132 GUN, KOD, AND SADDLE. 



party in pursuit of me, there was but one alternative 

 therefore for me to adopt. Last year, in this very 

 locality, the Indians had been unusually active; 

 scarcely a gang of emigrants or traders who had 

 taken the -southern route but had lost members of 

 their party ; in several instances neither sex nor age 

 had been spared by these blood-thirsty marauders, 

 so what could I expect if alone I fell into the hands 

 of a party of braves on the war-path ? True, my 

 scalp for it has long been ignorant of a scalp-lock 

 would scarcely be worth lifting, but then I did not 

 want to knock under yet ; and if so I preferred mak- 

 ing a fight for it, as, I think, under the excitement, 

 the process of being wiped out is less painful. 



By this time my stalwart apparition had approach- 

 ed within eighty yards ; he was a noble-looking fig- 

 ure, without the slouch of the red man when hunting, 

 and his step was as free and independent as if he had 

 been shooting over a private manor. A big bug he 

 evidently was, conscious of his own divinity, still 110 

 eagle's feather or characteristic mark of a chief dis- 

 tinguished him ; presently he halted, and threw his 

 large gun across his arm, when I saw at once that he 

 was a white man. Great was his surprise when he 

 saw me leave my ambush ; quick as thought his rifle 



