In order to account for the sudden death recorded in the last chapter,
we must turn aside to follow for a little the fortunes of Fergus McKay.
It will be remembered that the vigorous Highlander, after overturning
the Indian canoe and running his own canoe on shore, was seized by the
neck, while in the act of reaching forward to grasp his gun, and
captured.
Now, Fergus was of an unusually knowing and wily nature. He possessed
what some would call more than his share of readiness in action and
sagacity in counsel, though his ordinary reticence and sluggishness of
manner concealed those qualities to some extent.
Being endued, also, with more than the average allowance of that bodily
strength for which his countrymen are famous, his first impulse was to
exert his powers and show fight, but he had been taken suddenly at a
disadvantage and thrown on his back into the bottom of the canoe, and at
least three pair of very muscular hands grasped his throat and other
parts of his person. That they were strong hands he felt; that they
belonged to big strong savages he had every reason to believe--though it
was too dark to see--and that scalping-knives and tomahawks were handy
to them he knew to be highly probable. He therefore promptly made up
his mind as to his course of action, and at once began to play his part.
Making a very feeble resistance--just enough, in short, to deceive--he
begged for mercy in soft, rather tremulous and very abject tones. True,
his language was English--at least that sort of English to which the
mountaineers of Scotland are addicted--but he trusted to the tone and
manner of his speech, not to the sense, which Saulteaux, he knew, could
not be expected to understand.
"Oh! then, don't be hard on me. Don't kill me, goot shentlemen," he
whined. "It iss a poor worthless thing I am--whatever!"
These remarks, and a few similar appeals for mercy, were accompanied
with many dismal groans, as his captors were dragging him up the bank of
the stream. Pausing for a moment, one of them produced a cord, with
which they proceeded to bind their cowardly and unresisting prisoner.
Whether the Indians were deceived by their victim's tones and manner,
and the soft condition of his carefully relaxed muscles, we cannot tell,
but it seemed as if such were the case, for some of the brief remarks
made by his captors had in them a smack of undisguised contempt, and
when the cord was being put round his arms he felt that the grip of his
captors was slightly relaxed.
Now or never was his chance! Hurling the men on either side of him
right and left, he delivered two random blows in front, one of which
happily took effect on a savage chest, the other on a savage nose, and
cleared the way in that direction. With a bound like that of one of his
own mountain deer, he cleared the bank, and plunged into the river.
In ordinary circumstances an attempt of this kind would have been worse
than useless, for the Indians would not only have jumped into their
canoes and overtaken the fugitive, but some of them would have run down
the bank of the stream to prevent a landing. Some such attempt was
indeed made on the present occasion, but the intense darkness was in
favour of Fergus, and the searching canoes only ran into each other,
while the searchers on land were still more at a disadvantage.
Now, Fergus McKay was as much at home in water as an otter or a
musk-rat. Indeed he had been known among his playmates in the old
country as the "Water-rat." When, therefore, he plunged into the river,
as described, he took care to hold his breath as if for a long dive, and
drifted with the current a considerable distance as motionless as a dead
man. The Indians listened intently, of course; for his coming to the
surface; for the breathing, and, it might be, for the splashing that
would be natural after such a leap, but no breathing or splashing met
their ears, for when Fergus put up his head, far down the stream, he
only let out his nose and mouth for a gentle inspiration, and sank
again.
"It iss circumventin' you at your own trade, fightin' you wi' your own
claymore, that I will be doin'," he thought, as he rose a second time,
and swam softly with the stream.
Fergus had the advantage of being well acquainted with the river in
which he was swimming, as well as with the lands in its neighbourhood,
and he knew that there was a certain bend in the stream which it would
take the canoe of Okematan a considerable time to traverse. By cutting
across a narrow neck of land there was, therefore, a possibility of his
intercepting the canoe.
The Saulteaux, of course, might have also taken advantage of this
circumstance, but they could have done so only on foot, and they knew
that without canoes they could not arrest the progress of the fugitives.
Reaching the spot where he wished to land, by intuition almost, the
Highlander soon found himself on the bank, squeezed the water out of his
garments, and set off as quickly as he dared in such darkness. By good
fortune he happened to cross a hunter's track or path--like a
sheep-run--with which he was familiar, and, by following it, was able to
advance much more rapidly. In a short time he again came out on the
left bank of the river. There he sat down on a boulder to listen.
Profound was his attention to every sound--as profound, almost, as his
anxiety, for he knew that if the canoe should have already passed he
would be obliged to make his way back to the Settlement on foot by a
straight course, which meant a slow, toilsome march, scrambling through
pathless woods, wading morasses, and swimming across rivers.
