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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15597-8.txt b/15597-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..83ec739 --- /dev/null +++ b/15597-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5098 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Stories of American Life and Adventure, by +Edward Eggleston + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Stories of American Life and Adventure + + +Author: Edward Eggleston + +Release Date: April 9, 2005 [eBook #15597] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND +ADVENTURE*** + + +E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 15597-h.htm or 15597-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597/15597-h/15597-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597/15597-h.zip) + + + + + +STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE + +by + +EDWARD EGGLESTON + +Author of _Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans_, +_A First Book in American History_, and +_A History of the United States and its People for the Use of Schools_ + +American Book Company +New York : Cincinnati : Chicago + +1895, 1923 + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Grand Canyon.] + + + + +PREFACE. + + +This book is intended to serve three main purposes. + +One of these is to make school reading pleasant by supplying matter +simple and direct in style, and sufficiently interesting and exciting +to hold the reader's attention in a state of constant wakefulness; +that is, to keep the mind in the condition in which instruction can be +received with the greatest advantage. + +A second object is to cultivate an interest in narratives of fact by +selecting chiefly incidents full of action, such as are attractive to +the minds of boys and girls whose pulses are yet quick with youthful +life. The early establishment of a preference for stories of this sort +is the most effective antidote to the prevalent vice of reading +inferior fiction for mere stimulation. + +But the principal aim of this book is to make the reader acquainted +with American life and manners in other times. The history of life +has come to be esteemed of capital importance, but it finds, as yet, +small place in school instruction. The stories and sketches in this +book relate mainly to earlier times and to conditions very different +from those of our own day. They will help the pupil to apprehend the +life and spirit of our forefathers. Many of them are such as make +him acquainted with that adventurous pioneer life, which thus far has +been the largest element in our social history, and which has given +to the national character the traits of quick-wittedness, humor, +self-reliance, love of liberty, and democratic feeling. These traits +in combination distinguish us from other peoples. + +Stories such as these here told of Indian life, of frontier peril and +escape, of adventures with the pirates and kidnappers of colonial +times, of daring Revolutionary feats, of dangerous whaling voyages, of +scientific exploration, and of personal encounters with savages and +wild beasts, have become the characteristic folklore of America. Books +of history rarely know them, but they are history of the highest +kind,--the quintessence of an age that has passed, or that is swiftly +passing away, forever. With them are here intermingled sketches of the +homes, the food and drink, the dress and manners, the schools and +children's plays, of other times. The text-book of history is chiefly +busy with the great events and the great personages of history: this +book seeks to make the young American acquainted with the daily life +and character of his forefathers. In connection with the author's +"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans," it is intended to +form an introduction to the study of our national history. + +It has been thought desirable to make the readings in this book cover +in a general way the whole of our vast country. The North and the +South, the Atlantic seaboard, the Pacific slope, and the great +interior basin of the continent, are alike represented in these pages. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +A White Boy among the Indians + +The Making of a Canoe + +Some Things about Indian Corn + +Some Women in the Indian Wars + +The Coming of Tea and Coffee + +Kidnapped Boys + +The Last Battle of Blackbeard + +An Old Philadelphia School + +A Dutch Family in the Revolution + +A School of Long Ago + +Stories of Whaling + +A Whaling Song + +A Strange Escape + +Grandmother Bear + +The Great Turtle + +The Rattlesnake God + +Witchcraft in Louisiana + +A Story of Niagara + +Among the Alligators + +Jasper + +Song of Marion's Men + +A Brave Girl + +A Prisoner among the Indians + +Hungry Times in the Woods + +Scouwa becomes a White Man again + +A Baby Lost in the Woods + +Elizabeth Zane + +The River Pirates + +Old-fashioned Telegraphs + +A Boy's Foolish Adventure + +A Foot Race for Life + +Loretto and his Wife + +A Blackfoot Story + +How Fremont crossed the Mountains + +Finding Gold in California + +Descending the Grand Canyon + +The-Man-that-draws-the-Handcart + +The Lazy, Lucky Indian + +Peter Petersen + +The Greatest of Telescope Makers + +Adventures in Alaska + + + + +STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE. + + + + +A WHITE BOY AMONG THE INDIANS. + + +Among the people that came to Virginia in 1609, two years after the +colony was planted, was a boy named Henry Spelman. He was the son of a +well-known man. He had been a bad and troublesome boy in England, and +his family sent him to Virginia, thinking that he might be better in +the new country. At least his friends thought he would not trouble +them so much when he was so far away. + +Many hundreds of people came at the same time that Henry Spelman did. +Captain John Smith was then governor of the little colony. He was +puzzled to know how to feed all these people. As many of them were +troublesome, he was still more puzzled to know how to govern them. + +In order not to have so many to feed, he sent some of them to live +among the Indians here and there. A chief called Little Powhatan asked +Smith to send some of his men to live with him. The Indians wanted to +get the white men to live among them, so as to learn to make the +things that the white men had. Captain Smith agreed to give the boy +Henry Spelman to Little Powhatan, if the chief would give him a place +to plant a new settlement. + +Spelman staid awhile with the chief, and then he went back to the +English at Jamestown. + +But when he came to Jamestown he was sorry that he had not staid among +the Indians. Captain John Smith had gone home to England. George Percy +was now governor of the English. They had very little food to eat, and +Spelman began to be afraid that he might starve to death with the rest +of them. Powhatan--not Little Powhatan, but the great Powhatan, who +was chief over all the other chiefs in the neighborhood--sent a white +man who was living with him to carry some deer meat to Jamestown. When +it came time for this white man to go back, he asked that some of his +countrymen might go to the Indian country with him. The governor sent +Spelman, who was glad enough to go to the Indians again, because they +had plenty of food to eat. + +Three weeks after this, Powhatan sent Henry Spelman back to Jamestown +to say to the English, that if they would come to his country, and +bring him some copper, he would give them some corn for it. The +Indians at this time had no iron, and what little copper they had they +bought from other Indians, who probably got it from the copper mines +far away on Lake Superior. + +The English greatly needed corn, so they took a boat and went up to +the Indian country with copper, in order to buy corn. They quarreled +with the Indians about the measurement of the corn. The Indians hid +themselves near the water, and, while the white men were carrying the +corn on their vessel, the Indians killed some of them. About this +time, seeing that the white men were so hungry, the Indians began to +hope that they would be able to drive them all out of the country. + +Powhatan saved Spelman from being killed by the Indians; but, now that +the Indians were at war with the white men, who were shut up in +Jamestown without food, they wished to kill all the white people in +the country. + +Spelman and a Dutchman, who also lived with Powhatan, began to be +afraid that he would not protect them any longer. So, when a chief of +the Potomac Indians visited Powhatan, and asked the Dutchman and the +boy to go to his country, they left Powhatan and went back with them. +Powhatan sent messengers after them, who killed the Dutchman. Henry +Spelman ran away into the woods. Powhatan's men followed him, but the +Potomacs got hold of Powhatan's men, and held them back until Spelman +could get away. The boy managed at last to get to the country of the +Potomac Indians. + +It was very lucky for Spelman that he was among the Indians at this +time. Nearly all the white people in Jamestown were killed, or died of +hunger. Spelman lived among the Indians for years. During this time +more people came from England, and settled at Jamestown. A ship from +Jamestown came up into the Potomac River to trade. The captain of the +ship bought Spelman from the Indians. He was now a young man, and, as +he could speak both the Indian language and the English, he was very +useful in carrying on trade between the white men and the Indians. + +At the time that Henry Spelman first went among the Indians, they had +no iron tools except a very few that they had bought of the white +people. They had no guns, nor knives, nor hatchets. They had no hoes +nor axes. They made their tools out of hard wood, shells, stones, deer +horns, and other such things. They had not yet bought blankets from +the white men, but made their clothes mostly out of the skins of +animals. + +The Indians could not learn much about the white man's arts from +Spelman, because he did not know much. Besides, he had no iron of +which to make tools. He learned to make arrows of cane such as we use +for fishing rods. He also learned to point his arrows with the spur of +a wild turkey, or a piece of stone. These arrow points he stuck into +the arrow with a kind of glue. But he first had to learn how to make +his glue out of deers' horns. Before he could make any of the tools, +he had to make himself a knife, as the Indians did. Having no iron, +the blade of his knife was made out of a beaver's tooth, which is very +sharp, and will cut wood. He set this tooth in the end of a stick. You +see how hard it was for an Indian to get tools. He had to learn to +make one tool in order to use that in making another tool. + +One of the principal things that an Indian had to do was to make a +canoe; for, as the Indians had no horses, they could travel only by +water, unless they went afoot. Canoes were the only boats they had. +They had to make canoes without any of the tools that white men use. +Let us explain this by a story about Henry and an Indian boy. The +things in the story may not have happened just as they are told, but +the account of how things are made by the Indians is all true. + + + + +THE MAKING OF A CANOE. + + +Henry had a young Indian friend whose name was Keketaw. One day +Keketaw said to him, "Let us go into the woods and make a canoe." + +"If we had an ax to cut down the trees," said the white boy, "or an +adz, such as they have at Jamestown, or if we could get a hatchet, we +might make a canoe; but we have not even a little knife." + +"We will make a canoe in the Indian way," said Keketaw. "I will show +you how. Let us get ready." + +"What shall we do to get ready?" asked Henry. + +"We must take our bows, and we must make many arrows, so as to get +something to eat, and we must have fishing lines," said Keketaw, "or +we shall not be able to live in the woods." + +For some days the two boys were getting ready. It took them a long +time to scrape a piece of bone into a fishhook by means of a beaver's +tooth set in a stick, but they made three of these hooks. They made +some more hooks not so good as these by tying a splinter of bone to a +little stick. Keketaw's mother made fishing lines for them. She took +the long leaves of the plant which we call Spanish bayonet, and +separated these threads into a hard cord, rubbing them between her +hand and her knee. + +"We must have swords," said Keketaw. + +"We can cut our meat with this," said Henry, pointing to a knife made +of cane, such as the Indians called a pamesack. + +"But the Monacans may come," said Keketaw. "If we should see one +sticking up his head, I should want a sword to fight him with; and if +we should kill him, we could cut off his scalp with it;" and Keketaw's +eyes glistened a little at the thought of fetching home a Monacan's +scalp. + +The Monacans were fierce Indians of a tribe living in the country west +of the Powhatan Indians. They were deadly enemies of Keketaw's tribe. + +The two boys, by much slow work with stones and shells and +beaver-tooth chisels, managed to scrape a wooden sword into shape. +This, Henry was to wear at his back. Keketaw, for his part, found a +piece of deer's horn. He stuck it into a stick so that it made +something like a small pickax. With this he said he could quickly +break the head of a Monacan. It would also serve as a sort of hatchet. + +The land round the village in which Keketaw lived had been cleared of +trees. This had been done by burning the trees in order to make room +for fields. In these fields the Indians planted corn, beans, pumpkins, +and tobacco, and a plant something like a sunflower, which is called +an artichoke. Of the root of this artichoke they made a kind of bread. + +For many miles there were no good canoe trees near the water. They had +all been picked out and used. Henry and Keketaw traveled twenty miles +into a deep woods, and chose a tree that would make a good canoe, and +that stood near a stream which ran into the James River. + +The first thing they did was to break down young trees and boughs, and +build themselves a brush tent. They made a bed out of dry leaves. The +first night they had nothing to eat, for they had no time to shoot any +game. The next morning they were too hungry to sleep late, and they +knew that squirrels are early risers. Soon after daylight the Indian +boy killed a squirrel with an arrow. Having no fire, they ate it +without cooking; for, when one is a savage, one must not be too nice. + +How should they get a fire? They first took a piece of dry wood, which +they scraped flat with stones. Then, with a blow of his tomahawk of +deer's horn, Keketaw made a round hole in the wood. One end of a dry +stick was placed in this hole. The other end was supported in the +hollow of a shell which Keketaw held in his hand. + +The string to Henry's bow was made of one of the cords or sinews of a +deer's leg. He wound this once round the stick. With his left hand, +Keketaw then put some dry moss about the stick where it entered the +hole in the dry wood. + +When all was ready, Henry drew his bow to and fro like a saw. Keketaw +pressed the shell down on the upper part of the stick. The bow-string +holding the stick made it whirl in the hole beneath. At first this +seemed to produce no effect. After a while the rapid rubbing of the +piece of wood in the hole made heat. Presently a very thin thread of +smoke began to come up through the little heap of moss about the +stick. Henry was now pretty well out of breath, but he sawed the bow +faster than ever. At last the moss began to smolder and to show fire. + +Keketaw then withdrew the smoking stick, and gathered the moss +together. Lying down by it, and putting his arm about it, the Indian +lad began to blow it gently. The smoldering fire increased until a +little blue flame, which he could barely see, appeared. Keketaw now +added some very thin paper-like bits of dry bark and some small twigs +to the pile of smoking moss. These caught fire, and sent up a +straw-colored flame. Henry put on larger twigs until there was at last +a crackling blaze. + +Taking lighted sticks from this fire, the boys made a fire all round +the base of a large tree from which they meant to get the canoe. This +fire they kept going constantly for two days. They even got up at +night to put dead boughs on, it. + +[Illustration: Burning down a Tree.] + +On the third night of their stay in camp, they didn't lie down at the +usual time, for the tree was burned nearly through. About two o'clock +in the morning a little breeze rustled in the leaves of the great +tree. Slowly at first, then more and more rapidly, the tree fell with +a tremendous crashing sound, until with a final thundering roar it lay +flat upon the ground. + +Sleepy as the boys were, they did not lie down for the night until +they had built a new fire near the trunk of the tree. Having no ax to +chop with, they had to burn the log in two. They put the fire at a +place that would cut off enough of the tree trunk to make a canoe. + +The next day they built up this new fire, and then went fishing in the +neighboring stream with their bone fishhooks, and lines made of the +Spanish bayonet leaf. In two days after the fall of the tree they had +burned off the log that was to make their canoe, and had scraped off +all the bark with shells. + +They then lighted little fires on top of the log, and, when these had +charred the wood for an inch or more in depth in any place, they +removed the fire and scraped away the charcoal. Then they built +another little fire in the same place. These little fires were made +with gum taken from the pine trees. + +By burning and scraping they gradually dug out the inside of their +boat, scraping out one end of it while they were burning out the +other, and working at it day after day. + +The only tools they had for scraping were shells from the river, and +sharp stones. Keketaw sometimes used his deer-horn tomahawk for the +same purpose. It was fourteen days from the time they first lighted +the fire at the foot of the tree until their canoe was finished. Two +more days were spent in making paddles. This work was also done by +burning and scraping. + +When all was done, the canoe was slid down the soft bank into the +water. It floated right side up to the delight of its makers. The boys +now thought it would be a fine stroke to take a deer home with them. +So they pulled one end of their canoe up on the shore, and started out +to look for one. + +But the first tracks they found were not deer tracks. They were the +footprints of men. Keketaw made a sign to Henry by turning the palm of +his hand toward the earth, and then moving the hand downward. This +meant to keep low, and make no noise. Then Keketaw climbed a high pine +tree. From the top of the tree he could see a number of Indians at a +spring of water. + +The boy slid down the tree in haste. "Monacans on the war path!" he +whispered as he reached the ground. + +Swiftly and silently the two boys hurried back to their canoe. They +wasted no time in admiring it. They gathered their weapons and fishing +lines, and got aboard. It was not a question of killing Monacans now, +but of saving themselves and their friends. They rowed with all their +might from the start. + +For hours they kept their new paddles busy. They reached the village +after dark, and when they uttered the dreadful word "Monacans," it ran +from one wigwam to another. The women and children shuddered with +fear. The warriors smeared their faces with paint, to make themselves +uglier than ever, and departed. Soon after the boys had started home, +the Monacans had found their camp fire still burning. Thinking they +had been discovered, and knowing that a strong party of the Powhatan +Indians might come after them, the Monacans had hurried back to their +own home more swiftly than they had come. + + + + +SOME THINGS ABOUT INDIAN CORN. + + +When the white people first came to America, they had never seen +Indian corn, which did not grow in Europe. The Indians raised it in +little patches about their villages. Before planting their corn, they +had to clear away the trees that covered the whole country. Their axes +were made of stone, and were not sharp enough to cut down a tree. The +larger trees they cut down by burning them off at the bottom. They +killed the smaller trees by building little fires about them. When the +bark all round a tree was burned, the tree died. As dead trees bear no +leaves, the sun could shine through their branches on the ground where +corn was to be planted. + +Having no iron, they had to make their tools as they could. In some +places they made a hoe by tying the shoulder blade of a deer to a +stick. In other places they used half of the shell of a turtle for a +hoe or spade to dig up the ground. This could be done where the ground +was soft. In North Carolina the Indians had a little thing like a +pickax which was made out of a deer's horn tied to a stick. An Indian +woman would sit down on the ground with one of these little pickaxes +in her hand. She would dig up the earth for a little space until it +was loose. Then she would make a little hole in the soft earth. In +this she would plant four or five grains of corn, putting them about +an inch apart. Then she covered these grains with soft earth. In +Virginia, where the ground was soft and sandy, the Indians made a kind +of spade out of wood. + +Sometimes they planted a patch a long way off from their bark house, +so that they would not be tempted to eat it while it was green. The +Indians were very fond of green corn. They roasted the ears in the +ashes. Some of the tribes held a great feast when the first green corn +was fit to eat, and some of them worshiped a spirit that they called +the "Spirit of the Corn." + +When the corn was dry, the Indians pounded it in order to make meal or +hominy of it. Sometimes they parched the corn, and then pounded it +into meal. They carried this parched meal with them when they went +hunting and when they went to war. They could eat it with a little +water, without stopping to cook it. They called it Nokick, but the +white people called it No-cake. + +When the Pilgrims came to Cape Cod, they sent out Miles Standish and +some other men to look through the country and find a good place for +them to settle. Standish tried to find some of the Indians in order to +make friends with them, but the Indians ran away whenever they saw him +coming. One day he found a heap of sand. He knew it had been lately +piled up, because he could see the marks of hands on the sand where +the Indians had patted it down. Standish and his men dug up this heap. +They soon came to a little old basket full of Indian corn. When they +had dug further, they found a very large new basket full of fine corn +which had been lately gathered. + +The white men, who had never seen it before, thought Indian corn very +beautiful. Some of the ears were yellow, some were red. On other ears +blue and yellow grains were mixed. Standish and his men said it was a +"very goodly sight." The Indian basket was round and narrow at the +top. It held three or four bushels of corn, and it was as much as two +men could do to lift it from the ground. The white men wondered to see +how handsomely it was woven. + +[Illustration: Standish and his Men find Corn.] + +Near the pile of corn they found an old kettle which the Indians had +probably bought from some ship. They filled this kettle with corn, +They also filled their baskets with it. They wanted the corn for seed. +They made up their mind to pay the Indians whenever they could find +them. The next summer they found out who were the owners of this +buried corn, and paid them for all the corn they had taken. If they +had not found this corn, they would not have had any to plant the next +spring, and so they would have starved to death. + +The people that were with Miles Standish settled at Plymouth. They +were the first that came to live in New England. An Indian named +Squanto came to live with the white people at Plymouth. Squanto was +born at this very place. He had been carried away to England by a sea +captain. Then he had been brought back by another captain to his own +country. When he got back to Plymouth, he found that all the people of +his village had died from a great sickness. He went to live with +another tribe near by. When the white people came to Plymouth, they +settled on the ground where Squanto's people had lived. As he could +speak some English, and as all his own tribe were dead, he now came to +live with the white people. + +The people at Plymouth did not know how to plant the corn they had +found, but Squanto taught them. By watching the trees, the Indians +knew when to put their corn into the ground. When the young leaf of +the white oak tree was as large as a squirrel's ear, they knew that it +was time to put their corn into the ground. Squanto taught the white +people how to catch a kind of fish which were used to make their corn +grow. They put one or two fishes into each hill of corn, but they were +obliged to watch the cornfield day and night for two weeks after +planting. If they had not watched it, the wolves would have dug up the +fishes, and the corn with them. + +The white people learned also to cook their corn as the Indians did. +They learned to eat hominy and samp, and these we still call by their +Indian names. "Succotash" is another Indian word. The white people +learned from the Indians to use the husks of Indian corn to make +things. The Indians made ropes of corn husks, and in some places they +made shoes of plaited husks. The white people in early times made +their door mats and horse collars and beds of corn husks. They also +twisted and wove husks to make seats for their chairs. + +Of all the plants that grew in America, Indian corn was the most +important to the Indians. It was also of the most value to the first +white people who came to this country. + + + + +SOME WOMEN IN THE INDIAN WARS. + + +When white people first came to this country, they had much trouble +with the Indians. After a while, when they had learned to defend +themselves and got used to danger, they did not mind it much. Even the +women became as brave as soldiers. + +In very early times there were some families of people from Sweden +living not far from where Philadelphia now stands. One day the women +were all together boiling soap. It was the custom then to make soap at +home. Water was first poured through ashes to make lye. People put +this lye into a large kettle, and then threw into it waste pieces of +meat and bits of fat of all kinds. After boiling a long time, this +mixture made a kind of soft soap, which was the only soap the early +settlers had. The large kettle in which the soap was boiled was hung +on a pole. This pole was held up by two forked sticks driven into the +ground. A fire was kept burning under the kettle. Of course, this soap +boiling took place out of doors. + +Some Indians, creeping through the woods, saw the women together +without any men. They thought it a good chance to kill them or make +them prisoners; but the women caught sight of the Indians, and ran +away to their little church. The churches in that day were often built +so they could be used for forts. The church to which these women ran +was one of this kind. But the women had no guns with them. They knew +that when they got into the church they would have nothing to fight +with. So two of them took hold of the ends of the pole on which the +kettle of boiling soap was hanging, and carried the kettle into the +little church with them. + +The Indians tried to get into the church, but every time an Indian +climbed up to get in, a woman would just dip up a ladleful of boiling +soap, and dash it on him. This was a kind of fighting the Indians did +not like. They were not used to soap in any form. So, when an Indian +was scalded by the soap, he would run away in great pain, and not try +it again. The next Indian that came got some of the same hot medicine. +He also would have to go away to cool off, if he could. + +[Illustration: Blowing a Conch Shell.] + +While some of the women were watching the Indians, and fighting them +with hot soap, one of them took up a dinner horn and blew it. This +dinner horn was made of a great shell called a conch shell. The tip of +a conch shell was sawed off so as to make a hole in it. By blowing +into this hole, a very loud noise could be made. Such horns were used +in that day to call people to dinner, and to call the neighbors when +there was any danger. The woman blew the conch-shell horn, and kept on +blowing. + +The men who were away in the woods heard the sound of the horn. They +knew that something was wrong, because the horn was blowing when it +was not dinner time. Either a house was on fire or the Indians had +come. The men took up their guns and hurried toward the little church. +When the Indians saw the men coming, they ran away. + +There was a woman in Massachusetts named Bradley. She had once been a +prisoner among the Indians. She lived in a blockhouse which had a high +fence of posts set up close together all round it to keep the Indians +out. Such a fence was called a stockade. One day Mrs. Bradley was +boiling soap. The gate of the stockade had been left open a little +way. Suddenly she saw an Indian, with war paint on his face and his +tomahawk in his hand, rushing in at the gate. The Indian thought it +would be an easy thing to kill Mrs. Bradley. But the woman was too +quick for him. She dashed a ladle of boiling soap upon him before he +could run away. The soap was so hot that the Indian was killed by it. + +The Indians came once more to take Mrs. Bradley. This time, not having +any soap, she got a gun and shot the foremost one dead. The rest ran +away. + +In King Philip's War the Indians tried to take the town of Hadley. The +men of the town fought hard, but the Indians were getting the best of +the battle. A little cannon had been sent from Boston. It reached +Hadley while the battle was going on. As all the men were busy +fighting, the women loaded the cannon themselves. First they put in +powder, and then small shot and nails. When the cannon was loaded, the +women took it to the men, who pointed it into the thickest of the +crowd of Indians, and fired it. A hail-storm of nails was a new thing +to the Indians. Those who were not killed ran away very much +frightened. + +There was a young girl in Maine who was in a house when the Indians +attacked it. She held the door shut until thirteen women and children +could get out of the house by the back door, and pass into a +blockhouse, which is a kind of fort. The Indians beat down the door at +last, and then knocked down the brave girl behind it, but they did not +kill her. + +Sometimes the Indians attacked a blockhouse when there were none but +women in it. In such cases the women would put on hats, and fix their +hair so as to look like men. Then they would use their guns well. The +savages, thinking there were men in the place, would go away. + +There was one girl who was a captive among the Indians for three weeks. +One day she saw a horse running loose in the woods. She stripped some +tough bark from a tree, and made a bridle of it. Then she caught the +horse, and put her bark bridle on him. It was just growing dark when +she climbed on his bare back, for she had no saddle. She turned the +horse's head toward the settlements, and rode hard all night. The next +morning she was safe among her friends. + + + + +THE COMING OF TEA AND COFFEE. + + +When the first settlers came to this country, tea and coffee were +unknown to them. The favorite drink of that time was a kind of weak +beer, which was usually made at home. The first settlers in America +could not buy drinks such as they had had in England, and in a new +country they often could not make them. So they found out ways of +making other drinks in place of them. What we call root beer and birch +beer, and a drink flavored with the chips of the hickory tree, were +made in New England. Farther south the people made a kind of drink by +mixing water and molasses together, and putting in Indian corn. + +Such drinks were taken at meals as we take tea and coffee. People also +drank a great deal of cider. As the cows hardly ever gave any milk in +winter, children were given cider and water to drink. But about fifty +years after the time that the first settlers came to this country, +people in England began to get tea and coffee. Tea and coffee were +soon after brought into this country. At first they were thought to be +medicines good for many diseases. Little books were written to tell +how many diseases these new drinks would cure. Root beer and birch +beer, and tea and coffee, were good things in one way. After they came +into use, people did not care so much for stronger drinks. + +When tea first came, it was very fashionable. It was called the new +China drink. Along with the tea, people brought from China little +teacups to drink it from. Most of the cups before this time had been +made of pewter. The new cups and saucers were called chinaware. They +also brought from China pretty little tables on which they set the +teacups when they drank the tea. + +When people first got tea in country places, they did not know how to +use it. There was a minister in Connecticut who bought two pounds of +tea in New York. He took it home with him, and put it away to use when +anybody in his house should be ill. He wanted the tea for medicine. +His daughters had heard about the fine ladies in town who took tea. +They were curious to taste it, and were not willing to wait until they +should be ill. So one afternoon, without letting their father know it, +they asked two young men who were friends of theirs to the house. Then +they got out the package of tea, intending to treat themselves and the +young men to a new pleasure. They knew nothing about making tea. When +they had boiled it a long time, they poured off the tea and threw it +away. They put the tea leaves on a dish, and tried to eat them as one +would eat spinach. This is the way they punished themselves for +disobeying their father. + +Before the Revolution, when gentlemen called at fine houses in the +afternoon, the ladies always gave them tea to drink. As soon as a +gentleman's little cup was empty, one of the ladies would fill it up +again, and it was not polite to refuse to drink all the tea that was +offered. A French prince who was in Philadelphia during the Revolution +drank twelve little cups of tea one afternoon. The ladies kept giving +him more, and the poor prince did not know how to stop them until +another French gentleman told him privately that if he would lay his +teaspoon across the top of the cup no more tea would be poured in. He +put the teaspoon across the teacup as a sign that he did not wish to +drink any more. + +[Illustration: A Colonial Tea Party.] + +Long after tea and coffee were in use in this country they were not +known in the backwoods. The people on the frontier drank tea made from +the root of the sassafras tree or from the leaves of some wild vines. +The whole work of preparing food was done at home. When they wanted to +grind meal, they did it by pounding corn in a hole cut in the stump of +a tree. They used a large stone pounder which was tied by a rope to a +limb of a tree above. After each blow the limb would spring back and +raise the pounder. Their corn meal was sifted through a sieve made of +deerskin with little holes punched through it. They had to make their +shoes and hats and caps themselves, and to weave their cloth at home. + +A boy who lived on the west side of the Alleghany Mountains in those +days afterward wrote a book telling all about this rough life. His +name was Joseph Doddridge. He spent his boyhood in a log cabin, in +constant danger from Indians. The settlers had built a fort in the +middle of the settlement. Sometimes in the night Joseph would hear a +man tapping gently on the back window of his father's cabin. As soon +as anybody waked up, the man would whisper, "Indians!" Joseph's father +would then take down his gun. The children would be dressed in the +dark as quickly as possible. Such things as would be needed in the +fort were then picked up. Not a word was spoken, nor was any candle +lighted. Even the little children learned to be perfectly silent, and +the dogs were taught not to bark. When all was ready, the family would +hurry away along the foot path to the fort. All the other families in +the settlement would be called in the same way. + +Every fall these settlers sent pack horses over the mountains. The +horses were loaded with the skins of animals. When they came back, +they carried salt, which was the one thing that could not be made in +the settlement. But the men never thought it worth while to bring home +with them tea and coffee or other unnecessary things. + +When Joseph was about seven years of age, he was sent over the +mountains to school. The little boy was very much puzzled when he +first saw a house that was plastered inside. He had never in his life +seen anything but a cabin built of logs. He could not understand how a +plastered house was built. It seemed to him like something that had +grown that way. + +When supper time came in this plastered house, he saw a teacup and +saucer for the first time in his life. The people in his neighborhood +used wooden bowls to drink out of. But here he saw what seemed to him +to be a little cup standing in a bigger one. He had never heard of +coffee. He only knew that the brownish-looking stuff in his cup was +not milk, or hominy, or soup. What to do with the little cups, or how +to make use of the spoon that was in them, he could not tell, so he +watched the big folks handle their cups and spoons. He drank the +coffee just as they did, but he disliked it very much. It made the +tears come into his eyes to drink it. When he got his cup nearly +empty, it was filled again. He did not dare to say that he had had +enough, and he did not know what to do. At last he saw one man turn +his empty cup bottom upward in the saucer, and lay his little spoon +across the bottom of the cup. That was the custom in those days. He +saw that this man's cup was not filled any more. So Joseph drank his +coffee as quickly as possible, turned his cup over in the saucer, and +laid the spoon across the bottom. He was delighted that he did not +have to drink any more coffee. + + + + +KIDNAPPED BOYS. + + +In the days when our country belonged to England, white people were +brought here to be sold. Some of these were poor people who could not +get a good living in England. They came over to this country without +any money. The captain of the ship in which they came sold them in +this country to pay their passage. + +Men and women who were sold had to serve four years; and boys and +girls, a longer time. The person sold was just like a slave until his +time was out. The man who had bought him might beat him, or sell him +to another master. Many of these white slaves did not get enough to +eat. + +Here are some stories of boys who were brought to this country and +sold before the Revolution. They are all true stories. + + + + +THE STORY OF PETER WILLIAMSON.--TWICE A SLAVE. + + +One day a boy named Peter Williamson was walking along the streets of +Aberdeen in Scotland. The little fellow was eight years old. Two men +met him, and asked him to go on board a ship with them. When he got on +board, he was put down in the lower part of the ship with other boys. +The ship sailed to America with twenty boys. Like Peter, the other +lads had been stolen from their parents. They were taken to +Philadelphia and sold, to work for seven years. + +Little Peter was lucky enough to fall into the hands of a kind master. +Among those who came to buy boys off this ship was a man who had +himself been stolen from Scotland when he was young. He felt sorry for +little Peter when he saw him put up for sale. The price the cruel +captain asked for him was about fifty dollars. The Scotchman paid this +money, and took Peter for his boy. He sent him to school in the +winter, and treated him kindly. Peter, for his part, was a good boy, +and did his work faithfully. He staid with his master after his time +was out. + +When Peter was about seventeen years old, this good master died. He +left to Peter about six hundred dollars in money for being a good boy. +He also gave him his best horse and saddle and all his own clothes. +Some years after this, Peter married, and went to live in the northern +part of Pennsylvania. He was by this time a man of property. + +One night, when his wife was away from home, the Indians came about +his house. He got a gun and ran upstairs. He pointed the gun at the +Indians, but they told him that if he would not shoot they would not +kill him. So he came down, and gave himself up as a prisoner. + +The Indians treated him very cruelly. He was with them more than a +year. His sufferings were so great that he wished sometimes that he +was dead. He knew that if he ran away the Indians would probably catch +him, and kill him in some cruel way. But one night, when the Indians +were all asleep, he resolved to take the risk. You may believe that +when he had started he ran with all his might. + +When daylight came, he hid himself in a hollow tree. After a while he +heard the Indians running all about the tree. He could hear them tell +one another how they would kill him when they found him. But they did +not think to look into the tree. + +The next night he ran on again. He came very near running into a camp +of Indians. But at last he came in sight of the house of a friend. He +was tired out, and starving. He had hardly any clothes left on him. He +knocked at the door. The woman who saw him thought that he was an +Indian. She screamed, and the man of the house got his gun to kill +him. But he quickly told his friend that he was no Indian, but Peter +Williamson. Everybody had given him up for dead. But now all his +friends were happy to see him alive once more. He had twice been +carried into slavery,--once by cruel white men, and once by yet more +cruel red men. + + + + +SOLD LIKE JOSEPH.--STORIES OF TWO KIDNAPPED BOYS. + + +You have heard the beautiful story of Joseph in the Bible. You +remember that he was sold by his brothers. Then he was carried into +Egypt, where he became a great man. + +In 1730 there was a little English lad at sea with his uncle, who was +the captain of a ship. Whether the boy's father and mother were dead +or not, history does not tell. But the boy was sailing on his uncle's +ship, as though he were the captain's son. + +One day the captain was taken ill at sea. After a while he died. The +mate and the sailors thought that they would like to steal the ship +and all the captain's property. But it now all belonged to the little +boy. Like Joseph's brothers, the sailors laid a plan to get the boy +out of the way. You remember that Joseph's brothers saw some slave +traders going by. These traders were Arabs, like the Arabs that carry +off slaves to-day. Joseph's brothers stopped the Arabs, and sold +little Joseph to them. The Arabs took Joseph to Egypt and sold him. + +Just so the mate and his men saw a ship coming toward them. This ship +had a great many people on board. They were Irish people, who were +being taken to America to be sold as servants. + +The mate hailed the ship, and made a bargain with the captain and the +mate. He sold the poor little boy, who had no friends, to this +captain. + +Then the mate and his men sailed away. What became of them we do not +know; but the ship, loaded with white servants, sailed to Boston. It +landed at the Long Wharf, a pier running far out into the water. The +servants were obliged to run up and down this wharf. The people who +came to buy watched them to see how strong they might be. + +The little boy sold by the mate was there. He ran up and down with the +others, to show how nimble his legs were. He was bought by a Mr. +Willard. + +[Illustration: Selling the Captain's Nephew.] + +The boy served out his time, and became free. He became a well-known +officer in the Indian wars. His name was Johnson. He did not become so +great as Joseph in Egypt, but, like Joseph, he gained honor in the +country into which he had been sold as a slave. + +Here is another story of the same kind. A little boy six years old got +lost in London. After he had wandered about a good while, a ship +captain met him, and told him that he would take him to his father. +The captain took him into a boat, put him on board his ship, carried +him to Maryland, and sold him. After the boy had served out his time +and grown to be a man, he became a rich farmer. + +The wicked ship captain who carried off the boy was caught stealing +many years afterward. In that day, thieves were often sold into +America for seven years, as a punishment. This captain who had sold +others was now put on a ship and sent to be sold in Maryland. The man +who bought him was the very person whom he had carried off when he was +a boy. + +You remember how much Joseph's brothers were afraid of him when they +found themselves in his power. This wicked old sea captain was +frightened when he saw that he was now a slave to the boy he had +stolen. He was so much alarmed that he killed himself. + + + + +A LITTLE LORD SOLD INTO BONDAGE. + + +There lived in Ireland a long time ago a certain Lord Altham. The time +was about sixty years before our American Revolution. This Lord Altham +was a weak and foolish man. He quarreled with his wife, and sent her +away. He wasted his money in wicked living, and got into debt. He had +a little son named James Annesley. "Jemmy," as he was called, was sent +to a boarding school; but the father grew more wicked, and more +careless of his son. He sent the boy away, and pretended that he was +dead. He did this because he wanted to sell some property that he +could not sell if Jemmy were alive. + +Jemmy found himself badly treated where he lived. When he complained, +he was told that his father did not pay his board: so he ran away. He +lived in the streets with rough boys. He ran on errands for pay, like +the other little street boys. But still the boys knew that Jemmy was +the son of a lord. Strangers were surprised to hear a little ragged +boy called "my lord" by his playmates. + +When he was about thirteen years old, his father died. Then Jemmy +Annesley became Lord Altham in place of his father; but his uncle +Richard, who was a cruel man, took Jemmy's property, and called +himself Lord Altham. + +The wicked uncle was afraid that people would find out that Jemmy was +alive, and he sent a man to see where the boy was. When the boy was +found, his uncle accused him of stealing a silver spoon. He hired +three policemen to arrest the boy and put him on a ship. Poor Jemmy +wept bitterly. He told the people he was afraid his uncle would kill +him. The ship took him to Philadelphia, where he was sold to a farmer +to serve until he should be of age. + +[Illustration: Kidnapping a Lord.] + +One day, when he was about seventeen years old, he came into his +master's house with a gun in one hand and a squirrel in the other. +There were two strangers sitting by the fire. They had found the door +open, and had walked in. + +One of the men said, "Are you a servant in this house?" + +"I am," said James. + +"What country did you come from?" + +"Ireland." + +"We are from Ireland ourselves," said one of the strange men. "What +part of Ireland are you from?" + +"From the county of Wexford." + +"We are from that county. What is your name?" + +"James Annesley." + +"I never heard that name there," said the traveler. + +"Did you know Lord Altham?" asked the boy. + +"Yes." + +"Well, I am his son." + +"What!" cried the stranger, "you the son of Lord Altham! Impossible!" + +But the young man insisted that he was Lord Altham's son. + +"Tell me how Lord Altham's house stands," said the stranger. + +The young man told him enough to show that he knew all about the +place. Then the stranger said, that, if James ever came to Ireland to +claim his estate, he would do what he could to help him. + +James Annesley was badly treated by his master. At length he ran away, +but he was retaken, and put into a jail in Lancaster. He was kept in +prison a good while. He had a fine voice, and he amused himself by +singing. The people used to stand outside of the jail to hear him +sing. + +For running away he was obliged to serve a still longer time. He spent +thirteen years in slavery. + +When he got free at last, he told Mr. Ellis of Philadelphia about his +case. This kind-hearted man gave him a passage on a ship going to the +West Indies. An English fleet was then in the West Indies. It was +commanded by the famous Admiral Vernon. When the brave admiral heard +James Annesley's story, he took him to England. In England James found +friends ready to help him. + +There was a long lawsuit, but James's old friends and schoolmates came +to court as witnesses for him. One of the men who had talked with him +while he was a servant in Pennsylvania told the Court about it. Two of +the policemen that had helped to put little Jemmy on shipboard +confessed the dreadful act they had done. + +Then the jury gave a verdict that James Annesley was the true Lord +Altham. There was great joy among the people, and everybody detested +the cruel uncle. The people made songs about him, and sang them under +his windows. James Annesley was now called Lord Altham. But before the +young lord came into possession of his title and his property, he was +taken ill and died. + +I am glad that we live in better times. Children are not kidnapped and +sold now. + + + + +THE LAST BATTLE OF BLACKBEARD. + + +Our country now reaches from one ocean to the other. But in the days +before the Revolution there were only English colonies stretching up +and down the Atlantic coast. Merchandise was carried from one colony +to another, and from one country to another, in slow-going sailing +vessels, for there were neither railroads nor steamships. + +In those old times there were robbers on the sea. We call sea robbers +pirates. These men carried cannon on their ships, and they robbed any +vessels not stronger than they were. In our days of large steamships a +pirate would not stand any chance of getting away. He would soon be +caught. Some of the pirates of old times sailed up and down the +American coast. They captured ships sailing from America to Europe and +from Europe to America. The worst of all these pirates was Blackbeard. + +His real name was Thatch. He was called Blackbeard because he wore a +long black beard that covered his face. This made him look frightful +in that day, when other men shaved their faces smooth. He divided his +beard into locks, and twisted each lock, tying it at the end with +ribbons. To make himself look still worse, he fastened some of these +twists over his ears. + +[Illustration: Blackbeard.] + +When he was fighting against another ship, he wore a strap over his +shoulders to which were fastened large pistols. In those days, cannon +were touched off by means of a slow match, a kind of cord that burns +slowly like punk. When Blackbeard went into battle, he twisted some of +these slow matches or cords round his head, and stuck some of them +under his hat. The ends of these matches were burning, and they looked +like fiery, hissing snakes. With his beard turned back over his ears, +and fire all about his head, he seemed to be a tall fiend. + +Blackbeard was more like a fiend than a man. He was cruel and wicked +in every way. Some bad men are sometimes kind-hearted, but Blackbeard +was always cruel. He would shoot even his own men in order to make his +crew afraid of him. + +He did much of his bad work on the coast of North Carolina. Here he +found bays and sounds where the water was shallow. Large ships could +not easily follow him into these places. The Governor of North +Carolina was a bad man. He took part of Blackbeard's plunder, and let +Blackbeard go safely about the country. The people were afraid of the +pirate. They sent to the Governor of Virginia, and asked him to fit +out a ship to capture Blackbeard. + +Two sloops that could sail in shallow water were sent. Lieutenant +Maynard was the commander. The ships left Virginia secretly. No one +knew where they were going. + +When Maynard came in sight of Blackbeard's sloop, he hung out his +flag. Blackbeard took a glass of rum and drank it, calling to Maynard, +"I'll give you no quarter, nor take any." + +Maynard replied, "I do not expect any quarter from you, nor will I +give any." + +This meant that neither of them would take any prisoners, but that +every man must fight for his life. + +Maynard tried to run alongside Blackbeard's ship. He wanted to take +his men on board the pirate ship, and fight it out on her deck. But +Blackbeard had put a large negro near to the gunpowder on his ship. He +said to the negro, "If the men from the other ship get on board of +ours, you must set fire to the gunpowder, and blow us all up." + +Maynard was running toward the pirate ship to get on board; but +Blackbeard fired all the cannon on that side of his ship, and killed +some of Maynard's men. This was really lucky for Maynard; for, if he +had got on board, the negro would have set fire to the gunpowder, and +the pirates and Maynard's men would all have been blown to pieces at +once. + +Maynard now sent his men down into the hold of the ship. They were out +of sight of the pirates, but they had their pistols and swords ready. +The sloops were soon close together, and Blackbeard's men threw boxes +full of powder and shot, and pieces of lead and iron, on the deck of +Maynard's sloop. These were so fixed as to go off like bombshells. +But, as nearly all of Maynard's men were down below the deck, these +boxes did little harm. + +Blackbeard, thinking that most of Maynard's men had been killed, +jumped on board the sloop with fourteen men. Maynard now called his +men from below, and there was a desperate fight. Blackbeard was shot +five times, and was wounded with swords; but the old monster fought +until he fell down dead while cocking his pistol. The rest of the +pirates on the deck of Maynard's ship were taken prisoners. + +Maynard's other sloop was fighting with the men left on board +Blackbeard's vessels. These surrendered, but they had trouble to keep +the big negro from setting fire to the gunpowder and blowing them all +up. + +Maynard took away from the Governor of North Carolina many hogsheads +of sugar that Blackbeard had stolen. Then he hung the great ugly head +of the pirate at the bow of his ship, and sailed back to Virginia in +triumph. + + + + +AN OLD PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL. + + +There was a schoolmaster in Philadelphia before the Revolution who did +not like to beat his pupils as other masters of that time did. When a +boy behaved badly, he would take his switch and stick it into the back +of the boy's coat collar so that the switch should rise above his head +in the air. He would then stand the boy up on a bench in sight of the +school, in order to punish him by making him ashamed. + +This schoolmaster's name was Dove. If any boy was not at school in +time, the master would send a committee of five or six of the scholars +to fetch him. One of this committee carried a lighted lantern, while +another had a bell in his hand. The tardy scholar had to march down +the street in broad daylight with a lantern to show him the way, and a +boy ringing the school bell to let him know that it was time for him +to be there. + +[Illustration: The Tardy Schoolmaster.] + +One morning Mr. Dove slept too late, or forgot himself. The boys made +up a committee to bring the teacher to school. They took the lantern +and the bell with them. Mr. Dove said they were quite right. He took +his place in the procession, and the people saw Schoolmaster Dove +taken to school late with a lantern and a bell. + +The larger schoolboys of that time were very fond of foot races. They +would take off their coats and tie handkerchiefs about their heads +before starting. The short breeches they wore were fastened at the +knee by bands. When they were going to run a race, they would loosen +these bands, and pull off their shoes and stockings. Some of the boys +ran barefoot in this way, but others wore Indian moccasins. The race +course was round a block; that is, about three quarters of a mile. +Crowds would gather to see the boys run, and the people rushed from +one side of the block to the other to see which was leading in the +race. + + + + +A DUTCH FAMILY IN THE REVOLUTION. + + +What is now the State of New York was first settled by people from +Holland who spoke the Dutch language. New York afterward became an +English colony, but the Dutch settlers and their descendants still +spoke the language of Holland, at the time of the American Revolution. + +In Flatbush, which is now a part of Brooklyn, was a family that spoke +the Dutch language, while they were true Americans in feeling. When +the British landed on Long Island, they got ready to leave the town. +The horses were hitched to the wagon, and such things as were thought +most valuable were put in. The first thing they put into the wagon was +the great Dutch Bible with heavy brass clasps. A tall clock was also +carefully lifted into the wagon. Then clothing and other things +followed. + +The father of the family told the two faithful negro men, Cæsar and +his son Mink, how to take care of things. Femmetia, the most active of +the daughters, had the whip in her hand, and, as the sound of firing +was coming nearer and nearer, she tapped the horses on their ears, and +the family dashed away to the house of a cousin who lived beyond the +region where the fight was to be. + +That evening Femmetia helped her father, who was an invalid, to climb +to the top of a little hill from which they could see a fire raging in +the village of Flatbush. The direction of the fire showed the father +and daughter that it was their own house which was burning. + +When the fight was over, General Washington's troops had been driven +from Long Island. The good Dutch family went back and found their +house burned. They moved into another house, whose owner was still +away, and then began to build a new house. The mother bought some +boards with what money she had saved, but she could not get any nails. +In that day nails were not made by machinery, as they are now. Each +nail had to be hammered out separately by a blacksmith. Nails made in +this way cost a great deal of money. + +There was but one way to do. Femmetia and her sister had to find nails +by raking over the ashes of the old house. Some of these nails were +crooked, and they had to be hammered to make them straight enough to +use. + +Some American officers had been made prisoners at the battle of Long +Island. They were allowed to go about the village after having given +their word not to go farther. They liked to help the girls find nails +in the ashes, and hammer them straight on the stones. Other young +girls came to help them, so that there was a party of young people +talking, joking, laughing, and digging in the ashes, every day. It was +fun for all of them. There were not boards enough to finish the house. +The room in which the two sisters slept was upstairs. It had but half +a floor. Where the rest of the floor should have been were only bare +beams. + +[Illustration: A Nail Party.] + +One night the negro woman, whose name was Dian, came into the room +below, and called Femmetia. She told her that the British soldiers had +come into the barn, and that they would soon take away what were left +of the chickens. + +"You jes' come down." said Dian to Femmetia. So the old slave and the +young girl went out together. They carried a gun and a broomstick. The +moon was shining. They took great pains not to let the soldiers see +them. First they dodged behind a great walnut tree. Then, when they +were sure the soldiers did not see them, they ran behind the corncrib. +Their next march brought them behind the wagon house, and then they +slipped into the dark shadow of the barn. + +Dian thrust the rifle through a hole in the side door of the barn. At +the same moment the bold Femmetia threw a stone which made the +soldiers look round. There was moonlight enough for them to see the +muzzle of the gun coming through the door as though it were ready to +fire at them. They ran away in great haste, and left the chickens +behind. + +The silver plate and other valuable things were buried under the +hearth in the house. A lady in a neighboring house hid her gold coins +in the middle of a great round ball of a pincushion. Such ball +pincushions were worn by some of the Dutch women at that time. They +hung them at their sides, tied by a bit of ribbon. A party of English +soldiers came into this lady's house. They were much amused to see +this ball at the lady's side. One of them rudely cut the ribbon with +his sword, and then the soldiers played ball with the cushion. It was +sent here and there about the room. Twice it fell into the ashes. + +The woman who owned it expected that it would be torn, and all her +gold would spill out, but she went on with her work. If she had shown +any anxiety about the ball, the soldiers might have thought to look +for her money in the cushion. At last they gave it back to her, +much-soiled, but holding its treasures safe. + + + + +A SCHOOL OF LONG AGO. + + +A hundred and fifty years ago there was a famous teacher among the +German settlers in Pennsylvania who was known as "The Good +Schoolmaster." His name was Christopher Dock. He had two little +country schools. For three days he would teach at a little place +called Skippack, and then for the next three days he would teach at +Salford. + +People said that the good schoolmaster never lost his temper. There +was a man who thought he would try to make him angry. He said many +harsh and abusive words to the teacher, and even cursed him. But the +only reply the teacher made was, "Friend, may the Lord have mercy on +you." + +Other schoolmasters used to beat their scholars severely with whips +and long switches. But Schoolmaster Dock had found out a better way. + +When a child came to school for the first time, the other scholars +were made to give the new scholar a welcome by shaking hands with him, +one after another. Then the new boy or girl was told that this was not +a harsh school, but a place for those who would behave. And if a +scholar were lazy, disobedient, or stubborn, the master would in the +presence of the whole school pronounce him not fit for this school, +but only for a school where children were flogged. The new scholar was +asked to promise to obey and to be diligent. When he had made this +promise, he was shown to a seat. + +[Illustration.] + +"Now," the good master would say, when this was done, "who will take +this new scholar and help him to learn?" + +[Illustration.] + +When the new boy or girl was clean and bright looking, many would be +willing to take charge of him or her. But there were few ready to +teach a dirty, ragged little child. Sometimes no one would wish to do +it. In such a case the master would offer to the one who would take +such a child a reward of one of the beautiful texts of scripture which +the schoolmasters of that time used to write and decorate for the +children. Or he would give him one of the pictures of birds which he +was accustomed to paint with his own hands. + +The old Pennsylvania teachers were fond of making these tickets with +pictures and writing on them. The pictures which we have here will +show you what they looked like. The writing is in German, as you will +see. + +Whenever one of the younger scholars succeeded in learning his A, B, +C, Christopher Dock would send word to the father of the child to give +him a penny, and he would ask his mother to cook two eggs for him as a +treat. These were fine rewards for poor children in a new country. + +At certain stages in his studies, the industrious child in one of +Dock's schools would receive a penny from his father, and eat two eggs +cooked by his mother. But all this time he was not counted a member of +the school. He was only on trial. The day on which a boy or girl began +to read was a great day. If the pupil had been diligent in spelling, +the morning after the first reading day, the master would give him +a ticket carefully written with his own hand. This ticket read +"Industrious--One Penny." This showed that the scholar was now really +received into the school. But if he afterward became idle or +disobedient, Schoolmaster Dock would take away his token. + +There were no clocks or watches in the country. The children came to +school, one after another taking their places near the master, who sat +writing. They spent their time reading until all were there. But every +one who succeeded in reading his passage without mistake stopped +reading, and came and sat at the writing table to write. The poor +fellow who remained last on the bench was called the Lazy Scholar. + +Every Lazy Scholar had his name written on the blackboard. If a child +at any time failed to read correctly, he was sent back to study his +passage, and called again after a while. If he failed a second or a +third time, all the scholars cried out, "Lazy!" Then his name was +written on the blackboard. Then all the poor Lazy Scholar's friends +went to work to teach him to read his lesson correctly. And if his +name should not be rubbed off the board before school was dismissed, +all the scholars might write it down, and take it home with them. But +if he could read well before school was out, the scholars, at the +bidding of the master, called out, "Industrious!" and then his name +was rubbed off the board. + +The funniest of Dock's rewards was that which he gave to those who +made no mistake in their lessons. He marked a large O with chalk on +the hand of the perfect scholar. Fancy what a time the boys and girls +must have had, trying to go home without rubbing out this O. + +If you had gone into this school some day, you might have seen a boy +sitting on a punishment bench all alone. This was a fellow who had +told a lie or used bad language. He was put there as not fit to sit +near anybody else. If he committed the offense often, a yoke would be +put round his neck, as if he were a brute. Sometimes, however, the +teacher would give the scholars their choice of a blow on the hand or +a seat on the punishment bench. They usually preferred the blow. + +At certain times the scholars were permitted to study aloud, but at +other times they were obliged to keep still. And a boy or girl was put +as a watcher, to set down the names of those who talked in this time +of quiet. + +The old schoolmaster in Skippack wrote one hundred rules of good +behavior for his scholars. This is perhaps the first book on good +manners written in America. But rules of behavior for people living in +houses of one or two rooms, as they did in that day, were very +different from those needed in our time. Here are some of the rules: + +"When you comb your hair, do not go out in the middle of the room," +says the schoolmaster. This was because families were accustomed to +eat and sleep in the same room. + +"Do not eat your morning bread on the road or in school," he tells +them, "but ask your parents to give it to you at home." From this we +see that the common breakfast was bread alone, and that the children +often ate it as they walked to school. + +The table manners of that day were very good for the time, but they +seem very curious to us. He says, "Do not wabble with your stool," +because rough home-made stools were the common chairs then, and the +floors, made of boards that were split and not sawed, were so uneven +that a noisy child could easily rock his stool to and fro. + +"Put your knife upon the right and your bread on the left side," he +says. Forks were little used in those days, and the people in the +country did not have any. He also tells them not to throw bones under +the table. It was a common practice among some people of that time to +throw bones and scraps under the table, where the dogs ate them. + +The child is not told to wait for others when he has finished eating, +or to ask to be excused. "Get up quietly," says the schoolmaster, "and +take your stool with you. Wish a pleasant mealtime, and go to one +side." The child is told not to put the remaining bread into his +pocket. + +As time passed on, Christopher Dock had many friends, for all his +scholars of former years loved him greatly. He lived to be very old, +and taught his schools to the last. One evening he did not come home, +and the people went to look for the beloved old man. They found their +dear old master on his knees in the schoolhouse. He had died while +praying alone. + + + + +STORIES OF WHALING. + + +In the old days, before petroleum or kerosene had been found in this +country, people had many ways of lighting their houses. A cheap light +was made by putting a little grease or oil in a saucer in which was a +little wick or rag lying over the edge of the saucer or drawn up +through a cork that floated on the grease. When this wick was burning, +it gave hardly as much light as a candle. This is one of the oldest +ways of making light. It was used thousands of years ago. Many people +now living remember little lamps made in this way. + +Poor people often made light by burning pine knots, or bits of pitch +pine chopped out of old stumps. These gave a bright light for a time. +Pitch pine in New England was called candle wood; in the South it was +called light wood. + +The commonest light in old times was the tallow candle. This was +sometimes made by dipping a candle wick into melted tallow. Then, when +the tallow had cooled, the candle was dipped again and again. A little +tallow remained on it each time, and at last it was thick enough to +burn. Candles made in this way were called "dips." Better candles were +made by running melted tallow into molds. + +Before the Revolution a favorite candle for burning at fine houses was +made of the wax-myrtle berry. This berry is full of a kind of green +wax which came out when it was boiled. When this wax rose to the top +of the pot, it was skimmed off and used for making wax candles. These +candles had a pretty green color, and gave out a delicate perfume when +they were burning. More expensive candles were made of beeswax. + +For hundreds of years whale oil was burned in large lamps, and +thousands of whales were killed in order to get the oil. Candles were +also made from spermaceti, which is a substance taken from the head of +the sperm whale. + +When the people first settled on Long Island, there were a great many +whales in the sea. Sometimes these whales would run into bays and +other shallow places. When the tide went out, the whale would be left +without water enough to swim in. Sometimes he found himself lying on +the dry ground. Before the white people came, the Long Island Indians +used to kill whales stranded in this way, with spears. The Indians +used the fat of the whale for food. The white people killed them, and +got the oil out of the fat by boiling. This oil they sold for lamp +oil. + +Finding that much money could be made by selling whale oil, the people +on Long Island fitted up boats, which they kept always ready along the +seashore. Whenever anybody saw a whale, the boatmen ran to their +boats, and rowed out to kill it. They did not yet know how to go out +to sea in whaling ships as some people in Europe did. After a while +the Long Island people learned to take their small boats out to sea +for miles to look for whales. This way of killing the whales spread +from Long Island to Connecticut, and from there to Cape Cod. + +The people on the island of Nantucket had also learned to kill the +whales that came into shallow water. They got a man to come out from +Cape Cod to show them how to go out in boats and kill whales along the +coast. After a while they built small ships in which they went to sea +to seek for whales, but they brought the fat on shore in order to get +the oil out of it. + +In 1718 the people on this island began to build ships with great +kettles in them for rendering the oil on board the ships. The brave +Nantucket men, and the men on the coast near by, soon began to send +their ships into very distant seas. Some of them sailed among the +icebergs in the Arctic regions; others went to the Southern Ocean; and +some of the Nantucket and Cape Cod ships went round Cape Horn into the +Pacific Ocean. The hardy whalemen ran great risks during their long +voyages, but, if they were fortunate in killing whales, they made a +good deal of money. + +There are still whaling vessels in our times, but not so many as there +used to be. We do not need whale oil so much, because we have +kerosene, gaslights, and electric lights. There are not so many whales +to be found as there used to be. + +When the men on a whale ship in the old times discovered a whale, they +fitted out their boats and rowed toward it. The whale would go down +out of sight. Each officer would place his boat where he thought the +whale would come up. When the whale came up to get breath, the men in +the nearest boat would row toward it. The officer who stood in the bow +of the boat would then throw a harpoon, which would stick fast in the +whale. As soon as the whale was struck with the harpoon, he would go +down into the water. There was a line fast to the harpoon, which was +coiled in a tub standing in the whaleboat. Sometimes the whale would +run down so far, that it would take more line than the boat carried, +to keep hold of him. When this was likely to happen, another whaling +boat would come alongside, and tie its line to the line of the harpoon +that was fast to the whale. In some cases nearly five thousand feet of +line were drawn out of the boats before the whale came to the top +again. Whales breathe air as we do, so the whale that had been +harpooned would have to come up again. Then the whaling boat would run +close to him, and the officer would try to kill him with a sharp +lance. When a whale was killed, the men drew him alongside the ship. + +A whale's body is covered with a great mass of fat called blubber. +When the dead whale was lying alongside the ship, the whalemen would +fasten a hook in the blubber. They then cut the blubber into a long +strip running round the whale. As they pulled on the hook with ropes, +the strip of blubber came off the whale, the whale rolling over and +over. The men unwound the blubber from his body in this way, pulling +it up on board the ship, and cutting it into pieces. + +If it was a sperm whale, they would cut a hole in his head, to reach a +place where there was a great quantity of oil. This oil they dipped +out. Sometimes forty barrels of oil were dipped out of the head of a +whale. From the fat of some very large whales more than two hundred +barrels of oil could be secured. + +The men on the whaling ships were gone from home for years at a time. +When there were no whales in sight, they had to find ways of amusing +themselves. Many of them carried sharp pocket knives, and passed their +time in whittling. By long practice they became very skillful with +their knives. Some of them carved pretty figures in wood, and made +pieces of furniture. Others carved shells into beautiful shapes. After +years at sea, they would bring these things home with them, to give to +their wives or sweethearts. Such work done on shipboard is called +scrimshaw work. + +Some of the whaleships met with very curious accidents. In 1807 a ship +named "The Union" was sailing along very quietly. All at once she +struck something which jarred her from end to end. It was found that +she had run right on a whale. Casks of water were thrown out of the +ship to make her lighter, but the bottom of the ship was badly +injured. The men on board had to get out the boats at once. They took +food and water with them, and compasses to sail by. Soon after the +boats got clear of the ship she filled with water, and upset. + +The men now found themselves in open boats in the ocean. The land +nearest to them was Newfoundland, but, as the wind was blowing +straight from that land at that season of the year, they knew that +they could not reach it. So they set out in the direction toward which +the wind blew, sailing for the islands called the Azores. These were +hundreds of miles away. They made a sail for each boat. + +One day they saw a schooner, but they could not make the schooner see +them. The next day they had fine sailing, but at night a fearful wind +arose. There were violent squalls and bursts of thunder. The boats +were obliged to lie still with their bows to the wind. At last the +waves broke into the captain's boat, and it was all they could do to +get the water out again. + +They now had to throw overboard most of their fresh water, so that +they suffered much with thirst from this time on. They had only three +quarts of water a day to be divided among sixteen men. That is about a +small teacupful apiece. After sailing eight days, they came in sight +of the beautiful islands of the Azores. Here they found a ship to +bring them back to their own country again. + +A still stranger accident happened to the ship "Essex" in 1820. She +was far away in the Pacific Ocean. Three of the boats of the ship went +out after a whale. The mate's boat, having been injured, went back to +the ship. As the mate stood on the ship, he saw a large sperm whale +rush directly at the vessel. The whale seemed to think the ship some +great animal, and that it would be fine fun to have a fight with it. +He struck the ship with his great square head. The crash was fearful. +For a moment or two the crew were so astonished that they could do +nothing. Then they found the ship sinking. They put up signals for the +other boats to come back. + +[Illustration: Attacked by a Whale.] + +But the whale was not satisfied. He wanted to fight it out with the +ship. He was soon seen coming toward the vessel again. He came on so +fast that the water foamed round him. He struck the ship a second +blow, which almost crushed it. The mate now quickly put what +provisions he could into a boat, and got ready to leave the ship. + +The other boats returned. The men were so horrified that for some time +they could not speak to one another. The ship fell over on her side. +The men cut away her masts. Then they cut holes into the ship's side, +and got out what bread and water they could carry. They were a +thousand miles from land, in the direction that the winds blew. + +After twenty-eight days of sailing in these open boats, the men got to +Ducie's Island. Here they could not find food enough for so large a +party, so the boats put off to sea again. Three men remained behind on +the island. These were afterward found by a passing ship, which took +them home. Some of the men in the boats perished, but the rest of them +were picked up by a ship and taken home. + + + + +A WHALING SONG. + +PART OF A FAVORITE SONG SUNG BY WHALEMEN IN OLD TIMES. + + + When spring returns with western gales, + And gentle breezes sweep + The ruffling seas, we spread our sails + To plow the watery deep. + + Cape Cod, our dearest native land, + We leave astern, and lose + Its sinking cliffs and less'ning sands, + While Zephyr gently blows. + + Now toward the early dawning east + We speed our course away, + With eager minds and joyful hearts, + To meet the rising day. + + Then, as we turn our wondering eyes, + We view one constant show,-- + Above, around, the circling skies, + The rolling seas below. + + When eastward, clear of Newfoundland, + We stem the frozen pole, + We see the icy islands stand, + The northern billows roll. + + Now see the northern regions where + Eternal winter reigns; + One day and night fills up the year, + And endless cold maintains. + + We view the monsters of the deep, + Great whales in numerous swarms, + And creatures there, that play and leap, + Of strange, unusual forms. + + When in our station we are placed, + And whales around us play, + We launch our boats into the main, + And swiftly chase our prey. + + + + +A STRANGE ESCAPE. + + +In 1658 there was a little French colony at Onondaga in New York. Some +of the men in this colony were traders, and some were missionaries. +They were living among the Onondaga Indians. + +[Illustration: A French Missionary.] + +The Indians had been very friendly, but the French found out that a +plot had been formed to put them all to death. Stakes had even been +set up in order to burn some of them alive. There seemed no hope for +the Frenchmen to escape. They knew, that, if they tried to get away by +land, they should all be killed. If they shut themselves up in their +fort, the Indians would besiege them, and they would starve to death. +They had no boats by which to get away by sailing through the lakes +and down the St. Lawrence River. + +The Frenchmen went to work and built boats secretly in the attic of +their fort or trading house. They built them strong enough to bear the +floating ice. They had also some light canoes made of bark, which they +hid in the upper part of their house. The question now was how to get +away without the Indians finding it out and pursuing them. + +One of the young Frenchmen had been adopted into the tribe of these +Indians. He invited the Indians to a feast. It was a feast, of a kind +the Indians give, in which every guest is obliged to eat everything +that is set before him, leaving nothing. The Indians kept on eating, +while the French amused them with dancing and games. The young +Frenchman played on his guitar, while the guests ate. The Indians +having eaten too much, at length began to fall asleep one by one. The +feast was not over until late at night, nor until every Indian had +eaten till he begged not to be given any more. Some of the Indians +fell asleep while they were eating. The rest of them were soon +sleeping soundly in their wigwams. + +The Frenchmen now quickly brought their boats down stairs and put them +into the water. They loaded them with food and other things needed for +their journey. Then they pushed off without making any noise or +speaking above a whisper. The water froze about their boats as they +rowed, and every moment they feared an attack from the Indians. They +rowed all night long, and then they rowed and paddled all the next day +without taking any rest. It was not until the evening of the second +day that they felt they had passed out of the greatest danger. + +The Indians slept late the morning after the feast. When they waked at +last, they came out of their huts one by one, and went toward the +French house. They were surprised to see it shut up, and everything +silent about it. They supposed that the French were at prayer, so they +waited quietly outside. They could hear the fowls crowing in the yard, +and when they knocked at the door of the house, the dog barked. Noon +came, and yet no Frenchmen appeared. + +Late in the afternoon the Indians climbed up the side of the house and +got in by a window. They could hear no sound but their own steps. They +were much frightened as they stole through the house and opened the +main door. They searched the building from top to bottom, but not a +Frenchman was to be found. + +As they were sure that the French had no boats, they were struck with +fear. They gazed a moment at each other in silence. Then they fled +from the house. They believed that the Frenchmen had, by some magic, +made themselves invisible; that is, so that they could not be seen. +They believed that the French had flown away through the air, or +walked off on the water. + +Meanwhile the French passed down Lake Ontario through many dangers. +They went down the River St. Lawrence, working their way over rapids +and waterfalls. At last they reached Montreal, where the people looked +on them as men that had come up from the grave. + + + + +GRANDMOTHER BEAR. + + +Mr. Alexander Henry was made prisoner by the Indians on Lake Superior +when Fort Mackinaw was taken by Indians. This was in the time of the +Indian war which is called Pontiac's War, because the great chief +Pontiac started it. + +Nearly all the white men in Fort Mackinaw were killed, but Mr. Henry +was saved. He had an Indian friend named Wawatam, who paid for his +life. He went to live with Wawatam. He had his head shaved, and put on +the dress of an Indian. He lived and hunted as the Indians did. + +One day Mr. Henry saw a very large pine tree. Its trunk was six feet +in diameter. The bark had been scratched by a bear's claws. Far up on +the tree there was a large hole. All about this hole the small +branches were broken. + +Mr. Henry looked at the snow. There were no bear tracks in it. So he +thought that an old bear had climbed up into the tree before the snow +fell. Bears sleep nearly all winter. They do not even come out to get +anything to eat. + +Mr. Henry told the Indians about the tree. There was no way of getting +up to the bear's hole. They could not get the bear out except by +cutting down the tree. But the Indian women did not believe that the +Indians could do it. Their axes were too small to chop down so big a +tree. + +However, the Indians wanted the bear's oil, which is of great use to +them. It serves them for lard, and butter, and many other things. So +at the tree they went with their little axes. As many as could stand +about the tree worked at a time, and when one rested, another chopper +took his place. They all worked, men and women, and they chopped all +day. When the sun went down, they had chopped about halfway through +the tree. + +The next morning they began again. They chopped away until about two +o'clock. Then the top of the great pine tree began to tremble. Slowly +it leaned a little. Then the tree began to fall. Everybody got far out +of the way. It fell down among the other trees with a crash that made +the woods roar, and lay at last upon the ground. + +[Illustration] + +But no bear came out of the big tree. Mr. Henry began to be afraid +that there was no bear there. He thought such a crash was enough to +wake up the sleepiest bear in the world. At last the nose of a bear +was poked out of the hole. Then came the head. Then came out the great +brown body of one of the largest bears in the woods. Mr. Henry shot +the bear dead. + +Though the Indians kill and eat bears, they are very much afraid of +the ghosts of the bears after they are dead. They are more afraid of a +bear after it is dead than when it is alive. So, whenever an Indian +has killed a bear, he always begs the dead bear's pardon. Each of +these Indians now politely begged pardon of the bear. The old woman +who had adopted Mr. Henry for her son took the bear's head in her +hands and kissed it. She called it her grandmother, and asked it not +to do them any harm. The Indians told the dead bear that a white man +had killed it. Of course, the dead bear did not say anything. + +Though they called the bear their grandmother, they made haste to take +off its skin. They were glad to find that Grandma Bear was very fat. +It took two persons to carry home the fat. Four more were loaded with +the meat of this nice old relative of theirs. + +But still wishing to fool the bear's ghost, they carried the head also +to their tent. They put all kinds of silver trinkets on the head, and +many belts of wampum or shell beads on it. In order to please the +ghost of Grandmother Bear still more, they laid the head on a kind of +table that they made for it, and placed a large quantity of tobacco +near its nose. + +The next morning a feast was made to please the bear's ghost. The head +of the bear was lifted, and a new blanket was spread under it. All the +Indians lighted their pipes, and blew tobacco smoke into the bear's +nose. Wawatam made a speech to the bear's spirit. He told it they were +very sorry to have to kill their friends. But he said it could not be +helped, for, if they did not do this, they should starve to death. + +The speech being over, the whole party ate heartily of the bear's +flesh. After three days they even took down the head itself, and put +it into the kettle. Thus they ate their grandmother up, but they did +it very politely. + + + + +THE GREAT TURTLE. + + +Among the Indians there are priests or medicine men who pretend to +cure diseases. They also pretend to talk to their gods and other +spirits. They have many ways of deceiving the Indians. + +Mr. Alexander Henry, while a prisoner among the Indians, was present +when the tribe he was with asked advice of the Great Turtle, which is +one of the gods they believe in. + +The Indians had heard that there was an English army coming against +them. They were very much afraid, because they had killed or taken +prisoner all the English in Fort Mackinaw. They wished to send +messengers to make peace with the white men, but they were afraid the +white men would kill their messengers. In this state of mind, they +asked the Great Turtle what they would better do. + +They first built a large house or wigwam. In the middle of this they +set up five posts, and covered these posts with moose skins. This made +a little tent in the middle of the large wigwam. + +When night came on, they built fires in the wigwam outside of the +little tent. This lighted up the house where the Indians were seated. +Soon the priest came in. Some of the Indians lifted the moose skins on +one side of their little tent. The priest crept in on his hands and +knees. The little tent began to shake, and from the inside there came +sounds like the barking of dogs and the howling of wolves, with +screams and sobs, and cries of pain and sorrow. Words were spoken in +strange voices, and in a language which nobody could understand. These +voices the Indians had heard before, and they thought that they +belonged to evil spirits who would tell them lies. When they heard +these voices, the Indians hissed. They did not want to hear any spirit +but that of the Great Turtle. After a while these frightful noises +ceased. There was silence for a time. Then the Indians heard a new +voice. It was low and feeble, like the cry of a very young puppy. All +the Indians now clapped their hands for joy. They cried out that this +was the voice of the Great Turtle, the spirit that never lied. + +But now new voices came from the tent. For half an hour there were +sounds in many different voices, but none of them were like the +priest's own voice. When these sounds were no longer heard, the +medicine man spoke in his own voice, and declared that the Great +Turtle was present, and would answer any question that might be asked. + +The chief of the village now put a large quantity of tobacco into the +little tent. This was a sacrifice to the Great Turtle. Then he told +the priest to ask the Great Turtle whether the white men were coming +to make war on them, and whether there were many soldiers at Fort +Niagara. + +The medicine man put this question to the Great Turtle. The tent began +to shake so violently that it seemed about to fall over. Then a loud +cry came from the tent. This was to show that the Great Turtle was +leaving. + +For a quarter of an hour no sound was heard. Then the Great Turtle +returned. He now made a long speech to the priest in his little +squeaky, puppy voice, but it was spoken in a language which nobody +could understand. After the spirit's speech was finished, the medicine +man spoke in his own voice, and explained to the people that in the +last fifteen minutes the Great Turtle had crossed Lake Huron, and gone +to Fort Niagara, hundreds of miles away. Then he had gone on down to +Montreal. He said there were not many soldiers at Fort Niagara, but at +Montreal the river was covered with boats filled with soldiers. He +said the soldiers coming to make war on the Indians were as many as +the leaves on the trees. He told the Indians, that, if they would send +men to the general of this army, he would make peace with them, and +fill their canoes with presents of blankets, kettles, guns, powder, +and shot. And he said, what pleased them still more, that the general +would give them great barrels of rum. + +The Indians were so much delighted with this message, that many of +them set out, soon after, to go in boats to make peace with the white +men. No doubt this humbug of the medicine man was a plan to persuade +them to go. Mr. Henry was taken along to act as their friend. + + + + +THE RATTLESNAKE GOD. + + +Mr. Henry had traveled several days with the Indians going to Fort +Niagara to make peace. One day the wind was blowing so hard that they +could not go on. So they camped on a point in Lake Huron. + +While the Indians were building a hut, Mr. Henry was lighting a fire. +He went off a little way to get dry wood, and while he was picking up +sticks he heard a strange sound. It lasted only a little while; but, +when Mr. Henry went a little farther, it began again. He looked up +into the air to see where it came from. Then he looked down on the +ground, and saw a large rattlesnake coiled close to his naked leg. If +he had taken one step more, he would have stepped on it, and it would +have bitten him. + +He now ran back to the canoe to get his gun to kill the snake. + +"What are you doing?" asked the Indians. + +"I am going to kill a rattlesnake," he said. + +"Oh, no! don't do that," they said. + +The Indians all got their tobacco bags and pipes, and went to the +place where the snake had been seen. It was still lying in a coil. + +[Illustration: Grandfather Rattlesnake.] + +The Indians now stood round the snake, and one after another spoke to +it. They called it their grandfather. But they took care not to go too +close to their grandfather. They stood oft and filled their pipes with +tobacco. Each one in turn blew tobacco smoke at the snake. The snake +seemed to like it. For half an hour it lay there in a coil, and +breathed the smoke. Then it slowly stretched itself out at full +length, and seemed in a very good humor. It was more than four feet +long. + +After having more smoke blown at it, it slowly crept away. The Indians +followed, begging their grandfather, as they called it, to take care +of their families while they were gone. They also asked that the snake +would open the heart of the English general so that he would give them +a great deal of rum. One of the chiefs begged the snake to take no +notice of the insult offered to him by the white man, who would have +killed it if the Indians had not stopped him. They also begged that it +would remain and live in their country. + +The Indians thought that the snake was a spirit or god in this form. +They thought that it had been sent to stop them on their way. They +were almost ready to turn back, but Mr. Henry persuaded them to go on. + +The next morning was calm. The Indians took a short course by sailing +straight to an island out in the lake. But after they had got far out, +the wind began to blow very hard. They expected every moment that +their canoe would be swallowed up by the waves. They began to pray to +the rattlesnake to help them. One of the chiefs resolved to make a +sacrifice to the snake. He took a dog, and tied its legs together, and +threw it into the water. He asked the snake spirit to be satisfied +with this. But the wind continued to grow higher, and so another dog +was thrown into the water, and some tobacco was thrown with it. The +chief told Grandfather Snake that the man who wanted to kill him was +really a white man, and no kin to the snake or to the Indians. + +Some of the Indians began to think of throwing Mr. Henry in after the +dog and the tobacco to satisfy the snake spirit; but the wind went +down, and they soon got to the island. Some days afterward the party +came to the fort. The English general was very glad to see Mr. Henry, +and his long captivity was over, in spite of the anger of the +rattlesnake god of the Indians. + + + + +WITCHCRAFT IN LOUISIANA. + + +The Indian medicine men or priests have many ways of deceiving their +people. A French officer found that the people of a certain tribe +believed very much in an idol which a medicine man had set up. This +idol was called by a long name, Vistee-poolee-keek-apook. The Indians, +when they stood near, would sometimes hear it speak, and this seemed +to them a very wonderful thing. + +A French officer named Bossu tried to find out what made the idol +talk. He found a long reed, such as we call a cane pole, running from +the back of the idol's head to a cave or hollow in the rocks behind +the idol. This reed had been made into a hollow tube. In the cave +there was a medicine man who talked into the tube. The words coming +out of the other end in the idol's head were heard from the mouth of +the idol, as if the idol were speaking. Bossu showed the Indians the +trick, and then got one of his soldiers to destroy the idol. + +The soldier that destroyed the idol was so brave, that the Frenchmen +had given him a nickname which means "fearless." The medicine man +declared that some dreadful thing would fall on Fearless because he +had destroyed the idol. In order to make his people believe in the +power of this god that had been thrown down, he told them that there +was a witch or evil spirit which came to the village in the shape of a +little black panther. He said, that, whenever he pronounced the name +of his god, this little black panther would instantly disappear. + +You see, the cunning old medicine man had somehow got hold of a large +black cat with yellow eyes. Cats were not common among the Indians, +these animals having been brought by the white people. Such a cat as +this, the Indians had never seen. The medicine man kept the cat in his +cabin, and trained it. He would strike it with a whip, crying out +every time he struck it, "Vistee-poolee-keek-apook!" + +The poor cat became afraid of the long ugly name of the Indian god, +because the whip and the name always came together. One day the black +cat crept into the cabin of an Indian woman to get something to eat. +The medicine man who was near by saw it. He said the name of his god +in his common voice. The cat, which the Indians believed to be a +witch, jumped like lightning through the hole in the cabin that was +used for a window. The Indians really believed that they had seen an +evil spirit in the shape of a little black panther, and that it +disappeared when the medicine man spoke the name of his god. + +After that, every time an Indian saw this black cat, or little black +panther, as it was called, he spoke the name of this terrible god. Of +course, the black cat with yellow eyes ran away. Tired out at last +with being driven off in this fashion, the cat disappeared entirely, +and took up its home with the wild animals in the woods, where it +could not hear the terrible name of the idol any more. + +Bossu afterward made use of the Indians' belief in spirits for his own +purpose. One of his soldiers had been killed by one of the Indians. +Bossu could not find out who killed the soldier, or even to what tribe +the Indian that killed him belonged. He wanted to punish or frighten +the murderer in order to save the lives of the rest of the French +soldiers. + +He called the chief of the Indians, and told him that one of his men +was missing. He said he was sure the man had not run away. He +therefore asked that the Indians should find the man, and said, that, +if he were not found, he should have to think that some of the Indians +had killed him. + +The chief answered that the white soldier had probably gone hunting in +the woods, and killed himself accidentally with his gun, or else he +had been killed by a panther. To this Bossu replied that the animal +would not have eaten the gun or the clothes of the soldier. He said +that if the Indians would find the Frenchman's gun, or bits of his +clothes, they could easily show that he had been killed by a wild +animal. + +Bossu had a friend among the Indians who was very much attached to +him. He persuaded this young Indian to tell him to what tribe the +murderer of the Frenchman belonged, but he solemnly promised that the +other Indians should never know who had told him. He paid the young +Indian for telling him. + +The Frenchman who was called Fearless now undertook to have the man +who had killed the other soldier punished, for the dead soldier had +been his friend. But it was necessary that he should not let the +Indians know who had told about it. Fearless stripped off a great +quantity of bark of the pawpaw tree. He thought he would play a trick +like that of the medicine man, and make the Indians believe that a +spirit was talking to them. He did everything very secretly. By +fastening pieces of the pawpaw bark together with pitch, he managed to +make a very large speaking trumpet, which would carry the voice a long +distance. + +When he had finished this trumpet, he left the camp one very dark +night. He carried with him his gun, some food, and a gourd full of +water. He had also a bearskin of which to make a bed, and a buffalo +robe to cover himself with. With these things he hid himself on a +hill. This hill was near the Indian camp. From the top of it Fearless +could make his voice heard for three miles round by the aid of his +great pawpaw trumpet. + +He shouted through this great bark trumpet what seemed to be words in +an unknown language, such as the Indian medicine man used. The +frightful noise sounded through the woods. It did not seem to come +from anywhere. The Indians thought that these cries came down from the +sky. The Indian women were thrown into a great fright, and even the +warriors and chiefs were alarmed. They said that the Master of Life +was angry with their tribe, and that this horrible voice showed that +something bad was going to happen to them. + +[Illustration] + +The day after the voice was heard, the old men of the tribe came to +consult Bossu about this strange noise. Bossu told them that the white +soldier who had been killed could not rest. He said that every night +his voice was heard, though nothing could be seen. He said that the +voice cried out in a melancholy tone, "I am the white soldier that +went with the French captain. I was killed by a man of the tribe of +the Kanoatinos. Frenchmen, revenge my death." + +The Indians now saw that it was of no use for them to tell any more +lies about the death of the white man. They believed that the +soldier's ghost had told the Frenchmen all about it. They confessed +the murder, but they explained that the white soldier had provoked it +when he was drunk, by bad treatment of the Indian who killed him. + +Captain Bossu was not willing to take their excuses. He told them, +that, if the soldier had done wrong, he ought to have been brought to +his own captain to be punished. He said, "If one of my soldiers should +kill one of your Indians, I would put him to death. You must do the +same with the Indian who killed my soldier." + +The oldest of the chiefs now commanded one of his men to go and seize +the guilty man, bind him, and bring him in to be put to death, in +order that the ghost of the French soldier might no longer trouble +them. + +Captain Bossu did not wish to put the Indian to death. He knew that +the French soldier had very greatly wronged and provoked the Indian. +He got his young Indian friend to go to the wife of the chief of the +Kanoatinos, and say to her that she might beg the life of the guilty +man. The young Indian told the chief's wife that Captain Bossu would +not refuse her anything. The woman went, and begged that the Indian +might be spared. Bossu consented that the Indian should live, but said +that he did it as a favor to the chief's wife. + +The chief then turned to the condemned Indian, and said to him, "You +were dead, but the captain of the white warriors has brought you to +life at the request of the chief's wife." The white people and Indians +then smoked the pipe of peace together. + + + + +A STORY OF NIAGARA. + + +Many years ago, the falls of Niagara, then in the midst of a great +wilderness, and a long way from the homes of the white people, seemed +even more wonderful than they do now. In those days, travelers from +other countries made long journeys through the woods to see this +wonderful waterfall. Indians lived about it, and there was a fort near +by, belonging to the French. + +Wild swans, geese, and ducks used to swim in the Niagara River. +Sometimes great flocks of them lost their lives by going over the +falls. Water fowl are fond of floating on smooth, moving water. The +wild geese and ducks would take great delight in finding themselves +shooting down toward the falls. Sometimes they would try to rise and +fly when it was too late. + +[Illustration: Niagara Falls.] + +In the autumn the soldiers of the fort used to get their meat by +taking from the water below the falls the ducks and geese that had +been killed in this way. Sometimes they would find a deer or a bear +that had been carried over in trying to swim across the river above +the falls. + +In the midst of the falls is an island. Many years ago two Indians +were hunting far above the falls. They had with them a little brandy, +which they drank. This made them sleepy, and they lay down and went to +sleep in their canoe, which was tied to the shore. The canoe got loose +from the shore, and floated down the stream farther and farther, until +it came near to the island which is in the falls. + +The roar of the falls awakened one of them. He cried out to the other, +"We are lost!" But by hard work they succeeded in landing the canoe at +the island. + +At first they were very glad, but after a while they thought it might +have been better if they had gone over the falls. They had now no +choice but to die of hunger on the island, or to throw themselves into +the water. + +At the lower end of the island there is no water running over the +falls. The Indians stripped the bark from a linden or basswood tree. +This bark is very tough and strong. They made a kind of rope ladder of +it. They made it so long that it reached to the water below the falls. +The upper end of this bark ladder they tied fast to a great tree that +grew on the island. The other end they let down to the water below the +falls. + +Then they went down this ladder until they came to the bottom. The +water was roaring on both sides of them, but they had a place to +stand. Here they rested a little while. The water in front of them was +not rapid. They jumped into it, intending to swim ashore. But the +water that pours in from the falls on each side, runs back against the +rocks in this place. Every time the Indians tried to swim, they were +thrown back against the rocks from which they started. At last they +were so much bruised and scratched, they were obliged to give up this +plan. So they climbed back up their bark stairs to the island, not +knowing what to do. + +After a while they saw other Indians on the shore. They cried out to +these to come and help them. The other Indians did not know what to +do. They had no way of getting to the island. If they had tried to get +there in a canoe, they would have been carried over the falls +themselves. They went to the fort, and told the commander about it. He +had poles made, and pointed with iron. He persuaded two Indians to +take these poles, and walk with them to the island. + +These two Indians took leave of all their friends as if they were +going to die. Each of them took two poles in his hands. They set these +poles against the bottom of the river to keep themselves steady, while +they waded through the water. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but +at last they got to the island. Then they gave a pole to each of the +two Indians, and all four of them started back again. By the help of +the poles they managed to get to the shore in safety. + + + + +AMONG THE ALLIGATORS. + + +Before the Revolution there lived in Pennsylvania a man named William +Bartram. He was a botanist; that is to say, a man who knew a great +deal about different kinds of plants. Wishing to see the plants and +animals of the South, he traveled through South Carolina and Georgia, +and so on into Florida. + +In a little canoe, Bartram set out to go up the St. Johns River. He +took an Indian along for a guide, but the Indian got tired of the +trip, and left him. Bartram kept on up the river alone. The country +was wild, and the river was filled with great alligators. + +Bartram saw two large alligators fighting. They ran at each other from +opposite sides of the river. They lashed the water with their tails. +They met in the middle of the river, and fought with great fury, +making the water boil all round them. They twisted themselves one +round the other, and sank to the bottom fighting. Their struggles at +the bottom brought up a great deal of mud. + +Soon they came to the top once more, clapping their great jaws +together, and roaring. They fell on each other again, and sank to the +bottom. But one of them was by this time beaten. He swam away into the +reeds on the bank. The other rose to the top of the water, and +celebrated his victory by a loud roaring sound. All the alligators +along the shore joined in the horrible roaring at the same time. + +The alligators had gathered in great crowds at certain places to catch +the fish that were coming up from the sea. Bartram wanted some fish +for his supper. He took a stick to beat off the alligators, and got +into his canoe. But the farther he paddled from the shore, the more +the alligators crowded round him. Several of them tried to overturn +his canoe. Two large ones attacked him at the same time, with their +heads above the water, and their mouths spouting water all over the +botanist. They struck their jaws together so close to his ears that +the sound almost stunned him. + +Bartram beat them off with his club, and paddled for the shore. When +he got near the shore, the alligators left him. He went a little +farther up the river, and got some fish. When he came back, he kept +close to the shore. One alligator twelve feet long followed him. When +Bartram went ashore near his camp, the creature crept close to his +feet, and lay there looking at him for some time. + +[Illustration] + +Bartram ran to his camp to get his gun. When he came back, the +alligator was climbing into his boat to get the fish he had caught. He +fired his gun, and killed the great beast. But while he was cleaning +his fish, another one crept up to him, and would have dragged him into +the water if Bartram had not looked up just in time to get out of his +way. The next day he was pursued by more alligators; but he beat them +off with his club, and got away. + + + + +JASPER. + + +"Marion'S Men" were famous in the Revolution for their bold +adventures. The best known of all these bold men was Sergeant Jasper. +At the battle of Fort Moultrie, when the flag of the fort was shot +away, Jasper jumped down outside of the works, and picked it up. The +balls were raining round him all the time he was outside, but he +coolly fastened the flag to a rod which was used to wipe out the +cannon, and then stuck it up in the sand of the breastworks. + +When General Moultrie saw what he had done, he took off his own sword +and gave it to Sergeant Jasper. + +When Moultrie and his men were hiding in the swamps of South Carolina, +Moultrie would send Jasper to find out what the British were doing. +Jasper could change his looks so that nobody would know him. He often +went into the British camp, pretending to be on that side. + +Once he took a friend with him, and paid a visit to the British +soldiers. While he was there, a small party of American prisoners were +brought in. The wife of one of the prisoners had come with her +husband, carrying her child. As these men had once fought on the +English side, they were all likely to be put to death. Jasper felt +sorry for them, and resolved to deliver them if he could. + +[Illustration] + +The prisoners were sent to Savannah for trial. Jasper and his friend +left the British camp soon afterward, but they went in the opposite +direction. When they got far enough away, they turned about and +followed the party with the prisoners. But what could they do for +these poor fellows? There were ten men with muskets to guard the +prisoners. Neither Jasper nor his friend had a gun. + +But they knew that near Savannah there was a famous spring of water. +They thought the party would stop there to eat and drink. So Jasper +and his friend went on swiftly, by a path little known. When they came +near the spring, they hid in the bushes. + +When the soldiers with their prisoners came to the spring, they +halted. The prisoners sat down on the ground. The woman sat down near +her husband. Her baby fell asleep in her lap. Six of the soldiers laid +down their arms, and four stood guard. + +Two of these went to the spring to get water, and, in doing this, they +were obliged to put down their guns. In an instant Jasper and his +friend leaped out of the bushes and seized the two guns. They killed +the two guards who had guns, before the latter could shoot them. Then +they knocked down every man who resisted them, and got possession of +all the rest of the guns of the British. With these they took the +eight soldiers prisoners. They now gave guns to the American +prisoners, and marched away with the eight British soldiers in +captivity. + +Jasper was one of the boldest of men. He did many brave things, but at +last he lost his life in saving the flag of his company in battle. + + + + +SONG OF MARION'S MEN. + + + Our band is few, but tried and true, + Our leader frank and bold: + The British soldier trembles + When Marion's name is told. + + We have no fort but dark green woods, + Our tent's a shady tree: + We know the forest round us + As sailors know the sea. + + With merry songs we mock the wind + That in the tree top grieves, + And slumber long and sweetly + On beds of rustling leaves. + + Well knows the fair and friendly moon + The band that Marion leads,-- + The glitter of their rifles, + The scampering of their steeds. + + 'Tis life to ride the fiery horse + Across the moonlight plain; + 'Tis life to feel the night wind + That lifts his tossing mane. + + A moment in the British camp-- + A moment--and away + Back to the pathless forest, + Before the peep of day. + + ADAPTED FROM BRYANT. + +[Illustration: One of Marion's Men.] + + + + +A BRAVE GIRL. + + +In the time of the Revolution, a regiment of Hessian soldiers hired +to fight on the British side were camped in South Carolina. They took +possession of the lower part of the house of a farmer named Gibbes. The +family were forced to retire to the upper story. + +Two American boats came up the Stono River, and attacked these +Hessians. Cannon balls were soon falling all about the house. Mr. +Gibbes, who was so ill that he could hardly walk, got leave to move his +family to another place. To do this, the whole family had to cross a +field where the cannon balls were flying thick. At last they got out of +reach of the cannons. Then they remembered that a little baby had been +left behind. Neither Mr. Gibbes nor his wife was able to travel back to +the house again. The negroes were too much frightened to go. All the +rest were children. + +Little Mary Anne Gibbes was only thirteen years old. The baby that had +been left was her cousin. + +"I will go and get him," she said. + +It was a dark and stormy night. She went back into the heat of the +battle. When she reached the house, the soldier who stood at the door +would not let her go in. But, with tears in her eyes, she begged so +hard that he let her pass. In the third story of the house she found +the baby. + +Then downstairs, and out into the darkness and the crash of battle, she +went. The cannon balls scattered dust over her and the baby when they +struck near her, but she got back to her family at last, carrying the +baby safe in her arms. + + + + +A PRISONER AMONG THE INDIANS. + + +James Smith lived in Pennsylvania. He was taken prisoner by the Indians +just before the famous defeat of General Braddock. He was then about +eighteen years old. The Indians took him to the French fort where +Pittsburg now is. They made him run the gauntlet; that is, they made +him run between two lines of Indians, who were beating him all the way. +He was so badly beaten that he became unconscious, and was ill for a +good while after. But at length he got well, and the Indians took him +to their own country in what is now the State of Ohio. + +When they arrived at their own town, they did not kill him, as he +thought they would; but an Indian pulled the hair out of his head with +his fingers, leaving only the hair that grew on a spot about the crown. +Part of this he cut off short. The rest was twisted up in Indian +fashion, so as to make him look like a savage. They pierced his ears, +and put earrings in them. Then they pierced his nose, and put in a nose +ring. They stripped off his clothing, and put on the light clothing +that an Indian wears about the middle of his body. They painted his +head where the hair had been plucked out, and painted his face and +body, in several colors. They put some beads about his neck, and silver +bands upon his arms. + +All this time James thought they were dressing him up to kill him. But, +when they had decked him in this way, an old chief led him out into the +village street. Holding the young man by the hand, he cried out,-- + +"Koowigh, Koowigh, Koowigh!" + +All the Indians came running out of their houses when they heard this. +The old chief made them a long speech in a loud voice. James could not +understand what this speech was about. When it was ended, the chief +handed James over to three young Indian women. + +James thought the young squaws were going to put him to death. They led +him down the bank into the river. The squaws made signs for him to +plunge himself into the water; but, as he thought they wished to drown +him, he refused. He was not going to drown himself to please them. The +young women then seized him, and tried to put him under water. But he +would not be put down All this time the Indians on the bank were +laughing heartily. + +[Illustration: James Smith sitting on a Bearskin.] + +Then one of the young squaws, who could speak a little English, said, +"No hurt you." Smith now gave up to them, and they scrubbed him well, +dipping his head under water. + +When he came out of the water, he was dressed up in a lot of Indian +finery. The Indians put feathers in his hair, and made him sit down on +a bearskin. They gave him a pipe, and a tomahawk, and a bag of tobacco +and dried sumach leaves to smoke. Then they made a speech to him, which +an Indian who could speak English explained to him. + +They said that he had been made a member of an Indian family in place +of a great man who had been killed. And then they gave him a wooden +bowl and a spoon, and took him to a feast, where Indian politeness +required that he should eat all the food given to him. + +After James Smith was adopted by the Indians, he learned to live in +their way. He learned how to make little bowls out of elm bark to catch +maple-sugar sap, and how to make great casks out of the bark to hold +the sap till it could be boiled. He learned how to make a bearskin into +a pouch to hold bear's oil, of which the Indians were very fond. They +mixed their hominy with bear's oil and maple sugar, and they cooked +their venison in oil and sugar also. + +The Indians gave James an Indian name. They called him Scouwa. The +Indians gave him a gun. Once when they trusted him to go into the woods +alone, he got lost, and staid out all night. Then they took away his +gun, and gave him a bow and arrow, such as boys carried. For nearly two +years he had to carry a bow and arrows like a boy. + +He was once left behind when there was a great snowstorm. He could not +find the footsteps of the others, on account of the driving snow. But +after a while he found a hollow tree. There was a little room three +feet wide in the inside of the tree. He chopped a great many sticks +with his tomahawk to close up the opening in the side of the tree. He +left only a hole big enough for him to crawl in through. He fixed a +block for a kind of door, so as to close this hole by drawing the door +shut when he was inside. When the hole was shut, it was dark in the +tree. + +But James, or Scouwa as he was called, could stand up in the tree. He +broke up rotten wood to make a bed like a large goose nest. He danced +up and down on his bed till he was warm. Then he wrapped his blanket +about him and lay down to sleep, first putting his damp moccasins under +his head to keep them from freezing. When he awoke, it was dark. The +hole in the tree was so well closed that he could not tell whether it +was daylight or not, but he waited a long time to be sure that day had +come. + +Then he felt for the opening. At last he found it. He pushed on the +block that he had used for a door, but three feet of snow had fallen +during the night. All his strength would not move the block. He was a +prisoner under the snow. Not one ray of light could get into this dark +hole. + +Scouwa was now frightened. Not knowing what to do, he lay down again +and wrapped his blanket round him, and tried to think of a way to get +out. He said a little prayer to God. Then he felt for the block again. +This time he pushed and pushed with all his might. The block moved a +few inches, and snow came tumbling through the hole. This let a little +daylight in, and Scouwa was happy. + +After a while he pulled his blanket tight about him, stuck his tomahawk +in his belt, and took his bow in hand. Then he dug his way out through +the snow into the daylight. + +All the paths were buried under the deep snow. The young man had no +compass. The sun was not shining. How could he tell one direction from +another, or find his way to the Indian camp? The tall, straight trees, +especially those that stand alone, have moss on the north or northwest +side. By looking closely at these trees, he found out which way to go. +It was about noon when he got to the camp. The Indians had made +themselves snowshoes to go in search of him. + +They all gathered about him, glad to see him. But Indians do not ask +questions at such a time. They led the young man to a tent. There they +gave him plenty of fat beaver meat to eat. Then they asked him to +smoke. While he was resting here, they were building up a large fire in +the open air. Scouwa's Indian brother asked him to come out to the +fire. Then all the Indians young and old, gathered about him. + +His Indian brother now asked him to tell what had happened to him. +Scouwa began at the beginning, and told all that had occurred. The +Indians listened with much eagerness. + +Then the Indian brother made him a speech. He told the young man that +they were glad to see him alive. He told him he had behaved like a man. +He said, "You will one day be a great man, and do some great things." + +Soon after this, the Indians bought him a gun, paying for it with +skins, and he became a hunter. + + + + +HUNGRY TIMES IN THE WOODS. + + +When James Smith, or Scouwa, had been some years among the Indians, he +was in a winter camp with two of his adopted brothers. The younger of +these, with his family, went away to another place. Scouwa was left +with the older brother and his little son. + +The older brother was a very wise Indian. He had thought much about +many things. He talked to his young white brother on many subjects, and +James always remembered him as a great man. + +The wise Indian was now suffering from rheumatism. He could hardly move +out of his winter hut at all. But he bore it all with gentle patience. +Scouwa had to do all the hunting for himself, the old man, and the boy. + +Almost the only food to be had was deer meat. From time to time Scouwa +succeeded in killing a deer. But at last there came a crust of snow. +Whenever the hunter tried to creep up to a deer, the crust would break +under his feet with a little crash, and the noise would frighten the +deer away. After a while there was no food in the cabin. + +Once Scouwa hunted two days without coming back to the cabin, and with +nothing to eat. He came back at last empty-handed. + +The wise Indian asked him, "What luck did you have, brother?" + +"None at all," said Scouwa. + +"Are you not very hungry?" asked the Indian. + +"I do not feel so hungry now as I did," said the young man, "but I am +very faint and weary." + +Then the lame Indian told the little boy to bring something to eat. The +boy had made a broth out of the dry old bones of foxes and wild-cats +that lay about the camp. Scouwa ate this broth eagerly, and liked it. + +Then the old chief talked to Scouwa. He told him that the Great Spirit +would provide food for them. He talked in this way for some time. + +At last he said, "Brother, go to sleep, and rise early in the morning +and go hunting. Be strong, and act like a man. The Great Spirit will +direct your way." + +In the morning James set out early, but the deer heard his feet +breaking through the snow crust. Whenever he caught sight of them, they +were already running away. The young man now grew very hungry. He made +up his mind to escape from the Indians, and to try to reach his home in +Pennsylvania. He knew that Indian hunters would probably see him and +kill him, but he was so nearly starved that he did not care for his +life. + +He walked very fast, traveling toward the east. All at once he saw +fresh buffalo tracks. He followed these till he came in sight of the +buffaloes; then, faint as he was, he ran on ahead of the animals, and +hid himself. + +[Illustration: Scouwa shoots a Buffalo.] + +When the buffaloes came near, he fired his gun, and killed a large +buffalo cow. He quickly kindled a fire, and cut off a piece of the +meat, which he put to roast by the fire. But he was too hungry to wait. +He took his meat away from the fire, and ate it before it was cooked. + +When his hunger was satisfied, he began to think about the wise Indian +and his little boy. He could not bear to leave them to starve, so he +gave up his plan of escaping. + +He hung the meat of the buffalo where the wolves could not get at it. +Then he took what he could carry, and traveled back thirteen tedious +miles through the snow. + +It was moonlight when he got to the hut. The wise Indian was as +good-natured as ever. He did not let hunger make him cross. He asked +Scouwa if he were not tired. He told the little boy to make haste and +cook some meat. + +"I will cook for you," said Scouwa. "Let the boy roast some meat for +himself." + +The boy threw some meat on the coals, but he was so hungry that he ate +it before it was cooked. Scouwa cut some buffalo meat into thin slices, +and put the slices into a kettle to stew for the starving man. When +these had boiled awhile, he was going to take them off, but the Indian +said, + +"No, let it cook enough." + +And so, hungry as he was, the wise Indian waited till the meat was well +cooked, and then ate without haste, and talked about being thankful to +the Great Spirit. + +The next day Scouwa started back for another load of buffalo meat. When +he had gone five miles, he saw a tree which a bear had taken for its +winter home. The hole in the tree was far from the ground. Scouwa made +some bundles of dry, half-rotten wood. These he put on his back, and +then climbed a small tree that stood close to the one with a hole in +it. The rotten wood he touched to a burning stick from a fire he had +kindled. Then he dropped the smoking bundles of rotten wood one after +another down into the bear's den, and quickly slid to the ground again. + +The bear did not like smoke. After a while he crawled out of the hole +to get breath. Scouwa shot him. + +He hung the bear meat out of the reach of wolves, and carried back to +the hut all that he could take at one time. The old man and the boy +were greatly pleased when they heard that there was bear meat as well +as buffalo meat in plenty. After this they had food enough. + + + + +SCOUWA BECOMES A WHITE MAN AGAIN. + + +The next year after this hard winter in the woods, the Indians that +Scouwa lived with went down the River St. Lawrence to Canada. At this +time Canada belonged to the French. The French were at war with the +English, to whom Pennsylvania belonged. The Indians were on the side of +the French. + +Scouwa heard that there were prisoners from his country who were to be +sent back in exchange for French prisoners. He slipped away from the +Indians, and went to Montreal. Here he put himself among the other +prisoners. + +After a while the prisoners were sent back to their own country. Scouwa +came to his own family again. They did not know that he was alive. He +put on white man's clothes. He let his hair grow like a white man's. He +spoke English once more. He was no longer called Scouwa, but James +Smith. But still he walked like an Indian. All his movements were those +of an Indian. He had lived nearly six years among the savages. + +He afterward became a colonel among the white men. He moved to +Kentucky, and fought against the Indians. But he made his men dress and +fight as the red men did. He thought it was the best way of fighting in +the woods. + + + + +A BABY LOST IN THE WOODS. + + +When people first began to move across the Alleghany Mountains, there +were no roads for wagons; but there were narrow paths called trails. +Families traveled to the west, carrying their goods on horseback along +these trails. Here is a story that will show you how they traveled. + +Among those who went from Virginia to Kentucky, in 1781, was a man +named Benjamin Craig, who took his whole family with him. Mr. Craig +wore a hunting shirt and leggings of buckskin and a fur cap. Like all +men in the backwoods, he carried a hatchet and a knife stuck in his +belt, and he almost always had his old-fashioned flintlock rifle on his +right shoulder. A horn to hold powder was worn under his left arm, and +supported by a string over his right shoulder. He had a little buckskin +bag of bullets fastened to his belt. At the head of the party, he +traveled over the mountains on foot, walking before his horses. + +The horses came one after another. On the first horse rode Mrs. Craig. +She carried her baby in her arms. Tied on the back of the horse were a +pot and a skillet for frying. In a bag on the same horse were some +pewter plates and cups, and a few knives and forks. + +The horse on which Mrs. Craig rode was followed by a pack horse; that +is, a horse carrying things fastened on his back. This horse was led by +means of a rope halter, the end of which was tied to the saddle of the +horse in front. The pack on his back contained some meal and some salt. +This was all the food the family carried for the long journey over the +mountains. Mr. Craig expected to get meat by shooting deer or wild +turkeys in the woods. + +The same pack horse carried a flat piece of iron to make a plow, and +some hoes and axes. The hoes and axes were without handles, except one +ax, which was used to cut firewood during the journey. Handles could be +made for the tools after the family got to Kentucky. + +Behind this horse another one was tied. He carried two great +basket-like things hanging on each side of him. These baskets or crates +were made of hickory boughs. All the clothing and bedding that people +could take on such long and rough journeys was stored in these crates. + +In the middle of each crate a hole was left. In one of these holes rode +little Master George, a boy of six. In the other was stowed Betsey, a +girl of four. One fine day during the journey, the baby was put into +the basket by the side of Betsey, and then the two older children +amused themselves by pointing out to the baby the things they saw by +the wayside. + +[Illustration] + +At length the narrow trail or path passed along the edge of a dangerous +cliff. George and Betsey shut their eyes, so as not to see how steep +the place was. They were afraid the horse might fall off, and they be +dashed to pieces. But baby Ben only laughed and crowed, for what did a +little fellow like him know about danger. A hired man walked behind the +last horse to see that nothing was lost. + +When night came, the horses were unloaded and turned loose. The little +bells tied round their necks had been stuffed with grass during the day +to keep them from jingling. This grass was removed, and the bells set +a-tinkling, so that the horses could be found in the morning. The tired +pack horses began at once to eat the long grass, now and then nibbling +the boughs of young trees. + +[Illustration] + +A fire was built by a stream, and supper was cooked. If it had been +raining, the men would have built a little tent of boughs or bark for +the family, but, as the weather was clear, beds were made of grass and +dry leaves in the open air. The whole family slept under blue woolen +coverlets, with only the starry sky for shelter. The fire was kept up +for fear of wolves. + +In the morning the children played about while the mother got +breakfast. When the meal was over, Mr. Craig and the hired man went to +look for one of the horses that had strayed away. Baby Ben climbed into +his mother's lap, as she sat upon the log, and fell asleep. In order to +have things all packed by the time the men returned, the mother laid +the little fellow on some long dry grass that grew among the boughs of +a fallen tree. When the father returned, it was nine o'clock. He +hurried the mother upon her horse among the pots and pans, saying that +he wished to overtake a company of travelers that was ahead of him, so +as to travel more safely. + +"Now fetch me the baby," said Mrs. Craig. + +"No, mother, please let the baby ride with me again," said little +Betsey, just come back from washing her face in the creek. + +"All right," said Mrs. Craig. "Put the baby on with the children. This +horse is slow, and I will ride on. You can bring the other horses, and +catch up with me soon." + +By the time the second horse was loaded, and George and Betsey were +stowed away in their baskets, both the father and Betsey had forgotten +about the baby. The mother had got so far ahead that it took the other +horses nearly an hour to overtake her's. + +"Where is the baby?" cried the mother when she looked back and saw but +two children on the horse behind. + +Sure enough, where was the baby? Lying under a tree top in the lonesome +woods, where there might be fierce wolves, great panthers, or hungry +wildcats. + +Mr. Craig was almost frantic when he thought of the baby's danger. He +stripped the things from the middle horse, and sprang on his back, gun +in hand. He laid whip to the horse, and was soon galloping back over +the rough path. For more than an hour the mother and children waited +with the hired man, to learn whether the baby had been killed by some +wild animal or not. + +At last the sound of Mr. Craig's horse coming back was heard, and all +held their breath. As the father came in sight in a full gallop, he +shouted, "Here he is, safe and sound! The little rascal hadn't waked +up." + +Mrs. Craig and Betsey shed tears of joy. George turned his face away, +and wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve. He wasn't going to cry: he was +a boy. + + + + +ELIZABETH ZANE. + + +On the banks of the Ohio River, near the place where the city of +Wheeling now stands, there was once a fort called Fort Henry. This fort +was of the kind called a blockhouse, which is a house built of logs +made to fit close together. The upper part of the house jutted out +beyond the lower, in order that the men in the blockhouse might shoot +downwards at the Indians if they should come near the house to set it +on fire. Fort Henry was surrounded with a stockade; that is, a fence +made by setting posts in the ground close together. + +During the Revolutionary War the Indians in the neighborhood of this +fort were fighting on the side of the English. A large number of them +came to Fort Henry, and tried to take it. All the men that were sent +outside of the fort to fight the Indians were either killed, or kept +from going back. The women and the children of the village which stood +near had all gone into the fort for safety. + +When at last the fiercest attack of the Indians was made, there were +only twelve men and boys left inside of the fort. These men and boys +had made up their minds to do their best to save the lives of the women +and children who were with them. Every man and every boy in the fort +knew how to shoot a rifle. They had guns enough, but they had very +little powder. So they fired only when they were sure of hitting one of +the enemy. + +The Indians kept shooting all the time. Some of them crept near to the +blockhouse, and tried to shoot through the cracks, but the bullets of +the men inside brought down these brave warriors. + +After many hours of fighting, the Indians went off a little way to +rest. The white men had now used nearly all their gunpowder. They began +to wish for a keg of powder that had been left in one of the houses +outside. They knew that whoever should go for this would be seen and +fired at by the Indians. He would have to run to the house and back +again. The colonel called his men together, and told them he did not +wish to order any man to do so dangerous a thing as to get the powder, +but he said he should like to have some one offer to go for it. + +Three or four young men offered to go. The colonel told them he could +not spare more than one of them. They must settle among themselves +which one should go. But each one of the brave fellows wanted to go, +and none of them was willing to give up to another. Then there stepped +forward a young woman named Elizabeth Zane. + +"Let me go for the powder," she said. + +The brave men were surprised. It would be a desperate thing for a man +to go. Nobody had dreamed that a woman would venture to do such a +thing, nor would any of them agree to let a young woman go into danger. + +[Illustration: Elizabeth Zane's Return.] + +The colonel said, "No," her friends begged her not to run the risk. +They told her, besides, that any one of the young men could run faster +than she could. + +But Elizabeth said, "You cannot spare a single man. There are not +enough men in the fort now. If I am killed, you will be as strong to +fight as before. Let the young men stay where they are needed, and let +me go for the powder." + +She had made up her mind, and nobody could persuade her not to go. So +the gate of the fort was opened just wide enough for her to get out. +Her friends gave her up to die. + +Some of the Indians saw the gate open, and saw the young woman running +to the house, but they did not shoot at her. They probably thought that +they would not waste a bullet on a woman. They could make her a +prisoner at any time. + +She did not try to carry the powder keg, but she took the powder in a +girl's way. She filled her apron with it. When she came out of the +house with her apron full of powder, and started to run back to the +fort, the Indians fired at her. It happened that all of their bullets +missed her. The gate was opened again, and she got safely into the +fort. The men were glad that they had powder enough, and they all felt +braver than ever, after they had seen what a girl could do. + +The Indians had seen the gate opened to let her out and to let her in +again. They thought they could force the gate open; but they could not +go and push against it, because the men in the blockhouse would shoot +them if they did. So they made a wooden cannon. They got a hollow log +and stopped up one end of it. Then they went to the blacksmith's shop +in the little village and got some chains. They tied these chains round +the log to hold it together. They had no cannon balls, so, after +putting gunpowder into the log, they put in stones and bits of iron. +After dark that evening they dragged this wooden cannon up near to the +gate. When all was ready, they touched off their cannon. The log cannon +burst into pieces, and killed some of the Indians, but did not hurt the +fort. + +The next day white men came from other places to help the men in the +fort. They got into the fort, and after a few more attacks the Indians +gave up the battle and went away. + +Whenever the story of the brave fight at Fort Henry is told, people do +not forget that the bravest one in it was the girl that brought her +apron full of gunpowder to the men in the fort. + + + + +THE RIVER PIRATES. + + +A hundred years ago the country near the great rivers in the interior +of the United States was a wilderness. It contained only a few people, +and these lived in settlements which were widely separated from one +another. Hardly any of the great trees had been cut down. + +There were no roads, except Indian trails through the woods. Nearly all +travelers had to follow the rivers. Steamboats had not yet been +invented. Travelers made journeys on flatboats, keel boats, and barges. +It was easy enough to go down the Ohio and the Mississippi in this way, +but it was hard to come up again. It took about fifty men to work a +boat against the stream, and many months were spent in going up the +river. + +Boats were pushed up the river by means of poles. The boatmen pushed +these against the bottom of the river. When the water was deep or the +current very swift, a rope was taken out ahead of the boat, and tied to +a tree on the bank. The line was then slowly drawn in by means of a +capstan, and this drew the boat forward. + +Sometimes the boat was "cordelled," or towed by the men walking on the +shore and drawing the barge by a rope held on their shoulders. But when +there chanced to be a strong wind blowing upstream, the boatmen would +hoist sail, and joyfully make headway against the current without so +much toil. + +These slow-going boats were in danger from Indians. They were in even +greater danger from robbers, who hid themselves along the shore. Some +of these robbers lived in caves. Some kept boats hidden in the mouths +of streams that flowed into the large rivers. + +In 1787 all the country west of the Mississippi still belonged to +France. The French territory stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to what +is now Minnesota. It was all called Louisiana. New Orleans and St. +Louis were then French towns, and the travel between them was carried +on by means of boats, which floated down the stream, and were then +brought back by poles, ropes, and sails. + +The trip was as long as a voyage to China is nowadays. The boats or +barges set out from St. Louis in the spring, carrying furs. They got +back again in the fall with goods purchased in New Orleans. + +In this year, 1787, a barge belonging to a Mr. Beausoleil (bo-so-lay) +started from New Orleans to make the voyage to St. Louis. The goods +with which it was loaded were very valuable. Slowly the men toiled up +against the stream day after day. At length the little vessel came near +to the mouth of Cottonwood Creek. A well-known robber band lurked at +this place. With joy the boatmen saw a favorable wind spring up. They +spread their sails, and the driving gale carried the barge in safety +past the mouth of the creek. + +But the pirates of Cottonwood Creek were unwilling to lose so rich a +treasure. They sent a company of men by a short cut overland to head +off the barge at a place farther up the river. Two days after passing +Cottonwood Creek the bargemen brought the boat to land. They felt +themselves beyond danger. But the robbers came suddenly out of the +woods, took possession of the boat, and ordered the crew to return down +the river to Cottonwood Creek. + +When they turned back toward the robbers' den, Beausoleil was in +despair. His whole fortune was on the barge. He did not know whether +the robbers would kill him and his men, or not. The only man of the +crew who showed no regret was the cook. This cook was a fine-looking +and very intelligent mulatto slave named Cacasotte. Instead of +repining, he fell to dancing and laughing. + +"I am glad the boat was taken," he cried. "I have been beaten and +abused long enough. Now I am freed from a hard master." + +Cacasotte devoted himself to his new masters, the robbers. In a little +while he had won their confidence. He was permitted to go wherever he +pleased, without any watch upon his movements. + +He found a chance to talk with Beausoleil, and to lay before him a plan +for retaking the boat from the villains. Beausoleil thought the +undertaking too dangerous, but at length he gave his consent. Cacasotte +then whispered his plan to two others of the crew. + +Dinner was served to the pirates on deck. Cacasotte took his place by +the bow of the boat, so as to be near the most dangerous of the +robbers. This robber was a powerful man, well armed. When Cacasotte saw +that the others had taken their places as he had directed, he gave the +signal, and then pushed the huge robber at his side into the water. In +three minutes the powerful Cacasotte had thrown fourteen of the robbers +into the waves. The other men had also done their best. The deck was +cleared of the pirates, who had to swim for their lives. The robbers +who remained in the boat were too few to resist. Beausoleil found +himself again master of his barge, thanks to the coolness and courage +of Cacasotte. + +But the bargemen dared not go on up the river. Against the stream they +would have to go slowly, and there would be danger from the robbers +remaining at Cottonwood Creek: so they kept on down the river to New +Orleans. + +The next year ten boats left New Orleans in company. These barges +carried small cannons, and their crew were all armed. When they reached +Cottonwood Creek, men were seen on shore; but when an armed force was +landed, the robbers had fled. The long, low hut which had been their +dwelling remained. There were also several flatboats loaded with +valuable goods taken from captured barges. This plunder was carried to +St. Louis, and restored to the rightful owners. For fifty years +afterwards this was known as "The Year of the Ten Boats." Cacasotte's +brave victory was not soon forgotten. + + + + +OLD-FASHIONED TELEGRAPHS. + + +THE MUSKET TELEGRAPH. + + +There are many people living who can remember when there were no +telegraphs such as we have now. The telephone is still younger. +Railroads are not much older than telegraphs. Horses and stagecoaches +were slow. How did people send messages quickly when there were no +telegraph wires? + +When colonies in America were first settled by white people, there were +wars with the Indians. The Indians would creep into a neighborhood and +kill all the people they could, and then they would get away before the +soldiers could overtake them. But the white people made a plan to catch +them. + +Whenever the Indians attacked a settlement, the settler who saw them +first took his gun and fired it three times. Bang, bang, bang! went the +gun. The settlers who lived near the man who fired the gun heard the +sound. They knew that three shots following one another quickly, meant +that the Indians had come. + +Every settler who heard the three shots took his gun and fired three +times. It was bang, bang, bang! again. Then, as soon as he had fired, +he went in the direction of the first shots. Every man who had heard +three shots, fired three more, and went toward the shots he had heard. +Farther and farther away the settlers heard the news, and sent it along +by firing so that others might hear. Soon little companies of men were +coming swiftly in every direction. The Indians were sure to be beaten +off or killed. + +This was a kind of telegraph. But there were no wires; there was no +electricity; only one flint-lock musket waking up another flintlock +musket, till a hundred guns had been fired, and a hundred men were +marching to the battle. + + + + +TELEGRAPHING BY FIRE. + + +The firing of signal guns was telegraphing by sound. It used only the +hearing. But there were other ways of telegraphing that used the sight. +These have been known for thousands of years. They were known even to +savage people. + +The Indians on the plains use fires to telegraph to one another. +Sometimes they build one fire, sometimes they build many. When a war +party, coming back from battle, builds five fires on a hill, the +Indians who see it know that the party has killed five enemies. + +But the Indians have also what are known as smoke signals. An Indian +who wishes to send a message to a party of his friends a long way off, +builds a fire. When it blazes, he throws an armful of green grass on +it. This causes the fire to send up a stream of white smoke hundreds of +feet high, which can be seen fifty miles away in clear weather. Among +the Apaches, one column of smoke is to call attention; two columns say, +"All is well, and we are going to remain in this camp;" three columns +or more are a sign of danger, and ask for help. + +[Illustration: A Smoke Signal.] + +Sometimes longer messages are sent. After building a fire and putting +green grass upon it, the Indian spread his blanket over it. He holds +down the edges, to shut the smoke in. After a few moments he takes his +blanket off; and when he does this, a great puff of smoke, like a +balloon, shoots up into the air. This the Indian does over and over. +One puff of smoke chases another upward. By the number of these puffs, +and the length of the spaces between them, he makes his meaning +understood by his friends many miles away. + +At night the Indians smear their arrows with something that will burn +easily. One of them draws his bow. Just as he is about to let his arrow +fly, another one touches it with fire. The arrow blazes as it shoots +through the air, like a fiery dragon fly. One burning arrow follows +another; and those who see them read these telegraph signals, and know +what is meant. + + + + +TELEGRAPHS IN THE REVOLUTION. + + +Our forefathers sometimes used fire to telegraph with in the +Revolution. Whenever the British troops started on a raid into New +Jersey, the watchmen on the hilltops lighted great beacon fires. Those +who saw the fires lighted other fires farther away. These fires let the +people know that the enemy was coming, for light can travel much faster +than men on horseback. + +Have you heard the story of Paul Revere? When the British were about to +send troops from Boston to Lexington, Revere and his friends had an +understanding with the people in Charlestown. Revere was to let them +know when the troops should march. They were to watch a certain church +steeple. If one lantern were hung in the steeple, it would mean that +the British were marching by land. If two lanterns were seen, the +Charlestown people would know that the troops were leaving Boston by +water. Revere was sent as a messenger to Lexington. He sent a friend of +his to hang up the lanterns in the church steeple. + + "Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, + By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, + To the belfry chamber overhead, + And startled the pigeons from their perch + On the somber rafters, that round him made + Masses and moving shapes of shade,-- + By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, + To the highest window in the wall, + Where he paused to listen and look down + A moment on the roofs of the town, + And the moonlight flowing over all." + +Long before Paul Revere got across the water in his little boat, the +people on the other side had seen the lanterns in the tower. They knew +the British were coming, and were all astir when Paul Revere got over. +Revere rode on to Lexington and beyond, to alarm the people. + +The lines above are from a poem of Longfellow's about this ride. The +poem is very interesting, but it does not tell the story quite +correctly. + +Paul Revere's lanterns were used at the beginning of the Revolutionary +War. There is a story of a different sort of telegraph used when the +war was near its end. It is told by a British officer who had not the +best means of knowing whether it was true or not. But it shows what +kind of telegraphs were used in that day. This is the story:-- + +[Illustration: Old North Church Steeple.] + +A British army held New York. Another British army under Cornwallis was +at Yorktown in Virginia. General Washington had marched to Yorktown. He +was trying to capture the army of General Cornwallis. He was afraid +that ships and soldiers would be sent from New York to help Cornwallis. +But there were men in New York who were secretly on Washington's side. +One of these was to let him know when ships should sail to help +Cornwallis. + +But Washington was six hundred miles away from New York. How could he +get the news before the English ships should get there? There were no +telegraphs. The fastest horses ridden one after another could hardly +have carried news to him in less than two weeks. But Washington had a +plan. One of the men who sent news to Washington was living in New +York. When the ships set sail, he went up on the top of his house and +hoisted a white flag, or something that looked like a white flag. + +On the other side of the Hudson River in a little village a man was +watching this very house. As soon as he saw the white flag flapping, he +took up his gun and fired it. Farther off there was a man waiting to +hear this gun. When he heard it, he fired another gun. Farther on there +was the crack of another, and then another gun. By the firing of one +gun after another the news went southward. Bang, bang! went gun after +gun across the whole State of New Jersey. Then guns in Pennsylvania +took it up and sent the news onward. Then on across the State of +Maryland the news went from one gun to another, till it reached +Virginia, where it passed on from gun to gun till it got to Yorktown. +In less than two days Washington knew that ships were coming. + +When Washington knew that British ships were coming, he pushed the +fighting at Yorktown with all his might. When the English ships got to +Chesapeake Bay at last, Cornwallis had already surrendered. The United +States was free. The ships had come too late. + + + + +A BOY'S TELEGRAPH. + + +The best telegraph known before the use of electricity, was invented by +two schoolboys in France. They were brothers named Chappé (shap-pay). +They were in different boarding schools some miles apart, and the rules +of their schools did not allow them to write letters to each other. But +the two schools were in sight of each other. The brothers invented a +telegraph. They put up poles with bars of wood on them. These bars +would turn on pegs or pins. The bars were turned up or down, or one up +and another down, or two down and one up, and so on. Every movement of +the bars meant a letter. In this way the two brothers talked to each +other, though they were miles apart. When the boys became men, they +sold their plan to the French Government. The money they got made their +fortune. + +[Illustration: A Mail Carrier.] + +About the time they were selling this plan to the French Government, a +boy named Samuel Morse was born in this country. Fifty years later this +Samuel Morse set up the first Morse electric telegraph, which is the +one we now use. + +In the old days before telegraph wires were strung all over the +country, it took weeks to carry news to places far away. There were no +railroads, and the mails had to travel slowly. A boy on a horse trotted +along the road to carry the mail bags to country places. From one large +city to another, the mails were carried by stagecoaches. + +When the people had voted for President, it was weeks before the news +of the election could be gathered in. Then it took other weeks to let +the people in distant villages know the name of the new President. +Nowadays a great event is known in almost every part of the country on +the very day it happens. + + + + +A BOY'S FOOLISH ADVENTURE. + + +The Natural Bridge has long been thought one of the great curiosities +of our country. It is in Virginia, and the county in which it is +situated is called Rockbridge County. + +The traveler is riding in a stage on a wild road in the mountains. The +road grows narrow. Soon it is a mere lane, with high board fences and +small trees on each side. But the traveler sees nothing to show him +that he is on the wonderful Natural Bridge. + +[Illustration: The Natural Bridge.] + +The bridge that he is driving over is about forty feet thick, and of +solid rock. If he should go to the other side of the board fence, he +could look down into a ravine more than two hundred feet deep. + +When the traveler goes down into the ravine, he looks up at the +beautiful curve of this great bridge of rock. The bridge is nearly one +hundred and seventy-five feet above his head. + +Many years ago, when the writer of this book was a boy, he stood in the +dark chasm underneath this bridge and looked up at the great bridge of +rock above. He took a stone, as all other visitors do, and tried to +throw it so as to hit the arch of the bridge above. But the stone +stopped before it got halfway up, and fell back, resounding on the +rocks below. Then he was told the old story, that nobody had ever +thrown to the arch except George Washington, who had thrown a silver +dollar clear to the center of the bridge. + +There were names scribbled all over the rocks. People are always trying +to write their own names in such strange places as this. Above all the +other names were two rows of mere scratches. If they had ever been +names, they were too much dimmed to be read by a person standing on the +rocks below. The lower of these two high names, the people said, was +the name of Washington. It was said that when he was a young man, he +climbed higher than any one else to scratch his name on the rock. And +the name above his, they said, was the name of a young man who had had +a strange adventure in trying to write his name above that of the +father of his country. + +The story of this young man's climbing up the rocks used to appear in +the old schoolbooks. It was told with so many romantic additions, that +it was hard to believe. + +The writer afterwards learned that the main fact of the story was true, +and, that the hero of the story was still living in Virginia. + +This foolhardy boy, whose name was Pepper, climbed up the rock to write +his name above the rest. Pepper climbed up by holding to little broken +places in the rocks till he had got above the names of all the other +climbers. He ventured to climb till he had passed the marks which +people say are part of Washington's name. Here Pepper held fast with +one hand, while he scratched his name in the rock. + +His companions were far below him. He could not get down again. The +rock face was too smooth. He could not stoop to put his hands down into +the cracks where his feet were. If he had tried to, he would have lost +his hold, and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. + +There was nothing to do now but to climb out from under the bridge, and +so up the face of the rock to the top of the gorge. He must do this or +die. + +Painfully clinging to the rock with his toes and his fingers, he worked +his way up. Sometimes a crevice in the rock helped him. Sometimes he +had to dig a place with his knife in order to get a hold. It seemed +that each step would be his last. + +The few people living in the neighborhood heard of his situation, and +gathered below and above to look at him. They watched him with +breathless anxiety. His friends expected to see him dashed to pieces at +any moment. + +As the time wore on, he worked his way up. He also got farther out from +under the bridge. He held on like a cat. He hooked his fingers into +every crack he could find. He dug holes with his dull knife. When he +could find a little bush in the rocks, he thought himself lucky. + +Men let down ropes to him, but the ropes did not reach him. They tied +one rope to another so as to reach farther down, but he was too far +under the bridge. The people hardly dared to speak or to breathe. + +At last he began to get out at the side of the bridge where he could be +seen from above. His strength was almost gone. His knife was too much +worn to be of any use. He could not cling to the rock much longer. + +A rope with a noose in it was swung close to him. He let go his grip on +the rock, and threw his arms and body into the noose. In a moment he +swung clear of the rock, and dangled in the air. The rope drew tight +about his body and held him. Young Pepper knew no more. He was drawn up +over the rocks to the summit quite unconscious. + +Years afterward he became a man of distinction in his State. But when +any of his friends asked Colonel Pepper about his climbing out from +under the Natural Bridge, he would say, "Yes; I did that when I was a +foolish boy, but I don't like to think about it." + + + + +A FOOT RACE FOR LIFE. + + +In 1803 that part of our country which lies west of the Mississippi was +almost unknown to the white men. In that year the President sent +Captain Lewis and Captain Clark to see what the country was like. They +went up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains. Then they +went down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. It took them more +than two years to make the trip there and back. + +Lewis and Clark had about forty-five men with them. One of these men +was named Colter. In the very heart of the wild country he left the +party, and set up as a trapper. A trapper is a man who catches animals +in traps in order to get their skins to sell. The Blackfoot Indians +made Colter a prisoner. Colter knew a little of their language. He +heard them talking of how they should kill their prisoner. They thought +it would be fun to set him up and shoot at him with their arrows until +he was dead. At this time the Indians on the western plains had no +guns. But the Indian chief thought he knew a better way. He laid hold +of Colter's shoulder, and said,-- + +"Can you run fast?" + +Colter could run very swiftly, but he pretended to the chief that he +was a bad runner. So they took him out on the prairie about four +hundred yards away from the Indians. There he was turned loose, and +told to run. + +The whole band of Indians ran after him, yelling like wild beasts. +Colter did not look back. He had to run through thorns that hurt his +bare feet. But he was running for his life. Six miles away there was a +river. If he could get to that, he might escape. + +He almost flew over the ground. At first he did not turn his head +round. When he had run about three miles, he glanced back. Most of the +Indians had lost ground. The best runners were ahead of the others. One +Indian, swifter than all the rest, was only about a hundred yards +behind him. This man had a spear in his hand to kill Colter as soon as +he should be near enough. + +[Illustration] + +Poor Colter now ran harder than ever to get away from this Indian. At +last he was only about a mile from the river. He looked back, and saw +the swift Indian only twenty yards away, with his spear ready to throw. + +It was of no use for Colter to keep on running. He turned round and +faced the swift runner, who was about to throw his spear. Colter spread +his arms wide, and stood still. + +The Indian was surprised at this. He tried to stop running, so as to +kill the white man with his spear. But he had already run himself +nearly to death, and, when he tried to stop quickly, he lost his +balance, and fell forward to the ground. His lance stuck in the earth, +and broke in two. + +Colter quickly pulled the pointed end of the spear out of the ground +and killed the fallen Indian. Then he turned and ran on toward the +river. + +The other Indians were coming swiftly behind; but, as they passed the +place where the first one lay dead, each of them stopped a moment to +howl over him, after their custom. This gave Colter a little more time. +He reached a patch of woods near the river. He ran through this to the +river, and jumped in He swam toward a little island. + +Logs and brush had floated down the river, and lodged across the +island. This driftwood had formed a great raft. Colter dived under this +raft. He swam to a place where he could push his head up to get air, +and still be hidden by the brush. + +The Indians were already yelling on the bank of the river. A moment +later they were swimming toward the island. When they reached the drift +pile, they ran this way and that. They looked into all the cracks and +tried to find the white man. They ran right over his hiding place. +Colter thought they would surely find him. + +But after a long time they went away. Colter thought they would set +fire to the raft of driftwood, but they did not think of that. Perhaps +they thought that Colter had been drowned. + +He lay still under the raft till night came. Then he swam down the +stream a long distance, left the stream, and went far out on the +prairie. Here he felt himself safe from his enemies. + +But he had no clothes and no food. He had no gun to shoot animals with. +It was several days' journey to the nearest place where there were +white men, at a trading house. + +Colter had nothing to eat but roots. The sun burned his skin in the +daytime. He shivered without a covering at night. The thorns hurt his +feet when he walked, but he found his way to the trading house at last. + +He used to tell of wonderful things that he saw while traveling to the +trading house after he got away from the Indians. He saw springs that +were boiling hot and steaming. He saw fountains that would sometimes +spout hot water into the air for hundreds of feet. + +These and many other wonderful things that he saw at this time he used +to tell about. But nobody believed his stories. Nobody had ever seen +anything of the kind in this country. When Colter would tell of these +things, those who heard him thought that he was making up stories, or +that he had been out of his head while traveling and had thought he saw +such wonders. + +But after many long years the wonderful place which we call Yellowstone +Park was found, and in it were boiling and spouting springs. People +knew then that Colter had been telling the truth, and that he had +traveled through the Yellowstone country. + +[Illustration: A Geyser.] + + + + +LORETTO AND HIS WIFE. + + +In old times white men had not made settlements in the country near the +Rocky Mountains. Tribes of Indians fought one another over that whole +region. A few bold white men, fond of wild life, lived there, in order +to hunt and trap the animals that bear furs. But they themselves were +always in danger of being hunted by the Indians. + +The Indians called Blackfeet and those called Crows were at war; They +stole each other's horses at every chance, and the Indians of each +tribe were always seeking to kill those of the other. + +In one of their attacks on the Blackfeet, the Crows carried off an +Indian girl. One of the bold trappers of the Rocky Mountains was a +Mexican. His name was Loretto. He visited a Crow village once, and saw +this girl. He fell in love with the captive, and bought her from the +Crows. Whether he paid for her in horses or in beaver skins, I do not +know. But from a slave of the enemies of her tribe she was changed to +the wife of a white man who loved her. + +Loretto was hired to trap for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. This +company bought furs from the Indians of the Far West. They sent large +parties to the mountains every year with guns, knives, hatchets, +blankets, and other things, which they traded to the Indians for skins. + +Loretto was marching over the plains with a party of trappers belonging +to this company. He had his young Blackfoot wife and his baby with him. +The white men were much afraid of the Blackfoot Indians. The company +that Loretto was with examined every ravine that they passed, for fear +that the Indians would surprise them. + +One day a band of the Blackfoot tribe appeared on the prairie, but they +kept near some rocks to which they could easily retire. They made signs +of friendship. The trappers also made friendly signs. Then the +Blackfeet sent out a party with a pipe of peace. The white men sent out +a party to meet them. They smoked the pipe in the open ground between +the two companies. This is the Indian way of making peace. + +Of course, Loretto's wife was much interested in the Blackfeet. They +were her own people. It had been a long time since she had seen one of +them. She looked closely at the company smoking together, and saw that +one of them was her brother. She handed the child to Loretto. Then she +rushed out to the place where the treaty was going on, and her brother +threw his arms about her with the greatest affection. + +[Illustration] + +But just at that moment, Bridger, the captain of the white men, rode +out where the pipe was being smoked. He had his rifle across the pommel +of his saddle. The chief of the Blackfeet came up to shake hands with +him. Bridger was afraid the chief meant to hurt him, so he slyly cocked +his rifle. The chief heard the click, and seized the gun. He bent it +downwards, and the gun went off, shooting a bullet into the ground. The +chief took the gun and knocked Bridger off his horse with it. Then he +mounted Bridger's horse and galloped back to his Indians. Indians and +white men now got behind the rocks and trees which were not far away, +and began to shoot at each other. + +Loretto's wife was carried away by her tribe. In vain she struggled to +get free, and begged to be allowed to go back to her husband and child. +The Indians would not let her go. + +Loretto saw her struggles, and heard her cries. He took his child, and +ran to the Indians with it. He handed the child to its mother. The +Indian bullets and arrows were flying all about him. + +The chief saw him carry the child across the open ground, and his heart +was touched. It was a noble action. + +He said to Loretto, "You are crazy to go into such danger, but go back +in peace; you shall not be hurt." + +Loretto begged to be allowed to take his wife with him, but her brother +would not let her go, and the chief now began to look angry. + +"The girl belongs to her tribe," he said. "She shall not go back." + +Loretto wanted to stay with his wife, but she begged him to go back, +lest he should be killed on the spot. At last he left her, and went +back to the white men. + +Night came on, and the Indians drew off. Not much harm had been done to +anybody. + +Loretto could not be happy without his wife. A few months later, he +settled his accounts with the Fur Company and went away. He went boldly +into one of the villages of the savage Blackfeet. Here he found his +wife, and staid with her. + +When the white men made peace with the Blackfeet, they set up a trading +house among them. Loretto joined the traders. They were glad to have +him, because he could speak the language of the tribe. + + + + +A BLACKFOOT STORY. + + +Here is a story the Indians tell. It is one of the tales with which +they amuse themselves in long evenings. It may be true. At least, the +Indians tell it for true. + +An Indian chief of the tribe called Blackfoot, or Blackfeet, went over +the Rocky Mountains with a war party. He killed some of the enemies of +his tribe, and then started back. For fear their enemies would follow +their tracks, the party did not take the usual path. They went up over +the wildest part of the mountain. But when it came to going down on the +other side, the Indians had a hard time. + +They had to clamber over great rocks and down the sides of cliffs. +Drifts of snow blocked their way in places. At last they had to stop. +They stood on the edge of a cliff. Below this cliff was a ridge or +shelf of rock. By tying themselves together, and so helping one another +down, they got to this shelf. Below this they found still another +cliff. It was harder to get down to this. + +But when they had got down as far as this ledge, they were in a worse +plight than ever. They stood on the brink of a great cliff. The rocks +were too steep for them to get down. It was hundreds of feet to the +bottom. + +They tried to get back up the mountain, but that they could not do. +Then they sat down and looked over the brink of the cliff. There was no +chance for them to get down alive. They must stay there and starve. + +The Indians filled their pipes with kinnikinnick, or willow bark, and +smoked. Then they knocked the ashes out of their pipes, and lay down to +sleep. + +But the chief did not sleep. He could not think of any way of getting +out of the trouble. When morning came, they all went and looked over +the cliff once more. Then they smoked again. After sitting silent for +some time, the chief laid down his pipe quietly, got to his feet, and +went to painting his face as if he were getting ready for a feast. He +arranged his dress with the greatest care. Then he made a little +speech. + +"It is of no use to stay here and die," he said. "The Great Spirit is +not willing that we should get away. Let us die bravely." + +He added other remarks of the same kind. Then he sang his death song. +When this was finished, he gave a shout, and leaped over the cliff. + +When the chief had gone, the others sat down and smoked again in +silence. After a long time, a weather-beaten old Indian got up and +walked to the edge of the cliff. + +"See," he said, "there is the soul of our chief, waiting for us to go +with him to the land of spirits." + +The others looked over, and saw the form of a man far below, waving the +bough of a tree. + +The old warrior now threw off his blanket and sang his death song. Then +he leaped off. The others again looked over, and this time they saw two +forms beckoning to them from below. + +[Illustration] + +One after another the Indians jumped, until there were left but two +young men who were little more than boys. These two boys were nephews +of the chief. They had never been in a war party. + +The elder of the two showed his young brother the ghosts of the whole +party standing below. He told his brother he must jump off, but the +frightened boy begged to be allowed to stay and die on the bare rock. + +The elder seized him, and, after a struggle, pushed him over. Then he +quietly gathered up all the blankets and guns, and threw them off. He +thought the souls of his friends would need these things in their +journey to the land of spirits. + +When this was done, the young man sang his own death song and jumped +off. Falling swiftly as an arrow, feet downward, he struck a great snow +drift at the bottom. It received him like an immense feather bed. He +sank in so far that he had hard work to get out. When he had succeeded, +he found all of his party, not spirits, as he had expected, but living +men, safe and sound. The snow had saved them from injury. + + + + +HOW FREMONT CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS. + + +It is many years now since Captain Fremont made his great journey over +plains and mountains to California. At that time California belonged to +Mexico. The wild country east of it belonged to the United States. +There were hardly any roads and no railroads in the country west of the +Missouri River. Fremont was sent out to explore that country; that is, +he was sent to find out what kind of a country it was. The white people +knew very little about it. + +Fremont had a large party of men with many horses. After months of +travel he found himself near the great Californian mountains. These +mountains are called the Sierra Nevada, or "Snowy Range." + +Here some Indians came to see him. He had a talk with them by signs, +for he could not speak their language. They told him he could cross the +mountains in summer. They said it was "six sleeps" to the place where +the white men lived over the mountains. They meant that a man would +have to pass six nights on the road in going there. But it was now +winter, and they told him that no man could cross in the winter. They +held their hands above their heads to show him that the snow was deeper +than a man is tall. + +But Fremont told the Indians that the horses of the white men were +strong, and that he would go over the mountains. He showed them some +bright-colored cloths, which he said he would give to any Indian who +would go along as a guide. The Indians called in a young man who said +he had been over the mountains and had seen the white people on the +other side. He agreed to go with Fremont. Fremont now talked to his +men, and told them there was a beautiful valley on the other side of +the mountains,--the valley of the Sacramento. He told them that Captain +Sutter had moved to this valley from Missouri, and had become a rich +man. It was but seventy miles to Sutter's Fort. The men agreed to try +to cross the mountains. + +They had but