CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
A BUFFALO HUNT FOLLOWED BY A PALAVER, AN ARRIVAL, AND A TRAITOR-CHASE.
We must turn away now, for a short time, to another, though not fardistant, part of the Great Nor'-West.
It is a more open country than that immediately around Fort Wichikagan,and lies to the south of it. Here and there long stretches of prairiecut up the wilderness, giving to the landscape a soft and park-likeappearance. The scenery is further diversified by various lakeletswhich swarm with water-fowl, for the season has changed, early springhaving already swept away the white mantle of winter, and spread thegreen robes of Nature over the land. It is such a region as amillionaire might select, in which to build a palace, but no millionairehas yet beheld the lovely spot. With unlimited wealth at his command hestill confines himself to the smoke and dust of civilisation, leavingthe free air and the brilliant beauty of the wilderness to the wild-fowland the penniless hunter, and the wandering savage!
In the midst of one of the stretches of rolling prairie-land, greatherds of buffalo are scattered in groups, browsing with all the air ofsecurity peculiar to domestic cattle. Happily their memories are short.They seem prone to enjoy the present, forgetful of the past andregardless of the future--happily, I say, for those humpy and hairycreatures are not unacquainted with man's devices--the sudden surprise,the twang of the red-man's bow and the crack of the hunter's rifle.
It was the forenoon of a splendid day, when this peaceful scene wasbroken in upon by obstreperous, fighting, peace-destroying man. Alittle cloud of dust on the horizon was the first indication of hisapproach, and a very antique buffalo-bull was first among the thousandsof innocents to observe the cloud. It stirred the memory of other days,no doubt within his capacious bosom, and probably sent a thrill throughhis huge frame, which, terminating naturally in his tail, caused thatappendage to vibrate and curl slightly upwards. At the same time heemitted softly a low rumble, which might have served for the bass of acathedral organ.
Most of the cows near the patriarch looked up in evident surprise, asthough to say, "What in all the world do you mean by _that_?" But thepatriarch took no notice of them. He kept his wicked little eyes fixedintently on the cloud of dust, twitching his tail nervously, andrumbling cathedral-organically. If I might venture to guess at themental operations of that patriarch, I should say that he was growlingto himself, "Is that you again, you galloping, spitfiring, two-legged,yelling monsters?" or some such bovine expression.
By degrees the cloud came nearer and enlarged. Simultaneously thegroups of buffaloes drew together and began to gaze--perchance toremember! The patriarch became excited, wriggled his tail, which wasridiculously small for his body, pawed the ground, trotted hither andthither, and commenced playing on all the deeper notes of his organ.
At last there could be no doubt. The two-legged monsters came on,mounted on four-legged brutes, which began to trot as the distancebetween them diminished. This was enough. The patriarch tossed hishaunches to the sky, all but wriggled off his tail, gave utterance to abursting bellow, and went scouring over the plains like a gigantic wildpig. The entire buffalo host performing a similar toss and wriggle,followed close on his heels.
At this the redskins put their steeds to the gallop, but did not at onceovertake their prey. Clumsy though their gait was, the buffaloes wereswift and strong, causing the whole plain to resound under their mightytread. Indian steeds, however, are wiry and enduring. By slow degreesthey lessened the distance between them--both pursued and pursuerslengthening out their ranks as the "fittest" came to the front.Thundering on, they approached one of the large clumps of woodland, withwhich the plain was covered, as with islets. The patriarch led to theleft of it. The savages, sweeping aside, took to the right.
The sudden disappearance of the pursuers seemed to surprise thepatriarch, who slackened his pace a little, and, lifting his shaggyhead, looked right and left inquiringly. "Was it all a dream!" hethought--no doubt.
If he thought it was, he received in a few minutes a rude awakening, forthe redskins came sweeping round the other end of the clump of trees,yelling like fiends, brandishing their weapons and urging their steedsto the uttermost.
