pioneers of the old southwest-第13部分

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　bear　Boone's　name。　In　that　winter　they　even　braved　the　Green　River　ground；　whence　had　come　the　hunting　Shawanoes　who　had　taken　Daniel's　first　fruits　a　year　before。　In　the　same　year　（1770）　there　had　come　into　Kentucky　from　the　Yadkin　another　party　of　hunters；　called；　from　their　lengthy　sojourn　in　the　twilight　zone；　the　Long　Hunters。　One　of　these；　Gasper　Mansker；　afterwards　related　how　the　Long　Hunters　were　startled　one　day　by　hearing　sounds　such　as　no　buffalo　or　turkey　ever　made；　and　how　Mansker　himself　stole　silently　under　cover　of　the　trees　towards　the　place　whence　the　strange　noises　came；　and　descried　Daniel　Boone　prone　on　his　back　with　a　deerskin　under　him；　his　famous　tall　black　hat　beside　him　and　his　mouth　opened　wide　in　joyous　but　apparently　none　too　tuneful　song。　This　incident　gives　a　true　character　touch。　It　is　not　recorded　of　any　of　the　men　who　turned　back　that　they　sang　alone　in　the　wilderness。

In　March；　1771；　the　two　Boones　started　homeward；　their　horses　bearing　the　rich　harvest　of　furs　and　deerskins　which　was　to　clear　Daniel　of　debt　and　to　insure　the　comfort　of　the　family　he　had　not　seen　for　two　years。　But　again　evil　fortune　met　them；　this　time　in　the　very　gatesfor　in　the　Cumberland　Gap　they　were　suddenly　surrounded　by　Indians　who　took　everything　from　them；　leaving　them　neither　guns　nor　horses。



Chapter　VI。　The　Fight　For　Kentucky

When　Boone　returned　home　he　found　the　Back　Country　of　North　Carolina　in　the　throes　of　the　Regulation　Movement。　This　movement；　which　had　arisen　first　from　the　colonists'　need　to　police　their　settlements；　had　more　recently　assumed　a　political　character。　The　Regulators　were　now　in　conflict　with　the　authorities；　because　the　frontier　folk　were　suffering　through　excessive　taxes；　extortionate　fees；　dishonest　land　titles；　and　the　corruption　of　the　courts。　In　May；　1771；　the　conflict　lost　its　quasi…civil　nature。　The　Regulators　resorted　to　arms　and　were　defeated　by　the　forces　under　Governor　Tryon　in　the　Battle　of　the　Alamance。

The　Regulation　Movement；　which　we　shall　follow　in　more　detail　further　on；　was　a　culmination　of　those　causes　of　unrest　which　turned　men　westward。　To　escape　from　oppression　and　to　acquire　land　beyond　the　bounds　of　tyranny　became　the　earnest　desire　of　independent　spirits　throughout　the　Back　Country。　But　there　was　another　and　more　potent　reason　why　the　country　east　of　the　mountains　no　longer　contented　Boone。　Hunting　and　trapping　were　Boone's　chief　means　of　livelihood。　In　those　days；　deerskins　sold　for　a　dollar　a　skin　to　the　traders　at　the　Forks　or　in　Hillsborough；　beaver　at　about　two　dollars　and　a　half；　and　otter　at　from　three　to　five　dollars。　A　pack…horse　could　carry　a　load　of　one　hundred　dressed　deerskins；　and；　as　currency　was　scarce；　a　hundred　dollars　was　wealth。　Game　was　fast　disappearing　from　the　Yadkin。　To　Boone　above　all　men；　then；　Kentucky　beckoned。　When　he　returned　in　the　spring　of　1771　from　his　explorations；　it　was　with　the　resolve　to　take　his　family　at　once　into　the　great　game　country　and　to　persuade　some　of　his　friends　to　join　in　this　hazard　of　new　fortunes。

