Afar in the Forest Part 1

Afar in the Forest.

by W.H.G. Kingston.

CHAPTER ONE.

OUR HABITATION IN THE FOREST--MY SHARE OF THE SPOILS OF THE DAY'S CHASE--UNCLE MARK COMMENCES HIS NARRATIVE--WHY MY UNCLES DECIDED TO EMIGRATE--LANDING IN SAFETY, THEY START UP COUNTRY--THEIR MEETING WITH SIMON YEARSLEY, AN OLD SETTLER--THE SETTLEMENT IS FOUND IN RUINS--LILY AND I RESCUED--UNCLE MARK PROMISES TO RESUME HIS NARRATIVE ON THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY--MY LOVE OF NATURAL HISTORY--UNCLE MARK CONTINUES HIS NARRATIVE--YEARSLEY GOES IN PURSUIT OF THE INDIANS--THE BURIAL OF LILY'S MOTHER--THE RETURN TO THE WAGGON--THEY REACH THE NEAREST SETTLEMENT-- ALARM OF THE SETTLERS UPON HEARING OF THE OUTRAGE COMMITTED BY THE INDIANS--UNCLE STEPHEN'S MARRIAGE--CONCLUSION OF UNCLE MARK'S NARRATIVE--LILY AND I GO BERRYING--WE ARE ATTACKED BY A WOLF--KEPENAU SAVES OUR LIVES--HIS PRESENT OF VENISON TO AUNT HANNAH--KEPENAU'S BELIEF IN THE GOODNESS OF THE GREAT SPIRIT--THE INDIAN'S ADVICE.

"Is Lily not Uncle Stephen's daughter, then?" I asked.

The question was put to my uncle, Mark Tregellis, whom I found seated in front of our hut as I returned one evening from a hunting excursion--it having been my duty that day to go out in search of game for our larder.

Uncle Mark had just come in from his day's work, which had been that of felling the tall trees surrounding our habitation. He and I together had cleared an acre and a half since we came to our new location.

It was a wild region in which we had fixed ourselves. Dark forests were on every side of us. To the north and the east was the great chain of lakes which extend a third of the way across North America. Numberless mountain-ranges rose in the distance, with intervening heights,--some rugged and precipitous, others clothed to their summits with vegetation.

Numerous rivers and streams ran through the country; one of which, on whose banks we purposed building our future abode, pa.s.sed close to our hut. Besides the features I have described, there were waterfalls and rapids, deep valleys and narrow gorges penetrating amid the hills; while to the south-west could be seen, from the higher ground near us, the wide prairie, extending away far beyond human ken. Wild indeed it was, for not a single habitation of white men was to be found to the westward; and on the other side, beyond the newly-formed settlement in which Uncle Stephen resided, but few cottages or huts of the hardy pioneers of civilisation,--and these scattered only here and there,-- existed for a hundred miles or more.

Uncle Mark, having lighted the fire and put the pot on to boil, had thrown himself down on the ground in front of the hut, with his back to the wall, and was busy contemplating the dark pines which towered up before him, and calculating how long it would take, with his sharp axe, to fell them.

I had brought home a haunch of venison as my share of the spoils of the chase (in which I had joined Uncle Stephen); and it was in consequence of a remark made by him while we were out hunting, that I had somewhat eagerly asked at Uncle Mark the question with which this story opens.

"No; Lily is not Stephen's daughter,--nor even related to him," he answered. "But we will cut some steaks off that haunch and broil them; and while we are discussing our supper, I will tell you all about the matter."

The slices of venison, and flour-cakes baked on the fire, were soon ready; and seated at the door of our hut, with a fire burning before us to keep off the mosquitoes, we commenced our repast, when I reminded my uncle of his promise.

"It is a good many years ago, but even now it is painful to think of those days," he began. "We came from Cornwall, in the 'old country,'

where your Uncle Stephen, your mother, and I were born. She had married your father, Michael Penrose, however, and had emigrated to America, when we were mere boys; and we were just out of our apprenticeship (Stephen as a blacksmith and I as a carpenter) when we received a letter from your father and mother inviting us to join them in America, and setting forth the advantages to be obtained in the new country. We were not long in making up our minds to accept the invitation; and in the spring of the next year we crossed the sea, with well nigh three hundred other emigrants,--some going out to relatives and friends, others bent on seeking their fortunes, trusting alone to their own strong arms and determined will for success.

