the savage beheld, on prowling up to the opening of the amphitheatre,
was Dick's image peeping at him over the bush opposite. Of course the
instantaneous result was the firing of a shot or the discharge of an
arrow, which, the Indians being excellent marksmen, invariably alighted
on the bridge of Dick's nose, or in the centre of his forehead, or in
one or other of his eyes. As the head was balanced on the front edge of
a deep narrow hole which happened to be there, it was invariably knocked
into that hole by the blow, and disappeared.

This was the supposed fall of the famous Wild Man that caused the yell
which has taken so long to account for, and the discovery of nothing
behind that bush except a small deep hole, much too small to secrete
even a little man's body in, was the cause of the explanation of
surprise which we asserted would certainly follow.

When an event of this kind happened, Dick had a large blunderbuss in
readiness. It was loaded with a tremendous charge of small shot, and a
small charge of powder, for he did not want to kill. His object was
simply to punish and to terrify. He also had in readiness a curious
machine which we find it rather difficult to describe. Every one has
heard, no doubt, of the wooden wheels, with wooden axles, attached to
the carts in some eastern countries, which groan, and creak, and yell,
and shriek for want of grease, in a manner that is almost maddening to
all but native ears. Dick's invention was founded partly on the
principle of these eastern carts, only it was worked by turning a
handle, and its sounds were much more excruciatingly intense.

On being startled, then, Dick was wont to seize his blunderbuss, rush
into the outer cave where the shrieking-machine was, give the handle
half a dozen turns, and thus awaken, as it were, all the demons of the
Rocky Mountains. Dick came at last to know exactly what state of things
he would find outside. At the first burst of discord the savages,
however numerous, took to their heels, and when Dick emerged from his
cave, they were always within a yard or two of the entrance to the
amphitheatre, every man with outstretched arms, sloped forward at the
acutest possible angle with the ground, rushing on the wings of terror
in a flight of unparalleled precipitancy.

To pour the charge of small shot down into the centre of the flying mass
was the work of a moment; to mount his unsaddled charger, and dash down
the steep rugged pa