spite of what he said, would not run, and he realized for
a moment the apprehension of one but newly arrived on the frontier,
and still subject to tremors for his scalp. The scout took his stand
near a thicket of quaking asp and almost at once sighted a band of
antelope. Taking Bucks, he worked around the wind toward the band, and
directed him how and when to shoot if he got a chance. Bucks, highly
wrought up after the long crawl to get within range, did get a chance,
and with his heart beating like a trip-hammer, covered a buck and
fired. The scout shot immediately afterward, and the herd broke
swiftly for the timber along the creek. But Bucks, as well as his
experienced companion, had brought down an antelope.

Scott, as he joined his companion, looked at him with curiosity.
"Where did you learn to shoot?"

"I couldn't do it again, Bob," exclaimed Bucks frankly. "The only
shooting I've ever done is rabbit-shooting, or squirrel-shooting. I
was lucky for once, that's all."

"I hope your luck stays with us. If it does we may get back with all
of our hair," returned Scott. "The thing to do now is to lose no time
in leaving here. We are farther from camp than we ought to be. When I
get to running antelope I am apt to go as far as they do."

The two hunters got the carcasses across their horses, and acting on
Scott's admonition started to cover a good bit of the distance toward
camp before stopping.

The sun was already low in the west and Bucks realized that they had
been out all day. The hunters rode due southeast, to put every mile
possible between them and the Indian country before dark. They were
riding along in this manner at dusk, when Scott, leading, pointed to a
canyon that offered a hiding-place for the night, and directed his
horse into it. Scarcely had the two passed within the canyon walls
when Scott halted and, with a quick, low command to the boy, sprang
from his horse. Bucks lost no time in following suit: they had ridden
almost into an Indian camp, and when Bucks's feet touched the ground
Scott was covering with his rifle a Sioux brave who with two squaws
rose out of the darkness before him. Quick words passed between Scott
and the Indian in the Sioux tongue. Bucks's hair rose on end until the
confab quieted, and the scout's rifle came down. In an instant it was
all over, but in that instant the Easterner had lived years.

"It is all right," said Bob, turning to reassure his charge. "He is a
young c