The Backwoodsman; Or, Life on the Indian Frontier
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Title: The Backwoodsman; Or, Life on the Indian Frontier
Editor: Sir Lascelles Wraxall
Release date: August 15, 2011 [eBook #37100]
Most recently updated: January 8, 2021
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BACKWOODSMAN; OR, LIFE ON THE INDIAN FRONTIER ***
Produced by David Garcia, Linda Hamilton and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Kentuckiana Digital Library)
[Illustration: FIGHT WITH THE GRIZZLY BEARS. _p. 290._]
THE
BACKWOODSMAN;
OR,
=Life on the Indian Frontier.=
[Illustration]
LONDON:
WARD, LOOK, AND TYLER,
WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
THE
BACKWOODSMAN
OR
=Life on the Indian Frontier.=
EDITED BY
SIR C. F. LASCELLES WRAXALL, BART.
[Illustration: WL&T]
LONDON:
WARD, LOCK, AND TYLER,
WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY J. OGDEN AND CO.,
172, ST. JOHN STREET, E.C.
[Illustration]
CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
I. MY SETTLEMENT 1
II. THE COMANCHES 6
III. A FIGHT WITH THE WEICOS 12
IV. HUNTING ADVENTURES 19
V. THE NATURALIST 30
VI. MR. KREGER'S FATE 41
VII. A LONELY RIDE 53
VIII. THE JOURNEY CONTINUED 66
IX. HOMEWARD BOUND 82
X. THE BEE HUNTER 99
XI. THE WILD HORSE 114
XII. THE PRAIRIE FIRE 126
XIII. THE DELAWARE INDIAN 137
XIV. IN THE MOUNTAINS 151
XV. THE WEICOS 162
XVI. THE BEAR HOLE 173
XVII. THE COMANCHE CHIEF 185
XVIII. THE NEW COLONISTS 208
XIX. A BOLD TOUR 224
XX. THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 238
XXI. LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS 253
XXII. BEAVER HUNTERS 267
XXIII. THE GRIZZLY BEARS 282
XXIV. ASCENT OF THE BIGHORN 300
XXV. ON THE PRAIRIE 326
XXVI. THE COMANCHES 345
XXVII. HOME AGAIN 363
XXVIII. INDIAN BEAUTIES 381
XXIX. THE SILVER MINE 396
XXX. THE PURSUIT 412
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE BACKWOODSMAN
CHAPTER I.
MY SETTLEMENT.
My blockhouse was built at the foot of the mountain chain of the Rio
Grande, on the precipitous banks of the River Leone. On three sides it
was surrounded by a fourteen feet stockade of split trees standing
perpendicularly. At the two front corners of the palisade were small
turrets of the same material, whence the face of the wall could be held
under fire in the event of an attack from hostile Indians. On the south
side of the river stretched out illimitable rolling prairies, while the
northern side was covered with the densest virgin forest for many miles.
To the north and west I had no civilized neighbours at all, while to the
south and east the nearest settlement was at least 250 miles distant. My
small garrison consisted of three men, who, whenever I was absent,
defended the fort, and at other times looked after the small field and
garden as well as the cattle.
As I had exclusively undertaken to provide my colony with meat, I rarely
stayed at home, except when there was some pressing field work to be
done. Each dawn saw me leave the fort with my faithful dog Trusty, and
turn my horse either toward the boundless prairie or the mountains of
the Rio Grande.
Very often hunting kept me away from home for several days, in which
case I used to bivouac in the tall grass by the side of some prattling
stream. Such oases, though not frequent, are found here and there on the
prairies of the Far West, where the dark, lofty magnolias offer the
wearied traveller refreshment beneath their thick foliage, and the
stream at their base grants a cooling draught. One of these favourite
spots of mine lay near the mountains, about ten miles from my abode. It
was almost the only water far and wide, and here formed two ponds, whose
depths I was never able to sound, although I lowered large stones
fastened to upwards of a hundred yards of lasso. The small space between
the two ponds was overshadowed by the most splendid magnolias, peca-nut
trees, yuccas, evergreen oaks, &c., and begirt by a wall of cactuses,
aloes, and other prickly plants. I often selected this place for
hunting, because it always offered a large quantity of game of every
description, and I was certain at any time of finding near this water
hundreds of wild turkeys, which constitute a great dainty in the bill of
fare of the solitary hunter.
After a very hot spring day I had sought the ponds, as it was too late
to ride home. The night was glorious; the magnolias and large-flowered
cactuses diffused their vanilla perfume over me; myriads of fireflies
continually darted over the plain, and a gallant mocking-bird poured
forth its dulcet melody into the silent night above my head. The whole
of nature seemed to be revelling in the beauty of this night, and
thousands of insects sported round my small camp fire. It was such a
night as the elves select for their gambols, and for a long time I gazed
intently at the dark blue expanse above me. But, though the crystal
springs incessantly bubbled up to the surface, the Lurleis would not
visit me, for they have not yet strayed to America.
My dog and horse also played around me for a long time, until, quite
tired, they lay down by the fire-side, and all three of us slept till
dawn, when the gobbling of the turkeys aroused us. The morning was as
lovely as the night. To the east the flat prairie bordered the horizon
like a sea; the dark sky still glistened with the splendour of all its
jewels, while the skirt of its garment was dipped in brilliant carmine;
the night fled rapidly toward the mountains, and morn pursued it clad in
his festal robes. The sun rose like a mighty ball over the prairie, and
the heavy dew bowed the heads of the tender plants, as if they were
offering their morning thanksgiving for the refreshment which had been
granted them. I too was saturated with dew, and was obliged to hang my
deerskin suit to dry at the fire; fortunately the leather had been
smoked over a wood fire, which prevents it growing hard in drying. I
freshened up the fire, boiled some coffee, roasted the breast of a
turkey, into which I had previously rubbed pepper and salt, and finished
breakfast with Trusty, while Czar, my famous white stallion, was
greedily browzing on the damp grass, and turned his head away when I
went up to him with the bridle. I hung up the rest of the turkey, as
well as another I had shot on the previous evening, and a leg of deer
meat, in the shadow of a magnolia, as I did not know whether I might not
return to the spot that evening, saddled, and we were soon under weigh
for the mountains, where I hoped to find buffalo.
I was riding slowly along a hollow in the prairie, when a rapidly
approaching sound attracted my attention. In a few minutes a very old
buffalo, covered with foam, dashed past me, and almost at the same
moment a Comanche Indian pulled up his horse on the rising ground about
fifty yards from me. As he had his bow ready to shoot the buffalo, the
savage made his declaration of war more quickly than I, and his first
arrow passed through my game bag sling, leather jacket and waistcoat to
my right breast, while two others whizzed past my ear. To pluck out the
arrow, seize a revolver, and dig the spurs into my horse, were but one
operation; and a second later saw me within twenty yards of the Redskin,
who had turned his horse round and was seeking safety in flight. After a
chase of about two miles over awfully rough ground, where the slightest
mistake might have broken my neck, the Indian's horse began to be
winded, while Czar still held his head and tail erect. I rapidly drew
nearer, in spite of the terrible blows the Redskin dealt his horse, and
when about thirty paces behind the foe, I turned slightly to the left,
in order, if I could, to avoid wounding his horse by my shot. I raised
my revolver and fired, but at the same instant the Indian disappeared
from sight, with the exception of his left foot, with which he held on
to the saddle, while the rest of his body was suspended on the side away
from me. With the cessation of the blows, however, the speed of his
horse relaxed, and I was able to ride close up. Suddenly the Indian
regained his seat and urged on his horse with the whip; I fired and
missed again, for I aimed too high in my anxiety to spare the mustang.
We went on thus at full gallop till we reached a very broad ravine, over
which the Indian could not leap. He, therefore, dashed past my left
hand, trying at the same moment to draw an arrow from the quiver over
his left shoulder. I fired for the third time; with the shot the
Comanche sank back on his horse's croup, hung on with his feet, and went
about a hundred yards farther, when he fell motionless in the tall
grass. As he passed me, I had noticed that he was bleeding from the
right chest and mouth, and was probably already gone to the happy
hunting-grounds. I galloped after the mustang, which soon surrendered,
though with much trembling, to the pale face; I fastened its bridle to
my saddle bow, led both horses into a neighbouring thicket, and reloaded
my revolver.
I remained for about half-an-hour in my hiding-place, whence I could
survey the landscape around, but none of the Indian's comrades made
their appearance, and I, therefore, rode up to him to take his weapons.
He was dead. The bullet had passed through his chest. I took his bow,
quiver and buffalo hide, and sought for the arrows he had shot at me as
I rode back. I resolved to pass the night at the ponds, not only to rest
my animals, but also to conceal myself from the Indians who, I felt
sure, were not far off. I was not alarmed about myself, but in the
event of pursuit by superior numbers, I should have Trusty to protect,
and might easily lose the mustang again.
I reached the springs without any impediment, turned my horses out to
grass in the thicket, and rested myself in the cool shade of the trees
hanging over the ponds. A calm, starry night set in, and lighted me on
my ride home, which I reached after midnight. The mustang became one of
my best horses. It grew much stronger, as it was only four years old
when I captured it; and after being fed for awhile on maize, acquired
extraordinary powers of endurance.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER II.
THE COMANCHES.
The summer passed away in hunting, farm-work, building houses, and other
business, and during this period I had frequently visited the ponds. One
evening I rode to them again in order to begin hunting from that point
the next morning. If I shot buffaloes not too far from my house, I used
to ride back, and at evening drove out with a two-wheeled cart, drawn by
mules, to fetch the meat and salt it for the probable event of a siege.
As I always had an ample supply of other articles for my garrison and
cattle, and as I had plenty of water, I could resist an Indian attack
for a long time. Large herds of buffalo always appear in the
neighbourhood, so soon as the vegetation on the Rocky Mountains begins
to die out, and the cold sets in. They spread over the evergreen
prairies in bands of from five to eight hundred head, and I have often
seen at one glance ten thousand of these relics of the primeval world.
For a week past these wanderers had been moving southwards; but, though
their appearance may be so agreeable to the hunter in these parts, it
reminds him at the same time that his perils are greatly increased by
their advent. Numerous tribes of horse Indians always follow these herds
to the better pasturage and traverse the prairie in every direction, as
they depend on the buffalo exclusively for food. The warmer climate
during the winter also suits them better, as they more easily find
forage for their large troops of horses and mules.
At a late hour I reached the ponds, after supplying myself _en route_
with some fat venison. Before I lit my fire, I also shot two turkeys on
the neighbouring trees, because at this season they are a great dainty,
as they feed on the ripe oily peca-nuts. I sat till late over my small
fire, cut every now and then a slice from the meat roasting on a spit,
and bade my dog be quiet, who would not lie down, but constantly sniffed
about with his broad nose to the ground, and growling sullenly. Czar, on
the contrary, felt very jolly, had abundant food in the prairie grass,
and snorted every now and then so lustily, that the old turkeys round us
were startled from their sleep. It grew more and more quiet. Czar had
lain down by my side, and only the unpleasant jeering too-whoot of the
owl echoed through the night, and interrupted the monotonous chorus of
the hunting wolves which never ceases in these parts. Trusty, my
faithful watchman, was still sitting up with raised nose, when I sank
back on my saddle and fell asleep. The morning was breaking when I
awoke, saturated with dew; but I sprang up, shook myself, made up the
fire, put meat on the spit and coffee to boil, and then leapt into the
clear pond whose waters had so often refreshed me. After the bath I
breakfasted, and it was not till I proceeded to saddle my horse that I
noticed Trusty's great anxiety to call my attention to something. On
following him, I found a great quantity of fresh Indian sign, and saw
that a large number of horses had been grazing round the pond on the
previous day. I examined my horse gear and weapons, opened a packet of
cartridges for my double-barrelled rifle, and then rode in the direction
of the Leone. I had scarce crossed the first upland and reached the
prairie when Czar made an attempt to bolt, and looked round with a
snort. I at once noticed a swarm of Comanches about half a mile behind
me, and coming up at full speed. There was not a moment to lose in
forming a resolution--I must either fly or return to my natural fortress
at the springs. I decided on the latter course, as my enemies were
already too near for my dog to reach the thicket or the Leone before
them, for though the brave creature was remarkably powerful and
swift-footed, he could not beat good horses in a long race.
I therefore turned Czar round, and flew back to the ponds. A narrow
path which I had cut on my first visit through a wall of prickly plants
led to the shady spot between the two ponds, which on the opposite side
were joined by a broad swamp, so that I had only this narrow entrance to
defend. The thicket soon received us. Czar was fastened by the bridle to
a wild grape-vine; my long holster-pistols were thrust into the front of
my hunting-shirt; the belt that held my revolvers was unbuckled, and I
was ready for the attack of the savages. Trusty, too, had put up the
stiff hair on his back, and by his growling showed that he was equally
ready to do his part in the fight. The Indians had come within a few
hundred yards, and were now circling round me with their frightful
war-yell, swinging their buffalo-hides over their heads, and trying, by
the strangest sounds and gestures, either to startle my horse or terrify
me. I do not deny that, although used to such scenes, I felt an icy
coldness down my back at the sight of these demons, and involuntarily
thought of the operation of scalping. I remained as quiet as I could,
however, and resolved not to expend a bullet in vain. The distance was
gradually reduced, and the savages came within about a hundred and fifty
yards, some even nearer. The boldest came within a hundred and twenty
yards of me, while the others shot some dozen arrows at me, some of
which wounded the sappy cactuses around me. The savages continually grew
bolder, and it was time to open the ball, for attacking is half the
battle when engaged with Indians.
I therefore aimed at the nearest man--a powerful, stout, rather elderly
savage, mounted on a very fast golden-brown stallion--and at once saw
that the bullet struck him: in his fall he pulled his horse round
towards me, and dashed past within forty yards, which enabled me to see
that the bullet had passed through his body, and he did not need a
second. About one hundred yards farther on he kissed the ground. After
the shot the band dashed off, and their yell was augmented to a roar
more like that of a wounded buffalo than human voices. They assembled
about half a mile distant, held a short consultation, and then returned
like a whirlwind towards me with renewed yells. The attack was now
seriously meant, although the sole peril I incurred was from arrows shot
close to me. I led Czar a few paces in the rear behind a
widely-spreading yucca, ordered Trusty to lie down under the cactuses,
reloaded my gun, and, being a bit of Indian myself, I disappeared among
the huge aloes in front of me, pulling my stout beaver hat over my eyes.
I allowed the tornado to come within a hundred and sixty paces, when I
raised my good rifle between the aloes, pulled the trigger, and saw
through the smoke a Redskin bound in the air, and fall among the horses'
hoofs. A dense dust concealed the band from sight, but a repetition of
the yells reached my ear, and I soon saw the savages going away from me,
whereon I gave them the contents of the second barrel, which had a good
effect in spite of the distance, as I recognised in the fresh yells
raised and the dispersion of the band. The Indians, ere long, halted a
long way off; but after awhile continued their retreat. I understood
these movements perfectly well: they wanted to give me time to leave my
hiding-place, and then ride me down on the plain. Hence I waited till
the Comanches were nearly two miles off, and watched them through my
glass as they halted from time to time, and looked round at me. I was
certain that we now had a sufficient start to reach the forest on the
Leone without risk. My rifle was reloaded, and my pistols were placed in
the holsters. I stepped out of my hiding-place and mounted my horse,
which bore me at a rapid pace towards my home. The enemy scarce noticed
my flight ere they dashed down from the heights after me like a
storm-cloud. I did not hurry, however, for fear of fatiguing Trusty; but
selected the buffalo paths corresponding with my direction, thousands of
which intersect the prairies like a net, and at the end of the first
mile felt convinced that we should reach the forest all right, which now
rose more distinctly out of the sea of grass. So it was: we dashed into
the first bushes only pursued by five Indians, where I rode behind some
dwarf chestnuts, dismounted, and prepared to receive my enemies. They
remained out of range, however, and in a short time retired again.
My readers will naturally ask why some thirty Indians allowed a single
hunter to emerge from his hiding-place, and why they did not compel him
to surrender by a short siege? The Comanches are horse Indians, who can
only effect anything when mounted, and hence never continue a pursuit
into a thicket. They never undertake any martial exploit by night; and,
moreover, the Indian, when he goes into action, has very different ideas
from a white man; for while the latter always thinks he will be the last
to fall, every Redskin believes that he will be the first to be hit. At
the same time, these tribes set a far higher value on the life of one of
their warriors than we white men do, and they often told me that we
pale-faces grew out of the ground like mushrooms, while it took them
eighteen years to produce a warrior. The tribes are not large; they
consist of only one hundred and fifty to three hundred men; they have
their chief and are quite independent of the other clans, although
belonging to the same nations. The Comanches, for instance, reckon
thirty thousand souls, spread over the whole of the Far West. In
consequence of the many sanguinary wars which the different tribes wage
together, it is frequently of great consequence to a clan, whether it
counts ten men more or less, and hence the anxiety felt by the savages
about the life of their warriors. The Northern Indians have assumed many
of the habits of the white men, and are advancing gradually towards
civilization; they nearly all carry fire-arms, wear clothes, till the
ground, and their squaws, children, and old men, live in villages
together. Our Southern Indians are all at the lowest stage of
civilization, are generally cannibals, have no home, follow the buffalo,
on whose flesh they live, and have assumed none of our customs. At times
they may get hold of a horse-cloth or a bit, which they have taken from
a hunter or stolen from a border settlement, but in other respects they
are children of nature; they go about almost naked, and only carry
weapons of their own manufacture. Their long lance is a very dangerous
weapon, owing to the skill with which they use it; and the same is the
case with their bows, from which they discharge arrows at a distance of
fifty yards, with such accuracy and force, as to pierce the largest
buffalo. The lasso (a plaited rope of leather) is another weapon which
they employ with extraordinary skill; they throw the noose at one end
over the head of an enemy, then gallop off in the opposite direction,
and drag their captive to death. There are but very few foot Indians in
the South; they generally live in the mountains, as they are always at
war with the horse savages, and would be at a disadvantage on the
plains; but they are by far the most dangerous denizens of these parts,
as the most of them are supplied with fire-arms, and try to overpower
their enemy treacherously at night. The Weicos form the chief tribe of
these foot Indians, and are pursued both by the mounted Redskins and the
white borderers like the most dangerous of wild beasts: on their account
I have often spent the night without fire, and have been startled from
my sleep by the whoot of the owl, which they imitate admirably, as a
distant signal to one another. In the conduct of the horse Indians there
is something open and chivalrous, and I never hated them for chasing me;
we contended for the possession of the land, which they certainly held
first, but which nature assuredly created for a better object than that
a few wild hordes should use it for their hunting and war forages. It
always seemed to me an honourable contest between civilization and
savageness when I was attacked by these steppe-horsemen, and I never
felt that blood-thirsty hatred which beset me when I noticed the Weicos
and Tonkaways creeping about like vipers. I more than once all but fell
victim to their cunning, and it is always a pleasant memory that I
frequently punished them severely for it.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER III.
A FIGHT WITH THE WEICOS.
As I mentioned, my fort stood on the south side of the Leone river, and
in front of it lay one of the richest and most fertile prairies, which
ran to the bank of Mustang Creek, a small stream running parallel to the
Leone, beneath the shade of lofty peca-nut trees, magnolias, cypresses,
and oaks, to join the Rio Grande. The prairie between the Leone and this
stream was about five miles broad; and often, when I had spent the day
at home, I rode off to pass the night there, in order to shoot at
daybreak as much game as my horse could comfortably carry, and be back
to breakfast. I had found, in a coppice close to the stream, a small
grassy clearing, where Czar was always comfortable. Around it stood
colossal primaeval oaks and magnolias, in whose shade many varieties of
evergreen bushes, such as myrtle, laurel, and rhododendron, formed an
impenetrable thicket, as they were intertwined with pendant llianas and
vines the thickness of my body. In this thicket I had built a sort of
hut of buffalo hides, in which I hid away a frying-pan, an old axe, and
a coffee-pot. At this spot I passed many a hot summer night, for I found
there a cool, quiet bed, which the sun never reached, for myself and my
faithful companions, and ran no risk of being betrayed by my camp-fire
and disturbed by the Indians.
