to
injure him as the bear. As the brute was again about to strike, he drew
his long knife, for, fortunately, his right arm was free, and began
stabbing away at her neck. Notwithstanding this, the fierce monster did
not relax her gripe, while her claws went deeper and deeper into his
flesh, and the horrid cubs, coming to their dam's assistance, began to
assail his legs. I was hurrying on to the assistance of my companion,
resolved to lose my own life rather than not do my utmost to save his,
when the bank gave way, and bear and Indian both rolled away into the
stream together."

Obed had got thus far in his narrative--I have omitted some of the
particulars he told me--when the sharp crack of a rifle made us all
start up, and seizing our weapons, we hurried to that part of the camp
whence it proceeded. Looking out into the darkness, we could see the
figure of a man running at full speed towards us, across the white sheet
of snow with which we were surrounded. We had no doubt it was one of
the scouts we had sent out; for who else was likely at that time to be
coming to us? "If it is not one of our scouts, it may be some white
trapper who has been caught by the Dacotahs, and has made his escape
from them," observed John Pipestick, who had joined us. "They
frequently come thus far west, and those varmints are certain to have
been on the lookout for them." While we were waiting the arrival of the
stranger, a piercing shriek broke the silence of night.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE DACOTAHS ARE AGAIN UPON US--WE HURRY TO THE RESCUE--WE PRESERVE THE
LIFE OF THE STRANGER--SAM SHORT, THE TRAPPER--HIS ADVENTURES--ESCAPE
FROM THE RED-SKINS--DESPERATE COMBAT IN THE CANOE--SAM'S SEARCH FOR HIS
COMPANIONS--DISCOVERS ONE IN THE HANDS OF THE INDIANS--THEY DISCOVER
SAM, AND HE FLIES--FINDS BLOUNT, AND TOGETHER THEY GO IN SEARCH OF
NOGGIN--AGAIN GET SIGHT OF NOGGIN, BUT HE IS FASTENED TO A STAKE--NOGGIN
SHOWS THAT IN SPITE OF HIS NAME HE IS A HERO.

"Those vermin the Dacotahs are upon us again, and have taken the scalp
of one of our scouts," cried Obed, when he heard that piercing shriek.

My experience of the previous night taught me too well also what it
meant. Surrounded as we were by the rocks and thick shrubs on the top
of the mound, we were probably not perceptible from the ground below.
Presently, as the stranger approached us, we saw emerging from the
darkness a dozen or more figures following one after the other slowly