NATHAN TODD;
THE FATE OF THE SIOUX’ CAPTIVE.
ARAAARAR KARA RRA SRR RAR CANAAN ARRORR ARN
BY EDWARD §. ELLIS,
AUTHOR OF “‘ SETI JONES,” ‘FRONTIER ANGEL,’’ ‘' BILL BIDDON,”? —
~ PPR ADAP APRIL
BEADLE AND COMPANY,
LONDON: 44, PATERNOSTER ROW;
NEW YORK: 141, WILLIAM STREET.
NATHAN TODD:
A SEQUEL TO “BILL BIDDON.”
CHAPTER I.
IN WHICH THERE IS A CROSS AND A CROWN.
“ Wett, here I am, at last, alone in the woods! and it’s a
wonderful adventure I’ve started upon, too! J, Nathan Todd,
of Lubec, have come to the determination to make a search
for Irene Merment, who like enough died ten years ago! No
one believes she is living besides me; and what am I going
to hunt her up for? As true as I live, I believe I Jove her;
and if she is ever found I’ll offer myself to her. .
“T flatter myself I have an extended reputation in these
parts, and my acquaintance is very considerable ; and, although
it's myself who says it, my moral character stands as high as
any of the people hereabouts.. I hope my motives are good
in remaining here.. Relmond has found himself a wife, and I
don’t see why I can’t. T’ll do it, by gracious! and won’t that
Sarah Almina feel bad when she finds it out? I know she
wanted to get me off here, so she could marry that Bill
Hankins. I reckon the shoe will be on t?other foot when she
sees me flourishing around Lubec with a wife and a dozen
young geniuses, taking them out airing in a big carriage with
lamps on, dressing them up in store clothes, ete. ete, I'll do
it, sure as the world !” #
Thus commented Nat Todd, as the last sound of the
steamer, which bore away William Relmond and Imogene
Merment, reached his ears. He stood in the midst of that vast
forest which stretehes away to the west of the Missouri river,
The words recorded will give an idea of the cause that led him
.
6 NATHAN TODD.
to this course. “During his stay among the Indians of the
Northwest, he had often conversed with Imogene Merment,
the captive, in regard to her lost sister. Although she believed
that the latter was lost forever, yet the probability of her yet
living was such as to strengthen Nat in the determination
to make a search for her on his own responsibility. The only
clue to guide him was the suspicion of Imogene that the cap-
tors of her sister had proceeded westward to Oregon. From
the fact that she had never seen any Indians similar in dress
since that time, and from the recollection she entertained of
them, she gathered this impression.
“Let me see,” mused Nat, as he walked slowly along.
“Here I am on the banks of the Yellowstone, and Oregon is
quite a little distance away. I might have taken that steamer,
I spose, for some considerable ways, but I don’t s’pose it con-
nects with any railroad further up, so I wouldn’t have gained
so much after all. And it ain’t certain that Irene is in Oregon
yet, and I wish to make inquiries of the neighbors along the way.
I think I might pass for a redskin very well.. That looks fine,
and no doubt would impress Irene with awe, if she should see
it,” continued Nat, taking off his plumes and surveying them;
“but they don’t fit my head so well, after all, as the old gray
hat I bought up in Lubec, one Fourth of July, and I’m afraid I
can never get along with these things. However, they must
answer till I get better ones; and it’s time I was moving.”
So saying, our hero replaced his plumes and walked slowly
away in the forest, He had evidently decided upon the
execution of some darling plan, for his face expanded into a
broad smile, and his steps were lively and animated. The
direction which he took was such as to lead him to the “ Death
Rock,” from which he had started the morning before. The
day was one of the most beautiful of the year. The appear-
ance of the vast mountains and prairies of the Northwest in
summer far surpasses that of the more settled portions of our
country. The change from the intense cold and stillness of
winter to the animated glory of spring is wonderful. The
snow disappears as if by magic, the ice-bound rivers break up
with a crash like the shock of an earthquake, the naked trees
commence budding and blooming, and. in a few weeks me.
country is transformed into a teeming Paradise. The air is
&
“DEATH ROCK.” q
darkened by the flocks of birds circling overhead, the streams
are alive with the flashing trout and thousands of other fish,
and the vast droves of buffaloes may be seen sporting on the
plains or thundering forward in innumerable herds. Now and
then immense numbers of horses may be seen, careering gayly
over the prairie, as free and joyous as the wind. The forest
arches echo with the notes of birds and the scream of the wild
animal, while myriads of the beaver and otter are hard at
work in the different streams. All is changed as if by
enchantment.
Such an appearance did the forest present as Nat Todd
made his way through it. His sense of the beautiful was
limited, and the bewildering scene around he took as a matter
of course. It couldn’t well be otherwise, and so he judged it
best not to get excited over it. Once or twice he came in
view of an antelope that circled around him in the woods, as
if in sport. Finally, becoming too reckless, it fell a victim to
his rifle.
“You might ve knowed better than to cross Nat Todd’s
path, for he is a dangerous man, and it’s nothing short of
suicide to get before his rifle. Bill Biddon could have told
you that. I don’t feel very sorry, as I am amazingly hungry.”
As it was about noon, he halted and cut the choicest por-
tion from the antelope for his dinner, This was toasted over
a fire; he made a hearty meal from it, and in a short time he
was on his journey again.
Just as darkness was settling over the forest, he reached the _
“ Death Rock,” and crept into its dismal recesses. The night
was cold, and he started a fire, although it was as much to
cheer the gloomy place as to afford him any warmth. As the
blaze flamed up on the rocky floor, it lightened up many a
dark nook, and threw fantastic shadows into the forbidding
rents that yawned around. Here and there a ghastly skull or
bone gleamed in the firelight, and in some places the skeletons
had been almost undisturbed by the ravenous beasts. As Nat
lit his pipe and gazed around him, his thoughts brought more
than one shudder to him. It seemed he could see the doomed
Indians clustered together on that fatal day, when the last one
defended the entrance against the relentless besiegers. He
could fancy the sullen, despairing gleam as the solitary savage
8 NATHAN TODD.
gazed behind him and saw his dead companions, and himself
the last remnant of his tribe; the lofty, heroical countenance
as the warrior folded his own arms in death; the yells of
bafiled fury, as the besiegers poured into the cavern and found
not a victim left them}; and finally, the last scene of all, when
the wolves swarmed into the cavern and completed the terri-
ble work. The human bones, strewn for many feet from the
Rock, showed what a wild carnival the beasts of prey had
held over their unwonted feast.
But the night had not far advanced when this gloomy pic-
ture faded from our hero’s imagination. An hour’s comfort
from his soothing pipe made him drowsy and forgetful, and he
was falling off into slumber, when he was aroused by hearing
a deep growl near him. Starting up, he saw several eyeballs
glowing in the darkness at the entrance of the cave, and could
detect more than one pair of jaws gleaming and snapping
together. Without changing his position, he raised his rifle
and sent its contents among them. ‘There were several sharp
yelps, a confused scampering, and the next instant the passage
was still as death.
“ Positively, no admittance under any pretense whatever,”
said Nat, as he arose and passed to the mouth of the cave.
“Tye camped here before, and never like to be disturbed, so
T'll just close the door. Hello! hit you, did I?”
This exclamation was caused by stumbling over the dead
body of a wolf which had fallen in the entrance. It was of
the species termed the “mountain wolf”—the largest and
most dangerous kind found in the West. Nat rolled it out-
side, where it was seized in an instant by its unfeeling com-
panions, and in a half-hour nothing was left of the unfortunate
anima: except a few shiny bones, over which the others
wrangled for a much longer time. Nat, with a great deal of
labor, rolled a huge rock to the entrance, effectually barring it
against all except human intruders, and then returned to the
fire. Here, instead of wrapping himself up in his blanket and
lying down at once, he seated himself as if engaged in deep
thought. He remained a long time, gazing dreamily into the
embers before him, until, as was his habit, he commenced
talking to himself. :
“There's no use of thinking about it, for it’s so, just as
S ro
®
S r@
WHY NAT PRAYED. 9
plain as was them wolves’ eyes awhile ago. Bill Relmond
used to pray every night and morning, and he’s gone through
all safe, and got a wife in the bargain. That Imogene used
to pray, and appeared to be always thinking about heaven and
the angels—that I'll bet are jast like her—and she’s got a hus-
band. Bili Biddon used to sweat like blazes sometimes, but I
know I once heard him ask the Lord to take care of him.
Well, here’s me, Nat Todd, going on one of the greatest tramps
that was ever invented, and if anybody wants taking care of
it’s this same Nat Todd, and it ain’t noways likely the Lord
will take any notice of me unless I ask him to. So I'll do it.
Tll pray to him every morning and night.”
This good resolution arrived at, Nat did not hesitate to put
it into execution. Kneeling on the rock, he spent a time in
éarnest supplication, and when finished, laid down at once to
slumber.
Several times he partly woke, as the snarling wolves fought
and tugged at the rock which blocked up their way; but he
did not arise, as he felt secure. When the leht of morning
streamed into the cave, the brutes departed.
Not forgetting his morning devotion, he arose and made
ready to continue his journey. He had a portion of the ante-
lope sufficient to make a brearfast, and enough ammunition to
furnish him with all the food he would be likely to need for a
long time to come.
The weather still continued pleasant; and with buoyant
spirits he descended the mountain in a direction toward the
lake where he had first encountered Relmond, after his capture
by the Indians.
“T wonder whether I'll find it,’ he mused. “If I can get
that and a hoss, I'll be fitted ott, and won't care for any
thing else.”
He had seen a3 yet no signs of Indians, but proceeded with
extreme caution. During his stay among his tribe, he had
been allowed considerable freedom, as has been shown; but,
now that Imogene had effected her escape, he knew a closer
surveillance would be kept over him in case he should unwit-
tingly come upon some of his captors.
“T wish I had a hoss!” he exclaimed for the twentieth
time. “I'm getting tired of this everlasting tramping. My
gracious! what’s them ?”
10 NATHAN TODD.
As if in answer to his wish, he beheld, hardly a hundred
yards distant, two horses leisurely cropping the grass. A
second glance showed both to be furnished with Indian saddles
and bridles, though they were much scratched and disarranged
from their passage through the woods and undergrowth.
“T thank the Lord for that,” said Nat, earnestly; “it’s a
special providence that both are saddled, as I don’t like riding
bareback. When one get’s tired of carrying me, the other can
take a turn. Ah! they’re the two hosses that Relmond told
me got away from him and Imogene the other night. Yes!
there’s her pony, as sure as the world. I’ve often seen her
with him, I must get him /”
With this, he proceeded to capture the Indian pony, which,
in reality, was the one once owned by Imogene. This was
exceedingly difficult, as the animal had already scented danger,
and stuod ready to bound away in an instant. But Nat was
equal to the difficulty, and at last seized the bridle and vaulted
into the saddle.
“ Whoop !” he shouted, swinging his plumes over his head.
“Three cheers for Nat Todd! all ready! hurrah !”
