The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-07-20


heartily. "Erskine has already told
US about you. You are just In time
for dinner"
That's mighty kind" said Dave.
And the ladies, after he was present.
ed, still looked at him with much Gu.
rloslty and great interest. Truly,
strange visitors were coming to Red
Oaks these days.
That night the subject Of Hugh and
Harry going back home with the two
Kentuckians was Drouched to Colonel
Dale. and to the wondering delight
of the two boys both fathers seemed
to consider 1t favorably. Mr.. Brock
ton was going to England for a visit,
the summer was coming on, and both
fathers thought it would he a great
benefit to their sons. Even Mrs. Dale.
on whom the hunter had made a most
agreeable impression, smiled and said
she would already be willing to trust
Ter son with their new guest any
where.
Il shall take good care Of him,
madam" said Dave with bow.
Colonel Dale, too, was greatly taken
with the stranger, and he asked man!
questions of the new land beyond the
mountains. There was dancing again
hat night, and the hunter, towering
head above them all, looked on with
smiling interest. He even took part
in a square dance with Miss Jane vii.
ioughby, handling his great bulk with
astonishing grace and lightness OF
foot. Then the elder gentlemen went
into the drawing-room to their port
and pipes, and the boy Erskine slipped
after them and listened enthralled to
he talk of the coming war.
Colonel Dale had been In Hanover
ten years before, when one Patrick
Henry voiced the first intimation OF
independence in Virginia; Henry, a
country storekeeper - bankrupt;
iarmer-bankrupt; storekeeper again,
and. bankrupt again; an idler, hunter,
Usher, and stOry-teller-even bar
Keeper" as Mr.. Jefferson once dubbed
him, because Henry had once helped
his father-in.law to keep tavern. That
far back Colonel Dale had heard
Henry denounce the clergy, stigmatize
the king as tyrant who had forfeit
ed all claim to obedience, and had
seen the orator caught up on the
shoulders of the crowd and amidst
shouts of applause borne around the
courthouse green He had seen the
same Henry ride into Richmond two
years later on lean horse: with pa
pers In his saddle-pockets, his ex-
preston grim, his tall figure stOOp.
ing, a peculiar twinkle In his small
blue eyes, his brown wig without pow
der, his coat peach-blossom In color
his knee-breeches of leather, and his
stockings of yarn. The speaker OF
the Burgesses was on q dais under
q red canopy supported by gllded rods
and the clerk sat beneath with q
mace on the table before him, hui
Henry cried for liberty or death, and
the shouts of treason failed then and
there to save Virginia for the king
The lads brain whirled. What did
all this mean? Who was this king and
what had he done? He had known
but the one from whom he had ruI
away. When he got Dave alone HI
would learn and learn and learn
everything. And then the younl
people came quietly In and sat dow
quietly, and Colonel Dale, divininl
what they wanted, got Dave startet
on stories of the wild wilderness tina
was his home-the first chapter In tn
Had of Kentucky--the land Of darl
forests and cane thickets that sepa
rated Catawbas, Greeks and Chero
KEGS on the south from Delawarei
Wyandottes and Shawnees on tn
north, who fought one another, an
all Of whom the whites must fieht
How the first fort was hullt. and tn
! first women stood on the banks Of tn
Kentucky river. He told Of the peril
and hardships Of the first journey
thither-fghts with wild beasts an
wild men, chases. hand.to.hand com
bats, escapes and massacres = nm
only the breathing Of his listener
could be heard, save the sound Of hi
own voice. And he came finally t
the story Of the attack on the for
the raising Of a small hand above tn
cane. palm outward, and the swift
dash Of a slender brown body into tn
fort, and, then, seeing the boys fac
turn scarlet, he did not tell how tina
same lad had slipped back into tn
woods even while the fight was goin
on, and slipped back with the blood
scalp Of his enemy. but ended Wit
the timely coming Of the virginian
led BY the lads lather. who got b!
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