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CANADA 
 
 NATIONAL LIBRARY 
 
 BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE 
 
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 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN 
 
 OR 
 
 PERILS OF PIONEERING IN THE 
 WILD WEST 
 
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 'rjjfh!' exclaimed the Indian, 'does tlie jiale-faoe tliink l)e 
 ran awake liis long-eared ])ony?" PA(;k 131. 
 
I 
 
 <tl 
 
f 
 
THE YOUNG RANCHMKN 
 
 OR 
 
 PERILS OF PIONEERING IN 
 THE WILD WEST 
 
 
 By CHARLES R. KENYON 
 
 
 ILIjUSTRATED by -WALTER S. STACKV 
 
 TORONTO 
 
 THE MUSSON BOOK CO. 
 
 LIMITED 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Vi'X^ 
 
 I 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 I. AT HOMK IN CANADA, . 
 
 II. TIIK PALAVKK, .... 
 
 III. TIIK OUTFIT, 
 
 IV. A lillisil WITH TMK UHD-SKINS. . 
 V. HUFI'AI.O HUNTIN'U, 
 
 VI. TIIK THUKSHOIJ) OF TIIK UOCKIKS, 
 
 VII. (JAUUIKI) OFF HV UKD-SKINS, 
 
 VIII. THE PURSUIT, .... 
 
 I.\. UK.SCUKI), 
 
 X. HOUND THK CAMI'-FIHK, 
 
 M. CONN IF AND KIINFST, . 
 
 XII. THK ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
 
 XIII. CAUOHT NAl'l'INC 
 
 XIV. UNLOOKKD-FOR TERMINATION (U- THK MOOSK 
 XV. AN KXCITIN<J CHASK, . 
 
 XVI. CONDEMNED TO DKATH, 
 
 XVII. SUSPENSE AND TRAGKDY, 
 
 XVIII. THK PERILS OF THK UAHS.VTCH, . 
 
 XIX. RUN TO (iROUND IN A CANON, 
 
 I U N I , 
 
 I'AOK 
 
 ir. 
 
 ■2U 
 lis 
 
 «)2 
 
 7:} 
 
 HI 
 
 los 
 
 l'2l 
 12H 
 13.-) 
 !.')() 
 
 182 
 
 I i 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 < HAIV 
 
 XX. A hero's death. 
 
 XXI. A LETTER AND A DREAM, 
 
 XXII. A I'LUCKY EXPLOIT, .... 
 
 XXIII. A TRYINd PARTINC AM) EXCITING HUNT, 
 
 XXIV. A NIOHT ATTACK, . . . . 
 XXV. THE END OF IHE JOURNEY, 
 
 XXVI. THE FATE OF THE EMIGRANT TRAIN, . 
 
 XXVIL BOUND TO THE .STAKE, .... 
 
 XXVIII. CONCLUSION — TECONSA PAYS HIS DEBT, 
 
 PAOK 
 194 
 
 208 
 '220 
 231 
 244 
 254 
 261 
 2«« 
 
 275 
 
 LIST OV I LLIST RATIONS. 
 
 I'.M.r, 
 •r<^'1«!' excljiimed the Indian, 'tloos the i>al«' fm-e tliink lie 
 
 can awake his lonj^'-eared pony '/ ' Front i.sjnor. 
 
 She saw with honor the painted and bedizened (ij^nire of a 
 
 stal wart youn*,' Tnd ian o.', 
 
 He fell back with a heavy <,'ioan into Connies arms 20l 
 
 The chief tore ojien the front of his victim's shirt, when 
 
 something arrested his attention 269 
 
 »1M# 
 
a; 
 
 PAOK 
 
 194 
 
 208 
 •22U 
 231 
 244 
 254 
 261 
 
 '2m 
 
 27o 
 
 pam: 
 k lie 
 
 'icrr. 
 
 )f a 
 ... ()."» 
 
 ...2Ul 
 llieri 
 ....269 
 
 
 
 'i 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 CHAPTEJf 1. 
 
 AT HOME IN CANADA. 
 
 " Ah, Kobert, my good fellow, is that you i I was 
 bcgin?iing to think you were lost in those interminable 
 forests. We expected you home weeks ago," exclaimed 
 ]Major Weston, turning from the ])retty girl witli 
 whom he was conversing in the verandali of a low, 
 snugly-built ( "anadian farm-hou.se, to greet a stalwart 
 man of forty years of .age. 
 
 The sun was setting in a Ijlaze of gcjlden light over 
 the distant waters of Lake Huron, and its rays rested 
 upon tlie mini's dark hair and shaggy cap of racoon 
 skin, with the tail of that animal lianging down be- 
 liind, and lighted up the outline of liis oddly-clad 
 figure. 
 
 " I hope my long al)sence has not been any incon- 
 venience to you, sir," he said gravely, making a 
 military salute ; " but, owing to the very severe winter 
 
10 
 
 THE YOUXG RANCHMEN. 
 
 and consequent late breaking up of the ice, it was 
 impossible for the lumljerers to :ioat their timber- 
 rafts down the river as early as usual, and if I had 
 left them and attempted to find my way back to the 
 settlements alone, I should most certainly hav^e got 
 lost. For, much as I have learnt by my stay in the 
 backwoods, it is still a mystery to me how the 
 hunters and trappers succeed in finding their way 
 through such bewildering solitudes." 
 
 " Well, Kobert, I am glad you did not attempt 
 anything so rash as returning across the country 
 alone. But come to the house ; I am sure you must 
 be ready for supper after your long tramp. I daresay 
 the lumberers would not be able to spare you till they 
 reached Hamilton or Toronto ? " 
 
 " Ixight you are, sir. I got my discharge at the 
 latter city, and, except for a lift now and then in 
 some farmer's waggon, I have walked every mile of 
 the way here. But where is the missis ? Pardon 
 me, sir, but 1 begin to fear that something has hap- 
 pened, for I notice that botli you and Miss Constance 
 
 are in mournmg. 
 
 " Yes, Itobert, your dear mistress ' fell asleep ' within 
 a month after you left us last autumn. She drooped 
 and died like the tender vine-leat at tlie first chill 
 Wast of winter." Major Weston sighed deeply as lie 
 spoke. He was a tine, soldierly-looking man of about 
 fifty years of age, who, after serving with distinction 
 
 I 
 
AT HOME IN CANADA. 
 
 11 
 
 ' 
 
 through the Crimean war, had at its termination retired 
 from the army on half-pay. Having a del.cate wife 
 and young family, with but small private means, he 
 then determined to emigrate, as so many of his brother 
 officers were doing, to Canada, where a small income 
 would go very much farther than in England. 
 
 Accordingly, the "Westons had come there the sum- 
 mer before, accompanied by Eobert Lazenby, who had 
 been with the Major in the capacity of soldier-servant 
 throughout the war with Eussia, and who, on obtaimng 
 his discharge from the army, had gladly re-entered the 
 service of his old officer, to whom he was nuch 
 attached. 
 
 However, soon after Major Weston and his family 
 were comfortably settled in Canada West, or Ontaiio 
 as it is now called, Robert asked and obtained per- 
 mission from his master, who really had not sufficient 
 work to keep him profitably employed during the 
 winter months, to join a party of lumberers who were 
 going beyond the settlements to cut timber. 
 
 Being a green hand, as they termed it, Robert's 
 wages were small ; yet the wild, free life in the depths 
 of the Canadian forests, and the cheerful society of his 
 rough but good-natured comrades, who were mostly 
 French Canadians, was just what the ex-soldier en- 
 joyed, and, being a handy fellow, he soon became quite 
 expert in the use of the American axe. 
 
 Now, in the spring, he had returned to his master. 
 
12 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 with much experience and skill thus acquired as to the 
 various shifts and expedients of camp life in the hack- 
 woods, all of which was to prove of the greatest service 
 to himself and the family he served. 
 
 "Where are the young gentlemen, Master Frank 
 and Master Harry, please Miss ? " asked Eobert, when, 
 in a very short time indeed, Connie placed a dish of 
 fried ham and eggs before him. 
 
 "They went off to the river early this morning, 
 with gun and fishing tackle, and provisions enough 
 to last until evening. I expect them home at any 
 minute, as they promised me they would return for 
 supper." 
 
 Constance Weston, the Major's only daughter, was 
 a tall, graceful girl of eighteen, with large dark blue 
 eyes and curly golden hair. Her nose was a Grecian 
 one, and her mouth and chin were prettily shaped. 
 Moreover, she had a remarkably sunny smile ; so 
 that altogether she made a picture which once seen 
 was not easily forgotten. 
 
 " Connie, Connie, where are you ? Come here, 
 Connie, and see the spoils of the chase," shouted the 
 merry voices of two boys from the stable-yard at the 
 back of the house. 
 
 " Oh ! I am so glad you have come," answered their 
 sister, as she ran to meet them, closely followed by 
 her father and Robert. " What a load for poor Daisy 
 to carry ! Is that large animal a deer ?" 
 
 I 
 
AT HOME IN CANADA. 
 
 13 
 
 jre, 
 ;he 
 the 
 
 eir 
 
 by 
 
 isy 
 
 " Yes it is," replied the younger boy ; " Frank shot 
 it with his rifle." 
 
 "And here," said Frank, pointing to a curious 
 animal, something like a fox with the head of a dog 
 and a round bushy tail, "is a racoon which Harry shot 
 while I was fishing ; its fur is very valuable. But, 
 hillo ! Who is this with a racoon on his head ? 
 Why, llobert ; have you come back, old fellow ? I'm 
 very glad to see you." And, seizing the honest 
 servant's hand, he gave it a hearty shake. 
 
 "Oh! how jolly!" exclaimed Harry, springing 
 forward and following his brother's example. " I had 
 been wishing you were back again to accompany us 
 on our hunting expeditions. What fun we shall 
 liave ! " 
 
 With many exclamations of pleasure and surprise, 
 the whole party set to work to unload the old pony. 
 ]Major Weston looked much pleased at the success of 
 the young huntsmen, and remarked that they had 
 ol)tained enough game to stock their larder for at 
 least a fortnight. Besides the deer and racoon, there 
 were a couple of wild turkeys, three wild geese, two 
 brace of ducks, balf a dozen pigeons and a musk rat 
 (valuable for its fur), also a fine salmon in Frank's 
 basket. 
 
 "A very successful day's sport and no mistake," 
 said the IMajor, with a glance of pride at liis fine, 
 handsoine sons. 
 
14 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 Frank, the older of the two, was about seventeen, 
 tall and fair, with li^ht rmlv hair, l)hie eyes and 
 finely-chisell(Ml features, of wliicli the mouth was per- 
 haps tlie most rcniiarkaltle, its tliin lips, tooetlier witli 
 a stron^^ square jaw, i^nviuL,' an expression of deter- 
 mination to tlie frank, open countenance. His lithe, 
 •graceful fi^un^ was not calculated at first sight to give 
 one the impn^ssion of great strengtli, hut a])pearances, 
 we know, are often deceptive, and some of the l)oy's 
 schoolfellows had already ex})erienced, to tlieir great 
 discomfiture, tlie truth of this saying in his cise. 
 So beautifully ])roportion('d was the rather spare bul 
 well-knit muscular frame as to com])lctely disguise 
 the boy's tremendous strength. 
 
 Harry, who was two years younger, formed a 
 striking contrast to his brother and sister, for he 
 had dark hair and eyes, and a swarthy skin. ]fe 
 was withal a handsome boy, though his l)eauty 
 was of a dili'erent ty])e from theirs. Firmly l)uilt, 
 with dee]) chest and l»road shoulders, he gave pro- 
 mise of great strengtli should he attain to man's 
 estate. 
 
 During supper that evening, Robert and the boys 
 related their seveial adventures and experiences, and 
 they carried on an animated discussion until far into 
 the night. 
 
 At last, however, the Major intimated that it 
 >vas high time to retire to rest ; and, after conduct- 
 
 • 
 
AT HOME I\ TAX A DA. 
 
 16 
 
 ing the usual family devotioiis, he ])a(le thoin each 
 "(fOod night," with the remark that lie intended to 
 hold a cabinet council, or, as it is called on the 
 West Coast of Africa, a "palaver," the next day 
 iifter l)reakfast. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE PALAVEli. 
 
 The next mornin<,^ as soon as all were assembled in 
 the little parlonr after their early breakfast, Major 
 Weston consideralilv startled them by announcinLj his 
 intention of quittin*^ Canada and joining a large train 
 of emigrants, which, he learnt from the papers, was 
 shortly going from the Missonri to the new Kldoradd 
 — California. 
 
 " You see," said he, " the great drawback to this 
 colony is the long and severe winter, which, although 
 in some respects beneficial, as affording opportunities 
 for social intercourse, mental culture and relaxation 
 from the severer and more urgent labours of the other 
 seasons, yet has, on the other liand, in my opinion, 
 nun'e than counterl)alancing disadvantages in the fact 
 that a great juirt of the exhausting labour of tlie 
 spring, sunnner and autumn is rendeied necessary 
 solely on account of the ])rotracted rigour of the 
 ('anadian winter. In other words, six months oi tluj 
 
TIIK PA!. AVER. 
 
 17 
 
 year are laboriously spent in providing sustenance for 
 the farmer's family, and more especially his live stock, 
 (hirinj^f the otlier six : just, as of old, the seven years 
 of famine ate up the seven years of plenty, in 
 California, on the contrary, the settler's horses, cattle, 
 iind slieep can pick up their own livinjL,' out of doors 
 all throu«,di the year, and thus save the vast amount 
 of labour re(piired, holli here and in the Eastern 
 States of the Union, to provide sulUcient hay and 
 other fodder to cjirry them through the long winter 
 months. Consequently, the farmer in such an equable 
 climate as that of Upper California may be said to 
 have the whole twelve months in which, not only 
 to [)roduce enough food for home consumption, but 
 also a surplus for the market, while he saves the 
 wear and tear of havinu: to crowd the work of twelve 
 months into six. Much of that work, in the case 
 of the Yankee and Canadian farmer, is necessarily 
 luiremunerative, as it merely goes to sustain his live 
 stock during the dead season." 
 
 " Hear ! hear ! " exclaimed Frank and Connie. 
 "Hurrah for California!" shouted Harry. 
 
 " ( )rder ! order ! " said the Major. " 1 believe 
 llobert wishes to make an observation, if you will only 
 give him an opportunity of being heard." 
 
 Silence having at last been restored, llobert arose 
 from his seat, looking not a little confused at suddenly 
 finding he had concentrated the thoughts and eyes 
 
 B 
 
I 
 
 18 
 
 THK \'()VSfi RANCHMEN. 
 
 of tlu' whole cont'orunce upon liinisclf, and tliat 
 I'acli nu!nil(L'r of ii was waiting; in silent exixMiiition 
 for what he was ^^oinij; to say. 
 
 liobert was a l)iave man, and had faced di-ath many 
 times on the battlefields of the Crimi'a ami in the 
 trenehes hehne Sel)asto}>ol ; Init, as he afterwards 
 dechired to Frank and Hurry, he never felt half 
 so foolish and "scared like" in his life as wlien 
 he .i^ot up to sjK'ak then, amidst such i»rofound 
 
 silei 
 
 wv 
 
 And to think," said he, " that 1 had uot 
 
 very little to say, jind did n(jt know how to say that 
 ])roperly; for you see, youn^^ gentlemen, 1 am no 
 scholard, and there was the Major looking', as you may 
 say, ri^ht through me. I just wished the iloor would 
 open and would let me sink out of sight."* 
 
 However, with an ellbrt, Lazenby recovered his 
 self-possession sulliciently to say, " ^.*lease, sir, I was 
 only going to ask you if there are good markets 
 in that country you speak about — Californy, I think 
 you call it. I hope you will excuse my taking 
 the liberty to speak to you as knows so much 
 better than myself: but it seems to me, from what you 
 liave said, that it is further from England than wliat 
 we are now, and the markets here are very ])oor 
 to what we had in Warwickshire. Only think of 
 them selling wheat at three shillings or four shillings 
 a bushel, when at home as good a sample would have 
 fetched seven or eight shillings. I don't pretend 
 
 I 
 
 .# 
 
TMK rALAVER. 
 
 19 
 
 Ivou 
 hut 
 |)oor 
 of 
 
 live 
 Ind 
 
 to know, bill it strikes nu; that the fnrtliLT W(j 
 are from Kii^laud tli(! jtoorcr arc tin; iiiarkiits ; and 
 what is the use of havin^^ a lot of stuff to sell if 
 ti»ei(^ is nowhere to sell it for a fair ]»ri('e T' 
 
 As Iiohert sat down, with a sii^h of relici' that he 
 hail overcome the little dillicidty of making' a speech, 
 his master replied, " 'I'here's sound common s(Mjse in 
 wiiat you say, my man. l have; carefully studied the 
 <luestion of markets for honui produce, and if you will 
 pass me that map beside you, Frank, 1 will point out 
 th(! ])rinci))al towns already existing' in California, and 
 also show y(ju that, near the part where I think of 
 seltlint;", there are known to hv. considerable deposits 
 of ^(tld and silver. Mines, too, are beinn- openecl on 
 every side, so that there will no doubt soon spring up 
 a brisk local denuind for wheat, oats, mai/e, beef, dairy 
 ])roduee, hay, and other things for the use of the hardy 
 nuners and their teams of horses and nudes, 
 
 " Mere, you see, to commence in the north-east, is 
 Sacramento, a thriving town, situated on the river of 
 that name ; while nearly due west is San Francisco, the 
 (pieen city of the West, with its magnificent harbour 
 and Ijcautiful bay. Proceeding S(»uth, along the coast 
 we find, besides places of less note, Monterey, San Luis 
 ()l)ispo, Santa liarbara, Los Angelos, San Bernardino 
 more inland, and San J)iego, <Scq. So that, you see, 1 
 am not thinking of taking you to an absolute wilder- 
 ness, by any means, but to a country which — if only 
 
so 
 
 THK YOI'NO UANTIfMEN'. 
 
 a i)art of vvliat is suid jiImjuI il Ix' true — possosses in 
 its fertilo |)liiin.s, pleiisunt cliiniitc, and vnluahlc iiiiiuTal 
 deposits, ludiniiti'd <'a|>a])iliti('s of di'VclojHiicnt and 
 wealth." 
 
 " Tliank you, sir," said Kobert ; " I am now <iuiie 
 satisfied as to the market prospects, and a mildei- 
 climate will well r('i>ay tiie loni,' journey." 
 
 " When do you j)ropose to start for Missouri to join 
 the emigrant train, father?" incpiired Frank. 
 
 " As soon as 1 can get oil' — probably in a week. 
 What little furniture and other l)ulky articles we have 
 must, of course, be sold by auction ; but we can talk 
 matters over at some other time. T must now be 
 of[' on old Daisy to the town, to arrange with the 
 auctioneer and transact other business. I therefore 
 declare this meeting at an end." 
 
 " I beg to projiose a vote of thanks to you as chair- 
 man, dear father, ' said Connie. 
 
 " And I beg to second it," exclaimed Harry, jumping 
 to his feet ; " and 1 wish we were going to sell otl' to- 
 day. What fun it will be travelling over those im- 
 mense plains and mountains, hunting all kinds of 
 game, and having occasional brushes with the wild 
 Indians, both of which are said to abound in those 
 distant regions." 
 
C'HAPTEU ITT. 
 
 TIIK Ol'TKIT. 
 
 liUr- 
 
 )ing 
 to- 
 iin- 
 of 
 ,viM 
 lose 
 
 A TKW woeks jiftcrwavds tin; W'ostons readied St Louis, 
 th<' cliief (ily of Missouri Jiud ^'real eoinmercial metro- 
 jiolis (»f the ('entral Mis,sissi])i)i ViilU'V, vvluTe tliey at 
 once set busily to work to procure tlie nccussary out- 
 tit for tlui forniidal>l(i journey of two thousand miles 
 which lay before thcni. l*erhai)s no jdace in the world 
 atlbrds j^reater facilities for the purchase of the thou- 
 sand-and-one articles indispensable to the emigrant, 
 miner, hunter, trader, or traveller tlum this important 
 city, so famous for its extensive trade and various 
 munulactures. 
 
 Thti first purchase our emigrants had to make was 
 a roomy l)ut light and well-constructed two-horse 
 waggon, with the usual white canvas cover — in fact, 
 tlu; emigrant waggon so familiar to all who have 
 sojourned any length of time in the Western States 
 of America — a somewhat contined but by no means 
 uncomfortable combination of carriai^e and dwelling- 
 
22 
 
 THE YOUNG RANX'HMEN. 
 
 house in one. fastened behind the vehicle was a 
 wooden trough or manger, out of which the horses 
 could eat their feed cf maize or oats whenever a halt 
 was called for the purpose. 
 
 At the repository of one of the best known horse- 
 dealers in the city, Major Weston, who was a good 
 judge of horse-flesh, bought a i)air of fine chestnut 
 liorses, or rather mares, five years' old, and standing 
 about fifteen and a half hands high. They were well 
 bred, active animals, short in the leg, deep in the 
 chest, with round full barrels, well ribbed home, higli 
 withers and crests, and well set-on shapely heads. 
 They were such horses as delighted the eyes of the 
 Western faruKir, combining as they did the qualities 
 of speed and endurance, strength and activity. When 
 they were decked in their new harness and placed 
 abreast (as usual in America) in the light canvas- 
 covered waggon, the whole presented such a smart and 
 serviceable appearance that Ifobert and the boys could 
 scarcely refrain from an enthusiastic shout of admira- 
 tion and delight. 
 
 A magnificent saddle-horse was purchased of the 
 same dealer. It was five vears' old and about fifteen 
 hands and a half high. This superb and well-bred 
 animal was coal black, without a speck of white 
 anywhere about him ; while his Ir.rge, fiery eyes, 
 dilated nostrils, shapely head, and noble carriage, 
 unmistakably showed liis Arab descent. 
 
THE OUTFIT. 
 
 23 
 
 the 
 
 As liobert led the beautiful creature out iu frout 
 of the hotel for the inspection of those who had not 
 been with Major Weston when he bought him, Connie, 
 who was naturally most enthusiastic in her expres- 
 sions of admiration, enquired the horse's name. 
 
 "The Black I'rince," answered her father. 
 
 "Oh! I don't like that; it is loo lonu," exclaimed 
 the girl. " Let us re-name him Saladin! " 
 
 " Yes. Saladin ! that's the name," shouted Harry. 
 
 " Very well," said Major Weston ; " Saladin sl^all it 
 be. But, now, lead him away, liobert, to the stable, 
 and then return to us, for we shall need your services 
 in helping to choose and carry many otlier e([ually 
 interesting, useful, and necessary things." 
 
 "Fire-arms, for instance," said Harry, as liobert led 
 away I he horse. 
 
 "And a small tent, with poles and ropes complete, 
 for you and Frank and myself to sleep in," said Major 
 Weston. " Connie must have the waggon, and Kobert 
 will have to be content with as comfortable a slee})ing- 
 place as he can arrange for himself l)eneatli it." 
 
 "Connie can sleep on my tool-chest," said Frank; 
 "for, of course, I must have a chest of carpenter's 
 tools, father." 
 
 "Of course," said the Major; " [ imagine we shall 
 find you a very useful man, Frank." 
 
 " It is well he learnt to be such a skilful joiner," 
 said Connie, adding to her brother; "you will feel glad 
 
24 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 now tliJit you devoted oo mucli time as two hours a 
 day for two years to tlie business, and that father paid 
 for you liaving lessons from a first-rate workman. 
 Why did you do it, father ? Did you anticipate sucli 
 a time as this?" 
 
 " I have always tliought it well for a youth to learn 
 some handicraft thoroughly, as well as to go througli 
 the usual routine of school and college education," 
 replied Major Weston. " I may have got the idea 
 in the first place from some of our Continental neigh- 
 bours. It is said that in the palmy days of Poland 
 every youth above the labouring class, even to the 
 liighest noble in the land, was obliged to learn a 
 useful trade or liandicraft, so tliat, in case of i reverse 
 of fortune (that proverbially fickle dame), no man 
 need be reduced to helpless want, or forced to live on 
 the charity of liis friends and neighbours. That was 
 true and manly independence. Xo wond<3r Poland 
 once held such a proud position among the nations." 
 
 " I was always glad you let me be apprenticed for 
 <i time 1^ a clever machinist," said Harry ; " it gives 
 me such a sense <>f power to be able to take the most 
 intricate machniery to pieces and to put it together 
 again, after it has been cleaned, without any difficulty. 
 Besides, one always feels one might invent alterations 
 or other machines for other purposes, which might be 
 equally useful." 
 
 " ' Knowledge is power.' What does not the world 
 
 ■, :. 
 
 5 
 
 i 
 
i 
 
 
 
 THE OUTFIT. 
 
 25 
 
 Id 
 
 owe to its great inventors ^ " said Major Weston ; 
 " and when I saw your genius was a more inventive 
 one than your brother's, 1 determined you should have 
 every advantage." 
 
 " That was a I'ood working-model he made of a 
 steam-engine," said Frank, with generous admiration 
 of his brother's talents. 
 
 " Yes ; but I like the water-wheel lie nuide at 
 uncle's large farm in Warwickshire best," said Connie, 
 •' for it turned the great churn so beautifully, and was 
 so very useful." 
 
 " You will tind all that you learnt on your uncle's 
 farm most useful now," said Major Weston to his 
 sons. *• How little I thought, when I had to leave 
 you and your mother so long there during my absence 
 from England, that it was the very s[)ot and the very 
 training that would prove most beneficial to you in 
 your future life I " Then, laying his hand aflection- 
 ately upon Connie's shoulder, he said in a low voice, as 
 if he were thinking aloud, " I did not plan it all, for 1 
 could not foresee what was to be. A higher Hand 
 shapes and moulds our lives, and leads us by a way 
 that we know not." 
 
 Often afterwards, Connie thought of her father's 
 words, when the vicissitudes and dangers of their 
 wandering life seemed at times to be almost over- 
 whelmhig ; and the gentle, tenderly-nurtured 
 found inexpressible comfort in doing so. 
 
 girl 
 
 I 
 
26 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN'. 
 
 But now Harry was saying what a good thing it 
 was that he and Frank liad assisted in all sorts of 
 farm-work ever since he could remember, and that 
 under their uncle's tuition they had become practised 
 and fearless riders, able to follow the fox-hounds over 
 difficult country with skill and l»oldness. 
 
 " It was so good of uncle, too, to give us those 
 active little Welsh ponies when we were quite small 
 boys," said Frank ; " nothing else than a ' bullfinch ' 
 would daunt them and cause us to have to make a 
 detour." 
 
 "What is a Indltinch ? " asked Connie; "I used to 
 think it was a bird ? " 
 
 The boys laughed merrily as they explained it was 
 a thick, high bullock-proof hedge. " Your own riding 
 ought to have told you that," said Frank. 
 
 " You forget that, though I often accompanied you 
 and uncle on your rides, he was always careful not to 
 take me into such difficult places as your term ' bull- 
 finch ' would express," said the girl. 
 
 " And quite right, too," said her father. " But 
 here is llobert. Xow we will go and make our pur- 
 chases." 
 
 It would take far too long to describe all the 
 articles our travellers had to procure. A few, how- 
 ever, from their importance, must be mentioned. 
 
 First, there were the fire-arms, which Major Weston 
 bought at the best Gjunsmith's in St Louis. Some of 
 
THE OUTFIT. 
 
 2T 
 
 to 
 
 he 
 |\v- 
 
 )n 
 lof 
 
 them could not at th.at time liave been supplied in 
 any other country in the world but America. 
 
 Two of these were splendid little repeatinuj riHes, 
 which, when once charged, could be fired tliirteen 
 times without removing the weapon from the slioulder ; 
 or, if desired, they could be loaded and used as 
 ordinary breechloading rities, the twelve cartridges in 
 the magazine situated in the butt of the riHe being 
 held in reserve for any sudden emergency. These 
 splendid weapons were perfectly reliable up to a 
 distance of five hundred yards. Tlien there was a 
 couple of first-rate long-range rifies, sighted up to 
 one thousand yards, and four six-chambered Colt's 
 revolvers. The proper belts for carrying these and 
 tlie sheathed bowie or hunting knives were procured 
 at the same place. Thus, eacli of our adventurers 
 was provided with a rifle, revolver, hunting-knife, and 
 belt, in addition to the useful shot-guns and a light 
 sporting rifie which they had brought with them from 
 Canada. Even Connie had been taught to use the 
 latter with considerable skill. 
 
 Of course, a good supply of ammunition was laid 
 in ; also the small tent with its pole and ropes, which 
 Major Weston had mentioned as the future sleeping 
 apartment of himself and sons, and tlie tool-chest, 
 which was to make Connie's bedstead and to contain 
 Frank's well-assorted tools. Amongst these latter 
 were axes of different sizes, from tlie small hatchet 
 
28 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 to the heavy felling-axe ; also all the other numerous 
 articles witli vvliich a well-fitted tool-chest is generally 
 supplied. 
 
 Major Weston also purchased an oil cooking-stove, 
 with the necessary utensils — kettle, steamer, frying- 
 pan, and a good-sized sheet-iron oven to place on the 
 top of the stove for baking purposes ; for a good part 
 of the emigrant's contemplated journey lay through 
 so desolate iiud dreary a region that even wood enough 
 for fuel could not always be procured. 
 
 In the capacious waggon were also stowed away 
 many necessaries, such as bags of Hour, oatmeal and 
 rice, tin boxes, cups and plates, knives and forks, and 
 a few buffalo robes and blankets ; and, lastly, two or 
 three waterproof sheets to throw over tlie ground 
 beneatli the blankets at night to prevent the damp 
 from striking tlirough. 
 
CHATTEU TV. 
 
 A BRUSH WITH THE RED-SKINS. 
 
 At It'ngth all was ready, and the long train of emi- 
 grants, with their canvas-topped waggons and drivers, 
 horses, mules, cattle, &c., set out on what seemed an 
 almost interminal)le journey. They could only j)ro- 
 ceed at a slow pace, on account of the cattle and other 
 live stock, which some of the emigrants took with 
 them to form the nucleus of future herds and droves 
 in the fertile vales of California, the native cattle of 
 which State were known to be of a very inferior and 
 diminutive breed. 
 
 The party was altogether too strong to be attacked 
 openly by the roving bands of Indians during the 
 weary journey across Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado, 
 although the latter sometimes harassed their march 
 in hope of picking up stragglers, or carrying off horses 
 or cattle. But Major Weston, who had by general 
 consent been made commandant of the party, kept 
 so strict a watch over the train while in the Indian 
 
30 
 
 THE YOUNG KANCHMEX. 
 
 country, tlirovviiij^ out mounted scouts in front Jind on 
 each tiank \)y day, and setting sentries at regular 
 distances and keeping mounted i)atrols constantly 
 encircling the encampment by night, that the only 
 surprise which was attempted was easily beaten oil'. 
 This adventure mi;'ht have ended most tra<'icallv for 
 some of the party if it had not been for the cool 
 courage and adroit action of Frank "Weston. It 
 occurred about a week after crossing thci upper reaches 
 of the Republican Fork of the Kansas lliver, in what 
 subsequently became a part of Colorado territory. 
 
 The train had halted for the mid-day rest and 
 meal, when the ever-watchful commandant, wIkj was 
 surveying the prairie through his glass, fancied he 
 saw something unusual in the movements of what 
 appeared to be a drove of wild horses or nnistangs a 
 long way oit* across the plain. Calling Frank, who 
 was scouting on that side, to him, he told him to ride 
 cautiously in their direction until he got near enough 
 to ascertain clearly whether they were only mustangs 
 or a party of mounted savages trying to approach 
 unobserved. At the same time another scout was 
 despatched to warn some of the women and children, 
 wlio were herding their cattle and horses along a 
 small stream of water in that direction — its verdant 
 banks offering a tempting bite to the hungry animals — 
 to head them back towards the camp, for fear of an 
 Indian stampede. 
 
 I 
 
A BRUSH WITH THK UKD-SKINS. 
 
 31 
 
 angs 
 
 oach 
 
 was 
 
 Iren, 
 
 lant 
 
 au 
 
 Scarcely liad the order luien com])!!!!!! with, ami tlie 
 stock turned in the direction of the wair^ons, when 
 Frank was observed gallopinLj l)ack, hotly ])ursued hy 
 a score or two of yelling savages. 'IMie latter weie 
 mounted on their nimble ])onics, wliich they urged to 
 their utmost speed. At onc(; tlierc; was a scene of the 
 wildest confusion, the women and children running 
 madly towards the cam]), with heartrending screams 
 and cries for hell); while the men hastily seized their 
 guns and rifles, and hurried to the rescue. They 
 would, however, have arrived too late to save half a 
 dozen of the poor creatures, who, having crossed the 
 little stream before mentioned, had failed to get their 
 cattle over it again when the alarm was lirst given. 
 These terror-stricken individuals would soon have been 
 overtaken and scalped, or carried olt' l)y the ])lood- 
 thirsty Arapahoes, had not Frank, ])erceivhig their 
 danger, suddenly wheeled his horse round, and, at the 
 risk of his life, made a bold diversion in their favour 
 by charging straight at tlie foremost Indian, who 
 seemed to be their chief, llnslinging his repeating 
 ritle at the same moment, Frank (piietly look aim and 
 tired ; but, foiled by tlie motion of the horse and the 
 speed at which both lie and liis antagonist were riding, 
 the aim proved untrue, so that, instead of striking the 
 chief, the ball entered the pony's shoulder, and both 
 
 ro 
 
 lied 
 For 
 
 over c 
 a moment 
 
 the pli 
 
 11 n. 
 
 the savages were so thunderstruck 
 
82 
 
 THK YOl'NG UANCMMKN'. 
 
 by this sudden inanonuvrc that tlicy almost uncon- 
 seicmsly dr(»w rein. liefore they eouM reoover their 
 self-possession, Frank stopped Ids horse and, raising,' 
 his rille, iired two shots, woundin;^^ a eouph» of the 
 Indians, who fell from their horsc^s. Tliis seemed lo 
 l)reak the spell, and, slioutiuL,^ out thcnr fearful war- 
 wh(J0p, and a^^ain led hy their ehief, who had mean- 
 whihi sucee(Mled in disenf^icdnii" himself from his fallen 
 steed and lea])in<;' upon one of those from whieli the 
 wouncUul red-skins had dropped, they all galloped head- 
 lon<;' towards Frank, brandisliinj^' on high their glittering 
 tomaliawks, ready for hurling at him as soon as tliey 
 f'ot within striking distance. On came the dusky 
 warriors like a whirlwind, the ground shaking beneath 
 the heavy tread of tlieir foaming mustangs. A few 
 brief moments, and their ruthless hatchets would have 
 crashed thr .ugh the brain of the intrepid young pale- 
 face. ]^ut the boy had not waited for them ; lie had 
 already turned and tied. The gallant Saladin, knowing 
 well what was expected of him, was now coursing over 
 the plain at such a pace, that, in spite of their efforts, 
 the Indians soon found themselves completely distanced. 
 Changing their course, therefore, they once more guided 
 their ponies in pursuit of the screaming women and 
 children. These unfortunate creatures had made such 
 good use of the time gained by young Weston's devoted 
 efforts to shield them and draw the enemy's attention 
 on himself, that they were now within a couple of 
 
A MIM'STI WITH TIIK HE|)-SK1\S. 
 
 :J3 
 
 « 
 
 hundriMl yanls oi the ])ai'ty of nu'ii liastily collcctiMl 
 iin<l lM'!".i«Mi l>y Major Wvston, who were liurryiii^- to 
 llicir assistance. 
 
 IJiavcly and tit'iccly as tlu' Xorlli AniLTJcan Indians: 
 will tiinlit when the advantage sct-ms to !)«> on their 
 side, and the vielory piaetieally assured, they will, on 
 a sudden change in tla^ situation of afl'airs or a dis- 
 covery that they had niisealeulated the stren^^lh of 
 liieir enemy, at once retreat with the utnu)st pre- 
 (•i[»ilancy. 
 
 Perceiving the a])proach of a well-armed body of 
 men, the Arai)ahoes would doubtless, under ordinary 
 circumstances, have turned and disaj)peared until, per- 
 chance, a lietter ojijxtrtunity for murder or i)Iundej' 
 presented itself. Uul, maddenetl Ity the loss they had 
 sustained, and panting for revenge, they seemed di^ter- 
 mined that their ]>rev should not esca])e them when 
 almost within their grasp. In vain did Krank's riHc 
 ring out, as, galloi)ing ])arallel with them, he tired shot 
 
 after shot into their ranks. Two or three moi'e 
 
 pome 
 
 and tluiir tawnv riders came down with a crash ; hut 
 the wild career of the others wjis not st(>p))e(l for an 
 instant. 
 
 On swe])t the vellin<' mob. Fiftv viirds more, and 
 their nervous fingers would have clutched the hail* of 
 their frantic victims; but, liark ! what is that i 
 
 "Halt! steadv, mv men; make readv ! itrescnt! 
 tire!'' shouted out the Major's clear voice. 
 
 u 
 
34 
 
 THE YOINCI HANrir.MKX. 
 
 ()1)s(M'vin<^' tlic fimiiincnt (l;mu;('r »if tlic fui^ntivcs, 
 md liiivinu' 'i<»t liis iiit'ii witliiii a limnhcd yiirds or ho 
 
 'n o 
 
 of tlu! Iiidiiiiis, 1r! knew no lime imist bu htst ii' iho 
 lives of 1!k3 f;)nii(!r wen; to he saved. 
 
 As tliu sL'iilturc'd vollcv iiiii'' out, sfvcral of thtj 
 foremost/ Nvariioi's Idt iIk; dust ; and (o coiiiplctti the 
 discoiiitiluri^ of tlu; rest, Itotli l-'rank, wlio had coiik! 
 U|), and Major Western disci lar^cd their revolvers into 
 the waverinij, mass. This had tlu; desired elleet, Un- 
 the whole band wheeled suddenly round and lied as 
 fast as it had come. From be^innini,^ to entl the 
 whole ail'air only oeeupit^l a few minutes, and but for 
 the unlucky red-skins who hiy dead or wounded on the 
 uround, it would htivo seemed almost U) the startled 
 emigrants more like a frinhtful dream than a real 
 incident of life. 
 
 The scene which followed was most touehinsj,' : wives 
 and children, rescued from the very jaws of death, were 
 fondly clasped in the arms of husbjinils and ])arents, 
 witli cries and tears of i^ratitude and joy : while, now 
 and then, a half-suppresseti sol) broke from tirst one 
 and then anotlu'r of the sympathetic crowd of by- 
 standers, the most callous of whom were seen to brush 
 away a tear. 
 
 As for Frank, the hero of the hour, he was (piite 
 overwhelmed with thanks and ])raises ; and, conscious 
 that he was liettinu,' very hot and red in the face, he 
 was looking about for some loop-hole of escape from 
 
 f 
 
 -;* 
 
A nifi'sTr WITH thk red-skins. 
 
 35 
 
 fi^i-itivos, 
 
 ■ 
 
 rds or .so 
 
 I 
 
 St if th(! 
 
 1 
 
 I of the 
 
 1 
 
 >l('t(i tlie 
 
 1 
 
 i!»l COIIK! 
 
 1 
 
 LTS into 
 
 I 
 
 Hi'C't, for 
 
 I 
 
 I Jli'd iis 
 
 fl 
 
 ciul tin? 
 
 H 
 
 but for 
 
 1 
 
 d on the 
 
 ■ 
 
 .stiirtltMl 
 
 I 
 
 ii real 
 
 1 
 
 : wives 
 
 1 
 
 til, were 
 
 I 
 
 pareiils, 
 
 I 
 
 le, now 
 
 ■ 
 
 rst one 
 
 1 
 
 of by- 
 
 1 
 
 t l»rush 
 
 1 
 
 ■; ([uite 
 
 1 
 
 iiscious 
 
 1 
 
 aee, \w. 
 
 1 
 
 e from 
 
 ■'a 
 
 his eiii1)arraH!Hini4 ])ositioii, wlion fo]'t\niately he espied 
 one of the riderless In<lian ])onies earei'rin^' about the 
 ])lain. lUurlin,^' <ajt sonu'tbin^,' to the elVeet that lie 
 was lilad if lie laid l)een of any service, hi' ^ave his 
 hojse the rein and dashe<l away in ]»ursuil of tlie 
 excited animal, which, tindin.i,' ils(df followed, tossed 
 u|i its iiead, and, ,Ljivin,u' one or two terrified snorts, 
 was soon scampering over the i)rairie at its uttermost 
 speed. 
 
 Tlie musianu', a dark chestnut nearly fifteen hands 
 hiuli, with lonj^f fluwini;" mane and tail, ])roved to l»e 
 one of llu^ finest s])eciniens of tiu! breed. Frank soon 
 lu'came aware tliat, unencumbered Jis it was witli any 
 lauih'n, it would ])Ut even Saladin's speed and endur- 
 ance to the test before its cap)ture would be efVeeted. 
 
 Auain and a^ain, as the nolde tlKjrouufhbied l>rouglit 
 his rider almost within reach of tlie trailini;" l)ridle, the 
 active little (chestnut shot aside, antl, doubling; like a 
 hare, lie was a (juarter of a mile ofV in another 
 direction before Frank could uet his larger horse 
 round and continue the chase. At last, however, he 
 uianaLiCtl to seize the embroidered reins before the 
 mustan<;' could repeat the manceuvre, and returned 
 with the n(nv submissive aninad to the canij). 
 
 Meanwhile, ATajor AVeston had given orders for the 
 bodies of the dead .Vrapahoes to be buried and the 
 wounds of the living to be attended to, after which 
 such of the hitler as weie not much injured Vvcre at 
 
36 
 
 THE YOUN'f! HAX(;HMEN. 
 
 01100 dismissed, and tlio reniuindcr a.< soon as they 
 woiv jil)le to walk. 
 
 This inercifnl treatment seemed (^uite iiK'om})relieii- 
 sible to the ]-oor creatures, and it was witli ditlieulty 
 they were; made to understand tliat tliey were free to 
 depart wlieresoever tliey wished to go. Tliey liad 
 evidently ex[)eeted to l)e put to death, if not tortured 
 into the bargain. 
 
 " Jiravo ! Master Frank," shouted Lazenhy, as soon as 
 the youth approached, leading the eaptured mustang — 
 " that will make a good horse for Master Harry to 
 ride ; he is always wishing there was another Saddle- 
 horse for him, so that he could ride about as much as 
 he likes. And, between ourselves, sir, 1 believe that 
 would be for sixteen hours out of the tweuty-four if 
 lie could only olilain a mount." And ttie good- 
 natured servant indul!'e<l in a heartv laugh at his own 
 jocosity. 
 
 " Where is my brother i " replied Frank, smiling. 
 
 " AVith Miss Connie in the waugon, I Ijelieve, sir." 
 
 " Then, lead tliis horse gently there, wliile 1 ride 
 over yonder to rej)ort my capture to the commandant : 
 then I shall follow vou home." 
 
 AVhen Fraidv reaclieil their waggon a ([uarter <»f an 
 hour later, he found both Harry and Connie still 
 admiring the proud little chestnut. The former had 
 mounted and was riding the mustang about to show 
 off its paces to the delighted girl. 
 
A nilUSH WITH THE IlED-sKlN'S. 
 
 :n 
 
 as they 
 
 n])relien- 
 -liHiculiy 
 free tu 
 lioy Jmd 
 tortured 
 
 ^ soon as 
 staii^L>' — 
 {arry to 
 §addle- 
 luucli as 
 ve tliat 
 '-four if 
 
 g0( Mi- 
 lls own 
 
 ^■ir." 
 
 I ride 
 
 ndant : 
 
 of ail 
 
 e stili 
 
 (T liad 
 
 ) show 
 
 " Well, how do you like your new horse .' " asked 
 Frank. 
 
 "Oh! he's perfection itself. lint, say, am I really 
 to have him for my own { What says my father i " 
 eagerly <[uestioned the excited lad. 
 
 " 1 have just been risking him, and he says that, as 
 1 captured the animal, he belongs to me to do as I 
 like with ; and therefore 1 make him <.»ver to vou. 
 lra[)pings and all." 
 
 "Hurrah!" exclaimed Harry, making his new 
 (,'liarger i»lunge and rear ])y tossing his cap high into 
 the air in the exuberance of his spirits. " Vou are 
 a brick and no mistake ;" and tiien, bursting into song, 
 he continued, in the inspiriting words of the well- 
 known musical toast — 
 
 "For lie's a jolly {^ood ii'llow I 
 For he's a jolly good fellow ! 
 For lie's a jolly good fellcnv ! 
 Which nobody can deny," c^c. 
 
 Jiobert and Connie laughingly joined in the chorus. 
 
I 
 
 '^ 
 
 CHAl'TEJf V. 
 
 BUFFALO HUNTING. 
 
 Av.ov' a N\('i;k after tlieir iiiemomble encounter with 
 the roviiiL^ ])an(l of Arapahoes, the emigrants reached 
 the south branch Oi the Nebraska, or I'latte liiver, 
 which tht'y crossed I'V a ratlier difticult ford. TUv 
 stream is here more than half a mile wide, but, owing 
 to the dry sunnner weather, its waters were fortunately 
 low — in some parts not more than a foot or two in 
 de})th, and nowliere at this sj)ot more than three or 
 four feet dee]); otherwise, its treacherous (piicksands 
 and irreiiular bed would haye made it a dantjerous as 
 well as trouldesome object in their path. 
 
 The greater })art of a day was spent in elfecting 
 the passage of this perplexing riyer, but at length all 
 A /ere Siifely landed on its northern bank. Two or 
 three [ileasant marches oyer higli, rolling prairies, 
 abounding in traces of buffalo and other large game, 
 brought them to the Xorth lH)rk. 
 
 Till! eciutry now became broken and uneyen. 
 
 i 
 
 ■r 
 
 
BT'FFALO IIUNTINCJ. 
 
 39 
 
 Si 
 
 2e. 
 
 iter witli 
 
 ;e lii\'t'r, 
 
 (1. The 
 
 t, owing 
 
 tunately 
 
 two ill 
 
 liroc or 
 
 cksaiids 
 
 rolls as 
 
 'fl'ecti]i<; 
 igtli all 
 Two or 
 )rairies, 
 game, 
 
 iiieven. 
 
 Stcop lofty banks often bordered the river, and obliged 
 tile, caravan to strike olf into the more open prairies. 
 For some days past they had frer^uently noticed a 
 curiously-shaped conical hill, the summit of which 
 ran u[) rpiite narrowly to a great height, resembling a 
 lofty pillar. Some of the travellers who had been 
 on tra[)i)ing oi' hunting expeditions to the liocky 
 ^fountains on other occasions, and who now acted as 
 guides to the expedition, said this curious phenomenon 
 was kiiov.n l)v the name f)f "The Chimnev." It is 
 i[uite a landmark, and can be seen thirty or hjrty miles 
 awav in clear weather. 
 
 A., the emigrants approached the base of this 
 towering cohunn, ]\lajor AVeston held a consultation 
 with the heads of the company, and it was decided to 
 f(jrm their camp there for a few days, in order to try 
 and replenish their scanty stock of fresh meat by 
 organising a l)uHalo hunt on a somewhat extensive 
 scale. The same evening Major "Weston ascended to 
 the base of the " Chimney," in company with his 
 younger son and two or three experienced hunters, or, 
 more strictly speaking, emigrant farmers, wlio had 
 (>ncc bec-n on huntiuL;' (excursions into the neighbour- 
 hood in the service of one or other of the rival fur 
 companies. 
 
 Tiiis was in their vounu'er davs, when the coni])eti- 
 li*)n between the American Fur ("omiuinv and the 
 
 I- V 
 
 \U)c\<y ^Mountain Fur ('om])anv for active vountj; 
 
40 
 
 TMK YOL'N(; KANXHMEX 
 
 fi'ontier'.s-iiKMi, lo assist in conveyin;^' su|)])lies to the 
 (lill'ereiit rradiiig centres or ])oints nf rcnde/vous 
 iinionf^st the nionntain ranges and remote valleys of 
 the baekltonc! of Aiiieriea, riiised tlie scale of remunera- 
 tion to a tempting' sum. After returning from one 
 sucli enterjaise, souk^ would again settle down quietly 
 to the comparative monotonv of tlie ordinary farmer's 
 or Ijackwoodsnmns life; but many hecame so (enamoured 
 of the wild, free life of the haidv tra])pers as to join 
 their ranks permanently. 
 
 There must be something leally very fascinating 
 and enjoyable to some natures in the rough un- 
 trammelled existence of these intrepid mountaineers. 
 The very dangers and hardships to which they are 
 constantly' expo.sed, and to which they not unfreipiently 
 succumli, seem only to increase their thirst for more 
 adventures, and to jinimate them to deeds of greater 
 daring. Enchanting the life nnist be, indeed, to induce 
 men to forego all the comforts of civilisation for the 
 discomforts and adversities of a half-savage and perilous 
 career. 
 
 The small reconnoitring party having . gained the 
 summit of the mound at the foot of the chimney -like 
 shaft by dint of hard clind,)ing, sat or reclined upon 
 the jutting rocks which formed, as it were, the founda- 
 tion of the colunni. Exliaustcd and well-nigh l)reathless 
 as they were from the precipitous njiture of the 
 ascent, a simultaneous exclamation of- astonishment 
 
MrFFALO HUNTIXG. 
 
 41 
 
 s to the 
 
 Rk'/VUll.S 
 lll(JVS of 
 
 iiiuiiera- 
 roiu (^1113 
 I quietly 
 fiirincr'.s 
 iiiiourtHl 
 to join 
 
 eiiiatiiig 
 
 igh un- 
 
 :aineers. 
 
 hey are 
 
 (iiieiitly 
 
 more 
 
 Li:reater 
 
 induce 
 
 'or the 
 
 jerilous 
 
 mI the 
 3y-like 
 upon 
 )unda- 
 Ltliless 
 f the 
 inient 
 
 and pleasure burst from their lips as their delijuhted 
 eyes hclield llie niaLiniticent ])anorania s]n-('ad out 
 lieiiealh and around them. Far away to thi' north, in 
 the midst of the vast jdain, rose the dark and ])on- 
 derous ,uroup of mountains called the lUack Hills. 
 These looked like some massive and detached outwork 
 of the i^rand stupendous barrier formed l)y the liocky 
 Mountains to tlu^ westward. 
 
