CHAPTER SEVEN.
Several days were spent in a vain search for Charley. Armitage and
Story said they feared that he must either have been killed by abuffalo, and his body devoured by wolves; or that he had been carriedaway by some small party of Indians who had been watching us, and hadcaptured him, though afraid to attack our camp.
Both Dick and I, however, could not bring ourselves to believe that hewas dead. We were glad to find that old Folkard was of our opinion. Hehad known men, he said, who had wandered away from camp and been absentseveral weeks before they were found or managed to make their way backthemselves. Charley had a good supply of ammunition, and being a fairshot, would be able to procure food. We begged Armitage and Dick toremain in the locality some time longer. This they consented to do. Wewere now in the neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains, where they mightobtain a variety of sport, so that they had no cause to complain oftheir detention. My thoughts, as well as Dick's, were entirely occupiedby Charley, and we could take no interest in hunting. We, however, didour duty in trying to supply the camp with game.
The chief part of our time was taken up in scouring the country in thehopes of discovering our young friend, or ascertaining the cause of hisdeath.
At length the old trapper bade us farewell, saying that he should strikeaway north, to a district where beavers abounded, for he could no longerspend his time in comparative idleness. We were sorry to lose him, forhe was a capital companion, especially round the camp fire, when heindulged us in his quaint way with his numberless adventures andhair-breadth escapes, sufficient to make the hair of my old uncle, theAlderman, stand out from his head.
Day after day went by. When we met Pierre and the Indians who hadassisted us in the search, the same reply alone was forthcoming.
"You see, it is hopeless," said Jack to Dick Buntin. "Your young friendmust have lost his life. I am very sorry, but we must be movingwestward. It won't do to detain Armitage longer. He is verygood-natured, but from what he said to me yesterday, he will be startingaway without us. He requires action. He is not happy, I suspect, fromsomething which took place between him and Ellen Hargrave, so that wemust decide what to do."
Dick pleaded hard for another day, still persisting in his belief thatwe should find Charley. Our Indian friends had promised should theydiscover any traces of him to send us word, but nothing had been heardfrom them.
Dick and I had made a longer expedition than usual, and returned sotired, that the next morning we were utterly unable to set out. A day'srest would, however, we thought, restore our strength. Towards theevening, while the remainder of the party were still away, Dick walkedto a shady spot some distance from the camp, taking a large buffalo robeto lie upon, with a book, his pipe and gun.
One of the Indians who had remained with us, had meantime made up afire. I saw at length by my watch, that it was time to prepare forsupper, and as Dick still acted as cook, I sent the Indian to summonhim. The man had not gone long, when I heard him shout. Fearing thatsomething was the matter, I hurried forward, when what was my dismay tosee a huge grizzly standing on its hind legs, as if about to make itslast fatal spring, close to Dick, who had no weapon in his hand withwhich to defend himself. I had brought my gun, but dared not fire forfear of killing my friend instead of the bear. Dick, however, seemed inno way dismayed, and as I got a little nearer, I saw that he held alarge buffalo robe in both his hands. The Indian and I shouted in thehopes of distracting Bruin's attention. Our cries were responded to byArmitage and Story, who at that moment providentially made theirappearance. Still none of us dared to fire, though we approached nearerand nearer, hoping that the bear would postpone his spring until wecould get near enough to shoot him through the head without injuring ourfriend. Presently the bear growling savagely, indicative of hisintention to seize his victim, began to advance; when Dick, who hadnever for a moment withdrawn his eyes from the monster, in an instantthrew the cloak over its head. He then springing back, ran off as hardas his legs could carry him, his example being imitated by the Indians.The bear in its struggles drew the cloak close over its eyes, when Ifired and over it rolled with its legs in the air. Still it was notdead, and might at any moment be up again; and, more savage than everfrom its wound, would be certain to attack us fiercely.
Armitage and Story, making their way through the brushwood, had now gotnear enough to fire. They pulled their triggers at the same moment,while I quickly reloaded. It was fortunate that I did so, fornotwithstanding its wounds, the bear, suddenly regaining its feet, madea dash at me who was nearest to it, and in another instant I should havebeen torn by its tremendous claws, when I fired and to my infinitesatisfaction it again rolled over and, giving another convulsivestruggle, lay dead.
Dick thanked us for our timely assistance, and promised that he wouldnever as long as he lived go to sleep away from the camp in a regioninfested by grizzlies.
