Wild Western Scenes

by J. B. Jones

  CHAPTER X.

  The lead removed--The wolves on the river--The wolf hunt--Gumfetid--Joe's incredulity--His conviction--His surprise--Hispredicament--His narrow escape.

  When Sneak opened the door, the sun had risen and was shiningbrightly. In a moment the inmates of the house were stirring. Thehorses neighed in the stable for their accustomed food and water, andwhen Joe hastened to them, he embraced the neck of each, in testimonyof his joy that they were once more saved from the hands of theIndians. The hounds pranced round Boone and Glenn, manifesting theirdelight in being relieved of the presence of the enemy. The gate wasthrown open, and the scene of the explosion minutely examined.Fortunately the channel cut under the snow by the savages ran a fewfeet apart from the powder, or the whole of them must inevitably haveperished. As it was, not a single one lost his life, though many wereblown up in the air to a considerable height. Joe and Sneak found onlya few spears, knives, and tomahawks, that had been abandoned by thesavages; and then they repaired to the west side of the inclosure,where the two dead Indians were still lying. They had scarce commencedsearching their victims for booty, when a solitary Indian was seenapproaching from the upper valley.

  "We hain't got our guns!" exclaimed Sneak, pulling out his knife.

  "I'll get mine!" cried Joe, running away with all his might.

  "What's the matter?" inquired Boone, smiling, who had also seen theapproaching Indian, and was walking to where the dead savages lay,accompanied by Glenn and Roughgrove, when he met Joe running swiftlytowards the house.

  They had scarce commenced searching their victims forbooty, when a solitary Indian was seen approaching from the uppervalley.--P. 126]

  "Hang me, if the Indians ain't coming back again," replied Joe.

  "There is but one, and he has a white flag," said Boone, who haddiscovered a small rag attached to a pole borne by the Indian.

  "What can he want?" inquired Glenn.

  "He wants permission to bury the dead," replied Roughgrove.

  "He's the very rascal we let loose last night," said Sneak.

  This was true. Although the singed savage had removed some of theblack marks produced by the explosion, yet so many palpable traces ofthat event were still exhibited on his person, there could be no doubtof his identity.

  The Indian came for the purpose mentioned by Roughgrove, and hisrequest was granted. He made a sign to a comrade he had left somedistance behind, who, in a very few minutes, was seen to approach in ahasty though timorous pace.

  "Don't go to shooting out here!" exclaimed Sneak, hearing a clickingsound, and the next moment observing Joe pointing his musket throughthe loophole nearly in a line with the spot where he stood.

  "Come in! come in! come in!" cried Joe.

  "Put your gun away, and be silent," said Glenn.

  "I'll be silent," replied Joe, "but I'd rather stand here and watchawhile. If they ain't going to hurt any of us, it'll do no harm; andif they _do_ try to kill any of you, it may do some good."

  When the second Indian arrived, he seized the body of the savageenveloped in the swine-skin, (knowing that permission to do so hadbeen obtained by his comrade,) and bore him away with greatexpedition, manifesting no inclination whatever to tarry at a placewhich had been so fatal to his brethren. But the other had everyconfidence in the mercy of the whites, and lingered some length oftime, gazing at the corpse before him, as if hesitating whether tobear it away.

  "Why do you not take him up?" inquired Roughgrove.

  The Indian said it was the false prophet Raven, and that he hardlydeserved to be buried.

  Sneak turned the dead Indian over, (he had been lying on his face,)and he was instantly recognized by the whole party.

  "I'm glad its him," said Sneak.

  "I think we will have peace now," said Boone, "for Raven has ever beenthe most blood-thirsty chief of the tribe."

  "Where is the war-party encamped? When do they return to their owncountry?" asked Roughgrove.

  The Indian replied that they were encamped in a small grove on theborder of the prairie, where they intended to bury their brothers, andthen it was their intention to set out immediately for their villages.He added that one of their tribe, whom they had left at home, arrivedthat morning with intelligence that a war-party of Pawnees had invadedtheir territories, and it was necessary for them to hasten back withall possible dispatch to defend their wives and children.

