CHAPTER V.
_A mission of peace--Unexpected joys--Dick and Crusoe set off for theland of the Redskins, and meet with adventures by the way as a matterof course--Night in the wild woods_.
One day the inhabitants of Mustang Valley were thrown intoconsiderable excitement by the arrival of an officer of the UnitedStates army and a small escort of cavalry. They went direct to theblockhouse, which, since Major Hope's departure, had become theresidence of Joe Blunt--that worthy having, by general consent, beendeemed the fittest man in the settlement to fill the major's place.
Soon it began to be noised abroad that the strangers had been sent byGovernment to endeavour to bring about, if possible, a more friendlystate of feeling between the Whites and the Indians by means ofpresents, and promises, and fair speeches.
The party remained all night in the block-house, and ere long it wasreported that Joe Blunt had been requested, and had consented, to bethe leader and chief of a party of three men who should visit theneighbouring tribes of Indians to the west and north of the valley asGovernment agents. Joe's knowledge of two or three different Indiandialects, and his well-known sagacity, rendered him a most fittingmessenger on such an errand. It was also whispered that Joe was tohave the choosing of his comrades in this mission, and many were theopinions expressed and guesses made as to who would be chosen.
That same evening Dick Varley was sitting in his mother's kitchencleaning his rifle. His mother was preparing supper, and talkingquietly about the obstinacy of a particular hen that had taken tolaying her eggs in places where they could not be found. Fan wascoiled up in a corner sound asleep, and Crusoe was sitting at one sideof the fire looking on at things in general.
"I wonder," remarked Mrs. Varley, as she spread the table with a purewhite napkin--"I wonder what the sodgers are doin' wi' Joe Blunt."
As often happens when an individual is mentioned, the worthy referredto opened the door at that moment and stepped into the room.
"Good e'en t'ye, dame," said the stout hunter, doffing his cap, andresting his rifle in a corner, while Dick rose and placed a chair forhim.
"The same to you, Master Blunt," answered the widow; "you've jistcomed in good time for a cut o' venison."
"Thanks, mistress; I s'pose we're beholden to the silver rifle forthat."
"To the hand that aimed it, rather," suggested the widow.
"Nay, then, say raither to the dog that turned it," said Dick Varley."But for Crusoe, that buck would ha' bin couched in the woods thisnight."
"Oh! if it comes to that," retorted Joe, "I'd lay it to the door o'Fan, for if she'd niver bin born nother would Crusoe. But it's goodan' tender meat, whativer ways ye got it. Howsiver, I've other thingsto talk about jist now. Them sodgers that are eatin' buffalo tonguesup at the block-house as if they'd niver ate meat before, and didn'thope to eat again for a twelvemonth--"
"Ay, what o' them?" interrupted Mrs. Varley; "I've bin wonderin' whatwas their errand."
"Of coorse ye wos, Dame Varley, and I've comed here a purpis to tellye. They want me to go to the Redskins to make peace between themand us; and they've brought a lot o' goods to make them presentswithal--beads, an' knives, an' lookin'-glasses, an' vermilion paint,an' sich like, jist as much as'll be a light load for one horse--for,ye see, nothin' can be done wi' the Redskins without gifts."
"'Tis a blessed mission," said the widow; "I wish it may succeed. D'yethink ye'll go?"
"Go? ay, that will I."
"I only wish they'd made the offer to me," said Dick with a sigh.
"An' so they do make the offer, lad. They've gin me leave to choosethe two men I'm to take with me, and I've corned straight to ask_you_. Ay or no, for we must up an' away by break o' day to-morrow."
Mrs. Varley started. "So soon?" she said, with a look of anxiety.
"Ay; the Pawnees are at the Yellow Creek jist at this time, but I'veheerd they're 'bout to break up camp an' away west; so we'll need touse haste."
"May I go, mother?" asked Dick, with a look of anxiety.
There was evidently a conflict in the widow's breast, but it quicklyceased.
"Yes, my boy," she said in her own low, quiet voice; "and God go withye. I knew the time must come soon, an' I thank him that your firstvisit to the Redskins will be on an errand o' peace. 'Blessed are thepeace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.'"
Dick grasped his mother's hand and pressed it to his cheek in silence.At the same moment Crusoe, seeing that the deeper feelings of hismaster were touched, and deeming it his duty to sympathize, rose upand thrust his nose against him.
"Ah, pup," cried the young man hastily, "you must go too.--Of courseCrusoe goes, Joe Blunt?"
"Hum! I don't know that. There's no dependin' on a dog to keep histongue quiet in times o' danger."
"Believe me," exclaimed Dick, flashing with enthusiasm, "Crusoe's moretrustworthy than I am myself. If ye can trust the master, ye're safeto trust the pup."
"Well, lad, ye may be right. We'll take him."
