American Family Robinson

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  Chapter Sixth.

  Strength of the Tabagauches. Attack of their camp. Flight of theWhites. A Council. Pursuing the Indians. Desperate Engagement. TakenPrisoners. Carried off Captives. Submission to their fate. A CuriousDream. Singular Springs of Water. Kind treatment by the Indians.Discovery of Gold. Displeasure of Whirlwind. His story of the earlywhite men. A herd of deer, &c.

  Cautiously Howe and Whirlwind crept onward, and coming within pistolshot of the blazing camp fires of the Tabagauches, discovered that theywere full two hundred strong, probably, a war party, in search ofadventure, intending to fall unawares on some neighbouring tribes. Bythe middle fire, in the centre of a group of some twenty savages, wereJane and Edward, looking pale and wearied. A little behind them, on theground, with stoic-like indifference, sat five Crows, the remainder oftheir captors; but now like themselves prisoners. Evidently, their fatewas being decided upon. As cautiously as they went the scouts returnedto the pine grove, and decided to make an immediate attack for therecovery of the captives. There were eleven Arapahoe warriors withtheir chief, and these, together with Mr. Duncan, Howe, Sidney, andLewis, made fifteen, all well armed and mounted.

  Led by Howe and Whirlwind, they noiselessly gained a place where theycould obtain a fair view of the enemy, who were in high altercation onsome point on which they seemed to be divided.

  "Now is our time," said Howe. "Let every gun be discharged when I givethe signal, and every one mark his man. Fall into a line, and bringyour rifles to bear on the right hand savage of the centre group, andyou the next, so on down the line that no two shots be aimed at oneIndian, for we have none to lose. Now, are you all ready?" said Howe,running his eye from his little band to the foes, who stood revealed bytheir blazing fires perfectly distinct, but entirely unconscious of thedanger that menaced them. Not a word was spoken, but Howe knew all wasright; then, in a low distinct tone, he gave the word "_fire_." Therewas but one crack of rifles heard, so simultaneously every gun wasdischarged, and as they were discharged, fifteen Tabagauches fell dead,with scarcely a sound uttered. "Quick! fire again!" said Howe, "markyour men, the savages are stupefied." Aiming their rifles on theinstant, fifteen more fell dead.

  Their second fire revealed to the Tabagauches the direction whence theattack proceeded, and with maddening yells of rage they sprang afterthem.

  "Save yourselves;" cried Howe, but he had no need to give the order,for every one had placed a tree between himself and his foes, accordingto the custom of warfare with Indians, and as they came on, everymoment, one or more fell by their unerring aim. They had the advantage,for the Tabagauches were between them and the light, and could bepicked off as fast as the guns could be loaded, while they rushedheadlong into the darkness, their only guide the flash from the riflesthat were thinning their ranks at every fire. But, as the savagesgathered closer and closer around them, they were obliged to fall backtowards the pine grove, and as time after time they retreated into thedarkness, they could distinguish their foes with less certainty, andfinally they were obliged to make a scattered flight to save themselvesfrom being surrounded. Strange to tell not one of them had beenwounded, which could be only accounted for by the gloom, in which theywere enveloped, hiding them from an accurate aim. They were sure fiftyof their foes had been slain.

  The Tabagauches retreated to their camp, putting out the fires andkeeping silent, so as not to guide their foes a second time to them.

  On gaining the pine grove, a council was held to devise what was themost prudent step to take.

  "I," said Whirlwind, "think it best to hover around them and find outtheir next movement and guide ours by it."

  "That is impossible," said Mr. Duncan. "They will be so on their guardthat no one can approach without detection, which would be instantdeath."

  "Whirlwind has said and will do it. Here await his return." So saying,with noiseless strides the chief vanished in the gloom.

  "A strange compound of generosity, bravery, and recklessness!" said Mr.Duncan.

  "Depend upon it, he knows what is for the best," replied Howe.

  "Then you think we had better not take any step until the chiefreturns?"

  "That is my impression. He will return in two hours, or so."

  Two, three, and nearly four hours elapsed before the chief returned,and the suspense had become painful, when, without warning, or theirknowing he was near, he stept into their midst.

  "Why, Whirlwind, had you dropt from the clouds you could not have comemore noiselessly. What success did you have?" said Howe.

  "The Tabagauches are cowards, they will not fight, but will steal awaylike dogs. The pale faced prisoners are even now moving toward thewest, guarded by fifty of their braves."