He had secured a prize indeed. His horse was a coal-black
pony, fiery and high-spirited, with clean, graceful limbs, and
of good bottom. He was obedient, too, under rein, and dashed
away as merrily as if he enjoyed himself as much as his
master.
“There’s only one thing more that I need, and I must
have that.”
Away his horse careered, as swift as the wind—now thun-
dering up some swell in the prairie, now plunging headlong
through the bushes, and then dropping into a walk as his path
led through the denscr wood. Nat had. left the mountain
which contained the “ Death Rock,” and was journeying over
a well-timbered country, crossed by innumerable streams and
patches of prairie.
Late in the afternoon he reached the lake of which we have
spoken. Here he dismounted, and leading his horse a short
distance away, secured him, while he made a search for his
canoe. He found it just as it had been left. Springing into
it, he shot rapidly toward the opposite shore. It was a long
pull, and it required an hour to reach it. As the canoe grated
B-»
TWO OLD ACQUAINTANCES. ii
on the sand, he sprung out and hurried away a short distance,
when he halted beside an old rotten chestnut. His manner
was excited, and he breathed rapidly as he plunged his hand
into a rent inthe side. While feeling around in the darkness,
his eye suddenly sparkled with exultation, and he exclaimed:
“Tve got it! whoop! I’ve got it!”
And the next instant he hauled out into the light his—old
fur hat!
. CHAP TER: LI.
NA?T’S FIRS! ADVENTURE.
“Yus, I’ve got the blessed thing!” exclaimed our hero in
his joy. “ Nobody hasn’t disturbed it. There! that’s the last
of you!” he added, as he dashed his gaudy plumes to the
ground. Then, placing his own cool hat on his head, he con-
tinued, “ O-h-h-h! ain’t that nice !—Jerusalem !”
It was no wonder at all, that he uttered the last exclama-
tion, for, at the first turn in the walk he had commenced with
his recovered prize, his eyes encountered the chief of the very
tribe he had left! The savage was scarce a dozen feet distant,
and had been watching him all the time. Nat recovered his
equanimity in an instant.
“How are you, Upsarena? Glad to see you—(no, I'll be
hanged if I am.) Hope you're well—(no, I don’t, either.)”
“The Long Knife hunts a great while!” replied the chief,
without noticing his words.
“Well, yes, ’twas quite a spell. Hope you haven't been
anxious on my account.”
The chief gazed steadily at him a moment, and then said:
“The Long Knife will go to the lodges of Upsarena.”
“ Wait, hold on you; I’ve left my—my—I’ve left my pocket-
book on the other side of the lake, and must go get it.”
Before Upsarena could make a reply, Nat reflected that he
had told a falsehood, and thus violated the vow he had made
the evening before. He resolved at once he wouldn’t lie to
save his life. ;
eS
ate
NATHAN TODD.
“No, Upsarena, I haven’t left my pocket-book, but I have
tied my horse on the other side of the lake, and I would not
like to go to your lodge without him, because he’s a horse
that'll make your eyes tingle.”
“The Long Knife had no horse when he sought the woods.”
“But he found one there,”
The Indian gave our hero one of his piercing glances, and.
the latter saw at once that he was disbelieved.
“Upsarena will go in the search !” said the chieftain, quietly.
Now this was as much dreaded by Nat, and was the first
determination the chieftain had expressed, and how to rid him-
self of his troublesome visitor puzzled him greatly. But he
was equal to the emergency. Fortunately, he had been so
excited in his hunt for his cherished hat, that he had left his
rifle with his horse on the opposite side of the lake. Without
waiting as long as it has taken us to record it, he answered:
“Come on, then, Upsarena, for it will soon be dark.”
He led the way, followed by the wary chieftain, who
watched him as if he suspected mischief. Nat, shoving the
canoe into the water, stepped in and seated himself in the for-
ward part, although by doing so he used the long paddle
at a considerable disadvantage. Upsarena seated himself in
the stern with folded arms, and with his rifle resting on his
up-gathered knees,
The canoe sunk to its very gunwales under the combined
weight of the two, but Nat impelled it through the water with
wonderful velocity, His heart beat quicker, as he reflected
upon the expedient necessary to get rid of his troublesome com-
panion. Several times he thought of shooting him, as he sat
so grimly and complacently in the stern watching every move-
ment; but he was prevented by several reasons. The first was,
his soul revolted at the thought of such a murder, even though
it might add to his personal safety; the second reason was,
that if murderously inclined, he had no rifle with him; and
the last one was, that eyen if he possessed a weapon, he was
afraid to use it in the manner mentioned—all of which goes
to prove that Upsarena was in little danger of being shot at
present,
Now and then he glanced furtively over his shoulder, as he
neared the shore of the lake, while the grim chieftain remained
t
a
y
s A SWIMMING MATCH, 13
ag steru and immovable as a statue. Hitherto the canoe had
glided as smoothly as a bird; but suddenly, when within a
hundred yards of the shore, it careened, capsized, and before
the wily savage suspected mischief, he was in the water swim-
ming for life. Just as the boat turned, Nat sprung to his feet
aud made a tremendous leap toward shore, striking out with
all his might to reach it before his companion. His stratagem
succeeded to a charm. The water, about ten feet in depth,
was so Clear that the smallest object was distinctly visible on
the bottom. Before Upsarena could grasp his rifle it sunk.
Unwilling to lose it, he immediately dived for it. He saw it
glistening on the pebbly bottom, but failed to recover-it the
first time, owing to the shortness of breath with which he
descended. A second effort was more successful, and he rose
to the surface with the cherished weapon in his hand. . At
this instant our hero emerged from the water, and made some
“tall walking” for his horse. He found the animal as he had
left him, loosed his halter, vaulted: into the saddle and sped
away.
“ Good-by, Upsarena!” he shouted, “Remember me to the
folks up in your parts; and now and then remember Nat
Todd, and the nice swim you and he took together,”
But Nat’s exultation was premature; for, as the last word
escaped him, and he swung his hat over his head, several
rifles flamed from the forest behind him, and as many bullets
whizzed through the air in uncomfortable proximity to his
body.
“ Jerusalem ! who fired them ? That’s more than I bargained
for !” E
The truth was, the upsetting of the boat had been witnessed
by three savages of Upsarena’s tribe who had been hunting
with him. They supposed it to be purely accidental, and
xnowing there was no danger to either, stood and calmly
watched the struggles of the two in the water. When Nat
emerged from the water and hurried up the bank, however,
their suspicions were aroused and they dashed after him.
When they came in view again, the audacious white was gal-
loping away, shouting and swinging his hat in the manner
described. Their suspicions were confirmed at once, and the
three fired, without waiting for their chief. The latter was
14 NATHAN 'TODD,
with them in a moment, and, brandishing his rifle over his head
furiously commanded the capture of the white man. Forget-
ting himself, Upsarena raised his own rifle, took aim and
pulled the trigger. But the click of the lock reminded him
that for the present his weapon was harmless.
“ Fis scalp must hang in Upsarena’s lodge at the rising of
the sun!” shouted the enraged warrior, bounding forward in
pursuit.
Nat, if he did not hear these words, guessed as much, and
. judged it best not to dispute with the chieftain about the
matter.
“Come, my hoss, let’s see what kind of stuff you’re made of.”
The pony, as if sensible of what was required, burst for-
ward like a thunderbolt, leaving the pursuers rapidly behind.
The lake lay at the foot of a mountain, and was fringed by
dense masses of undergrowth, together with numbers of trees
of considerable size. As Nat freed himself from this cover, he
emerged upon a rolling prairie scores of miles in width, and
open, save that, at long intervals, it was interspersed with nar-
row groves of timber, which, in turn, bordered the streams
crossing it. ‘
Fortunately it was growing dark, and he felt that his
enemies could not trouble him much longer. Nevertheless,
he was not the man to remain in danger when the oppor-
tunity was afforded for escaping it. So he loosened the rein
and let his horse go. The last glimpse he cast behind him
showed him the dusky figures of the savages far in the rear on
a hill, standing together as if in consultation.
“T thought you'd come to your senses,” he remarked, “ and
not spend your breath in trying to catch what can’t be
caught.”
Feeling thus secure from danger, our hero drew his horse
down to a walk, and made his way leisurely forward. The
night was cold and windy. There was no moon; in a short
time the darkness became so heavy as to vail every thing in
almost impenetrable obscurity.
After journeying an hour more, he descended a sort of val-
ley, and found himself in the midst of a grove of cottonwoods.
The sound of running water showed him what sort of place
he had come upon, and he decided at once to camp for the
ON THE TRAIL. 15
night.* He led his horse a short distance up stream, and
picketed him in such a manner that the least effort made to
escape could not fail to arouse the hunter. This done,. he
peeled off a goodly quantity of the cottonwood bark, and
laying it in reach of him, made preparations for his own com-
fort. Under the circumstances, it was too hazardous to risk a
fire, and he was content to nestle down in his blanket at the
foot of a huge willow.
Sleep, heavy and sweet, gradually overcame the hunter, and
in a short time he was as unconscious of external things as if
he had never been born.
It was near midnight when he awoke. What it was that
aroused him he could never tell; but, he had grown to
believe there was a special Providence watching over him,
and attributed it to that alone. It sometimes happens that,
in the midst of heavy slumber, our senses are quietly but
instantaneously aroused, and it was thus with our adventurer.
Before he hardly knew it himself, his eyes opened as did every
sense. He lay perfectly motionless and listened. The wind
sighed mournfully through the tree-tops above him, and the
stream rippled as sweetly as ever. Still, he did not stir, for
he felt the danger that was lurking in the air around him.
The next instant he was startled by the snapping of a twig,
as though the foot of some one passing had broken it, and a
minute after he heard yoices! They spoke in the tongue of
the Sioux, and he thus knew they were his pursuers.
“The Long Knife has camped here,” spoke one, as if in
consultation with the others.
“Has he not passed through the stream and fled onward ?”
asked another.
“The trail leads to the trees and is lost. It is not on the
other side.”
A few moments’ silence followed the latter remark. Then
the savages recommenced their search. With feelings that
may well be imagined, Nat shrunk beneath the sheltering tree
and listened. Now the cautious tread came nigher and
nigher, until it seemed discovery was inevitable. Then again
the sounds grew fainter and fainter, until he began to breathe
* Whenever persons rest for the night they are said to ‘‘ camp ;’’ and, as
the term is used in the West, it is as applicable to a single person as to
more,
NATHAN TODD.
freer, when a shiver would run over him as he heard the deep
breathing of one of his enemies within striking distance. How
his horse escaped discovery he was at a loss to tell; but in
such cases it often seems the instinct that protects the animal
, i8 equal to the reason that saves the man. It appears incred-
jble that such brutes as horses and cows can conceal them-
selves so as to baffle discovery even under the light of day.
But that such is the fact is well known.
The horse, apparently sensible of his duty, remained in a
standing position as motionless as the tree beside him; and
thus was no more likely to attract attention in the deep gloom
than an inanimate object. Thus it was the cautious Indian
fairly brushed him several times without so much as suspect-
ing his existence. Another thing puzzled Nat greatly. How
was it possible for them to detect his trail in the darkness?
