s, and very often pursue and
run it down, when the latter believes it to have escaped! It was
evident, therefore, that Basil had hit the animal--though not in a
deadly part--and the wolves were now following with the hope of hunting
it down.

A new idea came into Basil's mind. He thought he might yet _be in at
the death_; and with this idea he ran up to his horse, drew the
picket-pin, and leaping upon his bare back, directed him after the
chase. He was soon in full gallop over the prairie, keeping the wolves
in sight as he went. He could see the antelope, he had fired at, some
distance ahead of the wolves, but _far behind the rest of the herd_, and
evidently running _heavily and with pain_.

It cost the young hunter a five-mile gallop; and, at the end of that,
while he was yet half-a-mile in the rear, he saw the wolves come up with
the wounded antelope, and drag it down upon the prairie. He made all
the haste he could--putting Black Hawk to the top of his speed. In a
few minutes he was upon the ground, and scattered the wolves as he
galloped among them; but once more he had arrived too late. The body of
the antelope was torn to pieces, and more than half devoured; while only
half-picked bones and pieces of skin remained to reward him for his long
ride!

With an ejaculation, which came very near being a French oath, the
disappointed hunter turned his horse, and rode slowly back--wishing the
wolves far enough as he went.

When he returned, Francois assisted him in his maledictions; for
Francois was tired of the bear-meat, and was vexed at being thus a
second time cheated out of something fresh for supper.

Lucien, however, assured them both that the flesh of the antelope, as he
had heard, was "no great eating," after all; and this, in some degree,
pacified them--so that, with a stew of the jerked bear and parsnips, and
some pinon bread, which Lucien had prepared according to the Indian
fashion, all three made a supper that was not to be sneered at under any
circumstances. When it was eaten, they brought their horses closer to
the camp--so as to have them near in case of necessity--and, having
wrapped themselves in their blankets, they once more sought the
refreshment of sleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

SCATTERING THE CIMMARONS.

This night they were not permitted to sleep without interruption. Two
or three times their horses bounded about at the end of their
trail-ropes, frightened by some prowling a