CHAPTER XXIV.
THE YAGER'S "TREATY TALK" WITH OUR HERO.
In a few minutes the two met, and cordially gripped hands.
"Well?" demanded Jim, curtly.
"An hour after you and your company marched by, so the Cherokee said,I met him. He was puzzling out something of a Chinese puzzle which youleft for his wits. He told me that I should meet you here, and thetime."
"Jes' so. Why didn't he come along?"
"Really, I do not know, Mr. Ridge," answered Ranald, smiling, for itwas our amateur woodman; "I will add, if you will allow it, that youprobably know better than I do. All he said was that you had given himsomething to do that would oblige him to turn back."
"That's so, too. I was afeard he would not understand my 'collar ofwampum,' my forest letter," said Ridge.
"Oh, don't you cherish any alarm on that head. It struck me thatWilliams read your forest letter, as you style it, as easily as Ishould a page in a book--with this advantage, that he could do itin the dark with his fingers if need be. You are wonderful with yourdevices! But here I am; deal with me as you see fit."
"I want to hear you first," said Ridge. "We are quite alone here. Youhave seen the young lady, towards whom I think you feel tenderly, andhave brushed up against Captain Kidd, the old pirate! Say your sayabout them."
The young Englishman reflected a while, and not till then did he reply,in a voice still unsteady with emotion, "If I were facing any other manthan one whom I esteem as the King of the Wilderness; if I supposed youhad any other sentiments in your heart than those which all, white,red and yellow, acknowledge to be worthy, I should speak out thus--Iam a rich man in England, and will give you half my property for yourinestimable help to free that poor young lady."
He fixed an anxious gaze on the hunter.
"Well, I ain't that style of man," said the latter; "and seeing you arefacing me, what do you say?"
"To you, Jim Ridge," went on the young lover, with tears in his eyes,"I have to say this--I am really in anguish, and my heart is achingwith apprehension. Those women surrounded by merciless reprobates--'tisa horrible situation. Counting that lad Leon the Drudge as a man, heand the Carcajieu and myself are a mere mouthful among the ogres.Except yourself and friends and the kernel of Sir Archie's ill-fatedexpedition, these wilds seem to swarm with dangers, not the least ofwhich are human. To enable me to help those ladies, I will pledge youmy life if I can only lay it down to save you and those dear to yousome day. I am a newcomer here, Mr. Ridge, but I have already perceivedthat all bow to your will. Your incontestable superiority is owned byyour enemies themselves."
"Well, Mr. Dearborn, I am inclined to believe we shall weld up thething. Don't call it a bargain, that's all. But let us step away fromhere lively. It is no place for a treaty talk. In a short time, by thatdistant thunder, which is rolling snow and water, there will be a risehere, and we may be drowned, ay and frozen."
Ranald followed the veteran Westerner without a word. This readingsigns of natural disturbances from afar impressed him powerfully. Hisguide went round the worn boulder, ascended some steps rudely shaped bytime in the granite, and after gliding in at a cleft hardly at firstallowing them to squeeze through, reached a deep cave not perceptiblefrom without.
"One of my favourite nooks," observed Jim, taking matches from a drycorner, with which he ignited an elk fat candle, and then kindlinga fire of ready piled wood behind a rocky mantle. "Nobody knows itexcept Bill Williams and me. You are the first outsider let in. Weare quite secure. Neither inquisitive eyes nor greedy ears are openon us here; nothing but the dead are at hand," stamping lightly ona gentle eminence. "They, at any rate, keep a still tongue. Who arethey? Men like myself, who show the settler the way to the best sitesfor towns where thousands of happy children will peacefully learn andplay and grow up without even hearing our names. Such is the explorer'sfate. But the flame mounts brightly--away with black thoughts. To ourconcerns; speak out straight and clear. It is needful that I shouldknow your story completely, that I may see how you intend acting bythat young lady for whom you own a tenderness. Then, here's my hand."
"I have nothing to keep back, sir. I thank God that even my youthfulfollies are not such as man blames harshly. My full title is Sir RanaldDearborn Ivyson, a baronet of Teviotdale. My family, my position in thecountry and monetarily, are more than merely good. I was amusing myselfwith travel without any particular aim, when I met Miss Maclan at agarrison ball in Canada, and fell in love with her--at least, I thoughtthe passion not shallow, but its full depth was immeasurable till Ifound her in danger."
