Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/51

 eapons, "and

preparing to repel the attack manfully, should one be made. A minute of silence succeeded, when Black George ''.ried out to Teddy :

"D'ye want to be made mea on, you t-hunderin fool! that you stand thar like a monkey target?"

But the Hibernian either did not hear, or, hearing, did not heed.

"Teddy," I shouted.

"Here, your honor!" answered Teddy, running up and crawling under my horse, he having been standing outside of our animal breast-work.

"What were you doing out there, Teddy?"

"Troth, I was gitting my hand in, jist."

"Yes, and you might hev got a bullet in your meat-bag," rejoined the old trap per, dryly.

"Ah f " said Teddy, dolefully, " if ye'll belave me now, it's that same doings that worries meself the most in this kind of fighting. Barring the shooting and the danger attinding it, it's rne mother's son us wouldn't mind fighting at all, at all."

"There are a great many such heroes m the world," I rejoined, with a smile; "and most men are brave when there is no danger. But I'll exonerate you from being a coward, Teddy, for you once nobly saved my life; but at the same time I think I shall have to give you a few les sons when this affair is over, so that you will be able to act becomingly, under like circumstances, and know the proper use of your riile."

"Hist!" said Black George at this moment.

All became a dead silence. Presently the faint cawing of a distant crow was heard in the woods nearest us.

"Injin sign but no sudden dash," ob- Sf.rved the old trapper again.

"Indeed!" I exclaimed, in surprise; "And pray how came you by your infor mation?"

"Jest as easy as you ken look at pot hooks and tell what thef sez," answered the mountaineer. " You know how to read a heap in bocks; I know how to read the sign o' rater; and both is good in lhar places. You heerd that crow, I'm thinkiu?"

"I did."

"Well that was Darin Tom speakin to me, and tellin me what I told you."

Ere I had time to express my surprise, the person in question made his appear ance, leaping nimbly across the littl* creek, and gliding up to us as silently as an Indian.

"What's the sign?" asked Black George.

"Pawnees," was the answer.

"Howd' they number.and which way?"

"Twenty o:ld, and toward the sothe."

"Arter hair?"

"I reckon."

"Be apt to trouble us?"

"Think they passed with their eyes shut."

"Playin possum maybe. How lontj gone?"

"Less nor a quarter."

"Then Suke must have smelt 'em. She's a knowin one, is Suke, and don't fool her time. Spect we'd better put out and look for camp?"

"I reckon."

"Augh!"

Although this kind of dialogue was new

O O

to me, I nevertheless was able to under stand that a body of Pawnees had passed us, and was either not aware of our prox imity, or did not care to make an attack upon us in broad daylight. As the moun taineers concluded, they instantly mounted their mules and set forward; and spring ing upon our horses, we kept them com pany. As we left the little cove if 1 may so term it by way of the prairie, we were surprised to meet Fiery Ned and Rash Will on their return to join us.

"Well ?" said Black George, interroga tively.

"Injins," returned Rash Will.

"Ahead or ahind?"

"Moccasins to the sothe."

"We've seed 'em augh !"

No more was said; but wheeling their animals, the two mountaineers silently joined the cavallada, and we all moved forward together.

The country over which we were now passing, was exceeding beautiful and pic turesque. Alternately well timbered bot tom steep, craggy, barren blulfs open, rolling prairies met our view; while sparkling little streams, winding