CHAPTER V.
"SETTIN' TILL BEDTIME"
One night in November the Rogers household had gathered as usual aroundthe hearth in the spacious living-room. The fire roared and crackledmerrily, dancing on the whitewashed walls, and shining brightly on thebrass andirons and the glass doors of the cupboard.
The candle-stand stood in the center of the room; on one side of it satAbner Dudley, reading aloud from the "Kentucky Gazette"; on the other,Mrs. Rogers, seated in the cushioned rocker, was patching a linseyjacket for Tommy, who, with his youngest brother, was playingjackstones on the floor behind the stand. To supplement the light fromcandle and fire, a huge hickory knot had been thrust into thefireplace, against one of the andirons. By its light Henry was weavinga basket, the floor around him littered with the long, pliable osierslips which the twins were sorting for his use. In the opposite corner,on a low stool, the negro girl, Rache, nodded over a piece of knitting.Mason Rogers, enjoying his after-supper pipe, was engaged in mending aset of harness. Susan, dreamily staring into the fire, held her sewingidly in her lap until her mother's voice aroused her.
"Come, Cissy, don't set thah with folded hands, ez though you wuz afine lady. Ef you can't see well 'nough to do the overcastin' on thetjac'net petticoat, git out yer tettin' or them quilt squares. Rache,you triflin' niggah, wake up. You don't airn yer salt. I declar' I'llhev you sold down South the nex' time ole Jake Hopkins teks a drove toAlabam'. I reckon you won't hev much time fur noddin' down in themcottonfields, with the overseer's lash a-lippin' yer back ever' time hesees you idlin'. You'd better mek yer needles fly, fur nary a thing'cept a switch an' some ashes will you git in yer Chris'mas stockin',ef all them socks fur Rube an' Tom ain't done by then. Lucy, you an'Lucindy leave 'lone them strips; you're jes' hend'rin' yer brothah. Gityer nine patch pieces. Gre't, big gals lak you ortn't idle."
"Some one's comin'!" exclaimed Mr. Rogers, the first to notice thebarking of the dogs outside. "See who 'tis, Henry."
"Heah, Lucy, gether up them twigs," bustled Mrs. Rogers, as she sweptthe hearth. "Rache, tek thet harnish out. I declar', Mason, I wishyou'd do sich wuck in the kitchen or stable. Folks'll think I ain't nosort o' housekeepah."
"How's Mrs. Gilcrest?" asked Mrs. Rogers a moment later, as she shookhands with Major Gilcrest and nodded to his boys, Martin Luther andSilas. "Wish she'd come with you, but I reckon she's feared to be outin the night air."
"Why didn't Betsy come?" Susan asked.
"Oh, Abby had company; Drane and Hart rode out from Lexington to spendthe evening. Abby felt that she couldn't entertain two beaux at once,so Betsy stayed to help her."
"Don't pull the house down, childurn," Mr. Rogers called cheerily, ashis four youngest and the Gilcrest boys were hurrying off to thekitchen for a game of romps. "Hold out yer apurns, gals, an' tek someapples 'long," he added to the twins. "You kin roast 'em on theh'arth."
"I hear, Mr. Dudley," said Gilcrest presently, "that you use the Bibleas a reading-book in your school."
"Only in one instance," replied Dudley. "Eli and Jacob Hinkson use theBible as a reader because their father refuses to get them any other."
"Ah!" exclaimed Gilcrest; "I must remonstrate with Hinkson."
"I'll be obliged if you will. I said all I could to him with no avail."
"It's a wrong use of the Word," said Gilcrest.
"Oh, I don't say that," Dudley replied. "If the text were not such hardreading for the little fellows, I'd be satisfied to have the Bible theonly reader used in school."
"No, no!" Gilcrest objected with an emphatic shake of his head. "Such acourse would tend to lead the young mind into error."
"On the contrary," returned Dudley, thoughtfully, "might not the seedof the gospel, thus sown, fall unconsciously into the child's heart andbear fruit for good when he is older?"