little left to eat. They killed a dog and ate it that very +evening. They would not have much chance to get food in crossing the +mountains, but they started in bravely the next morning. They did not +talk much. They knew that it was very dangerous to cross the mountains +in February. + +For days and days they fought their way through the snow, which got +deeper and deeper as they went higher up into the mountains. Traveling +grew harder and harder. The horses had nothing to eat but what could be +found in little patches of grass where the wind had blown the snow off +the ground. Whenever a horse or mule grew too weak to travel, the men +killed it and ate it. + +One day an old Indian came to see them. He told them they must not go +on. He said, "Rock upon rock, rock upon rock, snow upon snow, snow upon +snow, and even if you get over the snow, you will not be able to get +down the mountain on the other side." + +He made signs to show them that the walls of rock were straight up and +down, and that the horses would slip oft. This frightened the Indians +in Fremont's company, and one Indian covered up his head and moaned +while the old man was talking. + +The young Indian guide was afraid to go on. He ran away the next day, +taking all the pretty things that Fremont had given him, and a blanket +that Fremont had lent him to keep warm. + +The men now made snowshoes, so that they could walk over the snow +without sinking in. Sleds were made to draw the baggage on, for the +horses were getting too weak to carry anything. They found the snow +twenty feet deep in some places. The men had to make great mauls or +pounders to beat down the snow, to make a hard road on which the +animals could travel. Fremont's men now grew very hungry, for they had +little to eat except when they killed a starving mule or a dog. + +At last the whole party reached the top of the mountains at a place +where they were nine thousand feet high. They had been three weeks in +getting to the top. They had yet the hard task of getting down on the +other side. But they could see the beautiful country of California +below them. They began to work their way down over the snow and rocks. + +After some days Fremont took a party of eight men, and went on to get +provisions for the rest. But for a long distance he found no grass, and +his animals began to give out. One of his men grew so hungry and tired +that he became insane for a while. Another got lost from the party, and +found them only after several days. He told the rest that he had +suffered so much from hunger that he ate small toads, and even let the +large ants creep upon his hands so that he could eat them. + +One day Fremont saw some Indian huts. The Indians ran away when they +saw the white men coming. Fremont found near these huts some great +baskets as big as hogsheads filled with acorns. Inside the huts he +found smaller baskets with roasted acorns in them. The men took about +half a bushel of these roasted acorns, and left a shirt, some +handkerchiefs, and some trinkets, to pay for them. + +At last they came to a place where there were paths, and tracks of +cattle. The horses, having found grass to eat, grew strong enough for +the men to ride them. One day Fremont found some Indians, one of whom +could speak Spanish. + +The Indian said, "I am a herdsman, and work for Captain Sutter." + +"Where does he live?" + +"Just over the hill. I will show you." + +In a short time Fremont and his white men were at the house of Sutter. +But Captain Fremont rested only one night. The next morning he started +back with food for his starving men, who were coming on behind. The +second day after he left Sutter's he met his men. + +They were a sad sight. They were all on foot. Each man was leading a +horse as weak and lean as he was himself. Many of the horses had fallen +off the rocks, and had been killed. Only half of the mules and horses +that had started over the mountains had lived to get across. As soon as +Fremont met his men, he told them to camp. He fed the poor starving +fellows beef and bread and fresh salmon. The next day they all reached +the beautiful Sacramento River, where the city of Sacramento now +stands. + + + + +FINDING GOLD IN CALIFORNIA. + + +California once belonged to Mexico. Then there was a war between this +country and Mexico. This is what we call the Mexican War. During that +war the United States took California away from Mexico. It is now one +of the richest and most beautiful States in the Union. In the old days, +when California belonged to Mexico, it was a quiet country. Nearly all +the white people spoke Spanish, which is the language of Mexico. They +lived mostly by raising cattle. In those days people did not know that +there was gold in California. A little gold had been found in the +southern part of the State, but nobody expected to find valuable gold +mines. A few people from the United States had settled in the country. +They also raised cattle. + +Some time after the United States had taken California, peace was made +with Mexico. California then became a part of our country. About the +time that this peace was made, something happened which made a great +excitement all over the country. It changed the history of our country, +and changed the business of the whole world. Here is the story of it:-- + +A man named Sutter had moved from Missouri to California. He built a +house which was called Sutter's Fort. It was where the city of +Sacramento now stands. Sutter had many horses and oxen, and he owned +thousands of acres of land. He traded with the Indians, and carried on +other kinds of business. + +But everything was done in the slow Mexican way. When he wanted boards, +he sent men to saw them out by hand. It took two men a whole day to saw +up a log so as to make a dozen boards. There was no sawmill in all +California. + +When Sutter wanted to grind flour or meal, this also was done in the +Mexican way. A large stone roller was run over a flat stone. But at +last Sutter thought he would have a grinding mill of the American sort. +To build this, he needed boards. He thought he would first build a +sawmill. Then he could get boards quickly for his grinding mill, and +have lumber to use for other things. + +Sutter sent a man named Marshall to build his sawmill. It was to be +built forty miles away from Sutter's Fort. The mill had to be where +there were trees to saw. + +Marshall was a very good carpenter, who could build almost anything. He +had some men working with him. After some months they got the mill +done. This mill was built to run by water. + +But when he started it, the mill did not run well. Marshall saw that he +must dig a ditch below the great water wheel, to carry off the water. +He hired wild Indians to dig the ditch. + +When the Indians had partly dug this ditch, Marshall went out one +January morning to look at it. The clear water was running through the +ditch. It had washed away the sand, leaving the pebbles bare. At the +bottom of the water Marshall saw something yellow. It looked like +brass. He put his hand down into the water and took up this bright, +yellow thing. It was about the size and shape of a small pea. Then he +looked, and found another pretty little yellow bead at the bottom of +the ditch. + +Marshall trembled all over. It might be gold. But he remembered that +there is another yellow substance that looks like gold. It is called +"fool's gold." He was afraid he had only found fool's gold. + +Marshall knew that if it was gold it would not break easily. He laid +one of the pieces on a stone; then he took another stone and hammered +it. It was soft, and did not break. If it had broken to pieces, +Marshall would have known that it was not gold. + +In a few days the men had dug up about three ounces of the yellow +stuff. They had no means of making sure it was gold. + +Then Marshall got on a horse and set out for Sutter's Fort, carrying +the yellow metal with him. He traveled as fast as the rough road would +let him. He rode up to Sutler's in the evening, all spattered with mud. + +He told Captain Sutter that he wished to see him alone. Marshall's eyes +looked wild, and Sutter was afraid that he was crazy. But he went to a +room with him. Then Marshall wanted the door locked. Sutter could not +think what was the matter with the man. + +[Illustration: Weighing the First Gold.] + +When he was sure that nobody else would come in, Marshall poured out in +a heap on the table the little yellow beads that he had brought. + +Sutter thought it was gold, but the men did not know how to tell +whether it was pure or not. At last they hunted up a book that told how +heavy gold is. Then they got a pair of scales and weighed the gold, +putting silver dollars in the other end of the scales for weights. Then +they held one end of the scales under water and weighed the gold. By +finding how much lighter it was in the water than out of the water, +they found that it was pure gold. + +All the men at the mill promised to keep the secret. They were all +digging up gold when not working in the mill. As soon as the mill +should be done, they were going to wash gold. + +But the secret could not be kept. A teamster who came to the mill was +told about it. He got a few grains of the precious gold. + +When the teamster got back to Sutter's Fort, he went to a store to buy +a bottle of whisky, but he had no money. The storekeeper would not sell +to him without money. The teamster then took out some grains of gold. +The storekeeper was surprised. He let the man have what he wanted. The +teamster would not tell where he got the gold. But after he had taken +two or three drinks of the whisky, he was not able to keep his secret. +He soon told all he knew about the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill. + +The news spread like fire in dry grass. Men rushed to the mill in the +mountains to find gold. Gold was also found at other places. Merchants +in the towns of California left their stores. Mechanics laid down their +tools, and farmers left their fields, to dig gold. Some got rich in a +few weeks. Others were not so lucky. + +Soon the news went across the continent. It traveled also to other +countries. More than one hundred thousand men went to California the +first year after gold was found, and still more poured in the next +year. Thousands of men went through the Indian country with wagons. Of +course, there were no railroads to the west in that day. + +Millions and millions of dollars' worth of gold was dug. In a short +time California became a rich State. Railroads were built across the +country. Ships sailed on the Pacific Ocean to carry on the trade of +this great State. Every nation of the earth had gold from California. + +And it all started from one little, round, yellow bead of gold, that +happened to lie shining at the bottom of a ditch, on a cold morning not +so very long ago. + + + + +DESCENDING THE GRAND CANYON. + + +The Colorado River is the strangest river in the United States. For +hundreds of miles it runs through channels in solid rocks. These +channels are often thousands of feet deep. In some places the rocks +rise straight up like walls. These walls are quite bare. There are no +trees and no grass on them. There is not even any moss to be seen. The +bare rocks are of many colors. When the sunlight strikes upon them, +they are as beautiful as flowers and as gorgeous as the clouds, we are +told. + +These deep cuts, through which the river runs, are called canyons. The +longest of them is called the Grand Canyon (see frontispiece). It is +about two hundred miles long. In some places it is more than a mile and +a quarter deep. The river runs at the bottom of this deep ravine. It +rushes over rapids, and plunges over falls. Sometimes there is a little +strip of rock like a shelf at the edge of the river. In many places the +walls of rock rise straight from the water, and there is no place where +a man can put his feet. + +Major Powell resolved to go through this canyon in boats. No boat had +ever gone down this deep, dark channel. Two men, running away from +Indians, had once gone into it on a raft. The raft was dashed over +rapids and waterfalls. The provisions of the men were washed overboard. +One of the men was drowned, and the other at last floated out at the +lower end of the canyon more dead than alive. + +Being a man of science, Major Powell wanted to find out about the Grand +Canyon. He knew that it would be a fearful journey. He and his men +might all be lost, but they made up their minds to try to go through. + +They did not know how long the canyon was. They had already passed +through the other canyons above, and had suffered many hardships. They +knew how wild and dangerous such places are, but whether they could +ever get through this great and awful gorge they did not know. But they +got into their boats, and started down the long passage. The sun shines +down into this narrow gorge only for a short time each day. Most of the +way the walls are too steep to climb. + +The boats shot swiftly down the river. Sometimes they ran over wild +rapids. The men had many narrow escapes. The boats bumped against the +rocks, and some of the oars were broken. New oars had to be made, and, +to do this, the men had to find logs that had drifted down the river. +Sometimes Major Powell and his men had to have pitch to stop the leaks +in their boats. To get this, they had to climb up thousands of feet of +rock to where some little pine trees grew. + +They could not see far ahead, because the river was not straight, and +the side walls of the narrow gorge shut out the view. Sometimes they +would hear a loud roaring of water ahead. Then they knew they were +coming to a waterfall. If there was any room to walk, they would carry +and drag their boat round the falls. If there was no shelf or shore on +which to carry the boats, they had to let them float down over the +falls, the men on the rocks above holding ropes tied to the boats. +Sometimes they could not even do this. Then they had to get into the +boats and plunge over the falls among the rocks. They had hard work to +keep off the rocks. + +More than once a boat got full of water. The men had to let the boat +run till they got to a wider place, where they could get the water out. + +Their flour was spoiled by getting wet. Their bacon became bad. Much of +their food was lost overboard. They usually slept out on the rocks by +the side of the river. Sometimes they slept in caves. Once they sat up +all night on a shelf of rock in a pouring rain. + +All day they had to work, to save their lives. At night they had to +sleep on cold rocks without blankets enough to keep them warm. The +great rock walls on either side of them made an awful prison. They +could not tell how far they had gone, nor did they know just how far +they had to go. + +At last the food ran short. The men were tired of musty flour. They had +lost their baking powder, and they had to make heavy bread. They +thought that even this bad food would give out before they could reach +the end of the canyon. + +But one day they came to a little patch of earth by the side of the +river. On this some corn was growing. The Indians living on the bare +rocks above had come down by some steep path to plant this little +cornfield. The corn was not yet large enough to eat. But among the corn +grew some green squashes. + +Major Powell's men were too near starving not to take anything they +could find to eat. They took some of the green squashes and put them +into their boats. Then they ran on down the canyon, out of the reach of +any Indians. Here they stewed some of the squashes, and ate them. + +When they had been fifteen days in this great canyon, they had but a +little flour and some dried apples left. They had now come to a place +where one could climb up out of the gorge. But they did not know how +far they were from the end. Three of the men here resolved to leave the +party. They did not believe that there was any hope of running out of +the canyon in the boats alive. They took their share of the food and +some guns, and bade the others good-by. They climbed up out of the +canyon, and were soon after killed by Indians. + +One of the boats was by this time nearly worn out by the rocks. As +there were not enough men left to manage three boats, this one was left +behind. Major Powell, with those of his men who were still with him, +went on down the awful river. The very next day they ran suddenly out +into an open space. They had at last got out of the Grand Canyon, which +had held them prisoners for sixteen days. + +They went on down the river, and the next day after this they found +some settlers drawing a seine or net to catch fish in the river. These +settlers had heard that Major Powell and his men were lost, and they +were keeping a lookout for any pieces of his boats that might float +down from above. Food of many kinds was sent from the nearest +settlement to feast the hungry men who had so bravely struggled through +the Grand Canyon. + + + + +THE-MAN-THAT-DRAWS-THE-HANDCART. + + +George Northrup was but a boy of fifteen when his father died. Having +nothing to keep him at home, he went to the Indian country, which at +that time was in Minnesota. He had a boyish notion that he could go +through to the Pacific Ocean by making his way from one tribe to +another. When he was eighteen years old, a few years before the Civil +War, he tried to make this journey. He loaded his provisions into a +handcart, and took a big dog along for company. For thirty-six days he +did not see anybody, or hear any voice but his own. Then he found paths +made by Indian war parties. He knew, that, if one of these parties +should find him, he would be killed. + +One morning he found all his food stolen from his handcart. Either +Indians or wolves had taken it. He now saw how foolish his boyish plan +had been. He turned back, and at last reached a trading post, almost +starved to death. For days he had had little to eat except such frogs +as he could catch. + +After this the Indians always called him +"The-man-that-draws-the-handcart." + +As he grew older, he became a famous trapper and guide. He knew all +about the habits of animals. He could shoot with a better aim than any +Indian or any other white man on the frontier. He often walked eighty +miles in a day across the prairie. He could manage the Indians as no +other man could. + +This strange young man lived among rough and wicked men. But he never +drank or swore, or did anything that anybody could have thought wrong. +He never even smoked, as other men about him did, but he lived his own +life in his own way. Everybody loved him for his gentleness. Everybody +admired him for his courage and manliness. All the spare money he got +he spent for good books. + +When winter time came, he would sometimes hire other trappers, who did +not know the country so well as he did, to work for him. He would go +away beyond the settlements and set up a camp. He would teach the other +men how to trap. When spring came, he would bring many furs into the +settlement. One winter he camped in the country of the Yankton Indians. +He had six men with him. The Yanktons were wild Indians, and Northrup +was in some danger. But he had a friend among the Indians, a chief +called by a good long name, Taw-ton-wash-tah. + +But all the Yanktons were not friendly to the white men. There was one +chief whose name was Old-man. He got together a party to go and rob +Northrup and drive him away. Taw-ton-wash-tah tried to keep these +Indians from going, but he could not do it. + +Northrup did not know that a party had been sent out against him. His +men went on with their trapping, while George went hunting to get food +for them. They had only a small bag of flour, and this they did not +eat. They kept the flour for a time that might come in which they could +not find any animals to kill for meat. + +One day George followed the tracks of an elk. He overtook it six miles +from his camp. He crept up to it and shot it. Then he loaded his gun, +so as to be ready for anything that might happen. While he was skinning +the elk, he looked up and saw the heads of Indians coming up over a +little hill. He quickly jumped into the bushes. He saw that there were +thirteen Indians in the party. He put his hand on his bullet pouch, and +knew by the feeling of it that there were fifteen bullets in the bag. +"Every bullet must bring down an Indian," he said to himself. + +One of the Indians called out in his own language, "Is +The-man-that-draws-the-handcart here?" + +George quickly replied in their language, "Stop! If any man comes one +step nearer, I will kill him. Tell me whether this is a war party or a +hunting party." + +One of the Indians stepped out in front and fired off both barrels of +his gun. This was a sign of friendship. + +Northrup did not think this offer of peace worth much; but, if he +refused it, he would have to fight against thirteen Indians. He could +only accept it by firing off both barrels of his gun. This would leave +him with his gun unloaded. + +But he slipped the cap off one barrel of his gun. Then he fired the +other barrel, and brought down the hammer of the one from which he had +taken the cap, so as to make it seem that that barrel of his gun was +empty. Then he slyly slipped the cap back on his gun, so as to have one +barrel ready for use. + +He went with the Indians to their camp, where he was a kind of +prisoner, but he managed to load the empty barrel of his gun by going +behind a tree where the Indians could not see him. + +He knew that the Indians would try to get to his camp before he did. As +his men did not know how to manage Indians, the Indians could steal +everything in the camp. If they should take his provisions, George and +his men might starve on the prairies, which were covered with snow. + +So George made up his mind that he must get to his camp before the +Indians, or lose his life in trying. + +He said to the chief, "Old-man, I am going home." + +He did not wait for an answer, but started along the trail leading to +his camp. He expected the Indians to shoot him, but they only fell into +line and marched behind him. + +George knew that if the Indians got into the camp with him, they would +find everything scattered about. Before he could get things together, +they would steal most of them. So he tried once more what he could do +by boldness. He turned and said to the chief, "My men are new men. They +do not know Indians. If you should go in with me, they might shoot. It +is better that I should go in first, and tell them that you come as +friends." + +Old-man said "Ho," which is the way that a Yankton has of saying "All +right." + +Northrup went into the camp, and gathered everything together in one +place, and told his men to keep watch over the things. The Indians +staid about the camp two days, trying to get a chance to rob the white +men, but Northrup kept his eye on them. Once he found one of his men +without a gun. + +"Where is your gun?" he said. + +"The Indians are sitting on it," said the man. "They will not give it +up." + +George found several Indians sitting on the gun. He took hold of the +gun and looked at the Indians. They all got up. It seemed that they +could not help doing what he wanted them to do. Northrup gave the gun +back to its owner, and told him not to let it go out of his hands +again. + +George had a fine double-barreled rifle. An English gentleman whose +guide he had been had sent him this gun from London. When he was in his +tent one day, he heard the Indians on the outside of it disputing who +should have his gun. He knew by this that they meant to kill him. + +George patted his rifle as though it had been an old friend, and said, +"Well, old gun, whoever gets you will have to be quick." After that his +hand was always on his gun, and his eye was always on the Indians. + +He asked his men where the sack of flour was. + +"Old-man has it," said one of his men. + +To let the chief keep the flour was to run the risk of starving, but +Northrup knew that if he took it away there might be a battle. He +stepped up to the chief and took the bag of flour from his side and +started away without saying a word. + +[Illustration: "You shall go South!"] + +"Man-that-draws-the-handcart," said the chief angrily, "bring back my +flour." + +George stopped, and opened his coat. He pointed toward his heart and +said,-- + +"Old-man, if you want to kill me, shoot me, but you shall not take away +my flour and leave me to starve." + +"Very well," said the chief sternly, "then, +Man-that-draws-the-handcart, you shall go south." + +In the language of these Indians, to go south means to die. They think +the soul journeys to the southward after death. Old-man meant to say +that Northrup should die. + +"Very well," said George, looking the Indian in the eye, "I will go +south, then; but if I go south, you shall go with me, and just as many +more as I can take. Remember, Old-man, you must go south if I do." + +Old-man knew Northrup very well. He knew that if anybody tried to kill +him, George's sure aim would be taken at Old-man first of all. George +had also told all of his men to shoot the chief if there should be any +trouble. + +After lingering for two days, the Indians stole a bag of chopped +buffalo meat, or pemmican, and an old gun. With these they went off, +and George hurried away to a better camping place, where they could not +find him again. + + + + +THE LAZY, LUCKY INDIAN. + + +Out in the country we now call North Dakota there once lived an Indian +known as "Lazy-man." When he was young, he had been lazy about hunting. +When the other Indians had skins to sell, the lazy Indian had nothing. +He grew poor. His blanket was ragged. His leggings were worn out. His +wigwam was so wretched that all the tribe laughed at its tumble-down +look. + +Every winter the tribe went off to the great plains to hunt buffalo. +They took their little ponies along, to carry home what they got. They +brought back the skins of the buffaloes and buffalo meat dried over a +fire. They also brought back pemmican, which is made by chopping +buffalo meat very fine, and mixing it with the tallow from the animal. +Lazy-man was ashamed to go on the hunt. He had no ponies to carry the +meat and the skins he might get. + +One winter, when the tribe went off on its regular hunt, Lazy-man and +his wife staid behind as usual. They sat lonesome in their teepee, as a +wigwam is called in their language. The weather grew colder. It was +hard to find anything to eat. The lake near them was frozen, so that +they could not fish. There were not many animals living in the country +about. The lazy Indian and his wife were nearly starved. + +[Illustration: Buffaloes.] + +The buffaloes had never come down to this lake shore. But one day the +lazy Indian looked out and saw a herd of them coming. They were running +out on the point of land where his teepee stood. He knew that when they +got to the ice on the lake they would turn back. + +"Quick, quick!" he called to his wife. The two ran right into the midst +of the herd. It was a dangerous thing to do, but they were so hungry +and miserable that they did not mind the danger. By running into the +herd they separated the buffaloes out on the point from the rest. + +When the buffaloes on the point came to the ice, they paused and turned +back. They were soon running in the other direction, but the lazy +Indian and his wife faced the animals as they came. They waved their +ragged blankets at the buffaloes. They shouted in Indian fashion, +"Yow-wow, yow-wow, yow-wow!" They ran to and fro, waving and shouting. + +Once more the buffaloes stopped and looked. Lazy-man and his wife now +ran at them, throwing their blankets in the air, and yelling more +wildly than ever. The scared buffaloes turned about again. They were so +badly frightened this time that they ran out on the ice on the lake. + +The ice was as smooth as glass. The buffaloes could not stand up on it. +One after another they slipped and fell. The lazy Indian was not lazy +that day. He saw a chance to get out of his poverty. He ran about on +the ice, killing the buffaloes. + +For many days he and his squaw worked. They skinned the buffaloes, and +dried the skins. They prepared the stomachs of the buffaloes, and +stuffed them with the chopped meat, making it look like great sausages +as big as pillows. They put a few cranberries in with the meat to give +the pemmican a good taste. Then they poured the smoking fat of the +buffalo into this great sausage. The fat filled up the small spaces. +When it got cold, the pemmican sack was almost as hard as a stone. It +could be cut only by chopping it with a tomahawk. + +At last spring came, and the tribe came home from the hunt. You may +suppose that Lazy-man was proud that day. Instead of being the poor +beggar whom everybody laughed at, he was now one of the rich men in the +tribe. He had more buffalo robes and more pemmican than any other man +in the village. He exchanged his buffalo robes for ponies. After that +he always went on the hunt, and lived like the other Indians. He did +not wish to sink into laziness and poverty again. + + + + +PETER PETERSEN. + +A STORY OF THE MINNESOTA INDIAN WAR. + + +Peter Petersen was a very little boy living in Minnesota. He lived on +the very edge of the Indian country when the Indian War of 1862 broke +out. + +Settlers were killed in their cabins before they knew that a war had +begun. As the news spread, the people left their houses, and hurried +into the large towns. Some of them saw their houses burning before they +got out of sight. The roads were crowded with ox wagons full of women +and children. + +Peter Petersen's father was a Norwegian settler. When the news of the +Indian attack came, Peter's father hitched up his oxen, and put his +wife and daughters and little Peter into the wagon. They drove the oxen +hard, and got to Mankato in safety. + +The town was crowded with frightened people. Many were living in +woodsheds and barns. In their hurry, these country people had not +brought food enough with them. Before long they began to suffer hunger. + +Peter Petersen's father thought of the potato field he had at home. If +he could only go back to his house long enough to dig his potatoes, his +family would have enough to eat. + +When he made up his mind to go, Peter wanted to go along with him. As +there were now soldiers within a mile of his farm, Peter's father +thought the Indians would not be so bold as to come there. So he and +Peter went back to the little house. + +The next morning Peter's father went out to dig potatoes. Peter, who +was but five years old, was asleep in his bed. He was awakened by the +yells of Indians. He ran to the door just in time to see his father +shot with an arrow. + +Little Peter ran like a frightened rabbit to the nearest bushes. The +Indians chased him and caught him. They were amused to see him run, and +they thought he would be a funny little plaything to have. So they just +set him up on the back of a cow, and drove the cow ahead of them. They +laughed to see Peter trying to keep his seat on the cow's back. + +[Illustration.] + +The little boy lived among the Indians for weeks. They did not give him +anything to eat. When he came into their tents to get food, they would +knock him down. But he would pick up something to eat at last, and then +run away. When he could not get any food, he would go out among the +cows the Indians had taken from the white people. Little as he was, he +would manage to milk one of the cows. He had no other cup to catch the +milk in but his mouth. Whenever any of the Indians threatened to kill +him, he would run away and dodge about between the legs of the cows or +among the horses, so as to get out of their way. Sometimes he was so +much afraid that he slept out in the grass, in the dew or rain. + +After some weeks, Peter and the other captives were retaken by the +white soldiers sent to fight the Indians. But the poor little boy could +speak no language but Norwegian. He could not tell whose child he was, +nor where he came from. His mother and sisters had left the dangerous +country near the Indians. They had gone to Winona, a hundred and fifty +miles away. One of his sisters heard somebody read in the paper that +such a little boy had been taken from the Indians. The kind-hearted +doctor in whose house she lived tried to find the boy, but nobody could +tell what had become of little Peter. His family at last gave up all +hope of seeing him again. + +When Peter was taken by the soldiers, he had worn out all his clothes +in traveling through the prairie grass. He had nothing on him but part +of a shirt. The soldiers took an old suit of uniform and made him some +clothes. He was soon dressed from top to toe in army blue. + +He was as much of a plaything for the soldiers as he had been for the +Indians. They laughed at his pranks, as they might have done if he had +been a monkey. He passed from one squad of soldiers to another. They +fed him on hard-tack, and shared their blankets with him. He was the +pet and plaything of them all. But after a while the Indians were +driven away from the settlements, and the soldiers were ordered to the +South, for it was in the time of the Civil War. + +The regiment that Peter happened to be with got on a steamboat, and +Peter went aboard with them. The soldiers knew that if Peter should be +taken to the South, he would be farther than ever away from his +friends. So the soldiers made up their minds to put him ashore at +Winona. It was the last place at which he would find Norwegian people. +To put such a little fellow ashore in a large and busy place like this +was a hard thing to do. Peter was hardly more than a baby, and he could +not speak English. He stood about as much chance of starving to death +here as he had in the Indian camp. + +When the boat landed at Winona, the soldiers gave some money to one of +the hotel porters, and told him to give the child something to eat, and +send him out into the country where there were Norwegian people. But as +soon as Peter had eaten the dinner they gave him at the hotel, he +slipped away, and went back to the river. He expected to find his +friends, the soldiers, waiting for him; but the boat had gone. Peter +was now in a strange city, without friends. Not without friends, +either, for his sisters were in this same city. But he did not think +any more of getting to his mother or his sisters. He was only thinking +of the soldiers who had been so kind to him. + +When the next boat came down the river, Peter Petersen, in his little +blue uniform, marched aboard. He thought he might overtake the +soldiers, but the boatmen put him ashore again. He stood gazing after +the boat, not knowing what to do or where to go. + +There stood on the bank that day a Norwegian. He was a guest at the +Norwegian hotel in the town. He heard Peter say something in his own +language, and he thought the boy must be a son of the man who kept the +hotel. So he said to him in Norwegian, "Let's go home." + +It had been a long time since Peter had heard his own language spoken. +Nobody had said anything to him about home since he was taken away from +his father's cabin by the Indians. The words sounded sweet to him. He +followed the strange man. He did not know where he was going, except +that it was to some place called home. When he got to the hotel, he +went in and sat down. He did not know what else to do. + +Presently the landlady came in. Seeing a strange little boy in army +blue, she said, "Whose child are you?" + +Peter did not know whose child he was. Since the soldiers left him, he +didn't seem to be anybody's child. As he did not answer, the landlady +spoke to him rather sharply. + +"What do you want here, little boy?" she said. + +"A drink of water," said Peter. + +A little boy nearly always wants a drink of water. + +"Go through into the kitchen there, and get a drink," said the +landlady. + +Peter opened the door into the kitchen, and went through. In a moment +two arms were about him. Peter knew what home meant then. His sister, +Matilda, had recognized her lost brother Peter in the little soldier +boy. The next day he was put into a wagon and sent out to Rushford, +where his mother was living. The wanderings of the little captive were +over. + + + + +THE GREATEST OF TELESCOPE MAKERS. + + +Three great inventors in this country were portrait painters. Fulton, +the builder of steamboats, was one of them; Morse, who planned our +first electric telegraph, was another; and Alvan Clark, who found out a +way of making the largest and finest telescopes in the world, was +another. + +Alvan Clark was the son of a farmer. When he was eighteen years old, he +set to work to learn engraving and drawing. He had no teacher. After a +while he began to draw portraits. Once he sent to Boston to get some +brushes to paint with. When the brushes came, there was a piece of +newspaper wrapped round them. In this bit of newspaper was an +advertisement that engravers were wanted. He went to Boston, and found +regular work as an engraver. + +When he was not busy engraving, he was studying painting. After some +years he became a painter of portraits and miniatures. He lived at +Cambridgeport, near Boston. + +While Mr. Clark was living at Cambridgeport, his son was at a boarding +school. The young boy had become interested in telescopes. He learned +that there were two kinds of these instruments. One brought the stars +near by showing them in a curved mirror. The other magnified by means +of glasses that the light shone through. He had read that it was very +hard to grind these glasses or lenses, as they are called, so that they +would be correct. The telescope that used the mirror was not so good, +but it was easier to make. So George Clark made up his mind that he +would make a reflecting telescope; that is, one with a mirror in it. + +The mirror in such a telescope is made of polished metal. One day +somebody broke the dinner bell at the boarding school. George dark +picked up the pieces of brass and took them home. + +These pieces of brass he put into a retort. A retort is a vessel that +will bear great heat, and that is used for melting metals and other +substances. Young Clark put some tin into the retort with the brass. +When the two metals were melted together, he poured the liquid into a +mold. When it became cold, it was a round flat piece. Such a piece is +called a disc. + +Alvan Clark, the father, was a very ingenious man. He was a fine +marksman. One reason that he could shoot so well was that his eye was +so true. Another was that he made his own rifles, and made them better +than others. + +When Mr. Clark found his son trying to make a telescope out of the +pieces of a bell, he became interested in telescopes. He studied all +about them in order to help the boy with his work. He helped his son +grind the metal disc into a concave mirror; that is, a mirror that is a +little dish-shaped. With this they made a telescope with which they +could see the rings of Saturn, and the little moons that revolve round +Jupiter. + +After Mr. Clark had made this little telescope, he made larger +reflecting telescopes that were very powerful. But he found that no +telescope with a mirror in it could be very good. + +He now said to his son that they would make a refracting telescope; +that is, one in which no mirror is used, but which brings the distant +stars to the sight by the light shining through lenses. Lenses are +large glasses that are regularly thicker in one part than in another. +The glasses you see in spectacles are small lenses. + +George Clark, the son, told his father that the books said that the +grinding of such glasses was very difficult. Mr. Clark would not give +it up because it was hard. He liked to do hard things. He had already +spent a great part of his money trying to make good reflecting +telescopes; but he made up his mind to give them up, and try to make a +better kind. He first looked through the great telescope just put up +for Harvard College. The large lens in this telescope was not perfect, +and Mr. Clark's eye was so good that he could see what the small fault +was. When he heard that twelve thousand dollars had been paid for this +glass, he was encouraged to try to make such lenses. But there was +nobody in this country who could show him how to do it. + +He first got some poor lenses out of old telescopes. These he worked +over, and made them better. By this means he learned how to do it. Then +he got some discs of glass and made some new lenses. These were the +best ever made in this country. But he was not satisfied. He kept on +making better and larger lenses. With one of these he discovered two +double stars, as they are called. These had never been seen to be +double before. + +But nobody in America would believe that some of the best telescopes in +the world were made in this country, for even the English astronomers +had to get their telescopes in Germany. + +With one of his telescopes, larger than any he had made before, Mr. +Clark now made a new discovery. He wrote about this to an English +astronomer named Dawes. Mr. Dawes thought that a telescope that could +make such a discovery would be worth having, so he bought the large +lens out of this new telescope. Then he bought other glasses from Mr. +Clark, and sold them again to other astronomers. In this way Mr. Clark +became famous in England. + +[Illustration: Telescopic View of the Moon.] + +Mr. Clark had given up painting. He put his whole heart into making the +best telescopes in the world. He went to England and saw the great +astronomers, and looked through their telescopes. + +They were glad to see the man who made the best lenses in the world. +His telescopes had helped them to find out many new things never seen +before. By this time Mr. Clark was coming to be known in his own +country. He got an order to make the largest glass ever made for a +telescope in the whole world. This was to be put up in America. Nobody +had ever dreamed of making so large and powerful a telescope. + +After a long time the great glass for this telescope was ground. Mr. +Clark set it up to try it. His younger son, Alvan, who was helping him, +turned the telescope so as to look at the bright star Sirius. As soon +as he had looked, he cried out in surprise, "Why, father, the star has +a companion!" Sirius is a sun. It has a satellite, a dark star like our +world revolving round it. Nobody had ever been able to see this dark +star before. But this telescope was stronger than any that had ever +been pointed at the sky. + +Mr. Clark now looked through the tube himself. Sure enough, there was +the companion of Sirius, never seen before by anybody on the earth. The +large glass which had been a year in making had won its first victory. +But Mr. Clark made much larger glasses even than that one. He had +nobody to show him how. But by patient thought and hard work he had +made the greatest telescopes in the world. Medals and other honors were +sent to him from many countries. + + + + +ADVENTURES IN ALASKA. + + +[Illustration: Scene in Alaska.] + +The Copper River of Alaska flows from north to south into the ocean. +The Yukon River, which is farther north, runs from the east toward the +west. It was known that the waters of these two rivers must be near +together at the place from which they started in the mountains, but it +was not known whether anybody could pass from the valley of the Copper +River over the mountains into the valley of the Yukon. A scouting party +was sent to find out whether the crossing from one river to the other +could be made. This party returned, saying that it was impossible to +pass from the Copper River to the Yukon, because the mountains were too +high and steep. + +In 1885 General Miles sent Lieutenant Allen to try to find a pass from +the valley of the Copper River to that of the Yukon. Lieutenant Allen +was a very determined man. He set out with the resolution to find some +way of crossing the mountains, however much labor and suffering it +might cost. He took two soldiers, and had two other white men with him, +and he got Indians to go with him from place to place as he could. The +party started up the Copper River in March. From the first their +sufferings were very great. They had to travel day after day, and sleep +night after night, with their clothes wet to the skin. They soon found +that they could not take their canoe, on account of the ice. They had +to leave most of their provisions, because they could not carry them. +Some nights they sat up all night in the rain. + +But when they got to a country where it was not raining all the time, +they had a way of keeping dry at night. They had brought along sleeping +bags. These were made of waterproof linen. Each bag was a little longer +than a man. It had draw strings at the top. They put a folded blanket +inside, and then pushed the blanket down with their feet so that it +would wrap about them and keep them warm. Then they drew the strings +about the top. This kept the body dry. + +They suffered a great deal from hunger. There were very few animals in +the country where they were, and most of the Indians they found had but +little to eat. Lieutenant Allen's party were sometimes glad to pick up +scraps of decayed meat or broken bones about an Indian camp to make a +meal on. Much of the meat and fish they had to eat was badly spoiled. +They grew so weak that it was hard for them to climb up a hill, +carrying their guns and their food. They sometimes reeled like drunken +men when they walked. + +They would have perished from hunger if they had not had a man with +them who knew how to stop the rabbits when they were running. This man +could make a little cry just like a rabbit's cry. Whenever a rabbit +heard this sound, he would stop and look round for a moment. Then the +hunter would have a chance to shoot him. + +But these rabbits were so small and so lean that it took four or five +of them to make a meal for a man. At one place the party were so hungry +that an Indian who was with them fainted away. When they reached a +house soon after, where there lived a chief named Nicolai, they found a +five-gallon kettle full of meat boiling on the fire. They drank large +quantities of the broth, and ate about five pounds of meat apiece. Much +of this meat was pure tallow from the moose. They all fell asleep +immediately after eating. When they awaked, they were almost as hungry +as before. + +At last they reached the head waters of the Copper River. Here they +found the hungry Indians waiting for the salmon to come up from the +sea, as they do every year. As long as the salmon are in the river, the +Indians have plenty to eat. So they kept dipping their net, hoping to +catch some salmon. At last one little salmon was caught. It was a thin, +white-looking little fish. The Indians now knew that in two or three +days they would have plenty. They hung their little fish on a spruce +bough, and they kept visiting it, singing to it with delight. The white +men did not wait for the salmon to arrive. + +From this place they left the Copper River, and started to cross the +mountains. This was the pass through which it was said that nobody +could go. Lieutenant Allen and his men were obliged to carry provisions +with them. Part of the provisions they carried themselves: the rest +they packed on dogs. This is a way of carrying things used only in +Alaska. A pack is strapped on a dog's back just as though he were a +mule, and with this the little dog goes on a long journey through the +mountains. + +[Illustration: A Dog Pack Train.] + +The party started over the mountains in June. At this season of the +year in that country the sun shines almost all night, and it is never +dark. Lieutenant Allen's party traveled either by day or by night, as +they pleased, as there was always light enough. + +When they got to the foot of the last mountains they had to climb, they +found a little lake. Here they got some fish to eat, but the salmon had +not come yet. They hired some Indians to go with them, and divided the +weight of everything into packs. Every man carried a pack, and every +dog carried as much as he could bear. As they climbed the mountains, +they could look back over the beautiful valley of the Copper River. +Still hungry and nearly tired out, they pushed on until they camped by +a brook in the mountains. + +Here they found that the salmon had come up the Copper River from the +sea, and had run up this brook and overtaken them. The fish were +crowding up the brook to get to a little lake at the head of it, where +they would lay their eggs. In some places there was so little water in +the stream that the fish had to get over the shallow places by lying on +their sides. In doing this, some of them threw themselves out of the +water on the land. The hungry men could catch them easily, and they now +had all they wanted to eat. One of the party ate three large salmon, +heads and all, for his supper. As the sun shines almost all the time in +the Arctic regions, in the summer, the days become very hot. On the +last day of Lieutenant Allen's journey up the mountains the heat was so +great that the party did not start until five o'clock in the afternoon. +They reached the top of the mountains that divided the two rivers at +half-past one o'clock that night. Though it was what we should call the +middle of the night, it was not dark. + +The party were now nearly five thousand feet higher than the sea. At +half-past one in the morning the sun was just rising. It rose almost in +the north. Behind them the men could still see the valley of the Copper +River. Before them lay the valley of one of the branches of the Yukon, +with twenty beautiful lakes and a range of mountains in sight. White +and yellow buttercups were blooming about them, though the snow was +within a few feet. No white man had ever looked on this grand scene +before. The men forgot their hunger and their weariness. They had done +what hardly anybody thought could be done. + +A mile further on they stopped to build a fire, and here they cooked +the last bit of extract of beef that they had with them. It was the end +of all the provisions they had carried. Having gone to bed at two or +three o'clock in the morning, they did not start again until two in the +afternoon; for day and night were all one to them, except that the +light nights were cooler and pleasanter to travel in than the days. + +They were told by the Indians that by marching all that night they +could reach an Indian settlement, and, as they had no food, they +determined to do this. In this whole day's march they killed but one +little rabbit, which was all they had for nine starving men to eat. But +at three o'clock in the morning of the next day the tired and hungry +men dragged themselves into the little Indian village. Guns were fired +to welcome them. + +The fish were coming up the river. A kind of platform had been built +over the water. On this platform the Indians stood one at a time, and +dipped a net into the water for fish. All day and all night somebody +was dipping the net. + +The Indians had never seen a white man before. They were very much +amused to see white faces, and one of the white men who had red hair +was a wonder to them. + +Allen and his men got food here. Then they built a skin canoe, and +started down the river. After many more hardships and dangers, they +reached the ocean, and then took ship for California. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND +ADVENTURE*** + + +******* This file should be named 15597-8.txt or 15597-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Stories of American Life and Adventure</p> +<p>Author: Edward Eggleston</p> +<p>Release Date: April 9, 2005 [eBook #15597]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE***</p> +<br><br><h3 class="pg">E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton<br> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team</h3><br><br> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<br> +<br> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/01.jpg" alt="Grand Canyon." width="361" height="562"></p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Grand Canyon.</i> +</p> + + +<h1> +STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE +</h1> + + +<h4> +<i>By</i> +</h4> + +<h2> +EDWARD EGGLESTON +</h2> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Author of<br>"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans,"<br> +"A First Book in American History," and<br> +"A History of the United States and its People for the Use of Schools"</i> +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/02.jpg" alt="Decoration" width="154" height="162"></p> + +<h4> +American Book Company<br> +New York : Cincinnati : Chicago +</h4> + + +<h4> +1895 and 1923</h4> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> + +<hr class="med"> +<h3> +PREFACE. +</h3> + + +<p> +This book is intended to serve three main purposes. +</p> + +<p> +One of these is to make school reading pleasant by supplying matter +simple and direct in style, and sufficiently interesting and exciting +to hold the reader's attention in a state of constant wakefulness; +that is, to keep the mind in the condition in which instruction can be +received with the greatest advantage. +</p> + +<p> +A second object is to cultivate an interest in narratives of fact by +selecting chiefly incidents full of action, such as are attractive to +the minds of boys and girls whose pulses are yet quick with youthful +life. The early establishment of a preference for stories of this sort +is the most effective antidote to the prevalent vice of reading +inferior fiction for mere stimulation. +</p> + +<p> +But the principal aim of this book is to make the reader acquainted +with American life and manners in other times. The history of life +has come to be esteemed of capital importance, but it finds, as yet, +small place in school instruction. The stories and sketches in this +book relate mainly to earlier times and to conditions very different +from those of our own day. They will help the pupil to apprehend the +life and spirit of our forefathers. Many of them are such as make +him acquainted with that adventurous pioneer life, which thus far has +been the largest element in our social history, and which has given +to the national character the traits of quick-wittedness, humor, +self-reliance, love of liberty, and democratic feeling. These traits +in combination distinguish us from other peoples. +</p> + +<p> +Stories such as these here told of Indian life, of frontier peril and +escape, of adventures with the pirates and kidnappers of colonial +times, of daring Revolutionary feats, of dangerous whaling voyages, of +scientific exploration, and of personal encounters with savages and +wild beasts, have become the characteristic folklore of America. Books +of history rarely know them, but they are history of the highest +kind,—the quintessence of an age that has passed, or that is swiftly +passing away, forever. With them are here intermingled sketches of the +homes, the food and drink, the dress and manners, the schools and +children's plays, of other times. The text-book of history is chiefly +busy with the great events and the great personages of history: this +book seeks to make the young American acquainted with the daily life +and character of his forefathers. In connection with the author's +"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans," it is intended to +form an introduction to the study of our national history. +</p> + +<p> +It has been thought desirable to make the readings in this book cover +in a general way the whole of our vast country. The North and the +South, the Atlantic seaboard, the Pacific slope, and the great +interior basin of the continent, are alike represented in these pages. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<h3> +CONTENTS. +</h3> + +<ul class="TOC"> +<li><a href="#WhiteBoy"> +A White Boy among the Indians +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Canoe"> +The Making of a Canoe +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Corn"> +Some Things about Indian Corn +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Women"> +Some Women in the Indian Wars +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Tea"> +The Coming of Tea and Coffee +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Kidnapped"> +Kidnapped Boys +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Blackbeard"> +The Last Battle of Blackbeard +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Phildelphia"> +An Old Philadelphia School +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Dutch"> +A Dutch Family in the Revolution +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#LongAgo"> +A School of Long Ago +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#WhaleStories"> +Stories of Whaling +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#WhaleSong"> +A Whaling Song +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Escape"> +A Strange Escape +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Bear"> +Grandmother Bear +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Turtle"> +The Great Turtle +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Rattlesnake"> +The Rattlesnake God +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Witchcraft"> +Witchcraft in Louisiana +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Niagara"> +A Story of Niagara +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Alligators"> +Among the Alligators +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Jasper"> +Jasper +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Marions"> +Song of Marion's Men +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#BraveGirl"> +A Brave Girl +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Prisoner"> +A Prisoner among the Indians +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Hungry"> +Hungry Times in the Woods +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Scouwa"> +Scouwa becomes a White Man again +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Baby"> +A Baby Lost in the Woods +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Zane"> +Elizabeth Zane +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Pirates"> +The River Pirates +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Telegraphs"> +Old-fashioned Telegraphs +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Foolish"> +A Boy's Foolish Adventure +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Race"> +A Foot Race for Life +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Loretto"> +Loretto and his Wife +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Blackfoot"> +A Blackfoot Story +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Fremont"> +How Fremont crossed the Mountains +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Gold"> +Finding Gold in California +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Grand"> +Descending the Grand Canyon +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Handcart"> +The-Man-that-draws-the-Handcart +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Lazy"> +The Lazy, Lucky Indian +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Peter"> +Peter Petersen +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Telescope"> +The Greatest of Telescope Makers +</a></li> + +<li><a href="#Alaska"> +Adventures in Alaska +</a></li></ul> + +<hr class="long"> + + +<p class="ctr"><big><b>STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE.</b></big> +</p> + +<p> </p> +<a name="WhiteBoy"></a> +<p class="chapter"> +A WHITE BOY AMONG THE INDIANS. +</p> + + +<p> +Among the people that came to Virginia in 1609, two years after the +colony was planted, was a boy named Henry Spelman. He was the son of a +well-known man. He had been a bad and troublesome boy in England, and +his family sent him to Virginia, thinking that he might be better in +the new country. At least his friends thought he would not trouble +them so much when he was so far away. +</p> + +<p> +Many hundreds of people came at the same time that Henry Spelman did. +Captain John Smith was then governor of the little colony. He was +puzzled to know how to feed all these people. As many of them were +troublesome, he was still more puzzled to know how to govern them. +</p> + +<p> +In order not to have so many to feed, he sent some of them to live +among the Indians here and there. A chief called Little Powhatan asked +Smith to send some of his men to live with him. The Indians wanted to +get the white men to live among them, so as to learn to make the +things that the white men had. Captain Smith agreed to give the boy +Henry Spelman to Little Powhatan, if the chief would give him a place +to plant a new settlement. +</p> + +<p> +Spelman staid awhile with the chief, and then he went back to the +English at Jamestown. +</p> + +<p> +But when he came to Jamestown he was sorry that he had not staid among +the Indians. Captain John Smith had gone home to England. George Percy +was now governor of the English. They had very little food to eat, and +Spelman began to be afraid that he might starve to death with the rest +of them. Powhatan—not Little Powhatan, but the great Powhatan, who +was chief over all the other chiefs in the neighborhood—sent a white +man who was living with him to carry some deer meat to Jamestown. When +it came time for this white man to go back, he asked that some of his +countrymen might go to the Indian country with him. The governor sent +Spelman, who was glad enough to go to the Indians again, because they +had plenty of food to eat. +</p> + +<p> +Three weeks after this, Powhatan sent Henry Spelman back to Jamestown +to say to the English, that if they would come to his country, and +bring him some copper, he would give them some corn for it. The +Indians at this time had no iron, and what little copper they had they +bought from other Indians, who probably got it from the copper mines +far away on Lake Superior. +</p> + +<p> +The English greatly needed corn, so they took a boat and went up to +the Indian country with copper, in order to buy corn. They quarreled +with the Indians about the measurement of the corn. The Indians hid +themselves near the water, and, while the white men were carrying the +corn on their vessel, the Indians killed some of them. About this +time, seeing that the white men were so hungry, the Indians began to +hope that they would be able to drive them all out of the country. +</p> + +<p> +Powhatan saved Spelman from being killed by the Indians; but, now that +the Indians were at war with the white men, who were shut up in +Jamestown without food, they wished to kill all the white people in +the country. +</p> + +<p> +Spelman and a Dutchman, who also lived with Powhatan, began to be +afraid that he would not protect them any longer. So, when a chief of +the Potomac Indians visited Powhatan, and asked the Dutchman and the +boy to go to his country, they left Powhatan and went back with them. +Powhatan sent messengers after them, who killed the Dutchman. Henry +Spelman ran away into the woods. Powhatan's men followed him, but the +Potomacs got hold of Powhatan's men, and held them back until Spelman +could get away. The boy managed at last to get to the country of the +Potomac Indians. +</p> + +<p> +It was very lucky for Spelman that he was among the Indians at this +time. Nearly all the white people in Jamestown were killed, or died of +hunger. Spelman lived among the Indians for years. During this time +more people came from England, and settled at Jamestown. A ship from +Jamestown came up into the Potomac River to trade. The captain of the +ship bought Spelman from the Indians. He was now a young man, and, as +he could speak both the Indian language and the English, he was very +useful in carrying on trade between the white men and the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +At the time that Henry Spelman first went among the Indians, they had +no iron tools except a very few that they had bought of the white +people. They had no guns, nor knives, nor hatchets. They had no hoes +nor axes. They made their tools out of hard wood, shells, stones, deer +horns, and other such things. They had not yet bought blankets from +the white men, but made their clothes mostly out of the skins of +animals. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians could not learn much about the white man's arts from +Spelman, because he did not know much. Besides, he had no iron of +which to make tools. He learned to make arrows of cane such as we use +for fishing rods. He also learned to point his arrows with the spur of +a wild turkey, or a piece of stone. These arrow points he stuck into +the arrow with a kind of glue. But he first had to learn how to make +his glue out of deers' horns. Before he could make any of the tools, +he had to make himself a knife, as the Indians did. Having no iron, +the blade of his knife was made out of a beaver's tooth, which is very +sharp, and will cut wood. He set this tooth in the end of a stick. You +see how hard it was for an Indian to get tools. He had to learn to +make one tool in order to use that in making another tool. +</p> + +<p> +One of the principal things that an Indian had to do was to make a +canoe; for, as the Indians had no horses, they could travel only by +water, unless they went afoot. Canoes were the only boats they had. +They had to make canoes without any of the tools that white men use. +Let us explain this by a story about Henry and an Indian boy. The +things in the story may not have happened just as they are told, but +the account of how things are made by the Indians is all true. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Canoe"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE MAKING OF A CANOE. +</p> + + +<p> +Henry had a young Indian friend whose name was Keketaw. One day +Keketaw said to him, "Let us go into the woods and make a canoe." +</p> + +<p> +"If we had an ax to cut down the trees," said the white boy, "or an +adz, such as they have at Jamestown, or if we could get a hatchet, we +might make a canoe; but we have not even a little knife." +</p> + +<p> +"We will make a canoe in the Indian way," said Keketaw. "I will show +you how. Let us get ready." +</p> + +<p> +"What shall we do to get ready?" asked Henry. +</p> + +<p> +"We must take our bows, and we must make many arrows, so as to get +something to eat, and we must have fishing lines," said Keketaw, "or +we shall not be able to live in the woods." +</p> + +<p> +For some days the two boys were getting ready. It took them a long +time to scrape a piece of bone into a fishhook by means of a beaver's +tooth set in a stick, but they made three of these hooks. They made +some more hooks not so good as these by tying a splinter of bone to a +little stick. Keketaw's mother made fishing lines for them. She took +the long leaves of the plant which we call Spanish bayonet, and +separated these threads into a hard cord, rubbing them between her +hand and her knee. +</p> + +<p> +"We must have swords," said Keketaw. +</p> + +<p> +"We can cut our meat with this," said Henry, pointing to a knife made +of cane, such as the Indians called a pamesack. +</p> + +<p> +"But the Monacans may come," said Keketaw. "If we should see one +sticking up his head, I should want a sword to fight him with; and if +we should kill him, we could cut off his scalp with it;" and Keketaw's +eyes glistened a little at the thought of fetching home a Monacan's +scalp. +</p> + +<p> +The Monacans were fierce Indians of a tribe living in the country west +of the Powhatan Indians. They were deadly enemies of Keketaw's tribe. +</p> + +<p> +The two boys, by much slow work with stones and shells and +beaver-tooth chisels, managed to scrape a wooden sword into shape. +This, Henry was to wear at his back. Keketaw, for his part, found a +piece of deer's horn. He stuck it into a stick so that it made +something like a small pickax. With this he said he could quickly +break the head of a Monacan. It would also serve as a sort of hatchet. +</p> + +<p> +The land round the village in which Keketaw lived had been cleared of +trees. This had been done by burning the trees in order to make room +for fields. In these fields the Indians planted corn, beans, pumpkins, +and tobacco, and a plant something like a sunflower, which is called +an artichoke. Of the root of this artichoke they made a kind of bread. +</p> + +<p> +For many miles there were no good canoe trees near the water. They had +all been picked out and used. Henry and Keketaw traveled twenty miles +into a deep woods, and chose a tree that would make a good canoe, and +that stood near a stream which ran into the James River. +</p> + +<p> +The first thing they did was to break down young trees and boughs, and +build themselves a brush tent. They made a bed out of dry leaves. The +first night they had nothing to eat, for they had no time to shoot any +game. The next morning they were too hungry to sleep late, and they +knew that squirrels are early risers. Soon after daylight the Indian +boy killed a squirrel with an arrow. Having no fire, they ate it +without cooking; for, when one is a savage, one must not be too nice. +</p> + +<p> +How should they get a fire? They first took a piece of dry wood, which +they scraped flat with stones. Then, with a blow of his tomahawk of +deer's horn, Keketaw made a round hole in the wood. One end of a dry +stick was placed in this hole. The other end was supported in the +hollow of a shell which Keketaw held in his hand. +</p> + +<p> +The string to Henry's bow was made of one of the cords or sinews of a +deer's leg. He wound this once round the stick. With his left hand, +Keketaw then put some dry moss about the stick where it entered the +hole in the dry wood. +</p> + +<p> +When all was ready, Henry drew his bow to and fro like a saw. Keketaw +pressed the shell down on the upper part of the stick. The bow-string +holding the stick made it whirl in the hole beneath. At first this +seemed to produce no effect. After a while the rapid rubbing of the +piece of wood in the hole made heat. Presently a very thin thread of +smoke began to come up through the little heap of moss about the +stick. Henry was now pretty well out of breath, but he sawed the bow +faster than ever. At last the moss began to smolder and to show fire. +</p> + +<p> +Keketaw then withdrew the smoking stick, and gathered the moss +together. Lying down by it, and putting his arm about it, the Indian +lad began to blow it gently. The smoldering fire increased until a +little blue flame, which he could barely see, appeared. Keketaw now +added some very thin paper-like bits of dry bark and some small twigs +to the pile of smoking moss. These caught fire, and sent up a +straw-colored flame. Henry put on larger twigs until there was at last +a crackling blaze. +</p> + +<p> +Taking lighted sticks from this fire, the boys made a fire all round +the base of a large tree from which they meant to get the canoe. This +fire they kept going constantly for two days. They even got up at +night to put dead boughs on, it. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/03.jpg" alt="Burning down a Tree." width="417" height="545"></p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Burning down a Tree.</i> +</p> + +<p> +On the third night of their stay in camp, they didn't lie down at the +usual time, for the tree was burned nearly through. About two o'clock +in the morning a little breeze rustled in the leaves of the great +tree. Slowly at first, then more and more rapidly, the tree fell with +a tremendous crashing sound, until with a final thundering roar it lay +flat upon the ground. +</p> + +<p> +Sleepy as the boys were, they did not lie down for the night until +they had built a new fire near the trunk of the tree. Having no ax to +chop with, they had to burn the log in two. They put the fire at a +place that would cut off enough of the tree trunk to make a canoe. +</p> + +<p> +The next day they built up this new fire, and then went fishing in the +neighboring stream with their bone fishhooks, and lines made of the +Spanish bayonet leaf. In two days after the fall of the tree they had +burned off the log that was to make their canoe, and had scraped off +all the bark with shells. +</p> + +<p> +They then lighted little fires on top of the log, and, when these had +charred the wood for an inch or more in depth in any place, they +removed the fire and scraped away the charcoal. Then they built +another little fire in the same place. These little fires were made +with gum taken from the pine trees. +</p> + +<p> +By burning and scraping they gradually dug out the inside of their +boat, scraping out one end of it while they were burning out the +other, and working at it day after day. +</p> + +<p> +The only tools they had for scraping were shells from the river, and +sharp stones. Keketaw sometimes used his deer-horn tomahawk for the +same purpose. It was fourteen days from the time they first lighted +the fire at the foot of the tree until their canoe was finished. Two +more days were spent in making paddles. This work was also done by +burning and scraping. +</p> + +<p> +When all was done, the canoe was slid down the soft bank into the +water. It floated right side up to the delight of its makers. The boys +now thought it would be a fine stroke to take a deer home with them. +So they pulled one end of their canoe up on the shore, and started out +to look for one. +</p> + +<p> +But the first tracks they found were not deer tracks. They were the +footprints of men. Keketaw made a sign to Henry by turning the palm of +his hand toward the earth, and then moving the hand downward. This +meant to keep low, and make no noise. Then Keketaw climbed a high pine +tree. From the top of the tree he could see a number of Indians at a +spring of water. +</p> + +<p> +The boy slid down the tree in haste. "Monacans on the war path!" he +whispered as he reached the ground. +</p> + +<p> +Swiftly and silently the two boys hurried back to their canoe. They +wasted no time in admiring it. They gathered their weapons and fishing +lines, and got aboard. It was not a question of killing Monacans now, +but of saving themselves and their friends. They rowed with all their +might from the start. +</p> + +<p> +For hours they kept their new paddles busy. They reached the village +after dark, and when they uttered the dreadful word "Monacans," it ran +from one wigwam to another. The women and children shuddered with +fear. The warriors smeared their faces with paint, to make themselves +uglier than ever, and departed. Soon after the boys had started home, +the Monacans had found their camp fire still burning. Thinking they +had been discovered, and knowing that a strong party of the Powhatan +Indians might come after them, the Monacans had hurried back to their +own home more swiftly than they had come. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Corn"></a> +<p class="chapter"> +SOME THINGS ABOUT INDIAN CORN. +</p> + + +<p> +When the white people first came to America, they had never seen +Indian corn, which did not grow in Europe. The Indians raised it in +little patches about their villages. Before planting their corn, they +had to clear away the trees that covered the whole country. Their axes +were made of stone, and were not sharp enough to cut down a tree. The +larger trees they cut down by burning them off at the bottom. They +killed the smaller trees by building little fires about them. When the +bark all round a tree was burned, the tree died. As dead trees bear no +leaves, the sun could shine through their branches on the ground where +corn was to be planted. +</p> + +<p> +Having no iron, they had to make their tools as they could. In some +places they made a hoe by tying the shoulder blade of a deer to a +stick. In other places they used half of the shell of a turtle for a +hoe or spade to dig up the ground. This could be done where the ground +was soft. In North Carolina the Indians had a little thing like a +pickax which was made out of a deer's horn tied to a stick. An Indian +woman would sit down on the ground with one of these little pickaxes +in her hand. She would dig up the earth for a little space until it +was loose. Then she would make a little hole in the soft earth. In +this she would plant four or five grains of corn, putting them about +an inch apart. Then she covered these grains with soft earth. In +Virginia, where the ground was soft and sandy, the Indians made a kind +of spade out of wood. +</p> + +<p> +Sometimes they planted a patch a long way off from their bark house, +so that they would not be tempted to eat it while it was green. The +Indians were very fond of green corn. They roasted the ears in the +ashes. Some of the tribes held a great feast when the first green corn +was fit to eat, and some of them worshiped a spirit that they called +the "Spirit of the Corn." +</p> + +<p> +When the corn was dry, the Indians pounded it in order to make meal or +hominy of it. Sometimes they parched the corn, and then pounded it +into meal. They carried this parched meal with them when they went +hunting and when they went to war. They could eat it with a little +water, without stopping to cook it. They called it Nokick, but the +white people called it No-cake. +</p> + +<p> +When the Pilgrims came to Cape Cod, they sent out Miles Standish and +some other men to look through the country and find a good place for +them to settle. Standish tried to find some of the Indians in order to +make friends with them, but the Indians ran away whenever they saw him +coming. One day he found a heap of sand. He knew it had been lately +piled up, because he could see the marks of hands on the sand where +the Indians had patted it down. Standish and his men dug up this heap. +They soon came to a little old basket full of Indian corn. When they +had dug further, they found a very large new basket full of fine corn +which had been lately gathered. +</p> + +<p> +The white men, who had never seen it before, thought Indian corn very +beautiful. Some of the ears were yellow, some were red. On other ears +blue and yellow grains were mixed. Standish and his men said it was a +"very goodly sight." The Indian basket was round and narrow at the +top. It held three or four bushels of corn, and it was as much as two +men could do to lift it from the ground. The white men wondered to see +how handsomely it was woven. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/04.jpg" alt="Standish and his Men find Corn." width="380" height="611"></p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Standish and his Men find Corn.</i> +</p> + +<p> +Near the pile of corn they found an old kettle which the Indians had +probably bought from some ship. They filled this kettle with corn, +They also filled their baskets with it. They wanted the corn for seed. +They made up their mind to pay the Indians whenever they could find +them. The next summer they found out who were the owners of this +buried corn, and paid them for all the corn they had taken. If they +had not found this corn, they would not have had any to plant the next +spring, and so they would have starved to death. +</p> + +<p> +The people that were with Miles Standish settled at Plymouth. They +were the first that came to live in New England. An Indian named +Squanto came to live with the white people at Plymouth. Squanto was +born at this very place. He had been carried away to England by a sea +captain. Then he had been brought back by another captain to his own +country. When he got back to Plymouth, he found that all the people of +his village had died from a great sickness. He went to live with +another tribe near by. When the white people came to Plymouth, they +settled on the ground where Squanto's people had lived. As he could +speak some English, and as all his own tribe were dead, he now came to +live with the white people. +</p> + +<p> +The people at Plymouth did not know how to plant the corn they had +found, but Squanto taught them. By watching the trees, the Indians +knew when to put their corn into the ground. When the young leaf of +the white oak tree was as large as a squirrel's ear, they knew that it +was time to put their corn into the ground. Squanto taught the white +people how to catch a kind of fish which were used to make their corn +grow. They put one or two fishes into each hill of corn, but they were +obliged to watch the cornfield day and night for two weeks after +planting. If they had not watched it, the wolves would have dug up the +fishes, and the corn with them. +</p> + +<p> +The white people learned also to cook their corn as the Indians did. +They learned to eat hominy and samp, and these we still call by their +Indian names. "Succotash" is another Indian word. The white people +learned from the Indians to use the husks of Indian corn to make +things. The Indians made ropes of corn husks, and in some places they +made shoes of plaited husks. The white people in early times made +their door mats and horse collars and beds of corn husks. They also +twisted and wove husks to make seats for their chairs. +</p> + +<p> +Of all the plants that grew in America, Indian corn was the most +important to the Indians. It was also of the most value to the first +white people who came to this country. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Women"></a> +<p class="chapter"> +SOME WOMEN IN THE INDIAN WARS. +</p> + + +<p> +When white people first came to this country, they had much trouble +with the Indians. After a while, when they had learned to defend +themselves and got used to danger, they did not mind it much. Even the +women became as brave as soldiers. +</p> + +<p> +In very early times there were some families of people from Sweden +living not far from where Philadelphia now stands. One day the women +were all together boiling soap. It was the custom then to make soap at +home. Water was first poured through ashes to make lye. People put +this lye into a large kettle, and then threw into it waste pieces of +meat and bits of fat of all kinds. After boiling a long time, this +mixture made a kind of soft soap, which was the only soap the early +settlers had. The large kettle in which the soap was boiled was hung +on a pole. This pole was held up by two forked sticks driven into the +ground. A fire was kept burning under the kettle. Of course, this soap +boiling took place out of doors. +</p> + +<p> +Some Indians, creeping through the woods, saw the women together +without any men. They thought it a good chance to kill them or make +them prisoners; but the women caught sight of the Indians, and ran +away to their little church. The churches in that day were often built +so they could be used for forts. The church to which these women ran +was one of this kind. But the women had no guns with them. They knew +that when they got into the church they would have nothing to fight +with. So two of them took hold of the ends of the pole on which the +kettle of boiling soap was hanging, and carried the kettle into the +little church with them. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians tried to get into the church, but every time an Indian +climbed up to get in, a woman would just dip up a ladleful of boiling +soap, and dash it on him. This was a kind of fighting the Indians did +not like. They were not used to soap in any form. So, when an Indian +was scalded by the soap, he would run away in great pain, and not try +it again. The next Indian that came got some of the same hot medicine. +He also would have to go away to cool off, if he could. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/05.jpg" alt="Blowing a Conch Shell." width="371" height="490"></p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Blowing a Conch Shell.</i> +</p> + +<p> +While some of the women were watching the Indians, and fighting them +with hot soap, one of them took up a dinner horn and blew it. This +dinner horn was made of a great shell called a conch shell. The tip of +a conch shell was sawed off so as to make a hole in it. By blowing +into this hole, a very loud noise could be made. Such horns were used +in that day to call people to dinner, and to call the neighbors when +there was any danger. The woman blew the conch-shell horn, and kept on +blowing. +</p> + +<p> +The men who were away in the woods heard the sound of the horn. They +knew that something was wrong, because the horn was blowing when it +was not dinner time. Either a house was on fire or the Indians had +come. The men took up their guns and hurried toward the little church. +When the Indians saw the men coming, they ran away. +</p> + +<p> +There was a woman in Massachusetts named Bradley. She had once been a +prisoner among the Indians. She lived in a blockhouse which had a high +fence of posts set up close together all round it to keep the Indians +out. Such a fence was called a stockade. One day Mrs. Bradley was +boiling soap. The gate of the stockade had been left open a little +way. Suddenly she saw an Indian, with war paint on his face and his +tomahawk in his hand, rushing in at the gate. The Indian thought it +would be an easy thing to kill Mrs. Bradley. But the woman was too +quick for him. She dashed a ladle of boiling soap upon him before he +could run away. The soap was so hot that the Indian was killed by it. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians came once more to take Mrs. Bradley. This time, not having +any soap, she got a gun and shot the foremost one dead. The rest ran +away. +</p> + +<p> +In King Philip's War the Indians tried to take the town of Hadley. The +men of the town fought hard, but the Indians were getting the best of +the battle. A little cannon had been sent from Boston. It reached +Hadley while the battle was going on. As all the men were busy +fighting, the women loaded the cannon themselves. First they put in +powder, and then small shot and nails. When the cannon was loaded, the +women took it to the men, who pointed it into the thickest of the +crowd of Indians, and fired it. A hail-storm of nails was a new thing +to the Indians. Those who were not killed ran away very much +frightened. +</p> + +<p> +There was a young girl in Maine who was in a house when the Indians +attacked it. She held the door shut until thirteen women and children +could get out of the house by the back door, and pass into a +blockhouse, which is a kind of fort. The Indians beat down the door at +last, and then knocked down the brave girl behind it, but they did not +kill her. +</p> + +<p> +Sometimes the Indians attacked a blockhouse when there were none but +women in it. In such cases the women would put on hats, and fix their +hair so as to look like men. Then they would use their guns well. The +savages, thinking there were men in the place, would go away. +</p> + +<p> +There was one girl who was a captive among the Indians for three weeks. +One day she saw a horse running loose in the woods. She stripped some +tough bark from a tree, and made a bridle of it. Then she caught the +horse, and put her bark bridle on him. It was just growing dark when +she climbed on his bare back, for she had no saddle. She turned the +horse's head toward the settlements, and rode hard all night. The next +morning she was safe among her friends. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Tea"></a> +<p class="chapter"> +THE COMING OF TEA AND COFFEE. +</p> + + +<p> +When the first settlers came to this country, tea and coffee were +unknown to them. The favorite drink of that time was a kind of weak +beer, which was usually made at home. The first settlers in America +could not buy drinks such as they had had in England, and in a new +country they often could not make them. So they found out ways of +making other drinks in place of them. What we call root beer and birch +beer, and a drink flavored with the chips of the hickory tree, were +made in New England. Farther south the people made a kind of drink by +mixing water and molasses together, and putting in Indian corn. +</p> + +<p> +Such drinks were taken at meals as we take tea and coffee. People also +drank a great deal of cider. As the cows hardly ever gave any milk in +winter, children were given cider and water to drink. But about fifty +years after the time that the first settlers came to this country, +people in England began to get tea and coffee. Tea and coffee were +soon after brought into this country. At first they were thought to be +medicines good for many diseases. Little books were written to tell +how many diseases these new drinks would cure. Root beer and birch +beer, and tea and coffee, were good things in one way. After they came +into use, people did not care so much for stronger drinks. +</p> + +<p> +When tea first came, it was very fashionable. It was called the new +China drink. Along with the tea, people brought from China little +teacups to drink it from. Most of the cups before this time had been +made of pewter. The new cups and saucers were called chinaware. They +also brought from China pretty little tables on which they set the +teacups when they drank the tea. +</p> + +<p> +When people first got tea in country places, they did not know how to +use it. There was a minister in Connecticut who bought two pounds of +tea in New York. He took it home with him, and put it away to use when +anybody in his house should be ill. He wanted the tea for medicine. +His daughters had heard about the fine ladies in town who took tea. +They were curious to taste it, and were not willing to wait until they +should be ill. So one afternoon, without letting their father know it, +they asked two young men who were friends of theirs to the house. Then +they got out the package of tea, intending to treat themselves and the +young men to a new pleasure. They knew nothing about making tea. When +they had boiled it a long time, they poured off the tea and threw it +away. They put the tea leaves on a dish, and tried to eat them as one +would eat spinach. This is the way they punished themselves for +disobeying their father. +</p> + +<p> +Before the Revolution, when gentlemen called at fine houses in the +afternoon, the ladies always gave them tea to drink. As soon as a +gentleman's little cup was empty, one of the ladies would fill it up +again, and it was not polite to refuse to drink all the tea that was +offered. A French prince who was in Philadelphia during the Revolution +drank twelve little cups of tea one afternoon. The ladies kept giving +him more, and the poor prince did not know how to stop them until +another French gentleman told him privately that if he would lay his +teaspoon across the top of the cup no more tea would be poured in. He +put the teaspoon across the teacup as a sign that he did not wish to +drink any more. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/06.jpg" alt="A Colonial Tea Party." width="319" height="512"> +</p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>A Colonial Tea Party.</i> +</p> + +<p> +Long after tea and coffee were in use in this country they were not +known in the backwoods. The people on the frontier drank tea made from +the root of the sassafras tree or from the leaves of some wild vines. +The whole work of preparing food was done at home. When they wanted to +grind meal, they did it by pounding corn in a hole cut in the stump of +a tree. They used a large stone pounder which was tied by a rope to a +limb of a tree above. After each blow the limb would spring back and +raise the pounder. Their corn meal was sifted through a sieve made of +deerskin with little holes punched through it. They had to make their +shoes and hats and caps themselves, and to weave their cloth at home. +</p> + +<p> +A boy who lived on the west side of the Alleghany Mountains in those +days afterward wrote a book telling all about this rough life. His +name was Joseph Doddridge. He spent his boyhood in a log cabin, in +constant danger from Indians. The settlers had built a fort in the +middle of the settlement. Sometimes in the night Joseph would hear a +man tapping gently on the back window of his father's cabin. As soon +as anybody waked up, the man would whisper, "Indians!" Joseph's father +would then take down his gun. The children would be dressed in the +dark as quickly as possible. Such things as would be needed in the +fort were then picked up. Not a word was spoken, nor was any candle +lighted. Even the little children learned to be perfectly silent, and +the dogs were taught not to bark. When all was ready, the family would +hurry away along the foot path to the fort. All the other families in +the settlement would be called in the same way. +</p> + +<p> +Every fall these settlers sent pack horses over the mountains. The +horses were loaded with the skins of animals. When they came back, +they carried salt, which was the one thing that could not be made in +the settlement. But the men never thought it worth while to bring home +with them tea and coffee or other unnecessary things. +</p> + +<p> +When Joseph was about seven years of age, he was sent over the +mountains to school. The little boy was very much puzzled when he +first saw a house that was plastered inside. He had never in his life +seen anything but a cabin built of logs. He could not understand how a +plastered house was built. It seemed to him like something that had +grown that way. +</p> + +<p> +When supper time came in this plastered house, he saw a teacup and +saucer for the first time in his life. The people in his neighborhood +used wooden bowls to drink out of. But here he saw what seemed to him +to be a little cup standing in a bigger one. He had never heard of +coffee. He only knew that the brownish-looking stuff in his cup was +not milk, or hominy, or soup. What to do with the little cups, or how +to make use of the spoon that was in them, he could not tell, so he +watched the big folks handle their cups and spoons. He drank the +coffee just as they did, but he disliked it very much. It made the +tears come into his eyes to drink it. When he got his cup nearly +empty, it was filled again. He did not dare to say that he had had +enough, and he did not know what to do. At last he saw one man turn +his empty cup bottom upward in the saucer, and lay his little spoon +across the bottom of the cup. That was the custom in those days. He +saw that this man's cup was not filled any more. So Joseph drank his +coffee as quickly as possible, turned his cup over in the saucer, and +laid the spoon across the bottom. He was delighted that he did not +have to drink any more coffee. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Kidnapped"></a> +<p class="chapter"> +KIDNAPPED BOYS. +</p> + + +<p> +In the days when our country belonged to England, white people were +brought here to be sold. Some of these were poor people who could not +get a good living in England. They came over to this country without +any money. The captain of the ship in which they came sold them in +this country to pay their passage. +</p> + +<p> +Men and women who were sold had to serve four years; and boys and +girls, a longer time. The person sold was just like a slave until his +time was out. The man who had bought him might beat him, or sell him +to another master. Many of these white slaves did not get enough to +eat. +</p> + +<p> +Here are some stories of boys who were brought to this country and +sold before the Revolution. They are all true stories. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter"> +THE STORY OF PETER WILLIAMSON.—TWICE A SLAVE. +</p> + + +<p> +One day a boy named Peter Williamson was walking along the streets of +Aberdeen in Scotland. The little fellow was eight years old. Two men +met him, and asked him to go on board a ship with them. When he got on +board, he was put down in the lower part of the ship with other boys. +The ship sailed to America with twenty boys. Like Peter, the other +lads had been stolen from their parents. They were taken to +Philadelphia and sold, to work for seven years. +</p> + +<p> +Little Peter was lucky enough to fall into the hands of a kind master. +Among those who came to buy boys off this ship was a man who had +himself been stolen from Scotland when he was young. He felt sorry for +little Peter when he saw him put up for sale. The price the cruel +captain asked for him was about fifty dollars. The Scotchman paid this +money, and took Peter for his boy. He sent him to school in the +winter, and treated him kindly. Peter, for his part, was a good boy, +and did his work faithfully. He staid with his master after his time +was out. +</p> + +<p> +When Peter was about seventeen years old, this good master died. He +left to Peter about six hundred dollars in money for being a good boy. +He also gave him his best horse and saddle and all his own clothes. +Some years after this, Peter married, and went to live in the northern +part of Pennsylvania. He was by this time a man of property. +</p> + +<p> +One night, when his wife was away from home, the Indians came about +his house. He got a gun and ran upstairs. He pointed the gun at the +Indians, but they told him that if he would not shoot they would not +kill him. So he came down, and gave himself up as a prisoner. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians treated him very cruelly. He was with them more than a +year. His sufferings were so great that he wished sometimes that he +was dead. He knew that if he ran away the Indians would probably catch +him, and kill him in some cruel way. But one night, when the Indians +were all asleep, he resolved to take the risk. You may believe that +when he had started he ran with all his might. +</p> + +<p> +When daylight came, he hid himself in a hollow tree. After a while he +heard the Indians running all about the tree. He could hear them tell +one another how they would kill him when they found him. But they did +not think to look into the tree. +</p> + +<p> +The next night he ran on again. He came very near running into a camp +of Indians. But at last he came in sight of the house of a friend. He +was tired out, and starving. He had hardly any clothes left on him. He +knocked at the door. The woman who saw him thought that he was an +Indian. She screamed, and the man of the house got his gun to kill +him. But he quickly told his friend that he was no Indian, but Peter +Williamson. Everybody had given him up for dead. But now all his +friends were happy to see him alive once more. He had twice been +carried into slavery,—once by cruel white men, and once by yet more +cruel red men. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter"> +SOLD LIKE JOSEPH.—STORIES OF TWO KIDNAPPED BOYS. +</p> + + +<p> +You have heard the beautiful story of Joseph in the Bible. You +remember that he was sold by his brothers. Then he was carried into +Egypt, where he became a great man. +</p> + +<p> +In 1730 there was a little English lad at sea with his uncle, who was +the captain of a ship. Whether the boy's father and mother were dead +or not, history does not tell. But the boy was sailing on his uncle's +ship, as though he were the captain's son. +</p> + +<p> +One day the captain was taken ill at sea. After a while he died. The +mate and the sailors thought that they would like to steal the ship +and all the captain's property. But it now all belonged to the little +boy. Like Joseph's brothers, the sailors laid a plan to get the boy +out of the way. You remember that Joseph's brothers saw some slave +traders going by. These traders were Arabs, like the Arabs that carry +off slaves to-day. Joseph's brothers stopped the Arabs, and sold +little Joseph to them. The Arabs took Joseph to Egypt and sold him. +</p> + +<p> +Just so the mate and his men saw a ship coming toward them. This ship +had a great many people on board. They were Irish people, who were +being taken to America to be sold as servants. +</p> + +<p> +The mate hailed the ship, and made a bargain with the captain and the +mate. He sold the poor little boy, who had no friends, to this +captain. +</p> + +<p> +Then the mate and his men sailed away. What became of them we do not +know; but the ship, loaded with white servants, sailed to Boston. It +landed at the Long Wharf, a pier running far out into the water. The +servants were obliged to run up and down this wharf. The people who +came to buy watched them to see how strong they might be. +</p> + +<p> +The little boy sold by the mate was there. He ran up and down with the +others, to show how nimble his legs were. He was bought by a Mr. +Willard. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/07.jpg" alt="Selling the Captain's Nephew" width="425" height="471"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Selling the Captain's Nephew.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The boy served out his time, and became free. He became a well-known +officer in the Indian wars. His name was Johnson. He did not become so +great as Joseph in Egypt, but, like Joseph, he gained honor in the +country into which he had been sold as a slave. +</p> + +<p> +Here is another story of the same kind. A little boy six years old got +lost in London. After he had wandered about a good while, a ship +captain met him, and told him that he would take him to his father. +The captain took him into a boat, put him on board his ship, carried +him to Maryland, and sold him. After the boy had served out his time +and grown to be a man, he became a rich farmer. +</p> + +<p> +The wicked ship captain who carried off the boy was caught stealing +many years afterward. In that day, thieves were often sold into +America for seven years, as a punishment. This captain who had sold +others was now put on a ship and sent to be sold in Maryland. The man +who bought him was the very person whom he had carried off when he was +a boy. +</p> + +<p> +You remember how much Joseph's brothers were afraid of him when they +found themselves in his power. This wicked old sea captain was +frightened when he saw that he was now a slave to the boy he had +stolen. He was so much alarmed that he killed himself. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter"> +LITTLE LORD SOLD INTO BONDAGE. +</p> + + +<p> +There lived in Ireland a long time ago a certain Lord Altham. The time +was about sixty years before our American Revolution. This Lord Altham +was a weak and foolish man. He quarreled with his wife, and sent her +away. He wasted his money in wicked living, and got into debt. He had +a little son named James Annesley. "Jemmy," as he was called, was sent +to a boarding school; but the father grew more wicked, and more +careless of his son. He sent the boy away, and pretended that he was +dead. He did this because he wanted to sell some property that he +could not sell if Jemmy were alive. +</p> + +<p> +Jemmy found himself badly treated where he lived. When he complained, +he was told that his father did not pay his board: so he ran away. He +lived in the streets with rough boys. He ran on errands for pay, like +the other little street boys. But still the boys knew that Jemmy was +the son of a lord. Strangers were surprised to hear a little ragged +boy called "my lord" by his playmates. +</p> + +<p> +When he was about thirteen years old, his father died. Then Jemmy +Annesley became Lord Altham in place of his father; but his uncle +Richard, who was a cruel man, took Jemmy's property, and called +himself Lord Altham. +</p> + +<p> +The wicked uncle was afraid that people would find out that Jemmy was +alive, and he sent a man to see where the boy was. When the boy was +found, his uncle accused him of stealing a silver spoon. He hired +three policemen to arrest the boy and put him on a ship. Poor Jemmy +wept bitterly. He told the people he was afraid his uncle would kill +him. The ship took him to Philadelphia, where he was sold to a farmer +to serve until he should be of age. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/08.jpg" alt="Kidnapping a Lord." width="327" height="514"></p> +<p class="ctr"> +<i>Kidnapping a Lord.</i> +</p> + +<p> +One day, when he was about seventeen years old, he came into his +master's house with a gun in one hand and a squirrel in the other. +There were two strangers sitting by the fire. They had found the door +open, and had walked in. +</p> + +<p> +One of the men said, "Are you a servant in this house?" +</p> + +<p> +"I am," said James. +</p> + +<p> +"What country did you come from?" +</p> + +<p> +"Ireland." +</p> + +<p> +"We are from Ireland ourselves," said one of the strange men. "What +part of Ireland are you from?" +</p> + +<p> +"From the county of Wexford." +</p> + +<p> +"We are from that county. What is your name?" +</p> + +<p> +"James Annesley." +</p> + +<p> +"I never heard that name there," said the traveler. +</p> + +<p> +"Did you know Lord Altham?" asked the boy. +</p> + +<p> +"Yes." +</p> + +<p> +"Well, I am his son." +</p> + +<p> +"What!" cried the stranger, "you the son of Lord Altham! Impossible!" +</p> + +<p> +But the young man insisted that he was Lord Altham's son. +</p> + +<p> +"Tell me how Lord Altham's house stands," said the stranger. +</p> + +<p> +The young man told him enough to show that he knew all about the +place. Then the stranger said, that, if James ever came to Ireland to +claim his estate, he would do what he could to help him. +</p> + +<p> +James Annesley was badly treated by his master. At length he ran away, +but he was retaken, and put into a jail in Lancaster. He was kept in +prison a good while. He had a fine voice, and he amused himself by +singing. The people used to stand outside of the jail to hear him +sing. +</p> + +<p> +For running away he was obliged to serve a still longer time. He spent +thirteen years in slavery. +</p> + +<p> +When he got free at last, he told Mr. Ellis of Philadelphia about his +case. This kind-hearted man gave him a passage on a ship going to the +West Indies. An English fleet was then in the West Indies. It was +commanded by the famous Admiral Vernon. When the brave admiral heard +James Annesley's story, he took him to England. In England James found +friends ready to help him. +</p> + +<p> +There was a long lawsuit, but James's old friends and schoolmates came +to court as witnesses for him. One of the men who had talked with him +while he was a servant in Pennsylvania told the Court about it. Two of +the policemen that had helped to put little Jemmy on shipboard +confessed the dreadful act they had done. +</p> + +<p> +Then the jury gave a verdict that James Annesley was the true Lord +Altham. There was great joy among the people, and everybody detested +the cruel uncle. The people made songs about him, and sang them under +his windows. James Annesley was now called Lord Altham. But before the +young lord came into possession of his title and his property, he was +taken ill and died. +</p> + +<p> +I am glad that we live in better times. Children are not kidnapped and +sold now. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Blackbeard"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE LAST BATTLE OF BLACKBEARD. +</p> + + +<p> +Our country now reaches from one ocean to the other. But in the days +before the Revolution there were only English colonies stretching up +and down the Atlantic coast. Merchandise was carried from one colony +to another, and from one country to another, in slow-going sailing +vessels, for there were neither railroads nor steamships. +</p> + +<p> +In those old times there were robbers on the sea. We call sea robbers +pirates. These men carried cannon on their ships, and they robbed any +vessels not stronger than they were. In our days of large steamships a +pirate would not stand any chance of getting away. He would soon be +caught. Some of the pirates of old times sailed up and down the +American coast. They captured ships sailing from America to Europe and +from Europe to America. The worst of all these pirates was Blackbeard. +</p> + +<p> +His real name was Thatch. He was called Blackbeard because he wore a +long black beard that covered his face. This made him look frightful +in that day, when other men shaved their faces smooth. He divided his +beard into locks, and twisted each lock, tying it at the end with +ribbons. To make himself look still worse, he fastened some of these +twists over his ears. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/09.jpg" alt="Blackbeard." width="373" height="566"></p> + +<p class="ctr"><i>Blackbeard.</i> +</p> + +<p> +When he was fighting against another ship, he wore a strap over his +shoulders to which were fastened large pistols. In those days, cannon +were touched off by means of a slow match, a kind of cord that burns +slowly like punk. When Blackbeard went into battle, he twisted some of +these slow matches or cords round his head, and stuck some of them +under his hat. The ends of these matches were burning, and they looked +like fiery, hissing snakes. With his beard turned back over his ears, +and fire all about his head, he seemed to be a tall fiend. +</p> + +<p> +Blackbeard was more like a fiend than a man. He was cruel and wicked +in every way. Some bad men are sometimes kind-hearted, but Blackbeard +was always cruel. He would shoot even his own men in order to make his +crew afraid of him. +</p> + +<p> +He did much of his bad work on the coast of North Carolina. Here he +found bays and sounds where the water was shallow. Large ships could +not easily follow him into these places. The Governor of North +Carolina was a bad man. He took part of Blackbeard's plunder, and let +Blackbeard go safely about the country. The people were afraid of the +pirate. They sent to the Governor of Virginia, and asked him to fit +out a ship to capture Blackbeard. +</p> + +<p> +Two sloops that could sail in shallow water were sent. Lieutenant +Maynard was the commander. The ships left Virginia secretly. No one +knew where they were going. +</p> + +<p> +When Maynard came in sight of Blackbeard's sloop, he hung out his +flag. Blackbeard took a glass of rum and drank it, calling to Maynard, +"I'll give you no quarter, nor take any." +</p> + +<p> +Maynard replied, "I do not expect any quarter from you, nor will I +give any." +</p> + +<p> +This meant that neither of them would take any prisoners, but that +every man must fight for his life. +</p> + +<p> +Maynard tried to run alongside Blackbeard's ship. He wanted to take +his men on board the pirate ship, and fight it out on her deck. But +Blackbeard had put a large negro near to the gunpowder on his ship. He +said to the negro, "If the men from the other ship get on board of +ours, you must set fire to the gunpowder, and blow us all up." +</p> + +<p> +Maynard was running toward the pirate ship to get on board; but +Blackbeard fired all the cannon on that side of his ship, and killed +some of Maynard's men. This was really lucky for Maynard; for, if he +had got on board, the negro would have set fire to the gunpowder, and +the pirates and Maynard's men would all have been blown to pieces at +once. +</p> + +<p> +Maynard now sent his men down into the hold of the ship. They were out +of sight of the pirates, but they had their pistols and swords ready. +The sloops were soon close together, and Blackbeard's men threw boxes +full of powder and shot, and pieces of lead and iron, on the deck of +Maynard's sloop. These were so fixed as to go off like bombshells. +But, as nearly all of Maynard's men were down below the deck, these +boxes did little harm. +</p> + +<p> +Blackbeard, thinking that most of Maynard's men had been killed, +jumped on board the sloop with fourteen men. Maynard now called his +men from below, and there was a desperate fight. Blackbeard was shot +five times, and was wounded with swords; but the old monster fought +until he fell down dead while cocking his pistol. The rest of the +pirates on the deck of Maynard's ship were taken prisoners. +</p> + +<p> +Maynard's other sloop was fighting with the men left on board +Blackbeard's vessels. These surrendered, but they had trouble to keep +the big negro from setting fire to the gunpowder and blowing them all +up. +</p> + +<p> +Maynard took away from the Governor of North Carolina many hogsheads +of sugar that Blackbeard had stolen. Then he hung the great ugly head +of the pirate at the bow of his ship, and sailed back to Virginia in +triumph. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Phildelphia"></a> +<p class="chapter">AN OLD PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL. +</p> + + +<p> +There was a schoolmaster in Philadelphia before the Revolution who did +not like to beat his pupils as other masters of that time did. When a +boy behaved badly, he would take his switch and stick it into the back +of the boy's coat collar so that the switch should rise above his head +in the air. He would then stand the boy up on a bench in sight of the +school, in order to punish him by making him ashamed. +</p> + +<p> +This schoolmaster's name was Dove. If any boy was not at school in +time, the master would send a committee of five or six of the scholars +to fetch him. One of this committee carried a lighted lantern, while +another had a bell in his hand. The tardy scholar had to march down +the street in broad daylight with a lantern to show him the way, and a +boy ringing the school bell to let him know that it was time for him +to be there. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/010.jpg" alt="The Tardy Schoolmaster." width="363" height="469"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>The Tardy Schoolmaster.</i> +</p> + +<p> +One morning Mr. Dove slept too late, or forgot himself. The boys made +up a committee to bring the teacher to school. They took the lantern +and the bell with them. Mr. Dove said they were quite right. He took +his place in the procession, and the people saw Schoolmaster Dove +taken to school late with a lantern and a bell. +</p> + +<p> +The larger schoolboys of that time were very fond of foot races. They +would take off their coats and tie handkerchiefs about their heads +before starting. The short breeches they wore were fastened at the +knee by bands. When they were going to run a race, they would loosen +these bands, and pull off their shoes and stockings. Some of the boys +ran barefoot in this way, but others wore Indian moccasins. The race +course was round a block; that is, about three quarters of a mile. +Crowds would gather to see the boys run, and the people rushed from +one side of the block to the other to see which was leading in the +race. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Dutch"></a> +<p class="chapter">A DUTCH FAMILY IN THE REVOLUTION. +</p> + + +<p> +What is now the State of New York was first settled by people from +Holland who spoke the Dutch language. New York afterward became an +English colony, but the Dutch settlers and their descendants still +spoke the language of Holland, at the time of the American Revolution. +</p> + +<p> +In Flatbush, which is now a part of Brooklyn, was a family that spoke +the Dutch language, while they were true Americans in feeling. When +the British landed on Long Island, they got ready to leave the town. +The horses were hitched to the wagon, and such things as were thought +most valuable were put in. The first thing they put into the wagon was +the great Dutch Bible with heavy brass clasps. A tall clock was also +carefully lifted into the wagon. Then clothing and other things +followed. +</p> + +<p> +The father of the family told the two faithful negro men, Cæsar and +his son Mink, how to take care of things. Femmetia, the most active of +the daughters, had the whip in her hand, and, as the sound of firing +was coming nearer and nearer, she tapped the horses on their ears, and +the family dashed away to the house of a cousin who lived beyond the +region where the fight was to be. +</p> + +<p> +That evening Femmetia helped her father, who was an invalid, to climb +to the top of a little hill from which they could see a fire raging in +the village of Flatbush. The direction of the fire showed the father +and daughter that it was their own house which was burning. +</p> + +<p> +When the fight was over, General Washington's troops had been driven +from Long Island. The good Dutch family went back and found their +house burned. They moved into another house, whose owner was still +away, and then began to build a new house. The mother bought some +boards with what money she had saved, but she could not get any nails. +In that day nails were not made by machinery, as they are now. Each +nail had to be hammered out separately by a blacksmith. Nails made in +this way cost a great deal of money. +</p> + +<p> +There was but one way to do. Femmetia and her sister had to find nails +by raking over the ashes of the old house. Some of these nails were +crooked, and they had to be hammered to make them straight enough to +use. +</p> + +<p> +Some American officers had been made prisoners at the battle of Long +Island. They were allowed to go about the village after having given +their word not to go farther. They liked to help the girls find nails +in the ashes, and hammer them straight on the stones. Other young +girls came to help them, so that there was a party of young people +talking, joking, laughing, and digging in the ashes, every day. It was +fun for all of them. There were not boards enough to finish the house. +The room in which the two sisters slept was upstairs. It had but half +a floor. Where the rest of the floor should have been were only bare +beams. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/011.jpg" alt="A Nail Party" width="438" height="544"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>A Nail Party.</i> +</p> + +<p> +One night the negro woman, whose name was Dian, came into the room +below, and called Femmetia. She told her that the British soldiers had +come into the barn, and that they would soon take away what were left +of the chickens. +</p> + +<p> +"You jes' come down." said Dian to Femmetia. So the old slave and the +young girl went out together. They carried a gun and a broomstick. The +moon was shining. They took great pains not to let the soldiers see +them. First they dodged behind a great walnut tree. Then, when they +were sure the soldiers did not see them, they ran behind the corncrib. +Their next march brought them behind the wagon house, and then they +slipped into the dark shadow of the barn. +</p> + +<p> +Dian thrust the rifle through a hole in the side door of the barn. At +the same moment the bold Femmetia threw a stone which made the +soldiers look round. There was moonlight enough for them to see the +muzzle of the gun coming through the door as though it were ready to +fire at them. They ran away in great haste, and left the chickens +behind. +</p> + +<p> +The silver plate and other valuable things were buried under the +hearth in the house. A lady in a neighboring house hid her gold coins +in the middle of a great round ball of a pincushion. Such ball +pincushions were worn by some of the Dutch women at that time. They +hung them at their sides, tied by a bit of ribbon. A party of English +soldiers came into this lady's house. They were much amused to see +this ball at the lady's side. One of them rudely cut the ribbon with +his sword, and then the soldiers played ball with the cushion. It was +sent here and there about the room. Twice it fell into the ashes. +</p> + +<p> +The woman who owned it expected that it would be torn, and all her +gold would spill out, but she went on with her work. If she had shown +any anxiety about the ball, the soldiers might have thought to look +for her money in the cushion. At last they gave it back to her, +much-soiled, but holding its treasures safe. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="LongAgo"></a> +<p class="chapter">A SCHOOL OF LONG AGO. +</p> + + +<p> +A hundred and fifty years ago there was a famous teacher among the +German settlers in Pennsylvania who was known as "The Good +Schoolmaster." His name was Christopher Dock. He had two little +country schools. For three days he would teach at a little place +called Skippack, and then for the next three days he would teach at +Salford. +</p> + +<p> +People said that the good schoolmaster never lost his temper. There +was a man who thought he would try to make him angry. He said many +harsh and abusive words to the teacher, and even cursed him. But the +only reply the teacher made was, "Friend, may the Lord have mercy on +you." +</p> + +<p> +Other schoolmasters used to beat their scholars severely with whips +and long switches. But Schoolmaster Dock had found out a better way. +</p> + +<p> +When a child came to school for the first time, the other scholars +were made to give the new scholar a welcome by shaking hands with him, +one after another. Then the new boy or girl was told that this was not +a harsh school, but a place for those who would behave. And if a +scholar were lazy, disobedient, or stubborn, the master would in the +presence of the whole school pronounce him not fit for this school, +but only for a school where children were flogged. The new scholar was +asked to promise to obey and to be diligent. When he had made this +promise, he was shown to a seat. +</p> + +<p> +"Now," the good master would say, when this was done, "who will take +this new scholar and help him to learn?" +</p> + +<p> +When the new boy or girl was clean and bright looking, many would be +willing to take charge of him or her. But there were few ready to +teach a dirty, ragged little child. Sometimes no one would wish to do +it. In such a case the master would offer to the one who would take +such a child a reward of one of the beautiful texts of scripture which +the schoolmasters of that time used to write and decorate for the +children. Or he would give him one of the pictures of birds which he +was accustomed to paint with his own hands. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/012.jpg" alt="Hand-drawn bird." width="466" height="382"> +</p> + +<p> +The old Pennsylvania teachers were fond of making these tickets with +pictures and writing on them. The pictures which we have here will +show you what they looked like. The writing is in German, as you will +see. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/013.jpg" alt="Picture and text written in German." width="403" height="501"> +</p> + +<p> +Whenever one of the younger scholars succeeded in learning his A, B, +C, Christopher Dock would send word to the father of the child to give +him a penny, and he would ask his mother to cook two eggs for him as a +treat. These were fine rewards for poor children in a new country. +</p> + +<p> +At certain stages in his studies, the industrious child in one of +Dock's schools would receive a penny from his father, and eat two eggs +cooked by his mother. But all this time he was not counted a member of +the school. He was only on trial. The day on which a boy or girl began +to read was a great day. If the pupil had been diligent in spelling, +the morning after the first reading day, the master would give him +a ticket carefully written with his own hand. This ticket read +"Industrious—One Penny." This showed that the scholar was now really +received into the school. But if he afterward became idle or +disobedient, Schoolmaster Dock would take away his token. +</p> + +<p> +There were no clocks or watches in the country. The children came to +school, one after another taking their places near the master, who sat +writing. They spent their time reading until all were there. But every +one who succeeded in reading his passage without mistake stopped +reading, and came and sat at the writing table to write. The poor +fellow who remained last on the bench was called the Lazy Scholar. +</p> + +<p> +Every Lazy Scholar had his name written on the blackboard. If a child +at any time failed to read correctly, he was sent back to study his +passage, and called again after a while. If he failed a second or a +third time, all the scholars cried out, "Lazy!" Then his name was +written on the blackboard. Then all the poor Lazy Scholar's friends +went to work to teach him to read his lesson correctly. And if his +name should not be rubbed off the board before school was dismissed, +all the scholars might write it down, and take it home with them. But +if he could read well before school was out, the scholars, at the +bidding of the master, called out, "Industrious!" and then his name +was rubbed off the board. +</p> + +<p> +The funniest of Dock's rewards was that which he gave to those who +made no mistake in their lessons. He marked a large O with chalk on +the hand of the perfect scholar. Fancy what a time the boys and girls +must have had, trying to go home without rubbing out this O. +</p> + +<p> +If you had gone into this school some day, you might have seen a boy +sitting on a punishment bench all alone. This was a fellow who had +told a lie or used bad language. He was put there as not fit to sit +near anybody else. If he committed the offense often, a yoke would be +put round his neck, as if he were a brute. Sometimes, however, the +teacher would give the scholars their choice of a blow on the hand or +a seat on the punishment bench. They usually preferred the blow. +</p> + +<p> +At certain times the scholars were permitted to study aloud, but at +other times they were obliged to keep still. And a boy or girl was put +as a watcher, to set down the names of those who talked in this time +of quiet. +</p> + +<p> +The old schoolmaster in Skippack wrote one hundred rules of good +behavior for his scholars. This is perhaps the first book on good +manners written in America. But rules of behavior for people living in +houses of one or two rooms, as they did in that day, were very +different from those needed in our time. Here are some of the rules: +</p> + +<p> +"When you comb your hair, do not go out in the middle of the room," +says the schoolmaster. This was because families were accustomed to +eat and sleep in the same room. +</p> + +<p> +"Do not eat your morning bread on the road or in school," he tells +them, "but ask your parents to give it to you at home." From this we +see that the common breakfast was bread alone, and that the children +often ate it as they walked to school. +</p> + +<p> +The table manners of that day were very good for the time, but they +seem very curious to us. He says, "Do not wabble with your stool," +because rough home-made stools were the common chairs then, and the +floors, made of boards that were split and not sawed, were so uneven +that a noisy child could easily rock his stool to and fro. +</p> + +<p> +"Put your knife upon the right and your bread on the left side," he +says. Forks were little used in those days, and the people in the +country did not have any. He also tells them not to throw bones under +the table. It was a common practice among some people of that time to +throw bones and scraps under the table, where the dogs ate them. +</p> + +<p> +The child is not told to wait for others when he has finished eating, +or to ask to be excused. "Get up quietly," says the schoolmaster, "and +take your stool with you. Wish a pleasant mealtime, and go to one +side." The child is told not to put the remaining bread into his +pocket. +</p> + +<p> +As time passed on, Christopher Dock had many friends, for all his +scholars of former years loved him greatly. He lived to be very old, +and taught his schools to the last. One evening he did not come home, +and the people went to look for the beloved old man. They found their +dear old master on his knees in the schoolhouse. He had died while +praying alone. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="WhaleStories"></a> +<p class="chapter">STORIES OF WHALING. +</p> + + +<p> +In the old days, before petroleum or kerosene had been found in this +country, people had many ways of lighting their houses. A cheap light +was made by putting a little grease or oil in a saucer in which was a +little wick or rag lying over the edge of the saucer or drawn up +through a cork that floated on the grease. When this wick was burning, +it gave hardly as much light as a candle. This is one of the oldest +ways of making light. It was used thousands of years ago. Many people +now living remember little lamps made in this way. +</p> + +<p> +Poor people often made light by burning pine knots, or bits of pitch +pine chopped out of old stumps. These gave a bright light for a time. +Pitch pine in New England was called candle wood; in the South it was +called light wood. +</p> + +<p> +The commonest light in old times was the tallow candle. This was +sometimes made by dipping a candle wick into melted tallow. Then, when +the tallow had cooled, the candle was dipped again and again. A little +tallow remained on it each time, and at last it was thick enough to +burn. Candles made in this way were called "dips." Better candles were +made by running melted tallow into molds. +</p> + +<p> +Before the Revolution a favorite candle for burning at fine houses was +made of the wax-myrtle berry. This berry is full of a kind of green +wax which came out when it was boiled. When this wax rose to the top +of the pot, it was skimmed off and used for making wax candles. These +candles had a pretty green color, and gave out a delicate perfume when +they were burning. More expensive candles were made of beeswax. +</p> + +<p> +For hundreds of years whale oil was burned in large lamps, and +thousands of whales were killed in order to get the oil. Candles were +also made from spermaceti, which is a substance taken from the head of +the sperm whale. +</p> + +<p> +When the people first settled on Long Island, there were a great many +whales in the sea. Sometimes these whales would run into bays and +other shallow places. When the tide went out, the whale would be left +without water enough to swim in. Sometimes he found himself lying on +the dry ground. Before the white people came, the Long Island Indians +used to kill whales stranded in this way, with spears. The Indians +used the fat of the whale for food. The white people killed them, and +got the oil out of the fat by boiling. This oil they sold for lamp +oil. +</p> + +<p> +Finding that much money could be made by selling whale oil, the people +on Long Island fitted up boats, which they kept always ready along the +seashore. Whenever anybody saw a whale, the boatmen ran to their +boats, and rowed out to kill it. They did not yet know how to go out +to sea in whaling ships as some people in Europe did. After a while +the Long Island people learned to take their small boats out to sea +for miles to look for whales. This way of killing the whales spread +from Long Island to Connecticut, and from there to Cape Cod. +</p> + +<p> +The people on the island of Nantucket had also learned to kill the +whales that came into shallow water. They got a man to come out from +Cape Cod to show them how to go out in boats and kill whales along the +coast. After a while they built small ships in which they went to sea +to seek for whales, but they brought the fat on shore in order to get +the oil out of it. +</p> + +<p> +In 1718 the people on this island began to build ships with great +kettles in them for rendering the oil on board the ships. The brave +Nantucket men, and the men on the coast near by, soon began to send +their ships into very distant seas. Some of them sailed among the +icebergs in the Arctic regions; others went to the Southern Ocean; and +some of the Nantucket and Cape Cod ships went round Cape Horn into the +Pacific Ocean. The hardy whalemen ran great risks during their long +voyages, but, if they were fortunate in killing whales, they made a +good deal of money. +</p> + +<p> +There are still whaling vessels in our times, but not so many as there +used to be. We do not need whale oil so much, because we have +kerosene, gaslights, and electric lights. There are not so many whales +to be found as there used to be. +</p> + +<p> +When the men on a whale ship in the old times discovered a whale, they +fitted out their boats and rowed toward it. The whale would go down +out of sight. Each officer would place his boat where he thought the +whale would come up. When the whale came up to get breath, the men in +the nearest boat would row toward it. The officer who stood in the bow +of the boat would then throw a harpoon, which would stick fast in the +whale. As soon as the whale was struck with the harpoon, he would go +down into the water. There was a line fast to the harpoon, which was +coiled in a tub standing in the whaleboat. Sometimes the whale would +run down so far, that it would take more line than the boat carried, +to keep hold of him. When this was likely to happen, another whaling +boat would come alongside, and tie its line to the line of the harpoon +that was fast to the whale. In some cases nearly five thousand feet of +line were drawn out of the boats before the whale came to the top +again. Whales breathe air as we do, so the whale that had been +harpooned would have to come up again. Then the whaling boat would run +close to him, and the officer would try to kill him with a sharp +lance. When a whale was killed, the men drew him alongside the ship. +</p> + +<p> +A whale's body is covered with a great mass of fat called blubber. +When the dead whale was lying alongside the ship, the whalemen would +fasten a hook in the blubber. They then cut the blubber into a long +strip running round the whale. As they pulled on the hook with ropes, +the strip of blubber came off the whale, the whale rolling over and +over. The men unwound the blubber from his body in this way, pulling +it up on board the ship, and cutting it into pieces. +</p> + +<p> +If it was a sperm whale, they would cut a hole in his head, to reach a +place where there was a great quantity of oil. This oil they dipped +out. Sometimes forty barrels of oil were dipped out of the head of a +whale. From the fat of some very large whales more than two hundred +barrels of oil could be secured. +</p> + +<p> +The men on the whaling ships were gone from home for years at a time. +When there were no whales in sight, they had to find ways of amusing +themselves. Many of them carried sharp pocket knives, and passed their +time in whittling. By long practice they became very skillful with +their knives. Some of them carved pretty figures in wood, and made +pieces of furniture. Others carved shells into beautiful shapes. After +years at sea, they would bring these things home with them, to give to +their wives or sweethearts. Such work done on shipboard is called +scrimshaw work. +</p> + +<p> +Some of the whaleships met with very curious accidents. In 1807 a ship +named "The Union" was sailing along very quietly. All at once she +struck something which jarred her from end to end. It was found that +she had run right on a whale. Casks of water were thrown out of the +ship to make her lighter, but the bottom of the ship was badly +injured. The men on board had to get out the boats at once. They took +food and water with them, and compasses to sail by. Soon after the +boats got clear of the ship she filled with water, and upset. +</p> + +<p> +The men now found themselves in open boats in the ocean. The land +nearest to them was Newfoundland, but, as the wind was blowing +straight from that land at that season of the year, they knew that +they could not reach it. So they set out in the direction toward which +the wind blew, sailing for the islands called the Azores. These were +hundreds of miles away. They made a sail for each boat. +</p> + +<p> +One day they saw a schooner, but they could not make the schooner see +them. The next day they had fine sailing, but at night a fearful wind +arose. There were violent squalls and bursts of thunder. The boats +were obliged to lie still with their bows to the wind. At last the +waves broke into the captain's boat, and it was all they could do to +get the water out again. +</p> + +<p> +They now had to throw overboard most of their fresh water, so that +they suffered much with thirst from this time on. They had only three +quarts of water a day to be divided among sixteen men. That is about a +small teacupful apiece. After sailing eight days, they came in sight +of the beautiful islands of the Azores. Here they found a ship to +bring them back to their own country again. +</p> + +<p> +A still stranger accident happened to the ship "Essex" in 1820. She +was far away in the Pacific Ocean. Three of the boats of the ship went +out after a whale. The mate's boat, having been injured, went back to +the ship. As the mate stood on the ship, he saw a large sperm whale +rush directly at the vessel. The whale seemed to think the ship some +great animal, and that it would be fine fun to have a fight with it. +He struck the ship with his great square head. The crash was fearful. +For a moment or two the crew were so astonished that they could do +nothing. Then they found the ship sinking. They put up signals for the +other boats to come back. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/014.jpg" alt="Attacked by a Whale." width="537" height="365"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Attacked by a Whale.</i> +</p> + +<p> +But the whale was not satisfied. He wanted to fight it out with the +ship. He was soon seen coming toward the vessel again. He came on so +fast that the water foamed round him. He struck the ship a second +blow, which almost crushed it. The mate now quickly put what +provisions he could into a boat, and got ready to leave the ship. +</p> + +<p> +The other boats returned. The men were so horrified that for some time +they could not speak to one another. The ship fell over on her side. +The men cut away her masts. Then they cut holes into the ship's side, +and got out what bread and water they could carry. They were a +thousand miles from land, in the direction that the winds blew. +</p> + +<p> +After twenty-eight days of sailing in these open boats, the men got to +Ducie's Island. Here they could not find food enough for so large a +party, so the boats put off to sea again. Three men remained behind on +the island. These were afterward found by a passing ship, which took +them home. Some of the men in the boats perished, but the rest of them +were picked up by a ship and taken home. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="WhaleSong"></a> +<p class="chapter">A WHALING SONG. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<b>PART OF A FAVORITE SONG SUNG BY WHALEMEN IN OLD TIMES.</b> +</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p>When spring returns with western gales,</p> +<p class="i2">And gentle breezes sweep</p> +<p>The ruffling seas, we spread our sails</p> +<p class="i2">To plow the watery deep.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Cape Cod, our dearest native land,</p> +<p class="i2">We leave astern, and lose</p> +<p>Its sinking cliffs and less'ning sands,</p> +<p class="i2">While Zephyr gently blows.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Now toward the early dawning east</p> +<p class="i2">We speed our course away,</p> +<p>With eager minds and joyful hearts,</p> +<p class="i2">To meet the rising day.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Then, as we turn our wondering eyes,</p> +<p class="i2">We view one constant show,—</p> +<p>Above, around, the circling skies,</p> +<p class="i2">The rolling seas below.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>When eastward, clear of Newfoundland,</p> +<p class="i2">We stem the frozen pole,</p> +<p>We see the icy islands stand,</p> +<p class="i2">The northern billows roll.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Now see the northern regions where</p> +<p class="i2">Eternal winter reigns;</p> +<p>One day and night fills up the year,</p> +<p class="i2">And endless cold maintains.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>We view the monsters of the deep,</p> +<p class="i2">Great whales in numerous swarms,</p> +<p>And creatures there, that play and leap,</p> +<p class="i2">Of strange, unusual forms.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>When in our station we are placed,</p> +<p class="i2">And whales around us play,</p> +<p>We launch our boats into the main,</p> +<p class="i2">And swiftly chase our prey.</p></div></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Escape"></a> +<p class="chapter">A STRANGE ESCAPE. +</p> + + +<p> +In 1658 there was a little French colony at Onondaga in New York. Some +of the men in this colony were traders, and some were missionaries. +They were living among the Onondaga Indians. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/015.jpg" alt="A French Missionary." width="312" height="568"></p> +<p class="ctr">A French Missionary. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians had been very friendly, but the French found out that a +plot had been formed to put them all to death. Stakes had even been +set up in order to burn some of them alive. There seemed no hope for +the Frenchmen to escape. They knew, that, if they tried to get away by +land, they should all be killed. If they shut themselves up in their +fort, the Indians would besiege them, and they would starve to death. +They had no boats by which to get away by sailing through the lakes +and down the St. Lawrence River. +</p> + +<p> +The Frenchmen went to work and built boats secretly in the attic of +their fort or trading house. They built them strong enough to bear the +floating ice. They had also some light canoes made of bark, which they +hid in the upper part of their house. The question now was how to get +away without the Indians finding it out and pursuing them. +</p> + +<p> +One of the young Frenchmen had been adopted into the tribe of these +Indians. He invited the Indians to a feast. It was a feast, of a kind +the Indians give, in which every guest is obliged to eat everything +that is set before him, leaving nothing. The Indians kept on eating, +while the French amused them with dancing and games. The young +Frenchman played on his guitar, while the guests ate. The Indians +having eaten too much, at length began to fall asleep one by one. The +feast was not over until late at night, nor until every Indian had +eaten till he begged not to be given any more. Some of the Indians +fell asleep while they were eating. The rest of them were soon +sleeping soundly in their wigwams. +</p> + +<p> +The Frenchmen now quickly brought their boats down stairs and put them +into the water. They loaded them with food and other things needed for +their journey. Then they pushed off without making any noise or +speaking above a whisper. The water froze about their boats as they +rowed, and every moment they feared an attack from the Indians. They +rowed all night long, and then they rowed and paddled all the next day +without taking any rest. It was not until the evening of the second +day that they felt they had passed out of the greatest danger. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians slept late the morning after the feast. When they waked at +last, they came out of their huts one by one, and went toward the +French house. They were surprised to see it shut up, and everything +silent about it. They supposed that the French were at prayer, so they +waited quietly outside. They could hear the fowls crowing in the yard, +and when they knocked at the door of the house, the dog barked. Noon +came, and yet no Frenchmen appeared. +</p> + +<p> +Late in the afternoon the Indians climbed up the side of the house and +got in by a window. They could hear no sound but their own steps. They +were much frightened as they stole through the house and opened the +main door. They searched the building from top to bottom, but not a +Frenchman was to be found. +</p> + +<p> +As they were sure that the French had no boats, they were struck with +fear. They gazed a moment at each other in silence. Then they fled +from the house. They believed that the Frenchmen had, by some magic, +made themselves invisible; that is, so that they could not be seen. +They believed that the French had flown away through the air, or +walked off on the water. +</p> + +<p> +Meanwhile the French passed down Lake Ontario through many dangers. +They went down the River St. Lawrence, working their way over rapids +and waterfalls. At last they reached Montreal, where the people looked +on them as men that had come up from the grave. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Bear"></a> +<p class="chapter">GRANDMOTHER BEAR. +</p> + + +<p> +Mr. Alexander Henry was made prisoner by the Indians on Lake Superior +when Fort Mackinaw was taken by Indians. This was in the time of the +Indian war which is called Pontiac's War, because the great chief +Pontiac started it. +</p> + +<p> +Nearly all the white men in Fort Mackinaw were killed, but Mr. Henry +was saved. He had an Indian friend named Wawatam, who paid for his +life. He went to live with Wawatam. He had his head shaved, and put on +the dress of an Indian. He lived and hunted as the Indians did. +</p> + +<p> +One day Mr. Henry saw a very large pine tree. Its trunk was six feet +in diameter. The bark had been scratched by a bear's claws. Far up on +the tree there was a large hole. All about this hole the small +branches were broken. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Henry looked at the snow. There were no bear tracks in it. So he +thought that an old bear had climbed up into the tree before the snow +fell. Bears sleep nearly all winter. They do not even come out to get +anything to eat. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Henry told the Indians about the tree. There was no way of getting +up to the bear's hole. They could not get the bear out except by +cutting down the tree. But the Indian women did not believe that the +Indians could do it. Their axes were too small to chop down so big a +tree. +</p> + +<p> +However, the Indians wanted the bear's oil, which is of great use to +them. It serves them for lard, and butter, and many other things. So +at the tree they went with their little axes. As many as could stand +about the tree worked at a time, and when one rested, another chopper +took his place. They all worked, men and women, and they chopped all +day. When the sun went down, they had chopped about halfway through +the tree. +</p> + +<p> +The next morning they began again. They chopped away until about two +o'clock. Then the top of the great pine tree began to tremble. Slowly +it leaned a little. Then the tree began to fall. Everybody got far out +of the way. It fell down among the other trees with a crash that made +the woods roar, and lay at last upon the ground. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/016.jpg" alt="Picture of a bear in a tree stump." width="338" height="311"> +</p> + +<p> +But no bear came out of the big tree. Mr. Henry began to be afraid +that there was no bear there. He thought such a crash was enough to +wake up the sleepiest bear in the world. At last the nose of a bear +was poked out of the hole. Then came the head. Then came out the great +brown body of one of the largest bears in the woods. Mr. Henry shot +the bear dead. +</p> + +<p> +Though the Indians kill and eat bears, they are very much afraid of +the ghosts of the bears after they are dead. They are more afraid of a +bear after it is dead than when it is alive. So, whenever an Indian +has killed a bear, he always begs the dead bear's pardon. Each of +these Indians now politely begged pardon of the bear. The old woman +who had adopted Mr. Henry for her son took the bear's head in her +hands and kissed it. She called it her grandmother, and asked it not +to do them any harm. The Indians told the dead bear that a white man +had killed it. Of course, the dead bear did not say anything. +</p> + +<p> +Though they called the bear their grandmother, they made haste to take +off its skin. They were glad to find that Grandma Bear was very fat. +It took two persons to carry home the fat. Four more were loaded with +the meat of this nice old relative of theirs. +</p> + +<p> +But still wishing to fool the bear's ghost, they carried the head also +to their tent. They put all kinds of silver trinkets on the head, and +many belts of wampum or shell beads on it. In order to please the +ghost of Grandmother Bear still more, they laid the head on a kind of +table that they made for it, and placed a large quantity of tobacco +near its nose. +</p> + +<p> +The next morning a feast was made to please the bear's ghost. The head +of the bear was lifted, and a new blanket was spread under it. All the +Indians lighted their pipes, and blew tobacco smoke into the bear's +nose. Wawatam made a speech to the bear's spirit. He told it they were +very sorry to have to kill their friends. But he said it could not be +helped, for, if they did not do this, they should starve to death. +</p> + +<p> +The speech being over, the whole party ate heartily of the bear's +flesh. After three days they even took down the head itself, and put +it into the kettle. Thus they ate their grandmother up, but they did +it very politely. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Turtle"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE GREAT TURTLE. +</p> + + +<p> +Among the Indians there are priests or medicine men who pretend to +cure diseases. They also pretend to talk to their gods and other +spirits. They have many ways of deceiving the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Alexander Henry, while a prisoner among the Indians, was present +when the tribe he was with asked advice of the Great Turtle, which is +one of the gods they believe in. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians had heard that there was an English army coming against +them. They were very much afraid, because they had killed or taken +prisoner all the English in Fort Mackinaw. They wished to send +messengers to make peace with the white men, but they were afraid the +white men would kill their messengers. In this state of mind, they +asked the Great Turtle what they would better do. +</p> + +<p> +They first built a large house or wigwam. In the middle of this they +set up five posts, and covered these posts with moose skins. This made +a little tent in the middle of the large wigwam. +</p> + +<p> +When night came on, they built fires in the wigwam outside of the +little tent. This lighted up the house where the Indians were seated. +Soon the priest came in. Some of the Indians lifted the moose skins on +one side of their little tent. The priest crept in on his hands and +knees. The little tent began to shake, and from the inside there came +sounds like the barking of dogs and the howling of wolves, with +screams and sobs, and cries of pain and sorrow. Words were spoken in +strange voices, and in a language which nobody could understand. These +voices the Indians had heard before, and they thought that they +belonged to evil spirits who would tell them lies. When they heard +these voices, the Indians hissed. They did not want to hear any spirit +but that of the Great Turtle. After a while these frightful noises +ceased. There was silence for a time. Then the Indians heard a new +voice. It was low and feeble, like the cry of a very young puppy. All +the Indians now clapped their hands for joy. They cried out that this +was the voice of the Great Turtle, the spirit that never lied. +</p> + +<p> +But now new voices came from the tent. For half an hour there were +sounds in many different voices, but none of them were like the +priest's own voice. When these sounds were no longer heard, the +medicine man spoke in his own voice, and declared that the Great +Turtle was present, and would answer any question that might be asked. +</p> + +<p> +The chief of the village now put a large quantity of tobacco into the +little tent. This was a sacrifice to the Great Turtle. Then he told +the priest to ask the Great Turtle whether the white men were coming +to make war on them, and whether there were many soldiers at Fort +Niagara. +</p> + +<p> +The medicine man put this question to the Great Turtle. The tent began +to shake so violently that it seemed about to fall over. Then a loud +cry came from the tent. This was to show that the Great Turtle was +leaving. +</p> + +<p> +For a quarter of an hour no sound was heard. Then the Great Turtle +returned. He now made a long speech to the priest in his little +squeaky, puppy voice, but it was spoken in a language which nobody +could understand. After the spirit's speech was finished, the medicine +man spoke in his own voice, and explained to the people that in the +last fifteen minutes the Great Turtle had crossed Lake Huron, and gone +to Fort Niagara, hundreds of miles away. Then he had gone on down to +Montreal. He said there were not many soldiers at Fort Niagara, but at +Montreal the river was covered with boats filled with soldiers. He +said the soldiers coming to make war on the Indians were as many as +the leaves on the trees. He told the Indians, that, if they would send +men to the general of this army, he would make peace with them, and +fill their canoes with presents of blankets, kettles, guns, powder, +and shot. And he said, what pleased them still more, that the general +would give them great barrels of rum. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians were so much delighted with this message, that many of +them set out, soon after, to go in boats to make peace with the white +men. No doubt this humbug of the medicine man was a plan to persuade +them to go. Mr. Henry was taken along to act as their friend. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Rattlesnake"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE RATTLESNAKE GOD. +</p> + + +<p> +Mr. Henry had traveled several days with the Indians going to Fort +Niagara to make peace. One day the wind was blowing so hard that they +could not go on. So they camped on a point in Lake Huron. +</p> + +<p> +While the Indians were building a hut, Mr. Henry was lighting a fire. +He went off a little way to get dry wood, and while he was picking up +sticks he heard a strange sound. It lasted only a little while; but, +when Mr. Henry went a little farther, it began again. He looked up +into the air to see where it came from. Then he looked down on the +ground, and saw a large rattlesnake coiled close to his naked leg. If +he had taken one step more, he would have stepped on it, and it would +have bitten him. +</p> + +<p> +He now ran back to the canoe to get his gun to kill the snake. +</p> + +<p> +"What are you doing?" asked the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +"I am going to kill a rattlesnake," he said. +</p> + +<p> +"Oh, no! don't do that," they said. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians all got their tobacco bags and pipes, and went to the +place where the snake had been seen. It was still lying in a coil. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"><img src="images/017.jpg" alt="Grandfather Rattlesnake." width="554" height="374"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Grandfather Rattlesnake.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The Indians now stood round the snake, and one after another spoke to +it. They called it their grandfather. But they took care not to go too +close to their grandfather. They stood oft and filled their pipes with +tobacco. Each one in turn blew tobacco smoke at the snake. The snake +seemed to like it. For half an hour it lay there in a coil, and +breathed the smoke. Then it slowly stretched itself out at full +length, and seemed in a very good humor. It was more than four feet +long. +</p> + +<p> +After having more smoke blown at it, it slowly crept away. The Indians +followed, begging their grandfather, as they called it, to take care +of their families while they were gone. They also asked that the snake +would open the heart of the English general so that he would give them +a great deal of rum. One of the chiefs begged the snake to take no +notice of the insult offered to him by the white man, who would have +killed it if the Indians had not stopped him. They also begged that it +would remain and live in their country. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians thought that the snake was a spirit or god in this form. +They thought that it had been sent to stop them on their way. They +were almost ready to turn back, but Mr. Henry persuaded them to go on. +</p> + +<p> +The next morning was calm. The Indians took a short course by sailing +straight to an island out in the lake. But after they had got far out, +the wind began to blow very hard. They expected every moment that +their canoe would be swallowed up by the waves. They began to pray to +the rattlesnake to help them. One of the chiefs resolved to make a +sacrifice to the snake. He took a dog, and tied its legs together, and +threw it into the water. He asked the snake spirit to be satisfied +with this. But the wind continued to grow higher, and so another dog +was thrown into the water, and some tobacco was thrown with it. The +chief told Grandfather Snake that the man who wanted to kill him was +really a white man, and no kin to the snake or to the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +Some of the Indians began to think of throwing Mr. Henry in after the +dog and the tobacco to satisfy the snake spirit; but the wind went +down, and they soon got to the island. Some days afterward the party +came to the fort. The English general was very glad to see Mr. Henry, +and his long captivity was over, in spite of the anger of the +rattlesnake god of the Indians. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Witchcraft"></a> +<p class="chapter">WITCHCRAFT IN LOUISIANA. +</p> + + +<p> +The Indian medicine men or priests have many ways of deceiving their +people. A French officer found that the people of a certain tribe +believed very much in an idol which a medicine man had set up. This +idol was called by a long name, Vistee-poolee-keek-apook. The Indians, +when they stood near, would sometimes hear it speak, and this seemed +to them a very wonderful thing. +</p> + +<p> +A French officer named Bossu tried to find out what made the idol +talk. He found a long reed, such as we call a cane pole, running from +the back of the idol's head to a cave or hollow in the rocks behind +the idol. This reed had been made into a hollow tube. In the cave +there was a medicine man who talked into the tube. The words coming +out of the other end in the idol's head were heard from the mouth of +the idol, as if the idol were speaking. Bossu showed the Indians the +trick, and then got one of his soldiers to destroy the idol. +</p> + +<p> +The soldier that destroyed the idol was so brave, that the Frenchmen +had given him a nickname which means "fearless." The medicine man +declared that some dreadful thing would fall on Fearless because he +had destroyed the idol. In order to make his people believe in the +power of this god that had been thrown down, he told them that there +was a witch or evil spirit which came to the village in the shape of a +little black panther. He said, that, whenever he pronounced the name +of his god, this little black panther would instantly disappear. +</p> + +<p> +You see, the cunning old medicine man had somehow got hold of a large +black cat with yellow eyes. Cats were not common among the Indians, +these animals having been brought by the white people. Such a cat as +this, the Indians had never seen. The medicine man kept the cat in his +cabin, and trained it. He would strike it with a whip, crying out +every time he struck it, "Vistee-poolee-keek-apook!" +</p> + +<p> +The poor cat became afraid of the long ugly name of the Indian god, +because the whip and the name always came together. One day the black +cat crept into the cabin of an Indian woman to get something to eat. +The medicine man who was near by saw it. He said the name of his god +in his common voice. The cat, which the Indians believed to be a +witch, jumped like lightning through the hole in the cabin that was +used for a window. The Indians really believed that they had seen an +evil spirit in the shape of a little black panther, and that it +disappeared when the medicine man spoke the name of his god. +</p> + +<p> +After that, every time an Indian saw this black cat, or little black +panther, as it was called, he spoke the name of this terrible god. Of +course, the black cat with yellow eyes ran away. Tired out at last +with being driven off in this fashion, the cat disappeared entirely, +and took up its home with the wild animals in the woods, where it +could not hear the terrible name of the idol any more. +</p> + +<p> +Bossu afterward made use of the Indians' belief in spirits for his own +purpose. One of his soldiers had been killed by one of the Indians. +Bossu could not find out who killed the soldier, or even to what tribe +the Indian that killed him belonged. He wanted to punish or frighten +the murderer in order to save the lives of the rest of the French +soldiers. +</p> + +<p> +He called the chief of the Indians, and told him that one of his men +was missing. He said he was sure the man had not run away. He +therefore asked that the Indians should find the man, and said, that, +if he were not found, he should have to think that some of the Indians +had killed him. +</p> + +<p> +The chief answered that the white soldier had probably gone hunting in +the woods, and killed himself accidentally with his gun, or else he +had been killed by a panther. To this Bossu replied that the animal +would not have eaten the gun or the clothes of the soldier. He said +that if the Indians would find the Frenchman's gun, or bits of his +clothes, they could easily show that he had been killed by a wild +animal. +</p> + +<p> +Bossu had a friend among the Indians who was very much attached to +him. He persuaded this young Indian to tell him to what tribe the +murderer of the Frenchman belonged, but he solemnly promised that the +other Indians should never know who had told him. He paid the young +Indian for telling him. +</p> + +<p> +The Frenchman who was called Fearless now undertook to have the man +who had killed the other soldier punished, for the dead soldier had +been his friend. But it was necessary that he should not let the +Indians know who had told about it. Fearless stripped off a great +quantity of bark of the pawpaw tree. He thought he would play a trick +like that of the medicine man, and make the Indians believe that a +spirit was talking to them. He did everything very secretly. By +fastening pieces of the pawpaw bark together with pitch, he managed to +make a very large speaking trumpet, which would carry the voice a long +distance. +</p> + +<p> +When he had finished this trumpet, he left the camp one very dark +night. He carried with him his gun, some food, and a gourd full of +water. He had also a bearskin of which to make a bed, and a buffalo +robe to cover himself with. With these things he hid himself on a +hill. This hill was near the Indian camp. From the top of it Fearless +could make his voice heard for three miles round by the aid of his +great pawpaw trumpet. +</p> + +<p> +He shouted through this great bark trumpet what seemed to be words in +an unknown language, such as the Indian medicine man used. The +frightful noise sounded through the woods. It did not seem to come +from anywhere. The Indians thought that these cries came down from the +sky. The Indian women were thrown into a great fright, and even the +warriors and chiefs were alarmed. They said that the Master of Life +was angry with their tribe, and that this horrible voice showed that +something bad was going to happen to them. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/018.jpg" alt="Man shouting through great bark trumpet." width="528" height="383"></p> + +<p> +The day after the voice was heard, the old men of the tribe came to +consult Bossu about this strange noise. Bossu told them that the white +soldier who had been killed could not rest. He said that every night +his voice was heard, though nothing could be seen. He said that the +voice cried out in a melancholy tone, "I am the white soldier that +went with the French captain. I was killed by a man of the tribe of +the Kanoatinos. Frenchmen, revenge my death." +</p> + +<p> +The Indians now saw that it was of no use for them to tell any more +lies about the death of the white man. They believed that the +soldier's ghost had told the Frenchmen all about it. They confessed +the murder, but they explained that the white soldier had provoked it +when he was drunk, by bad treatment of the Indian who killed him. +</p> + +<p> +Captain Bossu was not willing to take their excuses. He told them, +that, if the soldier had done wrong, he ought to have been brought to +his own captain to be punished. He said, "If one of my soldiers should +kill one of your Indians, I would put him to death. You must do the +same with the Indian who killed my soldier." +</p> + +<p> +The oldest of the chiefs now commanded one of his men to go and seize +the guilty man, bind him, and bring him in to be put to death, in +order that the ghost of the French soldier might no longer trouble +them. +</p> + +<p> +Captain Bossu did not wish to put the Indian to death. He knew that +the French soldier had very greatly wronged and provoked the Indian. +He got his young Indian friend to go to the wife of the chief of the +Kanoatinos, and say to her that she might beg the life of the guilty +man. The young Indian told the chief's wife that Captain Bossu would +not refuse her anything. The woman went, and begged that the Indian +might be spared. Bossu consented that the Indian should live, but said +that he did it as a favor to the chief's wife. +</p> + +<p> +The chief then turned to the condemned Indian, and said to him, "You +were dead, but the captain of the white warriors has brought you to +life at the request of the chief's wife." The white people and Indians +then smoked the pipe of peace together. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Niagara"></a> +<p class="chapter">A STORY OF NIAGARA. +</p> + + +<p> +Many years ago, the falls of Niagara, then in the midst of a great +wilderness, and a long way from the homes of the white people, seemed +even more wonderful than they do now. In those days, travelers from +other countries made long journeys through the woods to see this +wonderful waterfall. Indians lived about it, and there was a fort near +by, belonging to the French. +</p> + +<p> +Wild swans, geese, and ducks used to swim in the Niagara River. +Sometimes great flocks of them lost their lives by going over the +falls. Water fowl are fond of floating on smooth, moving water. The +wild geese and ducks would take great delight in finding themselves +shooting down toward the falls. Sometimes they would try to rise and +fly when it was too late. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/019.jpg" alt="Niagara Falls" width="516" height="399"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Niagara Falls.</i> +</p> + +<p> +In the autumn the soldiers of the fort used to get their meat by +taking from the water below the falls the ducks and geese that had +been killed in this way. Sometimes they would find a deer or a bear +that had been carried over in trying to swim across the river above +the falls. +</p> + +<p> +In the midst of the falls is an island. Many years ago two Indians +were hunting far above the falls. They had with them a little brandy, +which they drank. This made them sleepy, and they lay down and went to +sleep in their canoe, which was tied to the shore. The canoe got loose +from the shore, and floated down the stream farther and farther, until +it came near to the island which is in the falls. +</p> + +<p> +The roar of the falls awakened one of them. He cried out to the other, +"We are lost!" But by hard work they succeeded in landing the canoe at +the island. +</p> + +<p> +At first they were very glad, but after a while they thought it might +have been better if they had gone over the falls. They had now no +choice but to die of hunger on the island, or to throw themselves into +the water. +</p> + +<p> +At the lower end of the island there is no water running over the +falls. The Indians stripped the bark from a linden or basswood tree. +This bark is very tough and strong. They made a kind of rope ladder of +it. They made it so long that it reached to the water below the falls. +The upper end of this bark ladder they tied fast to a great tree that +grew on the island. The other end they let down to the water below the +falls. +</p> + +<p> +Then they went down this ladder until they came to the bottom. The +water was roaring on both sides of them, but they had a place to +stand. Here they rested a little while. The water in front of them was +not rapid. They jumped into it, intending to swim ashore. But the +water that pours in from the falls on each side, runs back against the +rocks in this place. Every time the Indians tried to swim, they were +thrown back against the rocks from which they started. At last they +were so much bruised and scratched, they were obliged to give up this +plan. So they climbed back up their bark stairs to the island, not +knowing what to do. +</p> + +<p> +After a while they saw other Indians on the shore. They cried out to +these to come and help them. The other Indians did not know what to +do. They had no way of getting to the island. If they had tried to get +there in a canoe, they would have been carried over the falls +themselves. They went to the fort, and told the commander about it. He +had poles made, and pointed with iron. He persuaded two Indians to +take these poles, and walk with them to the island. +</p> + +<p> +These two Indians took leave of all their friends as if they were +going to die. Each of them took two poles in his hands. They set these +poles against the bottom of the river to keep themselves steady, while +they waded through the water. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but +at last they got to the island. Then they gave a pole to each of the +two Indians, and all four of them started back again. By the help of +the poles they managed to get to the shore in safety. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Alligators"></a> +<p class="chapter">AMONG THE ALLIGATORS. +</p> + + +<p> +Before the Revolution there lived in Pennsylvania a man named William +Bartram. He was a botanist; that is to say, a man who knew a great +deal about different kinds of plants. Wishing to see the plants and +animals of the South, he traveled through South Carolina and Georgia, +and so on into Florida. +</p> + +<p> +In a little canoe, Bartram set out to go up the St. Johns River. He +took an Indian along for a guide, but the Indian got tired of the +trip, and left him. Bartram kept on up the river alone. The country +was wild, and the river was filled with great alligators. +</p> + +<p> +Bartram saw two large alligators fighting. They ran at each other from +opposite sides of the river. They lashed the water with their tails. +They met in the middle of the river, and fought with great fury, +making the water boil all round them. They twisted themselves one +round the other, and sank to the bottom fighting. Their struggles at +the bottom brought up a great deal of mud. +</p> + +<p> +Soon they came to the top once more, clapping their great jaws +together, and roaring. They fell on each other again, and sank to the +bottom. But one of them was by this time beaten. He swam away into the +reeds on the bank. The other rose to the top of the water, and +celebrated his victory by a loud roaring sound. All the alligators +along the shore joined in the horrible roaring at the same time. +</p> + +<p> +The alligators had gathered in great crowds at certain places to catch +the fish that were coming up from the sea. Bartram wanted some fish +for his supper. He took a stick to beat off the alligators, and got +into his canoe. But the farther he paddled from the shore, the more +the alligators crowded round him. Several of them tried to overturn +his canoe. Two large ones attacked him at the same time, with their +heads above the water, and their mouths spouting water all over the +botanist. They struck their jaws together so close to his ears that +the sound almost stunned him. +</p> + +<p> +Bartram beat them off with his club, and paddled for the shore. When +he got near the shore, the alligators left him. He went a little +farther up the river, and got some fish. When he came back, he kept +close to the shore. One alligator twelve feet long followed him. When +Bartram went ashore near his camp, the creature crept close to his +feet, and lay there looking at him for some time. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/020.jpg" alt="An alligator." width="542" height="382"></p> + +<p> +Bartram ran to his camp to get his gun. When he came back, the +alligator was climbing into his boat to get the fish he had caught. He +fired his gun, and killed the great beast. But while he was cleaning +his fish, another one crept up to him, and would have dragged him into +the water if Bartram had not looked up just in time to get out of his +way. The next day he was pursued by more alligators; but he beat them +off with his club, and got away. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Jasper"></a> +<p class="chapter">JASPER. +</p> + + +<p> +"Marion'S Men" were famous in the Revolution for their bold +adventures. The best known of all these bold men was Sergeant Jasper. +At the battle of Fort Moultrie, when the flag of the fort was shot +away, Jasper jumped down outside of the works, and picked it up. The +balls were raining round him all the time he was outside, but he +coolly fastened the flag to a rod which was used to wipe out the +cannon, and then stuck it up in the sand of the breastworks. +</p> + +<p> +When General Moultrie saw what he had done, he took off his own sword +and gave it to Sergeant Jasper. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/021.jpg" alt="General Moultrie giving his sword to Sergeant Jasper." width="539" height="370"></p> + +<p> +When Moultrie and his men were hiding in the swamps of South Carolina, +Moultrie would send Jasper to find out what the British were doing. +Jasper could change his looks so that nobody would know him. He often +went into the British camp, pretending to be on that side. +</p> + +<p> +Once he took a friend with him, and paid a visit to the British +soldiers. While he was there, a small party of American prisoners were +brought in. The wife of one of the prisoners had come with her +husband, carrying her child. As these men had once fought on the +English side, they were all likely to be put to death. Jasper felt +sorry for them, and resolved to deliver them if he could. +</p> + +<p> +The prisoners were sent to Savannah for trial. Jasper and his friend +left the British camp soon afterward, but they went in the opposite +direction. When they got far enough away, they turned about and +followed the party with the prisoners. But what could they do for +these poor fellows? There were ten men with muskets to guard the +prisoners. Neither Jasper nor his friend had a gun. +</p> + +<p> +But they knew that near Savannah there was a famous spring of water. +They thought the party would stop there to eat and drink. So Jasper +and his friend went on swiftly, by a path little known. When they came +near the spring, they hid in the bushes. +</p> + +<p> +When the soldiers with their prisoners came to the spring, they +halted. The prisoners sat down on the ground. The woman sat down near +her husband. Her baby fell asleep in her lap. Six of the soldiers laid +down their arms, and four stood guard. +</p> + +<p> +Two of these went to the spring to get water, and, in doing this, they +were obliged to put down their guns. In an instant Jasper and his +friend leaped out of the bushes and seized the two guns. They killed +the two guards who had guns, before the latter could shoot them. Then +they knocked down every man who resisted them, and got possession of +all the rest of the guns of the British. With these they took the +eight soldiers prisoners. They now gave guns to the American +prisoners, and marched away with the eight British soldiers in +captivity. +</p> + +<p> +Jasper was one of the boldest of men. He did many brave things, but at +last he lost his life in saving the flag of his company in battle. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Marions"></a> +<p class="chapter">SONG OF MARION'S MEN. +</p> + +<div class="poem"> +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Our band is few, but tried and true,</p> +<p class="i2">Our leader frank and bold:</p> +<p>The British soldier trembles</p> +<p class="i2">When Marion's name is told.