The Buffalo Runners Part 35

"O Fred! how can you tell thumpers like that?" interrupted the forward Archie. "Isn't Elise Morel a miss to you? and Elspie, and Jessie Davidson?"

"Clap a stopper on your mug, you young scape grace!" retorted the seaman, who had some doubt as to whether the boy's putting Elise Morel's name first was intentional or an accident. "As I was a-going to say, sir, I was always fond o' changes, an' the rollin' plains come to me as pleasant, though not quite so familiar, as the rollin' sea."

"That's a satisfactory state o' mind, anyhow," returned the Elder. "But where away now?--to cater for the pot, I dare say."

"Well, no, not exactly--though I've no objection to do that too in the by-goin'. But we've heard a report that a band o' Sioux are goin' to visit the Settlement, and as there's a lot o' their enemies, the Saulteaux, knocking about, I've bin sent to the fort by old McKay to see if they've heard about the Sioux comin', an' if there's likely to be a scrimmage, so as we may clear for action, d'ee see?"

"I see; and I hope there will be no need to clear for action. I'm glad to see Archie with you too," said Sutherland, "but surprised; for I don't remember when I saw him without Little Bill on his back or at his side."

"O, as to that, Little Bill has forsaken me," said Archie, "or I have forsaken him--I'm not sure which--since Dan Davidson's accident, for he does little else but sit at Dan's bedside, readin' to him or talking with him."

"The dear little fellow could not be better employed," remarked the Elder.

"The dear little fellow could be _much_ better employed," retorted the boy, with unexpected decision. "He could be rambling about the plains or in the bush with me, getting strength to his muscles and fresh air to his lungs, an' health to his body--to say nothing of his soul."

"Why, you are becoming jealous, lad," said Sutherland, with a laugh.

"No, I'm not _becoming_ jealous; I'm jealous already," returned the boy, with an air that was half jocular, half serious. "However, I'll exercise patience a little longer, but I'm determined not to let Little Bill be sacrificed for the sake of sick-nursing."

With this announcement of his unalterable resolve to stand to his guns, and a "Brayvo, youngster!" from Jenkins, they parted and went on their several ways.

It was found, when Fort Garry was reached, that the rumour of a visit from the Sioux Indians was correct, and that some preparation was being made for their reception, as well as precautions against any mischief that might be contemplated, though there was not much to be apprehended on that score, for the Sioux were believed to be among the bravest as well as the most powerful of the nations east of the Rocky Mountains, and less addicted to treachery or cruelty than most other tribes.

Two days later the Sioux made their appearance. They formed only a small band of warriors, but were a wild-looking though fine set of men; erect, muscular, tall fellows, with the free bearing of practised warriors, and in all the paint, charcoal, feathers, and leather-costume, bear-claw collars, etcetera, peculiar to the western wilderness.

Their object, they said, was to smoke the pipe of peace with their enemies the Saulteaux, and to see with their own eyes the wonderful things that by report the Palefaces were doing in Red River.

"The Sioux have heard," said their princ.i.p.al chief, at a palaver with the Governor, "that the Palefaces are building wooden Wigwams in number like the stones on the sh.o.r.es of Lake Winnipeg; that they are growing much grain; that they have set up many strange things which they compel the wind to work for them, and so grind their grain; that they have great heaps of powder and ball, and big wigwams that are bursting with things that the Sioux love to exchange for the meat and skins of the buffalo and other beasts great and small. We have come to see all this with our own eyes, for most of us are young men who have only heard of such things from our fathers. Waugh!"

Of course everything was said to encourage this laudable desire for knowledge. The visitors were shown over the fort. Food was given to them, and tobacco; then the pipe of peace was smoked with a band of Saulteaux, which chanced to be on a friendly visit to the settlement at the time, after which, as was customary on such occasions, both parties mixed together and strolled about to see the settlers.

One party of them found their way to Prairie Cottage. At some of the houses nearer the fort they had learned the method of lifting the latch of a door so as to obtain entrance. Finding no one outside at the cottage, they entered the central hall with the soft, quiet tread of the panther. As no one chanced to be there, they continued their explorations with childlike simplicity, and thus most unexpectedly found themselves in the bedroom of Dan Davidson, where Little Bill had just read himself and his brother-invalid into a sound sleep. Both wakened up at once, and the boy sat bolt upright in blazing astonishment, but Dan, who had heard of their arrival in the Settlement, received them with a few words of welcome.

