The Red River Half-Breed: A Tale of the Wild North-West

  CHAPTER XIV.

  THE COMPACT.

  After leaving his camping ground, Captain Kidd soon parted from theEnglishman, whom he sent on through a valley, where he disappeared.Kidd had not much practice in using snowshoes, for he was a horsemanof southern plains life; and the inevitable pain at the instep forcedhim to reach the higher land of the valley divide or crest, and trudgeon with the rackets at his back. Here the wind had left but an inch ortwo of snow; and he walked for a couple of hours without noteworthyinconvenience. Finally, he came within half a mile of the Red RiverHalf-breeds' ill-fated encampment.

  When "Quarry Dick" preceded him there, he found the Canadians stilldigging out the wagons, and binding up their wounds and frostbites. Hewas much surprised at seeing so many women and girls; and, at the firstwords addressed to him, was still further filled with astonishment.Instead of going on to the place where--whether he knew it or not--theBotany Bay convict had prepared an enviable reception, his captainchose an elevated knoll, cut some long sticks with his hatchet knife,laid them upon the snow, and across one another in strata, so as toform a platform, and kindled a fire upon this greenwood, a tolerablyfamiliar act in the winter. Soon the flame sprang up, hot enough toroast a buffalo whole; but he threw a couple of handfuls of stinkwoodupon it to cause a black pillar of smoke.

  On spying this token that his leader was at hand, the "Sydney Duck"remained in the Bois Brules' camp as a hostage, according to usage,though the precaution would have been waived, and their captain cameforth to confabulate with the other commander. Gliding along over thesnow with the Canadians' expertness on what are national footwear tothem, the Half-breed speedily hailed the man quietly seated at his fire.

  "Who comes?" challenged the latter, cocking his rifle, for form's sake.

  "Dagard, the Bois Brule, one of the leaders of the Red River Rovers!"

  "I am the leader of a large band of gold hunters," was the reply. "Gladto see you; come on."

  Captain Dagard was one of those independent spirits, who would alwaysbe in conflict with the town authorities in civilisation; and also, inthe wilds, did pretty much as he pleased, and executed, with delightfulnonchalance, many an unjustifiable deed. His mixed blood made him nowhate the whites--now scorn the reds--but all the time resist governmentin general, and the British Colonial one in particular. It is to beborne in mind, too, that never were two more incongruous elements inone country than the Scotch and the French settlers of Canada--theone sober, steady, strict Puritans; the other volatile, indolent forperiods out of proportion to their fits of activity, and staunchupholders of the feasts of the Church.

  Unprejudiced beholders cannot see any difference in the treatmentby the rulers of either people; but still the French Canadians, andprincipally these Half-breeds, never cease complaining that they do notenjoy the same privileges as the conqueror race.

  Kidd and the Manitoban sat down by one another.

  "You might as well have come on into my camp," said l'Embarrasseur,reproachfully, "though we are a little upset by the storm. The momentI learnt from your adherent--a stout fellow, eh? Though a bit of abrute!--That you were so kind as to help me when the Crows were in ourmidst, you could be sure you were as my brother!"

  "Yes, of course," stammered Kidd, at a loss to understand the allusion."I--I came in--in the nick, didn't I?"

  "Like a miracle! We thought we were gone under, sure, when you pouredin that volley, and made the Crows take the back track. By all that'sblue! You gave them such a share that we have seen not a feather ofthem since! That is one kind thing for which we are all grateful. Now,is it in our power to repay you?"

  "That depends."

  "You are prospecting; is our local knowledge any use to you?--it isfreely yours, captain."

  "I can say neither yes nor no now, for my comrades must be consulted.We are going into the Yellowstone Basin after gold--"

  "Ha, ha!" laughed Dagard; "Another dive into the famous Northern ElDorado, where the way is paved with gold and silver, and the fishpondsare boiling water whence one draws the _poisson d'avril_ ready cooked!"

  "Do you not believe it is likely?" queried Kidd, earnestly.

  "As you say, neither yes nor no. We gave the 'Firehole' a wide berth,for we are not at home in sulphur marshes, soda lakes, and burningpits, like that of the bad place. If there be gold there, though--"

  "I promise you that," returned Kidd, confidently; "all points to it.Will you join us--sharing and sharing alike--if my men agree to theunion? There is enough and to spare for all of us. Besides, blood beingspilt of the Indians, I am afraid my men need be five hundred, and yetprove feeble. These mountain Indians are hardy, not given to the rumbottle, and warlike above all their brethren of the plains."

