CHAPTER XXI
LAST DAYS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
As the Indians had said the trail was very steep, but after a time theyreached an open timber plateau country, beautiful to travel through butwithout apparent game. After a little while, however, the timber grewless, and they could see before them gently rolling hills from which atsome distance rose a bald, snowy mountain. They walked swiftly along,and the great mountain grew nearer.
"I tell you, Hugh," said Jack, "that looks like a good sheep country!"
"Yes," said Hugh, "it does, and from what we have seen I expect thereare plenty of them there."
"This is the sort of place where we ought to find big rams," said Jack,with a laugh.
"Right," replied Hugh; "but you've hunted enough to know that big ramsare not always found where they ought to be."
"No," said Jack, "that's an old story; the big rams are always 'fartherback.'"
"Yes," said Hugh, "they are always 'farther back,' but what that means,I guess nobody knows. I expect that as a matter of fact, the big rams,keeping together as they do, for all the season except in rutting time,and being few in numbers compared with the ewes and young ones, areharder to find, just because they are few in number."
The afternoon was far advanced when they reached the foot of themountain. Here, snow lay on the ground two or three inches deep. By alittle spring they found a white man's camp that had been made earlyin the season. In the fresh snow Hugh pointed out to Jack the tracks ofa wolverine which had been about the camp recently, nosing around tosee what it could find. A few moments later one of the Indians came up,and Hugh said: "Tom, do you know whose camp this is?"
"Yes," said Tom, "three young men who were here the moon before last.They hunt a great deal. They fire a good many shots. Not kill manyanimals."
The fireplace, the picket pins, and a shelter built of spruce boughs,showed that the people had been here for some time.
"Well," said Hugh, "let's camp right here. There is a good shelter forus in case it rains, as it looks likely to do now. Now, Tom, you andBaptiste get supper, will you, and son and I will take a little walkfrom the camp, and see what we can see."
The two started off, not toward the mountain but rather toward a largeravine which ran down from it. They had gone but a few hundred yards,when, as they were nearing the crest of a little ridge at the foot ofan old moraine which ran down from the mountain, Hugh put out his handand sank slowly down to the ground. Jack crouched beside him, and Hughsaid: "There's a sheep just over the ridge; crawl up and kill it." Jackcautiously approached the ridge and looking over, saw not more thanseventy-five yards away a sheep walking away toward the next ridge. Thewind was right, and it was evident from the animal's actions that ithad neither seen nor smelt the men. Her hips were toward him, and hedid not wish to fire at her in that position for fear of spoiling themeat, so he waited. A moment later she walked over the ridge and outof sight, and Hugh and Jack followed. When they looked over the nextridge, they saw the sheep, broad-side toward them. The sun was low andglittered on Jack's front sight and troubled him a little; and he tookaim two or three times without pulling the trigger. As it was, he shota little too high, but the animal fell, and they hurried up to it. Itwas moderately fat, and Jack and Hugh carried the meat into the camp ontheir backs.
The next morning they were early afoot and climbed the mountain.They had gone hardly a mile from the camp when they found sevensheep feeding on a perfectly bare hillside where there was no coverwhatever. It was useless to try to approach them, and as they were inthe direction in which the two wanted to go, Hugh and Jack disregardedthem, and presently the sheep ran off. Constantly climbing, they camenearer and nearer the top of the mountain. The grass began to give wayto pebbles and stones, and the snow got deeper and deeper. Presentlythey reached the top of the mountain; and, crossing its narrow crest,looked down into a beautiful little glacial basin which contained acharming lake and meadow. Feeding in this meadow were twelve sheep,far, far below them, and quite out of reach. The wind was blowingfiercely across the mountain top and they crept down into a shelterbehind some rocks and for some time sat there and watched the sheep.Soon after they were first seen, the animals went down to the borderof the lake and drank, and then came up on to the meadow again and laydown. After a little while, some movement, or perhaps the glitter ofsome piece of metal about the men, startled the sheep. They rose andlooked at them, and then walked off, and after a little while began tofeed again. Later, when Jack and Hugh got up and climbed to the top ofthe mountain, the sheep, not much alarmed, moved slowly off and climbedup the mountain side into a deep icy gorge in which was a great mass ofsnow.
Jack and Hugh went on for some distance, looking down into one bigcanyon after another, but seeing nothing more, turned back to go to thecamp. On the way back they came upon a flock of white-tailed ptarmiganof which there were about twenty-five. Jack had never killed one ofthese birds, and was anxious to have a full grown one in his hands.
"Is there any reason, Hugh," he asked, "why I should not kill one ofthese birds?"
