pioneers of the old southwest-第6部分

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his　forest　speech　was　not　only　the　language　of　diplomacy　in　the　hunting　season；　it　was　the　borderer's　secret　code　in　war。　Stray　Indians　put　themselves　in　touch　again　with　the　band　by　turkey　calls　in　the　daytime　and　by　owl　or　wolf　notes　at　night。　The　frontiersmen　used　the　same　means　to　trick　the　Indian　band　into　betraying　the　place　of　its　ambuscade；　or　to　lure　the　strays；　unwitting；　within　reach　of　the　knife。

In　that　age；　before　the　forests　had　given　place　to　farms　and　cities　and　when　the　sun　had　but　slight　acquaintance　with　the　sod；　the　summers　were　cool　and　the　winters　long　and　cold　in　the　Back　Country。　Sometimes　in　September　severe　frosts　destroyed　the　corn。　The　first　light　powdering　called　〃hunting　snows〃　fell　in　October；　and　then　the　men　of　the　Back　Country　set　out　on　the　chase。　Their　object　was　meatbuffalo；　deer；　elk；　bear…for　the　winter　larder；　and　skins　to　send　out　in　the　spring　by　pack…horses　to　the　coast　in　trade　for　iron；　steel；　and　salt。　The　rainfall　in　North　Carolina　was　much　heavier　than　in　Virginia　and；　from　autumn　into　early　winter；　the　Yadkin　forests　were　sheeted　with　rain；　but　wet　weather；　so　far　from　deterring　the　hunter；　aided　him　to　the　kill。　In　blowing　rain；　he　knew　he　would　find　the　deer　herding　in　the　sheltered　places　on　the　hillsides。　In　windless　rain；　he　knew　that　his　quarry　ranged　the　open　woods　and　the　high　places。　The　fair　play　of　the　pioneer　held　it　a　great　disgrace　to　kill　a　deer　in　winter　when　the　heavy　frost　had　crusted　the　deep　snow。　On　the　crust　men　and　wolves　could　travel　with　ease；　but　the　deer's　sharp　hoofs　pierced　through　and　made　him　defenseless。　Wolves　and　dogs　destroyed　great　quantities　of　deer　caught　in　this　way；　and　men　who　shot　deer　under　these　conditions　were　considered　no　huntsmen。　There　was；　indeed；　a　practical　side　to　this　chivalry　of　the　chase；　for　meat　and　pelt　were　both　poor　at　this　season；　but　the　true　hunter　also　obeyed　the　finer　tenet　of　his　code；　for　he　would　go　to　the　rescue　of　deer　caught　in　the　crustsand　he　killed　many　a　wolf　sliding　over　the　ice　to　an　easy　meal。

The　community　moral　code　of　the　frontier　was　brief　and　rigorous。　What　it　lacked　of　the　〃whereas〃　and　〃inasmuch〃　of　legal　ink　it　made　up　in　sound　hickory。　In　fact；　when　we　review　the　activities　of　this　solid　yet　elastic　wood　in　the　moral；　social；　and　economic　phases　of　Back　Country　life；　we　are　moved　to　wonder　if　the　pioneers　would　have　been　the　same　race　of　men　had　they　been　nurtured　beneath　a　less　strenuous　and　adaptable　vegetation！　The　hickory　gave　the　frontiersman　wood　for　all　implements　and　furnishings　where　the　demand　was　equally　for　lightness；　strength；　and　elasticity。　It　provided　his　straight　logs　for　building；　his　block　mortars　hollowedby　fire　and　stonefor　corn…grinding；　his　solid　plain　furniture；　his　axles；　rifle　butts；　ax　handles；　and　so　forth。　It　supplied　his　magic　wand　for　the　searching　out　of　iniquity　in　the　junior　members　of　his　household；　and　his　most　cogent　argument；　as　a　citizen；　in　convincing　the　slothful；　the　blasphemous；　or　the　dishonest　adult　whose　errors　disturbed　communal　harmony。　Its　nuts　fed　his　hogs。　Before　he　raised　stock；　the　unripe　hickory　nuts；　crushed　for　their　white　liquid；　supplied　him　with　butter　for　his　corn　bread　and　helped　out　his　store　of　bear's　fat。　Both　the　name　and　the　knowledge　of　the　uses　of　this　tree　came　to　the　earliest　pioneers　through　contact　with　the　red　man；　whose　hunting　bow　and　fishing　spear　and　the　hobbles　for　his　horses　were　fashioned　of　the　〃pohickory〃　tree。　The　Indian　women　first　made　pohickory　butter；　and　the　wise　old　men　of　the　Cherokee　towns；　so　we　are　told；　first　applied　the　pohickory　rod　to　the　vanity　of　youth！

