CHAPTER EIGHT.
OBED'S STORY CONTINUED--NOGGIN RESCUED BY THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER--SAM ANDBLOUNT RETIRE, HOPING THAT HE MAY BE HAPPY--THEY CONTINUE THEIRWANDERINGS--BLOUNT'S DEATH--SAM PROCEEDS ALONE--CAPTURED BY THERED-SKINS--THEY PREPARE TO KILL HIM--NOT LIKING IT, HE ENDEAVOURS TOESCAPE FROM IT--ESCAPE AND PURSUIT--A RIDE FOR LIFE--HARD PRESSED FORFOOD--OBED'S ADVENTURES--HOW HE ESCAPED FROM THE BEAR--THE FAITHFULDELAWARE.
"So you all want to know what became of poor Noggin," said Dick, leaningback in his comfortable arm-chair, after he had taken a sip from hisclaret glass, and stretching out his legs on the thick buffalo-skinwhich served as a rug to his cosy dining-room fire-place. "I'llcontinue the narrative as old Short told it to me, though not exactly inhis own words, for those I cannot pretend to repeat--I cannot even hopeto imitate his quaint expressions and racy humour. Noggin stood theattacks of his tormentors with as much heroism as could the most stoicalof red warriors. We longed to rush in to his rescue, but we knew fullwell that the attempt would be worse than useless, and we shouldinevitably lose our own lives and not save his. The fires burned upbrightly, shedding a lurid glare over the whole scene, making thered-painted and feather-bedizened warriors, and their hideous brownsquaws, look more horrible and terrific than ever, as they danced, andleaped, and grinned, and shrieked round our friend. To make the pictureperfect, you must remember the dark forest in the background, the tentscovered with red-tanned skins, and the groups of children and dogsscuttling about in front of them, with the stakes, and the lean-to's,and sheds of different sorts, on or in which the spoils of the chase andother provisions were hung to dry or smoke. Indians delight inprolonging the sufferings of their captives; so they, in their refinedcruelty, took care not to wound the poor fellow in any vital part.
"After a short time the old squaws resharpened the points of theirfire-sticks, and then they all advanced together, the warriorsbrandishing their tomahawks and shrieking louder than ever. Noggin eyedthem all, however, with perfect coolness and disdain. I thought thathis last moments had come. This conduct, though the savages admired it,only made them the more anxious to conquer his spirit. Several producedtheir instruments of torture to tear his flesh, and to pull out his eyesand his tongue, indeed, I will not describe all the excruciatingcruelties they were prepared to inflict; I well-nigh gave way myselfwith horror, though my nerves were pretty well strung, when a youngsquaw, who had been sitting in the shadow of one of the tents, sprangup, and darting between the warriors and old women, before any of themcould stop her, threw one of her arms round Noggin's neck, and holdingout her other hand, in a tone of authority ordered her savage countrymen and women to keep back, and claimed him as her husband. She was afine, tall young woman, and though her skin was dark, her features werehandsome and full of animation, while her eye sparkled with the spiritwhich burned in her bosom.
"`Come, loose him, loose him,' she cried, and we could understand herlanguage. `He is mine. Let none of you dare to hurt a hair of hishead.'
"I had heard of such things having been done before, but I did not muchbelieve in them. It convinced me that woman has a tender,compassionate, loving heart in every country, and that man should prizeit as one of the richest gifts which bounteous Nature has bestowed onhim, and consider it one of the most cowardly of acts and the foulest ofcrimes to tamper with or betray it. The young girl was a chiefsdaughter. Her people, as they were bound to do, obeyed her immediately.Noggin was released, and led by her to her tent. Instead of thetorments he had been suffering, he found himself tended with thegentlest care which affection could dictate.
"Blount and I seeing this, made signs to each other that it was time forus to be off. In the morning the red-skins would be prowling about, andthey would be too glad to get us instead of the victim who had escapedthem. We were not likely to find another Poccahuntas to save our lives.We went back the way we had come, obliterating as best we could alltraces of our advance, and at last, after many hardships, we reached ourcanoe. We had our rifles, but our ammunition was growing short, and wehad no means of replenishing it; the winter also was coming on, and wewere far from any white settlement. Still hunters are not to befrightened by trifles; we knew well not only how to trap beavers, butanything that flies, creeps, or swims, and we agreed that we would layup a store of provisions, and spend the winter by the side of the river.To think with a hunter is to act. Our great want was salt. We caughtsoon a supply of fish, fowl, and deer, and we killed a bear, which madevery good beef; but all these things we had to dry in the sun or tosmoke; we kept our ammunition in case of any extremity in which we mightfind ourselves. We should have liked to have communicated with Noggin,but we knew that he, like many white men who had married Indian women,would be reconciled to his lot, and from henceforth live the life ofIndians.
