WHAT THE PICTURE WRITING TOLD
IT was with the utmost eagerness that the two boys studied the strange
characters depicted on the strip of bark. The hand that had drawn them
there must have been accustomed to the task, and doubtless the story
the message was meant to tell could have been easily read by the eyes
of any Indian.
Dick and his cousin had seen samples of this queer picture writing
before that time, and understood how the Indians depend on the natural
sagacity of a woodsman, whether red or white, to decipher the meaning
of the various characters. (Note 3.)
"What can it all stand for?" demanded Roger, as he gazed blankly at the
several lines of characters. "Perhaps we may have to call on some of
the Mandans in the village to explain it to us."
"We will do that in the end, anyway," Dick said, "in order to make
certain; but, if we look this over closely, right now, we may get an
idea of what Beaver Tail meant by sending it."
"You don't think then, Dick, it was intended just as a greeting to us,
so as to let us know the chief has not forgotten his young paleface
brothers?"
"No, I feel sure it has a more serious meaning than that," the other
declared. "In fact, Roger, something tells me it may be in the nature
of a warning."
"A warning, Dick! Do you mean the Sioux chief wants us to tell Captain
Lewis it will be all his life is worth to keep heading into the land of
the West, now that spring has come?"
"I was thinking only of ourselves when I said that, Roger."
"And that the warning would be for our benefit, you mean? But, Dick!
how could Beaver Tail, so far away from here, know of any danger that
hung over our heads?"
"Let us examine the bark message, and perhaps we shall learn something
that may explain the mystery. The first thing we see is what looks to
be a man facing the sun that is half hidden by the horizon."
"Yes, that hedgehog-looking half circle is meant for the sun, I can see
that. And, further along, we find it again, only on the left side of
the man who is now creeping toward it. What do you make that out to be?"
"It is plain that one represents the rising, and the other the setting
sun," Dick explained, with lines of deep thought marked across his
forehead. "Now, an Indian always faces the north when he wants to
represent the points of the compass, so it is plain that the first sun
lies in the east."
"And he wanted us to know that this man was heading into the east first
of all; is that what you mean, Dick?"
"Yes, and look closer at the figure, Roger. It is not intended to be
an Indian, you can see, for he has a hat on his head. It strikes me we
ought to know that hat, cleverly imitated here; what do you say about
it?"
"Oh! it must be the odd-looking hat that French trader, François
Lascelles, always wore, Dick. He means that it was toward the rising
sun François started last fall, just as we know happened. And now
here he is, again, the same hat and all, creeping straight toward the
_setting_ sun. Does that mean the trader came back again, in spite of
the warning Captain Lewis gave him?"
"I am sure it means that, and nothing else," replied the other, calmly.
"Stop and think, Roger. Only a little while ago, we were wondering
whether such a thing had come about, because we found reason to believe
some member of the expedition had been hired to do us an injury. Yes,
that bitter Frenchman has dared to return, believing that he can keep
out of the reach of our protectors, and manage in some way to get his
revenge."
"If that is what Beaver Tail is trying to tell us in this picture
writing, Dick, the rest of the screed must simply go on to explain it a
little further."
"You notice that the same figure with the hat occurs always," continued
Dick, as he examined the message again. "Here is what must stand for
a fire, and two persons are sitting beside it, as if cooking. In what
seems to be a clump of bushes close by he has drawn that man again,
this time lying flat."
"That must mean that François is spying on the pair by the fire,"
suggested Roger, "and as he has made both of them wear caps with 'coon
or squirrel tails dangling down behind, I think they are meant to
represent us."
"There can be no question about it," admitted the other, deeply
interested. "And, going further, we see the snake in the grass creeping
up as if he meant to surprise the two, who are now sleeping, for they
lie flat on the ground."
"Yes, even the fire burns low, for there is hardly any blaze," added
Roger, "which indicates that the hour is late. Why, Dick, we can read
the story as easily as any sign in the woods we ever tackled."
"Then comes another scene," continued Dick, "where the creeper has
evidently sprung with uplifted knife, upon his intended prey, taken
unawares. After that, we can see him crawling away, and there are two
figures lying stretched out on the ground close to the now dead fire.
That needs no explanation, Roger; François Lascelles seeks our lives,
because we baffled him in his scheme to win a fortune at the expense of
our folks at home!"
The two boys looked at each other. Their eyes may have seemed troubled,
but there was no sign of flinching about them. The lads had met too
many perils in times past to shrink, now that they were face to face
with another source of danger.
"Shall we keep on now for the camp, and show this message on the bark
to Captain Lewis?" asked Roger.
"It would be the best thing to do, for he can advise us," his companion
admitted. "Besides, he will surely order every one in the camp to keep
an eye out for François Lascelles."
"We ought to take this brave with us, Dick, because he has come a long
way, and is hardly fit to return without rest and food."
