NEARING THE SALTY SEA
FORTUNATELY the others were close at hand when this catastrophe
happened. Dick, of course, plied his paddle with the utmost vigor, but,
in spite of his endeavors, their canoe was dragged perilously close to
the verge of the fall, and, if left to themselves, the boys would have
had a serious time of it.
The nearest boat chanced to contain Jasper Williams and another.
Williams had always been known as a quick-witted man when trouble came
suddenly from a clear sky.
Loud cries arose. Then this boat was seen speeding straight toward the
one that had been crippled by the breaking of the paddle.
"Here, take hold of this rope!" Jasper Williams was heard calling, and
Roger, who had been watching the approach of the other canoe in a sort
of dumb anxiety, not knowing how their arrival would help, managed to
secure the line that came flying through the air.
He saw what the trapper had in mind. Dick, too, bent all his energies
to his own paddle, while the blades in the other canoe flashed fast and
furiously as the two paddlers bent their broad backs to the task.
The current was loath to give up its expected prey, and it fought
furiously before admitting defeat; but brain triumphed in the end. One
thing that helped materially was the fact that with every yard they
gained in the direction of the bank the grip of the current grew less
severe.
In the end they reached land, much to the relief of both boys. Roger
looked a little white under the eyes, although he stoutly protested
that he had not been much alarmed.
When later on they had a chance to see from what they had escaped
through the happy circumstance of Jasper Williams' possession of the
rope, the boys were very grateful things had turned out as they did.
Dick realized that there was not much hope for any one unfortunate
enough to be swept over those falls, and carried through the rapids,
where cruel rocks waited on every hand to bruise the victim.
The party went into camp on the spot, and expected to be lulled to
sleep that night by the incessant roar as the water took the plunge.
Roger meant to busy himself below the falls as soon as he could get
there, armed with his spear, of which he had by this time become very
proud.
They soon learned that this spot was a favorite fishing place for the
Indians. Indeed, there did not seem to be a minute of the day that one
or more dusky sons of the wilderness could not be seen prowling around,
armed with spears with which they would adroitly stab any fish that
came within reach. (Note 9.)
The salmon on reaching a waterfall exhibits a wonderful agility in
lofty leaping, in the endeavor to gain the upper reaches of the stream.
This, of course, is more frequent in the spring when the fish wish to
reach their spawning beds far up in the rivers. Still, the boys saw
many fish make the leap while they were at the falls, some reaching
projecting ledges, and resting for another frantic attempt; others
falling back, doubtless to make a more successful effort later.
These Indians the boys found were of a different tribe from any they
had thus far encountered, and they soon decided they must belong to the
fighting tribe of whom they had heard so many contradictory accounts,
the Flat Heads.
Very naturally, since they had probably never before seen a white
man, the Indians displayed considerable curiosity. They were at first
inclined to flee, showing all the signs of alarm and enmity; but
Captain Lewis made friendly signs, and in the end succeeded in soothing
their fears.
"I don't like their looks, though," Roger said to Dick, as they watched
several of the Flat Head braves accepting little trinkets, such as
colored beads and minute mirrors, which had been carried along for the
purpose of trading with the natives.
"I agree with you there," admitted Dick. "They have a different
appearance from the friendly Nez Perces, the Mandans, or any other
tribe we have met so far."
"I believe they must be more treacherous than the others," continued
Roger, uneasily. "You know we have heard not a single good word about
them from any source."
"Well, 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it,' as we've
heard many the time at home, Roger; and we shouldn't judge people
wholly by their looks. Captain Lewis seems to be willing to trust them.
If any person can make friends with these Flat Heads, he will."
"Unless they've already determined to hate, and try to exterminate us,"
grumbled the other, of course referring to the underhand measures which
they believed Lascelles and his companion meant to put into practice.
It was not long before Roger found a good use for his spear. He watched
how the red fishermen plied their weapons and copied their method.
Although he could hardly expect to be an expert in the beginning the
boy soon learned to handle his new tool with considerable skill; and
Dick commended his work when he saw him strike a splendid silvery fish
that had shown itself near the surface.
It was not a very difficult task getting the canoes around the portage,
or carry. There was a regular path which doubtless had been worn by the
moccasined feet of countless red Indians for ages past, since this spot
must always have been a favorite one for laying in stores of fish food.
The second night was passed some distance below the falls, though their
musical roar could still be plainly heard. Always eager to learn facts
in connection with what lay ahead, Captain Lewis questioned some of the
Indians once more with regard to how many days journey they still had
to expect before arriving at the ocean.
