CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
SHORT AND NOGGIN ACT AS INTERPRETERS--WE PREPARE TO MOVE ONWARD--THEWHITE DOG--WE GUARD AGAINST SURPRISE--I GO OUT AS A SCOUT--PURSUED BYRED-SKINS--RETURN TO THE CAMP--MORE VISITORS--WE SUSPECT TREACHERY--WHITE DOG WARNS US THAT THEY ARE ENEMIES--WE PREPARE FOR A START WHILENOGGIN HOLDS A PALAVER WITH THE INDIANS--THEY ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER--THEIR CHIEF'S TREACHEROUS ATTEMPT TO KILL LABAN, BUT GETS KILLEDHIMSELF--WE SEIZE THE REST--NOGGIN'S REGRET THAT WE DO NOT KILL THEM--WESTART ON OUR JOURNEY--WHITE DOG ACCOMPANIES US--WE PUSH ON--OUR FIRSTENCAMPMENT--A FRESH ALARM.
The report brought by the Indian warrior of the intended attack of thered-skins on our camp soon collected all the party together in thecommon hail. Our men had pretty well strung nerves, and the women, oldand young, were in no ways given to fainting; so, although the latterlistened with the greatest attention, and the former spoke gravely anddeliberately, there was not much excitement, and no great amount ofanxiety perceptible on their countenances. Our feather-bedecked,skin-clothed visitor was not much addicted to giving forth long-windedspeeches as are some of his countrymen. Short and Noggin were his chiefinterrogators, as they understood his dialect, and they translated hisanswers for the benefit of those who did not. He was asked how it washe became acquainted with the information he had brought us.
"Can you say, O white-skins, how the blossoms come on the trees? how themist fills the air? how the snow melts on the ground?" was his reply."I heard it; I speak the truth; enough."
"But when, friend, are they coming?" asked Short.
"Can you say when the thunderbolt will fall? when the tempest is aboutto burst? where the prairie-fire will break forth?" he replied.
Short and Noggin seemed perfectly satisfied with his answers. But thatwas more than I felt, when he replied to the questions put him as totheir numbers.
"Can you count the flakes which fall in early winter? do you know thenumber of the stars in the blue canopy above our heads? can you reckonthe buffaloes as they scamper across the plains in a stampedo?"
Noggin on this got up, and bowing to the old chief who was squatting onhis hams by his side, in a most polite way, observed--"All thisrigmarole, which this old red-skin here has been telling to us, comes tothis, as far as I can make out. He has heard the plot of thosethieving, varmint red-skins through his wife, or some friend or other.When they will come he does not exactly know, but it will be about thetime that the snow begins to melt, and travelling is pretty heavy work,and then they'll come down upon us in no small numbers, enough, I guess,to make us look pretty foolish if we don't keep our powder dry, and oureyes wide awake around us. The question now is, shall we stay here andfight the varmints, or shall we strike tents, and push away over themountains?"
Various opinions were given on this point. If we remained where we werethe red-skins would attack us, and though we might beat them off, theywould probably surround us, and come again and again till they starvedus out, or compelled us to retreat at a disadvantage. The moving ourprovisions and baggage was our great difficulty. Still, the generalopinion was, that it would be better to move on at once. Laban Raggetat last stood up, and gave the casting vote.
"You see, friends," said he, "where there's a will there's a way.That's been my notion through life. Where I've had the will to do, mindyou, what ought to be done, I've never failed to find the way. I'vefought the red-skins often, and I'd fight them again, if need be, withpleasure; but I don't want to expose the women and children to thechances of a battle with them; and so I say we'll move on. We'll putrunners to the wagons, and make snowshoes for ourselves, and byto-morrow evening we'll be ready for a start. Then we'll lie down andrest, and by early dawn we'll be on foot and away. Meantime, some ofthe young men will keep a lookout round the camp, to watch that we arenot taken by surprise."
