CHAPTER THREE.
TO THE RESCUE.
Winnipeg city, with its thousands of inhabitants, now covers the spot towhich Antoine Dechamp drove his friend Fergus McKay.
At the time we write of, the only habitation there was Fort Garry, asolitary stone building of some strength, but without regular troops ofany kind, and held only by a few employes of the Hudson's Bay Company,who were there only in the capacity of fur-traders.
Here the Governor of the colony received the unexpected guests withhospitality; heard the tale of Fergus with a sympathetic ear, and atonce organised a rescue-expedition with dog-sledges and provisions.
While this was being done at the fort, Dan Davidson was similarlyemployed at Prairie Cottage, the residence of his mother, who, since thedeath of her husband--a farmer from the Scottish Lowlands--had managedher farm with the aid of her two sons, Dan and Peter; the latter being ayouth of seventeen. She was also assisted by her only daughter, Jessie,who was over thirteen years of age, and already esteemed an authority onthe subjects of poultry, cookery, and dairy produce. A small servant--aFrench half-breed named Louise--completed the household of the widowDavidson.
On reaching home, Dan, like Fergus McKay, experienced difficulties thathe had not counted on, for his overtaxed strength fairly broke down, andhe found himself almost incapable at first of telling his tale ofdisaster. Then, when he tried to go about the needful preparations forrescue, he found himself unable to resist drowsiness, and if he venturedto sit down for a moment he fell sound asleep at once.
Those who have experienced this condition know how overwhelming andintensely disagreeable it is, especially if resistance to it is renderedimperative by a matter of life or death. Davidson struggled bravelyagainst it of course, but the struggle had already been so longcontinued that his efforts were now in vain.
Starting up from the supper which Jessie had spread before him, andwhich he was languidly attempting to eat, he said, almost fiercely,"Where is the wash-tub, Louise?"
The surprised little domestic pointed to the article in question.
"Here; fetch some cold water."
"It is full," said Louise with a strong French accent and a pretty lisp.
Without the ceremony even of throwing back his collar Dan plunged hishead into the water, and, after steeping it for a few seconds, drew itout refreshed.
His younger brother entered the room at that moment.
"Peter," he said, drying his head violently with a jack-towel, "have yougot the sledge ready, and the provisions packed, and the empty sledgewi' the buffalo-robes?"
"Ay--all ready," answered the other, for he was a sprightly, willingyouth, who rejoiced in any unexpected demand on his superabundantenergies. "But I say, Dan, you are quite unfit to start off againwithout rest."
He looked in his brother's face anxiously, for Dan had seated himselfonce more to his food, but seemed unable to deal with it properly."Why, you've got the knife and fork in the wrong hands, Dan! You _must_have an hour's rest before we start."
"Impossible," returned the other with a dazed look, as he seized a mugof water and drank it off. "An hour's delay may mean death to Elspieand old Duncan McKay."
"But let _me_ start off at once," returned Peter, eagerly. "I've apretty good guess, from your description, where you left them. Besides,the gale is not so bad now. After an hour's sleep you will be able tostart fresh, maybe overtake me. Jess will be sure to waken you in--"
He stopped, for his brother's head had bent slowly forward while he wasspeaking, and now rested on his arms on the table. The worn-out man wassound asleep.
"Just leave him, Peter, and be off wi' the dogs," said Mrs Davidson."Okematan will keep you in the right track. I'll be sure to wake him intime to catch you up."
"No, mother, not without his leave," said the youth, firmly. "Dan!Dan! rouse up, old boy! Shall we start without you?"
"Yes, yes--I'm ready," said the poor fellow, starting up and swaying toand fro like a drunken man; "but--I say, Peter, I'm done for. I dependon you, lad, to keep me up to the scratch. Lay the dog-whip across myshoulders if I try to lie down. Promise me that. D'ee hear!"
"Yes, I understand," returned the youth with intense earnestness. "Nowlook here, Dan, you know me: will you trust me?"
"Of course I will," answered Dan with a languid smile.
"Well, then; come along, we'll rescue Elspie--you may depend on that.Okematan and I will look after you and see that all goes right. Come."
He took his brother by the arm, and led him unresistingly away, followedby the dark-skinned Indian, who, with the usual reticence of his race,had stood like a brown statue, silently observing events.
Jessie Davidson, who was a fair and comely maiden, touched him on thearm as he was passing out--
"Oh! take care of him, Okematan," she said, anxiously.
Okematan replied "Ho!" in a sort of grunt. It was an expressivelyuttered though not very comprehensible reply; but Jessie was satisfied,for she knew the man well, as he had for a considerable time been, notexactly a servant of the house, but a sort of self-appointed hanger-on,or unpaid retainer. For an Indian, he was of a cheerful disposition andmade himself generally useful.
