On a Trail again--The Effect on Ourselves and the Horses--The
Changed Aspect of the Country--Wild Fruits--Signs of Man
Increase--Our Enthusiastic Greeting--Starving Again--Mr.
O’B. finds Caliban--His Affectionate Behaviour to Him--The
Indians’ Camp--Information about Kamloops--Bartering for Food--
Clearwater River--Cross the Thompson--The Lily-Berries--Mr.
O’B. and the Assiniboine Fall Out--Mr. O’B. flees to the Woods--
Accuses the Assiniboine of an Attempt to Murder Him--Trading for
Potatoes--More Shushwaps--Coffee and Pipes--Curious Custom of
the Tribe--Kamloops in Sight--Ho! for the Fort--Mr. O’B. takes
to his Heels--Captain St. Paul--A Good Supper--Doubts as to
our Reception--Our Forbidding Appearance--Our Troubles at an
End--Rest.
The trail was well worn and cleared, and after we reached the little
prairie we were able to proceed at a great pace; the horses as
inspirited as ourselves by the pleasing change, occasionally broke
into a trot, although, from their skeleton-like appearance, we almost
expected the shaking would cause them to tumble to pieces. The river
again became a rapid, and a dark hill, running east and west, loomed up
ahead, as if closing in the valley. But the country around had assumed
a Californian aspect--the colour of a lithograph--rolling swells,
brown with bunch-grass, and studded with scattered yellow pines. The
more sandy hills were covered with small spruce, and there, too, grew
quantities of bilberries as large as English grapes, and of delicious
flavour. Here and there wild cherry-trees, or thorns loaded with large
black haws, supplied us with a grateful though unsatisfying food. We
were up before daylight on the 23rd, eager to reach the Fort, and
journeyed through as pleasant a country and along as easy a road as
the day before, revelling in the broad sunlight. At noon signs of man
became more numerous. We found the print of a moccasin in the sand of
the river-bank, and saw an old canoe on the opposite shore. Presently
we were startled by the rustling of the bushes which closed in the
track before us, and, directly after, an Indian appeared, followed
by a squaw having a child upon her back. These were the first human
beings we had seen since leaving the Tête Jaune Cache, and the man was
immensely astonished by the greeting we gave him, shaking hands with
him violently, laughing, and asking questions he could not understand.
He evidently knew the word Kamloops, and we concluded from his signs
that we should meet more Indians shortly, and might reach Kamloops that
night. We hurried forward again for another ten or twelve miles, but
there was not a sign of the Fort, nor did we meet more Indians. On this
evening we ate the last morsel of dried horse, but resolved to trust
now to obtaining food from the Indians whom we expected to meet before
long.
By mid-day on the 24th we reached another beautiful little prairie,
across which paths came into the one we followed from all directions.
We had just crossed a clear shallow stream, which we named Wentworth
River, when we heard Mr. O’B. shouting behind us, and calling loudly
for Cheadle. We stopped, and he came up, leading affectionately by the
hand a most hideously repulsive-looking Indian. He wore nothing but a
pair of ragged trousers, his skin was dirty, and his face perfectly
diabolical--a vast expanse of visage, in the midst of which a rugged,
swollen nose stood out, a mouth which yawned like the gates of Gehenna,
and eyes with a most malignant squint. Behind this monster, whom we at
once named “Caliban,” followed a younger fellow of more prepossessing
appearance; but Mr. O’B. regarded him not, pulling Caliban along, and
crying out, “Look here, my lord! look here, Doctor! I’ve been the
means of saving us, after all.” He chattered to his new-found friend
incessantly, patting him lovingly on the shoulder, and looking in his
face with most insinuating smiles. The two men made signs to us to
follow them, and we went with them to a little open space. Two squaws
and some children were seated over a fire, engaged in cooking berries
in an iron pot. Directly we mentioned Kamloops, they exclaimed, “Aiyou
muck-a-muck, aiyou tea, aiyou tobacco, aiyou salmon, aiyou whisky,
Kamloops!” from which we inferred there were abundance of good things
to be found there. The Assiniboine inquired by signs how long it would
take us to reach Fort Kamloops, and the younger man, in reply, imitated
fast walking, and then going to sleep four times in succession;
meaning thereby it would take us four days’ hard travelling to get
there. They offered us a portion of the berries, which we ate very
greedily, and then produced two rabbits, for one of which Mr. O’B.
gave a tattered shirt, and the other we bought for some needles and
small shot. Presently the old Shushwap we had encountered the previous
day turned up, hot and exhausted by his efforts to overtake us. He
hurried away again immediately, but returned in a few minutes with
some potatoes, to sell which he had come back in such haste. Mrs.
