CHAPTER XX.
New plans
--
Our travellers join the fur-traders, and see many
strange things
--
A curious fight
--
A narrow escape, and
a prisoner taken
.
Not long after the events related in the last chapter,
our four friends--Dick, and Joe, and Henri,
and Crusoe--agreed to become for a time members of
Walter Cameron's band of trappers. Joe joined because
one of the objects which the traders had in view was
similar to his own mission--namely, the promoting of
peace among the various Indian tribes of the mountains
and plains to the west. Joe, therefore, thought it a
good opportunity of travelling with a band of men who
could secure him a favourable hearing from the Indian
tribes they might chance to meet with in the course of
their wanderings. Besides, as the traders carried about
a large supply of goods with them, he could easily replenish
his own nearly exhausted pack by hunting wild
animals and exchanging their skins for such articles as
he might require.
Dick joined because it afforded him an opportunity of
seeing the wild, majestic scenery of the Rocky Mountains,
and shooting the big-horned sheep which abounded
there, and the grizzly "bars," as Joe named them, or
"Caleb," as they were more frequently styled by Henri
and the other men.
Henri joined because it was agreeable to the inclination
of his own rollicking, blundering, floundering, crashing
disposition, and because he would have joined anything
that had been joined by the other two.
Crusoe's reason for joining was single, simple, easy to
be expressed, easy to be understood, and commendable.
He
joined--because Dick did.
The very day after the party left the encampment
where Dick had shot the grizzly bear and the deer, he
had the satisfaction of bringing down a splendid specimen
of the big-horned sheep. It came suddenly out
from a gorge of the mountain, and stood upon the giddy
edge of a tremendous precipice, at a distance of about
two hundred and fifty yards.
"
You
could not hit that," said a trapper to Henri,
who was rather fond of jeering him about his shortsightedness.
"Non!" cried Henri, who didn't see the animal in the
least; "say you dat? ve shall see;" and he let fly with a
promptitude that amazed his comrades, and with a result
that drew from them peals of laughter.
"Why, you have missed the mountain!"
"Oh, non! dat am eempossoble."
It was true, nevertheless, for his ball had been arrested
in its flight by the stem of a tree not twenty yards before
him.
While the shot was yet ringing, and before the laugh
above referred to had pealed forth, Dick Varley fired,
and the animal, springing wildly into the air, fell down
the precipice, and was almost dashed to pieces at their
feet.
This Rocky Mountain or big-horned sheep was a particularly
large and fine one, but being a patriarch of the
flock was not well suited for food. It was considerably
larger in size than the domestic sheep, and might be
described as somewhat resembling a deer in the body
and a ram in the head. Its horns were the chief point
of interest to Dick; and, truly, they were astounding!
Their enormous size was out of all proportion to the
animal's body, and they curved backwards and downwards,
and then curled up again in a sharp point. These
creatures frequent the inaccessible heights of the Rocky
Mountains, and are difficult to approach. They have a
great fondness for salt, and pay regular visits to the
numerous caverns of these mountains, which are encrusted
with a saline substance.
Walter Cameron now changed his intention of proceeding
to the eastward, as he found the country not so
full of beaver at that particular spot as he had anticipated.
He therefore turned towards the west, penetrated
into the interior of the mountains, and took a
considerable sweep through the lovely valleys on their
western slopes.
The expedition which this enterprising fur-trader was
conducting was one of the first that ever penetrated
these wild regions in search of furs. The ground over
which they travelled was quite new to them, and having
no guide they just moved about at haphazard, encamping
on the margin of every stream or river on which
signs of the presence of beaver were discovered, and
setting their traps.
Beaver skins at this time were worth 25s. a-piece in
the markets of civilized lands, and in the Snake country,
through which our friends were travelling, thousands of
them were to be had from the Indians for trinkets and
baubles that were scarce worth a farthing. A beaver
skin could be procured from the Indians for a brass
finger-ring or a penny looking-glass. Horses were also
so numerous that one could be procured for an axe or a
knife.
