OUflTAl
 
 -Ou VE-PERCI VAL - 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 r
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.
 
 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES. 
 
 FRANK 
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 BY 
 
 HARRY CASTLEMON, 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THK GUN-BOAT SERIES," " THE GOAHKAB 
 SERIES," ETC. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 HENRY T. COAXES & CO.
 
 FAMOUS CASTLEMON BOOKS. 
 
 GUNBOAT SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 6vols. 12rao. 
 
 FRANK THE YOUNG NATURALIST. FRANK ON A GUNBOAT. 
 
 FRANK IN THE WOODS. FRANK BEFORE VICKSBURO. 
 
 FRANK ON THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. FRANK ON THE PRAIRIE. 
 
 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 3 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Cloth. 
 
 FRANK AMONG THE RANCHEROS. FRANK AT DON CARLOS' RANCH. 
 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 3 vols. 12nio. 
 * Cloth. 
 
 THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB IN THE SADDLE. 
 THE SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. 
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 FRANK NELSON SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 3 vols. 12mo. 
 
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 GEORGE IN CAMP. GEORGE AT THE WHEEL. GEORGE AT THE FORT. 
 
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 THE YOUNG WILD FOWLERS. 
 
 GO-AHEAD SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 3 vote. 12mo. Cloth. 
 TOM NEWCOMBE. GO-AHEAD. No Moss. 
 
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 WAR SERIES. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 5 vols. 12mo. Cloth. 
 TRUE TO HIS COLORS. RODNEY THE PARTISAN. 
 
 RODNEY THE OVERSEER. MARCY THE BLOCKADE-RUNNER. 
 
 MARCY THE REFUGEE. 
 
 Other Volume* in Preparation. 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by 
 R. W. CARROLL & CO., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, of the United States, 
 fur the Southern District of Ohio. 
 
 COFYKTCHT, 16D6, BY OHABLE8 A.
 
 503746 
 
 EDUCATION 
 
 PZ 
 
 1 
 
 CP WTER I. " 
 
 Ttie Foot-race, * 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Came of It, * 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Frank Learns Someili'Dg , . 84 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Tripper a Prircner, . 48 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Archie Finds a few Uncle, .... ... 66 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 The Medicino-man, 85 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 In the Mountains, 102 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Frank's Friend, the Grizzly, 123 
 
 CHAPTER IK 
 
 Adam Brent's Story, 
 
 fill)
 
 IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. FAOB 
 
 Turning out a Panther, 159 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 Frank in Search of his Supper, 181 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Adam Besieged 200 
 
 CHAPTER XHL 
 Dick in a New Character, .... ... 219 
 
 CHAPTBR XIV. 
 A Ride for Life .238 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 roncluslon,
 
 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE FOOT-EACE. 
 
 sultry afternoon in September, about 
 four weeks after the occurrence of the 
 events we have attempted to describe in the 
 second volume of this series, Frank and Archie 
 found themselves comfortably settled in new 
 quarters, hundreds of miles from the scene of 
 their recent exploits. According to arrange- 
 ment, they accompanied Captain Porter on his 
 expedition, and in due time encamped a short 
 distance from an old Indian trading-post, in 
 the very heart of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 The journey across the plains, from Fort 
 Yuma on the Colorado to the head-waters of 
 
 the Missouri, was accomplished without danger 
 
 (5)
 
 6 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAIN'S. 
 
 or difficulty. The expedition traveled rapidly, 
 and the only incidents that occurred to relieve 
 the monotony of the ride were a buffalo hunt 
 and a chase after a drove of wild horses. Ou 
 these occasions the cousins gained hearty ap- 
 plause from the trappers Frank by his skill 
 with the rifle, and Archie by his persevering 
 but unsuccessful efforts to capture one of the 
 wild steeds. 
 
 Had a stranger been dropped suddenly into 
 the midst of the scenes with which the boys 
 were now surrounded, he could scarcely have 
 realized that he was miles and miles outside 
 of a fence, and in the heart of a wilderness 
 which but a few years before had been in un- 
 disputed possession of savages. The boys could 
 hardly believe it themselves. If the fort, the 
 trappers, and the Indian camp had been re- 
 uoved, Frank and Archie could easily have 
 imagined that they were in the midst cf a 
 thriving farming region, and that they had 
 only to cross to the other side of the mountains 
 to find themselves in the streets of a prosper- 
 ous and growing city. The country looked 
 civilized. There were well-filled barns, rich
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 7 
 
 fields of grain waiting to be harvested, and a 
 herd of cattle standing under the shade of the 
 trees on the banks of the clear dancing trout 
 brook, which flowed by within a stone's throw 
 of the house. There were wagons moving to 
 and fro, between the barns and the fields, flocks 
 of noisy ducks and hens wandering about, and 
 Archie said he was every moment expecting to 
 see a company of school-children come trooping 
 by, with their dinner-baskets on their arms. 
 
 There was one thing that did not look ex- 
 actly right, and that was the farm-house. It 
 was built of sun-dried bricks, its walls were 
 thick, and provided with loop-holes, and around 
 it were the ruins of the palisade that had once 
 served it as a protection against the Indians. 
 
 The farm-house was situated in the center 
 of a delightful valley, which was surrounded 
 on all sides by lofty mountains. In one corner 
 
 9 
 
 of the valley, and in plain view of the house, 
 was Fort Stockton, the trading-post of which 
 wo have spoken. Outside the walls a band of 
 Indians, about a hundred in number, was en- 
 camped. They had come there to dispose of 
 their furs, and were now having a glorious time
 
 8 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 among themselves, being engaged in various 
 sports, such as running, wrestling, jumping, 
 riding, and shooting at a mark. In a little 
 grove between the house and the fort the trap- 
 pers belonging to Captain Porter's expedition 
 had made their camp, and the Captain himself 
 sat on the porch, smoking his long Indian 
 pipe, and conversing with Mr. Brent, the 
 owner of the rancho. These gentlemen were 
 old acquaintances and friends, having formerly 
 been engaged in the fur trade together; and 
 when the expedition made its appearance in 
 the valley, Mr. Brent insisted that the Captain 
 and his young friends should make their head- 
 quarters at his house, until they were ready to 
 resume their journey. The boys willingly ac- 
 cepted the invitation Frank for the reason 
 that there was a well-filled library in the 
 
 house, and Archie because he wanted to be 
 
 * 
 
 near a new acquaintance he had made. 
 
 Close beside the stairs which led to the 
 porch, Dick and old Bob lay stretched out on 
 their blankets, listening to the yells of the In 
 dians, and watching all that was going on in 
 the camp; and, if one might judge by their
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 9' 
 
 looks and actions, they were not at all pleased 
 with the state of affairs. Indeed, they had 
 kept up a constant grumbling ever since they 
 came into the valley, and had repeatedly de- 
 clared that they had never expected to see the 
 day that Indians would be permitted to come 
 into a white settlement and carry things with 
 so high a hand. 
 
 "Times aint as they used to be, Bob," said 
 Dick, knocking the ashes from his pipe, and 
 filling up for a fresh smoke. "When me an' 
 ole Bill Lawson trapped in this yere valley, 
 years ago, I never thought that I should set- 
 here, as I do now, an' let a hul tribe of 
 screech in' varlets jump about afore my very 
 eyes, without drawin' a bead on some of 'em. 
 This country is ruined ; I can see that easy 
 enough." 
 
 " Dick is growling again," said Archie. 
 " If he could have his own way, there would n't 
 be an Indian in the world by this time to- 
 morrow." 
 
 The cousins occupied an elevated position on 
 the porch, from which they could observe the 
 proceedings in the Indian camp. Near them
 
 10 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 stood the sou of the owner of the rancho, Adam 
 Brent. He was about Archie's age and size, 
 only a little more thick-set and muscular ; and 
 with his brown, almost copper-colored com- 
 plexion, dark eyes, and long black hair, might 
 easily have passed for an Indian. His dress 
 consisted of a hunting shirt of heavy cloth, 
 buckskin Leggins and moccasins, and a fur cap, 
 which he wore both summer and winter. 
 
 Our heroes had made some alterations in 
 their costumes since we last saw them. They 
 had worn the Mexican dress while in Califor- 
 nia, because it was particularly adapted to the 
 warm climate; but now they had discarded 
 their wide pants for buckskin trowsers and 
 leggins, although they still held to their som- 
 breros, light shoes, and jackets. 
 
 The boys had spent but three days at Mr. 
 Brent's rancho, but they were already famous, 
 for Dick and Bob had never neglected an op- 
 portunity to relate the story of their adventures 
 and exploits in California. When they visited 
 the fort, the officers and soldiers looked at them 
 as though they had been some curious wild 
 animals; the trappers belonging to the expe-
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 11 
 
 dition treated them with a great deal of re- 
 spect; and their new acquaintance, Adara 
 Brent, acknowledged that he had been greatly 
 mistaken in the opinions he had formed con- 
 cerning boys from the States. They arose still 
 higher in his estimation before he bade them 
 good-by. 
 
 When Archie spoke, Bob and Dick raised 
 themselves on their elbows and looked at him. 
 
 "Yes, little un, I am growlin' agin," said 
 the latter ; " an' I reckon you 'd growl too, if 
 you knowed as much about them Injuns as I 
 do. I '11 allow that if I could have my way 
 thar would n't be as many of 'em by this time 
 to-morrow as thar are now, but I wouldn't 
 like to sweep 'em out of the world by any on- 
 nateral means. I '11 tell you what I 'd do," he 
 added, pointing to the grove in which the trap- 
 pers were encamped. "Thar are twenty fine 
 fellers layin' around under them trees, an' I 
 like 'em, 'cause they're honest men, an' hate 
 Injuns as bad as I do. I 'd say to 'em : 'Boys, 
 get up an' show them ar' red skins what sort of 
 stuff you're made of!' They'd do it in a 
 minit, an' be glad of the chance ; an' thar 'd
 
 12 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 be a thinnin' out of them Injun's ranks that 
 would do your eyes good to look at." 
 
 "Perhaps some of you would get thinned 
 out too," said Frank. " Those Indians are all 
 well armed." 
 
 " I know that ; but I, fur one, would be 
 willin' to run the risk. I do n't like to see 
 'em playin' about that ar way. When I walk 
 through their camp, it is as hard fur me to 
 keep from pitchin' into one of 'em as it is for 
 a duck to keep out of the water." 
 
 " Let 's go down there," said Archie. " I 'd 
 like to see what is going on." 
 
 Frank replied by picking up his hat; while 
 Adam looked toward his father, who shook his 
 head very decidedly. The cousins were a good 
 deal surprised at this, and they had been sur- 
 prised at the same thing more than once during 
 their short stay at the rancho. Adam was 
 never allowed to go anywhere, unless his father 
 went with him. Mr. Brent kept watch of him 
 night and day, and never appeared to be at ease 
 if his son was out of his sight. He seemed to 
 be afraid that some mischief would befall him 
 unless he kept him constantly under his eye.
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 13 
 
 " You will have to go without me," said 
 Adam, with some disappointment in his tone. 
 
 " Do n't you get tired of staying about the 
 house all the time?" asked Archie. " I 'd dry 
 up like a mummy, for want of some jolly exer- 
 cise to stir up my blood." 
 
 " I do get very tired of it," replied Adam, 
 "but I can't help it. It would be as much as 
 my life is worth to go out of sight of this 
 house. If I should go down to that camp, I 
 might never come back again. I '11 tell you a 
 story before you leave us." 
 
 Frank and Archie would have been glad to 
 postpone their visit to the camp, and to listen 
 to the story then and there ; but Adam left 
 them, and entered the house. Dick and Bob 
 accompanied them to the fort, and while on the 
 way the boys talked over what Adam had said 
 to them, and speculated upon the causes that 
 rendered it necessary for him to be kept so 
 close a prisoner ; but that was a mystery, and 
 would probably remain so until Adam saw fit 
 to enlighten them. 
 
 After a few minutes' walk they readied the 
 camp, and seated themselves upon a little
 
 14 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 knoll, under the shade of a spreading oak, to 
 watch the games. The principal sport, among 
 the younger members of the tribe, seemed to 
 be running foot-races; and, in this, one youth- 
 ful savage excelled all his companions. He 
 was 'a tall, active fellow, apparently about 
 Frank's age, as straight as an arrow, and very 
 muscular. He easily distanced every one of 
 his competitors, and finally he stepped up to 
 the visitors, and fastening his eyes upon Frank, 
 asked him if he could run. 
 
 " I reckon he can," replied Dick, before 
 Frank could speak. " Fur one of his years he 
 is about the liveliest feller on his legs I ever 
 seed ; an' I 've met a heap of smart youngsters 
 in my day, I tell you. You haint got no busi- 
 ness with him. He would go ahead of you 
 like a bird on the wing." 
 
 " Ugh ! " exclaimed the young Indian. 
 
 "It's a fact; an' that aint all he can do, 
 nuther. He can not only beat you runnin', 
 but he can out-ride, out-shoot, an' out-jump 
 you ; an' he can take your measure on the 
 ground as fast as you can get up." 
 
 The Indian listened attentively to all the
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 15 
 
 trapper had to say, and then turned and sur- 
 veyed Frank from head to foot. A white joy 
 would have thought twice before selecting so 
 formidable an opponent; but the Indian, evi- 
 dently having great confidence in his powers, 
 stepped back, and motioned to the young 
 hunter to follow him an invitation which 
 Frank had no desire to accept. He would not 
 have been at all averse to a friendly trial of 
 speed and skill with the young warrior, if 
 Dick had not been so lavish in his praises; 
 but what if he should be beaten after all the 
 complimentary things the trapper had said 
 about him? The Indian had shown himself 
 to be a great braggart. Whenever he won a 
 race, he announced the fact by a series of 
 hideous yells, that were heard all over the 
 camp ; and if he should chance to distance 
 Frank, how he would crow over him ! 
 
 " I believe I won't try it, Dick," said the 
 latter. 
 
 " What ! " exclaimed old Bob, in great 
 amazement. "Are you goin' to set thar an* 
 take a banter like that, an' from an Injun, 
 too? I haint been fooled in you, havie I?
 
 16 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Come on, and show the red skins what you 
 can do." 
 
 "Yes, go Frank," chimed in Archie, "and 
 take some of the conceit out of that fellow. I 
 know you can beat him. See how impudent 
 he looks ! " 
 
 Frank glanced toward the Indian, who stood 
 patiently awaiting a response to his challenge, 
 and meeting with a sneering smile, which told 
 him as plainly as words that he was believed 
 to be a coward, he sprang to his feet, and ac- 
 companied by his cousin and the trappers, fol- 
 lowed the Indian toward the race-course. The 
 latter kept up a loud shouting as he walked 
 along, and Frank noticed, with no little un- 
 easiness, that the Indians, old and young, 
 abandoned their own sports and fell in behind. 
 
 "They're goin' out to see the race," said 
 Dick. "That boaster is tellin' 'em how bad 
 he is goin' to bi-at you. I reckon he'll be 
 about the wusl fooled man them Injuns ever 
 seed." 
 
 The prospect of a contest between a white 
 boy and one of their own number, created 
 quite a Commotion among the savages ; and by
 
 THE FOOT-RAC* 17 
 
 the time Frank and his companions reached 
 the race-course, the village had been deserted. 
 Among; the spectators were the officers of the 
 fort, and four white trappers who made their 
 home among the Indians. In these last, if 
 Frank had noticed them, he would have recog- 
 nized old acquaintances, whom he had good 
 reason to remember ; but as they did not make 
 themselves very conspicuous, he did not see 
 them. They did not seem to care much about 
 the race, but they appeared to be greatly in- 
 terested in Dick and Bob, and their young 
 friends. They looked at Frank, then held a 
 whispered consultation, and one of them left 
 his companions, and, mounting a small gray 
 horse, rode off toward the mountains; while 
 the others devoted their entire attention to 
 Archie, whom they watched as closely as ever 
 e cat watched a mouse. If Frank could have 
 seen that horse, it is possible that there would 
 have been an uproar in that camp immediately ; 
 and if Archie had known what the men were 
 saying about him, and what they were intend- 
 ing to do with him, he would have wished 
 himself safe back. in California again. .-'
 
 18 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 When Frank reached the race-course, and 
 looked back at the cloud.of spectators that hung 
 upon the outskirts of the village, his heart failed 
 him ; but it was only for a moment. It waa 
 too late to think of backing out, and with a 
 firm determination to win the race, he began 
 preparing for it by throwing off his hat and 
 jacket, and tying his handkerchief around hia 
 waist. At this moment the principal chief of 
 the band appeared upon the ground, and as- 
 sumed the management of affairs. He was a 
 very dignified looking Indian, stood more than 
 six feet in his moccasins, wore a profusion of 
 feathers in his hair, a red blanket over his 
 shoulders, and was altogether the finest speci- 
 men of a savage the boys had ever met. Frank 
 was very much interested in him ; but before 
 many hours had passed over his head, he had 
 reason to wish he had never seen him. 
 
 "He is my beau ideal of a warrior," whis- 
 pered Archie. " He looks exactly as I imag- 
 ined all Indians looked before I knew as much 
 about them as I do now. Isn't he splendid, 
 Dick?" 
 
 "Sartin," replied the trapper. "I'd like
 
 THE FOOT-RACE. 19 
 
 to meet him alone in the mountains, an .jhow 
 him how easy I can raise that har of his'n. 
 Now, youngsters, if you are all ready, I am. 
 I see that some of the Injuns are goin' to ruii 
 the race too jest to encourage their man, you 
 know an' I am goin' with you. Do your 
 level best, now." 
 
 The race-course was about half a mile long. 
 At the end of it was a tree which the runners 
 were to double, terminating the race at the 
 place from which they started. This the chief 
 explained to Frank in broken English, and, 
 after placing the rival runners side by side, 
 and glancing up and down the course to satisfy 
 himself that the way was clear, he raised a 
 yell as the signal to start. Before his lijs 
 were fairly opeiied the race was begun.
 
 20 FBANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 
 
 "VTO sooner had the chiefs yell died away than 
 *- ' the whole tribe took it up ; and such a din 
 as that which rung in Frank's ears during the 
 next few seconds, he had never heard before. 
 The yells did not express delight, but surprise 
 and indignation ; for their youthful champion 
 was being left behind at the very commence- 
 ment of the race. Frank took the lead at the 
 start. The instant the signal was given, he 
 bounded forward like an arrow from a bow, 
 and was well under way before the Indian had 
 made a step. 
 
 " Whoop ! " yelled Dick, his stentorian voice 
 ringing out loud and clear above the noise 
 made by the excited savages; "if that wasn't 
 well done may I never draw a bead on an In- 
 jun a^jm." The trapper was following close
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 21 
 
 at Frank's heels, swinging along with an easy, 
 graceful motion, and moving oxer the ground 
 so lightly that he scarcely seemed to touch it. 
 "Don't be in too big a hurry," said he, as 
 Frank continued to increase his speed. "Save 
 some of your wind for the finish. Come along, 
 thar," he added, looking over his shoulder at 
 the young Indian. " If you can't keep up, 
 come here an' I '11 tote you." 
 
 The savage, however, was not yet beaten. 
 Quickly recovering from his surprise, and 
 spurred on by the yells of derision which his 
 friends sent after him, he exerted himself to 
 the utmost; and before they reached the end 
 of the course, he had overtaken Frank, and 
 was running side by side with him ; but he 
 could not pass him. Indeed, it was quite as 
 much as he could do to keep pace with him ; 
 while Frank was running well within himself, 
 with plenty of power held in reserve, and 
 ready, at a word from the trapper, to put on 
 a fresh burst of speed, and leave his rival far 
 in the rear. They reached the tree at the end 
 of the course, swung round it like two flashes 
 ftf light, and sped along the home stretch with
 
 22 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 unabated speed, the Indian beginning to feel 
 the effects of his rapid run, and Frank ap- 
 parently as fresh as when he started. 
 
 " He aint half the runner I thought he was," 
 said the trapper, to encourage his young friend. 
 "He 'ft blowing his bellows already. I say, 
 Injun! I reckon you're a little out of prac- 
 tice, aint you ? The next time you banter a 
 white Teller to race with you, you had better 
 pick ou f . a good hoss to carry you. We haint 
 begun to run yet. Let out just the least bit, 
 youngster." 
 
 Frank "let out" a good deal; and although 
 the Indian made desperate attempts to keep 
 pace with him, he quickly left him behind, and 
 finally flew past the place where the chief was 
 standing, the winner by fifty yards. 
 
 " Whoop ! Whoop ! " shouted Dick, who 
 seemed to be almost beside himself with delight. 
 "I say, chief! If you 've got any young fellers 
 in camp, who think themselves something great 
 at ridin', jumpin', throwin' the lasso, an' hand- 
 lin' the rifle, jest trot 'em out. We 've beat 
 yon runnin', an' now that we have got our blood 
 up, we are ready for a' most any thing."
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 23 
 
 The issue of the race greatly astonished the 
 Indians. Frank, as he passed the chief, was 
 welcomed with cheers from the officers of the 
 fort, the trappers, and from Archie, who hur- 
 ried up to him, and shook his hand as though 
 he had not met him for months; while the de- 
 feated runner was greeted with jeers and ridi- 
 cule. No one, not even Dick, seemed more 
 delighted than the chief. He approached the 
 place where Frank was standing, patted him 
 on the back, and looked at him with as much 
 curiosity and admiration as he would have be- 
 stowed upon a steamboat or a locomotive, had 
 one suddenly made its appearance in the val- 
 ley. " Good boy ! " said he, approvingly. 
 "Ought to be Injun." 
 
 "He had oughter be a trapper," said old 
 Bob. "A boy who can run like that is wast- 
 ing his time by living in the States. If you 
 \\ould stay out here among the mountains fur 
 a few years, Master Frank, you might get to 
 be the leader of a band of trappers, or the cap- 
 tain of a wagon train." 
 
 Frank, flushed with excitement and exercise, 
 turned to look for his rival. He saw him
 
 24 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 standing at a little distance from the other 
 members of the tribe, leaning against a tree, 
 with his arms folded, and a fierce scowl on his 
 face. His defeat, and the reception he had 
 met with from his friends, had made him very 
 angry. Now and then some one jeered at him, 
 but the majority of the tribe took no notice of 
 him whatever. They seemed to think that an 
 Indian who would allow a white boy to run 
 faster than he did, was not worth noticing. 
 
 "You've give him a big back-set, Frank," 
 said Dick; "an' my advice to you is to keep 
 your eyes open as long as we stay in the val- 
 ley. You've made an enemy of that feller, 
 an' I know, by the squint in his eye, that he 
 wouldn't think no more of slippin' a ball or 
 arrer into you, than he would of eatin' a piece 
 of jerked buffaler. You see these Injuns are 
 mighty wild yet; they haint been whipped 
 enough to make 'em tame. They seem friendly 
 enough now, but they've no great love fur 
 white folks ; an', if they thought they could 
 do it without bringin' harm to themselves, they 
 would massacree the last one of us afore they 
 are an hour older. I do n't like the way they
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 25 
 
 act, any how ; an', mark what I say, youngster, 
 we're goin' to have trouble with 'em. Bars 
 an' buffaler! "What's up now?" 
 
 The trapper was not long in finding out what 
 was up, and neither was Frank. The young 
 Indian, smarting under his defeat, and stung 
 by the ridicule of his friends, had determined 
 to retrieve his lost reputation. If he could 
 not distance the white boy in a foot-race, he 
 could perhaps beat him at something else, and 
 so regain some of the laurels that had been 
 wrested from him. He resolved to try it ; and 
 before Frank knew Avhat was going on, the 
 Indian stepped up behind him, and clasping 
 his sinewy arms around his body, lifted him 
 from his feet, and attempted to throw him to 
 the ground. He took Frank by surprise, and 
 caught him in such a manner that his arms 
 were pinned to his side, thus placing him at 
 great disadvantage. 
 
 "That 's a cowardly way of doing business," 
 shouted Archie, indignantly. " Why do n't 
 you give a fellow a fair chance? If he throws 
 you, Frank, get up and try it again, for this 
 won't be a fair test."
 
 26 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 '* He aint a goin' to be throwed," said the 
 trapper. "That Injun will have to eat a heap 
 of dried bufialer meat afore he can get Frank 
 ofl' his pins. Show him what you can do, 
 youngster." 
 
 The young Indian speedily found that he 
 had got his hands full, and that one hundred 
 and sixty pounds of bone and muscle was an 
 exceedingly unhandy weight to manage, espe- 
 cially when backed up by such skill and cour- 
 age as Frank possessed. The latter positively 
 refused to be thrown. The Indian, although 
 he exerted himself to the utmost, could not 
 force him from an upright position, for Frank, 
 like a cat, always fell feet foremost. The ex- 
 citement ran high as the young athletes strug- 
 gled over the ground. Yells of delight and 
 encouragement from the friends of both par- 
 ties arose in deafening chorus, and Indians, 
 dfficers, and trappers pushed and elbowed one 
 another to obtain a position from which they 
 could view the contest, which was decided in 
 Frank's favor much more easily and quickly 
 than the foot-race. After a few ineffectual at- 
 tempts, he succeeded in freeing his arms ; and
 
 WHAT CAME -OF IT. 27 
 
 catching the Indian around the body, broke his 
 hold in an instant, and sent him headlong to 
 the ground. The ease with which it was done 
 astonished every one who witnessed it, and had 
 a very chilling effect upon the ardor of the In- 
 dian, who jumped to his feet and stole off 
 toward the village, looking exceedingly humili- 
 ated and crestfallen. 
 
