In the days of the pioneers

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. On the Trail, 5

II. The Cavern among the Eocks, . . .21

Chapter I. On The Teail

AGNES ALTMAN, who was walking a few steps in advance of George Ashbridge along the forest trail, abruptly paused, and looking back, exclaimed in a frightened undertone :

"Something is wrong; there are Indians between us and the block-house/'

The youth stepped quickly forward beside his betrothed, and laying his hand upon her arm, asked in the same startled manner : " What has alarmed you, Agnes ?" " I can never forget those Shawanoe signals which we heard that summer, when going down the river in the flatboat, and on our return with Kenton and Boone."

" I am sure all of us who caught the faint sounds will remember them to his dying day ; but what of it?"

"Twice during the last ten minutes the same signal has reached my ears."

Young Ashbridge was uneasy and strove to disbelieve that which he did not wish to believe.

" You know Jethro is a short distance in advance; he has become quite a woodsman during the year spent at the block-house. It may be that he has been practicing upon the signals."

The fair but frightened maiden shook her head.

" I wished I could think so, but it is not he; I am sure of that."

"And why!"

"The first time I heard it, it was off there," she said, pointing in the direction of the Ohio ; " and the next, which was only a few seconds later, it was in the opposite course, and several yards away. The same person could not have made the two calls."

George Ashbridge was in sore perplexity. Accompanied by his beloved Agnes, and the faithful negro servant, Jethro Juggens, they had left the block-house on the Ohio side of the river, and following the ten miles of woodland path, reached the two log-houses standing in the clearing, long before the sun was at meridian. More properly they arrived at a point opposite the clearing, for, as the reader will remember, the primitive structure stood on the Kentucky side of the Ohio.

There was no canoe available with which to cross the stream, and the three contented themselves with viewing the buildings, as may be said, at a distance. So far as they could discover, the cabin had suffered no material injury, and they set out on their return in high spirits, hoping that in a short time the two families that had undergone so much privation, annoyance, suffering and peril would be at liberty to make their way again to the clearing, there to settle and remain for the rest of their lives.

The reports of the runners and scouts had been favorable for weeks, and though all advised against a permanent removal until the summer was more advanced, the parents of the lovers viewed with some misgiving their visit down the river with no companion except Jethro Juggens.

But the excursion, or picnic, as it would have been called in these later days, was made, the servant carrying substantial lunch to avoid the delay of shooting and preparing game, and the little party were now some three or four miles on their way homeward, with the early summer sun almost directly overhead, when Agnes paused with the conviction that their presence had been discovered by hostile Indians, who were planning to cut them off.

Both she and her escort were fully armed. The clumsy flintlocks of pioneer days were so ponderous that it was work for a strong man to handle them with deftness and effect, but the missionary, J. B. Finley — a name still held in the highest respect and reverence — presented the young lady with a weapon of such

ON THE TEAIL.

dainty make that she quickly became an expert in its use. Clad in strong homespun and strong shoes, which could not conceal her comeliness of form, she carried also her powder horn and bullet-pouch, and may be said to have been as thoroughly equipped as the sturdy youth that had wooed and won her heart.

" I believe you are right," he whispered, after a minute's listening , " I thought Kenton had taught me how to detect • signs ' when in the woods, but neither of the signals that reached your ears was heard by me."

" I was in advance and nearer to them," she said, with a faint smile.

" Yes, fully ten feet," he added. " That accounts for it ; but, Agnes, we must leave the trail we are following. What has become of Jethro?"

" Providence seems to have protected him most strangely heretofore, but it is not likely to last."

"It may and may not; there is not a man at the block-house that is a better rifle-shot than he. He did more service when we came down the river than your father, mine, or I, and I had almost said Kenton himself, but that would be unjust, for it was the brain work of Kenton that told."

"Jethro deserved as much credit for the work he had done on the return with his sail on the flatboat, and yet he seemed to stumble and blunder into it all ; but," added Agnes, rousing herself, " are we to stand here until they come upon us ?"

Young Ashbridge had been debating the question, while the fragmentary conversation was going on. It was necessary to leave the forest trail without delay, and the question he asked himself was whether to turn to the right or left.

The path between the clearing and block-house ran close to the northern bank of the Ohio, so that when traveling eastward a deviation of a few yards — more or less — to the right brought one to the margin of the river. Had the young pioneer possessed a canoe, or known where to place his hand upon one, he would have been instant to take advantage of it. Water leaves no trail, and he had learned long before of the perfect screen often afforded by the overhanging vegetation and undergrowth ; but that means was out of the question now, and he quickly reached a decision.

