306 SPOUTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



this seemed to be great medicine to him, I knew he would 

 put them in his medicine-bag and worship them ever after, 

 and I, of course, would always be respected by him for 

 giving him the medicine. 



" Well, I stayed in camp there two days, but I wasn't 

 idle, for I killed four deer, in order to have plenty of meat 

 for a week or two. On the third day I visited my traps, 

 and when I got to those near the Injun village I heard a 

 tremendous yelling, and, on looking about, saw a dozen of 

 the redskins running out of a piece of woods not seventy 

 yards away from me, and about fifty more legging it after 

 them and shooting arrows at them in a lively style. 



"I knew at once that it was a surprise by the Blackfeet; 

 and as I did not care to be jumped by them, I dodged into 

 the sage-brush and threw myself flat on the ground. Very 

 soon after I saw three Injuns running across my front, and, 

 on sitting up a little, found that the first was this Jem, and 

 that the other two were big Blackfeet, who were screaming 

 like the steam-whistle of a cotton-mill. Now, Jem having 

 been good to me, I didn't care to see him double-banked ; 

 and as I had no great love for the thieving Blackfeet, I 

 drew a bead on them and tumbled them both over in two 

 shots as dead as a sardine-box. 



"When Jem heard the report of the firing he turned 

 round ; and seeing that the Blackfeet had somehow disap- 

 peared, he guessed what had become of them. I jumped 

 up at the same time and beckoned to him to stop, which he 

 did, and we both ran for camp together. I told him by the 

 sign language what I had done, and, though he said noth- 

 ing, I knew he was mighty thankful ; for it was more than 

 likely that if I hadn't been round there his scalp would 

 have gone to the Blackfeet nation, and he knew it. 



" Well, when we got to camp all the braves had turned 

 out to fight the Blackfeet ; but, before they were driven 

 off, I had a chance of trying my old 'Long Tom' on them, 

 and I reckon I plunked four or five of them badly, if not 

 for good. 



"After the old thieves had dusted out of sight, I learned 



