CHAPTER IV--RAT TRUE
In the light of the early morning Reuben saw a man on horsebackapproaching the place where he was standing. Behind him were twopack-horses, each heavily laden.
Convinced that the man was a stranger and that as yet he had notdiscovered the presence of any one besides himself in the defile, thefirst impulse that seized upon the young trapper was to seek some placeof safety.
He waited, however, excitedly watching the stranger as he led thelittle procession up the narrow natural pathway. It soon was evidentthat the stranger was a white man, and, once convinced of that fact,Reuben's fears in a measure departed. What a man could be doing amongthe foothills of the Rockies, so far from companions and civilization,was something he was unable to conjecture. The bundles on the backs ofthe horses indicated that it might be possible that he had come with apurpose not unlike that which had drawn him and Jean to the region. Atall events, he decided that he would not flee immediately. Hastilyexamining his rifle to make sure that it was ready for immediate use ifoccasion required, he awaited the coming of the man.
There was a slight bend in the valley, which for a moment hid theapproaching stranger from sight. As soon as the man turned the bend,however, he discovered Reuben before him, and instantly stopped,grasped his rifle, and gazed intently at the unexpected sight.
"Who are you?" demanded the stranger.
"I was just going to ask you that question myself," replied Reuben,laughing in a manner that served to allay much of the suspicions of thenewcomer.
"My name is Rat True. Now that I have told you that much," said thestranger, "tell me who you are."
"My name is Reuben Benton," acknowledged the young trapper.
"Good name," said the other man, laughing boisterously. Now that he haddiscovered that apparently there was only one man approaching, Reuben'sconfidence in his own ability to protect himself returned in fullmeasure.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Rat.
"Trying to get out."
"Where did you come from?"
"Last night I came from the plains. I was chasing a buffalo herd and myhorse fell in a prairie-dog village and broke his leg. I had to shoothim."
"You weren't alone, were you?"
"No."
"Who was with you?"
"Three Cheyennes came to join me for a little while, but then they wenton, so I was left alone."
"Yes, but who was with you before the redskins?"
"Jean Badeau."
"Who's he?"
"A trapper."
"He's a trapper, is he? Well, has he ever tried it before?"
"Yes."
"Where did he sell his skins?"
"Sometimes he took them to the trading-post and sometimes he took themto Pain Court."
"Are you and he the only men here?"
"Yes," answered Reuben with a laugh. "And he isn't here now. At least Ican't find him."
"Where did you leave him?"
"I can't even find the place where I left him. You see, as I told you,I started out last night to shoot one or two buffaloes. I got one andthen I chased along after another, but I think I must have gone fartherthan I knew, for I couldn't find my way back before dark."
"Do you think that you can find it now that it is light?"
"I don't know," replied Reuben dubiously. As he spoke he glanced in thedirection in which it seemed to him the place where he had left Jeanmust lie.
"I don't mind telling you," began the stranger, "that I'm a trappermyself."
"Have you ever been here before?"
The man, who was at least six feet three inches tall, and large inevery way, threw back his head and emitted a laugh that wasproportionate to the size of his body.
"'Have I been here before?'" repeated the stranger. "Well, just alittle. Last year I took in over one thousand beaver skins. I shot morethan two hundred buffaloes. I hugged a grizzly bear until he yelled formercy. I killed two Utes with one bullet."
Reuben was looking intently at the stranger as he spoke and wasinclined to believe that he was telling the truth. It was plain thatthe newcomer was a man of great physical strength, and his exploits,which he described in a loud voice, were not altogether improbable. Atall events, the boy decided that the man was in nowise bashful,whatever his other faults might be.
"Yes, sir," continued Rat. "I guess if you were to ask the redskinsabout me there aren't many of them that can't tell you who I am. I'vefought them single-handed and alone, and then, again, I've fought themwhen there were hundreds of them together. I thought at first I wouldgo up along the Oregon this trip, but I soon decided that too manyothers would be there, too. I don't like company. That's the reason Iwasn't very much pleased when I first saw you here."
"Do you own this country out here?" inquired Reuben soberly.
"I can't just say as how I _own_ it," laughed the giant, "but therearen't many who will dispute what I claim. Where did you say yourfriend is?"
"I didn't say. That's just what I want to know."
"Well, what are you planning to do?"
"The first thing I have got to do is to find Jean. Then I suppose we'llstart pretty soon for the place where we are going to begin ourtrapping."
"I hope you don't trespass on any of my territory."
Reuben did not respond to the suggestion, and a moment later thenewcomer said: "Have you had your breakfast yet?"
"Not yet," replied Reuben. "I was just going to have it."
"What have you got to eat?"
"Buffalo tongue and some strips of steak."
"Good! That's mighty good! I'll help you get ready," said the giant."I'll do you a good turn even if I shan't let you trap along thestreams what I preempt for myself."
