The Buffalo Runners: A Tale of the Red River Plains

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

  VISIT FROM SIOUX BROUGHT TO A DISASTROUS CLOSE.

  Happening to hear of the bargain which we have just described, and beingunder the impression that it might be good for La Certe's spirit toreceive a mild reproof, Mr Sutherland paid him a visit.

  The Scotch Elder was, for a long time, the only man fitted to performthe duties of a minister to his countrymen in that out-of-the-worldcolony, and, being a true man of God, he could not hear of grossinjustice, or heartless conduct, without some slight attempt to open theother's eyes to his sin.

  It may well be understood that, in the nature of things and the state ofthe country, the solitary Elder's duties were by no means light oragreeable. Indeed he would have had no heart to cope with them and withthe difficulties they entailed, had he not remembered that the battlewas not his, but the Lord's, and that he was only an instrument in theall-powerful hand of the Spirit of God. His own weapons were the Word,Prayer, and the name of Jesus.

  But it was not given to him to see much fruit of his visit to La Certeat that time. The half-breed, besides asserting himself to be a"Catholic," (by which he meant a Roman Catholic), and, therefore, in noway amenable to Sutherland's jurisdiction, received his remonstranceswith philosophical arguments tending to prove that men were meant tomake the best of circumstances as they found them, without any regard toprinciples--which, after all, were not very seriously held or practisedby any one, he thought--especially in Red River.

  As for Slowfoot, she listened with evident interest and curiosity to thestrange teaching and exhortations of the Elder, but when appealed to forsome sort of opinion on the various points touched, she replied with animbecile "Hee! hee!" which was not encouraging.

  However, the good man had sown the seed faithfully and kindly. Thewatering thereof and the sprouting were, he knew, in the hands of theMaster.

  Rising to take leave, the Elder put his hand in his pocket and pulledout a large clasp-knife.

  "Why, that's my knife that I lost!" exclaimed La Certe in surprise;"where did you find it?"

  "I found it on my table at home, where you left it that time you came toask for some tobacco. Now, observe, if I did not seriously hold andpractise the principle of honesty, I would have made the best ofcircumstances as I found them, and would have put the knife in my pocketinstead of returning it to you."

  La Certe laughed, and Slowfoot said, "Hee! hee!" while the juvenile LaCerte availed itself of the opportunity to draw the pipe gently from itsfather's hand and have a whiff.

  "I have a message to you from the Governor," continued the Elder, takinga piece of paper out of his pocket.

  "For me!" exclaimed La Certe, in surprise.

  "Yes. He heard that you are hard up just now, and that you are going upthe river a considerable distance to hunt--is not that so?"

  "Yes, that is true. We start off to-morrow."

  "Well, then, he gave me this order for some supplies of powder and shot,twine and hooks, with some cloth, beads, and such like for Slowfoot."

  "That is very good of the Governor--very considerate," said La Certewith a pleased look.

  "Very good," said Sutherland. "Now, La Certe, suppose it true that menare meant to make the best of circumstances as they find them, and thatI was a man without any regard to principle, I might have drawn thesesupplies from the store for you, and used them myself, and you would nothave been a bit the wiser."

  Again the half-breed laughed, and admitted the truth of the proposition,while Slowfoot expressed her belief, (whatever it was), in a more thanusually emphatic "Hee! hee!"

  Returning home from his apparently useless errand, Sutherland met FredJenkins with a gun on his shoulder. The seaman was accompanied byArchie Sinclair.

  "Well, Jenkins," he said, heartily, "you must be like a fish out o'water in these regions. Don't you feel a longing, sometimes, for theroar of the gale and the smell o' the salt sea?"

  "Can't say as I does, Mr Sutherland. I've bin used to accommodatemyself to circumstances, dee see, ever since I was a small shaver; sonothin' comes exactly amiss to me--"

  "O Fred! how can you tell thumpers like that?" interrupted the forwardArchie. "Isn't Elise Morel a miss to you? and Elspie, and JessieDavidson?"

