BAD NEWS
"HAVE you come to tell me what they have decided, Dick?" asked Roger,
on the following afternoon, when his cousin overtook him on the river
bank, where he had gone to work halfheartedly on a new dugout which
the boys were fashioning from an especially fine log selected by Bob
himself.
"Yes, father just came in to tell me that he and Uncle Sandy had
finally determined that, since we were so set upon trying to save the
farms, they could not stand in the way," replied the other, who was
almost out of breath.
Roger threw his hat high in the air, and his face broke out in a smile,
as he let a whoop escape him that would have done credit to some
Pottawatomie brave, eager to go upon the warpath.
"That's the best news you could have brought me, Dick!" he exclaimed.
"And how you fooled me with your long face. My heart seemed to drop
away down in my moccasins, because I was afraid they had said 'no.'
But I had a heap of faith in Grandfather Armstrong, and he was with us
from the beginning. When can we start, Dick? Oh, the hours will drag
like lead till we are off! Not that I won't suffer because of leaving
mother and father and all the rest; but it means so much to everybody.
And, Dick, do you think we will succeed? Can we overtake Captain Lewis,
after he's had so long a start? And will Jasper Williams be there to
sign that paper?"
His cousin laughed at the flood of eager questions.
"One at a time, Roger," he remarked, holding the other at arms' length.
"They will not think of letting us off under two days, because our
mothers will want to get so many things ready for us to take. But what
does a little delay matter, when we know that we are going to take the
great trip? Think of how every boy in the settlement will envy us, and
wish he could go along. But this is too serious a business to think of
taking any company with us. They would not have anything at stake, and
might feel like backing down when troubles came, while we do not mean
to let anything hold us back."
Roger turned, and looked toward the west. That was always the "unknown
country" to the American pioneer, even when the first of them climbed
the Alleghanies, and from their tops saw the sun sink behind the
forests beyond. It held mysteries that the eyes of white men had as
yet never rested upon. Could there be a more enticing prospect to lure
adventurous lads forward than this piercing of the wilderness, day
after day, moving ever onward toward the distant shore of the Pacific,
of which they had heard such great stories, handed down from the lips
of those who had perhaps gazed upon the western sea in the East Indies;
or it might be from the narrow isthmus down where the waves of the
Caribbean Sea washed the shores of the Spanish Main.
It was a beautiful day. Fleecy white clouds dotted the blue sky. Here
a white-headed eagle soared round and round in great circles, sailing
ever upward toward the sun. Far out upon the water a fish-hawk or
osprey was hovering with winnowing wing, preparatory to darting down
to clutch some unlucky fish in its talons; after which, possibly, the
"lord of the air" might attack the hawk, and force a surrender of the
finny prey, after the manner of all eagles, even to this day.
It was a pleasure to breathe the fresh air, and be thankful that one
lived. Add to this the realization that a dream was about to come true,
such as no boy had ever dared indulge before, and the feelings of Roger
Armstrong can be partly understood.
No wonder his boyish face shone with happiness. True, there would be
tearful partings from those he loved; but then, his heart was staunch,
and he knew he could stand that. And the wonderful mission that
beckoned them forward, was not that enough to pay for any trouble and
suffering they might meet?
"How do you suppose they will say we ought to follow the expedition,
Dick?" he finally found tongue to ask, at the same time casting a
dubious look in the direction of the dugout upon which he had been
working.
Seeing that look, Dick burst out laughing.
"Well, if it depended on our paddling that heavy craft hundreds and
hundreds of miles up the swift current of the Missouri, making a carry
every now and then, perhaps, and going ashore every night to camp, I
don't think we'd ever come up with those French Canadian voyageurs who
handle the three boats Captain Lewis has with him. You remember how
we followed them all one morning when they passed here, and how badly
we felt after they had disappeared around the big bend above. And it
seems almost too good to be true to think that we are going after them,
perhaps to be in their company a long time."
"But answer my question, please, Dick; if not by boat, then how shall
we overtake the expedition, which must be a hundred or more miles away
by now?"
"There is only one way, Roger. Our fathers have decided that we shall
start out with horses, one each to ride, and another for a pack animal,
to carry some of the things we may want on the long journey. I did not
think we would need these last; but I said nothing, for it pleases our
mothers to think that we may carry plenty of good things along. But
between us, Roger, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if we had to abandon
our packhorses before we've been a week on the trail, and trust to the
fleetness of our own animals' heels to keep ourselves from being made
prisoners by some of the Indian tribes whose country we have to pass
through."
