ELAM INTERVIEWS THE MAJOR.
When Elam mounted his horse and set out for the fort that morning, it
was with the secret determination to confront Aleck and his companion,
or, failing in that, he would push on ahead, and by seeing the colonel
or the sutler he would render their attempts at disposing of the furs of
no account. He had already borne enough from one of these men to put him
pretty well out of patience. Although Elam said nothing about it, Aleck
had been at the bottom of three desperate attempts upon his life, as
well as of four efforts that had been made to rob him, and Elam thought
he couldn't stand it any longer. He rode along just outside of the
willows that skirted the foot-hills, so that he could not be picked off
by a stray rifle shot, and keeping a close watch of the prairie on all
sides of him, and when night came he hadn't seen anything of the
robbers. When darkness fell, he allowed his horse to browse around him
while he ate some of the lunch that was wrapped up in his blanket, and
then put out again. He was satisfied that by this time he had got beyond
the men, and now he wanted to get to the fort and put the people there
on their guard. Was Elam flustered while he was doing all this? Not a
bit of it. He went about his work as he would have tried to compass the
death of some wild animal that had escaped him. When the first gray
streaks of dawn were seen in the east, he camped in a sheep-herder's
dugout, but it was empty. Beyond a doubt the men had gone into the
mountains to escape the blizzards. There was a small stack of hay behind
the cabin, and to this Elam staked out his horse, and went in and
tumbled into an empty bunk. He was within twenty miles of the fort.
Elam slept the sleep of the weary, and when he was aroused to
consciousness, it was by a note of warning from his horse. Elam was wide
awake in an instant. He caught up his rifle and hurried to the door of
the cabin, and the summit of the hills over which he had come the night
before was crowded with horsemen. They were so far off that he could not
distinguish anything, but he knew by certain signs they exhibited that
they were not the men he wanted to see. They were too much scattered.
"I believe those are the Cheyennes," said he, lost in wonder. "I never
heard of their breaking loose before."
As if in corroboration of his words, a single long-drawn yell arose on
the air, followed by a chorus that must have been deafening to those
that were close at hand. That was enough for Elam. With muttered
ejaculations addressed to the men who were supposed to be near enough to
the Indians to keep watch of their movements, he rushed to his horse,
severed the lariat with which he was confined, mounted without saddle or
bridle, and was off like the wind.
"I tell you now I am whipped," said Elam, gazing back at his line of
foes, and trying to estimate how many warriors there were in the lot.
"It's the Cheyennes, and they belong two hundred miles from here. Some
ruffian has stolen their back pay, and they are going to have revenge
for it. Keep close, there, or I'll down some of you."
Then followed a chase such as we don't read of in these days. It was
long and untiring, and all the way Elam looked in vain for assistance.
His first care was to make out that there were no Cheyennes in advance
of him, and he concluded that their discovery of him was as much of a
surprise to them as it was to him; otherwise they would have sent some
warriors out to surround him. That was all that saved him. He was
mounted on a mustang, and such an one could not be tired out in a
twenty-mile race. He seemed to hate the Indians as bad as his master
did, and put in his best licks from the time he started, but that
wouldn't do at all. Some of the cool heads behind him were holding in
their horses, calculating that when the race was nearly finished they
would come up and settle the matter. Other warriors, carried away by
their military ardor, or perhaps having some private wrongs to avenge,
easily outstripped the others, and finally Elam had his attention drawn
to two who seemed bent on coming up with him. He couldn't hold his horse
well in hand with nothing but a noose around his neck, but by talking to
him he finally got him settled down to good solid work.
[Illustration: ELAM'S FIGHT WITH THE CHEYENNES.]
For one hour the chase continued, and then the whitewashed stockade of
the fort came into view. He could see that there was a commotion in it,
for the soldiers were running about in obedience to some orders, but
nearer than all came the two warriors, who seemed determined to run him
down and take his scalp within reach of the fort. At last they thought
they were near enough to fire. One of them drew up his rifle, and Elam
threw himself flat upon his horse's neck. The rifle cracked, and in an
instant afterward his horse bounded into the air and came to his knees.
But he didn't carry Elam with him. The moment he felt his horse going he
bounded to his feet, struck the ground on the opposite side, and when
the animal staggered to his feet, as he did a second later, he stood
perfectly still and Elam's deadly rifle was covering the savage's head.
