HOMEWARD BOUND.
Despite the remarkable experiences of George and Victor Shelton in the
Blackfoot village, they found, as the weeks and months passed, a
monotony that deepened their homesickness and caused them to yearn for
the day when they could start southward and leave the bleak region
forever behind. The winters in that latitude are generally severe, and
the brothers got a taste of cold weather such as they had never known
on the other side of the Mississippi. There must have been repeated
spells when, had a Fahrenheit thermometer been in existence, it would
have shown a record of thirty and forty degrees below zero.
People who are accustomed to such Arctic experiences know how to
prepare for them, and Deerfoot and the boys would have been foolish had
they neglected so plain a duty. With wood abundant on every hand, a
bountiful supply was kept within the tepee and outside, and weeks
passed without the fire being allowed to go out. With the soft, warm
furs at command, no one of the three met with more than a brief
discomfort because of the fearful cold.
The chief cause of anxiety was the horses. All were provided with
shelter and carefully looked after. A good deal of grass had been
pulled and much cottonwood and willow bark laid in stock. If the
animals could not fare sumptuously, they had enough to keep them in
good condition. Fully half a dozen of the Blackfoot horses were frozen
to death, and those belonging to our friends would have perished but
for the care they received. They were screened by blankets during the
unusually severe weather, and Whirlwind received the tenderest
attention from Deerfoot. More than once the Shawanoe stole out of the
tepee in the depth of the night and tramped over the snow through an
atmosphere that was still and as biting as the teeth of a saw. No
matter how silently the youth moved forward, the stallion discovered
his approach and whinneyed his welcome. Then when the blizzards raged
Deerfoot never forgot to call and assure himself that nothing was
neglected that could shield the faithful creatures. Thus they were
saved from harm until the weather moderated upon the approach of
spring.
With the snow lying several feet deep on the level and piled ten times
higher among the mountains, Deerfoot and the boys hunted with their
friends on snow-shoes. It was exhilarating, but the resistless cold
took away much of the pleasure that otherwise would have come to the
lads. As for the Shawanoe, summer and winter seemed alike to him.
When the village was helpless in the grasp of old Boreas, the
inhabitants did little except cower in their lodges around their fires
and eat and sleep. This sort of existence grew almost intolerable to
the brothers. With every muscle and nerve yearning for action, they
became impatient and sometimes fretful. When they spoke of themselves
as prisoners it was the truth.
Taggarak acted kindly toward George and Victor, but never showed any
special friendship for them. It may have been because they belonged to
another race. Toward Deerfoot he displayed a profound gratitude, a deep
affection and reverence, amounting at times almost to worship. He was
the messenger who brought the glad tidings of the one and only true
God, and the chief in some way or other associated him with the divine
message itself, as if he were a part of it.
The snow and cold shut off communication almost entirely between the
Blackfoot villages. Early in the winter and toward spring several
warriors came down from the most northern settlement, but they did not
remain long. It was known, however, among them all that Taggarak, the
leading chief, had accepted the new religion, and his authority
naturally weakened, but nothing in the nature of a revolt took place
against his supremacy.
Deerfoot frequently visited the chief, where none was so welcome as he.
Taggarak never went to the tepee of the Shawanoe, for he preferred
always to see Deerfoot alone. Mul-tal-la, Spink, Jiggers and seven
other warriors openly confessed the Christian religion. Nearly double
that number of squaws--among them the wife of the chief--did the same.
Slowly and surely the leaven worked, and when the time drew near for
the departure of the visitors it is probable that the number of
converts was doubled, with the promise of further increase.
Deerfoot and the boys made the parting as "informal" as possible. All
through the winter the Shawanoe had impressed upon the Blackfeet that
this separation in the nature of things would be brief. The time was
certain to come, at no distant day, when they would all be together
again. So he smiled, the boys bade good-bye to the numerous lads with
whom they had played and hunted, and were so happy over the prospect of
soon seeing their own home again that they could not repress their
delight nor pay much attention to the regret, if not sadness, of the
aboriginal youngsters.
Deerfoot's last hour in the village was spent alone with Taggarak in
his lodge. What took place there and what was said by each were never
known to anyone beside themselves.
By the middle of the afternoon our friends had penetrated a number of
miles to the eastward. A good deal of snow remained, and they had to
pick their way with care. They would have been wise had they remained
another month, as they were urged to do; but Deerfoot himself was as
homesick as his companions and as willing as they to face the hardships
that had to be faced for several weeks to come.
Jack, Prince, Zigzag and even Whirlwind showed the effects of their
long confinement, but all appeared to share the enthusiasm of their
owners and worked royally to get forward. When they had traveled the
distance named, the rest given them by their masters was not unwelcome.
Naturally, upon halting, all turned their eyes westward. A moderate
mountain spur hid the village from sight, but each knew where it lay.
George and Victor scanned the field of vision with the aid of the
glass, but noted nothing unusual. When Deerfoot took the instrument he
stood for a long time directed toward a certain spot. He expected to
see some object, and was not disappointed. On the top of the same bare
brown rock where he had caught sight of Mul-tal-la when Deerfoot was
coming to the village for the first time, he descried another form. It
was not that of Mul-tal-la; it was Taggarak, who had climbed alone to
the place, and, silent and motionless as a statue, was gazing after the
little party of horsemen as they slowly faded from view in the
distance.
George and Victor kept their eyes on their friend, and when they noted
the length of time he held the glass leveled they suspected the cause.
"He sees some one," said George, in a low tone.
"It must be Taggarak. Look!"
Deerfoot had lowered the instrument and was peering westward with his
unaided vision. He was testing whether he could thus discern that which
the glass revealed plainly. Evidently he did so, though the boys could
not locate the form, even when they knew almost precisely where to look
for it.