Sight surely could avail nothing in such an emergency.
“The all-fired imps have come on their hands and knees all
the way smelling of the trail,” he muttered to himself.
The true cause was soon evident, however. Even while
speaking, he saw a small point of light glide silently forward
and disappear on the opposite side of the stream. In a sec-
ond, it flitted to view again, and then was as quickly extin-
guished. Almost immediately, a noise, as if some one were
stepping in the water, was heard, and then followed a silence
of five minutes’ duration. While wondering with a fear
which was not free from superstition, Nat suddenly ducked
his head, as a torch blazed to view within thirty feet of him.
Lookmg carefully out, he saw the torch moving to and fro,
and lighting up the gleaming, painted visage of Upsarena.
The savage was in a crouching position, moving as stealthily
as the panther, his eye balls glowing like fire.
“How nice I could wipe you out!” thought Nat, “but J
forbear. It don’t look right to take a fellow so unawares.
Jerusalem ! don’t come any nigher !”
The Indian was now so close that Nat feared the thump-
ing of his heart would betray his hiding-place. The chief held
the toreh over his head, his basilisk eyes scrutinizing the
ground for any evidence of a trail. He moved slowly and
stealthily around, sometimes stooping and moving the grass
with his fingers, and then, rising to the upright position, he
»
ee atin. penetra, F
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7
Saat. ae, SA
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Nc tase
ted
AN INDIAN ARTIFICE. 1?
glared up into the trees, as though he expected to detect the
form of his foe among the branches. He must have had a smail
opinion of our hero’s courage to thus expose himself to his shot
Suddenly the light disappeared, and a sharp, hissing sound, as
of a serpent about to strike, did not escape the adventtrer's
ears. The next moment the voice of Upsarena was heard.
“The trail reaches the stream, but does not cross. He has
followed the water above, and is not here.”
Then the tramp of the retreating savages was heard, grow-
ing fainter and fainter, until no noise remained to show that
danger had lurked so fearfully near.
“Well, I feel a heap better!” exclaimed Nat, rising to his
feet and stretching himself “Them ain’t very smart Indians
after all. They’ve been following me all the time Pve been
asleep, and have hunted all around me without coming to the
point. I thought Upsarena wasn’t—”
Standing out in relief against a patch of open sky, Nat saw
the form of an Indian distinctly outlined. The truth was the
words of Upsarena were only an artifice fo ascertain whether
the hunter was concealed in the vicinity. He uttered them
in a loud tone, and immediately ascended thé stream, while
another savage glided forward a short distance, and then
halted, his ears on the alert for any suspicious sound. The long- -
drawn yawn and words of Nat reached his ears, but the obsca-
rity was too great for him to detect the precise spot where, the
hunter was standing. At the same timé, the Indian was not
aware that he was seen at all by his enemy. :
For a moment both remained perfeetly motionless, That
time was amply sufficient for Nat to collect his thoughts. The
sudden stoppage of his words showed the Indian that the
hunter suspected danger, although he was by no means aware
of his full knowledge. For a few seconds after the discovery,
our hero was completely astounded; but it was no time to
give way to his emotions. He saw instantly that either one
or the other must die, and naturally preferring it should not
be himself, made his preparations accordingly. Putting the
lock of his rifle under his hunting-shirt, he so muffled the
click, while cocking it, as to conceal the sound from his
enemy.
With the Indian, the minute had been as pregnant with
18 NATHAN TODD,
emotions as with the white man. His first thought when
startled by Nat’s words was to signal to his companions to
approach ; but he saw at once that such a course would give
the hunter timely warning, and being an ambitious man, he
determined to secure his scalp without the aid of his com-
panions. ‘
Nat saw the head of the Indian slowly sink, and his body
gradually blend with the undergrowth, and taking as good aim
as the darkness allowed, he fired. Ew
MATTERS LOOK SERIOUS. 83
him to see quite a distance. About twenty feet away he
noticed a stump, around which he deemed it best to start his
fire, as he believed the fright of his horse was occasioned by
some animal lurking in the vicinity. Accordingly, he gath-
ered an armful of fuel and tossed it toward the stump. His
surprise was unbounded when he saw what he supposed to be
a stump rise to its feet, with a threatening growl, and spring
back several yards, where it resolutely confronted him.
“ Heavens!” exclaimed Nat, with a start. ‘ Who thought
you were a sneaking wolf? I took you for a stump, and
thought that growl a stump-speech. See how you like that!”
He did not miss his aim this time. The wolf doubled up
like a steel-trap, uttering a dying how], that was answered
by a hundred throats from the mountain. Admonished by
this fearful warning, Nat soon had a brisk fire burning, and
enough wood piled beside it to keep it going until morning.
He then led his horse up to it, so as to be out of reach of .
any animal, and loading his rifle waited for his visitors,
Tne place which he had chosen for his camping-ground
was, as said, a sort of hollow or depression which so concealed
his fire as to prevent its being seen until one was directly
upon it. The death-howl of the wolf near him was still
echoed by others, and it was easy to tell by the sounds that
they were signaling to each other, and were rapidly centering
around the spot which contained their dead companion. In
a moment, Nat saw through the smoke a pair of glowing eyes
fixed upon him, and a lengthened whine, terminating in a
sharp yelp, brought a score of others almost instantly to
their side.
Matters were certainly beginning to look serious, but Nat,
knowing the dread which every animal has of fire, felt that if
watchful and vigilant, there was no personal danger.. His
only fear was that the terror of his horse would become so
great as to make him uncontrollable, and he would burst
across the prairie and be lost forever to him.
The wolves continued to increase in number until it seemed
that several hundred were gathered on the bank above.. The
first intruder, whose death was the penalty of his temerity,
was seized by the forenost of the others and devoured in a
twinkling. This served only to increase their thirst for blood,
- 5 7
©
pie lage te ea iii cla ian lil
SS
84 NATHAN TODD.
and they became doubly furious and venturesome. Although
Nat held his horse so close to the fire as to scorch them both,
a huge wolf made several leaps, and snapped his jaws so close
that his animal sprung into the flame to escape him. He
instantly leaped out again, and it was with the greatest diffi-
culty that he could be restrained. The wolf, encouraged by
his success, endeavored to get at the horse’s heels so as to
hamstring him. Lying down on his face, he crawled within
a foot or two and then made a spring; but the horse seemed
to understand his intention, and, quick as was the movement of
the wolf, he encountered the heels of the animal with such
force as to split his head open and scatter his brains to the
wind. The wolf, while yet quivering in the throes of death,
was pounced upon by his companions as usual, and torn limb
from limb!
Nat was struck with admiration at this exploit of his horse,
and determined to attempt the same thing himself. He
waited until another huge fellow had ventured rather close,
when he stepped forward and gave a furious kick, closing the
animal’s jaws like the spring of a steel-trap. But before he
could withdraw his foot it was seized by several with such
power as to bring him upon his back, and he felt that he was
being drawn away from the fire by the infuriated beasts !
“ Murder! let. go, can’t you?” he shouted, clutching
madly about him, and still retaining the halter of his horse.
In his frantic movements, he seized a firebrand and hurled it
blazing among the swarming bodies. His foot was freed
instantly, and the wolves retreated several yards, but imme-
diately returned. Before they reached him, he was on his
feet again, and too close to the fire for them to reach him.
“Confound it! J wish’d Pd gone home with Bill Relmond,
instead of coming out here like a fool to hunt up that squaw
of an Irene Merment !” exclaimed Nat. “I might better have
staid home, any way.”
But regrets could ayail nothing; and, to use a common
expression, he was “in for it,” and compelled to make the
best of what seemed a bad affair just at present. It now
occurred to him to attempt an expedient which he remembered
hearing the trapper, Biddon, mention as having been used by
himself in a similar case. Raising his rifle at random, he
SEE Tiedt
ee
SR ort
ce
A FIGHT WITH THE WOLVES. 35
fired into the group. It was almost impossible to miss killing
one, and a sharp yelp showed that he had not failed, The
slain wolf followed the fate of the others, and was devoured
with as much gusto as though he had been Nat Todd himself.
As soon as the latter could reload, he discharged his gun .
again. This time the bullet plowed its way through the
haunch of one wolf, and buried itself in the head of another.
The latter, not noticing his own hurt, sprung upon the fall-
en one. Before this one was fairly devoured, several
scented the blood of the wounded one, and although he was
as active and powerful as the rest, he was borne down to the
earth by a score of ravenous ones, and quickly dispatched.
Nat fired over twenty shots into the herd, and more than
that number fell victims; and still it seemed to have no effect
save to whet the appetite of the others. Several more were
slain, when the hunter noticed his ammunition was getting
low. Prudence compelled him, therefore, to desist from his
work of slaughter. With much care he reloaded his rifle,
determined to use it again only as a last resort. But the fury
and courage of the wolves had so increased, that he saw some
other expedient must be resorted to, or his life would not be
his own in a half-hour. He threw several firebrands among
them. This always scattered them for a moment; but it
could not be continued, for the good reason that it must
deprive him of his fire, and thus make his case entirely hope-
less.
As an additional means of defense he kindled another fire,
and finally had four in full blast, so that he was inclosed in a
circle of flame. This served every purpose, and no matter
how great the hunger or temerity of the wolves, not one durst
venture over the magic boundary. A feeling of xelief and
security now came over Nat, and he congratulated himself
upon haying foiled the insatiate brutes at last.
But it was not long before this emotion of relief gave way
to that of sickly terror. He saw that his fuel could not
possibly last until morning. A couple of hours more at the
most, and it must die out. Nat, in despair, looked up to the
heavens, and saw by the constellations that it was hardly
midnight,
Several times he revolved a desperate scheme in his mind:
e
386 NAYHAN TODD.
it was to mount his horse and start off on a full run. It
seemed the only hope left, and yet a second thought told him
it would be certain destruction. Impeded with his weight,
the horse must finally succumb and fall a victim. The lank,
cadaverous wolves were capable of worrying any animal of the
prairie to death; and the most terrific speed to which the
horror-of death could urge his animal would preserve him but
an hour or so. No; he dismissed this plan, satisfied that it
could avail him nothing.
Hour after hour gradually wore away, and the fires slum-
bered low. With feelings which none can imagine, our hero
threw the last stick upon the fire! As yet no hope of escape
dawned upon him!
Up to this time the yells and clamor of the wolves had been
deafening; but Nat all at once noticed that they had ceased,
and the silence of death reigned over the scene. Some great
fear had fallen upon them, and they now dashed away in a
tumultuous drove, leaving the hunter entirely alone with his
horse.
“Some greater danger, if possible, threatens !” he exclaimed.
Scarcely had he spoken when he caught the outlines of a
colossal form above him, and saw instantly that a grizzly bear
was approaching. His horse caught sight of the brute at the
same moment, and, with a wild yell, broke from him and
dashed across the prairie, his mane streaming in the wind.
The bear instantly followed, on a loping, tumbling gait, and
Nat's heart thrilled as he saw he was entirely alone.