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>We have no fort but dark green woods,</p> +<p class="i2">Our tent's a shady tree:</p> +<p>We know the forest round us</p> +<p class="i2">As sailors know the sea.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>With merry songs we mock the wind</p> +<p class="i2">That in the tree top grieves,</p> +<p>And slumber long and sweetly</p> +<p class="i2">On beds of rustling leaves.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>Well knows the fair and friendly moon</p> +<p class="i2">The band that Marion leads,—</p> +<p>The glitter of their rifles,</p> +<p class="i2">The scampering of their steeds.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>'Tis life to ride the fiery horse</p> +<p class="i2">Across the moonlight plain;</p> +<p>'Tis life to feel the night wind</p> +<p class="i2">That lifts his tossing mane.</p></div> + +<div class="stanza"> +<p>A moment in the British camp—</p> +<p class="i2">A moment—and away</p> +<p>Back to the pathless forest,</p> +<p class="i2">Before the peep of day.</p></div></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> + ADAPTED FROM BRYANT. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/022.jpg" alt="One of Marion's Men, on horseback, holding a lance." width="343" height="646"></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="BraveGirl"></a> +<p class="chapter">A BRAVE GIRL. +</p> + + +<p> +In the time of the Revolution, a regiment of Hessian soldiers hired +to fight on the British side were camped in South Carolina. They took +possession of the lower part of the house of a farmer named Gibbes. The +family were forced to retire to the upper story. +</p> + +<p> +Two American boats came up the Stono River, and attacked these +Hessians. Cannon balls were soon falling all about the house. Mr. +Gibbes, who was so ill that he could hardly walk, got leave to move his +family to another place. To do this, the whole family had to cross a +field where the cannon balls were flying thick. At last they got out of +reach of the cannons. Then they remembered that a little baby had been +left behind. Neither Mr. Gibbes nor his wife was able to travel back to +the house again. The negroes were too much frightened to go. All the +rest were children. +</p> + +<p> +Little Mary Anne Gibbes was only thirteen years old. The baby that had +been left was her cousin. +</p> + +<p> +"I will go and get him," she said. +</p> + +<p> +It was a dark and stormy night. She went back into the heat of the +battle. When she reached the house, the soldier who stood at the door +would not let her go in. But, with tears in her eyes, she begged so +hard that he let her pass. In the third story of the house she found +the baby. +</p> + +<p> +Then downstairs, and out into the darkness and the crash of battle, she +went. The cannon balls scattered dust over her and the baby when they +struck near her, but she got back to her family at last, carrying the +baby safe in her arms. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Prisoner"></a> +<p class="chapter">A PRISONER AMONG THE INDIANS. +</p> + + +<p> +James Smith lived in Pennsylvania. He was taken prisoner by the Indians +just before the famous defeat of General Braddock. He was then about +eighteen years old. The Indians took him to the French fort where +Pittsburg now is. They made him run the gauntlet; that is, they made +him run between two lines of Indians, who were beating him all the way. +He was so badly beaten that he became unconscious, and was ill for a +good while after. But at length he got well, and the Indians took him +to their own country in what is now the State of Ohio. +</p> + +<p> +When they arrived at their own town, they did not kill him, as he +thought they would; but an Indian pulled the hair out of his head with +his fingers, leaving only the hair that grew on a spot about the crown. +Part of this he cut off short. The rest was twisted up in Indian +fashion, so as to make him look like a savage. They pierced his ears, +and put earrings in them. Then they pierced his nose, and put in a nose +ring. They stripped off his clothing, and put on the light clothing +that an Indian wears about the middle of his body. They painted his +head where the hair had been plucked out, and painted his face and +body, in several colors. They put some beads about his neck, and silver +bands upon his arms. +</p> + +<p> +All this time James thought they were dressing him up to kill him. But, +when they had decked him in this way, an old chief led him out into the +village street. Holding the young man by the hand, he cried out,— +</p> + +<p> +"Koowigh, Koowigh, Koowigh!" +</p> + +<p> +All the Indians came running out of their houses when they heard this. +The old chief made them a long speech in a loud voice. James could not +understand what this speech was about. When it was ended, the chief +handed James over to three young Indian women. +</p> + +<p> +James thought the young squaws were going to put him to death. They led +him down the bank into the river. The squaws made signs for him to +plunge himself into the water; but, as he thought they wished to drown +him, he refused. He was not going to drown himself to please them. The +young women then seized him, and tried to put him under water. But he +would not be put down All this time the Indians on the bank were +laughing heartily. +</p> + +<p> +Then one of the young squaws, who could speak a little English, said, +"No hurt you." Smith now gave up to them, and they scrubbed him well, +dipping his head under water. +</p> + +<p> +When he came out of the water, he was dressed up in a lot of Indian +finery. The Indians put feathers in his hair, and made him sit down on +a bearskin. They gave him a pipe, and a tomahawk, and a bag of tobacco +and dried sumach leaves to smoke. Then they made a speech to him, which +an Indian who could speak English explained to him. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/023.jpg" alt="James Smith sitting on a Bearskin." width="559" height="392"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>James Smith sitting on a Bearskin.</i> +</p> + +<p> +They said that he had been made a member of an Indian family in place +of a great man who had been killed. And then they gave him a wooden +bowl and a spoon, and took him to a feast, where Indian politeness +required that he should eat all the food given to him. +</p> + +<p> +After James Smith was adopted by the Indians, he learned to live in +their way. He learned how to make little bowls out of elm bark to catch +maple-sugar sap, and how to make great casks out of the bark to hold +the sap till it could be boiled. He learned how to make a bearskin into +a pouch to hold bear's oil, of which the Indians were very fond. They +mixed their hominy with bear's oil and maple sugar, and they cooked +their venison in oil and sugar also. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians gave James an Indian name. They called him Scouwa. The +Indians gave him a gun. Once when they trusted him to go into the woods +alone, he got lost, and staid out all night. Then they took away his +gun, and gave him a bow and arrow, such as boys carried. For nearly two +years he had to carry a bow and arrows like a boy. +</p> + +<p> +He was once left behind when there was a great snowstorm. He could not +find the footsteps of the others, on account of the driving snow. But +after a while he found a hollow tree. There was a little room three +feet wide in the inside of the tree. He chopped a great many sticks +with his tomahawk to close up the opening in the side of the tree. He +left only a hole big enough for him to crawl in through. He fixed a +block for a kind of door, so as to close this hole by drawing the door +shut when he was inside. When the hole was shut, it was dark in the +tree. +</p> + +<p> +But James, or Scouwa as he was called, could stand up in the tree. He +broke up rotten wood to make a bed like a large goose nest. He danced +up and down on his bed till he was warm. Then he wrapped his blanket +about him and lay down to sleep, first putting his damp moccasins under +his head to keep them from freezing. When he awoke, it was dark. The +hole in the tree was so well closed that he could not tell whether it +was daylight or not, but he waited a long time to be sure that day had +come. +</p> + +<p> +Then he felt for the opening. At last he found it. He pushed on the +block that he had used for a door, but three feet of snow had fallen +during the night. All his strength would not move the block. He was a +prisoner under the snow. Not one ray of light could get into this dark +hole. +</p> + +<p> +Scouwa was now frightened. Not knowing what to do, he lay down again +and wrapped his blanket round him, and tried to think of a way to get +out. He said a little prayer to God. Then he felt for the block again. +This time he pushed and pushed with all his might. The block moved a +few inches, and snow came tumbling through the hole. This let a little +daylight in, and Scouwa was happy. +</p> + +<p> +After a while he pulled his blanket tight about him, stuck his tomahawk +in his belt, and took his bow in hand. Then he dug his way out through +the snow into the daylight. +</p> + +<p> +All the paths were buried under the deep snow. The young man had no +compass. The sun was not shining. How could he tell one direction from +another, or find his way to the Indian camp? The tall, straight trees, +especially those that stand alone, have moss on the north or northwest +side. By looking closely at these trees, he found out which way to go. +It was about noon when he got to the camp. The Indians had made +themselves snowshoes to go in search of him. +</p> + +<p> +They all gathered about him, glad to see him. But Indians do not ask +questions at such a time. They led the young man to a tent. There they +gave him plenty of fat beaver meat to eat. Then they asked him to +smoke. While he was resting here, they were building up a large fire in +the open air. Scouwa's Indian brother asked him to come out to the +fire. Then all the Indians young and old, gathered about him. +</p> + +<p> +His Indian brother now asked him to tell what had happened to him. +Scouwa began at the beginning, and told all that had occurred. The +Indians listened with much eagerness. +</p> + +<p> +Then the Indian brother made him a speech. He told the young man that +they were glad to see him alive. He told him he had behaved like a man. +He said, "You will one day be a great man, and do some great things." +</p> + +<p> +Soon after this, the Indians bought him a gun, paying for it with +skins, and he became a hunter. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Hungry"></a> +<p class="chapter">HUNGRY TIMES IN THE WOODS. +</p> + + +<p> +When James Smith, or Scouwa, had been some years among the Indians, he +was in a winter camp with two of his adopted brothers. The younger of +these, with his family, went away to another place. Scouwa was left +with the older brother and his little son. +</p> + +<p> +The older brother was a very wise Indian. He had thought much about +many things. He talked to his young white brother on many subjects, and +James always remembered him as a great man. +</p> + +<p> +The wise Indian was now suffering from rheumatism. He could hardly move +out of his winter hut at all. But he bore it all with gentle patience. +Scouwa had to do all the hunting for himself, the old man, and the boy. +</p> + +<p> +Almost the only food to be had was deer meat. From time to time Scouwa +succeeded in killing a deer. But at last there came a crust of snow. +Whenever the hunter tried to creep up to a deer, the crust would break +under his feet with a little crash, and the noise would frighten the +deer away. After a while there was no food in the cabin. +</p> + +<p> +Once Scouwa hunted two days without coming back to the cabin, and with +nothing to eat. He came back at last empty-handed. +</p> + +<p> +The wise Indian asked him, "What luck did you have, brother?" +</p> + +<p> +"None at all," said Scouwa. +</p> + +<p> +"Are you not very hungry?" asked the Indian. +</p> + +<p> +"I do not feel so hungry now as I did," said the young man, "but I am +very faint and weary." +</p> + +<p> +Then the lame Indian told the little boy to bring something to eat. The +boy had made a broth out of the dry old bones of foxes and wild-cats +that lay about the camp. Scouwa ate this broth eagerly, and liked it. +</p> + +<p> +Then the old chief talked to Scouwa. He told him that the Great Spirit +would provide food for them. He talked in this way for some time. +</p> + +<p> +At last he said, "Brother, go to sleep, and rise early in the morning +and go hunting. Be strong, and act like a man. The Great Spirit will +direct your way." +</p> + +<p> +In the morning James set out early, but the deer heard his feet +breaking through the snow crust. Whenever he caught sight of them, they +were already running away. The young man now grew very hungry. He made +up his mind to escape from the Indians, and to try to reach his home in +Pennsylvania. He knew that Indian hunters would probably see him and +kill him, but he was so nearly starved that he did not care for his +life. +</p> + +<p> +He walked very fast, traveling toward the east. All at once he saw +fresh buffalo tracks. He followed these till he came in sight of the +buffaloes; then, faint as he was, he ran on ahead of the animals, and +hid himself. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/024.jpg" alt="Scouwa shoots a Buffalo." width="531" height="385"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Scouwa shoots a Buffalo.</i> +</p> + +<p> +When the buffaloes came near, he fired his gun, and killed a large +buffalo cow. He quickly kindled a fire, and cut off a piece of the +meat, which he put to roast by the fire. But he was too hungry to wait. +He took his meat away from the fire, and ate it before it was cooked. +</p> + +<p> +When his hunger was satisfied, he began to think about the wise Indian +and his little boy. He could not bear to leave them to starve, so he +gave up his plan of escaping. +</p> + +<p> +He hung the meat of the buffalo where the wolves could not get at it. +Then he took what he could carry, and traveled back thirteen tedious +miles through the snow. +</p> + +<p> +It was moonlight when he got to the hut. The wise Indian was as +good-natured as ever. He did not let hunger make him cross. He asked +Scouwa if he were not tired. He told the little boy to make haste and +cook some meat. +</p> + +<p> +"I will cook for you," said Scouwa. "Let the boy roast some meat for +himself." +</p> + +<p> +The boy threw some meat on the coals, but he was so hungry that he ate +it before it was cooked. Scouwa cut some buffalo meat into thin slices, +and put the slices into a kettle to stew for the starving man. When +these had boiled awhile, he was going to take them off, but the Indian +said, +</p> + +<p> +"No, let it cook enough." +</p> + +<p> +And so, hungry as he was, the wise Indian waited till the meat was well +cooked, and then ate without haste, and talked about being thankful to +the Great Spirit. +</p> + +<p> +The next day Scouwa started back for another load of buffalo meat. When +he had gone five miles, he saw a tree which a bear had taken for its +winter home. The hole in the tree was far from the ground. Scouwa made +some bundles of dry, half-rotten wood. These he put on his back, and +then climbed a small tree that stood close to the one with a hole in +it. The rotten wood he touched to a burning stick from a fire he had +kindled. Then he dropped the smoking bundles of rotten wood one after +another down into the bear's den, and quickly slid to the ground again. +</p> + +<p> +The bear did not like smoke. After a while he crawled out of the hole +to get breath. Scouwa shot him. +</p> + +<p> +He hung the bear meat out of the reach of wolves, and carried back to +the hut all that he could take at one time. The old man and the boy +were greatly pleased when they heard that there was bear meat as well +as buffalo meat in plenty. After this they had food enough. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Scouwa"></a> +<p class="chapter">SCOUWA BECOMES A WHITE MAN AGAIN. +</p> + + +<p> +The next year after this hard winter in the woods, the Indians that +Scouwa lived with went down the River St. Lawrence to Canada. At this +time Canada belonged to the French. The French were at war with the +English, to whom Pennsylvania belonged. The Indians were on the side of +the French. +</p> + +<p> +Scouwa heard that there were prisoners from his country who were to be +sent back in exchange for French prisoners. He slipped away from the +Indians, and went to Montreal. Here he put himself among the other +prisoners. +</p> + +<p> +After a while the prisoners were sent back to their own country. Scouwa +came to his own family again. They did not know that he was alive. He +put on white man's clothes. He let his hair grow like a white man's. He +spoke English once more. He was no longer called Scouwa, but James +Smith. But still he walked like an Indian. All his movements were those +of an Indian. He had lived nearly six years among the savages. +</p> + +<p> +He afterward became a colonel among the white men. He moved to +Kentucky, and fought against the Indians. But he made his men dress and +fight as the red men did. He thought it was the best way of fighting in +the woods. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Baby"></a> +<p class="chapter">A BABY LOST IN THE WOODS. +</p> + + +<p> +When people first began to move across the Alleghany Mountains, there +were no roads for wagons; but there were narrow paths called trails. +Families traveled to the west, carrying their goods on horseback along +these trails. Here is a story that will show you how they traveled. +</p> + +<p> +Among those who went from Virginia to Kentucky, in 1781, was a man +named Benjamin Craig, who took his whole family with him. Mr. Craig +wore a hunting shirt and leggings of buckskin and a fur cap. Like all +men in the backwoods, he carried a hatchet and a knife stuck in his +belt, and he almost always had his old-fashioned flintlock rifle on his +right shoulder. A horn to hold powder was worn under his left arm, and +supported by a string over his right shoulder. He had a little buckskin +bag of bullets fastened to his belt. At the head of the party, he +traveled over the mountains on foot, walking before his horses. +</p> + +<p> +The horses came one after another. On the first horse rode Mrs. Craig. +She carried her baby in her arms. Tied on the back of the horse were a +pot and a skillet for frying. In a bag on the same horse were some +pewter plates and cups, and a few knives and forks. +</p> + +<p> +The horse on which Mrs. Craig rode was followed by a pack horse; that +is, a horse carrying things fastened on his back. This horse was led by +means of a rope halter, the end of which was tied to the saddle of the +horse in front. The pack on his back contained some meal and some salt. +This was all the food the family carried for the long journey over the +mountains. Mr. Craig expected to get meat by shooting deer or wild +turkeys in the woods. +</p> + +<p> +The same pack horse carried a flat piece of iron to make a plow, and +some hoes and axes. The hoes and axes were without handles, except one +ax, which was used to cut firewood during the journey. Handles could be +made for the tools after the family got to Kentucky. +</p> + +<p> +Behind this horse another one was tied. He carried two great +basket-like things hanging on each side of him. These baskets or crates +were made of hickory boughs. All the clothing and bedding that people +could take on such long and rough journeys was stored in these crates. +</p> + +<p> +In the middle of each crate a hole was left. In one of these holes rode +little Master George, a boy of six. In the other was stowed Betsey, a +girl of four. One fine day during the journey, the baby was put into +the basket by the side of Betsey, and then the two older children +amused themselves by pointing out to the baby the things they saw by +the wayside. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/025.jpg" alt="Children in open crates attached to the sides of a horse." width="529" height="174"></p> + + +<p> +At length the narrow trail or path passed along the edge of a dangerous +cliff. George and Betsey shut their eyes, so as not to see how steep +the place was. They were afraid the horse might fall off, and they be +dashed to pieces. But baby Ben only laughed and crowed, for what did a +little fellow like him know about danger. A hired man walked behind the +last horse to see that nothing was lost. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/026.jpg" alt="Horses and hired man at the end of the procession." width="531" height="172"></p> + +<p> +When night came, the horses were unloaded and turned loose. The little +bells tied round their necks had been stuffed with grass during the day +to keep them from jingling. This grass was removed, and the bells set +a-tinkling, so that the horses could be found in the morning. The tired +pack horses began at once to eat the long grass, now and then nibbling +the boughs of young trees. +</p> + + +<p> +A fire was built by a stream, and supper was cooked. If it had been +raining, the men would have built a little tent of boughs or bark for +the family, but, as the weather was clear, beds were made of grass and +dry leaves in the open air. The whole family slept under blue woolen +coverlets, with only the starry sky for shelter. The fire was kept up +for fear of wolves. +</p> + +<p> +In the morning the children played about while the mother got +breakfast. When the meal was over, Mr. Craig and the hired man went to +look for one of the horses that had strayed away. Baby Ben climbed into +his mother's lap, as she sat upon the log, and fell asleep. In order to +have things all packed by the time the men returned, the mother laid +the little fellow on some long dry grass that grew among the boughs of +a fallen tree. When the father returned, it was nine o'clock. He +hurried the mother upon her horse among the pots and pans, saying that +he wished to overtake a company of travelers that was ahead of him, so +as to travel more safely. +</p> + +<p> +"Now fetch me the baby," said Mrs. Craig. +</p> + +<p> +"No, mother, please let the baby ride with me again," said little +Betsey, just come back from washing her face in the creek. +</p> + +<p> +"All right," said Mrs. Craig. "Put the baby on with the children. This +horse is slow, and I will ride on. You can bring the other horses, and +catch up with me soon." +</p> + +<p> +By the time the second horse was loaded, and George and Betsey were +stowed away in their baskets, both the father and Betsey had forgotten +about the baby. The mother had got so far ahead that it took the other +horses nearly an hour to overtake her's. +</p> + +<p> +"Where is the baby?" cried the mother when she looked back and saw but +two children on the horse behind. +</p> + +<p> +Sure enough, where was the baby? Lying under a tree top in the lonesome +woods, where there might be fierce wolves, great panthers, or hungry +wildcats. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Craig was almost frantic when he thought of the baby's danger. He +stripped the things from the middle horse, and sprang on his back, gun +in hand. He laid whip to the horse, and was soon galloping back over +the rough path. For more than an hour the mother and children waited +with the hired man, to learn whether the baby had been killed by some +wild animal or not. +</p> + +<p> +At last the sound of Mr. Craig's horse coming back was heard, and all +held their breath. As the father came in sight in a full gallop, he +shouted, "Here he is, safe and sound! The little rascal hadn't waked +up." +</p> + +<p> +Mrs. Craig and Betsey shed tears of joy. George turned his face away, +and wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve. He wasn't going to cry: he was +a boy. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Zane"></a> +<p class="chapter">ELIZABETH ZANE. +</p> + + +<p> +On the banks of the Ohio River, near the place where the city of +Wheeling now stands, there was once a fort called Fort Henry. This fort +was of the kind called a blockhouse, which is a house built of logs +made to fit close together. The upper part of the house jutted out +beyond the lower, in order that the men in the blockhouse might shoot +downwards at the Indians if they should come near the house to set it +on fire. Fort Henry was surrounded with a stockade; that is, a fence +made by setting posts in the ground close together. +</p> + +<p> +During the Revolutionary War the Indians in the neighborhood of this +fort were fighting on the side of the English. A large number of them +came to Fort Henry, and tried to take it. All the men that were sent +outside of the fort to fight the Indians were either killed, or kept +from going back. The women and the children of the village which stood +near had all gone into the fort for safety. +</p> + +<p> +When at last the fiercest attack of the Indians was made, there were +only twelve men and boys left inside of the fort. These men and boys +had made up their minds to do their best to save the lives of the women +and children who were with them. Every man and every boy in the fort +knew how to shoot a rifle. They had guns enough, but they had very +little powder. So they fired only when they were sure of hitting one of +the enemy. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians kept shooting all the time. Some of them crept near to the +blockhouse, and tried to shoot through the cracks, but the bullets of +the men inside brought down these brave warriors. +</p> + +<p> +After many hours of fighting, the Indians went off a little way to +rest. The white men had now used nearly all their gunpowder. They began +to wish for a keg of powder that had been left in one of the houses +outside. They knew that whoever should go for this would be seen and +fired at by the Indians. He would have to run to the house and back +again. The colonel called his men together, and told them he did not +wish to order any man to do so dangerous a thing as to get the powder, +but he said he should like to have some one offer to go for it. +</p> + +<p> +Three or four young men offered to go. The colonel told them he could +not spare more than one of them. They must settle among themselves +which one should go. But each one of the brave fellows wanted to go, +and none of them was willing to give up to another. Then there stepped +forward a young woman named Elizabeth Zane. +</p> + +<p> +"Let me go for the powder," she said. +</p> + +<p> +The brave men were surprised. It would be a desperate thing for a man +to go. Nobody had dreamed that a woman would venture to do such a +thing, nor would any of them agree to let a young woman go into danger. +</p> + + +<p> +The colonel said, "No," her friends begged her not to run the risk. +They told her, besides, that any one of the young men could run faster +than she could. +</p> + +<p> +But Elizabeth said, "You cannot spare a single man. There are not +enough men in the fort now. If I am killed, you will be as strong to +fight as before. Let the young men stay where they are needed, and let +me go for the powder." +</p> + +<p> +She had made up her mind, and nobody could persuade her not to go. So +the gate of the fort was opened just wide enough for her to get out. +Her friends gave her up to die. +</p> + +<p> +Some of the Indians saw the gate open, and saw the young woman running +to the house, but they did not shoot at her. They probably thought that +they would not waste a bullet on a woman. They could make her a +prisoner at any time. +</p> + +<p> +She did not try to carry the powder keg, but she took the powder in a +girl's way. She filled her apron with it. When she came out of the +house with her apron full of powder, and started to run back to the +fort, the Indians fired at her. It happened that all of their bullets +missed her. The gate was opened again, and she got safely into the +fort. The men were glad that they had powder enough, and they all felt +braver than ever, after they had seen what a girl could do. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/027.jpg" alt="Elizabeth Zane's Return." width="393" height="461"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Elizabeth Zane's Return.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The Indians had seen the gate opened to let her out and to let her in +again. They thought they could force the gate open; but they could not +go and push against it, because the men in the blockhouse would shoot +them if they did. So they made a wooden cannon. They got a hollow log +and stopped up one end of it. Then they went to the blacksmith's shop +in the little village and got some chains. They tied these chains round +the log to hold it together. They had no cannon balls, so, after +putting gunpowder into the log, they put in stones and bits of iron. +After dark that evening they dragged this wooden cannon up near to the +gate. When all was ready, they touched off their cannon. The log cannon +burst into pieces, and killed some of the Indians, but did not hurt the +fort. +</p> + +<p> +The next day white men came from other places to help the men in the +fort. They got into the fort, and after a few more attacks the Indians +gave up the battle and went away. +</p> + +<p> +Whenever the story of the brave fight at Fort Henry is told, people do +not forget that the bravest one in it was the girl that brought her +apron full of gunpowder to the men in the fort. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Pirates"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE RIVER PIRATES. +</p> + + +<p> +A hundred years ago the country near the great rivers in the interior +of the United States was a wilderness. It contained only a few people, +and these lived in settlements which were widely separated from one +another. Hardly any of the great trees had been cut down. +</p> + +<p> +There were no roads, except Indian trails through the woods. Nearly all +travelers had to follow the rivers. Steamboats had not yet been +invented. Travelers made journeys on flatboats, keel boats, and barges. +It was easy enough to go down the Ohio and the Mississippi in this way, +but it was hard to come up again. It took about fifty men to work a +boat against the stream, and many months were spent in going up the +river. +</p> + +<p> +Boats were pushed up the river by means of poles. The boatmen pushed +these against the bottom of the river. When the water was deep or the +current very swift, a rope was taken out ahead of the boat, and tied to +a tree on the bank. The line was then slowly drawn in by means of a +capstan, and this drew the boat forward. +</p> + +<p> +Sometimes the boat was "cordelled," or towed by the men walking on the +shore and drawing the barge by a rope held on their shoulders. But when +there chanced to be a strong wind blowing upstream, the boatmen would +hoist sail, and joyfully make headway against the current without so +much toil. +</p> + +<p> +These slow-going boats were in danger from Indians. They were in even +greater danger from robbers, who hid themselves along the shore. Some +of these robbers lived in caves. Some kept boats hidden in the mouths +of streams that flowed into the large rivers. +</p> + +<p> +In 1787 all the country west of the Mississippi still belonged to +France. The French territory stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to what +is now Minnesota. It was all called Louisiana. New Orleans and St. +Louis were then French towns, and the travel between them was carried +on by means of boats, which floated down the stream, and were then +brought back by poles, ropes, and sails. +</p> + +<p> +The trip was as long as a voyage to China is nowadays. The boats or +barges set out from St. Louis in the spring, carrying furs. They got +back again in the fall with goods purchased in New Orleans. +</p> + +<p> +In this year, 1787, a barge belonging to a Mr. Beausoleil (bo-so-lay) +started from New Orleans to make the voyage to St. Louis. The goods +with which it was loaded were very valuable. Slowly the men toiled up +against the stream day after day. At length the little vessel came near +to the mouth of Cottonwood Creek. A well-known robber band lurked at +this place. With joy the boatmen saw a favorable wind spring up. They +spread their sails, and the driving gale carried the barge in safety +past the mouth of the creek. +</p> + +<p> +But the pirates of Cottonwood Creek were unwilling to lose so rich a +treasure. They sent a company of men by a short cut overland to head +off the barge at a place farther up the river. Two days after passing +Cottonwood Creek the bargemen brought the boat to land. They felt +themselves beyond danger. But the robbers came suddenly out of the +woods, took possession of the boat, and ordered the crew to return down +the river to Cottonwood Creek. +</p> + +<p> +When they turned back toward the robbers' den, Beausoleil was in +despair. His whole fortune was on the barge. He did not know whether +the robbers would kill him and his men, or not. The only man of the +crew who showed no regret was the cook. This cook was a fine-looking +and very intelligent mulatto slave named Cacasotte. Instead of +repining, he fell to dancing and laughing. +</p> + +<p> +"I am glad the boat was taken," he cried. "I have been beaten and +abused long enough. Now I am freed from a hard master." +</p> + +<p> +Cacasotte devoted himself to his new masters, the robbers. In a little +while he had won their confidence. He was permitted to go wherever he +pleased, without any watch upon his movements. +</p> + +<p> +He found a chance to talk with Beausoleil, and to lay before him a plan +for retaking the boat from the villains. Beausoleil thought the +undertaking too dangerous, but at length he gave his consent. Cacasotte +then whispered his plan to two others of the crew. +</p> + +<p> +Dinner was served to the pirates on deck. Cacasotte took his place by +the bow of the boat, so as to be near the most dangerous of the +robbers. This robber was a powerful man, well armed. When Cacasotte saw +that the others had taken their places as he had directed, he gave the +signal, and then pushed the huge robber at his side into the water. In +three minutes the powerful Cacasotte had thrown fourteen of the robbers +into the waves. The other men had also done their best. The deck was +cleared of the pirates, who had to swim for their lives. The robbers +who remained in the boat were too few to resist. Beausoleil found +himself again master of his barge, thanks to the coolness and courage +of Cacasotte. +</p> + +<p> +But the bargemen dared not go on up the river. Against the stream they +would have to go slowly, and there would be danger from the robbers +remaining at Cottonwood Creek: so they kept on down the river to New +Orleans. +</p> + +<p> +The next year ten boats left New Orleans in company. These barges +carried small cannons, and their crew were all armed. When they reached +Cottonwood Creek, men were seen on shore; but when an armed force was +landed, the robbers had fled. The long, low hut which had been their +dwelling remained. There were also several flatboats loaded with +valuable goods taken from captured barges. This plunder was carried to +St. Louis, and restored to the rightful owners. For fifty years +afterwards this was known as "The Year of the Ten Boats." Cacasotte's +brave victory was not soon forgotten. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Telegraphs"></a> +<p class="chapter">OLD-FASHIONED TELEGRAPHS. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter">THE MUSKET TELEGRAPH. +</p> + + +<p> +There are many people living who can remember when there were no +telegraphs such as we have now. The telephone is still younger. +Railroads are not much older than telegraphs. Horses and stagecoaches +were slow. How did people send messages quickly when there were no +telegraph wires? +</p> + +<p> +When colonies in America were first settled by white people, there were +wars with the Indians. The Indians would creep into a neighborhood and +kill all the people they could, and then they would get away before the +soldiers could overtake them. But the white people made a plan to catch +them. +</p> + +<p> +Whenever the Indians attacked a settlement, the settler who saw them +first took his gun and fired it three times. Bang, bang, bang! went the +gun. The settlers who lived near the man who fired the gun heard the +sound. They knew that three shots following one another quickly, meant +that the Indians had come. +</p> + +<p> +Every settler who heard the three shots took his gun and fired three +times. It was bang, bang, bang! again. Then, as soon as he had fired, +he went in the direction of the first shots. Every man who had heard +three shots, fired three more, and went toward the shots he had heard. +Farther and farther away the settlers heard the news, and sent it along +by firing so that others might hear. Soon little companies of men were +coming swiftly in every direction. The Indians were sure to be beaten +off or killed. +</p> + +<p> +This was a kind of telegraph. But there were no wires; there was no +electricity; only one flint-lock musket waking up another flintlock +musket, till a hundred guns had been fired, and a hundred men were +marching to the battle. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter">TELEGRAPHING BY FIRE. +</p> + + +<p> +The firing of signal guns was telegraphing by sound. It used only the +hearing. But there were other ways of telegraphing that used the sight. +These have been known for thousands of years. They were known even to +savage people. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians on the plains use fires to telegraph to one another. +Sometimes they build one fire, sometimes they build many. When a war +party, coming back from battle, builds five fires on a hill, the +Indians who see it know that the party has killed five enemies. +</p> + +<p> +But the Indians have also what are known as smoke signals. An Indian +who wishes to send a message to a party of his friends a long way off, +builds a fire. When it blazes, he throws an armful of green grass on +it. This causes the fire to send up a stream of white smoke hundreds of +feet high, which can be seen fifty miles away in clear weather. Among +the Apaches, one column of smoke is to call attention; two columns say, +"All is well, and we are going to remain in this camp;" three columns +or more are a sign of danger, and ask for help. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/028.jpg" alt="A smoke signal." width="376" height="503"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>A Smoke Signal.</i> +</p> + +<p> +Sometimes longer messages are sent. After building a fire and putting +green grass upon it, the Indian spread his blanket over it. He holds +down the edges, to shut the smoke in. After a few moments he takes his +blanket off; and when he does this, a great puff of smoke, like a +balloon, shoots up into the air. This the Indian does over and over. +One puff of smoke chases another upward. By the number of these puffs, +and the length of the spaces between them, he makes his meaning +understood by his friends many miles away. +</p> + +<p> +At night the Indians smear their arrows with something that will burn +easily. One of them draws his bow. Just as he is about to let his arrow +fly, another one touches it with fire. The arrow blazes as it shoots +through the air, like a fiery dragon fly. One burning arrow follows +another; and those who see them read these telegraph signals, and know +what is meant. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter">TELEGRAPHS IN THE REVOLUTION. +</p> + + +<p> +Our forefathers sometimes used fire to telegraph with in the +Revolution. Whenever the British troops started on a raid into New +Jersey, the watchmen on the hilltops lighted great beacon fires. Those +who saw the fires lighted other fires farther away. These fires let the +people know that the enemy was coming, for light can travel much faster +than men on horseback. +</p> + +<p> +Have you heard the story of Paul Revere? When the British were about to +send troops from Boston to Lexington, Revere and his friends had an +understanding with the people in Charlestown. Revere was to let them +know when the troops should march. They were to watch a certain church +steeple. If one lantern were hung in the steeple, it would mean that +the British were marching by land. If two lanterns were seen, the +Charlestown people would know that the troops were leaving Boston by +water. Revere was sent as a messenger to Lexington. He sent a friend of +his to hang up the lanterns in the church steeple. +</p> + +<p class="quote"> + "Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,<br> + By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,<br> + To the belfry chamber overhead,<br> + And startled the pigeons from their perch<br> + On the somber rafters, that round him made<br> + Masses and moving shapes of shade,—<br> + By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,<br> + To the highest window in the wall,<br> + Where he paused to listen and look down<br> + A moment on the roofs of the town,<br> + And the moonlight flowing over all." +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/029.jpg" alt="Old North Church Steeple." width="197" height="526"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Old North Church Steeple.</i> +</p> + +<p> +Long before Paul Revere got across the water in his little boat, the +people on the other side had seen the lanterns in the tower. They knew +the British were coming, and were all astir when Paul Revere got over. +Revere rode on to Lexington and beyond, to alarm the people. +</p> + +<p> +The lines above are from a poem of Longfellow's about this ride. The +poem is very interesting, but it does not tell the story quite +correctly. +</p> + +<p> +Paul Revere's lanterns were used at the beginning of the Revolutionary +War. There is a story of a different sort of telegraph used when the +war was near its end. It is told by a British officer who had not the +best means of knowing whether it was true or not. But it shows what +kind of telegraphs were used in that day. This is the story:— +</p> + + +<p> +A British army held New York. Another British army under Cornwallis was +at Yorktown in Virginia. General Washington had marched to Yorktown. He +was trying to capture the army of General Cornwallis. He was afraid +that ships and soldiers would be sent from New York to help Cornwallis. +But there were men in New York who were secretly on Washington's side. +One of these was to let him know when ships should sail to help +Cornwallis. +</p> + +<p> +But Washington was six hundred miles away from New York. How could he +get the news before the English ships should get there? There were no +telegraphs. The fastest horses ridden one after another could hardly +have carried news to him in less than two weeks. But Washington had a +plan. One of the men who sent news to Washington was living in New +York. When the ships set sail, he went up on the top of his house and +hoisted a white flag, or something that looked like a white flag. +</p> + +<p> +On the other side of the Hudson River in a little village a man was +watching this very house. As soon as he saw the white flag flapping, he +took up his gun and fired it. Farther off there was a man waiting to +hear this gun. When he heard it, he fired another gun. Farther on there +was the crack of another, and then another gun. By the firing of one +gun after another the news went southward. Bang, bang! went gun after +gun across the whole State of New Jersey. Then guns in Pennsylvania +took it up and sent the news onward. Then on across the State of +Maryland the news went from one gun to another, till it reached +Virginia, where it passed on from gun to gun till it got to Yorktown. +In less than two days Washington knew that ships were coming. +</p> + +<p> +When Washington knew that British ships were coming, he pushed the +fighting at Yorktown with all his might. When the English ships got to +Chesapeake Bay at last, Cornwallis had already surrendered. The United +States was free. The ships had come too late. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p class="chapter">A BOY'S TELEGRAPH. +</p> + + +<p> +The best telegraph known before the use of electricity, was invented by +two schoolboys in France. They were brothers named Chappé (shap-pay). +They were in different boarding schools some miles apart, and the rules +of their schools did not allow them to write letters to each other. But +the two schools were in sight of each other. The brothers invented a +telegraph. They put up poles with bars of wood on them. These bars +would turn on pegs or pins. The bars were turned up or down, or one up +and another down, or two down and one up, and so on. Every movement of +the bars meant a letter. In this way the two brothers talked to each +other, though they were miles apart. When the boys became men, they +sold their plan to the French Government. The money they got made their +fortune. +</p> + + +<p> +About the time they were selling this plan to the French Government, a +boy named Samuel Morse was born in this country. Fifty years later this +Samuel Morse set up the first Morse electric telegraph, which is the +one we now use. +</p> + +<p> +In the old days before telegraph wires were strung all over the +country, it took weeks to carry news to places far away. There were no +railroads, and the mails had to travel slowly. A boy on a horse trotted +along the road to carry the mail bags to country places. From one large +city to another, the mails were carried by stagecoaches. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/030.jpg" alt="A mail carrier." width="387" height="285"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>A Mail Carrier.</i> +</p> + +<p> +When the people had voted for President, it was weeks before the news +of the election could be gathered in. Then it took other weeks to let +the people in distant villages know the name of the new President. +Nowadays a great event is known in almost every part of the country on +the very day it happens. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Foolish"></a> +<p class="chapter">A BOY'S FOOLISH ADVENTURE. +</p> + + +<p> +The Natural Bridge has long been thought one of the great curiosities +of our country. It is in Virginia, and the county in which it is +situated is called Rockbridge County. +</p> + +<p> +The traveler is riding in a stage on a wild road in the mountains. The +road grows narrow. Soon it is a mere lane, with high board fences and +small trees on each side. But the traveler sees nothing to show him +that he is on the wonderful Natural Bridge. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/031.jpg" alt="The Natural Bridge." width="329" height="509"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>The Natural Bridge.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The bridge that he is driving over is about forty feet thick, and of +solid rock. If he should go to the other side of the board fence, he +could look down into a ravine more than two hundred feet deep. +</p> + +<p> +When the traveler goes down into the ravine, he looks up at the +beautiful curve of this great bridge of rock. The bridge is nearly one +hundred and seventy-five feet above his head. +</p> + +<p> +Many years ago, when the writer of this book was a boy, he stood in the +dark chasm underneath this bridge and looked up at the great bridge of +rock above. He took a stone, as all other visitors do, and tried to +throw it so as to hit the arch of the bridge above. But the stone +stopped before it got halfway up, and fell back, resounding on the +rocks below. Then he was told the old story, that nobody had ever +thrown to the arch except George Washington, who had thrown a silver +dollar clear to the center of the bridge. +</p> + +<p> +There were names scribbled all over the rocks. People are always trying +to write their own names in such strange places as this. Above all the +other names were two rows of mere scratches. If they had ever been +names, they were too much dimmed to be read by a person standing on the +rocks below. The lower of these two high names, the people said, was +the name of Washington. It was said that when he was a young man, he +climbed higher than any one else to scratch his name on the rock. And +the name above his, they said, was the name of a young man who had had +a strange adventure in trying to write his name above that of the +father of his country. +</p> + +<p> +The story of this young man's climbing up the rocks used to appear in +the old schoolbooks. It was told with so many romantic additions, that +it was hard to believe. +</p> + +<p> +The writer afterwards learned that the main fact of the story was true, +and, that the hero of the story was still living in Virginia. +</p> + +<p> +This foolhardy boy, whose name was Pepper, climbed up the rock to write +his name above the rest. Pepper climbed up by holding to little broken +places in the rocks till he had got above the names of all the other +climbers. He ventured to climb till he had passed the marks which +people say are part of Washington's name. Here Pepper held fast with +one hand, while he scratched his name in the rock. +</p> + +<p> +His companions were far below him. He could not get down again. The +rock face was too smooth. He could not stoop to put his hands down into +the cracks where his feet were. If he had tried to, he would have lost +his hold, and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. +</p> + +<p> +There was nothing to do now but to climb out from under the bridge, and +so up the face of the rock to the top of the gorge. He must do this or +die. +</p> + +<p> +Painfully clinging to the rock with his toes and his fingers, he worked +his way up. Sometimes a crevice in the rock helped him. Sometimes he +had to dig a place with his knife in order to get a hold. It seemed +that each step would be his last. +</p> + +<p> +The few people living in the neighborhood heard of his situation, and +gathered below and above to look at him. They watched him with +breathless anxiety. His friends expected to see him dashed to pieces at +any moment. +</p> + +<p> +As the time wore on, he worked his way up. He also got farther out from +under the bridge. He held on like a cat. He hooked his fingers into +every crack he could find. He dug holes with his dull knife. When he +could find a little bush in the rocks, he thought himself lucky. +</p> + +<p> +Men let down ropes to him, but the ropes did not reach him. They tied +one rope to another so as to reach farther down, but he was too far +under the bridge. The people hardly dared to speak or to breathe. +</p> + +<p> +At last he began to get out at the side of the bridge where he could be +seen from above. His strength was almost gone. His knife was too much +worn to be of any use. He could not cling to the rock much longer. +</p> + +<p> +A rope with a noose in it was swung close to him. He let go his grip on +the rock, and threw his arms and body into the noose. In a moment he +swung clear of the rock, and dangled in the air. The rope drew tight +about his body and held him. Young Pepper knew no more. He was drawn up +over the rocks to the summit quite unconscious. +</p> + +<p> +Years afterward he became a man of distinction in his State. But when +any of his friends asked Colonel Pepper about his climbing out from +under the Natural Bridge, he would say, "Yes; I did that when I was a +foolish boy, but I don't like to think about it." +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Race"></a> +<p class="chapter">A FOOT RACE FOR LIFE. +</p> + + +<p> +In 1803 that part of our country which lies west of the Mississippi was +almost unknown to the white men. In that year the President sent +Captain Lewis and Captain Clark to see what the country was like. They +went up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains. Then they +went down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. It took them more +than two years to make the trip there and back. +</p> + +<p> +Lewis and Clark had about forty-five men with them. One of these men +was named Colter. In the very heart of the wild country he left the +party, and set up as a trapper. A trapper is a man who catches animals +in traps in order to get their skins to sell. The Blackfoot Indians +made Colter a prisoner. Colter knew a little of their language. He +heard them talking of how they should kill their prisoner. They thought +it would be fun to set him up and shoot at him with their arrows until +he was dead. At this time the Indians on the western plains had no +guns. But the Indian chief thought he knew a better way. He laid hold +of Colter's shoulder, and said,— +</p> + +<p> +"Can you run fast?" +</p> + +<p> +Colter could run very swiftly, but he pretended to the chief that he +was a bad runner. So they took him out on the prairie about four +hundred yards away from the Indians. There he was turned loose, and +told to run. +</p> + +<p> +The whole band of Indians ran after him, yelling like wild beasts. +Colter did not look back. He had to run through thorns that hurt his +bare feet. But he was running for his life. Six miles away there was a +river. If he could get to that, he might escape. +</p> + +<p> +He almost flew over the ground. At first he did not turn his head +round. When he had run about three miles, he glanced back. Most of the +Indians had lost ground. The best runners were ahead of the others. One +Indian, swifter than all the rest, was only about a hundred yards +behind him. This man had a spear in his hand to kill Colter as soon as +he should be near enough. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/032.jpg" alt="Indian warrior about to throw a spear." width="341" height="446"></p> + +<p> +Poor Colter now ran harder than ever to get away from this Indian. At +last he was only about a mile from the river. He looked back, and saw +the swift Indian only twenty yards away, with his spear ready to throw. +</p> + +<p> +It was of no use for Colter to keep on running. He turned round and +faced the swift runner, who was about to throw his spear. Colter spread +his arms wide, and stood still. +</p> + +<p> +The Indian was surprised at this. He tried to stop running, so as to +kill the white man with his spear. But he had already run himself +nearly to death, and, when he tried to stop quickly, he lost his +balance, and fell forward to the ground. His lance stuck in the earth, +and broke in two. +</p> + +<p> +Colter quickly pulled the pointed end of the spear out of the ground +and killed the fallen Indian. Then he turned and ran on toward the +river. +</p> + +<p> +The other Indians were coming swiftly behind; but, as they passed the +place where the first one lay dead, each of them stopped a moment to +howl over him, after their custom. This gave Colter a little more time. +He reached a patch of woods near the river. He ran through this to the +river, and jumped in He swam toward a little island. +</p> + +<p> +Logs and brush had floated down the river, and lodged across the +island. This driftwood had formed a great raft. Colter dived under this +raft. He swam to a place where he could push his head up to get air, +and still be hidden by the brush. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians were already yelling on the bank of the river. A moment +later they were swimming toward the island. When they reached the drift +pile, they ran this way and that. They looked into all the cracks and +tried to find the white man. They ran right over his hiding place. +Colter thought they would surely find him. +</p> + +<p> +But after a long time they went away. Colter thought they would set +fire to the raft of driftwood, but they did not think of that. Perhaps +they thought that Colter had been drowned. +</p> + +<p> +He lay still under the raft till night came. Then he swam down the +stream a long distance, left the stream, and went far out on the +prairie. Here he felt himself safe from his enemies. +</p> + +<p> +But he had no clothes and no food. He had no gun to shoot animals with. +It was several days' journey to the nearest place where there were +white men, at a trading house. +</p> + +<p> +Colter had nothing to eat but roots. The sun burned his skin in the +daytime. He shivered without a covering at night. The thorns hurt his +feet when he walked, but he found his way to the trading house at last. +</p> + +<p> +He used to tell of wonderful things that he saw while traveling to the +trading house after he got away from the Indians. He saw springs that +were boiling hot and steaming. He saw fountains that would sometimes +spout hot water into the air for hundreds of feet. +</p> + +<p> +These and many other wonderful things that he saw at this time he used +to tell about. But nobody believed his stories. Nobody had ever seen +anything of the kind in this country. When Colter would tell of these +things, those who heard him thought that he was making up stories, or +that he had been out of his head while traveling and had thought he saw +such wonders. +</p> + +<p> +But after many long years the wonderful place which we call Yellowstone +Park was found, and in it were boiling and spouting springs. People +knew then that Colter had been telling the truth, and that he had +traveled through the Yellowstone country. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/033.jpg" alt="A Geyser." width="391" height="600"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>A Geyser.</i> +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Loretto"></a> +<p class="chapter">LORETTO AND HIS WIFE. +</p> + + +<p> +In old times white men had not made settlements in the country near the +Rocky Mountains. Tribes of Indians fought one another over that whole +region. A few bold white men, fond of wild life, lived there, in order +to hunt and trap the animals that bear furs. But they themselves were +always in danger of being hunted by the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians called Blackfeet and those called Crows were at war; They +stole each other's horses at every chance, and the Indians of each +tribe were always seeking to kill those of the other. +</p> + +<p> +In one of their attacks on the Blackfeet, the Crows carried off an +Indian girl. One of the bold trappers of the Rocky Mountains was a +Mexican. His name was Loretto. He visited a Crow village once, and saw +this girl. He fell in love with the captive, and bought her from the +Crows. Whether he paid for her in horses or in beaver skins, I do not +know. But from a slave of the enemies of her tribe she was changed to +the wife of a white man who loved her. +</p> + +<p> +Loretto was hired to trap for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. This +company bought furs from the Indians of the Far West. They sent large +parties to the mountains every year with guns, knives, hatchets, +blankets, and other things, which they traded to the Indians for skins. +</p> + +<p> +Loretto was marching over the plains with a party of trappers belonging +to this company. He had his young Blackfoot wife and his baby with him. +The white men were much afraid of the Blackfoot Indians. The company +that Loretto was with examined every ravine that they passed, for fear +that the Indians would surprise them. +</p> + +<p> +One day a band of the Blackfoot tribe appeared on the prairie, but they +kept near some rocks to which they could easily retire. They made signs +of friendship. The trappers also made friendly signs. Then the +Blackfeet sent out a party with a pipe of peace. The white men sent out +a party to meet them. They smoked the pipe in the open ground between +the two companies. This is the Indian way of making peace. +</p> + +<p> +Of course, Loretto's wife was much interested in the Blackfeet. They +were her own people. It had been a long time since she had seen one of +them. She looked closely at the company smoking together, and saw that +one of them was her brother. She handed the child to Loretto. Then she +rushed out to the place where the treaty was going on, and her brother +threw his arms about her with the greatest affection. +</p> + +<p> +But just at that moment, Bridger, the captain of the white men, rode +out where the pipe was being smoked. He had his rifle across the pommel +of his saddle. The chief of the Blackfeet came up to shake hands with +him. Bridger was afraid the chief meant to hurt him, so he slyly cocked +his rifle. The chief heard the click, and seized the gun. He bent it +downwards, and the gun went off, shooting a bullet into the ground. The +chief took the gun and knocked Bridger off his horse with it. Then he +mounted Bridger's horse and galloped back to his Indians. Indians and +white men now got behind the rocks and trees which were not far away, +and began to shoot at each other. +</p> + +<p> +Loretto's wife was carried away by her tribe. In vain she struggled to +get free, and begged to be allowed to go back to her husband and child. +The Indians would not let her go. +</p> + +<p> +Loretto saw her struggles, and heard her cries. He took his child, and +ran to the Indians with it. He handed the child to its mother. The +Indian bullets and arrows were flying all about him. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/034.jpg" alt="Loretto handing the child to its mother." width="518" height="354"></p> + +<p> +The chief saw him carry the child across the open ground, and his heart +was touched. It was a noble action. +</p> + +<p> +He said to Loretto, "You are crazy to go into such danger, but go back +in peace; you shall not be hurt." +</p> + +<p> +Loretto begged to be allowed to take his wife with him, but her brother +would not let her go, and the chief now began to look angry. +</p> + +<p> +"The girl belongs to her tribe," he said. "She shall not go back." +</p> + +<p> +Loretto wanted to stay with his wife, but she begged him to go back, +lest he should be killed on the spot. At last he left her, and went +back to the white men. +</p> + +<p> +Night came on, and the Indians drew off. Not much harm had been done to +anybody. +</p> + +<p> +Loretto could not be happy without his wife. A few months later, he +settled his accounts with the Fur Company and went away. He went boldly +into one of the villages of the savage Blackfeet. Here he found his +wife, and staid with her. +</p> + +<p> +When the white men made peace with the Blackfeet, they set up a trading +house among them. Loretto joined the traders. They were glad to have +him, because he could speak the language of the tribe. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Blackfoot"></a> +<p class="chapter">A BLACKFOOT STORY. +</p> + + +<p> +Here is a story the Indians tell. It is one of the tales with which +they amuse themselves in long evenings. It may be true. At least, the +Indians tell it for true. +</p> + +<p> +An Indian chief of the tribe called Blackfoot, or Blackfeet, went over +the Rocky Mountains with a war party. He killed some of the enemies of +his tribe, and then started back. For fear their enemies would follow +their tracks, the party did not take the usual path. They went up over +the wildest part of the mountain. But when it came to going down on the +other side, the Indians had a hard time. +</p> + +<p> +They had to clamber over great rocks and down the sides of cliffs. +Drifts of snow blocked their way in places. At last they had to stop. +They stood on the edge of a cliff. Below this cliff was a ridge or +shelf of rock. By tying themselves together, and so helping one another +down, they got to this shelf. Below this they found still another +cliff. It was harder to get down to this. +</p> + +<p> +But when they had got down as far as this ledge, they were in a worse +plight than ever. They stood on the brink of a great cliff. The rocks +were too steep for them to get down. It was hundreds of feet to the +bottom. +</p> + +<p> +They tried to get back up the mountain, but that they could not do. +Then they sat down and looked over the brink of the cliff. There was no +chance for them to get down alive. They must stay there and starve. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians filled their pipes with kinnikinnick, or willow bark, and +smoked. Then they knocked the ashes out of their pipes, and lay down to +sleep. +</p> + +<p> +But the chief did not sleep. He could not think of any way of getting +out of the trouble. When morning came, they all went and looked over +the cliff once more. Then they smoked again. After sitting silent for +some time, the chief laid down his pipe quietly, got to his feet, and +went to painting his face as if he were getting ready for a feast. He +arranged his dress with the greatest care. Then he made a little +speech. +</p> + +<p> +"It is of no use to stay here and die," he said. "The Great Spirit is +not willing that we should get away. Let us die bravely." +</p> + +<p> +He added other remarks of the same kind. Then he sang his death song. +When this was finished, he gave a shout, and leaped over the cliff. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/035.jpg" alt="Indian warriors at edge of cliff." width="388" height="555"></p> + +<p> +When the chief had gone, the others sat down and smoked again in +silence. After a long time, a weather-beaten old Indian got up and +walked to the edge of the cliff. +</p> + +<p> +"See," he said, "there is the soul of our chief, waiting for us to go +with him to the land of spirits." +</p> + +<p> +The others looked over, and saw the form of a man far below, waving the +bough of a tree. +</p> + +<p> +The old warrior now threw off his blanket and sang his death song. Then +he leaped off. The others again looked over, and this time they saw two +forms beckoning to them from below. +</p> + + +<p> +One after another the Indians jumped, until there were left but two +young men who were little more than boys. These two boys were nephews +of the chief. They had never been in a war party. +</p> + +<p> +The elder of the two showed his young brother the ghosts of the whole +party standing below. He told his brother he must jump off, but the +frightened boy begged to be allowed to stay and die on the bare rock. +</p> + +<p> +The elder seized him, and, after a struggle, pushed him over. Then he +quietly gathered up all the blankets and guns, and threw them off. He +thought the souls of his friends would need these things in their +journey to the land of spirits. +</p> + +<p> +When this was done, the young man sang his own death song and jumped +off. Falling swiftly as an arrow, feet downward, he struck a great snow +drift at the bottom. It received him like an immense feather bed. He +sank in so far that he had hard work to get out. When he had succeeded, +he found all of his party, not spirits, as he had expected, but living +men, safe and sound. The snow had saved them from injury. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Fremont"></a> +<p class="chapter">HOW FREMONT CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS. +</p> + + +<p> +It is many years now since Captain Fremont made his great journey over +plains and mountains to California. At that time California belonged to +Mexico. The wild country east of it belonged to the United States. +There were hardly any roads and no railroads in the country west of the +Missouri River. Fremont was sent out to explore that country; that is, +he was sent to find out what kind of a country it was. The white people +knew very little about it. +</p> + +<p> +Fremont had a large party of men with many horses. After months of +travel he found himself near the great Californian mountains. These +mountains are called the Sierra Nevada, or "Snowy Range." +</p> + +<p> +Here some Indians came to see him. He had a talk with them by signs, +for he could not speak their language. They told him he could cross the +mountains in summer. They said it was "six sleeps" to the place where +the white men lived over the mountains. They meant that a man would +have to pass six nights on the road in going there. But it was now +winter, and they told him that no man could cross in the winter. They +held their hands above their heads to show him that the snow was deeper +than a man is tall. +</p> + +<p> +But Fremont told the Indians that the horses of the white men were +strong, and that he would go over the mountains. He showed them some +bright-colored cloths, which he said he would give to any Indian who +would go along as a guide. The Indians called in a young man who said +he had been over the mountains and had seen the white people on the +other side. He agreed to go with Fremont. Fremont now talked to his +men, and told them there was a beautiful valley on the other side of +the mountains,—the valley of the Sacramento. He told them that Captain +Sutter had moved to this valley from Missouri, and had become a rich +man. It was but seventy miles to Sutter's Fort. The men agreed to try +to cross the mountains. +</p> + +<p> +They had but little left to eat. They killed a dog and ate it that very +evening. They would not have much chance to get food in crossing the +mountains, but they started in bravely the next morning. They did not +talk much. They knew that it was very dangerous to cross the mountains +in February. +</p> + +<p> +For days and days they fought their way through the snow, which got +deeper and deeper as they went higher up into the mountains. Traveling +grew harder and harder. The horses had nothing to eat but what could be +found in little patches of grass where the wind had blown the snow off +the ground. Whenever a horse or mule grew too weak to travel, the men +killed it and ate it. +</p> + +<p> +One day an old Indian came to see them. He told them they must not go +on. He said, "Rock upon rock, rock upon rock, snow upon snow, snow upon +snow, and even if you get over the snow, you will not be able to get +down the mountain on the other side." +</p> + +<p> +He made signs to show them that the walls of rock were straight up and +down, and that the horses would slip oft. This frightened the Indians +in Fremont's company, and one Indian covered up his head and moaned +while the old man was talking. +</p> + +<p> +The young Indian guide was afraid to go on. He ran away the next day, +taking all the pretty things that Fremont had given him, and a blanket +that Fremont had lent him to keep warm. +</p> + +<p> +The men now made snowshoes, so that they could walk over the snow +without sinking in. Sleds were made to draw the baggage on, for the +horses were getting too weak to carry anything. They found the snow +twenty feet deep in some places. The men had to make great mauls or +pounders to beat down the snow, to make a hard road on which the +animals could travel. Fremont's men now grew very hungry, for they had +little to eat except when they killed a starving mule or a dog. +</p> + +<p> +At last the whole party reached the top of the mountains at a place +where they were nine thousand feet high. They had been three weeks in +getting to the top. They had yet the hard task of getting down on the +other side. But they could see the beautiful country of California +below them. They began to work their way down over the snow and rocks. +</p> + +<p> +After some days Fremont took a party of eight men, and went on to get +provisions for the rest. But for a long distance he found no grass, and +his animals began to give out. One of his men grew so hungry and tired +that he became insane for a while. Another got lost from the party, and +found them only after several days. He told the rest that he had +suffered so much from hunger that he ate small toads, and even let the +large ants creep upon his hands so that he could eat them. +</p> + +<p> +One day Fremont saw some Indian huts. The Indians ran away when they +saw the white men coming. Fremont found near these huts some great +baskets as big as hogsheads filled with acorns. Inside the huts he +found smaller baskets with roasted acorns in them. The men took about +half a bushel of these roasted acorns, and left a shirt, some +handkerchiefs, and some trinkets, to pay for them. +</p> + +<p> +At last they came to a place where there were paths, and tracks of +cattle. The horses, having found grass to eat, grew strong enough for +the men to ride them. One day Fremont found some Indians, one of whom +could speak Spanish. +</p> + +<p> +The Indian said, "I am a herdsman, and work for Captain Sutter." +</p> + +<p> +"Where does he live?" +</p> + +<p> +"Just over the hill. I will show you." +</p> + +<p> +In a short time Fremont and his white men were at the house of Sutter. +But Captain Fremont rested only one night. The next morning he started +back with food for his starving men, who were coming on behind. The +second day after he left Sutter's he met his men. +</p> + +<p> +They were a sad sight. They were all on foot. Each man was leading a +horse as weak and lean as he was himself. Many of the horses had fallen +off the rocks, and had been killed. Only half of the mules and horses +that had started over the mountains had lived to get across. As soon as +Fremont met his men, he told them to camp. He fed the poor starving +fellows beef and bread and fresh salmon. The next day they all reached +the beautiful Sacramento River, where the city of Sacramento now +stands. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Gold"></a> +<p class="chapter">FINDING GOLD IN CALIFORNIA. +</p> + + +<p> +California once belonged to Mexico. Then there was a war between this +country and Mexico. This is what we call the Mexican War. During that +war the United States took California away from Mexico. It is now one +of the richest and most beautiful States in the Union. In the old days, +when California belonged to Mexico, it was a quiet country. Nearly all +the white people spoke Spanish, which is the language of Mexico. They +lived mostly by raising cattle. In those days people did not know that +there was gold in California. A little gold had been found in the +southern part of the State, but nobody expected to find valuable gold +mines. A few people from the United States had settled in the country. +They also raised cattle. +</p> + +<p> +Some time after the United States had taken California, peace was made +with Mexico. California then became a part of our country. About the +time that this peace was made, something happened which made a great +excitement all over the country. It changed the history of our country, +and changed the business of the whole world. Here is the story of it:— +</p> + +<p> +A man named Sutter had moved from Missouri to California. He built a +house which was called Sutter's Fort. It was where the city of +Sacramento now stands. Sutter had many horses and oxen, and he owned +thousands of acres of land. He traded with the Indians, and carried on +other kinds of business. +</p> + +<p> +But everything was done in the slow Mexican way. When he wanted boards, +he sent men to saw them out by hand. It took two men a whole day to saw +up a log so as to make a dozen boards. There was no sawmill in all +California. +</p> + +<p> +When Sutter wanted to grind flour or meal, this also was done in the +Mexican way. A large stone roller was run over a flat stone. But at +last Sutter thought he would have a grinding mill of the American sort. +To build this, he needed boards. He thought he would first build a +sawmill. Then he could get boards quickly for his grinding mill, and +have lumber to use for other things. +</p> + +<p> +Sutter sent a man named Marshall to build his sawmill. It was to be +built forty miles away from Sutter's Fort. The mill had to be where +there were trees to saw. +</p> + +<p> +Marshall was a very good carpenter, who could build almost anything. He +had some men working with him. After some months they got the mill +done. This mill was built to run by water. +</p> + +<p> +But when he started it, the mill did not run well. Marshall saw that he +must dig a ditch below the great water wheel, to carry off the water. +He hired wild Indians to dig the ditch. +</p> + +<p> +When the Indians had partly dug this ditch, Marshall went out one +January morning to look at it. The clear water was running through the +ditch. It had washed away the sand, leaving the pebbles bare. At the +bottom of the water Marshall saw something yellow. It looked like +brass. He put his hand down into the water and took up this bright, +yellow thing. It was about the size and shape of a small pea. Then he +looked, and found another pretty little yellow bead at the bottom of +the ditch. +</p> + +<p> +Marshall trembled all over. It might be gold. But he remembered that +there is another yellow substance that looks like gold. It is called +"fool's gold." He was afraid he had only found fool's gold. +</p> + +<p> +Marshall knew that if it was gold it would not break easily. He laid +one of the pieces on a stone; then he took another stone and hammered +it. It was soft, and did not break. If it had broken to pieces, +Marshall would have known that it was not gold. +</p> + +<p> +In a few days the men had dug up about three ounces of the yellow +stuff. They had no means of making sure it was gold. +</p> + +<p> +Then Marshall got on a horse and set out for Sutter's Fort, carrying +the yellow metal with him. He traveled as fast as the rough road would +let him. He rode up to Sutler's in the evening, all spattered with mud. +</p> + +<p> +He told Captain Sutter that he wished to see him alone. Marshall's eyes +looked wild, and Sutter was afraid that he was crazy. But he went to a +room with him. Then Marshall wanted the door locked. Sutter could not +think what was the matter with the man. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/036.jpg" alt="Weighing the First Gold." width="496" height="415"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Weighing the First Gold.</i> +</p> + +<p> +When he was sure that nobody else would come in, Marshall poured out in +a heap on the table the little yellow beads that he had brought. +</p> + +<p> +Sutter thought it was gold, but the men did not know how to tell +whether it was pure or not. At last they hunted up a book that told how +heavy gold is. Then they got a pair of scales and weighed the gold, +putting silver dollars in the other end of the scales for weights. Then +they held one end of the scales under water and weighed the gold. By +finding how much lighter it was in the water than out of the water, +they found that it was pure gold. +</p> + +<p> +All the men at the mill promised to keep the secret. They were all +digging up gold when not working in the mill. As soon as the mill +should be done, they were going to wash gold. +</p> + +<p> +But the secret could not be kept. A teamster who came to the mill was +told about it. He got a few grains of the precious gold. +</p> + +<p> +When the teamster got back to Sutter's Fort, he went to a store to buy +a bottle of whisky, but he had no money. The storekeeper would not sell +to him without money. The teamster then took out some grains of gold. +The storekeeper was surprised. He let the man have what he wanted. The +teamster would not tell where he got the gold. But after he had taken +two or three drinks of the whisky, he was not able to keep his secret. +He soon told all he knew about the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill. +</p> + +<p> +The news spread like fire in dry grass. Men rushed to the mill in the +mountains to find gold. Gold was also found at other places. Merchants +in the towns of California left their stores. Mechanics laid down their +tools, and farmers left their fields, to dig gold. Some got rich in a +few weeks. Others were not so lucky. +</p> + +<p> +Soon the news went across the continent. It traveled also to other +countries. More than one hundred thousand men went to California the +first year after gold was found, and still more poured in the next +year. Thousands of men went through the Indian country with wagons. Of +course, there were no railroads to the west in that day. +</p> + +<p> +Millions and millions of dollars' worth of gold was dug. In a short +time California became a rich State. Railroads were built across the +country. Ships sailed on the Pacific Ocean to carry on the trade of +this great State. Every nation of the earth had gold from California. +</p> + +<p> +And it all started from one little, round, yellow bead of gold, that +happened to lie shining at the bottom of a ditch, on a cold morning not +so very long ago. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Grand"></a> +<p class="chapter">DESCENDING THE GRAND CANYON. +</p> + + +<p> +The Colorado River is the strangest river in the United States. For +hundreds of miles it runs through channels in solid rocks. These +channels are often thousands of feet deep. In some places the rocks +rise straight up like walls. These walls are quite bare. There are no +trees and no grass on them. There is not even any moss to be seen. The +bare rocks are of many colors. When the sunlight strikes upon them, +they are as beautiful as flowers and as gorgeous as the clouds, we are +told. +</p> + +<p> +These deep cuts, through which the river runs, are called canyons. The +longest of them is called the Grand Canyon (see frontispiece). It is +about two hundred miles long. In some places it is more than a mile and +a quarter deep. The river runs at the bottom of this deep ravine. It +rushes over rapids, and plunges over falls. Sometimes there is a little +strip of rock like a shelf at the edge of the river. In many places the +walls of rock rise straight from the water, and there is no place where +a man can put his feet. +</p> + +<p> +Major Powell resolved to go through this canyon in boats. No boat had +ever gone down this deep, dark channel. Two men, running away from +Indians, had once gone into it on a raft. The raft was dashed over +rapids and waterfalls. The provisions of the men were washed overboard. +One of the men was drowned, and the other at last floated out at the +lower end of the canyon more dead than alive. +</p> + +<p> +Being a man of science, Major Powell wanted to find out about the Grand +Canyon. He knew that it would be a fearful journey. He and his men +might all be lost, but they made up their minds to try to go through. +</p> + +<p> +They did not know how long the canyon was. They had already passed +through the other canyons above, and had suffered many hardships. They +knew how wild and dangerous such places are, but whether they could +ever get through this great and awful gorge they did not know. But they +got into their boats, and started down the long passage. The sun shines +down into this narrow gorge only for a short time each day. Most of the +way the walls are too steep to climb. +</p> + +<p> +The boats shot swiftly down the river. Sometimes they ran over wild +rapids. The men had many narrow escapes. The boats bumped against the +rocks, and some of the oars were broken. New oars had to be made, and, +to do this, the men had to find logs that had drifted down the river. +Sometimes Major Powell and his men had to have pitch to stop the leaks +in their boats. To get this, they had to climb up thousands of feet of +rock to where some little pine trees grew. +</p> + +<p> +They could not see far ahead, because the river was not straight, and +the side walls of the narrow gorge shut out the view. Sometimes they +would hear a loud roaring of water ahead. Then they knew they were +coming to a waterfall. If there was any room to walk, they would carry +and drag their boat round the falls. If there was no shelf or shore on +which to carry the boats, they had to let them float down over the +falls, the men on the rocks above holding ropes tied to the boats. +Sometimes they could not even do this. Then they had to get into the +boats and plunge over the falls among the rocks. They had hard work to +keep off the rocks. +</p> + +<p> +More than once a boat got full of water. The men had to let the boat +run till they got to a wider place, where they could get the water out. +</p> + +<p> +Their flour was spoiled by getting wet. Their bacon became bad. Much of +their food was lost overboard. They usually slept out on the rocks by +the side of the river. Sometimes they slept in caves. Once they sat up +all night on a shelf of rock in a pouring rain. +</p> + +<p> +All day they had to work, to save their lives. At night they had to +sleep on cold rocks without blankets enough to keep them warm. The +great rock walls on either side of them made an awful prison. They +could not tell how far they had gone, nor did they know just how far +they had to go. +</p> + +<p> +At last the food ran short. The men were tired of musty flour. They had +lost their baking powder, and they had to make heavy bread. They +thought that even this bad food would give out before they could reach +the end of the canyon. +</p> + +<p> +But one day they came to a little patch of earth by the side of the +river. On this some corn was growing. The Indians living on the bare +rocks above had come down by some steep path to plant this little +cornfield. The corn was not yet large enough to eat. But among the corn +grew some green squashes. +</p> + +<p> +Major Powell's men were too near starving not to take anything they +could find to eat. They took some of the green squashes and put them +into their boats. Then they ran on down the canyon, out of the reach of +any Indians. Here they stewed some of the squashes, and ate them. +</p> + +<p> +When they had been fifteen days in this great canyon, they had but a +little flour and some dried apples left. They had now come to a place +where one could climb up out of the gorge. But they did not know how +far they were from the end. Three of the men here resolved to leave the +party. They did not believe that there was any hope of running out of +the canyon in the boats alive. They took their share of the food and +some guns, and bade the others good-by. They climbed up out of the +canyon, and were soon after killed by Indians. +</p> + +<p> +One of the boats was by this time nearly worn out by the rocks. As +there were not enough men left to manage three boats, this one was left +behind. Major Powell, with those of his men who were still with him, +went on down the awful river. The very next day they ran suddenly out +into an open space. They had at last got out of the Grand Canyon, which +had held them prisoners for sixteen days. +</p> + +<p> +They went on down the river, and the next day after this they found +some settlers drawing a seine or net to catch fish in the river. These +settlers had heard that Major Powell and his men were lost, and they +were keeping a lookout for any pieces of his boats that might float +down from above. Food of many kinds was sent from the nearest +settlement to feast the hungry men who had so bravely struggled through +the Grand Canyon. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Handcart"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE-MAN-THAT-DRAWS-THE-HANDCART. +</p> + + +<p> +George Northrup was but a boy of fifteen when his father died. Having +nothing to keep him at home, he went to the Indian country, which at +that time was in Minnesota. He had a boyish notion that he could go +through to the Pacific Ocean by making his way from one tribe to +another. When he was eighteen years old, a few years before the Civil +War, he tried to make this journey. He loaded his provisions into a +handcart, and took a big dog along for company. For thirty-six days he +did not see anybody, or hear any voice but his own. Then he found paths +made by Indian war parties. He knew, that, if one of these parties +should find him, he would be killed. +</p> + +<p> +One morning he found all his food stolen from his handcart. Either +Indians or wolves had taken it. He now saw how foolish his boyish plan +had been. He turned back, and at last reached a trading post, almost +starved to death. For days he had had little to eat except such frogs +as he could catch. +</p> + +<p> +After this the Indians always called him +"The-man-that-draws-the-handcart." +</p> + +<p> +As he grew older, he became a famous trapper and guide. He knew all +about the habits of animals. He could shoot with a better aim than any +Indian or any other white man on the frontier. He often walked eighty +miles in a day across the prairie. He could manage the Indians as no +other man could. +</p> + +<p> +This strange young man lived among rough and wicked men. But he never +drank or swore, or did anything that anybody could have thought wrong. +He never even smoked, as other men about him did, but he lived his own +life in his own way. Everybody loved him for his gentleness. Everybody +admired him for his courage and manliness. All the spare money he got +he spent for good books. +</p> + +<p> +When winter time came, he would sometimes hire other trappers, who did +not know the country so well as he did, to work for him. He would go +away beyond the settlements and set up a camp. He would teach the other +men how to trap. When spring came, he would bring many furs into the +settlement. One winter he camped in the country of the Yankton Indians. +He had six men with him. The Yanktons were wild Indians, and Northrup +was in some danger. But he had a friend among the Indians, a chief +called by a good long name, Taw-ton-wash-tah. +</p> + +<p> +But all the Yanktons were not friendly to the white men. There was one +chief whose name was Old-man. He got together a party to go and rob +Northrup and drive him away. Taw-ton-wash-tah tried to keep these +Indians from going, but he could not do it. +</p> + +<p> +Northrup did not know that a party had been sent out against him. His +men went on with their trapping, while George went hunting to get food +for them. They had only a small bag of flour, and this they did not +eat. They kept the flour for a time that might come in which they could +not find any animals to kill for meat. +</p> + +<p> +One day George followed the tracks of an elk. He overtook it six miles +from his camp. He crept up to it and shot it. Then he loaded his gun, +so as to be ready for anything that might happen. While he was skinning +the elk, he looked up and saw the heads of Indians coming up over a +little hill. He quickly jumped into the bushes. He saw that there were +thirteen Indians in the party. He put his hand on his bullet pouch, and +knew by the feeling of it that there were fifteen bullets in the bag. +"Every bullet must bring down an Indian," he said to himself. +</p> + +<p> +One of the Indians called out in his own language, "Is +The-man-that-draws-the-handcart here?" +</p> + +<p> +George quickly replied in their language, "Stop! If any man comes one +step nearer, I will kill him. Tell me whether this is a war party or a +hunting party." +</p> + +<p> +One of the Indians stepped out in front and fired off both barrels of +his gun. This was a sign of friendship. +</p> + +<p> +Northrup did not think this offer of peace worth much; but, if he +refused it, he would have to fight against thirteen Indians. He could +only accept it by firing off both barrels of his gun. This would leave +him with his gun unloaded. +</p> + +<p> +But he slipped the cap off one barrel of his gun. Then he fired the +other barrel, and brought down the hammer of the one from which he had +taken the cap, so as to make it seem that that barrel of his gun was +empty. Then he slyly slipped the cap back on his gun, so as to have one +barrel ready for use. +</p> + +<p> +He went with the Indians to their camp, where he was a kind of +prisoner, but he managed to load the empty barrel of his gun by going +behind a tree where the Indians could not see him. +</p> + +<p> +He knew that the Indians would try to get to his camp before he did. As +his men did not know how to manage Indians, the Indians could steal +everything in the camp. If they should take his provisions, George and +his men might starve on the prairies, which were covered with snow. +</p> + +<p> +So George made up his mind that he must get to his camp before the +Indians, or lose his life in trying. +</p> + +<p> +He said to the chief, "Old-man, I am going home." +</p> + +<p> +He did not wait for an answer, but started along the trail leading to +his camp. He expected the Indians to shoot him, but they only fell into +line and marched behind him. +</p> + +<p> +George knew that if the Indians got into the camp with him, they would +find everything scattered about. Before he could get things together, +they would steal most of them. So he tried once more what he could do +by boldness. He turned and said to the chief, "My men are new men. They +do not know Indians. If you should go in with me, they might shoot. It +is better that I should go in first, and tell them that you come as +friends." +</p> + +<p> +Old-man said "Ho," which is the way that a Yankton has of saying "All +right." +</p> + +<p> +Northrup went into the camp, and gathered everything together in one +place, and told his men to keep watch over the things. The Indians +staid about the camp two days, trying to get a chance to rob the white +men, but Northrup kept his eye on them. Once he found one of his men +without a gun. +</p> + +<p> +"Where is your gun?" he said. +</p> + +<p> +"The Indians are sitting on it," said the man. "They will not give it +up." +</p> + +<p> +George found several Indians sitting on the gun. He took hold of the +gun and looked at the Indians. They all got up. It seemed that they +could not help doing what he wanted them to do. Northrup gave the gun +back to its owner, and told him not to let it go out of his hands +again. +</p> + +<p> +George had a fine double-barreled rifle. An English gentleman whose +guide he had been had sent him this gun from London. When he was in his +tent one day, he heard the Indians on the outside of it disputing who +should have his gun. He knew by this that they meant to kill him. +</p> + +<p> +George patted his rifle as though it had been an old friend, and said, +"Well, old gun, whoever gets you will have to be quick." After that his +hand was always on his gun, and his eye was always on the Indians. +</p> + +<p> +He asked his men where the sack of flour was. +</p> + +<p> +"Old-man has it," said one of his men. +</p> + +<p> +To let the chief keep the flour was to run the risk of starving, but +Northrup knew that if he took it away there might be a battle. He +stepped up to the chief and took the bag of flour from his side and +started away without saying a word. +</p> + +<p> +"Man-that-draws-the-handcart," said the chief angrily, "bring back my +flour." +</p> + +<p> +George stopped, and opened his coat. He pointed toward his heart and +said,— +</p> + +<p> +"Old-man, if you want to kill me, shoot me, but you shall not take away +my flour and leave me to starve." +</p> + +<p> +"Very well," said the chief sternly, "then, +Man-that-draws-the-handcart, you shall go south." +</p> + +<p> +In the language of these Indians, to go south means to die. They think +the soul journeys to the southward after death. Old-man meant to say +that Northrup should die. +</p> + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/037.jpg" alt="You shall go South" width="504" height="546"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>"You shall go South!"</i> +</p> + +<p> +"Very well," said George, looking the Indian in the eye, "I will go +south, then; but if I go south, you shall go with me, and just as many +more as I can take. Remember, Old-man, you must go south if I do." +</p> + +<p> +Old-man knew Northrup very well. He knew that if anybody tried to kill +him, George's sure aim would be taken at Old-man first of all. George +had also told all of his men to shoot the chief if there should be any +trouble. +</p> + +<p> +After lingering for two days, the Indians stole a bag of chopped +buffalo meat, or pemmican, and an old gun. With these they went off, +and George hurried away to a better camping place, where they could not +find him again. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Lazy"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE LAZY, LUCKY INDIAN. +</p> + + +<p> +Out in the country we now call North Dakota there once lived an Indian +known as "Lazy-man." When he was young, he had been lazy about hunting. +When the other Indians had skins to sell, the lazy Indian had nothing. +He grew poor. His blanket was ragged. His leggings were worn out. His +wigwam was so wretched that all the tribe laughed at its tumble-down +look. +</p> + +<p> +Every winter the tribe went off to the great plains to hunt buffalo. +They took their little ponies along, to carry home what they got. They +brought back the skins of the buffaloes and buffalo meat dried over a +fire. They also brought back pemmican, which is made by chopping +buffalo meat very fine, and mixing it with the tallow from the animal. +Lazy-man was ashamed to go on the hunt. He had no ponies to carry the +meat and the skins he might get. +</p> + +<p> +One winter, when the tribe went off on its regular hunt, Lazy-man and +his wife staid behind as usual. They sat lonesome in their teepee, as a +wigwam is called in their language. The weather grew colder. It was +hard to find anything to eat. The lake near them was frozen, so that +they could not fish. There were not many animals living in the country +about. The lazy Indian and his wife were nearly starved. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/038.jpg" alt="Bufaloes." width="494" height="356"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Buffaloes.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The buffaloes had never come down to this lake shore. But one day the +lazy Indian looked out and saw a herd of them coming. They were running +out on the point of land where his teepee stood. He knew that when they +got to the ice on the lake they would turn back. +</p> + +<p> +"Quick, quick!" he called to his wife. The two ran right into the midst +of the herd. It was a dangerous thing to do, but they were so hungry +and miserable that they did not mind the danger. By running into the +herd they separated the buffaloes out on the point from the rest. +</p> + +<p> +When the buffaloes on the point came to the ice, they paused and turned +back. They were soon running in the other direction, but the lazy +Indian and his wife faced the animals as they came. They waved their +ragged blankets at the buffaloes. They shouted in Indian fashion, +"Yow-wow, yow-wow, yow-wow!" They ran to and fro, waving and shouting. +</p> + +<p> +Once more the buffaloes stopped and looked. Lazy-man and his wife now +ran at them, throwing their blankets in the air, and yelling more +wildly than ever. The scared buffaloes turned about again. They were so +badly frightened this time that they ran out on the ice on the lake. +</p> + +<p> +The ice was as smooth as glass. The buffaloes could not stand up on it. +One after another they slipped and fell. The lazy Indian was not lazy +that day. He saw a chance to get out of his poverty. He ran about on +the ice, killing the buffaloes. +</p> + +<p> +For many days he and his squaw worked. They skinned the buffaloes, and +dried the skins. They prepared the stomachs of the buffaloes, and +stuffed them with the chopped meat, making it look like great sausages +as big as pillows. They put a few cranberries in with the meat to give +the pemmican a good taste. Then they poured the smoking fat of the +buffalo into this great sausage. The fat filled up the small spaces. +When it got cold, the pemmican sack was almost as hard as a stone. It +could be cut only by chopping it with a tomahawk. +</p> + +<p> +At last spring came, and the tribe came home from the hunt. You may +suppose that Lazy-man was proud that day. Instead of being the poor +beggar whom everybody laughed at, he was now one of the rich men in the +tribe. He had more buffalo robes and more pemmican than any other man +in the village. He exchanged his buffalo robes for ponies. After that +he always went on the hunt, and lived like the other Indians. He did +not wish to sink into laziness and poverty again. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Peter"></a> +<p class="chapter">PETER PETERSEN. +</p> + +<p class="chapter">A STORY OF THE MINNESOTA INDIAN WAR. +</p> + + +<p> +Peter Petersen was a very little boy living in Minnesota. He lived on +the very edge of the Indian country when the Indian War of 1862 broke +out. +</p> + +<p> +Settlers were killed in their cabins before they knew that a war had +begun. As the news spread, the people left their houses, and hurried +into the large towns. Some of them saw their houses burning before they +got out of sight. The roads were crowded with ox wagons full of women +and children. +</p> + +<p> +Peter Petersen's father was a Norwegian settler. When the news of the +Indian attack came, Peter's father hitched up his oxen, and put his +wife and daughters and little Peter into the wagon. They drove the oxen +hard, and got to Mankato in safety. +</p> + +<p> +The town was crowded with frightened people. Many were living in +woodsheds and barns. In their hurry, these country people had not +brought food enough with them. Before long they began to suffer hunger. +</p> + +<p> +Peter Petersen's father thought of the potato field he had at home. If +he could only go back to his house long enough to dig his potatoes, his +family would have enough to eat. +</p> + +<p> +When he made up his mind to go, Peter wanted to go along with him. As +there were now soldiers within a mile of his farm, Peter's father +thought the Indians would not be so bold as to come there. So he and +Peter went back to the little house. +</p> + +<p> +The next morning Peter's father went out to dig potatoes. Peter, who +was but five years old, was asleep in his bed. He was awakened by the +yells of Indians. He ran to the door just in time to see his father +shot with an arrow. +</p> + +<p> +Little Peter ran like a frightened rabbit to the nearest bushes. The +Indians chased him and caught him. They were amused to see him run, and +they thought he would be a funny little plaything to have. So they just +set him up on the back of a cow, and drove the cow ahead of them. They +laughed to see Peter trying to keep his seat on the cow's back. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/039.jpg" alt="Little Peter on a cow's back." width="529" height="396"></p> + +<p> +The little boy lived among the Indians for weeks. They did not give him +anything to eat. When he came into their tents to get food, they would +knock him down. But he would pick up something to eat at last, and then +run away. When he could not get any food, he would go out among the +cows the Indians had taken from the white people. Little as he was, he +would manage to milk one of the cows. He had no other cup to catch the +milk in but his mouth. Whenever any of the Indians threatened to kill +him, he would run away and dodge about between the legs of the cows or +among the horses, so as to get out of their way. Sometimes he was so +much afraid that he slept out in the grass, in the dew or rain. +</p> + +<p> +After some weeks, Peter and the other captives were retaken by the +white soldiers sent to fight the Indians. But the poor little boy could +speak no language but Norwegian. He could not tell whose child he was, +nor where he came from. His mother and sisters had left the dangerous +country near the Indians. They had gone to Winona, a hundred and fifty +miles away. One of his sisters heard somebody read in the paper that +such a little boy had been taken from the Indians. The kind-hearted +doctor in whose house she lived tried to find the boy, but nobody could +tell what had become of little Peter. His family at last gave up all +hope of seeing him again. +</p> + +<p> +When Peter was taken by the soldiers, he had worn out all his clothes +in traveling through the prairie grass. He had nothing on him but part +of a shirt. The soldiers took an old suit of uniform and made him some +clothes. He was soon dressed from top to toe in army blue. +</p> + +<p> +He was as much of a plaything for the soldiers as he had been for the +Indians. They laughed at his pranks, as they might have done if he had +been a monkey. He passed from one squad of soldiers to another. They +fed him on hard-tack, and shared their blankets with him. He was the +pet and plaything of them all. But after a while the Indians were +driven away from the settlements, and the soldiers were ordered to the +South, for it was in the time of the Civil War. +</p> + +<p> +The regiment that Peter happened to be with got on a steamboat, and +Peter went aboard with them. The soldiers knew that if Peter should be +taken to the South, he would be farther than ever away from his +friends. So the soldiers made up their minds to put him ashore at +Winona. It was the last place at which he would find Norwegian people. +To put such a little fellow ashore in a large and busy place like this +was a hard thing to do. Peter was hardly more than a baby, and he could +not speak English. He stood about as much chance of starving to death +here as he had in the Indian camp. +</p> + +<p> +When the boat landed at Winona, the soldiers gave some money to one of +the hotel porters, and told him to give the child something to eat, and +send him out into the country where there were Norwegian people. But as +soon as Peter had eaten the dinner they gave him at the hotel, he +slipped away, and went back to the river. He expected to find his +friends, the soldiers, waiting for him; but the boat had gone. Peter +was now in a strange city, without friends. Not without friends, +either, for his sisters were in this same city. But he did not think +any more of getting to his mother or his sisters. He was only thinking +of the soldiers who had been so kind to him. +</p> + +<p> +When the next boat came down the river, Peter Petersen, in his little +blue uniform, marched aboard. He thought he might overtake the +soldiers, but the boatmen put him ashore again. He stood gazing after +the boat, not knowing what to do or where to go. +</p> + +<p> +There stood on the bank that day a Norwegian. He was a guest at the +Norwegian hotel in the town. He heard Peter say something in his own +language, and he thought the boy must be a son of the man who kept the +hotel. So he said to him in Norwegian, "Let's go home." +</p> + +<p> +It had been a long time since Peter had heard his own language spoken. +Nobody had said anything to him about home since he was taken away from +his father's cabin by the Indians. The words sounded sweet to him. He +followed the strange man. He did not know where he was going, except +that it was to some place called home. When he got to the hotel, he +went in and sat down. He did not know what else to do. +</p> + +<p> +Presently the landlady came in. Seeing a strange little boy in army +blue, she said, "Whose child are you?" +</p> + +<p> +Peter did not know whose child he was. Since the soldiers left him, he +didn't seem to be anybody's child. As he did not answer, the landlady +spoke to him rather sharply. +</p> + +<p> +"What do you want here, little boy?" she said. +</p> + +<p> +"A drink of water," said Peter. +</p> + +<p> +A little boy nearly always wants a drink of water. +</p> + +<p> +"Go through into the kitchen there, and get a drink," said the +landlady. +</p> + +<p> +Peter opened the door into the kitchen, and went through. In a moment +two arms were about him. Peter knew what home meant then. His sister, +Matilda, had recognized her lost brother Peter in the little soldier +boy. The next day he was put into a wagon and sent out to Rushford, +where his mother was living. The wanderings of the little captive were +over. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Telescope"></a> +<p class="chapter">THE GREATEST OF TELESCOPE MAKERS. +</p> + + +<p> +Three great inventors in this country were portrait painters. Fulton, +the builder of steamboats, was one of them; Morse, who planned our +first electric telegraph, was another; and Alvan Clark, who found out a +way of making the largest and finest telescopes in the world, was +another. +</p> + +<p> +Alvan Clark was the son of a farmer. When he was eighteen years old, he +set to work to learn engraving and drawing. He had no teacher. After a +while he began to draw portraits. Once he sent to Boston to get some +brushes to paint with. When the brushes came, there was a piece of +newspaper wrapped round them. In this bit of newspaper was an +advertisement that engravers were wanted. He went to Boston, and found +regular work as an engraver. +</p> + +<p> +When he was not busy engraving, he was studying painting. After some +years he became a painter of portraits and miniatures. He lived at +Cambridgeport, near Boston. +</p> + +<p> +While Mr. Clark was living at Cambridgeport, his son was at a boarding +school. The young boy had become interested in telescopes. He learned +that there were two kinds of these instruments. One brought the stars +near by showing them in a curved mirror. The other magnified by means +of glasses that the light shone through. He had read that it was very +hard to grind these glasses or lenses, as they are called, so that they +would be correct. The telescope that used the mirror was not so good, +but it was easier to make. So George Clark made up his mind that he +would make a reflecting telescope; that is, one with a mirror in it. +</p> + +<p> +The mirror in such a telescope is made of polished metal. One day +somebody broke the dinner bell at the boarding school. George dark +picked up the pieces of brass and took them home. +</p> + +<p> +These pieces of brass he put into a retort. A retort is a vessel that +will bear great heat, and that is used for melting metals and other +substances. Young Clark put some tin into the retort with the brass. +When the two metals were melted together, he poured the liquid into a +mold. When it became cold, it was a round flat piece. Such a piece is +called a disc. +</p> + +<p> +Alvan Clark, the father, was a very ingenious man. He was a fine +marksman. One reason that he could shoot so well was that his eye was +so true. Another was that he made his own rifles, and made them better +than others. +</p> + +<p> +When Mr. Clark found his son trying to make a telescope out of the +pieces of a bell, he became interested in telescopes. He studied all +about them in order to help the boy with his work. He helped his son +grind the metal disc into a concave mirror; that is, a mirror that is a +little dish-shaped. With this they made a telescope with which they +could see the rings of Saturn, and the little moons that revolve round +Jupiter. +</p> + +<p> +After Mr. Clark had made this little telescope, he made larger +reflecting telescopes that were very powerful. But he found that no +telescope with a mirror in it could be very good. +</p> + +<p> +He now said to his son that they would make a refracting telescope; +that is, one in which no mirror is used, but which brings the distant +stars to the sight by the light shining through lenses. Lenses are +large glasses that are regularly thicker in one part than in another. +The glasses you see in spectacles are small lenses. +</p> + +<p> +George Clark, the son, told his father that the books said that the +grinding of such glasses was very difficult. Mr. Clark would not give +it up because it was hard. He liked to do hard things. He had already +spent a great part of his money trying to make good reflecting +telescopes; but he made up his mind to give them up, and try to make a +better kind. He first looked through the great telescope just put up +for Harvard College. The large lens in this telescope was not perfect, +and Mr. Clark's eye was so good that he could see what the small fault +was. When he heard that twelve thousand dollars had been paid for this +glass, he was encouraged to try to make such lenses. But there was +nobody in this country who could show him how to do it. +</p> + +<p> +He first got some poor lenses out of old telescopes. These he worked +over, and made them better. By this means he learned how to do it. Then +he got some discs of glass and made some new lenses. These were the +best ever made in this country. But he was not satisfied. He kept on +making better and larger lenses. With one of these he discovered two +double stars, as they are called. These had never been seen to be +double before. +</p> + +<p> +But nobody in America would believe that some of the best telescopes in +the world were made in this country, for even the English astronomers +had to get their telescopes in Germany. +</p> + +<p> +With one of his telescopes, larger than any he had made before, Mr. +Clark now made a new discovery. He wrote about this to an English +astronomer named Dawes. Mr. Dawes thought that a telescope that could +make such a discovery would be worth having, so he bought the large +lens out of this new telescope. Then he bought other glasses from Mr. +Clark, and sold them again to other astronomers. In this way Mr. Clark +became famous in England. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/040.jpg" alt="Telescopic View of the Moon." width="303" height="517"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Telescopic View of the Moon.</i> +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Clark had given up painting. He put his whole heart into making the +best telescopes in the world. He went to England and saw the great +astronomers, and looked through their telescopes. +</p> + +<p> +They were glad to see the man who made the best lenses in the world. +His telescopes had helped them to find out many new things never seen +before. By this time Mr. Clark was coming to be known in his own +country. He got an order to make the largest glass ever made for a +telescope in the whole world. This was to be put up in America. Nobody +had ever dreamed of making so large and powerful a telescope. +</p> + +<p> +After a long time the great glass for this telescope was ground. Mr. +Clark set it up to try it. His younger son, Alvan, who was helping him, +turned the telescope so as to look at the bright star Sirius. As soon +as he had looked, he cried out in surprise, "Why, father, the star has +a companion!" Sirius is a sun. It has a satellite, a dark star like our +world revolving round it. Nobody had ever been able to see this dark +star before. But this telescope was stronger than any that had ever +been pointed at the sky. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Clark now looked through the tube himself. Sure enough, there was +the companion of Sirius, never seen before by anybody on the earth. The +large glass which had been a year in making had won its first victory. +But Mr. Clark made much larger glasses even than that one. He had +nobody to show him how. But by patient thought and hard work he had +made the greatest telescopes in the world. Medals and other honors were +sent to him from many countries. +</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<a name="Alaska"></a> +<p class="chapter">ADVENTURES IN ALASKA. +</p> + + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/041.jpg" alt="Scene in Alaska." width="537" height="335"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>Scene in Alaska.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The Copper River of Alaska flows from north to south into the ocean. +The Yukon River, which is farther north, runs from the east toward the +west. It was known that the waters of these two rivers must be near +together at the place from which they started in the mountains, but it +was not known whether anybody could pass from the valley of the Copper +River over the mountains into the valley of the Yukon. A scouting party +was sent to find out whether the crossing from one river to the other +could be made. This party returned, saying that it was impossible to +pass from the Copper River to the Yukon, because the mountains were too +high and steep. +</p> + +<p> +In 1885 General Miles sent Lieutenant Allen to try to find a pass from +the valley of the Copper River to that of the Yukon. Lieutenant Allen +was a very determined man. He set out with the resolution to find some +way of crossing the mountains, however much labor and suffering it +might cost. He took two soldiers, and had two other white men with him, +and he got Indians to go with him from place to place as he could. The +party started up the Copper River in March. From the first their +sufferings were very great. They had to travel day after day, and sleep +night after night, with their clothes wet to the skin. They soon found +that they could not take their canoe, on account of the ice. They had +to leave most of their provisions, because they could not carry them. +Some nights they sat up all night in the rain. +</p> + +<p> +But when they got to a country where it was not raining all the time, +they had a way of keeping dry at night. They had brought along sleeping +bags. These were made of waterproof linen. Each bag was a little longer +than a man. It had draw strings at the top. They put a folded blanket +inside, and then pushed the blanket down with their feet so that it +would wrap about them and keep them warm. Then they drew the strings +about the top. This kept the body dry. +</p> + +<p> +They suffered a great deal from hunger. There were very few animals in +the country where they were, and most of the Indians they found had but +little to eat. Lieutenant Allen's party were sometimes glad to pick up +scraps of decayed meat or broken bones about an Indian camp to make a +meal on. Much of the meat and fish they had to eat was badly spoiled. +They grew so weak that it was hard for them to climb up a hill, +carrying their guns and their food. They sometimes reeled like drunken +men when they walked. +</p> + +<p> +They would have perished from hunger if they had not had a man with +them who knew how to stop the rabbits when they were running. This man +could make a little cry just like a rabbit's cry. Whenever a rabbit +heard this sound, he would stop and look round for a moment. Then the +hunter would have a chance to shoot him. +</p> + +<p> +But these rabbits were so small and so lean that it took four or five +of them to make a meal for a man. At one place the party were so hungry +that an Indian who was with them fainted away. When they reached a +house soon after, where there lived a chief named Nicolai, they found a +five-gallon kettle full of meat boiling on the fire. They drank large +quantities of the broth, and ate about five pounds of meat apiece. Much +of this meat was pure tallow from the moose. They all fell asleep +immediately after eating. When they awaked, they were almost as hungry +as before. +</p> + +<p> +At last they reached the head waters of the Copper River. Here they +found the hungry Indians waiting for the salmon to come up from the +sea, as they do every year. As long as the salmon are in the river, the +Indians have plenty to eat. So they kept dipping their net, hoping to +catch some salmon. At last one little salmon was caught. It was a thin, +white-looking little fish. The Indians now knew that in two or three +days they would have plenty. They hung their little fish on a spruce +bough, and they kept visiting it, singing to it with delight. The white +men did not wait for the salmon to arrive. +</p> + +<p> +From this place they left the Copper River, and started to cross the +mountains. This was the pass through which it was said that nobody +could go. Lieutenant Allen and his men were obliged to carry provisions +with them. Part of the provisions they carried themselves: the rest +they packed on dogs. This is a way of carrying things used only in +Alaska. A pack is strapped on a dog's back just as though he were a +mule, and with this the little dog goes on a long journey through the +mountains. +</p> + + +<p class="ctr"> +<img src="images/042.jpg" alt="A dog pack train." width="507" height="399"></p> +<p class="ctr"><i>A Dog Pack Train.</i> +</p> + +<p> +The party started over the mountains in June. At this season of the +year in that country the sun shines almost all night, and it is never +dark. Lieutenant Allen's party traveled either by day or by night, as +they pleased, as there was always light enough. +</p> + +<p> +When they got to the foot of the last mountains they had to climb, they +found a little lake. Here they got some fish to eat, but the salmon had +not come yet. They hired some Indians to go with them, and divided the +weight of everything into packs. Every man carried a pack, and every +dog carried as much as he could bear. As they climbed the mountains, +they could look back over the beautiful valley of the Copper River. +Still hungry and nearly tired out, they pushed on until they camped by +a brook in the mountains. +</p> + +<p> +Here they found that the salmon had come up the Copper River from the +sea, and had run up this brook and overtaken them. The fish were +crowding up the brook to get to a little lake at the head of it, where +they would lay their eggs. In some places there was so little water in +the stream that the fish had to get over the shallow places by lying on +their sides. In doing this, some of them threw themselves out of the +water on the land. The hungry men could catch them easily, and they now +had all they wanted to eat. One of the party ate three large salmon, +heads and all, for his supper. As the sun shines almost all the time in +the Arctic regions, in the summer, the days become very hot. On the +last day of Lieutenant Allen's journey up the mountains the heat was so +great that the party did not start until five o'clock in the afternoon. +They reached the top of the mountains that divided the two rivers at +half-past one o'clock that night. Though it was what we should call the +middle of the night, it was not dark. +</p> + +<p> +The party were now nearly five thousand feet higher than the sea. At +half-past one in the morning the sun was just rising. It rose almost in +the north. Behind them the men could still see the valley of the Copper +River. Before them lay the valley of one of the branches of the Yukon, +with twenty beautiful lakes and a range of mountains in sight. White +and yellow buttercups were blooming about them, though the snow was +within a few feet. No white man had ever looked on this grand scene +before. The men forgot their hunger and their weariness. They had done +what hardly anybody thought could be done. +</p> + +<p> +A mile further on they stopped to build a fire, and here they cooked +the last bit of extract of beef that they had with them. It was the end +of all the provisions they had carried. Having gone to bed at two or +three o'clock in the morning, they did not start again until two in the +afternoon; for day and night were all one to them, except that the +light nights were cooler and pleasanter to travel in than the days. +</p> + +<p> +They were told by the Indians that by marching all that night they +could reach an Indian settlement, and, as they had no food, they +determined to do this. In this whole day's march they killed but one +little rabbit, which was all they had for nine starving men to eat. But +at three o'clock in the morning of the next day the tired and hungry +men dragged themselves into the little Indian village. Guns were fired +to welcome them. +</p> + +<p> +The fish were coming up the river. A kind of platform had been built +over the water. On this platform the Indians stood one at a time, and +dipped a net into the water for fish. All day and all night somebody +was dipping the net. +</p> + +<p> +The Indians had never seen a white man before. They were very much +amused to see white faces, and one of the white men who had red hair +was a wonder to them. +</p> + +<p> +Allen and his men got food here. Then they built a skin canoe, and +started down the river. After many more hardships and dangers, they +reached the ocean, and then took ship for California. +</p> + +<br> +<br> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 15597-h.txt or 15597-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/5/9/15597</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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index 0000000..a8c2920 --- /dev/null +++ b/15597-h/images/07.jpg diff --git a/15597-h/images/08.jpg b/15597-h/images/08.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c221adb --- /dev/null +++ b/15597-h/images/08.jpg diff --git a/15597-h/images/09.jpg b/15597-h/images/09.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..15ac6c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/15597-h/images/09.jpg diff --git a/15597.txt b/15597.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7173d5f --- /dev/null +++ b/15597.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5098 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Stories of American Life and Adventure, by +Edward Eggleston + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Stories of American Life and Adventure + + +Author: Edward Eggleston + +Release Date: April 9, 2005 [eBook #15597] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND +ADVENTURE*** + + +E-text prepared by Mark C. Orton and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 15597-h.htm or 15597-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597/15597-h/15597-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597/15597-h.zip) + + + + + +STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE + +by + +EDWARD EGGLESTON + +Author of _Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans_, +_A First Book in American History_, and +_A History of the United States and its People for the Use of Schools_ + +American Book Company +New York : Cincinnati : Chicago + +1895, 1923 + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Grand Canyon.] + + + + +PREFACE. + + +This book is intended to serve three main purposes. + +One of these is to make school reading pleasant by supplying matter +simple and direct in style, and sufficiently interesting and exciting +to hold the reader's attention in a state of constant wakefulness; +that is, to keep the mind in the condition in which instruction can be +received with the greatest advantage. + +A second object is to cultivate an interest in narratives of fact by +selecting chiefly incidents full of action, such as are attractive to +the minds of boys and girls whose pulses are yet quick with youthful +life. The early establishment of a preference for stories of this sort +is the most effective antidote to the prevalent vice of reading +inferior fiction for mere stimulation. + +But the principal aim of this book is to make the reader acquainted +with American life and manners in other times. The history of life +has come to be esteemed of capital importance, but it finds, as yet, +small place in school instruction. The stories and sketches in this +book relate mainly to earlier times and to conditions very different +from those of our own day. They will help the pupil to apprehend the +life and spirit of our forefathers. Many of them are such as make +him acquainted with that adventurous pioneer life, which thus far has +been the largest element in our social history, and which has given +to the national character the traits of quick-wittedness, humor, +self-reliance, love of liberty, and democratic feeling. These traits +in combination distinguish us from other peoples. + +Stories such as these here told of Indian life, of frontier peril and +escape, of adventures with the pirates and kidnappers of colonial +times, of daring Revolutionary feats, of dangerous whaling voyages, of +scientific exploration, and of personal encounters with savages and +wild beasts, have become the characteristic folklore of America. Books +of history rarely know them, but they are history of the highest +kind,--the quintessence of an age that has passed, or that is swiftly +passing away, forever. With them are here intermingled sketches of the +homes, the food and drink, the dress and manners, the schools and +children's plays, of other times. The text-book of history is chiefly +busy with the great events and the great personages of history: this +book seeks to make the young American acquainted with the daily life +and character of his forefathers. In connection with the author's +"Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans," it is intended to +form an introduction to the study of our national history. + +It has been thought desirable to make the readings in this book cover +in a general way the whole of our vast country. The North and the +South, the Atlantic seaboard, the Pacific slope, and the great +interior basin of the continent, are alike represented in these pages. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + +A White Boy among the Indians + +The Making of a Canoe + +Some Things about Indian Corn + +Some Women in the Indian Wars + +The Coming of Tea and Coffee + +Kidnapped Boys + +The Last Battle of Blackbeard + +An Old Philadelphia School + +A Dutch Family in the Revolution + +A School of Long Ago + +Stories of Whaling + +A Whaling Song + +A Strange Escape + +Grandmother Bear + +The Great Turtle + +The Rattlesnake God + +Witchcraft in Louisiana + +A Story of Niagara + +Among the Alligators + +Jasper + +Song of Marion's Men + +A Brave Girl + +A Prisoner among the Indians + +Hungry Times in the Woods + +Scouwa becomes a White Man again + +A Baby Lost in the Woods + +Elizabeth Zane + +The River Pirates + +Old-fashioned Telegraphs + +A Boy's Foolish Adventure + +A Foot Race for Life + +Loretto and his Wife + +A Blackfoot Story + +How Fremont crossed the Mountains + +Finding Gold in California + +Descending the Grand Canyon + +The-Man-that-draws-the-Handcart + +The Lazy, Lucky Indian + +Peter Petersen + +The Greatest of Telescope Makers + +Adventures in Alaska + + + + +STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND ADVENTURE. + + + + +A WHITE BOY AMONG THE INDIANS. + + +Among the people that came to Virginia in 1609, two years after the +colony was planted, was a boy named Henry Spelman. He was the son of a +well-known man. He had been a bad and troublesome boy in England, and +his family sent him to Virginia, thinking that he might be better in +the new country. At least his friends thought he would not trouble +them so much when he was so far away. + +Many hundreds of people came at the same time that Henry Spelman did. +Captain John Smith was then governor of the little colony. He was +puzzled to know how to feed all these people. As many of them were +troublesome, he was still more puzzled to know how to govern them. + +In order not to have so many to feed, he sent some of them to live +among the Indians here and there. A chief called Little Powhatan asked +Smith to send some of his men to live with him. The Indians wanted to +get the white men to live among them, so as to learn to make the +things that the white men had. Captain Smith agreed to give the boy +Henry Spelman to Little Powhatan, if the chief would give him a place +to plant a new settlement. + +Spelman staid awhile with the chief, and then he went back to the +English at Jamestown. + +But when he came to Jamestown he was sorry that he had not staid among +the Indians. Captain John Smith had gone home to England. George Percy +was now governor of the English. They had very little food to eat, and +Spelman began to be afraid that he might starve to death with the rest +of them. Powhatan--not Little Powhatan, but the great Powhatan, who +was chief over all the other chiefs in the neighborhood--sent a white +man who was living with him to carry some deer meat to Jamestown. When +it came time for this white man to go back, he asked that some of his +countrymen might go to the Indian country with him. The governor sent +Spelman, who was glad enough to go to the Indians again, because they +had plenty of food to eat. + +Three weeks after this, Powhatan sent Henry Spelman back to Jamestown +to say to the English, that if they would come to his country, and +bring him some copper, he would give them some corn for it. The +Indians at this time had no iron, and what little copper they had they +bought from other Indians, who probably got it from the copper mines +far away on Lake Superior. + +The English greatly needed corn, so they took a boat and went up to +the Indian country with copper, in order to buy corn. They quarreled +with the Indians about the measurement of the corn. The Indians hid +themselves near the water, and, while the white men were carrying the +corn on their vessel, the Indians killed some of them. About this +time, seeing that the white men were so hungry, the Indians began to +hope that they would be able to drive them all out of the country. + +Powhatan saved Spelman from being killed by the Indians; but, now that +the Indians were at war with the white men, who were shut up in +Jamestown without food, they wished to kill all the white people in +the country. + +Spelman and a Dutchman, who also lived with Powhatan, began to be +afraid that he would not protect them any longer. So, when a chief of +the Potomac Indians visited Powhatan, and asked the Dutchman and the +boy to go to his country, they left Powhatan and went back with them. +Powhatan sent messengers after them, who killed the Dutchman. Henry +Spelman ran away into the woods. Powhatan's men followed him, but the +Potomacs got hold of Powhatan's men, and held them back until Spelman +could get away. The boy managed at last to get to the country of the +Potomac Indians. + +It was very lucky for Spelman that he was among the Indians at this +time. Nearly all the white people in Jamestown were killed, or died of +hunger. Spelman lived among the Indians for years. During this time +more people came from England, and settled at Jamestown. A ship from +Jamestown came up into the Potomac River to trade. The captain of the +ship bought Spelman from the Indians. He was now a young man, and, as +he could speak both the Indian language and the English, he was very +useful in carrying on trade between the white men and the Indians. + +At the time that Henry Spelman first went among the Indians, they had +no iron tools except a very few that they had bought of the white +people. They had no guns, nor knives, nor hatchets. They had no hoes +nor axes. They made their tools out of hard wood, shells, stones, deer +horns, and other such things. They had not yet bought blankets from +the white men, but made their clothes mostly out of the skins of +animals. + +The Indians could not learn much about the white man's arts from +Spelman, because he did not know much. Besides, he had no iron of +which to make tools. He learned to make arrows of cane such as we use +for fishing rods. He also learned to point his arrows with the spur of +a wild turkey, or a piece of stone. These arrow points he stuck into +the arrow with a kind of glue. But he first had to learn how to make +his glue out of deers' horns. Before he could make any of the tools, +he had to make himself a knife, as the Indians did. Having no iron, +the blade of his knife was made out of a beaver's tooth, which is very +sharp, and will cut wood. He set this tooth in the end of a stick. You +see how hard it was for an Indian to get tools. He had to learn to +make one tool in order to use that in making another tool. + +One of the principal things that an Indian had to do was to make a +canoe; for, as the Indians had no horses, they could travel only by +water, unless they went afoot. Canoes were the only boats they had. +They had to make canoes without any of the tools that white men use. +Let us explain this by a story about Henry and an Indian boy. The +things in the story may not have happened just as they are told, but +the account of how things are made by the Indians is all true. + + + + +THE MAKING OF A CANOE. + + +Henry had a young Indian friend whose name was Keketaw. One day +Keketaw said to him, "Let us go into the woods and make a canoe." + +"If we had an ax to cut down the trees," said the white boy, "or an +adz, such as they have at Jamestown, or if we could get a hatchet, we +might make a canoe; but we have not even a little knife." + +"We will make a canoe in the Indian way," said Keketaw. "I will show +you how. Let us get ready." + +"What shall we do to get ready?" asked Henry. + +"We must take our bows, and we must make many arrows, so as to get +something to eat, and we must have fishing lines," said Keketaw, "or +we shall not be able to live in the woods." + +For some days the two boys were getting ready. It took them a long +time to scrape a piece of bone into a fishhook by means of a beaver's +tooth set in a stick, but they made three of these hooks. They made +some more hooks not so good as these by tying a splinter of bone to a +little stick. Keketaw's mother made fishing lines for them. She took +the long leaves of the plant which we call Spanish bayonet, and +separated these threads into a hard cord, rubbing them between her +hand and her knee. + +"We must have swords," said Keketaw. + +"We can cut our meat with this," said Henry, pointing to a knife made +of cane, such as the Indians called a pamesack. + +"But the Monacans may come," said Keketaw. "If we should see one +sticking up his head, I should want a sword to fight him with; and if +we should kill him, we could cut off his scalp with it;" and Keketaw's +eyes glistened a little at the thought of fetching home a Monacan's +scalp. + +The Monacans were fierce Indians of a tribe living in the country west +of the Powhatan Indians. They were deadly enemies of Keketaw's tribe. + +The two boys, by much slow work with stones and shells and +beaver-tooth chisels, managed to scrape a wooden sword into shape. +This, Henry was to wear at his back. Keketaw, for his part, found a +piece of deer's horn. He stuck it into a stick so that it made +something like a small pickax. With this he said he could quickly +break the head of a Monacan. It would also serve as a sort of hatchet. + +The land round the village in which Keketaw lived had been cleared of +trees. This had been done by burning the trees in order to make room +for fields. In these fields the Indians planted corn, beans, pumpkins, +and tobacco, and a plant something like a sunflower, which is called +an artichoke. Of the root of this artichoke they made a kind of bread. + +For many miles there were no good canoe trees near the water. They had +all been picked out and used. Henry and Keketaw traveled twenty miles +into a deep woods, and chose a tree that would make a good canoe, and +that stood near a stream which ran into the James River. + +The first thing they did was to break down young trees and boughs, and +build themselves a brush tent. They made a bed out of dry leaves. The +first night they had nothing to eat, for they had no time to shoot any +game. The next morning they were too hungry to sleep late, and they +knew that squirrels are early risers. Soon after daylight the Indian +boy killed a squirrel with an arrow. Having no fire, they ate it +without cooking; for, when one is a savage, one must not be too nice. + +How should they get a fire? They first took a piece of dry wood, which +they scraped flat with stones. Then, with a blow of his tomahawk of +deer's horn, Keketaw made a round hole in the wood. One end of a dry +stick was placed in this hole. The other end was supported in the +hollow of a shell which Keketaw held in his hand. + +The string to Henry's bow was made of one of the cords or sinews of a +deer's leg. He wound this once round the stick. With his left hand, +Keketaw then put some dry moss about the stick where it entered the +hole in the dry wood. + +When all was ready, Henry drew his bow to and fro like a saw. Keketaw +pressed the shell down on the upper part of the stick. The bow-string +holding the stick made it whirl in the hole beneath. At first this +seemed to produce no effect. After a while the rapid rubbing of the +piece of wood in the hole made heat. Presently a very thin thread of +smoke began to come up through the little heap of moss about the +stick. Henry was now pretty well out of breath, but he sawed the bow +faster than ever. At last the moss began to smolder and to show fire. + +Keketaw then withdrew the smoking stick, and gathered the moss +together. Lying down by it, and putting his arm about it, the Indian +lad began to blow it gently. The smoldering fire increased until a +little blue flame, which he could barely see, appeared. Keketaw now +added some very thin paper-like bits of dry bark and some small twigs +to the pile of smoking moss. These caught fire, and sent up a +straw-colored flame. Henry put on larger twigs until there was at last +a crackling blaze. + +Taking lighted sticks from this fire, the boys made a fire all round +the base of a large tree from which they meant to get the canoe. This +fire they kept going constantly for two days. They even got up at +night to put dead boughs on, it. + +[Illustration: Burning down a Tree.] + +On the third night of their stay in camp, they didn't lie down at the +usual time, for the tree was burned nearly through. About two o'clock +in the morning a little breeze rustled in the leaves of the great +tree. Slowly at first, then more and more rapidly, the tree fell with +a tremendous crashing sound, until with a final thundering roar it lay +flat upon the ground. + +Sleepy as the boys were, they did not lie down for the night until +they had built a new fire near the trunk of the tree. Having no ax to +chop with, they had to burn the log in two. They put the fire at a +place that would cut off enough of the tree trunk to make a canoe. + +The next day they built up this new fire, and then went fishing in the +neighboring stream with their bone fishhooks, and lines made of the +Spanish bayonet leaf. In two days after the fall of the tree they had +burned off the log that was to make their canoe, and had scraped off +all the bark with shells. + +They then lighted little fires on top of the log, and, when these had +charred the wood for an inch or more in depth in any place, they +removed the fire and scraped away the charcoal. Then they built +another little fire in the same place. These little fires were made +with gum taken from the pine trees. + +By burning and scraping they gradually dug out the inside of their +boat, scraping out one end of it while they were burning out the +other, and working at it day after day. + +The only tools they had for scraping were shells from the river, and +sharp stones. Keketaw sometimes used his deer-horn tomahawk for the +same purpose. It was fourteen days from the time they first lighted +the fire at the foot of the tree until their canoe was finished. Two +more days were spent in making paddles. This work was also done by +burning and scraping. + +When all was done, the canoe was slid down the soft bank into the +water. It floated right side up to the delight of its makers. The boys +now thought it would be a fine stroke to take a deer home with them. +So they pulled one end of their canoe up on the shore, and started out +to look for one. + +But the first tracks they found were not deer tracks. They were the +footprints of men. Keketaw made a sign to Henry by turning the palm of +his hand toward the earth, and then moving the hand downward. This +meant to keep low, and make no noise. Then Keketaw climbed a high pine +tree. From the top of the tree he could see a number of Indians at a +spring of water. + +The boy slid down the tree in haste. "Monacans on the war path!" he +whispered as he reached the ground. + +Swiftly and silently the two boys hurried back to their canoe. They +wasted no time in admiring it. They gathered their weapons and fishing +lines, and got aboard. It was not a question of killing Monacans now, +but of saving themselves and their friends. They rowed with all their +might from the start. + +For hours they kept their new paddles busy. They reached the village +after dark, and when they uttered the dreadful word "Monacans," it ran +from one wigwam to another. The women and children shuddered with +fear. The warriors smeared their faces with paint, to make themselves +uglier than ever, and departed. Soon after the boys had started home, +the Monacans had found their camp fire still burning. Thinking they +had been discovered, and knowing that a strong party of the Powhatan +Indians might come after them, the Monacans had hurried back to their +own home more swiftly than they had come. + + + + +SOME THINGS ABOUT INDIAN CORN. + + +When the white people first came to America, they had never seen +Indian corn, which did not grow in Europe. The Indians raised it in +little patches about their villages. Before planting their corn, they +had to clear away the trees that covered the whole country. Their axes +were made of stone, and were not sharp enough to cut down a tree. The +larger trees they cut down by burning them off at the bottom. They +killed the smaller trees by building little fires about them. When the +bark all round a tree was burned, the tree died. As dead trees bear no +leaves, the sun could shine through their branches on the ground where +corn was to be planted. + +Having no iron, they had to make their tools as they could. In some +places they made a hoe by tying the shoulder blade of a deer to a +stick. In other places they used half of the shell of a turtle for a +hoe or spade to dig up the ground. This could be done where the ground +was soft. In North Carolina the Indians had a little thing like a +pickax which was made out of a deer's horn tied to a stick. An Indian +woman would sit down on the ground with one of these little pickaxes +in her hand. She would dig up the earth for a little space until it +was loose. Then she would make a little hole in the soft earth. In +this she would plant four or five grains of corn, putting them about +an inch apart. Then she covered these grains with soft earth. In +Virginia, where the ground was soft and sandy, the Indians made a kind +of spade out of wood. + +Sometimes they planted a patch a long way off from their bark house, +so that they would not be tempted to eat it while it was green. The +Indians were very fond of green corn. They roasted the ears in the +ashes. Some of the tribes held a great feast when the first green corn +was fit to eat, and some of them worshiped a spirit that they called +the "Spirit of the Corn." + +When the corn was dry, the Indians pounded it in order to make meal or +hominy of it. Sometimes they parched the corn, and then pounded it +into meal. They carried this parched meal with them when they went +hunting and when they went to war. They could eat it with a little +water, without stopping to cook it. They called it Nokick, but the +white people called it No-cake. + +When the Pilgrims came to Cape Cod, they sent out Miles Standish and +some other men to look through the country and find a good place for +them to settle. Standish tried to find some of the Indians in order to +make friends with them, but the Indians ran away whenever they saw him +coming. One day he found a heap of sand. He knew it had been lately +piled up, because he could see the marks of hands on the sand where +the Indians had patted it down. Standish and his men dug up this heap. +They soon came to a little old basket full of Indian corn. When they +had dug further, they found a very large new basket full of fine corn +which had been lately gathered. + +The white men, who had never seen it before, thought Indian corn very +beautiful. Some of the ears were yellow, some were red. On other ears +blue and yellow grains were mixed. Standish and his men said it was a +"very goodly sight." The Indian basket was round and narrow at the +top. It held three or four bushels of corn, and it was as much as two +men could do to lift it from the ground. The white men wondered to see +how handsomely it was woven. + +[Illustration: Standish and his Men find Corn.] + +Near the pile of corn they found an old kettle which the Indians had +probably bought from some ship. They filled this kettle with corn, +They also filled their baskets with it. They wanted the corn for seed. +They made up their mind to pay the Indians whenever they could find +them. The next summer they found out who were the owners of this +buried corn, and paid them for all the corn they had taken. If they +had not found this corn, they would not have had any to plant the next +spring, and so they would have starved to death. + +The people that were with Miles Standish settled at Plymouth. They +were the first that came to live in New England. An Indian named +Squanto came to live with the white people at Plymouth. Squanto was +born at this very place. He had been carried away to England by a sea +captain. Then he had been brought back by another captain to his own +country. When he got back to Plymouth, he found that all the people of +his village had died from a great sickness. He went to live with +another tribe near by. When the white people came to Plymouth, they +settled on the ground where Squanto's people had lived. As he could +speak some English, and as all his own tribe were dead, he now came to +live with the white people. + +The people at Plymouth did not know how to plant the corn they had +found, but Squanto taught them. By watching the trees, the Indians +knew when to put their corn into the ground. When the young leaf of +the white oak tree was as large as a squirrel's ear, they knew that it +was time to put their corn into the ground. Squanto taught the white +people how to catch a kind of fish which were used to make their corn +grow. They put one or two fishes into each hill of corn, but they were +obliged to watch the cornfield day and night for two weeks after +planting. If they had not watched it, the wolves would have dug up the +fishes, and the corn with them. + +The white people learned also to cook their corn as the Indians did. +They learned to eat hominy and samp, and these we still call by their +Indian names. "Succotash" is another Indian word. The white people +learned from the Indians to use the husks of Indian corn to make +things. The Indians made ropes of corn husks, and in some places they +made shoes of plaited husks. The white people in early times made +their door mats and horse collars and beds of corn husks. They also +twisted and wove husks to make seats for their chairs. + +Of all the plants that grew in America, Indian corn was the most +important to the Indians. It was also of the most value to the first +white people who came to this country. + + + + +SOME WOMEN IN THE INDIAN WARS. + + +When white people first came to this country, they had much trouble +with the Indians. After a while, when they had learned to defend +themselves and got used to danger, they did not mind it much. Even the +women became as brave as soldiers. + +In very early times there were some families of people from Sweden +living not far from where Philadelphia now stands. One day the women +were all together boiling soap. It was the custom then to make soap at +home. Water was first poured through ashes to make lye. People put +this lye into a large kettle, and then threw into it waste pieces of +meat and bits of fat of all kinds. After boiling a long time, this +mixture made a kind of soft soap, which was the only soap the early +settlers had. The large kettle in which the soap was boiled was hung +on a pole. This pole was held up by two forked sticks driven into the +ground. A fire was kept burning under the kettle. Of course, this soap +boiling took place out of doors. + +Some Indians, creeping through the woods, saw the women together +without any men. They thought it a good chance to kill them or make +them prisoners; but the women caught sight of the Indians, and ran +away to their little church. The churches in that day were often built +so they could be used for forts. The church to which these women ran +was one of this kind. But the women had no guns with them. They knew +that when they got into the church they would have nothing to fight +with. So two of them took hold of the ends of the pole on which the +kettle of boiling soap was hanging, and carried the kettle into the +little church with them. + +The Indians tried to get into the church, but every time an Indian +climbed up to get in, a woman would just dip up a ladleful of boiling +soap, and dash it on him. This was a kind of fighting the Indians did +not like. They were not used to soap in any form. So, when an Indian +was scalded by the soap, he would run away in great pain, and not try +it again. The next Indian that came got some of the same hot medicine. +He also would have to go away to cool off, if he could. + +[Illustration: Blowing a Conch Shell.] + +While some of the women were watching the Indians, and fighting them +with hot soap, one of them took up a dinner horn and blew it. This +dinner horn was made of a great shell called a conch shell. The tip of +a conch shell was sawed off so as to make a hole in it. By blowing +into this hole, a very loud noise could be made. Such horns were used +in that day to call people to dinner, and to call the neighbors when +there was any danger. The woman blew the conch-shell horn, and kept on +blowing. + +The men who were away in the woods heard the sound of the horn. They +knew that something was wrong, because the horn was blowing when it +was not dinner time. Either a house was on fire or the Indians had +come. The men took up their guns and hurried toward the little church. +When the Indians saw the men coming, they ran away. + +There was a woman in Massachusetts named Bradley. She had once been a +prisoner among the Indians. She lived in a blockhouse which had a high +fence of posts set up close together all round it to keep the Indians +out. Such a fence was called a stockade. One day Mrs. Bradley was +boiling soap. The gate of the stockade had been left open a little +way. Suddenly she saw an Indian, with war paint on his face and his +tomahawk in his hand, rushing in at the gate. The Indian thought it +would be an easy thing to kill Mrs. Bradley. But the woman was too +quick for him. She dashed a ladle of boiling soap upon him before he +could run away. The soap was so hot that the Indian was killed by it. + +The Indians came once more to take Mrs. Bradley. This time, not having +any soap, she got a gun and shot the foremost one dead. The rest ran +away. + +In King Philip's War the Indians tried to take the town of Hadley. The +men of the town fought hard, but the Indians were getting the best of +the battle. A little cannon had been sent from Boston. It reached +Hadley while the battle was going on. As all the men were busy +fighting, the women loaded the cannon themselves. First they put in +powder, and then small shot and nails. When the cannon was loaded, the +women took it to the men, who pointed it into the thickest of the +crowd of Indians, and fired it. A hail-storm of nails was a new thing +to the Indians. Those who were not killed ran away very much +frightened. + +There was a young girl in Maine who was in a house when the Indians +attacked it. She held the door shut until thirteen women and children +could get out of the house by the back door, and pass into a +blockhouse, which is a kind of fort. The Indians beat down the door at +last, and then knocked down the brave girl behind it, but they did not +kill her. + +Sometimes the Indians attacked a blockhouse when there were none but +women in it. In such cases the women would put on hats, and fix their +hair so as to look like men. Then they would use their guns well. The +savages, thinking there were men in the place, would go away. + +There was one girl who was a captive among the Indians for three weeks. +One day she saw a horse running loose in the woods. She stripped some +tough bark from a tree, and made a bridle of it. Then she caught the +horse, and put her bark bridle on him. It was just growing dark when +she climbed on his bare back, for she had no saddle. She turned the +horse's head toward the settlements, and rode hard all night. The next +morning she was safe among her friends. + + + + +THE COMING OF TEA AND COFFEE. + + +When the first settlers came to this country, tea and coffee were +unknown to them. The favorite drink of that time was a kind of weak +beer, which was usually made at home. The first settlers in America +could not buy drinks such as they had had in England, and in a new +country they often could not make them. So they found out ways of +making other drinks in place of them. What we call root beer and birch +beer, and a drink flavored with the chips of the hickory tree, were +made in New England. Farther south the people made a kind of drink by +mixing water and molasses together, and putting in Indian corn. + +Such drinks were taken at meals as we take tea and coffee. People also +drank a great deal of cider. As the cows hardly ever gave any milk in +winter, children were given cider and water to drink. But about fifty +years after the time that the first settlers came to this country, +people in England began to get tea and coffee. Tea and coffee were +soon after brought into this country. At first they were thought to be +medicines good for many diseases. Little books were written to tell +how many diseases these new drinks would cure. Root beer and birch +beer, and tea and coffee, were good things in one way. After they came +into use, people did not care so much for stronger drinks. + +When tea first came, it was very fashionable. It was called the new +China drink. Along with the tea, people brought from China little +teacups to drink it from. Most of the cups before this time had been +made of pewter. The new cups and saucers were called chinaware. They +also brought from China pretty little tables on which they set the +teacups when they drank the tea. + +When people first got tea in country places, they did not know how to +use it. There was a minister in Connecticut who bought two pounds of +tea in New York. He took it home with him, and put it away to use when +anybody in his house should be ill. He wanted the tea for medicine. +His daughters had heard about the fine ladies in town who took tea. +They were curious to taste it, and were not willing to wait until they +should be ill. So one afternoon, without letting their father know it, +they asked two young men who were friends of theirs to the house. Then +they got out the package of tea, intending to treat themselves and the +young men to a new pleasure. They knew nothing about making tea. When +they had boiled it a long time, they poured off the tea and threw it +away. They put the tea leaves on a dish, and tried to eat them as one +would eat spinach. This is the way they punished themselves for +disobeying their father. + +Before the Revolution, when gentlemen called at fine houses in the +afternoon, the ladies always gave them tea to drink. As soon as a +gentleman's little cup was empty, one of the ladies would fill it up +again, and it was not polite to refuse to drink all the tea that was +offered. A French prince who was in Philadelphia during the Revolution +drank twelve little cups of tea one afternoon. The ladies kept giving +him more, and the poor prince did not know how to stop them until +another French gentleman told him privately that if he would lay his +teaspoon across the top of the cup no more tea would be poured in. He +put the teaspoon across the teacup as a sign that he did not wish to +drink any more. + +[Illustration: A Colonial Tea Party.] + +Long after tea and coffee were in use in this country they were not +known in the backwoods. The people on the frontier drank tea made from +the root of the sassafras tree or from the leaves of some wild vines. +The whole work of preparing food was done at home. When they wanted to +grind meal, they did it by pounding corn in a hole cut in the stump of +a tree. They used a large stone pounder which was tied by a rope to a +limb of a tree above. After each blow the limb would spring back and +raise the pounder. Their corn meal was sifted through a sieve made of +deerskin with little holes punched through it. They had to make their +shoes and hats and caps themselves, and to weave their cloth at home. + +A boy who lived on the west side of the Alleghany Mountains in those +days afterward wrote a book telling all about this rough life. His +name was Joseph Doddridge. He spent his boyhood in a log cabin, in +constant danger from Indians. The settlers had built a fort in the +middle of the settlement. Sometimes in the night Joseph would hear a +man tapping gently on the back window of his father's cabin. As soon +as anybody waked up, the man would whisper, "Indians!" Joseph's father +would then take down his gun. The children would be dressed in the +dark as quickly as possible. Such things as would be needed in the +fort were then picked up. Not a word was spoken, nor was any candle +lighted. Even the little children learned to be perfectly silent, and +the dogs were taught not to bark. When all was ready, the family would +hurry away along the foot path to the fort. All the other families in +the settlement would be called in the same way. + +Every fall these settlers sent pack horses over the mountains. The +horses were loaded with the skins of animals. When they came back, +they carried salt, which was the one thing that could not be made in +the settlement. But the men never thought it worth while to bring home +with them tea and coffee or other unnecessary things. + +When Joseph was about seven years of age, he was sent over the +mountains to school. The little boy was very much puzzled when he +first saw a house that was plastered inside. He had never in his life +seen anything but a cabin built of logs. He could not understand how a +plastered house was built. It seemed to him like something that had +grown that way. + +When supper time came in this plastered house, he saw a teacup and +saucer for the first time in his life. The people in his neighborhood +used wooden bowls to drink out of. But here he saw what seemed to him +to be a little cup standing in a bigger one. He had never heard of +coffee. He only knew that the brownish-looking stuff in his cup was +not milk, or hominy, or soup. What to do with the little cups, or how +to make use of the spoon that was in them, he could not tell, so he +watched the big folks handle their cups and spoons. He drank the +coffee just as they did, but he disliked it very much. It made the +tears come into his eyes to drink it. When he got his cup nearly +empty, it was filled again. He did not dare to say that he had had +enough, and he did not know what to do. At last he saw one man turn +his empty cup bottom upward in the saucer, and lay his little spoon +across the bottom of the cup. That was the custom in those days. He +saw that this man's cup was not filled any more. So Joseph drank his +coffee as quickly as possible, turned his cup over in the saucer, and +laid the spoon across the bottom. He was delighted that he did not +have to drink any more coffee. + + + + +KIDNAPPED BOYS. + + +In the days when our country belonged to England, white people were +brought here to be sold. Some of these were poor people who could not +get a good living in England. They came over to this country without +any money. The captain of the ship in which they came sold them in +this country to pay their passage. + +Men and women who were sold had to serve four years; and boys and +girls, a longer time. The person sold was just like a slave until his +time was out. The man who had bought him might beat him, or sell him +to another master. Many of these white slaves did not get enough to +eat. + +Here are some stories of boys who were brought to this country and +sold before the Revolution. They are all true stories. + + + + +THE STORY OF PETER WILLIAMSON.--TWICE A SLAVE. + + +One day a boy named Peter Williamson was walking along the streets of +Aberdeen in Scotland. The little fellow was eight years old. Two men +met him, and asked him to go on board a ship with them. When he got on +board, he was put down in the lower part of the ship with other boys. +The ship sailed to America with twenty boys. Like Peter, the other +lads had been stolen from their parents. They were taken to +Philadelphia and sold, to work for seven years. + +Little Peter was lucky enough to fall into the hands of a kind master. +Among those who came to buy boys off this ship was a man who had +himself been stolen from Scotland when he was young. He felt sorry for +little Peter when he saw him put up for sale. The price the cruel +captain asked for him was about fifty dollars. The Scotchman paid this +money, and took Peter for his boy. He sent him to school in the +winter, and treated him kindly. Peter, for his part, was a good boy, +and did his work faithfully. He staid with his master after his time +was out. + +When Peter was about seventeen years old, this good master died. He +left to Peter about six hundred dollars in money for being a good boy. +He also gave him his best horse and saddle and all his own clothes. +Some years after this, Peter married, and went to live in the northern +part of Pennsylvania. He was by this time a man of property. + +One night, when his wife was away from home, the Indians came about +his house. He got a gun and ran upstairs. He pointed the gun at the +Indians, but they told him that if he would not shoot they would not +kill him. So he came down, and gave himself up as a prisoner. + +The Indians treated him very cruelly. He was with them more than a +year. His sufferings were so great that he wished sometimes that he +was dead. He knew that if he ran away the Indians would probably catch +him, and kill him in some cruel way. But one night, when the Indians +were all asleep, he resolved to take the risk. You may believe that +when he had started he ran with all his might. + +When daylight came, he hid himself in a hollow tree. After a while he +heard the Indians running all about the tree. He could hear them tell +one another how they would kill him when they found him. But they did +not think to look into the tree. + +The next night he ran on again. He came very near running into a camp +of Indians. But at last he came in sight of the house of a friend. He +was tired out, and starving. He had hardly any clothes left on him. He +knocked at the door. The woman who saw him thought that he was an +Indian. She screamed, and the man of the house got his gun to kill +him. But he quickly told his friend that he was no Indian, but Peter +Williamson. Everybody had given him up for dead. But now all his +friends were happy to see him alive once more. He had twice been +carried into slavery,--once by cruel white men, and once by yet more +cruel red men. + + + + +SOLD LIKE JOSEPH.