The fight――The Sioux and the swamp――The trader’s triumph――Red Cloud
fights on foot――The trader finds he has other foes to reckon with――The
Assineboine draws a straight arrow――The trader’s flight――Our losses and
gains――Winter supplies――Our party is completed――“All’s well that ends
well.”
There was no time now for reconnoitring the ground before the attack
began. There was in fact nothing for it but to ride straight over the
ridge, and lunge at once into the struggle, for, as we rode briskly
up the black incline towards the top of the hill the sharp report of
a shot already echoed through the hills, a signal that the fray had
begun. It was even so.
The Sioux, following the valley round the foot of the ridge, had
debouched close to his foe, and had put his horse straight for the spot
where the trader was still engaged, on the edge of the pool, in loading
the stores which he had just carried from the water, upon the backs of
his pack animals.
The presence of the Sioux became instantly known to his enemy.
Relinquishing his work, the trader seized his gun from the ground where
it was lying, and dropping upon one knee he took deliberate aim at the
advancing horseman. The Sioux bent low upon his horse’s neck as the
white smoke flashed from the muzzle, and the bullet whistled over his
lowered head, burying itself in the hill-side.
Meanwhile the trader’s two attendants had sprung to their saddles,
apparently more ready for flight than for fight. The onslaught of the
Sioux was so sudden and so unexpected that these men had no time to
realize the fact that there was only one assailant; more than this,
they had engaged with their master to trade, not to fight; and, though
neither of them was thoroughly deficient in courage, the first impulse
of both on this occasion, was to fly; and had the Sioux been permitted
to continue his onward career full upon McDermott he would have found
himself alone face to face with his hated foe; but such was not to be.
Between the Sioux and the trader there lay a small swampy spot, half
stagnant water, half morass, not more than six paces across; it ran
inland from the pool for some distance. The blackened ground lying on
every side had completely hidden from the keen eye of the Indian the
dangerous nature of the spot. All at once he saw before his horse, now
at full gallop, this fatal obstacle. To have checked his horse would
have been no easy matter, so impetuous was his rate of motion; but
had it been possible to have stayed his own charger, he would have
presented such a sure mark for the keen eyes of the men on the further
side of the pond as to ensure the destruction of both horse and rider.
There was nothing for it then but to go full at the dangerous spot, and
trust to strength of horse and skill of rider to come through.
Raising the horse a little in his pace, the Sioux held straight upon
his course; the soft ground broke beneath the horse’s feet, but so
rapid were the movements of his legs, and so strong were his efforts
to draw himself clear of the spongy soil, that for a second or two it
seemed as though he would pull through and win the other side. At the
far edge, however, a softer and deeper spot opened beneath the vigorous
hoof, and, despite all efforts, the brave little animal sank helpless
to his girths.
The Sioux sprang to his feet, and in another second he had gained
the dry, firm ground at the farther side; but the water of the swamp
had for a moment covered his gun, the priming had become hopelessly
clogged, and the weapon utterly useless to him. The mishap had given
his adversary time for reflection and preparation; and the two
retainers, realizing the fact that they were attacked by only one
assailant, and that even that one was already half engulfed amid a
swamp, took heart and came down to the assistance of their employer;
while the trader himself had profited by the delay to jump into his
saddle and to fall back out of reach of the Sioux in order to reload
his gun.
Long practice in following the herds of buffalo over the prairies at
headlong speed, had made him an expert hand at rapid loading and
firing on horseback. To throw from his powder-horn a charge of powder
loosely into the gun; to spit from his mouth a ball down the muzzle,
so that the action caused at the same instant the powder to press out
into the priming-pan and the bullet to fit against the powder――these
motions of the buffalo-hunter took him but a few seconds, and wheeling
his horse at the charge, he now came thundering down full at the Sioux.
But though little time had been lost in these movements of loading,
enough had passed to enable Red Cloud to change his tactics and to
secure himself from the first furious onslaught which he saw impending.
Springing across the treacherous morass, he gained the side on which he
had first entered it, and with his bow at the “ready” he calmly awaited
the charge of his enemy.
While yet fully one hundred yards distant, McDermott saw and realized
the change on the part of the Sioux, and knowing the fatal nature of
the ground, he forbore not only to risk his horse across the swamp, but
to approach within fifty yards of its nearer side――a distance which
would have brought him within range of his enemy’s fire; he however
looked upon the fate of the Sioux as certain; and well it might appear
so to him.