This was the first we had seen for some time, and the adventure was acaution to us to look out for them in future. With great reluctance onthe part of Dick and me, we once more packed up and moved westward;still we did not abandon all hope that we should find our young friend.I, however, had lost the interest I had before felt in hunting, andwould rather have gone back and contented myself with less excitingsport in one of the eastern states. As things turned out, it would havebeen better for all of us had we done so.
We made a good show as we rode over the prairie, with our baggage mules,our led horses, mounted Indians, our Canadian guide and our four selves;so that no ordinary band of Redskins was likely to attack our party,unless they could take us by surprise, and against that it was ourconstant care effectually to guard by keeping a bright look-out duringthe day, and a careful watch over the camp at night. Our Indians knewvery well that they would be the first victims should we be attacked.
We were sure, in the neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains which we hadnow reached, to fall in with big-horns, elks and antelopes, as well asbuffalo in the lower ground. We accordingly encamped in a beautifulspot with the lofty mountains rising above us, while below extended theprairie far away to the horizon. I must not stop to describe ourvarious adventures. Dick continued indifferent to sport, butoccasionally went out with me; while Armitage and Story shot together,and never returned without a big-horn or two, or an elk. One day theyappeared leading or rather dragging along what looked like a mass ofshaggy fur of a tawny colour. As they approached, I saw that theircaptive was a young bear, with its head thoroughly covered up with theskin of another animal of the same description. They were laughingheartily, and every now and then springing forward to avoid the rushesmade at them by the little creature. On finding all its efforts vain,it at length stopped, and refused to move. They told me that they hadshot the mother and then one of her cubs; that the other refusing toleave the body of its parent, they had time to take off the skin fromthe cub they had killed and had adroitly thrown it over the head of itsbrother, and that having a coil of rope they had managed to secure it.We hoped to tame our captive, but the moment the skin was taken off itshead, darting at Jack, it gave him a severe bite in the leg, and nearlytreated Armitage in the same manner, but fortunately he had a thickstick with which he gave the little brute so severe a blow on the nose,that it lay down, as we thought, in the sulks. We managed to tether itin a way effectually to prevent its escape, but the next morning wefound, to our disappointment, that it was dead. The skins of the twoanimals were beautiful, their fur being very thick and long, and of abrown colour, with a stripe of darker hue along the back.
Next day our friends having again set out, I was endeavouring topersuade Dick to accompany me in another direction, when one of theIndians brought word that a herd of buffalo were feeding in the plainbelow. I should have said that the country was beautiful in theextreme, with thick woods of cedar and rhododendron covering it in alldirections. The forests were, however, easily traversed, as paths weremade through them by the buffalo and elk, who
following each other'sfootsteps, had opened up bridle roads to all points of the compass.Feeling ashamed of not adding something to our store of provisions, whenDick declined accompanying me on the plea of not being up to work, Imounted my horse, and set off alone, hoping to shoot a buffalo beforegoing far. I soon came in sight of a couple of herds, one of cows andanother of bulls. Most of the former were followed by calves and wereout of condition, but seeing some fat animals among them, I made chase.When the cows began to run they were joined by the bulls, and the wholeset off together, scampering along at a tremendous rate. I kept the fatcows in sight, however, as away they went. Lightly built and moreactive than the bulls, they took the lead. At length I was getting upwith one of the former which I had singled out, when a big bull, blownby his unusual exercise, halted just between me and the cow, andlowering his head prepared to charge, when his horns would in an instanthave ripped open the breast of my noble steed. As I saw it about tocharge, a thought occurred to me. Holding my gun in my left hand, andgiving my horse the rein, I bestowed a tremendous cut with my heavyriding-whip on his flanks, which made him spring to a height sufficientto have cleared a five-barred gate; and when the bull rushed forward,over its back he went, clearing it in the most beautiful style, hishinder feet just grazing its shaggy hair. The next moment, instead ofbeing rolled over on the ground, I found myself (though without my hat)safe on the other side; while the bull, not knowing what had become ofme, dashed forward bellowing loudly in an opposite direction. A fewmore strides brought me close to the cow, when standing up in mystirrups I fired, and the animal instantly rolled over dead. I at oncereloaded, and made chase after another, which I was also fortunateenough to kill. The rest of the herd made their escape. Satisfied withthe result of my hunt, I dismounted and took possession of the tonguesand marrow-bones, as well as some portions of the meat, intending tosend the Indians back for the remainder, should the carcases haveescaped the scent of the wolves. The buffalo meat was highlyappreciated; indeed we lived like fighting cocks, and had every reasonto expect to do so while we remained in that region. Pierre, however,advised that we should proceed, as some bands of hostile Indians weresure, before long, to find out that we were in the neighbourhood, andwould take an opportunity of cutting us off when separated from eachother should they not venture to attack our camp. Armitage and Jackwere, however, inclined to laugh at Pierre's warnings. Jack too, whofound his leg suffering from the bite that the little bear had givenhim, was disinclined to take a long journey. Dick, who had warned himfrom the first not to neglect the wound, took him under his care andinsisted on his remaining quietly in camp for two or three days until hewas well again. We employed the time in cleaning our arms, repairingour harness and clothes, and performing several other tasks such as thewear and tear of a hunter's life from time to time renders necessary.We had long discussions in camp as to what course we should pursue,Pierre advising that we should strike northward, and then take one ofthe passes through the Rocky Mountains generally followed by theemigrants to California.
