Scenes and Adventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas Part 6

Dec. 18th. I have mentioned the fondness of my companion for tea. This afternoon he thought to produce an agreeable surprise in our hostess's mind, by preparing a dish of young hyson. But she sipped it as she would have done the decoction of some bitter herb, and frankly confessed that she did not like it as well as the forest subst.i.tutes, namely, sa.s.safras, dittany, and spicewood. And the manner in which she alluded to it as "store tea," plainly denoted the article not to be numbered among the wants of a hunter's life.

Dec. 19th. The river having been closed with ice within the last two days, we crossed it this afternoon to visit the two pyramidal monuments of geological denudation which mark the limestone range of the opposite sh.o.r.e. I determined, if possible, to ascend one of them. The ascent lies through a defile of rocks. By means of projections, which could sometimes be reached by cedar roots, and now and then a leap or a scramble, I succeeded in ascending one of them to near its apex, which gave me a fine view of the windings of the river. The monuments consist of stratified limestone, which has, all but these existing peaks, crumbled under the effects of disintegration. I observed no traces of organic remains. It appeared to be of the same general character with the metalliferous beds of Missouri, and is, viewed in extenso, like that, based on grey or cream-colored sand-rock. I found this limestone rock cavernous, about seven miles below.

In crossing the river, I was impressed with the extreme purity of the water. The ice near the cliffs having been formed during a calm night, presented the crystalline purity of gla.s.s, through which every inequality, pebble, and stone in its bed, could be plainly perceived.

The surface on which we stood was about an inch thick, bending as we walked. The depth of water appeared to be five or six feet; but I was told that it was fully twenty. The pebbles at this place are often a small, pear-shaped, opaque, yellow jasper. They appear to have been disengaged from some mineral bed at a higher point on the stream.

Dec. 20th. Observed as a day of rest, it being the Sabbath. The atmosphere is sensibly milder, and attended with haziness, which appears to betoken rain.

Dec. 21st. We employed ourselves till three o'clock in hewing and splitting planks for Holt's cabin floor, when rain compelled us to desist.

The following circ.u.mstance recently occurred here: Two hunters had a dispute about a horse, which it was alleged one had stolen from the other; the person aggrieved, meeting the other some days after in the woods, shot him dead. He immediately fled, keeping the woods for several weeks; when the neighboring hunters, aroused by so glaring an outrage, a.s.sembled and set out in quest of him. Being an expert woodsman, the offender eluded them for some time; but at last they obtained a glimpse of him as he pa.s.sed through a thicket, when one of his pursuers shot him through the shoulder, but did not kill him. This event happened a few days before our arrival in this region. It will probably be the cause of several murders, before the feud is ended.

Dec. 22d. The rain having ceased, we resumed and completed our job of yesterday at Holt's. The atmosphere is hazy, damp, and warm.

My medical skill had not been called on since the affair at the Four Bear creek, where my companion sprained his ankle. The child of Mrs.

Holt was taken ill with a complaint so manifestly bilious, that I gave it relief by administering a few grains of calomel. This success led to an application from her neighbor, Mrs. F., whose delicate situation made the responsibility of a prescription greater. This also proved favorable, and I soon had other applicants.

Dec. 23d. About ten o'clock this morning, Holt and Fisher returned, laden with corn. The day was mild and pleasant, the severity of the atmosphere having moderated, and the sky become clear and bright. They appeared to be pleased with the evidences of our thrift and industry during their absence, and we now antic.i.p.ated with pleasure an early resumption of our journey. To this end, we were resolved that nothing should be wanting on our part. We had already faithfully devoted seven days to every species of labor that was necessary to advance their improvements.

Dec. 24th. I had yesterday commenced hewing out a table for Holt's domicile, from a fine, solid block of white-ash. I finished the task to-day, to the entire admiration of all. We now removed our lodgings from Fisher's to Holt's, and employed the remainder of the day in c.h.i.n.king and daubing his log house.