He dropped, but he was too late. The ball from the rifle which never
missed sped on its way, and the warrior threw up his hands and measured
his length on the ground. An instant afterward Elam was mounted on his
horse again and going toward the fort as fast as ever. At this feat loud
yells came from the Indians. The death of the warrior and Elam's fair
chance for escape filled them with rage. The nearest savage fired, and
this time the bullet found a mark in Elam's body. It struck him near the
wrist and came out of his hand, but Elam never winced. He changed his
rifle into his other hand and broke out into a loud yell, for he saw a
squadron of cavalry come pouring from the fort. The chase was over after
that. Elam galloped into the fort, swinging his rifle as he went, and
got off just as his horse came to his knees again.
Of course all was excitement in there. The balance of the soldiers,
which consisted of a small regiment of infantry, were drawn up outside
the fort ready to help the cavalry in case the Indians dodged them, the
teamsters climbing upon the stockade ready to use their rifles, and Elam
was left to take his horse out of the way and examine his injuries and
his own. For himself he decided that it was no matter. He could open and
shut his hand, although it bled profusely, and that proved that the
bullet had not touched a cord; but his horse--that was a different
matter. The ball had not gone in, but had cut its way around the neck,
leaving a mark as broad as his finger. He must have a bucket of water at
once. While he was looking around for it, he ran against an officer who
had been busy stationing the men in their proper places.
"Hallo! You're wounded, aint you?" said he, taking Elam's hand. "Come
with me."
"I've got a horse here that's worse off than I am," said Elam. "I'd like
to see him fixed in the first place, and then I'll go with you."
"A horse! Well, he belongs to the veterinary surgeon. You come with me."
But Elam insisted that he could not go with the officer until his horse
had been taken care of, and asked for a bucket of water; and the
officer, seeing that he was determined, hastened out to find the surgeon
who had charge of the stock. He presently discovered him, standing on
the stockade and yelling until he was red in the face over a charge that
the cavalry had made, but he ceased his demonstrations and jumped down
when he was told that an officer wanted him.
"Give me one cavalryman against ten Indians," said he, saluting the
officer. "The savages are gone, sir."
"Did they stand?" asked the officer.
"No, sir. It was every man for himself, sir. A horse, sir? Yes, sir. I
saw this fellow come down on his knees when those Indians fired at him.
A pretty bad cut, sir."
Elam, having seen his horse provided for, resigned himself to the
officer's care, and went with him to the office of the surgeon. The
latter had got out all his tools and seemed to be waiting for any
wounded that might be brought in, but Elam was the first to claim his
attention. The surgeon jumped up briskly, examined Elam's hand, made
some remark about the bullet not having touched a bone, said that all
the patient would have to do would be to take good care of it for a few
days, and by the time he got through talking he had it done up. The
officer had left by this time, and Elam began to feel quite at his ease
in the surgeon's presence. In answer to his enquiries he went on to
explain how he had been surprised in a sheep-herder's cabin, when he
didn't know that there was a Cheyenne within a hundred miles of him, and
had depended entirely on the speed of his horse to save him, and asked,
with some show of hesitation, which he had not exhibited before:
"Do you reckon I could have a word with the major this fine morning? I
suppose he is pretty busy now."
To tell the truth, Elam stood more in fear of a stranger than he did of
a grizzly bear, and he felt awed and abashed when he found himself in
the soldier's presence. The regular, with his snow-white belts, bright
buttons, and neatly fitting clothes, presented a great contrast to the
visitor in his well-worn suit of buckskin, and, backwoodsman as he was,
Elam noticed the difference and felt it keenly. Now, when the excitement
was all over, he felt sadly out of place there, and he wished that he
had let the wolf-skins go and stayed at home with Tom. But the surgeon's
first words reassured him.
"Of course the major will see you," said he cheerfully. "He will want to
see you the minute he comes back. He has gone out after the hostiles
now. You can sit here till he comes back."
"I have got a horse out here that is badly hurt, and if you don't
object, I'll go out and look at him," said Elam.
"Eh? Objections? Certainly not," said the surgeon, in surprise. "I hope
you will get along as nicely as he will. Only be careful of that hand of
yours."
