m ight in time be

proved to.possess a heart as susceptibl e as his Own. As for

the barrack-master,hewas not ungrateful

,as wi ll be seen in

the sequel of this veracious l egend .

We shal l nowl eave these peri l ous wars,of which the

reader has perhaps had a surfeit,and change the scen e to Fort

Cumberland . The tr0 0ps had returned,and Major Hagerty

sat by his own fi reside,surrounded by all his social com fo rts

,

and tall daughters . Hewas repeating the story of the battl e— the twentieth editi on w ith cop ious notes- andwas dwell ingespecially on his own miraculous ltair-breadth escape fromthe barber-ous surgical Operation of scalping

,wherein he spake

eloquently of the magnanimous conduct of Mr. Dangerly, ingiving up his horse at a timewhen this heroic young m an

was so exhausted from f atigue and loss of blood as to renderthe act one of generous sel f-sacrifi ce.

Wh at a nobl e deed l” exclaimed Al ice .Cons idering that hewas never out of Ameri ca

,itwas

quite remarkable,

said Miss Hagerty Number 1 .“A very clever acti on,I declare

,

” echoed Number 2.

We are under infi nite obl igations to him,

”s impered

Number 3 .

The barrack-master puffed the tobacco smoke in large volumes from his mouth , and after mu sing for some minutes

,

said with a s ignifi cant glance,I fear

,Alice

,my dear

,that he has l osthis heart.

”

The young lady blushed deeply,for the impression made

by her beauty upon the heart of the Ameri can o ffi cer hadbeen the subject o f so much conversation and merriment

,that

the al lus i on could not be misunderstood .

Gordon need hardly fear such a rival,

remarked Number 1

,ironically — fo r Number 1

,with reve rence be it spoken

,

had passed the matu re age of fi ve~and-twenty,and sometimes

spoke tartly in relation to young men .

The firther seemed hurt, andwarm ly repl ied,You might

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430 L E G E N D S o n T H E W E S T .

spectable Philadelphia circle , she found l ittl e to pl ease her i nthe overbearing manners

,the coarsewit

,and d iss ipated habits

of the B ritish offi cers ; while the young Americanwas al waysspoken o f

'as one whose good sense and i irtue equalled his

courage . Itwill therefore not be wondered at,that the fair

E leanor should have formed the determination express edabove

,nor thatwhile she thus spoke in jest

,she should in

sober earnest have resolved to set her cap for the l i eutenant. ”

One more scene,and we shal l have ended . Lieutenant

Dangerly , i n spite of his bashfulness,had resol ved to pay a

v isit to the fair Alice . Perhaps he never would have pl uckedup cou rage for such an enterprise

,had not his comrades

teased him until he became desperate,whil e the report of her

engagement to Major Gordon awakened his j ealousy . If it

be true,

”thought he

,that her heart is pl ighted to Gordon

,

I shal l not complain . He is a fine fellow,and deserves her.

But I shal l feel better satisfi ed when I know from her ownl ips that there is no hope for me . ”

Behold him now seated in the barrack-master’s parl our,

twirl ing his hat i n his hands and watching the door with apalpitating heart. At l ength a l ight step is heard

,and the

fairy form of Eleanor gl ided ia. The l i eutenant rose,scraped

his best bow,dropped his hat

,picked it up, andwas about to

hand a chair,when he perceived that the young ladywas

already seated . He glanced wistfully at the door and med itated a retreat ; If I could only avoid a close action bypassing defi le in the rear

,

”thoughthe— but itwas too late .

E leanorwas too polite,and entertained too s incere a re

gard for her visitor, to notice these things . She led the wayin conversation— j alk ed of the recent campaigns

,of guns

,

horses,and parades

,with the fluency of one well versed in

such subj ects ; and her V is itor, forgetting his embarrassment,unconsciousl y fel l into an animated d ial ogue . Dangerly

’s

heartwas nowirrevocably gone . If'the young lady ’s beauty

respectful pol iteness , and the evident interestwith which she

l istened to him , completed the conquest of his affections . An

ho ur rolled away , when, unable to rem ain longer in suspense,

he said,

May I, without giv ing ofi’

ence,ask you one question 1”

Oh , yes ; I love to answer questions .