 Thouyli the loftv peaks of tiie former reached to 
 llu^ heij^lit of OTOO feet aljove st-ii level, they were 
 quite dwarfed by the exalted snow-clad sununits of 
 their tall neighbours — Fremont's I'eak, on the o])posite 
 side of the wide tract of prairie, mounting skywards 
 to an altitude of lo,57U feet. 
 
 St)uth and east of their elevated stand-point ex- 
 tended level or rolling prairies as far as the eye couhl 
 reach, intersecte»i by numerous rivers and creeks, and, 
 uiost important of all to our hungry travellers, dotted 
 liere and there with herds of buffalo, some roaming 
 over the short dr}' grass of the j)lain, wliili' others 
 were feeding or Iving down in the vast natural 
 pastures around. 
 
 AVestw; id the ground was more broken and ele- 
 vated, rising gradually to the Cheyenne I'ass and the 
 I*ark Mountains; while beneath thenltiowed the Ijroad 
 waters of the Platte Kiver, widening out into an 
 imposhig stream l)elow its junction with the South 
 Fork, and threading its wav eastward like a hu«4e 
 
42 
 
 THE yount; raxcttmex. 
 
 ii 
 
 snake ,Ljli(lin_£,' silently over ihe grass-covered ])liiins. 
 Ifavini; Itceome satisfied of tlie i)roxiniit}' of hw^i] 
 herds of oull'alo, and lin_L,'ere(l a ivw minutes to admire 
 the lovely rosocoloured tints tlirijwn across the snow- 
 ti]»])ed peaks of the Rocky Mountains l>y the settinj^ 
 sun, ^lajor Weston and his companions rpiickly 
 descended to the cani])ing ground. 
 
 Tlie next day was spent in pn^parations for tlie 
 hunt an'l in resting the horses, so that they might he 
 in wod working order on the following; dav. Fires 
 arms of all descriptions were cleaned, and hunting- 
 knives sliari)ened. Large Hat stones and smooth 
 houlders from the river-he(l were hrought to l)e ready, 
 in lieu of mortars, for ])ounding the meat when making 
 ])ennnican. This article may he calleil the trap[)er"s 
 stair of life; on it lie often subsists for months, with 
 scarcely any ad(htional food. It is ])re]>ared hy first 
 cutting the meat into thin slices and drvinu" it, after 
 whicli it is l)ruised in a mortar, or between smooth 
 stones, uiitil thorou'ddv disinteu,Tated ; the fat is then, 
 melted and pouied over it, and the mess ti«'litlv com- 
 ])ressed into small bags made out of the l)uiraloes' 
 skins. Thus preserved, pemmican can l)e kept for 
 several ;nonths without spoiling, and it is said that half 
 a ])ound of it is e(puvalent to two pounds of ordinary 
 meat. As may be imagined, Frank and Harry were in 
 a lively state of excitement al the pros])ect of taking 
 jtart in a bufl'alo liunt. and when at last the eventful 
 
 # 
 
BUFFALO HUNTIXO. 
 
 4d 
 
 (lay anivfd, botli were quickly 0([iiippO(l und stntionud 
 in the plju'C assitj^nud to tluMii at one end of the liii(5 of 
 horsi'iuen. liobert LazcniUv rode onc^ of tlu3 clu'slimt 
 harness mares, in attendance on his voun'' masters. 
 Altoyiether tliere were twenty v.cll-mounted hunters, 
 under the connnand of two experienced horderers and 
 former trapi)ers, named Sanson and Indian r»ill. 
 
 Major Weston remained in cam]) with the rest of 
 the men, as a precaution against Indians, they hein^' 
 now in the neighbourhood of the warlike^ Sioux. 
 
 Tlie scouts who had been sent olt' to discover the 
 exact whereaV)outs of the buffaloes havin^^ returned, 
 the whole party proceeded cautiously in the direction 
 indicated. As soon as thev reached the sununit of a 
 low bank of hillocks they perceived a Hn(! lu-rd of 
 the huge animals roving slowly across the valley 
 below. 
 
 From the wav in whicli tliev stopi)ed (^verv now 
 and then to turn their heads in the direction of the 
 hunters, and to sniff the air, it was evident that their 
 suspicions were already aroused. This, however, was 
 rather owing to the keen sense of smell possessed by 
 these unwieldy creatures than to any lack of precaution 
 on the part of the hunters. The latter bad been 
 careful to approacli from the leewai'd side, so that 
 what wind there was blew fro'-i the Itull'aloes towards 
 themselves, and only a few of the men had ])eere(l 
 warily over the bank, after first dismount ing from their 
 
44 
 
 THE YOUXO UANCHMKN. 
 
 steeds jind iidvanciiiL^ on hands and knees. The leader, 
 havin<; tlius reconnoitred ihe uanie, hrietly eautioned 
 tlie youn<,'er nienil)er.s of Ids troo}) to l)e earel'ul not to 
 shoot one another in tlie excitement of thc^ chase, and 
 then, ^dviniLj tlie word to charge, tlie \vliole party set 
 spurs to their horses, .nnd clearing tlie ridge, galloped 
 down the op])osite slope at the top of their s])eed. 
 
 The wliole herd at once took to liieir heels ,i >i 
 scampered oil' in lieadlong flight. 
 
 "What glorious sport!" shouted the excited Harry, 
 as his active mustany hounded gailv along. 
 
 "Wait a hit," said his brother, "until we get into 
 the thick of them; only mind you do not come to 
 grief. A wounded bull'alo is a niosi dangerous 
 animal." 
 
 "Never fear," replied the boy; " Clhieftain seems 
 to understand the business well ! I 've no douljt 
 he has taken part in many a IniH'alo hunt befoie 
 to-day." 
 
 "Hark, that was a ritle-shot!" said liobert; "some- 
 one is already at work." 
 
 " Well, here we are just on their heels. I'oor brutes, 
 how they are straining every nerve to escape ! " cried 
 Frank. 
 
 " Each single out a beast," said Itobert, '" and get 
 close alongside before firing." 
 
 " All right," exclaimed the l)oys, as they guided their 
 horses to the side of a couple of the fattest and 
 
m'KFAI.O KUXTIMJ. 
 
 45 
 
 voiingest-lookin^' cows, whilf INjInu't liinisell' sjiijijUmI 
 uut u huge l)iill. 
 
 All was now tlie greutcist conlusion ami uj)r()ar, the 
 reports of rilles and pistols, the sliouts of the hunters, 
 and tlie l)ello\ving of wounded and infuriated bull'aloes, 
 toi^ether witli the heavy tramp of many hundreds of 
 Ijoofs, creatine;' a deafening tumult ; while every now 
 and tlien a dull heavy thud announeed the sudden 
 downfall of one of the huge creatures. 
 
 ])oth the young \V(!stons soon succeeded in slaying 
 their first victim, and having dropped a handkerchief 
 or cap to identify their l)ooty, contiinied in imrsuit of 
 fresh spoils. 
 
 Flushed with success, Harry next cssay(id t«> hring 
 down !i magnificent bull. Frank shouted lo him not 
 III 1)0 rasli, l»ul only received a wave (tf tlu* hand in 
 reply; and the next minute both the butlalo bull and 
 Harry disappeared (»ver the brow of some rising ground 
 in front. Frank's first im})ulse was to dash after them, 
 in order to keep his l)iotlu!r in sight and render any 
 assistance that might Ije necessary, but at that moment 
 a loud shcKit from Jiobert arrested his attcmtion. 
 
 " Look out, ^Master Frank !" roared the man, in tones 
 of the greatest alarm and excitement. And not with- 
 out reason, for, on glancing hasuly l>ack, Frank per- 
 ceived, to his horror, a huge bull cliarging straight 
 towards him. The white foam was dripping from its 
 niouth and down its Hanks, where il minuled with the 
 
40 
 
 TlIK Y()UN(i RANCHMEN. 
 
 blood *,'ushiM|uj from iiunicrous luillijl-wounds in its 
 lU'C'lv and sliouldia-, wliilo its diluted nosiiils jind tiurce 
 ,L;liivin^' vyvH showed it to 1k^ mad with ]»ain and 
 fury. 
 
 Fraidv liad slackimod his jcici! lo a canter, nnde- 
 cidcd \vh(;lh(.'r lo follow llarrvor not : lait, aroused to 
 Ids own imminent dan''(!r 1)V tlie sii^ht wliieh met his 
 
 l(jok 
 
 d. h 
 
 h 
 
 I 
 
 Kin^' lound, Me sia spurs to his horse an( 
 urged him (piickly aside. 'I'he huli'alo was within a 
 few feet of him as Sakuhn leaj)t forward — a moment s 
 liesitation, and Itoth liorse and rider would have been 
 hurled to tJa^ ground by IIk; furious (juset. 
 
 " Thank lUiaven, he is safe I" ejaeulated poor JJolterl, 
 who was almost l)eside himself at the tliouj^ht of his 
 yoiuig master's j)eril, especially jis luj was the jaimary 
 cause of it, owing' to his having failed to bring down 
 liis j)rey, although he had tired no less than ten or 
 twelve shots at the beast. 
 
 In Keidiiifffi Karrat'in' a curious instance of the 
 ditliculty of killing a ladfalo is inc^ntioneii, and is as 
 hdlows; — " ]\Ir I'eide tired fourteen balls into the 
 chest of a l)uti'alo before he killed him, and Mr Scott, 
 with a view to ascertain whether a ]>all tired at the 
 head would break the frontal bone, discharged Ins rilie 
 at a dead l)ull within ten })aces ; tlu; ball did iu)t 
 penetrate, but merely entangled itself in tlie liair, 
 where it was found. It had struck tlu^ foreliead an(l 
 left a mark l)efore it rebounded."' 
 
BUFFALO lirNTING. 
 
 47 
 
 f 
 
 Frniilv imiiKMliatcly Joincfl the servant in jtursnii of 
 the \v(»nn<lo(l animal. Iml just as lii'.'V canic up willi it, 
 and wt'ii! on llie point of tirinn', it sank down I'xliaustcd 
 (til ihc t^ronnd. Tlu; next moment it roiled over on 
 the uronnd and exjiired. 
 
 In tli(! meantime Harrv had overtaken the hull ho 
 was in pursuit of, and hrou^ht him to this ''nuuid l>v 
 a well-dire('te(l shot hehind his ear. After which, 
 reinin.u' in his horse, he ai>proaehed tlie hull in front, 
 with tiu! intention of i^ivin^' him tlu; ftiiii> dr i/nhr l»y 
 a shot hetweeii {\h\ eyes, sup[tosin_i;' that would at onee 
 
 en 
 
 ter th 
 
 d's 1 
 
 1(3 anniuus hram aiui put a speedy en( 
 
 1 
 
 ih 
 
 d to I 
 
 us 
 
 suileiin.us. iris sat^aeious ehi'stnut, iiowever, was lietter 
 a((|uainted with the dani^erons nature of tlu; wounded 
 hull'alo, and refused to a})])roaeh Inm ; thereu])(»n Harry 
 foolishly dismounted, and (juiekly hoithlini;' his horse 
 to pnn'ent its eseii])e, julviineed towards his hu,L;'e ([Uarry 
 on foot. He was in the aet of raisin^ Ins rillu t(j take 
 aim when the. ]m\\ suddenly sjtran^' to his feet, and, 
 loudly hellowiuLi', rushed straight at the astonished 
 hov, 
 
 if 
 
 This was more than he had har^ained for, and what 
 Wonder if he drop[)ed his wea[ton, and, paralysed witii 
 fear, stood rooted to the .ground ! 
 
 AVhen the taljles have heen so .suddenly and Utr- 
 rihly turned upon him, many a full-grown man — 
 yea, manv a Imivc^ man- has heen foi- a moment 
 unnerved. It cannot, therefore, he a niattei- of sur- 
 
 I 
 
I 
 
 48 
 
 THE yoVSa IIAN'CII.MKN'. 
 
 Il 
 I 
 
 jH'isc tlmt ail iiicxpfricni't'd lad <»!' liftcM-n years, or 
 rather less, sIiduM lose liis liea<l at sueli an awhil 
 iiioiiieiit. 
 
 'I'he enra,u;('»l lieast was williin a few feet of liiiii, 
 and the next instant i»i)<»r Harry nil«;ht have heeii 
 knoeke(l down and j^'ored to death had not a loud 
 sl»out of "Jump aside!" rau<ilit his ears. Instantly 
 recovering;' his presence of mind at the familiar sound 
 of his Itrother'.s voice, ho s])ran;j: li.uditly aside, just 
 as the hot hreath of the shaiu'uy monster smote his 
 face. 
 
 Jt was a veiy narrow cseajie indeed, and for a 
 moment or two Many stood daze(l and motionless; 
 lait this was onlv momentaiv. and uuieklv uave place 
 to an ardent desire to retrieve his character as a fear- 
 less hunter in the eyes of his brother and Kol>ert, who 
 had now almost come up to liim. Sprin^in^ l(» where 
 his rith* lay, he snatched it u]>, and ([uickly took aim 
 at the hull, which, having- cliccked its pace, was in the 
 act of turniuL,' round to renew the charge. He lired 
 and liit the heast in the side, Itut it only shook itself, 
 and, more savaj^e tlian ever, rushed madly at its enemy. 
 ilarry was now perfectly calm and collected, and (ail- 
 ing to his friends not to interfere, manfully stood his 
 ground, tiring shot after shot from his repeathig-riHe 
 into the breast of the advancing hufl'alo, l»ut with 
 !il)parently so littler effect that both Frank and Kobert 
 >vere on the i)oint of discharging their lities at thu 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
m'FFALo nrxTixn. 
 
 49 
 
 <(' 
 
 boast. They had (lisiuoiiiited from tlicir horses, and 
 knoll down npon the <,'r()und, in order to insnre a 
 steady and accnratc aim if tliey found it necessary to 
 lire. AVith rifles leycdled and tin^'ers on thci triggers, 
 they folloNved the bull's course, and perceiying it 
 within half a dozen yards of the di^termined boy, 
 {''rank \vas about to cry "Fire!" ])ut at that very 
 instant the huge creature drop[)ed down dead almost 
 at Harry's feet. With a shout of triumi)h the latter 
 jumped upon the carcass of his late formidable {intu- 
 gonist, and, intoxicated with victory, executed a sort 
 of Highland jig on its sliaggy body. 
 
 I'Vank and Robert heartily congratulatcMl the hero 
 on his success, and then, finding that the herd were 
 now scattered in every direction, they remounted their 
 horses and returned to the camp. 
 
 ^leanwhile the rest of tin; hunters, weary with 
 slaughtering, were slowly straggling back for fresh 
 horses to harness to the rough shulges which had 
 beim constructed the previous day ready for hauling 
 in the buflalo meat. The latter was in great abund- 
 ance, and the horsemen having purposely attacked 
 the bulialoes in such a way as to drive them during 
 the hunt in the direction of the camp, the sleighs Iiad 
 not far to go for the meat. All was now bustle and 
 excitement ; while some skinned and cut up the car- 
 casses, others drove the laden sleighs back to the older 
 yucn, and the women and children, whose duty it was 
 
 D 
 
 S 
 
50 
 
 THE YOUNG UAXCHMEN. 
 
 to ciil llic llc'sli into thill .stiii)s and dry it on stages 
 erected over liirt>e tires. Sonic of the meat received 
 no further preparation, hut the greater portion was 
 afterwards made into pemmican, as hefore described. 
 Eventually Harry jn-esented his sister Coiniie with the 
 beautiful skin, or robe, as it is called, of the line bull 
 he had killed. 
 
CHArTEE VI. 
 
 "THE TIIKESHOLD OF THE ROCKIEf^. 
 
 "What i^^rand cliffs!" cried Connie, a few days after- 
 wards, with an exclamation of deliLi;ht. 
 
 " Yes," said Harry, who was riding near her just 
 then ; " are they not exactly like fortifications, old 
 castles, and lofty turrets ? " 
 
 "Exactly. I wonder what they call them; such 
 bold, high clilfs must surely have a name." 
 
 "I sliould think so, indeed. I will ride on to the 
 front and make in(|uiries," said Harry, as he gave* 
 Chieftain his head and cantered forward to wliere his 
 father was conversing willi Sanson and Indian I>ill. 
 
 Left U) lierself, the girl sat ([uite still on her 
 favourite seat in tlie front of tlie wauuon. As .she 
 ga/AMl on llie wild and ])ietures([ue scene l)cfore her, 
 she wondered how such curious freaks of nature coultl 
 have been brought about, and whether llicre were anv- 
 wliere in the annals of mank' a record of these 
 crag.s. She was not destined to be disappoinicii. 
 
52 
 
 THE YOVJNG RANCHMEN'. 
 
 Wlh^n Harry returned lie was accompanied by liis 
 ,t'iitlier, who had come to tell his daughter all that he 
 knew or had been able to learn about them from tlie 
 trappers. 
 
 Major Weston drew his horse close alongside the 
 waggon as he said, " Harry tells me you wish to know 
 the name of these extraordinary clii'f's." 
 
 " I do, indeed," replied Connie. " I feel sure they 
 have a history, and I should not be surprised to hear 
 that you have read about them in one or other of 
 your American books of travel." 
 
 " You are right, my dear, for Sanson tells me they 
 are called ' Scott's lUuffs,' and, curiously enough, T was 
 reading about them only the other day." 
 
 " (^h, how fortunate ! — in Willis's Anrcdotis / " 
 
 ■' Xo, they do not relate to tlie country so far west 
 as this. It was in Washington Irviug's Advent urrs 
 of Captain B(nincville. The story is, moreover, a 
 very sad one." 
 
 " Oh, dear ! but you will tell it to me ?" 
 
 '■ Certainly. And you must remember, dear child, 
 that sadness and iov alternate in this life like rain- 
 clouds and sunshine, and the one is no L'ss beneficial 
 than the other, in its right time and place." 
 
 Connie remained silent ; and after a brief pause, in 
 which her father's thoughts were (nidently carried 
 back to some fond reniembrance of tlie past, the story 
 was begun, 
 
of 
 
 •'THE THRESHOLD OV TttE tlOCKIES. 
 
 it 
 
 ^•3 
 
 " It seems," said Major Weston, " that many years 
 iij^o a party of luniters were descending the npper i)ait, 
 of tlie liiver I'latte in canoes, when their frail vessels 
 were suddenly swamped. Their ammunition was all 
 spoilt, and they were consequently unable to kill game 
 for food. In these straits they contrived to live on 
 su(.'li edible roots and wild fruits as they could find 
 until they arrived at Laramie's Fork, a small allluent 
 of the north branch of the Nebraska, about sixty 
 miles idjove these cliffs. Here one of the unfortunate 
 men was taken seriously ill and was unal)le to i)ro- 
 ceed any further. His companions, therefore, came 
 to a halt, intending to remain where they were until 
 he had recovered. When out searching for roots, 
 however, they came across the fresh trail of another 
 pa^'ty of white ^nen, and the temptation to abandon 
 their helpless companion, and l)y a forced march seek 
 to overtake this party, proved too great for them to 
 resist." 
 
 " {Surely they did not leave him alone to die ! " 
 cried Connie, with emotion. " Thev could not be 
 so heartless as to desert a comrade in his hour of 
 need." 
 
 " If they did, they were cowards and scoundrels," 
 exclaimed Harry, very emphatically. 
 
 " J)oubthss they thought if they remained with him 
 they might all lose their lives," said the ]\Iajor ; " but 
 what will you think of them when I tell you that, 
 
I i 
 
 54 
 
 THt: YOUN^G tlANCHMEK. 
 
 wliuii they had succeeded in overtaking the party of 
 wliitc men, they actually concealed their faithless 
 desertion of Scott, and said that he had died of 
 (h'sejise ? " 
 
 "()h! father; what wretches! Surely they would 
 afterwards suffer agonies of remorse wlien tliey re- 
 iiiemhered wlint they liad done." 
 
 " I only liope tliey did," cried Harry, " and tliat tlie 
 ]M>or fellow's ghost liaunted them all the rest of tlieir 
 lives, tlie hrutes !" 
 
 " Gently, Harry ; remember that the only perfect 
 Miui has said, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' 
 However," continued the i\Iajor, after a sliort pause, 
 " these misguided men must have felt some remorse 
 when, on returning the following sununer in company 
 witli others, tliey chanced suddenly upon the Ideached 
 bones of a human skeleton, which, by certain unmis- 
 takable signs, they recognised as Scott's. This was 
 fully sixty miles from tlie place where they had 
 deserted him, and they knew that the unluippy man 
 must have dragged himself that innnense distance 
 before death ^ut an end to his sutlerinu,s." 
 
 " How very sad ! " said Connie, her blue eyes dim 
 with tears ; '" and he had not even the poor consolation 
 of knowing that henceforth these clilt's would bear his 
 name and form his imperishable monument. "With 
 what despair he nuist have looked u]> at their niassi\e 
 proportions ami towering crests ! " 
 
"THE THRESHOLD OF THE llOCKIES.'* 
 
 55 
 
 
 "Let us hope that he looked still higher to the 
 help that never fails," said her fath !r. 
 
 Each absorbed in their own thoughts, the travellers 
 journeyed for some distance in silence. This was at last 
 broken by an exclamation from I lariy, who, pointing in 
 the direction of tlie river, unslung his riHe, and giving 
 the rein to his horse, started away at a brisk trot. 
 
 "Wliat's in the wind now, T wonder?" observed 
 the Major, as lie watched his son disappear round a 
 ckunp of alders in some low-lying ground to the right. 
 
 " Why, see ! " exclaimed llobert ; " there they go." 
 
 And as the man spoke a small herd of deer 
 emerged, with leaps and bounds, from the oi)posite 
 side of the covert. At the same moment came the 
 report of a riHe, jmd one of the graceful creatures 
 sprang high into the air and then fell motionless upon 
 the ground. 
 
 " Bravo ! " 
 
 " Well done ! " 
 
 Such were the exclamations of Major Weston and 
 liis servant liobert, as they witnessed the skill of the 
 young sportsman. " A capital shot, upon my word," 
 continued the former, while a proud look shone for 
 a moment in his keen grey eyes. " Depend upon it, 
 that Lid 's a born luinter." 
 
 The deer proved to l)e one of the black-tail(Ml 
 species, a very tine variety, which abounds in that 
 particular neighbuurhood. Subsequently both Frank 
 
 I 
 I 
 
56 
 
 TUE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 and Harry shot a considerable lunnber of lliuni, and 
 their flesh proved a most welcome addition to the 
 daily bill of fare. 
 
 Having now entered upon the peculiar territory 
 of the restless and predatory Sioux, however, the 
 emigrants were obliged to proceed with caution, 
 particularly as the nature of the ground wr's so very 
 favourable for the purposes of the Indians' favourite 
 mode of warfare, an ambuscade. 
 
 The scouts were doubled, and made to beat up the 
 country both in advance and on either side of the 
 train, exploring every nook and hollow, clump and 
 ravine, which could harbour a lurking band of red- 
 skins. But, with the exception of one or two false 
 alarms, all went well until one of the outermost spurs 
 of the liocky Mountains was reached. 
 
 The travellers had encamped on a grassy strip of 
 land bordering the Laramie jork, a branch of the 
 Platte lijver. It was somewhat early in the evening 
 to form their camp, but the pasturage being unusually 
 good at this spot, it was decided to halt, so that the 
 horses and other animals might have the benefit of a 
 good feed before entering on the hardships which they 
 would necessarily have to encounter in crossing the 
 rough and elevated region of the Medicine Bow 
 Mountains and Bridger's Pass. As the next day 
 happened to be Sunday, the poor creatures would be 
 able to make the most of the luscious pasture. 
 
"THE THHESHOLI) OF THE ROCKIES. 
 
 87 
 
 V 
 
 t 
 
 A lovely evening succeeded tlie somewhat liot and 
 sultry day, and as soon as the usual liglit repast was 
 finished, Frank and Harry asked their fatlier's ]iei- 
 mission to get out for a couple of liours' sliooting 
 among the neighboiu'ing rocks. Tiiey liad observed 
 several mountain sheep, or bighorns, as they are 
 called, nimbly springing from rock to rock, or croj)- 
 ping the tufts of scanty herbag(! wliich grew here and 
 there amongst the stones and jutting crags of their 
 lofty and almost inaccessible feeding-grounds. 
 
 "And may not T accompany them, dear father?" 
 pleaded Connie. " It is so long since I had a good 
 scramble, and tills is such an invitinu; evening for one. 
 But I forgot," continued the girl, with a sliglit toucli 
 of sadness in her tones, " I should l^e a drag on my 
 brothers' movements, and " 
 
 "Oh, no, you would not; we should bo delighted 
 to have your company — indeed we should," broke in 
 both boys simultaneously. 
 
 As Connie was about to thank her brothers for 
 their kind observations, Major Weston remarked that 
 lie had no objection to her going with them, provided 
 that they did not wander far away from the camp, as 
 they had not met with any signs tluit Indians were in 
 tlie neighbourhood. At tlie same time lie cautioned 
 his sons to observe tlie utmost vigilance and circum- 
 spection, and on the slightest symptom of danger 
 to return at once to the encampment. The young 
 
58 
 
 THE YOUNG UANCIIMEN. 
 
 ])coplG were soon equipped for tlie elmse, and, takin,*,' 
 llobert willi them, set out for some bold cliffs about a 
 mile off'. Here tliey liopcd to meet with some of the 
 beautiful and active creatures called bighorns. This 
 animal is often confounded with another inhabitant of 
 the Kooky ^fountains, the (h-in nuniffout, or mountain 
 sheep, which is not so gregarious in its habits, more 
 ibau two or three being seldom found togetlier. 
 
 With the exception that botli tliese curious animals 
 Ijave lieads like the common sheep, and ])iefer U) seek 
 their food, and indeed to pass tlieir lives, amidst 
 the most ruggcnl and inaccessible cliil's, except when 
 the snows of winter oblige them to descend into 
 the valley for grass, there is little resendjlance between 
 them. The bighorn is altogether a liner animal, witn 
 the hair and body of a deer rather than of a 
 sheep, and its flesh is said to be particularly fine; 
 and delicate in ilfivour. The liorns frequently 
 measure over three feet in length and twelve or 
 fourteen inches in circumference where they emerge 
 from the head. The mountain sheep, on the other 
 hand, is shorter in the kg, and is clothed with a 
 combination of long coarse hair, overlying a thick coat 
 or fleece of short fine wool, the former admirably 
 suited for throwing off wet, tl;e latter for sustaining 
 the animal heat. Some naturalists arc of opmion that 
 this animal is derived from the Argali of Asia, 
 found in the Himalayas and the elevated plains 
 
"THE THUESHOLD OF THE ROCKIES." 
 
 59 
 
 running vvcstwurd to tho Caucasus, and cast and 
 north to Kamscliatka and the sea, and tliat it 
 crossed tho ice at IJehring's Straits. The bighorn 
 answers more to llie description of the Ovifi traydaphn^i, 
 or bearded Argali ; in size and figure bearing a 
 considerable resemblance to the deer tril>e. It 
 frequents the inland steppes of Barbary, and the 
 mountains of Egypt, but, curious to relate, it is 
 the liocky Mountain sheej), and not the bighorn, 
 which in America possesses the goatlike appendage 
 of a beard. 
 
 " Whist ! I see .something moving on tlie edge 
 of tliat frightful precipice," whispered Frank, as they 
 approached the foot of the clifl's. 
 
 " AVhere ? " inquired his sister excitedly. 
 
 "Just above that solitary bush, which seems to be 
 growing out of the solid rock there," answered Frank. 
 
 " Oh ! I see it," exclaimed a chorus of voices, in 
 a rather loud sort of stage whisper. 
 
 " Hush ! not so luud, please. Ah ! lie raises his 
 head ; he has heard us, I fear." 
 
 " Wl»at a noble fellow lie is ! " said Connie. " How 
 I should like to sketch liim in that very etlective 
 attitude ! lUit I fear he would not wait long enough 
 for me to do so. See, he is stamping his foot to warn 
 liis family and friends, I suppose, that there is danger 
 about. What magnificent liorns he has ! I wonder 
 their weight does not make him afraid of over- 
 
60 
 
 THE YOUN(J UAN'CHMKN*. 
 
 l)alan('iii,L,' liinisdf, peiaiii'^f down ut lis in iluil nmnnur 
 rii^'lit over a sliccr ])r('ci])i('('." 
 
 "All! tluii'c lie <,'(K'.s ! What a wonder lie does not 
 break liis neek, .sprin<,nn;^' in tuat reekless manner from 
 rock to rock ! " said Frank. 
 
 "Why did you not liave a slioL at him, sir?" 
 queried Robert. 
 
 « li 
 
 Because, my dear fellow, I should i)refer one of 
 the youn^i^er members of liis tribe," answered Frank, 
 laughini,^. 
 
 " Yes, I should think that would l)e the venerable 
 leader of thi; iloek, judginj^' by his innnense horns and 
 ,Lfeneral appearance," observed Harry thoughtfully. 
 
 " I thiidv, Connie; dear, if you don't mind, it would 
 be better for vou to remain here, while Harrr and 
 1 try to stalk one of these bighorns ; the rocks are 
 too steep and diilicult for you to be able to keep 
 up with us, and Ifobert cjin stay with you until 
 our return." 
 
 " Oh ! certainly," replied Connie ; " I would ratlnn* 
 rest here a little. I fancy T shall be al)le to secure 
 some pretty and rare specimens for my botanical 
 album. There seems to be a great variety of beautiful 
 llowers in the nooks and crannies of these rocky dells, 
 and Eobert can mount guard on that pulpit-shaped 
 rock and enlarge on the wonders of Central .\orth 
 America, or, by a stretch of the imagination, fancy he 
 is back in the Crimea, and that the clifis above 
 

 " THE 
 
 THIJESIIOIJ) 
 
 OF 
 
 THE 
 
 HOrKIEs 
 
 u 
 
 1 
 
 (51 
 
 hiiu nr 
 
 (' the 
 
 slubbfU'U 
 
 w 
 
 'all.> 
 
 and buttk 
 
 ment 
 
 s of 
 
 Seluisto; 
 
 1 " 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 "I'll 
 
 mount 
 
 tlic rock, 
 
 M 
 
 iss, 
 
 and 
 
 welcome,' 
 
 sai 
 
 1 the 
 
 wDrtliy 
 
 IJolK-rt 
 
 ; "but { 
 
 IS 
 
 tor 
 
 the 
 
 rest, it 
 
 will 
 
 take 
 
 mc all my time to keep a good look-out for prowlin.u; 
 Indians. It seems to mo such gentry as them are iv.n 
 times more crafty and danuerous enemies than eyen 
 the cunning llussians used to be." 
 
 A merry laugh from Connie and a " Piravo, Kol)ert ! " 
 from Harry was the only reply that reached the 
 soldier-seryant as he clambered U) the top of the 
 rock which was to serye as a temporary watch-tower. 
 
 Ere he reached the sunnnit the young hunters were 
 speeding away towards the neighbouring highlands, 
 and he watched them until they disappeared behind a 
 shoulder (»f the nearest clitTs. 
 
CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 rAUinEl) OFF liY 1{ED-SKINS. 
 
 An }iour had passed, and Connio was Ijeginiiint,' to 
 wish her brothers wouUl return, when a slirill but 
 (h'stant whistle, which she immediately reco,L,mised as 
 Frank's, eaui^dit lier ear. 
 
 "What is the meanin*; of that, T wonder T' slio 
 said somewhat anxiously to llobert. 
 
 " Oh," riiplied the man, deseendin*;- (luickly from his 
 elevated j)osition as he spoke, "tliat is for me. Master 
 Frank told me that if they shot one of those big- 
 liorned i^oats that they were goinu; after, and required 
 help to gi't it down to the bottom of the rocks, he 
 wouhl l)low a lon^' shrill blast on his whistle, like 
 that we have just heard." 
 
 "Then 1 shall be left here alone :*" said the ,L»irb in 
 tones of alarm. 
 
 " Well, Miss, if you are anyways frightened, of course 
 1 will not leave you." 
 
 " (Jh no; you must certainly go and help my 1 mothers; 
 
CARRIED OFF HY REU-SKINS. 
 
 63 
 
 it was foolisli of uw, to be afraid when thcro is really 
 no danj^er," she replied, half ashamed of her momentary 
 weakness. " I know you will hasten haek as (^uiekly 
 as you can, and in tlu; meantime T will make a rou^di 
 sketch of that curious turret-like rock which you have 
 just vacated." 
 
 " Then you are ([uite sure, ^liss, you don't mind 
 my leaving,' you for half an hour or so ^." 
 
 "Not the least, liol)ert; now j^^o, and get hack as 
 soon as you can, that's a good fellow." 
 
 The next moment Connie found herself alone, and 
 her heart sank within her as she glanced round at the 
 desolate as])ect of the i)lace. She half repented of 
 her boldness in allowing the servant to depart, and 
 even ran lo the top of one of the numerous little 
 hillocks, with the intention of calling him back, but 
 changed her mind when she saw him already nearly 
 half-way to the cliffs ; and persuading herself that 
 her fears were groundless, she sat down upon the 
 grassy slope. Then she took out her pocket-book and 
 began to sketch the bold outline of the distant moun- 
 tains, with the nearer beetling crags and high blull's, 
 and, as a foreground, the l)old i)ul[)it-lik(^ i-ock already 
 described. At first she kei)t looking u}) from her 
 work, and casting timid glances in every direction to 
 make sure that no savage animal, biped or quadrup(;d, 
 was near. Presently, howev(ir, as her mind became 
 absorbed i]; her drawing, tlie uneasy feeling gradually 
 
64 
 
 THE YOITNfJ RANCHMEN. 
 
 wore away, and with it hur vi^^ilaiice, until even the 
 rasping noise made l)y a ground-squirrel as it worked 
 away with its sliarp teeth at tlie shell of a hickory 
 nut close behind her, or the loud wliirr of a cuvey of 
 (juails, as they rose from a neighbouring tliicket of 
 low ])ushes, failed to startle her, or to cause even a 
 careless look in the direction whence the sound pro- 
 ceeded. 
 
 All at once the girl sprang to her feet with a 
 startled cry. A dark shadow had fallen across her 
 j)aper, and, looking round, she saw with horror the 
 painted and bedizened ligure of a stalwart young 
 Indian standing close at hand, with Ids keen black 
 eyes intently fixed upon her. 
 
 " Ugh! my fair sister is like an antelope surprised 
 by the hunters :— but why does slie wander so f;ir hoin 
 the lodges of her friends ^ Is she ignorant that 
 these i)lains and mountains are the hunting-grounds 
 of the white man's foes, tli", In'ave Sioux 1 " 
 
 Connie's first imi)ulse had been to seek safety in 
 flight, l)ut when slie heard herself addressed in such 
 respect" '!>le Englisli tlie thought Hashed across her 
 mind that, after all, the savage miglit not have any 
 liad intentions towjirds her. She rellected that it 
 would have been easy for liim to have killed or seized 
 her at onee had he so desired, and in any case it woulil 
 be absurd for her to attempt to outrun an Indian. 
 Jjesides, he seemed to l»e alone, and might she not 
 
Slie siiw willi liunor tln' it.iiiitctl ;iml iKMli/cncd limiio of ;i 
 4iil\viut yuniij; Iiitli.ui. 
 
• 
 
rARRIED OFF BY RED-SKINS. 
 
 65 
 
 adroitly engage him in conversation until her brothers 
 or Kobert returned ? Surely it must already be time 
 tor them to be making their appearance. Acting on 
 tliis conce])tion, she said to tlie young chief, for such 
 he evidently was — " My red brother certainly alarmed 
 me ; his step was so light that I knew not of his 
 approach until his shadow darkened the leaves of my 
 .sketch-book ; but in spite of his dark words, I trust 
 the Sioux chief comes as a friend ; and I heartily 
 invite him to accompany me and my companions — for 
 I am not alone, at least only for a very short time 
 — to our encampment yonder. My friends will wel- 
 come a sachem of tlie famous Sioux, and the i)ii)e of 
 peace shall go round, and love and friendship prevail, 
 as it ought always to do, between the white and red 
 man." 
 
 " IMy sister has a nimble tongue, antl her words 
 sound very fair, Init there can be no peace between 
 her people and mine when the pale-faces invade our 
 hunting-grounds, and kill and drive away the l^ull'alo 
 and antelopes without even seeking leave. Ugh ! the 
 long-knives treat the rea men like dogs." 
 
 The Indian's eyes Hashed, and a vindictive 
 expression stole across his swarthy countenance as 
 he continued — " but Teconsa shall have his revenue. 
 Ah ! ah ! he will take the I'olden-haired dau<^hter 
 of the pale-face leader in payment of this trespass 
 on his lands. Come, my pretty one, you nnist follow 
 
 V^ 
 
66 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 m < 
 
 me. Quick, now ; you shall be my wife, the wife 
 of tlie chief Teconsa. Wliat, you refuse ? ah ! then, I 
 must use force." 
 
 So sayiug, he stretched out his hand to lay hold of 
 the girl, but at that moment he was seized in the 
 grasp of a gigantic young emigrant, named Ifigby, who 
 had crept up unperceived by the Indian, so absorbed 
 was the latter in his project of carrying of}' the lovely 
 maiden. 
 
 Ethan lligby was the only son of a well-to-do 
 farmer of Madisonville, Kentucky, who, being of a 
 restless and enterprising nature, had sold his 
 possessions and tlirown in his lot with the emigrants. 
 Ethan had received a fair education, and was in every 
 way superior to the general run of American pioneers, 
 who, though often good honest fellows, are, as a rule, 
 somewhat uneducated and rude of speech and manneis. 
 This young emigrant hail fallen desperately in love 
 with the fascinating Miss Weston almost from his 
 first sight of her, and although naturally rather 
 shy, he never lost an opportunity of paying her 
 such attentions as he could, or doing her any service 
 which ci: cumstances might reipiire. It was impossible 
 for the object of all this devotion to remain un- 
 conscious of the true state of affairs. But unable 
 as she was to reciprocate his attachment, (Jonnie 
 Weston found Ethan's attentions most embarrassing, 
 and being desirous not to cause suclj a good and 
 
 nM!W*]Ul'^^ft. 
 
CARRIED OFF BY RED-SKINS. 
 
 67 
 
 manly fellow any nnnecessary pain, she studiously 
 refrained from giving him any encouragement. She 
 therefore let it be seen in numberless ways that she 
 regarded him with no warmer vsentiments than those 
 of friendshij) and respect. Ethan, indeed, perceived 
 this i)lainly enough, but being of a sanguine tempera- 
 ment, he did not despair. 
 
 " I iijill make her love me," he would say to 
 liimself ; " she nmst love me, or life will not be worth 
 living. If I cannot win her, then 1 should like to 
 die for her, and show her how great and true my 
 devotion really is." 
 
 Poor young Kigby I he seemed to iiave a presenti- 
 ment even then that one (jr other was to be his fate. 
 
 On the present occasion he had noticed Miss 
 Weston leave the camp in company with lu;r two 
 brothers and che servant Itobert, and being well 
 aware of the dangerous neighbourhood in which they 
 were encamped, he shouldered his ritlo and followed 
 some distance in the rear of the party, determined not 
 to l)e too far oil' if anything wrong should befall the 
 light of his eyes, as he delighted to call Constance. 
 
 After liobert had left his conspicuous post of 
 observation in answer to Frank's whistle, young 
 Iiigby had dra\/n nearer to the spot occupied by 
 Miss Weston. As he lay, screened from observation 
 by some low wormwood bushes, he fiad perceived the 
 stealthy approach of the Sioux chief. (Irasping his 
 
68 
 
 THE YOTTXr; IIANCHMEX. 
 
 II 
 
 rille, lie took stciuly aim at tlio Indian, witli tlie 
 intention of firiiiu; if tlie latter i-liowed the slightest 
 (Iispositi('iJ to injure the uirl. He soon found, 
 however, that such was not the design of the savage, 
 and at once decided upon taking him prisoner instead 
 of shooting h^n. 
 
 Like all truly brave men, the young emigrant 
 shrank from shedding the hlood of a fellow-creature, 
 except at the last extremity and when no milder 
 measure! would suiHce. Accordingly he laid down his 
 trusty rille, and taking juI vantage of whatever cover 
 the nature of the ground afforded him, stole ([uietly up 
 behind the Sioux brave, much in the same way as the 
 latter had stolen \\[) behind Miss Weston. The 
 man(ruvre, as we have seen, was so far perfectly 
 successful, owing, in some measure no doubt, to the 
 preoccupied state of th.e Indian, who was quite 
 absorbed in the endeavour to possess himself of the 
 lovelv white «nrl. 
 
 Connie gave exi)ression to the glad sense of relief 
 she felt at this timely sense of deliverance by a few 
 heartfelt words of gratitude to her deliverer. Then 
 she sprang to the top of an adjacent boulder to see if 
 there were no signs of her absent brethren and Kobert. 
 An exclamation of intense delight escaped her lips as 
 she beheld three distant ligures emerge from behind 
 the shoulder of rock previously referred to, and com- 
 mence to cross the intervening stretch of level ground. 
 
 . 
 
CAUIIIED OFF BY REFKSKINS. 
 
 69 
 
 Til an instunt her liaiulkercliicf was waviiif,' at arm's 
 Icn^'tli al)ovc her head, and in a few moments the 
 si^nial was answered by lier approachin;^ friends. Tliis 
 little incident did not est'ai)e the quick eye of the 
 captured Indian, who immediately ceased liis fruitless 
 strugi,des to free himself from the powerful grasp of 
 his huge captor, and suddenly imitated the sharp bark 
 of a prairie dog three times. 
 
 The effect was magical. In less time than it takes 
 to write it, a score or two of Sioux warriors suddenly 
 emerged from the shady bosom of a leafy little dell 
 not fifty yards away. It was as if the ground hail 
 quietly ()[)ened and discharged the mothiy band of 
 decked and painted red-sknis. There was a hurried 
 rush, and the next moment Itigby, who, on perceiving 
 how matters stood, had released his prisoner in order 
 to defend himself if possible from this fresh danger, 
 was surrounded by the tierce mob of excited savages, 
 who, with knives and tomahawks brandished aloft, 
 only awaited a signal from their chief to hack the 
 unfortunate young man in pieces. Surprised as he 
 was at the desperate situation in which he so rapidly 
 found himself placed, and almost unarmed, having only 
 a small hunting-knife, the young Kentuckian betrayed 
 no sign of fear. Placing his back against the large 
 boulder up which Connie had scrambled, and drawing 
 his tiny weapon, he stood like a lion at bay. 
 
 Terrible as the situation v/as, Connie could not help 
 
 It,' 
 
 II' 
 If' 1 
 
 it 
 
^0 
 
 THE YOUNG UANCIIMEN. 
 
 thinking' what a fine subject lie would iiitikc in that 
 detiiuil attitude for a clever artist. Tlie splendid 
 physiiiue, the Hashing eye, the feet tinidy planted, the 
 l»road exi)ande(l chest, and the tinely-shaped head 
 thrown proudly back, displaying the swcdling muscles 
 of his massive yet iinely-i)roportioned neck — this, 
 together with the wild a; d threatening group of 
 sjivigo figures tbut cm '^'Uj. ;.3.jcu him, all combined to 
 form a scene at once gjiid did terrible. In calmer 
 moments it always suggested lu Connie's mind the 
 image of some ancient gladiator standing in the arnia 
 of a (rreek or Koman ampliitheatre, and prepared to 
 battle for his life against the fierce and hungry wild 
 beasts already loosed upon him. 
 
 For a few brief moments a deathlike and ominous 
 silence prevailed as the chief contemplated his noble 
 enemy with a look of mingled auger and admira- 
 tion. Then he motioned to his warriors to stand 
 back, and advancing towarjls Kigbv addressed him as 
 follows : — 
 
 " The big pale-face i>j - cry brave, he does not know 
 fear, liis heart is large ; but he cannot tight all my 
 men at once and hope to live. Let him throw awjly 
 his knife and become my prisoner ; he shall not be 
 hurt. Teconsa has spoken." 
 
 " Never !" cried liigby ; " I will never be taken alivii 
 or abandon this helpless lady to your tender mercies 
 while I have strength to defend her!" 
 
CAUniED OFF liY RED-SKTNS. 
 
 71 
 
 " Bui Lliu odds are too grt'ut," ])leii<li'd (.'oniiie, who 
 was anxious to suv(i lier i^ndlaiit ('liani[)ion'« liTe. " I 
 beg you will ihnnv down youv knife and suhniit to I'C 
 bound ; it is the. only cliaiicu fur boih of us. ]>esi(U's. 
 1.. 1]) is near," slu^ v liispered. 
 
 " 1 nijl a,y down my bowie-knife since it is your 
 wish," said the young man, suiting the action to tlie 
 words, " and with it perchance my only hojje of 
 making a successful resistance, for, as I said before, I 
 will never surrender to a red-skin, to be tortii;t'(! uid 
 made the sport of all the fiendish tribe. 'N;. [ will 
 put no faith in an Indian's promise. »Vu '»': your 
 hell-hounds, cowardly chief! AVhat odds "♦:' 1 do lo.se 
 my life," he added bitterly, "since it is of iitJe value 
 to those for whom alone I would care to retain it, and 
 consequently only a burden to myself 'f 
 
 At this point one of the Indians rushed up to his 
 chief and whispered something in his ear — no dcjubt to 
 the effect that the young hunters and their attendant 
 were approaching the spot, for he inunediately ordered 
 half of his men to lay aside their arms and secure the 
 now defenceless Kentuckian, while the rest brought 
 up the horses which had been secreted in tlie hollow 
 dell or ravine. The latter party fpiickly performed 
 their allotted task, but their comrades were less fortu- 
 nate. They rushed upon their solitary intagonist with 
 the confidence begotten of overwhelming numbers, but 
 only to be dashed aside, or hurled back again like some 
 
72 
 
 THE YOITNfi UANrnMEX. 
 
 inij^'lity wave wlicn it bruiiks ai^^aiiist a stu])lK)ni nuk. 
 Once, twice, and yet a tliird time did lli^diy cjist lliem 
 otl'; and then a fallen Indian sei/.ed his lei^'s and 
 elnng ti;4htly round tlieni, which so ini])eded and 
 elo<^%'ed Ins ellorts lliat at the next onset lie was 
 home to the eartli, hrini^dn^ down three or four of the 
 savages with him. 
 
 Meantimci Teconsa had seized (Jonnie, and, assisttMl 
 hy one of his warriors, had placed her before him on 
 his horse and ^galloped oil*. He was (juickly followed 
 hy the remaininif Indians, wilh the exception of two 
 unfortunate wretches. These were luiahle to extricate 
 themselves from beneath the stalwart frame of their 
 desperate adversary, who lay with one under each 
 arm, thus et'lectually pinning them to the ground. 
 
 •tmmmimmmtmtmim 
 

 CHA1>TE1I VIII. 
 
 THE PUKSUIT. 
 
 Scarcely Ii.ad the Hyiii*; IiuUiiiis disappeared when 
 the two y()Uii»4 Westous and Kubert ruslied breatli- 
 hsnly up the littl(! mound, and, astonished beyond 
 measure l)y tlie siiL,dit which met their eyes, stared 
 wildly around, hidf expectini^^ to be immediately set 
 upon by a host of lurking savai^es. As they drew 
 near th(^ place where their sister was to have awaited 
 their return, they heard sounds as of horses' hoofs and 
 struggling men, and, almost beside themselves with 
 the wildest apprehensions of what might have befallen 
 her, they rushed madly forward. Had the Indians 
 remained in ambush they could easily have killed or 
 overpowered so rash a party. Older and more ex- 
 perienced travellers or hunters in these dangerous 
 solitudes would, in the same circumstances, have 
 approached with the utmost caution and circumspec- 
 tion ; but the suspense of the returning hunters was 
 so terribly keen as to cause them to forget everything 
 
74 
 
 THE VOTING UANCIIMKN. 
 
 except llu'ir loved one's inessiii^' (liinm'r. Frank 
 was the lirst to reco^niise their travelliiii^ companion, 
 Kthan lii;^)))', in the hu^^'e })rostrate li;^nire that held a 
 wri^f^liii^' Indian Ijenealh each arm. 
 
 " What has hai)pened ? Tell me at once !" cried 
 the excited lad. 
 
 " Secure these .i^n-easy scoundrels first with some of 
 that cord you carry, and then I will help you to track 
 the other thieves, and release Miss Weston," was the 
 l)rompt rei)ly, as promptly acted upon. 
 
 " Now these ro,L;ues are safely bound, hack to hack, 
 and heel to heel — follow me," (3xclaimed tiie young 
 Kentuckian, striding rapidly forward on the track of 
 the vanished war-i)arty. 
 
 For some time they pressed forward in silence. 
 The trail was plain and easy to follow until they 
 began to come near the pass that led towards the 
 heart of the wild and lofty mountains. It then began 
 to grow less distinct at every step, owing to the harder 
 nature of the ground and the approach of darkness — 
 for the sun had long since set. At last even Kigby 
 was obliged to confess that he was uncertain whether 
 the whole of the party had taken the route they were 
 then pursuing, or whether they had divided, and half 
 of them gone in another direction in order to balUe 
 their pursuers. 
 
 " It strikes mc," said Kobert, " that it would have 
 been wiser to have made the best of our way buck to- 
 
 / 
 
THE PrUSUIT. 
 
 75 
 
 ^ 
 
 cnmp and procuriMl (issistaiK-e ; we could tlicn liavo^ot 
 toi^'etlior fi stroni; i»irty of wiiU-niountt'd volimtt'i'rs, 
 and follo\v('(l thoso crafty red nicii with some cliance 
 of success." 
 
 "That's what T 'vo been thinking' for tlie last half- 
 hour," said lii,L,d)y, " but I could not nuister sullicicnt 
 courage to say it, for I am sure these younj^ gentle- 
 men would, like myself, have preferred at all hazards 
 to attempt the rescue of their sisti'r, rather than 
 return without her. Wluit will tlie Conunandant 
 think of us when we relate the horrid slory? Jle 
 will say, and justly too, not knowing tlu; wIkjU; of tlie 
 circumstances — * Cowards, why did you not save my 
 daughter, or perish in the attempt ?' " 
 
 "And the worst of it is," said Frank, "wo — or 
 rather I — disobeyed my fither's instructions, for he 
 particularly enjoined the utmost carefulness and 
 circumspection, and I am most fearfully and inex- 
 cusably to blame for leaving my sister without any 
 protection." 
 