All chance of escape was now cut off; the horse still lay helpless in
the morass, buried to the girths; his rider, active and expert though
he was on foot, could only hope to delay his fate when pitted in fight
against three horsemen, and with nothing but a bow and arrow to oppose
to their fire-arms. If the position could not be forced in front, there
was ample room to turn its flank and move round it on the hill side.
Thus menaced in front and attacked in rear, the position of the Sioux
might well seem desperate.
Fully did Red Cloud in these few seconds of time realize the dangers
that encompassed him; nevertheless, he thought far less of his own
peril than of his inability to meet his deadly foe. Bitterly he
repented of his rash onslaught, and still more bitter were his regrets
that he should have left his trusty double-barrelled rifle――which he
usually carried slung upon his back――in the camp that morning, and that
he had no more effective weapon now than the bow and arrows, which
he could so dexterously handle, but which were only of use at fifty
or sixty yards, while his rifle would have enabled him to cover his
enemies at four times that distance. McDermott was, as we have said, no
novice in the art of prairie war or chase. He quickly saw the strength
or weakness of his adversary’s position.
Calling to his attendants to watch the side of the small swamp nearest
to where he stood, and thus prevent the Sioux from again executing a
movement across it, he wheeled his horse rapidly to one side, and rode
furiously towards the base of the hill, so as to pass round upon the
dry ground at the end of the swamp, and bear down upon his foe from
behind. As he passed his retainers, he shouted to them to ride up and
fire upon the Sioux, promising that the horse and all that belonged to
its rider should be the reward of him who would bring the foe to the
ground.
The French half-breed showed little inclination, however, to render
the already long odds against the Sioux still more desperate; but the
Salteaux belonged to a tribe long at deadly enmity with the Sioux
nation, and he also inherited much of the cowardly ferocity of his own
tribe, who, unable to cope in the open country with their enemies,
never scrupled to obtain trophies which they could not win in war, by
the aid of treacherous surprise or dastardly night attacks. The present
was a kind of warfare peculiarly suited to his instincts, and he now
rode forward to fire upon the Sioux across the swamp, at the moment
when he would be engaged with a more formidable enemy on his own side.
These movements, quickly as they passed, were all noted by the watchful
eye of the Sioux. He cast one quick look at his horse, in the hope that
it might be possible to extricate him from the swamp ere the trader
had yet got round the northern side; but a glance was enough to tell
him that all hope in that quarter was gone, for the ooze had risen
higher upon the poor animal, and nothing but the united labour of two
or three hands, could now draw him from the quicksand. His head was
still free, however, and Red Cloud had time to notice in his own moment
of peril how the eye of his faithful friend and long-tried servant
turned upon him what seemed a look of sympathy in his great extremity.
But now the trader had gained the end of the swamp and was already
beginning to wheel his horse towards where the Sioux stood. A natural
impulse bid the latter move forward to meet his foe. Short as was the
space that separated the two men, rapid as was the pace at which one
was momentarily lessening that distance, Red Cloud rushed forward to
meet the advancing horseman. The trader’s plan was to keep just out of
the range of the Sioux’ arrows, and to manœuvre his horse so that he
could get frequent shots at his enemy without exposing himself to the
slightest danger. He knew too well with what terrible accuracy the red
man can use his bow at any object within fifty yards of his standpoint.
McDermott was a true shot, whether on horseback or on foot; he knew,
too, all those shifts of body by which the Indian manages to partially
cover himself by his horse at moments of attack; but on the present
occasion he intended simply to continue hovering round the Sioux, who
was just in the angle formed by the swamp and the lake, and to take
his time in every shot he would fire. Pulling up his horse at about
eighty yards’ distance, he placed his gun to his shoulder and laid his
head low upon the stock, aiming right over the ears of his horse upon
the advancing figure of the Sioux. But while yet his finger paused
ere pressing the trigger, the sharp ring of a bullet smote his ear;
his horse gave a convulsive spring upwards, and the trader, retaining
his seat with difficulty, fired wildly and harmlessly into the air.
Then, ere he could sufficiently recover his suddenly startled senses,
there came loud shouts of advancing men from the ridge upon his left.