He had been seated thus for about half-an-hour, and in his impatience
was giving way to despondency, when the plash of water smote upon his
ear. Cocking the said ear attentively, he was rewarded with another
smite, and, in a few minutes, distinctly heard the sound of paddles.
He put his hands to his mouth forthwith, and uttered a peculiar cry.
Instantly the sound of the paddles ceased as Archie Sinclair, looking
over his shoulder, said--
"Did you hear that, Oke?"
Before Oke could reply, the cry was repeated.
"It is Fer-gus," said the Indian, answering to the cry, and steering in
the direction whence it came. "Are you sure, Oke?"
"Okematan never speaks till he is sure--waugh!"
"H'm! I'm not so sure o' _that_," muttered the boy to himself.
A few seconds put the matter at rest, for the voice of the Highlander
was heard, as they cautiously drew near, saying--
"Iss it _you_?"
"I think it is!" replied Archie; "why, man, where are you? I can see
nothing."
"Wow! man, but I am gled," said Fergus; "just follow your nose, Archie,
an' you'll be all right."
Another moment, and the canoe was checked by Fergus, who had stepped
into the water to prevent its being injured against the stones.
"You better gie me the paddle, Archie, an' sit beside Little Bill. It
iss tired o' paddlin' you will be by now."
"But where is Dan?" asked Archie as he complied with this request.
"That iss more than I can tell you, boy, but he's safe enough I doubt
not, for I heard him gie a cheer as he jamp into the wuds, an' it's
beyont the power o' a mortal Red-skin to chase an active man on a night
like this."
Thereupon Fergus gave a brief account of all that had happened after the
canoes were parted--as far as he knew it--and then an earnest council of
war was held as to what was the best course to pursue in the
circumstances. Being the youngest brave, (for Little Bill was ignored
in this matter), Archie was invited to give his opinion first. This was
well, because, being enthusiastic and irrepressible, he would probably
have given his opinion first at any rate.
"My opinion is," he said, promptly, "that we turn right-about, and go
back to find Dan, even though we should have to fight the whole
Saulteaux nation!"
"That iss well spoken," said Fergus with something of sarcasm in his
tone; "but as we hev only two guns amang us, a tomahawk, an' a knife or
two, without any claymores at all, I would like to know what we are to
fecht with? Moreover, what is to become o' Little Bill when we are
fechtin'? It iss _my_ opeenion that we put the command o' our
expeedition in the hands of Okematan, an' leave him to do what he thinks
best."
"Arch-ee is a true brave," said the Indian, "but he is young. When the
wrinkles of age are on his brow he will be a great chief. Okematan's
heart is with him to turn back and fight, but wisdom says, go to the
Settlement, get men, and return as fast as you can."
"Then the sooner we set about it the better, for when wan's mind is made
up, talk iss only lost time."
With that he shoved the canoe off into the stream, and paddling was
resumed with redoubled vigour.
They proceeded in silence till the blush of rosy day in the east
dispelled the intense darkness. Then, pulling ashore, they kindled a
small fire, and, while the chief re-gummed the seams of the canoe, which
leaked a little, the others prepared and ate a hasty breakfast.
They were still engaged with this meal, and discussing, not very
hopefully, the possibility of reaching Red River Settlement and
returning in time to render relief to Dan--supposing that he should
require relief--when the sound of fast-dipping paddles was heard beyond
the bend of the river just below them.
Another moment, and four large canoes, each manned by eight men, swept
into view, their red sides glowing in the morning sun, and their
occupants driving the water behind them in foam by the vigour of their
strokes.
At first it was supposed that this was another band of Indians
proceeding, possibly, to join that from which they had just escaped; but
the fugitives were speedily undeceived by the appearance of the men as
they drew nearer.
"I would be thinkin' that the man in the bow o' the first canoe is
Antoine Dechamp," said Fergus, as he stood peering over the bushes at
the advancing brigade.
"I'm sure it's Dechamp. I'd know him a mile off," said Archie.
"Ay, an' they hev got sight o' the smoke of our fire, too," added
Fergus.
"It is Dechamp," said Okematan, decisively, as he stepped into the open
and held up his hand to the new arrivals.
A cheer was raised by those in the canoes when the Cree chief was
recognised, and the flotilla, coming on at full speed, soon reached the
bank.
Explanations were speedily exchanged, and our fugitives learned that
news had been carried to the Settlement of the approach of the very band
of Saulteaux whom they had encountered, and a band of fiery young men,
led by Dechamp, had come out to meet them for the purpose of asking them
whether they meant their visit to be friendly, or whether they wished to
measure their strength with the men of Red River; as, if so, a sample
had come out for the express purpose of accommodating them!
