



Produced by Camille Bernard and Marc D'Hooghe at
http://www.freeliterature.org (Images generously made
available by the Hathi Trust.)





THE RED RIVER HALF-BREED

A TALE OF THE WILD NORTHWEST

BY

GUSTAVE AIMARD

AUTHOR OF "PRAIRIE FLOWER," "THE TREASURE OF PEARLS,"
"PIRATES OF THE PRAIRIES," &c., &c.

LONDON

JOHN and ROBERT MAXWELL

MILTON HOUSE, SHOE LANE, FLEET STREET

AND

35, ST. BRIDE STREET LUDGATE CIRCUS


(From the Collected Novels--1860-1885)

(Translation by Henry Llewellyn Williams - edited by: Percy B. St John.)





CONTENTS

         I. THE CREST OF THE CONTINENT
        II. THE FALSE PILOT
       III. THE MOUNTAINEER'S SNUG CABIN
        IV. THE MAN WHO RAN RIGHT INTO TROUBLE
         V. THE LONE MAN'S STORY
        VI. IN HOSTILE HANDS
       VII. CHEROKEE BILL RECRUITING
      VIII. THE GOLD GRABBERS
        IX. THE RED RIVER HALF-BREEDS
         X. THE STORM KING
        XI. THE IRRESISTIBLE BAIT
       XII. UNDER THE MARK
      XIII. THE BEAUTIFUL PRISONER'S FRIEND
       XIV. THE COMPACT
        XV. AN INGENIOUS INTRODUCTION
       XVI. THE THORN OF ROSES
      XVII. HOW "FRENCH PAUL" GOT HURT
     XVIII. ROSARIO BEGINS TO HOPE
       XIX. THE NEST OF TRAITORS
        XX. THE UNDERMINER
       XXI. THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO LOOK AND LISTEN
      XXII. THE LATE VISITOR TO THE LADIES
     XXIII. A FOREST LETTER
      XXIV. THE YAGER'S "TREATY TALK" WITH OUR HERO
       XXV. WE HEAR FROM CHEROKEE BILL
      XXVI. THE ALL-POWERFUL EMBLEM
     XXVII. THE MOUNTAIN MAN IS REINFORCED
    XXVIII. DRAWING TO A HEAD
      XXIX. ON THE EVE OF THE ATTACK
       XXX. THE HALF-BREED DIES GAME
      XXXI. THE WOMEN'S CAMP




CHAPTER I.

THE CREST OF THE CONTINENT.


We stand on the loftiest peak of the Big Wind River Mountains, that
highest and longest chain of the Northern Rockies, a chaos of granite
fifteen thousand feet towards the firmament from the sea.

Around us the lesser pinnacles hold up heads as fantastic in shape as
an Indian's plumed for battle, and, below a little, diamonds of ice
deck the snowy ermine of the colossal giant's robe.

Far beneath, the mosses are grown upon by sparse grasses, and they
by scrub evergreens, gradually displaced in the descent to the warm
alcoved valleys by taller and taller pines, spruce, larch, and cedar.
But the ancient ocean wash here shows lines alone of the constant west
and southwest winds, which never bring a seed or grain into this calm
frigidity.

In the placid afternoon, the beats are audible of the wings of the king
of