"No! It's dangerous to place the Bible in the hands of the unconvertedyoung."
"Do I understand you to mean that children should not read the Bible atall?" asked Dudley.
"The mysteries of the Scriptures are not for the child to tamper with.When I was a schoolboy in Massachusetts, the New England Primer was theonly reading-text, and I wish it were in vogue in our schools now; itcontained the Lord's Prayer and the Shorter Catechism, and that's all achild should know about the Bible until after he is converted."
"But," asked Dudley, "how can a child learn the way of salvation if notby Bible reading?"
"By study of the catechism, of course," answered Gilcrest. "Once rootedand grounded in that, he will not be liable to fall into error lateron, and put wrong interpretations on the Holy Scriptures. I'd ratherhave the Bible a sealed book to the unconverted, so that the Spirit maywork untrammeled and sovereignly on his heart."
"Ah! I see now why the priests in olden times chained up the Bible sothat the common people could not have access to it," observed youngDudley, with a sarcasm which was entirely lost on Gilcrest. "But isn'tit the idea of this age and country that there should be a 'free Biblefor a free people'?"
"Yes, for a 'free' people," retorted Gilcrest, "but not for those whoare still under bondage to sin. Besides, those who have not been wellinstructed in the catechism, know nothing about 'rightly dividing theword.'"
"How about that passage," asked Abner, "'All scripture is given byinspiration, and is profitable for--for--for----'?"
"Henry kin say it fur you," interrupted Mason Rogers, thinking that theschoolmaster's Biblical knowledge had failed him; "he's mighty peart onquotin' Scriptur."
Whereupon Henry, who up to this time had been a silent but interestedlistener to the discussion, repeated the passage.
"Precisely!" Gilcrest exclaimed. "All Scripture is profitable--but towhom? To 'the man of God.' To such--the elect, the called--how are theScriptures profitable? Why, as Paul says, to reprove and correct whenhe goes off into forbidden paths, and to instruct him further inrighteousness. Only the regenerate, the elect, are referred to; forthey only can do good works. Moreover, the very passages that are 'asavor of life unto life' to the called, are 'a savor of death untodeath' to those out of Christ."
"Egzactly! I see that p'int, anyway," said Mason Rogers, as he sat withchair tilted back, meditatively nibbling at the stem of his unlightedpipe. "Sartain Scriptures air made to suit sartain diseases, lakdoctah's physic; an' ef took when the systum hain't jes' in the rightfix fur it, they might kill, instid o' cure."
Here Mrs. Rogers, who until now had been dutifully silent, intent onher sewing, remarked, "Well, Hirum, Preacher Stone hain't o' yo' way o'thinkin'; he's allus urgin' Bible readin'."
"Ah! Sister Rogers, Stone has much to learn and to unlearn. He's toobroad in his views. In fact, I sometimes question whether he believesin Calvinism at all."
"Well, whut ef he don't, so long ez he lives right an' preaches right?"asked Mrs. Rogers. "When I heah him preach, I feel lak I want to bebettah. An' hain't thet whut preachin's fur, to mek folks want to livebettah lives? Whut diffruns whuthah he b'lieves in Ca'vinism, or not?It's jes' a big, onmeanin' word, anyway."
"That won't do, Sister Rogers. Calvinism is the stronghold of theChristian religion. Furthermore, it's a logically constructed system ofbelief, and if you are loose on one point, you're loose on all. Everydeparture from Calvinism is a step towards atheism. The downward gradesare from Calvinism to Arminianism; from Arminianism to Pelagianism;from Pelagianism to deism; from deism to atheism."
"Pshaw!" exclaimed Mrs. Rogers, undaunted. "It teks a scholard toundahstand all them jawbreakahs. Common folks lak me nevah'd git themeanin' intah ther head pieces. An' I say thet the sort o' preachin' todo good is them plain, simple truths whut Bro. Stone gives us."
"Yes, Hiram, Cynthy Ann's right," said Rogers. "The gospel ez Stonepreaches it seems plain ez the nose on yer face, but when the 'fivep'ints' is discussed, I git all uv a muddle."