Of these two men, who had pushed themselves to the very verge of western civilization, it will be pertinent to say, that their characters were quite different. Holt was the better hunter, and more social and ready man. He was quick with the rifle, and suffered no animal to escape him.

Fisher was of a more deliberative temperament, and more inclined to surround himself with the reliances of agriculture. He was also the better mechanic, and more inclined to labor. Holt hated labor like an Indian, and, like an Indian, relied for subsistence on the chase exclusively. Fisher was very superst.i.tious, and a believer in witchcraft. Holt was scarcely a believer in anything, but was ever ready for action. He could talk a little Chickasaw, and had several of their chansons, which he sung. Both men had kept for years moving along on the outer frontiers, ever ready for a new remove; and it was plain enough, to the listener to their tales of wild adventure, that they had not been impelled, thus far, on the ever advancing line of border life, from the observance of any of the sterner virtues or qualities of civilized society. There were occasions in their career, if we may venture an opinion, when to shoot a deer, or to shoot a man, were operations that could be performed "agreeably to circ.u.mstances." To us, however, they were uniformly kind, frank, friendly; for, indeed, there was no possible light in which our interests were brought in conflict. We were no professed hunters, and our journey into the Ozark hunting-grounds was an advantage to them, by making them better acquainted with the geography of their position.

They could not quit home on such a journey, however, without leaving some meat for their families; and they both set out to-day for this purpose. It appeared that they had, some days before, killed on a river bottom, about twelve miles above this point in the river valley, a buffalo, a bear, and a panther; but, not having horses with them, had scaffolded the carcases of the two former. Notwithstanding this precaution, the wolves had succeeded in reaching the buffalo meat, and had partly destroyed it. The carcase of the bear was safe. They returned in the afternoon with their trophies. They also brought down some of the leg-bones of the buffalo, for the sake of their marrow. They are boiled in water, to cook the marrow, and then cracked open. The quant.i.ty of marrow is immense. It is eaten while hot, with salt. We thought it delicious.

We learn by conversing with the hunters that a high value is set upon the dog, and that they are sought with great avidity. We heard of one instance where a cow was given for a good hunting dog.

Dec. 25th, Christmas day. At our suggestion, the hunters went out to shoot some turkeys for a Christmas dinner, and, after a couple of hours'

absence, returned with fourteen. In the meantime, we continued our labors in completing the house.

I prevailed on our hostess, to-day, to undertake a turkey-pie, with a crust of Indian meal; and, the weather being mild, we partook of it under the shade of a tree, on the banks of the river.

Dec. 26th. Having now obviated every objection, and convinced the hunters that no dangers were to be apprehended at this late season from the Osages, and having completed the preparations for the tour, to-morrow is fixed on as the time of starting.

Our hostess mentioned to me that she had a bra.s.s ring, which she had worn for many years, and declared it to be an infallible remedy for the cramp, with which she had been much afflicted before putting it on, but had not had the slightest return of it since. She was now much distressed on account of having lately broken it; and, observing the care I bestowed on my mineralogical packages, she thought I must possess skill in such affairs, and solicited me to mend it. It was in vain that I represented that I had no blowpipe or other necessary apparatus for the purpose. She was convinced I could do it, and I was unwilling to show a disobliging disposition by refusing to make the attempt. I therefore contrived to make a blowpipe by cutting several small pieces of cane, and fitting one into the other until the aperture was drawn down to the required degree of fineness. A hollow cut in a billet of wood, and filled with live hickory coals, answered instead of a lamp; and with a small bit of silver money, and a little borax applied to the broken ring, with my wooden blowpipe, I soon soldered it, and afterwards filed off the redundant silver with a small file. I must remark that the little file and bit of borax, without which the job could not have been accomplished, was produced from the miscellaneous housewife of my hostess.

