Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28

the boatbuil1ers whom Harry Curwen had
brought with him. One of them was
WAGNER from Pennsylvania, who had been
enlisted at Fort Pitt when he was too drunk
to know what he was doing. One who was
called Kentucky militia man was in fact
Scotch gardener, who had been exploring
the West for new plants at the charge Of
some English botanists, had found that his
remittances did not follow him and had en-
listed for better, for worse. Zapoly, as has
been said, was as ignorant of woodcraft as
child. Harry found himself in fact as in
name, the leader of the party, with abso-
lutely no knowledge Of the methods of wood
| faring life in that region, or of the condition
of the country or of the climate.
All that he knew was that he must work
to the southeast, with no compass. He
knew that the streams now near him
flowed, for their general course, north and
northeast, and so far he had a vague clew.
But once and again he had reason to dis
trust it. From day to day, of course, he
had every hope of fair sunrise or sunset,
or break Of the miserable fog which sur
rounded him. But to the day Of his death
| he never did know whether he led his party
in the general direction they wanted to take,
or whether they went round and round for
the three or four days which first followed
their separation from Harmar's army.
1t was not till 8 or o'clock one after
noon that, with hardly any warning, fog
and smoke seemed to lift from above them,
and, to his dismay, Harry saw that the sun,
now quite low in the heavens, was Just
where it ought not to be.
That is to say, he was travelling north
east, almost exactly away from it.
But to the day OF his death-young man,
man of affairs, or old man, telling these sto-
ries to his grandchildren-Harry Curven
believed that he had been led all that morn
ing by an invisible hand.
II, as he supposed, he had been all dav on
this course, and this seemed most likely all
prospect of his reioining the command was
over. His business was to strike the Ohio
river as best he might. And, on the little
evidence they had as to the place where this
sunshine found them, he determined, and
determined rightly, that he must change his
course over the prairie at once, fix a route
as directly southeast as streams and swamps
would permit, and, if he could. strike the
Great River before it made the bend west
ward, in which it passes Fort Washington
He knew, and any man of his party knew,
that they were no match for any consider
able band of the Shawnees whom they
might encounter. The savages would be
flushed with the news of the victory they
had won, and, with the mere handful Of
powder which Harry could rely upon in all
the horns of all his party there could not be
long fighting. His business was to move as
quietly as he could and to strike the Ohio.
He knew also that, on this course, if he
could hold to the should with every march
come nearer to regions which the Indians
were abandoning, and also, which for him
meant great deal, he should be coming
closer to the Essex county settlement Of
Marietta.
In such party, at such a time, there is
no need Of formal command, far less of
explanation why change of move
ment is ordered. Every man knew at once
that they had lost their way and now had
found it. And the whole party was az
glad as Curwen could wish them, to
make a long march even after the
hard work of the day. He had moonlight
after the sun went down, and it was mid
night before they made bivouac by awater
course. Even then, they ate their venison
without more cooking than it had had al
ready. For no man was foo enough to risk
the light of a fire.
But with the gray of the morning, as soon
as one could see anything, Clendenin was
on his feet. Indeed, for such a purpose as
this, he was their best woodsman. He felt
the danger they were in,- by travelling after
nightfall, though he accepted the necessity.
x.
see whether theyihad passed any other trails;
and he found, as he feared, within a mile.
the evident trail of another party crossing
their own, not quite at right angles. The
boy was acting without orders, and he knew
he was, but he knew that Curwen had conf
dence in him, and, with the promptness of a
frontiersman, he worked against the trail, as
he would have called it-that is to say, he
did not follow the party who made it, but
went back to see where they came from. He
pressed on as rapidly as he could, for he
knew he would be missed as soon as the
others were awake. His curiosity was re-
warded, when, not half a mile from their
own camp, as he could guess, but per-
haps a mile and a half by the way
he had come, he saw a little skin
lodge, evidently the work of Indians.
He approached as close as he dared
and watched as long as he dared for signs
oil motion. just as he supposed he must
return with no knowledge Of the strength
of the party there, some one came out from
the lodge. To his surprise it was a young
woman. She looked around her, went to .
stagnant creek before her and filled a gourd
with water, and then called the others.
Only two women followed her at first, but
in minute after, another. 1t was quite
clear to Clendenin that these were the whole
party. He did not mean to be frightened
by woman, and he now broke from his
lair in the tall, dry grass, and rushed upon
them, showing them that he had . gun.
He was too quick for them to escape him.
They cried aloud. One Of them fell upon
her knees, with some notion of the custom
of white people; but the youngest advanced
fearlessly to meet him. She said "Good
Indians. no Indian; 1 from Cumber.
land" speaking with difficulty. The boy
looked at her with amazement; cried out
Rachel, Rachel, and kissed her.