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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1908)
I ukuuuh cUITDAy JOURNAL, TORTLAXT), SUNDAY JfOKttTNtV ACnrsf 23 TWO LIDS OF OLD KENTUCKY By Virginia Yeaman Remnitz OW Toddles got out of the fort was never known. The time of his disappearance was early afternoon, one spring day of the year 1781. The women of Hamilton's Station were cither making tneir spinning wheels sing, or were themselves sinsrimr to restless babies; the men were all out hunting; the children were playing in the fort yard. And all an. Tin. 1 this frail little settlement lay the beautiful. Indian haunted, wolf-haunted wilderness of Ken- Itueky. Somewhere out in that wilderness was Toddles, but his mother did not know it vet. A little wond-n "fort," made by erecting iog cabins and ; stockade fencing about a four-square yard, may j nut ser m to offer adequate protection against sav age enemies, brute or human; but it is far, far better for a little child than no protection at all. Presently Mrs. Hamilton looked up from her spinning-wheel to gladden her eyes with ft sight of Toddles. He was the prettiest, chubbiest bit of a boy m the settlement a hardy little frontiersman, , with .1 sunny smile and laughing blue eyes. " I', diile -, Toddles !"' The call grew louder and louder. It rang all around the yard, until women came running; women, and children too, with here and there a tall boy who h;id been left at home to garrison the station. The tallest of these was Ben Hamilton; and after every cabin had been searched, and keen eyes had swept all the country within sight from the tops of the corner blockhouses, Ben laid his strong brown hand on his mother's arm and said quietly: "J reckon I '11 go and find Toddles." "Tpkc me too!" "And me!'' "And me!" "And me!" Every boy who was able to carry a ' "gun' had - spoken: but they must all stay at home to take caro of their mothers and the little ones. It was rarely that all the men left the fort at once; they did so only when there were no "Indian signs" about. And upon such occasions great responsibility rested upon the older bfys who were left behind. Pen's first preparation for departure was to find liis father's dog, "Spot," who had been left at home as part of the garrison. Spot had been discovered, sick and half famished, in a deserted Indian camp, and had been adopted simply because dogs of any kind were a rarity. But trie animal quickly proved himself a valuable member of the settlement He was an Indian-trained "tracking" dog, as silent'as a cat and as keen on the scent as a deer. Already he had found several strayed horses and cows; now he must try to find his playfellow, Toddles. Mrs. Hamilton herself held the little home-spun frock to the dog's nose, and made him sniff at the bed where Toddles had slept; and it was she who found the last plaything the child had handled. Spot seemed to understand. He was eager to be off, and even submitted patiently to being held in leash by a strip of buffalo tug. W hen the heavy fort gate had closed upon Ben, Mrs. Hamilton hastened to the top of a blockhouse, and from this watch-tower she looked eagerly down upon the beginning of the search. And as she looked the mother's grief and fear were for the moment almost forgotten in the mother's pride. What a man Ben looked! How tall and strong rind brave he was for a lad of sixteen, flow quick nnd keen his eye as he glanced now in this direc tion, now in that in response to the dog's restless tugging! How grave and firm his face as he calmly watched the finding of the scent, stooped to examine the ground, and with the dog started to follow tha trail that led into that limitless, terrible forest! But scarcely had the trail been found than Ben .stopped and turned about. His look rested full on his mother's face, and a bright smile broke the gravity of his own. Mrs. Hamilton leaned far over, smiling also; she waved her hand as he turned again, and she watched unti! the plunge into the forest was taken. Then, as the green foliage and the deep shadows closed about the gallant ydmig figure' in blue hunting shirt and buckskin legging, the poor mother dropped her face in her hand and wept bit terly. Thus one of the women found her, and led her down, speaking words of comfort which she could only hope might come true. It seemed only too probable that neither of the lads would ever conic home again. Ben had never been alone in the forest before, but hi- father had taken him on many a hunting trip and had trained the boy in that difficult art of wood craft s 1 necessary to every frontiersman. And alir.o t at the outset Ben made a discovery which sent the Mood to his head and a bright gleam to his eye. It was 'imply the faint Impress of a moccasined foot in wet earth This clue to his brother's fate Ben found on the bank of the stream which ran Just at the e !g" of the settlement clearing. On this bank, also, were many prints of small barc'fect. Toddles had been playing there And it clear that the child had run a little way to Since there had hern, of kite, some Indian depre dations toward the south, Hen determined to go in that direction; and taking Spot across the stream, he started off as rapidly as careful search for the lost trace permitted. The dog ran along the bank with his nose