The lead removed—The wolves on the river—The wolf hunt—Gum fetid—Joe’s
incredulity—His conviction—His surprise—His predicament—His narrow
escape.
When Sneak opened the door, the sun had risen and was shining brightly.
In a moment the inmates of the house were stirring. The horses neighed
in the stable for their accustomed food and water, and when Joe
hastened to them, he embraced the neck of each, in testimony of his joy
that they were once more saved from the hands of the Indians. The
hounds pranced round Boone and Glenn, manifesting their delight in
being relieved of the presence of the enemy. The gate was thrown open,
and the scene of the explosion minutely examined. Fortunately the
channel cut under the snow by the savages ran a few feet apart from the
powder, or the whole of them must inevitably have perished. As it was,
not a single one lost his life, though many were blown up in the air to
a considerable height. Joe and Sneak found only a few spears, knives,
and tomahawks, that had been abandoned by the savages; and then they
repaired to the west side of the inclosure, where the two dead Indians
were still lying. They had scarce commenced searching their victims for
booty, when a solitary Indian was seen approaching from the upper
valley.
They had scarce commenced searching their victim.
They had scarce commenced searching their victims for booty, when a
solitary Indian was seen approaching from the upper valley.
“We hain’t got our guns!” exclaimed Sneak, pulling out his knife.
“I’ll get mine!” cried Joe, running away with all his might.
“What’s the matter?” inquired Boone, smiling, who had also seen the
approaching Indian, and was walking to where the dead savages lay,
accompanied by Glenn and Roughgrove, when he met Joe running swiftly
towards the house.
“Hang me, if the Indians ain’t coming back again,” replied Joe.
“There is but one, and he has a white flag,” said Boone, who had
discovered a small rag attached to a pole borne by the Indian.
“What can he want?” inquired Glenn.
“He wants permission to bury the dead,” replied Roughgrove.
“He’s the very rascal we let loose last night,” said Sneak.
This was true. Although the singed savage had removed some of the black
marks produced by the explosion, yet so many palpable traces of that
event were still exhibited on his person, there could be no doubt of
his identity.
The Indian came for the purpose mentioned by Roughgrove, and his
request was granted. He made a sign to a comrade he had left some
distance behind, who, in a very few minutes, was seen to approach in a
hasty though timorous pace.
“Don’t go to shooting out here!” exclaimed Sneak, hearing a clicking
sound, and the next moment observing Joe pointing his musket through
the loophole nearly in a line with the spot where he stood.
“Come in! come in! come in!” cried Joe.
“Put your gun away, and be silent,” said Glenn.
“I’ll be silent,” replied Joe, “but I’d rather stand here and watch
awhile. If they ain’t going to hurt any of us, it’ll do no harm; and if
they _do_ try to kill any of you, it may do some good.”
When the second Indian arrived, he seized the body of the savage
enveloped in the swine-skin, (knowing that permission to do so had been
obtained by his comrade,) and bore him away with great expedition,
manifesting no inclination whatever to tarry at a place which had been
so fatal to his brethren. But the other had every confidence in the
mercy of the whites, and lingered some length of time, gazing at the
corpse before him, as if hesitating whether to bear it away.
“Why do you not take him up?” inquired Roughgrove.
The Indian said it was the false prophet Raven, and that he hardly
deserved to be buried.
Sneak turned the dead Indian over, (he had been lying on his face,) and
he was instantly recognized by the whole party.
“I’m glad its him,” said Sneak.
“I think we will have peace now,” said Boone, “for Raven has ever been
the most blood-thirsty chief of the tribe.”
“Where is the war-party encamped? When do they return to their own
country?” asked Roughgrove.
The Indian replied that they were encamped in a small grove on the
border of the prairie, where they intended to bury their brothers, and
then it was their intention to set out immediately for their villages.
He added that one of their tribe, whom they had left at home, arrived
that morning with intelligence that a war-party of Pawnees had invaded
their territories, and it was necessary for them to hasten back with
all possible dispatch to defend their wives and children.
Glenn asked Boone how the Indians managed to sleep in the cold prairie;
and, Roughgrove repeating the inquiry to the savage, they were informed
that the war-party carried with them a long but very light sled, in the
shape of a canoe, to which was tied a rope made of buckskins, by which
they pulled it along on the snow with great swiftness. This kept them
warm with exercise through the day. A quantity of furs and buffalo
skins were packed in the canoe that served to keep them warm at night.
“Mr. Roughgrove! Mr. Roughgrove!” cried Joe, from his loophole.
“What do you want with me?” responded the old man.
“Why, Miss Mary’s gone down to your house to see if the Indians have
been there, and they may be there now, perhaps.”
“There’s no danger now, you blockhead,” replied Roughgrove.
“Keep your mouth shet!” said Sneak.
“Your mouth’s mashed—recollect who did it,” retorted Joe.
The savage at length lifted up the dead body, and set off at a brisk
pace towards the prairie. The party then returned to the house and
partook of a plenteous repast that had been provided by Mary.
When the breakfast was over, they repaired to the cliff, to examine the
place where the Indians had first penetrated the snow. They had
commenced operations at the very brow of the cliff, on a shelving rock,
to attain which, without being seen from the garrison, they must have
crawled on their hands and knees a considerable distance. Below could
be seen an immense heap of snow, which had been thrown down from the
place of entrance, just as Boone had described.
“Jest look yander!” cried Sneak, pointing up the river. The scene was a
remarkable one. They beheld a very small deer (the lightness of which
enabled it to run on the snow that covered the ice with great
fleetness, without breaking through the crust,) chased about on the
river by a pack of wolves! These hungry animals had evidently been
racing after it a great length of time, from the distressed appearance
of the poor victim, and, having driven it upon the ice, they seemed
resolved to prevent it from ever again entering the thickets. The plan
they adopted was systematic, and worthy the imitation of biped hunters.
They dispersed in various directions, and formed themselves in a circle
of about a half mile in diameter, hemming the deer in on all sides,
while only one or two of their number at a time chased it. Round and
round it ran; and though its pursuers were left far in the rear, yet it
remained entirely surrounded by the enemy. Occasionally, when a chasing
wolf became exhausted, one of the guards (abandoning his post) would
enter the ring, and, not being fatigued, was able to carry on the
pursuit with redoubled vigour. Thus the chase was kept up with
increasing fierceness by means of a succession of fresh wolves, until
the poor deer finally sank down and surrendered its life. The voracious
pack then rushed from their stations indiscriminately, and coming in
contact immediately over their prey, a most frightful contest ensued
among them. Horrific yells and screams could be heard by the men as
they looked on from their distant position. At times the wolves were so
closely jumbled together that nothing could be distinguished but one
black, heaving, and echoing mass. But the struggle was soon over. In a
very few moments, they became quiet, and started off in a comparatively
peaceful manner towards the island, whence their prize had been driven,
in quest of others. When they abandoned the spot where their victim had
fallen, not so much as a bone remained.
“That’s making a clean business of it!” said Sneak.
“Its no such thing!” said Joe; “it’s a nasty trick to swallow hide,
bones, and bowels, in that manner.”
“Its clean for wolves,” said Sneak.
“Oh, may be you’re part wolf,” said Joe.
“Now, none of your gab, or I’ll play some other trick on you, worse
than that at the spring.”
“You be hanged,” retorted Joe; “I’ll give you leave to do it when you
get a chance the next time.”
“It is a great pity that the deer are subject to such destruction,”
remarked Glenn.
“The wolves we saw are all on yonder island,” said Boone, “and if you
are disposed to have a hunt, I have no doubt we might kill some of
them.”
“We are entirely dependent upon the deer for animal food,” said
Roughgrove; “and if we could only surround that party of wolves as they
did the deer, we might do the settlement much good service.”
“I go in for it,” said Sneak.
“I’d rather wait a day or two, till the Indians have gone clean off,”
said Joe.
“There is nothing to fear from them now,” said Boone, “unless something
they might steal should fall in their way. But it will not require an
hour to rout the wolves on the little island.”
“Then let us hasten and get our guns, and be upon them before they
leave it,” said Glenn.
They returned to the house, and were all soon equipped for the
onslaught, except Joe, who made no preparation whatever.
“Get ready, Joe,” said Glenn; “your redoubtable musket will do good
service.”
“I’d rather not,” said Joe; “I’m hardly well enough to walk so far.
I’ll take care of Miss Mary. I wonder what’s become of her? Mr.
Roughgrove, Miss Mary hasn’t come back yet!”
“Yes she has,” replied the old ferryman; “I saw her bring this frozen
flower up, while we were standing on the cliff, and she has only
returned for the other pots, I hear her singing down the valley now,”
he added, after stepping to the gate and listening a moment.
“Have you any gum fetid?” asked Boone, addressing Glenn.
“I’ve got lots of it,” interposed Joe, “that I brought along for the
horses, because an old man at St. Louis told me they would never die so
long as I kept a lump of it in the rack.”
“What use do you make of it?” asked Glenn.
“The scent of it will at any time collect the wolves,” said Boone,
directing Joe to bring it along.
The party set out at a brisk pace, Joe with the rest, for it was
necessary to station the men at as many points as possible. Boone,
Roughgrove, and Glenn, when they reached the upper valley, descended to
the river, while Sneak and Joe were directed to station themselves on
the main-land opposite the upper and lower ends of the island. The
party of three advanced towards the island on the ice, and Sneak and
Joe pursued their way in a parallel direction through the narrow skirt
of woods that bordered the range of bluffs.
Ere long the two on land descended from their high position and entered
a densely-timbered bottom, the upper part of which (a half mile
distant) was only separated from the island by a very narrow channel.
Here, for the first time that day, the thought that the island he was
approaching was the haunted one of Glenn’s dream occurred to Joe, and
he paused suddenly.
“What are you stopping for?” asked Sneak.
“Because”—Joe hesitated, positively ashamed to tell the reason; and
after a moment’s reflection he was impressed with a thorough conviction
that his apprehensions and scruples were ridiculous.
“Don’t you hear me?” continued Sneak.
“I was thinking about going back for the dogs,” said Joe.
“Yes, and they would be torn to bits in a little less than no time,”
said Sneak.
“Come on, then,” said Joe, setting forward again, and dismissing all
fears of the fire-wizard from his mind.
“Let me see how much asafoetida you’ve got,” said Sneak, after they had
walked a few moments in silence.
“Here it is,” said Joe, unwrapping a paper containing several ounces;
“but hang me, if that ain’t rather too strong a joke of Mr. Boone’s
about its collecting the wolves. I can’t believe that.”
“Did you ever hear of Mr. Boone’s telling a lie?” asked Sneak.
“No, I never did, and that’s a fact,” said Joe; “but I’m afraid he’s
got into a scrape this time—Jingo! look yonder!” he continued, throwing
his musket up to his face, and pointing it at a very large black wolf
that stood in the path before them.
“Don’t shoot! I put two loads in your gun,” cried Sneak, hastily.
“Confound your long-necked gourd-head, I say!” said Joe, throwing down
the muzzle of his musket in an instant, and the next moment the wolf
disappeared among the tall bushes. “Why, hang me, if you didn’t tell a
lie!” continued Joe, running down his ramrod.
“Don’t I know it?” replied Sneak. “I jest said so to keep you from
shooting; becaise if you had shot, you’d ’ave skeered all the other
wolves away, and we wouldn’t ’ave killed any.”
“It’s well you didn’t put in another cartridge,” said Joe, “for I wish
I may be smashed if I stand this kicking business any longer.”
“Now, I guess you’ll believe there’s something in the asafoetida, after
all! and the wolves’ll come all round you and won’t go off for shooting
at ’em, if you’ll only rub it on the soles of your boots.”
“I’ll try it!” said Joe, suiting the action to the word, and then
striding onward, and looking in every direction for the wolves.
“You’ll have to tree, if they come too thick.”
“Pshaw!” replied Joe, “you can’t scare me in that way. I don’t believe
a hat full of it would make them stand and be shot at.”
