The Red Cloud chief., 1922-11-16
CHAPTER xv-Continued.

The boy had been two years In the
wflds. When he left the Shawnee
camp winter was setting In, that ter
rible winter of '79-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
Vincennes. 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 W 20
or three Americans With him had to
give up the fort. The French reswore
allegiance to Britain. Hamilton con-
fiscated 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 auxiliaries went into
winter quarters. One bnnd of Shaw
nees he sent to Ohio to scout and
take scalps In the settlements. In the
spring he would sweep Kentucky and
destroy all the settlements west of
the A~lleghanies. 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 companionship with his
starving herd. There was no salt or
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 n tree, Clark
made his amazing march to Vim
cennes, recaptured II by the end Of
February, and sent Hamilton to VIII
liamsburg a prisoner. Ersklne pleaded
to be allowed to take him there, but
Clark would not let him 60. Perma-
nent garrlsons were placed at Vim
cennes and Cahokia, and at Kaskaskia.
Erskine stayed to help make peace
with the Indians, punish marauders
and hunting bands, so that by the
end of the year Clark might sit ut
the falls OF the Ohio as a shield for
the West and n 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
was tall. lean, swarthy, gaunt, and
Nrnf hn xt.nn mot all v,nnlgpnnn fAr
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 his French and gratified one
pet wish of his life since his last visit
to the James-they had taught him to
fence. His mother he had not seer
again, but he had learned that she
was alive and not yet blind. OF Early
Morn he had heard nothing Mt all.
Once n traveller had brought word Of
Dane Grey. Grey was In Philadelphia
and prominent in the gay doings Of
that city. He had taken part In a
brilliant pageant called the "Mischi-
nnza," which was staged by Andre,
and was reported n close friend Of
that Inflated young gentleman.
After the fight at Plqua, with Clark
Erskine put forth for old Jerome San
ders' fort. lie found the hard days
OF want over. There was not only
corn In plenty but wheat, potatoes,
pumpkins, turnlps, melons. Game was
plentiful, and cattle, horses, and hogs
had multiplied on cane and buffalo
clover. Indeed, II was n comparative
iy peaceful fall, and though Clark
pleaded with him, Erskipe %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 Vir.
ginia as they had scOurged the Car
ollnas. Through the James River
country they had zone with fire and
sword, burning houses, carrying OF
horses, destroying crops, burning grain
I'm the mills, laying plantations tC
waste. Barbara's mother was dead
Her nelghbors had moved to safety
but Barbara, he heard, still lived witt
old Nanny and Ephraim at Red Oaks
unless that, too, had been recently
put to the torch. Where, then, would
he find her?
Down the river Erskine rode with &
sad heart. At the place where hi
had fought with Grey he pulled Fire
fly TO a sudden halt. There was the
boundary of Red Oaks and there
started a desolation that al as fal
as his eye could reach. Red Oaks
had not been spared, and he put Fire
fly to a fast gallop, with eyes strained
far ahead and his heart beating with
agonized f0reboding and savage rage
Soon over q distant clump Of tree.
he could see the chimneys Of Bar