CHAPTER XXXII
A WELL WON VICTORY--CONCLUSION
THE astonishment of Jasper Williams was apparent as he saw Dick andRoger Armstrong before him. Up to that time he had supposed the attackto be simply one of those ordinary Indian surprises to be expectedwhen white men are hunting on ground that the tribes of the Northwestclaimed as their own territory.
"Saving me seems to be getting quite a habit with you lads," he toldthem, as his bonds were hurriedly severed, and he could grasp a hand ofeach. "How did the news reach camp; and what made the captain allow youto start out almost alone into this heathen land in order to rescue me?"
Dick quickly informed him concerning the reason for their presence.
"We did not dream that you were in trouble," he said. "Mayhew, who wastaking the document to our people down on the Missouri, was robbed ofthe paper. He came back to the camp to let us know; and we could seethe fine hand of that French trader over there back of it."
"Francois Lascelles!" cried the hunter, as a look of understandingcrossed his rugged features. "Now I begin to see what it all means. Hewas afraid you would get another signature from me, and to block thegame he had me taken prisoner by the Blackfeet. Why," he added, in aburst of anger, "they even threatened to carry me off to their villageand make me teach their squaws how white women sew and bake bread, andall such civilized ways!"
"We immediately started out to overtake you," continued Dick, "andMayhew insisted on being one of our party. What strange adventures wehave met with you shall hear about another time; for I take it thatyou do not mean after this to head any further into such a terriblecountry?"
Williams shrugged his broad shoulders, and made a wry face.
"I suppose, lads, I would be a fool to try it, since my comradesdeserted me," he told them.
"Yes," replied Roger, "we met them on the way, and both Hardy andMordaunt vowed nothing could tempt them to go a step further. What withthe working of the Evil Spirit, and the danger from hostile reds, theyhad had enough."
"We are glad to hear you say such a sensible thing," Dick added,"because this does not seem like a white man's country. Only for ourgood luck in meeting these friendly Sioux, who come from the village ofRunning Elk, we might have had a much harder time in getting you free.But it is all right now!"
"The sooner we start back to the camp the better I will be pleased,"Williams admitted. "Then there's that document we ought to have on itsway. What will you do with the Frenchmen?"
"If we let them go free now," affirmed Roger, "no matter how theygive us their solemn word of honor, I believe Lascelles would try tointercept our messenger again."
"You are right about that, son," said Williams, warmly. "Better letthe Indians knock them on the head, and have done with it. They surelydeserve little mercy at your hands."
Dick, however, could not agree to such a thing.
"No," he said, firmly, "if Beaver Tail will agree to take them to campwith us, I believe Captain Lewis will hold them as hostages untilMayhew has had time to get so far along on his journey east that hecan not be headed again. After that the Frenchmen might be turnedloose."
Between Williams and Mayhew this was explained to Beaver Tail, whoagreed. Nothing was said about a reward, but Dick had already made uphis mind that he would endeavor to induce the two captains in charge ofthe exploring party to deal generously with the Sioux in this respect.
"It will not be thrown away, either," he told Williams, "because tohave Running Elk and his tribe friendly with us might mean much for thesuccess of our trip when spring comes."
Naturally Lascelles and his comrades were very much concerned as towhat their fate was going to be. When they heard what Dick had to saythey seemed rather pleased, though the old trader frowned, and mutteredto himself from time to time, as though he did not like the idea ofbeing frustrated in his cherished scheme.
There was apparently no help for it, unless he wished to try to escape,when the chances were he would be quickly hunted down and lose hisscalp to the Sioux.
Accordingly a start was made for the camp, the entire band of Indiansaccompanying the boys and the Frenchmen. During that weary march theold trader was given an opportunity of learning about the characterof the two lads whom he had been pursuing so heartlessly, with theintention of robbing their parents of the property that he claimedthrough a flaw in the title.
Whether this knowledge did him any good or not it would be impossibleto say. He was too old to change his ways of life, and, while openlyprotesting to have seen a light, so that he would no longer tryto injure the Armstrongs, Dick and Roger put little faith in hisrepentance.
When finally the camp was reached the prisoners were handed over tothe care of some of the soldiers accompanying the expedition, who werecharged with the task of seeing that none of them escaped.