I give Laban's speech entire, because his proposals were carried out tothe letter. All agreed and, literally, I do not believe that a minutehad passed before everybody was busily engaged in preparing for ourdeparture. Some were making snow-shoes; others runners for the sleighs;others packing our goods and provisions in small, light parcels easilycarried; the women were as active as the men, and several were cookingand preparing the flesh of the bear we had killed the night before, bymaking it into pemmican. Mrs Noggin was very useful in makingshow-shoes, and so was the old Indian. His name, by the bye, wasWabassem-mung, or the White Dog, and to prove his title to the name, hewould set up a barking, which no one could have supposed was from thevoice of a human being. He had only about twenty followers, all therest of his tribe having been treacherously murdered by the Flintheads,against whom he had now come to warn us. He wore a white mantle, asappropriate to his name, or, probably, he obtained his name from hisfancy for wearing a white mantle; at least, one that was white bycourtesy, for it had become so smoke-dried and stained, that itsoriginal purity was considerably damaged. Our venerable friend assuredus that there was no chance of the Flintheads attacking us that night,and that we might, therefore, sleep in peace, because his own peoplewere on the watch, and would give us timely notice. This wassatisfactory, for, after our bear-hunting expedition, I, for one, wasvery glad to get some rest. Few people have ever slept sounder than Idid on that night for a few hours, notwithstanding all the bustle andnoise going on in the camp.
By the evening, as Laban had promised, everything was ready for ourdeparture. This night it was judged prudent that scouts should be sentout to watch for an enemy, and Obed, Elihu, Sam, Noggin, and I, with afew others, were appointed to that duty by Laban. He had been chosenleader and dictator, and we were all bound implicitly to obey him. Wescouts, with our rifles in hand, started away together, two and two.Obed was with me. With the snow on the ground, and a clear sky in thoseregions, it is never dark, and our difficulty, as we advanced, was toconceal ourselves from any lurking foe. Still we worked our way on,taking advantage of every mound, or the tops of trees, or bushesappearing above the white smooth plain. It had been agreed that, assoon as we should see an enemy, we were to retreat at full speed to thecamp. If we were discovered, we were to fire off our rifles as awarning to our friends, but if not, we were to reserve our bullets forthe bodies of our foes. We each had on tight snow-shoes, with which wecould walk well enough, but running with such machines is altogether avery different affair to running in a thin pair of pumps. Havingproceeded about, as we judged, three miles from the camp, we began tocircle round it, for it was just as likely that the cunning redskinswould approach from the east or south, as from the north. They, wiserthan white men, never commit the fault of despising their enemies, buttake every advantage which stratagem or treachery can afford them togain their ends.
Obed and I began to think at last that it must be near dawn, and turnedour eyes eastward, in the expectation of seeing the pale red and yellowstreaks which usher in the rich glow, the harbinger of the rising sun.That was my idea, not friend Obed's. He remarked, "Daylight will soonbe on, I guess, and it is time we were back at camp to get somebreakfast, before we begin our trudge over the mountains, for I'm mightyhungry, I calkilate; ain't you, Dick?"
I agreed with him; but just before we turned our faces campward, Iclimbed up the south side of a rocky mound, above which I allowed onlymy head to appear, that I might take a leisurely survey of the countrybeyond where we then were. Obed followed my example. We gazed throughthe shades of night for some time.
"I'm main hungry, Dick," said Obed, "let us be going."
Still something kept me there. Just as I was getting up, I thought Isaw some dark shadows moving along over the white sheet of snow.
"Look, Obed," said I, "what are those out there?"
His eyes were even sharper generally than mine.
"Indjens, red-skins," whispered Obed. "It's time that we cut. They arenot far-off."