"We found, on landing, that we had a journey of some hundred miles before us; part of which could be performed in boats up the rivers, but the greater portion was along 'corduroy' roads, through dark forests, and over mountains and plains. Our brother-in-law, a bold, determined person, had turned backwoodsman, and, uniting himself with a party of hardy fellows of similar tastes, had pushed on in advance of the old settlers, far to the westward, in spite of the difficulties of obtaining stores and provisions, and the dangers they knew they must encounter from hostile Indians whose territories they were invading. We did not, however, think much of these things, and liked the idea of being ahead, as it seemed to us, of others. The forest was before us. We were to win our way through it, and establish a home for ourselves and our families.

"We had been travelling on for a couple of weeks or so, following the directions your father had given us in order to find his new location, but greatly in doubt as to whether we were going right, when we were fortunate enough to fall in with a settler who knew him, and who was returning with a waggon and team. He readily undertook to be our guide, glad to have our a.s.sistance in making way through the forest. We provided ourselves with crowbars to lift the waggon out of the ruts and holes and up the steep ascents; for we had left the 'corduroy' roads-- or, indeed, any road at all--far behind. Our new acquaintance seemed to be somewhat out of spirits about the prospects of the new settlement; but, notwithstanding, he had determined to chance it with the rest. The Indians, he said, had lately been troublesome, and some of them who had been found prowling about, evidently bent on mischief, had been shot.

'We have won the ground, and we must keep it against all odds,' he observed.

"Everything in the country was then new to us. I remember feeling almost awe-struck with the stillness which reigned in the forest. Not a leaf or bough was in motion; nor was a sound heard, except when now and then our ears caught the soughing of the wind among the lofty heads of the pine-trees, the tapping of the woodp.e.c.k.e.rs on the decaying trunks, or the whistling cry of the little chitmonk as it ran from bough to bough.

"I had expected to meet with bears, wolves, racc.o.o.ns, lynxes, and other animals, and was surprised at encountering so few living creatures.

'They are here, notwithstanding,' observed our friend; 'you will get your eyes sharpened to find them in time. In the course of a year or two you _may_ become expert backwoodsmen. You can't expect to drop into the life all at once.' By attending to the advice our friend gave us, and keeping our senses wide awake, we gained some knowledge even during that journey.

"We were now approaching the settlement--Weatherford, it was called. It was a long way to the eastward of where we are now, with numerous towns and villages in the neighbourhood. The waggon had gained the last height, from the top of which, our guide told us, we should be able to catch sight of the settlement. We had been working away with our crowbars, helping on the wheels,--our friend being ahead of the team,-- and had just reached level ground, when we heard him utter a cry of dismay. Rushing forward, we found him pointing, with distended eyes, into the plain beyond us, from which could be seen, near the bank of a river, thick volumes of smoke ascending, while bright names kept flickering up from below.

"'The settlement has been surprised by Indians!' he exclaimed, as soon as he could find words to speak. 'I know the bloodthirsty nature of the savages. They don't do things by halves, or allow a single human being to escape, if they can help it. Lads, you will stick by me; though we can do nothing, I fear, but be revenged on the Redskins. I left my wife and children down there, and I know that I shall never see them alive again.'

"He spoke quite calmly, like a man who had made up his mind for the worst.

"'We cannot leave the waggon here, or the Indians will see it,--if they have not done so already,--and know that we are following them. We will take it down to yonder hollow, and leave it and the oxen. There is pasture enough for them, and they will not stray far. Then we will follow up the Indians' trail; and maybe some of their braves won't get back to boast of their victory, if you will only do as I tell you.'

"Of course, we at once agreed to accompany Simon Yearsley--such was our friend's name--and follow his directions. Quickly turning the waggon round, we got it down to the spot he had indicated, where the oxen were unyoked, and left to crop the gra.s.s by the side of a stream flowing from the hill above. Then taking our rifles, with a supply of ammunition, and some food in our wallets, we again set off, Yearsley leading the way.

"We next descended the hill, concealing ourselves as much as possible among the rocks and shrubs until we gained the plain. Although Simon moved at a rapid rate, there was nothing frantic in his gestures. He had made up his mind, should he find his loved ones destroyed, to follow the murderers with deadly vengeance, utterly regardless of the consequences to himself. As none of the intervening country had been cleared except a straight road through the forest, where the trees had been felled, and the stumps grubbed up here and there to allow of a waggon pa.s.sing between the remainder, we were able to conceal ourselves until we got close to the settlement.