--STORIES OF TWO KIDNAPPED BOYS. + + +You have heard the beautiful story of Joseph in the Bible. You +remember that he was sold by his brothers. Then he was carried into +Egypt, where he became a great man. + +In 1730 there was a little English lad at sea with his uncle, who was +the captain of a ship. Whether the boy's father and mother were dead +or not, history does not tell. But the boy was sailing on his uncle's +ship, as though he were the captain's son. + +One day the captain was taken ill at sea. After a while he died. The +mate and the sailors thought that they would like to steal the ship +and all the captain's property. But it now all belonged to the little +boy. Like Joseph's brothers, the sailors laid a plan to get the boy +out of the way. You remember that Joseph's brothers saw some slave +traders going by. These traders were Arabs, like the Arabs that carry +off slaves to-day. Joseph's brothers stopped the Arabs, and sold +little Joseph to them. The Arabs took Joseph to Egypt and sold him. + +Just so the mate and his men saw a ship coming toward them. This ship +had a great many people on board. They were Irish people, who were +being taken to America to be sold as servants. + +The mate hailed the ship, and made a bargain with the captain and the +mate. He sold the poor little boy, who had no friends, to this +captain. + +Then the mate and his men sailed away. What became of them we do not +know; but the ship, loaded with white servants, sailed to Boston. It +landed at the Long Wharf, a pier running far out into the water. The +servants were obliged to run up and down this wharf. The people who +came to buy watched them to see how strong they might be. + +The little boy sold by the mate was there. He ran up and down with the +others, to show how nimble his legs were. He was bought by a Mr. +Willard. + +[Illustration: Selling the Captain's Nephew.] + +The boy served out his time, and became free. He became a well-known +officer in the Indian wars. His name was Johnson. He did not become so +great as Joseph in Egypt, but, like Joseph, he gained honor in the +country into which he had been sold as a slave. + +Here is another story of the same kind. A little boy six years old got +lost in London. After he had wandered about a good while, a ship +captain met him, and told him that he would take him to his father. +The captain took him into a boat, put him on board his ship, carried +him to Maryland, and sold him. After the boy had served out his time +and grown to be a man, he became a rich farmer. + +The wicked ship captain who carried off the boy was caught stealing +many years afterward. In that day, thieves were often sold into +America for seven years, as a punishment. This captain who had sold +others was now put on a ship and sent to be sold in Maryland. The man +who bought him was the very person whom he had carried off when he was +a boy. + +You remember how much Joseph's brothers were afraid of him when they +found themselves in his power. This wicked old sea captain was +frightened when he saw that he was now a slave to the boy he had +stolen. He was so much alarmed that he killed himself. + + + + +A LITTLE LORD SOLD INTO BONDAGE. + + +There lived in Ireland a long time ago a certain Lord Altham. The time +was about sixty years before our American Revolution. This Lord Altham +was a weak and foolish man. He quarreled with his wife, and sent her +away. He wasted his money in wicked living, and got into debt. He had +a little son named James Annesley. "Jemmy," as he was called, was sent +to a boarding school; but the father grew more wicked, and more +careless of his son. He sent the boy away, and pretended that he was +dead. He did this because he wanted to sell some property that he +could not sell if Jemmy were alive. + +Jemmy found himself badly treated where he lived. When he complained, +he was told that his father did not pay his board: so he ran away. He +lived in the streets with rough boys. He ran on errands for pay, like +the other little street boys. But still the boys knew that Jemmy was +the son of a lord. Strangers were surprised to hear a little ragged +boy called "my lord" by his playmates. + +When he was about thirteen years old, his father died. Then Jemmy +Annesley became Lord Altham in place of his father; but his uncle +Richard, who was a cruel man, took Jemmy's property, and called +himself Lord Altham. + +The wicked uncle was afraid that people would find out that Jemmy was +alive, and he sent a man to see where the boy was. When the boy was +found, his uncle accused him of stealing a silver spoon. He hired +three policemen to arrest the boy and put him on a ship. Poor Jemmy +wept bitterly. He told the people he was afraid his uncle would kill +him. The ship took him to Philadelphia, where he was sold to a farmer +to serve until he should be of age. + +[Illustration: Kidnapping a Lord.] + +One day, when he was about seventeen years old, he came into his +master's house with a gun in one hand and a squirrel in the other. +There were two strangers sitting by the fire. They had found the door +open, and had walked in. + +One of the men said, "Are you a servant in this house?" + +"I am," said James. + +"What country did you come from?" + +"Ireland." + +"We are from Ireland ourselves," said one of the strange men. "What +part of Ireland are you from?" + +"From the county of Wexford." + +"We are from that county. What is your name?" + +"James Annesley." + +"I never heard that name there," said the traveler. + +"Did you know Lord Altham?" asked the boy. + +"Yes." + +"Well, I am his son." + +"What!" cried the stranger, "you the son of Lord Altham! Impossible!" + +But the young man insisted that he was Lord Altham's son. + +"Tell me how Lord Altham's house stands," said the stranger. + +The young man told him enough to show that he knew all about the +place. Then the stranger said, that, if James ever came to Ireland to +claim his estate, he would do what he could to help him. + +James Annesley was badly treated by his master. At length he ran away, +but he was retaken, and put into a jail in Lancaster. He was kept in +prison a good while. He had a fine voice, and he amused himself by +singing. The people used to stand outside of the jail to hear him +sing. + +For running away he was obliged to serve a still longer time. He spent +thirteen years in slavery. + +When he got free at last, he told Mr. Ellis of Philadelphia about his +case. This kind-hearted man gave him a passage on a ship going to the +West Indies. An English fleet was then in the West Indies. It was +commanded by the famous Admiral Vernon. When the brave admiral heard +James Annesley's story, he took him to England. In England James found +friends ready to help him. + +There was a long lawsuit, but James's old friends and schoolmates came +to court as witnesses for him. One of the men who had talked with him +while he was a servant in Pennsylvania told the Court about it. Two of +the policemen that had helped to put little Jemmy on shipboard +confessed the dreadful act they had done. + +Then the jury gave a verdict that James Annesley was the true Lord +Altham. There was great joy among the people, and everybody detested +the cruel uncle. The people made songs about him, and sang them under +his windows. James Annesley was now called Lord Altham. But before the +young lord came into possession of his title and his property, he was +taken ill and died. + +I am glad that we live in better times. Children are not kidnapped and +sold now. + + + + +THE LAST BATTLE OF BLACKBEARD. + + +Our country now reaches from one ocean to the other. But in the days +before the Revolution there were only English colonies stretching up +and down the Atlantic coast. Merchandise was carried from one colony +to another, and from one country to another, in slow-going sailing +vessels, for there were neither railroads nor steamships. + +In those old times there were robbers on the sea. We call sea robbers +pirates. These men carried cannon on their ships, and they robbed any +vessels not stronger than they were. In our days of large steamships a +pirate would not stand any chance of getting away. He would soon be +caught. Some of the pirates of old times sailed up and down the +American coast. They captured ships sailing from America to Europe and +from Europe to America. The worst of all these pirates was Blackbeard. + +His real name was Thatch. He was called Blackbeard because he wore a +long black beard that covered his face. This made him look frightful +in that day, when other men shaved their faces smooth. He divided his +beard into locks, and twisted each lock, tying it at the end with +ribbons. To make himself look still worse, he fastened some of these +twists over his ears. + +[Illustration: Blackbeard.] + +When he was fighting against another ship, he wore a strap over his +shoulders to which were fastened large pistols. In those days, cannon +were touched off by means of a slow match, a kind of cord that burns +slowly like punk. When Blackbeard went into battle, he twisted some of +these slow matches or cords round his head, and stuck some of them +under his hat. The ends of these matches were burning, and they looked +like fiery, hissing snakes. With his beard turned back over his ears, +and fire all about his head, he seemed to be a tall fiend. + +Blackbeard was more like a fiend than a man. He was cruel and wicked +in every way. Some bad men are sometimes kind-hearted, but Blackbeard +was always cruel. He would shoot even his own men in order to make his +crew afraid of him. + +He did much of his bad work on the coast of North Carolina. Here he +found bays and sounds where the water was shallow. Large ships could +not easily follow him into these places. The Governor of North +Carolina was a bad man. He took part of Blackbeard's plunder, and let +Blackbeard go safely about the country. The people were afraid of the +pirate. They sent to the Governor of Virginia, and asked him to fit +out a ship to capture Blackbeard. + +Two sloops that could sail in shallow water were sent. Lieutenant +Maynard was the commander. The ships left Virginia secretly. No one +knew where they were going. + +When Maynard came in sight of Blackbeard's sloop, he hung out his +flag. Blackbeard took a glass of rum and drank it, calling to Maynard, +"I'll give you no quarter, nor take any." + +Maynard replied, "I do not expect any quarter from you, nor will I +give any." + +This meant that neither of them would take any prisoners, but that +every man must fight for his life. + +Maynard tried to run alongside Blackbeard's ship. He wanted to take +his men on board the pirate ship, and fight it out on her deck. But +Blackbeard had put a large negro near to the gunpowder on his ship. He +said to the negro, "If the men from the other ship get on board of +ours, you must set fire to the gunpowder, and blow us all up." + +Maynard was running toward the pirate ship to get on board; but +Blackbeard fired all the cannon on that side of his ship, and killed +some of Maynard's men. This was really lucky for Maynard; for, if he +had got on board, the negro would have set fire to the gunpowder, and +the pirates and Maynard's men would all have been blown to pieces at +once. + +Maynard now sent his men down into the hold of the ship. They were out +of sight of the pirates, but they had their pistols and swords ready. +The sloops were soon close together, and Blackbeard's men threw boxes +full of powder and shot, and pieces of lead and iron, on the deck of +Maynard's sloop. These were so fixed as to go off like bombshells. +But, as nearly all of Maynard's men were down below the deck, these +boxes did little harm. + +Blackbeard, thinking that most of Maynard's men had been killed, +jumped on board the sloop with fourteen men. Maynard now called his +men from below, and there was a desperate fight. Blackbeard was shot +five times, and was wounded with swords; but the old monster fought +until he fell down dead while cocking his pistol. The rest of the +pirates on the deck of Maynard's ship were taken prisoners. + +Maynard's other sloop was fighting with the men left on board +Blackbeard's vessels. These surrendered, but they had trouble to keep +the big negro from setting fire to the gunpowder and blowing them all +up. + +Maynard took away from the Governor of North Carolina many hogsheads +of sugar that Blackbeard had stolen. Then he hung the great ugly head +of the pirate at the bow of his ship, and sailed back to Virginia in +triumph. + + + + +AN OLD PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL. + + +There was a schoolmaster in Philadelphia before the Revolution who did +not like to beat his pupils as other masters of that time did. When a +boy behaved badly, he would take his switch and stick it into the back +of the boy's coat collar so that the switch should rise above his head +in the air. He would then stand the boy up on a bench in sight of the +school, in order to punish him by making him ashamed. + +This schoolmaster's name was Dove. If any boy was not at school in +time, the master would send a committee of five or six of the scholars +to fetch him. One of this committee carried a lighted lantern, while +another had a bell in his hand. The tardy scholar had to march down +the street in broad daylight with a lantern to show him the way, and a +boy ringing the school bell to let him know that it was time for him +to be there. + +[Illustration: The Tardy Schoolmaster.] + +One morning Mr. Dove slept too late, or forgot himself. The boys made +up a committee to bring the teacher to school. They took the lantern +and the bell with them. Mr. Dove said they were quite right. He took +his place in the procession, and the people saw Schoolmaster Dove +taken to school late with a lantern and a bell. + +The larger schoolboys of that time were very fond of foot races. They +would take off their coats and tie handkerchiefs about their heads +before starting. The short breeches they wore were fastened at the +knee by bands. When they were going to run a race, they would loosen +these bands, and pull off their shoes and stockings. Some of the boys +ran barefoot in this way, but others wore Indian moccasins. The race +course was round a block; that is, about three quarters of a mile. +Crowds would gather to see the boys run, and the people rushed from +one side of the block to the other to see which was leading in the +race. + + + + +A DUTCH FAMILY IN THE REVOLUTION. + + +What is now the State of New York was first settled by people from +Holland who spoke the Dutch language. New York afterward became an +English colony, but the Dutch settlers and their descendants still +spoke the language of Holland, at the time of the American Revolution. + +In Flatbush, which is now a part of Brooklyn, was a family that spoke +the Dutch language, while they were true Americans in feeling. When +the British landed on Long Island, they got ready to leave the town. +The horses were hitched to the wagon, and such things as were thought +most valuable were put in. The first thing they put into the wagon was +the great Dutch Bible with heavy brass clasps. A tall clock was also +carefully lifted into the wagon. Then clothing and other things +followed. + +The father of the family told the two faithful negro men, Caesar and +his son Mink, how to take care of things. Femmetia, the most active of +the daughters, had the whip in her hand, and, as the sound of firing +was coming nearer and nearer, she tapped the horses on their ears, and +the family dashed away to the house of a cousin who lived beyond the +region where the fight was to be. + +That evening Femmetia helped her father, who was an invalid, to climb +to the top of a little hill from which they could see a fire raging in +the village of Flatbush. The direction of the fire showed the father +and daughter that it was their own house which was burning. + +When the fight was over, General Washington's troops had been driven +from Long Island. The good Dutch family went back and found their +house burned. They moved into another house, whose owner was still +away, and then began to build a new house. The mother bought some +boards with what money she had saved, but she could not get any nails. +In that day nails were not made by machinery, as they are now. Each +nail had to be hammered out separately by a blacksmith. Nails made in +this way cost a great deal of money. + +There was but one way to do. Femmetia and her sister had to find nails +by raking over the ashes of the old house. Some of these nails were +crooked, and they had to be hammered to make them straight enough to +use. + +Some American officers had been made prisoners at the battle of Long +Island. They were allowed to go about the village after having given +their word not to go farther. They liked to help the girls find nails +in the ashes, and hammer them straight on the stones. Other young +girls came to help them, so that there was a party of young people +talking, joking, laughing, and digging in the ashes, every day. It was +fun for all of them. There were not boards enough to finish the house. +The room in which the two sisters slept was upstairs. It had but half +a floor. Where the rest of the floor should have been were only bare +beams. + +[Illustration: A Nail Party.] + +One night the negro woman, whose name was Dian, came into the room +below, and called Femmetia. She told her that the British soldiers had +come into the barn, and that they would soon take away what were left +of the chickens. + +"You jes' come down." said Dian to Femmetia. So the old slave and the +young girl went out together. They carried a gun and a broomstick. The +moon was shining. They took great pains not to let the soldiers see +them. First they dodged behind a great walnut tree. Then, when they +were sure the soldiers did not see them, they ran behind the corncrib. +Their next march brought them behind the wagon house, and then they +slipped into the dark shadow of the barn. + +Dian thrust the rifle through a hole in the side door of the barn. At +the same moment the bold Femmetia threw a stone which made the +soldiers look round. There was moonlight enough for them to see the +muzzle of the gun coming through the door as though it were ready to +fire at them. They ran away in great haste, and left the chickens +behind. + +The silver plate and other valuable things were buried under the +hearth in the house. A lady in a neighboring house hid her gold coins +in the middle of a great round ball of a pincushion. Such ball +pincushions were worn by some of the Dutch women at that time. They +hung them at their sides, tied by a bit of ribbon. A party of English +soldiers came into this lady's house. They were much amused to see +this ball at the lady's side. One of them rudely cut the ribbon with +his sword, and then the soldiers played ball with the cushion. It was +sent here and there about the room. Twice it fell into the ashes. + +The woman who owned it expected that it would be torn, and all her +gold would spill out, but she went on with her work. If she had shown +any anxiety about the ball, the soldiers might have thought to look +for her money in the cushion. At last they gave it back to her, +much-soiled, but holding its treasures safe. + + + + +A SCHOOL OF LONG AGO. + + +A hundred and fifty years ago there was a famous teacher among the +German settlers in Pennsylvania who was known as "The Good +Schoolmaster." His name was Christopher Dock. He had two little +country schools. For three days he would teach at a little place +called Skippack, and then for the next three days he would teach at +Salford. + +People said that the good schoolmaster never lost his temper. There +was a man who thought he would try to make him angry. He said many +harsh and abusive words to the teacher, and even cursed him. But the +only reply the teacher made was, "Friend, may the Lord have mercy on +you." + +Other schoolmasters used to beat their scholars severely with whips +and long switches. But Schoolmaster Dock had found out a better way. + +When a child came to school for the first time, the other scholars +were made to give the new scholar a welcome by shaking hands with him, +one after another. Then the new boy or girl was told that this was not +a harsh school, but a place for those who would behave. And if a +scholar were lazy, disobedient, or stubborn, the master would in the +presence of the whole school pronounce him not fit for this school, +but only for a school where children were flogged. The new scholar was +asked to promise to obey and to be diligent. When he had made this +promise, he was shown to a seat. + +[Illustration.] + +"Now," the good master would say, when this was done, "who will take +this new scholar and help him to learn?" + +[Illustration.] + +When the new boy or girl was clean and bright looking, many would be +willing to take charge of him or her. But there were few ready to +teach a dirty, ragged little child. Sometimes no one would wish to do +it. In such a case the master would offer to the one who would take +such a child a reward of one of the beautiful texts of scripture which +the schoolmasters of that time used to write and decorate for the +children. Or he would give him one of the pictures of birds which he +was accustomed to paint with his own hands. + +The old Pennsylvania teachers were fond of making these tickets with +pictures and writing on them. The pictures which we have here will +show you what they looked like. The writing is in German, as you will +see. + +Whenever one of the younger scholars succeeded in learning his A, B, +C, Christopher Dock would send word to the father of the child to give +him a penny, and he would ask his mother to cook two eggs for him as a +treat. These were fine rewards for poor children in a new country. + +At certain stages in his studies, the industrious child in one of +Dock's schools would receive a penny from his father, and eat two eggs +cooked by his mother. But all this time he was not counted a member of +the school. He was only on trial. The day on which a boy or girl began +to read was a great day. If the pupil had been diligent in spelling, +the morning after the first reading day, the master would give him +a ticket carefully written with his own hand. This ticket read +"Industrious--One Penny." This showed that the scholar was now really +received into the school. But if he afterward became idle or +disobedient, Schoolmaster Dock would take away his token. + +There were no clocks or watches in the country. The children came to +school, one after another taking their places near the master, who sat +writing. They spent their time reading until all were there. But every +one who succeeded in reading his passage without mistake stopped +reading, and came and sat at the writing table to write. The poor +fellow who remained last on the bench was called the Lazy Scholar. + +Every Lazy Scholar had his name written on the blackboard. If a child +at any time failed to read correctly, he was sent back to study his +passage, and called again after a while. If he failed a second or a +third time, all the scholars cried out, "Lazy!" Then his name was +written on the blackboard. Then all the poor Lazy Scholar's friends +went to work to teach him to read his lesson correctly. And if his +name should not be rubbed off the board before school was dismissed, +all the scholars might write it down, and take it home with them. But +if he could read well before school was out, the scholars, at the +bidding of the master, called out, "Industrious!" and then his name +was rubbed off the board. + +The funniest of Dock's rewards was that which he gave to those who +made no mistake in their lessons. He marked a large O with chalk on +the hand of the perfect scholar. Fancy what a time the boys and girls +must have had, trying to go home without rubbing out this O. + +If you had gone into this school some day, you might have seen a boy +sitting on a punishment bench all alone. This was a fellow who had +told a lie or used bad language. He was put there as not fit to sit +near anybody else. If he committed the offense often, a yoke would be +put round his neck, as if he were a brute. Sometimes, however, the +teacher would give the scholars their choice of a blow on the hand or +a seat on the punishment bench. They usually preferred the blow. + +At certain times the scholars were permitted to study aloud, but at +other times they were obliged to keep still. And a boy or girl was put +as a watcher, to set down the names of those who talked in this time +of quiet. + +The old schoolmaster in Skippack wrote one hundred rules of good +behavior for his scholars. This is perhaps the first book on good +manners written in America. But rules of behavior for people living in +houses of one or two rooms, as they did in that day, were very +different from those needed in our time. Here are some of the rules: + +"When you comb your hair, do not go out in the middle of the room," +says the schoolmaster. This was because families were accustomed to +eat and sleep in the same room. + +"Do not eat your morning bread on the road or in school," he tells +them, "but ask your parents to give it to you at home." From this we +see that the common breakfast was bread alone, and that the children +often ate it as they walked to school. + +The table manners of that day were very good for the time, but they +seem very curious to us. He says, "Do not wabble with your stool," +because rough home-made stools were the common chairs then, and the +floors, made of boards that were split and not sawed, were so uneven +that a noisy child could easily rock his stool to and fro. + +"Put your knife upon the right and your bread on the left side," he +says. Forks were little used in those days, and the people in the +country did not have any. He also tells them not to throw bones under +the table. It was a common practice among some people of that time to +throw bones and scraps under the table, where the dogs ate them. + +The child is not told to wait for others when he has finished eating, +or to ask to be excused. "Get up quietly," says the schoolmaster, "and +take your stool with you. Wish a pleasant mealtime, and go to one +side." The child is told not to put the remaining bread into his +pocket. + +As time passed on, Christopher Dock had many friends, for all his +scholars of former years loved him greatly. He lived to be very old, +and taught his schools to the last. One evening he did not come home, +and the people went to look for the beloved old man. They found their +dear old master on his knees in the schoolhouse. He had died while +praying alone. + + + + +STORIES OF WHALING. + + +In the old days, before petroleum or kerosene had been found in this +country, people had many ways of lighting their houses. A cheap light +was made by putting a little grease or oil in a saucer in which was a +little wick or rag lying over the edge of the saucer or drawn up +through a cork that floated on the grease. When this wick was burning, +it gave hardly as much light as a candle. This is one of the oldest +ways of making light. It was used thousands of years ago. Many people +now living remember little lamps made in this way. + +Poor people often made light by burning pine knots, or bits of pitch +pine chopped out of old stumps. These gave a bright light for a time. +Pitch pine in New England was called candle wood; in the South it was +called light wood. + +The commonest light in old times was the tallow candle. This was +sometimes made by dipping a candle wick into melted tallow. Then, when +the tallow had cooled, the candle was dipped again and again. A little +tallow remained on it each time, and at last it was thick enough to +burn. Candles made in this way were called "dips." Better candles were +made by running melted tallow into molds. + +Before the Revolution a favorite candle for burning at fine houses was +made of the wax-myrtle berry. This berry is full of a kind of green +wax which came out when it was boiled. When this wax rose to the top +of the pot, it was skimmed off and used for making wax candles. These +candles had a pretty green color, and gave out a delicate perfume when +they were burning. More expensive candles were made of beeswax. + +For hundreds of years whale oil was burned in large lamps, and +thousands of whales were killed in order to get the oil. Candles were +also made from spermaceti, which is a substance taken from the head of +the sperm whale. + +When the people first settled on Long Island, there were a great many +whales in the sea. Sometimes these whales would run into bays and +other shallow places. When the tide went out, the whale would be left +without water enough to swim in. Sometimes he found himself lying on +the dry ground. Before the white people came, the Long Island Indians +used to kill whales stranded in this way, with spears. The Indians +used the fat of the whale for food. The white people killed them, and +got the oil out of the fat by boiling. This oil they sold for lamp +oil. + +Finding that much money could be made by selling whale oil, the people +on Long Island fitted up boats, which they kept always ready along the +seashore. Whenever anybody saw a whale, the boatmen ran to their +boats, and rowed out to kill it. They did not yet know how to go out +to sea in whaling ships as some people in Europe did. After a while +the Long Island people learned to take their small boats out to sea +for miles to look for whales. This way of killing the whales spread +from Long Island to Connecticut, and from there to Cape Cod. + +The people on the island of Nantucket had also learned to kill the +whales that came into shallow water. They got a man to come out from +Cape Cod to show them how to go out in boats and kill whales along the +coast. After a while they built small ships in which they went to sea +to seek for whales, but they brought the fat on shore in order to get +the oil out of it. + +In 1718 the people on this island began to build ships with great +kettles in them for rendering the oil on board the ships. The brave +Nantucket men, and the men on the coast near by, soon began to send +their ships into very distant seas. Some of them sailed among the +icebergs in the Arctic regions; others went to the Southern Ocean; and +some of the Nantucket and Cape Cod ships went round Cape Horn into the +Pacific Ocean. The hardy whalemen ran great risks during their long +voyages, but, if they were fortunate in killing whales, they made a +good deal of money. + +There are still whaling vessels in our times, but not so many as there +used to be. We do not need whale oil so much, because we have +kerosene, gaslights, and electric lights. There are not so many whales +to be found as there used to be. + +When the men on a whale ship in the old times discovered a whale, they +fitted out their boats and rowed toward it. The whale would go down +out of sight. Each officer would place his boat where he thought the +whale would come up. When the whale came up to get breath, the men in +the nearest boat would row toward it. The officer who stood in the bow +of the boat would then throw a harpoon, which would stick fast in the +whale. As soon as the whale was struck with the harpoon, he would go +down into the water. There was a line fast to the harpoon, which was +coiled in a tub standing in the whaleboat. Sometimes the whale would +run down so far, that it would take more line than the boat carried, +to keep hold of him. When this was likely to happen, another whaling +boat would come alongside, and tie its line to the line of the harpoon +that was fast to the whale. In some cases nearly five thousand feet of +line were drawn out of the boats before the whale came to the top +again. Whales breathe air as we do, so the whale that had been +harpooned would have to come up again. Then the whaling boat would run +close to him, and the officer would try to kill him with a sharp +lance. When a whale was killed, the men drew him alongside the ship. + +A whale's body is covered with a great mass of fat called blubber. +When the dead whale was lying alongside the ship, the whalemen would +fasten a hook in the blubber. They then cut the blubber into a long +strip running round the whale. As they pulled on the hook with ropes, +the strip of blubber came off the whale, the whale rolling over and +over. The men unwound the blubber from his body in this way, pulling +it up on board the ship, and cutting it into pieces. + +If it was a sperm whale, they would cut a hole in his head, to reach a +place where there was a great quantity of oil. This oil they dipped +out. Sometimes forty barrels of oil were dipped out of the head of a +whale. From the fat of some very large whales more than two hundred +barrels of oil could be secured. + +The men on the whaling ships were gone from home for years at a time. +When there were no whales in sight, they had to find ways of amusing +themselves. Many of them carried sharp pocket knives, and passed their +time in whittling. By long practice they became very skillful with +their knives. Some of them carved pretty figures in wood, and made +pieces of furniture. Others carved shells into beautiful shapes. After +years at sea, they would bring these things home with them, to give to +their wives or sweethearts. Such work done on shipboard is called +scrimshaw work. + +Some of the whaleships met with very curious accidents. In 1807 a ship +named "The Union" was sailing along very quietly. All at once she +struck something which jarred her from end to end. It was found that +she had run right on a whale. Casks of water were thrown out of the +ship to make her lighter, but the bottom of the ship was badly +injured. The men on board had to get out the boats at once. They took +food and water with them, and compasses to sail by. Soon after the +boats got clear of the ship she filled with water, and upset. + +The men now found themselves in open boats in the ocean. The land +nearest to them was Newfoundland, but, as the wind was blowing +straight from that land at that season of the year, they knew that +they could not reach it. So they set out in the direction toward which +the wind blew, sailing for the islands called the Azores. These were +hundreds of miles away. They made a sail for each boat. + +One day they saw a schooner, but they could not make the schooner see +them. The next day they had fine sailing, but at night a fearful wind +arose. There were violent squalls and bursts of thunder. The boats +were obliged to lie still with their bows to the wind. At last the +waves broke into the captain's boat, and it was all they could do to +get the water out again. + +They now had to throw overboard most of their fresh water, so that +they suffered much with thirst from this time on. They had only three +quarts of water a day to be divided among sixteen men. That is about a +small teacupful apiece. After sailing eight days, they came in sight +of the beautiful islands of the Azores. Here they found a ship to +bring them back to their own country again. + +A still stranger accident happened to the ship "Essex" in 1820. She +was far away in the Pacific Ocean. Three of the boats of the ship went +out after a whale. The mate's boat, having been injured, went back to +the ship. As the mate stood on the ship, he saw a large sperm whale +rush directly at the vessel. The whale seemed to think the ship some +great animal, and that it would be fine fun to have a fight with it. +He struck the ship with his great square head. The crash was fearful. +For a moment or two the crew were so astonished that they could do +nothing. Then they found the ship sinking. They put up signals for the +other boats to come back. + +[Illustration: Attacked by a Whale.] + +But the whale was not satisfied. He wanted to fight it out with the +ship. He was soon seen coming toward the vessel again. He came on so +fast that the water foamed round him. He struck the ship a second +blow, which almost crushed it. The mate now quickly put what +provisions he could into a boat, and got ready to leave the ship. + +The other boats returned. The men were so horrified that for some time +they could not speak to one another. The ship fell over on her side. +The men cut away her masts. Then they cut holes into the ship's side, +and got out what bread and water they could carry. They were a +thousand miles from land, in the direction that the winds blew. + +After twenty-eight days of sailing in these open boats, the men got to +Ducie's Island. Here they could not find food enough for so large a +party, so the boats put off to sea again. Three men remained behind on +the island. These were afterward found by a passing ship, which took +them home. Some of the men in the boats perished, but the rest of them +were picked up by a ship and taken home. + + + + +A WHALING SONG. + +PART OF A FAVORITE SONG SUNG BY WHALEMEN IN OLD TIMES. + + + When spring returns with western gales, + And gentle breezes sweep + The ruffling seas, we spread our sails + To plow the watery deep. + + Cape Cod, our dearest native land, + We leave astern, and lose + Its sinking cliffs and less'ning sands, + While Zephyr gently blows. + + Now toward the early dawning east + We speed our course away, + With eager minds and joyful hearts, + To meet the rising day. + + Then, as we turn our wondering eyes, + We view one constant show,-- + Above, around, the circling skies, + The rolling seas below. + + When eastward, clear of Newfoundland, + We stem the frozen pole, + We see the icy islands stand, + The northern billows roll. + + Now see the northern regions where + Eternal winter reigns; + One day and night fills up the year, + And endless cold maintains. + + We view the monsters of the deep, + Great whales in numerous swarms, + And creatures there, that play and leap, + Of strange, unusual forms. + + When in our station we are placed, + And whales around us play, + We launch our boats into the main, + And swiftly chase our prey. + + + + +A STRANGE ESCAPE. + + +In 1658 there was a little French colony at Onondaga in New York. Some +of the men in this colony were traders, and some were missionaries. +They were living among the Onondaga Indians. + +[Illustration: A French Missionary.] + +The Indians had been very friendly, but the French found out that a +plot had been formed to put them all to death. Stakes had even been +set up in order to burn some of them alive. There seemed no hope for +the Frenchmen to escape. They knew, that, if they tried to get away by +land, they should all be killed. If they shut themselves up in their +fort, the Indians would besiege them, and they would starve to death. +They had no boats by which to get away by sailing through the lakes +and down the St. Lawrence River. + +The Frenchmen went to work and built boats secretly in the attic of +their fort or trading house. They built them strong enough to bear the +floating ice. They had also some light canoes made of bark, which they +hid in the upper part of their house. The question now was how to get +away without the Indians finding it out and pursuing them. + +One of the young Frenchmen had been adopted into the tribe of these +Indians. He invited the Indians to a feast. It was a feast, of a kind +the Indians give, in which every guest is obliged to eat everything +that is set before him, leaving nothing. The Indians kept on eating, +while the French amused them with dancing and games. The young +Frenchman played on his guitar, while the guests ate. The Indians +having eaten too much, at length began to fall asleep one by one. The +feast was not over until late at night, nor until every Indian had +eaten till he begged not to be given any more. Some of the Indians +fell asleep while they were eating. The rest of them were soon +sleeping soundly in their wigwams. + +The Frenchmen now quickly brought their boats down stairs and put them +into the water. They loaded them with food and other things needed for +their journey. Then they pushed off without making any noise or +speaking above a whisper. The water froze about their boats as they +rowed, and every moment they feared an attack from the Indians. They +rowed all night long, and then they rowed and paddled all the next day +without taking any rest. It was not until the evening of the second +day that they felt they had passed out of the greatest danger. + +The Indians slept late the morning after the feast. When they waked at +last, they came out of their huts one by one, and went toward the +French house. They were surprised to see it shut up, and everything +silent about it. They supposed that the French were at prayer, so they +waited quietly outside. They could hear the fowls crowing in the yard, +and when they knocked at the door of the house, the dog barked. Noon +came, and yet no Frenchmen appeared. + +Late in the afternoon the Indians climbed up the side of the house and +got in by a window. They could hear no sound but their own steps. They +were much frightened as they stole through the house and opened the +main door. They searched the building from top to bottom, but not a +Frenchman was to be found. + +As they were sure that the French had no boats, they were struck with +fear. They gazed a moment at each other in silence. Then they fled +from the house. They believed that the Frenchmen had, by some magic, +made themselves invisible; that is, so that they could not be seen. +They believed that the French had flown away through the air, or +walked off on the water. + +Meanwhile the French passed down Lake Ontario through many dangers. +They went down the River St. Lawrence, working their way over rapids +and waterfalls. At last they reached Montreal, where the people looked +on them as men that had come up from the grave. + + + + +GRANDMOTHER BEAR. + + +Mr. Alexander Henry was made prisoner by the Indians on Lake Superior +when Fort Mackinaw was taken by Indians. This was in the time of the +Indian war which is called Pontiac's War, because the great chief +Pontiac started it. + +Nearly all the white men in Fort Mackinaw were killed, but Mr. Henry +was saved. He had an Indian friend named Wawatam, who paid for his +life. He went to live with Wawatam. He had his head shaved, and put on +the dress of an Indian. He lived and hunted as the Indians did. + +One day Mr. Henry saw a very large pine tree. Its trunk was six feet +in diameter. The bark had been scratched by a bear's claws. Far up on +the tree there was a large hole. All about this hole the small +branches were broken. + +Mr. Henry looked at the snow. There were no bear tracks in it. So he +thought that an old bear had climbed up into the tree before the snow +fell. Bears sleep nearly all winter. They do not even come out to get +anything to eat. + +Mr. Henry told the Indians about the tree. There was no way of getting +up to the bear's hole. They could not get the bear out except by +cutting down the tree. But the Indian women did not believe that the +Indians could do it. Their axes were too small to chop down so big a +tree. + +However, the Indians wanted the bear's oil, which is of great use to +them. It serves them for lard, and butter, and many other things. So +at the tree they went with their little axes. As many as could stand +about the tree worked at a time, and when one rested, another chopper +took his place. They all worked, men and women, and they chopped all +day. When the sun went down, they had chopped about halfway through +the tree. + +The next morning they began again. They chopped away until about two +o'clock. Then the top of the great pine tree began to tremble. Slowly +it leaned a little. Then the tree began to fall. Everybody got far out +of the way. It fell down among the other trees with a crash that made +the woods roar, and lay at last upon the ground. + +[Illustration] + +But no bear came out of the big tree. Mr. Henry began to be afraid +that there was no bear there. He thought such a crash was enough to +wake up the sleepiest bear in the world. At last the nose of a bear +was poked out of the hole. Then came the head. Then came out the great +brown body of one of the largest bears in the woods. Mr. Henry shot +the bear dead. + +Though the Indians kill and eat bears, they are very much afraid of +the ghosts of the bears after they are dead. They are more afraid of a +bear after it is dead than when it is alive. So, whenever an Indian +has killed a bear, he always begs the dead bear's pardon. Each of +these Indians now politely begged pardon of the bear. The old woman +who had adopted Mr. Henry for her son took the bear's head in her +hands and kissed it. She called it her grandmother, and asked it not +to do them any harm. The Indians told the dead bear that a white man +had killed it. Of course, the dead bear did not say anything. + +Though they called the bear their grandmother, they made haste to take +off its skin. They were glad to find that Grandma Bear was very fat. +It took two persons to carry home the fat. Four more were loaded with +the meat of this nice old relative of theirs. + +But still wishing to fool the bear's ghost, they carried the head also +to their tent. They put all kinds of silver trinkets on the head, and +many belts of wampum or shell beads on it. In order to please the +ghost of Grandmother Bear still more, they laid the head on a kind of +table that they made for it, and placed a large quantity of tobacco +near its nose. + +The next morning a feast was made to please the bear's ghost. The head +of the bear was lifted, and a new blanket was spread under it. All the +Indians lighted their pipes, and blew tobacco smoke into the bear's +nose. Wawatam made a speech to the bear's spirit. He told it they were +very sorry to have to kill their friends. But he said it could not be +helped, for, if they did not do this, they should starve to death. + +The speech being over, the whole party ate heartily of the bear's +flesh. After three days they even took down the head itself, and put +it into the kettle. Thus they ate their grandmother up, but they did +it very politely. + + + + +THE GREAT TURTLE. + + +Among the Indians there are priests or medicine men who pretend to +cure diseases. They also pretend to talk to their gods and other +spirits. They have many ways of deceiving the Indians. + +Mr. Alexander Henry, while a prisoner among the Indians, was present +when the tribe he was with asked advice of the Great Turtle, which is +one of the gods they believe in. + +The Indians had heard that there was an English army coming against +them. They were very much afraid, because they had killed or taken +prisoner all the English in Fort Mackinaw. They wished to send +messengers to make peace with the white men, but they were afraid the +white men would kill their messengers. In this state of mind, they +asked the Great Turtle what they would better do. + +They first built a large house or wigwam. In the middle of this they +set up five posts, and covered these posts with moose skins. This made +a little tent in the middle of the large wigwam. + +When night came on, they built fires in the wigwam outside of the +little tent. This lighted up the house where the Indians were seated. +Soon the priest came in. Some of the Indians lifted the moose skins on +one side of their little tent. The priest crept in on his hands and +knees. The little tent began to shake, and from the inside there came +sounds like the barking of dogs and the howling of wolves, with +screams and sobs, and cries of pain and sorrow. Words were spoken in +strange voices, and in a language which nobody could understand. These +voices the Indians had heard before, and they thought that they +belonged to evil spirits who would tell them lies. When they heard +these voices, the Indians hissed. They did not want to hear any spirit +but that of the Great Turtle. After a while these frightful noises +ceased. There was silence for a time. Then the Indians heard a new +voice. It was low and feeble, like the cry of a very young puppy. All +the Indians now clapped their hands for joy. They cried out that this +was the voice of the Great Turtle, the spirit that never lied. + +But now new voices came from the tent. For half an hour there were +sounds in many different voices, but none of them were like the +priest's own voice. When these sounds were no longer heard, the +medicine man spoke in his own voice, and declared that the Great +Turtle was present, and would answer any question that might be asked. + +The chief of the village now put a large quantity of tobacco into the +little tent. This was a sacrifice to the Great Turtle. Then he told +the priest to ask the Great Turtle whether the white men were coming +to make war on them, and whether there were many soldiers at Fort +Niagara. + +The medicine man put this question to the Great Turtle. The tent began +to shake so violently that it seemed about to fall over. Then a loud +cry came from the tent. This was to show that the Great Turtle was +leaving. + +For a quarter of an hour no sound was heard. Then the Great Turtle +returned. He now made a long speech to the priest in his little +squeaky, puppy voice, but it was spoken in a language which nobody +could understand. After the spirit's speech was finished, the medicine +man spoke in his own voice, and explained to the people that in the +last fifteen minutes the Great Turtle had crossed Lake Huron, and gone +to Fort Niagara, hundreds of miles away. Then he had gone on down to +Montreal. He said there were not many soldiers at Fort Niagara, but at +Montreal the river was covered with boats filled with soldiers. He +said the soldiers coming to make war on the Indians were as many as +the leaves on the trees. He told the Indians, that, if they would send +men to the general of this army, he would make peace with them, and +fill their canoes with presents of blankets, kettles, guns, powder, +and shot. And he said, what pleased them still more, that the general +would give them great barrels of rum. + +The Indians were so much delighted with this message, that many of +them set out, soon after, to go in boats to make peace with the white +men. No doubt this humbug of the medicine man was a plan to persuade +them to go. Mr. Henry was taken along to act as their friend. + + + + +THE RATTLESNAKE GOD. + + +Mr. Henry had traveled several days with the Indians going to Fort +Niagara to make peace. One day the wind was blowing so hard that they +could not go on. So they camped on a point in Lake Huron. + +While the Indians were building a hut, Mr. Henry was lighting a fire. +He went off a little way to get dry wood, and while he was picking up +sticks he heard a strange sound. It lasted only a little while; but, +when Mr. Henry went a little farther, it began again. He looked up +into the air to see where it came from. Then he looked down on the +ground, and saw a large rattlesnake coiled close to his naked leg. If +he had taken one step more, he would have stepped on it, and it would +have bitten him. + +He now ran back to the canoe to get his gun to kill the snake. + +"What are you doing?" asked the Indians. + +"I am going to kill a rattlesnake," he said. + +"Oh, no! don't do that," they said. + +The Indians all got their tobacco bags and pipes, and went to the +place where the snake had been seen. It was still lying in a coil. + +[Illustration: Grandfather Rattlesnake.] + +The Indians now stood round the snake, and one after another spoke to +it. They called it their grandfather. But they took care not to go too +close to their grandfather. They stood oft and filled their pipes with +tobacco. Each one in turn blew tobacco smoke at the snake. The snake +seemed to like it. For half an hour it lay there in a coil, and +breathed the smoke. Then it slowly stretched itself out at full +length, and seemed in a very good humor. It was more than four feet +long. + +After having more smoke blown at it, it slowly crept away. The Indians +followed, begging their grandfather, as they called it, to take care +of their families while they were gone. They also asked that the snake +would open the heart of the English general so that he would give them +a great deal of rum. One of the chiefs begged the snake to take no +notice of the insult offered to him by the white man, who would have +killed it if the Indians had not stopped him. They also begged that it +would remain and live in their country. + +The Indians thought that the snake was a spirit or god in this form. +They thought that it had been sent to stop them on their way. They +were almost ready to turn back, but Mr. Henry persuaded them to go on. + +The next morning was calm. The Indians took a short course by sailing +straight to an island out in the lake. But after they had got far out, +the wind began to blow very hard. They expected every moment that +their canoe would be swallowed up by the waves. They began to pray to +the rattlesnake to help them. One of the chiefs resolved to make a +sacrifice to the snake. He took a dog, and tied its legs together, and +threw it into the water. He asked the snake spirit to be satisfied +with this. But the wind continued to grow higher, and so another dog +was thrown into the water, and some tobacco was thrown with it. The +chief told Grandfather Snake that the man who wanted to kill him was +really a white man, and no kin to the snake or to the Indians. + +Some of the Indians began to think of throwing Mr. Henry in after the +dog and the tobacco to satisfy the snake spirit; but the wind went +down, and they soon got to the island. Some days afterward the party +came to the fort. The English general was very glad to see Mr. Henry, +and his long captivity was over, in spite of the anger of the +rattlesnake god of the Indians. + + + + +WITCHCRAFT IN LOUISIANA. + + +The Indian medicine men or priests have many ways of deceiving their +people. A French officer found that the people of a certain tribe +believed very much in an idol which a medicine man had set up. This +idol was called by a long name, Vistee-poolee-keek-apook. The Indians, +when they stood near, would sometimes hear it speak, and this seemed +to them a very wonderful thing. + +A French officer named Bossu tried to find out what made the idol +talk. He found a long reed, such as we call a cane pole, running from +the back of the idol's head to a cave or hollow in the rocks behind +the idol. This reed had been made into a hollow tube. In the cave +there was a medicine man who talked into the tube. The words coming +out of the other end in the idol's head were heard from the mouth of +the idol, as if the idol were speaking. Bossu showed the Indians the +trick, and then got one of his soldiers to destroy the idol. + +The soldier that destroyed the idol was so brave, that the Frenchmen +had given him a nickname which means "fearless." The medicine man +declared that some dreadful thing would fall on Fearless because he +had destroyed the idol. In order to make his people believe in the +power of this god that had been thrown down, he told them that there +was a witch or evil spirit which came to the village in the shape of a +little black panther. He said, that, whenever he pronounced the name +of his god, this little black panther would instantly disappear. + +You see, the cunning old medicine man had somehow got hold of a large +black cat with yellow eyes. Cats were not common among the Indians, +these animals having been brought by the white people. Such a cat as +this, the Indians had never seen. The medicine man kept the cat in his +cabin, and trained it. He would strike it with a whip, crying out +every time he struck it, "Vistee-poolee-keek-apook!" + +The poor cat became afraid of the long ugly name of the Indian god, +because the whip and the name always came together. One day the black +cat crept into the cabin of an Indian woman to get something to eat. +The medicine man who was near by saw it. He said the name of his god +in his common voice. The cat, which the Indians believed to be a +witch, jumped like lightning through the hole in the cabin that was +used for a window. The Indians really believed that they had seen an +evil spirit in the shape of a little black panther, and that it +disappeared when the medicine man spoke the name of his god. + +After that, every time an Indian saw this black cat, or little black +panther, as it was called, he spoke the name of this terrible god. Of +course, the black cat with yellow eyes ran away. Tired out at last +with being driven off in this fashion, the cat disappeared entirely, +and took up its home with the wild animals in the woods, where it +could not hear the terrible name of the idol any more. + +Bossu afterward made use of the Indians' belief in spirits for his own +purpose. One of his soldiers had been killed by one of the Indians. +Bossu could not find out who killed the soldier, or even to what tribe +the Indian that killed him belonged. He wanted to punish or frighten +the murderer in order to save the lives of the rest of the French +soldiers. + +He called the chief of the Indians, and told him that one of his men +was missing. He said he was sure the man had not run away. He +therefore asked that the Indians should find the man, and said, that, +if he were not found, he should have to think that some of the Indians +had killed him. + +The chief answered that the white soldier had probably gone hunting in +the woods, and killed himself accidentally with his gun, or else he +had been killed by a panther. To this Bossu replied that the animal +would not have eaten the gun or the clothes of the soldier. He said +that if the Indians would find the Frenchman's gun, or bits of his +clothes, they could easily show that he had been killed by a wild +animal. + +Bossu had a friend among the Indians who was very much attached to +him. He persuaded this young Indian to tell him to what tribe the +murderer of the Frenchman belonged, but he solemnly promised that the +other Indians should never know who had told him. He paid the young +Indian for telling him. + +The Frenchman who was called Fearless now undertook to have the man +who had killed the other soldier punished, for the dead soldier had +been his friend. But it was necessary that he should not let the +Indians know who had told about it. Fearless stripped off a great +quantity of bark of the pawpaw tree. He thought he would play a trick +like that of the medicine man, and make the Indians believe that a +spirit was talking to them. He did everything very secretly. By +fastening pieces of the pawpaw bark together with pitch, he managed to +make a very large speaking trumpet, which would carry the voice a long +distance. + +When he had finished this trumpet, he left the camp one very dark +night. He carried with him his gun, some food, and a gourd full of +water. He had also a bearskin of which to make a bed, and a buffalo +robe to cover himself with. With these things he hid himself on a +hill. This hill was near the Indian camp. From the top of it Fearless +could make his voice heard for three miles round by the aid of his +great pawpaw trumpet. + +He shouted through this great bark trumpet what seemed to be words in +an unknown language, such as the Indian medicine man used. The +frightful noise sounded through the woods. It did not seem to come +from anywhere. The Indians thought that these cries came down from the +sky. The Indian women were thrown into a great fright, and even the +warriors and chiefs were alarmed. They said that the Master of Life +was angry with their tribe, and that this horrible voice showed that +something bad was going to happen to them. + +[Illustration] + +The day after the voice was heard, the old men of the tribe came to +consult Bossu about this strange noise. Bossu told them that the white +soldier who had been killed could not rest. He said that every night +his voice was heard, though nothing could be seen. He said that the +voice cried out in a melancholy tone, "I am the white soldier that +went with the French captain. I was killed by a man of the tribe of +the Kanoatinos. Frenchmen, revenge my death." + +The Indians now saw that it was of no use for them to tell any more +lies about the death of the white man. They believed that the +soldier's ghost had told the Frenchmen all about it. They confessed +the murder, but they explained that the white soldier had provoked it +when he was drunk, by bad treatment of the Indian who killed him. + +Captain Bossu was not willing to take their excuses. He told them, +that, if the soldier had done wrong, he ought to have been brought to +his own captain to be punished. He said, "If one of my soldiers should +kill one of your Indians, I would put him to death. You must do the +same with the Indian who killed my soldier." + +The oldest of the chiefs now commanded one of his men to go and seize +the guilty man, bind him, and bring him in to be put to death, in +order that the ghost of the French soldier might no longer trouble +them. + +Captain Bossu did not wish to put the Indian to death. He knew that +the French soldier had very greatly wronged and provoked the Indian. +He got his young Indian friend to go to the wife of the chief of the +Kanoatinos, and say to her that she might beg the life of the guilty +man. The young Indian told the chief's wife that Captain Bossu would +not refuse her anything. The woman went, and begged that the Indian +might be spared. Bossu consented that the Indian should live, but said +that he did it as a favor to the chief's wife. + +The chief then turned to the condemned Indian, and said to him, "You +were dead, but the captain of the white warriors has brought you to +life at the request of the chief's wife." The white people and Indians +then smoked the pipe of peace together. + + + + +A STORY OF NIAGARA. + + +Many years ago, the falls of Niagara, then in the midst of a great +wilderness, and a long way from the homes of the white people, seemed +even more wonderful than they do now. In those days, travelers from +other countries made long journeys through the woods to see this +wonderful waterfall. Indians lived about it, and there was a fort near +by, belonging to the French. + +Wild swans, geese, and ducks used to swim in the Niagara River. +Sometimes great flocks of them lost their lives by going over the +falls. Water fowl are fond of floating on smooth, moving water. The +wild geese and ducks would take great delight in finding themselves +shooting down toward the falls. Sometimes they would try to rise and +fly when it was too late. + +[Illustration: Niagara Falls.] + +In the autumn the soldiers of the fort used to get their meat by +taking from the water below the falls the ducks and geese that had +been killed in this way. Sometimes they would find a deer or a bear +that had been carried over in trying to swim across the river above +the falls. + +In the midst of the falls is an island. Many years ago two Indians +were hunting far above the falls. They had with them a little brandy, +which they drank. This made them sleepy, and they lay down and went to +sleep in their canoe, which was tied to the shore. The canoe got loose +from the shore, and floated down the stream farther and farther, until +it came near to the island which is in the falls. + +The roar of the falls awakened one of them. He cried out to the other, +"We are lost!" But by hard work they succeeded in landing the canoe at +the island. + +At first they were very glad, but after a while they thought it might +have been better if they had gone over the falls. They had now no +choice but to die of hunger on the island, or to throw themselves into +the water. + +At the lower end of the island there is no water running over the +falls. The Indians stripped the bark from a linden or basswood tree. +This bark is very tough and strong. They made a kind of rope ladder of +it. They made it so long that it reached to the water below the falls. +The upper end of this bark ladder they tied fast to a great tree that +grew on the island. The other end they let down to the water below the +falls. + +Then they went down this ladder until they came to the bottom. The +water was roaring on both sides of them, but they had a place to +stand. Here they rested a little while. The water in front of them was +not rapid. They jumped into it, intending to swim ashore. But the +water that pours in from the falls on each side, runs back against the +rocks in this place. Every time the Indians tried to swim, they were +thrown back against the rocks from which they started. At last they +were so much bruised and scratched, they were obliged to give up this +plan. So they climbed back up their bark stairs to the island, not +knowing what to do. + +After a while they saw other Indians on the shore. They cried out to +these to come and help them. The other Indians did not know what to +do. They had no way of getting to the island. If they had tried to get +there in a canoe, they would have been carried over the falls +themselves. They went to the fort, and told the commander about it. He +had poles made, and pointed with iron. He persuaded two Indians to +take these poles, and walk with them to the island. + +These two Indians took leave of all their friends as if they were +going to die. Each of them took two poles in his hands. They set these +poles against the bottom of the river to keep themselves steady, while +they waded through the water. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but +at last they got to the island. Then they gave a pole to each of the +two Indians, and all four of them started back again. By the help of +the poles they managed to get to the shore in safety. + + + + +AMONG THE ALLIGATORS. + + +Before the Revolution there lived in Pennsylvania a man named William +Bartram. He was a botanist; that is to say, a man who knew a great +deal about different kinds of plants. Wishing to see the plants and +animals of the South, he traveled through South Carolina and Georgia, +and so on into Florida. + +In a little canoe, Bartram set out to go up the St. Johns River. He +took an Indian along for a guide, but the Indian got tired of the +trip, and left him. Bartram kept on up the river alone. The country +was wild, and the river was filled with great alligators. + +Bartram saw two large alligators fighting. They ran at each other from +opposite sides of the river. They lashed the water with their tails. +They met in the middle of the river, and fought with great fury, +making the water boil all round them. They twisted themselves one +round the other, and sank to the bottom fighting. Their struggles at +the bottom brought up a great deal of mud. + +Soon they came to the top once more, clapping their great jaws +together, and roaring. They fell on each other again, and sank to the +bottom. But one of them was by this time beaten. He swam away into the +reeds on the bank. The other rose to the top of the water, and +celebrated his victory by a loud roaring sound. All the alligators +along the shore joined in the horrible roaring at the same time. + +The alligators had gathered in great crowds at certain places to catch +the fish that were coming up from the sea. Bartram wanted some fish +for his supper. He took a stick to beat off the alligators, and got +into his canoe. But the farther he paddled from the shore, the more +the alligators crowded round him. Several of them tried to overturn +his canoe. Two large ones attacked him at the same time, with their +heads above the water, and their mouths spouting water all over the +botanist. They struck their jaws together so close to his ears that +the sound almost stunned him. + +Bartram beat them off with his club, and paddled for the shore. When +he got near the shore, the alligators left him. He went a little +farther up the river, and got some fish. When he came back, he kept +close to the shore. One alligator twelve feet long followed him. When +Bartram went ashore near his camp, the creature crept close to his +feet, and lay there looking at him for some time. + +[Illustration] + +Bartram ran to his camp to get his gun. When he came back, the +alligator was climbing into his boat to get the fish he had caught. He +fired his gun, and killed the great beast. But while he was cleaning +his fish, another one crept up to him, and would have dragged him into +the water if Bartram had not looked up just in time to get out of his +way. The next day he was pursued by more alligators; but he beat them +off with his club, and got away. + + + + +JASPER. + + +"Marion'S Men" were famous in the Revolution for their bold +adventures. The best known of all these bold men was Sergeant Jasper. +At the battle of Fort Moultrie, when the flag of the fort was shot +away, Jasper jumped down outside of the works, and picked it up. The +balls were raining round him all the time he was outside, but he +coolly fastened the flag to a rod which was used to wipe out the +cannon, and then stuck it up in the sand of the breastworks. + +When General Moultrie saw what he had done, he took off his own sword +and gave it to Sergeant Jasper. + +When Moultrie and his men were hiding in the swamps of South Carolina, +Moultrie would send Jasper to find out what the British were doing. +Jasper could change his looks so that nobody would know him. He often +went into the British camp, pretending to be on that side. + +Once he took a friend with him, and paid a visit to the British +soldiers. While he was there, a small party of American prisoners were +brought in. The wife of one of the prisoners had come with her +husband, carrying her child. As these men had once fought on the +English side, they were all likely to be put to death. Jasper felt +sorry for them, and resolved to deliver them if he could. + +[Illustration] + +The prisoners were sent to Savannah for trial. Jasper and his friend +left the British camp soon afterward, but they went in the opposite +direction. When they got far enough away, they turned about and +followed the party with the prisoners. But what could they do for +these poor fellows? There were ten men with muskets to guard the +prisoners. Neither Jasper nor his friend had a gun. + +But they knew that near Savannah there was a famous spring of water. +They thought the party would stop there to eat and drink. So Jasper +and his friend went on swiftly, by a path little known. When they came +near the spring, they hid in the bushes. + +When the soldiers with their prisoners came to the spring, they +halted. The prisoners sat down on the ground. The woman sat down near +her husband. Her baby fell asleep in her lap. Six of the soldiers laid +down their arms, and four stood guard. + +Two of these went to the spring to get water, and, in doing this, they +were obliged to put down their guns. In an instant Jasper and his +friend leaped out of the bushes and seized the two guns. They killed +the two guards who had guns, before the latter could shoot them. Then +they knocked down every man who resisted them, and got possession of +all the rest of the guns of the British. With these they took the +eight soldiers prisoners. They now gave guns to the American +prisoners, and marched away with the eight British soldiers in +captivity. + +Jasper was one of the boldest of men. He did many brave things, but at +last he lost his life in saving the flag of his company in battle. + + + + +SONG OF MARION'S MEN. + + + Our band is few, but tried and true, + Our leader frank and bold: + The British soldier trembles + When Marion's name is told. + + We have no fort but dark green woods, + Our tent's a shady tree: + We know the forest round us + As sailors know the sea. + + With merry songs we mock the wind + That in the tree top grieves, + And slumber long and sweetly + On beds of rustling leaves. + + Well knows the fair and friendly moon + The band that Marion leads,-- + The glitter of their rifles, + The scampering of their steeds. + + 'Tis life to ride the fiery horse + Across the moonlight plain; + 'Tis life to feel the night wind + That lifts his tossing mane. + + A moment in the British camp-- + A moment--and away + Back to the pathless forest, + Before the peep of day. + + ADAPTED FROM BRYANT. + +[Illustration: One of Marion's Men.] + + + + +A BRAVE GIRL. + + +In the time of the Revolution, a regiment of Hessian soldiers hired +to fight on the British side were camped in South Carolina. They took +possession of the lower part of the house of a farmer named Gibbes. The +family were forced to retire to the upper story. + +Two American boats came up the Stono River, and attacked these +Hessians. Cannon balls were soon falling all about the house. Mr. +Gibbes, who was so ill that he could hardly walk, got leave to move his +family to another place. To do this, the whole family had to cross a +field where the cannon balls were flying thick. At last they got out of +reach of the cannons. Then they remembered that a little baby had been +left behind. Neither Mr. Gibbes nor his wife was able to travel back to +the house again. The negroes were too much frightened to go. All the +rest were children. + +Little Mary Anne Gibbes was only thirteen years old. The baby that had +been left was her cousin. + +"I will go and get him," she said. + +It was a dark and stormy night. She went back into the heat of the +battle. When she reached the house, the soldier who stood at the door +would not let her go in. But, with tears in her eyes, she begged so +hard that he let her pass. In the third story of the house she found +the baby. + +Then downstairs, and out into the darkness and the crash of battle, she +went. The cannon balls scattered dust over her and the baby when they +struck near her, but she got back to her family at last, carrying the +baby safe in her arms. + + + + +A PRISONER AMONG THE INDIANS. + + +James Smith lived in Pennsylvania. He was taken prisoner by the Indians +just before the famous defeat of General Braddock. He was then about +eighteen years old. The Indians took him to the French fort where +Pittsburg now is. They made him run the gauntlet; that is, they made +him run between two lines of Indians, who were beating him all the way. +He was so badly beaten that he became unconscious, and was ill for a +good while after. But at length he got well, and the Indians took him +to their own country in what is now the State of Ohio. + +When they arrived at their own town, they did not kill him, as he +thought they would; but an Indian pulled the hair out of his head with +his fingers, leaving only the hair that grew on a spot about the crown. +Part of this he cut off short. The rest was twisted up in Indian +fashion, so as to make him look like a savage. They pierced his ears, +and put earrings in them. Then they pierced his nose, and put in a nose +ring. They stripped off his clothing, and put on the light clothing +that an Indian wears about the middle of his body. They painted his +head where the hair had been plucked out, and painted his face and +body, in several colors. They put some beads about his neck, and silver +bands upon his arms. + +All this time James thought they were dressing him up to kill him. But, +when they had decked him in this way, an old chief led him out into the +village street. Holding the young man by the hand, he cried out,-- + +"Koowigh, Koowigh, Koowigh!" + +All the Indians came running out of their houses when they heard this. +The old chief made them a long speech in a loud voice. James could not +understand what this speech was about. When it was ended, the chief +handed James over to three young Indian women. + +James thought the young squaws were going to put him to death. They led +him down the bank into the river. The squaws made signs for him to +plunge himself into the water; but, as he thought they wished to drown +him, he refused. He was not going to drown himself to please them. The +young women then seized him, and tried to put him under water. But he +would not be put down All this time the Indians on the bank were +laughing heartily. + +[Illustration: James Smith sitting on a Bearskin.] + +Then one of the young squaws, who could speak a little English, said, +"No hurt you." Smith now gave up to them, and they scrubbed him well, +dipping his head under water. + +When he came out of the water, he was dressed up in a lot of Indian +finery. The Indians put feathers in his hair, and made him sit down on +a bearskin. They gave him a pipe, and a tomahawk, and a bag of tobacco +and dried sumach leaves to smoke. Then they made a speech to him, which +an Indian who could speak English explained to him. + +They said that he had been made a member of an Indian family in place +of a great man who had been killed. And then they gave him a wooden +bowl and a spoon, and took him to a feast, where Indian politeness +required that he should eat all the food given to him. + +After James Smith was adopted by the Indians, he learned to live in +their way. He learned how to make little bowls out of elm bark to catch +maple-sugar sap, and how to make great casks out of the bark to hold +the sap till it could be boiled. He learned how to make a bearskin into +a pouch to hold bear's oil, of which the Indians were very fond. They +mixed their hominy with bear's oil and maple sugar, and they cooked +their venison in oil and sugar also. + +The Indians gave James an Indian name. They called him Scouwa. The +Indians gave him a gun. Once when they trusted him to go into the woods +alone, he got lost, and staid out all night. Then they took away his +gun, and gave him a bow and arrow, such as boys carried. For nearly two +years he had to carry a bow and arrows like a boy. + +He was once left behind when there was a great snowstorm. He could not +find the footsteps of the others, on account of the driving snow. But +after a while he found a hollow tree. There was a little room three +feet wide in the inside of the tree. He chopped a great many sticks +with his tomahawk to close up the opening in the side of the tree. He +left only a hole big enough for him to crawl in through. He fixed a +block for a kind of door, so as to close this hole by drawing the door +shut when he was inside. When the hole was shut, it was dark in the +tree. + +But James, or Scouwa as he was called, could stand up in the tree. He +broke up rotten wood to make a bed like a large goose nest. He danced +up and down on his bed till he was warm. Then he wrapped his blanket +about him and lay down to sleep, first putting his damp moccasins under +his head to keep them from freezing. When he awoke, it was dark. The +hole in the tree was so well closed that he could not tell whether it +was daylight or not, but he waited a long time to be sure that day had +come. + +Then he felt for the opening. At last he found it. He pushed on the +block that he had used for a door, but three feet of snow had fallen +during the night. All his strength would not move the block. He was a +prisoner under the snow. Not one ray of light could get into this dark +hole. + +Scouwa was now frightened. Not knowing what to do, he lay down again +and wrapped his blanket round him, and tried to think of a way to get +out. He said a little prayer to God. Then he felt for the block again. +This time he pushed and pushed with all his might. The block moved a +few inches, and snow came tumbling through the hole. This let a little +daylight in, and Scouwa was happy. + +After a while he pulled his blanket tight about him, stuck his tomahawk +in his belt, and took his bow in hand. Then he dug his way out through +the snow into the daylight. + +All the paths were buried under the deep snow. The young man had no +compass. The sun was not shining. How could he tell one direction from +another, or find his way to the Indian camp? The tall, straight trees, +especially those that stand alone, have moss on the north or northwest +side. By looking closely at these trees, he found out which way to go. +It was about noon when he got to the camp. The Indians had made +themselves snowshoes to go in search of him. + +They all gathered about him, glad to see him. But Indians do not ask +questions at such a time. They led the young man to a tent. There they +gave him plenty of fat beaver meat to eat. Then they asked him to +smoke. While he was resting here, they were building up a large fire in +the open air. Scouwa's Indian brother asked him to come out to the +fire. Then all the Indians young and old, gathered about him. + +His Indian brother now asked him to tell what had happened to him. +Scouwa began at the beginning, and told all that had occurred. The +Indians listened with much eagerness. + +Then the Indian brother made him a speech. He told the young man that +they were glad to see him alive. He told him he had behaved like a man. +He said, "You will one day be a great man, and do some great things." + +Soon after this, the Indians bought him a gun, paying for it with +skins, and he became a hunter. + + + + +HUNGRY TIMES IN THE WOODS. + + +When James Smith, or Scouwa, had been some years among the Indians, he +was in a winter camp with two of his adopted brothers. The younger of +these, with his family, went away to another place. Scouwa was left +with the older brother and his little son. + +The older brother was a very wise Indian. He had thought much about +many things. He talked to his young white brother on many subjects, and +James always remembered him as a great man. + +The wise Indian was now suffering from rheumatism. He could hardly move +out of his winter hut at all. But he bore it all with gentle patience. +Scouwa had to do all the hunting for himself, the old man, and the boy. + +Almost the only food to be had was deer meat. From time to time Scouwa +succeeded in killing a deer. But at last there came a crust of snow. +Whenever the hunter tried to creep up to a deer, the crust would break +under his feet with a little crash, and the noise would frighten the +deer away. After a while there was no food in the cabin. + +Once Scouwa hunted two days without coming back to the cabin, and with +nothing to eat. He came back at last empty-handed. + +The wise Indian asked him, "What luck did you have, brother?" + +"None at all," said Scouwa. + +"Are you not very hungry?" asked the Indian. + +"I do not feel so hungry now as I did," said the young man, "but I am +very faint and weary." + +Then the lame Indian told the little boy to bring something to eat. The +boy had made a broth out of the dry old bones of foxes and wild-cats +that lay about the camp. Scouwa ate this broth eagerly, and liked it. + +Then the old chief talked to Scouwa. He told him that the Great Spirit +would provide food for them. He talked in this way for some time. + +At last he said, "Brother, go to sleep, and rise early in the morning +and go hunting. Be strong, and act like a man. The Great Spirit will +direct your way." + +In the morning James set out early, but the deer heard his feet +breaking through the snow crust. Whenever he caught sight of them, they +were already running away. The young man now grew very hungry. He made +up his mind to escape from the Indians, and to try to reach his home in +Pennsylvania. He knew that Indian hunters would probably see him and +kill him, but he was so nearly starved that he did not care for his +life. + +He walked very fast, traveling toward the east. All at once he saw +fresh buffalo tracks. He followed these till he came in sight of the +buffaloes; then, faint as he was, he ran on ahead of the animals, and +hid himself. + +[Illustration: Scouwa shoots a Buffalo.] + +When the buffaloes came near, he fired his gun, and killed a large +buffalo cow. He quickly kindled a fire, and cut off a piece of the +meat, which he put to roast by the fire. But he was too hungry to wait. +He took his meat away from the fire, and ate it before it was cooked. + +When his hunger was satisfied, he began to think about the wise Indian +and his little boy. He could not bear to leave them to starve, so he +gave up his plan of escaping. + +He hung the meat of the buffalo where the wolves could not get at it. +Then he took what he could carry, and traveled back thirteen tedious +miles through the snow. + +It was moonlight when he got to the hut. The wise Indian was as +good-natured as ever. He did not let hunger make him cross. He asked +Scouwa if he were not tired. He told the little boy to make haste and +cook some meat. + +"I will cook for you," said Scouwa. "Let the boy roast some meat for +himself." + +The boy threw some meat on the coals, but he was so hungry that he ate +it before it was cooked. Scouwa cut some buffalo meat into thin slices, +and put the slices into a kettle to stew for the starving man. When +these had boiled awhile, he was going to take them off, but the Indian +said, + +"No, let it cook enough." + +And so, hungry as he was, the wise Indian waited till the meat was well +cooked, and then ate without haste, and talked about being thankful to +the Great Spirit. + +The next day Scouwa started back for another load of buffalo meat. When +he had gone five miles, he saw a tree which a bear had taken for its +winter home. The hole in the tree was far from the ground. Scouwa made +some bundles of dry, half-rotten wood. These he put on his back, and +then climbed a small tree that stood close to the one with a hole in +it. The rotten wood he touched to a burning stick from a fire he had +kindled. Then he dropped the smoking bundles of rotten wood one after +another down into the bear's den, and quickly slid to the ground again. + +The bear did not like smoke. After a while he crawled out of the hole +to get breath. Scouwa shot him. + +He hung the bear meat out of the reach of wolves, and carried back to +the hut all that he could take at one time. The old man and the boy +were greatly pleased when they heard that there was bear meat as well +as buffalo meat in plenty. After this they had food enough. + + + + +SCOUWA BECOMES A WHITE MAN AGAIN. + + +The next year after this hard winter in the woods, the Indians that +Scouwa lived with went down the River St. Lawrence to Canada. At this +time Canada belonged to the French. The French were at war with the +English, to whom Pennsylvania belonged. The Indians were on the side of +the French. + +Scouwa heard that there were prisoners from his country who were to be +sent back in exchange for French prisoners. He slipped away from the +Indians, and went to Montreal. Here he put himself among the other +prisoners. + +After a while the prisoners were sent back to their own country. Scouwa +came to his own family again. They did not know that he was alive. He +put on white man's clothes. He let his hair grow like a white man's. He +spoke English once more. He was no longer called Scouwa, but James +Smith. But still he walked like an Indian. All his movements were those +of an Indian. He had lived nearly six years among the savages. + +He afterward became a colonel among the white men. He moved to +Kentucky, and fought against the Indians. But he made his men dress and +fight as the red men did. He thought it was the best way of fighting in +the woods. + + + + +A BABY LOST IN THE WOODS. + + +When people first began to move across the Alleghany Mountains, there +were no roads for wagons; but there were narrow paths called trails. +Families traveled to the west, carrying their goods on horseback along +these trails. Here is a story that will show you how they traveled. + +Among those who went from Virginia to Kentucky, in 1781, was a man +named Benjamin Craig, who took his whole family with him. Mr. Craig +wore a hunting shirt and leggings of buckskin and a fur cap. Like all +men in the backwoods, he carried a hatchet and a knife stuck in his +belt, and he almost always had his old-fashioned flintlock rifle on his +right shoulder. A horn to hold powder was worn under his left arm, and +supported by a string over his right shoulder. He had a little buckskin +bag of bullets fastened to his belt. At the head of the party, he +traveled over the mountains on foot, walking before his horses. + +The horses came one after another. On the first horse rode Mrs. Craig. +She carried her baby in her arms. Tied on the back of the horse were a +pot and a skillet for frying. In a bag on the same horse were some +pewter plates and cups, and a few knives and forks. + +The horse on which Mrs. Craig rode was followed by a pack horse; that +is, a horse carrying things fastened on his back. This horse was led by +means of a rope halter, the end of which was tied to the saddle of the +horse in front. The pack on his back contained some meal and some salt. +This was all the food the family carried for the long journey over the +mountains. Mr. Craig expected to get meat by shooting deer or wild +turkeys in the woods. + +The same pack horse carried a flat piece of iron to make a plow, and +some hoes and axes. The hoes and axes were without handles, except one +ax, which was used to cut firewood during the journey. Handles could be +made for the tools after the family got to Kentucky. + +Behind this horse another one was tied. He carried two great +basket-like things hanging on each side of him. These baskets or crates +were made of hickory boughs. All the clothing and bedding that people +could take on such long and rough journeys was stored in these crates. + +In the middle of each crate a hole was left. In one of these holes rode +little Master George, a boy of six. In the other was stowed Betsey, a +girl of four. One fine day during the journey, the baby was put into +the basket by the side of Betsey, and then the two older children +amused themselves by pointing out to the baby the things they saw by +the wayside. + +[Illustration] + +At length the narrow trail or path passed along the edge of a dangerous +cliff. George and Betsey shut their eyes, so as not to see how steep +the place was. They were afraid the horse might fall off, and they be +dashed to pieces. But baby Ben only laughed and crowed, for what did a +little fellow like him know about danger. A hired man walked behind the +last horse to see that nothing was lost. + +When night came, the horses were unloaded and turned loose. The little +bells tied round their necks had been stuffed with grass during the day +to keep them from jingling. This grass was removed, and the bells set +a-tinkling, so that the horses could be found in the morning. The tired +pack horses began at once to eat the long grass, now and then nibbling +the boughs of young trees. + +[Illustration] + +A fire was built by a stream, and supper was cooked. If it had been +raining, the men would have built a little tent of boughs or bark for +the family, but, as the weather was clear, beds were made of grass and +dry leaves in the open air. The whole family slept under blue woolen +coverlets, with only the starry sky for shelter. The fire was kept up +for fear of wolves. + +In the morning the children played about while the mother got +breakfast. When the meal was over, Mr. Craig and the hired man went to +look for one of the horses that had strayed away. Baby Ben climbed into +his mother's lap, as she sat upon the log, and fell asleep. In order to +have things all packed by the time the men returned, the mother laid +the little fellow on some long dry grass that grew among the boughs of +a fallen tree. When the father returned, it was nine o'clock. He +hurried the mother upon her horse among the pots and pans, saying that +he wished to overtake a company of travelers that was ahead of him, so +as to travel more safely. + +"Now fetch me the baby," said Mrs. Craig. + +"No, mother, please let the baby ride with me again," said little +Betsey, just come back from washing her face in the creek. + +"All right," said Mrs. Craig. "Put the baby on with the children. This +horse is slow, and I will ride on. You can bring the other horses, and +catch up with me soon." + +By the time the second horse was loaded, and George and Betsey were +stowed away in their baskets, both the father and Betsey had forgotten +about the baby. The mother had got so far ahead that it took the other +horses nearly an hour to overtake her's. + +"Where is the baby?" cried the mother when she looked back and saw but +two children on the horse behind. + +Sure enough, where was the baby? Lying under a tree top in the lonesome +woods, where there might be fierce wolves, great panthers, or hungry +wildcats. + +Mr. Craig was almost frantic when he thought of the baby's danger. He +stripped the things from the middle horse, and sprang on his back, gun +in hand. He laid whip to the horse, and was soon galloping back over +the rough path. For more than an hour the mother and children waited +with the hired man, to learn whether the baby had been killed by some +wild animal or not. + +At last the sound of Mr. Craig's horse coming back was heard, and all +held their breath. As the father came in sight in a full gallop, he +shouted, "Here he is, safe and sound! The little rascal hadn't waked +up." + +Mrs. Craig and Betsey shed tears of joy. George turned his face away, +and wiped his eyes with his coat sleeve. He wasn't going to cry: he was +a boy. + + + + +ELIZABETH ZANE. + + +On the banks of the Ohio River, near the place where the city of +Wheeling now stands, there was once a fort called Fort Henry. This fort +was of the kind called a blockhouse, which is a house built of logs +made to fit close together. The upper part of the house jutted out +beyond the lower, in order that the men in the blockhouse might shoot +downwards at the Indians if they should come near the house to set it +on fire. Fort Henry was surrounded with a stockade; that is, a fence +made by setting posts in the ground close together. + +During the Revolutionary War the Indians in the neighborhood of this +fort were fighting on the side of the English. A large number of them +came to Fort Henry, and tried to take it. All the men that were sent +outside of the fort to fight the Indians were either killed, or kept +from going back. The women and the children of the village which stood +near had all gone into the fort for safety. + +When at last the fiercest attack of the Indians was made, there were +only twelve men and boys left inside of the fort. These men and boys +had made up their minds to do their best to save the lives of the women +and children who were with them. Every man and every boy in the fort +knew how to shoot a rifle. They had guns enough, but they had very +little powder. So they fired only when they were sure of hitting one of +the enemy. + +The Indians kept shooting all the time. Some of them crept near to the +blockhouse, and tried to shoot through the cracks, but the bullets of +the men inside brought down these brave warriors. + +After many hours of fighting, the Indians went off a little way to +rest. The white men had now used nearly all their gunpowder. They began +to wish for a keg of powder that had been left in one of the houses +outside. They knew that whoever should go for this would be seen and +fired at by the Indians. He would have to run to the house and back +again. The colonel called his men together, and told them he did not +wish to order any man to do so dangerous a thing as to get the powder, +but he said he should like to have some one offer to go for it. + +Three or four young men offered to go. The colonel told them he could +not spare more than one of them. They must settle among themselves +which one should go. But each one of the brave fellows wanted to go, +and none of them was willing to give up to another. Then there stepped +forward a young woman named Elizabeth Zane. + +"Let me go for the powder," she said. + +The brave men were surprised. It would be a desperate thing for a man +to go. Nobody had dreamed that a woman would venture to do such a +thing, nor would any of them agree to let a young woman go into danger. + +[Illustration: Elizabeth Zane's Return.] + +The colonel said, "No," her friends begged her not to run the risk. +They told her, besides, that any one of the young men could run faster +than she could. + +But Elizabeth said, "You cannot spare a single man. There are not +enough men in the fort now. If I am killed, you will be as strong to +fight as before. Let the young men stay where they are needed, and let +me go for the powder." + +She had made up her mind, and nobody could persuade her not to go. So +the gate of the fort was opened just wide enough for her to get out. +Her friends gave her up to die. + +Some of the Indians saw the gate open, and saw the young woman running +to the house, but they did not shoot at her. They probably thought that +they would not waste a bullet on a woman. They could make her a +prisoner at any time. + +She did not try to carry the powder keg, but she took the powder in a +girl's way. She filled her apron with it. When she came out of the +house with her apron full of powder, and started to run back to the +fort, the Indians fired at her. It happened that all of their bullets +missed her. The gate was opened again, and she got safely into the +fort. The men were glad that they had powder enough, and they all felt +braver than ever, after they had seen what a girl could do. + +The Indians had seen the gate opened to let her out and to let her in +again. They thought they could force the gate open; but they could not +go and push against it, because the men in the blockhouse would shoot +them if they did. So they made a wooden cannon. They got a hollow log +and stopped up one end of it. Then they went to the blacksmith's shop +in the little village and got some chains. They tied these chains round +the log to hold it together. They had no cannon balls, so, after +putting gunpowder into the log, they put in stones and bits of iron. +After dark that evening they dragged this wooden cannon up near to the +gate. When all was ready, they touched off their cannon. The log cannon +burst into pieces, and killed some of the Indians, but did not hurt the +fort. + +The next day white men came from other