"But, Mason," asked Gilcrest, "you surely believe in the Confession ofFaith of your church, do you not?"
"Why, I s'pose I do b'lieve it--leastways, I subscri
bed to it when Ijined the chu'ch; but I'll be fetched ef I understand it."
"We've hed 'nough talk on religion fer one spaill, I think," now put inMrs. Rogers. "Let's hev some apples an' cidah. Susan, see whut themchildurn air about. They're mekin' 'nough fuss to tek the roof off." Asshe spoke, there came from the kitchen the sound of loud peals oflaughter, much scampering, and the cry, "Pore Puss wants a corner!"indicating that the children were having an exciting game.
Presently Gilcrest, as he took another apple, said, glancing at the"Gazette" on the stand: "So Aaron Burr came within one of thePresidency! I'm glad the House decided in favor of Jefferson. He is badenough, but Burr would have been even worse. Are you a Federalist or aDemocrat, Mr. Dudley?"
"How could a Virginian be anything but a supporter of the greatJefferson?" replied Abner. "Could I have done so, I should haveremained in Virginia until after the election, so as to cast my votefor Jefferson; but it was necessary for me to come to this State."
"An' glad we air thet you come," said Rogers, heartily.
"Being a Virginian ought to make you a Federalist, I should say,"suggested Gilcrest. "You forget that a greater than Jefferson was bornin Virginia."
"Then, as Massachusetts is your native State," said Dudley, "I supposeyour Federalistic convictions are modeled according to thehard-and-fast principles laid down by Adams, rather than the moreelastic federalism which Washington taught. That is, if place of birthreally has anything to do with shaping one's political views."
"One could not have a better leader than John Adams," Gilcrest stoutlyasserted.
"Whut!" exclaimed Rogers. "Afteh them Alien an' Sedition outrages?"
"Why, man!" Gilcrest retorted, "those very laws were for the saving ofthe nation."
"Though a Democrat, I'm inclined to agree with you there, Mr.Gilcrest," Dudley said.
"Ha, Mr. Dudley," said Gilcrest, pleasantly, "I've hopes of yourconversion into a good Federalist yet. You're young, and your politicalprejudices haven't become chronic--as is the case with Mason here."
"My motto," rejoined Rogers, "is, 'Our State fust, then the nation.'The Federal Government didn't do no gre't shakes towa'ds he'pin'Kaintucky when redskins an' British skunks wuz 'bout to drive us offenthe face o' the livin' airth."
"But, Mason, remember that at that time our nation was battling forindependence, and could ill spare aid for us in our struggle forsupremacy in this western frontier."
"Jes' so!" retorted Rogers. "An' whar'd you an' me an' the rest uv uswho wuz strugglin' fur footholt heah hev been, ef we'd depended on theFederal Government to fight Caldwell, McKee, Simon Girty, an' ther reddevils? We had to do our own fightin' then, you'll agree, Hiram."
"Why, Major Gilcrest," Dudley exclaimed, "were you an Indian-fighter? Ithought you were a Revolutionary soldier."
"So I was," Gilcrest answered, "from the battle of Lexington untilbadly wounded in Virginia by Arnold's raiders in the spring of '81.Then, early in the next year I came to Kentucky."
"You surprise me," Abner replied. "I thought you did not settle hereuntil after Indian depredations had ceased."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Gilcrest. "You thought I came like Abram from Ur ofthe Chaldees, bringing family, servants, goods and chattels, did you?No, I made that sort of migration several years later. I first camealone, to spy out the land, and to find a suitable location wherein toplant a home and rear a family. Descriptions of this new country beyondthe mountains had led me to picture it a paradise of peace and plentyand tranquil beauty; but when I came, I found the picture obscured bythe red billows of savage warfare. Why, the first time I ever saw Masonhere, he was equipped with knife and tomahawk, rifle, pouch andpowder-horn, and just setting forth to the relief of a beleagueredstation."