When they were outside, it was found that the gale had abatedconsiderably, and that the moon was occasionally visible among theclouds which were driving wildly athwart the heavens, as though theelemental war which had ceased to trouble the earth were still raging inthe sky.
"Peter," said the brother, as they stood for a moment beside two Indiansledges, one of which was laden with provisions, the otherempty--"Peter, don't forget your promise. Lay the whip on heavy.Nothing else will keep me awake!"
"All right! Sit down there for a moment. We're not quite ready yet."
"I'd better not. No! I will stand till it's time to start," returnedDan with a dubious shake of his head.
"Didn't you say you would trust me?"
"Yes, I did, old boy."
"Does it look like trusting me to refuse the very first order I giveyou? What an example to Okematan! I am in command, Dan. Do as you'rebid, sir, and sit down."
With a faint smile, and a still more dubious shake of the head, Danobeyed. He sat down on the empty sledge and the expected resultfollowed. In a few seconds he was asleep.
"Now we'll pack him in tight," observed his brother, as he and theIndian stretched the sleeper at full length on the sledge, wrapped himcompletely up in the warm buffalo-robes, and lashed him down in such away that he resembled a mummy, with nothing visible of him except hismouth and nose.
Four strong large dogs were attached to each sledge in tandem fashion,each dog having a little collar and harness of its own. No reins werenecessary. A track beaten in the soft snow with his snow-shoes by theIndian, who stepped out in front, was guide enough for them; and atail-line attached to the rear of each sledge, and held by the drivers,sufficed to restrain them when a stretch of hard snow or ice temptedthem to have a scamper.
The road thus beaten over the prairie by Okematan, though acomparatively soft one, was by no means smooth, and the rough motionwould, in ordinary circumstances, have rendered sleep impossible to ourhero; but it need hardly be said that it failed to disturb him on thepresent occasion. He slept like an infant throughout the whole night;cared nothing for the many plunges down the prairie waves, and reckednot of the frequent jerks out of the hollows.
Hour after hour did Peter Davidson with his silent companion trudge overthe monotonous plains--hope in the ascendant, and vigour, apparently,inexhaustible. The dogs, too, were good and strong. A brief halt nowand then of a few minutes sufficed to freshen them for every new start.Night passed away, and daylight came in with its ghostly revelations ofbushes that looked like bears or buffaloes, and snow-wreaths thatsuggested the buried forms of frozen men.
Then the sun arose and scattered these sombre visions of early morningwith its gladdening, soul-reviving rays.
At this point the rescue-party chanced to h
ave reached one of thosebluffs of woodland which at that time speckled the plains--though theywere few indeed and far between.
"Breakfast," said Peter, heaving a profound sigh as he turned about andchecked the teams, for at that point he happened to be in advancebeating the track.
Okematan expressed his entire concurrence with an emphatic "Ho!" Thewearied dogs lay down in their tracks, shot out their tongues, panted,and looked amiable, for well they knew the meaning of the word"breakfast" and the relative halt.
The sudden stoppage awoke the sleeper, and he struggled to rise.
"Hallo! What's wrong? Where am I? Have the Redskins got hold o' me atlast?"
"Ay, that they have. At least one Red-skin has got you," said Peter."Have a care, man, don't struggle so violently. Okematan won't scalpyou."
The sound of his brother's voice quieted Davidson, and at once restoredhis memory.
"Cast me loose, Peter," he said; "you're a good fellow. I see you havebrought me along wi' you, and I feel like a giant refreshed now, tho'somewhat stiff. Have we come far?"
"I don't know how far we've come, but I know that we've been peggingalong the whole night, and that we must have breakfast before we takeanother step. It's all very well for you, Dan, to lie there all nightlike a mere bag o' pemmican enjoying yourself, but you must rememberthat your brother is mortal, and so are the dogs, to say nothing o' theRed-skin."
While he was speaking, the youth undid the fastenings, and set hisbrother free, but Dan was far too anxious to indulge in pleasantriesjust then. After surveying the landscape, and coming to a conclusion asto where they were, he took a hurried breakfast of dried meat--cold.The dogs were also treated to a hearty feed, and then, resuming themarch, the rescuers pushed on with renewed vigour--Dan Davidson nowbeating the track, and thus rendering it more easy for those who camebehind him.
All that day they pushed on almost without halt, and spent the nextnight in a clump of willows; but Dan was too anxious to take much rest.They rose at the first sign of daybreak, and pushed on at their utmostspeed, until the poor dogs began to show signs of breaking down; but anextra hour of rest, and a full allowance of food kept them up to themark, while calm weather and clear skies served to cheer them on theirway.