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12 - In the Heart of the Rockies by G A Henty · In the Heart of the Rockies

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  Speaker 1: Read by Alan Kammer, Chapter eleven Winter. The erection of
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  Speaker 1: tom shed for the horses did not take long. The
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  Speaker 1: whole party, with the exception of the two Indians, who
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  Speaker 1: as usual went hunting, proceeded to the pine wood above
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  Speaker 1: the beaver meadow. After a little search, six trees were
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  Speaker 1: found conveniently situated with regard to each other. The axemen
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  Speaker 1: cut down three young firs. One was lashed by the
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  Speaker 1: others between the two central trees to form a ridge
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  Speaker 1: pole eight feet from the ground, the others against the
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  Speaker 1: other trees at a height of three feet to support
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  Speaker 1: the lower ends of the roof. They were but ten
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  Speaker 1: feet apart, so that the roof might have a considerable pitch.
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  Speaker 1: Numbers of other young trees were felled and fixed six
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  Speaker 1: inches apart from the ridge down to the eaves. On
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  Speaker 1: these the branches of the young fir trees were thickly laid,
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  Speaker 1: and light poles were lashed lengthways over them to keep
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  Speaker 1: them in their places. As the poles of the roof
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  Speaker 1: had been cut long enough to extend down to the ground,
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  Speaker 1: no side walls were necessary. The ends were formed of
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  Speaker 1: poles lashed across to the side trees, but extending down
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  Speaker 1: only to within four feet six of the ground, so
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  Speaker 1: as to allow the horses to pass under, and were
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  Speaker 1: like the roof thickly covered with boughs. The lower ends
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  Speaker 1: were left open for a width of four feet in
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  Speaker 1: the middle uprights being driven into the ground, and the
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  Speaker 1: sides completed as before. What do you want a doorway
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  Speaker 1: at both ends? For Tom asked. It would have been
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  Speaker 1: easier and quicker to have shut one end up altogether,
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  Speaker 1: and it would be a good deal warmer. So it
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  Speaker 1: would Tom. But if a grizzly were to appear at
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  Speaker 1: the door, what would the horses do? They would be
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  Speaker 1: caught in a trap. Do you think they are likely
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  Speaker 1: to come? Uncle? The likeliest thing in the world, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: horses can smell bare a good distance off, and if
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  Speaker 1: they heard one, either coming down or going up the valley,
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  Speaker 1: they would bolt through the opposite door. They will do first.
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  Speaker 1: Right here. They will stand pretty close together, and the
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  Speaker 1: warmth of their bodies will heat the place up. They
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  Speaker 1: won't know themselves. They will be so comfortable. It has
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  Speaker 1: only taken us a day's work to make the shed.
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  Speaker 1: And though we laughed at your idea at first, I
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  Speaker 1: think now that the day has been well spent in
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  Speaker 1: getting them up such a good shelter. Jerry has got
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  Speaker 1: the big pail boiling over his fire, and we will
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  Speaker 1: put in a few handfuls of the flower we brought down.
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  Speaker 1: Bring the horses from the meadow, and we will give
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  Speaker 1: them each a drink of gruel in the shed. They
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  Speaker 1: will soon learn that it is to be their home
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  Speaker 1: for two more days. The open weather continued and the
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  Speaker 1: horses took up three loads of wood each afternoon, as
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  Speaker 1: they had done the previous week. Then, as there were
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  Speaker 1: signs of change, they were given a good feed at
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  Speaker 1: their shed. The saddles were taken off and hung up
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  Speaker 1: on some cross poles over their heads. The party had
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  Speaker 1: scarcely returned to the but when the snow began to fall,
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  Speaker 1: they were, however, weather proof and felt the immense additional
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  Speaker 1: comfort of the changes they had made. Their stock of
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  Speaker 1: firewood was now a very large one. At each journey
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  Speaker 1: the horses had brought up about fifteen hundredweight, and as
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  Speaker 1: the work had gone on for nine days they had
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  Speaker 1: they calculated something like fourteen tons of firewood neatly stacked.
