An Honorable Soldier in General Washington's Army: Chapter 13
by Tami B.
Disclaimer: The following work has been written solely for the enjoyment of fans and not for monetary profit. The rights to the characters initially created for the Daniel Boone series belong to 20th Century Fox and Fess Parker. All other characters are of the author's own creation. No copyright violation is intended.
When Daniel met Mingo he shook his hand. "Nice work, Mingo. Big magic did good."
"Indeed," Mingo agreed. "There will be peace and not war."
"Let's find Adam. Then we'll have to make certain the Redcoats leave Kentucky and the Indians want to keep the peace," Daniel said.
"You mean there's some doubt that the Indians don't want peace now?" Mingo asked incredulously. "Maybe big magic didn't work as well as you originally thought."
Daniel smiled. "Let's go find my soldier. Knowing him, he's probably preparing to battle the fleeing Redcoats."
They began the search for Adam, but what they found was only his hat and rifle. Taking a closer look, Daniel found evidence of a horse and Mingo found a splotch of blood on a branch on the ground.
"I don't like what I'm thinking," Daniel said.
"Markes has Adam and the boy may be hurt," Mingo spoke.
"That's right and they're headed north," Daniel concluded.
Immediately they followed but as the darkness grew they were afraid of losing them so they decided to rest and resume the next morning. By mid-afternoon on the next day, Daniel and Mingo had long caught up to the Redcoats and looked for an opportunity to rescue Adam. Markes had him lashed to the saddle and he appeared all right, but there was a small gob of dried blood high on his forehead. The march halted and two Redcoats positioned themselves beside the horse as another took a hold off the halter. After his wrists were untied, Adam was made to dismount. His feet were bound and with his hands behind his back, they were tied and secured to his waist. The Redcoats lifted him and took him to a tree where they threw a long lash around his neck and tied the other end to a branch above Adam's head. In this way, he was allowed to hop around or sit.
Their observation point offered a view and was within hearing of what was going on in the camp. Adam stood with his back leaned against the trunk of the tree. Three Redcoats flanked him.
"They're worried Adam'll make a run for it if he should get loose somehow," Daniel observed.
"Not them. Markes," Mingo said, pointing to Markes who was approaching Adam.
"Him too," Daniel agreed.
Struggling to free himself from his bonds, Adam was met only with failure. It was also very tiring. He decided to rest before redoubling his efforts.
"Adam, I brought you nourishment," Markes offered him.
"I don't want anything from you," Adam said roughly.
"Son, you need to eat. It's a long way to New York," Markes explained.
"I'm not going to New York!" Adam screeched. "What kind of father trusses his son and drags him away against his will? What kind of father treats his son like an animal? Only the most evil and wicked kind - like you!"
Angrily Markes forcefully slapped Adam across his face.
Almost losing his footing, Adam caught himself before he crashed to the ground. Considering his mobility was quite limited, he did well to stay upright.
"This insolence will stop! You never acted this way before you joined the rebels. You'll conduct yourself appropriately. I demand it," Markes barked.
Slowly turning his head towards his father, Adam tasted blood stemming from a cut at the corner of his mouth. If his eyes could shoot darts, his father would be many times punctured with them. "I hate you. Stay away from me," Adam said in a low firm voice, then began to shout. "Give me liberty or give me death! If this be treason, of it make the most! I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country!"
Without a word, Markes walked away from his son who he knew was spouting rebel catch phrases in order to annoy him, but he wouldn't be goaded so easily. He hoped Adam would settle down and be reasonable at a later time. Until then, he would keep his distance in order not to agitate him. Why couldn't the boy understand what he was doing was for the best?
From their position in the woods, Daniel and Mingo observed the incident. It had happened so quickly and unexpectedly neither had time to prevent it. That didn't sit well with Daniel. "We have to rescue Adam soon," Daniel said. "Markes will bloody and bruise him before this is over."
"Do you have a plan?" Mingo asked.
"Not yet," Daniel admitted, "But we better come up with one fast. Charging into their camp could get Adam or us hurt. They're low on gunpowder. We can use that to our advantage."
"I suppose you want to rescue him with as little bloodshed as possible," Mingo said, knowing Daniel always chose that path unless there was no other way around it.
