CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
AN OLD FRIEND.
THE BLACKFEET MEET A WARM RECEPTION--AND RETREAT--A WOUNDED INDIAN--PROVES TO BE PONOKO, WHO TELLS OF A WHITE MAN IN THE INDIAN CAMP--AFRIENDLY CONFERENCE.
The moment the war-whoop of the Blackfeet had ceased Uncle Donald'svoice was heard, ordering us to fire.
We obeyed with right good will, and must have greatly astonished thesavages, who, not aware of the increased number of our garrison, hadprobably expected to gain quite an easy victory. Many of them hadmuskets, but the larger number could only have been armed with bows andarrows. After they had shot five or six showers of arrows and firedtheir guns--fortunately, without hitting any of us, though we could heartheir missiles pinging against the thick palisades--they suddenlyceased, and began to retreat, when Uncle Donald shouted to them in theirown language, inquiring why they had attacked people who had done themno harm, but were anxious to benefit them.
No reply came. Our men uttered a shout of triumph. Uncle Donaldstopped them.
"The Blackfeet have retired, but I know their cunning ways, and I deemit more than likely that they will be down upon us again when they thinkto catch us off our guard or maybe they have devised some treacherousplot to entrap us."
We waited, but, as far as we could judge by the sounds which reached ourears, the savages had really retreated, and did not intend to attack usagain that night. That they would give up their object was not to beexpected, and my father proposed, should we find they had gone to adistance, that, rather than cause more bloodshed, we should abandon thestation and retreat to one of the company's forts to the northward, "Wehave sleighs sufficient to convey the women and children," he added;"and when the anger of the misguided people has subsided, I will returnby myself, and endeavour to win them over by gentle means, for such onlyshould be employed to spread the Gospel among the heathen."
"You are very right in that respect, but though we may get to somedistance, when the Blackfeet find that we have gone, they will to acertainty follow on our trail and quickly overtake us," answered UncleDonald. "I cannot consent to such a plan; we must show them that we areable to defend ourselves, and let their blood be upon their own heads ifthey persist in attacking us. We will, however, try how negotiationwill succeed. I used to be well-known among them, and I proposeto-morrow, should they not again attack the fort, to go singly intotheir camp and invite them to smoke the calumet of peace. Should I bedetained, you must promise to hold out to the last, and not any accounttrust to what they may say. We will, in the meantime, send a messengerto Rocky Mountain House, entreating for assistance. I feel sure thatthe officer in charge will send as many men and horses as he can spareto enable you to escape, or defend the fort, if necessary."
My father and mother entreated Uncle Donald not thus to risk his life;but he was firm in his resolution. My father then proposed going withhim, but to this Uncle Donald would not consent.
A considerable portion of the night was consumed in these discussions.A vigilant watch was of course kept, but no one could be seen stirringoutside the fort. Having taken a brief nap, just before dawn I returnedto my post on the ramparts. As daylight increased I fancied that I sawthe body of a man lying under a bush some distance from the fort. Yes,I was certain of it. I pointed him out to Hugh, and we both fanciedthat we saw an arm move.
"He is one of the savages who was shot in the attack last night, and,unperceived by his companions, he must have fallen where we see him,"observed Hugh.
While we were speaking, some of the Indians we had brought with us--who,though faithful servants, were still heathens--caught sight of the body.Lowering themselves down without asking leave, they were rushing, withtheir scalping knives in their hands, towards the hapless being.
Uncle Donald at that instant coming up on the ramparts saw them, andguessed their object. "Come back, you rascals!" he shouted. "Whetherthat man be alive or dead, don't touch a hair of his head!"
As they did not stop he fired his rifle, the bullet passing just infront of the leading Indian, who now thought it time to come to astandstill.
"Archie and Hugh, you go and look after that poor fellow, and make ourpeople bring him in," continued Uncle Donald.
