CHAPTER XIX.
Homeward Bound.
The travelers remained at the "ole bar's hole" three weeks, instead ofone, as they had at first intended. Game of every description wasplenty; there were no Indians to trouble them; in short, they wereleading a life that exactly suited the boys, who were in no hurry toresume their journey, which was becoming tiresome to them. Besides,their supply of bacon was exhausted, and the trappers undertook toreplenish the commissary. This they did by "jerking" the meat of thebuffaloes that had been killed during the hunt in which Frank hadtaken his involuntary ride. They cut the meat into thin strips, andhung it upon frames to dry--the sun and the pure atmosphere of theprairie did the rest. The meat was thoroughly cured without smoke orsalt, and although the boys did not relish it as well as the bacon,they still found it very palatable. To Dick, it was like meeting withan old friend. He had always been accustomed to jerked Buffalo meat,and he ate great quantities of it, to the exclusion of corn-bread andcoffee, of which he had become very fond.
In addition to this, the gray mustang demanded a large share of theirattention. He was very unruly, extremely vicious, and attempted to usehis teeth or heels upon every thing that approached him. But theseactions did not in the least intimidate Dick, who was a most excellenthorseman; and, after several rides over the prairie, coupled with themost severe treatment, he succeeded in subduing the gray, which wasturned over to his young master, with the assurance that he was "ahoss as no sich ole buffaler hunter as Sleepy Sam could run awayfrom."
This declaration was instantly resisted by Archie, who forthwithchallenged Frank to a race; but it was not until the latter had fullysatisfied himself that the mustang was completely conquered that heaccepted the proposition. When he had been robbed of his horse, Frankhad lost something that could not again be supplied, and that was hissaddle. As for a bridle, he soon found that the trapper's lassotwisted about the gray's lower jaw, answered admirably; but it was along time before he could bring himself to believe that his blanketcould be made to do duty both as saddle and bed. After a week'spractice, however, he began to feel more at home on his new horse;and, one morning, as he rode out with his cousin, he informed him thathe was prepared for the race. Archie, always ready, at once put SleepySam at the top of his speed; but the gray king had lost none of hislightness of foot during his captivity, and before they had gone fiftyyards he had carried Frank far ahead. Race after race came off thatday, and each time Sleepy Sam was sadly beaten. Archie was compelledto acknowledge the gray's superiority, and declared that he "wouldn'tmind camping with Black Bill himself if he could be certain of noworse treatment than Frank had received, and could gain as good ahorse as the gray king by the operation."
The mustang having been thoroughly broken to saddle, and the travelerssupplied with meat, there was nothing now to detain them at the cave.So, one morning Dick harnessed his mules, and they prepared to resumetheir journey. Before starting, however, the boys explored the "olebar's hole" for the twentieth time, and as long as they remained insight, they turned to take a long, lingering look at the place whichwas now associated with many exciting adventures.
Instead of traveling back to the road the train had taken, the trapperled them southward, and, after a long and tedious journey through themountains, they reached Bridget's Pass, and a few days afterward theyarrived at a fort of the same name. They camped there one night, andthen turned their faces toward Salt Lake City, which they reached insafety. Mr. Winters led the way to a hotel, where an excellent dinnerwas served up for them. After passing more than two months in thesaddle, subsisting upon the plainest food, it is no wonder that theboys were glad to find themselves seated at a table once more. Freshmeat and vegetables of all kinds disappeared before their attacks, andthey finally stopped because they were ashamed to eat more. Afterdinner, being informed by their uncle that they would remain in thecity until the following day, in order to give the trappers time tolay in a fresh supply of provisions, the boys started out to see thesights. Evidences of prosperity met their eyes on every side. Some ofthe buildings were elegant, the streets broad and clean, and filledwith vehicles. Wagon trains were constantly coming and going, and theprincipal business seemed to be to supply these with provisions.Archie thought it must be a splendid place to live in, so near goodhunting grounds; but he could not help glancing pityingly toward ayouth about his own age, whom they met on the street, and wondering"how many mothers that poor fellow had to boss him around."
When it began to grow dark they returned to their hotel, where theyretired early. They thought they could enjoy a good night's rest in acomfortable bed, but their expectations were not realized. They couldnot go to sleep. First, they thought the quilts were too heavy, andthey kicked them off on the floor. Then the mattress was toosoft--they could scarcely breathe--and after rolling and tossing forhalf the night, they spread the quilts on the floor, and there sleptsoundly until morning.
