preparing to give him a greeting in the shape of a couple of balls
through his head, he rose up and scampered off. They fired, but without
success, and the brute plunged into a dense thicket; after which they
saw nothing more of him.

Our Indians, after stopping with us a couple of days, during which
period we compelled them to encamp at night-time outside the fort, took
their departure early on Friday morning, or else during the night of
Thursday, unperceived by our sentinels. They, however, took nothing
with them belonging to our party, except a couple of blankets we had
lent to the two principal men.




CHAPTER XVII.

A rich mine of gold discovered
A guard both night and day
A good morning's work
An Indian scout
How he served Dowling, and how Dowling served him
A look-out
Indians seen advancing
A moment of fear
A yell
Arrows and rifles
A wounded chief carried off
The field of battle
The return to the camp