180 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



The general fight lasted less time than we have taken 

 to describe it. The white men gained the advantage ; 

 two of the Indians lay dead upon the boat, and the liv- 

 ing, escaping from their antagonists, leaped ashore, and 

 before the rifle could be brought to bear, they were out 

 of its reach. 



While Mike was yet struggling with his adversary, 

 one of his companions cut the boat loose from the shore, 

 and, with powerful exertion, managed to get its bows so 

 far into the current, that it swung round and floated ; 

 but before this was accomplished, and before any one 

 interfered with Mike, he was on his feet, covered with 

 blood, and blowing like a porpoise : by the time that he 

 could get his breath, he commenced talking. 



" Ain't been so busy in a long time," said he, turn- 

 ing over his victim with his foot ; " that fellow fou't 

 beautiful ; if he's a specimen of the Choctaws that live 

 in these parts, they are screamers ; the infernal sar- 

 pents ! the d d possums ! " 



Talking in this way, he with others, took a general 

 survey of the killed and wounded. Mike himself was 

 a good deal cut up with the Indian's knife ; but he called 

 his wounds — blackberry scratches. One of Mike's asso- 

 ciates was severely hurt ; the rest escaped comparatively 

 harmless. The sacrifice was made at the first fire ; for 

 beside the dead Indians, there lay one of the, boat's 

 crew, cold and dead, his body perforated with four dif- 

 ferent balls. That he was the chief object of attack 