"We agreed, therefore, as soon as the return of spring enabled us totravel, we would take up our beaver skins and furs left in _cache_, andgo back with them to the settlements. Had we been supplied with powder,we should not have hesitated at once to commence our journey, butunarmed, as we soon should be, we should have been both unable to supplyourselves with food, or to defend ourselves against any enemies we mightmeet; whereas in the spring we should descend rapidly in our canoe, andcarry our provisions with us.
"Several weeks passed away. We had a warm hut built and a good supplyof provisions and fuel collected. It was intensely cold, and the riverwas frozen across, and the snow had set in. My great concern was for mycompanion. Illness had attacked him: he grew weaker and weaker everyday. With a sorrowful heart I saw that he had not long to live. I toldhim so at last. He would not believe me. He said that he should getbetter, that the cough would leave him, and that he was stronger than hehad been. He almost persuaded me that I was wrong in my surmises andthat he should recover. When the cold grew very great he took to hisbed, from which, according to my idea, I thought he would never rise.
"At last one day, however, he sat up and said he should like to go outand see if he could not kill a wild turkey; he should like to have somefresh meat. I told him I would get it for him: he said no, half thepleasure would be in killing it himself; he felt as strong as a buffalo,and knew he could walk a dozen miles. So he got up, and put on histhick coat, and took down his rifle from the peg to which it hung, andsaid he was ready. I looked at him with wonder. His cheeks were so wanand his hands so thin I did not think he could have held his rifle.
"`If you will go, I will go with you, Blount,' said I, and took down myrifle to follow him.
"I had just got to the door of our hut, when I heard him say, `Ah! thereis the turkey cock.' So, sure enough, there was one sitting on thebough of a tree not fifty yards from us. As he spoke the crack of hisrifle sounded in my ears--down came the bird. It seemed as if he wasgoing to run to pick it up; but he staggered forward a few paces, andbefore I could get up to him he had fallen flat on his face. The bloodgushed from his mouth. I lifted him from the ground; he pressed myhand, and before I got him back to our hut he was dead. I sat down anddid what I had not done for many a long year before--I burst into tears.He had been my companion and friend, faithful and true, almost from hisyouth upward--son, wife, everything to me--and now he was gone, and Iwas alone in the great white melancholy wilderness.
"After a time I became quite foolish--I spoke to him, I called out hisname, I entreated him to answer me. I felt at last that I should go madif I kept him longer near me, so I roused myself and dragged his body toa distance under an old hickory tree. The ground was too hard to let medig a grave, so I made a hole in the snow, and collected all the stonesI could find near the river, and piled them over him; I never went nearthe spot again. The next three or four weeks were the most miserable Iever passed in my life. Not that I had any great reason to be anxiousabout myself. I had an abundance of food, and I knew that I couldeasily find my way to the settlements in the spring; but it was thelong, long solitude which I dreaded."
"I can enter into your feelings,"
said I, interrupting him, and I toldhim what I had suffered, and on comparing notes we found that we hadbeen within a hundred miles of each other. "However, go on," said I,and Short continued his narrative.
"Three or four weeks had passed away after the death of Blount, when oneday, as I was standing near my hut wishing for the return of spring--forI had very little to occupy my hands or thoughts--I saw half a dozenred-skins approaching me at a rapid rate. To attempt to fly wasuseless, and I knew that I could not hope to defend myself successfully;so, though I did not like their looks, I saw that my only chance ofsafety was to meet them in a friendly manner. Accordingly, I advancedtowards them. As I got nearer I saw that they were Pawnees, some of thevery tribe among whom Noggin was located, and three of whose people Ihad lately killed; I may add also the greatest thieves in this part ofthe country. Still I put the best face I could put on the matter, andheld out my hand in token of friendship.