  Glenn asked Boone how the Indians managed to sleep in the coldprairie; and, Roughgrove repeating the inquiry to the savage, theywere informed that the war-party carried with them a long but verylight sled, in the shape of a canoe, to which was tied a rope made ofbuckskins, by which they pulled it along on the snow with greatswiftness. This kept them warm with exercise through the day. Aquantity of furs and buffalo skins were packed in the canoe thatserved to keep them warm at night.

  "Mr. Roughgrove! Mr. Roughgrove!" cried Joe, from his loophole.

  "What do you want with me?" responded the old man.

  "Why, Miss Mary's gone down to your house to see if the Indians havebeen there, and they may be there now, perhaps."

  "There's no danger now, you blockhead," replied Roughgrove.

  "Keep your mouth shet!" said Sneak.

  "Your mouth's mashed--recollect who did it," retorted Joe.

  The savage at length lifted up the dead body, and set off at a briskpace towards the prairie. The party then returned to the house andpartook of a plenteous repast that had been provided by Mary.

  When the breakfast was over, they repaired to the cliff, to examinethe place where the Indians had first penetrated the snow. They hadcommenced operations at the very brow of the cliff, on a shelvingrock, to attain which, without being seen from the garrison, they musthave crawled on their hands and knees a considerable distance. Belowcould be seen an immense heap of snow, which had been thrown down fromthe place of entrance, just as Boone had described.

  "Jest look yander!" cried Sneak, pointing up the river. The scene wasa remarkable one. They beheld a very small deer (the lightness ofwhich enabled it to run on the snow that covered the ice with greatfleetness, without breaking through the crust,) chased about on theriver by a pack of wolves! These hungry animals had evidently beenracing after it a great length of time, from the distressed appearanceof the poor victim, and, having driven it upon the ice, they seemedresolved to prevent it from ever again entering the thickets. The planthey adopted was systematic, and worthy the imitation of bipedhunters. They dispersed in various directions, and formed themselvesin a circle of about a half mile in diameter, hemming the deer in onall sides, while only one or two of their number at a time chased it.Round and round it ran; and though its pursuers were left far in therear, yet it remained entirely surrounded by the enemy. Occasionally,when a chasing wolf became exhausted, one of the guards (abandoninghis post) would enter the ring, and, not being fatigued, was able tocarry on the pursuit with redoubled vigour. Thus the chase was kept upwith increasing fierceness by means of a succession of fresh wolves,until the poor deer finally sank down and surrendered its life. Thevoracious pack then rushed from their stations indiscriminately, andcoming in contact immediately over their prey, a most frightfulcontest ensued among them. Horrific yells and screams could be heardby the men as they looked on from their distant position. At times thewolves were so closely jumbled together that nothing could bedistinguished but one black, heaving, and echoing mass. But thestruggle was soon over. In a very few moments, they became quiet, andstarted off in a comparatively peaceful manner towards the island,whence their prize had been driven, in quest of others. When theyabandoned the spot where their victim had fallen, not so much as abone remained.

  "That's making a clean business of it!" said Sneak.

  "Its no such thing!" said Joe; "it's a nasty trick to swallow hide,bones, and bowels, in that manner."

  "Its clean for wolves," said Sneak.

  "Oh, may be you're part wolf," said Joe.

  "Now, none of your gab, or I'll play som
e other trick on you, worsethan that at the spring."

  "You be hanged," retorted Joe; "I'll give you leave to do it when youget a chance the next time."

  "It is a great pity that the deer are subject to such destruction,"remarked Glenn.

  "The wolves we saw are all on yonder island," said Boone, "and if youare disposed to have a hunt, I have no doubt we might kill some ofthem."

  "We are entirely dependent upon the deer for animal food," saidRoughgrove; "and if we could only surround that party of wolves asthey did the deer, we might do the settlement much good service."

  "I go in for it," said Sneak.

  "I'd rather wait a day or two, till the Indians have gone clean off,"said Joe.

  "There is nothing to fear from them now," said Boone, "unlesssomething they might steal should fall in their way. But it will notrequire an hour to rout the wolves on the little island."

  "Then let us hasten and get our guns, and be upon them before theyleave it," said Glenn.

  They returned to the house, and were all soon equipped for theonslaught, except Joe, who made no preparation whatever.

