328 THE WAR-CRY OF THE INDIANS. 



the reins to my horse, and dug my spurs into his 

 Hanks. 



The animal darted off like an arrow, and in five or six 

 bounds I was on the other side of the thicket, facing the 

 bear, whose ribs had been broken by my companion's shot. 

 He writhed with pain, and howled horribly, grinding -his 

 teeth, and opening wide his red and foaming jaws. 



My horse seemed to have been suddenly changed into 

 marble, which I do not think could be more immovable 

 than he was. Fright had completely paralyzed him. 

 His body was covered with a cold sweat, which stood 

 upon his skin in great drops j his eyes were rigid, his 

 nostrils opened w r ide, his eyes haggard and fixed. The 

 suddenness of the shock was terrible ; however, I with- 

 stood it, and endeavoured with whip and spur to force 

 my charger forward. All was useless ; his head remained 

 motionless, and a light quiver of the muscles was his sole 

 reply to my exertions. Then I broke into a violent rage ; 

 I stimulated him with furious shouts ; I even struck him 

 across the head with the but-end of my gun ; in vain ! 



At the same instant, for all this was the affair of a 

 second, and while the Yirginian was reloading his gun, 

 our attention was arrested by a continual roll of thunder- 

 claps. It was like volley-firing by platoons. The roar 

 came up from the other side of the mountain ; cries 

 accompanied the discharges or reports, cries which those 

 who have once heard can never again forget : it was the 

 war-shout, the slogan, of the Comanches ! Almost sim- 

 ultaneously we caught sight of the rapid movement of a 

 troop descending the hill, and directing their course to- 

 wards us j we had not a moment to lose ! 