“Now’s my time!’ he exclaimed, catching a brand and
running up the embankment. He caught sight of a dim
cluster of bushes or trees, several hundred yards ahead, and
waying the brand above his head, made a desperate dash for
the refuge. He had not gone one-half the distance when he
‘was surrounded by a dozen wolves, who had been frightened
from the pursuit of the horse by the appearance of the grizzly
bear. :
“Clear the track !” he shouted, in a sort of wild ecstasy, as
he swung the flaming missile around him. The wolves fairly
touched him, but the brand was all-potent. He reached the
tree without a scratch. Here he was nonplussed for a
moment, In one hand he held his rifle, and in the other the
o>
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ao
A RUN FOR IT. 87
protecting torch, which his rapid run had fanned into a roar-
ing blaze. It was impossible to climb the tree without
dropping both. The hunter decided ina moment. Raising
a loud shout, and waving the brand over his head, he sprung
toward the wolves, scattering them like chaff. When they
were a few rods distant, he flung the dreaded flame directly
among them, and leaping back to the tree, dropped his gun
and made a bound upward, catching a limb and sustaining
himself by one hand. - Over this he threw his feet, and was
twisting himself oyer it, when, as if fute was against. him, the
limb broke and he came to the ground again. Nothing dis-
concerted, he made another leap, and catching again, brought
his body up among the limbs. But so close were the wolves,
and so narrow the escape the last time, that he found himself
lightened of -a large part of his hunting-shirt, it being in the
teeth of the greedy cannibals below.
“Now howl as long as you want to!” shouted Nat, as he
clambered up the tree and perched himself in the very top.
“Tl bet I won't fall asleep to-night, and you'll wait awhile
before you breakfast off of me.”* *
* To avoid giving a false impression, we,may state that the wolf of the
West will never attack a person unless the latter has the smell of fresh
blood about him. They will follow a traveler for miles, keeping up their
dismal howling, but he is perfectly safe so long as there is no fresh wound
upon him, or meat in his possession. Buta few drops of blood will draw
the wolves from miles distant to the trail. In the incident above given,
the fury of these animals was caused by a small wound in the horge’s foot
which had left its mark in several places.
NATHAN TODD.
Oa lh Peter Ys
WHICH IS MOSTLY HISTORICAL.
Never did shipwrecked mariner hail the sight of morning
with greater joy and thankfulness than did Nat Todd the first
glimpse of day in the east. As the sun appeared above the
horizon, the wolves, one by one, shrunk away, until none
remained. Seeing the coast. clear, Nat ventured to descend.
He found his rifle full fifty feet away from the tree, where it
had been clawed and disfigured by the ravenous animals. It
had suffered no material injury, however, and he was glad
enough to recover it as it was. Fyrom the situation of the
sun he was able to tell what direction to take to reach the
Fort, and without losing’ any time in useless repinings, he
started off on foot. :
He traveled on until noon, when he shot a bird, which
fnrnished him with a hearty dinner. He was never at loss
for a fire, as his flint furnished the means; and the weather
was so cool this day, that he could not resist the pleasure of
enjoying it for awhile. Unconsciously to himself he fell into
a deep slumber, and did not awaken until dark. Startled at
his indiscretion, he sprung on, resolved to travel the most of
the night to make up for lost ground.
The prairie continued mostly of the rolling kind; and,
aided by the faint light of the moon and stars, he made con-
siderable progress. Several streams were crossed, and finally
a sort of grove, of perhaps a half-mile in extent, was entered.
A cold, chilling fear crept over our hero as the dark shades
encompassed him; and it was in no way lessened when he
heard the footsteps of some animal behind him. In fact, we
doubt whether there is a more uncomfortable sensation a
person can experience, than the consciousness that some one
or something is dogging his footsteps in the dark. The sup-
pressed step, followed by a treacherous silence—the imaginary
2%
> ______—__"1#
“BROWN’S HOLE.” 39
approach of a foe, and the expected blow, make the suspense
harder to bear than the danger itself. At intervals, the rustle
of the leayes sounded closer and closer, until he was so
wrought upon by fear that he could stand it no longer.
Cocking his rifle, he dodged aside, and concealing himself
behind a tree, waited the approach of his foe. Closer and
closer sounded the suspicious footsteps, until, all at once, not
a wild animal or a human foe—but his horse walked directly
in front of him.
“Thank heaven !” exclaimed Nat, fervently. “ This is the
most fortunate thing that could have happened.”
The horse seemed as much delighted as his master, and
when he once more felt him upon his back, he seemed unable
to restrain himself.
“Now you may go till you're tired,” said Nat, as he
emerged into the open prairie. The horse, with a neigh of
delight, straightened his limbs and sped away like a swallow.
His rider ceased wondering at his escape from the wolves and
bear when he saw with what speed he was carried.
With now and then an occasional halt for rest and refresh-
ment, the journey was continued until noon of the next day,
when he crossed a large stream of cold, sparkling water, and
several hours later he discerned in the distance the plain of
Brown’s Hole. He struck his horse into a canter at sight of
it, and moying through the bluffs, crossed two smaller streams
that tumbled down from the stratified cliffs on his right.
After passing a few rods further, the svhole area burst upon
his sight. A man dressed like a hunter stood in front of the
Fort, amusing himself with the antics of a couple of dogs. He
caught sight of our hero and turned toward him, Nat found
himself the recipient of a hearty welcome, and felt that he
had stumbled upon something like Home in the wilderness.
“Brown’s Hole” is one of the most remarkable forts on the
Pacific slope. It was once termed “ Fort David Crockett,” but it
is now more generally know by the former name. It stands
on the Sheetskadee or Prairie Cock river, and is more than a
mile and half above the sea-level.* The plain upon which it
is situated is about six miles across, and is walled in com-
pletely by a chain of mountains rising fifteen hundred fect
* This stream is now marked on maps as Green river,
40 NATHAN TODD.
aboye. The Sheetskadee enters the plain from the northwest
side, and sweeping round in a beautiful curve in front of the
Fort, makes its way through the mountain-cliffs full a thousand
feet in height, where it moves over with a solemn calmness
that is indescribable.
Not the least remarkable peculiarity of this plain is its
climate. Forming a plateau, as it does, over cight thousand
feet in height, one would suppose an eternal winter to hold
reign, On the contrary, the rich’ mountain-grasses, with
numerous copses of willow and cotton wood, are growing the
entire year; and when the blasts of winter whirl the snow in
blinding drifts over the mountain-peaks and in the country
around, the horses of the hunters may be seen. calmly cropping
the herbage on the banks of the Sheetskadee, and the hunters
themselves are in the height of enjoyment.
The Fort some years since was a hollow square of log-cabins,
with the roofs and floors constructed of mud. Around the out-
side were numerous Indian lodges, where the families of the
white trappers remained while the latter were absent among the
mountains or beaver-runs. Many of the Shoshoné or Snake
tribe are found at the Fort. They appear in the largest numbers
during the winter months, when they bring large quantities
of the meat of the mountain-sheep and other animals, which
they furnish to the travelers and traders in exchange for beads,
trinkets, ammunition, &c. A store-house also stands outside,
where the trappers barter their furs, and the Indians their
horses, for hatchets, knives, fishhooks, lead and whisky.
The Shoshonés are the nearest assimilated to the whites
and during the winter months the whole tribe, numbering
considerably over a thousand, pitch their lodges on the plain
around the Fort; while scores of trappers and hunters congre-
gate within the Fort, or amofg their Indian squaws, and a scene
of enjoyment, such as is rarely witnessed, takes place. There
are gatherings among the Indian lodges, where both races
congregate, while moccasins, buffalo-robes and “leggins” are
sewn with deer-sinews. The wild song of the dusky warriors
is heard; and there is dancing, and music, and love-making,
and marriage—all that go to make up life, where, for the time
being, the participants give way to social pleasure. And
many is the thrilling legend related by some hunter, who,
i *
=
&
%
A CHANCE TO BE PATIENT. 41
perhaps, has hunted for years on snow-shoes in Prince
Rupert’s Land, or penetrated to the Frozen Sea for seals and
walruses; many is the escape narrated by the trapper, who
nas stealthily secured his peltries on the shores of the far-off
Columbia, or among the wildest fastnesses of the Rocky
Mountains, in spite of the treacherous Blackfeet or Platheads.
Nat arrived at the most unfortunate time at the Fort. It
being in early summer, the only white men were the store-
keeper and three or four hunters who chanced to be in the
neighborhood for a few days.
“Tf you seek any of the hunters, you will have to wait till
autumn. The men are off hunting, some of them hundreds
of miles distant. They'll be in, perhaps, in the course of
several months, before starting off for the beaver-runs.”
This information was given by the trader, after our hero
had been within the place an hour or so, and had explained
his object in appearing in that part of si world at such a
time.
“Do you know any thing of a fellow called Oregon Sol ?”
he inquired. :
“Old Sol Jagzin, you mean? Ah—yes. No man except
Kit Carson is so well known this side of the Mississippi.”
“Where is he now ?”
“That's a question I can not answer, and I doubt whether
any one else can Se the individual himself I haven't
seen him in a long time.”
“How long since he has been here
“Let me see: lie hasn’t been in these parts this year. The
last time was winter before last. He was here only a day or
two, just long enough to dispose of his peltries, and lay in a
supply of tobacco and ammunition, when he was off again.
I expected him down last winter, but he failed to appear.”
“What do you suppose the reason to be? Taye no idea
that he has collapsed—been killed, I mean ?”
“TJ hardly suppose that, and yet it may be true after all.
Sol is a most experienced Indian fighter and hunter, and after
going through such a course of training as he has, it isn’t
likely hed go under at this time of life; but then a trapper’s
iife is a hob-nob with Death, and: though the latter must win
at last, he does it sometimes sooner than is expected. How
52”
ae NATHAN TODD.
ever,” added the trader, with a more cheerful air, “ I have lit-
tle fear for Sol.”
“What reason then do you give for his absence when you
expected him ?”
“One reason is this: he traps somewhere up in Oregon, no
one knows where, for he always goes alone. Since we Ameri-
cans have got hold of Oregon, the emigrants have commenced
coming in there, especially during the last few years. This
has made the beavers somewhat scarcer, and Sol, like enough,
did not secure sufficient furs to make him think it worth while
to come down at the usual time. So he thought he would lie
over for a season.”
“Did you ever hear him say any thing of the lovely girl that
I have been speaking about ?”
“ Now that you have referred to it, it occurs to me that I
have—but only once, and that was the time of which Tom
Langdon spoke. I distinctly remember his relating the inci-
dent, just as you say it was told you. It excited my curiosity
somewhat, and I made several inquiries of Sol, as well as of
others who have been in Oregon. But neither he nor any
one else could give any additional information.”
“Do you suppose this lovely gal to be living 2”
“T can only conjecture, which you can do yourself. I should
not despair of finding her alive and well until I received
indubitable evidence that she was dead.”
I don’t suppose any one besides this Sol could give me any
information which I seek ?”
“No; it is hardly probable. You see, it might be termed
an accident by which he obtained his knowledge, and I doubt
very much whether he could tell you any more than I have.”
