A COMPACT.
When Herbert Bernard left the arbor, after his interview with Jennie,
his face was black with passion.
His nature, in his disappointment and wounded pride, showed itself at
once in his face, and he felt all the revenge of an Indian against the
young girl.
"She shall marry me, and then I can make her suffer for her refusal,
and saying that she hated and despised me," he said.
He met his father, and the two held a short interview together.
"She shall become my wife, father," said Herbert.
"Of course, we cannot think of anything else for an instant; but let me
warn you that the girl intends to run off."
"Run off?"
"Yes."
"Where will she go?"
"Anywhere, so she leaves here, so you must watch her day and night and
prevent it."
"I will prevent it, never fear; but did you not expect Red Hatchet here
to-day?"
"Yes, if that fellow Carey does not head him off from coming."
"By which trail was he coming?"
"The lower one."
"I wish to see him, so will ride out and meet him."
"Be careful in all you say and do, my son."
"Trust me for that, father," and soon after Herbert Bernard mounted and
rode away upon the lower trail, leading in the direction of the Bad
Lands, while by the upper one came the courier from Kit Carey, and whom
the young man failed to see.
For some miles Herbert Bernard rode along, his eyes, like the good
frontiersman he was, ever on the alert for a foe, and watching every
sign that was visible, for he well knew that there were times when
every man might be against him, and in spite of a friendly feeling for
the Indians, a prowling brave might open fire upon him from an ambush.
Ascending a steep hill, where the pines grew thick, he hitched his
horse and began to take an observation of the surrounding country.
Here and there were drift patches of snow, but elsewhere the trails
were very denty, and far off he saw a cloud arising.
It was a dust cloud, and was moving toward his position.
That it was made by a party of horsemen he saw at a glance, and he
watched it closely as it floated along over the trail, completely
hiding the horses that made it.
On it came, winding along the trail, around a ravine here, avoiding
rugged land there, and so on to the hills.
At last the dust cloud floated away, and it left revealed a party of
horsemen who suddenly rode out upon harder soil, where there was no
light powdered earth to make clouds about them.
"They are Indians," he said, with a tone of evident relief, as he
recognized their costumes, dark faces, and ponies.
"Yes, and that is Red Hatchet in the lead. I am glad of that; but why
has he brought so many warriors with him, for he has one, two, three,"
and he went on counting until he ended with: "Thirty! Now, if he met
Carey and his band of Cheyennes, whom I am confident are prowling about
here, there would be trouble. Ah! he is going to take the other trail,
so I must signal him."
As he spoke he threw up a pile of fine straw and stuck a match under it.
Instantly a dense smoke began to curl upward in a column, and he kept
it from blazing by piling on more straw.
Then he suddenly threw over it his India rubber blanket, and the smoke
was cut off.
Taking off the blanket he let the smoke ascend again, then shut it off,
and repeating this three times, he quickly put out the fire.
The redskins had noted the very first curl of the smoke upward, and
came to a halt.
They saw the column cut off and rise again, and this was done for the
third time, when the smoke disappeared altogether.
Not a word had been spoken among them until the smoke floated away, and
did not reappear.
Then the chief said something in a low tone, wheeled his horse straight
toward the hill, and his warriors followed in silence.
As they neared the base of the hill they stretched out into a line and
so approached the pines, peering closely into every covert.
But suddenly a horseman rode out into view upon the hill-top, and
though it was a pale-face, and naturally to be expected, a foe, they
did not seem to so regard him, for the chief went toward him at a
canter, his braves following, while not the slightest preparation was
made for battle.
As he approached the steeper part of the hill the chief dismounted, and
went on foot, his warriors following his example.
Then amid the pines he found Herbert Bernard, and the latter said:
"I am glad the Red Hatchet has come, for I was seeking for him."
"The Red Hatchet is glad to see his brother. He was going on the trail
to see if the pale-face foes of the Sioux were still pressing upon his
people."
"He will find that the soldiers are still marching forward to surround
the Bad Lands; but the Sioux are safe there, for no soldiers can drive
them away. But I would ask a favor of my red brother?"
"The Red Hatchet is ready to obey."
"If the Red Hatchet will go near to my house I will see that he finds
the Snow Flower. Let him carry her to his people in the Bad Lands, and
there keep her until I come for her. If the Red Hatchet will do this
for me he shall find me the true friend of himself and his people, and
the soldiers shall not harm them. But the Red Hatchet must remember
that the Snow Flower shall not be harmed by his people, for she is the
daughter of his friend the white chief, and the sister of his friend
Herbert. Does he understand that it is only to keep the Snow Flower
from running away with a soldier chief that he is to hide her away
among his people, where she cannot escape."
"The Red Hatchet understands and will obey. The Snow Flower shall know
no harm, for she is the friend of the Sioux. And the Red Hatchet's
friend will let the Sioux know when the soldiers come closer upon them?"
"Yes."
The chief stretched forth his hand in token that it was a compact, and
grasping it Herbert Bernard said a few more words in explanation of his
plan, and mounting his horse rode back toward the ranch.
And Red Hatchet and his band slowly followed upon his trail.