Let not the reader, however, hastily conclude that the
traders cheated the Indians in this traffic, though the
profits were so enormous. The ring or the axe was indeed
a trifle to the trader, but the beaver skin and the
horse were equally trifles to the savage, who could procure
as many of them as he chose with very little
trouble, while the ring and the axe were in his estimation
of priceless value. Besides, be it remembered, to
carry that ring and that axe to the far-distant haunts of
the Red-man cost the trader weeks and months of constant
toil, trouble, anxiety, and, alas! too frequently cost
him his life! The state of trade is considerably modified
in these regions at the present day. It is not more
justly
conducted, for, in respect of the value of goods
given for furs, it was justly conducted
then
, but time
and circumstances have tended more to equalize the relative
values of articles of trade.
The snow which had prematurely fallen had passed
away, and the trappers now found themselves wandering
about in a country so beautiful and a season so delightful,
that it would have seemed to them a perfect paradise,
but for the savage tribes who hovered about them,
and kept them ever on the
qui vive
.
They soon passed from the immediate embrace of stupendous
heights and dark gorges to a land of sloping
ridges, which divided the country into a hundred luxuriant
vales, composed part of woodland and part of prairie.
Through these, numerous rivers and streams flowed deviously,
beautifying the landscape and enriching the
land. There were also many lakes of all sizes, and
these swarmed with fish, while in some of them were
found the much-sought-after and highly-esteemed beaver.
Salt springs and hot springs of various temperatures
abounded here, and many of the latter were so hot that
meat could be boiled in them. Salt existed in all directions
in abundance and of good quality. A sulphurous
spring was also discovered, bubbling out from the base
of a perpendicular rock three hundred feet high, the
waters of which were dark-blue and tasted like gunpowder.
In short, the land presented every variety of
feature calculated to charm the imagination and delight
the eye.
It was a mysterious land, too; for broad rivers burst in
many places from the earth, flowed on for a short space,
and then disappeared as if by magic into the earth from
which they rose. Natural bridges spanned the torrents
in many places, and some of these were so correctly
formed that it was difficult to believe they had not been
built by the hand of man. They often appeared opportunely
to our trappers, and saved them the trouble and
danger of fording rivers. Frequently the whole band
would stop in silent wonder and awe as they listened to
the rushing of waters under their feet, as if another
world of streams, and rapids, and cataracts were flowing
below the crust of earth on which they stood. Some
considerable streams were likewise observed to gush
from the faces of precipices, some twenty or thirty feet
from their summits, while on the top no water was to
be seen.
Wild berries of all kinds were found in abundance,
and wild vegetables, besides many nutritious roots.
Among other fish, splendid salmon were found in the
lakes and rivers, and animal life swarmed on hill and
in dale. Woods and valleys, plains and ravines, teemed
with it. On every plain the red-deer grazed in herds
by the banks of lake and stream. Wherever there were
clusters of poplar and elder trees and saplings, the beaver
was seen nibbling industriously with his sharp teeth,
and committing as much havoc in the forest as if he
had been armed with the woodman's axe; others sported
in the eddies. Racoons sat in the tree-tops; the marten,
the black fox, and the wolf prowled in the woods in
quest of prey; mountain sheep and goats browsed on
the rocky ridges; and badgers peeped from their holes.
Here, too, the wild horse sprang snorting and dishevelled
from his mountain retreats--with flourishing
mane and tail, spanking step, and questioning
gaze--and thundered away over the plains and valleys, while
the rocks echoed back his shrill neigh. The huge,
heavy, ungainly elk, or moose-deer,
trotted
away from
the travellers with speed equal to that of the mustang:
elks seldom gallop; their best speed is attained at the
trot. Bears, too, black, and brown, and grizzly, roamed
about everywhere.
So numerous were all these creatures that on one
occasion the hunters of the party brought in six wild
horses, three bears, four elks, and thirty red-deer; having
shot them all a short distance ahead of the main body,
and almost without diverging from the line of march.
And this was a matter of everyday occurrence--as it
had need to be, considering the number of mouths that
had to be filled.
The feathered tribes were not less numerous. Chief
among these were eagles and vultures of uncommon size,
the wild goose, wild duck, and the majestic swan.
