
Erskine Dale—Pioneer - I
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The story opens in a raw, untamed landscape where sunrise catches the mist over pine and poplar, and the sounds of birds, a leaping cougar, and a darting deer set the scene. A small stockade of log cabins has just been raised, its watchtowers manned by sleepy sentries and its courtyard alive with hunters polishing rifles, mothers nursing infants, and children practicing bows and tomahawks. The daily rhythm of fire‑cooked venison, steaming corn‑bread, and the chatter of a close‑knit frontier family paints a vivid picture of life on the edge of the wilderness.
At the heart of this community are Dave, a lanky teen with a mischievous grin, and the spirited girls Polly, Lydia and Honor, whose banter and budding affections add warmth to the rugged setting. Their interactions—sharing breakfast, teasing each other, and working together to keep the fort functional—hint at the bonds that will be tested as the frontier’s challenges grow. Listeners are invited to experience the humor, hope, and hard‑won resilience of these early pioneers as they carve out a home amid the wild.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (242K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Jun 12, 2011
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1862–1919
A bestselling storyteller of Appalachia, he turned mountain settings and Civil War themes into some of the most widely read American novels of his day. His books helped bring regional life in Kentucky and Virginia to a national audience.
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