CHAPTER X
A BRUSH WITH THE SIOUX
The days saw the big serpents of men crawl on and on--hither and yonover the rolling land, saw them splash through the rivers, wind roundthe hills, and lie comfortably down at night. About them fluttered theIndian scouts like flies around a lamp,--hostiles and allies,--markingdown each other's sign, dashing in and out, exchanging shots, but alwayskeeping away from the coils of the serpents.
Many men besides Captain Lewis held out their hands to Ermine, attractedas they were, first by his picturesque appearance, fine pony, and seat,and Lewis's enthusiasm; but later by his low-voiced simplicity and acuteknowledge concerning the matters about them. They in turn unravelledmany tangled skeins for Ermine; regiments began to unwind intocompanies, details, squads; the wagons assorted themselves, and it wasnot long before the young scout could tell a colonel from a cook'spolice at a glance. Numbers of these men had seen the ten thousand mendie, had been with them when they died, had even, some of them, laindown with them sapped by their own wounds, though of course they had notdied. One big man slapped Ermine on the back hard enough to make himcough, and said, "I'd rather take my chance at Cold Harbor than gopoking round the hills alone as you do, my boy." And Ermine had to moveaway quickly to avoid another exclamation point, but such littleappreciation warmed him. Also the solidarity of these fellowships tookthe more definite form of a Colt's revolver, a copy of Upton's tactics,a pocket Bible, a comb from a bald-headed man who respected the unities,together with trifles enough to litter up his saddle-bags.
Old Major Ben Searles in particular used to centre his benevolent eyeson Ermine. He had a boy back in the States, and if he had gone to someother school than West Point might have been a superintendent of anorphan asylum as easily as the soldier which he was. Ermine's quaintquestions gave him delicious little mental jolts.
"Why is it, Uncle Ben," asked Ermine, "that all these men come out hereto march, get killed, freeze, and starve? They don't have any wives, andI can't see what they have to protect except their eatables."
"You see, Kid, they enlist to do what the government wants them to do,and the government wants them to make the Sioux stop killing white folksjust now."
"Yes, but they won't do it. Why don't the government mount them onbuffalo ponies, make them eat dried meat, and run after the Siouxinstead of taking the villages to war?"
"Well, Ermine, I don't know why. I suppose that is what the Indianswould like them to do, and I reckon that is the reason the soldiersdon't do it. Soldiers calculate not to do what the enemy wants them todo. Don't you get discouraged; wait a year or two or three, my boy. Oh,we'll get there; we don't know how, but we always stand pat!"
"Pat? pat? What do you mean by 'standing pat'? Never heard that word.What does it mean?" questioned the young man.
MAJOR BEN SEARLES.]
Old Searles laughed. "'Pat' is a word we use in a game of cards, and itmeans that when you think you are licked you guess you are not. It's agreat word, Ermine."
The huge column having crawled over the country as far as it wasordered, broke into divisions, some going down the river in steamboatsand other parts through the hills to their far-off posts andcantonments.
The Sioux scouts regarded this as a convenient solution of the awkwardsituation. Neither they nor the white men could do anything with thatunwieldy gathering. Two infantry regiments stayed behind as a reminderto the Sioux that the game was not played out. To one of these CaptainLewis was attached, which good fortune gave Ermine continued employment.
The soldiers began to build winter cantonments at the mouth of theBuffalo Tongue River, or, as the white men called it, "The Tongue," andto gather great quantities of stores which were hauled from Fort Benton.Here was something that the Sioux could attack; they jumped the trainssavagely, burned the grass, cut in on the animals to stampede, andpeppered up the men as they slept. Stores the troops must have; andthough they met repulse at times, they "pounded" the trains through tothe Tongue.
