Adventure on the Prairie. 49 



nearly brought forth an exclamation of anger. I looked 

 at him, his eye met mine, but his look was so forbidding, 

 that it struck a chill into the more nervous part of my 

 system. He again seated himself, drew his butcher-knife 

 from its greasy scabbard, examined its edge, as I would 

 do that of a razor suspected dull, replaced it, and again 

 taking his tomahawk from his back, filled the pipe of it 

 with tobacco, and sent me expressive glances whenever 

 our hostess, chanced to have her back towards us. 



"Never until that moment had my senses been 

 awakened to the danger which I now suspected to be 

 about me. I returned glance for glance to my companion, 

 and rested well assured that, whatever enemies I might 

 have, he was not of their number. 



" I asked the woman for my watch, wound it up, and 

 under the pretence of wishing to see how the weather 

 might probably be on the morrow, took up my gun, and 

 walked out of the cabin. I slipped a ball into each 

 barrel, scraped the edges of my flints, renewed the 

 primings, and returning to the hut, gave a favorable 

 account of my observations. I took a few bear-skins, 

 made a pallet of them, and calling my faithful dog to my 

 side, lay down, with my gun close to my body, and in a 

 few minutes was to all appearance fast asleep. 



" A short time had elapsed when some voices were 

 heard, and from the corner of my eyes I saw two athletic 

 youths making their entrance, bearing a dead stag on a 

 pole. They disposed of their burden, and asking for 

 whiskey, helped themselves freely to it. Observing me 

 and the wounded Indian, they asked who I was, and why 

 the devil that rascal (meaning the Indian, who, they knew, 

 understood not a word of English) was in the house ? 

 The mother, for so she proved to be, bade them speak less 

 loudly, made mention of my watch, and took them to a 

 corner, where a conversation took place, the purport of 

 3 



