University of Virginia Library

6. CHAPTER VI.

It was a warm, pleasant afternoon in
June, that we came in sight of Fort Hall,
which we hailed with three cheers of delight;
and setting spurs to our horses, in
less than half an hour we rode gaily within
the gates.

As we entered the area, which, though
much smaller, was fashioned like Fort
Laramie, I perceived a small group of
mountaineers or trappers, among whom
were two or three Indians, all apparently
engaged in some important traffic. The
next moment I heard a well known voice
exclaim:

“It's done gone then, or I'm no snakes;
and heyar's what never backs for nobody
and nothin.”

The next moment the speaker sauntered
toward me, just as I had dismounted from
my horse. As he approached, he looked
me steadily in the face a moment, and then
springing forward with hand extended and
flashing eyes, fairly shouted:

“Bosson—for a thousand wild-cats—I'll
be dog-gone ef 'tain't;” and ere the sentence
was concluded, my hand was suffering
under the powerful but welcome pressure
of that of Black George. “Well,”
he added, “I'll be teetolly rumflumuxed,
ef I don't think you're a trump, and a ace
o' diamonds at that. Whar d'ye come
from now, and which way goin? ef it's not
tallied on a private stick.”

“Direct from Oregon City,” I answered,
by no means backward in displaying
my delight at meeting him again.

“Whar's the gals?”

“Left them all behind me.”

“Augh! 'Spect you left your heart
thar too, eh?”

“Possibly.”

“I'd swear it. Well, hoss, don't blame
ye. Them's about as nice human picters
as ever this nigger seed. Been thirty year
younger, might hev got into deep water
thar myself, and lost the whole kit. Howsomever,
this coon never tried treein a gal
but once't—and Suke Harris soon blowed
damp weather on to his powder, and it
warn't no shoot no how—augh! Well,
well,” he added, with something like a sigh,
“them's by-gones any how, and 'spect it's
all for the best—'case I'm an ole dog, and
lead a wanderin life; and when I kind o'git rubbed out—why, ye see, I haint got
no pups nor nuthin to be a barkin over my
last roost.”

Here Black George coughed a little, and
turned aside his head, when his eye chanced
upon Teddy and Pierre, who, having
dismounted at another part of the enclosure,
were now approaching to join me.

“Why, hello, hoss! how goes it?” continued
the old trapper, addressing the
Irishman, and extending his hand. “And
here's Pierre too, lookin as nateral 's a
young cub; and I'll be dog-gone of that
same old smell-box aint jest whar it used
to was, a reg'lar fortress, makin his fingers
runners 'tween it and his nose. Augh!
gin us a chaw, and see the gintcel done.”

“Faith! ye're the same ould chap,” rejoined
Teddy, grasping one hand, while
the Frenchman took the other. “Sure,
an' it's good for sore eyes to sac the likes
o' ye again.”

“Ah! Monsieur Blake Shorge,” added
Pierre, “it give me von ver moche le plus
grande delight, for—vot you call him—
discoverment you, eh? Ver exceeding
tam glad, by gar!”

As soon as the congratulations were
over on all sides, Black George turned to
me with:

“Well, Bosson, hearn anything o' your
pardner?”

“Nothing; and I am now on my way
to hunt him out, if among the living.”

“A long tramp, and no beaver, or I'm
no prophet.”

“You think it impossible for me to find
him, then?”

“Well, hoss, it's hard sayin what's unpossible;
but I'd jest as soon think o'
huntin for a singed tail beaver, I would,
and odds on my side at that.”

Here I entered into an explanation of
how he was lost, and wound up by asking;

“And now do you not think it possible
he was taken prisoner?”

“Nothin again it, as I knows on.”

“And if taken prisoner by the Mexicans,
is it not possible—nay, more, is it
not probable—he was sold into slavery?”

“Why,” replied Black George, who
seemed struck with this last suggestion,
“I'll gin in it sort o' edges that way, that's
a fact--I'll be dog-gone ef it don't! But
'spose it's all so—how's you to diskiver
him?—'case it looks a heap mixed to this
child, to see it in the cl'arest light.”

“That is just what I wish to know my
self, and for that purpose have started on
the search—being the least to my mind, I
could do under the circumstances.”

“Then you're bound sothe'ard, 'spose?”

“Exactly; and desire you to join me,
with three as good men as you can select.”