Once again did Dick endeavor to make the Sioux warrior comprehend what
he wished him to do. He urged him to get upon his feet, then thrust an
arm through that of the brave, after which he nodded his head, pointed
to the north, made gestures as though feeding himself, and then started
to walk away, still holding on to the other.
Of course it was easy for the Indian to understand that they wished
him to accompany them to their camp, where he would receive food and
attention. He simply gave a guttural grunt, nodded his head, and fell
in behind Dick, after the customary Indian method of traveling in
single file. Then they moved along, Roger bringing up the rear.
Little was said while they tramped onward, heading for the camp. Dick
occupied himself with making sure that he held to the right direction.
He also found much food for thought in the startling information that
Beaver Tail had taken the pains to send all these miles to his young
friends.
In due time they came in sight of the camp where the expedition had
passed the preceding winter. Rude cabins had sheltered them from the
cold and the snow, both of which had been quite severe in this northern
latitude. Some distance beyond lay the Mandan village, always a source
of deepest interest to the two boys. It contained so many strange
things, and the lads had never become weary of trying to understand the
ways of these "White Indians." (Note 4.)
Upon seeing the boys come in with a strange Indian in their company,
many curious glances were cast in their direction. Going straight to
the cabin where the two leaders of the expedition lived, the boys were
fortunate enough to find Captain Lewis busily engaged in making up his
log for the preceding day, though of course there was little that was
new to record.
To the surprise of the boys the Sioux Indian produced another bark
scroll from his ditty bag, which he handed to Captain Lewis. This fact
convinced Dick that the brave must have been with the party in the
fall, for he seemed to know that the white man he faced was the "big
chief."
"What does all this mean, my boys?" asked the captain, looking puzzled.
"We met with an accident in the rapids, and had to swim out," replied
Dick. "Then, on the way back to camp, we came upon this Sioux brave
in a tree with a dozen hungry wolves jumping up at him. We chased the
wolves off, and looked after his wounds, when to our surprise he handed
us this message from his chief, Beaver Tail."
The captain examined the picture writing with considerable interest.
He had been taking considerable pains since mingling with the Mandans
to understand their ways, and this crude but effective method of
communication had aroused his curiosity on numerous occasions.
"Read it to me, if you managed to make it out, Dick," he told the boy,
who only too willingly complied.
The captain frowned upon learning that, despite his solemn warning, the
French trader had returned to the neighborhood. That look boded ill for
François Lascelles, should he ever have the hard luck to be caught in
the vicinity of the camp.
The captain's own communication from the Sioux chief was merely meant
for an expression of goodwill. Two figures, one plainly a Sioux
chieftain, and the other a soldier, were seen to be grasping hands as
though in greeting. Beaver Tail by this crude method of picture writing
evidently intended to convey the meaning that he had not forgotten his
friend, the white chief, and, also, that he had kept his word that the
Sioux should remain on peaceful terms with the travelers.
"But you spoke of meeting with an accident in the rapids," Captain
Lewis presently remarked. "That is something strange for clever boys
like you to experience. Did you miscalculate the danger, or was it
something that could not be helped?"
"We closely examined our buffalo hide canoe yesterday, and it was in
perfect condition, Captain," said Dick. "Yet, with only a slight blow
against a perfectly smooth rock, it split open, and we had to jump
overboard. We managed to get through the rough water safely, and drew
the damaged boat ashore. Imagine our surprise and consternation, sir,
when we found that a sharp-pointed knife blade had been run along the
bottom of the canoe, making a deep cut that had easily given way when
we struck the rock."
"You startle me when you say that, Dick," remarked the captain, looking
uneasy, though almost immediately afterward his jaws became set in a
determined fashion, while his eyes gleamed angrily. "It must mean that
we have a traitor in the camp; some one who has been bought by the gold
of François Lascelles."
"That was what we began to fear, Captain," Dick continued, "and we
believed it only right to let you know what happened to us. We hope you
will send some of the Indians, and one of our men, for the canoe. It
could be brought secretly to the camp and examined, without the guilty
one knowing about it."
"A good idea, my boy, and one I shall act upon at once. Say nothing
to a single soul concerning this outrage. If we expect to catch the
traitor napping, he must not be put on his guard. But none of us could
feel safe, knowing we had a snake in our midst. Depend upon it, the
truth is bound to come out, and, when once we learn his identity, the
traitor will be kicked out of the camp, if nothing worse happens to
him."
With this assurance the two boys rested content. They knew Captain
Lewis was a man of his word, and felt sure that the man who had sold
his loyalty for a sum of money offered by the French trader would
before long rue the evil day he allowed himself to be thus tempted.
Soon afterward they saw Captain Clark and his companion officer in
conference, after which the former went over to the Mandan village,
and, later on, vanished in the dense forest accompanied by two stalwart
braves. They had gone, the boys knew to secure the hide canoe that told
the story of treachery in the camp.