In the Days of Poor Richard
3
Solomon sent his furs to market and went to work on the farm of JohnIrons and lived with the family. The boy returned to school. Afterthe hay had been cut and stacked in mid-summer, they were summoned toBoston to testify in the trial of Preston. They left in Septembertaking with them a drove of horses.
"It will be good for Jack," John Irons had said to his wife. "He'll bethe better prepared for his work in Philadelphia next fall."
Two important letters had arrived that summer. One from BenjaminFranklin to John Irons, offering Jack a chance to learn the printer'strade in his Philadelphia shop and board and lodging in his home. "Ifthe boy is disposed to make a wise improvement of his time," the greatman had written, "I shall see that he has an opportunity to take acourse at our Academy. I am sure he would be a help and comfort toMrs. Franklin. She, I think, will love to mother him. Do not beafraid to send him away from home. It will help him along towardmanhood. I was much impressed by his letter to Miss Margaret Hare,which her mother had the goodness to show me. He has a fine spirit anda rare gift for expressing it. She and the girl were convinced by itsargument, but the Colonel himself is an obdurate Tory--he being afavorite of the King. The girl, now very charming and much admired,is, I happen to know, deeply in love with your son. I have promisedher that, if she will wait for him, I will bring him over in good timeand act as your vicar at the wedding. This, she and her mother are themore ready to do because of their superstition that God has clearlyindicated him as the man who would bring her happiness and goodfortune. I find that many European women are apt to entertain andenjoy superstition and to believe in omens--not the only drop of oldpagan blood that lingers in their veins. I am sending, by this boat,some more books for Jack to read."
The other letter was from Margaret Hare to the boy, in which she hadsaid that they were glad to learn that he and Mr. Binkus were friendsof Captain Preston and inclined to help him in his trouble. "Since Iread your letter I am more in love with you than ever," she hadwritten. "My father was pleased with it. He thinks that all cause ofcomplaint will be removed. Until it is, I do not ask you to be a Tory,but only to be patient."
Jack and Solomon were the whole day getting their horses across VanDeusen's ferry and headed eastward in the rough road. Mr. Binkus worehis hanger--an old Damascus blade inherited from his father--andcarried his long musket and an abundant store of ammunition; Jack worehis two pistols, in the use of which he had become most expert.
When the horses had "got the kinks worked out," as Solomon put it, andwere a trifle tired, they browsed along quietly with the man and boyriding before and behind them. By and by they struck into thetwenty-mile bush beyond the valley farms. In the second day of theirtravel they passed an Albany trader going east with small kegs of rumon a pack of horses and toward evening came to an Indian village. Theywere both at the head of the herd.
"Stop," said Solomon as they saw the smoke of the fires ahead. "We gotto behave proper."
He put his hands to his mouth and shouted a loud halloo, which wasquickly answered. Then two old men came out to him and the talk whichfollowed in the Mohawk dialect was thus reported by the scout to hiscompanion:
"We wish to see the chief," said Solomon. "We have gifts for him."
"Come with us," said one of the old men as they led Solomon to theStranger's House. The old men went from hut to hut announcing thenewcomers. Victuals and pipes and tobacco were sent to the Stranger'sHouse for them. This structure looked like a small barn and was madeof rived spruce. Inside, the chief sat on a pile of unthrashed wheat.He had a head and face which reminded Jack of the old Roman emperorsshown in the Historical Collections. There was remarkable dignity inhis deep-lined face. His name was Thunder Tongue. The house had nowindows. Many skins hung from its one cross-beam above their heads.
Mr. Binkus presented beaver skins and a handsome belt. Then the chiefsent out some women to watch the horses and to bring Jack into thevillage. Near by were small fields of wheat and maize. The twotravelers sat down with the chief, who talked freely to Solomon Binkus.
"If white man comes to our village cold, we warm him; wet, we dry him;hungry, we feed him," he said. "When Injun man goes to Albany and asksfor food, they say, 'Where's your money? Get out, you Injun dog!' Thewhite man he comes with scaura and trades it for skins. It steals awaythe wisdom of the young braves. It bends my neck with trouble. It isbad."
They noted this just feeling of resentment in the old chief andexpressed their sympathy. Soon the Albany trader came with his pack ofrum. The chief greeted him cheerfully and asked for scaura.
"I have enough to make a hundred men happy," the trader answered.
"Bring it to me, for I have a sad heart," said Thunder Tongue.
When the Dutch trader went to his horse for the kegs, Solomon said tothe chief:
"Why do you let him bring trouble to your village and steal away thewisdom of your warriors?"
"Tell me why the creek flows to the great river and I will answer you,"said the chief.
He began drinking as soon as the trader came with the kegs, while theyoung warriors gathered about the door, each with skins on his arm.Soon every male Indian was staggering and whooping and the squaws withthe children had started into the thickets.
Solomon nudged Jack and left the hut, followed by the boy.
"Come on. Let's git out o' here. The squaws an' the young 'uns aresneakin'. You hear to me--thar'll be hell to pay here soon."
So while the braves were gathered about the trader and were drainingcups of fire-water, the travelers made haste to mount and get aroundthe village and back into their trail with the herd. They traveledsome miles in the long twilight and stopped at the Stony Brook Ford,where there were good water and sufficient grazing.
