INDIANS ABROAD--THE LOG CABIN IN THE WILDERNESS--THE SICK MAN--THE OLD
IRON POT--THE LITTER--BOUNCER IS LEFT IN A BARGE--MISTICOOK'S SLEDGE--
RABUSHWAY'S ADVICE--ROBIN'S DELIGHT ON DISCOVERING HIS FATHER--PREPARING
TO START--SNOW-SHOES AND FUR COATS--HONEST BOUNCER WORKS WELL IN
HARNESS--TEA AND SUGAR A LUXURY--PAT'S UNLUCKY MISHAP--SNOW-BLINDNESS--
COYOTES--NO FOOD--THE DESERTED FORT--BEARS AND BEAR'S FLESH--WE START
FOR TOUCHWOOD HILLS--WOLVES AND STARVATION--WE GO SUPPERLESS TO BED--
THONG SOUP--BOUNCER SAVES HIS BACON.
"Whist! Mister David, whist!" exclaimed Pat, hurrying up to me. "There
are Indians lurking about, and they will be sure to be afther
discovering us before long. I caught sight of one of them not half an
hour ago, away there down the river, as I was looking out for a bird or
a baste to shoot for Mister Alick's supper, seeing it's fresh mate he
wants more than anything else to set him up again. The redskin did not
discover me, as his face was the other way; but I saw a wreath of smoke
curling up among the trees on the opposite bank of the river, and it was
towards it he was making his way."
"The Indian you saw may be a friend quite as likely as a foe," I
answered, not feeling much alarmed at Pat's report. "We must, however,
find out who he is. I will consult my brother, and hear what he
advises."
"But if there are a whole band of Indians, they may come some night and
take our scalps while we are aslape," said Pat, who, though brave as
need be when it came to the pinch, held the Indians in especial dread.
Shouldering the axe, I called Martin and Robin, who were selecting trees
for our proposed hut at some little distance off. I told them of the
information I had just received from Pat, and together we returned to
the wigwam to consult Alick. He took the matter with perfect composure.
"It is important to ascertain the position of their camp, and whether
there are few or many Indians," he observed. "Pat says he has only seen
one. If I were well enough I would go out myself; but as it is, I think
it will be best for you, David, and Robin to accompany Pat, and to try
and get a sight of the camp. As they must, if we remain here, discover
us before long, it will be wise to try and get on friendly terms with
them. It is possible that they may be well disposed towards the white
men, and have been accustomed to trade at the forts. If you can get
near their camp without being discovered as evening approaches, you will
be able to ascertain how many there are of them, and to what tribe they
belong. If you know them to be friends, you can at once go up to them
and sit down at their fire. If you are doubtful, it may be better for
Robin alone to make his appearance. You, Robin, can tell them that a
party of white men, who wish to become their friends, are encamped
near."
"I am very ready to do whatever you propose," answered Robin. "I shall
have no fear of going among them, whoever they may be, and I fully
believe they are likely to prove friends."
"Should such be the case, tell them that we shall be able to assist each
other. If they have no firearms they can track out the game for us, and
we can shoot it and share the meat; and say that we will reward them
liberally for any aid they may render us," said Alick.
Our plan of proceeding was soon arranged. Leaving Bouncer with Alick
and Martin, Pat, Robin, and I set out towards the spot where the former
had seen the Indian. We then crept forward in single file, carefully
concealing ourselves among the bushes, and before long saw a wreath of
smoke such as Pat had described curling up amid the trees at no great
distance off.
Though Alick had advised us to wait till sundown, as we saw no one
moving about and the nature of the ground afforded us sufficient
concealment, we advanced farther, when what was our surprise, as we got
round a thickly wooded point, to see, not an Indian wigwam, but a
substantially built log cabin, with a stone chimney, from which the
smoke was ascending.
"The inhabitants, whoever they are, are not likely to be unfriendly,"
exclaimed Robin. "Let us go across the river at once and announce
ourselves."
"The Indians may possibly have taken possession of the log hut, and we
should follow Alick's directions," I observed.
"Then, as it seems doubtful, let me go alone," said Robin. "That will
be doing as Alick desired me, and I have no fear about the matter."
While Robin was speaking, an Indian appeared at the door, whom we at
once knew from his appearance to be an Ojibbeway, and therefore a friend
to the English. He retired again into the hut.