A　glance　at　the　interior　of　a　log　cabin　in　the　Back　Country　of　Virginia　or　North　Carolina　would　show；　in　primitive　design；　what　is；　perhaps；　after　all　the　perfect　homea　place　where　the　personal　life　and　the　work　life　are　united　and　where　nothing　futile　finds　space。　Every　object　in　the　cabin　was　practical　and　had　been　made　by　hand　on　the　spot　to　answer　a　need。　Besides　the　chairs　hewn　from　hickory　blocks；　there　were　others　made　of　slabs　set　on　three　legs。　A　large　slab　or　two　with　four　legs　served　as　a　movable　table；　the　permanent　table　was　built　against　the　wall；　its　outer　edge　held　up　by　two　sticks。　The　low　bed　was　built　into　the　wall　in　the　same　way　and　softened　for　slumber　by　a　mattress　of　pine　needles；　chaff；　or　dried　moss。　In　the　best　light　from　the　greased　paper　windowpanes　stood　the　spinning　wheel　and　loom；　on　which　the　housewife　made　cloth　for　the　family's　garments。　Over　the　fireplace　or　beside　the　doorway；　and　suspended　usually　on　stags'　antlers；　hung　the　firearms　and　the　yellow　powderhorns；　the　latter　often　carved　in　Indian　fashion　with　scenes　of　the　hunt　or　war。　On　a　shelf　or　on　pegs　were　the　wooden　spoons；　plates；　bowls；　and　noggins。　Also　near　the　fireplace；　which　was　made　of　large　flat　stones　with　a　mud…plastered　log　chimney；　stood　the　grinding　block　for　making　hominy。　If　it　were　an　evening　in　early　spring；　the　men　of　the　household　would　be　tanning　and　dressing　deerskins　to　be　sent　out　with　the　trade　caravan；　while　the　women　sewed；　made　moccasins　or　mended　them；　in　the　light　of　pine　knots　or　candles　of　bear's　grease。　The　larger　children　might　be　weaving　cradles　for　the　babies；　Indian　fashion；　out　of　hickory　twigs；　and　there　would　surely　be　a　sound　of　whetting　steel；　for　scalping　knives　and　tomahawks　must　be　kept　keen…tempered　now　that　the　days　have　come　when　the　red　gods　whisper　their　chant　of　war　through　the　young　leafage。

The　Back　Country　folk；　as　they　came　from　several　countries；　generally　settled　in　national　groups；　each　preserving　its　own　speech　and　its　own　religion；　each　approaching　frontier　life　through　its　own　native　temperament。　And　the　frontier　met　each　and　all　alike；　with　the　same　need　and　the　same　menace；　and　molded　them　after　one　general　pattern。　If　the　cabin　stood　in　a　typical　Virginian　settlement　where　the　folk　were　of　English　stock；　it　may　be　that　the　dulcimer　and　some　old　love　song　of　the　homeland　enlivened　the　workor　perhaps　chairs　were　pushed　back　and　young　people　danced　the　country　dances　of　the　homeland　and　the　Virginia　Reel；　for　these　Virginian　English　were　merry　folk；　and　their　religion　did　not　frown　upon　the　dance。　In　a　cabin　on　the　Shenandoah　or　the　upper　Yadkin　the　German　tongue　clicked　away　over　the　evening　dish　of　kraut　or　sounded　more　sedately　in　a　Lutheran　hymn；　while　from　some　herder's　but　on　the　lower　Yadkin　the　wild　note　of　the　bagpipes　or　of　the　ancient　four…stringed　harp　mingled　with　the　Gaelic　speech。

