OF THE UNIVEBSIT Of $ * •V* AM- • - Marking the Boundary EDWARD EVERETT BILLINGS ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN HENDERSON GARNSEY ST. PAUL The Price-McGill Company 455-473 CEDAR STREET Copyrighted 1893 BY THE PRICE-McGILL CO. I HINTED AND PLATED BY THE PRICE-McGILL COMPANY ST. PAUL, MINN. ILLUSTRATIONS. Joe * * * saw the savage spring into the air, Frontispiece " Yes, the vacancy has been filled," - Page 17 He felt the eaves trough begin to give way under his weight, - " 28 A gaunt old savage * * * rushed on the doctor with uplifted knife, ------ "58 "Then don't get in a good man's way," - - " 66 The\ r all saw an Indian slowly walking toward them, -------.-" 86 "Ugh! How! How!" " 102 The scout had scalped the dead Indian, - '- " 128 What was their astonishment to find themselves within twenty yards of the nearest one, - " 142 In the apex of a pyramid * * * was the nest containing Abe and Ben, " 155 Wolf Voice * * * stood there a lithe and almost naked savage, " 174 It reached the ground, there to be confronted by Joe, "188 Tom started back, his foot having loosened an immense boulder, which went crashing down below, " 204 'An accident! The} 7 came near causing one," " 214 Two loud reports rang out, ... . " 234 'Why, to wash out a few panfuls of this dirt," " 248 Nearing the lower end of the rope he went slower and slower, " 270 M578529 MARKING THE BOUNDARY, CHAPTER I. " Hello! Tom!" "Well! is that you, Joe? I'm glad to run across you." " And I'm glad to meet 3^011. I've wanted to see you ever since I heard that you were going out to the land of the buffaloes and Indians. Is it actually a fact, Tom ? " "Yes, it's true enough; my father has promised that I may go," said Tom, with a gleam of satisfaction flooding his face, which in a measure subsided as he noticed that his companion looked a little disap- pointed. "I don't envy you, but I do wish I were going with you," said Joe. "And don't I just wish that you were! Why don't you try for a place of some kind, MARKING THE BOUNDARY. Joe?" said Tom, and the two lads stood discussing the all-absorbing topic of the day, which was the equipping and departure of the United States Northern Boundary Survey. "Why, what chance would I have?" asked Joe, rather gloomily. "You don't know until you've tried." "But I've heard that the partj^ was entirely made up." "That will not make airy difference," said Tom, as a sudden thought came into his head. Tom Troxwell was a son of Major Trox well, who was chief in command of the expedition that was soon to start for the north to finish laying off the forty-ninth parallel, which is in part the boundary line between the United States and the British provinces. These two lads were about six- teen years of age, and had been school- mates for several terms in St. Paul, Minne- sota. "And why will it not make any differ- ence?" asked Joe. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. " Because I can get you a letter from rm^ father and perhaps it will get you into my party." "I thought you were just going along with your father and not as a regular empire." "Oh ! no ! there are no idlers allowed, and every one who goes on this expedition must be regularly employed, 1 ' said Tom, rather ostentatiously. "Well, what are 3-011 going to do? You don't know any more about surveying than I do, and neither of us went through more than eight books of geometr\\" "I'm not expected to know am^thing about surveying. I'm the Second Assistant Bug Catcher; at least that's what Dr. Goon said I was to be. Oh ! he's the jolliest old duffer I ever met, and I'm very glad I'm in his party." "Bug Catcher? He said you were to be the Second Assistant Bug Catcher? He must have been making game of you," said 10 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. Joe, contracting his eyebrows in a puzzled way. " That's just the berth I'm going to fill, all the same. You see, Dr. Goon is the naturalist from the Smithsonian Institute, and he has to have a lot of fellows catching insects, and hunting up bits of rocks and flowers and all such things. It's going to be a jolly lark. Come on over to father's office with me and I'll get you a letter to Dr. Goon, which I'm sure will get 3^011 in with us, if you want to go." " Want to go ! Why, I'd just give him my head for a football to go with } r ou, and Til try; if 3 T our father will be so kind as to give me a letter I'll do nry best to deserve it," said Joe Conklin enthusiastically, as he followed his friend down Third street to Bridge Square. There, in rather a dilapi- dated old building, Major Troxwell had an office, for in those daj T s (it was in the spring of 1874) St. Paul, Minnesota, was not the magnificent city it is now. Fortu- MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 11 nately Major Troxwell was in his office, and as the two bo}^ entered he looked up from the paper he was reading, saying good- naturedly : " Hello, Tom. I suppose 3 r ou ve come in to tell me that you don't like the idea of going up there among the Indians now that Custer is stirring them up in the Black Hills." "Not much, sir. I'll chance them if you're going, and I've brought my chum with me. He wants to go along, too," replied Tom, presenting his friend, who acknowledged the introduction in such a graceful way as quite to win the old major's good opinion, and he thought that his son had done well in his choice of a friend. " Well, boys, it seems to me that half the people in St. Paul want to go; all the young fellows do, and they certainry can't all go," said the major. "Of course not; but, father, I do want to have Joe with me, and we thought, if you 12 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. would only give him a letter— just the right kind of a one, you know, — to Dr. Goon, it might get him into his party." "Oh! What a diplomatic young man you are! And you'll be satisfied with that, will you? Well! I'll write you a note to the doctor, but I'm afraid his party is com- plete and it will do you no good," said the major, and, wheeling around in his chair and grasping a pen, he scratched off a few lines, which he folded and handed to Joe. "Thank you, major, thank you," said Joe; "even should I be unsuccessful I shall remember your kindness." "That's all right, my boy. I only hope it may be of service to you," replied the major, resuming his paper, and the boys withdrew to hunt up Dr. Goon. This gen- tleman was found in his room at his hotel, busily engaged at a table, writing. A gruff "Come in!" responded to Joe's rather timid knock. "I believe this is Dr. Goon ? " said Joe. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 13 "Yes, sir, that's what I'm called," an- swered the doctor, carefully putting his pen behind his ear and leaning back in his chair. He was such a jolh r looking little old man that Joe could hardly refrain from laughing at the sight of him. He was very stout and bald, with but a fringe of hair, as white as snow, running around the back of his head, and smooth shaven save for a bushv trim miner of white whiskers under his chin from ear to ear. A wig of heavy brown hair lay on his desk in front of him. His general appear- ance reminded Joe so much of a jack-in-the- box he once had when a little bo}^ that he nearly lost the use of his tongue, but he managed to reply : "I have a letter of introduction for you from Maj or Tr ox well . ' ' "Humph ! ' Introducing Mr. Joseph Conk- 1^,' " said the doctor, reading the superscrip- tion. "How d'ye do, Mr. Conklin? This other young man I believe I've met before, the major's son, eh? " 14- MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "Yes, sir," replied Tom, and the doctor hurriedly glanced over the letter, and then eyed Joe from head to foot. "Well, Mr. Conklin, 3^011 think you're especially fitted for this rough kind of work ? " "I was brought up on a farm and can do most any kind of work from handling an axe to — to — " and here Joe, hesitating for an appropriate word, was helped out hy the doctor with — "To skinning a butterfly, eh?" "Yes, sir." "And 3 r ou suppose that you could skin and stuff butterflies, I don't doubt; now, don't you know, 3'oung man, that it takes 3^ears of practice to do that ? " "I can imagine it would, sir." "Well, that's so, but we have lots to do besides sticking pins into butterflies. My part3' was entire^ filled three days ago," said the doctor, and Joe's lower lip fell a trifle and his heart sank to the lowest depths, for he had hoped from the doctor's MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 15 manner that there was a possibility^ of his going upon this great journey of explora- tion. "I'm awfully sorry to hear it. I did not know but you might need more assist- ance, and — " "And you thought you were just the young man to give it? Well, sir, let me tell you, you are born under a lucky star; cir- cumstances are propitious to } T our very first ambitions. You desire to assist natural histoiw in its endeavors to enlighten this world of ignorance? It is worthy of any man. You have appeared on this scene at the most opportune time. My Third Assist- ant Bug Catcher has been exchanged to a position in the Mound Builder's party, and I'm not sorry; he was too big and clumsy for work of this kind. He was not a man of my choosing, no indeed ! I could not help thinking of the state of mylepidoptera com- ing out from under his heavy hand when- ever I looked at him, and my cryptogamia 16 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. would have looked like chop-feed fit for the mules after his handling." "And has his place already been filled, sir?" asked Joe Conklin, almost quivering with anxiety, for the doctor had taken up a small book, written a line or two in it, and had then closed it. "That man of whom I've just been speak- ing, will most likely take more solid comfort in pounding stakes into the ground than in any employment he would have found with me," said the doctor, not answering Joe's question, but glancing at him from the corner of his eye. "Excuse me, sir, but is his place already filled ? " repeated Joe. "That man will most likely be congratu- lating himself the whole time upon getting out of just what you want to get into. Yes, the vacancy he created has been filled," said the doctor, and the boj'S, feeling that further conversation would be useless, were about to withdraw when the doctor with a merry twinkle in his eyes asked : MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 17 "Have you no desire to know who has filled that vacant berth? " YES, THE VACANCY HAS BEEN FILLED. "I'm afraid it would not make much dif- ference to our interests, sir," replied Joe, in a lugubrious voice. 18 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "Now it might, jou can't tell; 3 t ou must never give up at the first rebuff in this world ; you might find that some diffident young fellow had it, that could very eas- ily be persuaded to resign in your favor," said the doctor, laughing at the expression on the boys' faces. "Well, who is the lucky -fellow? I'm sure we'd like to know," asked Joe. "Well, I have written the name of Joseph Conklin in place of the man exchanged," replied the doctor, laughing heartily. "Oh! thank you, doctor, thank you, and I'm really to go with 3^011 ? I can't begin to thank you enough," cried Joe, too happy to command words. "Then don't try, my boy, but wait a bit, and in the near future do it with work." "I will, indeed! I'll try to do everything required of me in as faithful a manner as possible," said Joe, earnestly. "All right, all right, boys, you'll find enough to do after awhile." MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 19 " And I've nothing else to do about join- ing the expedition, sir? " " Nothing, except to be on hand promptly at the depot the da} r we leave; a week from day after to-morrow is the day now set for our departure, I believe, " replied the doctor, and, after again expressing their thanks, the boys took leave of the jolly old natu- ralist. CHAPTER IT. The da}^s dragged along as da} r s only can to boys desirons of killing time, for the old man with the scythe appears to take a malicious delight in going his slowest pace when boys want him to step along smartly. This week to Joe Conklin had been any- thing but a happy one. His father had refused to give his consent to his going on the expedition, and had forbidden the further mention of the subject. Joe had always been a most dutiful son to a harsh and unloving father, and as yet had never openly disobeyed his commands. The even- ing previous to the expedition's departure had arrived, and once more Joe supplicated his father to allow him to go. This, instead of bringing about the desired result, put his father in a frenzy, and a wordy scene between the two ended in poor Joe receiv- ing a sound thrashing. 20 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 21 Alas, for poor Joe's equanimity of mind ! He might have overcome his temptations but for this ; now he vowed he would go in spite of his father's refusal. The tempta- tions had fast rolled themselves into a determination, as the unfortunate lad lay sobbing and moaning on his bed in his little attic chamber, moaning more in the spirit than the flesh, as Joe was one of those tough fellows that could stand a large amount of corporal punishment. He would have laughed at this drubbing from another boy, but from his father, given in the spirit that it had been, it made him sore at heart. Joe pulled himself together with an effort, repressed his feelings and said to himself: "He's never been half what a father should be to me." This palliated the thoughts of his resolve for a surreptitious leave taking. A mother's love Joe had never known, his mother hav- ing died in his infancy. Joe leaned out of the window of his little room and wondered if he should ever come 22 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. back to it, for he had made up his mind that he would leave the house during the night unknown to his father. That gentleman had evidently been thinking of some such similar event happening, for just then, Joe heard a click in the lock of his door behind him. " Ha ! " exclaimed Joe, as he turned and in a mad rush threw himself against the door. But to no purpose. It was stout and would have resisted anything but an axe, and this Joe did not have. Joe then listened, and he heard his father's footsteps receding from the door. Yes, he was locked in. He again walked to the window and looked down. Too far for a jump — forty feet or more. Joe looked to the right and then to the left. Tall elm trees extended their branches tantalizingly near, 3-et many feet from Joe's window. He looked out and above. At the far corner of the roof a branch from a large elm all but touched the cornice. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 23 "Oh! for some way to reach that limb," thought Joe. Again he looked above him and noticed that the eaves trough ran along the edge of the roof above his window, extending to the corner of the house and all but touching it. Could he reach the eaves trough from his window, he knew he could swing along hand over hand until he came to the limb of the elm, and from thence to the ground it was an easy road. But to catch the eaves trough from his window! And, then would it support his weight? Here were two dilem- mas. The first he could calculate upon, but the latter was an awful thought. There was an old jointed fishing rod in his room, and with this he measured the exact dis- tance from the window sill up to the trough. He found that he could just reach it; but again that awful thought! If he launched his weight out on it, would it hold him ? There was no way of ascertaining but by making the attempt, and this he decided upon doing as soon as the clock in the court house 24 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. tower struck one. The moon was nearly full and lent her aid in showing him the way out of his troubles. If he were only successful a few hours would find him on his way to the free and untrammeled trails of the prairies. There he would be restricted by no unreasonable father; there he would be a man dependent upon himself. Again, on the other hand, should that old trough overhead — No, no ! He put such dismal thoughts out of his head ; no use bor- rowing trouble. He had determined to try this one and only mode of escape. The pros- pect before him was well worth the risk, and thus he reasoned until the clock chimed the fateful hour. A shudder ran through his frame as his eyes glanced below. But he must look up and on, and trust that he might find the old trough strong and firm. Joe lowered the upper sash and then stood out upon the sill, one leg on either side of the window sashes, supporting himself with these as he straightened up and reached MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 25 above for the edge of the trough. Securing this with his hands took his utmost endeavor, and indeed, as he slowly dropped his weight upon it his toes alone rested on the sill. Then he slowly drew his feet up from the sill. It was solid. Yes, solid and firm there, but what might it be further on where he had no trusty sill? His was the last window, and there was no succor until he reached the -limb. "Faint heart will never win, so here goes," thought Joe, as he swung himself forward, withdrawing one hand and again grasping the edge of the trough a couple of feet beyond. Then came the most awful scream — a blood-curdling yell from beneath, and poor Joe almost lost his grasp as his blood chilled to the ver\^ heart within him. A reverse swing, and he was back again with the sup- port of the sill beneath his toes. He was feeling for the inside of his window with one foot when again came that harrowing sound from below, which at the unearthly hour of one seemed intensified a thousand 26 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. fold. Were the demons of trie lower regions in wait for him beneath ? Did their oecult powers tell them that here was a 003^ about to disobey his father, and of a fearful doom soon to be his in consequence? The last prolonged yell was followed by a sound more pronounced in its felineintensity, and Joe grinned in the silence of the moon- light as he again boldly swung himself clear of the window. Once launched forth on his perilous journey he did not stop to test or question the strength of the trough, but back and forth his lithe body swung through the air, and each time one of his hands loosed its hold his other was a couple of feet further on. Joe was quite an athlete, and this was no very great feat for him. The strain was only on his nerves. Half the dis- tance safely over and he congratulated him- self that his fears had been needless. The doleful 3 r ells of the cat had portended no direful result. On and on he swung himself, almost to the end ; the honest limb of the old elm was HE FELT THE EAVES TROUGH BEGIN TO GIVE WAY UNDER HIS WEIGHT. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 29 all but within his grasp, when — Oh ! Great Heavens! What made the eaves trough twist and give? What caused that creak ing noise above him ? His heart sank within him. Was his body going down, pulling the eaves trough along? He felt the boards turn and crack, then slowly sink with him. There was no time to turn back ! Nothing but a convulsive clutching at the board, his finger nails digging into it as a drowning man clutches at a straw. Down! Down! Yes, he was surety sinking! The trough could not sustain his weight; and within an arm's length of the limb ! What Joe's thoughts were he hardly knew himself. He felt himself going, and braced himself for the fall, thinking that all would soon be over with him, when to his delight, before the boards entirely gave away and dashed him down to destruction, he felt the leaves and trailing branches of another smaller limb of the tree brush past him and with the energy of despair he let go his hands from the trough and clutched the 30 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. frail branches of the big limb that was just beyond him ! His chances hung by a few- threads! An oriole might have built its nest in these swinging branches and felt a safety in their very insecurity, but with Joe grasping them in his hands it was another matter. Were they going to hold him? He felt that they would have to, and then climbing up hand over hand as if they were an inch rope, and not stopping to question the situation, Joe soon found him- self on a stout limb, and from there to another and then to the main trunk, and quickly sliding down was once more on terra firm a! What was there to tell of his escape? An open window and a hanging corner of the eaves trough. Joe might be said to have left the window open and have jumped to the ground, but t e most credulous would never admit that he could have broken the eaves trough. " And so your father relented at last, did he?" asked Tom, as he grasped Joe's hand MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 31 the next morning in the crowd at the rail- way depot. "No, he did not, and I've had a hard time to get here, but here I am and I want to get out of sight until the train leaves, for I have had to run away, after being locked up, and I am afraid he'll be after me," said Joe, as he gazed furtively about, although he looked none the worse for his midnight adventure. "Then let's get out of here, and into one of the cars, where we can keep a watch from the window," urged Tom, as he hurriedly pulled Joe along after him. Eveiwthing was in confusion; men and baggage a tumbling mass. The bo\^s- had no sooner found seats than Dr. Goon came along, evidently looking after his own party. "My men are all here save one. Do any of you know whether Mr. Hugill is with us? He is to be a member of my party. Do you boys know anything of Mr. Hugill?" 32 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "No, sir, I don't even know him," said Tom. 4 'Nor I, sir," echoed Joe. "Well, I wish he'd come along; we have only ten minutes left before our allotted time for departing, and I don't want to leave without my First Assistant Bug Catcher," said the doctor, who leaned over the boys and looking out of their window, added hur- riedly: "Here he comes now, we're all right." The boys looked out of the window and saw a very tall and handsomely dressed man step out of a coach the top of which was piled up with trunks and valises. This newcomer had long blonde side whiskers and was dressed in the very height of fash- ion. He paid and dismissed the cabman, and then ordered some men to put his bag- gage on board the train. "Only one hundred pounds of baggage allowed to any one man, Mr. Hugill," said a man, stepping out from the crowd, who, the boys found out afterward, was the wagon-master, and had to superintend MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 33 the bnggage and freight supplies. Mr. Hugill yery quietly adjusted a glass in his right eye, and after surve}-ing the wagon- master for a full minute, drawled out with a most inimitable English accent: "Why, bless my soul! man, d'3'e suppose I'm only going to spend the evening with ye?" "Can't help it, Mr. Hugill. Major Trox- well himself takes only one hundred pounds with him, and I've strict orders about it." "Blawstit! man,ca\vn'tyemakean excep- tion in my case? I'm not used to such things, ye know." "You'll have to see the major, and get orders from him," answered the wagon- master, shortly. "Blawst this whole beastly Yankee nation! I will see the major," said Hugill, walking hurriedly down the station plat- form to where the major stood talking to some of the officers, and Dr. Goon straight- ened himself up and laughed most heartily, as he said : 34 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "That fellow Hugill is as good as a comedy any day; I'm glad we're not to go off and leave him." "Was he out with the expedition last year?" asked Tom. "Yes, he was in my party, and a very good man to work, too, when once out in the field," replied the doctor, and a moment after they saw Air. Hugill approach the wagon-master and hand him a slip of paper. The man read it and then giving orders to some others they put all of Mr. Hugill's six trunks and many valises on board the train. The shrill whistle sounded out upon the early morning air of a delicious spring day. The bell rang and the conduc- tor shouted : "All aboard!" Mr. Hugill made a rush for the cars, but was intercepted by a short man with a full square cut beard whom Joe had already dis- covered to be his father. That gentleman was much excited, and exclaimed wildly as he grasped Hugill by the coat collar: MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 35 " Where's Joe Conklin? Where's myjoe?" "How do I know where your Joe is? My good man, step aside or I am left ! " "Stop this train ! Where's the conductor? Hello, there!" excitedly shouted Mr. Conklin as Hugill rudely tore himself from his grasp and rushed to the now rapidly moving train and sprang upon the rear platform of the car that the boys were in. The train did not stop nor did Mr. Conklin, senior, see fit to get on. Mr. Hugill walked along the aisle looking for a seat and found an unoccupied one next to the boys. Addressing himself to them he said : "I wonder who that crazy old duffer might have been that imagined I was kid- napping his Joe— Joe— Joe something, I did not catch the last name, ye know." "Some escaped lunatic," replied Tom, winking at Joe. Here Dr. Goon came back again through the car with a pleasant word for everj-body, as he steadied himself with a hand on the backs of the seats against the jerking 36 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. motion of the cars. Joe was now fearful lest the doctor had discovered that he was running away, but he soon banished this from his mind. "How d'ye do, doctor! Why, bless me! you look 3 r ounger than when we journe3 T ed together last summer; 'pon me word, 3 r e're looking well!" cried Hugill, as he shook hands with the doctor. "Thank you, Hugill, I feel as 3 r oung as the rest of 3 r ou, but let me introduce 3 t ou to our fellow- workers, Mr. Tom Troxwell, son of our astronomer, and Mr. Joe Conklin. You might try to acquaint them with their future duties, if you will be so kind, as I must attend to my things in the next car." "Right 3^ou are, doctor, I'll do what I can, yeknow," returned Hugill. The train was now bowling along at a rapid rate and for the first time Joe felt that he was safeh r on his w T ay to the great unknown country of the Northwest. He had not been able until now to conquer the MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 37 feeling that something would yet occur to prevent him from going. "I believe vou were out with the expedi- tion last year, Mr. Hugill," said Joe, with a shade of deference in his tone, for one who had alread3 r trod the glorious prairies was one to be respected in his estimation. "Yes — I went with the expedition lawst year, ye know, and if I had known what beastly arrangements had been made for transportation this summer, I'd have made my arrangements to sta\- home," replied Mr. Hugill, stroking his long blonde side whiskers, with one hand. "One hundred pounds of baggage doesn't seem much," said Tom, wondering what kind of a comrade this would prove to be. "One hundred pounds! Don't ye know, at home that would be as nothing," cried Mr. Hugill. "But how did you manage? I noticed that you had all of your trunks put in the baggage car," asked Joe, thinking that per- 38 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. haps this gentleman had some influence at court. "They allowed me transportation for everything to Fort Buford ; that's the point where we leave the Missouri, ye know, and take to wagons. Beyond that I have to furnish my own transportation to Fort Benton ; that's at the head of navigation, so after parting with my boxes at Buford I will not see them again until we reach Benton in the fall. You see, we go due north from Buford to the line where we left off work lawst }^ear. Thence west along the line to the Rock3 r mountains, where we con- nect with the terminus of the survey that was made back in the fifties. After connect- ing with a monument there, we strike south to Fort Benton, ye know, and either disband there or come down the Missouri again, and as I don't intend coming back to St. Paul I've taken all my belongings with me, ye know," said Hugill, in a drawling tone, yet withal in a pleasantly disposed way, to make these novices understand what was MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 39 the plan of the summer's campaign in as few words as was possible. 