" One of the signals was on the right of the trail and the other on the left ; that looks as if they were certain we would pass between them. Therefore, we must turn to the left and flank them."

" That will take us deeper into the woods. But I think you are right; let us wait no longer."

Leaving the faintly-marked path, Agnes stepped among the trees to the left with the assurance of one who knew she was doing the right thing, but running a few paces, her companion placed himself slightly in advance of her.

" I think I should lead," he remarked, in a low voice, with an affectionate glance at her.

"Are you acquainted with this section ?"

" I have never visited it. 'Sh !"

The signals to which reference has been made, and which caused this deviation in their course, were now heard by both, or, more properly, one was heard. It came from a point directly in front and at no great distance. Young Ashbridge instantly moved more abruptly to the left, so as to make sure of passing around the danger point.

Less than a minute passed, when the response to the bird-like call came from the direction of the river — almost as alarmingly close as the first.

"They are expecting us — they are suspicious over our delay," remarked George, conscious that the red men were " drawing it exceedingly fine." " It would not have done to wait any longer."

" Perhaps we have waited too long already."

The youth did not reply. Glancing over his shoulder to see that his companion was near him, he quickened his pace. The ground rapidly increased in roughness. They descended a narrow valley, fully twenty feet deep, passed around several boulders, and, as they began to climb the opposite side, found themselves among numerous large and jagged rocks, where it was impossible to make rapid progress.

Ashbridge was disposed to regard this as favorable. The keen vision of the American Indian, which enables him to follow a fugitive's footsteps over the leaves with the unerring certainty of a bloodhound, is often at fault when confronted by solid rock, where a man can travel without leaving the slightest impression.

"Here is a steep climb," remarked the youth, pausing before a mass of stones, sloping ahead of them at a sharp angle. " I am afraid you can't make it, Agnes."

" Can you?"

" Of course !"

"Then lead on; I can follow where you dare lead."

Holding his rifle firmly grasped in his left hand, Ashbridge seized a projecting ledge with his right, and went up as nimbly as an acrobat. Ascending twenty feet, he turned about to see how his companion was succeeding. She was near enough to touch him with her outstretched hand.

" Good !" he muttered, admiringly. " You are doing better than I expected. Let me assist you."

" Thank you, I do not need it. You have only to make sure that you are following the right direction. Do you hear that ?"

How could he help hearing it ? The tremulous whistle sounded so close in advance that he glanced affrightedly in front, expecting to see one or more warriors within a dozen feet.

He failed to catch sight of the painted visage, but the rocks, still towering a rod above and interlaced with and half hidden by vine, undergrowth, bush, and stunted trees, might have concealed a dozen painted Shawanoes. That some of them were there, and had detected the approach of the fugitives, George Ashbridge considered so certain that he paused with a feeling akin to dismay.

" I'm afraid we're being trapped," he whispered.

"We shall be if we stand here another minute."

" Let's return and seek another course."

He wheeled to carry out his own suggestion, when the dreaded call was repeated from the rear and equally close to the one in front. The delay on the trail, slight as it was, told the Shawanoes the truth. The fugitives had interpreted the signals and attempted to circumvent their danger by passing to the left of it. With startling celerity the warriors set out to head them off, and it looked as if they had succeeded.

"Great heaven! we are too late!" gasped young Ashbridge.

" No ; run to the left ; the way is open !" whispered Agnes, pointing to the irregular masses of rocks, half hidden by vines and vegetation.

" But you ?" repeated the distressed youth.

"Don't think of me! Off with you! Quick I"

Forgetting his usual prudence in the sudden peril, he dashed ahead at the top of his speed. It was u going it blind " in every sense of the word, for he could have no knowledge of what was in advance. He could only strain every nerve and trust to Providence.

This desperate headlong flight lasted but a few minutes. The end came almost as soon as he anticipated. He was bounding forward like a chamois, able to see only one leap in advance, when he was confronted by a yawning chasm so wide that he was sure he could not leap it.

But he was so near, and his impetus was so great at the moment of making the terrifying discovery, that it was impossible to check himself. Go forward he must, even though it was to be dashed to destruction. Concentrating all his strength and muscles in the single prodigious effort, and forgetting for the moment his fair companion, he bounded with might and main out over the yawning abyss.

To his own amazement he cleared it as may be said by a hair, striking on the very edge opposite, where his momentum carried him away from death before he could topple backward among the rocks fifty feet below.

