The Latter, Having Heard The Several Stories Of These Wanderers,
Took Them All Into His Party, And Set Out For The Caldron Linn,
To Clear Out Two Or Three Of The Caches Which Had Not Been
Revealed To The Indians.
At that place he met with Robinson, the Kentucky veteran, who,
with his two comrades, Rezner and Hoback, had remained there when
Mr. Stuart went on.
This adventurous trio had been trapping
higher up the river, but Robinson had come down in a canoe, to
await the expected arrival of the party, and obtain horses and
equipments. He told Reed the story of the robbery of his party by
the Arapahays, but it differed, in some particulars, from the
account given by him to Mr. Stuart. In that, he had represented
Cass as having shamefully deserted his companions in their
extremity, carrying off with him a horse; in the one now given,
he spoke of him as having been killed in the affray with the
Arapahays. This discrepancy, of which, of course, Reed could have
had no knowledge at the time, concurred with other circumstances,
to occasion afterwards some mysterious speculations and dark
surmises as to the real fate of Cass; but as no substantial
grounds were ever adduced for them, we forbear to throw any
deeper shades into this story of sufferings in the wilderness.
Mr. Reed, having gathered the remainder of the goods from the
caches, put himself at the head of his party, now augmented by
the seven men thus casually picked up, and the squaw of Pierre
Delaunay, and made his way successfully to M'Kenzie's Post, on
the waters of the Shahaptan.
CHAPTER LIII.
Departure of Mr. Hunt in the Beaver- Precautions at the Factory.-
Detachment to the Wollamut.- Gloomy Apprehensions.- Arrival of
M'Kenzie.- Affairs at the Shahaptan.- News of War.- Dismay of
M'Dougal.-Determination to Abandon Astoria.-Departure of M'Kenzie
for the Interior.- Adventure at the Rapids.- Visit to the
Ruffians of Wish-ram. - A Perilous Situation.- Meeting With
M'Tavish and His Party.- Arrival at the Shahaptan.- Plundered
Caches.-Determination of the Wintering Partners Not to Leave the
Country.- Arrival of Clarke Among the Nez Perces.- The Affair of
the Silver Goblet.- Hanging of An Indian.- Arrival of the
Wintering Partners at Astoria.
AFTER the departure of the different detachments, or brigades, as
they are called by the fur traders, the Beaver prepared for her
voyage along the coast, and her visit to the Russian
establishment, at New Archangel, where she was to carry supplies.
It had been determined in the council of partners at Astoria,
that Mr. Hunt should embark in this vessel, for the purpose of
acquainting himself with the coasting trade, and of making
arrangements with the commander of the Russian post, and that he
should be re-landed in October, at Astoria, by the Beaver, on her
way to the Sandwich Islands and Canton.
The Beaver put to sea in the month of August. Her departure and
that of the various brigades, left the fortress of Astoria but
slightly garrisoned.
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