Old Times in the Black Hills 



themselves through my excited imagination 

 as I felt that terrible bullet plowing its way 

 through my vitals will never be told. Then, 

 as visions of the whole Sioux tribe dancing 

 around my scalpless body vanished, I realized 

 the truth. A disturbed sand-hill crane, that 

 had alighted there during my detour, had 

 screeched almost in my ear, and my stockless 

 rifle, which I was carrying at full cock, had 

 been discharged, nearly fracturing my ribs by 

 the recoil. I felt truly thankful that Califor- 

 nia Joe was not present, for if my hair did not 

 actually stand on end, I certainly had all the 

 sensations of this once experienced never to 

 be forgotten feeling. 



With a siofh of relief I went back to " Cof- 

 fee" and the dogs, and after cinching up the 

 former until he looked like a wasp, and ar- 

 ranging the compress on Kentuck, I struck 

 out for French Creek at a trot that hustled 

 both the crippled dogs and overloaded "Cof- 

 fee" to keep up with. Upon coming down into 

 French Creek valley, about two miles above 

 the stockade, another and greater surprise 

 awaited me; for there I found encamped a 

 party of prospectors, arrived from Fort Fetter- 



87 



