the spirit of the border-第17章

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west　we　decided　our　duty　was　to　go　with　him。〃



〃You　were　right；　and　I　hope　you　will　find　a　happy　home；〃　rejoined　Colonel

Zane。　〃If　life　among　the　Indian；　proves　to　be　too　had；　we　shall　welcome　you

here。　Betty；　show　the　girls　your　pets　and　Indian　trinkets。　I　am　going　to　take

the　boys　to　Silas'　cabin　to　see　Mr。　Wells；　and　then　show　them　over　the　fort。〃



As　they　went　out　Joe　saw　the　Indian　guide　standing　in　exactly　the　same

position　as　when　they　entered　the　building。



〃Can't　that　Indian　move？〃　he　asked　curiously。



〃He　can　cover　one　hundred　miles　in　a　day；　when　he　wants　to；〃　replied　Colonel

Zane。　〃He　is　resting　now。　An　Indian　will　often　stand　or　sit　in　one　position

for　many　hours。〃



〃He's　a　fine…looking　chap；〃　remarked　Joe；　and　then　to　himself：　〃but　I　don't

like　him。　I　guess　I'm　prejudiced。〃



〃You'll　learn　to　like　Tome；　as　we　call　him。〃



〃Colonel　Zane；　I　want　a　light　for　my　pipe。　I　haven't　had　a　smoke　since　the　day

we　were　captured。　That　blamed　redskin　took　my　tobacco。　It's　lucky　I　had　some

in　my　other　pack。　I'd　like　to　meet　him　again；　also　Silvertip　and　that　brute

Girty。〃



〃My　lad；　don't　make　such　wishes；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　earnestly。　〃You　were