“Nat was somewhat discouraged, but not entirely dis-
heartened by what the trader told him. His first impulse
was to start for Oregon at once; but second thought told him
that such a course could avail nothing. By a singularly good
fortune, he believed he had obtained a clue to what he sought;
and that patience and perseverance were only needed to fol-
low it up to a successful termination. It was now early sum-
- mer, and he concluded to remain at the Fort until the arrival
of Sol Jagzin, or until it was known that he would not make
his appearance.
* Rie
— oo
“oy
——p—
<>
~
“a
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NAT ATTENDS A PARTY, 43
The time passed heavily to the ardent fellow. Day after
day dragged by, and week after week, until several months
were past. Still there were no signs of the hunter’s return.
Several trappers made their appearance at intervals, and
remaining a day or two, took their departure. Once or twice
large bodies of the Shoshené visited the store- house, and, bart-
ering with the trader, rode away again. Toward the middle
of summer a distinguished Russian traveler, accompanied by
an American, remained several days at Brown’s Hole. Nat
made their acquaintance at once, and the time passed pleas-
antly during their stay. The three had several hunting and
fishing expeditions together, and our hero was thrown into
ecstasies when the American informed him that he was a friend
of Relmond, and had met him in St. Louis on his return from
the Yellowstone. Besides this, Relmond and Imogene, having
a faint hope that the traveler would chance to come across
Nat, had dispatched their best wishes for his safety. Relmond,
as before mentioned, had determined not to let Imogene know
the true cause of Nat’s erratic expedition, for fear that it might
awaken hopes which could only occasion the keener disap-
pointment.
After the departure of his two friends, Nat found time hang
more heavily than ever upon his hands. He frequently spent
days in rambling over the mountains, hunting the different game
that so abounded. He wondered why the hunters should go
to great distances to seek their prey when there was such an
abundance at their doors. But no signs of beaver and otter
were seen in proximity to the Fort.
Finally the summer departed. Cold, blustering autumn
made its appearance. The trader informed Nat that the trap-
pers might be looked for every day. ‘Indeed, the same week
several came in. But no one brought tidings of “ Oregon
Sol.”
A fortnight after this, when the Shoshenés pitched their
lodges around the Fort, and over thirty trappers and hunters
were on the ground, Nat received notice that a great party
would be held that evening, which, of course, it was expected
he would attend. No refusal could be expected, and there was
little danger of any being offered.
At the appointed time they all assembled in the lodge
44 NATHAN TODD.
which had been prepared expressly for the purpose. The
oily lights disclosed a singular and characteristic scene. There
were old, weather-beaten hunters, shaggy and scarred, lithe,
graceful warriors, and maidens of all shades, from the dusky
hue of the autumn-leaf to the pure Caucasian. All ages, from
the mere youth to the man of three-score and ten were seen.
Wives, husbands, brothers, sisters and lovers mingled together.
here were a couple of “professors” on the violin, so that
abundant music was furnished. All went into the sport as if
they relished it. Some danced as finely as if made of Damas-
cus steel; some bounced square up and down; others shoved
themselves around with a slow, solemn motion; while some
shot hither and thither, like balls of India-rubber.
Late in the night Nat found himself tee-a-tete with a beau-
tiful half-breed. While engaged in an earnest talk, she sud-
denly exclaimed :
“Yonder is old Solomon, I declare !” i
Nat saw, at the opposite end of the room, a short, stumpy-
looking fellow, clad in the garb of a trapper, and around whom
were congregated a number of both sexes: A moment later,
the trader touched Nat on the shoulder and whispered:
_ “That’s Oregon Sol. He is in an unusual good humor to-
night. I spoke of you to him, and he says he will see you in
the morning. Be frank and to the point with him, and J
think you will have no difficulty in gaining all the information
you wish.”
It was near morning before the party broke up. In spite
of the exciting expectation which Nat felt relating to Oregon
Sol, it must be confessed he slept soundly until near the mid-
dle of the forenoon. As soon as he awoke, he repaired to the
warehouse to see the trader. He found not only him, but
Oregon Sol, who had just disposed of his furs, and secured his
winter-stock of ammunition and stores. The trader introduced
the two at once. We will not detail the tedious conversation
to which Nat was compelled to submit before he obtained his
information, but give the substance of what he learned. The
old trapper was whimsical and eccentric, and it required the
combined skill of the trader and Nat, before he divulged what
little he knew. He stated, substantially, what Langdon had
already given, pointing out only in addition the precise loca-
ye
or =
es oe ee
YANKEE GRIT. 45
tion of the place in the Blue Mountains at which he was visited
by the “lovely maiden,” and stating that the Indians belonged
to the Cayuse tribe. The place where he was attacked was
just above the canon of,a stream which debouched into Lewis
river. Nat, who possessed a thorough knowledge of the
geography of the country, traced out the very stream on a
map in the possession of the trader, and gained such an idea
of the country as to make him confident of his ability to reach
it alone; but he counted much on the assistance of the old,
terrible-looking trapper.
It was, then, with the sorest disappointment that he learned
that Oregon Sol was not going to return again to Oregon.
He had obtained information from a friendly Cayuse of a
region literally swarming with beaver and otter, to which
the two were going in company. He would not disclose its
location, save to say it was in an entirely different direction, and
hundreds of miles from the Blue Mountains. Nat used every
inducement at his command to get the trapper to change his
intention, or at least to postpone it until another season; but
it availed nothing. As a class, no men are more stubborn
than those western, half-civilized rangers. If any there are,
it is those from the Eastern States,
* Jerusalem ! Pll go alone, and secure her if there are ten
million enemies in the path!” exclaimed a man belonging to
the latter class.
i
Ht
Ah
46 NATHAN TODD.
CHAPTER VI.
IN WHICH A HAUL IS MADE CONTAINING A MYSTERIOUS LETTER,
‘WHEN a person comes to an unexpected resolution, his first
impulse is pretty sure to be to carry it out at once; and
undue haste is almost equally sure to characterize his move-
ments.
A half-hour subsequent to the exclamation recorded in the
last chapter, Nat Todd, well mounted and armed, was riding
at a brisk canter toward the North. Brown’s Hole and its
swarming population already were invisible behind the mighty
cliffs that walled it in from the outer world. The trader. at
first, opposed this erratic course, but was compelled to admiy
at last that it was the only one left to him. None of the
trappers present in the Fort were going to the same section ;
and, as there were none who would consent to lose a season
for the purpose of aiding in what could be of little profit or
interest to themselves, it will be seen that the course of Nat
was perhaps the best under the circumstances.
He determined to follow the Oregon trail to Fort Hall,
about two hundred miles distant, on Lewis river. Having
thoroughly posted himself, during his stay at Brown’s Hole,
on the difficulties of the journey, he apprehended no trouble,
except it might be from the Blackfeet, whose war-parties often
hovered around this highway. For something over a dozen
miles he kept up the valley of the Sheetskadee, one of the
most beautiful rivers in the Far West. The water of this
river was clear as air, of uniform breadth, and in no place oyer
three feet in depth. The mountains rose on either side to the
height of a thousand feet above the level of the stream. He
eamped at night on the bank of this river, and at an early
hour resumed his journey.
Nat had taken the precaution of furnishing himself with
a goodly quantity of meat before starting, as the trader
i “
~
THE DESERT, 4
informed him that he was about to enter a desert, where the
probabilities of obtaining food by the aid of his gun would be
slight indeed. A few miles from his camping-place, he reached
a point in the mountains through which the river wore its
way in such a manner as to make a canon, and, for the dis-
tance of five miles, he was compelled to clamber over frightful
precipices, along brinks of yawning cayerns, and over paths
not more than a foot in width, where there was nothing save
the naked face of the rock to cling to, and where a single
misstep would be instant destruction. But his Indian horse
was as firm and sure-footed as the trained mules of the Andes.
The day passed without affording him a glimpse of a single
human being. The only signs of animal life, besides himself
and his horse, were a few croaking ravens and magpies that
circled overhead and gaye their dismal welcome to this deso-
late region. His camping-place afforded a view of the
Anahuac Range, which stretched away in the direction of the
Great Salt Lake. He expected to encounter no white persons,
unless it might be one or two trappers, as the season was one
in which few, if any, emigrants braved the perils of the
mountains, The next morning he continued his journey in a
northern direction, over a sort of rolling plain of coarse, sandy
gravel, upon which no sign of vegetation, save the forbidding
wild wormwood, was observed. One or two miserable-looking
prairie-wolves were espied in the course of the afternoon.
They slunk along the river-bottoms, giving vent, now and then,
to a howl which echoed like a wail of death from cliff to cliff.
As if to increase the gloom of this desert, a flock of famished
ravens followed him for a long distance, chanting their dis-
cordant notes and darkening the air with their funereal wings. -
On the afternoon of the fourth day, the adventurer struck
Ham’s Fork, a tributary’ of the Sheetskadee. At this season
the river was quite shallow, but during the spring it is over»
two hundred feet in depth.
His journey was a long and often tedious one; but there
were many natural curiosities encountered, which sometimes
served to interest him for a time. Among these were the
remarkable Steamboat and Soda Springs, the Three Buttes,
and the Valley of Chasms.
He underwent much suffering from the scarcity of food, and
en eee SOU ren er eee
Spee = AAAI OTT Se SRN RE Ne IETS SS SAA at See
ee
NATHAN TODD.
upon several occasions his horse became so weakened as to be
unable to carry him. Had he been aware of the formidable
journey he had undertaken, his enthusiasm would have failed
to carry him through. But on the tenth day he ascended a
high ridge, which afforded him a view of the great southern
branch of the Columbia. Far to the northward, in the land of
the Shoshoné, could be seen the Three Buttes looming up in
the sky, while to the southwest stretched a rugged chain of
mountains. But,a more cheering sight than all, there was
Fort Hall, nestling down in the plain, its white battlements
glowing like burnished silver in the clear sunlight.
In a couple of hours he drew rein in front of the Fort,
shouting for those inside to come forth. Instantly an armed
man made his appearance who gaye him welcome,
“Got any thing to eat?” asked Nat. “I’m terribly hungry.
Do you think you’ve got enough to satisfy me ?”
The guard surveyed the strange comer with a quiet smile,
and then replied:
“Tf you doubt it, come in and try it. Come, come, man,
don’t sit there; you’re not serving your horse right.”
“That is true—nor myself cither,” answered Nat, hurrying
Within the gate.
The hospitality offered him was the most genuine and
hearty. His horse was well taken care of, and himself feasted
like a prince. Within he found quite a collection of hunters
and trappers. At the conclusion of his meal he arose and
remarked : i
“Gentlemen, if there is a man in this company who feels
perfectly satisfied for the present, that man is Nat Todd.”
“Nat Todd, did you say ?” questioned the man who had
welcomed him to the Fort, as he arose and came toward him.
“The same, sir, at your service.”
“ There is a letter here for Nathan Todd.”
“A letter for me?” he repeated, catching his breath, and
feeling a sudden loathing of the food he had just swallowed.
“Yes, sir; I will give it you in a minute, In fact, I
believe we have two, if I am not mistaken.”