To snort, bellow, turn off at a tangent, and scurry along faster thanever, was the work of a moment, but it was too late! The savages werein the midst of the snorting host. Bows were bent and guns werelevelled. The latter were smooth-bores, cheap, and more or lessinaccurate, but that mattered not.
Where the range was only two or three yards, guns and bows were trueenough for the end in view. At such work even bad shots met theirreward. Arrows sank to the feathers; bullets penetrated to the heart orshattered the bones. Ere long numerous black lumps on the prairie toldof death to the quadrupeds and success to the bipeds.
But I do not drag the reader here merely to tell of savage sport andbutchery. The Indian was only following his vocation--working for hisfood.
That same evening two of the Indians stood on a hillock, a little apartfrom their camp where smoking fires and roasting meat and marrow-bones,and ravenously-feeding men and women, and gorging little boys and girls,formed a scene that was interesting though not refined. One of theIndians referred to was Big Otter. The other was Muskrat, the old chiefof his tribe.
"Does my father not know?" said Big Otter, deferentially, "that Attickplans mischief against the pale-faces of Wichikagan?"
"No, Big Otter," returned the old chief with a scowl; "Muskrat does notknow that, but he hears, and if it is true he will have Attick flayedalive, and his skin dressed to make moccasins for our young squaws."
"It is true," rejoined Big Otter, sternly. "His plan is to attack thefort by night, kill the pale-faces, and carry off the goods."
"Attick is a fool!" said Muskrat, contemptuously. "Does he not knowthat no more goods would evermore be sent into our lands if we did that,and also that the pale-faces always hunt murderers to death? No; ifthat had been possible, or wise, Muskrat would have done it himself longago."
After this candid statement he stared solemnly at his companion, asthough to say, "What think ye of that, my brave?"
Apparently my brave did not think much of it one way or other, for heonly looked indifferent and said, "Waugh!"
"Big Otter's ears are sharp," continued Muskrat. "How did he come tohear of Attick's intentions?"
The younger Indian paused thoughtfully before replying.
"Waboose told me," he said.
"Does the daughter of Weeum the Good hold communion with evil spirits?"asked the old chief, with a slight elevation of the eyebrows.
"Not willingly, but evil spirits force themselves upon the daughter ofWeeum the Good. My father knows that Attick is presumptuous. He wishesto mate Waboose."
"Yes, I knew he was presumptuous, but I did not know he was so great afool," replied the old chief scornfully.
"My father knows," continued Big Otter, "that when the pale-face chiefwent and brought Waboose back to Fort Wichikagan, Attick was stayingthere in his wigwam by the lake. The big chief of the pale-faces, whofears nothing, had forgiven him. Attick went to Waboose, and offered totake her to his wigwam; but the daughter of Weeum the Good turned awayfrom him. Attick is proud, and he is fierce. He told Waboose that hewould kill all the pale-faces. Although a fool, he does not boast.Waboose knew that he was in earnest. She went to the pale-face Muxbee(by which name Big Otter styled my humble self), and told him all, forshe has set her heart on Muxbee."
"Did she tell you so?" asked Muskrat, sharply.
"No; but the blue eyes of Waboose tell tales. They are like a kettlewith holes in the bottom--they cannot hold secrets. They spoke toAttick as well as to me, and he became jealous. He swore he would takethe scalp of Muxbee. One day, soon after the lake opened, Muxbee askedWaboose to go with him in a canoe to the valley at the head of lakeWichikagan. Attick followed in another canoe, but kept far behind.They did not know it was Attick. Waboose found it out afterwards.Muxbee did not talk to
Waboose of love. The ways of the pale-faces arestrange. Once I thought that Muxbee liked Waboose, and that, perhaps,he might wed with her, and stay with us as the Good Weeum did, but Idoubt it now. He only asked her to take him to the stunted pine whereher father was so fond of going with her. When there he went lookinghere and there about the rocks, and found a splendid thing--I know notwhat--but Waboose told me it shone and sparkled like the stars. Besideit was a bag of the yellow round things that the pale-faces love somuch. He told her he had expected to find these things, but she mustnot ask him questions just then--he would tell her afterwards. Isuppose he is a great medicine-man, and holds intercourse with thespirit-world." Big Otter paused thoughtfully a few seconds, and thencontinued:--
"When he was putting these things in his breast, Waboose caught sight ofAttick among the bushes, and pointed him out. Muxbee sprang up andlevelled his gun with the two pipes at him, but did not fire. Attickfled and they saw him no more."
