Bill Biddon, Trapper Part 22

We had scarcely spoken, when a movement was heard in the forest, and several Indians made their appearance. They seemed to understand the meaning of the brigade; for, directly behind them came numbers of others bearing loads of peltries--the furs of beavers, foxes, badgers, lynxes, martens, otters, and wolverines. A barter at once commenced, and in less than half an hour the whole array was deposited in the boats, and the Indians were proudly parading in the gaudy trinkets and dresses which had just fallen to their lot.

"Where is their village?" I asked of Biddon.

"A mile or so back in the woods; you can't miss it."

"I can remain here without danger, can I not?"

"Yas, I guess so--hold on, I'll fix it for you."

With this he strode rapidly toward a man who appeared to be the chief, and commenced a conversation. He understood the Sioux tongue well enough to hold quite an intelligible conversation. The talk lasted but a moment, when he returned.

"You needn't be skeerish," said he; "I've made it all right. I told that old chap you wanted to take a look at the country hereabouts, to skeer up some furs fur us agin. He was a little s'pishus at fust, shoot me ef he warn't! and he axed ef you wanted to run off with that gal o' theirs, 'cause ef you war, you'd better leave yer ha'r behind you. There's been two or three round these parts after her, and he won't stand it no longer. You've got to be mighty shy, Ja.r.s.ey, I kin tell yer; but I hope you'll git her fur all that, ogh!"

"I am grateful to you for this kindness, Biddon----"

"Never mind 'bout that; come to the pint ef you've got anything to say."

"I had nothing except to express my thanks, which you seem averse to receiving."

"It does go again my stummick, I allow, Ja.r.s.ey; when you come the squaw over me, I can't stand it. Yer's as likes to talk fair and squar, and leave the rest. Shoot me ef I doesn't! Wal I does, ogh!"

"I suppose the time has come for us to separate, then, Biddon?"

"Leastways it's close at hand. Think you'd better go up to Selkirk settlement with us; don't s'pose you will; think you're a fool, shoot me ef I don't, ogh!"

"It seems our separation is to be something like it was before," I laughed. "I believe you had a small opinion of my abilities at that time."

"Wal, yer's as hopes you'll come out right side up this time. In course I'll have a glimpse of that ugly face of your'n agin. In course."

"I don't know about that. As you have gone into the service of the Hudson Bay Company, your sphere of action will be far removed from mine, and it will be an occurrence which I cannot imagine at this time that will bring us together."

"That ain't so sartin," said the trapper, in a low, confidential tone.

"I rather opine I'll be down in Westport or Independence this fall, and ef these fellows cac'lates on keepin' me around, they've got to step round 'emselves. Shoot me if they hain't, ogh!"

"I hope you will not spend your life in the dreary region north of this, for it will indeed be a dreary, lonely life for you."

"Wal, you see, Ja.r.s.ey," he continued, with a shade of feeling, "it don't make much difference whar I traps. Yer's as s'pects to go under somewhar in the mountains, and leave my topknot fur the buzzards and reds, and it mought as well be in one part as t'other of this country."

"Fudge, Biddon, don't talk that way. Why I am sure I shall see you settled down in the States with a wife and a dozen children--"

I paused as I noticed the trapper's face. Some strange emotion was gaining the mastery over him; but he conquered in a minute.

"Never talk that way agin, Ja.r.s.ey; I can't stand it."

"Pardon me; you will soon be under way," I spoke, wis.h.i.+ng to pa.s.s from the allusion which had been so painful to him. He turned, and looking at the brigade, which was making preparations to start, answered:

"Yas; the boys are near ready, and they won't wait. What yer goin' to do, Ja.r.s.ey, when we leave you 'mong the reds?"

"I have told you, Biddon, that my sole purpose is to seek out Nat Todd. I have given you an account of my meeting and partial flight with Imogene, the captive, who has told me of his whereabouts. She is now waiting at Death Rock for me, and is as confident as I am that I shall bring Nat with me. These Indians, believing Imogene to be with the other tribe, will not suspect her flight unless a runner arrives here and acquaints them with it; but I have little fear of that, as I have no expectation of remaining any length of time."

"Wal, as that little gal has _seed_ Nat, of course he's kickin'. Bless her soul! I'd like to see her sweet face, but I s'pose the brigade can't spare me just now. Ja.r.s.ey, I've my s'picions that that other sperit is somewhere out toward Oregon, 'mong a tribe of redskins. I've had my s'picions I say, but I'll say nothin' more now 'cept to kind of hint I may take a tramp out in them parts some day to see ef thar be signs of her."

