XIII
_THE KEY OF THE COUNTRY_
"The Falls is the Key of the Country. It shall be my depot ofsupplies. Here will I build a fort. A great city will one day arise onthis spot." And in honour of the King who had helped America, Clarknamed it Louisville.
Axes, hammers, and saws made music while Clark's busy brain wasplanning parks and squares to make his city the handsomest in America.But, ever disturbing this recreation, "Detroit" was in his soul."Public interest requires that I reside here until provision can bemade for the coming campaign."
"Since Clark's feat the world is running mad for Kentucky," said theneighbours in Caroline. Through all that Autumn, emigrants werehurrying down to take advantage of the new land laws of Virginia.
"A fleet of flatboats!" shouted the workmen at the Falls. Down withothers from Pittsburg, when the autumn rains raised the river, cameClark's old comrade, John Floyd, and his brothers and his bride, JaneBuchanan. One of those brothers was Isham Floyd, the boy drummer ofVincennes.
"I, too, shall build a fort," said John Floyd to his friends, "here onBear Grass Creek, close to Louisville."
Still emigrants were on their way, when a most terrific winter set in.Stock was frozen, wild beasts and game died. The forests lay deep withsnow, and rivers were solid with ice.
The cabins of Louisville were crowded, the fort was filled withemigrants. Food gave out, corn went up to one hundred and fiftydollars a bushel in depreciated continental currency. Even a cap ofnative fur cost five hundred dollars.
The patient people shivered under their buffalo, bear, and elk-skinbedquilts, penned in the little huts, living on boiled buffalo beefand venison hams, with fried bear or a slice of turkey breast forbread, and dancing on Christmas night with pineknot torches bracketedon the walls.
"Did you not say the conquerors of Vincennes waded through the drownedlands in February?" asked a fair one of her partner at the dance.
"Yes, but that was an open winter. This, thank God, is cold enough todeter our enemies from attempting to recover what they have lost."
"But Colonel Clark said the weather was warm?"
"Warm, did you say? Who knows what Clark would have called warmweather in February? The water up to their armpits could not have beenwarm at that time of year."
The spring waters broke; a thousand emigrants went down the Ohio toLouisville. And carcasses of bear, elk, deer, and lesser game floatedout of the frozen forests.
During the June rise more than three hundred flatboats arrived at theFalls loaded with wagons; for months long trains were departing fromLouisville with these people bound for the interior. Floyd's fort onthe Bear Grass became a rendezvous; the little harbour an anchoragefor watercraft.
"We must establish a claim to the Mississippi," wrote Jefferson toClark. "Go down to the mouth of the Ohio and build a fort on ChickasawBluff. It will give us a claim to the river."
While Clark was preparing, an express arrived from Kaskaskia,--
"We are threatened with invasion. Fly to our relief."
Without money save land warrants, without clothing save skins,depending on their rifles for food, Clark's little flotilla with twohundred men set down the Ohio, on the very flood that was bringing theemigrants, to clinch the hold on Illinois.
"I have now two thousand warriors on the Lakes. The Wabash Indianshave promised to amuse Mr. Clark at the Falls." De Peyster, the newcommandant at Detroit, was writing to General Haldimand at Quebec.Even as Clark left, a few daring savages came up and fired on the fortat Louisville.
"She is strong enough now to defend herself," said Clark as he pulledaway.
Colonel Bird, working hard at Detroit, started his Pottawattamies.They went but a little way.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Long Knives coming!" Pell-mell, back they fell, to befitted out all over again.
"These unsteady rogues put me out of all patience!" exclaimed theangry Colonel Bird. "They are always cooking or counciling. Indiansare most happy when most frequently fitted out."
"Such is the dependence on Indians without troops to lead them,"sagely remarked De Peyster. "But without them we could not hold thecountry."
"It is distressing," wrote Governor Haldimand, "to reflect thatnotwithstanding the vast treasure lavished upon these people, nodependence can be had on them."
"Amazing sum!" he exclaimed when the bills came in. "I observe withgreat concern the astonishing consumption of rum at Detroit. Thisexpense cannot be borne."
However, the Pottawattamies sharpened their hatchets and, newlyoutfitted, set out for the rapids of the Ohio.
"Bring them in alive if possible," was the parting admonition of DePeyster, warned by the obloquy of Hamilton. Vain remonstrance withfour hundred and seventy-six dozen scalping knives at Bird's command!
From every unwary emigrant along the Ohio, daily the Delawares andShawnees brought their offerings of scalps to Detroit, and throwingthem down at the feet of the commander said, "Father, we have done asyou directed us; we have struck your enemies."
The bounty was paid; the scalps were counted and flung into a cellarunder the Council House.
And De Peyster, really a good fellow, like Andre, a _bon vivant_ andlover of books and music, went on with his cards, balls, andassemblies, little feeling the iron that goes to the making ofnations.
"Kentuckians very bad people! Ought to be scalped as fast as taken,"said the Indians.