Savage sports--Living cataracts--An alarm--Indians and theirdoings--The stampede--Charlie again. One day Dick Varley was out on a solitary huntingexpedition near the rocky gorge where his horsehad received temporary burial a week or two before.
Crusoe was with him, of course. Dick had tied Charlieto a tree, and was sunning himself on the edge of a cliff,from the top of which he had a fine view of the valleyand the rugged precipices that hemmed it in.
Just in front of the spot on which he sat, the precipiceson the opposite side of the gorge rose to a considerableheight above him, so that their ragged outlines weredrawn sharply across the clear sky. Dick was gazingin dreamy silence at the jutting rocks and dark caverns,and speculating on the probable number of bears thatdwelt there, when a slight degree of restlessness on thepart of Crusoe attracted him.
"What is't, pup?" said he, laying his hand on thedog's broad back.
Crusoe looked the answer, "I don't know, Dick, butit's something, you may depend upon it, else I wouldnot have disturbed you."Dick lifted his rifle from the ground, and laid it inthe hollow of his left arm.
"There must be something in the wind," remarked Dick.
As wind is known to be composed of two distinctgases, Crusoe felt perfectly safe in replying "Yes" withhis tail. Immediately after he added, "Hallo! did youhear that?" with his ears.
Dick did hear it, and sprang hastily to his feet, asa sound like, yet unlike, distant thunder came faintlydown upon the breeze. In a few seconds the soundincreased to a roar in which was mingled the wild criesof men. Neither Dick nor Crusoe moved, for thesounds came from behind the heights in front of them,and they felt that the only way to solve the question,"What can the sounds be?" was to wait till the soundsshould solve it themselves.
Suddenly the muffled sounds gave place to the distinctbellowing of cattle, the clatter of innumerablehoofs, and the yells of savage men, while at the samemoment the edges of the opposite cliffs became alivewith Indians and buffaloes rushing about in frantichaste--the former almost mad with savage excitement,the latter with blind rage and terror.
On reaching the edge of the dizzy precipice, thebuffaloes turned abruptly and tossed their ponderousheads as they coursed along the edge. Yet a few ofthem, unable to check their headlong course, fell over,and were dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Suchfalls, Dick observed, were hailed with shouts of delightby the Indians, whose sole object evidently was toenjoy the sport of driving the terrified animals over theprecipice. The wily savages had chosen their groundwell for this purpose.
The cliff immediately opposite to Dick Varley was ahuge projection from the precipice that hemmed in thegorge, a species of cape or promontory several hundredyards wide at the base, and narrowing abruptly to apoint. The sides of this wedge-shaped projection werequite perpendicular--indeed, in some places the top overhungthe base--and they were at least three hundred feethigh. Broken and jagged rocks, of that peculiarlychaotic character which probably suggested the name tothis part of the great American chain, projected fromand were scattered all round the cliffs. Over these theIndians, whose numbers increased every moment, stroveto drive the luckless herd of buffaloes that had chancedto fall in their way. The task was easy. The unsuspectinganimals, of which there were hundreds, rushedin a dense mass upon the cape referred to. On theycame with irresistible impetuosity, bellowing furiously,while their hoofs thundered on the turf with the muffledcontinuous roar of a distant but mighty cataract; theIndians, meanwhile, urging them on by hideous yells andfrantic gestures.
The advance-guard came bounding madly to the edgeof the precipice. Here they stopped short, and gazedaffrighted at the gulf below. It was but for a moment.
The irresistible momentum of the flying mass behindpushed them over. Down they came, absolutely a livingcataract, upon the rocks below. Some struck on theprojecting rocks in the descent, and their bodies weredashed almost in pieces, while their blood spurted outin showers. Others leaped from rock to rock withawful bounds, until, losing their foothold, they fellheadlong; while others descended sheer down into thesweltering mass that lay shattered at the base of thecliffs.
Dick Varley and his dog remained rooted to therock, as they gazed at the sickening sight, as if petrified.
Scarce fifty of that noble herd of buffaloes escaped theawful leap, but they escaped only to fall before thearrows of their ruthless pursuers. Dick had oftenheard of this tendency of the Indians, where buffaloeswere very numerous, to drive them over precipices inmere wanton sport and cruelty, but he had never seenit until now, and the sight filled his soul with horror.
It was not until the din and tumult of the perishingherd and the shrill yells of the Indians had almost diedaway that he turned to quit the spot. But the instanthe did so another shout was raised. The savages hadobserved him, and were seen galloping along the cliffstowards the head of the gorge, with the obvious intentionof gaining the other side and capturing him. Dicksprang on Charlie's back, and the next instant was flyingdown the valley towards the camp.
He did not, however, fear being overtaken, for thegorge could not be crossed, and the way round the headof it was long and rugged; but he was anxious to alarmthe camp as quickly as possible, so that they mighthave time to call in the more distant trappers and makepreparations for defence.
"Where away now, youngster?" inquired Cameron,emerging from his tent as Dick, taking the brook thatflowed in front at a flying leap, came crashing throughthe bushes into the midst of the fur-packs at full speed.
