pioneers of the old southwest-第18部分

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The　next　year　Boone　was　ready　for　new　ventures　growing　from　the　settlers'　needs。　Salt　was　necessary　to　preserve　meat　through　the　summer。　Accordingly　Boone　and　twenty…seven　men　went　up　to　the　Blue　Licks　in　February；　1778；　to　replenish　their　supply　by　the　simple　process　of　boiling　the　salt　water　of　the　Licks　till　the　saline　particles　adhered　to　the　kettles。　Boone　was　returning　alone；　with　a　pack…horse　load　of　salt　and　game；　when　a　blinding　snowstorm　overtook　him　and　hid　from　view　four　stealthy　Shawanoes　on　his　trail。　He　was　seized　and　carried　to　a　camp　of　120　warriors　led　by　the　French　Canadian；　Dequindre；　and　James　and　George　Girty；　two　white　renegades。　Among　the　Indians　were　some　of　those　who　had　captured　him　on　his　first　exploring　trip　through　Kentucky　and　whom　he　had　twice　given　the　slip。　Their　hilarity　was　unbounded。　Boone　quickly　learned　that　this　band　was　on　its　way　to　surprise　Boonesborough。　It　was　a　season　when　Indian　attacks　were　not　expected；　nearly　threescore　of　the　men　were　at　the　salt　spring　and；　to　make　matters　worse；　the　walls　of　the　new　fort　where　the　settlers　and　their　families　had　gathered　were　as　yet　completed　on　only　three　sides。　Boonesborough　was；　in　short；　well…nigh　defenseless。　To　turn　the　Indians　from　their　purpose；　Boone　conceived　the　desperate　scheme　of　offering　to　lead　them　to　the　salt　makers'　camp　with　the　assurance　that　he　and　his　companions　were　willing　to　join　the　tribe。　He　understood　Indians　well　enough　to　feel　sure　that　once　possessed　of　nearly　thirty　prisoners；　the　Shawanoes　would　not　trouble　further　about　Boonesborough　but　would　hasten　to　make　a　triumphal　entry　into　their　own　towns。　That　some；　perhaps　all；　of　the　white　men　would　assuredly　die；　he　knew　well；　but　it　was　the　only　way　to　save　the　women　and　children　in　Boonesborough。　In　spite　of　Dequindre　and　the　Girtys；　who　were　leading　a　military　expedition　for　the　reduction　of　a　fort；　the　Shawanoes　fell　in　with　the　suggestion。　When　they　had　taken　their　prisoners；　the　more　bloodthirsty　warriors　in　the　band　wanted　to　tomahawk　them　all　on　the　spot。　By　his　diplomatic　discourse；　however；　Boone　dissuaded　them；　for　the　time　being　at　least；　and　the　whole　company　set　off　for　the　towns　on　the　Little　Miami。

The　weather　became　severe；　very　little　game　crossed　their　route；　and　for　days　they　subsisted　on　slippery　elm　bark。　The　lovers　of　blood　did　not　hold　back　their　scalping　knives　and　several　of　the　prisoners　perished；　but　Black　Fish；　the　chief　then　of　most　power　in　Shawanoe　councils；　adopted　Boone　as　his　son；　and　gave　him　the　name　of　Sheltowee；　or　Big　Turtle。　Though　watched　zealously　to　prevent　escape；　Big　Turtle　was　treated　with　every　consideration　and　honor；　and；　as　we　would　say　today；　he　played　the　game。　He　entered　into　the　Indian　life　with　apparent　zest；　took　part　in　hunts　and　sports　and　the　races　and　shooting　matches　in　which　the　Indians　delighted；　but　he　was　always　careful　not　to　outrun　or　outshoot　his　opponents。　Black　Fish　took　him　to　Detroit　when　some　of　the　tribe　escorted　the　remainder　of　the　prisoners　to　the　British　post。　There　he　met　Governor　Hamilton　and；　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　his　liberty；　he　led　that　dignitary　to　believe　that　he　and　the　other　people　of　Boonesborough　were　eager　to　move　to　Detroit　and　take　refuge　under　the　British　flag。*　It　is　said　that　Boone　always　carried　in　a　wallet　round　his　neck　the　King's　commission　given　him　in　Dunmore's　War；　and　that　he　exhibited　it　to　Hamilton　to　bear　out　his　story。　Hamilton　sought　to　ransom　him　from　the　Indians；　but　Black　Fish　would　not　surrender　his　new　son。　The　Governor　gave　Boone　a　pony；　with　saddle　and　trappings；　and　other　presents；　including　trinkets　to　be　used　in　procuring　his　needs　and　possibly　his　liberty　from　the　Shawanoes。

