164 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



ing himself by a long look ; " it's the old boy's hos as 

 sure as shootiri' : and them Rapahos has rubbed him out 

 at last, and raised his animals. Ho, boy ! let's lift their hair." 



" Agreed," answered Killbuck ; and away they started 

 in pursuit, determined to avenge the death of their old 

 comrade. 



They followed the track through the bottom and into 

 the stream, which it crossed, and passing a few yards up 

 the bank, entered the water again, when they could see 

 nothing more of it. Puzzled at this, they sought on each 

 side the river, but in vain ; and, not wishing to lose more 

 time in the search, they proceeded through the timber on 

 the banks to find a good camping-place for the night, 

 which had been their object in riding in advance of the 

 cavallada. On the left bank, a short distance before them, 

 was a heavy growth of timber, and the river ran in one 

 place close to a high bluff, between which and the water 

 was an almost impervious thicket of plum and cherry 

 trees. The grove of timber ended before it reached this 

 point, and but few scattered trees grew in the little glade 

 which intervened, and which was covered with tolerable 

 grass. This being fixed upon as an excellent camp, the 

 two mountaineers rode into the glade, and dismounted 

 close to the plum and cherry thicket, which formed al- 

 most a wall before them, and an excellent shelter from 

 the wind. Jumping off their horses, they were in the act 

 of removing the saddles from their backs, when a shrill 

 neigh burst from the thicket not two yards behind them : 

 a rustling in the bushes followed, and presently a man 

 dressed in buckskin and rifle in hand, burst out of the 

 tangled brush, exclaiming in an angry voice 



" Do'ee hyar now ? I was nigh upon gut-shootin' some 

 of e'e I was now ; thought e'e was darned Rapahos, I did, 

 and cached right off." 



" Ho, Bill ! what, old hos ! not gone under yet ? " cried 

 both the hunters. " Give us your paw." 



" Do'ee now, if hyar arn't them boys as was rubbed out 

 on Lodge Pole (creek) a time ago. Do'ee hyar ? if this 

 ain't ' some ' now, I wouldn't say so." 