"No wondeh," exclaimed Rogers, "thet you found me an' ev'ry othehable-bodied man uv us should'rin' our guns an' gittin' knives an'tommyhocks ready! You see, Abner, the Injuns undeh ther white leadahswuz thet year mekin' a stubbo'ner an' bettah planned warfare than evehbefoh. Ruddell's an' Martin's stations hed been demolished, an'follerin' close hed come, airly in the spring, the defeat at Estell's,an' a leetle later, Holder's defeat; an' heah in August, on top o' themtroubles, comes accounts uv more massacrein's an' sieges. If eveh theright man come at the right hour, it wuz you, Hiram," Rogers continued,"when you rid inteh Fort Houston jest afteh we'd got the news. Ezsoon's I clapped eyes on you I sized you up ez a fellah afteh my ownheart--a man ready to go whar danger wuz thickest, a man whut wouldstand by a comrid tell the last drap uv his own blood wuz spilt. Willyou eveh furgit thet seventeenth o' August, Hiram, an' the tur'ble dayswhut follehed on its heels?"
"Never, while life lasts," replied Gilcrest. "And, as for a comrade intime of peril, one could not want a braver or a truer than yourself,Mason. You see," he continued, turning to Dudley, "it was this way:Early that morning had come tidings that the Indians, a few daysbefore, had surprised the scattered families around Hoy's, and hadbutchered many ere they could reach the fort. Hardly had this tidingsbeen related before two more runners, half dead with fatigue,half-crazed with horror, came panting in from Bryan's to tell howCaldwell and Girty and their hordes of savages had surprised andsurrounded that garrison. These two runners had managed to steal outunder shelter of the tall corn back of the fort at Bryan's, to bringmessages from Colonel Todd, imploring Fort Houston to come to therescue. Other messengers had carried the same appeal to other stations.Ah!" he continued enthusiastically, "the men of Kentucky were brothersindeed in those trying times! And the garrisons of Houston, Harrods,St. Asaph's and all the other forts, responded as one man to that cryfrom Bryan's."
"Did you leave the women and children in Fort Houston?" asked Dudley.
"No, indeed," answered Rogers before Gilcrest could speak. "'Twuzn'tsafe. Houston's wuz li'ble to be attacked in our absence. Besides, itwuzn't ez big an' strong ez Bryan's, whar the stockades wuzbullet-proof, the gates uv solid puncheons, an' the houses within builtafteh the ole block-house pattern. So we tuck our women an' childurnwith us. Cynthy Ann, with our little William in her lap, rid behind meon the nag, an' I carried befoh me in the saddle a little chapbelonging to one uv our men, who hed a sick wife an' a two-weeks-olebaby to look afteh. Thet was a sad, sad trip fur me an' Cynthy Ann," hemurmured with a sudden break in his voice and a wistful look at hiswife. "The hurryin' gallop oveh eighteen mile o' rough country with thebr'ilin' sun a-scorchin' down on us all the way, cost us the life uvour fust-borned, our purty little William. I tell you," he addedexcitedly, "ef the men o' thet day showed up brave an' faithful, ourwomen, God bless 'em, wuz even braver an' more endurin'."
"They were indeed," Gilcrest heartily agreed with an appreciativeglance at Mrs. Rogers, "and it was their heroic self-sacrifice andnoble endurance that made it possible for us to subdue this wilderness.When I reached here that summer of '82, and saw the terrible life ofthe pioneer women, I was thankful I had left my betrothed bride inVirginia. It took women of stout courage and nerve, such as you, SisterRogers, to be really a helpmeet to a man in this wilderness of twentyyears ago. A woman of weak nerve or faint heart would have succumbedunder the hardships and danger."
"Like pore Page's wife," added Rogers.
"Pore Mrs. Page!" exclaimed Mrs. Rogers. "I'll nevah furgit her hardfate."
"She was the wife of one of the Page brothers who were with us at BlueLicks, was she not?" asked Gilcrest.