They were now opposite the island. Joe selected a position even with
the upper end of it, and Sneak remained below. Boone, after stationing
Roughgrove and Glenn to the best advantage, walked out to the
main-land, and taking some of the gum fetid in Joe’s possession,
returned to the island; and, ere long, he, Roughgrove, and Glenn were
heard discharging their guns with great rapidity, and the cries of the
wolves attested that they were labouring with effect. But none of the
beleaguered animals had yet retreated from the scene of destruction. On
the contrary, several were seen to run across from the main-land and
join those on the island. Presently Sneak commenced a brisk fire. There
seemed to be a whole army of wolves congregated in the vicinity. Joe at
first laughed, and then became confused and puzzled. He anxiously
desired to make the roar of his musket join the melée; but at times he
thought the ravenous enemy rather too numerous for him to be in perfect
safety. The firing on the island continued without abatement. Sneak’s
gun was likewise still heard at regular intervals, and what seemed an
extraordinary matter to Joe was that Sneak should yell out something or
other about the “asafoetida,” and “moccasin tracks,” after every
discharge. Joe was not long idle. He soon saw a huge black wolf
trotting along the little deer path he had just traversed, with its
nose down to the ground. A moment after, another, and then a third,
were seen pursuing the same course, some distance behind. Joe became
uneasy. His first impulse was to scamper over to the island: but, when
he thought of the jeers and jests that would ensue from Sneak, he
resolved to stand his ground. When the foremost wolf had approached
within thirty paces of him, he leveled his musket and fired. The wolf
uttered a fierce howl and expired.
“Hang me, if I haven’t floored you, any how,” said he, exultingly, as
he proceeded to reload his gun with as much expedition as possible. But
the other wolves, so far from being alarmed at the fate of their
comrade, seemed to quicken their pace towards the position of Joe.
“Slash me, if there ain’t too many of them!” ejaculated Joe, as he
perceived several others, and all advancing upon him. “I’ll settle your
hash, by jing!” he continued, firing at the foremost one, which was not
twenty paces distant. The leaden contents of the musket entered its
breast, and it fell dead without a growl. Still the others advanced.
Joe had no time to charge his gun again.
“I’ll make tracks!” said he, starting toward the frozen channel that
separated him from the island. But he had not gone ten paces before he
discovered two enormous wolves approaching from _that_ direction. “I’ll
cut dirt back again!” he continued, whirling suddenly around, and
rushing back to his stand, where he stood not a moment, but sprang up
in a tree, and after attaining a large limb that put out from the
trunk, some fifteen feet above the snow, paused, and pantingly surveyed
his assailants. There were now no less than twenty wolves in sight, and
several were at the root of the tree yelping at him! “I’ll be hanged if
I half like this,” said he. “Snap me, if I don’t begin to believe that
the asafoetida does charm them, after all. Confound Sneak! he’s always
getting me into some hobble or other! Now, if it wasn’t for this tree,
I’d be in a nice fix. Hang it! all the wolves in the world are broke
loose to-day, surely—where the mischief could they all have come from?
Just hear the men, how they are shooting! And they are killing the wild
black dogs every crack—but still they won’t back out! I’ll blaze away
at ’em again!” Saying this, he reloaded his musket as quickly as his
peculiar position would allow, and, for the purpose of ridding himself
as soon as possible of his disagreeable visitors, he poured in an
additional charge of buckshot. “Now,” he continued, “what if the gun
should fly out of my hands? I’d be in a pretty condition then! I
wouldn’t mind the kick at all, if I was only on dry land—but if the gun
should kick me over here, I’d tumble right down into their mouths! I
wish I’d thought of that before I rammed down the wadding. I haven’t
got my screw along, or I might draw out the load again. I’ll not shoot
at all. I’ll just watch till somebody comes and scares them away. Ugh!
you black rascal! what’re you staring up here for?” he continued,
looking down at the largest wolf, which was standing upright against
the tree, and tearing the bark away furiously with his long teeth. The
number of Joe’s enemies continued to increase. There were now perhaps
twenty under the tree. And still the firing on the island was kept up,
though not so incessantly as at first, which inspired Joe with a hope
that they would either kill all the wolves in their vicinity very soon
or force them to join his flock under the tree, when the men would
surely come to his relief. Sneak’s fire abated somewhat, likewise, and
Joe’s reliance upon having their aid in a very short time caused his
fears to subside in a great measure.
“If you’re so crazy after asafoetida,” said he, looking down at the
fiercely staring animals again, “I’ll give you a taste, just to see
what you’ll do.” He took a small portion of the gum which he had
retained, and rubbed it over a piece of paper that he found in his
pocket. He then dropped the paper in their midst. They sprang upon it
simultaneously, and in an instant it vanished, Joe knew not whither.