"That would be preferable," Daniel agreed.
"Too bad we used all your big magic to scare the tribes," Mingo sighed regrettably.
"It wasn't all used," Daniel informed him as an idea came to him. "I have one left."
"And what would that be?" Mingo asked dubiously.
Daniel pointed to Mingo.
"How am I to be your big magic?" Mingo asked, not so surprised.
"Big magic make big distraction so I can corner the lieutenant," Daniel surmised simply. "Once I have the lieutenant you get Adam."
"I shouldn't ask this, but I must. What kind of distraction am I supposed to generate?" Mingo queried.
"Whatever comes to you," Daniel informed him. "Just make sure it doesn't get us or Adam damaged. Becky will never forgive you."
"Why do you always give me the easy jobs?" Mingo asked rhetorically.
"It'll be getting dark soon. We'll look for an opportunity to strike," Daniel said.
By dusk, Adam's anger had been simmering for quite some time. He was ready to unleash not with violence but with words. He learned well from Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine. Four guards now encircled him. The lieutenant increased the number of guards since darkness might bring out a menace. "Scared of Injuns, Lobsterback?" Adam asked the soldier closest to him.
"What?" he answered.
"Are your deaf, man? I said are you scared of Injuns?" Adam asked again.
"No, why?" he replied
"You ought to be. See that full moon," Adam said, letting his eyes drift upwards.
"What about it?" The soldier asked.
"Injuns take most of their scalps, especially white ones, when there's a full moon because it is an accursed night. The Great Spirit is pleased and awards an Injun with long life if he secures many scalps on such a night. I heard a story once about five lobsterback soldiers lost in the New York backwoods on the night of a full moon. They got back to their unit all right, but they were missing their hair and a few appendages as well," Adam told his guards.
Listening from their vantagepoint, Daniel smiled. "That boy's kissed the blarney stone."
"Only foolish Redcoats would believe such balderdash," Mingo said.
"He may be creating an opportunity for us. Be ready," Daniel said.
Mingo nodded trying not to openly laugh at the nonsense Adam continued to spew.
"The Injuns are coming for you, Lobsterback," Adam said.
"Why not you?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Because they know me as friend of the maker of big magic. They won't harm me. I'm safe from their scalping knives," Adam explained.
"Enough talking," the lieutenant said approaching the captive and his guards. "The boy is lying. You men are not to speak or listen to him. Is that understood?"
The men nodded their assent.
"The Great Spirit will take special delight when an njun takes the scalp of the leader of the lobsterbacks. The Injun that brings him down is promised many warrior sons. The savages are especially savage towards blond haired blue eyed white men. They consider them very bad medicine," Adam told him.
"You will be silent or I will have you gagged," the blue eyed blond haired lieutenant warned him.
"I'll make a deal with you, Lieutenant," Adam suggested. "You free me and I'll put in a good word to the Injuns so you can meet your sweetheart with a full head of hair and everything else that you were born with."
The lieutenant looked as if he could almost believe him, but he knew Adam was not telling the truth. At least, he was trying to convince his brain to believe that. "No deal. You're beginning to annoy me. Go to sleep, Yankee Doodle," the lieutenant ordered.
"It's your hair, Lieutenant," Adam said.
With a bloodcurdling scream, Mingo emerged from the woods with his knife drawn and presented savagely. He came to stand beside a terrified Adam who had noticeably paled at the presence of a heathen he had just spoken of moments ago. He began breathing again when he realized it was his friend Mingo. The Redcoats were so frightened several of them dropped their weapons while others scrambled for cover.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Daniel leapt from his hiding place and nabbed the lieutenant by the nape of the neck and held his knife at the lieutenant's throat.
Thinking Daniel was an Indian, the lieutenant froze in fear. He just knew his hair was about to be lifted. He wished now he had taken Adam's deal.
"Tell your men to drop their weapons and to assemble. Any one of them tries anything and you're going to be hurting real bad," Daniel ordered.
In a way the lieutenant was relieved that Daniel was not an Indian. His hair was safe but not his throat. "Surrender your weapons, men and fall in. Sergeant, see to the order."
"Yes, sir," the sergeant said.
Mingo cut Adam loose as the sound of a galloping horse was heard. Adam looked around and discovered his father was missing. "My father's just made a hasty exit," Adam said. "All the way to New York, I hope."
