352 Sporting Sketches 



If I don't drop you " " Whang ! " The roar of a 

 rifle sounded from a clump to my left, a stream of 

 fiery smoke shot from the brush, the bull gave a 

 tremendous lunge forward and went down in a 

 heap. 



For some seconds I was petrified with amaze- 

 ment; then leaped to my feet, prepared to do I 

 hardly knew what. From the brush near by rose 

 a lank figure, a coppery face peered forth, and an 

 unmistakable voice muttered, " Gess I down um 

 car'boo ! " 



" Jo ! You smoke-tanned idiot, I've a good notion 

 to put a ball through you ! " 



Jo started with as much surprise as his kind ever 

 show; then his broad mouth spread in a diabolical 

 grin, for he guessed every incident of the story. 



" Me no see you. See um car'boo cum long. 

 Me hide, tink mebbe kill um car'boo. You lynx, 

 you creep-creep me no tink you chase um car'- 

 boo." And that was all the comfort I got, outside 

 of the head and feet, which were all I wanted of the 

 bull. 



Later in the evening, when I told Jo of the all- 

 day chase and where I had been, he grunted and 

 said : " Chase um car'boo berry long time twen- 

 too mile dat way an back." 



"Yes, and I crawled quarter of it, confound 

 you ! " 



" Um, dat so ? Me go two, three, four mile, look 

 at trap, den run back to mend shoe. Me stop by 

 fire, bymeby get um car'boo." 



" Yes, after I chase him twenty : two miles for you, 

 you old squaw ! " 



