OCR Text |
Show CHAPTER XX. THE LONELY JOURNEY. "Of antres vast, and deserts idle, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven." OTHELLO. ON the day of my arrival at Fort Laramie, Shaw and I were lounging on two buffalo-robes in the large apartment hospitably assigned to us; I-Ienry Chatillon also was present, busy about the harness and weapons, which had been brought into the room, and two or three Indians were crouching on the floor, eyeing us with their fixed unwavering gaze. ' I have been well off here,' said Shaw, 'in all respects.but one ; there is no good slwngsasha to be had for love or money.' I gave him a small leather bag containing some of excellent quality, which I had brought from the Black Hills. 'Now, Henry,' said he, 'hand me Papin's chopping-board, or give it to that Indian, and let him cut the mixture; they understand it better than any white man.' The Indian, without saying a word, mixed the bark and the tobacco in due proportions, filled the pipe, and lighted it. This done, my companion and I proceeded to deliberate on our future THE LONELY JOURNEY. 333 ' course of proceeding; first, however, Shaw acquainted me with some incidents which had occurred at the fort during my absence. About a week previous, four men had arrived from beyond the mountains; Sublette, Reddick, and two others. Just before reaching the fort, they had met a large party of Indians, chiefly young men. All of them belonged to the village of our old friend Smoke, who, with his whole band of adherents, professed the greatest friendship for the whites. The travellers therefore approached, an~ began to con verse without the least suspicion. Suddenly, however, their bridles were violently seized, and they were ordered to dismount. Instead of complying, they struck their horses with full force, and broke away from the IndianR. As they galloped off they heard a yell behind them, mixed with a burst of derisive laughter, and the reports of several guns. None of them were hurt, though Reddick's bridle-rein was cut by a bullet within an inch of his hand. After this taste of Indian hostility, they felt for the moment no disposition to en~counter farther risks. They intended to pursue the route southward along the foot of the mountains to Bent's Fort ; and as our plans coincided with theirs, they proposed to join forces. Finding, however, that I did not return, they grew impatient of inaction, forgot their late escape, and set out without us, promising to wait our arrival at Bent's Fort. From thence we were to make the long journey to the settlements in company, as the path w.as not a little dangerous, b . . emg Infested by hostile Pawnees and Camanches. We expected, on reaching Bent's Fort, to find there still another reinforcement. A young Kentuckian, of the true Kentucky blood, generous, impetuous, and a gentleman withal, |