Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/107



ADVENTJRES IN THE FAR WEST

is. ac<f others burying themselves in the yround at our feet. Springing up with t cry of alarm, we grasped our rifles, dioiigh only one was loaded, and turned to took for the enemy. Upon a steep bluff, seme thirty paces behind us, we beheld ome fifteen or twenty small, dirty, miser able looking savages, with their bows and arrows in their hands, already in the act of giving us another volley.

"By heavens! Frank," cried Huntly, "it is all over with us now."

"Never say die to such dirty curmud geons as them," I rejoined, more vexed than alarmed. " Quick! Charley dodge behind this tree! and while I load, be sure you bring one of them to his last ac count!"

While speaking I ran, followed by my friend, and scarcely had we gained shelter, when whiz-z-z came another flight of airows, some of them actually piercing the tree behind which we stood.

"Quick! Charley they are looking to ward our horses! (These were feeding within ten paces of us.) There! they are on the point of shooting them. Take the leader! For heaven's sake don't miss of we are lost! "

As I spoke, the rifle of my .friend belch ed forth its deadly contents, and the fore most of our foes, who was just on the point of discharging an arrow at one of the horses, shot it at random, and, with a loud yell, fell headlong down the bluff, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Several others had their bows drawn, but on the fall of their companion, they also fired at random, and approach ing the bluff, gazed down upon his man gled remains, uttering frantic yells of rage and grief.

By this time my own rifle was loaded, and taking a hasty aim, I tumbled a sec ond after the lirst. The savages were now alarmed in earnest, and retreating several paces, just made their faces visible, appa rently undecided whether to retreat or attack us in a body. This was an impor tant moment; but fortunately for us, the rille of Huntly was now again loaded, and taking a more careful sight than before, he l<xlgfd the tall in the head of a third. This created a terrible panic among our enemies, who fled precipitately.

Now was our chance, and perhaps our only chance, to escape; for we knew no thing of the number of our foe, nor nt what moment he might return with an overwhelming force; and calling to Hunt ly, I darted to my horse and cut the teth er-rope with my knife; and so rapidly did both of us work, that in three minutes we were in our saddles and galloping away.

As we turned the southern point of thig desert island, we heard an ominous suc cession of yells, and some forty rods away to the right, beheld a band of at least fifty Indians, of both sexes, together with some twenty miserable huts. This was evidently their village, and, from what we could judge, they were preparing to renew the attack, as we had feared, when our ap pearance apprised them of our escape.

To the best of our judgment, tney were Diggers, and on this oasis dragged out their miserable existence. Being divided from us by a ridge, neither party had been aware of the proximity of the other, until the discharge of my rifle at the rabbit. This it appears had alarmed them, and ex cited an immediate attack, from the fatal consequences of which kind Heaven had so providentially delivered us. We thought seriously of giving them a parting salute- particularly as they seemed to grieve so much for our departure but on second consideration, concluded we would reserve our powder and ball, not knowing how ne cessary to self-preservation these might yet become; and so taking off our hats, and waving them a kind farewell, we dashed away over the plain.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A BARREN DESERT NO WATER ALARMIWQ

CONDITION OF OUR HORSES CAMP A LIT TLE REFRESHED A SANDY DESERT IN CREASED SUFFERINGS DEATH OF MT

FRIEND'S HORSE A DRAUGHT OF BLOOD

CONSULTATION RESOLVE TO PRESS OH

DEATH OF MY OWN HORSE AFOOT A

TERRIBLE NIGHT HOPE IN SIGHT OF AS

OASIS GRATITUDE ALMOST SUPERHU

MAN EXERTIONS A STREAM

EXHAUSTION RELIEF.

INSANITY

OUR progress through the day was ore? an arid waste of calcareou