It was the custom for wagon trains to go into camp early in theafternoon, which gave the stock a chance to graze while it was yetdaylight; it also made it possible to guard them from sudden forays byIndians. On one of these occasions Ermine was with a train which madeone of the halts as usual. The Indians had not interfered, and to killtime a few officers, among whom was Searles, started a game of poker.Ermine looked on over their shoulders, trying to comprehend. He hadoften played the Indian game of "hand," so that poker was merely a newslide between wealth and poverty. Seeing him, Captain Lewis sent him onsome trivial errand. While he was gone, an agreement was made to havehim come in, and then they were to "Skin him alive" just to see how hewould stand it. It worked out beautifully. First they separated whatlittle money he had from his clothes, the officers meanwhile sittinglike owls and keeping their faces sober by dint of lip-biting; then thesombrero, which was stacked up as five dollars, found its way to CaptainLewis's head in place of a very bad campaign hat. Next came off thebuckskin coat, which was followed by the revolver, and slowly, so thathis suspicions might not be aroused, all his personal property,including the saddle and gun, which properly did not belong to him, waslaid on the grass beside the victors.
"This is going to be a cold winter, John," laughed one, "or else we'dlet you in on that shirt."
"Want to put that pony up for a hundred, Ermine?" asked another.
"No; I'll keep the pony; he's medicine. I've often lost all I had withthe plum stones. I guess I don't understand poker." And the young scoutarose smiling. The officers laughed themselves into tears, jumped up,and brought comrades to see how they had trimmed John Ermine. Every onegreatly enjoyed what they called Ermine's preparations for the winter.He had his government shirt, his blanket breeches, and moccasins left;he had not been so poor since he was a herd-boy, but he had known formsof poverty all his life, so it was not new. What he did not enjoy washis belittlement. The hard-working men in those dangerous, monotonousdays were keen for any weakness; and when he heard their laughter hewanted a horse-bucket full of human blood to drown his thoughts. He wasgreatly disturbed, not so much on account of his losses, although theywere everything, as he viewed them, as the ridicule in store for him atTongue River. There is no greater stimulant to a hardy mind thanpoverty, and John Ermine's worked like a government-six in a mud-hole,far into the night.
The trio of gamblers, who wore their spoils on their own persons, to thehuge edification of the camp, arranged to prolong the torture until theyshould see the young hatless, coatless, unarmed scout on his bare-backedpony during the next march. At the following camp they were to playagain, lose to him, and end the joke. Confidences were exchanged, andevery one was as tickled as a cur with a new collar.
One of the officers of the poker engagement rode a well-bred Americanhorse of which he was very proud. He had raced it successfully and neverdeclined an opportunity, of which fact Ermine was aware.
It had slowly come to his mind that he had been foully dealt with, soabout midnight he jumped up--he had a plan. By dint of daring, fortunatemachination, and the cooeperation of a quartermaster sergeant whom hetook into his confidence, he watered the American horse, fed him with aheavy feed of very salt corn, and later watered him again. The horse hadbeen on short rations and was a glutton. It was with the greatestdifficulty that the noble animal managed his breakfast at all; but hewas always willing at each opportunity to weaken the saline solution inhis stomach.
When the train pulled out, there was Ermine, bare-backed and ridiculous.He rode through the volley of jeers and approached the horse-racingofficer, saying, "If you are a good gambler, come on; I will run myhorse against yours, three arrow-flights and a pitch, horse againsthorse."
The laughing stopped; here was a new idea--the quarter-bred blood horse,with his sleek bay quarters, against the scout's pony--a good enoughanimal, but thin and overworked.
The officer halted and stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
"Hum--hum--yes; by Gad, if my horse ca
n't take that runt into camp, heisn't good enough for me. I'll go you."
A cheer went up from those assembled, and some hidden force carried thethrill down the train, which halted. Uncle Sam's business could wait.
The distance was paced off on the level plain; the judges were set; thescouts and officers lined up.
The American's horse's eyes fairly bulged with excitement; he broke intoa dripping perspiration, but seemingly no one noticed this but Ermine.He knew that the load of water would choke him in twenty yards.
The old war-pony was thin from overwork, but responsive as a dog to hisbareback rider, and dangerous-looking to one used to see ponies whichshow worse in condition than out, by reason of the ungracefularchitectural lines.
