CHAPTER V.
A mission of peace--Unexpected joys--Dick and Crusoe set off for
the land of the Redskins, and meet with adventures by the
way as a matter of course--Night in the wild woods
.
One day the inhabitants of Mustang Valley were
thrown into considerable excitement by the
arrival of an officer of the United States army and a
small escort of cavalry. They went direct to the blockhouse,
which, since Major Hope's departure, had become
the residence of Joe Blunt--that worthy having, by
general consent, been deemed the fittest man in the
settlement to fill the major's place.
Soon it began to be noised abroad that the strangers
had been sent by Government to endeavour to bring
about, if possible, a more friendly state of feeling between
the Whites and the Indians by means of presents,
and promises, and fair speeches.
The party remained all night in the block-house, and
ere long it was reported that Joe Blunt had been requested,
and had consented, to be the leader and chief
of a party of three men who should visit the neighbouring
tribes of Indians to the west and north of the
valley as Government agents. Joe's knowledge of two
or three different Indian dialects, and his well-known
sagacity, rendered him a most fitting messenger on such
an errand. It was also whispered that Joe was to have
the choosing of his comrades in this mission, and many
were the opinions expressed and guesses made as to who
would be chosen.
That same evening Dick Varley was sitting in his
mother's kitchen cleaning his rifle. His mother was
preparing supper, and talking quietly about the obstinacy
of a particular hen that had taken to laying her
eggs in places where they could not be found. Fan
was coiled up in a corner sound asleep, and Crusoe was
sitting at one side of the fire looking on at things in
general.
"I wonder," remarked Mrs. Varley, as she spread the
table with a pure white napkin--"I wonder what the
sodgers are doin' wi' Joe Blunt."
As often happens when an individual is mentioned,
the worthy referred to opened the door at that moment
and stepped into the room.
"Good e'en t'ye, dame," said the stout hunter, doffing
his cap, and resting his rifle in a corner, while Dick
rose and placed a chair for him.
"The same to you, Master Blunt," answered the widow;
"you've jist comed in good time for a cut o' venison."
"Thanks, mistress; I s'pose we're beholden to the
silver rifle for that."
"To the hand that aimed it, rather," suggested the
widow.
"Nay, then, say raither to the dog that turned it,"
said Dick Varley. "But for Crusoe, that buck would
ha' bin couched in the woods this night."
"Oh! if it comes to that," retorted Joe, "I'd lay it
to the door o' Fan, for if she'd niver bin born nother
would Crusoe. But it's good an' tender meat, whativer
ways ye got it. Howsiver, I've other things to talk
about jist now. Them sodgers that are eatin' buffalo
tongues up at the block-house as if they'd niver ate meat
before, and didn't hope to eat again for a twelvemonth--"
"Ay, what o' them?" interrupted Mrs. Varley; "I've
bin wonderin' what was their errand."
"Of coorse ye wos, Dame Varley, and I've comed
here a purpis to tell ye. They want me to go to the
Redskins to make peace between them and us; and
they've brought a lot o' goods to make them presents
withal--beads, an' knives, an' lookin'-glasses, an' vermilion
paint, an' sich like, jist as much as'll be a light
load for one horse--for, ye see, nothin' can be done wi'
the Redskins without gifts."
"'Tis a blessed mission," said the widow; "I wish it
may succeed. D'ye think ye'll go?"
"Go? ay, that will I."
"I only wish they'd made the offer to me," said Dick
with a sigh.
"An' so they do make the offer, lad. They've gin
me leave to choose the two men I'm to take with me,
and I've corned straight to ask
you
. Ay or no, for we
must up an' away by break o' day to-morrow."
Mrs. Varley started. "So soon?" she said, with a
look of anxiety.
"Ay; the Pawnees are at the Yellow Creek jist at
this time, but I've heerd they're 'bout to break up
camp an' away west; so we'll need to use haste."
"May I go, mother?" asked Dick, with a look of
anxiety.