After one of these hot days, I rode Czar out of the fort, and Trusty,
released from the chain, sprang joyfully at my horse's head, delighted
at getting into the open country again, and the prospect of fresh deer
or buffalo kidneys. We went slowly toward the thickly-wooded bank of the
creek, which bordered the prairie ahead of us like a purple strip,
through large gay fields of flowers, with which the prairie is adorned.
Blue, yellow, red, and white beds, in the most varied hues, succeeded
each other, and filled the air with the sweetest and most fragrant
perfumes. Wherever the eye turned it fell on herds of deer, that were
sheltering themselves from the burning sun under isolated elms and
mosquito trees, and rose on our approach to be ready for flight. Further
on grazed many herds of migratory buffaloes, from which the prairies at
this season are never quite free, and, here and there, antelopes were
flying over the heaving sea of grass and flowers. As I rode along, my
eye was certainly rejoiced by this abundance of game, but I did not
change my direction on that account, because I was not any great
distance from the thickets in advance of the forest on Mustang Creek,
where I could approach the game with much less trouble. These wooded
intervals, which run for about a mile into the prairie, consist of dwarf
plum-trees, four feet in height, partly separate, partly in clumps,
which are closely interlaced with wild vines, but always leave small
openings between, and here and there are overshadowed by a
densely-foliaged elm. You are obliged to wind between these clumps till
you reach a broad open grassy clearing, which extends between these
thickets and the high woods on Mustang Creek.
I had hardly reached these advance woods, ere I saw a very large stag
standing in the shadow of an old elm-tree, driving away the flies with
its antlers, and feeding on the fine, sweet mosquito grass, which is
much more tender in the shade than when it is exposed to the burning
sunbeams. The beautiful creature was hardly sixty paces from me, and I
seized my rifle, which was lying across the saddle in front of me. In a
moment Czar, who was well acquainted with this movement, halted, buried
his small head in the grass, and began seeking the green young shoots
which are covered by the dry withered stalks. I shot the deer, and as I
saw that it could not go far I allowed Trusty to catch it, which always
afforded him great delight. I rode up, threw the bridle before
dismounting over the end of a long pendant branch, and then dragged the
deer into the shade to break it up, and cut off the meat I intended to
take with me. I had knelt down by the deer and just thrust in my bowie
knife, when Trusty, who was sitting not far from me, began growling, and
on my inquiring what was the matter, growled still more loudly, while
looking in the direction behind me. I knew the faithful creature so well
that I only needed to look in his large eyes to read what he wished to
tell me. They had turned red, a sure sign of his rising anger: but I
believed that wolves were at hand, which were his most deadly enemies,
because he had fared badly from their claws now and then before I could
get up to free him from his tormentors. I ordered Trusty to be quiet, as
I heeded the dangers which had beset me for years much less than I had
done at the beginning of my border-life, and bent down again over the
deer, when Trusty sprang, with furious barks, toward the quarter where
he had been looking. I quickly rose, and on turning round saw two
perfectly naked Indians, armed with guns, leap out of the tall grass
about sixty yards from me, and dash away like antelopes. My first step
was to seize my rifle, which was leaning against the tree, but the
savages took an enormous bound over one of the clumps of plum-trees, and
disappeared from sight. In a few minutes I had unfastened Czar, and
rushed after the Indians through the many windings between the
close-grown bushes. They had gained a great start, and had increased it
by leaping over clumps, which I was compelled to ride round; still I
kept them pretty constantly in sight, and reached the open prairie in
front of the creek, at the moment when the savages had crossed about
half of it. I gave Czar a slight touch of the spur, and urged him on
with the usual pat on his powerful hard neck; he leaped through the
grass as if he hardly touched the ground, and I was obliged to set my
hat tightly on my head for fear of losing it, for the pressure of the
atmosphere was so great that I could hardly breathe. The Indians ran
like deer, but the distance between us was speedily lessened, and I was
only sixty yards behind them, when they were still fifty from the
forest. I stopped my horse, leaped off, aimed with my right-hand barrel
at the savage furthest ahead, and dropped him. In the meanwhile the
other Indian reached the skirt of the wood, and sprang into the shade of
an old oak, at the moment when the bead of my rifle covered him. I fired
and saw him turn head over heels. At this moment Trusty came panting
over the prairie, who had remained behind as I had leapt over some
clumps which he was obliged to skirt; he saw the first Indian leap out
of the grass, like a hare which has been shot through the head, and his
legs seemed too slow for his growing fury; a loud shout urged him on
still more, and in a few seconds he and the savage disappeared in the
tall grass. A frightfully shrill yell, which echoed far and wide through
the forest, proved that the Indian was feeling Trusty's teeth, and the
heaving grass over them showed that it was a struggle for life or death.
Loading my rifle detained me for a few minutes at the spot whence I had
fired; then I ran up to Czar, who had strayed a little distance, and
rode to the battle-field. The contest was over; the savage was dead, and
Trusty's handsome shaggy coat was spotted with blood. He was standing
with his fore paws on his enemy, and tearing out his throat. A dog like
Trusty was invaluable to me, and for my own preservation I dared not
assuage the creature's savageness; besides, the man was dead, and it was
a matter of indifference whether the buzzards devoured his body or
Trusty tore it piece-meal. In the meanwhile I fastened the dead man's
short Mexican _escopeta_, hunting-pouch, and necklace to my saddle; then
I called Trusty off, mounted Czar, and rode back to my deer, as I did
not dare venture into the forest, where a large number of these Weicos
were very probably lying in ambush. The two had come down from the
mountains to the banks of Mustang Creek, whither the great quantity of
game of all descriptions had attracted them; on hearing my shot, they
crept up unnoticed, had got within distance of me, and in a few seconds
would doubtless have settled me, had not my faithful watcher scented
them, or remarked their movements in the grass.
On coming within sight of my deer, I saw that a dozen buzzards had
collected, some on the trees, others circling slowly in the air, and
watching with envious glances three wolves, which had already begun
greedily to share my deer. Although I hardly ever expended a bullet on
these tormentors, I was annoyed at their impudence, for though they saw
me coming, they did not interrupt their banquet. I shot one of them, a
very old red she-wolf, took the loins and legs of the deer, hung them to
my saddle, and rode home to pass the night.
My dogs inside the fort announced to the garrison the arrival of a
stranger, and they were no little surprised to see me return at so
unusual an hour. The gate was opened, and after Czar had been relieved
of his rather heavy burden, I led him once more into the grass to let
him have a good roll; and after he had been put into the stable with a
feed of Indian corn, I described the events of the day at the
supper-table. My news aroused the apprehensions of my men, for they knew
the vengeful spirit of these Weicos, and we therefore resolved to keep
watch during the night. We were still smoking and talking at midnight,
when the dogs, of which I had fourteen, began making a tremendous row.
They all ran out through the small apertures left for the purpose in the
stockade, and stood barking on the river bank at some foe on the other
side, at the spot where my maize field in the forest joined the river.
It was a pitch dark and calm night. We listened attentively, and could
distinctly hear the trampling of dry brushwood in the field. It might be
occasioned by buffalo, which had broken through the fence, and were
regaling on my maize. But these animals rarely move at night, and there
was a much greater probability of Indians being there. We gently opened
the gate. I took my large duck gun, which held sixteen pistol bullets
in each barrel, and crawled down on my stomach to the river bank, where
I lay perfectly quiet. When I arrived there, one of my dogs was yelping,
and I distinctly heard the twang of a bow-string. I noticed the quarter
very carefully; the river was only forty yards across, and the direction
was shown me still more plainly by the crackling of brushwood. I shot
one barrel there, upon which human cries and a hurried flight were
audible; then I sent the second after it, and fresh groans echoed
through the quiet forest and mingled with the roar of my two shots. I
remained lying in the grass, as I might be easily seen against the
starry sky from the other bank, which was thirty feet lower. The leaping
and running through the maize retired farther and farther toward the
wood, and scarce reached my ear, when suddenly a wild war yell resounded
in the forest, which was answered by countless wolf howls on the prairie
behind me. This was the last outbreak of fury on the part of the
Indians, of whom I never saw anything more beyond the various bloody
traces which they left in the field. We found several arrows sticking in
the river bank, whose form led me to conclude that the assailants were
Cato Indians. The damage I received from this nocturnal visit only
consisted in the trampled maize and a harmless wound which one of my
dogs had received from an arrow in the leg. The morning was spent in
following the trail of the savages to the prairie on the other side of
the forest, where a number of horses had awaited these night-wanderers
and borne them away. In the afternoon I rode again to Mustang Creek with
one of my people--to the spot where the second Indian had disappeared on
the previous day. The entrance into the wood and the roots of the old
oak were covered with blood. I sent Trusty on ahead to see whether the
road was clear, and if we could penetrate into the gloom of the forest
without danger. We cautiously followed the dog, who kept the
blood-marked trail and reached the river, on whose bank the Weico was
sleeping the last sleep. He was cold and stiff my bullet had passed
through his brown sides. The wounds were stopped with grass, and his
_escopeta_ lay ready cocked close to him. He was a very young and
handsome man, and death had chosen him a glorious resting-place under
the dark arbour of leaves. The rapid, crystalline, icy stream laved his
small, handsomely-shaped feet, and on a pillow of large ferns reposed
his head, round which his raven silky hair fell, while the mossy bed
beneath him was dyed by his blood, till it resembled the purple velvet
of a lying-in-state.
We stood silently before this painfully-beautiful picture, and even
Trusty seemed to feel that this was no longer an object for wild
passion, for he lay down quietly in the grass. Death had reconciled us:
the dice had fallen in my favour, and if they had been against me, I
should not have found such an exquisite grave: my bones would have been
bleached for years by the sun on the open prairie, and greeted with
shouts of joy by passing Indians. Feelings which are rarely carried into
these solitudes, and still more rarely retained there, gained the
mastery over me. I could not leave this noble creation of nature to the
wolves and buzzards. We therefore fastened a heavy stone round his feet,
and another round his neck, and gently let him down into the clear
water, where he found his last solitary resting-place between two large
rocks. Taking his few traps, more as a reminiscence than as a booty, we
returned to our horses, which we had left in the first thicket. They
greeted us with their friendly neighing and impatient stamping while
still a long distance off, and away we galloped over the open prairie,
up hill and down hill, after a flying herd of buffalo, at one moment
leaping across broad watercourses, at another over aged trees uprooted
by storms, until several of these primaeval monsters had kissed the
blood-stained ground. Our melancholy thoughts had been dispersed by the
light prairie breeze, and, merry and independent, like the vultures in
the blue sky overhead, we returned heavily laden to our fort, whose
inhabitants, down to the dogs, gave us a most hearty welcome.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER IV.
HUNTING ADVENTURES.
It is scarce possible to form an idea of the abundance of game with
which the country near me was blessed in those days. It really seemed to
be augmented with every year of my residence, for which I may account by
the fact that the several vagabond hordes of Indians--who prefer the
flesh of deer, antelopes, and turkey to that of buffaloes, whose
enormous mass they cannot devour at once, while the smaller descriptions
of game could be killed in the forests and coppices, without revealing
themselves to the enemy on the wide prairie--that these Indians, I say,
more or less avoided my neighbourhood, while, for my part, I had greatly
reduced the number of wild beasts, especially of the larger sort. I
consumed a great quantity of meat in my household, owing to the number
of dogs I kept, but I really procured it as if only amusing myself.
There were certainly days on which I shot nothing. At times I did not
get sight of a buffalo for a week, or the prairie grass was burnt down
to the roots, which rendered it extremely difficult to stalk the game,
while just at this period, when the first green shoots spring up, the
animals principally visit the open plains, whence they can see their
pursuers for a long distance. For all that, though we had generally a
superabundance of meat, and too often behaved with unpardonable
extravagance, I have frequently killed five or six buffaloes, each
weighing from a thousand to fifteen hundred pounds, in one chase,
lasting perhaps half-an-hour, and then merely carried off their tongues
and marrow-bones. Often, too, I have shot one or two bears, weighing
from five to eight hundred pounds, and only taken home their paws and a
few ribs, because the distance was too great to burden my horse with a
large supply of meat. I could always supply our stock in the vicinity of
my fort, although at times we were compelled to put up with turkeys, or
fish and turtle, with which our river literally swarmed.
Bear-meat formed an important item in our larder--or, more correctly
speaking, bear's-grease--which was of service in a great many ways. We
employed it to fry our food, for which buffalo or deer fat was not so
good; we used it to burn in our lamps, to rub all our leather with, and
keep it supple; we drank it as a medicine--in a word, it answered a
thousand demands in our small household. This is the sole fatty
substance, an immoderate use of which does not turn the stomach or
entail any serious consequences. The transport of this article, though,
was at times rather difficult, especially on a warm day; as this fat
easily becomes liquid, and will even melt in the hunter's hand while he
is paunching a bear. This is chiefly the case with the stomach fat,
which is the finest and best; that on the back and the rest of the body,
which at the fatting season is a good six inches thick, is harder and
requires to be melted over a slow fire before it can be used in lamps.
These animals were very numerous in my neighbourhood. In spring and
summer they visited the woods, where with their cubs they regaled upon
wild plums, grapes, honey, and young game of all sorts, and at times
played the deuce in my maize-field. In autumn the rich crop of
peca-nuts, walnuts, acorns, chestnuts, and similar fruits, kept them in
our forests; and in winter they sought rocky ravines and caves, where
they hybernated. Very many took up their quarters in old hollow trees,
so that at this season I had hardly any difficulty in finding a bear in
my neighbourhood. Trusty was a first-rate hand at this, for he found a
track, and kept to it as long as I pleased; and at the same time
possessed the great advantage that he never required a leash, never went
farther than I ordered him, and never followed game without my
permission. When a bear rose before me it rarely got fifty paces away,
unless it was in thorny bushes, where the dog could not escape its
attack; for, so soon as the bear bolted, Trusty dug his teeth so
furiously into its legs, and slipped away with such agility, that the
bear soon gave up all attempts at flight, and stood at bay. It was
laughable to see the trouble the bear was in when I came up; how it
danced round Trusty, and with the most ridiculous _entrechats_ upbraided
his impudence; while Trusty continually sprang away, lay down before
Bruin, and made the woods ring with his bass voice. Frequently, however,
the honest dog incurred great peril during this sport, and his life more
than once depended on my opportune arrival.
In this way I followed one warm autumn day a remarkably broad bear trail
on the mountains of the Rio Grande. Trusty halting fifty yards ahead of
me, showed me that it stopped at a small torrent, where the bear had
watered on the previous night. I dismounted, examined the trail
carefully, and saw that it was made by a very old fat bear; it was in
the fatting season, when the bear frequently interrupts its sleep and
pays a nocturnal visit to the water. At this season these animals are
very clumsy and slow, and cannot run far, as they soon grow scant of
breath; they soon stop, and can be easily killed by the hunter--always
supposing that he can trust to his dog and horse, for any mistake might
expose the rider to great danger. I ordered Trusty to follow the trail;
it ran for some distance up the ravine, then went up the bare hill-side,
which was covered with loose boulders and large masses of rock, into the
valley on the opposite side, in the middle of which was a broad but very
swampy pool, girdled by thick thorny bushes. Trusty halted in front of
this thicket, looked round to me, and then again at the bushes, while
wagging his long tail. I knew the meaning of this signal, and that the
bear was not far off. I ordered the dog on, and drew a revolver from my
belt; feeling assured that the bear would soon leave the underwood and
seek safety in flight. Trusty disappeared in the bushes, and his
powerful bark soon resounded through the narrow valley. It was an
impossibility for me to ride through the thicket, hence I galloped to
the end of the coppice, and saw there the bear going at a rapid pace up
the opposite steep hill, with Trusty close at its heels. I tried to
cross the swamp, but Czar retreated with a snort, as if to show me the
danger of the enterprise. By this time Trusty had caught up to the bear
at the top of the hill, and furiously attacked it in the rear. The bear
darted round with extraordinary agility, and was within an ace of
seizing Trusty, but after making a few springs at the dog, it continued
its hurried flight, and disappeared with Trusty over the hill-top. I had
ridden farther up the water when I heard my dog baying; I drove the
spurs into my horse, and with one immense leap, we were both in the
middle of the swamp up to the girths; then, with an indescribable
effort, Czar gave three tremendous leaps, which sent black mud flying
round us, and reached the opposite firm ground with his fore feet, while
his hind quarters sunk in the quivering morass; with one spring I was
over his head, when I sank in up to the knees, and after several
tremendous exertions, the noble fellow sprang ashore, trembling all
over. Trusty's barking, as if for help, continually reached me as I
galloped up the steep hill-side; I arrived on the summit at the moment
when the bear sprang at Trusty, and buried him beneath its enormous
weight. My alarm for the faithful dog--my best friend in these
solitudes, made me urge Czar on; he bounded like a cat over the
remaining rocks, and I saw Trusty slip out from under the bear in some
miraculous way, and attack it again on the flank. I halted about ten
paces from the scene of action, held my rifle between the little red
fiery eyes of the bright black monster, and laid it lifeless on the bare
rocks. The greatest peril for dogs is at the moment when the bear is
shot, for they are apt to attack it as it falls, and get crushed in its
last convulsive throes. I leapt off Czar, who was greatly excited by the
sharp ride, went up to Trusty, who was venting his fury on Bruin's
throat, examined him, and found that he had received three very serious
wounds, two on the back and one over the left shoulderblade, which were
bleeding profusely, though in his fury he did not seem to notice them. I
took my case from the holster and sewed up his wounds, during which
operation he lay very patiently before me, and looked at me with his
large eyes, as if asking whether this were necessary. Then I took off my
jacket and set to work on the bear, stripped it, and put the hide as
well as a hundred pounds' weight of the flesh on Czar's back. If my
readers will bear in mind that the sun was shining on my back furiously,
and that I was on a bare blazing rock, they will understand that I was
worn out, and longed for a cool resting-place. The bear weighed at least
800 lbs., and it requires a great effort to turn such an animal over.
I was a good hour's ride from the shade of the Leone, and only half that
distance to the mountain springs I have already described. I therefore
selected the latter, although they took me rather farther from home. I
walked, although I made Czar carry my jacket, weapons, and pouch, and
reached my destination in the afternoon, with my two faithful companions
at my heels. Czar had a hearty meal after I had bathed him in the pond,
and poor Trusty, whose wounds had dried in the sun, and pained him
terribly, felt comfortable in the cool grass, and did not disturb the
linen rag which I moistened every now and then. Nor did I forget myself;
I rested, bathed, and after awhile enjoyed the liver and tongue of the
old vagabond, until the evening breeze had cooled the air, and I reached
home partly on foot, partly on horseback.
Nature seems to have selected the buffalo before all varieties of game
for the purpose of bringing to the door of the man who first dares to
carry civilization into the desert, abundant food for him and his during
the first years, so that he may have time to complete the works
connected with his settlement, and have no trouble in procuring
provisions. When this time is passed, nature withdraws this liberal
support from him; in the course of a few years he must go a long
distance to obtain this food as a dainty, which he grew quite tired of
in the early years, for the buffalo is not frightened by the pioneer's
solitary house and field, but as soon as several appear, the animals
depart and are only seen as stragglers.
The woolly hides of the buffaloes supply the new-comer in the desert
with the most splendid and comfortable beds. When laid over the roof
they protect his unfinished house from rain and storm; he uses their
leather for saddles, boot-soles, making ropes of all sorts, traces, &c.;
its meat, one of the most luxurious sorts that nature offers man, seems
to be given to the borderer as a compensation for the countless
privations and thousand dangers to which he subjects himself. Buffalo's
marrow is a great delicacy, and very strengthening. The fat can be used
in many ways, and the horns converted into drinking cups, powder flasks,
&c.; in a word, the whole of the buffalo is turned to account in the
settler's housekeeping.