"I sincerely hope that such may be the case, although I cannot be as sanguine as you are. Should you rescue her, the debt of grat.i.tude--"

"There! that'll do, ogh!" interrupted Biddon, imperatively. "Such things go agin my stummick, and I don't want to hear 'em. As you're on the track of Nat, _go_, fur he may be somewhar yit, in spite of the fears I have that he isn't, arter all."

"Rest a.s.sured I shall leave no stone unturned. I shall seek him at once."

"And when you finds him, jest tell him old Bill Biddon is about, and ready to hunt savages with him any time, ef he don't git behind me when shootin' time comes. Ogh! ogh!" and the trapper enjoyed his joke merrily. He stopped suddenly and looked at the brigade. A few moments more and they would be under way.

"Wal, Ja.r.s.ey, talkin' time's gittin' mighty short. I'd like to talk longer, but can't do it this time. Hope we'll have a time down in the States 'fore long."

"I sincerely trust we shall," I answered, unwilling to turn away from the hopeful picture which he was drawing for himself.

"And we'll have Nat 'long with us," he added.

"Of course, for I am sure he would not willingly miss an opportunity of seeing his old friend again. Of course, Biddon, we shall meet, if not in this world, I hope in the next."

"P'r'aps so, though I can't tell till we gits there. Don't know much 'bout them matters, ogh!"

At this moment the voice of the steersman was heard, ordering the men to their places. Biddon turned, took a step, then halted and faced me.

"Good-by, Ja.r.s.ey."

He extended his hand, but ere I could take it it was hastily withdrawn. He mumbled something, dashed his hand across his face, and strode rapidly toward the boat.

"Good-by, Biddon. G.o.d bless you!" I called after him.

The _voyageurs_ seized their oars, and in a few moments they were in the stream, their same cheery song echoing as loudly and as joyously as before. I stood upon the bank, watching them as the current bore them onward. In a few moments they reached a bend in the river--Biddon made a signal to me, and the next minute they had all vanished.

As the brigade vanished down the river, and the song of the _voyageurs_ grew fainter and fainter, until it died away in the distant windings of the Yellowstone, I awoke from the mournful reverie into which I had fallen, and turned to the work before me. There was a dozen Indians around, all busy with their new possessions. Some were parading pompously in their new blankets, some examining their glitterng knives, and others wrenching off great mouthfuls from huge twists of tobacco, and all evidently in the highest spirits. The chief had been presented with a fine, polished rifle, and he was standing apart, trying its lock, and "drawing bead" on different objects in the distance.

I waited till he appeared satisfied, and then approached and made a complimentary remark; I saw at once it was not comprehended, and there was not probably a savage who could speak a word of English in the tribe. However, as they spoke the same tongue as the tribe in which I spent my captivity, my situation in this respect was not as bad as it might have been.

In the course of half an hour, the chief started toward his village, the others sauntering along behind him, and myself at his side. His rifle was now thrown over his shoulder, and he seemed to have lost all interest in it as he walked thoughtfully forward, his dark eyes bent upon the ground. A few minutes' walk through the forest brought us to the Indian village. It was so similar to the one before described, that it needs no mention here.

The Blackfeet-Sioux are one of the many divisions of the Dacotah or Sioux tribe, whose hunting-grounds include the greater part of the vast territory of Nebraska. These subdivisions of this numerous people are tribes within themselves. Although speaking the same tongue, they are separate and literally independent of each other. Each has its village and chief, whose authority is absolute. Like all North American Indians, their life is a migratory one; and the traveler who to-day finds them located on the Yellowstone or Little Missouri, may, a year after, find them as far westward as the Great Falls of the Missouri.

My advent among these savages excited no unusual attention, as they are often visited by traders and hunters. The chief took me to his own lodge, where all the attention I could wish was given. I was gladly surprised to find upon the next day, that there was a half-breed among them who could speak the English tongue. His acquaintance I soon made.

He was a middle-aged man, who had spent most of his life in trapping, sometimes as far northward as the Saskatchewan, and who often acted as interpreter for his tribe. He possessed the daring hardihood of the French trapper, and the low, ferocious cunning of the savage. He had ever considered this tribe as his people, having a squaw and several children.

From this half-breed I learned that the flight of Imogene was not yet discovered, and that the tribe which held Nat was about a dozen miles to the eastward I informed the chief, through the interpreter, that I should make several days' ramble through the woods, in order to get a better idea of the face of the country and of its resources. He seemed to believe I really was an agent of one of the fur companies, and offered me an escort. I declined, however, and the next morning started on foot in the direction of the tribe alluded to.

CHAPTER XII.

FOUND AT LAST.