300 IN THE OLD WEST 



mouth, on the sill of the door, he turned away his 

 head as if dreading to say adios. La Bonte rode 

 beside him, and a thought struck him. 



"Ho, Dick!" he said, " thar's the gal, and 

 thar's the mountains : shoot sharp's the word." 



Dick instantly understood him, and was " him- 

 self again." He rode up to the girl as if to bid 

 her adieu, and she came to meet him. Whispering 

 one word, she put her foot upon his, was instantly 

 seized round the waist, and placed upon the horn 

 of his saddle. He struck spurs into his horse, and 

 in a minute was out of sight ; his three companions 

 covering his retreat, and menacing with their 

 rifles the crowd which was soon drawn to the spot 

 by the cries of the girl's parents, who had been 

 astonished spectators of the daring rape. 



The trapper and his bride, however, escaped 

 scatheless, and the whole party effected a safe 

 passage of the mountains, and reached the Ark- 

 ansa, where the band was broken up, some pro- 

 ceeding to Bent's Fort, and others to the Platte, 

 amongst whom were Killbuck and La Bonte, still 

 in company. 



These two once more betook themselves to trap- 

 ping, the Yellow Stone being their chief hunting- 

 ground. But we must again leap over months and 

 years, rather than conduct the reader through all 

 their perilous wanderings, and at last bring him 

 back to the camp on Bijou, where we first intro- 

 duced him to our mountaineers ; and as we have al- 