"None at all, so far as I see," said Hugh. "The wind is blowing so hardthat nothing ahead of us will be able to hear the firing. If you wantto kill one, do so."
The wind was blowing a perfect gale and when Jack approached the prettybirds, they rose at some little distance, flew a few yards, and thenalighted on a snow bank in which they at once scratched out shallowhollows where they crouched, more or less protected from the wind. Thegale made it difficult for Jack to hold his gun steady and the firstshot that he fired was a miss, for he overshot the bird. At the crackof the gun they all rose and flew a little farther away, and his nextshot killed one. It was in almost full winter plumage, though therewere others in the flock that had only partly changed from the blackand tawny of summer to the white winter coat. Jack wanted to skin thebird, but the ball from his rifle had raked its back and torn off agreat many feathers. Nevertheless he put it in his pocket so that atnight he would have an opportunity to study it by the light of the fire.
On the way home the two men had a beautiful view from the top of themountain, looking down into a most picturesque basin walled in on allsides by superb mountains and containing a beautiful lake. Between thetops of the mountains and the valley there were three benches or steps.The lake lay in the valley.
The next morning Hugh loaded the Indians up with most of the campequipment and some of the meat, and sent them back to camp, he andJack retaining only their guns and blankets. They made a long roundof the lower slopes of the mountains, seeing a number of sheep, andat length came to a place where deer were more numerous than they hadever seen them before. It would have been easy to kill a great number,but as they had no means of transporting the meat to the camp they didnot fire at all. Toward midday they came out into a little park wherea number of deer were lying down, and walking quietly up to them, gotwithin fifteen or twenty steps of the animals before they seemed totake the alarm.
It was now time to turn back and return to camp. There Hugh and Jackmade packs of their blankets and set out for the lower ground. For sometime the tracks of the Indians were plainly visible,--but at lengthit began to snow, and the tracks were soon covered. Moreover, theirlandmark, the mountain which lay behind them, was no longer visible,and the only guide they had was the wind, which blew from the right orsoutheast.
"Well," said Hugh, "we've got to look out now, or we are liable to getlost."
"Yes," said Jack, "it's quite likely that we won't be able to strike atrail leading down the mountain, but of course we will be able to findthe camp."
"Oh, yes," said Hugh; "no trouble about that, only I would rather gointo camp by the same trail I left it by, if I can. However, if wedon't hit the trail the only thing we'll have to do is to follow downthe ridge to the river and there we'll find the trail of the packtrain,and that will take us straight to the camp."
"It would be rather a good joke on you, Hugh," said
Jack, "if we wereto get lost."
"So it would," said Hugh; "so it would, son. Perhaps we would have beensmarter if we hadn't sent those Indians off. Of course this is theircountry and they know it, and you and I have never been here before.We're all right, however, if the wind doesn't shift. If that shouldchange we might easily enough get twisted. However, we've got the riversure to take us to camp."
An hour or two later, some time after they had got into the timber,Hugh stopped and said: "Son, I think we're off the track. I believewe've kept over too far to the left and have missed the trail. I don'tsee anything that I recognize as having seen before."
"Well," said Jack, "you can't prove anything by me. I don't seeanything that I've seen before and this snow and these gray tree trunksall look alike to me. I have been watching for the past half hour tosee where we were, but I haven't any idea of it."
"Well," said Hugh, "it's cold and snowy and likely to be wet; let'spush down to the river and get to camp that way, if we can't anyother." An hour and a half later they were going down a steep hillclothed with lodge-pole pines, and before long had come to the levelland, and in a few moments were out of the timber. On the lower groundthe snow had changed to rain and the trees and bushes were wet. There,before them, ran the river; and there close to the river was thedeep trail worn by the feet of the horses. Turning up the river theyfollowed the trail, climbed the hills, and just at dark were once morein camp.
Ryder was a little disposed to laugh because they had come into campfrom the side opposite to that from which they had left it; but Hughsaid, and Jack agreed with him, that on a night like that it was goodto get to camp in any way they could.
The next day the train was packed early, and three days of long, fasttravel took them back to Hope. There they learned that the next morningthere would be a steamer down the river, and they prepared to take it.
Long before daylight, Hugh and Jack, with bags and blankets, werewaiting in the canoe for the appearance of the steamer and as soonas it was seen coming they fired four shots to attract the pilot'sattention. Presently the boat shut off steam and began to back, and thecanoe was soon alongside. The baggage was tossed out; a handshake anda good-by to Ryder and Baptiste, and after a moment more the wheelswere turning and the steamer sped down the river carrying Hugh and Jacktoward New Westminster. The night was spent here, a pleasant call madeon Mr. James, and the following morning they embarked for Victoria, andthe next night were at Tacoma, where they found Mr. Sturgis.
