betty zane-第8节

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Betty　appeared　at　the　door；　and　seeing　the　room　filled　with　men　she　hesitated　a　moment　before　coming　forward。　In　her　white　dress　she　made　such　a　dainty　picture　that　she　seemed　out　of　place　among　those　surroundings。　Alfred　Clarke；　for　one；　thought　such　a　charming　vision　was　wasted　on　the　rough　settlers；　every　one　of　whom　wore　a　faded　and　dirty　buckskin　suit　and　a　belt　containing　a　knife　and　a　tomahawk。　Colonel　Zane　stepped　up　to　Betty　and　placing　his　arm　around　her　turned　toward　Clarke　with　pride　in　his　eyes。

〃Betty；　I　want　to　make　you　acquainted　with　the　hero　of　the　hour；　Mr。　Alfred　Clarke。　This　is　my　sister。〃

Betty　bowed　to　Alfred；　but　lowered　her　eyes　instantly　on　encountering　the　young　man's　gaze。

〃I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　Miss　Zane　twice　today；〃　said　Alfred。

〃Twice？〃　asked　Colonel　Zane；　turning　to　Betty。　She　did　not　answer；　but　disengaged　herself　from　his　arm　and　sat　down　by　Isaac。

〃It　was　on　the　river　road　that　I　first　met　Miss　Zane；　although　I　did　not　know　her　then；〃　answered　Alfred。　〃I　had　some　difficulty　in　stopping　her　pony　from　going　to　Fort　Pitt；　or　some　other　place　down　the　river。〃

〃Ha！　Ha！　Well；　I　know　she　rides　that　pony　pretty　hard；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　with　his　hearty　laugh。　〃I'll　tell　you；　Clarke；　we　have　some　riders　here　in　the　settlement。　Have　you　heard　of　Major　McColloch's　leap　over　the　hill？〃

〃I　have　heard　it　mentioned；　and　I　would　like　to　hear　the　story；〃　responded　Alfred。　〃I　am　fond　of　horses；　and　think　I　can　ride　a　little　myself。　I　am　afraid　I　shall　be　compelled　to　change　my　mind。〃

〃That　is　a　fine　animal　you　rode　from　Fort　Pitt；〃　remarked　the　Major。　〃I　would　like　to　own　him。〃

〃Come；　draw　your　chairs　up　and　he'll　listen　to　Isaac's　story；〃　said　Colonel　Zane。

〃I　have　not　much　of　a　story　to　tell；〃　said　Isaac；　in　a　voice　still　weak　and　low。　〃I　have　some　bad　news；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　but　I　shall　leave　that　for　the　last。　This　year；　if　it　had　been　completed；　would　have　made　my　tenth　year　as　a　captive　of　the　Wyandots。　This　last　period　of　captivity；　which　has　been　nearly　four　years；　I　have　not　been　ill…treated　and　have　enjoyed　more　comfort　than　any　of　you　can　imagine。　Probably　you　are　all　familiar　with　the　reason　for　my　long　captivity。　Because　of　the　interest　of　Myeerah；　the　Indian　Princess；　they　have　importuned　me　for　years　to　be　adopted　into　the　tribe；　marry　the　White　Crane；　as　they　call　Myeerah；　and　become　a　Wyandot　chief。　To　this　I　would　never　consent；　though　I　have　been　careful　not　to　provoke　the　Indians。　I　was　allowed　the　freedom　of　the　camp；　but　have　always　been　closely　watched。　I　should　still　be　with　the　Indians　had　I　not　suspected　that　Hamilton；　the　British　Governor；　had　formed　a　plan　with　the　Hurons；　Shawnees；　Delawares；　and　other　tribes；　to　strike　a　terrible　blow　at　the　whites　along；　the　river。　For　months　I　have　watched　the　Indians　preparing　for　an　expedition；　the　extent　of　which　they　had　never　before　undertaken。　I　finally　learned　from　Myeerah　that　my　suspicions　were　well　founded。　A　favorable　chance　to　escape　presented　and　I　took　it　and　got　away。　I　outran　all　the　braves；　even　Arrowswift；　the　Wyandot　runner；　who　shot　me　through　the　arm。　I　have　had　a　hard　time　of　it　these　last　three　or　four　days；　living　on　herbs　and　roots；　and　when　I　reached　the　river　I　was　ready　to　drop。　I　pushed　a　log　into　the　water　and　started　to　drift　over。　When　the　old　dog　saw　me　I　knew　I　was　safe　if　I　could　hold　on。　Once；　when　the　young　man　pointed　his　gun　at　me；　I　thought　it　was　all　over。　I　could　not　shout　very　loud。〃

