the spirit of the border-第1章

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THE　SPIRIT　OF　THE　BORDER

A　ROMANCE　OF　THE　EARLY　SETTLERS　IN　THE　OHIO　VALLEY



BY　ZANE　GREY



1906







To　my　brother



With　many　fond　recollections　of　days　spent　in　the　solitude　of　the　forests

where　only　can　be　satisfied　that　wild　fever　of　freedom　of　which　this　book

tells；　where　to　hear　the　whirr　of　a　wild　duck　in　his　rapid　flight　is　joy；

where　the　quiet　of　an　autumn　afternoon　swells　the　heart；　and　where　one　may

watch　the　fragrant　wood…smoke　curl　from　the　campfire；　and　see　the　starspeep

over　dark；　wooded　hills　as　twilight　deepens；　and　know　a　happiness　that　dwells

in　the　wilderness　alone。







Introduction



The　author　does　not　intend　to　apologize　for　what　many　readers　may　call　the

〃brutality〃　of　the　story；　but　rather　to　explain　that　its　wild　spirit　is　true

to　the　life　of　the　Western　border　as　it　was　known　only　a　little　more　than　one

hundred　years　ago。



The　writer　is　the　fortunate　possessor　of　historical　material　of　undoubted

truth　and　interest。　It　is　the　long…lost　journal　of　Colonel　Ebenezer　Zane；　one

of　the　most　prominent　of　the　hunter…pioneer；　who　labored　in　the　settlement　of

the　Western　country。



The　story　of　that　tragic　period　deserves　a　higher　place　in　historical

literature　than　it　has　thus　far　been　given；　and　this　unquestionably　because　of

a　lack　of　authentic　data　regarding　the　conquering　of　the　wilderness。　

Considering　how　many　years　the　pioneers　struggled　on　the　border　of　this

country；　the　history　of　their　efforts　is　meager　and　obscure。



If　the　years　at　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　and　the　beginning　of　the

