the spirit of the border-第42节

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mused　Jim。　〃What　will　Nell　say？〃



〃We're　getting　warnings　enough。　Do　you　appreciate　that？〃　asked　Edwards。　

〃'Pipe　and　Half　King　have　been　influenced　by　Girty。'　Evidently　the　writer

deemed　that　brief　sentence　of　sufficient　meaning。〃



〃Edwards；　we're　preachers。　We　can't　understand　such　things。　I　am　learning；　at

least　something　every　day。　Colonel　Zane　advised　us　not　to　come　here。　Wetzel

said；　'Go　back　to　Fort　Henry。'　Girty　warned　us；　and　now　comes　this　peremptory

order　from　Isaac　Zane。〃



〃Well？〃



〃It　means　that　these　border　men　see　what　we　will　not　admit。　We　ministers　have

such　hope　and　trust　in　God　that　we　can　not　realize　the　dangers　of　this　life。　I

fear　that　our　work　has　been　in　vain。〃



〃Never。　We　have　already　saved　many　souls。　Do　not　be　discouraged。〃



All　this　time　the　runner　had　stood　near　at　hand　straight　as　an　arrow。

Presently　Edwards　suggested　that　the　Wyandot　was　waiting　to　be　questioned；　and

accordingly　he　asked　the　Indian　if　he　had　anything　further　to　communicate。



〃Hurongo　bypaleface。〃　Here　he　held　up　both　hands　and　shut　his　fists

several　times；　evidently　enumerating　how　many　white　men　he　had　seen。　

〃Herewhenhighsun。〃



With　that　he　bounded　lightly　past　them；　and　loped　off　with　an　even；　swinging

stride。



〃What　did　he　mean？〃　asked　Jim；　almost　sure　he　had　not　heard　the　runner　aright。



〃He　meant　that　a　party　of　white　men　are　approaching；　and　will　be　here　by　noon。

I　never　knew　an　Indian　runner　to　carry　unreliable　information。　We　have　joyful

news；　both　in　regard　to　your　brother；　and　the　Village　of　Peace。　　Let　us　go　in

to　tell　the　others。〃



The　Huron　runner's　report　proved　to　be　correct。　Shortly　before　noon　signals

from　Indian　scouts　proclaimed　the　approach　of　a　band　of　white　men。　Evidently

Girty's　forces　had　knowledge　beforehand　of　the　proximity　of　this　band；　for　the

signals　created　no　excitement。　The　Indians　expressed　only　a　lazy　curiosity。

Soon　several　Delaware　scouts　appeared；　escorting　a　large　party　of

frontiersmen。



These　men　turned　out　to　be　Captain　Williamson's　force；　which　had　been　out　on

an　expedition　after　a　marauding　tribe　of　Chippewas。　This　last　named　tribe　had

recently　harried　the　remote　settlers；　and　committed　depredations　on　the

outskirts　of　the　white　settlements　eastward。　The　company　was　composed　of　men

who　had　served　in　the　garrison　at　Fort　Pitt；　and　hunters　and　backwoodsmen　from

Yellow　Creek　and　Fort　Henry。　The　captain　himself　was　a　typical　borderman；

rough　and　bluff；　hardened　by　long　years　of　border　life；　and；　like　most

pioneers；　having　no　more　use　for　an　Indian　than　for　a　snake。　He　had　led　his

party　after　the　marauders；　and　surprised　and　slaughtered　nearly　all　of　them。

Returning　eastward　he　had　passed　through　Goshocking；　where　he　learned　of　the

muttering　storm　rising　over　the　Village　of　Peace；　and　had　come　more　out　of

curiosity　than　hope　to　avert　misfortune。



The　advent　of　so　many　frontiersmen　seemed　a　godsend　to　the　perplexed　and

worried　missionaries。　They　welcomed　the　newcomers　most　heartily。　　Beds　were

made　in　several　of　the　newly　erected　cabins；　the　village　was　given　over　for

the　comfort　of　the　frontiersmen。　Edwards　conducted　Captain　Williamson　through

the　shops　and　schools；　and　the　old　borderman's　weather…beaten　face　expressed　a

comical　surprise。



〃Wal；　I'll　be　durned　if　I　ever　expected　to　see　a　redskin　work；〃　was　his　only

comment　on　the　industries。



〃We　are　greatly　alarmed　by　the　presence　of　Girty　and　his　followers；〃　said

Edwards。　〃We　have　been　warned　to　leave；　but　have　not　been　actually　threatened。

What　do　you　infer　from　the　appearance　here　of　these　hostile　savages？〃



〃It　hardly　'pears　to　me　they'll　bother　you　preachers。　They're　agin　the

Christian　redskins；　that's　plain。〃



〃Why　have　we　been　warned　to　go？〃



〃That's　natural；　seein'　they're　agin　the　preachin'。〃



〃What　will　they　do　with　the　converted　Indians？〃



〃Mighty　onsartin。　They　might　let　them　go　back　to　the　tribes；　but　'pears　to　me

these　good　Injuns　won't　go。　Another　thing；　Girty　is　afeered　of　the　spread　of

Christianity。〃



〃Then　you　think　our　Christians　will　be　made　prisoners？〃



〃'Pears　likely。〃



〃And　you；　also；　think　we'd　do　well　to　leave　here。〃



〃I　do；　sartin。　We're　startin'　for　Fort　Henry　soon。　You'd　better　come　along

with　us。〃



〃Captain　Williamson；　we're　going　to　stick　it　out；　Girty　or　no　Girty。〃



〃You　can't　do　no　good　stayin'　here。　Pipe　and　Half　King　won't　stand　for　the