  "Get ready, Joe," said Glenn; "your redoubtable musket will do goodservice."

  "I'd rather not," said Joe; "I'm hardly well enough to walk so far.I'll take care of Miss Mary. I wonder what's become of her? Mr.Roughgrove, Miss Mary hasn't come back yet!"

  "Yes she has," replied the old ferryman; "I saw her bring this frozenflower up, while we were standing on the cliff, and she has onlyreturned for the other pots, I hear her singing down the valley now,"he added, after stepping to the gate and listening a moment.

  "Have you any gum fetid?" asked Boone, addressing Glenn.

  "I've got lots of it," interposed Joe, "that I brought along for thehorses, because an old man at St. Louis told me they would never dieso long as I kept a lump of it in the rack."

  "What use do you make of it?" asked Glenn.

  "The scent of it will at any time collect the wolves," said Boone,directing Joe to bring it along.

  The party set out at a brisk pace, Joe with the rest, for it wasnecessary to station the men at as many points as possible. Boone,Roughgrove, and Glenn, when they reached the upper valley, descendedto the river, while Sneak and Joe were directed to station themselveson the main-land opposite the upper and lower ends of the island. Theparty of three advanced towards the island on the ice, and Sneak andJoe pursued their way in a parallel direction through the narrow skirtof woods that bordered the range of bluffs.

  Ere long the two on land descended from their high position andentered a densely-timbered bottom, the upper part of which (a halfmile distant) was only separated from the island by a very narrowchannel.

  Here, for the first time that day, the thought that the island he wasapproaching was the haunted one of Glenn's dream occurred to Joe, andhe paused suddenly.

  "What are you stopping for?" asked Sneak.

  "Because"--Joe hesitated, positively ashamed to tell the reason; andafter a moment's reflection he was impressed with a thoroughconviction that his apprehensions and scruples were ridiculous.

  "Don't you hear me?" continued Sneak.

  "I was thinking about going back for the dogs," said Joe.

  "Yes, and they would be torn to bits in a little less than no time,"said Sneak.

  "Come on, then," said Joe, setting forward again, and dismissing allfears of the fire-wizard from his mind.

  "Let me see how much asafoetida you've got," said Sneak, after theyhad walked a few moments in silence.

  "Here it is," said Joe, unwrapping a paper containing several ounces;"but hang me, if that ain't rather too strong a joke of Mr. Boone'sabout its collecting the wolves. I can't believe that."

  "Did you ever hear of Mr. Boone's telling a lie?" asked Sneak.

  "No, I never did, and that's a fact," said Joe; "but I'm afraid he'sgot into a scrape this time--Jingo! look yonder!" he continued,throwing his musket up to his face, and pointing it at a very largeblack wolf that stood in the path before them.

  "Don't shoot! I put two loads in your gun," cried Sneak, hastily.

  "Confound your long-necked gourd-head, I say!" said Joe, throwing downthe muzzle of his musket in an instant, and the next moment the wolfdisappeared among the tall bushes. "Why, hang me, if you didn't tell alie!" continued Joe, running down his ramrod.

  "Don't I know it?" replied Sneak. "I jest said so to keep you fromshooting; becaise if you had shot, you'd 'ave skeered all the otherwolves away, and we wouldn't 'ave killed any."

  "It's well you didn't put in another cartridge," said Joe, "for I wishI may be smashed if I stand this kicking business any longer."

  "Now, I guess you'll believe there's something in the asafoetida,after all! and the wolves'll come all round you and won't go off forshooting at 'em, if you'll only rub it on the soles of your boots."

  "I'll try it!" said Joe, suiting the action to the word, and thenstriding onward, and looking in every direction for the wolves.

  "You'll have to tree, if they come too thick."

  "Pshaw!" replied Joe, "you can't scare me in that way. I don't believea hat full of it would make them stand and be shot at."

