Among the Red-skins; Or, Over the Rocky Mountains

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

  THE HORSE PARTY ARRIVES AT LAST, BUT WITH HALF THE HORSES STOLEN--THESTART ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS--MORE BLACKFEET IN THE WAY OBLIGE THE PARTYTO TAKE A STRANGE PASS--IT BECOMES COLDER--SNOW COMES ON--A PACK OFWOLVES--SLEIGHS AND SNOW-SHOES--IN THE HEART OF THE "ROCKIES"--CORNEYHAS A NARROW ESCAPE AND A COLD BATH--SNOW IN THE CANOES--DIFFICULTIES OFTHE WAY--THE PASS AT LAST--A FEARFUL AVALANCHE.

  Several days passed by. We were not molested by the Indians, but thehorses did not arrive. Uncle Donald never fretted or fumed, though itwas enough to try his temper. I asked him to allow me to set off withCorney and Pierre to ascertain if they had gone by mistake to any otherplace. We were on the point of starting when we saw a party of horsesand men approaching. They proved to be those we were expecting, butthere were only eight horses, less than half the number we had sent off.The men in charge had a sad account to give. The rest had been stolenby Indians, and one of their party had been killed, while they had tomake a long round to escape from the thieves, who would otherwise verylikely have carried off the remainder. The men also had brought a dozendogs--our three especial favourites being among them--to be used indragging our sleighs in case the horses should be unable to get through.We had carried the materials for forming sleighs with us in the canoes,while the harness had been transported thus far with the other packagesby the horses. The poor beasts, though very thin, were better than nohorses at all. There were a sufficient number to convey our stores andprovisions, one for Uncle Donald, who carried Rose on his saddle, andtwo others for Hugh and me. The rest of the party had to proceed onfoot. I offered mine to Madge, but she declared that she could walkbetter than I could.

  We made a short day's journey, but the poor animals were so weak that wewere compelled to camp again at a spot where there was plenty of grass.It was here absolutely necessary to remain three days to enable them toregain their strength.

  While we were in camp Uncle Donald sent out Pierre and one of ourIndians to try and ascertain if any of the Blackfeet were still hoveringin the direction we proposed taking across the mountains. We did notwait for the return of our scouts, but started at the time proposed,expecting to meet them on the road we should travel.

  We were engaged in forming our camp, collecting wood for the fires, andputting up rough huts, or rather arbours of boughs, as a protection fromthe wind--which here coming off the snowy mountains was exceedingly coldat night--while the gloom of evening was coming on, when one of the menon watch shouted--

  "The enemy! the enemy are upon us!"

  While some of our people ran out intending to bring in the horses, therest of us flew to our arms.

  Uncle Donald, taking his rifle, at once went out in the direction inwhich the sentry declared he had seen the band of savages coming overthe hill.

  Our alarm was put an end to when, shortly afterwards, he came backaccompanied by Pierre and his companion, who brought the unsatisfactoryintelligence that a large body of Blackfeet were encamped near the passby which we had intended to descend into the plains of the Saskatchewan.

  Ever prompt in action, Uncle Donald decided at once to take a morenortherly pass.

  The country through which we were travelling was wild and rugged in theextreme; frequently we had to cross the same stream over and over againto find a practicable road. Now we had to proceed along the bottom of adeep valley among lofty trees, then to climb up a steep height by azigzag course, and once more to descend into another valley. Heavilyladen as were both horses and men, our progress was of necessity slow.Sometimes after travelling a whole day we found that we had not madegood in a straight line more than eight or ten miles.

  The weather hitherto had been remarkably fine, and Hugh and Rose and Iagreed that we enjoyed our journey amazingly. Our hunters went outevery day after we had camped, and sometimes before we started in themorning, or while we were moving along, and never failed to bring inseveral deer, so that we were well supplied with food. The cold atnight was very considerable; but with good fires blazing, and wrapped upin buffalo-robes, we did not feel it; and when the sun shone brightlythe air was so pure and fresh that we were scarcely aware how rapidlywinter was approaching.

  It should be understood that there are several passes through the loftyrange it was our object to cross. These passes had been formed by themountains being rent asunder by some mighty convulsion of nature. Allof them are many miles in length, and in some places several in width;now the pass presents a narrow gorge, now expands into a wide valley.The highest point is called the watershed, where there is either asingle small lake, or a succession of lakelets, from which the waterflows either eastward through the Saskatchewan or Athabasca rivers, tofind its way ultimately into the Arctic Ocean, or westward, bynumberless tributaries, into the Fraser or Columbia rivers, which fall,after making numerous bends, into the Pacific.

  We had voyaged in our canoes up one of the larger tributaries of theFraser, and had now to follow to its source at the watershed one of thesmaller streams which flowed, twisting and turning, through the denseforests and wild and rugged hills rising on every side.