In the midst of such profusion the trappers spent a
happy time of it, when not molested by the savages, but
they frequently lost a horse or two in consequence of
the expertness of these thievish fellows. They often
wandered, however, for days at a time without seeing
an Indian, and at such times they enjoyed to the full
the luxuries with which a bountiful God had blessed
these romantic regions.
Dick Varley was almost wild with delight. It was
his first excursion into the remote wilderness; he was
young, healthy, strong, and romantic; and it is a question
whether his or his dog's heart, or that of the noble
wild horse he bestrode, bounded most with joy at the
glorious sights and sounds and influences by which they
were surrounded. It would have been perfection, had it
not been for the frequent annoyance and alarms caused
by the Indians.
Alas! alas! that we who write and read about those
wondrous scenes should have to condemn our own species
as the most degraded of all the works of the Creator
there! Yet so it is. Man, exercising his reason and
conscience in the path of love and duty which his Creator
points out, is God's noblest work; but man, left to the
freedom of his own fallen will, sinks morally lower than
the beasts that perish. Well may every Christian wish
and pray that the name and the gospel of the blessed
Jesus may be sent speedily to the dark places of the
earth; for you may read of, and talk about, but you
cannot conceive
the fiendish wickedness and cruelty which
causes tearless eyes to glare, and maddened hearts to
burst, in the lands of the heathen.
While we are on this subject, let us add (and our young
readers will come to know it if they are spared to see
many years) that
civilization
alone will never improve
the heart. Let history speak, and it will tell you that
deeds of darkest hue have been perpetrated in so-called
civilized though pagan lands. Civilization is like the
polish that beautifies inferior furniture, which water will
wash off if it be but
hot enough
. Christianity resembles
dye, which permeates every fibre of the fabric, and which
nothing can eradicate.
The success of the trappers in procuring beaver here
was great. In all sorts of creeks and rivers they were
found. One day they came to one of the curious rivers
before mentioned, which burst suddenly out of a plain,
flowed on for several miles, and then disappeared into the
earth as suddenly as it had risen. Even in this strange
place beaver were seen, so the traps were set, and a
hundred and fifty were caught at the first lift.
The manner in which the party proceeded was as
follows:--They marched in a mass in groups or in a long
line, according to the nature of the ground over which
they travelled. The hunters of the party went forward
a mile or two in advance, and scattered through the
woods. After them came the advance-guard, being the
bravest and most stalwart of the men mounted on their
best steeds, and with rifle in hand; immediately behind
followed the women and children, also mounted, and
the pack-horses with the goods and camp equipage.
Another band of trappers formed the rear-guard to this
imposing cavalcade. There was no strict regimental
order kept, but the people soon came to adopt the
arrangements that were most convenient for all parties,
and at length fell naturally into their places in the line
of march.
Joe Blunt usually was the foremost and always the
most successful of the hunters. He was therefore seldom
seen on the march except at the hour of starting, and at
night when he came back leading his horse, which always
groaned under its heavy load of meat. Henri, being a
hearty, jovial soul and fond of society, usually kept with
the main body. As for Dick, he was everywhere at
once, at least as much so as it is possible for human
nature to be! His horse never wearied; it seemed to
delight in going at full speed; no other horse in the
troop could come near Charlie, and Dick indulged him
by appearing now at the front, now at the rear, anon in
the centre, and frequently
nowhere
!--having gone off
with Crusoe like a flash of lightning after a buffalo or a
deer. Dick soon proved himself to be the best hunter
of the party, and it was not long before he fulfilled his
promise to Crusoe and decorated his neck with a collar
of grizzly bear claws.
Well, when the trappers came to a river where there
were signs of beaver they called a halt, and proceeded
to select a safe and convenient spot, near wood and
water, for the camp. Here the property of the band
was securely piled in such a manner as to form a breastwork
or slight fortification, and here Walter Cameron
established headquarters. This was always the post
of danger, being exposed to sudden attack by prowling
savages, who often dogged the footsteps of the party in
their journeyings to see what they could steal. But
Cameron was an old hand, and they found it difficult to
escape his vigilant eye.
