The Perils and Adventures of Harry Skipwith by Land and Sea
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CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
WE SEND OUT SCOUTS--WE PASS THE RAPIDS--SWIFTFOOT RETURNS ALONE--INDIANSSURROUND US--A WAR-PARTY BURN OUR VACATED CAMP--QUICK-EAR, PURSUED BYINDIANS, ARRIVES--WE BUILD MORE CANOES--REACH FORT ST. GEORGE.
The next morning, Swiftfoot and Quick-ear went out as scouts toascertain if any enemies were in the neighbourhood; and soon theyreturned with the report that they could find no traces of enemies.
Having made four trips during the morning with our goods, I proposedplacing a portion of them on the raft and accompanying Stalker on itdown the rapid. One of the canoes we hauled up on the raft. Garoupetook charge of the other. Stalker--who had surveyed the passage--Habakkuk, and I, navigated the raft. The rest of the party, underTrevor, made the best of their way along the portage. We cast off, andaway we went whirling down the rapid. Sometimes the raft rocked so muchthat we could scarcely keep our feet. Now we were hurried towards arock, as if about to be dashed on it, when a stroke from Stalker's polewould drive us off again. It was exceedingly exciting, though somewhattrying to the nerves. The water boiled, and bubbled, and hissed, androcked us up and down. Then, again, the raft would glide into waterrapid as ever, but perfectly smooth, only an instant afterwards to betossed about as if in a whirlpool. I have seldom felt more happy thanwhen I found that we were safely through and in a wide reach of theriver. We poled the raft to shore, and securing it, began at once toreload it with all the goods which had arrived.
While thus occupied, waiting for the remainder of our party, wedistinctly saw several Indians peering at us from among the trees on theopposite side of the river. When they saw that we stopped in ourlabours and looked towards them they disappeared. This made us somewhatanxious, for it was certain that they could not be well-disposed towardswhite men, or they would have come out and had some communication withus. They must have seen, however, that we were not a party to betrifled with, and that if they meditated attempting to get possession ofour property, they would have to pay dearly for it. As we had stillthree or four hours of daylight, instead of stopping to dine as soon asthe rest of our party arrived, we all embarked and continued our course.The river, however, here expanded into almost a lakelike width, and thecurrent was less rapid than usual, while the wind was adverse, and wemade much less progress than we expected. We paddled on as long as wecould, wishing to find a convenient camping place on the left bank.After all, we were compelled to land on the right bank, on which we hadseen the Indians. We had very little fear of them, however, though itcompelled us to keep a more careful watch than we should otherwise havedone.
As soon as our camp was formed and we had taken a hearty meal, of whichwe all stood greatly in need, we sent out Swiftfoot and Quick-ear asscouts, to ascertain if any Indians were in the neighbourhood. Thenight drew on. The rest of the party lay down to rest with their armsby their sides. However, with Ready, I walked round and round the camp,for our scouts were so long absent that I became anxious about theirsafety. At length, my ear caught the sound of footsteps approaching ata rapid rate. Ready stopped, with his nose out, and then advanced a fewsteps, but did not bark. By this, I guessed that it was one of ourscouts coming back. I was not mistaken; and I had good reason to bethankful that I had sent him out. He told me that he had come upon alarge body of Indians seated round their fires and holding a council ofwar; that, as far as he could understand their dialect, they proposedattacking us when they could catch us unprepared, and seemed very muchto regret that they had not done so when we were passing down the rapidsin the morning. He gathered, moreover, from their eagerness to attackus forthwith and from some other remarks they made, that the navigationof the river for a considerable distance below where we were was veryeasy. They appeared to be awaiting the arrival of another party equallynumerous as themselves. Swiftfoot expressed his fears that Quick-earhad fallen into the hands of the party, when, after waiting some time,he did not appear at the camp.
At length, I aroused my companions, and told them what I had heard.Trevor proposed fortifying the camp and waiting to receive the enemy.Stalker suggested that we should embark at once and continue our voyage,and that Garoupe and Swiftfoot should wait in the canoe to bring onQuick-ear if he should appear.
"But that will seem like running away from the enemy," urged Trevor,like a stout John Bull as he was.
"I kalkilate the wisest thing is to do what is most profitable, and Idon't see much profit in stopping to fight a gang of red varmints,"observed Habakkuk.
I agreed with Stalker, and at length Trevor gave way, and we loaded theraft as rapidly as we could lift the goods on board. Garoupe consentedto remain for Quick-ear, and we hoped to navigate the raft without hisaid.
