I hurriedly related our last parting. For. some moments she did not reply, while her whole frame trembled violently.
At length she withdrew her hand, tight ened the rein again, and gasped the singla word,
" Farewell ! "
Ere I had time for another syllable, her horse was speeding away like the wind ; and ere I had recovered from my surprise, both were lost in the darkness.
So sudden had all this happened, that I felt completely bewildered. Was I dreaming ? A word from Teddy aroused me. Despatching him to the trappers, to ask their assistance, I flew back to the larger encampment and gave the alarm. Instantly the whole camp was in commo tion : and amid the screams of women and children, the men grasped their arms, and sprung from their coverts excited and pale, but ready to meet danger without flinching, in defence of those whose lives they prized above their own.
I hurried round the camp to quiet the fears of the weaker members, by telling them there was little or no danger that the Indians, if they came at all, finding us ready to receive them, would not risk an attack. In this, much to my surprise, I was shortly aided by Lilian and Eva, both of whom displayed a heroic coolness, and presence of mind, and fearlessness of dan ger, fur which, among all the virtues I had allowed them, I had given them no credit whatever. Had I been required, before this event, to select the most timid of the party, I should have pointed them out first. Modest, unassuming, retiring in their manners, weak in physical powers, unused to hardships and dangers, with a superior refinement in thought and feeling I had supposed them the first to shrink at anv alarm. Judge of my astonishment, then, when I saw them gliding over the earth, as over a soft carpet, and, with scarcely an appearance of fear, by their acts and language, shaming the more frightened to silence. The arrival of the trappers, too well armed and their seeming indifference to danger, reassured all in a measure, and served to restore order and quiet.
Hastily organizing, we marched outside the wagons, and took up our position so as to watch and guard any point of compass, not knowing at which the foe might make his appearance and onset.
ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST.
119
All relapsed into silence, in which man ner an hour was passed, and we were be ginning tu think the alarm false, when one of the mt'U espied a dark object, as he fan cied, slowly nearing him.
Without a second thought, crack went his rifle, and instantly, as if by magic, a dark spot to the north of us became peo pled by some fifty savages, who, finding themselves discovered, and doubtless think ing this the alarm of the sentinel, uttered frightful yells, and sprang forward, in a body. Rushing to the point of attack, we haslily formed a line, and placing our rifles to our shoulders, silently waited until not more than twenty yards divided us from the main body of our enemies.
" Fire ! " cried a voice ; and instantly a dozen rifles poured their deadly contents among the dusky horde, with good effect, as could be told by several frightful groans of pain.
This was a reception the savages had not counted on, and they in turn became nlanned. Suddenly pausing, they uttered yells of dismay, and discharging their pieces at random, the balls of which whis tled past us without a single injury, they turned and fled precipitately. The victory was ours, and to Prairie Flower we owed our lives. The remainder of the night we kept to our arms, but were not again dis turbed, and by sunrise the whole party was on the move up the mountains.
As I could not think of parting with my friends (above all with Lilian) in the wil derness, I resolved to accompany them to their destination; and then to to I scarcely knew what. Teddy of course went with me, and the trappers, out of friendship, bore us company many days.
1 shall not weary you, reader, 'with a detail of all the little incidents of our tedi ous progress to Oregon city. Suffice, that it w«is such as all emigrants experience in H greater or less degree, and was attended with a succession of scenes similar to those described throughout these pages. As I had predicted, the health of Mrs. Huntly was gradually restored; and within ten days from the commencement of her con- Yalesc:nce, she declared herself as well as at any period of her life, and that the word of her young doctor, as she jokingly termed rnt, was equal in eft'ect to the
combined virtues of the whole materia medico,.
The return of Mrs. Huntly's strength and spirits, brought pleasuie to the eye and bloom to the cheek of Lilian, which my daily presence, as I was vain enough to flatter myself, did not tend to dissipate.
Be that as it may, (and I leave the reader to judge) this long journey, so full of hardship and peril, however unpleas ant it might have proved to her and to others, I must ever look back to with pleasure, as one of the happiest periods of my so far eventful life.