Assiniboine, to our surprise, produced a nice clean linen shirt of
Mr. Assiniboine’s, which she had managed by some means to save from
the general wreck, offered it to the old Indian, and the potatoes
were ours. We ate some raw at once, so famished were we; and when the
remainder and the rabbits were cooked, had a great feast. The Indians
agreed to raise camp and go with us, the younger fellow accompanying
us on foot, while Caliban took charge of the women and children in two
canoes. We came to a large stream flowing into the Thompson from the
west (Clearwater River), where we found Caliban awaiting us with the
canoes, by which we crossed to the southern bank, and there camped for
the night.
During our journey the following morning we came upon the dead bodies
of two Indians--a man and woman--lying festering in the sun. They
were lying side by side, covered with a blanket, and all their goods
and chattels undisturbed around. We saw several more of these ghastly
spectacles afterwards, and made out from our Shushwap friends that
there had been a fearful mortality amongst the Indians, owing, as we
subsequently learnt, to the ravages of small-pox. At mid-day we found
Caliban and his ladies waiting to transfer us to the eastern bank of
the Thompson, whither the trail now led. We dined with them before
crossing, our fare being the fruit of a kind of lily, which tasted much
like the berry of the yew tree, and was exceedingly luscious. We ate
freely of it, both cooked and raw, and suffered horribly in consequence.
When we had crossed the river, Milton and Mrs. Assiniboine accepted
the Indians’ invitation to go with them in the canoes, whilst the rest
brought the horses along the bank. Cheadle was shortly after seized
with severe pains in the stomach, accompanied by violent nausea and
vomiting. He was compelled to pull up and remain behind; and after
remaining some two hours, seated on a log in most woful plight, crawled
after the rest with some difficulty. He came up with them at the foot
of a steep, rocky bluff--to which we afterwards gave the name of
Assiniboine Bluff, from an incident which occurred there--up which the
trail passed by a tortuous zigzag.
Up this the others led the horses one by one, the track, a mere ledge
of rock, ascending the perpendicular face of the bluff nearly to the
summit, and descending as rapidly by the other side. Last of all
Cheadle led his horse up the perilous path, and when he gained the top,
heard a great shouting and commotion going on amongst the party who
had descended before him. All was soon quiet, and by the time he got
down every one had disappeared. Darkness came on rapidly, the road lay
through thick wood, and Cheadle, hastening on, found The Assiniboine
and his boy at a standstill, unable to distinguish the trail any
longer. Although they had no provisions, there was nothing for it but
to give up the idea of meeting the canoe-party, as had been agreed,
and camp on the spot. Before very long it dawned upon Cheadle that Mr.
O’B. was wanting, and he inquired of the Assiniboine what had become of
him. The latter was evidently rather disconcerted by the question, and
answered in some confusion, “Il est bête! il m’avait querellé, et puis
s’est sauvé.” On cross-examination The Assiniboine confessed that he
had lost his temper with “Le Vieux” about his management of the horses,
and in his anger had struck him with his fist, whereupon Mr. O’B. fled
in terror, and disappeared in the woods.
The night was pitch dark, the woods thick, and the trail very
indistinct. Mr. O’B. had the habit of always losing a good track in
broad daylight, and Cheadle felt serious apprehensions for his fate
now. But it was useless to look for him until morning, and the party
turned in supperless--the horses being in the same predicament. In
the meantime Milton had arrived in the canoe at a little prairie,
where were several Indian potato-gardens, from which Caliban and his
party provided a plentiful supper, and after waiting in vain for the
arrival of Cheadle and The Assiniboine, gave them up and sought
their blankets. Shortly before daylight Milton was awakened out of a
sound sleep by some one shaking him, and saying, “My lord! my lord!
you must get up directly; something very serious has happened,” and
Milton recognised the quivering accents of Mr. O’B. Quite at a loss to
understand how he had got there alone at that time, Milton sat up and
listened to his explanation.
“My lord,” said Mr. O’B., “I accuse The Assiniboine of attempting to
murder me. We had some trouble with the horses, and as I stood by, not
knowing how to help, he came up to me with most fiendish expression,
and deliberately hit me a tremendous blow on the head with the back of
his axe. I was stunned, but managed to run off into the woods--hardly
recollect anything more--wandering about bewildered--‘_Hic mihi
nescio quod trepido male numen amicum confusam eripuit mentem_’--until
I caught sight of the fire, and found you here. You know, my lord, I
warned you and the Doctor at Edmonton of the dangerous character you
were trusting yourselves with. He is a most wicked man. I shall go
on to Kamloops as soon as it is light, and get out a warrant for the
apprehension of The Assiniboine immediately on his arrival.”
