Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-27

oA LIS uedu ne wore TOunQ cap OF
moleskin, under which his black, coarse
hair, freed from the cue, fell to his
| chin.
He crouched there, examining my
tracks with closest attention for full
minute, then rose gracefully and fol-
lowed, tracing them up to the Fort
Pitt trail.
Here I saw two other men come
swiftly through the trees to meet Elm;
but. though they gesticulated violently
and pointed down the stream, they
spoke too low for me to hear single
whisper.
Suddenly. to my horror, canoe shot
across my line Of sight and stopped as
suddenly, held by the setting pole in
midstream. 1t contained white man,
who leaned on the setting pole, silently
awaiting the result of the conference
on the bank above.
The conference ended abruptly. I
saw two of the men start south toward
Fort Pitt, while Butler came hastily
down to the waters edge and waded
out to the canoe.
He boarded the frail craft from the
bow, straddling it skillfully and work
ing his way to his place Then the two
setting poles flashed in the sunshine,
and the canoe shot out of sight.
How Butler had learned of my mis-
sion, whether he had actually learned
of it or only suspected it from my dis
appearance, concerned me little. These
/ things were certain: He was Lord Dun
mores emissary, as was the em:ssary
| of Sir William. He was bound for
Cresap's camp, as was 1, and he in
tended to intercept me and kill me if
that meant the winning of the race
Aye, he meant to kill me anyhow, for
how could he ever again appear in
Johnstown If / lived to bear witness
to his treachery?
i must give up my visit to the Cayu-
gas for the present. 1t was to be
. race now to Cresap's camp. and. though
they had their canoe to speed withal,
the advantage lay on my side, for I
was seeking no mans life, whereas
they must soon find that they had over
run their scent and would spend pre-
cious time in ambushes. Besides, they
doubtless believed that somewhere I
had canoe hid, and that would keep
them hanging around the carry trails
while made time by circling them.
One thing disturbed me. Two of them
had gone by water and two by the
Fort Pitt trail, and this threw me
hopelessly into the wilderness without
the ease of trodden way
Slowly resumed my pack, reprinted
my rifle and turned my nose south
ward. bearing far enough west to keep
out of earshot from the river and the
TRAIL
AT first had looked upon Fort Pitt
as hospitable wayside refuge, mark
ing nine-tenths of my journey toward
Cresap's camp. But now l dared not
present myself there, with Walter But
Ter hot on my trail. armed not only
with Ratchet and rifle, but also doubt
less with some order of Lord Dunmore
which might compel the officers at
Fort Pct to hand me over to Butler on
his mere demand.
Fort Pitt commanded the gateway to
the wilderness, and the Ohio flowed
through it, and for years Virginia and
Pennsylvania had disputed for the
right to control this gateway. Virginia
held 1t by might, not right. Through it
Daniel Boone had gone some years
before; now Cresap had followed, and
who could doubt that the governor of
Virginia had urged him on?
But the march of Cresap not only
disturbed Sir William in his steward
ship; 1t angered all Pennsylvania, and
this is the reason:
The Nirginians under Cresap went to
settle and to keep the Indians at dis
lance; the Pennsylvanians, on the 9th
er hand, went only to trade with the
Cayugas and they were furious to see
Cresap's men spoil their trade.
Clearly, then, no emissary Of Sir Will
liam would be welcomed at Pittsburg
fortress or town, and l saw nothing
for it but to push on through the gate
way of the west, avoiding Buffers
men as best l could and seeking the
silly, deluded Cresap under the very
nose of my Lord Dunmore.
My progress was slow. Tired out
while yet the sun sent it's reddening
western rays deep into the forest, /
knelt again, dropped my pack under a
hemlock thicket and crawled out to a
heap Of rocks which overhung ra-
vine.
A hundred feet below the Allegheny
flowed. a CLASSY stream tinted with