 " Jiut everything seemed so calm and peace fid, and 
 we all thought there was not the least risk in leaving 
 
 Connie for a short time, but I wish " and liere poor 
 
 Harry brok'' down and wept disconsolately at the 
 thought of u^e fearful calamity that had befaUen 
 them. 
 
 " Let us make at once for the camp," said Frank : 
 " I should be worse than a coward if I allowed aiiv 
 
76 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 { 
 
 considerations of personal censure to interfere with 
 my doing all that can be done to retrieve my error ; 
 and I feel certain that the plan proposed by Kobert is 
 the only one that offers the least chance of success. 
 It is sheer madness to expect to overtake and defeat 
 the Sioux wlien we are on foot, while they are well 
 mounted and acquainted with all the intricacies of the 
 rugged mountain region before us." 
 
 " Hist : " said Kigby sharply, throwing himself 
 down and placing his ear to the ground. " Yes," he 
 continued, " T was not mistaken ; there is a mounted 
 party approaching at a canter — Sioux in search of us, 
 I'll be l)ound. Follow me up these rocks, where no 
 liorseman can reach us, and where we shall Ije able to 
 conmiand the pass. Quick, now, or we shall be too 
 late ! " 
 
 After a brief but somewhat hazardous scramble 
 they all four reached a kind of natural gallery wliich 
 overlooked the entrance of the narrow defile through 
 which the cavalcade was rapidly advancing towards 
 tliem. liigby directed his companions to take up 
 their positions under cover of some detached masses 
 of rock which had lodged on the gallery in their 
 descent from the clifis above, and then he cautioned 
 them to examine their rifles, to see that all were riglit 
 and fit for service after their rough and hurried 
 scramble. 
 
 The moon, which was only in its first quarter, had 
 
 . 
 
THE PURSUIT. 
 
 77 
 
 
 now risen, .and cast a weird and uncertain liglit upon 
 the wild and desolate spot, brilliantly illuminating the 
 l»old masses of grey rock where its rays fell directly 
 upon them, and throwing the densest sliaduws vvliere 
 such was not tlie case. 
 
 For a few seconds the silence was only broken by 
 the sharp clatter of the horses' hoofs on the hard and 
 stony ground ; but as the troop began to emerge from 
 the deep gloom of the narrow pass, Itigby, confident 
 that his surmise was correct, and that they would 
 turn out to be the same party of Indians tl.at liad 
 carried oil Aliss Weston, whispered to the young 
 Westons to take steady aim at the first two horsemen, 
 while he and Lazenby made sure of the next two. 
 
 " It won't do," he continued warningly, " to throw 
 away a single sliot. Let no one fire until I give the 
 woid. Steady now ; here they come ! " 
 
 The riders had checked their steeds and were ap- 
 proaching at a walking pace. The moonlight fell full 
 upon the four wlio were a little in advance of the rest, 
 and from their garb and accoutrements, and the fan- 
 tastic trappings of the horses, l)oth Frank and Harry, 
 who were posted beliind tlie same rock, were convinced 
 they were the hated Sioux, so, witli their fingers on 
 the triggers of their rifies, they Ijreathlessly awaited 
 the word to fire. 
 
 " Now," said Kobert, in a hoarse whisper, " had we 
 not better fire before they pass beneath us ? " 
 
 at 
 
 m 
 
78 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 But his compjinion, wlio was stariiii^ fixedly forward, 
 suddenly threw up the levelled barrel and shouted 
 out, " Hold ! they are friends, or at least white men ; 
 and yonder is IMiss Weston herself, or my sight cruelly 
 deceives me." 
 
 " Hurrah ! what joy ! " exclaimed Harry, " Connie, 
 dear Connie, is it indeed you ? Speak and relieve 
 our anxiety, for we are almost dist ''acted on your 
 account." 
 
 " Yes, it is Conrie," replied the sweet and well- 
 known voice," and I am well and unhiirmed, thanks 
 to most providentially meeting with these brave kind 
 friends." 
 
 " Thank God ! " said Frank fervently. 
 
 "Amen!" responded Ji(jbert and the young Ken- 
 tuckian. 
 
 Connie's escape had indeed been marvellous. On 
 reaching the mountains, the Indians had divided into 
 two bands, as conjectured by Ethan liigby, and whiie 
 half their number turned to the northward, the other, 
 led by Teconsa, with his captive still held in front of 
 him, followed the river, whicli here threads its way 
 through the narrow defiles and deep gorges whicli 
 atlbrd an outlet to its waters, and constitute the only 
 pass betweeii a bold spur of the Park Mountains and 
 Laramie I'eak. 
 
 The poor girl had endeavoured by tears and en- 
 treaties to induce the chief to v^t^tore her to her 
 
THE PC HSU IT. 
 
 79 
 
 friends ; but neither the promise of a costly rjiiisom, 
 her earnest supplications, nor her final threat of the 
 terrible vengeance of her soldier parent, had any ap- 
 parent effect on the heartless savage. 
 
 Exhausted with grief and fear, Connie would have 
 fallen from the horse but for the strong arm of her 
 powerful captor. At last, finding how hopeless and 
 unavailing were all her efiorts to obtain release, she 
 ceased struggling, and endeavoured to resign herself 
 to the thought that, after all, she was under the pro- 
 tection of the Almigiity. 
 
 The short twilight was now rapidly giving place to 
 darkness, and still the Indians rode silently o!i, with- 
 out any sign of halting to form the usual encampment 
 for the night. Suddenly, however, as they entered an 
 o})en valley, they were confronted by a well-armeil 
 and well-mounted party of hunters or trappers ap- 
 ]tioaching from the o})pusite direction. The red men 
 instantlv drew rein and wheeled their horses njiunl 
 the way tiiey had come, but not before their i)resen('e 
 had been discovered by the advancing whites. Te- 
 consa alone maintained his giound. He saw that to 
 retreat by the narrow pass, already blocked by Ids 
 ri'tiring followers, would b(; to court disaster. Familial 
 wilh ivery path and on I let of the rocky wilderness 
 he knew that there was at a short distauci^ to the 
 right of him the entrance to a similar ravine to tliat 
 
 through which he had just passed. Setting spur.^ to 
 
 F 
 
 !l 
 
 "i 
 
THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 his horse, tlie chief raised the luud wur-whoop of the 
 Sioux, and made as if he were j^oiiii,' directly towards 
 the group of hunters, who formed in line, and with 
 their riHes levelled, ])rei)are(l, as they thought, to 
 receive a wild charge of Indians. Wlien, however, he 
 had covered half the distance that intervened between 
 himself and his enemies, Teconsa suddenly turned his 
 horse's head and made straight for the passage men- 
 tioned. Conni(; felt that now or never was her chance 
 of rescue, so, with the courag<i of despair, she raised a 
 loud and piercing cry for help. 
 
 
f 
 
 
 CHAITKIJ IX. 
 
 
 \ 
 
 KKSCLliL). 
 
 Constance Weston's wild, lialf-despnirini: cry was 
 liL'Jird, and tlie next instant a lin^jing liritish clieer 
 resounded tlir(>ni;li the ai^'. At tlie same time tliree 
 or four lior.semen staited in liot pursuit. 
 
 'I'lie liorse u])(»n wliic! the youni,^ Sioux and his 
 captive were mounted wa? not the usual Indian ]«>ny, 
 hut a powerful and wfU-hred animal wliieh liad 
 doul)tless l)eeu stohni fron. tlie eanip of some hukless 
 travellers or hunters, jind, on account of its spec and 
 Vjeauty, had Ijeen a])pro})riated by the chief \v iself. 
 Moreover, the latter knew every turn Jind twist -f the 
 dillicult route, and f(»r some time the issue f the 
 chase seemed more than doubtful; i.ideed, t)i<' Indian 
 succeeded in distancing; and leavin«j far behind him all 
 except one of his pursuers. 
 
 This last seemed determined not to be shaken olK 
 Jle was mounted on a splendid grey horse, and its 
 
82 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 lii,'ht colour enaViled Connie to see how cleverly it 
 followed their steed's retreating stops over the most 
 ditlicult country, horse and rider both seeming exempt 
 from fjitiujue or fear. 
 
 At last, exhausted with its double burden, Teconsa's 
 steed no longer answered to the bit and spur, so that 
 the white horse gained rapidly upon tliem. 
 
 Perceiving that continued flight was useless, the 
 chief pulled up, and for a moment seemed to hesitate 
 whether to remain •^•nd figlit Ids iiersistent tracker, or 
 to dismount, leave his captive, and escape on foot. A 
 rapid glance at the determined countenance and flash- 
 ing eyes of the noble youth who, pistol in hand, was 
 riding down upon lum, made the Indian decide in 
 fjivour of discretion. 
 
 In a few moments, therefore, he had disappeared 
 fiom sight amongst the neighbouring rocks. 
 
 The sudden m.'inner in which Teconsa sprang from 
 his steed brouglit Connie als(j to the ground, but 
 fortunntelv .he was not hurt; and the next moment 
 her gallant rescuer iiad leapt from his horse and was 
 assisting her to rise. 
 
 " I trust you are none the worse for this perilous 
 adventure. Xo doubt you have been carried off from 
 one of the frontier settlements," he said. 
 
 " None the worse, thank you," rrplied Connie, " ex- 
 cept feeling very tired, although 1 have not been placed 
 at the tender mercies of these horrid Indians for so 
 
RESCUED. 
 
 83 
 
 long a time as you suppose. It was only a short time 
 before sunset that I fell into their liunds, and my 
 friends are encamped not far from here." 
 
 " I am very glad of that," answered the stranger ; 
 " we will all push on and join your camp for tlie night, 
 and thus relieve the terrible anxiety which your friends 
 must doubtless experience on your account as soon as 
 possible." 
 
 " You are most kind," said Connie, a slight blush 
 suffusing her pale cheeks as her eyes met tliose of tlie 
 handsome stranger earnestly fixed upon her ; " and my 
 father will not know how to thank you sulhciently 
 for your noble exertions on my behulf. Indeed," she 
 added with emotion, " we shall botli i)c ciernally in 
 your debt." 
 
 " Xot in the least," he re[)lied, " I count it a greiit 
 privilege to have been of any service to you;" and 
 he gracefully raised his broad-brinnned liat, disi)laying 
 a smooth white forehead and a mass of curly dark- 
 brown hair. " But," he continued, glanjing anxiously 
 round, " it won't do to linger here. Permit me to 
 assist you on to my own horse ; he will carry you 
 safely, while I can lead the other until it has re- 
 covered itself suHiciently for me to mount." 
 
 Connie quickly obeyed, for it was an easy feat for 
 her to keep her balance on a man's saddle ; and as 
 they slowly retraced their steps she could not help 
 admiring ihe tall athletic figure and easy courteous 
 
 ;Ml 
 
 
 ; 11 
 
 > 
 
11 
 
 84 
 
 THE YOUNG llANCHMEN. 
 
 rimniu^r of her cluuiiiinj^' yt)""i,' conductor, who fre- 
 quently j^liinced lichind to (issure himself of the safety 
 (►f his clijir^'c, iiud to utter a few cheerful words of en- 
 courajfeinent while leading the way down the rugged 
 and dangerous ravine. 
 
 They had not ])roceed(Ml far, however, l>ef(jre they 
 met some of tiie youth's com)_)anions coming in search 
 of him, and together they soon reached tlie rest of 
 his party. The latter had jjcconu; somewluit anxious 
 about Connie's deliverer, es})ecially a tine-looking man of 
 conuuanding ajtpearancc, who seemed to Ite the leader. 
 
 Captain Trevor, It.X., had been sent from England 
 on important (lovernment l)usiness to liHlish Colundjiu 
 ;nid Vancouver's Island, and was now returning home 
 by waj )f the Cnited States. Me was accompanied 
 by his son Ernest, a servant, and some llocky Moun- 
 tain trai)pers and hunters, whom he liad engiiged to 
 escort and guide him through the Indian country. 
 Some of these latin* individuals belonged to a class 
 known as the Free Trappers of the West, who are 
 thus graphically described by Wnshingtou Irving in 
 his Adi'cnlurcfi of Captdin JJoiinrrillr : "Their very 
 appearance and eciuipinent exhibited a piebald mix- 
 ture, half civilised and half sava<j;e. Manv of them 
 looked more like Indians than white lueii in their 
 garbs and accoutrements, and their very horsi's were 
 ca[)arisoned in barbaric style, with fiaitastic trappings." 
 And again : *' There is perhaps no class of men on the 
 
 f^i 
 
UEscrKi). 
 
 85 
 
 
 face of the earth who lead a life of mori' continued 
 exertion, peril, and excitement, and who are nmre 
 enamoured of their occupations, tluin the Free Traj)- 
 pers of the Xortli-West. Xn toil, no dant^'cr, no 
 privation can turn the trapper from liis pursuit. His 
 passionate excitement at times rescmhles a maniii. 
 [n vain may the most vii^alant and cruel savages beset 
 his path ; in vain may rocks and precipices and wintry 
 torrents oi)pose his progress; let hut a single track of 
 a beaver meet his eve iind he forgets all dani'ers and 
 defies all ditticulties." 
 
 This motley escort were themselves proceiMhng to 
 St Louis to dispose of their peltries, or skins of l>ulfalo, 
 beaver, fox, and other animals, and to lay iu a store 
 of anuiiunition, trinkets, and such articles as would be 
 useful in their occupation, and in itartering with tin; 
 Indians for peltries. It was after many weeks of 
 arduous travelling through the vast mountain wilder- 
 ness, and while making a forced march in order to 
 reach good pasturage for their hungry horses, tluit 
 Ca]»tain Trevor and his fellow-travellers so opportunely 
 encountered the ))artv of Sioux who were carrvinu ott' 
 Miss Weston. 
 
 \i ';i 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
C^HAITKI^ X. 
 
 HOrXD TIIK CAMP-FIKE. 
 
 Tei.'IMIilr wms the anxiety of Major Weston, and 
 indeed the whole cani]*, at the ])rolon,ij;ed absence of 
 Miss Weston and the hunlinj4-]iaitv, inchidinu' younj^ 
 lli^by, who was supposed to liave accompanied tliem, 
 i»s he had been ohservecl to shoidih'i' liis litle jind h'av(i 
 tli(^ camp soon afterwards. Parties of the most active 
 and ex])erienc(Ml of tlie emi;:i;rants were ()ri;Mnise(l and 
 <lespatclied in search of tlie ahsentees. One was 
 headed l)y the Major liimself, and great wns his 
 deliglit wlien, on approacliing the spot from whieli 
 his daughter liad ])een cariied oil', he nu^t a large; 
 })arty of white men, among whom he quickly 
 recognised his beloved children, witli Riubv and 
 liobert. 
 
 There was a scene of great rejoicing in the canii) 
 thai: night. Major Weston invited the English 
 naval otticer and Ins son and young Kigby to his 
 
n 
 
 
 'I ' 
 
 •! 
 
 4 
 
 HOUND THE TAMr-l IKK. 
 
 87 
 
 own tent, and feasted them on the besi his stores 
 aflurded. The rest of the strani^ers were hospitaidy 
 entertained l)y the most well-to-do amongst tho 
 
 emi^^iants. 
 
 The stirring ineidents of the evenin<,' naturally 
 formed the chief toj)ie of the conversation, and were 
 u;rai»hieally descrihed hy some of the participators. 
 Connie j^Mve an elo([nent account of Mthan liiL;lty's 
 ,i;allant efVorts on her hehalf. and his desjx'rate stru^^i^de 
 with overwhelmiu^' nund)ers of the enemy. She also 
 <lescrihed her tcnrihle ride, the fortunate encounter 
 with ('a})tain Trevor's Jjarty, the clever ruse of 
 Teeoiisa, and l]»e excitini;' pursuit and idtimate rescue 
 of her hy Krnest Trevor. 
 
 As she leached that part of her story relating to 
 the latter hero, a close observer might have n(jticcd 
 some h(;ightening of the colour on her cheek and a 
 slight tremor of her voice. Kighy, too, who, with 
 <*yes fixed intently on the speaker, had hiuin listeniug 
 with wrai)t attention up to this point, moved uneasily 
 in his i»lace, at one momcua half rising from the 
 bundle of faggots which served him for a seat, and 
 the next stirring the crackling and sputtering tire with 
 one of his huge feet. As Miss Weston concluded, he 
 arose, lighted his pipe with a red-hot endter, and 
 paced several times to and fro, as if in deep thought. 
 It was oidy when JIarry l)egan to descrilu' the 
 fearful shock experienced by himself, Frank, and 
 
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 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
 >'*' 
 
88 
 
 TUK YOUNfJ llAXCHMKN. 
 
 Iiobert, on discoverinif the loss of their sister, and 
 tlu'n tlieir lio])eless pursuit, with its ha]»])y termina- 
 tion at tlie most critical moment of the ambuscade, 
 that tlie }'oun,L»" Kentucki;in resumed his seat and his 
 equanimity. 
 
 The niiiht was now far advanced, hut everyone's 
 nerves liad l)een strung; to such a j)itcli of excitement 
 that even without tlie copious drauglits of strong cotl'ee, 
 so liberally provided and i^ladly partaken of, sleep 
 would have seemed out of the question. It was 
 therefore })ro]iosed by Captain Trevor that the fire 
 should be replenished, and that each in turn should 
 tell som(^ authentic storv of Indian adventure. The 
 suugestion having been received witli acclamation, it 
 was innncdiately acted upon, and first one and then 
 another told stories of the Indians, which showed that 
 the white men had often treated them with great 
 cruelty, and that their vindictiveness and enmity 
 was only a necessary consequence. Finally, Ernest 
 Trevor related simply and pathetically the story 
 of how the famous Cornstalk, Sachem of the Shaw- 
 nees and king of the Northern Confederacy, was 
 basely detained prisoner wdien he had gone to the 
 Fort of Point Pleasant to make overtures of peace, 
 and afterwards cruelly murdered, together with his 
 heroic son. 
 
 "It is lu) wonder," exclaimed voung Trevor, in con- 
 elusion, " that thenceforward, the Shawnees, the most 
 
^ 
 
 
 KOUXl) THK CAMP- FIRE. 
 
 SO 
 
 warlike tribe of the West, Itecame the most deiidly 
 and iniplaeabli' foes of the wliite man." 
 
 .Everyone had been hsteninu,' to the narration with 
 breathless attention, while the young- man bt'traycd by 
 the tones of his voice the i^enerous emotion stirred in 
 his breast at the thoiiurht of the cruel and untimelv 
 <leath of such noble warriors. And when lu' hud 
 ended more than one of iiis hearers brushed awav a 
 tear, while the spirited but lender-hearted Connie wept 
 audiblv. 
 
 'J'he Commandant arose from his seat when he 
 perceived that, and .uiving" his daughter his arm, led 
 her li^ently away to her own snug quarters in tiie 
 waggon, and bade her an atl'ectionjite good-night. 
 
 
 'I'l! 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 

 CHAPTER XL 
 
 CONNIE AND ERNEST. 
 
 Most of the wearied travellers slept until a very late 
 hour the followinif morning. 
 
 The other emigrants had long ago breakfasted and 
 oeenpied themselves in various ways, Sunday morning 
 though it was— for there weie v/orks of neeessity, sueh 
 as preparing food, <*v:c., wliieh in their migratory life 
 must V)e attended to when there was a halt — before 
 Major Weston's party began to show signs of being 
 awake and about again. 
 
 Jlobert rose first, and laying aside the rug in which 
 he had been ; leeping, set about replenishing the fire 
 with tlie great boughs and dry tree-roots which had 
 been collected the evening before. Then he went 
 across to the waggon, and tapped rather loudly at the 
 woodwork of it. 
 
 " Well ?" said Connie's voice from within the canvas- 
 covered vehicle. 
 
 " Miss Connie, might I be so bold as to ask you to 
 
 i 
 
 ! 
 
 K 
 
 r< 
 
 ml 
 
 nil 
 
 cq 
 
 y^ 
 
CONNIE AND KRNKST. 
 
 01 
 
 make haste and got up. I slioiild like us to have a 
 nice breakfast for our guests," said the worthy man. 
 " Master was saying to me last night," he added, 
 " tliat we were to have some steaks of venison and a 
 couple of the buffalo tongues we have i)n'serv('d. It '11 
 be a power of cooking, though — on Sunday too !" 
 
 " But we cannot heli) that, Ilobert," returned the 
 girl's cheerful voice; "we have; no cold meat, and I 
 will soon manage the cooking." 
 
 "That you will, Miss, for I never saw anyone like 
 you," replied Robert, with an air of great satisfaction 
 as he returned to the tire. 
 
 Connie hastily diessed. She had passed a vt.-ry 
 restless, uneasy niglit, at one time falling asleep and 
 dreaming that she was being carried of!" again by a 
 terrible Indian, then awaking in terror to the sooth- 
 ing recollection that Ernest Trevor had saved her life. 
 Somehow she tlioutj'bt of that much oftener tlian of 
 tne e(|uallv brave conduct of Ethan Kiiiliv. Ernest 
 had CO. le to the rescue at such an extreme moment, 
 when she had had time to realise her danger, and had 
 been watching eviny hope of deliverance die oiU, as 
 she thought, for her. Then — but how can we exi)lain 
 how it is one young man finds favour in a giiTs (t\v.:< 
 when the other, equally deserving, sighs for it in vtiin? 
 It was of Ernest Connie thou<>ht as she lin^'crcd u 
 moment before her little hand-glass to tie a knot of 
 pale-blue ribbon at her wliite tliroat. It was because 
 
 I 
 
 ■ ti 
 
 I 1 
 
 » ■ y 
 
 n 
 
 
92 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 ot him ihdi she regretted that hei* face looked 
 altsohitely colourless. Slie was not usually at all 
 solicitous a])out her a])pearance. liut then, as she 
 said to herself, circumstances alter cjises, and she might 
 nc.'ver see young Trevor and liis fallier again, and she 
 would like tliem to carry away a ])leasant memory of 
 the girl whose life the younger had been the jneans of 
 saving. 
 
 I*ee])ing through a chink in tlie canvas of the 
 waggon, si 1(3 could sec Ernest Trevor ])acing u]) and 
 down in earnest conversation with his father at a little 
 distance. 
 
 "How liandsome he looks, and how Imive he is!" 
 vshe tliou^ht. And then, mindful of the duties of 
 hospitality, she descended from the; waggon, and was 
 sf)on l)usily engaged in citoking, while Robert spread 
 the breakfast cloth on a table of nature's own con- 
 struction, a Hat moss-covered mound. 
 
 Captain Trevor, coming up to tlie fair cook pre- 
 sently, i'o!nplim(3nted her on lier cmphjyment, and 
 looked admiringly at the graceful way in wliich, with 
 sleeves ui)turned and wearing a large a])ron, she was 
 })erforming it. 
 
 H3 was })leased with the modest, unassuming manner 
 in which she replied, and the ingenuity with which 
 she led the conversation away from herself. 
 
 The breakfast was pronounced a great success. 
 
 After it was over a space was cleared within the 
 
 e 
 
 ¥ 
 
«i 
 
 CONNIE AND ERNEST. 
 
 J)8 
 
 encampment, and, witli tiic iic([uies"ei;('o of tlie otlun' 
 emigrants and travellers, it was announced that Major 
 Weston was about to read the Morning Service of the 
 Chnrch of England. 
 
 Very soon many men, women, and children had 
 assembled, and i)erfect order prevailecl while the Major 
 read in his sonorous tones th(^ heauliful words of the 
 Knglish Liturgy. Two or three liymns were sung, and 
 after a short address from ('ajtlain Tn^vor, who was 
 annomiced as " tlie stranger amongst us" hy Major 
 W(\ston, the congregation dispersed. 
 
 Later in the day Connie and Krnest Trevor had 
 more than one long conversation together, in wiiich 
 they were eacli delighted with the similarity of their 
 tastes and opinions. It was a new exju'rience foi* 
 each to lind anotlier fresh young mind alike, and yet 
 how deliglitfully unlike, its own. And tlu'ougli all 
 their pleasure the tliought of tlie approaching sepani- 
 tion on the morrow intervened with its dark shadow 
 at intervals which became shorter and shorter. 
 
 When Connie, with Ihished cheeks and downcast 
 eyes, was preparing l)reakfast the following morning 
 Captain Trevor and his son came to her, and tlie latter 
 said abruptly, " I have liiien trying to persuade my 
 father to allow me to g(j to California with vour 
 party. Miss Weston. I should like it so nuicli 
 better than going home to study medicine in old 
 England." 
 
 in 
 
 m 
 
94 
 
 TJIE YOUN(i UAN'CHMEN. 
 
 C( 
 
 looketl 
 
 [ill 
 
 I 
 
 uiiiiii.stakuble Hush of 
 |)loasm('. 
 
 '• Jiut, Ernie, it \N()u1(1 hreiik your uiotlicr's heiiil if 
 1 riiLiiviKid alone," inl('i']M)sc(l his fatlier in somewhat 
 pained accents ; " and yuu know what her ^neat wish 
 for you is. I am silent about my own." 
 
 "Oh ! of couisi' 1 will give u[) my wishes for yours 
 and lier's," said Ernest quickly, "only I cannot help 
 reiinatinu' that duty and inclination should be so 
 widely severed. So you must let me make mv little 
 moan." 
 
 " Certainly, my boy," but Captain Trevor did not 
 stop to hear it. He sauntered away to meet Major 
 Weston, who was returning from liis morning Itathe 
 in tlie river. 
 
 " Do you not think it would be a grander life to 
 figlit the Hglit of civilization in the wilds of California 
 than to return to swell tlie crowded ranks of a 
 crowded [)i'()fession in England : "' asked Ernest. 
 
 Connie hesitated. For one moment the idea of 
 
 societ 
 
 pi. 
 
 ■ty 
 
 during their long journey, and then perliai)s perman- 
 ently in the strange country to which they were 
 
 journeying, seeniec 
 
 I v 
 
 ■ry 
 
 allurin; 
 
 Should .she per- 
 
 suade him — he required little persuading — to urge 
 the matter .still further with his father ? Should she 
 suggest that his mother might be appeased and won 
 over to consent to the altered plan ? She spurned the 
 
 ■ '~-^' !*1btM 
 
roWIE A\I> KIIXKST. 
 
 !).■) 
 
 ihouixht, and I'aisin-'' licr l)eautiful ('V«'s to Iiis, shn 
 aiiswcrotl, " I think, Mr Trevor, lliat notliiiin' in tin? 
 worM is so urand as for onii to ^ivc up (aic's own 
 inclination for llie sake, of duty, especially »luty to 
 one's ])arents." 
 
 Mrnest liowcd, with a ,nlance of keen admiration at 
 the nohle L^irl, hut lie had no time to reply, for just 
 then his father and Major Weston joined them. 
 
 A eou])l(! of hours afterwards, however, while the 
 others were all enLi;a,L!;ed with ))artin,L;" remarks and 
 mutual comi)linu)nts iind good wishes, iiiidinj;' himself 
 alone near (.onnii;, for the gallant grey stood hetween 
 them and the rest of the; party, Ki'ucst raised the 
 girl's hand to his li[)s, murmuring, "I)uty shall ]>e 
 hencefoith my motto, Miss AVeston, for }our sake an»l 
 for the sake of all that is good and nohle." 
 
 Connie was deei)lv aflected, and as ht; turned awav 
 she placed a Iock(!t in his hand, hegging him to 
 accc'pt it as a small nu>numto of the valuable service 
 ho liatl rendered her. 
 
 Witli a glance that expres.sed more than he could 
 say, Ernest vaulted into liis saddle, and, lifting his 
 hat, cantered after his friends, v,ho liad hy this time 
 already started. 
 
 Connie stood looking after him for a few moments, 
 and then she too disai)peared from the scene. Some- 
 thing evidently required her presence in the waggon, 
 
 her brothers concluded, as she did not leave it 
 
 G 
 
on 
 
 TIIK Y()r\(; HANT'FrMF.X. 
 
 lor ([\\\Ui liiilf ail liour. AVlum slio did slit; looked 
 very ])ido, and ai»i»c'ar(Ml to ])v. disincliiUMl to coii- 
 
 V(11'.S(!. 
 
 Mciaiiwiiilc tlui vast train of \va"i^'L;ons had once 
 nioru been set in motion, and tlu; faces of tlie patient 
 travellers tnrned westward. 
 
 Connie ])resently took her accustomed seat in tlu; 
 front of tluj wa^u;on, and in vain tried to l)e cheerful. 
 Her usuidly l)Uoyant s])irits s<'emed weigluid down l»y 
 an undefinable dread. Sonui terrible forel)odin<^' of 
 evil had taken possession of lier, a foreltodin;^" as real 
 us it was strange and uiiaccountal)le, which would not 
 be shaken oil'. 
 
 At length, to divert her mind, she took up a small 
 book. It was a collection of Longfellow's poems. 
 Carelessly tiu-ning over the leaves, she came upon one 
 of her favourite pieces, " The l*salm of Life," which of 
 course she knew by heart. Even when she had laid 
 down the volume, the words — 
 
 "Tell me not in mournful numbers 
 Life is but an emjjty (h'eani, 
 For the sdul is (U-iul that sluinhers, 
 And things are not wliat they seem,'" 
 
 were almost ringing in her cars, for they seemed 
 strangely appropriate to her feelings and circumstances 
 at the time. 
 
 Again, as she watched the way-worn emigrants 
 tramping bravelv forward alongside their active teams, 
 
 I 
 
CONNIE AND FUNEST. 
 
 07 
 
 ,|il 
 
 onroiirrtC'iiic,' tlicm with voiro and wliij), or anon ]>iit- 
 tini,' tluMF own broad shoulders to the wheel t > lielp 
 them ont of sonu! dee]) watercourse' or treacherous 
 hoo;, slie thou_nhl of llu^ vers(! which seemed i)ar- 
 ticularly ai)j)lical»U' to their situation — 
 
 "Not c'lijoynuMit and not sorrow 
 Is our destined end or wav ; 
 r>ut to act that each to-nioriow 
 Finds us further tlian to-dav." 
 
 Presently the _L,dil took u)> some half-finished so(dvS 
 which she was knitting;' for one of the poor enn'oi-ant's 
 children, and as she workcid her thouohts urijid^jiHy 
 hecame more cheerful. She remembered how y<»unj^f 
 Trevor had positively asserted that he would revisit 
 America as soon as he had passed his exiimination, 
 and before settling down to a practice. Moreover, he 
 had promised to look up the Westons, whc^rever they 
 mi,u;'hl be settle(l, and Connie felt sun; that he would 
 kee[) his word. 
 
 rI- 
 
 
 ill 
 
 
 I 
 
 flifBTTOr 
 
 1 ',■ ,4., ■:i.::M^'''i m 
 
 : ' "^r. ■;":' :!r'';;::;.'ii.'i'.,;,,i*i,|ij;;|ii|,«il|iltei|fl| 
 
 ■lt?l$'4' 
 
Tf^^^ 
 
 
 II 
 
 CHAlTKi; XII. 
 
 THE KOCKV MOUNTAINS. 
 
 
 After l»r(';ikin«i; up tlicir vnm]* on the Liirainic Itivcr, 
 tli(i oinij^nauts struck out in ii wcsti'ily (niection. For 
 two or tlir('(^ (lays their routi» lay across broken and 
 (lillicult ground. The jiasturam' wiis .n'ood, however, 
 and ^^anie al)un(lant, so that the horses and otlier live 
 stock and their owners fared e({ually well. The _L;reat 
 drawback was the necessity for constant vi«;ilance 
 owini,' to the proxinuty of the warlike Sioux, to^^^ether 
 with the fact that the nature of the ^n'ound was 
 favourable to a surprise. It was i)rol»ably owinL,' as 
 nnich to the skill and forethought of the conmnndant, 
 aided by the experience of two or three old trappisrs 
 and hunters, as to the strength of the company that 
 ui) interference occurred. The Indians were several 
 times observed to signal to one another from the 
 summits of the adjacent hills, but they never ventured 
 upon an attack. 
 
 Although tlie land rises gradually all the way from 
 the Missouri to the base of the uiouutains, it was not 
 
 
 
 ...-x 
 
 i 
 

 TIIM Un( KY MoI'VrAINS. 
 
 1)1> 
 
 until llii: I'ourtli iiKiniinLr afhT Icjiviu;^^ tlicir ciiiiip on 
 lliu Lariiniic IJivcr tlmt, tlic t'liiiLjraiits fairly cnin- 
 iiiciM'cd ilicir si rn;x,!j;lc's tn suniiount tlic Nasi luirriri- 
 which funns the ^rcal hacklMtnc oi- (li\ idiii^' r;iii^(i n|' 
 Xni'lh AiiH'i'ica. This iiiinicnsr chain is calliMl ihc 
 |{(tckv M(»untains, and extends hir iiearlv L'OOO miles 
 tVoni the Anahua<' Mountains nf Mexico to the nmuth 
 of the Mackenzie Ifiver in the Arctic ()cean. 
 
 As tim leadin;^^ wa.Lj.nons readied tlu; siuuniit of a 
 rocky ridjj;e kr.own as the Afedicine r»o\v Mountains — 
 a sort of shoot or spur of the main ran,L?e — the; sun 
 was nearly settinii'. What a magnificent ^ iew hurst 
 U})on the slight of tlie weary travellers! Standin;^' 
 holdly out hefore them NVen; tlio IJocky Mountains in 
 all their grandeur and immensity. 
 
 In front of them and to ri^ht and left, as far as the 
 ey(! couhl reach, stretched liil^^e after vu\[fr. and ))eak 
 after i)eak. Almost du(! west rose; th(! frowning 
 masses of the Tark Mountains, their lofty sunnnits 
 culminatii.,^' to the sonth in the towerini^' liei^ht of 
 Long's I'eak. This nohle huuhnark mounts skyward 
 to an altitnde of over 14,000 feet, and is capped with 
 eternal snow, lien; also th(3 watershed, or ''the 
 great Divide," as it is called, bends backwards and 
 forwards, enclosing deep and fertile valleys rich in 
 pasturage and timber. These are known as parks, 
 some of which are of large size, hence the name of 
 the mountains. 
 
 i 
 
 I':, 
 
 iil 
 
 » 
 
 : f 
 
 
 fl 
 
i :: 
 
 100 
 
 THE YoUNG HANCHMtN. 
 
 In tliese parks rise some of the great rivers which go 
 to swell the waters of the Mississi})pi and the Missouri 
 on the one hand, and the Kio Colorado on the other. 
 
 To the north-east, Laramie Peak stood out in 
 lonely majesty, while far away to the north-west rose 
 the snowy summits of the AVind Kiver Mountains. 
 The three Titons reared themselves upwnr»ls in the 
 far distance until their shadowy outlines were lost in 
 ,L;auzv cloud. Vmt, nearer, the rays of the setting sun 
 tipped the mountain points with crimson and gold, and 
 the ])roud and snowy crest of Fremont's Peak assumed 
 tirst a dazzling rohc of liquid blue, then yellow, 
 violet, and i)urple — by turns a sapphire, a topaz, or tin 
 amethyst. Then it gradually changed and became 
 suli'used with the warm, l)right rose-coloured light of 
 the after-glow. And, finally, as the sun sank lower 
 and lower below the horizon it turned into a miu;htv 
 chrysolite. 
 
 The Wind liiver range of mountains forms one of 
 the most remarkable features of these Western Alps. 
 It is a vast watershed in which three of the mightiest 
 rivers take their rise. The first of these is the 
 Missouri, which runs a south-easterly course of no less 
 than 2500 miles before it enters the ^Mississippi, and 
 then their united streams, after flowing southwards 
 for another 1500 nules, discharge their waters into 
 the Crulf of Mexico ; secondly, there is the Columbia 
 liiver, which Hows in nearly an opposite direction into 
 
 «^ 
 
 ^ II mai 
 
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 101 
 
 V 
 
 the Pacitic Ocean ; and, lastly, the Green Jlixor or 
 IVio Colorado, which finds an outlet to the southward 
 in the Gulf of California. 
 
 After tliat, the progress of the emigrant train, 
 thougli interesting, became somewhat monotonous. 
 How they struggled througli the sand and dust of 
 that desolate re<don which borders on the Bitter 
 Creek ! And how at last tlicir eyes were gladdened 
 by the sight of the clear and sparkling watc^rs and 
 'j;rassv banks of the Green lliver ! 
 
 Here Major Weston aud his fellow travellers 
 determined to halt for a week or ten days in order to 
 recruit their jaded animals. The last lUO miles had 
 all but finished some of them, owing to the terrible 
 nature of the barren tract through which tliey had had 
 to pass, and the fact that they were already much 
 reduced in fiesh and si)irits by the long journey up 
 the mountains. 
 
 For nearly two days and one night the emigrants 
 had l)een unable to procure water for their horses and 
 otlier live stock, and had only a scanty sup[)ly carried 
 in bottles and other vessels for their own use. 
 
 It was touching to observe how eagerly the poor, 
 dumb [inimals stru<i:<j;led forward when once the broad 
 stream was sighted. They seemed io strain evtuy 
 nerve of their weak and emaciated frames in order to 
 slake the fiery thirst that was consuming them. 
 
 Tlie camp was formed on the western Ijank of the 
 
 V 
 
 If 
 
 fr 
 
102 
 
 THE YOUNG UANCIIMEN. 
 
 river, in a sjtot wliero llicre was alMindaiicc of c^ood 
 j:!;ra.ss. Here tlic ))nor animals were all liirned loose 
 to feed and take tlieir well-earned rest. As, however, 
 parties of Jilaekfoot Indians were reported l>y the 
 eonimandant's seouts to he in the nei.L,dil)oiu'hood, every 
 preeaution was taken to prevent their l)ein,i^' stolen. 
 Sentries, with rifle in hand, were jdaeed at regular 
 
 d th 
 
 rhieh th 
 
 )ek 
 
 intervals all round tne pasture on wnieu tne sioeK 
 was grazing hy day, and at nightfall the latter were 
 driven into an enclosure [)repared for them l)etween 
 the wau'^ons and the river. 
 
 As it was al)solutely neeessary for the emigrants Lo 
 remain there sometime, the eamp was formed with 
 more than ordinarv eare. It was situated within the 
 bend (»F the river, which thus i)rotected about half 
 of its circumference. Tlie other half was secured by 
 cutting a trench and throwing up a bank, which was 
 eventually rendered still more effective by driving in 
 a line of stout stakijs, so as to form a sort of open 
 palisade about 5 feet high on top of the low bank. 
 These stakes were cut from young cotton-wood trees 
 which abounded in the neiuhbourhood. ]\Iaior Weston 
 took especial care to clear off any trees or bushes 
 which were found growing within ritle shot of the 
 camp on either side of the river, as these would have 
 afforded cover to any lurking savages, and enabled 
 them to approach near enough to pick off the sentries 
 or tire into the camp. 
 
 -fsaa 
 
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 \0t\ 
 
 OwiiiL' to til 
 
 >f Willi 
 
 rl< 
 
 th 
 
 niiiiihen 
 
 operations were completed before sunset on the diiy 
 after their arrival at the Seeds-kee-dee Agie, as the 
 Indians call this river. 
 
 While Frank, who was naturally of a warlike dis- 
 position, had taken an active part in fortifying,' the 
 camp, Harry had accomi>anied two of the scouts, who 
 had orders from his fatln^r to beat ui) the countrv 
 around in search of game, and also to note if there 
 were traces (»f anv «a'eat number of lUackfeet in the 
 nei<dibourhood. 
 
 They only came across the smoulderinL!,' aslies of a 
 tire which had been recently deserted l)y a small piirty 
 of the latter gentry, but in crossing a narrow valley 
 about two miles from camp they came u]>on the track of 
 a somewhat numerous herd of moose dcov. Ahrv kneel- 
 ing down and making a critical examination of the 
 ground, the elder scout — an old tra[)per and hunter 
 who answered to the name of Indian Jjill — declared 
 that the trail which led northward was not more than 
 a few hours old. 
 
 "Hurrah !" shouted Harry, forgetting in his excite- 
 ment that he had only l)een permitted to accom)»any 
 the scouts on the distinct understiinding that he was 
 to be as stealthy as a cat, and never to s^x.^ak above ii 
 whis})er. 
 
 " AVhist ! yonker," hissed the old hunter, casting a 
 withering glance at the boy ; " you 're only lit for a 
 

 r ! 
 
 *l! 
 
 104 
 
 THE YOUNfJ RANCHMEN. 
 
 nmrormiiii;' part y . P.* yer want to bring the whole 
 tarnation tribe of I'lackt'eet down upon us?" 
 
 "You bet lio don't for lii.s own sake!" replied tlie 
 other man <^ood-naturedly, n(Aieing Harry's ihished 
 face ; " I guess he 's no more wish U) part with liis 
 glossy young hair than you have, old hoss, with that 
 grizzly scalp of your'n ! l)Ut you cannot put old 
 lieads on young slioulders !' 
 
 " Wal, I calculate yer 're about right tliere ; but 
 look spry and let us gcjt back to camp." 
 
 " To camp ! wliy, aren't we going after the moose ?'' 
 exclaimed Harry in tones of despair. All the visions 
 of an exciting liunt which his vivid imagination had 
 pictured suddenly vanishing into tliin air. 
 
 " Never fear, my lad," rei)lied tlie old hunter, who 
 really admired tlie boy's ardour ; " but we may as well 
 let them know at the camp, which is not far from 
 here, what we are after. We sliall probably not come 
 up with the moose before sundown, in which case we 
 shall have to be out all night." 
 
 " And I guess the general would want t(j know 
 what 'ad become of Master Harry l)efore tlien!" l)roke 
 in tlie other scout, with a knowing glance at the youth 
 in (piestion. " Besides," lie continued (piickly, as he 
 caught the angry Hash of the boy's eyes, " we shall 
 want a couple of mules to pack the meat on. l*erhaps, 
 too, some of our comrades would like to share the 
 sport." 
 
THE llOCKY MOUNTAINS. 
 
 105 
 
 o 
 
 " Right you are !" said Harry, and the next moment 
 they were Imrrying back to the eamp. 
 
 The news that moose deer wer(i within a few hours' 
 niareli of tliem spread like wild-fire, and a party of 
 hunters was (|uickly collected to join in the chase. 
 Each man carried a few jao visions in a blanket 
 strav)ped over his shoulder, and was armed with rifle 
 and l)Owie knife. There were a dozen of them in all, 
 including Frank and Harry Weston, Kighy, Sanson, 
 Indian IJill, and Jfoljert La/enlty. The latter individual 
 and a raw-lxjued vounii" Irisliman, wiio had followed 
 tlie fortunes of his master from one of the New 
 England States, each led an active mule. 
 
 Indian Bill, l)y tacit consent, took connnand of the 
 expedition. Instead of returning to the spot where 
 the tracks of the moose were just discovered, the crafty 
 old hunter struck out in a north-westerly direction. 
 He had often spent months together in the Clreen 
 liiver Valley and the wild and desolate region tliat 
 bordered upon it ; sometimes in company witli a ]arg(; 
 party of boon companions, and at otiiers trap[»ing the 
 beaver with but a single comrade to share his lonely 
 existence. He had thus become familiar with the 
 favourite haunts of the different species of game, is well 
 as of tlie fur-bearin<4 animals and beasts of prev that 
 frequented the district, and so !iad a shrewd susi)ici(jn 
 of the spot where the moose were likely to be bjund. 
 
 The hardy pioneers who first made tliese desolate 
 
 *''i 
 
 m 
 I 
 
 r :?. 
 
 ■ m 
 
 ;■■ hi 
 .< r. 
 ill 
 
 
 i 
 
106 
 
 THE YrrtTNCi HANOI rMEK. 
 
 regions their chosen ImnliiiLf LjvnuiKls cirried, so to 
 s})L'iiiv, their lives in thcar liands. Many of the rivcsrs, 
 valleys, and otlier features of tlie eountry are named 
 after the ]»oor trapi)ers and liunters wlio tlien; fell 
 victims to the savage einnity of the; red men. Tliougli 
 it is only fair to state that, as we have seen, tlu^ latter 
 were often goaded on to nnirder in retaliation for acts 
 of cruelty and violence experienced at the liands of 
 the wliites, who, moreover, were not unnaturally looked 
 upon l)y tlie Indians as intruders and tres})assers. 
 
 It is recorded tliat when Colonel Fremont, wlio liad 
 ol)taine(l a commission from the United States ( Jovern- 
 ment to explore the vast territory lying l)etween the 
 Mississippi and the Pacific, led liis first expedition, in 
 1842, into tlie Western Desert, the Indians were 
 greatly excited. Jealous of his advance, they were 
 (^vervwliere on the alert, and everv nirjht the travellers 
 had to fortify their cam)) and appoint sentinels to 
 watch. 1'he farther they proceeded the greater grew 
 the danger, and every man of the party had to 
 familiarise himself with the pr()l)al)ility that the 
 whole caravan would fall a ]irey to the savages. At 
 the Laramie Fort the Indians used every endeavour, 
 hoth by sup])lications and threatenings, to turn them 
 back. ])Ut Fremont was not the man to be turned 
 from any enterprise on which he had once fairly 
 embarked. He met their wild declamatory speeches, 
 we are told, in the same strain, and in spite of their 
 
 "J 
 
 '•roiKB 
 
 
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 
 
 107 
 
 roitoruled assuviinces that lu' and his pJirty would l»e 
 slain, I'L'HolvL'd to proceed. 
 
 " AVe will not «:^o back," he said ; " we are the soldiers 
 of the "reat cliii'f, your father. He has tohl us to 
 come liere and see tliis country and all the Indians, 
 
 his children We liave thrown away our Ixxlies, 
 
 and will not turn hack We are few and you 
 
 are many, aiul may kill us all: l»ut there will Ixi nnuh 
 
 cryiuL^' in your villiit^es Do you think that cur 
 
 j^Tcat chief will let his soldiers die and fori^et to cover 
 their graves? liefore the snow midts his warriors 
 will swec]) away your villages as the lire does thc^ 
 prairie in the autumn.'"^ 
 
 This unshrinking resolution is said to have won the 
 respect of the red men, and tlu^y desist<'(l from any 
 further attempt to stay his advance. One old chief 
 even sent him a young Indiiin to act as guide. It 
 would have been well for the poor Indians if no worse 
 adventurers tlian these connnanded l»y the high- 
 minded and ]»atriotic Fremont had ever enter(*(l their 
 remote territories. 
 
 * Coloiiol Juhii Cliarlo.s Frt'iiiout iu Leisure Hoar for 18.'i7. 
 
' I 
 
 CHAPTEll XIIT. 
 
 CAUfMIT NAPPING. 
 
 The pjirty of hunters f,'ui(le(l 1>y Indian liill pushed 
 biiskly on in tlie direction of tlie liear Mountains. 
 The day was rather hot, and the yount? Westons, 
 es])ecially Harry, found dilTiculty in keei)inL;' up with 
 tlieir more seasoned eoini)anions. Nevertheless they 
 were t(jo proud to complain, and it was only after 
 nnich lU'ging tliat they at last condescended to mount 
 the two pack nuileS. 
 
 Their line of route, which had for some time been 
 almost parallel with the river, now struck out over a 
 wide ex})anse of dry ])arren n'round, sparsely over- 
 spread with sliort benty grass, and a few stunted 
 rushes. A liot and fatiguing marcli of several miles 
 ihrougli this dreary region at length brought them to 
 the Ijanks of a small stream which falls into the 
 Muddy Fork or southern brunch of the Black Kiver, 
 
^ 
 
 CAUGHT NAl'PINf}. 
 
 109 
 
 Here a luilt wjis ralh.'d, iiiid, after quenoliinjr their 
 tliirst at tlie little bnxjk, each man threw himself on 
 the j^iound to take a short rest and snatch a few 
 mouthfids of food. 
 
 AVhile thus recruiting' llieir strenuth and si)irits for 
 the ai»]»roachinL,' hunt, Iiulian Hill vouchsafe*! a few 
 observations thereon. 
 
 " Wal, hovs, hiar we Ix; iit last ! " said the taciturn 
 old trapper, " and if I'm not a J)own-Kaster, we'll s))ot 
 tlu^ elk af(ne wi^'re nuwh older." 
 
 "Where do you expect to find them i'' said Frank. 
 
 " AVal, I ^uess it's not a lon^^ chalk from hiar, 
 young man." 
 
 "Down by this stream, do you mean," broke in the 
 impatient Harry. 
 
 "AVal, yaas, since yer're so nnghty in([uisitive. 
 They're in a low, marshy Hat where this crik jines the 
 Muddy Fork — you bet ! " 
 
 " Shure, an it's meself '11 be plased to see a bit 
 o' timber, anyhow ! For I 'm jist milting away 
 enthirely in this murthering sun, loik a morstd o' 
 chaze at the hind of a toasting fork ! " exclaimed tlu; 
 Irishman, as he wiped the moisturii from his brow 
 with the cuff of his coat. 
 
 There was a general Liugh at this little speech. 
 ]>ut Indian liill looked anvthiuLi' but pleased, and 
 scowled menacinglv at the offender as he rose to «dve 
 
 Of o 
 
 directions iox continuing the march, 
 
 *T!. 
 
 ■\i 
 
 
 ii 
 
 K<l 
 
no 
 
 THE Yorxn RANCHMEN. 
 
 Half tli<'. party, under Ihii Icailtjrshij) of Sanson, 
 wero ordurcjd lo cross over tliu stream and move down 
 its l(!ft l)ank, wliil ; tlie rest cuntinurd ilieir course 
 jdon^^ its ri<^dit. 
 
 After ])roceeding very cautiously in this manner 
 for al)out Iialf a mile, Sanson suddenly stopped and 
 beckoned to Indian IJill to cross over to where he stood. 
 
