52 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



grants or traders who had taken the southern route but 

 had lost members of their party; in several instances nei- 

 ther 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 scalpy lock 

 would scarcely be worth lifting; but then I did not want 

 to knock under yet ; and, if so, I preferred making a fight " 

 for it, as, I think, under the excitement, the process of be- 

 ing wiped out is less painful. 



By this time my stalwart apparition had approached 

 within eighty yards: he was a noble-looking figure, with- 

 out the slouch of the red man when hunting, with a step as 

 free and independent as if he had been shooting. over a pri- 

 vate manor. A big bug he evidently was, conscious of his 

 own divinity; still, no eagle's feather or characteristic mark 

 of a chief distinguished him. Presently he halted, and 

 threw his large gun across his arm ; from this movement 

 I perceived at once that he was a white man. Great was 

 his surprise when he saw me leave my ambush; quick as 

 thought his rifle was cocked and brought to the port, but 

 I prevented him from further hostile demonstrations by a 

 salute in mother -tongue. Our meeting was strange ; both 

 took a pretty good stare, and then mutually mentioned each 

 other's name, for we had met before, and where? In no 

 less distant a portion of the earth than in the realms of the 

 Tycoon. A restless spirit, a crack shot, and passionately 

 fond of field sports, the world was his demesne; and where 

 game was abundant, there he would be found, whatever 

 were the dangers that surrounded it, laughing at hardship 

 and privation the bitters that make the sweets of life the 

 more enjoyable by contrast. Securing my animals, I ac- 

 companied him to the party to which he had attached him- 

 self. They had only lately left civilization, and, through 





