Chapter 9

July 3, 1777 – 16 days after

Mingo was eating the goat he had stolen and slaughtered the evening before. The homestead he raided was a poor one, with a few chickens for eggs, and the goats. He ate guiltily; he knew his actions would cause the settlers to hate Indians even more, and hoped that someone was keeping a tally of everything he had stolen and everyone he had harmed.

He had been as quiet as usual, but the young son of the homestead had surprised him, and he had had no choice but to strike the boy. The homestead was a poor one, with nothing to spare; it grieved him to steal what little they had, but Mingo knew he had no choice if he hoped to be accepted into the band of renegades.

While Mingo sat near his small, smokeless fire, he thought of Daniel. With summer in full swing, Daniel had left his own farming behind. He hoped Daniel's neighbors would tend to the Boone fields as they could. As time flew, Mingo was becoming more worried for Rebecca and the children. The harvest would need gathering, hay needed cutting. Winter would be harsh and Daniel was needed at home. The winter's trapping would provide cash money for the following year.

As Mingo finished eating his hasty meal, he worried also about Bright Rainbow and her daughters. He knew his uncle, Menewa, would make sure that Rain Cloud's family would be looked after. He cooked enough meat to last a few days and buried the rest of the carcass. He shook his head, regretting the waste, and the necessity for it.

He had stolen a stock of powder and shot two days before. He broke into a cabin where an old woman was cooking stew. He had asked no questions, fearing her family's return, but quickly discovered where the powder and shot were kept. He left the crying woman shaken but unharmed. He wished he could have reassured and calmed her, but knew he had probably increased her fear of 'savages'.

Mingo could not sleep at night. Though he knew Daniel and Rain Cloud were on their way to Canada, he worried for their safety and felt remorse for the families he had stolen from.

The prickling feeling on the back of his neck convinced him that someone was following; someone trying not to be seen.

Mingo wondered if his followers would ever make contact.

He slept fitfully. He was not surprised to hear rustling branches and sudden noise in the forest. If these were Indians, they were making no effort to hide. He rose up, drawing his knife in his left hand, and readying himself to make a quick grab for his rifle.

"Don't move!" a Shawnee voice boomed in the dark.

Three men stepped out of the underbrush and sat around the Cherokee, who was now fully awake,

"What do you want with me?" Mingo demanded angrily.

"You are a Cherokee dog," said, one of them, "We don't need a Cherokee dog with us."

"Remember what I said, Wild River. It's my decision, not yours," barked the Shawnee.

"Get up and follow us or die, Cherokee," It was more of an order than an invitation.

Mingo, at last, would join them. Or so he hoped.

Gathering his pack and weapons, he scuffed some of the fire's ashes into the ground. Daniel could pick it up -- if he was still on Mingo's trail and not on his way north.

Mingo sighed and quietly followed the three Shawnee renegades.

July 4 1777 – 17 days after

The renegades had a fair sized camp. There were three large lean-tos for sleeping and a larger one that was used for supplies, mostly stolen. Three women tended the fire and the smell from the kettle was rich and appetizing.

Four young children played with sticks.

Mingo felt deep sorrow for these children and doubts for their future. If their parents were killed, these children would lose their heritage. And yet, if they were adopted into other tribes or raised by whites, their ways would be lost anyway. They would be rejected by their new tribe or feared by white men.

As Mingo followed the man who had brought him here, a short-haired man, dressed in a mixture of Shawnee warrior and white man's clothing, came forward.

"Cherokee, you've caused havoc wherever you went. Why? We know the Cherokee are beneath us. You speak peace with the Long Knives, you fear them and refuse to fight them. So why are you alone in the woods and stealing from them?" The way the others deferred to him made it clear this man was the leader

"I have white blood in my veins. The Cherokee have always shunned me, and treated me as less than a man. I have had enough of their laughter and cowardice. It was time for me to leave them and their ways behind. They lose more of their land every year because they will not fight the whites. The whites treat me as an Indian. There is no place for me, so I prefer my freedom".

Mingo told the story in part. He wasn't going to hide his name, and with it, the reality that he was half-white, had befriended white men. It would have required a lot longer preparation for their mission. Telling as much as possible of the truth was easier.

"My name is Mingo, I lived near Boonesborough. Daniel Boone was my friend. I believe he's hunting me now," Mingo finished.

"I'm Eagle Heart, leader of this tribe. We also like our freedom and our forefathers' ways. We hunt. We fight. We take back what is ours." said the leader. "I also have white blood and I too was shunned by my tribe. Perhaps you would like to join us."

Mingo detected sarcasm. They would test him. And it would not be an easy test. He felt a chill to the core of his heart and asked the Creator to help him. Mingo realized what he would need to do to be allowed to join this group would challenge all his beliefs.

"I have enjoyed my freedom so far. What would I gain in joining you?" asked Mingo. He hoped that the more self-reliant he appeared to be, the less dangerous the test might be.

"Protection, We will kill anyone hunting you. And you will protect us. We hunt and trap. We cherish our families, and have them live as Indians live. We frighten the white men, kill them, and steal back what they have stolen from us. We can do this together. Alone, you will be hunted, taken and hanged. You know this, Mingo of the Cherokee," explained Eagle Heart.

Another man came to join them. "Your wife says to come and eat. And she'll feed the Cherokee as well." spat this man. He was Wyandot, taller than Mingo, older, with an old long scar on his left cheek.

"White Beaver, this is Mingo. White Beaver is in charge of our supplies. He decides when to move camp and he is in charge when I am away," said Eagle Heart. "Come and have bread at Little Doe's fire."

Mingo ate with Eagle Heart's family; three of the children were his. None were older than 8. As he sat with them, Mingo hoped that between Daniel and Colonel Hartford, they would be able to rescue them and give them a chance for a decent future. He ate in silence, conversation was not expected.

He could only wait to see what they had in store for him.