  "We must head them," cried Sidney, springing to his feet. "They shallnever escape thus."

  "The pale faced brave has spoken well. We must divide our warriors;part attack the cowards in the rear, to prevent them joining those incharge of the white prisoners, while the other part must ride ahead andattack them in front, and secure the children."

  "If we break up our force in this way, all will be lost," said Mr.Duncan. "It is my opinion we had better all keep together, and try toget ahead of the main body by a circuitous route, and thus be morecertain of overcoming the savages."

  "Certainly, father, the party must not be divided, the half of fifteenis almost too few to attack seventy or a hundred," remarked Lewis.

  "Let us keep together, by all means," said Sidney.

  "I do not think we had better divide our force," said Howe, afterhearing all their opinions, and finding they all coincided with hisown, excepting the chief. "We will be too few for them."

  "The white chief forgets we cannot expect to overcome them by a fairfight, but must depend on strategy for success."

  "If we have as good success as we had last night, I think we may,"returned Howe.

  "They will build no more fires to give us another such a chance," saidthe chief.

  "We had better follow Mr. Duncan's suggestion," said Howe, "and try tohead them off by a circuitous route. Come boys! Lead on chief; we willfollow you."

  Light began to break in the east, so that they could see to make theirway, and rapidly they pursued it, their animals refreshed by thenight's rest. On they went, and about sunrise, saw the detachment ofIndians not more than a mile ahead. Whirlwind threw the halter (theonly accoutrement, his half-tamed prairie horse boasted,) loosely onthe proud steed's neck, and with his body bent almost on a level to hisback, rode like a Centaur over the ground. The rest gave their horsesthe spur, but they were out-stripped by the Arapahoes, who one by onedarted past them, in the wake of their chief. Before Mr. Duncan and hisparty had accomplished two-thirds of the distance, the war-whoops ofthe combatants burst on the air, and when he joined them many a bravehad gone to the "spirit land."

  And now, fiercer than ever the battle raged, the Tabagauches retreatingas they fought, and being on foot were slain or dispersed at will,until they saw the other detachment of their tribe advancing, when theyturned and fought with the fury of demons. This furious charge killedone of the Arapahoes, badly wounded Mr. Duncan in the shoulder with atomahawk, and Lewis slightly in the thigh with an arrow.

  During this time they saw nothing of Edward and Jane, but distinctlyheard their voices as they called out to encourage their friends, froma little distance, where they were bound and closely guarded.

  Encouraged by the thought they were so near the captives, and maddenedby the obstinacy with which the savages contended for the captives,they made a desperate charge, breaking through the savages, and fallingupon the guard that surrounded the children, shot them, and unbindingthe thongs around their hands, and placing Edward on the deadArapahoe's horse, and Jane behind Edward; they then attempted to fly.While doing this, the two detachments had joined, and now bore downwith terrible force on the little band. But they were met with volleyafter volley, until desperate from the loss of their braves that fellaround them, the savages closed in and attempted
to drag them fromtheir horses. Mr. Duncan, Lewis, and three of the Arapahoes, beingmounted on high mettled steeds, finding all would be lost if they fellinto the hands of the savages, spurred their steeds, and bounding overthe assailants, escaped into the forest. Not so fortunate were therest, for Howe, Sidney, Whirlwind, Edward, and Jane, were pulled fromtheir horses, overpowered, and bound prisoners. The rest of theArapahoes had fallen by the hand of their foes.

  Mr. Duncan, faint with the loss of blood, and suffering severely fromhis wound, would still have plunged into the midst of the savages, hadnot Lewis and one of the Arapahoes ridden at his side, with his bridlerein in their hand to prevent him from plunging into certaindestruction. They bent their course to the east whence they came, andthe second day reached camp half dead with fatigue and distress theyendured at the inevitable fate of the lost ones.

  Terrible was the revulsion to Edward and Jane, for now they had no hopefrom their friends, as Sidney and their uncle were captives with them,and they supposed their father and Lewis had fallen by the savages whowent in pursuit. They knew all was lost unless they could elude thevigilance of their pursuers, which they could not expect to do, boundand guarded as they were.

