24 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



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 within 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 ascer- 

 tained where his own animal was feeding, which luckily 

 was at the farther side of the prairie, and would not inter- 

 fere with his proceedings. 



Threading their way amongst the feeding mules, they 

 approached 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 ; and the 

 luminary herself just peered over the mountain, illuminat- 

 ing its pine-clad summit, and throwing her beams on an 

 opposite peak, when Killbuck touched his companion's 

 arm, and whispered, " Wait for the full light, boy." 



At this moment, however, unseen by the trapper, the 

 old grizzled mule had gradually approached, as she fed 

 along the plateau ; and, when within a few paces of their 

 retreat, a gleam of moonshine revealed to the animal the 

 erect forms of the two whites. Suddenly she stood still' 

 and pricked her ears, and stretching out her neck and nose, 

 snuffed the air. Well she knew her old master. 



Killbuck, with eyes fixed upon the Indians, was on the 

 point of giving the signal of attack to his comrade, when 

 the shrill hinny of his mule reverberated through the 

 gorge. The Indians jumped to their feet and seized their 

 arms, when Killbuck, with a loud shout of " At 'em, boy ; 