to the ground, and the boy's quick eyes keenly searched the damp earth. It was at the end of about a mile that Spot found the scent again, but Hen could see no tracks on the bank. He judged that the captor, or captors, of Toddles hail taken a tlying leap out of the water and landed on the leaf-covered mold of the forest. Now that he was on the trail again, Ben became possessed of a feverish haste At any moment the Indian might weary of his burden; and then 1 But Ben would not allow his thoughts to take that course. He began to run ahead swiftly, urging Spot before him. Both boy ond dog traveled as silently as possible, avoiding, as though by instinct, any crackling branches and rustling leaves. But Toddles wis not traveling silently at all; and this, upon the whole, wa ; fortunate. Ben heard an outcry, faint in the distance, but having the quality of rage rather than of pain. He realized with joy that his small brother was aide to make some pro testand then he stopped short. Spot must go now. ' a ball dug up thr ground where he had been lying. Then he made a dash for a sheltering boulder, tiring as he ran, in thr due. ti,.n from which the shot had just come. A lov minutes of silence followed, dur ing which every 'wig and hat and shadow about Ben seemed sus; uci. u -! anuiver. He felt that his hidden enemy was (.reeling upon him; he keenly realized his own i n f -. n-it y in woodcraft and cun ning, and felt thei e i ,.u'.l be but one end to the game he was playing. Hut I.e intended to keep it up as long as he cuuld lie felt no tear, only a strange tensity of nerve and a quickening of every sense. His hearing had neve' b.-eu so keen, his sight so quick, his brain so co. 1 and Vlrar; and the hand at the trigger of his rifle was as steady as though he were merely hunting a iquuiel. If the red man would expose himself for but one instant. Hen believed he could be the first to tire; if but the faintest motion or sound would give warn ing, he felt he might avoid the enemy's aim. But this prolonged silence seemed to be a part of eternity. It may have been intuitu n rather than actual per ception but surely a snake was gliding somewhere near. Ben turned like a cat. and his quick blue eye seemed to pierce thr nnderln nh about. No, there was nothing; the tremulous shadow of a wind swayed bough must have deceived him. Hut there, over by a great rock, was a deeper shadow and a flash. The two rhaVs bh.ed out almost instan taneously, and the rep rts were followed by a sav age yell. Ben dropped on Ins knees, a hand to his left shoulder. But he did not know it was there. He was watching the Indian. Was the fellow wounded, or was he only shamming? Was he going away, or was he coming nearer? An I mi rely it was getting dark dark and cold. To. Idles was out alone in the dark and cold And everywhere, behind tree? and rocks, amid t he . under!. ni -. wete Indians -creeping, creeping. Or were they snakes.' At all events, it would not do to leave Toddles alone. He might be frightened, or hurt. r. c-&Qmi lifted iw WmSwv V . IT WAS K10 BEHIND A TREE THAT JIM GOT HIS FIRST CLrMFSE OF TODDLES He untied the strip of tug from the dog's neck, and. whispering in his ear, pointed the way home. When the poor animal, thus forbidden the reward of hi jabor, protested. Ben had great difficulty in persuad ing him to go back. Put he felt a sudden sense of loneliness and desolation as he watched his four , footed friend trot disconsolately homeward. As Ben hastened on, the angry outcry ahead grew louder and louder, and he wondered that the small captive's behavior did not bring fatal math upon him. The fear that it might at any moment have this result impelled Ben. even at some risk from noise, to quicken his pace to a run. It was from behind a tree that Ben got his first glimpse of Toddle;. Tha: undaunted child was en gaged in thumping with 1 "th tiny fists at the chest and head rf the powerful brave vv h carried him, and was .'ilso kicking sturdily Ben looked sharply about, and when he discovered t'1.1; 1'.' had but one redskin to deal with, ; courage r."t out of all proportion f the sitva i : --"i. He had feared to come upon a whole party of Indians The vigr of Toddle-' att.ick ::; n l is captor fairly made Ben's blood run c 1 i at the thought of such rash behavior Si; rely the Jrdnn would not tolerate it another ir.:..nt. 1'" would oh. what Ben crawled slowly front behind his rock. He did not know he was craw.ir.g. hut he felt he made slow progress, and he tried to hasten. It was no use; it was like a nightmare in which he can move just so fast and no faster Ben did not see the iitt'e red trail that followed hifti; he' scarcely saw r thing not even To. Idles, who sat up wide-eyed ui. 1 stopped crying at this vision of his big brother cucping -lowly toward him. A little later Toddles crept over to Hen. The chubby legs were too shaky as ut to .1. service. But he had forgotten about hi own pain in this new wonder. In all Toddies's experience Ben had never looked and aned that wav He shook the inert finger at the closed ug.