On hearing the news that Okematan and Fergus had to give, the men--most
of whom were half-breeds connected with Cree families--gave a cheer and
voted for an immediate advance against the Saulteaux. This, after very
brief palaver, was unanimously agreed to.
"You'll not object to return with us, I suppose?" asked Dechamp of
Fergus.
"Iss it objectin' to a fecht you will mean?"
"Well--it's not unlikely that there may be something of the sort going
if we meet."
"Did you ever hear of a McKay objectin' to a fecht, Antoine?"
Dechamp laughed.
"Well," he said, "I know Okematan won't object to turn back, and show us
the way to the place where he met the reptiles."
"Okematan was on his way to seek for help," said the Indian quietly.
Every one being agreed on this point, the whole band re-embarked, and
proceeded on their way up the river. They advanced rapidly, for
although the stream was against them it was so sluggish as to be
scarcely appreciable, and by keeping near to the banks they were not
delayed by it at all.
Towards the afternoon the place where the struggle had taken place was
reached, but no Saulteaux were to be seen. They had taken their
departure, and, from the fact that several small things belonging to
them had been left behind, it seemed not unlikely that they had obtained
information of the expedition sent out against them, and had departed in
haste.
"It iss of no use," said Fergus, when this became evident, "for us to
keep up a stern-chase after them. They have got too much of a start, so
it seems to me, boys, we could not do better than follow up the tracks
of Daniel Davidson an' make sure that he has got clear away from them."
To this proposal there was much objection at first, for it involved some
of the party quitting the canoes and journeying no one could tell how
far through the woods on foot.
"Besides," said one, "Dan is quite able to take care of himself, and if
he got off in the dark, as you tell us he did, there's not a man in the
Saulteaux nation could come up with him either in dark or light."
"That may be all fery true, my frund," returned Fergus, "nevertheless
I'm goin' to follow up his track, for it is sure that he took no
proveesions wi' him, an' it was too dark for me to see if he escaped wi'
his gun. Dan is a strong man, but the strongest man will be findin'
himself in diffeeculties without grub. It iss followin' up his trail I
will be doin', wi' some proveesions on my back, if wan or two o' you
will go wuth me."
"I will go," said Archie Sinclair, promptly, "if some o' you will
promise to take care o' Little Bill."
A laugh greeted this offer, and half-a-dozen of the men at once agreed
to take good care of the invalid.
"Moreover," said Dechamp, "whoever goes need not go further than the
Pine Portage. The party on foot will have found out, before the canoes
reach that, whether Dan has got clear off, and they can rejoin the
canoes at the Portage. So, Fergus, I'll join your party too. Who else
will go?"
Okematan and Jacques Bourassin here stepped forward, but none of the
others seemed disposed to undertake the tramp.
"There iss enough of us--whatever," remarked the Highlander as he and
the others put some provisions into their wallets and shouldered their
guns. "You will be our leader, Antoine Dechamp. It iss yourself that
knows the outs an' ins o' the land better than any of us--except
Okematan, may be--but I dar' say he's not as weel acquaint wi' the Red
River woods as wi' the plains."
The chief bowed a dignified assent to this proposition, which, however,
he hardly understood.
Dechamp, being accustomed to lead, accepted the position at once,
stepped off on the trail of Dan, which had been made distinctly visible
when he went crashing through the underwood the day before. Fergus
followed, and Bourassin came third.
"Now, then," said Archie, looking into the chief's face, "come along,
Oke. You and I will form the rearguard, which is the position of danger
and honour in warfare o' this sort--at least if it isn't, it ought to
be. Take care o' yourself, Little Bill. We'll soon find Dan.
Good-bye."
So saying, the rearguard of the column vanished into the forest, and the
others, returning to their canoes, began to descend the river.
Archie was nearer the mark than he imagined when he said they would soon
find Dan. The distance which it had taken our hero so long to traverse
in the dark was comparatively short, and the light was only beginning to
fade when they came to the edge of the wood where Dan had spent the
night.
Dechamp, of course, was first to come upon his encampment, and the
instant he entered it he observed the open space giving a view of the
plain beyond. He also saw the wolf sitting on his haunches about two
hundred yards off.
Quick as the lightning flash his gun flew to his shoulder. Dechamp was
a first-rate shot. He fired, and, as we have seen, the wolf stretched
himself in death upon the plain.
Thus was Dan Davidson rescued at almost the eleventh hour.