We first, before moving, satisfied ourselves that we were not mistaken;there were a dozen or more people, probably the advance guard. We thenslipped down from our height, and began
striding towards the camp asfast as our legs and snowshoes would carry us. It was a satisfaction tofeel that there was a high mound between us and the Indians, or ourscalps would not have felt comfortable on our heads. We did not turnour eyes to the right hand or the left, but looked straight on, keepingour legs going with a curious movement, between sliding and running, andskating and kicking. It was fatiguing, but we got on rapidly, and wehad an idea that our enemies were not advancing nearly so fast. It wasa race for life or death. Strange to say, I rather liked theexcitement.
I always prefer having an object when I walk; now I had got one. Weknew that if the Indians crossed our trail, they would instantly find usout and give chase, but then it was a satisfaction to know that theycould not go faster than we were going. We had got almost within sightof the camp, when we heard a shout from behind us. I was unwilling tostop to look back, but if I did not stop, and attempted to look over myshoulder, I should very likely, I knew, topple down on my head. On wewent again. There was another shout. We could just see the tops of thehuts. I turned my head round, and there I saw a dozen or more red-skinwarriors scampering like mad creatures over the snow, and flourishingtheir tomahawks. Fast as we were going, they were going faster. Stillwe might reach the camp before them, but it was necessary to warn ourfriends. As I ran, I unslung my rifle, not to fire at them, for thatwould have been useless, but to discharge it in the air as a signal. Idid so, but by some means, by this act, I lost my balance, and topplingover, down I came at full length. I tried to rise, but that on softsnow is no easy matter to do at the speed circumstances demanded; andthen, what was my horror to find that I had broken one of my snow-shoes!I gave myself up for lost, and entreated Obed to fly and save his life.
"Fly, Dick!" he exclaimed indignantly; "that ain't the way of theRaggets, boy. No; if the redskins want your scalp, they must have minefirst, and I'll have a fight for both of them, depend on't."
While he was saying this, he was helping me to rise, and as onesnow-shoe would be worse than useless, I cast them both off, and thendid what was the next best thing, loaded my rifle; and turning our facesto our approaching foes, we stood ready to receive them. When they sawus stop, they came on more leisurely. As they got nearer, I countedabout a dozen of them only. On this my heart began to beat moreregularly.
"I say, Dick, my scalp sits pleasanter, like, on my head," observedObed.
In a short time the Indians got near enough to us to hail. "What arethey saying?" I asked of Obed.
"Why, Dick, as far as I can make out, that they are friends," heanswered; "but, you know, these red-skin varmints are so treacherous,that we mustn't trust them on no account. They may be old White Dog'sfriends, or they may be some of the Flintheads. If they are the last,they'll scalp us in another minute, or maybe they'll try and get intothe camp, and then play us some scurvy trick."
These surmises were not pleasant. Still, we could not hope to cope withtwelve well-armed Indians, with any chance of success, and we musttherefore, we saw, attempt only pacific measures. In another minutethey were up with us. They held out their hands in a friendly manner,and we observed that their general appearance was very similar to thatof old White Dog. In a friendly manner, therefore, we proceeded towardsthe camp. When we got near, we made signs that we would go and prepareour friends for their reception. They made no objection to this, but,letting us go, squatted down on the snow about two hundred yards fromthe camp. Immediately we got in, we told Noggin, who interpreted ourreport to White Dog.
"Tell him not to show himself," said Laban.
The old chief was, however, far too wide awake to do that. Coveringhimself up with one of our cloaks, so that even the sharp eyes of anIndian could not discover him, he crept to the north of the hut, andlooked through the stockade. Noggin accompanied him.
"Flintheads," whispered Noggin. "He says they are not his people. Theyare up to some deep treachery. They, of course, don't know that oldWhite Dog is here, and that we are warned of their intentions. What isto be done? I wish Short and the rest were here."
Laban, after Noggin had spoken, stood for a minute or two in an attitudeof reflection. I believe that if a great gun had been let off at hisear he would not have heard it just then. At length he said--"Wait tillthey come, and then we will let the red-skins enter the encampment. Asthey do so we must seize every mother's son of them, and bind them allto the posts of the huts. We won't brain them, as they would havebrained us, and maybe the lesson we thus give them will teach them thatthe religion of the white-faces is better than that of the red-skins."
