Salute to Adventurers

hand. Through the tent door I looked over a wide space of green savannah. How I had got there I knew not; but, as my memory repeated the events of the night, I knew I had tra

I got to my feet and staggered out to clear my hea

cried, as I sat down beside

took long draughts

pirit folk about the country at your pleasure? I

"what sort of

men, and that I saw murder done. The look of

vely; "but you have the wrong word f

"when you had no court or law

see the man Cosh? Have you heard anything of his doings, and will you deny that the world was well quit of him? There's a decency in all trades, and Cosh fair stank to heaven. But I'm glad the thing ended as it did.

pitchforked suddenly into a world of lawlessness. I could not

andling," I said, "Whe

quietly till Shalah gave the word? I had to be harsh with you, or they would have suspected somet

made me more feared of being a cowar

urable reaso

those men?" I asked. "T

proper occupation f

dalb

. But I was in a vile temper, for the dregs of the negro's rum still hummed in my

light my race," he s

at claimed to be a gentleman! What is it they say abou

I was in the wrong, and I knew it, but I was

ee steps. The blackness had gone from his

spice of the Whiggamore. I would have killed another man for half your words, a

t. I had forced a quarrel like an ill-mannered boy on the very man whose help I had come to seek.

, and this is no a matter that will wait. I could spit you in a jiffy with my sword, but it wouldna be fair. It stri

he old way that laddies use on the village green. Man, Andrew, I'm going to skelp you, as yo

at the whole business. I felt the disgrace of my co

ngan danced round me, tapping me lightly on nose and cheek, but hard enough to make the blood flow, I defended myself as best I could, while my temper rose rapidly

hest. Something like the sails of a windmill smote me on the jaw, and I fel

the tent-pole with a cold bandage round my for

's no a scratch on your lily-white cheek, and the blood-let

ill-humour had gone, and I was now in a hurry to set myself righ

d I've been giving myself some ill names for that last tr

me to the

ybe it's because I've no fish of my own to fry. I do not rob for greed, like Calvert and Williams, or kill for lust, like the departed Cosh. To me it's a game, which I play by honest rules. I never laid finger on a bodle's worth of English stuff, and if now and then I ease the Dons of a pickle silver or send a Frenchman or two to purga

bout the man which convinced me. But his

I would never complain if it were the common risk of my trade, but I have a notion that ther

our losses?

and burned to the water. God help the po

of Cosh's exploits. He has paid b

e Capes and far up the Tidewater of the

I did that my

ath filled me, but

boarded her, but they took nothing away save a sum of go

s safe. I'll give you a line to

in Heaven's name, asked you to manage my business? I thought you were my frie

I was absent at the time, and though the thing was dirty work, as any one could see, some of the fools thought it a fair ploy, and Cosh was suffered to do his will. When I got back I heard the story, and was black angry, so I took the matter into my own keeping. I h

out road," said I,

you in your counting-house? Now that you're here, you have my sworn word that the

ut you spoke of a big

for our bargain, and it's the reason I brought you here. Tell me, Andrew, d'you ken a man Frew who lives o

t you had. And d'you min

my views on the defencelessness of our West. "He spoke God's

be too late to save some of their scalps. Come

t to some little hills, and in the hollow

ee something to your profit. Quick, Moro," he cried t

had gone, and I was now in a contented frame of mind; for I saw the purpose of my errand accom

apsalteery if he had not suddenly died of a bowel complaint. After that Berkeley and his tame planters got the upper hand, and there were some pretty homings and hangings. There were two men that were lieutenants to Bacon, and maybe put the notion into his head. One was James Drummond, a cousin of my own mother's, and he got the gallows for his trouble. The other was a man Richard Lawrence, a fine scholar, and a grand hand at plann

tale twenty times. "But surely they're right," I sai

nt. The Tuscaroras are bad enough in themselves, but the worst part is that all the back country in the hills belongs to their cousins the Cherokees, and God knows how far north their sway holds. The Long House of the Iroquois controls everything west of the coast land from Carolina away up through Virginia to New York and the Canadas. That means that Virginia has on two sides the most powerful tribes of savages in the world, and if ever the Iroquois found a general and made a common attack things would go ill with the Tidewater. I tell you that so that you can understand

that the long grass and the clumps of bushes held watchers. They made no noise, but I could have sworn to the truth of my notion. Ringan, whose senses were keener than mine, would stop every now and again and raise his hand as if in signal. At one place we halted dead for five minutes, and at another he dism

he approaches. One young lad took the horses, and led us to a teepee bigger than the others, outside of which stood a finely-made savage, with heron's feathers in his hair, and a necklace of polished shells. On his Iron face there was no flicker of welcome or recognition, but he shook hands silently with the two of us, and struck a blow on a dry gourd. Instan

t the Indian moccasins. The eyes in his head were keen and youthful, and though he could not have been less than sixty he carried himself with the vigour of a man in his prime. Below his shaggy locks was a high, broad forehead, such as some college professor might have bor

ence joined in, and I saw the Indian's eyes kindle. He shook his head, and seemed to deny s

come down from the hills to be ready for a great r

ing in Sioux to one of the warriors, and got an emphatic answer, which he translated to me. "He thinks t

ghting in Can

hen down to the Tidewater. It is not likely that the Five Nations have any plan of conquering the lowlands. They're a hill people, and they know the white man's mettle too well. My notion is that some devilry is g

of Cherokees, who lived six days' journey into the hills, had found a great Sachem who had the white man's magic, and that God was moving him to d

he Free Companies too warm for them. There's no knowing the mischief a strong-minded rascal might work. I mind a man at Norfolk, a Sc

black trouble for Virginia, but we've some months' breathing space. For Nat Bacon's sake, I'm

into the planters, you could not get a worse man for the job. I have told Governor Nicholson my fears, and he is of my opinion, but his

settlers who have been soured by the folly of the Government. With such poor means as I possess I keep in touch with these gentlemen, and in them we have the rudiments of a frontier army. I don't say they are many; but five hundred resolute fellows, well horsed and well armed, and led by some man who knows the Indian ways, might be a stumbling-block in the way of an Iroquois raid. But to perfe

a law-abiding citizen," I said, "and I can have no han

quarrel with the Council and less with His Majesty's Governor. We but seek to set the house in order against p

said, "I will

rrange with you certain matters of arms. He will also supply you with what money is needed. There are many in the Tidewater who would look askance at this business, so it must be done in desperate secrecy; but if there should be trouble I cou

e we to prepa

st. It may be shorter or longer, but I wil

"If we are to hold the western marches of Virgi

x are not over-fond of the Long House. If the Tuscaror

o me was to send him any English books of a serious cast which came under my eye. This request he made with so much hesitation, but with so hungry

s guiding. Presently we left the savannah for the woods of the coast, and, dropping down hill by a very meagre path, we came in thr

on, and maybe see me in the flesh on the Tidewater. Remember the word I t