There was evidently a conflict in the widow's breast,
but it quickly ceased.
"Yes, my boy," she said in her own low, quiet voice;
"and God go with ye. I knew the time must come
soon, an' I thank him that your first visit to the Redskins
will be on an errand o' peace. 'Blessed are the
peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of
God.'"
Dick grasped his mother's hand and pressed it to his
cheek in silence. At the same moment Crusoe, seeing
that the deeper feelings of his master were touched, and
deeming it his duty to sympathize, rose up and thrust
his nose against him.
"Ah, pup," cried the young man hastily, "you must
go too.--Of course Crusoe goes, Joe Blunt?"
"Hum! I don't know that. There's no dependin' on
a dog to keep his tongue quiet in times o' danger."
"Believe me," exclaimed Dick, flashing with enthusiasm,
"Crusoe's more trustworthy than I am myself.
If ye can trust the master, ye're safe to trust the pup."
"Well, lad, ye may be right. We'll take him."
"Thanks, Joe. And who else goes with us?"
"I've' bin castin' that in my mind for some time, an'
I've fixed to take Henri. He's not the safest man in
the valley, but he's the truest, that's a fact. And now,
youngster, get yer horse an' rifle ready, and come to the
block-house at daybreak to-morrow.--Good luck to ye,
mistress, till we meet agin."
Joe Blunt rose, and taking up his rifle--without
which he scarcely ever moved a foot from his own door--left
the cottage with rapid strides.
"My son," said Mrs. Varley, kissing Dick's cheek as
he resumed his seat, "put this in the little pocket I
made for it in your hunting-shirt."
She handed him a small pocket Bible.
"Dear mother," he said, as he placed the book carefully
within the breast of his coat, "the Redskin that
takes that from me must take my scalp first. But
don't fear for me. You've often said the Lord would
protect me. So he will, mother, for sure it's an errand
o' peace."
"Ay that's it, that's it," murmured the widow in a
half-soliloquy.
Dick Varley spent that night in converse with his
mother, and next morning at daybreak he was at the
place of meeting, mounted on his sturdy little horse,
with the "silver rifle" on his shoulder and Crusoe by
his side.
"That's right, lad, that's right. Nothin' like keepin'
yer time," said Joe, as he led out a pack-horse from the
gate of the block-house, while his own charger was held
ready saddled by a man named Daniel Brand, who had
been appointed to the charge of the block-house in his
absence.
"Where's Henri?--oh, here he comes!" exclaimed
Dick, as the hunter referred to came thundering up
the slope at a charge, on a horse that resembled its
rider in size and not a little in clumsiness of appearance.
"Ah! mes boy. Him is a goot one to go," cried
Henri, remarking Dick's smile as he pulled up. "No
hoss on de plain can beat dis one, surement."
"Now then, Henri, lend a hand to fix this pack; we've
no time to palaver."
By this time they were joined by several of the
soldiers and a few hunters who had come to see them
start.
"Remember, Joe," said one, "if you don't come back
in three months we'll all come out in a band to seek you."
"If we don't come back in less than that time, what's
left o' us won't be worth seekin' for," said Joe, tightening
the girth of his saddle.
"Put a bit in yer own mouth, Henri," cried another,
as the Canadian arranged his steed's bridle; "yell need
it more than yer horse when ye git 'mong the red
reptiles."
"Vraiment, if mon mout' needs one bit, yours will
need one padlock."
"Now, lads, mount!" cried Joe Blunt as he vaulted
into the saddle.
Dick Varley sprang lightly on his horse, and Henri
made a rush at his steed and hurled his huge frame
across its back with a violence that ought to have
brought it to the ground; but the tall, raw-boned, broad-chested
roan was accustomed to the eccentricities of its
master, and stood the shock bravely. Being appointed
to lead the pack-horse, Henri seized its halter. Then
the three cavaliers shook their reins, and, waving their
hands to their comrades, they sprang into the woods at
full gallop, and laid their course for the "far west."