It was a pleasant meeting. Mr. Sturgis told them much about his mine,and what he had seen on his journey to and from it, while Jack was fullof the beauties of the British Columbian coast. But he said, that asfar as he saw, it was not a good hunting country. "Of course, there arelots of deer and goats and some bears, but they are too easily killedto make hunting very good sport."
"But then," said Mr. Sturgis, "you really didn't hunt, did you? Youjust followed the beach."
"That's true," said Hugh, "and it isn't fair, of course, to judge acountry that you have only just touched. Now, take it on that littletrip that we made from Hope. I don't know as I ever saw sheep and goatsso plenty, and there were plenty of deer in the only place we had timeto look for them. But of course we just put in a few days to use up thetime until we had to get here to see you."
"Well," said Jack, "I suppose that anybody who has been used to huntingon the plains and on the foot-hills of the mountains where buffalo andelk are plenty is likely to have a wrong idea of the game in a countrywhere the animals don't gather together in great big bunches."
"Yes," said Mr. Sturgis, "that's true enough, I guess."
After dinner that night Mr. Sturgis said: "Well, it is time for usall to get back to our different jobs. You and I have got to go backto the ranch, Hugh, and see how the beef round-up is getting on; andyou, Jack, have got to get East as fast as you can, and get to school.I think as good a way as any for us to return is to go back over therailroad that is just being built from Portland, and in that way wewill see a new country. The country will be new, even to you, Hugh,won't it, as far east as Idaho?"
"Yes," said Hugh, "my range has never been out west of Lake Pendd'Oreille and Flathead Lake and all this Oregon and Washington countryis new to me."
"Well," said Mr. Sturgis, "let's get down to Portland and then go upthe Columbia River till we strike the railroad. I know General Sharpe,one of the officials of the road, and I think he will help us acrossthe break between the end of the track in Washington Territory and thesettlements in Montana. What do you say?"
"I say 'Bully!'" exclaimed Jack.
"It suits me," said Hugh, "but where will this bring us out?"
"Well," said Mr. Sturgis, "it ought to bring us out about Deer Lodge,and there is a little narrow-gauge road being built over from Corinnein Utah on the Union Pacific, which by this time must be somewhere nearthese Montana towns. Of course, when we get on a railroad that connectswith the Union Pacific we are just about home."
The next morning the railroad carried them to Kalama, where they tookthe steamer to Portland. The sail between the two points was beautiful.At one time they could see from the steamer's deck no less than sixdifferent snow-covered peaks, which ranged from nine to fourteenthousand feet in height. These were Mt. Ranier, St. Helens, Adams,Hood, Jefferson, and the Three Sisters. From Portland the steamer tookthem up the Columbia River through a beautiful country to the Cascades.For the first few miles of the sail the bottom was wide and the hillswere distant, but after a time they reached a stretch where the riverflowed between walls of rock. A great sheet of lava covers the wholeface of the country. From the hills, which stretch back from the riverand are covered with long yellow grass, rose numberless walls and pilesof lava rock which cast black shadows. The country was open, and thepark-like slopes were dotted with dark spruces and pines. Along theriver water and wind had worn the rocks into curious shapes, sometimeslike columns or obelisks, or again like great ovals set on end.
Along the bank of the river at several points thousands ofblue-bloused, broad-hatted Chinamen were busily at work, evidently on arailroad embankment.
"This," Mr. Sturgis said, "is a railroad being built by the O. R. & N.Company between Portland and the Dalles."
"Well," said Hugh, "it seems to be the same story everywhere; railroadsbeing built, and then people following the railroads; farms and bigtowns growing up; the game all going, and when the game goes of coursethe Indian goes too."
"Yes," said Mr. Sturgis, "this is material prosperity for the UnitedStates. You and I have seen the beginning of it, but I don't believethat either of us have any notion at all of where it is going to end.But there is one thing that we can be sure of, that no considerationof game or Indian or other natural thing is going to be allowed tointerfere with the material growth of the country. We people who knowhow things used to be, and who like them as they were, may grumble andthink the change is for the worse; but nobody will pay any attention toour grumbling and the changes will go on."
At the Cascades they changed to a train which took them seven milesaround the rapids, and, then boarding another steamer, proceeded,until, just at dusk, they reached the Dalles.
"Do you know, Jack," said Mr. Sturgis, when their journey was justabout over, "that this country that we have been passing through ishistoric ground?"
"No," said Jack, "I didn't know that."
"Well," said Mr. Sturgis, "you have heard of the old fur trade, haven'tyou, and Astoria, and how John Jacob Astor sent people out to found atrading station at the mouth of the Columbia River?"