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  Speaker 1: They had also a stock of poles in case the
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  Speaker 1: roof should require strengthening. A certain amount of light found
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  Speaker 1: its way in at the edges of the curtain across
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  Speaker 1: the entrance, but they depended principally upon the firelight. The smoke, however,
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  Speaker 1: was a serious grievance, and even the men were forced
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  Speaker 1: occasionally to go outside into the open air to allay
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  Speaker 1: the smarting of their eyes. Don't you think, uncle, we
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  Speaker 1: might do something to dry the wood. I can't see
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  Speaker 1: that we can do more than we are doing, Tom.
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  Speaker 1: We always keep a dozen logs lying round the fire
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  Speaker 1: to dry a bit before they are put on. I
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  Speaker 1: should think we might make a sort of stage about
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  Speaker 1: four feet above the fire and keep some logs up there.
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  Speaker 1: We might pile them so that the hot air and
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  Speaker 1: smoke could go up through them. They would dry a
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  Speaker 1: great deal faster there than merely lying down on the ground.
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  Speaker 1: I think the idea is a very good one, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: But we shall have to make the frame pretty strong,
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  Speaker 1: for if it happened to come down, it might break
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  Speaker 1: some of our legs. The men all agreed that the
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  Speaker 1: idea was a capital one, and after some consultation, they
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  Speaker 1: set to carry it out. Two strong poles were first chosen.
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  Speaker 1: These were cut carefully to the right length, and were
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  Speaker 1: jammed between the rocks at a height of seven feet
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  Speaker 1: above the floor and five feet apart. They were driven
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  Speaker 1: in and wedged so tightly that they could each bear
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  Speaker 1: the weight of two men swinging upon them without moving.
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  Speaker 1: Then four upright poles were lashed to them five feet apart,
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  Speaker 1: and these were connected with cross poles. That is strong
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  Speaker 1: enough or anything, Jerry said, when the structure had been
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  Speaker 1: so far completed. If a horse were to run against
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  Speaker 1: one of the poles, he would hardly bring the thing down.
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  Speaker 1: Four other short poles were now lashed to the uprights
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  Speaker 1: three feet below the upper framework, and were crossed by
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  Speaker 1: others so as to form a gridiron. On this the
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  Speaker 1: logs were laid in tears, crossing each other, sufficient space
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  Speaker 1: being left between them to allow for the passage of
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  Speaker 1: the hot air. That is a splendid contrivance, Harry said,
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  Speaker 1: when they took their seats on the buffalo robes round
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  Speaker 1: the fire and looked up admiringly at their work. The
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  Speaker 1: logs will get as dry as chips, and in future
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  Speaker 1: we shan't be bothered with the smoke. Besides, it will
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  Speaker 1: do to stand the pail and pots full of snow
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  Speaker 1: there and keep a supply of water without putting them
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  Speaker 1: down into the fire and running the risk of an upset.
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  Speaker 1: They had occupation now in manufacturing a suit of clothes
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  Speaker 1: apiece from the deer skins, as the work required to
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  Speaker 1: be neater than that which sufficed for the making of
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  Speaker 1: the curtain. Pointed sticks hardened in the fire were used
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  Speaker 1: for making the holes, and the thongs that served as
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  Speaker 1: thread were cut as finely as possible, this being done
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  Speaker 1: by the Indians, who turned them out no thicker than
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  Speaker 1: pack thread. There was no occasion for hurry, and there
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  Speaker 1: was much laughing and joking over the work. Their hunting
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  Speaker 1: shirts and breeches served as patterns from which to cut
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  Speaker 1: out the skins, and as each strove to outvie the others.
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  Speaker 1: The garments, when completed, were very fair specimens of work.
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  Speaker 1: The hunting shirts were made with hoods that, when pulled
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  Speaker 1: over the head, covered the whole face except the eyes,
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  Speaker 1: nose and mouth. As they had plenty of skin, the
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  Speaker 1: hoods and shirts were made double so that there was
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  Speaker 1: hair both inside and out. They were made to come
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  Speaker 1: down half way to the knee, being kept close at
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  Speaker 1: the waist by their belts. The leggings were made of
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  Speaker 1: single thickness only as they would be worn over their breeches.
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  Speaker 1: They were long and reached down below the ankle. The
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  Speaker 1: Indians made fresh moccasins for the whole party. They were
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  Speaker 1: made higher than usual so as to come up over
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  Speaker 1: the bottom of the leggings. In addition, each was provided
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  Speaker 1: with long strips of hide which were to be wound
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  Speaker 1: round and round the leggings from the knee to below
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  Speaker 1: the ankle, covering tightly the tops of the moccasins and
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  Speaker 1: so preventing the snow from finding its way in there.
