"Jump up behind me, we'll soon catch a horse for you; the Indians had a
lot of animals with them, and we'll take one of theirs if we can't find
yours."
By this time morning had dawned, and we had no longer any fear of
encountering our enemies. We rode on to where old Folkard told us he
expected to find the horses.
Surmounting a slight elevation, we soon caught sight of a score of
animals, evidently those of the Indians. To catch them was no easy
matter, for just at the moment we appeared they seemed to be seized by a
sudden panic, and began prancing and rearing in the strangest fashion.
We dashed forward, and, as they saw us coming, off they started across
the prairie at a rate which would have rendered pursuit utterly
hopeless.
We had now to settle what course to pursue. Should we return to the
camp and take possession of our property, or put as many miles as we
could between ourselves and the Indians?
On calculating, however, the quantity of liquor among our stores, we
arrived at the conclusion that there was enough to keep the Indians
drunk for another day or two, and that we should probably find them as
helpless as before. We accordingly kept our rifles ready for instant
service, and rode towards our camp. On our way we found our mules,
which according to their usual custom had not mixed with the horses.
Pierre mounted one of them, and led the rest. The loud snores and
perfect silence around where the Indians lay showed us that they had not
recovered from their debauch. While two of our party stood guard, ready
to deal with any who might come to their senses, the rest of us loaded
the mules with our goods, including two remaining bottles of spirits.
Folkard proposed leaving these to prevent the enemy from pursuing us.
"There is no fear of their doing that, for they have neither horses nor
arms," observed Dick. "They may consider themselves fortunate in
escaping with their lives." We could scarcely help laughing at the
thought of their astonishment when, on coming to themselves, they should
find how completely the tables had been turned: we hoped they would duly
appreciate the mercy shown to them. We now rode off, thankful for the
happy termination of our adventure.
We found that the old trapper had been very successful and wished to
turn his steps eastward.
"I should be glad of your company, friends," he said, "in the first
place; and in the second I don't think it would be safe for you to
remain in this region, as the rest of the tribe may consider themselves
insulted, and, ungrateful for the mercy shown their people, may
endeavour to cut you off. When the Redskins have made up their minds to
do a thing, they'll do it if they can, however long they may have to
wait."
We all agreed that, although not frightened by the Indians, we had had
enough of fighting and hunting for the present. We accordingly made up
our minds to accompany old Folkard. We felt that, in gratitude to him
for having preserved our lives, we were bound to do as he wished.
Having reached the spot where he had left his mules with his traps and
peltries, we turned our horses' heads eastward. As we rode along he
told us that he had come upon our trail, and that soon afterwards he had
fallen in with one which he knew must be made by an Indian war-party,
and feeling sure that they intended us mischief he had followed them up.
He had scarcely expected, however, to find us still alive; but having
stolen up to the camp, he saw the state to which our liquor had
fortunately reduced our captors, and had at once formed the plan for
liberating us so happily carried out. One of Dick's first questions was
about Charley. The old trapper replied that he had failed to hear of
him; but he still held out hopes that our friend might have escaped, and
that some well-disposed Indians might have spared his life, and taken
care of him, hoping to induce him to join their tribe, according to a by
no means unusual custom among them.
This idea somewhat cheered up the worthy lieutenant's spirits, and made
him unwilling to return eastward; still, as he could not remain by
himself, he agreed to accompany us. The journey appeared very long.
For the first few days we pushed forward to get beyond the reach of the
Indians, in case they should fall in with any of their tribe and venture
to pursue us. After this we were compelled, for the sake of our horses,
to make more easy stages. We had also to halt for the purpose of
providing ourselves with meat; but as we shot only for the pot, that
caused us no great delay.
At last we reached Saint Louis, where we spent several months enjoying
the hospitality of numerous friends to whom we had letters of
introduction. For a time we were looked upon as heroes on a small scale
by society; but probably the hunters and trappers who frequent that city
would have considered our adventures as every-day occurrences and
scarcely worth talking about.
Old Folkard, having disposed of his peltries, and obtained new traps and
a fresh outfit, started westward in the course of a fortnight, declaring
that he could not breathe among the bricks and mortar. He promised that
he would not fail to look out for Charley, for whose recovery, however,
even Dick, by this time, had begun to despair. We were beginning to get
a little tired of civilised ways and to sigh for the wild life of the
prairie, when Armitage received a letter calling him to New York to meet
an agent.
"I should like to continue the expedition I began with you," he said,
"and I shall esteem it a favour if you will wait for my return; I shall
not be longer than I can help."
His request, made in so courteous a way, was not to be refused. We all
consented to stop. Week after week went by, and Armitage was still
delayed; but as we had remained so long, we agreed to wait until he
returned, though our stay was double the length we intended. We were
employed in adding to our outfit such articles as, from our experience,
we considered useful. At length Armitage rejoined us, and we were once
more _en route_. From the way his Indians had behaved when it came to a
pinch, he had resolved to take no more. Besides Pierre, who was
accompanied by another Canadian, we had a Yankee trapper yclept "Long
Sam," who, according to his own showing, was likely to prove of far more
value than half-a-dozen Indians. He was ready for anything--to hunt on
horseback, to shoot on foot, or to trap beavers. We had been travelling
on some time when Armitage began to talk of Tillydrone, and suggested
that, as it was not far out of our way, it would be but courteous to pay
a visit there and inquire after the family who had treated us so
hospitably. He said not a word, however, about Miss Hargrave, nor from
the tone of his voice would anyone have suspected that he was thinking
of her.