indeed　fortunate　to　escape；　and　I　can　well　understand　your　feelings。　　There　is

nothing　I　should　like　better　than　to　see　Girty　over　the　sights　of　my　rifle；

but　I　never　hunt　after　danger；　and　to　look　for　Girty　is　to　court　death。〃



〃But　Wetzel…〃



〃Ah；　my　lad；　I　know　Wetzel　goes　alone　in　the　woods；　but　then；　he　is　different

from　other　men。　Before　you　leave　I　will　tell　you　all　about　him。〃。



Colonel　Zane　went　around　the　comer　of　the　cabin　and　returned　with　a　live　coal

on　a　chip　of　wood；　which　Joe　placed　in　the　bowl　of　his　pipe；　and　because　of

the　strong　breeze　stepped　close　to　the　cabin　wall。　Being　a　keen　observer；　he

noticed　many　small；　round　holes　in　the　logs。　They　were　so　near　together　that

the　timbers　had　an　odd；　speckled　appearance；　and　there　was　hardly　a　place

where　he　could　have　put　his　thumb　without　covering　a　hole。　At　first　he　thought

they　were　made　by　a　worm　or　bird　peculiar　to　that　region；　but　finally　lie

concluded　that　they　were　bullet…holes。　He　thrust　his　knife　blade　into　one；　and

out　rolled　a　leaden　ball。



〃I'd　like　to　have　been　here　when　these　were　made；〃　he　said。



〃Well；　at　the　time　I　wished　I　was　back　on　the　Potomac；〃　replied　Colonel　Zane。



They　found　the　old　missionary　on　the　doorstep　of　the　adjacent　cabin。　He

appeared　discouraged　when　Colonel　Zane　interrogated　him；　and　said　that　he　was

impatient　because　of　the　delay。



〃Mr。　Wells；　is　it　not　possible　that　you　underrate　the　danger　of　your

enterprise？〃



〃I　fear　naught　but　the　Lord；〃　answered　the　old　man。



〃Do　you　not　fear　for　those　with　you？〃　went　on　the　colonel　earnestly。　〃I　am

heart　and　soul　with　you　in　your　work；　but　want　to　impress　upon　yon　that　the

time　is　not　propitious。　It　is　a　long　journey　to　the　village；　and　the　way　is

beset　with　dangers　of　which　you　have　no　idea。　Will　you　not　remain　here　with　me

for　a　few　weeks；　or；　at　least；　until　my　scouts　report？〃



〃I　thank　you；　but　go　I　will。〃



〃Then　let　me　entreat　you　to　remain　here　a　few　days；　so　that　I　may　send　my

brother　Jonathan　and　Wetzel　with　you。　If　any　can　guide　you　safely　to　the

Village　of　Peace　it　will　be　they。〃



At　this　moment　Joe　saw　two　men　approaching　from　the　fort；　and　recognized　one

of　them　as　Wetzel。　He　doubted　not　that　the　other　was　Lord　Dunmore's　famous

guide　and　hunter；　Jonathan　Zane。　In　features　he　resembled　the　colonel；　and　was

as　tall　as　Wetzel；　although　not　so　muscular　or　wide　of　chest。



Joe　felt　the　same　thrill　he　had　experienced　while　watching　the　frontiersmen　at

Fort　Pitt。　Wetzel　and　Jonathan　spoke　a　word　to　Colonel　Zane　and　then　stepped

aside。　The　hunters　stood　lithe　and　erect；　with　the　easy；　graceful　poise　of

Indians。



〃We'll　take　two　canoes；　day　after　to…morrow；〃　said　Jonathan；　decisively；　to

Colonel　Zane。　〃Have　you　a　rifle　for　Wetzel？　The　Delawares　got　his。〃



Colonel　Zane　pondered　over　the　question；　rifles　were　not　scarce　at　the　fort；

but　a　weapon　that　Wetzel　would　use　was　hard　to　find。



〃The　hunter　may　have　my　rifle；〃　said　the　old　missionary。　〃I　have　no　use　for　a

weapon　with　which　to　destroy　God's　creatures。　My　brother　was　a　frontiersman；

he　left　this　rifle　to　me。　I　remember　hearing　him　say　once　that　if　a　man　knew

exactly　the　weight　of　lead　and　powder　needed；　it　would　shoot　absolutely　true。〃



He　went　into　the　cabin；　and　presently　came　out　with　a　long　object　wrapped　in

linsey　cloths。　Unwinding　the　coverings；　he　brought　to　view　a　rifle；　the

proportions　of　which　caused　Jonathan's　eyes　to　glisten；　and　brought　an

exclamation　from　Colonel　Zane。　Wetzel　balanced　the　gun　in　his　hands。　　It　was

fully　six　feet　long；　the　barrel　was　large；　and　the　dark　steel　finely　polished；

the　stock　was　black　walnut；　ornamented　with　silver　trimmings。　Using　Jonathan's

powder…flask　and　bullet…pouch；　Wetzel　proceeded　to　load　the　weapon。　He　poured

out　a　quantity　of　powder　into　the　palm　of　his　hand；　performing　the　action

quickly　and　dexterously；　but　was　so　slow　while　measuring　it　that　Joe　wondered

if　he　were　counting　the　grains。　Next　he　selected　a　bullet　out　of　a　dozen　which

Jonathan　held　toward　him。　He　examined　it　carefully　and　tried　it　in　the　muzzle

of　the　rifle。　Evidently　it　did　not　please　him；　for　he　took　another。　Finally　he

scraped　a　bullet　with　his　knife；　and　placing　it　in　the　center　of　a　small

linsey　rag；　deftly　forced　it　down。　He　adjusted　the　flint；　dropped　a　few　grains

of　powder　in　the　pan；　and　then　looked　around　for　a　mark　at　which　to　shoot。



Joe　observed　that　the　hunters　and　Colonel　Zane　were　as　serious　regarding　the

work　as　if　at　that　moment　some　important　issue　depended　upon　the　accuracy　of

the　rifle。



〃There；　Lew；　there's　a　good　shot。　It's　pretty　far；　even　for　you；　when　you

don't　know　the　gun；〃　said　Colonel　Zane；　pointing　toward　the　river。



Joe　saw　the　end　of　a　log；　about　the　size　of　a　man's　head；　sticking　out　of　the

water；　perhaps　an　hundred　and　fifty　yards　distant。　He　thought　to　hit　it　would

be　a　fine　shot；　but　was　amazed　when　he　heard　Colonel　Zane　say　to　several　men

who　had　joined　the　group　that　Wetzel　intended　to　shoot　at　a　turtle　on　the　log。

By　straining　his　eyes　Joe　succeeded　in　distinguishing　a　small　lump；　which　he

concluded　was　the　turtle。



Wetzel　took　a　step　forward；　the　long；　black　rifle　was　raised　with　a　stately

sweep。　The　instant　it　reached　a　level　a　thread　of　flame　burst　forth；　followed

by　a　peculiarly　clear；　ringing　report。



〃Did　he　hit？〃　asked　Colonel　Zane；　eagerly　as　a　boy。



〃I　allow　he　did；〃　answered　Jonathan。



〃I'll　go　and　see；〃　said　Joe。　He　ran　down　the　bank；　along　the　beach；　and

stepped　on　the　log。　He　saw　a　turtle　about　the　size　of　an　ordinary　saucer。　

Picking　it　up；　he　saw　a　bullet…hole　in　the　shell　near　the　middle。　The　bullet

had　gone　through　the　turtle；　and　it　was　quite　dead。　Joe　carried　it　to　the

waiting　group。



〃I　allowed　so；〃　declared　Jonathan。



Wetzel　examined　the　turtle；　and　turning　to　the　old　missionary；　said：



〃Your　brother　spoke　the　truth；　an'　I　thank　you　fer　the　rifle。〃







Chapter　VIII。



〃So　you　want　to　know　all　about　Wetzel？〃　inquired　Colonel　Zane　of　Joe；　when；

having　left　Jim　and　Mr。　Wells；　they　returned　to　the　cabin。



〃I　am　immensely　interested　in　him；〃　replied　Joe。



〃Well；　I　don't　think　there's　anything　singular　in　that。　I　know　Wetzel　better；

perhaps；　than　any　man　living；　but　have　seldom　talked　about　him。　　He　doesn't

like　it。　He　is　by　birth　a　Virginian；　I　should　say；　forty　years　old。　We　were

boys　together；　and　and　I　am　a　little　beyond　that　age。　He　was　like　any　of　the

lads；　except　that　he　excelled　us　all　in　strength　and　agility。　When　he　was

nearly　eighteen　years　old　a　band　if　IndiansDelawares；　I　thinkcrossed　the

border　on　a　marauding　expedition　far　into　Virginia。　They　burned　the　old　Wetzel

homestead　and　murdered　the　father；　mother；　two　sisters；　and　a　baby　brother。

The　terri