" My God, what have I done !" exclaimed the horrified youth ; " I have abandoned Agnes. Nothing can save her ! Don't ! Stop, stop!"

But his appeal was unheeded. She had set out to follow him, and death alone could check her advance. The delicate foot was poised for

ON THE TRAIL. 17

a moment on the margin of the precipice, and then, as graceful as a bird, she leaped the fearful chasm, landing upon the other side several inches beyond where the feet of her lover had struck.

" Heavens !" muttered the astounded youth, " is there anything you can't do, Agnes ? 1 was sure you were lost."

" We both shall be if we linger here."

And to prevent his doing so she now sped on in advance. Ashbridge would have anticipated her, but that at that instant he caught sight of the very thing he expected and dreaded to see ; a painted Shawanoe came bounding along the crest of the rocks, over which the fugitives had just passed.

The sight of the hideous miscreant seemed to cool the blood of the youth, who, to use a common expression, had been " rattled " for a few minutes by the hurricane sweep of events. He dropped on one knee and brought his rifle to his shoulder, with the muzzle levelled at the approaching warrior.

In that stirring moment the strange fancy came to George Ashbridge that, if he showed mercy to the fierce wretch, he and his companions might spare him and his companion, whose peril caused him an anguish tenfold greater than could any danger to himself.

" Stop, or I'll shoot " he shouted.

Foolish threat ! The Indian had seen him from the first, and was not to be checked or hindered of his purpose by any warning from the paleface, whom he looked upon as already secured beyond peradventure to him.

The Shawanoe was coming with the speed of the wind. The long, black, dangling hair, surmounted by several eagle feathers, fluttered away from his shoulders, and the moccasins doubled and turned under his body, as if he were running a race in the open plain. The tomahawk and knife were in the girdle and the rifle gripped in the left hand. Through the black and crimson and white splashes of paint, his eyes glowed like a demon's. He was looking straight at the kneeling youth and showed no fear, even though the eye of that youth was ranging along the barrel, and his forefinger curved around the trigger of the weapon.

Straight to the chasm's edge dashed the red man, as if every inch of the wild section was familiar to him, and, resting the right foot upon the lip of rock for a single second, shot upward and outward like a rubber ball.

" Fool," thought young Ashbridge, " it is suicide."

The sharp, whip-like crack of the gun was accompanied rather than followed by the earsplittling screech of the Shawanoe, who, while his body was in mid-air, flung his arms aloft, with a frenzied flirt of the rifle above his head, and drew up his feet so spasmodically under him that, when he landed on the other side his position was at fault, and, instead of remaining secure or sustaining himself, he toppled backwards and went tumbling downward among the rocks, dead before he struck the bottom.

Fortunate, indeed, would it have been had he been the only foe in the neighborhood ; but when at the crest of that brief parabola above the ravine where he was fatally " winged," the keen eye of George Ashbridge, ranging along his rifle barrel, showed one — two — at least three other warriors speeding after the slain Shawanoe, and seemingly as free from fear as he.

At the same moment two unwelcome and startling truths flashed upon the young pioneer ; the hostiles must arrive at the chasm's edge before he could reload his rifle, and his own situation was so exposed that even now, if they chose to aim and fire, nothing could save him.

Clearly something must be done, and that, too, without an instant's delay.

THE CAVEBN AMONG THE ROCKS. 21

Chapter II. The Caveen Among The Eocks

GEORGE ASHBRIDGE was on his feet in an instant, and, crouching low, ran swiftly from the chasm into which he had just tumbled the Shawanoe. Had the other warriors even then chosen to aim and fire he must have fallen, but he gained time in the few seconds at command to fling himself into a natural depression, where he was secure against any bullet, so long as he exercised ordinary prudence.

His sole prayer was that he might gain time to reload his gun before his pursuers could leap across the ravine. He hoped the fate of the leader would deter the others long enough to permit him to do this. Nine times out of ten this would have been the case, but it looked as if it must fail in this instance.

Had it been in these modern days of repeating rifles, he could have held twice as many hostiles at bay, but it took many torturing seconds to pound down the wadding upon the powder, which he dashed down the barrel, to push the bullet more carefully after it, and then to pour the black sand from the narrow snout of his powder-horn into the pan.

Meanwhile the foremost of the three Shawanoes halted close to the ravine and w^s instantly joined by the others. They spoke quickly to each other and glanced across towards the point where the white man had vanished, and where, peeping every instant over the rock in front of him, he was striving in frenzied haste to make ready to fire his weapon again.