The pistol spoke; the pony gained three jumps from the mark. TheAmerican made the best of a bad job, but Ermine was able to turn at thefinish and back him over the judges' line.
The officer nearly had apoplexy, as he pulled up. He threw himself offthe horse and handed the reins to Ermine.
The action of both challenge and race had been so rapid and so badlycalculated on the officer's part that he lacked time to assimilate theidea that he was a fool. He tried to maintain a composure which waslacking, as every one could see.
"If you will get all my clothes, saddle, and gun back from yourcomrades, I will give you your horse," said the scout.
The spectators who knew about the poker game now sat howling hopelesslyon their horses' backs. Searles and the others now came to their beatenfriend's aid; they shed their plunder in front of Ermine's horse,produced the saddle and gun from a near-by escort wagon, laid themcarefully down with the rest, and the victor granted peace.
"Here is your horse," said Ermine, and he laughed.
The occurrence had a serious side; the three officers were quick toappreciate that. Searles stood in front of the scout and made utterance:"I want to say before all these men that the poker game was not on thesquare--that we robbed you purposely for a joke, and that we intended togive your property back to you to-night; and I call on all these men towitness my remarks."
"Yes, yes," came the chorus; "it was all a joke. Searles said he wouldgive it back. Don't hold it out against him, Ermine," and otherreassuring remarks. They recognized the young scout's magnanimity as aconqueror.
The laughing ceased; the thing evidently had been carried too far. Itwould not sound well when told at Tongue River. The unfortunatehorse-race had made proper restitution impossible.
By this time John Ermine had his clothing and saddle arranged and wasmounted. He spoke:--
"Well, if that is so, if it only was a joke, I suppose I ought to saythat I sat up half of last night salting your horse. Look at him! He isblowing yet; he is as full of water as a drowned buffalo. I am glad itdid not kill him; let us bury the axe."
Major Searles and his fellows were unlike many jokers; they slowlyreadjusted after the shock and laughed with the others.
The march was resumed, but the customary monotony of this slow pacingof interminable landscape was often abruptly broken by individualsha-haing loudly, as the sequence of events took a new hold of theirrisibles; and Mr. John Ermine tightened in an ever increasing hold ontheir fancies.
Major Searles, riding beside his horse-racing _confrere_, tried to cheerhim. "Brace up, compadre; that boy has you buffaloed. We are all right;we are nothing but a bunch of monkeys. The only thing we forgot was thata fellow who has lived all his life with Injuns is likely to know how togamble and race horses. He'll be wanting to juggle the bone[12] for usyet, and we are bound to go him."
[12] Indian game of "hand."
"You bet," came the reply; "he has got us staked out, and he can comealong and do jig steps on our chest any time he feels like it. That iswhere we have to moisten our lips and look pleasant, too."
An old wagon boss sauntered by on his mule with its mouth _a lacrocodile_.
"Ha, ha! reckon you fellers has had all the fun that's a-comin' to you.That boy had that last deck marked, bottomed, sanded, and pricked, withmore up his sleeve and some in the back of his neck."
John Ermine and Wolf-Voice, meanwhile, had gone well out in front of thetrain, loping this way and that about the course of advance, with eyesfor everything.
Presently they were seen to stop, turn, and come back, flying as fastand straight as the antelope runs.
"How now, by Gad! here's smoke for us!" said Searles. No one laughed anymore.
Swift and noiseless as the birds came the scouts; nearer and nearer,until their flying horses' hair could be seen; then sounded thehoof-beats until they drew rein. Wolf-Voice's hair fairly stood up, andhis fierce little eyes danced attendance; he talked all the languages heknew, and worked his free hand in most alarming sign signals to help hisexpression.
"What's up, Ermine?" said the Major.
"Well, Major, the ground out there is alive with fresh pony-tracks. Ithink you had better bunch up."