  Calmly they resigned themselves to a doom they could not avert, to beoffered as burnt-offerings to the spirits of those who had fallen inbattle. The savages having lost half of their number, were intoxicatedwith rage, and with demoniac yells, goaded on their prisoners with thepoints of their arrows, causing the blood to flow from numberlesspunctures. Occasionally they would bring their tomahawks circling roundtheir heads as if to sink them in their skulls; and then with savagegestures retreat and make the forest ring with their howls of rage. Forthree days they were hurried on deeper and deeper into the wilderness,now passing over broad level prairies, then plunging into swamps anddeep ravines; anon climbing precipices, rugged mountains, and thenpassing over the deeply shaded valley, through which streamlets sungyear after year their sweet songs of peace and love.

  The third day, towards night, as they were going through a thickcoppice that skirted a prairie they had just crossed, they weresurprised by a party of Pah-Utah Indians, and after a short but fierceengagement, in which the Tabagauches were completely cut up, thecaptives fell into the hands of the victors. They had eaten but verylittle since they were captured, and faint and exhausted from theirsufferings, they hailed any change with joy. The Pah-Utahs treated themwith great kindness, washed and dressed their wounds, presented themwith parched corn and dried meat, and fitted them a bed of ferns anddried leaves to sleep upon. They were congratulating themselves ontheir happy change, when they saw with horror, the Indians roast anddevour with great avidity the dead Tabagauches: they were at the mercyof cannibals! Late in the night the revolting feast was prolonged, andthen all was still, save the soft tread of their guard, as he hoveredaround them. The next morning a deer was given them which had been justkilled, and they were shown a large fire, and given to understand theywere to cook and eat it. This they did with very good appetites, and,together with the parched corn, made a savory repast. When this wasdone, they were placed on horses and driven on, now taking a south-westdirection. Though treated very kindly, their wants anticipated, andprovided for, yet they were given to understand that an attempt toescape would be punished with death by fire.

  Whirlwind told his fellow captives that their safest way was to assumean air of indifference, and even gaiety, in order to deceive theircaptors, and impress them with the idea that they had no hope ofescaping. "There is a possibility that we may throw them off theirguard and slip away, if we are cunning, at stratagems; but, should wefail, they will eat us without further delay."

  Accordingly they rallied their drooping spirits, and appeared more likea party roaming through the forest for pleasure than doomed captives,for such their captors held them, and only delayed their death, thatthey might enjoy the horrid feast in their village at leisure. Theyjourneyed on, and the second day when the savages halted they wereastonished to see them, instead of kindling a fire, touch a burningtorch to what they had taken for springs of water that bubbled up fromthe base of a rugged range of hills, but which blazed with a clear,strong flame on being touched with fire, and by which the savagescooked their supper, by placing it on a forked stick and holding it inthe flame.[3]

  [3] This curious phenomena was at that time entirely unknown to the white man, but has since been discovered to exist four hundred miles east of the land of the Amachuba.

  The captives gathered around the singular phenomena with astonishment,which so amused the Indians that, taking a burning stick, they ran fromplace to place lighting the curious liquid where it bubbled up in jets,until fifty fires were blazing around them, lighting the forest withbrilliancy. On examining this liquid they found it clear, and havingthe appearance of pure spring water. The Pah-Utahs gave them tounderstand that it flowed unceasingly, and was much used by them forlight and heat. It was a great curiosity, and elicited a great deal ofspeculation as to what uses it might be applied if it could be conveyedto the haunts of civilization. That night they slept quite soundly,considering the circumstances under which they were placed, and arosemuch refreshed.

  "I really feel well this morning," remarked Howe, "and do believe weshall yet escape from these demons."

  "The white chief has dreamed," said Whirlwind.

  "I believe I did dream a curious dream last night," said Howe. "Itseemed as though I stood on a precipice looking calmly on the plainbelow, when an eagle came down, and taking me in his talons, carried meto his eyrie, which seemed to be perched on a mountain whose summitpassed the clouds; and there, oh! horror, a hundred eaglets with openmouths stood ready to devour me. Then it seemed as if a heavy cloudpassed by, and with a fearful leap I sprang upon it and floated throughthe sky until it began gradually to grow thinner and thinner and I layunsupported in mid-air. Then I began to sink, first slowly, butgradually increasing in velocity until I seemed to go swifter than thewind, and at every moment expected to be dashed to pieces. But as Ineared the earth I began to descend slower; when, lo! I softly alightedat the door of our camp, and there I found Duncan and Lewis. Indeed itseemed we all were there as if nothing had happened."