1 ' Oh ! I see, it's a long trip, is n 't it ? " said Joe. " It will not seem so long, though it will take us all summer to make it." The pine forests and tamarack swamps of Minnesota were rapidly followed b\- the rolling prairies of Dakota and the journey by cars to Bismarck was soon made. The wearisomeness of the ride was lessened by the novelty of the sights from the car win- dows, and in making friends among the men. Bismarck was reached in the after- noon of the next day, and without being- allowed time for the inspection of this frontier town, ever\^ one was ordered to report on board the steamer, or rather the flat-bottomed steamboat, waiting for them at the landing, which was about a mile from the town. All was confusion at the boat, as the load- ing had to be done before night. Over one hundred mules were tied up on the lower 40 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. deck, the wagons being lined all about the upper one. The commissary supplies and baggage had to be stowed away and then the men were told that they might make use of the great canvas-covered wagons for their state-rooms. "This is pretty jolly, isn't it?" said Joe, as he and Tom threw their rolls of blankets into the bottom of a wagon and made down their bed. The next morning with the first streak of daylight the boat was heading up the stream in the muddy and swollen Missouri. The scenery was changeless, cut banks and low bottoms, at which the boys were soon tired of gazing. "I wonder what that big sheet of iron is for, up there on each side of the pilot- house," asked Tom. "Let's go and ask the pilot," replied Joe. "He may not want any one up there with him." " Well, he can tell us so. Come on, let's go MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 41 tip these little stairs and ask him if we may come in awhile." " All right, yon go on up and I'll follow," said Tom, and as the boys gained the door of the pilot-house the boat was quite near to the bank, on which the bo\-s saw an Indian running up and down, waving his blanket, evidently signaling the boat ; then the door of the pilot-house suddenly opened and the man at the wheel shouted : "Come in! Come in, quick! if 3-011 don't want to get shot, quick ! " and the bo\-s had no sooner stepped inside than the heavy door swung shut behind them. What was that peculiar twanging sound that whistled past their ears? and what made the pilot act so excitedly? It was the first time in their lives that a leaden messen- ger of death had flown by within a few inches of their heads, and as yet the\^ were unconscious of their narrow escape. CHAPTER III " Well, now, if that pesky varmint didn't play it pretty cunning! He don't show himself again so bravely," said the captain, as he peered over the top of the iron screen that had first attracted the boys' attention, holding in his hands a long needle-gun ready for a snap shot. "Why! what's the matter?" asked both the boys together. ''Matter! That government pet sent a bullet mighty close to you chaps as you came in that door," replied the captain. "Is that so? I thought I heard some- thing sing b3 r my ear but was not certain," said Tom. "But I'm sure I heard it and could not imagine what it was, but I heard no report," declared Joe, stepping close up to the captain to watch for signs of the Indians. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 43 "Of course you could not hear it from here, with all the noise of our engines," answered the captain, who then slipped over to the speaking tube and shouted through it to those below: "Watch out fur Injuns down there! Lie down all hands and get ready 3 r er guns ! " "Do j^ou think there are more of them ? " asked Tom, with a slight tremor of excite- ment in his voice. "To be sure! Them fellers never hunts alone. Dare say that pint of brush above is full of them." "Goodness! But I wish I had a gun, too! " cried Joe. "Do ye? Well, now, my boy, thars a dozen in that ar' long box, back of the wheel. Jest get out a couple, and if ye know how ter shoot ye may have a chance. Keep her head a couple pints out in the stream, Bill." "Aye, sir," said the pilot, speaking for the first time, as he made a turn of the wheel but keeping his eyes up the river. 44- MARKING THE BOUNDARY. The bo}^s found some cartridges in with the rifles, and like all Minnesota bo3>••$.' if: M |„^/; V / >' U 'V' l.%J*» ,k m^ THB SCOUT HAD SCALI'UD THIS DEAD INDIAN.— Page 130. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 129 the banks of a sheltering coulee and give the camp a volley from pretty close quarters. It was too close as it proved for one of them, for as the} r were remounting their ponies after shooting from the ground for a better aim, Joe's bullet had done its deadly work. It struck the Indian fairly in the back, going through him and striking his pony in the neck, killing it also. The two fell in a heap, the pony pinning the dead Indian to the ground. The nearest Indians made frantic efforts to pull their dead comrade from under the pony, but as now all hands from the camp were pouring a galling fire upon them the}' fled, leaving the dead Indian behind! Whether any more were hit they could not tell, but one certainly lay there, a silent witness to the evil-minded and treach- erous nature of the Indian. The cavalry, hearing the shooting, came dashing back to the camp. The Indian scout Chonka-ta-ketchah-ha had mounted his pony and now rode out to the dead Indian. He was seen to dismount and bend 130 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. over the body. The gleam of a sharp knife, a hard pull and he waved something in the air. Horrors ! Tom and Joe both shud- dered. The scout had scalped the dead Indian ! It was one thing to read and hear about such things but to actually see this horrible deed performed made their blood boil, although it was on one of the enemy. It was more than they cared to talk about. The killing of a dozen Indians would not have bothered them half so much. Major Reno came over to where Tom was talking to his father, and said : "Well, Troxwell, your men have laid one out; that's a good beginning." "Yes, but how's this thing going to end ? There are several hundred of those Indians," answered Major Troxwell. "One of my scouts went for the infantry before those fellows came up, as I thought we might have some trouble. But look, I think the whole mass is leaving us for good now," returned Reno, and, sure MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 131 enough, they appeared to be making off as fast as the}- could. "Let's get up where we can see ever\-- thing," cried Tom, and the boys climbed on top of a wagon to get a better view. "It's our infantry' coming in the wagons, and that's what has scared those Indians." "They most likeh^ thought it was time the}' were leaving. " "They must have thought Custer was after them again." The teams came dashing in, covered with foam from hard driving, but it was a case in which it was hard to tell of what importance a few minutes might be. An extra guard was placed that night, and the scouts watched the country well for the next few daj-s, reporting that their trouble- some neighbors had all gone south in the direction of the Bear Paw mountains. CHAPTER VIII. Shortly after this little trouble with the Indians Dr. Goon remarked : "Mr. Hugill, you and the bo} r s may get our traps together and we will investigate the surroundings of our new camp." "Good!" exclaimed Joe, "and I vote we go toward that glittering hill over there; my curiosity has kept me thinking about it all the morning." This new camp had been reached the evening before, and was on the bank of a small sluggish stream called, by way of courtes}', or by the exaggerated apprecia- tion of anything like moving water in a prairie country, " Poplar River." Why pop- lar, except from the absence of that tree as well as of all others, the bo3 r s could not tell. There may have been such trees nearer its influx into the Great Muddy, but up here at 132 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 133 its head there was neither bush nor shrub. Before them a level, rolling prairie stretched as far as the eye could reach, conveying the same impression of vastness as does the old ocean when one stands on its beach. The glittering hill, of which Joe spoke, was the only break in the dull, and uninviting sur- roundings. This was a slight elevation above the level horizon, and glittered and scintillated in the morning sun like the piles of scraps and waste back of a tinshop. The doctor and Hugill walked in front of the lads, who were watching for anything that might be of interest. While it seemed much nearer, the hill proved to be at least five miles distant before they reached it, so deceptive is the clear atmosphere of the prairies. " Here's something! " shouted Joe, and he and Tom bent their heads over a small but very curious creature that Joe had espied sunning itself on a stone. 