Among the Red-skins; Or, Over the Rocky Mountains
Page 5
CHAPTER FIVE.
AN EXPEDITION.
WAITING FOR THE MESSENGERS--TWO TIRED INDIANS--BAD NEWS OF ARCHIE'SFATHER--UNCLE DONALD DETERMINES TO CROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS--PREPARATIONS--NEWS OF THE BLACKFEET--INDIAN CANOES--THE EXPEDITIONSTARTS.
Summer was advancing, and we had for some time been expecting the returnof Red Squirrel and Kondiarak, another Indian, who had been sent in thespring to Fort Edmonton with letters, and directions to bring any whichmight have come for us. At length we became somewhat anxious at theirnon-appearance, fearing that some serious accident might have happenedto them, or that they might have fallen into the hands of the savageBlackfeet, the chief predatory tribe in the country through which theyhad to pass.
Hugh and I were one evening returning from trapping beaver, several ofwhich we carried on our backs. Though the skins are the most valued,the meat of the animal serves as food. We were skirting the edge of theprairie, when we caught sight of two figures descending the hills to theeast by the pass which led from Clearwater towards the Rocky Mountains.
"They are Indians," cried Hugh, "What if they should be enemies?"
"It is more likely that they are friends," I answered. "If they wereenemies they would take care not to show themselves. Let us go to meetthem."
The two men made their way slowly down the mountains and had got almostup to us before we recognised Red Squirrel, and his companion Kondiarak("the rat"), so travel-stained, wan, and haggard did they look.
They had lost their horses, they said, after our first greetings wereover. One had strayed, the other had been stolen by the Blackfeet, sothat they had been compelled to perform the greater part of the journeyon foot; and having exhausted their ammunition, they had been almoststarved. They had succeeded, however, in preserving the lettersconfided to them, and they had brought a packet, for Uncle Donald, froma white stranger at whose hut they had stopped on the way.
On seeing the beavers we carried they entreated that we would give themsome meat without delay, saying that they had had no food for a coupleof days.
Their countenances and the difficulty with which they dragged their feetalong corroborated their assertions. We, therefore, at once collectingsome fuel, lighted a fire, and having skinned and opened one of thebeavers, extended it, spread-eagle fashion, on some sticks to cook.They watched our proceedings with eager eyes; but before there was timeto warm the animal through their hunger made them seize it, when tearingoff the still uncooked flesh, they began to gobble it up with thegreatest avidity.
I was afraid they would suffer from over eating, but nothing Hugh or Icould say would induce them to stop until they had consumed the greaterpart of the beaver. They would then, had we allowed them, have thrownthemselves on the ground and gone to sleep; but anxious to know thecontents of the packets they had brought, relieving them of their guns,we urged them to lean upon us, and come at once to the farm. It wasalmost dark before we reached home.
Madge embraced her son affectionately, and almost, wept when sheobserved the melancholy condition to which he was reduced. He wouldnot, however, go to sleep, as she wanted him to do, until he haddelivered the packets to Uncle Donald, who was still out about the farm.
He in the meantime squatted down near the fire, where he remained withtrue Indian patience till Uncle Donald came in, when, rising to hisfeet, he gave a brief account of his adventures, and produced thepackets, carefully wrapped up in a piece of leather.
To those which came by way of Edmonton I need not further refer, as theywere chiefly about business. One, however, was of great interest; itwas in answer to inquiries which Uncle Donald had instituted to discoverany relatives or friends of little Rose. To his secret satisfaction hewas informed that none could be found, and that he need have no fear ofbeing deprived of her. As he read the last packet his countenanceexhibited astonishment and much concern.
"This letter is from your mother, Archie," he said, at length, when hehad twice read it through. "Your father has brought her and the rest ofthe family to a mission station which has been established for thebenefit of the Sercies, on the other side of the Rocky Mountains.Scarcely had they been settled for a few months, and your father hadbegun to win the confidence of the tribe among whom he had come tolabour, than the small-pox broke out in their village, brought by theBlackfeet from the south; and their medicine-men, who had from the firstregarded him with jealous eyes, persuaded the people that the scourgehad been sent in consequence of their having given a friendly receptionto the Christian missionary. Some few, whose good will he had gained,warned him that his life was in danger, and urged him to make his escapefrom the district. Though unwilling himself to leave his post, he hadproposed sending your mother and the children away, when he was attackedby a severe illness. She thus, even had she wished it, could not haveleft him, and they have remained on at the station, notwithstanding thatshe fears they may at any time be destroyed by the savages, while themedicine-men have been using all their arts to win over the few Indianswho continue faithful. These have promised to protect them to the bestof their power, but how long they will be able to do so is doubtful.Their cattle and horses have been stolen, and they have for some timebeen short of provisions; thus, even should your father regain hishealth, they will be unable to travel. He, like a true missionary ofthe Gospel, puts his confidence in God, and endeavours, your mothersays, ever to wear a cheerful countenance. She does not actuallyimplore me to come to her assistance, for she knows the length anddifficulties of the journey; and she expresses her thankfulness that youare safe on this side of the mountains, but I see clearly that she wouldbe very grateful if I could pay her a visit; and I fear, indeed, unlesshelp reaches your family, that the consequences may be serious. I have,therefore, made up my mind to set off at once. We may manage to getacross the mountains before the winter sets in, though there is no timeto be lost. I will take Pierre and Corney, with Red Squirrel and aparty of our own Indians, and leave Sandy, with Hugh and you, in chargeof Clearwater."
