Chapter Seven

Before the sun was fully up in the sky, the Boones were awakened by a pounding on the cabin door.

"Dan'l! Dan'l! Come quick! Wake up in there!" The frantic voice belonged to Cincinnatus.

Daniel hurried to the door in his nightshirt, "Hush, Cincinnatus! You'll have the young'uns and Becky woken up!"

Cincinnatus was blowing like a winded horse. He bent at the waist, trying to catch his breath and hold the stitch in his side at one time.

"I'm sorry, Dan'l, I was so flustrated, I couldn't think clear!" the old man apologized, wheezing.

"Come on in, while I skin into my clothes," Daniel took the tavern keeper's arm and led him to a chair. He handed him a dipperful of water, which Cincinnatus accepted gratefully.

"Tell me 'bout it while I dress," Daniel directed, heading for the alcove he shared with Becky. He could hear his wife dressing quickly behind the curtain.

"Good morning, Cincinnatus," she called. "I'll start a pot of coffee for us!" Daniel often marveled at just how quickly Becky could don the multiple layers of clothing required by a woman - petticoats, chemise, dress, apron, stockings, shoes. She often managed to dress more quickly than he could himself.

She came out from behind the curtains, rubbing her hands together briskly, and began to stoke up the fire. She took coffee and dumped it into a pot, added water, and set it in the coals.

"What's amiss, Cincinnatus?" she asked with some concern. The wiry old tavern keeper was still winded, trying to catch his breath.

"What is it, Ma?" Jemima called down from the loft. Israel came scampering down the ladder in his nightshirt, as Daniel emerged from the sleeping alcove.

"Now that we're all woke up, Cincinnatus," Daniel said, "You might as well tell us all!"

"Dan'l," puffed Cincinnatus, "I ain't never seen the like! You ain't never seen the like! There ain't never been such a thing around these here parts!"

"What kind of thing?" Daniel questioned, while Becky poured out cups of coffee for Cincinnatus and Daniel.

"I don't rightly know!" Cincinnatus cried, in some confusion. "I ain't never seen one before!"

"Hold on now," Daniel advised. "You ain't never seen the like, I gather. What do you reckon you seen?"

"Well, now," Cincinnatus scratched his chin whiskers. "I reckon it could be an animal, but it ain't no kind of animal . . ."

"You ever seen," Daniel interrupted. "What's it look like?"

"Huge, it were, Daniel!" the old man gestured with his arms to indicate the animal's size. "Looked like it were made of leather already been tanned!"

"Was it by itself, or did someone come with it?" Daniel said, smiling suddenly.

"Yes, indeed!" Cincinnatus said, "Sounds like a Redcoat, but he ain't wearin' a red coat! Came ridin' up on it like it was the biggest horse you ever seen!"

Daniel began to laugh.

"Pa, you reckon you know what it is?" Israel was hopping up and down in excitement.

"Young'uns, get yourselves into your clothes, and hurry. Cincinnatus is right - you ain't never seen the like of this before, if it's what I think it might be!"

Jemima and Israel were dressed and ready in a matter of minutes. Daniel finished pulling his own moccasins on, Becky removed her apron, and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. The Boones and Cincinnatus hurried back up the path to Boonesborough.

Halfway there, a trumpeting sound could be heard. Becky and the children jumped and looked around nervously.

Cincinnatus jumped too, "That's it, Daniel," the old man began wringing his hands. "That's it bellerin'!"

Daniel began to laugh and increased his speed until he was running. Becky and Jemima maintained a more dignified pace, but Israel and Cincinnatus sprinted right along with him.

As they entered the fort, Israel blurted out, "Criminently!" The little boy came to a complete standstill, mouth hanging open.

"You said a mouthful, boy," Cincinnatus nodded. "That's it, Daniel!"

"Mr. Boone," Philip Astley came sliding down from Old Bet. "Hit's good to see you, my good fellow! H'im looking for my friend, Kerr Murray - H'i should say, Mingo!"

