Part 14 (1/2)
but were pretty heavy to carry, and it was decided to hang them and the two rods upon the limb of a tree until a visit should have been paid to the owner of that bray All this was quickly attended to, and then the two fishered into pony-hunters
Not even his adventure with the grisly, or his ti, had so aroused the ambition of Two Arrows The future fortunes of his entire band seeood-conduct Sile thought he had never seen so proud looking a hu heavily fro branch as the two boys hurried away, but these were alotten by both in the course of a few s of the streaed behind a tree and beckoned eagerly to Sile:
”Ugh! Look! Pony!”
Just beyond hi dew, and scattered over it was the entire coether of the Nez Perce pony-riders To have been seen by the thee hide lariats hanging and dragging from their necks and soood-looking pony, feeding at no great distance from a clump of hazel and s beyond hi into that cover, and then all that Sile had to do was to watch hi Nez Perce, and from that ayly ribboned head now and then showed itself, peering over the wet, luxuriant grass and weeds Then a slightthe s told of his safe arrival, and still the runaere feeding quietly, unaware of the nearness of hus or other enemies Sile peered from behind his tree and watched the movements of the particular pony his friend had pointed out He was a brisk sort of fellow, and he orking at his breakfast busily Nearer and nearer he fed his way towards a projecting growth of the hazel-bushes and Sile perceived a pro more than a shake hidden by theraceful hu lariat, a rapid twist of a loop of it around the animal's face, a buoyant leap, and Two Arroas a mounted Indian once more Every beast of the wicked old mule's startled command was familiar with the tones of the whoop of triurass and their freedom They had many a time been driven in from other pastures by that particular yell, and it seemed now as if each of them took a swift look around him and listened for the expected voice of One-eye It should naturally have followed that whoop After that it was as if they had only been waiting for somebody to come, and wished to say as much Their commander put out his head and brayed lustily, and so did all the other mules, but the ponies took the un to discover warning signs of cougars, wolves, grislies and other insecurities of their situation, they actually felt better to be oncewhoreatly to see how readily the whole drove obeyed the shouts of Two Arrows, and perathered and driven He refused the invitation given him to mount one of the ponies, for he had doubts of his success init barebacked and with such a halter-bridle He explained as well as he could that he preferred to carry the fish and the rods and the news to his own ca Two Arrows to handle his captives as best he could That was just what Two Arroanted He was almost afraid lest the pale-faces should send hilory of his fresh achieveer of that, as Sile was soon to discover He hurried back after his fish in a state of such exciteot that he was in a new country He would have forgotten ithe heard as he drew nearer the spot where he had left his speckled ga short and listening
”What's all that growling? I never heard a bear, but it ht be, indeed, in a country where they were so plentiful, but it was not a grisly this time It was only a cousted at the failure of his efforts to get hold of soht and left expressly for hi up as far as he was able, his paws just reached the end of the longest string of trout and set it a swinging Two Arrows had wisely insisted upon bending down a branch and hanging the fish pretty high, Indian fashi+on, and Sile no the reason of it
”He'd bring 'em all down as it is if I should let hilad I brought along lad of it, very; but when he raised it in the direction of that bear the sight seeood aiue”
Even old hunters so tricks on them It would not do to miss a shot then and there, and Sile lowered his rifle
”I'll try a rest and see about this thing I must hit that bear in the head the first tih the crotch of a projecting branch That tree had no shake in it; and the barrel grew steady ”He is getting up on his hind-feet again
Now for him”
The bear poised himself, with uplifted head, and, just as he lifted his paw for another scratch at the fish, Sile pulled the trigger
The range was very short, the rest was a good one, the sight was quick but careful, and the bit of lead went straight to its intended place under the ear of that black bear He would need no more fish froround
”Wait a moment, Sile! Never run in on a b'ar till yer sure of hih Stand where you are, my boy!”
”Why, father! Yellow Pine! You here? I never expected to see you”
”Well, ht we'd co Where's Two Arrows?”
”We watched ye jest a ht fro fine There's the ood shot in ye”
”I shook all over at first,” said Sile, walking a little nearer the bear
”Buck ager I've had it He won't coot here I'll come back after breakfast with a hoss and fetch him in Where's the redskin?”
Sile rapidly explained the cause of his delay in getting back to camp; but what he did not know or explain was the fact that the Nez Perces had had no idea that their drove of lost ponies had wandered into that valley
”Glad they've got 'em,” said Yellow Pine ”Every hoof of ourn'll be safer froood Indians or bad”
”Would they really steal from us, after all?” asked Sile, soberly
”Steal hosses? Well, now, that isn't jest the way it looks to theame to a plains redskin The et 'em to keep their hands off froood