Bennett, Emerson - Prairie Flower 01

by The Prairie Flower (lit)

  With a proud carriage, and an unabash ed look from her dark, eloquent eye, she advanced a few paces, glanced loftily around upon the surprised and admiring- spectators, and then struck the palms of her hands together in rapid succession. In a moment her Indian pony came pranc ing to her side. With a single bound she vaulted into the saddle, and gracefully wa ving us a silent adieu, instantly vanished through the open gateway.

  Rushing out of the fort, the excited crowd barely caught one more glimpse of her beautiful form, ere it became completely lost in the neighboring forest.

  " Who is she ? who can she be ? " cried a dozen persons at once.

  " PERRAEIE FLOWER, or I'm a nigger," shouted a well known voice in reply.

  I turned and beheld Black George al ready working himself up to a great pitch of excitement.

  CHAPTER XIII.

  PRAIRIE FLOWER AND HER ALARMING INTEL-

  LICEXCE SUPEUSr TIOX SPECULATION

  THE DILEMMA KFT KARSON's SUGGES TION THE DECISION TEACHING TEDDV

  THE MARCH THE SCOUTS THE HALT AND

  PREPARATIONS FOR FIGHT.

  THE news brought by Prairie Flower we learned in the course of the evenino- was of the utmost importance being to the effe-jt that a large band of warriors, composed chiefly of Oglallahs and Chey- ennes, had taken up their position in the vicinity of Bitter Cottonwood a place some twenty-five miles distant and had vowed to cut off all the whites that came tiifti way, either going to or comino- from

  Oregon. The result of this information was to cause no little alarm in the station, particularly among the emigrants, who

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  being for the greater part composed of women and children, were consequently in no fit condition to brave the assaults of a blood-thirsty body of savages.

  But who was Prairie Flower the mys terious messenger that belonged to the Indians, and yet came like a guardian angel to warn the whites of their danger? Who was she indeed ! None could answer. To all save the commander of the garrison and Black George, (who now had to re hearse his remarkable story a dozen times, to gratify the curiosity of the excited in quirers, and who became a personage of no little importance in consequence,) she was an utter stranger ; and for all auy one knew to the contrary, might have dropped from the skies, a winged being of a fairei realm. The commander of the garrison, whom I shall term Captain Balcolm, had seen her once before, when she came to warn him of the Sioux, who were meditat ing a descent upon the fort, a surprise and general massacre of its inmates, and whose design by this timely notice was thwarted ; but regarding who she was, how she gained

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  her information, to what tribe she belonged, or why she was permitted to do these good acts and escape he could give no satis factory reply. On both occasions she had required a private audience with him ; and on the former one had sent a request to him by an Indian half-breed, to meet her in a little grove some hundred yards dis tant from the walls of the fortress.

  At first he had refused to go unattended, for fear of some stratagem to take his life or make him prisoner. The messenger had gone back evidently dissatisfied, but in a few minutes had returned with a skin parchment, on which the same request, aa orally delivered, was written with a charred stick, with the additional statement that the writer was a female, and that the newa she had to convey was of great moment.

  Ashamed to show further cowardice, he had armed himself to the teeth, and call ing his garrison around him, had notified them to be in readiness to protect the furl if besieged, and avenge him on the half- breed, whom he left with them as hostage, in case he returned not within two hours--

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  THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; D R ,

  merely slating, by way of explanation, that he van going' to hold a private conference with a distinguished chief. The result of this conference, as before stated, had been to save the lives of all, and defeat a well laid scheme of their enemies.

  Captain Balcolm furthermore stated, that Prairie Flower, as she called herself, spoke the English language well and fluently ; and that to his inquiry regarding herself and tribe, she had answered with a smile, that she must ever remain a mysterious being to him and all of his race ; that as to tribe.she found herself a welcome guest with all came and went as she chose without question or hindrance and that the lan guage of each she understood and spoke as readily as her mother tongue.