The　perils　of　such　a　venture；　only　conjectural　to　us　at　this　distance；　he　knew　well；　but　in　him　there　was　nothing　that　shrank　from　danger；　though　he　did　not　court　it　after　the　rash　manner　of　many　of　his　compeers。　Neither　reckless　nor　riotous；　Boone　was　never　found　among　those　who　opposed　violence　to　authority；　even　unjust　authority；　nor　was　he　ever　guilty　of　the　savagery　which　characterized　much　of　the　retaliatory　warfare　of　that　period　when　frenzied　white　men　bettered　the　red　man's　instruction。　In　him；　courage　was　illumined　with　tenderness　and　made　equable　by　self…control。　Yet；　though　he　was　no　fiery　zealot　like　the　Ulstermen　who　were　to　follow　him　along　the　path　he　had　made　and　who　loved　and　revered　him　perhaps　because　he　was　so　different　from　themselves；　Boone　nevertheless　had　his　own　religion。　It　was　a　simple　faith　best　summed　up　perhaps　by　himself　in　his　old　age　when　he　said　that　he　had　been　only　an　instrument　in　the　hand　of　God　to　open　the　wilderness　to　settlement。

Two　years　passed　before　Boone　could　muster　a　company　of　colonists　for　the　dangerous　and　delectable　land。　The　dishonesty　practiced　by　Lord　Granville's　agents　in　the　matter　of　deeds　had　made　it　difficult　for　Daniel　and　his　friends　to　dispose　of　their　acreage。　When　at　last　in　the　spring　of　1773　the　Wanderer　was　prepared　to　depart；　he　was　again　delayed；　this　time　by　the　arrival　of　a　little　son　to　whom　was　given　the　name　of　John。　By　September；　however；　even　this　latest　addition　to　the　party　was　ready　for　travel；　and　that　month　saw　the　Boones　with　a　small　caravan　of　families　journeying　towards　Powell's　Valley；　whence　the　Warrior's　Path　took　its　way　through　Cumberland　Gap。　At　this　point　on　the　march　they　were　to　be　joined　by　William　Russell；　a　famous　pioneer；　from　the　Clinch　River；　with　his　family　and　a　few　neighbors；　and　by　some　of　Rebecca　Boone's　kinsmen；　the　Bryans；　from　the　lower　Yadkin；　with　a　company　of　forty　men。

Of　Rebecca　Boone　history　tells　us　too　littleonly　that　she　was　born　a　Bryan；　was　of　low　stature　and　dark　eyed；　that　she　bore　her　husband　ten　children；　and　lived　beside　him　to　old　age。　Except　on　his　hunts　and　explorations；　she　went　with　him　from　one　cabined　home　to　another；　always　deeper　into　the　wilds。　There　are　no　portraits　of　her。　We　can　see　her　only　as　a　shadowy　figure　moving　along　the　wilderness　trails　beside　the　man　who　accepted　his　destiny　of　God　to　be　a　way…shower　for　those　of　lesser　faith。

〃He　tires　not　forever　on　his　leagues　of　march　Because　her　feet　are　set　to　his　footprints；　And　the　gleam　of　her　bare　hand　slants　across　his　shoulder。〃

Boone　halted　his　company　on　Walden　Mountain　over　Powell's　Valley　to　await　the　Bryan　contingent　and　dispatched　two　young　men　under　the　leadership　of　his　son　James；　then　in　his　seventeenth　year；　to　notify　Russell　of　the　party's　arrival。　As　the　boys　were　returning　with　Russell's　son；　also　a　stripling；　two　of　his　slaves；　and　some　white　laborers；　they　missed　the　path　and　went　into　camp　for　the　night。　When　dawn　broke；　disclosing　the　sleepers；　a　small　war　band　of　Shawanoes；　who　had　been　spying　on　Boone　and　his　party；　fell　upon　them　and　slaughtered　them。　Only　one　of　Russell's　slaves　and　a　laborer　escaped。　The　tragedy　seems　augmented　by　the　fact　that　the　point　where　the　boys　lost　the　trail　and　made　their　night　quarters　was　hardly　three　miles　from　the　main　campto　which　an　hour　later　came　the　two　survivors　with　their　gloomy　tidings。　Terror　now　took　hold　of　the　little　band　of　emigrants；　and　there　were　loud　outcries　for　turning　back。　The　Bryans；　who　had　arrived　meanwhile；　also　advised　retreat；　saying　that　the　〃signs〃　about　the　scene　of　blood　indicated　an　Indian　uprising。　Daniel　carried　the　scalped　body　of　his　son；　the　boy…comrade　of　his　happy　hunts；　to　the　camp　and　buried　it　there　at　the　beginning　of　the　trail。　His　voice　alone　urged　that　they　go　on。