〃Were　you　going　to　shoot？〃　asked　Colonel　Zane　of　Clarke。

〃I　took　him　for　an　Indian；　but　fortunately　I　discovered　my　mistake　in　time；〃　answered　Alfred。

〃Are　the　Indians　on　the　way　here？〃　asked　Jonathan。

〃That　I　cannot　say。　At　present　the　Wyandots　are　at　home。　But　I　know　that　the　British　and　the　Indians　will　make　a　combined　attack　on　the　settlements。　It　may　be　a　month；　or　a　year；　but　it　is　coming。〃

〃And　Hamilton；　the　hair　buyer；　the　scalp　buyer；　is　behind　the　plan；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　in　disgust。

〃The　Indians　have　their　wrongs。　I　sympathize　with　them　in　many　ways。　We　have　robbed　them；　broken　faith　with　them；　and　have　not　lived　up　to　the　treaties。　Pipe　and　Wingenund　are　particularly　bitter　toward　the　whites。　I　understand　Cornplanter　is　also。　He　would　give　anything　for　Jonathan's　scalp；　and　I　believe　any　of　the　tribes　would　give　a　hundred　of　their　best　warriors　for　'Black　Wind；'　as　they　call　Lew　Wetzel。〃

〃Have　you　ever　seen　Red　Fox？〃　asked　Jonathan；　who　was　sitting　near　the　fire　and　as　usual　saying　but　little。　He　was　the　wildest　and　most　untamable　of　all　the　Zanes。　Most　of　the　time　he　spent　in　the　woods；　not　so　much　to　fight　Indians；　as　Wetzel　did；　but　for　pure　love　of　outdoor　life。　At　home　he　was　thoughtful　and　silent。

〃Yes；　I　have　seen　him；〃　answered　Isaac。　〃He　is　a　Shawnee　chief　and　one　of　the　fiercest　warriors　in　that　tribe　of　fighters。　He　was　at　Indian…head；　which　is　the　name　of　one　of　the　Wyandot　villages；　when　I　visited　there　last；　and　he　had　two　hundred　of　his　best　braves　with　him。〃

〃He　is　a　bad　Indian。　Wetzel　and　I　know　him。　He　swore　he　would　hang　our　scalps　up　in　his　wigwam；〃　said　Jonathan。

〃What　has　he　in　particular　against　you？〃　asked　Colonel　Zane。　〃Of　course；　Wetzel　is　the　enemy　of　all　Indians。〃

〃Several　years　ago　Wetzel　and　I　were　on　a　hunt　down　the　river　at　the　place　called　Girty's　Point；　where　we　fell　in　with　the　tracks　of　five　Shawnees。　I　was　for　coming　home；　but　Wetzel　would　not　hear　of　it。　We　trailed　the　Indians　and；　coming　up　on　them　after　dark；　we　tomahawked　them。　One　of　them　got　away　crippled；　but　we　could　not　follow　him　because　we　discovered　that　they　had　a　white　girl　as　captive；　and　one　of　the　red　devils；　thinking　we　were　a　rescuing　party；　had　tomahawked　her。　She　was　not　quite　dead。　We　did　all　we　could　to　save　her　life。　She　died　and　we　buried　her　on　the　spot。　They　were　Red　Fox's　braves　and　were　on　their　way　to　his　camp　with　the　prisoner。　A　year　or　so　afterwards　I　learned　from　a　friendly　Indian　that　the　Shawnee　chief　had　sworn　to　kill　us。　No　doubt　he　will　be　a　leader　in　the　coming　attack。〃

〃We　are　living　in　the　midst　of　terrible　times；〃　remarked　Colonel　Zane。　〃Indeed；　these　are　the　times　that　try　men's　souls；　but　I　firmly　believe　the　day　is　not　far　distant　when　the　redmen　will　be　driven　far　over　the　border。〃

