rock, as they gazed at the sickening sight, as if petrified.
Scarce fifty of that noble herd of buffaloes escaped the
awful leap, but they escaped only to fall before the
arrows of their ruthless pursuers. Dick had often
heard of this tendency of the Indians, where buffaloes
were very numerous, to drive them over precipices in
mere wanton sport and cruelty, but he had never seen
it until now, and the sight filled his soul with horror.
It was not until the din and tumult of the perishing
herd and the shrill yells of the Indians had almost died
away that he turned to quit the spot. But the instant
he did so another shout was raised. The savages had
observed him, and were seen galloping along the cliffs
towards the head of the gorge, with the obvious intention
of gaining the other side and capturing him. Dick
sprang on Charlie's back, and the next instant was flying
down the valley towards the camp.
He did not, however, fear being overtaken, for the
gorge could not be crossed, and the way round the head
of it was long and rugged; but he was anxious to alarm
the camp as quickly as possible, so that they might
have time to call in the more distant trappers and make
preparations for defence.
"Where away now, youngster?" inquired Cameron,
emerging from his tent as Dick, taking the brook that
flowed in front at a flying leap, came crashing through
the bushes into the midst of the fur-packs at full speed.
"Injuns!" ejaculated Dick, reining up, and vaulting
out of the saddle. "Hundreds of 'em. Fiends incarnate
every one!"
"Are they near?"
"Yes; an hour'll bring them down on us. Are Joe
and Henri far from camp to-day?"
"At Ten-mile Creek," replied Cameron with an expression
of bitterness, as he caught up his gun and
shouted to several men, who hurried up on seeing our
hero burst into camp.
"Ten-mile Creek!" muttered Dick. "I'll bring 'em
in, though," he continued, glancing at several of the
camp horses that grazed close at hand.
In another moment he was on Charlie's back, the
line of one of the best horses was in his hand, and almost
before Cameron knew what he was about he was
flying down the valley like the wind. Charlie often
stretched out at full speed to please his young master,
but seldom had he been urged forward as he was upon
this occasion. The led horse being light and wild, kept
well up, and in a marvellously short space of time they
were at Ten-mile Creek.
"Hallo, Dick, wot's to do?" inquired Joe Blunt, who
was up to his knees in the water setting a trap at the
moment 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 returned
with Henri galloping beside him.
No word was spoken. In time of action these men
did not waste words. During Dick's momentary
absence, Joe Blunt had caught up his rifle and examined
the priming, so that when Dick pulled up beside
him he merely laid his hand on the saddle, saying, "All
right!" as he vaulted on Charlie's back behind his
young companion. In another moment they were away
at full speed. The mustang seemed to feel that unwonted
exertions were required of him. Double
weighted though he was, he kept well up with the other
horse, and in less than two hours after Dick's leaving
the camp the three hunters came in sight of it.
Meanwhile Cameron had collected nearly all his
forces and put his camp in a state of defence before the
Indians 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 friendly
intercourse with the trappers, but assembled in a semicircle
round the camp in a menacing attitude, while one
of their chiefs stepped forward to hold a palaver. For
some time the conversation on both sides was polite
enough, but by degrees the Indian chief assumed an
imperious tone, and demanded gifts from the trappers,
taking care to enforce his request by hinting that thousands
of his countrymen were not far distant. Cameron
stoutly refused, and the palaver threatened to come to
an abrupt and unpleasant termination just at the time
that Dick and his friends appeared on the scene of
action.
The brook was cleared at a bound; the three hunters
leaped from their steeds and sprang to the front with
a degree of energy that had a visible effect on the
savages; and Cameron, seizing the moment, proposed
that the two parties should smoke a pipe and hold a
council. The Indians agreed, and in a few minutes
they were engaged in animated and friendly intercourse.
The speeches were long, and the compliments paid on
either side were inflated, and, we fear, undeserved; but
the result of the interview was, that Cameron made the
Indians a present of tobacco and a few trinkets, and
sent them back to their friends to tell them that he
was willing to trade with them.
Next day the whole tribe arrived in the valley, and
pitched their deerskin tents on the plain opposite to
the camp of the white men. Their numbers far exceeded
Cameron's expectation, and it was with some
anxiety that he proceeded to strengthen his fortifications
as much as circumstances and the nature of the
ground would admit.
The Indian camp, which numbered upwards of a
thousand souls, was arranged with great regularity, and
was divided into three distinct sections, each section
being composed of a separate tribe. The Great Snake
nation 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 powerful
Indians on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. The
Shirry-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-kas
lived chiefly by fishing, and were found on the banks
of the rivers and lakes throughout the country. They
were more corpulent, slovenly, and indolent than the
Shirry-dikas, and more peaceful. The Banattees, as
we have before mentioned, were the robbers of the
mountains. They were a wild and contemptible race,
and at enmity with every one. In summer they went
about nearly naked. In winter they clothed themselves
in the skins of rabbits and wolves. Being excellent
mimics, they could imitate the howling of
wolves, the neighing of horses, and the cries of birds, by
which 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 of
the camp of the fur-traders, and Cameron soon found
that the news of his presence in the country had spread
far and wide among the natives, bringing them to the
neighbourhood of his camp in immense crowds, so that
during the next few days their numbers increased to
thousands.
