In the Rocky Mountains: A Tale of AdventureKingston, William Henry Giles
General
In the Rocky Mountains: A Tale of Adventure
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction; Rocky Mountains -- Fiction
"As soon as we thought that the wolves had gone from our camp, Rachel
went to see if anything had been left; but the savage creatures had
carried off everything, and at the same time frightened away our horses
and mules, and they were nowhere to be seen. We remained in the tree for
some time, and I do not think anybody would have found us. Then Rachel
went away to try and get some berries and roots. She had not been long
absent when I heard a dog barking, and looking out through a small hole
in the hollow trunk, I saw Maysotta approaching. I therefore stepped out
of my place of concealment; and Maysotta, who was delighted to find me,
said that she had come out expressly to search for us, and would take us
immediately to the camp. Of course, I could not go without Rachel, and
we are now on our way to look for her, as she cannot be far off."
[Illustration: FOUND AT LAST!]
"Keokuk will find her," said Maysotta, patting her dog on the head, and
saying a few words to him.
Away he started, and in a short time we heard him barking loudly.
Maysotta, leaving Clarice with me, hurried on, and in a few minutes we
saw her approach, guiding Rachel towards us.
Rachel's joy on seeing me was so demonstrative, that I scarcely liked to
tell her or my sister of the destruction of the farm. However, it had to
be done, and I related all that had taken place. As I proceeded, Rachel
gave full vent to her grief, whilst my sister betrayed the sorrow she
felt by her tearful and troubled countenance. Rachel wrung her hands and
burst into tears, which her own previous perilous position had not been
able to draw from her.
"De farm burned!" she exclaimed; "oh dear! oh dear! And what become of
Jenny, Nancy, Polly, and all de oder cows, and de pigs and de poultry?
And Uncle Jeff, what he do; and Bartle and Gideon?"
I consoled her somewhat by saying that I thought it possible all three
had escaped, and that even the cows and pigs might have got away, either
into the woods or among the hills.
On hearing this she became somewhat more tranquil, and was able to chat
away in her usual style.
We now prepared to set out for the camp. I thought it probable, on
account of the delay, that we might not overtake Manley, although I
specially wished to do so, in order to put an end to his anxiety. It
was, of course, important to recover the horses and baggage-mules, and
Maysotta proposed that she should conduct us to the edge of the forest,
where we could remain while she, with Keokuk, searched for the
animals,--expressing, at the same time, her confidence of success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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