“Hang me, if I couldn’t pepper a half-dozen at a shot when they all
rush up together so close, if I wasn’t afraid of being kicked down.
I’ll be teetotally smashed if I don’t fix and try it, any how!” said
he, pulling out a strong leather string from his pocket, one end of
which he attached firmly to a small limb of the tree, and the other he
tied as tightly round the wrist of his left arm. He then pulled out his
bandanna, and likewise made his musket fast to a bough. “Now, my
snapping beauties,” he continued, “I’m mistaken if I don’t give you a
dose of blue pills that’ll do your business in short order.” Saying
this, he tore off another piece of paper, and rubbing on the gum,
dropped it down as near as possible to the spot where he wished the
wolves to cluster together. No sooner did it fall than the whole gang
sprang upon it, and he fired with precision in their midst. Joe did not
look to see what execution was done. He was dangling in the air and
whirling round and round at a rapid rate, like a malefactor suspended
from the gallows, with the exception that his neck did not suffer, and
he cried out most lustily for assistance. When the cloud of smoke that
enveloped him cleared away a little, and he became better acquainted
with his critical situation, his yells increased in rapidity and
violence. His condition was truly perilous. The small bough to which he
had attached himself had not sufficient strength to bear him up when
his feet slipped from the larger one below, and it was now bent down a
considerable distance, and that too in a divergent direction from his
recent foothold, and unfortunately there was no limb of the tree of any
strength within his reach. His legs hung within six feet of the surface
of the snow. The discharge had killed four or five of the wolves, but,
undismayed, the remainder assailed him the more furiously. The most
active of them could easily spring as far up as his feet! Never was
terror more strongly depicted in the human face than it was displayed
in Joe’s when he saw the whole pack rushing towards him! They sprang up
with fearful snarls and yells. Joe yelled likewise, and doubled his
knees up to his chin. They missed his feet by several inches, and were
borne out fifteen or twenty feet to one side by the impetus of the
leap. It was by a mighty effort that he thus avoided them, and no
sooner had they passed under him than his legs again dangled downward.
In a moment they whirled round and were again rushing at their victim.
Once more Joe screamed, and drew up his legs while they passed under
him. “Help! help! for God’s sake!” cried he, when they whirled round
again. His cry was heard. Several sharp reports resounded from the
river bank, a few paces on the east. Three or four of the wolves howled
and fell. The rest hesitated, their eyes glistening, and fixed on Joe’s
suspended boots. “Come quick! for Heaven’s sake! I can’t pull up my
legs any more!” cried Joe. This was true, for his strength was fast
failing. The guns were again discharged with deadly effect, and all but
one of the largest of the wolves precipitately ran off, and disappeared
among the bushes.
They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells.
They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. Joe yelled likewise, and
doubled his knees up to his chin.
“Jerk up your leg! that feller’s a going to take one of your feet along
with him, if he kin!” cried Sneak. Joe saw the wolf charging upon him,
but he was altogether unable to avoid it in the manner he had done
before. It was now only a few feet distant, its mouth open, displaying
a frightful set of teeth, and springing towards him. Finding it
impossible to prevent a collision, Joe resolved to sell his foot as
dearly as possible. As much as he was able, he bent up his knee-joints,
and when his assailant came, he bestowed his heels upon his head with
all his might. The wolf was stunned, and fell under the blow.
“Take that!” cried Sneak, running up and plunging his knife into the
animal’s side. The wolf groaned and died.
“Ha! ha! ha! you were born to be hanged,” said Roughgrove, coming
forward with Boone and Glenn, and laughing heartily.
“He has been hung,” said Boone.
“And almost quartered,” said Glenn.
“Oh, goodness! Jump up here, Sneak, and cut me loose,” said Joe,
beseechingly.
“There’s no danger of you ever dying,” said Sneak.
“Oh, please don’t laugh at me, Sneak, but cut me down; that’s a good
fellow. The string is beginning to cut my wrist like fury!”
“How did you git in such a fix?” continued Sneak.
“Oh, hang it, Sneak, just get me out of the fix, and I’ll tell you all
about it.”
“It’s hung _now_—didn’t you say ‘hang it, Sneak?’” continued Sneak.