Crossing the Rocky Mountains at th well known South Pass, we continued on the regular Oregon route passed Fort Hall went down the Snake river and over the Salmon Mountains to Fort Boise through the country of Shoshones, or Snake Indians, over the Blue Mountains to Fort Walla Walla, on the Columbia down the Columbia, over the Cascade range, to Oregon City, on the pleasant little Willa mette where we all safely arrived about the middle of December.
At this period, as I before remarked, Oregon City existed only in name being with the exception of a few log houses, (erected during the summer and fall pre vious, by a few emigrants who had reach ed here in advance of our party,) a com plete wilderness. The appearance of the place, so different from what they had expected to find it, disheartened my wor thy friends not a little ; and had such a thing then been possible, I believe they would at once have returned to their native land. But this was out of the question; there was no help for their oversight now, only by making the best of a bad bargain ; and so, after having grumbled to their hearts' content wished Oregon for the thousandth time at the bottom of the sea, and themselves b^ck home as many they set to work in earnest, to provide them selves homes for the winter, declaring that spring should see them on their way to the States.
With proper energy, properly directed, a great deal may be accomplished in a very short time ; and in less than two weeka from their earnest commencement, no lesa than eight or ten cabins were added to the few already there. In these the different
THE PRAIRIE FLOWER.
families removed, Teddy and I taking up our abode in that appropriated to Mrs. Huntly.
Although without any effects save such as had been brought with them, and short of provisions also, yet, by one means and another, all managed to get through the winter as comfortably as could be expect ed ; and instead of preparing to return, spring found the majority of the new set tlers entering lands, determined on making this their future residence, be the conse quences what they might.
Some three or four, among whom was Madame Mortimer and her daughter, were still disaffected, and would gladly have re traced their steps ; but they could not iind companions enough to make the journey safe, and therefore, against their will, were forced to remain.
Oregon City I found beautifully located on the eastern bank of the Willamette, and, from what I could judge, destined, at no very distant period, to become the great mart of the Far West. Here I re mained through the winter, and as it proved open and mild, employed my time in hunting and fishing, and conversing with the only being I truly loved. Had my friend been with me, I should have looked upon the place as a perfect paradise ; but thoughts of him of what might be his fate would steal over me in my most joy ous moments, and cloud my brow with gloom. These singular changes were noted by Lilian and others with feelings of surprise, and frequently was I ques tioned by the former regarding them but I ever avoided a dirert answer.
Neither Lilian nor her mother knew the true cause of Charles Huntly's absence ; and though I often meditated telling them, yet, when it came to the point, I ever shrunk from the painful task of making both wretched. He miglit be living , and the bare possibility of such a thing, I thought sufficient to justify me in keeping them in blissful ignorance of what I sup posed to be his real fate. Both fondly
> anticipated seeing him the coming sum mer not doubting he Lad gone east, and that so soon as he should receive tidings of their locality, he would set out to join them. I had no such hopes but I dared not tell them so.
IT was a lovely day in the spring of 1843. On the banks of the romantic Willamette, under the shade of a large tree, J was seated. By my side with her sweet face averted and crimson with blushes, her right hand clasped in mine, her left unconsciously toying with a beau tiful flower, which failed to rival her own fair self sat Lilian Huntly. It was one of those peculiar moments which are dis tinctly refttembered through life. I had just offered her my hand and fortune, and was waiting, with all the trembling impa tience of a lover, to hear the result.
"Say, Lilian sweet Lilian! will you be mine ? "
Her lily hand trembled I felt its vel vet-like pressure but her tongue had lost the power of utterance. It was enough ; and the next moment she was- strai ned to my heart, with a joy too deep for words.
" And when sahll it be when shall my happiness be consummated, dear Lilian ? " I at length ventured to ask.
For a time she did not reply ; then rais ing her angelic face, and fastening her soft beaming eye, moist with tears of joy, upon mine, she said, in a low, sweet, trem ulous tone :
" On the day when we are all made glad by the presence of my brother."
" Alas ! " groaned I, mentally, " that day may never come ! "
THE fate of Charles Hi- tly of th* mysterious Prairie Flower *id others will be found in " LENI LEOTI OR, AD VENTURES IN THE FAR WES* - -A TO PRAIRIE FLOWER."
THE END OF PRAIRIE FLOWER.
Bennett, Emerson - Prairie Flower 01 Page 27