"You and everyone else in Boonesborough!" Daniel extended his hand to Astley. "How are you 'n Bet keepin'?"

"Pa, you know this man?" Israel shouted. "What kind of critter is this?" Israel was below the animal looking up at its nether parts. Becky gave a shriek of panic.

Daniel scooped his son up before he could run under the elephant's feet. He held Israel close until Old Bet had an opportunity to run her trunk over the little boy, sniffing him gently, tasting his hair, and touching his clothing.

"This here critter," Daniel said, grinning, "is an elephant."

Israel squirmed out of his father's arms and began to crawl underneath the elephant again. "Is this a him elephant or a her elephant?"

Daniel chuckled as he pulled Israel out again. "This here is a lady elephant. Her name is Old Bet. This feller here is a friend of Mingo's. His name is Philip Astley, and he runs a circus too!"

"Oh lordy, it never rains but it pours," muttered Cincinnatus, shaking his head.

"Mr. Boone," Astley finally had a chance to get a word in edgewise, "Old Bet and H'i are fine. What do you mean 'everyone in Boonesborough' h'is looking for Mingo? What 's 'appened?"

"About two weeks ago, we had a visit from a feller named John Bill Ricketts." Daniel began. "Him and his people put on a show for us all. In the evenin', after they loaded up and headed out, we discovered that Mingo and a young friend of his were gone too. I follered 'em and checked their wagons, but there wasn't a trace of 'em to be found, 'cept for one lone feather of Mingo's. Ricketts swore he hadn't seen a trace of 'em, knew nothin' about their bein' missin'." Daniel summed the situation up.

Philip Astley's face flushed red with anger. "Ricketts!" he snorted. "If you shake 'ands with 'im, better check and make sure you get all five fingers back! Professes to be a kinsman of your George Washington!"

"Do tell," said Daniel. "If Ricketts is the scoundrel you claim him to be, no wonder General Washington don't claim him as kin!"

"Why would Ricketts 'ave abducted Mingo?" Astley questioned.

"I don't think he wanted Mingo as much as he wanted Tommy, the young'un. Mingo wouldn't have let them take the boy; they'd have had to take him too."

"What's so remarkable about this boy?" Astley demanded. "'H'if colonial boys are anything like the boys of my youth, 'e might've run away to join the circus! H'i myself ran away at 16 to join the Dragoons!"

"This ain't your usual colonial boy, Philip," Daniel replied, shaking his head. "Tommy's a giant - he's prob'ly 'bout eight feet tall. He's part Indian, like Mingo, from Mingo's tribe, in fact. He's been livin' the last several months with him at Chota, the Cherokee village near here. Tommy was too happy to find a home to run off with Ricketts. I figure Ricketts wanted to add to his collection of freaks."

Astley whistled his astonishment, "A giant boy, you say! 'Ow could Ricketts abduct them with none of you 'ere any the wiser?"

"Tommy wanted to go and speak to one of the performers, a little high-flyer," Daniel began, only to be interrupted by Cincinnatus' snort.

"In more ways than one!" snickered Cincinnatus, "Both of 'em were mighty taken with her!"

"High-flyer," Daniel repeated. "What's the high-falutin' word he used, Becky?"

Becky wrinkled her red eyebrows in thought, "Funambulists," she brought out triumphantly.

"Anyhow, Mingo and Tommy were gonna go speak to Miss Rousseau, and return to our cabin for supper, but they never showed. I was fixin' to take out again this mornin', and follow Ricketts. They ain't dead, leastways we ain't found their bodies, and they ain't around here. They've gotta be with Ricketts. I plan on follerin' em all the way to New York, if need be."

"Mr. Boone," Astley began, but Daniel interrupted.

"Philip, 'Daniel' or 'Dan' is plenty good enough for me. Mr. Boone's my pa." Daniel interrupted.

