LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 11 



Greaser and let one Injun ' have it,' as was going plum 

 into the boy with his lance. He turned on his back 

 handsome, and Dick gets the ball down at last, blazes 

 away, and drops another. Then we charged on 'em, and 

 they clears off like runnin cows ; and I takes the hair 

 off the heads of the two we made meat of ; and I do 

 b'lieve thar's some of them scalps on my old leggings yet. 



" Well, Dick was as full of arrows as a porkypine : 

 one was sticking right through his cheek, one in his 

 meat-bag, and two more 'bout his hump-ribs. I tuk 

 'em all out slick, and away we go to camp, (for they 

 was jost a-campin' when we went ahead,) and carryin' 

 the goat too. Thar' was a hurroo when we rode in with 

 the scalps at the end of our guns. ' Injuns ! Injuns ! ' 

 was the cry from the greenhorns ; ( we'll be 'tacked to- 

 night, that's certain.' 



" ' 'Tacked be ,' says old Bill ; ' aint we men 



too, and white at that ? Look to your guns, froys ; 

 send out a strong hos'-guard with the animals, and keep 

 your eyes skinned.' 



" Well, as soon as the animals were unhitched from 

 the waggons, the guvner sends out a strong guard, 

 seven boys, and old hands at that. It was pretty nigh 

 upon sundown, and Bill had just sung out to ' corral.' 

 The boys were drivin' in the animals, and we were all 

 standing round to get 'em in slick, when, ' howgh-owgh- 

 owgh-owgh,' we hears right behind the bluff, and 'bout 

 a minute and a perfect crowd of Injuns gallops down 

 upon the animals. Wagh ! warn't thar hoopin' ! We 

 jump for the guns, but before we get to the fires, the 