 There was a shori. whisj)ered consultation, a brief 
 examinjiti(tn of the i^round at their feet, Jind then the 
 two hunters, nuttionin^ to their men to remain where 
 they were, advanced stealthily towards a clump of 
 willows that ,t^Tew near the strc^am, about two hundred 
 yards a' ly. This ])roved to l>e the connnencement 
 of the lon_L,f strip of marshland which extended on both 
 sides of the stream for nearly two miles to its junc- 
 tion with the ]\Iuddv lujrk. 
 
 It was not until nearly half an hour after their 
 disa])])earinL;' from si^ht amongst the willows, that the 
 two old scouts returned and comnmnicated to their 
 companions the results of the vccunnaisancc. 
 
 It transpired that they had followed the track of 
 the moose until it divided : the ereater part of the 
 herd havin<j; crossed over to the riu,ht bank of the 
 stream jdjout a mile further on. The hoof marks, it 
 was said, were very fresh, so that the elk could not be 
 far away. After a brief deliberation, it was decided 
 to skirt the outer edoes of the marsh so as to encircle 
 the deer, and thus to drive them buck towards the 
 
 i 
 

 CAUr.TIT NAPPINO. 
 
 Ill 
 
 soutborn end nvIhtc; the luintors stood. There was 
 iinotlu'i' ('hinip of willow and cottoii trooH nearly 
 ()])l)().sit(^ to the one already mentioned, and on the 
 sanM side of it, hut ahont two hundred vard.s further 
 from the ereek. Between these two ])oinls \h(> Ljround 
 was pretty iirm and the j^^rass much heati-n down into 
 ])aths and lanes as if l)y tlie ]>assa;^ni of lar;^'i; game. 
 It was evident that this narruw strij) formed the 
 favourite point of in«,'ress and egress for the dillerent 
 kinds of deer as well as the luiUalo which, each in 
 their season, freciuented the spot. 
 
 Here, therefore, would he the best ])ositions in 
 which any of tiie hunters could conceal themselves in 
 order to obtain a good shot at the game as it was 
 tlriven out of the marshy Hat. As, moreover, it was 
 an understood thing that tlu; young AVestons were to 
 have the posts of honour in this their first moose hunt, 
 it was speedily arranged that they should renuiin in 
 ambush in the covers described, while the rest of the 
 party drove out the game. 
 
 The mules were taken across to tlie ri!*ht bank of 
 the creek, and secured amongst a thicket of young 
 willow and alder trees, so as to l)e out of sight of the 
 expected deer. 
 
 At the last moment it was decided, at their special 
 desire, to leave Robert in attendance on his young 
 master Frank, while Padily, as the Irislnnan was ccjm- 
 inonly called, acted in like capacity for Harry. The 
 
 Vj 
 
 M 
 
 I 
 
 'I 
 
 it!. 
 
 I 
 
 lu 
 
112 
 
 THE YOT^NfJ RANCIIMKN. 
 
 son f)f Klin was likewisi! instniclud to kccj) an cyt; on 
 the two mules. 
 
 Acconlin^^ly, I'Vank and Kohert were soon .snu<^dy 
 (Misconccd within tia; leafy cover of the outer cluinp, 
 whilst JIarry and his rou<;h hul li^lit heaited assistant 
 hid themselves heneath tla^ drooping hianehes of iho 
 taller trees which .^I'ew l>y the stieam. 
 
 Meanwhihs the rest of the hunters formed into two 
 ])arties of four each, and had started to make a circuit 
 of the marsh, one taking' the east(!rn and the other the 
 western mar^nn. Their ])lan was to proceed in this 
 manner until they reached the Muddy Fork ; which 
 river, ilowiuL;' as it did, almost at right angles to the 
 small creek that intersected the marshland, formed, as 
 it were, the base of that chosen haunt of the elk and 
 the liul'l'alo. Here they were lo march inwards; and 
 having- taken up their stations at ivgular intervals 
 across this base, but within call or sight of one 
 another, were, at a given signal, to start back towards 
 the apex of the marsh where their comrades were 
 waiting in andiush, thus frightening whatever game 
 there nught be in their direction. The two leaders, 
 Sanson and Indian ])ill took every precaution against 
 accidents, warning their men on no account to tire at 
 anything that might hap'pen to cross their ])ath or 
 start lip in a line with the tw(j entrance clumps or 
 with their own line of march. 
 
 This manuouvre of necessity took up a considerable 
 
PArclirT NAPPlNCi. 
 
 ua 
 
 time, on account of the distance which liad to l»c 
 tniV(fi'scd and th(! somewhat <liflicidl natiuc of the 
 l^round. Xow, Harry and Tatrick ()'l''hdicity, for 
 sucli was the Irislmian's real name, l»ein^' naturally nf 
 restless and active dispositions, soon discovere(l that 
 Ivinu: in amhush was by no me. ins tlieir fort(^ How- 
 ever rcjmantic iind interestinii; it miifht he in tlieoi-y. 
 it was to their irre[>ressihle natures, decidedly slow 
 and monot(jnous in ])ractice. Accordinuiy they soon 
 heuan to cast aljout them for soiue comrenial nu'thod 
 uf relieving- the tedi'.im of their jKtsition. 
 
 "He dad!" said I'atrick, "me foot's aslaj^e, I do 
 Ix'lave, wi' .S(iuatulatin.i; here, loike a rickety toad, all 
 the blessed avenin^'." 
 
 "All tie eveninjj;, do you say?" rei»licd Harry, 
 laughing. "Why, we've not been here more than 
 twenty minutes at the outside, but, nevertheless, I'm 
 about as tired of it as you are. Supi^jse we just stroll 
 as far as the stream tluire ? " 
 
 OTlaherty was on his feet in an instant, and, for- 
 getful of his foot, r(,'aehed the creek in a few rapid 
 strides. 
 
 " Your foot is not very bad, 1 tliiidc." said Harry, 
 chaliingly. 
 
 A <^YUi was his only answer, but the next moment 
 the Irishman, who was looking hard into the water, 
 uttered an exclamation of surprise, and began to un- 
 lace his boots as fast as he could. 
 
I 
 
 111 
 
 » t 
 
 114 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 " Whatever 's tlie matter ? " said Harry, sharply, 
 wondering whether tlie man was going out of his 
 head. 
 
 " Matter indade ! " answered Pat, who had now 
 thrown off his boots and stockings, and was beginning 
 to divest liiniself of his nether garments likewise. 
 "Matter indade! x\n', be all the powers, isn't it 
 nieself as 'as just seen as foine a salmon as hiver 
 walked into the nit of a Lilly poacher." 
 
 "A salmon?" repeated Harry, "surely you must be 
 mistaken ; it is nmch more likely to be a large trout, 
 1 should think." 
 
 Without deigning to answer, O'Flaherty jumped into 
 the creek. Owing to the fact of a fallen tree having 
 partially dammed up the stream in this spot, the water 
 was idjout two feet deep, consequently the fish had 
 plenty of room in which to disport itself. Ine creek, 
 however, was so narrow that the fisli was easily driven 
 into the shallow water al)ove the dam ; but it was not 
 so easily captured even tlien. Although actively 
 assisted by Harry, who liad taken his stand inmie- 
 diately above the pool, tlie Irishman was continually 
 foiled in his efforts to seize the finny monster. Once 
 and again the latter seemed on the point of being 
 captured ; Ijut no sooner did his pursuers attempt to 
 seize him, than, with a mighty splash and a vigorous 
 stroke of his great tail that sent the mud and water 
 all over them, he darted back into the pool, 
 
CAUGHT NAPPING. 
 
 115 
 
 Both Harry and O'Flaherty had become thorouglily 
 excited, and redoubled their efforts to secure the tish. 
 So absorbed were they in this stirring occupation, that 
 they had forgotten all about the moose, until several 
 rille sliots, fired in quick succession, and at no great 
 distance from them, startled them to a sense of their 
 position. 
 
 Harry was the first to recover his self-possession 
 and to grasp the exigencies of the situation. Springing 
 upon tlie bank, he seized his rifle and rushed towards 
 the edge of the cover, where he and Taddv liad at first 
 been stationed. He feared lest he should miss his 
 chance of a shot at the noble game of which thov were 
 in pursuit, and bitterly regretted that he had ever 
 ([uitted his post. At this stage his reflections were 
 suddenly terminated by tlie tramping of hoofs, the 
 breaking of boughs, and ■ <her sounds, which unmis- 
 takaltly heralded the approach of some large animal. 
 
 Springing behind tlic trunk of a large tree, Harry 
 anxiously awaited the creatures appearance. He was 
 not kept long in suspense, for in a few moments the 
 branches in front of him were brushed aside, and a 
 huge beast, much larger than a horse, advanced rapidly 
 towards him. Harry was taken quite aback at the 
 ferocious aspect of the monstrous creature, and scarcely 
 knew whether to stand his ground or run away. The 
 moose, however, did not seem to be aware of his proxi- 
 mity, but appeared to be making for the creek. Its 
 
 >l m 
 
IK) 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 brejilliin*^ was laboured, its eyes L;lariii<r, and its flanks 
 and l)reast covered with lar^aj Hakes of foam. It had 
 evidently Iwen wounded, for blood was mingled with 
 the froth that dripped from its lolling tongue 
 
 Suddenly tlu; brute stopped, and, raising its lieavily 
 antlered head, snifi'oil the air and gazed suspiciously 
 around. 
 
 Now would have l)een the time for the voun«; hunter 
 to hav(! planted a l)ullet in its breast, for it was not 
 more than fifteen })aces from him. But Harry's nerves 
 were not (piite e([ual to the occasion. His hands 
 trenddinl so violently that he could scarcely hold his 
 ritle, and his feet seemed rooted to the ground. He 
 expected every moment that the elk would discover 
 his whereabouts and charge down upon him. In vain 
 lie tried to com])ose liimself and bring his ritle into 
 position for a successful shot. His nmscles refused to 
 obey his will, and he felt like one in the agonies of 
 nightmare. 
 
 After what ftcomed to be an age, the elk uttered an 
 angry cry, the hair on his neck bristled u[), and he 
 trotted heavily forward in the direction of the jmjoI 
 where Harry had left O'Flaherty. 
 
 The spell was broken, and, as the enraged animal 
 passed within two or three yards of him, Harry levelled 
 his rilie, and took a steady aim through the shoulder. 
 To his great disgust he pulled in vain at the trigger — 
 the weapon was at half-cock, iu his excitement he 
 
 
 ^Jtm^ 
 
 I 
 
CAUGHT XAPPIKG. 
 
 117 
 
 it 
 
 had fort,n)Uen to (jock it. The few niomeiits wliiuh 
 wero coMsuiueil in (UscoveiiiiiT and repairing,' the fatal 
 omission niaired his o[)[)(jrtunity. The moose had 
 passed. 
 
 Hanv (luicklv aimed and fired at the hack of its 
 head, in the liope of ])ierciiiL,' its Isvain, hnl the l)all 
 struek the mass of solid hone whieh forms the hase 
 of the creatnre's p(jnd(!rous horns and fell flattened to 
 the earth. The elk almost drop[)ed on its knees from 
 the force of the l)low, hut, recoverini,^ itself hy a ^reat- 
 efibrt, it uttered a tierct^ snort of ]»ain and ra^e and 
 continued on its onward course. Some object in front 
 evidently absorbed the attention of the enraged animal. 
 
 " Look out, I'addy I" shoute(l the ])oy at the to]) of 
 his voice. Ihit the Irishniiin had already ])er('eived 
 his danger. He had just cleansed the mud from his 
 feet and le,i;s, and was in the act of resuminLi; his dis- 
 carded habiliments, when he heard the angry cry and 
 rush of the ukjosc, followed by the report of Harry's 
 rifle. Jum})ing u[ion his feet, for he had been sitting 
 on the edge of the stream, O'Fhdierty looked wiklly 
 around. 
 
 At first he could not see anything on accoiuit of 
 the dense foliage, Init the trani]) of hoofs and the 
 crashing of branches, produced by the ra))id approach 
 of some huu'e a',nmal, together with Harry's warninc: 
 shout, put him i'lto a statu of the most lively appre- 
 hension. 
 
118 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 Although an hour ago he had been boasting of tho 
 execution he would do as soon as the moose were 
 found, he was so perturbed that he ev(;n forgot all 
 about his gun, which he had laid aside on lirst spying 
 the fish. 
 
 " Sure ! an' it must be a wild iliphant they've 
 started, bad luck to them!" exclaimed Patrick, and, 
 without another moment's loss of time, he commenced 
 to climb the nearest tree, a small cottonwood. Scarcely 
 had he reached one of tlie lowest branches when the 
 elk broke cover a few yards away, and charged riiiht 
 under the tree in which he had taken refuse. 
 
 The fact was, that O'Flaherty liad ascended in sucli 
 terrible haste that his toilet was not by any means 
 completed. The riglit leg of his blue cotton panta- 
 loons danL,ded in mid-air as he strui^^'jjled to make cjood 
 his position in the poplar. This Haunting portion of 
 his quondam attire seemed to have the same irritating 
 effect upon the moose that the waving of a red Hag 
 has upon a bull. 
 
 At the first onslaught the maddened creature passed 
 harmlessly by, merely brushing the offending garment 
 aside. Finding, however, that it still hung defiantly 
 down in spite of poor Paddy's efforts to kick it away 
 from him, the elk turned quickly altout and com- 
 menced butting and tossing at the thing with its liead. 
 The upshot was, that before O'Flaherty could disen- 
 gage himself from the fatal raiment, it had become 
 
CAUGHT NAPPING. 
 
 119 
 
 I: 
 
 entangled in the monster's horns. The next instant 
 tlie unfortunate man was jerked from his perch quite 
 on lo the elk's back, and the brancli to which he 
 clunLT, beinij- half rotten, came down witli liim. 
 
 As Harry, who had followed in the track of the 
 moose, approached the spot, he heard a terrilied 
 shout — 
 
 " Och ! hone! Hel]) ! Murther ! " cried poor 
 Paddy, as he found himself suddenly across the 
 animal's l)ack. 
 
 "With the instinct of self-i)reservation, however, he 
 clutched with both hands the long C(jarse hair which 
 urew on the neck and shoulders of the irate creature, 
 and getting his legs iirmly astride, successfully 
 resisted its utmost eflbrts to shake him off. 
 
 "Bravo, Tiuldy ! " shouted Harry encouragingly; 
 " stick to your stall, lad ! " 
 
 " Arrah, Sirrh, it's not disndiounting I was thinking 
 of unless you've a moind to hould the craythur's head 
 for me ! (^w, murther ! whativer's the baste con- 
 timplatin' now ?" continued poor Tat, as the elk, after 
 executing sundry high leaps and other antics, suddenly 
 stood perfectly still. 
 
 " Now, I'll i)Ut a bullet through his head ! " ex- 
 claimed Harry, as he raised his ritle to his shoulder. 
 
 " No, be me sowl, 1 'd rather ye wouldn't, for fear o' 
 accidents, tho' its meself as knows ye're illigant at 
 shoolin', iuthirely ! " 
 
 ' I 
 
 , I 
 
' 
 
 
 1 
 
 120 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 The next minute the moose, luyini^ back liis lonj,' 
 mule-like ears, started off at a territic pace; tlir(ni,ifl\ 
 the belt of timber. Clearin^^ the little l»r(jok at one 
 bound, he passed ([uickly through the lliicket of 
 younger but denser trees, where the mules were 
 secured, and skirting the edge of the marsh, made as 
 if direct for the river. 
 
 "Ow, murther: Help!" 
 
 There was but time for this one desi)airing cry 
 from the terrified Irishman ; for, as the elk rushed 
 straight through the trees and bushes, it was all 
 the poor fellow could do lo jjn^vent himself from 
 being scratched or bruised, or swe[)t from his seat and 
 dashed to the ground bv the overhanging boughs. 
 
 
CHxVPTEK XIV. 
 
 IJNLOOKED FOU TEKMINATIOX OF TFIE MOOSE HUNT. 
 
 Tfieuk is II curious animal of the carnivorous class, 
 inlial)iting tlu; northern regions t)l both the old and 
 ihe new world, which preys upon reindeer and elk as 
 well as smaller iininuils. It is called the glutton, and 
 is said to be so voracious that when once it has 
 succeeded in ett'ecting a lodgment upon the back of 
 one of these large deer, nothing can make it loose its 
 hold. 
 
 In vain does its victim run wildly through the 
 thickest woods, rubbing itself against the trees and 
 breaking the boughs with its powerful antlers ; the 
 glutton having stuck its sharp claws between the 
 shoulders of its prey, remains firmly fixed behind. 
 Its pertinacity is so great that it is said pieces of its 
 skin are often discovered, by hunters and others, 
 adhering to the trees against which it has been 
 rubbed by the wretched deer. AVith bull-dog tenacity 
 the glutton sticks to its post, until having eaten its 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 11 
 
 M I 
 
 ?i- 
 
 lii 
 
122 
 
 TUE YOUNG llANCHMEN. 
 
 ;i 
 
 way to tlie poor creature's vituls, the deer at length 
 succuiuhs. 
 
 Like the yhitton, tlien, ( )'Fliiherty stuck to the 
 moose. He ehitched the huL,'e aniinur.s bristlinj^' 
 mane with hands and teeth, and threw liiniself as 
 flat as possihle uj)on its back. Fortunately for him, 
 the thicket did not extend for more th('in iifty or sixty 
 yards beyond tlie creek, .and being mostly comprised 
 of young alders and willows, it offered Ji much less 
 stubborn resistance to the passage of the elk than 
 would have been the case with trees of a less yielding 
 nature. 
 
 Just as Harry was wondering what was best to be 
 done he heard a noise behind him, and looking round 
 saw Frank and Itobert hasteniu*' towards liini through 
 the clump. 
 
 " Hillo ! Harry," said the former, '* what's the 
 matter ? We thought we heard cries for help, so we 
 hurried here as fast as we could. AVhere's Paddy?" 
 
 " Gone off on the back of a huge elk, at the rate of 
 twenty miles an hour, I should think," replied the 
 younger boy. 
 
 " On the back of an elk T' 
 
 " Yes, what is to be done ^ He cried out most 
 piteously for help as the huge creature dashed olf with 
 him." 
 
 " But how in the world did he get upon the elk's 
 back ? " asked Frank, wonderingly, " and having got 
 
 iL 
 
 .„-^-..^a.ir-r....--ryjv»^MHWI 
 
 V 
 
TERMINATION OF THE MOOSE HUNT. 
 
 123 
 
 there ami found he did not like it, what was to hinder 
 his jumpinj^f ofl' aj^ain ? " 
 
 " And hcing gored to deatli ! " replied tlie boy. 
 '* Tint there is not time to explain more than that the 
 poor fellow came into his unenviable position entirely 
 against his will, and precarious though it may ])e, he 
 naturally prefers tlie back to the horns of ji dilemma! " 
 
 "Oh, you facetious Harry," said tiie elder brother, 
 laughing, " where 's Kobert gone, I wonder," lie con- 
 tinued. 
 
 " Here I am, sir," shouted the latter individual from 
 the thicket beyond; I'm unho])l)ling the mules and 
 putting on tlieir l)ridh*s, as I thought, may be you'd 
 want them." 
 
 "Why! of course tlie very thing!" t^vclaimed 
 Harry. 
 
 " Kobert's an old campaigner, and has got his wits 
 about him," said Frank, smiling, " you had better 
 mount one of the animals and liobert the other," \u' 
 continued, addressing Harry; "and gallop oil" to 
 (^'Flaherty's assistance, while T give the alarm to the 
 rest of the hunters. ' 
 
 " All right," answered the boy, and the next minute 
 he and liobert had cleared the thicket, and were urg- 
 ing their fleet-footed nmles in rapid pursuit of the 
 then distant moose. 
 
 The latter, with his luckless rider, was making 
 straight for the Muddy Fork Hiver, and with that 
 
 «ii 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 Hi 
 id 
 Ji 
 
 
 
 ill 
 
 Pi 
 
 ■ 'f 
 
124 
 
 THE YOrNO RANCHMKN. 
 
 I , 
 
 » 
 
 peculiar instinct that prompts these animals wlien 
 plaj^'ucd by Hies and hard pressed by the hunter, to 
 take to the water, he phniL^'ed into the nearest p(X)l. 
 
 For a moment or two, O'Klaherty was quite under 
 water, but, presently the moose rose to the surface 
 near tlie middh; of the river, and there it remaineil 
 with only its heatl above the water, liy sitting 
 U])ri<fht, the Irishman was just able to keep his head 
 also above the surface. In this ])redicament he cried 
 loudly for help. Attracted by his cries, ]Iarry and 
 liol)ert soon reached the spot, and, not perceiving the 
 two heads, were about to pass on in search of a ford. 
 TJiey supposed that the moose had crossed over the 
 river, and had probably rubbed oil' its unwelcome 
 burden against one of the trees which thickly fringed 
 the further bank of tlie stream. 
 
 " Arrah ! now, bad luck to ve ! would ve l)e after 
 desarting a poor boy in his extrimity ! " exclaimed a 
 deprecating voice which seemed to proceed from what, 
 in the uncertain light, and deep shadows cast upon 
 the water by the rays of the setting sun, appeared 
 like two old stumps sticking out of the water. 
 
 " Whist ! " cried Harry, " Kobert, that's Paddy's 
 
 voice 
 
 » >' 
 
 " Where in the world are you, Paddy ? " shouted 
 Harry. 
 
 "Och! thin, I'm here, worse luck, and drhowning 
 afore yer 're very eyes ! 
 
 ) »> 
 
 iLi. 
 
TERMINATION OF THE MOOSE IK'NT. 
 
 125 
 
 "Oil! T see liovv inattc^rs stand," <'xrl{uine{i Harry, 
 W'lio liad l)cen shading his eyes willi his hands, and 
 staring hard at the suj)po.sed stump. " That's \)(n)T 
 I'uddy's head, and tlie one beyond is the head and 
 horns of the elU. The ])rute is trying to drown the 
 poor fellow, wliat can we do to help him ? " 
 
 "We must throw him a rope and pull him ashore," 
 answered llobert, wlio had already dismounted and 
 
 was quickly 
 
 ding the packing cord which 
 
 unw 
 aiiacned lo iiis saddle. 
 
 "Of course, the very thing!" said 1 Tarry, as he 
 jumped down Jind hol)hled the mules to i)revent their 
 straying away wiiile he and llobert were engaged in 
 rescuing the Irishman. 
 
 In a few minutes Robert had succeeded in throwing 
 the cord within reach of O'Flaherty, who quickly 
 secured it round his waist. 
 
 " lieady ? " shouted Harry. 
 
 " Yis, Sirrh. But, och hone ! I'll be drhowned 
 enthirely afore ye get me ashore ! " 
 
 ' Never fear," replied the boy. " Take a good long 
 breath. Shut your mouth and loose your hold of the 
 elk, and we '11 have you out of tlie water in less than 
 no time. Are you ready yet ? " 
 
 Toor Pat at last summoned uj) courage to give the 
 signal, and was carefully and speedily dragged ashore 
 by his two friends. 
 
 '• You are well out of that my lad ! " said llobert, 
 
 I i 
 
 
 i'' 
 
126 
 
 THK YOUNCJ HANCIIMEN, 
 
 jis ho ^av(! tlio liiilf (Irowiu'd man liis Imnd to luilp 
 liim ii}) th(5 bunk. " Th(»re, him n^'ainst ni(! until you 
 L'ct your breatli." Ik^ <M)ntinu(Ml, .sui)iK)rtin«i him in his 
 
 arms. 
 
 Meanwhihi llarry was intently watrhin'' thcnnoose. 
 Ilchcvt'd of its awkward Iturdcn, it swam rapidly 
 towards {\n\ triius which frini^'cd thii further side of the 
 river. It had, however, searcely scramhh'd asliore 
 when Ifarry lired a well-direrted sliot, whieh l)rou<4lit 
 the ])oor ereatun* to its knees. 
 
 Klated l>y Ids success, the youni;' hunlcir was lusli- 
 in^^ oil* to lind a ford Ity whicli to cross the river when 
 Kohert siud. " St(»j), Master Harry, vom had better 
 juni]) on one of the mules, and I will follow you with 
 the otlier ; the water is pretty d(;ep even below the 
 
 )()() 
 
 1. 
 
 1 
 
 "All ri<,dit," said Harry, mountin*,' the nearest 
 
 nude as he s])oke, and j^allopinj^' oil' to the place 
 
 indicated. 
 
 He hiul 'f()t safely over the stream and was 
 hastenini^' towards the now prostrate elk wlien he 
 heard the sound of hoofs close beliind him. Supposinic 
 that it was liol)ert on the other nmle, he did not look 
 round, but uri^'ed his animal to t^a'eater speed lest he 
 should miss the honour of l)ein,i,' first in at the 
 death. 
 
 Had the excited boy but cast one l)ackward glance 
 over his shoulder he would have had no further 
 
 1 
 
TEKMINATION oK T||K MOOSK HUNT. 
 
 127 
 
 thuiiglit to )ii\\' to tin- iiuHJSL', liiil wtiiild liiivr cockL'tl 
 his rifle iuid ])n'iiiin'(l to tiiilit for lilV' mikI lilicrty. 
 
 It was not, liowt'wr, iiiilil liisl lln- lu-ad jumI tln'ii 
 tho in'ck of ji linrsc, instL'iid of a mule, drew uradiialiy 
 aloii<4sido of him that he hjokud u[» with a startlud 
 cry. 
 
 h was too latt^ ! Tho l>rawiiv arm of a Sioux 
 
 hid 
 
 iaii alrcac 
 
 ciicirc 
 
 lud 1 
 
 lis waist, and in anotlici 
 
 )tli 
 
 instant h<^ hdt liimsulf lifted Itodily fnmi his scat. 
 In s})ito (»f his kicks and slinuulcs the iinfortnnalc 
 hoy was soon placed nnceremonioiisly across the 
 horsu's withers in front of his savage captor. 
 
 It Wiis then jtoor Harry's turn to cry out for help, 
 whicli he did lustilv until silencccl hv a hlow on 
 the head from the btitt-end of a uuii. 
 
 
 I 
 
 r: 
 
' 
 
 1 
 
 ^I 
 
 
 WM 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 j^^P^^ 
 
 m^ik^m 
 
 ^M 
 
 ^^^J^ j^ioKSHO! 
 
 j^^H^^Rtf^*^" ^ Jtt J^ PI 
 
 ^^3^y^9 
 
 m^M 
 
 §S 
 
 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 AN EXCITING CHASE. 
 
 h ' 
 
 HAYiNCr secured liis victim, tlie Indian turned his 
 horse's head and liurried oil' in the direction of one of 
 the spurs of tlie ]3ear Mountains, wliere probably 
 r. i)arty of hunters from liis own tribe were encamped. 
 He was, liowever, already pursued. 
 
 After attending to the necessities of the poor 
 Irishman, and placing liim in a comfortable i)osition 
 on tlie bank, Robert took oil' his coat anil threw it 
 over him. Then promising to return as soon as 
 possible, he mounted the remaining nude and hastened 
 after his young master. 
 
 The ex-soldier had scarcely I'cached the further 
 bank of the river when he was startled by loud 
 cries of " Help : Robert ! Indians ! Help ! " Although 
 but a .-iiort distance from the spot whence the sound 
 pr(»ceeded, Robert was unable to see what was taking- 
 place on account of a sniall but dense clump of 
 
 a 
 
 \; ' t 
 
AX EXCITINr; CHASE. 
 
 120 
 
 trees aiid bushes which frinuied th(i river at tliis point. 
 Urujinj:,' forward his mule with repeated bloA's of tlie 
 eoil of rope wliich lie carried in one hand, the .ij;ood 
 fellow quickly circled tlu^ intervening obstacle. No 
 sooner had he done so than he found himself in 
 the presence of an enrn'gency calculated to test 
 even the resources and ])roniptitude of an old cam- 
 paigner. 
 
 Galloping over the prairie in front of him was 
 a solitary horseman on a powerful horse. The savage 
 was fully armed with gun, tomahawk, and scalping 
 knife, and held across his knee a i)rostrate tigme, 
 which, although the cries had now ceased, Kobert 
 at once recognised as that <»f his young master. 
 
 The man's first im[)ulse was to endeavour to cut 
 oti' the Indian's retreat. The latter, in striking awav 
 
 fr 
 
 om 
 
 the river in the direction of the mountain 
 
 already referred to, was riding almost directly across 
 the line taken ])y Kobert in skirting the trees, and 
 consequently in doing so the redskin lost most of 
 the advantage of his earlier start. Moreover, his 
 horse was heavily handicapped by reas<ui of his double 
 burden. 
 
 Encouraged Ity sucii consideiations as these, and 
 rendered desperate by the thought of the issues which 
 were at stake, Uobcrt plied the coil of rope to liis 
 nude's Hanks with unceasing energy. The territied 
 creature scarcely seenuid to touch the u'ound as ii 
 
 i; 
 
': ! 
 
 130 
 
 THE VOrXfJ UANrHMEN. 
 
 Hod onward with outstrotcluMl neck Jiiid tail. Already 
 iIk; two or three hundred yards which at iirst 
 sepirated pursuer and pursuetl had been sensibly 
 dh'iinished. The frequency with wliich the wily 
 savage jrlanced back ovc^r his shoulder and tlien 
 cruelly jmcked his ove^weii^dited steed with the 
 point of liis scalping- knife, showed tliat he was 
 beconiinu,' a])pre!iensive. The mule beuan to iUv^ but 
 Lazenby urged it forward with voice, rope, and l)it. 
 A few minutes more and he would have lu'en within 
 striking distance. 
 
 Robert clubbed liis riHe and loosened tiie knife 
 at his l)elt. He dared not five, for the Indian, 
 • louljtless with the very object of deterring him, 
 was bending closely over his young captive. 
 
 ])y a tremendous eliort the mule, which was a line 
 specimen of its race, had reached within a few lengths 
 of its e([uine com})etitor, when the hitter's tawny rider 
 suddenly sat upright. I'efort; liobert could divine his 
 intention, the crafty redskin had turned in his seat and 
 levelled his u,un mnm him. Kobert 'ristinctivelv drew 
 rein. Tiie mule, thus sliar[)ly checked, threw up its 
 head ar.d received the l)ullet, which was discharged at 
 that instant, in its biain. 
 
 Down came the j»oor mule headlong to the ct;rth, 
 its rider being thrown on his face some fifteen feet 
 further on. 
 
 Inn'tunately t^.u phiin was Iiere clotluHi with a short 
 
AN' KXriTI\<J CHASE, 
 
 181 
 
 :: 1:1 
 
 but dense rjrowth (tf grass, which was already half 
 turned intcj natural hay by the dry and heated 
 atniosjiliere of these uleyated tracts. 'I'his luckily 
 broke Ids fall, and Koliert wiis soon on his feet and 
 little the worse for his tund)le. lUit what chance had 
 lie now of sayiii'4 his younu' master ? I lis licet nude 
 was stretched lifeless on the ground behind him, and 
 eyery moment increased the distance between himself 
 and the lad he had striyen to rescue. Suddenly a 
 thought struck him— there was still one thing that 
 could oyertake tlie flying courser, and that was a ritle 
 ball. 
 
 As liooert stooped to [»ick u[) his ritle, which had 
 fallen from his hand when he was hurled to the 
 ground, he heard a derisiye laugh, and, looking u]). 
 saw that the Sioux Ijraye had wheeled round and was 
 beckoning him w^ith gilje and jeer to follow. 
 
 "Wait a moment, you scoundrel!" cried Kobert, as 
 he disengaged a tuft of withered grass which ha<l become 
 twisted round the lock (/f his weapon. " Wait a 
 moment, my fine fellow, and i '11 make you laugh out 
 of the wrong corner of your mouth." 
 
 As liobert spoke he stepped back behind the 
 carcass of the mule. 
 
 '■ Ugh ! " exclaimed the Indian, " does the pale-face 
 think he can awake his long-eared pony ^ Let him 
 try ! " 
 
 tSu saying, the crafty redskin, doubtless aware of his 
 
 ;iif 
 
 j. .1 
 
; '. 
 
 ifc 
 
 I 
 
 132 
 
 Tin: vorxr, kaxchmkn. 
 
 (iiieniy's purpose, faced (juickly iib(»ut iij^ain and ron- 
 tiiuicd lii.s llij^ht. 
 
 Al tlie siiiiu' iiioiiieiit liolKiil threw hiniselt' down 
 liehind the mule and, kivellin^' his rifle across its 
 motionless Ixulv, took a steady aim at tlie (luieklv 
 retreating horse. 
 
 Tlie hnllet sped on its way with unerring certainty, 
 and entering just V)ehind the shouMer, ])ierced the 
 lieart of the nobki creature, wliich bounded liigli into 
 tlie air, and then fell lifeless to the ground, llarrv, 
 already dazed by the blow he had received u])on his 
 liead, was flung for some distance along tlie grass, Init 
 the ln(Uan, less fortunate, lay pinned beneath liis 
 steed. 
 
 " Harr}', Master Harry 1 I hope you 're not hurt, 
 sir," shouted Lazenby, as lie rushed breathlessly up. 
 
 " No, no, I am all right, old fellow," answered tlie 
 boy, as he jumped u})on his feet, delighted to find that 
 matters had taken so favourable a turn. 
 
 "Thank (Jod for that !" was the fervent response. 
 
 Meanwhile the Indian was making the most frantic 
 attempts to disengage himself from his fallen horse. 
 lUit all to no purpose, as the whole weight of the 
 animal's carcass rested upon his right leg. Seeing his 
 predicament, and with thoughtless generositj, liobert 
 sprang forward to his assistance. The savage, how- 
 ever, expecting no mercy, mistook the poor fellow's 
 purpose, and seizing his tomahawk, which lay withiii 
 
AN LXCITINfi CHASE. 
 
 I :}.S 
 
 reach, liu Imilcd it with tenilic force ;it his WDuld-hc 
 deliverer. Tlie hitter perceived tlie moveinenl, and 
 (hicked his liead, hut harely in time to avoid th(3 
 iiiurderoii.s axe, which actually swept nil' the ch)S('- 
 fitliug old forage cap that he wore. 
 
 "Well, that's polite of vou, and no mistake, vuu 
 copper-headed villain ! " exclaimed La/enhy, greatly 
 exasperatetl. " ^'ou 've no more mannt^rs than a 
 voosiau . 
 
 Tliis was a, favourite expression of the ex-sohher's, 
 who had once been severely wounded in llu; ( 'rimea hy a 
 dying Russian, to wiiom he liad given a drink of water, 
 and who. thus refreshed, spent his sole remaining 
 str(jngth in discharging his musket at the retiring fi>rm 
 of his generous benefactor. 
 
 "What a narrow escape! l>ut, never mind, old 
 fellow," said Ifarij, as he picked up the ca]), *" there's 
 some excuse for an Inchan wlio makes no profession 
 of civilisation, much less of rliristianity. besides, he 
 doubtless mistook vour intention, and thought vou 
 were going to give him the coup de f/nhr.'' 
 
 " The what, sir i " 
 
 " Well, in plain English, to knock him on the head," 
 explained the boy, with a merry laugh. " lUit, hillo ! 
 who conies there ?" he continued in a tone of surjjrise, 
 and pointing in the direction of the river. 
 
 Robert looked in that direction, and then set about 
 reloading his ritie with the utmost despatcii. This 
 
 •:- 
 
 ■it! 
 
 I 
 
i 
 
 i I 
 
 134 
 
 THE YOUNG KAXCHMfiN*. 
 
 done, he again directed his j^aze .-ii the horseman, for 
 such the approaching object appeared to Ijc. 
 
 " Oh : it 's all right," lie s:iid at last, " tliere'>. nf» 
 iiiii^taking the, gait oi' that animal, and, if I am not 
 getting near-sighted, it 's liigby liiniselt' who 's astride 
 
 it . 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
o 
 
 )l 
 
 
 ': >U'^^^/jM^ 
 
 
 i>a^ 
 
 CHArTEK XVI. 
 
 CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 
 
 Lazenby was right. The rapidly approaching figure 
 was that of the young Kentuckian bestriding the mule 
 from which poor Harry had but lately been ho un- 
 ceremoniously snatched. 
 
 It turned out that liigV)y had reached the river 
 soon after the irishman's rescue, and, hearing from 
 him that young Weston and Lazenby had crossetl over 
 in pursuit of the elk, Ethan determined to follow and 
 assist them in skinning and cutting up the meat. 
 Once across the river, he quickly discovered tiie trail, 
 but was somewhat puzzled to find how soon one of 
 the nmles had diverged from it towards the open 
 prairie. Pusliing hastily forward, however, he soon 
 sighted the fallen moose. lUit where were the 
 hunters ? Ah ! there was another trail leading into, 
 or rather nearly parallel with the one he was on. It 
 came from the direction of a small cluni}), or island, 
 as it is called, of cottonwood trees, a hundred yards 
 
 i''\ 
 
 

 136 
 
 THE Yorxr; haxchmen. 
 
 a way to hi.s ri^lit. lV!rhai).s it was wliere the mule 
 and his lidor, whoso (livcrguiicc, lie had already 
 remarked, had returned a^ain to llie traek ol tin; elk. 
 Xo, the ]ioot'-})rints were those of a horse and not a 
 mule. What eould it all mean ? Who was th(» 
 solitary horseniiin, and what did he want ? Such 
 were the ([Uestions that presented themselves in rajwd 
 succession to the mind of the youni,' Kentuckian as he 
 hurried anxiously forward. A strange forebodinif of 
 evil had suddenly taken possession of him which he 
 tried in vain to resist. Visions of JUackfeet Indians 
 and ani])uscades, Crows and treacherous Snakes floated 
 across his mental vision. 
 
 " Whist ! what is the meaning' of that ?" he suddeidy 
 exclaimed, half aloud, as a gunshot resounded throu<;h 
 the silent eveninjf air. " That shot was not lire(l 
 from any shooting inui of our company," he nnised. 
 
 The young Kentuckian had halted and was listen- 
 ing intently for some further indication of what was 
 taking ])lace. All at once a kind of low whinny 
 caught his ear. lie looked in the direction whence 
 the sound proceeded, and there perceived tiie head of 
 a mule which, with ears pricked, was gazing (piietly 
 at him from among the tall flags and reeds of a 
 swampy piece of ground close by. 
 
 This was the animal that poor Harry had been 
 riding until so unceremoniously kidnapped by the 
 mounted Indian. The mule belonged to Iligby's 
 
i :l 
 
 CONDEMNED 'in DKA'IH. 
 
 l:n 
 
 fntlici', and, apparently glad to sue its young niaslcr, 
 it stoctd perfectly still until tlic latter caine up and 
 led it caret'ullv on to tlie firm ground. 
 
 Ethan ([uiekly adjusted the bricUe, and was tighten- 
 ing tli(! saddh^ girths when a seeond and shari)er, 
 thougli less noisy report readied his ear. 
 
 "Ah! that's a rifleshot!" exclaimed the hunter, 
 and s]»ringing upon the mule's hack, he galloi)ed 
 ra])idly off in the direction whenc(» the sound ]>ro- 
 ceeded. 
 
 Mi 
 
 ■* r>ravo ! Kthan, old fellow, we're very glad to see 
 you !" exclaimed Harry, accosting the newcomer as he 
 drew up beside them, " we were just wondeiing what 
 we shoidd do with this implacable redskin T' 
 
 "Do? why, iirst of all release the i)oor wretch 
 from his painful position ! " replied the kind-hearted 
 Ivigby, " can't you see the horse is lying on his toot i " 
 and he stepped forward to assist the Indian. 
 
 "Take care what you are about!" shouted Robert, 
 " the rascal has nearly brained me a moment ago for 
 attempting the same thing ! " 
 
 "Oh! never fear, I car — " 
 
 The young Kentuckian suddenly stopped short and 
 stared hard at the countenance of the prostrate; 
 warrior, who returned his gaze with untlinching 
 hauteur. Each recognised the other in the same 
 moment. 
 
 ■n 
 
 I 
 
138 
 
 THE Yf)rN(i RANCHMEN. 
 
 ' leconsii ! 
 
 '* l'.L,']i! the bijj, i»Jile-l'ii(:(3 luis not for^otU'ii ihc cliicf 
 who caiTicd olf iha ,i;()l(UMi-li{iirL'(l maiden ! He can 
 liavc ])is revenj^L'. Tt'con.sa is like a trapped beaver. " 
 
 " Von forget that I am not a vindictive redskin like 
 yourself!" nq)licd I{i<;l>y, scornfully, as lie motioned 
 to Ills companions to assist him in rcmovinu the heavy 
 carcass of the horse. 
 
 This done, they set the Inilian upon his feet, and, 
 tinding that he was not nuich Inn't, they hound liis 
 wrists tightly tog(!thcr Ix'hind liis l)ack, and hade him 
 on pain of death march quietly Ijeside them. 
 
 Having mounted Harry upon the remaining nndc; 
 the whole purty lost no time in retracing their steps. 
 Tiie sun was within an hour of setting and they had 
 a long way to go before reaching the appointed 
 rendi'zvous. 
 
 " We nnist not forget the moose," said Kigby, " it 
 is not far out of our road, and won't take long to skin 
 if we all bear a h.'ind." 
 
 " Certainly," replied Harry, " it would never do to 
 return to camp luiadorned l)y the trophies of the 
 chase, especially after the loss W(; have sustained in 
 that useful mule." 
 
 " Well, at any rate, Master Harry, we shall have a 
 l)risoner of war to show ! " said llobert, as he glanced 
 admiringly at the tall, proud figure of the. Sioux chief, 
 who strode haughtily along by his side. 
 
 s 
 
rONOEMNKI) TO DKATH. 
 
 i:{i) 
 
 Thore was iiiucli in h-ll in ihu liiintini^ ciini]) tliat 
 iiijjlit. Hurry VV^cstoii and ( )'Fljiht'rty wt^ro the^ heroes 
 of the Ijour, and many and sinccn; wen; llu; coniifrat- 
 ulations tliey leceived. Lazmlty, too, rccoivcd a fair 
 sliare of attention, and n(j little praise for the prompti- 
 tude h(j had displayed in elVeciinn- his vniina master's 
 rescue. 
 
 " And wliat's to he done willi tli«' ]>risoner Teconsa V 
 enquired Frank. 
 
 "Hold a drum-head court - martial on him," sug- 
 jj;ested liobert. 
 
 " Shoot him I " cried one old trai)per. 
 
 "Make him run the ,i;a\uitlet," said another. 
 
 "Tie him u]» to one of these trees and leave him 
 to perish of huufijer and thirst, as sonu^ of Ids tarna- 
 tion tribe once did to a brother of mine," liissed 
 Indian Bill, as he darted a look of deadly hatred at 
 the eaptiye Sioux. The latter took no notice of the 
 remark, indeed he appeared pi^rfectly obliyious of all 
 that was beiuL!," sai<l. His hands had lieen set at 
 liberty, and he sat ([uieth smokinj.^ a long pi])e. A 
 stalwart trapper who had been constituted gaoler, 
 pro tern., stood oyer iiim with loaded rifie. Many nf 
 the trappers and hunters had sidlered more or less 
 severely at the hands of the Sioux in days gone by, 
 and, excited l>y the words of Indian Hill, tliey seemed 
 bent upon wii)ing ofi' old scores and ready for any 
 mischief. Tlie clamour rose higher and higher, and 
 
 ' i 
 
 "'' 
 
140 
 
 TIIK YOlNd KANCIIMEN. 
 
 \ i 
 
 soini! even drew theii- hnv^ hiintin;^ knives imil sjnan^' 
 lo their feet, as if tlicy wtmld, then and lliere, fall 
 upon tlie ha])less redskin and stah him to ih(! heart. 
 
 'I'he eahnesl j)erson in the ^ji'oiij) seenie(l to he the 
 elnel' liiniself. Allliou^li liis knowk'd^e of Kni^lish. 
 together witli tlu; ^'estur(?s of llie crowd that sur- 
 rounded liini, made liim well aware of his critical 
 position, yet he smoked calmly on, intently watching- 
 the wieaths of spiral smoke as they rose rej^ularly 
 upward from the howl of his l>ipe. lie was a line- 
 looking' sava<^e in the prime of his youth, and hoth 
 Frank and Harry were lost in admiration at the 
 stoical indifl'erenei! he disjdayed to the very alarminj^ 
 state of aiVairs all around him. The scornful, vet 
 scarcely i)erceptihle smile that played {U)out the 
 corners of his mouth alone hetrayed how keenly he 
 was alive to all that was passin*^'. 
 
 At this moment a toweriuf^' form was seen forcing,' 
 a way through the knot of an^ry men. It was 
 Kthan l{i<,d)y. 
 
 " Stand hack there ! " he shouted, as he placed him- 
 self in front of the prisoner. " This man, redskin 
 though he he, once saved me from l)eing hiicked in 
 pieces hy his fellows, and I 'm not j^oing to stand hy 
 and see him hutc'nered in cold hlood. The man who 
 aims a hlt)w at Tcu^onsa shall learn wliat it means to 
 make an enemy of Ethan Ki,u;hy I " 
 
 "Eh ! and of Itobert Lazenby, too :" exclaimed the 
 
roN'DE.MXKI) TO DEATH. 
 
 1 M 
 
 «^\-s()Mi('r, slr]»]iiiin up hoiilc tin- Imut' Kt'iitucUian, 
 
 and, what is more," li 
 
 (' CO 
 
 ntiiuicd, " I (laiiii the 
 
 Indian as ]\\y jdisoiicr, lor I lliiid^' ynti will nnl dis- 
 ]»iilc tlic fact that I was the means nl' siMMirinj^' hini." 
 
 " Vou aiv liulil llicic, Ijohcit, my man. and I will 
 sea thai lut harm comes to tln^ Sioux ehiel' until he 
 is l)rought up liefore my lather, Major Wt'stou, tu 
 rect'ivu wiuiteNci' j)uni.shmenl he may see tit to in- 
 tlict," said Frank. 
 
 "And who, in tlu; name of lortune, are you, luy 
 fine voun<' eoxeondi:'" tauntini'ly demanded an ill- 
 favoured fellow who had been out; of the liist to erv 
 for the prisoner's blood. This cowardly wreteh, a 
 true type of some of the lowest classes (jf trappei's, 
 who shoot down the poor Indians as though thev 
 were so many wild bi^asts, whenever thev cross their 
 ]>ath, was furious at Kigby's interference and chani- 
 l)ionship of the Sioux chief. JUit a wholesome dread 
 of the younj;' Xentuckian's ])r(jwoss obliged liim to 
 smother his indignation as far as it concerned the 
 latter. Youn<4 Weston's unlooked-for interference, 
 however, and the air of confidence with which he 
 spoke, drew down upon him all the blackL^niard's 
 pent-up ire. The retined-lookin;.;' and faii'-haired 
 English lad, moreover, seemed to be a safe enijugh 
 mark at which to vent his s})leen. Meanwhilt; the 
 faithful liol)ert was scarcely restrained by IIigi)y, 
 who was opportunely backed by a warning glance 
 
 I 
 
 :r 
 
 f .t 
 
 t III 
 
 iil' ' 
 
142 
 
 THE YOUXfJ UANCH.MEX. 
 
 from Frank, from nishiiiy straight at the insultin*^ 
 trapper. 
 
 " And so," continued the latter, waxing bolder as 
 he misinterpreted the boy's contemptuous silence for 
 fear, " and so yer tliink to lord it over free and 
 independent trappers and liunters, as yer precious 
 daddy does over a parcel of poor emigrant folk, do 
 yer, my tine young liritisher?" As lie spoke, the 
 braggart had advanced inconveniently near to the 
 subject of iiis attack, who showed his contem])t and 
 displeasure by turning his back u])()n him, with an 
 expression of extreme disgust, and the added caution, 
 "Have a care, my man, or I may be compelled to 
 chastise vou ! " 
 
 Tliereupon there were some hisses at the oMender 
 and a murmur of sympathy with young Weston, whtt 
 was always- a favourite on account of his free, cheerful 
 disposition, and more especially after his noble con- 
 duct in the Arapahoe incident. 
 
 These adverse demonstrations, however, did not 
 tend to soothe the trapper's wrath, and, suddenl}' 
 raising his hand, he caught Frank a heavy cull' upon 
 the ear. The retaliation for this act of indi;;nity was 
 as complete as it was sudden and unexpected. 
 
 Like a woundtid tiger, Frank turned upon his 
 cowardly assailant. The boy's brow was crimson, 
 and his eyes Hashed tire, as he glared for an instant 
 upon him. Then with one swift and well-djrec ted 
 
 ' t 
 
1 
 
 OONDEMNEl) TO DEATH. 
 
 143 
 
 r 
 
 on 
 
 its 
 
 lilt 
 
 ti(\ 
 
 ])low, strai^lit from tlic shoulder, lie. felled the bullv 
 to the earth. 
 
 It all happened so suddenly that the by-standers 
 were thunderstruck. Then tliere was a loud and 
 simultaneous burst of applause at younj,' AVeston'a 
 startling manifestation of !atr'?ngtli and resolution. 
 As for the crestfallen trapper he slowly rose to his 
 feet and slunk away to the adjacent stream to batlie 
 his throbbing temples, muttering raid cursing as he 
 went. Doubtless he would like to have tried con- 
 clusions once again with his redoubtable young adver- 
 sary, but he saw that the sympathy of his comrades 
 was all with the latter, and that, even if successful, 
 he would be likely to receive yet rougher treatment 
 at their hands. 
 
 When matters had calmed" down again, it was 
 decided to send Teconsa under an escort to the 
 emigrant camp on the (Jreen lliver, to receive his 
 sentence from the commandant, jVLijor Weston. 
 
 Accordingly, early the next morning, Kigby and 
 Lazenby marched out in ch.irge of the Indian, while 
 Frank mounted the mule ai-d rode on as quickly as 
 he could in advance, both to ap]n'ise his father of tlu' 
 success of the hunting ]»arty, and to tell him of tlie 
 capture and near approach of Teconsa. He was also 
 commissioned to send back an empty waggon and a 
 team of four mules or liorses, to br r in the elk meat 
 and skins. 
 
 m 
 

 144 
 
 THE YOl NG RAXCHMEN. 
 
 A ftw hours later, a temporary court had been 
 instituted, which was presided over by the elder 
 liigby, Ethan's father, and a jury of intelligent men. 
 And the Sioux chief was arraigned before it on the 
 following charges : — 
 
 First, the unlawful and forcible seizure, carrying 
 away, and detention of ]\Iiss Weston. 
 