Their journey through Utah and Nevada into California, wasaccomplished without incident worthy of note; and, in due time, theyarrived at Sacramento. Here it was that their uncle had been locatedprevious to his return to Lawrence, and consequently they were attheir journey's end. As soon as Mr. Winters had settled up hisbusiness, they would return to the States by steamer. This wascommunicated to the trappers the morning after their arrival, and itwas an arrangement at which Dick was both surprised and grieved. Aftera short consultation with old Bob, they both approached and announcedtheir determination of returning to the mountains immediately.
"We've got to go sometime," said Dick, "that ar' sartin; an' thelonger we stay, the harder it 'comes to leave."
Mr. Winters then broached the subject of payment for their services,to which the trappers would not listen, neither would they accept theoffer of the horses, mules, and wagon, Dick declaring that by actingas their guide he had found a "chum" in the oldest and best trapper onthe prairie, and that was worth more to him than any thing else. Moneyhe did not need; and as for the mules and wagon, he had no use forthem. And evidently wishing to bring the interview to a close, assoon as possible, he hastily shook Mr. Winters by the hand, and badehim good-by.
His parting from the boys was not so easily accomplished. He extendeda hand to each, and, for some moments, stood looking earnestly atthem, without speaking. At length, he said:
"I don't like to say good-by to you, youngsters. I had hoped that Ishould guide you back to the States. But you know your own bisnessbetter nor I do, so I oughtn't to grumble. I wish you could allersstay with me. I'd take mighty good keer of you. But our trails lay indifferent directions. You go back to your friends, an' me an' ole Bobgo to the mountains, to hunt, an' trap, an' fight Injuns, as we havedone fur many a long year."
"You'll need a horse then, Dick," interrupted Frank. "You certainlywill not refuse the gray king! Take him, and keep him to remember usby."
"Youngsters," said the trapper, struggling hard to keep back somethingthat appeared to be rising in his throat, "it don't need no hoss tomake me 'member you. But I'll take him, howsomever, as a present fromyou, an' every time I look at him, I shall think of you away off inthe States."
"And, Dick," chimed in Archie, "if you ever see Black Bill, don'tforget that he stole my relics."
"I won't forget it, little 'un. An' now, good-by. It aint no wayslikely that we shall ever see each other ag'in; but I hope that whenyou git hum, an' tell your friends of your trip acrost the plains,that you will give one thought to your ole friend Dick Lewis, thetrapper. Good-by, youngsters."
The guide wrung their hands, and then gave way to old Bob, who alsoseemed to regret that the parting time had come; and when thefarewells had all been said, the trappers mounted their horses, roderapidly down the street and disappeared.
It was not at all probable that the boys would ever forget thoserough, but kind-hearted men--for the guides held a prominent place intheir affections. Although they were in a busy city, surrounded byfriends--for Mr. Winters had a large circle of acquaintances inSacramento-
-they were lonesome now that the trappers had gone, andtheir thoughts often wandered off in search of those two men, now ontheir lonely journey to the mountains.
At the end of two weeks Mr. Winters had settled up his business, and,one morning, they took the stage for Benicia; thence they went by boatto San Francisco. Here they took passage on board a mail steamer toPanama, thence by rail to Aspinwall, where they found another steamer,that took them safely to Boston. At Portland, which they reached indue time, they remained a week, and then all set out for Lawrence.Frank had written to his mother when to expect them, and they foundall the inmates of the cottage on the watch. As the carriage thatbrought them from the wharf drew up before the gate, Brave announcedthe fact by a joyful bark, that brought Mrs. Nelson and Julia to thedoor, where the travelers were warmly received. Besides strong frames,sunburnt faces, and good appetites, the boys brought back from theplains a fund of stories that was not exhausted that evening, nor thenext, and even at the end of two weeks they still had something totalk about. The skins of the bears were stuffed and mounted, side byside, in the museum, together with those of several prairie wolves,big-horns, and that of the antelope the boys had killed the morningthey were lost on the prairie. Archie never grew tired of relatingthe particulars of his adventure with the grizzly, and when he toldof their being lost, he never forgot to mention how Sleepy Sam had"landed him in the water."
And now that the young hunters were among their friends again, didthey ever "give one thought" to their guide? They often talked ofhim--his stories were still fresh in their memories, and his many actsof kindness could never be forgotten. Whenever they recounted theiradventures, or related the little history of the new objects they hadmounted in their museum, they always spoke of him, and many an earnestwish went out from them for the welfare of DICK LEWIS, THE TRAPPER. Intheir subsequent career in the gun-boat service, they often relatedincidents of his life to their messmates.
THE END.
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