Ashbridge knew that if he could drop a second Indian, the other two would dart to cover, or would fly from the spot, forgetting, in their panic, that his gun was again empty.

But the hesitation on the part of the Shawanoes was but momentary. To the dismay of the youth, the Indian who had led the three, after another quick glance at the chasm, recoiled a single step, and left the margin by the

THE CAVERN AMONG THE KOCKS. 23

ravine with the grace and ease shown by Agnes Altman a few minutes before.

The gun of the youth was not ready, and he could do nothing to stop the hostile ; and yet some one else did. At the same point that his predecessor was smitten he was mortally pierced, and then plunged with a shriek to the bottom, the incident in all respects being a repetition of the first, except that the fatal shot was fired by another.

The effect was precisely what Ashbridge anticipated. The remaining two could not have whisked out of sight more quickly had the earth opened and swallowed them. One instant three Shawanoes were before him ; the next they were gone.

" Where can Agnes be ?" was the question that thrilled the youth the moment that the peril had passed. " It must have been she who fired that shot, but I have no idea of the point it came from."

Now that he had liberty he glanced searchingly around. The dense vines, shrubbery and undergrowth prevented his seeing far in any direction, but he believed the rocks sloped away, and that Agnes must have reached a considerable lower point than where he lay, before she fired the shot that so effectually checked their pursuers.

There was no time to throw away, however, in speculation. It is conceded to be bad policy for a force to divide in the presence of an enemy, and he and Agnes were separated, with the enemy at hand and the danger becoming more imminent at every moment.

Ashbridge began moving cautiously, sufficiently so to escape a bullet which whizzed past his face, and came from some point he knew not where. A swift backward leap, and he was out of that peril for the moment, with his loaded gun firm in his grasp.

" Agnes," he called, guardedly, " where are

you?"

" She was not the one to leave him in danger, and she answered his call in the manner his heart craved by coming forward from the rocky undergrowth and wood in front of him.

"We are safe for the present," he said, " but I wish night was closer at hand, for we

THE CAVERN AMONG THE ROCKS. 25

are in a bad situation. There are a good many Indians in the woods around us."

" I know that, for I have heard them moving and signaling to each other from several different points."

" That shot of yours was fired in the nick of time," said young Ashbridge, admiringly. " I never saw it beaten."

Agnes looked at him in amazement.

" I do not understand you, George."

" That Indian you shot just as he was leaping the gorge ; you picked him off precisely as I did."

'• You have made a mistake, George ; I have not fired my gun since we left home this morning. I heard the report of two rifles, but neither of them was mine."

" I never dreamed of its being any one else. Whoever it was, he did us a good turn."

a It must have been Jethro."

" Unlikely, for he could hardly have got to the spot from the trail so soon. It may be Boone or Kenton, or some of our friends from the block -house. We have cause to be very thankful, but it will not do to count upon that friend's help without work of our own."

" I have thought it might be an enemy who did it — that is, some Indian who is as bitter a foe of the Shawanoes as he is of the white people. He would as lief shoot one* as the other."

They now began picking their way out of the dangerous section. The belief of both was that the gigantic rocks, the gorges, ravines, boulders, vines, and matted undergrowth covered a comparatively small space, and that vigorous work would soon take them to a portion where they could travel more rapidly.

There is little doubt that they would have extricated themselves with slight difficulty, could they have known the number and whereabouts of their enemies ; but Agnes Altman was right when she said she had heard signaling to the rear of the ravine, where the peril first broke upon them. The problem was to get away from the perilous region without coming in collision with their enemies. The prospect of success was slight indeed.

THE CAVEEN AMONG THE EOCKS. 27

Ashbridge placed himself a step in advance of his companion.

" Your ears are sharper than mine, as are your eyes ; we must use them all — to the utmost advantage. 'Sh ! do you hear anything I"

"Yes; but it is from the rear, from one of those on the other side of the ravine."

" And there goes the answer from the front; we're in a bad place, Agnes."

" Here, George, to the right ; follow me."

He was bewildered. Strange as was the place to the girl, she seemed guided by some subtle intuition that kept her feet from going astray. She leaped forward, now to the right, then to the left, bounding from a boulder to the solid ground, then clambering over and around rocks, all the time steadily ascending, until both knew they were a number of feet higher than when they leaped the gorge.

Ashbridge was struck with wonder at the nimbleness and dexterity of the fair girl, who, through force of circumstances, had been changed from a follower to a guide. Though an athlete himself, it was all he could do to keep pace with her.

