ey! gi' us yur gun; quick, man,
quick!"

Barney, at this earnest solicitation, immediately surrendered his piece,
taking the empty rifle that was thrust into his hand by the trapper.

Rube eagerly grasped the musket, and stood for a moment as if he was
about to fire at some object in the pond. Suddenly he jerked his body
round, and, poising the gun upward, fired into the thick foliage.

A shrill scream followed; a heavy body came crashing through the
branches, and struck the ground at my feet. Warm drops sparkled into my
eyes, causing me to wince. It was blood! I was blinded with it; I
rubbed my eyes to clear them. I heard men rushing from all parts of the
thicket. When I could see again, a naked savage was just disappearing
through the leaves.

"Missed him!" cried the trapper. "Away wi' yur sodger gun!" he added,
flinging down the musket, and rushing after the savage with his drawn
knife.

I followed among the rest. I heard several shots as we scrambled
through the brushwood.

When I had got to the outer edge I could see the Indian still on his
feet, and running with the speed of an antelope. He did not keep in a
direct line, but zigzag, leaping from side to side, in order to baffle
the aim of his pursuers, whose rifles were all the time ringing behind
him. As yet none of their bullets had taken effect, at least so as to
cripple him. There was a streak of blood visible on his brown body, but
the wound, wherever it was did not seem to hinder him in his flight.

I thought there could be no chance of his escape, and I had no intention
of emptying my gun at such a mark. I remained, therefore, among the
bushes, screening myself behind the leaves and watching the chase.

Some of the hunters continued to follow him on foot, while the more
cunning ones rushed back for their horses. These happened to be all on
the opposite side of the thicket, with one exception, and that was the
mare of the trapper Rube. She was browsing where Rube had dismounted,
out among the slaughtered buffaloes, and directly in the line of the
chase.

As the savage approached her, a sudden thought seemed to strike him, and
diverging slightly from his course, he plucked up the picket-pin, coiled
the lasso with the dexterity of a gaucho, and sprang upon the animal's
back.

It was a well-conceived idea, but unfortunate for the Indian. He had
scarcely touched the saddle when a peculiar shout was heard above all
other sounds. It wa