260 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



had no great love for the thieving 1 Blackfeet, I drew a bead 

 on them and tumbled them both over in two shots as dead as 

 a sardine-box, 



"When Jem heard the report of the firing 1 he turned round, and 

 seeing that the Blackfeet had somehow disappeared, he guessed 

 what had become of them. I jumped up at the same time 

 and beckoned to him to stop, which he did, and we both ran 

 for eamp together. I told him by the sign language what I 

 had done, and, though he said nothing, I knew he was mighty 

 thankful, for it was more than likely that if 1 hadn't been 

 round there his scalp would have gone to the Blackfeet nation ; 

 and he knew it. 



" Well, when we got to camp all the braves had turned out 

 to fig-lit the Blackfeet, but before they were driven oil' I had a 

 chance of trying my old ( long torn ' on them, and I reckon I 

 plunked four or five of them badly, if not for good. 



" After the old thieves had dusted out of sight, I learned 

 how they had surprised the Bannocks, and a nice trick it was, 

 I tell you. Two of them, dressed in the skins of the black bear, 

 came out on a knoll in sight of the camp, and began to act 

 as cuffee does, by raising themselves on their hind-legs, 

 hanging down their paws, and tossing their head as that coon 

 does when he is playing. The Bannocks saw them, and 

 about twenty went out to capture them, intending to have 

 lots of fun, but before they had gone a mile from the village 

 they ran into a pile of Blackfeet, who were in ambush in a 

 ravine, and these bounced 'em at once and killed seven of them. 



When the Bannocks learned of their loss the squaws and 

 children set up the most tremendous piece of howling and 

 crying I ever heard, and kept it going for two or thiv.- days, 

 while the boasting skunks, who had run away like scared ante- 

 lopes, told of the great deeds of those who were scalped, 

 though I doubt if they did anything more than scoot for 

 camp as fast as they could. 



" When the wild howling was over, the village moved north, 

 and I went with them, trapping and hunting wherever I had 

 a chance. I learned their language in a short time, but as 

 I wasn't dead in love with their company I left them as soon 



