"TRIPE DE ROCHE"--DESOLATION--PAT'S ENDURANCE--LEATHER SOUP--"IT'S A
CARIOLE; THERE'S ANOTHER AND ANOTHER"--"ALICK MCCLELLAN! DAVID! CAN IT
BE YOU?"--A GOOD SQUARE MEAL--SANDY'S ESCAPE--HONEST BOUNCER'S "RIGHTFUL
POSITION"--THE CARIOLE--NIGHT ENCAMPMENT IN THE SNOW--BUFFALO-HUNTING--
WOLVES! WOLVES!--ROSE AND LETTY IN DANGER--I DEFEND THEM--THE FORT
REACHED AT LAST--OUR START FOR THE LOG CABIN--CAPTAIN GREY RECOVERS--I
ACCOMPANY ROBIN TO FORT GARRY--ELLEN AND OLIVER--CONCLUSION OF MY
HISTORY--DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT
(NOW CALLED MANITOBA) AND OF THE "FERTILE BELT" BEYOND IT REACHING TO
THE FOOT OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
A moderate walk on snow-shoes on a fine winter's day, with agreeable
companions, when the sky is blue, the air still, and the snow frozen
hard, is a very pleasant thing; and so is a hunting expedition, with
attendants carrying refreshments, and the certainty, even though game
may not be shot, of a good meal after it at a cheerful camp-fire, with
abundance of buffalo-robes for covering; but to go on, tramp, tramp,
tramp, day after day over the icy plains, often with a sharp wind
blowing, and but a scanty fire and imperfect shelter at the termination
of the journey, is a very different matter.
We found it to be so. Often the ground was uneven; sometimes we had
hills to ascend, and precipitous elopes to slide down, not knowing what
might be at the bottom; and then a wide plain to traverse, without a
tree or a shrub to break its monotony or to assist us in directing our
course. Soon after we set out in the morning our eyebrows became
covered with frost, our caps froze to our brows, surrounded by a rim of
icicles. The fronts of our coats were fringed with similar ornaments;
even our eyelashes were covered with our congealed breath.
On several occasions we had to camp that we might go in search of game;
but after many hours' toil we returned--on one occasion with a fox, on
another with a second ground-squirrel, and on two other days with a
single hare.
The fox, though the least palatable, from being larger, lasted us longer
than the other animals, and afforded poor Bouncer an ample meal.
We had reason to be thankful at obtaining these supplies, or we should
otherwise have sunk down on the snow and perished; for even had we
killed our poor dog, as he was nothing but skin and bones his body would
not have long sustained us. For two whole days we feasted on _tripe de
roche_, which, when boiled in our kettle, afforded us the only vegetable
diet we had for a long time tasted. A high ridge had to be crossed, and
it cost us much trouble to reach the summit. We had to take Bouncer out
of the traces and drag up the sleigh ourselves.
A dreary prospect met our view from thence. Before us was a wide extent
of country covered with its wintry clothing, its undulations reminding
us of the ocean when the troubled waves begin to subside after a storm.
Here and there a few leafless trees partially diversified the chilling
scene, resembling the shattered masts of vessels which had suffered in
the conflict of waters.
In vain did we strain our eyes to catch a glimpse of anything of human
or animal shape. Neither did man, nor fowl, nor cattle, nor beast, nor
creeping thing meet our gaze. Animated nature seemed to have abandoned
the dreary solitude, and silent desolation reigned around. Yet this was
the region we had to cross for many days before we could reach our
destination. I could not avoid asking myself, should any of us be able
to endure the fatigue we must first undergo, or should we even obtain
food to support life?
Already we were greatly weakened, while Martin especially looked a
phantom of his former self. Alick, though only so lately recovered from
his severe illness, held out the best. Pat never made a complaint,
though his wan cheek showed that famine was telling on him. If I sucked
in my cheeks, it felt as if my teeth would come through them, and my
knees would often scarcely bear me.
Hitherto, except the lichen we had scraped from the rocks, we had had no
food that day, and we might be unable to obtain any before night.
