120 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



and smoked and ate, and slept none the worse for his 

 mishap thought, before he closed his eyes, a little of 

 his lost wives, and more perhaps of the "Bending Eeed " 

 than of Sah-qua-manish, or " she who runs with the 

 stream," drew his blanket tightly round him, felt his 

 rifle handy to his grasp, and was speedily asleep. 



Whilst the tired mountaineer breathes heavily in his 

 dream, careless and unconscious that a living soul is 

 near, his mule on a sudden pricks her ears and stares 

 into the gloom, whence a figure soon emerges, and with 

 noiseless steps draws near the sleeping hunter. Taking 

 one look at the slumbering form, the same figure 

 approaches the fire and adds a log to the pile ; which 

 done, it quietly seats itself at the feet of the sleeper, and 

 remains motionless as a statue. Towards morning the 

 hunter awoke, and, rubbing his eyes, was astonished to 

 feel the glowing warmth of the fire striking on his 

 naked feet, which, in Indian fashion, were stretched 

 towards it ; as by this time, he knew, the fire he left 

 burning must long since have expired. Lazily raising 

 himself on his elbow, he saw a figure sitting near it 

 with the back turned to him, which, although his 

 exclamatory wagh was loud enough in all conscience, 

 remained perfectly motionless, until the trapper, rising, 

 placed his hand upon the shoulder : then, turning up 

 its face, the features displayed to his wondering eye 

 were those of Chil-co-the, his Yuta wife. Yes, indeed, 

 the "Bending Eeed" had escaped from her Arapaho 

 captors, and made her way back to her white husband, 

 fasting and alone. 



