CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
THE HUNTING GROUND--HOW THEY SPENT THE SABBATH DAY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS--THREATENING CLOUDS ON THE HORIZON.
Next day the fur-traders prepared to return to the Mountain Fort, andthe trappers to continue their journey into the Rocky Mountains.
At the period of which we write, the fur of the beaver was much indemand in the European markets, and trappers devoted much of their timeto the capture of that sagacious animal. From McLeod, Redhand learnedthat a journey of eight or ten days to the south-eastward would bringthem to a country that was reported to be much frequented not only bythe beaver, but by many other fur-bearing and wild animals; so it wasresolved that, having brought their traps and supplies with them, thetrappers, instead of returning to the fort, should part with theirentertainers at the spot where the skirmish had occurred, and make forthat hunting ground as quickly as possible.
"I suppose you don't want to part company with us yet, Mr Bertram?"said old Redhand as they were about to start.
"By no means," replied the artist quickly; "I have no intention ofquitting you--that is, if you do not find me a burden on your hands," headded with a sad smile.
"A burden!" cried Bounce in surprise; "I tell ye wot, sir, I consideryer company a honour."
"So you won't return with us, young man?" said Macgregor to MarchMarston as he mounted his horse. "I'm in want of a stout young fellow,and you'll like the life."
"I thank ye, sir, for your good opinion," returned March; "but my mind'smade up: I'll stick by my comrades; I like trappin', but I don't liketradin'--though I'm obliged to you for bein' so pressin' all the same."
The two parties bade each other adieu and separated--the one retracingits way through the Wild-Cat Pass; the other, with old Redhand at itshead, descending into the beautiful country that has been brieflydescribed in the last chapter.
Six quiet and peaceful weeks now succeeded to the stormy period that hadjust passed. During this time they wandered pleasantly about in asbeautiful a region of the world as the heart of man could wish to dwellin. They reached this country after several days' travel. Afterarriving they moved about from one beautiful spot to another, settingtheir beaver traps in the streams, and remaining a longer or shortertime at each place, according to their success in trapping and hunting.
The country was of so peculiarly diversified a formation, that, withinthe compass of ten miles, every possible variety of scenery existed--from the level stretch of prairie to the towering snow-peaks of themountains; from the brake-encompassed swamp, in which frogs, ducks,geese, plover, and other denizens of the marshes maintained perpetualjubilee, to the dry bush-dotted mounds and undulating lands, where thebadger delighted to burrow in the sandy soil, while in other places, thewolf, the fox, and the grisly bear prowled amid the dark recesses of theforest.
It was a truly beautiful and a pre-eminently enjoyable region, and, inthe midst of it, under the spreading branches of a magnificent pine,which grew on the top of a little mound that commanded an extensiveprospect on every side, the trappers pitched their camp, and began theircampaign against the fur-bearing animals that dwelt there.
It was a quiet sunny Sabbath morning when our trappers arrived at thetree above referred to. They had encamped the previous night on aswampy piece of ground, having travelled too late to afford time tosearch for a better spot, so that they were glad to rise and pushforward at the peep of day on Sabbath. But when, in the course of acouple of hours, they reached the dry country, they at once proceeded toencamp.
During their journeying the trappers had mutually agreed to rest fromall labour on the Sabbath day. Some of them did so from no highermotive than the feeling that it was good for themselves and for theirbeasts to rest one day in seven from bodily labour. Although notabsolutely regardless of religion, they nevertheless failed to connectthis necessity of theirs with the appointment of a day of rest by thatkind and gracious Father, who has told us that "the Sabbath was made forman." Made for him not only, and chiefly, for the benefit of his soul,but also, and secondarily, for the good of his body.
Others of the party there were, however, who regarded the Sabbath restin a somewhat higher light than did their comrades; though none of themwere fully alive to the blessings and privileges attaching to thefaithful keeping of the Lord's day. Independently altogether of thedelight connected with the contemplation of the wonderful works of Godin the wilderness--especially of that beautiful portion of thewilderness--the trappers experienced a sensation of intense pleasure inthe simple act of physical repose after their long, restless, andsomewhat exciting journey. They wandered about from spot to spot, fromhill to hill, in a species of charming indolence of body, that seemed toincrease, rather than to diminish, the activity of their minds.Sometimes they rambled or rested on the sunny slopes in groups,sometimes in couples, and sometimes singly. March Marston and theartist sauntered about together, and conversed with animated fluency andwandering volubility--as young minds are wont to do--on things past,present, and to come; things terrestrial and celestial. In short, therewas no subject, almost, that did not get a share of their attention, asthey sauntered by the rippling brook or over the flowering plain, orstood upon the mountain side. They tried "everything by turns, andnothing long," and, among other mental occupations, they read portionsof the Bible together; for Bertram found that March carried his mother'sTestament in an inner breast-pocket of his hunting-shirt, and Marchdiscovered that his friend had a small copy of the Bible--also amother's gift--which shared the pouch of his leather coat with thewell-known sketch-book. They conversed freely and somewhat boldly onwhat they read, and we doubt not that our learned divines, had theylistened to the talk of the youthful pioneer and the young hunter, wouldhave been surprised, perhaps edified, by the simple, practical,common-sense views promulgated by those raw theologians. Certainly, anyone listening to the grave, kindly, philosophical commentaries of MarchMarston, would never have believed in the truth of that statement at thecommencement of this story, wherein it is asserted somewhat positivelythat "March Marston was mad!"