Elam had never been to the fort before, and he felt like a cat in a
strange garret while he loitered about looking at things. He first went
to see his horse, and found that, under the skilful hands of the
veterinary surgeon, he had fared as well as he did, for his neck was
bound up, and he was engaged in munching some hay that had been provided
for him. Then he went out of the stockade to see how the hostiles were
getting on, but found that they and the cavalrymen had long ago
disappeared. An occasional report of a carabine, followed by an
answering yell, came faintly to his ears, thus proving beyond a doubt
that the savages had "scattered," thus making it a matter of
impossibility to hunt them. After that Elam came back and loafed around
the stockade to see what he could find that was worth looking at. The
doors of the officers' apartments were wide open, and, although they
were very plainly furnished, Elam looked upon it as a scene of
enchantment. He had never seen anything like it before. He had heard of
carpets, sofas, and pictures, but he had never dreamed that they were
such beautiful things as he now saw before him.
"I tell you, I wish I was a soldier," whispered Elam, going from one
room to the other, and stopping every time he saw anything to attract
his attention. "This is a heap better than I've got at home. Uncle Ezra
Norton is rich, but he hasn't got anything to compare with this. Wait
until I get my nugget, and I will have something to go by. I do wish the
major would hurry up."
But Elam had a long time to wait before he could see the major, for the
latter did not return until nearly nightfall. When they came, they
looked more like whipped soldiers than victorious ones. They had two
dead men with them, three that had been wounded, and half a dozen
Indians that they had taken prisoners. Elam looked for an execution at
once, but what was his surprise to see the Indians thrust into the
guard-house.
"When are they going to shoot those fellows?" whispered Elam to a
soldier who happened to be near him.
"Shoot whom?" asked the soldier.
"Why, those Indians. They aint a-going to let them shoot white folks and
have nothing done to them?"
"Oh, yes, they will," said the soldier, with a laugh. "They can shoot
all they please, and we'll take 'em prisoners and let 'em go. Did you
think they was going to kill 'em right at once?"
Elam confessed that he did.
"Well, no doubt that would be the proper way to deal with them. Dog-gone
'em! if I had any dealings with 'em, I'd 'a' left 'em out there."
Elam did not remain long before he saw the major, for an orderly
approached in full uniform, and saluted him as he would a
lieutenant-general, and told him that the commandant was at leisure now,
and would see him. Elam's heart was in his mouth. He did not know what
to say to the major about his furs, and so he concluded he would let the
matter go until morning.
"Say," said Elam, "he must be tired now, and you just tell him I'll wait
until he has had a chance to sleep on it."
"Why, you must see him," said the orderly, who was rather surprised at
this civilian's way of putting off the major. "What good can he do by
sleeping on it? Come on."
Elam reluctantly fell in behind the orderly, and allowed himself to be
conducted into the presence of the major. The table was all set, the
officers were seated at it, and seemed ready to begin work upon it. He
was surprised at the actions of the major, a tall, soldierly looking
man, with gray hair and whiskers, who sat at the head of the table, and
who arose and advanced with outstretched palm to meet him.
"I am overjoyed to see you," said he, holding fast to the boy's hand
after shaking it cordially. "You got hurt, didn't you? But I see you
have been well taken care of. Is the news you bring me good or bad?"
Elam was too bewildered to speak. He looked closely at the major, trying
hard to remember when and under what circumstances he had seen him
before, for that this was not their first meeting was evident. If they
had been strangers, the major would not have greeted him in so cordial
and friendly a manner. This was what Elam told himself, but he had shot
wide of the mark.
In order to explain the major's conduct it will be necessary to say that
these discontented Cheyennes had not broken away from the neighborhood
of this fort, but had come from a point at least a hundred miles away.
It was the source of great uneasiness and anxiety to the veteran major,
who was afraid that his superiors might charge him with being remiss in
his duty. He had sent three detachments of cavalry in pursuit, but only
one of them had been heard from, and the news concerning it, which had
been brought in by a friendly Indian, was most discouraging. The savages
had eluded his pursuing columns in a way that was perfectly bewildering,
and the fear that they might surprise and annihilate his men troubled
the major to such a degree that he could neither eat nor sleep. He was
glad to see anybody who could give him any information regarding the
soldiers or the runaways, and he took it for granted that, as Elam had
come in since the Indians broke away, and had had a running fight with
them, he must know all about them.
"Where do you reckon you saw me before?" asked Elam.
"I never met you before in my life," answered the major, who saw that
his visitor did not understand the feelings which prompted him to extend
so hearty a greeting. "You can tell me about the Cheyennes, and that is
why I am so glad to welcome you."
"Oh!" said Elam, quite disappointed.
"Talk fast, for I am all impatience," exclaimed the major. "When did you
see the hostiles last, and where were they? I know that you brought them
up here to the fort, but where did you meet them in the first place?"
