CHAPTER IXIN CAMP
“Just look at them!” exclaimed Joseph. “There must be a thousand of them.”
“Sixteen hundred you said, didn’t you, Walt?” inquired Robert turning to their friend as he spoke.
“Not mounted, I think,” replied the trapper. “I guess the rest are coming up the river in boats and won’t be here for some time.”
“Well, with this crowd we ought to be able to subdue Black Hawk all right,” exclaimed Joseph eagerly. “Do you suppose we’ll have to wait for the rest of the troops?”
“I hope not,” said Walt. “Here it is the twelfth of May already and we should have had the whole thing over with by this time, in my opinion.”
As the three volunteers stood talking thehorsemen rode into camp. General Whiteside was in command and it was soon learned that, as Walt had said, the remainder of the force was coming up the river under the lead of General Atkinson. General Whiteside had previously been in command of frontier rangers and had earned the reputation of being a splendid Indian fighter.
“Any regulars with you?” inquired Walt of one of the men who had just arrived.
“No,” replied the men, “we’re all volunteers. General Atkinson is following with them. He has about four hundred regular infantry and some three hundred volunteer footmen. He is coming up the river by boat with cannon, provision and most of the baggage.”
“When did they start?” asked Robert.
“Three days ago; the same time we did.”
“From Fort Armstrong?” Robert inquired.
“Yes,” said the soldier. “The people on the river are having a bad time of it, too, I’m afraid. The water is very high and it will be hard work to make their way against the current. There are so many rapids, too.”
“Did you find the traveling bad?” Walt asked.
“Yes, quite bad. We came slowly, too, andmade a stop at the Prophet’s town as well. It was absolutely deserted.”
“Who is the Prophet?” questioned Robert.
“His name is Wabokieshiek,” explained Walt. “He is the man who has been urging Black Hawk on all this time. You know all Indians are superstitious and these medicine men and prophets exert great influence.”
“The Prophet has been encouraging Black Hawk to make war you mean?” inquired Joseph.
“Yes,” Walt answered, “that’s just what he has been doing. As I understand it he has promised Black Hawk large reinforcements from the Winnebagos, Pottowattomies and Kickapoos and that when he has all their help he will surely beat the whites.”
“The Prophet probably lied,” Robert exclaimed.
“Of course he did,” agreed Walt. “I don’t think that those other tribes will help the Sacs one bit. Certainly they won’t if they learn how many men we have here.”
“I know one Pottowattomie who won’t join him anyway,” said Robert.
“Who is that?”
“Deerfoot.”
“By the way, where is he?” exclaimed Joseph suddenly. “I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
“Perhaps he has already joined Black Hawk,” said Walt, and he laughed in an insinuating manner as he spoke.
“Don’t you say that!” cried Joseph hotly. “Deerfoot is the best friend that Bob and I have left on earth and I don’t want him slandered.”
“No, sir!” chimed in Robert. “If ever there was a man more faithful than Deerfoot, I’ve never seen him or heard of him. You may take our word for it that he can always be counted on.”
“He certainly has two loyal supporters all right,” laughed Walt. “If you boys are so sure he’s all right, I guess I’ll have to believe you.”
“You’d better,” exclaimed Joseph. “Now let’s go look for him,” he added.
Their soldier friend had disappeared. His horse needed care and he had gone to report at headquarters and receive his orders. General Whiteside’s division had but a scanty store of supplies and were forced to depend upon those which had been collected at Dixon’s Ferry.Fortunately they were believed to be fully adequate.
“There is a lot of feeling among our men about joining General Whiteside, you know,” said Walt as the three volunteers walked along.
“You mean among those who were here before he arrived?” Joseph asked.
“Yes, I don’t care much about it either. We want to fight in our own way, and, personally, I don’t see why we should be tied down to the regular levies. I had hoped we’d go on without them.”
“We could act as scouts or rangers,” Robert suggested.
“That’s just my idea,” Walt exclaimed. “We could push on ahead and see what is going on and act independently of the others. There are three hundred and more of us and that seems to me to be enough.”
“We’ll hear something soon anyway, I guess,” said Joseph.
“I think so,” agreed Walt. “I must leave you for a while now,” he added. “I’ll drop around to your tent a little later.”
The two brothers continued on their way. It was an interesting and exciting experiencefor them to see and feel the bustle and hustle of a military camp and to know that they were part of it. Horses were tethered under all the trees, tents sprang up on all sides as if by magic, while everywhere men were busy with the thousand and one duties of camp life.
Soon the boys came to their own tent and entered. Deerfoot, however, was not there and this fact caused the brothers no little worry.
“Where do you suppose he is?” said Joseph anxiously.
“I wish I knew,” replied Robert. “I don’t see how anything could happen to him right here in camp though.”
“Unless there are a lot more people like Walt who think all Indians are bad. Most of these men do think that, too, I’m afraid. Perhaps if they saw Deerfoot roving around here they might lock him up or something. Someone is almost sure to insult him.”
“That’s true,” said Robert. “Suppose we go out and look for him. He may be in trouble and need help.”
