THE TWO STRONGHOLDS.
Somewhat alarmed, in spite of himself, by the words of Buffalo Bill,
Captain Ramsey began to feel that he had allowed his enthusiasm to go
perhaps too far in leading an expedition into the Black Hills when the
lives of the whole party might be the forfeit for their foolhardiness.
But, having at length entered the promised land, it was not in the
nature of the old soldier to turn back, and he contented himself with a
determination to so fortify his camp as to make it impregnable to the
attacks of the redskins.
His energetic example, as soon as the train reached the designated spot
for encampment, soon set all the men to work at the log fort. Having
conducted the train to this site, which was advantageous both for gold
hunting and defense from the Indians, Buffalo Bill left for his own
camp, accompanied by Lone Dick and Tom Sun, the latter going with his
brother scout to learn the locality of the miners’ camp.
As the three men rode along they conversed over the future prospects of
the country which they had so boldly invaded. They did not doubt but
that their example would be followed by others as soon as it became
known that white men were living in the Black Hills, which had always
before been considered the rightful land of the redskin.
Arriving at his own camp, Buffalo Bill found that his comrades had made
rapid progress with their work, and that the walls of the stockade
fort were already assuming shape. The site selected by the scout was
certainly a most advantageous position, being under the shelter of a
huge hill of rock, inaccessible to the foot of man, and fronting on the
bank of a mountain stream.
The stockade fence encircled a portion of rich, grassy land, where the
horses could luxuriate and where a garden plot for vegetables was laid
out. The only approaches were across the stream, and around the base
of the cliff by a narrow pathway that half a dozen men could defend
against a hundred.
The miners were delighted with the natural defense of their stronghold,
while Tom Sun returned to his own encampment determined to take pattern
after the example of Buffalo Bill and prepare for trouble ahead. Thus
several weeks passed away and the two settlements in the Black Hills
were made ready against every emergency.
At length the miners began to turn their attention toward gold seeking,
the real object that had caused them to risk life in journeying thus
far beyond the confines of civilization. As for Buffalo Bill and Tom
Sun, they cared little for gold, and were thorough plainsmen, spending
their time in scouting and hunting for their respective camps.
But Lone Dick had caught the fever of avariciousness and was preparing
to dig his way to fortune, if he had to go clear through to China.
Separated only by a score of miles from each other, the different
members of the gold seekers’ camps became most friendly, and many were
the young miners who loved to ride over to the Ramsey stronghold and
sun themselves in the bright glances of Ruth Ramsey’s eyes, for, of
the half a dozen girls in her party, she was decidedly the belle.
Thus the days and weeks glided by. With the exception of a skirmish now
and then, the Indians had not disturbed the two camps, and daily the
miners worked away for gold, while Tom Sun and Buffalo Bill scouted and
hunted through the hills and valleys.