“My gracious! who has written me letters? Can’t be it’s
the lovely maiden I’m looking for, She hain’t learned my
address yet.”
~
Sa
NAT IS DUMBFOUNDED. 49
In a moment two letters were placed in his hand. One
was plump and heavy, and a glance at the superscription
showed Nat it was from his widowed mother.
>
WINTER QUARTERS.
CHAPTER IX.
IN WHICH THERE IS A HOUSEWARMING, A VISION AND A FLIGHT.
Ir was dark when Biddon returned, and, after several
minutes’ unimportant conversation, the two lay down to rest.
In the morning Nat found himself unable to walk, owing to
the bruises mentioned; but they were not of dangerous char-
acter, and in a few days he was restored to his usual condi-
tion. The trapper continued to engage in his vocation, more
for the purpose of supplying the two with food, and for pass-
ing away time, than for any thing else.
In the mean time the approach of winter was rapid. The
weather, in the course of a week, set in with most intense cold-
ness, and the streams freezing over seriously impeded the suc-
cess of the trapper. He had, however, laid aside enough to
supply all necessary food through the winter; and, all things
considered, their situation was by no means unenviable.
One thing was a matter of surprise to both. Not a sign of an
Indian was seen, and Biddon more than once stated that he
believed the tribe had gone into winter-quarters in some other
section. Nat proposed that they should follow them, but the
trapper remarked that it might be only a stratagem to deceive
them, The Indian village was several miles away, in a sort
of valley or depression in the mountains. A winter, such as
in our more temperate sections is rarely witnessed, was
approaching, and the advice of Biddon that they should “keep
out of sight and make themselves comfortable,” was perhaps
the wisest that could be followed under the circumstances.
The winter, as may well be supposed, was most tedious to
the two adventurers. Sometimes the snow was whirled in
blinding eddies through the gorges, and, for a month, lay sey-
eral feet in depth, and the walls of their cayern-home, were
as if made of solid ice; but their abundance of furs, and the
fuel with which the ingenuity of the trapper supplied them,
NATHAN TODD.
was sufficient for all purposes. Sometimes the burly form of
the latter might be seen on the margin of the frozen streams,
cautiously searching for beaver-signs, or setting his traps for
the foxes that lurked around them. On several occasions,
Nat and Biddon ventured out upon these excursions during
moonlight nights, when the crusted snow sustained their weight
without leaving a trail. Their footsteps echoed with a noise
that, in the intense stillness, could be heard at a great distance ;
while, now and then, the long, dismal howl of the droves of
famished wolves pierced the night-air with a chilling power.
During the long nights, Biddon often whiled away the hours
in relating reminiscences of his wonderful career, while, in turn,
Nat gave many of his own adventures in Lubec, including his
love-affair, already familiar to the reader. Not an Indian trail,
through all the long, dreary winter, was discovered by the trap-
per, and they remained unmolested by man or animal. Nat
was often startled when he reflected upon his temerity in thus
venturing into the mountains alone. He had not the remotest
suspicion of ever encountering Biddon again, and had he been
left without a companion, he would either have had to per-
ish by starvation or cold, or thrown himself upon the hospi-
tality of the savages, where it is not to be expected he would
lave fared any better. :
But, at last, the winter wore away, and beautiful, radiant
spring dawned upon them. The mountains echoed with the
sound of a thousand rills and streams, the rivers burst their
icy barriers with a shock like the noise of thunder, and vege-
tation sprung forth asif by magic. So sudden was the change
that, as Nat stepped forth from the cave, one clear morning, it
seemed as if he were in a land of enchantment.
The time had now come for action. The warm, genial
climate, unsurpassed by any in the world, the exuberant foli-
age, all were favorable. Biddon returned, one evening, to the
cave, from a sort of scouting expedition with which he had
occupied himself during the day.
“What have you learned?” asked Nat, as he noticed a
peculiar expression upon the trapper’s face.
“Wal, I have learnt a little, but s’picioned a heap.”
“What is it? Let me know .”
“Y's out around takin’ observations, as them fellers from the
A PROSPECT OF TROUBLE. 71
settlements say, this afternoon, when I come onto the Ingin
village. It’s down in a valley, and it’s my apine they’ye jist
arrove, cause why: I’ve been along there in the winter and
didn’t see a single lodge. They’ye wintered further up the
mountains and have jist come back.”
“Do you suppose they know we are here ?”
“T guess they ain’t sure, but they s’picion it.”
““Why do you think so?”
“T have come across a dozen trails, and b’lieve they’re
huntin’ fur signs of us. Ef they happen to find one of my
traps, i?ll be all they want, They'll be down on us in a
twinklin’.
“Do they know our hiding-place ?”
“This is the same place used by Oregon Sol, you must
mind, and it ain’t noways likely they’ll miss takin’ the first
peep in hyer to see how things look.”
“ Jerusalem ! We'll be in a hot place before we know. Sup-
pose they do surround us, what will we do?”
“Stay in till we git smoked out, and then make a run for
it.”
“But can we get away from them ?”
“Wagh! that’s ’cording to how fast your pegs move,
‘though I think the chances are good of gittin’ your ha’r raised.”
“My gracious, Biddon!” exclaimed Nat in constersaiaas
“we must arrange things differently from this.”
“ Afeard ?” asked Biddon, with a piercing look.
“ Of course not—certainly not. My great objection, Biddon,
you see, is this: if they undertake to smoke us out, it'll be
sure to hurt our complexions very much—especially mine as
I ain’t used to it; and when we find that lovely maiden, why,
you see, I won’t be able to make as good an impression as I
should like to. Don’t you see, Biddon ?”
The trapper indulged in a hearty laugh before replying:
“You're a trump, you is. .Howsumever, it’s well ’nough
to be on the lookout. I don’t s’pose you care about goin’
under jist now, ef the wipin’ out has to be done by the reds.
As fur me, it don’t make no difference when the last sickness
comes, *though J should die hard ef I thought my top-knot
was eyer to hang in the lodge of a redskin. There ain’t no
one to cry when Bill Biddon goes,. He has hunted a long
72 - NATHAN TODD.
time ’mong the praeries, and is gettin’ so well ‘long that the
day can’t be fur off after all, and he ain’t noways skeerish about
it. Howsumever, as I’s sayin’, ‘tain’t noways likely you’ve a
hankerin’ to go under jist now; and so we'll take a look ’round
us.”
“Have you no means at hand to escape should an attack
be made ?”
“You heart he roar of that kenyon? Wal, in under the
rocks there I’ve a canoe, and when the time comes—ef it ever
does—when we can choose the way in which we'll step out,
that'll answer.”
“How, Biddon? I don’t understand you.”
“ We can go down the kenyon!”
“O thunder! that would be sure death.”
“You've hit the truth there once, ef you never did afore,
though ’tain’t exactly the truth either. You'd stand a chance
of comin’ out right—’bout the same chance that a painted
Crow would afore Bill Biddon’s shooter, after he'd drawed
bead on him !”
“ Narrow enough chance, in heaven’s name! But, Biddon,
what do you propose to do ?”
“We won’t undertake nothin’ to-night, but to-morrow we'll
spend the day in scoutin’, We'll find out ef that gal’s hyre-
abouts. Ef she is, we'll make a dash fur her; ef she isn’t—
why she isn’t.” :
A long consultation was held that evening between the two
friends, and their course of action determined upon. It was
decided that the first point was to ascertain whether the one
for whom they were searching was in the tribe. Despite the
circumstances pointing that way, there still was good reason
to doubt this all-important fact. Were she present, however,
they could hope for no success unless they should discover
some means by which first to communicate with her, assure
her of the existence of her sister and the efforts being made
to restore her to civilization, and thus awaken a natural desire
to escape upon her own part. Could they succeed in this,
there was every reason to hope for entire success, although, as
the trapper intimated, the suspicion and vigilance of the
Indians would be so great as to make it a work of the great-
est peril to all concernedh,
RECONNOITERING. v3)
In the morning the two ventured forth, taking opposite
directions. The vegetation was so abundant toward the base
of the mountains that every facility was afforded for conceal-
ment, and they had little fear of detection. Biddon proceeded
in a westerly direction, intending to pass around and recon-
noiter the village from the opposite side, while Nat concluded
to lie off in the woods and view matters from a distance. The
latter made his way cautiously down the mountain, and
entered the woods without encountering any suspicious object.
Here the glorious foliage and the pleasant air were so tempt-
ing that he wandered through the forest almost forgetting the
object that brought him thither. He crossed small streams of
water which came down in cascades from the mountain, and
flowed over their pebbly beds like liquid mountain-air, in
which the fish, darting hither and thither, resembled flashes
of gold and silver. The forest-arches echoed with the songs
of thousands of birds; the sky overhead, as blue as Italy’s, was
flecked by a few drifting clouds; the air had that peculiar
clearness which renders it doubly exhilarating. Nat wan-
dered onward, like a boy lost in enchantment, until noon, when
he suddenly noticed that he had passed the Indian village by
several miles. Somewhat startled by this discovery, and
withal a little ashamed, he immediately turned to retrace his
way. Having now no fascination to make the mind insens-
ible to what the body was doing, the distance seemed astonish-
ingly great. But after a few hours of hurried walk, he caught
sight of the Indian lodges, nestling down in the valley like a
lot of hives, while the bees were swarming around the outside
and through the adjoining forest. Nat now and then caught
asight of the warriors, glittering in their gaudy dress like so
many tropical birds, and flitting hither and thither in a man-
ner that warned him to be cautious of his movements as he
approached the vicinity of the village. While proceeding
thus, he stumbled upon a scene that made him recoil in aston-
ishment. Several trees, standing close together, were inter-
aced and interwoven by vines in such a manner as to make a
natural arbor. Pressing between these vines, he found the
semblance from within more perfect ihan from the outside.
Tt seemed as though art must have assisted at some time in
forming such a beautiful retreat—mord-especially as the interior
’
TODD.
NATEAN
had the appearance of being fitted up for the abode of
some one during the sultry noontide hours. But Nat had
seen such wonderful doings of Nature in the wilds of the North-
west, that it would have required a most extraordinary
demonstration upon her part to have shaken his belief in her
potency. The present scene was so inviting, and the air so
cool, that he concluded to rest himself for awhile before con-
tinuing his reconnoiterings—or, more properly, commencing
them. Had he taken the precaution to examine more closely
the network of yines around him, he would have discovered
such evidences of the hand of man as to have made him care-
ful about hesitating long enough even to view the arbor, much
less to trust his body within it for an hour or two. But no
such suspicion entered his mind; and, seating himself upon a
curious-looking object, he gave himself up to the enjoyment
of the scene around.
As might be expected, he fell asleep! A half-hour after
entering, he rolled off his seat upon the leayes without
waking, and continued his slumbers, actually snoring loud
enough to attract attention from the outside! An hour passed
thus, when he awoke, and gazed with a bewildered look
around him. He recalled in a moment the circumtances by
which he was surrounded, and was about to rise to his feet
and pass out, when he was startled by a vision so unexpected,
so astounding, that we must digress a moment to describe it
in full.