From this point all the trappers were sent forth in
small parties every morning in various directions, some
on foot and some on horseback, according to the distances
they had to go; but they never went farther
than twenty miles, as they had to return to camp every
evening.
Each trapper had ten steel traps allowed him. These
he set every night, and visited every morning, sometimes
oftener when practicable, selecting a spot in the stream
where many trees had been cut down by beavers for the
purpose of damming up the water. In some places as
many as fifty tree stumps were seen in one spot, within
the compass of half an acre, all cut through at about
eighteen inches from the root. We may remark, in
passing, that the beaver is very much like a gigantic
water-rat, with this marked difference, that its tail is
very broad and flat like a paddle. The said tail is a
greatly-esteemed article of food, as, indeed, is the whole
body at certain seasons of the year. The beaver's fore
legs are very small and short, and it uses its paws as
hands to convey food to its mouth, sitting the while in
an erect position on its hind legs and tail. Its fur is
a dense coat of a grayish-coloured down, concealed by
long coarse hair, which lies smooth, and is of a bright
chestnut colour. Its teeth and jaws are of enormous
power; with them it can cut through the branch of a
tree as thick as a walking-stick at one snap, and, as we
have said, it gnaws through thick trees themselves.
As soon as a tree falls, the beavers set to work industriously
to lop off the branches, which, as well as the
smaller trunks, they cut into lengths, according to their
weight and thickness. These are then dragged by
main force to the water-side, launched, and floated to
their destination. Beavers build their houses, or
"lodges," under the banks of rivers and lakes, and always
select those of such depth of water that there is
no danger of their being frozen to the bottom. When
such cannot be found, and they are compelled to build
in small rivulets of insufficient depth, these clever little
creatures dam up the waters until they are deep enough.
The banks thrown up by them across rivulets for this
purpose are of great strength, and would do credit to
human engineers. Their lodges are built of sticks,
mud, and stones, which form a compact mass; this
freezes solid in winter, and defies the assaults of that
housebreaker, the wolverine, an animal which is the
beaver's implacable foe. From this lodge, which is
capable often of holding four old and six or eight young
ones, a communication is maintained with the water
below the ice, so that, should the wolverine succeed in breaking up
the
lodge, he finds the family "not at
home," they having made good their retreat by the
back-door. When man acts the part of housebreaker,
however, he cunningly shuts the back-door
first
, by
driving stakes through the ice, and thus stopping the
passage. Then he enters, and, we almost regret to say,
finds the family at home. We regret it, because the
beaver is a gentle, peaceable, affectionate, hairy little
creature, towards which one feels an irresistible tenderness.
But to return from this long digression.
Our trappers, having selected their several localities,
set their traps in the water, so that when the beavers
roamed about at night they put their feet into them,
and were caught and drowned; for although they can
swim and dive admirably, they cannot live altogether
under water.
Thus the different parties proceeded; and in the
mornings the camp was a busy scene indeed, for then
the whole were engaged in skinning the animals. The
skins were always stretched, dried, folded up with the
hair in the inside, and laid by; and the flesh was used
for food.
But oftentimes the trappers had to go forth with the
gun in one hand and their traps in the other, while
they kept a sharp look-out on the bushes to guard
against surprise. Despite their utmost efforts, a horse
was occasionally stolen before their very eyes, and
sometimes even an unfortunate trapper was murdered,
and all his traps carried off.
An event of this kind occurred soon after the party
had gained the western slopes of the mountains. Three
Iroquois Indians, who belonged to the band of trappers,
were sent to a stream about ten miles off. Having
reached their destination, they all entered the water to
set their traps, foolishly neglecting the usual precaution
of one remaining on the bank to protect the others.
They had scarcely commenced operations when three
arrows were discharged into their backs, and a party of
Snake Indians rushed upon and slew them, carrying
away their traps and horses and scalps. This was not
known for several days, when, becoming anxious about
their prolonged absence, Cameron sent out a party,
which found their mangled bodies affording a loathsome
banquet to the wolves and vultures.
After this sad event, the trappers were more careful
to go in larger parties, and keep watch.