"No," said Jack, "I don't believe I have."
"I have, though," said Hugh; "and I have known two or three men in mytime that worked in that outfit. One man especially who went across thecountry with a man named Hunt."
"Yes," said Mr. Sturgis, "that's it. Mr. Astor sent ships aroundthe Horn with supplies to found this station, and he also sent anexpedition across the country. The cross country party had trouble withthe Indians and starved,
and generally had a hard time, and, after thepost was established, while they got lots of furs they had considerabletrouble with the Indians all the time. The British claimed the country,and the Hudson's Bay people said that Astoria was in their territory.Then came the war of 1812, and the fort at Astoria was surrendered tothe Hudson's Bay people; and that was the end of that trading post, sofar as the Americans were concerned. But all up and down this riverthat we have been travelling up, the Northwesters and the Hudson'sBay men used to go backward and forward portaging around these rapidsthat we have just been over, and working as hard as the old fur tradersalways worked. The story of these travels has been written by a goodmany of the people who took part in them, and some day it will be worthyour while to hunt up these old books and read that story. It is afascinating one."
"Yes," said Hugh, "it's sure an interesting story; though I have neverseen the books, I have heard a good deal of it told. It used to betalked about a whole lot in early days."
"Well," said Mr. Sturgis, "a lot of those old Astorians, as Astor'semployees at Astoria were called, wrote books giving their experiences,and it would be well worth your while to read them. I remember thenames of some of them--Alexander Ross, Ross Cox, Franchere--and besidesthem some of the Hudson's Bay people, into whose hands the place passedlater, wrote exceptionally interesting accounts of life at the fort,of their journeys up and down the river, and of their travels over themountains.
"Sometime, when we get back, Jack, ask me about these books and I willmake a list of them for you. Most of them are out of print now, andcan only be had at the libraries; but they are books that will repayreading, and the same thing can be said of a great number of volumesdealing with the exploration of the western country. It is astonishingthat we Americans know so little about matters which should be of somuch interest to us. Do you realize how little is known about thework of these early explorers, traders, and trappers? Some few of usare familiar with it, but most of the people back East know nothingwhatever about these men. Pretty nearly all of this work has been donewithin the past seventy-five years, some of it within fifty years, andnone of it goes back a century."
"Here is Hugh," he went on; "he has knowledge of the western countryback almost to the time of that early exploration, and he certainly hasknown many men who were of the early generation of the trappers. Isn'tthat so, Hugh?"
"Yes," said Hugh, "that's sure enough true, Mr. Sturgis. I knew wellUncle Jack Robinson, the Bakers, Bridger, Beckwourth, and a whole lotof men that came into the country in the thirties or before. I havemet old Bill Williams and Perkins, and know old man Culbertson well. Iguess likely he's alive now."
"Why, even you, Jack," said Mr. Sturgis, "know old man Monroe, and he,according to all accounts, came into the country in 1813."
"That's so, Uncle George," said Jack; "that goes back a long way,doesn't it?"
"Well now, do you realize that probably before any of us die this wholewestern country will be crowded full of people; that there will berailroads running in all directions, and that the centre of populationof the country will be probably moved from Pittsburg, where it is now,to somewhere in the Mississippi valley, and perhaps not far from thebig river itself?" said Mr. Sturgis.
"I haven't been out here so many years," he continued, "but I have seenchanges take place in this country that have astonished me, and I cansee that these changes are going to keep taking place, and that almostbefore we know it sections of country through which now we can travelfor weeks at a time without seeing any people will be full of ranchesand farms and towns. We think of the United States as being a bigcountry now, but I believe it hasn't made a beginning yet."
"Well, Mr. Sturgis," said Hugh, "I guess likely what you say is right.But what's going to happen to all the old things that used to be in thecountry? What's going to happen to the game, to the buffalo, to theIndians?"
"Why," said Mr. Sturgis, "the game, and buffalo, and Indians arenatural things, and they cannot stand up in the face of civilizedthings. The game will be killed off except in little spots likeYellowstone Park; the Indians will be crowded onto their reservationsand kept there, and will either be turned into farmers or cow men, orelse will starve to death. The people of this country are going tosee, I believe, that all this waste region, for that is what they callit, shall be made to produce something. Cattle will take the placeof buffalo, sheep will take the place of deer and antelope. After awhile farmers will come in, and then the big cattle and sheep men willbe crowded out in turn. The farmers will raise crops from the groundinstead of sheep and cattle. People will have farms and a few headof cattle, but the days of the 'cattle kings' will pass away. It's aprocess of evolution, my boy," he said to Jack, "and you and I will seeit work itself out."