"Instead of taking it, two of them seized me by the shoulders andhurried me back to my hut. As soon as they entered they began to makefree with everything they saw, and it was very evident that they hadcome to rob me of all they could get. When their eyes fell on poorBlount's rifle, they asked me what had become of my companion. I madesigns to them that he was dead. They examined the hut for a fewminutes, and then seemed satisfied that I told them the truth. Onfinding that I had a good store of provisions they made signs to me tolight a fire, and then forced me to cook enough provisions to satisfytheir not very moderate appetites. I knew that it was better to complywith their commands than to refuse, and the less spirit I showed theless likely they were to keep a strict watch over me. If theyconsidered that I was a brave fellow they would look upon me as agreater prize, and treat me accordingly.
"After they had eaten as much as they could, they went hunting about thespot in all directions till they came to the place where my canoe washid away. No sooner did they see it, than there was a greatconsultation among them, and then they came back and sat round my fireand talked away for an hour or more. The result of this conference wasanything but favourable to me. They had undoubtedly heard of the deathof their countrymen, and knowing the locality, and seeing the canoe,they had come to the conclusion that the deed had been done by my handor by that of my late companion. This, doubtless, saved my life for thepresent. If I had killed their friends, they wished to preserve me toput me to death with the most refined of their tortures. That nightthey slept in my hut. The next morning, having pulled the canoe topieces, and totally destroyed my hut, they set forth on what I guessedfrom their preparations to be a long journey.
"I will not describe that journey. At night we slept within any thickwood or cypress swamp we could find, and travelled on the greater partof the day. My captors exhibited a wonderful power of endurance. Iwalked, of course, with lagging steps, for I felt sure that could I notfind means to escape, I should be put to death at the end of it. Atlast we fell in with the main body of the tribe. No sooner was I shownto them, than several of them declared that I was the very man who hadkilled their companions, and my heart sunk within me; I knew that theywould to a certainty put me to death if they could. The chief forthwithheld a consultation with all ceremony, and speedily decided my fate. Iwas led into a large wigwam to pass the night, and guarded by mycaptors. I watched all night for an opportunity to escape, but my armsand legs were secured by leathern thongs which cut almost into my flesh,and I had no power to release myself. My heart, as well, it might, sunklower and lower.
"Day came; I made up my mind that it was to be my last on earth. Ithought of Noggin, and I knew that if he could he would rescue me, butat the same time I was aware that the cunning red-skins would not lethim know that I had been captured. The day wore on; the tribe collectedfrom far and near; the fires were lighted; the squaws and childrenassembled; indeed, the same scene was enacted which I had seen gonethrough with Noggin. The fire was actually scorching my feet, and thesmoke was ascending into my nostrils, when the sky grew dark and aterrific snow-storm commenced. Down it came like a sheet upon the earthand speedily put out the fires. The red-skins rushed into theirwigwams. I was dragged back into the one where I had passed the night,and was told that my death was postponed till the next day. I resolvedto make use of the time of grace; still my prospect of escape was slightindeed. A stout thong of buffalo-hide was fastened round my neck, andsecured to one of the beams which ran across the top of the wigwam;thongs fastened my wrists and ankles, and cut deeply into my flesh; andmy guards, squatted closely around, seemed inclined never to take theireyes off me. Every now and then they addressed me and told me for mycomfort that I should eat fire in the morning; I wished that they wouldgo to sleep, and, at all events, leave me in peace.
"At last four of them lay down, and I knew by their snoring that theywere really unconscious of the present. Two of them still sat up andkept talking at me, describing the horrors I was to go through. Atlength one of those two lay down, and now only one old man remainedawake; I thought he would never cease talking, and smoking, andtormenting me. On he talked; never have I seen a more hideous orvicious old fellow. I tried in vain not to listen. However, at lasthis voice grew thick, and more and more indistinct; his pipe went out,and his head dropped on his breast.
"Not a moment was to be lost; I tugged and tugged at the thongs whichbound my wrists. My heart beat so quick and loud that I thought thesound would awaken my captors. My struggles freed my wrists, and I soonhad my ankles free, but the tough, well-seasoned buffalo-hide rope roundmy neck resisted all my efforts to loosen it. Daylight was approaching.The noise I made, or my loud breathing, roused up the old man. Ithought all was lost. Placing my hands behind me, I pretended to bedozing. He got up, stirred the fire, and then sat down again. Oh, howanxiously I waited for him to go to sleep again! Once more his headdropped on his breast, and he snored. That was the sweetest noise I hadheard for a long time.