The train was strung out, having passed a bad "draw." Turning, the Majorshouted: "Close up in columns of fours! Deploy that escort out!"
The order flew down the train; the whips cracked, and the strainingmules trotted into position; the infantry guard ran out from the sides,shoving shells into the breech-blocks. Even while this was in motion, atorrent of Sioux poured over the bluffs, back of the flat, and came on.
The soldiers dropped on to their knees in the sage-brush. The Majorspurred to the particular point for which they were headed, followed byscouts and several mounted men.
"Steady, men! hold your fire!"
The men were aiming, and each had five cartridges in his teeth. In asonorous roll came, "Steady--steady--steady!" And the gay stream ofsavagery bore on.
"Fire!" Like a double drag on a drum which gradually dies, the riflesrattled down the extended line, all concentrated on the head of theflying column. The smoke played along the gray sage; there was a sharpclatter of breech-blocks, and an interval.
"Ready! Fire!" and this repeated.
The Major jogged to a wind-blown place and saw that the column hadveered to its right but was not checked. Followed by his few mountedmen, he rode along behind their line parallel with the head of thecharge, but before the slow and steady fire the Indian line drew out.The train was caught in the circle, but the enemy had not the heart toride over the deadly skirmish line. The close columns of wagons nowturned off down toward the river, and, keeping their distances, theinfantry followed it. Indian ponies lay kicking out on the dry plain,and here and there could be seen warriors who retired slowly from theracing Indians; they had been plugged.
Bullets kicked up the dust, and one or two soldiers had to be helpedalong by their comrades.
"BULLETS KICKED UP THE DUST."]
The heated air shimmered over the land; but for the rattle and thud ofgun and pony, the clank, snort, and whip-cracks among the wagons, thegreat, gray plains lay silent.
No eye save that of a self-considering golden eagle looked on, and hesailed placidly far above. Ponies and mules strained and lathered, mensweated and grunted and banged to kill; nature lay naked andinsensate.
The Indians made a stand under the cut banks of the river, but wereflanked out. The train drove slowly into a corral form, when the muleswere unhooked. The guard began to rifle-pit among the wagons, and theIndians drew off to breathe their ponies. They had stopped the train,but the "walk-a-heap" soldiers were behind the wagons, which were fullof "chuck," and water was at hand. Indians always dreaded thefoot-soldiers, who could not run away, and who would not surrender, butworked their long rifles to the dying gasp; they were "heap badmedicine"; they were like wounded gray bears in a den of rocks--therewas no reasonable method for their capture.
Major Searles jumped from his horse, took off his hat, and mopped hisforehead with his handkerchief. "So far, so good! so far, so good! butnot so very d---- far either," he mused.
Towing his pony behind him, Wolf-Voice came up, legs bowed and wobbly,horseback fashion when afoot. Calling loudly, he said:--
"By Jeskris, Maje Searl, bout two-tree minit you bettar look out; doseKul-tus-til-akum she mak de grass burn yu up, by Gar. Win' she waas comedeese way."
"Yes--yes, that's right. Here you, Ermine, and you, Lieutenant Smith,take what men you want and kill a wounded mule--drag his hide over thegrass to windward; it is short and won't burn high. And, Lieutenant,give me all the men you can over here; they will try to come through thesmoke." Saying which, the Major made his way to the ammunition wagonsand had the mules hooked to them, intending to run these into the riverin case the fire came through.
In fighting Indians, the Major, who was an old hand, knew that one mustact quickly, for they are rapid tacticians and their blows come fast.
These preparations had no sooner been made than, true to Wolf-Voice'sadmonitions, the Indians came down, and, just out of rifle-range,started the fire down wind. Almost no air was stirring; the flames ranslowly through the short buffalo-grass, but weeds and sage madeconsiderable smoke, which came toward the train.
The dripping carcass of the mule was dragged in a ring round thewindward side of the train; the smoke eddied over the wagons; theIndians could not be seen; every man's eyes and ears were strained andfingers twitched as they lay at an "aim" or "ready," among thewagon-wheels.
