All this was very cowardly no doubt, but circumstances alter cases, and
it is only those who have lost their way in some wild solitude who can
realise the terrible feeling of bewilderment and dread which comes over
him who feels that he is lost where he may never find his way again,
perhaps never be found.
Fortunately these emotions come as a shock, and soon after there is a
reaction. Hope revives as it did to me, and getting over the first
horror and excitement, I stood leaning against the tree thinking out my
position. I was lost, that was certain; and if I went on stumbling
about in the dark I might perhaps be going either farther away from my
destination, or perhaps round and round in a great circle. Upon
thinking it out coolly there were two courses open: to lie down on a bed
of pine-needles till daylight, or to try and get a glimpse of the stars
through the trees, and guide myself by them.
"If I stay," I thought, "I shall frighten Mrs John horribly, and it
will be very cowardly. As to being lost altogether, that's all
nonsense; Mr Raydon and his men would soon find me or send Indians to
hunt me out. I'm going to find the way back."
I drew a long breath, closed my eyes, and knelt down there in the utter
darkness for a few minutes, to spring up again confident and refreshed
to begin peering up through the trees for the stars. For I wanted to
make out the Great Bear; and I quite laughed as I thought that it was
the shining one I sought, not a grizzly. If I could see that, I thought
I could shape my course due south-east. That must lead me out of the
forest, when, even in the darkness, the rest was easy.
It might have been the most cloudy night ever seen, for the blackness
above me was dense, the branches effectually shutting out every star,
and I had to pause and wonder whether there was any other way by which I
could steer my steps. But I could find no way out of my difficulty, and
I was beginning to think that I should have to stay where I was and wait
for day.
But I could not do that. I tried sitting down for a short time, but the
darkness and want of action became too oppressive, and leaping up I
began to walk slowly and carefully on, with my free hand extended to
guide myself by the trunks of the trees, of whose proximity I was,
however, generally made aware by my feet coming in contact with their
roots.
My progress was very slow, and so silent that I was able to listen
intently for a signal, the hope having sprung up in my breast that, as
it had grown dark, Mr Raydon might have sent Grey or one of the other
men to meet me, and in all probability they would fire guns to give me
an idea of the direction I ought to take.
I had read of such things, and felt that in all probability this was
what Mr Raydon would do. But time went on as I slowly crept along from
tree to tree, cautiously picking my way, till I began to feel convinced
that my chance of escaping this night was hopeless, and once more I
stood gazing straight before me, till I fancied I saw a gleam of light
close at hand. It was so strange and misty-looking, that it was as if a
bit of phosphorus had been rubbed upon the back of a tree.
As I stared at it, the dim light died out, and all was so black once
more that for the moment I thought it must have been fancy, but as I was
coming to this conclusion, there it was again, and now fully convinced
that it must be phosphorescent wood, I stepped forward cautiously to
touch it, when it went out again. But I stretched out my hand, and
leaning forward touched the trunk of a tree which grew luminous once
more, till as I changed my position there it was out again. I repeated
my movements, feeling puzzled at its coming and going so strangely, and
then like a flash of mental light the reason came to me, and I turned
sharply round with my heart beating, to look for the gleam of which this
must be the reflection.
I was quite right, and I was ready to shout for joy, for there,
glimmering among the trees, some distance from where I stood, I could
see that there was the blaze of a small fire, which rose and fell, and
flickered, sending flashes of light up among the branches overhead; and
I knew at once that it must be the fire in connection with some camp,
but whether Indian or English it was impossible to say. But that did
not matter. The Indians all about were peaceable, and very friendly to
the people of the Fort. They knew a few words of English too, so that
with an intense feeling of relief, thinking that I could at least get
food and shelter, if I could not obtain a guide, I stepped out more
freely, the light growing now, and enabling me to see dangers in my path
in the shape of the thick-growing trees.
I was not long in finding out as I approached that the party around the
fire were not Indians; and as I grew near enough to see the rough, ruddy
faces of a party of men, I thought it would be better to announce my
coming with a shout, lest my sudden appearance should be taken as that
of an enemy. Somehow or other, though, I deferred this till I had made
my way close up, when I heard a voice that sounded familiar say--
"Well, it's 'bout time we started. Be late enough when we get there.
Wonder whether any one 'll be on the look-out."
As I heard these words, a cold perspiration broke out on my cheeks, and
I felt as if something were stirring the hair about my forehead, for I
had just been walking into the lion's den; and if I had had any hope
that my ears were deceiving me, there, plainly enough, in the bright
glow cast by the fire, stood the second of the two men we had
encountered first in the steamer.