  "Clap a stopper on your mug, you young scape grace!" retorted theseaman, who had some doubt as to whether the boy's putting Elise Morel'sname first was intentional or an accident. "As I was a-going to say,sir, I was always fond o' changes, an' the rollin' plains come to me aspleasant, though not quite so familiar, as the rollin' sea."

  "That's a satisfactory state o' mind, anyhow," returned the Elder. "Butwhere away now?--to cater for the pot, I dare say."

  "Well, no, not exactly--though I've no objection to do that too in theby-goin'. But we've heard a report that a band o' Sioux are goin' tovisit the Settlement, and as there's a lot o' their enemies, theSaulteaux, knocking about, I've bin sent to the fort by old McKay to seeif they've heard about the Sioux comin', an' if there's likely to be ascrimmage, so as we may clear for action, d'ee see?"

  "I see; and I hope there will be no need to clear for action. I'm gladto see Archie with you too," said Sutherland, "but surprised; for Idon't remember when I saw him without Little Bill on his back or at hisside."

  "O, as to that, Little Bill has forsaken me," said Archie, "or I haveforsaken him--I'm not sure which--since Dan Davidson's accident, for hedoes little else but sit at Dan's bedside, readin' to him or talkingwith him."

  "The dear little fellow could not be better employed," remarked theElder.

  "The dear little fellow could be _much_ better employed," retorted theboy, with unexpected decision. "He could be rambling about the plainsor in the bush with me, getting strength to his muscles and fresh air tohis lungs, an' health to his body--to say nothing of his soul."

  "Why, you are becoming jealous, lad," said Sutherland, with a laugh.

  "No, I'm not _becoming_ jealous; I'm jealous already," returned the boy,with an air that was half jocular, half serious. "However, I'llexercise patience a little longer, but I'm determined not to let LittleBill be sacrificed for the sake of sick-nursing."

  With this announcement of his unalterable resolve to stand to his guns,and a "Brayvo, youngster!" from Jenkins, they parted and went on theirseveral ways.

  It was found, when Fort Garry was reached, that the rumour of a visitfrom the Sioux Indians was correct, and that some preparation was beingmade for their reception, as well as precautions against any mischiefthat might be contemplated, though there was not much to be apprehendedon that score, for the Sioux were believed to be among the bravest aswell as the most powerful of the nations east of the Rocky Mountains,and less addicted to treachery or cruelty than most other tribes.

  Two days later the Sioux made their appearance. They formed only asmall band of warriors, but were a wild-looking though fine set of men;erect, muscular, tall fellows, with the free bearing of practisedwarriors, and in all the paint, charcoal, feathers, and leather-costume,bear-claw collars, etcetera, peculiar to the western wilderness.

  Their object, they said, was to smoke the pipe of peace with theirenemies the Saulteaux, and to see with their own eyes the wonderfulthings that by report the Palefaces were doing in Red River.

  "The Sioux have heard," said their principal chief, at a palaver withthe Governor, "that the Palefaces are building wooden Wigwams in numberlike the stones on the shores of Lake Winnipeg; that they are growingmuch grain; that they have set up many strange things which they compelthe wind to work for them, and so grind their grain; that they havegreat heaps of powder and ball, and big wigwams that are bursting withthings that the Sioux love to exchange for the meat and skins of thebuffalo and other beasts great and small. We have come to see all thiswith our own eyes, for most of us are young men who have only heard ofsuch things from our fathers. Waugh!"

  Of course everything was said to encourage this laudable desire forknowledge. The visitors were shown over the fort. Food was
given tothem, and tobacco; then the pipe of peace was smoked with a band ofSaulteaux, which chanced to be on a friendly visit to the settlement atthe time, after which, as was customary on such occasions, both partiesmixed together and strolled about to see the settlers.

  One party of them found their way to Prairie Cottage. At some of thehouses nearer the fort they had learned the method of lifting the latchof a door so as to obtain entrance. Finding no one outside at thecottage, they entered the central hall with the soft, quiet tread of thepanther. As no one chanced to be there, they continued theirexplorations with childlike simplicity, and thus most unexpectedly foundthemselves in the bedroom of Dan Davidson, where Little Bill had justread himself and his brother-invalid into a sound sleep. Both wakenedup at once, and the boy sat bolt upright in blazing astonishment, butDan, who had heard of their arrival in the Settlement, received themwith a few words of welcome.