"I found them back here about twenty miles in a sheep-herder's cabin
where I stopped for the night," said Elam. "The first thing I heard of
them was a note of warning from my horse, and when I got up, there they
were."
"Well?" said the major.
"Well, I got on to my horse and lit out. That's the way I brought them
up here."
"And that's all you know about them?"
"Yes, everything. I didn't know the Cheyennes had broken out before."
The major released the boy's hand and walked back to his seat at the
table. The expression on his face showed that he was disappointed.
"That aint all I have to tell, major," said Elam quickly. "When I got
back to my shanty after taking in my traps, I found that two men had
been there stealing my spelter that I have worked hard for."
The major, who probably knew what was coming next, turned away his head
and waved his hand up and down in the air to indicate that he did not
care to hear any more of the story; but Elam, having an object to
accomplish, went on with dogged perseverance:
"Now, major, those two fellows are coming to this fort, calculating to
sell them furs,--my furs, mind you,--and I came here to ask you not to
let them do it."
"I can't interfere in any private quarrels," said the officer. "I have
something else to think of."
"But, major, it is mine and not theirs," persisted Elam.
"I don't care whose it is," was the impatient reply. "I shan't have
anything to do with it."
"Won't you keep them from selling it?"
"No, I won't. I shan't bother my head about it. I have enough on my mind
already, and I can't neglect important government matters for the sake
of attending to private affairs. Did you say those men were afoot when
they came to your shanty? Probably the Cheyennes have got them before
this time. Orderly!"
The door opened, and when the soldier who had shown Elam into the room
made his appearance, the major commanded him to show the visitor out.
"Now, just one word, major----" began Elam.
"Show him out!" repeated the commandant.
The orderly laid hold of the young hunter's arm and tried to pull him
toward the door, but couldn't budge him an inch. Elam stood as firmly as
one of the pickets that composed the stockade.
"Just one word, major, and then I'll leave off and quit a-pestering
you," he exclaimed. "If you won't make them two fellows give back the
plunder they have stolen from me, you won't raise any row if I go to
work and get it back in my own way, will you?"
"No, I don't care how you get it, or whether you get it at all or not,"
the major almost shouted.
"Oh, I'll get it, you can bet your bottom dollar on it. And if you hear
of somebody getting hurt while I am getting of it, you mustn't blame
me."
"Put him out!" roared the major.
The orderly laid hold of Elam's arm with both hands and finally
succeeded in forcing him into the hall and closing the door after him,
but the closing of the door did not shut out the sound of his voice.
Elam had set out to relieve his mind, and he did it; and as there was no
one else to talk to, he addressed his remarks to the orderly.
"The major needn't blame me if some of them fellows gets hurt," said he.
"I tried to set the law to going and couldn't do it. I'll never ask a
soldier to do anything for me again. I can take care of myself. I don't
see what you fellows come out here for anyway, except it is to wear out
good clothes and keep grub from spoiling. That's all the use you be."
"Well, go on now, and don't bother any more," said the orderly
good-naturedly. "The old man said he didn't care how you got the things
back, and what more do you want?"
"I wanted him to set the law a-going, but he won't do it," said Elam.
"I'll just set it to going myself."
The young hunter walked off and directed his course toward the sutler's
store. He knew it was the sutler's store, for when he was loitering
about the fort he had seen the sutler come in from the stockade with a
rifle in his hands, and sell a plug of tobacco to one of the teamsters.
He found the store empty and the sutler leaning against the counter with
his arms folded. The latter recognized Elam at once, for he had seen him
come in on that wounded horse.
"Halloa," he exclaimed. "You have got your wound fixed all right. Did
you have a long race with them?"
Elam in a few words described his adventures, running his eye over the
goods the sutler had to sell, and wound up by telling of the furs he had
lost.
"I have got a good many skins," said he, "and I see some things here
that I should like to have, but I aint got them now."
"How is that? I don't understand you."
"Well, you see, I have done right smart of trapping and shooting since I
have been out, but while I was gathering up my traps some fellows came
to my shanty and stole everything I had," said Elam.
"That's bad," said the sutler; and he really thought it was, for no
doubt he had lost an opportunity to make some good bargains.
"Yes, and they are coming to this post now, those two fellows are, to
sell those furs," continued Elam earnestly.
"Ah!" exclaimed the sutler, in a very different tone of voice.
If that was the case, perhaps he could make something out of the boy's
work after all.