We embarked with as little noise as possible, and now shoving off,followed Stalker down the stream. I experienced a peculiarly solemn andawful feeling so we glided down that dark unknown stream, with theprimeval forest rising up on either side, and still more so when weentered a mountainous region where the rocks towered up some twelve orfifteen hundred feet directly above our heads. We feared from theappearance of the river that we might be approaching some rapid. Weaccordingly moored the raft to a rock, while Stalker paddled on ahead toexplore. After waiting for some time, we heard his voice shouting to usto come on. As we were easting off the rope the sound of a paddle washeard up the stream, and we accordingly kept on. In a short timeSwiftfoot came alongside. He had waited under the bank, a little lowerdown than our camp. Suddenly, loud and fearful shrieks rent the air,and a large body of savages burst into our camp. It was certainlybetter for us not to have been there, and better for them too, for,although we might have killed a number of them, yet that would have beena poor satisfaction if they had killed one of us. They must have beenwoefully disappointed when they found that the birds they expected tocatch had flown. We had now too much reason to fear that Quick-ear hadfallen into the hands of the savages. Poor fellow! we could not go backto his assistance, though I must say I felt ashamed of deserting himwithout further search.
Morning at last broke, and we were still progressing along a deep,rapid, and clear stream, free from rocks or shallows. We hoped that bythis time we had got far beyond the reach of the enemy. As I had lookedup at the stars in the clear night, I had, however, observed that theriver made several sharp bends, and thus I knew that we had not reallymade good any great distance through the country. As the sun rose therewas a general cry for breakfast, and we accordingly put into a littlebay with a small extent of grassy ground--a pleasant nook in the bush.We lit our fires, and breakfasted sumptuously on dried horse-flesh,converted into a capital stew, with the aid of some cloves, garlic, andpepper and salt, by allowing the steaks to simmer over a slow fire afterbeing first briskly boiled in our frying-pans in just enough water tocover the meat. We also had hot dampers and plenty of strong tea,guiltless, however, of milk, which was a luxury we had not indulged infor many a long month.
Though the situation of the spot tempted us to remain some hours, thatwe might get some animals to stock our larder, yet, lest the hostileIndians should overtake us, we deemed it more prudent to continue ourvoyage. We had just packed up our cooking things and were stepping onboard, when we heard a shout close to us, and the next instant Quick-earburst through the wood and sprang on board the raft, crying out that theenemy were close upon him. We lost no time, therefore, in shoving off;and, as we were paddling down the river, we saw the spot we had justleft filled with savage and yelling warriors. Quick-ear had had a longand desperate run, and it was some time before he could speak. When herecovered, he told us that he had found his way back to the camp justafter it had been occupied by the savages, and guessing that we had gonedown the river, he set off by an Indian track which he thought wouldlead to it at some point we were likely to pass. He had got somedistance, when he found that the enemy were following, probably with theintention of cutting us off. This made him still further increase hisspeed. He had been seen by them a mile or two before he rea
ched us, andhad to run for his life. Had he been a minute later, he would havemissed us altogether.
For several days we went on promisingly, when one day Stalker camepaddling back to warn us that we were approaching a fierce rapid. Weaccordingly urged the raft to the shore, and landing our goods, preparedfor a long portage. Still, we proposed attempting to carry down theraft. Stalker, Trevor, and I, in attempting to shoot one of the worstrapids, were very nearly lost. We had just time to spring into thecanoes, which were on the top of it, when the raft was dashed to pieces.With considerable difficulty we paddled the canoes through, and hadthey been of birch-bark instead of dug-outs, they must inevitably haveshared the fate of the raft. Had our provisions been on the latter, wemight eventually have lost our lives. When, at length, we reached thefoot of the rapid, we determined to do what it would have been wise inus had we done at first--that is, built canoes to convey the whole partyand our goods. We here found some fine trees for the purpose, and,assisted by our former experience, in the course of a few days we hadbuilt two large canoes. As we had no saw, we had to chip our boards toform gunwales to them. Swiftfoot and Quick-ear sewed these on veryneatly, so that the capacity of the canoes was very greatly increased.The sides of the two smaller canoes being raised in the same way, andthen joined together, were also capable of carrying a considerablecargo.
Our voyage was much longer than we had expected; we ate up nearly allour provisions, expended the greater part of our powder, tobacco, andtea,--the great essentials in the bush,--and wore out our clothes andour patience. At length, however, we reached Fort George, a fort of theHudson's Bay Company, where we received that attention and hospitalityfor which its officers are so justly famed. After quitting Fort St.George we continued the descent of the Frazer to the month of theQuesnelle River, where a town has sprang up. Landing here, and leavingour canoes in store, we prepared to tramp it across country toRichfield, the capital of the Cariboo district. We overtook parties ofthe wildest set of fellows it has ever been my lot to encounter, peopleof all nations, and tongues, and colours.
The land in the district of Fort George is admirably adapted foragriculture, as all the European cereals, together with potatoes,turnips, carrots, and other esculent vegetables, arrive at fullmaturity. The white population consists chiefly of old servants of theHudson's Bay Company, and emigrants from the Highlands of Scotland.Indeed, the whole of this "Prairie Region," as it is called, on accountof the immense plains devoid almost of timber, and requiring, inconsequence, no outlay for clearing, would no doubt before long be underthe plough, if the Home Government would open up roads through thedistrict. Barley and oats ripen even at Fort Norman, at a latitude of65 degrees.