on!" cried Dick, laughing; "we don't want to keep him company. A
distant view is quite enough o' sich a chap as that."

"Mais you forgit I cannot see far."

"So much the better," remarked Joe; "it's my opinion we've seen enough
o' him. Ah! he's goin' to look on at the games. Them's worth lookin'
at."

The games to which Joe referred were taking place on a green level
plain close to the creek, and a little above the waterfall before
referred to. Some of the Indians were horse-racing, some jumping,
and others wrestling; but the game which proved most attractive was
throwing the javelin, in which several of the young braves were
engaged.

This game is played by two competitors, each armed with a dart, in an
arena about fifty yards long. One of the players has a hoop of six
inches in diameter. At a signal they start off on foot at full speed,
and on reaching the middle of the arena the Indian with the hoop rolls
it along before them, and each does his best to send a javelin through
the hoop before the other. He who succeeds counts so many points; if
both miss, the nearest to the hoop is allowed to count, but not so
much as if he had "ringed" it. The Indians are very fond of this game,
and will play at it under a broiling sun for hours together. But a
good deal of the interest attaching to it is owing to the fact that
they make it a means of gambling. Indians are inveterate gamblers, and
will sometimes go on until they lose horses, bows, blankets, robes,
and, in short, their whole personal property. The consequences are, as
might be expected, that fierce and bloody quarrels sometimes arise in
which life is often lost.

"Try your hand at that," said Henri to Dick.

"By all means," cried Dick, handing his rifle to his friend, and
springing into the ring enthusiastically.

A general shout of applause greeted the Pale-face, who threw off' his
coat and tightened his belt, while, a young Indian presented him with
a dart.

"Now, see that ye do us credit, lad," said Joe.

"I'll try," answered Dick.

In a moment they were off. The young Indian rolled away the hoop,
and Dick threw his dart with such vigour that it went deep into the
ground, but missed the hoop by a foot at least. The young Indian's
first dart went through the centre.

"Ha!" exclaimed Joe Blunt to the Indians near him, "the lad's not used
to that game; try him at a race. Bring out your best brave--he whose
bound is like the hunted deer."

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