Rowan!

RED ROWAN (answering).

I'm coming, father. (To Washington.) Remember, Master Washington, that I told you.

[Exit Rowan, quickly and lightly.

WASHINGTON (smiling to himself).

Remember! Why, 'tis the merest jest.

CAREY (from background).

Time's up, George! There's wondrous sport. Are you not coming?

WASHINGTON (to Carey).

Aye, I am coming. (To himself.) But the merest jest! "To fight in a great cause--!" "A long hill, and a hard, and at the summit--triumph!"

(Shaking off the spell the words have cast on him). The lads would laugh, did I but tell them! (Calls, in answer to impatient steps, and crackling of leaves in background.) I come!

[He makes his exit into background, running blithely, and the play ends.

COSTUMES

GEORGE WASHINGTON. Frontiersman's suit, modeled on Indian lines. The suit is tan-colored, supposedly made of dressed deerskin. The breeches and tunic are fringed, Indian fashion. There is neither paint nor beading upon the suits. Moccasins. The other lads wear suits of the same kind. The material can be cotton khaki. The moccasins can be made of the same, and beaded.

RED ROWAN. Dress of leaf-brown homespun made rather short, and quite plain, open at the neck, the sleeves coming to the elbow. A cloak of vivid scarlet, gathered in simple folds at neck, and falling to the ankles. Both dress and cloak may be made of cambric, using the unglazed side. Tan stockings. Moccasins. The latter may be made of cotton khaki, and beaded.

DANIEL BOONE: PATRIOT

CHARACTERS

DANIEL BOONE, a pioneer.

ROGER KENTON, a lad ALLAN RIGDON, another BLAIZE PRITCHARD, a trapper EDWARD BRYAN JAMES COLBY BLACK FISH, an Indian Chief HAWK EYE, a young Indian Brave EAGLE'S FEATHER, another Other Pioneers, Trappers, Indians

(Note: The events comprised in this play cover a longer period of time than is suggested here.)

SCENE: An open woodland. Place, the Blue Lick Springs, Kentucky, 1778.

Trees right, left, and background. A slightly worn path leads to background where the salt springs are supposed to be. Tall poles with skins on them. A large kettle swings over the fire in right foreground.

Near it are other kettles, iron saucepans, and sacks for salt. In center background a hollow tree with swinging moss covering its opening. A fallen log near the kettles serves as a seat.

The play begins by young Allan Rigdon coming out of woods, left, with a few f.a.gots which he feeds to the fire, bending over it, and looking in the kettle. James Colby comes by the half-worn path from background, carrying a bucket of water.

COLBY (calling).

How comes the salt, Rigdon? If 'twere not that these licks give it in such abundance, 'twould try a lad's patience sorely. 'Tis like a girl's work--tending kettles! And hardly a man's work--carrying water from a spring. (Puts down pail of water.) 'Faith, my arms are stiff, and my fingers also! If an Indian sprang at me from a thicket I could not so much as c.o.c.k my gun! What shall I do next? Carry more water? The rest are still drawing it--_more_ girl's work, if you'll leave me call it so! (As a slight sound is heard at left.) Heaven's mercy! What's that?

(Seizes gun.) Is it Indians?

BOONE (quietly approaching from left).

And if it were, would your work be only _girl's_ work, Colby? It shows you but a foolish lad to speak of it thus lightly. With all Boonesborough in need of salt, with our cattle and horses half-perishing for the want of it, with the way that lies to the licks a very wilderness road for danger, 'twould hardly be called girl's work to tend these kettles--brave as our frontier women are. 'Tis _men's_ work, Colby, although you be but lads who do it.

RIGDON.

The wilderness makes men of lads right quickly; does it not, Master Boone?

BOONE (seated on log).

Aye, that it does. If it were not for the stress of the times, and the scarcity of men to keep watch, you should be back in Boonesborough, and not here, my lads. But 'twas for your courage and skill that I chose you. How comes the salt, Rigdon?

RIGDON.

Finely, sir, finely. And the hunting?

BOONE (shaking his head).

Scarce enough to keep a fox alive. I must start forth again. There should be plenty of bison fat and deer meat for the days that are coming. (Enter Kenton with bucket of water. He puts it down, and salutes Boone.) Well, Kenton, what news from the springs?

KENTON.

The same as ever, sir. Blaize Pritchard and Edward Bryan stand guard while the rest of us carry water. The camp is as you see it. There's not been a sign of an Indian since you left us yesternight.

BOONE.

You do not ask what I've brought back with me, Kenton.

KENTON.

I know, sir, that if there were game to be had you would have bagged it. But since we've come to the Blue Lick Springs the buffalo and deer seem to have gotten wind of us. There's not so much as a rabbit scampering across the gra.s.s. It seems as if nature herself were in league against us.

BOONE.

Nonsense, lad. There'll be game enough soon, when I've foraged further.

Such times as these were sent to us to see whether we be of iron or putty.

KENTON.

All the same, sir, I'll be glad when the boiling is done and we can pack our salt, and start through the forest for home. Long as the trail is, I would sooner have it than----

BOONE (clutching rifle).

Hark! The crack of a branch--in the forest. On the defense, lads. I'll investigate.

[Goes into woods at right.

KENTON (in a low voice, as the lads seize their rifles).

If it should be those venomous Shawnees! Before we left Boonesborough 'twas said that they'd already pa.s.sed the war-pipe through their villages. They have been still so long, 'tis time for an uprising.

(Approaching footsteps are heard.) Who comes?

COLBY (on the alert).

Just Boone himself.

RIGDON.

What signs, sir?

BOONE.

No signs at all, unless for the first time in their lives the Indians are shrewder than the Long Knives. There's not so much as a broken branch, or a newly fallen leaf. Now, lads, off to the spring with you.

I'll tend this last kettle, and when 'tis boiled, I'll start on the trail again. There must be bison and deer for the followers of Daniel Boone. Lads, stay! If because we are unmolested you should sometimes think that tending the kettle is work for girls--remember that we and our guns are all that stand between the Indians and the fort at Boonesborough, where all the women and children are. Will you remember?

ALL (speaking vehemently).

Aye, sir.

BOONE.