"Yes," Mingo said, passing Adam his rifle and tricorn hat he had retrieved from a stand of nearby bushes where he had stashed them before making his surprise entrance.
"Ah," he said, gripping his rifle firmly in his hands. "It feels good to have her back. I felt very lonely without her."
"Adam, bundle the muskets and cartridge pouches. Mingo, bring the lieutenant's horse," Daniel ordered. "Lieutenant, I'll leave you your hair this time. Get out of Kentucky as fast as you can and don't come back. Is that understood?"
"Understood," the lieutenant answered as Mingo returned with the horse and brought it to the pile of muskets Adam had stacked. He knew he'd lost again.
"Tell your men to retrieve their packs one at a time," Daniel said.
"Sergeant, carry out the order," the lieutenant said.
"Yes, sir," the sergeant said.
As instructed the Redcoats claimed their packs, threw them onto their backs, and took their place in line. Mingo and Adam kept their rifles trained on them, but none of them were inclined to make trouble.
When all the Redcoats were reformed, Daniel removed his knife from the lieutenant's throat. "March your men out of here," Daniel said.
The lieutenant led his men from the area leaving the trio alone. When they had gotten out of sight, Adam loaded the horse with the muskets and cartridge pouches. Leading the horse to Daniel and Mingo, Adam was relieved to back in their company.
"We'll follow them for a bit to make sure they keep heading north," Daniel said. "Adam, excellent work in scaring the Redcoats with that fable you told them."
Looking confused, Adam said seriously, "What fable? Everything I told them was the honest truth."
"It wasn't," Daniel said.
"But Israel was the one who told me all that," Adam said truthfully. "Have I been beguiled?"
"You've been had, Adam. It seems my son has been a teller of tall-tales," Daniel said.
"Just wait until I see that teller of tall-tales," Adam said with a chuckle. "I'm going to spin a tall-tale for him that will make the hair on the back of his neck stand up."
"You'll have plenty of time to conjure one up. We'll be a couple or three days getting back," Daniel said.
"I'll lend a few interesting ideas for your tall-tale, Adam," Mingo said.
"No, thank you, Mingo. You already scared ten years off my life," Adam admitted. "By the way, thank you both for rescuing me again. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be out of my father's clutches."
"And into the hands of a savage," Mingo said flippantly. Adam chuckled. "At least, this savage is a friend."
"Let's move out," Daniel said. "Tell us, Adam, how you happened to be held by the Redcoats."
As they trailed behind the fleeing Redcoats, Adam related his tale and not a tall one.
After determining that the Redcoats were definitely going north, the trio turned south for home. There had been no sign of Markes. Adam led the horse and for the last few hours had grown exceptionally quiet.
"Something on your mind, Adam?" Daniel asked.
"Just thinking, Colonel," Adam replied. "Do you think my father will return?"
"Hard to say but based on his recent activities, I'd say the chances are good he will," Daniel surmised.
"Then he better not get within sight of me," Adam said angrily, "or I will kill him."
"You're upset. That's understandable. If I remember the Ten Commandments correctly, one of the them states to honor thy father and another prohibits murder," Daniel reminded him, wondering if Adam really meant what he said.
"It does. Maybe God will grant me an exception," Adam said seriously. "This horse was treated better by that lobsterback lieutenant than the way my father treated me."
Daniel couldn't fault Adam for feeling the way he did. He sported a bruise on his cheek to prove his ill treatment at the hand of his father. "'Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord'," Daniel quoted incorrectly but the gest was the same. "Let God handle it, Adam. He doesn't need your help."
Adam looked at Daniel and nodded, but Daniel was unclear whether he accepted what he said. Maybe he just needed some time to do some serious thinking. The tall-tale Adam was going to create never materialized. Adam's concerns were greater than teasing a little boy.
The next day, Mingo detoured for the Cherokee village while Daniel and Adam continued home. They stopped first at the fort to leave the horse and the muskets into Cincinnatus' care.
A joyous reunion ensued when Daniel and Adam returned. At the insistence of Israel, Daniel summarized what had transpired, leaving out Adam's punishment by his father. Israel was especially gleeful when he learned the Redcoats were "whupped" and run out of Kentucky. The frontier was safe once more.