At the opening by which he had entered, stood a person
whom it would have required no great effort of the imagina-
tion to fancy a being just dropped from the skies. Her dress
was purely Indian in character, with all the dazzling contrasts
of color and costly abundance that characterizes the costume
of a princess. The hair was black and flowing, and was sur-
mounted by a wreath, in which clustered such a number of
eagle-feathers of the most brilliant dyes, as to give it the
appearance of the plumage of one of those wondrous birds of
the Orient. A shawl of the hue of blood, spangled by all the
curious devices that an Indian’s ingenuity could suggest, fell
from the shoulders to the feet, and was open enough in front
{o reveal a dress of green and blue, figured and wrought after
the manner which a savage sorcerer sometimes evinces. The
NAT BLUSHES. 5
leggins were of the most tasteful kind, and the moccasins
small and ornamented by beads and trinkets. Ag she stood,
the left hand was closed over the right shoulder so as to grasp
the folds of the shawl and sustain it in its place, while the
right arm was raised, and the fingers were extended as if in
horror. The eyes were intensely black and glowing, the
niouth partly open, and one foot slightly in advance of the
other. The apparition of a white man seemed to have trans-
fixed her with a species of a terror, and she remained as
motionless as a statue. When fhis being first burst upon
Nat’s vision, he started, recoiled, and then gazed at it as if fas-
cinated. He examined the gorgeous dress, the form and the
features. He noticed the dark eyes and hair, the small,
slightly Roman nose, the finely cut lips, and glowing throat;
suddenly his own features lightened up, and he sprung for-
ward :
“How are you Irene? Glad to see you. Imogene
and Bill Relmond are first rate, I believe—that is, they
were the last I heard of them. This is your summer re-
treat, I s’pose; come in and sit down, and let’s have a talk
together.”
It would be difficult to picture the astonishment of the
being addressed by these words. It was not till she heard
her own name uttered that she moved. She started and
gasped :
‘** Who are you ?”
‘‘ Nathan Todd, from the State of Maine.”
‘* Where—why are you here ?”
« Why am I here? Ihave come all this distance to look
for you.”
Trene—for such it was—stepped forward and peered into
our hero’s face until he felt himself blushing to his very toes.
“Oh! explain yourself; what does all this mean ?”
“Well, the way of it is this,’ commenced Nat, making a
movement with his arms, as though he were putting on a coat,
and laying the finger of one hand in the palm of another.
“You see, your name is Irene Merment, in the first place,
isn’t it?”
“Tt is—and how came you to know it ?”
“We'll come to that by-and-by. Well, Bill Biddon and
myself (more especially myself) are here after you.”
NATHAN TODD.
While Nat was speaking, the fair being gazed at him as if
she doubted his sanity. Several times he noticed, too, that
she glanced furtively around her, as though she feared the
approach of some one.
“ But,” said she, “what do you wish of me?”
It liked to have slipped from Nat's mouth before he
thought; but it occurred to him it was rather early in their
acquaintance to make the all-important answer.
“We want to take you from these outlandish rascals to the
land of civilization, where you may see your friends.”
“ Me—I have no friends but these Indians.”
“Bes your pardon, the best friend you've got in the world
stands before you; and haven’t you got a sister ?”
“T had once. If she is living, she is, like me, a hopeless
captive. I never expect to see her until I meet her in
heaven.”
“Yowre all wrongagain. I’ve seen your sister Imogene;
she is married to a fellow named Relmond, from down
toward New Jersey somewhere. He is rather soft-like, but
they’re happy for all that. Happy, most, as I expect to be
when—”
He finished the sentence by a burning blush and cough.
Irene turned as pale as death, but mastered her terrible emo-
tion, and asked :
“Ts this true? Do tell me all. But I fear for you. Ifthe
Indians see you you, will be killed.”
“There are various opinions about that,” replied our hero,
confidently. ‘“ However, the story must be given. A num-
ber of years ago, all of your family, except yourself and sister,
were murdered on the plains by the all-fired savages. Each
of you were taken captives, and carried off by different tribes.
Your sister, Imogene, was rescued from captivity by myself,
assisted by Biddon, who was your guide at the time of the
massacre, and who is here now—assisted by him, I say, and
Relmond, who is gone East with her and married her. I heara
her speak of you, and I made a solemn vow to find out your
fate. The Lord directed me here, and I’ve found you at last.
Me and Biddon haye been hunting all over the mountains for
you, and I’ve nearly worried to death about you. You'll go
home with us and see your sister won't y i, Irene?”
IRENE. "7
“Yes, yes; I could not live here now that I know my only
earthly relative is living. I would die—I would die.”
She covered her face and gave way to her emotion for a
time, while Nat busied himself with surveying her wonderful
dress, admiring her faultless form, and conjuring up a hundred
wild schemes of escaping with her. Soon she looked up.
“Are you and Biddon the two white men who haye
remained in the mountains this winter ?”
“My gracious! how did you know we were here ?”
“The Indians have suspected it, although they did not
know where it was you remained. Oh, my friend! you are
in awful danger.”
“ Where? what is it?”
“The savages have watched the mountains for you a long
time, and they have found, at last, where it is you stay, and
they are going to kill you. They will do it if you are not
careful. Oh! I saw them kill a white man once whom they
found here, and they tried to get another one. They seta fire
all around the cave in which he had hid himself, and tried to
make him come out that way. He set up a yell and ran
‘ight through the fire and got away from them after all. Oh!
I was so glad I spent the whole night in thanking the blessed
God for it. He was the same man that I once warned of
danger several years before. Do not go back to your cave
to-night, for they will kill you.”
“Gracious! I must find Biddon.”
“Do not sleep there then.”
“There’s no danger of my sleeping any where to-night!
Tll go right off and see him now—but hold on,” he exclaimed,
wheeling around and facing Irene, “ how about you’re going
with us?”
“JT must see you again,” she replied ina low tone, and with
such an accent as to show that it had been years since she had
used her native tongue.
“JT haye it!” cried Nat, exultingly. “I will see Biddon,
and we'll camp out in the woods somewhere to-night, and T'll
come around to this place to-morrow night, and we’ll start for
home right off.”
‘Haye you horses ?”
“Not one. I lost mine last fall, and some of your Indians
must have stolen Biddon’s.”
78 NATHAN TODD.
“T will try and get some and bring them here, and oh!
may Heaven help me!”
She trembled like an aspen as she spoke, and soon added:
“Go now to your friend, and I entreat you to be careful.
Oh! this can not be reality !—it is!—it is! God grant that
I may see my long-lost sister !”
The next minute she was gone, and Nat, gazing a moment
in vain to catch a glimpse of her, turned also and departed.
Hardly five minutes had elapsed when the bushes parted
within a dozen feet of where she had been standing, and the
crouching form of an Indian rose to view. His face was dis-
torted with passion, for he had witnessed the interview just
recorded; and, although not a word was understood, the wily
savage read their meaning in their faces and gestures. He
bent his head as if listening, and then disappeared as stealthily
as he had come.
In the mean time Nat made his way toward the cavern,
his heart throbbing tumultuously with his newly-awakened
hope, and with the numerous schemes he conjured up to
escape the fury of the savages. It was already growing dusk,
and, while yet some distance from their rendezvous, he heard
a rustling in the bushes, and before he could divine its cause,
Biddon stood beside him.
“Don’t go any nearer the rocks!” he admonished in a
whisper.
Why, what’s the trouble ?”
“They’ve found us out at last, and it’s my private opine
there'll be some fun to-pight. Jist step back hyer a little
further in the woods and we'll talk the thing over. Now,”
asked the trapper, “ what have you seen ?”’
Nat related every particular of his interview with the cap-
tive, Irene.
“ Just what I expected,” added Biddon. “ You orter knowed
more than to go asleep in that place—”
“But you see I wanted to find out how the thing worked,
and if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have seen the lovely maiden—”
“T know,” interrupted Biddon, with a slight chuckle; “it’s
happened to come out right, but you orter knowed better.
T’ve been peakin’ round their village, and soon found out by
the way things looked that they’s up to some deyiltry, and
CAUTION. ‘.
long afore night I knowed it war our place they’d sot eyes
on. As I said afore, they’ll be thar to-night.”
“ And what'll we do ?”
“We'll lay off. Foller me as still as a snake.”
The trapper led the way further up the mountain until he
reached a point several hundred yards from the cafion of
which we have before spoken, and about a furlong from the
cavern which, up to this time, had been their quarters. Here
they halted before a cluster of buffalo-berry bushes. Both
knelt down on their hands and knees, crept a dozen feet into
the densest portion, where they nestled down like a couple of
rabbits.
“ What is this for ?” asked Nat, in a whisper.
“You see, there’s going to be somewhat of a moon to fight,
and when they don’t find us among the rocks, they’ll make a
search around it fur us, fur they’re bound to either lift our
ha’r or skear us out of these parts.”
“But won’t they find us here ?”
“They won't look so fur as this to-night, and if we can lay
out of sight till to-morrow night, they’ll think we've left for
good, and we'll have the next night to do the business for
him.” *
Nat saw the meaning of the course taken by the trapper.
The latter hoped to escape the eyes of the savages by the very
boldness of his stratagem. He had found, during the day,
that his traps had been visited, and had every good reason to
believe their retreat in the rocks was suspected. He knew
that a search would be made through the adjoining forest and
mountains ; and where the savages were acquainted with every
nook which could conceal a human body, there was little
cause to hope they would escape their vision. They might
haye made a retreat of several miles in the mountains, and
thus avoided them until they could venture in the vicinity of
the village again; but the reckless trapper chose a bolder ana
more perilous artifice. The thicket in which he and Nat had
concealed themselves afforded them a perfect screen, and there
was no danger of their being seen by any passer-by, unless he
should enter and separate the bushes. He had chosen a poin
so near the cafion to avail them in their last extremity should
« diseoyery take place,
NATHAN TODD.
They sat an hour or so conversing in whispers, when Nat
felt the hand of Biddon placed suddenly upon his shoulder,
and heard his whispered exclamation :
“ Look !” ,
A bright, lurid glare filledth at quarter of the heavens over
the cavern which had so long been their home, and a pile of
blazing brush, sending its cinders high in the air, was raging
around the rock itself.
“The imps ar’ at work, but-they’ve missed thar scalps this
time.”
The Indians had waited until late at night before com-
mencing their work. At that time they judged their victims
would be asleep Within the cave, totally unsuspicious of dan-
ger. Their preparations were made with the utmost secresy,
go as not to alarm them. Huge piles of brush were heaped
around the cave until it was literally covered with it. The
most daring of their number could not be induced to enter_the
cave in the face of the two rifles and knives they supposed to
be within it. .
The torch was applied to the brush in a dozen different
places at the same moment; and, as the forked flames shot
upward, half a hundred throats rent the air with exultant yells.
From their hiding-place the two whites could see the shadowy
forms leaping and flinging their limbs, like demons in some
hellish revel. The savages expected their victims would
either remain within the cave until suffocated to death, or until
they were compelled to rush out in their frenzy, when it was
intended to tomahawk them.