nineteenth　century　were　full　of　stirring　adventure　on　the　part　of　the

colonists　along　the　Atlantic　coast；　how　crowded　must　they　have　been　for　the

almost　forgotten　pioneers　who　daringly　invaded　the　trackless　wilds！　None　there

was　to　chronicle　the　fight　of　these　sturdy；　travelers　toward　the　setting　sun。

The　story　of　their　stormy　lives；　of　their　heroism；　and　of　their　sacrifice　for

the　benefit　of　future　generations　is　too　little　known。



It　is　to　a　better　understanding　of　those　days　that　the　author　has　labored　to

draw　from　his　ancestor's　notes　a　new　and　striking　portrayal　of　the　frontier；

one　which　shall　paint　the　fever　of　freedom；　that　powerful　impulse　which　lured

so　many　to　unmarked　graves；　one　which　shall　show　his　work；　his　love；　the

effect　of　the　causes　which　rendered　his　life　so　hard；　and　surely　one　which

does　not　forget　the　wronged　Indian。



The　frontier　in　1777　produced　white　men　so　savage　as　to　be　men　in　name　only。

These　outcasts　and　renegades　lived　among　the　savages；　and　during　thirty　years

harassed　the　border；　perpetrating　all　manner　of　fiendish　cruelties　upon。　the

settlers。　They　were　no　less　cruel　to　the　redmen　whom　they　ruled；　and　at　the

height　of　their　bloody　careers　made　futile　the　Moravian　missionaries'　long

labors；　and　destroyed　the　beautiful　hamlet　of　the　Christian　Indians；　called

Gnaddenhutten；　or　Village　of　Peace。



And　while　the　border　produced　such　outlaws　so　did　it　produce　hunters　Eke

Boone；　the　Zanes；　the　McCollochs；　and　Wetzel；　that　strange；　silent　man　whose

deeds　are　still　whispered　in　the　country　where　he　once　roamed　in　his　insatiate

pursuit　of　savages　and　renegades；　and　who　was　purely　a　product　of　the　times。

Civilization　could　not　have　brought　forth　a　man　like　Wetzel。　　Great

revolutions；　great　crises；　great　moments　come；　and　produce　the　men　to　deal

with　them。



The　border　needed　Wetzel。　The　settlers　would　have　needed　many　more　years　in

which　to　make　permanent　homes　had　it　not　been　for　him。　He　was　never　a　pioneer；

but　always　a　hunter　after　Indians。　When　not　on　the　track　of　the　savage　foe；　he

was　in　the　settlement；　with　his　keen　eye　and　ear　ever　alert　for　signs　of　the

enemy。　To　the　superstitious　Indians　he　was　a　shadow；　a　spirit　of　the　border；

which　breathed　menace　from　the　dark　forests。　To　the　settlers　he　was　the　right

arm　of　defense；　a　fitting　leader　for　those　few　implacable　and　unerring

frontiersmen　who　made　the　settlement　of　the　West　a　possibility。



And　if　this　story　of　one　of　his　relentless　pursuits　shows　the　man　as　he　truly

was；　loved　by　pioneers；　respected　and　feared　by　redmen；　and　hated　by

renegades；　if　it　softens　a　little　the　ruthless　name　history　accords　him；　the

writer　will　have　been　well　repaid。



Z。　G。







The　Spirit　of　the　Border







Chapter　I。



〃Nell；　I'm　growing　powerful　fond　of　you。〃



〃So　you　must　be；　Master　Joe；　if　often　telling　makes　it　true。〃



The　girl　spoke　simply；　and　with　an　absence　of　that　roguishness　which　was

characteristic　of　her。　Playful　words；　arch　smiles；　and　a　touch　of　coquetry　had

seemed　natural　to　Nell；　but　now　her　grave　tone　and　her　almost　wistful　glance

disconcerted　Joe。



During　all　the　long　journey　over　the　mountains　she　had　been　gay　and　bright；

while　now；　when　they　were　about　to　part；　perhaps　never　to　meet　again；　she

showed　him　the　deeper　and　more　earnest　side　of　her　character。　It　checked　his

boldness　as　nothing　else　had　done。　Suddenly　there　came　to　him　the　real　meaning

of　a　woman's　love　when　she　bestows　it　without　reservation。　　Silenced　by　the

thought　that　he　had　not　understood　her　at　all；　and　the　knowledge　that　he　had

been　half　in　sport；　he　gazed　out　over　the　wild　country　before　them。



The　scene　impressed　its　quietness　upon　the　young　couple　and　brought　more

forcibly　to　their　minds　the　fact　that　they　were　at　the　gateway　of　the　unknown

West；　that　somewhere　beyond　this　rude　frontier　settlement；　out　there　in　those

unbroken　forests　stretching　dark　and　silent　before　them；　was　to　be　their

future　home。



From　the　high　bank　where　they　stood　the　land　sloped　and　narrowed　gradually

until　it　ended　in　a　sharp　point　which　marked　the　last　bit　of　land　between　the

Allegheny　and　Monongahela　rivers。　Here　these　swift　streams　merged　and　formed

the　broad　Ohio。　The　new…born　river；　even　here　at　its　beginning　proud　and

swelling　as　if　already　certain　of　its　far…away　grandeur；　swept　majestically

round　a　wide　curve　and　apparently　lost　itself　in　the　forest　foliage。



On　the　narrow　point　of　land　commanding　a　view　of　the　rivers　stood　a　long；　low

structure　enclosed　by　a　stockade　fence；　on　the　four　corners　of　which　were

little　box…shaped　houses　that　bulged　out　as　if　trying　to　see　what　was　going　on

beneath。　The　massive　timbers　used　in　the　construction　of　this　fort；　the

square；　compact　form；　and　the　small；　dark　holes　cut　into　the　walls；　gave　the

structure　a　threatening；　impregnable　aspect。



Below　Nell　and　Joe；　on　the　bank；　were　many　log　cabins。　The　yellow　clay　which

filled　the　chinks　between　the　logs　gave　these　a　peculiar　striped　appearance。

There　was　life　and　bustle　in　the　vicinity　of　these　dwellings；　in　sharp

contrast　with　the　still　grandeur　of　the　neighboring　forests。　There　were

canvas…covered　wagons　around　which　curly…headed　youngsters　were　playing。

Several　horses　were　grazing　on　the　short　grass；　and　six　red　and　white　oxen

munched　at　the　hay　that　had　been　thrown　to　them。　The　smoke　of　many　fires

curled　upward；　and　near　the　blaze　hovered　ruddy…faced　women　who　stirred　the

contents　of　steaming　kettles。　One　man　swung　an　axe　with　a　vigorous　sweep；　and

the　clean；　sharp　strokes　rang　on　the　air；　another　hammered　stakes　into　the

ground　on　which　to　hang　a　kettle。　Before　a　large　cabin　a　fur…trader　was

exhibiting　his　wares　to　three　Indians。　A　second　redskin　was　carrying　a　pack　of

pelts　from　a　canoe　drawn　up　on　the　river　bank。　A　small　group　of　persons　stood

near；　some　were　indifferent；　and　others　gazed　curiously　at　the　savages。　Two

children　peeped　from　behind　their　mother's　skirts　as　if　half…curious；

half…frightened。



From　this　scene；　the　significance　of　which　had　just　dawned　on　him；　Joe　turned

his　eyes　again　to　his　companion。　It　was　a　sweet　face　he　saw；　one　that　was

sedate；　but　had　a　promise　of　innumerable　smiles。　The　blue　eyes　could　not　long

hide　flashes　of　merriment。　The　girl　turned；　and；the　two　young　people　looked　at

each　other。　Her　eyes　softened　with　a　woman's　gentle