  "A singular dream, uncle," said Jane, "but you know it could not cometrue. Besides," she added sadly, "there is little hope that father andLewis escaped."

  "I am impressed with the idea they did," said Sidney. "Had they beenmurdered, the savage murderers would not fail to have scalped them andexhibited the scalps in triumph."

  "The young brave is right; they have escaped," said Whirlwind. "TheTabagauches would have scalped the white chief had they taken him."

  "You always said you did not believe in dreams," said Jane, upon whoseimagination it seemed to have considerable influence.

  "Neither do I, generally. But now, even a dream of freedom and friendsis gratifying, and I cannot help feeling elated by it."

  "The Great Spirit visited the white man in his slumber. Believe what heshowed to thy slumbering spirit, lest he be angry and destroy thee,"said Whirlwind earnestly.

  "Really, Whirlwind, it is as absurd as singular," remarked Edward, "andis taxing credulity too much to ask an implicit confidence in it."

  "The brave is young, and cannot interpret the signs of the presence ofthe Great Spirit. His children know him better, and recognize histeaching."

  "Oh! well, chief, I hope he is in earnest now, at least, and willsucceed in getting us out of the clutches of these promising childrenof his," said Edward.

  "Then the young brave must not anger him," returned the chief,solemnly.

  "I should like to know how far we are from camp, and how much fartherthey intend taking us," said the trapper.

  "Their village is half a day's march to the setting sun," repliedWhirlwind, "and we evidently are from six to seven days' journey fromour camp."

  About noon they entered their village, displaying their captives intriumph to the rest of the tribe, who surrounded them in
great numbers,grinning and twisting their naturally ugly visages into frightfulgrimaces, at the same time filling the air with yells of delight andsatisfaction.

  That night there was another revolting feast. The victims being threeIndians of a peculiar form and features different from any they hadever seen.

  "They are from over the desert," said Whirlwind to Howe's inquiry ofwhat tribe they were, "and have been taken in battle. The tribes allthrough this region are very warlike, and every year countless numbersare taken and sacrificed at their feasts. The tribes are cannibals, andeat their enemies as you see these do; therefore, they fight with moredesperation knowing they must conquer and feast on their foes or beconquered and feasted upon."

  "What is our chance, do you think, of being sacrificed?" asked Howe.

  "We shall be, of course, unless the Great Spirit saves us. It is thefate of war," replied the chief, with as much indifference as if he wasdiscussing a puppy stew.[4]

  [4] A great delicacy with Indians.

  "I could bear it for myself, Whirlwind, but these children!--No; wemust out-wit them and escape," replied the trapper. "Prudence andcunning may save us."

  The village of their captors was situated on a low, level plain,sloping gently towards the south and west, bordered by the Wahsatchmountains on the east, a spur of which, branching from the regularchain, ran a number of miles from east to west, and formed a highbarrier on the north, rising in perpendicular precipices to the heightof three hundred feet. The village was very populous, the corn fieldsnumerous, and now just in bloom, promising an abundant yield. Thelodges were large, convenient and well stored with furs and skins,while large quantities of arms for defence hung around, intermixed withcuriously wrought baskets, elaborately embroidered tunics andmoccasins, gay colored blankets, scalps of fallen foes, eagle plumes,bears' claws, antlers of deer, and innumerable tails of fox and beaver.

  The captives were distributed among the different lodges, at firstclosely guarded; but as they evinced perfect content, they were allowedgradually more and more liberty, until at last they were permitted toroam through the village at will, with a single guard, whose duty itwas to give the alarm in case they should attempt to escape. Thisgreatly elated them; and, as not one of the tribe understood English,they were able, at all times, to converse and devise plans without fearof detection by being overheard.

  About two weeks after their captivity, they were wandering around theoutskirts of the village, and approaching the precipice at the north,penetrated the thick underbrush that grew at its base, and seatedthemselves in its cool shade, their sentinel taking up his position afew rods from them in the path by which they had entered. Some of themsat so as to recline against the rock that rose above them, whilstothers leaned in thoughtful mood against a cluster of bushes that wereentwined with the wild grape, forming a strong but easy support. Janewas pulling up the ferns and wild flowers, and as they drooped in herhand threw them aside and gathered fresh ones until there were no morein her reach; then her eye becoming attracted by some rich, greenmosses, she gathered them, when among the black earth from which theywere taken something gleamed bright and distinct from everything aroundit. Sidney, who was nearest her, regarding her with a sorrowful look,was the first one attracted by its glitter, and being undecided what itwas, called the attention of Howe to it.

