LIFE IN THE FAK WEST 221 



stop here, and give the animals an opportunity to fill 

 themselves. Several deer had jumped out of the 

 bottom as they entered it ; and La Bonte and Killbuck 

 had sallied from the camp with their rifles, to hunt and 

 endeavour to procure some venison for supper. Along 

 the river banks, herds of deer were feeding in every 

 direction, within shot of the belt of timber ; and the 

 two hunters had no difficulty in approaching and 

 knocking over two fine bucks within a few paces of the 

 thicket. They were engaged in butchering the animals, 

 when La Bonte, looking up from his work, saw half-a- 

 dozen Indians dodging among the trees, within a few 

 yards of himself and Killbuck. At the same instant 

 two arrows thudded into the carcass of the deer over 

 which he knelt, passing but a few inches from his 

 head. ^ Holloing to his companion, La Bonte imme- 

 diately seized the deer, and lifting it with main strength, 

 held it as a shield before him, but not before an arrow 

 had struck him in the shoulder. Rising from the 

 ground he retreated behind cover, yelling loudly to 

 alarm the camp, which was not five hundred yards 

 distant on the other side of the stream. Killbuck, 

 when apprised of the danger, ran bodily into the plain, 

 and, keeping out of shot of the timber, joined La Bonte, 

 who now, out of arrow-shot, threw down his shield 

 of venison and fired his rule at the assailants. The 

 Indians appeared at first afraid to leave the cover ; but 

 three or four more joining them, one a chief, they 

 advanced into the plain, with drawn bows, scattering 

 wide apart, and running swiftly towards the whites, in a 



