more of the rascals didn't drap purty !
How they'd done it specially Jake Stra der with his broken arm got me all of a heap ; but done it they had, sartin as win- kin ; and thar the varmints lay, a-kickin like darnation. Now thar was only four left and grabbin Jim Cotton's rifle, afore they knowed what I was about, I laid an other han'some. Now we was even, and I hollered to the skunks to come on and show fair fight, and I'd eyther lick the three or gin 'em my scalp. But they hadn't no notion o' tryinon't, the cowards I but turned and ' split ' as ef the arth wad agoin to swaller 'em.
* Hudson Bay Company is sometimes so call ed by the trappers.
t Huie a whole sfcin.
Spaniard or Mexican. 6 Hide from cachn
THE PRAIRIE FLOWER OR,
" ' Ilurraw for us beavers ! ' I sez ; ' and U:t us go hair- raisin ; ' and with that I takes my butcher and walks into the varmints ; and them as wasn't dead I carved ; and itrter I'd done, me and Sigh for Jake Couldn't work well we hove the meat into the water, christening it Cotton's Creek ; then we dug a hole nii» 'h 'bout
O O
whar you're standing, put in poor Jim, kivered him over, and jest as we was, all wounded, we mounted our critters and put
" And do ye think there is, maybe, iny of the likes of thim rid divils about here now., sure, Misther Trapper George ? " inquired Teddy, with an uneasy look.
" Shouldn't wonder, boss ; for we're agoin right toward 'em."
" Faith, thin," said Teddy, turning slightly pale, " maybe it's the wrong road ye're going now ? "
" 0, ye needn't fear I'll miss the track," answered the old hunter, who put a literal construction on the Irishman's words. " I know the ground as well as you know your own daddy."
" Agh! and well ye may, Misther George, and have little to brag on the whiles, jist," rejoined the other quickly. " But what I maan is, it's maybe if we take anither way, we'll not rin among the divils, and git made maat of as ye calls it, now."
" Why, Teddy," said I, " you are not becoming alarmed at this stage of the journey I hope ? "
" Och, no ! it's not alar-r-med meself is gittin at all, at all, barring a little fright
O ' o O
maybe I has for your honor's safety."
" 0, never mind me, Teddy," I replied. " I assure you 1 am doing very weli, and of course prepared myself to run all haz ards before I came here."
" Well," observed Huntly, " I think we had better set forward again, and select *ur camp early."
' That's a fact," cried Black George, springing to his feet with the agility of a youth of twenty : "You is right, boy right. Come, Tom, we's a-goin to put;" and he turned toward his saddle mule. " Hey ! what ! " he exclaimed suddenly, with a stress upon the words that instantly brought us all round him, eager to learn the cause.
But nothing could we discover, save that
j the old mule alluded to was snuffing the 1 air, with her ears bent forward and point ing steadily in one direction. Tivo or three words, however, from the old trap per, sufficed to enlighten and alarm us at the same time.
" Injins, boys rifles ready Suke's no liar." Then turning to Tom, who had also started to his feet on hearing the *irst j exclamation of Black George, he added : " Split for cover, Tom, and hunt for ' sign.' "
Scarcely was the sentence out of the old man's mouth, ere Tom was out of sight; for understanding all at a glance, he had turned at the first word, and, leaping across tin 1 stream, disappeared in a thicket on the outer side.
1 felt queer, I must own, for it was (he first time that danger had become appa rent to me ; and this being concealed, I knew not what to expect, and of course magnified it considerably. Beside. ,, the story I had just heard, together with the quick and decisive movements of the trap pers, led me to anticipate a sudden onset from a large body of Indians. Determin ed to sell my life dearly, I grasped my rifle in one hand, and loosened my pistols and knife with the other. I cast a quick glance upon Huntly, and saw that he was also prepared for the worst. His features had paled a little, his brow was slightly wrin kled, and his lips compressed, showing a stern resolve. But the Irishman, in spite of my fears, amused me. Instead of bring ing up his rifle ready for an aim, Teddy had griped it midway, and was whirling it over his head as he would a shelaleh, the while raising first one foot and then the other in great excitement, as if treading on live coals, his face flushed, his eyes fixed in one direction, his nostrils expand ed, and his breast heaving with hard breathing.