Turning his head in that direction, he beheld two horsemen riding at
a furious gallop down upon him. His life was dearer to him than the
hope of destroying his enemy. Fortunate at finding that his horse had
only received a flesh wound, and that he was still able to carry a
rider, McDermott wheeled quickly to the rear, to retire the way he had
come. As he did so, an arrow grazed his shoulder, and whistled past
into the ground; then, from the ridge another shot rang out, this time
fired in the direction of the Salteaux, who had advanced to within
sixty paces of the Sioux on the opposite side of the swamp. The ball
went sufficiently near its mark to cause that worthy to abandon his
attempt at murder, and to execute a rapid retrograde movement; indeed,
so thoroughly did he appear convinced that the battle was irrevocably
lost, that he ceased not to continue his flight, quite unmindful of any
fate which might overtake either his master or fellow-servant.
[Illustration: McDermott pulled up his horse.]
McDermott seeing that the game was up, now made a final effort to
save his pack animals from capture; but my blood was now thoroughly
roused――the fever of fight was on me, and no power on earth could stay
my onward career.
Followed closely by the Assineboine, I swept round by the head of the
swamp, and made straight for the spot where the trader was endeavouring
to get his pack animals into motion. As I rode along at full gallop,
I passed the French half-breed at some distance; the latter dropped
his gun across his bridle arm and fired in front of my horse. The ball
struck the animal in the neck, and plunging forward, horse and rider
were instantly stretched upon the ground in one confused mass. But the
Assineboine was riding close in my wake.
Seeing the action of the half-breed, he turned his horse slightly to
the right, and with an arrow drawn to the fullest stretch of his stout
Indian bow, he bore full upon the flank of this new enemy.
Too late the half-breed saw his danger, and turned to fly. At thirty
paces’ distance the Assineboine let fly his shaft, with so true an aim
that the arrow pierced the half-breed’s leg and buried itself deeply
in his horse’s side. He did not await another shot; drawing a pistol,
he fired wildly at the Assineboine, and followed the Salteaux in his
flight.
Meantime the Sioux had crossed the swamp, and was approaching swiftly
on foot to this new scene of combat. The trader beheld with rage the
sudden turn which the fight had taken. His horse had suffered little
from his flesh wound, and now that the only two steeds whose pace and
mettle were matches for his own were disposed of, he could still easily
distance any attempt at pursuit; but to delay longer in endeavouring to
save his goods would soon have cost him his life. Red Cloud was drawing
rapidly near――the Salteaux and the half-breed had fled. For a moment he
thought of falling back to continue the fight at longer range, using
his horse to carry him from ridge to ridge; but now another rider
suddenly appeared upon the sky-line on the side from which the first
attack had been delivered. It was Donogh riding down to the rescue.
This fresh accession to the strength of his enemies decided him.
Utterly beaten at all points, and flinging an impotent malediction
towards his enemies, McDermott hastened from the scene of the disaster,
leaving two pack-horses and all his stores in the hands of the victors.
Donogh now joined us. He was wild with excitement, and his joy at
finding me safe knew no bounds. For some time after our departure
from camp he had sat quiet, but the Cree had told him by signs that a
fight was probable, and then he could stand inaction no longer. He had
followed our trail; as he neared the scene of action, the report of
fire-arms had told him the struggle had already begun; and then he had
galloped straight to the rescue. Seeing me on the ground, his first
idea was to charge the trader, and it was this new and impetuous onset
that finally decided McDermott’s flight.
The Sioux made it his first care to ascertain what damage had befallen
his friend. I had half risen from the ground; but the violence of
the shock had been so great that it was some little time before I
fully understood what was passing around. As soon as Red Cloud had
ascertained that I had sustained no greater injury than the concussion
the fall had given me, he turned his attention to the Assineboine,
whose aid, at the most critical moment, had completely turned the
fortunes of the day. It was in his own noble nature to comprehend the
change which had worked upon our late prisoner and made him a staunch
and firm friend; he took the hand of the Assineboine, and shook it
warmly. “I owe you much for this day,” he said; “I shall begin to repay
it from this moment. Help me to draw my horse from yonder swamp, and
then we shall see to our prizes.”
So saying, but first securing the pack animals, and giving the lariat
which held them into my hands, the Sioux, Donogh, and the Assineboine
turned to rescue the horse from the swamp where he had lain, sinking
gradually deeper, since that disastrous moment when first breaking
through the spongy soil he had so nearly ended for ever the career of
his rider.