  " In conclusion," added the gallant cap tain, " I must say, that with all ray expe rience, I have never seen so perfect, so mysterious, so incomprehensible a being as herself. Were I superstitious, I should unquestionably be tempted to doubt my senses, and believe her a supernatural visi- ter ; but I have touched her, and know that she is flesh and blood."

  Many there were in the fort, however, who had not so much faith in her identity with an earthly habitant as the captain ; and I often heard confidential whispers to the effect, that she was a being from another realm, who had assumed the mor tal shape for the time, merely to bring about some special design of the Great Spirit; and that when said design 1 should be accomplished, she would never be seen again by living mortal.

  The Indian, it is well known to all who know anything of his history, is the most superstitious creature on earth, and be lieves in the direct interference of spirits, in bodily shape or otherwise, on any and every momentous occasion ; and as the trapper or hunter is but little removed from him by civilization, and not a whit by knowledge gained from letters, it is hardly reasonable to suppose that he would im bibe ideas at war with those among whom the most of his eventful life is spent. In his earliest venture, he learns and adopts the habits of his enemy, and in some cases it would seem his very nature also ; and the result is, that he becomes at last neither more nor less than what I may venture to

  term a civilized savage. And here I may remark, en passant, that your real, bona tide mountaineer, rarely looks beyond tho lodge of some favorite tribe for a partnei to share his toils and rear his progeny ; and to the truth of this assertion, e v en the garrison of Fort Laramie bore striking evi dence ; for scarcely a wife -among them, but was a full-blooded squaw nor a child, but bore the cross of the red man and white.

  Various were the speculations that nigh*, regarding Prairie Flower and ho alarming intelligence. The truthfulness of the latter none seemed to question, howe/er much they might the identity of the for,(/jr with the race called mortal. That thb Indiana were at Bitter Cottonwood in great force, was therefore a mutter beyond dispute and the question was what should DC dono under the circumstances ? io remain ia- active, was only to act the rvrt of cowards, doom a portion of their ow/ race to certain destruction, augment the confidence of the wily foe in his own resources, and conse quently raise his hopes svith the flush of success, and increase his daring and au dacity. While, on the other hand, to assail him in all his strength in his own strong hold, with only a handful of men, was like rushing unarmed into the lion's den and courting speedy annihilation. In this di lemma what was to be done ? Something, all admitted, must be done, and that quick ly but what that something was, no^f became a matter » of serious deliberation. Some proposed one thing, and some ano ther, and the discussion waxed warm, and seemed likely to be protracted indefinitely, without resulting in the agreement of any two to the proposal of any other two.

  At length Kit Carson, who had sat and listened attentively without venturing a re mark, observed :

  "Say what you will, comrades, thar is after all but one way of settling this affair,

  and that is to pitch into the varmints

  and lift their hair. I've had a little expe rience in my time, if I am young in years, and may safely say I've never knowed an Indian yet as wasn't a coward, when as sailed in a vigorous manner by a deter mined pale-face. I've rode right among thar lodges before now, and alone, single- handed, raised a top-knot in full view of

  ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST

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  fifty able bodied warriors, and their squaws and pappooses. Now if I could do this myself, it argues favor
ably for an attack upon them in numbers."

  " But what, then, do you propose ? " I inquired.

  " Why, sir, to arm and mount on good horses a dozen or fifteen of us, dash into them, and fight our way out."

  As. lie said this, his brow wrinkled, his eyes (lashed, and his whole countenance exhibited traces of that fiery, reckless daring, which, together with its opposite coolness and great presence of mind, had already rendered him so famous in the wil derness. I saw at once, that however mild and quiet he might appear when not ex cited, it only needed an occasion like the present to bring out his latent energies and make him a terrible foe to contend with.

  "Well," I rejoined, "although I came merely for adventure, and beyond that have no object in pursuing my way fur ther, yet I will readily volunteer rny ser vices in a case of such emergency."

  " And I," responded Huntly quickly.