  The country had become more and more difficult as we advanced, andfrequently we had to wind our way in single file round the mountains bya narrow path scarcely affording foothold to our horses. Sometimes onone side, sometimes on the other were steep precipices, over which, by afalse step, either we or our animals might be whirled into the roaringtorrent below. Now we had to force a road through the tangled forest tocut off an angle of the stream, and then to pass along narrow gorges,beetling cliffs frowning above our heads, and almost shutting out thelight of day.

  At length we camped on higher ground than any we had yet reached. Onone side was a forest, on the other a rapid stream came foaming by. Thesky was overcast, so that, expecting rain, we put up all the shelter wecould command.

  The hunters having brought in a good supply of meat, our people were ingood spirits, and seemed to have forgotten the dangers we had gonethrough, while they did not trouble themselves by thinking of those wemight have to encounter. We had no longer hostile Indians to fear; butwe still kept a watch at night in case a prowling grizzly or pack ofhungry wolves might pay the camp a visit. The wind blew cold; not astar was visible. The light from our fire threw a lurid glare on thestems and boughs of the trees and the tops of the rugged rocks whichrose beyond.

  Having said good night to Rose, whom we saw stowed away in her snuglittle bower, Hugh and I lay down a short distance from the fire,sheltered by some of the packages piled up at our heads. Uncle Donaldwas not far from us. On the other side were Pierre and Corney and RedSquirrel, while Madge took her post, disdaining more shelter than themen, close to Rose's hut. Two of the men kept awake, one watching thecamp, the other the horses, and the rest lay in a row on the oppositeside of the fire.

  Such was the scene I looked on till, completely covering my head up in abuffalo-robe, I closed my eyes. I was awakened by finding an unusualweight above me. I threw my arms about, when down came a cold shower onmy face and clearing my eyes I could just see the snow on every side,while my body was completely covered up. I was perfectly warm, however,and felt no inclination to get out of my cosy bed to brush the snowaway. I drew my robe again over my head; being well assured that UncleDonald would arouse us if there was any risk of our being completelycovered up. How much longer I had slept I could not tell, when I wasonce more awakened by a terrific howling, yelping, the barking of dogs,the trampling and snorting of horses, followed by the shouts and shrieksof our men.

  I speedily drew myself out of my snowy burrow, and through the gloom Icaught sight of our horses endeavouring to defend themselves by kickingout with their heels against a pack of wolves which had followed them upto the camp, and Uncle Donald with the men engaged, some with theirrifles and others with sticks, in endeavouring to drive off the savagebrutes, but they were afraid of firing, for fear of wounding the horses.I felt about for Hugh, who being c
overed up by the snow, had not beenawakened by the din.

  "What is happening?" he exclaimed, sitting up. "Are the Indians uponus?"

  "Only some hungry wolves, and we are all right," I said.

  "Why, I fancy it has been snowing!" he exclaimed.

  "I should think so," I answered. "Come, jump up, we'll help put thosebrutes to flight."

  When the wolves found themselves encountered by human beings, theyquickly turned tail, but we had some difficulty in catching thefrightened horses, and I was just in time to seize one which was on thepoint of dashing into Rose's hut. As it was almost daylight, no oneagain turned in; the fires were made up, and we began cooking ourmorning meal.

  The snow continued to fall so heavily, that Uncle Donald decided toremain where we were, or rather to form another camp more under shelterof the trees. To proceed with the horses would have been almostimpossible, and he therefore settled to send them back and to preparethe sleighs and snow-shoes for the rest of our journey. A sleigh issimply a thin board, ten feet long and about a foot broad, turned up atone end. The baggage is secured to it by leathern thongs.

  To form a cariole, a cradle or framework like the body of a smallcarriage is fixed on a sleigh such as I have just described, and iscovered with buffalo skin parchment, the inside being lined with abuffalo-robe. When the traveller is seated in a cariole withoutstretched legs, he is only separated from the snow by the thin plankwhich forms the floor. The dogs which drag the sleighs are attached tothem by leathern thongs and collars generally decorated with bead workand tassels, surmounted by arches, to which are suspended strings ofsmall bells. We had brought a supply of snow-shoes and moccasins forall the party. The snow-shoe is an oval frame five or six feet inlength, about one in width, the intermediate space being filled withnetwork, except a hole in the centre for the heel of the wearer. It isattached to the foot by leathern thongs. All hands were busily engagedin putting the sleighs together, fitting the harness to the dogs, andarranging the cargoes. The horses were sent back. The canoe men hadtaken their departure, and our party now consisted of Uncle Donald,Rose, Hugh and I, Pierre, Corney, Madge, Red Squirrel, and four Indians.