" Quick ! " exclaimed Black George ; " fetch round the animals and make a breastwork to cover."
Instantly Huntly and 1 sprang to our horses, and the old trapper to his mules, while the Irishman, heeding nothing that was said, still continued his laborious gyrations. In less than a minute the ani mals were arranged in our front, and we were repriming our fire-weapons, "and
ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST.
41
preparing to repel the attack manfully, should one be made. A minute of silence succeeded, when Black George ''.ried out to Teddy :
" D'ye want to be made mea on, you t-hunderin fool ! that you stand thar like a monkey target ? "
But the Hibernian either did not hear, or, hearing, did not heed.
" Teddy," I shouted.
" Here, your honor ! " answered Teddy, running up and crawling under my horse, he having been standing outside of our animal breast-work.
" What were you doing out there, Teddy?"
" Troth, I was gitting my hand in, jist."
" Yes, and you might hev got a bullet in your meat-bag," rejoined the old trap per, dryly.
" Ah f " said Teddy, dolefully, " if ye'll belave me now, it's that same doings that worries meself the most in this kind of fighting. Barring the shooting and the danger attinding it, it's rne mother's son us wouldn't mind fighting at all, at all."
" There are a great many such heroes m the world," I rejoined, with a smile ; " and most men are brave when there is no danger. But I'll exonerate you from being a coward, Teddy, for you once nobly saved my life ; but at the same time I think I shall have to give you a few les sons when this affair is over, so that you will be able to act becomingly, under like circumstances, and know the proper use of your riile."
"Hist!" said Black George at this moment.
All became a dead silence. Presently the faint cawing of a distant crow was heard in the woods nearest us.
" Injin sign but no sudden dash," ob- Sf.rved the old trapper again.
" Indeed ! " I exclaimed, in surprise ; " And pray how came you by your infor mation ? "
" Jest as easy as you ken look at pot hooks and tell what thef sez," answered the mountaineer. " You know how to read a heap in bocks ; I know how to read the sign o' rater ; and both is good in lhar places. You heerd that crow, I'm thinkiu ? "
" I did."
" Well that was Darin Tom speakin to me, and tellin me what I told you."
Ere I had time to express my surprise, the person in question made his appear ance, leaping nimbly across the littl* creek, and gliding up to us as silently as an Indian.
"What's the sign?" asked Black George.
" Pawnees," was the answer.
" Howd' they number.and which way?"
" Twenty o:ld, and toward the sothe."
" Arter hair ? "
" I reckon."
" Be apt to trouble us ? "
" Think they passed with their eyes shut."
" Playin possum maybe. How lontj gone?"
" Less nor a quarter."
" Then Suke must have smelt 'em. She's a knowin one, is Suke, and don't fool her time. Spect we'd better put out and look for camp ? "
" I reckon."
" Augh ! "
Although this kind of dialogue was new
O O
to me, I nevertheless was able to under stand that a body of Pawnees had passed us, and was either not aware of our prox imity, or did not care to make an attack upon us in broad daylight. As the moun taineers concluded, they instantly
mounted their mules and set forward ; and spring ing upon our horses, we kept them com pany. As we left the little cove if 1 may so term it by way of the prairie, we were surprised to meet Fiery Ned and Rash Will on their return to join us.
" Well ?" said Black George, interroga tively.
"Injins," returned Rash Will.
" Ahead or ahind ? "
" Moccasins to the sothe."
"We've seed 'em augh !"
No more was said ; but wheeling their animals, the two mountaineers silently joined the cavallada, and we all moved forward together.
The country over which we were now passing, was exceeding beautiful and pic turesque. Alternately well timbered bot tom steep, craggy, barren blulfs open, rolling prairies met our view; while sparkling little streams, winding around iu
THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; OR,
every direction, appeared like silver threads fastening the whole together.