By dint of great exertions, working with leather lines passed around
the neck and quarters of the horse, they at length succeeded in
drawing him from the morass. The Sioux was overjoyed at once more
recovering his long-tried horse; for a moment he half forgot the
bitterness of having lost his enemy, in the pleasure of finding himself
still the owner of this faithful friend.
But the full importance of the victory just gained only burst upon
our little party when we came to examine the goods that had fallen to
us as victors. The two pack-horses had only been partly loaded, and
many of the parcels and bags still lay in loose heaps upon the ground;
they were all dripping with water, having been only recently brought
from out of the lake, where they had lain since the alarm of fire on
the previous night; but a careful examination showed that they had
sustained little damage from the water. It is well known that flour
lying closely packed in a sack resists for a great time the action of
damp, the portion nearest to the sack becomes a soft sort of cement,
which prevents the water from penetrating more than a couple of inches
further in. Thus, the three sacks of fine Red River flour formed a
most precious treasure to men whose winter hut was to be built still
farther among the vast solitudes than the spot they were now on. A
small barrel of gunpowder, coppered on the inside, was of course
perfectly water-tight; a case of knives, with some axe-heads and saws,
only required to be dried and cleaned to be again in perfect order; a
few hours’ exposure to sun and wind would suffice to dry the blankets
and flour; the tea, most precious article, was to a great extent saved
by being made up in tin canisters――only that portion of it which was
in lead paper had suffered injury; and the sugar, though the wet had
quite penetrated through the bag, could still be run down by the
action of fire to the consistency of hard cakes, which would be quite
serviceable for use in that state. Two bags of salt, though wet, were
also serviceable.
Of course such things as shot, bullets, and a few hardware articles,
had suffered no injury whatever.
Thus as, one by one, all these things were unpacked and laid out upon
the ground, we realized how fortunate had been the chance that had
thrown so many valuable essentials of prairie life into the possession
of our party.
“We are now,” said the Sioux, “quite independent of every one. We have
here supplies which will last us for the entire winter and far into
next year. You, my friend,” he said to the Assineboine, “will continue
with us, and share all these things; they are as much yours as they are
ours. If you decide to join us, even for a while, you will live as we
do. We are on our way far west, to hunt and roam the plains; we will
winter many days’ journey from here. If it should be your wish to go
and rejoin your people, one of these horses and a third of these things
shall be yours to take away with you; but if you remain with us, you
will share our camp, our fire, our food.”
The Assineboine did not ponder long upon his decision; to return to
his people would have been to open many causes of quarrel with them or
with the trader or his agents. The new life offered everything that
an Indian could covet. Red Cloud was a chief of the Sioux――a people
who had ever been as cousins to his people――whose language closely
resembled his own. “Yes he would go west with these men, even to where
the sun set.”
The Assineboine――who in future shall bear the name by which he
was first known to us, of the scout――had possessed himself of the
half-breed’s gun, which that worthy had dropped at the moment he
received the arrow wound. His steed, a thoroughly serviceable Indian
pony, had both speed and endurance, and was therefore suited for any
emergency which war or the chase might call forth. My horse had been
the only loss in the affair; but in his place there had been a gain of
two good steeds, and there were spare goods in the packs sufficient to
purchase a dozen horses from any Indian camp the party might reach.
While the Sioux and the scout were busily engaged in looking through
the trader’s captured stores, I sat revolving in my mind every incident
of the recent struggle. On the whole I felt well-pleased; it was my
first brush with an enemy, and I had not flinched from fire or charge.
From the moment of my first shot from the ridge top――a shot fired at
two hundred yards’ range――to my last onslaught upon the retreating
trader, I had never lost my head; eye, hand, and brain had worked
together, and I had unconsciously timed every move to the demand of the
passing moment.
I fully realized the reasons why Red Cloud had decided not to involve
me in his struggle with the trader, but I could not help saying to my
friend when we were about to leave the spot, “We were to have been
brothers in war, as well as in peace. You have not kept your word
fairly with me.”
“All’s well that ends well,” said the Sioux. “Henceforth our fights
shall be shared evenly between us.”
Having stripped the dead horse of his saddle and trappings, I mounted
one of the captured animals, and his load divided between the other
animals, the whole party set out at a rapid pace for our camp.