"We now saw that, though the greater number were in flames, two or three huts on one side remained uninjured. Still, not a sound reached us,-- neither the cries of the inhabitants nor the shouts of the savages.

Nothing was heard save the sharp crackling of the flames.

"'The Indians have retreated, and the settlers are following. We shall be in time to join them!' exclaimed Yearsley, dashing forward. 'But we must first search for any who have survived.' His previous calmness disappeared as he spoke, and he rushed, through the burning huts, towards one of the buildings.

"Stephen and I were about to follow, when we heard a cry proceeding from one of the huts at hand, which, though the doorway was charred and the burning embers lay around it, had as yet escaped destruction. Hurrying in, I stumbled over the corpse of a man. His rifle lay on the ground, while his hand grasped an axe, the blade covered with gore. I gazed on his face, and recognised, after a moment's scrutiny, my own brother-in-law. He had fallen while defending his hearth and home.

Close to him lay a young boy, who, I guessed, was his eldest child, shot through the head.

"My poor sister! where could she be?

"Again a cry reached my ear. It came from an inner room. It was Martha, your mother, who had uttered the cry. She was stretched on the ground, holding you in her arms. Her neck was fearfully wounded, her life-blood ebbing fast away.

"I endeavoured to stanch it, telling her meanwhile who I was.

"'Stephen and I have come at your invitation,' I said.

"'Heaven, rather, has sent you, to protect my Roger,' she faintly gasped out, trying to put you in my arms. 'His father and brother are dead; I saw them fall. Hearing voices which I knew to be those of white men, I cried out, that they might come and protect him. Mark! I am dying.

You will ever be a father to him?'

"The blood continued to flow; and soon she breathed her last, her head resting on my arm. Your dress and little hands were stained with her blood; but you were too young to understand clearly what had happened, although, as I took you up to carry you from the hut, you cried out l.u.s.tily to be taken back to your poor mother.

"Thinking it possible that the Indians might return, I hurried out to look for Stephen, so that we might make our escape. I was resolved at all costs to save your life. I tried to comfort you, at the same time, by telling you that I was your uncle, and that your mother had wished me to take care of you.

"Going on a little way, I found another hut, the door of which was open, and smoke coming out of it. The savages had thrown in their firebrands as they quitted the village, and the front part was already on fire.

"While I was shouting for Stephen he rushed out of the hut, with a blanket rolled up in his arms, the end thrown over his own head.

"'I have saved this child, and thank Heaven you are here to take her!'

he exclaimed, unfolding the blanket, and putting a little girl into my arms. 'I must try and preserve the mother;' and again throwing the blanket over his head, he dashed in through the flames.

"In another minute he reappeared, struggling along under the heavy burden of a grown-up person wrapped in the blanket. As he reached me he sank down, overcome by the smoke, and I noticed that his clothes and hair were singed.

"On opening the blanket I saw a young woman, her dress partly burned.

She too was wounded. The fresh air somewhat revived her; and on opening her eyes and seeing the little girl, she stretched out her arms for her.

'Lilias! my little Lily! she's saved,' she whispered, as she pressed her lips to the child's brow. 'May Heaven reward you!'

"It was the final effort of exhausted nature, and in a few minutes she breathed her last.

"The flames, meantime, had gained the mastery over the building, and we saw that it was impossible to save it.

"But it's time to turn in, Roger," said Uncle Mark. "I'll tell you more about the matter to-morrow."

As Uncle Mark always meant what he said, I knew that there would be no use in trying to get him to go on then, eager as I was to hear more of what had, as may be supposed, so deeply interested me. I accordingly turned into my bunk, and was soon asleep.

I dreamed of shrieking Indians and burning villages; and more than once I started up and listened to the strange unearthly sounds which came from the depths of the forest.

These noises, I may here say, were caused by the wolves; for the savage brutes occasionally came near the settlement, attracted by the sheep and cattle which the inhabitants had brought with them. A bright look-out being kept, however, it was seldom that any of our stock was carried off. Bears also occasionally came into the neighbourhood; and we had already shot two, whose skins supplied us with winter coats. Our intention was to kill as many more as we could meet with, that their skins might serve us for other purposes--especially as coverlets for our beds. And, besides, their flesh was always a welcome addition to our larder.

Next morning we went about our usual work. My uncle with his bright axe commenced felling the trees round our hut--working away from sunrise to sunset, with only an hour's intermission for dinner. I aided him, as far as my strength would allow, for a certain number of hours daily.