es
who had ventured back to their old hunting-ground in search of game, or
in the hopes of stealing the sheep or hogs of some solitary settler.

Our tutor always spoke them fair and showed them that he was not afraid,
and if we had any game, presented it to them as a mark of his
friendship. When we came across an Indian trail we took good care to
keep a bright look-out on every side and a strict watch at night, so as
to prevent being surprised, lest the Indians might be tempted to murder
us for the sake of obtaining our arms and ammunition, unable to resist
the desire of possessing what to them would be a rich prize.

I must not step to describe more minutely our adventures at that period,
interesting as they were to us. I will however narrate the particulars
of a curious incident which occurred during one of our excursions.

We had gone further west than usual, and were traversing a space of
low-lying land through which a wide stream flowed onwards towards the
Mississippi. We had expected to reach some higher ground where we could
camp, when we found that the day was drawing to a close. We accordingly
looked out for a dry spot, free from long grass, on which we could light
our fire and spend the night. Some rocky ground just ahead, amid which
grew a number of small trees and bushes, promised to offer us the sort
of place we were looking for.

We had just reached it, when I, happening to be a little in advance of
our Dominie and Dan, saw a squirrel running along the ground towards a
tree, with the evident intention of ascending it. We had already as
much game as we required, so I refrained from firing. Just as the
little creature had gained the foot of the tree, the ominous sound
produced by the tail of a rattle-snake reached my ear, and the next
instant an unusually large reptile of that species, darting forward,
seized the innocent squirrel by the head, and began to draw it down its
throat, the hind-legs of the little animal still convulsively moving.

I beckoned to Mr Tidey and Dan, who ran forward to witness the
operation, in which I knew they would be much interested. Of course we
could quickly have put an end to the snake, though we could not have
saved its victim. The reptile had got half the body of the squirrel
down its throat, when I saw the long grass close at hand violently
agitated, and caught sight of a large black snake moving rapidly through
it. The two creatures were well matched as to siz