Robin and I were soon in the midst of the surging sea of horns. His
boldness gave me courage; but it was necessary to keep our eyes round us
on all sides, and to be ready to leap here and there, to get out of the
way of the animals, which were constantly on the move. The part we had
entered was of course far more open than that where we first made the
attempt.
Robin's coolness was wonderful. He was the first to shoot a cow.
"Let it alone," he said; "I see some more out there."
As we made our way onwards and were trying to get at the cows, a whole
mass of the bulls came surging around us, and presently several, putting
their heads to the ground, dashed forward, directly towards the place
where we were standing.
"Here! here!" cried Robin; "we shall be safe," and he pointed to a deep
hollow which in the rainy season had held water, but was now perfectly
dry.
We both leaped in; when the bulls came rushing by us but again stopped,
and others joining them, the whole began to fight with the greatest
desperation. The only chance we had of getting out of our disagreeable
position was to kill the bulls and make our way through them. We fired
and loaded as fast as we could, and seven lay stretched on the ground.
"Now," cried Robin, "is our time to escape."
We sprang up and dashed through the herd; but greatly to our
disappointment, when we looked out for the cows, we found that our
firing had alarmed them, and that they had all run off. Not quite
liking this sort of work, we regained our horses and galloped on to
where we saw a party of our Indian friends, who had just killed a cow.
Most of the herd had moved away from the spot; but one enormous bull on
seeing what had happened, bellowing furiously, came dashing towards us,
ploughing up the ground with his horns. The Indians, unwilling to stand
his charge, turned and fled; when the animal seeing me rushed forward,
determined, it seemed, to wreak his vengeance on my steed.
My well-trained animal, however, bounded out of the way, when I, having
my gun loaded, fired at the bull, which was not three yards from me.
The ball penetrating his chest, he fell dead. The Indians now returned,
and began cutting up the cow. While they were so engaged, another cow,
which they supposed to be the mother of the one they had killed,
galloped towards us, bellowing loudly. They, not having their arms in
their hands, took to flight, declaring that the cow was resolved on
revenging herself for the slaughter of her daughter.
I was much inclined to follow them; but Robin asking me to hold the
horse, slipped from the saddle, and throwing himself by the body of the
dead cow, rested his rifle so that he could take steady aim, and as the
raging cow came near he fired. She turned, gave one or two jumps, and
fell dead.
We had now an ample supply of meat. Several other cows had been killed,
and the Indians employed themselves in cutting them up into pieces fit
for transporting to their lodges. We had crossed no rivers on our way,
and when we came to encamp at night it was found that no water had been
brought, nor were we likely to get any till we reached the encampment.
We all suffered much from thirst. I do not recollect, indeed, having
ever endured so much torture as I did during the next day's ride back.
The Indians, perhaps, bore the want of water better than we did. It
seemed as if we should drink the stream dry which bubbled up out of the
hillside near the camp. It took us a whole day to recover.
We had intended returning to the fort; but as we required a large supply
of buffalo meat, Alick engaged the chief to hunt for us, and consented
to accompany him on another excursion.
Martin, Robin, and I were of course perfectly ready, and set out again
with as much glee as at first. The buffaloes had, however, by this time
retired a long way to the south, and it took us three days to come up
with them. I need not describe another hunt. On this occasion the herd
was more scattered. We galloped in among them, firing right and left.
Each man, when he shot an animal, dropped some article upon the carcass
to show by whose prowess it had been killed.
Full thirty fat animals were killed, and as the meat in its present
condition could not be carried so far, we formed a camp, and the Indians
cut the flesh up in long strips, which were dried in the sun; a
considerable portion also being beaten up into almost a paste, was mixed
with the fat to form pemmican. This was then pressed into bags of skin,
and done up into packages ready for transport.
The process is a simple one, but much labour must be expended on it.
All this time we had scouts out, not to look after the buffalo, but to
watch lest any enemies might be in the neighbourhood. Several horses
having been sent for, the pemmican and fresh meat were packed on them,
and we set off on our return to the Cree camp.
On our arrival there the chief informed us that he had notice of a large
herd of moose being in the neighbourhood; and Alick was very anxious to
obtain some, as the flesh is excellent. From their wary nature the
moose are, however, very difficult to kill. We accordingly, having
dispatched the laden animals with some of our own men, accompanied the
chief with another party in the direction where we expected to fall in
with the moose.
The moose is also called the elk. It is the largest of all the deer
tribe, sometimes attaining the height of seven feet at the shoulders,
being thus as tall as many ordinary elephants; the horns are enormous,
their extremities widely palmated, and so heavy are they that it seems a
wonder how the animal can carry them. It has a large muzzle, extremely
elongated, which gives it a curious expression of countenance which is
far from attractive. When it moves it goes at a long, swinging trot,
which enables it to get over the ground at great speed, and it is
surprising how the creature with its enormous horns can manage to pass
through the woods in the way it does. It then throws back its horns on
its shoulders, and calculates the measurement exactly, as it rarely if
ever is caught by them in the branches. It can swim capitally, and
often takes to the water in the summer months for its own amusement.
Over hard ground it is difficult to keep up with it. When the snow is
deep the heavy feet of the moose sink into it at every step, so that it
is easily captured during the winter. Its colour is a dark brown, with
a yellowish hue thrown over parts of it.
As it is as wary as most of the deer tribe, it is difficult to stalk.
At the same time, if the hunter knows what he is about, and keeps well
to leeward and under cover, he can frequently get near enough for a
shot; but his powder must be strong and his gun true, or his bullet will
not penetrate the animal's thick skin.
We killed three elk in as many different ways: one by stalking up to it,
another by lying hid behind some bushes till it came near enough to
receive the fatal shot, and a third by following it up on horseback.
The last chase was the most exciting, and had we not got on to some
swampy ground, I believe that after all the elk would have escaped us;
but heading it we got a fair shot at its chest, which brought it to the
ground.
The next day Robin and I again accompanied the Indian chief on foot, in
chase of moose. We caught sight of a large animal feeding in the open,
but could not for a long time get near it. At last it moved off, and we
followed till it approached a small pond with a reedy island towards one
end of it. The moose plunged into the pond and swam towards the reeds,
among which it disappeared. There was apparently no firm footing for
it, and it must have remained almost if not entirely under water.
The chief declared that it was hiding itself beneath the surface, and
that if we would wait patiently we should see it again come up, when we
should to a certainty kill it. We, accordingly, moving cautiously round
the pond, hid ourselves among the reeds in a spot from whence we could
see the place where the moose disappeared. We must have remained
upwards of an hour, when at length the moose rose to the surface, and,
swimming a short distance, began to wade towards where we were
concealed. We were afraid of moving, even to get our guns pointed at
it, lest we should startle it--as these animals are very sharp of
hearing--and it should swim off in the opposite direction.
Nearer and nearer it came, till it was well within shot, when the chief
made a sign with his head, and Robin and I fired. The moose made one
desperate plunge, then fell over dead. The chief had reserved his fire,
lest we should have missed. He now, giving us his gun, rushed into the
water, and dragged the dead moose to shore. He was highly pleased at
our success; for the Indians consider the moose more difficult to take
than any other animal. It is more vigilant than either the buffalo or
the caribou, more prudent and crafty than the antelope. In the most
violent storm, when the wind and the thunder and the falling timber are
making the loudest and the most incessant roar, if the hunter even with
his foot or his hand breaks the smallest dry twig in the forest, the
moose will hear it; and though it does not always run, it ceases eating,
and bends its attention to all sounds. If in the course of an hour the
hunter neither moves nor makes the least noise, the moose may possibly
again begin to feed, but does not forget what he has heard, and for many
hours afterwards is more vigilant even than before. Our friend told us
that the moose is never found among the caribou, nor the latter among
the former. The moose frequents the prairie where the buffalo feeds,
while the caribou generally inhabits low and swampy regions.
The chief begged us to remain by the animal we had killed, while he
returned to the lodges, that he might send the horses to bring home the
meat, with two others for us to ride.
With the supplies our own hunters were likely to obtain, we calculated
that we should have enough food for ourselves.
We had now been much longer from the fort than we intended, so we at
last bade our friends good-bye, and rode forward northward alone. We
should have, we calculated, a couple of nights to pass in the open air;
but we were all well accustomed to this sort of life, and thought it no
hardship. Our Cree friends purposed moving southward, and told us that
we should not be likely to see them again for some time.
As it was impossible for us to carry our share of the moose flesh with
us, we had arranged with the chief that he should build what is called a
"sunjegwun," a high scaffold, on the top of which it was to be deposited
and then securely covered over, so that no birds of prey could reach it,
while, from its height, even bears would not be able to climb up to the
top. This is an ordinary method employed by the Indians for preserving
their provisions, when they have obtained more than they can transport
at a time. Of course, it may possibly be stolen by their enemies, but
they select such spots as are not likely to be discovered.
Another risk they run is from those arrant thieves the wolverines,
which, if they discover what is on the top of the scaffold, though they
cannot climb up it, will set to work with their sharp teeth, and try to
gnaw away the posts.
As, however, they are likely to find the operation a long one, the
owners may return before they have accomplished it, and shoot them for
their pains. Our friends agreed not to place the meat "en cache" till
they were on the point of starting, and we hoped to be able before that
time to send our people to bring it into the fort. We should have taken
some with us, but it required more smoking, and we could not wait till
it was thoroughly cured.
Alick had consulted the Cree chief as to what had become of the Sioux
who had attacked us.
"I am glad you have asked me," he answered: "though they may possibly
have returned to their own country, they are very likely to come back,
and endeavour to take the fort by surprise. They are cunning as they
are daring, and if they can obtain the opportunity, they are very sure
to take advantage of it. Perhaps they will wait till they can get
reinforced, so that they may make sure another time of gaining the
victory."
"They may think that they are sure," answered Alick; "but they may find
that they have made as great a mistake as before."
"Well, my friend," answered the chief, "be ever on the watch, and don't
trust them."
Such were nearly the last words the chief had spoken to us.
The heat was now considerable, and hardy as we were, we were glad to
rest in the shade during the hotter hours of the day, notwithstanding we
had a large fire burning during the night, to scare away the wolves and
bears; while one of us invariably kept watch, both for our own sakes and
that of our animals, which even many of the Crees would not scruple to
steal if they could do so without fear of discovery.
We had got within a few miles of the fort, when Alick, alongside whom I
was riding, said to me, "I wish that I had not come on this expedition.
I ought not to have left the fort so long, with only Sandy as
commandant. He is cautious and cunning enough in the field, but I am
afraid that inside the walls he may become less careful, and allow
himself to be taken by surprise."
I laughed at Alick's anxieties, for I had never seen him in such a
humour before.
"I hope you are not exercising the gift of second-sight," I said; "I
didn't know you possessed it."
"I trust that I do not," he answered. "Let us push forward, and we
shall soon reach the fort, and know what has happened."