4 'What in the world can it be? Don't touch it!" cried Tom. 134 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "I'm not going to, but I want to get him in my box before it crawls down some hole," replied Joe. "Why, it's a horned toad," exclaimed Hugill, who had turned back to see what they had found, while the doctor strolled on to examine the cause of the glittering appearance of the hill just beyond them. "A horned toad!" "Yes, nothing but a horned toad, and I don't think the doctor will want it." "I'll take him along and see," said Joe, when a shout from the doctor attracted their attention. That gentleman was seen to be dancing about and fanning himself in the most vigorous manner with his hat. "What's the matter with the old chap now? 'Pon me soul, I believe he's struck a wasp's nest," declared Hugill. "It looks that way," chimed in Tom. "Why doesn't he run from them, then?" asked Joe, as they hurried on to where the doctor stood like one bewildered, fanning MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 135 himself as if his life depended on it, his hat in one hand and his wig in the other. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" roared Hugill, "why don't you leg it ? Skip ! Run ! Go it for all you're worth, doctor! " "What's the matter, sir, hornets or a wasp's nest?" asked Tom, but now that they had reached the spot where the doctor stood they saw no signs of these insects. The old gentleman looked somewhat dazed and very pale as he gasped : "Ugh! Ach ! I can hardly breathe yet. Ugh! I'm suffocating! Don't you see it? Kill him, Joe ! you've got the gun, kill him !" "Kill what, sir? " asked Joe, wondering if the doctor had gone crazy or was suffering a sunstroke, as it was now intensely hot. "Kill that reptile! It is a blow snake!* He's just over there, and I stepped right over him. Oh, how sick I feel! I could hardly see a minute ago. I was suffocating, and it seemed impossible to get any air. That's what I was fanning myself for. He's just beyond you, Joe." •This incident and peculiarity of the snake are facts. 136 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "Yes, I see him!" exclaimed Joe, as he raised his gun. "Hold on! Don't spoil him!" cried the doctor, but he spoke too late. Bang! went Joe's rifle, and the bullet, striking the snake about a foot from his head, fairly cut him in two pieces. "I'm afraid I've spoiled him," said Joe, as the writhing creature twisted its tail in all directions. "Never mind, we must have him; we lose an inch or two here, but you can make it up in feet when }^ou tell this story in the future," replied the doctor, recovering. "Snake stories are always barred," remarked Hugill. " Gracious ! I shall not get over the shock of this for some time. I was walking along rather fast when right at my feet I saw him coiled, a great, yawning red mouth extended up toward me. I heard a hissing sound as I sprang over him, and the air all about me seemed permeated with a sweet, overpowering, suffocating odor. It took MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 137 my breath away and I thought I should fall. It was awful ! " shuddered the doctor, making a grimace at the remembrance. "I've heard of blow snakes, but never thought they existed," remarked Tom, as he helped to dump the loathsome creature into a tin Id ox they carried for such pur- poses, and then all trudged on to the hill. This slight elevation from the surround- ing prairies was formed of earth that was loose as ashes and of a brownish red color, a formation like the bad lands. Strewn about through this were pieces of mica from an inch cube to slabs as large as a man's hand, and an inch thick, and this was what had glittered so in the sun. Specimens of this were taken and then they returned to camp, where the rest of the clay was spent in putting away the results of the day's labor. Thus the daj^s flew b}^ Their life was like one prolonged holiday, Joe would often remark, and the time passed so quickh^that two months had elapsed before the boys 138 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. realized it, and mid-summer found them camped in the Bad Lands. "I say, Joe, don't you think we could kill a buffalo just as well as those soldiers did the other day without being on horse- back?" asked Tom, as he pressed a bunch of flowers into position for the herbarium. "I think so. What kind of a shrub is that you've got there? " replied Joe. "Dr. Goon said it had campaniform flowers, and belonged to the genus hya- cinthus, but it was something he had never seen before and would have to look it up. What do you saj r if we have a try at one to-day?" "All right; 3^011 are breaking off too many of those flowers." "There are too many on this branch. Now these things are all done let's go and tell the doctor where we are going, and be off," said Tom, putting the big book away, and soon the boys were hurrying toward some high bluffs, where buffaloes were gener- ally to be found, as they appeared to dislike MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 139 the loose, ashen soil composing what is gen- erally termed "bad lands". It might have been that the rough formation of immense mounds of earth, suggesting hidden terrors, caused them to avoid such places. "We'll go up on that butte and then we can get a good view of the prairie for miles around," suggested Tom. "A good idea, but that is no small climb ; that butte will surprise us by its height." " It's not over five hundred feet." "That's enough on such a hot day; you will think so before we get there," and so they did, as Joe had predicted. "What a grand view! It is well worth the climb ! My ! Just look at the buffaloes ! There are squads of them as far as the eye can reach! " "This is the butte that the doctor and Hugill climbed the other day; they said we could see the Sweet Grass Hills, and those little blue ridges to the west must be they." "They are nearly one hundred miles from 140 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. here; that shows how clear the air must be, or we could not see so far." "They are a long way off. Oh! what herds of buffalo ! Joe, there's one bunch not a great distance from here, all around the head of that coulee there. We can go back the way we climbed up and then go around the