The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-24
SAVED ALL THE PELTS
ADVENTURE OF THREE TR1PPEJiS
 WITH BAND OFRED HOSTILES.
Drew the Redskins Away From the Store of S1kins-Sudden Death Ovcr- takes Half Dozen of the Savages.

was at hand; the snow was gone; tn, warm, soft shinook wind continued tt blow day and night, and the hunters , hastened to skin the thaWed-out car
 during the winter. First, they collected
 those on the opposite side of the river
 for they knew the ice would soon gc out, and they had no boat; the batteau
 which had borne them and their outfit
 down to their hunting ground the pre-. vious 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, rumbling noise
 up the valley, simply appalling. They
 well knew that it was the Missouri rid
 ding herself of the ice sheet which had
 imprisoned her for so many wintry
 months and they lost no time in dress
 ing and getting together a few articles
 of value, some provisions and blankets,
 for if the stream should gorge below
 them they would be obliged to take to
 the hills. The moon was shining bright ly and they went out to the bank of
 the stream to watch. Nearer and nearer
 came the terrific sound, and soon they
 saw the seething front of the freshet ap-
 pear around the bend of the river just
 above On it's breast it bore a mass of | Whirling ice which tore the solid ice in | front of it, sometimes lifting the great
 cakes into which it was rent upon it's 1 heaVng, swelling bosom, and again l sinking 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 fascin- | ated by the sight. The freshet tore it's way on down ther ver, bearing upon it's surface the crushed and splintered ice. ! Checked by some unusual resistance at the front, the stream would suddenly
 rise in heaving surges. and as suddenly fall as the obstruction was swept away.
 The crash of the advancing flood finally grew fainter and fainter as it went on down the valley, and ere long became mere rumbling in the distance.
 Wal" said Bill. turning from the river with a yawn, she's busted. Let's go back to bed"
 What for go to bed" Antoine ex- claimed Don't you see the seven peo- ples what you call the beeg dipper? He's tail point an say it most day light. 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 a bite it will be light enough to go to work"
 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, he wiped his knife, sheathed it, and, picking up his rifle, started off toward the prairie, saying: "Ill be back pretty soon; just goin' to top of bill an see what I'm discover it '"
 T wonder what's got into Anntwine this mornin?" Bill asked, as he watch ed the half-breed walk swiftly up the slope.
 "Oh, don't know" Tom replied. Per haps he has spring fever"
 So have l. but I an't goin to quit | work, just the same; n yet I s'pose I | might as we'll fer if we ever git to sell ! these here hides, I know I'll just fall ! over myself blowin' my share o the | proceeds in. l ain't got no business to hit town"
 Look at Antoine!'' said Tom, spring ing to his feet and thrusting his knife in it's sheath He's signalling us to join him, and from the way he's danc- ing 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 them start had turned back and was peering through some bushes out on the prairie. He did not say a word as they came up, but pointed to the and, looking in the direction indicated, his companions saw a band of thirty or forty Indians walking leis- ulely down low ridge couple of miles away and, apparently coming straight toward them I'm dream it." said An toine I'm have bad dream last night. Sure sign heap trouble to-day"
 Damn yer dreams,'' Bill exclaimed, The question is, What are we going to do?"
 They are too many for us to fight" Tom said, thoughtfully, "and yet 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. Maybe we can fool it. You see dat coulee?' pointing at a long, narrow ra- vine, which extended far out in the prairie little ways to the east of where tehy stood. Well, I'm go out to de head dat coulee, and when dose Hiniin come along. maybe half mile away ah'll shoot it him tree four time, and den h'll run lak de dev' out on de prairie md go heast long ways, Suppose H'in- in he's follow me; he no find our wolf hides. Ah'll lead him long ways down le river, and den ahll sneak back" The half-breed's plan was agreed to, md leaving his coat he walked swiftly asst along the side of the hill until he anne to the ravine and then disappear 'd. His companions stood where he had eft them, anxiously watching to see LOW his plan would turn out The h. Hans were not more than a mile away, walking slowly in struggling groups, ,ut still heading directly toward them. IS they 'strode down into a little depres- ion which momentarily hid them from jew, Antoine suddenly sprang out of he ravine at a point about equally dis ant between them and the war nartv