Jack in the Rockies

long with their own, while he and Jack and Joe joined the flankers, who marched off to one side, and who killed a few antelope, a few bulls, and hunted out the stream bott

likely buffalo, but if not, they would cross the river and move on down toward the Yello

Of course we've got lots of time, but then we don't want to stay up here too long, and be rushed at the last, so that we'll have to hurry along and make our horse

en to sharpen their knives, and the men to whet their arrow-points, because the next day they were going to chase buffalo. The following morning, very early, Jack heard him shouting through the camp, calling to the people to "Get up! get up!" It was still black night; the stars shone brilliantly in the sky, the light of the fire showed through the lodge-skins, and sparks were rising with the smoke, when Jack went out to saddle up Pawnee. Hugh had had offers of buffalo runners from several of his friends. Last Bull had asked him to r

ons, horses were changed, the line spread out, and at first going slowly, rode up to the crest of the hill, pushed over it, and hurried down toward the unfrightened buffalo. These were slow to see their enemies, and the horsemen were close to the

overtook the last of the bulls, however, he was aware of a man riding close to him, and turning saw Billy Jackson, riding

The bulls were soon passed, and Pawnee, running free and easily, forged up to the cows. Two fat ones were running just ahead of him, lumbering heavily, and with their tongues out, yet getting over the ground with surprising speed. He drew up along

some trouble split her down the belly, and then re-mounting, went back to the other cow, which

e dead buffalo, over many of which men who had returned were now working. When Fox Eye's family came along, Jack spoke to the wife,

d, Hugh said to Jack, "Son, have you ever been through thi

it last year when we were coming north, but

t never forgot that sheep's head that we left up in the tree down there. As I told you then, it's a better head than most, and likely a better one than you'll ever kill again, and I was thinking that it woul

that sheep head, and felt that I wanted it to take back east. I never thought of our getting it thi

ng meat, and we can easily enough go there, and come back and catch them before they leave these parts. You and I can go alone,

or two they should start for the Yell

ther was bright and dry, and there seemed no prospect of rain. On their way to the Yellowstone they rode constantly through buffalo and antelope, tame and unsuspicious, and just moving aside from the track of the travellers as they passed along. That night they camped on the little stream just where Jack had killed the sheep, and reaching camp

e old ram had fought, the tips of the horns were very nearly perfect. The skin of the head and neck had been picked by the birds and bleached by the weather, and Hugh said; "I'm not sure that it will do to use in covering the skull, so

nd down the valley. There were some buffalo here too, and a few elk; but there was nothing to k

ted from here. By this time many buffalo had been killed, and many robes made. The parfleches were full of dried meat and back fat; and now presently the chiefs b

ren, gathered just outside of the circle. They seemed to be having a good time, for shouts of la

e of the little fellows would get up his courage and venture close to the calf's head, when the calf would charge him and the boy would jump out of the way; but just as Jack came to a place where he could see, one of the boys went slowly forward toward the calf, and just

ding, evidently much amused at what was going on. J

bothering and teasing him, and I told them if they didn't let him alone I'd turn him loose, and let him take care of himself, and now it seems to me he's doing it

ple, put a rope about the calf's neck, and with the assistance of two young men, dragg

k, "Say, Jack, do you want

"I always want to be around w

u should talk about something that is really dangerous. I should not be afraid to jump on a bull's back and ride him; but it's too easy; I do not care to do little things like that. It would be a trouble to me, and could not do any one any good.' The others kept teasing him, and making fun of him, and at last, after they had

the bull will throw him off

him; they can't turn very quickly, you know, and Eagle Ribs, if he's smart, can get around and keep out of the way of his horns. Bes

to be a regular circus, I gue

going to keep pretty close together, and I think we'll have a real good time, even if

hom were making fun of and teasing Eagle Ribs. When the chase started the boys did not ride as usual to try to catch cows

ached far forward, grasped the long hair on the buffalo's hump, and threw himself from his horse onto the bull's back. The bull was frightened, and for a few minutes it ran faster than all the horses; and then forgetting that it was being chased, and only anxious to get rid of the terrible burden that it was carrying, it stopped, and began to plunge and buck, and

D GRASPED THE LONG HAIR ON

he had stopped; why he did not ride further; and one of them threw his quirt to him, telling him that he should use this to make his horse go better. Others ran their horses close by, in front of the bull, trying to make him charge. Toward one of these horses he rushed furiously, and as he did so, Eagle Ribs slipped

out the orders of the chiefs; telling the people that the n

es' hoofs on the prairie. He scrambled from his bed, put on his moccasins, and seizing his gun and cartridge belt, rushed out-of-doors. Joe was stand

"why don't they go

eves, they could stop behind any sage brush, or the edge of any hill, and shoot us as we came up to them, before we cou

three good horses had been taken; but more would have been stolen if it had not happened that a man coming back late from a gambling game, and seeing somebody cutting the rope of a horse in front of his lodge,

h these people, maybe there'd be no harm in your going off, but now in the course of a few days we're going to leave them and go into the mountains, and if you run your horses down, or if either of you should get hurt, why it might spoil our whole trip back to the ranch. These Indians ain't likely to overtake those fellows, and 'twill

warriors had returned, not having overtaken their enemies. Dire were the threats that they made against the Crows