arkness, and found that the creature's claws had entirely stripped it of
clothing, besides badly lacerating the flesh.

Jerry declared, 'twasn't much, no how; and he could walk to camp as well
as not. As soon as we arrived there, I made a more thorough examination,
dressed the arm carefully, and was soon utterly oblivious of the fatigues
of the previous forty-eight hours.

CHAPTER IV.

The sound of Jerry's voice, as he related the story of his adventures the
night previous, awoke me in the early morning.

I, dreamingly, heard him say,--

"I didn't see the critter when he jumped; not till he lit right onto my
shoulder, and the heft of him hed knocked me down and he was atop o' me.
Yer see that gin him a heap the start.

"I seed his big mouth right clus to my face, an' his jaws wide open; so I
rammed my left arm right in a 'tween 'em, so that he couldn't git no
purchase onto me to chaw, and he hadn't really hed no chance ter bite,
when the judge fired. He didn't do it a mite too soon, though, you bet.
Ef it hadn't a bin for you boys--well, boys hain't got no bizness on the
plains, no how. I'm all right now, and good for a dozen painters yet; but
this is the biggest one I ever seed. Thunder! but I must hev thet skin;
ain't it putty?"

I laid and listened for a short time to the exclamations of wonder and
admiration uttered by the boys while examining the carcass, with no
little amusement.

"I tell you, I should like to have been there," said Hal. "I could have
shot him with my rifle as easily as any one."

"Yes, but you wouldn't have dared to," replied Ned.

"Wouldn't I?" rejoined Hal. "You just wait and see. I wasn't frightened a
bit the night the Indians got into camp; and if it hadn't been for old
Jerry, I'd a shown 'em--"

"Pshaw! Why didn't you show me, instead of crying, when we were up that
tree, yesterday? You wasn't very brave then," said Ned.

"Umph! I didn't know anything about hogs," explained Hal.

"And I reckon you don't know much 'bout painters, either, youngster.
Brag's a good dog, but Holdfast's a better one," broke in old Jerry.

"Isn't it time for a start, Jerry?" called I; "and how's your shoulder
this morning?"

"It's past time fur a start, and nigh upon noon. My shoulder's putty
sore, but I kin git along all right with it."

I sprang to my seat, and found it nearly noon; indeed, so late that Jerry
advised remaining encamped until the following morning, although
Magoffin's train h