The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-01-17
CHAPTER xv-Continued.


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 two
or three Americans it'll 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 band 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 Alleghanies. 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 a tree, Clark
made his amazing march to Vim
cennes. recaptured it by the end of
February, and sent Hamilton to Will
liamsburg prisoner. Erskine pleaded
to be allowed to take him there. but
Clark would not let him go. Perma-
nent garrisons were placed at Vim
cennes and Cahokia, and at KaskaSkia.
Erskine stayed to help make peace
with the Indians. punish marauders
and hunting bands. 50 that by the
end of the year Clark might sit at
the West and q 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
oil
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
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 seen |
again, but he had learned that she
was alive and not yet blind. OF Early |
Morn he had heard nothing at all. |
Once q traveller had brought word of |
Dane Grey. Grey was in Philadelphia |
and prominent I'm the gay doings 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 gentleman.
After the fight at Piqua, with Clark
Erskine put forth for old Jerome San
1ers' fort. He found the hard days
If want over. There was not only
.orn In plenty but wheat, potatoes,
pumpkins, turnips, melons. Game was
plentiful. and cattle, horses, and hogs
lad multiplied on cane and buffalo
dover. Indeed, it was comparative
v peaceful fall, and though Clark
Headed with him, Erskine stubbornly
et his face for Virginia.
At Williamsburg Erskine learned
many things. Colonel Dale, now a
.eneral was still with Washington and
larry was with him. Hugh was with
he virginia militia and Dave with
Tarleton's legion of rangers in their
vhite uniforms were scourging Vir-
inia as they had scOurged the Car
IInas. Through the James River
ountry they had gone with fire and
word, burning houses, carrying off
orses, destroying crops, burning grain
, the mills. laying plantations q
-aste. Barbara's mother was dead.
Ter neighbors had moved to safety,
ut Barbara, he heard, still lived with
Id Nanny and Ephraim at Red Oaks,
Mess that, too, had been recently
ut to the torch. Where. then. would
Q find her?
Down the river Erskine rode with
Id heart. At the place where he
nd fought with Grey he pulled Fire
v TO sudden halt. There was the
oundary Of Red Oaks and there
arted desolation that ran as far
, his eye could reach. Red Oaks |
ad not been spared, and he put Fire
Y to fast galIop, with eyes strained I
Ir ahead and his heart beating with
,onized foreboding and savage rage. S
,on over distant clump of trees
IL l. ..-..-s- - L 4