"Come, lads; we must push on," cried Alick. "It won't do to be stopping
here doubting whether we shall be able to get over yonder country. It
has to be done, and the sooner we do it the better."
Allowing the sledge to go first, we all slid down the steep slope in a
half-sitting posture, happily reaching the bottom without accident.
Honest Bouncer then came up to be again harnessed, and we set off at our
usual pace--trudge, trudge, trudge. Hour after hour the click of the
snow-shoes sounded in our ears.
"I wonder how long a man can go without eating?" asked Martin in a
doleful tone.
"It is possible to hold out for three days," answered Alick, "and
perhaps longer, though it would not be pleasant. Don't you think of
giving in yet, Martin. We shall have some fresh meat to-morrow, I dare
say, if we don't get it to-night; and, at all events, we can have some
leather soup before we turn in. We have a spare buffalo-robe or two to
eat up before we cry die!"
That night all we had to sustain nature was the leather soup Alick spoke
of, with the addition of some _tripe de roche_. Next morning we
breakfasted on the same unsatisfactory materials.
We were still some days' journey from the fort, and for the last three
days not an animal had we seen.
Alick again began to turn, I thought, wolfish eyes at Bouncer. The poor
dog walked on steadily dragging the sleigh, and looking up with an
affectionate glance at our faces when any of us passed, happily
unconscious of the fate threatening him.
Even Pat was at length beginning to despair. Alick cheered us on. "You
must not give in, boys; you must not give in," he exclaimed over and
over again.
I felt that his advice, though good, was impracticable. The evening was
approaching. I could scarcely drag one foot after another. We yet had
some distance to go before we could reach a valley which lay below us,
with a stream in summer flowing through it, and a grove of trees by its
side.
Unable longer to support myself, I sank down on my knees, my gun
dropping to the ground. My eyes were dimmed by my frozen eyelashes.
Alick and Pat were assisting me to rise, when Martin, who was a little
ahead, exclaimed, "I see something coming along the valley: it's a
cariole. There's another and another."
I passed the cuff of my coat over my eyes. My companions held up their
hands and shouted at the top of their voices, Bouncer at the same time
lifting up his head and barking with all his might, as if conscious of
the importance of being heard.
The carioles came on at full speed along the valley, their drivers
running behind them. There were twenty or thirty of them, each drawn by
eight or ten powerful dogs. I could now see them clearly.
Then came a number of baggage-sledges with more men on snow-shoes, all
keeping up the same steady pace.
Our dread was that the travellers would pass without seeing us. Who
they could be we could not tell, but they were evidently coming from the
direction of the place to which we were bound. Again we shouted and
waved our hands, and then Alick bethought him of firing off his gun. We
all discharged ours, and presently we saw the leading sledge stop, the
driver making a signal to the one behind him. It was passed along the
line, and the whole train came to a halt.
"We are saved! we are saved!" we cried in chorus. The knowledge of this
restored our strength.
I was helped up by my companions, and we all, straggling on, reached the
bottom of the valley close to the leading sledge.
A gentleman got out of it and came towards us. We at once saw that he
was Mr Meredith, though he at first evidently did not recognise any of
us.
"What!" he exclaimed at length; "Alick McClellan!--David! can it be
you?"
He pressed our hands.
"I little expected again to see you.--And Martin Crisp! can that be you?
I know you now, though you look dreadfully pulled down. There are
those behind to whom your appearance will give new life."
"Then have my father and mother escaped?" exclaimed Martin, and he burst
into tears.
"Yes," answered Mr Meredith, "I am thankful to say that they have, and
are now returning with us to Fort Ross, on their way to their former
station."
I cannot well describe the greetings we received from Rose and Letty,
and indeed from all the party, with many of whom, besides Mr and Mrs
Crisp, we were well acquainted.
