Edward Sylvester Ellis

“ There was a moment’s hesitation, and then the female answered:
“I am Lamora; and I speak the truth.”
“We do not doubt it,” responded the amazed Hammond. “What is it you have to say?”
“A thousand Blackfeet warriors are coming down on this grove, two or three hours before sunrise, and if you remain, there will not be one who will escape alive.”
“What shall we do?”
“Make ready as soon as possible and start westward. Let there not be a moment’s delay, and you will be saved.”
“But they can follow us to-morrow, (if not to-night,) and attack us by daylight.” ”

“ There was many a man, certainly, who had tried his weapon upon it, and it still walked the earth to defy their skill and efforts. There were hunters who said they had seen it bite a man in two at one mouthful—just as the alligator or shark serve the swimmer that ventures into their domain.
But while we have drifted into this digression, the situation of Teddy O’Doherty has become more and more critical. He sat with his gun in hand, with his eyes fixed upon the brute, waiting for the opportunity to fire. ”

“ I do not think you would do that.”
“Then do not doubt me; I will take you to my own home; you shall be mine and I shall be yours; there is nothing that love can do for you that shall not be done. Can you not be happy in my love?”
She was silent a few moments, as if too much affected to speak. Hammond truly and deeply loved this girl, and had all the eagerness of a young lover to carry away the prize with him. He had spent several months here, held solely by the magnetism of her presence. ”

“ Black Tom moved away with the silence and stealth that had characterized his approach to an Indian camp, frequently pausing and listening for some indication of the danger that he feared menaced them; but nothing reached his ears, save the dull, faint murmur of the stream behind as it rushed through its narrow cañon. ”

“ And with this merry good-by, he struck his wearied pony into a gallop, and speedily disappeared over the ridge to which reference has been already made, and the trappers passed on to the grove, where we must spend a few minutes with them, before following the fortunes of the Irishman, who speedily dove, head foremost, into the most singular and astounding adventure of his life.
The hunters listened some time for a return-shot or shout to the gun, but none was heard.
“It was Teddy’s bull-dog,” said old Stebbins. “I know the sound of that critter, for I’ve fired it often ’nough.” ”

“ She was modest and reserved, and although one might reasonably suspect that she felt no little interest in Hammond, yet it was no blind, reckless passion, such as an ignorant person sometimes shows, but a pure, maidenly emotion.
“Lamora,” said the lover, still holding her hand and looking tenderly down in her face, “you are a white person of the same blood as myself; you live among the Indians; do you not wish to return to your own kindred?” ”

“ The brute seemed to hear her voice, and came lumbering down the cañon toward her.
“B’ars and bufflers!” growled Black Tom, looking uneasily about him, “I don’t fancy you any more than the other varmints.”
“He won’t harm you,” said Lamora; “he is my pet.”
“And mine, too, as the gals always remarked whin they sot eyes on me,” added Teddy. “I allers liked that critter, and now I love him. Come here, let me embrace yees.”
“Go on, Jerval!” called out Lamora, pointing down the cañon toward the other Blackfeet; “drive them away, too.” ”

“ Ten men were scattered around the outer edge of the globe at regular distances from each other, on the alert for the first indications of danger.
Beers and Hammond stood next to each other, and the former finally left his station and took his position beside the latter.
“What’s the use?” he muttered, by way of apology. “When it’s so dark that you can’t see any thing, where’s the good of straining your eyes? As we have got to depend on our sense of hearing, we’ll help each other.” ”

“ Because night was closing around them, and ere the red-skins would be likely to detect the suspicious sign, it would be concealed in the gathering darkness—and the dense shrubbery effectually shut out the blaze from any wanderers that might venture that way.
As there was nothing at hand immediately to engage their attention, the trappers, after gathering a goodly quantity of fuel, reclined upon the ground, and leisurely smoked their pipes.
“Teddy is gone a powerful while,” remarked Tom, as he looked up and saw that it was quite dark; “he can’t be as hungry as we are.” ”

“ What was Black Tom’s amazement, when he saw at this moment that the rider was a woman, with an Indian shawl thrown around her shoulders! As if she suspected that some one was near her, she partly turned her head, at the instant her animal stepped upon the prairie, so that the profile of her face was plainly seen.
“Skulp me! ef she ain’t a white woman!” ”

“ Unconsciously the two trappers took their position side by side. They had stood by each other in many fearful and dangerous scenes, and neither would desert the other at this time.
As Tom spoke, both he and his companion caught sight of the hideous brute, coming through the bushes straight toward them. It was walking quite slowly, and at intervals gave forth that peculiar bark, which had a strange, cavernous sound.
Viewed from the front, its appearance was appalling in the extreme. Its head was of vast size, its mouth in latitude resembled that of the alligator. ”

“ Black Tom was certain of it. It was about the size of a hen’s egg, very heavy, and bright and glistening. There could be no doubt of its nature.
He waded ashore again, and then “hefted” it, turned it over and over, tossed it in the air, caught it, smelled of it, put his tongue to it and was delighted.
Why should he not be delighted? Was not this what had brought him to this region? Was it not worth more than many days’ labor of trapping?
“That’s the fust crop!” he exclaimed, as he carefully put it away about his person; “and it follers that thar must be more of the same sort ’bout hyar.” ”

“ I can not live without her.”
“Yes, Lamora,” said he, sitting upright, and drawing her to him, “you must go home with me; you must be my wife; you will find nothing but kindness awaiting you; you will have the heart of your lover forever. ”