This settled all our doubts as to the reception we were likely to meet
with. Crossing the river, which was here strongly frozen over, we made
our way towards the hut. As we advanced we observed the remains of
other buildings, and I now felt sure that it was a deserted missionary
station of which I had heard but had never visited, as it lay out of the
direct route between the forts.
Who the inhabitants of the hut could be we could not surmise. Probably
they were weatherbound travellers like ourselves.
"If Sandy and the other men hadn't been drowned, bedad, I should be
afther thinking it was themselves," observed Pat.
I greatly hoped that our friend Sandy had escaped, and that we should
find him occupying the hut. It stood a little way back from the river,
on a piece of level ground, surrounded by trees whose branches were now
weighed down with the snow. Climbing up the bank, we were approaching
the door, when our footsteps must have been heard, for it opened, and
the same Indian we had before seen appeared, gun in hand.
On discovering that we were whites, he turned round and uttered a few
words, as if addressing some other person within.
"You friends!" he exclaimed; "glad see you."
"Yes, indeed we are, and very glad to see you," I answered, advancing
and putting out my hand. He took it, and then went through the same
ceremony with Robin and Pat.
"Come in; but not make much noise," he said, looking over his shoulder;
"sick man in there--very sick; glad to see you; maybe you do him good."
"I hope that we may," I said, as I advanced into the hut, followed by
Robin and Pat.
A fire was blazing on the hearth, and with his feet towards it lay a
tall man on a low rough bunk covered over with a buffalo-robe. I saw
that a number of things were piled up in the corner of the hut, but the
scanty furniture was of the roughest description. The whole was
comprised in a table formed of a slab of fir and a couple of
three-legged stools.
"Who are you, friends?" asked the sick man on the bunk, feebly raising
his head to look at us.
There was no window in the hut to admit light, but the fire showed a
bright glare on the countenance of the speaker. It was thin and worn,
and deadly pale; it seemed to me as I gazed at him that he could have
but a few days to live.
Drawing near and sitting down on one of the stools which he bade me
take, I briefly told him of the capture of Fort Black, and of our
several mishaps while endeavouring to make our way to Fort Ross. I
added that my brother and a friend were at the camp a short distance
off, but that the former was too ill to venture on the journey at this
inclement season of the year, and that we were about to build a hut in
which we might pass the winter.
"You are welcome to share this hut with me, or rather you have as much
right to it as I have, except that possession is said to be nine-tenths
of the law," he answered. "However, I will not dispute your right, and
should be very glad of your company, especially if you bring provisions;
for though I have enough for myself and my faithful Ojibbeways, I could
not undertake to feed five more mouths."
I assured him that we should be very unwilling to exhaust his store;
that we had sufficient meat to last us for some time.
While I was speaking, I saw him looking at Robin and Pat, but he asked
no questions about them. I told him that we must now return to the
camp, or my brother would be growing anxious, and that I hoped we should
be able to join him the next day, provided that Alick was well enough to
bear the journey.
"You should not delay," he remarked, "for we may expect the winter to
set in shortly with far greater rigour than hitherto, and your brother
might suffer from being exposed to it."
"May I venture to ask how you came to be here?" I said, as I was
preparing to go.
"By a very simple accident," he answered. "I was on a hunting
expedition with several followers when, while in the neighbourhood, I
was suddenly seized with an illness. Most of my followers took it into
their heads that it was the smallpox, and deserted me, with the
exception of two Ojibbeways, who remained faithful and brought me to
this hut, of the existence of which they were aware, having received
instruction here when it was occupied by a missionary. We found it in a
very dilapidated condition; but they repaired the roof and rendered it
habitable. Had it not been for their care I should have died, and I am
still, as you see, hovering between life and death. Don't let me detain
you."
The voice and language of the person whom we found in this deplorable
state convinced me that he was a gentleman. I felt, however, unwilling
to leave him longer under the care of the Indians, for I saw what he
said about himself was too true, and I feared that even before we could
return he might die. I proposed leaving Robin with him, and Robin
himself said that he should very much like to remain; but then I
recollected that we should require four persons to carry Alick, and that
he could not be spared.
The sick man's eyes were again turned towards Robin as I spoke.
"Strange!" I heard him mutter to himself. "It must be but fancy,
though."