〃Is　the　Indian　Princess　pretty？〃　asked　Betty　of　Isaac。

〃Indeed　she　is；　Betty；　almost　as　beautiful　as　you　are；〃　said　Isaac。　〃She　is　tall　and　very　fair　for　an　Indian。　But　I　have　something　to　tell　about　her　more　interesting　than　that。　Since　I　have　been　with　the　Wyandots　this　last　time　I　have　discovered　a　little　of　the　jealously　guarded　secret　of　Myeerah's　mother。　When　Tarhe　and　his　band　of　Hurons　lived　in　Canada　their　home　was　in　the　Muskoka　Lakes　region　on　the　Moon　river。　The　old　warriors　tell　wonderful　stories　of　the　beauty　of　that　country。　Tarhe　took　captive　some　French　travellers；　among　them　a　woman　named　La　Durante。　She　had　a　beautiful　little　girl。　The　prisoners；　except　this　little　girl；　were　released。　When　she　grew　up　Tarhe　married　her。　Myeerah　is　her　child。　Once　Tarhe　took　his　wife　to　Detroit　and　she　was　seen　there　by　an　old　Frenchman　who　went　crazy　over　her　and　said　she　was　his　child。　Tarhe　never　went　to　the　white　settlements　again。　So　you　see；　Myeerah　is　from　a　great　French　family　on　her　mother's　side；　as　this　is　old　Frenchman　was　probably　Chevalier　La　Durante；　and　Myeerah's　grandfather。〃

〃I　would　love　to　see　her；　and　yet　I　hate　her。　What　an　odd　name　she　has；〃　said　Betty。

〃It　is　the　Indian　name　for　the　white　crane；　a　rare　and　beautiful　bird。　I　never　saw　one。　The　name　has　been　celebrated　among　the　Hurons　as　long　as　any　one　of　them　can　remember。　The　Indians　call　her　the　White　Crane；　or　Walk…in…the…Water；

because　of　her　love　for　wading　in　the　stream。〃

〃I　think　we　have　made　Isaac　talk　enough　for　one　night；〃　said　Colonel　Zane。　〃He　is　tired　out。　Major；　tell　Isaac　and　Betty；　and　Mr。　Clarke；　too；　of　your　jump　over　the　cliff。〃

〃I　have　heard　of　that　leap　from　the　Indians；〃　said　Isaac。

〃Major；　from　what　hill　did　you　jump　your　horse？〃　asked　Alfred。

〃You　know　the　bare　rocky　bluff　that　stands　out　prominently　on　the　hill　across　the　creek。　From　that　spot　Colonel　Zane　first　saw　the　valley；　and　from　there　I　leaped　my　horse。　I　can　never　convince　myself　that　it　really　happened。　Often　I　look　up　at　that　cliff　in　doubt。　But　the　Indians　and　Colonel　Zane；　Jonathan；　Wetzel　and　others　say　they　actually　saw　the　deed　done；　so　I　must　accept　it；〃　said　Major　McColloch。

〃It　seems　incredible！〃　said　Alfred。　〃I　cannot　understand　how　a　man　or　horse　could　go　over　that　precipice　and　live。〃

〃That　is　what　we　all　say；〃　responded　the　Colonel。　〃I　suppose　I　shall　have　to　tell　the　story。　We　have　fighters　and　makers　of　history　here；　but　few　talkers。〃

〃I　am　anxious　to　hear　it；〃　answered　Clarke；　〃and　I　am　curious　to　see　this　man　Wetzel；　whose　fame　has　reached　as　far　as　my　home；　way　down　in　Virginia。〃

〃You　will　have　your　wish　gratified　soon；　I　have　no　doubt；〃　resumed　the　Colonel。　〃Well；　now　for　the　story　of　McColloch's　mad　ride　for　life　and　his　wonderful　leap　down　Wheeling　hill。　A　year　ago；　when　the　fort　was　besieged　by　the　Indians；　the　Major　got　through　the　lines　and　made　off　for　Short　Creek。　He　returned　next　morning　with　forty　mounted