Adventures with the Peigans--Crusoe does good service as adiscoverer--The savages outwitted--The rescue. A run of twenty miles brought the travellers to arugged defile in the mountains, from which theyhad a view of a beautiful valley of considerable extent.
During the last two days a steady thaw had been rapidlymelting away the snow, so that it appeared only hereand there in the landscape in dazzling patches. At thedistance of about half-a-mile from where they halted tobreathe the horses before commencing the descent intothis vale, several thin wreaths of smoke were seenrising above the trees.
"Is that your camp?" inquired Cameron, riding upto the Indian runners, who stood in a group in front,looking as fresh after their twenty miles' run as thoughthey had only had a short walk.
To this they answered in the affirmative, adding thatthere were about two hundred Peigans there.
It might have been thought that thirty men wouldhave hesitated to venture to attack so large a numberas two hundred; but it had always been found in theexperience of Indian life that a few resolute white menwell armed were more than a match for ten times theirnumber of Indians. And this arose not so much fromthe superior strength or agility of the Whites over theirred foes, as from that bull-dog courage and utter recklessnessof their lives in combat--qualities which thecrafty savage can neither imitate nor understand. Theinformation was received with perfect indifference bymost of the trappers, and with contemptuous laughterby some; for a large number of Cameron's men werewild, evil-disposed fellows, who would have as gladlytaken the life of an Indian as that of a buffalo.
Just as the word was given to resume the march,Dick Varley rode up to Cameron and said in a somewhatanxious tone,--"D'ye obsarve, sir, that one o' the Redskins has goneoff ahead o' his comrades?""I see that, Master Dick; and it was a mistake ofmine not to have stopped him, but he was gone too farbefore I observed it, and I thought it better to appearunconcerned. We must push on, though, and give himas short time as possible to talk with his comrades inthe camp."The trappers pressed forward accordingly at a gallop,and were soon in front of the clump of trees amongstwhich the Peigans were encamped. Their approachhad evidently spread great alarm among them, for therewas a good deal of bustle and running to and fro; butby the time the trappers had dismounted and advancedin a body on foot, the savages had resumed their usualquiet dignity of appearance, and were seated calmlyround their fires with their bows and arrows besidethem. There were no tents, no women or children, andthe general aspect of the men showed Cameron conclusivelythat his surmise about their being a war partywas correct.
A council was immediately called. The trappers rangedthemselves on one side of the council fire and the Indianson the other. Meanwhile, our friend Crusoe had beendisplaying considerable irritability against the Indians,and he would certainly have attacked the whole twohundred single-handed if he had not been ordered byhis master to lie still; but never in his life before hadCrusoe obeyed with such a bad grace. He bristled andwhined in a low tremulous tone, and looked imploringlyat Dick as if for permission to fly at them.
"The Pale-face traders are glad to meet with thePeigans," began Cameron, who determined to make noallusion to his knowledge that they were a war party,"for they wish to be friends with all the children of thewoods and prairies. They wish to trade with them--toexchange blankets, and guns, and beads, and other goodswhich the Peigans require, for furs of animals which thePale-faces require.""Ho! ho!" exclaimed the Indians, which expressionmight be translated, "Hear! hear!""But," continued Cameron, "we wish to have no war.
We wish to see the hatchet buried, and to see all thered men and the white men smoking the pipe of peace,and hunting like brothers."The "Ho--ho--ing" at this was very emphatic.
"Now," resumed the trader, "the Peigans have got two prisoners--twoPale-faces--in their camp, and as we cannot be on good terms while ourbrothers are detained, we have come to ask for them, and to presentsomegifts to the Peigans."To this there was no "Ho" at all, but a prolongedsilence, which was at length interrupted by a tall chiefstepping forward to address the trappers.
"What the Pale-face chief has said is good," beganthe Indian. "His words are wise, and his heart is notdouble. The Red-men are willing to smoke the pipe ofpeace, and to hunt with all men as brothers, but theycannot do it while many of their scalps are hanging inthe lodges of their enemies and fringing the robes of thewarriors. The Peigans must have vengeance; then theywill make peace."After a short pause he continued,--"The chief is wrong when he says there are Pale-facesin the Peigan camp. The Peigans are notat war with the Pale-faces; neither have they seenany on their march. The camp is open. Let thePale-faces look round and see that what we say istrue."The chief waved his hand towards his warriors as heconcluded, as if to say, "Search amongst them. Thereare no Pale-faces there."Cameron now spoke to Dick in a low tone. "Theyspeak confidently," he said, "and I fear greatly thatyour poor comrades have either been killed or conveyedaway from the camp and hidden among the mountains,in which case, even though they should not be far off,it would be next to impossible to find them, especiallywhen such a band of rascals is near, compelling us tokeep together. But I'll try what a little tempting themwith goods will do. At any rate, we shan't give inwithout a scuffle."It now, for the first time, flashed across Dick Varleythat there was something more than he imagined inCrusoe's restless anxiety, which had not in the leastabated, and the idea of making use of him now occurredto his mind.
"I've a notion that I'll settle this matter in a shortertime than you think," he said hurriedly, "if you'll agreeto try what threatening will do."The trader looked grave and undecided. "I neverresort to that except as a last hope," he answered; "butI've a good deal of confidence in your prudence. Whatwould you advise?"Dick and the trader whispered a few minutes together,while some of the men, in order to show the Indians howperfectly unconcerned they were, and how ready foranything, took out their pipes and began to smoke.
Both parties were seated on the ground, and during thisinterval the Indians also held eager discussion.
At length Cameron stood up, and said to his men ina quiet tone, "Be ready, lads, for instant action. WhenI give the word 'Up,' spring to your feet and cock yourguns; but don't fire a shot till you get the word." Hethen stepped forward and said,--"The Peigan warriors are double-tongued; they knowthat they have hid the Pale-face prisoners. We do notwish to quarrel, but if they are not delivered up at oncethe Pale-faces and the Peigans will not be friends."Upon this the Indian chief again stood forward andsaid, "The Peigans are not double-tongued. They havenot seen Pale-faces till to-day. They can say nomore."Without moving hand or foot, Cameron then said ina firm tone, "The first Peigan that moves shall die!
Up, lads, and ready!"In the twinkling of an eye the trappers sprang totheir feet, and cocking their rifles stood perfectly motionless,scowling at the savages, who were completely takenby surprise at the unusual suddenness and informalityof such a declaration of war. Not a man moved, for,unlike white men, they seldom risk their lives in openfight; and as they looked at the formidable row ofmuzzles that waited but a word to send instant deathinto their midst, they felt that discretion was at thattime the better part of valour.
"Now," said Cameron, while Dick Varley and Crusoestepped up beside him, "my young warrior will searchfor the Pale-face prisoners. If they are found, we willtake them and go away. If they are not found, wewill ask the Peigans to forgive us, and will give themgifts. But in the meantime, if a Peigan moves fromthe spot where he sits, or lifts a bow, my young menshall fire, and the Peigans know that the rifle of thePale-face always kills."Without waiting for an answer, Dick immediatelysaid, "Seek 'em out, pup," and Crusoe bounded away.
For a few minutes he sprang hither and thitherthrough the camp, quite regardless of the Indians, andsnuffed the air several times............