Snow Shoes and Canoes | Page 3

when Sandy's horse stumbled, a very
unusual thing for the animal to do. It continued to walk lame, evidently
in pain.
We dismounted and examined its feet, when we found that a sharp
stone had wounded its hoof. We extricated it with considerable
difficulty, and when we again moved on the animal walked with as
much pain as before. Nothing could make it move on. We were
therefore compelled to encamp at the first suitable spot we reached.
The weather remained fine, and we hoped in the morning that Sandy's
horse would have recovered, and that we should be able to make a long
day's journey. According to our intention, our camp was formed as
usual under shelter of a wood, but there was scarcely any good grass in
the immediate neighbourhood, and we were compelled to let the
animals roam much further than we liked in search of it.
We agreed that, in order to keep a proper lookout, two of us should
remain on the watch at a time, one in the camp, and the other in the
direction the animals had taken.
Sandy had Pierre for his mate; I, Pat. Sandy and Pierre took the first
watch. The latter went off with his rifle and a brace of pistols in his belt,
to walk backwards and forwards near where the horses were feeding.
Pat and I then lay down with our feet to the fire.

"We'll sleep as fast as we can, Mister David, to make up for the
shortness of time we've got to do it in," observed Pat, as he rolled
himself up in his buffalo-robe.
I endeavoured to follow his advice, but somehow or other the
presentiment that danger threatened us kept me awake longer than was
usual. It seemed that I had scarcely closed my eyes when Sandy
aroused me, and springing to my feet I examined the priming of my
rifle and pistols, and prepared to relieve Pierre, who was to wait near
the horses till I arrived. I had to walk nearly a quarter of a mile before I
found him in a grassy valley, between two slight hills running in the
direction of the river. Had there been any trees thereabouts it would
have been a better place than the one we had chosen for our
encampment. Pierre reported all right, and went back to camp.
By walking to the top of one of the hills I could get a view all round,
and watch the horses feeding below me. I counted them and found that
all were there, and then went down again to find some shelter from the
wind behind a small clump of low bushes. I could watch from this most
of the horses, but some of them would wander up the valley out of my
sight.
At last I saw by the movements of those near me that they were
becoming somewhat uneasy, and presently two which had got to a
distance came up as fast as their hobbles would allow them, the whole
heading towards the camp. I rushed forward to cut the hobbles as fast
as I could get up to the animals, when they all set off in the direction
they had before been going.
I had just set the last free when, looking up, I saw two dark figures
which I knew were those of Indians, who had been endeavouring to get
up to the horses before I could set them at liberty. The moment they
found that they were discovered they stopped short. I pointed my gun,
they hesitated, and then once more began to move towards me, their
scalping knives gleaming in the moonlight. Anxious not to shed blood,
I again shouted to them to stop; but perhaps seeing, by my voice and
slight figure, that I was but a youth, they fancied that they could
intimidate me, and uttering terrific shrieks they continued to approach.

My life depended, I knew, on the steadiness of my aim, and pulling the
trigger I sent a bullet into the body of one of the strangers. He staggered
and fell, when drawing a pistol I prepared to receive his companion,
who, however, stopped, and lifting the wounded man to his feet, the
two made off faster than I should have supposed possible.
I thought it prudent not to follow, as I felt sure that other Indians were
in the neighbourhood. The sound of my shot would have aroused my
friends, and from the appearance of the horses they would understand
what had happened.
As the Indians made off in one direction, I ran as fast as my legs could
carry me towards the camp. Before I reached it, I met Sandy and the
other men coming out to my assistance. They expressed their
satisfaction at