These animals are hunted in several ways. With an enduring, well-trained
horse, you ride up to them and shoot them with pistols or a rifle, for a
horse accustomed to this chase always keeps a short distance from the
buffalo, and requires no guidance with the reins; but this mode of
hunting can only be employed on the plains, for in the mountainous
regions the buffalo has a great advantage in its sure footing over a
horse that has to carry a rider. In such regions, and in wooded
districts, you stalk the animals, which is not difficult, and if you
keep yourself concealed you may kill several with ease, as they are not
startled by the mere report of a rifle. On the prairies, too, where the
grass is rather high, you can creep up to them through it, and if it be
not sufficiently tall to hide you, you make use of some large skin, such
as a wolf's, and covered with this, crawl up within range. This, however,
is always a dangerous plan, for if you are noticed by a wounded buffalo,
you run a great risk of being trampled to death by it. On these
crawling hunts, I always had Trusty a short distance behind me, who
moved through the grass quite as cautiously as myself, and when it was
necessary, I set him on, and had time to run to my horse, while Trusty
attacked the buffalo and pinned it to the spot.
I always preferred riding after buffaloes, for this is one of the most
exciting modes of hunting I am acquainted with, as it demands much skill
from the rider and agility and training on the part of the horse. Horses
that have been used to the sport for any time are extremely fond of it,
and at the sight of the buffalo become so excited that there is a
difficulty in holding them in. The revolver is the best weapon to use.
You have the great advantage with it of firing several shots without
reloading. I always carried two in my belt, which gave twelve shots, and
also two spare cylinders. I also had my double rifle with me, which lay
unfastened between me and the saddle cloth. The American revolvers are
admirably made, and carry their bullets very accurately for a hundred
yards; but at longer distances they cannot be depended on, as it is
difficult to take aim with them. It requires considerable practice to
kill a buffalo at a gallop, for you may send a dozen bullets into it,
and yet not prevent it from continuing its clumsy-looking though very
rapid progress. The buffalo's heart lies very deep in the chest behind
the shoulder-blades; it can be easily missed through the eye being
caught by the hump on the back; and besides, it requires very great
practice to hit with a pistol when going at full speed. If you shoot the
buffalo at the right spot, it drops at once, and frequently turns head
over heels. The animal is in the best condition in spring, when it has
changed its coat. At this season its head is adorned with long dark
brown locks, and its hind-quarters are covered with shining black hair.
So long as old tufts bleached by the sun are hanging about it it is not in
prime condition, and the experienced hunter never selects such a
quarry.
On a spring morning--I need not add a fine one, for at this season the
blue sky rarely deserts us for more than a few hours--I rode at daybreak
down the river toward the mountains; a cold, refreshing breeze was
blowing, which had an invigorating effect upon both men and animals.
Czar was full of playfulness. He often pretended to kick at Trusty, his
dearest friend, who was trotting by his side, shook his broad neck, and
could hardly be held in. Trusty ran ahead, every now and then rolled in
the tall grass, kicked up the earth behind him, and then looked up at me
with a loud bark of delight. I too was in an excellent humour; the small
birds-of-paradise, with their long black and white tails and crimson
breasts, fluttered from bush to bush. The humming birds darted past me
like live coals, and suddenly stopped as if spell-bound in front of some
flowers, whence they sucked the honey for a few seconds with their
beaks, and then hummed off to another fragrant blossom. Countless
vultures described their regular circles over my head; above them
gleamed against the ultramarine sky the brilliant white plumage of a
silver heron, or the splendid pink of a flamingo; whilst high up in
ether the royal eagles were bathing in the sunshine. The prairie was
more beautiful this day than I had ever seen it; it was adorned by every
designation of bulbous plants, the prevailing flora in the spring.
Lost in admiration of these natural beauties, which words are powerless
to describe, I reached the hilly ground near the mountain springs; and
first learned from Czar's tugging at the bridle, and his repeated
bounds, that I had come in sight of a herd of about forty buffaloes,
that did not appear to notice me yet. Probably they were engaged with
that portion of the beauties of nature which most interested them; for,
at any rate, they all had their huge shaggy heads buried in the fresh
young grass. I was never better inclined to have a jolly chase than on
this day, and the same was the case with Czar and Trusty. I let loose
the reins, drew a revolver, and dashed among the astounded herd,
looking for a plump bull. Surprised and disturbed, these philosophers
turned their heads towards the mountains, raised their tails erect, and
started in their awkward gallop, with the exception of one old fellow,
the very one I had selected for the attack. He looked after the
fugitives for awhile, as if reproaching them with their cowardice; shook
his wild shaggy mane several times, and then dashed furiously at me with
his head down. I was so surprised at this unexpected attack that I did
not fire, but turned my horse to fly. The buffalo pursued me some
thousand yards, keeping rather close, while his companions halted, and
seemed to be admiring the chivalric deed of their knight. At length he
stopped, as he had convinced himself that he could not catch up to me,
and stamped with his long-haired front legs till the dust flew up in a
cloud around him. I turned my horse and raised my rifle, to make more
sure of hitting the bull, as his determined conduct had imbued me with
some degree of respect. I fired, and wounded him in the side a little
too far back; at the same instant he dashed ahead again, but then
thought better of it, and tried to rejoin the flying herd. I now set
Trusty on him, who soon brought him at bay, and I gave him a bullet from
the revolver. Again he rushed at me, and again fled. In this way,
pursuing and pursued in turn, I had given him five bullets, when he left
the herd in a perfect state of mania, and dashed after me. I made a
short turn with my horse; the bull rushed past; I turned Czar again
towards the buffalo; and as I passed I put a bullet through his heart at
the distance of three yards. The monster fell to the ground in a cloud
of dust, and raised up a heap of loose sand which it stained with its
dark blood.
[Illustration: AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR. _p. 27._]
To my surprise I noticed that Trusty did not come up to the fallen
buffalo, but rushed past it, loudly barking, to the thicket at the
springs, whence I saw an immense panther leap through the prickly
plants. I galloped round the ponds and saw the royal brute making
enormous leaps through the tall prairie grass toward the mountains.
Trusty was not idle either, and was close behind it. I spurred Czar,
and kept rather nearer the mountains, so as to cut off the fugitive's
retreat and drive it farther out on the plains, while my hunting cry
incessantly rang in its ears. It had galloped about a mile, when we got
rather close to it; it altered its course once more, and climbed up an
old evergreen live oak, among whose leafy branches it disappeared. I
called Trusty to heel, stopped about fifty yards from the oak to reload
my right-hand barrel, and then rode slowly round, looking for a gap in
the foliage through which to catch a glimpse of this most dangerous
animal. The leaves were very close, and I had ridden nearly round, when
I suddenly saw its eyes glaring at me from one of the main branches in
the middle of the tree. I must shoot it dead, or else it would be a very
risky enterprise; and Czar's breathing was too violent for me to fire
from his back with any certainty. I cautiously dismounted, keeping my
eye on the panther, held a revolver in my left hand, brought the bead of
my rifle to bear right between the eyes of the king of these
solitudes--and fired. With a heavy bump the panther fell from branch to
branch, and lay motionless on the ground. I kept Trusty back, waited a
few moments to see whether the jaguar was really dead, as I did not wish
to injure the beautiful skin by a second bullet unnecessarily, then
walked up and found that the bullet had passed through the left eye into
the brain. It had one of the handsomest skins I ever took; it is so
large that I can quite wrap myself up in it, and now forms my bed
coverlet. When I had finished skinning it and cut out the tusks with the
small axe I always carried in a leathern case, I rode back to my
buffalo, with the skin proudly hanging down on either side of my horse.
On getting there I led Czar through the narrow entrance into the
thicket, where I came upon a freshly killed, large deer, one of whose
legs was half eaten away. It was the last meal of the savage beast of
prey, and I was surprised it had left its quarry. The noise of the
buffalo and the horse galloping, Trusty's bass voice, and the crack of
the revolver in such close vicinity, must have appeared dangerous to
it, and it had fancied it could slip off unnoticed.
My buffalo was very plump; it supplied me and Trusty with an excellent
dinner, and for dessert I had the marrow-bones, roasted on the fire and
split open with my axe, which, when peppered and salted, are a great
delicacy. A little old brandy from my flask, mixed with the cold spring
water, was a substitute for champagne; my sofa was the body of the deer,
covered with the skin of its assassin.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER V.
THE NATURALIST.
Years had passed since the first establishment of my settlement, but it
was still the greatest rarity to see a strange white face among us; and
though I visited the nearest town more frequently than at the outset, it
led to no settled intercourse. I rode there several times a year, taking
to market on mules my stock of hides, wax, tallow, &c., and brought back
provisions, tools, powder, and lead. On these occasions I received the
letters which had arrived for me in the interval, posted my own, took my
packets of books forwarded from New York, and then my intercourse with
the world was at an end for six months. The mules and horses certainly
left traces during these rides in the clayey soil, but they were soon
destroyed by heavy rains or trampled by herds of passing buffaloes, and
thus hidden from the most acute eyes. Moreover, on these journeys I
never kept the same road, as I always guided myself by the compass, and
altered my course according to the seasons, as I had to pass spots which
were inundated at certain periods, and others where water at times was
very scarce. The first two-thirds of the country was a wretched sandy
region, without grass, on which stunted oaks grew here and there, very
mountainous and dry, where no one would dream of settling or undergoing
the perils of a pioneer for the sake of the land. Nearer to me no one
ventured to come, as many attempts had been made to settle on this
fertile soil, but had all turned out unhappily; the last of them
entailing the destruction of a family of nineteen persons: on my hunting
expeditions I often saw their bones bleaching in the sun. As I said, no
change had occurred in my position, save that my mode of life was safer
and more comfortable; the country alone still remained a solitude, which
no isolated visitor could enter without staking his scalp.
Hence I was greatly surprised one morning when the sentry came into my
house and informed me that a white man was riding alone along the
river, mounted on a mule, which is the most unsuitable of animals in
the Indian country. I ran with a telescope to the turret at the
south-east end of the fort, and not only found the watchman's statement
confirmed, but also that the man had not even a weapon; unless it was
hidden in two enormous packs which dangled on each side of his mule.
The rider drew nearer, at one moment emerging on the ridges, and then
disappearing again in the hollows. At length our growing curiosity was
satisfied, and a white man, a German, saluted us with an innocently
calm smile. On my asking how he had come here alone and unarmed, he
said cheerfully:--"Well, from the settlement. I was able to find your
mule-track quite easily. Mr. Jones accompanied me for a whole day, and
during the last four I have seen nobody." It soon came out that his
name was Kreger, and that he was a botanist who had come to examine the
Flora about us, which had not yet been collected. For this purpose he
brought with him two enormous bundles of blotting-paper, which hung on
his Lizzy--so he called his gallant charger--and, like woolbags in a
battery, might have protected him against Indian arrows, if he had had
any missiles to reply with; but he only had a pistol in his trowsers'
pocket, which would not go off, in spite of all the experiments we made
with it. Everybody had warned him of the danger to which he exposed
himself on his journey to me; and the last pioneer he passed, a Mr.
Jones, had tried to keep him back by force, but he had merely laughed,
and declared that an Indian could not touch him on his Lizzy.
There are men who wantonly rush into perils because danger has something
attractive for them, and who seek them in order to have an opportunity
of expending the energy they feel within them; there are others who
incur danger in order to display themselves to the world as heroes,
though their courage is not very genuine; lastly, there are men who
expose themselves calmly and delightedly to great dangers, because they
are entirely ignorant of them, and cannot be persuaded of their
existence till they are surprised and destroyed by them. Such a man was
our new acquaintance, Mr. Kreger: we all tried to make him understand
how madly he had behaved, and that it was only by a miracle he had
escaped the notice of the Redskins, which must have entailed his
inevitable death, during his long solitary journey to us, and while
sleeping at night by a large fire. He merely smiled at it all, and said
that it could not be quite so bad, while making repeated applications to
his snuff-box. As regarded his intentions of making his excursions from
my house, I told him it was impossible; because when I went out hunting
I did not waste my time over plants, and he, as no sportsman, would be a
nuisance to me; on the other hand, we could not think of letting him
wander about alone, the danger of which I confirmed by telling him
various adventures of mine. For all this, I received him hospitably;
gave him a place to sleep in, and a seat at table; showed him where to
find corn for Lizzy, where he could wash his sheets--in a word, made him
as comfortable as lay in my power.
I had long intended to explore more distant countries than those I had
visited during my sporting excursions, especially the continuation of
our plateaux to the north, and had made my arrangements for this tour,
when Mr. Kreger surprised us by his advent. On the day after his arrival
we took a walk round the fort and the garden, during which he broke off
the conversation every moment, and plucked some rare plant to put in his
herbal, which he called his cannon; and laughed at the revolver in my
belt and the rifle I carried. I told him that I intended to make a
journey, in which, if he liked to accompany me, he would be able to make
his researches, as my hunting on this trip would be restricted to my
meat supply. He was delighted, and agreed to come with me; to which I
consented on condition of his riding one of my horses, and I recommended
the mustang, whose powers of endurance I knew and tried to prove by
telling him how it came into my possession. But it was of no avail, for
none of my cattle possessed the qualities of his Lizzy; and he offered a
bet that no one could catch her. For the sake of the joke, the mustang
and the mule were soon saddled; a mosquito tree on the prairie, about
half a mile from the fort, was selected as the goal; and away we started
through the tall grass. It was really surprising how fast Lizzy went,
cocking up her rat-like tail and long ears; she accepted with pleasure
the shower of blows that fell on her, and reached the goal only twenty
yards behind me. I laughed most heartily at the amusing appearance of
our naturalist, and expressed my admiration at his mule's pace; but
remarked at the same time, that for no consideration in the world would
I ride her in the country I intended visiting, because I was well
acquainted with the obstinacy of mules, and knew that when called on to
show their speed they refuse to do so, and neither fire nor sword could
induce them. All such remarks, however, produced no change in Kreger's
invincible faith in his favourite; and, as if he had assumed a portion
of Lizzy's obstinacy through his long friendly relations with her, he
irrevocably adhered to his resolution of only entrusting his carcass to
her during the impending excursion.
Our preparations, which were very simple, occupied us about a week; they
consisted in removing Czar's shoes, and rubbing his hoofs frequently
with bear's grease, for the Indians follow the track of a shoed horse as
wolves do a deer's bleeding trail; in grinding coffee, and forcing it
into bladders, and in plaiting two new lassos, for which I fetched two
new buffalo hides, in which chase the botanist accompanied me, and felt
a pride in having given me an indubitable proof of his Lizzy's powers,
for she followed close at Czar's tail during the entire hunt. Mr. Kreger
assisted me in making the lassos. The hide is fastened tight on the
ground with wooden pegs, a very sharp knife is thrust into the centre,
and a strip about the breadth of a finger is cut, until the whole hide
is transferred into one very long line, which, though not so long as the
one with which Dido measured the ground to build Carthage on, attained a
very great length. This strip was then fastened between trees, the hair
shaved off with a knife, after which it was cut into five equal lengths,
and these were plaited into a lasso about forty feet long, which was
once more fastened between trees, with heavy weights attached to it, and
thus stretched to its fullest extent. When such a line has been dried in
the open air, it is rubbed with bear's grease, through which it always
remains soft and supple, and will resist a tremendous pull. The one made
by Mr. Kreger, though not plaited so smoothly and regularly, was useful,
and afforded him great pleasure as a perfection of his Lizzy's
equipment. One end of this lasso is fastened round the horse's neck; it
is rolled up, fastened by a loop to the saddle, undone when the animal
is grazing, and bound round a tree or bush.
The day for our start arrived, and the morning was spent in saddling our
horses and arranging our baggage in the most suitable way for both horse
and rider, a most important thing in these hot regions, for the horse's
back is easily galled, and then you are compelled to go on foot, which
is very wearisome and fatiguing in a country where there are no roads.
The naturalist at length completed his equipment of Lizzy, who looked
more like a rhinoceros than a cross between a horse and a donkey. In
front of the saddle hung the two bales of blotting paper over the large
bearskin holsters, which, in addition to two pistols I had supplied,
were crammed with biscuit, coffee, pepper and salt, snuff, &c. Over the
saddle hung two leathern bags, fastened together by a strap, on which
the rider had his seat. Behind the saddle, a frying-pan, coffee-pot, and
tin mug, produced a far from pleasing harmony at every movement of the
animal. Over the whole of this a gigantic buffalo hide was stretched,
and fastened with a surcingle round Lizzy's stout body, so that, like a
tortoise, she only displayed her head and tail, and caused a spectator
the greatest doubt as to what genus of quadruped she belonged. In order
to complete the picture, Lizzy had two enormous bushes of a summer
plant, which we call "Spanish mulberry," stuck behind her ears, as a
first-rate specific to keep the flies off. I had repeatedly told Kreger
of the absurdity of covering Lizzy with this coat of mail, in which she
would melt away. But he said that I too had a skin over my saddle, and
he wanted his to protect him at night against rain and dew. On the back
of this monster our naturalist mounted, dressed in a long reddish
homespun coat, trowsers of the same material, though rather more faded,
with Mexican spurs on his heels with wheels the size of a dollar, and a
broad-brimmed felt hat, under which his long face with the large
light-blue eyes and eternally-smiling mouth peeped out. Over his right
shoulder hung his huge botanizing case, and over his left a
double-barrelled gun of mine loaded with slugs; his hat Mr. Kreger had
also adorned with a green bush, and sitting erect in his wooden Mexican
stirrups, he swung his whip, and declared his readiness to start. I rode
Czar, and the only difference from my ordinary equipment was that I had
a bag full of provisions hung on the saddle behind me; this and a little
more powder and lead than usual, was all the extra weight Czar had to
carry, and too insignificant for him to feel. With a truly heavy heart I
bade good-bye to Trusty, and most earnestly commended him to the care of
my men. I could not take him with me to an unknown country, where I
might feel certain of getting into situations where I must trust to the
speed of my horse, and Trusty might easily get into trouble. The
firearms I left at the service of my garrison, and consisting of nearly
fifty rifles and fowling pieces, were carefully inspected. We then rode
off, and soon heard the gate of the fort bolted after us.
It was the afternoon when we rode down to the river-side and waded
through the stream. For the stranger this river is most beautiful and
charming, for at its greatest depth it is so clear, that, were it not
for its motion and the leaves, brushwood, &c., floating on it, it would
be doubtful to say whether it contained any water or not. This is
noticed more especially with horses which have to cross such a stream
for the first time; generally they object, and look down at the water,
whose depth they are unable to gauge. You see the stones at the bottom
as clearly as if there were no water, and can distinctly watch the
slightest movements of the countless fish and turtle with which the
streams in my neighbourhood swarm. At the same time the banks are
covered with the most luxurious vegetation, and the gigantic vines cross
it from the tops of the trees, and are in their turn intertwined with
other creepers so as to form a hanging wood over the darting waters.
Most of these creepers adorn the woods with a magnificent show of
flowers, and some trees are so overgrown with them, that none of their
own foliage is visible. The stream in these rivers is so violent that it
is very dangerous to ride through them, especially at spots where the
water is deep enough to reach the horse's girths, and the danger is
heightened by the extremely slippery soap stones which cover the bottom.
I rode first into the river, and Lizzy followed obediently after me,
though it cost some persuasion to make my companion refrain from riding
a few yards lower down in order to pluck some specimens of the beautiful
aquatic plants growing on the surface, for he fancied it was no depth,
while he and his Lizzy, heavily laden as they were, would have sunk, and
never reached the bank again alive. I remember, while hunting, swimming
on horseback through places where the current was extremely violent, and
carried away my dog, which reached the bank eventually, bruised by the
rocks and bleeding terribly. We reached the opposite side without any
difficulty, and followed a deep-trodden buffalo path into the forest;
which runs with a breadth of several miles along the river. After you
have been riding ever so short a time in the sun, you feel the benefit
of the gloomy and impenetrable shade of such a forest in an
extraordinary degree; the air beneath the leafy aisles seems quite
different; it is not only cool and refreshing, but appears to have been
purified in its passage through the leaves, for these forests grow on
elevated ground, where no swamps or standing waters poison the air with
the exhalations of putrified vegetable matter, as is the case on the
banks of the Mississippi and other eastern rivers of America. There is
not a more majestic or imposing sight than such a forest; trees of the
most gigantic size grow in the wildest confusion, strangest shapes, and
most varied hues, so closely together that you cannot understand where
all their roots find room. You see, perhaps, twenty varieties of the
oak, among which the burrel oak is the handsomest and largest; it is
eight feet in diameter, and its stem measures forty feet to the first
branches, while its crown attains a height of one hundred and fifty to
two hundred feet. On the river banks cypresses stand side by side for
miles, so close together that there is hardly room for a man to pass
between them. The black walnut, the tulip tree, the peca-nut, several
sorts of elms, the mulberry, maples, ashes, planes, poplars, &c., press
against each other, and wherever death makes a gap and restores one of
these giant trees to the earth, young shoots start up from its dust in
the opening through which the blue sky is visible, and soon fill up the
room. Countless varieties of smaller trees flourish in this gloom, and
force their way between the colossi of vegetation, for instance, the
wild cherry, wild plum, a small chestnut, and several species of nut
trees; beneath these the bushes and cactuses spread with an incredible
variety, and relieve the gloom with their magnificently coloured
perfumed flowers, which seem to maintain an eternal rivalry with the
blossoms of the llianas swinging from tree to tree in the airy height.
