In the Rocky MountainsKingston, William Henry Giles
General
In the Rocky Mountains
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction; Rocky Mountains -- Fiction
Having visited Roaring Water and warned Uncle Jeff of the attack he knew
would be made on the farm, he returned to where he had left his
warriors, resolved to make a diversion in our favour, as he had
promised. He had attacked the Arrapahas with much determination, but,
overwhelmed by numbers, he had been driven back, with the loss of many
of his followers. Having in vain attempted to reach the farm, he had
stationed a band of his best warriors to afford us support should we
have deserted the house, or attempted afterwards to cut our way out of
it.
I was much disappointed to find that he could give me no information
about Uncle Jeff, or about any of our friends; he was not even aware
that Clarice had gone to join his daughter at the camp. He expressed
his satisfaction at hearing that she had escaped the fate which had, he
supposed, befallen all the inmates of the farm.
He now conducted me to his temporary camp, where we found a few of his
warriors reclining on the ground. Several of them were wounded, and all
looked weary and disheartened. They had, however, succeeded in killing
a deer, and food was abundant. I was thankful to get a substantial
meal, after which I lay down with the rest by the side of the stream, to
obtain the sleep I so much needed.
A few skins had been stretched over some poles to afford shelter to the
wounded, who required it more than the rest of us.
I had been asleep for several hours, when, suddenly awaking, I happened
to turn my eyes across the stream, and saw, partly concealed by the
brushwood, the figure of an Indian stooping down and apparently watching
us. My first impulse was to jump up and present my rifle at him. I
had, indeed, made some slight movement, when I felt a hand placed upon
my arm. It was that of Winnemak.
"Hush!" he whispered. "I see the spy, and can kill him if I wish; but
it is important to take him alive, to learn what he is about."
I observed, as he spoke, that he was freeing himself of such parts of
his dress as might impede his progress, and that he was gradually
creeping nearer and nearer to the edge of the stream. Being in the
shade, he could not be seen by the stranger. Presently Winnemak rose to
his feet, and making a spring, almost cleared the stream. With a few
bounds he was on the opposite bank.
The spy saw him coming, and finding that he was discovered, rose from
his recumbent position. He, too, was fleet of foot, and lightly clad.
Away he rushed towards the level prairie; perhaps he expected to find
friends there, or had his horse staked in that direction, near some wood
or copse.
As soon as I perceived what Winnemak was about, I too sprang up, as did
several Indians, but as they were all worn out with fatigue they were
soon left behind. Being a good runner, I kept pace with the chief,
although still at a considerable distance behind him, as he had had the
start of me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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