Several long palavers quickly ensued between the
red men and the white, and the two great chiefs who
seemed to hold despotic rule over the assembled tribes
were extremely favourable to the idea of universal peace
which was propounded to them. In several set speeches
of great length and very considerable power, these
natural orators explained their willingness to enter into
amicable relations with all the surrounding nations, as
well as with the white men.
"But," said Pee-eye-em, the chief of the Shirry-dikas,
a man above six feet high, and of immense muscular
strength--"but my tribe cannot answer for the Banattees,
who are robbers, and cannot be punished, because they dwell in
scattered
families among the mountains. The Banattees are bad; they cannot be
trusted."
None of the Banattees were present at the council
when this was said; and if they had been it would have
mattered little, for they were neither fierce nor courageous,
although bold enough in their own haunts to
murder and rob the unwary.
The second chief did not quite agree with Pee-eye-em.
He said that it was impossible for them to make
peace with their natural enemies, the Peigans and the
Blackfeet on the east side of the mountains. It was
very desirable, he admitted; but neither of these tribes
would consent to it, he felt sure.
Upon this Joe Blunt rose and said, "The great chief
of the War-are-ree-kas is wise, and knows that enemies
cannot be reconciled unless deputies are sent to make
proposals of peace."
"The Pale-face does not know the Blackfeet," answered
the chief. "Who will go into the lands of the
Blackfeet? My young men have been sent once and
again, and their scalps are now fringes to the leggings
of their enemies. The War-are-ree-kas do not cross the
mountains but for the purpose of making war."
"The chief speaks truth," returned Joe; "yet there
are three men round the council fire who will go to the
Blackfeet and the Peigans with messages of peace from
the Snakes if they wish it."
Joe pointed to himself, Henri, and Dick as he spoke, and added, "We
three
do not belong to the camp of the fur-traders; we only, lodge with them
for
a time. The Great Chief of the white men has sent us to make peace
with the
Red-men, and to tell them that he desires to trade with them--to
exchange
hatchets, and guns, and blankets for furs."
This declaration interested the two chiefs greatly, and
after a good deal of discussion they agreed to take advantage
of Joe Blunt's offer; and appoint him as a
deputy to the court of their enemies. Having arranged
these matters to their satisfaction, Cameron bestowed a
red flag and a blue surtout with brass buttons on each
of the chiefs, and a variety of smaller articles on the
other members of the council, and sent them away in a
particularly amiable frame of mind.
Pee-eye-em burst the blue surtout at the shoulders
and elbows in putting it on, as it was much too small
for his gigantic frame; but never having seen such an
article of apparel before, he either regarded this as the
natural and proper consequence of putting it on, or was
totally indifferent to it, for he merely looked at the
rents with a smile of satisfaction, while his squaw surreptitiously
cut off the two back buttons and thrust
them into her bosom.
By the time the council closed the night was far advanced,
and a bright moon was shedding a flood of soft
light over the picturesque and busy scene.
"I'll go to the Injun camp," said Joe to Walter Cameron,
as the chiefs rose to depart. "The season's far
enough advanced already; it's time to be off; and if
I'm to speak for the Redskins in the Blackfeet Council,
I'd need to know what to say."
"Please yourself, Master Blunt," answered Cameron.
"I like your company and that of your friends, and if it suited you I
would
be glad to take you along with us to the coast of the Pacific; but
your
mission among the
Indians is a good one, and I'll help it on all I can.--I suppose you
will
go also?" he added, turning to Dick Varley, who was still seated
beside the
council fire caressing Crusoe.
"Wherever Joe goes, I go," answered Dick.
Crusoe's tail, ears, and eyes demonstrated high approval
of the sentiment involved in this speech.
"And your friend Henri?"
"He goes too," answered Joe. "It's as well that the
Redskins should see the three o' us before we start for
the east side o' the mountains.--Ho, Henri! come here,
lad."
Henri obeyed, and in a few seconds the three friends
crossed the brook to the Indian camp, and were guided
to the principal lodge by Pee-eye-em. Here a great
council was held, and the proposed attempt at negotiations
for peace with their ancient enemies fully discussed.
While they were thus engaged, and just as
Pee-eye-em had, in the energy of an enthusiastic peroration,
burst the blue surtout
almost
up to the collar, a
distant rushing sound was heard, which caused every
man to spring to his feet, run out of the tent, and seize
his weapons.