"Yes," Rogers answered. "The two brothers hed come oveh the mountainsthe spring befoh, an' hed built a cabin an' made a sort o' cl'arin' outin the wilderness 'bout two mile frum Houston's, on the road toBryan's. One uv the brothahs--I can't re-collect his fust name--wuzn'tmarried; but the otheh hed a wife an' a four-year-old boy when theycome, an' anotheh child wuz borned to 'em 'bout two weeks befoh thetlast Injun raid. They hed been warned agin an' agin thet it wuzn't safeoutside the fort; but still they lived on out thar till thet tur'bleAugust mawnin'--when they runs pantin' inteh Houston's with the tidingsthet the savages hed attacked ther cabin. They'd been roused in thenigh
t by the stompin' an' nickerin uv the hosses. It wuz a starlightnight, an' peepin' out uv a loophole in the front uv ther house, theyseen redskins skulkin' in the shadow o' the trees. They couldn't tellhow many ther wuz, but nigh a dozen they thought, an' they didn't knowhow many more might be hidin' in the bushes. So they decided it wuz nouse to try to defend themselves, an' that ther only chance to save therscalps wuz to steal out befoh the Injuns got to the door. You see, theycouldn't git to the hosses, fur the red imps wuz between the house an'whar the hosses wuz in the woods which grew up close to the cabin infront. But at the back the trees wuz all cl'ared off, an' ther wuz agairden patch next to the cabin, an' then a cawnfiel'. The only doorwuz in front, an' thar wuz no windah either in the back--only twolittle loopholes. One uv the puncheons in the floor hed been left loosea purpus, an' they took it up without mekin' any noise. Then, aftehwaitin' tell they saw thet the Injuns hed skulked up nearly to thedoor, they crawled through the gap in the floor, an' then frum undehthe house into the gairden, an' then to the cawnfiel', an' stolethrough it to the woods on t'otheh side. Then they run fur ther lives,expectin' ev'ry minit to be attacked. It wuz a meracle they evehreached the fort alive. Pore Mrs. Page wuz 'bout tuckered out. You see,her baby wuz barely two weeks old; besides, she 'peared to be a pore,weak-sperrited creeter, anyway; an' the long run an' the skeer hedwell-nigh done fur her. It wuz her little boy, the four-year-oldshaver, whut I toted befoh me as we hurried to Bryan's. On the road, wehed to pass the Pages' cl'arin', an' thar, still burnin', wuz theremains o' their cabin which the redskins hed fired. Ther gairden an'cawnfiel' wuz trompled an' blackened an' ruined; an' jes' on the aidgeuv the woods by the roadside thar lay ther pore cow, still breathin',but welterin' in her own blood. The red devils hed split her wide openwith a tommyhock. Mrs. Page fainted away when she saw thet, an' wuzmost dead when we got to Bryan's. She got bettah, though, an' the nextday when we sot out in pursuit uv the Injuns, her husband went with us.But, pore woman, she an' her baby both died thar in the fort befoh wegot back."
Abner Dudley, listening with fascinated attention, was thrilled intostrange excitement by the tantalizing impression of his having oncebeen, as a little boy, a spectator or a participator in just such anepisode as Mr. Rogers was describing--of the terror-stricken littlefamily fleeing through the woods at night. He also seemed to recall thepicture of a burning cabin, and of a slaughtered cow lying on theroadside. Still another picture seemed to flit before him--that of agroup of women and children alone within high log walls, and of abewildered, heart-broken little boy being lifted by one of these womenfrom a rude pallet where lay a dying mother and a still-faced, tinybabe.
Often before to-night Dudley had had dim, fleeting fancies orimaginings of such a scene which always, when he would have recalledmore clearly, would vanish entirely. Realizing how impossible it wasthat he, born and reared in a quiet Virginia village, could ever havelived such a scene, he had always, when tormented by the fancy,concluded that the impression was evoked by the memory of some taleheard in early childhood of the horrors of pioneer life. So now,instead of trying to follow up these tantalizing fancies, he dismissedthem again from his mind.
