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diff --git a/old/66085-0.txt b/old/66085-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 136a1c1..0000000 --- a/old/66085-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4581 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Old Ruff, The Trapper; or The Young -Fur-Hunters, by “Bruin” Adams - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Old Ruff, The Trapper; or The Young Fur-Hunters - Beadle’s Pocket Novels Vol. VI, No. 76 - -Author: “Bruin” Adams - -Release Date: August 19, 2021 [eBook #66085] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David Edwards, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online - Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - (Northern Illinois University Digital Library) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD RUFF, THE TRAPPER; OR THE -YOUNG FUR-HUNTERS *** - - - - - - OLD RUFF, THE TRAPPER; - OR, - THE YOUNG FUR-HUNTERS. - - - A SEQUEL TO “LITTLE RIFLE.” - - - BY CAPT. “BRUIN” ADAMS, - AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING POCKET NOVELS: - - No. 9. Lightning Jo. - No. 74. Little Rifle. - - - NEW YORK. - BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, - 98 WILLIAM STREET. - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by - FRANK STARR & CO., - In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - I “Give Us Your Hand on That” 9 - II Doubt and Perplexity 14 - III The Reds 20 - IV Between Two Fires 25 - V A Wonderful Animal 30 - VI What the Telescope Revealed 35 - VII Down the River 40 - VIII “Speckled Beauty” in Camp 45 - IX Through the Cascade Range 50 - X A Brute’s Sacrifice 55 - XI Unwelcome Visitors 60 - XII The Revelation of Maquesa 66 - XIII Counterplotting 71 - XIV Down the Columbia 76 - XV The Sea Trail 79 - XVI The Wind That Blew No Good 81 - XVII What of the Night? 85 - XVIII Waiting for the End 87 - XIX The Leap for Life 92 - XX Conclusion 95 - - - - - OLD RUFF, THE TRAPPER; - OR, - THE YOUNG FUR-HUNTERS. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - “GIVE US YOUR HAND ON THAT.” - - -Young Harry Northend remained by his lonely camp-fire in the wilderness, -long after the dull, dismal day had dawned, in the hope that Little -Rifle, his promised bride of the wilderness, as he loved to look upon -her, would return.[1] - -Now and then he ventured to call to her, although he well knew the risk -he incurred in doing so; for he had learned by his previous experience -that the dreaded Blackfeet Indians were to be expected at any time, when -beyond gun-shot of the fort. - -The snow had stopped falling, but it lay to the depth of several inches -upon the ground, and seemed to have extended over a wide area of -country. He walked round and round the camp several times, searching for -the imprint of her delicate moccasin; but the keenest search he could -make failed to reveal the slightest trace of her footsteps. - -This proved, that whatever might be the cause of her disappearance, it -had operated before the fall of the snow—so that, at the least, she had -already been absent several hours. - -But whither had she gone? What was the cause of her disappearing so -suddenly? Had she departed alone and unattended, or was some one else -concerned in it? - -These were questions which, without exaggeration, it is safe to say, the -lad asked himself a hundred times, and which still remained unanswered. - -There was but one conjecture that he could make, which seemed to bear -the least shadow of reason, and that was that she had voluntarily -returned to the lodge of her guardian and friend, old Ruff Robsart, the -old mountaineer and hunter—not with the intention of remaining there, -but with the purpose of consulting with him before taking the -all-important step which she had decided to take, in leaving that Oregon -wilderness. - -“It is no great distance there,” he mused, as he turned this thought -over in his mind, “and seeing me asleep in the early part of the -evening, she may have thought she could go and return before I would -awake; for she can traverse these woods as well in the dark as in the -daytime, and she might easily have made such a journey, but I suppose -old Robsart has kept her, and I must go there after her.” - -Settling down to this conclusion, he decided first to go on to the fort, -as he could make the distance in a few hours. He had been absent several -days, and his return would set at rest any uneasiness that his friends -might feel, and possibly avert the awkward consequences of a search for -him by several of the hunters at the post. - -Accordingly, when he had made up his mind that it was useless to wait -any longer by the camp-fire, he slung his rifle over his shoulder, and -started at a brisk walk for his headquarters at Fort Abercrombie, which -was safely reached within a couple of hours after. - -He found every thing here as when he had left, a few days before, and -after partaking of breakfast, and remaining a short time, he started on -his return to the lodge of Old Ruff, on the Columbia river, below. On -the route, he visited the scene of their encampment in the ravine, the -night before, thinking it barely possible that Little Rifle had visited -it during her absence, but there were no indications of her having done -so, and he resumed his walk in an eastward direction. - -Harry set great value by his field telescope, which he constantly bore -with him, and whenever he reached a point a little more elevated than -usual, he acted like a General who was reconnoitering a hostile -territory—making as careful a survey as was possible, in the limited -time which his impatience would permit him to use. - -Scarcely once did the glass fail to show him the presence of Indians. -They seemed to be here, there and everywhere in this part of Oregon, and -the adjoining territory of Washington. Indeed, more than once he paused -and scrutinized more closely his immediate surroundings, for it seemed -that there must be more still nearer him; but happily he seemed to be -free from that danger, and he took care to conceal his trail as much as -possible, by using rocks and flinty surfaces, wherever he could turn -them to account. - -In this fashion he finally reached a ridge, upon which Little Rifle had -slain an antelope, on the preceding day. Here he made another survey of -the territory, in every direction, wondering all the time whether any of -the numerous “signs” which he encountered indicated the presence of -Little Rifle; for despite the theory into which he had settled, he could -not free himself of the doubt that, after all, he might have failed in -his supposition. - -This naturally increased his eagerness to hurry forward, and end the -suspense as soon as possible; and so, lingering but a short time upon -the ridge, he descended the eastern slope, and carefully following the -route taken the morning before, being compelled on his way to ford -several streams, he succeeded in reaching his destination at last. - -It was very near the hour of noon when he did so, and the mild warm sun -had completely dissipated the snow that had fallen the previous night. -Here and there the leaves were wet, and on the shady side of a rock he -occasionally detected a white tuft of the cold feathery snow, but it may -be said, that if unaware of the fact, no one would have believed what a -fierce flurry had occurred but a few hours before. - -As Harry entered the ravine, in which the odd, fantastic home of old -Robsart was located, while gathering peltries, he found his heart -beating violently and his face flushing, as is the case when one walks -forward to hear his doom pronounced by the stern and inflexible judge. - -“Suppose she has not returned,” he repeated to himself, “what will he -say? What will he do? What will I do?” - -The next moment the little compact dwelling-house—if such it may be -termed—was in sight, and before the entrance he saw the old mountaineer, -engaged in cleaning the skins of several animals, preparatory to -stretching them out on sticks in the sun to prepare them for packing. - -He merely glanced up as he heard him coming, and then, without speaking -or making any salutation, continued his work. Harry advanced resolutely -forward, and, determined to know the worst at once, said: - -“Good-day, Uncle Ruff. Has Little Rifle returned?” - -The trapper, seemingly suspecting that something was wrong, suddenly -started and looked up with a sharp, inquiring glance. Next moment came -his answer, too clear and direct for any mistake: - -“I haven’t sot eyes on him sense you and him went away yesterday.” - -“Then Heaven only knows what has become of _her_!” exclaimed Harry, in -the very wretchedness of despair, as he sat down upon a log and covered -his face with his hands. “She went away in the night, and I can not tell -why it was she left.” - -The sharp-eared trapper noticed the peculiar way in which the lad -referred to Little Rifle, and, ceasing his work and walking to where he -was seated, he demanded: - -“What do you mean, younker, by calling Little Rifle _her_? What are yer -thinking ’bout?” - -It had not been the intention of Harry Northend to reveal the -revelations of last night in this fashion; indeed he had not settled in -his mind that he was going to reveal it at all; but now, as he had given -the all-important hint in his ill-guarded speech, there was nothing left -for him to do except to make a clean breast of it. - -And this was done. He told the story from beginning to end, even to the -declaration of love that he had made to Little Rifle, and her partial -confession of the same; he referred particularly to her tender regard -for Uncle Ruff, and her determination to consult him before leaving the -wilderness for a civilized life, which declaration caused him to believe -that she had absented herself for that purpose. He related, too, their -conversation and plans regarding the future, especially the project he -had framed of her being taken in charge by his father and educated. - -Harry saw from the first that Robsart was to be the main character in -rescuing Little Rifle; that scarcely any thing could be done without his -assistance, and so he told the whole truth, keeping back nothing that -came into his mind. - -And it was a wise thing upon his part. Old Ruff had liked the lad from -the first, and his rather annoying _surveillance_ of him during the -preceding day was merely an attempt to satisfy himself as to whether the -lad suspected any thing of the secret of the sex of his _protege_. Such -was his course toward any one who was accidentally thrown into their -company, and his greater regard for his charge, naturally made him -willing to see any one depart after he had spent a little time with -them. - -But what a tale was it that the lad told him! Here was a clew, or a -partial one, to the very mystery which he had vainly sought to unravel -for a dozen years. - -He had learned her true name—the name of her father—the fact that she -had no mother living, and the name of the chief in whose charge she had -been placed, and that a few years ago would have been sufficient for him -to have learned all, for he knew her earliest protector, Maquesa, the -Blackfoot, very well, and had encountered him more than once, without -suspecting that he ever had any thing to do with the little waif, which -was taken from a lodge far up in the country. - -“Now, Uncle Ruff,” said Harry, after he had completed the narration, “I -have told you every thing I know, and I have come to you for help. How -do you feel about it?” - -The old, hairy-faced bear-tamer stretched out his broad, horny palm and -grasped that of the lad with a warm and almost crushing grip. - -“I liked you the fust time I seen you, and you’ve come to me in such a -squar’ fashion that I like you more than ever—so give us your hand on -it. - -“Heaven only knows what has become of Little Rifle—I don’t; but we do -know that she is somewhar above ground, and you and me are going to -diskiver her—so give us your hand on it. - -“I’ve been puzzling my head fur the last six months to try and lay out -some course to take with that little pet of mine but it was mighty hard -to fix on any thing. As I see’d her growing up without civilized ways, I -felt I warn’t doing right, but I kept putting things off, ’cause I -didn’t know what I orter to do. Of course it war my place to take her -into the settlements somewhar and give her a fair start: _that_ I could -see plain enough, but the trouble war that I hadn’t any of the sort of -acquaintances that I wanted to put her among. You can see she’s purty, -and she’s getting purtier every week, and the fear that haunted me was -that if I took her down to Fr’isco or Sacramento, or some of them other -places, she might be ruined, and I’d rather keep her here till she died, -than to feel that I’d had any thing to do in bringing about that sort of -business. - -“But the plan that you’ve got up, in that smart head of yours, is jist -the thing, and Providence put it there! Nothin’ on airth could have -pleased me more; if the little pet war only here I’d give a war-whoop -and dance. We’re going to set out to find her, and we’re going to find -her, and when she’s found she’s going East with you and your father, and -when you both get old enough she’s going to be your wife, and I’m going -to be your grandmother—no your grandaddy I mean—so give us your hand on -it ag’in!” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - DOUBT AND PERPLEXITY. - - -Thus the compact was sealed, and Harry Northend already felt a renewal -of hope at this hearty manifestation of confidence in him by the man who -was to be the all-important auxiliary in the work of searching out his -lost bride of the wilderness. - -But he was naturally desirous of hearing from the experienced trapper -and mountaineer his theory to account for the mysterious disappearance -of Little Rifle, as they both preferred to call her in preference to the -new and correct name of Hagar. As yet he had offered no conjecture, and -indeed so far as Harry could perceive had not even given it a thought. -He now ventured to ask the question. - -“_It was the ’arthquake!_” was the astounding reply. - -But for the seriousness of the occasion, and the perfect solemness of -the bear-tamer’s manner, Harry would have taken this as a specimen of -his waggery, but it was any thing but that, and the lad stared in blank -amazement. - -“Don’t you know what I mean?” asked the old hunter, observing his -wonderment. - -“I haven’t the remotest idea,” was the reply. - -“Wal, you know what an ’arthquake is, don’t you? I s’pose you’ve read -about ’em, hain’t you?” - -“Of course I have; every school-boy has read of terrible earthquakes, -but what do you mean by saying that the loss of Little Rifle has been -caused by such a thing as that?” - -“I s’pose you slept so healthy last night that you didn’t hear it, nor -know nothing ’bout it; but just afore the snow begun fallin’, the ground -shook; I felt the old lodge of mine rock like a cradle, and I made a -dive out-doors so sudden-like that I hit my head ag’in the log thar and -split it, so it’s almost sp’iled. I knowed the ’arth was off on a waltz, -and I done a little dancing, too.” - -“How strange that I knew nothing of it,” exclaimed the awed lad; “I -never even suspected such a thing could have happened, although I heard -them say something at the fort about an earthquake, and I have heard it -said that they have felt a shock once or twice in California, but I -hardly thought it could be real. But how, Uncle Ruff, could that have -caused Little Rifle to leave?” - -“Wal, you see it must have took something extronnery to get her away -from you and me—nothin’ else would have done it, and I think an -’arthquake is about the most extronnery thing that could have come—so it -must have been _that_.” - -“I can admit all that,” returned Harry, as much perplexed as ever, “but -still I can not see in what particular way the earthquake caused her to -desert us. You don’t mean that it caused her death?” - -“No; I don’t believe it caused the death of _any_ one, and I don’t know -how it affected her; but here the whole thing is: Little Rifle is gone, -and it’s a mighty strange thing—her going. About as near as we can -figure thar’s a mighty big ’arthquake that come along ’bout that time—so -it’s just as plain as the nose on your face that the two are mixed. -’Zactly how it is I don’t pretend to say, but we’ll go up to your -camping-ground and cypher round and try and find out.” - -This looked like “business,” and it was a great relief to Harry, who -chafed at the delay, feeling that every hour was lessening the chances -of discovering the lost one. - -There was little cause for tardiness and the old trapper made none. When -he had finished the words just given, he threw his long, deadly rifle -over his shoulder, and moved with sweeping strides up the ravine, Harry -being obliged to keep up a sort of dog-trot to prevent himself from -falling in the rear. As he emerged into the more open country he cast a -hasty glance around, as if in obedience to an instinctive caution; but -nothing of an alarming nature was to be seen. - -The lad judged from the manner of old Robsart that he was speculating in -his mind as to the probable cause of the disappearance of Little Rifle, -and so he did not vex him with questions which he knew he was unable to -answer. - -“Do you know thar’s one thing that I think is mighty lucky?” said the -trapper, suddenly turning his head toward the lad, and speaking as if -the idea had been in his mind for some time. - -“I don’t know what it is,” said the boy, “but I hope it is something -big, for we need it.” - -“I was thinkin’ of that ’ere glass of yourn. I’ve seen ’em at the fort -and down at Fr’isco, and of course knowed what they war used for, and -yet I was always such a fool that I never knowed enough to bring ’em -’long with me. You can see how mighty handy a telescope would be on the -perarie, where you could tell the varmints a long time before they could -see you. Hold on to that tight, for I’ve an idee that it’s going to be -of some use to us.” - -“I think there is little danger of my losing it, for you know I carried -it over the falls with me, where I lost nearly every thing except that -and my life. But, Robsart, didn’t I hear you say that you knew this -Indian chief, Maquesa, who had charge of Little Rifle in her earlier -years?” - -“Yes,” replied the trapper, “I knowed him several years ago, on the -other side of the Cascade Range. I never met him on this side, and that -’ere puzzled me a little. You see when I picked up the little pet, it -was on this side the range, and some distance further north, and it -seems that here is whar I orter find the old rip.” - -“His tribe is on both sides, so that mystery may not be a very deep one -after all. But, how is it that he comes to be an acquaintance of yours? -Do you class him as a friendly Indian?” asked Harry, naturally enough -deeply interested in any matter that bore any relation to Little Rifle. - -“It was rather qu’ar,” replied the grizzled old hunter, as he recalled -some reminiscence. “I was going down one of the forks of Willamette -River, just over the mountain. I was just then hunting bears, and didn’t -understand ’em as well as I do now. One arternoon I spied a feller full -as big as Old Adams’ Samson. I seen him come down to the edge of the -river and start to swim across, and I put out in a canoe to head him -off. I wanted to drive him back among the rocks on the side whar he was -leavin’, as I had a smashin’ big trap set there, that I thought would -hold him—but the critter wouldn’t turn, and when I got a little too -close with my boat he just give it a slap with his paw, and away it went -all to shivers, and me heels over head. - -“I wa’n’t much afraid of the varmint in the water, as I knowed I could -dodge him, but I was thundering mad ’cause I lost my gun, cap and one of -my moccasins, and the bear wouldn’t turn back for me arter all. So I had -to paddle ashore and when I got thar, with nothing but my knife, who -should I see pop out from behind the rocks but a Blackfoot. He let drive -his tomahawk, just to let me know he was coming, and when I dodged that -he came with his knife, leaving his gun somewhar behind him. - -“Wal, you can make up your mind that thar was some music about then. We -had just the same weapons, and we sailed in, cutting and slashin’ each -other like a couple of wild-cats. Wal, he war a little the toughest -varmint I ever got hold on. We clawed awhile, and then I knocked his -knife out of his hand, and dropped mine at the same time. Arter that we -kept it up in Yankee Sullivan style, until we both got so tired that we -couldn’t strike a blow hard enough to make a musketer wink. - -“Wal, to make a long story short,” added the old fellow, with a grin, -“it turned out that me and Maquesa war exactly even matched. I wasn’t a -ha’r stronger than him, nor was he a ha’r stronger, and arter we laid -back and rested and kept it up fur three full hours, he got upon his -feet and said, ‘_White man is too much fur Maquesa_,’ and offered me his -hand. That rather took me down, but I shook his paw, and we parted. That -sorter made us friends you know, and I’ve met the old varmint three or -four times since, and he always acts as though he thought a mighty heap -of me.” - -“I didn’t know as the Indians ever showed such chivalry as that,” said -Harry; “it sounds like a romance to hear that you met as such bitter -enemies, and then parted such friends.” - -“I’ve run afoul of him several times, when he had a pack of warriors at -his back, and could have raised my ha’r as easy as say so, but he never -offered to do any thing of the kind. And now think,” continued the -bear-tamer, in a voice of inexpressible disgust, “that at that time I -war looking up something that could give me a clew to the little pet -that I had found, and that I hadn’t ’nough sense to ax Maquesa a single -word, when he could talk English purty well, and was the very man of all -others that could have answered my questions. You see I found the gal on -this side the mountains and met him on t’other, and so it never got -through my thick skull that that all might be, and so I’ve gone on ever -since without l’arning a single thing, till you come down here and told -me.” - -“Then your first proceeding, I suppose, will be to seek out Maquesa, in -case we fail to find any trace of Little Rifle before.” - -“But hang it!” exclaimed old Robsart, “whar shall I go to find him? I -haven’t seen him for two, three years, and don’t know whether he’s alive -or dead, or whether he’s within ten or five hundred miles, and who shall -I ax? It’ll just be my luck to go tramping over Californy, Washington -and Oregon for the next ten years.” - -“But can’t you inquire of such Indians as you see?” - -The old trapper indulged in a hearty laugh. - -“One Blackfoot in a thousand can talk English, and you’d have to catch -’em and tie ’em up afore you could get an answer out of ’em.” - -“Provided she is a captive among the Indians, we have an almost hopeless -task before us,” said Harry, somewhat dispirited by the sweeping -declaration of the trapper, who instantly added: - -“But I don’t think she is in the hands of the varmints; we’ve got a -different kind of work to do than that, and here we are close to the -place where you camped.” - -Picking their way through the ravine, they speedily stood upon the very -spot where the last glimpse of Little Rifle had been given Harry -Northend. Old Ruff paused, and placing his feet upon the dead ashes of -the camp-fire, looked with a keen, searching glance about him. He was -apparently examining the minutest objects, determined that not the -slightest clew should escape his scrutiny. - -“Have you found out any thing?” asked Harry, when he saw that he was -through. - -“Not a blamed thing,” was the reply; “stand whar you are for a time, -till I take a look at the ground.” - -This, the young lad supposed was the real test of the whole business, -and he watched the actions of the old trapper, with an interest which it -would be impossible to describe. - -“I find tracks of yourn and hern here,” he said, straightening up after -a long search, “but that snow has played the mischief. It fell arter she -left, so as to hide her trail.” - -“But it has melted again.” - -“And that don’t help any; its melting has just shet out the prints of -her moccasins, so that there is no use in trying to look for ’em. This -s’arch has got to be made on general principles.” - -The general principles of the hunter meant that, without seeking to -follow, and find their friend by means of palpable evidence that she had -left behind her, it only remained for them to reason out or conjecture, -as to the course she had taken, and to pursue that. - -He gave it as his belief now that the nearest stream, of size, had been -used by her, and that a portion of her flight had been made upon that. - -This meant that the hunt was to be an indefinite one, and like a prudent -man, Old Ruff resolved to make his arrangements, so that if necessary, -he could continue it for several months. He meant to go into this -business to win. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - THE REDS. - - -The first proceeding of old Robsart was to _cache_—that is bury—his -peltries so that they would be safe from molestation from Indians and -meddlers, and he could return in his own good time and remove them. - -Then he made the round of his traps, and sprung them all, carefully -concealing them where they, too, could be found when he should require -them, after which he was ready to take up the work. - -Having failed entirely in discovering any traces of the means by which -Little Rifle had disappeared, the trapper was now disposed to believe -that the Blackfeet had had something to do with it, and that his search -must be made partly among them. - -“You know she is purty cute,” he added, “but the smartest man in these -parts is likely to run his head in trouble any time, and she may have -done it afore she knowed. I s’pose you want to jine me in this -excursion?” - -Harry, as a matter of course, declared that he did, and the trapper -added: - -“Wal, we’ll work up toward the fort, for you’ll have to see the old -gentleman, so that if you’re gone a month or two, he’ll know where you -ar’, and won’t blame me for keepin’ away so long.” - -This was all prudent, and the lad had no wish to make any objection to -the arrangement. They shouldered their rifles, and turning their faces -toward the Cascade Range, started on what was destined to prove the most -memorable venture of their lives. - -The old hunter having announced his theory of Little Rifle’s -disappearance, it behooved them both to maintain as sharp a scrutiny as -possible upon the different parties of Blackfeet that were in the -neighborhood. - -“I can tell you,” he muttered, with a compressing of the lips that -attested his earnestness, “if the varmints have got the gal, they’ve got -to keep a mighty close watch on her or she’ll give ’em the slip. Let her -have a few hundred yards the start, and old Maquesa himself couldn’t -catch her. She can run like an antelope, and knows how to dodge and -double on herself and hide her own trail, so that a bloodhound would -give up the hunt in disgust, and go to watchin’ sheep for the rest of -his life.” - -“But in this case, it seems to me she would have taken every pains to -make her footprints visible, knowing that we would be on the hunt for -her.” - -“How could she know that?” asked the old man, in return; “it ain’t -likely that she got into trouble till she war a good ways off from camp, -and it wouldn’t be till then that she would think of such a thing. -Yonder is a purty high hill, and we’ll climb up to the top of that, and -take a look around.” - -The elevation alluded to was considerably out of their way, lying more -to the southward; but, as there was a prospect that it might be of some -use to them, they made all haste toward it. - -It was very much of the nature of the ridge where Little Rifle and Harry -had made their morning meal on the previous day, except that it was -higher, and consequently the view was much more extensive. - -When at last they reached the top, the boy was charmed with the scenery -spread out before him. It was indeed one of the finest views with which -he had been favored since coming to the North-west. - -Looking to the east, he saw hundreds of square miles of forest, prairie, -ravines, gorges and mountain-peaks spread out before him, crossed in -every direction by rivers, creeks, torrents, cañons and waterfalls, -while the deep emerald tinge of the vegetation, as seen in the spring -and early summer, gave a soft splendor to the whole scene that never -could have been equaled at any other season of the year. - -This view was much the same to the north and south, while in the west it -was backed up by that vast snowy range, whose peaks, in many places, -were hid from sight among the very clouds. - -The same alternation of forest, ravine and prairie encountered the eye -in this view, and the soft, mellow haze that enfolded the distant -Cascade Range, gave the landscape a peculiarly American appearance, such -as rarely meets the eye of the traveler in other parts of the world. - -The majestic loneliness of the vast solitude was deepened and made more -impressive by the faint view of Fort Abercrombie in the distance. It was -many miles away, standing in a small elevated clearing. The stockades by -which it was surrounded, and the compact log building itself, resembled -some tiny toy, as they were revealed to the eye. - -From a tall flag-staff the Stars and Stripes floated in the breeze, and -the naked eye was just able to detect the evolutions of the banner as it -folded in and out, stretching for an instant to full length, and then -flapping about the staff again. - -It was a sight to kindle the heart of the patriot, as he looked upon -this most beautiful emblem of his country floating to the breeze in this -far-away wilderness, proclaiming to all the protection they could find -beneath its ægis, and that while they trod this vast domain, it could be -with the consciousness that they were still upon the soil of their own -dear native land, although perhaps thousands of miles from the spot of -their birth. - -The feeling of desolation and loneliness which came upon one when he -looked for the first time upon this immense landscape of silence was -made still greater by the faint signs of the presence of human beings -that were here and there discernible. The very insignificance and -paucity of their number, as compared with the enormous extent of -territory, was what made the contrast the more impressive. - -Several miles to the south, a thin blue column of smoke indicated the -camp-fire of some party; further to the north, a similar sign showed -where another company were gathered, and between and around these two -little halting-places for human beings, stretched mile after mile and -league after league of unbroken wilderness, in which crouched the bloody -minded Blackfoot and the savage bear. - -Of some such a nature as this were the emotions of Harry Northend, as he -stood on the elevation and permitted his eyes to wander off in the -direction of the great Cascade Range. Young, romantic and imaginative, -the grand scene produced a powerful impression upon him, and he stood -for several minutes, forgetful of the grief and anxiety of heart that -had been his when he made his way to this point. His soul was filled -with solemnity and awe, such as come over it in the presence of the -Infinite, and at that moment he felt a pride in the thought that this -was a portion of his country, and a devout thankfulness that God had -thus far protected him from the dangers and perils that threaten all who -venture into these wilds. - -But if the old mountaineer possessed any poetry in his nature, he had -too much on his mind to give any heed to it at present. Perhaps his -familiarity with the sublime scenery of the grandest portion of our -continent had dulled the edge of his appreciation, or it may be that his -mind was so intent on discovering something tangible by which to -continue his hunt for Little Rifle, that he had no room for any other -thought but be that as it may, his feelings were very different from -those of the lad beside him, as with the field glass in his hand, he -carefully roved over the immense expanse of vision, on the look-out for -some sign that might tell him something of the loved and lost one. - -It was successively turned toward the two camp fires which we have -mentioned, but the survey of neither was very satisfactory. He learned -nothing that could afford him any grounds for hope, and he withdrew his -attention from them, and pointed the instrument to a broad stream of -water that flowed westward and southward, until it was hid among the -cañons of the Snowy Range, from which it finally made its way, and -continued onward toward the great Pacific. - -On every foot of all that sinuous line of the distant water-course had -Ruff tramped and trapped; over all these hills had he ranged in his -forty years of hill and hunting-life, and, after Little Rifle came to -his lodge, often had the blithe, beautiful child been his companion in -these deeply-enjoyed wanderings. - -Carefully his eye roved along the banks of this stream, wherever they -were visible, while the broad silver current did not escape his survey. - -Harry, who had recovered in a degree from the awe that had accompanied -his first view, now watched the countenance and actions of the old -trapper. He remarked his slow, steady shifting of the glass from point -to point, until, as his view ranged along the river for a time, it -suddenly paused, and he gave a slight start. - -The lad took this as an indication that his friend had discovered -something, at last, and he was right in his supposition. - -Harry carefully avoided speaking, while he saw the trapper thus engaged, -knowing that he would make known, in his own good time, whatever -discovery might reward his search. - -After awhile he handed the glass to the lad, and, pointing toward the -point at which he had been directing it, said: - -“Take a squint out that way and tell me whether you can’t see nothin’, -or whether you can’t see any thing.” - -Harry gladly did as requested, and, as soon as he had the instrument -directed toward the proper point, he saw a party of half a dozen -Indians, who appeared to have just effected a landing, as a couple of -canoes could be seen lying against the bank. Their motions indicated -that they had halted to kindle a fire, most probably for the purpose of -preparing a meal. - -After watching them a few minutes, the boy stated this to the trapper, -who said: - -“That’s the idee; you’re right; them canoes show that the varmints are -on the travel. Most likely they’ve come from t’other side the mountains -and are going back ag’in.” - -“Perhaps they’re the same ones whose lodges I saw the other day, and -from whom I had such a narrow escape.” - -“Like enough, and it’s my opine that they’ve had something to do with -the taking off of little pet.” - -Harry started and stared at the hunter in amazement. - -“Can it be possible? She is then a prisoner in their lands?” - -“Mind I didn’t say _that_,” replied Old Ruff, in his cautious fashion, -“but there be some things which I can’t tell you just now that make me -think them varmints are mixed up in this business, some way or other, -and it’ll pay to take a look around thar camp, even if we don’t l’arn -nothin’.” - -And with characteristic promptness, when he had fully settled in his -mind upon the proper course to pursue, old Robsart started off at a -rapid walk in the direction of the camp of hostile Blackfeet, -determined, no matter at what risk, to learn whether there was any thing -to be picked up among these savage foes. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - BETWEEN TWO FIRES. - - -Two hours from the time of starting, Old Ruff and Harry Northend were -within a hundred yards of the Blackfoot camp. - -Fortunately for them, they halted in the midst of a dense growth of -pines, where they had plenty of opportunity to maneuver and keep -themselves invisible. - -They were so close to the camp that the voices of the red-skins could be -heard, and Harry even caught the smell of burning meat, proving that, as -the trapper had said, they had come ashore for the purpose of preparing -their meal. Such being the case, they were not likely to remain in camp -for a very long time. - -Robsart had brought the boy closer to this congregation of red-skins -than was prudent, and he expressed regret at doing so, but the young -fellow was so brave and eager that it was hard to refuse him such a -request. But he was determined that he should not advance another step. - -“Stay right here where you are,” he added, in an impressive whisper, -“and keep mighty shady.” - -It may be supposed that the lad scarcely needed these instructions, as -his own sense would have taught him their importance. - -Although he felt equal to the task of reconnoitering the camp himself, -yet he dare not propose such a wild scheme to the old hunter, whose -especial province it was to attend to such perilous enterprises himself. - -Leaving the latter to carry out the dangerous reconnoissance upon which -he had started, we must take the space to describe the strange adventure -that befell the lad, who, it would seem, was placed in much the lesser -peril. - -His situation was interesting and exciting from its proximity to camp, -as he could hear the jingle and mumble and guttural hum of the -Blackfeet, as they gathered around the fire, eating and smoking in the -very _abandon_ of enjoyment. - -“I don’t think there is much chance of Little Rifle being there,” mused -Harry, when he found himself alone. “If she were among them we would -have seen something of her with the telescope, but Old Ruff sees a -chance or he wouldn’t have undertaken it.” - -It was comparatively an easy matter for Harry to content himself for a -short time, lying down among the bushes, listening to the noise of the -red-skins; but, when a half-hour had passed, and the noise decreased, -and he saw nothing of old Robsart, he began to feel impatient. He could -not understand why it was that the old hunter should remain away so -long, when he seemed to accomplish nothing thereby. It seemed to him -that the red-skins had all gone asleep or taken their departure, and he -and his friend were wasting valuable time. - -But the half-hour was doubled and trebled, and then the lad made the -exceedingly imprudent resolution to steal a little ways toward the -camp—just far enough to get the slightest glimpse, and find out for -himself the meaning of this strange silence and delay. He deemed it -necessary only to crawl forward a short distance, confident that he -could detect the presence of danger in time to withdraw, if indeed there -was any possibility of encountering any such thing. - -It was with some twitchings and misgivings that Harry began creeping -forward, knowing that it was in direct violation of the commands of the -old hunter, who would not be apt to look lightly upon such an offense -should he discover it. - -This caused him to hesitate a few minutes, but hearing and seeing -nothing more, he began stealing forward on his hands and knees, -advancing inch by inch, frequently pausing and listening, and peering -round in the undergrowth, so as to guard against any danger stealing -upon him from any direction. - -Two or three times he was on the eve of retreating, and he looked -furtively back over the course he had come—but the continued silence, -and his impatience prevented, and he pressed on, until he judged that he -had passed fully one-half the distance that intervened between him and -his starting-point. - -Thus far he had carried his rifle with him, and it had proved no little -impediment, besides incurring the constant danger of being discharged -from the hammer catching in some of the bushes and undergrowth. - -The lad had now reached a point perilously near the Blackfoot camp, and -although he could no longer hear any sounds of the savages, he felt that -a dozen feet further must reveal them to him, and in all probability -solve the question as to the delay of Robsart. - -“I will lay my gun down,” he reflected, “so that I can crawl a few steps -further, in perfect quiet, and with that much less risk of being -discovered.” - -Harry was not the simpleton to separate himself voluntarily from his -weapon, when he believed there was the remotest possibility of his -needing it, nor, were the circumstances all in his favor, would he leave -it beyond his reach. - -But, it will be remembered that it was a heavy gun, and that it -seriously interfered with his progress; so he laid it carefully down, -pointing the muzzle a little to the right, so that, in case of accident, -no harm could come to him. - -Satisfied, then, that he had done no imprudent thing, he resumed his -progress upon his hands and knees, moving slowly, cautiously and -stealthily, eyes and ears on the alert for the slightest indication of -danger. - -All was still—nothing being heard but the soft flow of the river, and -softly drawing the undergrowth aside, he crept onward, until he was -fully a dozen feet from where his gun lay. - -Still he was unable to catch the coveted glimpse of the camp, and he -paused, thinking that there was already too great a distance between him -and his weapon, and resolved to return and bring it back and place it -nearer to him. - -But the path which he had made in his panther-like progress was clear -and open, and he could dart backward in an instant and seize it; and so, -hesitating but a few seconds, he resumed his advance, with the -determination that, at the most, he should not go more than a yard -further—just enough to pass through an unusually matted mass of -vegetation, that feebly barred in his progress. - -One step further, and both hands sunk into a cavity in the ground, a -couple of feet in depth—so suddenly and unexpectedly that he pitched -head-foremost, making a terrible breaking and threshing of the -shrubbery. - -Harry was not hurt in the least, but he was almost paralyzed with -terror; for he was certain that the whole camp must be alarmed, and the -Blackfeet would be swarming around his head before he could rise or make -any attempt to retreat. - -He did not seek to do so, but lay still, listening with a throbbing -heart, and conjuring all manner of dreadful consequences that were sure -to follow this mishap upon his part. As a matter of course he lamented -his rashness, with the most bitter feelings, but it was all useless now, -and he lay still, with a grim resolve to take the punishment -unflinchingly. - -A few seconds only had passed, when he heard footsteps, but to his -surprise, instead of being in front, they were in the rear. Some one was -approaching from that direction! - -Like a flash he thought of his gun, and of the supremely silly thing he -had done in placing it beyond his reach. As he was about to scramble -forth in an attempt to reach it before his enemy, it occurred to him -that it might be Old Ruff, who was searching for him. He would have -preferred almost to have seen a Blackfoot, rather than be caught in this -dilemma by the trapper, for the latter, discovering his foolhardiness -this early in the business, would be certain to lose all patience with -him, and send him on to the fort, while he continued the hunt alone. - -The poor lad was in a sad predicament, not daring to move from where he -was, in either direction; for to retreat would only bring him face to -face with the Blackfoot, if such he were, and to advance would be to -throw himself into the hands of the whole party. - -“And if he catches me here,” he reflected, in the intensity of his -chagrin, “he will find me without any weapon except the knife and -telescope,” and he added, with something of his natural drollery, “there -is no need of my looking through the glass to bring the danger any -nearer, or to make it appear any bigger; for it is too near and too big -already.” - -The extreme slowness of the party approaching him satisfied Harry that -it must be an Indian scout, who may have been on the look-out for just -such interlopers as he. - -At the same time he thought the red-skin was making an unusual racket, -for such a proceeding. He could hear the motion of the feet—soft and -heavy—and the bending and breaking of the shrubbery beneath his passage, -as though he was taking no pains to hide his approach. - -“What’s the use of it?” he reflected; “he knows he’s got a sure thing of -it.” - -By this time he gave up all hope or fear of its being old Robsart, and -was certain that it was one of the dreaded Indians, who, knowing that -there was no escape for the lad, was toying and trifling with him, as a -cat toys with a mouse before devouring it. - -In the intensity of his fear in this direction, Harry forgot all about -the camp in front, and had no time to wonder at the continued silence in -that direction, a circumstance which would have struck him as very -strange, under the circumstances. - -The crackling and treading of the undergrowth continued, and the -suspense soon became greater than the actual coming of the danger itself -would be. - -“As I don’t see any way out of the scrape,” he thought, “I may as well -end it one way or the other, and so I will meet it.” - -He had a faint hope, too, that by stealing along on the ground, he might -secure his rifle in time to make a fight for his life. - -Accordingly he started with the same care and caution that had marked -his approach to the camp. - -A half-dozen feet were passed in this manner, and then he paused, -stupefied with wonder, amazement and absolute terror! - -For of all the strange sights and experiences that he had encountered in -this country, of all that had been his during his past life, he never -had seen any thing that could compare with that which now greeted his -vision! - - - - - CHAPTER V. - A WONDERFUL ANIMAL. - - -As Harry Northend crept out from beneath the matted undergrowth, that -surrounded the Blackfoot camp, and came in view of his rifle, where he -had left it lying upon the ground, he saw not Old Ruff Robsart, nor a -repulsive Indian, but a grizzly bear. - -And not such a bear as naturalists and hunters tell us about, of a black -or tawny color, but something _sui generis_—something such as he was -sure no mortal had ever heard of before, or was ever to hear of again. - -For, instead of being of the midnight hue that universally characterizes -his species, this one was striped with green and blue and red from head -to tail! - -As soon as the lad had recovered in a degree his self-possession, he -rubbed his eyes and looked again, doubting whether he had seen aright. - -Yes; there was no mistake about it. There was the creature, the -conformation of his head and body proving that he was a genuine grizzly -bear beyond all question, and the only remarkable thing about him was -his color, and that surely was remarkable enough. - -“I have heard of men seeing such things as that,” he mused, as, -crouching on his hands and knees, he riveted his eyes upon it, “but it -was always when they were drunk, and I am sure I have never been in that -condition, and never shall be.” - -The bear was of rather large size, but not unusually so, but the lad -judged from his appearance that he was very fierce and savage, and, in -his way, was probably as dangerous as a half-dozen red-skins. - -His alarm would have been somewhat less had the position of the creature -been such as to afford him a hope of securing his gun; but, as matters -stood, that was clearly out of the question. - -For the mottled grizzly was snuffing and clawing the weapon as if he had -some curiosity to find out its use. - -“I wonder whether he thinks he knows how to use it,” muttered Harry, as -he slowly sunk down upon his face, in the hope of escaping his eye. “If -he did know how to handle a rifle, I couldn’t be more astonished than I -am at the color of his coat. He _does_ act as if he understood what it -is for.” - -The bear poked the barrel and stock around with his nose, then rattled -his long claws over it, as though he was not exactly satisfied with its -appearance. When Harry saw that it lay so that the muzzle pointed -directly at him, he concluded that the danger was getting too serious -and complicated for him to remain idle. - -Indians between him and the river, a grizzly bear before his face, and a -loaded rifle pointed straight at his head, with very strong chances of -its being discharged by the clumsy clawing and scratching of the brute. - -“I think I’ll back a little nearer the camp,” he concluded, “for if I -can get down in that hollow again, the bullet will pass over my head, -and the monster may miss seeing me altogether, until I can get further -out the way, if that nose of his don’t scent me out, or if his brains -don’t tell him that when he comes upon a gun like that, in these parts, -the owner isn’t apt to be far off.” - -But the movement made by Harry caught the ear of the bear, who raised -his head as quick as a flash, and, catching sight of him, he “went for -him.” - -The boy was only fairly ensconced in the cavity alluded to, and had -turned to see whether he could maintain his invisibility, when he saw -the frightful monster almost upon him. - -In the presence of this threatened immediate death, it was natural that -the boy should run into the other danger, and with a howl of terror, he -sprung up from the ground and struck straight for the Blackfoot camp, -preferring in the flurry of the moment to run into their embrace than to -remain and take a hug from the bear. - -Only a few leaps, and he landed directly in the open space, where the -red-skins, a short time before, had partaken of