Dec. 27th. Rain, which began at night, rendered it impossible to think of starting to-day. It was the Sabbath, and was improved as a time of rest and reflection. I took the occasion to make some allusions, in a gentle and un.o.btrusive way, to the subject, and, in connection with some remarks which one of my entertainers had made a few days previously, on the subject of religion generally, condense the following observations:--He said that while living on the banks of the Mississippi, a few years ago, he occasionally attended religious meetings, and thought them a very good thing; but he had found one of the preachers guilty of a gross fraud, and determined never to go again.

He thought that a man might be as good without going to church as with it, and that it seemed to him to be a useless expenditure, &c.; very nearly, indeed, the same kind of objections which are made by careless and unbelieving persons everywhere, I fancy, _in_ the woods or _out_ of them.

The hards.h.i.+ps of the hunter's life fall heavily on females. Mrs. Holt tells me that she has not lived in a floored cabin for several years--that during this period they have changed their abode many times--and that she has lost four children, who all died under two years.

CHAPTER IX.

PROCEED INTO THE HUNTING-COUNTRY OF THE OSAGES--DILUVIAL HILLS AND PLAINS--BALD HILL--SWAN CREEK--OSAGE ENCAMPMENTS--FORM OF THE OSAGE LODGE--THE HABITS OF THE BEAVER--DISCOVER A REMARKABLE CAVERN IN THE LIMESTONE ROCK, HAVING NATURAL VASES OF PURE WATER--ITS GEOLOGICAL AND METALLIFEROUS CHARACTER-- REACH THE SUMMIT OF THE OZARK RANGE, WHICH IS FOUND TO DISPLAY A BROAD REGION OF FERTILE SOIL, OVERLYING A MINERAL DEPOSIT.

My stay, which I regarded in the light of a pilgrimage, at the hunters'

cabins, was now drawing to a close. I had originally reached their camps after a fatiguing and devious march through some of the most sterile and rough pa.s.sages of the Ozarks, guided only by a pocket compa.s.s, and had thrown myself on their friends.h.i.+p and hospitality to further my progress. Without their friendly guidance, it was felt that no higher point in this elevation could be reached. Every objection raised by them had now been surmounted. I had waited their preliminary journey for corn for their families, and my companion and myself had made ourselves useful by helping, in the mean time, to complete their cabins and improvements. While thus engaged, I had become tolerably familiar with their character, physical and moral, and may add something more respecting them. Holt, as I have before indicated, was a pure hunter, expert with the rifle, and capable of the periodical exertion and activity which hunting requires, but p.r.o.ne to take his ease when there was meat in the cabin, and averse to all work beside. He was of an easy, good-natured temper, and would submit to a great deal of inconvenience and want, before he would rouse himself. But when out in the woods, or on the prairies, he was quite at home. He knew the habits and range of animals, their time for being out of their coverts, the kind of food they sought, and the places where it was likely to be found. He had a quick eye and a sure aim, and quadruped or bird that escaped him, must be nimble. He was about five feet eight inches in height, stout and full faced, and was particular in his gear and dress, but in nothing so much as the skin wrapper that secured his rifle-lock. This was always in perfect order.

Fisher was two or three inches taller, more slender, lank of features, and sterner. He was a great believer in the bewitching of guns, seemed often to want a good place to fire from, had more deliberation in what he did, and was not so successful a sportsman. He had, too, when in the cabin, more notions of comfort, built a larger dwelling, worked more on it, and had some desires for cultivation. When on the prairie, he dismounted from his horse with some deliberation; but, before he was well on terra firma, Holt had slid off and killed his game. The shots of both were true, and, between them, we ran no danger of wanting a meal.