Finally, the earth itself, beneath the darkest bushes, is covered with a
dense carpet of delicate plants, which, although hidden from every
sunbeam, are not the less worthy of being sought by the fervent admirer
of the masterpieces of nature; they gleam like subterranean fires in the
shade, and diffuse their perfume far around in this palace of foliage.
The queen of the whole virgin forest, however, is the magnolia. It
raises its haughty head one hundred and fifty feet above a silver grey,
smooth trunk, spreads its branches regularly far around, and is so
closely covered with its broad, dark green, smooth and shining leaves,
that its branches are rarely illumined by a sunbeam. Among this dark
mass of foliage, which is unchanged throughout the year, it puts forth
in spring its large snow-white roses, with orange petals, in such
profusion that you can hardly see whether white or green is the
fundamental colour. Far around it spreads a perfume of vanilla which is
so strong that it is dangerous to sleep under the tree unless a breeze
be blowing. The flowers last a long time, and as the pearls fall one by
one on the ground, their place is taken by a bunch of berries, redder
and more fiery than any colour on an artist's palette. They gleam far
and wide through the majestic forest like candelabra in a cathedral.
Our path ran with a hundred windings through the solemn silence; it
seemed as if every living creature that had sought this sanctuary, or
fled from the heated plain, were silently revelling in its beauty and
gratefully reposing in its coolness; not a bird or insect could be
heard, not even the sound of a falling leaf interrupted the
tranquillity, and only the footfalls of our animals and the snorting of
Czar echoed through the forest. Too soon for us, too soon for our
horses, we reached the end of our path, where it entered the prairie on
the other side, after we had walked the greater part of the distance,
because the crossing creepers frequently compelled us to bow our heads
under them, as the makers of the path did, for we saw their brown shaggy
hair floating in all directions. We followed the path into the prairie,
which begins about two miles from the forest. On either side of the path
deer sprang out of the bushes, and flocks of turkeys darted backwards
and forwards with long, quick steps in front of us. The former I left
undisturbed, but I shot one old fat turkey-cock, and hung it on the
saddle behind me.
The sun was rather low when we rode through the wide prairie, and we
could only advance slowly because the grass at many spots came up to my
horse's back; our cattle were very worn, and poor Lizzy panted painfully
under her harness, while the perspiration poured from her in streams.
The sun was setting when we reached a small affluent of the Leone, where
I knew of a good camping place, at which I determined to spend the
night. We unloaded our animals, which I soon completed, as I merely
undid the belly-band, pulled saddle and all over Czar's croupe, removed
the bit, and then gave him a few taps on his damp back, as a sign that
he could go wherever he pleased. My companion was much longer in
removing all the articles of his household from Lizzy's back; and when
he had finished she was a gruesome sight. White foam and dust had matted
her long hair, her ears hung down and almost touched the ground, and her
generally melancholy face was rendered still more so by the bushes
waving over it. I really felt sorry for the poor wretch, and bluntly
told Mr. Kreger that I would not ride a step farther with him unless he
left the buffalo hide here. He was also convinced by his Lizzy's
wretched appearance, that she could not carry this weight for long, and
we agreed, that I should tan the hide of the first deer I shot, and let
him use it. Lizzy was led into the grass and tied to a bush, and we
arranged our bivouac for the night. Kreger fetched dry wood and water. I
lit the fire, set coffee to boil, spitted strips of the turkey breast
and liver, rubbed the meat in with pepper and salt, and put it to roast.
Then I laid my horse-rug on the grass, with the saddle, holsters, and
saddle-bag on it, hung the bridle and lasso on a branch, and took my
seat in front of the fire on my tiger skin, while watching the
naturalist, who was making a thousand arrangements, as if we were going
to remain at least a month here.
It had grown dark. Supper was over. We fetched our animals and took them
to water. Lizzy was hobbled in the grass near our camp, and Czar lay
down behind a bush, but kept his head up for a long time, as if looking
for somebody. It was Trusty, his playmate, that he missed; nor did I
feel altogether comfortable under my rug. I dreamed nearly the whole
night of Indians, and continually woke, when I made up the fire and lay
down again with my rifle on my arm. The botanist, on the contrary, slept
like a top, packed up in his buffalo hide, with his head on an open
bundle of blotting paper; at the same time he snored nearly the whole
night, which did not help to improve my rest. Before daybreak Czar got
up, shook himself, and walked up to Lizzy, who still lay half dead in
the grass, as if to wish her good morning. I roused my companion. We led
the cattle to water, and while I got breakfast I advised Mr. Kreger to
make some botanical researches, which he did. He came back with such an
armful of plants, that I told him I thought he had better not take more
than one specimen of each, as otherwise, by the end of our journey,
Lizzy would be unable to carry the load. He laid the plants in the
blotting-paper, bound his bundles, and ere we started, I rolled up the
buffalo hide with the hair outwards, and thrust it between two branches
of a thickly-leaved tree, where it would remain until our return.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VI.
MR. KREGER'S FATE.
We had a good day's journey to our next bivouac, and I was acquainted
with the country so far. We rode rather sharply in spite of the tall
grass, and at mid-day reached another small affluent of the Leone, where
we granted ourselves and our cattle a few hours' rest. During this time
I went down to the river side and shot a large deer, whose hide I
conveyed to our resting-place, along with some of the meat and the
skull. After scraping the skin quite clean, I split the skull, took out
the brains, made them into a thin paste with water, smeared the skin on
the inside with this, and then rolled it up tight and gave it to Mr.
Kreger to carry, promising to get it ready for use next day. Brains
dress skins famously, and this is the way in which the Indians prepare
them. After lying in this state for four-and-twenty hours, they are
washed clean, hung up in the shade, and, while damp, pulled over the
sharp edge of a plank or the back of a bowie knife till they are quite
dry, which makes the skin as smooth and soft as velvet. In order to
prevent a skin prepared in this way from turning hard when exposed to
the wet, it is spread over a hole in the ground in which rotten wood is
kindled, and it is smoked on both sides till it becomes quite yellow. My
botanist employed the halt in exposing the plants plucked in the morning
to the sun, while he collected fresh ones. The greatest heat was past,
and it was about 3 p.m. when we set out again. The country here became
more broken, the prairies were not so extensive, and here and there were
covered with clumps of trees and bushes. The grass was not so tall as on
the flat prairies, which considerably accelerated the pace of our
cattle. Lizzy especially seemed to feel the difference between yesterday
and to-day, and trotted lightly and cheerfully by the side of Czar, who
on such tours always ambled, a pace which is very pleasant for the
rider, does not tire the horse, and gets over the ground wonderfully
quick. This pace is natural to barbs. I knew my Czar's sire, who was one
of six stallions presented by the Emperor of Morocco to Taylor, the
President of the United States.
At nightfall we reached Turkey Creek, as I had christened it from the
great number of those birds I found here. It was still light enough to
choose a good spot for our bivouac, where we were near water; we were
tolerably hidden, and had very good grass for our cattle. This evening,
however, Czar was hobbled, that is to say, a short line round his neck
was hooked to a padded ring he always wore on his near forefoot, so that
he was obliged to keep his head to the ground or his foot in the air,
and hence could only walk. This was an invention of my own, suggested by
the fear of losing my horse, and when fastened in this way, he could not
be unexpectedly scared and driven off. I prefer it to binding the two
feet, for this often lames a horse, and to tying it up with a lasso,
because the horse can easily entangle its feet in the latter and be
seriously injured. In this manner I could leap from my horse in the most
dangerous neighbourhood, and renders it in an instant incapable of
bolting.
Lizzy was again picketed, and we kept a watchful eye on the animals
during the two hours they were grazing; for I had nearly reached the end
of my _terra cognita_ and the border of regions which had never yet been
visited by Pale-faces. Ere we went to sleep, the logs were covered with
ashes, the cattle fastened to trees close to us, and we lay down to rest
after supper, but I could not sleep so soundly as when I had Trusty by
my side; the slightest sound disturbed me, and it was always a long time
ere I fell asleep again. About midnight I started up and fancied I had
been dreaming about a storm; I looked up and saw that all the stars had
disappeared; at the same moment the surrounding landscape was lit up by
a flash of lightning, and a violent thunder-clap rolled down the valley.
I sprang up, blew the fire into a flame, laid wood on it, and woke the
snoring naturalist, who asked, in great alarm, about the cause of being
disturbed. I advised him to do as I did, then broke off an armfull of
bushes, laid them in a heap, put my pistols and bags on it with the
saddle over them, covered them with the horse-rug, and laid the jaguar
skin over all; after which I helped Kreger to put his traps in safety,
in which he greatly missed the buffalo hide.
While we were occupied with these preparations, the thunder rolled
almost uninterruptedly, and the incessant flashes kept the tall trees
brilliantly illumined. From the north we heard a sound like a distant
waterfall, and the turmoil soon rose to the mournful howling of the
tempest which is only to be heard in these regions. I was well
acquainted with the approaching spirit of the storm, for I had often met
it; hence I went up to Czar, put on his head-gear and threw the bridle
over my shoulder, giving Kreger a hint to do the same with Lizzy. But he
had quite lost his head, and ran first to his heap of traps and then to
the mule, when the storm burst over our heads in all its fury, and made
the primaeval trees crack in their very roots. It swept the earth and
carried away with it an avalanche of dust, leaves, and branches; our
fire stretched out long tongues of flame over the ground, and sent its
sparks whirling through the coal-black night into the gloomy wood. The
groans of the hurricane were blended with the deafening peals of
thunder, which at every second made the earth tremble under our feet,
and I had the greatest difficulty in making Kreger understand that he
should come to me. I had selected a young white oak, whose branches were
interlaced with creepers, to shelter myself and Czar, and had got out of
the way of two lofty planes which were singing their death plaint.
The fury of the storm still increased; blast followed blast crash
followed crash; the crowns of the two planes bent more and more, and
with a shock resembling an earthquake, they suddenly fell across our
fire, which scattered in all directions like a bursting shell, and
hurled logs and brands over our heads. Czar started back, and in his
terror would have broken half-a-dozen lassos, had I not been prepared
for this, and followed him with the bridle, while Lizzy dragged my
companion, who would not loose the lasso, for a long distance through
the grass.
The first drops of rain now fell, and I knew that the greatest fury of
the storm had passed. I led Czar back under the oak, held my rifle with
the hammer down under my armpit, shouted to Kreger to follow me, and
stood as erect under my broad-brimmed hat as I could. The rain fell in
torrents, so that in a few minutes we had not a dry thread on us; a
stream flowed between our feet, and the storm chilled us to the marrow.
We stood silent, like herons; and though it was so dark that we could
not see each other, we were contented at being still alive, and having
our horses with us. It rained nearly till morning, which was never more
heartily greeted than by us two; and, ere long, a clear blue sky cheered
us. The greatest difficulty was to light the fire again. My traps had
remained perfectly dry, as they were protected by the bushes underneath,
and the storm had been unable to touch them; I had the means of making
fire, but dry wood was not so easy to procure: still I succeeded in
getting some out of a hollow old oak, and the botanist's blotting-paper
helped to kindle the flame. It was scarce blazing ere we laid arms-full
of dead wood from the fallen trees upon it, and soon produced such a
heat that it dried us in a very short time. Kreger's traps had become
rather wet, but the damage could be easily repaired; and we did not the
less enjoy our breakfast on that account. The sun came out with its
warming, cheering beams, and lit up the ruin which the storm had created
during the night, while a calm glad smile on the face of surrounding
nature seemed to contradict the possibility of it being capable of any
such wild passion.
We were ready to start at a tolerably early hour, but an obstacle
offered itself which threatened to take us far out of our course. The
usually insignificant stream had swollen into such a rapid torrent, and
spread so far over its banks, that we could not hope to cross it. I
could not forgive myself the oversight of not crossing the stream over
night, which is an established rule with travellers and hunters in this
country, for the waters often rise fifteen to twenty feet in a few
hours, and the hunter who incautiously bivouacs on the bank runs the
risk of being so begirt by the swelling tide as to be unable to escape
its fury. Not only men are exposed to this, but also the quadruped
denizens of these parts, and I repeatedly saw drowned buffaloes and
stags being carried away by such swollen rivers. However, as a rule, the
inundation only lasts a few hours, because the small streams have but a
short course, and are only swollen by the mountain torrents.
I had no intention to stop here, and preferred riding up the stream in
order to try and find a ford where we could cross without danger. We
rode for a good two hours along the bank. The trees continually grew
scantier, and the road more difficult through scattered boulders and
rocks. Between these, huge ferns sprang up, and with the fallen trees,
frequently blocked the way, so that we had to make a long circuit to
fetch the river again. At length we reached a spot where the stream was
more contracted, and an old cypress lay across it, which had been
probably levelled by some storm. I went across the trunk, cut a long
bough and sounded the ground on the opposite bank; it rose at a steep
pitch from the water, and was firm, so that I had no doubt but that our
animals could easily clamber up it. I took the packages off Czar,
carried them across, then fastened the lasso to my horse's bridle ring,
and crossed the stream with it, shouting to him to follow me. The bank
on his side was rather steep, which fact he had discovered by feeling
with his fore feet, but he leaped with all four feet into the stream,
bounded up the other bank, and set to work on the grass, which had been
freshened by the last night's rain. Kreger followed my example, but
Lizzy would not venture the leap; I therefore went across, suddenly
seized her hind quarters, and pushed her into the stream, which she
entered headforemost, but soon reached the other side uninjured.
We loaded again, and rode down the stream opposite the spot where we had
spent the night. It was mid-day by this time, and though the heat was
not oppressive, our animals required a rest. We dined, and mounted again
at about two o'clock. From this point the country was quite strange to
me, and it was necessary to make sure of the direction in which we
proceeded. I compared the compass let into my rifle-butt with the one I
had in my pocket, and we rode at a quick pace toward the north-west.
All traces of the rain disappeared about four miles from our last
bivouac, and hence the hurricane had been limited to the course of
Turkey Creek. This is often found to be the case. Such storms at times
are not more than a mile in breadth, but dash with equal fury for
thousands of miles over hill and valley, so that nothing remains
standing which does not bow to the ground before them.
The country again became flat, but very pleasant for ourselves and our
horses. The prairies are frequently covered for miles with post oaks,
that is to say, oaks growing so close together, that their foliage is
interlaced, and hardly allows the sun a peep at the ground, covered with
fine short grass. Large and small clumps of trees of this sort are
scattered over these grassy plateaux, and give the country an appearance
as if human hands had been active here years agone, and these are the
remaining and border lines of former grounds and gardens. Riding under
this roof of foliage is extremely pleasant: you are not checked by any
obstacle, or diverted from your course, and the horses move lightly and
quickly over the short grass. It was at the same time a fine day, the
wind blew freshly, and hence we resolved to ride late, as we were in the
moon's first quarter, which promised us light for some time after
sundown. About six in the evening we crossed another small stream,
which probably also flows into the Rio Grande, where we could have spent
the night very comfortably; but we only filled our gourds, let our
steeds take a hearty drink, and rode on, as we could at all events pass
the night now without water. At about nine o'clock we reached, with
pleasant conversation, the end of the post-oaks, through whose middle a
clear stream wound. We greeted it gladly; for it is always disagreeable
to camp without water near at hand. Our animals were soon unpacked, a
small fire was lit in the thickest bushes, and at about eleven o'clock
we lay down, with Czar and Lizzy by our side, hoping for a better night
than the last. We slept gloriously, and awoke the next morning
invigorated and in the best spirits.
The sun had just risen over the horizon when we mounted and rode over
the plain, after taking, with the help of the compass, the nearest
direction to the forest rising in the blue distance above the wide
prairie. According to my calculation, it was about ten miles off. The
prairie was very flat, and only a few mosquito trees grew on it here and
there, which sufficed to estimate distances, for that is a difficult job
without such marks. I told Kreger it would be better for us to push on,
now the road was good, for a feeling of anxiety involuntarily oppressed
me on this broad plain, where we could be so easily observed from the
woods that formed a semicircle round it. I spoke to Czar every now and
then, and we had nearly reached the middle of the prairie when my horse
gave a start, and tried to break into a gallop. I attempted to pacify
him, but he soon began snorting, and could not be held in.
I had examined the prairie on either side of us, and when I looked
behind, to my horror I saw a band of Indians coming after us at full
speed, in front of a cloud of dust. My next glance was at the forest
ahead of us, to calculate how far it still was, and then my eyes fell in
terror on the mule at my side. The band of Indians consisted of at least
a hundred, and hence must belong to a powerful tribe, possessing the
best horses and weapons. I turned deadly cold when I looked at Kreger,
who as yet had no idea of our peril, and was carelessly whistling. I
made the utmost efforts to remain quiet, or at least to appear so, in
order not to terrify my companion, and begged him to urge on his mule,
while I loosed the rein of my snorting steed, and allowed it to make a
few forward bounds. Whether Kreger noticed a change in my countenance or
voice I do not know, but he looked round, and noticing the approaching
savages, with the ejaculation, "Great heavens, Indians!" he drove his
enormous spurs into his mule's flanks, and pulled his bridle so tight,
that the excessively sharp bit lacerated the wretched Lizzy's mouth,
Kreger had turned deadly pale. He looked wildly around him, and showered
blows with his whip on Lizzy's hind-quarters. At his first movements I
foresaw what would happen, and tried to make him understand that if he
let go the reins Lizzy would be sure to follow Czar, and we should be
able to reach the forest, where the Indians could not hurt us. He did
not hear--he did not see. A picture of horror, he stared fixedly before
him, and Lizzy, putting her head between her legs, began kicking out
behind. The danger grew every minute, for the yell of the cannibal
horde, borne on the breeze, was already echoing in our ears. I rode up
to Kreger and tried to drag the reins out of his hand; but it was of no
use; no prayers, no remonstrances, reached his ear. It was almost
impossible for me to hold Czar in any longer, for at one moment he
reared, at another bounded onward.
The Indians during this time had drawn so near that I could hear their
several voices, and distinguish the bright colours with which their
faces were painted. Our life was in the greatest danger. My horse was
terribly excited, and any slip on its part would infallibly entail my
death. Once more I shouted to Kreger to be reasonable, and let go the
reins, but he did not hear me. Minutes pressed. I let Czar go, and flew
like the wind away from the hapless man, who was left to his fate, and
my staying longer would be of no avail. I quieted my horse, and looked
back at my unfortunate companion. The horde was now close behind him; in
a second a dense cloud of dust surrounded him and the savages, while a
yell of triumph, whose cause I could guess only too well, reached my
ears. I pressed closer to Czar, patted his neck, and away we flew like
light. I looked round again; a dense mob of Redskins was after me, and
by their inhuman yells they gave me to understand that I was to be their
victim also.
The distance between us, however, had been increased. I drew a fresh
breath, and my passion soon dispelled my feelings of pity and its sister
fear. The forest rose rapidly before me, and my safety only depended on
this question: Was there a stream on this side the wood? Firmly resolved
even in that event to force Czar in, I clung closer to him with my knees
and gave him a cheery chirrup. Like a swan he flew over the grass
towards the woods, whose single trees I already distinguished. There was
no river on this side, and I soon reached the dense foliage, and led
Czar snorting and champing in, while my pursuers, now few in number,
stopped a long way from me on the prairie. I took out my handkerchief
and waved it at them to annoy them, for I would but too gladly have
avenged my unhappy comrade; but they turned round, and I went along the
buffalo path into the forest, dragging Czar after me.