We eagerly looked out for the return of the other scouts, for we wereafraid that they might have been picked off by some prowling bands ofFlintheads. Soon after daylight, however, they came in, without havingseen any one. Our arrangements were speedily made. The women were tokeep out of the way, and to pretend to be nursing the children. As wefar outnumbered the Indians, two of us were told off to take charge ofone of them, the rest were to act as a party of reserve to seize any whomight escape. The instant they entered the camp they were to be seized,as, seeing us prepared to move, of course their suspicions would bearoused. Noggin, who best knew their ways, undertook to tell them thatthey might come in.
"The varmints, knowing their own treacherous ways, are so suspicious,that if we show that we are too willing to let them come, they'll fancythat we've some plot in hand, and will be off to their friends."
The gate of our stockade being opened, Noggin carelessly sauntered outand squatted himself down before the Indians, as if prepared for aregular palaver. Not to lose time, the rest of us got our breakfasts,harnessed the horses, and prepared for an immediate start. I must say Inever bolted my food at such a rate as I did that morning. At lastNoggin got up, and he and the Indians came towards the stockade. Myheart beat in a curious way. We watched Noggin. He looked glum, andmade no signal that we were to alter our tactics. The Indians alltrooped in one after the other, looking sedate and quiet enough, buttheir dark eyes rolled furtively about, and there was a scowl on theirbrows, which showed that they were not altogether at their ease.
We waited for Laban to give the expected signal. It was to be theinstant the chief of the party reached him and held out his hand, as weknew he would. Slowly, a tall athletic warrior, with a very malignantcountenance, however, advanced, casting his suspicious glances on everyside, till he was close up to Laban. Obed and I were to seize the sameman, but I could not help following the leader, and I felt sure that hishand was stealing down towards his tomahawk. Laban must have thought sotoo. In an instant the tall warrior's weapon was in his hand, and wasdescending on Laban's head, when a shot from behind a hut struck him onthe forehead, and he fell forward dead at our friend's feet. At thesame moment we all threw ourselves on his followers; but many of usreceived some severe cuts in our attempts to secure them, for all ofthem, prompted by the same feeling, had grasped their axes, with theintention of fighting their way again out of the camp. We had a severestruggle with them before we had them all secured; scowling andvindictive glances enough they cast on us when we had them fast. OldWhite Dog had, we found, saved the life of Laban Ragget by taking thatof the chief. Never had a more treacherous plot to murder a whole partybeen more mercifully counteracted. Still neither the Raggets nor Iwould consent to kill our captives. Our proposal was simply to deprivethem of their arms, and having fed them, to leave them bound, knowingthat the rest of the tribe would, before long, visit the spot andrelease them. This plan, however did not at all suit old White Dog's orNoggin's notions on the matter.
"The treacherous red-skin varmints! you don't suppose they'll thank youfor letting 'em live?" exclaimed the latter. "They will be after us,and follow us up like bloodhounds the moment they are free, that theywill."
"Never mind, friend Noggin," replied Laban calmly. "Right is right allthe world over. It would be wrong to kill a prisoner, do you see, andso I guess it's right to let these people live. I'll stand theconse
quences, come what may."
Noggin said no more; and now everybody was busily engaged in preparingto start. The sleighs were loaded, the horses were put to, and in along line we filed out of the fort. All the women walked, and carriedthe children; there were not many of the latter, for it was a rough lifewe were leading at the bush, and not fitted for such delicate beings.Many of the men also had to drag hand sleighs, and, as it was, they wereobliged to leave behind them some of the heavier baggage. Old White Dogvolunteered to accompany us. He had been looking for the arrival of thesmall remnant of his tribe, and as they had not appeared he began tofear that they had fallen into the hands of their enemies. When all theparty had gone out, and proceeded some hundred yards, Obed and I wentback, by the directions of Laban, and put some food within reach of ourcaptives' mouths.