  "They fought like devils incarnate, I repeat. Half my command isdisabled or dead, and we were lost irretrievably but for yourintervention. I say that again. But what am I to do with the women?"

  "What women?"

  "I have under my charge sixteen women, that is, those over twenty-fiveyears, and fourteen young girls, to say nothing of still tendererchildren--"

  "Oh, pshaw! If you are dragging your families about with you," beganthe gold hunter, contemptuously.

  "You are off the track. These are valuables, not encumbrances,"rejoined Dagard, tartly. "In two words, they are the captives of theDakotas, taken away from their burnt cabins in recent raids, and theywere placed in my charge so that the Indian agents might discover notraces of them. Thus I have secured the friendship of the Sioux, andif the English come to attack our little Red River Republic, they willfind us reinforced by plenty o' fighting men!"

  "And," proceeded Kidd, with a chuckle, "if the redcoats defeat youand you take flight back into Uncle Sam's territory, you can obtainhis protection by a handing over of the captives whom you charitablysnatched from the wigwam. Well conceived, Captain Dagard!"

  "Well or ill conceived, it is not my invention."

  "Well, anyway, no fool thought of it."

  "That's where you are wrong. It's the idea of a lubberly man of mine,Dave Steelder, 'Daft Dave.' He's an _innocent,_ as we Bretons say, anidiot, if you prefer the word."

  "Oh, Daft Dave!" exclaimed Kidd, with a sparkle of the eye under hissnow goggles.

  "Do you know him?"

  "I met him at the Humboldt Washup when the flume burst and carried awayhis hut and savings. They say that drove him stupid. That was in 1869,or so, but others make out he was cranky before."

  "If he is an acquaintance of yours, perhaps you would like to see him.Shall I whistle him over?"

  "Well, no, some other occasion! He may have the delusion that I looklike one of the awkward cusses that broke a plank in the flume and letthe flood spoil the diggings. Astonishing what a family likeness thered flannel shirt, the patched pants, and the high up boots gave usall at the gold mines. I have often been taken for another!" concludedKidd, with a wink.

  "How unfortunate!" said l'Embarrasseur, drolly laughing. "Then, Ishould not advise you to run against Dave. He's apt to tear when he'smad. Still, his strength makes him useful about a camp, though he's notbright, and though he's not trusted on guard, he throws out valuablehints now and again, as these dullards do. But this is wind work, meretalk. What have you come over to propose?"

  "Well, I am thinking that you and I might work in double harness."

  "Strike a bargain, eh? There's no knowing! There will be a stir up onthe frontier--the Britishers are pressing on that railroad. I want allthe friends I can cluster. What's your proposal?"

  "Assist me to find the gold hoard in the Firehole, and I, who am notwithout friends in Congress, will engage to restore your captives inso glorious a manner to their relatives, that you will become a heroand have a monument in every Western city! It is true the Sioux willsharpen their knives to punish your breach of faith, but I never heardthat there were many Sioux in the hotels of the Eastern States!"

  "Then we unite! And instead of my being a poor leader of only a scorehale men, I become a subchi
ef of over two hundred!"

  "My lieutenant! The sooner I reinforce you the better, eh? White womenin the mountains and Indians within rifle range: it's a temptation theycan't withstand. I ought to add that another danger exists. They say inthe towns that that old rogue, Jim Ridge, boasts that he regulates thischain of the sierras."

  "His friends the trappers lynch a horse thief now and then, and shootoffhand anyone robbing caches, but that's sound trapper law."

  "If he and his friends block our entrance into the Yellowstone 'Park,'what would you do?"

  "Oh, when there's a man between me and what my empty pocket gapes for,either he or I go under!"

  "You're the true colour," ejaculated Kidd, using a gold miner's phrase,and not, of course, reflecting on his colloquist's complexion--a sorepoint with mixed bloods. "I will send you a dozen men from the campthe moment I return, and you can join me at our next tent pitching, ofwhich they will bear you word. By the way, tell Quarry Dick to makestraight for that Blackstone of a Negro head shape as well as hue.I will meet him there by a circuit, for I can make no way on theseconfounded snowshoes."

  "It comes by practice, my brave captain," said Dagard merrily, "likespending money. _Au revoir!_ Our rally word is--"

  "Gold!"

  "And the countersign?"

  "Beauty!"

  They drank each from the others pocket flask in token of absolutetrust, and the gold hunter was left to raise his little camp aftercarefully smothering the fire to prevent firing the brushwood of thevale beneath.