“ It was with pain that they saw the huge camp-fire kindled, and Hammond called his comrade, Beers, to one side, and said, in his earnest voice:
“I tell you, things look darker than ever before.”
“So I think.”
“I believe we are followed by over a thousand Indians, and they intend attacking us to-night.”
“What shall we do?”
“God only knows; I don’t like that camp-fire.”
“Let it burn for a short time; they don’t need it long, and then it can be allowed to die out.” ”

“ Ugh! what a galvanic shudder shook him, as he heard its smothered bark repeated, and felt its hideous nose glide along his body! He felt it thrust beneath his breast, and then the beast gave a lunge, like a hog when rooting, as if seeking to turn him over on his back.
“No; be the powers, you don’t,” muttered Teddy. ”

“ They were well up toward the Black Hills, in a country broken with forest, hill and prairie, and interspersed with streams of every size, from the rivulet and foaming cañon to the broad, serenely-flowing river.
They were in a region infested with grizzly bears and the [17] fiercest of wild animals, and above all with the daring and treacherous Blackfeet—those dreaded red-skins of the North-West, with whom the hunters and trappers are compelled to wage unceasing warfare, and who are more feared than any tribe that the white men encounter. ”

“ This discovery caused the Irishman some little trepidation, but, at the same time, he was rather pleased that he was about to have an opportunity to try his gun upon it.
Indeed, as the nameless beast continued his leisurely advance, his appearance would have struck terror into the heart of any one. The fantastic, extraordinary hue of its body and legs, the immense tail curved over the back, and its ponderous [29] build, were such that, once seen, no one ever could forget them.
“An’ they say he ates min whole,” thought Teddy, as he silently drew his rifle around in front of him. ”

“ Nor did the light decrease. It was faint; but still, when the eyes became accustomed to it, sufficient to see one’s surroundings. Looking ahead, Teddy saw a circular opening, through which this partial light of day entered.
“Be jabers, but that’s the place where the haythen come in!” concluded Teddy, as he paused in amazement and looked in that direction.
And while he thus stood gazing, the opening was darkened by a moving body, which almost instantly disappeared.
“That’s the rid-skin goin’ out,” rightly concluded the Irishman, as he hurried along after him. ”

“ Had old Stebbins and Black Tom been single men, it is very doubtful whether the attraction of gold would have been sufficient to lead them into a region that was known to contain such an anomaly; but the prospect of placing their families in easy circumstances for life drew them onward, and thus we find them prosecuting their search for the precious metal in the face of such a hideous monster.
It is not often that a man finds a short and easy road to wealth ”

“ Black Tom looked at the young man a moment and then concluded to go forward and make his acquaintance.
“He don’t look like a fool if he does act like one,” thought he, “he looks to me like a chap that’s got a love fit strong. I’ve been through that mill myself, and know something about it. Wouldn’t it be qua’r, now, if he should be in love with the gal I see’d on horseback.” ”

“ Stealing forward in the same stealthy manner, he came in sight of the young man whom we have already described, and who, although several hours had elapsed, still sat gazing into the embers with the same absent, dreamy expression that old Stebbins and Teddy observed. He had doubtless replenished his fire since then, as it was burning quite vigorously, but he had returned to the deep reverie that first distinguished him.
“Wal, now, that’s what I call quite careless,” muttered the trapper; “thar seems to be plenty of white folks in these parts; wonder if we are in a civilized country arter all.” ”

“ Stepping forward, old Stebbins swung his pick over his head, and buried its point several inches in the compact earth. Then, as he forced the handle back, several nuggets dropped to the ground.
“Pick ’em up,” he called out, in a husky voice, “and I’ll keep yer busy.”
Teddy and Black Tom gathered up the chunks, and deposited them in the huge sack, made of bear-skin, that had been brought for that purpose, while the old hunter plied the pick with a vigor that amounted to fury. ”

“ Everything proving satisfactory, Hammond returned to his station, and the fire was started. Teddy knew where [86] to locate it, and when the flame flared up, the eyes of the hunters sparkled.
“B’ars and bufflers!” exclaimed Black Tom, in a frightened undertone, as he looked wildly about him, “don’t it beat every thing?”
“It does that,” assented old Stebbins, whose excitement was scarcely less; “ef we can tote that home, thar’ll be an end to our trappin’.” ”

“ GOLD!
“I b’lieve I’ll dig out of these parts,” said Black Tom, with a sigh, after he had heard the explanation of Fred Hammond.
“Why so?” quietly asked the latter.
“Things don’t look right to me; I don’t understand ’bout that speckled critter, nor ’bout the critter I’ve seen on the kenyon on horseback. I b’lieve she’s a sperit.”
“No; she’s as much flesh and blood as you are. I have spoken to her.” ”

“ That was a dreaded word, for it touched the tender point in a brave but ignorant man’s character. Strong in the face of real, tangible danger, they were like children before a peril which they could not comprehend. ”

“ If attacked on the open prairie at night, they were entirely at the mercy of their assailants, who could easily encircle and tomahawk and shoot them all, while in the grove they could make a fight with some prospect of success. ”

“ The trapper was on the alert instantly. His eagle eye was fixed upon the bushes, with the sharp, penetrating glance of suspicion; but the vegetation was too dense and luxuriant for him to discover whether there was any thing beneath them or not.
“Wonder ef that was a Blackfoot,” he muttered, as he held his rifle ready for use at a second’s warning. “Some confounded varmint like as not is follerin’ me. I’ll see ef I can.”
Raising his gun to his shoulder, he aimed directly at the center of the bushes and discharged it. No response followed, not even the rattling of an additional pebble. ”