  They were now opposite the island. Joe selected a position even withthe upper end of it, and Sneak remained below. Boone, after stationingRoughgrove and Glenn to the best advantage, walked out to themain-land, and taking some of the gum fetid in Joe's possession,returned to the island; and, ere long, he, Roughgrove, and Glenn wereheard discharging their guns with great rapidity, and the cries of thewolves attested that they were labouring with effect. But none of thebeleaguered animals had yet retreated from the scene of destruction.On the contrary, several were seen to run across from the main-landand join those on the island. Presently Sneak commenced a brisk fire.There seemed to be a whole army of wolves congregated in the vicinity.Joe at first laughed, and then became confused and puzzled. Heanxiously desired to make the roar of his musket join the melee; butat times he thought the ravenous enemy rather too numerous for him tobe in perfect safety. The firing on the island continued withoutabatement. Sneak's gun was likewise still heard at regular intervals,and what seemed an extraordinary matter to Joe was that Sneak shouldyell out something or other about the "asafoetida," and "moccasintracks," after every discharge. Joe was not long idle. He soon saw ahuge black wolf trotting along the little deer path he had justtraversed, with its nose down to the ground. A moment after, another,and then a third, were seen pursuing the same course, some distancebehind. Joe became uneasy. His first impulse was to scamper over tothe island: but, when he thought of the jeers and jests that wouldensue from Sneak, he resolved to stand his ground. When the foremostwolf had approached within thirty paces of him, he leveled his musketand fired. The wolf uttered a fierce howl and expired.

  "Hang me, if I haven't floored you, any how," said he, exultingly, ashe proceeded to reload his gun with as much expedition as possible.But the other wolves, so far from being alarmed at the fate of theircomrade, seemed to quicken their pace towards the position of Joe."Slash me, if there ain't too many of them!" ejaculated Joe, as heperceived several others, and all advancing upon him. "I'll settleyour hash, by jing!" he continued, firing at the foremost one, whichwas not twenty paces distant. The leaden contents of the musketentered its breast, and it fell dead without a growl. Still the othersadvanced. Joe had no time to charge his gun again.

  "I'll make tracks!" said he, starting toward the frozen channel thatseparated him from the island. But he had not gone ten paces before hediscovered two enormous wolves approaching from _that_ direction."I'll cut dirt back again!" he continued, whirling suddenly around,and rushing back to his stand, where he stood not a moment, but sprangup in a tree, and after attaining a large limb that put out from thetrunk, some fifteen feet above the snow, paused, and pantinglysurveyed his assailants. There were now no less than twenty wolves insight, and several were at the root of the tree yelping at him! "I'llbe hanged if I half like this," said he. "Snap me, if I don't begin t
obelieve that the asafoetida does charm them, after all. ConfoundSneak! he's always getting me into some hobble or other! Now, if itwasn't for this tree, I'd be in a nice fix. Hang it! all the wolves inthe world are broke loose to-day, surely--where the mischief couldthey all have come from? Just hear the men, how they are shooting! Andthey are killing the wild black dogs every crack--but still they won'tback out! I'll blaze away at 'em again!" Saying this, he reloaded hismusket as quickly as his peculiar position would allow, and, for thepurpose of ridding himself as soon as possible of his disagreeablevisitors, he poured in an additional charge of buckshot. "Now," hecontinued, "what if the gun should fly out of my hands? I'd be in apretty condition then! I wouldn't mind the kick at all, if I was onlyon dry land--but if the gun should kick me over here, I'd tumble rightdown into their mouths! I wish I'd thought of that before I rammeddown the wadding. I haven't got my screw along, or I might draw outthe load again. I'll not shoot at all. I'll just watch till somebodycomes and scares them away. Ugh! you black rascal! what're you staringup here for?" he continued, looking down at the largest wolf, whichwas standing upright against the tree, and tearing the bark awayfuriously with his long teeth. The number of Joe's enemies continuedto increase. There were now perhaps twenty under the tree. And stillthe firing on the island was kept up, though not so incessantly as atfirst, which inspired Joe with a hope that they would either kill allthe wolves in their vicinity very soon or force them to join his flockunder the tree, when the men would surely come to his relief. Sneak'sfire abated somewhat, likewise, and Joe's reliance upon having theiraid in a very short time caused his fears to subside in a greatmeasure.