 Frank, although he was proud of his victo- 
 ries, as any other boy would have been under 
 the same circumstances, was almost sorry that 
 he had allowed himself to be persuaded into 
 contesting the Indian's claims to superiority. 
 The expression he saw on the face of his rival 
 told him that he was almost beside himself 
 with fury ; and Frank did not relish the 
 thought that any one, even an Indian, whom 
 he never expected to see again, should be angry 
 at him for any thing he had done. He would 
 have been astonished had he known what was 
 to be the result of this morning's work. He 
 was destined to see and know a great deal 
 more of his rival, and also of the chief, whose 
 interest in him now seemed to be redoubled ; 
 and this foot-race and wrestling match were
 
 28 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the preludes to more than one exciting and 
 disagreeable event that was to happen before 
 he saw California again. 
 
 " Youngster, I am proud of you," exclaimed 
 Dick, seizing Frank's hand, and giving it a 
 gripe and a shake that made the boy double up 
 like a jack-knife; "but I say agin, that ycu 
 had better keep a good lookout as long as them 
 red skins stay about here. They 're mighty 
 onsartin, an' thar 's no knowin' what they may 
 do. Let 's go home." 
 
 Frank put on his jacket and hat, and fol- 
 lowed the trappers toward the house. He 
 found Captain Porter, Mr. Brent, and Adam 
 impatiently awaiting his arrival, for they had 
 witnessed the race, and were anxious to know 
 all about it. Dick, as usual, acted as spokes- 
 man ; and Frank afterward said that he had 
 not the least idea how swift a runner he was, 
 or what an astonishing victory he had won, 
 until he heard the trapper relate the particu- 
 lars. If one might judge by what he said, 
 Frank could beat any mustang in Mr. Brent's 
 stables. 
 
 The listeners were all as highly elated as the
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 29 
 
 trapper. Adam shook his new friend warmly 
 by the hand, and the Captain laughed until he 
 shook all over like a big bowl of jelly. Frank 
 was once more a hero, and during the next 
 half hour the race formed the chief topic of 
 conversation ; but even that grew tiresome at 
 last, and the cousins, who could not remain 
 long inactive, strolled off toward the camp of 
 the trappers. Shortly afterward they emerged 
 from the grove, mounted on their horses, and 
 rode toward the mountains. 
 
 They had not decided where they were go- 
 , ing, or what they would do ; but, as far as the 
 sport they were likely to meet with was con- 
 cerned, that made little difference. In that wil- 
 derness they could not run amiss of something 
 to excite and amuse them, let them go in what 
 direction they would. If they preferred quiet 
 sport, there was plenty of it to be found in the 
 brook that ran through the valley. No city 
 fishermen, with their jointed poles and artificial 
 flies, had ever invaded this retired spot; and 
 having no enemies except an occasional fish- 
 hawk, and a few straggling Indians and trap- 
 pers to contend with, the trout had increased
 
 30 FKANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and multiplied until the stream fairly swarmed 
 with them. If they decided to try their rifles, 
 and engage in some more active and exhilerat- 
 ing sport than fishing, there were the mount- 
 ains, which abounded in game of every descrip- 
 tion. If they felt so inclined they might, 
 within less than half an hour, make the ac- 
 quaintance of a panther or two, or renew their 
 intimacy with the grizzlies. Archie did not 
 deny that he was afraid of grizzly bears, and, 
 for that reason, he thought it best to give them 
 and their haunts a wide berth. He picked out 
 a shady spot on the bank of the brook, and 
 said he would stop there and try his luck at 
 fishing; while Frank, who had heard that elk 
 were plenty in the mountains, thought he 
 would ride farther on and see if he could find 
 one. " I shall not go far," said he, " for not 
 being acquainted with the country, I might get 
 lost ; and I should n't like the idea of being 
 obliged to stay in the mountains all night." 
 
 ''Nor I either," replied Archie; "and for 
 that reason I am going to stay here, where I 
 know I am safe. Hold on a minute, and see 
 me catch a fish."
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 31 
 
 Archie dismounted from his horse, and aftei 
 tying the animal to a neighboring tree, cut 
 from the thicket a long, slender sapling, which, 
 on being stripped of its branches, promised to 
 answer the purpose for which it was intended, 
 and to pull out a trout as well as any twenty- 
 five-dollar rod. Then he produced a fish-line 
 from his pocket, and in a short time his pole 
 was rigged. The bait was dropped carefully 
 over the bank, and no sooner had it touched 
 the water than it was seized by a ravenous 
 trout, which found itself struggling on the 
 ground in a twinkling. 
 
 " He is rather larger than those we used to 
 catch about Lawrence, isn't he?" said Frank. 
 "Now, if I am fortunate enough to knock 
 over an elk, we '11 have a supper such as people 
 in the cities do not often enjoy." 
 
 Archie, intent upon securing his fish before 
 it floundered back into the water, did not re- 
 ply ; and when he looked up again, his cousin 
 was out of sight. 
 
 Frank urged Roderick into a gallop, and 
 soon had left the valley behind, and was 
 threading his way through a thickly- wooded
 
 32 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ravine that led into the mountains. Here ho 
 became more cautious in his movements, and 
 allowed his horse to walk leisurely along, while 
 he peered through the trees on every side of 
 him, in the hope of meeting with one of the 
 numerous elk which every evening descended 
 from the mountains into the valley to crop the 
 grass and slake their thirst at the brook. His 
 chances for a shot at one of these animals would 
 have been greatly increased if he had left his 
 horse behind ; but grizzlies were plenty, and 
 Frank did not like the idea of. encountering 
 one while on foot. On this particular evening, 
 however, the mountains seemed to be deserted. 
 Not a living animal of any description did he 
 see, during the hour and a half that he con- 
 tinued on his course up the ravine; and be- 
 coming discouraged at last, he turned Roderick 
 about and rode toward the rancho. 
 
 "I wish I could see just one squirrel," said 
 Frank, who, like all young hunters, considered 
 it his duty to empty his gun at something be- 
 fore he returned home. "What's that?" 
 
 A slight movement in the bushes in advance 
 of him attracted his attention ; then a twig
 
 WHAT CAME OF IT. 33 
 
 snapped behind him, and a yell, so sudden and 
 appalling that it made Frank's blood run cold, 
 echoed through the ravine; and before he could 
 look about him to see what was the matter, 
 he was pulled from his saddle and thrown to 
 the ground. In a twinkling his rifle was torn 
 from his grasp, his hands bound behind his 
 back, and he was helped to his feet to find 
 himself surrounded by a party of Indians in 
 war costume.
 
 34 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 
 
 T71RANK was as frightened as a boy could be. 
 Amazed at the suddenness of the assault, 
 he gazed in stupid wonder at the savages, 
 winked his eyes hard to make sure that he was 
 not dreaming, and looked again. But there 
 was no dreaming about it it was all a reality ; 
 and as he stood there powerless among his cap- 
 tors, and looked at their glittering weapons, 
 and painted, scowling faces, all the stories he 
 had heard the trappers relate of their expe- 
 rience among the Indians, came fresh to his 
 memory. He recognized one of the savages, 
 and that was the chief. His blanket and 
 buckskin hunting shirt were gone, he wore 
 the tomahawk and scalping knife in his belt, 
 his face was covered with paint, and alto- 
 gether he looked fierce enough to frighten any
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 35 
 
 boy who had never seen Indians in war cos- 
 tume before. 
 
 Frank took these things in at a glance; and 
 while he was wondering what object the In- 
 dians could have in view in capturing him 
 and what they intended to do with him, he 
 was trying hard to summon all his courage to 
 his aid, and to appear as unconcerned as pos- 
 sible. If there had been any hostile Indians 
 in that part of the country, he could have un- 
 derstood the matter ; but he had been told that 
 they were all friendly. 
 
 "Look here, chief," said he, "I'd like to 
 know what this means. You have made a 
 mistake." 
 
 The savage paid no more attention to his 
 words than if he had not spoken at all. He 
 gave a few orders in his native tongue to his 
 companions, two of whom placed Frank on 
 Roderick's back and held him there, while a 
 third seized the horse by the bridle, and fol- 
 lowed after the chief, who led the way down 
 the ravine. How far they went, or in what 
 direction, Frank could not have told, for hi a 
 mind was in too great confusion. He was
 
 36 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 trying to arrive at some satisfactory explana- 
 tion concerning the Indians' conduct. He had 
 expected that the first action on their part 
 would be to pull his hair, strike at him with 
 their knives and tomahawks, point their guns 
 and arrows at him, and try, by every means in 
 their power, to frighten him. That was the 
 way they always served their prisoners; but 
 thus far he had no reason to complain of their 
 treatment. He wished the chief would explain 
 matters to him, and thus relieve him of sus- 
 pense. 
 
 At the end of half an hour, during which 
 time Frank made several unsuccessful attempts 
 to induce some of the Indians to talk to him, 
 the chief emerged from the ravine, and led the 
 way into a little valley, similar to the one in 
 which Mr. Brent's rancho was located. The 
 sight that here met Frank's gaze astonished 
 him. The valley was filled with lodges, and 
 Frank saw more Indians at the single glance 
 he swept about the camp than he had ever seen 
 before in all his life. Children were playing 
 about in front of the lodges, the women were 
 engaged :n various occupations, and the braves,
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 37 
 
 all of whom were in their war-paint, smoked 
 their pipes, and lounged in the shade. Frank 
 was greatly relieved to find that no one noticed 
 the chief and his party. When he first came 
 in sight of the village, he had screwed up all 
 his courage again, expecting no very friendly 
 reception. Bob and Dick had told him that 
 when they were carried into an Indian camp 
 as prisoners, every man, woman, and child 
 turned out to meet them, and to amuse them- 
 selves by beating them with switches and clubs; 
 but nothing of the kind was attempted now. 
 Those who looked at Frank at all, merely took 
 one glance at him ; and the most of them did 
 not even look up when he passed. 
 
 The chief walked straight through the vil- 
 lage, and stopped in front of a large wigwam 
 that stood a little apart from the others. At 
 a sign from him, Frank was pulled from his 
 horse, and after his hands had been unbound, 
 a corner of the wigwam, which served as a 
 door, was lifted up, and he was pushed under 
 it. Then the door was dropped to its place, 
 and Frank heard the Indians moving off witt 
 Roderick.
 
 38 PRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The light was all shut out from the inside 
 of the lodge, and as soon as the prisoner's eyes 
 became accustomed to the darkness, he began 
 to look about him. The lodge was about fif- 
 teen feet in diameter, and was built of neatly- 
 dressed skins, supported on a frame-work of 
 saplings. Weapons of all kinds were sus- 
 pended from the walls, the chiefs blanket, 
 bridle, spear, and head-dress occupied one cor- 
 ner, and several buffalo robes, which doubtless 
 served him for a bed, were piled in another. 
 There was no one in the lodge, and Frank, 
 being no longer compelled to wear the appear- 
 ance of unconcern he had assumed while in the 
 presence of the Indians, gave full vent to his 
 pent-up feelings. His forced calmness forsook 
 him, a feeling of desolation such as he had 
 never before experienced came over him, and 
 covering his face with his hands, he staggered 
 toward the buffalo robes, and threw himself 
 upon them. 
 
 "If I only knew what they intend to do with 
 me," sobbed Frank, "I should not fed so 
 badly about it. If they have made up their 
 minds to tie me to the stake, or to compel na
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 39 
 
 to run the gauntlet, why don't they tell me 
 so, and give me a chance to prepare for it? 
 Can it be possible that that race and wrestling 
 match have any thing to do with my capture? 
 The Indians seemed friendly enough when I 
 first visited their camp at the trading-post, and 
 1 'd like to know what they mean by taking 
 me prisoner when I wasn't doing any thing 
 to them ! What could have induced them to 
 change their camp so suddenly, any how? A 
 few hours ago there were not more than a 
 hundred in the band ; now there must be five 
 times as many, and the braves are all in war- 
 paint, too? I can't understand it." 
 
 A step outside the lodge, and a rustling 
 among the skins which formed the door, aroused 
 Frank, and he once more made a strong effort 
 to compose himself. The door was raised, 
 and a face appeared at the opening a dark, 
 scarred, scowling face, which was almost con- 
 cealed by a fur cap and thick bushy whiskers. 
 Frank was thunderstruck. He leaned for- 
 ward to examine the face more closely, and 
 then his heart seemed to stop beating, and 
 with a cry of alarm he sprang to his feet. Aa
 
 40 FRANK IS THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 much as he feared the Indians, he feared tlm 
 man more. 
 
 "Ah, my young cub, are you thar?" growled 
 the visitor, as he stepped into the lodge. 
 
 "Black Bill!" exclaimed Frank, in dismay. 
 
 "Ay! That's what they call me. 'Member 
 me, do n't you ? Heered all about me, most 
 likely, from ole Bob and Dick Lewis. They 
 did n't tell you nothin' good of me, I reckon." 
 
 Frank tried to speak, but he seemed to have 
 lost all control over his tongue. He had trem- 
 bled every time he thought of the night he 
 had passed in the camp of the outlaws, and he 
 had hoped that he should never meet them 
 again ; but here he was, face to face with one 
 of them, when he least expected it. 
 
 "I didn't kalkerlate on seein' you agin," 
 said the outlaw, with a savage smile, " an' I 
 aint agoiu' to say that I 'm glad to see you 
 now, 'cause I aint. I hate any body that's a 
 friend to Bob an' Dick, an' if I could have my 
 way I'd split your wizzen fur you in a minit. 
 Dut you b'long to the chief, an' I do n't reckon 
 he would see harm come to you." 
 
 "To the chief!" repeated Frank, drawing a
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 41 
 
 long breath as if a heavy load had been re- 
 moved from his shoulders. It was a great 
 satisfaction to him to know that this man could 
 110 do as he pleased with him. 
 
 " That 's what I said," replied the visitor. 
 
 "But what does he want to do with me? 
 What is his object in taking me prisoner?" 
 asked Frank. 
 
 "He's goin' to make an Injun of you." 
 
 " What ! I you do n't mean -" 
 
 " Sartin I do. It 's a fact. He 's goin' to 
 take you into the tribe an' make an Injun of 
 you," said the outlaw, in a louder tone. 
 
 " And never let me go home again, but keep 
 me here always?" demanded Frank, growing 
 more and more astonished. 
 
 " Exactly ! " 
 
 "Well, he can't do it he shan't. I don't 
 want to be adopted into the tribe, and I won't 
 '<e, either." 
 
 " I do n't reckon you can help yourself, can 
 you?" said the outlaw, with a grin. ".You 
 see, the chief used to have a son just about 
 your age an' a smart, lively young Injun he 
 was, too; but he was killed a little while ago
 
 42 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 .n a scrimmage with the Blackfeet, an' the 
 chief wants another. You're an amazin' chap 
 fur runnin' an' wrastlin' fur one of your years, 
 an' that's the reason he picked you out." 
 
 "I don't care if it is; he sha'n't have me. 
 I won't stay here and be his son. Why, I 
 never heard of such a thing. Why do n't he 
 select some Indian boy?" 
 
 "That's his business, an' not mine. But if 
 you only knowed it, youngster, it's lucky fur 
 you that the chief tuk sich a monstrous fancy 
 fur you, 'cause if you had stayed at the fort, 
 you would have been massacreed with the rest." 
 
 " Massacred ! " echoed Frank. " Killed ! " 
 
 " Yes ; killed an' scalped. You '11 hear of 
 some fun at that tradin'-post afore you are two 
 days older, an' then, if you go down thar, you 
 won't see nothin' but the ashes of it. It would 
 have been done last night if that ar fur trader 
 had kept away from thar. We had to send 
 off arter more help. I do n't mind tellin' you 
 this/ 'cause 'taint no ways likely that you'll 
 ever have a chance to blab it. But I come in 
 here to ax you about Adam Brent. Where 
 does he sleep ? "
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 43 
 
 Frank did not reply; indeed, he scarcely 
 heard the question, his mind was so busy with 
 what the outlaw had said to him. He knew 
 now where all those Indians came from, and 
 why they were there. The information he had 
 received almost paralyzed him, and he shud- 
 dered when he pictured to himself the scenes 
 of horror that would be enacted in that quiet 
 valley, if the savages were permitted to carry 
 out their designs. What would become of his 
 cousin, of the trappers, of Captain Porter, and 
 of himself? Of course his friends would all 
 be included in the massacre, and he, having no 
 one to look to for help, would be compelled to 
 drag out a miserable existence among those 
 savages. But Frank determined that the mas- 
 sacre should not take place. At the risk of his 
 own life he would do something to stop it. 
 His courage always increased in proportion to 
 the number of obstacles he found in his way, 
 and the danger he was in, and now he was 
 thoroughly reckless and determined. 
 
 " I axed you do you know where Adam Brent 
 sleeps?" said the outlaw, who had grown tired 
 of waiting for an answer to his question.
 
 44 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " He sleeps in the house, of course," replied 
 Frank. 
 
 " Wai, I reckon I knowed that much afore 
 you told me; but what part of the house?" 
 
 " I can't tell. I have n't taken the trouble 
 *o inquire into Mr. Brent's family matters." 
 
 " 1 '11 allow that you tell the truth thar ; 
 'cause if you had axed any questions, you would 
 know that Brent is my own brother, an' that 
 Adam is my nephew. Aint I a nice lookin' 
 uncle?" 
 
 "I don't believe a word of it. What do 
 you want with Adam? 
 
 "I reckon that's my business, aint it? I 
 only axed you where he sleeps 'cause I've got 
 something to say to him to-night, an' I 
 should n't care to have his father hear me 
 bluijderin' about the house. I 've got a leetle 
 business with ole Bob Kelly, too." 
 
 " If you will take my advice you will let 
 him alone," said Frank. " Dick Lewis is his 
 chum now." 
 
 "That don't make no sort of difference to 
 me. I 'm half hoss an' half buftaler, with a 
 leetle sprinklin' of catamounts, grizzly bars.
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 45 
 
 an' sich like varmints thro wed in. I'm one 
 
 of them kind of fellers as do n't stand no non- 
 sense from nobody ; an' I 'm the wust man in 
 a rough-an'-tumble this side of the States. I 
 aint afeered of Dick Lewis." 
 
 Having said this, the outlaw took his de- 
 parture, and Frank, who had gone through this 
 interview like one in a dream, again seated 
 himself on the buffalo robes to think over what 
 he had heard, and to determine upon some 
 course of action. He had little imagined that 
 he would ever be placed in a situation like 
 this, and he did not wonder now at the hatred 
 which Dick and old Bob cherished tqward the 
 Indians. Here they were, awaiting the arrivaJ 
 of reinforcements, and preparing for a descent 
 on the fort ; and there were his friends in the 
 valley, all unconscious of the danger hanging 
 over them. There had been no Indian depre- 
 dations in that section for a long time, and 
 the officers of the fort and the settlers had been 
 lulled into a feeling of security that promised 
 to be fatal to them. They did not dream of 
 such a thing as an attack ; the fortifications had 
 uot been kept in a state of defense ; and unless
 
 46 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 they were warned of their danger, the success 
 oi f the Indians would be complete 
 
 " Oh, if they only knew what is going on 
 here! " cried Frank, springing to his feet, and 
 pacing restlessly up and down the lodge. "If 
 I could see them for just one minute, would n't 
 these savages meet with a warm reception when 
 they make the attack on the fort? But how 
 will they find it out unless I carry them the 
 information ; and how can I effect my escape, 
 surrounded as I am by enemies?" 
 
 This thought made Frank almost beside him- 
 self. It rendered him desperate; and he re- 
 solved that if he could see the least chance for 
 escape, he would make the attempt at once 
 that very moment. There was not a single in- 
 stant to be lost, for there was no telling when 
 the Indians would be ready to make the attack. 
 He rushed to the door, tore it open, and looked 
 out. The first object that met his gaze was a 
 warrior standing close beside the lodge, leaning 
 on his spear. He was undoubtedly a sentry, 
 and had been placed there to watch the pris- 
 oner. Frank took one glance at him, and then 
 dropped the door to its place, and h irrying to
 
 FRANK LEARNS SOMETHING. 47 
 
 the other side of the lodge pulled up the skina 
 and looked under them. He saw now what he 
 had not noticed before that the lodge in which 
 he was confined was in the very center of the 
 village. The nearest wigwams were pitched 
 about fifty yards from it, leaving a clear space 
 on each side that was devoted to the holding 
 of councils and dances. Frank knew that he 
 could never cross that space in broad daylight 
 without being discovered and recaptured, and 
 with a look of disappointment on his face, he 
 dropped the skins and crawled back to his seat 
 on the buffalo robes.
 
 48 FBANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 
 
 TF Frank was disappointed iii one respect, he 
 *- was greatly encouraged in another. He had 
 discovered something that went a long way 
 toward strengthening his hopes of escape, and 
 that was that the Indians were not watching 
 him very closely. The guard at the door had 
 not noticed him when he looked out, and this 
 induced the belief that the chief had placed 
 him there simply to keep Frank from roaming 
 about the village ; and not because he feared 
 that his prisoner might attempt to escape. 
 That idea had probably never occurred to him. 
 But the chief did not know much about boys, 
 especially such boys as Frank Nelson. He 
 had yet to learn that the young hunter pos- 
 sessed a goodly share of courage and determina- 
 tion, as well as speed and activity.
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 49 
 
 Frank lay there on the pile of buffalo robes 
 -ntil dark, and then the door opened, and an 
 old Indian woman came in with a small camp- 
 kettle, which she placed upon the ground in 
 the middle of the lodge, and went out again. 
 The contents of the kettle were smoking hot, 
 and the odor that filled the lodge reminded 
 Frank that he had not lost his appetite, and 
 that he was as hungry as a wolf, in spite of all 
 the excitements of the afternoon. An exam- 
 ination of the kettle showed that it contained 
 buffalo meat. Taking his knife from his pocket, 
 Frank seated himself on the ground and began 
 his supper. It was not quite as good as some 
 he had eaten at his quiet little home on the 
 banks of Glen's Creek, but the buffalo meat was 
 nourishing, and when the last vestige of it had 
 disappeared, Frank arose to his feet, put his 
 ki ife into his pocket, and declared that he felt 
 better. 
 
 " I could run, now, if these Indians would 
 only give me half a chance," said he, to him- 
 self. " I may yet show them what I can do, 
 unless they station a sentry at the back of this 
 lodge. Now if I only had a drink of water ! " 
 4
 
 50 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 As Frank said this he went to the djor 
 again, and there was the guard, standing in the 
 game position in which he had seen him before, 
 leaning on his spear, and gazing off into va- 
 cancy. Frank did not believe that he had 
 moved a muscle during the last two hours. 
 
 " I say, old fellow ! " he exclaimed, "is there 
 any water about here ? " Then, fearing that the 
 savage might not understand him, he made a 
 motion with his hand as though he were drink- 
 ing from a cup. 
 
 The guard did not reply, but beckoned to 
 the prisoner to follow him, and led the way 
 through the village toward the ravine from 
 which the chief and his party had entered the 
 valley. Frank, ever on the alert, exulted at 
 this. He knew that the guard was conducting 
 him to a spring, and he sincerely hoped that 
 it would prove to be outside the village. In 
 that event, one Indian, even though he was 
 armed with a spear, could not prevent him from 
 making at least an attempt at escape. If he 
 could get but two feet the start of the sentry, 
 he believed that he could elude him in the 
 darkness. Unfortunately for the riucxtess of
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 51 
 
 these plans, however, the spring was not out- 
 side the village. It was but a short distance 
 from the place where he had been confined, 
 and all around it were lodges, beside which 
 stalwart warriors lay upon their blankets, 
 erajking their pipes. The least attempt at es- 
 cape would have brought them around him 
 like a cloud of mosquitoes. He must wait until 
 some more favorable opportunity. 
 
 Frank kneeled down beside the spring, and 
 took a long and refreshing drink, and then 
 quietly followed the guard back to his prison. 
 He looked into the wigwams as he passed 
 along, and now that he had in some measure 
 recovered his usual spirits, he began to be in- 
 terested in what was going on around him ; 
 but he did not see any thing to induce him to 
 give up home and friends, and turn Indian. 
 The idea was a novel one to him, and he could 
 have smiled at 'it, had it not been for the prep- 
 arations for battle that were every-where visible 
 in the camp the horses saddled and waiting, 
 the weapons hung upon the poles of the lodge, 
 where they could be seized at a moment's warn- 
 ing, and the braves in war-paint, ready to move
 
 52 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 at the word. Frank noticed these things, and 
 thought of his friends at the fort. If the ex- 
 pected reinforcements arrived in time, the sav- 
 ages might make the attack that very night. 
 
 When Frank found himself once more inside 
 his prison, he stretched himself on the buffalo 
 robes, and waited impatiently for the Indians 
 to go to sleep. How wearily the hours dragged 
 by, and how Frank alternated between hope 
 and fear, can be imagined better than we can 
 describe it. Sometimes he looked upon his es- 
 cape as an assured thing. When the Indians 
 were all asleep, it would be a matter of but 
 little difficulty for him to creep out of the 
 lodge, and make his way through the village 
 to the ravine. It was easy enough for him to 
 sit there on the buffalo robes and think about 
 it, but when he imagined himself doing it, and 
 pictured to himself the dangers in his way, his 
 hopes fell again ; and then, had it not been for 
 the remembrance of what the outlaw had told 
 him, he would have been tempted to abandon 
 all thoughts of escape. If it would have re- 
 quired all the skill and cunning that Dick and 
 Bob possessed to outwit the savages in a case
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 53 
 
 like this, what could an inexperienced boy of 
 sixteen do? 
 
