Chapter 4: The Shadow

After Col. Griscom had gone the council broke up into a confused debate. The men with families were in favor of staying at the fort until other emigrant trains arrived, when all might join and form a party strong enough to defy the Indians. Some of the others were in favor of pushing on and taking chances.

“Vat for we stay here!” exclaimed a little Frenchman named Pierre Bonneau, who had joined us at St Louis. “Vy we not go on: we came to find ze gold, and we not find it by staying here! I am a Frenchman and I am not afraid of ze Indian! Ze Frenchman always ready for ze fight! Sacré nom de Guerre! Mon Dieu! Vill not ze American dare to go vere ze Frenchman will lead?”

And little Bonneau jumped up and down in wrath, because no one answered him or paid any attention to him.

“What do you think about it?” asked Henry of me.

“Call Sam, and we’ll go out on the prairie away from all this noise and talk it over,” I said.

We walked beyond the gleam of the firelight and discussed the matter, somewhat moodily, too, it must be confessed, for we were bitterly disappointed at the wall that had been suddenly raised across our way. I believe that Henry and Starboard Sam were for going on immediately, but Sam was an illiterate old sailor, while Henry was very young. Therefore I looked upon myself as the leader, and thought that I should be cautious. Sam soon told what he thought about it. What were a few wild men to a crew of bold laddies who wanted to make a voyage; should the ship turn out of its course for them? That was not the way with the old Constitution, and he chanted the last verse of his favorite song: