CHAPTER SEVEN.
OUR DELIVERERS PURSUE THE COMANCHES, BUT FAIL TO RETURN--I AMCONVALESCENT AND HEAD A PARTY IN SEARCH--THERE IS A LADY IN THE CASE--STORES FOR CAMP--TONY FLACK'S TALE OF THE "INJUNS."
Day after day passed away, and no tidings of the expedition. Under thecare of my kind hostess I quickly recovered from the effects of mywound, from which I suffered wonderfully little, and I began to hopethat in another day or two I might be fit to mount a horse, and set offto the assistance of the settlers. While I lay on my bed I had plentyof time for thinking. Among other things, I began to regret that I hadbeen turned aside from my original purpose of ascending the Mississippi.I never like to be thwarted in anything I undertake, and on thisoccasion I felt that I had allowed fear to influence me. I thought thisso unworthy of me that, "so soon as I have brought my present adventureto a conclusion," I said to myself, "I will go back and steam up themighty river; and any slave-owner or slave-dealer who dares to stop meshall pay dear for his temerity." I told Peter and Ready of mydetermination. The latter wagged his tail and seemed highly pleased,though I suspect he thought I was speaking of going home. The formersaid that he was willing to go wherever I wished, and, if needs be,would fight by my side as long as he could stand up.
"I know you would, Peter," said I. "Indeed we shall probably havesomething to try your courage before then."
I was right in this conjecture. The party which had gone in pursuit ofthe Comanches did not return, and their friends becoming anxious aboutthem, began to assemble from all directions on horseback, andwell-armed. By this time I was able to leave my room, and when theyheard that an Englishman was ready to take the command of the party,they all expressed a wish to have me at their head, and to set outimmediately. Weak as I was I determined to go. My kind hostessshowered blessings on my head when I told her so. I could only replythat I should better merit them if I returned successful.
We were to set off the next morning. Another night's rest wouldincrease my strength, or might perhaps see the return of the formerexpedition. I went to see. Silas Slag before starting.
"Well, you Britishers can sometimes put the best leg foremost, I see,"he observed as he took my hand, and pressed it with a warmth I did notexpect. "You ain't far behind us free and independent Americans, Iguess. I wish I could go with you; and so I would, if it wasn't for thebig hole which that Comanche made between my ribs. I'd like to go foryour sake, and to help to find the young gal those varmint have carriedoff."
I thanked Silas heartily for his friendly feelings, and assured him thatI shouldn't wish to have a better man by my side. In truth, I haveseldom found Americans wanting in bravery or generosity.
Daybreak found me in the saddle, surrounded by fifty well-armed men;young and old, white, brown, and black; with Peter mounted on araw-boned steed at my side, and Ready--looking as if he well knew whatwas in the wind--at my heels. My army was somewhat variously armed:some had muskets, others rifles, others blunderbusses, and others onlyspears and pistols; while the swords were of all shapes, from SpanishToledos, to English cutlasses and broadswords. The costumes of myfollowers were of the same diversified character, as were theaccoutrements of the horses and the steeds themselves, but as the menmostly looked ready for work I was satisfied. We had secured ahalf-caste Indian for a guide, whose parents had been killed and scalpedby the Comanches; so he was anxious that we should fall in with them. Imust own that I chiefly thought about the young woman who had beencarried off, and I hoped that no disaster might have happened to thebrave men who had preserved my life and that of my companions at themoment we were almost overpowered. Each of us carried his provisionsand cooking utensils at his saddle-bow, as well as a cloak or blanket inwhich to sleep at night. Every man had his axe in his belt, and a longknife for cutting grass, so that we were provided for a campaign evenshould it take a month or more.
We pushed on as fast as we could move, making, through the open prairie,full thirty miles each day. We thus travelled a hundred miles; butstill there was no sign of our friends or the Comanches. Our guidesassured us that the former must be ahead, but, as to the Indians, it wasimpossible to say where they were. Any moment they might appear on ourflanks or rear, and, unless we were well prepared, overwhelm us by theirnumbers. We, of course, kept a careful watch at night, and sent outscouts as we advanced.
We were soon completely in the desert, and might at any moment beattacked by our enemies. Had our animals been capable of pushing onwithout stopping, I believe that we should have done so, from theintense eagerness all felt to ascertain what had become of theirfriends; but my companions were too practical to attempt this. Theywell knew that "the more haste the less speed." We therefore campedregularly, and only travelled at stated hours, as if we were in no wayin a hurry. This somewhat slow progress was very trying to my temper,although, had we attempted to go faster, we should have knocked up oursteeds, and been unable to progress at all.
The time, however, spent while camping, was not occupied unpleasantly.Most of the party had led wild, roving lives, had followed variousvocations, and gone through strange adventures, which they were notprevented by bashfulness from recounting. They were not in a mood tosing, but one after the other narrated the most wonderful events, inwhich, as a rule, they were the chief actors,--grizzly bears, panthers,buffaloes, and rattlesnakes being part of the _dramatis persona_.