*　So　well　did　Boone　play　his　part　that　he　aroused　suspicion　even　in　those　who　knew　him　best。　After　his　return　to　Boonesborough　his　old　friend；　Calloway；　formally　accused　him　of　treachery　on　two　counts：　that　Boone　had　betrayed　the　salt　makers　to　the　Indians　and　had　planned　to　betray　Boonesborough　to　the　British。　Boone　was　tried　and　acquitted。　His　simple　explanation　of　his　acts　satisfied　the　court…martial　and　made　him　a　greater　hero　than　ever　among　the　frontier　folk。


Black　Fish　then　took　his　son　home　to　Chillicothe。　Here　Boone　found　Delawares　and　Mingos　assembling　with　the　main　body　of　the　Shawanoe　warriors。　The　war　belt　was　being　carried　through　the　Ohio　country。　Again　Boonesborough　and　Harrodsburg　were　to　be　the　first　settlements　attacked。　To　escape　and　give　warning　was　now　the　one　purpose　that　obsessed　Boone。　He　redoubled　his　efforts　to　throw　the　Indians　off　their　guard。　He　sang　and　whistled　blithely　about　the　camp　at　the　mouth　of　the　Scioto　River；　whither　he　had　accompanied　his　Indian　father　to　help　in　the　salt　boiling。　In　short；　he　seemed　so　very　happy　that　one　day　Black　Fish　took　his　eye　off　him　for　a　few　moments　to　watch　the　passing　of　a　flock　of　turkeys。　Big　Turtle　passed　with　the　flock；　leaving　no　trace。　To　his　lamenting　parent　it　must　have　seemed　as　though　he　had　vanished　into　the　air。　Daniel　crossed　the　Ohio　and　ran　the　160　miles　to　Boonesborough　in　four　days；　during　which　time　he　had　only　one　meal；　from　a　buffalo　he　shot　at　the　Blue　Licks。　When　he　reached　the　fort　after　an　absence　of　nearly　five　months；　he　found　that　his　wife　had　given　him　up　for　dead　and　had　returned　to　the　Yadkin。

Boone　now　began　with　all　speed　to　direct　preparations　to　withstand　a　siege。　Owing　to　the　Indian's　leisurely　system　of　councils　and　ceremonies　before　taking　the　warpath；　it　was　not　until　the　first　week　in　September　that　Black　Fish's　painted　warriors；　with　some　Frenchmen　under　Dequindre；　appeared　before　Boonesborough。　Nine　days　the　siege　lasted　and　was　the　longest　in　border　history。　Dequindre；　seeing　that　the　fort　might　not　be　taken；　resorted　to　trickery。　He　requested　Boone　and　a　few　of　his　men　to　come　out　for　a　parley；　saying　that　his　orders　from　Hamilton　were　to　protect　the　lives　of　the　Americans　as　far　as　possible。　Boone's　friend；　Calloway；　urged　against　acceptance　of　the　apparently　benign　proposal　which　was　made；　so　Dequindre　averred；　for　〃bienfaisance　et　humanite。〃　But　the　words　were　the　words　of　a　white　man；　and　Boone　hearkened　to　them。　With　eight　of　the　garrison　he　went　out　to　the　parley。　After　a　long　talk　in　which　good　will　was　expressed　on　both　sides；　it　was　suggested　by　Black　Fish　that　they　all　shake　hands　and；　as　there　were　so　many　more　Indians　than　white　men；　two　Indians　should；　of　course；　shake　hands　with　one　white　man；　each　grasping　one　of　his　hands。　The　moment　that　their　hands　gripped；　the　trick　was　clear；　for　the　Indians　exerted　their　strength　to　drag　off　the　white　men。　Desperate　scuffling　ensued　in　which　the　whites　with　difficulty　freed　themselves　and　ran　for　the　fort。　Calloway　had　prepared　for　emergencies。　The　pursuing　Indians　were　met　with　a　deadly　fire。　After　a　defeated　attempt　to　mine　the　fort　the　enemy　withdrew。