Standing upright, the Shawanoe took his blanket from the back of
Whirlwind and swung it back and forth over his head, for fully a dozen
times. Then, dropping it to his feet, he brought the glass again to his
eye.
"Taggarak has seen it," whispered Victor, who, like his brother, was
watching the face of Deerfoot and noted the smile come to his
countenance.
Such was the fact. As the Shawanoe looked again he observed the
chieftain rise from his sitting position and reply to the signal by
waving his own blanket. The trained vision of the veteran warrior saw
as clearly as those of youth. The action of Taggarak brought him into
view of the lads, both noting the flickering of what resembled a mere
speck in the distance. Finally, Deerfoot lowered the glass and turned
about, as if to say that was the final parting from the chief who held
him in such loving remembrance.
The mountain peaks on every hand were covered with snow. On the lower
ranges this would gradually dissolve under the rays of the sun, but
others were so lofty that the white blanket remained throughout the
year. While gazing at a towering range to the northeast the three
witnessed the descent of an avalanche. Deerfoot was the first to see
it, and directed the notice of the boys to the vast disturbance.
The glance revealed nothing unusual, the enormous extent of slope
looking as if it were motionless, but a second look told the truth. A
grove of pines at the base of the range were suddenly snuffed out. This
was because they disappeared under the prodigious mass of snow and ice
that swept over them. Then a dark, irregular line, running right and
left, and roughly parallel with the crest of the range, came into view.
It was an eighth of a mile in length and the narrow width rapidly
increased until there was a rent or yawn of several hundred feet,
zigzagging from one side to the other. The dark color of this chasm was
due to rocks and ground, and marked the break between the two sections
or divisions of the avalanche. The upper portion caught and held, while
the remainder swept downward without check. Thus a huge gap was opened,
through which the brown earth and stones showed.
The next strange sight was that of boulders, some of them weighing many
tons, flung high in air and tossed about like so many corks. One might
have thought that Titans were disporting themselves as did the fabled
gods on Mount Olympus. As the inconceivable mountain of snow crashed
onward it spread out at the base of the range, and finally settled to
rest. Had an ordinary town been in its path it would have been buried
to the tops of the highest steeples.
Nearly all this had taken place before the three spectators heard the
deep, thunderous roar that rolled across the space and told of the
stupendous mass that had been loosened by the undermining rays of the
sun or by some trifling disturbance of the atmosphere.
"If we should be caught in anything like that," said Victor, "it would
take us a good while to dig out."
"My brothers might _never_ dig out," said Deerfoot.
"What is there to hinder?"
"There are many stones and rocks and boulders tumbling about in the
snow, and they would be likely to kill us."
"Then, Deerfoot, you must keep your eyes open for avalanches. It would
be pretty hard for the horses, though Zigzag has sort of got used to
it."
Little need for warning the Shawanoe of his duty. That was what he had
been attending to all his life. He had never placed himself and friends
in the way of an impending avalanche. Recalling their course since
leaving the village, the brothers understood better than before the
cause of more than one tortuous winding by their guide, when they had
been unable to guess the reason for such quixotic turns that did not
lessen the labor of traveling itself.
It was not yet midday, and the halt was not made for food for either
man or beast. In truth, grass was so scarce, except here and there in
the sheltered nooks and depressions, that some dependence would have to
be placed for awhile on the barks of trees. Zigzag showed a meekness
that roused distrust on the part of the boys. He must have found the
heavy pack quite onerous, but he did not rebel. Whirlwind showed little
lessening of his aristocratic tastes, and refused to mingle on anything
like equal terms with the common stock around him.
When Deerfoot and his companions were journeying westward they decided
to return by a different route from the Blackfoot country. Their first
intention was to travel eastward until they reached the upper waters of
the Mississippi, and then make their way down that stream to
civilization, following in a general way the course of the mighty
stream. With their horses, and without large boats, they could not
utilize the current, unless perhaps after descending a long distance
they were able to construct a large raft.
This plan, which would have taken them through the hunting grounds of
the Assiniboines, was changed, and they turned to the southeast, having
been told that that course offered less difficulties to them. They gave
up their former plan because of their wish to enter a moderate climate
as soon as possible. Although spring was well begun, they had a good
deal of snow and ice to encounter, and were likely to meet it for weeks
to come. This was shown on their second day, when a driving storm of
snow and sleet forced them to seek shelter for themselves and horses,
and another day passed before they could resume their journey.
The most trying difficulty was that of crossing streams, which were
more numerous than they had supposed. Some were mountain torrents of
only a few yards width, others deserved the name of rivers, and the
current of each was of icy coldness. More than once they saw blocks of
ice grinding and tumbling over one another as they plunged rapidly
onward. It was so dangerous at times for the horses to attempt to swim
across, and so hard and disagreeable for the youths, that hours were
spent in hunting for a fording place. Fortunately they were always able
to gather enough fuel to make themselves comfortable at night; grass
became more plentiful and no trouble was had in procuring game. This
generally consisted of bison, but it was a great improvement when they
were able to bring down a Rocky Mountain sheep. This animal does not
bear wool, but hair like that of the deer, and is larger than the
largest domestic sheep. The horns of the males attain great size,
starting from just above the eyes, though not touching at the bases,
and curving over so as to include all the space between the ears. The
meat at certain seasons is very palatable and held in high favor. The
animal is generally known by the name of the "big horn," and is so
skilful a climber and so alert that it is quite a feat for a hunter to
bring down a specimen. Deerfoot was the only one on this return journey
who was able to bag the game, which never failed to elude George and
Victor Shelton.