Among　the　homes　in　the　Shenandoah　where　old　England's　ways　prevailed；　none　was　gayer　than　the　tavern　kept　by　the　man　whom　the　good　Moravian　Brother　called　〃Severe。〃　There　perhaps　the　feasting　celebrated　the　nuptials　of　John　Sevier；　who　was　barely　past　his　seventeenth　birthday　when　he　took　to　himself　a　wife。　Or　perhaps　the　dancing；　in　moccasined　feet　on　the　puncheon　flooring；　was　a　ceremonial　to　usher　into　Back　Country　life　the　new　municipality　John　had　just　organized；　for　John　at　nineteen　had　taken　his　earliest　step　towards　his　larger　career；　which　we　shall　follow　later　on；　as　the　architect　of　the　first　little　governments　beyond　the　mountains。

In　the　Boone　home　on　the　Yadkin；　we　may　guess　that　the　talk　was　solely　of　the　hunt；　unless　young　Daniel　had　already　become　possessed　of　his　first　compass　and　was　studying　its　ways。　On　such　an　evening；　while　the　red　afterglow　lingered；　he　might　be　mending　a　passing　trader's　firearms　by　the　fires　of　the　primitive　forge　his　father　had　set　up　near　the　trading　path　running　from　Hillsborough　to　the　Catawba　towns。　It　was　said　by　the　local　nimrods　that　none　could　doctor　a　sick　rifle　better　than　young　Daniel　Boone；　already　the　master　huntsman　of　them　all。　And　perhaps　some　trader's　tale；　told　when　the　caravan　halted　for　the　night；　kindled　the　youth's　first　desire　to　penetrate　the　mountain…guarded　wilderness；　for　the　tales　of　these　Romanies　of　commerce　were　as　the　very　badge　of　their　free…masonry；　and　entry　money　at　the　doors　of　strangers。

Out　on　the　border's　edge；　heedless　of　the　shadow　of　the　mountains　looming　between　the　newly　built　cabin　and　that　western　land　where　they　and　their　kind　were　to　write　the　fame　of　the　Ulster　Scot　in　a　shining　script　that　time　cannot　dull；　there　might　sit　a　group　of　stern…faced　men；　all　deep　in　discussion　of　some　point　of　spiritual　doctrine　or　of　the　temporal　rights　of　men。　Yet；　in　every　cabin；　whatever　the　national　differences；　the　setting　was　the　same　The　spirit　of　the　frontier　was　modeling　out　of　old　clay　a　new　Adam　to　answer　the　needs　of　a　new　earth。

It　would　be　far　less　than　just　to　leave　the　Back　Country　folk　without　further　reference　to　the　devoted　labors　of　their　clergy。　In　the　earliest　days　the　settlers　were　cut　off　from　their　church　systems；　the　pious　had　to　maintain　their　piety　unaided；　except　in　the　rare　cases　where　a　pastor　accompanied　a　group　of　settlers　of　his　denomination　into　the　wilds。　One　of　the　first　ministers　who　fared　into　the　Back　Country　to　remind　the　Ulster　Presbyterians　of　their　spiritual　duties　was　the　Reverend　Hugh　McAden　of　Philadelphia。　He　made　long　itineraries　under　the　greatest　hardships；　in　constant　danger　from　Indians　and　wild　beasts；　carrying　the　counsel　of　godliness　to　the　far　scattered　flock。　Among　the　Highland　settlements　the　Reverend　James　Campbell　for　thirty　years　traveled　about；　preaching　each　Sunday　at　some　gathering　point　a　sermon　in　both　English　and　Gaelic。　A　little　later；　in　the　Yadkin　Valley；　after　Craighead's　day　there　arose　a　small　school　of　Presbyterian　ministers　whose　zeal　and　fearlessness　in　the　cause　of　religion　and　of　just　government　had　an　influence　on　the　frontiersmen　that　can　hardly　be　overestimated。

But；　in　the　beginning；　the　pioneer　encountered　the　savagery　of　border　life；　grappled　with　it；　and　reacted　to　it　without　guidance　from　other　mentor　than　his　own　instincts。　His　need　was　still　the　primal　threefold　need　family；　sustenance；　and　safe　sleep　when　the　day's　work　was　done。　We　who　look　back　with　thoughtful　eyes　upon　the　frontiersmanall　links　of　contact　with　his　racial　past　severed；　at　grips　with　destruction　in　the　contenting　of　his　needssee　something　more；　something　larger；　than　he　saw　in　the　log　cabin　raised　by　his　hands；　its　structure　held　together　solely　by　his　close　gro