"They won't take a very pleasant meal, but they won't starve," observedObed, as we left them.
Laban, meantime, had undertaken to watch the old Indian and Noggin, whomhe suspected of an intention of going back and scalping our captives.We, however, watched them so narrowly that they could not accomplishtheir object. We now pushed on as rapidly as we could towards themountains, as it was most important that we should gain a secureposition at a considerable height before night. At first, where thesnow was beaten down, we went on merrily enough, but when the ascent ofthe mountain really began, it was very heavy work for man and beast.Our horses were not in good condition, as they had had nothing but dryprairie grass and very little corn all the winter, but they were verylittle animals, all bone and muscle, and had no weight of their own tocarry, at all events.
As we proceeded, we kept a very bright lookout behind us, both to thenorth and south, to ascertain that we were not pursued.
At length we entered the pass in the mountains for which we had beenmaking, and here our difficulties began. High black cliffs toweredabove our heads on each side to the height of many hundred feet, whilebefore us were masses of the wildest and most rugged mountains, over andbetween which lay the path we had to pursue. Short, who had crossed themountains at this place two or three times, acted as our guide.Frequently one party had to go ahead with spades and clear the way, andwe had also often to take out the horses, and drag on one sleigh, andthen come back and get the next. We had reason to be thankful that onthis occasion we had no enemy to molest us. Old White Dog was very muchastonished to see the men work as we did, and hinted that if he had thedirection of affairs, he should make the women labour as those of hispeople are compelled to do, while he sat still in dignified idleness.He did not gain many friends by his remarks, among the gentler sex ofour party. A sheltered platform, surrounded by rocks on the mountainside, had been described by Short, and fixed on for our resting-place.
Up, up, up, we worked our way. At last we reached it, pretty wellworn-out. I never felt my legs ache so much before. It had not a veryinviting aspect when we were there. It had, however, a great advantage,as from its position it might easily be defended, should we be pursuedand attacked by the Flintheads. Having driven our sleighs on to it, weset about the business of encamping. As usual, we placed the sleighs ina circle, so as to form a breastwork, with the cattle inside it. Theside of the mountain was covered with pine trees. We cut down a numberof these, at least, so much of them as appeared above the snow, andhaving beaten hard a large circle in the centre of the camp, by walkingover it with our snow-shoes, we placed them side by side so as to form alarge platform. On this we piled up all the branches and logs we couldcollect dry and green, and set the mass on fire. The platform, it willbe understood, served as our hearthstone, and kept the burning embersoff the snow. Otherwise, they would quickly have burned out a cavern,into which they would have sunk and disappeared. We required, as may besupposed, a large fire for so numerous a party, and it was a curioussight to watch the different countenances of the travellers, as we satround it eagerly discussing our evening meal. We did not neglect theusual precautions to prevent a surprise, and two of the young men at atime took post as sentinels a little way down the mountain, to givetimely notice of the approach of a foe. After supper, all the partysang a hymn, led by Laban Ragget, and very sweet and solemn were thenotes as they burst through the night air, and echoed among those rocks,never before, too probably, awakened to sounds of praise andthanksgiving.
"It's an old custom of mine," said Laban to me, "when I cannot expoundto my family, or hold forth in prayer as usual. If, Dick, we didn'tkeep up our religious customs very strictly in the back settlements, weshould soon, as many do, become no better than heathens."
As I had been on my legs for the best part of the last two days andnights, I was excused doing sentry's duty, and no sooner had I wrappedmyself in my buffalo robe, with my feet towards the fire, and my head ona pine log, which served me as a pillow, than I was fast asleep. Howlong I had slept I could not tell, (it was, I afterwards found, somehours), when I was awoke by the most unearthly shrieks and cries, whichseemed to come directly from under the very spot on which I lay.
Dick Onslow Among the Redskins Page 13