The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-25
SAVED ALL THE PELTS.
OF THREE TRAPPERs
WITH BAND OF RED E0sTILEs.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
Antoine, Bin and Tom had put in long
winter down in the bad lands OF the Upper
Missouri. Bur now spring was at hand;
the snow was gone; the warm. soft chin
ook wind continued 10 blow day and night,
and the hunters FASTENED to skin the
thawed-out carcasses of the wolves they
had poisoned during the winter. First,
they collected those on the opposite side
Of the river, for they knew the ice would
soon go out. and they had no boat; the
batteau which had borne them and their
outfit down to their hunting ground the
previous autumn had been cut up to make
a table, hunks and other rude furniture
for their cabin.
One night the hunters were awakened by
a grinding, crashing, rumbhng noise up
the valley. simply appalling. They well
knew what 1t was the Missouri Kidding
herself of the ice sheet which had impris-
oned her for SO many wintry months and
they lost no time in dressing and getting
together few articles Of value, some pro-
visions and blankets, for if the stream
should gorge below them they would be
obliged to take to the hills. The moon was
shining brightly and they went out 10 the
bank Of the stream to watch. Nearer and
nearer came the terrific sound, and soon
they saw The seethng front of the treshet
appear around the bend of the river just
above. on lis breast it bore mass of
whrlng ice which tore the solid ice In
front Of it, sometimes lifting the great
cakes into which it was rent upon its
heaviug, swelling bosom, and again sink
ing them SO that their front edges struck
the bottom, when they would be reared
up ten, twenty, thirty feet into the air, and
topple over with a crash like thunder. The
men stood and gazed at the oncoming wall
of grinding ice and seething water terrified
yet fascinated by the sight. The freshet
tore its way on down the river, bearing
upon its surface the crushed and splinter
cd ice. Checked by some unusual resistance
at the front, the stream would suddenly
rise in heaylng surges, and as suddenly
fall as the obstruction was swept away
The crash Of the advancing flood finally
grew fainter and fainter as il went on
down the valley and ere long became
mere rumbling in the distance.
Wal" said Bill, turning from the river
with yawn, she's busted. Let's go back
to bed"
what for go TO bed" Antoine exelain-
ed. Don't you see the seven peoples, what
you call the beeg dipper? He's tail point
an say it most daylight I'm think we
better git brekfus' and git reddy skin it the
wolf."
Right you are. Antoine" Tom said. "By
the time we have cooked and eat bite it
viii be light enough TO go to work"
Antoine Discovers Indians.
Antoine did not labor very hard that
morning, and after an hour or So The
greater part of which he had spent gag
ing about him, ne wiped his knife, sheath
| ed it, and, picking up his rifle, started off
] toward the afriA saving. I'm ba hack
| pretty soon; just goin' to top OF hill an
! see what I'm discover it,"
Il wonder what's got into Anntwine this
mornin'?" Bill asked, as. he watched the
half-breed walk swiftly up the slope.
"Oh, don't know" Tom replied. "Per-
haps he has spring fever"
80 have 1, but 1 amt goin' to quit
work, just the same; m yet I s'pose l
might as well. fer if we ever git 10 sell
these here hides, know I'll just fall over
myself BLOWN my share O. the proceeds
in. 1 amt got no business to hit a
town"
Look at Antoine!' said Tom springing
to his feet and thrusting his knife in its
! sheath. Hes signaling us to join him,
and from the way he's dancing about
there must be something up"
Both men grasped their rifles and hur-
| ried up the hill TO where was standing the
/ half-breed, who, as soon as he had seen
I
! ing through some bushes out on the
| prairie He did not say a word as they
! came up, but pointed to the southwest
| and, looking in the direction indicated. his
| companions saw band of thirty or forty
| Indians walking leisurely down a low ridge
couple OF miles away, and, apparently,
| coming straight toward them I'm dream
| It," said Antoine I'm have bad dream
| las night. Sure sign heap trouble to-
day"
Damn yer Dreams" Bill exclaimed
The question is, What are we going to
do?" "
There are too many for us to fight"
Tom said, thoughtfully. "and yet l hate
| to run away and leave them to steal All
our wolf hides and everything else we
| have"
I'm tell you what" said Antoine. "Mav-
be we can foo. it. You see dat coulee?,'
pointing at Dong, narrow ravine. which
EXTENDED 1ar out in the prairie a little
| ways to the east of where they stood
| We'll I'm go out to de head dat coulee
and when dose H'injln come along. may
| be half mile away, 'ah'll shoot II hin
! tree, four time, and den ah'H run lak
| de dew out on de prairie and go hest
long ways. Suppose H'injin he's follow
me- he no ind our wolf hides Ah'U leea
him long ways down de river. and ' den
ahli sneak back"
| AhtOhAc UiFeS Ine1n Chase
The half-breed's plan was agreed TO ana
| leaving his coat, he walked swiftly cost
| along the side Of the hill until he came
to the ravine and then disappeared His
companions stood where he had left then,
anxlously watching to see how his man
would turn out. The Indians were 800
more than a mile away walking SLOWLY
in struggling groups, but still heading AZ
| rectly toward them. AS they STROBE do,,-,,
into little depression which nonentsrl
lily hid them from view, Antoine suddeniv
| sprang out of the ravine at a point abo,i,
| equally distant between them ana 49,
war party, threw his gun over his sho,,,o
der, and with his back to the Indian,
sauntered along as if he wasn't aware
any one else was in the country. CornIne,
up onto high ground again, the Indians
at once discovered him, stopped. ana an
| parently consulted together for MI
ute, and then silently took after hin, ss
| fast as they could run. The haIf-nrsa3
had been watching them out of the cor
ners of his eyes; he stopped as If n ~
anime something on the ground. and tbar
turning around suddenly jumned and "a,
| a step or two, as if he had ins4 ai go