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  Speaker 1: Gloves were then manufactured, the fingers being in one and
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  Speaker 1: the thumb only being free. The work occupied them a fortnight,
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  Speaker 1: broken only by one day's spell of fine weather, which
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  Speaker 1: they utilized by going down into the valley, taking with
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  Speaker 1: them their kettles and pail, together with a few pounds
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  Speaker 1: of flour. They found the horses out in the meadow,
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  Speaker 1: and these, as soon as they saw them, came trotting
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  Speaker 1: to meet them with loud whinnies of pleasure. A fire
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  Speaker 1: was lit near the shed, the snow melted, and an
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  Speaker 1: allowance of warm gruel given to each horse. At Tom's suggestion,
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  Speaker 1: a few fur boughs were hung from the bar over
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  Speaker 1: each entrance. These would swing aside as the horses entered,
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  Speaker 1: and would keep out a good deal of wind. When
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  Speaker 1: at the end of a fortnight the sky cleared, the
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  Speaker 1: chief said that he thought that there would be but
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  Speaker 1: little more snow. If storm come, sure to bring snow,
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  Speaker 1: but not lasts long winter Now set in soon snow harden.
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  Speaker 1: Now make snow shoes. The hunters had all been accustomed
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  Speaker 1: to use these in winter. They had found the last
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  Speaker 1: expedition through the deep snow a very toilsome one, and
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  Speaker 1: they embraced the idea eagerly. Some of the poles were
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  Speaker 1: split into eight feet lanthes. These were wetted and hung
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  Speaker 1: over the fire, the process being repeated until the wood
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  Speaker 1: was sufficiently softened to be bent into the required shape.
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  Speaker 1: This was done by the chief. Two cross pieces were
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  Speaker 1: added to stiffen them and keep them in the right
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  Speaker 1: shape when they dried, and the wood was then trimmed
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  Speaker 1: up and scraped by the men when it had dried
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  Speaker 1: and hardened. The work of filling up the frame with
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  Speaker 1: a closely stretched network of leather was undertaken. This part
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  Speaker 1: of the work occupied three or four days. The straps
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  Speaker 1: were attached to go across the toe and round the heel,
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  Speaker 1: and they were then ready to set off. The weather
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  Speaker 1: was now intensely cold, but as there was but little wind,
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  Speaker 1: it was not greatly felt. At the same time, they
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  Speaker 1: were glad of their furs when they ventured outside the
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  Speaker 1: hut on the first day. After their snowshoes were finished,
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  Speaker 1: the rest of the party started off to visit the
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  Speaker 1: horses hunting dog, remaining behind to give Tom instructions in
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  Speaker 1: the use of the snow shoes and to help him
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  Speaker 1: when he fell down. Tom found it difficult work at first,
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  Speaker 1: the toe of the shoe frequently catching in the snow
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  Speaker 1: and pitching him head foremost into it, and he would
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  Speaker 1: have had great difficulty in extricating himself had not the
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  Speaker 1: young Indian been at hand. Before the day was over, however,
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  Speaker 1: he could get on fairly well, and after two or
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  Speaker 1: three more days practice had made such progress that he
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  Speaker 1: was considered capable of accompanying the rest. The wood dry
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  Speaker 1: and apparatus had succeeded excellently. The wood was now dried
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  Speaker 1: so thoroughly before being put on to the fire, that
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  Speaker 1: there was no annoyance from the smoke inside the hut,
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  Speaker 1: and scarce any could be perceived coming from the chimney.
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  Speaker 1: Upon Harry's remarking upon this with satisfaction the first time
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  Speaker 1: they went out after using the dry wood, Tom said,
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  Speaker 1: what does it matter? There are no Indians in the valley.
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  Speaker 1: That is so, Tom. But as soon as the weather
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  Speaker 1: sets in clear the Redskins will be hunting again. Winter
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  Speaker 1: is their best time for laying in their stock of
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  Speaker 1: pelts for trading. At other times the game is all
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  Speaker 1: high up in the mountains, and it is very difficult
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  Speaker 1: to get within range of it. In the winter, the
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  Speaker 1: animals come down to the shelter of the forests and valleys,
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  Speaker 1: and they can be shot in numbers, especially as the
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  Speaker 1: Indians in their snow shoes can get along almost as
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  Speaker 1: quickly as the Wapiti can plow through the snow. At present,
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  Speaker 1: the Redskins think that we must have been overtaken by
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  Speaker 1: that first storm and have all gone under. But as
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  Speaker 1: soon as they begin to venture out of their lodges
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  Speaker 1: to hunt, a column of smoke here would be sure
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  Speaker 1: to catch their eyes, and then we should be having
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  Speaker 1: them up the valley. To a certainty, the first thing
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  Speaker 1: they would do would be to find our horses and
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  Speaker 1: drive them off, and the next thing would be to
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  Speaker 1: set themselves to work to catch us. But we could
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  Speaker 1: hold the path against them. Uncle, Yes, but we should
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  Speaker 1: have to keep watch every day, which would be a
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  Speaker 1: serious trouble. Besides, there must be other places they could
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  Speaker 1: get up. No doubt their regular trail comes up here
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  Speaker 1: because it is the straightest way to the past. And
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  Speaker 1: possibly there may be no other point at which loaded
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  Speaker 1: animals could mount anywhere about here. But there must be
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  Speaker 1: plenty of places where Indians could climb, and even if
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  Speaker 1: it took them a detour of fifty miles, they would
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  Speaker 1: manage it. As long as there is no smoke. We
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  Speaker 1: may hope they will not discover us here, though any
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  Speaker 1: hunting party might come upon the horses. That that is
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  Speaker 1: what has bothered me all along. But the Chief and
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  Speaker 1: I have talked it over a dozen times and can
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  Speaker 1: see no way of avoiding the risk. We can't keep
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  Speaker 1: the horses up here because we can't feed them. And
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  Speaker 1: even if we were to bring ourselves to leave this
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  Speaker 1: comfortable place and to build a hut down in the valley,
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  Speaker 1: we might be surprised and rubbed out by the redskins.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, we might bring them up here every night
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  Speaker 1: and take them down again in the morning, but it
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  Speaker 1: would be a troublesome business. We have agreed that we
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  Speaker 1: won't do much more shooting down in the valley, and
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  Speaker 1: that in coming and going to the horses, we will
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  Speaker 1: keep along close to the foot of the cliffs this side,
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  Speaker 1: so that if two or three Indians do come up,
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  Speaker 1: they won't see any tracks on the snow, unless they
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  Speaker 1: happen to come close up to the cliff. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: if they go up as far as the beaver flat,
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  Speaker 1: they will light upon the horses. There is no help
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  Speaker 1: for that. But the Chief and I agreed last night
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  Speaker 1: that in future two of us shall always stay up here,
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  Speaker 1: and shall take it by turns to keep watch. It
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  Speaker 1: won't be necessary to stand outside. If the curtain is
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  Speaker 1: pulled aside three or four inches, one can see right
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  Speaker 1: down the valley, and any Indians coming up could be
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  Speaker 1: made out. If the party is a strong one, a
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  Speaker 1: gun would be fired as a signal to those away hunting,
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  Speaker 1: and some damp wood thrown on the fire. They might
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  Speaker 1: possibly push on up the valley. To have a look
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  Speaker 1: at the place, but the two up here with their
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  Speaker 1: rifles would soon stop them. After that, of course, the
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  Speaker 1: horses would have to be brought up here at night,
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  Speaker 1: and a watch kept by night as well as by day.
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  Speaker 1: Two or three mornings later they found, on going out
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  Speaker 1: that two joints of venison had been carried off, and
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  Speaker 1: footprints in the snow showed that it had been done
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  Speaker 1: by a grizzly bear. This turned their attention again to
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: the construction of a trap, which had not been thought
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  Speaker 1: of since the day it was first mentioned. A young
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: tree of four or five inches in diameter was cut
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  Speaker 1: below and brought up. The butt was cut in the
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  Speaker 1: shape of a wedge, and this was driven strongly into
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  Speaker 1: a fissure in the rock. A rope with a running
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: noose had been fastened to the tree, and this was
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  Speaker 1: bent down by the united strength of four men and
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  Speaker 1: fixed to a catch fastened in the ground, the noose
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: being kept open by two sticks placed across it. A
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  Speaker 1: foot beyond the noose, a joint of venison was hung
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  Speaker 1: the rope, passing over a pole and then down to
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  Speaker 1: the catch, so that upon the joint being pulled, the
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  Speaker 1: catch would be loosened when a tree would fly up
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  Speaker 1: and the noose catch anything that might be through it.
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  Speaker 1: A week later they were disturbed by an outburst of
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  Speaker 1: violent growling. Seizing their rifles, they rushed out. A huge
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: bear was caught by one of his paws. The animal's
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  Speaker 1: weight was too great for it to be lifted from
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  Speaker 1: the ground, but it was standing upright with its paw
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  Speaker 1: above its head, making furious efforts to free itself. A
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  Speaker 1: volley of bullets at once put an end to its life.
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  Speaker 1: The tree was bent down again and the noose loosed.
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  Speaker 1: They at once returned to their rugs, leaving the bear
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  Speaker 1: where it fell. Four times during the winter did they
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  Speaker 1: thus capture intruders, providing themselves with an ample supply of
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: bear's flesh, while the skins would sell well down at
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  Speaker 1: the settlements. Otherwise, sport was not very good. No more
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: repeati came up, but black and white tailed deer were
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: occasionally shot, and five or six big horn sheep also
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: fell to their rifles. One day, on approaching the beaver meadow,
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: the chief pointed to some deep footprints. No explanation was needed.
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  Speaker 1: All knew that they were made by a big, grizzly
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  Speaker 1: and that the animal was going up the valley. No
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: horses were in view on the flat, and grasping their rifles,
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: they hurried towards the wood. Just as they reached it,
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: the horses came galloping to meet them, whinnying and snorting.
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: They have been scared by the critter, Jerry said, do
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: you see their coats are staring. Gosh, look at this
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  Speaker 1: pack phony. The bear has had his paw on him.
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  Speaker 1: The animal's hind quarters were indeed badly torn. I wonder
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  Speaker 1: how it got away, Harry said. When a grizzly once
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: gets hold it don't often leave go. There is something
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  Speaker 1: in front of the hut. Tom exclaimed, it's the grizzly.
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  Speaker 1: Sure enough, Harry said, it is a rum place for
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: it to go to sleep. They advanced, holding their rifles
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  Speaker 1: in readiness to fire. When leaping horse said bear dead.
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  Speaker 1: What can have killed him? Harry asked, doubtfully, horses kill him,
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  Speaker 1: the chief replied. They hurried up to the spot. The
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  Speaker 1: bear was indeed dead, and there were signs of a
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: desperate struggle. There was blood on the snow from a
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: point near the door of the hut to where the
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: animal was lying ten yards away. Round it. The snow
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  Speaker 1: was all trampled deeply. The bear's head was battered out
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  Speaker 1: of all shape, its jaw was broken, and one of
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: its eyes driven out. The Indians examined the ground closely.
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  Speaker 1: Well what do you make of it, Chief Harry, he asked, Bear,
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  Speaker 1: walk round hut, come another end. Horses not able to
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  Speaker 1: get out in time, pack horse last bear, catch him,
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  Speaker 1: bey hind quarters, horse, drag him a little way and
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  Speaker 1: then fall. Then other horses come back, form ring around
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  Speaker 1: bear and kick him. Look at prince at fore feet
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  Speaker 1: deep in snow. That is where they kick. They break
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  Speaker 1: bear's jaw, break his ribs, keep on kick till he dead.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: I suppose that is how it came about. Chief, I
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: should not have thought they would have done it. The
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: Suneka nodded. When wild horses with young foals attacked by
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: bear or mountain lion, they form circle with colts in
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  Speaker 1: the middle, stand heads in and kick bears and mountain
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: lion afraid to attack them. Well, I should hardly have
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  Speaker 1: believed if I had not seen it. Sam Hicks said
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: that horses would come back to attack a grizzly not
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: come back, The chief said, if not for friend, friend,
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: cry out loud. Then horses come back, fight bear and
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: kill him. Well, it was mighty plucky of them. Harry said,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: I'm afraid this pony won't get over it. He is
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: terribly torn. The chief examined the horse's wounds again. Get
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: over it, he said, cold, Stop wounds bleeding, Get some
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: fat and put in I reckon. You will find plenty
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: inside the grizzly Jerry said. The chief shook his head.
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Bear's fat bad. Other horses smell him. Perhaps keep away
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: from him, perhaps kick him. Leaping horse will bring fat
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: from the big horn he shot yesterday. The animal lay
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: where it had fallen a mile up the valley. They
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: went up and tied the great sheep's feet together, and,
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: putting a pole through them, brought it down to the hut,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: partly skinning it. They obtained some fat and melted this
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: in a kettle over the fire. Sam Hicks had remained behind.
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: At the fire, the horses all standing near him, excited
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: at the prospect of their usual meal. As soon as
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: the fat was melted, it was poured into the horse's wounds.
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: The mess of gruel was then prepared and given to
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: the animals. The bear was skinned and the hams cut off,
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: then by a united effort, it was dragged some distance
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: from the hut and the carcass of the big horn.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: The bear's flesh and hide were afterwards carried up to
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: the hut. Early in February, the cold reached its extreme point, and,
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: in spite of keeping up a good fire they had
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: long before this, been compelled to build up the entrance
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: with a wall of firewood, the interstices being stuffed with moss.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: The hut was lighted by lamps of bear and deer
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: fat melted down and poured into tin drinking cups, the
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: wicks being composed of strips of birch bark. A watch
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: was regularly kept all day two always remaining in the hut,
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: one keeping watch through a small slip cut in the
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: curtain before the narrow orifice in the log wall that
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: served as a door, the other looking after the fire,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: keeping up a good supply of melted snow, and preparing
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: dinner ready for the return of the hunters. At sunset
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: of an evening, they told stories, and their stock of
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: yarns of their own adventures and of those they had
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: heard from others, seemed to tom inexhaustible. Hunting dog had
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: made rapid advances with his English, and he and Tom
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: had become great friends, always hunting together or when their
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: turn came, remaining together on guard. The cold was now
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: so intense that the hunting party would seldom out for
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: more than two or three hours. Regularly, twice a week
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: the horses were given their ration of hot gruel, and
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: although they had fallen away greatly in flesh, they maintained
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: their health and were capable of work if called upon
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: to do it. It was one day in the middle
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: of February that hunting dog, who was standing at the
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: peep hole, exclaimed, rap a hoose. Tom sprang up from
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: the side of the fire, and running to the entrance,
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: pulled aside the curtain and looked out. Six Indians on
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: snow shoes were coming up the valley. He ran out
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: onto the platform and fire fired his ride. As the
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: sound of the report reached the Indian's ears, they stopped. Suddenly,
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: Shall I throw some green wood on the fire? Hunting dog,
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: No need, the Indian replied, The others only gone an hour,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: not farther than horse's hut. Here gun plain enough. Perhaps
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: rappahose go back. The Indians remained for some time in consultation,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: not know where gun fired. Hunting dog said soon see
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Hut didn't know. After a time, the Redskins continued their
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: way up the valley, but instead of coming on carelessly
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: in the center, they separated and, going to the other side,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: crept among the fallen boulders, there where they would have
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: escaped observation had it not been for their figures showing
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: against the white snow. Must fire now, the young Indians said. Then,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: leaping horse, no rapahose coming up. They went out onto
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: the platform and opened fire. They knew that their chance
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: of hitting one of the Indians was small. Indeed, the
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: other side of the valley was a quarter of a
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: mile away, and the height at which they were standing
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: rendered it difficult to judge the elevation necessary for their rifles. However,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: they fired as fast as they could load. The Indians
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: made no reply, for their guns would not carry anything
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: like the distance they occasionally gathered when they came upon
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: a boulder of rocks sufficiently large to give shelter to
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: them all and then moved on again one at a time.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: When opposite the lower end of the pathway, they again
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: held a consultation, No go further. Hunting dogs said, afraid
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: we come down path and stop them. See leaping horse
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: among rocks. It was some time before Tom could detect
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: the Indian. So stealthily did he move from rock to rock?
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Where are the others? No sea somewhere in bushes? Leaping
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: horse go on to scout, not know how many rapahose.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: Presently they saw the chief raise his head behind a
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: rock within a hundred yards of that behind which the
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: rappa hoose were sheltering. See them now, hunting dogs said,
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: see he going to fire. There was a puff of
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: smoke at a sharp report, and almost simultaneously rose an
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: Indian yell and the war cry of the Seneca. Then
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: five Indians leaped out from behind the rock and made
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: down the valley at full speed, while from a clump
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: of trees two hundred yards above the spot from which
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: the chief had fired, the four white men hurried out,
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: rifle in hand. The chief waited until they joined him,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: for the bend in the valley prevented him from seeing
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: that the rapahoes were making straight down it, and it
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: would have been imprudent to have ventured out until his
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: white allies came up. They have gone right down, Tom
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: shouted at the top of his voice. Harry waved his
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: arm to show that he heard the words, and then
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: the five men ran to the corner. The Indians were
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: already a quarter of a mile away and were just
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: entering the wood below. The Whites were about to fire
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: when the Chief stopped them. No use fire, he said,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: stand back behind rocks. No good, Let rapahose count our rifles.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: That is true enough, Chief Harry said, as they all
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: sprang among the rocks. All they know at present is
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: that there are two up on the rock there and
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: one down here. If we were sure that we could
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: wipe them all out, it would be worth following and
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: making a running fight of it. But there would be
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: no chance of that, and it is better to let
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: them go without learning more about us. Well, I should say,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: the first thing is to get up the horses. The
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: Chief nodded. Get up, he said, But no fear Rappa
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: host come back to night. Many hours journey down to villages,
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: then great council. Next night, Scouts come up valley, look
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: all about for sign, and then go back and tell friends.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: I dare say you are right Chief. Anyhow, I shall
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: feel a great deal more comfortable when we have got
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: the critters up. It was late in the afternoon before
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: they reached the hut. Some hours were spent in collecting
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: tufts of grass and places sheltered from the snow, and
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: in cutting off great bundles of young fir branches and
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: the heads of evergreen bushes. And the horses arrived, almost
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: hidden under the load of grass and foliage they carried.
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: Little was said until some hot tea had been drunk
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: and the bear steaks and readiness were disposed of. For
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: although they had worked hard and kept themselves comparatively warm
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: down in the valley, they had, as they moved slowly
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: up the path with the horses, become chilled to the bone. Now, then,
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: Chief Harry said, when they had lighted their pipes with
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: the mixture of tobacco and willow bark, that they had
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: taken to as soon as they found that they were
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: likely to be imprisoned all the winter, we must hold
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: a council. We have been longer than I expected without
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: disturbance by these varmint, but it has come now, and
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: the question is what are we to do. We have
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: agreed all along that there's no getting over the past
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: till the spring comes too cold, the chief said, deep
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: drift snow. Indians all say no can pass over hills
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: in winter. That air a fact, Jerry said. Down in
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: the valley there it is all right, But up here
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: the cold, pretty mere takes one's breath away. We ain't
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: sure of about the way. We couldn't get over the
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: pass in one day's tramp, and we should be all
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: stiff before morning. There would be no taking the horses.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: And there is a hundred miles to be done over
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: the snow before we reached the fort. It ain't to
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: be thought of. I would a sight rather go down
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: the valley and fight the whole tribe. I agree with you, Jerry.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: We might, with luck get down the valley, but I
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: don't think there is a possibility of our crossing the
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: pass till the winter breaks. No can go down valley.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: Leaping Horse said, they find trail on snow. Sure that
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: is so, Chief, And in that case it is evident
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: that we have got to fight it out here. Good
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: place to stop, the Seneca said, no good place to fight.
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: This was self evident. An enemy on the rock above
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: would be able to fire down through the roof without
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: their having a chance of making an effectual reply. The
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: only way I can see, Harry said, after a long pause,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: is to build a sort of fort up above. If
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: we put it just at the time of this pathway,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: we should have them, whether they came up by the
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: trail from below, or climbed up anywhere else and came
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: along above. It need not be a very big place,
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: only just big enough for us all to fire over.
