"Ye don"t look like it!" said Larry, gazing at the man in some surprise.
"Perhaps not, nevertheless it"s a fact, so we"ll push on an" try to find "em before sundown."
Saying this, the stalwart trapper gave the rein to his stead and galloped away over the plains, followed as close as possible by the wearied travellers.
The pace was hard on the horses, but there was need for haste, because the sun was close on the horizon, and as far as the eye could reach no buffalo were to be seen. Ere long the character of the prairie changed, the arid ground gave place to more fertile land, here and there clumps of willows and even a few small trees appeared, while, in the far distance, a line of low bushes ran across the country.
"Water dere," said Bunco.
"The Redskin"s right," observed the trapper, slackening his speed a little; ""tis his natur" to know the signs o" the wilderness. Does his hawk-eye see nothing more?"
"Bufflo!" exclaimed Bunco, as he drew up and gazed intently at a particular spot in the wilderness.
"Ay, lad, it is buffalo an" no mistake. I know"d I should find "em there," said the trapper, with a quiet chuckle, as he examined the priming of his rifle. "Now, friends, we"ll have to approach them quietly. You"d better catch up the halters o" your pack-horses, Mister Irishman--"
"Larry O"Hale at your sarvice, Mister Trapper."
"Benjamin Hicks at yours, Mister O"Hale, but I"m better known as Big Ben! And now," he continued, "keep well in rear, all of you, an" follow me down in the bottom there, between the ridges. Don"t out o"
cooriosity go exposin" yourselves to the buffalo. In the meantime keep quiet, and let your mouths water at the thought o" fat steaks and marrow-bones."
Benjamin Hicks galloped along the bottom of the hollow for a considerable distance; then, dismounting, hobbled his horse by tying its two fore feet together with a piece of rope. Thus hampered, it could hop about in an awkward fashion and feed, while its master advanced on foot. With rapid strides he proceeded some distance further along the bottom, and then ascended the ridge in a stooping position. On nearing the summit he crept on hands and knees, and, on gaining it, he sank like a phantom into the gra.s.s and disappeared.
The party who followed him stopped on reaching the spot where the horse had been left, and for some time waited in excited and silent expectation, listening for the report of the hunter"s rifle. Despite the caution given them, however, they could not long refrain from attempting to see what was going on. After waiting a few minutes, Will Osten hobbled his horse and crept up the side of the ridge, which might be more correctly described as an undulating prairie-wave. Bunco and Larry followed his example. When they all lay flat among the gra.s.s on the summit and raised their heads cautiously, the sight that met their eyes sent a thrill of delight to their hearts.
It was still the boundless prairie, indeed, but its uniform flatness was broken by innumerable knolls and hillocks, of varied extent, which looked like islands in a green sea. Some were covered with cl.u.s.ters of white pines, others with low bushes. Rich gra.s.s waved gently in the evening breeze, giving to the whole scene an air of quiet motion. Not far distant flowed the little stream already referred to, and as this reflected the gorgeous golden clouds that were lit up by the setting sun, it appeared like a stream of liquid fire meandering over the plains, while, far, far away on the hazy and glowing horizon--so far that it seemed as if a whole world lay between--a soft blue line was faintly visible. It might have been mistaken for the distant sea, or a long low cloud of azure blue, but Will Osten knew that, however unlike to them it might appear, this was in reality the first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains! The pleasantest sight of all, however, was a group of ten or a dozen buffalo, which grazed, in all the lazy ease of fancied security, at the side of a knoll not more than three hundred yards distant. As our travellers lay, with bated breath and beating hearts, gazing at these animals, dreaming of feasting on fat things, and waiting for a shot, they became aware of a low murmuring sound somewhat resembling distant thunder, but softer and more continuous. On scanning the plains more intently they perceived that here and there were other scattered groups of buffalo, more or less concealed by knolls, while in the extreme distance a black line, which they had at first mistaken for bushes, proved to be an immense herd of living creatures, whose pawings and bellowings reached them like a faint murmur.
Suddenly the animals close to them sprang into the air as if they had received an electric shock. At the same instant a white cloudlet of smoke rose above the gra.s.s, and a few seconds later the sharp crack of the trapper"s rifle broke on their ears. The huge ungainly brutes bounded away, leaving one of their number behind. He writhed violently, and then lay gently down. A moment of suspense followed, for he might rise again and run beyond pursuit, as buffalo often do under a deadly wound! But no! he curled his tail, gasped once or twice, and rolled over on his side.
