The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-05-29
CHAPTER XIX
The First Fourth of July.

Mrs. Scott and her child lived In
the family of General Herkimer for
a month or so. Settlers remote from
towns and villages had abandoned
their farms. The Indians had gone
into the great north bush perhaps to
meet the British army which was said
to be coming down from Canada in
appalling numbers. Hostilities in the
neighborhood of The Long House had
ceased. The great Indian highway and
its villages were deserted save by
young children and a few ancient red
men and squaws, too old for travel.
Late in June, Jack and Solomon were
ordered to report to General Schuyler
at Albany,
Were getting shoveled eroun'
plenty" Solomon declared. Wen
take the womern an the boy with US
an paddle DOWN the Mohawk to AL
bany. They kind O. fell from heaven
into our hands an we got to look
alter EN- faithful. Fust We know OF
HerkIl be movin' er swallered hull by
the British an the Injllns, like Jonah
was by the whale, then what 'ud be
come O. her an the Leetle Cricket
We got to look alter EN-"
Il think my mother will be glad to
give them a home,'' said Jack. 'She
really needs some help in the house
these days.
The Scots buildings had been
burned by the Indians and their boats
destroyed save one large canoe which
had happened to be on the south shore
of the river out of their reach. In this
Jack and Solomon and Mis- Scott"
and the Little Cricket set out with
loaded packs in the moon of the new
leaf, to use a phrase of the Mohawks,
for the city of the Great river. They
had a carry at Wolf Riff and some
shorter les but in the main it was
a smooth and delightful journey, be-
tween wooded shores, down the long
winding lane Of the Mohawk. With
out fear of the Indians they were able
to shoot deer and wild fowl and build
a fire on almost any part of the shore.
Mrs. Scott insisted on her right to do
the cooking. Jack kept a diary of the
trip, some pages Of which the historian
has read. From them we learn:
Mrs. Scott has bravely run the
gauntlet of her sorrows. Now there is
a new look in her face. She is a
black-eyed, dark-haired, energetic,
comely woman Of forty with cheeks
as red as a ripe strawberry. Solomon
calls her middle sized but she seems
to be large enough to fill his eye. He
shows her great Difference and chooses
his words with particular care when
he speaks to her. OF late he has taken
to singing. She and the boy seem to
have stirred the depths in him and
curious things are coming up to the
surface-songs and stories and droll
remarks and playful tricks and an I'M
usual amount of laughter. L suppose
that it is the spirit of youth in him,
stunned by his great sorrow. Now
touched by miraculous hands he is
coming back to his old self. There can
be no doubt Of this: the man is ten
years younger than when I first knew
him even. The Little Cricket has laid
hold of his heart. Wing sits between
the feet of Solomon in the stern dur
ing the day and insists upon sleeping
with him at night.
zone morning my old friend was
laughing as we stood on the river
bank washing ourselves.
"'What are you laughing atT 1
asked.
"'That gol durn leetle ~skeezucksl 7
he answered. He were kickin' all
night like a mule fghtin' a humble
bee. Twere a cold night an 1 held
him ag'in me to keep the leetle cuss
warm.
"tHadn't you better let him sleep
with his mother? I asked.
"'Wal if it takes two to do his
sleepin' mebbe I better be the one that
Amt she a likely womernf
"Of course / agreed, for it was evil
LEM that she was likely, sometime, to
make him an excellent wife and the
thought Of that made me happy"
They had Jared along down by the
rude forts and villages travelling
stealthily at night in tree shadows
through 1.-THE Tory zone" as the v1cin-
ity of Fort Johnson was then called,
camping, now and then, in deserted
farmhouses or putting up at village
inns. Setting out from their last camp
an hour before daylight they had heard
the booming. of cannon at sunrise.
Solomon stopped his paddle and lis
"By the hide an horns o. the devil !" !.
exclaimed. 81 wonder If the British