On our way hither, we h;id passed through Independence, one of the most important {joints in Missouri for obtaining an uu;ii., ;in 1 taking much the same route as that now followed by Oregon emigrants, had crossed the Caw or Kansns river a day or two previous to our camp on the prairie, of which 1 have given a descriplion. Al though this, as t then said, was our first camp on the prairie, I wish the reader to distinctly understand it was not our first encampment beyond the boundaries of civilization. But as I did not care to trouble him with a tedious journey, which produced no important incident, I jumped over our progress to the time when I felt our adventures had really begun. I say this in explanation, lest having traveled the route himself, he might be puzzled to understand how, in so short a time from the raising of our camp, we could have become so far advanced.
It was now the middle of June, and the sun poured down his heat with great in tensity, so that our animals perspired free ly, and seemed far more inclined to linger in the shade when we passed a timbered spot, than to hurry forward in the open sunshine. Nevertheless we managed, be fore the sun sunk to rest, to put a good thirty miles between us and our camp of the previous evening. Reaching at last a smooth, pleasant spot belted with hills, not unlike the one of our noonday halt, through which likewise murmured and sparkled a little rivulet we paused and decided to camp at once. In a few minutes our animals were hoppled, and regaling themselves with great gusto upon the sweet, green blades which here grew exuberantly.
." Somebody'll hev to stand sentinel to night," observed Black George, as we seated ourselves around the tire, wh ich had been kindled for the purpose of toast ing our meat, and keeping off the wild beasts. " Who's a-goin to claim the privi- "ege?"
No one answered ; but the other trap pers all looked toward Huntly and myself, which I was not slow to understand.
" Do you think there is any danger to night ? " I inquired
" Thar's never a timj in this part of (ha world when thar isn't, stranger," was the answer.
" But do you apprehend an attack from the savages to-night ? "
" Maybe, and maybe not ; but yon know what happ'd to-day, and thar's yign about, clear as mud."
" Well, if you think I will answer the purpose, I am ready to volunteer my services." ,
The old trapper mused a moment, shook his head, and replied :
" I'm feared not. I'll keep guard my self; for you be young, and mightn't know a Injin from a tree ; and it's like thar'll be powder burnt afore morn in."
Although these words portended danger, yet so fatigued was I from my day's travel, that in less than two hours from the time they were spoken, in common with the rest Black George excepted, who, pipe in mouth, and rifle in hand, remained squatted before the fire I was sound asleep.
CHAPTER IX.
A PAINFUL DRK-AK ATTACK FROM THE PAW NEES ALARM TREEING COWARDICE O*
THE WESTERN INDIANS COLD-BLOODED
MUTILATION COOLNESS AND VALOR OJ
THE MOUNTAINEERS.
I was once rrfore in my native land Time had flown rapidly, years had rolled onward, thousands on thousands of milea had been gone over, and now I stood in the city of my nativity. Strange and powerful emotions stirred me. I was weed ing my way through the old and well- remembered streets to the home of one who had been daily and nightly in my thoughts during my long absence. I al ready pictured myself entering her abode, and the start and thrill of joyful surprise on her beholding me again. At length I readied the well known mansion. There it stood, just as I had left it. There were the same steps I had ascended, and the bell I had rung on the night when I haJ so abruptly and cruelly torn myself from her sweet presence. I felt a nervous ixe- mor run through my whole system. 2
ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST
could scarcely stand. My heart seemed to shrink into nothing, my blood began to curdle in mv veins, and my quaking limbs refused to d*o my bidding. There I stood, shaking like an aspen leaf, afraid to go forward, unwilling to retreat. At length, by a threat effort, I grew more calm. With- a fresh determination not to be conquered by myself, I rushed up the steps and rang the bell. A servant appeared. But he was.notth; one I had expected to behold ; not the one that had answered my former summons ; his face was new to me. This was a change, it is true, and produced some very unpleasant feelings ; but this was a common one, and nothing to alarm me.
" Is HISS Huntly at home ? " I inquired.
" Miss Huntly don't live here, sir."
"What!" cried I, gasping for breath, "not live here?"
" No, sir ! this is Mr. Wharton's house."
" Wharton ! Yes, well, he he is married ? "
Yes, sir, he's married."
" Who did he marry ? "
" Don't know, sir."