Fortunately the train was not far from the spot selected for camping
that night, and several of the gentlemen insisted upon getting out of
their carioles and letting us take their places, while they put on our
snow-shoes and ran by our sides. Poor Pat was of course treated in the
same manner, and I took Bouncer in between my legs--the first time in
his life he had ever enjoyed the honour of being dragged by his
fellow-creatures.
The camp was soon reached. A party of men had gone on before to make
preparations. Tents had been put up for the ladies, lean-to's near the
fires to shelter the gentlemen.
Abundance of food was soon placed before us--soft bread, hot tea and
coffee. Far gone as we were, we were not so far gone that we could not
enjoy it.
The adventures of our friends were recounted. Mr Meredith, though he
had heard that the Blackfeet intended to take the fort, would have
remained to defend it had he not been compelled to quit it for want of
provisions. He was now returning with reinforcements of men and an
ample supply of food; besides which he had a party of hunters with him,
and he hoped to obtain an abundance of buffalo meat and venison. So
secure did he feel that he was bringing back Rose and Letty and Mr and
Mrs Crisp.
The two young ladies allowed Alick and me to sit near them; and I am
compelled to confess, though I heard the sweet tones of their voices in
my ear, it was not long after supper when I found my head nodding, and
that the power to rouse myself had gone. I sunk back fast asleep, and
remember nothing more till, opening my eyes, instead of the fair
countenances of my young friends, I saw the well-bronzed visage of Sandy
McTavish bending over me.
"Vera glad to see you, faster David, though I am loath to rouse you from
your sleep; but the sleighs are harnessing, and the train will presently
be on the move." Sandy, taking my hand as he spoke, helped me to rise.
I felt extremely stiff, and my joints ached considerably.
While I was drinking a tin of hot coffee which he had brought me, he
told me how he and one of his companions, after the canoe had been
upset, had clung on under her with their heads just above water, as she
floated down the river, till at length, by great exertions, they had
managed to direct her with their feet towards the shore. Believing that
Pat was lost, they did not look for him, but, as soon as they had
recovered, pushed on for Fort Ross, which they reached almost dead with
hunger, and were, of course, the first to announce the tidings of the
destruction of Fort Black.
Sandy had already found Pat, who had given him an account of our
adventures.
I told him how delighted I was, too, to find that he had escaped, as I
had given him up for lost. He told me, almost with tears in his eyes,
how he had mourned for us, cut off, as he fancied, in our prime.
"But God is vera merciful," he said, "and He has preserved you, I hope,
to be good and useful men."
"He has indeed taught us to trust Him, for His arm alone could have
saved us from the many dangers to which we were exposed," I answered.
We had not much time, however, for conversation, and Sandy, who had
undertaken to look after me, helped me into a sledge, which had been
prepared, he said, for my use.
Honest Bouncer, who had slept at the door of the tent, got in after me,
seeming to consider that the place at my feet was his rightful position.
There was just time before starting to exchange greetings with the rest
of the party, who were already in their carioles.
I found that during the night four fresh carioles had been formed, and
by taking a dog from one team and one or more from others, a sufficient
number of animals had been procured to drag us. Sandy, who drove my
team, gave me an account of the various events which had occurred, and
of the grief our supposed loss had caused our friends. "The young
ladies," he said, "he feared would never again have recovered their
spirits, and it was only when some hope was expressed that we might have
escaped that they at all brightened up."
Letty afterwards told me, indeed, that she had never altogether
abandoned hope. "I could not have borne it had I done so," she added.
After the fatiguing way in which we had been accustomed to travel, it
was delightful to be drawn along at a rapid rate over the hard snow,
well wrapped up in buffalo-robes; with a piece of crape drawn over the
face to shelter it from the icy blast when the wind blew strong, or to
shield the eyes when the sun shone too brightly on the glittering sheet
of white.
The cariole, such as I was now seated in, is a somewhat simple vehicle.
