88 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



buffalo liver; after discussing which, Killbuck pronounced 

 hiinself "a 'heap' better, and ready for "huggin'." 



In the short interval of almost perfect darkness which pre- 

 ceded the moonlight, and taking advantage of one of the fre- 

 quent squalls of wind which howl down the narrow gorges of 

 the mountains, these two determined men, with footsteps 

 noiseless as the panther's, crawled to the edge of the little 

 plateau of some hundred yards square, where the five Indians 

 in charge of the animals were seated round a fire, perfectly 

 unconscious of the vicinity of danger. Several clumps of 

 cedar bushes dotted the small prairie, and among these the 

 well-hobbled mules and horses were feeding. These animals, 

 accustomed to the presence of whites, would not notice the 

 two hunters as they crept from clump to clump, nearer to the 

 fire, and also served, even if the Indians should be on the 

 watch, to conceal their movements from them. 



This the two men at once perceived ; but old Killbuck knew 

 that if he passed w T ithin sight or smell of his mule, he would 

 be received with a hinny of recognition, which would at once 

 alarm the enemy. He therefore first ascertained where his 

 own animal was feeding, which luckily was at the father side 

 of the prairie, and would not interfere with his proceedings. 



Threading their way among the feeding mules, they ap- 

 proached a clump of bushes about forty yards from the spot 

 where the unconscious savages were seated smoking round the 

 fire ; and here they awaited, scarcely drawing breath the while, 

 the moment when the moon rose above the mountain into the 

 clear cold sky, and gave them light sufficient to make sure 

 their work of bloody retribution. Not a pulsation in the hearts 

 of these stern, determined men beat higher than its wont ; not 

 the tremor of a nerve disturbed their frame. They stood 

 with lips compressed and rifles ready, their pistols loosened 

 in their belts, their scalp-knives handy to their gripe. The 

 lurid glow of the coming moon already shot into the sky above 

 the ridge, which stood out in bold relief against the light ; 



