Traveller's tales -- Indian lurkers -- Prognostics of Buckeye -- Signs and portents -- Themedicine wolf -- An alarm -- An ambush -- The captured provant Triumph of Buckeye --Arrival of supplies -- Grand carouse -- Arrangements for the year -- Mr. Wyeth and hisnew-levied band.
THE horror and indignation felt by Captain Bonneville at the excesses of the Californianadventurers were not participated by his men; on the contrary, the events of that expedition werefavorite themes in the camp. The heroes of Monterey bore the palm in all the gossipings amongthe hunters. Their glowing descriptions of Spanish bear-baits and bull-fights especially, werelistened to with intense delight; and had another expedition to California been proposed, thedifficulty would have been to restrain a general eagerness to volunteer.
The captain had not long been at the rendezvous when he perceived, by various signs, thatIndians were lurking in the neighborhood. It was evident that the Blackfoot band, which he hadseen when on his march, had dogged his party, and were intent on mischief. He endeavored tokeep his camp on the alert; but it is as difficult to maintain discipline among trappers at arendezvous as among sailors when in port.
Buckeye, the Delaware Indian, was scandalized at this heedlessness of the hunters when anenemy was at hand, and was continually preaching up caution. He was a little prone to play theprophet, and to deal in signs and portents, which occasionally excited the merriment of his whitecomrades. He was a great dreamer, and believed in charms and talismans, or medicines, andcould foretell the approach of strangers by the howling or barking of the small prairie wolf. Thisanimal, being driven by the larger wolves from the carcasses left on the hunting grounds by thehunters, follows the trail of the fresh meat carried to the camp. Here the smell of the roast andbroiled, mingling with every breeze, keeps them hovering about the neighborhood; scentingevery blast, turning up their noses like hungry hounds, and testifying their pinching hunger bylong whining howls and impatient barkings. These are interpreted by the superstitious Indiansinto warnings that strangers are at hand; and one accidental coincidence, like the chancefulfillment of an almanac prediction, is sufficient to cover a thousand failures. This little,whining, feast-smelling animal is, therefore, called among Indians the "medicine wolf;" and suchwas one of Buckeye's infallible oracles.
One morning early, the soothsaying Delaware appeared with a gloomy countenance. Hismind
was full of dismal presentiments, whether from mysterious dreams, or the intimations of themedicine wolf, does not appear. "Danger," he said, "was lurking in their path, and there would besome fighting before sunset." He was bantered for his prophecy, which was attributed to hishaving supped too heartily, and been visited by bad dreams. In the course of the morning a partyof hunters set out in pursuit of buffaloes, taking with them a mule, to bring home the meat theyshould procure. They had been some few hours absent, when they came clattering at full speedinto camp, giving the war cry of Blackfeet! Blackfeet! Every one seized his weapon and ran tolearn the cause of the alarm. It appeared that the hunters, as they were returning leisurely, leadingtheir mule well laden with prime pieces of buffalo meat, passed close by a small stream overhungwith trees, about two miles from the camp. Suddenly a party of Blackfeet, who lay in ambushalong the thickets, sprang up with a fearful yell, and discharged a volley at the hunters. The latterimmediately threw themselves flat on their horses, put them to their speed, and never paused tolook behind, until they found themselves in camp. Fortunately they had escaped without awound; but the mule, with all the "provant," had fallen into the hands of the enemy This was aloss, as well as an insult, not to be borne. Every man sprang to horse, and with rifle in hand,galloped off to punish the Blackfeet, and rescue the buffalo beef. They came too late; themarauders were off, and all that they found of their mule was the dents of his hoofs, as he hadbeen conveyed off at a round trot, bearing his savory cargo to the hills, to furnish the scamperingsavages with a banquet of roast meat at the expense of the white men.
The party returned to camp, balked of their revenge, but still more grievously balked of theirsupper. Buckeye, the Delaware, sat smoking by his fire, perfectly composed. As the huntersrelated the particulars of the attack, he listened in silence, with unruffled countenance, thenpointing to the west, "the sun has not yet set," said he: "Buckeye did notdream like a fool!"
All present now recollected the prediction of the Indian at daybreak, and were struck withwhat