Several days had passed away. Story was quite recovered, and we wereonce more encamped, not much to Pierre's satisfaction, he declaring thatwe were still in a dangerous region, frequently visited by Apaches andother roving tribes, the deadly enemies of the pale-faces. Armitage and
Story only laughed at his warnings, and even Dick felt much inclined toagree with them.
We had, as before, proceeded in three parties, one of the Indians havingaccompanied Armitage, and Jack and three others going with Pierre, whilethe rest remained with Dick and me in camp. Evening was approaching,and none of our friends had returned. Dick had sent out one of theIndians to see if they were coming, while he and I prepared the supper.In a short time the scout returned with a long face. He had caughtsight, he said, of a large party of strange Redskins; who, not knowingthat they were discovered, were making their way in the direction of ourcamp, evidently endeavouring to keep themselves concealed. He advisedthat we should gallop off on our horses, and leave our baggage and theother animals to their fate, as it would be impossible to defend thecamp against so overwhelming a force. To this neither Dick nor I wasinclined to agree, though of course it made us anxious for the arrivalof our friends, when we hoped, by showing a bold front, to drive backthe enemy.
We at once brought in our horses and mules, and tethered them in therear of the camp; then calling on our Indians to assist us, we felled acouple of trees, which we placed so as to form a barricade in front. Itwould afford us but a slight protection, but it was better than nothing.
We now looked out with more anxiety than ever for our friends, for theycertainly ought to have returned to the camp some time before this. Itwas important not to be surprised, and knowing the stealthy way in whichthe savages were likely to approach, we were aware that any moment wemight hear their fearful war-whoops, and find ourselves engaged in adesperate struggle for life. To prevent this, Dick proposed sending outthe Indians to scout and ascertain the exact position of the enemy.They went more willingly than I should have supposed; but I rememberednot being very well satisfied with the expression of their countenances.Dick and I were thus left alone in camp. To save ourselves from beingshot down without warning, we took up our position behind the logs, withthe spare rifles by our sides. Here we sat, expecting every moment thereturn of our Indians. We waited in vain. Darkness was coming on. Ourposition was indeed critical. If the savages, as reported by the scout,were in the neighbourhood, at any moment they might be down upon us. Wenow began to fear that our Indians had fallen into their hands.Perhaps, also, such might have been the fate of our friends. We hadbeen sitting thus for an hour or more, and had become very hungry, whenDick proposed going to the fire to obtain some venison which had lonebeen roasting there. He brought it, and I need not say that it wasdevoured with considerable satisfaction. "Another piece won't do us anyharm," I observed, as I made my way towards the fire. I was returning,when what was my dismay to see half-a-dozen dark forms leap over thebarricade and place themselves between Dick and me. I sprang towardsour rifles, one of which Dick was in the act of grasping, to have afight for life, when a savage knocking it out of his hand three otherssprang upon him. The remainder throwing themselves upon me, we were inan instant prisoners. I fully expected the next moment to have my scalptaken off my head, and it was some satisfaction to find that it wasallowed to remain on.
"I hope the other fellows have escaped," said Dick; "we might, by givinga shout, warn them of their danger; and if Pierre joins them, they mightmanage to get hold of some of the horses."
As he spoke, he shouted at the top of his voice, and I joined him,crying out--
"Keep away from the camp!"
No reply came. The Indians, instead of trying to stop us, only laughed;and, from the voices we heard around, we knew there must be many more ofthem.
