Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-12-14
CHAPTER xv-contlnued.


The boy had been two years In the
wilds. When he left the Shawnee
camp winter was setting In, that ter
rible winter of 'T9-of deep snow and
hunger and cold. When he reached
Kaskaskia, Captain Clark had gone to
Kentucky, and Erskine found bad
news. Hamilton and Hay had taken
iVincennes. There Captain Helms Gre
oles, as soon as they saw the red
coats, slipped away from him to sur
render their arms to the British, and
thus deserted by all. he and the two
or three Americans With him had to
give up the fort. The French reswore
allegiance to Britain. Hamilton con-
fscated their liquor and broke up their
billiard tables. He let his Indians
scatter to their villages, and with his
regulars, volunteers, white Indian
leaders and red auxillarles went into
winter quarters. One band of Shaw
nees he sent to Oalo to scout and
take scaIps In the settlements. In the
spring he would sweep Kentucky and
destroy all the settlements west of
the AIleghanies. SO Erskine and Dave
went for Clark; and that trip neither
ever forgot. Storms had followed each
other since late November and the
snow lay deep. Cattle and horses
persisted, deer and elk were found dead
In the woods. and buffalo came at
nightfall to old Jerome Sanders fort
for food and companlonship with his
ssSo k,..
vegetable food; nothing but the flesh
Of lean wild game. Yet, while the
frontiersmen remained crowded In
the stockades and the men hunted and
the women made clothes OF tanned
deer hides, buffalo-wool cloth, and net
tle-bark linen, and both followed ''nog-
gins out of the knot of tree, Clark
made his amazing march to Vim
cennes, recaptured It by the end Of
February, and sent Hamilton to WIZ
liamsburg d prisoner. Erskine pleaded
70 be allowed to take him there. but
Clark would not let him 60 Perma-
nent garrisons were placed at vim
cennes and Cahokia, and at KaskaslIlA.
Erslkine stayed to help make peace
with the Indians. punish marauders
and hunting bands, SO that by the
end of the year Clark might sit at
the falls Of the Ohio as a shield for
the West and a sure guarantee that
the whites would never be forced to
abandon wild Kentucky.
The two years in the wilderness
had left their mark on Erskine He
kaH vsfI oF,I
yet he was not all woodsman, for
his born inheritance as gentleman had
been more than emphasized by his as
ISOLATION with Clark and certain Gre
ole officers In the Northwest, who had
improved bis French and gratified one
pet wish of his life since his last visit
to the James--they dad taught him to
fence. His mother he had not seen
again. but he had learned that she
was alive and not vat blind OF EARLY
Morn he had heard nothing at all,
Once a traveller had brought word OF
Dane Grey. Grey was In Philadelphia
and prominent In the gay ioings of
that city. He had taken part In a
brilliant pageant called the "Aiischi-
anza," which was staged by Andre.
and was reported close friend of
that Inflated young gentlemaa.
After the fight at Piqua, with Clark
Erskine put forth for old Jerome San
ders' fort. He found the hard days
Of want over. There was not only
corn In plenty but wheat potatoes.
pumpkins. turnips, melons. Game was
\ plentiful. and cattle, horses, and hogs
had multiplied on cane and buffalo
clover. Indeed, II wes a comparative
ly peaceful fall. and though Clark
pleaded with him, Erskine stubbornly
set his face for Virginia.
At Williamsburg Erskine learned
many things. Colonel Dale, now a
general. was still with Washington and
Harry was with him. Hugh was with
the Virginia militia and Dave with
Lafayette.
Tarleton's legion of rangers In their
white uniforms were scourging yir-
gfnia as they had scourged the Car
olinas. Through the james River
country they had gone with fire and
sword, burning houses. carrying or
horses. destroying crops, burning grain
in the mills. laying plantations to
waste. Barbaras mother was dead.
Her neighbors had moved TO safety,
but Barbra. lie heard. still lived with
old Nanny and Ephralm at Red Oaks,
unless that. roo, had been recently
put to the torch. Where. then, would
he end her?
Down the river Erskine rode with a
sad heart. At the place where he
had fought with Grey he pulled Fire
fy 10 a sudden halt. There was the
boundary of Red Oaks and there
started d desolatloa thar run as far
as his eye could reach. Red Oaks
had not been spared and he pur Fire.
ny 10 a fast gallop. with eyes strained
Ear ahead and his heart beating with
agOnized foreboding and savage rage,
Soon aver distant clump Of trees