The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-12-09

cabin"
"Why does he shout at US like q
prophct?'
ITO warn us that Indians are on the
warpath.'
''Hc might have thought We were On
the warpath ourselves
Johnny Appleseed knows Shawa-
noes and Tecumsch's men," said Skene-
donk as we moved farther from the in
visible voice. II think myself that he
is under VOW. But nobody told me
that
''Why do you think soY'
"ue plants orchards in every fine
open spot or clears the land for plant
ing where nc thinks the soil IS right"
"Don't other men plant orchards?'
"No. They have not time OF seed.
They plant bread He does nothing but
plant orchards"
''He must have great many"
'sThey are not for himself. The ap-
pies are for any one who may pass BY
when they are ripe. he wants to give
apples to everybody. Animals often
nibble the bark or break down his
young trees. 1t takes long for them to
grow, but he keeps on planting"
"If other men have no seeds to plant
how does be get them?"
''He makes journeys to the old set
Elements, where many orchards have
grown, and brings the seeds from cider
presses. He carries them from Penn
sylvania on his back in leather bags, q
bag for each kind Of seed"
Doesn't he ever sell them?'
"Not often. Johnny Appleseed cares
nothing for money. believe he Is ua-
der q VOW Of poverty. No one laughs
at him. The tribes on these grounds
would not hurt hair Of his head, not
only because God has touched him, but
because he plants apples. I have eaten
his apples myself"
"Johnny Appleseed," repeated, and
Skenedonk fastened to tell me:
ssHe has another name, but forget
1t. He is called Johnny Appleseed"
The slim and scarcely percepuble
tunnel, among trees, piled with fallen
logs and newly sprung growths, let us
into wide clearing as suddenly as a
stream finds its lake. We could not
see even the usual COW tracks. a cab
in shedding light from its hearth sur
prised US In the midst Of stumps.
The door stood wide. A woman
walked back and forth over punch
con floor tending supper. Dogs rushed
to meet US, and the playing Of children
could be heard. A man, gun in hand,
stepped to his door, sentinel. He
lowered his muzZle and made us vel:
come and helped US put our horses un-,
der shelter with his own.
It was not often we had O woman's
handiwork in corn bread and game to
feed ourselves upon, or a bed covered
with homcspun sheets.
I slept as the children slept until a
voice rang In the clearing:
':Thc spirit Of the Lord Is upon me,
and he hath anointed me to blow the.
trumpet in the wilderness and sound
an alarm in the forest, for, behold, tho
tribes Of the heather are roundabout
your doors, and a deyourinS flame fol-
loweth after thenl!"
Every sleeper in the cabin sat up
right or stirred. We said in whispered
chorus:
"Johnny Appleseed!"
A tapping, light and regular, on the.
window followed. The man was on
the floor In q breath. heard the
mother cropping among the children
and whispering:
Don't wake the baby"
The fire had died upon the hearth:
and they lighted no candle. When:
Johnny Appleseed gave his warning
cry In the clearing and his cautious
tap on the window and was instantly
gone to other clearings and other win
dows it meant that the Indians were
near.
Skenedonk and I, used to the night
alarm and boots and saddle in q hurry,
put ourselves in readiness to help the
family. I groped for clothing and
showed small legs and arms into 1t.
The little creatures, obedient and 81
lent, made no whimper at being reused
out Of dreams, but keenly lent them
selves to the march.
We brought the horses and put the
woman and children upon them. The
very dogs understood and skunk
around our legs without giving mouth.
The cabin door was shut after US with
out nose, closing in what that family
called home-a few pots and pans,
patchwork quilts, 4 spinning wheel,
some benches, perhaps q child's store
Of acorn cups and broken yellow ware
in a log corner In a few hours it
might be smoking heap Of ashes, and
the world offered no other place so
dear. What We suffer for IS enriched
ty our suffering until 1t becomes price
less.
So far on the frontier was this cabin
that no community blockhouse stood
near enough to give its inmates shelter.
They were obliged to 90 with us to
Fort Stephenson.
Skenedonk pioneered the all night
struggle on an obscure trail, and be
went astray sometimes, through black
ness Of woods that rooted out the stars.
We foundered In swales sponging full
Of dead leaves and drew back. scratch
ing ourselves on low hung foliage.
By dawn the way became easier and
the danger greater. Then we paused
and lifted our rifles If twig broke
near by, or fox barkcd, or wind
rushed among leaves as q patter OF
moccasins might come. Skenedonk and
I, sure of the northern Indians, were
making q venture in the west. We
knew nothing Of Tecumseh's swift red
warriors, except that scarcely q year
had passed since his allies had tona-.
hawked women and children Of the
oh 81 Th3p,