”

Are you— is Major Gordon— pardon me for seeming so

inquis itivefi are you absolutely engaged to Major Gordon 1”“I em not engaged to Major Go rdon 1”

Not engaged Do you say that pos itiveiy"4”

I neverwas more in earnest,

”repl ied the blushing girl.“Strange ! Why, the whole garrison bel ieved you to be

on the eve of marriage with Major Gordon 1”“Major Gordon is engaged too

my s ister,

”repl ied El eanor

,

quite composedly .

Dange r]y rose and paced the room his heartwas in histhroat

,and his l imbs trembled with emotion . Eleanor

walked to a window,and began to feel a l ittle choked too.

One more question,

said he,approaching her.

I only promised to answer one . ”

Danger]y involuntarily laid his hand on hers. She didnot withd raw it. Their eyes m et

,and a language which

cannotbe mistaken,revealed to each the treasured secret of

the other’s heart.Atthis momentAl ice entered the room lean ing on Major

Gordon’s arm .

“Mr. Dangerly,

”said the latter

,I have

never unti l nowfelt authorized to thank you for the braveservice Which you rendered to this lady , for lwas not beforeat l iberty to mention her name in connection with my own ;but the happy day being newappointed, I em privi leged toindulge my feelings of gratitude . ”“That lady You

’ mistake sir : this is the lady to whom

Iwas so fortunate as to render a sl ight service .”

“It is you thatmistake,” repl ied Alice .

0

432 L E G E N D S O F T H E W E S T .

Dangerlygazed at the two s isters alternately . If suchis the fact

,said he

,Pythagoraswas right inhis doctrine .

To that lady I gave a heart which had never before beentouched by the exqu is ite sensation of love

,and it is equally

certain that it has transferred itself to the person of this herlovely s ister. I am very sure that I love this lady there isno mistake about that.

”

A moath after this time the two s isters stood together beforethe hymeneal altar

,dressed exactly al ike .

Gordon,

”said Dangerly, be good enough to stand a

l ittl e further off,for fear we change partners . Y ou took the

fi rst pick,but I love my Eleanor too well to have the sl ightest

incl ination to swap . Be pleased,Mr. Clergyman

,to dress

the ranks before you begin , and take care not to get theparties mixed .

”

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434 L E G E N D S o r T H E W E S T .

Buther spirit is high and her heart is proud.

She dreads notthe wave nor the lowering cloud,

F or her soul is undaunted, and swift is herway,As she guides her canoe through the foam ing spray.

She has lefta brave lover— ah ! feeble and cold

Is a young m aid’s affectionwhentempted by gold 1She has leftthe lone Wigwam , too lowly for herWho could followthe chase

,or could mingle inwar.

Ah pause, heedless m aid i ere to pause be too late,

F or see, all around thee, thei

omens of fate

And the shore of that terrible isle is nigh,Where the spirits dwell, and the death birds flyA voice through the tem pestthus kindly essay

’

d

TO arrestthewild course of the Indianmaid,Buta sunbeam fell brightonthe yellow sand

And she urges her skiff onthe fatal strand.

Then onward l speed onward thy story is told,

Thou hastbartei’d thy innocence, maiden, for gold !The spirits havewaru’d thee, the elem ents speak,Then onward I fly onward ! thy destiny seek 1”

In vain the m onition O u, on cries the m aid,See the gold howitglitters, let fools be afraid,Though my m other m ayweep, and my lover m ayBe m ine the bright treasure thatdries ev’ry tear.

”

She has reach’

d the brightisle of the golden sand,

And she gaz es in fear o’er that lone wild land,

F or the clouds are low, and the nightbirds shriek,And her frail canoe is a shapelesswreck.“~Y ettum thee, dear m aiden, while life is thine,Nor gaz eatthe gem s thatdeceitfully shine,F or before thee is tem pest, and death and the tomb,And behind thee is peace, and afi

'ectionand hom e.

”

She turu’

d—’

twas her lover, cam e o’

er the wave,Through tempest, thro ugh danger, that dear one to save,She paus

’

d— and the bold hunter stood by her sideI claim thee, I claim thee

,Moiua, my bride l

”

T H E I S L E o r T H E Y E LLOW S A N D S . 435

Ah feeble of purpose ! whatwoman can hear

Unm ov‘

d the fond nam e to her bosom so dear,

O r could balance thewealth of a golden isle,

With a bridal kiss and a lover’s sm ile 3

Her dream is past o’

er, and her fault confess’d,

She has hiddenher face in herwarrior’s breast,And she vows if each sand were agolden isle,She would batter them all for thatone lov

’

d smile !

THE END .