It would appear that John Crockett had some funds upon moving to Cove Creek, for he at once began the building of a mill, in partnership5 with a man named Galbreath. They had about finished the mill—undoubtedly a primitive6 affair—when trouble came.
Over all the flanks and summits of the Appalachian range the snow lay deep in the shelter of the pines. It was the accumulation of the long winter, compact, and covered with a glaze7 of ice. All through the winter the creek on which the mill was[27] built flowed quietly in its course, held in check by the icy rein8 of the zero weather. But the stream grew deeper and swifter as the days advanced, and when the swamp-apple and the wild cherry were like woodland fairies in their robes of tender pink and creamy white, when the rumble9 of the partridge’s wings was heard and the violets were scarfs of blue flung here and there, the south wind swept along the range with lowering clouds, the heavens were opened, and the rain began. In “the twinkling of an eye” the stream they had relied upon to run their mill swept every vestige10 of their labor11 out of sight, “lock, stock, and barrel,” as Crockett described the disaster.
Few men care to build upon the scene of ruined hopes, and John Crockett moved on again. We follow him next to a place on the road that was frequented by travellers between Virginia and Nashville. Here he kept an inn for the wayfarer—a poor kind of an affair, where only such people as wagoners were likely to halt. They were as rough as the roads over which they came, and in feeding such guests there was small profit. The[28] Western settlers were always ready to take arms against any authority that held too tight a rein, and each man was as quick to show fight in his own behalf. In his later years, David Crockett remembered the little tavern12 between Jonesboro and Knoxville as a place of “hard times, and plenty of ’em.”
It was there that Davy first saw Andrew Jackson, who was afterwards his leader in the Creek War of 1813. Already the renown13 of the State’s Attorney had become a household subject in Tennessee. Jackson feared no man, and brought to justice the most defiant14 of the mountaineers. The men of that day had a habit of settling their differences out of court, which caused many to die “with their boots on.” Much the same system even now prevails in some parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. To those who have deplored15 the passionate16 natures and the crimes of the foreign element in our country, it may be said that the most lawless and cruel of our citizens are primitive Americans, the feudists of the Dark and Bloody17 Ground and the Big Bend State. The reason why Jackson had most of the court cases in those days was because they were criminal[29] suits, and to him, as public prosecutor18, came the duty of conducting them.
One day there stopped at the Crockett tavern a man from the head of the Limestone19, who had come down the Nolichucky with a load of corn that he had stolen from a neighbor. Of this he openly boasted, and he defied any one to interfere20 with him. John Crockett told him he did not care to take stolen corn as payment for feeding him and his horses, and asked him to go; but the unwelcome guest said he should stay as long as he liked. The next day, towards dark, appeared a number of horsemen, who had been belated by a storm in the mountains. Among them was Andrew Jackson, and there were also two or three constables21 and prisoners on the way to Knoxville. Then in his twenty-seventh year, Jackson was an ideal leader of men. More than six feet tall, slender but muscular, the glance of his dark blue eyes meant more than verbal threats. To him, John Crockett told the story of the vainglorious23 thief. Jackson told the man that he was under arrest, whereupon the latter at once became violent and threatening.
[30]
The room of the tavern in which the wagoners spent the spare hours was large and dingy24, built of logs, and had been the scene of more than one desperate quarrel. There were enough bullet-holes in the logs to prove it.
Jackson whispered to a constable22, and under the directions of the latter every one left the room except Jackson and the thief. Ten minutes afterwards the latter came out of the room, without his rifle or knife, and sullenly25 left the place. The horses and the wagon-load of corn were left behind, and were afterwards turned over to the man from whom they had been stolen. Davy, who was a lad of eight or nine years at the time, had been terrified by the threats of the corn-thief, and always wondered at the quiet way in which Andrew Jackson had disposed of him.
The small boy’s days are short, but full of zest26. Having as yet no conscience, or at least a dormant27 one, he feels no regrets for his misdeeds, but sleeps the sleep of the just, and wakes with all his faculties28 for mischief29 whetted30. Where “two or three are gathered together,” there is always danger in[31] the air. Davy had brothers whose experiences gave him a good start, and he “profited by their example.” Up to the age of five, when he danced with rage on the banks of the shore where he had been left alone, he tells us that he never had worn any breeches. From this we infer that as he was easy to overhaul31 in flight, and was without any protection from the usual application of punishment, he had to grow and be clothed before he became a serious source of trouble. An Irishman fresh from the Old Sod will tell you that “a boy’ll be after huntin’ trouble before his ears are dry.” And once started, he never quits.
