34: LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



the point of giving the signal of attack to his comrade, 

 when the shrill hinny of his mule reverberated 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 niggurs h !" rushed from his con- 

 cealment, 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 stretching out his wiping-stick, 

 planted it on the ground at the extreme length of his 

 arm. As methodically and as coolly as if about to aim 

 at a deer, he raised his rifle to this rest and pulled the 

 trigger. 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 assail- 

 ants 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 

 although the bows twanged, and the three arrows struck 

 their mark, on they rushed, discharging their pistols at 

 close quarters. La Bonte threw his empty one at the 