"When we got to Bryan's," Rogers was saying when Abner again began tolisten, "Girty an' Caldwell an' ther Wyandottes hed fled. The stockadehed held out agin 'em, an' all inside wuz safe. But, land o' liberty!whut a ruination all about the outside o' them walls! Oveh threehundurd dead cattle an' hogs an' sheep lay strowed 'round through thewoods; the big cawnfiel's wuz cut down an' tromped an' ruined; so wuzthe flax an' hempfiel's; an' the tater craps an' the other gairdenstuff wuz pulled up. No wondeh we thusted fur vengeance. So us rescuin'parties an' the Bryan Station fo'ces, afteh a night consultation, setout et daybreak nex' mawnin' to folleh up an' punish. We thought ef wehurried we could soon ketch up with the enemy; so we didn't wait, assome o' the oldeh men advised, fur the reinfo'cements whut Gen'ralLogan hed already started."
"Had we waited," interrupted Gilcrest sadly, "no doubt the story ofsavage butchery enacted at Blue Licks two days later, might have had adifferent ending."
"Maybe so," assented Rogers, "or ef, when we did git to the springsthar on the banks uv the Lickin', we'd heeded the counsels uv Boone an'Todd an' Trigg, instid o' the lead o' thet red-headed, hot-bloodIrishman, Hugh McGary, when he plunged his hoss inteh the river, an'wavin' his knife oveh his haid, challenged all whut wuzn't cowa'ds tofolleh him. My soul! my hair rises yit when I think uv whut come next.On we all reshed afteh McGary inteh the river, an' up the redge ont'otheh side; fur, of course, Todd an' Boone an' our otheh rightfulleadehs, whose advice we'd disregawded, wouldn't fursake us when theyseed we wuz detarmined to rush it. Et fust, without ordeh or caution,we hustled forwa'd--until the foes sprung out uv ambush. Good Lawd!Ev'ry cliff, ev'ry bush an' cedah-tree wuz alive with them red devils;an' it seemed lak all hell hed bust loose on us. Still, Boone an' theotheh commandahs, afteh the fust minit's surprise, managed to rally usin spite o' the hell fire whut rained on us frum behind ev'ry tree an'rock. So when we'd reached the backbone uv the redge, we formed in somesort uv ordeh. Boone, fust in command, took the left wing; Todd, thecentah; Trigg, the right; an' the Lincoln County men undeh Harlan,McBride an' McGary a sort o' advance guard. But 'twuz no use then. Weonly fired one round. Befoh we could reload, them devils wuz on us withtommyhocks an' scalpin'-knives. Then, a hand-to-hand fight fur a minit.Afteh thet, our men--all whut wuz left uv us--wuz mekin' back towa'dsthe river, with the yellin', whoopin' swarm o' hell's imps at ourheels."
"Who can depict the horrors of that day!" Gilcrest ejaculated. "It hasbeen estimated that at least one-tenth of all the able-bodied men inKentucky either fell on that battlefield, or were carried captive tomeet lingering death by torture. You see," he continued, "we hadthought we could have a better chance at the enemy on foot than onhorseback, so we had dismounted before forming into line; and then wewere so closely pursued that few had time to reach the horses."
"An' thet," said Rogers, taking up the narrative, "give the savagesanotheh big edvantidge; fur they jumped on our hosses an' gallopedafteh us, while we had to mek to the river on foot."
"Yes," said Gilcrest, "and if it hadn't been for you, Mason, I'd neverhave reached the river. A fierce Wyandotte brave mounted on one of ourhorses had picked me out as his special prey, and I, exhausted by mylong, hot run, and already slightly wounded, could never have reachedthe ford but for your timely aid."
