OUR LAST FRAGMENTS OF MEAT ARE CONSUMED--FORTUNATE DISCOVERY OF A FLASK
OF POWDER--PAT'S LASSO--THE MADDENED BUFFALO BULL--PAT'S LASSO IS TURNED
TO USEFUL ACCOUNT--BUFFALO TONGUES ROASTED--PAT'S "IRISH"--OUR BUFFALO
MEAT BECOMING EXHAUSTED, WE ARE SADLY IN WANT OF FOOD--PAT'S STRANGE
BEHAVIOUR--HIS MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE WITH THE GUN--I GO IN SEARCH OF
HIM--FAILING TO FIND HIM, I AM OVERJOYED AT MEETING BOUNCER--THE "BULL
BOAT," OR PARCHMENT CANOE--SHOOTING RAPIDS--BLACK FORT ONCE MORE--SANDY
AND PIERRE'S ADVENTURES--OUR YOUNG-LADY VISITORS, ROSE AND LETTY--THE
MEAT PIT.
"Copper-Snake" did not return during the night, nor did we the next
morning see anything of him; we therefore packed up, and began our tramp
in the direction he had pointed out.
The sky had hitherto been clear, but the clouds now began to spread over
it, though there was scarcely a breath of air. In a short time the sun
was so obscured that it no longer enabled us to steer our course. We
had marked a hill, however, in the distance, and marched on guided by
it.
The hill was of less height and not so far off as we supposed, and when
we had crossed it, we could fix on no object to serve as a mark.
Notwithstanding this, we kept straight on till we came to a stream. We
then had to make our way for some distance down it till we could find a
ford. Though the water was very cold, by taking off our shoes and
trousers we waded across without wetting our clothes.
We were unable to decide in what direction the stream ran, and crossing
it somewhat confused us. It might, Pat argued, be running north, or
north-west, and still fall into the Saskatchewan, or be running east.
Neither the appearance of the sky nor the wind served in any way to
guide us. At last we were obliged to camp, as neither of us had
strength to go farther. By the next evening we had exhausted, with the
exception of a few mouthfuls, the whole of our stock of dried venison,
but as we hoped during the next day to reach the fort, we agreed that we
could manage to keep body and soul together with the little which
remained; still, I did not feel very comfortable. The idea would
intrude, that "Copper-Snake" might have misled us, or that we had
wandered out of our course. If so, we should be very hard pressed for
food, or death by starvation might after all be our fate. I remembered
too the anxiety my brother Alick would be enduring about me.
There were in the neighbourhood others who, should they hear that we
were missing, would be greatly concerned about us. Some way off,
farther to the westward, at the foot of the hills, was a missionary
station, of which a Mr Crisp had charge. His two children, Martin and
Rose, were great friends of ours.
In the winter, when we could travel over the country on sleighs, we
frequently paid them a visit at the missionary station, which, in the
summer, when the river was full, we could reach in a canoe, by making
three or four portages past the rapids.
Martin was rather younger than I was, and Rose was somewhat older. She
was a sensible, clever girl, and we were all much attached to her and
her brother.
Mr Meredith, who had charge of Fort Ross, had a daughter, Letty. I
admired her very much. She was a fair, blue-eyed little girl, just a
couple of years younger than me, and I would have gone through fire and
water to serve her.
I was much disappointed at not finding her at Fort Ross, for she had
been spending the summer with Mr and Mrs Crisp, for the purpose of
receiving instruction with Rose from Mrs Crisp, who was a highly
educated lady.
Mr Meredith looked a little more careworn than usual. Reports had been
brought him that a large party of Sioux had made an incursion into our
territory, and it was not known in what direction they had gone. He had
advised us to keep constant watch, and to push forward as fast as our
horses could move.
Should Sandy and Pierre not have returned to Fort Black, I felt
confident that Alick would send to Fort Ross to ascertain when we had
set out, and to obtain assistance in searching for us.
Remembering, however, that it was wrong to indulge in anticipations of
evil when we had already been so mercifully taken care of, I succeeded
in putting away my anxious thoughts.
The next day was like the past. The sky was clouded; there was not a
breath of air, and we had no certain means of knowing in what direction
we were proceeding. We ate the last fragments of meat we possessed,
before starting, to give us strength for the journey.
On we went, but still I was unable to recognise any of the features of
the country. Noon approached, and we were getting desperately hungry.
After the danger we had run of being poisoned by the roots Pat had dug
up, we were afraid of trying others, for neither of us was certain which
were wholesome and which poisonous, they both looked so much alike.
We were passing the border of a small wood, when Pat gave a shout.
"It's my belafe there's the remains of a camp-fire," he exclaimed,
pointing to a spot a little distance off.
We hurried towards it. There was a black spot round which the snow had
been scraped away, and near it was a pile of sticks, but none of the
embers remained, the ashes having apparently been blown away by the
wind. There were marks of several feet around, in all directions, which
made us suppose that the party had been a numerous one.
I was looking about when my eye fell on a small object, almost covered
by the snow.