IN THE OLD WEST 63 



on the point of giving the signal of attack to his 

 comrade, when the shrill whinny of his mule rever- 

 berated through the gorge. The Indians jumped 

 to their feet and seized their arms, when Killbuck, 

 with a loud shout of " At 'em, boy ; give the nig- 

 gers h ! " rushed from his concealment, and with 

 La Bonte by his side, yelling a fierce war-whoop, 

 sprang upon the startled savages. 



Panic-struck with the suddenness of the attack, 

 the Indians scarcely knew where to run, and for 

 a moment stood huddled together like sheep. 

 Down dropped Killbuck on his knee, and stretch- 

 ing out his wiping-stick, planted it on the ground 

 at the extreme length of his arm. As methodic- 

 ally and as coolly as if about to aim at a deer, 

 he raised his rifle to this rest and pulled the trig- 

 ger. At the report an Indian fell forward on 

 his face, at the same moment that La Bonte, with 

 equal certainty of aim, and like effect, discharged 

 his own rifle. 



The three surviving Indians, seeing that their 

 assailants were but two, and knowing that their 

 guns were empty, came on with loud yells. With 

 the left hand grasping a bunch of arrows, and 

 holding the bow already bent, and arrow fixed, 

 they steadily advanced, bending low to the ground 

 to get their objects between them and the light, 

 and thus render their aim more certain. The 

 trappers, however, did not care to wait for them. 

 Drawing their pistols, they charged at once; and 



