160 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



In the present instance, however, many of the horses 

 having been left on the road, the Diggers found so plenti- 

 ful a supply of meat as to render unnecessary any attack 

 upon the formidable mountaineers. 



One evening the Americans had encamped, earlier than 

 usual, on a creek well timbered with willow and quaking- 

 ash, and affording tolerable pasture ; and although it was 

 still rather early, they determined to stop here, and give 

 the animals an opportunity to fill themselves. Several 

 deer had jumped out of the bottom as they entered it ; 

 and La Bonte and Killbuck had sallied from the camp 

 with their rifles to hunt, and endeavour to procure some 

 venison for supper. Along the river-banks herds of deer 

 were feeding in every direction, within shot of the belt of 

 timber ; and the two hunters had no difficulty in approach- 

 ing and knocking over two fine bucks within a few paces 

 of the thicket. They were engaged in butchering the 

 animals, when La Bonte, looking up from his work, saw 

 half-a-dozen Indians dodging among the trees, within a 

 few yards of himself and Killbuck. At the same instant 

 two arrows thudded into the carcass of the deer over 

 which he knelt, passing but a few inches from his head. 

 Hallooing to his companion, La Bonte immediately seized 

 the deer, and, lifting it with main strength, held it as a 

 shield before him, but not before an arrow had struck him 

 in the shoulder. Rising from the ground he retreated 

 behind cover, yelling loudly to alarm the camp, which 

 was not five hundred yards distant on the other side of the 

 stream. Killbuck, when apprised of the danger, ran 

 bodily into the plain, and, keeping out of shot of the 

 timber, joined La Bonte, who, now out of arrow-shot, 

 threw down his shield of venison and fired his rifle at the 

 assailants. The Indians appeared at first afraid to leave 

 the cover ; but three or four more joining them, one a 

 chief, they advanced into the plain with drawn bows, scat- 

 tering wide apart, and running swiftly towards the whites 

 in a zigzag course, in order not to present a steady mark 

 to their unerring rifles. The latter were too cautious to 

 discharge their pieces, but kept a steady front, with rifle 