  Fortunately for all parties, Okematan presented himself just then,having, while at work in the garden, seen the party of Sioux arrive. Hedid his best to act the host, explaining to the visitors the cause ofDan's weakness, and, by Dan's directions, offering them tobacco andpipes.

  While they were thus engaged, old McKay entered.

  "I saw you comin', lads," he said, heartily. "What cheer? what cheer?"he added, shaking hands with them all round.

  The Sioux were obviously much pleased with their reception, especiallywhen Mrs Davidson, Jessie, and Elspie, who had been out walking,returned and joined the party.

  After showing the Indians everything in the house, old McKay--whoconstituted himself their guide,--took them out to see the live stockand the farm. He led them first into the garden.

  It chanced at this time that there was a "snake in the grass" not faroff. This was no other than the bad Indian Kateegoose.

  Why some people are what we call naturally bad, like Kateegoose, whileothers are what we call naturally good, like Okematan, is a mystery theinvestigation of which we propose postponing to a more convenientseason. Of course no sane person will maintain that this mystery freesfallen man from responsibility. If it did, we could no longer hang formurder. It would be the bounden duty of every judge, in that case, toacquit every murderer with "Poor fellow, it was his fate; he could nothelp it!" and send him away with a pat on the shoulder, and an order forcoffee and buns, perhaps, in his pocket. As none but sane persons,however, will read my book, it is not necessary to enlarge further onthis head.

  Certain it is that Kateegoose was "bad"--obdurately bad--had been sofrom his very cradle, if he ever had one, which is doubtful, and badefair to continue so to his grave. Sutherland had button-holed him morethan once, but apparently in vain. It is only fair to the savage to saythat he listened patiently to the Elder's remonstrances, and attentivelyto his exhortations, and assumed an aspect of mild contrition that mightor might not have been sincere--as far as appearance went.

  Now, it unfortunately happened that among the Sioux braves there was aman who had done Kateegoose a deadly injury of some sort, which nothingshort of blood could wipe out. Kateegoose, in familiar parlance,spotted him at once, and dogged his steps through the Settlement,watching his opportunity for revenge. In savage life this doggingprocess would not have been possible, but in a comparatively crowdedsettlement, and in the midst of all the surprising novelties thatsurrounded the Palefaces, it was all too easy; for Kateegoose took careto keep as much as possible in the background, and well under cover ofhouses, cottages, carts, stacks, and wigwams; besides which he hadpainted his face in such a manner, and so modified his costume, that hisown acquaintances among the settlers--he had no friends--failed torecognise him. They, in their comparative ignorance of savage life, sethim down as one of the visitors, while the visitors, if they noticed himat all, esteemed him one of the cross-breeds of the Settlement.

  The only man who saw through the disguise of Kateegoose was Okematan,who could not understand why he had adopted it, and who resolved to keepa sharp eye on him.

  The enemy of Kateegoose was one of the younger Sioux chiefs. He led theparty which visited Prairie Cottage.

  The garden of the Cottage, at its lower end towards the river,approached close to the confines of a thick coppice. It formed theextremity of a belt of woodland which at that time bordered the river.There a small summer-house had been erected by Dan and Peter Davidsonfor the benefit of their mother and their sister Jessie.

  Kateegoose, while dogging his foe, recognised this as a spot verysuitable for his fell purpose, as the contiguous wood afforded a readymeans of escape after the deed should be done.

  While old McKay was conducting the Sioux slowly through the garden,Kateegoose glided swiftly through the thicket to the spot where thesummer-house stood, and took up a position behind it, so that the partyin making the round of the garden would necessarily pass close to him.

  From the window of Dan's room, Little Bill observed part of thesemysterious movements and suspected mischief. Without uttering a word heleft the room, opened the front door, and gave a low whistle, which hadbeen set up as a private signal between him and Okematan. In a fewseconds the Cree chief was by his side.

