138 HUNTING SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



strong enough to disregard a single man, whom chanco 

 might have brought to the spot, in less than five minutes 

 the whole troop were on the edge of the bluff, about 

 eighty paces from our hiding-place. They had with them 

 only the four horses which they had lately stolen, and as 

 we well knew that it would be vain to seek them if once 

 their suspicions were roused, we took aim in silence. The 

 party consisted of nine men, four of them on horseback ; 

 we might easily have killed them all, but were too eager to 

 recover the horses ; so it happened that all aimed at the 

 riders. I had not been in quite such a hurry, and when 

 the others turned to fly I aimed at one just as he was 

 entering the thicket ; he gave a spring and threw off his 

 blanket ; I saw the blood spurt out, but he was soon out 

 of sight, and as I could not find his body, I think he 

 must have escaped. 



" We took the arms and dresses of the slain, bound 

 them on the horses, left the corpses to the wolves and 

 vultures, and entered the settlement in triumph the same 

 evening. It was long before we saw anything more of 

 the Tuskaroras, who withdrew in alarm towards Lake 

 Ontario." 



By this time dinner was ready, and after dinner we 

 took a siesta ; then, what, with reading and conversation, 

 it was evening before we were aware. I was now asked 

 to give information about the old world, and to tell them 

 whether kings would take off people's heads when they 

 chose and how houses were built when there was so 

 little wood and what people did in the winter. They 

 were much astonished when I mentioned that we did not 

 grow Indian corn, nor let the cattle run wild ; but when 