For about an hour I walked through the gloomy shade, cutting my way
among the numerous creepers, till I reached a stream whose banks were
quite forty feet above the water. The forest on both sides of the path
where it led down to the river was so overgrown with thorns that it was
impossible to go up or down the river side, especially with a horse; nor
would it do to stay here all night with Czar, as there was nothing for
him to eat; and in event of pursuit I could be easily tracked. Hence I
soon made up my mind, mounted Czar, hung my pistol-belt and saddle-bags
over my shoulders, took my rifle in my right hand, and forced him to
follow the path down to the stream. It was so steep that walking was
impossible, but the faithful creature, once on the steep, half slipped,
half fell into the river, as the bank was very smooth and slippery. The
waves, as he fell in, broke over the saddle-bow; but the horse at once
raised the whole of its back above the surface, and snorting and
puffing, passed the crystalline flood.
In spite of the rapid current, we reached the other side, when the path
again ran up the bluff; but had it been a few yards lower down, the
horse would never have been able to climb the steep; the bank, as it
was, was very high and precipitous, but my steed's strength was equal to
the emergency, and burying its delicate feet in the soft loose soil, it
sprang up the bank, forcing me to cling round its neck lest I should
slip off behind. I had noticed from the prairie that the forest grew
lower down the stream and gradually ended, which led me to the
conclusion that further on the banks would not be so steep, though the
river might be broader; hence I rode down the waterside, for the wood
was not so close and impenetrable as at the spot I had recently left,
for about three miles in this direction, and found a spot where the bank
was not so steep, and I could easily lead Czar to water, while at the
same time wild oats three feet in height, grew close by. Hence I
resolved to spend the night here.
I led Czar into the nearest thicket, unsaddled and hobbled him, and lit
a small fire, partly to dry my clothes, partly to make a cup of hot
coffee, for I had turned chill, and felt quite worn out. I had chosen my
bivouac so that I could see for a long distance along the road I had
come, and kept my weapons in readiness, so that I might sell my life as
dearly as possible were I pursued. The scene of horror I had witnessed
so lately, the probably frightful death of the naturalist, rose vividly
before me, and though I had accustomed myself to society again for a
very short time, I now felt very lonely, and reproached myself for
having ever consented to let Kreger ride a mule on this journey, when I
knew the great danger. That he had fallen a victim to this error there
could be no doubt; still I resolved to make certain of his fate.
Night set in; the fire had burnt low; Czar lay close to me, and I threw
myself over his neck, patting him for his pluck and fidelity: he was
very tired, and frequently gave a sigh, nor did he stir the whole night
through. I remained awake till near morning, and although I dozed now
and then, I was soon aroused by the hoot of an owl, the yell of a wolf,
or the mournful cry of a panther, and I then listened to the sound of
every falling leaf and every leaping squirrel. The night was cool too,
the ground under me rather damp, and the dew very heavy, so that I
really awaited daylight with longing. Czar, however, would not get up,
and I let him lie, for I knew that he needed rest, and I might very
possibly be obliged to trust to his powers during the day. I had drunk a
cup of coffee, and eaten a slice of venison by the time my faithful
comrade rose. I led him down to the water, and saw a number of turkeys
taking their morning draught at the river side, but dared not fire for
fear of betraying myself. It was about ten o'clock when I started down
the stream again to find a convenient ford. The forest grew thinner, the
shores flatter, and I soon found a deeply-trampled buffalo path which
conveyed me without difficulty across the river, for though it was very
wide it was quite shallow. Within half an hour I was again on the same
prairie where Czar had saved me yesterday, and where the poor botanist
had probably met his fate. I cautiously examined the whole plain with my
glass, and could not see anything except a few herds of buffalo, and a
number of deer grazing carelessly among them. I rode up the forest side
to the path, where I found my previous trail, which was crossed by later
hoofmarks, and then proceeded cautiously in the direction of the spot
where I had left my companion.
While still a long way off, I saw the fearful sight before me. The sun
lit up his bloody corpse stretched out on the grass. I rode up to him,
and found that he was lying on his back, without his scalp, and covered
all over with lance and arrow wounds. None of his clothing had been left
him; the only things I found were my destroyed pistols and
double-barrelled gun, from which I removed the locks; even the
blotting-paper had been taken, though for what purpose was a mystery. I
would have gladly dragged the body to the wood and buried it, but the
distance was too great to do so without help. I therefore bade him a
silent farewell, and turned my horse to the ford where I had crossed the
river that morning.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VII.
A LONELY RIDE.
My route led me from here through a very fine country, consisting of
undulating plateaux, covered with splendid mosquito grass, and
picturesquely broken up by post oaks; here and there a single conical
mound, whose top was covered with a thicket, rose some hundred feet from
the plain. It was still early in the evening when I neared one of these
mounds, and let my horse refresh itself in a rippling stream at its
base. The stream came straight down from the thicket on the mound, and
the spot pleased me so well, that I resolved to pass the night there. I
rode up the hill to the wood, whose tall trees chiefly consisted of holm
oaks, with a thick undergrowth of rhododendra and azaleas. A creeping
bignonia was remarkably beautiful as it clambered to the tops of the
trees and spread over them its scented blossoms like a shower of fire.
The shady green of this wood was relieved by flowers of the most varied
hues, one of which I can still remember that is rightly called "the
traveller's delight." The flowers of this plant hang in clusters two
feet long, rivalling the purest blue of the sky above them, and greet
the approaching traveller with a perfume which the fabled East could not
surpass. The sources of the stream welled up in the centre of the copse,
and were girdled by beds of flowers which, as regards colour and form,
could not have been better arranged by an artist.
Here I encamped and hobbled Czar, who mercilessly plucked many a
beautiful flower and champed it between his teeth with the tender grass.
I then took my rifle in order to see whether there was any dangerous
animal in the wood, which was about a thousand yards in diameter. I had
crept through it and met nothing except a few old does that had their
fawns hidden here, and when I stepped out on to the prairie I saw a herd
of large male antelopes grazing about a thousand yards from me. This
graceful animal, though frequent in our parts, is rarely killed by the
sportsman, for it is the most shy of animals. Great curiosity alone
brings it at times in the vicinity of the watching gun, and hence I
tried to attract the bucks grazing ahead of me. I chose a spot covered
with rather tall grass, lay down on it with my cocked rifle by my side,
but drew my ramrod out and fastened my handkerchief to it. I then
whistled so loudly that the sound reached the antelopes. All looked
round towards me at once, and I raised one foot in the air and lowered
it again a minute after. I saw that they had noticed it and were leaping
about; I then raised the pocket-handkerchief and lowered it again, upon
which the herd got in motion, led by one of the largest bucks. They came
near me in a large circle, but I continued my telegraphic motions till
the antelopes, urged by their fatal curiosity, came within shot, and
their leader fell bleeding among the flowers, giving the flying herd a
sad parting glance with its large beauteous eyes. I jumped up and fired
my second barrel after the fugitives. Clap! I heard the bullet enter the
mark, and another buck fell on the grass after a few more bounds.
Hunting is the most cruel sport to which a man can devote himself; I
repented of my second shot, for I could make no use of the animal, as a
few pounds of the meat amply satisfied my wants. The charm lay solely in
the query, "Can you hit or not?" If this doubt be removed, it is all
over with the passion, and no one would go out sporting for the
pleasure. I must naturally see where the animals were hit, for that is
the real enjoyment to know how near you have gone to the right spot, and
hence I walked up to the bucks to choose the best of the meat for my
consumption at the same time. The one first shot was the plumpest, and
carried a pair of large beautiful horns which I regretted I could not
take with me. The antelopes do not shed their horns like stags; they are
formed more like goat's horns, and annually grow further out of the
head: they are brown and bent back at the point like chamois horns. The
form of the antelope much resembles that of the deer, but it is rather
lighter on the legs and of a brighter hue; its weight does not exceed
120 lbs. The eye of this graceful creature is certainly one of the
loveliest that nature has given to any of her creatures, and I have
often turned away from the look of a dying antelope because I could not
endure the reproach that it expressed.
I cut off the best lumps of game and went back to the dark shade, in
which Czar greeted me with a whinny of delight, and rested on my
horse-rug, refreshed by the delicious perfumes of hyacinths, jonquils,
daffodils, and narcissuses, that surrounded me. The night was warm, and
I required no fire after I had finished supper. I slept splendidly, with
Czar at my side, and the sun was high when I awoke, to find my horse
browzing on the grass within reach of his tether. I washed Czar clean,
which I never neglected when I had the chance, and rode out of my arbour
down the side of the hill, whence I could survey the country before me
for many miles.
A glorious picture was spread out. The sun was not very high yet, so
that the shadows over the landscape were rather long, and the light mist
gave the distance that reddish-blue tone which renders a landscape with
a rich bold foreground so exquisite. I remained for some time at the
spot, examining the road to the hills whither I was going, but which
were still too far for me to reach them on this day. Up to these blue
mountains the ground appeared to be much the same as I had ridden over
yesterday; rich in arable land, supplied with the most luxuriant
pastures and abundance of wood, and watered by magnificent streams. This
earthly paradise awaited men to raise the unlimited treasures which it
promised to bestow so bountifully. It was a saddening thought, that
these boundless plains were entirely uninhabited, for the nomadic
hordes of savages cannot be called such. From where I stood to the north
pole, with the exception of a few trading ports of the fur companies, no
white man had yet erected his cabin. Westward the enormous regions were
unpopulated almost to the Pacific, and even eastward the distance to the
first settlement was so great that I felt very solitary, and for the
first time was overpowered by a sort of yearning for the social life
which I had left in vexation. Still these feelings took no deep root in
my breast; they were soon driven away by the joys of hunting, which can
only be found in their full extent far away from the civilized world.
For two days I wandered through these gardens of nature without being
checked by any material obstacle. On the third day I reached the
mountains, and at evening found myself at the height where the limestone
leaves off and the red granite begins. To my surprise I saw a splendid
spring flowing from a narrow fissure in the granite, with sufficient
grass growing near it to give Czar his supper and breakfast. I stopped
here for the night, and had a glorious view from this stony height. The
misty blue outlines of the Rocky Mountains were only just visible;
between them and myself I looked down on the most fertile valleys, which
were begirt by lofty mountains. The precipice behind me was overgrown
with splendid cactuses, which were just opening their cups after sunset,
and diffusing their fragrance. The moon had risen; it illumined the
large snow-white clustering flowers of the yucca which grew in the rock
fissures, and spread over the whole scene a silvery light, which, though
inferior to that of the day in brightness, was far superior to it in
pleasantness.
It was a rather cool night, so that from time to time I made up my fire
with the dry wood of old mimosas, the only tree that finds nourishment
on these stony heights. Many of these grew round my fire, which when it
flared up, displayed the beautiful pink flowers with which these trees
are literally covered, so that the delicate pendulous leaves can scarce
be distinguished. Rarely did a sound disturb the surrounding silence;
now and then the yelp of a white wolf reached my ear through the cold
damp fog from the valley below me, or the hoot of an owl was repeated by
the echoes among the rocks.
Day awoke me from a refreshing sleep as the sun was gilding the summits
of the mountains that emerged from the sea of fog at my feet, round
which the large eagles were circling. Greatly invigorated, I bade adieu
to my pleasant resting-place, and led Czar over the rocks to the nearest
valley, which soon received us under its shady trees. I traversed the
valley for about two hours in a northern direction, following the course
of a clear stream which ran through, with a thousand windings, like a
mighty snake, and was framed in on both sides by thick bushes and old
overgrown trees.
About mid-day, as I was following one of these windings, I suddenly
found myself a few paces from a camp of Cato Indians, and a general
"ugh" reached my ear, as the men, about thirty in number, sprang up, and
we gazed at each other in surprise, watching for a signal of peace or
war. My presence of mind did not desert me; and knowing that these
savages, when they have their wives and children with them, prefer a
peaceful understanding, I waved a good morning to them with a pleasant
smile, and rode, holding my rifle and watching every movement of the
men, to the next bend in the river, while the savages looked after me
with open mouth, as if petrified. When I had got round a curve and was
protected by the bushes, my first idea was to give Czar the spur and
gallop away, but this would only have been a challenge to the Indians to
pursue me; hence I made him amble, as well as he could manage it in the
tall grass, and hastened to get out of this unpleasant company. It was
highly probable that the savages would follow me, if only to get hold of
my fine horse; hence I was obliged to calculate my next steps. I had but
the choice of two ways--either to throw out the savages by riding in
the water and on stony ground, where they could not follow my trail, and
then concealing myself at some easily defended spot--or else to ride
quickly away from them so far that they could not follow me on their
wretched horses. The former was difficult and dubious, as the Indian's
eye surpasses the nose of the best pointer, and hence I chose the other,
trusting to my horse's speed.
I cut off a slice of the antelope's leg, which was hanging on my saddle,
about enough for supper, and left the rest behind, not to give my horse
any unnecessary weight; then I set Czar at a sharp trot where the grass
was dry, and when I reached barren ground made him amble--a pace at
which he could do his mile in three minutes when put to it, though he
took eight minutes when not hurried, and could go on for hours without a
rest. I followed the course of the water, and at the end of some hours
reached a gorge where the river ran through perpendicular rocks, and
where my horse had scarce room to pass. I could see the water for nearly
two miles ahead; the current was wilder and swifter here, and on looking
down at its surface I noticed several spots where the water rippled and
foamed as it ran over rocks and stones. On both sides of the pass the
granite walls rose many hundred feet, so that it was impossible to scale
them; and though, farther to the right and left, buffalo paths ran up
them, the Indians must be well aware of this fact, and were probably
lying in ambush for me there, as they must have noticed from my course
that I was quite a stranger to the country. There was only one choice
for me, and I quickly made up my mind. I put my holsters over my
shoulder, placed in them those articles which must not be wetted, and
guided Czar into the river, in which he floated down with me at a
tremendous pace past the rock walls. I was not at all afraid about
swimming him for an hour; the sole danger of the undertaking consisted
in the large masses of rock over which the stream broke, and against
which we ran in less than ten minutes. The river bed was here rather
wider, and hence fortunately the stream not so violent, or else we
should probably both have found a watery grave. Czar raised himself by
his forefeet on the rock, which was not covered by more than a foot of
water, but his hind-quarters sank as he did so, for he found no bottom,
and the waves dashed over my saddle. The current had turned us against
the rock, when I pressed Czar with my thighs, and with a frightful
effort he worked his way along to the end of the rock, where I felt that
he had a footing, though it only consisted of a few boulders. I was
compelled to cross this dam, as I could not go back, and the uncertain
ground threatened every moment to bury us between its rocks. My horse,
first slipping off the smooth stones, and then leaping up again,
struggled in vain to find a footing in the rapid stream, and I saw that
any hesitation would be certain destruction. I therefore dug both spurs
into the flanks of my brave steed; he leaped desperately out of the
foaming waves, sprang on the rocks before us, and scrambled over them
into the river on the other side, where he sank up to the nostrils, and
the waves met over my head. My alarm lest Czar had injured himself was
alleviated by his speedy return to the surface, and as he blew the water
from his nostrils we followed the stream to a wall of rock, where I
noticed that the water was calm at the right hand end. I steered for
this point, and we swam unimpeded through this channel into the deep
water till the valley opened again before us, and my brave horse trod on
the sand. I led him into the grass, examined him carefully, and found
that he was slightly grazed on the near foreleg and the knee, but this
caused me no apprehension. I let him rest in the shade for half an hour,
as he was greatly excited, gave him all the white sugar I had brought
expressly for him, and which was now wet, and then continued my journey
along the river, as the grass, which must have been burnt here late in
winter, and the fresh grown crop had not yet sprung up, did not impede
Czar's speed.
The valley constantly grew wider, and trended to the west. I left it at
about 6 P.M., and followed a stream which ran from the north. Going
along it till nightfall, I reached its source in the mountains, and was
at least forty miles from the Indians, when I unsaddled Czar, and
hobbled him in the soft grass. I felt quite secure here, for I was no
longer frightened about pursuit by the Catos, and it was not probable
that accident would lead other Indians here at so late an hour, when
they never march except for some special reason. My bivouac was in the
only coppice far and wide, in which the springs bubbled up at the foot
of a very tall cypress. All around me was a glorious meadow, and,
further north, rose barren rocks, on which only a mimosa, a yucca, and
varieties of brambles and cactus grew. Czar was tired, and soon came to
me, holding up his hobbled leg, begging me to set him at liberty; and
when I had thrown the lasso over his neck, he stretched his delicate
limbs on the grass. I too fell back on my saddle, and slept so soundly
till morning, that I did not once look after the fire, and on waking did
not find a spark among the ashes. It was soon lighted again and
breakfast prepared, before which I had a bathe in the spring. Then I lit
a pipe, washed Czar all over, and left the well-head, going toward the
mountains in the north.
The road was so steep and fatiguing that I dismounted; still, I seemed
to be on a path at times trodden by buffaloes, which was continued when
I reached the top, where a wide tableland covered with rich vegetation
was expanded before me. This plain, only interrupted by a few hillocks,
was about twenty miles in diameter: it was covered with very high grass
and small patches of mosquito trees, elms, dwarf oaks, and yuccas. The
ground was quite black and very rich, and this earth was in some places
fifteen feet deep, as I could see by the numerous channels cut by rain
storms. I did not see a trace of spring water. This country is entirely
dependent on the rains, which are frequent in these mountains, as well
as the peculiar nature of the soil, which long resists evaporation of
the humidity. On all sides I saw herds of grazing buffalo, but, though
my mouth watered for a slice of hump and a marrow bone, I did not like
to distress my horse, or go too far away from him while stalking. More
antelopes were feeding here together than I had ever seen, and the same
was the case with deer. I rode quietly on through the tall grass,
resolved only to shoot some animal I could ride up to, and succeeded in
doing so toward evening, when I saw something dark moving in the grass,
which I recognised as a black wolf. In a second I was off Czar's back,
as I should be very glad of such a skin, and was just about to fire,
when I saw, on the other side of a ditch I had not observed in the tall
grass, a very large bear running away. Owing to the high plants, I could
not fire, and, forgetting my former resolution, I leapt on Czar's back,
and flew after the fat fellow. His road led through a number of low
mosquito trees, so that I was obliged to bend down over my horse's neck
to escape being caught in the branches. I was close to the bear, but it
coursed so rapidly under the branches, that I could not give it a shot
from my revolver. At length we emerged from the trees, and I flew a few
yards after the bear, when suddenly Czar made such a leap to the right,
that I must have been thrown, had it not been for the heavy holsters
that kept me on. I turned the horse round again, and then noticed that
the bear had disappeared in a gap before me; and on drawing near, I
found a _canyon_, going down a hundred feet sheer, and about twenty feet
wide at this part. It was a gully washed out by the rain, which I had
not observed owing to the tall grass. I dismounted, and walked to the
spot where the bear had disappeared: saw that the bushes had been
uprooted about thirty feet lower down, but could not discover a trace of
the bear. What I had been told by old hunters now appeared to me
probable--that a bear will, in a case of need, put its head between its
legs, and roll like a ball from some height, without hurting itself;
which can be explained by the remarkable elasticity of its bones, and
the thickness of the fat over its body, I owed it solely to the agility
of my horse, that I had not followed the bear down the precipice, and I
willingly resigned the delicate ribs which, in imagination, I had seen
roasting at my camp fire.
I continued my journey over the grassy plateau. The sun poured its last
vertical beams on the dry soil, which was intersected by deep cracks a
foot in breadth. This bursting of the ground during great heat is very
common on plateaux where the earth is very rich, and often endangers the
rider, as the fissures, being covered by the long grass, are difficult
to detect. There was not a breath of air; my horse became very warm, and
looked in vain for water in the deep dry ditches. I also pined for a
fresh draught, for the water in my pouch had become quite warm, and Czar
could not swallow it when I poured some into his mouth. My horse rug was
so hot that I was hardly able to sit on it, and the barrels of my rifle
almost blistered my hand. I stopped several times in the shade of an
isolated tree to draw a little breath, but this did not advance my
journey, and I could not possibly spend the night here without water.
