A surprise, and a piece of good news--The fur-traders--Crusoeproved, and the Peigans pursued. Dick's first and most natural impulse, on beholdingthis band, was to mount his horse and fly, forhis mind naturally enough recurred to the former roughtreatment he had experienced at the hands of Indians.
On second thoughts, however, he considered it wiser tothrow himself upon the hospitality of the strangers;"for," thought he, "they can but kill me, an' if I remainhere I'm like to die at any rate."So Dick mounted his wild horse, grasped his rifle inhis right hand, and, followed by Crusoe, galloped fulltilt down the valley to meet them.
He had heard enough of the customs of savage tribes,and had also of late experienced enough, to convincehim that when a man found himself in the midst of anoverwhelming force, his best policy was to assume anair of confident courage. He therefore approached themat his utmost speed.
The effect upon the advancing band was electrical;and little wonder, for the young hunter's appearancewas very striking. His horse, from having rested agood deal of late, was full of spirit. Its neck wasarched, its nostrils expanded, and its mane and tailnever having been checked in their growth flew wildlyaround him in voluminous curls. Dick's own hair, nothaving been clipped for many months, appeared scarcelyless wild, as they thundered down the rocky pass atwhat appeared a break-neck gallop. Add to this thegrandeur of the scene out of which they sprang, andthe gigantic dog that bounded by his side, and you willnot be surprised to hear that the Indian warriors clusteredtogether, and prepared to receive this bold horsemanas if he, in his own proper person, were a completesquadron of cavalry. It is probable, also, that theyfully expected the tribe of which Dick was the chief tobe at his heels.
As he drew near the excitement among the strangersseemed very great, and, from the peculiarity of thevarious cries that reached him, he knew that there werewomen and children in the band--a fact which, in sucha place and at such a season, was so unnatural that itsurprised him very much. He noted also that, thoughthe men in front were Indians, their dresses were thoseof trappers and hunters, and he almost leaped out of hissaddle when he observed that "Pale-faces" were amongthem. But he had barely time to note these facts whenhe was up with the band. According to Indian custom,he did not check his speed till he was within four orfive yards of the advance-guard, who stood in a linebefore him, quite still, and with their rifles lying looselyin their left palms; then he reined his steed almost onits haunches.
One of the Indians advanced and spoke a few wordsin a language which was quite unintelligible to Dick,who replied, in the little Pawnee he could muster, thathe didn't understand him.
"Why, you must be a trapper!" exclaimed a thick-set,middle-aged man, riding out from the group. "Canyou speak English?""Ay, that can I," cried Dick joyfully, riding up andshaking the stranger heartily by the hand; "an' rightglad am I to fall in wi' a white-skin an' a civil tonguein his head.""Good sooth, sir," replied the stranger, with a quietsmile on his kind, weather-beaten face, "I can returnyou the compliment; for when I saw you come thunderingdown the corrie with that wonderful horse andno less wonderful dog of yours, I thought you were thewild man o' the mountain himself, and had an ambushready to back you. But, young man, do you mean tosay that you live here in the mountain all alone afterthis fashion?""No, that I don't. I've comed here in my travels,but truly this bean't my home. But, sir (for I seeyou are what the fur-traders call a bourgeois), howcomes it that such a band as this rides i' the mountains?
D'ye mean to say that they live here?" Dick lookedround in surprise, as he spoke, upon the crowd ofmounted men and women, with children and pack-horses,that now surrounded him.
"'Tis a fair question, lad. I am a principal amongthe fur-traders whose chief trading-post lies near thePacific Ocean, on the west side of these mountains; andI have come with these trappers and their families, as you see, tohunt thebeaver and other animals for aseason in the mountains. We've never been here before; but that's amatterof little moment, for it's notthe first time I've been on what may be called a discovery-tradingexpedition. We are somewhat entangled,however, just now among these wild passes, and if youcan guide us out of our difficulties to the east side ofthe mountains, I'll thank you heartily and pay you well.