end of this butte and up the coulee until we are right into them! What do you say?" "Just the thing; we'll never get a better chance," and the bo} r s lost no time in retracing their steps. It was much easier than climbing up, and they never stopped for the need of a breath- ing spell until they reached the bottom. "Now, Joe, you are certain, are 3 r ou, that the coulee the buffaloes were in, is the same one that opens out at the end of the butte?" "I am positive of it, for I followed it down with my eyes to make sure, so that when we reached it we could keep in the bottom, MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 141 and not have to show ourselves until we reached its head." " That's what I was thinking, and when we get in the coulee we must keep as quiet as we can, and not talk ; we want to keep down in it until we get as far as we can without being seen." " Yes, but we want to pick out some fat young cows, for the bulls are too tough." "It's all tough enough except the humps, but all we want are the tongues." The boys had now reached the coulee and had turned into it, proceeding without speaking a word. This shallow depression in the prairie grew narrower as they fol- lowed its winding course, and filial^ they had to crouch down as they went forward. Its depth had been growing correspond- ingly less, until they were obliged to crawl along on their hands and knees, as they wished to get as close to the herd as possible before they exposed themselves to shoot. It was slow work, and the restrained excite- ment was telling on their nerves. The boys 142 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. had had so much practice with their rifles that they were excellent shots by this time. " We must be close enough now," ventured Tom. "All right," replied Joe, and the boys arose to their feet, their rifles ready cocked in their hands, prepared for any emergency. As they reached their feet they were in hopes of being within rifle range of the nearest of V*^>v* *^fc* u4uJ . WHAT WAS THEIR ASTONISHMENT TO FIND THEMSELVES WITHIN TWENTY YARDS OF THE NEAREST ONE. the straggling herd, but what was their astonishment to find themselves within twenty yards of the nearest one, while in front, on each side, and behind them were dozens of these monstrous brutes, feeding innocently, unconscious of the danger in their midst. The boys had exceeded their MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 143 intentions and were actually in the very center of the herd. The two nearest ani- mals were lying down. Two old bulls! They were quietly chewing the cud of liberty and independence, and were not more than twenty yards from the boys. The ungainly brutes were on their feet in an instant, and sounded a loud sniff of warning which caused every animal to turn his head, and soon scores joined in this manifestation of their sense of danger. Tom threw his rifle to his shoulder and took aim at the great ungainly brute, which looked more weird than ever from the naked appearance of its back and hind quarters. "That's an old bull! Don't shoot!" exclaimed Joe, singling out a young cow. Two rifles rang out with loud report, and the cow fell mortally wounded, but the bull stood pawing the dirt and throwing dust in clouds over his back. Tom had taken aim at the center of the bull's forehead, and quite likely hit his mark fairly, but the mass of hardened alkali mud entangled in his 144 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. great locks of hair made an additional pro- tection to his almost impenetrable skull. The frightened animals came running up from all directions and again two rifle shots rang out. This scattered the approaching buffaloes, and set the entire herd in motion, with the bo}'S standing in their midst. On the frightened animals came threateningly near, and now the bo} r s shot at the on- coming brutes with the intention of break- ing their ranks, for who could tell what was to be the end of this sport should the buffaloes come en masse ? "Run with the herd, Tom, run with the herd!" shouted Joe, who was standing a little nearer the approaching buffaloes than Tom, and away the boys went in the cen- ter of an open space kept clear by their con- stant shooting. It was a cannonading of their rifles, a thundering of the buffaloes' hoofs and a stifling cloud of dust. Buffalo in front of them, on each side of them, and coming from the rear ! Joe was a MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 14-5 trifle behind Tom, when to his horror, he saw through the dust an old bull leave the ranks and make a maddened charge from behind upon Tom, who was wholly uncon- scious of his approaching danger. CHAPTER IX. The sight of that infuriated bull, bleeding from a ghastly gun shot wound, and about to toss his companion, all but froze the blood in Joe's veins, and had the deafening thunders of a thousand hoofs allowed of Tom's hearing a warning word, Joe's throat would have been unable to utter it. His tongue had momentarily lost its power, but his brain was quick to suggest, his arm to respond. His rifle was thrown to his shoulder and with an instantaneous but certain aim at a mortal spot, he pulled the trigger. "Click" sounded the hammer, striking steel. There was no report, no dis- charge from Joe's rifle. In his excitement he had forgotten to reload it ! At the very moment that the bull was on the unsuspect- ing Tom, the latter stopped for a second and discharged his rifle at one of the luuu MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 147 bering animals on the right. The proximity of the explosion to the ear of the belligerent bull, frightened him more than a bullet from Joe's rifle would have done, for he turned of his own accord and swerved by Tom so closed that he could have touched the frightened animal with his hand had he been so inclined, and if Joe had planted a bullet in the brute's heart the force of his unimpeded momentum would have crushed Tom in the downfall. When Joe's rifle failed to respond the poor fellow closed his e\ r es for the moment to shut out the sight of the seemingly inevitable result. What was his surprise and delight a moment later to behold his comrade yet upon his feet and the last of the buffaloes beyond them. They stood alone, holding the heated barrels of their rifles in their hands, their hearts beat- ing at a lively rate from their violent run- ning and not a dead buffalo in sight. Joe ran up to Tom with tears in his eyes, saying: 148 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "Well, old fellow, that last one gave you an awful close call ! " "Didn't he, though? I might have touched him, and I never saw him until after I had shot at a cow on the other side of me." "I never was so frightened in my life. I tried to shoot him but I had forgotten to reload ; and then I shut my eyes. I never expected to see you alive again, old boy. Oh, I'm awfully glad you didn't get hurt." "So am I, for that matter, but it's a pity we didn't hurt more of them after all the shooting we've done. I shot away nearly all of my cartridges," said Tom, feeling around to the back of his belt, "only seven or eight left!" "And no wonder my rifle did not go off. I couldn't have loaded if I'd wanted to; mine are all gone." "But where is all our game? I can't say positively that I saw a single one