How far I still had to ride to the next stream I did not know, but I was
aware that I might travel for days in these mountains without finding a
spring or a stream. The sun was on my left hand when I reached the end
of this plateau, but, instead of perceiving the longed-for sign of
water, a poplar tree, I saw before me almost impassable hills covered
with loose stones, that rose behind one another like sugar-loaves. I
could only reckon on an hour's daylight, and it was highly probable that
I should have to pass an unpleasant night. So far as I could see
northward, the hills were piled on each other, without offering a
prospect of water, hence I turned my horse westward, on the chance of
reaching the valley which ran along parallel with the plateau. I was
obliged to dismount, for in the hollows between the hills the torrents
had torn deep ravines in which old trees washed down were piled up and
became very dangerous to pass. The rocks over which I wearily climbed
were red hot and burnt my feet, and at the same time I suffered
intolerable thirst. I had shared the last water in my flask with Czar.
My mouth was very dry and my tongue clove to the palate. In vain I
looked from every height I reached for the longed-for sign, and wandered
up hill and down, till the sun sank behind the distant blue mountains,
and the first shadows of night spread over the land. I had passed over
several hills in this manner, when I saw a valley before me in the
twilight which I greeted with renewed hopes, but the darkness set in so
rapidly, that I was unable to continue my journey. Feeling quite knocked
up, I threw myself on the warm rocks, holding Czar by the rein, to wait
for the rising moon. The sky behind me grew more and more red; the
anxiously awaited light rose slowly about the hills, and looked down on
the deadly silence that was spread over the whole landscape.
I had rested about an hour ere it grew light enough to continue my
journey, and I soon reached the plain, where unfortunately the grass
grew very high. I was obliged to mount my horse again, for it was
impossible to walk through the grass; and though I was very sorry to do
it, I urged the poor creature on, while he continually strove, by
hanging his head and shaking his neck, to make me understand it was high
time to go to rest. I had continued my journey for two hours without
stopping, when the grass grew shorter, my horse every now and then
stepped on stones, and I saw a tree or two again. I had probably passed
the lowest part of the valley, and as I had found no water in it, there
was no prospect of doing so at a greater elevation. I was awfully tired
and sleepy, and my horse was quite as bad; I therefore unsaddled under
an elm, fastened Czar to the tree by his long lasso, and in ten minutes
I was dreaming of cool crystalline water; but for all that woke at
daybreak exhausted and feverish, and to my horror missed my horse.
I sprang up, surveyed the wide plain, and who can describe my delight
when I saw Czar's white coat shining a few hundred yards off over a
small mimosa bush, behind which he was enjoying the fresh grass in a
hollow. The knot of the lasso had come undone, and thus Czar had been
able to look about for more agreeable fodder. I led him nearer my
bivouac, and was just going to light my fire, when I saw smoke rising in
the west, about three miles from me. I quickly pocketed my flint and
steel, saddled, and rode toward the highest part of the ridge which
divided the valley in half. When I had nearly reached the top I
dismounted and crawled to the highest point, whence I surveyed the
valley, and observed an Indian camp, round which some three hundred
horses and mules were grazing. I saw through the grass that the various
families were sitting at the fires in front of their leathern tents,
with the exception of a few children that were playing about. The camp
was on the other side of a stream which wound through the valley from
the north. Though I longed so for water, I must avoid the neighbourhood
of these savages, who might prove very dangerous to me in such an
unknown and desolate country. I rode back through the valley in which I
had spent the night, and into the mountains on its eastern side; for, if
I had followed the valley to reach the river, I must have been noticed
by the Indians on my white horse. The road was tiring, as I was
frequently obliged to walk, and the heat on these barren hills soon
rendered my thirst intolerable.
It was midday when I with a firm resolution to ride to the water, cost
what it might, guided my horse down a ravine, and suddenly saw before me
the fresh verdure of plants which only grow at very damp spots, under a
heap of dry piled-up trees, among which a number of turkeys were
running; I forgot the Indians and the risk, shot two old gobblers, and
threw myself between the tall ferns, over the cold springs that welled
up among them, in order to quench my fearful thirst. I lay for nearly
half-an-hour, ate a bit of biscuit, and as I could not fully quench my
thirst, continually applied to the spring. This was one of the most
glorious meals I ever enjoyed, and I believe that I would sooner have
defended myself against a whole tribe of Indians than leave this spot
unsatisfied. The shade here was not sufficient, however, and hence I
went a little lower down the stream with Czar and my two turkeys, where
I found a cooler resting-place under a group of elms and oaks. After
this hunger began to be felt, for, with the exception of a small slice
of antelope and a little biscuit, I had eaten nothing since the
preceding morning. I set to work on one of the turkeys, and spitted such
a quantity of the meat, fat and lean, that I was obliged to laugh at
myself. The exterior of the meat hardly began to get roasted ere I cut
it away. In the meanwhile, the coffee was getting ready and I concluded
my repast; after which I found great difficulty in keeping my eyes open.
I fetched Czar, who had also enjoyed himself, and fastened him to a
tree, took my rifle in my arms, and in a few minutes was fast asleep,
forgetting all the dangers that surrounded me.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER VIII.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUED.
At about five o'clock I was awakened by the sun, whose oblique beams
were able to reach me through the trees. I felt refreshed and strong,
made Czar get up, saddled, and followed the stream, which led me to the
river I had seen in the morning. I approached the valley cautiously when
I rode out of the mountain gorge, and carefully surveyed it with my
glass, without finding a trace of the Indians anywhere. It was very
important for me to know whether they had gone up or down the river; the
latter was the more probable, because most of the buffalo herds I had
seen lately were going southward, and the savages, as a rule, follow
these animals. As the banks of the river were not high, I rode into it,
watered my horse, and without any difficulty reached the other side,
when I was soon on the path of the Indians, who had gone south, as I
expected. I rode up this trail northwards, in order, if possible, to
reach before sunset some stream coming from the mountains, as I would
not pass the night where I was, for it appeared to be a pass greatly
used by Indians, so that I ran greater danger here of meeting fresh
hordes than I did among the hills. I rode very quickly, and at sunset
turned into a narrow valley, bordered on either side by very lofty
precipices. For about two miles I followed the torrent which wound
through loose blocks of granite, and frequently could scarce get through
the tall ferns and reedy plants which grew between the wildly scattered
boulders. The gorge gradually became narrower and the granite walls
steeper, and in the twilight I saw the end of it no great distance from
me.
I had dismounted and was going with Czar round a block of granite,
when a large stag dashed past me from the end of the gorge, hardly fifty
yards off, and I distinctly saw another darker-coloured animal bounding
after it through the tall grass. In an instant the flying stag, with its
broad antlers thrown back, was twenty yards from me, and bounded over a
rock close by, while at the same moment a panther of enormous size
covered the track of the deer with its gigantic paws. It had scarce
touched the ground, however, ere the bullet from my rifle crashed
through its shoulder-blade, and the crack, echoing through the gorge,
thundered in its ears. The panther ran its head into the grass, while
its hind quarters flew up in the air, but at the next instant it rose
furiously in the grass, showing its dazzlingly white teeth and
stretching out its claws to leap on me. I held my rifle firmly to my
shoulder, and as the animal rose, fired at the white stripe under the
throat. The bullet passed through its breast, and rising on its hind
legs it turned a somersault and died with a furious kick. It was very
old, and had probably inhabited this tempting spot for many years, to
surprise the game that came here to drink at the spring, and enjoy the
fresh green pasturage. Eight feet long from the snout to the tail, the
prince of the valley lay stretched out before me, and round it the bones
of its victims were bleaching in the grass. I found above a dozen skulls
of deer and antelopes, all of which had a hole an inch wide in the top.
In addition to them, the skeletons of two buffaloes and an elk, and
countless bones of other animals glistened in the grass. I went up to
Czar who, probably recognising his foe, had run some hundred yards down
the valley, and was looking after me with his head up. I led him up to
the slain panther, but it needed much persuasion ere he would draw quite
close to this arch foe of his race. After making Czar stand by the
panther awhile, which I dragged about to remove his natural fear of the
creature, I led him to the end of the ravine where the ground was
covered with young tender grass, unsaddled him, and laid my traps under
the evergreen oaks, in order to prepare my camp.
[Illustration: FACE TO FACE. _p. 67._]
As the darkness had greatly increased I ran back to the panther,
fastened the lasso round its neck, and dragged it to my camping-place,
intending to skin it in the morning. I lit the fire, prepared supper,
and lay down on my horse-rug, every now and then turning the spit or
piling up the sticks round the coffee pot. The fire flared brightly, and
produced a peculiarly beautiful illumination on the thick foliage of the
oaks and the projecting shadow of the high reddish rocks, whose fissures
and crevices appeared all the blacker in consequence. The russet moon
was still low on the very dark sky, it peered into the ravine from the
east, and did not spread sufficient light to overpower my fire.
While I was observing this pretty scene I noticed a light spot under the
rock which was lit up by the fire. I took it at first for a buffalo
skull, but drew a brand from the fire and crept under the low-branched
oaks to make certain what it was. I held the brand over it, and saw a
human skull grinning at me out of the damp dark background, and carried
it to the fire. From its shape it was the skull of a Weico with a low
forehead, and strong thick high back part: judging from the fine,
slightly worn teeth it must have belonged to quite a young man, who
probably fancied he had found a safe resting-place here, and carelessly
yielding to sleep had fallen a victim to the panther, for the marks of
teeth were quite distinct upon it. I kept up the fire during the whole
night, which did not disturb my rest, as I had grown into the habit of
waking up every hour to see all was right and going to sleep again. If
it can be managed, as was the case here, the hunter chooses a large
fallen tree, and makes his fire close against it with small wood, so
that the trunk may catch. This smoulders during the whole of the night,
and the fire can easily be made to blaze at any time by throwing on
brushwood. The night passed without the slightest disturbance, and at
dawn I skinned my panther, which had a great number of scars,
principally arrow and lance wounds, as it seemed. After cleaning the
skin from all fleshy particles, I spread it out to dry at the fire,
while I bathed and swallowed my breakfast. I sought all round the
bivouac for weapons or other articles belonging to the dead man, but
found none, and as the sun was already high I set out on my wanderings
again.
Just as I reached the entrance of the gorge I saw a herd of seven
buffalo bulls grazing. In a second I leaped off Czar and ran from stone
to stone, till I got within ten yards of the shaggy monsters, from which
I was only separated by a large rock. I crept under this on the ground,
till I had the buffaloes before me; the nearest one stood motionless,
with its broad, hairy forehead turned toward me, and I aimed at the
centre of it, although I had often tried in vain to kill a buffalo by a
shot through the head. This time, however, the bullet did its work, and
the other bulls fled round the rock toward the valley. As the fat
buffalo would supply me with food for several days, I fetched my horse,
took the axe hanging from the saddle, and set to work cutting out the
sirloin, while Czar grazed by my side and now and then licked up the
blood. It is very difficult for a novice to cut up a buffalo, for the
hide is remarkably hard and elastic, and sits very close to the flesh,
while any attempt to turn the carcase about is hopeless. We may fairly
say that a novice in these countries, if what the practitioners call a
"greenhorn," would starve with a dead buffalo, if he had not some one to
show him how to cut pieces off it. I thrust my sharp bowie knife between
the ribs close behind the shoulder blade, ran it up along the spine and
down again to the chest, then in the same way separated the two last
ribs from the spine, and made a cut under the belly to the end of the
first cut. I then hacked the ribs with the axe, lifted the entire side
up, which broke the hacked ribs, and thus opened the interior of the
animal, like lifting a trap door. The entrails were removed without much
difficulty, and the two enormous loins under the spine cut out. I
removed a piece of the hide from the hump, in order to secure a part of
the streaky meat; cut out the tongue between the jaws, as I could not
think of opening the mouth, took two marrow bones, and left the
remaining 1400 lbs. of meat for the wolves and buzzards. All these
dainties were hung about my saddle, for the hotter the sun shines on
them the less does the meat putrefy. With a parting glance at the
ravine, I again struck the Indian trail, which I followed northwards up
the river.
At 2 P.M. I crossed the river, as it trended to the west, and followed a
beautiful valley, for some hours, to the north-east, where I did not
notice a single trace of horses or Indians, while the path I had
hitherto been following seemed to be exclusively made by nomadic
savages. The valley I now traversed rose gradually with the stream, and
seemed to form a plateau in the distance. It was covered with splendid
mosquito grass, which is only the case with the richest soil. This grass
never grows very high, but is very fine, and hangs in tresses like hair.
Horses are excessively fond of it, and grow fat on it in a very short
time. So far as I could see, the valley was covered with game of every
description, among which I noticed several moose deer, the first I had
seen on this tour. These animals are only found separately so far south,
while they form herds farther north, especially in the southern Rocky
Mountains. It is a deer of enormous size, reaching the weight of seven
or eight hundred pounds, the antlers spread very wide, and often weigh
as much as forty pounds. The flesh is not very toothsome, being hard and
fibrous, and is not eaten by the hunter when he can get any better. The
animal is not difficult to kill, for it is not very fast, and can be
caught up by a good horse; the Indians throw a lasso over it, and then
kill it with lances. For the time I was amply supplied with meat, and
hence felt no great longing for these animals, but let them graze at
peace. Like the other game here they were very familiar, and allowed me
to ride within shot, which was a further proof that this valley was
rarely visited by Indians. The country was well covered with stately
elms, poplars, mosquito trees, and mimosas (I call the last tree thus to
distinguish it from the mosquito tree, which is also a mimosa). Of
course, such specimens as grew on the Leone were not to be found here.
This valley will certainly in time be visited by settlers, for though
poor in wood, no better ground can be desired by cattle breeders.
At about six in the morning I reached a spot where two streams joined,
and I could not make sure of water further up the valley. Hence I
followed the eastern arm, and reached at sunset the hills bordering the
valley, between which I bivouacked, as I had everything I required. For
several days I continued to follow a northern course. The character of
the soil varied as before; the mountains had the same shape, were bare
at top, and covered with loose stones, between which a few low cactuses,
aloes, and torch weeds grew. I also rode over a good deal of tableland,
but got away from it as soon as I could, for through the entire want of
water the ground here grows very hot, and you are thoroughly roasted.
I found the grass on the prairie not very high, which made it easier
going for my horse, but more difficult for me to approach the game,
which appeared remarkably shy and restless. My stock of meat was
exhausted, and I ate my biscuit and salt tongue as rarely as possible,
so as to have food by me in case of need. I dared not ride down the
buffalo, as my white horse could be easily distinguished from the
uplands, and I must spare his strength. Nor did I care to go far from
Czar afoot, as a single foot Indian might easily be hidden in the grass,
and reach him more quickly than I could. Hence I deferred my chase till
I reached the woods that rose ahead of me.
I rode over the rolling prairie till, on emerging from a hollow, I saw
three very plump old deer grazing not far from me behind a few low
mosquito bushes. I sprang off Czar, hobbled him, and crawled on my
stomach through the grass towards the deer, dragging my rifle after me.
Although I had got within shot, I wished to advance a few more yards in
order to reach a hollow where I should be able to kneel and fire. On
reaching it I pulled my rifle after me, and was just about to fire when
a monstrous rattlesnake glided away from under my hand. I sprang up in
terror, watched it darting through the grass with head erect, and away
fled my deer over the prairie, and I had had all my trouble for nothing.
Though rattlesnakes are so numerous in these regions the sudden
announcement of their vicinity through the movement of the rattles is a
most unpleasant surprise, which never failed to produce a painful
impression on my nerves. The whole south-west of America is troubled
with these and other snakes, but accidents through their poisonous bite
are rare. In spring and autumn, when the heat is not great, the bite of
a rattlesnake rarely kills, and only in cases when a large artery is
injured. If that be not the case, it only produces a soft swelling,
which soon disappears again, only leaving a want of sensitiveness for a
few days. In summer, however, when the heat attains its acme, such a
bite is more dangerous, and curatives cannot be employed too quickly.
Cutting out to the seat of the wound without a moment's loss of time is
the most certain remedy. Salammoniac, which has so often been
recommended, is not of the slightest use; but sometimes a cure is
effected by rubbing the wound with oil or lard, or by a poultice of the
leaves of the large burr, which is so often entangled in the hair of
domestic animals. The most infallible specific, however, is a bulb known
to all the borderers by the name of "Seneca root." It has a leek-green
leaf a foot long with a few brown spots. It is chewed into a pulp, which
is laid on the wound and a small portion of the juice is swallowed; ere
long the pain is reduced, the fever disappears, and the swelling ceases.
This bulb may be carried about for years without losing its virtue.
Moreover, all these snakes shun man, and it is only when they are
startled by his sudden approach that they dart at the limb nearest to
them. The rattlesnake rarely exceeds eight to ten feet in length, but
the royal variety is somewhat larger, much more poisonous, and marked
with the most brilliant colours. Other poisonous snakes found in our
parts are the brown and black moccassin, which lives both on land and in
the water, and the copperhead, a small but very venomous snake. When I
settled on the Leone, these snakes were so numerous that after sunset I
did not dare let my horse walk along a buffalo path, because they used
to come out and cool themselves there. But as my swine increased in
number, they gradually disappeared, for the former are exceedingly fond
of eating them, and are not hurt by their bite.
I was very much annoyed: sent some strong language after the snake, and
returned to my horse, who had been taking advantage of his rest in the
long grass. I took off his hobble, and rode toward the forest, which
seemed inviting me to enter its friendly shade. It was midday when I
reached the wood, thirsting for a fresh drink. I hung my hat on the
saddle, and greedily inhaled the cool breeze that blew through the
majestic trees, and then followed on foot a buffalo path, which wound
between the bushes. It led me to a clear stream, which poured over loose
masses of stone, between rather high banks. I let Czar glide down, for
the path was very steep; watered him, and made him leap up the other
bank: then I filled my gourd, and quenched my thirst with the cold
water.
I was just going to remount, when I heard the sound of a herd of
peccaries or Mexican swine coming toward me, probably in search of
water. As the undergrowth was not very dense on the side of the stream,
I was able to see them coming for some distance. There were about twenty
old pigs, with a lot of sucklings; they ran very slowly, and I had time
to pick out a fat boar. I shot it; sprang on my horse at once, and, as I
expected, found the whole herd dash furiously after me. I had room
before me, and dashed through them into the forest. They did not follow
me, and I granted them time to bid adieu to their fallen comrade, while
I led Czar into the wild oats which grew luxuriantly here. In a quarter
of an hour I rode back to my game. The herd had retired; and I at once
cut away the musk gland which the boar had on its back, of the size of
an egg: for if I had allowed it to grow cold it would have been
impossible to eat the meat, owing to the powerful musky taste. The boar
weighed about fifty pounds; I cut off the best joints, and took one of
the tusks as a souvenir, on account of its remarkable length. The
peccari is very frequently met in the western mountains of America, and
often in herds of a hundred head. It has a handsome, silver-grey,
long-haired skin, an enormous head for its size with tremendous tusks,
and is remarkable for its extraordinary courage. If disturbed, it will
attack a man as soon as a horse or a tiger, and is very dangerous
through its agility, strength, and tusks five inches long. I have known
a hunter to be attacked by a herd, and forced to take shelter up a tree,
where he remained the whole night till the herd retired.
I rode for about two miles along the skirt of the next forest I came to
without finding a buffalo path; and yet the forest was so densely
overgrown with thorns and brambles that I could not enter it without a
path. At length I found one, which had been probably trodden for
centuries by millions of buffaloes. I followed it into the wood, and
soon reached a small river, whose steep banks were about eight feet
high. Here I refreshed my horse and myself, and followed the path on the
opposite side, where the forest grew clearer, and I soon caught a
glimpse of the prairie. The bushes and a few isolated trees ran for some
distance out into the prairie. I dismounted and led my horse to the last
bushes, in order to survey the plain ere I entrusted myself to it, and
because I was undecided whether I would not bivouac here. I had advanced
to the furthermost bushes, which were brightly illumined by the western
sun, and I found the prairie was populated by a few deer and buffaloes,
whose evident watchfulness and restlessness I could not ascribe to my
appearance. I looked down the wood to the rocks, and to my terror, saw
close under them on the prairie a war-party of about a hundred and fifty
Indians, who were riding towards the forest one behind the other. I
sprang in front of my horse, in order to cover its bright chest, and
hurriedly raised my telescope. They were Lepans. I knew them by their
plumed lances, gaily-decorated shields, and fine horses; for these
Indians are the best mounted and most warlike on the western steppes. I
stood as if petrified, for fear lest they might see a movement on my
part, while I held Czar by the rein. They had not yet seen me, for they
rode past, and drew close to the wood: a few yards farther and they
would have been out of sight, and the danger momentarily passed.