“Ah, yes; but ye see, it's beaver time
now, and—”

“I understand; but I am willing to pay
you as much as you could make in your
regular vocation.”

“You is, hey? Well, come, now, that's
a sensible and feelin speech, and you
couldn't hev bettered the gist on't, ef you'd
a splattered it over with all the big words
as is English. I like a straight for'ardtoe-the-mark
way o' dealin—I'll be dogged
ef I don't!—and bein's I know you're
a gentleman—why, I'll jest tell ye I'm in,
ef it takes all my hair to put her through.
Besides, thar's a chance to raise hair, and
that's a sport as this nigger al'ays had a
nateral incline for. I've jest got in from
the Blues, and made a sale of some hides
—so I'm ready to travel and fight jest
when you speak it. Got any bacca?”

“Can you raise me three more of the
same sort?”

“I reckon.”

“Do so; and we will start, if possible,
to-morrow mornin.”

“Well, that'll jest save me a big spree
— augh! I say, boys,” he continued,
drawing from the pocket of his hunting
shirt a small canteen, “got the critter here
—and so 'spose we take an inside wet, eh?
Spect 'twont hurt your feelings none;” and
he set an example which was very accurately
followed.

“By-the-by, George,” said I, “have
you seen or heard anything of Prairie
Flower, since that night when she appeared,
gave the alarm, and disappeared so
mysteriously?”

“Jest what I's a-goin to ax you. No,
I haint never sot eyes on her purty face
sence; but I hearn a trapper, as come
from the sothe, say as he had seed her
down to Taos way, and all her Injins was
along. She was axin him, now I come to
remember, ef he'd heard o' a prisoner
bein taken that-a-ways and sold to the
mincs.”

“Well, well, what did he reply?” exclaimed
I, as a sudden thought struck me.

“That he'd hearn o'several—but none
in partikelar.”

“Heaven bless her! I understand it
all!”

“All what?” inquired Black George.

“Why, when I saw Prairie Flower last,
I informed her of the fate of Charles Huntly;
and ten to one she has set off to search
for him!”

“That's it, for my old muley!” cried
Black George, not a little excited. “I've
said afore she was a angel, and heyar's a
a possum what don't speak without knowin.
Lord bless her! I could love her
like darnation, jest for that. Ef she aint
one on'em, why was peraries made, hey?”

A few minutes more were spent in like
conversation, when Black George parted
from me to engage some companions for
our journey. Bidding Teddy look to our
horses, I entered the common reception
room of the fort, greatly elated at the intelligence
just received. Sweet Prairie
Flower! She was doubtless at that very
moment engaged in an undertaking which
should have been performed by me long
before; and I could not but condemn myself,
for what seemed either a great oversight
or gross neglect of duty. And should
Heaven favor her, and she discover my
friend and set him free—what a debt of
gratitude would he owe her for saving him
twice! first from death, and secondly from
a slavery worse than death. And should
this happen, what would be the result to
two beings, who, whatever might be outward
seemings, loved each other with a
passion strong, and, on the part of Prairie
Flower at least, imperishable! Sweet,
mysterious being! I could hardly realize
she was only mortal; for there was something
in her every look, thought, and deed,
which spoke a divinity—a something ennobled
above mere frail humanity.

In the course of an hour, Black George
rejoined me, bringing with him three largeboned,
robust, good-looking fellows, who,
he informed me, were ready to follow me
at a fair remuneration. In a few minutes
everything was settled, when each departed
to make preparations for an early start
on the morrow.

A storm, however, set in during the
night, which raged with such violence the
next morning, that I was feign to defer
my departure for twenty-four hours longer.
To me the day wore tediously away;
for my mind was continually harping on
my lost friend and Prairie Flower; and
now that I had gained some intelligence
of the latter, I could not avoid connecting
the two, in a way to raise my hopes in a
great degree; and consequently I was
doubly anxious to be on the way.

But if the delay proved tedious to me,
not so was it with my companions, who
had a jolly time of it over their cups and
cards; and drank and played, till it
became a serious matter for them to
distinguish an ace of trumps from a gill
of whisky.

However, the day went at last, as all
days will, and I was gratified the second
morning with a peep at old Sol, as he rose
bright and glorious in the east. I hastened
to rouse my companions—who were rather
the worse for the previous day's indulgence,
but who turned out as well as
could be expected, all things considered—
and in a short time we were all mounted
and in motion, a goodly company of seven.