 Frank thought the Indians did not intend 
 to go to sleep at all that night. He heard 
 them moving about until a late hour, and it 
 was midnight before the silence that reigned in 
 the camp told him that if he ever intended to 
 carry out the plans he had determined upon, 
 the time had come to do it. His heart beat 
 fast and furiously as he pulled off his shoes, 
 ind moved noiselessly across the lodge toward 
 the corner in which the chief had deposited his 
 blanket and spear. He was very deliberate in 
 his movements, and there was need of all his 
 caution ; for the guard stood almost within 
 reach of him, and the slightest noise inside the 
 lodge would have brought him in there imme- 
 diately. Frank threw the chiefs blanket over 
 his shoulders, put on the head-dress, picked up 
 the spear, and crept cautiously across -the lodge. 
 He threw himself upon his hands and knees, 
 and after listening a moment to assure himself 
 that the guard had not been alarmed, he lifted 
 up the skins which formed the wqll of the 
 lodge, and looked out. The camp was as silent
 
 54 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 as though it had been deserted. On every 
 nand he could see the smoldering embers of 
 the fires by w'lich the savages had cooked their 
 suppers, but not a living being was in sight. 
 Drawing in a long breath he crawled slowly 
 out of the lodge, and after lingering a moment 
 to arrange the blanket about his shoulders, he 
 grasped the spear firmly in his hand, and stole 
 away into the darkness, looking back now and 
 then to make sure that he was keeping the 
 lodge between him and the guard. An inter- 
 vening row of wigwams finally shut his prison 
 from his sight, and Frank began to congratu- 
 late himself on having accomplished the most 
 difficult part of his undertaking. 
 
 "When the chief's reinforcements arrive, and 
 he makes the attack on the fort, and finds the 
 trappers and soldiers ready to receive him, 
 he will wish he had taken a little more pains 
 to watch me," thought Frank, as, with a step 
 that would not have awakened a cricket, he 
 made his way through the village toward the 
 ravine. " If Dick and Bob had been his pris- 
 oners he would, no doubt, have kept them 
 bound hand and foot ; but I 'm a boy, and he
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 55 
 
 thought he had nothing to fear from me. I '11 
 teach him something." 
 
 The tall figure of an Indian glided suddenly 
 across the path in front of him, and interrupted 
 his soliloquy. Frank's first impulse was to 
 throw down the spear and blanket, and take to 
 his heels; but remembering in time that he 
 was personating an Indian, and that every 
 thing depended upon his getting out of the vil- 
 lage before the guard at the chiefs wigwam 
 discovered his flight, he straightened up and 
 boldly approached the Indian, who merely 
 turned his head and looked at Frank, and then 
 disappeared among the lodges. That was an- 
 other danger passed ; and commending the fore- 
 thought that had induced him to use the chiefs 
 clothing as a disguise, he kept on with increased 
 speed toward the mountains, which, to his im- 
 patient eye, seemed as far off as when he left 
 his prison. But he was gradually nearing them 
 all the while, and when the last lodge had been 
 left behind, and was concealed from his view 
 by the thick shrubbery and trees that lined the 
 banks of the ravine, his fear and trembling 
 vanished, and it was all he could do to refrain
 
 66 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 from giving vent to his jubilant feelings. He 
 sat down on the ground to put on his shoes, 
 which he had been thoughtful enough to bring 
 with him, the.i took the blanket under his arm, 
 and never stopping to think that there might 
 be Indians in front of him as well as behind, 
 he broke into a run and flew down the ravine 
 like the wind. 
 
 "I haven't done much to brag of, seeing 
 that I was not very closely watched," thought 
 he, " but still I think I have played those sav- 
 ages a pretty sharp trick. Now, if I only had 
 Dick's speed and experience ! " 
 
 If Frank had possessed the trapper's expe- 
 rience, he would have been much more cautious 
 in his movements, and might, perhaps, have 
 succeeded in reaching the valley in safety. He 
 would have curbed his eagerness which proved 
 fatal to his hopes. There was a party of In- 
 dians coming up the ravine with a prisoner; 
 and their quick ears caught the sound of 
 Frank's footsteps long before he came in sight. 
 Tl.e prisoner knew who it was approaching at 
 that reckless gate, and so did the Indians, who, 
 at a sign from their leader, quickly concealec
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 57 
 
 themselves beside the path ; and when Frank 
 was on the point of passing their ambush, a 
 figure which seemed to rise out of the ground 
 clasped him in its strong arms, and he was a 
 prisoner again almost before he knew it. 
 
 The first Indian who confronted him, as he 
 was lifted to his feet, was the chief, who aston- 
 ished his prisoner by the reception he gave 
 him. He seemed somewhat surprised to see 
 him there, but he did not appear to be angry. 
 He looked at the blanket and spear, then at 
 Frank, and giving him a hearty slap on the 
 back said, approvingly : 
 
 " Good boy ! Make fine Injun, some day ! " 
 
 Frank, although his face was very pale, and 
 he was trembling in every limb, was not as 
 badly frightened now as when he first found 
 himself in the power of the savages. For him- 
 self he was not at all concerned, for he did not 
 stand in any fear of bodily harm ; but there 
 were his friends in the valley, whom he was so 
 anxious to warn of their danger ! It was of 
 them he thought, and not of himself. 
 
 " I say, youngster," said a cheery, familiar 
 voice, close at his elbow, "you've got a few
 
 58 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 things to larn yet, haint you? When a feller 
 is in an Injun country he can't go tearin* 
 through the woods as you did a minute ago. 
 I can't shake hands with you, 'cause I am tied 
 hard and fast." 
 
 "Dick Lewis!" cried Frank, in alarm. He 
 was too astonished to speak again immediately. 
 The redoubtable trapper was always turning 
 up most unexpectedly, and generally, too, at 
 just the moment when his services were most 
 needed ; but on this occasion he was not in a 
 condition to assist his young friend. For the 
 first time in his life Frank was not glad to see 
 Dick. He would rather have had him a hun- 
 dred miles from there, for he knew that the 
 treatment the trapper would receive at the 
 hands of his savage foes would be very differ- 
 ent from his own. 
 
 ""Well, what are you doing here?" asked 
 Frank, at length. 
 
 " I might ask you the same question, I 
 reckon," replied Dick. "What business had 
 you to go roamin' off alone in the mountains, 
 arter I had told you to keep your eyes open 
 fur these Injuns? I knowed what was up the
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 59 
 
 minute Archie come home without you; an* 
 me an' Bob set out to find you. Bob's old legs 
 tuk him safe out of danger, but I was ketched. 
 I am here 'cause I can't help myself." 
 
 "But, Dick, does Captain Porter know that 
 these Indians have suddenly turned hostile?" 
 
 "Turned!" exclaimed Dick. "They've been 
 hostile ever since they was born. In course 
 he knows it. Come up closer, youngster, so 
 that I can whisper to you, an' I'll tell you 
 something." 
 
 While this conversation was going on, the 
 prisoners were being conducted up the ravine 
 toward the camp. The chief led the way, two 
 Indians, who stepped exactly in his tracks, fol- 
 lowed close at his heels, Frank and Dick, who 
 walked side by side, came next, and two more 
 Indians brought up the rear. The savages 
 made no attempt to restrain their prisoners 
 from talking, and Frank was glad it was so. 
 
 '' The Cap'n did n't like the way these Injuns 
 acted this mornin', no more 'n I did," continued 
 the trapper, in a low tone. " He spoke to the 
 major, an' told him that if he knowed when he 
 was well off he would look out fur things a
 
 60 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 icetle ; an' the ole feller tuk the hint an' set 
 his soldiers to work on the fort. Thar 's too 
 many ole trappers down in that valley, an' they 
 can't be tuk by surprise." 
 
 " You do n't know how overjoyed I am to 
 hear that," whispered Frank, who now breathed 
 more freely than at any time since he had fallen 
 into the hands of the savages. "Then Archie 
 will be safe, won't he?" 
 
 " Sartin he will, unless he goes about pokin' 
 his nose into danger like he allers does. He 's 
 jest spilin' to have his bar raised, Archie is, 
 an' it was all me an' ole Bob could do to keep 
 him from comin' with us when we set out to 
 look fur you. The chiefs goin' to make an 
 Injun of you, I can see that easy enough." 
 
 "That's what Black Bill says." 
 
 "Black Bill!" echoed the trapper. "Is he 
 about here? Wai, if I don't settle with him 
 ole Bob will, so it's all the same. I kinder 
 thought, by the squint in the chiefs eye, that 
 it would have been better fur you if you had 
 kopt away from that camp," he continued. 
 " Injuns do n't giner'ly take sich a monstrous 
 shine to white boys fur nothing. It won't be
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 61 
 
 long afore you '11 have a chance to see how the 
 red skins treat their prisoners. Mebbe the 
 chief will get up a show fur you to-night." 
 
 " A show!" repeated Frank. 
 
 "Yes. How would you like to see ine tied 
 to the stake, or runnin' the gauntlet?" 
 
 No one, to have heard the trapper speak 
 these words, would have imagined that he had 
 any fears that such would be his fate ; but 
 Frank knew that he expected nothing else. 
 
 " The chief is awful mad at me," continued 
 Dick. " Thar were 'leven men in his party, 
 when me an' ole Bob first diskivered 'em, an' 
 now you do n't see but four, do you ? Thar 's 
 four more behind us, bringin' up the three 
 that me an' Bob rubbed out. I '11 have to 
 stand punishment fur that ; but I do n't reckon 
 that burnin' me or slashin' me with tomahawks 
 will bring to life all the braves I have sent to 
 the happy huntin' grounds." 
 
 A long, mournful yell from the chief inter- 
 rupted the conversation. Frank looked up and 
 eaw the village in plain sight. The chief had 
 given that yell to warn the camp of his arrival. 
 Dick called it the "death-whoop," and said
 
 62 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that one object of it was to inform the war- 
 riors that some of those, who had gone out on 
 the scout with the chief, had fallen by the 
 hands of their enemies. Presently an answer 
 came echoing through the woods, then another, 
 and another ; and when they emerged from the 
 ravine, Frank found the village, which had been 
 so quiet when he left it but a few minutes be- 
 fore, alive with men, women, and children, who 
 seemed wild with excitement and rage. When 
 their eyes rested on the trapper, they gave ut- 
 terance to savage yells of exultation, and almost 
 before Frank was aware of it, he was standing 
 alone, gazing after a crowd of struggling, fran- 
 tic Indians, who were bearing his fellow pris- 
 oner toward the chiePs wigwam. Tomahawks 
 and knives were flourished in the air close to 
 Dick's face, arrows and rifles were pointed at 
 his breast, spears were thrust at him, and now 
 and then hickory switches in the hands of those 
 behind him, fell with stinging force on his head 
 and shoulders. Before he was carried out of 
 sight, his face was bleeding from more than 
 one wound ; but Frank looked in vain for any 
 expression of fear. The trapper was apparently
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 63 
 
 as calm and self-possessed as he would have 
 been had he at that moment been smoking his 
 pipe on the porch of Mr. Brent's rancho. He 
 never winced when the weapons of his savage 
 foes passed within an inch of his person in- 
 deed, one would have thought, from his manner, 
 that he did not see them all. Never before had 
 Frank witnessed such an exhibition of courage 
 and fortitude. 
 
 When the trapper had disappeared from his 
 view, Frank, who had stood rooted to the 
 ground, horrified by the scene he was witness- 
 ing, awoke to a sense of his own situation, and 
 began to look about him. Although there 
 were Indians on all sides of him, no one seemed 
 to take the least notice of him. His hands 
 were tied behind his back, but he could move 
 about as he pleased, for his feet were free. 
 Scarcely knowing what he was doing, he fol- 
 lowed in the direction the crowd had gone; 
 and when he arrived at the chief's lodge he 
 found that some unusual event was about to 
 take place. The yells were hushed, and the 
 roost of the Indians were gathered in a body 
 on due side of the douncil ground, in the center
 
 64 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 of which two or three warriors were busy kin- 
 dling a fire. Upon looking around for the 
 trapper, he discovered him at the opposite side 
 of the ground, standing with his back to a post, 
 to which he was securely bound. Near him 
 stood a couple of armed Indians; and when 
 Frank approached his friend, they motioned 
 him angrily to retire. 
 
 " Oh, do n't I wish that my hands were un- 
 bound, and that I could have the free use of 
 my knife for just one minute ?" groaned Frank, 
 as he reluctantly retraced his steps toward the 
 chiefs wigwam. " Dick would n't be in that 
 fix long. He has saved me more than once, 
 and I would risk any thing, if I could do as 
 much for him now. Where is Bob, that he 
 don't bring the trappers up here and attack 
 these Indians?" 
 
 Frank stood off by himself and watched the 
 preparations going on around him, and won- 
 dered what would be the next torture the sav- 
 ages would devise for their prisoner. He could 
 not have been more terrified if he had occupied 
 Dick's place, and had been every moment ex- 
 peoting to hear the death sentence passed upon
 
 THE TRAPPER A PRISONER. 65 
 
 him. He did not like the deliberation and 
 gravity with which the Indians conducted their 
 proceedings, nor the scowls of mingled hatred 
 and triumph which they threw across the 
 council -ground toward the helpless trapper. He 
 thought things looked exceedingly dark for his 
 friend. 
 
 The huge fire that had been kindled by the 
 warriors was well under way at last, and a 
 dozen chiefs walked out from among their com- 
 panions, and seated themselves in a circle 
 around it. The first business in order was 
 smoking the pipe of peace. The pipe was 
 brought in by an aged warrior, -who lighted it 
 with a brand from the fire, and was about to 
 present it to the principal chief, when the pro- 
 ceedings were interrupted by the arrival of a 
 party of four men, who walked up to the fire 
 without ceremony, and seated themselves near 
 it. Frank recognized them at a glance ; and 
 that same glance showed him that they had 
 not come alone. They had brought a prisoner 
 with them, and he was standing near the trap- 
 per, with his hands bound behind his back. 
 
 5
 
 66 PRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 
 
 TTK)R an hour and a half after Frank left hirr, 
 *- Archie walked up and down the banks f.f 
 the brook, pulling out trout of a size and 
 weight that astonished him. When nrarJy two 
 hundred splendid fish had been placed upon his 
 string, he put his line into his pocket, leaned 
 his pole against a tree where he kaew he could 
 find it again if he should happen to want it, 
 mounted his horse, and rode slowly toward the 
 ranoho, keeping a good lookout on every side 
 for his cousin, and wondering what had become 
 of him. It was getting late. The sun lad 
 sunk below the western mountains, the shadows 
 of twilight were creeping through the valley, 
 and Archie began to fear that Frank was in a 
 fair way to pass the night among the grizzlies. 
 He did not find him at the rancho; Adam had
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 67 
 
 not seen him, and neither had Dick, who, upon 
 finding that Archie had returned alone, pulled 
 off his sombrero, and scratched his head furi- 
 ously, as he always did when any thing trou- 
 bled aim. 
 
 " Where 's the boy that fit that ar Greaser?" 
 he asked, with some anxiety in his tone. 
 
 " I am sure I do n't know," was the reply. 
 " He went into the mountains to hunt up an 
 elk for supper, and I have n't seen him since." 
 
 " The keerless feller!" exclaimed the trapper. 
 
 " He '11 have to camp out all night if he 
 does n't come back pretty soon," continued 
 Archie. " AVon't he have a glorious time 
 among the bears and panthers? I wish I had 
 gone with him, for I know he will be lone- 
 some." 
 
 " You can thank your luoky stars that you 
 stayed at home. Thar's a heap wusser things 
 iu the world than grizzlies an' painters." 
 
 The tone in which these words were spoken 
 made Archie uneasy; and when Dick drew old 
 Bob and the Captain off on one side, and held 
 a whispered consultation with them, he began 
 to be really alarmed. He bad never seen the
 
 68 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 trapper act so strangely. Heretofore, when 
 Frank had got into trouble, Di<;k had always 
 said: "I jest know he'll come out all right; ' 
 but he did not say so now. Archie could see 
 that there was something in the wind that he 
 did not understand. 
 
 While the Captain and his men were con- 
 versing, a trapper galloped up to the porch, 
 and hurriedly ascending the steps, communi- 
 cated in a whisper what was plainly a very ex- 
 citing piece of news, for an expression of anx- 
 iety overspread the Captain's face, old Bob 
 thumped the floor energetically with the butt 
 of his rifle, and Dick once more pulled off his 
 sombrero and dug his fingers into his hair. 
 Almost at the same moment a second horseman 
 approached from another direction, and he had 
 something to tell that increased the excitement. 
 The Captain listened attentively to his story, 
 and then gave a few oiders in a low tone to 
 Dick and Bob, who si ouldered their rifles, 
 sprang down the steps, and stole off into the 
 darkness like two specters. They had not 
 made many steps before A;-chie was at their 
 heels.
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 6 
 
 "Now, then, you keerless feller, jest trot 
 right back to the house agin," said Dick. 
 
 " If you are going out to look for Frank I 
 want to go too," replied Archie. " I can keep 
 up with you." 
 
 "Go back," repeated the trapper; "you'll 
 only be in the way. Thar's goin' to be queer 
 doin's in this yere valley, an' you '11 see enough 
 to make you glad to stay in the house." 
 
 "What's up here, any how?" asked Archie, 
 as he mounted the steps that led to the porcb 
 where Adam Brent was waiting for him. 
 
 " Indians," was the reply. 
 
 " Indians ! " repeated Archie, who now 
 thought he understood what the trapper meant 
 when he said that there were things in the 
 world more to be dreaded than bears and pan- 
 thers. " You surely do n't expect trouble with 
 them?" 
 
 " That 's what they say," replied Adam, coolly. 
 "I heard Captain Porter tell father that they 
 would be down on us, like a hawk on a June- 
 bug, before we see the sun rise again." 
 
 "Well, I I Eh!" stammered Archie, al- 
 most paralyzed by the information.
 
 70 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Oil, it's the truth. In the first place, they 
 changed their camp very suddenly this after- 
 noon, and without any cause; and since then 
 they haven't showed themselves in the valley. 
 That's a bad sign. When you know there are 
 Indians about you, and you can't see them, look 
 out for them, for they mean mischief But 
 when they are all around you, and you have 
 to watch them closely to keep them from steal- 
 ing every thing you've got, there's nothing 
 to foar. In the next place, one of Captain 
 Porter's trappers, who was out hunting this 
 afternoon, said that he crossed the trail of a 
 war party, numbering at least five hundred 
 men. Another trapper brought the informa- 
 tion that there is a large camp of Indians about 
 ten miles back in the mountains, and that the 
 braves are all in war-paint. Father says it is 
 plain enough to him that they have determined 
 upon a general massacre of all the settlers in 
 the country. There'll be fun in this valley 
 before morning, and you '11 hear sounds and see 
 sights you never dreamed of." 
 
 Archie was astounded not only at the news 
 he had heard, but aleo at the free and easy
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 71 
 
 manner in which it was communicated. He 
 was trembling in every limb with suppressed 
 excitement and alarm ; and here was this new 
 friend of his standing with his hands in his 
 pockets, and talking about a fight with the 
 Indians which would be delayed but a few 
 hours at the most with as much apparent in- 
 difference and unconcern as if it had been some 
 holiday pastime. But then Adam was accus- 
 tomed to such things. The house in which he 
 lived has been used as a fort in days gone by, 
 and when trouble was expected with the sav- 
 ages, the settlers, for miles around, would flock 
 into it for protection. It had withstood more 
 than one siege, and Adam, before he was strong 
 enough to lift a rifle to his shoulder, had heard 
 the war-whoop echoing through the valley, and 
 had molded bullets and cut patching for the 
 men who were standing at his father's side, 
 defending the house agajnst the assaults of the 
 savages. Archie could have told of things 
 that would have made Adam's hair stand on 
 end. He had ridden in the cars and on steam- 
 boats; and he had held the helm of the Speed- 
 well in many a race around Strawberry island,
 
 72 FRANK IX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 when the white caps were running, and the 
 wind blowing half a gale. Adam, in these 
 situations, would have been as badly frightened 
 as Archie was now. 
 
 While the latter was thinking over what he 
 had heard, and wishing that his friend could 
 impart to him some of his indifference and 
 courage, Mr. Brent, who, with his men, had 
 been engaged in collecting the valuables in the 
 house, and loading them into a wagon for trans- 
 portation to the fort, approached, and said to 
 his son : 
 
 "Adam, get your rifle and ammunition, and 
 go down to the fort and stay there until I 
 come. Archie, you had better go with him." 
 
 Archie thought this good advice. If the 
 Indians had really determined on making a 
 descent into the valley and he knew that 
 Mr. Brent had had too much experience to be 
 deceived in such matters the sooner he found 
 a place of safety the better it would be for him. 
 He had been considerably disappointed because 
 he had not been allowed an opportunity to 
 assist the settlers in their fight with Don Car- 
 los and his men, but he had never expressed
 
 AECHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 73 
 
 a desire to take part in a battle with the In- 
 dians. He trembled at the thought ; and he 
 was almost afraid to ride through the grove 
 with Adam. He held his rifle in readiness foi 
 instant use, and so nervous and excited was he, 
 that it might have been dangerous for even a 
 friendly trapper to approach him unexpectedly. 
 He and Adam reached the fort, however, with- 
 out encountering any of their enemies; and 
 then Archie drew a long breath of relief, and 
 began to feel more like himself. 
 
 Every one of the hundred soldiers compris- 
 ing the garrison was hard at work ; and so 
 were the trappers. Some were engaged in re- 
 pairing the palisades, some were covering the 
 roofs of the buildings with earth, to prevent 
 the savages from setting them on fire with 
 lighted arrows, others were cleaning and load- 
 ing the weapons, and every thing was done 
 without the least noise or confusion. Not a 
 word was spoken above a whisper; the men 
 moved about with cautious footsteps, and a 
 person standing at a distance of fifty yards from 
 the fort, could not have told that there waa 
 any one stirring within its walls. One thing
 
 74 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that surprised Archie was, that among all these 
 men, who had fought the Indians more than 
 once, and who knew just what their fate would 
 be if the fort proved too weak to resist the 
 attacks of their savage foes, there was not one 
 who seemed to be in the least concerned. 
 There were some pale faces among them pale 
 with excitement rather than fear but their 
 manner was quiet and confident, and Archie 
 began to gather courage. 
 
 His first care was to look up a place of safety 
 for his horse. The garrison being composed 
 entirely of cavalrymen, there was plenty of 
 stable room in the fort, and Archie soon found 
 an empty stall, in which he tied the mustang; 
 and after strapping his revolvers around his 
 waist, and filling his pockets with cartridges 
 for his rifle, he went out to look about the 
 fortifications. He found Adam in the soldiers' 
 quarters, sitting beside a fire, and engaged in 
 running bullets. He kept him company for a 
 while, but he was too uneasy and excited to 
 remain long in one place, and finally he went 
 out again, and resumed his wanderings about 
 the fort. He watched the soldiers at their
 
 ABOHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 75 
 
 work, looked at the loop-holes, and tried to 
 imagine how he should feel standing at one of 
 them when the bullets and arrows were whis- 
 tling about his ears, and the fort was sur- 
 rounded by hundreds of yelling Indians thirst- 
 ing for his blood, and at last he found his <vay 
 out of the gate to the prairie where Frank had 
 run the foot-race a few hours before. How 
 lonesome the place seemed now, and what an 
 unearthly silence brooded over it ! Archie felt 
 his courage giving away again, and aroused 
 himself with an effort. 
 
 " I am getting to be a regular coward," said 
 lie, to himself. " If Frank were here he would 
 be ashamed of me. I 'd like to know where he 
 is, and what he is doing. I hope he has made 
 his camp where the Indians will not stumble 
 upon it. There's the Captain going back to 
 the house. If it is safe there for him, I guess 
 it is safe for me, too." 
 
 Archie shouldered his rifle, and hurried off 
 in the direction the Captain had gone. He 
 passed through the grove in safety, and when 
 he reached the house he found that Mr. Brent 
 and his men were still engaged in collecting
 
 76 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 all the movable property, and hauling it to the 
 fort. The former knew that all his stock, 
 barns, and crops would be destroyed, and it 
 was his desire to save as much of his household 
 furniture as possible. 
 
 Archie leaned his rifle in one corner, and 
 worked with the rest until the wagon was 
 loaded, and then sat down on the porch to 
 await its return from the fort. He wished 
 he had gone with it before many minutes had 
 passed over his head, for scarcely had the 
 wagon disappeared when he heard a stealthy 
 step behind him, and, upon looking up, he 
 saw three trappers standing close at his elbow. 
 Although he was startled by their sudden ap- 
 pearance, he was not alarmed, for he thought 
 that he recognized them as some of the men 
 belonging to Captain Porter's expedition ; but 
 a second glance showed him that they were 
 strangers. He sprang to his feet, and, boldly 
 confronting the men, waited for them to make 
 known their business. They looked at him 
 closely for a moment, and then one of them 
 said to his companions : 
 
 "That's him, aint it?"
 
 AECHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 77 
 
 "I reckon it is," replied another. "Now, 
 my cub, no screechin' or fussin'. If you make 
 the least noise, you 're a goner." 
 
 Archie did not hear all this warning, for, 
 while the trapper was speaking, he had seized 
 the boy in an iron grasp, and pressed a brawny 
 hand over his mouth to stifle his cries for help; 
 another tore his revolvers from his waist; the 
 third caught up his feet and held them firmly 
 under his arm ; and, before Archie could fairly 
 make up his mind what was going on, he was 
 being carried rapidly across the valley toward 
 the mountains. Astonished and enraged, he 
 struggled furiously for a time, but all to no 
 purpose; he was held as firmly as if he .had 
 been in a vice ; and, exhausted at last by his 
 efforts, he lay quietly in the grasp of his cap- 
 tors, wondering at this new adventure, and 
 trying in vain to find some explanation for it. 
 He was not kept long in ignorance, however, 
 for in a few minutes the trappers had carried 
 him across the valley, through the willows 
 that skirted the base of the mountains, and 
 into a deep, thickly-wooded ravine, and set 
 him down in front of a camp-fire, before which
 
 78 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 stood a tall, fierce-looking man leaning on bis 
 rifle. 
 