"I had gnawed and tugged at the thong round my neck in vain; but I knewthat what a steady strain will not accomplish a sudden jerk may do. Iseized the thong with the grasp of despair, gave it two or three rapidpulls, and to my joy it parted. I was free, but still I had manydangers to encounter. A watchful dog or a sleepless Indian mightdiscover me. Treading with the caution I knew was so necessary, Ipassed between the bodies of the sleeping red-skins and stepped out intothe open air. The cold restored my strength. I looked around on everyside. The stars were shining brightly above my head, and the lodges ofmy enemies lay around in the dark shadow of the forest. The neighing ofa horse showed me where some of the steeds of the tribe were tethered.I ran towards the spot. I had no time for selection. I threw myself onthe back of the first animal I found. The first faint streaks of dawnwere already appearing in the eastern sky. Not an instant had I tolose. I should, I knew, be very speedily pursued. I scarcely had timeto consider in which direction I should go. The thong which still hunground my neck served me for a bridle. I looked up at the bright stars,and turned the horse's head towards the south. One thing only I couldresolve on--not to pull rein till I was beyond the reach of pursuit. Isoon found that I had got one of the best horses of the whole stud.
"Away I went galloping over the snow, fleet as the wind. I could notconceal my trail; but if I had the best steed and an hour's start, Imight keep ahead of my pursuers, and fall in with some friendly tribe,or by some other means obtain assistance before I was overtaken. Myhorse was a noble animal. He had, I doubt not, been stolen not longbefore from the whites, and he seemed glad to have a white man again onhis back. Poor beast! I did not spare him. Full fifty miles I wentwithout pulling rein. Then I threw myself off and turned his head tothe wind to let him regain his strength. But few minutes only I halted;I either heard my pursuers or thought I heard them. Again I mounted andgalloped on as before. The noble brute seemed to know the importance ofhaste. Oh, how willingly he went up steep hills, down wild valleys,across streams, over the most rugged ground--nothing stopped hi
m. Wecame to a broad river. It was frozen over with a sheet of smooth ice,from which the wind had blown the snow. Still on he went, slipping andsliding. Several times I thought he would be down, and yet I dared notcheck him; but he recovered himself and reached the opposite side insafety. Sometimes we were almost buried in the snow.
"On the other side of the river we plunged into a deep snow-drift; buthe plunged on, and, planting his feet on firm ground, sprung upwardagain, and on he went breasting the side of a steep hill. We gained thesummit. I looked back for an instant. I thought I could discern in thefar distance several black spots. I was sure that they were mypursuers. On I went along the ridge of the mountain. It was stony andfree from snow, and I hoped that if my pursuers should discover my trailacross the ice they might possibly here lose it. This thought gave mefresh courage. I came to the end of the ridge and descended into theplain. My noble steed was becoming much distressed. Still I valued mylife more than his. As long as he could go I must make him go. On hewent. Full eighty miles had been passed over since dawn. Neither myhorse nor I had tasted food. Still I dared not stop. Across the plainwe went. Nearly another ten miles were gone over. I felt my horse'slegs staggering under him. He breathed heavily, his pace slackened;still he endeavoured to spring forward. He staggered more and more, andI had barely time to throw myself off when down he came to the ground.Once he tried to rise, but again he fell, and his glassy eye told me tooplainly that he had destroyed himself in his efforts to save me. Whobut the base-hearted would be unmerciful to man's most serviceable andsagacious of friends? I had no time to stop and mourn for my gallantsteed. Casting but another look on him I ran on over the ground asrapidly as my legs would carry me. I never stopped; I never lookedbehind me. I knew that nothing would turn aside my blood-thirstypursuers. Night came on; still I ran without slacking my speed.
"I had been in motion since the morning without food, still the dread offalling into the power of my savage foes gave me supernatural strength.A wood lay before me; I plunged into it. I still could distinguish mycourse by the stars, and I hoped that my pursuers would be unable tomake out my trail. This hope gave me fresh courage, but my strength wasfailing me, and in a short time, gasping for breath, I fell to theground, and the blood gushed out of my mouth. I thought I was going todie like my poor horse, but after a time I felt better, and hope revivedonce more. I lay still in the hopes of recovering my strength. I didnot wish to sleep; indeed I knew how dangerous it would be to attempt todo so. As I lay on my back, I saw the moon slowly rise above the stilltrees, and shed a bright light over the landscape. I gazed at it forsome time; then I recollected that by its light my pursuers wouldcertainly be able to follow up my trail. Instantly I sprang to my feet,stiff and full of pains as I felt, and on once more I went. I came atlast to a rugged hill. I climbed it, and following the stony ridge forsome way, descended into the plain on the opposite side. On I ran. Asbefore, I thought I heard the shouts and threatening cries of myenemies, and fancied that they must have got to the side of the mountainI was on by some other path. As long as I had any strength I determinedto run on.
