LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 115 



rifle, which was at his shoulder, and glancing off, pierced his 

 arm, inflicting, luckily, but a slight wound. Again the In- 

 dian turned in his course, the others encouraging him with 

 loud war-whoops, and, once more passing at still less distance, 

 he drew his arrow to the head. This time, however, the eagle 

 eye of the white detected the action, and suddenly rising from 

 his knee as the Indian approached (hanging by his foot alone 

 over the opposite side of the horse,) he jumped toward the 

 animal with outstretched arms and a loud yell, causing it to 

 start suddenly, and swerve from its course. The Indian lost 

 his foot-hold, and, after a fruitless struggle to regain his po- 

 sition, fell to the ground ; but instantly rose upon his feet 

 and gallantly confronted the mountaineer, striking his hand 

 upon his brawny chest and shouting a loud whoop of defi- 

 ance. In another instant the rifle of La Bonte had poured 

 forth its contents ; and the brave savage, springing into the 

 air, fell dead to the ground, just as the other trappers, who 

 had heard the firing, galloped up to the spot. At sight of 

 them, the Pawnees, with yells of disappointed vengeance, 

 hastily retreated. 



That night La Bonte first lifted hair ! 



A few days later the mountaineers reached the point where 

 the Platte divides into two great forks : the northern one, 

 stretching to the northwest, skirts the eastern base of the 

 Black Hills, and sweeping round to the sJfch rises in the 

 vicinity of the mountain called the New Park, receiving the 

 Laramie, Medicine Bow, and Sweet Water creeks. The other, 

 or " South Fork," strikes towards the mountains in a south- 

 westerly direction, hugging the base of the main chain of the 

 Rocky Mountains ; and, fed by several small creeks, rises in 

 the uplands of the Bayou Salade, near which is also the 

 source of the Arkansas. 



About noon they had crossed the left bank of the fork, 

 intending to camp on a large creek where some fresh beaver 

 " sign" had attracted the attention of some of the trappers; 