singin'；　prayin'　redskins；　especially　when　they've　got　all　these　cattle　and

fields　of　grain。〃



〃Wetzel　said　the　same。〃



〃Hev　you　seen　Wetzel？〃



〃Yes；　he　rescued　a　girl　from　Jim　Girty；　and　returned　her　to　us。〃



〃That　so？　I　met　Wetzel　and　Jack　Zane　back　a　few　miles　in　the　woods。　　They're

layin'　for　somebody；　because　when　I　asked　them　to　come　along　they　refused；

sayin'　they　had　work　as　must　be　done。　They　looked　like　it；　too。　I　never　hern

tell　of　Wetzel　advisin'　any　one　before；　but　I'll　say　if　he　told　me　to　do　a

thing；　by　Gosh！　I'd　do　it。〃



〃As　men；　we　might　very　well　take　the　advice　given　us；　but　as　preachers　we　must

stay　here　to　do　all　we　can　for　these　Christian　Indians。　One　thing　more：　will

you　help　us？〃



〃I　reckon　I'll　stay　here　to　see　the　thing　out；〃　answered　Williamson。　　Edwards

made　a　mental　note　of　the　frontiersman's　evasive　answer。



Jim　had；　meanwhile；　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　young　minister；　John　Christy　by

name；　who　had　lost　his　sweetheart　in　one　of　the　Chippewa　raids；　and　had

accompanied　the　Williamson　expedition　in　the　hope　he　might　rescue　her。



〃How　long　have　you　been　out？〃　asked　Jim。



〃About　four　weeks　now；〃　answered　Christy。　〃My　betrothed　was　captured　five

weeks　ago　yesterday。　I　joined　Williamson's　band；　which　made　up　at　Short　Creek

to　take　the　trail　of　the　flying　Chippewas；　in　the　hope　I　might　find　her。　But

not　a　trace！　The　expedition　fell　upon　a　band　of　redskins　over　on　the

Walhonding；　and　killed　nearly　all　of　them。　I　learned　from　a　wounded　Indian

that　a　renegade　had　made　off　with　a　white　girl　about　a　week　previous。　Perhaps

it　was　poor　Lucy。〃



Jim　related　the　circumstances　of　his　own　capture　by　Jim　Girty；　the　rescue　of

Nell；　and　Kate's　sad　fate。



〃Could　Jim　Girty　have　gotten　your　girl？〃　inquired　Jim；　in　conclusion。



〃It's　fairly　probable。　The　description　doesn't　tally　with　Girty's。　This

renegade　was　short　and　heavy；　and　noted　especially　for　his　strength。　Of

course；　an　Indian　would　first　speak　of　some　such　distinguishing　feature。　

There　are；　however；　ten　or　twelve　renegades　on　the　border；　and；　excepting　Jim

Girty；　one's　as　bad　as　another。〃



〃Then　it's　a　common　occurrence；　this　abducting　girls　from　the　settlements？〃



〃Yes；　and　the　strange　thing　is　that　one　never　hears　of　such　doings　until　he

gets　out　on　the　frontier。〃



〃For　that　matter；　you　don't　hear　much　of　anything；　except　of　the　wonderful

richness　and　promise　of　the　western　country。〃



〃You're　right。　Rumors　of　fat；　fertile　lands　induce　the　colonist　to　become　a

pioneer。　He　comes　west　with　his　family；　two　out　of　every　ten　lose　their

scalps；　and　in　some　places　the　average　is　much　greater。　The　wives；　daughters

and　children　are　carried　off　into　captivity。　I　have　been　on　the　border　two

years；　and　know　that　the　rescue　of　any　captive；　as　Wetzel　rescued　your　friend；

is　a　remarkable　exception。〃



〃If　you　have　so　little　hope　of　recovering　your　sweetheart；　what　then　is　your

motive　for　accompanying　this　band　of　hunters？〃



〃Revenge！〃



〃And　you　are　a　preacher？〃　Jim's　voice　did　not　disguise　his　astonishment。



〃I　was　a　preacher；　and　now　I　am　thirsting　for　vengeance；〃　answered　Christy；

his　face　clouding　darkly。　〃Wait　until　you　learn　what　frontier　life　means。　　You

are　young　here　yet；　you　are　flushed　with　the　success　of　your　teaching；　you

have　lived　a　short　time　in　this　quiet　village；　where；　until　the　last　few　days；

all　has　been　serene。　You　know　nothing　of　the　strife；　of　the　necessity　of

fighting；　of　the　cruelty　which　makes　up　this　border　existence。　Only　two　years

have　hardened　me　so　that　I　actually　pant　for　the　blood　of　the　renegade　who　has

robbed　me。　A　frontiersman　must　take　his　choice　of　succumbing　or　cutting　his

way　through　flesh　and　bone。　Blood　will　be　spilled；　if　not　yours；　then　your

foe's。　The　pioneers　run　from　the　plow　to　the　fight；　they　halt　in　the　cutting

of　corn　to　defend　themselves；　and　in　winter　must　battle　against　cold　and

hardship；　which　would　be　less　cruel　if　there　was　time　in　summer　to　prepare　for

winter；　for　the　savages　leave　them　hardly　an　opportunity　to　plant　crops。　　How

many　pioneers　have　given　up；　and　gone　back　east？　Find　me　any　who　would　not

return　home　to…morrow；　if　they　could。　All　that　brings　them　out　here　is　the

chance　for　a　home；　and　all　that　keeps　them　out　here　is　the　poor　hope　of

finally　attaining　their　object。　Always　there　is　a　possibility　of　future

prosperity。　But　this　generation；　if　it　survives；　will　never　see　prosperity　and

happiness。　What　does　this　border　life　engende