The Conquest: The True Story of Lewis and Clark

  XVI

  _OLD CHILLICOTHE_

  With a wrench at his hot heart stifled only by wrath anddetermination, Clark strode from St. Louis. At Cahokia Frenchdeserters were talking to Montgomery.

  "A tousand British and Indians on te march to Kentucky with cannon."

  "When did they start?" thundered Clark. The Frenchman dodged as ifshot.

  "Dey start same time dis. Colonel Bird to keep Clark busy in Kentuckyso Sinclair get San Loui' an' brak up te fur trade."

  For once in his life Clark showed alarm. "I know the situation of thatcountry. I shall attempt to get there before Bird does."

  Drawing Montgomery aside, he said, "And you, Colonel, chase theseretreating Indians. Chase them to Michilimackinac if possible. Destroytheir towns and crops, distress them, convince them that we willretaliate and thus deter them from joining the British again."

  Without pausing to breathe after the fatigue of the last few days,with a small escort Clark launched a boat and went flying down toChickasaw Bluffs. Disguised as Indians, feathered and painted, he anda few others left Fort Jefferson.

  Clark's army the year before had carried glowing news of Illinois.Already emigration had set in. On the way now he met forty familiesactually starving because they could not kill buffaloes.

  A gun?--it was a part of Clark. He used his rifle-barrelled firelockas he used his hands, his feet, his eyes, instantly, surely,involuntarily. He showed them how to strike the buffalo in a vitalpart, killed fourteen, and hurried on, thirty miles a day, fordingstream and swamp and tangled forest to save Kentucky.

  Kentucky was watching for her deliverer. Into his ear was poured thestartling tale. With Simon Girty, the renegade, and six hundredIndians, down the high waters of the Miami and up the Licking, Birdcame to Ruddle's station and fired his cannon. Down went the woodenpalisades like a toy blockhouse before his six-pounders.

  "Surrender!" came the summons from Colonel Bird.

  "Yes, if we can be prisoners to the British and not to the Indians."

  Bird assented. The gates were thrown open. Indians flew like dogs uponthe helpless people.

  "You promised security," cried Captain Ruddle.

  "I cannot stop them," said Bird. "I, too, am in their power."

  Madly the Indians sacked the station and killed the cattle. Loadingthe household goods upon the backs of the unfortunate owners, theydrove them forth and gave their cabins to the flames.

  The same scenes were enacted at Martin's Station. The Indians werewild for more. But Bird would not permit further devastation. He couldeasily have taken every fort in Kentucky, not one could have withstoodhis artillery; but to his honour be it said, he led his forces out.

  Loaded with plunder, the wretched captives, four hundred and fiftymen, women, and children, were driven away to Detroit. Whoeverfaltered was tomahawked.

  Clark immediately called on the militia of Kentucky. Hastening toHarrodsburg he found the newcomers wild over land entries.

  "Land!" they cried, "you can have all you can hold against theIndians."

  It was a grewsome joke. The Indians would not even let them survey.Like a military dictator, Clark closed the land office,--"Nor will itbe opened again until after this expedition."

  Immediately a thousand men enlisted. Logan, Linn, Floyd, Harrod, allfollowed the banner of Clark. Boone and Kenton set on ahead as guides,into the land they knew so well.

  "Is it not dangerous to invade the Shawnee country?" inquired one.

  "I was not born in the woods to be scared by an owl," was Clark'ssententious reply.

  All the provisions they had for twenty-five days was six quarts ofparched corn each, except what they got in the Indian country.

  Canoeing down the Licking, on the first day of August they crossed theOhio. Scarce touching shore they heard the scalp halloo. Some fell.Within fifteen minutes Clark had his axes in the forest building ablockhouse for his wounded. On that spot now stands Cincinnati.

  On pressed Clark in his retaliatory dash,--before the Shawnees evensuspected, the Kentuckians were at Old Chillicothe. They flew to arms,but the Long Knives swooped down with such fury that Simon Girty drewoff.

  "It is folly to fight such madmen."

  Chillicothe went down in flames; Piqua followed; fields, gardens, morethan five hundred acres of corn were razed to the level of the sod.

  Piqua was Tecumseh's village; again he learned to dread and hate thewhite man.

  "That will keep them at home hunting for a while," remarked Clark,turning back to the future Cincinnati.