  "If you're so crazy after asafoetida," said he, looking down at thefiercely staring animals again, "I'll give you a taste, just to seewhat you'll do." He took a small portion of the gum which he hadretained, and rubbed it over a piece of paper that he found in hispocket. He then dropped the paper in their midst. They sprang upon itsimultaneously, and in an instant it vanished, Joe knew not whither."Hang me, if I couldn't pepper a half-dozen at a shot when they allrush up together so close, if I wasn't afraid of being kicked down.I'll be teetotally smashed if I don't fix and try it, any how!" saidhe, pulling out a strong leather string from his pocket, one end ofwhich he attached firmly to a small limb of the tree, and the other hetied as tightly round the wrist of his left arm. He then pulled outhis bandanna, and likewise made his musket fast to a bough. "Now, mysnapping beauties," he continued, "I'm mistaken if I don't give you adose of blue pills that'll do your business in short order." Sayingthis, he tore off another piece of paper, and rubbing on the gum,dropped it down as near as possible to the spot where he wished thewolves to cluster together. No sooner did it fall than the whole gangsprang upon it, and he fired with precision in their midst. Joe didnot look to see what execution was done. He was dangling in the airand whirling round and round at a rapid rate, like a malefactorsuspended from the gallows, with the exception that his neck did notsuffer, and he cried out most lustily for assistance. When the cloudof smoke that enveloped him cleared away a little, and he becamebetter acquainted with his critical situation, his yells increased inrapidity and violence. His condition was truly perilous. The smallbough to which he had attached himself had not sufficient strength tobear him up when his feet slipped from the larger one below, and itwas now bent down a considerable distance, and that too in a divergentdirection from his recent foothold, and unfortunately there was nolimb of the tree of any strength within his reach. His legs hungwithin six feet of the surface of the snow. The discharge had killedfour or five of the wolves, but, undismayed, the remainder assailedhim the more furiously. The most active of them could easily spring asfar up as his feet! Never was terror more strongly depicted in thehuman face than it was displayed in Joe's when he saw the whole packrushing towards him! They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. Joeyelled likewise, and doubled his knees up to his chin. They missed hisfeet by several inches, and were borne out fifteen or twenty feet toone side by the impetus of the leap. It was by a mighty effort that hethus avoided them, and no sooner had they passed under him than hislegs again dangled downward. In a moment they whirled round and wereagain rushing at their victim. Once more Joe screamed, and drew up hislegs while they passed under him. "Help! help! for God's sake!" criedhe, when they whirled round again. His cry was heard. Several sharpreports resounded from the river bank, a few paces on the east. Threeor four of the wolves howled and fell. The rest hesitated, their eyesglistening, and fixed on Joe's suspended boots. "Come quick! forHeaven's sake! I can't pull up my legs any more!" cried Joe. This wastrue, for his strength was fast failing. The guns were againdischarged with deadly effect, and all but one of the largest of thewolves precipitately ran off, and disappeared among the bushes.

  "Jerk up your leg! that feller's a going to take one of your feetalong with him, if he kin!" cried Sneak. Joe saw the wolf chargingupon him, but he was altogether unable to avoid it in the manner hehad done before. It was now only a few feet distant, its mouth open,displaying a frightful set of teeth, and springing towards him.Finding it impossible to prevent a collision, Joe resolved to sell hisfoot as dearly as possible. As much as he was able, he bent up hisknee-joints, and when his assailant came, he bestowed his heels uponhis head with all his might. The wolf was stunned, and fell under theblow.

  "Take that!" cried Sneak, running up and plunging his knife into theanimal's side. The wolf groaned and died.

  "Ha! ha! ha! you were born to be hanged," said Roughgrove, comingforward with Boone and Glenn, and laughing heartily.

  "He has been hung," said Boone.

  "And almost quartered," said Glenn.

  They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. Joeyelled likewise, and doubled his knees up to his chin.--P. 136]

  "Oh, goodness! Jump up here, Sneak, and cut me loose," said Joe,beseechingly.

  "There's no danger of you ever dying," said Sneak.

  "Oh, please don't laugh at me, Sneak, but cut me down; that's a goodfellow. The string is beginning to cut my wrist like fury!"

  "How did you git in such a fix?" continued Sneak.

  "Oh, hang it, Sneak, just get me out of the fix, and I'll tell you allabout it."

  "It's hung _now_--didn't you say 'hang it, Sneak?'" continued Sneak.