Having bound our arms behind us, our captors sat themselves down toexamine and consume the food we had provided for the rest of the party,and then proceeded to inspect the contents of our packs. While theywere thus employed, a shout was raised, and shortly after another, whenseveral Indians appeared, dragging Armitage and Jack along with them.
Still Pierre was at liberty; and we hoped that he might escape and givenotice of our fate, or form some plan for our liberation. Great,therefore, was our disappointment when he too, shortly afterwards, wasbrought into camp. What had become of our Indians we could not tell.They had, we concluded, however, either been captured or deserted us.
Our captors, after a long consultation, carried us all a short distancefrom the camp to a clump of trees, to the trunks of which they bound usin a way which made it impossible to move either our arms or legs, when,having thus tied us up, they returned to our camp to examine and dividethe spoil.
"We are in a bad case, I am afraid," said Armitage; "the savages haveproved themselves more cunning than I had supposed, for they were uponJack and me before we had time to lift our rifles to our shoulders."
br /> "We might try to bribe them to let us off," I observed.
"Very little chance of their doing that; they'll help themselves toeverything we possess, and won't trust to our promises," said Jack.
"They have the ugly custom of torturing prisoners before they killthem," said Dick. "I'm very glad Charley escaped our fate, poor fellowprovided he hasn't met with a worse one."
I made no remark, though I was thinking all the time of various plans.I was anxious to hear what Pierre would say.
"Better tell them we English pale-faces," he observed at last; "dey killus if dey like; but if dey do, our great Queen hunt up every man jack ofdem, and hang dem."
I was very much inclined to agree with Pierre that our best chance ofescaping was to make the savages understand that we belonged to thepalefaces over the frontier, of whom they might possibly have heard, andthat our Sovereign always punished those who injured her subjects.
The savages, however, at present, gave us no opportunity of addressingthem; but we could see them unpacking our valises, pulling to pieces outwell-made-up packs, overhauling our cooking utensils, apparentlyappropriating various articles, not, however, without a considerableamount of talking and gesticulation. They then put on our buffalo meatand venison to cook, and began laughing and jeering at us as they ateit. At length they discovered several packages which had before escapedtheir notice, having been hidden in the grass. Among them was a casecontaining brandy; but as we kept it locked, it was some time beforethey managed to break it open with their axes. On finding that itcontained bottles, they raised a shout of joy; and one being forthwithopened by knocking off the neck, the savage who had performed theoperation poured some of the contents down his throat. Uttering a howlof satisfaction, he was about to take a second draught, when anotherseized it, and it was rapidly passed on, until it was empty. Anotherand another bottle was treated in the same way, although the chief ofthe party appeared to be urging his followers to take no more for thepresent; but to this they evidently did not agree; and while his backwas turned, two more bottles were abstracted. On seeing this, he seizedone of them, and poured no small part of the contents down his ownthroat, apparently fearing that his companions would drink it up andleave him none. The result which was to be expected followed; but theyhad swallowed the liquor too rapidly to render them immediatelyhelpless, though it excited their fiercest passions; and to our horror,getting on their legs, they drew their tomahawks and approached us withthe evident intention of taking our lives. Before, however, they hadmade many steps towards us, they sank to the ground; while others--withthe bump of appropriativeness--took possession of all the goods withintheir reach. This was seen by the more sanguinarily disposed of theparty, who turned their rage towards their companions, and, rushing onthem, attempted to retake the articles they considered theirs. Afearful scuffle ensued: some, it appeared to us, were struck dead, ordesperately wounded; but in the uncertain light afforded by the fire wecould not exactly see what had happened. We could only make out thatthe whole party were quickly stretched on the ground, the victors andthe vanquished lying side by side, including the chief, who appeared tobe as helpless as the rest.
At length their shouts and groans were silenced. Not a sound reachedour ears. Now was our opportunity; but in vain we endeavoured to breakloose from our bonds. The savages had fastened them too securely toenable us to liberate ourselves. Dick made desperate efforts to reachwith his mouth the rope which secured his arms.
"If I could but once get my teeth to it, I would soon bite it through,"he exclaimed.
But again and again he tried to no purpose. We all followed hisexample, with the same result. In the morning, the savages would tooprobably recover, and revenge themselves on our heads for the death oftheir companions whom they themselves had killed. Hour after hour wentby, and each brought us nearer to the moment that we must expect afearful death.