Part 19 (1/2)
He was dressed in a blue blanket coat trimmed with red, a cloth cap of the same colour, with a broad peak, and ornamented moccasins. An axe and long knife were stuck in his belt; he had a serviceable-looking rifle in his hand, and behind his shoulders was strapped a pack, containing his buffalo robe and blanket, some provisions apparently; and several other requisite articles. He put out his hand in a frank manner as he walked up to Mr Tidey.
”You have done me a service, friend; for that animal showed more fight than I expected, and might have injured me severely had not your shot taken effect, though it narrowly missed my head, I suspect.”
”Very glad to have been of use to you, but here's the person you should thank,” said the Dominie, pointing to me.
”I confess that it would have been more prudent not to have fired, for fear of hitting you,” I answered as he shook me by the hand.
”Though it was a risk, I am equally thankful. The shot was well aimed, and you have the right to the venison, my young friend,” he said, looking at me.
We told him that we had no wish to deprive him of it, but he insisted that the deer should be ours. We settled the point, however, by making him take a haunch, which was all he would accept.
We now sent off Dio to bring up the horses, that we might load them with the meat: we in the meantime set to work to flay and cut up the animals, a.s.sisted by the stranger.
”You will come to our camp and pa.s.s the night with us,” said the Dominie as we were thus engaged.
To our surprise the stranger declined our invitation.
”I should prove but a poor companion, for I have been too long accustomed to live by myself to have any desire to join the society of my fellows,” he answered, turning aside; ”if I find that you are exposed to danger from the redskins, I will give you warning, and may be of a.s.sistance in enabling you to escape from them.”
We in vain pressed him to alter his decision. He waited until the horses arrived, and having a.s.sisted us in packing the meat, took his own share, put up in a piece of skin, and after bidding us farewell went off in an opposite direction to our camp. We had forgotten to mention the mark of the moccasin we had seen in the morning, but we had little doubt that the stranger had gone over the ground, and our apprehensions of Indians being in the neighbourhood were dispelled. We, however, kept as usual a strict watch at night. As our camp was placed in the recesses of the wood, we knew that our fire could not be perceived at any distance beyond it.
As we sat round the cheerful blaze of the fire, we naturally talked of the stranger, wondering who he could be. His dress was that of a Canadian trapper, but he spoke without any French accent, and the Dominie remarked that he recognised a touch of the Irish brogue on his tongue.
”It is odd that he should prefer camping out by himself, to joining us, when he might sleep in much greater security than he can all alone,” I observed.
”Tastes differ, and although it is not complimentary to us, he may prefer his own society to ours,” answered the Dominie, laughing.
”Perhaps he is on bad terms with the garrison of the fort, and consequently does not wish to a.s.sociate with us, because we have been staying there,” remarked Dan.
”It may be that he has shot one of them, or sided with the Indians, or has committed some offence against the Government,” said Martin.
”We might talk all night, and yet come to no satisfactory conclusion,”
replied the Dominie, ”and now, it's time to turn in, to be ready for our work to-morrow morning.”
We accordingly lay down wrapped in our blankets round the fire, Martin taking the first watch.
CHAPTER TEN.
A TIMELY WARNING--THE PURSUIT--INDIAN HORs.e.m.e.n--THE CAVALRY ENGAGEMENT-- A SHARP SKIRMISH--DIO SAVES MY FATHER'S LIFE--PREPARATIONS FOR CONTINUING OUR JOURNEY--I ENCOUNTER THE SOLITARY HUNTER--USEFUL INFORMATION--REJOIN THE TRAIN--FIRST SIGHT OF THE MOUNTAINS--THE ”GROSSE CORNE”--LOOKING OUT FOR A Pa.s.s--MOUTH OF THE CANON DISCOVERED--A GLOOMY Pa.s.sAGE--OVERTAKEN BY DARKNESS IN THE GORGE--FIRST GLIMPSE OF ”SMILING VALLEY”--SELECTION OF THE SITE OF OUR FUTURE HOME--BRINGING THE WAGGONS OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
The stars were s.h.i.+ning brightly in the sky, the fire casting a glare on the trunks and branches of the surrounding trees beyond which was darkest gloom, when having been aroused by the Dominie, I took the morning watch.
No sound broke the stillness which reigned through the forest at that period of the night. Feeling still drowsy, and afraid of dropping off to sleep again should I sit down, I continued pacing backwards and forwards, now approaching one side of the glade, now the other, occasionally giving the fire a poke, or throwing on a few sticks.
Though I had no fear of Indians, a bear or panther, or a pack of hungry wolves, might pay us a visit, attracted by the smell of the venison which was packed and ready for transport. As the trees shut out the view to the eastward, I could only judge when day was approaching by observing the stars beginning to grow dim. I had gone farther than usual from the camp-fire, towards the west, when, as I stopped for a moment, I thought I heard a sound among the underwood in that direction, as of branches pushed aside and feet pressed on dry leaves.
Expecting to see some animal break through, I brought my gun ready to shoot, when much to my surprise a man stepped forth from out of the darkness.
Supposing him to be an Indian and that he might be followed by a number of others with scalping-knives in their hands, I slowly retreated, holding my gun ready for action.