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Updated: June 14, 2025
"This would be a splendid place to camp for the rest of the day," suggested Davidson, while they rested on their paddles after the goose had been secured. "We must lay in a small stock of fresh provisions, you know, if we are to push on to-morrow or next day to our hunting ground. What say you, Okematan?" he added in Cree, turning to their guide.
It was daybreak when Fergus McKay galloped into camp with the startling news that an attack by hostile Indians might be expected that day or the following night. He was, of course, unaware of the fact that the peace-making Okematan had been unwittingly following his tracks at a more leisurely pace.
Okematan, who was intensely philosophical and inquisitive, had been carrying on a semi-speculative conversation with Billie on this very subject while descending the Red River towards Prairie Cottage much to the perplexity of the invalid, who scarce knew how to answer the chief's queries, and greatly to the interest of Archie, who wondered at Little Bill's powers of reply.
You have no objection to his going, I suppose? in another canoe of course, for three would be too many in your small canoe." Okematan had no objection. "Three would not be too many in the canoe," he said, "but two are better for hunting." "Very good. But we will want a fourth to make two in each canoe. Whom shall we invite?"
"The will of the Paleface chief is the wish of Okematan. Let him speak." "Well, then, I vote for encamping on the small island over there, in the middle o' the lake for it's far more like a lake than a river hereabouts that one over which the hawk is hovering." "I vote for it too," said Archie. "So do I," chimed in Little Bill. "I will be sayin' ditto to that," put in Fergus.
"The reptiles will be down on us to-night no doubt. What course does the Cree chief advise?" "Okematan advises that the kettle be boiled, the duck roasted, and a good big supper eaten." "It iss fery pleasant advice, no doubt," said Fergus with a broad and rather sarcastic grin, "but it iss not warlike!" "It seems not a bad preparation for war, anyhow," said Dan; "and what after that?"
Need we say that it was Fergus McKay, almost blind and dumb from exhaustion, for the parting from Dan Davidson which we have mentioned had proved to be the last straw which broke them both down, and it is probable that the frozen corpse of poor Dan would have been found next day on the snow, had he not been accidentally met by Dechamp, and taken in charge by the Indian Okematan.
Okematan and Jacques Bourassin here stepped forward, but none of the others seemed disposed to undertake the tramp. "There iss enough of us whatever," remarked the Highlander as he and the others put some provisions into their wallets and shouldered their guns. "You will be our leader, Antoine Dechamp.
At this point the rescue-party chanced to have reached one of those bluffs of woodland which at that time speckled the plains though they were few indeed and far between. "Breakfast," said Peter, heaving a profound sigh as he turned about and checked the teams, for at that point he happened to be in advance beating the track. Okematan expressed his entire concurrence with an emphatic "Ho!"
"Who would have thought this of Okematan?" muttered Dan, as he hastily tightened his saddle-girths. "The rascal!" exclaimed Fergus, in deep tones of indignation. "You must gallop back to camp at once, Fergus," said Dan, as they mounted. "I will go on to Red River alone." "What! will you not be coming with me?" asked the Highlander, in some surprise.
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