"Fo'tunately," Rogers put in, "I, who hadn't been so close pressed, hedhed time to reload my rifle. So we left thet Injun varmint rollin' inthe dust with a bullet in his back, an' you an' me jumped on thet hossan' swum the river. But, pshaw, Hiram! talk 'bout my savin' yer life!Thet wuz nothin' to some o' the brave things you an' others done thetday. Do you re-collect how two uv our men afteh they'd got safe ovehthe river, instid o' mekin' fur the bresh, stopped thar on the bank infull range o' the Injuns on t'otheh side, an' rallied the men an' made'em halt an' fire back at the whoopin' red demons, so's we porewretches whut wuz still swimmin' fur life could hev some chance toescape? It wuz Ben Netherlands an' one uv the Page brothehs--MarshallPage, I believe 'twuz--who did thet."
"Marshall Page!" ejaculated Abner Dudley.
"Yes, it was Marshall Page, I think," answered Major Gilcrest; "but whyyour exclamation, Mr. Dudley? Do you know any one of that name?"
"I can't recall that I do," answered young Dudley; "but the name seemsfamiliar, and, in fact, I have a dim impression, absurd though it mayseem to you, of having heard or experienced many incidents such as youand Mr. Rogers have been describing. But my impressions may bebaseless."
"Your impressions," said Gilcrest, "are doubtless only the faint memoryof some tale heard in your early childhood. Such harrowing incidents asMason and I were recalling were common enough in the pioneer days, andhave furnished the theme of many a fireside recital. As for MarshallPage, you very likely have known some one of the name; for I believethere are still many Pages living in Virginia and Maryland; but you cannot have known the man I
mean--either Marshall Page or his brother,whose Christian name I can not recall just now--for he was killed thereon the banks of the Licking while bravely helping his comrades toescape. Which brother was it, Mason?"
"Blest ef I know," Rogers replied; "but one, whicheveh it wuz, wuzkilled at the Licking, an' the otheh wuz captured by the savages. Seemsto me, though, I heard aftehwa'ds thet he escaped befoh they got to theInjun town way back in Ohio, an' thet he turned up agin at Bryan's thetfall, an' took the little Page boy back across the mountains to his ownpeople. Wuzn't thet the way uv it, Cynthy Ann?"
"Yes," Mrs. Rogers answered, "Mary Jane Hart, who kept the little boywith her at the station afteh his motheh died, tole me about it thenex' summeh when she come oveh to Houston's one day, an' uv how shehated to part with him; fur she hed no childurn uv her own then, an'hed took a mighty fancy to the pore little fellah."
"Speaking of Netherland's and Page's brave deed," here spoke MajorGilcrest, "Mason, do you remember Aaron Reynolds' equally brave andself-sacrificing rescue of young Patterson that day?"
And the two veterans, spurred by each other's promptings into livelierrecollection, painted in vivid colors many more of the stirringincidents of that most tragic event in the annals of pioneer Kentucky,the battle of Blue Lick Springs.
Young Dudley and Henry Rogers, their fighting blood aroused by therealistic portrayal, sat by with kindling eyes and quickened pulses,while each in his heart pictured some deed of daring heroism whichhimself might have achieved had he been in that memorable battle.
Mrs. Rogers' sewing lay unheeded in her lap as she rocked slowly to andfro, her gaze fixed upon the fire. She, too, was painting pictures andseeing visions of the long ago--pictures which included not only theheroic band of Kentucky's defenders in the midst of the bloody horrorsof that battlefield, but also that band of devoted women shut up alonewith their helpless little ones in that lonely station, not knowingwhat terrible fate was befalling husbands, brothers, kinsmen out in thewilderness, nor what even greater evils from lurking foes might at anymoment beset themselves within their stockade fortress; and her bravelip trembled and the visions in the fire became dimmed and blurred asshe thought of that terrible ride under the scorching rays of theAugust sun, and of the eighteen-months-old babe, her little William,who, already ailing before the departure from Houston's, and unable tobear the merciless heat of the long journey, had died in her arms atBryan's two days later--hours before her husband returned from thatill-fated march to the Licking.
"No," she thought, as she wiped the tears from her eyes, and resumedher sewing, "our men didn't hev all the strugglin's an' the trials; wewomen fought our battles, too; an' ours, afteh all, wuz the hardestparts."