 Archie was so bewildered that, for a minute 
 or two, he could not have told whether he was 
 a vake or dreaming. He swallowed a few times 
 to overcome the effect of the choking he had 
 received, rubbed his eyes, and looked about 
 him; and all the while the tall trapper stood 
 regarding him, with a savage smile on his face, 
 while his three companions seated themselves 
 beside the fire, and coolly proceeded to fill their 
 pipes. 
 
 " It 's him, aint it, Bill ? " asked one, at 
 length. 
 
 "Yes," replied the person addressed, still 
 looking fixedly at his prisoner, and evidently 
 enjoying his bewilderment, "it's him. Seems 
 to me you might have a good word to say to 
 your uncle, seein' it 's so long since we 've met 
 one another." 
 
 " My uncle ! " exclaimed Archie, now for the 
 first time recovering the use of his tongue. 
 
 "Sartin. You aint agoin' to deny it? You 
 aint agoin' back on me, are you ? I 've been 
 through a heap since I seed you last I 've
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NEW UNCLE. 79 
 
 been chawed up by bars an' catamounts, an' 
 been shot at by Injuns an' white fellers, an' 
 mebbe I 've changed a leetle. I never did 
 brag much on my good looks, but I'm yonr 
 uncle, fur all that." 
 
 " You ! " almost shouted Archie, gazing in 
 amazement at the trapper's dark, scarred face; 
 "you my uncle! Not if I know who I am, 
 and I think I do. Do you take me for a luna- 
 tic, or are you crazy yourself?" 
 
 "Nary one, I reckon. I take you fur my 
 nephew Adam Brent an' I know what I 'm 
 sayin'." 
 
 "Well, if Adam has such a looking uncle as 
 you are, I am sorry for him. You've made a 
 great mistake. My name is Winters, if it will 
 do you any good to know it." 
 
 " No, I reckon not," replied the trapper, who 
 seemed to be greatly pleased at his prisoner's 
 pluck and independence. " I reckon you 're 
 Adam Brent." 
 
 " I guess I ought to know what my name is, 
 hadn't I?" exclaimed Archie, angrily. "Who 
 are yo.i, anyhow, and what business have you 
 to rake me away from my friends?"
 
 80 FRANK FN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 * I 'ra your uncle Bill Brent Black Bill 
 fur short ; an' as fur the business I have in 
 takin' you prisoner, it 's the business every 
 man 's got to right the wrongs that 's been 
 done him. That 's what 's the matter." 
 
 Archie very deliberately seated himself upon 
 the ground, rested his chin on his hands, and 
 looked up at the outlaw. " I know you now," 
 said he, "and I have no desire for a more in- 
 timate acquaintance. Do you remember that, 
 one night, in the latter part of June, a fellow 
 about my age walked into your camp, and you 
 and your cowardly companions robbed him of 
 his horse?" 
 
 " I '11 allow I haint forgot it," replied the 
 outlaw. 
 
 "Well, that fellow was my cousin. He and 
 I were on our way to California, with Dick 
 Lewis and Bob Kelly, and an uncle, who looks 
 about as much like you as you look like a white 
 man. You Ve got the wrong buck by the horn, 
 if you take me for Adam Brent. He is at the 
 fort, and among friends, where he is safe. I 
 left him there not more than an hour ago/ 
 
 "Now jest look a-here, Adam," said Black
 
 ARCHIE FIXDS A NEW UNCLE. 81 
 
 Bill; "that story won't go down not by no 
 means. If I had n't never seed you afore, it 
 might do you some good to talk to me in that 
 fashion ; but I know you as well as I know 
 any of my mates here. I 've got you now, an' 
 1 'm goin' to hold fast to you." 
 
 "But what do you intend to do with me?" 
 asked Archie. 
 
 "I'm goin' to do jest what I told your fa- 
 ther I should do when I got my hands on you : 
 I 'ra goin' to make you jest sich a man as I 
 am." 
 
 "You'll have a good time of it, and you 
 can't do it. It is my intention to be of some 
 use in the world, aiid I 'd like to see you or 
 any body else drag me down as low as you are. 
 But I tell you that I am not Adam Brent, and 
 neither am I any relative of his." 
 
 "Hold your hosses. I know jest what I am 
 about, an' all your talkin' an' fussin' won't do 
 you no 'arthly good whatsomever; so you might 
 jest as well shut up. I 'm goin' to make a rene 
 gade of you. Arter you have been with me a 
 few years, you '11 larn to hate white folks as 
 
 bad as I do, an' will fight 'em like any Injun, 
 6
 
 82 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 I told your father that I would make him & )rry 
 for all he's done agin me, an' I'm goin' to keep 
 my word. Jack, jest tie his hands behind his 
 back, an' then we '11 trot along. I 've spent 
 the most of my time, durin' the last ten years, 
 hangin' around this yere valley, watchin' fur a 
 chance to get hold of you," continued the out- 
 law, while his companion was confining Archie's 
 arms with a thong of buckskin, " but the ole man 
 tuk mighty good care to keep you out of my 
 sight. The fust time I sot eyes on you, since 
 you was six years old, was to-day, at the fort, 
 when them fellers run that race; but I knowed 
 you in a minute. I've got you now, an' the 
 next time your father sees you, you will be like 
 me half Injun an' half trapper, an' an enemy 
 of your own race." 
 
 Archie had learned something during this 
 interview with the outlaw, and now thought 
 he could understand why Mr. Brent had been 
 so careful never to allow Adam far out of his 
 eight. In years gone by perhaps when they 
 were young men together he had done some- 
 thing to incur the displeasure of this unnat- 
 ural brother, who had revived to b'e revenged
 
 ARCHIE FINDS A NE WUNCLE. 83 
 
 upon him by dragging his son down as low as 
 he was himself. But the outlaw's plans were 
 not working as smoothly as he imagined. He 
 had made a mistake in the boy ; and Adam, of 
 whom he had been trying to make a prisoner 
 for ten years, was still safe under the protection 
 of his father. 
 
 "He is barking up the wrong tree, if he 
 only knew it," said Archie to himself; "but I 
 do n't think I shall trouble myself to tell him 
 so again. The way he eyed me the last time I 
 told him I wasn't Adam Brent, makes me think 
 that it wouldn't take a great deal to induce 
 him to use his bowie on me; and that would 
 be disagreeable. Never mind; I am not afraid 
 that I shall long remain a prisoner, while Dick 
 and Bob are alive." 
 
 When Archie's arms had been securely bound, 
 two of the outlaws started down the ravine in 
 Indian file, and the others, one of whom was 
 Black Bill, seized their captive by the shoul- 
 ders, and assisted him over logs and through 
 the bushes in a way that would have called 
 forth from him a stubborn resistance, if his 
 arms had been free. The trappers seemed tc
 
 81 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 be ID great haste ; and whenever Archie stum- 
 bled in the darkness and pitched forward, they 
 did not stop, but hurried on as fast as ever, 
 leaving him to regain his feet if he could, or 
 be dragged along the ground behind them. He 
 wondered if this was a fair sample of the treat- 
 ment he was to receive as long as he remained 
 in the hands of the outlaws. It did not seem 
 to him that he could endure it long, but he 
 did endure it until ten miles had been accom- 
 plished, and then, to his intense amazement 
 and alarm, he suddenly found himself on the 
 outskirts of an Indian village. His captors 
 kept straight ahead with him, until they ar- 
 rived at the council ground, and there they 
 left him to take care of himself, and went for- 
 ward to join the circle of chief* ^ated around 
 the fire.
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 85 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 
 
 " "I7OU keerless feller ! You 're here arter 
 
 *- all, haint you?" 
 
 Archie looked up, and for the first time dis- 
 covered that he had a companion in trouble. 
 It was Dick Lewis, who was standing bound 
 to a post by a band of hickory bark, which 
 was drawn tight about his breast and arms. It 
 is hard to tell which was the more astonished, 
 the trapper or Archie. Numerous questions 
 were asked and answered on both sides, and 
 when Archie told of the mistake the outlaws 
 had made, and how he came to be taken pris- 
 oner, Dick drew a long breath of relief. 
 
 " I '11 allow that it makes me feel a heap 
 easier to know that you aint in no danger of 
 bein' massacreed," said he. " This is a leetle 
 the wust scrape I ever seed you in yet ; but as
 
 86 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 long as me an' old Bob are alive, you won't 
 want fur friends to help you. Do you see that 
 feller standin' over thar?" 
 
 Archie looked in the direction in which the 
 trapper nodded his head, and was almost ready 
 to drop with astonishment when he saw his 
 cousin standing beside the chief's wigwam, 
 bound and helpless like himself. He knew 
 now why Frank had not returned to the valley. 
 
 "How came he here?" asked Archie. 
 
 " Go over thar an' talk to him, an' he '11 tell 
 you all about it," replied the trapper. " I 
 want- plenty of elbow room around here, 'cause 
 when I get ready I 'm goin' to leave, an' any 
 thing that stands in my way will most likely 
 get hurt. You'll hear something break purty 
 soon, an' when I get started, jest keep your eye 
 on me if you want to see runnin' as is runnin'." 
 
 Archie, judging from this that Dick did not 
 want him there, walked slowly toward the 
 place where his cousin was standing. As he 
 passed the post he took a hasty glance at his 
 friend's bonds, and wondered how he intended 
 to escape from them. If he could break that 
 piece of bark, he must be possessed of the
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 87 
 
 power of a dozen men, for it was strong enough 
 to hold an ox-team. But then Dick's strength 
 was something wonderful, and there was no 
 knowing what he might do in an emergency 
 like this. 
 
 The cousins did not spend much time in 
 talking over their adventures, for they were 
 too deeply interested in what was going on 
 around them. The commotion occasioned by 
 the arrival of the outlaws had subsided, and 
 the chiefs were ready to proceed with their 
 business. The aged warrior again lighted the 
 pipe of peace, which was passed around the 
 circle, each chief taking two or three puffs and 
 handing it to his neighbor. The most profound 
 silence was maintained in the village during 
 this ceremony, which occupied several minutes ; 
 and while it was going on, the attention of the 
 boys was attracted by a curious-looking object 
 which suddenly made its appearance before 
 them. They could not tell what it was, either 
 by its size, shape, or movements. Sometimes 
 it went on all fours, and then it looked like a 
 bear with a crane's head ; then it threw itself 
 flat on the ground, and waddled along like an
 
 88 FRANK IN THE MOUN1AINS. 
 
 alligator, turning its queer looking head and 
 sharp bill about as if seeking something to de- 
 vour; and when it reached the edge of the 
 council-ground, it took the form of a ball, and 
 rolled along, as swiftly as if it had been sent 
 from .a boy's bat, until it reached the fire, when 
 it stopped, and with a loud yell jumped to its 
 feet and straightened out. Then the boys saw 
 that it was an Indian, dressed in a most fan- 
 tastic costume, and that he carried a tomahawk 
 in one hand and a knife in the other. 
 
 " Oh, it 's the medicine-man," said Frank. 
 
 " Well, he 's a delightful looking fellow," 
 observed Archie. " How would you like to 
 have him prowling about your bed if you were 
 sick ? What is he going to do, I wonder ? " 
 
 The boys were not kept long in doubt on 
 this point, for the medicine-man had evidently 
 come there on business of his own, and was 
 not disposed to waste any time. He first began 
 tramping in a circle about the place where the 
 chiefs were sitting, and then the cousins saw 
 that he carried the burden of many years on 
 his shoulders, for he walked with tottering 
 steps, and form half bent. But he seemed to
 
 THE MEDICINE MAN AND DICK LEWIS. CHAP, vi, PAGE 89.
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 89 
 
 have plenty of energy left in his old body, for 
 he stamped the ground furiously as he moved 
 alcng, causing the rattle-" which he wore around 
 his legs to ring out musically, and expended a 
 good deal of strength in flourishing his knife 
 and tomahawk. Wondering eyes followed all 
 his movements, broad-shouldered warriors 
 stepped respectfully aside to let him pass, but 
 he did not appear to notice any thing or any 
 body. He moved with his eyes fastened upon 
 the ground, and all the while singing a low, 
 monotonous song. He made the circuit of the 
 council-ground at least twenty times, without 
 once looking up or changing his attitude, and 
 the boys began to wonder what object he could 
 have in view in tramping about that way ; 
 when suddenly, as he was passing the trapper, 
 he raised his hatchet, and with one swift blow 
 buried its bright blade in the post, almost to 
 the handle and within an inch of Dick's head, 
 and left it there, while he continued on hia 
 walk around the council-ground. 
 
 An exclamation of horror burst from both 
 the boys as they witnessed this act of the medi- 
 cine-man. They thought, when they saw the
 
 90 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 tomahawk descending, that they had seen the 
 trapper alive for the last time; but he waa 
 still erect and unharmed, although the toma- 
 hawk had passed so close to his head that a 
 lock of his hair was buried with it in the 
 post. A less practiced hand than the medicine- 
 man's would have driven the weapon into 
 Dick's brain. 
 
 "Oh, don't I wish I was free, and had my 
 breech-loader in my hands!" exclaimed Archie, 
 who was so nearly beside himself with rage and 
 alarm that he could scarcely speak plainly. 
 "There would be one doctor less in this tribe. 
 I'd up-end that .old rascal so quick that he 
 would n't know what hurt him." 
 
 Frank did not say any thing, but his com- 
 pressed lips and flashing eyes spoke volumes. 
 
 This little by-play on the part of the medi- 
 cine-man caused infinite delight among the 
 Indians on the other side of the council-ground, 
 who now began to watch his movements more 
 closely than ever. And it was but a begin- 
 ning. The next time he came around he thrust 
 his knife into the post, just above the trapper's 
 Moulder, pulled out the tomahawk, and went
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 91 
 
 on. The third time he struck the tomahawk 
 into the post again, if possible a little closer to 
 the prisoner's head than before, and pulled out 
 the knife. And so he kept on, threatening 
 the trapper first with one weapon, and then 
 with the other, to the great amusement of the 
 Indians, and the intense horror and indigna- 
 tion of the boys, who, unable to endure the 
 sight, turned away their heads, and wished for 
 their rifles. During all this time Dick never 
 once flinched so much as a hair's breadth. He 
 did not appear to notice the medicine-man at 
 all; but kept his eyes fastened upon the chiefs. 
 If the Indians had never seen a brave trapper 
 before, they saw one now. 
 
 While this was going on on the outer edge 
 of the council-ground, the chiefs were busy de- 
 ciding upon the fate of the prisoner. First 
 one made a speech, and then another, and an- 
 other, until all had spoken, and half an hour 
 had been taken up with the deliberations. 
 Then a war-club was produced, and after that 
 the Indians did not pay the least attention to 
 the ruedicine-man. They were waiting to hear 
 the decision of the council. The principal
 
 92 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 chief took the war-club, and after striking it 
 upon the ground in front of him, handed it to 
 the next warrior ; and so the club went around 
 the circle, some striking the ground with it, 
 and others passing it along in silence. The 
 boys knew that a vote was being taken upon 
 some question, but what it was, or how the 
 votes counted, they had not the least idea. 
 They soon found out, however, for when the 
 war-club had come around to the principal 
 chief again, he jumped to his feet, and began 
 shouting some orders in a loud voice ; and in 
 an instant the camp was in great commotion. 
 The warriors ran about in all directions, and 
 deafening whoops and yells arose on every side. 
 Some hurried into the woods, and presently 
 returned with their arms filled with dry wood 
 and branches, which they deposited in piles at 
 intervals along the ravine, below the camp, 
 others lighted them with brands from the fire, 
 which was burning on the council-ground, and 
 in a few minutes every object in the lower end 
 of the village was as plainly visible as if it 
 had been broad daylight. This done, the war- 
 riors seized knives, tomahawks, switches clubs.
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 93 
 
 or whatever else came first to their hands, and 
 arranged themselves in two parallel lines about 
 six or eight feet apart, and extending up and 
 down the ravine. Then the boys began to 
 understand the matter. The trapper was to 
 run the gauntlet. 
 
 " Oh, why does n't he wake up and do some- 
 thing?" cried Archie, in great excitement. 
 " He told me that I would hear something 
 break pretty soon, and if he is going to escape 
 at all, he had better be about it. In a few 
 minutes it will be too late." 
 
 " Look at the club that first Indian carries 
 on his shoulder," said Frank. " One blow 
 with that would kill an iron man. If Dick 
 once gets between those lines, he will never 
 come out alive." 
 
 " And even if he does he can't get away, for 
 there are a dozen warriors standing at the 
 lower end of the ravine waiting to catch him. 
 1 wish we had stayed in California." 
 
 The boys turned to look at the trapper. Was 
 he destitute of nerves entirely, that he could 
 stand there and view all these preparations 
 so calmly ? An ordinary man would have been
 
 94 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 overcome with fear; but Dick was as indiffer- 
 ent as ever. 
 
 " It' he could mly contrive some way to 
 break that bark now, he would be all right," 
 said Frank. "Those two guards couldn't 
 stop him, and the other warriors are all at the 
 lower end of the village. That old medicine- 
 man is getting ready to begin his operations 
 again." 
 
 " He 's going to throw his hatchet at Dick," 
 gasped Archie. 
 
 The medicine-man was standing about twenty 
 feet in front of the trapper, swinging his toma- 
 hawk around his head, and yelling at the top of 
 his lungs. Even as Archie spoke, the weapon 
 left his hand, and flew through the air with the 
 speed of a bullet. Both boys turned away their 
 heads and held their breath in suspense. They 
 heard the tomahawk strike the post, and, when 
 they turned to look at the trapper again, tjiey 
 were not a little astonished at the scene pre- 
 sented to their gaze. The medicine-man was 
 rolling about on the ground in violent contor- 
 tions, like some huge reptile which had just 
 received its death-blow ; the two warriors who
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN 95 
 
 had been guarding Dick lay motionless beside 
 him; the piece of bark with which the trapper 
 had been confined hung down beside the post, 
 having been cut by the keen edge of the toma- 
 hawk ; and something, which moved so rapidly 
 that it looked like a flash of light, dodged in 
 and out among the lodges for an instant, and 
 then disappeared from view. The medicine- 
 man had thrown his tomahawk a little too 
 close to the mark that time, for the weapon 
 had cut the trapper's bonds and set him at 
 liberty. 
 
 For a few seconds the village was as silent 
 as though it had been deserted. The warriors 
 stood transfixed, holding their weapons in their 
 nands, and gazing at the empty post where 
 their captive had stood but a moment before ; 
 (hen yells of rage arose on the air, and the 
 warriors swept through the village in a body 
 in hot pursuit of the trapper. The cousins 
 could not speak. Dick's escape had been ac- 
 complished so suddenly and unexpectedly that 
 it bewildered them. They looked at one an- 
 other in silence, gazed after the yelling Indi- 
 ans, who were flying through the valley in all
 
 96 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 directions, and, when at last they recovered th 
 use of their tongues, the shouts of delight that 
 broke from them would have done credit to 
 any two savages in the band. 
 
 "Wasn't that well done?" cried Archie, 
 dancing about like one demented. "The min- 
 ute that bark was cut, he was off like a flash 
 of lightning. Would n't I give something if 
 I could run like that ? They '11 never catch 
 him, for they are all behind him, and Dick 
 says he never saw the Indian, or white man 
 either, that could overtake him, if he has two 
 feet the start. He had at least twenty yards 
 the start, this time ; so, of course, he '11 escape 
 easily enough." 
 
 "I feel better," said Frank "not only on 
 Dick's account, but also on our own ; we stand 
 a chance of being rescued now. Well, what 
 do you want?" 
 
 This question was addressed to a couple of 
 warriors who at that moment approached them. 
 The savages did not take the trouble to reply, 
 but grasped the boys by the shoulders, and 
 conducting them around the chief's wigwam, 
 beside which they had been standing all this
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 97 
 
 , raised the door and pushed them under 
 it. 
 
 "Here \ve are," said Frank, "and here we 
 are likely to remain for awhile." 
 
 " But I do n't propose to pass the night with 
 my hands bound behind me, if I can help it," 
 said Archie. "Don't you believe you can un- 
 tie them with your teeth, Frank ? You know 
 that was the way Johnny Harris untied the 
 lasso with which I was bound, on the night we 
 made our escape from Pierre and his band." 
 
 Frank proceeded at once to act upon his 
 cousin's suggestion, and, although he found 
 that a thong of buckskin was rather a difficult 
 thing to manage with his teeth, he finally suc- 
 ceeded in freeing Archie's hands. Then, after 
 the latter had liberated him, the cousins threw 
 themselves upon the buffalo robes to talk over 
 their adventures ; but they were not allowed 
 to remain long to themselves, for, while Frank 
 was describing the manner in which he had 
 effected his escape from the village, the door 
 of the lodge was raised, and Black Bill's vil- 
 lainous face appeared at the opening. 
 
 "Adam, are you thar?" he inquired. 
 7
 
 98 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "No, Adam isn't here," replied Archie, 
 "The last time I saw him, he was at the fort. 
 Winters is here, if you have any thing of im- 
 portance to say to him." 
 
 "Wai, I have. Come out here," 
 
 "What do you want with me?" 
 
 " I am goin' to take you to my lodge, where 
 I know you will be safe." 
 
 "Black Bill," said Frank, "you have cer- 
 tainly made a mistake ; this fellow is n't Adam 
 Brent." 
 
 "Who axed you fur any advice?" was the 
 gruff rejoinder. "Jest mind your own busi- 
 ness, an' speak when you 're spoke to." 
 
 The tone of the man's voice indicated that 
 he was in very bad humor, and Frank, know- 
 ing that it would not be safe to irritate him, 
 held his peace ; and so did Archie, who offered 
 no resistance when the outlaw seized him by 
 the collar and pushed him roughly out of the 
 lodge. 
 
 Frank's first care, on being left alone, wag 
 to examine into his chances for escape. That 
 was quickly done, and the conclusion he came 
 to was that it would be quite useless to attempt
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 99 
 
 any thing of the kind. He was guarded by 
 two sentries now one standing at the back 
 of the lodge, and the other at the door. He 
 could not elude them both, and, with his usual 
 happy faculty for accommodating himself to 
 circumstances, Frank decided that there was 
 no use in keeping awake all night if he was 
 a prisoner; and, stretching himself out on the 
 buffalo robes, he prepared to go to sleep. And 
 he did sleep, in spite of all the dangers and 
 excitements of the day, but not long. He 
 was awakened by a rustling in the lodge, and 
 started up in alarm when he saw a frightful- 
 looking object, which he recognized as the 
 medicine-man, crouching at his side. Frank's 
 first thought was that he had come in there to 
 torment him as he had tormented the trapper; 
 and his second, that he should not do it. He 
 waF not bound, and he would not submit to 
 any such treatment. 
 
 '" Look here, old fellow," said he, shaking 
 iiis fist at the medicine-man : " I do n't know 
 u hether or not you can understand English ; 
 but, if you can, you had better pay attention 
 to what I say : If you go to flourishing that
 
 100 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 tomahawk aiid kuife about me, I '11 break your 
 head." 
 
 "Hist!" whispered the intruder, holding up 
 his finger, warningly. 
 
 Frank was astonished. He gazed earnestly 
 at the medicine-man, who began singing his 
 low, monotonous song, at the same time fum- 
 bling with his odd-looking mask, which he soon 
 removed, revealing to Frank's view the honest 
 countenance of old Bob Kelly. Checking the 
 boy's exclamation of astonishment by an em- 
 phatic motion of his hand, the trapper, still 
 humming hirf song, proceeded to divest him- 
 self of the other articles of his disguise; and, 
 as fast as he removed them from his own per- 
 son, he put them upon Frank, who submitted 
 wonderingly to the operation. In a few min- 
 utes he was rigged out in the medicine-man's 
 dress; and, if he had only known it, he looked 
 hideous enough to frighten any body. 
 
 "Now, then," said old Bob, in a scarcely- 
 audible whisper, "be oif with you. Creep 
 under them skins, an' make yourself skeerce 
 about here, sudden. Thar aint no danger, if 
 vou '11 only think so. You 're a medicine-man
 
 THE MEDICINE-MAN. 101 
 
 now, an' you can go all over the village an* 
 into every lodge, an' nobody won't say a word 
 to you. I'll take care of myself." 
 
 The old trapper spoke these words hurried- 
 ly, and, pulling Frank off the buffalo robes, 
 stretched himself upon them. Frank would 
 have lingered to ask some instructions con- 
 cerning the manner in which he ought to con- 
 duct himself, and what he ought to do if the 
 guard allowed him to pass out of the lodge, 
 but Bob motioned him impatiently to be off. 
 Calling all his courage to his aid, he lifted 
 the skins at the back of the lodge and crawled 
 out. The guard looked down at him, and then 
 turned away his head as if he did not care to 
 see him; and Frank, throwing himself upon 
 his hands and knees, and imitating as nearly 
 as possible the actions of the medicine-man, 
 hurried off into the darkness.
 
 102 FRANK TN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " \T7ELL, this beats me completely. That 
 old medicine-man that Archie and I 
 wanted to shoot so badly was Bob Kelly ; and, 
 of course, he did not make a mistake when 
 he cut that bark with his tomahawk he did 
 it on purpose. Did n't he play his part well ? 
 The old fellow must have a steady hand to 
 sen'd those weapons so close to Dick without 
 hitting him. Where did he get this disguise, 
 I wonder ; and how is he going to escape from 
 that lodge? This night's work is a little ahead 
 jf any thing I ever heard of." 
 
 Frank was sitting on the ground in a thicket 
 of bushes on the outskirts of the village, where 
 he had concealed himself, to obtain a few min- 
 utes' rest, and to decide what he should do 
 next. He had passed through the camp in
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 103 
 
 safety, and without attracting especial attention 
 from any of the Indians. He had met several 
 warriors on his way, but his disguise was com 
 plete, and they, supposing him to be the med- 
 icine-man, stepped aside to let him pass, and 
 did not trouble themselves to take a second 
 look at him. He had been emboldened by hia 
 success thus far, and a daring project had en- 
 tered his head. It was to go back to the vil- 
 lage, and find and liberate Archie. 
 
 There were a good many dangers and diffi- 
 culties to be overcome in carrying out this 
 plan. The outlaw had said that it was his in- 
 tention to* take Archie to his lodge, where he 
 knew he would be safe; but Frank did not 
 know where that lodge was. And suppose, if 
 he succeeded in finding it, that Black Bill and 
 his companions should be there guarding their 
 prisoner ! What would they do to him if they 
 caught him prowling around ? Frank did not 
 care to enrage them, for he knew what manner 
 of men they were ; but still he was determined 
 that he would not leave his cousin to his fate 
 without making at least an attempt to save 
 him. The village was nearly deserted, except
 
 104 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 by the women and children, and he could 
 scarcely encounter more danger there ttan he 
 would in attempting to find his way to the 
 valley. The mountains were filled with In- 
 dians, who were searching for the trapper, and 
 he could not hope to avoid meeting some of 
 them. His disguise would protect him as long 
 as he remained near the village, but would n't 
 the warriors suspect something if they found 
 him making his way toward the fort? 
 
 " I '11 be in danger, no matter what I do," 
 said Frank, to himself; "and I am going to 
 try to find Archie. If he is n't liberated I 
 would just as soon be recaptured as not, for 
 I could never live without him. How would 
 I feel to go back to our hunting and fishing 
 grounds about Lawrence, and know that he 
 was kept a prisoner among these savages? I 
 won't do it. If he must stay here, I shall stay 
 with him." 
 
 So saying, Frank crawled out of the bushes, 
 and started back toward the village. Not 
 knowing how many eyes there might be watch- 
 ing him, he tried to imitate the medicine-man's 
 movements walking with his form half bent,
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and assuming a feeble, tottering step which he 
 was sure would pass in the darkness for that 
 of a very old man. He reached the village at 
 last passing the chief's wigwam on the way, 
 where the guards stood in blissful ignorance 
 of the fact that the captive they had been set 
 to watch had crawled out of his prison under 
 their very noses and began looking about foi 
 the outlaw's lodge. How should he know it 
 when he saw it? was a question he had asked 
 himself over and over again. There was 
 plainly but one way to proceed, and that was 
 to visit every wigwam in the village until he 
 found the one of which he was in search. This 
 was something that more than one old trapper 
 would have shrunk from undertaking ; but, re- 
 lying entirely upon his disguise, and remem- 
 bering what Bob had told him that he might 
 go all over the village and into every lodge 
 without being questioned Frank resolved to 
 attempt it. If he were captured it would b<* 
 nothing more than what would most likely be 
 fall him if he tried to reach the fort; and he 
 had the satisfaction of knowing that the In- 
 dians would not harm him.
 
 106 PRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The first lodge that Frank looked into was 
 empty. The door had been thrown back, and 
 by the flickering light of a fire which was 
 burning in the center of the lodge, he was able 
 to take a good survey of its interior. There 
 were the skins on which the warriors had been 
 sleeping when they were aroused by the chief's 
 "death-whoop," but no one was in sight. An 
 Indian woman came in just as he completed 
 his investigations, but did not appear to notice 
 him, and he hurried off to visit the next lodge. 
 Just as he was about to place his hand upon 
 the door, it was raised by some one on the in- 
 side, and Frank's heart fairly came up into his 
 mouth when one of the outlaws stepped out. 
 He looked savagely at the boy for a moment, 
 and then shouldered his rifle and walked away ; 
 and presently Frank saw him mounted on his 
 horse, and galloping toward the ravine. 
 
 "This is the place," said our hero, to him- 
 self. "Archie is in here; but now that I have 
 found him, how am I going to get him out? 
 That's a difficulty I did not think of before." 
 
 With a trembling hand Frank raised the 
 door and peered under it, half expecting that
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 107 
 
 Black Bill or some of his companiDns would 
 jump out and make a prisoner of him ; but 
 there was no one in the lodge no one except 
 Archie, who lay in one corner, bound hand and 
 foot. But if his body was confined, his tongue 
 was free, and his spirit as undaunted as ever. 
 
 " You here ! " he exclaimed, when he saw 
 his cousin approaching him. " Clear out ; I 've 
 seen enough of you for one night. If I could 
 use my hands for about a minute, I would pay 
 you for what you did to Dick Lewis. Keep 
 away from me." 
 
 " Silence ! " whispered Frank, as he kneeled 
 down beside his cousin, and began untying his 
 hands. " Do n't say a word." 
 
 Archie was as surprised now as Frank had 
 been when old Bob appeared to him in the 
 chief's wigwam. He recognized the voice that 
 addressed him, but he could hardly bring him- 
 self to believe that the hideous-looking object 
 bending over him was Frank Nelson. He 
 would have asked a hundred questions had not 
 tte latter interrupted him. 
 
 " \Ve Ve no time to talk," he whispered, hur- 
 riedly, as he assisted his cousin to his feet,
 
 108 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " I will explain every thing when we are out 
 of clanger. Now, then, you can never go 
 through the village in that dress." 
 
 "I am afraid I can't go through it at all/ ; 
 replied Archie. 
 
 " Yes, you can. I do n't believe there is a 
 single warrior in the camp now, except the two 
 who are guarding the chief's wigwam. They 
 are all out looking for Dick. We have little 
 to fear from the women and children, for they 
 could n't stop us if they tried. Is there any 
 clothing in here?" 
 
 " I believe there is a hunting-shirt and cap 
 in that corner." 
 
 " Well, get into them as quickly as possible, 
 and I will go out and see if the coast is clear." 
 
 Frank, knowing that a medicine-man was 
 expected to do things different from any body 
 else, did not go out at the door, but crawled 
 under the skins at the back of the lodge. It 
 was well for him that he did so ; for scarcely 
 had he left Archie, when the door was raised 
 and Black Bill came in, and was astonished to 
 see his prisoner, whom he had left securely 
 bound, standing in the middle of the lodge
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 109 
 
 arraying himself in a hunting-shirt which he 
 (the outlaw) had thrown off a little while 
 before. 
 
 "Hallo!" he exclaimed, "what's all this 
 yere? Ah ha! You were trying to escape, 
 wore you? Who turned you loose?" 
 
 Archie, seeing that his cousin's plans for lib- 
 erating him had been nipped in the bud, put 
 on a bold face, and made the best of the situ- 
 ation. He took all the blame upon himself. 
 He knew that if he told the outlaw that he 
 had had assistance, he would, of course, in- 
 vestigate the matter; and if he found Frank 
 in the vicinity of the lodge, it might arouse 
 his suspicions to such a degree that he would 
 examine his disguise; and that would be very 
 disagreeable for Frank. 
 
 " I have a way of turning myself loose 
 whenever I feel like it," replied Archie. 
 " Why did n't you stay away about five min- 
 utes longer? You can't keep me a prisoner." 
 
 " Can't ! " exclaimed the outlaw. " Wai, 
 1 '11 see about that. I knowed you were a 
 slippery customer all the Brents are an' I 
 kindoi thought it would be a good plan fur me
 
 110 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to come back here an' keep an eye on you, aa* 
 leave the others to hunt up Dick Lewis. It 
 Bcems I got here jest in time. Now, crawl oiu 
 of that huntin' shirt, an' I '11 tie you up so 
 tight that you won't get loose agin in a hurry." 
 Frank, who was lying flat on the ground at 
 the back of the lodge, listened with a heavy 
 heart to this conversation. His plans had 
 failed, and it was useless to think of attempt- 
 ing to liberate his cousin again, for the outlaw 
 had said that it was his intention to remain in 
 the lodge and watch him. There was but one 
 thing he could do now, and that was to look 
 out for himself. His first hard work must be 
 to find Dick Lewis; he would know just what 
 ought to be done. Having come to this de- 
 termination, Frank crawled slowly and cau- 
 tiously away from the lodge, and finally, rising 
 to his feet, hurried through the village; and 
 having satisfied himself that there was no one 
 observing his movements, he plunged into the 
 willows that fringed the base of the mountains. 
 It was not his intention to travel directly to- 
 ward the fort, but to attempt to reach it by 
 uorae roundabout way, and thus avoid meeting
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. HI 
 
 the Indians who were in pursuit of the trap 
 per. He had something of an undertaking be- 
 fore him now, for he was in a strange countiy, 
 and had not the least idea in which direction 
 he ought to go to find his friends. "When he 
 reached the mountains he was as effectually 
 lost as he had been on the day that he and 
 Archie killed their first antelope ; but trusting 
 every thing to luck, he made his way through 
 the thick woods as rapidly as the darkness 
 would permit, and after stumbling about among 
 logs and rocks until he was almost exhausted, 
 he removed his mask, which, on account of the 
 long bill attached to it had considerably impeded 
 his progress through the bushes, and sat down 
 to wait until daylight. 
 
 His thoughts and feelings were what any 
 other boy's would have been under the same 
 circumstances. His courage had been tested 
 more than once during the few months he had 
 passed in the Far West, and he had never yet 
 shown himself to be a coward ; on the contrary, 
 his attempt to resue Archie had proved that in 
 an emergency he could be as daring and reck- 
 less as Di^k Lewis himself. He could kep
 
 112 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 up his courage, and show a bold front while in 
 the presence of his enemies, but to be alone in 
 the mountains, with no weapon but his pocket- 
 knife with which to defend himself, and noth- 
 ing to occupy his mind, or draw his thoughts 
 from the dangers yet to be encountered this 
 it was that tried his nerves ; and his face was 
 whiter, and he was more nearly overcome with 
 fear now, than at any time during the day. 
 His situation was scarcely more encouraging 
 than when he was a prisoner. How could he 
 hope to find the valley when he did not know 
 where to look for it ; and what if he did suc- 
 ceed in reaching it, and should find the fort in 
 ashes, and the soldiers and trappers all massa- 
 cred? What would become of him ? He might 
 starve to death, or be devoured by the grizzlies 
 there in the mountains, and no one would ever 
 know what had become of him. 
 
 " But I am not starved yet," said Frank, 
 when he had reached this point in his medita- 
 tions, "and thus far I haven't seen any wild 
 animals to be afraid of. As long as I can lift 
 a finger, I shall live in hopes of getting safely 
 out of this scrape. Now, I am going to sleep.
 
 TN THE MOUNTAINS. 113 
 
 There is no knowing what is in store for me, 
 and I may have need of all my strength before 
 I see the sun set again." 
 
 Frank stretched himself upon the ground, 
 with the medicine-man's mask under his head 
 for a pillow, and soon forgot the Indians, griz- 
 zlies, and all the other perils with which he 
 was surrounded, in a sound sleep. When he 
 awoke it was broad daylight. He had had one 
 visitor during the night, and that was a large 
 gray wolf, which sat on his haunches at a little 
 distance regarding Frank intently, and which 
 took to his heels and quickly disappeared when 
 the boy raised himself on his elbow. 
 
 " I do n't think I should have slept so 
 soundly if I had known that I had such a 
 neighbor as that," thought Frank. " But after 
 all, I wish I was sure that I had nothing worse 
 than wolves to fear, although they did frighten 
 Die considerably when we had that race on the 
 ice with them last winter. Now, if I only had 
 a cup of Dick's coffee, and a venison-steak, I 
 should be ready for work ; but I do n't see 
 much chance to get any thing to eat up here." 
 picked up his mask, looked at the 
 8
 
 114 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 sun, and struck off through the woods in the 
 direction he supposed the fort to be. He had 
 not made many steps before he found himself 
 on the brink of a narrow gorge, which extended 
 up and down the mountain. Its sides were 
 thickly covered with bushes and rocks, and it 
 was so deep that the roar of the mountain-tor- 
 rent which ran through it came but faintly to 
 his ears. Was it not fortunate for him that 
 he had camped before reaching the gully? He 
 might have fallen into it in the darkness, and 
 that would have been infinitely worse than re- 
 maining a prisoner among the Indians. He 
 wondered if he could jump it, but concluded 
 that he would not make the attempt, when he 
 discovered, a short distance from him, a small 
 tree lying across the gorge. Upon examining 
 it closely, however, he found that it would 
 prove rather a perilous undertaking to cross 
 it, for the bark was slippery, the tree was more 
 than half decayed, and its top rested but lightly 
 on the opposite bank. He was not allowed 
 many minutes in which to make up his mind 
 what he would do, for while he stood looking, 
 first at the tree, aud then up and down the
 
 THE LEAP FOR LIFE. PAGE 115.
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 115 
 
 gorge, in the hope of finding some better way 
 of crossing, he was startled by a whistling 
 sound in the air, an arrow whizzed by much 
 too close to his head for comfort, and glancing 
 from a tree on the opposite bank, fell down 
 into the gorge. 
 
 Frank was so frightened that for a moment 
 he was deprived of all power of action ; and 
 before he could look around to see where the 
 missile came from, another arrow whistled by, 
 a little closer to him than the other, and then 
 came a third, which found a lodgment in the 
 mask which he carried in his hand. Then 
 Frank began to realize that it was dangerous 
 to stand there in that exposed position ; and 
 in the excitement of the moment, scarcely 
 knowing what he was about, he gathered all 
 his energies for the effort, bounded into the 
 air, alighted in safety on the other side of the 
 gorge, and in a moment more was concealed 
 behind a tree which grew on the edge of the 
 precipice. This feat called forth an exclama- 
 tion of amazement from his concealed enemy ; 
 and when Frank looked back at the gorge, 
 he was astonished himself. He never could
 
 116 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 have made a standing jump like that in hia 
 sober moments. 
 
 Scarcely had Frank disappeared behind his 
 tree, when a young Indian stepped from the 
 bushes, and stood out in full view of him. It 
 was his rival of the morning the one with 
 whom he had run the foot-race. He carried a 
 bow, and a quiver full of arrows, in his hand, 
 and stood gazing earnestly at the gorge, as 
 if mentally calculating its width ; and the 
 more he looked at it, the more astonished the 
 became. 
 
 "Ugh !" he grunted, at last. "Good boy! 
 Make good jump, make very good jump I" Then 
 looking toward the place where Frank was 
 concealed, he called out : " Hay, you ! " 
 
 The young Indian did not speak these words 
 as plainly as we have written them. He ut- 
 tered them with his teeth closed, and with a 
 grunting, guttural sound, that can not be imi- 
 tated on paper. 
 
 "What do you want?" asked the fugitive, 
 surprised to hear himself thus addressed. 
 
 " You come over, and I no shoot," replied 
 the young Indian.
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 117 
 
 " Go over there ! " exclaimed Frank, " I 
 guess rot. If you want to see me more than 
 I want to see you, you must come over here. 
 What do you want, any how?" 
 
 " We go back to chief. I no shoot." 
 
 " Well, if it 's all the same to you, I '11 wait 
 awhile before I go back to the chief. You 
 want the honor of taking me prisoner, but you 
 sha'n't have it." 
 
 "You no come?" asked the savage. 
 
 " No, I no come. I '11 stay here." 
 
 " You no come, I shoot." 
 
 " Go ahead ; but keep yourself pretty close 
 over there, or I may shoot too." 
 
 " Oh, no," laughed the Indian. " You got 
 no gun, no pistol, no knife no nothing." 
 
 If the young warrior had only known it, he 
 was mistaken in this. Frank had something, 
 which, although by no means as serviceable as 
 a rifle or revolver would have been, was still 
 effective enough in his hands to keep his enemy 
 from crossing the gorge. While this conver- 
 sation was going on, he had taken a good view 
 of his situation, and finding that he had no 
 way of retreat, he had prepared himself to
 
 118 FRANK IX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 stand a siege. The tree behind which Ke had 
 taken refuge was a very small one, not more 
 than half large enough to conceal him from the 
 view of the Indian, and stood, as we have said, 
 on the very brink of the gorge. It afforded 
 him but a poor protection, but he knew that 
 he must remain there, for there was not another 
 tree or rock, or even a thicket of bushes large 
 enough to conceal him, within twenty yards, 
 and the mountain at his back was much too 
 steep to be scaled. If he left his tree to find a 
 better place of concealment, he would present 
 a fair mark for the arrows of the Indian, who 
 handled his bow with so much skill that Frank 
 did not care to expose himself. 
 
 Frank, seeing that he was fairly cornered, 
 began making preparations for compelling his 
 enemy to remain on his own side of the gully ; 
 for he noticed that the young warrior carried 
 a knife and tomahawk in his belt, and he was 
 afraid that, if he allowed him to come to close 
 quarters, he might not be able to vanquish him 
 as easily as he had done before. At the foot 
 of the tree was a rock which had begun crum- 
 bling away; and while he was talking to the
 
 LN THE MOUNTAINS. 119 
 
 Indian, Frank had busied himself in collecting 
 the pieces that were of a size and weight con- 
 venient to throw. He had played ball so often 
 that he had become a swift and accurate 
 thrower, and he told himself that if the In- 
 dian did not mind what he was about, the 
 interview would end in a way he had not 
 dreamed of. 
 
 " He thinks he has got me fast now," 
 thought Frank ; " but I should n't wonder if 
 he found himself mistaken. If he gives me a 
 fair chance, I '11 knock him down with one 
 of these rocks, and go over there and take his 
 weapons away from him. Then I '11 make 
 him guide me to the -fort by the shortest 
 route." 
 
 " Hay, you white boy ! You no come I 
 shoot ! " exclaimed the Indian again ; and, as 
 he spoke, he fitted an arrow to his bow, and 
 pointed it at Frank. 
 
 "Shoot away!" replied the latter. 
 
 The Indian let fly the arrow, and Frank 
 threw a stone at the same instant. Both 
 made good shots. The arrow struck the tree 
 behind which our hero was concealed, ani the
 
 120 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 atone whistled through the feathers on the 
 young warrior's head-dress. He escaped by 
 an inch. 
 
 " Ugh ! " he ejaculated, in great astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 "Ugh!" echoed Frank. "Didn't I tell 
 you that you had better keep close? Look 
 out! Here comes another!" 
 
 Away flew a second stone, and the Indian 
 dived into the bushes just in time to avoid it, 
 for it went straight toward the mark. He 
 began to have some respect for the white boy, 
 who, although he was without a weapon of 
 any kind, was still brave enough to stand his 
 ground. 
 
 The contest thus commenced was kept up 
 for a quarter of an hour. The arrows whistled 
 by the tree whenever Frank showed so much 
 as an inch of his head, and were always an- 
 swered by a volley of stones, which flew like 
 bullets through the bushes where the Indian 
 was concealed, compelling him more than once 
 to change his position. Then there was quiet 
 for awhile, and the combatants stood watch- 
 Ing one another, Frank keeping a sharp IOOK.
 
 IN THE MOUNTAINS. 121 
 
 out for any tricks on the part of his antagonist, 
 and wondering what would be his next move. 
 He was not long in finding out, for presently 
 the young warrior set up a whoop which ech- 
 oed and re-echoed among the mountains, until 
 it seemed to Frank that the woods were full 
 of yelling savages. 
 
 " If he is trying to frighten me, I hope he 
 will have a good time of it," thought Frank. 
 " Perhaps he has settled himself down there 
 with the intention of starving me out. If he 
 has, he will find it up-hill business, for I can 
 go without food and water as long as he can. 
 If I only had my rifle, would n't I show him 
 something?" 
 
 The Indian waited a few minutes, and re- 
 peated the yell ; and this time, to Frank's utter 
 amazement and consternation, there was an 
 answer. It came faintly to his ears, but still 
 it was so plain and distinct that he knew he 
 could not be mistaken. Had his rival been 
 calling for assistance ? The question was 
 scarcely formed in his mind, when the savage 
 raised his head above the bushes, and coolly 
 announced :
 
 122 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " Hay, you white boy ! More Indian coining ! " 
 At that moment Frank's body, being but 
 partially protected by his tree, offered a fair 
 mark, and the young savage was prompt to 
 take advantage of it. Another arrow flew 
 across the gully, and this time it was not 
 thrown away. Frank reeled a moment, threw 
 his arms wildly about his head, and fell heavily 
 to the ground.
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 123 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 
 
 young Indian was evidently very much 
 -*- surprised at the result of his shot. He 
 stood for a moment as if petrified, looking at 
 the prostrate form across the gorge, and then 
 slowly and cautiously stepped out of the bushes 
 to take a nearer view. He shaded his eyes 
 with his hand, twisted himself into all sorts 
 of shapes, ran up and down the bank, and 
 looked at the motionless figure from a dozen 
 different positions, and having satisfied him- 
 self at last that his enemy was really dead, he 
 placed his hand to his mouth, and uttered a 
 series of hideous yells, that once more awoke 
 the echoes far and near. 
 
 His next move was to cross the gorge. He 
 could not jump it, as Frank had done, and so 
 was obliged to make use of the tree. It trem-
 
 124 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 bled and cracked beneath his weight, but he 
 crossed it in safety, and bending over the 
 young hunter, twisted his hand in his hair and 
 yelled furiously. He held this position but an 
 instant. He looked for the wound made by 
 the arrow, but could not find it. He felt some- 
 thing, however, and that was a very slight pull 
 at his belt, as four sinewy fingers were care- 
 fully inserted beneath it. With a cry of terror 
 he sprang to his feet, and Frank arose with 
 him unharmed, save a slight red mark across 
 his forehead, and as full of fight as ever. Be- 
 fore the young Indian could fully comprehend 
 the trick that had been played upon him, his 
 cries for help were stifled by a strong grasp on 
 his throat, and he was thrown flat upon hip 
 back, with his head hanging over the brink of 
 the precipice. 
 
 "Now, red skin, I'll shew you how easily 
 I can handle you," exclaimec Frank. "I was 
 only playing with you this morning, but now 
 I am in earnest. Keep perfectly still, or I '11 
 pitch you into the gully." 
 
 Frank, as we have said, was greatly alarmed 
 when he found that the Indian had been call-
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 125 
 
 ing for assistance, and that his shouts had 
 elicited a response from some of his friends, 
 lie had no fears but that he could hold his 
 ground against one Indian, armed with a bow 
 and arrow, but suppose that the reinforcements 
 who were coming up were full-grown Indians, 
 and supplied with rifles? He must escape from 
 there before they arrived ; and the only way 
 that he could discover to accomplish this, was 
 to contrive some plan to induce his antagonist 
 to cross the gorge. If he could bring him to 
 close quarters, and could get hold of him before 
 he had an opportunity to draw his knife or 
 tomahawk, he was sure that he would have 
 nothing to fear ; but he dared not leave his 
 tree while his enemy held his position on the 
 opposite side of the gully, for he would send 
 his arrows about him like hail-stones. 
 
 All these thoughts passed through Frank's 
 mind in an instant of time ; and when the 
 savage discharged his last arrow at him it 
 passed so close to him that it left a mark across 
 his forehead he staggered and fell, as if he had 
 been mortally wounded. That was his plan 
 for bringing his enemy across the gorge, and
 
 126 FKA.NK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 we have seen how it succeeded. His design 
 now was to disarm the savage, tie him to a 
 tree, and then take to his heels, and leave the 
 gully as far behind as possible, before the re- 
 inforcements arrived. 
 
 " I 'm all right yet, you see," said Frank, 
 holding his antagonist down with one hand, 
 and with the other unfastening the belt in 
 which he carried his knife and tomahawk. 
 " If you live a few years longer, you will learn 
 that an Indian never gets smart enough to 
 outwit a white man. Now " 
 
 Frank did not finish the sentence, for just 
 then he happened to look up, and saw a sight 
 that drove all thoughts of the Indian out of 
 his mind. The bank on which he and his an- 
 tagonist were lying, hung over the gorge, and 
 a portion of it, about twenty feet square, hav- 
 ing, no doubt, been loosened by their struggles, 
 was sinking down into the abyss, carrying with 
 it Frank and the Indian, and also the tree 
 which had served the latter for a breast-work. 
 Its motion Avas slow, almost imperceptible at 
 first, but it was gathering headway, and moving 
 more rapidly every instant. As quick as
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 127 
 
 thought Frank was on his feet, and gathering 
 himself for a spring; but it was too late. The 
 earth slid from beneath him, and, like a drown- 
 ing man grasping at straws, Frank clutched 
 the branches of the tree with a death-grip, and 
 plunged with it into the gorge. For an instant 
 he descended with what seemed to him light- 
 ning rapidity, and then the motion was sud- 
 denly checked so suddenly, that the branches 
 were almost torn from his grasp and he found 
 himself swinging in the air, twenty feet below 
 the top of the precipice. The tree was hang- 
 ing with its head downward, but its roots were 
 still imbedded in the firm earth above; and 
 that was all that had saved Frank from de- 
 struction. 
 
 All this passed in much less time than we 
 have taken to describe it, and it may be imag- 
 ined that Frank's mind was in a great whirl. 
 When he recovered himself sufficiently to un- 
 derstand his situation, he looked up and saw 
 the young Indian clinging to the roots of the 
 tree, and struggling to draw himself up to the 
 firm ground above. He saw more : he saw 
 that with every effort the Indian made, he was
 
 J28 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 loosening the roots of the tree, and that one by 
 one they were giving away. Forgetting, in 
 that moment of peril, that he and the young 
 warrior had been engaged in a desperate fight 
 but a moment before, Frank, still hanging at 
 arm's length from the branches of the tree, 
 with an abyss of unknown depth below him, 
 into which he was every instant expecting to 
 be plunged by the giving away of the roots 
 above, addressed words of advice and encour- 
 agement to the frightened savage. 
 
 " Take it easy, up there ! " said he, coolly. 
 " Do n't thrash about so, for you are only ex- 
 hausting yourself, without doing any good. 
 Take your time, and you are all right." 
 