fall, but I saw plenty of them bleeding from wounds." "Your bullets hit too far back ; they have MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 149 an awful tough anatomy and can carry lots of lead before they die; but I know of three or four falling that will not get far." "Are you sure? It would be too bad to get nothing after all that shooting; we must have run two miles or more." "I don't doubt it; that's one for a cer- tainty over there," exclaimed Joe, pointing to a dark object on the prairie. "Yes, that's one, and I think there is another just be^^ond," added Tom, as they hurried along back to where they found lying dead their first buffalo. Approaching this great monarch of the plains, they were both filled with awe and reverence for the noble brute so ruthlessly slain, for this great animal that would soon belong to the past. "It does seem a pity now that we've killed him, that so much meat is to be wasted," said Joe. " We might as well kill a few as to let the Indians have them all." "They use them and waste nothing, and kill no more than they want." 150 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "Well, we can't carry more than his tongue and the next thing is to get that out. What a monstrous brute he is!" exclaimed Tom, taking hold of one of the animal's short, black horns and trying in vain to move his head. "He's a big fellow and no mistake/' replied Joe, looking at him admiringly. " He looks like an elephant, and his hide is as thick as an elephant's," commented Tom, having thrust his knife into the animal's mouth and trying to cut the hide back toward its jaw, while pulling at the brute's tongue with the other hand. "Ha! Ha! Ha! That's a fine way to take a tongue out! It's plain to see that 3^ou never butchered anj 7 ," cried Joe. "Well, how else would you do it? " "Not that way!" "Well, how? This fellow seems to have awful teeth ; if it were not for those ivories I could manage," said Tom, having only succeeded in getting the animal's tongue half out. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 151 "Come, let me take the knife; yon must slash under the throat from near the muzzle to the windpipe, and through this long slit you must pull the tongue down, then you can cut it off, so, getting its full length," and Joe most dexterously removed the tongue and held it up proudly to Tom's view. "Number one! Cut a little hole in the tip end of it and I can carry it on one finger." After hunting the trail thoroughly back to where they had started to shoot they found only three more, and one of these was the 3 r oung cow that Joe had killed at the first shot when they came into the herd. " We did an awful lot of shooting to get only four," said Tom. "Yes, but I am afraid that we have wounded a great many that will eventually die," replied Joe, as he finished taking out the last tongue. "I can carry these tongues if you will cut out a piece of the hump, Joe. Do try ; the hump that the scout brought in the other dav was* fine." 152 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. "I can get all we can carry very easil}^ if you say so. It will seem less wasteful to take all we can," and this choice morsel was soon added to their plunder. Shouldering their rifles the bo}^ tramped back to camp, delighted with the result of their exploits. After depositing the spoils of the chase with the cook they gave most glowing accounts of their hunt to the others. "You young fellows would better have been here at work, ye know, than hunting like bloody Indians. There's a lot of pack- ing to be done this afternoon. We 've orders to move camp to-morrow, }^e know," piped Hugill. "No, we didn't know it; why did you not tell us before we left ? " "Just heard it nryself, half an hour ago, ye know." "I'm glad of it. Three cheers for leaving this dusty hole!" shouted Tom gleefully. "I don't think any body will be sony to leave. What do you say, old Wolf Voice, MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 153 glad to go? " asked Joe, of the scout, who stood beside a large compass that was on its tripod in front of the tent. The scout was much amused at the way the needle followed his hunting knife as he moved it about over the top of the glass, but he made no reply and Joe repeated his question. "Glad to go, Wolf Voice ?" "No," grunted that member of Uncle Sam's defenders, for Wolf Voice was a reg- ular^ enlisted scout. "Don't want to move, eh?' , "No," was again his laconic reply. " Well, what makes 3^011 like to stay here?" "Good water — heap meat, — good," grunted Wolf Voice, still giving his attention to the compass. "More good water, more heap meat," asserted Joe, hoping that his predictions would prove true, but the stoical Indian simply shrugged his shoulders, and no fur- ther remarks could be elicited from him. The preliminary packing was done in an 154 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. hour, notwithstanding Hugill's allusions to its immensity, and then Tom remarked : " Well, Joe, I'm sorry to leave Abe and Ben." "So am I. How I wish we could take them along with us, but Dr. Goon says he can't be bothered with them." "It seems too bad to be obliged to leave them." "Yes, it is." "Let's go up and see them, and say good- D3'e to the lads for the last time." "And I'll take a part of that hump along." "All right, you get the meat and I'll get the poles," assented Tom, going around to the back of the tent where he found a couple of surveyor's rods; these were tall, slim poles and painted red and white. The poles the boys used first to assist them in climbing, and then as weapons of defense, for although Abe and Ben were always very glad to see them, yet their feathered parents always resented their vis- MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 155 its as unwarranted intrusions, and took particular pains to show their dislike with force of wings and claws, dashing through the air in dangerous proximity to the boys, faces. In the apex of a pyramid of loose alkali-ashy earth was the nest containing IN THK APEX OF A PYRA.MTO, * * * * WAS THE NEST CONTAINING A2E AND BEX. Abe and Ben, which were half grown 3^oung eagles and great favorites of the bo} T s. It was an arduous climb to reach the nest, as that soft pile of peculiar earth was many hundreds of feet high and one's feet would sink into it several inches. "There are the old birds now," cried Tom, as he stopped for breath and leaned on his 156 MARKING THE BOUNDARY. pole, which sank to a considerable depth in the ashy earth. "Where?" asked Joe. "Over that way, to the right of the sun. Can't you see them sailing around ? They are so near the sun it almost blinds me to look at them." "Oh, yes, I see them now. How high up they are! I can just see them now, and that's all.' "I don't think they have seen us \ r et." " What old fools they are ! I should think they would understand by this time that we don't want to hurt them. ,, "They have no more sense than a goose." "They are coming this way now; they are going to give us one parting battle." "Well, let's hurry up to the top and then we can have more fun with them," and Tom twisted his pole around to get it out of the soft earth, and once more they climbed upward, losing half as much ground as they gained at every step. MARKING THE BOUNDARY. 157 When they reached the summit they enj