Milton could not help laughing at his earnestness and fright, told
him that he must be mistaken as to the murderous intentions of The
Assiniboine, for had he struck him as described, Mr. O’B. would not
have wandered far. Cheadle’s party arrived in the course of an hour
or two, and we examined both The Assiniboine and his victim. A slight
swelling on Mr. O’B.’s occiput was the only injury to be discovered,
and we came to the conclusion that The Assiniboine’s account of the
quarrel was substantially correct. We rebuked the man very severely,
warning him of the danger of such behaviour in the country we were now
entering; while to Mr. O’B. we represented the absurdity of supposing
any murderous intent. But the latter was unconvinced. He dared not
leave the side of one of us for a moment, and it was most laughable to
observe how he watched every movement of The Assiniboine, apprehensive
of a renewal of hostilities. From Caliban we purchased a bucketful of
potatoes, for Milton’s embroidered Indian saddle and Mr. O’B.’s M.B.
waistcoat, the last article of trade he could rake up. Caliban and his
family bade us good-bye here, but the younger man and his squaw agreed
to guide us within sight of Kamloops.
The following day we met some Indians, whom we took at first for
Mexicans, so little did they resemble the Red Men of the eastern side.
Their faces were of Asiatic cast, rather than the European character
shown by the fine bold features of the true North American Indian, the
countenance broader and rounder, the nose smaller and less prominent,
and the complexion darker and less transparent. Their horses were
equipped with Mexican saddles, and the bridles garnished by numberless
little bells. They treated us to coffee and a smoke, and who will
doubt the luxury of it to us, after six weeks’ abstinence? On the
afternoon of the 28th our guide turned back, after showing us a distant
range of hills which marked the position of Kamloops, and gave us to
understand that we should sleep there that night. The man had treated
us very kindly, and we presented him with the Assiniboine’s gun. We
heard afterwards that he dared not visit the rest of the tribe near
the Fort, afraid of retribution for a grievous offence against the
Shushwap laws. It seems to be the rule with them, as with the Jews,
that should a man die childless, his brother shall marry the widow. Our
friend had carried off a widow, and married her, whereupon the injured
brother-in-law vowed vengeance, and the offender feared to encounter
him.
We walked on in the hot sun, weary, weak, and footsore, but at dusk
could not see our destination. We had not yet recovered from the effect
of the berries, and became so faint and exhausted that we yielded at
length to the request of The Assiniboine to ride on ahead, and leave
him to follow more slowly. Fortunately the horses had revived so much
with the good pasture of the last few days, that two were found able to
carry riders; and away we went, getting a canter out of our skeleton
steeds with much difficulty. Mr. O’B. had walked on before the rest,
in his eagerness to gain the protection of the law, and when we passed
him, began to run after us, crying, “Don’t leave me, my lord!” “Do stop
for me, Doctor! Please let me come with you!” But we had no compassion
on him, and galloped on. Whenever we looked behind us, we saw Mr.
O’B. still running at the top of his speed, afraid the bloodthirsty
Assiniboine might overtake him. We entered on a sandy plain, on the
further side of which were hills running east and west. The Fort _could
not_ be beyond them. On we went, hammering and shouting at our flagging
beasts, and ever and anon looking behind, when Mr. O’B. could still be
seen in the dim twilight, tearing after us with undiminished speed. At
last, after it was quite dark, we caught sight of a house, galloped up
to it, jumped off, left our horses to their own devices, and entered a
sort of yard, where were several half-breeds and Indians just rising
from their seats round a cloth spread on the ground, with the remains
of supper. An old Indian came, introduced himself, in a mixed jargon of
French, English, and Chinook, as Captain St. Paul, and inquired who we
were. We told him we had come across the mountains, and were starving,
begging him to give us some food as quickly as possible. He said we
should have abundance immediately, but that we must pay “un piastre
chaque.” We recklessly assured him that if it cost 100 dollars each
we must have it; and before long we were devouring a greasy mess of
bacon and cabbage and some delicious cakes, and drinking copiously the
long-desired tea. Before we had eaten many mouthfuls, Mr. O’B. arrived
breathless, but not the least exhausted, and attacked the good things
as savagely as ourselves. He was the only one of the company who had
the strength to perform the feat of running three or four miles, which
he had just accomplished. In about an hour The Assiniboine arrived
with the horses, and soon shared the delights of an unlimited feed.
The number of cakes we ate astonished even the Indians, whose views
on this subject are broad enough. Presently Mr. Martin and several
others arrived from the Fort, to be present at a half-breeds’ ball
which was to take place at St. Paul’s that evening. Mr. Martin received
us with great kindness, and invited us to take up our quarters with
him the next day. We were surprised to meet with such unquestioning
hospitality, for in truth we were as miserable and unprepossessing a
company as ever presented itself for approval: our clothes in tatters,
the legs of Milton’s trousers torn off above the knees, and Cheadle’s
in ribbons; our feet covered only by the shreds of moccasins; our faces
gaunt, haggard, and unshaven; our hair long, unkempt, and matted; and
we had no means of proving our identity, where our appearance was so
little calculated to inspire confidence or liking. But our story was
believed at once, and our troubles were over at last--at last!