The sole purpose that guided the two was to get as far from the ravine as they could in the shortest possible space of time. Two Shawanoes had fallen in the fierce pursuit of the young people, and the promptings of revenge would urge them to the utmost. True, in running from them, it looked as if they were sweeping directly into the arms of a larger party; but the latter had not yet laid eyes on them, while the former had ; it was to be presumed, therefore, that their line of pursuit was more intelligent.

Suddenly a whoop sounded in front, and the figures of several warriors were seen flitting among the trees and undergrowth, within a stone's cast of Agnes, who still held her place at the front. Believing that the crisis had arrived, and the final stand must be made, Ashbridge stopped short and brought his rifle to his shoulder.

" Don't !" she called ; " here is a refuge."

He turned just as she leaped lightly over a decayed log lying across her path, and the next instant, by a sharp turn to the left, whisked out of sight. He was after her in

THE CAVERN AMONG THE ROCKS. 29

a twinkling, the whole thing being done so quickly, that it may be said it was all over before he comprehended what had really taken place.

The fair fugitive had darted into a cavern whose existence she detected at the moment her escort turned at bay. The entrance was broad and high enough to admit a man in a slightly stooping posture, and faced a ledge of rocks, which extended in front of the opening.

This path reached barely a yard beyond the entrance, when it ended abruptly against a solid wall of stone, so that the only approach was that over which the fugitives had just passed. The ravine showed a depth of fully forty feet from the mouth of the cavern, with more than half the space above, the whole sixty odd feet being absolutely perpendicular. This much the reader must know to understand the incidents that follow.

The Shawanoes saw that the young man and woman had eluded them for the time; but they saw, too, that they had been entrapped, with not one chance in ten thousand of escaping. A half-dozen triumphant whoops rang through the solitude ; and there could be no doubt that the whole party scattered in the woods would speedily gather in the immediate neighborhood, with a full knowledge of the hopeless situation of the fugitives.

The instant Ashbridge dashed inside, he wheeled, and raised the hammer of his rifle, ready to fire upon the first appearance of an enemy. His belief was that the Shawanoes, who were almost upon his heels, would make a rush in the attempt to overwhelm them. The daring they had already shown gave cause for this belief, and there can be little doubt that had the hostiles followed up their advantage, it would have been all over with Ashbridge and Agnes.

It is rarely, however, that the American Indian can be brought to " face the music " for any length of time. In the pursuit of the flying fugitives, they had already displayed a dash and courage beyond their nature, and as the slow minutes passed, with the youth standing at bay, the stillness remained profound, as if no warrior was within a hundred miles.

THE CAVERN AMONG fHE EOCKS. 31

Agnes Altman, upon entering the cave, stopped as abruptly as her companion, but at a distance of several paces further in the refuge. She faced outward like him, with her small rifle firmly grasped and ready for instant use. Then, as if in obedience to the prompting that her place was not behind, but at the side of her defender, she stepped lightly forward.

Neither spoke nor moved for several minutes. Their faculties were concentrated in those of listening and looking.

" They will not come," she finally remarked in an undertone.

" Not for the present, but we are by no means done with them. They have only to starve us out."

"Unless they become impatient and use fire."

Ashbridge had not thought of that, but he saw the imminence of the peril.

" We are sure of safety for a few hours, and probably until night. I think, Agnes, that we ought to learn something about this refuge, which turned up so providentially. It won't do to leave the front unguarded, so I will let you do the exploration. You don't need your gun, and perhaps I shall ; leave it with me."

She leaned it against the side of the cavern, and began timidly making her way into the blank darkness behind her. The flood of sunshine which lit up the opening and the front with subdued light penetrated but a short distance within the cavern, so that she had advanced but a few steps when she was enveloped in impenetrable gloom.

The utmost care was necessary, and she moved forward inch by inch, with outstretched hands, sliding her feet slowly over the flinty floor with the shortest of steps and the most frequent pauses. The task was not only delicate but hard. Projecting crags were touched on the right and left, and depressions and obstructions continually presented themselves. Once she uttered a gasp of affright, believing she had stepped off the edge of her support into a chasm of fatal depths ; but the descent was only slight, and though she fell upon her hands and knees, she received no hurts or bruises.

THE CAVERN AMONG THE ROCKS. 33

Turning her face, she saw the sunlit opening perhaps fifty feet distant, with the figure of George in silhouette against the soft radiance beyond.

" Why does he stand thus ?" she asked, with a pang of fear. " He seems to forget that there is an abundance of room for the Shawanoes to hide themselves on the other side of the ravine and pick him off without danger to themselves."