Fortunately for all parties, Okematan presented himself just then, having, while at work in the garden, seen the party of Sioux arrive. He did his best to act the host, explaining to the visitors the cause of Dan's weakness, and, by Dan's directions, offering them tobacco and pipes.

While they were thus engaged, old McKay entered.

"I saw you comin', lads," he said, heartily. "What cheer? what cheer?"

he added, shaking hands with them all round.

The Sioux were obviously much pleased with their reception, especially when Mrs Davidson, Jessie, and Elspie, who had been out walking, returned and joined the party.

After showing the Indians everything in the house, old McKay--who const.i.tuted himself their guide,--took them out to see the live stock and the farm. He led them first into the garden.

It chanced at this time that there was a "snake in the gra.s.s" not far off. This was no other than the bad Indian Kateegoose.

Why some people are what we call naturally bad, like Kateegoose, while others are what we call naturally good, like Okematan, is a mystery the investigation of which we propose postponing to a more convenient season. Of course no sane person will maintain that this mystery frees fallen man from responsibility. If it did, we could no longer hang for murder. It would be the bounden duty of every judge, in that case, to acquit every murderer with "Poor fellow, it was his fate; he could not help it!" and send him away with a pat on the shoulder, and an order for coffee and buns, perhaps, in his pocket. As none but sane persons, however, will read my book, it is not necessary to enlarge further on this head.

Certain it is that Kateegoose was "bad"--obdurately bad--had been so from his very cradle, if he ever had one, which is doubtful, and bade fair to continue so to his grave. Sutherland had b.u.t.ton-holed him more than once, but apparently in vain. It is only fair to the savage to say that he listened patiently to the Elder's remonstrances, and attentively to his exhortations, and a.s.sumed an aspect of mild contrition that might or might not have been sincere--as far as appearance went.

Now, it unfortunately happened that among the Sioux braves there was a man who had done Kateegoose a deadly injury of some sort, which nothing short of blood could wipe out. Kateegoose, in familiar parlance, spotted him at once, and dogged his steps through the Settlement, watching his opportunity for revenge. In savage life this d.o.g.g.i.ng process would not have been possible, but in a comparatively crowded settlement, and in the midst of all the surprising novelties that surrounded the Palefaces, it was all too easy; for Kateegoose took care to keep as much as possible in the background, and well under cover of houses, cottages, carts, stacks, and wigwams; besides which he had painted his face in such a manner, and so modified his costume, that his own acquaintances among the settlers--he had no friends--failed to recognise him. They, in their comparative ignorance of savage life, set him down as one of the visitors, while the visitors, if they noticed him at all, esteemed him one of the cross-breeds of the Settlement.

The only man who saw through the disguise of Kateegoose was Okematan, who could not understand why he had adopted it, and who resolved to keep a sharp eye on him.

The enemy of Kateegoose was one of the younger Sioux chiefs. He led the party which visited Prairie Cottage.

The garden of the Cottage, at its lower end towards the river, approached close to the confines of a thick coppice. It formed the extremity of a belt of woodland which at that time bordered the river.

There a small summer-house had been erected by Dan and Peter Davidson for the benefit of their mother and their sister Jessie.

Kateegoose, while d.o.g.g.i.ng his foe, recognised this as a spot very suitable for his fell purpose, as the contiguous wood afforded a ready means of escape after the deed should be done.

While old McKay was conducting the Sioux slowly through the garden, Kateegoose glided swiftly through the thicket to the spot where the summer-house stood, and took up a position behind it, so that the party in making the round of the garden would necessarily pa.s.s close to him.

From the window of Dan's room, Little Bill observed part of these mysterious movements and suspected mischief. Without uttering a word he left the room, opened the front door, and gave a low whistle, which had been set up as a private signal between him and Okematan. In a few seconds the Cree chief was by his side.

"Oke, there's mischief intended. You'll have to be quick," he said, quickly explaining what he had seen.

"Rejoin the party at once," he added, "and look out--sharp."