The　successful　defense　of　Boonesborough　was　an　achievement　of　national　importance；　for　had　Boonesborough　fallen；　Harrodsburg　alone　could　not　have　stood。　The　Indians　under　the　British　would　have　overrun　Kentucky；　and　George　Rogers　Clarkwhose　base　for　his　Illinois　operations　was　the　Kentucky　fortscould　not　have　made　the　campaigns　which　wrested　the　Northwest　from　the　control　of　Great　Britain。

Again　Virginia　took　official　note　of　Captain　Boone　when　in　1779　the　Legislature　established　Boonesborough　〃a　town　for　the　reception　of　traders〃　and　appointed　Boone　himself　one　of　the　trustees　to　attend　to　the　sale　and　registration　of　lots。　An　odd　office　that　was　for　Daniel；　who　never　learned　to　attend　to　the　registration　of　his　own；　he　declined　it。　His　name　appears　again；　however；　a　little　later　when　Virginia　made　the　whole　of　Kentucky　one　of　her　counties　with　the　following　officers：　Colonel　David　Robinson；　County　Lieutenant；　George　Rogers　Clark；　Anthony　Bledsoe；　and　John　Bowman；　Majors；　Daniel　Boone；　James　Harrod；　Benjamin　Logan；　and　John　Todd；　Captains。


Boonesborough's　successful　resistance　caused　land　speculators　as　well　as　prospective　settlers　to　take　heart　of　grace。　Parties　made　their　way　to　Boonesborough；　Harrodsburg；　and　even　to　the　Falls　of　the　Ohio；　where　Clark's　fort　and　blockhouses　now　stood。　In　the　summer　of　1779　Clark　had　erected　on　the　Kentucky　side　of　the　river　a　large　fort　which　became　the　nucleus　of　the　town　of　Louisville。　Here；　while　he　was　eating　his　heart　out　with　impatience　for　money　and　men　to　enable　him　to　march　to　the　attack　of　Detroit；　as　he　had　planned；　he　amused　himself　by　drawing　up　plans　for　a　city。　He　laid　out　private　sections　and　public　parks　and　contemplated　the　bringing　in　of　families　only　to　inhabit　his　city；　for；　oddly　enough；　he　who　never　married　was　going　to　make　short　shift　of　mere　bachelors　in　his　City　Beautiful。　Between　pen　scratches；　no　doubt；　he　looked　out　frequently　upon　the　river　to　descry　if　possible　a　boatload　of　ammunition　or　the　banners　of　the　troops　he　had　been　promised。

When　neither　appeared；　he　gave　up　the　idea　of　Detroit　and　set　about　erecting　defenses　on　the　southern　border；　for　the　Choctaws　and　Cherokees；　united　under　a　white　leader　named　Colbert；　were　threatening　Kentucky　by　way　of　the　Mississippi。　He　built　in　1780　Fort　Jefferson　in　what　is　now　Ballard　County；　and　had　barely　completed　the　new　post　and　garrisoned　it　with　about　thirty　men　when　it　was　besieged　by　Colbert　and　his　savages。　The　Indians；　assaulting　by　night；　were　lured　into　a　position　directly　before　a　cannon　which　poured　lead　into　a　mass　of　them。　The　remainder　fled　in　terror　from　the　vicinity　of　the　fort；　but　Colbert　succeeded　in　rallying　them　and　was　returning　to　the　attack　when　he　suddenly　encountered　Clark　with　a　company　of　men　and　was　forced　to　abandon　his　enterprise。

Clark　knew　that　the　Ohio　Indians　would　come　down　on　the　settlements　again　during　the　summer　and　that　to　meet　their　onslaughts　every　man　in　Kentucky　would　be　required。　He　learned　that　there　was　a　new　influx　of　land　seekers　over　the　Wilderness　Road　and　that　speculators　were　doing　a　thriving　business　in　Harrodsburg；　so；　leaving　his　company　to　protect　Fort　Jefferson；　he　took　two　men　with　him　and　started　across　the　wilds　on　foot　for　Harrodsburg。　To　evade　the　notice　of　the　Indian　bands　which　were　moving　about　the　country　the　three　stripped　and　painted　themselves　as　warriors　and