Fortunately　indeed；　as　events　turned　out；　Boone　was　overruled；　and　the　expedition　was　abandoned。　The　Bryan　party　and　the　others　from　North　Carolina　went　back　to　the　Yadkin。　Boone　himself　with　his　family　accompanied　Russell　to　the　Clinch　settlement；　where　he　erected　a　temporary　cabin　on　the　farm　of　one　of　the　settlers；　and　then　set　out　alone　on　the　chase　to　earn　provision　for　his　wife　and　children　through　the　winter。


Those　who　prophesied　an　Indian　war　were　not　mistaken。　When　the　snowy　hunting　season　had　passed　and　the　〃Powwowing　Days〃　were　come；　the　Indian　war　drum　rattled　in　the　medicine　house　from　the　borders　of　Pennsylvania　to　those　of　Carolina。　The　causes　of　the　strife　for　which　the　red　men　were　making　ready　must　be　briefly　noted　to　help　us　form　a　just　opinion　of　the　deeds　that　followed。　Early　writers　have　usually　represented　the　frontiersmen　as　saints　in　buckskin　and　the　Indians　as　fiends　without　the　shadow　of　a　claim　on　either　the　land　or　humanity。　Many　later　writers　have　merely　reversed　the　shield。　The　truth　is　that　the　Indians　and　the　borderers　reacted　upon　each　other　to　the　hurt　of　both。　Paradoxically；　they　grew　like　enough　to　hate　one　another　with　a　savage　hatredand　both　wanted　the　land。

Land！　Land！　was　the　slogan　of　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men。　Tidewater　officials　held　solemn　powwows　with　the　chiefs；　gave　wampum　strings；　and　forthwith　incorporated。*　Chiefs　blessed　their　white　brothers　who　had　〃forever　brightened　the　chain　of　friendship；〃　departed　home；　and　proceeded　to　brighten　the　blades　of　their　tomahawks　and　to　await；　not　long；　the　opportunity　to　use　them　on　casual　hunters　who　carried　in　their　kits　the　compass；　the　〃land…stealer。〃　Usually　the　surveying　hunter　was　a　borderer；　and　on　him　the　tomahawk　descended　with　an　accelerated　gusto。　Private　citizens　also　formed　land　companies　and　sent　out　surveyors；　regardless　of　treaties。　Bold　frontiersmen　went　into　No　Man's　Land　and　staked　out　their　claims。　In　the　very　year　when　disaster　turned　the　Boone　party　back；　James　Harrod　had　entered　Kentucky　from　Pennsylvania　and　had　marked　the　site　of　a　settlement。

*　The　activities　of　the　great　land　companies　are　described　in　Alvord's　exhaustive　work；　〃The　Mississippi　Valley　in　British　Politics。〃


Ten　years　earlier　（1763）；　the　King　had　issued　the　famous　and　much　misunderstood　Proclamation　restricting　his　〃loving　subjects〃　from　the　lands　west　of　the　mountains。　The　colonists　interpreted　this　document　as　a　tyrannous　curtailment　of　their　liberties　for　the　benefit　of　the　fur　trade。　We　know　now　that　the　portion　of　this　Proclamation　relating　to　western　settlement　was　a　wise　provision　designed　to　protect　the　settlers　on　the　frontier　by　allaying　the　suspicions　of　the　Indians；　who　viewed　with　apprehension　the　triumphal　occupation　of　that　vast　territory　from　Canada　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　by　the　colonizing　English。　By　seeking　to　compel　all　land　purchase　to　be　made　through　the　Crown；　it　was　designed　likewise　to　protect　the　Indians　from　〃whisky　purchase；〃　and　to　make　impossible　the　transfer　of　their　lands　except　with　consent　of　the　Indian　Council；　or　full　quota　of　headmen；　whose　joint　action　alone　conveyed　what　the　tribes　considered　to　be　legal　title。　Sales　made　according　to　this　form；　Sir　William　Johnson　declared　to　the　Lords　of　Trade；　he　had　never　known　to　be　repudiated　by　the　Indians。　This　paragraph　of　the　Proclamation　was　in　substance　an　embodiment　of