In Davy’s time there were no jam closets for him to rob, for the cupboard was always empty, except for the great loaves of bread that were baked from corn and rye. Everything being devoured32 as fast as it was cooked, none of the boy’s time was taken up with watching the pantry, and his time was his own. If there happened to be such neighborhood events as corn-huskin’s, ’lasses-b’ilin’s, log-rollin’s, bean-stringin’s, or butter-stirrin’s, which still prevail in the mountains, there was a respite33 for his[32] victims. Upon one occasion, when his parents had gone to a corn-husking, Davy and one of his brothers, with another boy, rounded up all the hogs34 that were fattening35 on beech-nuts in the woods, penned them up, cut off their tails, and let them go. It was some weeks later when their villainy was detected. They were forced to confess that they were guilty, and that the tails had been roasted in hot ashes and eaten. Such mild pastimes as robbing birds’ nests were diversified36 by practical jokes on the travelling public, and many a beating fell to the lot of the Crockett boys. One of the tricks they played was to take the calves away from their bovine37 mothers after dark. This meant all-night bawling, and human wakefulness, until the cows were united with the lost offspring. If Elisha had lived in the Tennessee mountains, the bears would have been busy all the time.
When Davy was twelve, in 1798, he had become a strong and useful lad, with a fully38 developed conscience. The wishes of his parents were the only law he had known, and when at last the time came when his father said to him, as Saul to him of[33] old, “David, go, and the Lord be with thee,” he went forth39 as a pilgrim. It is not certain with what words he was sent forth, but he seems to have made no appeal from the bargain that sent him four hundred miles over the mountains, on foot, in the keeping of a stranger. Perhaps he had come to know that his father found it hard to feed so many mouths. At any rate, he took up the long march with an old German, Jacob Siler, who was bound to Virginia with a herd40 of cattle, where he proposed to remain. How many have read with sympathy and keen appreciation41 Davy’s simple story of his departure “with a heavy heart,” perhaps never to return!
Siler treated the boy kindly42, and paid him five or six dollars for his help. When he reached the end of his journey, he tried to persuade Davy to stay with him. At first Davy thought it his father’s wish that he should remain, so for some weeks he tried to be content; but the yearning43 to see his family again was strong within him. One day, as he was playing in the road, there came along three familiar faces, those of a man named Dunn and two sons,[34] each with a good team. The sight of them was like a sight of home, for they were bound to Knoxville, and the way led past the lowly Crockett inn, and Davy was soon telling his plight44 to sympathetic listeners. As his disappearance45 in the daytime would soon be known and might result in his being brought back, they told him that if he could get to the place where they were to put up for the night, seven miles away, they would take him home. All the tiresome46 journey there, Davy had come on foot, and at the prospect47 of riding all the way back, heaven opened before him.
To his delight, he found that the “good old Dutchman and his family” had gone to a neighbor’s. Davy’s own story of what followed is this:
“I gathered my clothes and what little money I had, and put them all together under the head of my bed. I went to bed early that night, but I could not sleep. For though I was a wild boy, yet I dearly loved my father and mother, and I could not sleep for thinking of them. And then the fear that I should be discovered and called to a halt filled me with anxiety: and between my childish love[35] of home, on the one hand, and the fears of which I have spoken, on the other, I felt mighty48 queer.”
It was three hours before daylight when Davy crawled out of his bed. He got away from the house without waking any one, and found it snowing hard, eight inches having already fallen. In the absence of moonlight, it was a difficult matter to reach the main highway, half a mile off; but once in that, he steered49 his way towards the place appointed, guided by the opening made through the woods. He was two hours trudging50 through snow up to his knees, and as his tracks were covered as fast as they were made, the Siler family must have wondered at his disappearance.
Davy found the Dunns up and feeding their teams, and was kindly received. As he warmed himself by the fire, he forgot his struggle with the storm in his thankfulness for their goodness and help. As soon as breakfast was over, the wagoners set out, and the boy found himself counting the seemingly endless miles of the homeward journey. When they reached the Roanoke valley, his desire to get home was too great for him to endure the[36] slow progress of the loaded wagons51. He could travel twice as fast afoot, so at the house of John Cole, on the Roanoke, he thanked his kind friends for what they had done for him, and started out alone on what must have been a tramp of three hundred miles.
He was near the first crossing of the river in a few hours, and dreaded52 it, as he would have to wade53 or swim to the other side, in water that was very cold. Then he heard the clatter54 of horses’ feet behind him, and a cheery hail from a man who was returning from where he had sold some stock. He had an extra horse, saddled and bridled55, and as he had also a soft spot in his heart for boys, in a moment Davy was mounted, as proud as a king. In this way he travelled until within fifteen miles of home, when he went his way on foot, full of gratitude56 towards the stranger for his goodness towards a “poor little straggling boy.”
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1
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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3
bawling
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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6
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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glaze
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| v.因疲倦、疲劳等指眼睛变得呆滞，毫无表情 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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12
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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13
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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17
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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prosecutor
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| n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人 | |
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19
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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constables
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| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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22
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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23
vainglorious
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| adj.自负的；夸大的 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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dormant
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| adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的 | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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29
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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30
whetted
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| v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的过去式和过去分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等） | |
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31
overhaul
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| v./n.大修，仔细检查 | |
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32
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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34
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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35
fattening
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| adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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36
diversified
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| adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域 | |
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37
bovine
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| adj.牛的；n.牛 | |
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38
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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39
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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40
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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41
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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42
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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43
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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44
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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45
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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46
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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47
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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48
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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49
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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50
trudging
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式） | |
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51
wagons
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| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
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52
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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53
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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54
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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55
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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56
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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