"May I not go, also?" I asked, in a tone of disappointment. "Surely Imay be able to help my father and mother, and Hugh would be very sorryto be left behind."
"It is but natural that you should wish to go; and Hugh, too, maybe ofassistance, for I can always trust to your discretion and judgmentshould any difficulty occur," he observed.
"Then you will take us, won't you?" we both cried at once.
"Yes," he answered. "I would not take one without the other, so Hughmay go if he wishes it."
"Thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed, gratified at Uncle Donald'sremark; "we will try to deserve your confidence. What shall we dofirst?"
"We must have the canoes got ready, and lay in a stock of provisions sothat we may not be delayed by having to hunt; indeed, except somebig-horns, and perhaps a grizzly, we shall not find much game on themountains," he remarked.
That evening all our plans were completed, and Sandy and the other menreceived their directions. Saddle and pack horses were at once to bestarted off by a circuitous route, carrying only light loads however,and were to meet us at the head of the river navigation, however, whilewe were to go as far up the stream as we could in canoes, with as largea supply of provisions as they could convey.
The very next morning at daybreak while we were engaged in preparing thebirch bark canoes by covering the seams with gum, and sewing on somefresh pieces of bark with wattap, which is formed of the flexible rootsof the young spruce tree, an Indian was seen on the opposite side of theriver making a signal to us that he desired to cross. One of the canoeswhich was ready for launching was sent for him and brought him over.
"He had come," he said, "to bring us information that a large body ofBlackfeet were on the war-path, having crossed the Rocky Mountains atone of the southern passes, and that having attacked the Sinapools,their old enemies on the Columbia, they were now bending their stepsnorthward in search of plunder and scalps. He came to tell his whitefriends to be prepared should they come so far north
."
On hearing this I was afraid that Uncle Donald would give up theexpedition and remain to defend Clearwater, but on cross-questioning theIndian, he came to the conclusion that the Blackfeet were not at alllikely to come so far, and Sandy declared that if they did he would givea very good account of them.
Still, as it was possible that they might make their appearance, UncleDonald considered that it was safer to take Rose with us notwithstandingthe hardships to which she might be exposed.
"Then Madge will go too," exclaimed Rose; "poor Madge would be veryunhappy at being left alone without me."
"Madge shall go with us," said Uncle Donald; and Rose, highly delighted,ran off to tell her to get ready.
The horses had been sent off at dawn, but we were not able to startuntil the following morning as it took us the whole day to prepare thepackages of dried fish, pemmican, and smoked venison and pork, whichwere to serve us as provisions.
On a bright clear morning, just before the sun rose over the hills tothe east, we pushed off from the bank in four canoes. In each were fivepeople, one to steer and the others to paddle. Uncle Donald took Rosein his as a passenger.
Hugh and I went together with Red Squirrel to steer for us, and Corneyand Pierre had each charge of another canoe.
I will describe our canoes, which were light, elegant, and wonderfullystrong, considering the materials of which they were formed. They wereconstructed of the bark of the white birch-tree. This had been peeledfrom the tree in large sheets, which were bent over a slender frame ofcedar ribs, confined by gunwales, and kept apart by thin bars of thesame wood. The ends were alike, forming wedge-like points, and turnedover from the extremities towards the centre so as to look somewhat likethe handle of a violin. The sheets of bark were then fastened round thegunwales by wattap, and sewn together with the same materials at thejoinings. These were afterwards covered by a coat of pine pitch, calledgum. The seats for the paddlers were made by suspending a strip ofboard with cords from the gunwales in such a manner that they did notpress against the sides of the canoe. At the second cross-bar from thebow a hole was cut for a mast, so that a sail could be hoisted when thewind proved favourable. Each canoe carried a quantity of spare bark,wattap, gum, a pan for heating the gum, and some smaller articlesnecessary for repairs. The canoes were about eighteen feet long, yet solight that two men could carry one with ease a considerable distancewhen we had to make a "portage." A "portage," I should say, is the termused when a canoe has to be carried over the land, in consequence of anyobstruction in the river, such as rapids, falls, or shallows.
As soon as we were fairly off Pierre struck up a cheerful song, in whichwe, Corney, and the Indians joined, and lustily plying our paddles weurged our little fleet up the river.