by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
THE ROUTE HOME.
We awoke more confident of our future. We had now provision enough andthousands of pounds to spare. It only remained for us to make itportable, and preserve it by drying; and this would occupy us aboutthree full days. Our guides understood well how to cure meat withoutsalt, and as soon as we had breakfasted all of us set to work. We hadto pick and choose amidst such mountains of meat. Of course the fatcows only were "butchered." The bulls were left where they had fallen,to become the food of wolves, scores of which were now seen skulkingaround the spot.
A large fire was kindled, and near this was erected a framework ofbranches, on which was laid or suspended the meat, cut into thin slicesand strips. These were placed at such a distance from the fire that itacted upon them only to dry up the juices, and in less than forty-eighthours the strips became hard and stiff, so that they would keep formonths without danger of spoiling. Meanwhile some employed themselvesin dressing buffalo-skins, so as to render them light and portable, inother words to make robes of them that would serve us for sleeping in.
At the end of the third day we had arranged every thing, and were readyto set forth on our homeward journey. Each was to carry his own rationsof the jerked meat, as well as his arms, robes, and equipments. Ofcourse, loaded in this manner, we did not expect to make a long dailyjourney, but, supplied as we were with provisions for thirty days, wehad no fear but that before the end of that time we would reachIndependence. We were in high spirits as we set out, although, beforewe had walked far, the pressure of our packs somewhat moderated theexuberance of our feelings; and before we had been fifty hours upon theroad, an incident occurred that once more reduced us to a new state ofdespondency, and placed us once more in peril of our lives. Many anaccident of flood and field, many a "hair-breadth 'scape" are to beencountered in a journey through prairie-land, and the most confidentcalculations of the traveller are often rendered worthless in a singlemoment. So we found to our consternation.
The accident which befel us was one of a deplorable character. We hadreached the banks of a small stream, not over fifty yards in width, butvery deep. After going down it for several miles no place could befound that was fordable, and at length we made up our minds to swimacross, rather than spend more time in searching for a ford. This waseasy enough, as we were all swimmers, and in a few minutes most of theparty were safely landed on the other side.
But it remained to get our provisions and other matters over, and forthis purpose a small raft had been constructed, upon which the packs ofmeat, robes, as well as our arms and ammunition, were laid. A cord wasattached to the raft, and one of the party swam over with the cord, andthen several taking hold commenced dragging over the raft with its load.
Although the stream was narrow, the current was strong and rapid, andjust as the raft had got near the middle the towing line snapped, andaway went the whole baggage down stream.
We all followed along the banks, in hopes of securing the raft when itshould float near, and at first we had little apprehension about thematter. But to our mortification we now perceived a rapid just below,and there would be no chance of preventing the frail structure fromgoing over it. The packs, robes, and guns had been laid upon the raft,not even fastened to it, for in our careless security, we neveranticipated such a result.
It was too late to leap into the stream and endeavour to stop the raft.No one thought of such a thing. All saw that it was impossible, and westood with anxious hearts watching the floating mass as it swept downand danced over the foaming waters. Then a shock was heard--the raftheeled round--and poised upon a sharp rock, stood for a moment in midstream, and then once more washed free it glided on into the still waterbelow.
We rushed down the banks, after an effort secured the raft, and drew itashore; but to our consternation most of the provisions, with the gunsand ammunition, were gone!
They had been tossed off in the very middle of the rapids, and of coursewere lost for ever. Only three packs of the meat, with a number ofrobes, remained upon the raft.
We were now in a more serious condition than ever. The provision savedfrom the wreck would not last us a week, and when that was consumed howwere we to procure more? Our means of killing game was taken from us.We had no arms but pistols and knives. What chance of killing a deer,or any other creature, with these?
The prospect was gloomy enough. Some even advised that we should goback to where we had left the buffalo carcasses. But by this time thewolves had cleaned them of their flesh. It would have been madness togo back. There was no other course but to head once more towards thesettlements, and travel as fast as we could.
On half rations we continued on, making our daily journeys as long aspossible. It was fortunate we had saved some of the robes, for it wasnow winter, and the cold had set in with extreme bitterness. Somenights we were obliged to encamp without wood to make a fire with, butwe were in hopes of soon reaching the forest region, where we should notwant for that, and where, moreover, we would be more likely to meet withsome game that we could capture.
On the third day after leaving the stream that had been so fatal to us,it began snowing, and continued to snow all night. Next morning thewhole country was covered with a white mantle, and we journeyed on, ateach step sinking in the snow. This rendered our travelling verydifficult, but as the snow was only a foot or so in depth we were ableto make way through it. We saw many tracks of deer, but heeded themnot, as we knew there was no chance of capturing the animals. Ourguides said if it would only thaw a little, and then freeze again, theycould kill the deer without their rifles. It did thaw during the day,and at night froze so hard, that in the morning there was a thick crustof ice upon the surface of the snow.
