36 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



to free it from the blood, he coolly hitched it under his 

 belt, and proceeded to the next ; but seeing La Bonte 

 operating upon this, he sought the third, who lay some 

 little distance from the others. This one was still alive, 

 a pistol-ball having passed through his body, without 

 touching a vital spot. 



" Gut-shot is this niggur," exclaimed the trapper ; 

 " them pistols never throws 'em in their tracks ; " and 

 thrusting his knife, for mercy's sake, into the bosom of 

 the Indian, he likewise tore the scalp-lock from his 

 head, and placed it with the other. 



La Bonte had received two trivial wounds, and Kill- 

 buck till now had been walking about with an arrow 

 sticking through the fleshy part of his thigh, the point 

 being perceptible near the surface of the other side. 

 To free his leg from the painful encumbrance, he thrust 

 the weapon completely through, and then, cutting off 

 the arrow-head below the barb, he drew it out, the blood 

 flowing freely from the wound. A tourniquet of buck- 

 skin soon stopped this, and, heedless of the pain, the 

 hardy mountaineer sought for his old mule, and quickly 

 brought it to the fire, (which La Bonte had rekindled,) 

 lavishing many a caress, and most comical terms of 

 endearment, upon the faithful companion of his wander- 

 ings. They found all the animals safe and well ; and 

 after eating heartily of some venison which the Indians 

 had been cooking at the moment of the attack, made 

 instant preparations to quit the scene of their exploit, 

 not wishing to trust to the chance of the Rapahos being 

 too frightened to again molest them. 