"Did Waboose tell Big Otter all this?" asked the old chief.
"Yes. Waboose has no secrets from her mother's brother."
"And why has Big Otter left the pale-faces, and brought Waboose awayfrom them?" asked Muskrat.
"Because he fears for the pale-faces, that Attick will kill them andcarry off Waboose. By bringing Waboose here with us we draw Attickalong with us away from the pale-faces, and as long as Waboose is in ourcamp she is safe. Attick dare not harm her."
A gleam of intelligence lit up the swarthy features of the old chief ashe said "Waugh!" with much satisfaction.
But both he and Big Otter were wrong in their calculations. So far,indeed, the latter was right. The presence of Waboose in the campeffectually drew Attick after them, and thus removed danger from theinhabitants of Fort Wichikagan, but they were wrong when they thoughttheir camp a place of safety for the poor girl.
"Did Muxbee not care when Big Otter carried Waboose away?" asked the oldman.
"He did not know she was going, and I did not tell her she was not toreturn. I took her away with her mother when Muxbee was out hunting. Itold the big pale-face chief that I must go with my tribe to hunt thebuffalo in the south, and that they must go with me. He was veryunwilling to let them go at first but I was resolved, and Waboose is agood obedient girl."
That night two events occurred in the redskin camp which caused a gooddeal of surprise and commotion.
The first was the sudden disappearance of Waboose and her mother. Theyhad been gone some time, of course, before any one thought of suspectingflight. The moment that suspicion was aroused, however, Big Otter wentstraight to the wigwam of Attick. It was deserted! He knew well thebad and weak men of the tribe who were led or swayed by Attick.Hurrying to their tents he found that these also had fled. This wasenough.
"Masqua," he said to the first Indian he chanced to meet at the momentof quitting the last wigwam, "Attick has carried off Waboose. Assemblesome of the young men. Choose only the strong, and those whose horsesare swift. Go yourself with your son Mozwa--gallop round the camp tillyou find in which direction they have gone--then return to me at thecouncil tent and wait."
Masqua understood the value of prompt obedience. Without a word ofreply he turned and bounded away.
Big Otter hurried to the council tent, where old Muskrat was alreadysurrounded by his chiefs. There was less than usual of the gravedeliberation of North American Indians in that meeting, for the case wasurgent. Nevertheless, there was no bustle, for each bronzed warriorknew that the young men would require a little time to hunt up the trailof the fugitives, mingled as it must be with the innumerable footprintsof man and beast in the neighbourhood of a camp; and, until that trailwas found, they might as well deliberate calmly--especially as all themen met at the council armed, and ready to vault on the steeds whichwere already pawing the earth outside. These horses were restrained byyouths who longed for the time when they too might be styled braves, andmeet in council.
"Is all prepared?" asked the old chief, as Big Otter entered the tent.
"The young men are out," was the curt reply.
"Good. The night is dark, but my warriors have sharp eyes, and the moonwill rise soon. No effort must be spared. The daughter of Weeum theGood must be brought back. It is not necessary to bring back Attick orhis men. Their scalps will do as well."
"Waugh!" pronounced with much emphasis showed that the old man's wordswere not only understood, but thoroughly appreciated.
At this moment occurred the second event which I have said was the causeof surprise in the camp that night, if not of commotion. While the oldchief was yet speaking, his words were checked by the sound of horses'hoofs beating heavily on the prairie.
