Stories of American Life and Adventure eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 163 pages of information about Stories of American Life and Adventure.

Stories of American Life and Adventure eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 163 pages of information about Stories of American Life and Adventure.

The same pack horse carried a flat piece of iron to make a plow, and some hoes and axes.  The hoes and axes were without handles, except one ax, which was used to cut firewood during the journey.  Handles could be made for the tools after the family got to Kentucky.

Behind this horse another one was tied.  He carried two great basket-like things hanging on each side of him.  These baskets or crates were made of hickory boughs.  All the clothing and bedding that people could take on such long and rough journeys was stored in these crates.

In the middle of each crate a hole was left.  In one of these holes rode little Master George, a boy of six.  In the other was stowed Betsey, a girl of four.  One fine day during the journey, the baby was put into the basket by the side of Betsey, and then the two older children amused themselves by pointing out to the baby the things they saw by the wayside.

[Illustration]

At length the narrow trail or path passed along the edge of a dangerous cliff.  George and Betsey shut their eyes, so as not to see how steep the place was.  They were afraid the horse might fall off, and they be dashed to pieces.  But baby Ben only laughed and crowed, for what did a little fellow like him know about danger.  A hired man walked behind the last horse to see that nothing was lost.

When night came, the horses were unloaded and turned loose.  The little bells tied round their necks had been stuffed with grass during the day to keep them from jingling.  This grass was removed, and the bells set a-tinkling, so that the horses could be found in the morning.  The tired pack horses began at once to eat the long grass, now and then nibbling the boughs of young trees.

[Illustration]

A fire was built by a stream, and supper was cooked.  If it had been raining, the men would have built a little tent of boughs or bark for the family, but, as the weather was clear, beds were made of grass and dry leaves in the open air.  The whole family slept under blue woolen coverlets, with only the starry sky for shelter.  The fire was kept up for fear of wolves.

In the morning the children played about while the mother got breakfast.  When the meal was over, Mr. Craig and the hired man went to look for one of the horses that had strayed away.  Baby Ben climbed into his mother’s lap, as she sat upon the log, and fell asleep.  In order to have things all packed by the time the men returned, the mother laid the little fellow on some long dry grass that grew among the boughs of a fallen tree.  When the father returned, it was nine o’clock.  He hurried the mother upon her horse among the pots and pans, saying that he wished to overtake a company of travelers that was ahead of him, so as to travel more safely.

“Now fetch me the baby,” said Mrs. Craig.

“No, mother, please let the baby ride with me again,” said little Betsey, just come back from washing her face in the creek.

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Stories of American Life and Adventure from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.