LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 15 



and, munching his hoe-cake at set of sun, listens to the 

 mournful note of the whip-poor-will, or the harsh cry of the 

 noisy catbird, or watches the agile gambols of the squirrels 

 as they chase each other, chattering the while, from branch 

 to branch of the lofty tamarisks, wondering how long it 

 will be before he will be able to lift his father's heavy rifle, 

 and use it against the tempting game. Sleep, however, sat 

 lightly on the eyes of the wary mountaineer, and a snort 

 from the old mule in an instant stretched his every nerve. 

 Without a movement of his body, his keen eye fixed itself 

 upon the mule, which now stood with head bent round, 

 and eyes and ears pointed in one direction, snuffing the 

 night air and snorting with apparent fear. A low sound 

 from the wakeful hunter roused the others from their 

 ,sleep ; and raising their bodies from their well-soaked beds, 

 a single word apprised them of their danger. 



"Injuns!"" 



Scarcely was the word out of Killbuck's lips, when, 

 above the howling of the furious wind and the pattering 

 of the rain, a hundred savage yells broke suddenly upon 

 their ears from all directions round the camp ; a score of 

 rifle-shots rattled from the thicket, and a cloud of arrows 

 whistled through the air, whilst a crowd of Indians charged 

 upon the picketed animals. " Owgh ! owgh owgh owgh 

 g-h-h ! " "A foot, by gor ! " shouted Killbuck, " and the 

 old mule gone at that. On 'em, boys, for old Kentuck ! " 

 And he rushed towards his mule, which jumped and 

 snorted mad with fright, as a naked Indian strove to 

 fasten a lariat round her nose, having already cut the 

 rope which fastened her to the picket-pin. 



" Quit that, you cussed devil ! " roared the trapper, as 

 he jumped upon the savage, and, without raising his rifle 

 to his shoulder, made a deliberate thrust with the muzzle 

 at his naked breast, striking him full, and at the same time 

 pulling the trigger, actually driving the Indian two paces 

 backwards with the shock, when he fell in a heap, and 

 dead. But at the same moment, an Indian, sweeping his 

 club round his head, brought it with frightful force down 

 upon Killbuck. For a moment the hunter staggered, threw 