Suddenly, however, the whole party halted, and pointed toward me. I had
been seen, there could be no doubt of the fact; for I noticed through my
glass that they were holding their hands over their eyes to have a
better look at me. There was not a mile between us; my horse had been
travelling all day. The wood was very narrow, and the path leading
through it very broad. I was aware of the courage of these Lepans, and
saw no salvation save in the endurance of my horse. With one leap I was
on his back; threw away the flesh and darted into the wood, with the
whole band of savages after me like a whirlwind. The river made a number
of bends, which I was compelled to follow. The Indians' horses were
extremely swift; this was the first time I had ever known any horses
keep up with mine. But I had not yet called on Czar: I now drove the
spurs into him and let go the reins. I flew round the next corner, and
then round the next, ere the Indians reached the first, which was a good
mile behind. At this moment I saw that the river bank was covered for
the next half mile with loose pebbles. I turned Czar round, and leapt
him down the eight-foot bank into the river, whose bottom, composed, of
soft sand and shallow water, he reached without injury. I then galloped
up the stream in the direction I had just come, covered by the tall
bank, and the wood between it and the prairie, calculating that the
Indians would not miss my track among the loose stones, but would gallop
through them to the next angle of the wood, which would give me a grand
start. I remained at a gallop for about a hundred yards, so that the
water met over my head, until I reached a deeper spot, where Czar was
obliged to swim for a short distance. At this moment I heard the savage
horde dash past, and the war yell of these unchained demons echoing
through the forest! Probably the short extent of deep water saved me,
for at this spot only a few thin bushes grew on the bank, and though the
savages were some distance off, they would infallibly have noticed the
water being dashed up by Czar. I again reached a firm bottom, and
followed the stream as quickly as I could; while the yells of the
Indians were audible a long way behind me.
I was beginning to feel more secure, when my progress was impeded by
large masses of rock, between which the shallow water rippled. I leapt
on one of these blocks, and gave Czar a gentle pull to follow me: he
sprang up, clambered across, and reached without injury a good sandy
bottom on the other side. I hurried down the stream--partly swimming,
partly climbing--till I saw the lofty rocks on my right through the
forest, and hence knew that I was below the spot where the Lepans had
halted when they first sighted me. I still followed the stream, although
the water came up to my horse's girths; but it suddenly made a curve,
and ran close past the rocks, at a spot where they opened like a narrow
gateway, leaving a passage for a rivulet that flowed from the interior.
The entrance through the granite walls was not more than thirty feet
wide, and the gorge about a hundred feet deep, beyond which was a
beautiful little valley enclosed by the rocks, about a mile in length,
through which the stream rippled.
I rode up the rivulet; on both sides of which the most exquisite
flowers grew. Among them I specially noticed a sort of tiger lily, not
only through the brilliancy of its hues, but the masses that covered the
banks, so that the ravine seemed to be strewn with live coals. Sitting
down on a rock at the entrance, I listened, but did not hear a sound of
my pursuers. The rippling of the stream alone interrupted the silence,
and only at intervals did the shrill cry of the white-headed eagle rise
above it. That the Lepans had overridden my trail was certain; but it
was equally certain that they would ride back when they noticed their
error, and find my track; for my horse, in leaping into the stream, had
left distinct marks on the bank, and its track might also be followed in
the sandy bed. Moreover the banks were splashed with water, and that was
sufficient to show an Indian the road I had followed. Hence it was
certain that the savages could follow me, but doubtful whether they
would do it, as they might be sure that I should get under cover, when
my firearms would be very dangerous, and they would be unable to
surprise me. Hence it was far more likely--supposing that they attached
so much value to a white man's scalp or the possession of a fine horse,
as to interrupt the war-trail for some days--that they would guard the
prairies on both sides of the forest, as it was almost impossible for a
horseman to ride through the latter.
While I was thus weighing my situation I inspected my firearms, which
had got slightly wet; put on fresh caps, and was taking a look at my
water-tight powder-flask, when a yell echoed through the wood from the
east. I knew its meaning perfectly well: the Lepans had found my trail,
and were assembling for a consultation. At this sound all prospect of an
amicable arrangement departed, and I was determined, in the event of an
attack, on defending myself here, as in case of need I could always
escape down the stream.
All became silent again; evening spread her veil over the earth; the
silver herons and flamingoes uttered their hoarse cry as they flew
homewards; and the owl announced the setting in of night. The outlines
of the trees and rocks continually grew more indistinct, and it was time
to fetch up Czar, who was nibbling the tender grass along the stream. I
secured him with the lasso to a very large stone behind the rock on
which I was sitting, and threw before him an armful of grass and weeds,
which I picked. In the event of an attack from the river, he was
tolerably protected behind this rock, and he was close at hand if I
wanted to mount in a hurry. Though I regretted having to leave him
saddled through, the night, I only took the pistols out of the holsters
and laid by them by my side.
Suddenly a loud, long, lasting yell was raised, which, however, seemed
much farther off, and to come from the prairie on the south side of the
forest. Probably, the Lepans had found my trail through the prairie, but
it was a satisfactory sign to me that they had not attempted to follow
me along the river bed. In all other directions my hiding-place was
unassailable, unless there was a second entrance into the valley in my
rear, as was probable. It had already grown so dark, that I could not
distinguish my white horse from the rocks, although the stars shone
brilliantly above me. Before it was quite dark I sat down by the side of
Czar, to prevent him lying down. I grew very sleepy, but the yell of the
Indians still sounded too loudly in my ears for me to indulge in repose.
I tried to keep awake by smoking, which helped for a while; but smoking
in perfect darkness is no enjoyment; hence I soon grew tired of it, and
tried to keep awake by walking up and down. Czar, too, was tired of
standing; he stamped impatiently with his fore-feet, and tried the
strength of the lasso by tugging at it. At length, nature claimed her
dues, and I could not possibly keep awake any longer: I took off Czar's
load, laid it in the darkness against the stone to which he was secured,
spread out my rug, and lay down on it with my rifle on my arm. Czar was
not long in following my example, and tried as usual to have a roll
before going to sleep, which might have injured me or the saddle in the
darkness; hence I pressed his head to the ground, and we were both, ere
long, as soundly asleep as the rocks around us.
Day was scarce breaking when I started up and looked around me with a
disagreeable feeling of self-reproach: for how easily could an Indian
have crept up and done to me while asleep what all the whole tribe could
not effect while I was awake! Czar lay motionless, and I did not disturb
him, for it might easily happen that his strength alone could bear me
away in safety. I went out of the gorge and brought in some dry wood,
lit a fire and made coffee, being obliged to breakfast on my biscuits
and salt tongue, for the dainty lumps of pork I had cut yesterday had
probably served a wolf for supper. While I was breakfasting, my faithful
steed raised his head and rested it on my knee, that I might remove the
bridle which I had left on during the night. I did so; hobbled him out
in the grass, and then sat down again at my small fire, where I could
see along the river and up the valley behind me, whose steep granite
walls were just beginning to be illumined by the rising sun. In the
valley itself the fog still lay like a white veil, and only a few tall
trees raised their crowns above it. The stream by which I was sitting
was all aglow with its tiger lilies, with which the dazzling white of my
horse grazing among them formed a beautiful contrast. The mist in the
valley was dissipated, and revealed the rich vegetation which grew there
apart from the world. I remembered the fairy tales of childhood,--the
enchanted Princes and sleeping Princesses, the Palace of Glass, and the
Magic Valley,--and had they not been narrated before this continent was
known to Europeans, I should have believed that the fables had their
origin in this valley. I was very curious to learn whether there was
another entrance besides the one I commanded; for if not, it was very
possible that my hiding-place was unknown to the Indians, as the steep
hills around did not reveal that they concealed such a fairylike kingdom
in their interior.
[Illustration: AFTER A DAY'S SPORT. _p. 81._]
It was about nine o'clock when, after washing and saddling Czar, I rode
off to examine the secrets of the wonderful valley. I looked around at
the lofty walls of granite, but could not notice any other connexion
with the external world but the one through which I had come. The
valley, about a mile in diameter, was covered with a most luxuriant crop
of young grass and a number of clumps of trees and bushes, through which
the rivulet wound. It struck me as curious that I saw no game on such
rich pasturage, for, excepting a flock of turkeys, I had put up nothing,
although I had reached the centre. The turkeys were very shy, and ran
off when I dismounted to shoot one; but just as I was going to mount
again, an old cock came running up, and my bullet put a speedy end to
his existence. The report had hardly begun to echo through the rocks,
ere a swarm of aquatic birds of all sizes rose right in front of me like
flies in the sunshine; but, as I remained quietly seated on the grass,
reloading my rifle, they soon settled down again. I walked through the
bushes, and noticed a large pond with flat banks covered with all sorts
of gaily plumaged birds, among which herons and flamingoes occupied a
prominent place. The banks were literally covered with these birds, some
of which were standing sentry on one leg, while others were up to their
knees in the water and engaged in catching frogs. When I stepped out of
the bushes all the birds rose again, a portion seated themselves with
loud croaks on the nearest trees, while the rest rose in the air, and
proceeded in various directions to less disturbed regions. It now
appeared as if all the inhabitants of the valley had left it, and I was
not sorry at having secured a good meal, for my stomach was beginning to
complain about neglect. I hung the turkey on my saddle and rode to the
pond, whose banks were so trampled by the birds that not a single blade
of grass grew on them, but I noticed a great number of jaguar tracks,
some old, others quite recent. The animals to which these tracks
belonged must consequently live in the valley, as they would not
climb over the rocks and had not passed my night quarters. It was now
clear to me why this splendid pasture was so deserted and only visited
by birds, while hundreds of buffaloes and deer would have found abundant
food. I rode nearly round the valley, with a revolver in my hand, as I
expected at any moment to meet the landlord; but I did not see him, and
not a living creature remained in the valley but the few turkeys which
had probably strayed thither. I rode back to my bivouac, as it was
midday, and both myself and Czar felt hungry, and prepared a part of the
turkey for dinner, while Czar had a hearty feed of grass. When we had
finished our meal, I tied him up close to me under the overhanging rocks
where the sun did not fall on us. I threw wood on the fire, and lay down
to sleep to make up for the last night's lost rest. The sun was hardly
illumining the tops of the eastern mountains of the valley when I awoke
invigorated, and led my horse out into the grass again.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAPTER IX.
HOMEWARD BOUND.
I had already made up my mind to spend the night here, so I got about my
supper at an early hour, and soon carried a good stock of wood to my
camp with which to keep up my fire during the night. I slept undisturbed
till daybreak, took a refreshing bath in the cold stream while my
breakfast was getting ready; then rode Czar into a deep spot, washed him
thoroughly, and was soon ready to leave this mysterious but so pleasant
spot, with the resolution to visit it again sooner or later.
My road led into the river again, on whose rippled surface the night
mist rolled along with the current. But on further reflection I saw how
many obstacles now stood in my way. The current was very powerful, and
the waves broke against my horse's strong chest; the bottom, covered
with loose boulders, rendered its footsteps unsteady, and constantly put
it in danger of falling. At length I reached the bed of rocks which
blocked the entire breadth of the river, over which Czar had clambered
with such agility: it now seemed to me purely impossible that a horse
could achieve such a feat, although the marks of his shoes proved to me
the contrary, I would not venture, however, to make my horse leap it
again, but took my axe out of its sheath, entered the water, which was
shallow here, and cut away the creepers and bushes hanging over the
bank, and thus formed a much better path beneath them over a very few
large but flat stones. I led Czar across, and then slowly walked on,
constantly thrusting on one side the vines hanging with a length of
fifty feet over the water, in order to force myself through them.
After great exertions I at length reached the buffalo path by which I
had crossed the river on the previous day but one, and followed it again
to the skirt of the wood, but this time with greater caution. I left
Czar behind in the thick bushes and crept out alone to the edge of the
prairie, and examined the latter carefully with my glass. The grassy
expanse before me, far as I could see, was covered with countless
buffaloes and numerous deer, which were grazing quietly and carelessly,
and I recognised at a great distance a large troop of wild horses, which
must consist of several hundred. These were the surest signs that no
Indian had shown himself on this day upon the plain, so I returned to my
horse, and pursued my journey northward through this prairie.
In about an hour I drew near the horses, which were giving vent to their
playfulness by rearing, kicking, and galloping about. I rode along a
hollow under the hill, in order to get as near them as I could, in which
I perfectly succeeded as the wind was favourable. I rode to within a
short distance of them under the hill on which they were standing, when
Czar scented them, suddenly raised his head, and expressed his delight
at the friendly meeting by a loud snort. In an instant the troop dashed
up to greet the stranger. It was led by a coal black very powerful
stallion, whose mane, some five feet in length, flew wildly round his
broad neck. The thunder of their hoofs rolled along like a tempest
toward me, till we faced each other at a distance of about twenty paces.
The black stallion fell as if struck by lightning, and the nearest
horses fell upon him in the wildest confusion, while Czar gave them to
understand by a friendly whinny, that there was really no reason for
such fear. It was a wondrously beautiful sight, when these noble
powerful animals rose again and flew over the grassy sea, like smoke
before the blast, the black with wildly flying mane, flashing eyes, and
scarlet nostrils at their head. I looked after them for a long time, and
regretted that I could not risk leading a captured horse home, as I
could have easily thrown my lasso over the stallion. It is undoubtedly
one of the most exquisite sights to watch closely a troop of perfectly
wild horses in a state of excitement, especially on the western steppes,
where every breed is represented. These horses are originally descended
from those of the old Spaniards, who established a great number of
military colonies in these parts, each consisting of several hundred
men. These settlements, whose remains may still be found here and there,
were established in the richest districts, and, when necessary, strongly
fortified; maize was planted there, and silver, copper, and lead mines
opened.
I found in this country numerous relics of the old Spanish times; more
especially well-preserved dams in the rivers and water-courses, led
through large plantations which are now overgrown with grass. These were
employed to irrigate the country during a protracted drought, and thus
always secure an abundant harvest, which was a matter of great
importance to the settlers, as they were many hundred miles from
civilized Mexico, and thus it was impossible to obtain provisions
thence. The people were entirely left to themselves, produced their own
food, had a great quantity of cattle, and bred many horses and mules.
Even at that day, when these colonies were flourishing, it might now and
then occur that some of their horses bolted, and lived and propagated in
the glorious climate and on the rich prairies without the aid of man. At
a later date, however, more warlike Indian hordes poured from the north
over the south, which was inhabited by tribes held in subjection by the
invaders, and destroyed these remote Spanish outposts whose garrisons
they cut down and scalped. From this date, in all probability, came the
numerous troops of wild horses, now spread over the whole of Western
America; for the numerous horses of the military colonists were set at
liberty, and even at the present day the old Spanish horse, with its
long fine mane, small head, long neck, and hanging long tail can be
recognised. Since, however, eastern civilization has been advancing
toward the west, these troops have become crossed with all possible
breeds and not of the worst sort, for the men who risked their lives on
the border always spend their last farthing in taking a good horse with
them, in whose speed and bottom they could trust when they came in
contact with the savage Indian hordes.
From these border settlements, where the horses are necessarily turned
out to graze on the prairie, some frequently escaped, as they are
constantly surrounded by the wild horses. And every horse that has once
got among such a troop, bids an eternal farewell to captivity. Hence we
find among these animals the pure Arab blood, we recognise the clumsy
English cart horse, the pony, the thorough-bred, and the racer. In
short, there is such a display of every breed as no horse-fair in the
world is able to show. I especially noticed an enormous number of greys,
piebalds, and black horses among the troops; and that the differences of
colour are far more frequent among them than with trained horses. They
possess great speed for a short distance; for, on a lengthened race,
owing to their grass feeding, they cannot keep up with a horse fed on
corn, and hence they are often hunted down and captured by men mounted
on the latter. For this purpose, the lasso is employed, whose noose is
thrown over the horse's neck. So soon as the wild horse's neck is
squeezed it falls quivering on the ground, and the captor finds time to
place a halter or leathern thong round its neck. The noose is then
slightly loosened, and a trial is made whether it will follow the rider
by the halter. If it resists, the operation is repeated as often as is
necessary to make the animal understand that it must yield to captivity.
As a rule it follows soon; and can be easily tamed, especially when it
is not too old. If these horses are fed on maize for awhile, they grow
very strong and enduring. The fillies are the easiest to capture and
tame. You need only chase a manada for some miles, and the fillies fall
exhausted and do not rise again, and if they are raised on their legs
after recovery, they will immediately follow the ridden horse, as their
mares have disappeared with the troop.
These animals become as tame as dogs, and are of great value to the
borderer, as it costs nothing to rear them, and they can be put to any
work. For all that the wild horse is greatly detested in the vicinity of
a settlement, and many a noble brute has died there with a bullet in its
heart. The borderer cannot shut up his horses and mules in stables. They
must seek the food which nature offers them in such profusion, and hence
they have the gate of liberty always open; but they do not fly, because
they do not know what liberty is. But scarce do they see a troop of
their wild comrades dash past, ere they dart off too, never again to bow
their neck to the plough or the bit. They in such cases become the
wildest of the troop, and can always be recognised at its head. My black
stallion, whose wildly flowing mane I followed for a long distance over
the prairie, had, however, never yet bent his neck beneath the yoke of
man, for it displayed too fully the pride and strength which nature
imparts to liberty alone on its black curly forehead: these animals had
never seen the low roof, the simple palisade of a frontier house, and no
fugitive thence had ever complained to them about the fate he had
endured.
Czar was beside himself that he was not allowed to join in the race, and
tried for a long time to check the speed of the fugitives by his snorts;
he danced, threw his croupe from one side to the other, and furiously
tore at the bit, but it was all of no use, and serfdom still lay on his
broad neck, even though with rosy bonds.
The sun was rather low on the horizon when I found myself about five
miles from what seemed to be a very large forest, behind which rose the
mountains which I had noticed a few days previously in the azure
distance when I took my first glance at this valley. I leapt from my
horse, hobbled it, and crawled through the grass after two very old
stags, one of which was quietly grazing behind a fallen mosquito tree,
while the other, as if it had noticed something, thrust its thick neck
over the stump in my direction. I had left my hat with Czar in order to
attract less attention, and the sun shone hotly on my head; but what
will not a hunter readily endure if it enables him to draw nearer the
game? At length there were about one hundred yards between us, and I had
reached a small patch of flowering jalap trees which covered me. I
raised myself on one arm, and fired, aiming at the head. I saw that the
deer was hit close to the heart: it ran about fifty paces with its
comrade, and then fell dead.
After reloading, I rode up to the deer and laid in some days' supply of
meat, hung it on the saddle, and continued my journey to the forest,
which I entered about sunset by a very broad open buffalo path. I was
sure that the forest was traversed by a stream, and resolved to seek the
latter ere I selected my night quarters. I followed the path with my
rifle on the saddle-bow, when suddenly my horse gave a start, and a very
old bear entered the path hardly twenty yards ahead of me, stopped, and
with its head turned from me, began nibbling at the roots of a few small
bushes. It took scarce a moment to raise my rifle and pull the trigger,
and in the next I pulled Czar round, and rode for the prairie. On
looking round, however, I perceived that the bear had only sprung a few
yards after me, and was now half sitting, half lying on the path and
showing its savage teeth. When I slowly approached it, I noticed that
its fury was heightened with every step I took, and only its inability
to rise prevented it from attacking me. I, therefore, rode close up and
sent a second bullet through its head. It was a very heavy fat bear, and
I was really sorry that I could turn it to so little account.