We had several articles of food which were new to me, all as littlebulky as possible, and qualified to keep a long time. We had some driedmeat, procured from the Mexicans. They prepare it by cutting the meatwhile fresh into long strips, when it is hung on a line to dry in thesun and wind until it becomes thoroughly hardened. Sometimes it issmoked and dried, with a slow fire underneath, as are dry fish inEngland. It will, when prepared in either of these ways, keep for along time. We had another article of food called _Penole_, which ismade by parching Indian corn, then grinding it, and mixing it withcinnamon and sugar. A third, called _Atole_, is also worthy of mention.It is a kind of meat which, when prepared in a peculiar way, appearsand tastes very like what the Americans call Mush. Mush, again, issimply maize, or Indian corn, boiled in water. Penole is especiallyvaluable for travellers, as it requires no fire to cook it, beingprepared in a minute by simply mixing it with cold water. In proportionto its weight it occupies very little space, but when prepared for use,swells to twice its former bulk. A very small quantity at a time istherefore sufficient to satisfy hunger. We had, besides, coffee andbrown sugar as our chief beverage. I mention these things to show thatsome forethought had been exercised before starting.
As I said, we were attired in a variety of costumes, but the most commondress was a check or "hickory" shirt, buck-skin pants, a fringedhunting-shirt of the same material, gaily lined with red flannel, andornamented with brass buttons. A coarse broad-brimmed straw hat coveredthe head, while the feet and legs were cased in strong cow-hide boots,reaching to the knee. Each man carried at his saddle-bow a porousleathern water-bottle. When hung up in the sun just enough of theliquid exuded deliciously to cool the rest, and in that climate this wasa great luxury.
Our progress was in part directed by the places at which water could beprocured. Before nightfall we prepared to camp. We first turned ourhorses out to feed, but as soon as it grew dark they were brought in andpicketed in the centre, while we, with our saddles as pillows, lay downin the form of a square outside them, eight or ten men on each side,while the rest watched as scouts in advance. Thus several nights passedaway. Our chief apprehension arose from the possibility that theComanches, discovering our camp, might make an attack during the nighton it with overwhelming numbers, and ride over us before we wereprepared to receive them.
An old hunter who accompanied us gave me a vivid description of such ascene, when he was one of the few of his party who had escaped. He wentby the name of Tony Flack. He was a gaunt, parchment-skinned, wizenedindividual, with a most lachrymose expression of countenance, which,however,
did not exhibit his real character, for he was rather a merryfellow at bottom, but his jollity took some time in appearing. As aYankee remarked, "I guess he takes a long time to pump it up." He, infact, did not begin to laugh till the subject of the conversation hadbeen changed.
"I guess that was an awful time," he began. "We'd just got into the bigsandy desert, not far off from here; there was fifty of us at least, andwe were all a-lying down, having no more fear of Injuns than of so manyheffers, when there was a whirl and a rush just as if the Falls ofNiagara and St. Anthony was running a race.
"`It's a stampede!' shouted one. I looked up. There I saw in themoonlight a thousand warriors, their white shields and spears glisteningin the moonbeams, as they galloped right down upon us. Some of our mensprang to their feet, and attempted to defend themselves; but thesavages darted on and cut them down, and ran them through in a moment.I was so much astonished that I rolled over with my saddle above myhead, and this, I guess, saved my scalp, for most of my companions losttheirs. I thought the mass of warriors would never have done passing.Not one of their horses touched my body, but the loud tramplingcontinued, and the shrieks and cries of my companions rang in my ears asthe spears of our assailants went through them, or they were trampled onby their mustangs. At last the noise of the tramping ceased, though Icould hear the shouts of the Indians in the distance as they drove offour horses. I knew their ways, and that some of them would certainlyreturn before long to take our scalps. I lifted my head up from undermy saddle, and seeing no one moving, I crept away towards some rockswhich I had observed before night closed in at a little distance fromthe camp. I was afraid of speaking, lest any Indians might haveremained near--indeed, I thought that all my companions were killed. OnI crept, scarcely daring to lift my head above the ground, lest I shouldbe seen. I endeavoured also not to move a stone, or a bush, for fear ofbeing heard. More than once I stopped to listen, fancying that some onewas approaching. I did, however, reach the rock, and scarcely had I gotbehind it, than I again heard the trampling of horses, and then oncemore arose the fearful shrieks of some of my companions who had remainedalive, and whom the savages had now returned to scalp. I wasn't muchgiven to fainting, even in those days, but I nearly lost my senses as Iheard the dreadful cries of my friends, and thought how narrowly I hadescaped from the same fate, and that even now it might overtake me. Idared scarcely to breathe till I heard the Indians once more retreating.At daylight I crept out cautiously from my shelter; no one was moving.I advanced towards our camp. I have seen many dreadful sights, butnever one more horrid than I then gazed upon. There lay the bodies ofmy companions; the heads of all of them had been robbed of their hairscalps, while the ground was stained with blood from their wounds. Mostof the arms and property had been carried off, but there was food enoughand to spare. I loaded myself with as much as I could carry, and, to mygreat satisfaction, I found a rifle with ammunition, which had beendropped. I must now, I concluded, find my way back to the States asbest I could. I had begun my march eastward, when I heard a foot-fall.I started, expecting to see a scalping-knife whirling over my head. Myheart leaped with joy when I saw one of my friends. He, like me, hadescaped and hid himself before the return of the Indians. We trudged ontogether across the desert, often thinking that we should never get backto our friends; but we succeeded at last. For some months I fanciedthat I should never again set my face to go westward, but in time I gottired of a quiet life, and have lived out in these parts pretty wellever since."
Just as the speaker ceased a cloud of dust was seen in the distance, andout of it emerged our scouts galloping at headlong speed.
The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith--by W.H.G. Kingston