Year: 1859

q
he next fastened the second opening, which
served for the door, tying it on the inner side,
as if he had shut himself up for the night
This done. he withdrew to the frozen river of
Sandy Hill Greek, about one hundred and fifty
PAGES off, walking backwards as to make his
footmarks in the snow appear to be leading to
the tent instead of from it. Arrived on the
ice, off which the high winds had drifted the
snow upon the e7banks, he took off his shoes for
fear the nails might bestray him by scratches
on thc smoothiy-frozen surface. and then fol
lowed the strerM ever the ice. till he reached
the winding which brought its course nearest to
his lent Here he clinbed uo the bank. be-
tween two -;,ioE-drifts, and hid himself among
some withered bushes. where the twigs and
stalks gave him a sight at t. tent and just
ronm enough, besides, for the use of his weap-
onS. -


In this situation he watched and listened
Although the frost was so intense that his
breath froze on his beard and his hand felt
glued to the barrel of his levelcd rifle. the .e
yer of expectation in his mind prev. nted his
feeling the cold. He watched, for what SEEM
ed t., be an interminable time; and at last, the
heads of the two in sight over the
brow of neighboring hill. Their figures FOL
! lowed in another minute. All doubts
ended now-the last day in the world had
dawncd for him and for them-the men we've
| Pawnees.


After holding C. unset together on the hill,
the savages threw back their buffalo skins
drew their full quivers before them, and strung
their bows. Then separated. One walked TO
the top of The hill from which the deserted
tr veler had first eau .sht sghto them, tn trace
the direction r,S his footsteps; the other exam
lining the track between the water and the tent.
Both appeael to be satisfied with their inves-
tigations both met again bci' re the tent. and
contmunicated with one another by g' ures.
which expressed their conviction that the vic
tim WIS asleep by his fire inside In annhcr
moment they drew the r bowstrngs. >piacing
thcms Ives so that their double fire Of arrows
should meet at right an .les in the tent.


The man whose life they seeking
er felt that lie dear TO him at the
moment when he saw them shoot five arrows
into the place where he slept. Still he watch
ed and waited for his existence now depend
ell his cunning and patience, on his not
miscalcuIating, by Instant the time to fire.
He the savages paused before they ventur
ed into the tent. One of them dropped his
bow, grasped his tniahawk; and knelt to
creep under the curtain opening; while t.
other stood over Kim with his in the
string ready to shoot. In this position, the
skull of the kneeling Indian was brought with
in-the white nsan,s hne of sight; and he cock
i ed his rifle. Faint as the click WIS, he slw
that it had caught their quick esrs-fnr they
both started and turned round Observing
that the movement made the kneeng man less
likely to escape his eye in the tent. he shifted
his aim, and fired at the naked breast of the
man with the bow. The sharp eye Of the saw
age discovered his hidden enemy at the
instant. and he sprang aside. But it too
late-he was hit and he fell with scream
rhat went through every nerve of Mr. Moll-
hauscns body 4 h. Other savage jumped to
his feet /; but the white man s weapon was the
quickest of the two and discharge Of buckshot
hit him full in the face and neck. lie drop
ped dead on the spot. by the side of the other
man who was still groaning.


Although he knew that he had justifably
shot III self defense, two savt ees. whose
derous designs on his own life had been bestray->
ed before his eyes-although he was so abso-
lutely certain that if either of the Paw
nees had been permitted to escape, the who
tribe would have been at the cnt by the next
day-the brave travellers nerve deserted him
when he saw his two enemies on the ground,
and when he thought of the terrible after n.-
cessity of hidi what he had done. With
feeling OF unutterable despair he mechanically
loaded his rife. and approached the place =
The groans of the Indian who had been shot
in the breast, moved his pity so strongly that
they seemed to recall himself First turning
the dead Indians face downwards to escape
the horrifyng sight of his manglcd features,
he approached his wounded enemy, and made
signs that he would forgive him. help him.
cover him with bef1alo skins, take him into
the tent, and there do all that was in the pow
err of man to gain his good will by preserving
his life.


The savage lay writhing and bleeding with
his teeth clenched, with his eyes glarng in
deadly hatred through the long black hair that
almost covered his lace. But, after Il while,
the J. hite man saw that his gestures were
derstood. A sense of relief, of joy over
flowed his heart at the prospect of saving the
Indian. and of securing companion III his
fearful solitude. he wounded man signed to
him to come nearer. and pointed with his lett
hand to his right hand anc arm, which lay
twist.d under him. Without the sli- hest sus
picion. Mr. Mnllhousen kuelt him to
place his arms in easier position. At the
same moment. the wreich's ri eht hand flushed
out from beneath him. armed with knife, and
struck twice ut the unprotected braast of the
man who trying to save him. Mr.. Mol
hausen parried ii e blows with his right frm.
drew his own knife with his left hand and in
fiictcd on the vindctive savage the death that
he had twice deserved. The rattle sound in
the throat. and the muscles of the naked fig
ure stretched themselves in the last convulsions
The lost traveller as alone again; alone in the
frozen wilderness, with the bodies of the two
dead men.


The night was at hand-the night came
Il night never to be fory )tten, never in any
mortal language TO be described. Down with
the gathering darkness came the gathering
wolves: and round the two corpses in front of
the tent they circled and howled. All through
that wful night the lost lay listening to
them in the pitch darkness, cooling his
wounded arm with snow, now firing his pistol
to scare the wolves froa their human prey.


With the first CLEAN of daylight he rose to
rid himself of the horrible companionship of
the bodies and of all that betrayed their fate,
, before the next wandering Indians came near
the spot, and before the wolves gathered again
with the darkness. Hunger drove him to begin