242 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
young warrior, struck him to the earth with his huge fist, 
and then threw himself into the neighboring forest, not 
though without being seen and pursued; twenty or thirty 
warriors followed him, and_so close were they upon his heels 
at the start, that their rifle balls showered like hail about 
him. 
The swiftness of Indian runners has passed into a proverb, 
but they had a man before them more swift and tireless than 
they. He gained so much upon them that by the time they 
reached the Miami, which was ten miles distant, there were 
only three warriors who seemed to be continuing the chase. 
Harrod swam the river without hesitation; as he reached 
the opposite bank they came up, and fired at him as he climbed 
the bank; the river was wide here, and the balls fell short. 
Ife now took a tree upon the edge of the forest, and removing 
the water-proof cover of deer’s bladder from the lock of his 
rifle, prepared for them, should they attempt to cross the 
river. The Indians hesitated a moment, for it had now been 
some time full daylight, and they seemed to have some appre- 
hension that he might make a stand, but hearing at this in- 
stant the coming yells of those who had fallen behind, they 
replicd, and plunged into the stream. 
Harrod waited until they were more than half across, when 
at the crack of his rifle, the foremost sank; the other two 
paused, then turned to go back, but before they could get out 
of range, he wounded a second desperately, who gave himself 
up to the current and was swept down. The third, by a 
series of rapid dives, like the manceuvres of a wounded wild 
duck, succeeded in baffling the aim of Harrod, even, and got 
out of range. 
Harrod heard the furious howl of the main body of his out- 
witted pursuers, who had reached the river as he was making 
off again through the forest; the chase was not continued 
further. 
What adds not a little to the dramatic interest of this ad- 