“Oh, come, now,” continued Joe; “if you were in this way, don’t you
think I’d help you?”
“Cut him down, Sneak,” said Boone; and in a twinkling Sneak was up in
the tree, and the string was severed. Joe came down with great force,
his feet foremost, and running through the snow-crust to a great depth.
“I wish some of you would help me out of this,” said he, after
struggling some time in vain to extricate himself.
“You’ll want me to carry you home next, I s’pose,” said Sneak,
assisting him up. Joe made no reply; but as soon as he could cut the
string away from his wrist, seized Sneak by the throat, hurled him on
his back, and springing upon him, a violent struggle ensued for a few
moments before they could be separated.
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Glenn, dragging Joe away from his
prostrate victim.
“What did you do that for?” asked Sneak, rising up and brushing the
snow from his head and face, his fall having broken the icy surface.
“You rascal, you! I’ll show you what for!” cried Joe, endeavouring to
get at him again.
“Joe!” said Glenn, “if you attempt any further violence, you shall not
remain another day under my roof!”
“He boxed my ear like thunder!” said Sneak; “I didn’t think the fellow
had so much pluck in him! I like him better now than ever I did. Give
us your paw, Joe.” Joe shook hands with him reluctantly, and then wiped
a flood of tears from his face.
“He told me to put some asafetida on my hoots, and said I could then
kill more wolves,” said Joe; “and it came within an ace of making them
kill me.”
“It was very wrong to do so, Sneak,” said Boone, “and the boxing you
got for it was not amiss.”
“I believe I think so myself,” said Sneak. “But it did make him kill
more wolves after all—jest look at ’em all around here!”
Joe soon recovered entirely from the effects of his swing, his fright,
and his anger, and looked with something like satisfaction on his many
trophies lying round him; and when he disengaged his musket from the
bough of the tree, he regarded it with affection.
They moved homeward, entirely content with the result of the excursion.
Boone explained the reason why so many of the wolves were congregated
about the island. He stated that the vines and bushes on which the deer
feed in the winter were abundant and nutritious in the low lands along
the river, and that great numbers of them repaired thither at that
season of the year. The wolves of course followed them, and having now
destroyed all the large deer in the vicinity of the island, and the
small ones being enabled to run on the snow-crust, they found it
necessary to muster in the chase as great a number as possible, and
thus prevent their prey from escaping to the prairies. He said that the
wolves preferred the timber, being enabled to make more comfortable
lairs and dens among the fallen trees than out in the cold prairies.
But their guns had wrought a fearful destruction among them. Perhaps
three-fourths of them fell.
The party soon reached Glenn’s house. As they entered the inclosure,
they were surprised to see Ringwood running wildly about, whining and
snarling and tearing the snow to pieces with his teeth. Jowler was more
composed, but a low, mournful whine issued continuously from his mouth.
“Dod! what’s the dogs been after?” ejaculated Sneak.
“Go in, Joe, and ask Mary what it means,” said Rough grove.
“I’d rather not—the house may be full of Indians,” replied Joe,
relapsing into his natural cowardice.
“Mary,” said Roughgrove, approaching the door and calling
affectionately. Receiving no reply, the old man entered and called
again. A silence succeeded. Roughgrove reappeared a moment after, with
a changed countenance. Boone gazed at his pale features, and asked the
cause of his distress by a look, not a word.
“She’s gone! gone! gone!” exclaimed Roughgrove, covering his face with
both hands.
Boone made no answer, but turning his face in the direction of the
southern valley, he called upon the name of Mary three times, in clear
and loud tones. He listened for her reply, in a motionless attitude,
several minutes. But no reply came. Now a change came over _his_
features. It was a ferocity from which even the blood-thirsty savages
would have fled in horror!
“My eternal curse upon them! They have seized her! I have been
deceived! I will have vengeance!” said he, in a low, determined tone.
“Will they kill her, or keep her for a ransom?” inquired Glenn, in
extreme and painful excitement.
“A ransom,” said Boone; “but they shall pay the weight of the silver
they demand in blood!”
“May Heaven guard her!” said Roughgrove, in piteous agony.
“Cheer up—we will get her again,” said Boone; and then giving some
hasty directions, preparations were made for pursuit.