Part 15 (2/2)

You see, we're living in rather a wonderful age. This country which looks so wild will not be wild very much longer. That's the only reason I've allowed you to take so dangerous a journey as this, this spring, with me. Before long all these things will be common. People will come out here on the cars by thousands, and complain about the sleepers and the dining-car, when they are crossing the Rocky Mountains, very likely. One day they'll have horseback trails through here, as they do around Banff, and I suppose even old Mount Robson will get more or less common one time or another. But at least we've seen this country before those things happened.

”This is all there is to the old Cache. It's mostly a memory, but history has written it down as one of the important places in the Rockies. John, you must bring your map up to date here, at the Tete Jaune Cache. And here your trail bends to the south, for now we're going to follow the Columbia, and not the Fraser, after this, although my railroad goes on down the Fraser.

”We'll ride over now to the village and see if we can find Leo,” he concluded, as he turned his horse back and started off in the direction of the tepees.

XVII

LEO THE GRIZZLY-HUNTER

As our party of adventurers approached the Shuswap village, a little bit removed from the bank of the Fraser, they were greeted with a chorus of barking dogs. A number of children who had been playing in the gra.s.s fled in fright into the tepees, from the doors of which, none the less, presently appeared many heads alike of young and old.

As the hors.e.m.e.n pulled up in front of the central tepee there came out to meet them a slight but hardy figure, not very tall, but erect and strong, dressed in ordinary western garb, and a wide hat such as is common in that part of the country. His face was dark, and his hair, worn long, was braided, and fell to his shoulders on his neck. Grave and unsmiling like most of his people, none the less his eyes wrinkled a little bit about the corners as now he recognized the leader of the band of hors.e.m.e.n. Advancing, he extended his hand to Uncle d.i.c.k and greeted him very pleasantly.

”How-do,” said he.

The party now dismounted, and their leader turned to his young companions. ”This,” said he, ”is Leo Tennes, the man I told you would be our guide down the Canoe River. When I tell you that he has run the Big Bend of the Columbia more than once I have said all there is to say about his fitness.”

He now introduced each of his young comrades in turn to Leo, who shook hands with them gravely and with dignity, but looking at them keenly meantime. He was evidently surprised at their youth, and perhaps none too well pleased, although obliged to admit to himself that these boys already had undergone many hards.h.i.+ps to get this far on their journey.

Moise himself, usually light-hearted and talkative, now became silent and dignified also as he and Leo stood looking at each other. They shook hands, and each spoke to the other in his own tongue. Then both laughed.

”Me Shuswap!” said Leo.

”Cree!” rejoined Moise--”North Cree, me.”

Then, to the surprise and interest of the others, these two, unable to converse in any common tongue except English, which neither seemed to fancy at the time, began to employ the singular sign language of the savage tribes, more or less universally known throughout the American continent. Moise put his two forefingers together parallel to show that he and Leo were friends. He pointed back across the mountains, and, placing his head on his hands and raising his fingers several times, signified that he had come, so many sleeps, to this place. He said they had come horseback--straddling his left forefinger with two fingers on his right hand. Then smilingly he pointed to the boys and to his own heart, and made a motion as though trying to break a stout stick, thus saying to Leo that their hearts were strong.

Leo stood looking at him unsmiling, and when he had finished threw out his right hand in front of him, palm down, by which he said: ”That is all right. It is good. I am satisfied.”

”Oh, pshaw! Moise,” said Uncle d.i.c.k, laughing, ”you and Leo can both talk English a great deal better than you let on. I'll say, Leo, that our man Moise is as good in a boat as you are yourself, so you need not be uneasy. As for the rest of us, we'll undertake to keep up our end. When will you be ready to start?”

”Maybe-so to-night, maybe-so to-morrow,” said Leo.

”And can you take care of our horses for us as I wrote you last fall?”

”Yes. Horse all right here. You get 'um next year all right.”

”Very well,” said Uncle d.i.c.k. ”We'll just unpack and turn them over right here.”

The boys were very regretful at saying good-by to their faithful animals, especially the saddle-ponies which had carried them safely so far. They stood looking at them rather ruefully.

”Never mind,” said Uncle d.i.c.k. ”Leo has got some hay for them, and they will winter well here. I'll warrant you they'll be very glad to trade the trail for this pleasant valley here, where they can live in idleness and get fat for a year.

”Now, about the boat, Leo,” he resumed.

”All right. Got two boats,” said Leo. ”I make 'um.” And he led the way to an open spot in the bushes where there stood two newly completed boats, flat-bottomed and double-ended, with high sides, the material all made of whip-sawed lumber gotten out by Leo and his people.

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