"And I'll do my share," added Rodney, and between them they looked after the cattle, brought in the wood and water, and did what they could to keep the snow from the door.
In those days the Morris homestead was as completely isolated as if it had been located a hundred miles from any settlement. The nearest neighbor lived a quarter of a mile away, and only seventeen families resided within a radius of two miles. The majority of the roads were mere trails, used alike by human beings and wild animals. There were but few bridges over the streams, so that in traveling much fording had to be done. Each cabin had a small clearing around it, but otherwise the primeval forest stretched for miles upon all sides. At times, especially in winter, the wild animals would become particularly bold, and wolves had often appeared, trying to get at the meat hung up in the pantry, and once a half-starved doe had come to the door to be fed.
On account of the wars, Dave had lost considerable schooling, and a part of each winter day was given over to studying, in which Rodney joined. The main studies were reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic. There were no copybooks and but little paper, so much of the writing was done on smooth birch-bark, with pens made of turkey quills. There was one general "History of the Old World and the New, Containing a Complete Account of All Civilized Nations," a thin volume, printed in large type and containing several curious maps and equally curious engravings. This was also used as a text-book, and it was not long before Dave almost knew the volume by heart.
"The author doesn't know as much of the great West as we do," said Dave one day, to his uncle. "See, he hasn't located a single fort or settlement west of Winchester. All the rest is to him 'The Unexplored Western Countries,' said to be overrun with ferocious wild beasts and Indians who are cannibals."
"Some day the great West will be explored," answered Joseph Morris. "But it will take years and years to do it. Our troubles with the Indians must first be settled."
"Do you think the Indians will ever be at perfect peace with us, Uncle Joe?"
"Not until we have conquered them. We must show them that we are masters. It is a mistake to let some of them believe that we want to be friendly just because that is the proper thing. Many Indians take that as a sign that we are afraid of them."
"White Buffalo doesn't look at it in that light."
"White Buffalo is an exception to the rule. He has lived among the whites for many years and he understands us. But the wild red men of the forest can never understand us, nor can we understand them, for our ways of living are so different. It's not in the nature of an Indian to be at peace all the time. He loves to hunt, and if he can't hunt wild animals, he hunts his rival red men, or us whites."
"Thet's exactly it," said Sam Barringford, who sat by, cleaning and oiling his rifle. "Barrin' a few like White Buffalo the critters ain't more'n half human, to my way o' thinkin'. Look at the way they sculp folks, an' burn 'em at the stake, an' sech. It's enough to make one sick a-thinkin' on it."