a
few minutes I heard the low, distant howl of a wolf. I recognised the
voice or one of my comrades, and knew that they had seen us, and would
be on our track soon. Watchin' my opportunity, and walkin' for a good
bit as if I was awful tired--all but done up--to throw them off their
guard, I suddenly tripped up the big chap as he was stepping over a
small brook, and dived in among the bushes. In a moment a dozen bullets
tore up the bark on the trees about me, and an arrow passed through my
hair. The clump of wood into which I had dived was about half a mile
long; and as I could run well (I've found in my experience that white
men are more than a match for redskins at their own work), I was almost
out of range by the time I was forced to quit the cover and take to the
plain. When the blackguard got out of the cover, too, and saw me
cuttin' ahead like a deer, they gave a yell of disappointment, and sent
another shower of arrows and bullets after me, some of which came nearer
than was pleasant. I then headed for our camp with the whole pack
screechin' at my heels. `Yell away, you stupid sinners,' thought I;
`some of you shall pay for your music.' At that moment an arrow grazed
my shoulder, and looking over it, I saw that the black fellow I had
pitched into the water was far ahead of the rest, strainin' after me
like mad, and every now and then stopping to try an arrow on me; so I
kept a look-out, and when I saw him stop to draw, I stopped too, and
dodged, so the arrows passed me, and then we took to our heels again.
In this way I ran for dear life till I came up to the cover. As I came
close up I saw our six fellows crouchin' in the bushes, and one o' them
takin' aim almost straight for my face. `Your day's come at last,'
thought I, looking over my shoulder at the big Injin, who was drawing
his bow again. Just then there was a sharp crack heard: a bullet
whistled past my ear, and the big fellow fell like a stone, while my
comrade stood coolly up to reload his rifle. The Injins, on seein'
this, pulled up in a moment; and our lads stepping forward, delivered a
volley that made three more o' them bite the dust. There would have
been six in that fix, but, somehow or other, three of us pitched upon
the same man, who was afterwards found with a bullet in each eye and one
through his heart. They didn't wait for more, but turned about and
bolted like the wind. Now, Mr Charles, if I had told the truth that
time, we wou