All hands now set to work to construct "bull boats," as they are technically called; alight, fragile kind of bark, characteristic of the expedients and inventions of thewilderness; being formed of buffalo skins, stretched on frames. They are sometimes,also, called skin boats. Wyeth was the first ready; and, with his usual promptness andhardihood, launched his frail bark, singly, on this wild and hazardous voyage, down analmost interminable succession of rivers, winding through countries teeming withsavage hordes. Milton Sublette, his former fellow traveller, and his companion in thebattle scenes of Pierre's Hole, took passage in his boat. His crew consisted of two whitemen, and two Indians. We shall hear further of Wyeth, and his wild voyage, in thecourse of our wanderings about the Far West.
The remaining parties soon completed their several armaments. That of CaptainBonneville was composed of three bull boats, in which he embarked all his peltries,giving them in charge of Mr. Cerre, with a party of thirty-six men. Mr. Campbell tookcommand of his own boats, and the little squadrons were soon gliding down the brightcurrent of the Bighorn.
The secret precautions which Captain Bonneville had taken to throw his men first intothe trapping ground west of the Bighorn, were, probably, superfluous. It did not appearthat Fitzpatrick had intended to hunt in that direction. The moment Mr. Campbell andhis men embarked with the peltries, Fitzpatrick took charge of all the horses, amountingto above a hundred, and struck off to the east, to trap upon Littlehorn, Powder, andTongue rivers. He was accompanied by Captain Stewart, who was desirous of having arange about the Crow country. Of the adventures they met with in that region ofvagabonds and horse stealers, we shall have something to relate hereafter.
Captain Bonneville being now left to prosecute his trapping campaign without rivalry, setout, on the 17th of August, for the rendezvous at Medicine Lodge. He had but four menremaining with him, and forty-six horses to take care of; with these he had to make hisway over mountain and plain, through a marauding, horse-stealing region, full of perilfor a numerous cavalcade so slightly manned. He addressed himself to his difficultjourney, however, with his usual alacrity of spirit.
In the afternoon of his first day's journey, on drawing near to the Bighorn Mountain, onthe summit of which he intended to encamp for the night, he observed, to his disquiet, acloud of smoke rising from its base. He came to a halt, and watched it anxiously. It wasvery irregular; sometimes it would almost die away; and then would mount up in heavyvolumes. There was, apparently, a large party encamped there; probably, some ruffianhorde of Blackfeet. At any rate, it would not do for so small a number of men, with sonumerous a cavalcade, to venture within sight of any wandering tribe. CaptainBonneville and his companions, therefore, avoided this dangerous neighborhood; and,proceeding with extreme caution, reached the summit of the mountain, apparentlywithout being discovered. Here they found a deserted Blackfoot fort, in which theyensconced themselves; disposed of every thing as securely as possible, and passedthe night without molestation. Early the next morning they descended the south side ofthe mountain into the great plain extending between it and the Littlehorn range. Herethey soon came upon numerous footprints, and the carcasses of buffaloes; by whichthey knew there must be Indians not far off. Captain Bonneville now began to feelsolicitude about the two small parties of trappers which he had detached, lest theIndians should have come upon them before they had united their forces. But he feltstill more solicitude about his own party; for it was hardly to be expected he couldtraverse these naked plains undiscovered, when Indians were abroad; and should hebe discovered, his chance would be a desperate one. Everything now depended uponthe greatest circumspection. It was dangerous to discharge a gun, or light a fire, ormake the least noise, where such quick-eared and quick-sighted enemies were at hand.
In the course of the day they saw indubitable signs that the buffalo had been roamingthere in great numbers, and had recently been frightened away. That night theyencamped with the greatest care; and threw up a strong breastwork for their protection.
For the two succeeding days they pressed forward rapidly, but cautiously, across thegreat plain; fording the tributary streams of the Horn River; encamping one night amongthickets; the next, on an island; meeting, repeatedly, with traces of Indians; and nowand then, in passing through a defile, experiencing alarms that induced them to cocktheir rifles.
On the last day of their march hunger got the better of their caution, and they shot a finebuffalo bull at the risk of being betrayed by the report. They did not halt to make a meal,but carried the meat on with them to the place of rendezvous, the Medicine Lodge,where they arrived safely, in the evening, and celebrated their arrival by a heartysupper.
The next morning they erected a strong pen for the horses, and a fortress of logs forthemselves; and continued to observe the greatest caution. Their cooking was all doneat mid-day, when the fire makes no glare, and a moderate smoke cannot be perceivedat any great distance. In the morning and the evening, when the wind is lulled, thesmoke rises perpendicularly in a blue column, or floats in light clouds above the tree-tops, andcan be discovered from afar.
In this way the little party remained for several days, cautiously encamped, until, on the29th of August, the two detachments they had been expecting, arrived together at therendezvous. They, as usual, had their several tales of adventures to relate to thecaptain, which we will furnish to the reader in the next chapter. [Return to Contents].