Not very far from this spot I found the stream, and resolved to pass the
night on its bank, as the forest on the other side seemed very
extensive, and it was doubtful whether I should find there good
provender for my horse. I watered Czar, filled my bottle, and rode back
to the bear, from which I cut a paw, the tongue, and some ribs. I then
camped in the forest at a spot where the most splendid wild oats awaited
my horse. The paw was put to cook in the ashes for the next morning, but
the ribs were to make their appearance on the supper table. A roasted
bear's rib is indubitably one of the greatest dainties which the desert
can offer the hunter, and I enjoyed it the more because I had been
riding all day and had eaten nothing since my very early breakfast. A
man soon grows used to this mode of life, which is necessary in the case
of violent exertion in the hot sun, as it is very easy to bring on a
fever by riding with a full stomach.
The night was dark and rendered the light which my fire cast upon the
dark green roof above my head all the more attractive, while the giant
brightly illumined trunks looked like pillars supporting it. I lay on my
tiger skin and amused myself with counting the blood-red funnel-shaped
flowers of the bignonia, which swung in long drooping festoons from one
tree to the other, and, lit up by my fire, resembled so many red glass
lamps. Around me a number of whip-poor-wills strove to outvie each other
in uninterruptedly uttering their name, and frequently circled round my
fire. At the same time fire-flies and huge glow-worms glistened and
flashed in all the bushes, and the rustling of the adjoining stream
supplied the music for this Italian night. My eyes gradually closed, the
pictures of dreams became more and more blended with those of reality,
until a calm sleep fell on me to strengthen and refresh me.
Day was breaking when I opened my eyes, and the scene which had so
sweetly lulled me to sleep had faded away: the fire was out, and instead
of the glow-worms a grey mist lay over the bushes, the grass around me
was very damp and the bear's black hide was silvered over with dew. From
all sides the loud chuckling of the turkeys reached me, and I felt a
tickling in my forefinger to bend it upon one of these birds: but then
I looked at the mountain of flesh which lay before me and rested my
rifle again against the tree, and went to the fire to pull the paw out
of the ashes. The fire soon burnt brightly, and dispersed the cold damp
air around me; I put coffee on and a bear's rib before the fire, led
Czar to the stream and refreshed myself and him. Then I returned to the
fire, led my horse into the oats, and paid my respects to the bear's paw
and rib. The sun was also darting his rays through the trees, when I was
ready to start and rode through the stream towards the dense forest.
I rode for about three hours in this labyrinth, passing from one buffalo
path to another, until the ground began to grow more uneven, and here
and there large masses of rock rose between the trees. I dismounted, and
was leading my horse up a narrow path by the side of a great boulder,
when I suddenly saw, on raising my head, the entire forest literally
covered with wild cattle. I returned to the rock, as a meeting with
these most dangerous animals on an impracticable path like this was not
desirable, and hanging the bridle over a branch, I again ascended the
height in order to convince myself in what direction the cattle were
going. The herd passed me bound westward, and I am certain I saw over
300 head pass. These denizens of the desert are the most savage and
dangerous animals in Western America. Like the horses of the first
Spanish settlements they are runaways, and have now entirely returned
to a state of nature. You never see a spotted or black head among them:
they are all chestnut with black extremities, and a yellow stripe down
the back, and are more lightly and gracefully built than our cattle, and
as rapid as deer. They shun man, but when startled or excited, they
attack with the most frightful courage and obstinacy, and I would sooner
defend myself on foot with a bowie knife against a black bear than with
a rifle against a furious bull of this description. I remained for about
an hour behind the rock before the last of the herd had disappeared
between the trees, after which I rode across their deeply trampled path,
and soon found myself on the edge of the forest.
From this point gradually rose a bald desolate mountain range that ran
from east to west, and whose base was covered with bad grass and a few
scattered granitic rocks. These mountains, the San Saba, are spurs of
the Rocky Mountains, which I had already noticed from the elevation,
where the granite follows on the limestone. I might calculate on
wandering about there for weeks before again reaching watered valleys.
Hence I resolved to alter my course and go farther east, until I reached
the mountains which were the source of all the streams I had lately
crossed, and return home along their base.
On this side of the forest the soil was too bad to produce good grass,
hence I looked about for a buffalo path by which I could cross it again
in a southern direction. These eternally wandering buffaloes, however,
appeared to avoid the sterile mountains, and though here and there a
lightly trodden path entered the forest, it was not open enough to be
followed by a horseman. It was already noon, and I was still on the
outside of the forest, when I noticed a tolerably beaten path in an
angle where the forest jutted out farther into the mountains. I was very
glad of it. Indescribable was the feeling of comfort when I reached the
dense shade of the first trees: I threw my leathern jacket over the
saddle, hung my hat by its side, and followed the path which ran between
the rocks that rose among the trees and led deeper into the forest.
Suddenly a sound reached my ear resembling the fall of distant water,
and the nearer I drew the more distinct it became. It was possible that
the river here took a wide curve to the foot of the mountains, and I
greeted it with delight. I soon saw that I was not mistaken, for on
turning a large rock I stood close in front of a waterfall, which
aroused my admiration both through the peculiarity of its shape and the
refreshing coolness that it spread far and wide beneath the shady trees.
A powerful mountain torrent, about thirty yards wide, fell over an
immense rock twenty feet high, down upon another rock which had been
hollowed to a depth of about three feet by the water, which had fallen
on it for centuries and formed a basin, over whose front the agitated
foaming stream dashed at a height of about forty feet over widely
scattered masses of rocks and aged trees suspended between them, while
on either side enormously lofty trees laid their thick crowns together
over the roaring cataract and repulsed the inquisitive sunbeams. I soon
stripped Czar, and hobbled him, lit a small fire, put the coffee-pot on
it, and lay down on my blanket close to the fall in order to make a
sketch of it.
When I was sufficiently rested, I went up to the basin, undressed and
leapt into the foaming water. Never in my life have I found so glorious
a bathing-place as this, which nature appeared to have made for the
express purpose. The very cold waves dashed up to an immense height, and
it was hardly possible to stand under the cataract, while behind it I
was entirely shut off from the outer world as if I were in a palace of
crystal. I remained till about five o'clock at this Diana's bath, as I
christened it, and it is known by that name to all the hunters who have
since visited it. It was too early, however, for me to camp; hence I
mounted my horse and rode up once more to bid adieu to the cataract.
Far through the forest I was followed by the roaring of the fall, till
the rustling of the river I was approaching overpowered it. At about one
hour before sunset I reached the prairie at the southern end of the
forest, and until nightfall followed its skirt in an easterly direction
till I reached a spot where the stream emerged from it. I camped here
quite concealed, and on the next day rode eastward towards the
mountains. From this point I altered my course to the south, and rode
there for several days. One afternoon, when greatly troubled by thirst,
I reached a pleasant grass valley on which several mosquito trees grew;
a fresh stream wound through the verdant bottom, and a few deer were
grazing on either bank. I dismounted to refresh myself with the eagerly
desired draught and grant my horse a little rest. A very large deer was
standing over two hundred yards off, and staring intently at me. I was
well stocked with meat, but the query whether I could hit it led me away
as it had so often done, and while sitting on the bank I fired at it.
The deer bled, ran a short distance in a circle, and then fell lifeless
on the ground. After reloading I went up to it to fetch the fillet, and
while engaged in fastening it to my saddle I noticed two foot Indians,
one armed with a rifle, the other with bow and arrows, come out from
behind some bushes and advance some twenty yards before they caught
sight of me. I saw their terror and amazement, and that one of them
crossed his arms on his breast, and laid his arms on his shoulders,
which among them is a sign of friendship. I made them a signal to be
off, and assured them of my friendly sentiments in the same way. Upon
which they described a large circle round me, and escaped from sight a
long way down the stream. I felt convinced that several of their tribe
were hunting in the vicinity, as they must have heard my shot, and would
assuredly not have emerged so carelessly from behind the bushes had they
not believed it was fired by one of their comrades. I put Czar at a
sharp amble, as the grass was not high, and hurried down into the
valley, while carefully looking round in order to escape this menacing
place.
About sunset I reached another small stream, where I halted, lit a fire,
and prepared my supper, while Czar was enjoying his. Here I rested till
night had set in; then saddled again, filled my gourd, and rode on for
about five miles. Here I led my horse into a thicket which ran between
two steep hillocks, and remained in it during the night. It was very
probable that the Indians had informed their comrades of the presence of
a paleface, and that they had followed me to my camp-fire, but had been
unable to strike my trail in the darkness.
From this point my journey was for several days a most fatiguing and far
from pleasant one. I constantly went up and down barren, stony hills,
and found scarce grass enough to feed my horse; we also both suffered
from the want of water, which was the more perceptible on the bare,
heated rocks. I could only proceed short distances, as through the
constant marching on very hard stones Czar's feet were beginning to
swell, and though he was not lame, he put them down very gingerly. There
was certainly no lack of game, as I always met turkeys and deer in the
neighbourhood of water, and on such uneven ground it is very easy to
stalk the game. Although it may offend the feelings of the true
sportsman, I will confess that on this ride I shot several fawns for the
sake of their tender flesh: I also killed a very large jaguar, which I
attracted by imitating the cry of a complaining fawn. It leaped within
twenty yards of me ere it noticed me, but then stopped, and looked round
for its victim, swinging its long tail high up in the air. The bullet
went through its head and laid it dead. The Indians make a sort of
wooden pipe, which so admirably imitates the moan of a fawn, that every
old animal within a distance of a mile round comes dashing up, and is
startled neither by a horse nor its rider. I have seen instances where
old animals continued to advance after being missed two, three or four
times, till they lamentably fall victims to their maternal love. I
always carried such an instrument about me, as all the larger beasts of
prey can be easily attracted by it, such as bears, tigers, panthers,
wolves, lynxes, &c., and the beautifully-striped leopard cats, which are
very numerous about us, and are easily deceived by it.
I at length again reached the limestone region; but I must have been a
great deal too far east; for the mountain chain was much lower than at
the spot where I had crossed it. This view was soon confirmed when I
went down into the valley and found all the streams I crossed small and
insignificant. The country continually became more pleasant and rich,
the valleys grew broader, and the vegetation was more luxuriant than in
the desolate melancholy ravines I had been lately riding along. I daily
expected to see well-known mountains, and looked about more especially
for a very high point on a mountain chain which runs southward from
Turkey Creek to the Rio Grande, on which the Indians have built a
pyramid of large stones, either put up as a finger-post for the
wandering tribes, or as a border mark between the different
hunting-grounds.
One morning I had just left camp and was riding through an extensive
prairie, when I fancied I could recognise this landmark, and convinced
myself by the aid of my glass that I was not mistaken. I felt myself at
home again, although this point was a good day's journey from my house:
still, I knew in which direction my road lay, and eagerly went along it.
About noon I reached one of those most troublesome cactus woods, which
frequently run across the prairies. The present one ran like a wall for
miles across my path. There is no chance of riding through these
thickets, as the prickly plants grow closely together. Though they are
most disagreeable to the hunter, their appearance is most attractive to
the naturalist, through the brilliant colour of the cactus flowers, and
the peculiar shape of the plants. This obstacle led me a long way from
my route, as I was obliged to ride round it for several miles.
While I was riding close along this wall, still hoping to find a free
passage, I suddenly noticed a deer, about twenty yards off, poking its
head out of the prickles, and staring at me in surprise. I raised my
rifle--Czar stopped instantly--and fired at the head, as I could not see
any more of the deer. I could distinctly see through the smoke that the
bullet smashed the right side of the deer's head, and heard it dash away
a few yards, and then fall; but it was impossible to penetrate the
prickly wall for this short distance, and reach the deer. The cactuses
were here from sixteen to seventeen feet high, and so close together
that I could not go a foot into them. Hence I was obliged to give up the
deer, and was very glad on at length reaching a narrow glade which ran
through the wood.
Late at night I rode along the bank of a river, which I took for one of
the western arms of Turkey Creek, and was forced to halt and pass the
night here by the numerous rocks that rose from the tall grass and
ferns. The next morning I passed the spot where I crossed the river with
the unfortunate Kreger by means of the trunk of the tree, and at noon
reached the camp where the storm had treated us so ill. The revived
memory of the unhappy man was very painful to me, and I hurried from the
spot, in order to get rid of the blood-stained picture of the scalped
naturalist. I now came again into my own hunting-grounds, where nearly
every tree and shrub reminded me of a fine chase, and my desire for home
and my faithful Trusty urged me on. I rode late into the night, till I
reached at ten o'clock a camping-place, where I and Czar had often
stopped before. It was evident that the sensible creature recognised his
home, and again sought the same spot to rest where he had before
stretched his beautiful limbs.
When day broke, I rose from my blanket with a feeling resembling that I
felt on my birthday when a child: but soon wretched doubts forced
themselves on me, whether I should find my little colony all right.
Czar, on this day, was washed extra clean; all the beards of the turkeys
I had shot on the tour were fastened on the bridle: the beautiful skin
of the tiger shot on the mountains was laid over the panther skin to
display it in the best way, and I then continued my ride toward the
Fort, which I hoped to reach at noon, with a joyously beating heart. The
grass, however, was so high and rendered going so fatiguing for my
horse, that I advanced but slowly, and did not reach our first
resting-place at the commencement of the tour till noon. Czar was very
hot and tired, so I did not ride on, as I had intended, but unsaddled
and boiled coffee, while the horse was reposing in the shady grass. When
the greatest heat was passed, and I had washed Czar down in the stream,
I started again homewards, and saw, as the sun was setting, my beloved
virgin forest appear above the prairie, and the two immense poplars
indicating the spot where the buffalo path that led to my settlement,
entered the forest. It was about ten miles off, so that I could
calculate on reaching home by nightfall without any great effort.
I had ridden through a small wood and had advanced into the prairie some
hundred yards, when I noticed on my left at about a mile distance, five
horse Indians emerge from a clump of oaks. Their horses were going at
what is called a dog trot, although it seemed to be increased or
diminished according to Czar's pace. I looked at them through my glass,
and saw that only two of them had bows and the other three were unarmed.
As their appearance did not cause me any apprehension, I quietly
followed my road at a gentle walk. We constantly came nearer, and I soon
saw that the Indians designed to meet me on the path. I therefore held
my horse in so that they reached the path when I was about one hundred
yards distant from them. They stopped, and when they saw that I did the
same, one of the armed men turned his horse toward me and rode a few
paces nearer. I made signs to them to go their way, and when I saw they
had no result, I leapt from my horse and raised my rifle, again
intimating to them to ride on. They now shouted to me, "Kitchi, Kitchi,
Delaware, Delaware!" the names of friendly tribes, and at the same time
made the signals of amity. I, however, signalled to them again, and
raised my rifle to my shoulder, upon which they spoke together and went
up the hill very slowly, one behind the other, till I lost sight of
them.
The suspicions which I entertained of all Indians induced me also to
ride up the hill to see what had become of them. To my great surprise I
saw them a long distance ahead galloping across the prairie. This sudden
haste could not be explained through fear of me. It must have another
cause which I could only find in the fact that their camp was no great
distance off, and that they wished to inform their tribe of my presence,
so as to cut me off on the prairie, and lay wait for me in the woods on
the Leone. From the direction they followed, if the tribe were encamped
no great distance from the path that led into the wood, they could get
there before me, whence I soon made up my mind and galloped off to
another ford of the Leone, about twenty miles higher up. Czar galloped
nearly the whole distance, and I reached the forest before sunset. I was
now safe, for no one could pass through the wood on horseback, and the
narrow buffalo path could be easily defended. I reached the Leone,
welcomed it with heartfelt joy, and hurried down the opposite bank
toward my home. About three miles from it I had to cross a hill, whence
I could see my fort. I approached its crest with a loudly beating heart,
because I must here obtain certainty as to the fate of my settlement.
I looked across the valley, and on the other side I saw the fort
glistening through the gloom. A heavy load fell from my heart; I took my
glass, everything was quiet, the smoke rose straight from the kitchen,
and suddenly two of my dogs ran up from the river, and disappeared
through the palisades into the interior of the fort. Czar, too, knew
perfectly well that he was going home, for though I had ridden him
unusually hard, he kept up his amble, while usually when he was tired he
had a habit of stopping and biting the grass.
It had grown very dark when I rode up the last hill to my fort, and was
received by the loud barking of my dogs which dashed through the holes
in the palisades. But all their voices were overpowered by Trusty's bass
from the interior of the building. The dogs soon recognised me, and
springing up to Czar expressed their delight at my return by loud
whining. I now raised my hunting cry, which was responded to by Trusty
tugging furiously at his chain, and a hearty welcome from my garrison.
The chain of the gate fell, and Trusty flew out and up at me, so that I
was hardly able to keep my feet under his demonstrations of delight. My
three comrades received me most heartily, and strove to show how much
they were attached to me. My horses and mules raised their voices from
the interior of the fort, and Czar answered them by his friendly
whinnies.
When the first greeting was over, my three men asked almost
simultaneously, "but where is Mr. Kreger?" I pointed to heaven and
intimated by a short "by-and-bye," that I would tell them all about it
presently. Czar was soon liberated from his burden, rolled himself
heartily at his old place in the grass, and consoled himself with his
long absent maize-leaves, while I doffed my travelling accoutrements
indoors, and made myself comfortable by a wash and change of dress. We
were soon seated round the old table at supper, at which I refreshed
myself with a draught of fresh milk, and then I described the unhappy
fate of my companion Kreger. An almost unanimous "did I not foretell
it?" burst at the end of my narrative from the lips of my comrades, who
all felt great sympathy in the unhappy man's fate.
In spite of my weariness it had grown rather late. Hence I rose, went
out once more to Czar, who had heartily enjoyed his husked corn, and
then proceeded indoors with my faithful Trusty, who resumed his old post
on a thick bearskin with delight. But I felt so confined in my room that
I was obliged to open all the doors and windows, and lie down on a
buffalo hide on the floor, instead of resting in my bed. It is
remarkable how soon a man forgets rooms when he has been living for any
length of time in the open air, and how he feels like a fish out of
water when he returns to them.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER X.
THE BEE HUNTER.
I was the first to rise from my bed when day broke, and went forth to
enjoy the cooling breeze. Czar was not yet awake, and merely raised his
head a little from the ground, gazing at me with his glorious eyes as if
he wished to say that it was too soon to rise, and then laid his head
down on the ground again and accepted my patting without stirring. The
cream-colour whinnied and turned about till it came up to me, when it
took from my hand a piece of biscuit: the dogs leapt about me, but kept
at a respectful distance, because Trusty was by my side and none dared
venture near him. I aroused my garrison and then proceeded to the river,
whence I could survey my maize field, which glistened like a dark pine
forest, and in which a horseman would have been completely hidden; then
I went into the garden, which I found in admirable order, and in which
the most magnificent melons were ripening. When I returned to the fort
the milch cows were leaving the enclosure, and shone in the morning sun
as if they had been curry-combed. My favourite cock, Whip, called his
numerous harem out to breakfast on the prairie; and two pigs hurried
with their farrows towards the river, for the purpose of going to the
wood.
After breakfast I saddled the cream-colour, for which the saddle girths
had grown much too tight, and rode with one of my men and Trusty to the
other side of the river, towards the old buffalo path that led to the
prairie; we reached the skirt of the wood, and had not ridden far
through it when Trusty, who was ahead, stopped and looked up at me. I
dismounted and perceived a number of footsteps made by mocassins. A
little farther on the grass was trampled down by a great number of
horses' hoofs. My foreboding was then confirmed. The entire Indian tribe
had laid wait for me in the woods, and I should certainly have fallen a
victim to their treachery if my good star had not warned me of their
design. I silently thanked my guardian angel, who had already led me
through so many dangers, and rode back to the fort, which I reached
shortly before noon, with a very fat deer I had shot on passing through
the wood, and which hung across my comrade's saddle.
A few days' rest at home did me a wonderful deal of good; and I felt
remarkably comfortable. In the afternoon I swung in a hammock in the
verandah before my house, smoking a cigar; and in the evening I sat till
a late hour in a rocking chair in my neatly furnished room, and sang to
the guitar songs from the past days of youth and passion. My house
consisted of but one large room, whose walls and ceiling were covered
with the finest dark-haired buffalo hides, while a carpet of smooth
summer deer hides enlivened the floor. Ov
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