The mules grew restive and sat back on their fastenings; but there,matters had been well attended to, for the side-lines and hobbles wereleathered and laced.
To the silent soldiers this was one of the times when a man lives fouryears in twenty minutes; nothing can be compared to it but theprolonged agony between your "Will you have me?" and her "yes" or "NO."
As the fire came nearer, they heard its gentle crackle, crackle; theirnerves all crackled in unison. It reached the bloody ring left by thepoor mule--"would the d---- Injuns never come?" At the guard line theflames died and crackled no more. The smoke grew thinner, and at lastthey saw out through it; the Indians held themselves safely out ofrifle-shot.
"Hum," said Searles, as he stepped down from a wagon-wheel, "they didn'twant any of this chicken pie." And then he did what he was never knownto do under ordinary circumstances; and when he was through, the mencheered, and every mule-skinner who had heard him envied a man who couldtalk it off just like that.
"Ah, Maje Searl," chimed in Wolf-Voice, "don' you been scare; doseInjuns no say goo'by yet, mabeso."
And they did not say good-by. They dismounted and went behind the washesin the shallow river. They peppered and banged the men as they wateredthe stock, the perilous trip only being made behind a strong skirmishline with three men hit and a half-dozen mules. The soldiers ate a quietsupper and put out the fires before the sun went down. The Indians, withthe declining light, crawled in on the train and pecked at the monster.
"Pe-e-e-eing" went a bullet on a wagon-tire; "slap" went another on awagon-box; "thud," as one buried in a grain-bag; "phud," and the ballmade a mule grunt; but the echoing Springfields spit their 45's at theflashes.
Searles sent for Ermine and Wolf-Voice, and sitting on the grass behinda barricade of grain-sacks, he began: "We are corralled, and I haven'tescort enough to move. I can hold out till snow, but can't graze mystock. Some one has to go back for reenforcements. Will you go? It canbe made on a good horse by morning."
"Well, Major, I'll try it. I can go if I can get through with a fairstart. The moon will come up later, and I must go now while there is achance," said Ermine.
"Will you go also, Mr. Wolf-Voice?"
"Well, hit be good chance for geet keel. Yaes, I go, mebeso, feeftydoaller," vouchsafed that worthy, after nicely balancing the chances.
"What do you want for going, John Ermine?" asked the Major.
"I don't want anything. I came to fight the Sioux. I do not go to warfor fifty dollars." But it was too dark for the half-breed to see thecontempt in Ermine's face, so he only shrugged his shoulders andcontented himself with, "Oh, weel, mabeso dose soldier-man go for not somuch. I do not."
"All right, all right! I'll give you an order for fifty dollars. Hereare the papers." And the Major handed one to each. "Now, don't losethem, whatever else you do."
"Ma pony, she steef, no good. I was go on de foot." And Wolf-Voiceproceeded to skin off his motley garments. In these desperate situationshe believed in the exemplar of his name; its methods were less heroicbut more sure.
Ermine half stripped himself, and his horse wholly; bound up the tail,and in the gloom rubbed the old dried horse's hoof on his heels. It had,at least, never done any harm, and at times favored him. Sak-a-war-teand the God of the white men--he did not know whether they were one ortwo. Trusting his valuables to the care of the Major, he was let out ofthe corral after a good rattle of firing, into the darkness, away fromthe river.
Only a few rifles ripped the night air in response to this, which hetook to indicate that the better part of the Indians were along theriver. He glided away, leading his pony, and the last the soldiers sawwas the flash of a gun turned in an opposite direction from the wagontrain. Neither Wolf-Voice or Ermine again appeared.
The slow fight continued during the night and all the next day, but byevening the Indians disappeared. They had observed the approach ofreenforcements, which came in during the following morning, led byErmine. Wolf-Voice, who had been on foot, did not make the rapid time ofhis mounted partner, but had gone through and acquired the fiftydollars, which was the main object.
John Ermine of the Yellowstone Page 14