“Bars and beavers! wouldn’t it do me good jist to make
one or two of them imps bounce a little higher 7” remarked
Biddon, pointing his rifle through the bushes and letting the
gleam of the fire fall upon the barrel.
“T wouldn’t try it, Biddon,” pleaded N: “T wouldn’t try
‘tat all; it might be dangerous—da ous to the Indians, I
mean,”
“That's jist what Biddon was thinking.”
“Yes—I was going to say so—but I wouldn’t do it, Biddon.
Let them think we’re in there all the time.”
“Oh! I ain’t such a fool as to fire as the case stands now.”
The savages continued dancing and yelling until morning.
BAFFLED FURY, 81
The fire was continually replenished and kept raging; and,
when daylight dawned upon them, they were satisfied their
yictims were already dead. The pile of glowing coals was
now raked away from the entrance, and three Indians bounded
within with drawn knives. Instantly after, a howl of baffled
fury was heard as they saw the whites had escaped. The
apartment was filled with smoke and the intolerable stench of
the burning peltries, and it was this which had been mistaken
for that of the human bodies.* The savages, overcome by the
sickening smell, darted out again and reported the whites
gone. Another search was hurriedly made by others, which,
of course, confirmed this fact.
A consultation was now held, and it was agreed that they
nad been deceived. The two men could not have eluded
them after the cave was surrounded. They must have dis-
covered the intentions upon them and fled. The Indian who
had witnessed the interview between Nat and Irene had
imparted it to others, who were thus convinced that they were
still lurking in the vicinity. Just what Biddon predicted took
place. The savages determined to spend the day in scarching
the mountains and forest, and to discover and sacrifice them.
Biddon, in his concealment, read this resolve in the actions
of his enemies, and assured Nat that the critical time was
coming. If they could remain secure until dusk, he was sat-
isfied of success. They would then steal out and meet Irene
at the place appointed ; but if discovered—
“We'll make a dash for the kenyon. My canoe is there,
and we'll be out of their sight in a twinklin’.. We couldn’t
make a run for it through these mountains without losin’ our
ha’r.”
So that was determined. Now and then Biddon parted the
bushes with his rifle, so as to afford him a view of what was
going on. At such times he could see some of the Indians
hunting around the rock, and he rightly judged there were
gh the wood. With characteristic
had brought some beayer-meat
situation did not prevent
others scattered throu
thoughtfulness, the tray
with him, which the peril of the
from being enjoyed.
The forenoon wore away without any alarming circum-
stance occurring. On three several occasions Biddon had
NATHAN
TODD.
detected the presence of their enemies by applying his ear to
the ground and hearing their footsteps; but all passed away,
and they had good reason to believe the crisis had gone by.
“T don’t believe the fools have the slightest thought of our
being here,” remarked Nat, exultingly.
Biddon instantly started, bent his head to the ground, and
whispered :
“Tt's all up! we must make a run !”
“Why ? they haven’t seen us.”
“YT heard a redskin’s step the minute you spoke, and I knew
he heard you speak. He’s gone to get the others.”
“ Jerusa—”
“ Foller me, and use your pegs !”
He crawled hastily to the edge of the thicket and paused
an instant.
“Yonder’s the infarnal imp, and he’s gettin’ ’em fast.
Come, Nat Todd, ef you go under, you'll have the pleasure of
knowin’ ’twan’t nobody’s fault but your own. Keep close,
don’t make no noise, and do as I do.”
As he spoke he started on a rapid run, his head bent down
almost to his knees. Nat followed in the same crouching
manner, They had gained a dozen yards when a yell, some-
thing similar to the dreaded “ death-halloo,” rose on the air,
and a score of Indians sprung toward them. The trapper
instantly rose to an upright position and darted forward with
the speed of the wind. Fortunately, there were none of their
enemies in their way, and they reached the water several
hundred yards in advance of all pursuers. The trapper
bounded over the, rocks into the boiling eddy in front of the
cafion, and disappeared from view. While Nat stood a trem-
bling, agonized spectator, he came out from beneath a ledge of
rocks, holding the prow of a canoe.
“ Over with you!” he shouted, making his voice heard above
the thundering din of the waters.
Nat did not hesitate, but leaped out, going far down inte
the caldron. As he came, he was seized by Biddon—who had
already entered the boat—and hauled in.
“Hold fast or yowll be throwed out!” screamed the
trapper. :
The next instant the boat was scized by the resistless
SHOOTING A CANON. 83
current, as if it were an eggshell, and whirled in between the
rocks. As it darted forward with the swiftness of a bullet,
Nat heard a voice as though uttered miles away :
“ The imps ‘ll lose our ha’r after all thar trouble, for they'll
never see us come out this kenyon.”
Turning, he saw the trapper’s face glowing like a spirit’s,
All around was a hell of foam—of dripping rocks—of deafen-
ing thunder—of dizzying spinning—of oblivion !
When the Indians reached the cafion, not a vestige of the
whites was seen !
CHA PPh Xx:
IN WHICH IT IS SHOWN THAT IT IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING
To “SPLIT UPON A ROCK.”
THE cafion was over a mile in extent. It wound toward
every point of the compass through a mass composed of red
sandstone and siliceous limestone. Overhead the walls almost
touched in places, while in others the fleetest horse could not
have leaped them. The action of the water, for untold cen-
turies, had hollowed out such a vast amount of the solid
material as to give it the appearance of a tunnel partly burst
open at the top. The-blinding spray that continually ascended
from the turmoil of water afforded only an occasional glimpse
of what was beneath. In some places the current could be
seen moving with a frightful calmness, here and there a spot
of deep emerald-green visible, while in others the froth danced
gayly forward, the particles seeming to repel each other with
a peculiar shuddering motion.
Upon the disappearance of the twain in this raging cafion,
* the Indians rushed forward and peered downward at different
points, hoping to obtain a glimpse of their bodies tossed from
rock to rock. The stern of the canoe, only, was discovered as
it shot from sight. Once, a dark body was seen to whirl with
an awful velocity, and then it was hid from view by the mist
and projecting erags.
84 NATHAN TODD,
At the point where the caiion issued from the mountains,
and spread out into a broad, limpid stream, were stationed a
score of warriors, waiting to see the fragments of the canoe or
, the mangled bodies of the whites. A couple of hours after, a
loud shout was raised as the canoe appeared bottom upward.
A daring savage sprung in, and, swimming until in calmer
water, pulled the boat in. A minute examination followed,
revealing the fact that it was split from stem to stern, and
thrust through-again and again by the jagged points of the
rocks against which it had been cast. But no sign of the rash
adventurers was seen. The savages waited until dusk, when,
satisfied that their bodies were wedged in the walls or spin-
ning in the vortex of some whirlpool, they withdrew, if not
contented that their scalps were irrecoverably gone, still,
relieved to know that a dangerous enemy was effectually
extinguished.
Night slowly settled over the mountain and wood. The
faint moon, obseured by the drifting clouds, threw a ghostly
and uncertain light over the scene. The Indian village was
quiet and motionless. Now and then a dusky form flitted into
view, and was lost again in the deep shadows. The continu-
ous, thundering roar of the cafion was the only sound that
broke the solemn stillness that otherwise held reign.
Several yards from the commencement of the cafion, a
sharp crag projected nearly across the top. It was on this
that the most venturesome of the Indian children often seated
themselves, to the consternation of the more timid ones, as it
was directly over the fiercest part, and was ever dripping with
the water dashed against it. Had a savage made it his duty
to watch this point of rock through the night, he would have
noted something unusual and alarming.
Near midnight, a dark, circular line, like the coil of a hoop-
snake, shot upward beside this point and dropped beneath,
This was repeated four times, when, for the space of ten min-
utes, no further movement could have been noticed. At the
end of that time a slight agitation took place, and an instant
after, a human head rose to view and as quickly disappeared
again. Scarce a minute elapsed ere it rose once more, and
was followed by a pair of massive shoulders. Remaining a
feot above the surface, the bushy head moved areund as if on
—
=
te
vpn
NAT “FLOPS OUT.” &
a pivot, and had it not been for the deafening roar, the fol-
lowing words could have been heard:
“Thar don’t appear to be none of the imps around jist now,
and ef they don’t think we’ve gone under this time, then Bill
Biddon never raised the ha’r of a red this side of the Missipp.
Wagh !”
The ponderous form of the trapper now heayed up from
the chasm, and was instantly extended flat upon the rocks. A
minute after, a conical point rose to view, ascending higher
and higher, until the peaked hat, the dilated eyes, and glowing
face of Nat Todd were visible in the pale moonlight.
“Sure they’re all gone, Biddon 2”
“Yas—be quick and flop out.”
It required no second admonition for our hero to “ flop
out.” Hardly were the words uttered before his angular legs
beat the air and he slid dextrously backward beside Biddon.
“Now jump to tother side and make for cover!” added the
latter, springing over and shooting across toward the wood.
Nat skurried after him, experiencing that peculiar sensation
that afflicts one who is momentarily expecting the prick of
seyeral poisoned arrows in the rear. The shadows of the
wood reached, they halted for consultation.
“T tell you what, Biddon, I come nearer to death that
time than I ever did before !”
“Shoot me ef it wan’t as close a rub I b’lieve as I ever
had. Things looked dub’ous when we went into that kenyon.”
“ How in the name of Heaven did you think to bring that
rope with you ?”
“Wagh! I told yer it wan't swre death to go in there,
*though ’twas next to it. I brought that lasso with me and
laid it in the boat a month ago.”
“Ugh! it makes me shudder to think of that awful ride,
and our stay on that rock, and the time when I was climbing
up, when I dangled right in the midst of the dashing spray.
S’posen that thong had broke! Where would I have been ?”
“Never mind, you're right side up for the present. I’ve
spent many an hour along the upper part of that kenyon,
seein’ how "twas built, and what chance a feller would have
who was sucked in it. I knowed ef he ever got twenty yards
in it he'd get his last sickness, sure. Yes, sir. I’ve throwed
in big chunks of wood, and then watched thar capers”
86 NATHAN TODD.
“ Playing, as I suppose.”
“Tt was that playin’ that saved you this time. I noticed
that on an averige, three times out of seven, each chunk of
wood was carried right over a big flat rock, where, ef it only
had turned to stone, it would have sunk and staid, being as
the water was rather mild jist there. Not bein’ a stone, how-
sumeyver, it was washed away. In course, I ’cluded a feller
what was drawed in there would stand three chances out of
seven of bein’ carried on that same rock, whar, ef he waslively
like, he might grab and hold on, and git breath afore goin’
any furder. Now, Nat, the foolishest notion I ever had in
my life was to take a shoot down that same kenyon, and I
made up my mind to come back here some day and try it.
That extra expense was saved, as we’ve jist seen. Our boat
was carried on that very rock, where it split in two and
spilled us out. I growed heavy all at once, and stuck to the
rock like a dog to a root, and held you on, When we got the
use of our pegs it wan't no hard job to keep our places,
*though we had to stand in a foot’s water and hold fast with
our hands, toes, and teeth. It was a lucky accident that
cracked the boat jist in that place. It was the best rock to
split on.