As long as beaver were taken in abundance, the
camp remained stationary; but whenever the beaver
began to grow scarce, the camp was raised, and the
party moved on to another valley.
One day Dick Varley came galloping into camp with
the news that there were several bears in a valley not
far distant, which he was anxious not to disturb until a
number of the trappers were collected together to go
out and surround them.
On receiving the information, Walter Cameron shook
his head.
"We have other things to do, young man," said he,
"than go a-hunting after bears. I'm just about making
up my mind to send off a party to search out the valley
on the other side of the Blue Mountains yonder, and
bring back word if there are beaver there; for if not, I
mean to strike away direct south. Now, if you've a
mind to go with them, you're welcome. I'll warrant you'll
find enough in the way of bear-hunting to satisfy you;
perhaps a little Indian hunting to boot, for if the Banattees
get hold of your horses, you'll have a long hunt
before you find them again. Will you go?"
"Ay, right gladly," replied Dick. "When do we
start?"
"This afternoon."
Dick went off at once to his own part of the camp to
replenish his powder-horn and bullet-pouch, and wipe
out his rifle.
That evening the party, under command of a Canadian
named Pierre, set out for the Blue Hills. They
numbered twenty men, and expected to be absent three
days, for they merely went to reconnoitre, not to trap.
Neither Joe nor Henri was of this party, both having
been out hunting when it was organized; but Crusoe
and Charlie were, of course.
Pierre, although a brave and trusty man, was of a
sour, angry disposition, and not a favourite with Dick;
but the latter resolved to enjoy himself, and disregard
his sulky comrade. Being so well mounted, he not unfrequently
shot far ahead of his companions, despite
their warnings that he ran great risk by so doing. On
one of these occasions he and Crusoe witnessed a very
singular fight, which is worthy of record.
Dick had felt a little wilder in spirit that morning
than usual, and on coming to a pretty open plain he
gave the rein to Charlie, and with an "
Adieu, mes camarade
,"
he was out of sight in a few minutes. He rode
on several miles in advance without checking speed, and
then came to a wood where rapid motion was inconvenient;
so he pulled up, and, dismounting, tied Charlie
to a tree, while he sauntered on a short way on foot.
On coming to the edge of a small plain he observed
two large birds engaged in mortal conflict. Crusoe observed
them too, and would soon have put an end to the
fight had Dick not checked him. Creeping as close to
the belligerents as possible, he found that one was a
wild turkey-cock, the other a white-headed eagle. These
two stood with their heads down and all their feathers
bristling for a moment; then they dashed at each other,
and struck fiercely with their spurs, as our domestic
cocks do, but neither fell, and the fight was continued
for about five minutes without apparent advantage on
either side.
Dick now observed that, from the uncertainty of its
motions, the turkey-cock was blind, a discovery which
caused a throb of compunction to enter his breast for
standing and looking on, so he ran forward. The eagle
saw him instantly, and tried to fly away, but was unable
from exhaustion.
"At him, Crusoe," cried Dick, whose sympathies all
lay with the other bird.
Crusoe went forward at a bound, and was met by a
peck between the eyes that would have turned most
dogs; but Crusoe only winked, and the next moment
the eagle's career was ended.
Dick found that the turkey-cock was quite blind, the
eagle having thrust out both its eyes, so, in mercy, he
put an end to its sufferings.
The fight had evidently been a long and severe one,
for the grass all round the spot, for about twenty yards,
was beaten to the ground, and covered with the blood
and feathers of the fierce combatants.
Meditating on the fight which he had just witnessed,
Dick returned towards the spot where he had left
Charlie, when he suddenly missed Crusoe from his side.
"Hallo, Crusoe! here, pup! where are you?" he
cried.
The only answer to this was a sharp whizzing sound,
and an arrow, passing close to his ear, quivered in a
tree beyond. Almost at the same moment Crusoe's
angry roar was followed by a shriek from some one in
fear or agony. Cocking his rifle, the young hunter
sprang through the bushes towards his horse, and was
just in time to save a Banattee Indian from being
strangled by the dog. It had evidently scented out
this fellow, and pinned him just as he was in the act of
springing on the back of Charlie, for the halter was cut,
and the savage lay on the ground close beside him.