"Daniel," Astley started over, "H'if you don't mind, H'id like to accompany you. H'im on my way to New York anyway. H'i might be of more assistance than one of these," he gestured at the crowd of settlers gathered around Old Bet. "H'i 'ave certain h'inside knowledge of 'ow circuses operate," he added with a grin.

"Philip," Daniel replied, returning Astley's grin, "I'd be proud to have your help, but what about Old Bet? We need to travel fast, and we might need to move secretly. It'd be mighty hard to hide an elephant!"

Astley mpdded his head in agreement, "H'i know it's a h'imposition, Daniel, but could Bet remain here? H'in spite of 'er size, she's almost as docile as any other four-legged creature H'i've 'andled."

Daniel turned to Cincinnatus, "Reckon you could look after the elephant 'til we get back? I'd be mighty obliged to you."

Cincinnatus' knees were frankly knocking. "Well, I reckon it'd be all right, but what does it eat?" he quavered timidly.

Astley was grinning broadly, "H'anything she takes a mind to, old chap!"

While Becky and Jemima went back to the cabin to fill a haversack with a few things for Daniel and Philip, Astley gave Cincinnatus instructions on how to care for Old Bet. The older man was clearly frightened of the mammoth creature, but equally as determined to care for her to the best of his ability. Every time Old Bet moved, Cincinnatus inched further away. Israel fetched a bucket of water for Bet, who playfully squirted him with a trunkful of water.

Daniel saw and chuckled. "Cincinnatus, you get any any further back, you're gonna be feedin' her from the next county." Daniel saw the beads of sweat on the old man's forehead, and regretted his words.

Israel had plainly taken a shine to the gargantuan elephant. He stood as close to her as possible, patting anything he could reach. The elephant, too, seemed to have formed an attachment for the child. She ran her trunk gently over his small form, caressing and mouthing his clothing, his hair. Israel squealed with joy as Bet seized him around the middle and lifted him off the ground. Old Bet matched his squeal with one of her own. Cincinnatus fainted dead away.

His mother saw as she returned from the cabin with Jemima, and broke into an undignified gallop. Jemima lifted her skirts and sprinted after her mother.

"Daniel!" Becky let out another piercing shriek, "That monster is eating my baby! What did it do to Cincinnatus?"

"No, no, Mrs. Boone," Astley assured her, smiling. "She's just playing with the lad. She's h'actually quite gentle. I think your friend fainted from fright!"

"What does she want with Israel?" Becky demanded. She seized Jemima around the waist and held her back, just in case the girl wanted to touch the elephant too. Becky had clearly decided she would not risk losing both her offspring to the monster.

"She's just as curious as the young'un, Becky," Daniel said soothingly. "She ain't gonna hurt a hair on his head!"

Just then Old Bet let go of the child, who dropped to the ground with a thud.

"Perhaps, Mr Boone," Astley was stroking his chin consideringly, "H'it is a bit much to ask of your good townspeople. She's a darling, but she can be an 'andful. Would you mind bringing 'er with us?"

"Well, you never know," Daniel chuckled, "I can't imagine how, but she might come in handy!" He picked up the bucket the elephant had been drinking from and sloshed its remaining water over Cincinnatus, who sputtered and sat up.

"Rest easy, Cincinnatus. I reckon we'll take Ol' Bet with us."

"Thank goodness," Cincinnatus sighed, "you'll be takin' that hay-burnin' behemoth with you I didn't fancy lookin' after her, pourin' hay into her while you'll be gone, Dan'l!"

Israel left off hugging the elephant's huge leg, and came to hang on his father, "Pa, I wish Tommy was here to see Old Bet," he said. "I miss Mingo too," he added. "Did Mingo get to see Old Bet in Salem, Pa?"

"Yep, Mingo saw her in Salem, Israel," his father nodded, "But he'd seen elephants in London too."

A thought occurred to Daniel, and he turned to Astley, "Philip, you never did say, and in all the flummery I clean forgot, but what're you lookin' for Mingo for?"

Astley suddenly looked sheepish, "H'i thought 'e might like to run away and join my circus!"