"That's so, boy--it's like the freeze--go sudden to a fire, and markhow it smarts."
"There's not a doubt of it now. When your friend, Williams, directedher to give herself up to Captain Kidd's men, I felt my love almostoverthrow my reason, for, though that told me he was ordering the bestcourse, my sentiment urged me to disobey, and throw my life away bydesperately preventing her being touched by those scoundrels!"
"Bill is a wise man!" interpolated Ridge. "His father was a largedictionary--he's the pocket-size--but the same amount of larning,pretty nigh, in both. But go on, you must be back within Kidd's camp bysunup."
"I have no more to say. When we rescue that young lady, and I place herin civilisation once more, I shall give her time to let mere gratitudedie out, and then offer myself. If she accepts, I shall be a happy man.If she rejects, I--I--well, either a soldier I'll be, or I'll come andjoin you in your roving career--a miserable, heartbroken man!"
"A desirable recruit!" said Jim, with his low laugh. "Wall, it 'pearsyou are bound to do the right thing. I believe you, and this is a moresolemn engagement than you had before. We shall help you."
"Thanks!"
"How are you thriving with the Cap.?"
"How am I getting on with Kidd? I have succeeded in deceiving him."
"Ah, but for how long? He's a cute devil. At the least suspicion, hewill pin you to a tree, or riddle you with a repeater!"
"I shall take care not to rouse his mistrust," answered Ranald, with asmile of confidence.
"Heaven help you--you are the circus boy, who, seeing the lion tamer gointo the cage so easily every day, offers to perform the critters thefirst day he falls sick. However, youth will be boastful. In any case,rely on me. That American girl is the daughter of my brother's son. Andanother belief of mine is all out of the tie if that poor young ladis not her brother Lewis. This depends, perhaps, on finding out whotheir gaoler is--this Kidd, in reality. Soon the means of identifyingthe children will be at hand if the father's loving eyes are baffled.There are more friends and allies yet to be seen by you. An old friendof my nephew Filditch is due right here, and right now. His name isDon Gregorio, Peralta, Lewis's uncle. From him, through a trader, comethe 'pointers' that have set me against Captain Kidd. I allow that, sofar, he has thrown me out, but I take a heap of beating, and then I amnot conquered. But he has even bigger enemies than this child. Into hisvery camp, travelling along with his crowd from the very jump-off, isone of his foes, sir. He must have been in communication with you firstoff. He has been signalling to us all over the mountain, from smoke andfires, and played with the axe on trees."
"You allude to the Carcajieu."
"Ay, the Wolverine. You can 'go to sleep in his blanket.' You mustput full confidence in him, for, otherwise, he might upset your planswithout intending it in performing his special duty."
"There's no fear about that. Joe and I have no secrets for one another."
"So much the slicker! Now, we are full forty strong. Before this gangreaches the Yellowstone Valley, we shall be nearly a hundred, for thetrappers are rallying."
"We are certain to succeed!" exclaimed the Englishman, gleefully.
"Certainty is a brittle twig. But 'our cause it is just,' as the songsays, and we are going to do our utmost. Our enemies are the more tobe dreaded as 'gold or a grave' is a motto that pulls them far. Theyare not the first band, though about the biggest, that have started forth
e Wonderland. So far we have driven them back, or Nature's scaredthem; but that cannot be etarnal. It is not more than a couple of daysthat I found out that the leader of these banditti is the notoriousCaptain Kidd. He is far down in my book for being the brother of oneMiguel Tadeo, a scoundrel who has dropped through somewhere, though thefrontier is alive with inquiries after him. Kidd is a pestilence, butDon Miguel is the black plague itself! He is overflowing with spiteagainst his brother man. If he is hanging around me, why, I haven'tseen a trace yet, and that's bitter on an old trail hunter that'sconsulted by guides with a big reputation. So be prudent, young sir,for you are in the hornets' nest. Kidd will kill you straight, on thefaintest doubt, without any challenge. Other hostiles abound, keepbefore you as a fact: the Indians, and those Canadian Half-breeds.Their chief, Dagard, is a queer mix of good white and bad Injin, and acrime no more burdens his conscience than the last drink he took. Addthat all the stray pirates of the prairie, hoss thieves, gold diggers,robbers, and skulks ginerally will flock to Kidd the moment he hasan advantage over us which promises him undisputed passage into theEnchanted Valley. You see the scales are pulled down agin us!"
