120 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



through his country, burning his wood, drinking his water, 

 and killing his game ; but he knew they had now come to 

 pay for the mischief they had done, and that the mules and 

 horses they had brought with them were intended as a present 

 to their red friends. 



"He was Mah-to-ga-shane," he said, "the Brave Bear: 

 his tongue was short, but his arm long ; and he loved rather 

 to speak with his bow and his lance than with the weapon of 

 a squaw. He had said it : the Long-knives had horses with 

 them and mules ; and these were for him, he knew, and for 

 his 'braves/ Let the White-face go back to his people and 

 return with the animals, or he, the ' Brave Bear,' would have 

 to come and take them ; and his young men would get mad, 

 and would feel blood in their eyes ; and then he would have 

 no power over them ; and the whites would have to * go 

 under.' " 



The trapper answered shortly " The long-knives," he said, 

 " had brought the horses for themselves their hearts were 

 big, but not toward the Yanka-taus : and if they had to give 

 up their animals, it would be to men and not to squaws. They 

 were not ' Wah-keitcha,' (French engages,) but Long-knives ; 

 and, however, short were the tongues of the Yanka-taus, 

 theirs were still shorter, and their rifles longer. The Yanka- 

 taus, were dogs and squaws, and the the Long-knives spat 

 upon them." 



Saying this, the trapper turned his back and rejoined his 

 companions ; while the Indian slowly proceeded to his people, 

 who, on learning the contemptuous way in which their threats 

 had been treated, testified their anger with loud yells ; and, 

 seeking whatever cover was afforded, commenced a scattering 

 volley upon the camp of the mountaineers. The latter re- 

 served their fire, treating with cool indifference the balls 

 which began to rattle about them ; but as the Indians, em- 

 boldened by this apparent inaction, rushed for a closer posi- 

 tion, and exposed their bodies within a long range, half-a 



