Harrodsburg was a typical village of its kind, the old frontier post fortified5 against Indians. Its houses were built in close rows around a square, the intervals6 between them protected by heavy palisades, forming a continuous line with the walls. At each angle rose a large block-house, flanking the bare curtains, and a small ditch encompassed7 the whole.
On the morning succeeding the daring entrance of Ruby8 and her two protectors to the fort, a handsome and distinguished9 looking man of about twenty-five, dressed in a curious but very picturesque10 mixture of military uniform and backwoods frock and leggins, stood in the upper story of one of the block-houses, looking out over the gate through a loophole, and talking to Ruby Roland.
This young man, whose peculiar11 air of intelligence and resolution marked him as a person of no common mold, was[36] none other than the afterward12 celebrated13 George Rogers Clark, a man who had already inspired more hope and confidence in the breasts of the people of Kentucky than any other leader had yet succeeded in doing.
Colonel Clark had just returned from the parent State of Virginia, with twelve hundred pounds of Continental14 money, a colonel’s commission, public orders “to defend Kentucky,” and private orders to—ah! that no one knew, though many would have given much to satisfy their curiosity. He had issued a call to the settlers of Kentucky to organize for a secret expedition, and companies had been formed at different points all along the frontiers of the present States of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio.
And now, when his plans were almost ripe, the ardent15 young leader was caught and caged in Harrodsburg, by a miserable16 Shawnee chief named Blackfish, and less than three hundred warriors17. Such are the accidents that conspire18 against the most successful military chiefs.
Colonel Clark was looking thoughtfully out of the loophole, but listening to the words of his fair companion with great attention, nevertheless. There were no eavesdroppers near, and the girl appeared to be talking very earnestly.
“If you will come, colonel,” she said in conclusion, “I can promise that you shall be welcomed by all the tribes of forest and prairie that obey my father. You will only have to contend with the British, for our people are already tired of the yoke19, and long to throw it off.”
Colonel Clark remained silently looking out of the loophole, as if he had not heard what she said. He seemed to be absorbed in watching the maneuvers20 of a herd21 of cattle that had been driven out of the fort-gate as soon as daylight advanced, and when the besiegers had retired22 to a respectful distance.
This was done every day, and, curiously23 enough, the Indians seldom or never molested24 the herdsmen, as long as they kept within the clearing surrounding the fort.
Without answering Ruby, the young colonel pointed25 to the cattle, and said:
“There are Indians in the high grass behind those cows. See how they act.”
Ruby frowned a little impatiently, and answered:
[37]
“We are not talking of that, colonel. I brought you a certain proposition from Tabac, the Grand Sachem and Grand Door of the Wabash. Have you any answer for it?”
Clark smiled provokingly. He was a man of great penetration26 and tact27, as the reader will discover in the course of this book, and for some reason he did not see fit to give the girl a full answer at the moment.
“You see that field,” he said, pointing; “now, Mademoiselle Roland, if you wait here half an hour I’ll show you some of the tallest kind of fun that you ever saw. And after that, I’ll be ready to talk business to you.”
So saying, he vanished from the block-house, with very scant28 ceremony for the lady it contained, leaving her overwhelmed with surprise and mortification29, not unmixed with great anger at herself.
Ruby Roland, left to herself, clenched30 her little hands and stamped her foot angrily, saying:
“Why did I come here through all these dangers to meet this handsome, insolent31 American, who laughs at me? Does he think I am some common squaw, that he leaves me thus? Now, by heavens, if he does not treat me better at our next interview, he shall find that Ruby Roland can go out as she came in, and woe32 betide all here if she does, and his handsome, insolent face worst of all. Oh, I could strike him dead!”
From all which tirade33, it became evident that Miss Ruby was very much piqued34 at Colonel Clark’s neglect, while, at the same time, much struck with his personal appearance. Whatever her proposition might have been, she was not destined35 to obtain an answer to it that morning, for events speedily took place which interested her in spite of herself.
Looking down toward the gate, she saw reckless Simon Kenton standing36 by its open leaves, with two or three other men, and saw Colonel Clark approach and give the scout37 some orders. Simon nodded, sauntered out of the gate, with Boone and five or six hunters, and strolled carelessly toward the field in front of the gate where the cows were feeding, and where the animals appeared to be very uneasy—a sure sign of Indians being near them.
Ruby, watching the length of the palisades, soon after saw[38] the colonel himself, with a long file of men, emerge from behind the block-house at the further angle of the fort, and steal off into the woods, in the very direction from which she had come the night before.
Interested in spite of herself, she watched and listened for signs of the enemy. All was quiet, and it seemed as if the besiegers must have retired from the place but for the behavior of the cattle.
She saw Simon and the hunters stop short in a turnip-patch which had been cleared close under the fire of the fort, and begin to thin the vegetables, as if at their ordinary work.
Every now and then one of the men in the field would shout out some witticism38 to those in the fort about the Indians having run away, and all this time the lurking39 savages40 gave no token of their whereabouts.
All of a sudden, a loud yell was raised from the woods, in rear of the field where the cattle were feeding, followed by a rattling41 volley of rifles; and the next moment Clark and his Kentuckians darted42 out of the cover, routing out some fifty Indians, who leaped up and stood bewildered.
At the same moment Kenton and the men in the turnip-patch raised a yell of triumph, and poured a second volley into the now demoralized savages, charging in at the instant of firing.
The Shawnees made a feeble, scattering43 return, and then fled in great haste, the borderers rushing out after them in hot pursuit—the sound of yells and shots dying away in the distance.
At least an hour elapsed before they returned, and then Ruby was at the gate to meet them. She was anxious to know what had happened. The first person she saw was Colonel Clark, who came up at the head of his men, smiling, as if greatly pleased.
He came straight to Ruby, and addressed her before all the people:
“Mademoiselle Roland, Blackfish decamped last night, as soon as he heard you had got in. We have driven away this little body of spies, and Harrodsburg is safe. Mademoiselle, I accept your proposition.”
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1
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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2
robins
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| n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书） | |
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3
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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4
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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5
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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6
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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7
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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8
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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9
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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10
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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11
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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12
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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13
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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14
continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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15
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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16
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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17
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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18
conspire
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| v.密谋，（事件等）巧合，共同导致 | |
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19
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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maneuvers
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| n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 ) | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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22
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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23
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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24
molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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25
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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27
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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28
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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30
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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32
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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33
tirade
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| n.冗长的攻击性演说 | |
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34
piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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35
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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36
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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37
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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38
witticism
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| n.谐语，妙语 | |
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39
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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40
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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41
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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42
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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43
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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