"I even have an idee that there's a secret agreement between Kidd,which includes Don Miguel, and this Dagard. I met more'n once down inMontana, and even farther south, the Half-breed Margottet, now thelieutenant of these Red River Rovers. Thar's some big scheme hatchingin the Nor'-West, for the Injins have knocked under to the railroad onthe plains as Big Bad Medicine; but cherish hopes, among the Apachesaway South and up here towards the Queen's country. Ever since theSioux were driven over the border, the Half-breeds have been saucy.Wall, you are doubly, trebly warned, young sir, and must abide by theconsequences."
"Do all I can, I cannot pierce Kidd's game. Something in hisproceedings upsets my calculations. If he were not so notoriousduring such a long time in the West, I should imagine him--butthat's all nonsense! Anyhow, sir, mind that forgetfulness, rashness,blindness--they'll ruin, no--well, worse than that, they'll destroy allthose girls and women. There are young men who love as strongly as you,whose sweethearts are in that band; fathers who sorrow like my nephew,whose da'ters are there cooped up. But I am glad to know you, sir! Wehave had gilt-edged Englishmen out here that brought servants fromLondon, things in the shape of men, but who my lorded them and yourgraced them, and disgraced themselves!--They thought money would buyevery mortal thing even here! No, sir, I am offering you my life, andCherokee Bill's, and a score more, but not for cash! You have a manlynature, that's enough; that kind comes among the same kind when theytalk to the hunter and trapper with no double tongue. The old countryis no decaying tree, sir, when thar's young shoots like you!"
The speaker had been so unusually eloquent, unlike his brief, measuredsentences, that not till now could his hearer get in a word which hewas eager to say.
"I wish to tell you, Ridge, that Joe, whom you praise so highly, whilerather mysteriously, assured me that Kidd is living literally behind amask, and that he has seen it laid aside."
"Do tell?" inquired the Old Man of the Mountain.
"He told me that last night, a little thanks to my having fixed on acapital site over a burrow for the captain's tent, he was able to geta good look at him after he had unsuspectedly laid aside his dailydisguise."
"Wagh! This is worth hearing."
"He says that the real face belongs to a noted criminal called Hank, orHenry Brown, which in turn hides one Cornelio de Bustamente."
"Bustamente! Oh! We've heard of him; the great St. Louis Forger!" criedRidge. "Oh, why is not Don Gregorio on the spot? However, patience,patience. But the time is over for our parting. Haste away. I shall notforget that Kidd is Bustamente. In two days we shall meet again. Trustto Joe, he's not to be tricked even by such hardened rogues."
"But you do not tell me where we meet?"
"There is a swamp and burnt wooded stretch called Winter Black, or theWinter Burning."
"I can remember that."
"Good luck! Thank Joe for the clue he gives me. I'll question the boyson the point. Hurry off to your camp, for you have a distance to go. Intwo days, same hour, at Winter Black. Good-bye, boys!"
The two shook hands and left the cavern, departing oppositely at themouth.
The rest of the night passed tranquilly. An hour before the false dawnan owl was heard lamentably hooting as if its night hunt had failed,and it feared it must go supperless to its couch. But Jim Ridge stoodup, and answered in the same long-drawn, pitiful tones.
Those of the watch must have been more surprised than edified bythe singular dialogue that went on between Old Ridge and his unseeninterlocutor. All the wild beasts and birds of the field, forest,and mountain seemed engaged in a concert. The calls and defiantcries of various birds seemed to awaken bears and wild cats, andthe coyotes wailed to the sharply yelping prairie dogs. The soundswere so arbitrarily arranged, that a conjurer would be puzzled todistinguish the sense of a single sentence. But the Yager understood itperfectly, of course, and what is more, seemed quite satisfied with theinformation so strangely conveyed to him. When it was over, he went andawoke an old beaver trapper to take his relief on guard, and remarked:
"Bill has done it! All goes lovely."
At sunrise the hunters resumed their march, though Cherokee Bill hadstill not joined. But Ridge again passed no comment on the absence.