Dick called off the dog, and motioned to the Indian
to rise, which he did so nimbly that it was quite evident
he had sustained no injury beyond the laceration
of his neck by Crusoe's teeth, and the surprise.
He was a tall strong Indian for the tribe to which
he belonged, so Dick proceeded to secure him at once.
Pointing to his rifle and to the Indian's breast, to show
what he might expect if he attempted to escape, Dick
ordered Crusoe to keep him steady in that position.
The dog planted himself in front of the savage, who
began to tremble for his scalp, and gazed up in his face
with a look which, to say the least of it, was the reverse
of amiable, while Dick went towards his horse for the
purpose of procuring a piece of cord to tie him with.
The Indian naturally turned his head to see what was
going to be done, but a peculiar
gurgle
in Crusoe's throat
made him turn it round again very smartly, and he did
not venture thereafter to move a muscle.
In a few seconds Dick returned with a piece of
leather and tied his hands behind his back. While this
was being done the Indian glanced several times at his
bow, which lay a few feet away, where it had fallen
when the dog caught him; but Crusoe seemed to understand
him, for he favoured him with such an additional
display of teeth, and such a low--apparently distant,
almost, we might say, subterranean--
rumble
, that he
resigned himself to his fate.
His hands secured, a long line was attached to his
neck with a running noose, so that if he ventured to
run away the attempt would effect its own cure by producing
strangulation. The other end of this line was
given to Crusoe, who at the word of command marched
him off, while Dick mounted Charlie and brought up
the rear.
Great was the laughter and merriment when this
apparition met the eyes of the trappers; but when they
heard that he had attempted to shoot Dick their ire was
raised, and a court-martial was held on the spot.
"Hang the reptile!" cried one.
"Burn him!" shouted another.
"No, no," said a third; "don't imitate them villains:
don't be cruel. Let's shoot him."
"Shoot 'im," cried Pierre. "Oui, dat is de ting; it
too goot pour lui, mais it shall be dooed."
"Don't ye think, lads, it would be better to let the
poor wretch off?" said Dick Varley; "he'd p'r'aps give
a good account o' us to his people."
There was a universal shout of contempt at this mild
proposal. Unfortunately, few of the men sent on this
exploring expedition were imbued with the peace-making
spirit of their chief, and most of them seemed glad to
have a chance of venting their hatred of the poor Indians
on this unhappy wretch, who, although calm, looked
sharply from one speaker to another, to gather hope, if
possible, from the tones of their voices.
Dick was resolved, at the risk of a quarrel with Pierre,
to save the poor man's life, and had made up his mind
to insist on having him conducted to the camp to be
tried by Cameron, when one of the men suggested that
they should take the savage to the top of a hill about
three miles farther on, and there hang him up on a tree
as a warning to all his tribe.
"Agreed, agreed!" cried the men; "come on."
Dick, too, seemed to agree to this proposal, and hastily
ordered Crusoe to run on ahead with the savage; an
order which the dog obeyed so vigorously that, before
the men had done laughing at him, he was a couple of
hundred yards ahead of them.
"Take care that he don't get off!" cried Dick, springing
on Charlie and stretching out at a gallop.
In a moment he was beside the Indian. Scraping together
the little of the Indian language he knew, he stooped
down, and, cutting the thongs that bound him, said,--
"Go! white men love the Indians."
The man cast on his deliverer one glance of surprise,
and the next moment bounded aside into the bushes and
was gone.
A loud shout from the party behind showed that this
act had been observed; and Crusoe stood with the end
of the line in his mouth, and an expression on his face
that said, "You're absolutely incomprehensible, Dick!
It's all right, I
know
, but to my feeble capacity it
seems
wrong."
"Fat for you do dat?" shouted Pierre in a rage, as
he came up with a menacing look.
Dick confronted him. "The prisoner was mine. I
had a right to do with him as it liked me."
"True, true," cried several of the men who had begun
to repent of their resolution, and were glad the savage
was off. "The lad's right. Get along, Pierre."