The chief nodded and walked away. So swift, yet so quiet, had been his movements that none of the whites of the party had observed his departure from them. The Sioux, however, had noticed it, and their suspicions were aroused, especially when they saw him rejoin the party, and observed that he walked rather closer to them than before. But they were proud warriors and refused by word, look, or movement, to indicate their suspicions. They carried bows in their hands, arrows in their quivers, tomahawks and scalping-knives in their belts, but they scorned to make any visible demonstration of being on guard in the midst of Paleface friends, though they gave intense and undivided attention to the movements of Okematan.

This concentration of attention on the wrong man was, of course, rather favourable to the designs of Kateegoose, so that, when the party pa.s.sed the summer-house, he was enabled to spring upon his enemy, un.o.bserved for the first moment, with knife upraised. But the stab from which the Sioux chief could not have escaped was rendered harmless by the prompt action of Okematan, who threw up his left arm, turned the blow aside, and received a slight wound in doing so.

There was no time to repeat the blow. With a yell of mingled defiance and disappointment the would-be a.s.sa.s.sin leaped the garden fence, bounded into the thicket, and disappeared. A flight of Sioux arrows entered the bush almost the moment after. The young chief and his friends also leaped the fence, and followed in pursuit.

The Sioux were swift and agile undoubtedly, but so was Kateegoose, and he had the advantage of knowing the ground, while the trail--by which, in ordinary circ.u.mstances, the Red-man can track his enemy through the forest--was not available there in consequence of its being so mingled up with the crossing and re-crossing of the innumerable tracks of settlers. The result was that Kateegoose made his escape.

The Colonists were very indignant at the perpetration of this cowardly act, for it compromised their character for hospitality; and, if they could have laid hands on the savage at the time, it is not impossible that Lynch-law might have been applied to him. The Governor also was greatly annoyed, and in the afternoon of the following day made the visitors a number of presents, besides providing for them a feast; but all his good intentions were spoiled by Kateegoose, who had the audacity to come forward and deliberately shoot his foe while the Sioux were at meat. The ball pa.s.sed quite through the Sioux chief's body, and wounded the man who was next to him. After this dastardly act the villain fled, and again got safe away.

The enraged Sioux, seizing their weapons, would have wreaked their vengeance on the Saulteaux, if they could have discovered any; but these wily savages had cleared away at the first note of alarm, and not one was to be found. To have attacked the whites with so small a party would have been useless as well as unjust. They therefore left the colony in fierce anger.

It chanced that La Certe had pitched his tent the day before on a stream not far-distant from the colony. The Sioux had to pa.s.s that way, and, espying the wigwam, turned aside to wreak their vengeance on whomsoever it might contain. Fortunately the owner of the mansion and his wife had gone out fishing in a canoe, and taken the child with them. All that the Sioux could do, therefore, was to appropriate the poor man's goods and chattels; but as the half-breed had taken his gun, ammunition, and fishing-tackle with him, there was not much left to appropriate. Having despoiled the mansion, they set fire to it and went their way.

Returning in the evening, La Certe found his house a heap of ashes, and himself reduced to a state of dest.i.tution. This being his normal state, however, he was not profoundly affected. Neither was his wife; still less was his child.

He said no word, but carried the contents of the canoe on sh.o.r.e. His wife, equally reticent, helped him. His child, lighting its father's pipe, sat down to smoke and look on.

They turned the canoe bottom up to serve as a partial shelter; they kindled a huge fire before it; they set up three large fat ducks to roast in front of it, and were soon busy with a simple but satisfying supper. After washing this down with an unstimulating draught of pure water, they put the baby to bed under the bow of the canoe, filled their pipes, and sat down before the ruddy blaze to mingle their hopes, joys, prospects, and sorrows in a halo of smoke--the very personification of primitive contentment and felicity.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

VERY PERPLEXING INTERVIEWS WITH LITTLE BILL.

Things in the colony had at this time come to what may be styled a complicated pa.s.s, for distress and starvation were rampant on the one hand, while on the other hand the weather was superb, giving prospect at last of a successful harvest.

The spring buffalo-hunt had been but partially successful, so that a number of the buffalo runners had to make arrangements to support themselves by fishing during the autumn in lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba.