Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . ay I reconciled it to my conscience. Well, I reached the South Branch by the middle of the after-noon, and going down the stream a little ways from where I struckit, I found the cave where we had cached our provisions. It was apretty large one—I should reckon about twice the length of thisboats cabin, but twant moren half as high. I crawled into thenarrow mouth of it, and drew my rifle in arter me ; and as soon asmy eyes got kinder u
Thrilling adventures among the early settlers, embracing desperate encounters with Indians, Tories, and refugees; daring exploits of Texan rangers and others .. . ay I reconciled it to my conscience. Well, I reached the South Branch by the middle of the after-noon, and going down the stream a little ways from where I struckit, I found the cave where we had cached our provisions. It was apretty large one—I should reckon about twice the length of thisboats cabin, but twant moren half as high. I crawled into thenarrow mouth of it, and drew my rifle in arter me ; and as soon asmy eyes got kinder used to the dim light, right up there in thecorner I found every thing all right. The jolly little red keg seemedactilly to laugh all over at the sight of an old friend. And wellit might, for it had been shut up there in the dark for more n sixmonths, with nothing but the flour, and rice, and dried meat, tokeep it company. I pulled out my sharp-pointed bowie and tapped the head of it inno time. But just as I raised the little fellow to get a taste of him,1 heard a tramping of horses feet outside, and the howling of fifteen AN OLD TRAPPER IN A TIGHT or twenty infernal Blackfeet. I had to drop tlie keg before a dropof the blessed stuff had wet my thirsty lips; and well it was T did, for at that momentthe entrance to theplace was darkened bya rascally Injun thathad been fool enoughto follow me. I raisedmy rifle, and let himhave it through hisblack head. His com-rades dragged him outby the feet, and gave l HAD TO DROP THE KEG BEFORE A DROP OF THE BLESSED STUFF HAD WET Mr THIRSTY Liprf. auother savagc yell when they found hed been wiped out. While they were tuggingav/ay at his stinking carcass, I busied myself in reloading my rifle,to be ready for the next visitor. But though the darned cowardskept up a terrible hillabiloo, they didnt attempt to crawl into thecave any more. Thinks I, Nows your time. Job; and raising little red to thetop of the cavern, I took a good, long, g
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, booksubjectfrontierandpioneerli
