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am afraid for the children to be out of my sight, and when you are away on a
hunt I am distraught until you are home safe."
"Well, if the redskins let us alone this summer it will be something new," he
said, laughing. "By the way, Bess, some new people came to the fort last
night. They rafted down from the Monongahela settlements. Some of the women
suffered considerably. I intend to offer them the cabin on the hill until they
can cut the timber and run up a house. Sam said the cabin roof leaked and the
chimney smoked, but with a little work I think they can be made more
comfortable there than at the block-house."
"It is the only vacant cabin in the settlement. I can accommodate the women
folks here."
"Well, we'll see about it. I don't want you and Betty inconvenienced. I'll
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send Sam up to the cabin and have him fix things up a bit and make it more
habitable.
The door opened, admitting Col. Zane's elder boy. The lad's face was dirty,
his nose was all bloody, and a big bruise showed over his right eye.
"For the land's sake!" exclaimed his mother. "Look at the boy. Noah, come
here. What have you been doing?"
Noah crept close to his mother and grasping her apron with both hands hid his
face. Mrs. Zane turned the boy around and wiped his discolored features with a
wet towel. She gave him a little shake and said: "Noah, have you been fighting
again?"
"Let him go and I'll tell you about it," said the Colonel, and when the
youngster had disappeared he continued: "Right after breakfast Noah went with
me down to the mill. I noticed several children playing in front of Reihart's
blacksmith shop. I went in, leaving Noah outside. I got a plow-share which I
had left with Reihart to be repaired. He came to the door with me and all at
once he said: 'look at the kids.' I looked and saw Noah walk up to a boy and
say something to him. The lad was a stranger, and I have no doubt belongs to
these new people I told you about. He was bigger than Noah. At first the older
boy appeared very friendly and evidently wanted to join the others in their
game. I guess Noah did not approve of this, for after he had looked the
stranger over he hauled away and punched the lad soundly. To make it short the
strange boy gave Noah the worst beating he ever got in his life. I told Noah
to come straight to you and confess."
"Well, did you ever!" ejaculated Mrs. Zane. "Noah is a bad boy. And you stood
and watched him fight. You are laughing about it now. Ebenezer Zane, I would
not put it beneath you to set Noah to fighting. I know you used to make the
little niggers fight. Anyway, it serves Noah right and I hope it will be a
lesson to him."
"I'll make you a bet, Bessie," said the Colonel, with another laugh. "I'll
bet you that unless we lock him up, Noah will fight that boy every day or
every time he meets him."
"I won't bet," said Mrs. Zane, with a smile of resignation.
"Where's Betts? I haven't seen her this morning. I am going over to Short
Creek to-morrow or next day, and think I'll take her with me. You know I am to
get a commission to lay out several settlements along the river, and I want to
get some work finished at Short Creek this spring. Mrs. Raymer'll be delighted
to have Betty. Shall I take her?
"By all means. A visit there will brighten her up and do her good."
"Well, what on earth have you been doing?" cried the Colonel. His remark had
been called forth by a charming vision that had entered by the open door.
Betty--for it was she--wore a little red cap set jauntily on her black hair.
Her linsey dress was crumpled and covered with hayseed.
"I've been in the hay-mow," said Betty, waving a small basket. "For a week
that old black hen has circumvented me, but at last I have conquered. I found
the nest in the farthest corner under the hay."
"How did you get up in the loft?" inquired Mrs. Zane.
"Bessie, I climbed up the ladder of course. I acknowledge being unusually
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light-hearted and happy this morning, but I have not as yet grown wings. Sam
said I could not climb up that straight ladder, but I found it easy enough."
"You should not climb up into the loft," said Mrs. Zane, in a severe tone.
"Only last fall Hugh Bennet's little boy slid off the hay down into one of the
stalls and the horse kicked him nearly to death."
"Oh, fiddlesticks, Bessie, I am not a baby," said Betty, with vehemence.
"There is not a horse in the barn but would stand on his hind legs before he
would step on me, let alone kick me."
"I don't know, Betty, but I think that black horse Mr. Clarke left here would
kick any one," remarked the Colonel.
"Oh, no, he would not hurt me."
"Betty, we have had pleasant weather for about three days," said the Colonel,
gravely. "In that time you have let out that crazy bear of yours to turn
everything topsy-turvy. Only yesterday I got my hands in the paint you have
put on your canoe. If you had asked my advice I would have told you that
painting your canoe should not have been done for a month yet. Silas told me
you fell down the creek hill; Sam said you tried to drive his team over the
bluff, and so on. We are happy to see you get back your old time spirits, but
could you not be a little more careful? Your versatility is bewildering. We do
not know what to look for next. I fully expect to see you brought to the house
some day maimed for life, or all that beautiful black hair gone to decorate
some Huron's lodge."
"I tell you I am perfectly delighted that the weather is again so I can go
out. I am tired to death of staying indoors. This morning I could have cried
for very joy. Bessie will soon be lecturing me about Madcap. I must not ride
farther than the fort. Well, I don't care. I intend to ride all over."
"Betty, I do not wish you to think I am lecturing you," said the Colonel's
wife. "But you are as wild as a March hare and some one must tell you things.
Now listen. My brother, the Major, told me that Simon Girty, the renegade, had
been heard to say that he had seen Eb Zane's little sister and that if he ever
got his hands on her he would make a squaw of her. I am not teasing you. I am
telling you the truth. Girty saw you when you were at Fort Pitt two years ago.
Now what would you do if he caught you on one of your lonely rides and carried
you off to his wigwam? He has done things like that before. James Girty
carried off one of the Johnson girls. Her brothers tried to rescue her and
lost their lives. It is a common trick of the Indians."
"What would I do if Mr. Simon Girty tried to make a squaw of me?" exclaimed
Betty, her eyes flashing fire. "Why, I'd kill him!"
"I believe it, Betts, on my word I do," spoke up the Colonel. "But let us
hope you may never see Girty. All I ask is that you be careful. I am going
over to Short Creek to-morrow. Will you go with me? I know Mrs. Raymer will be
pleased to see you."
"Oh, Eb, that will be delightful!"
"Very well, get ready and we shall start early in the morning.
Two weeks later Betty returned from Short Creek and seemed to have profited
much by her short visit. Col. Zane remarked with satisfaction to his wife that
Betty had regained all her former cheerfulness.
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The morning after Betty's return was a perfect spring morning--the first in
that month of May-days. The sun shone bright and warm; the mayflowers
blossomed; the trailing arbutus scented the air; everywhere the grass and the
leaves looked fresh and green; swallows flitted in and out of the barn door;
the blue-birds twittered; a meadow-lark caroled forth his pure melody, and the
busy hum of bees came from the fragrant apple-blossoms.
"Mis' Betty, Madcap 'pears powerfo' skittenish," said old Sam, when he had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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