For some time they galloped side by side in silence,
each occupied with his own thoughts, Crusoe keeping
close beside his master's horse. The two elder hunters
evidently ruminated on the object of their mission and
the prospects of success, for their countenances were
grave and their eyes cast on the ground. Dick Varley,
too, thought upon the Red-men, but his musings were
deeply tinged with the bright hues of a
first
adventure.
The mountains, the plains, the Indians, the bears, the
buffaloes, and a thousand other objects, danced wildly
before his mind's eye, and his blood careered through
his veins and flushed his forehead as he thought of
what he should see and do, and felt the elastic vigour
of youth respond in sympathy to the light spring of
his active little steed. He was a lover of nature, too,
and his flashing eyes glanced observantly from side to
side as they swept along--sometimes through glades
of forest trees, sometimes through belts of more open
ground and shrubbery; anon by the margin of a stream
or along the shores of a little lake, and often over short
stretches of flowering prairie-land--while the firm,
elastic turf sent up a muffled sound from the tramp of
their mettlesome chargers. It was a scene of wild,
luxuriant beauty, that might almost (one could fancy)
have drawn involuntary homage to its bountiful Creator
from the lips even of an infidel.
After a time Joe Blunt reined up, and they proceeded
at an easy ambling pace. Joe and his friend Henri
were so used to these beautiful scenes that they had
long ceased to be enthusiastically affected by them,
though they never ceased to delight in them.
"I hope," said Joe, "that them sodgers'll go their
ways soon. I've no notion o' them chaps when they're
left at a place wi' nothin' to do but whittle sticks."
"Why, Joe!" exclaimed Dick Varley in a tone of
surprise, "I thought you were admirin' the beautiful
face o' nature all this time, and ye're only thinkin' about
the sodgers. Now, that's strange!"
"Not so strange after all, lad," answered Joe. "When
a man's used to a thing, he gits to admire an' enjoy it
without speakin' much about it. But it
is
true, boy,
that mankind gits in coorse o' time to think little o'
the blissin's he's used to."
"Oui, c'est
vrai
!" murmured Henri emphatically.
"Well, Joe Blunt, it may be so, but I'm thankful
I'm
not used to this sort o' thing yet," exclaimed
Varley. "Let's have another gallop--so ho! come
along, Crusoe!" shouted the youth as he shook his reins
and flew over a long stretch of prairie on which at that
moment they entered.
Joe smiled as he followed his enthusiastic companion,
but after a short run he pulled up.
"Hold on, youngster," he cried; "ye must larn to do
as ye're bid, lad. It's trouble enough to be among wild
Injuns and wild buffaloes, as I hope soon to be, without
havin' wild comrades to look after."
Dick laughed, and reined in his panting horse. "I'll
be as obedient as Crusoe," he said, "and no one can
beat him."
"Besides," continued Joe, "the horses won't travel
far if we begin by runnin' all the wind out o'
them."
"Wah!" exclaimed Henri, as the led horse became
restive; "I think we must give to him de pack-hoss for
to lead, eh?"
"Not a bad notion, Henri. We'll make that the
penalty of runnin' off again; so look out, Master Dick."
"I'm down," replied Dick, with a modest air, "obedient
as a baby, and won't run off again--till--the
next time. By the way, Joe, how many days' provisions
did ye bring?"
"Two. That's 'nough to carry us to the Great
Prairie, which is three weeks distant from this. Our
own good rifles must make up the difference, and keep
us when we get there."
"And s'pose we neither find deer nor buffalo," suggested
Dick.
"I s'pose we'll have to starve."
"Dat is cumfer'able to tink upon," remarked Henri.
"More comfortable to think o' than to undergo," said
Dick; "but I s'pose there's little chance o' that."
