328 THE WAR-CRY OF THE INDIANS. 



tlie reins to my horse, and dug my spurs into his 

 flanks. 



The animal darted off like an arrow, and in five or six 

 bounds I was on the other side of the thicket, facing the 

 bear, whose ribs had been broken by my companion's shot. 

 He writhed with pain, and howled horribly, grinding his 

 teeth, and opening wide his red and foaming jaws. 



My horse seemed to have been suddenly changed into 

 marble, which I do not think could be more immovable 

 than he was. Fright had completely paralyzed him. 

 His body was covered with a cold sweat, which stood 

 upon his skin in great drops ; his eyes were rigid, his 

 nostrils opened wide, his eyes haggard and fixed. The 

 suddenness of the shock was terrible ; however, I with- 

 stood it, and endeavoured with whip and spur to force 

 my charger forward. All was useless ; his head remained 

 motionless, and a light quiver of the muscles was his sole 

 reply to my exertions. Then I broke into a violent rage ; 

 I stimulated him with furious shouts ; I even struck him 

 across the head with the but-end of my gun ; in vain ! 



At the same instant, for all this was the affair of a 

 second, and while the Virginian was reloading his gun, 

 our attention was arrested by a continual roll of thunder- 

 claps. It was like volley-firing by platoons. The roar 

 came up from the other side of the mountain ; cries 

 accompanied the discharges or reports, cries which those 

 who have once heard can never again forget : it was the 

 war-shout, the slogan, of the Comanches ! Almost sim- 

 ultaneously we caught sight of the rapid movement of a 

 troop descending the hill, and directing their course to- 

 wards us ; we had not a moment to lose ! 



