272 IN THE OLD WEST 



buck. 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. Halloo- 

 ing to his companion, La Bonte immediately 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 

 rifle 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 zig- 

 zag course, in order not to present a steady mark 

 to their unerring rifles. The latter were too cau- 

 tious to discharge their pieces, but kept a steady 

 front, with rifle at shoulder. The Indians evi- 

 dently disliked to approach nearer; but the chief, 

 an old grizzled man, incited them by word and ges- 

 ture — running in advance and calling upon the 

 others to follow him. 



" Ho, boy ! " exclaimed Killbuck to his com- 

 panion, " that old coon must go under, or we'll 

 get rubbed out by these darned critters." 