Jasper Williams readily signed another document which Captain Lewishimself arranged, and both the leaders of the expedition put theirnames down as witnesses. Then Mayhew started once more for the lowerMissouri. The other two messengers had agreed to wait at a certainplace for him to join them; and he believed he still had ample time toarrive before the specified time would be up.
When the two boys waved him farewell they felt that a great load hadbeen taken from their shoulders.
"This time there should be nothing to prevent him from reaching ourhomes and delivering the precious paper, besides our letters," saidDick.
"Something seems to tell me he will do it," added Roger, "and so I havedecided not to let it worry me any longer. We will keep Lascelles andhis son here for some weeks, so that they will be powerless to catchup with Mayhew, even if they wished to try it. And Beaver Tail seemedgreatly pleased with the generous way Captain Lewis treated him, too,so we have made good friends of the Sioux."
"He gave the chief a gun and some ammunition," remarked Dick. "He wasas pleased with it as a child would be with a new toy. And every bravealso received something to show that we wanted them to be our friends.But the dinner we gave them did not seem to reach the right spot. I sawmore than one slyly throw the tea away when they thought no one waslooking."
"They will stick to roast dog as a feast dish," laughed Roger. "I wasafraid at one time there might be trouble between the Mandans andthe Sioux, for they are old rivals of the chase and the warpath. ButCaptain Lewis managed to patch up a truce that may last while we arehere, at any rate, even if the old warfare breaks out again afterwards."
"It took a good deal of talk, though," suggested Roger, "to induce theMandans to hide those old Sioux scalps they had swinging about theirteepees. If the braves of Running Elk had glimpsed those nothing couldhave kept them from making trouble. But it is simply wonderful whatpower Captain Lewis has over men."
"If we ever do set eyes on the great ocean that lies far beyond therange of rocky mountains," Dick affirmed, "it will be owing mostly tothe cleverness of the President's private secretary."
History has recorded the facts, and the young pioneer in stating hisopinion was only saying what other men have conceded.
A few days after Mayhew left the camp, well provisioned and armed forhis dangerous trip over the back trail, winter set in in earnest. Theboys were well satisfied to be so comfortably housed and among friends,instead of wandering amidst those strange scenes of which they neverseemed to tire of talking, where the earth appeared to be on fire deepdown under the outer crust, and continually spouted those colossalstreams of steaming water.
The four Frenchmen were kept prisoners until several weeks had elapsed,and then allowed to go. They had a _cache_ somewhere, they admitted,with an abundance of ammunition as well as other supplies, so there waslittle fear of their perishing in the severity of the winter weather.
As the days and weeks drifted along Dick and Roger carried out manyof their little plans. They hunted when the weather admitted, andaccompanied Jasper Williams on trapping jaunts that covered severaldays. They also had intercourse with the peculiar Mandan Indians, andlearned a multitude of in
teresting things connected with the tribecalled the "White Indians," a race which has always been a mystery tohistorians.
As the long winter drew near a close the boys began to feel theirpulses thrill in anticipation of being once more on the move with theirfaces turned toward the magical setting sun.
The talk around the fires was all of the wonders that still awaitedthem beyond the chain of mountains of which they heard so much. Everyscrap of information was garnered and repeated. Captain Lewis lost noopportunity to learn new facts, or rumors concerning what they mightexpect to meet in their further advance into the country which up tothen had never known the impression of a white man's foot.
It can be easily understood, then, that as the snows began to meltwith the gradual increase of the sun's warmth in the early spring,preparations were feverishly undertaken for a start. And in that campthere was none more deeply interested in the final outcome than wereour two pioneer boys.
"I think we'll see some wonderful sights," said Roger.
"Perhaps," was the answer Dick made.
How the forward march into the Great Unknown was resumed, and whatadventures fell to the lot of our young heroes, will be related inthe next volume of this series, to be called "The Pioneer Boys of theColumbia"; but, come what may, it is not likely that they will witnessanything more wonderful than the marvels they encountered in theterritory of the Yellowstone.
THE END
The Pioneer Boys of the Yellowstone; or, Lost in the Land of Wonders Page 35