We instantly obeyed, for although the height was considerable we couldmanage to drop to the bottom without injuring ourselves. We then ran asfast as our legs could carry us to overtake our Indians. Havingdelivered Uncle Donald's orders, we then hurried on to where the Indianlay. At a glance I saw that he was desperately wounded from the bloodwhich flowed from both his legs, while another shot had rendered hisright arm powerless. His eyes still wore a defiant expression, and heappeared to fancy that we were about to kill him. By signs and suchwords of his language as we could speak, we endeavoured to make himunderstand that we had come to carry him into the fort to try and savehis life.
As there was not a moment to be lost, we first bound up his wounds, andthen ordering our people to assist us we lifted him from the ground andhurried towards the fort, meeting on our way Uncle Donald, who had thegate open to admit us. Without stopping we carried the wounded man intothe house, where my father, who had risen, was ready with bandages andsalves to attend to him. My mother, meantime, was preparing some strongbroth, which our prisoner eagerly swallowed. It had an almostinstantaneous effect in reviving him. Uncle Donald, who had in themeantime been going round the fort to ascertain if more wounded had beenleft in its neighbourhood, now entered the room, and as his eye fell onthe countenance of our captive, he exclaimed, "Ponoko! Do you rememberyour white friend?"
The Indian made a sign that he was the person supposed, though he wastoo weak to speak.
Uncle Donald then told him that although he had come as an enemy heshould be well cared for.
In a short time the judicious treatment he was receiving enabled him toutter a few words. He seemed grateful for the care taken of him, andhis eyes brightened when my young sisters and Rose brought him the soup,which he received almost every hour. He especially noticed Rose, andwhen Uncle Donald came to see him, inquired, in a tone of evidentinterest, who she was.
"You are right if you think you remember her, for she is the little girlyou saved when your people attacked the village in the territory of theLong-knives some years ago," answered Uncle Donald.
"Will you now let me take her back?" asked Ponoko.
"Do you think it likely that I should consent?" said Uncle Donald. "Herways are not the ways of your people. She would pine and die were sheto be treated as your women are treated."
"But there is one who has long lived with us whose heart would berejoiced to see her," said Ponoko. "You may remember when I parted fromyou I promised to try and save the lives of any of our pale-facedprisoners. I succeeded in saving that of one man just as he was aboutto be tortured and killed, but it was on condition that he would swearto remain with us, and never betray us to our enemies. He was a greathunter, and brave as the bravest among us. He also, we found, was notone of the Long-knives, but was a subject of the Queen of thePale-faces. He has kept his promise, though he might often have madehis escape. He had been many months with us, before I found how sorelyhis heart yearned to get away, and I would have set him free, but theother chiefs would not consent. He looked upon me as his friend. Hetold me that his child and all his household had died by the hands ofour people, except his wife, who was away in one of the big cities inthe east at the time we attacked the place. I was thus led to tell himof the little girl I had saved and given over to you, and he has eversince been hoping that she might prove to be one of his children. Hehas hoped and hoped until he has persuaded himself that such she is.Thus I know how it would rejoice his heart to see her."
"I have strong doubts about that," answered Uncle Donald. "He wouldrejoice to see her, but not to have her among your people, from whom shediffers so greatly. The only way truly to benefit him would be to sethim at liberty and allow him to return among the Pale-faces to whom hebelongs."
"But how can that be while I am sick and a prisoner with you?" askedPonoko.
"You'll recover, I hope, ere long, and as you have fulfilled yourpromise on one occasion, I feel confident that you will not disappointus if we set you at liberty on your undertaking to restore this whitestranger to his people."
"Ponoko always keeps his word," answered the Indian in a proud tone.
"But should the Blackfeet, in the meantime, attack us, we may bedestroyed, and they may take you away with them," observed Uncle Donald.
"If my people come, you shall carry me out on a litter; I will tell themhow well the Pale-faces have treated me, and will urge them, instead offighting, to make a lasting peace with my white father and his friends,"said Ponoko.
"I will trust you, my brother," said Uncle Donald, pressing Ponoko'shand. "I pray that you may soon be restored to health, and that youwill teach your people that it is to their true interests to be at peacewith the white men, and to trade honestly with them."