LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 39 



yard's distance, drew his knife at the same moment, and made at 

 him. 



But the Indian broke and ran, followed by his surviving compan- 

 ion ; and as soon as Killbuck could ram home another ball, he sent a 

 shot flying after them as they scrambled up the mountain side, leav- 

 ing in their fright and hurry their bows and shields on the ground. 



The fight was over, and the two trappers confronted each other : 

 — " We've given 'em h — I" laughed Killbuck. 



''Well, we have," answered the other, pulling an arrow out of 

 his arm. — " Wagh I" 



" We'll lift the hair, any how," continued the first, " afore the 

 scalp's cold." 



Taking his whetstone from the little sheath on his knife-belt, 

 the trapper proceeded to " edge" his knife, and then stepping to the 

 first prostrate body, he turned it over to examine if any symptom of 

 vitality remained. " Thrown cold I" he exclaimed, as he dropped the 

 lifeless arm he had lifted. " I sighted him about the long ribs, but 

 the light was bad, and I couldn't get a ' bead' ' off hand' any how." 



Seizing with his left hand the long and braided lock on the 

 center of the Indian's head, he passed the point edge of his keen 

 butcher-knife round the parting, turning it at the same time under, 

 the skin to separate the scalp from the skull ; then, with a quick and 

 sudden jerk of his hand, he removed it entirely from the head, and 

 giving the reeking trophy a wring upon the grass to free it from 

 the blood, he coolly hitched it under his belt, and proceeded to the 

 next ; but seeing La Bonte operating upon this, he sought the 

 third, who lay some little distance from the others. This one was 

 still alive, a pistol-ball having passed through his body, without 

 touching a vital spot. 



" Gut-shot is this niggur," exclaimed the trapper ; " them pis- 

 tols never throws 'em in their tracks;" and thrusting his knife, for 

 mercy's sake, into the bosom of the Indian, he likewise tore the 

 scalp-lock from his head, and placed it with the other. 