Shaping our course southward, a couple
of hours brought us to Port Neuf river,
which we found very turbulent from the
late storm, and in consequence very difficult
to cross. After examining the banks
for some distance, and finding no good
ford we determined on swimming it. This
was no easy undertaking; for the current
ran very swift, and loudly roared, as its
flashing but muddy waters dashed furiously
against the rocks, which here and there
reared their ugly heads, as if with a half-formed
intention of damning and forcing
it to another channel.

“Monsieur,” said Pierre to me as we
stood hesitating what to do; “you see
tother bank, eh?”

I nodded assent.

“Sacre! by tam! now I tell you me
like him. I sall 'ave von grande satisfaction
of put my foot dere—or I sall be
von—by gar! vot you call him—dead,
wet homme, eh?”

As he spoke, he spurred his horse
forward, and the next moment the fiery
animal was nobly contending with an
element, which, in spite of his struggles,
rapidly bore him down on its bosom, while
his rider, as if to show his utter contempt

for danger, sat erect on his back, coolly
engaged in taking snuff.

“H—!” exclaimed Black George,
with a grin. “ef thar aint that old smell-box
agin! Ef ever he goes under, he'll
do it with a sneeze. Augh!”

“Sure, and its throublesome he finds
the wather now, I'm thinking,” observed
Teddy.

“Good heavens! he is indeed in difficulty!”
I exclaimed. “Quick! let us
ride down the bank and be prepared to
give him aid.”

And in fact our aid came none too soon;
for the stream had borne both rider and
horse down to a narrow channel, where
the water rushed furiously over the rocks,
and being partially obstructed below, formed
an eddy or whirlpool of a very dangerous
character, in which the beast was
floundering and vainly striving to reach
either bank. By this time Pierre had
become aware of his danger, and was
exerting his utmost skill to keep his seat,
and guide his animal safely out of the
fearful vortex. Just below him was a narrow
canon, of considerable depth, and at its
farther termination a slight fall, where the
water seethed and foamed with great violence,
after which it became comparatively
tranquil, as it spread out on a broad level,
to again concentrate its greatest force at
a point still below. As we reached the
bank along side of the guide, we all
dismounted, when Black George, leaping
upon a steep rock overhanging the stream,
instantly threw him a rope which he had
selected for the purpose. Pierre caught
one end of it eagerly, and fearing to remain
longer where he was, instantly abandoned
his horse and plunged into the water. The
next minute we had drawn him ashore,
though not entirely scatheless, as the
whirling current had several times thumped
him against the rocks, and bruised his
limbs and body in several places.

Pierre, however, seemed to care more
for his horse than himself; and no sooner
had he found a safe footing on terra firma,
than giving himself a shake, he cried,
“Mine hoss, by gar!” and darted away to
the rescue of the unfortunate brute, which
was now being hurried against his will
through the canon. We all followed Pierre
down the stream, but ere we gained the
tranquil part of the river before spoken of.
the animal had passed safely over the falls,
and, with a joyful whicker, was now fast
swimming to the shore, where he was
soon caught by his owner, who expressed
his joy in sundry shouts and singular antics.

“Ah! sacre!” cried the Frenchman, as
he remounted his gallant pony, shaking
his hand with an air of defiance at the
heedless river: “I sall 'ave von le plus
satisfactione again try you tam drowning;”
and no sooner said, than he spurred into
the liquid element, and succeeded, after
some difficulty, in gaining the opposite
shore, an example we all safely imitated.

We now struck one of the most northern
points of the Bear River Mountains;
and for the rest of the day pursued our
course without accident, over steep ridges,
through dangerous defiles, dense thickets,
deep gorges and ravines, passed yawning
chasms, and all the concomitants of wild,
mountain scenery. Sometimes we stood
on a point which commanded an extensive
view of a country of great beauty and
grandeur—where the soul could expand
and revel amid the unchanged fastnesses
of a thousand years—and anon we were
completely hidden from the sight of anything
but the interwoven shrubbery,
through which we diligently labored our
way. At last we came to a fine spring,
around which grew a limited circle of
excellent grass, presenting the appearance
of a spot, which, at some remote period,
had been cultivated. Here we encamped,
built a fire, ate our suppers, and slept to
the music of howling wolves.