OCR Text |
Show 76 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. d b t 1 • 11 certain reaions farther to the west, the guard truste ; u b . , l 1 exposes his per on to tl o hght of the fire, must beware 10W 1e h 1 een eyed skulkin(i marksman should let lest perc ance some { · fly a bullet or an arrow from amid the darkness. Among various tales that circulated around o.ur carnp-.fire th UI • 1 · 0 us one told by Boisverd, and not 1nappropnate was a ra er c ' here. Boisverd was trapping with several companions on the skirts of the Blackfoot country. The man on guard, wellknowing that it behooved him to put forth hi utmo t precaution, kept aloof from the fire-light, and sat watching intently on all sides. At length he was aware of a dark, crouching figure, stealing noiselessly into the circle of the light. lie hastily cocked his rifle, but the sharp click of the lock caught the car of Blackfoot, whose senses were all on the alert. Raising his arrow, already fitt d to the string~ he shot it in the direction of the sound. So sure was his aim, that he drove it tJ1rough the throat of the unfortunate guard, and then, with a loud yell, bounded from the camp. As I looked at the partner of my watch, puffing and blowing over his fire, it occurred to me that be mj(rht not prove the most efficient auxiliary in time of trouble. 'Delorier,' said I, 'would you run away if tho Pawnees should fire at us?' 'Ah! oui, oui, Monsieur!' he replied very d dsively. I did not doubt the fact, but was a little surprised at the frankness of the confession. At this instant a most whimsical variety of voices-barks, how Is, yelps and whines-all miner led a~ it were to(rether, 0 0 sounded from the prairie, not far oif, il:5 if a whole conclave of wolves of every age and sex were assembled there. Delorier THE PLATTE AND THE DESERT. 77 looked up from his work with a laug h, and began to imitate this curious medley of sounds with a most ludicrous accuracy. At this they were repeated with redoubled emphasis, the musician being apparently indignant at the successful efforts of a rival. They all proceeded from the throat of one little wolf, not larger than a spaniel, seated by himself at some distance. I-Ie was of the species called the prairie-wolf; a grim-vi~mged, but harmless liLtlo brute, whose worst propensity is creeping among horses and gnawing the ropes of raw-hide by which they are picketed around the camp. But other beasts roam the prairies, far more formidable in aspect and in character. These are the large white and gray wolves, whose deep howl we heard at intervals from far and near. At last I fell into a doze, and awaking from it, found Delorier fast asleep. Scandalized by this breach of discipline, I was about to stimulate his vigilance by stirring him l\>ith the stock of my rifle ; but compassion prevailing, I determined to let him sleep awhile, and then arouse him, and administer a suitable reproof for such a forgetfulness of duty. Now and then I walked the rounds among the silent horses, to see that all was right. The night was chill, damp, and dark, the dank grass bending under the icy dew-drops. At the distance of a rod or two the tents were invisible, and nothing could be seen but the obscure figures of the horses, deeply breathing, and restlessly starting as they slept, or still slowly champing the grass. Far off, beyond the black outline of the prairie, there was a ruddy light, gradually increasing, like the glow of a conflagration; until at length the broad disk of the moon, blood-red, and vastly magnified by the vapors, rose slowly upon the darkness, flecked by one or two little clouds, and as the light poured |