's
presence of mind, who pushed his fat companion into a deep fissure of
the earth, and jumped after him. Thus they saved their bacon, and had
soon the consolation of hearing the savages carrying away the goods,
leading the mules towards the north. For three days they had wandered
south, in the hope of meeting with some trappers, and this very morning
they had fallen in with two French trappers, who told them to remain
there and repose till their return, as they were going after game.

While they were narrating their history, the two trappers arrived with a
fat buck. They were old friends, having both of them travelled and
hunted with Gabriel. We resolved not to proceed any further that day,
and they laughed a great deal when we related to them our prowess
against the Crows. An application of bruised leaves of the Gibson weed
upon the legs of the two sufferers immediately soothed their pain, and
the next morning they were able to use Roche's and Gabriel's horses, and
to follow us to Brownhall, an American fur-trading port, which place we
reached in two days.

There we parted from our company, and rapidly continued our march
towards the settlement. Ten days did we travel thus in the heart of a
fine country, where game at every moment crossed our path. We arrived in
the deserted country of the Bonnaxes, and were scarcely two days'
journey from the Eastern Shoshone boundary, when, as ill-luck would have
it, we met once more with our old enemies the Arrapahoes. This time,
however, we were determined not to be put any more on dog's meat
allowance, and to fight, if necessary, in defence of our liberty.

We were surrounded, but not yet taken; and space being ours and our
rifles true, we hoped to escape, not one of our enemies having, as we
well knew, any firearms. They reduced their circle smaller and smaller,
till they stood at about a hundred and fifty yards from us; their horses
fat and plump, but of the small wild breed, and incapable of running a
race with our tall and beautiful Mexican chargers. At that moment
Gabriel raised his hand, as if for a signal; we all three darted like
lightning through the line of warriors, who were too much taken by
surprise even to use their bows. They soon recovered from their
astonishment, and giving the war-whoop, with many ferocious yells of
disappointment, dashed after us at their utmost speed.

Their horses, as I have said, could not run a race with ours, but in a
long chase their