  "Oh, come, now," continued Joe; "if you were in this way, don't youthink I'd help you?"

  "Cut him down, Sneak," said Boone; and in a twinkling Sneak was up inthe tree, and the string was severed. Joe came down with great force,his feet foremost, and running through the snow-crust to a greatdepth.

  "I wish some of you would help me out of this," said he, afterstruggling some time in vain to extricate himself.

  "You'll want me to carry you home next, I s'pose," said Sneak,assisting him up. Joe made no reply; but as soon as he could cut thestring away from his wrist, seized Sneak by the throat, hurled him onhis back, and springing upon him, a violent struggle ensued for a fewmoments before they could be separated.

  "What do you mean?" exclaimed Glenn, dragging Joe away from hisprostrate victim.

  "What did you do that for?" asked Sneak, rising up and brushing thesnow from his head and face, his fall having broken the icy surface.

  "You rascal, you! I'll show you what for!" cried Joe, endeavouring toget at him again.

  "Joe!" said Glenn, "if you attempt any further violence, you shall notremain another day under my roof!"

  "He boxed my ear like thunder!" said Sneak; "I didn't think the fellowhad so much pluck in him! I like him better now than ever I did. Giveus your paw, Joe." Joe shook hands with him reluctantly, and thenwiped a flood of tears from his face.

  "He told me to put some asafetida on my hoots, and said I could thenkill more wolves," said Joe; "and it came within an ace of making themkill me."

  "It was very wrong to do so, Sneak," said Boone, "and the boxing yougot for it was not amiss."

  "I believe I think so myself," said Sneak. "But it did make him killmore wolves after all--jest loo
k at 'em all around here!"

  Joe soon recovered entirely from the effects of his swing, his fright,and his anger, and looked with something like satisfaction on his manytrophies lying round him; and when he disengaged his musket from thebough of the tree, he regarded it with affection.

  They moved homeward, entirely content with the result of theexcursion. Boone explained the reason why so many of the wolves werecongregated about the island. He stated that the vines and bushes onwhich the deer feed in the winter were abundant and nutritious in thelow lands along the river, and that great numbers of them repairedthither at that season of the year. The wolves of course followedthem, and having now destroyed all the large deer in the vicinity ofthe island, and the small ones being enabled to run on the snow-crust,they found it necessary to muster in the chase as great a number aspossible, and thus prevent their prey from escaping to the prairies.He said that the wolves preferred the timber, being enabled to makemore comfortable lairs and dens among the fallen trees than out in thecold prairies. But their guns had wrought a fearful destruction amongthem. Perhaps three-fourths of them fell.

  The party soon reached Glenn's house. As they entered the inclosure,they were surprised to see Ringwood running wildly about, whining andsnarling and tearing the snow to pieces with his teeth. Jowler wasmore composed, but a low, mournful whine issued continuously from hismouth.

  "Dod! what's the dogs been after?" ejaculated Sneak.

  "Go in, Joe, and ask Mary what it means," said Rough grove.

  "I'd rather not--the house may be full of Indians," replied Joe,relapsing into his natural cowardice.

  "Mary," said Roughgrove, approaching the door and callingaffectionately. Receiving no reply, the old man entered and calledagain. A silence succeeded. Roughgrove reappeared a moment after, witha changed countenance. Boone gazed at his pale features, and asked thecause of his distress by a look, not a word.

  "She's gone! gone! gone!" exclaimed Roughgrove, covering his face withboth hands.

  Boone made no answer, but turning his face in the direction of thesouthern valley, he called upon the name of Mary three times, in clearand loud tones. He listened for her reply, in a motionless attitude,several minutes. But no reply came. Now a change came over _his_features. It was a ferocity from which even the blood-thirsty savageswould have fled in horror!

  "My eternal curse upon them! They have seized her! I have beendeceived! I will have vengeance!" said he, in a low, determined tone.

  "Will they kill her, or keep her for a ransom?" inquired Glenn, inextreme and painful excitement.

  "A ransom," said Boone; "but they shall pay the weight of the silverthey demand in blood!"

  "May Heaven guard her!" said Roughgrove, in piteous agony.

  "Cheer up--we will get her again," said Boone; and then giving somehasty directions, preparations were made for pursuit.