"Well, not much," replied Joe Blunt, patting his
horse's neck, "but d'ye see, lad, ye niver can count for
sartin on anythin'. The deer and buffalo ought to be
thick in them plains at this time--and when the buffalo
are
thick they covers the plains till ye can hardly see
the end o' them; but, ye see, sometimes the rascally
Redskins takes it into their heads to burn the prairies,
and sometimes ye find the place that should ha' bin
black wi' buffalo, black as a coal wi' fire for miles an'
miles on end. At other times the Redskins go huntin'
in 'ticlur places, and sweeps them clean o' every hoof
that don't git away. Sometimes, too, the animals seems
to take a scunner at a place, and keeps out o' the way.
But one way or another men gin' rally manage to
scramble through."
"Look yonder, Joe," exclaimed Dick, pointing to the
summit of a distant ridge, where a small black object
was seen moving against the sky, "that's a deer, ain't
it?"
Joe shaded his eyes with his hand, and gazed earnestly
at the object in question. "Ye're right, boy; and by
good luck we've got the wind of him. Cut in an' take
your chance now. There's a long strip o' wood as'll
let ye git close to him."
Before the sentence was well finished Dick and
Crusoe were off at full gallop. For a few hundred
yards they coursed along the bottom of a hollow; then
turning to the right they entered the strip of wood, and
in a few minutes gained the edge of it. Here Dick
dismounted.
"You can't help me here, Crusoe. Stay where you
are, pup, and hold my horse."
Crusoe seized the end of the line, which was fastened
to the horse's nose, in his mouth, and lay down on
a hillock of moss, submissively placing his chin on his
forepaws, and watching his master as he stepped noiselessly
through the wood. In a few minutes Dick
emerged from among the trees, and creeping from bush
to bush, succeeded in getting to within six hundred
yards of the deer, which was a beautiful little antelope.
Beyond the bush behind which he now crouched all was
bare open ground, without a shrub or a hillock large
enough to conceal the hunter. There was a slight undulation
in the ground, however, which enabled him to
advance about fifty yards farther, by means of lying
down quite flat and working himself forward like a serpent.
Farther than this he could not move without
being seen by the antelope, which browsed on the ridge
before him in fancied security. The distance was too
great even for a long shot; but Dick knew of a weak
point in this little creature's nature which enabled him
to accomplish his purpose--a weak point which it shares
in common with animals of a higher order--namely,
curiosity.
The little antelope of the North American prairies is
intensely curious about everything that it does not
quite understand, and will not rest satisfied until it has
endeavoured to clear up the mystery. Availing himself
of this propensity, Dick did what both Indians and
hunters are accustomed to do on these occasions--he
put a piece of rag on the end of his ramrod, and keeping
his person concealed and perfectly still, waved this
miniature flag in the air. The antelope noticed it at
once, and, pricking up its ears, began to advance, timidly
and slowly, step by step, to see what remarkable phenomenon
it could be. In a few seconds the flag was
lowered, a sharp crack followed, and the antelope fell
dead upon the plain.
"Ha, boy! that's a good supper, anyhow," cried Joe,
as he galloped up and dismounted.
"Goot! dat is better nor dried meat," added Henri.
"Give him to me; I will put him on my hoss, vich is
strongar dan yourn. But ver is your hoss?"
"He'll be here in a minute," replied Dick, putting his
fingers to his mouth and giving forth a shrill whistle.
The instant Crusoe heard the sound he made a savage
and apparently uncalled-for dash at the horse's heels.
This wild act, so contrary to the dog's gentle nature, was
a mere piece of acting. He knew that the horse would
not advance without getting a fright, so he gave him
one in this way, which sent him off at a gallop. Crusoe
followed close at his heels, so as to bring the line alongside
of the nag's body, and thereby prevent its getting
entangled; but despite his best efforts the horse got on
one side of a tree and he on the other, so he wisely let
go his hold of the line, and waited till more open ground
enabled him to catch it again. Then he hung heavily
back, gradually checked the horse's speed, and finally
trotted him up to his master's side.
