20 LIFE IN- THE FAR WEST 



thirsting for his blood, baying his enemies like the 

 hunted deer, but with the unflinching courage of a man ; 

 now, all care thrown aside, secure and forgetful of the 

 past, a welcome guest in the hospitable trading fort ; or 

 back, as the trail gets fainter, to his childhood's home 

 in the brown forests of old Kentuck, tended and cared 

 for his only thought to enjoy the homminy and 

 johnny cakes of his thrifty mother. Once more, in 

 warm and well-remembered homespun, he sits on the 

 snake fence round the old clearing, and, munching his 

 hoe-cake at set of sun, listens to the mournful note of 

 the whip-poor-will, or the harsh cry of the noisy catbird, 

 or watches the agile gambols of the squirrels as they 

 chase each other, chattering the while, from branch to 

 branch of the lofty tamarisks, wondering how long it 

 will be before he will be able to lift his father's heavy rifle, 

 and use it against the tempting game. Sleep, however, 

 sat lightly on the eyes of the wary mountaineer, and a 

 snort from the old mule in an instant stretched his 

 every nerve. Without a movement of his body, his 

 keen eye fixed itself upon the mule, which now stood 

 with head bent round, and eyes and ears pointed in one 

 direction, snuffing the night air "and snorting with 

 apparent fear. A low sound from the wakeful hunter 

 roused the others from their sleep ; and raising their 

 bodies from their well-soaked beds, a single word ap- 

 prised them of their danger. 



" Injuns !" 



Scarcely was the word out of Killbuck's lips, when, 

 above the howling of the furious wind, and the patter- 