It is formed of a very thin board ten feet long and fourteen inches
broad, turned up at one end in the form of a half-circle. To this board
a high cradle, like the body of a small carriage, is attached, about
eighteen inches from the end of the floor-board. The framework is
covered with buffalo-skin parchment, and painted according to the taste
of the builder. The inside is lined with a blanket or buffalo-robe; and
when the traveller is seated in it, with his legs stretched out at his
ease, he is only separated from the snow by the before-mentioned
floor-board. Eight, twelve, or even more dogs form the team of a
cariole, dragging it by long traces attached to collars which are
ornamented with bead-work and tassels, and a string of small bells,
which emit a pleasant tinkling sound.
The driver runs behind the cariole, guiding it by means of a line
fastened to the floor which projects behind the seat.
When he gets tired of running, he stands on this projecting board; or
should there be any luggage, he sits on the top of it.
When a new road is to be made--as was the case at the present--two or
three men on snow-shoes go ahead and beat down the snow, making the road
just wide enough for the passage of a cariole. The dogs seldom attempt
to go off the track thus formed, though the first four or five teams
have the hardest work; after which the road becomes hard, and the rest
easily follow. It was curious to look forward and back at the long thin
line, like some vast serpent moving over the snowy plain, following all
the windings of the pioneers ahead; and it was cheering to hear the
tinkling sound of the bells, and the voices of the drivers as they urged
on the dogs.
When we encamped for the night, a small tent for the ladies, and another
for two or three of the superior officers who required the luxury, were
pitched; fires were lighted as close to them as safety would allow, or
sometimes one long fire at which the cooks at once commenced operations.
Supper over, a short time was spent in conversation, and then all the
party except those on guard betook themselves to repose. The greater
number, who slept in the open air, rolled themselves up in their
buffalo-robes in two lines, one on each side of the fire, with their
feet towards it. Most of the dogs in the meantime had scraped out for
themselves hollows in the snow, while others found out snug berths so
close to the fire that they ran no little danger of burning their fur.
Such was the scene which met my eyes just before I fell asleep, rolled
up like the rest in buffalo-robes with a knapsack for my pillow, the
snow my couch, and the sky glittering brightly with countless stars
overhead; and such was the scene which our camp presented night after
night. We had got within three days' journey of our destination, when
numerous buffaloes were seen in the far distance; and as it was
important to secure some fresh meat, Mr Meredith ordered a halt, that
the hunters might go in chase of the animals. It was supposed that the
buffaloes were moving away to the westward, and that another opportunity
of hunting them might not occur during the winter.
A convenient place for a camp, in a hollow surrounded by trees, was
chosen, and wigwams were put up for those who wished to remain in camp.
The larger number of the men, however, all of whom were accustomed to
hunting, were eager to go in chase, so that comparatively few remained
to guard the camp.
I resolved to stay behind, both for the sake of enjoying the society of
Rose and Letty, as also because I had had hunting enough, and had
scarcely yet sufficiently recovered to undergo the fatigue of a long run
in snow-shoes. Alick, though he had held out so well when leading our
small party, had knocked up altogether when his responsibilities were
over, and was unfit to exert himself in any way; all he could do,
indeed, was to step into his cariole and be dragged along over the snow.
Martin was very little better, and this was the first opportunity he had
had of spending any time with his parents, who were anxious to hear his
adventures. I had been seated with Rose and Letty before the camp-fire,
when they proposed putting on their snow-shoes and walking to the top of
a slight elevation some distance off, from whence we fancied that a view
might be obtained of the herd of buffaloes.
The air was perfectly calm, the sky bright, and as a hard crust had
formed over the snow, we found walking especially pleasant. We went on
and on, consequently, farther than we had intended, expecting every
instant to come in sight of the hunters and the shaggy monsters of which
they were in chase.
The ridge on the top of which we were walking was of no great height,
and others somewhat more elevated intervened, we found, between us and
the plain on which the buffaloes had been seen.
Rose--who had been leading, while Letty and I walked alongside each
other--at last proposed going back. We--that is, Letty and I--had
forgotten to watch the sun, which was already sinking rapidly towards
the horizon. Just as we turned I caught sight of a number of dark
objects, moving quickly over the snow. For a moment I thought they
might be the huntsmen, but I was soon convinced that they were wolves.