Knives were out in a moment, and the whole party rushed like wolves upon the prey. First, they rolled the animal upon his brisket, slit his hide along the spine, peeled it down one side, and cut off a piece large enough to form a wrapper for the meat. Next the flesh on each side of the spine was pared off, and the tongue cut out. The axe was then applied to his ribs--the heart, the fat, the tender loins and other parts were taken out; then the great marrow-bones were cut from his legs, and the whole being wrapped in the green hide, was slung on a pole, and carried by Will Osten and the trapper to the nearest suitable camping ground. This was on the edge of a grove of white pine by the side of the clear rivulet under the shade of a woody hill. Here, before darkness had completely set in, Will and his new friend kindled a great fire and prepared supper, while Larry and Bunco went off to fetch and tether the horses.
Now, reader, you must understand that it was no light duty which lay before the wanderers that evening. They had to make up for a good many missed meals. The word "ravenous" scarcely indicates their condition!
They were too hungry to lose time, too tired to speak. Everything, therefore, was done with quiet vigour. Steaks were impaled on pieces of stick, and stuck up before the fire to roast. When one side of a steak was partially done, pieces of it were cut off and devoured while the other was cooking. At the expense of a little burning of the lips, and a good deal of roasting of the face, the severe pangs of hunger were thus slightly allayed, then each man sat down before the blaze with his back against a tree, his hunting-knife in one hand, a huge rib or steak in the other, and quietly but steadily and continuously devoured beef!
"Och! when did I iver ait so much before?" exclaimed Larry, dropping a peeled rib.
"What! not goin" to give in yet?" said Big Ben, setting up another rib to roast; "why, that"ll never do. You must eat till daylight, if you would be fit to travel in the prairie. Our wild meat never pains one.
You may eat as much as you can hold. That"s always the way we do in the far west. Sometimes we starve for six or eight days at a time, and then when we get plenty, we lay in good store and pack it well down, always beginnin" wi" the best pieces first, for fear that some skulkin" Redskin should kill us before we"ve had time to enjoy them. See here, you"ve only had the first course; rest a bit while I prepare the second."
While he spoke, Ben was breaking up the marrow-bones with his hatchet, and laying bare the beautiful rolls of "trappers" b.u.t.ter" within.
Having extracted about a pound of marrow, he put it into a gallon of water, and, mixing along with it a quant.i.ty of the buffalo"s blood and a little salt, set it on the fire to boil. In a short time this savoury soup was ready. Turn not up your noses at it, "ye gentlemen of England, who live at home at ease," (though, by the way, we doubt the reality of that "ease," which causes so much dyspepsia amongst you that good food becomes unpalatable and strong food nauseous), but believe us when we tell you that the soup was super-excellent.
"Musha!" exclaimed Larry, when he tasted the first spoonful, "I feel exactly as if I had ait nothin" at all yit--only goin" to begin!" And with that he and his comrades attacked and consumed the soup until their faces shone again with grease and gladness.
"That"ll do now," said Larry in a decided tone, as he rose and stretched himself, preparatory to filling his beloved pipe--"not a dhrop nor a bite more on any account."
"Is you stuffed full?" asked Bunco.
"Pretty nigh," replied Larry, glancing at his friend with an inquiring look; "seems to me that _you_ have overdone it."
"Me is pretty tight," said Bunco languidly.
"Come, come," cried the trapper, "don"t shirk your victuals. There"s one more course, and then you can rest if you have a mind to."
So saying, the indefatigable man took up the intestines of the buffalo, which had been properly prepared for the purpose, turned them inside out, and proceeded to stuff them with strips of tender loin well salted and peppered. The long sausage thus hastily made was hung in festoons before the fire, and roasted until it was thoroughly browned. Portions were then cut off and set down before the company. When each thought of beginning he felt as though the swallowing of a single bite were utterly impossible, but when each had actually begun he could not stop, but continued eating until all was finished, and then wished for more, while Benjamin Hicks chuckled heartily to witness the success of his cookery and the extent of his friends" powers.
Ah, it is all very well, reader, for you to say "Humph! nonsense," but go you and wander for a year or two among the Rocky Mountains, acquire the muscles of a trapper and the digestion of an ostrich, then starve yourself for a few days, and get the chance of a "feed" such as we have feebly described, and see whether you won"t come home (if you ever come home) saying, "Well, after all, truth _is_ strange, stranger than fiction!"
It need scarcely be said that the solace of the pipe was sought immediately after the meal was concluded by Will, Larry, and Bunco; but Big Ben did not join them. He had starved longer than they, and intended, as he said, to eat all night!