 Second, kidnapping and assaulting Harry Weston, 
 and attempting to rnurder Eobert Lazenby. 
 
 The prisoner was understood to plead " Not guilty." 
 
 The trial lasted several hours, during which time 
 Harry and others arrived in camp and gave their 
 evidence. 
 
 After all the witnesses had been called, old liigby 
 summed up with considerable shrewdness and ability, 
 and then the twelve jurors retired behind a waggon to 
 consider their verdict. Five minutes sutiiced for 
 them to discover that they were almost all of the 
 same mind, and, on returning into court, and in 
 answer to the President's question, the foreman, amid 
 the most profound silence, pronounced the ominous 
 word, ''Guilty ;" "but," he added kindly, "some of us 
 recommend him to mercy." 
 
 The unmistakable murnuir of applause whicli 
 greeted the announcement of the verdict showed that 
 it was in keeping with the popular feeling. 
 
 Silence having been at length restored, tlie Indian 
 was asked if he had anything to say before his sentence 
 
CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 
 
 145 
 
 was pronounced. He had been allowed to sit durinj^ 
 the trial between liis two guards on a bencli formed 
 ])}' a piece of ' oard supported between two Hour 
 barrels placed on end. When it was over, however, 
 the chief rose to his feet, and, after glancing round 
 defiantly, he folded his arms across his broad chest, 
 and made a fiery and ehxpient speech. 
 
 '■ Vagabond l*alefaces," he said, " there is eternal 
 war, war to the death, between your race and mine, 
 between red man and white ! Your fathers came from 
 beyond the broad waters, from the rising of the sun. 
 They held up the branch of peace, and begged a little 
 ground whereon to nuse corn for their families. The 
 red men's hearts were big ; they had plains and forests, 
 hills and valleys, rivers and lakes — they gavt; without 
 stint to the weary suppliants. 
 
 " And what has been their recompense ? The 
 wliite men have become strong and numerous. They 
 have cut down the forests and destroyed the game, 
 iiud now thev are crossing tlie ''reat river, the Mother 
 of waters, and spreading themselves over the prairies. 
 They are like locusts, they tat up the land, and 
 there will soon be no ])lace left for the Indian's 
 winwain. 
 
 " White men, there can be no peace Ix'Lween your 
 l)eople and n.ine. The (Ireat Spirit has placed 
 the red men or^ these boundless hunting grounds ; and 
 We will not yield them \\\) without a struggle. 
 
 '* !l 
 
 I 
 
 i l.f: 
 
 \m 
 
 
 
 N 
 
 » 1 i ] 
 
I4(i 
 
 THE YOrXf! ilANCHMEN. 
 
 " You say llie land is wide, but it is not wide 
 enough for us both. The ( Jreat Spirit has not made 
 tlie red men and tlie white to live together. If we 
 bury the hatehet and permit you to remain we are lost ! 
 
 '' Where are the Hurons and the Iroquois ? 
 
 " Wliere an; tlie Mohawks and the Shawnees ? 
 
 " Ah ! you know well — their names alone remain. 
 
 ** I tell you there is war to tlu; death between your 
 raee and mine, and tlui struggle will not and cannot 
 cease until tiie white man or the Indian shall perish 
 from the earth. You liave got me in your jwwer and 
 can kill me if you choose — I am ready ; I die but 
 once. But T shall not fall unavenged, the lodges of 
 my people are vi^ry near. The Sioux warriors are 
 brave, they will avenge the blood of their chief, and 
 there will be nmch weeping in the camp of the long- 
 knives. It is enough, Teconsa has spoken." 
 
 As the chief resumed his seat, the deep silence 
 which had prevailed during his fiery and pathetic 
 harangue, was broken by murmurs of sympathy from 
 many in the crowd. One or two half smothered sobs 
 were heard, proceeding from a waggon which stood 
 near, and also ]\[ajor Weston's voice endeavouring to 
 soothe his daugliter's generous grief. 
 
 " Certainly, my child, I will do all 1 can to save 
 his life," he was saying ; " and, as the commander of 
 this train, I can at least claim the privilege of 
 remitting the death sentence." 
 
 ( 
 
 hi 
 
CONDEMNED To DEATH. 
 
 y 
 
 147 
 
 of 
 of 
 
 " You must do more, dear father," urged his 
 daughter. " You must insist upon iiis being placed 
 at liberty." 
 
 "All!" lie replied, with a deep sigli, "1 should 
 rejoice to see niv fellow travellers setting a merciful 
 example to these poor savages, that tliey may catch 
 some glimmer, liowever faint, of the Christian Faith. 
 But come with me, dearest," continued the Major, 
 ' and you shall plead yourself for Teconsa's life and 
 liljerty. They will not deny any request that tlie 
 Queen of the Camp, as they call you, may make, 
 whereas it will not do for me to put too great a 
 strain upon the silken roins of my autliority." 
 
 Meanwhile, the judge was proceeding to i)ass sen- 
 tence upon the prisoner — after a brief and apparently 
 heated consultation with two worthy comrades. 
 Assuming a stern and solemn attitude, old lligby 
 began as follows : — 
 
 " Teconsa, Chief of tlie Sioux, you have been found 
 guilty on each and every count of the indictment 
 against you. It is therefore my painful duty to 
 sentence you to death. I am sorry for you. You 
 are a brave man, and have niiidc a grand sj)eech. 
 But you are a heathen and a redskin, and you liave 
 therefore no claim t<t belligerent riglits. We are 
 Christians, and savages such as you must not presume 
 1<» dispute our entry into your ancient domains. You 
 must be content to lie down 'and let us trample you 
 
 it. 
 
 n 
 
Ill 
 
 I I 
 
 148 
 
 THE VoUNG ranchmen. 
 
 boiieatli our feet. PiitrioLisiii is a tiiiu tliiii.ii;, but it is 
 not to b(i indulged in l)y savages. Xo, it is tlie 
 Divine. ii<:ht of civilised beintrs. liesides. we are 
 
 Cli 
 
 I said l)efore. 
 
 d 
 
 Ol 
 
 e must mi] 
 upon inferior races such as yours the desiraljilil^ 
 conforming to the rules of Christian ])ractice. I will 
 read you some of tin.' noble precepts f»r the Christ- 
 ianity we profess. Here they are, in the very words 
 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: — 
 
 " ' 1 say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them 
 that curse you, do good to them that hate you, 
 and pray for them which des]ntefully use you and 
 persecute you.' 
 
 "'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to 
 you, do ye even so to them.' 
 
 "'Love your enemies and do good .... and your 
 reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of 
 the Higlicst, for He is kind unto the unthankful and 
 the evil.' 
 
 " ' lie ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is 
 merciful.' 
 
 "'Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condennj 
 not, and ye shall not be condennied; forgive, and ye 
 shall be forgiven ' 
 
 " ' For with the same measure that ye mete, withal 
 it shall be measured to you again.' " 
 
 All but the most stupid amongst the audience soon 
 discovered what the Tresident meant l»y these re- 
 
COKDEMNED TO DEATH. 
 
 149 
 
 marks ancl f|Uotations, and Iiis manifest irony causod 
 tliose who had betrayed any revengefid feelings to- 
 wards the captive to feel decidedly foolish, and con- 
 seqnently, in some cases, angry. 
 
 Tlie recommendation to mcrcv not bein*' unanimous 
 was out of order, and therefore the Judge was not 
 able to give effect to it in passing sentence ui)on the 
 prisoner, liut, by speaking as he did, Kigby hoped ti.' 
 pave the way for Major Weston to exercise his pre- 
 rogati\e of mercy. 
 
 in 
 
 1 ^ i 
 
 
 m 
 
 IS 
 
 \l 
 
 1 ' -i 
 
 1^:- i 
 
 ^1 
 
» 
 
 I 
 
 I I 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SUSPENSE AND TRAGEDY. 
 
 The elder Kigby wus a man who«?e enuracter would 
 have insured liini respect and esteem in any walk in 
 life. His kindly, genial nature won the hearts of all 
 who knew him, while his high sense of truth and 
 honour, and of justice, ever tempered by mercy, lent 
 weight to the acknowledged force luid sagacity of his 
 counsels. 
 
 For a few moments it seemed as if mercy were to 
 prevail over malice and revenge. Several young men, 
 indeed, were already on the point of springing forward 
 to cut the prisoner's bonds. They were, however, 
 arrested by the angry remonstrances of a cli(pie of 
 unrelenting trappers and frontier's men. 
 
 " Not so fast, my young bucks ! " exclaimed one of 
 these worthies, a ferret-faced, cadaverous-looking man, 
 with long yellow-red haii" falling down to his slK)ulders. 
 "T guess yer'd not hit so keen to loose ihe pesky 
 
 i' (■ 
 
SUSPENSE AND TRAGEDY. 
 
 151 
 
 Injun if yer \\ bin treated liku this ! Look liijir," and, 
 as lie spoke, he puslied back liis long unkempt hair 
 with his bony fingers, revealing the horrid fact that 
 both his ears had been cut completely oil". 
 
 As soon as the exclamations of horror and pity 
 occasioned by the sight of this terriblt^ nnitilalion had 
 subsided, the trapper continued, " Yaas, 1 calculate 
 yer'd not feel so squeamish about letting that worth- 
 less redskin have his deserts if yer'd l)een in my shoes 
 three years ago this fall." 
 
 '* Tell us the story, man," said a woman standing 
 near. 
 
 " Wall, that 's soon uoi.^i," replied the mutilated one. 
 "1 was setting my traps one morning, along the side of 
 a little creek that Hows into the Yellowstone, when 1 
 was suddenly set upon and made prisoner by a band 
 of Crees. Fortunately the Injins were in a g(jod 
 humour, having just cai)tured a lot of horses from 
 some poor emigrant folk, or I should not be hiar now, 
 not by a long chalk. However, they stripped me of 
 every rag I had on, and then cut off my ears, just to 
 remember me by, as they playfully remarked, the 
 demons! Y'ou l)et ! 1 swore a terrible vengeance. 
 Count the notches on the stock of my rille. Tharteen ^ 
 Yaas, that's the death roll ! Tharteen less of the duskv 
 varmints for one pair of cars ! " and Y'ellow Fox, [is 
 the Indians called him, emphasised the concluding 
 sentence bv striking the butt of his ^mn sharp] v on 
 
 ' t 
 
 y''i 
 
 " 1 
 
 *>. 
 
152 
 
 THK Yot*NYJ IIAN'CIIMEIC. 
 
 tli(3 ground and ,s(|uirtin«Li: fur^h i volley of tobacco 
 
 juice. 
 
 " Vou murderous wretch !" exclaiiiuid Krank Weston, 
 
 who liad come up in time to hear the concludin*,' i)art 
 
 of his speech. " Vou richly deserve to he hound liand 
 
 and foot and delivered up to vour enemies ! It is 
 
 indiscriminate, cold-blooded slaughter, like that which 
 
 you have Just confessed, which maddens the ])oor 
 
 Indians and makes them retaliate without mercy upon 
 
 tlie first unlucky white who falls into their hands. 
 
 You and such as you have very much to answer 
 for ! ' 
 
 "Much, indeed!" echoed Ethan Itigby, only too 
 glad of the opi)ortunity <jf supporting his young friend 
 in the luesence of his lovely sister, whom he had 
 observed to be approaching with lier father, " those 
 wortldess ears of yours have cost a hea^) of lives 
 already. For every notch you have marked, I '11 
 wager, some innocent white has lost his scalp. It 's 
 a pity those Cree genlry didn't cut otl' your head 
 complete wliile tliey were about it. Y(ju may scowl 
 and club your gun, assassin, for you never killed those 
 victims in fair liglit. V>\\t uidess you take yourself 
 and youv ugly shooting-iron oif at once, I '11 break the 
 stock and notches off against your stupid head." 
 
 As young liigby concluded, he advanced to carry 
 out his threat, but his first step forward was the signal 
 for Yellow Fox to slink otl' amongst the crowd. 
 
 w 
 
St^SPENSE AND TUACJEDY. 
 
 15:^ 
 
 Teconsa's fate, however, still liiiii^' in llie balaiiee, for, 
 while soine a])])l{iiule(l youn^' Weston and his enerj^^jlic 
 RU])i)oitei',olliers hissed and (leniandeil that the sentence 
 of deatli should he earried out. 
 
 It was evident tliat the eanii) was divided, and Major 
 Weston, wlio liad eonie u]*, noticed with dismay that 
 llie niiijorily of (Ik* older and more infhiential men 
 were o])])os('d to the advocates of mercy, and that the 
 ranks of the latter were cliietly made up of the youn^^T 
 men and women and chihhen. This was an ominous 
 (Hscovery. J hit the Miijor was still more startled to 
 find, a few minutes later, that the extreme party were 
 already ([uietly nudving preparations for the prisoner's 
 execution. 
 
 The latter was even then l)ound securely to a young 
 tree, near tlie southern extremity of the cam]), and a 
 tiring ])arty was ])eing arranged. If, therefore, the 
 hulian's life was to he s])ared, there was not a moment 
 to he lost. 
 
 Ordering Franiv to remain hy his sister, and telling 
 lier it was too late for her to interfere, the commandant 
 forced liis way ra[)idly through the crowd wliich was 
 hurrying up to witness tlie execution. In his anxiety 
 to save the life of the interesting chief ho did not stoj) 
 to consider that it might l)e dangerous to interfere 
 witli the sentence of the court. 
 
 The sullen air of the men wlio surrounded Teconsji 
 showed Major AN'eston that they were bent on Ijlood- 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 s fi 
 
154 
 
 THE YOVSC, HAXCHMKy. 
 
 I 
 
 
 shed, yet, iiothinjj; dauiitcd, ha coiiimandt'd them to 
 full ))a('lv. 
 
 " Cii]>tuin," said one, lioary-licadcd old trai)por, who 
 wont It}' the name of Old Abe, and who had consider- 
 al)l(! inlluence over the majority of the hunt(!rs and 
 frontier's men, " Captain, ye 're a hravo man, thouL,di 
 yew air a Ihitisher! Ver've had no ^M-eat expariencc 
 of these eussod redskins, jjowever. Yer '11 excnse me 
 saying so, but its only j^rcen horns like yerself that 
 ever think of treatinj^ Injuns with marcy ! I'll jest 
 tell yer of an all'air that took pLiee not so very far to 
 the nnrthard of this hiar camp." And (^Id Ahe 
 crossed his hands over the muz/le of his lon<; riHe, 
 which he had planted, butt downwards, in front of 
 him, and, with his chin restint^ u])on the back of his 
 hand, ])roceeded to relate the following incident, one 
 of the most tragical in the annals of the American 
 Fur (.'omjtany. 
 
 "Yer call me Old Abe now, boys," he began, while 
 his keen grey eyes gleamed shar[)ly anjund to note if 
 he had an attentive audience, " but I was a young 
 man when I took service with the American Fur 
 Compjiny, under that prince of leaders. Major Ifenry 
 Vanderburgh. Well, yer see, in trying to lind the best 
 trapping grounds, we had lost our way and wanderctl 
 into the heart of the lUackfoot country, without 
 knowing it. One day, our scouts, who were out in 
 advance, came hurrying back into camp with the 
 
SI'SPKNSE AVI) TIlArjEPY 
 
 1 
 
 )0 
 
 ularininj^' luiw.s that tliey had just stuiiildtMl iipmi (he 
 tract's of a l)ainl of lUackfcet. 
 
 " Vandcrlmruh m.'idc lij^ht cf tlic inatt^T, and. takiuj,' 
 iiu; and seven or eiL,dit nioi-e men with him, rode oil" 
 to ascertain wliat trulli there was in llu! leport. Sure 
 enoUjL^di, W(! liad not ])ro(('e(led far, Iteforc wa came 
 ui)on the; still smoiilderinLi' tires of a desertecl cain)). 
 Several carcasses of recentlv slauLfhli-red ItulValoes lav 
 around, and it was evid»'nt tliat a huntini,' party of 
 Indians liad, within tliu last hour or so, heaten a hasty 
 retreat from the spot. They were, in all i)rohal)ility. 
 still lurking in th(^ nei^hhourhood, and oni" lead«'r 
 rashly determine«l to follow thc^m up.'" 
 
 "Ah!" interrupted Major Weston, at this point, 
 " the old story, 1 perceive*. White man's ajijgression 
 and red man's revenj^'e ! The* hunted (piarry turning 
 upon his relentless ]>ursuer. i>ut go on with your 
 story!" he continued, noticing the impatiences of the 
 bvstander.s. 
 
 " Well, sir, to he sure," continued (31d .\he. with a 
 condescending smile at the Major, " .some of us did 
 suggest that it might he just as well to 'let sleeping 
 dogs lie,' or at any rate send to our camp for reinforce- 
 ments, but our leader's counige was all ablaze, he 
 seemed to siufV the l»attle from afar, and ' Forward,* 
 was the word. 
 
 " The lilackfoot trail led .across prairie and woodland 
 until '^ entered a dark and gloojuy ravine, the steep 
 
 ' i 
 
 l! 
 
156 
 
 THE YOUNO RANCHMEN. 
 
 hanks of which, toweriii<( lii.nh ahove us on either hand, 
 were overj^n'own witli trees and hrnshwood. Save for 
 the j^^^'ntle rippling of a tiny stream, the de*^" nlence 
 was only l^roken hy tlie tramp of onr horses' feet. 
 
 " Suddenly there arose a fearful tumult of yells and 
 rille shots. The whole dell seemed to he suddenly 
 alive witli Indians, who sprang from hehind every tree 
 and shruh, firing their guns and Itrandishing their 
 spears." 
 
 As the old man bpoke, Major Weston thought 
 involuntarily of Sir Walter Scott's words — 
 
 " At once there rose so wild a yell 
 Williin that dark and narrow dell, 
 As all tlu! tiends, from Heaven that ftll. 
 Had pealed the banner cry of hell."' 
 
 " To make matters worse," continued Old Ahe, 
 " the horses reared and plunged so that it was impos- 
 silde to make the hest use of our weapons. 
 
 " Our galhint leader's steed was shot under him by 
 llie first volley, and falling, it pinned its ridcir to the 
 ground. In this Icrrihle i»redieament he called loudly 
 upon .is to assist him to rise. It was in vain; his 
 fate was sealed. ( )ne man made the attempt, but was 
 overjtowered and sc.-.ped before his eyes. I and most 
 of my comrades were severely wounded, and we only 
 saved our lives by headlong flight." 
 
 ■' Antl what l)ecame of the hapless Vanderburgh (* " 
 inipiired several voices iu a breath. 
 
SUSPENSE AND TRAGEDY. 
 
 157 
 
 " All, it was a pitiful sight ! — a sight I shall never 
 forg'-t ; " continued the old trai)per, his voice shaking 
 with emotion. " As we glanced back over our shoulders, 
 we observed tlie exultant Blackfeet a])proach to destroy 
 the prostrate gentleman, who had not ceased strug,L:ling 
 to disengage himself. Now he saw that lie nmst die, 
 but, with that dauntless courage whicli always dis- 
 tinguished him, he determined to sell his life as dearly 
 as possible. His hand still grasped his trusty rifle, 
 and the first warrior that advanced received its con- 
 tents in his heart, and fell dead to the earth. ]>efore, 
 however, Major Vanderburgh could draw one of the 
 pistols from his bolt he was struck (1(.>wn by a blow 
 from a tomahawk and s[)eedily despatched. 
 
 "Such was the untimely end of ]\rajor Henry 
 Vanderburgh, one of the bravest and most poi»ul.'ir 
 leaders of the American Fur (V)m[)any. And such," 
 continued Old Abe warnin(>lv, " will be vour fate, 
 Major AVeston, if you don 't aid in exti-rminating these 
 rascally Indians." 
 
 " I should richlv deserve a like fate if i did wantonly 
 take i)art in their destruction," rc[)lied the com- 
 mandant. "l>ut," he continued, in a ]»ersuasive tone 
 of voice, "let us now release the pool' Indiun. T am 
 sure he has been suHiciently punished already by the 
 suspense in which you have kept him. And brave 
 men, such as I know manv at least of voii to be, 
 caiinoL surely stitie the generous impulses which must 
 
158 
 
 THE YOL'Xr; UAXCHMEX. 
 
 stir your liearts at tlie siglit of his wondrous forti- 
 tude." 
 
 "Ell! but, yer sec^ w(;' re only carryin' out tlie 
 sentence of the court," re])lied a grini-lookin.u; emi- 
 i^'rant. 
 
 "Ah! certainly, Imt that sentence lias never been 
 confirmed hy myself as commander, so I' 11 find the 
 judge and see if we can't have it altered to expulsion 
 from the camj*," responded the Major cheerfully, as he 
 started on his errand of m(Tcy, 
 
 He saw, or fancied he siiw, unmistakable signs of 
 relenting in the attitude of the self-constituted execu- 
 tioners, and he tliought they would l)e glad of an 
 opportunity to retire honourably from the position in 
 wliich thev had placed themselves. Unfortunatelv, 
 however, this was only the case with a few individuals 
 amongst them, and no sooner had the officer disap- 
 peared than they once more ])re])ar('d to shoot the 
 prisoner. 
 
 The better disposed remonstriiled und attenipte(l to 
 frustrate tlu^ sanguinary deed, but they were soon 
 silenced and hustled to one si<le bv the more violent 
 
 t, 
 
 l)arty, who outnund)ered them ten to one. 
 
 A dozen determined-looking men arrived, with rifies 
 of as niany difierent patti'rns, nnd took their stand in 
 front of the condennied man. The crowd was not 
 slow to take the hint, and instinctively fell back — a 
 movement that was perceptibly accelerated by the 
 
 <-< 
 
 r 
 

 Ill 
 
 )t 
 
 -a 
 
 SUSPENSE AND TRAfJEDY. 
 
 150 
 
 r 
 
 sudden order to " Present Arms," followed 1)V the 
 instantaneous levelling of i\w, deadlv rille-barrels. 
 
 A death-like silence had fallen over the expectant 
 crowd as thev waited the order for the riilenien to fire. 
 The click of tlui locks was distinctly heard, and sent a 
 shudder throuj^h many a hrc^ast as each haniiiKU' was 
 raised to the full cock. But, even in that brief 
 interval, before the fatal word " Fire " was uttered, 
 there was a sudden startling,' cry, and a tall ,i,drlish 
 fi«i;ure darted (quickly across tiie open s]»ace, and tlirew 
 herself in front of the living tari^et. 
 
 it was (,'onstance Weston. 
 
 The noble, high-spirited girl had become aware of 
 the imniineiit tragedy, and, with characteristic prompti- 
 tude and self-forifetfulness, she at once determined if 
 yxjssiblc! to savit tlu; poor Indian. Frank had been 
 called away from liur to assist his father in the search 
 for old liigby, and it was while on her way to their 
 own waggon she had learned what was taking jdace. 
 She immediately k traced her steps, and quickly 
 skirting the crowd, boui ded between the astonished 
 marksmen and their victim in the very nick of time. 
 It was a rash act, and might have cost the girl h(!r 
 life. lEowever, there she stood, like some lovely vision 
 of a guardian angel. Her luxuriant golden hair had 
 fallen down, and hung in long wavy masses over her 
 shoulders and down her back. The efiect was heightened 
 by a momentary gleam of sunshine, which esca})ed at 
 
 K 
 
 
 M 
 
 ,i i 
 
 I 
 
 
 !-■ 
 
 
 1!| 
 
 I .1 I 
 
 if 
 
160 
 
 THE YOrXfJ KANCHMEN. 
 
 I ! 
 
 that instant from a bank of clouds, beliind which, as 
 though to hide its face from a deed of bloodshed, tJie 
 sun was rapidly declining. 
 
 Miss Weston thus appeared to be surrounded by a 
 halo of light, and, as slie stood with one hand uplifted 
 above her head, she seemed lilve some noble goddess 
 rebuking the cruel ])urposes of man. 
 
 The ellect was magical. One by one the ready 
 guns were lowered, until only one weapon remained 
 levelled. It was that of Yellow Fox, who, reluctant 
 to lose the chance of gratifying liis quenchless thirst 
 for vengeance, seemed as if he would even sacrifice 
 the beautiful intruder herself ratlier than be baulked 
 of his prey. 
 
 As the bystanders began to liiss and cry " Sliame ! " 
 there was a sudden commotion in the crowd. Some 
 of those who stood nearest to tlie oflender were nearly 
 knocked off their feet by a tall powerful man, who, 
 rushing forward, seized the levelled rifle with both 
 hands, wrested it quickly from the owner's grasp, and 
 threw it, right over the heads of the people, into the 
 adjacent river. 
 
 " Bravo ! Ethan," for it was he, " well done, sir ! ' 
 shouted Frank and the ]\Iajor as they arrived at that 
 moment on the spot. The young Kentuckian, how- 
 ever, had not yet done with his ugly antagonist. 
 
 lioused to fury by his sudden discomfiture and the 
 loss of his trusty ride, Yellow Fox drew his long 
 
 I ( 
 
SUSPENSE AND TRAGEDY. 
 
 IGl 
 
 i-lv 
 
 V 
 
 lio, 
 
 the 
 
 long 
 
 \ 
 
 liuntiiij^-knife, and, uttering a yell of frenzy, sprang 
 upon liis adversary, liut Kigby was too (|uick for 
 him. Catcln'ng the wrist of tlie hand that held tlie 
 knife witli Iiis left hand, and taking him firmly by the 
 throat with the other, Ethan held him at arm's lengtli. 
 In tliat vice-like grip Yellow Fox was utterly power- 
 less. In a few moments he began to turn black in 
 the face, and would soon have been strangled, had 
 not his antagonist mercifully released him. Then the 
 wretched man, thoroughly cowed, slunk awkwardly 
 away to try and recover Ins lost weaj)on from the 
 bottom of the river. 
 
 The young Kentuckiau looked contemptuously after 
 him for a moment, and then glanced defiantly around, 
 as if to inquire whether there were any one else who 
 would like to threaten Miss Weston in his presence. 
 But if there were any base enough to raise a hand 
 against a brave and defenceless woman, they were too 
 discreet to ])etray any such desire, especially since 
 Major Weston, assisted by Frank and Lazenby, liad 
 l)y then collected [i band of resolute men to keep 
 order. 
 
 As soon as the excitement hnd partially subsided, 
 Major Weston addressed the people as follows: — 
 
 " Comrades, I Iiave investigated the matter suth- 
 ciently to discover that undue influence, to use n(j 
 harsher term, was used to prejudice the jury, (jr some 
 of them, in tlie late trial 1 therefore demand a new 
 
 if 
 
162 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 one, unless you will consent to tlie immediate release 
 of the prisoner. I think he has already suffered more 
 than enough at the hands of a small but violent section 
 of the camp, men who are steeped in the l)lood of the 
 poor Indians. xVfter the noble and touchin*,' speech of 
 Teconsa himself, and the scathing irony of our al)le 
 l)resii'ent, we must be totally devoid of mercy and 
 compassion if we refuse to urant tliis heroic chief his 
 life and lilterty." 
 
 As the Major })aused for a moment there was a 
 murnnir of applause, accom])anied by other unmistak- 
 alde signs of a wholesome reaction in the feelings of 
 the crowd. The sight of Connie AVeston in tears — for 
 her feelings had once luore got the l)etter of her will — 
 produced a great impression upon most of the emigrants, 
 who simply ad(jred her. 
 
 This hopeful state of aliairs did not escape the 
 commandant's notice, and there was a decidedly con- 
 tident ring in his clear sonorous voice as he exclaimed, 
 " Friends and comrade^,, I ask you to give life and 
 freedom to the Sioux chief. Do you consent ? Then 
 hold up your hands in token thereof." 
 
 A sea of hands was immediately raised, and, as tlie 
 Major turned and severed the prisoner's cords, a hearty 
 cheer was given. Teconsa was free. 
 
 Thus restored to liberty, the Indian's first act was 
 to shake his deliverer heartily by the hand. Then he 
 drew himself up and looked haughtily arounil upon 
 
 I i 
 
a 
 
 
 SUSPENSE AND TRAGEDY. 
 
 163 
 
 the excited crowd. Gradually his countenance assumed 
 a more softened expression, as he noticed the general 
 and spontaneous display of joy and satisfaction at his 
 release, but this suddenly changed to one of fierce and 
 deadly hatred as his eye fell upon Yellow Fox and the 
 rest of his would-he executioners, who were regarding 
 him with vindictive suUenness. (Jiving them one 
 withering glance of scorn and defiance, the ', hief 
 turned u])0u his heel. 
 
 At this moment he caught sight of Connie Weston, 
 surrounded by her father and brothers. The Indian's 
 face brightened as he hastened to greet her. 
 
 " Light of the West ! " he exclaimed, as he took the 
 girl's fair hand in his tawny palm and pressed it to 
 his heart ' you have saved Teconsa's life ! Henceforth 
 the chief, your father, may lead his followers, his herds 
 and ilocks wheresoever he inav ciioose. The Sioux 
 warriors will not point a gun or raise a hatchet against 
 him. The paleface chief has the eye of Jin eagle, 
 but his heart is tender ; he woidd not strike a fallen 
 foe. His children are like him, brave and generous. 
 Ugh ! if the white men were all so there might be 
 peace l)etween us ; but some of them are dogs," he 
 continued, with Hashing eyes, as he looked in tin* 
 direction of Yellow Fox and his party. "They would 
 have killed the JSioux chief like a trapped beaver, but 
 lie would not have died unavenged : his warriors are 
 alreadv come to look fur their chief." 
 
 I 
 
 \\ 
 
 » 
 
 ^'!h 
 
 i ; 
 
 1 
 
 
164 
 
 THE YOUNG IlAXCHMEN. 
 
 While the Tiidiaii was s])e{ikiii<f, the sljarj) hark of a 
 fox was heard beyond tlie river, and was answered l»y 
 a hke ery from th(; opjjosite sid(^ of tlie cam]). 
 
 " Indians I Indiiins!" shouti'd several voiees aL 
 once, and the whole eanip was immediately thrown 
 into a state of agitation and ai 'rm. 
 
 "Turn out •he }^\!f;rd: uiuiji he hKuistwojks," were 
 Major Weston's or-'er; ,, alteiml in ealm but decisive 
 tones. 
 
 "Adieu, white maiden, we must jiart." said the 
 chief. " Ciive me one lock of that golden hair, tliat 
 Teconsa may never forget the service rendered to him 
 by the daughter of a paleface chief." 
 
 Scarcely knowing what she did in her agitation and 
 alarm, the girl caught up the knife which lier father 
 had thrown aside after severing the prisoner's bonds, 
 and quickly cut off one of the coveted tresses. At 
 the same time, she urged the chief to fly for his life, 
 for she knew that if his men made an attack upon 
 the camp nothing could save him from the fury of the 
 trappers. 
 
 As the Indian took the coveted little souvenir, he 
 stooped down and kissed the fair liand that presented 
 it. Then, pressing the lock of hair to his heart, he 
 said, impressively, " The golden-haired maiden will ever 
 live in Teconsa's heart. Farewell." 
 
 The next moment he was bounding quickly towards 
 the river. As he approached the bank, Connie ob- 
 
SUSPENSE AND TRAr.EnV. 
 
 165 
 
 sowed, throuuli tho giitliorini,' darkiK'ss, tlial hv. was 
 intercepted \)y a lij;in(! svliicli rose from the cover of 
 a few l)ushcs. The dayli^dit was fast waning', ])Ut 
 (Vmnie n^('0<,niise(l tli(^ laiii ungainly form. It was 
 thai of Yellow Fox. She started jind uttered a crv 
 of terror, as ' ;'r eye; caut'ht the faint <dininier of li<'ht 
 which revealed that he held a knife in his uplifted 
 hand. 
 
 The chief was unarmed ; he would surely j>erish. 
 No ; he springs lightly aside, and avoids the u'-'W. 
 Then he ru.shes upon the trapper, hefore ■>'; sn 
 recover him.self, and hurls him hackward v'to the 
 river. There is a loud splash. Teconsa .'.tot i^;s to 
 pick up the knife which his adversiiry ha; 'in.pped. 
 Then he plunges after him into the river. 
 
 There is an upheaval of the water, a cry of des[)air, 
 and all is silent again in that direction, except for the 
 smooth, regular strokes of a solitary swinmier. Pre- 
 sently the latter emerges on the further l)ank of the 
 river, and, brandishing the knife ahove his head, utters 
 the loud and fearful war-whoop of the Sioux. It is 
 Teconsa. The cry is taken up and repeated on all 
 sides ])y hundreds of throats His warriors encircle 
 the camp. 
 
 Ii 
 
 M 
 
 III 
 
 'it 
 
 Thanks to the admirable discipline taught l»y Major 
 Weston, order was already restored tht're, and every 
 man was armed and at his appointed post. 
 
166 
 
 THE YOUNG KANCHMtN. 
 
 TIk; Tndiaiis {i(lvanc(!(l from Ihc cover of the trees 
 and l)ushcs, and seonicd al)out to rush the defences ; 
 but, at II si^^'nal from their chitif, they all at f»nee fell 
 buck, and disappeared as suddenly as they had come. 
 
 A few days later, as the enii^nants were about to 
 ))reak up their cami) and continue their journey, they 
 observed a lloek of vultures eirclini,' nnmd Jind de- 
 scending upon a little islet half a mile below tbe 
 encampment. Some men were sent to ascertain the 
 nature of the carrion that attrjicted tlie foul birds. 
 
 It was the dead bodv of the wretched Yellow Kox. 
 His sculp was gone, and he had been stubbed to the 
 heart. 
 

 (HAITEK XVIII. 
 
 THE I'EKILS OK TIIK WAHSATCH. 
 
 Teconha was as <^'0(kI as his word, and llie eiiiij^ranls 
 imrsut'd the remainder ut' their niounlain journey 
 unmolested lo tlie very passes of tlie Walisatch. 
 Kvcn tlie marauding' lUackfcet and predatory Crows, 
 doul)lless in com])liancc with some potent hint or 
 thi'eat of their conciuerors. the dreaded Sioux, ai'])eared 
 to have been temporarily transformed into honest and 
 peace-abiding- Indians. With unwonted forbearance, 
 they allowed the long train of waggons and live stock 
 to pass through their midst, without even att«'mpting 
 to stampede the horses or cut oil' stragglers. 
 
 This immunity from attack, while marching through 
 a region hitherto considered one of the most dangerous 
 parts of the route to Salt Lake City, tended, naturally 
 perha})S, to some relaxation of vigilance, when once 
 the haunts of these mountain banditti were left be- 
 hin<l. The emigrants had still, however, a journey of 
 some tifty miles before them ere reaching the isolated 
 
168 
 
 THE YOCNO IIANCHMEN. 
 
 
 r 
 
 <'ity of tlic r.attor-Day Saints. And, ultli(ni«^'h llicir 
 routes was no loiii^'cr infcsttMl l»y ''rows or lUackfeet, it 
 j)asso(l tlirou^di ^'looniy (Uitilcs and narrow valleys 
 which wcn^ not always oxenipt from the dreaded 
 veils jind war-whoops of trihes scared v less liostile. 
 
 •' It.' 
 
 The Snakes and liannacks, who lived to the north- 
 ward, had not yet learned tlu^ benefits of })ea('e, and 
 their war ])arties occasionally penetrated as far soiilh 
 as the up] >er reaches of the Ogden and IJear llivers. 
 It was not indeed until some years later that they 
 were civilized by (Jeneral Conner, when his batteries 
 and battalions swept half their warriors to the i^'rave. 
 
 The emigrants hsid crossed the l>ear IJiver, and were 
 now descendini^ the Western sIojjcs of the mountains. 
 The head of the train had just entered a long narrow 
 valley, and Indian P>ill and the two young AVestous 
 were out scouting al)out a mile in advance. 
 
 The two youths had early shown a s])ecial aptitude 
 for till! latter duty. They were not only fond of 
 adventure, but, being well mounted and liold riders, 
 they had gradually come to be recognised us peculiarly 
 litted for the work. In conjunction with the old 
 Indian fighter or one of his veteran comrades, they 
 had headed the march all the wav from the (rreen 
 Kiver, and had by this time earned the appellation of 
 " The Boy Scouts." 
 
 " Is it not rather strange," said Frank, abruptly 
 breaking the silence in which ihey had been riding for 
 
 

 THE PERILS OF THE WAIISATCH. 
 
 160 
 
 the last half-hour, ' that we should have crossed tluise 
 
 ii 
 
 li 
 
 mountains from East to West without seeini^ a single 
 specimen of the unj^ainly animals fium wiiich they are 
 su]»])(ised to take tlu.'ir name ?" 
 
 " Ves," chimed in Ilarrv in tones of dis-^ust, " thev 
 mi<,'ht as well have si)elled it r>-A-li-E for all the 
 )»ears we hav(! se'en." 
 
 Frank made some gay retort, and then their }>eals 
 of merry laughter were echoed and re-echoed from the 
 neighhouring rocks. 
 
 " H'st !" cried Indian Bill, checking his horse. 
 
 A low growl caught their ears. 
 
 " Ah ! it seems our laughter has awakened some- 
 thing more substantial tlian echoes," whispered Frank 
 to his brother, as they also jndled up. 
 
 " I wonder if it's a gii/zly," .said Harry, uniler his 
 breath, and in tones tremulous with excitement. 
 
 " Very likely," answered his brother, " but .see, liill 
 is motioning to me to hold his horse.'* 
 
 The old hunter, who was a fi^w yards in atlvance, 
 quietly dismounted and gave the end of the bridle 
 into Frank's hand as he came u}), " What is it and 
 where is it ? " (piestioned the latter. 
 
 " Wal, it a bar, that 's sartin, but war she s located 
 is jest what I want to find out," answered the hunter, 
 somewhat testily, as he examined the nipple of his 
 rifle to make sure that the cap had not fallen oir. 
 
 The uext minute he was cautiously making his v/ay 
 
 
170 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 li 
 
 up the dry bed of a watercourse which in stormy 
 weather doubtless contributed its mite to swell the 
 waters of the Great Salt Lake. The boys watched 
 him until lie was lost to sight behind some huge 
 boulders, which had probably, at some period or other, 
 been detached from the adjoining cliff's and fallen into 
 the gully. 
 
 Five minutes — which appeared to the impatient 
 youths more like half an hour — elapsed, and then 
 came the sharp report of a ritle. Its echoes had 
 scarcely died away amongst tlie rocks when the old 
 hunter reappeared, running and leaping down the 
 stony bed of the mountain torrent at a pace wliich 
 spoke volumes for the agility of a man of over sixty 
 years of age, but wliich threatened the direst conse- 
 '[uences to neck and liml) if by chance he missed his 
 footing. 
 
 " What on earth s the matter i " exclaimed Frank. 
 " He must for once have missed his aim, and " 
 
 " Sure enough the bear's at his heels !" cried Harry, 
 witli wild excitement, as, just then, a huge grizzly 
 made its appearance in hot pursuit. 
 
 " My word ! there 's no time to lose," said Frank. 
 "Hold these horses." And throwing the reins to his 
 brother, he sprang from his saddle and unslung his 
 repeating ritle. In a few seconds more he was hasten- 
 ing to tlie hunter's assistance. 
 
 Harrv did as he was bid, althouj'h at such a 
 
 i 
 
 
I 
 
 THE PERILS OF THE WAHSATCH. 
 
 171 
 
 moment inaction was hard to bear ; but that pecu- 
 liarly resolute, nay almost imperious look, wliich the 
 presence of clanger always evoked in Frank's hand- 
 some face, warned him that remonstrance would be 
 useless. 
 
 Without a word, therefore, tin; young lad looped 
 the bridles over his arm and half turned in his saddle 
 to watch the exciting drama which was taking place 
 in his immediate vicinity. 
 
 Indian P)ill had reached within tiftv vards of his 
 would- 1)0 deliverer, who, ritie in hand, was hurrying 
 to meet him. The bear was so close upon the 
 hunter's heels, however, that it seemed to Harrv as 
 if nothing could save him, and he trembled lest 
 Frank also should perisli in his rash but gallant 
 etibrt to savt; their old comrade. 
 
 The gully was at this spot about six feet deep, witli 
 aluKJSt perpendicular sides, and liarry could only see 
 what was taking place by liding to the very edge of 
 tlie channel. Hi; noticetl that Frank had halted, an«l 
 posted himself behind a boulder about four feet higli 
 which stood by itself in the centre of the water- 
 course, some couple of liundred yards lower down 
 than the mass of detached rocks already referred to. 
 His feet were planted widely apart and the ])arrel of 
 his ritle rested ui)on the top of the Itoulder, over 
 whicli Ik; also leaned. His ciieek lay against the 
 slock and his linger pressed the trigger in readiness for 
 
172 
 
 THE YOUXr, RANCHMEN. 
 
 instant action, but as yet the body of the Hying man 
 intervened between the deadly weapon and its mark. 
 
 " Now," cried Harry, in liis excitement ; " now 's 
 your time." 
 
 He was too far off for his voice to have been easily 
 heard, or at any rate heeded, in that critical moment, 
 but lie would have been more tluai human if he could 
 have sat there unmoved at such a iuncture. The old 
 hunter was within a dozen yards or so of the boulder 
 behind which his young friend was posted, when, 
 either by accident or design, he suddenly fell to the 
 ground. With surprising rapidity the huge grizzly 
 stopped its slianibling kind of gallop to poke its 
 muzzle into the side of the fallen man, Ijut at that 
 instant came the report of Frank's ritle, and the 
 sudden lifting of the brute's head, and an angry snarl, 
 told plainly that the shot had tnken efi'ect. 
 
 The ungainly animal had reiired itself u[), and was 
 sitting upon its haunches, as tliough to obtain a better 
 view of its surroundings and enable it to determine 
 from whence the injury proceeded. Tliis was just 
 what Frank desired, and lie seized tlie opportunity 
 to fire shot after shot into tlie monster's breast. 
 
 At such . close quarters his repeating ride proved 
 very efl'ective, even against a grizzly bear, and Frank 
 had the satisfaction of seeing its hug(» frame ([uiver 
 and then totter and fall, as i^ iittenipted to advance 
 upon him. 
 
 ,v. ' 
 
THE PERILS OF THE WAHSATCH. 
 
 173 
 
 ladian Bill had been partially stunned by his fall, 
 and as lie lay upon the ground the carcass of the 
 beast came athwart his long legs. The weight of the 
 bear at last roused him from his semi-stupor and he 
 endeavoured to rise to his feet, but, of course, without 
 success. 
 
 Frank was about to step forward to his assistance 
 when a shout from Harry arrested him. 
 
 " Back ! quick, ])ack ! " cried the boy, imperatively. 
 
 " What 's the matter ? " shouted Frank, as he leaped 
 on the top of the boulder, in order to see over the 
 edge of the gully. 
 
 " Wliy ! look there ! What 's that ? " replied 
 Harry, pointing down the valley as he spoke. 
 
 Frank looked in the direction indicated, and even 
 stood upon tiptoe on the boulder, I tut could see noth- 
 ing alarming. A few ])uzzards, <loubtless attracted 
 to the vicinity 1>y Iheir wonderful instinct, were 
 already perched upon some neighbouring crags, in 
 readiness to feast on po^r J>ruin's remains. And a 
 bald-headed eagle soared high overhead in tlu^ cloud- 
 less sky. But, except Harry and their horses, these 
 were the only signs of life discernible. 
 
 " 1 don't see anything, but we will b(; with you in 
 a second or two ! " he shouted, as he jumped down, 
 and seizing (^le of tlie l)ear's paws tried to drag the 
 carcass to one side. 
 
 "Try to lift her a bit," said Indian Bill. "It's 
 
 i 
 
 r 
 
 if i 
 
 i* 
 
 1 
 
 ■[ 
 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 ! 
 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 ! 
 
 174 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 impossible to pull her on one side, as she 's iii a 
 
 hole. 
 
 Frank accordingly chanj,'ed hi.s tactics. 
 
 " That '.s the ticket, yonker ; if you could jest lift 
 
 her half 
 
 •h r 
 
 an men I i^'uess I could ]>ull tlie.se old stumps 
 of mine from under her," .said r>ill, encoura<^in^ly. 
 
 Frank was no weakliuL^, but though he pulled and 
 tugged with all his might, he could not rai.se that 
 ponderous carcass the hundredth ])art of an inch. 
 Hot and exhausted, both he and Indian Bill had 
 desisted a moment from their exertions, when Harry's 
 voice reached tlicm j\gain, and this time in accents ot 
 tlie greatest alarm. 
 
 "Indians! Indians!" it cried. "Make haste! 
 Make haste ! " 
 
 Frank and the old hunter looked at eacii other in 
 dismay. Then the lattei- waved his hand in the 
 direction of tlie advnncing emigrants. " Kun ! run," 
 he exclaimed, " and mount vour boss. You b(»vs 
 must ride back and give the alarm (piick !" 
 
 " And leave you here ? " .said Frank. " Never ! 
 but I '11 despatch Harry and return immediately." 
 And before lie bud tinished the sentence he was 
 hurrying down the g'llly at a pace which even sur- 
 pas.sed liiat of Indian IJill wlien pursued by the 
 gviv,:1y. 
 
 " D( i 1 sho./ yourself!" the old hunter called after 
 hv?n, ' .4 id tel! the yoi ker to look sHppy ! He 
 

 
 THE PERILS OF THE WAHSATCH. 
 
 175 
 
 noedii't be afeiird of loosinj^' my old mare, she *11 take 
 care of lierself, von l)et 
 
 » " 
 
 The warning was not unnecessary, foy in his eager- 
 ness to get within e;>sy speaking distance of his brother, 
 Frank liad ahuost forgotten the danger of liis (jwu 
 position. 
 
 Thanks to the old hunter's kindly caution, however, 
 he took care to keep under the cover of the high 
 banks, and nianai^ed to reach witliin a dozen yards of 
 tiie sjxtt where Harry was waiting, witliout the possi- 
 bility of even an Indian's shar]) eyes having seen him 
 from tlie vfdlcv. 
 
 " What on earth are you doing, to be so long T' cried 
 the l)oy, in tones of minuled anger and alarm, as he 
 struggled to control the horses, which were evidently 
 getting excited from ■omc! cause or uthei". " Look 
 shar}) and mount!" he lontiiiued, "or I shall liave to 
 let Saladin g(j ; lie 's nearlv ])ulling me out of rnv saddle 
 and the Indians aie close u])on us." 
 
 Frank could then distinctly hear the sound •. horses 
 advancing at a gallo}). 
 
 "Never mind me!" he cried, "I nuist stay with 
 Bill; loose his mare and ride back for vou life and 
 give the jdarm.'' 
 
 " What ! and leave you here ? Are you mad ? 
 Where is Bill— hurt?" 
 
 " No ; but the bear fell dead on top of him and 
 
 pinned him to the ground, and 1 cannot dt^suiL hini. " 
 
 U 
 
 >i 
 
 
 ; f 
 
 !| I 
 
 ;l 
 
n 
 
 17G 
 
 THE YOT^NCJ UAXCHMEX. 
 
 u rr\ 
 
 Then we shall all l)e killed ! " re])lied Hariy, 
 de.spairin<^dy, as lie cast an anxious glance over his 
 should(;r at the ra])idly ai»i)roachinc( Indians. 
 
 " Never fear, old fellow," was Frank's cheering;' reply. 
 " Yoii are not going to be so silly ».s to let them catch 
 you with such a horse as that under you, and they '11 
 know nothing about IJill and me here if you don't 
 tell them." 
 
 " Then am 1 to take Saladin with me ? " queried the 
 boy, somewhat reassured by his brother's confident 
 tone and manner. 
 
 " Yes, he '11 lead well enough, and no doubt Bill's 
 mare will follow. They might betray us if they were 
 left behind. Now, go at once, before it is too late." 
 
 As though to emphasise the latter remark, a fierce 
 yell burst ui)on their ears. Harry hesitated no longer. 
 The frightened horses reared and plunged, but lie 
 wheeled them skilfully round and dashed away up the 
 valley, Chieftain and Saladin galloj)ed along side by 
 side, and Indian Jjill's mare, which was loose, followed 
 close on their heels. 
 
 Frank scrambled up tlie side of the gully to some 
 overhanging bushes which grew on its edge, and, having 
 wormed himself beneath them, peered cautiously out 
 under the branches. As ho did so a terrific; yell 
 almost close beside him caused him instantly to draw 
 back his head, and for a moment he thought he was 
 discovered. His repeating ritle, which he had dragged 
 
 hf I 
 
THE PERILS OF THE WAHSATCH. 
 
 177 
 
 3(1 
 
 after him, lay within easy leaeli, and, as lie clutehed 
 its cold liarrel, lie determined if his worst fears were 
 realisi'd to juinp ii|»on his feet and sell his lif«; dearly. 
 After Ct few seconds — which almost seemed like hours 
 — of terrihlc suspense, the yell was answcrifd twice 
 from a little lower down the valley, and then to 
 Frank's ^^real relief, the Indian scout, who must have 
 ridden u}) to icconnoilre the s[iot where Harry and 
 his horses had douhtless been seen, cantered olV to 
 rejoin his coni[)anions. At the S(>und of tlu^ mustang's 
 retreating footsteps, Frank breathed a heartfelt prayer 
 of thanks^•ivillg for his wonderful escape. He then 
 looked forth again and was delighted to see Harry 
 and the horses nearly half way up the valley. 
 
 Just at that moment, however, a prolonged yell of 
 rage or triumiih, he could not exactly tell which, 
 reached his ear. Looking in the direction whence 
 tiie sound proceeded, he saw a long array of mounted 
 Indians sweep at full galloj) over the hrow of a low 
 stretch of rising ground which had hitherto intervened 
 between them and tla^ objects of thcnr pursuit. Tli(?y 
 made a giillant show, those wild horsemen, as they 
 careered along, their plumes Hoating in the wind and 
 their shields and lances ulittering in the sunliuhl. 
 liut Frank could contemplate them without dismay, 
 for ho knew that they had no chance of overtaking 
 his brother, even if he. had not obtainefl so gcnd a 
 gtart, and he felt little an.xiely us Lu the latter not 
 
 ;•;? 
 
17.S 
 
 THE YOUNO RANCHMEN. 
 