-ed hi hardest 'i.i result. finally, v about the eyes, 'her, drew the un , ! w ct.t fast asleep. falling, the search a'ld 'he two. Spot . began to w h : n e -art st -! still as at all what he had ' - t.cc the s'urdy Be; is rifle was a fin-h. a sharp ahojt, quite tin- was esca; e that dreaded sight of a painted red man which had suddenly appeared before him. It was doubtlesi in the i.e.. of pursuit that the Indian had been so in cautious as to set his foot where any "trace" would be left Pen and Spot found the emaet place where that j-t. fully uneven chase had ended Then the lad closed his eyes for a moment. He dreaded lest hit dog should make straight for something which had teen Toddles. Frontier boyi uw terrible things in those days, and Ben knew the end Indians cften made of the little children thejr captured He did not fear anything now, aare to come upon the thing his fancy pictured. But the dog ran about uncertainly. The Indian tiad probably stepped wjth Toddles into the bed of the stream, for there was now r.o scent to fellow. This conclusion gave Pen a momentary sensation cf relief. Terhaps the red man intended to make the child a captive rather than to ilajr him. Bat had te gone cp stream or down? Lrrat' th' Hi ter man v 1 -r.-.d ;ust t :n:rg e; r, ck-n he s' I less! might hr r.ot do? At the very i! slowly raised and aimed There report, and then the Indian nhee'e hurt Ben crouched down behind a tree to reload. There was a brief agr.izrd cry as the savage v:o!ently dahed Teddies to the prrnd. and Ben, scarcely knowing what he did, coked h. reloaded jrtiri -and sprang r l: of hiding ! i a moment th Indian was now bete to be seen, but Toddles lay quite Mill on the ground beneath a tree Ben knew that the re JsVin wa f t in hiding; the sound of a shot and the stirtr -f a ball might at any moment disclose h; whereabouts The boy dared not e-rn steal another j'mf it Ms brother. And he was ;uft -about cr u.-'- "t .?V3f'n whn the ex per fd . shot rari -a' P ' " d';r'J e the fr-und. he d'd not b'w whether he wa h t or not, and crawled behind a tree There he hid. waitinc f-r a chance to take aim a: his r-irmy. ! w; a frr-ble ct -f hiie-? - J- eek The red iran darted frm behirf f.jj t.ivrt, tj! xanisbe-l aga n before Pen could even take aim The boy be lieved himself exposed to the enemy's fire, and. quick as tnougkt, te rc-Je-d orer. - The rtit instant j-unned away!" "Wake up. Hen! Wake ut figure. He poked a i h. ;!.!' . lids But it was r.o -.jst 1 ' . at Pen's sleeve, but still v being very tired :.!! tee'.'-' he nestled close up to his !.;, hurt arm about bis little b i That is how, jut as d-.i'k party from Hamilton's --is-: led the way. and, re rin: dolefully. So Mr lb!:.'!' " he dismounted. He did n ' k found, and was afraid. -- : frontiersman felt hirw!:" hand, and it was ano'hrr over the boys and 1 1 ' c ing of their hearts P! stood about, their stem :' When Toddles was l.f'rd up and murmured droi"y. "Pen wite a eep Hut over Ben raised hi Mr. Hamilton with so weak," he said right" And so he did The m tired h nlder wa? some what trotiblesor-.e. b: n vh ng fcr i frontier boy to make a fuis about The n-er. whe- tclrwcd the Indian's trail until tt wsi 1 ?t in a strrim juiged that he had been severely w m lcd for he had evi-df-rt'y eraw'ed all tlr m r h- :-:vk; and they declared that Ben was a'-eady a famous "In;ir. fighter " Trsdd'es, howeve'. rrv-.'e Ve t-'t hero cf the occasion Looking : ! "' :'ue f h s mother a he lav irt 1 .-r ?-t. he remarked a -. 'y "Mammy, I beat the rid Inur. and I beat him. an I I beat him. until he had to let rrte g- and then he '.e business in :ty w ho knelt f r the beat- s d f. -tinted and lor ai d pitiful, c . pened his eyes -.tried, ''itt he went vv..s 'i!I kreeling er., an! 1 oked at "H-s heart is n't I! c n.e around all r (in ' It was a Discontented Boy ' Who lay upon the lawn. And grieved because vacation days, With all their pleasant sports and plays, .Too soon, alas! were gone. Some sparrows near him hopped rpimd And, as he watahed, the boy became Filled with an envy most profound Because the birds were free from rules, And never even heard of schools; And, sitting by, I overheard This boy wish he was "just a bird." Scarce had the words been said alas When, swift as lightning, from the grass Tuss !oundod, and one cruel blow Laid one poor chirping sparrow low. Then said the Discontented Boy: "I really never thought f that Ah, well! I wish I was a cat." Just then a dog of monstrous size Comes up the street the cat he spies; Springs for her, aad half dead with fright Puss drops her prey and takes to flight. Then said the Discontented Boy; "Instead of either bird or cat, I 'd like to be a dog, lfko that." But even as he spoke, a man Seized on the dog, and In a van Thrust the unhappy hound. "Where will you take him?" said the boy. The man said; "To the pound; And if nobody comes for him, To-morrow lie '11 be drowned." "Ouch !" said the Boy, "I 'tn very sura I should n't ftney that; Nor being pounced on, like the bird, Nor worried like the cat. It seems, somehow, that everything Has sorrow mixed with joy; So after all I guess that I - Would rather be a boy." 74 .... The K's rf L'nsergarten Went : -th ?- fight the foe; He took vvth lam his trumpet. His i. .-! and "tti ard bow. A'r.g tie grsvel pathway At! r'-ur.d the lan he passecL; He 'tapped jt every rorneT An i t!ew a fearf.: blast II .-ad h.s Luckier in :e of rows ; - i.-nbusa trees, T. ' '- - - cf I'nsergtrtetv V. ' cr rr t-.e wr was dome, '. i oode- w-rd beside him ! ;v siee; ;.-. .a th SUO, f .i