"You had no right, you vas wrong. Oui, et I have
goot vill to give you one knock on de nose."
Dick looked Pierre in the face, as he said this, in a
manner that cowed him.
"It is time," he said quietly, pointing to the sun, "to
go on. Your bourgeois expects that time won't be
wasted."
Pierre muttered something in an angry tone, and
wheeling round his horse, dashed forward at full gallop,
followed by the rest of the men.
The trappers encamped that night on the edge of a
wide grassy plain, which offered such tempting food for
the horses that Pierre resolved to forego his usual
cautious plan of picketing them close to the camp, and
set them loose on the plain, merely hobbling them to
prevent their straying far.
Dick remonstrated, but in vain. An insolent answer
was all he got for his pains. He determined, however,
to keep Charlie close beside him all night, and also made
up his mind to keep a sharp look-out on the other
horses.
At supper he again remonstrated.
"No 'fraid," said Pierre, whose pipe was beginning to
improve his temper. "The red reptiles no dare to come
in open plain when de moon so clear."
"Dun know that," said a taciturn trapper, who seldom
ventured a remark of any kind; "them varmints 'ud
steal the two eyes out o' you' head when they set their
hearts on't."
"Dat ar' umposs'ble, for dey have no hearts," said a
half-breed; "dey have von hole vere de heart vas
be."
This was received with a shout of laughter, in the
midst of which an appalling yell was heard, and, as if
by magic, four Indians were seen on the backs of four
of the best horses, yelling like fiends, and driving all the
other horses furiously before them over the plain!
How they got there was a complete mystery, but the
men did not wait to consider that point. Catching up
their guns they sprang after them with the fury of madmen,
and were quickly scattered far and wide. Dick
ordered Crusoe to follow and help the men, and turned
to spring on the back of Charlie; but at that moment
he observed an Indian's head and shoulders rise above
the grass, not fifty yards in advance from him, so without
hesitation he darted forward, intending to pounce
upon him.
Well would it have been for Dick Varley had he at
that time possessed a little more experience of the wiles
and stratagems of the Banattees. The Snake nation is
subdivided into several tribes, of which those inhabiting
the Rocky Mountains, called the Banattees, are the most
perfidious. Indeed, they are confessedly the banditti of
the hills, and respect neither friend nor foe, but rob all
who come in their way.
Dick reached the spot where the Indian had disappeared
in less than a minute, but no savage was to be
seen. Thinking he had crept ahead, he ran on a few
yards farther, and darted about hither and thither,
while his eye glanced from side to side. Suddenly a
shout in the camp attracted his attention, and looking
back he beheld the savage on Charlie's back turning to
fly. Next moment he was off and away far beyond the
hope of recovery. Dick had left his rifle in the camp,
otherwise the savage would have gone but a short way.
As it was, Dick returned, and sitting down on a mound
of grass, stared straight before him with a feeling akin
to despair. Even Crusoe could not have helped him
had he been there, for nothing on four legs, or on two,
could keep pace with Charlie.
The Banattee achieved this feat by adopting a stratagem
which invariably deceives those who are ignorant
of their habits and tactics. When suddenly pursued the
Banattee sinks into the grass, and, serpent-like, creeps
along with wonderful rapidity, not
from
but
towards
his enemy, taking care, however, to avoid him, so that
when the pursuer reaches the spot where the pursued is
supposed to be hiding, he hears him shout a yell of
defiance far away in the rear.
It was thus that the Banattee eluded Dick and gained
the camp almost as soon as the other reached the spot
where he had disappeared.
One by one the trappers came back weary, raging,
and despairing. In a short time they all assembled,
and soon began to reproach each other. Ere long one
or two had a fight, which resulted in several bloody
noses and black eyes, thus adding to the misery which,
one would think, had been bad enough without such
additions. At last they finished their suppers and their
pipes, and then lay down to sleep under the trees till
morning, when they arose in a particularly silent and
sulky mood, rolled up their blankets, strapped their
things on their shoulders, and began to trudge slowly
back to the camp on foot.