 K 
 
 being able to i^ive timely warning to llie advancing 
 emigrants. He well knew thjit a few moments would 
 suflice for the lad to muster a score or more of well 
 armed and determined men to check th(? sudden 
 onset, and that even if the Indians })ersevered in 
 their attack when they found so large a train, their 
 ultiniJite, nay, speedy n^imlse was not a matter of 
 doultt. 
 
 With these reflections, Frank retraced his ste])S to 
 where he had left his imprisoned comrade. 
 
 " Wal, young s([uire, you 've not let those screech- 
 ing liannecks annex that curly wig of your 'n, 1 see ; 
 but 1 've been raal uncomfortable al»out you, to say 
 nothing of myself," and, in his delight at seeing Frank 
 ItiLck safe and sound, tlie old hunter grinned from ear 
 to ear. 
 
 " 1 've had a most jn'ovidential escape, liill ; one of 
 tlieir scouts- came within {i few feet of where I was 
 lying under some bushes," Jinswered Frank. " J>ut," 
 li(^ continued, after a ])ause, "how do you know the 
 Indians are Bannecks ? " 
 
 " l)y their war-cry," replied liill. " If you 'd fouglit 
 tlieni as many times as I have, or had been with me 
 and Sanson last fall, when a party of them chased us 
 for two diiys and nights througli these mountains, you \\ 
 not forget that awful whoop of theirs ! " 
 
 " 1 don't tliink 1 shall ever do so as it is," answenul 
 the youth warmly. " Wlu'U iheir scout utt(?vud his 
 
THft PERILS OF THE WAHSATCH. 
 
 179 
 
 
 ltl()()(l-cur(lliii«4 yell just over my huad I ihoiit^lit my 
 time hud come, I can assure you." 
 
 " Aud mine too, you bet!" avcircd Hill. t;lan( iuj,' 
 uneasily at the shaif^'y carcass which held him fast. 
 
 " Ves, you uuist indecMl have had to sulVer," said 
 Frank symj)athisingly, "aud the sooner we devise s(jme 
 means of rcleasin^^ you the hetter." 
 
 " I M rather have my le,L;s cut oil' than };'o thr<»UL,di 
 another ten minutes like that," declare(l the hunter 
 emphatically. "A hamstrung horse with a ]tack of 
 huuL^ry wolves ahout to sprin;^ at its throat could 
 scarcely feel worse than 1 did lyiut; heljtlcssly here 
 without even a charge in my ritle, and (!.\pcctin^^ the 
 red-skins upon me every moment." 
 
 " It must have been like some horrible dream," said 
 Frank, as though speakini^ to himself more than tiic 
 ha])less ])risoner: and then, after a little reflection, he 
 said to him ! " Ah, I have it ! T wonder we did not 
 think of it before," 
 
 " What is it,yonkcr," in(piired \V\\\ almost hopelessly, 
 as his dark t'yes followed the youth, who spran;^ over 
 the bear, and then stooped down at the other side 
 of it. 
 
 "Your boots, man, your boots!" exclaimed I-"rauk. 
 ■■ If we could only L^et them ofl', it would l.)e easy to 
 draw your lei^s from under tlie brute.' 
 
 "You bet: it would," reified IJill jovfullv. ' bullv 
 for you, yonker ■ " 
 
 !l 
 
 
 ; 
 
U h 
 
 180 
 
 THE YOrNci J{AN'CIIM1:N\ 
 
 Witlumt imu'li dilliculiv riiink iiiimMLr('(l to '4ot at 
 Iiill's fjM'l, and divest tliciii of tlu; Iniu'*' Wcllin^^ton 
 ImmiIs wliiili encased tlieiii. After that it Nvas enm- 
 iiarativelv easy, l»v their united etlorts. to I'ree the 
 ini]>risoned limhs. And s(»on I'.ill was standini^ \>) 
 triuni}>li ujton the eareass of the ^riz/lv. reloading!: his 
 Kentucky rille. 
 
 I sliould like to l<no\v."' said Krank. as a IV 
 
 w 
 
 niinut(\s later they started on foot to I'euain the enii- 
 1,'rant train, "how it came aoout that that hear so eoni- 
 idetely turned the tahles on you ^" 
 
 "Wal, you see, 1 didn't know the ole IikIn was at 
 liunie when 1 fired at. lier cul>." n']»lied the hunter. 
 
 " ( )h ! then you killed her cuh, did you .■ " inouired 
 Frank, with sinjirise. 
 
 " \'aas," answered liill testily. "If I lired at it 1 
 reckon I killed it." 
 
 "Oh! 1 understand now how it all haitpened." said 
 Frank, without noticin*;' liis coin]»ainoirs fractiousness. 
 He felt that the latter was entitled to a little indul- 
 .L!;ence after thi' yery tryinn' e\]>erience he had ^one 
 throui^h. 
 
 After walking' for s(tnie lime in silence, Indian I'ill 
 observed that they must return and secure their hear 
 meat as soon as they had ascertained what had become 
 of Harry and his pursuers. 
 
 Frank was about to midvc some reply, when liill 
 suddenly laid his hand on his arm and said, " Wlii.st !" 
 
I 
 
 
 'I III; PKiui.s OF Tin: waiisatcii. 
 
 181 
 
 Tlu'v ixttli sto])|i(Ml at once and listoiiud iiilt'iitly, 
 and then looked in each ollicr's faces. 
 
 ■' I tlinuudit so," >aid tlu! InintiT tersely, as lie started 
 oir a;_;ain at a lon^f sIuik liini,' walk, wliieh ()]ili^;(,'d Frank 
 almost lo rini to keejt nj) willi liiin. 
 
 "Was that noise tiring • " asked Frank. 
 
 " ^'ou lilt ! '" was the laidiiic reply. 
 
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 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 
 
 (716) 873-4503 
 
 0^ 4B 
 
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 OHAPTElt XTX. 
 
 RUN TO (IHOUNI) IX A CANON. 
 
 Connie liad oivcii tlio old scout Indian JUll and liis 
 two youtliful colleagues, her gallant brothers, a pleasant 
 greeting as they rode past on their way to the front 
 that sunny morning. She occupied her favourite seat 
 in front of the waggon, and employed her time in 
 alternately reading a book which lay on her lap and 
 in trimming a large broad-brimmed hat she held in 
 her hands. 
 
 "Oh ! Kol)ert," she said presently, " are there many 
 waggons in front of us ? " 
 
 '•' No, miss," replied tiie man cheerfully, as he 
 touched his caj), " not m(»re than half a <l()zen T should 
 say. 
 
 " Then could not you drive a, little faster and izet 
 ahead of them ? What with the dust they stir 
 up and their huge tilts (piite half the view is inter- 
 cepted I " 
 
'I 
 
 r 
 
 
 
 RUN TO GROUND IN A CANON. 
 
 18:^ 
 
 '' Certainly, miss, but I don't like to chani>:(' niv 
 place in the ranks without orders." 
 
 "Oh ! I dnn't think niv fatlier would have the least 
 
 t. 
 
 objection," said Connie," at any rate I will take all the 
 responsibility. The air is so clear to-day that there 
 must be a lovely view down the valley if one could 
 only see it." 
 
 "All ri^ht, Miss Connie, we'll soon taki; the lead," 
 said Lazenby, as he cracked his Iouli; whip. " (let 
 along, my beauties," he continued, addressing his 
 horses as was his wont, as thoui>]i thev were human 
 beings, " we must push on at tlu; double unless we 
 intend to be half the day in taking up our new ])osi- 
 tion. Ah ! Ruby, for shame of yourself. Steady, 
 little mare ! " this to the ol'lside chestnut, which seemed 
 inclined to take liberties and i)lay uj) a little as they 
 started off at a l»risk trot. 
 
 As they ])assed the second of the preceding waggons, 
 which belonged to the Jiigbys, Ethan mounted his horse 
 and trotted after them. Ever since that ever-to-be- 
 remembered-day when Connie was surprised by Teconsa 
 and his Sioux braves, the young Kentuckian had taken 
 u]ion himself the role of especial escort to his com- 
 mandant's daughter. Xo one ventured to (question 
 his right to the responsilde, though sidf-constituted 
 office. Althougb in everything else the soul of manlv 
 good nature, on this point he was, as O'Flaiierty ex- 
 pressed it, like a bear with a sore head, and was 
 
 III 
 
 
 m 
 
 ;.f ' 
 
 
 :1 
 
 ! 
 
184 
 
 THE YOUNG RAXCHMEX. 
 
 extremely sensitive to anythiiii:: a])proac]iinj^f to banter. 
 This liad been l)roii<rlit lionie to the Irishman in away 
 tliat he was not soon likely to forL^'t, and in a manner 
 more foreible than polite. For no sooner had Paddy, 
 on one nidncky occasion, ventured to exercise his native 
 wit on wliat appeared so tempting a topic, than he 
 found liimself seized by irresistible force, and, the next 
 moment, he was obeying the law of projectiles and 
 gyrating througli space as thougli Ihuig from the arm 
 of s(mie ancient catapult. He aliglited upon the body 
 of a mule, which, fortunately for the l)iped, but 
 unfortunately ior the quadruped, happened to be lying 
 at full length upon the sward near by. 
 
 " Uood morning, Etlian," said Connie, smiling and 
 aeknowledfdn<4 his low bow as he drew near to the 
 waggon, liobert was making tlie horses walk, as they 
 had then got well beyond tlie half dozen men who 
 formed the advance guard of tlie emigrant train. 
 
 " Good morning, ]\riss AVeston. I am sorry to see 
 that caution still holds an inferior position in your list 
 of virtues.'' 
 
 " Caution ! " exclaimed tlie girl, looking up at the 
 young Kentuckian with both surprise and amusement. 
 " Why, surely you do not anticipate any danger here 
 in broad daylight, and almost within sight of Great 
 Salt Lake City ? " 
 
 " It is never wise U) take too much for granted in 
 these moantains," answered Uigby seriously, as he 
 
llUX TO OUOUXD tX A C'AXOX. 
 
 185 
 
 unsliing the riHe from liis slioiildor Jind lu'ld it across 
 liis horse's withers in front of him. 
 
 A momentary look of concern flilled across the .j^irl's 
 face as she watched this ominous pre]»aralion for action, 
 which affected lier evtm more tlian the j^^^'ave tones of 
 liigby's voice. l>ut soon the; lovely view Itefore them 
 and the lua-andeur of tht; mountjun u;orges on either side 
 absorbed her attention, and, aided by tlu^ natural 
 buoyancy of her disposition, dispelled her half-fled,i;ed 
 feais. 
 
 " What a deep and gloomy detile that is on our 
 right I " she presently remarked, " I wonder how it was 
 originally formed ? Xo imaginable length of time, not 
 even millions of years could, 1 should think, have 
 enabled that insignificant river to cut so deep a channel 
 through the solid rock." 
 
 " No, Miss Connie ; these canons, as they are called, 
 always seem to me amongst the most wonderful works 
 of the Alniightv. Thev are such sitlendid outlets for 
 
 (If V i 
 
 the rivers of this vast watershed that thev must surelv 
 have been designed and formed for that very purpose." 
 " I quite agree with y(ju there, Ethan, for althougii 
 geologists would doul)tless, and, with truth, assert that 
 these stupendous chasms are the results of some 
 mighty convulsion of nature, yet if they went no 
 further thev woidd but be statin<j half the truth. 
 Just as if T were to say that th'* grass and flowers 
 beneath our feet, and indeed the whole teeming life of 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 ,1. 1 
 
 JmI 
 
 » 
 
 '!■• 
 
It' 
 
 ' .'« 
 
 186 
 
 THE YOI^NT; UAKCHNfES. 
 
 the uniiiial jiud vof'etal)le world were iiiainlv the resuUs 
 of the l)eiieficent inlhieiice of li^ht and heat, and were 
 to make no alhision wliatevcr t(> the ^i^reat fount and 
 source of light and heat, the sun." 
 
 "Exactly," replied Ethan, casting; a sidi; glance of 
 love and admiration at the girl, as he bent slightly 
 forward over his horse's neck. 
 
 l)Ut Coiniie was looking intentlv hefore her down 
 the vallev and did not notice him. 
 
 "Ah!" she exclaimed, ])resently, "there is some- 
 thing moving far away to the right of the valley, do 
 you not see it ? T thought at first it was onlv a bush." 
 
 Ethan was all attention in a moment. 
 
 " My word ! you are right," he said, with a scarcely 
 percei)til)le start, as he shaded his eyes with one of his 
 huge brcjwn hands. " They are not very easy to make 
 out under the shadow of that rocky point they are just 
 turning, but T believe there are three of them, and 
 they are certainly coming our way. What do you 
 say, Kobert ? " 
 
 " It seems to me, miss," was the i)rompt answer, 
 " that there are three horses but only one rider." 
 
 " I guess you 've hit it oil' scpiare this time, Lazenby," 
 answered Ethan, "I was in hopes my eyes had 
 deceived me." 
 
 "Oh, dear! what can have happened?" cried 
 Connie in alarm. 
 
 "Nothing of any importance, 1 dare say," replied 
 
RUN TO GROUND IN A CANON. 
 
 187 
 
 Ifi^'l)}', chocrfully, " Tiidian ]>ill has ])r(»l>al)ly shot a 
 deer, and scnit one of your brothers back for a mule 
 to paek the l)east on." 
 
 It was a lame but kindly meant attempt to reassure 
 her, and no one saw thr()U_ii;h it more ({uiekly than 
 
 ( 
 
 hv, th 
 
 diould th 
 
 ;onnie. tor wnv, men, siiouui tiiere be two riderless 
 horses accompanying the messenger ? 
 
 Connie's reflections were soon cut short, however, 
 l)y an exelamati(jn from Koberi-, who had just pulled 
 Ids liorse to a standstill. 
 
 "It's Master IlaiTy, for a five-pound note!" he 
 exclaimed, "and the led horse is Sidadin. as true as 
 I 'm alive' The other horse seems to Ite loose. It's 
 easy lo see them now they are in the open." 
 
 "Yes, l)ut as there are no signs of pursuit, there 
 can be no cause for alarm," said iligln', carefully 
 examining the [a'iming of his rifle and loosening the 
 pistols in his holster, n(jtwithstanding. 
 
 " Xo signs of pursuit !" cried Jiobert excitedly. He 
 had never taken his eves off the advancing hoi'ses 
 and horseman for a moment after ascertaining who 
 and what they were. "Xo signs of pursuit, did you 
 sav / Then what an; those figures, ave, and mounted 
 figures, too, swarming round tlu; bend of the valley 
 there, for all the world like a band of thieving 
 Cossacks." 
 
 " Cossacks ?" repeated iiigl)y, liastily glancing in 
 the direction indicated. "They're Indians, if iliat s 
 
 
 \\h 
 
 \\ 
 
 • 
 
ISS 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 I, 
 
 what you mean ! Turn your liorstis' heads, and h)ok 
 smart, man; w(! sliall hav(! to take the back track if 
 we wish to iivoid a closer ac([uaintance with tliese 
 
 I" 
 
 <ainti V . 
 
 There was a jaunty rinii; in the y(jun,u; man's voice, 
 whicli ill accorded with the anxious expression of his 
 face, and Connie felt certain that the former was 
 merely assumed for her sake, and that in reality tiiey 
 were in a position of great danger. She bitterly 
 reproached herself for having, by her wilfulness, 
 endangered not only her own safety but also the lives 
 of the two brave men who were with her. And she 
 knew her father, who had left her f(jr a short time in 
 order to atti*nd to his duties as connnandant, would be 
 almost distracted when he discovered her ])erilous 
 situation. 
 
 liobert lost no time in turnini*- liis team and head- 
 ing them back the way they had come. The waggon 
 was heavily Liden, however, and the horses, though 
 willing, were weakened by the hardships and priva- 
 tions of the long march. The slope of the ground, 
 too, was against them, and although, in ol)edience 
 to the voice and whip of their driver, they strained 
 every nerve to get on, tlu; pace scarcely exceeded a 
 slow canter. 
 
 They had proceeded a hundred yards after turning 
 to the right-about when Harry dashed past them. 
 His face was deadly pale, but his lips were tightly 
 
 I 
 
 5 
 
'U 
 
 (1 
 
 ;i 
 
 1. 
 
 I 
 
 UTTN TO r.UOUND IN A CANON. 
 
 ISO 
 
 compressed and lie sat wtdl duwii in Ids saddle. The 
 horses were covered with foam, and Chiel'lain's wide- 
 s])read nostrils and heaviiii,' Hanks told their invn tale. 
 It had evidently heun a ride for life. 
 
 For a moment the hoy seemed ahont to draw rein. 
 " Make haste !" he cried, " or the Indians will he 
 ui)on yon." 
 
 " All right, my hrave hoy. I'nsh <»n and send ns 
 hel[)," shouted Kighy. 
 
 Harry's only re])ly was t(j dig his heels into tlu^ 
 mustang's ilanks and galloj) on fastci- than hcfore. 
 
 In their el't'orts not t<j he left lu'hind, the chestnuts 
 also made an extra s[)urt, and, in the excitement of the 
 moment, liobert actually raised a cheer. Inured to 
 danger as he was, there was something almost exhilar- 
 ating to the ex-soldier in the rush and turmoil of that 
 wild retreat. On this occasion, however, his (exulta- 
 tion proved short-lived, for suddenly a hames' stra]) 
 broke, and one of tin; horses shot forward a head 
 and neck in front of his fellow. It was only 
 prevented from getting (piite loose hy the hames 
 catching against the saddle, where they fortunately 
 stuck. 
 
 At this fateful moment a terrific yell hurst u])on their 
 ears, and looking hack, the fugitives were horrified 
 to see that the Indians were almost close upon them. 
 The latter were not coming on in a com[)act mass, hut 
 in a long straggling line, according to the tleetncss of 
 
 I I 
 
 I 
 
 : 
 
 ;ij 
 
f 
 
 11)0 
 
 THE YorXf! IJ.WrilMEN. 
 
 their ]»oiii(^s. Foromost wltc several well-mounted 
 cliiefs, eusily distinunislialtlt! 1)}' their plumes of ecajjjlcs' 
 feathers. And then, iit irregular distanees, followed 
 the hraves, sin;4ly and in .groups, to the nundjer of at 
 least one hundred. 
 
 "The canon, make for llie canon!" cried liij^l)}': 
 " it is our only chanc(?." 
 
 Without a moment's luisitation, IJohert turned his 
 horses' heads in ihe dire(*tion indicated. They were 
 scarcely a cou]»le of hundriid yards from the mouth of 
 the dee]) ,i;'or^^e already descril)ed, and, with the in- 
 stinct of a true frontier's man, Ui.u'hy saw that it oHered 
 iheir only chance of escape. Could they l>ut succeed 
 in entering!,' that narrow passa.u;e, it might he possihie 
 ior two well-armed and determined men to keep the 
 red-skins at hay until assistance arrived. 
 
 ("onnie was wellni^h over))owered with distress 
 and fear, and would probahly have fainted had not 
 the jolting' of the wau'^on as it passed over the 
 uneven uround partiallv diverted her attention hv 
 ohlio-incr her to hold on to her seat with all her 
 might. 
 
 Presently, she heard Kihan's voice close beside 
 her. 
 
 "Keep a stout heart, Miss Connie, and, with God's 
 help, we shall yet escape. AVe are just entering the 
 fjorije. Hold fast." 
 
 There was a violent lunge and the splashing of 
 
IITN TO fJllOt'N'n IN' A CANON. 
 
 1!)I 
 
 <i 
 
 water JIH the fuilf-iiiaddeiu'd team |»luiiu'e«l up tlio 
 river's bed. Tlie rocky walls of the canon rose 
 almost j)er])en(lieiilarly on either side, and the channel 
 narrowed j)ercei)tihly at almost every step they nd- 
 vanced. A few Viirds further and the canvas-tiltecl 
 wa^j^on would havi; almost sullieed to block the nar- 
 row i)assa^'e, but each moment }>ro^'ress became more 
 ditlicult, the exhausted horses strained and stumlded 
 over the treacherous boulders, until, at length, the 
 wag,i,'on was brought up with a jerk against a mass of 
 fallen rock. 
 
 The sudden strain proved too much for the already 
 damaged harness, and one of the chestnuts broke clear 
 of everything and bolted u[> the gorge. 
 
 " Cut the other horse loose ! " cricMl Ifiifbv, " and 
 then post yourself behind that rock and shoot straight. 
 It 's now or never with us." 
 
 " All right ! I 'm your man," answered liol)ert ])e- 
 tween his set teeth, as he cjuiekly carried out Ethan's 
 instructions. 
 
 The latter had dismounted by this time and loosed 
 his own horse also, and soon all three frightened 
 animals were out of sight in the gloomy canon. The 
 splash and clatter of their passage through the shallow 
 water and over the rocky bed was quickly drowned in 
 the noise of the advancing Indians, who saw, with 
 yells of triumpli, that their intended victims were 
 unable to proceed furthcir. 
 
 S\ 
 
 I 
 
y 
 
 . 
 
 ' i; 
 
 \ 
 
 ■ ' 
 
 m- 
 
 102 
 
 TIIK VorXf; HA.NCIIMKN. 
 
 XcvfTtliclcss, the M!(l iiiL'ii did iMil ;it, oikm! cliiiri^u 
 down upon tliciii, tor somctliin;^' rise liad ciuinht their 
 ca^lo vision — tho IovcHimI ritlcs of iIk; diunitlcss whitn 
 men. To enter tlu! cafion in the fiiec! of those (h'jidly 
 lultes would he, the Indians well knew, lo courL 
 certain (h'iith. As yet no lilood had hecn spih, and 
 such a ii'ckless saeriticcf ai life as tliat W(juld liav(^ 
 l)e('n contrary lo iIkj instincts and traditions of sava,u;(3 
 warfaic. 
 
 As fast as they arrived at llie mouth of the .uori^c, 
 therefore, tlieir liorrid war-cries chanu'ed to liowls of 
 i'ae<', and, seein;^' liow matters stood, the warriors 
 wheeli'd tlieii' ]»onies to tlie ri^ht or li'ft and took 
 cover heliind the rocks. Here tnr a hrief spaci; thii 
 clnci's consulted to,u;eth(n' as tc their hest plan of 
 attack. 
 
 This ]trecious interval was utilised hy Mthan antl 
 liohert in making,' the hest disjujsitions they could to 
 meet the threatened onslan<;]it. 'I'hey knew that tho 
 resi)ite was <>idy momentary, hut every moment in- 
 creased their chances of succour, for, hy this time, 
 they had no douht that a force was heinu; t;'ot together 
 to rescue them. Tiu; Indians ap))eared to have 
 divided, one portion of them having followed the 
 waggon into tlie canon, while the main hody had 
 continued up the valley. These last wen? doubtless 
 less l)ent upon capturing Harry than upon over- 
 taking and looting the emigrant waggons, which 
 
lU'N TO (;F{or\F> I\ A r.\S()N. 
 
 \\K\ 
 
 tlicy could sec licfori' llicin, mikI wliicli, out' jit'lcr 
 
 aiiotlicr, as the alaiiii spicad, wen- IuimimI lo tlic 
 
 rij^ht-alnna l»y thfir icniliftl nwiicrs, and dii\t'n oil 
 
 as fasl as the luckless Icaiiis eould Ix; iiiadr lo 
 draw lliL'ia. 
 
 
 i i 
 
 1 .1 
 
 r 
 
 .n 
 
 ! 1 
 
 'II 
 
Fjfl^^ 
 
 CHAPTEll XX. 
 
 A HEROS DEATH. 
 
 IliGnv estimated that about thirty of the savages had 
 followed them and were then drawn up at the 
 entrance of the canon. 
 
 Telling his comrade to keep a sharp look-out for a 
 moment or two.. Ethan ran a little way up the gorge 
 to reconnoitre and if possible to find a more secure 
 retreat than the waggon in which to place Miss 
 Weston. 
 
 A joyful exclamation soon told liobert that he had 
 been successful, and in less than ten minutes he was 
 back affiun. 
 
 Springing to the front of tlie waggon, he called 
 Connie to him. 
 
 "^ Quick," he exclaimed, " I will take you to a safer 
 place than this." 
 
 The poor girl was trying to shelter herself as well 
 as she could at the bottom of the waggon. Hearing 
 
^. 
 
 k 
 
 A HEROS DEATH. 
 
 195 
 
 cjes had 
 at the 
 
 lit for a 
 le f'ome 
 secure 
 e Miss 
 
 he had 
 he was 
 
 ! culled 
 
 a safer 
 
 as well 
 Hearing 
 
 Tligby's voice, she rose and staggered to the front of 
 the vehicle. 
 
 " Oh, Ethan ! " she gasped, " tell me, is tliere any 
 liope ? It is terrible to tliink of falling into the 
 liands of those fearful savages ! " And the poor girl 
 shuddered and burst into a Hood of tears. 
 
 " Never fear, Miss Connie," said Ethan, fervently, 
 " they shall not so niucli as lay a finger on you while 
 there is one drop of blood left in my veins. But 
 there is not a moment to lose," he continued ; " you 
 are faint. Let me carry you." 
 
 The next moment the young giant liad the almost 
 fainting girl in his arms, and was hurrying with her 
 to his newly-found place of refuge. This was a mere 
 crevice — it could not be called a cave — in tlie base of 
 the cliH's about forty yards up the canon. In front of 
 this tiny grotto, and on a level with its floor, was a 
 curious ledge or shelf of rock which projected several 
 feet into the gorge, forming a kind of rocky })latform 
 some four feet above the bed of the river. 
 
 " There ! " exchiimed Ethan, as he deposited Connie 
 gently on her feet on this rocky dais. " Ifun into 
 that little cave and you will be safe from any stray 
 arrows or other missiles." 
 
 "But where will vou he i " iniiuircd Connie hesi- 
 tatingly. 
 
 " Close at hand, here," answered Bigby. " 1 think 
 we can hold the pass best from behind the waggon. 
 
 i ■ 
 
 !|i' 
 
 U' 
 
 .; I 
 
196 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 ViUt, hark ! I must go," and witli a look that expressed 
 more than words, the brave fellow hastened back to 
 rejoin Itobert at the waggon. 
 
 Connie felt as though she would sink to the ground 
 with friglit. Her knees trembled so violently that it 
 was only witli the greatest difficulty that she managed 
 to walk to the shelter which liigby had pointed out. 
 After resting for a few moments, however, with her 
 forehead supported by a natural cushion of cool, damp 
 moss, which nearly covered one side of the cave, she 
 somewhat revived. 
 
 Two rifle shots, followed by the whoo})s and yells 
 of the Indians, told her that the struggle had begun 
 in good earnest. Controlling herself by a great effort, 
 therefore, she stepped to tlie mouth of the grotto and 
 peered cautiously out between some tufts of fern 
 which were gr(»wing in the crevices of the rock. Her 
 somewhat elevated position gave her a capital view of 
 all that was going on down the gorge, and the sight 
 might well have caused a stouter heart than hers to 
 (piail. 
 
 The Indians had left their cover and charged uj) 
 the canon, and were at that moment engaged in a 
 fierce struggle with her protectors. The latter were- 
 fighting like I'aladins, but it seemed impossible that 
 they could maintain their ground nmch longer. They 
 had stationed themselves one on each side of the 
 waggon, but a yard or two higher up the gorge, so 
 
A hero's death. 
 
 197 
 
 that they could take their enemies more in detail as 
 their ranks were broken and divide • hy the obstruct- 
 ing vehicle. Uobert was somewhat protected l)y the 
 mass of rock already referred to, and, armed with his 
 repeating rille, lie dealt out death to all who api)roached 
 him. Ivigby had shoved the pole of the waggon 
 across the wider s])a('e whicli intervened lietween it 
 and the cli;T on his side, and he sheltered himself as 
 well ns he could behind the vehicle : but iis soon ns 
 the charges in his riile and pistols were exhausted, he 
 could only use the former weapon as a club iind light 
 the redskins liand to hand. 
 
 Perceiving this, one of their chiefs, who was mounted 
 on a fine black stallion, directed his warriors to con- 
 centrate their efforts on the passage which jxxir Ifigby 
 was thus struggling to bold. Thereupon the l)raves 
 ruslied forward, with wild yells and in ovcrwliehnins>- 
 numbers. The pole was forced aside, and Klbai: bornt^ 
 to his knees with the sudden onset. 
 
 Quick as thought, IJobert sprang to his connade's 
 assistance), and was just in time to shoot an Indian 
 who was on the point of runniuLr tlie vounu; Kcntuckian 
 through witli his spear. Unluckily, however, ifobert 
 himself was being closelv watched 1)V the cliiet' already 
 mentioned, who, seeing his opportunity, rode (piickly 
 up behind the white man and aimed a terrific 1)1()W at 
 the back of his head with his battle-axe. This would 
 doubtless have finished pc^or Lazenby's career for 
 
 '' R J ' 
 
 . 5 
 
 .11 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
198 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 ever, had not the horse stumbled at that moment over 
 one of tlie numerous boulders and marred his rider's 
 aim. As it was, although the blade missed him, the 
 wooden haft caught the ex-soldier on the crown of 
 his head and felled him senseless to the ground. 
 
 Ethan's heart almost died within liini as he saw his 
 ccjmrade's fall. Wounded and bleeding, he gave way 
 before the victorious Indians, some of whom pressed 
 closely upon him, while others commenced lo(jting the 
 contents of the waggon. He had emptied so many 
 saddles, however, with the irresistible sweep of his 
 long riHe, that the braves no longer cared to come 
 within its deadly radius. They endeavoured to circle 
 round him and sweep down ui»on him from several 
 points at once, but they were impeded l)y the uneven 
 nature of the ground, and the increasing narrowness 
 of the gorge. Their ponies stumbled over the boulders 
 or fell into the deep holes, and for a moment or two 
 it seemed almost as if he might succeed in beating them 
 off. His spirits had by this time revived, and he 
 fought with consummate skill and courage. 
 
 Connie watched the struggle from her hiding-place 
 with breathless anxiety and the most terrible mis- 
 givings. 
 
 Suddenly she saw a plumed Indian on a coal-black 
 horse disengage himself from tlie crusli of braves who 
 surrounded tlie white man. While the latter's face 
 was turned away for a moment, this Indian slipped 
 
A HEHOS DEATH. 
 
 199 
 
 behind him, and to tlie {^'irl's horror, rode up the 
 canon in lier direction. His piercing eyes scanned 
 every nook and cranny where a fugitive might per- 
 chance be lying liid ; and the poor girl felt that her 
 time had come. 
 
 An expressive " Ugh ! " caused her to look u}), f<jr, 
 in her helplessness, she had buried her fjife in her 
 hands, and the siglit which met her eves made an 
 involuntaiy scream escape her lips. 
 
 A tall, ferocious-looking savage was staring straight 
 at her, and, although almost transtixed with horror, she 
 noticed his l)earing, his horse, his weapons, and par- 
 ticularly the device which was rudely painted upon 
 his shield. It was a Death's Head. 
 
 AVarned by Connie's scream, young IJigby looked 
 behind him and saw with dismay that the chief who 
 liad already made himself so conspicuous by his dash 
 and enterprise had somehow or other slipped past him, 
 and discovered the girl's place of refuge. Without a 
 moment's hesitation Ethan dashed thro'.igh the sur- 
 rounding Ijraves, and bounded towards the cave. 
 
 With yells of mingled rage and astonishment, the 
 savages urge<l their ponies in pursuit ; l)ut love and 
 anxiety lent wings to the young Kentuckian, and for 
 the short distance which intervened, he kept ahead ot 
 his pursuers. Springing upon the rocky ledge, he 
 placed himself in front of his lovely charge, and pre- 
 pared to battle for her with his life. 
 
 i* 
 
 M 
 
 I Aii 
 
 4 ■ f 
 
 n I! 
 
 * 
 
200 
 
 THE YorNCJ RAN'CHMEN. 
 
 Soon the redskins swarmed in front of liini, but the 
 led<,'e on wliicli lie stood was too liigh for tlieir liorses 
 to lea]). Neither was it easy for them to reach him 
 with their lanc(3S where he stood well hack in the 
 entrance to the orotto. Enraged and balUed, the chief 
 ordered his warriors to dismount and storm the posi- 
 tion on foot. 
 
 Love and despair nerved iiighy's arm, and once, 
 nay twice, he dashed back the howlinir niob with 
 incredible energy and force almost l)efore they c(juld 
 gain a footing on the I'ock. In doing so, however, 
 he necessai'ily came within reach of the chief's spear 
 and received several iiglv stabs. Weak with loss of 
 blood, Ethan fell powerless to the ground just as the 
 savages jn-epared to renew their attack. At that 
 critical moment, however, a peculiar warning cry came 
 pealing up the gorge. It was the signal to retreat, 
 given by their scouts stationed near the entrance, and, 
 ere its echoes died away amongst tl'.e cliffs, the Indians 
 had remounted their ponies and were in full retreat 
 down the canon. All except the chief who had the 
 Death's head on his shield. He lingered a moment 
 to complete his bloody work. 
 
 AVith a iiendish leer, he urged his horse close up to 
 the rcjck and made a savage thrust at Connie as she 
 stooped to minister to her stricken champion ; per- 
 ceiving his cruel purpose, a cry of iiorror escaped her 
 lips. The sound of her voice roused Ethan from his 
 
 i! 
 
 V « 
 
?l 
 
 lie fell back vitli a lieavv groan into Connie s arms. 
 
 Ill 
 
 ( . 
 
 ! 
 

A HEROS DEATH. 
 
 201 
 
 semi-unconsciousness, and, startinrj up at that moment, 
 he received tlie spear in his own breast. As he fell 
 back with a lieavy groan into Connie's arms, the 
 reports of riHes and tlie sound of distant cheering 
 were to be heard, and the Indian chief dared no longer 
 delay. Ilegardless of the many boulders and pitfalls, 
 he urged his hcse to the utmost speed and dashed 
 towards the entrance of the canon as though all the 
 furies were after him. 
 
 But tliis time vengeance was not to be baulked of 
 her prey. Ere he could reach the outlet of the gorge, 
 he was met and shot down by the mounted force 
 which, in response to Harry's alarm, had been collected, 
 and wliich having speedily repulsed and put to flight 
 the main body of the Indians, Major AVeston was then 
 leading to his daughter's rescue. 
 
 Seeing the deserted waggon before him. Major 
 Weston galloped up to it, his mind racked with the 
 most horrible misgivings. 
 
 The contents of the vehicle were tossed about in 
 all directions, but there was no sign of his beloved 
 daughter or liobert. 
 
 Hark ! what was that ? A groan ? Yes, and there 
 was a booted foot sticking out from that heap of slain. 
 It was but the work of a few minutes to dismount 
 and free the ex-soldier, for he it was, from the dead 
 bodies of a couple of redskins which lay above him. 
 
 Relieved of their weight, Robert gave a deep sigh. 
 
 'I 
 
 I ' 1 
 
 ?l 
 
202 
 
 THK YOUNO RANCHMEN. 
 
 I 
 
 { 
 
 .1 
 
 and, opening his eyes, l(j(jkc(l jibouL liini in a confused 
 manner, as if iryinj,' to recollect where he was and 
 what had liappened. 
 
 Just tlu!n, Major Weston's attention was called to 
 some objiM't higher uj> the gorge, iind leaving Sanson 
 and others to attend to liol)ei't he liastened towards it. 
 ( )n nuiching the rocky ledge already described, what 
 was his joy to Iind his daughter ai)j)arently uninjured. 
 She was kneeling down in the entrance of the little 
 cave, su])porting poor young Kighy's liead upon her 
 knees. IJut the joyous hjok on lier father's face at 
 seeing her, changed to one of deep concern as he saw 
 that the poor fellow who lay stretched upon his back 
 on the rock was evidently dying. 
 
 The old soldier took in the situation at a glance. 
 As he looked first at his daughter, given Itack to him 
 as it were fr(jm the dead, and then at the brave men 
 who had so nobly defended her against all odds to tlu; 
 very death, he turned away unaljle longer U) control 
 his emotion. Aware, however, of the necessity for 
 prompt action if anything was to be done to restore 
 Ethan even temporarily to consciousness, ^lajor AVeston 
 (quickly mastered his feelings so far as to dismount 
 and render the poor fellow all the assistance in his 
 power. 
 
 ** Oh ! surely, father, he is not dead ! " exclaimed 
 Connie, looking up, as her parent knelt beside her and 
 felt the young man's pulse. 
 
A IIEUOS DEATH. 
 
 203 
 
 f 
 
 Her pale face and agoni.sed expression showed how 
 
 <leej 
 Mai 
 
 was 
 
 V Weston 
 nswered 
 
 lier distress and anxiety, and, for lier sake, 
 struggled to compose Ids voice as he 
 
 tiy- 
 
 " Xo, dear, Ik; still lives. 1 will try what a drop 
 of brandy will do for him," and taking a small flask 
 from his pocket he poured a f(;w dro})s of the liciuor 
 down liigby's throat. 
 
 "He's a gone coon, you bet !" remarked a rough 
 old emigrant who had just come U[», as he shook his 
 grizzled head. 
 
 " Sorra a bit of it, ye blathering focd," answered 
 O'Flaherty, who with several others stood around the 
 ledge. "Cannot ye see the spali)c«'n 's only fainteil !" 
 and tlie kind-hearted Irishman winked and u'esticulated 
 
 at the blunt old 
 
 •ant to k 
 
 h 
 
 Th 
 
 lie inunt old emigrant to keep liim (piiet. ine 
 latter jit first seemed inclined to resent the son of 
 Erin's uncomplimentary mode of address, Init, on 
 second thoughts, he to(jk the hint and moved away, 
 still shaking his head. 
 
 llevived by the draught of brandy and a liberal 
 ap})lication of cold water to the temples, Kigby 
 gradu.ally recovered consciousness. 
 
 "Where am I <"' he eiKpiired faintly; and then, as 
 it all seemed to flash across his mind, he started and 
 tried to get upon liis feet, but fell Ijack helpless ere he 
 had raised himself to a sitting posture. " Where is 
 Miss Connie ? " he gasped ; " is she safe ? " 
 
 !l 
 
 ' : 
 
 
 if i 
 
204 
 
 TIIK YOrS'd KANCIIMEN. 
 
 " Ves, (U'ar Ktliim, thitiiks to your Ijruwrv," replied 
 the ^'irl, stru^'<,'liu^' to control her voice, while the 
 tears llowed down her cheeks; "hut, hush!" she eou- 
 tinued, *' you nrv, hiidly hurt, and you must keeiM^uiet 
 until your wounds have l)een Jittended to." 
 
 Assist(;d hy her fiither, who hud sprung' forward 
 and caught poor Iti^djy in his arms as he fell Inick- 
 wards, Miss Weston cmce more <,'ot the latter into a 
 comfortal)le position. 
 
 It was touchinj^ to observe the look of intense relief 
 and hai)piness which overspread the poor fellow's 
 countenance as he listened to (.'onnie's voice, and 
 realised that it was she who supported his throli- 
 bing head, and whose cool soft hand lay upon his 
 ))row. 
 
 "Try to drink a little of this, it will do you j^ood," 
 said (jonnie, as she held the tlask of brandy to his 
 bloodless lips. 
 
 "You are very kind, Miss Connie," rei)lied Iligby, 
 when he had with difiiculty swalhnved the refreshing 
 draught, " and I feel less faint than I did ; but," he 
 added mournfully, " those redskins have done for me 
 this time. I shall never again be able to strike a 
 blow in your defence." 
 
 " Oh ! don't say sc," sobbed Connie, (^uite overcome 
 with grief. 
 
 " It is true," he answered, " I feel that I am 
 dying." 
 
 m ; 
 
A HEHOS DEATIf. 
 
 9.or, 
 
 " Xo, }•(»»! sIimU ii(»1 — yon must imr die I" oxdaiiiKMl 
 (.'(Hinic vcliciMciitly. whiles the U'lirs (.'..iiic faster than 
 
 "All! il<» lint, wccji, Miss Coiiiiic," n'ltlit'd the 
 wuimclcd man, lodkini,' np al her as he spoke, with 
 his fine I'eailess eves full of tiiu li^lit of an intense 
 
 4. IT' 
 
 and nnutt(;riihle love, " for if 1 only knew for certain 
 that ytai woiilil cohh! safely out of this, I should die 
 ha]>py." He j)aused a moment, as thoiiLih exhausted, 
 while Connie, uiiahh^ to s[)eak, stooped down and 
 .L,a;ntly kissed liis pallid brow. 
 
 It was a truly touching- si^ht to see that tiiu^ 
 powerful frame, which ludd so hrave and ladde a 
 heart, lyini;- helpless on the .ni'oiind — its life, a few 
 miiHiles l)efor(! so strong;' and vi.n'orous, (shhin^' rapidly 
 away, while eries and sobs broke from the sympa- 
 thetic bystanders. 
 
 Kthim IJi^by had always been a great favourite in 
 the camt). (Jenerous to a fault, frank, brave, and 
 unassuming — each and all, young and old, felt that 
 in losing him they would losi^ a tried and trusted 
 friend. 
 
 I'lu^ (dder Kigl»y had come up, and, assisted by 
 Major AVeston, he tried to staunch the l)lood which 
 still oozed slowly from his son's wounds. At a 
 sign from the latter, however, they desisted, especially 
 as it was then evident he could not live many 
 minutes, 
 
 «'l 
 
 I 
 
 !l 
 
 1 1 
 
 > i 
 
 I 
 
 1.J 
 
206 
 
 THE ydunt; ranchmen. 
 
 \>\'l 
 
 At the touch (jf Miss Weston's lips the spark of 
 life seemed to Ihcker np for fi iiionieiit. Yoniij^' liighy's 
 face lii^hted U]) very j^crcepliltly, and liis eyes shone 
 with a ])('('uliar histre. Tfalf raisini^ liis liead, with 
 a last effort, lie ionized earnestly around. 
 
 " ( lood-hye, fatlicr — ^ood-hye, Major — good-hye, 
 all ! " he nmrnuired. 
 
 His father ])i'essed the hand he ludd in his, hut was 
 nnahle thronf,di dee]» emotion to say a word in reply. 
 
 " Ciood-hye — good-lye — good-hye," echoed the hy- 
 standers, with choking voices. 
 
 I'iie sufferer's head had fallen back upon ]\Iiss 
 AVest(m's knee, hut his eyes looked up intently into 
 hers. 
 
 " (Jood-hve, sweet angel," he c(jntinued, in scarcelv 
 audible tones. " I dii', but — " his lips still moved, 
 but no sound reached pooi Connie's ears. Over- 
 whelmed with grief, she we})t as though her heart 
 would break. Anxious as she naturally was, however, 
 not to lose what she felt would be his last utterances, 
 she again controlled herself bv a great ellbrt, and 
 stooi)ing down, she placed her ear close to his li})S. 
 
 " 1 die," she, and none but slie, lieard him whisper, 
 " I die perfectly happy, for 1 die for thee, my (pieen." 
 
 " I do not deserve such devotion as this," slu; sadlv 
 answered ; " T have been very unkind to you. Oh ! 
 forgive me, dear, brave Ethan !" 
 
 And the repeiitant girj (ji.ice j.nore stooped dowii 
 
 'Mi. 
 
A IIEROS DEATH. 
 
 207 
 
 and pressed lier lips to tlie youn<,' man's l>row, wliicli 
 was (Ifiiup with the dew of death. 
 
 A smile of excpiisite love and satisfaction played 
 for a moment about his li])s, then gradually overs] )read 
 his countenance ; the l.ruvc heart ceased to l)eat, and 
 Ethan liii^bv was no more. 
 
 M- 
 
 >adlv 
 Oh ! 
 
 \ 
 
 i i- 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 A LETTKll AND A DREAM. 
 
 : I 
 
 The blue waters of the (Ireat Salt Lake liad long been 
 in sicjht, and the sun was settin<_f beliind the cloudv 
 summits of the Cedar mountains, v lien, a few days 
 later, the weary emigrants approiiclied the mushroom 
 eitv of the Latter- Day Saints. 'J'his was the harbour 
 of rcifuge, tlie half-way liouse, so to speak, for which 
 tliey had aimed and toiled during the long march 
 across the plains and mountains from St Louis. Salt 
 Lake City once reached, tliey had reason to believe 
 they had accomplished not only the longest but by far 
 the worst stage of their journey, and they looked 
 forward to some weeks of rest and peace within its 
 friendly precincts. 
 
 After tlie perils and privations, the anxieties and 
 hardships which tliey had underg(me during months 
 of travel through wild and hostile regions, these brave 
 pioneers were in a position to appreciate a brief return 
 to civilised life. 
 
A LETTER AND A DREAM. 
 
 209 
 
 Tlic teiTi})le afi'air in the Wahsatch had delayed the 
 train some twenty-four hours. For the stampeded 
 horses had to he recovered, and the hreakages and 
 other mishaps liad to he made good. 
 
 With the exception of the gaUant Ifighy, liowcver, 
 there liad heen happily no loss of life amongst the 
 emigrants, though several men hesides Kohert had been 
 wounded more or less severely. The latter had not 
 vet recovered from the effects of the blow he had 
 received, nor was he likely to do so for some days 
 to come. Major AVeston had placed him under 
 Connie's cjire, not only because she wds such an ex- 
 cellent nurse, but also witli the design of diverting 
 her mind as nuich as i)ossible from the harrowing 
 recollections of the Indians' attack and poor Ethan's 
 death. 
 
 The shock to the young girl had been very great, 
 and her pale, sad looks showed the grief she was still 
 feeling. 
 
 Before resuming their march, the emi<j:rants had 
 paid their last tribute of respect to the brave and 
 beloved comrade, who had so nobly met his death in 
 that gloomy canon. 
 
 A large cairn of rocks and boulders from tlie river's 
 bed had been reverently piled (jver his remains, and 
 the following simple inscription had been deeply 
 chiselled in the face of the adjoining cliil" by the two 
 young AVestons : — 
 
 i 1 
 
 i 
 I 
 
 V 
 
210 
 
 THE YOUXG UAN'CHMEN. 
 
 3n Qltemonamt 
 
 Ethan Rigby, 
 
 1857. 
 
 "Greater love hath no man than this, 
 that a man hiy (h)\vn his life lor his friend.'' 
 
 On uearinjf the citv, the eniiu:rants turned iisi'lc 
 from the main tlioroughfare, and pitched their eani]i 
 upon a stretch of waste ground on the Jordan lliver 
 to the southward. 
 
 Here they proposed to remain until both they them- 
 selves and their jjided horses and cattle had recovered 
 flesh and strength, and were once more fit to face the 
 hardshij)S of the march. 
 
 " Well, Connie, how is your patient?" asked the 
 Major, as the family sat down to breakfast on the 
 morning after their arrival at Salt Lake City. 
 
 " Still rather light-headed and feverish," replied the 
 girl ; " but now that we can ])rocure suitable food and 
 other necessaries, I trust lie will soon be well again." 
 
 " I do not doubt it, dear : it would take a good deal 
 to kill a man with such a constitution as Kobert 
 Lazenby's."' 
 
 " And such a nurse as Connie," added Frank. 
 
 " Kight, my lad. But now I will read you a letter 
 1 liave just received from Captain Trevor." 
 
 " Captain Trevor, how could you get a letter from 
 him?" en(j[uired the boys eagerly, while a deep Hush 
 
A LETTER AND A DREAM. 
 
 211 
 
 suf'fusod for 11 moment their sister's ]);ile Uuh\ '' It is 
 months since we parted from liini, and liis route and 
 o\irs lay in exactly opjiosite directions!" 
 
 "Exactly; l)ut liave you never lieard of tlie Pony 
 Kx])ress ?" 
 
 "()h! of course, liow stupid of us!" said Fraidv, 
 " (jiie of tiieir riders passed us on the plains wlien we 
 were a few days out from St Louis." 
 
 "To be sure! And this letter must ha\'e passed us 
 somewhere in the Ilockies. Here are tlie contents : — 
 
 "Jackson's IIotkl, Washin(;tox Avknuk. 
 St Loris, 4(11 JuJij 1857. 
 
 "Dear Major Weston, — You will probably be surprise*! to <,'ft 
 a letter from me, if get it you do, with all the glorious uufcrtaiii- 
 tie.s of the overland mail; but as I have some news to c(jmmuni- 
 cate, which I think will be of intt.'rest to you and yours, I shall 
 forward this by the Pony Express, in the hope that it may bt; in 
 time to catch you at Salt Lake City. 
 
 " Well, then, to make a long story short, my .son was stricken 
 down with fever at Julesburgh on the Platte River, which of 
 course obliged us to halt until he was su'liciently recovered 1<> 
 bear the fatigue of the march. It was a hara.ssing time, for I 
 knew it would be most daugerou.s to take him on with us across 
 the hot low country, and especially the great Mississippi Valley, 
 at that season of the year. It is always a trying journey, even 
 for a strong man, and for a youth who was but just recovering 
 from a lowering fever, it meant almost the certainty of a relapse, 
 and perhaps a fatal one. 
 
 " I knew the best thing for my son Avould be to retraci; our 
 steps, and return to the higher and more salubrious slopes of the 
 Rocky Mountains, until Ernest's strength was (piitt; restored, and 
 the summer heat abated. Unfortunately, however, it was impos- 
 
 i: 
 
 I ; 
 
 U '1 
 
212 
 
 THE YOlINd JIANCHMEN. 
 
 sible for me thus to delay my j(jurney, as I had pressing and 
 important (fovernment business to transact in Washington. 
 
 "In my dih'nima a detachment of U.S. trooi^s entered the 
 town, ni ronfc to relieve the garrison of Fort Bridger, which is 
 stationed in the mountains alxmt 112 miles oast of Salt Lake City. 
 Curiously enough, tlie oUicer in command turned out to Ite an old 
 friend of mine, and, when he heard how matters stoo(l, he kindly 
 suggested that my son should accompany his force to the military 
 l)ost already mentioned, and return a few weeks later with the 
 trooj)s ordered east. 
 
 "The offer, as you may sup])ose, was most gratefully acce]>ted ; 
 a comfortalile seat and Led combined was ap])ortioned Ernest in 
 one of the amhulance waj^ons, and the surgeon, a nice young 
 fellow, ])romised to take professional chaVgf! of him. 
 