That afternoon Rebecca watched from the doorway of the cabin as Jemima, Israel, and Adam conducted frog races. Israel, being wise as to which frog would perform best in a race, had chosen that one as his champion. Jemima and Adam were left to choose from the rest. Three races had been run and Israel's frog had won each of them. Jemima suggested each of them blindly choose a frog in order that she and Adam would have a better chance of obtaining the prized frog. Israel would have none of that. Another race began with Jemima and Adam hoping that their frogs could somehow gain a victory over the undefeated champion.
Satisfied that they were well occupied, Rebecca quietly closed the door and went to her rocker. "You can tell me now how Adam's face got bruised," she said.
"The one on his forehead you know about it. The other Markes put there," Daniel told her bluntly from the bench seat.
Rebecca stood with anger welling inside her. "Why?" she asked as if there could be a good reason to strike him.
"For speaking his mind," Daniel said. "He didn't take kindly to his father's treatment of him."
"Which was?" Rebecca queried.
"He was bound hand and foot and kept that way to prevent him from escape. He was constantly guarded by two or more Redcoats. He was made a hostage at the hands of his own father," Daniel answered.
"That man!" Rebecca shouted. "How dare he treat Adam that way! He's slowing torturing that boy and he doesn't even care! He just wants what he wants and he'll torment anyone who stands in his way including his own son!"
"Becky, quiet," Daniel warned as he came to her and held her shoulders. "Adam will hear you. I understand how you feel, but we have to be calm for his sake. He's incensed with his father with every right to be. It won't take much to set him off. If he sees you're upset, he'll become that way himself. I'd rather prevent that, if at all possible."
"Oh, Dan," Rebecca said, melting into his arms. "Adam's a sweet boy. He doesn't deserve this. I just want to make Markes go away forever so Adam can have his life back. I want to set everything right for him."
"I know," Daniel said comfortingly. "You've taken him into your heart and it hurts you to see him misused. You want to help him anyway you can. It won't be long before you can do just that. His anger is churning. We'll need to be there for him when it boils over."
"All of us will do whatever we can," she promised, speaking for all of the Boones.
"Becky, there's something I must tell you that is very disturbing," Daniel said, leading her to the bench seat. They sat together with Daniel taking her hands in his. "Adam's threatened to kill his father."
"Oh, no, Dan," Rebecca said, distressed at the news. "Do you think he follow through on his threat?"
"Given an opportunity, it's quite possible. Markes has driven him to this point. Committing murder is so contrary to his morals, I'm hoping he can't violate his conscience," Daniel answered.
"I pray he doesn't. It's hard to imagine him doing such a thing, but with everything he's been through he may not be able to stop himself," Rebecca said.
"For the time being, I'm going to order Adam not to take his rifle with him anywhere," Daniel said. "If he should encounter Markes, he'll be unarmed. Of course, that won't prevent him from physically assaulting his father."
"That rifle is as much as a part of him as breathing. It'll be a habit hard for him to break," Rebecca observed.
"Much less difficult learning to be without your rifle than learning to live with the knowledge that you killed your father," Daniel pointed out.
Rebecca nodded her head. "Perhaps you should order him to wear his regulation uniform. It would be a constant reminder that he is an honorable soldier in General Washington's army and that might deter him," Rebecca suggested.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Daniel asked himself. "It will be so ordered."
Rebecca suddenly smiled as another idea struck her. Daniel noticed her countenance change. She then made her way to the window where she saw Jemima's frog actually win a race as a disgruntled Israel looked on. Adam congratulated Jemima with a smile and shook her hand. Israel demanded another match and the other two agreed. Jemima and Adam exchanged frogs and the race was on.
Wandering back to the bench seat, she said, "I'm planning a pleasant surprise for your soldier, Daniel."
"Care to let me in on it?" Daniel asked.
"I do not," Rebecca said bluntly. "You'll know about it when I so order it. If I order it."
Daniel gently ordered Adam to dress in his regulation uniform and leave his rifle in the cabin until further notice. Adam questioned the orders in an inquiring way. Daniel told him only that he thought it a wise thing to do. Being a smart lad, Adam figured it had to do with his threat to kill his father. Orders were orders and he would comply.
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