"Thanks, Joe. And who else goes with us?"
"I've' bin castin' that in my mind for some time, an' I've fixedto take Henri. He's not the safest man in the valley, but he's thetruest, that's a fact. And now, youngster, get yer horse an' rifleready, and come to the block-house at daybreak to-morrow.--Good luckto ye, mistress, till we meet agin."
Joe Blunt rose, and taking up his rifle--without which he scarcelyever moved a foot from his own door--left the cottage with rapidstrides.
"My son," said Mrs. Varley, kissing Dick's cheek as he resumedhis seat, "put this in the little pocket I made for it in yourhunting-shirt."
She handed him a small pocket Bible.
"Dear mother," he said, as he placed the book carefully within thebreast of his coat, "the Redskin that takes that from me must take myscalp first. But don't fear for me. You've often said the Lord wouldprotect me. So he will, mother, for sure it's an errand o' peace."
"Ay that's it, that's it," murmured the widow in a half-soliloquy.
Dick Varley spent that night in converse with his mother, and nextmorning at daybreak he was at the place of meeting, mounted on hissturdy little horse, with the "silver rifle" on his shoulder andCrusoe by his side.
"That's right, lad, that's right. Nothin' like keepin' yer time," saidJoe, as he led out a pack-horse from the gate of the block-house,while his own charger was held ready saddled by a man named DanielBrand, who had been appointed to the charge of the block-house in hisabsence.
"Where's Henri?--oh, here he comes!" exclaimed Dick, as the hunterreferred to came thundering up the slope at a charge, on a horsethat resembled its rider in size and not a little in clumsiness ofappearance.
"Ah! mes boy. Him is a goot one to go," cried
Henri, remarking Dick's smile as he pulled up. "No hoss on de plaincan beat dis one, surement."
"Now then, Henri, lend a hand to fix this pack; we've no time topalaver."
By this time they were joined by several of the soldiers and a fewhunters who had come to see them start.
"Remember, Joe," said one, "if you don't come back in three monthswe'll all come out in a band to seek you."
"If we don't come back in less than that time, what's left o' us won'tbe worth seekin' for," said Joe, tightening the girth of his saddle.
"Put a bit in yer own mouth, Henri," cried another, as the Canadianarranged his steed's bridle; "yell need it more than yer horse when yegit 'mong the red reptiles."
"Vraiment, if mon mout' needs one bit, yours will need one padlock."
"Now, lads, mount!" cried Joe Blunt as he vaulted into the saddle.
Dick Varley sprang lightly on his horse, and Henri made a rush at hissteed and hurled his huge frame across its back with a violence thatought to have brought it to the ground; but the tall, raw-boned,broad-chested roan was accustomed to the eccentricities of its master,and stood the shock bravely. Being appointed to lead the pack-horse,Henri seized its halter. Then the three cavaliers shook their reins,and, waving
their hands to their comrades, they sprang into the woodsat full gallop, and laid their course for the "far west."
For some time they galloped side by side in silence, each occupiedwith his own thoughts, Crusoe keeping close beside his master's horse.The two elder hunters evidently ruminated on the object of theirmission and the prospects of success, for their countenances weregrave and their eyes cast on the ground. Dick Varley, too, thoughtupon the Red-men, but his musings were deeply tinged with the brighthues of a _first_ adventure. The mountains, the plains, the Indians,the bears, the buffaloes, and a thousand other objects, danced wildlybefore his mind's eye, and his blood careered through his veins andflushed his forehead as he thought of what he should see and do, andfelt the elastic vigour of youth respond in sympathy to the lightspring of his active little steed. He was a lover of nature, too, andhis flashing eyes glanced observantly from side to side as they sweptalong--sometimes through glades of forest trees, sometimes throughbelts of more open ground and shrubbery; anon by the margin of astream or along the shores of a little lake, and often over shortstretches of flowering prairie-land--while the firm, elastic turf sentup a muffled sound from the tramp of their mettlesome chargers. It wasa scene of wild, luxuriant beauty, that might almost (one could fancy)have drawn involuntary homage to its bountiful Creator from the lipseven of an infidel.
After a time Joe Blunt reined up, and they proceeded at an easyambling pace. Joe and his friend Henri were so used to these beautifulscenes that they had long ceased to be enthusiastically affected bythem, though they never ceased to delight in them.
"I hope," said Joe, "that them sodgers'll go their ways soon. I've nonotion o' them chaps when they're left at a place wi' nothin' to dobut whittle sticks."
"Why, Joe!" exclaimed Dick Varley in a tone of surprise, "I thoughtyou were admirin' the beautiful face o' nature all this time, andye're only thinkin' about the sodgers. Now, that's strange!"