places to help the men in the +fort. They got into the fort, and after a few more attacks the Indians +gave up the battle and went away. + +Whenever the story of the brave fight at Fort Henry is told, people do +not forget that the bravest one in it was the girl that brought her +apron full of gunpowder to the men in the fort. + + + + +THE RIVER PIRATES. + + +A hundred years ago the country near the great rivers in the interior +of the United States was a wilderness. It contained only a few people, +and these lived in settlements which were widely separated from one +another. Hardly any of the great trees had been cut down. + +There were no roads, except Indian trails through the woods. Nearly all +travelers had to follow the rivers. Steamboats had not yet been +invented. Travelers made journeys on flatboats, keel boats, and barges. +It was easy enough to go down the Ohio and the Mississippi in this way, +but it was hard to come up again. It took about fifty men to work a +boat against the stream, and many months were spent in going up the +river. + +Boats were pushed up the river by means of poles. The boatmen pushed +these against the bottom of the river. When the water was deep or the +current very swift, a rope was taken out ahead of the boat, and tied to +a tree on the bank. The line was then slowly drawn in by means of a +capstan, and this drew the boat forward. + +Sometimes the boat was "cordelled," or towed by the men walking on the +shore and drawing the barge by a rope held on their shoulders. But when +there chanced to be a strong wind blowing upstream, the boatmen would +hoist sail, and joyfully make headway against the current without so +much toil. + +These slow-going boats were in danger from Indians. They were in even +greater danger from robbers, who hid themselves along the shore. Some +of these robbers lived in caves. Some kept boats hidden in the mouths +of streams that flowed into the large rivers. + +In 1787 all the country west of the Mississippi still belonged to +France. The French territory stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to what +is now Minnesota. It was all called Louisiana. New Orleans and St. +Louis were then French towns, and the travel between them was carried +on by means of boats, which floated down the stream, and were then +brought back by poles, ropes, and sails. + +The trip was as long as a voyage to China is nowadays. The boats or +barges set out from St. Louis in the spring, carrying furs. They got +back again in the fall with goods purchased in New Orleans. + +In this year, 1787, a barge belonging to a Mr. Beausoleil (bo-so-lay) +started from New Orleans to make the voyage to St. Louis. The goods +with which it was loaded were very valuable. Slowly the men toiled up +against the stream day after day. At length the little vessel came near +to the mouth of Cottonwood Creek. A well-known robber band lurked at +this place. With joy the boatmen saw a favorable wind spring up. They +spread their sails, and the driving gale carried the barge in safety +past the mouth of the creek. + +But the pirates of Cottonwood Creek were unwilling to lose so rich a +treasure. They sent a company of men by a short cut overland to head +off the barge at a place farther up the river. Two days after passing +Cottonwood Creek the bargemen brought the boat to land. They felt +themselves beyond danger. But the robbers came suddenly out of the +woods, took possession of the boat, and ordered the crew to return down +the river to Cottonwood Creek. + +When they turned back toward the robbers' den, Beausoleil was in +despair. His whole fortune was on the barge. He did not know whether +the robbers would kill him and his men, or not. The only man of the +crew who showed no regret was the cook. This cook was a fine-looking +and very intelligent mulatto slave named Cacasotte. Instead of +repining, he fell to dancing and laughing. + +"I am glad the boat was taken," he cried. "I have been beaten and +abused long enough. Now I am freed from a hard master." + +Cacasotte devoted himself to his new masters, the robbers. In a little +while he had won their confidence. He was permitted to go wherever he +pleased, without any watch upon his movements. + +He found a chance to talk with Beausoleil, and to lay before him a plan +for retaking the boat from the villains. Beausoleil thought the +undertaking too dangerous, but at length he gave his consent. Cacasotte +then whispered his plan to two others of the crew. + +Dinner was served to the pirates on deck. Cacasotte took his place by +the bow of the boat, so as to be near the most dangerous of the +robbers. This robber was a powerful man, well armed. When Cacasotte saw +that the others had taken their places as he had directed, he gave the +signal, and then pushed the huge robber at his side into the water. In +three minutes the powerful Cacasotte had thrown fourteen of the robbers +into the waves. The other men had also done their best. The deck was +cleared of the pirates, who had to swim for their lives. The robbers +who remained in the boat were too few to resist. Beausoleil found +himself again master of his barge, thanks to the coolness and courage +of Cacasotte. + +But the bargemen dared not go on up the river. Against the stream they +would have to go slowly, and there would be danger from the robbers +remaining at Cottonwood Creek: so they kept on down the river to New +Orleans. + +The next year ten boats left New Orleans in company. These barges +carried small cannons, and their crew were all armed. When they reached +Cottonwood Creek, men were seen on shore; but when an armed force was +landed, the robbers had fled. The long, low hut which had been their +dwelling remained. There were also several flatboats loaded with +valuable goods taken from captured barges. This plunder was carried to +St. Louis, and restored to the rightful owners. For fifty years +afterwards this was known as "The Year of the Ten Boats." Cacasotte's +brave victory was not soon forgotten. + + + + +OLD-FASHIONED TELEGRAPHS. + + +THE MUSKET TELEGRAPH. + + +There are many people living who can remember when there were no +telegraphs such as we have now. The telephone is still younger. +Railroads are not much older than telegraphs. Horses and stagecoaches +were slow. How did people send messages quickly when there were no +telegraph wires? + +When colonies in America were first settled by white people, there were +wars with the Indians. The Indians would creep into a neighborhood and +kill all the people they could, and then they would get away before the +soldiers could overtake them. But the white people made a plan to catch +them. + +Whenever the Indians attacked a settlement, the settler who saw them +first took his gun and fired it three times. Bang, bang, bang! went the +gun. The settlers who lived near the man who fired the gun heard the +sound. They knew that three shots following one another quickly, meant +that the Indians had come. + +Every settler who heard the three shots took his gun and fired three +times. It was bang, bang, bang! again. Then, as soon as he had fired, +he went in the direction of the first shots. Every man who had heard +three shots, fired three more, and went toward the shots he had heard. +Farther and farther away the settlers heard the news, and sent it along +by firing so that others might hear. Soon little companies of men were +coming swiftly in every direction. The Indians were sure to be beaten +off or killed. + +This was a kind of telegraph. But there were no wires; there was no +electricity; only one flint-lock musket waking up another flintlock +musket, till a hundred guns had been fired, and a hundred men were +marching to the battle. + + + + +TELEGRAPHING BY FIRE. + + +The firing of signal guns was telegraphing by sound. It used only the +hearing. But there were other ways of telegraphing that used the sight. +These have been known for thousands of years. They were known even to +savage people. + +The Indians on the plains use fires to telegraph to one another. +Sometimes they build one fire, sometimes they build many. When a war +party, coming back from battle, builds five fires on a hill, the +Indians who see it know that the party has killed five enemies. + +But the Indians have also what are known as smoke signals. An Indian +who wishes to send a message to a party of his friends a long way off, +builds a fire. When it blazes, he throws an armful of green grass on +it. This causes the fire to send up a stream of white smoke hundreds of +feet high, which can be seen fifty miles away in clear weather. Among +the Apaches, one column of smoke is to call attention; two columns say, +"All is well, and we are going to remain in this camp;" three columns +or more are a sign of danger, and ask for help. + +[Illustration: A Smoke Signal.] + +Sometimes longer messages are sent. After building a fire and putting +green grass upon it, the Indian spread his blanket over it. He holds +down the edges, to shut the smoke in. After a few moments he takes his +blanket off; and when he does this, a great puff of smoke, like a +balloon, shoots up into the air. This the Indian does over and over. +One puff of smoke chases another upward. By the number of these puffs, +and the length of the spaces between them, he makes his meaning +understood by his friends many miles away. + +At night the Indians smear their arrows with something that will burn +easily. One of them draws his bow. Just as he is about to let his arrow +fly, another one touches it with fire. The arrow blazes as it shoots +through the air, like a fiery dragon fly. One burning arrow follows +another; and those who see them read these telegraph signals, and know +what is meant. + + + + +TELEGRAPHS IN THE REVOLUTION. + + +Our forefathers sometimes used fire to telegraph with in the +Revolution. Whenever the British troops started on a raid into New +Jersey, the watchmen on the hilltops lighted great beacon fires. Those +who saw the fires lighted other fires farther away. These fires let the +people know that the enemy was coming, for light can travel much faster +than men on horseback. + +Have you heard the story of Paul Revere? When the British were about to +send troops from Boston to Lexington, Revere and his friends had an +understanding with the people in Charlestown. Revere was to let them +know when the troops should march. They were to watch a certain church +steeple. If one lantern were hung in the steeple, it would mean that +the British were marching by land. If two lanterns were seen, the +Charlestown people would know that the troops were leaving Boston by +water. Revere was sent as a messenger to Lexington. He sent a friend of +his to hang up the lanterns in the church steeple. + + "Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church, + By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, + To the belfry chamber overhead, + And startled the pigeons from their perch + On the somber rafters, that round him made + Masses and moving shapes of shade,-- + By the trembling ladder, steep and tall, + To the highest window in the wall, + Where he paused to listen and look down + A moment on the roofs of the town, + And the moonlight flowing over all." + +Long before Paul Revere got across the water in his little boat, the +people on the other side had seen the lanterns in the tower. They knew +the British were coming, and were all astir when Paul Revere got over. +Revere rode on to Lexington and beyond, to alarm the people. + +The lines above are from a poem of Longfellow's about this ride. The +poem is very interesting, but it does not tell the story quite +correctly. + +Paul Revere's lanterns were used at the beginning of the Revolutionary +War. There is a story of a different sort of telegraph used when the +war was near its end. It is told by a British officer who had not the +best means of knowing whether it was true or not. But it shows what +kind of telegraphs were used in that day. This is the story:-- + +[Illustration: Old North Church Steeple.] + +A British army held New York. Another British army under Cornwallis was +at Yorktown in Virginia. General Washington had marched to Yorktown. He +was trying to capture the army of General Cornwallis. He was afraid +that ships and soldiers would be sent from New York to help Cornwallis. +But there were men in New York who were secretly on Washington's side. +One of these was to let him know when ships should sail to help +Cornwallis. + +But Washington was six hundred miles away from New York. How could he +get the news before the English ships should get there? There were no +telegraphs. The fastest horses ridden one after another could hardly +have carried news to him in less than two weeks. But Washington had a +plan. One of the men who sent news to Washington was living in New +York. When the ships set sail, he went up on the top of his house and +hoisted a white flag, or something that looked like a white flag. + +On the other side of the Hudson River in a little village a man was +watching this very house. As soon as he saw the white flag flapping, he +took up his gun and fired it. Farther off there was a man waiting to +hear this gun. When he heard it, he fired another gun. Farther on there +was the crack of another, and then another gun. By the firing of one +gun after another the news went southward. Bang, bang! went gun after +gun across the whole State of New Jersey. Then guns in Pennsylvania +took it up and sent the news onward. Then on across the State of +Maryland the news went from one gun to another, till it reached +Virginia, where it passed on from gun to gun till it got to Yorktown. +In less than two days Washington knew that ships were coming. + +When Washington knew that British ships were coming, he pushed the +fighting at Yorktown with all his might. When the English ships got to +Chesapeake Bay at last, Cornwallis had already surrendered. The United +States was free. The ships had come too late. + + + + +A BOY'S TELEGRAPH. + + +The best telegraph known before the use of electricity, was invented by +two schoolboys in France. They were brothers named Chappe (shap-pay). +They were in different boarding schools some miles apart, and the rules +of their schools did not allow them to write letters to each other. But +the two schools were in sight of each other. The brothers invented a +telegraph. They put up poles with bars of wood on them. These bars +would turn on pegs or pins. The bars were turned up or down, or one up +and another down, or two down and one up, and so on. Every movement of +the bars meant a letter. In this way the two brothers talked to each +other, though they were miles apart. When the boys became men, they +sold their plan to the French Government. The money they got made their +fortune. + +[Illustration: A Mail Carrier.] + +About the time they were selling this plan to the French Government, a +boy named Samuel Morse was born in this country. Fifty years later this +Samuel Morse set up the first Morse electric telegraph, which is the +one we now use. + +In the old days before telegraph wires were strung all over the +country, it took weeks to carry news to places far away. There were no +railroads, and the mails had to travel slowly. A boy on a horse trotted +along the road to carry the mail bags to country places. From one large +city to another, the mails were carried by stagecoaches. + +When the people had voted for President, it was weeks before the news +of the election could be gathered in. Then it took other weeks to let +the people in distant villages know the name of the new President. +Nowadays a great event is known in almost every part of the country on +the very day it happens. + + + + +A BOY'S FOOLISH ADVENTURE. + + +The Natural Bridge has long been thought one of the great curiosities +of our country. It is in Virginia, and the county in which it is +situated is called Rockbridge County. + +The traveler is riding in a stage on a wild road in the mountains. The +road grows narrow. Soon it is a mere lane, with high board fences and +small trees on each side. But the traveler sees nothing to show him +that he is on the wonderful Natural Bridge. + +[Illustration: The Natural Bridge.] + +The bridge that he is driving over is about forty feet thick, and of +solid rock. If he should go to the other side of the board fence, he +could look down into a ravine more than two hundred feet deep. + +When the traveler goes down into the ravine, he looks up at the +beautiful curve of this great bridge of rock. The bridge is nearly one +hundred and seventy-five feet above his head. + +Many years ago, when the writer of this book was a boy, he stood in the +dark chasm underneath this bridge and looked up at the great bridge of +rock above. He took a stone, as all other visitors do, and tried to +throw it so as to hit the arch of the bridge above. But the stone +stopped before it got halfway up, and fell back, resounding on the +rocks below. Then he was told the old story, that nobody had ever +thrown to the arch except George Washington, who had thrown a silver +dollar clear to the center of the bridge. + +There were names scribbled all over the rocks. People are always trying +to write their own names in such strange places as this. Above all the +other names were two rows of mere scratches. If they had ever been +names, they were too much dimmed to be read by a person standing on the +rocks below. The lower of these two high names, the people said, was +the name of Washington. It was said that when he was a young man, he +climbed higher than any one else to scratch his name on the rock. And +the name above his, they said, was the name of a young man who had had +a strange adventure in trying to write his name above that of the +father of his country. + +The story of this young man's climbing up the rocks used to appear in +the old schoolbooks. It was told with so many romantic additions, that +it was hard to believe. + +The writer afterwards learned that the main fact of the story was true, +and, that the hero of the story was still living in Virginia. + +This foolhardy boy, whose name was Pepper, climbed up the rock to write +his name above the rest. Pepper climbed up by holding to little broken +places in the rocks till he had got above the names of all the other +climbers. He ventured to climb till he had passed the marks which +people say are part of Washington's name. Here Pepper held fast with +one hand, while he scratched his name in the rock. + +His companions were far below him. He could not get down again. The +rock face was too smooth. He could not stoop to put his hands down into +the cracks where his feet were. If he had tried to, he would have lost +his hold, and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. + +There was nothing to do now but to climb out from under the bridge, and +so up the face of the rock to the top of the gorge. He must do this or +die. + +Painfully clinging to the rock with his toes and his fingers, he worked +his way up. Sometimes a crevice in the rock helped him. Sometimes he +had to dig a place with his knife in order to get a hold. It seemed +that each step would be his last. + +The few people living in the neighborhood heard of his situation, and +gathered below and above to look at him. They watched him with +breathless anxiety. His friends expected to see him dashed to pieces at +any moment. + +As the time wore on, he worked his way up. He also got farther out from +under the bridge. He held on like a cat. He hooked his fingers into +every crack he could find. He dug holes with his dull knife. When he +could find a little bush in the rocks, he thought himself lucky. + +Men let down ropes to him, but the ropes did not reach him. They tied +one rope to another so as to reach farther down, but he was too far +under the bridge. The people hardly dared to speak or to breathe. + +At last he began to get out at the side of the bridge where he could be +seen from above. His strength was almost gone. His knife was too much +worn to be of any use. He could not cling to the rock much longer. + +A rope with a noose in it was swung close to him. He let go his grip on +the rock, and threw his arms and body into the noose. In a moment he +swung clear of the rock, and dangled in the air. The rope drew tight +about his body and held him. Young Pepper knew no more. He was drawn up +over the rocks to the summit quite unconscious. + +Years afterward he became a man of distinction in his State. But when +any of his friends asked Colonel Pepper about his climbing out from +under the Natural Bridge, he would say, "Yes; I did that when I was a +foolish boy, but I don't like to think about it." + + + + +A FOOT RACE FOR LIFE. + + +In 1803 that part of our country which lies west of the Mississippi was +almost unknown to the white men. In that year the President sent +Captain Lewis and Captain Clark to see what the country was like. They +went up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains. Then they +went down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. It took them more +than two years to make the trip there and back. + +Lewis and Clark had about forty-five men with them. One of these men +was named Colter. In the very heart of the wild country he left the +party, and set up as a trapper. A trapper is a man who catches animals +in traps in order to get their skins to sell. The Blackfoot Indians +made Colter a prisoner. Colter knew a little of their language. He +heard them talking of how they should kill their prisoner. They thought +it would be fun to set him up and shoot at him with their arrows until +he was dead. At this time the Indians on the western plains had no +guns. But the Indian chief thought he knew a better way. He laid hold +of Colter's shoulder, and said,-- + +"Can you run fast?" + +Colter could run very swiftly, but he pretended to the chief that he +was a bad runner. So they took him out on the prairie about four +hundred yards away from the Indians. There he was turned loose, and +told to run. + +The whole band of Indians ran after him, yelling like wild beasts. +Colter did not look back. He had to run through thorns that hurt his +bare feet. But he was running for his life. Six miles away there was a +river. If he could get to that, he might escape. + +He almost flew over the ground. At first he did not turn his head +round. When he had run about three miles, he glanced back. Most of the +Indians had lost ground. The best runners were ahead of the others. One +Indian, swifter than all the rest, was only about a hundred yards +behind him. This man had a spear in his hand to kill Colter as soon as +he should be near enough. + +[Illustration] + +Poor Colter now ran harder than ever to get away from this Indian. At +last he was only about a mile from the river. He looked back, and saw +the swift Indian only twenty yards away, with his spear ready to throw. + +It was of no use for Colter to keep on running. He turned round and +faced the swift runner, who was about to throw his spear. Colter spread +his arms wide, and stood still. + +The Indian was surprised at this. He tried to stop running, so as to +kill the white man with his spear. But he had already run himself +nearly to death, and, when he tried to stop quickly, he lost his +balance, and fell forward to the ground. His lance stuck in the earth, +and broke in two. + +Colter quickly pulled the pointed end of the spear out of the ground +and killed the fallen Indian. Then he turned and ran on toward the +river. + +The other Indians were coming swiftly behind; but, as they passed the +place where the first one lay dead, each of them stopped a moment to +howl over him, after their custom. This gave Colter a little more time. +He reached a patch of woods near the river. He ran through this to the +river, and jumped in He swam toward a little island. + +Logs and brush had floated down the river, and lodged across the +island. This driftwood had formed a great raft. Colter dived under this +raft. He swam to a place where he could push his head up to get air, +and still be hidden by the brush. + +The Indians were already yelling on the bank of the river. A moment +later they were swimming toward the island. When they reached the drift +pile, they ran this way and that. They looked into all the cracks and +tried to find the white man. They ran right over his hiding place. +Colter thought they would surely find him. + +But after a long time they went away. Colter thought they would set +fire to the raft of driftwood, but they did not think of that. Perhaps +they thought that Colter had been drowned. + +He lay still under the raft till night came. Then he swam down the +stream a long distance, left the stream, and went far out on the +prairie. Here he felt himself safe from his enemies. + +But he had no clothes and no food. He had no gun to shoot animals with. +It was several days' journey to the nearest place where there were +white men, at a trading house. + +Colter had nothing to eat but roots. The sun burned his skin in the +daytime. He shivered without a covering at night. The thorns hurt his +feet when he walked, but he found his way to the trading house at last. + +He used to tell of wonderful things that he saw while traveling to the +trading house after he got away from the Indians. He saw springs that +were boiling hot and steaming. He saw fountains that would sometimes +spout hot water into the air for hundreds of feet. + +These and many other wonderful things that he saw at this time he used +to tell about. But nobody believed his stories. Nobody had ever seen +anything of the kind in this country. When Colter would tell of these +things, those who heard him thought that he was making up stories, or +that he had been out of his head while traveling and had thought he saw +such wonders. + +But after many long years the wonderful place which we call Yellowstone +Park was found, and in it were boiling and spouting springs. People +knew then that Colter had been telling the truth, and that he had +traveled through the Yellowstone country. + +[Illustration: A Geyser.] + + + + +LORETTO AND HIS WIFE. + + +In old times white men had not made settlements in the country near the +Rocky Mountains. Tribes of Indians fought one another over that whole +region. A few bold white men, fond of wild life, lived there, in order +to hunt and trap the animals that bear furs. But they themselves were +always in danger of being hunted by the Indians. + +The Indians called Blackfeet and those called Crows were at war; They +stole each other's horses at every chance, and the Indians of each +tribe were always seeking to kill those of the other. + +In one of their attacks on the Blackfeet, the Crows carried off an +Indian girl. One of the bold trappers of the Rocky Mountains was a +Mexican. His name was Loretto. He visited a Crow village once, and saw +this girl. He fell in love with the captive, and bought her from the +Crows. Whether he paid for her in horses or in beaver skins, I do not +know. But from a slave of the enemies of her tribe she was changed to +the wife of a white man who loved her. + +Loretto was hired to trap for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. This +company bought furs from the Indians of the Far West. They sent large +parties to the mountains every year with guns, knives, hatchets, +blankets, and other things, which they traded to the Indians for skins. + +Loretto was marching over the plains with a party of trappers belonging +to this company. He had his young Blackfoot wife and his baby with him. +The white men were much afraid of the Blackfoot Indians. The company +that Loretto was with examined every ravine that they passed, for fear +that the Indians would surprise them. + +One day a band of the Blackfoot tribe appeared on the prairie, but they +kept near some rocks to which they could easily retire. They made signs +of friendship. The trappers also made friendly signs. Then the +Blackfeet sent out a party with a pipe of peace. The white men sent out +a party to meet them. They smoked the pipe in the open ground between +the two companies. This is the Indian way of making peace. + +Of course, Loretto's wife was much interested in the Blackfeet. They +were her own people. It had been a long time since she had seen one of +them. She looked closely at the company smoking together, and saw that +one of them was her brother. She handed the child to Loretto. Then she +rushed out to the place where the treaty was going on, and her brother +threw his arms about her with the greatest affection. + +[Illustration] + +But just at that moment, Bridger, the captain of the white men, rode +out where the pipe was being smoked. He had his rifle across the pommel +of his saddle. The chief of the Blackfeet came up to shake hands with +him. Bridger was afraid the chief meant to hurt him, so he slyly cocked +his rifle. The chief heard the click, and seized the gun. He bent it +downwards, and the gun went off, shooting a bullet into the ground. The +chief took the gun and knocked Bridger off his horse with it. Then he +mounted Bridger's horse and galloped back to his Indians. Indians and +white men now got behind the rocks and trees which were not far away, +and began to shoot at each other. + +Loretto's wife was carried away by her tribe. In vain she struggled to +get free, and begged to be allowed to go back to her husband and child. +The Indians would not let her go. + +Loretto saw her struggles, and heard her cries. He took his child, and +ran to the Indians with it. He handed the child to its mother. The +Indian bullets and arrows were flying all about him. + +The chief saw him carry the child across the open ground, and his heart +was touched. It was a noble action. + +He said to Loretto, "You are crazy to go into such danger, but go back +in peace; you shall not be hurt." + +Loretto begged to be allowed to take his wife with him, but her brother +would not let her go, and the chief now began to look angry. + +"The girl belongs to her tribe," he said. "She shall not go back." + +Loretto wanted to stay with his wife, but she begged him to go back, +lest he should be killed on the spot. At last he left her, and went +back to the white men. + +Night came on, and the Indians drew off. Not much harm had been done to +anybody. + +Loretto could not be happy without his wife. A few months later, he +settled his accounts with the Fur Company and went away. He went boldly +into one of the villages of the savage Blackfeet. Here he found his +wife, and staid with her. + +When the white men made peace with the Blackfeet, they set up a trading +house among them. Loretto joined the traders. They were glad to have +him, because he could speak the language of the tribe. + + + + +A BLACKFOOT STORY. + + +Here is a story the Indians tell. It is one of the tales with which +they amuse themselves in long evenings. It may be true. At least, the +Indians tell it for true. + +An Indian chief of the tribe called Blackfoot, or Blackfeet, went over +the Rocky Mountains with a war party. He killed some of the enemies of +his tribe, and then started back. For fear their enemies would follow +their tracks, the party did not take the usual path. They went up over +the wildest part of the mountain. But when it came to going down on the +other side, the Indians had a hard time. + +They had to clamber over great rocks and down the sides of cliffs. +Drifts of snow blocked their way in places. At last they had to stop. +They stood on the edge of a cliff. Below this cliff was a ridge or +shelf of rock. By tying themselves together, and so helping one another +down, they got to this shelf. Below this they found still another +cliff. It was harder to get down to this. + +But when they had got down as far as this ledge, they were in a worse +plight than ever. They stood on the brink of a great cliff. The rocks +were too steep for them to get down. It was hundreds of feet to the +bottom. + +They tried to get back up the mountain, but that they could not do. +Then they sat down and looked over the brink of the cliff. There was no +chance for them to get down alive. They must stay there and starve. + +The Indians filled their pipes with kinnikinnick, or willow bark, and +smoked. Then they knocked the ashes out of their pipes, and lay down to +sleep. + +But the chief did not sleep. He could not think of any way of getting +out of the trouble. When morning came, they all went and looked over +the cliff once more. Then they smoked again. After sitting silent for +some time, the chief laid down his pipe quietly, got to his feet, and +went to painting his face as if he were getting ready for a feast. He +arranged his dress with the greatest care. Then he made a little +speech. + +"It is of no use to stay here and die," he said. "The Great Spirit is +not willing that we should get away. Let us die bravely." + +He added other remarks of the same kind. Then he sang his death song. +When this was finished, he gave a shout, and leaped over the cliff. + +When the chief had gone, the others sat down and smoked again in +silence. After a long time, a weather-beaten old Indian got up and +walked to the edge of the cliff. + +"See," he said, "there is the soul of our chief, waiting for us to go +with him to the land of spirits." + +The others looked over, and saw the form of a man far below, waving the +bough of a tree. + +The old warrior now threw off his blanket and sang his death song. Then +he leaped off. The others again looked over, and this time they saw two +forms beckoning to them from below. + +[Illustration] + +One after another the Indians jumped, until there were left but two +young men who were little more than boys. These two boys were nephews +of the chief. They had never been in a war party. + +The elder of the two showed his young brother the ghosts of the whole +party standing below. He told his brother he must jump off, but the +frightened boy begged to be allowed to stay and die on the bare rock. + +The elder seized him, and, after a struggle, pushed him over. Then he +quietly gathered up all the blankets and guns, and threw them off. He +thought the souls of his friends would need these things in their +journey to the land of spirits. + +When this was done, the young man sang his own death song and jumped +off. Falling swiftly as an arrow, feet downward, he struck a great snow +drift at the bottom. It received him like an immense feather bed. He +sank in so far that he had hard work to get out. When he had succeeded, +he found all of his party, not spirits, as he had expected, but living +men, safe and sound. The snow had saved them from injury. + + + + +HOW FREMONT CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS. + + +It is many years now since Captain Fremont made his great journey over +plains and mountains to California. At that time California belonged to +Mexico. The wild country east of it belonged to the United States. +There were hardly any roads and no railroads in the country west of the +Missouri River. Fremont was sent out to explore that country; that is, +he was sent to find out what kind of a country it was. The white people +knew very little about it. + +Fremont had a large party of men with many horses. After months of +travel he found himself near the great Californian mountains. These +mountains are called the Sierra Nevada, or "Snowy Range." + +Here some Indians came to see him. He had a talk with them by signs, +for he could not speak their language. They told him he could cross the +mountains in summer. They said it was "six sleeps" to the place where +the white men lived over the mountains. They meant that a man would +have to pass six nights on the road in going there. But it was now +winter, and they told him that no man could cross in the winter. They +held their hands above their heads to show him that the snow was deeper +than a man is tall. + +But Fremont told the Indians that the horses of the white men were +strong, and that he would go over the mountains. He showed them some +bright-colored cloths, which he said he would give to any Indian who +would go along as a guide. The Indians called in a young man who said +he had been over the mountains and had seen the white people on the +other side. He agreed to go with Fremont. Fremont now talked to his +men, and told them there was a beautiful valley on the other side of +the mountains,--the valley of the Sacramento. He told them that Captain +Sutter had moved to this valley from Missouri, and had become a rich +man. It was but seventy miles to Sutter's Fort. The men agreed to try +to cross the mountains. + +They had but little left to eat. They killed a dog and ate it that very +evening. They would not have much chance to get food in crossing the +mountains, but they started in bravely the next morning. They did not +talk much. They knew that it was very dangerous to cross the mountains +in February. + +For days and days they fought their way through the snow, which got +deeper and deeper as they went higher up into the mountains. Traveling +grew harder and harder. The horses had nothing to eat but what could be +found in little patches of grass where the wind had blown the snow off +the ground. Whenever a horse or mule grew too weak to travel, the men +killed it and ate it. + +One day an old Indian came to see them. He told them they must not go +on. He said, "Rock upon rock, rock upon rock, snow upon snow, snow upon +snow, and even if you get over the snow, you will not be able to get +down the mountain on the other side." + +He made signs to show them that the walls of rock were straight up and +down, and that the horses would slip oft. This frightened the Indians +in Fremont's company, and one Indian covered up his head and moaned +while the old man was talking. + +The young Indian guide was afraid to go on. He ran away the next day, +taking all the pretty things that Fremont had given him, and a blanket +that Fremont had lent him to keep warm. + +The men now made snowshoes, so that they could walk over the snow +without sinking in. Sleds were made to draw the baggage on, for the +horses were getting too weak to carry anything. They found the snow +twenty feet deep in some places. The men had to make great mauls or +pounders to beat down the snow, to make a hard road on which the +animals could travel. Fremont's men now grew very hungry, for they had +little to eat except when they killed a starving mule or a dog. + +At last the whole party reached the top of the mountains at a place +where they were nine thousand feet high. They had been three weeks in +getting to the top. They had yet the hard task of getting down on the +other side. But they could see the beautiful country of California +below them. They began to work their way down over the snow and rocks. + +After some days Fremont took a party of eight men, and went on to get +provisions for the rest. But for a long distance he found no grass, and +his animals began to give out. One of his men grew so hungry and tired +that he became insane for a while. Another got lost from the party, and +found them only after several days. He told the rest that he had +suffered so much from hunger that he ate small toads, and even let the +large ants creep upon his hands so that he could eat them. + +One day Fremont saw some Indian huts. The Indians ran away when they +saw the white men coming. Fremont found near these huts some great +baskets as big as hogsheads filled with acorns. Inside the huts he +found smaller baskets with roasted acorns in them. The men took about +half a bushel of these roasted acorns, and left a shirt, some +handkerchiefs, and some trinkets, to pay for them. + +At last they came to a place where there were paths, and tracks of +cattle. The horses, having found grass to eat, grew strong enough for +the men to ride them. One day Fremont found some Indians, one of whom +could speak Spanish. + +The Indian said, "I am a herdsman, and work for Captain Sutter." + +"Where does he live?" + +"Just over the hill. I will show you." + +In a short time Fremont and his white men were at the house of Sutter. +But Captain Fremont rested only one night. The next morning he started +back with food for his starving men, who were coming on behind. The +second day after he left Sutter's he met his men. + +They were a sad sight. They were all on foot. Each man was leading a +horse as weak and lean as he was himself. Many of the horses had fallen +off the rocks, and had been killed. Only half of the mules and horses +that had started over the mountains had lived to get across. As soon as +Fremont met his men, he told them to camp. He fed the poor starving +fellows beef and bread and fresh salmon. The next day they all reached +the beautiful Sacramento River, where the city of Sacramento now +stands. + + + + +FINDING GOLD IN CALIFORNIA. + + +California once belonged to Mexico. Then there was a war between this +country and Mexico. This is what we call the Mexican War. During that +war the United States took California away from Mexico. It is now one +of the richest and most beautiful States in the Union. In the old days, +when California belonged to Mexico, it was a quiet country. Nearly all +the white people spoke Spanish, which is the language of Mexico. They +lived mostly by raising cattle. In those days people did not know that +there was gold in California. A little gold had been found in the +southern part of the State, but nobody expected to find valuable gold +mines. A few people from the United States had settled in the country. +They also raised cattle. + +Some time after the United States had taken California, peace was made +with Mexico. California then became a part of our country. About the +time that this peace was made, something happened which made a great +excitement all over the country. It changed the history of our country, +and changed the business of the whole world. Here is the story of it:-- + +A man named Sutter had moved from Missouri to California. He built a +house which was called Sutter's Fort. It was where the city of +Sacramento now stands. Sutter had many horses and oxen, and he owned +thousands of acres of land. He traded with the Indians, and carried on +other kinds of business. + +But everything was done in the slow Mexican way. When he wanted boards, +he sent men to saw them out by hand. It took two men a whole day to saw +up a log so as to make a dozen boards. There was no sawmill in all +California. + +When Sutter wanted to grind flour or meal, this also was done in the +Mexican way. A large stone roller was run over a flat stone. But at +last Sutter thought he would have a grinding mill of the American sort. +To build this, he needed boards. He thought he would first build a +sawmill. Then he could get boards quickly for his grinding mill, and +have lumber to use for other things. + +Sutter sent a man named Marshall to build his sawmill. It was to be +built forty miles away from Sutter's Fort. The mill had to be where +there were trees to saw. + +Marshall was a very good carpenter, who could build almost anything. He +had some men working with him. After some months they got the mill +done. This mill was built to run by water. + +But when he started it, the mill did not run well. Marshall saw that he +must dig a ditch below the great water wheel, to carry off the water. +He hired wild Indians to dig the ditch. + +When the Indians had partly dug this ditch, Marshall went out one +January morning to look at it. The clear water was running through the +ditch. It had washed away the sand, leaving the pebbles bare. At the +bottom of the water Marshall saw something yellow. It looked like +brass. He put his hand down into the water and took up this bright, +yellow thing. It was about the size and shape of a small pea. Then he +looked, and found another pretty little yellow bead at the bottom of +the ditch. + +Marshall trembled all over. It might be gold. But he remembered that +there is another yellow substance that looks like gold. It is called +"fool's gold." He was afraid he had only found fool's gold. + +Marshall knew that if it was gold it would not break easily. He laid +one of the pieces on a stone; then he took another stone and hammered +it. It was soft, and did not break. If it had broken to pieces, +Marshall would have known that it was not gold. + +In a few days the men had dug up about three ounces of the yellow +stuff. They had no means of making sure it was gold. + +Then Marshall got on a horse and set out for Sutter's Fort, carrying +the yellow metal with him. He traveled as fast as the rough road would +let him. He rode up to Sutler's in the evening, all spattered with mud. + +He told Captain Sutter that he wished to see him alone. Marshall's eyes +looked wild, and Sutter was afraid that he was crazy. But he went to a +room with him. Then Marshall wanted the door locked. Sutter could not +think what was the matter with the man. + +[Illustration: Weighing the First Gold.] + +When he was sure that nobody else would come in, Marshall poured out in +a heap on the table the little yellow beads that he had brought. + +Sutter thought it was gold, but the men did not know how to tell +whether it was pure or not. At last they hunted up a book that told how +heavy gold is. Then they got a pair of scales and weighed the gold, +putting silver dollars in the other end of the scales for weights. Then +they held one end of the scales under water and weighed the gold. By +finding how much lighter it was in the water than out of the water, +they found that it was pure gold. + +All the men at the mill promised to keep the secret. They were all +digging up gold when not working in the mill. As soon as the mill +should be done, they were going to wash gold. + +But the secret could not be kept. A teamster who came to the mill was +told about it. He got a few grains of the precious gold. + +When the teamster got back to Sutter's Fort, he went to a store to buy +a bottle of whisky, but he had no money. The storekeeper would not sell +to him without money. The teamster then took out some grains of gold. +The storekeeper was surprised. He let the man have what he wanted. The +teamster would not tell where he got the gold. But after he had taken +two or three drinks of the whisky, he was not able to keep his secret. +He soon told all he knew about the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill. + +The news spread like fire in dry grass. Men rushed to the mill in the +mountains to find gold. Gold was also found at other places. Merchants +in the towns of California left their stores. Mechanics laid down their +tools, and farmers left their fields, to dig gold. Some got rich in a +few weeks. Others were not so lucky. + +Soon the news went across the continent. It traveled also to other +countries. More than one hundred thousand men went to California the +first year after gold was found, and still more poured in the next +year. Thousands of men went through the Indian country with wagons. Of +course, there were no railroads to the west in that day. + +Millions and millions of dollars' worth of gold was dug. In a short +time California became a rich State. Railroads were built across the +country. Ships sailed on the Pacific Ocean to carry on the trade of +this great State. Every nation of the earth had gold from California. + +And it all started from one little, round, yellow bead of gold, that +happened to lie shining at the bottom of a ditch, on a cold morning not +so very long ago. + + + + +DESCENDING THE GRAND CANYON. + + +The Colorado River is the strangest river in the United States. For +hundreds of miles it runs through channels in solid rocks. These +channels are often thousands of feet deep. In some places the rocks +rise straight up like walls. These walls are quite bare. There are no +trees and no grass on them. There is not even any moss to be seen. The +bare rocks are of many colors. When the sunlight strikes upon them, +they are as beautiful as flowers and as gorgeous as the clouds, we are +told. + +These deep cuts, through which the river runs, are called canyons. The +longest of them is called the Grand Canyon (see frontispiece). It is +about two hundred miles long. In some places it is more than a mile and +a quarter deep. The river runs at the bottom of this deep ravine. It +rushes over rapids, and plunges over falls. Sometimes there is a little +strip of rock like a shelf at the edge of the river. In many places the +walls of rock rise straight from the water, and there is no place where +a man can put his feet. + +Major Powell resolved to go through this canyon in boats. No boat had +ever gone down this deep, dark channel. Two men, running away from +Indians, had once gone into it on a raft. The raft was dashed over +rapids and waterfalls. The provisions of the men were washed overboard. +One of the men was drowned, and the other at last floated out at the +lower end of the canyon more dead than alive. + +Being a man of science, Major Powell wanted to find out about the Grand +Canyon. He knew that it would be a fearful journey. He and his men +might all be lost, but they made up their minds to try to go through. + +They did not know how long the canyon was. They had already passed +through the other canyons above, and had suffered many hardships. They +knew how wild and dangerous such places are, but whether they could +ever get through this great and awful gorge they did not know. But they +got into their boats, and started down the long passage. The sun shines +down into this narrow gorge only for a short time each day. Most of the +way the walls are too steep to climb. + +The boats shot swiftly down the river. Sometimes they ran over wild +rapids. The men had many narrow escapes. The boats bumped against the +rocks, and some of the oars were broken. New oars had to be made, and, +to do this, the men had to find logs that had drifted down the river. +Sometimes Major Powell and his men had to have pitch to stop the leaks +in their boats. To get this, they had to climb up thousands of feet of +rock to where some little pine trees grew. + +They could not see far ahead, because the river was not straight, and +the side walls of the narrow gorge shut out the view. Sometimes they +would hear a loud roaring of water ahead. Then they knew they were +coming to a waterfall. If there was any room to walk, they would carry +and drag their boat round the falls. If there was no shelf or shore on +which to carry the boats, they had to let them float down over the +falls, the men on the rocks above holding ropes tied to the boats. +Sometimes they could not even do this. Then they had to get into the +boats and plunge over the falls among the rocks. They had hard work to +keep off the rocks. + +More than once a boat got full of water. The men had to let the boat +run till they got to a wider place, where they could get the water out. + +Their flour was spoiled by getting wet. Their bacon became bad. Much of +their food was lost overboard. They usually slept out on the rocks by +the side of the river. Sometimes they slept in caves. Once they sat up +all night on a shelf of rock in a pouring rain. + +All day they had to work, to save their lives. At night they had to +sleep on cold rocks without blankets enough to keep them warm. The +great rock walls on either side of them made an awful prison. They +could not tell how far they had gone, nor did they know just how far +they had to go. + +At last the food ran short. The men were tired of musty flour. They had +lost their baking powder, and they had to make heavy bread. They +thought that even this bad food would give out before they could reach +the end of the canyon. + +But one day they came to a little patch of earth by the side of the +river. On this some corn was growing. The Indians living on the bare +rocks above had come down by some steep path to plant this little +cornfield. The corn was not yet large enough to eat. But among the corn +grew some green squashes. + +Major Powell's men were too near starving not to take anything they +could find to eat. They took some of the green squashes and put them +into their boats. Then they ran on down the canyon, out of the reach of +any Indians. Here they stewed some of the squashes, and ate them. + +When they had been fifteen days in this great canyon, they had but a +little flour and some dried apples left. They had now come to a place +where one could climb up out of the gorge. But they did not know how +far they were from the end. Three of the men here resolved to leave the +party. They did not believe that there was any hope of running out of +the canyon in the boats alive. They took their share of the food and +some guns, and bade the others good-by. They climbed up out of the +canyon, and were soon after killed by Indians. + +One of the boats was by this time nearly worn out by the rocks. As +there were not enough men left to manage three boats, this one was left +behind. Major Powell, with those of his men who were still with him, +went on down the awful river. The very next day they ran suddenly out +into an open space. They had at last got out of the Grand Canyon, which +had held them prisoners for sixteen days. + +They went on down the river, and the next day after this they found +some settlers drawing a seine or net to catch fish in the river. These +settlers had heard that Major Powell and his men were lost, and they +were keeping a lookout for any pieces of his boats that might float +down from above. Food of many kinds was sent from the nearest +settlement to feast the hungry men who had so bravely struggled through +the Grand Canyon. + + + + +THE-MAN-THAT-DRAWS-THE-HANDCART. + + +George Northrup was but a boy of fifteen when his father died. Having +nothing to keep him at home, he went to the Indian country, which at +that time was in Minnesota. He had a boyish notion that he could go +through to the Pacific Ocean by making his way from one tribe to +another. When he was eighteen years old, a few years before the Civil +War, he tried to make this journey. He loaded his provisions into a +handcart, and took a big dog along for company. For thirty-six days he +did not see anybody, or hear any voice but his own. Then he found paths +made by Indian war parties. He knew, that, if one of these parties +should find him, he would be killed. + +One morning he found all his food stolen from his handcart. Either +Indians or wolves had taken it. He now saw how foolish his boyish plan +had been. He turned back, and at last reached a trading post, almost +starved to death. For days he had had little to eat except such frogs +as he could catch. + +After this the Indians always called him +"The-man-that-draws-the-handcart." + +As he grew older, he became a famous trapper and guide. He knew all +about the habits of animals. He could shoot with a better aim than any +Indian or any other white man on the frontier. He often walked eighty +miles in a day across the prairie. He could manage the Indians as no +other man could. + +This strange young man lived among rough and wicked men. But he never +drank or swore, or did anything that anybody could have thought wrong. +He never even smoked, as other men about him did, but he lived his own +life in his own way. Everybody loved him for his gentleness. Everybody +admired him for his courage and manliness. All the spare money he got +he spent for good books. + +When winter time came, he would sometimes hire other trappers, who did +not know the country so well as he did, to work for him. He would go +away beyond the settlements and set up a camp. He would teach the other +men how to trap. When spring came, he would bring many furs into the +settlement. One winter he camped in the country of the Yankton Indians. +He had six men with him. The Yanktons were wild Indians, and Northrup +was in some danger. But he had a friend among the Indians, a chief +called by a good long name, Taw-ton-wash-tah. + +But all the Yanktons were not friendly to the white men. There was one +chief whose name was Old-man. He got together a party to go and rob +Northrup and drive him away. Taw-ton-wash-tah tried to keep these +Indians from going, but he could not do it. + +Northrup did not know that a party had been sent out against him. His +men went on with their trapping, while George went hunting to get food +for them. They had only a small bag of flour, and this they did not +eat. They kept the flour for a time that might come in which they could +not find any animals to kill for meat. + +One day George followed the tracks of an elk. He overtook it six miles +from his camp. He crept up to it and shot it. Then he loaded his gun, +so as to be ready for anything that might happen. While he was skinning +the elk, he looked up and saw the heads of Indians coming up over a +little hill. He quickly jumped into the bushes. He saw that there were +thirteen Indians in the party. He put his hand on his bullet pouch, and +knew by the feeling of it that there were fifteen bullets in the bag. +"Every bullet must bring down an Indian," he said to himself. + +One of the Indians called out in his own language, "Is +The-man-that-draws-the-handcart here?" + +George quickly replied in their language, "Stop! If any man comes one +step nearer, I will kill him. Tell me whether this is a war party or a +hunting party." + +One of the Indians stepped out in front and fired off both barrels of +his gun. This was a sign of friendship. + +Northrup did not think this offer of peace worth much; but, if he +refused it, he would have to fight against thirteen Indians. He could +only accept it by firing off both barrels of his gun. This would leave +him with his gun unloaded. + +But he slipped the cap off one barrel of his gun. Then he fired the +other barrel, and brought down the hammer of the one from which he had +taken the cap, so as to make it seem that that barrel of his gun was +empty. Then he slyly slipped the cap back on his gun, so as to have one +barrel ready for use. + +He went with the Indians to their camp, where he was a kind of +prisoner, but he managed to load the empty barrel of his gun by going +behind a tree where the Indians could not see him. + +He knew that the Indians would try to get to his camp before he did. As +his men did not know how to manage Indians, the Indians could steal +everything in the camp. If they should take his provisions, George and +his men might starve on the prairies, which were covered with snow. + +So George made up his mind that he must get to his camp before the +Indians, or lose his life in trying. + +He said to the chief, "Old-man, I am going home." + +He did not wait for an answer, but started along the trail leading to +his camp. He expected the Indians to shoot him, but they only fell into +line and marched behind him. + +George knew that if the Indians got into the camp with him, they would +find everything scattered about. Before he could get things together, +they would steal most of them. So he tried once more what he could do +by boldness. He turned and said to the chief, "My men are new men. They +do not know Indians. If you should go in with me, they might shoot. It +is better that I should go in first, and tell them that you come as +friends." + +Old-man said "Ho," which is the way that a Yankton has of saying "All +right." + +Northrup went into the camp, and gathered everything together in one +place, and told his men to keep watch over the things. The Indians +staid about the camp two days, trying to get a chance to rob the white +men, but Northrup kept his eye on them. Once he found one of his men +without a gun. + +"Where is your gun?" he said. + +"The Indians are sitting on it," said the man. "They will not give it +up." + +George found several Indians sitting on the gun. He took hold of the +gun and looked at the Indians. They all got up. It seemed that they +could not help doing what he wanted them to do. Northrup gave the gun +back to its owner, and told him not to let it go out of his hands +again. + +George had a fine double-barreled rifle. An English gentleman whose +guide he had been had sent him this gun from London. When he was in his +tent one day, he heard the Indians on the outside of it disputing who +should have his gun. He knew by this that they meant to kill him. + +George patted his rifle as though it had been an old friend, and said, +"Well, old gun, whoever gets you will have to be quick." After that his +hand was always on his gun, and his eye was always on the Indians. + +He asked his men where the sack of flour was. + +"Old-man has it," said one of his men. + +To let the chief keep the flour was to run the risk of starving, but +Northrup knew that if he took it away there might be a battle. He +stepped up to the chief and took the bag of flour from his side and +started away without saying a word. + +[Illustration: "You shall go South!"] + +"Man-that-draws-the-handcart," said the chief angrily, "bring back my +flour." + +George stopped, and opened his coat. He pointed toward his heart and +said,-- + +"Old-man, if you want to kill me, shoot me, but you shall not take away +my flour and leave me to starve." + +"Very well," said the chief sternly, "then, +Man-that-draws-the-handcart, you shall go south." + +In the language of these Indians, to go south means to die. They think +the soul journeys to the southward after death. Old-man meant to say +that Northrup should die. + +"Very well," said George, looking the Indian in the eye, "I will go +south, then; but if I go south, you shall go with me, and just as many +more as I can take. Remember, Old-man, you must go south if I do." + +Old-man knew Northrup very well. He knew that if anybody tried to kill +him, George's sure aim would be taken at Old-man first of all. George +had also told all of his men to shoot the chief if there should be any +trouble. + +After lingering for two days, the Indians stole a bag of chopped +buffalo meat, or pemmican, and an old gun. With these they went off, +and George hurried away to a better camping place, where they could not +find him again. + + + + +THE LAZY, LUCKY INDIAN. + + +Out in the country we now call North Dakota there once lived an Indian +known as "Lazy-man." When he was young, he had been lazy about hunting. +When the other Indians had skins to sell, the lazy Indian had nothing. +He grew poor. His blanket was ragged. His leggings were worn out. His +wigwam was so wretched that all the tribe laughed at its tumble-down +look. + +Every winter the tribe went off to the great plains to hunt buffalo. +They took their little ponies along, to carry home what they got. They +brought back the skins of the buffaloes and buffalo meat dried over a +fire. They also brought back pemmican, which is made by chopping +buffalo meat very fine, and mixing it with the tallow from the animal. +Lazy-man was ashamed to go on the hunt. He had no ponies to carry the +meat and the skins he might get. + +One winter, when the tribe went off on its regular hunt, Lazy-man and +his wife staid behind as usual. They sat lonesome in their teepee, as a +wigwam is called in their language. The weather grew colder. It was +hard to find anything to eat. The lake near them was frozen, so that +they could not fish. There were not many animals living in the country +about. The lazy Indian and his wife were nearly starved. + +[Illustration: Buffaloes.] + +The buffaloes had never come down to this lake shore. But one day the +lazy Indian looked out and saw a herd of them coming. They were running +out on the point of land where his teepee stood. He knew that when they +got to the ice on the lake they would turn back. + +"Quick, quick!" he called to his wife. The two ran right into the midst +of the herd. It was a dangerous thing to do, but they were so hungry +and miserable that they did not mind the danger. By running into the +herd they separated the buffaloes out on the point from the rest. + +When the buffaloes on the point came to the ice, they paused and turned +back. They were soon running in the other direction, but the lazy +Indian and his wife faced the animals as they came. They waved their +ragged blankets at the buffaloes. They shouted in Indian fashion, +"Yow-wow, yow-wow, yow-wow!" They ran to and fro, waving and shouting. + +Once more the buffaloes stopped and looked. Lazy-man and his wife now +ran at them, throwing their blankets in the air, and yelling more +wildly than ever. The scared buffaloes turned about again. They were so +badly frightened this time that they ran out on the ice on the lake. + +The ice was as smooth as glass. The buffaloes could not stand up on it. +One after another they slipped and fell. The lazy Indian was not lazy +that day. He saw a chance to get out of his poverty. He ran about on +the ice, killing the buffaloes. + +For many days he and his squaw worked. They skinned the buffaloes, and +dried the skins. They prepared the stomachs of the buffaloes, and +stuffed them with the chopped meat, making it look like great sausages +as big as pillows. They put a few cranberries in with the meat to give +the pemmican a good taste. Then they poured the smoking fat of the +buffalo into this great sausage. The fat filled up the small spaces. +When it got cold, the pemmican sack was almost as hard as a stone. It +could be cut only by chopping it with a tomahawk. + +At last spring came, and the tribe came home from the hunt. You may +suppose that Lazy-man was proud that day. Instead of being the poor +beggar whom everybody laughed at, he was now one of the rich men in the +tribe. He had more buffalo robes and more pemmican than any other man +in the village. He exchanged his buffalo robes for ponies. After that +he always went on the hunt, and lived like the other Indians. He did +not wish to sink into laziness and poverty again. + + + + +PETER PETERSEN. + +A STORY OF THE MINNESOTA INDIAN WAR. + + +Peter Petersen was a very little boy living in Minnesota. He lived on +the very edge of the Indian country when the Indian War of 1862 broke +out. + +Settlers were killed in their cabins before they knew that a war had +begun. As the news spread, the people left their houses, and hurried +into the large towns. Some of them saw their houses burning before they +got out of sight. The roads were crowded with ox wagons full of women +and children. + +Peter Petersen's father was a Norwegian settler. When the news of the +Indian attack came, Peter's father hitched up his oxen, and put his +wife and daughters and little Peter into the wagon. They drove the oxen +hard, and got to Mankato in safety. + +The town was crowded with frightened people. Many were living in +woodsheds and barns. In their hurry, these country people had not +brought food enough with them. Before long they began to suffer hunger. + +Peter Petersen's father thought of the potato field he had at home. If +he could only go back to his house long enough to dig his potatoes, his +family would have enough to eat. + +When he made up his mind to go, Peter wanted to go along with him. As +there were now soldiers within a mile of his farm, Peter's father +thought the Indians would not be so bold as to come there. So he and +Peter went back to the little house. + +The next morning Peter's father went out to dig potatoes. Peter, who +was but five years old, was asleep in his bed. He was awakened by the +yells of Indians. He ran to the door just in time to see his father +shot with an arrow. + +Little Peter ran like a frightened rabbit to the nearest bushes. The +Indians chased him and caught him. They were amused to see him run, and +they thought he would be a funny little plaything to have. So they just +set him up on the back of a cow, and drove the cow ahead of them. They +laughed to see Peter trying to keep his seat on the cow's back. + +[Illustration.] + +The little boy lived among the Indians for weeks. They did not give him +anything to eat. When he came into their tents to get food, they would +knock him down. But he would pick up something to eat at last, and then +run away. When he could not get any food, he would go out among the +cows the Indians had taken from the white people. Little as he was, he +would manage to milk one of the cows. He had no other cup to catch the +milk in but his mouth. Whenever any of the Indians threatened to kill +him, he would run away and dodge about between the legs of the cows or +among the horses, so as to get out of their way. Sometimes he was so +much afraid that he slept out in the grass, in the dew or rain. + +After some weeks, Peter and the other captives were retaken by the +white soldiers sent to fight the Indians. But the poor little boy could +speak no language but Norwegian. He could not tell whose child he was, +nor where he came from. His mother and sisters had left the dangerous +country near the Indians. They had gone to Winona, a hundred and fifty +miles away. One of his sisters heard somebody read in the paper that +such a little boy had been taken from the Indians. The kind-hearted +doctor in whose house she lived tried to find the boy, but nobody could +tell what had become of little Peter. His family at last gave up all +hope of seeing him again. + +When Peter was taken by the soldiers, he had worn out all his clothes +in traveling through the prairie grass. He had nothing on him but part +of a shirt. The soldiers took an old suit of uniform and made him some +clothes. He was soon dressed from top to toe in army blue. + +He was as much of a plaything for the soldiers as he had been for the +Indians. They laughed at his pranks, as they might have done if he had +been a monkey. He passed from one squad of soldiers to another. They +fed him on hard-tack, and shared their blankets with him. He was the +pet and plaything of them all. But after a while the Indians were +driven away from the settlements, and the soldiers were ordered to the +South, for it was in the time of the Civil War. + +The regiment that Peter happened to be with got on a steamboat, and +Peter went aboard with them. The soldiers knew that if Peter should be +taken to the South, he would be farther than ever away from his +friends. So the soldiers made up their minds to put him ashore at +Winona. It was the last place at which he would find Norwegian people. +To put such a little fellow ashore in a large and busy place like this +was a hard thing to do. Peter was hardly more than a baby, and he could +not speak English. He stood about as much chance of starving to death +here as he had in the Indian camp. + +When the boat landed at Winona, the soldiers gave some money to one of +the hotel porters, and told him to give the child something to eat, and +send him out into the country where there were Norwegian people. But as +soon as Peter had eaten the dinner they gave him at the hotel, he +slipped away, and went back to the river. He expected to find his +friends, the soldiers, waiting for him; but the boat had gone. Peter +was now in a strange city, without friends. Not without friends, +either, for his sisters were in this same city. But he did not think +any more of getting to his mother or his sisters. He was only thinking +of the soldiers who had been so kind to him. + +When the next boat came down the river, Peter Petersen, in his little +blue uniform, marched aboard. He thought he might overtake the +soldiers, but the boatmen put him ashore again. He stood gazing after +the boat, not knowing what to do or where to go. + +There stood on the bank that day a Norwegian. He was a guest at the +Norwegian hotel in the town. He heard Peter say something in his own +language, and he thought the boy must be a son of the man who kept the +hotel. So he said to him in Norwegian, "Let's go home." + +It had been a long time since Peter had heard his own language spoken. +Nobody had said anything to him about home since he was taken away from +his father's cabin by the Indians. The words sounded sweet to him. He +followed the strange man. He did not know where he was going, except +that it was to some place called home. When he got to the hotel, he +went in and sat down. He did not know what else to do. + +Presently the landlady came in. Seeing a strange little boy in army +blue, she said, "Whose child are you?" + +Peter did not know whose child he was. Since the soldiers left him, he +didn't seem to be anybody's child. As he did not answer, the landlady +spoke to him rather sharply. + +"What do you want here, little boy?" she said. + +"A drink of water," said Peter. + +A little boy nearly always wants a drink of water. + +"Go through into the kitchen there, and get a drink," said the +landlady. + +Peter opened the door into the kitchen, and went through. In a moment +two arms were about him. Peter knew what home meant then. His sister, +Matilda, had recognized her lost brother Peter in the little soldier +boy. The next day he was put into a wagon and sent out to Rushford, +where his mother was living. The wanderings of the little captive were +over. + + + + +THE GREATEST OF TELESCOPE MAKERS. + + +Three great inventors in this country were portrait painters. Fulton, +the builder of steamboats, was one of them; Morse, who planned our +first electric telegraph, was another; and Alvan Clark, who found out a +way of making the largest and finest telescopes in the world, was +another. + +Alvan Clark was the son of a farmer. When he was eighteen years old, he +set to work to learn engraving and drawing. He had no teacher. After a +while he began to draw portraits. Once he sent to Boston to get some +brushes to paint with. When the brushes came, there was a piece of +newspaper wrapped round them. In this bit of newspaper was an +advertisement that engravers were wanted. He went to Boston, and found +regular work as an engraver. + +When he was not busy engraving, he was studying painting. After some +years he became a painter of portraits and miniatures. He lived at +Cambridgeport, near Boston. + +While Mr. Clark was living at Cambridgeport, his son was at a boarding +school. The young boy had become interested in telescopes. He learned +that there were two kinds of these instruments. One brought the stars +near by showing them in a curved mirror. The other magnified by means +of glasses that the light shone through. He had read that it was very +hard to grind these glasses or lenses, as they are called, so that they +would be correct. The telescope that used the mirror was not so good, +but it was easier to make. So George Clark made up his mind that he +would make a reflecting telescope; that is, one with a mirror in it. + +The mirror in such a telescope is made of polished metal. One day +somebody broke the dinner bell at the boarding school. George dark +picked up the pieces of brass and took them home. + +These pieces of brass he put into a retort. A retort is a vessel that +will bear great heat, and that is used for melting metals and other +substances. Young Clark put some tin into the retort with the brass. +When the two metals were melted together, he poured the liquid into a +mold. When it became cold, it was a round flat piece. Such a piece is +called a disc. + +Alvan Clark, the father, was a very ingenious man. He was a fine +marksman. One reason that he could shoot so well was that his eye was +so true. Another was that he made his own rifles, and made them better +than others. + +When Mr. Clark found his son trying to make a telescope out of the +pieces of a bell, he became interested in telescopes. He studied all +about them in order to help the boy with his work. He helped his son +grind the metal disc into a concave mirror; that is, a mirror that is a +little dish-shaped. With this they made a telescope with which they +could see the rings of Saturn, and the little moons that revolve round +Jupiter. + +After Mr. Clark had made this little telescope, he made larger +reflecting telescopes that were very powerful. But he found that no +telescope with a mirror in it could be very good. + +He now said to his son that they would make a refracting telescope; +that is, one in which no mirror is used, but which brings the distant +stars to the sight by the light shining through lenses. Lenses are +large glasses that are regularly thicker in one part than in another. +The glasses you see in spectacles are small lenses. + +George Clark, the son, told his father that the books said that the +grinding of such glasses was very difficult. Mr. Clark would not give +it up because it was hard. He liked to do hard things. He had already +spent a great part of his money trying to make good reflecting +telescopes; but he made up his mind to give them up, and try to make a +better kind. He first looked through the great telescope just put up +for Harvard College. The large lens in this telescope was not perfect, +and Mr. Clark's eye was so good that he could see what the small fault +was. When he heard that twelve thousand dollars had been paid for this +glass, he was encouraged to try to make such lenses. But there was +nobody in this country who could show him how to do it. + +He first got some poor lenses out of old telescopes. These he worked +over, and made them better. By this means he learned how to do it. Then +he got some discs of glass and made some new lenses. These were the +best ever made in this country. But he was not satisfied. He kept on +making better and larger lenses. With one of these he discovered two +double stars, as they are called. These had never been seen to be +double before. + +But nobody in America would believe that some of the best telescopes in +the world were made in this country, for even the English astronomers +had to get their telescopes in Germany. + +With one of his telescopes, larger than any he had made before, Mr. +Clark now made a new discovery. He wrote about this to an English +astronomer named Dawes. Mr. Dawes thought that a telescope that could +make such a discovery would be worth having, so he bought the large +lens out of this new telescope. Then he bought other glasses from Mr. +Clark, and sold them again to other astronomers. In this way Mr. Clark +became famous in England. + +[Illustration: Telescopic View of the Moon.] + +Mr. Clark had given up painting. He put his whole heart into making the +best telescopes in the world. He went to England and saw the great +astronomers, and looked through their telescopes. + +They were glad to see the man who made the best lenses in the world. +His telescopes had helped them to find out many new things never seen +before. By this time Mr. Clark was coming to be known in his own +country. He got an order to make the largest glass ever made for a +telescope in the whole world. This was to be put up in America. Nobody +had ever dreamed of making so large and powerful a telescope. + +After a long time the great glass for this telescope was ground. Mr. +Clark set it up to try it. His younger son, Alvan, who was helping him, +turned the telescope so as to look at the bright star Sirius. As soon +as he had looked, he cried out in surprise, "Why, father, the star has +a companion!" Sirius is a sun. It has a satellite, a dark star like our +world revolving round it. Nobody had ever been able to see this dark +star before. But this telescope was stronger than any that had ever +been pointed at the sky. + +Mr. Clark now looked through the tube himself. Sure enough, there was +the companion of Sirius, never seen before by anybody on the earth. The +large glass which had been a year in making had won its first victory. +But Mr. Clark made much larger glasses even than that one. He had +nobody to show him how. But by patient thought and hard work he had +made the greatest telescopes in the world. Medals and other honors were +sent to him from many countries. + + + + +ADVENTURES IN ALASKA. + + +[Illustration: Scene in Alaska.] + +The Copper River of Alaska flows from north to south into the ocean. +The Yukon River, which is farther north, runs from the east toward the +west. It was known that the waters of these two rivers must be near +together at the place from which they started in the mountains, but it +was not known whether anybody could pass from the valley of the Copper +River over the mountains into the valley of the Yukon. A scouting party +was sent to find out whether the crossing from one river to the other +could be made. This party returned, saying that it was impossible to +pass from the Copper River to the Yukon, because the mountains were too +high and steep. + +In 1885 General Miles sent Lieutenant Allen to try to find a pass from +the valley of the Copper River to that of the Yukon. Lieutenant Allen +was a very determined man. He set out with the resolution to find some +way of crossing the mountains, however much labor and suffering it +might cost. He took two soldiers, and had two other white men with him, +and he got Indians to go with him from place to place as he could. The +party started up the Copper River in March. From the first their +sufferings were very great. They had to travel day after day, and sleep +night after night, with their clothes wet to the skin. They soon found +that they could not take their canoe, on account of the ice. They had +to leave most of their provisions, because they could not carry them. +Some nights they sat up all night in the rain. + +But when they got to a country where it was not raining all the time, +they had a way of keeping dry at night. They had brought along sleeping +bags. These were made of waterproof linen. Each bag was a little longer +than a man. It had draw strings at the top. They put a folded blanket +inside, and then pushed the blanket down with their feet so that it +would wrap about them and keep them warm. Then they drew the strings +about the top. This kept the body dry. + +They suffered a great deal from hunger. There were very few animals in +the country where they were, and most of the Indians they found had but +little to eat. Lieutenant Allen's party were sometimes glad to pick up +scraps of decayed meat or broken bones about an Indian camp to make a +meal on. Much of the meat and fish they had to eat was badly spoiled. +They grew so weak that it was hard for them to climb up a hill, +carrying their guns and their food. They sometimes reeled like drunken +men when they walked. + +They would have perished from hunger if they had not had a man with +them who knew how to stop the rabbits when they were running. This man +could make a little cry just like a rabbit's cry. Whenever a rabbit +heard this sound, he would stop and look round for a moment. Then the +hunter would have a chance to shoot him. + +But these rabbits were so small and so lean that it took four or five +of them to make a meal for a man. At one place the party were so hungry +that an Indian who was with them fainted away. When they reached a +house soon after, where there lived a chief named Nicolai, they found a +five-gallon kettle full of meat boiling on the fire. They drank large +quantities of the broth, and ate about five pounds of meat apiece. Much +of this meat was pure tallow from the moose. They all fell asleep +immediately after eating. When they awaked, they were almost as hungry +as before. + +At last they reached the head waters of the Copper River. Here they +found the hungry Indians waiting for the salmon to come up from the +sea, as they do every year. As long as the salmon are in the river, the +Indians have plenty to eat. So they kept dipping their net, hoping to +catch some salmon. At last one little salmon was caught. It was a thin, +white-looking little fish. The Indians now knew that in two or three +days they would have plenty. They hung their little fish on a spruce +bough, and they kept visiting it, singing to it with delight. The white +men did not wait for the salmon to arrive. + +From this place they left the Copper River, and started to cross the +mountains. This was the pass through which it was said that nobody +could go. Lieutenant Allen and his men were obliged to carry provisions +with them. Part of the provisions they carried themselves: the rest +they packed on dogs. This is a way of carrying things used only in +Alaska. A pack is strapped on a dog's back just as though he were a +mule, and with this the little dog goes on a long journey through the +mountains. + +[Illustration: A Dog Pack Train.] + +The party started over the mountains in June. At this season of the +year in that country the sun shines almost all night, and it is never +dark. Lieutenant Allen's party traveled either by day or by night, as +they pleased, as there was always light enough. + +When they got to the foot of the last mountains they had to climb, they +found a little lake. Here they got some fish to eat, but the salmon had +not come yet. They hired some Indians to go with them, and divided the +weight of everything into packs. Every man carried a pack, and every +dog carried as much as he could bear. As they climbed the mountains, +they could look back over the beautiful valley of the Copper River. +Still hungry and nearly tired out, they pushed on until they camped by +a brook in the mountains. + +Here they found that the salmon had come up the Copper River from the +sea, and had run up this brook and overtaken them. The fish were +crowding up the brook to get to a little lake at the head of it, where +they would lay their eggs. In some places there was so little water in +the stream that the fish had to get over the shallow places by lying on +their sides. In doing this, some of them threw themselves out of the +water on the land. The hungry men could catch them easily, and they now +had all they wanted to eat. One of the party ate three large salmon, +heads and all, for his supper. As the sun shines almost all the time in +the Arctic regions, in the summer, the days become very hot. On the +last day of Lieutenant Allen's journey up the mountains the heat was so +great that the party did not start until five o'clock in the afternoon. +They reached the top of the mountains that divided the two rivers at +half-past one o'clock that night. Though it was what we should call the +middle of the night, it was not dark. + +The party were now nearly five thousand feet higher than the sea. At +half-past one in the morning the sun was just rising. It rose almost in +the north. Behind them the men could still see the valley of the Copper +River. Before them lay the valley of one of the branches of the Yukon, +with twenty beautiful lakes and a range of mountains in sight. White +and yellow buttercups were blooming about them, though the snow was +within a few feet. No white man had ever looked on this grand scene +before. The men forgot their hunger and their weariness. They had done +what hardly anybody thought could be done. + +A mile further on they stopped to build a fire, and here they cooked +the last bit of extract of beef that they had with them. It was the end +of all the provisions they had carried. Having gone to bed at two or +three o'clock in the morning, they did not start again until two in the +afternoon; for day and night were all one to them, except that the +light nights were cooler and pleasanter to travel in than the days. + +They were told by the Indians that by marching all that night they +could reach an Indian settlement, and, as they had no food, they +determined to do this. In this whole day's march they killed but one +little rabbit, which was all they had for nine starving men to eat. But +at three o'clock in the morning of the next day the tired and hungry +men dragged themselves into the little Indian village. Guns were fired +to welcome them. + +The fish were coming up the river. A kind of platform had been built +over the water. On this platform the Indians stood one at a time, and +dipped a net into the water for fish. All day and all night somebody +was dipping the net. + +The Indians had never seen a white man before. They were very much +amused to see white faces, and one of the white men who had red hair +was a wonder to them. + +Allen and his men got food here. Then they built a skin canoe, and +started down the river. After many more hardships and dangers, they +reached the ocean, and then took ship for California. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF AMERICAN LIFE AND +ADVENTURE*** + + +******* This file should be named 15597.txt or 15597.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/9/15597 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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