“But you will not think of turning me out into the wilderness without some weapon with which to secure food, or to protect myself against the wild beasts?” the man found his tongue to say, with anxiety in his voice.
“Gun you shall have none, in punishment for your offense,” he was sternly told. “Your hunting knife and a hatchet will be given to you, also a certain amount of provisions, sufficient to last you several days. For the rest, look you to those friends whose gold you accepted to betray these lads; for we can now understand who it was knifed their skin boat so that it might sink with them in the rapids!”
The man at bay opened his mouth as though tempted to declare that he had had nothing to do with such a base affair; but, on second thought, he stifled his intended denial. He must have decided that, since exposure had come, the less he had to say the better it would be for him in the end.
Under the orders of Captain Lewis his knife and hatchet were returned to him. Then a package of food was made ready and also given into his charge. Some of the men were grumbling to themselves, as though they did not approve of such leniency, for, according to their way of thinking, a traitor deserved but one punishment, and one that would place it out of his power to repeat his fault.
The man did not attempt to plead for mercy. He had a certain amount of pride; and, besides, he feared lest he be turned over to the soldiers for punishment, and he knew what to expect in that case.
“Now go forth,” Captain Lewis told him, “and seek your new friends, or join the Indians whose treacherous ways you have even shamed by your acts. We warn you not to be seen again by any in this camp. Such is your reward for turning against those who trusted you. That is all.”
Waller drew a long breath. He knew what it meant for him, should he fail to find the Frenchmen. Hundreds of miles lay between that spot and the nearest white settlement; and, unless he could get in touch with some of the Indian tribes along the Missouri, he would starve by the time another winter came around.
Being a woodsman, Waller of course knew many of the secrets of Nature, and could prolong his life by means of clever snares in which to catch small animals; but, with the coming of cold weather, his case would be pitiful unless he had help.
Dick felt sorry for the man at first. He believed Waller had simply yielded to temptation when he accepted the Frenchman’s gold and agreed to work in his interest.