 " The lad was in high spirits at the thought of perchance over- 
 taking your comi)any, either on the march or at Salt Lake City, 
 whither iie intends? going. So you must not he surprised if he 
 turns U]) some day during your stay. 
 
 " My Inisiness will detain me for scmie months in Washington, 
 and this will give Ernest ample time to rejoin.me either there or 
 at New York. We can'^then sail to England together, as origin- 
 ally intended. 
 
 "I must not forget tomention that, as^I find my son's talents 
 and inclinations all tend so unmistakably to draw him towards 
 the more active and adventurous life of a western pioneer or 
 ranchman, I see it would be folly to continue to Ui,^e upon him 
 such a totally different career as that of an English doctor. 1 
 have, therefore, told him that if, in a year's time, he is still in 
 the same mind as now, I will send him out to California and set 
 him up on a good stock farm, or ranche, as it is there called. 
 Meanwhile he can spend the Avinter and spring upon some large 
 farm in England or Scotland, and obtain much practical know- 
 ledge of the care and management of sheep and cattle, besides 
 learning a hundred other things which it will be useful for him 
 to know. 
 
 " I need scarcely add, that, for my i)art, I shall look forward 
 with pleasure to this early opportunity of renewing an acquaint- 
 ance formed under such strange and memorable circumstances. 
 
A I.KTTKK AND A DHEAM. 
 
 218 
 
 " Trustiii;^ you luive suriuounted all the «lilUcultieH and (lanrrers 
 of the luouiitaiiis, and with kindest reniendjraiices tn Miss Westtm 
 and your two bnivc sons, — Believe ine, dear Major Weston, yours 
 very laithfullv, 
 
 "K H. TUKVOR." 
 
 'I'iu! CMjiicurii wliicli the youiii;- jjuopk', ami cspt'cially 
 Connie, had manifested at the news of Ernest's illness, 
 (dianLjed to ex])ressions of tiie most livelv satisfaction 
 as ^lajor AVeston went on to read of Ernest's return 
 westward for the benefit of the mountain air and liis 
 contemplated visit to Salt Lake City. And tliey were 
 enthusiastic at the prospect of eventually liavinL? their 
 younii friend for a neighbour in the land of their 
 adoption. 
 
 " Hurrah !" cried Frank, as his father concluded. 
 " that is good news, and no mistake." 
 
 "Oh, it's jolly!" ac{j[uiesced Harry. "1 wonder 
 where he is now ? " 
 
 "If he is in the city he must have heard of our 
 arrival by this time, for an emigrant train of this size 
 does not reach Salt Lake City every day," said ]Major 
 AVeston. " In which case," he continued, " he will 
 soon look lis u}). But I think it is scarcely likely 
 that he can have ])receded us." 
 
 " No ; for to do so he must have passed us m rot'tr, 
 one would think," suoijested Frank. 
 
 " Not necessarily," replied his father, " for, although 
 the distance is not great, there are alternative routes 
 from Fort Bridger to this jilace." 
 
 .li 
 
f 
 
 214 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 " At any rate, he '11 turn iij) in a day or two, 1 
 should think," said 1 Tarry. 
 
 However, day after day passed, and yet no Ernest 
 Trevor appea.'ecl. Connie's eheeks ^^rew i)aler even 
 tlian before, and a hopeless expression began to settle 
 on lier face, though she still went about her numerous 
 occupations, ministering to the wants of the sick and 
 j)oor in the emigrant camp, and conscientiously ful- 
 tilling all the duties that fell to her station. 
 
 Major Weston had hired a small furnished cottage 
 for a few weeks, and they were living in it in great 
 comfort. Jt had a pretty little verandah, shaded by 
 roses, where Connie might be seen whenever she had 
 a spare moment, gazing wistfully along the cottonwood 
 avenue that led out to the plain in the direction of 
 the Wahsatch Mountains. 
 
 At last Frank thought it was time something was 
 done to divert her thoughts a little, and so he 
 suggested that they should take a ride together, so as 
 to obtain a nearer view of the ureat lake. 
 
 With a little persuasion she consented, and early 
 one fine evening, exactly a week after their arrival at 
 Salt Lake City, they set off in the direction of the 
 lake. 
 
 The horses were comparatively fresh after their 
 week's rest, and Connie's spirits rose perceptibly as 
 (Jhieftain bore her along at a sharp canter. 
 
 They had not gone more than half a mile, however, 
 
mi 
 
 A LETTER AND A DREAM. 
 
 215 
 
 when the ifirl Hudtleuly drew rein, and, lo her la'other's 
 surprise, refused to proceed further in tliat direction. 
 " Let us ride towards the mountains," she said, 
 
 instead of <roin<; to the hike: tliev h)ok s(» lovely in 
 
 tl 
 
 leir evenui^^ uress. 
 
 Thinkiui^f this was merely some sudden caprice of 
 Ins sister's, Frank naturally demurred, and asked her 
 why she hiid so suddenly changed lier mind. 
 
 " AVell," she said, " if you must really know, Frank," 
 and as she si)oke something like the old colour came 
 back for an instant into her face, " I cannot get out 
 of my liead a liorrid dream which 1 had last night." 
 
 " AVhat was it?" asked F'rank, all attention in a 
 moment. 
 
 " l will tell it you Jis \\v, ride along, if you will go 
 the way I wish," replied Connie, " although I know 
 you will think me very weak to pay any regard to it." 
 
 " That depends!" answered Frank, making no attempt 
 to check his horse, which had conunenccd to turn (tf 
 its own accord, as Connie wheeled hers round. 
 
 They proceeded for some distance in silence, until 
 they had got clear of the city, and were fairly on the 
 road, or rather track, towards the mountains. Then 
 Connie drew her horse close beside her brother's and 
 began her narration. 
 
 " I dreamt," she said, " that you and T were out 
 hunting as of old in lovely Warwickshire. The 
 hounds were in full cry after a fox, and we were some 
 
 ii 
 
216 
 
 THE YOI'NCJ UANTHMEN. 
 
 two tit'lds hcliiud. Sudduiilv tin; liounds liud a check, 
 iuid \vt; i»ullL'd II]) our ponies, wlncli wure riitlicr Mown, 
 to a walk, t(j await dcvclojuiicnts. 
 
 " As wc rcat'lufd tlic end of a \\'v^\i W'uvv W(! heard 
 a ' Halh) !' and, looking in that dirccLion, wv saw tlu; 
 fox eonnnif towards us. Presently we lost si,Ljht of it 
 a;^fain as it entered a narrow eoppiee. On enier^in*: 
 I noticed that it was not a fox sifter all, but youn,^ Mr 
 Trevor, in a l»lack velvet liuntins,' ca[) and scarlet coat. 
 You had j^fone on to open a «;ate for nic, and \ called to 
 you for help. The hounds were again in full cry, and 
 coming streaming over a hank straight for the co]»])ice. 
 I thought the sound was more like the dee}) haying of 
 Idoodhounds than the musical chorus of foxhounds. 
 
 " Ernest glanced hack every few moments over his 
 shou^ ler, and seemed to l)e straining every nerve to 
 reach the open door of a cottnge which stood a little 
 more to the right of and rather behind our i)osition. 
 And, strange to say, — althougli the incongruity of it 
 fdl never struck nu' in my dream, — it was the very 
 cottage in which we are staying on the outskirts of 
 Salt Lake City." 
 
 " How very curious ! liut tliat is always the way 
 in dreams. Pray go on though ; I am interrupting 
 you at the most critical point." 
 
 " Well," continued Connie, who had been gazing 
 intently before her while her brother was speaking, 
 " it seemed evident that the hounds would drag down 
 
i 
 
 A LKTTKI{ AND A IHtKAM. 
 
 217 
 
 
 tliL'ir liiinmn (quarry eic hu (.'ould rcjicli tlu' ,1,'oal. Tluiy 
 were close on liis heels, Imt in spite of nil my entreaties 
 1 tlion<']it yon would not move. I nrjjied von (o ride 
 forward and save him, lait yon only shook yonr head 
 and sat inimovahly upon yonr horse, whieh I now 
 recoj^'nised as Saladin. At last, jnst as the leadini,' 
 lionnds were aliont to s[)rin^' njjon onr friend, yon 
 stnck spurs into yonr horse, and, ^fidlopinij up, yun 
 beat the infuriated lirntes ofl' with yonr linntin^" whip. 
 Wherenpon I awoke with ;i sndden start to find it 
 was all a dream." 
 
 "And a very horril)le dream, too!" 
 
 "Yes," n'jdied ( 'onnie, shndderin^'. " It left a most 
 nneomfortahle impression, whieh I have not lu^en able 
 to shiik(i oil* all day." 
 
 " 1 do not wonder at it, \ 'm snre," answered her 
 brother, sym})athetically, "such dreams seem t<» try 
 one almost as nnieh as real ex])eriences. I>ut, after 
 all," he eontinned cheerfully, " we have tlu; consolation 
 of knowinj^ that they are n(jt real as soon as we are 
 able to collect our wakin«i,' thoughts, however vivid 
 may be the impression which for a time they make 
 upon us." 
 
 "True," replied Connie, tlujuj^ditfully ; " l)Ut don't 
 you think they are often premonitions of danger — 
 warnings from the spirit world to i)Ut us on our guard 
 against impending calamity." 
 
 " possibly ; who can tell i " said I'rank, And then, 
 
 f^ 
 
SIS 
 
 TITE YOT'Xr; R A NTH MEN. 
 
 after a ])aus(', " 1 sue; now wliy you wislicd In ride In 
 this (lircction. It is always a relief wlieii in .anxiety 
 or tloiiht to lie doiliLi' soiuethilin", however feeMe, to 
 }^Ta)>i»le with the dilliculty, is it not !* " 
 
 " V(;s, anything is belter tliiin inaetion. and to turn 
 ontt's liaek iij)on the lioekies seenie(l even worse t!iaii 
 inaetion," said Connie, with u si^h. 
 
 " Kxaetly," answered Frank, "hut, since we must 
 turn our hacks upon them soon, in order to '^vX home 
 hefore dark, I ]ad|K»se that we shall now ]adl up to a 
 walkinu; ]>ace. Then, after .uoini,' a mile or two further, 
 we can tniii and canter quietly honu' wards." 
 
 " Xot yet," ]»lead(!d the girl, "our horses ani still 
 fresh, and I should so like to rid(! as fai* as the summit 
 of that ridii;e, if vou don't mind." 
 
 " With all my he.art, if you really wish it," answered 
 Frank, jL^ood-naturedly. " J>ut all the same," lu' con- 
 tinued, thoULfhtfully, " I don't think there is any cause 
 for alarm, even if y(-»un,^' Trevor ^'cs not turn up for 
 another fortnight, lie had ii Ioul!' iournev hefore him 
 when his father wrote that letter, and he would ]»rtt- 
 hablv stav a week or two id Fort l>ridy:ei. liesides, 
 you must not forget that he was travelling with a 
 detachment of soldiers, and therefore would Ite in no 
 danger from Indians — with whom, no doulit, vou eon- 
 nect the sleuth hounds in vour dream." 
 
 " Yes, yes," i-eplied ( 'onnie, " 1 (piite admit the force 
 of what you say, but that dream has taken such a hold 
 
 m 
 
A I-F.1TFH AND A Dili: AM. 
 
 •21!) 
 
 Upon iiic, I (nmnot shala; it nil", r.csidcs, it is just 
 pOHsildc thiit Knicst mii^'lit have ^mwii impaticiit of 
 waiting at Fort Urid^cr until the tmops were ready 
 to luarcli, and sci lie vciitnrinu' <»m alone or witli (ndv 
 a j^Miide." 
 
 Frank saw that it would lie useless to arniie the 
 question any further. lie thoreforn niadt; some little 
 observation indicative of dissent, and ehaULjcd the 
 subject. 
 
 They reacluMJ the rid^c; in du(^ course!, and ])ulled 
 u]) their horses to survey the scene which it eoni- 
 nianded. 
 
 
 I 
 
 ^;^ 
 
 ■ -m':^r-:(:^^ 
 
 
 _, ._. «r;&i,o^:^ .-■ 
 
 
 f:A^ >■;;•■' '-z:^:.:,, ,u:' 
 
 
 '^M^' 
 
 "•*v 
 
 
 i 
 
CHAPTER XXIT. 
 
 A PLUCKY EXPLOIT. 
 
 Except for a slightly better view of the plain, the 
 mountains, and the Mormon settlement, there was 
 nothing mucli gained l)y their two miles' further ride. 
 Eastward the ground fell away again for a short 
 distanee, and then gradually rose until it seemed to 
 terminate in another ridge, some three quarters of ji 
 nule away, exaetly liki; the one on whieh ihey liad 
 lialted. 
 
 As far as tlui eve could rcaeh there was no human 
 being in siglil, but a few small herds of eattle dotted 
 the plain here and there at wide intervals. 
 
 " AVe had better return with(jut more loss of time," 
 said Frank, pointing with his whip at the sun, which 
 was then very low on the horizon. 
 
 He turned his horse's head homewards as he spoke, 
 and began to retrace his steps. Connie lingered for a 
 few moments, as though loath to turn her back on the 
 mountain passes. 
 
 " Come along," cried Frank, " we are a good seven 
 
 I 
 
 
A PLUCKY EXPLOIT. 
 
 221 
 
 miles from home, aiul I don't think it wouUl be very 
 safe for us to be out after durk." 
 
 ** All right ! " answered the girl, as slu; reluctantly 
 prepared to obey the admonition. 
 
 She had turned Chieftain round, and was on the 
 point of cputering after her brother, when, in obedience 
 to some sudden impulse, she gave one more look back 
 towards the mountains. 
 
 A startled cry burst from lur lips as she saw the 
 ligure of a man coming into sight over tlie ridge 
 already mentioned. Owing to the darkness of the 
 mountain background, she w(juld probal)ly not have 
 noticed him in that brief glance had it not been for a 
 handkerchief which lie was vigorously waving. It was 
 evident that, whoever he was, he had seen her, plainly 
 outlined as she and her horse must have appeared to 
 him against the bright golden light of the sunset. 
 
 Frank had quickly returned on hearing his sister's 
 startled exclamation. He had no need to ask what 
 was the matter. Connie sat as though spellbound, 
 one hand restraining her horse and the other stretched 
 out in the direction of the approaching figure. Accus- 
 tomed to scouting, Frank's keen eyesight took in more 
 than his sister's. 
 
 " My word ! " he exclaimed, " it 's either a ruse of 
 some robber band to detain us until they can come 
 up, or else — " 
 
 He checked himself '.s he remembered the shaky 
 
 Q 
 
 : n 
 
222 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 state of (Jounie's nerves. The fact was, lie could see 
 wliat looked very mucli like a string of mounted 
 Indians topping the ridge in ])ursuit of the runner. 
 Just then a Hash against the dark l)ackground hehind, 
 as from a pistol, confirmed him in his conjecture, and, at 
 the same time, roused (Jonnie as with an electric shock. 
 
 The figure was evidently firing upon his pursuers. 
 
 " Oh ! Frank," she cried, " tiiat is Ernest ! and my 
 dream is coming true! Oh! save him!" And then, 
 without a moment's hesitation, she herself dashed off 
 to aid her conjectured lover in his extremity. 
 
 Frank also started at the same moment, for he felt 
 sure that tjonie poor fellow — and it might, indeed, l)e 
 young Trevor, as his sister imagined — was hard pressed 
 hy enemies, and in the most imminent danger of being 
 killed. 
 
 The horses seemed to know that there was some 
 pressing need for them to exert themselves to the 
 utmost, and they raced along at the top of their 
 speed. Frank drew alongside of his sister, and 
 implored her not lo be rash, but, when they got 
 nearer, to drop behind a little, and let him advance the 
 last few hundred yards alone. He told her that, unless 
 she kept cool and did as he directed her, she would 
 inevitably defeat her object, and sacrifice both their 
 own lives and that of the man they were trying to ^av(?. 
 
 Fortunately, his words had the desired effect, and 
 she promised to obey lijs orders implicitly. It almost 
 
A PLUCKY EXPLOIT. 
 
 22'^ 
 
 seemed, liowever, as if tlie pursuers would liave cnrricd 
 out tlieir bloody intentions Ijefore Frank coidd ujet near 
 enougli to interfere. 
 
 The latter could see plainly enough l»y tliis time 
 that the pursued was a white man, and just sueli a 
 young follow as Ernest Trevor, too, although his hark 
 was turned to them at that monunit, as he hud faced 
 about to fire upon two (jf the Indians — for such they 
 really were — who had almost ridden him down. Even 
 at that critical moment, Frank found himself wonder- 
 ing what had become of the brave fellow's liorsc. 
 Then he fairly clieered as he noticed liow tirndy he 
 stood his ground, and how, as he fired, one of tlu? 
 Indians fell headlong from his mustang. l>ut the 
 cheer died away on his lips, and Connie uttered an 
 involuntary scream, as the siicond shot missed its 
 mark and the Indian rushed upon the white man 
 with uplifted tomahawk. (t)uick as tliought, how- 
 ever, the latter sprang lightly aside and avoided the 
 blow. 
 
 This happily gave Frank a chance to interfere. 
 For the last hundred yards or so lie had l)een 
 collecting his horse, and lie had tlie noble creature well 
 in hand. He called to his sister, whom he had already 
 motioned to slacken s[)eed, and told her to pull up 
 and kee}> veil beyond the reach of the Indians. 
 Chieftain was .so fieet that he had no f(;ar for her s(» 
 long {IS she kept on the alert and did not allow any 
 
 » 
 
224 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 
 of the Indians to approacli her too closely. Several 
 more of them were coming up, but their ponies were 
 evidently fagged and l)lown with hard riding, and 
 their pace scarcely (exceeded a canter. The brave 
 already referred to liad wheeled his steed round, but 
 sc(;med indisposed to risk a second encounter; and 
 Frank hoped to be at the wliite man's side ere the 
 other half dozen leading Indians could reach him. 
 
 It became a race Ijctween tlie vounu,' scout and the 
 savages. If the latter arrived first, tliey would in all 
 ]H'obal)ility overwhelm and slay their victim. liut if 
 Ki'ank could anticipate tliem, \]w. chances would be 
 lather in favour of the white men. The dreaded 
 revolvers of the latter more than counter! )alanced 
 their disparity in numbers. 
 
 A few minutes sutticed to show that the Indians 
 were not " in tlie running." The superior stride and 
 condition of the well-l)red Saladin enabled Ids rider 
 to reacli tlu; goal first, althougli lie had considerably 
 the most ground to cover. 
 
 As, revolver in liand, Frank galloped up, the man 
 for whom he was idjout to hazard his life turned 
 towards him. Their eyes met, and the recognition 
 was mutual and instantaneous. 
 
 " Frank ! " 
 
 " Ernest ! " 
 
 There was no time for more; the Indians were 
 upon them. 
 
A PLUCKY EXPTOIT. 
 
 225 
 
 Frank had drawn up Ins liorsc alongside his friend, 
 and, pistols in hand, they boldly faeed their savjiL'e 
 foes. The latter eaine sweeping down upon the white 
 men with fierce shouts and brandished spears and 
 tomahawks. 
 
 " Fire ! " cried Ernest. 
 
 There was a double report, and two of the Indians 
 rolled from their saddles. The others instantly swerved 
 from their course, and passed to right or left of their 
 dauntless adversaries. 
 
 "Quick!" ejaculated Frank. "Place your foot in 
 my stirrup and mount behind me." 
 
 The words had scarcely left his lips ))efore Ernest 
 was safely posted on Saladin's back, l)ehind his gallant 
 friend. At first the fiery creature seemed inclined to 
 reseat the imposition, but a few soothing words and a 
 pat or two from his master soon made him resigned 
 to his double burden. 
 
 It was well for his riders that the horse i)roved so 
 docile, for there was not a moment to lose. The main 
 body of the Indians was rapidly approaching, and the 
 survivors of the two previous encounters were thirsting 
 for revenge. Indeed, had it not been for a plucky 
 diversion of Connie's at this moment they would pr(>- 
 bably have swooped down upon the young Englishmen 
 and cut them down at the critical moment when 
 Ernest was mounting beside his friend. 
 
 Divining the intention of the savages, Connie gal- 
 
 li 
 
22f) 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 loped straiglit towards them, inakin<]j l)elievc tliat her 
 steed had mastered her and Ijolted. Haviiif,' thus 
 attracted their attention, she pidled a little to the left, 
 and passed within fifty yards of wliere they were 
 drawn up. This tempted tlie braves to abandon their 
 intention of making another cliarge on the two 
 pale-face.«. Instead, they determined to try to capture 
 th(! young girl. The former had proved dangerous 
 adversaries, whereas the latter seemed likely to fall 
 an easy prey to them. With yells of triumph, there- 
 fore, they urged their ponies in pursuit. 
 
 Satisfaction and fear were strangely blended in 
 ( 'onnie's breast as she realised the success of her 
 mancpuvre. She had succeeded in drawing the atten- 
 tion of the savages upon herself, but tlie position was 
 not a pleasant one. One thought, however, upheld 
 her. As she had approached tlie scene of coniiict slie 
 had ascertained beyond a doubt that lier surmise was 
 correct, and that the man whom she and lier brother 
 were trying to save was really Ernest Trevor. Sus- 
 tained and animated by this retiection, she displayed 
 marvellous courage and skill, allowing the Indians to 
 approach near enough to encourage them to persevere 
 in the pursuit, and yet managing her horse with such 
 nerve and dexterity as to foil all their attempts to 
 capture her. 
 
 Meanwhile, Fraidv and Ernest had made the best 
 use uf this timely diversion, and were gradually 
 
A PLUCKY EXPLOIT. 
 
 007 
 
 increasing tho distjince butweon tlicniselves and th(3 
 main body of tlic Indians. 
 
 Tho feelings of alarm and dismay witli wliich tliey 
 had at first witnessed (Jonnie's startling action had 
 speedily changed to those of admiration as tlusy per- 
 ceived its purport and noted the skill and intrepidity 
 with which it was carried out. 
 
 Ernest's lieart swelled with love and admiration, 
 not unmingled with anxiety, howet'cr, as he watelied 
 the l)rave girl decoying the savagiis awiiy, at no little 
 risk to herself, well mounted though slie was, in order 
 that lie and Frank might nudvc good their esca]»e. 
 
 As soon as she found that lli(3 latter were getting 
 safely beyond reach of tlie Indians, Comiie gave 
 Chieftain his head, and soon left lier pursuers f;ir 
 liehind. In a very few minutes slie had joined hei" 
 brother and Ernest, wlio, in tlieir turn, had wluM-led 
 round to cover her retreat with tlieir fire-arms. Thev 
 greeted her with hearty cheers and waving of ea[)S as 
 she rode up, and she felt amply repaid for her liold 
 exploit in the thought tliat they wei'ci saf(^ For liis 
 partj Ernest tliought that (Vjnnie lind never before; 
 looked so lovely. She was Ihislu'd with ihi; excite- 
 ment and exercise, and some of lier long golden hair 
 had come down and was ham>inL^' in wavv luxuriance 
 over her shoulder.s. 
 
 " Thank God, you are safe ! " " Vour plucky feat 
 has saved our lives ! " 
 
 n 
 
228 
 
 THE VOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 Such were the cxcljunations with wliich the younj^ 
 men greeted their fair ally as she reined in her liorse 
 beside them. The Indians had abandoned their pur- 
 suit ; and the three young people, who had so narrowly 
 escaped their tomahawks and scalping knives, were 
 able to proceed more leisurely. 
 
 As they rode along at a gentle canter ir Uie waning 
 daylight, they had nnich to talk about. The few 
 weeks that had elapsed between their first eventful 
 meeting and parting on the eastern threshold of the 
 Rocky Mountains, and their e(|ually strange reunion 
 on their western slopes, had been full of incidents and 
 experiences of the greatest consequence. More trials 
 and adventures than fall to the share of some people 
 in a long lifetime had been crowded into those two or 
 three months of their young lives, and had left their 
 mark upon them. They were no longer very young, 
 except in years. 
 
 Ernest explained the circumstances which had 
 brought him to the sorry plight in which his friends 
 had found him. He said he had travelled from Fort 
 Bridger in company with the troops, who were on their 
 way to Great Salt Lake City, until within about twenty 
 miles of their common destination Tlien the soldiers 
 had formed their camp, with the intention of resuming 
 the march and entering the city on the following day. 
 Finding, however, that he was within a three-hours' 
 ride of his destination, and that there was sufhcient 
 
 di 
 
A PLUCKY EXIM/HT. 
 
 220 
 
 dayli<i;ht to lust until he was witliin si^ht of the town, 
 Ernest liad determined to ])ns]i on. The otlicer in 
 eonniiJind had tried to dissuade liim, l>nt, liavinj^ Iteen 
 detained longer than he had intended at Fort Ihidger, 
 the young Englishman was impatient of furtlier delay. 
 
 For the first mile or so after leaving the hivonae, 
 nothing oceurred to make him regret his deeision. ( )n 
 emerging from a narrow pass, however, he was startled 
 to find himself within a few hundred yards of ji large 
 troop of mounted Indians. They were evidently ex- 
 peeting him, for, on turning his horse, with the inten- 
 tion of regaining the pass and making good his escape, 
 he found that he had l)een anticipated, and that his 
 retreat was already cut olil 
 
 There was nothing for it but to dash past the 
 Indians who were waiting for him in the open, and 
 ride for dear life. 
 
 He knew that his horse was a good one, and that if 
 he could manage to elude them and get a fair start, he 
 would have little to fear afterwards. Fortune at first 
 seemed to favour him, the plain was wide, and he 
 contrived to evade their first rush and get clear away. 
 After an hcur's hard riding, finding his pursuers were 
 out of sight, he ventured to slacken his speed, jmd 
 even to dismount and wnlk beside his horse for some 
 distance, in order to rest it a little. He then dis- 
 covered that the good creature had received rather a 
 nasty cut from a tomahawk on one of his hind legs, 
 
 I- i- 
 
 
230 
 
 THE YOUNG IlANCirMEN. 
 
 and Uiat blood was slowly ooziiur from the wound. 
 It was c.vidunt that it must already have lost a 
 considerable ([uantity of l>lood, and he fancied it 
 seemed dull and weak in consequence, lie tried to 
 stauncii the bleeding, but, the wound being close to a 
 joint, he found it im])ossil»le to bind it up tightly 
 enough without interfering with the motion of the 
 lind). 
 
 While Ernest's attention was thus occupied, he 
 suddenly heaid the tram]) of horses hoofs behind 
 him, ami, turning round, he perceived his persistent 
 enemies lutt half a mile away on his trail. lie 
 ([uickly mounted and continued his ilight, but, after 
 going a few miles, it was evident his horse could 
 not carry him much further; and, just before he 
 reached the ridge, it succund)ed and sank down under 
 him. 
 
 In his despjur he was about to stand and sell hi^^ 
 life as dearly as possible, when he caught sight of an 
 e(|uestrian figure on the opposite ridge, standing out 
 boldly against the glowing evening sky. 
 
 " It looked like some guardian angel sent to help 
 me," he concluded, " and I plucked up courage and ran 
 on, waving my handkerchief in hope of attracting atten- 
 tion." 
 
 " How inexpressibly thankful I shall always be that 
 I gave one more look back ! " exclaimed Connie, 
 fervently. 
 
 
 Si:: 
 
- » 
 
 ^z^^**!^^^ 
 
 .f^. 
 
 y 'yy 
 
 -^ 
 
 
 .^ 
 
 .1 V ■•. V -<i 
 
 Ut 
 
 CHAPTKi; XXIII. 
 
 A TUYIXG TAKTINC AND KXCITINd HINT. 
 
 Al'.oiT ii weuk at'U'r yoiui''- Trevor's iiriival ;il Salt 
 Liiko City lie ruct'ived u niessMi^^o from the U.^. mili- 
 tary post, to tin; el'lbc't that tlio homeward hound 
 troops would he leavini^f there on the following' morn- 
 ing. The intimatio'i had heen hourly expected for tlu' 
 last two or three days, and yet it came with crushinn;- 
 weight upon the young lovers — for Ernest and (,'onnie 
 were now formally engaged. Seven or I'ight days of 
 pleasant converse and close compjinionship had hut 
 served to bind their hearts closer to'^ether, and even 
 twelve hours separation would have seemed a long 
 time to them. It was with terrible dismay, therefore, 
 that they contemplated a severance of at least twelve 
 months. 
 
 Lover J, like more prosaic mortals, however, must 
 bow to the inevitable. It was necessary that Ernest 
 should keep to his arrangement to return east with 
 
232 
 
 THE YOirNfJ UANCHMEX. 
 
 t!i(i troops ; for if he let this opportunity sli]i, ho 
 might have to wait so Ion*,' for ji siiitahle escort as to 
 seriously endanj^er his chances of reaching Washing- 
 ton within the time specified by his father. 
 
 Fortunately, (,'onnie and Ernest had too much sj)irit 
 and good s(Mise to give way to tluur feelings to any 
 great extent. The dreaded blow had falliMi, the part- 
 ing hour was fixed and close at liand, l>ut they 
 wrestled with their misery, and strove to cheer ejich 
 other with brave and hopeful words. Thus the morn- 
 ing found them calm and confident, and the final 
 leave-taking was robljcd of half its bitterness. 
 
 ]\Iajor Weston alhnved his daughter to acc<jmi)any 
 her lover in the rear of the troops as far as the mid- 
 day lialting ground at the Ogdtjn river. She was 
 mounted on Harry's nnistang, and Frank was in 
 attendance on Sakulin to escort her Ijuck to Salt Lake 
 City. Meanwhile young Weston rode 1)eside the 
 olHcer in command of the detachment, and conversed 
 with him on the congenial tonnes of Indian campaigns 
 and huntimr adventures. 
 
 The vows of love had been repcuitcd for the last 
 time, the final adieus spoken, and the fluttering 
 handkerchiefs waved until lost to view in the ever- 
 widening distance. Then, at last, poor Connie's feel- 
 ings got the better of her and she burst into a Hood of 
 tears. 
 
A TRYINfJ I'AHTINO AND KXCITIN(5 lirST. 233 
 
 Frank bunt <lown, jind takiiijj; ('liioftain's hridlc in 
 his loft Imnd, K^'iitly wlieelod tlu; horses round in th«^ 
 direction of Salt Laki; City, at tlie same time iitlerin'^ 
 a few words of encouray:enieut lo his sorely tiled 
 sister. 
 
 When they had retraced about a uiih; of their 
 niornin«^'s journciy, and Coiniie had so far recovered 
 herself as to bo a))le to respond, now and then, to her 
 brother's (ifl'orts to divert her thou.L,dits, she was 
 startled by an exclamation of surprise which )»roke 
 from his lii)S : — 
 
 " Look, Connie, look !" 
 
 Frank hiul half turned in his saddle and was ,L(a/-inL,' 
 l)ackward in the direction which the trooj)s had taken 
 towards the mountains. As he spoke, he wlieeled his 
 horse round — a movement instantly imitated by his 
 sister, and then she saw what looked like a mass of 
 burnished silver glejiming in the sunlight at the upju'r 
 end of the valley where it narrowed in towards the 
 Wahsatch Pass. 
 
 " What is it V cried Connie. 
 
 " It is the retlection of the sun's rays from the well- 
 polished arms and accoutn^ments of Ernest's gallant 
 escort," answered Frank. 
 
 "So it is!" exclaimed Conni(*, briglitening uj) 
 instantly. " How pretty it looks ! 1 am so glad you 
 called my attention to it." 
 
 "It was fortunate I happened to look round,' (!on- 
 
 
 , 
 
234 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 tinned her brother, " for in another minnte tliey will 
 be out of si«4ht bevond tliat slioulder of the nioun- 
 tain." 
 
 As he spoke tliere was a last spasmodic Hash from 
 the glittering appointments, a lingering glinniier of 
 light over the distant hills, and the martial band liad 
 vanished into the tleep recesses of the Wahsateh. 
 
 "A happy omen surely!" said Frank cheerily, as lie 
 once more turned his horse's head westward. 
 
 " I sincerely ho])e so," replied Connie, with a sigh, 
 as she followed his example. " And at any rate," she 
 continued bravely, " I feel better for having had so 
 bright a parting glim])S(^ rf them — now shall we have 
 a gal'.op ?" 
 
 " With all my heart," was the rendy response, and, 
 at a hint from their riders, the two horses were soon 
 coursing over the plain at a pleasant hand-gallop. 
 
 " This is very delightful ! " said Connie, as she 
 patted the neck of her musta.ng, " but 1 fear poor 
 Gellert is not enjoying himself nmch." 
 
 This remark had reference to a fine dog, a cross 
 between a deer-hound and blood-hound, which, with 
 lolling tongue, followed close on their horses heels. 
 The faithful but somewhat overfed dog had been 
 bought by Fraidv from a Mormon elder soon after the 
 emigrants arrived at Salt Lake City, and having 
 become attached to his young muster accompanied 
 hhii everywhere. 
 
A TRYING PARTING AND EXCITING HUNT. 235 
 
 "Then let us slacken our pace a little, and we shall 
 nut distress him," answered Frank. 
 
 So they went on at a gentl<» canter until they ap- 
 proached the ridge where they had rescued younj^ 
 Trevor from the pursuing rc^lskins a few days hefore. 
 Lest it should remind his sister of lier lover, Frank 
 determined to make a detour, and so turned down tlie 
 opening to a narrow valley which ran almost due 
 south. The officer in command of the detachment 
 had told liim this valley, a mile or two further south, 
 widened out into a prairie, and that, by keeping the 
 lofty sunnnits of Lone Peak and l*ilot Peak in view, 
 it would be easy to regain the road to Salt Lake City 
 at any time. 
 
 After they had ridden more slowly a couple of 
 miles, Connie sighed, and Frank knew the exhii^.rat- 
 ing effects of the gallop were wearing off; he was 
 therefore glad when her attention was diverted by some 
 little dark mounds (jr hillocks tliey were approaching. 
 
 " What are they ?" she asked. 
 
 " Tf we had been east of the liockies, I should 
 say they marked the sitc^ of a prairie-dog town," re- 
 plied her brother. 
 
 " East or west ! it nmst be one of those strantje 
 little communities, for 1 see the wee animals bobl)ing 
 
 in and out of their lioles. Shall we ride that 
 
 i ' ' 
 way f 
 
 "(Certainly," with alacrity, " oidy mind your horse 
 
2m 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 doesn't put his foot in one of the burrows, or you may 
 have a bad fall." 
 
 " Chieftain knows the prairios too well to be so 
 foolish ! So now, my beauty, steady !" For tlie 
 fiery little chestnut began to snort and toss his head 
 on Hearing the edge of the town. 
 
 Their presence created no little stir amongst the 
 marmots, or prairie-dogs. One by one the droll little 
 creatures uttered their short warning bark, and then, 
 with a preliminary shake of the tail and a comic jerk 
 of the hind legs, darted, head first, into their burrows. 
 
 " What a large village ! " exclaimed Connie. 
 
 " Yes," replied Frank, " there are many hundreds of 
 these perforated mounds." 
 
 " But where are the owls and the rattlesnakes 
 which are generally supposed to share with the mar- 
 mots their subterranean dwellings ? " 
 
 " If you look for the owls a littie more to your 
 right, you may see a few blinking at us meditatively; 
 but the rattlesnakes are, T l)elieve, a myth." 
 
 " I hope so, for the sake of the innocent, sprightly 
 prairie-dogs. How conn'cal they look there, sitting 
 bolt upright, with hanging paws, like dogs begging ! " 
 
 " Yes," answered her brother, " those are the sen- 
 tinels." 
 
 They had scarcely left the marmot village behind 
 them., when they saw a skulking cayote (pronounced 
 ki-o-tee). This scrubby beast of prey is a kind of 
 
A TRYING PARTINCJ AND EXCITING HUNT. 
 
 237 
 
 grey wolf, whicli is generally found prowling alone on 
 the dreary plains. 
 
 With a " view-halloo !" Frank galloped forward, and 
 (iellert, quickly taking up the wolfs scent, gave tongue 
 in his loud, deep tones as it set off in pursuit. 
 
 " Tally-ho ! away-o-o ! " sang out Frank, the inci- 
 dent recalling to his mind old fox-hunts in lovely 
 Warwickshire. 
 
 " Tally-ho ! " echoed Connie tearing up alongside 
 her brother. 
 
 " Forrard, hoick ! " shouted Frank. 
 
 The pace became very fast ; Frank said it was a 
 burning scent. But after about a mile the grou:id 
 became broken and covered with low, brown-leaved 
 bushes, and Gellert had a check, having overrun the 
 scent. The wily caycte liad doubled back amongst 
 the bushes, and thrown his pursuers out. 
 
 "Hold hard," shouted Frank, suddenly reining in 
 his horse to avoid riding over the hound. 
 
 " Ye-geote ! yoi ! wind him !" he cried, as the noble 
 dog cast about to recover the scent. 
 
 " Did you notice exactly where he threw up his 
 head, Connie ? " inquired her brother ; " I thought it 
 was just opposite this cluster of sage-bushes," lie con- 
 tinued, " but I must have been mistaken." 
 
 " No," answered the girl, " I was trying to follow 
 the wolf instead of keeping my eye on the hound. I 
 know it was very unsportsmanlike," she coniiimed, " but 
 
238 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 then T relied so implicitly on your skill and dexterity 
 as huntsman, that I quite ignored all the rules of the 
 chase and gave myself up to the wild enjoyment of 
 the galloj>." 
 
 " r fear I myself was over excited." 
 
 " I>ut why are you so anxious to catch or drive 
 away the poor creature ?" 
 
 " Because, in the first place, the cayote no doubt 
 intended to make a meal of one or two of your odd 
 little friends, the prairie-dogs, and — " 
 
 " Oh ! do you think so ? What a horrid brute ! I 
 shall feel no compunction now in helping to chase it 
 away ; but don't let Gellert seize it, there is no 
 necessity to kill the wolf." 
 
 " Never fear ! The hound is far too fat, and out 
 of condition for running, to catch so Heet and crafty 
 an animal." 
 
 " Poor fellow ! he ought to be allowed more regular 
 exercise ; but then he might go ofi' in pursuit of some 
 wild animal and get lost, or perliaps fall into the 
 hands of a roving band of Indians who would maltreat 
 or even kill him." 
 
 " And eat him ! " interpolated Frank. 
 
 " How horrible ! " exclaimed his sister. 
 
 " But none the less true. I have heard that dog's 
 tiesh is esteemed a great delicacy amongst the Indians, 
 and forms one of their chief dishes, or rather the chief 
 dish at their most important feasts." 
 
A TRYING PARTING AND EXCITING HUNT. 
 
 289 
 
 " Oh ! please don't say any more on that subject ! 
 See, there goes the c.yote half a mile away." 
 
 " So he does ! And at the saine easy swinujin^ trot 
 as when we first started him, just as if it were not 
 wortli liis while to hurry himself at all." 
 
 " Tally-ho ! away-o-o I " he sliouted. " Hoick ■ 
 Gellert! Hoick!" 
 
 The hound now owned the scent ajjjain ; and away 
 went the two eager horses with their ardent riders 
 almost as fast as before the check. Six or seven 
 minutes at this pace brought the pursuers within a 
 few hundred yards of their game. Tlie hound liimself 
 was not fifty yards behind the wolf, which still kept 
 on at the same soft, long, delusive trot, every now and 
 then turning his head and displaying a row of formid- 
 able teeth. This was all the interest he appeared to 
 take in the close proximity of the deep-mouthed 
 honnd, w'hich was straining every rierve to come np 
 with him. It was only when Gellert had reached 
 within twenty paces of the ugly beast that he per- 
 ceptibly qnickened his pace, and then oidy just as 
 much as sufficed to keep the hound from approach- 
 
 mg nearer. 
 
 "Eloo! at him! Eloo! eloo!" cried Erank, excited) v. 
 
 "It's no use, Erank," said Connie; "the dog is 
 straining every nerve to overtake the wretched crea- 
 ture, and yet you can easily see he does not gain a 
 foot upon him." 
 
240 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN', 
 
 " AVhich is the more provoking," answered her 
 brother, " in that the wolf does not even seem to be 
 over-exerting himself in the least " 
 
 " While i)oor Gellert is evidently much distressed. 
 Had you not better call him off ? " 
 
 " Perhaps so ; for it is just as I said, the hound is 
 so absurdly pampered tliat he is quite out of the 
 running. If lu; were not overfed and had plenty 
 of exercise, tliat gaunt, v.retehed-looking creature 
 would have spent a bad lialf liour. As it is, I firmly 
 believe the cayote is just keeping twenty yards ahead 
 of the dog in order to tantalize him, and that, if he 
 wished, he could easily distance him." 
 
 " I belicA'c you are right, Frank ; just notice liow 
 the creature looks back every now and then over his 
 shoulder, with a sort of grin, as if deriding the efforts 
 of his panting pursuer. At the same time he does not 
 even condescend to vary his j)ace from that smooth, 
 swift, aggravating kind of run." 
 
 " No, I am sure he is fooling us," said her brother, 
 with a laugh. " I will call the hound ofl", and try 
 what will be the effect of a shot from my rifle." 
 
 It was not, however, without some little difficulty 
 that Gellert was induced to give up the chase. So 
 great was his courage that, although much distressed 
 from his being out of condition for such work, he 
 appeared as keen and determined as ever to run down 
 the enemy. At last he obeyed, and lay down panting 
 
A TUYING PARTING AND EXCITING HUNT. 241 
 
 upon the sandy plain, looking quite a i)icture with his 
 line head held erect, his ears ])ri('ked f(jr\vard, and his 
 \ou^ red tongue hanging down from liis open mouth, 
 <lisplaying its formidable rows of pearly teeth, while 
 his large intelligent eyes continued wistfully gazing 
 after the retreating wolf. 
 
 Meantime Frank had reined in his liorse ; and 
 (piickly dismounting, he unslung his repeating ritle. 
 Then, throwing himself on one knee, he took rapid 
 aim at the cayote. At the same moment the cunning 
 beast, as if divining his intention, (piickened its pace, 
 and the bullet struck the ground a few feet behind it, 
 tearing up the sand almost under its feet. The effect 
 was magical. Uttering a seiics of frightened and 
 angry yelps and barks, the liulf-stai ved shabby-looking 
 brute developed an energy which few would have 
 suspected. Laying itself out like a greyhound in 
 pursuit of a hare, the cayote shot off at such an 
 extraordinary speed that in a few minutes it appeared 
 like a mere speck upon the desert. 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Frank, "that hos made 
 him show his paces, and no mistake ! " 
 
 " You rival Prester John with that wonderful 
 riHe," replied Connie, joining in the laugh. 
 
 " Hillo !" exclaimed Frank, as he turned to remount 
 his horse, "here's another marvel! I thought we 
 nmst be miles away from our proper route, and there 
 is Lone Peak straight before us. We cannot be more 
 
242 
 
 THE YOUN(; UANCHMEN. 
 
 than luiU" an hour's ride from the trail, and it will <,'o 
 hard with us if we do not reacli home before sunset. 
 The sly old cayote must have led us in a half circle, 
 until my parting shot unsettled his nerves for him, 
 and sent him off like a rocket." 
 
 " How clever of the rascal ! he did not want to 
 have far to return for his dinner," said Connie. " Let 
 us hope," slie continued, " that you have spoilt his 
 appetit^. for prairie-dog, for the present at least, and 
 that: lie will obtain as substantial, if less dainty, a 
 repast elsewhere." 
 
 " Hear ! hear ! " was Frank's laughing response. 
 
 As the young man had predicted, they soon came 
 upon the waggon-road, and entered the city ere the 
 sunset glow had faded from the tips of the Cedar 
 Mountains to the westward. 
 
 There was a surprise in store for them that night. 
 Before retiring to rest. Major Weston announced his 
 intention of quitting Salt Lake City within forty-eight 
 hours. 
 
 " But old Itigby told me only this morning that 
 the train couhhi't i)Ossibly be ready to resume the 
 march for at least ten days!" t.cclaimed Fraak, in 
 amazement. 
 
 " That may be," replied his father, calmly ; " but I 
 have decided to enter California ])y the r^ore northerly 
 route, and have made my arrangements accordingly. 
 We shall part company with our fellow-travellers at 
 
A TllVING I'AKTINO AND EXCITiN(J HUNT. 2V.\ 
 
 this point. They, as yo\i are aware, are mostly hound 
 for Southern California, and intend to take the easier 
 hut more roundahout Sevier liiver route. We shall 
 skirt the northern end of the Great Jiasin and cross 
 the desert by the most direct route." 
 
 " But how shall we tind our way i " inquired 
 Frank ; " Indian Bill has often told me that it is 
 courting almost certain death to attempt to cross tlie 
 desert without a competent guide. He says he knows 
 every step of the way, and that one jxation of it, iust 
 before reaching the Sierras, is strewn from en-l to end 
 with the bleaching bones of hapless travellers and 
 their horsc^s, mules, and oxen, not to mention the 
 wreckage of countless waggons." 
 
 *' No doubt," replied the major, c[uietly, " but Indian 
 Bill himself has contracted to guide us safely into 
 California." 
 
 This announcement was received with great satis- 
 faction. 
 
 S 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
CHAPTKK XXIV. 
 
 A MCJIIT ATTACK. 
 
 Two days later, a .solitary canvas-tilted waggon, drawn 
 by a team of chestnuts, and preceded by three e(iues- 
 trians, was being driven down the great western 
 avenue of the Mormon metropolis. The travellers 
 were accompanied as far as the outskirts of tlie town 
 by a small crowd of men, women, and children, who 
 alternately cheered and showered adieus and blessings 
 on the occupants of the vehicle and the riders of the 
 horses. 
 
 '■ Three cheers for Major Weston ! three cheers for 
 our old leader ! " cried an elderly man, stepping to 
 the edge of the side walk as the crowd halted at the 
 city limits. 
 
 " Eh ! and three good ones for Aliss Connie and the 
 young gentlemen, bless 'em ! " exclaimed a pleasant- 
 looking woman in the roadway. 
 
 " And may good luck go wid ye, and stick to ye loike 
 a mither-in-law ! " shouted a red-haired son of Erin. 
 
A NI(;nT ATTACK. 
 
 245 
 
 il and kindly 
 
 t 
 
 In response to these va; 
 (\\])ressions of ^oo<lwill fioni the j)oor emigrants, 
 Connie dicw the canvas aside and bowed and smiled 
 from the l)ac'k of tlu* \va,L(.i,'on. Major Weston ))ull('d 
 np his horses, and, throwinj^ tlu; reins to Kobert— who 
 was now almost recovered from his wounds — jumped 
 down from his seat and addressed a few well-eh(jsen 
 remarks to his old friends and fellow-trav(*llers. He 
 thankexl them for so kindly leavin;^- their camp to see 
 the last of him and his familv, .'issured the'm he felt 
 bound to them by the ties of sympathy and resjieet 
 created and fostered by the innumerable trials and 
 perils through which they had i)assed in their long 
 journey together across the wilds, and reminded them 
 that although they were not likely to encounter enenurs 
 in human shape during the remainder of their journey 
 to Southern California — otherwise nothing would have 
 induced him to resign tlie leadership and part com[)any 
 with his old friends — yet there were dangers of another 
 kind. They could not expect to travel three or four 
 hundred miles throngh the Great !5asin, that notoriously 
 barren tract of countrv, without sutlerinLj considerable 
 privations, under any circumstances, and unless good 
 order and discipline were maintained their trials would 
 be multiplied and intensilied a hundredfold. He ex- 
 horted them, therefore, to render implicit and loyal 
 obedience to their new leader, Uigby, and his li(Mi- 
 tenants, Old Abe and Sanson, " than whom," he said, 
 
240 
 
 THE YOUN(J UANCHMKN. 
 
 ' iin tliiL'e Ijulter or bruviT niuu coulci have heon 
 sulecled." 
 
 Major WcstoM tlicn sliook liaiids witli tliu last- 
 niuntioiuul iiulividuiils, and also O'Flaliertv, the Irisli- 
 iiian, and man} otliers wlio j)ressi'd round him. Indian 
 Bill, Frank, and Harry, who wore on horscluK k, as also 
 Kohert, camu in for a lar<^M» share of attention and 
 handshaking-; whilst Connie was nearly dra^'^'od out of 
 the waj^'s^on, so desirous were the poor j)eoi)le to press 
 her hand. She had endeared herself U) the heart of 
 all in the train by her ready .sympathy and hcl]) when 
 any were in trouble, and by her sweet gracious manner 
 at all times. 
 
 At last, with a <.,'reat parting- eheer, the Westons were 
 allowed to depart, and they found themselves fairly 
 lainiehed on their arduous journey of seven hundred 
 miles to Saerament(> — the first [)oint for which they 
 aimed. 
 
 After skirting the .southern extremitv <»f tliat 
 wonderful sheet of water, the Great Salt Lake, into 
 whicli flow the three large rivers, the Ogden, the IJear, 
 and th(» Jordan, but which has no visible outlet, the 
 travellers steered their course mainly by Pilot Peak. 
 This lofty mountain, which toweis on high as though 
 to guide the anxious wayfarer across the arid desert, 
 forms an excellent landmark for many mil(?s around. 
 
 On the evening of the third dav, after leaving Salt 
 Lake (.'ity, the Westons encamped for the night on the 
 
 > *i 
 
 i:' 
 
A NICJHT ATIACK. 
 
 •247 
 
 odije of tlu' (Icscit. They hud j^ot safidy tlin)H<,'h the 
 Cedar Mountains, and a small stream of limpid water 
 and a fair hite of «j;rass atVorded exeellent facilities for 
 recruiting' the stren^'th of their horses hufore plunjjjiny; 
 further into the wilderness. 
 
 The hf)rses were hohhled and turned out to ;^raze 
 alonj^' the hanks of the streandet, the supper was 
 cooked and eaten, the hlankets were spread, and all 
 had retired to rest by the time the stars apjieared 
 above. 
 
 The JMajor and his sons occupied the small tent 
 which had been boufj;ht at St Louis. Connie, of course, 
 slept in the waj^i^on, and Itobert and Indian JUll 
 reclined snugly beneath it. The faithful hound 
 Gellert, stretched himself across the entrance of the 
 tent at his young master's feet. 
 