"Day at last dawned; I entered a wood. I had my knife in my pocket. Idug up some earth-nuts, and chewed some snow. I felt revived, but mylegs refused to carry me farther. I discovered a hole full of leaves, Ithrew myself into it; I listened with intense anxiety for any soundsmade by my pursuers. I could hear none. Exhausted nature at lengthgave way, and I slept. Whether I slept more than a whole day, or only afew hours, I cannot tell. My first impulse was to spring up andcontinue my flight. But before I left the wood I remembered that I musthave more food, so I dug up a further supply of nuts, and then dashedaway as before across the plain. I looked hastily around me, but couldsee no pursuers. Still I knew too well their pertinacity and theirdevices, to suppose that they would desist from following me, till I wasactually in a place of safety. On I went, therefore, rejoicing in thedarkness.
"Suddenly as I went along I heard some strange sounds. These were humanvoices. I became aware that I was passing near a large body of Indians.They were not my pursuers, but, till I could ascertain who they were, Iwould on no account intrust myself with them. To turn back was ashazardous as to proceed, so on I went. They heard me, and came afterme. I expected to lose my scalp after all, when you, my friends, cameto my rescue, and here I am; rather battered, I own, but still able andwilling to pull a trigger for our mutual defence."
"Spoken like an honest backwoodsman," cried Obed and his brothers."Friend Short, if you like to join your fortunes to ours, you arewelcome."
The old man owned that he had no fancy to hunt by himself, and thatafter the adventures he had gone through he would gladly leave that partof the country, for, as he said, Indian vengeance never slumbers, andnever dies, as if in exact contradiction to the Christian law of love.
Knowing that we were surrounded by vindictive enemies, none of us feltinclined for sleep, and I therefore asked Obed to continue the accountof his adventures. "Ay, friend, that I will," he answered promptly. "Ileft the honest Delaware and the bear and her cubs all rolling away intothe river together. The cold water somewhat astonished Mistress Bruin,and made her for an instant let go her gripe. The Delaware took theopportunity of striking his knife with all his force into her neck, andbefore she could return the compliment, he sprang up the bank, on thetop of which I stood ready to assist him. The bear was not killed, but,rendered furious by the wound, she began to scramble up the bank afterus. The Delaware sprang to get his rifle, while I pointed mine at thebrute's head. On she came. I fired, and expected to see her roll over,but the bullet did not strike a vital part, and so she made savagely atme.
"The Delaware had by this time regained possession of his rifle, andwhile I threw myself on one side, he fired with unerring aim full at thebear's head. In another instant her claws would have been on myshoulders, and her teeth in my cheeks. The ball struck her. With afierce growl she attempted to spring forward, but I stepped back, andover she rolled at our feet. The cubs came waddling up to see what wasthe matter with their mother, and as they were rather too big to bepleasant companions, we were obliged to kill them. We ate some slicesof them afterwards. We spent the evening very pleasantly over our fire,and next day at dawn we pushed on, that we might encamp while there wasan abundance of light to put up our wigwam, and to kill any game wemight require. Several days passed away without any event of interestto tell you of. The Delaware was an excellent travelling companion, andI believe that without him the Indians would speedily have found me out,and would have left me without a top to my head. We had quitted thebanks of the river, and were progressing across a wide-rolling prairie.Although the wind when it blew was keen, the sun had still at middaygreat power. We toiled on through the high grass with not a breath ofair, hoping to get across the prairie before nightfall. We could see,from the nature of the ground, very little way on either side of us.
"Suddenly we were conscious of a hot wind blowing on our right cheeks,and then it came laden with smoke and fine dust. `On! on!' cried theDelaware, grasping my arm to hasten my steps. There was reason for usto hasten. `The prairie is on fire, and before long, if we delay, weshall be surrounded by the raging flames!' he exclaimed. `On! on! on!'I saw in the far distance a rocky mound, rising out of the prairie,towards which my guide pointed. I saw that he meant that we should seeksafety there, but it seemed to me scarcely possible that we should reachit before the fire would overtake us."
Dick Onslow Among the Redskins Page 8