It was he plainly enough, and he had one hand in a sling; while, as I
peered forward round one of the trees, I counted eight men about the
fire; and they all seemed to be well armed.
Where were they going? I asked myself. Along the track by which I had
just come? They must be, I thought, and bent on seizing Gunson's claim.
They would surprise the four men; and there would be blood shed, unless
I could warn the poor fellows first.
"I'll go back at once," I thought; and then with a horrible sensation of
depression, I realised that this was impossible, for I did not know in
which direction to go.
I had hardly thought this when I saw the whole party afoot, moving off
in the direction away from me, and quickly making up my mind to follow
them out of the forest, and as soon as I could make out my whereabouts,
to get on somehow in front, and go on ahead, I followed them. It was no
easy task, for I had to get some distance round, away from the fire, and
I should have lost them if one of them had not laughed aloud at some
remark. This told me of the direction in which they were, and I crept
on in dread lest I should get too close and be seen, and again in dread
for fear I should be left behind.
To my great satisfaction they kept on talking, as if in not the
slightest fear of being overheard, and I followed as near as I dared go,
till in a few minutes, to my great delight, I found that we were out in
the open, and I could see the stars.
"Now," I thought, "whereabouts are we? If I could only make out that
large mass of rock that lay off to the left where I passed through the
forest in the morning, I could soon get on before them. Why I must have
walked right back, and--"
I stopped short, quite startled, for to my great astonishment I found,
instead of going in the direction leading to Gunson's claim, I had come
through the forest on the side I had been seeking for.
"Then they are not going to Golden Valley," I said to myself; and then
it came to me like a flash of light--they were going to attack the Fort!
Of course; and that was what was meant about any one being on the watch.
My heart now beat violently, and I began to hasten my steps to get on
before the party, and warn Mr Raydon of their coming. But at the end
of a minute I had to check my pace, and follow more cautiously, as I
tried to think where I could get before them; and the more I tried to
think, the more confused and troubled I grew, for, as far as I could
make out, there was no way but the track which they seemed to know; and
to have gone to right or left meant to encounter some place impossible
to climb in the dark, or a precipice down which I might fall. It was
difficult enough in broad daylight--impossible in the dark; and in spite
of all my thinking, I was at last despairingly compelled to confess that
until the open ground was reached in front of the Fort, I could do
nothing but follow while the enemy led.
I thought of a dozen plans to warn the defenders of the Fort, so as to
put them on the alert, but the only one that seemed possible, was to
wait till we were all pretty near, and then fire my rifle to give the
alarm.
That I knew meant making the ruffians turn on me, but though the risk
was great, I hoped to dash by them in the darkness, and reach the gate.
All this time I had been cautiously creeping along behind the gang, for
at a word from their leader, the men had suddenly become very silent,
and the only sound to be heard was the rattle of a stone kicked to one
side, or a low whisper, evidently an order about the advance.
A curious feeling of despair was creeping over me, and I felt more and
more convinced that I could not get to the front, so that all I should
be able to do would be to wait till they were near the gate, and about
to scale the palisade, for that was what I felt sure they meant to do,
and then fire, let the result be what it might to me.
My difficulties grew greater every minute, as we advanced, and the
strain upon me heavier than I could bear. In anticipation I saw the
scoundrels creeping up to the Fort, cautiously getting over and
silencing whoever was on guard; and then, with a feeling of horror that
was almost unbearable, I saw in imagination the whole place given up to
pillage and destruction, at a time too when I knew that there were many
bales of valuable furs in the stores.
My progress at last became like a nightmare, in which I was following
the attacking party, and unable to do anything to help my friends; so
that when we were within, as a German would say, half an hour of our
destination, I was in no wise startled or surprised to faintly make out
in the darkness the figures of two men who suddenly rose up on either
side of me; a hand was clapped over my mouth, and I was dragged down,
and a knee placed on my chest.
I divined it all in an instant, and tried to resign myself to my fate,
as I saw that, being well on their guard against surprise, two of the
gang had fallen back and seen me, with the result I have described, so
that I was absolutely stunned after a feeble struggle, when a voice at
my ear said in a harsh whisper--
"What is the meaning of this treachery, Gordon? Who are those men?"
My hand caught the speaker's, and I uttered a low sob of relief.
"Mr Raydon--the men--going to attack the Fort."
"Ah!" he panted. "You hear, Grey?"
"Yes."
"But why did you not warn us?"
"They were before me. I could not get by," I whispered. "I was going
to fire to alarm you all."