JOHN COLTER FREE TRAPPER 165 



shore. Two or three strokes sent the canoe round an 

 elbow of rock into the narrow course of a creek. In 

 stantly out sprang five or six hundred Blackfeet war 

 riors with weapons levelled guarding both sides of the 

 stream. 



An Indian scout had discovered the trail of the white 

 men and sent the whole band scouring ahead to inter 

 cept them at this narrow pass. The chief stepped for 

 ward, and with signals that were a command beckoned 

 the hunters ashore. 



As is nearly always the case, the rash man was the 

 one to lose his head, the cautious man the one to keep 

 his presence of mind. Potts was for an attempt at 

 flight, when every bow on both sides of the river would 

 have let fly a shot. Colter was for accepting the situ 

 ation, trusting to his own wit for subsequent escape. 



Colter, who was acting as steersman, sent the canoe 

 ashore. Bottom had not grated before a savage 

 snatched Potts s rifle from his hands. Springing ashore, 

 Colter forcibly wrested the weapon back and coolly 

 handed it to Potts. 



But Potts had lost all the rash courage of a mo 

 ment before, and with one push sent the canoe into 

 mid-stream. Colter shouted at him to come back- 

 come back ! Indians have more effective arguments. 

 A bow-string twanged, and Potts screamed out, &quot; Col 

 ter, I am wounded ! &quot; 



Again Colter urged him to land. The wound 

 turned Pott s momentary fright to a paroxysm of rage. 

 Aiming his rifle, he shot his Indian assailant dead. If 

 it was torture that he feared, that act assured him at 

 least a quick death ; for, in Colter s language, man and 

 boat were instantaneously &amp;lt;e made a riddle of.&quot; 



