hers, and in three minutes they were flying over the plain at full
speed.

On gaining the last far-off ridge, that afforded a distant view of the
woods skirting the Pawnee camp, they drew up, and Dick, putting his
fingers to his mouth, drew a long, shrill whistle.

It reached the willow-bluff like a faint echo. At the same moment the
moon arose and more clearly revealed Crusoe's catalyptic glare at the
Indian chief, who, being utterly unarmed, was at the dog's mercy. The
instant the whistle fell on his ear, however, he dropped his eyes,
covered his teeth, and, leaping through the bushes, flew over the plains
like an arrow. At the same instant Mahtawa, descending from his tree,
ran as fast as he could towards the village, uttering the terrible
war-whoop when near enough to be heard. No sound sends such a thrill
through an Indian camp. Every warrior flew to arms, and vaulted on his
steed. So quickly was the alarm given that in less than ten minutes a
thousand hoofs were thundering on the plain, and faintly reached the
ears of the fugitives.

Joe smiled. "It'll puzzle them to come up wi' nags like ours. They're
in prime condition too, lots o' wind in 'em. If we only keep out o'
badger holes we may laugh at the red varmints."

Joe's opinion of Indian horses was correct. In a very few minutes the
sound of hoofs died away, but the fugitives did not draw bridle during
the remainder of that night, for they knew not how long the pursuit
might be continued. By pond, and brook, and bluff they passed, down in
the grassy bottoms and over the prairie waves,--nor checked their
headlong course till the sun blazed over the level sweep of the eastern
plain as if it arose out of the mighty ocean.

Then they sprang from the saddle and hastily set about the preparation
of their morning meal.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

EVENING MEDITATIONS AND MORNING REFLECTIONS--BUFFALOES, BADGERS,
ANTELOPES, AND ACCIDENTS--AN OLD BULL AND THE WOLVES--"MAD-TAILS"--HENRI
FLOORED, ETCETERA.

There is nothing that prepares one so well for the enjoyment of rest,
both mental and physical, as a long-protracted period of excitement and
anxiety, followed up by bodily fatigue. Excitement alone banishes rest;
but, united with severe physical exertion, it prepares for it. At
least, courteous reader, this is our experience, and certainly this was
the experience of our three hunters as they lay on their backs beneath
the branches of a willow bush, and