"Not so strange after all, lad," answered Joe. "When a man's used to athing, he gits to admire an' enjoy it without speakin' much about it.But it _is_ true, boy, that mankind gits in coorse o' time to thinklittle o' the blissin's he's used to."
"Oui, c'est _vrai_!" murmured Henri emphatically.
"Well, Joe Blunt, it may be so, but I'm thankful _I'm_ not usedto this sort o' thing yet," exclaimed Varley. "Let's have anothergallop--so ho! come along, Crusoe!" shouted the youth as he shook hisreins and flew over a long stretch of prairie on which at that momentthey entered.
Joe smiled as he followed his enthusiastic companion, but after ashort run he pulled up.
"Hold on, youngster," he cried; "ye must larn to do as ye're bid, lad.It's trouble enough to be among wild Injuns and wild buffaloes, as Ihope soon to be, without havin' wild comrades to look after."
Dick laughed, and reined in his panting horse. "I'll be as obedient asCrusoe," he said, "and no one can beat him."
"Besides," continued Joe, "the horses won't travel far if we begin byrunnin' all the wind out o' them."
"Wah!" exclaimed Henri, as the led horse became restive; "I think wemust give to him de pack-hoss for to lead, eh?"
"Not a bad notion, Henri. We'll make that the penalty of runnin' offagain; so look out, Master Dick."
"I'm down," replied Dick, with a modest air, "obedient as a baby, andwon't run off again--till--the next time. By the way, Joe, how manydays' provisions did ye bring?"
"Two. That's 'nough to carry us to the Great Prairie, which isthree weeks distant from this. Our own good rifles must make up thedifference, and keep us when we get there."
"And s'pose we neither find deer nor buffalo," suggested Dick.
"I s'pose we'll have to starve."
"Dat is cumfer'able to tink upon," remarked Henri.
"More comfortable to think o' than to undergo," said Dick; "but Is'pose there's little chance o' that."
"Well, not much," replied Joe Blunt, patting his horse's neck, "butd'ye see, lad, ye niver can count for sartin on anythin'. The deer andbuffalo ought to be thick in them plains at this time--and when thebuffalo _are_ thick they covers the plains till ye can hardly see theend o' them; but, ye see, sometimes the rascally Redskins takes itinto their heads to burn the prairies, and sometimes ye find the placethat should ha' bin black wi' buffalo, black as a coal wi' fire formiles an' miles on end. At other times the Redskins go huntin' in'ticlur places, and sweeps them clean o' every hoof that don't gitaway. Sometimes, too, the animals seems to take a scunner at a place,and keeps out o' the way. But one way or another men gin' rally manageto scramble through."
"Look yonder, Joe," exclaimed Dick, pointing to the summit of adistant ridge, where a small black object was seen moving against thesky, "that's a deer, ain't it?"
Joe shaded his eyes with his hand, and gazed earnestly at the objectin question. "Ye're right, boy; and by good luck we've got the windof him. Cut in an' take your chance now. There's a long strip o' woodas'll let ye git close to him."
Before the sentence was well finished Dick and Crusoe were off at fullgallop. For a few hundred yards they coursed along the bottom of ahollow; then turning to the right they entered the strip of wood, andin a few minutes gained the edge of it. Here Dick dismounted.
"You can't help me here, Crusoe. Stay where you are, pup, and hold myhorse."
Crusoe seized the end of the line, which was fastened to the horse'snose, in his mouth, and lay down on a hillock of moss, submissivelyplacing his chin on his forepaws, and watching his master as hestepped noiselessly through the wood. In a few minutes Dick emergedfrom among the trees, and creeping from bush to bush, succeeded ingetting to within six hundred yards of the deer, which was a beautifullittle antelope. Beyond the bush behind which he now crouched all wasbare open ground, without a shrub or a hillock large enough to concealthe hunter. There was a slight undulation in the ground, however,which enabled him to advance about fifty yards farther, by means oflying down quite flat and working himself forward like a serpent.Farther than this he could not move without being seen by theantelope, which browsed on the ridge before him in fancied security.The distance was too great even for a long shot; but Dick knew ofa weak point in this little creature's nature which enabled him toaccomplish his purpose--a weak point which it shares in common withanimals of a higher order--namely, curiosity.
The little antelope of the North American prairies is intenselycurious about everything that it does not quite understand, and willnot rest satisfied until it has endeavoured to clear up the mystery.Availing himself of this propensity, Dick did what both Indians andhunters are accustomed to do on these occasions--he put a piece ofrag on the end of his ramrod, and keeping his person concealed andperfectly still, waved this miniature flag in the air. The antelopenoticed it at once, and, pricking up its ears, began to advance,timidly and slowly, step by step, to see what remarkable phenomenonit could be. In a few seconds the flag was lowered, a sharp crackfollowed, and the antelope fell dead upon the plain.
"Ha, boy! that's a good supper, anyhow," cried Joe, as he galloped upand dismounted.