"The young men," said Muskrat; "they have been swift to find the trail."
"Young men in haste bringing news do not trot," said Big Otter.
"Waugh!" assented the council.
"There are but two riders," murmured the chief, listening intently tothe pattering sounds, which rapidly grew louder.
He was right, for, a few seconds later, two horsemen were seen to trotinto the camp, and make straight for the council fire. Some of theIndians had turned out with arms ready as they approached, but onhearing a word or two from one of the riders, they quietly let thempass.
Pulling up sharply, one of the strangers leaped to the ground, flung hisreins to the other, and entered the council tent where he was receivedwith looks of surprise, and with the ejaculation from Big Otter of thesingle word "Muxbee!"
Yes, good reader, that stranger was none other than myself, and mycompanion was Salamander. To account for our sudden appearance I mustexplain.
On returning to Fort Wichikagan four days after Big Otter had left, andhearing what had occurred, I told Lumley I would follow in pursuit andfetch Waboose back. He remonstrated, of course, but in vain.
"You know that a sacred trust has been imposed upon me," said I,earnestly, "and I have resolved to fulfil it. The manner in which Ishould set about it has perplexed me sorely, I confess, but this suddendeparture relieves me, at all events, from uncertainty as to my presentcourse of duty. If Waboose goes off with the tribe to no one knowswhere, she may never be found again. You are aware that she is stillignorant of the contents of the packet, and the value of the foundtreasure. I have kept her so, temporarily, by your advice. If I hadtold her and her kindred, she would not probably have gone away, but itis too late to regret that, now. By going off at once I may overtakethe tribe. Three days' journey on foot will bring me to Indians who arerich in horses. Once well mounted I can push on, and will easilyovertake them if you will lend me Salamander to aid in following up thetrail."
"But what of the service?" asked Lumley, with a sad smile, for he saw Iwas resolved. "You are not yet free."
"True, but you know that Spooner is already on his way here to replaceme, my resignation having been accepted. In a week, or two at farthest,he will arrive, when I shall be absolutely free to go where I please.Meanwhile, to prevent even a shadow of impropriety, I ask your majestyfor a fortnight's leave of absence to go a-hunting. Surely you won'trefuse so small a favour? I will be sure to find Waboose, and bring herback by that time."
"Well, Max, my boy, I won't refuse. Go, and God go with you. I shallexpect to see you again in two weeks, if not sooner."
"Unless, of course, circumstances render my return so soon impossible."
"Of course, of course," said Lumley.
Thus we parted, and thus it was that Salamander and I found ourselves atlast in the Indian camp. The pursuit, however, had been much longerthan I had expected. More than the stipulated fortnight had alreadypassed.
But to return from this digression. After we had looked at each othersilently for a few seconds in the council tent, as already described, Iadvanced to Big Otter and held out my hand. I then shook hands with theold chief, sat down beside him, and expressed a hope that I did notintrude.
"We palaver about the disappearance of Waboose," said the o
ld chief.
"Disappearance! Waboose!" I exclaimed, turning abruptly to Big Otter.
"Attick has fled," said the Indian, sternly, "carrying Waboose and hermother along with him."
"And you sit here idly talking," I exclaimed, almost fiercely, as Isprang up.
Before I could take action of any kind, the young Indian, Mozwa, enteredthe tent abruptly, and said a few words to Muskrat. At the same momentthe councillors rose.
"We go in pursuit," whispered Big Otter in my ear. "Mount, and joinus."
Almost bewildered, but feeling perfect confidence in my Indian friend, Iran out, and vaulted into the saddle. Eager and quick though I was, theredskins were mounted as soon as myself. No one seemed to give orders,but with one accord they put their horses to the gallop, and swept outof the camp. The last words of the old chief as we darted off, were--
"Bring her back, my braves, and don't forget the scalps of Attick andhis men!"