"Well," observed Larry, as he extended himself at full length before the blaze, and resting his right elbow on the ground and his head on his hand, smoked in calm felicity; "I"ve often found that there"s nothin"
like tiredness to make a man enjoy rest, but, faix, it"s this night I"ve larned, as I niver did before, that there"s nothin" like starvation to mak wan enjoy his victuals."
"Eight, Larry," said Will Osten with a laugh; "upon my word I think it would be worth while to live always on the plan of missing our meals each alternate day, in order to enjoy them more thoroughly on the other days."
"If city men would go on that plan," observed the trapper, gravely tearing the flesh from a rib with his teeth, and speaking at the same time, "there would be no use for doctors."
"Ah, then, think of that now; wouldn"t it be a rail hard case for the poor doctors?" said Larry, with a sly glance at Will.
Bunco grinned at this, and observed that it was "time for hims be go sleep." Whereupon he rolled his blanket about him and lay down with his feet to the fire. Will Osten also lay down and fell asleep almost immediately. Larry, too, stretched himself out in repose, leaving Big Ben still engaged with the buffalo beef.
The night was rather cold. In course of time Will Osten awoke, and called to the trapper to mend the fire, which he did, and then resumed his former occupation. Once or twice after that, one and another of the slumberers awoke, and, looking up sleepily for a few seconds, beheld the enduring man still hard at work. The last to lift his head that night was Larry. The puzzled Irishman gazed in mute amazement during the unusually long period of half a minute, for Benjamin Hicks still sat there, glittering in the light of the camp-fire, grave as a Redskin, and busy as ever with the bones!
CHAPTER THREE.
RELATES HOW BIG BEN BECAME A TRAVELLING COMPANION, AND HOW A BIG BEAR WAS CAPTURED--DISCUSSIONS AND MISFORTUNES.
To the great satisfaction of Will Osten and his friends, it was discovered that Benjamin Hicks was a wandering trapper, whose avocations led him to whatever part of the wilderness was most likely to produce furs, and who had no particular objection to take a trip across the mountains with our adventurers. Indeed Big Ben thought no more of a ride of several hundreds of miles than most men do of an afternoon walk, and, if particular business did not prevent him, he was always ready to undertake a "venture" so long as it was, in his opinion, justifiable and likely to pay.
"You see, sir," he said, as he and Will cantered together along the base of a low hill one evening, "it"s not that I"m of an unsettled natur", but I"ve bin born to this sort o" life, an" it would be no manner o" use in me tryin" to change it. Once upon a time I used to think o" settlin"
in one of the back settlements--that was when my poor old mother was alive. I used to live with her and take care of her after my father"s death. Then I married and thought I was fairly fixed down for life, but one night when I chanced to be out looking after my traps, a war-party o" Injuns attacked the village and killed every soul in it. At least so it was said at the time, but afterwards I met a lad who had escaped, an"
he told me that he had seen my mother and wife killed, but that a few of the men escaped as well as him."
The trapper"s voice deepened as he spoke, and he paused.
"Was it long ago?" asked Will, in a tone of sympathy.
"Ten years now," answered Ben, sadly--"though it seems to me but yesterday. For many a day after that I tried to find the trail o" the Redskins that did it, but never succeeded, thank G.o.d. If I had, it would only have ended in the spillin" of more blood, without any good comin" of it. It is long now since I left off thirstin" for revenge, but I suppose I"ll never cease wishin" that--that--well, well, G.o.d"s will be done," he added, as if rousing himself out of a sad reverie, "I"m not used to speak about this, but somehow whenever I meet with white men _o" the right sort_ in the plains or mountains, I always feel a kind o" longin" to let my tongue wag raither too free. However, as I was goin" to say, I"ve been a wanderer since then, goin" where I think I can be o" use to myself or others; and so, as you don"t appear to be overly knowin" about the trail across the mountains, I"ll go with "ee a bit o" the way an" pint it out, if you have no objections."
"No objections!" echoed Will; "I"ll be delighted to have your company, and would be only too glad if you could go all the way."
"Who knows but I might be willin" to go if I was asked," said the trapper, with a slight approach to a smile.
"Are you in earnest?" asked Will Big Ben not only admitted that he was in earnest, but said that he was quite ready to start at once, if they would only consent to diverge from their route about thirty miles to a small outpost belonging to the fur-traders, where he had deposited a lot of peltries, which he wished to convert into supplies for the journey.
This was readily agreed to, and, accordingly, next day about noon, they came in sight of Rocky Mountain Fort--so-called because of its being situated in a somewhat wild glen, near the verge of one of the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains.
While the fort was still far distant, though in sight, Larry O"Hale uttered a sudden exclamation, and pointed to a black spot lying on the side of one of the numerous mounds with which the country was diversified.