 Being out of the track of the hostile Indians, no 
 watch had been set. A death-like stillness — tlie 
 stillness of the desert — reigned around, and, tired with 
 their day's journey, the whole party was soon soundly 
 asleep. It wanted but an hour of midnight when ji 
 low growl from (lellert penetrated the watchful I'ur of 
 Indian Bill. In an instant the old hunter was wide 
 awake pud listening intently. At iirst he could hvnv 
 nothing but the deep breathing of his companions. 
 Thinking that it might perhaps be the vicinity of a 
 tnountain-li(jn or a prowling cayote wliicli had dis- 
 turbed the hound, he was about to comi)Ose himself to 
 
248 
 
 sle 
 
 THE YOUNG llANCHMEN. 
 
 when til 
 
 •1 
 
 was repeated somewhat 
 fiercely. 
 
 "Quiet, (Jellert; lie down ..if," came in sleepy 
 accents from the tent. 
 
 " Master Frank," whispered the hunter, wlio had 
 now crawled from under the waggon, with tlie inten- 
 tion of investigating matters, " I think there 's a 
 cayote or some other vnrmint about ; but I '11 jest 
 'ave a look round." 
 
 " All right, Bill," was the quiet response, " if you 
 think it 's worth the trouble." 
 
 " It don't do to take tew much for granted, 
 yonker, in tliis God-forsaken country," muttered the 
 old man, as lie stepped away from the tent with his 
 ritle over his shoulder. 
 
 When he had gone about fifteen or twenty paces, so 
 as to be clear of distracting noises, Indian Bill lialted, 
 and after looking about him for a few seconds, laid 
 himself pi one upon the earth. Then placing one ear 
 upon the ground he listened intently. 
 
 The next minute he was upon his feet and hastening 
 back to the tent. 
 
 " What is it ? " cried Major Weston and his sons 
 almost simultaneously, for by this time all three had 
 been thorough ' aroused by the continual growling of 
 the dog. 
 
 " It 's a mounted party of some kind, you bet ! '* 
 replied the hunter, significantly. " May be they iire 
 
A NIGHT ATTACK. 
 
 249 
 
 only a troop of cavalry from Camp Floyd, and may- 
 be they are gentry of another sort." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " in(|uired the ]\Iajor, 
 anxiously. 
 
 " Wall, 1 mean a band of desperadoes in quest of 
 plunder. Captain ; so we had best be ready for what- 
 ever conies." 
 
 " You arc right," answered ^lajcr Weston. " Stand 
 to your arms all of you. Under the waggon, boys, 
 and be ready to tight if called upon." 
 
 In a few moments the otUcer had made all tlie 
 needful preparations. Connie had been roused up and 
 stowed snugly away in ilie bottom of the waggon, 
 with a mattress and several bufi'alo-robes piled over her 
 for further protection , lloljert and the two boys had 
 taken their places under the waggon, with their rules 
 at the ready, and the Major had stationed himself 
 inside the vehicle. 
 
 Meanwiiile, Indian Bill once more advanced some 
 twenty paces in the direction whence the sound of 
 hoofs had reached him. It was a fine starli'dit night, 
 and the keen eyes of the old hunter soon detected the 
 dim outline of a small body of horsemen approaching 
 from the eastward. 
 
 " Xlmph ! " he soliloquised, "looks sort of quare. 
 What do they want on our trail at this time of night, 
 blame em I " 
 
 So saying the old hunter drove tirndy into tlie 
 
 i 
 
250 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 ground the prongs of a hay-fork which he had brought 
 witli him from tlie waggon. He then quickly divested 
 himself of his long overcoat, and suspended it by the 
 collar o^'o^ the upright handle of the fork. This he 
 surmounted with his coon skin cap. 
 
 " Thear ! that 's good enough for 'em to shoot at Ijy 
 this light ! " He chuckled to himself as h3 stepped a 
 few paces to the left rear of the scarecrow-looking 
 object, and lay down in the shadow of a small cluster 
 of sage bushes. 
 
 The whole proceeding had barely consumed a couple 
 of minutes, yet even that slight lapse of time had 
 brought the intruders within hailing distance. 
 
 " Who goes theer ? " shouted Indian l^ill. 
 
 " Friends," replied the leading horseman. 
 
 " Then keep a friendl} distance, and don't crowd 
 around and disturb our camp at this time o' night, 
 blame ye," continued the old hunter, waxing wroth as he 
 perceived that his words were unheeded, and that the 
 horsemen continued to advance. " If ve come ten 
 yards nearer, I '11 fire upon ye." 
 
 The band were now within fifty paces of him, and 
 their only answer was a volley of pistol shots and a 
 loud shout as they charged down upon the camp at 
 full gallop. 
 
 Indian Bill's ritle spoke out, and the robber-leader 
 fell wounded from his horse. The rest dashed on, 
 firing their revolvers without cessation into the waggon 
 
 
 I 
 
A NIGHT ATTACK. 
 
 251 
 
 
 I 
 
 and tent as they advanced. lUit tliey met witli such 
 a reception as they had little expected. 
 
 At the word " Fire " from Major Weston, a sheet of 
 flame burst from the rear of the wa^i^^on, and the 
 repeating rifles poured forth a withering fusillade. 
 
 The midnight marauders were completely taken 
 aback. They had expected to surprise the travellers 
 in their sleep, Init they were themselves surprised and 
 panic-stricken by the deadly rifle-tire. 
 
 Instead of charging home, they wheeled their horses 
 to one side, and disappeared as rapidly as they had come. 
 
 The darkness favoured their escape, and wiien the 
 defenders afterwards sallied forth the only traces tliey 
 could find of their assailants were Ji couple of dead 
 horses. 
 
 The wounded leader had disappeared. 
 
 As soon as the excitement had somewhat abated, 
 two discoveries were made. One was that the camp 
 Are was still smouldering — it had doubtless by its 
 glow guided the marauders to the sj)ot — and the other 
 that Major Weston was wounded. A bullet liad 
 penetrated the oflicer's felt liat and grazed his scalp, 
 causing a painful but not dangerous wound. It bled 
 freely, however, and at flrst caused no little consterna- 
 tion, especially to Connie. The latter had endured an 
 agony of fright during the short but sharp encounter, 
 but was otherwise none the worse, having been securely 
 ensconced in the bottom of the waggon. 
 
252 
 
 THK YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 Owino- to tliuir coinpiimtively slieltered positions, the 
 rest of tlio defuiulers had escaped scatheless, Indian 
 Bill's stratagem had proved a complete success, and 
 had doubtless saved that worthy's life, for the impro- 
 vised dununy was Umnd riddled with bullet holes. 
 
 From beginning to end the whole affair had oidy 
 occupied three or four minutes. The murderous on- 
 slaught of the ruffianly band had come aiul gone like 
 a whirlwind, and, thanks to the vigilant liound and 
 the prompt action of Indian Bill and Major Weston, 
 tlie desperadoes had suffered far more than their 
 intended victims. 
 
 Tlie morning light revealed irrefutable evidence that 
 two or three at least of tlie miscreants had been l)adlv 
 " scotched," as liobert expressed it. The latter, with 
 the instincts of an old campaigner, took the high 
 peaked Mexican saddles and elaborate bridles from 
 the slain horses and stowed them away behind the 
 waggon as trophies of the tight, with the remark, 
 
 " May-be they will come in useful on the Californy 
 
 f>> 
 arm. 
 
 Daylight brought one other revelation — a revelation 
 of a poculi.arly vexatious nature to the individual 
 concerned. Harry had retired to rest towards morn- 
 ing with tlie proud consciousness of having manfully 
 aided in the defence of the camp, and of having fought 
 shoulder to shoulder with Frank and the veteran 
 Ilobert. What was his dismay then on proceeding to 
 
A Nir.HT ATTACK. 
 
 2r,a 
 
 clean his rifle after breakfast to find that it hail never 
 been discharoed. It was exactly as he had left it 
 after wiping a* d oiling it the previous evening. The 
 bitter truth at once H.ished upon him that, in the 
 confusion and excitement of the moment, he liad for- 
 gotten to reload the weapon. Without perceiving it 
 in the din and turmoil of the fight, he had been merely 
 pulling at the trigger and snapping the lock. 
 
 He ke}>t his secret, but everyone wonilered why he 
 always turned so red in the face wlien praised for his 
 conduct in the night attack. 
 
 I 
 
 Q 
 
CIIAITi:U XXV. 
 
 THK KNI) UF TIIK JOUKNKY, 
 
 The next day was a very liot and sultry one, and the 
 travellers determined to proceed a very short stage 
 only that morning, and make the great plunge into the 
 desert in tlie cool of the evening. 
 
 Accordingly, tlie Westons diverged slightly to the 
 northward, where, at the foot of a mountain spur, 
 Indian liill showed them a small pool of water sur- 
 rounded by a fringe of coarse grass and other herbage. 
 Here they camped from about noon until near sunset, 
 wlien they started upon a lifty mile march across the 
 dreaded " alkali "' desert. If they had entered it a 
 little further soutli, their doing so would have caused 
 them to liave nearly twenty miles more of the hideous 
 waste. AVithout a eomi)etent antl trustworthy guide, 
 like Indian liill, Major Weston would not have ven- 
 tured to attempt the journey at all, and much less by 
 night. Yet with a capable guide the latter was by 
 
 I 
 
THE END OK THE JOURNEY. 
 
 255 
 
 I 
 
 far the least fatiguing time both for horse and man. 
 Xoiie but those who have experienced it can eom- 
 prehend the misery and suli'ering wliich are insej)arable 
 from crossing a desert, and espt'oially an '* alkali " 
 desert, in the heat of a summer's day. Without a 
 friendly cloud to intervene, the blazing sunshine pours 
 down for hours upon the hapless travellers. The tine 
 ash-like dust set in motion l)y tl e liorses lioofs and 
 waggon wheels floats in the air and settles u|)on tlu; 
 clothes, hair, and faces of the travellers. It finds its 
 way into the throats, eyes, and nostrils, of man 
 and beast, intensifying a hundredfold the; discomfort. 
 And this continues for mile after mile and hour after 
 hour, until it seems no longer possible for tlesli and 
 lilood to endure the sweltering heat and agonising 
 thirst. 
 
 The situation is rendered more weird and lonesome, 
 too, by the intense stillness, which, instead of being 
 relieved, is oidy made more palpable by tlie occasional 
 crack of a whip or the hoarse voice of ii driver as he 
 <3ndeavours to rouse his team to fresh exertions. 
 
 l»efore (quitting the jxtol, all the horses were allowed 
 to drink as much water as they could, and a (;ouj)le 
 of small barrels were filled with the precious tluid and 
 stored away in the waggon. 
 
 Acting under the advice of Indian Uill, Harry was 
 
 •accommodated in the waggon, and Robert mounted 
 
 upon the mustang. The newly ac(iuired Mexican 
 
256 
 
 TIfK VOrNTJ llAXrnMEN. 
 
 saddles were made to rei^nce those ordinarily worn by 
 Chieftain and Saladin. The lassoos or lariats which 
 were coiled ahout the horns of the ponnnels were also 
 utilised. The noose-ends of these handy ropes were 
 made fast to the ring-bolts on either side of Jie 
 wag<fon. The )tl'er ends were givn a few turns 
 round thi ,'.athih'-hurns, and so, by riding a few yards 
 apart an I i i ^alvaiice of the team, liol»ert and Frank 
 caused tlieir horses lo render considerable help to the 
 two chestnuts in drawing the vehicle through the deep 
 sand. 
 
 At first the mustang was inclined to resent wiiat it 
 evidently looked upon as an unwarrantable imposition; 
 but, with a little patience and coaxing, it soon became 
 reconciled to the unwonted task, and did its share of 
 pulling. 
 
 In this manner good progress was made, and by mid- 
 night nearly half the journey had been accomplished. 
 
 A halt was now called, for rest and refreshments. 
 The water-barrels were brought out and tlie thirsty 
 horses refreshed with nearlv two gallons a head, 
 after which they received a good feed of crushed oats 
 and barley. Supper was then served, and all were 
 glad of the cold meat and cold tea which Connie set 
 before them. 
 
 At the end of two hours the march was resumed in 
 the same manner as before, Major Weston driving and 
 Indian Bill riding a little in advance and leading the way. 
 
THK K\I) OK THK JOrRNKY. 
 
 257 
 
 '3 
 
 At leii«,'th, jiboiit niiio o'clock in the nioniin<;, tlio task 
 war. aecoiiii'l'slicil, and the further verj^'e of tlie desei i 
 was reached. The ])Oor Iiorses seemed as tlioui^h tiivy 
 would iievfji he aide to (|ueiich their thirst; they 
 plunged their noses into tin; first stream they came to, 
 and <,'ulped the water down, Harry declared, in 
 bucketfuls. 
 
 As the pasturage was fairly good, nearly two days 
 were spent here in order to recruit ^he horses after their 
 exhausting struggle across the desert Connie and her 
 father, who still occasionally v^h tiio ctfects of the 
 wound he had receivtid upon iii'^ lead, were glad to 
 rest, hut the young men })as.sf 1 much of their lime in 
 shooting. 
 
 Except that at a point called Kocky Canon a slight 
 encounter with Indians took ])lace, there was little 
 to relieve; the monotony of the journey across the 
 Humboldt Mountains. The aborigines of this region 
 were the most despicable-looking creatures imaginable, 
 and a whole war-party of them tied at the sight of the 
 well-armed white men. Indian Bill said they were 
 known by the name of (loshoots, and seemed to hold 
 them in great contempt, saying they could only tight 
 from ambush. 
 
 Another stretch of forty miles of sandy desert had 
 to be crossed before the fcot of the Sierras was reached. 
 This was eftected in much the same way as the former 
 desert-journey. After weeks of hard travelling, how- 
 
 I 
 
25S 
 
 Tui: vorN(; uanchmen. 
 
 (iVfi, the horses were out of condition: thoir distress 
 l>eforo tlu^y readied Carson Lake was ])itia])le to )mi- 
 liold, and more than onee Major Weston was on tlie 
 i»uint of altandoninir the wa^<j;on in the desert. Thev 
 were more than sixteen lioiirs in doini,' the forty miles. 
 For the last ten even (Joimie had to ^^et out and walk 
 to li,i,djten the load. - 
 
 The worst of their journey, liowever, was now ae- 
 comi>lished, and the wearv travellers arrived at Saeni- 
 mento al)out a foitnij^dit later without fu- ther mishap. 
 Here thev were able to rest in a comfortahle hotel, 
 whilst Major Weston made many incjuiries idiout the 
 ))riee of land and the lu^st districts f(»r stock-raisinj^'. 
 Then the Major and his party proceeded to sail down 
 Mie Sacramento and alon;^' the coast to Monterey, where 
 Connie was left in the care of her hrotlua's, while her 
 father and Kolxirt — on whose aj^ricultural ku(tvvled;j,c. 
 Major Westdu could rely — went across the Buenaven- 
 tura Itiver and up one of its smaller trihutaries to the 
 Foot Hills, about forty miles inland from the Bay of 
 Monterey, to inspect a ]\Ie.\ican Grant or Hancho 
 which was otl'ered him for about two dollars an {icre. 
 The estate of lUiena Vista, as it was named, was nearly 
 four thousand acres of rich, well-wjitered land, com- 
 prising prairie, valley, and hill pasturage, and dotted, 
 here and there, with groves of oaks free from underwood, 
 and near the centre of the vallev lav a beautiful sheet 
 of sparkling water. 
 
 1 
 
 it 
 
 
THK END OK THE JoUKNEV 
 
 251) 
 
 
 Tho imiirie, winch was covorc'd with m hixuriant 
 j^Towtli of luitive <,'russeH tiiul wiM oats, was a nearly 
 lovel talUchmd, with only just a ^'entlu slope towards 
 the south-west from the j>artially woculed hills to ihf 
 north and eastward. At its western extremity then' 
 
 ■ 
 
 was a sudden di)> of ahout one hundred and fifty feet 
 to the valley helow. Hen?, on tlie ed«;e of the tahlr- 
 land, and in close proximity to the deej) i;orue which 
 the river IkmI cut for itself throuu;h the sandstone rock 
 ere it broke into the valley, stood an old ruin. The 
 thick stone walls of what had evidently once l>e<'n a 
 substantial n.^Idenee were half-hidden in a tangle of 
 luxuriant i^rape vines and lovely clematis, whilst all 
 around grew line old olive, lemon, citron, ])each, and 
 orange tn^es, manv of them laden with fruit. Clusters 
 of fine grapes, both black and white, dangled from tla^ 
 ruined walls and overhung the I'ocks on either side of 
 the gorge. This deep channel, with its almost ])er- 
 pendieular walls of red sandstone, only extended 
 about a couple of hundred yards back from tlu^ valley. 
 Then it terminated in a ])eautiful cascade, where the 
 water fell from the tableland above into its self-hewn 
 basin at the upper extremity of the chasm. 
 
 It vais a beautiful spot, but the whole estate was 
 larger than the Major had intended to ])«).ssess ; how- 
 ever, he determined to purchase it, for he had little 
 doubt that, considering the relations between Ernest 
 Trevor and his daughter, when the young man joined 
 
200 
 
 THK YOUXc; UAN<;HMKX. 
 
 thorn ill the following' y^'Jir, he woul^l l»o ^lad to havi! 
 H i»art of it. Tlieii their two liiniis would ha sido by 
 side, and thoir houses couhl he laiilt near eaeh other. 
 He therefore }>aid XloOO for the whoh' hlock, and then 
 at once eiij^'a^ed a biiihler and contraetor to restore tlw, 
 least dila])idated j'ortions of the old residence, so as 
 to make il into a coniforlal)le litth^ dwelling of about 
 tivc rooms. 
 
 Then the Westons took a small house in Monterey 
 until P>uena Vista should be ready for them to inhabit. 
 Major Weston and llobert spent most nf their time 
 at th(^ ranche suiu'rintending the Californians employed 
 on the house, and ploughing about ten acres of the 
 land, which they sowed witii wheat, oats, and barley — 
 all sowing has to be done in the autumn in California, 
 for it is seldom any rain falls between May and 
 November. Frank ])ut his knowledge of eari)entry to 
 good practical use by assisting in making doors, 
 windows, t^c. for the house, and he and Harry took it 
 in turns to stay with their sister at Monterey. 
 
 f' 
 
 1 
 
I] 
 
 (iiAiTEH XX vr. 
 
 TIIK FATK OK TIIK KMKilJANT THAIX. 
 
 1 
 
 At lonji^th llie time ariiviMl tor ihe Westons to remove! 
 into their new home at Hueiui Vista. Tlie (Uy season 
 was just commenein^', and the nuelei of future herds 
 of cattle and tlocks of sheep liad aheady been purchased 
 and diiven Lo the ranclie. The heavy furniture — what 
 little they roijuired — had been hauled there, and 
 Connie and her small l)elon<^in<^'s alone remained to bt; 
 transported in the covered waggon, which had sheltered 
 her on incomparably longer journeys. 
 
 The last (hiy of their stay at Monterey was Sunday, 
 the .'30th of Ajail, and in the evening the Westons sat 
 long in the verandah, having a last chat in the fine 
 scent-laden air before retiring for the niuht. I»ve-and- 
 bye the conversation turned upon Indian Jiill, who had 
 taken leave of them the day after their arrival at 
 Sacramento in order to rejoin his friends {md relations 
 of the emigrant train. IJy travelling quickly up the 
 
 I 
 
262 
 
 THK YOUNfi UANCHMEX. 
 
 San .loiuiuin Valley lie had hojx*d to be in time to 
 meet them at the Tejon Pass. 
 
 " 1 wish we could have induced the old man to 
 remain with us," said Major Weston. " He told me 
 that he knew all about the management of sheep and 
 cattle, having once acted in th(^ capacity of head stock- 
 man upon a Mexican ranche." 
 
 " He would have been invalual)le to us," said Connie, 
 " but as he luul a sister who was married to one of 
 the enngrants, it was only natural he should wish to 
 settle near her." 
 
 '• Xo doubt," replied the Major, abstractedly, for he 
 fancied he heard a step on the sanded walk which led 
 up to the verandah from the other side of the house ; 
 "but I think there is llobert," he went on, 'coming 
 to receive his final instructions for to-morrow, so 
 good-night, young people, we shall have to be stirring 
 in good time in the morning." 
 
 As Connie and her brothers rose to retire, a figure 
 a])pe;ired in fnmt of the verandah. ll was not 
 liobert — it was Indian Bill. He looked pale and 
 haggard, and scarcely returned the joyous welcome 
 they all gave him. 
 
 " We were just talking about you," said Major 
 Weston, *• and wishing you were with us. I have 
 bought a ranche iu the neighbourhood, and should be 
 very glad of your help. I trust you have changed 
 your ndnd, and have come back to stay." 
 
THE FATE OF THE EMKJUANT TKAIN 
 
 26^1 
 
 ^ 
 
 . " I hev, Captain," replied tlie old hunter, liiconically, 
 as he sank wearilv into tlie chair vvhith Frank liad 
 offered him. 
 
 " You are tired and fainl with your journey, " said 
 Connie, kindly. " I will see about some supper for you," 
 and she hurried into the h(»use. 
 
 Meanwhile the Major poured out u i,dass of wine 
 from a hottle whieli stood on a small table beside him, 
 and gave it to tlie hunter. It seemed to revive him, 
 and risinj,' from his seat, he drew tlie oHieer aside, as 
 though to communictUe something of im}jortanee. 
 
 "What is it/' asked tin* Major. " Vou seem 
 agitated ! Has anything happened to your — nay, our 
 friends of the emigrant train t " 
 
 "You bet!" almost soblu'd the old man, as he 
 gripped the Major's arm eonvulsively. 
 
 "What ? how?" exclaimed the other, now thoroughly 
 alarmed. " Pray explain yourself." 
 
 Indian Jiill, who was usuallv .so cool and emotionless, 
 trembled violently, and appeared unable to articulate 
 the words which lie wished to speak. It was evident 
 that some terrible calamity must have happened to 
 have so completely unnerved him. 
 
 " Calm yourself a moment, my good fellow," con- 
 tinued Major Weston, kindly. "Did you not meet 
 your sister and the rest of the emigiaiits at the Tejon 
 Pass ? " 
 
 "No, Captain," replied the old hunter, tremulously. 
 
2t)4 
 
 THE YOT^Nr, TIANCHMEN. 
 
 
 He paused a iiioinent, and then continued with great 
 ditticulty, " We '11 never meet au^ain down hiar. The 
 hul lot on 'em 's bin rlmii n-i/ml out ! " 
 
 " Slaughtered ! impossible I" cried the Major. " Not 
 the whole train, surely ! ' 
 
 •' Yaas, the hul train, 'ceptin*^ only a U'w little 
 children." 
 
 Major Weston was almost dumbfounded at the 
 terrible news. He could hardly believe that all those 
 poor inottensive emigrants, with whom he had journeyed 
 so many hundreds of miles, had thus at last miserably 
 perished. Takini,^ the old hunter by the arm, he led 
 him to a little arl)our in a secluded part of the garden, 
 and there dn;w from him all the particulars he had 
 been al)le to learn of the terrible catastroplui. 
 
 It seemed that the train had reached a point at the 
 upper end of the Sevier Valley, some three Innidred 
 miles' south of Salt Lake City, known as Mountain 
 Meadows, wlien it was attacked by Indians or by whit(» 
 men disguised as Indians. l>ut the emigrants threw 
 up earthworks and fought so vigorously that they kept 
 their enemies at bay for several days. At the end of 
 the fifth day an armed party of Mormons, so it was 
 said, arrived and professed to intercede with the 
 Indians. After which the emigrants were persuaded, 
 in order to appease the savages and secure their own 
 lives and the lives of their families, to surrender all 
 iheir goods and chattels and to vacate their camp : the 
 
THE FATE OF THE EMIGRANT TUAIN 
 
 265 
 
 '1, 
 
 Mormons promising to guide tliem l>ack to one of their 
 settlements. 
 
 " The poor emigrants accordingly marched out of 
 their intrenehments, hut they had not proceeded more 
 than a mile or two when they were surrounded and 
 slaughtered." 
 
 " Yty whom ? " inquired Major Weston, almost 
 fiercely, for he could scarcely restrain his indignation 
 at the horrible butcherv. 
 
 " God knows, sir," replied the old hunter, solemnly. 
 " I don't, but 1 hev my suspicions." 
 
 Major Weston looked at liis companion inquiringly, 
 but the latter onlv shook his head and nmttered some- 
 
 t. 
 
 thinj^ about " treachery " and " a day of yenueance." 
 
 And then Connie's voice was heard callinu to them 
 that Indian Bill's supper was ready. 
 
 A little later news of the terrii>le Mf)untain Meadows 
 Massacre, committed by a large party of Mormons 
 feigning to be Indians, and under the leadershij) of 
 eTohn L). Lee caused a thrill of horror throughout the 
 ciyilised world. 
 
 And Major Weston and his children, whilst thankful 
 for their own escape, mourned long for the poor emi- 
 grants thus cruelly betrayed and murdered. 
 
 "■^^fSl*** 
 
 
yjyjy' 'y 
 
 ^^^> 
 
 CHAPTEIJ XXYIl. 
 
 BOUND TO TllK STAKE. 
 
 TiiKiiE is one piinituliir re<,aon of the liocky Mountains 
 wliicli was t'orniei'ly mucli celebrated as a f»reat hunting- 
 ground and fighting arena. It is a series of valleys, 
 big and little, which lie embosomed in the mazy bends 
 and ramitications of the Tark Mountains — the source 
 of many a 'uighty river — the debateable ground of 
 manv a hostile tribe. 
 
 These fertile valleys or parks, as they are called, 
 used to abound in game of all kinds, from the huge 
 buffalo to tlie industrious little beaver. They are well 
 watered and sheltered, and, but for the wild forays and 
 bloody c(jmbats so often enacted there, would be veritable 
 earthly paradises. 
 
 It was in one of these valleys, lying in the most 
 direct route to California, that such an encounter had 
 taken place, some twelve months after Ernest Trevor 
 hfic^ bidden adieu to the Westons at Salt Lake (Jity,and 
 aboiTt the time of his expected return to ( "alifornia. 
 
 1 
 
 
BOUND TO rm: stakk. 
 
 2(57 
 
 Three horseiueu journeying- wesLwjird had l)een sur- 
 )»risfNl and overwhehned by a larj^e l»and of Sioux 
 Indians. Two of the travellers hiul heen slnin on the 
 spot, and the tl)ird — a younj^ Kn^dislnnan — liad l)een 
 knocked ofi' liis liorse and taken i)risoner. 
 
 The morrow's sun had risen U])on a scene of j^qeat 
 excitement in the Sioux Camp. The liated Paleface 
 was to be burned at the stake. Many of the Indians 
 were already busily eni;aj,'ed in gatlierini^' (hy grass 
 and hacking' off branches from tlie trees nf a nei<^di- 
 bouring copse, with their tomaliawks, for that purj)Ose, 
 whilst others pihid tlie combustibles around tlie stake 
 to which their prisoner was bound. The latter, thoui^ii 
 tall and aUiletic-lookiniJ-, was but a youth. His head 
 was bare, and his dark hair, e\ce})t where matted 
 together b/ the blood from a wound, fell in curly 
 neglisjjence over a his.di broad f >rehead. lb; lookt^l 
 faint and pale, but there was a fearless light in his 
 fine dark *3yes and a firm, almost defiant expression, 
 about his handsome mouth, wliii clearly revealed a 
 daring and resolute spirit. 
 
 "I wonder how long they Wh. take to put me out 
 of my nnsery,"' he said to hims 'f. " Oli ! tliat I had 
 been killed outright like mv iMior guides, and then I 
 should have been spared this iiourof torture! Sundy 
 the fiends have collected enough firevv(»od now to l)urn 
 me to a cinder! I only ho])e iliey will pile it all on 
 at once, and not roast me l»y inclies. Oli ! darling 
 
268 
 
 THE YOUNG llANCHMKN. 
 
 Connif, il seems hard that I should never see your 
 sweet fuce af^uin. And it is dreadful t(» think that for 
 months, even ]»erhai)s for years, you should l>e tortured 
 by uneertainty as to my fate i " And he wondered if 
 it were only for this bitter end that she had been tlie 
 means of saving iiim from destruetion, and thoui^ht it 
 would have been better for him if he had perished by 
 the sharp hatchets and knives of the I>annaeks than 
 by the slow tires of the Sioux. And then he longed 
 to be able at least to open her loeket, and look once 
 more upon her likeness before he died. But, alas ! he 
 was bound fast and could not touch it. 
 
 Just then, his reflections were cut short l>v the 
 appearance of the chief, who advanced as though to 
 lire the piled-up reeds and ))ranches. He held a 
 lighted pine-knot in one hand, and with the otiier he 
 marshalled his warriors into a circle around the i)ile. 
 He was a fine, intelligent-looking Indian of conunand- 
 ing appearance, and his dress betokened a degree of 
 refinement seldom found in one of his race. He wore 
 a richly-embroidered buckskin shirt, confined at the 
 waist by a brightly-beaded girdle. His lower limbs 
 wen; encased in long leggings fringed with scal])-locks, 
 and his feet in moccasins ornamented with porcupine 
 quills, while on his head he wore a tuft of eagle's 
 feathers. 
 
 Young Trevor — for we have seen that it was he 
 who was bound to the stake — fancied that he had seen. 
 
TIu' chief tore opon tlio front of liis Niotiin's shirt, wlivii some 
 lliiiiu iiircstotl hi< Jitlciitioii. 
 
* t 
 
i 
 
 BOUND TO THE STAKK. 
 
 2()9 
 
 iHts noble-lookii)g savuj^e before, but ouUl not recall 
 the occfision, and had no time to think, for at that 
 moment the chief came still nearer, and, lowerinj^ liis 
 torch, appeared about to plunge it into the com- 
 bustibles. 
 
 Ernest thought his time had come, and breathed a 
 prtiyer for help. But suddenly the Indian seemed to 
 change his mind, and, throwing the tordi aside, sprang 
 upon the faggots. 
 
 " Dog of a Paleface, " he cried, " you have entered 
 the hunting grounds of the Sioux and slain three of 
 their braves. You shall die by tire, but first of all 
 Teconsa will wet his knife in the blood of his enemv.' 
 
 So saying, the (;hief tore <jpen the front of his 
 victim's shirt in order to administer a stal), when 
 sometliing arrested his attention. It was the locket 
 and chain which Connie; liad given to her lover, and 
 wliich he still always wore suspended from his neck. 
 
 In a moment the cliief had torn the glittering 
 ornament away. So roughly was this done, however, 
 that the catch of the locket was released, and the 
 features of ih(! fair-haired girl were disclosed to the 
 astonished Indian. 
 
 For a moment or two the chief seemed spelll)ound. 
 
 " Ugh '" he exclainuHl at length, " it is tlie golden- 
 haired daughter of the great Paleface cliief — -tlie wliite 
 maiden who saved Teconsa's life." 
 
 This speech made young Trevors heart leap within 
 
 I 
 
270 
 
 TIIK YoUNr; |{AN< MMKN. 
 
 Inm, for it rocallrd |o his incinniv facts of the j,'roate«t 
 inip(ntim(!() at such a juncture 
 
 This rcniarkaltlc Indian was cvidcntlv nunc otiicr 
 tluin Teconsa, thu (h'cadcd chief «>f tlic Sioux, and tlic 
 V(;ry man from whom h(! had rescued Connie some 
 fifteen months a^o when slie was hein^" carrie<l nfl* 
 into the mountains. J*)Ut what was now even of 
 l^roater consec^uence to liini was th(; fact that this san 
 Indian had subse([uently Iteen saved from death hy 
 (Jonnie's intervention, wlien ahout to l>e shot i»v th«^ 
 more violent of the emiL,'rants, into whose liands lie 
 had falltMi. For Connie liad told her lover the whole 
 story durini;- the hai»i>y ^^'^'*'l^ ^^^ l^f^<i s}>ent v.ith !ier 
 at Salt Lake ( 'ity. 
 
 Most Jinxiouslv did Krnest scan the countenance of 
 the cliief whilst the lattei* looked earnestly at ihi' 
 portrait in his hand. The miniature appeared to have 
 some wonderful fascination for the untutored savai^e, 
 and it seemed as thouuh he would never tire of <>"azin«'' 
 upon the features of the fair Knulisli Liirl who had 
 thrown herself between him and the muzzles of the 
 white men's rifles. 
 
 At last he looked up, and Krnest was relieved to 
 see that the fierce, vindictive expression of his face 
 had given place to one which was comi)aratively mild. 
 
 " Viih I the I'ahifaces are u'real nuMlii-inc nuMi," 
 exclaimed the chief, as he looked incpiiringly at his 
 prisoner; " they can fasten the images of their friends 
 
 '♦ 
 
 i 
 
bOUNI) TO TIIK STAKK. 
 
 271 
 
 t«) 
 
 I 
 
 Upon jilass. r.iil liuw did my wliite luotlu'r <»l>lain 
 the iina,i,'<* of llic ^ioldcu-liinn'd nmitk'n t Is she Ins 
 sistiT { " 
 
 " Xo," ivi>lii'd Krnusl, " I ml slio is a very dear 
 iricnd, and she ^'avt* iia^ that }M»rlrait laTsclt." 
 
 TIm' Indian shiuu,L;i'd his shoulders. " My younj^ 
 Itinlher is lullovviui; his love across the UMtuntains 
 from the land of the risiuLi; sun heyond the great salt 
 waters. Is it not so \ " 
 
 " Jt is," replied young Trevor, " l»ut until I had 
 
 crossefl the great waters onet; I had n(!ver seen 
 
 1)) 
 ler. 
 
 " My l»rother s])eaks in riddles," saitl the ehiei, 
 with a gesture of imj)atience. 
 
 " I will exjdain if you will releast; me from this 
 unpleasant situation," said Krnesl. " These thongs 
 cut into my llesh." 
 
 The ehi(!f instantly severed the honds with his 
 scalping knife. 
 
 •' My white lirother is free," he said. " The gold.n- 
 haired maiden saved my life; how, then, could I shiy 
 one who is dear lo her T' 
 
 " Thanks," was all Krnest <oul(l say at the moment, 
 as he almost fell upon the faggots that surroundi^d 
 him, for his limhs were still' and ciam])ed by reason of 
 the tightnt'ss of the curd and the lengtii of time that 
 he had been bound. 
 
 The chief stretched out his hand, however, and 
 
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272 
 
 THE YOUNG RANX^HMP:N. 
 
 caught liim, and supported him to a seat on tlie edfje 
 of the pile. 
 
 " There," said Ernest, " now T shall be able to f,dve 
 you the history of that locket, which," he added 
 mentally, " seems to be turnini^- out a veritable talis- 
 man." 
 
 " Let my younj^ l>rother speak. Teconsa's ears are 
 open." 
 
 " Some fifteen moons have come and gone," l)egan 
 Ernest, " since I bad the good fortune to rescue the 
 young lady whose portrait you hold, from the hands 
 of a Sioux chief, who was carrvini? her off into the 
 mountains." 
 
 He paused a moment, and kept his eye steadily 
 fixed upon the Indian, who perceptibly started, whilst 
 his look became black as night as he gazed upon the 
 young Paleface with Hashing eyes. 
 
 " liah ! " he exclaimed, " then you are the young 
 white chief whose horse was fleeter than the wind, 
 and who followed me into the mountains. You were 
 like the couguar when it pursues a wounded deer, I 
 could not shake you off." 
 
 Ernest bowed his acknowledgments of these flatter- 
 ing observations, and met the chief's gaze without 
 shrinking. 
 
 " When I parted from Miss Weston," he continued, 
 " she gave me that little miniature in acknowledgment 
 of the service I had the t?ood fortune to render her. 
 
 1! 
 
 
 
BOUND TO THE STAKE. 
 
 273 
 
 I prize it very highly, and have ever since worn it on 
 
 le 
 
 my 
 
 heart. Once 
 
 again 
 
 I saw her after that" — he 
 
 paused, feeling how impossible it was to explain their 
 new and tenderer relations to this savage, who yet, 
 from love to her, was giving him his freedom. Then 
 he went on — " As soon as I could I returned to 
 America ; and, as you have rightly guessed, 1 was on 
 my way to join her in California when, without a 
 moment's warning, your braves dashed out from 
 yonder thicket and cut me and my guides down 
 without mercy." 
 
 " My white brother has already been avenged," 
 interrupted the chief moodily ; " his com])anions have 
 not reached the happy hunting grounds alone ; they 
 were accompanied by three of Teconsa's bravest 
 warriors." 
 
 " That fact does not afford me much consolation," 
 replied Ernest, despondently, " for how shall I find my 
 way across these trackless wilds now that my faithful 
 guides are slain ? " 
 
 The chief rose to his feet, and extending his hand 
 to Ernest, exclaimed warndy — " Let not my young 
 brother be troubled. Teconsa himself shall guide the 
 young Paleface chief across the mountains, for the 
 sake of the white maiden who had pity on her enemy. 
 Teconsa had tried to stwd her from her friends, but 
 the Master of Life had given her a large heart, and 
 she made herself a shield to the poor red man. Ugh J 
 
274 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 the <^'ol( Ion -haired maid was very lovely, and iier voice 
 like ri]>])ling water." 
 
 While the chief was speaking, lie had uncoiled a 
 tress of fair hair from a rough l)racelet of heaten 
 silver which encircled his wrist. 
 
 "See!" he exclaimed, " Teconsa hegged this lock, 
 and swore that he would never forget the fair wlnte 
 intiiden who saved his life. He and his wjirriors will 
 carry the young chief of the Longknives safely to his 
 love l)eyond the snow UKJuntains. Is my white 
 brother satisfied i " 
 
 Krnest's reply was a warm grip of the Indian's ]»rof- 
 fered hand, and a look which meant more than words. 
 
i 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 i<^r^C 
 
 ^■m^^^^y^^^ KL 
 
 :^ 
 
 (;}[AITK1J XXVIII. 
 
 COXCLrsiOX TECONSA I'AVS HIS DKIH'. 
 
 It was llie oiid of October, Jii id tin; loiii;" Calil'orniaii 
 siiiiinit'i' or rather tlu; <lrv season, was coinino- to an 
 end. Thoiii'li still ''enerallv tine and warm, the (hivs 
 were not so briglil or the skies so eloudk'ss as tliey 
 liad liitherto been, and a tew showers had idready 
 fallen. 
 
 l]uena Vista had ]»rove(l well adapted for sheep — 
 the most i)roHtable stock which can be reared in Cali- 
 fornia — and Major AVeston, havin<,^ decided to increase 
 his flock, had ,u,one off with Indian lUU on a sheep- 
 buying expedition to a distant farm. Harry had been 
 left in charge of the cattle, and Frank and liobert 
 were busily engaged in putting u)) a stout fence to 
 enclose a neat little frame-house which had l)een 
 erected at the other side of the gorge as a sort of 
 overflow residence for the v<Mins'' men and Iiobert as 
 Soon as Ernest Trevor — who was now daily expected — 
 should arrive. 
 
276 
 
 THE YOUNG RANCHMEN. 
 
 A letter from Captain Trevor had been received 
 some weeks before, vvliicli told tliem that his wife liad 
 died the previous winter, and that Ernest had already 
 sailed for America, and he and his two young daughters 
 intended to follow him as soon as he had arranged his 
 business afl'airs. He also thankfully closed with Major 
 Weston's offer of one-half of the Buena \'ista estate at 
 little over cost price, and said that he considered him- 
 self very fortunate to obtain so conveniently situated 
 a runche for his son. Meanwhile he trusted that 
 Krnest would make himself useful, and become tho- 
 roughly versed in the business he had chosen. 
 
 Since this letter had been received, Connie had 
 mounted to the Hat roof of the house a dozen times ji 
 day in the hope of seeing the approach of her lover. 
 But, as day after day and week after week passed by 
 without his appearing, she grew despondent, and the 
 roses faded from her cheeks. 
 
 As she stood that October evening on the roof of 
 the house, leaning against a parapet and gazing at the 
 extensive view of hill and plain stretched out before 
 her, there was an abstracted, almost hopeless expres- 
 sion on her beautiful face, and a painfully wistful look 
 in her lar<>e blue eves. 
 
 It was not that young Trevor was so very much 
 behind the expected time, but the knowledge she had 
 of the dangers of the route he had to travel — dangers 
 multiplied and exaggerated a hundredfold in her vivid 
 
 ', 
 
CONCLUSION — TECONSA PAYS HIS DKHT. 
 
 277 
 
 imaffiimtioii — whicl: caused her increasing jinxiety with 
 every day's delay. 
 
 The scene was enlivened by the sheep, cattle, and 
 horses which, singly or in groups, dotted the plain, and 
 the flocks of wild fowl which hovered about the lake 
 or disported themselves on its glassy surface : while 
 the silence was broken by the tapping of the )>usy 
 workmen's hammers as they worked at the fence, and 
 the murnmriug of the now scanty stream as it ihojkpcd 
 over the fall into its rocky l)asin. 
 
 Connie was looking dreamily at the snow-clad 
 summits of the distant Sierras, when a mingled sound 
 of shouting and bellowing in the distance caught lier 
 ear, and then she noticed a great commotion amongst 
 the cattle Harry was herding near the further (ex- 
 tremity of tlie prairie. The boy was "rounding them 
 up" on his fleet mustang, and a[)parently trying to 
 head them towards home. 
 
 What could be the matter ? wondered Connie, as 
 she watched the strange proceedings. It still wanted 
 more than an hour to sunset, and it was the usujd 
 custom to let the cattle return leisurelv towards the 
 house, grazing as they came ; now, however, they were 
 being rounded into a compact body and urged along at 
 a gallop. 
 
 Connie began to feel alarmed. Her eyes searched 
 the surroundin^- country for some clue Lo the mystery, 
 but for a long time they searched in vain, until at 
 
 I 
 
278 
 
 Tni: YorN(j hanchmkx. 
 
 length sh(! s}i\v wlijit ;ii»)»(3iivt'(l lo he a faint ^Icam of 
 li.^hL oil ilu; liills at tlio wcsU'iii extremity of th(3 
 ])rairie. I'i(,'.s(*ntly the glimmer developed into a Ioiil;- 
 sparkling' line of li^ht advaneiiiL'' towards tlu; ]»lain. 
 
 At lliis si^t^lit a HiKtd of tumultuous feelings swept 
 throuj^h the fill's Itreast. The llashin.n' was the tlash- 
 iu,L,f of st(>el, and tin; last time she had seen anythin*^ 
 like it was when Ernest Tievor had l»idden her a Iou^l; 
 ^ood-hye, and was disappearing^ witli his eseort into 
 the Passes of the Wahsateh. 
 
 Might not this same llashint;- of steel herald her 
 lover's return ;* it was not likely that he would eome 
 alone. He W(>uld either he travelling in company 
 with some caravan, or, as was more likely, have; hired 
 the services of a l)arty of hunters or tra])pers for the 
 jouHK^y across the mountains. These would of course 
 be W(dl armed, and hencci no douht the glitter of 
 steel. 
 
 For a moment Connie indidged in an ecstacy of joy 
 at the thought that at last Ernest was really come. 
 Then doubts l)egan to creep into her mind as she noted 
 the size of the ap])roaching cavalcade, and saw the 
 frantic haste with which ilarrv continued tcj ur<>e his 
 unruly mob of cattle towards the home paddock. Was 
 it possible that the glittering line st» rai)idly approach- 
 ing was a troop of maiauders lient on ]tlundering the 
 lanche ? 
 
 She grew pale at the thought, and hastened to give 
 
roNTLrsiOX — TKCONSA I'AVS HIS DKIVI. 
 
 •27!) 
 
 1 
 
 th(; .siLjniil to Frank iiiid Itoln'it to return to tlu; lionsc. 
 Tlicn she went down to her father's room for the 
 larnc tield-i^dass, and niountini^ once more to the root', 
 took a searehinu' look at the advaneint"' partv. 
 
 Tlio liead of the line had entered a wooded dini'le 
 before she could adjust her ^lass. She i^ot the foeus 
 rin'ht, however, hefon; a (|UJirter of the cavalcade had 
 disap]>eared, and then nearly dropju'd the udass in 
 terror. 
 
 Thev were Indians. 
 
 Xo wonder Ifarrv had made such haste to drive 
 his herd into the well-fenced yard. He had douhtless 
 s])ied the redskins with his telescojie while still a Ioiil;' 
 wav off, and hence tlu; huiried stamitede. 
 
 "What's the matter, Connie?" shouted Frank at 
 this moment from the front of the house; " Harrv is 
 driving the cattle home like mad, and liohert lias <^one 
 ro o[)en the yard u'ate for them. 1 can't imaj^ine 
 what all the fuss is ahout, or whv vou siunalled to 
 us." 
 
 " Come up here and you will soon see," replied 
 Connie excitedly. " The Indians are coming down ujion 
 us from the mountains ! " 
 
 "Indians! Impossible!" replied her brother, fis 
 he disap})eared into the house. 
 
 " They are nothing else ! " cried Connie, .'is he re- 
 appeared on the roof beside her. " Take the glass 
 and be convinced. I saw them quite distinctly in 
 
280 
 
 THE YOUNG UANCIIMKN. 
 
 their paint and fcathuis ; and l(jok how tlieir lance- 
 
 tlasli in tl) 
 
 mliifl 
 
 i-ht : 
 
 points nasn ni tne sui 
 
 Frank looked steadily through I he glass for a 
 moment or t\v<>, and then an (ixelamalion of surprise 
 i'scaped his lips, and a peeuliar smil<! jdayed for an 
 instant aljout the eorners of his mouth. " You are 
 rii^dit," he said at last, "there is a lari^e party of 
 Indians apya'oaehini;, but not necessarily with hostile 
 intent. I never heard of an Indian raid on this side 
 of the Coast I{an,i»-e. lUit we may as well take i)re- 
 cautions," he continued ; " i^o down and prepare a 
 <4()od sui)per for tliem in ease they should prove 
 friends, while Robert and I see to the defences." 
 
 Connie was surprised at the cool way in which her 
 brother seemed to take the matter; but slu; descended 
 to the kitchen, and, aided by her " help," set about 
 l)reparing gallons of cotlee and huge dishes of buck- 
 wheat cakes. 
 
 Robert came in and helped to spread out the feast 
 on the verandah floor, picnic fashion, but was very 
 reticent about the Indians. Frank looked in now and 
 then, and in answer to his sister's cpiestions, said the 
 savages were in great forces but as yet had made no 
 hostile demonstration. Xevertheless, Harry and he 
 had raised the <Uaw-bridge across the moat — the old 
 moat encircling the house, which had been repaired and 
 deepened — and barred the gates. They had also run out 
 and loaded the two swivel-guns on the top of the house. 
 
 /^ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 ; 
 
CONCLUSION — TECONSA PAYS HIS DKHT. 
 
 2H! 
 
 /"VV 
 
 \ 
 
 1 
 
 which CM)iniiiaiHl<Mi the whole of the jipi»rouc'hos. "lint," 
 he added iiiysterioiisly, " you need not be alarmed." 
 
 Tresently Harry rushed in, sayini,^ that the Indians 
 were close at hand, and that their diief had demanded 
 to see " the <,folden-haired maiden." 
 
 " Why!" exclaimed Connie, "that is what the hxlian 
 chief Teconsa used to call me ! Where is ihc^ chief /" 
 
 " in the courtyard," replied Ifarry, disa|)})ea^in<,^ 
 
 Connie followed him outside, and immediately found 
 herself in the presence <>f the redoul)tal)le Sioux chief 
 and a score of his warriors. 
 
 Teconsa advanced with outstrtitched hands and 
 beaming countenance to lueet the fair English girl, 
 but just as she was about to greet him her eyes fell 
 on the sunburnt face of a line tall young Englishman 
 who stood a little way behind him, and, with a ( ry of 
 joy, she threw herself into Ernest Trevor's jirms. 
 
 Teconsa surveyed the haj)|)y j)air with satisfaction, 
 then he stepped up to them, and laying his hands upon 
 theirs, said impressively, ' Teconsa's heart is very glad; 
 he has paid back the debt he owed his fair young sister." 
 
 " And paid it nobly," said ^la jor Weston, who 
 having returned at this interesting juncture had 
 approached almost unobserved. 
 
 It was a joyous party that sat round the Major's 
 hospitable board that eventful evening, and though 
 the swivel-guns were tired, it was only a feu dc jov: in 
 honour of Ernest's safe arrival. 
 
2.S2 
 
 THK YOl'N(J KANCIIMKN. 
 
 KinliU'cii iiiontlis later, aiiDtlxT liajipv i4;i<)Uj> 
 nss('iiil>l<'(l louiid ilic tcstiil Ihiju(1 ill l'.u<Mi;i N'ist.i This 
 tiiiu! the nccasiou WMH (Ik^ wedding' hnyikfast ot" ('(Hiiiic 
 1111(1 l']ni«',st, and ('a])laiii TniVdr and his daimlitcrs wt'ie 
 also prcsL'iit. 
 
 A suhstantial Mock had liccii addiMl to tiic t'laiiic- 
 huiisc! across the .uor^v, which was now to he the hoiiit? 
 of tlie newly married )»air. All the laml on that side 
 of the river had heen htrined into a sej)arate lanche for 
 I\IaJor AVeston's son-in-law. 
 
 ('a[>tain Trevor had huilt hiniselt' a pretty little 
 residence on the shores of the lake, and he and his 
 dan^hters, I\Iary and Fthel, spent ninch of their time 
 in lishiiiL,' and sailint; iii»on it — a pastime in which 
 Krank and Harry Weston were often pleased to join 
 when their day's work was over. 
 
 Gold had heen discov(!red in (California a few years 
 ]>revionsly to tlur Westons' arrival there, jind funnini; 
 or ranchinj^' was now in the liey-day of its prospiaity, 
 owini>" to the inthix of population and the demand for 
 m(n\t, corn, and fruit this occasioned. Conse(|ucntly 
 our younu' ranchmen made ranchinji' a success, and 
 were eventually numhered amonust some of the 
 wealthiest and most influential citizens of the State. 
 
 Ed'mbiirsh : Printed I'V N\'. ;n; U- C!iam1icts, I.imitci. 
 
This 
 ( 'nmiic 
 
 S Wl'Il'