  We had to wait until the snow had somewhat hardened, and the stream upwhich we were to proceed had been frozen over. Uncle Donald had madefor Rose to sleep in a bag of buffalo-robes lined with softer furs,which kept her perfectly warm. She was the only person who was to enjoythe privilege of a sleigh, drawn by Whiskey and Pilot, and guided byUncle Donald. The rest of us were to travel on snow-shoes, a mode ofproceeding which, though fatiguing, kept us warm.

  The last night of our stay in camp arrived. We were to start, shouldthe weather be propitious, the next morning. Soon after we turned infor the night, before I had fallen asleep, I was greatly surprised tohear the sound of chopping in a wood at no great distance off. I calledto Hugh, he heard it also, as did Uncle Donald.

  One after the other the men expressed their wonder at the sound.Corney, who was on guard, walked a few paces in the direction fromwhence it came, evidently thinking that something was wrong, but he soonreturned, declaring that he could see no one. Suddenly there came thecrash of a falling tree. After this mysterious occurrence, nothingcould induce him to go up to the spot, though it could not have beenmore than two hundred yards off. No one had been seen on the previousevening, and had Indians been there, they would have observed our fire,and would long ere this have gathered round it.

  What Uncle Donald thought I could not tell, he certainly did not get upto try and solve the mystery, nor did any of the Indians. Night passedaway without disturbance, and the next morning, though Hugh, and Pierre,and I made a circuit of the camp, we could discover no footsteps toindicate that any one had been in the neighbourhood, nor signs ofchopping, nor a fallen tree, so that the mystery remained unexplained.

  Breakfast over, our four Indians were sent ahead to trample down thesnow with their snow-shoes, the loaded sleighs following, driven by theother men and Madge, who was as good a driver as any of them, UncleDonald in charge of Rose bringing up the rear with Hugh and me. Suchwas to be our proceeding for many a day, until we were over themountains.

  We were now in the heart of the "Rockies." The valley of the river wewere following was about a mile wide, and on either side rose high rockypeaks, covered with perpetual snow, among which big-horns could be seenwatching us, the intruders into their domains, and daring us, as itwere, to scale the glaciers and meet them on their own ground.

  We several times met with moose, one of which was shot nearly every dayto supply our camp with meat. We were anticipating getting through thepass without difficulty, when we found ourselves at the bottom of a falla hundred feet in height, with thickly timbered hills on each side,which, rising abruptly from the water's edge, seemed to offer no footingeven for a snow-shoe, much less a practicable trail for dog-sleighs.

  Uncle Donald was not to be defeated, however, and at once ordered aregular track, graded round the face of the bluffs, to be formed. Byusing snow-shoes as shovels, and poles and brush for bridges, we crossedthe intervening gullies and reached the edge of the first fall. Goingon a mile further, we found the river confined between perpendicularwalls of rock, up which there was no climbing. We had to form anotherpath, carrying it over ledges of rock, banks of ice and snow, makingbridges from one huge boulder to another with the dark water boiling atour feet ready to engulf any one who might make a false step.

  To our joy, the formidable obstacle being surmounted, the good ice wasreached at last, when we pushed on, the dogs trotting gaily along, andwe following behind.

  But ere long another fall barred our progress. Before attempting tosurmount it, we halted for dinner.

  As I was looking up I espied a big-horn, or mountain goat, and believingthat we could get near enough to shoot it, Hugh and I set off with ourguns. The animal is about the size of a common sheep, with conicalhorns, nearly three feet long, and forming a complete circle, but sothick is the wool which covers its head and body that their full lengthis not seen.

  "Sure, you'll not be gettin' up after that baste!" I heard Corney say,he having followed us.

  "We'll try," I answered, and began ascending the steep rocks. Thedifficulties were greater than we expected, but still we did not like tobe defeated. We had been deceived by the clearness of the atmosphere,and after climbing up and up, the goat appeared as far off as ever.Presently he saw us, and off he bounded, springing along places where itwould have been madness to follow.

  "I tould ye so!" cried Corney from below, for he had still followed us."Ye must git above one of those gentlemen if you want to shoot him. Nowdinner will be cooked, and we had better be after getting down to eatit." We accordingly descended to where we had left our snow-shoes.

  "Stop a moment!" cried Corney. "Just let me get a drink of water, for Isee a rill dripping over a rock there."

  Corney accordingly made his way up to the perpendicular bank, butscarcely had he reached it, when, to our horror, there was a crash, andhe suddenly disappeared, leaving, however, his long pole behind him.

  I knew that the river was running like a mill sluice down below, sorushing forward I shoved the pole across the opening, and holding it inone hand, as I threw myself flat on the ice, I thrust down my arm. Tomy relief, I felt Corney's head as he came to the surface, and seizinghis hair, hauled away with might and main. Hugh now assisted me, and wemanaged to drag up the Irishman from his fearfully perilous position.It required caution, however, to get him on the ice, as that at anymoment might give way, and we should have to share the fate from whichwe were trying to rescue him.