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: We might make a sort of shelter in it with
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: a fire and keep guard there by turns. The chief nodded,
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: and there was a general exclamation of ascent from the others.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: The worst of it is, Jerry said, the ground is
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: so tarnal hard that there will be no driving post
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: into it. We have cut down all the trees near
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: the bottom of the pass, and it would be a
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: risky thing to go up higher when we might have
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: the redskins come whooping up the valley at any time.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Why not make a snow for it. Tom suggested, there
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: is four feet of snow up there, and with the
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: shovels we could make a wall ten feet high in
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: a very short time, So we might Tom that is
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: a capital idea. The difficulty is the snow does not
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: bind in this bitter cold as it does in England.
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: If it was hammered down, it would I should think, Uncle.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: You know the Eskimaux makes snow houses, and it is
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: as cold there as it is here. The snow at
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: the top is light enough, but I should think as
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: it gets down it would be hard enough to cut
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: out in blocks. We have plenty of water, and if
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: we pour it over each layer of blocks, it would
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: freeze into solid ice. Directly when we finish it, we
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: might pour more water down over the outside, and it
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: would make a regular wall of ice that no one
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: could climb up. Hoorai bully for you, Tom Jerry shouted,
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: while similar exclamations of approval broke from all the others.
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: While the chief said gravely, my young brother has the
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: head of a man. He is able to teach warriors.
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: You shall be engineer in chief, Tom Harry said, it
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: is certain we may sleep quietly to night. At daybreak
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: tomorrow we will begin the job. The first thing in
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: the morning. A semicircular line was traced out at the
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: top of their pathway. It was thirty feet across. For
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: as Tom said, the walls ought to be at least
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: four feet thick, and six feet would be better, as
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: they would want a parapet at least two feet thick
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: to fire over. It was agreed that the White should
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: use the two shovels by turns. The Indians were unaccustomed
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: to the work, and were to undertake that of scouting
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: along the hillside and of watching by turns at night.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: The frying pan was brought into requisition, a wooden handle
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: being made for it. The hard upper crust was removed
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: with the shovels, and the layer beneath this was sufficiently
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: soft for the instrument to be used as a shovel.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Below that it hardened and could be cut out in
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: great blocks. The loose snow was thrown inside of the
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: line traced out. As fast as the blocks were cut out,
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: They were carried and piled regularly to form the face.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: Tom's share of the work was to keep on melting
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: snow and to bring it up and pour between and
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: over the blocks. As fast as the line of these
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: were made. The loose snow was thrown in behind it
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: and trampled down hard. Except for meals, there was no rest.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: The chief said that as there was little chance of
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: the rappa hose coming up so soon. Hunting Dog had
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: better stay behind and help, and he leant his aid
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: in carrying the blocks of snow on a rough stretcher
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: they made for the purpose. By the time it became dark,
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: the wall had risen to a height of three feet
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: above the general level of the snow, and was already
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: sufficient to form an excellent breastwork at the end, farthest
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: from the side from which the Indians were likely to come.
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: A gap was left between it and the edge of
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: the ravine, three feet wide, in order that, if necessary,
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: the horses could pass out. When it became dark, the
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: chief returned. He had gone many miles along towards the
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: main valley, but had seen no sign of any Indians.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: After supper was over, he took one of the Wapiti
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: skins and his buffalo robe, went up to the fort,
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: as they had already called it, and laid the deerskin
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: down on the slope of snow behind the wall, wrapped
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: the buffalo robe around him, and lay down upon it.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: Hunting Dog then threw another robe over him, projecting a
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: foot beyond his head, so that he could from time
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: time to time, raise it and look out over the snow.
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: The night was a dark one, but any object moving
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: across the unbroken white surface could be seen at a
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: considerable distance. I feel sure I should go to sleep,
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: Tom said. If I were to lie down like that,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: I have no doubt you would, Tom, But there is
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: no fear with the chief. An Indian never sleeps on
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: the watch, for if he does sleep, it is like
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: a dog. He seems to hear as well as if
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: he were awake, and every minute or two his eyes
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: open and he takes a look around. I would rather
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: have an Indian sentry than half a dozen white ones,
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: unless it is in the open, where there is no
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: tree to ling against, and a man must keep moving.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: Hunting dog threw himself down as soon as he returned
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: to the hut, and was almost instantly asleep. Three hours
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: later he rose and went out, and leaping horse a
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: minute or two later returned. All quiet, he said, and then,
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: after smoking for a short time, also lay down. End
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: of chapter eleven.