"Here's whar the ol' Green Mountain Trail comes down from the north an'crosses the one we're on," said Solomon.
They dismounted and Solomon hobbled a number of horses while Jack wasbuilding a fire. The scout, returning from the wild meadow, began toexamine some tracks he had found at the trail crossing. Suddenly hegave a whistle of surprise and knelt on the ground.
"Look 'ere, Jack," he called.
The boy ran to his side.
"Now this 'ere is suthin' cur'user than the right hoof o' the devil,"said Solomon Binkus, as he pointed with his forefinger at a print inthe soft dirt.
Jack saw the print of the wooden stump with the iron ring around itsbase which the boy had not forgotten. Near it were a number ofmoccasin tracks.
"What does this mean?" he asked.
"Wall, sir, I cocalate it means that ol' Mike Harpe has been chased outo' the Ohio country an' has come down the big river an' into LakeChamplain with some o' his band an' gone to cuttin' up an' beenobleeged to take to the bush. They've robbed somebody an' are puttin'fer salt water. They'll hire a boat an' go south an' then p'int ferthe 'Ganies. Ol' Red Snout shoved his leg in that 'ere gravel sometimethis forenoon prob'ly."
They brewed tea to wet their buttered biscuit and jerked venison.
Solomon looked as if he were sighting on a gun barrel when he said:
"Now ye see what's the matter with this 'ere Injun business. They'rejest a lot o' childern scattered all over the bush an' they don't haveto look fer deviltry. Deviltry is lookin' fer them an' when they gittogether thar's trouble."
Solomon stopped, now and then, to peer off into the bush as he talkedwhile the dusk was falling. Suddenly he put his finger to his lips.His keen eyes had detected a movement in the shadowy trail.
"Hide an' horns o' the devil!" he exclaimed in a low tone. "This 'eremay be suthin' neevarious. Shove ol' Marier this way an' grab yerpistols an' set still."
He crept on his hands and knees with the strap of his rifle in histeeth to the edge of the bush, where he sat for a moment looking andlistening. Suddenly Solomon arose and went back in the trail,indicating with a movement of his hand that the boy was not to follow.About fifteen rods from their camp-fire
he found an Indian maidensitting on the ground with bowed head. A low moan came from her lips.Her skin was of a light copper color. There was a wreath of wildflowers in her hair.
"My purty maid, are your people near?" Solomon asked in the Mohawktongue.
She looked up at him, her beautiful dark eyes full of tears, andsorrowfully shook her head.
"My father was a great white chief," she said. "Always a little birdtells me to love the white man. The beautiful young pale face on a redhorse took my heart with him. I go, too."
"You must go back to your people," said Solomon.
Again she shook her head, and, pointing up the trail, whispered:
"They will burn the Little White Birch. No more will I go in the trailof the red man. It is like climbing a thorn tree."
He touched her brow tenderly and she seized his hand and held itagainst her cheek.
"I follow the beautiful pale face," she whispered.
Solomon observed that her lips were shapely and her teeth white.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"They call me the Little White Birch."
Solomon told her to sit still and that he would bring food to her.
"It's jest only a little squaw," he said to Jack when he returned tothe camp-fire. "Follered us from that 'ere Injun village. I guess shewere skeered o' them drunken braves. I'm goin' to take some meat an'bread an' tea to her. No, you better stay here. She's as skeery as awild deer."
After Solomon had given her food he made her take his coat for ablanket and left her alone.
Next morning she was still there. Solomon gave her food again and whenthey resumed their journey they saw her following.
"She'll go to the end o' the road, I guess," said Solomon. "I'll tellye what we'll do. We'll leave her at Mr. Wheelock's School."
Their trail bore no further signs of Harpe and his followers.
"I'll bet ye a pint o' powder an' a fish hook they was p'intin' south,"said Solomon.
They reached the Indian school about noon. A kindly old Mohawk squawwho worked there was sent back in the trail to find the maiden. In afew minutes the squaw came in with her. Solomon left money with thegood master and promised to send more.
When the travelers went on that afternoon the Little White Birch stoodby the door looking down the road at them.
"She has a coat o' red on her skin, but the heart o' the white man,"said Solomon.
In a moment Jack heard him muttering, "It's a damn wicked thing todo--which there ain't no mistake."
They had come to wagon roads improving as they approached towns andvillages, in the first of which they began selling the drove. Whenthey reached Boston, nearly a week later, they had only the two horseswhich they rode.
The trial had just begun. Being ardent Whigs, their testimony made animpression. Jack's letter to his father says that Mr. Adamscomplimented them when they left the stand.
There is an old letter of Solomon Binkus which briefly describes thejourney. He speaks of the "pompy" men who examined them. "Theygrinned at me all the time an' the ol' big wig Jedge in the womern'sdress got mad if I tried to crack a joke," he wrote in his letter. "Helooked like he had paid too much fer his whistle an' thought I had soldit to him. Thought he were goin' to box my ears. John Addums iserbout as sharp as a razor. Took a likin' to Jack an' me. I tol' himhe were smart 'nough to be a trapper."
The two came back in the saddle and reached Albany late in October.