“Never mind that, I know that part, though you can tell me what’s become of Hugh,” said Waving Plume.
“He’s all right—will make a bully Injun fighter, he will. They were all round him, but we fought our way through, killed a dozen—more or less, an’ then clared out. We had to separate, but he kin hold his own candle, so I ain’t a bit frightened fur him. When I started in this direction, I jist thought Tom would strike this way—”
“As so he did!” exclaimed Charley Archer, excitedly, leaping to his feet. “It was he that I followed into the pass—he carried with him Adele Robison.”
“Yes, yer correct, an’ you needn’t be alarmed, she ain’t fur off, an’ we stand a mighty good chance of taking her out of his fingers.”
“Tell me where she is, if you know; and how you expect to rescue her! It will be no easy matter, though it must be done; and I seek for light on it.”
“Easy, boy, don’t be in a splutter. There’s a cave in the rock, as I kinder hinted, and Tom Rutter has holed thar till he seed jist what to do. And now, while I’m thinkin’ on it—how in thunder does it come that he breaks in alone with ther gal, an’ you come alone following him when he had a party of thirty braves, an’ you were with half-a-dozen free trappers? All the rest on both sides ain’t wiped out, be they? I’m kinder curious on them points.”
Waving Plume gave a succinct account of his adventures in search of the Major’s daughter, together with a detailed description of the conflict at the crossing, the flight, and his lone continuance of the pursuit—of the position of Ned Hawkins, the Major, and the rest of the party he was profoundly ignorant, nor could he tell what had become of the Blackfeet.
Jake heard the account in silence, reserving his criticisms until it was ended; then he commenced:
“Waal, Tom allers war a sharp ’un to handle, and he got ahead of ’em slightually this time. He’s a turn-coat on principle, you see, and had been alivin’ among the Injuns ever since that time the black rascals fotched him up a standin’. He don’t seem to be doin’ the square thing to the Major an’ his darter, but as near as I kin come to it he’s fooled you an’ the red-skins both, an’ slipped in here—which ar a mighty bad place for an honest man or woman. Maybe you’ve heard tell o’ Free Trappers’ Pass—ef you have, this here’s the place. Now, I’m sleepy and tired, you perceive, and so will jist dry up an’ go to sleep, fur there’s plenty o’ time to-morrow to tend to all our talkin’ and sich like.”
Used as he was to the hardships of trapper life, to Jake, there was no need of a bed of down to bring sleep. In a few moments he was cosily ensconced in the arms of Morpheus, and the watchful ear of Charles Archer could hear the long-drawn breath which announced his condition.