" Was it a Lilian Huntly ?"
" No indeed, I guess it wasn't. He wouldn't look at her, I know."
"Not look at her, villain! why not?" and, excited beyond reason, I seized my informant beyond the collar. " Why would he not look at her, wretch ?" I re peated, hoarsely. " Tell me quickly, or I will dash your brains out at my feet ! "
" Ca-cause she's poor," was the trem bling reply.
" Poor ! " I shouted.
' Ye-yes, sir."
" And where is she to be found ? "
" Just round that alley yonder first door on the left."
I followed with my eyes the direction indicated by the finger of my informant, and the next moment found the door slammed in my face. But for this I cared not. Lilian wa^ in trouble. With one bound I cleared the steps, and darting down the street, turned the coiner of the alley, and stood before a miserable wooden house.
" Great God ! " I cried, mentally, "the home of Lilian, dear Lilian ! " and the rext moment, without pausing to knock, I
burst open the door and entered a misera ble apartment scantily furnished.
The first object that fixed my attention was sweet Lilian herself; but oh ! how altered ! how pale ! how wo-begone her look ! Her dress and appearance bespoke poverty and suffering, and chilled my blood.
" Lilian ! " I cried, rushing toward her, with outstretched arms.
She rose stared at me a frightful expression swept over her pale, grief-worn, but still lovely features she struggled for ward gasped and, uttering my name, with a terrible shriek, sunk senseless into my arms.
At this moment the door was burst rude ly open, and Wharton, with eyes gleaming tire, pistol in hand, rushed into the apart ment. Ere I had time for thought, the pistol flashed, the report rang in my ears, and the ball buried itself in the head of my beloved Lilian. With a shriek of hor ror, I dropped her lifeless body, and awoke.
I looked up, and saw Huntly bending over me, and heard a confused noise, the discharge of firearms, and rising above all the din, the yells of savages.
" Awake, Frank ! up for God's sake ! we are attacked ! " cried Huntly.
Instantly I sprang to my feet, complete ly bewildered.
" Tree, tree, or you're dead nigger ! " shouted a voice behind me.
I turned around, but was still too much confused to understand what was meant
. The next moment Huntly seized me by the arm, and hurriedly dragging me to a neigh-
* oo o o
boring tree, thrust me behind it on the side farthest from the fire. I had cause to be thankful for this ; for as I moved from the spot where I had stood, a ball whizzed past me, which, had it been sped a second soon er, had doubiless proved fatal.
I now learned, from a few hurried words spoken by my friend, that the Indians supposed to be Pawnees, and, in fact, the same party which had alarmed us at Cot ton's Creek had made a sudden dash at cur animals, which were picketed within pistol-shot of the tire, and, with loud yells, had discharged their pieces and arrows into our camp, fortunately without doing us any injury. In a moment every one was on
THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; OR,
his feet, with the exception of myself, who, ns the reader knows, was lost in the mazes of a troublesome dream, and had actually converted the screeches of the savages into cries from Lilian, and the report of fire arms into the fatal shot from the pistol of one I had looked upon as a rival. Each of th trappers had hurriedly sought his tree, while the Irishman, though a good deal bewildered, had had presence of mind and good sense enough to imitate their ex-
O O
ample. - Huntly of course could not leave me to perish, and had paused to rouse me in the manner shown.
By this time all had become silent as the grave. Our camp fire was still burn ing brightly, and bv its lio-ht we could trace
OO^*' * ^ O
a large circle round it ; but not an object, save our animals some of which, particu larly the mules, snuffed and snorted, and appeared very restless was seen to stir. One would suppose, to have gazed around him in that waftn, still night, that not a creature more dangerous than the fire-fly and musquito was at hand, to disturb the now seemingly deep and solemn solitude of the place. In this way some two or three minutes passed, during which you could have heard the fall of a leaf, when suddenly the stillness was broken by the report of a rifle within twenty feet of me, and was succeeded by a yell of agony some thirty paces distant in another direction, while an Indian, whom I had not before observed, staggered forward, and fell with in the circle lighted by the fire.
Bennett, Emerson - Prairie Flower 01 Page 9