their meal. - -But, not one was to be seen. The fire was still burning, but all had -departed. - -Harry paused a single instant, looking about with an inquiring stare, -and then, hearing the bear directly behind him, he made a dash forward, -and catching up one of the sticks that was still burning, he circled it -swiftly over his head, fanning it into a blaze, and with this potent -weapon he turned about to face his foe. - -It was a fortunate thought in the young man, for the bravest wild animal -can never screw up his courage to the point of advancing straight upon -fire; but for all that such a precaution was unnecessary. - -Harry had scarcely placed himself upon the defensive, when he heard -something very much like a laugh, immediately behind him; but he did not -dare turn his head in the presence of this horrible creature. - -The bear instead of halting before the blazing brand, seemed to be on -the point of advancing straight upon the boy, when the latter, holding -the flaming brand before him, turned the tables, by moving directly -toward him. - -This checked the bear, and at the same instant that familiar laugh -struck upon the ear of Harry, followed by the words: - -“Throw down yer candle! He won’t hurt you! Ain’t he a booty?” - -That was the voice of Old Ruff Robsart and no mistake. The boy hardly -dared to turn his head to see, but the trapper made it unnecessary, by -walking forward and placing himself directly beside him. - -As he did so, he reached out, and taking the torch from his hand flung -it away, and then gave out a peculiar whistle. - -Instantly the bear came forward, lumbering awkwardly, but with many -indications of pleasure at the sound of the hunter’s voice, who -continued addressing him by pet names until he was within reach, when he -patted him familiarly upon his head, and at another signal or command, -the mottled phenomenon rose upon its haunches, moving its fore-legs like -the flippers of a turtle, while its large hazel eyes were fixed upon Old -Ruff, with an expression almost human in its intelligence. - -By this time Harry Northend had gotten the suspicion that the trapper -and this speckled wonder were old acquaintances. They surely met as -such, and their conduct continued to give color to the suspicion. - -“Bless your old heart!” exclaimed the trapper, advancing and throwing -his arms about the hairy neck of the bear, “next to my little pet, I’d -rather meet you than any other critter that tramps the woods. You look -as though you’d got along purty well sence I gave you a leave of -absence, last fall.” - -While the two old friends were engaged in their fraternal -demonstrations, Harry concluded to slip around and secure his gun. That -would be only prudent, while he had great fear that old Robsart would -discover his inexcusably defenseless condition. - -He saw that strange and unnatural as the animal looked, there was -nothing to be feared from it, and he passed within arm’s length of it, -into the wood from which it had emerged but a few minutes before, and a -few steps brought him to his gun, lying unharmed upon the ground. - -Hastily catching this up, he lost no time in rejoining the two -friends—human and brute—that were fraternizing upon the deserted -camp-ground. - -“Where in the name of the Seven Wonders did that creature come from?” he -asked, as he saw the old hunter leaning on his rifle contemplating what -was evidently a great pet. The face of the trapper was expanded with a -fearful grin, while he occasionally shook in a way that showed he was -stirred by mirth. - -“That ’ere critter is what I call Speckled Beauty! I cotched him five -years ago, when he war a little cub. He allers had a good temper, and I -fotched him up and made him one of the best-tamed critters I ever saw. -Old Griz’ Adams never had a neater critter, and Little Rifle—why she and -that b’ar war great cronies, I tell you.” - -“But that color!” exclaimed Harry, “surely that is not natural! If it -is, he is worth a very fortune to you!” - -“No, in course not; hair don’t grow green and blue even on a grizzly -bear. I had that critter so well-tamed that he was just like a dog. He -used to go off on a hunt for three or four days at a time, but was -always sure to come back ag’in. He wa’n’t of much use to me, and so I -let him go and come as he chose, and when I hadn’t nothin’ better to do, -I used to wrastle and tumble with him and teach him tricks.” - -“But, I am anxious to hear how he gained such a coat as that?” - -Old Ruff laughed as he replied: - -“Last summer I was in at the fort, to take ’em some antelope-meat, that -I had promised, when one of these long-nosed, genuine Yankees come in. -He was on the look-out for something to make money of, no matter what it -was, and when he see’d my b’ar prancing around, he proposed that we -should go into partnership, and show him around through the States; but -I told him one b’ar wasn’t enough to travel on, and then he said that -he’d fix him. He had a lot of dyes and paints with him that he said he -had got up on a patent of his own, and was going to sell to the Injins, -and he painted up the b’ar in high style. The dye was the genuine stuff, -for though the b’ar was as black as jet it took hold, and made him a -purtier color than you see him now, ’cause you know he has shed a good -deal of his coat sence then. - -“The idee of this chap was to take him round the country showing him off -as a phenomenon, but I see’d that he thought it was such a big spec’ -that he wanted to have the whole job in his own hands—so I told him to -take him and go. - -“He promised to send me half his profits, but I knowed that if he got -away with the b’ar I’d never see either of ’em ag’in. - -“But, I reckon he didn’t get fur away, fur the next day the Speckled -Beauty come back lookin’ fur me and Little Rifle. He had the seat of the -Yankee’s trowsers in his mouth, and so I made up my mind that they’d had -a falling out. I left the fort that day, but I l’arned that the Yankee -come in the next day to get a new seat to his breeches, and left for -Fr’isco, swearin’ thar wa’n’t any chance for an honest man to make a -living in these parts. Since that time, Speckled Beauty has been -trampin’ the woods as he pleases, but he seems to have got weaned away. -I s’pose ’cause he’s come arter us so often, without findin’ me or -Little Pet at home.” - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - WHAT THE TELESCOPE REVEALED. - - -All this was very entertaining, especially when “Speckled Beauty,” the -hero of the tale, was before the listener, prancing and cavorting, as -though he appreciated the compliments of the old mountaineer, but Harry -could not forget the fact that their errand was to discover Little -Rifle, of whose fate as yet they had not gained the slightest inkling. - -“But, Uncle Ruff, what of _her_? Have you no good news to tell me?” - -He sobered on the instant the question was asked, and shook his head. - -“I’m afeard not. You see I had an idee that Maquesa was at the head of -this party, and, as soon as I got in good range of ’em, I laid down and -watched. I counted ’em over a half-dozen times, and found thar war just -eight. But the old codger wasn’t among ’em. To make sarten, I waited in -the bushes till they all got aboard and shoved off, thinkin’ p’raps -Maquesa was somewhar out of sight; but he warn’t, and then I started to -hunt you up, and found you and Speckled Beauty, waltzin’ ’round the -camp-ground.” - -“Suppose you had seen the Blackfoot chief,” inquired Harry, “suppose you -had discovered that he was at the head of this little party, what clew -would that have given you? What would such a fact have told you about -Little Rifle?” - -“I had an idee that if I seen him, I’d see the gal too. If them varmints -hadn’t looked so mighty ugly, I’d gone in among ’em, and axed about the -health of Maquesa, and l’arned whether he’d been seen in these parts -lately, but it didn’t look as though thar war much show fur me. Still I -believe that that varmint is at the bottom of this business, and the -fust thing I’m going to l’arn is whether he’s been seen in this -neighborhood. If he has he’s the roo-ter we’re going fur.” - -“Uncle Ruff,” said Harry, as a bright idea struck him, “isn’t there some -way in which we can turn this bear to account? It seems to me that such -a strange, wonderful-looking animal would scare any Indian out of his -wits.” - -“That’s what I’ve used him fur,” replied the bear-tamer. “These -Blackfeet don’t know much about hair-dye and such stuff, though they can -paint up their faces, and when they see Speckled Beauty they’re apt to -think he’s something of a spirit. Ef he’ll only scare _them_ as much as -he does these younkers that go snoopin’ ’round Injin camps, they’ll -never git over it, as long as they live.” - -Harry could but “acknowledge the corn,” pleading as an excuse that any -one unacquainted with Speckled Beauty could not look upon him without -agitation. - -Old Ruff then announced his intention of continuing the pursuit of these -red-skins toward the Cascade Range, as he had strong reason to suspect -that they would be joined by Maquesa before they advanced much further. - -Harry was unable to understand what his reasons were for this persistent -belief, but he knew he was too clear-headed to follow any phantom, and -that there was good cause to expect tangible results from such a course. - -But, there remained the trifling difficulty already alluded to. This -course was taking them further and further away from the fort, and the -old hunter could not consent that the lad should accompany him, until he -had received the permission of his father. - -This necessitated quite a _detour_, and the loss of much valuable time; -but happily this necessity was averted by the unexpected appearance of -Mr. Northend himself. - -While the two were talking, they heard voices, and the next moment three -men emerged to view. All were mounted upon horses, and one was a hunter -and guide well known to old Robsart, who instantly went forward to greet -him, while Harry hurried up to salute his parent. - -Considerable time was passed before a full understanding all round was -reached. Mr. Northend, under the guidance of Matt Muggs, a noted scout, -was making a sort of tour with a friend through this part of Oregon, in -the interests of the Missouri Fur Company, and was now on his way back -to Fort Abercrombie, with the intention of soon leaving there for home -by way of San Francisco. - -It required considerable persuasion before he would give his consent for -his son to go off on what he termed this “wild-goose expedition,” but he -finally gave in, and, after some further exchange of friendly converse, -and the acceptance of quite a sum of money upon the part of the boy, in -order to defray all possible expenses, the two parties were about -separating to go their respective ways, when old Robsart, noticing that -the trio had come by a route that must have given them a view of the -river, asked Matt whether he had seen any thing of a party of Blackfeet -within the last hour. - -“I reckon,” was the instant response; “thar’s a party of ’em less nor a -mile off in thar boats, steerin’ straight for the kenyon in the -mountains. As they was a-comin’ from this way you must have see’d the -same skunks, Ruff?” - -“So we did,” replied the hunter; “them’s the coves we’re follerin’. Did -you count ’em, Matt?” - -“Allers does that, when I kin git a fair squint at ’em. They war in two -canoes, and thar war just ten of ’em—” - -“What?” demanded old Robsart in great excitement, “sure of that, Matt?” - -“I reckon I kin count ten, ef I can’t count any more, and I ciphered up -them skunks twice, as I had an all-fired notion of takin’ a crack at one -of ’em. Howsumever, you can ax Mr. Farrell, or Northend here, ’cause -they seen ’em too.” - -“Yes,” replied the latter gentleman, “I remember distinctly that Matt -remarked that there were ten, upon which I counted them and found that -he was right. But, why are you so deeply interested in this particular -party?” asked Northend, as he reined up his horse. - -“’Cause I think that little pet that I’m arter is among ’em, that’s all. -I don’t s’pose you noticed, Matt, if the old chief Maquesa was with -’em?” - -“No,” answered the hunter, “they war just fur enough off for me to see -fairly, and I wa’n’t thinkin’ ’bout nothin’ of the kind, or I’d tuk a -little closer peep on your account. If you think the little gal is among -’em you’d better be off with your Speckled Beauty.” - -The three horsemen paused for some time to watch the curiously colored -animal, as it went prancing and lumbering after its master, and when it -was out of sight, they resumed their progress toward the fort. - -“Just what I thought,” exclaimed Old Ruff, in some excitement, as soon -as they were alone; “the pet is thar, and she and Maquesa make up the -extra two, that Matt spoke about.” - -“But, where did they join the party?” - -“Somewhar further ’long, and I b’lieve now,” continued the mountaineer -in his emphatic way, “that the whole caboodle of ’em have come over here -after Little Rifle. Maquesa has l’arned somethin’ that has made him -s’pect the gal that was left in his charge is the same one that I’ve -been bringin’ up, and he’s come over the mountains in s’arch of her.” - -“All that looks reasonable,” replied Harry, “but I haven’t heard or -thought of any thing yet that can make me understand the course of -Little Rifle in the business. _That_ is the mystery which passes my -comprehension.” - -A troubled look crossed the face of the hunter, and he stared earnestly -in the countenance of the lad for a moment, and then asked in a low -voice: - -“Shall I tell you what it means?” - -“If you can?” replied Harry, intensely eager to hear his explanation. - -“Wal, I can—I can see it all; I know more ’bout the pet than you do, and -it all come to me why she left you in that style, when you war asleep by -the camp-fire.” - -Harry Northend stared wonderingly at the hunter, as if he doubted his -sanity. But the old man was never in clearer mood, and he was in dead -earnest. But now, when the very words seemed trembling upon his tongue, -he hesitated, as if unwilling to pronounce them. He appeared indeed to -control his emotions only by the strongest effort. - -Harry waited, wondering what the words would be; but they came not, and -the trapper, who had partly paused in his walk, now walked faster, as if -seeking to get away from some exceedingly painful recollection. - -Under any other circumstances, the lad would have respected this -embarrassment upon the part of his friend; but, where Little Rifle was -concerned, he was unwilling to do so, and he put the question direct. - -“What is it that you were going to say about our lost friend? You have -raised my curiosity, and I hope it wasn’t merely for the purpose of -tantalizing it by a refusal to reveal what it is you know.” - -Robsart was silent a moment, and then he spoke briefly but with much -feeling. - -“No; I didn’t do it fur that, younker, fur I think too much of you—but I -was in too much of a hurry when I spoke; I can’t tell you yit; the time -will come after awhile; wait till then; I won’t forgit.” - -There was no refusing such a request as this, much as it distressed -Harry to do so. He resolved that he would make no further reference to -the matter until the trapper, in his own good time, should see fit to -make clear the mysterious references that had escaped his lips. - -The great purpose now was to overhaul the Blackfoot party before they -got beyond their reach. This seemed easy enough, as they had no cause to -fear pursuit, and their quite lengthy halt for dinner looked as if they -intended to continue their journey in a very leisurely manner. - -True they had their canoes, and if they chose they could easily maintain -a speed that would carry them much more swiftly than their pursuers, but -they were not likely to do so, for the simple reason, that there was no -occasion (at least in their estimation) for such haste, and Maquesa was -not a chief who was accustomed to run away from an enemy, even when he -was more powerful than he. - -And so, making all haste, the two continued down the banks of the river, -moving almost due westward, until they struck another elevation which -gave them an extended view of the river flowing away before them. And to -their delight they saw the two canoes about half a mile distant, -paddling along with a tardy deliberation, that showed they thought and -cared little for all who might choose to follow them. - -In an instant, Old Ruff had Harry’s telescope to his eye. In a moment -his face lit up and he passed it back again with: - -“Take a squint at that front canoe, and tell me what you see.” - -And the boy looked and saw beyond all mistake, that Little Rifle was -sitting in the forward canoe! - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - DOWN THE RIVER. - - -The vision as told by the field-glass could but inspire both Old Ruff -and Harry Northend with the liveliest hope and enthusiasm. - -Again and again they looked through the instrument, although the first -glance had shown them Little Rifle’s identity beyond all question. - -Her size and dress, and general appearance, so distinct from that of the -Blackfeet by which she was surrounded, made it impossible to mistake -her. The trapper was almost equally positive, that the form immediately -next to her was that of the chief Maquesa—although in this, his -conclusion was hardly based upon what the glass revealed, but upon his -own knowledge and previous supposition of the Indian’s part in the -abduction of the girl. - -Passing the telescope back to Harry, the two instantly resumed their -pursuit of the canoes, the mottled grizzly following them with the same -dog-like fondness and obedience, now and then lumbering out of sight, -but never for any length of time. - -The hopeful enthusiasm of the two friends was somewhat modified by the -fact that the afternoon was almost gone, and the Blackfeet appeared to -be paddling with greater speed than they had used heretofore. - -Unless they came ashore to encamp for the night, there was indeed little -probability of their being overtaken. Old Robsart, who had horses at the -fort, was more than once inclined to procure them for use in the -pursuit. He would not have hesitated to do so, had the Blackfeet -themselves been mounted, or had he believed there was any prospect of -his being permitted to choose his own route. - -But his purpose was to keep close upon the trail of Maquesa, in case he -should secure it, and this could only be done by traveling afoot or by -using a boat. - -A good many miles still intervened between where they stood and the -kenyon of the river, and nothing just now would have been more welcome -than a canoe, with which he could not only proceed much faster, but -which would also give the legs of himself and Harry a good rest—a -desirable thing, so far at least as the latter was concerned. - -Believing there was good prospect of finding one, he kept close to the -river, on the alert, cautioning the boy to do the same. The latter was -afraid that by this means they would become hopelessly separated from -the bear, but the old man showed his confidence in the sagacity of the -creature, by declaring that he would not permit himself to be lost by -such means. - -As they came down from their elevated position, they naturally lost -sight of the canoes, and Harry could hardly repress his impatience lest -they should fail altogether in finding them again; but the trapper, as -he moved on with his long, loping strides, seemed as cool and confident -of the issue as if he were only making a round of his traps. - -The nature of the ground compelled them to leave the river at intervals, -but never long enough to make them feel that there was any danger of -their passing on beyond the Blackfeet without discovering them. - -The sun went down, and twilight told of the coming of darkness, but -still, although our friends were close upon the margin of the swiftly -flowing stream, nothing was to be seen either of the canoes or of their -camp-fire. - -Despite the excitement that had kept up the spirits of Harry, it was -impossible that he should maintain this gait without growing weary. He -felt that he could not maintain it much longer, but still he hurried -forward, determined not to give up so long as he could keep his legs, -and prevent himself from falling behind his tireless companion. - -“Helloa! here it is!” suddenly exclaimed Old Ruff, as he abruptly -halted. “Just the thing I’ve been looking fur all the arternoon. Now, my -boy, you can rest them pegs of yourn, fur I know they can’t stand this -sort of thing much longer.” - -As he spoke, he stooped down, and lifted from the ground directly before -him, one of those small, delicately framed Indian canoes, which are -intended to carry but a single person, but which, in case of emergency, -are capable of floating a couple. - -Glad enough was the boy to ensconce himself in the stern, where, -nestling down in as comfortable a position as he could assume, he felt -that he could remain a week at least, before he would long to indulge in -pedestrianism again. - -Robsart flung him the heavy Indian blanket, which he always carried with -him when on his travels, and told him to rest while he could, for there -was no telling how long the opportunity would be his, and then taking -the long, flat paddle in hand, he made ready to turn to the best account -the chance that was given him. - -Speckled Beauty stood on the edge of the shore as they pushed off, and -gave utterance to a whine or rather growl like the mastiff, who is -begging his master to take him along. The trapper replied in a language -which, if not understood by Harry Northend, seemed to be comprehended by -the brute—who instantly began following them down-stream, until he was -hid by the intervening gloom. - -“He won’t give it up so,” laughed Old Ruff, “but I’ll warrant you when -we land, he’ll be close by and won’t wait long afore showing himself.” - -The trapper felt the need of haste, and he now used the paddle with all -the power and skill of which he was master. The current was quite rapid, -the stream being narrow and deep, and the light canoe seemed to speed -over the surface like a swallow. - -There was a chilliness in the air, and gathering the thick blanket about -him, Harry lay back, too tired to sleep, but so utterly used up, that he -wished the Blackfeet would keep up their rowing for several hours yet, -so that by the time they halted, he would be in a better condition to do -something. He was sure that he was useless for the present. - -Although the old hunter said little, he understood the condition of the -lad, and he hoped very much the same as he did. He let him alone, -wishing that he would fall asleep, for he very justly mistrusted his -ability to cope with the physical requirements before him. - -The sky was clear, and the moon was not likely to rise until later. The -trapper continued his powerful sweeps of the paddle, his purpose being -to make the distance between himself and the Blackfeet as small as was -prudent, when he could slacken his gait, and prolong the pursuit all -through the night if necessary. - -Fully five miles were passed in this manner, the stream frequently -making such short curves that he held up, fearful that he might betray -himself to his foes. As yet he had seen and heard nothing of them, when -as he rounded a rocky headland, he abruptly paused and listened. - -“Do you hear any thing, younker?” he asked, holding the paddle suspended -in hand. - -There was no answer, even after he had repeated the question. - -“Poor chap, he’s asleep!” concluded the trapper, “and I’m glad of it. I -shan’t wake him till I have to. He’s full of pluck and nerve, but he -ain’t used to this business; he’s got to get older afore he kin stand it -as well as me. I don’t know much ’bout such things, but I think he loves -that gal, and she feels sorter the same toward him. I don’t know what -he’d think if I’d tell him why she left his camp the other night. He’s -got to find it out some time, and I won’t distress him by tellin’ him -until I can’t put it off any longer. ’Sh!” - -As he listened, he heard faintly but distinctly the sound of paddles. -His experienced ear enabled him to tell that two canoes were only a -short distance ahead, so there could be no reasonable doubt but that he -was close in the rear of the Blackfeet party. - -“I wonder ef they’re going to keep it up all night?” was the next -thought of Old Ruff; “ef they are, I kin paddle as well as them, but -then it ain’t going to give me much chance to get a word with Little -Rifle, and it will sorter bother the brains of Speckled Beauty to keep -the hang of things. But he’s smart, and has done ’cuter things than -that, in his time.” - -He did not forget to handle his own paddle with all the care possible, -for the most awkward consequences might follow a discovery upon the part -of Maquesa that some one was following him. - -In the still, calm night, sound was conveyed some distance with -wonderful distinctness. To the casual ear, the red-skins were no more -than a hundred yards distant, but he knew that triple that breadth of -water separated them, and he was enabled to judge also the exact speed -with which they were progressing. - -The trapper had no wish to lessen this space, and he took good care not -to do so. His wish was that they would land, and give him a chance to -bring things to an issue. - -Once he was filled with misgiving, when, as he paused to listen, he was -unable to catch the slightest sound of their paddles. He concluded at -once that he had betrayed himself, and Maquesa had given the word for -his warriors to halt until their pursuer should come up and place -himself in their power. - -Old Robsart was not the man to do this, and he halted, too, holding his -paddle ready to send his boat back again with its arrow-like speed. - -“Ef they want a race, I’m ready,” he concluded, “and I’ll make a present -of my scalp to any red-skin kin cotch me in a fair canoe-chase.” - -But it was apparently some other cause that had produced this temporary -cessation in their paddling, for the next minute it was resumed with the -same regular sweep as before. - -The trapper permitted his boat to remain stationary until the distance -had been greatly increased, when he resumed his pursuit, with a caution -and silence that made it impossible for the trained and listening ear to -detect his coming. He appreciated the position too keenly to make any -mistake at such a critical time. - -He did not speak again, but, lifting the paddle, pushed the shoulder of -Harry vigorously; but he was in too sound a slumber to awake. - -“Sleep on,” muttered Old Ruff, as he cautiously impelled the canoe. “You -ain’t of any account now, and you’re safe till morning any way. If -there’s any ticklish business to be done to-night, I’d rather have you -asleep than awake. I left you up the river, and gave you orders not to -stir; but you couldn’t wait till I come back, and ef the varmints hadn’t -left jist when they did, you’d had us both in the ugliest scrape of our -lives. I’ll pay him for that, yet,” added Old Ruff, with a shake of his -head; “when I take younkers to train, they’ve got to obey orders. Ah! -what does that mean?” - -The Blackfeet ahead had ceased paddling again. Certain that they had -heard nothing of him, old Robsart was naturally curious to know the -cause, and he ceased, too, permitting his canoe to float with the -current. - -For several seconds every thing remained as silent as the tomb, and then -he detected a sound which he understood too well. - -“Good!” he growled, with a grin of delight. “The varmints have landed to -go into camp, and now the fun will begin!” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - “SPECKLED BEAUTY” IN CAMP. - - -The old hunter kept his canoe motionless in the current until he was -certain that every one of the Blackfeet had left their boats, and had -pulled them up on the shore, beyond danger of being swept away by the -current. - -Even then he waited until no doubt could remain of their intention to -kindle a fire and to make a prolonged halt. As soon as he caught the -first twinkle of their camp-fire, he shot his boat swiftly to the bank, -and stepping softly out, drew the prow clean up out of the water, -beneath some overhanging bushes, where it could not be seen by any one -who might accidentally pass near. - -Not the slightest movement indicated that there was any danger of -awakening on the part of the lad, and confident that there was not, he -only paused long enough to gather the bushes a little more compactly -about the boat, so as to make the concealment as perfect as possible. - -Old Ruff then, with rifle in hand, straightened up and looked off in the -darkness, turning his gaze up instead of down the river. - -“I don’t hear any thing of Speckled Beauty,” he mused; “but I s’pose -I’ve traveled a little too fast in the darkness for him to keep track of -us all the way; but he’ll be along arter awhile.” - -With this confident conclusion, he moved off in the direction of the -camp-fire, which was now burning brightly and cheerily, and the bustle -and activity of the red-skins about the blaze made the scene interesting -if not cheerful to the ordinary looker-on. - -It was an easy matter for the trapper to reconnoiter the camp of a foe -at night, and he moved leisurely along until he reached a point from -which he was afforded the best view possible of the congregated -Blackfeet. - -The latter had brought a haunch of venison with them, which was being -cooked over the fire, most of the Indians moving hither and thither, -while one or two were lazily stretched out upon the ground, smoking -their pipes. - -Upon a fallen tree, near the blaze, sat Little Rifle. Her head was bent, -and an Indian blanket was gathered about her, so that her face could not -be seen by the trapper, although he stood directly in front of her. - -But it needed not the sight of the beautiful little weapon lying at her -feet, for the old man to identify her. If he was enabled to do so when -half a mile distant, there was no mistaking now, when no more than a -hundred feet separated. - -After watching her intently for a minute or two, in the hope that she -would raise her eyes, the trapper turned his gaze upon Maquesa, who, -lounging at her feet, was looking up in her face and talking. Old Ruff -could catch the mumble of his voice now and then, when there was a lull -in the racket made by the others, and he could see from his manner that -he was deeply in earnest about something, though unable to catch a -syllable that he uttered. - -“I think I know what that means,” growled the hunter, as he fairly -glared upon the red-skin. “I was afeard of it. Ef it hadn’t been fur -that desprit fight that me and Maquesa had, and the consequent love -atween us, I’d put a bullet _spang_ through him, from whar I stand, -though I s’pose the red-skin does mean well enough—” - -At this moment the watcher heard a crackling off to the right, and -turning his head, he saw, to his dismay, Speckled Beauty, the gorgeous -grizzly bear, emerge from the gloom, and without a moment’s hesitation, -walk directly toward the camp-fire. - -Robsart would have prevented this had it been possible; but he had -forgotten all about the animal for the time, and he could not have -signaled to him, or crossed his path, without betraying himself to the -group of savages. So, with no little chagrin, he stood where he was and -watched the antics of his pet. - -Speckled Beauty, coming to the camp-fire under the impression that it -was kindled by his friends, and descrying Little Rifle, had turned his -steps toward her, as the best he could do under the circumstances. - -The moment he came within the circle of light, there was a furious -uproar, and nearly every red-skin sprung for his rifle. Maquesa leaped -to his feet, greatly startled by this tumult; but before any one could -discharge their pieces, he recognized the brute and forbade them firing. - -Little Rifle also raised her head for an instant, looked steadily at the -bear, and then, without changing her position, looked down again, -drawing the blanket about her shoulders, and seemingly indifferent to -what was going on about her. - -The tumult and confusion created by the Blackfeet alarmed Speckled -Beauty, and caused him to pause in his walk toward the girl. He glared -at the red-skins, and then apparently scenting danger in the sight of so -many guns, turned squarely about and lumbered off in the darkness again. - -“He’s done all the mischief he can, out thar,” growled Old Ruff, -impatiently, “and now he’ll nose around till he finds the Yankee or me, -and make every thing ten times worse.” - -He began to suspect that he had made a blunder in bringing the curiosity -along; for Maquesa, knowing to whom he belonged, would be very apt to -suspect that his master was somewhere in the neighborhood, and placed -thus upon his guard, the labor that Robsart had laid out for himself, -would be increased ten-fold. - -This was the mischief that undoubtedly had been already committed; but -fearful that Harry Northend would also betray his position, when -suddenly aroused from his slumber by the snout of the bear, thrust -against his face, the trapper cautiously withdrew from his advanced -position, and circling around, came to the river-bank, a short distance -above where he had left the boat. - -He was none too soon, for at the same instant he saw the outlines of the -dark, cumbrous body of his pet bear, which gave a growl of pleasure, as -he recognized his master, and hurried forward to receive his caress. - -It was not withheld, the bulky brute cavorting and tumbling about his -master, with the playful affection of a kitten. It took fully a -half-hour before he could be quieted down into any thing like -tractability, during all of which Harry was sound asleep, and happily -unconscious of what was going on so near him. - -It was the wish of the bear-tamer to prevent the lad from being -awakened, and when he had shown the bear where he was, and permitted him -to nose around for a short time, he concluded that the danger was past, -and impressing upon the sagacious brute the importance of remaining -where he was, he returned to his reconnoissance of the camp. - -Here another surprise and a bitter disappointment awaited him. The huge -fire was burning as brightly as ever, but not an Indian was to be seen! - -As silently as shadows, they had launched their canoes again, and -floated away in the gloom of the night! - -And so abruptly had all this been done, that Old Ruff had no suspicion -until he saw the evidence before his eyes. - -“That’s it!” he exclaimed, in his anger. “Maquesa is sharp-witted, and -if he’d been a fool, he’d knowed what the sign of Speckled Beauty was. -He has tramped a good many miles of the woods alone, but I don’t s’pose -he’s been see’d by any one who knows him, that they haven’t made up thar -minds that I was close by. That’s jist what the chief has understood, -and he and his varmints has slipped off ag’in.” - -He stood a moment, fairly gnashing his teeth in his chagrin, and feeling -any thing but particularly friendly toward the bear that had been the -cause of the mishap. - -“Confound him!” he growled, “I wish that that Yankee that dyed him up, -had made him die himself or had took him along with him; fur Maquesa -isn’t goin’ to be cotched nappin’ ag’in. Howsomever, if rowin’s the -word, I’m in!” - -Roused to action, he strode rapidly back to where the canoe was -concealed, and pulling it from its concealment, seated himself in it, -and shoved out from shore, paying no heed to Speckled Beauty, who -lingered on shore, expecting an affectionate farewell. - -Reaching the center of the current, he permitted his boat to float with -it for a short time, while he listened. - -No sound of paddling reached his ear—naught but the soft flow of the -river, and the soughing of the night-wind. - -But for all that he knew the Blackfeet were paddling swiftly down the -river. They were simply using due caution in the handling of their -paddles, so as not to afford _him_ the clew that had already guided him -so far. - -When he resumed the use of the paddle, the impetus of the boat aroused -Harry, who, rousing up, looked around for a moment in bewilderment. -Then, recalling his situation, he muttered: - -“Paddling yet, Uncle Ruff. It was last night, it seems to me, that I -went asleep, so that you must have kept it up for twenty-four hours. -Don’t you feel a little stiff in the joints?” - -“I think I would if I had been paddling as long as all that, but I think -you’re a little ahead of the right number—say an hour or two.” - -“But what about the Indians? What about Little Rifle? Have you seen -nothing of her? Have we lost all trace of Maquesa and his men?” - -And then the trapper proceeded to tell, in his characteristic manner, -all that had happened since his young friend had closed his eyes in -slumber. - -As may be supposed, Harry listened with the most absorbing interest. It -was aggravating to reflect that they had been thus nigh Little Rifle, -without opening any communication, and with the only result of placing -matters in a much more favorable light than before; but such was the -irresistible fact. - -All this time the man was busy at the paddle, occasionally pausing to -tell whether he could catch any sound from those ahead, but failing as -yet to do so. - -“How easy it would be for them to land,” said Harry, in a cautious -voice, “and allow us to pass them in the gloom, and so get entirely off -the track.” - -“They could do it, I allow,” replied the hunter, “but they won’t. -Maquesa is aiming for t’other side the mountains, whar his village is, -and he won’t stop ’g’in, for any time, till he gets thar, as he thinks -he’s got a sure thing of it.” - -Notwithstanding the confident tone of the trapper, it began to look as -if the supposition made by the lad was correct; for as the night passed, -not the slightest sound of paddles in front or rear could be heard. The -rising of the moon made the course of the river visible for a greater -distance, but the eye roamed along the stream and bank in vain. - -All night long old Robsart continued at work with the paddle, passing -from side to side, halting, listening and watching, and Harry assisted -him to the best of his ability, but it resulted in naught. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - THROUGH THE CASCADE RANGE. - - -The scene now changes to the western slope of the Cascade Range. - -The spot is hundreds of miles from where we last saw Old Ruff Robsart -and Harry Northend. Long days and nights have passed since then, and -during that time these two, who have become deeply attached to each -other, have followed the river to its kenyon in the mountains, and -taking advantage of a pass well known to the trapper, they have safely -worked their way through the immense snowy chain, and are now upon the -western slope, facing the Pacific. - -It was a daring feat for these two to attempt, and many a time and oft -they have been in the most imminent peril of their lives. Snow, biting -arctic winds, fierce Indians, savage wild beasts and hunger—these were -the enemies that man and boy were compelled to encounter again and -again, and only the matchless skill of the great bear-tamer, his -coolness and self-possession under all circumstances, his wonderful -knowledge of the mountain solitudes and fastnesses, and the superb -physical condition of both, enabled them to come forth from this -tremendous labyrinth of snow-crowned peaks, roaring kenyons, dizzying -ravines, gorges and chasms, not merely in as good condition as they -entered, but (notably in the case of the lad) stronger, more rugged and -better prepared to face the remaining difficulties to be overcome. - -Although, as we have stated above, many days have passed since Maquesa -and his little party gave them the slip on the river, yet despite the -most determined exertions upon the part of the trapper, the trail had -never been recovered. - -Maquesa was one of the most cunning of a proverbially cunning race, and -the lesson taught him by the sudden appearance of the mottled grizzly -had not been taught in vain. He knew at once that his old adversary and -friend was after him and his charge, and he “sloped” in such a decidedly -French style that his pursuer with all his remarkable skill had not -again caught sight or sound of him. - -Finding that the trail was irrecoverably lost, the trapper gave up the -attempt entirely, and believing that Maquesa’s ultimate destination was -a village upon the other side of the Cascade, he made his way through by -the shortest and most expeditious route, intending, if possible, to head -him off. - -That curiously colored bear seemed to have given up as hopeless the -attempt to keep up with the two, as they slowly worked their way through -the vast mountain-chain, and he had not been seen since their encampment -several nights before in the pass. - -Harry was alone in a glen where he had kindled a fire secure from the -observation of any and all who did not pass too close. He had learned a -great deal since he and his friend had left the river, and there was -little danger of his committing the rash mistake that had marked his -first essay in hunting a party of Blackfeet Indians. - -Old Robsart carefully noted the rapid improvement of the lad, and he had -come to trust him far more than he would have done a week before. - -Harry was sitting alone with his blanket thrown over his shoulders, for -there was a chilliness in the air that seemed to come from the snowy -mountains on the east. His rifle was between his knees, and he sat upon -a bowlder looking down in the embers, thinking and speculating upon the -future. - -“Here we are on the other side of the mountains from Fort Abercombie,” -he thought, “and who shall tell whether we are ever to see Little Rifle -again. Old Ruff seems to lose no heart, and yet he is silent and -thoughtful, and I think he must feel at times as though all hope was -about over. He has taken the telescope and gone off to hunt a Blackfoot -village. I went yesterday with him to find the village where Maquesa -reigned a few years ago; and when we got there, not a sign of a lodge -was to be seen.” - -Such was the fact. Confident of discovering the chief, the trapper in -company with the lad had made his way directly to the spot where he and -a portion of his people had had their homes for years; but only to find, -that, like the Bedouins of the desert, that they had departed—months -before—no one could tell, and there was no means of learning, whither. - -This was a damper, and for a time he was completely nonplused. But, -declaring his belief that the village was somewhere in the neighborhood, -he had returned, and from an elevated point, carefully surveyed the vast -area that was spread before him toward the Pacific. - -Finally he had detected the appearance of an Indian town many miles to -the west and south; and, as Harry had been constantly on the watch and -tramp for several days, it was arranged that he should go into camp in a -secure spot and await the return of the trapper, who expected to put his -own powers of endurance to the severest test. - -He had no misgivings in doing this, as there were no signs of the -immediate presence of Indians, and, as for wild animals, they were to be -met with at all times, and he had an abundance of ammunition, with which -to defend himself. - -Harry was also furnished with enough meat, cooked and prepared, to last -several days—it having been their prudent custom, when among the -mountains, to guard against any emergency in the way of food, by -carrying at all times a supply with them. - -The lad had secured a comfortable little nook in which the fire was -kindled, and had gathered enough fuel, as he supposed, to last until -daylight. - -“It is strange,” he continued, as he sat gazing absently into the fire, -“that Robsart makes no explanation of the reason why Little Rifle -deserted me on that night. I shall never ask him again if I never learn; -I have puzzled my brains over it a hundred times, but all to no use. - -“And now, if he fails to find Maquesa, what is to be done? Among these -thousands of miles of wilderness, ten thousand Blackfeet may hide for -their lifetime, and no one can find them. But for that mishap of the -bear, it might have been ended long ago. Now the chief has been warned -of what is afoot, and he is too sharp to be caught—” - -He paused suddenly in his meditations, as he heard the sound of -something moving near him, and looking up, caught the outlines of some -huge dark animal as it moved back out of the range of the fire. - -There was nothing particularly alarming in this, as he had become -accustomed to such creatures; but, as he sat alone, miles from any -friend, in a mournful reverie, it was a rather startling awaking, and he -caught up and cocked his rifle, as though he expected a charge from it. - -His second thought was that it was “Speckled Beauty,” still faithful to -his friends; but the action of the brute proved the contrary, as he -remained in the background. - -Harry caught the phosphorescent glare of his eyes, and heard a deep, -guttural growl, which proved that if he belonged to the bear species, he -was not the one which had been so well trained by Adams, and so -skillfully but unprofitably ornamented by the Yankee speculator. - -The young man was somewhat loth to fire his gun, as the trapper had -cautioned him never to do so unless compelled, as the report was -frequently more dangerous to the one discharging it than the bullet was -to the one at whom it was aimed. - -But Harry had to choose between the horns of a dilemma. If he did not -give the brute his quietus, he would probably prowl around all night and -keep him continually on the alert to save his own life. The -probabilities, too, were that additional fuel would be required to keep -the fire up to the requisite point, and in the end he would be obliged -to kill the creature in self-defense. - -“And such being the case,” he concluded, after turning the matter over -in his mind, “I may as well dispose of my visitor at once.” - -But the brute, although he was growling and nosing around the camp-fire, -as though seeking an unguarded point where he could seize his prey, -still remained too much in the background to afford the fair aim that -was desirable. - -Now and then the glassy glitter of its eyes could be discerned, but they -flashed in and out of view before a fair aim could be settled upon, and -the boy had no disposition to throw away a shot. - -The agility displayed by the beast, as it appeared here and there in the -gloom, caused Harry more than once to suspect that it was some other -kind of creature than a bear, while its cat-like stealth of movement -made him fearful that it would make some sudden, treacherous spring that -would take him off his guard. - -He sat with his gun at his shoulder, waiting for the coveted chance, -when all at once it advanced into full view, and taking a quick aim, he -fired. - -There was a fearful snarling howl, and the brute made a tremendous bound -directly backward in the gloom, that carried him entirely out of sight. - -“There! it’s my opinion that that pill will have a good effect upon your -system,” exclaimed Harry, as he proceeded to reload his piece. “I think -it struck you somewhere about the head, and will make it ache, to say -the least.” - -He confidently expected to hear it roll over on the ground, clawing and -clutching the earth in its death-struggles; but the howl and leap were -succeeded by a profound silence. - -“He has subsided without making any extra fuss,” was his conclusion, as -he placed the cap upon the tube of his gun. “That is, perhaps, the plan -most to be commended, for he might have rolled over in the fire and -burned himself—” - -A soft, stealthy movement just then caught the listening ear of Harry, -and turning his gaze as quick as thought to the opposite side of the -fire, he saw, to his amazement, the beast that he had just pronounced -dead, stealing toward him on its belly. - -The sight that met the eye of the young adventurer was enough to startle -a man of stronger nerve. The animal was as black as midnight, quite -large, with a long neck, and a snout that resembled that of a wolf or -fox, only much larger and fiercer. Stretched out, as it stole along in -the manner mentioned, it seemed unnaturally prolonged, while the -almond-shaped eyes seemed to emit fire, as they were fixed with the most -deadly intent upon the one who had already lodged a bullet in its body. - -This horrid head and front were covered with blood, that trickled upon -the ground, showing that if the shot had not killed, it had certainly -inflicted a grievous wound. To what species the animal belonged, it was -impossible to say; but most probably it was a cross of some kind, -combining in itself the activity and fierceness of the panther, and the -treacherous cunning of the wolf. - -Whatever it was, it was bent upon the life of the boy, and would have -had it in another moment but for its soft, gliding movement over the -ground, which providentially revealed its approach before its sharp -claws could be buried in his body. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - A BRUTE’S SACRIFICE. - - -This sudden and unexpected appearance of the wild beast caused Harry to -fire without taking the careful aim that he would have done had the case -been different; but he made sure that his rifle was pointed straight at -the brute, and that the discharged bullet would be certain to enter his -body. - -And so it did, but missing the head, buried itself in the flesh -somewhere along the back, the result being another serious wound and the -maddening of the wild animal to such a degree that he became perfectly -frantic in his rage. - -Forgetting his habitual cunning and treachery, he rose to his feet, -giving utterance to a savage growl, and with his head lowered, like a -bull when about to use his horns, he advanced directly upon the lad. - -The latter had no time to reload, and reading the deadly intent of his -foe, he ran round to the opposite side of the fire, so as to interpose -it between them. The brute, still glaring and growling, trotted after -him. - -It would not venture through the fire; but as it was more nimble of foot -than the lad, he could gain nothing by this course. - -Still, as it seemed to be the only thing that he could do, Harry threw -down his gun and snatched up his blanket, and made a dash for liberty. -His hope lay in the belief that the brute was so badly injured that he -would soon become disabled, and that he would not venture as near the -blaze as did his intended victim. - -Disappointed in both of these respects, Harry made a hasty grab and -caught up one of the burning embers of wood, which, as he walked -backward, he whirled about his head as a guard to keep the brute away. - -This was a partial success, as all animals naturally have a terror of -fire, and the one in question fell back growling and glaring, as if -deliberating with himself as to the best method of circumventing this -obstacle. - -He showed no disposition to give up his scheme, but continued stealing -forward inch by inch, as a cat is sometimes seen to do when about to -leap upon its prey. Harry halted, expecting, of course, it would do the -same. For a moment he thought it had, but, as he fixed his eyes upon it, -he observed that it was still advancing, almost imperceptibly, but none -the less surely, for all that. - -“Confound him!” exclaimed Harry as he became conscious of this insidious -movement. “I never heard of such a creature; if he wants a taste of -fire, I’ll give it to him.” - -The beast was now less than a dozen feet distant, when the boy took a -step toward him and then dashed the blazing brand full in his face, -muttering, as he did so: - -“There! take that, if you want it.” - -It was enough to daze and terrify any thing, and the brute, with a howl -such as he gave when struck by the first bullet, recoiled on himself, -reared on his hind-legs, and pawed madly as if to fight off the torch, -which had struck his black head, and then glanced off in the darkness. - -This bewilderment lasted but a second or two, when it moved toward the -lad more determinedly than ever. The latter had made a snatch at a -brand, but in his hurry it had slipped from his hand after he had risen -to his feet, and retreated a step or two. - -Before he could recover it, the brute was not only nearer to him than -that, but had actually interposed between him and the fire! - -Thus in a twinkling, as it were, the lad found that he had been totally -disarmed—not only deprived of the use of his gun, through the denial of -opportunity to reload it, but he was shut off from his _dernier -resort_—the chance of using the fire to fight off the determined advance -of his enemy. - -Harry had now his blanket thrown over his left arm, and his -hunting-knife at his waist; but he knew that if he was forced to a -hand-to-hand fight with the furious beast, he would be torn to shreds -before he could do any execution with his weapon. His case looked -exceedingly desperate, for the snarling animal having intruded himself -between him and the fire, was too knowing to permit him to recover his -place again. - -It was useless to attempt to flee, and Harry Northend stood his ground, -looking down with a fascinated gaze upon the horrid-looking brute, as -creeping along for a foot or two more, it began gathering its paws -beneath its body, to make its leap. - -With a courage born almost of despair, he saw all this and never -stirred, standing like the bird that is charmed by the rattlesnake, that -knows it sees certain death, but has neither the power nor the will to -escape. - -But it was not entirely thus with the lad. He possessed rare courage and -pluck, and had decided his own course of action. It was a desperate -resort, but it was all that remained to him, and he held his nerves with -a will of iron until the critical moment was upon him. - -It came with the next breath. There was a sudden quickening of the legs -as they were gathered beneath the belly of the animal, and then it made -its fearful leap. - -For one instant the dark, panther-shaped body was visible in the air, -and then, as Harry saw it descending upon him, he gave the blanket a -flirt so as to throw it directly over the head of the snarling beast, -leaping aside at the same instant, and making another attempt to recover -his position by the fire. - -He succeeded in doing this, although he fell upon his hands and knees, -and before he could scramble to his feet again, the brute had pawed the -blanket from his eyes, and glancing around for an instant, discovered -where his slippery victim was. - -There can be but little doubt of the ultimate result of this strange -contest, for every advantage was upon the side of the beast, which gave -no evidence of suffering the least exhaustion from the wounds it had -received. - -But at this critical juncture a third party appeared upon the scene, not -in the shape of Old Ruff or an Indian, but in that of another wild -brute. - -As Harry rose to his feet, torch in hand, and stood confronting his -enemy, he heard a growl from his right hand, and concluded that it was -all over with him beyond a question, if he was to be called upon to -combat two such enemies. - -The wounded animal heard the ominous sound, and also turned his head, -sending back a defiant growl, as if to warn all outside parties that -there was to be no interference here. - -The thunderous growl was still rumbling in the throat of the brute when -Harry saw a huge dark body pass like an arrow through the air, coming -down from the rock over his head, and speeding as straight and truly as -if fired from the mouth of a giant columbiad, directly at the defiant -beast, which was not given time to prepare for the charge. - -The attacking brute landed directly upon the shoulder of the other, and -at the same instant the two closed in a deadly, fearful encounter. - -With the quickness of lightning the fight assumed the fiercest -character, the two wild beasts going at each other with the -determination to do or die. Snarling, growling, clawing, scratching, -gouging, biting, snapping, tearing and rending, they rolled over and -over upon the ground, the hair flying in every direction. - -Harry Northend stood transfixed, for the time, by the terrible scene -before him. The fight was of that furious nature which showed that it -would never terminate until one or both were dead, and that the -consummation was sure to take place very speedily. - -And reflecting that whichever party was the victor would be certain to -turn upon him, the young hunter was too prudent to throw away the -opportunity thus providentially placed in his hands, and he hurriedly -caught up his rifle and began reloading it, with the intention of taking -a position from which he could watch the fight, and when it should -terminate, could lodge a bullet in the brain of the victor and leave -himself master of the situation. - -The act of loading his weapon naturally drew away his attention from the -combatants for the time; but when he had placed the percussion upon the -tube, he turned his gaze upon the struggling beasts again. - -Just then they rolled closer to the fire than they were before, and were -consequently brought into closer view, and as the lad withdrew from -beyond their reach, and looked down upon them, he saw, with feelings -that may be imagined, that the one making the attack was his old friend -and acquaintance, “Speckled Beauty.” - -One look at his hide, now crimsoned with a deeper dye than the art of -the showman could give it, showed this, and the whilom resentment that -he had felt for the mishap caused by him, was now turned to gratitude -and admiration for the part he was playing in his defense. - -“Fight away, my friend!” he exclaimed. “Neither Old Ruff nor I shall -ever say or think ill of you again, for you meant well, and but for your -coming now, I should have been in your place. Good luck to you, and I -will give you what help I can.” - -His purpose now was to lodge another bullet in the other beast in such a -way as to “lay him out,” and leave Speckled Beauty the master, for it -looked as if he had undertaken a job which he was unable to carry -through, his foe showing not only the greatest tenacity of life, but -also displaying a strength and activity almost incredible. - -The mottled bear possessed enormous strength, but in quickness of -movement he was far inferior to his foe, whose long, sharp claws, were -tearing and pounding at his vitals with blows like the piston-rod of a -steam engine; but the Beauty was game, and he stuck to his antagonist to -the last, never intending to give up the fight so long as the strength -remained to continue it. - -Harry held his rifle cocked for several minutes, waiting and unable to -get the chance to fire; for the two rolled over so rapidly—first one -under and then on top again, that he was fearful he might wound his -friend instead of his enemy. - -Leaping back and forth around the two dark bodies, now upon one side and -then upon the other, and once or twice narrowly escaping being thrown -beneath them, with the blood and hair flying all over his clothes—Harry -at last saw his chance. - -There was a momentary lull in the fight, the bear was under, and the -head of the other was in full view. Quick as thought the muzzle of the -rifle was thrust into his ear, and the trigger pulled. - -The shot told, and the bullet went crashing and tearing through the -skull and brain of the beast, who lay motionless for a moment, and then -with a spasmodic quiver rolled over upon the ground without a spark of -life in his body. - -“My poor, brave friend,” said Harry, bending over the grizzly bear, “you -have done me a service for which I can never pay you.” - -He stooped lower and looked more closely at him. The animal never -stirred. A groan of anguish escaped him, and it was his last. Speckled -Beauty was as dead as his foe! - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - UNWELCOME VISITORS. - - -As Harry looked upon the dead body of his brute friend, he could but -feel saddened and pitiful. It had followed him and Robsart for hundreds -of miles, in obedience to that emotion of affection, which is a -characteristic of the entire animal creation, and now it had given up -its life to save him, who for days past had felt little but resentment -toward it, for the mistake it had unwittingly made. - -But little time was given the lad for indulgence in the finer emotions -of his nature; for, while he stood leaning on his rifle, and looking -down upon the mangled carcass, his ear, trained to unusual acuteness, -detected the approach of something else, and he immediately raised his -weapon and stood on the defensive. - -“Another of those brutes,” he thought, “but there is no Speckled Beauty -to help me this time, and I can not throw away a shot— Helloa!” - -Well might he start with alarm, for just then the figure of an Indian -warrior came out of the gloom, and walked directly toward him. Harry -turned his head to see what chance there was to dart back in the -darkness upon that side, but only to encounter two other red-skins fully -as near as the first! - -He felt that he was fairly caught, and he could do nothing but submit to -the inevitable with the best grace possible under the circumstances. - -The two red-skins halted but a few feet distant, and remained standing -and motionless, as if to shut off any attempt to escape, while they left -to the third the part of chief actor and spokesman in the business. - -As Harry turned again and looked fully in the face of the latter, it -struck him that he had seen him before. He was tall and well-formed, -with a gaudily-colored blanket covering his shoulders, and which thrown -partly back from his front, showed a large hunting knife at his girdle. -In his left hand he carried a rifle, while the right left free was -extended in greeting toward the lad. - -“How you do, white pappoose?” he asked with a grim smile, and a -perfection of accent that amazed the boy. - -The latter could do nothing less than accept the proffered hand, -although he did so with no little misgiving, fearing that it was only a -prelude to some treachery upon his part. - -But the Indian relinquished it the next moment, and then seemed disposed -to act the part of an attorney conducting a cross-examination. - -“Where you come from?” he demanded. - -“From the fort, the other side of the mountains,” replied the boy, -extending his hand toward the north-east in which direction the frontier -post lay. - -“You come all alone—come away here—nobody with you?” - -“Nobody is with me now excepting you and your warriors,” said Harry. - -“You come alone—who bring white pappoose from fort, away ’cross -mountain?” - -“The great hunter has been my guide and companion all the way.” - -“Which his name?” - -The lad hesitated a moment, not knowing whether it was prudent or not to -use deception under the circumstances, but his questioner manifested -some impatience at the attempt already made to parry his queries, and he -concluded it best to reply truthfully. - -“He is known as Old Ruff the mountaineer, although he has been more in -the trapping business lately; there lies one of the animals that he -tamed to be his dog.” - -He noticed a slight manifestation of surprise upon the part of the -Indian as he made this reply, and just then the impression came with -renewed force that he had seen him before. Where could it be? Ah! now he -recalled. He was one of the Blackfeet that he and Old Ruff had seen in -the canoe, when scrutinizing Little Rifle through the field-glass. - -_Could it be Maquesa?_ was the next question that came to the mind of -Harry, when he took occasion at the same instant to throw a sidelong -glance at the other two, in the hope that possibly he could recognize -one of them as the chief. - -But the scrutiny through the glass had not been complete enough to -enable him to do this. He believed that all three of his visitors had -been in the canoes at that time, but whether either of them was the -Blackfoot for whom he and the old hunter had been so persistently -searching for many days, and for whom the trapper was hunting this very -moment, whether he was one of the three, he could only conjecture. - -When the red-skin received the reply recorded, he was silent a moment or -two, looking sharply down in the face of the boy, who felt somewhat -embarrassed by the keen scrutiny. - -“Where he be now?” he asked, lowering his voice, but keeping his eyes -fixed upon him. - -“He is gone—he went away to-day—he is down yonder at the foot of the -mountain somewhere.” - -“Why he go—why he leave white pappoose all alone for big bear to eat him -up?” - -Harry became uneasy under these pointed questions—the object of which he -could not divine. He was unwilling to be more explicit in his replies, -until he could be certain of what the result of such a revelation was -likely to be. So he rather ingeniously took up the appellation the -Indian had applied to him, resenting it with an assumption of -indignation. - -“Why do you call me a pappoose?” he demanded, straightening up. “I am no -more a babe than are your warriors. I am a hunter and a man!” - -This grandiloquent reply caused a very perceptible grin upon the faces -of all three Blackfeet, who seemed to admire the spirit of the lad; but -it did not divert the leader from the “line” of questioning which he had -laid out. - -“Where old hunter go—why he leave little brave white man?” - -“He has gone off on a hunt, and when he gets through, I suppose he will -return.” - -Such a reply as this, it would seem, ought to have satisfied any -ordinary mortal, and it would have done so, but for the fact that the -red-skin was unquestionably upon the scent of something, and most -probably knew a great deal more than he pretended. - -“What he look for—big bear or big Injin?” - -“He is looking for Maquesa, the great Blackfoot chief,” replied Harry, -feeling there was no avoiding the issue; “he and I have been hunting for -him for weeks, but have not been able to see him. Old Ruff thought to -find him in his village, where he met him a long time ago, but the -village is gone, and he knows not where he is.” - -“Why he look for big Injin chief?” - -“Because he stole Little Rifle, and has run away with him,” answered -Harry, purposely using the masculine reference. - -At this the Indian flared up, and replied in a quick, angry voice. - -“You lie! Ruff steal pappoose from Maquesa—Maquesa take pappoose back -from him.” - -That solved the question that had been puzzling Harry during the last -few minutes. He knew now that he was talking to Maquesa himself. - -After following him for days and weeks in vain, and when about ready to -give up the search as hopeless, the chief had come forward from his -hiding-place and shown himself. - -The lad still felt himself in a dangerously delicate position, and he -never longed so much for the presence of Old Ruff as he did now that he -had discovered the identity of his interlocutor. - -What was the object of these three men coming from the gloom and -surrounding him in the manner that they had done? What did Maquesa mean -by questioning him so closely? And what was their purpose regarding the -boy whom they had so completely in their power? - -These were the questions which the lad put to himself, and whose answers -caused him no little trouble and anxiety. - -Maquesa, upon making the foregoing reply, gave some signal to the other -warriors, and all three seated themselves upon the ground, as if they -had concluded to spend the night with him. Without waiting for an -invitation, Harry followed suit, and he played the part of a host by -drawing the cooked meat from beneath the stone, where he had hid it from -prying animals, and offering it to his guests. But all declined -accepting it, and he placed it back again. - -As the chief remained silent for some time, Harry concluded to put some -questions to him, on his own account, hoping to gain a little -information, but somewhat distrustful of the result. - -“Old Ruff found Little Rifle asleep, and no one was near; he thought the -pappoose would die, and he brought it away to save its life.” - -“Old Ruff tell big lie! Pappoose in lodge—Maquesa close by—he come back, -no find pappoose; get mad—burn down his lodge, and den go ’way. One, -two, t’ree, good many moons, and he neber see her—t’ink she dead; den he -hear Old Hunter hab Little Rifle—Maquesa t’ink _him_ de squaw pappoose, -and he come ober mountain arter her—she go ’way wid him—Old Hunter try -catch ’em, but he paddle too slow—can’t find Little Rifle—and _neber see -her again_!” - -It would be impossible to describe the intensity of interest with which -Harry Northend listened to these broken utterances of the chief, and the -closing declaration that Little Rifle would never be seen again brought -him to his feet in the greatest excitement. - -“Why do you say that Little Rifle will never be seen again? What have -you done with her? Is she dead? What has become of her?” - -Maquesa and the other Indians looked quietly at the excited lad, as if -rather amused than otherwise at his flurry; but the chief showed no -disposition to be as explicit in his replies as Harry himself had been. -It was not until the question had been repeated that he answered: - -“Little Rifle gone—Old Hunter and white pappoose neber see her ’gin!” - -Had Harry Northend been certain that Maquesa had been the cause of the -girl’s death, he would have sprung upon him as the mottled bear sprung -upon the savage beast; but, by this time, he had managed to think a -little, and his own common sense taught him that it was extremely -improbable that the Blackfoot had done her any personal harm. Her -history, as revealed by the slip of paper, pointed to a different -conclusion altogether. - -It was useless to attempt to question Maquesa, when he was not disposed -to reply; but Harry took a different course, in the hope of reaching the -truth in another way. - -“Do you hunt for Big Hunter?” - -The wily Blackfoot was fully authorized to grin, as he did, when he -said: - -“When Maquesa look for Big Hunter, _Maquesa can find him_!” - -Suddenly the boy recalled the mystery which had puzzled him so long, and -it seemed to him that the means of solving it might be now placed in his -hands. - -“Can you tell me, Maquesa, why it was that Little Rifle left me, as she -did, and went away with you? You did not steal her, and why should she -go without awaking from her sleep and saying good-by to me?” - -The chief was about to answer this query fully and explicitly (a -half-dozen words would have done it), when perverse fate interfered and -closed his mouth again, with the all-important words upon his very -tongue. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - THE REVELATION OF MAQUESA. - - -The interference, this time, came in the shape of Old Ruff Robsart -himself, who strode forward out of the gloom, and advancing straight to -the chief, extended his hand, and said: - -“How do you do, Maquesa? I have been huntin’ fur yer for a long time.” - -The Blackfoot returned the salutation with every appearance of -cordiality, much to the surprise of the other two red-skins, who were -hardly prepared for the exhibition of any thing like friendship between -a white man and one of their race. - -Having paid his respects to him, the trapper turned to his young friend -with one of his huge grins, that moved his beard clean back to his ears. - -“I don’t s’pose you war lookin’ fur me; but the way on it was—while I -was huntin’ round fur that Injin village that had strayed off somewhar -and got lost, I found thar was a little clump of lodges closer by, and I -made up my mind to pay them a visit fust. Wal, I was trampin’ ’long when -I heard your gun go off, and purty soon I heard it go agin, and then I -knowed you war in some row, so I struck a bee-line fur you, and here I -is. Hello!” he exclaimed, noticing the bodies of the two wild animals -for the first time, “that war the trouble, eh? And as sure as I’m alive, -thar’s old Speckled Beauty gone under at last. Tell me how it all came -about.” - -As the Blackfeet showed no disposition to interfere, or prevent this -conversation, Harry related, as briefly as possible what the reader has -already learned of his adventure with the strange animal, from whose -clutches he was hardly saved by the timely coming to his assistance of -the tame grizzly bear. - -“He always war a plucky critter,” said the mountaineer, when the recital -was finished, and speaking us though he had no particular regrets at his -death; “I thought that ever since the time when he war a cub, and come -mighty near chawin’ me up; but what sort of critter was it that he lit -on?” he asked, as he walked forward to examine it. - -The trapper poked the carcass with his foot and gun, for some minutes, -stooping down and peering at it with no little curiosity. Finally he -seemed to give up the conundrum as past his ability. - -“See here, Maquesa,” said he, turning to the chief, “you was born and -raised in the woods. Come and tell me what sort of a critter this is.” - -The Blackfoot thus appealed to walked forward, and made the same -examination as did his white friend, but seemingly with very little more -success. - -“Hooh!” he grunted, “he no bear—he debbel!” - -“P’r’aps he is,” was the comment of Old Ruff, as he walked back and -resumed his seat, “but I didn’t know the Old Boy was killed as easy as -that.” - -This piece of badinage being finished, the party arranged themselves for -more serious business. The two red-skins, who had acted the part of -dummies thus far, lit their pipes and stretched out in a lazy posture -upon the ground, ready and willing to wait their master’s orders, no -matter how long they might be deferred. - -Maquesa and Old Ruff seated themselves near each other, and Harry -assumed a position where he could be certain of hearing every word that -passed between them. Great, therefore, was his disappointment, when they -began talking, to find that it was in the Blackfoot tongue! - -“Confound it!” he exclaimed, desperately, “if I had known that _that_ -was the trick they were going to play, I would have learned the -gibberish myself.” - -But there seemed to be no help for it, and he concluded to take the -matter philosophically. So he gathered his blanket about him, and, -nestling down by the rocks, went to sleep. - -It was well he did so, for thereby he escaped a weary waiting. Maquesa -and Robsart must have entered into the discussion of political -questions, for, although it was not very late in the evening when they -began, yet they never finished until nearly daylight. - -Finally there seemed to be no more for either to say, and the Blackfoot -rose, shook the hand of the trapper, in token of amity, and then -speaking to his warriors, they too arose, and the three moved off in the -gloom and were seen no more. - -The fire had burned very low, the two speakers paying no heed to it in -the earnestness of their conversation. The old hunter cast on a few more -sticks, and then rising and yawning he looked off at the sky. - -It was still dark, but in the east were signs of the coming sun. His -experienced eye told him that day was close at hand. - -“Skulp me!” he growled, “ef I thought our confab had lasted as long as -that. Thar’s the younker curled up and snoozin’ like a sensible chap. I -seen him curl down here thinkin’ he was goin’ to hear every word and -l’arn a good deal; but I nipped that by opening the ball in Blackfoot -rigmarole, ’cause I knowed thar war some things which it wouldn’t do fur -him to hear just yit. He’ll l’arn it all in good time, and bein’ it’s so -late I guess thar ain’t no use in my layin’ down. I grabbed a couple of -salmon out of an eddy in the water, down yender, and dressed ’em, and -laid ’em away ’mong the leaves, ’cause thar wasn’t ’nough for these red -varmints, and they kin catch thar fish as well as me. I’ll get ’em and -cook ’em for breakfast, and I guess when they begin to smoke and fry, -and he gets a sniff, he’ll wake.” - -He disappeared for a short time, and when he returned he carried two -large spotted fish in his hand. They were plump and luscious, and all -prepared for the coals. - -The fire, having been burning and smoldering for so many hours, was in -the best condition possible. The coals were raked out into a glowing -bed, free from dirt and ashes, and the two fish laid thereon. - -Instantly scorching crisp, they gave out a smoke and savor enough to -drive a hungry person frantic. The trapper carefully watched and turned -them for several minutes, by which time they were thoroughly prepared -for the palate. - -By this time it was fairly light, and Harry not having awaked, Old Ruff -having lifted one of the hot, smoking fish upon some fresh green leaves, -and, kneeling softly beside the lad, held the morsel so that the odor -was sure to reach the nostrils. - -One good sniff was enough. The boy moved uneasily, flung the blanket -from his shoulders, opened his eyes, and called out: - -“Quick! give me something to eat before I starve!” - -“All right, you shall have it,” replied Old Ruff, “only sit up like a -Christian and eat it.” - -A few minutes sufficed to make matters clear, and as Harry began to eat -the tempting fish he looked around for the Blackfeet, and seeing them -not, made inquiry. - -“That ’ere Maquesa is the cunningest varmint I ever run afoul of,” said -the trapper, after answering the question; “of course he knowed that I -was arter him, ever since that night Speckled Beauty walked into camp -and told him so. He never stopped to see me, but he just tramped ahead, -and arter fixing things to suit him, he then turned ’bout to meet me. He -must have seen us when I left you yesterday, and, waitin’ till I had got -out of sight, he went in to plague you a little, for the old greaser -ain’t above a joke now and then.” - -“But he showed no disposition to hurt me,” said Harry. - -“’Cause I come up in time to sp’ile thar game, but ef I’d stayed away a -couple of hours longer they’d put you through a course of sprouts, and -made you b’l’eve sartin you war goin’ to be skulped and burnt at the -stake. That was all them varmints come fur—just for the sake of having a -little fun out of you.” - -“Then I’m very glad you put in an appearance when you did, for I don’t -fancy these red-skins, and I don’t understand all the little tricks -they’re up to. If they had begun that business I’d been certain they -were in dead earnest, and would have done my best to use my gun or rifle -upon them, and then I suppose the fun would have turned to dead -earnest.” - -“You may bet on that; _that_ ain’t the kind of fun they fancy, and them -other two chaps with him are a couple of bloody dogs that would have -been glad of the chance to split your head open.” - -“But what about Little Rifle?” asked Harry, unable longer to conceal his -impatience. “I noticed that you talked Indian, so you must have given -Maquesa a chance to do most of the talking.” - -“He speaks English purty well, but of course it ain’t like his own -woshy-boshy, so I steered ahead in _that_.” - -“And what did you learn?” - -“It was a mighty strange story that he told,” said the trapper, -seriously, “and it’s nothin’ more nor less than this. He said that a -couple of moons ago, he l’arned that the little gal that had been left -in his charge was the Little Rifle that I had, and so he came across the -mountains arter her.” - -“How was it that he found out?” asked Harry. “Who could have told him -the secret, when, at that time, even you and Little Rifle herself did -not know it?” - -“That’s the question I put to him, and he wouldn’t answer, but I don’t -b’l’eve any one told him, but that he thought it out for himself. Of -course it took him a long time, for he has known for a good many years -that Little Rifle has been with me, but the old chap has got brains -enough to cipher out a thing like that, without any help.” - -“How does his story correspond with that told by the slip of paper?” - -“’Zactly; he says the babe was left in his charge by a great white man, -who thought all the world of him, and that he seen him write something -on a slip of paper, and put it in the handle of the gun. He and his -squaw took it to their lodge on the other side the mountains, and war -keepin’ it thar. They often left it alone, and it happened at one of -these times that I slipped in and went away with it, and I’ve had it -ever since.” - -“Then it was Maquesa who succeeded in getting her away from us. Did he -tell you why it was that she came to leave me so willingly?” - -“No; he didn’t tell me that, ’cause thar warn’t no need of it. I knowed -it already.” - -Harry had hoped to catch the trapper off his guard, and secure the -coveted answer, but Robsart saw through the trick in time to escape. - -“But what is he doing with Little Rifle? Why does he keep her?” - -“He says he hasn’t got her at all—that he hasn’t seen her for several -days—and that he never expects to see her again.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - COUNTERPLOTTING. - - -Harry Northend sat astounded and stupefied at the answer of Old Ruff, -and when he had partly regained his self-poise he repeated the words. - -“Maquesa says he has not seen her for several days, and never expects to -see her again. Is that what the chief said?” - -“Them’s almost his words ’zactly—leastways, that’s ’zactly what he -meant.” - -“In the name of Heaven, what does he mean?” - -“He says that he has met the father of Little Rifle—that he met him a -couple of weeks ago, and that it was on his account he came through the -mountains arter her. Her father waited somewhere for him—down toward the -Willamette, I b’l’eve, at one of the forts. Thar Maquesa met him, and -thar he turned over Little Rifle to him, and both have started for -Astoria, whar they’re going to take ship for San Francisco.” - -Here was a revelation indeed, and for several minutes Harry sat with -open mouth, hardly able to realize all that had been said. Before he -could make any comment the trapper added, in a significant tone: - -“That’s a big story to tell, and it may all be true, but somehow or -other I think old Maquesa was lying to me, and tryin’ to throw me off -the right track.” - -“What is it you suspect, Uncle Ruff?” - -“I don’t know as I kin tell ’zactly,” he answered, with a puzzled air as -he scratched his head, “but he let drop one or two things that made me -think he was very anxious to get you and me off to Astoria, where we’d -be out of his way.” - -“You think, then, that that part of his story was a fabrication?” - -“Yes; I don’t believe Little Rifle has started for Astoria; but thar’s -some truth, too, in what the varmint said.” - -“And how much?” - -“That’s hard to tell; but I s’pect he has met the father of Little -Rifle, or else, when he went away a good many years ago, the man -promised to come back ag’in, and the time being ’bout up, Maquesa has -started off to hunt up his little gal for him.” - -“That does not seem probable to me,” said Harry, after a moment’s -thought. “No man would go away or remain away voluntarily for years, -knowing that his only daughter was among a tribe of barbarous savages. -No father could willingly leave a child to grow up among them, as your -theory would make Mr. Ravenna do.” - -“I guess you’re right,” replied the trapper. “I didn’t think of all -that, but I kin see the reason in it now. It must be, then, that Maquesa -is waiting to see the father, and wishes to get us out the way until -arter he delivers her up.” - -“That seems very likely,” said Harry; “there is reason and consistency -in all that.” - -“Arter he turns the gal over to the father, then I s’pose he don’t care, -and we kin tramp and hunt all we’re a mind to.” - -“Why does he wish us to go to Astoria?” - -“Thar ar’ ships sailin’ from thar to Fr’isco. The smart dog thinks when -we git thar, that we’ll just hear of some vessel goin’ down the coast, -and will be sartin the father and gal have gone, and we’ll start arter -’em. That’ll put us out of the way for a couple of months, you see, and -that’ll give the old coon plenty time to get through with his part of -the business, and when we come back mad and tearing, what’ll he care?” - -“You suspect, then, that Little Rifle is still in the hands of Maquesa?” - -“That’s what I think. As long as he was on the go with her, he didn’t -mind how hard we follered arter, for he could dodge us all the time; but -now he’s settled down for a while, and it’ll take ’bout all his time to -watch the gal, without watchin’ us too.” - -“And Little Rifle is probably at Maquesa’s village close at hand?” - -“I shouldn’t wonder, and of course I’m going to find out afore I make a -fair start for Fr’isco. I ain’t quite ’nough fool to start off on such a -hunt without something more than the word of Maquesa.” - -“But you know how cunning he is, Uncle Ruff; he will be on the watch for -us, and it will be hard for you to reconnoiter the village without his -discovering it; and that will show him that we don’t believe what he has -told us.” - -“He’s beat me up to this time,” replied the trapper, with a grin, “but -if he beats me now, I’ll leave the woods and mountains, and open an -oyster saloon in Fr’isco. But come! do you see how high the sun is? -Let’s be off.” - -Harry noticed that as they moved away the old man headed for the -Columbia river, which lay off to the south-west, and to reach which by -the present route, would carry them entirely out of the way of the -Indian village in which Maquesa ruled and reigned. - -The trapper explained by saying that his intention was to “fool” the -chief into the belief that he had given his words full credence, and was -really on his way for the little trading-post at the head of the -Columbia. - -“He’s very kind—oncommonly so,” he added; “he told me where I could find -one of his canoes, which he said was a mighty good thing to shoot the -Dalles with. We’ll take it, and p’r’aps use it for that.” - -The river was still a goodly distance away, and it was a couple of hours -before they reached it; but, so explicit had been the instructions of -the Blackfoot, that scarcely fifteen minutes passed, after striking the -stream, before the boat was found, and the two entered, and headed -down-stream, Old Ruff paddling at a leisurely rate, like one who has a -week of labor ahead. - -Not until they had rounded a large bend in the river, did he make any -reference to the Blackfoot who had sent them upon this errand. Then it -was to inquire: - -“Didn’t notice nothin’ ’ticular when we shoved off, younker?” - -Harry replied in the negative, wondering to what he referred. - -“Maquesa and another varmint were on t’other side the river, watchin’. I -seen ’em, but they didn’t know it. You see, they wa’n’t sartin whar I -meant to go, and that’s what they war after.” - -“Then you are certain they have been deceived as to what you mean to -do?” - -“Ain’t sartin yet, and I don’t b’lieve he is. I’m paddlin’ mighty slow, -as you have obsarved, ’cause I’m expecting he’ll take another squint. Ef -he does, it will be from the top of that swell yender. He orter reached -it by this time, ’cause we haven’t traveled fast. Jes’ turn your glass -that way—as careless, like, you know, as you can—and see whether you can -catch sight of any top-knots.” - -The boy did as requested, and after a few seconds’ careful survey, he -declared that he saw nothing suspicious. The swell alluded to was upon -the right bank of the river, rising to a hight of a dozen feet or so, -with no trees, but covered with long, luxuriant grass. - -“Let me take it,” said Robsart to Harry, and turning it in the direction -indicated, he held it motionless for considerable time, leaving the -canoe to drift with the current. - -“Don’t see nothin’ of him,” he said, still holding the instrument to his -eye; “guess he thinks thar ain’t no use of his going to Astoria— Skulp -me! ef I didn’t cotch a glimpse of his top-knot then. He’s a-layin’ -flat, and raised his noddle jist high ’nough for me to see it through -the grass. Now its down ag’in.” - -Several times this was repeated, until the trapper, convinced that he -was entirely alone, grew weary, and passing the telescope to his -companion, resumed the paddle. - -The Columbia, at this part of its course, was quite broad and winding, -and by keeping close to the shore, Robsart managed his boat in such a -way that, while he appeared to be at work all the time, he was in -reality making little progress; for, as will be easily seen, every rod -thus passed over, very likely would have to be tramped back, not once -but twice again. - -The experienced eye of the trapper was enabled to discover, almost to a -certainty, the points from which the Blackfoot chief would make his -observations, and after doubling another cape, he directed the glass to -the suspicious point. - -But a careful survey, repeated many times, failed to reveal any thing at -all; and the conclusion was inevitable. - -Maquesa had been satisfied in his own mind that his statements were -fully credited, and that the two were on their way to the mouth of the -Columbia. Consequently he had withdrawn from watching and following -them. - -Another result from all this was the conviction that the chief had been -using deception, and that, in the words of Harry, they had not only -overtaken Little Rifle, but had passed beyond her, and to find her -again, they must turn about and retrace a goodly part of the distance. - -Old Ruff Robsart, understanding the tricky nature of Maquesa as he did, -dared not take any thing for granted, and although almost positive that -he was no longer under surveillance, he kept up his semblance of -journeying westward until the sun went down, and darkness wrapped the -forest and stream in its sable mantle. - -And then, as soon as assured that he was under the scrutiny of no -prowling red-skin, he shot the canoe under the bank and leaped out. - -Every thing had been arranged beforehand, so that no time was now lost -in the exchange of words. - -Harry was to remain where he was until his return, no matter if he was -absent a month. This was to be a journey entirely on foot, and the -trapper’s legs had enjoyed such a good rest that they felt capable of -almost any thing. A run of a dozen miles would be no more than enough to -give them a good stretching. - -After springing ashore, he merely uttered a word of parting, and then -whisked away like a shadow, leaving Harry Northend alone. - -The latter made up his mind for a good long period of waiting, so he ran -the canoe out a short distance into the stream, where he made the stern -fast to a long, outreaching limb, and then, wrapping himself up in his -blanket, went to sleep. - -Nothing occurred to interrupt his sleep, and when he awoke, the stream -was sparkling in the sunshine, and the cool, fresh morning air was -crinkling the surface. - -The next sensation of which he was aware was one of excessive hunger, -and unfastening the boat, he paddled ashore and sprung out to go on a -hunt after something. - -Harry drew the canoe up the bank and entirely out of the water, -remembering the caution that the trapper always took at such a time, not -merely from any sudden rising of the current but to prevent its catching -the eye of any foes who might pass up or down stream. - -This done to his own satisfaction, he threw his rifle upon his shoulder -and was just starting off upon his hunt, when the crackling of a branch -told him that some one was approaching! - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - DOWN THE COLUMBIA. - - -The next moment the copse parted, and to the surprise and pleasure of -Harry Northend, not an Indian or wild animal, but old Robsart himself -appeared. - -The lad was not expecting him before nightfall, but he had strong hopes -that when he did come he would bring Little Rifle with him; when he saw, -therefore, that he was entirely alone, the pleasure of meeting his old -friend again was mingled with a bitter disappointment. - -But the trapper did not appear cast down or discouraged, although he, -too, was apparently disappointed in the result of his journey. - -After grasping the hand of the lad, he said: - -“What do you s’pose, younker? Arter all I’ve said, and arter all we’ve -seen, that Maquesa has been tellin’ me nothin’ but the truth itself.” - -“Are you in earnest?” inquired Harry, with no little amazement. - -“Never more in ’arnest in my life; I got a look into thar village, and -was mighty lucky in finding the lodge of Maquesa himself. Thar I -listened fur a half-hour, while he talked with his squaw, and what I -heard him say made me sartin that Little Rifle has joined her father, -and with a couple of Injins to guide ’em, they’re gone down the -Columbia, on thar way to Fr’isco. If we ever expect to overhaul ’em, -that’s just what we’ve got to do. The little gal is still ahead of us, -and we’re a good ways behind.” - -“How much have they the start of us?” asked Harry. - -“I dunno; but I think it can’t be fur from two days, and mebbe a good -deal more.” - -“Do you think there is any probability of our overtaking them, before -they reach the mouth of the Columbia?” - -“The chances are all ag’in’ it; ’cause it ain’t likely that them two -red-skins have slept much on thar way. You know the old man would be -purty sartin to give ’em good pay and hurry ’em up all he could. I -shouldn’t wonder if they’ve set him and Little Rifle already ashore, and -then our only chance is that the vessel they’re goin’ on don’t sail -afore we git thar.” - -“Then let us be off at once.” - -Both were so eager to get forward that they took no more time than was -absolutely necessary for taking their dinner. The day was clear and -pleasant, just cool enough to make the exercise of paddling exhilarating -to one of Old Ruff’s powerful, healthy frame. - -He worked as untiringly as a steam engine, and aided by the swift -current of the Columbia they made good progress toward the ocean. - -All the way along the river the trapper was on the look-out for the -returning canoe, in which Ravenna and Little Rifle had been taken to -Astoria. Having seen nothing of it thus far, he had strong hopes of -reaching the mouth of the Columbia so near behind it as to intercept -their friends before they started for San Francisco. - -At the same time there was the possibility, if not the probability, that -the returning Blackfeet had either gone back overland or had avoided -them. - -The most vivid reminder that they were out of the woods was the sudden -appearance of a sloop coming up-stream. It was under full sail, and at -first sight of it Harry started and exclaimed that they were now indeed -in a land of civilization. - -The Columbia is ascended by large vessels to Fort Vancouver, about a -hundred miles from the mouth, while vessels of very light draught now -reach a point nearly double that distance. - -A few miles further, and just as the day was drawing to a close, our -friends came in sight of a schooner anchored close to shore. - -Robsart ran the little boat alongside, and finding several of the crew -aboard, made inquiries as to whether they had noticed a canoe going by -at any time during the past few days. - -Upon hearing the question the sailors laughed, and declared that they -had seen fully a hundred during the week that they had been ascending -the river; and even when the trapper explained particularly the number -and general appearance of the occupants of the one he was seeking, the -seamen could give no satisfactory answer, and Old Ruff resumed his -journey, rather ill-naturedly remarking that it was no use of making -inquiries of men who knew nothing and never would know any thing. - -They had come a long distance during the day and the trapper needed -rest. Accordingly the boat was run ashore, turned over on its face, and -they sought and procured lodgings in a little settlement that stood back -a short distance from the shore. - -As may be believed, the sun was scarcely above the horizon when the -canoe was again speeding down the Columbia, which was rapidly expanding -in depth and width as they advanced. - -They had now passed the last great bend in this majestic river, and had -almost a due westerly course before them until they should reach the -Pacific. Off to the north-east they could see the massive snow-covered -peak of St. Helen’s, as it towered aloft for fully thirteen thousand -feet. Shortly after they glided by the mouth of a considerable stream -that put in from the north. - -Just as the twilight descended upon wood and stream the canoe reached -Astoria, and this portion of their journey was finished. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - THE SEA TRAIL. - - -Although, as we have said, the day was drawing to a close when our -friends landed in Astoria, they lost no time in making search for Little -Rifle and her father, directing their steps, naturally enough, to the -old tavern which stands back some distance from the river. - -“_Thar they ar’ now!_” suddenly exclaimed Old Robsart. - -“Where? where?” asked Harry, starting and looking about in great -excitement. - -“Thar! don’t you see ’em? I mean them two red-skins that fotched ’em -here! They’re Blackfeet, both of ’em; they’re the very varmints we’ve -been lookin’ fur.” - -As he spoke he pointed out two Indians seated upon the ground, with a -bottle of whisky between them. Sure enough they were the very men that -had brought down Ravenna and his daughter from the Blackfoot village. -Having been well paid for their work they had purchased a few gaudy -ornaments at the fort, and were now fast drinking themselves dead drunk -upon the red-man’s great enemy, “fire-water.” - -Indeed they were so far gone now, that there was very little to be got -out of them, and Old Ruff would have succeeded no better than he did -with the sailors up the river, had he not snatched their whisky-bottle -away from them, and sworn that they should not have it again, until they -answered him every question. - -After a half-hour’s hard work, he learned that they had reached Astoria -on the preceding day with their charge, that they had seen them sail -away in a “much big canoe” toward the great lake, as they supposed, on a -trip to some happy hunting-ground. - -At the tavern or inn, more definite information was gained. They learned -that Mr. Ravenna had arrived there in a ship from San Francisco, several -weeks before, and remaining only a day, had hired a couple of hunters to -take him up the river to meet some Indian chief. On the preceding day he -had returned, in a canoe under the charge of the two Blackfeet, and -having with him, what seemed a boy, attired in Indian dress. He was very -quiet, had scarcely anything to say, and very little was seen of him. - -They had taken passage on this same morning for San Francisco, in the -same vessel that had brought the father there, and by this time were -fairly out to sea, on their way thither. - -This was to the point, as were the query and answer as to when another -boat left the port for the same destination. The captain of the schooner -Albatross was sitting in the bar-room at the time, and replied that he -should weigh anchor at sunrise on the morrow, when the tide would be in -and the bar could be passed without trouble. - -Could he take a couple of passengers who would pay him well for the -accommodation? - -Certainly; any thing in the way of business, and to please the -gentlemen. - -But just here, the trapper called Harry aside and conveyed the -unexpected startling information that he had decided to go no further. - -“What’s the use?” he said, by way of explanation. “I can’t be of no -further help to you; all you’ve got to do, is to go on board the -Albatross, and squat down and wait till she lands you in Fr’isco. When -you git there you kin hunt out the little gal as well without as you kin -with me. I must look after them furs and peltries of mine, and when I go -back I’ll stop at Fort Abercombie, and tell your old man that you’re all -right, and you know that’ll be a great satisfaction to him. You’re on -the right track now, and thar ain’t no Blackfeet in the way to make any -bother. You’ve got plain sailin’, and like ’nough you’ll git into -Fr’isco as soon as the other boat does. Leastways you’ll have no trouble -to find the little critter, and when you do, give her my love, and tell -her I’ll be down that way purty soon, to see her, or I’ll foller her -wherever she goes. Don’t you see, younker, that that’s the true plan and -the best one?” - -Harry could not help seeing the force of what the trapper said, and he -admitted it; but as he had not the least thought of such a proceeding -upon his part, it required some time for him to feel perfectly resigned -to it. - -The agreement was made that Old Ruff should remain over night with Harry -at the inn and then start on his return to the beaver runs beyond the -Cascade Range, while he should move down the coast toward San Francisco. - -And with this understanding the parties retired at a late hour. - -The arrangement was carried out almost to the letter, as the trapper -left the inn at an early hour, bidding Harry an affectionate farewell, -with the confident hope that they would soon meet again. - -It was nearly noon when the Albatross crossed the bar at the mouth of -the river, ten miles further down, and placed herself fairly on the -Pacific ocean. - -As soon as the sloop was fairly out to sea, and sailing northward, Harry -gave himself up to the enjoyment of the scene. Walking to the prow, he -took a station where he was not likely to be in the way and feasted upon -the view, which was a novel and deeply interesting one to him. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - THE WIND THAT BLEW NO GOOD. - - -When Harry Northend finally aroused himself from the fanciful dreams -into which he had fallen, the sun had gone down, and it was already -growing dark. He noticed that the sea was heavier than usual, and the -ship tossed and pitched in a way that was any thing but pleasant to a -landsman. - -He had a dread of being sea-sick, but it may be that there was something -in the rough out-door life that he had been leading during the past few -months that acted as a preventive; for now, when the real test had come, -in the tossing and heaving of the sea, he was not sensible of the -slightest disturbance, and, as he descended into the cabin to take his -supper with the captain, that functionary took occasion to congratulate -him upon his good fortune. - -“Perhaps I may get sick yet,” timidly returned the boy, “as we are only -fairly started on our trip, I suppose.” - -“Perhaps you will,” was the hearty reply of the captain, as he helped -himself to a huge slice of fried pork, “though a chap, if he is going to -have it, is pretty sure to show signs of it by this time. However, we -are going to have rough weather before we get through.” - -Harry looked up at the bronzed and bearded face with some apprehension. - -“Do you mean that a storm is brewing?” - -“Exactly; I can always feel it in that larboard leg of mine—a touch of -the rheumatics, you know—a reg’lar barometer—sure to tell me when -trouble is coming.” - -“What sort of a coast have we here?” asked the boy. - -“It is one of the infernalest coasts in the whole creation,” was the -reply of Captain Cole. “I was wrecked on it twice, and the last time I -came up, only missed it by a hair’s breadth.” - -Harry could not but feel alarmed at the words of the captain; but beyond -his own personal fear, was anxiety about Little Rifle, who, he knew, was -at no great distance ahead, and whose vessel would be caught in the same -tempest, if it should come, and would, in all human probability, share -the same fate. - -“Do you know what boat Mr. Ravenna and his daughter sailed upon?” he -asked of the officer. - -“Certainly,” was the prompt answer. “It was the North Star, a schooner -belonging to the Smith Brothers, of Fr’isco, engaged in the same trade -with us.” - -“Is she a stanch vessel, able to weather such a storm as seems to be -coming?” - -“She is one of the rottenest, good-for-nothingest old hulks in the -trade. It’s a wonder to me that she hasn’t gone to the bottom before, -for she ain’t any better than an old tub.” - -This was very dispiriting tidings, to say the least, and Harry began to -believe that instead of being through with the difficulties and dangers, -the greatest still remained before them. - -As if to emphasize the words of the captain, the whistling of the wind -through the cordage at this moment rose so high and shrill, that they -distinctly heard it in the cabin, although the door was closed. At the -same time the vessel made a deep plunge into the sea. - -Captain Cole shook his head in a knowing way. - -“Oh, I tell you it’s coming, sure; you can make up your mind to that. I -tell you that a _howler_ is coming up!” - -The captain arose and went on deck, and Harry followed him, that he -might see for himself the prospect before them. - -The change that he encountered was enough to make the strongest man, -unaccustomed to the sea, draw back in terror. - -It was of pitchy darkness, and the gale, as it whistled through the -rigging, rose and swelled like the shrieking of spirits in the air, as -they floated high above the mast, or glided over the deck; the wind that -blew against his cheeks brought with it the brine of the ocean, and he -instinctively clapped his hand upon his head to prevent his hat being -carried away. - -The sloop was pitching and tossing quite heavily, but still she held her -own. All sail was crowded on, and she seemed to be under capital -control, if it would only last. - -The captain speedily vanished in the gloom, as he went to take his place -at the helm, and relieve the mate, who had been stationed there during -his absence. - -When Harry found himself out of the cabin and upon the deck, he -staggered to the gunwale, where he caught hold with both hands and held -on, while he listened and looked, and endeavored to gain a fair view of -the situation. - -“There is a strong gale of wind,” he thought, as the spray went dashing -over his head; “but I can not see why there should be any great danger. -She has not taken in any sail yet, and so long as the wind keeps as it -is, it will only hurry us on our way.” - -Looking aloft, not a star was to be seen. The sky seemed to be wrapped -in the densest, blackest gloom. - -Looking off to the southward, Harry fancied, once or twice, that he -detected a bright point of light appear through the night. - -Only for an instant was it visible, when it vanished again, and he -supposed it was produced by the phosphorescence of the sea, until he -happened to be gazing directly toward the point where it appeared, when -it struck him that its appearance was different from that. It was more -like the glimmering of a star, that is shut out at intervals by some -dark body coming between it and the observer, to reäppear again in a few -moments. - -While Harry was puzzling his brains over the singular appearance of this -light, somebody slapped him upon the shoulder, causing him to turn with -a suddenness that almost threw him off his feet. - -In the murky gloom, he was barely able to make out a human figure, which -he suspected was that of the captain. - -“Come, my boy, you had better go below!” he called out, in a cheery -voice. - -“Can you tell me what that light means?” Harry inquired. - -“Where? I don’t see any,” replied the officer, halting by his side. - -“It is gone now—there it is again. Look! it seems like a star!” - -“Oh, that! Why that’s the binnacle light of another boat.” - -“Do you know what one it is?” asked the lad, with a vague but terrible -misgiving freezing his heart. - -“Hardly enough light to read her name; wait until morning, and I’ll tell -you what she is, and where she hails from.” - -Harry was about to ask more, but the captain moved away in the darkness, -leaving him alone. - -He remained on deck, watching the fitful twinkling of the point of -light, as it rose to view on the crest of a wave, and then dipped out of -sight again, and speculating as to what the night and following day -would bring forth. - -But, as the night advanced, he thought there was very little if any -increase in the fury of the gale, and he descended into the cabin, where -Captain Cole had placed a hammock at his disposal. - -Here he committed his soul in fervent prayer to God, and then lay down -without removing any of his garments; for he had no expectation of -sleep, and had little hope that he would be permitted to remain -undisturbed until the rising of the morrow’s sun. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - WHAT OF THE NIGHT? - - -Harry Northend had been through many perils and trying scenes in the -wilderness of the North-west; but just now he felt more wretched from -physical fear than ever before. - -It was useless for him to lie upon his hammock, and he only did so -because he had nothing else to do. Finally he leaped down upon the -floor, and taking a seat upon the bench, concluded to sit out the night. - -The lantern swinging from the roof threw a dim, yellow glare through the -cabin, and, as he mechanically looked up, he saw a half-dozen -life-preservers dangling beside it. They were made of cork, and were the -same as he had often seen upon the Mississippi steamers. - -Unfastening one of the useful articles, he carefully fastened it beneath -his shoulders, and then resuming his seat, waited as the terrible -moments dragged slowly by. - -Harry was sitting with bowed head, his thoughts upon his mother and -home, when he was again brought to his feet by another outburst. This -time it was the heavy boom of thunder, that appeared to burst overhead, -scarcely higher than the masts, and which made the sloop tremble as if -struck by a mountainous surge. - -This was the first time since starting that he had heard the noise of -thunder, and somehow or other, whether with or without reason, we can -not say, he had mainly founded his hope upon that fact, persuading -himself that so long as that was absent, there was good reason for -believing the vessel would safely ride out the gale. - -The boat was still shivering beneath the shock, when there came another -rattling, reverberating peal, ten times louder than before, and that -paralyzed Harry for the moment with terror. - -“The vessel has been struck!” he gasped, as soon as he recovered his -self-possession, and then staggering to the door, he drew it open, and -looked out, expecting to see the boat hissing in flames. - -But no; it was still unharmed; but the dense blackness was cut in a -hundred places by the zigzag lightning, that was flaming from every -portion of the heavens, and seemed to be playing about the vessel -preparatory to splitting it into a thousand fragments. - -Harry partially ascended from the cabin, and then paused transfixed by -the terrible scene. It was now raining, the drops of water being carried -along almost horizontally by the hurricane, and striking his face like -particles of sand. By the intense brightness of the lightning, he could -catch sight of the towering billows that rushed tumultuously toward the -doomed vessel, each one, as if it were about to overwhelm it, their tops -white with foam, while their concave walls appeared, as momentarily -seen, as if they were of ink. - -The wind shrieked and moaned through the cordage, and the captain’s -orders, as he shouted them through his speaking-trumpet, sounded as if -they came from some point miles away. By the same vivid flashes, he -caught sight of him and the seamen, standing like statues, cool, -self-possessed, and ready for whatever the elements should bring them. - -Harry was recalled to a more vivid sense of his perilous position by a -tremendous surge, which striking the side of the vessel with all its -force, instead of dashing itself into spray and mist, broke so as to -send an immense volume bodily across the decks, precipitating itself -against him with such violence that he was thrown senseless to the floor -of the cabin. - -He had an indistinct recollection of hearing the door slammed to at the -same instant, and concluded, when he recovered his senses, that it had -been done by one of the seamen, as a reminder for him to keep it closed, -so as to prevent the water from entering, the hatches having long since -been fastened down. - -The lad did not remain unconscious for any length of time. The sense of -impending danger was too vivid and intense, and the shuddering and -tossing of the vessel too constant for him to continue insensible to it. -Recovering his feet he again sat down, holding on tightly to prevent -himself being tossed upon his head. - -And sitting there he could hear the mighty waves sweep over the deck -with a fierce impetuosity that it seemed must rend the vessel asunder. - -“How much longer, oh heaven! can this tortured vessel stand this?” he -exclaimed, more than once, as it labored up from the trough of the sea. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - WAITING FOR THE END. - - -The terrible night wore slowly away. If the sloop Albatross was -unseaworthy she still struggled manfully and bravely with the furious -tempest. It seemed at times as if human ingenuity could not put timbers -together strong enough to withstand the avalanche-like pounding of the -mountain surges; but still she labored on, panting and plunging through -the waves that broke and swept her decks from end to end. - -It was near daylight, and Harry was sitting in the manner mentioned, -when he observed that the floor of the cabin was covered with water. Of -course a considerable quantity had been dashed in with him at the time -he was struck by the wave and precipitated to the bottom, but it -appeared that this quantity was increasing. - -The constant pitching and tossing made it impossible for him to measure -the hight by any mark upon the side of the cabin, but a few minutes’ -careful survey convinced him that he was not mistaken. - -Just then the dull thumping of one of the pumps reached his ears, and he -understood that the vessel was leaking. - -His little knowledge of a vessel had led him to suppose that in case -they sprung a leak the last place into which the water made its way was -the cabin; but he could well understand how in such a gale as this such -furious wrenching must open the seams in a score of places. - -“She is leaking—that’s certain!” he exclaimed, as the sousing and -dashing of the water made his position anything but a pleasant one. “I -believe it will gain upon them too, if the storm continues much longer, -so that the hold will fill with water.” - -Scarcely any change was to be noticed in the thunder-claps, which -continually sounded in the ear with a stunning uproar to which Harry was -in a certain respect indifferent. It was not the lightning which he -feared, but the sea, the tempest; it was the shivering ship, the -crashing billows, whose frightful perils he could not drive from his -mind if he desired, which at any moment might consign him to the -merciless ocean. - -Finally he concluded to make the attempt to reach the deck again, for he -was convinced from the way that the boat was laboring, and the -increasing water in the cabin, that she was sinking, and he judged that -Captain Cole was too much occupied to leave his post, and perhaps when -the critical moment came would forget him altogether and leave him to -his fate. - -At the very moment he placed his hand upon the door it was shoved -violently inward, and the stentorian voice of Captain Cole shouted: - -“Come, my boy, time’s up; are you ready to go to Davy Jones’ locker?” - -A frightful scene met his gaze as he came upon deck. The night was -passed, but the morning that had succeeded was scarcely less terrible. - -The wind, which had been blowing a hurricane, had abated somewhat, but a -rain, mixed with snow, swept horizontally through the air, with a -cutting chilliness; the billows came sweeping tumultuously forward, so -close after each other that they looked like the snowy ridges of -countless mountains; the hold of the vessel was half full of water, and -she plunged and struggled like some dying monster. - -No sunlight lit up the dreadful scene, but a gray, horrid mist shut out -all sight for a distance of a hundred yards; the seamen seeing that all -further effort was useless had lashed themselves to the rigging, but the -stern Captain Cole disdained all such assistance, and managed by -herculean strength and skill to keep himself from being washed overboard -by the waves that broke ceaselessly over the deck. - -Harry saw it was sure death to venture away, and he crouched down by the -cabin, so as to permit it partly to shield him from the fearful -avalanches of water. - -The minutes seemed of eternal length, but he had been here only a few -seconds when he became aware of a dull, booming roar that rose above the -tumult of the tempest. The captain, maintaining a position near him, -seemed to divine his thoughts, and stooping down so as to bring his -mouth close to his ear, shouted: - -“It is the breakers you hear! We shall strike in a few minutes! Hang on -till the hulk goes to pieces, and then do what you can to reach shore. -Can you swim?” he asked, noticing the life-preserver. - -Harry nodded, for it was useless for him to attempt to speak in this -pandemonium of sound. - -“Can’t help each other,” shouted back the strong-lunged Captain Cole; -“if I can, I’ll do all that’s possible for you.” - -The Albatross was drifting rapidly toward shore, for at this moment the -bold, rocky headland of the California coast loomed up to view, with the -churning breakers at their base, curling and foaming in their restless -fury. - -The rocks looked black, dripping and unutterably cheerless in the misty -morning; but the yearning eyes that peered through the fog could see -also the sand of the beach at their feet, showing standing-room for any -who might be fortunate enough to be cast thither. - -But, behold! As Harry looked he saw the dark hull of another vessel -pounding against the shore. It had struck some time before, and while -the bow remained immovably fixed, the stern was rearing and plunging in -a way which showed that it must speedily go to pieces. Not even an -iron-clad could withstand such blows as it was receiving each moment. - -Harry Northend forgot his own peril in his interest in the scene. He -could discern several figures clinging to the bow, and one of them as -dimly revealed through the blinding mist and sleet, he was sure was -Little Rifle, while the tall, dark form near her must be that of her -father. - -“It’s the North Star!” screeched Captain Cole, who well understood the -anxiety of the lad; “we’re going to strike pretty near her. Hello!” - -This exclamation was caused by a sudden thumping jar, followed by -another plunge and then a fearful shock, that threw the captain forward -upon his face, causing him to roll heavily against the gunwale, which he -clutched, barely in time to save himself from going overboard. - -Every blow of the waves only drove the prow the more firmly into the -sand, while the stern, still in deep water, worked heavily around, until -that, too, remained fast, and the Albatross thus lay broadside on, -exposed to the full fury of the tempest; but a moment later, from some -unexplained cause, the bow was lifted, and by a strange action of the -waves, swung around, so that it pointed directly out to sea, and the -rudder was the part nearest shore. - -This rendered the stern the safest part, especially as the bow began -working down in the sand, and it became necessary for Harry to shift his -position. The seamen, by ascending some distance up the rigging and -lashing themselves fast, had placed themselves above the reach of the -waves, and Captain Cole, feeling that nothing else remained, prepared to -do the same with Harry. - -Watching his chance, he dashed forward, and catching the hand of the -boy, had him at the foot of the ladder in a twinkling. Here another -surge caught them, and but for the help of the officer, the boy would -have been shot out on the crest of one of the billows, like an -egg-shell. - -But he knew what was required of him, and he went up the ladder as -nimbly as a monkey, the captain at his heels, neither pausing until they -reached a safe point, where they could maintain themselves with -comparatively little difficulty for some time. - -The trouble was, that if compelled to remain here very long, the driving -sleet would so benumb their limbs that they would become unable to -maintain their hold. The seamen, although strong and rugged men, had -been on deck for twelve hours, and needed to be lashed to make sure of -their footing. - -But every probability was that not a soul would be left on board at the -end of an hour, and this precaution was unnecessary in the case of the -two who had last ascended. - -It was not until Harry had been perched here for several minutes that he -was able to take a survey of his surroundings. - -As the chief officer had predicted, they had struck the beach very near -the other vessel—less than a hundred feet separated them—and, as the lad -looked off in that direction, he saw among the three figures clustered -at the bow that of Little Rifle. - -Most of the crew of the North Star had also lashed themselves to the -rigging, but the bow being much more sheltered than was that of the -Albatross, the three persons mentioned were enabled to maintain -themselves with little exertion. - -The tall dark figure, which Harry supposed to be the father, had placed -himself in such a position as to shut off most of the fury of the -tempest from his loved daughter. - -And Little Rifle, holding on like a heroine, as she was, looked off in -the rigging of the other ship, and saw Harry Northend, who was also -gazing toward her. - -“Does she recognize me?” was the thought in the mind of the lad, as he -gazed wistfully at her. - -His heart warmed with delight, even at this awful time, when the next -moment he saw her raise her hand and wave it toward him. Regardless of -his own danger, he returned the salutation, and shouted back, but the -sound scarcely reached the ears of the captain, directly below him. - -In that moment what must have been the thoughts of Little Rifle? - -She could but have known what the presence of Harry Northend meant at -this time. That one glance must have told the story of his patient, -loving following of her through forest and mountain, and over river and -sea, until finally they were brought face to face again in the midst of -the tempestuous fury of the Pacific. - -“Ah! what would I not give for the privilege of exchanging one single -word with her?” thought Harry, as he remained gazing steadfastly across -the short but impassable chasm. “I wonder which of us will have to go -first?” - -Soon shall the question be answered. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - THE LEAP FOR LIFE. - - -All this time the eye of Captain Cole was scanning the coast before -them, and he was coolly weighing the chances it offered for an escape -for him and his companions. - -He noticed that the high, precipitous bluffs, as we have already -mentioned, directly opposite them, sat back some distance from the -shore. Were it otherwise, not the slightest hope would remain for the -most daring swimmer that ever cleft the wave. - -Not a living soul was to be seen upon these bluffs. He knew that further -inland were marauding Indians, who, if they knew of the booty that was -thus offered, would swarm along the shore in myriads, eager and -impatient for the sea to cast the prey into their hands. - -If they should appear, one would have little to choose between going -down in the sea at rest, or in being washed ashore in the full -possession of life and strength. - -Harry had withdrawn his attention for the moment from the other vessel, -when he felt the captain touch his leg, and, as he looked down at him to -see what it meant, he pointed to the wreck. - -One glance showed that it was breaking up. Large fragments could be seen -tossed aloft by the waves, and to several of them, men were clinging. - -Only two remained upon the prow and they were Little Rifle and her -father. The other had also plunged into the boiling sea, in his -desperate struggle for life. - -“Why do they wait?” was the question that came involuntarily to the lips -of the terrified lad; “they may as well take the leap first as last.” - -He had considerable hope of their escaping. He knew that Little Rifle -was a perfect swimmer, and he had heard old Ruff Robsart tell of some of -her wonderful exploits in water. It was to be supposed, of course, that -her father was also an expert. - -Instead of watching those upon the wreck, Captain Cole was carefully -observing those who were in the water; for the probability was that -whatever fate befell them would befall those who came after. If they -escaped, so might he; if they failed, the probabilities were that he -would. - -He saw them carried swiftly southward, all passing close to his own -boat, and one poor fellow was swept under the bow, bruised and drowned; -but the three others, clinging to the fragments cleared the second -wreck, and by a curious action of the eddying current, were whirled in -so close to shore, that by tremendous and powerful swimming all three -reached land and were seen to wade up the beach, dripping with brine, -and scarcely able to stand. - -This was encouraging, for the captain would not acknowledge that his -superior in swimming had yet been born. It was characteristic of the -man, that disclaiming all assistance in the shape of life-preservers or -pieces of the wreck, he should fling himself boldly into the ocean and -begin the struggle single-handed. - -The eyes of Harry Northend were naturally fixed upon him, and he watched -his movements with an intensity of interest that can scarcely be -imagined. He observed that as he drifted southward, he aimed directly -for the shore, swimming with a steady and powerful stroke. He made no -attempt to prevent the foam of the breakers from going over his head; -for the simple reason that he knew no mortal man can support himself in -spray and foam. All that he can do, is to hold his breath, and wait for -a chance to get another mouthful of air. - -This the sailor did, surely and steadily approaching the shore, until as -tossed high upon the crest of a mighty wave, he made land, and clinging -to the sand, scrambled up out of the baffled waves. - -Harry’s eyes were upon the brave captain, and his heart gave a throb of -pleasure as he saw that one at least had escaped, when something dark -caught his eye in the water, and he saw that Little Rifle was in the -water, clinging to a fragment of the wreck, and using might and main to -reach the shore. - -One glance at where the other wreck had been, showed that it was gone. -The sea was sweeping over the spot, and the only part that remained -visible was that to which the two were holding fast, and this was -spinning resistlessly in the current. - -Harry would have saluted them by way of encouragement, as they passed, -but they were too much engaged with their own work to glance right or -left. - -The lad wondered why it was that Little Rifle persisted in clinging to -the plank, when her ability in swimming would enable her to make much -better progress toward the shore; but, as he watched the movements of -the two, he rightly suspected that she did this to assist her father, -who was not her equal in swimming, and who was afraid to trust himself -alone in the waves. - -The progress upon a raft is necessarily much slower than that of simply -relying upon one’s muscular power and skill in the water; and so, with a -terrible misgiving, he saw the two sweep on down the coast, without, so -far as he was able to judge, coming any nearer. - -It was plain that the exertions of the noble-hearted girl were intended -mainly to benefit her parent. If she should fling herself loose from the -float, and strike out for the shore, she could reach it as certainly as -did Captain Cole, and the seamen of her own vessel. - -As if to convince her of the truth of this, the sailors who had been -lashed in the rigging of the Albatross, were now struggling in the water -and steadily making their way to shore. - -But certain death itself would not have dissuaded her from the attempt. -With all her bravery and remarkable skill, she worked the craft toward -the land, determined that if saved or lost, it should be in the company -of her parent. - -Harry felt that the time had come for him to make the “leap for life”; -for he was the only one left, and the wreck itself gave signs of -breaking up; but before doing so, he was anxious to see what became of -Little Rifle; for if she escaped, he would be nerved to make greater -exertions for his own safety. - -Harry took a look at the father and daughter, but it was not a very -satisfactory one, and convinced that it would not do for him to remain -longer, he came carefully down the ladder, so as to leap into the sea in -such a way as to run no danger of being swept under or against the hull. - -He was nearly to the bottom, when there was a fearful swaying, and he -saw that the wreck was turning upon its side. - -Not a moment was to be lost, and with a prayer upon his lip, he leaped -as far out in the boiling waves as was possible, and like Captain Cole, -struck straight for shore, with all the strength at his command, -dreading each moment to receive a crushing blow from the mast or one of -the spars. - -He escaped this, but he found it almost impossible to prevent himself -from strangling, as he seemed to be under water nearly all the time. - -But he struggled bravely as long as power remained. He could see the -black rocks gleaming wet and cheerless near him; dim figures of men upon -the beach—something like a shout—then all was blackness of darkness—and -he knew nothing. - -Was this death? - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - CONCLUSION. - - -As Harry Northend found himself battling with the billows, he struggled -manfully and heroically; for like every young, hopeful boy, he had -everything to live for. His life preserver kept him from sinking, but it -could not prevent the crests from curling over his head, and in this -way, when he was comparatively a short distance from shore, he became -bewildered, confused and strangled, and lost consciousness at the moment -when only a few sturdy strokes were needed to carry him safely to land. - -But here were a number who were watching his movements ready to give -what assistance they could, the moment they could gain the opportunity -to do so. - -Little Rifle and her father succeeded in reaching land, without -difficulty, and she was little exhausted. The moment she felt the solid -land beneath her, she turned about to see what had become of her friend -Harry Northend. For one moment, she thought he was gone, but the next -instant he rose to view on the crest of a wave, and she saw that he was -struggling for life. - -As he was drifting down the coast, the eight or ten persons on the beach -hurried down, so as to keep opposite, and to be ready to lend a hand the -moment it could be done. - -“Oh, if we had a rope!” exclaimed Little Rifle, as she saw how vainly -her lover was struggling, “we might save him.” - -“But we hain’t got a rope,” growled Captain Cole, “so what’s the use? -But we can form a line ourselves, and maybe get out to him.” - -This was no sooner mentioned than it was done, all taking hold of hands, -and while those composing one end of the line stood on the shore, the -others waded out as far as was prudent, the whole line running backward -when it was deemed prudent, or those furthest out to sea did their best -to “ride” the billows, as they came rolling in. - -Captain Cole intended to take the outer end or post of danger himself, -but seeing the anxiety of Little Rifle, and noticing her excellence as a -swimmer, he permitted her to go out, while he griped her small hand in -his horny palm, with a power that would have pulled the arm from the -socket before it would have permitted it to be withdrawn from his grasp. - -It was well that the captain retained his hold upon the hand or wrist of -Little Rifle; for her anxiety to get out to the assistance of the -despairing Harry Northend was so great, that she would have plunged -directly among the waves, careless of her own fate, in her desire to -save him. - -But the sailor would not permit any such vicarious sacrifice as that, -struggle as much as she might. Three separate times Little Rifle -attempted to catch the coat of the boy, as he went up the billow; but he -was too weak to help himself, and she just missed him each time. - -Again a giant wave carried him aloft, and, as Captain Cole gave her more -room, she threw herself into it also, with the resolve to secure him -this time, no matter at what cost. - -A desperate clutch, as far out as the iron grip of the sailor would -permit, and her hand grasped the sleeve of the boy. She had caught him -at last. - -The captain saw it, and giving the signal, the rest of the line ran up -the beach, the half-dozen who were furthest out, tumbling pell mell over -each other, as the wave broke and carried them up the sand. - -As soon as she felt that they were safe against being carried back by -the undertow, Little Rifle knelt over the form of Harry, and raising his -head upon her knee, looked longingly down on his face to see whether -life had departed or not. It was hard for her to tell, but while gazing, -the bluff Captain Cole stooped over her shoulder and put his hand upon -his forehead and then upon his chest. - -“Oh! he’s all right,” he said; “considerably bruised and half-choked, -but don’t you see he’s breathing?” - -“You think, then, he will not die?” she said, just raising her voice -loud enough to be heard in the tumult. - -“He’s worth ten thousand dead boys; he’ll come around all right in a few -minutes; but we must get up a fire some way or other or we shall all -perish. Dobbins must have got a crack on his head, some way or other, -for he’s dead as a door-nail. Well, you watch him while I see what can -be done about starting a fire.” - -By dint of great effort, sufficient fuel was gathered, and a strong fire -was kindled, around which the miserable shipwrecked sufferers gathered, -and managed to keep themselves from perishing. - -No Indians were to be seen, and, as the high cliffs shut out the view -inland, they had strong hopes of escaping this danger. - -It was found that two of the seamen had suffered such injuries, that, in -spite of all that could be done, they succumbed and died. Wet, cold and -hungry, the others could not have been much more miserable than they -already were. - -The storm rapidly abated, the sun coming out toward noon, and, as they -caught sight of a sail in the distance, every thing was done to attract -their notice. Captain Cole and a couple of his sailors ascended the -cliffs and displayed signals of distress. - -Fortunately these attempts succeeded, and about the middle of the -afternoon, the ship came in as close to shore as was prudent, and a boat -was sent in to bring the shipwrecked crew and passengers off. - -The sea was still running very high, but by good seamanship, the task -was accomplished without any mishap. The two dead bodies were also -brought off, and given a burial from the ship. - - * * * * * * * - -On the clear, starry night that succeeded the tempestuous one, Harry -Northend and Hagar Ravenna, better known as Little Rifle, sat by -themselves, conversing over the past and speculating as to the future. - -Her hand was imprisoned in his, and she no longer attempted to conceal -the love that warmed her heart. - -They first conversed of the past, and she made her story full and -complete. - -On that night when the two encamped in the Oregon wilderness, she had -not the remotest intention of leaving him in the manner that she did. - -But while he slept, the revelation that had been made to her during the -preceding few hours drove all slumber from her eyelids. It so wrought -upon her finally that she was obliged to rise to her feet, and pace back -and forth in the gloom, as a man will do when crushed by some -overwhelming calamity. - -And then, fearful of awakening him, she wandered away in the gloom, -expecting to return when she was able to master her emotions. - -She wept and cried, and was almost beside herself, until she flung -herself upon the ground, and prayed God to prevent her reason deserting -her. - -While lying thus in the gloom of the forest, she felt the distinct shock -of an earthquake, and springing to her feet, was sensible of the ground -swaying beneath. This new terror caused her to fall senseless to the -ground. - -When she regained her consciousness she was in a canoe, speeding swiftly -down-stream, and in the dim light of the early dawn, she recognized the -chief Maquesa, who, in answer to her questions, told her that he was -taking her to her father. - -All that he said corresponded with what she had learned the previous -day, and sad as she felt at the manner that she had left her dear -friend, she could not refuse to go with him. - -She gave the particulars of their journey through the woods and -mountains, saying that never until she caught sight of Harry upon the -wrecked Albatross did she know of a certainty that he was pursuing her. - -It was plain now that when Robsart referred to the manner of her -departure, he was convinced that she had temporarily lost her reason—but -he forbore saying so, through fear of needlessly distressing her. - -The meeting between father and daughter was singular and pathetic, and -it was a sad, strange story that he told. - -Jared Ravenna was one of the early pioneers of California, and in the -year 1846 visited Astoria, where he met Maquesa, the Blackfoot chief, -one day while hunting. A curious concurrence of circumstances caused a -strong friendship to spring up between the two. He roamed the woods for -weeks and months with him, and might have remained for years; but the -discovery of gold in California, caused him, with hundreds of others, to -hurry thither. - -Good fortune attended him in the mines, and leaving there he went east, -married the love of his youth, and returned again to California; but the -rugged life he was compelled to lead was too much for his wife, who died -at the birth of Hagar. - -California at that time was infested with the scum of the earth, and not -knowing what to do with the infant, he thought of his old friend -Maquesa, and sailing to Astoria, placed her in charge of the chief, who -agreed to give her the best care until she should reach a suitable age -to be taken on the long journey eastward, to receive proper attention -and education. - -A whim led the father to purchase the little rifle of a miner, and to -leave that with her, to provide against a contingency which he hoped -would never occur. - -It was the intention of Mr. Ravenna to return and claim his child at the -end of two years, he agreeing to pay the chief a handsome sum for the -care she was to receive in the interval at the hands of his squaw, -himself and people. - -Only moderate fortune attending Mr. Ravenna’s second venture in the -mines, he entered into a speculation somewhat of a different and -somewhat of the same character. Receiving what they deemed reliable -information of the existence of gold on an almost unknown portion of the -African coast, a party was formed to go thither. - -When near their destination their vessel was wrecked, and those of their -company who were not lost fell into the hands of the savages. A half -dozen were kept in confinement for nearly ten years, when three of them -succeeded one dark night in swimming off to a slaver, and by a -roundabout and wearisome route the despairing father at last found his -way back to California, where to his amazement he discovered himself -wealthy from the appreciation of a large quantity of land to which he -possessed a clear title. - -But he cared nothing for this. His child was his whole thought, and -without an hour’s unnecessary delay he reached Astoria, where he found -not a soul recognized him, so great had been the personal change in his -appearance during his long years of absence. - -With the assistance of a couple of Indians he had little difficulty in -reaching Maquesa, who had long since given him up as dead. The chief -undoubtedly suspected the identity of Little Rifle, but cared not to -interfere between her and Old Ruff Robsart, so long as he believed her -parent would not return to claim her. - -So much of the Past. - -And now of the Present. - -Mr. Ravenna was devotedly attached to his child, who was rapidly -learning to return his love. During his absence San Francisco had become -a great and growing city, and he proposed to settle down there and -devote himself to the education and welfare of his daughter. He received -Harry as his own child, and made him promise to make his home with him -until his own father should come to claim him. - -And the future, who should penetrate that? - -A couple of months later Mr. Northend appeared in San Francisco, in -company with Old Ruff Robsart, who was almost as wild with delight to -meet his own Little Rifle again as she was to see him. He already noted -a rapid improvement in her manner and appearance, and he was sure she -was going to make the handsomest woman that ever lived. He said, in -course of their many conversations, that one reason he returned to the -wilds of Oregon was to visit the cavern, in which it will be remembered -Harry and Little Rifle had become lost, after the former had gone over -the falls. He expected to find gold there, and so he did, but in too -insignificant quantities to compensate him, and so he left in disgust. - - * * * * * * * - -Five years later, the prosperous merchant, Harry Northend, received his -Bride of the Wilderness, as he still fondly termed her, and wishing them -all happiness we bid them farewell. - - - THE END. - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - -[1]See previous issue of this series, “Little Rifle.” - - - - - DIME POCKET NOVELS. - - - PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY, AT TEN CENTS EACH. - - 1—Hawkeye Harry. By Oll Coomes. - 2—Dead Shot. By Albert W. Aiken. - 3—The Boy Miners. By Edward S. Ellis. - 4—Blue Dick. By Capt. Mayne Reid. - 5—Nat Wolfe. By Mrs. M. V. Victor. - 6—The White Tracker. Edward S. Ellis. - 7—The Outlaw’s Wife. Mrs. Ann S. Stephens. - 8—The Tall Trapper. By Albert W. Aiken. - 9—Lightning Jo. By Capt. Adams. - 10—The Island Pirate. By Capt. Mayne Reid. - 11—The Boy Ranger. By Oll Coomes. - 12—Bess, the Trapper. By E. S. Ellis. - 13—The French Spy. By W. J. Hamilton. - 14—Long Shot. By Capt. Comstock. - 15—The Gunmaker. By James L. Bowen. - 16—Red Hand. By A. G. Piper. - 17—Ben, the Trapper. By Lewis W. Carson. - 18—Wild Raven. By Oll Coomes. - 19—The Specter Chief. By Seelin Robins. - 20—The B’ar-Killer. By Capt. Comstock. - 21—Wild Nat. By Wm. R. Eyster. - 22—Indian Jo. By Lewis W. Carson. - 23—Old Kent, the Ranger. Edward S. Ellis. - 24—The One-Eyed Trapper. Capt. Comstock. - 25—Godbold, the Spy. By N. C. Iron. - 26—The Black Ship. By John S. Warner. - 27—Single Eye. By Warren St. John. - 28—Indian Jim. By Edward S. Ellis. - 29—The Scout. By Warren St. John. - 30—Eagle Eye. By W. J. Hamilton. - 31—The Mystic Canoe. By Edward S. Ellis. - 32—The Golden Harpoon. By R. Starbuck. - 33—The Scalp King. By Lieut. Ned Hunter. - 34—Old Lute. By E. W. Archer. - 35—Rainbolt, Ranger. By Oll Coomes. - 36—The Boy Pioneer. By Edward S. Ellis. - 37—Carson, the Guide. By J. H. Randolph. - 38—The Heart Eater. By Harry Hazard. - 39—Wetzel, The Scout. By Boynton Belknap. - 40—The Huge Hunter. By Ed. S. Ellis. - 41—Wild Nat, the Trapper. Paul Prescott. - 42—Lynx-cap. By Paul Bibbs. - 43—The White Outlaw. By Harry Hazard. - 44—The Dog Trailer. By Frederick Dewey. - 45—The Elk King. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 46—Adrian, the Pilot. By Col. P. Ingraham. - 47—The Man-hunter. By Maro O. Rolfe. - 48—The Phantom Tracker. By F. Dewey. - 49—Moccasin Bill. By Paul Bibbs. - 50—The Wolf Queen. By Charles Howard. - 51—Tom Hawk, the Trailer. - 52—The Mad Chief. By Chas. Howard. - 53—The Black Wolf. By Edwin E. Ewing. - 54—Arkansas Jack. By Harry Hazard. - 55—Blackbeard. By Paul Bibbs. - 56—The River Rifles. By Billex Muller. - 57—Hunter Ham. By J. Edgar Iliff. - 58—Cloudwood. By J. M. Merrill. - 59—The Texas Hawks. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 60—Merciless Mat. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 61—Mad Anthony’s Scouts. By E. Rodman. - 62—The Luckless Trapper. Wm. R. Eyster. - 63—The Florida Scout. Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 64—The Island Trapper. Chas. Howard. - 65—Wolf-Cap. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 66—Rattling Dick. By Harry Hazard. - 67—Sharp-Eye. By Major Max Martine. - 68—Iron Hand. By Frederick Forest. - 69—The Yellow Hunter. By Chas. Howard. - 70—The Phantom Rider. By Marc O. Rolfe. - 71—Delaware Tom. By Harry Hazard. - 72—Silver Rifle. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 73—The Skeleton Scout. Maj. L. W. Carson. - 74—Little Rifle. By Capt. “Bruin” Adams. - 75—The Wood Witch. By Edwin Emerson. - 76—Old Ruff, the Trapper. “Bruin” Adams. - 77—The Scarlet Shoulders. Harry Hazard. - 78—The Border Rifleman. L. W. Carson. - 79—Outlaw Jack. By Harry Hazard. - 80—Tiger-Tail, the Seminole. R. Ringwood. - 81—Death-Dealer. By Arthur L. Meserve. - 82—Kenton, the Ranger. By Chas. Howard. - 83—The Specter Horseman. Frank Dewey. - 84—The Three Trappers. Seelin Robbins. - 85—Kaleolah. By T. Benton Shields, U. S. N. - 86—The Hunter Hercules. Harry St. George. - 87—Phil Hunter. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 88—The Indian Scout. By Harry Hazard. - 89—The Girl Avenger. By Chas. Howard. - 90—The Red Hermitess. By Paul Bibbs. - 91—Star-Face, the Slayer. - 92—The Antelope Boy. By Geo. L. Aiken. - 93—The Phantom Hunter. By E. Emerson. - 94—Tom Pintle, the Pilot. By M. Klapp. - 95—The Red Wizard. By Ned Hunter. - 96—The Rival Trappers. By L. W. Carson. - 97—The Squaw Spy. By Capt. Chas. Howard. - 98—Dusky Dick. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 99—Colonel Crockett. By Chas. E. Lasalle. - 100—Old Bear Paw. By Major Max Martine. - 101—Redlaw. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 102—Wild Rube. By W. J. Hamilton. - 103—The Indian Hunters. By J. L. Bowen. - 104—Scarred Eagle. By Andrew Dearborn. - 105—Nick Doyle. By P. Hamilton Myers. - 106—The Indian Spy. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 107—Job Dean. By Ingoldsby North. - 108—The Wood King. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 109—The Scalped Hunter. By Harry Hazard. - 110—Nick, the Scout. By W. J. Hamilton. - 111—The Texan Tiger. By Edward Willett. - 112—The Crossed Knives. By Hamilton. - 113—Tiger-Heart, the Tracker. By Howard. - 114—The Masked Avenger. By Ingraham. - 115—The Pearl Pirates. By Starbuck. - 116—Black Panther. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 117—Abdiel, the Avenger. By Ed. Willett. - 118—Cato, the Creeper. By Fred. Dewey. - 119—Two-Handed Mat. By Jos. E. Badger. - 120—Mad Trail Hunter. By Harry Hazard. - 121—Black Nick. By Frederick Whittaker. - 122—Kit Bird. By W. J. Hamilton. - 123—The Specter Riders. By Geo. Gleason. - 124—Giant Pete. By W. J. Hamilton. - 125—The Girl Captain. By Jos. E. Badger. - 126—Yankee Eph. By J. R. Worcester. - 127—Silverspur. By Edward Willett. - 128—Squatter Dick. By Jos. E. Badger. - 129—The Child Spy. By George Gleason. - 130—Mink Coat. By Jos. E. Badger. - 131—Red Plume. By J. Stanley Henderson. - 132—Clyde, the Trailer. By Maro O. Rolfe. - 133—The Lost Cache. J. Stanley Henderson. - 134—The Cannibal Chief. Paul J. Prescott. - 135—Karaibo. By J. Stanley Henderson. - 136—Scarlet Moccasin. By Paul Bibbs. - 137—Kidnapped. By J. Stanley Henderson. - 138—Maid of the Mountain. By Hamilton. - 139—The Scioto Scouts. By Ed. Willett. - 140—The Border Renegade. By Badger. - 141—The Mute Chief. By C. D. Clark. - 142—Boone, the Hunter. By Whittaker. - 143—Mountain Kate. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 144—The Red Scalper. By W. J. Hamilton. - 145—The Lone Chief. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr. - 146—The Silver Bugle. Lieut. Col. Hazleton. - 147—Chinga, the Cheyenne. By Edward S. Ellis. Ready Feb. 10th. - 148—The Tangled Trail. By Major Max Martine. Ready Feb. 24th. - 149—The Unseen Hand. By J. Stanley Henderson. Ready March 9th. - 150—The Lone Indian. By Capt. Chas. Howard. Ready March 23d. - 151—The Branded Brave. By Paul Bibbs. Ready April 6th. - 152—Billy Bowlegs, the Seminole Chief. Ready April 20th. - 153—The Valley Scout. By Seelin Robins. Ready May 4. - 154—Red Jacket, the Huron. By Paul Bibbs. Ready May 18th. - - BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New York. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -—Silently corrected a few typos. - -—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - -—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - -—Created a Table of Contents based on the chapter headings. - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD RUFF, THE TRAPPER; OR THE -YOUNG FUR-HUNTERS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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