94 LIFEINTHEFARWEST. 



ground. All this time the women, half dead with fright, were 

 huddled together on the ground, howling piteously ; and the moun- 

 taineers advancing to them, whirled their lassos round their heads, 

 and throwing the open nooses into the midst, hauled out three of 

 them, and securing their arms in the rope, bound them to a tree, and 

 then proceeded to scalp the dead bodies. While they were en- 

 gaged in this work, an old Indian, withered and grisly, and hardly 

 bigger than an ape, suddenly emerged from a rock, holding in his 

 left hand a bow and a handful of arrows, while one was already 

 drawn to the head. Running toward them^ and almost before the 

 hunters were aware of his presence, he discharged an arrow at a 

 few yards' distance, which buried itself in the ground not a foot 

 from La Bonte's head as he bent over the body of the Indian he 

 was scalping ; and hardly had the whiz ceased, when whirr flew 

 another, striking him in his right shoulder. Before the Indian 

 could fit a third arrow to his bow. La Bonte sprang upon him, 

 seized him by the middle, and spinning his pigmy form round his 

 head, as easily as he would have twirled a tomahawk, he threw 

 him with tremendous force upon the ground at the feet of one of 

 his companions, who, stooping down, coolly thrust the knife into the 

 Indian's breast, and quickly tore ofi" his scalp. 



The slaughter over, without casting an eye to the captive 

 squaws, the trappers proceeded to search the village for food, of 

 which they stood much in need. Nothing, however, was found 

 but a few bags of dried ants, which, after eating voraciously of, 

 but with wry mouths, they threw aside, saying the food was 

 worse than "poor bull." They found, however, the animals they 

 had been robbed of, and two more besides — wretched, half-starved 

 creatures ; and on these mounting their captives, they hurried 

 away on their journey back to their companions, the distance 

 being computed at three days' travel from their present position. 

 However, they thought, by taking a more direct course, they might 

 find better pasture for their animals, and water, besides saving at 