It was the twenty-eighth day of December before every objection to their guiding us was obviated, and, although neither of them had been relieved from the fear of Osage hostility, they mounted their horses in the morning, and announced themselves ready to proceed. Our course now lay toward the north-west, and the weather was still mild and favorable. We ascended through the heavily-timbered bottom-lands of the valley for a mile or two, and then pa.s.sed by an easy route through the valley cliffs, to the prairie uplands north of them. After getting fairly out of the gorge we had followed, we entered on a rolling highland prairie, with some clumps of small forest trees, and covered, as far as the eye could reach, with coa.r.s.e wild gra.s.s, and the seed-pods of autumnal flowers, nodding in the breeze. It was a waving surface. Sometimes the elevations a.s.sumed a conical shape. Sometimes we crossed a depression with trees.

Often the deer bounded before us, and frequently the sharp crack of the rifle was the first intimation to me that game was near. Holt told me that the error of the young or inexperienced hunters was in looking too far for their game. The plan to hunt successfully was, to raise the eye slowly from the spot just before you, for the game is often close by, and not to set it on distant objects at first. We moved on leisurely, with eyes and ears alert for every sight and sound. A bird, a quadruped, a track--these were important themes.

When night approached, we encamped near the foot of an eminence, called, from its appearance, the Bald Hill. An incident occurred early in our march, which gave us no little concern. A fine young horse of one of the neighboring hunters, which had been turned out to range, followed our track from White river valley, and, notwithstanding all the efforts of our guides, could not be driven back. At length they fired the dry prairie-gra.s.s behind us, the wind serving, deeming this the most effectual way of driving him back. The expedient did not, however, prove eventually successful; for, after a while, the animal again made his appearance. We lost some time in these efforts. It was thought better, at length, that I should ride him, which was accomplished by placing a deerskin upon his back by way of saddle, with a kind of bridle, &c. The animal was spirited, and, thus mounted, I kept up with the foremost.

We travelled to-day about ten miles. The day was clear, but chilly, with a north-westerly wind, which we had to face. Holt had killed a young doe during the day, which was quickly skinned, and he took along the choice parts of it for our evening's repast. Part of the carcase was left behind as wolf's-meat.

Dec. 29th. Little change appeared in the country. For about six miles we travelled over hill and dale, meeting nothing new, but constantly expecting something. We then descended into the valley of Swan creek--a clear stream of thirty yards wide, a tributary of White river. Its banks present a rich alluvial bottom, well wooded with maple, hickory, ash, hag-berry, elm, and sycamore. We followed up this valley about five miles, when it commenced raining, and we were compelled to encamp.

Protection from the rain, however, was impossible. We gained some little shelter under the broad roots of a clump of fallen trees and limbs, and pa.s.sed a most comfortless night, being wet, and without a fire.

The next morning, (Dec. 30th,) at the earliest dawn, we were in motion.

After ascending the Swan creek valley about nine miles, through a most fertile tract, we fell into the Osage trail, a well-beaten horse-path, and pa.s.sed successively three of their deserted camps, which had apparently been unoccupied for a month or more. The poles and frames of each lodge were left standing, and made a most formidable show. The paths, hacked trees, and old stumps of firebrands, showed that they had been deserted in the fall. The fear of this tribe now appeared to have left the minds of our guides. These encampments were all very large, and could probably each have accommodated several hundred persons.

The form of the Osage lodge may be compared to a hemisphere, or an inverted bird's-nest, with a small aperture left in the top for the escape of smoke, and an elongated opening at the side, by way of door, to pa.s.s and repa.s.s. It is constructed by cutting a number of flexible green poles, sharpened at one end, and stuck firmly in the ground. The corresponding tops are then bent over and tied, and the framework covered with linden bark. These wigwams are arranged in circles, one line of lodges within another. In the centre is a scaffolding for meat.

The chief's tent is conspicuously situated at the head of each encampment. It is different from the rest, resembling an inverted half cylinder. The whole is arranged with much order and neatness, and evinces that they move in large parties, that the chiefs exercise a good deal of authority.