  "Oke, there's mischief intended. You'll have to be quick," he said,quickly explaining what he had seen.

  "Rejoin the party at once," he added, "and look out--sharp."

  The chief nodded and walked away. So swift, yet so quiet, had been hismovements that none of the whites of the party had observed hisdeparture from them. The Sioux, however, had noticed it, and theirsuspicions were aroused, especially when they saw him rejoin the party,and observed that he walked rather closer to them than before. But theywere proud warriors and refused by word, look, or movement, to indicatetheir suspicions. They carried bows in their hands, arrows in theirquivers, tomahawks and scalping-knives in their belts, but they scornedto make any visible demonstration of being on guard in the midst ofPaleface friends, though they gave intense and undivided attention tothe movements of Okematan.

  This concentration of attention on the wrong man was, of course, ratherfavourable to the designs of Kateegoose, so that, when the party passedthe summer-house, he was enabled to spring upon his enemy, unobservedfor the first moment, with knife upraised. But the stab from which theSioux chief could not have escaped was rendered harmless by the promptaction of Okematan, who threw up his left arm, turned the blow aside,and received a slight wound in doing so.

  There was no time to repeat the blow. With a yell of mingled defianceand disappointment the would-be assassin leaped the garden fence,bounded into the thicket, and disappeared. A flight of Sioux arrowsentered the bush almost the moment after. The young chief and hisfriends also leaped the fence, and followed in pursuit.

  The Sioux were swift and agile undoubtedly, but so was Kateegoose, andhe had the advantage of knowing the ground, while the trail--by which,in ordinary circumstances, the Red-man can track his enemy through theforest--was not available there in consequence of its being so mingledup with the crossing and re-crossing of the innumerable tracks ofsettlers. The result was that Kateegoose made his escape.

  The Colonists were very indignant at the perpetration of this cowardlyact, for it compromised their character for hospitality; and, if theycould have laid hands on the savage at the time, it is not impossiblethat Lynch-law might have been applied to him. The Governor also wasgreatly annoyed, and in the afternoon of the following day made thevisitors a number of presents, besides providing for them a feast; butall his good intentions were spoiled by Kateegoose, who had the audacityto come forward and deliberately shoot his foe while the Sioux were atmeat. The ball passed quite through the Sioux chief's body, and woundedthe man who was next to him. After this dastardly act the villain fled,and again got safe away.

  The enraged Sioux, seizing their weapons, would have wreaked theirvengeance on the Saulteaux, if they could have discovered any; but thesewily savages had cleared away at the first note of alarm, and not onewas to be found. To have attacked the whites wit
h so small a partywould have been useless as well as unjust. They therefore left thecolony in fierce anger.

  It chanced that La Certe had pitched his tent the day before on a streamnot far-distant from the colony. The Sioux had to pass that way, and,espying the wigwam, turned aside to wreak their vengeance on whomsoeverit might contain. Fortunately the owner of the mansion and his wife hadgone out fishing in a canoe, and taken the child with them. All thatthe Sioux could do, therefore, was to appropriate the poor man's goodsand chattels; but as the half-breed had taken his gun, ammunition, andfishing-tackle with him, there was not much left to appropriate. Havingdespoiled the mansion, they set fire to it and went their way.

  Returning in the evening, La Certe found his house a heap of ashes, andhimself reduced to a state of destitution. This being his normal state,however, he was not profoundly affected. Neither was his wife; stillless was his child.

  He said no word, but carried the contents of the canoe on shore. Hiswife, equally reticent, helped him. His child, lighting its father'spipe, sat down to smoke and look on.

  They turned the canoe bottom up to serve as a partial shelter; theykindled a huge fire before it; they set up three large fat ducks toroast in front of it, and were soon busy with a simple but satisfyingsupper. After washing this down with an unstimulating draught of purewater, they put the baby to bed under the bow of the canoe, filled theirpipes, and sat down before the ruddy blaze to mingle their hopes, joys,prospects, and sorrows in a halo of smoke--the very personification ofprimitive contentment and felicity.