  " Your hands, gentlemen !" said Car son. " I took you for men, and I see I was not mistaken. Who next? "

  This rapid decision produced an electri cal effect upon all, and in a moment a doaen affirmative answers responded to the chal lenge, while each, eager to get ahead of ; hift neighbor, now pressed around the young, famous, and daring mountaineer.

  In less than half an hour, all prelimi naries were settled, and sixteen hardy, able-bodied men were mustered into the ranks. These included the four trappers who had been our companions, together with Huntly, Teddy and myself.

  It was then agreed that Kit Carson should be our leader, and that on the fol lowing day we should mount ourselves on ! the best horses that could be procured, and taking a roundabout course, should ap proach the savages as near as possible without being discovered, and await, the night to commence our attack. The mat ter settled, we retired to rest, some of us for the last time before taking that final sleep which knows no waking.

  Rolling myself in a buffalo skin, I threw myself upon the ground but it was a long

  time before I could close my eyes in slum ber. Thoughts of what another night might bring forth, kept me awake. 1 might be lying cold and dead upon the earth, a prey to wild beasts or what was more terrifying, be a living captive to a merciless foe, doomed to the awful tor tures of the stake. I thought too of home of Lilian of ilie mysterious Prairie Flower and in. tlio confusion of all these, fell asleep, to find them strangely com mingled in my dreams.

  The morning broke bright and beauti ful ; and' ere the sun had more than gilded the loftiest peak of the Rocky Mountains, we were all astir, preparing for our haz ardous expedition. With the assistance of Captain Balcolm, we succeeded in mus tering sixteen fine horses, including of course those we had brought with us. We then armed ourselves to the teeth, with rifles, pistols, knives and tomahawks, and partaking of a savory breakfast tendered us by the gallant commander of the garri son, prepared ourselves to sally forth.

  Before we departed, however, I had a task, which proved far more amusing than desirable, in explaining to Teddy the prop er method of using his rifle and pistols, and the manner in which he must conduct him self in the forthcoming fight. Having slicvfri him how to load, prime and sight the former weapon, I discharged it at a target, and ordered him to imitate my ex ample with all the despatch possible.

  " Jabers ! " shouted Teddy in great glee, scampering off to the target to make an examination of my shot.

  In a moment he returned, bring-in"- it with

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  him ; and pointing triumphantly to a bul let-hole which he found in its center, he said :

  " Troth, your honor, but thim same shooters is beauthiful things, now, for mur thering the baastiy blaggards of Injins, jist. Here, now, ye's boured a howle right cintral as asy as meself could do wid a gimlet, and yees a standing there too all the whiles ! Be me sowl too ! an' now 1 renumbers I didn't sae the ball at all, at all, though I looked mighty sharp at it all the time wid my two ej%s. Howly inur- ther ! but Aminca is a great counthry now, barring the tieving baasts of savage* that's in it."

  THE PRAIRIE FLOWER; OR,

  Something like an hour was spent in making Teddy familiar with the rifle, at the end of which, I had the satisfaction of finding him tit for duty. By this time ail save he and I were in their saddles; an I hastily mounting, we joine I the cavalcade Carson in the van, and amid three hearty cheers from the regular garrison (most of whom remained to protect the station). and earnest prayers from all for our safety and success in the coming contest we quitted the fort.

  Shaping our course along the bank of the river, we advanced some ten or fifteen miles over the regular Oregon route, when we came to a place called Big Spring, which takes its name from a large spring of water gushing out at the base of a steep hill, some quarter of a mile below the traveled road. Here we halted and held a council of war regarding our further progress, which resulted in the decision to quit the road at this point, and, by stri ding off to the left, keeping ourselves cov ered as much as possible in the wood, endeavor to gain a safe lodgment near the Indian camp, and remain quiet till after nightfall, when we must be guided wholly by circumstances. It was also thought prudent to throw out a few scouts in ad vance, lest we unknowingly should enter an ambuscade and all be cut off. For this purpose Carson dismounted, and ap pointing me his lieutenant, gave me pri vate instructions regarding the route, and at what point, provided he had not joined us meantime. [ was to hah and await him. Then ordering two Canadian-French voy age urs to dismount also, he said a few words to them in a jargon I did not un derstand, and in another moment all three had separated, and were buried in the surrounding wood at so many different points of compass.