  "It is gold!" cried the trapper, after closely examining the tiny flakeSidney had placed in his hand.

  "Gold! let me see it," they all cried. "Is gold always found in thatshape?" queried Edward.

  "Not always," he replied. "Sometimes it is imbedded in the rocks, andhas to be dug out by blasting; while, at others, it comes in globules,called nuggets, often of great value."

  "Perhaps there is more around here; let us see," said the trapper, andtaking a stick he dug among the soft earth, when, lo! it was speckledwith the precious ore.

  The sentinel seeing them gathering up the glittering scales with greateagerness, came forward, and with his hatchet struck a few heavy blowsagainst a fragment that projected from a fissure in the rock, when itsplit from the solid mass, and revealed the precious ore, intermixedwith quartz rock; then turning away with disdain, left them to amusethemselves, and took up his former position in the pathway.

  "We can gather as much as we please; and if we have the good luck toescape the vigilance of these demons, we shall be rich," said Sidney.

  "It is something, at least to have made the discovery. These mountains,I judge from the fragment broken, must be full of ore?" said thetrapper.

  "The Indians," said Whirlwind, "say there are stones still farthertowards the setting sun that give light like stars, and glitter intheir bed with a hundred fires; but they are never seen in thesehunting grounds. All through the mountains these are to be found inabundance," said he, pointing to the gold that lay glittering in theearth.

  "You never told me of this before, Whirlwind," said the trapper. "Whywere you so wary about what you must have known was of importance?"

  The chief drew up his tall, athletic form, and pointing with his fingerto the sky, said:

  "As many moons ago as there are stars yonder, when the sun is in thewest, there came to the hunting-grounds of the red man a band of whitemen. They were few, and my fathers fostered them; and, when the whitemen found the glittering earth accidentally, as you have, they showedthem where it could be scooped up by handfuls, and where the starstones lighted up the caverns. Then grew hatred between the red andwhite man; for the star stones are bad spirits who stirred up evilpassions in the heart, then laughed and mocked at their warring. Thewhite man grew many and strong, and more came from beyond the bigwater. Then they made the earth red with each other's blood, and myforefathers were obliged to give up their hunting grounds, and fly intoother possessions, where there was again war for a place to hunt in,until the earth was again red with blood. And now all between the swiftwater and the great sea towards sunrise is covered by the pale faces'lodges, while, we, a remnant of former days, are forced to give wayuntil we shall have all perished, and the graves of my ancestors becomethe play grounds of the white man's papoose. Then let the glisteningearth sleep where the Great Spirit buried it, that the evil spirits maynever again gloat over the earth dyed with the blood of its people.Whirlwind has spoken, let his white brother hear, that their love benot turned to anger, and that they slay not each other."

  As he ceased speaking, he quietly walked from amid his fellow captivesand taking a position but a few feet from them, bent a decisive look ofcommiseration on their every movement.

  "Throw down the stuff," said the trapper, "the chief is angry, and wecan have no use for it here, so it is not worth while to provoke him byeven retaining what we have."

  The children obeyed, for they were not willing to risk the friendshipof the chief for whom they entertained great respect, although theycould not always appreciate his curious logic. He seemed relieved whenhe saw them do so, and proposed they should quit the dangerous spot,which they acceded to.

  Towards evening of the same day, they were wandering leisurely on thesouthern border of the corn-fields, when they were startled by a droveof deer bounding past them, and making for the forest beyond. A noblebuck was the leader, with head erect, making ten feet at every jump.Away they went, casting the earth from their slender hoofs, caring forneither brush or brake, for a relentless pursuer was on their track.

  "See! there goes three small specks close to the ground; there theyare, three monstrous black wolves with glistening coats, their fieryeyes sparkling, and jaws distended."

  They were larger than the largest dog; long, gaunt limbs, small, andall muscle, and so persevering that every thing tired before them. Theyseldom, when they start in a chase, give up their prey.

  "Without doubt, the weakest of that noble herd will make a supper fortheir rapacious foes," said Howe.

  Such is the black wolf of the western wilds, attacking every thing hemeets when hunger is on him; even the buffalo falls a prey to him.