"Goot! dat is better nor dried meat," added Henri. "Give him to me; Iwill put him on my hoss, vich is strongar dan yourn. But ver is yourhoss?"
"He'll be here in a minute," replied Dick, putting his fingers to hismouth and giving forth a shrill whistle.
The instant Crusoe heard the sound he made a savage and apparentlyuncalled-for dash at the horse's heels. This wild act, so contrary tothe dog's gentle nature, was a mere piece of acting. He knew that thehorse would not advance without getting a fright, so he gave him onein this way, which sent him off at a gallop. Crusoe followed close athis heels, so as to bring the line alongside of the nag's body, andthereby prevent its getting entangled; but despite his best effortsthe horse got on one side of a tree and he on the other, so he wiselylet go his hold of the line, and waited till more open ground enabledhim to catch it again. Then he hung heavily back, gradually checkedthe horse's speed, and finally trotted him up to his master's side.
"'Tis a cli
ver cur, good sooth," exclaimed Joe Blunt in surprise.
"Ah, Joe! you haven't seen much of Crusoe yet. He's as good as a manany day. I've done little else but train him for two years gone by,and he can do most anything but shoot--he can't handle the riflenohow."
"Ha! then, I tink perhaps hims could if he wos try," said Henri,plunging on to his horse with a laugh, and arranging the carcass ofthe antelope across the pommel of his saddle.
Thus they hunted and galloped, and trotted and ambled on through woodand plain all day, until the sun began to descend below the tree-topsof the bluffs on the west. Then Joe Blunt looked about him for a placeon which to camp, and finally fixed on a spot under the shadow of anoble birch by the margin of a little stream. The carpet of grass onits banks was soft like green velvet, and the rippling waters of thebrook were clear as crystal--very different from the muddy Missouriinto which it flowed.
While Dick Varley felled and cut up firewood, Henri unpacked thehorses and turned them loose to graze, and Joe kindled the fire andprepared venison steaks and hot tea for supper.
In excursions of this kind it is customary to "hobble" thehorses--that is, to tie their fore-legs together, so that they cannotrun either fast or far, but are free enough to amble about with aclumsy sort of hop in search of food. This is deemed a sufficientcheck on their tendency to roam, although some of the knowing horsessometimes learn to hop so fast with their hobbles as to give theirowners much trouble to recapture them. But when out in the prairieswhere Indians are known or supposed to be in the neighbourhood, thehorses are picketed by means of a pin or stake attached to the endsof their long lariats, as well as hobbled; for Indians deem it nodisgrace to steal or tell lies, though they think it disgraceful tobe found out in doing either. And so expert are these dark-skinnednatives of the western prairies, that they will creep into the midstof an enemy's camp, cut the lariats and hobbles of several horses,spring suddenly on their backs, and gallop away.
They not only steal from white men, but tribes that are at enmitysteal from each other, and the boldness with which they do this ismost remarkable. When Indians are travelling in a country whereenemies are prowling, they guard their camps at night with jealouscare. The horses in particular are both hobbled and picketed, andsentries are posted all round the camp. Yet, in spite of theseprecautions, hostile Indians manage to elude the sentries and creepinto the camp. When a thief thus succeeds in effecting an entrance,his chief danger is past. He rises boldly to his feet, and wrappinghis blanket or buffalo robe round him, he walks up and down as if hewere a member of the tribe. At the same time he dexterously cuts thelariats of such horses as he observes are not hobbled. He dare notstoop to cut the hobbles, as the action would be observed, andsuspicion would be instantly aroused. He then leaps on the best horsehe can find, and uttering a terrific war-whoop darts away into theplains, driving the loosened horses before him.
No such dark thieves were supposed to be near the camp under thebirch-tree, however, so Joe, and Dick, and Henri ate their supper incomfort, and let their horses browse at will on the rich pasturage.
A bright ruddy fire was soon kindled, which created, as it were, alittle ball of light in the midst of surrounding darkness for thespecial use of our hardy hunters. Within this magic circle all waswarm, comfortable, and cheery; outside all was dark, and cold, anddreary by contrast.
When the substantial part of supper was disposed of, tea and pipeswere introduced, and conversation began to flow. Then the threesaddles were placed in a row; each hunter wrapped himself in hisblanket, and pillowing his head on his saddle, stretched his feettowards the fire and went to sleep, with his loaded rifle by his sideand his hunting-knife handy in his belt. Crusoe mounted guard bystretching himself out _couchant_ at Dick Varley's side. The faithfuldog slept lightly, and never moved all night; but had any one observedhim closely he would have seen that every fitful flame that burst fromthe sinking fire, every unusual puff of wind, and every motion of thehorses that fed or rested hard by, had the effect of revealing a speckof glittering white in Crusoe's watchful eye.