The Osages are a tribe who have from early times been prominent in the south-west, between the Arkansas and Missouri. The term Osage is of French origin; it seems to be a translation of the Algonquin term a.s.sengigun, or Bone Indians. Why? They call themselves Was-ba-shaw, and have a curious allegory of their having originated from a beaver and a snail. They are divided into two bands, the Little and Great Osages, the latter of whom make their permanent encampments on the river Osage of the Missouri. The Ozarks appear from early days to have been their hunting-grounds for the valuable furred animals, and its deep glens and gorges have served as nurseries for the bear. They are one of the great prairie stock of tribes, who call G.o.d Wacondah. They are physically a fine tribe of men, of good stature and courage, but have had the reputation, among white and red men, of being thieves and plunderers.

Certainly, among the hunter population of this quarter, they are regarded as little short of ogres and giants; and they tell most extravagant tales of their doings. Luckily, it was so late in the season that we were not likely to encounter many of them.

In searching the precincts of the old camps, my guides pointed out a place where the Indians had formerly pinioned down Teen Friend, one of the most successful of the white trappers in this quarter, whom they had found trapping their beaver in the Swan creek valley. I thought it was an evidence of some restraining fear of our authorities at St. Louis, that they had not taken the enterprising old fellow's scalp, as well as his beaver packs.

Life in the wilderness is dependent on contingencies, which are equally hard to be foreseen or controlled. We are, at all events, clearly out of the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace. And the maxim that we have carefully conned over in childhood, "No man may put off the law of G.o.d,"

is but a feeble reliance when urged against the Osages or p.a.w.nees.

Deeming themselves now high enough up the Swan creek valley, my guides determined to leave it, and turned their horses' heads up a gorge that led to the open plains. We now steered our course north-west, over an elevated plain, or prairie, covered, as usual, with ripe gra.s.s. We followed across this tract for about twenty miles, with no general deviation of our course, but without finding water. In search of this, we pushed on vigorously till night set in, when it became intensely dark, and we were in danger of being precipitated, at every step, into some hole, or down some precipice. Darkness, in a prairie, places the traveller in the position of a s.h.i.+p at sea, without a compa.s.s; to go on, or to stop, seems equally perilous. For some two hours we groped our way in this manner, when one of the guides shouted that he had found a standing pool. Meantime, it had become excessively dark. The atmosphere was clouded over, and threatened rain. On reaching the pool, there was no wood to be found, and we were compelled to encamp without a fire, and laid down supperless, tired, and cold.

My guides were hardy, rough fellows, and did not mind these omissions of meals for a day together, and had often, as now, slept without camp-fires at night. As the object seemed to be a trial of endurance, I resolved not to compromit myself by appearing a whit less hardy than they did, and uttered not a word that might even shadow forth complaint.

This was, however, a cold and cheerless spot at best, with the wide prairie for a pillow, and black clouds, dropping rain, for a covering.

The next morning, as soon as it was at all light, we followed down the dry gorge in which we had lain, to Findley's Fork--a rich and well-timbered valley, which we descended about five miles. As we rode along through an open forest, soon after entering this valley, we observed the traces of the work of the beaver, and stopped to view a stately tree, of the walnut species, which had been partially gnawed off by these animals. This tree was probably eighteen or twenty inches in diameter, and fifty feet high. The animals had gnawed a ring around it, but abandoned their work. It had afterwards been undermined by the freshets of the stream, and had fallen. Was it too hard a work? If so, it would seem that some instinct akin to reason came to their aid, in leading them to give up their essay.

There was now every appearance of a change of weather. It was cold, and a wintry breeze chilled our limbs. I thought my blood was as warm as that of my guides, however, and rode on cheerfully. At length, Holt and Fisher, of their own motion, stopped to kindle a fire, and take breakfast. We had still plenty of fresh venison, which we roasted, as each liked, on spits. Thus warmed and refreshed, we continued down the valley, evidently in a better philosophical mood; for a man always reasons better, and looks more beneficently about him, this side of starvation.