Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/69

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fifty able bodied warriors, and their squaws and pappooses. Now if I could do this myself, it argues favorably for an attack upon them in numbers."

"But what, then, do you propose?" I inquired.

"Why, sir, to arm and mount on good horses a dozen or fifteen of us, dash into them, and fight our way out."

As. lie said this, his brow wrinkled, his eyes (lashed, and his whole countenance exhibited traces of that fiery, reckless daring, which, together with its opposite coolness and great presence of mind, had already rendered him so famous in the wil derness. I saw at once, that however mild and quiet he might appear when not ex cited, it only needed an occasion like the present to bring out his latent energies and make him a terrible foe to contend with.

"Well," I rejoined, "although I came merely for adventure, and beyond that have no object in pursuing my way fur ther, yet I will readily volunteer rny ser vices in a case of such emergency."

"And I," responded Huntly quickly.

"Your hands, gentlemen !" said Car son. " I took you for men, and I see I was not mistaken. Who next? "

This rapid decision produced an electri cal effect upon all, and in a moment a doaen affirmative answers responded to the chal lenge, while each, eager to get ahead of; hift neighbor, now pressed around the young, famous, and daring mountaineer.

In less than half an hour, all prelimi naries were settled, and sixteen hardy, able-bodied men were mustered into the ranks. These included the four trappers who had been our companions, together with Huntly, Teddy and myself.

It was then agreed that Kit Carson should be our leader, and that on the fol lowing day we should mount ourselves on! the best horses that could be procured, and taking a roundabout course, should ap proach the savages as near as possible without being discovered, and await, the night to commence our attack. The mat ter settled, we retired to rest, some of us for the last time before taking that final sleep which knows no waking.

Rolling myself in a buffalo skin, I threw myself upon the ground but it was a long

time before I could close my eyes in slum ber. Thoughts of what another night might bring forth, kept me awake. 1 might be lying cold and dead upon the earth, a prey to wild beasts or what was more terrifying, be a living captive to a merciless foe, doomed to the awful tor tures of the stake. I thought too of home of Lilian of ilie mysterious Prairie Flower and in. tlio confusion of all these, fell asleep, to find them strangely com mingled in my dreams.

The morning broke bright and beauti ful; and' ere the sun had more than gilded the loftiest peak of the Rocky Mountains, we were all astir, preparing for our haz ardous expedition. With the assistance of Captain Balcolm, we succeeded in mus tering sixteen fine horses, including of course those we had brought with us. We then armed ourselves to the teeth, with rifles, pistols, knives and tomahawks, and partaking of a savory breakfast tendered us by the gallant commander of the garri son, prepared ourselves to sally forth.

Before we departed, however, I had a task, which proved far more amusing than desirable, in explaining to Teddy the prop er method of using his rifle and pistols, and the manner in which he must conduct him self in the forthcoming fight. Having slicvfri him how to load, prime and sight the former weapon, I discharged it at a target, and ordered him to imitate my ex ample with all the despatch possible.

"Jabers!" shouted Teddy in great glee, scampering off to the target to make an examination of my shot.

In a moment he returned, bring-in"- it with

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him; and pointing triumphantly to a bul let-hole which he found in its center, he said :

"Troth, your honor, but thim same shooters is beauthiful things, now, for mur thering the baastiy blaggards of Injins, jist. Here, now, ye's boured a howle right cintral as asy as meself could do wid a gimlet, and yees a standing there too all the whiles! Be me sowl too! an' now 1 renumbers I didn't sae the ball at all, at all, though I looked mighty sharp at it all the time wid my two ej%s. Howly inur- ther! but Aminca is a great counthry now, barring the tieving baasts of savage* that's