 But the Indian was too nearly overcome with 
 fear, and too intent upon extricating himself 
 from his dangerous position, to heed the advice. 
 He struggled more desperately than ever, and 
 finally, to Frank's immense relief, succeeded 
 in pulling himself over the roots, and crawling 
 up to the solid bank. Then his fear all van- 
 ished. He uttered a loud yell of exultation, 
 and bent over the precipice to look at Frank, 
 who was coming up through the branches hand
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 129 
 
 over hand. He watched him for a moment, 
 and then disappeared from view; and when he 
 came back to the brink of the gorge, he carried 
 his bow in his hand, with an arrow fitted to 
 the string, which he drew to its head, and 
 pointed straight at Frank's breast. 
 
 The young hunter was now menaced by an- 
 other danger. He had escaped falling into the 
 gorge almost by a miracle, but it did not seem 
 possible that there was the least chance for es- 
 cape this time. The Indian was standing on 
 the bank above him, and Frank could almost 
 touch the steel head of the arrow with his hand. 
 He was completely at the mercy of his foe, 
 who surely could not miss so large a mark at 
 that distance. His bearing at that moment 
 would have delighted Dick Lewis, could he 
 have seen him. He hung by his hands from 
 the branches of the tree, looking defiantly up 
 into the Indian's face, and not a muscle quiv- 
 ered. The young warrior was evidently aston- 
 .ished, for he lowered his bow, gazed down at 
 his helpless antagonist for a moment, and 
 called out : 
 
 " White boy, you no afnaid!" '. ,-,. - ./ 
 9
 
 130 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Shoot close," replied Frank, his voice aa 
 firm and steady as ever. " If you miss, yon 
 are a goner." 
 
 Once more the arrow was drawn to its head, 
 and pointed at Frank's heart; but the Indian 
 did not shoot. He looked up, as if alarmed 
 by some unusual sound, and then, to Frank's 
 astonishment, dropped his bow, and took to his 
 heels. The young hunter could not imagine 
 what had caused his precipitate flight, and just 
 then he did not care. Something had be- 
 friended him by frightening the Indian away 
 most opportunely, and Frank improved the 
 respite thus unexpectedly given him, by clasp- 
 ing his legs around the body of the tree, and 
 ascending quickly to the top of the gorge. He 
 did not know what new danger he might meet 
 there, nor did he give the matter a moment's 
 thought. He would certainly have a much 
 better chance for life while standing on the 
 solid ground, where he could fight or run, as 
 circumstances might require, than he had while 
 hanging suspended in the air over the brink 
 of the gorge. 
 
 In a ffew seconds Frank was within reach of
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 131 
 
 the roots of the tree, and drawing in a long 
 breath of relief, he pulled himself over them, 
 and looked cautiously over the top of the bank. 
 Then he saw that the friend who had rescued 
 him from the arrow of the savage, was an enor- 
 mous grizzly bear, almost large and ugly enough 
 to be a second Old Davy. About fifty yards 
 down the bank of the ravine stood a scrub pine ; 
 and in its topmost brandies sat the young war- 
 rior, looking down at his shaggy foe, which 
 was walking in a circle around the tree, now 
 and then seating himself on his haunches, and 
 gazing up into it, as if trying to contrive some 
 plan to bring the Indian down to him. 
 
 " Hurra for you, grizzly," said Frank, to 
 himself. " You have rendered me a most val- 
 uable service ; and that you may never feel a 
 trapper's bullet, or an Indian's arrow, is the 
 sincere wish of, yours truly. Keep him up 
 there for an hour or two, and I'll just take his 
 weapons, and make myself scarce about here. 
 I '11 never forget this gully as long as I live." 
 
 Frank crawled noiselessly upon the bank, 
 picked up the bow, and the quiver of arrows, 
 possessed himself of the Indian's belt, which
 
 l32 FRANK IX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 contained his knife and tomahawk, and looked 
 about for some means of crossing the gorge 
 without attracting the attention of the grizzly. 
 That was a matter that he need not have trou- 
 bled himself about, for the bear's quick ear 
 had caught the sound of his footsteps, and, 
 leaving the tree, he turned to attack Frank. 
 He came on at a rapid pace, uttering hideous 
 growls, and looking savage enough to frighten 
 any body. He certainly frightened Frank, 
 who could see but one way of escape, and that 
 was to jump the gully. It was wider now 
 than it was before, but he had a chance for 
 a running start, and he accomplished the feat 
 in safety, to the no small amazement of the 
 Indian, who yelled at him with all the strength 
 of his lungs. 
 
 " I suppose you thought I was caught, did n't 
 you?" exclaimed Frank. "Well, I wasn't. 
 I am all right yet; and now I will leave you 
 in the grizzly's company." 
 
 But Frank, as it happened, was not yet done 
 with the bear. The animal stopped when he 
 eaw that the boy had eluded him, and turned 
 immediately, and ran toward the tree which
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLE, 133 
 
 lay across the gully. Things began to look 
 dark again for the young hunter. If the bear 
 were allowed to cross the gorge, he would, of 
 course, compel him to take refuge in a tree, 
 and there was no knowing how long he might 
 keep him there. He could not forget that 
 there were more Indians not a great way off, 
 and that they had heard the young warrior's 
 yells, and were hastening to his assistance. 
 The grizzly, although he had saved him from 
 the fury of his rival, might, after all, be the 
 cause of his capture. 
 
 Frank saw the necessity of prompt action. 
 His first thought was to try an arrow on the 
 bear ; but he abandoned the idea when he re- 
 flected that the bow was a weapon to which he 
 was not accustomed, and that the chances were 
 not one in ten that his arrow would reach a 
 vital part. The grizzly was already half way 
 across the gorge. The tree shook and bent be- 
 neath his weight, and Frank hoped it would 
 break ; but he could not afford to trust any 
 thing to luck. He put it out of the animal's 
 power to cross to his side of the gully, and 
 caused his destruction at the same time, by
 
 134 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 seizing the tree with both hands, and lifting it 
 from its place, and pitching it over the preci- 
 pice. It fell with a loud crash, carrying with 
 it the bear, which speedily disappeared from 
 his view among the bushes and rocks which 
 covered the sides of the gorge. 
 
 Frank, scarcely waiting to see what had be- 
 come of the grizzly, snatched up the Indian's 
 weapons, and flew down the mountain at the 
 top of his speed, fastening the belt around his 
 waist, and slinging the quiver of arrows over 
 his shoulder as he ran. His mishaps at the 
 gully had consumed a good deal of valuable 
 time, and Frank was now in momentary ex- 
 pectation of hearing the reinforcements, who 
 had been summoned by his rival, bounding 
 along his trail in pursuit. He could not hope 
 to beat full-grown Indian braves in a fair race, 
 but he could, perhaps, elude them, and this he 
 resolved to attempt. He had often heard the 
 trappers describe the plans to which they re- 
 sorted to throw pursuing Indians off their trail, 
 and the information he had gained from their 
 stories was of value to him now. He walked 
 on every log he could find, jumped from rock
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 135 
 
 to rock, doubled on his trail, and finally he 
 found himself on the banks of a little trout- 
 brook, the course of which he followed for two 
 or three miles, walking in the water all the 
 way. Of course, as he paid no attention to the 
 points of the compass, he got completely be- 
 wildered; and when he stepped out of the 
 brook, and sat down on the bank to rest, he 
 did not know whether he had been traveling 
 toward the fort or not, or whether he was dis- 
 tant from it one mile or twenty. But that was 
 a matter that did not trouble him. He was 
 satisfied that he had eluded pursuit for the 
 present, and he was also certain of another 
 thing, and that was, that he was very hungry. 
 His first care must be to obtain something to 
 eat. That was not a difficult task, for there 
 was a trout-brook at his feet, and he had a fish- 
 line, and a flint and steel in his pocket. In 
 half an hour's time a fire was burning brightly 
 on the bank, three large trout, supported on 
 sticks driven into the ground, were roasting 
 before it, and Frank lay stretched out on the 
 grass, watching the fish with a hungry eye, 
 and thinking over his adventures at the gully.
 
 136 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 He began to be lonesome, and to long for com- 
 panionship; and his wish was gratified before 
 he was many minutes older, for, when the fish 
 were done to a turn, and he was about to begin 
 his meal, he was startled by the sound of v< ices 
 and footsteps. He listened intently for a mo- 
 ment, and finding that the sounds grew louder, 
 and that the intruders, whoever they were, 
 were approaching his camp, he caught up his 
 bow and arrows, and darted into the bushes. 
 He had barely time to conceal himself before 
 Black Bill and Adam Brent emerged from a 
 thicket on the opposite side of the brook. The 
 former stopped and looked about him suspi- 
 ciously when he saw the fire,'and the fish roast- 
 ing before it, and cocked his rifle, as if in mo- 
 mentary expectation of discovering an enemy. 
 A single glance at Adam's face satisfied Frank 
 that he was a prisoner, and not a willing com- 
 panion of the outlaw. 
 
 " Somebody has been campin' thar," said 
 Black Bill ; " but I reckon he heered us, an' 
 tuk himself off. We '11 go over an' look at 
 things, an' see what's been goin' on." 
 
 The outlaw and his captive crossed the brook,
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 137 
 
 and the former, after a few minutes' examina- 
 tion of the ground about the fire, struck the 
 butt of his rifle with his fist, and opened his 
 eyes in great amazement. 
 
 " It 's the feller that run the foot-race yes- 
 terday, as sartin as I 'm alive," said he, in a 
 tone of voice which indicated that he did not 
 understand the matter at all ; " an' I 'd like to 
 know how he come here. The last time I seed 
 him he was a prisoner in the chiefs lodge, an' 
 thar were two Injuns guardin' him. See them 
 shoe-prints on the bank of the brook? Thar's 
 where he stood when he ketched them fish. 
 An' here 's the pole he used, too. He was 
 layin' on the grass beside that rock, an' when 
 he heered us comin', he run off." 
 
 "Which was a lucky thing for him," ob- 
 served Adam. 
 
 " "Wai, I do n't reckon it will do him any 
 good/' replied the outlaw ; " 'cause arter we 
 eat these yere fish of his'n, we'll hunt him up. 
 If we do n't find him, some of the Injuns will, 
 most likely ; an' even if he aint ketched at, all, 
 how much better off is he than he would be 
 with the chief? Thar aint nothing left of Fo~t
 
 138 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Stockton, an' lie can't find no friends short of 
 Fort Ben ton, an' that's a good hundred miles 
 from here." 
 
 Frank was lying in the bushes, not more 
 than twenty feet from the outlaw, and dis- 
 tinctly heard every word of the conversation. 
 The information he gained from it destroyed 
 his last hope. The savages had made the at- 
 tack upon the trading-post during the previous 
 night, and it had been successful. The sol- 
 diers and trappers were all massacred or scat- 
 tered to the four winds of heaven, and he had 
 no friends to look to for assistance within less 
 than a hundred miles. The prospect before 
 him was certainly most discouraging, but he 
 could not dwell upon it then, for he had other 
 matters to think of. He was in close proxim- 
 ity to a dangerous enemy, and how was he to 
 elude him? This question was answered by 
 the outlaw himself, whose actions suggested to 
 Frank another daring project, which he was 
 prompt to carry into execution. Black Bill 
 laid his rifle upon the ground, and kneeled 
 down beside the brook to drink. Scarcely had 
 he taken a swallow of the water, when he heard
 
 CAPTURE OF BLACK BILL BY FRANK AND ADAM BRENT 
 CHAP ix, PAGE 138.
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 139 
 
 footsteps behind him, and upon looking up saw 
 Frank standing over him with his bow in his 
 hand, and an arrow pointed straight at his 
 breast. 
 
 "Don't move hand or foot," said the young 
 hunter, so excited that he could scarcely speak. 
 "Your game is up." 
 
 Adam was no less astonished at Frank's sud- 
 den appearance than was the outlaw; but he 
 quickly recovered his presence of mind, and 
 catching up his captor's rifle, leveled it full at 
 his head. 
 
 " Surrender, Black Bill ! " he exclaimed. 
 " If you attempt to get up I '11 send a ball 
 into you." 
 
 The looks of the weapons were enough to 
 frighten the outlaw into submission. He made 
 no remark, but it was easy enough to see that 
 he was not brave enough to think seriously of 
 attempting resistance. 
 
 " Now, Adam," said Frank, " keep him cov- 
 ered with your rifle, and if he shows fight, 
 bang away. I'll soon put it out of his power 
 to do any mischief." 
 
 As Frank spoke he produced his fish-line
 
 140 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 from his pocket, and after doubling it two 01 
 three times, passed it around the outlaw's 
 wrists, and tied it securely. The latter, at 
 first, showed a disposition to be ugly, and re- 
 sisted Frank's efforts to bring his hands behind 
 his back ; but the expression he saw on the 
 faoj of Adam Brent, as he cocked the rifle, and 
 placed its cold muzzle against his temple, 
 quickly brought him to terms. Frank han- 
 dled the fish-line skilfully, and in a few min- 
 utes the outlaw was as helpless as though he 
 had been in irons. 
 
 " There ! " said Adam ; " he is all right, and 
 so am I. I feel a little more at ease than I 
 did ten minutes ago. What 's to be done 
 now ? " 
 
 " The first think is breakfast," replied Frank. 
 " Here are three trout one apiece ; and al- 
 though they are hardly enough to make a meal 
 for one hungry man, we can't catch any more, 
 for my fish-line is in use. Help yourself. I'll 
 feed Black Bill, if he wants any thing to eat. 
 By the way, is this man what he claims to be ? " 
 
 " I suppose he is my uncle," answered Adam , 
 "but he doesn't act like it, does he? He has
 
 FRANK'S FRIEND, THE GRIZZLY. 141 
 
 kept me a prisoner for ten years ; or, it amounts 
 to the same thing, for I could scarcely go out 
 of the house, unless accompanied by my father. 
 That is. the story I promised to tell you, and 
 I will relate it now while we are resting and 
 eating our breakfast. Then I will tell you 
 what happened last night at the fort." 
 
 " Black Bill, if you want me to feed you, 
 come here," said Frank. 
 
 " Chaw your own grub," was the gruff re- 
 sponse. 
 
 " All right. If you get hungry before night, 
 you will know who to blame." 
 
 The boys, leaving the outlaw sitting sullenly 
 on the bank of the brook, stretched themselves 
 on the grass near the fire, with their weapons 
 close at their side, and Adam began his story.
 
 142 PRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 
 
 "T SHALL try to tell my story," began 
 -* Adam, "just as my father told it to me, 
 years ago. It is not a long one, and even if 
 it was, I should hurry through it as rapidly 
 as possible, for it is a matter I do not like to 
 talk about. That man," he added, nodding 
 his head toward the outlaw, and speaking as 
 plainly as a mouthful of fish would permit, 
 " is a walking illustration of what bad com- 
 pany will do. He is my uncle, I am sorry to 
 eay, but, for a long time, I have never called 
 him by any other name than Black Bill. In 
 my story, however, I shall speak of him as 
 William. I can remember when he was an 
 uncle worth having. I used to run to meet 
 him whenever I saw him coming, would stand 
 at his side for hours listening to the story of
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 143 
 
 his adventures in the mines, and was never 
 easy unless I was in his company. But things 
 have changed of late. I would run away from 
 him now if I saw him coming toward me, 
 and I am much more uncomfortable in his 
 presence than I used to be out of it. 
 
 " When I was about six years old, mother 
 and I lived with my grandfather at Placer 
 City, in California. He kept a grocery and 
 provision store, and my father and his brother 
 William owned and worked a claim in the 
 mines. The claim paid well, much better 
 than any other for miles about, and father 
 was steadily growing rich by his labor. 
 William ought to have been equally pros- 
 perous, for he received half the profits ; but 
 somehow he never had a cent of money in his 
 pocket, but was continually asking assistance 
 from father, of whom he borrowed, first and 
 last, several thousand dollars, which he has 
 never taken the trouble to return. He said 
 he was buying up claims ; but when he had a 
 quarrel with a miner about a gambling debt 
 which he could not pay, the truth came out, 
 and father saw where his money had b<?Efn
 
 L44 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 going. He found out, too, that for months 
 William had been keeping company with some 
 of the very worst men in the mines 
 gamblers, horse-thieves, and criminals of every 
 sort, who had run away from the States to got 
 out of reach of the law. 
 
 " I need not stop to tell you how shocked 
 and pained all the family were when they 
 heard of this, or how they tried, by every 
 means in their power, to make William see 
 what would surely be his end if he did not 
 abandon the life he was leading. Of course, 
 be made promises of amendment, and, for a 
 tfhile, held manfully to them; but it requires 
 moral courage to resist temptation, and that 
 was something William did not possess. It 
 was not long before he was as bad as ever; 
 and when he could go no farther for want of 
 money, he came to father to borrow. Then 
 came the first quarrel between the brothers. 
 Father refused to accede to his demand, and 
 William threatened vengeance. He did not 
 Ray what he would do, but father knew what 
 he had determined upon, as well as if he had 
 tuld him in so many words.
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 145 
 
 " Father had been in the habit of depositing 
 his gold-dust in the safe at the store. William 
 knew it, and was resolved to have that gold- 
 dust If he could not borrow it, he would 
 steal it. He broke into the store that very 
 night, but found the safe empty. Father had 
 removed every dollar of the money. The 
 noise he made in breaking open the safe 
 aroused grandfather, who slept in a room over 
 the store; and not recognizing William in the 
 darkness, he gave him a shot from his re- 
 volver. The ball took effect somewhere, for 
 the next morning there was blood on the 
 floor, and William was nowhere to be found. 
 Every one wondered who the robber could be, 
 and a great many questions were asked about 
 the missing man ; for he had been a prom- 
 inent character in the mines, and his mys- 
 terious disappearance excited curiosity. But 
 it did not stop there. That curiosity became 
 suspicion ; and it was not long before it was 
 noised abroad that he was the guilty one. 
 
 "William kept clear of Placer City forever 
 afterwaid. The miners had a summary way 
 
 of de'aling with suc'h men, and. if they.cdulU 
 10
 
 146 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 have found him, the influence of all hia 
 friends and relatives combined could not have 
 saved him. It was not long after that before 
 people began to talk about Black Bill the 
 leader of a band of robbers who infested the 
 mountains between Placer City and Sac- 
 ramento ; and in less than two weeks father 
 fell into his hands. He recognized the chief, 
 if others did not, and you can imagine wnaV 
 his feelings were when he found that he was 
 his own brother. Black Bill robbed him, as 
 he robbed every one else who came in his 
 way, and released him with this warning, as 
 nearly as I can recall the words: 
 
 "'You have made me what I am/ said the 
 robber, 'and I will be revenged in a way you 
 do not think of. I shall not lift a hand 
 against you, but keep an eye on that boy of 
 yours. If I get hold of him, I will make 
 him a second Black Bill.' 
 
 " That was all the outlaw said, but it was 
 enough to frighten father more than any 
 physical danger would have done; and, as for 
 myself, I might as well have been sent to the 
 State's prison at dr -. for I could scardely have
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 147 
 
 beeii more closely confined there than I was at 
 home. Several attempts to steal me were frus- 
 trated by the vigilance of my father, who, be- 
 coming weary at last of living in constant 
 fear of losing me, sold out his claim in the 
 mines, and removing to this wild region, 
 erected the house in which we lived until last 
 night, and began business as a fur-trader. It 
 was there he made the acquaintance of Capt. 
 Porter. No sooner had we become fairly set- 
 tled in our new home, than Black Bill made 
 his appearance ; and, although he has occa- 
 sionally been off on trapping expeditions, he 
 has spent the most of his time for the last ten 
 years in hanging around the valley, watching 
 his opportunity to capture me. He never 
 succeeded, however, until last night; and, as 
 good luck would have it, he was not destined 
 to keep me long." 
 
 "O, I haint done with you yet!" exclaimed 
 the outlaw, who had listened attentively to the 
 story. "You're free now, an' I'm a pris'ner; 
 but it won't be so long. I 've got plenty of 
 friends roamin' about among these mountains." 
 . " You have found out by this time that the
 
 148 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 boy you captured last night was not Adam 
 Brent, haven't you?" said Frank. "Where 
 is he now ? " 
 
 Who that spunky little feller? The last 
 time I seed him the Black Fox was marchin* 
 him off to the woods." 
 
 "Who's the Black Fox?" 
 
 " I should think you had oughter know him 
 purty well by this time. He 's the feller you 
 run that race with. I told him that if he 
 would take good care of that boy, an' not let 
 him get away, I would make him a present 
 of that leetle gray hoss of mine." 
 
 " That little gray horse does n't belong to 
 you, as it happens," said Frank. "He's 
 mine." 
 
 " I 'd like to see you get him. One of my 
 mates, Jack Bowles, has got him safe." 
 
 " Well, if I had my other horse " 
 
 Frank was about to say that if he had Rod- 
 prick, and could catch Jack Bowles out on 
 clear ground, he would show him that he 
 had n't got Pete quite so safe as he imagined ; 
 but he stopped when he reflected that the 
 irustang was a good many miles away, and
 
 ADAM BEENT'S STORY. 149 
 
 in the hands of the savages, and that possibly 
 he might never see him again. 
 
 " I know where your other horse is," said 
 Adam. " He is in the possession of Dick 
 Lewis. You see, when the trappers learned 
 that Dick had been captured, they went up 
 and attacked the Indian camp, in the hope 
 that during the confusion he might see a 
 chance to get away. That was, probably, the 
 time that Roderick escaped. At any rate, 
 when the trappers returned to the fort, the 
 mustang came with them, and Dick took car* 
 of him." 
 
 " That 'a all right," said Frank. " I knew 
 the Indians would never catch Dick. Did you 
 see Bob Kelly ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he was alive and yelling when we 
 cut our way out of the fort." 
 
 " I have just thought of something," said 
 Frank, turning to the outlaw. " You said 
 you gave Archie into the keeping of the Black 
 Fox. I met the Fox about three miles back 
 in the mountains, and had a fight with him. 
 What was he doing so far from camp ? " 
 
 " I do n't know," replied the outlaw, look-
 
 150 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ing thoughtfully at the ground. " Mebbe the 
 leetle feller got away from him." 
 
 " That's just my idea. Archie escaped, and 
 he was in pursuit of him. If the Fox knows 
 when he is well oft', he will get help before he 
 tries to capture him, for Archie is plucky and 
 strong, if he is little. But, Adam, you were 
 going to tell me what happened at the fort." 
 
 "There isn't much to tell," was the reply. 
 " The Indians whipped us, and they were not 
 more than an hour in doing it. The trappers, 
 as I told you, left the fort and made an attack 
 on the village, for the purpose of liberating 
 Dick Lewis. Of course, they did not expect 
 to whip the Indians in a fair fight; all they 
 wanted to do was to throw the camp into 
 confusion, and give Dick a chance to do some- 
 thing for himself. But he had already es- 
 caped, and about fifteen minutes after the 
 trappers left, he came into the fort, puffing 
 and blowing like a porpoise. The trappers 
 were more successful than they expected to be. 
 Finding the village nearly deserted, they set it 
 on fire, kept up a running fight with the In- 
 dians for ten miles ; and sixteen out of nine-
 
 ADAM BRENTS STORY. 151 
 
 teen returned to the fort in safety. The In- 
 dians, in the meantime, must have received 
 reinforcements from somewhere, for they fol- 
 lowed close at the trappers' heels; and no 
 sooner had the gates been closed than the fight 
 began. 
 
 "You learned something about Indians 
 when they made the attack on your wagon- 
 train, while you were coming across the plains; 
 but you have never been in a regular battle 
 with them, and you can have but a poor idea 
 of the state of affairs in and about that fort 
 during the short time the fight continued. 
 They began operations by setting fire to our 
 house and barns. The fire lighted up the 
 whole valley; and I shall never forget how I 
 felt when I looked over the top of the pali- 
 sades and saw the savages coming toward us. 
 I had never seen so many Indians before. 
 There must have have been a thousand of 
 them ; and the determination with which 
 they made and carried on their attack, proved 
 that they had great confidence in their over- 
 helming numbers, and that they expected 
 an easy victory. They did not waste time
 
 152 FKANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 in skulking behind trees and shooting at the 
 fort they came on in a body, like soldiers, 
 approaching so close to the palisades that we 
 could touch them with the muzzles of our 
 guns as we thrust them through the loop- 
 holes. They expected, no doubt, to find the 
 fort in the same defenseless state in which 
 they had seen it in the morning with the 
 gates gone and the walls broken down ; but 
 in this they were disappointed. The major 
 had paid some attention to Captain Porter's 
 warning, and the old trading-post was as 
 strong as it had ever been. That was a for- 
 tunate thing for us, for, even as it was, it was 
 all we could do to prevent the savages from 
 affecting an entrance. They fought like tigers, 
 climbing up to the top of the wall and throw- 
 ing their tomahawks down at the soldiers, and 
 even tearing out the palisades in some places; 
 and I saw more than one Indian cut down 
 with sabers inside the fort. The assault did 
 not continue more than five or ten minutes 
 of course it seemed much longer to me and 
 then one of the chiefs set up a yell, and the 
 savages fell back to the cover of the woods to
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 153 
 
 devise some new plan of attack ; while we im- 
 proved the time to repair the damage they had 
 done. I say we, because I count myself in aa 
 one of the defenders of the fort. My bullets 
 went as swift and as straight to the mark as 
 anybody's. I had a good rifle and a brace of 
 revolvers; and, although I was excited and 
 frightened, as I believe any other boy would 
 have been under the same circumstances, 
 I was not foolish enough to waste my ammu- 
 nition, and did not shoot unless a fair mark 
 was presented. I know I hit one Indian, and 
 saved a soldier's life ; but I have n't come to 
 that yet. 
 
 " If you had been in the fort, I do n't think 
 you would have failed to take particular notice 
 of Dick Lewis and Bob Kelly. All the trap- 
 pers seemed to be in their element I do n't 
 believe there was one among them who experi- 
 enced any more fear than you and I would if 
 we were defending a snow fort against the at- 
 tacks of our schoolmates but Dick and Bob 
 were as wild as any of the Indians. Such 
 yells I never before heard uttered by white 
 men. If there was one place in the fort more
 
 154 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 dangerous than another, those two trappera 
 were sure to be there. On one occasion, 
 when the Indians had cut down a portion 
 of the palisades, and the soldiers were doing 
 some desperate hand-to-hand fighting to keep 
 them from entering through the opening, Dick 
 seized one of the savages, and, whirling him 
 clear over his head, threw him back into the 
 fort, calling out : f Ketch him, somebody ! ' 
 Three or four soldiers sprang upon him at 
 once, and before they had time to bind him, 
 Dick threw them another. When the savages 
 had been driven back, and the soldiers were 
 repairing the palisades, the major took occa- 
 sion to thank the trappers, and especially Dick 
 and Bob, for what they had done. The former 
 listened attentively to what he had to say, and 
 then drew himself up and gave the major a 
 regular military salute. 
 
 "'Fightin' comes as nateral to me as eatin'/ 
 gaid he. 'Me an' my chum, poor ole Bill 
 Lawson, fit all through the Mexikin war ; an 3 
 as fur Injuns, I 've been in a heap of skrim- 
 inages with 'em, fust an' last. But we '11 have 
 to do wusser fightin' nor that afore we are done
 
 ADAM BRENT'S STORY. 155 
 
 with 'em, major. They 're goin' to begin their 
 tricks, now.' 
 
 "The trapper had scarcely uttered these 
 ivords, when a chorus of savage yells arose on 
 all sides of us, and bullets and arrows began 
 to come into the fort like hailstones. A new 
 danger threatened us now, for some of the ar- 
 rows had bunches of burning leaves and pine- 
 knots attached to them. They came over the 
 walls in a perfect shower, some falling on the 
 stables, some on the quarters, and in less than 
 a minute the fort was on fire in a dozen differ- 
 ent places. 
 
 " ' Shovels ! ' shouted Captain Porter. ' All 
 my men turn to and throw dirt on the fire !' 
 
 " But the savages were prepared for this. A 
 number of them had climbed into the trees 
 surrounding the fort, from which they could 
 see all that was going on inside the palisades ; 
 and no sooner did the trappers fall to work in 
 obedience to the captain's order, than a storm 
 of bullets fell among them, sending more than 
 one poor fellow to eternity, 
 
 ' For the next half hour we had a serious 
 time of it ; but I believe the trappers would
 
 156 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 have succeeded in frustrating the designs of 
 the savages, had it not been for the reckless 
 bravery of a young chief, who, in some mys- 
 terious way, succeeded in entering the fort un- 
 observed. How he managed to elude the vigi- 
 lance of the soldiers, who were watching the 
 loop-holes while the trappers were engaged in 
 fighting the fire, I can not tell ; but, at any 
 rate, he got in, went into the officers' quarters, 
 and after piling a quantity of clothing in one 
 
 
 
 corner, set it on fire. I was standing at one 
 of the loop-holes, watching a chance for a shot 
 at a warrior who was concealed in the top of a 
 tree about fifty yards from the fort, when I 
 heard a yell, and, turning quickly, saw a sol- 
 dier struggling on the ground, and an Indian 
 standing over him with his tomahawk raised 
 to strike. I was not quick enough to prevent 
 the weapon from descending, but I destroyed 
 the Indian's aim by sending a ball into his 
 shoulder. The hatchet grazed the soldier's 
 head, and his enemy fell into the arms of a 
 trapper, who bound him hand and foot before 
 he could wink twice. 
 
 " If the trapper had known what the Indian
 
 ADAM BRENT S STORY. 157 
 
 had been doing. I do not think he would have 
 taken him prisoner. He believed that the sav- 
 age had just entered the fort, and that he had 
 not had time to do any mischief; but he soon 
 discovered his mistake, for when somebody 
 opened the door of the officers' quarters, a thick 
 volume of smoke rushed out. The trappers 
 were ordered to the spot immediately, but it 
 was too late. The fire had made rapid head- 
 way, and the inside of the building was a sheet 
 of flames. It quickly spread to the stables ad- 
 joining the quarters, thence to the palisades, 
 and almost before we knew it we were sur- 
 rounded by a wall of fire. 
 
 "'The jig's up at last, youngster,' said Dick, 
 as he hurried past me. ' Shovels aint no more 
 account. We've got to trust to our hosses' 
 legs now ! ' 
 
 "I don't believe I was ever before so badly 
 frightened as I was when I heard these words. 
 My situation then was bad enough, surrounded 
 as I was by burning houses, almost suffocated 
 by smoke, while bullets and flaming arrows 
 were whistling through the air, carrying death 
 nnd destruction on all sides of me ; but to leave
 
 158 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the shelter of those walls, and ride out of the 
 fort under the very noses of a thousand yelling 
 Indians, with nothing but the speed of my 
 horse to stand between nie and their fury I 
 tell you, Frank, the bare thought was enough 
 to make my old fur cap rise on my head as it 
 had never done before. While I was standing 
 inactive, the soldiers had sprung into their 
 saddles, and with drawn sabers in one hand, 
 and revolvers in the other, were awaiting the 
 order to cut their way out of the fort. Father 
 and Captain Porter had secured my horse, and 
 were looking for me. I had barely time to 
 mount before the gate flew open, the bugle 
 sounded a charge, and we swept out of the fort 
 into the midst of the savages."
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 159 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 
 
 "T HAVE been in more than one fight with 
 -*- the Indians," continued Adam, " and have 
 heard their yells more times than I can re- 
 member ; but I never heard any that equaled 
 those which rung in my ears when the savages 
 saw us coming out of the fort. At the moment 
 the gate opened they were preparing for a sec- 
 ond assault, and we must have taken them by 
 surprise, for they scattered right and left be- 
 fore us like a flock of turkeys. But they did 
 not forget the weapons they held in their 
 hands, and, as we dashed through their lines, 
 the bullets and arrows whistled about our ears 
 thicker than ever. Before we had gone fifty 
 yards from the gate, I saw riderlesa horses on 
 all sides of me. 
 
 " Our party did not kdep together long 1 .
 
 160 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Pursuit was commenced on the instant, and 
 presently Indians, soldiers, and trappers were 
 mixed up in the greatest confusion, so that I 
 could scarcely distinguish a friend from a foe. 
 Picture to yourself the scene : A desperate 
 hand-to-hand contest among mounted men 
 the horses thundering along at the top of their 
 speed, their riders too intent upon fighting to 
 know or care where they were going; sabers, 
 tomahawks, and spears flashing in the air, and 
 emitting sparks of fire as they clashed together ; 
 rifles and revolvers cracking right and left, 
 their reports sounding faintly above the noise 
 of the horses' hoofs, and the whoops and yells 
 of the combatants ; if you can imagine such 
 a scene, you can have a faint idea of the run- 
 ning fight we carried on with those savages 
 while we were going through the valley. As 
 for myself, I confess that I took but little part 
 in it, I was so badly frightened. I emptied 
 both my revolvers before we were fairly out 
 of the gate, and then clung to the horn of my 
 saddle, and gazed about me in a sort of stupid 
 bewilderment, while my horse galloped along 
 the .rest. I seemed to b'e in a Sort of
 
 . TUETfING OUT A PANTHEB. 161 
 
 trance ; and when I came to myself I found 
 that I had become separated from my father 
 and Captain Porter, and that they were no- 
 where to be seen. I was almost alone. My 
 horse, frightened by the noise and confusion, 
 had left the others, and was going toward the 
 mountains at a rate of speed I had never sup- 
 posed him capable of. I saw that he was run- 
 ning away with me, but I did not care for that. 
 If he would only take me out of reach of the 
 Indians, and carry me to the willows, where I 
 could conceal myself until daylight, he might 
 run and welcome. I did not try to stop him, 
 but somebody else did. I heard the report of 
 a rifle close behind me, my horse fell dead in 
 his tracks, and I went rolling along the ground 
 like a ball from a bat. I was badly hurt, and 
 stunned by the fall, but still I retained my 
 senses sufficiently to see that the enemy who 
 ha" unhorsed me so suddenly was an Indian, 
 ant. that he was approaching to finish the work 
 lie had begun. He came on at a gallop, hold- 
 ing in his hand a spear which was pointed 
 straight at my breast. I gave myself up for 
 
 lost; but when the spear was so close to mfe 
 11
 
 162 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. . 
 
 that I could have touched it, the Indian fell 
 forward in his saddle (he was tied fast to it, 
 so that he could not fall to the ground), the 
 spear dropped from his grasp, and his horse 
 carried him away, dead. Where the bullet 
 that saved my life came from, I could not tell. 
 It may have been a spent ball ; or some friend 
 may have seen my danger, and discharged his 
 rifle at the Indian ; but that was a matter I 
 could not stop to inquire into. I jumped to 
 my feet, and made the best of my way toward 
 the willows, but had not gone far before I 
 found that I had other enemies to contend with. 
 I heard a shout, and saw a trapper running 
 toward me. I stopped when I discovered him, 
 for I thought he was one of those belonging to 
 Captain Porter's expedition, and consequently 
 a friend ; but when he came within reach of 
 me I found out my mistake. He seized me 
 by the collar, and greeted me with : 
 
 " ' Who are you, boy ? What J s your name ? ' 
 " ' I am Adam Brent,' I replied, astonished 
 at his tone and manner. 
 
 " ' Then you 're jest the chap I 've been a 
 lookin' fur,' said he; and before I crJuld tell
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. *63 
 
 what he was going to do, he caught me up in 
 his arras as if I had been a child, and plunged 
 into the willows. I did not struggle nor shout 
 for help, nor do I believe I even trembled when, 
 after carrying me perhaps half a mile into the 
 woods, he put me down on a log, and, seating 
 himself beside me, coolly announced that he 
 was Black Bill, and that, having got hold of 
 me at last, it was his determination to hold 
 fast to me. 
 
 " ' I 've been many a long year tryin' to get 
 you,' said he, with savage satisfaction, 'an' 
 now I'm goin' to make a second Black Bill 
 of you. I made that promise to your father 
 more'n twelve year ago, an' I haint forgot it. 
 When I see you as I have been hunted 
 through the mountains like a wild beast, an' 
 shot at by every white feller who crosses your 
 trail, then I '11 be satisfied.' 
 
 " I had lived in fear of this man from my 
 earliest boyhood, and had more than once tried 
 to imagine the terror I should experience if I 
 should ever be so unfortunate as to fall into 
 his power ; but now that I was his prisoner, 
 I was not at all afraid of him. if ycur cousin,
 
 164 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 whom he captured last night by mistake, had 
 been safe among friends, I should have felt no 
 uneasiness ; but, perhaps, after all, it was a 
 good thing for Archie that Black Bill carried 
 him to the Indian camp, for if he had been at 
 the fort during the fight, he might not have 
 been as fortunate as I was. A good many of 
 our people were cut down, and I do n't sup- 
 pose that more than a dozen escaped. 
 
 " After thinking over my situation, I made 
 up my mind that fate had destined me to a 
 long captivity among the Indians, in compan) 
 with this outlaw, and that I would endure it 
 with what fortitude I could. Sometimes, when 
 I thought of the scenes I had witnessed during 
 that hand-to-hand fight, and reflected upon my 
 father's chances for escape, I did not care what 
 became of me. Black Bill said I would never 
 see him again, and I believed him ; and told 
 myself that, if I must live without my father, 
 1 might as well be among savages as anywhere 
 else. But I think differently, now that you 
 have rescued me. I hope to be a man some 
 day, and when that time comes, such fellows 
 as Bla<k Bill and his mates, wh) are con-
 
 TURNING OLT A PANTHER. 165 
 
 fitantly spreading dissatisfaction among the In- 
 dians, and urgihg them on to the war-trail, 
 will have good cause to remember me. To 
 whom are you making signals?" continued 
 Adam, suddenly raising himself on his elbow, 
 and looking earnestly at the outlaw. 
 
 Frank had been so intent upon his break- 
 fast, and so deeply interested in his friend's 
 story, that he had not thought of keeping a 
 lookout for enemies; consequently he did not 
 see the figure clad in buckskin, which crept 
 stealthily through the trees on the opposite side 
 of the brook, and took up a position behind a 
 huge bowlder, from which a good view of the 
 camp could be obtained. But the figure was 
 there, and it was that of an outlaw one of 
 Black Bill's mates. His eyes, which swept 
 rapidly over the camp, were open to their 
 widest extent, and on his face, as he raised it 
 cautiously above the bowlder, was an expression 
 of great astonishment. Black Bill saw him, 
 if the boys did not; and, by turning partly 
 around and showing his confined hands, and by 
 nodding his head, and winking his eyes, and 
 making other mysterious signs, he must have
 
 166 IHANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 succeeded in making the spy understand the 
 situation, for he disappeared behind the bowl- 
 der, and stole back into the woods. 
 
 "You were making signals to somebody," 
 exclaimed Adam, catching up the outlaw's *:fle, 
 and casting suspicious glances through tlie 
 trees around him. 
 
 " Makin' signals to the air, then," replied 
 Black Bill, sullenly. " Thar aint nobody with- 
 in miles of here that I knows on." 
 
 But Adam had lived too long on the fron- 
 tier, and knew too much about the outlaw to 
 be easily deceived. He had distinctly seen the 
 prisoner nodding his head, and with the quick 
 instinct of one who had passed his life sur- 
 rounded with foes of every sort, he scented 
 danger. Frank might have been satisfied with 
 Black Bill's reply, and the innocent, surprised 
 expression on his face, but Adam was not. He 
 jumped to his feet, and running across the 
 brook, looked up at the top of the cliffs under 
 which they had been sitting. As he did so, 
 he passed behind the bowlder where the spy 
 had been concealed but a moment before, and 
 there he stopped, and leaning carelessly upon
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 167 
 
 the rock, said, in a whisper to Frank, who had 
 fallowed close at his heels: 
 
 " Do n't exhibit any surprise, but look down 
 at those leaves. Somebody has been here." 
 
 Frank looked, but could see nothing suspi- 
 cious. Adam's trained eye, as keen as an In- 
 dian's, had, at a single glance, discovered signs 
 of an enemy that Frank could not have found 
 after an hour's careful search. 
 
 " I may have passed behind this rock when 
 I first came to the brook," said he. 
 
 " If you did you never left those tracks," 
 said Adam. " They were made by moccasins; 
 and you've got shoes on. They were made by 
 a white man, too, for the toes point out. 1C it 
 had been an Indian, the toes would point in. 
 A friend of Black Bill's was here not irore 
 than two minutes ago ; and the sooner we get 
 away from here the better it will be for us. 
 What shall we do with our prisoner?" 
 
 "Let's take him with us, and compel Vim 
 to show us the way to Fort Benton," replied 
 Frank, astonished at his friend's skill in wood- 
 craft, and at the coolness and deliberation Wr*,U 
 which he spoke.
 
 168 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "That would never do," said Adam, quickly. 
 "His friends will be after us in less than fiv? 
 minutes, and he would shout to guide them in 
 the pursuit. Besides, we are completely lost, 
 and how could we tell whether or not hu waa 
 guiding us to the fort ? He would take us as 
 straight to the Indian camp as he could go." 
 
 " Well, if we leave him here he will call for 
 help the minute we are out of sight." 
 
 "Perhaps he will not be able to call for hel/ 
 by the time we are done with him. I '11 tell 
 you what we will do," continued Adam, glanc 
 ing toward the outlaw, who still sat on the 
 ground, closely watching all their movements, 
 " do you get behind him, throw your arm 
 around his neck, and choke him with all youi 
 power ; and I '11 cram my handkerchief into 
 his mouth. Then catch him by the shoulders, 
 and drag him to that sapling and tie him there; 
 and while you are doing that, I will secure his 
 knife and tomahawk, and also his powder-horn 
 and bullet-pouch. After that we '11 take to our 
 heels, and do some of the best running we evei 
 did in our lives. There's not a single instant 
 to be lost. Do n't flinch, now."
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 169 
 
 Adam knew that Frank was a renarkably 
 swift runner, an excellent wrestler, .and a 
 splendid shot with the rifle; but he had never 
 seen him in a situation like this, and he iid 
 not know how cool and determined he could 
 be. If he had, he would not have talked to 
 him about " flinching." 
 
 " Wai," exclaimed the outlaw, as the boys 
 sprang across the brook, " seen any thing wuth 
 lookin' at ? Did n't diskiver none of my mates 
 hangin' around in the bushes, did you?" 
 
 " We saw all we wanted to see," replied 
 Adam. " We saw foot-prints behind that 
 bowlder, and we know who made them. That's 
 the way to do it ! Choke him till he opens 
 his mouth." 
 
 While Adam was occupying the outlaw's at- 
 tention, Frank had stepped behind him, and 
 thrown his arm around his neck. He struggled 
 and tried to shout for help ; but the strong 
 gra.sp on his throat rendered him powerless, 
 and effectually stifled his cries. His under jaw 
 dropped down, and the handkerchief which 
 Adam held ready in his hand, was forced intc 
 his mouth. A moment afterward Black Bill
 
 170 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 was lying flat on his back, held down by 
 Frank's handkerchief, which was passed around 
 his neck and tied to the sapling of which Adam 
 had spoken, and the boys, having possessed 
 themselves of their weapons, and the outlaw's 
 ammunition, were scrambling up the cliff like 
 a couple of goats. They looked back now and 
 then to satisfy themselves that their prisoner 
 was still secure, and both told themselves that 
 if they should be so unfortunate as to again 
 fall into his power, their treatment would be 
 very different from that which they had al- 
 ready received at his hands. Black Bill seemed 
 almost beside himself with rage. He glared 
 up at them like a madman, and made the most 
 desperate attempts to free himself from his 
 bonds; but the boys, although they had done 
 their work quickly, had done it well, and as 
 long as they remained in sight of the outlaw, 
 he had accomplished nothing toward liberating 
 himself. 
 
 Ariiving at the top of the cliff, Adam shoul- 
 dered his rifle, and sprang forward at the top 
 of his speed, closely followed by Frank, who 
 stepped as nearly as possible in his tracks.
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 171 
 
 For nearly half an hour they flew along with- 
 out speaking, turning their heads occasionally 
 to listen for sounds of pursuit, making use of 
 all their skill to render their trail as indistinct 
 as possible, and finally they slackened their 
 pace to a rapid walk, which they kept up for 
 two hours longer without once stopping to rest. 
 At the end of that time, Frank, being satisfied 
 that they were out of danger for the present, 
 proposed "half an hour for refreshments." The 
 half hour was really not more than ten min- 
 utes, for the boys were so much afraid of the 
 enemies who they knew were following them, 
 that _they regarded every instant spent in need- 
 ful repose as so much time wasted. Their re- 
 freshments consisted of just nothing at all not 
 even a drop of water to cool their lips. They 
 could not stop to cook a dinner, even if they 
 had had any thing to cook ; and after a very short 
 rest, during which they talked over their situa- 
 tion, and tried to determine upon their plans 
 for the future, they sprang up, and resumed 
 their flight, Adam, as before, leading the way. 
 The ovtlaw had told his nephew that Fort 
 Beiiton, which was the nearest trading-post,
 
 172 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and the place to which all the trappers and 
 soldiers who escaped the massacre would be 
 likely to direct their course, was a hundred 
 miles distant ; and the boys had decided, after 
 much debate, that it lay nearly due east of 
 Fort Stockton. A hundred miles from the 
 nearest place of refuge, in the heart of an un- 
 broken wilderness, every step of the way they 
 must travel beset with dangers, and their path 
 waylaid by crafty foes who might spring out 
 on them without an instant's warning ! Twen- 
 ty miles of mountains and ravines to be passed 
 over, and eighty miles more of prairie, where 
 there was not even a thicket of bushes to afford 
 them concealment from their enemies, to be 
 traversed on foot! Would they ever succeed 
 in reaching the fort? 
 
 " It looks like a slim chance, does n't it? '' said 
 Adam, who easily read the thoughts that were 
 passing through Frank's mind. "But father 
 used to tell me that a fellow never knows how 
 much he can accomplish until he tries. We 
 will do the best we can, and if we fail we shall 
 have the satisfaction of knowing that it isn't 
 our fault."
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 173 
 
 Frank's endurance was severely tested that 
 day. He found that traveling through the 
 mountains on foot was something besides a 
 holiday pastime, especially with such a guide 
 as Adam, who moved along without any ap- 
 parent effort, threading his way through the 
 thick, tangled bushes with a celerity that was 
 surprising. The afternoon wore slowly away, 
 and just as the sun was sinking out of sight 
 behind the mountains, the boys, weary and 
 footsore, halted in the edge of the willows, and 
 looked out over the prairie which stretched 
 away before them as far as their eyes could 
 reach. Adam stood for a long time with his 
 chin resting on the muzzle of his rifle, and his 
 gaze fixed upon the horizon, thinking of his 
 father and Captain Porter, and wondering if 
 he should meet them if he succeeded in reach- 
 ing the fort; while Frank, after satisfying 
 himself that there were no Indians in sight, 
 became interested in objects in his immediate 
 vicinity. He thought the place looked famil- 
 iar. There was a wide, shallow creek flowing 
 through the ravine in which they were standing, 
 and on its left bank arose a rocky cliff, which
 
 174 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 hung over the bed of the stream. Under the 
 branches of a spreading oak which grew near 
 the foot of the cliff, were the remains of a camp- 
 fire; and a little farther on was a sapling which 
 had been stripped of its bark. Frank remem- 
 bered that sapling. It was the one to which 
 Roderick had been tied when the trappers first 
 brought him into camp. The horse was wild 
 and vicious then, and after trying in vain to 
 break the lasso with which he was confined, 
 he had attacked the tree with his teeth, and 
 peeled off the bark as neatly as it could have 
 been done with a knife. 
 
 " \Ve have accomplished the hardest part of 
 our journey," said Adam, his gaze still wander- 
 ing over the prairie in the direction he sup- 
 posed the trading-post to be, " and now comes 
 the dangerous part. If what father said about 
 a general rising of the Indians was correct, the 
 savages are scattered all over the plains between 
 hers and the fort; and if we get through, it 
 wiL be more by good luck than good manage- 
 ment. Do you see any thing?" 
 
 "Yes, I do," said Frank; "I see plenty of 
 old friends. I know every stick of timber about
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 175 
 
 here, for I passed three of the pleasantest weeks 
 of my life in this very ravine. You have heard 
 Dick and Bob speak of the Old Bear's Hole, 
 haven't you? Come with me, and I will show 
 it to you." 
 
 Frank crossed the creek and began pulling 
 aside the bushes at the base of the cliff, search- 
 ing for the entrance to the cave. Dick had 
 told him that more than one sharp-eyed Coman- 
 che had looked for it in vain, and for a long 
 time Frank thought he should meet with no 
 better success; but at last he discovered the 
 entrance by stepping into it accidentally. The 
 mouth of the passage was filled with leaves, 
 which had effectually concealed it from his 
 view. 
 
 "The cave must be a mile or two below, 
 isn't it?" asked Adam, gazing dubiously at the 
 dark opening. 
 
 "No; it is above ground altogether, and is 
 inside this rock," replied Frank, pointing to 
 the cliff. "But the question is, Shall we use 
 it, now that we have found it? Do you sup- 
 pose that Black Bill and his friends are in 
 pursuit of us ? "
 
 176 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " Of course they are. They won't give us up 
 so easily." 
 
 "But we have taken a great deal of pains to 
 conceal our trail, and they may not be able to 
 follow it." 
 
 " Do n't you believe it," replied Adam, 7?ith 
 a laugh. " Those men's eyes are as sharp as a 
 hound's nose. If they can track an Indian when 
 he is doing his best to cover up his trail, they 
 can surely follow us. We are not done with 
 them yet." 
 
 " Then I propose that we sleep in the Old 
 Bear's Hole. I can't travel any farther to- 
 night, and I should feel much safer in the cave 
 than I should if we camped in the open air. 
 We can't get along without some supper, and 
 we must have a fire to cook it; and that might 
 attract the attention of the outlaws if they 
 should happen to be in the neighborhood." 
 
 The matter was settled without any further 
 debate, and the boys began to busy themselves 
 in collecting a supply of pine-knots to serve as 
 torches. This done, Adam lighted one of them 
 with his flint and steel, and handed it to Frank, 
 who backed down into the opening; but, to
 
 TUENING OUT A PAXTHER. 177 
 
 his friend's surprise, he came out of it again 
 much more quickly than he had gone in. 
 
 " I have just thought of something," said he, 
 in reply to Adam's inquiring look. "The first 
 night we camped here, while we were on our 
 way to California, Dick Lewis went into the 
 cave and found that a grizzly bear had taken 
 possession of it. He had a terrible fight with 
 the animal, and was so badly clawed up that his 
 most intimate friend would not have recognized 
 him. There may be a bear in there now for all 
 we know." 
 
 " That's so," said Adam. "Must we give 
 up the idea of sleeping in the cave?" 
 
 " Not yet. Dick and Bob, who spent many 
 a day here hiding from the Indians, were old 
 foxes, and had two holes to their burrow. 
 Come with me, and I will show you the other." 
 