"'Tis a cliver cur, good sooth," exclaimed Joe Blunt
in surprise.
"Ah, Joe! you haven't seen much of Crusoe yet.
He's as good as a man any day. I've done little else
but train him for two years gone by, and he can do
most anything but shoot--he can't handle the rifle
nohow."
"Ha! then, I tink perhaps hims could if he wos try,"
said Henri, plunging on to his horse with a laugh, and
arranging the carcass of the antelope across the pommel
of his saddle.
Thus they hunted and galloped, and trotted and
ambled on through wood and plain all day, until the
sun began to descend below the tree-tops of the bluffs
on the west. Then Joe Blunt looked about him for a
place on which to camp, and finally fixed on a spot
under the shadow of a noble birch by the margin of a
little stream. The carpet of grass on its banks was soft
like green velvet, and the rippling waters of the brook
were clear as crystal--very different from the muddy
Missouri into which it flowed.
While Dick Varley felled and cut up firewood, Henri
unpacked the horses and turned them loose to graze,
and Joe kindled the fire and prepared venison steaks
and hot tea for supper.
In excursions of this kind it is customary to "hobble"
the horses--that is, to tie their fore-legs together, so
that they cannot run either fast or far, but are free
enough to amble about with a clumsy sort of hop in
search of food. This is deemed a sufficient check on
their tendency to roam, although some of the knowing
horses sometimes learn to hop so fast with their hobbles
as to give their owners much trouble to recapture them.
But when out in the prairies where Indians are known
or supposed to be in the neighbourhood, the horses are
picketed by means of a pin or stake attached to the
ends of their long lariats, as well as hobbled; for Indians
deem it no disgrace to steal or tell lies, though
they think it disgraceful to be found out in doing either.
And so expert are these dark-skinned natives of the
western prairies, that they will creep into the midst of
an enemy's camp, cut the lariats and hobbles of several
horses, spring suddenly on their backs, and gallop away.
They not only steal from white men, but tribes that
are at enmity steal from each other, and the boldness
with which they do this is most remarkable. When
Indians are travelling in a country where enemies are
prowling, they guard their camps at night with jealous
care. The horses in particular are both hobbled and
picketed, and sentries are posted all round the camp.
Yet, in spite of these precautions, hostile Indians manage
to elude the sentries and creep into the camp. When a
thief thus succeeds in effecting an entrance, his chief
danger is past. He rises boldly to his feet, and wrapping
his blanket or buffalo robe round him, he walks up
and down as if he were a member of the tribe. At the
same time he dexterously cuts the lariats of such horses
as he observes are not hobbled. He dare not stoop to
cut the hobbles, as the action would be observed, and
suspicion would be instantly aroused. He then leaps
on the best horse he can find, and uttering a terrific
war-whoop darts away into the plains, driving the loosened
horses before him.
No such dark thieves were supposed to be near the
camp under the birch-tree, however, so Joe, and Dick,
and Henri ate their supper in comfort, and let their
horses browse at will on the rich pasturage.
A bright ruddy fire was soon kindled, which created,
as it were, a little ball of light in the midst of surrounding
darkness for the special use of our hardy hunters.
Within this magic circle all was warm, comfortable, and
cheery; outside all was dark, and cold, and dreary by
contrast.
When the substantial part of supper was disposed of,
tea and pipes were introduced, and conversation began
to flow. Then the three saddles were placed in a row;
each hunter wrapped himself in his blanket, and pillowing
his head on his saddle, stretched his feet towards
the fire and went to sleep, with his loaded rifle by his
side and his hunting-knife handy in his belt. Crusoe
mounted guard by stretching himself out
couchant
at
Dick Varley's side. The faithful dog slept lightly, and
never moved all night; but had any one observed him
closely he would have seen that every fitful flame that
burst from the sinking fire, every unusual puff of wind,
and every motion of the horses that fed or rested hard
by, had the effect of revealing a speck of glittering
white in Crusoe's watchful eye.