They stepped outside the tent, and immediately their gaze fell upon a sight that not only allayed their fears but made them almost dancewith delight. Deerfoot was approaching the tent, astride the back of one horse, while he was leading two others by their bridles. He rode beautifully and seemed almost a part of his mount as he cantered up to the place where the two brothers were standing.
“Where did you get the horses?” cried Joseph as Deerfoot pulled up his mount and came to a stop in front of the tent.
“Major Stillman,” said the Indian.
“He gave them to you?” exclaimed Robert.
“One for each,” replied Deerfoot.
“Say,” cried Robert excitedly, “that is what I call pretty fine! Where are the saddles though, Deerfoot?”
“No more saddles,” he answered. “Me lucky to get horses.”
“I should say so,” said Joseph. “What do you want of a saddle anyway? You might think you didn’t know how to ride a horse the way you talk. We have bridles and a blanket. Isn’t that enough?”
“It is for me. I was just asking on your account,” and Robert winked at Deerfoot as he spoke. Horsemanship was a part of the education the boys had acquired from their Indianteacher and was a lesson they had learned as well as they had the others he had taught them. That was saying a great deal, too, for Deerfoot was a master who insisted that his pupils should always learn their lessons well.
“As though I couldn’t beat you riding any time!” retorted Joseph hotly. “I leave it to Deerfoot to decide which is the better rider.”
The question was not settled, however, for at this moment Walt come riding up to the place where they were standing in front of their tent.
“Those your horses?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Joseph. “Deerfoot got them for us from Major Stillman.”
“Good for him,” exclaimed Walt heartily. “I tried to get some from him myself, but he said he had no more horses. Deerfoot must have influence with the major.”
“Me get last t’ree horses,” announced Deerfoot.
“That’s fine!” said Walt heartily. “You’ll all need horses and need them soon, too.”
“What do you mean by soon?” Robert asked curiously.
“Tomorrow morning.”
“What!” exclaimed the two young soldiers in one breath.
“We start after Black Hawk the first thing tomorrow,” said Walt, smiling at the effect of his announcement.
Deerfoot made no sign and the expression of his face remained the same, but into his eyes crept a light that showed he, too, was glad to be on the trail of Black Hawk. Unconsciously his hand fingered the knife in his belt.
“Tell us about it,” urged Joseph. “Who is going and how does it happen that we start before General Atkinson arrives?”
“Only the ones who were here before General Whiteside arrived are to go,” Walt explained. “That means us, of course. Major Stillman is to be in command and we are to act as a scouting party.”
“Someone must have overheard what we said this afternoon,” laughed Joseph.
“Seems so, doesn’t it?” Walt agreed. “Anyhow we’re going and I must say nothing has pleased me so much in a long while. We’re off at last and we won’t have all those others bother us and interfere with our plans. I feel just as if I was starting on a big lark.”
“Tomorrow’s the thirteenth, isn’t it?” inquired Robert solemnly.
“So it is,” laughed Walt. “Don’t worry about that though. I’m not superstitious and you needn’t be, either. No harm will come to us on this trip and the only results of it will be a lot of fun for us and a few less braves for Black Hawk.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Robert. “I’ve always had a queer feeling about the thirteenth though. I wish we weren’t going until the day after tomorrow or were going to start tonight.”
“That’s what would just suit me,” exclaimed Walt. “I’d like to start tonight, all right. We won’t find Black Hawk tomorrow probably so there will be no fighting on the thirteenth anyway, and that will kill all the bad luck you’re afraid of.”
“No, it won’t,” protested Robert. “The point is that we start on the thirteenth. That is what counts.”
“Well, I wouldn’t let it worry me,” laughed Walt. “I must be off now,” he added. “I’ll see you at daylight tomorrow.”
He slapped his horse on its flank and galloped away. Robert and Joseph drew lots as towhich should have first choice of horses. Joseph won and made his selection, if such a thing was possible. The horses were both splendid animals and apparently there was little to choose between them. At any rate, both boys were very well satisfied with their mounts.
Darkness was now coming on and dinner time drew near. While the meal was being prepared the boys watered and fed their new mounts. Then they rubbed them down and tethered them for the night. This done, they quickly turned their attention to the food which Deerfoot had prepared.
“It will seem good to be the one doing the chasing for a while, won’t it?” remarked Joseph when their meal was over. “I was getting sort of tired of running away all the time and I’ll be glad to see someone else run for a change.”
“Yes, indeed,” agreed Robert heartily. “And when we get astride those horses whoever gets away from us will have to be pretty fast.”
“The Indians will be mounted too, won’t they, Deerfoot?” inquired Joseph of their comrade.
“All ride,” grunted Deerfoot. “Good horses, too.”
“That’s all right,” said Robert confidently. “They won’t be as good as ours and we’ll catch them all right.”
For some time they sat and discussed what was to happen on the morrow, and then they prepared to turn in. A short time later they were sound asleep, and, strange to say, both boys dreamed of desperate encounters with Black Hawk and his band. None of the struggles ever came to a definite end, however, and if such things were really to happen the next few days would have to disclose the result of these combats.