Acting upon his suggestion the trapper dismounted and removed thesaddle from the horse he was riding. The pack-laden animals, however,he did not relieve in the same way.
"I'm thinkin' I'll stay here and help you with your breakfast," herepeated.
Reuben, who at once had begun to make preparations for the morningmeal, was unable to see for a time, at least, where the "help" of hisuninvited visitor was shown. As soon, however, as the pieces of buffalomeat had been cooked and the repast was ready, Reuben discovered howcapable the giant was to "help" in disposing of the food which he hadprovided. Indeed, Rat was increasingly free with his advice anddirections as to what Reuben should do, and for several reasons the boydid not refuse to obey, or even to follow, any of the profferedsuggestions.
When at last the food had disappeared, the giant remarked: "Then youthink you will look up your camp, do you?"
"I want to look up Jean."
"Well, isn't that the same thing? I'll tell you what I'll do. You havebeen good to me and given me a bite, now I'll take the pack off of oneo' the ponies and let you saddle it, and then we'll go out and look foryour friend. I hope he really is somewhere," added Rat, suspiciously.
"He was, the last I knew," laughed Reuben.
In a brief time the suggestion of Rat had been followed, and afterReuben had carefully adjusted his saddle to the pony of his companionthey decided to leave the remaining pony in the defile while they setforth on their search for the missing Jean.
Still Rat was loquacious. Apparently it made little difference whetheror not Reuben replied or even listened to what he was saying. "Youasked me a spell ago did I own these streams out here where I'mtrapping. I told you I didn't know as I did, but I likewise remarkedthat no one else had been putting in no claim for them. I don't thinkmany of them are likely to, not while I'm 'round."
"There aren't likely to be any here, are there?" remarked Reuben.
"You're here, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Well, isn't the other fellow that was with you? Isn't he here?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," laughed Reuben.
"So am I," roared the giant. "If you're here, it may be somebody elsewill be here, too. Now, let me tell you that there isn't anybody increation what is going to set tr
aps along the same streams where I setmine."
"How will you stop it?" inquired Reuben.
"Do you see that?" inquired the giant as he held up for Reuben'sinspection an immense fist. "With that bunch of bones I have knockeddown an ox. If anything happens to that fist, then I have got somethingelse to fall back upon," and with a loud laugh the giant held up hisrifle. "And if worst comes to worst," he continued, "I have gotsomething in my belt here that will help take care of me."
As he spoke he drew from his belt a long, slim, sharply pointed pieceof steel, which he explained had once been a bayonet, but by repeatedfilings had been reduced to its present shape and size. That it was adangerous weapon Reuben instantly understood.
"That time I was hugging that grizzly," resumed Rat, "or, rather, thattime when he was hugging me, do you know I just tickled his ribs withthat instrument?"
"Did he like it?" inquired Reuben.
"He didn't live long enough to say. There was a grin on his face thoughwhen he doubled over, so I guess he didn't feel so bad as he made out,though he was pretty dead when I left him."
"What do you mean by 'pretty dead?'"
"Dead as a door-nail."
"But when one is dead he can't be any deader, can he?" persistedReuben.
"I don't know about that. That bear didn't look as if he was dead, buthe was. Now, suppose I had blown him all to pieces, and couldn't findas much as a nail or a tooth left, I guess he would be deader then thanhe was when he just had my knife in between his ribs. Where did you saythis fellow came from?"
"What fellow?"
"Why this man that you were with--this fellow Jean."
"Pain Court."
"Is that where you belong?"
"Yes."
"Ever heard o' Kit Carson?"
"I have that!" said Reuben eagerly. "I know him. I have seen him."
"How long ago?"
"He was there early in the summer not long before we left. Indeed, hewanted us to go with him."
"Why didn't you?" remarked Rat. His eyes, which were unnaturally small,contracted as he spoke, until the expression startled the youngtrapper.
"Because Jean thought we would do better not to go with a crowd, but togo off by ourselves."
"That Jean of yours is a fool."
"But I thought that is what you yourself said," suggested Reuben, "andthat you wanted to trap alone and not with a good many others."
"There's a mighty sight o' difference when I say it and when thisfriend o' yours says it."
"What's the difference?"
"Look here, my friend," said Rat, turning sharply upon his companion."There are better men than you got into trouble from asking too manyquestions."
"But you asked a good many questions of me."
"Did I get into any trouble by askin' 'em?" demanded Rat, as he laughedloudly.
"Not yet."
"What do you mean by 'not yet?'"
"Oh, nothing."
By this time the two men had proceeded far from the place from whichthey had started, and still Reuben was unable to recognize any signs ofthe locality where he and Jean had prepared to make their camp thepreceding night.
Suddenly, however, he abruptly halted and, pointing toward a spot notfar away, he excitedly demanded: "What's that? What do you make ofthat?"