  "Arrah! the spalpeens! why don't they help us?" cried Corney. "Shout,Mr Archie! shout, Mr Hugh!"

  Our cries brought Pierre, who was nearest at hand, carrying a long ropeand a pole.

  By resting on the poles, and lowering the rope with a bowline knot atthe end, we got it under his arms, and soon hauling him upon the ice, wehurried away from the dangerous spot.
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  He was none the worse for his dip, though it was no joke to be plungedhead over ears in that icy cold water. Several of the other men fell inat different times, for although it was freezing hard the rapidity ofthe current prevented the ice forming securely in many places. We hadoccasionally, therefore, to leave the river and to make our way throughthe forest--no easy undertaking. But we could get through any places,provided they were more than two feet wide. When camping, we shovelledaway the snow until we reached the moss on which we formed our beds;then we made our fire in the centre of the hole, and took our placesround it.

  When we went to sleep it was pretty deep, but in the morning, on gettingup, I found that I could not see over the wall of snow. By beating downthe edges, however, we managed to climb out.

  In spite of the depth of the snow, we travelled on, though as oursnow-shoes sank in places nearly a foot deep, the fatigue was verygreat. Rose laughed heartily as she saw us trudging on, and wanted Hughto take her place in the sleigh and let her go on foot while he rested.

  Again we came to a more mighty canyon than any we had yet encountered.This necessitated a detour, to avoid it, of about three miles overland.

  A canyon, from the Spanish, is a deep gully or gorge, either with ariver or stream flowing through the bottom or not, but the canyons inthis part of the Rockies nearly always have a stream at the bottom.

  We had again reached the river where it flowed on a more even course.It was entirely frozen over, but we were high above it, and thedifficulty was to get down.

  Pierre was the first to start. Away went the dogs with the sleigh,Pierre hauling it back and trying to stop its way. But all would notdo, and presently he, dogs, and sleigh, went rolling over and over,until they plunged into the snow at the bottom, to a considerable depth.

  "Och sure I'll be wiser," cried Corney; and he made fast a tail rope toa tree, thus enabling him to lower it gently for a short distance at atime. In slipping it, however, from one tree to another, the sleighgathered way, but scarcely had it got abreast of the dogs than itsheered off on one side of a small tree, the dogs rolling on the other.The tree--a mere sapling--bent, and the impetus carried the whole trainnearly twenty feet out towards its end--the dogs hanging by their traceson one side, counterbalancing the sleigh on the other, where they swayedto and fro in the most ludicrous fashion, yelping, barking, andstruggling to get free, and running a great risk of being hanged.

  "Surely I'll be afther losin' me dogs, and the sleigh will be dashed topieces!" cried Corney, wringing his hands in his despair.

  Uncle Donald told us to take charge of Rose; then springing down thebank with the agility of a young man, axe in hand, with a few blows hecut the traces and set the poor dogs free, while the sleigh bounded downthe hill into the snow at the bottom, where Pierre was trying to put histrain to rights, the new arrival adding not a little to hisdifficulties.

  Fearing that Rose might meet with a similar accident, Uncle Donald,taking her in his arms, carried her down, while Hugh and I managed thesleigh. As soon as we were all to rights, we had the satisfaction ofseeing before us a clear "glare" of ice. The dogs, entering into ourfeelings, set off at a scamper to cross it.

  In less than an hour we had got over a greater distance than we had thewhole of the previous day. We had now reached the entrance to the pass.On either side rose pyramidical peaks, covered with perpetual snow,three thousand feet above the valley. Shortly afterwards we came to thefoot of a magnificent glacier, which must have been scarcely less than amile in length and several hundred feet in height. As we had made agood day's journey, and evening was approaching, Uncle Donald waslooking out for a place at which to camp. We had just fixed on a spoton the bank of the river at the edge of a thick belt of trees, whichhere intervened between it and the cliffs, when a roar as of distantthunder reached our ears.

  "Look out! look out!" cried the Indians in chorus, and they pointedupwards.

  We did look, and there we saw the whole side of the mountain, as itseemed, in movement. Huge rocks and vast masses of ice came rollingdown towards the spot we were passing over, threatening to overwhelm us.

  Down rushed the fearful avalanche. One huge rock was so directing itscourse that our destruction seemed certain, when it crashed in among thetrees, tearing several up by the roots, but meeting with one of a largersize, just before it readied us, it was turned aside, and forcing itsway through the remainder, it plunged into the river, not many feet fromwhere we stood.

  As may be supposed, we did not camp at that spot, but, thankful for ourpreservation, pushed on to where, the valley slightly widening out, weran less risk of being overwhelmed by an avalanche.