Even this dismal prophecy did not appear to affect the impulsive Roger.
Indeed, his eyes sparkled more than ever, as though he rather enjoyed
the prospect of being thrown on his own resources. It was going to be a
fine opportunity to learn the value of those secrets of woodcraft which
he had picked up from time to time.
From the early days of history, the prospect of adventure has appealed
to all boys with red blood in their veins. Only for that eagerness,
shown by the early pioneers, to pit themselves against the perils of
the wilderness, how would our frontier line have been extended, year
after year, until it finally broke over the mighty Rockies, and reached
the western sea?
"But two whole days," Roger muttered, "they will seem ever so long to
me, Dick. I wish it could be to-morrow."
"Oh! but there is plenty to be done, for all of us," replied the more
thoughtful lad; "I'll see to it that you have no idle minutes on your
hands from this time out. To begin with, Roger, pick up your tools, and
bring them to the house. All work on this boat must be put off until
our return, unless Sam chooses, with the help of Grandfather, to finish
it, which I rather think will be the case."
They turned their back upon the river, but it would be in their minds
always. Indeed, they must expect to follow its erratic course over
plains and through valleys, heading into the northwest continually,
until in due time they might hope to overtake those who had gone
before, with horses, and boats, and all manner of stores, intended to
placate, it might be, the hostile and suspicious tribes that had never
before set eyes on a white man.
Yes, those were busy hours with every one. Even Sam felt that he must
do what little he could. The hunting could wait until after his brother
had said his last good-by, and ridden away into the west--time enough
for all that; but just now he wanted to see all he could of Dick, who
had never seemed half so dear as when he was about to go away.
Sad hours they were for the parents of both lads, though they
endeavored to conceal it. The mothers shed their tears in secret, not
wishing to display any weakness. Now that the matter had been settled
they were like the staunch Roman mothers of old, who could with dry
eyes send their sons forth to battle, keeping all display of womanly
weakness for their own rooms.
The horses that were to be taken had been selected, and every detail of
saddles and bridles looked after before the first full day had gone.
Bob and Sandy Armstrong saw to these things themselves. Their former
experience in the forest was of great value in this emergency, for they
knew just what ought to be taken by their sons, from extra flints in
order to ensure fire, and for the rifles, to blankets needed on the
nights when perhaps they would be exposed to chilling winds and storms,
far up in a mountainous country.
By the time the next day was over, the preparations had gone on so
well that the boys had gained the consent of their parents to making
the start at noon of the following day, which would give them several
hours' gain on the original plan of campaign.
Charts or plans of the country there were none, for no whites had
penetrated more than a hundred miles or so to the westward. It was
believed that many different tribes of Indians lived along the upper
Missouri, for from time to time venturesome trappers had met roving
bands and picked up a certain amount of information concerning the
fierce Sioux, the Blackfeet, the Mandans, and other nations that warred
against each other, and seemed to hold certain sections of the country
as their hunting grounds, ready to fight any trespassers, be they red
or white.
Roger had gone down to the settlement of St. Louis to carry out some
errand entrusted to him, and on his return it was seen that the boy
looked very much excited, as though he might have heard news that
concerned the mission he and his cousin had agreed to carry out.
The others were gathered at the cabin of Grandfather Armstrong,
examining something which the old man had brought out, and which he
wished the boys to take along with them on their trip.
So Roger came hurrying up, and his excited manner immediately drew the
attention of everybody. The first thing that struck Bob Armstrong was
that bad news might have been received concerning the expedition of
Captain Lewis; for there had been many dismal prophecies uttered that
they would fall before an overwhelming attack of hostile Indians before
they had been a month on the way, or reached anywhere near the falls
of the river at the place where Atchison, Kansas, now stands.
"Tell us the worst, son!" demanded Sandy, as Roger reached the group.
"Is it any evil that has befallen our good friend, Captain Lewis, and
his gallant command?"
"No, not that, father," replied the boy; "but, would you believe it?
that Frenchman, François Lascelles, has been in St. Louis with his
son; and, learning of our mission, they have already started, bent on
finding Williams before we can, and fixing it so that all our work will
be useless!"