Bounce, and Big Waller, and Black Gibault, drew naturally together andspeculated, after their own peculiar fashion, on every subject ofthought within the reach of their capacities; and as Bounce's capacitiesembraced a pretty wide range, the "feelosophical" views he set forthupon that lovely Sabbath day were so varied, so eccentric, so graphic,and so apparently inexhaustible, that he effectually quelled Gibault'sinveterate tendency, to jest, and filled Big Waller with deeperadmiration than ever.
As for Redhand and the Indian, they wandered about in sympatheticsilence, broken ever and anon by the old trapper passing a remark onsome interesting peculiarity of a leaf, an insect, or a flower. It hasbeen said, that as men grow older they find deeper pleasure in thecontemplation of the minute things of nature, and are less desirous thanthey were wont to expatiate on the striking and the grand. What truththere is in the remark we cannot tell; but, certain it is, while theyounger men of the party seemed to cast longing, admiring, and gladsomelooks over the distant landscape, and up at the snow-clad andcloud-encompassed heights of the Rocky Mountains, old Redhand bent hiseyes, we might almost say lovingly, on the earth. He would sit down ona stone and pluck a leaf, which he would examine with minute care; orwatch with the deepest interest the frantic efforts of a little ant, asit staggered along under its gigantic burden of a single seed, climbingover a mountainous twig, tumbling into a cavernous hole the size of ahazelnut, or being brought to a hesitating pause by a mountain torrent aquarter of an inch broad.
The sedate Indian took special pleasure in watching the doings of hisold friend. Usually, he contented himself with a grunt of assent whenRedhand made a remark on the peculiarities of a plant or an insect, butsometimes he ventured on a brief observation, and occasionally evenproposed a question to his aged companion, which Redhand found itdifficult to answer. There was little interchange of thought betweenthose two silent men, but there was much of quiet enjoyment.
So passed the Sabbath day. Early on the following morning the trapperswere astir, and before the sun tinged the mountain peaks, their beavertraps were set, an extensive portion of the territory they had thusquietly taken possession of had been explored in several directions, acouple of deer had been shot, a mountain goat seen, and a grisly beardriven from his den and pursued, but not killed; besides a number ofwildfowl having been bagged, and an immense number of creatures,including mustangs, or wild horses, roused from their lairs.
When the scattered hunters returned to the camp to breakfast, they foundthemselves in a satisfied, happy state of mind, with a strongdisposition, on the part of some, to break their fast without wastingtime in cooking the viands. "It was of no manner of use cooking," BigWaller said, "when a feller was fit to eat his own head off of his ownshoulders!" As for Gibault, he declared that he meant to give upcooking his victuals from that time forward, and eat them raw. Theothers seemed practically to have come to the same conclusion, forcertain it is that the breakfast, when devoured on that first Mondaymorning, was decidedly underdone--to use a mild expression!
But it was when the pipes were lighted that the peculiarities andcapabilities of that wild region became fully known, for then it wasthat each hunter began to relate with minute accuracy the adventures ofthat morning. As they had scattered far and wide, and hunted or trappedseparately, each had something new and more or less interesting to tell.March told of how he had shot a grey goose, and had gone into a movingswamp after it, and had sunk up to the middle, and all but took toswimming to save himself, but had got hold of the goose notwithstanding,as the drumstick he had just picked would testify. Bounce told ofhaving gone after a moose deer, and, failing to come up with it, wasfain to content himself with a bighorn and a buck; and Big Wallerasserted that he had suddenly come upon a grisly bear, which he wouldcertainly have shot, had it not run away from him. Whereupon Gibault,wilfully misunderstanding, said, with a look of unutterable surprise,that he would never have believed it--no, never--had anybody else toldhim, that Big Waller had actually run away from a bear! He couldn'tbear to hear of it, and would not believe it though Waller himself saidit. As for Bertram, having filled the pages of his sketch-book, backand front, he was compelled to take to miniature drawing in corners andblank bits, and in this way began to book the entire region, and torevel in his loved art.
Several weeks passed away, and during that time of peace and plenty, ourtrappers had it all to themselves. They caught and killed numbers ofanimals; stripped off, dried, and packed quantities of valuable furs;ate enormous meals, with the gusto of men who had laboriously earned theright to do so, and related stories and anecdotes enough to fill a hugevolume. In short, they enjoyed themselves beyond conception, andBertram agreed with March Marston in thinking that Bunyan's land ofBeulah could not have surpassed that delightful region.
But one day there came a small cloud on their blue sky of felicity. Anevent occurred which rudely dispelled their pleasant dreams, filledtheir hearts with anxiety, and finally broke up their camp in a way thatled to disastrous, though not altogether ruinous, consequences.