But first tell me who and what you are, if it's a fairquestion.""My name is Dick Varley, and my home's in theMustang Valley, near the Missouri River. As to whatI am--I'm nothin' yet, but I hope to desarve the nameo' a hunter some day. I can guide you to the east sideo' the mountains, for I've comed from there; but morethan that I can't do, for I'm a stranger to the countryhere, like yourself. But you're on the east side o' themountains already, if I mistake not; only these mountainsare so rugged and jumbled up, that it's not easytellin' where ye are. And what," continued Dick,"may be the name o' the bourgeois who speaks tome?""My name is Cameron--Walter Cameron--a well-knownname among the Scottish hills, although itsounds a little strange here. And now, young man,will you join my party as guide, and afterwards remainas trapper? It will pay you better, I think, thanroving about alone."Dick shook his head and looked grave. "I'll guideyou," said he, "as far as my knowledge 'll help me;but after that I must return to look for two comradeswhom I have lost. They have been driven into themountains by a band of Injuns. God grant they maynot have bin scalped!"The trader's face looked troubled, and he spoke withone of his Indians for a few minutes in earnest, hurriedtones.
"What were they like, young man?"Dick described them.
"The same," continued the trader. "They've beenseen, lad, not more than two days ago, by this Indianhere, when he was out hunting alone some miles awayfrom our camp. He came suddenly on a band ofIndians who had two prisoners with them, such as youdescribe. They were stout, said you?""Yes, both of them," cried Dick, listening with intenseeagerness.
"Ay. They were tied to their horses, an' from whatI know of these fellows I'm sure they're doomed. ButI'll help you, my friend, as well as I can. They can'tbe far from this. I treated my Indian's story aboutthem as a mere fabrication, for he's the most notoriousliar in my company; but he seems to have spoken truthfor once.""Thanks, thanks, good sir," cried Dick. "Had wenot best turn back and follow them at once?""Nay, friend, not quite so fast," replied Cameron,pointing to his people. "These must be provided forfirst, but I shall be ready before the sun goes down.
And now, as I presume you don't bivouac in the snow,will you kindly conduct us to your encampment, if it benot far hence?"Although burning with impatience to fly to the rescueof his friends, Dick felt constrained to comply with soreasonable a request, so he led the way to his camping-place,where the band of fur-traders immediately beganto pitch their tents, cut down wood, kindle fires, filltheir kettles with water, cook their food, and, in fact,make themselves comfortable. The wild spot which, anhour before, had been so still, and grand, and gloomy,was now, as if by magic, transformed into a bustlingvillage, with bright fires blazing among the rocks andbushes, and merry voices of men, women, and childrenringing in the air. It seemed almost incredible, andno wonder Dick, in his bewilderment, had difficulty inbelieving it was not all a dream.
In days long gone by the fur-trade in that countrywas carried on in a very different way from the mannerin which it is now conducted. These wild regions, indeed,are still as lonesome and untenanted (save bywild beasts and wandering tribes of Indians) as theywere then; but the Indians of the present day havebecome accustomed to the "Pale-face" trader, whoselittle wooden forts or trading-posts are dotted here andthere, at wide intervals, all over the land. But in thedays of which we write it was not so. The fur-tradersat that time went forth in armed bands into the heartof the Indians' country, and he who went forth did so"with his life in his hand." As in the case of thesoldier who went out to battle, there was great probabilitythat he might never return.
The band of which Walter Cameron was the chiefhad, many months before, started from one of the distantposts of Oregon on a hunting expedition into thethen totally unknown lands of the Snake Indians. Itconsisted of about sixty men, thirty women, and asmany children of various ages--about a hundred andtwenty souls in all. Many of the boys were capable ofusing the gun and setting a beaver-trap. The men werea most motley set. There were Canadians, half-breeds,Iroquois, and Scotchmen. Most of the women hadIndian blood in their veins, and a few were pureIndians.
The equipment of this strange band consisted of upwardsof two hundred beaver-traps--which are similar toour rat-traps, with this difference, that they have twosprings and no teeth--seventy guns, a few articles fortrade with the Indians, and a large supply of powderand ball; the whole--men, women, childre............