158 The Winning of the West 



side to crack nuts, and were surprised by two In 

 dians ; they were not harmed, but were forced to go 

 with their captors, who kept traveling slowly 

 through the woods on the outskirts of the settle 

 ments, looking for horses. The elder boy soon 

 made friends with the Indians, telling them that he 

 and his brother were ill-treated at home, and would 

 be glad to get a chance to try Indian life. By de 

 grees they grew to believe he was in earnest, and 

 plied him with all kinds of questions concerning the 

 neighbors, their live stock, their guns, the number 

 of men in the different families, to all of which he 

 replied with seeming eagerness and frankness. At 

 night they stopped to camp, one Indian scouting 

 through the woods, while the other kindled a fire 

 by flashing powder in the pan of his rifle. For sup 

 per they had parched corn and pork roasted over the 

 coals; there was then some further talk, and the 

 Indians lay down to sleep, one on each side of the 

 boys. After a while, supposing that their captives 

 were asleep, and anticipating no trouble from two 

 unarmed boys, one Indian got up and lay down on 

 the other side of the fire, where he was soon snoring 

 heavily. Then the lads, who had been wide awake, 

 biding their time, whispered to one another, and 

 noiselessly rose. The elder took one of the guns, 

 silently cocked it, and, pointing it at the head of one 

 Indian, directed the younger boy to take it and pull 

 trigger, while, he himself stood over the head of 

 the other Indian with drawn tomahawk. The one 

 boy then fired, his Indian never moving after receiv- 