I did not at first apprehend that they were coming towards us, but still
I knew that it would be well to make our way back to camp as fast as
possible. I begged Rose and Letty to go forward while I kept watch on
the proceedings of the wolves.
We had not gone far when to my dismay I felt convinced that they were
making towards us, and I could even hear the faint sounds of their
yelping and barking coming up from the plain below us.
I urged my companions to hasten on while I followed close behind them.
I was in hopes that they were merely coyotes, which are cowardly
creatures; but as they got nearer I saw that they were the larger
species of prairie wolf, too probably rendered savage by hunger. I now
bitterly regretted having allowed my young friends to go so far from the
camp. We were still at too great a distance to make any signal for
assistance.
I knew that by running we should only encourage the wolves to pursue us,
and therefore entreating the young ladies to stop, I placed myself
between them and the yelping pack of brutes, who were now within twenty
yards of us.
The brave girls not only did not continue running, but came up close
behind me--Rose placing herself directly in front of Letty, and holding
her hands to her neck, knowing that they were too likely to spring at
it. I felt that I must make every effort to drive the brutes away.
Shouting at the top of my voice in order to scare them, I fired at the
leader of the pack, and knocked it over; but before I could reload, the
savage animals were close upon me.
Taking my gun by the barrel, I used it as a club and struck with it
right and left. My first blow beat down a wolf close to my feet, when
its hungry companions immediately set upon it, and with fearful yelps
and snarls began tearing it to pieces; but others still came on, gaunt,
starving animals, barking savagely. Another wolf was on the point of
springing at my throat, when I happily struck that down also; but
several were at the same time making at Rose and Letty. My courage rose
to desperation. I must save them even though I were myself to perish;
but how could I hope to drive off the savage pack that came scampering
on, eager to tear us to pieces?
There must have been fifty or more of them. Again and again as I struck
around me I shouted with all my might. A reply came from behind me. It
was that of human voices.
I heard a shot, and another wolf rolled over. I dared not for a second
look round to ascertain who was coming to our relief. Presently I heard
Bouncer's deep bark and the voices of several more people. Other shots
followed, and as the wolves fell their companions as before set upon
them, leaving only a few brutes for me to deal with; till Bouncer,
seizing by the throat one of the most daring, who was in the act of
leaping at Rose, pulled it down as a hound does a deer. Sandy, Pat, and
several of the hunting party now came up, and clubbing their guns,
quickly laid low many more of the wolves, the remainder, panic-stricken,
turning tail and galloping off at full speed. Reloading, we fired at
the retreating pack, a number more of which fell over killed or went
yelping away. Thankful for our merciful deliverance, we returned to the
camp accompanied by our friends. They had followed a buffalo, which
they had killed just below the ridge along which we had been walking
when the wolves attacked us.
Messengers arrived from the remainder of the hunting party, and sledges
were forthwith dispatched to bring in the meat of the animals they had
killed. Another day was spent here, and the second hunting expedition
which was sent out returned almost as successful as the first.
We then again moved forward and reached Fort Ross, without any further
adventure worth recording. The ladies performed the journey without
having suffered any unusual fatigue.
The fort was uninjured, and had evidently not been visited except by
bears, who had managed to break into one of the storerooms, but had got
nothing for their pains.
We had not forgotten Captain Grey and our young friend Robin. Mr
Crisp, who had a good knowledge of medicine and surgery, at once
volunteered to go to his assistance; and Alick and I having organised a
party with four dog-sleighs, we set off, accompanied by the excellent
missionary.
We of course felt very anxious, remembering the precarious state in
which we had left Captain Grey. The first person we saw as we drew near
the hut was Robin, who had heard the sound of our sleigh-bells, and came
rushing out to meet us.
"How is your father?" was the first question we asked.
"He is still very low," answered Robin sadly; "but if he had a doctor
who knew how to treat him, I think that he would soon get better."
"The doctor is here," I answered, pointing to Mr Crisp.