The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-10-19
CHAPTER xv-continued.

"iuS. W men ne le1t the shawnee
camp winter was setting ill., that ter.
rible winter of 'T0-of deep snow and
hunger and cold. When he reached
haskaskia, Captain Clark had gone to
Kentucky, and Erskinc found bad
news. Hamilton and Hay had taken
NincenncS. There Captain Helms Gre
oieS, 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 resworc
allegiance to Britain. Hamilton con
iiscatcd their liquor and broke up their
billiard tables. He let his Indians
scatter I" their villages, and with his
regulars. volunteers, white Indian
leaders and red auXiiaricS went into
winter quarters. One band of Shaw
n"cS 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 .Allcghanies. 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
periShed, deer and elk were found dead
in the woods. and buffalo came at
niShtfall to old Jerome Sanders for,
for food and compnnonShip with his
starving herd. There was no salt or
vegetable food; nothing but the flesh
of lean wild game. Yet while the
fron'crSnen remained crowded in
+ the StorkadcS and the mon hunted ana
| the women made clothes of tanned
| deer hides. huifalo-woul cloth. and net
! 'lc.bark linen, and both followed "nog-
| gins" out of the knot Of Il tree, Clark
made his amazing march to Vim
cenncs rccaptured it hy the end of
February, and sent hamilton to Will
linmSburg Il prisoner ErSkinc pleaded
TO he allowed TO take him there, but
Clark would not let him 90. Prrma-
nrnt garriSonS were placed at Vim
ccnncS and Cah"kia, and ut KnSkaSkn.
l:rSkinc stayed To help make peace
with tn" Indians punish marauderS
ana hunting bands. So that by the
"nd OF the year Clark might sit at
lhr falls of the Ohio as n shield for
the West and a sure guarantee thar
abandon wild Kentucky.
The two years in the Wilderness
had left their mark on ErSiinr. He
Was tall, lean, Swnrthy, gaunt, ana
yet he WAS not all WoodSmun, for
his born Inheritance rs gentleman had
been more than emphasized hy his as.
Sociation with Clark and ccrtan ere.
ole officers in the Northwest who had
improved his French ana yrtiiicd one
pet wish of his life since his last visit
10 the ,lnmrS--thry had taught him 10
fence. lis mother he had not seen
again, but he had learned that She
was alive and not yet blind. OF Early
Morn he had heard nothing at all
Once traveller had brought word of
Dane Grey. Grey was in PHILADELPHIA
and prominent in the gay doings of
chat city. He had taken part in a
brilliant pageant called the "NIiSchi.
nnzn," which was staged by Andre,
and was reported close friend Of
that Inflated young gentleman.
After the fight ut Piqun, with Clark
Erskinc 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, turnips, melons. Game was
plentiful. and cattle, horses. and hogs
had multiplied on cane and buffalo
clover. Indeed, it was Il comparative.
ly peaceful fall, and though Clark
pleaded with him. Erskinc stubbornly
set his face Tor Virginia.
At Williamsburg Erskinc learned
- l,;, r>l Nj,
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 Vlr.
ginia as they had scourged the Car.
olinas. Through the James River
country they had gone with fire and
sword, burning houses, carrying of
horses, destroying crops, burning grain
In the mills, laying plantations to
waste. Barbara's mother was dead.
Her neighbors had moved to safety,
but Barbara, he heard, still lived with
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 a
sad heart. At the place where he
had fought with Grey he pulled Fire.
fly TO n sudden halt. There was the
boundary Of Red Oaks and there
started dcsolation that ran as far
as his eye could reach. Red Oaks
had not been spared, and he put Fire
fly to fast gallop. with eyes strained
far ahead and his heart beating with
agonized foreboding and savage rage
Soon over a distant clump of trees
! he could see the chimneys of Bar.