This gave us some hope, and next morning a deer hunt was proposed. Wescattered in different directions in parties of two and three, andcommenced tracking the deer.
On re-assembling at our night-camp, our different parties came backwearied and empty-handed.
The guides, Ike and Redwood, had gone by themselves, and were the lastto reach the rendezvous. We watched anxiously for their return. Theycame at length, and to our joy each of them carried the half of a deerupon his shoulders. They had discovered the animal by his trail in thesnow, and pursued it for miles, until its ankles and hoofs became solacerated by the crust that it allowed them to approach near enough forthe range of their pistols. Fortunately it proved to be a good-sizedbuck, and would add a couple of days to our stock of provisions.
With fresh venison to our breakfast, we started forth next morning inbetter spirits. This day we intended to make a long journey, in hopesof getting into heavy timber, where we might find deer more plentiful,and might capture some before the snow thawed away. But before the endof the day's journey we were so stocked with provision, that we nolonger cared about deer or any other game. Our commissariat was oncemore replenished by the buffalo, and in a most unexpected manner. Wewere tramping along upon the frozen snow, when upon ascending the crestof a ridge, we saw five huge forms directly in front of us. We had noexpectation of meeting with buffalo so far to the eastward, and weresomewhat in doubt as to whether they were buffaloes. Their bodies,against the white hill side, appeared of immense size, and as they werecovered all over with hoar frost, and icicles depending from their longshaggy tufts of hair, they presented a singular aspect, that for awhilepuzzled us. We took them for pine-trees!
We soon saw, however, that they were in motion, moving along the hill,and they could be no other than buffaloes, as no other animals couldhave presented such an appearance. Of course they were at a longdistance, and this prevented us from at once recognising them.
This was an important discovery, and brought our party to a halt and aconsultation. What course was to be adopted? How were we to captureone or all of them? Had the snow been of sufficient depth the thingwould have been easy; but although as it was, it might impede theirrunning, they could get through it
much faster than we. The only chancewas to "approach" them by stealth; but then we must creep within pistolrange, and that upon the plain white surface would be absolutelyimpossible. The foot of the hunter crunching through the frozen snow,would warn them of their danger long before he could get near. In fact,when every circumstance had been weighed and discussed, we every onedespaired of success. At that moment what would we not have given for ahorse and a gun.
As we talked without coming to any determination, the five huge formsdisappeared over the sharp ridge, that can transversely to our course.As this ridge would shelter us from view, we hurried forward in order tosee what advantages there were in the ground on its other side. We werein hopes of seeing timber that might enable us to get closer to thegame, and we made for a small clump that grew on the top of the ridge.We reached it at length, and to our great chagrin, saw the five greatbrutes galloping off on the opposite side.
Our hearts fell, and we were turning to each other with disappointedlooks, when a tumultuous shout of triumph broke from Redwood and thewolf-killer, and both calling out to us to follow them, dashed off inthe direction of the buffalo!
We looked to ascertain the cause of this strange conduct. A singularsight met our eyes. The buffalo were sprawling and kicking on the plainbelow; now rushing forward a short distance, then spreading their limbs,and halting, while some of them came heavily down upon their sides, andlay flinging their legs about them, as if they had been wounded!
All these manoeuvres would have been mysterious enough, but the guidesrushing forward had already given the key to them, by exclaiming that_the buffalo were upon the ice_!
It was true. The snow-covered plain was a frozen lake, and the animalsin their haste had galloped upon the ice, where they were nowfloundering.
It cost us but a few minutes' time to come up with them, and in a fewminutes more--a few minutes of fierce deadly strife--in which pistolscracked and knife-blades gleamed, five great carcasses lay motionlessupon the blood-stained snow.
This lucky capture, for we could only attribute it to good fortune, wasperhaps the means of saving the lives of our party. The meat furnishedby the five bulls--for bulls they were--formed an ample stock, whichenabled us to reach the settlements in safety. It is true we had many ahard trial to undergo and many a weary hour's walking, before we sleptunder a roof; but although in wretched plight, as far as looks went, weall got back in excellent health.
At Independence we were enabled to "rig" ourselves out, so as to make anappearance at Saint Louis--where we arrived a few days after--and where,seated around the well-filled table of the Planters' Hotel, we soonforgot the hardships, and remembered only the pleasures, of our wildhunter-life.
THE END.