nimals, seeing only a
riderless horse, scented no danger, and kept on until they were within
easy pistol-shot of the experienced hunter.

Crack went his rifle, and the largest, fattest elk of the band gave one
mighty bound and fell, while the rest bounded away in another course,
fully alarmed at the report of a gun so close and its effects so deadly
to the leader of the band.

"You've got as nice a bit of meat here as ever was cut up," cried
Chichester to Captain Jack, as he came in at a gallop, while Crawford
was cutting the throat of the huge elk. "The boys will have enough to
choke on when we get to camp."

"I reckon they'll not growl over this," said Jack, laughing. "I never
had an easier shot. They came down from your wind, and never saw me till
I raised with a bead on this one's heart."

The two hunters had their meat all cut up and in condition for packing
to camp when the column came up.

One hour later, just as the sun began to dip beyond the trees on the
creek side, the party went into camp, and soon, over huge and carelessly
built camp-fires, slices of elk steak and elk ribs were roasting and
steaming in a most appetizing way.

The party were hungry, and the hungriest among them were those who had
drank the hardest the night before, for till now they had not been able
to eat. But the day's travel had worked some of the poison rum out of
them, and their empty stomachs craved something good and substantial,
and they had it in the fresh, juicy elk meat.

It was a hard and unruly crowd to manage on the start. Chichester found
it difficult to get men to act as sentinels, for they mostly declared
that there was no danger of Indians and no need to set guards.

Little did they dream that even then, within three hours' ride, or even
less, there were enough blood-thirsty Sioux to meet them in fair fight,
and defeat them, too.

Only by standing a watch himself and putting Crawford on for the most
dangerous hour, that of approaching dawn, did Captain Chichester manage
to have his first night's camp properly guarded.

Wild Bill, gloomy and morose, said he didn't "care a cuss" if all the
Indians of the Sioux nation pitched upon them. He knew his time was
close at hand, and what did it matter to him whether a red wore his
scalp at his belt or some white man gloried in having wiped him out.

But the night passed without disturbance, and a very early start was
made next morning.

Chichester made the men all fil