"PUT FORTH THY HAND" 53 



Of all of this I happily knew nothing, and 

 at 4.45 P. M. we at last — ^at last — started away 

 without any circus performance on the part of 

 the mule. 



We were to go but five miles and then pitch 

 tents for the night. Billie, true to his reputa- 

 tion, easily led the procession, as he was a won- 

 derful walker. All went well for a couple of 

 miles, and the wind, blowing in our faces as 

 we rode, made "the green leaves quiver with 

 the cooling wind." 



Then Billie commenced to throw his right 

 ear back and his left ear front, which actions 

 the Chief having observed, he rode up and 

 said: "There's sure an Indian ahead of us; 

 now keep cool, stick to the mule and don't let 

 him throw you." 



How was that for a man riding in tight 

 breeches — so tight as to lock his knees? But 

 holding the bridle of the fearsome mule with 

 my left hand, I patted his neck with my right, 

 and talked to him in a "soothing" tone, at the 

 same time keeping a sharp watch for the In- 

 dian. Sure enough he finally appeared. He 

 was only a young Indian, however, a lad of 

 eighteen; perhaps had he been a full-grown 

 Indian the situation might have been more 

 difficult, as the scent might have been 