"Injuns!" ejaculated Dick, reining up, and vaultingout of the saddle. "Hundreds of 'em. Fiends incarnateevery one!""Are they near?""Yes; an hour'll bring them down on us. Are Joeand Henri far from camp to-day?""At Ten-mile Creek," replied Cameron with an expressionof bitterness, as he caught up his gun andshouted to several men, who hurried up on seeing ourhero burst into camp.
"Ten-mile Creek!" muttered Dick. "I'll bring 'emin, though," he continued, glancing at several of thecamp horses that grazed close at hand.
In another moment he was on Charlie's back, theline of one of the best horses was in his hand, and almostbefore Cameron knew what he was about he wasflying down the valley like the wind. Charlie oftenstretched out at full speed to please his young master,but seldom had he been urged forward as he was uponthis occasion. The led horse being light and wild, keptwell up, and in a marvellously short space of time theywere at Ten-mile Creek.
"Hallo, Dick, wot's to do?" inquired Joe Blunt, whowas up to his knees in the water setting a trap at themoment his friend galloped up.
"Injuns! Where's Henri?" demanded Dick.
"At the head o' the dam there."Dick was off in a moment, and almost instantly returnedwith Henri galloping beside him.
No word was spoken. In time of action these mendid not waste words. During Dick's momentaryabsence, Joe Blunt had caught up his rifle and examinedthe priming, so that when Dick pulled up besidehim he merely laid his hand on the saddle, saying, "Allright!" as he vaulted on Charlie's back behind hisyoung companion. In another moment they were awayat full speed. The mustang seemed to feel that unwontedexertions were required of him. Doubleweighted though he was, he kept well up with the otherhorse, and in less than two hours after Dick's leavingthe camp the three hunters came in sight of it.
Meanwhile Cameron had collected nearly all hisforces and put his camp in a state of defence before theIndians arrived, which they did suddenly, and, as usual,at full gallop, to the amount of at least two hundred.
They did not at first seem disposed to hold friendlyintercourse with the trappers, but assembled in a semicircleround the camp in a menacing attitude, while oneof their chiefs stepped forward to hold a palaver. Forsome time the conversation on both sides was politeenough, but by degrees the Indian chief assumed animperious tone, and demanded gifts from the trappers,taking care to enforce his request by hinting that thousandsof his countrymen were not far distant. Cameronstoutly refused, and the palaver threatened to come toan abrupt and unpleasant termination just at the timethat Dick and his friends appeared on the scene ofaction.
The brook was cleared at a bound; the three huntersleaped from their steeds and sprang to the front witha degree of energy that had a visible effect on thesavages; and Cameron, seizing the moment, proposedthat the two parties should smoke a pipe and hold acouncil. The Indians agreed, and in a few minutesthey were engaged in animated and friendly intercourse.
The speeches were long, and the compliments paid oneither side were inflated, and, we fear, undeserved; butthe result of the interview was, that Cameron made theIndians a present of tobacco and a few trinkets, andsent them back to their friends to tell them that hewas willing to trade with them.
Next day the whole tribe arrived in the valley, andpitched their deerskin tents on the plain opposite tothe camp of the white men. Their numbers far exceededCameron's expectation, and it was with someanxiety that he proceeded to strengthen his fortificationsas much as circumstances and the nature of theground would admit.
The Indian camp, which numbered upwards of athousand souls, was arranged with great regularity, andwas divided into three distinct sections, each sectionbeing composed of a separate tribe. The Great Snakenation at that time embraced three tribes or divisions--namely,the Shirry-dikas, or dog-eaters; the War-are-ree-kas,or fish-eaters; and the Banattees, or robbers.
These were the most numerous and powerfulIndians on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. TheShirry-dikas dwelt in the plains, and hunted the buffaloes;dressed well; were cleanly; rich in horses; bold,independent, and good warriors. The War-are-ree-kaslived chiefly by fishing, and were found on the banksof the rivers and lakes throughout the country. Theywere more corpulent, slovenly, and indolent than theShirry-dikas, and more peaceful. The Banattees, aswe have before mentioned, were the robbers of themountains. They were a wild and contemptible race,and at enmity with every one. In summer they wentabout nearly naked. In winter they clothed themselvesin the skins of rabbits and wolves. Being excellentmimics, they could imitate the howling ofwolves, the neighing of horses, and the cries of birds, bywhich means they could approach travellers, rob them,and then fly to their rocky fastnesses in the mountains,where pursuit was vain.
Such were the men who now assembled in front ofthe camp of the fur-traders, and Cameron soon foundthat the news of his presence in the country had spreadfar and wide among the natives, bringing them to theneighbourhood of his camp in immense crowds, so thatduring the next few days their numbers increased tothousands.
Several long palavers quickly ensued between thered men and the white, and the two great chiefs whoseemed to hold despotic rule over the assembled tribeswere extremely favourable to the idea of universal peacewhich was propounded to them. In several set speechesof great length and very considerable power, thesenatural orators explained their willingness to enter intoamicable ............