  Leading the unridden horses of the scouts, we slowly picked our way over rough and sometimes dangerous ground, keeping a sharp lookout on every side for fear of surprise, until the sun had reached within an hour and a half of the horizon, when we came to a beautiful little open plat, covered wiilf rich green grass and blooming wild tlowers, in the center of wl-ich bubbled up a cool crystal spring, forming a sparkling little rivulet, and the

  whole of which was surrounded by a dense thicket, not more than a hundred yards distant at any point. This beautiful spot to me seemed the oasis of the desert ; and being to the best of my judgment the one described by Kit, where I was to await him, I accordingly ordered a halt. Dis mounting and refreshing ourselves at the

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  spring, ve watered our animals and al lowed them to graze around us, holding fast to the bridle reins the while, pre pared to remount at a moment's notice or the first sign of danger.

  Half an hour passed in this way, and some of the mountaineers were becoming impatient, when, to our great delight, we beheld the welcome visage of Carson, as he glided noiselessly into the open plat and rejoined us. And, singular enough ! al most at the same mosnent the two voya- geurs made their appearance at different points, not one of the three having seen either of the others since their parting from us in the morning.

  " Well, boys," said Carson, thar'll have to be some warm doings to a certainty ; and those of you who aint prepared to lose your scalps, had better be backing out or getting ready as soon as convenient."

  " Have you seen the Indians ?" asked Huntley.

  " Well I have, and know Prairie Flower didn't lie either. Thar ar three distinct lodges of them composed of Sioui', Chey- enues and Blackfeet at least to the best of judgment, for I didn't like ventur ing too close. They are «nmped in a little fcollow just below Bitter Cottonwood, not more than three miles distant, and evidently have no suspicirn of our being near them."

  " Well, what is now to Le done ? " I asked.

  " Wait till I've had «j. t/ik with these Canadians."

  With this Kit called t\e scouts aside, and after a few minutes' conversation, re turned to me and said :

  " La Fanche and Gi/nois both report, they've seen no Indiaa signs to alarm, from which I argue, tl, at thinking them selves secure where th«:y ar, the savages haven't taken thar usual precaution t« send out scouts. Regarding the plan of attack, I think we'd better let
our hor*

  ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST.

  61

  feed here till dark, and then ride through the fores t for a couple of miles or so, cache them, and take it afoot. I've got the plan fixed in my head, and will tell you more then. And now let's feed and smoke while we've got time."

  We had provided ourselves with a good supply of jerk, and as none of us had eaten a morsel since leaving the fort, we proceeded to satisfy the demands of na ture. This done, we lighted our pipes and smoked and talked till the shades of night warned us to be again on the move. Guided by Kit, we entered the thicket and advanced slowly, cautiously, and si lently, for the better part of an hour, when we came to a dense cover of cot- tonwood.

  " Halt and rope," said Kit, in a low tone.

  In a moment each man was on the ground, and engaged in attaching his horse securely to a tree, though so dark was it here that everything had to be done by the sense of touch.

  "See that all your arms ar about you, and ready, and then follow me, Indian file," said Carson again ; and in less than three minutes, with stealthy tread, sixteen de termined men, one after another, glided from the thicket into an open wood, like so many specters stalking from the tombs of the dead.

  CHAPTER XIV.

  IIIE EVENING'S CAMP OUR STEPS RETRACED OUR SECOND ADVANCE TERRIBLE AM BUSCADE THE BLOODY CONTEST KIT CAR- SON'S WONDERFUL FEATS REINFORCEMENT