Thanks to his mastery of the sign language, the commander was able
to discover what he sought; and it was pleasing intelligence that he
communicated to the rest of the company that same night.
November was at hand, and before the month had gone far they should
arrive at the termination of their great adventure, with the ocean
stretching before them.
From the present time they could count on an easy voyage, unless
something entirely unexpected cropped up to dismay them. The current
of the Columbia was swift, and could be counted on to carry them along
without a paddle being dipped, if they felt like avoiding the labor.
Already were the men beginning to count on the glorious experience
they expected to have while the winter lasted, hunting and fishing as
the weather permitted, and with the wonderful sea to gaze upon. It was
planned to go into winter quarters as soon as they arrived at their
destination. This would permit of their gathering a great store of
food, after the Indian custom.
Only one fly remained in the ointment of the boys. They could not
forget that, as long as the revengeful Frenchman, François Lascelles,
hovered about that part of the country, they could never feel safe. No
matter if he were unseen, they knew him well enough to believe that he
would be plotting in some underhand way to injure them, as he had done
so many times in the past.
"We will never know a minute's peace as long as that man is alive,"
said Roger, when the subject came up to cast a shadow on their
happiness.
The weather did not improve as they descended the Columbia. Rain fell
frequently, and twice they saw where serious landslides had occurred.
It made them more careful as to where they camped when night came, for,
should they be so unfortunate as to be caught in one of these slips,
the result was apt to be exceedingly serious.
They saw Indians daily. Sometimes these were ashore, and again they met
them in canoes made of hide, or, it might be, dugouts formed from logs.
In most cases the natives avoided them, for the sight of white faces
and beards filled them with wonder and fear. Some of them must have
believed the explorers had come from one of the stars, and were people
of another world, for never had they dreamed there could be any but
copper-colored inhabitants on this sphere.
Nor were the adventurers always free from peril from this source. On
several occasions an arrow had been known to hurtle into camp; and one
of the men even received a flesh wound.
For a short time it was feared the shaft might have had a poisoned tip,
and every expedient to neutralize the venom was immediately applied. As
the man did not suffer any great disability on account of his injury,
they finally concluded that the Flat Heads, at least, did not dip the
heads of their war arrows in the poison of the rattlesnake, as some
tribes were known to do. (Note 10.)
Captain Lewis did not like the menacing manner in which some of these
Indians acted when on the bank of the river, while the little flotilla
of canoes was passing.
"I feel certain there is some malign influence at work, behind the
scenes," Dick heard him telling Captain Clark, after they had seen a
manifestation of this ill humor one day, when several half-naked red
skins brandished their spears toward them as the boats drifted past,
at the same time uttering angry cries; "and, since we happen to know
that Lascelles slipped past us down the river, there can be no doubt it
is his work."
"A few days more and we shall be there, the captain says," announced
Roger, as he made his way back a short distance up the river in company
with his chum, they having noticed signs of game.
The boys had gone about half a mile from the camp, having caught sight
of a feeding deer.
"We are getting close to the spot where we glimpsed that deer feeding
on the green grass, so let us stop talking, and be on the watch," Dick
suggested, thinking the animal might have moved from its place.
Three minutes afterwards Roger gave a low "hist."
"I can see him right now," he whispered, and, following the direction
of the extended finger, Dick also caught sight of the dun-colored
figure.
Really it must have been a very hungry deer. As a rule such an animal,
when feeding, is so nervous and suspicious that every minute or so
its tail will whisk, and the hunters know from this that the deer
will immediately raise its head to take a look around. But although
the boys as they advanced kept their eyes fastened closely on their
intended quarry, they could not see even the slightest movement.
Roger had begged the privilege of having first shot, and, when they had
crept as close as seemed wise, his gun-stock came up against his cheek,
his eye ran along the sights, and then his finger pressed the hair
trigger of the long-barreled rifle.
Strange to say, the deer never moved even then. Roger was more than
amazed.
"Give him a shot, Dick!" he cried, "or he may get away from us yet,
thanks to my poor aim!"
Dick was about to comply, when suddenly the deer toppled over. There
was something decidedly suspicious in the way the animal collapsed, and
Dick had a flash of intelligence sweep over him. He believed the deer
was being used for a stalking animal, and had been dead all the while,
its body propped up to deceive them. And even as this dreadful truth
struck him, he heard loud Indian whoops ring out.