 Frank led the way to the top of the cliff, 
 and, after a short search, discovered the en- 
 trance to the upper passage-way. He was not 
 greatly encouraged when he found it, for he saw 
 that a path, hard and well beaten as any road, 
 led from it down the side of the cliff. Then 
 be blessed his lucky stars that he had not gone 
 12
 
 178 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 into the cave. It had an occupant, the char- 
 acter of which was proved by the bones that 
 lay scattered about on both sides of the path. 
 It was some ravenous beast of prey, which 
 probably would not feel disposed to abandon his 
 Buug quarters without a fight. Adam kneeled 
 down beside the passage-way, and, after a single 
 glance into the. cave, sprang up and threw his 
 rifle forward in readiness to shoot. Frank 
 looked in and saw a pair of eyes, which shone 
 like coals of fire, glaring at him through the 
 darkness. 
 
 " It is n't a grizzly," said Adam, " but some- 
 thing almost as bad. It 's a panther. He 
 must come out of there, too," he added, pull- 
 ing off his hat and digging his fingers into his 
 head to stir up his ideas. "That cave is the 
 only safe place we can find, and we must have 
 it, whether he is willing or not." 
 
 "Hand me your rifle," said Frank; "I'll 
 fix him." 
 
 " Not for the world," replied Adam, quiokl) . 
 "You must remember that we have enemies 
 not a great way off, and that it stands us well 
 in hand to be quiet about what we do. Be-
 
 TURNING OUT A PANTHER. 179 
 
 sides, there may be a whole family of panthers 
 iii there, and if you should wound one of them, 
 we'd have a fight on our hands directly. I know 
 how to manage him. Take this rifle and climb 
 up into that tree, and when he comes out tell 
 me." 
 
 Frank did as his companion requested. He 
 mounted into the topmost branches of the tree, 
 and, after settling himself into a comfortable 
 position, from which he could watch the mouth 
 of the passage-way, he turned to observe Adam's 
 movements. He saw him, with a long stick in 
 his hand, kneeling before the opening at the 
 foot of the cliff, engaged in pushing a quantity 
 of dried leaves and pine-knots into the passage- 
 way. Then his plan was clear enough to Frank : 
 he was going to smoke the panther out. 
 
 Adam worked steadily for half an hour, and 
 then Frank, seeing him take his flint and steel 
 from his pocket, turned his attention to the 
 passage-way at the top of the hill. There was 
 draught sufficient to make the fire burn well, and 
 presently Frank heard a great roaring and 
 crackling in the cave, and a thin wreath of 
 smoke came curling out. With the smoke came
 
 180 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the panther, which was evidently very much 
 alarmed by this unexpected assault upon his 
 home, for he flew down the path like a flash of 
 light, and speedily disappeared in the bushes. 
 Adam's plan had worked to perfection. The 
 Old Bear's Hole had been cleared of its dan- 
 gerous occupant, and the boys were at liberty 
 to take possession of it.
 
 FRANK IN SEAECH OF HIS SUPPEB. 18J 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS StiPPER. 
 
 "TIE'S out!" shouted Frank, scrambling 
 down out of his tree. 
 
 " I thought I could manage him," said 
 Adam. "Don't you think my plan was the 
 best? But I say, Frank," he added, as he 
 joined our hero at the top of the hill, "we 
 must fire the rifle once, at least, for we want 
 some supper." 
 
 " If we could use a bow and arrow as well a? 
 the Black Fox, we would not need the rifle. 
 Now, one of us had better stay here, and build 
 a fire in the cave, and gather a supply of wood 
 for the night, while the other goes out and 
 knocks over a big-horn. The mountains about 
 here are full of them." 
 
 "Well, seeing that you are the best shot, 
 perhaps you had better go to market. By the
 
 182 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 time you get back, I will have every Ihing 
 ready. You are not afraid to go?" 
 
 No, Frank was not afraid, but still he <Ld not 
 like the idea of wandering off alone among those 
 mountains. He would have felt much more at 
 his ease if the big-horn had already been killed, 
 and was ready for the spit. Besides the dan- 
 ger of getting lost, there were the outlaws, who 
 might hear the report of his rifle, and pounce 
 down upon him before he could secure his game 
 and make good his retreat to the cave. He and 
 his companion might have gone without their 
 suppers for that night without serious incon- 
 venience, but they were still eighty miles from 
 Fort Benton, and, while they were traveling 
 across the prairie, they might not find any thing 
 to shoot, for the Indians had doubtless fright- 
 ened away all the game. If Frank succeeded 
 in killing a big-horn, it was their intention to 
 cook it all, and carry with them a supply of 
 the meat sufficient to last them until they 
 reached the fort. 
 
 Adam began looking about for dry wood 
 with which to start the fire in the cave, and 
 Frank shouldered his rifle and started down the
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 183 
 
 cliff. He followed the same course which he, 
 and Archie, and the trapper had pursued on a 
 former occasion, when they went out to hunt 
 big-horns, and presently found himself in the 
 ravine in which his cousin had met with his 
 first adventure with a grizzly. Dick had once 
 told him that if the trees in that ravine could 
 speak, they could relate many a thrilling story 
 about him and Bill Lawson; and Frank thought 
 that, if they could find tongues now, they might 
 have something to say concerning himself that 
 would prove interesting. 
 
 The deer-path which Frank was following 
 ran through the ravine for about half a mile, 
 and then led down the side of a precipitous 
 cliff, and terminated on a rocky ledge, perhaps 
 twenty-five feet square, in the center of which 
 was a spring of water. When Frank reached 
 the edge of this cliff, he looked over it very 
 cautiously, and was gratified to see, about a 
 hundred feet below him, a noble elk, with wide- 
 spreading antlers, drinking* from the spring. 
 
 ' Our supper is all right," soliloquized the 
 young hunter, after he had taken a good sur- 
 vey of the ledge, and calculated the animal's
 
 184 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 chances for escape in case he failed to disable 
 him at the first shot. " That ledge juts out into 
 a gorg which is much too wide for any deer 
 to jump. If he tries it, I am sure of him, for 
 he wiJ fall on the rocks and be killed. He 
 can't scale the cliff, unless he comes up the 
 path ; and, if he tries that, I '11 be here to stop 
 him." 
 
 Frank did not usually spend as many min- 
 utes in getting ready for a shot as he did on 
 this particular evening. On ordinary occasions, 
 his rifle was at his shoulder the instant the 
 game appeared in sight; and one quick glance 
 along the barrel made him sure of his aim. 
 But this was not an ordinary occasion. He was 
 working for his supper now, there were enemies 
 all around him, and it was rapidly growing 
 dark. He must kill the elk at the first shot, 
 secure a portion of it (the animal was so large 
 and heavy he knew he could not carry it all), 
 and make his way back to the Old Bear's Hole 
 without the loss of a single minute. He raised 
 his rifle and took a long and deliberate aim at 
 the buck, and just then the animal bounded 
 across the spring and came leisurely up the
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OP HIS SUPPER. 185 
 
 path. For a single second his breast presented 
 a fair mark; but that second was long enough 
 for Frank. The rifle cracked sharply, and the 
 elk, turning in his tracks, made one tremen- 
 dous bound, and, leaping clear across the ledge, 
 disappeared among the trees which lined the 
 sides of the gorge. Frank's supper was not all 
 right, after all. 
 
 "Now just look at that ! " he exclaimed, in a 
 tone of great disappointment. " When one is 
 in a hurry, something always happens to trouble 
 him. The deer is dead enough, but what good 
 will he do me as long as he lies at the bottom 
 of the gully ? " 
 
 As Frank said this, he jumped to his feet, 
 and, running down the path, looked over the 
 ledge. The bushes were so thick that he could 
 not see the bottom of the gorge; but there 
 were drops of blood on the leaves, and Frank 
 knew that the fall had proved fatal to the buck, 
 even if the shot had not. What plan (y>uld he 
 contrive to descend into the ravine \*as the 
 question that troubled him now ; and H was 
 one that was asked and answered almost in the 
 same breath. He chanced to look toward the
 
 186 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 top of the cliff, and was frightened nearly out 
 of his senses when he discovered two Indians 
 advancing toward him with stealthy footsteps. 
 He was now in the same situation in which the 
 elk had been but a moment before, with this 
 slight difference : He was conscious of the pres- 
 ence of his enemies, while the first intimation 
 of danger the buck had was, receiving the ball 
 in his breast. There was no place of conceal- 
 ment on the ledge, and he had his choice be- 
 tween two courses of action : One was to ascend 
 the path in the face of the Indians, and the other 
 to jump over into the ravine. He was not long 
 in coming to a decision. He took a single 
 glance at the Indians, and, seeing that one of 
 them was in the act of raising his gun to take 
 aim at him, he tightened his grasp on his rifle, 
 which he held in his left hand, and seizing with 
 his right the bushes that grew on the edge of 
 the precipice, he fearlessly threw himself into 
 the gorge, while the bullet that was intended 
 for him sped harmlessly through the empty air. 
 The Indian was just a moment too late. 
 
 Both savages uttered loud yells of astonish- 
 ment as they witnessed this act of desperation,
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 187 
 
 and, bounding swiftly down the path, they 
 leaned over the rocks to see what had become 
 of the reckless young hunter. The bushes, by 
 the aid of which he had swung himself over 
 the precipice, sprang back to their place, but 
 Frank was nowhere to be seen. The Indians 
 thought, no doubt, that he had paid for his 
 temerity with his life, and that he was lying 
 mangled and bleeding at the bottom of the 
 gorge ; but could they have looked under the 
 overhanging rock on which they were kneeling, 
 they would have seen him standing erect and 
 unharmed about ten feet below them, w T ith his 
 rifle clubbed, ready to strike the first of his 
 foes who came in sight. His attempt at escape 
 was not so reckless as the Indians imagined it 
 to be. While standing on the ledge, he noticed 
 that the branches of a tree, which grew at the 
 bottom of the ravine, extended almost to the 
 top of the precipice, and he thought he could 
 jump into them with perfect safety. Still he 
 hesitated to try it, until he discovered the In- 
 dians, and then he found that he had no al- 
 ternative. To assist him in his descent, and to 
 render the attempt less hazardous, he made use
 
 188 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 of the bushes, which, contrary to his calcula- 
 tions, swung with him far below the top of the 
 tree, and out of reach of it. This proved, how- 
 ever, to be a point in his favor; for, to his 
 great surprise and delight, he landed on a broad, 
 flat rock, which was effectually concealed from 
 the view of the Indians by the overhanging 
 cliff. It seemed as if this way of escape had 
 been prepared expressly for him. If he had 
 built the cliff himself lie could not have devised 
 a better hiding-place. His enemies, even if 
 they discovered him, could not climb up to him 
 from the bottom of the cliff, for it was so steep 
 that a mountain-goat could scarcely have found 
 footing thereon; and if they descended to him 
 from above, he would shoot the first one who 
 came in sight. 
 
 " I am all right yet," thought the young 
 hunter, drawing a long breath of relief, and feel- 
 ing for his powder-horn. " There is only one 
 way in which the Indians can get the better of 
 me, and that is by starving me out. Adam 
 must go without his supper to-night, for I have 
 business on my hands that will " 
 
 Frank paused in his soliloquy, and his face
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 189 
 
 once more grew pale with terror. He could 
 find no ammunition for his rifle. When Adam 
 removed the powder-horn and bullet -pouch 
 from the person of the outlaw, he had thrown 
 them over his own shoulders, and there they 
 flrere now. Frank had left his companion 
 without thinking to ask for them. He was in 
 something of a predicament, standing, as he was, 
 almost within reach of two hostile Indians, and 
 without even a charge of powder or a bullet 
 for his rifle. A movement at the top of the 
 cliif drew his thoughts from himself to his 
 enemies. They leaned over the precipice and 
 conversed earnestly for a few minutes, and then 
 one of them sprang into the air and landed in 
 the branches of the tree. Fortunately his back 
 was turned toward Frank, and this gave the 
 latter an opportunity to conceal himself, which 
 he quickly did. The savage, little dreaming 
 that the object of his search was so near to 
 him, descended the tree and disappeared among 
 the bushes which lined the sides of the gorge. 
 
 While Frank was waiting to see what the 
 other Indian was going to do, he was sure that 
 he heard the sound of a desperate struggle at
 
 190 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the bottom of the ravine. It continued but a 
 moment, and then all was still again. He 
 might have been mistaken in this, but still lie 
 was certain that something had happened do^ n 
 there, and so was the Indian, who, after wait- 
 ing nearly ten minutes for the report of his 
 companion, uttered some words in the Indian 
 tongue. An answer came from below, and the 
 savage sprang into the tree and quickly de- 
 scended to the bottom of the gorge. Frank 
 thought he had gone down to assist in cutting 
 up the buck; but if that was his intention, he 
 did not carry it out. His companion had been 
 tomahawked the moment he reached the foot 
 of the tree, and a like fate was in store for him. 
 Two trappers, one of them in the disguise of 
 an Indian, were concealed among the bushes in 
 the ravine, awaiting his appearance. The wary 
 savage, always on the lookout for danger, dis- 
 covered his foes, but just a moment too late. 
 The report of a rifle rang through the mount- 
 ains, and the Indian, falling headlong to the 
 ground, was instantly pounced up by the trap- 
 pers, and dispatched as if he had been a rabid 
 wolfe. Frank's ears told him what had been
 
 FKANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 191 
 
 going on, and his heart beat high with hope. 
 Friends were near, and he was certain that he 
 knew who they were. Without stopping to 
 consider that there might be more Indians in 
 the vicinity, who would be attracted by the 
 sound of his voice, he called out: "Dick 
 Lewis ! " 
 
 There was silence for a moment, and then 
 came the reply : " Show yourself, you keerless 
 feller!" 
 
 Frank, too overjoyed to speak again, was on 
 his feet in an instant, and preparing to descend 
 into the ravine. There was but one way to 
 accomplish this, and that was to spring into 
 the tree. It was a long jump from where he 
 stood, and, if he failed to catch one of the limbs, 
 or if it proved too weak to sustain his weight, 
 he would fall forty or fifty feet. But Frank 
 did not stop to think of this. Grasping his 
 rifle tightly in one hand, he sprang into the air, 
 and by the aid of a friendly branch, swung 
 down to the body of the tree in safety. In ;\ 
 moment more he was standing between Dick 
 and Bob, who were wringing his hands with an 
 energy that brought the tears to his eyes.
 
 192 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 But little time was wasted in explanations. 
 Frank told the trappers that he had left Adam 
 at t'ae Old Bear's Hole, and that he had come 
 out in search of his supper; and Dick told 
 him that he and Bob were traveling through 
 the ravine, on their way to the cave, when they 
 heard the report of the rifle and saw the buck 
 fall over the precipice. They also heard the 
 voices of the Indians on the cliff, and, suppos- 
 ing that they owned the game, and that they 
 would be likely to descend into the ravine to 
 secure it, they concealed themselves in the 
 bushes to await their appearance. The first 
 savage who came down the tree was easily over- 
 powered; and when his companion called out: 
 "Do you see any thing of the white man?" 
 (that was the first intimation the trappers had 
 that there was a white hunter about) Dick re- 
 plied : "Yes; he's here, but I can't get at 
 him." "That brought the Injun down, you 
 see," said the latter, in conclusion, "an' when he 
 come in sight, we sent him where he'll never get 
 u chance to attack any more peaceable tnulin'- 
 posts, I '11 bet a hoss. Fetch along the mustang, 
 Bob, an' we '11 start for the Ole Bar's Holfc."
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 193 
 
 The horse was brought up, and Frank fairly 
 danced with delight when he found that it was 
 Roderick. The animal recognized his master, 
 and answered his caresses by rubbing his head 
 against his shoulder. Frank sprang upon his 
 back, and the trappers, after they had raised 
 the elk from the ground and placed it before 
 him, led the way toward the cave. It was quite 
 dark when they arrived within sight of it, but 
 Dick knew in an instant that there was sonpe- 
 thing wrong; and so did Bob, who placed his 
 hand on his companion's shoulder and pointed 
 toward the top of the cliff. 
 
 " My eyes aint as good as they used to be," 
 said he, "but if that aint an Injun up thar, 
 I never seed one." 
 
 "An' if that aint one of Black Bill's mates 
 standin' at the foot of the cliff, may I be shot!" 
 added Dick. 
 
 "Then they 've tracked us, after all the trouble 
 we took to throw them off our trail ! " whispered 
 Frank, in great excitement. "Who knows but 
 that they have captured Adam ? " 
 
 " If they have, we '11 soon turn him loose," 
 replied Dick. " Now, youngster, you dtay here, 
 33
 
 194 FKANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 an' me an' Bob will creep up an' take a look at 
 tilings. If thar aint nobody in the cave ex- 
 cept Black Bill an' his friends, we '11 clean 'em 
 out in a hurry. We've got a long account to 
 settle with one of them fellers, an' this is jest 
 the time to do it." 
 
 The trappers stole off in the darkness, and 
 Frank sat on his horse and awaited the issue of 
 events with feelings that can not be described. 
 He saw Dick and Bob creep noiselessly upon 
 the outlaw who stood at the foot of the cliff, 
 and seize, gag, and bind him; and so silently 
 was the whole operation performed, in spite of 
 the man's furious struggles, that he did not hear 
 even a leaf rustle. One enemy had been dis- 
 posed of; but there were still three others, be- 
 sides the Indian, to be overcome. 
 
 " If I had a load for my rifle I would n't sit 
 here long," said Frank, to himself. "I know 
 there will be a desperate fight in that cave if 
 Black Bill is there, and perhaps just one bullet 
 may be needed to decide the battle in our favor. 
 What in the world was that?" 
 
 A thin sheet of flame, followed by a dense 
 volume of smoke, suddenly arose from the
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 195 
 
 mouth of the upper passage-way. The momeut's 
 silence that succeeded was broken by cries of 
 paii. and loud yells of anger, and through the 
 gmoke, which settled like a cloud over the cliff, 
 the Indian appeared, running at the top of hia 
 speed, as if badly frightened at something, and 
 directing his course toward a thicket of bushes 
 at the opposite side of the ravine. The thought 
 that it was the Black Fox had scarcely passed 
 through Frank's mind when he discovered that 
 there were two horses tied to the bushes, and 
 that the Indian was running toward them, 
 evidently with the intention of mounting one 
 of them and making good his escape. Frank 
 leaned forward to obtain a better view of the 
 animals, and, in a moment more, the elk had 
 been pitched to the ground, and Roderick was 
 flying down the ravine with the speed of the 
 wind. 
 
 " Stop, you Black Fox ! " shouted Frank, 
 swinging his rifle around his head and giving 
 vent to a yell that awoke the echoes far and 
 near. " I 've got something to say about this 
 business." 
 
 One of the horses was Pete, and the other
 
 196 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 was King James. While Roderick had been 
 faithfully serving the trappers he had carried 
 Dick Lewis through that desperate hand-to- 
 hand fight at the fort, and, like him, escaped 
 v ithout a single injury his swift rival had 
 been equally faithful to one of the outlaws. 
 Black Bill had captured him from one of the 
 soldiers during the fight, and, recognizing 
 Dick's massive form among the struggling 
 horsemen, he had made every exertion to come 
 to close quarters with him. Roderick moved 
 so swiftly, however, that tlie black could not 
 overtake him ; and perhaps that was a fortu- 
 nate thing for the outlaw, if he had only known 
 it. While Dick was cutting his way through 
 the ranks of the Indians, he was keeping a 
 bright lookout for Black Bill, and if he could 
 have found him, and brought him within reach 
 of the cavalry saber which he was wielding 
 with such telling effect, he would have put a 
 sudden stop to his career of depredation. Pete 
 had carried Black Bill manv a long mile since 
 his master last saw him; but now he seemed in 
 a fair way to fall into the hands of his rightful 
 owner;
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 197 
 
 "Stop, I tell you!" shouted Frank, again. 
 "You are at the end of your rope now, my 
 hearty." 
 
 The young Indian heard the order, but paid 
 no attention to it. He ran directly to the 
 horses, and, springing upon King James's back, 
 cut the lasso, with which he was tied, with his 
 knife, and went tearing down the ravine, with 
 Frank in hot pursuit. The time had come 
 now to decide the question which had been so 
 long in dispute. This was to be a fair race, 
 and Frank wished his cousin had been there to 
 witness it, for he was sure of a victory. 
 
 A few of Roderick's long bounds carried 
 him through the willows and out on the prairie, 
 where Frank discovered the Indian, almost a 
 hundred yards distant, lying flat along his 
 horse's neck, one hand twisted in his mane, 
 and the other swinging the lasso, which he now 
 and then brought down on the black's side 
 with a sounding whack. Roderick seemed to 
 know what was expected of him, for he in- 
 creased his speed the moment he emerged from 
 the willows, and then the race began in earnest. 
 The gray gained from the start, and rapidly,
 
 198 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 too ; and, before half a mile had been accom- 
 plished, Frank was so close to the object of his 
 pursuit that he leaned forward to catch him by 
 the scalp-lock. 
 
 "I guess you'll stop now, Indian!" he t.x- 
 claimed. "Well, it makes no difference to me 
 which way you take it, on foot or on horse- 
 back, for I can beat you." 
 
 The Indian, for once, was a little too quick 
 for Frank. Slipping like an eel out of hia 
 grasp, he threw himself from his horse with- 
 out attempting to check his headlong speed, 
 and, landing safely on his feet, started back 
 toward the willows. Frank was on the ground 
 almost at the same instant; and then began 
 another race, which, like the one that had 
 come off the day before at the Indian camp, 
 was decided in favor of the fleet-footed young 
 hunter. The Black Fox, however, was des- 
 perate to the last; and, after the race, a fight 
 ensued. One quick, determined blow with the 
 rifle knocked the knife from the savage's hand ; 
 but that was not the end of the matter it was 
 only the beginning of it. The young warrior's 
 strength and agility seemed to have increased
 
 FRANK IN SEARCH OF HIS SUPPER. 199 
 
 wonderfully since their last meeting, and the 
 struggle, which continued at least ten minutes, 
 was decided only by Frank's superior powers 
 of endurance. He came off with flying colors; 
 and when he helped his prisoner to his feet, 
 his arms were fastened behind his back with 
 his own belt.
 
 200 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 
 
 T?OR a quarter of an hour after Frank left 
 him, Adam worked industriously, collecting 
 a supply of wood for the fire, which he piled 
 at the entrance to the passage-way. The next 
 thing to be done was to ascertain whether or 
 not the cave was a safe place for them to camp 
 during the night. One enemy had been dis- 
 lodged by the smoke, but there might be oth- 
 ers in there for all he knew. The only way 
 to find out was to go in and see; and this 
 Adam prepared to do. 
 
 Having satisfied himself that his knife and 
 hatchet were safe in his belt, he grasped a 
 lighted pine-knot in one hand to serve as a 
 torch, and holding in the other the bow, and 
 half a dozen arrows which he had selected from 
 the quuer, he crawled down into the passage-
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 201 
 
 way. The thought that he was about to enter 
 the cave which, but a few minutes before, had 
 been the home of a panther, made him tremble 
 so violently that the torch shook in his hand. 
 He worked his way along very slowly and cau- 
 tiously, stopping every few feet to examine the 
 ground before him, and finally reached the foot 
 of the passage-way without having discovered 
 any thing at which to be alarmed. There waa 
 the panther's bed on the withered hemlock 
 boughs which, in days gone by, had served Dick 
 and Bill Lawson for a couch; but the panther 
 himself was gone. The cave appeared to be 
 empty, but it was not so in reality. Had Adam 
 raised his torch above his head and examined the 
 sides of the cavern closely, he would have dis- 
 covered something crouching behind a project- 
 ing rock, about ten feet above the floor of the 
 cave, and might have seen the eyes which 
 glared down at him through the darkness. 
 
 "This will do nicely," said Adam to him- 
 self, "There is a little too much smoke in 
 here just now for comfort, but that will soon 
 pass out. If the outlaws track us here, and 
 come in at onr of the passage-ways, we can go
 
 202 FRANK JN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 out at the other; and if they surround us, so 
 that we can't get out at all, we can climb up the 
 sides of the cave and hide among those rocks." 
 
 Sx raying, Adam began making preparations 
 for the night. He threw down his weapons, 
 stuck his torch into the ground, and ascended 
 out of the cave to bring down the wood which 
 he had collected. In a few minutes a fire was 
 blazing brightly in the^center of the Old Bear's 
 Hole (the passage that led to the top of the hill 
 answered all the purposes of a .chimney), a 
 quantity of wood sufficient to keep it burning 
 all night was piled in one corner, and Adam 
 sat on the hemlock boughs whittling out some 
 spits on which to cook the supper when Frank 
 brought it in. All this while that dark ob- 
 ject behind the rocks had been looking down 
 at him, closely watching every move he made. 
 
 When the spits were finished, Adam went 
 out of the cave to look for Frank. He began 
 to think that if the big-horns were as plenty 
 about there as his friend had represente 1 them 
 to be, he was a long time in finding one. H. 1 : 
 impatience soon gave way to anxiety; an 1 
 when at last it grew quite dark, and Fr-.i k
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 203 
 
 did not make his appearance, he became 
 alarmed. He could not go out to look for 
 him, for he did not know the direction in 
 which he had gone ; and, besides, he might get 
 bewildered in the darkness, and be unable to 
 find his way back to the cave. For two hours 
 he kept watch at the top of the hill as Dick, 
 years before, had kept watch for the return of 
 Bill Lawson listening in vain for the sound 
 of Frank's footsteps, and then he reluctantly 
 came to the conclusion that he was destined to 
 pass the night alone and supperless. He did 
 not mind the loss of his supper so much, but 
 he knew he would be lonesome down there in 
 that gloomy cavern, with no one to talk to. 
 He felt the need of companionship; and, more 
 than that, he was harassed by the fear that 
 Frank had fallen into some danger. 
 
 " There is but one thing that I can do," he 
 soliloquized, "and that is to wait until day- 
 light and follow his trail. I'll never make 
 another step toward Fort Benton until I know 
 what has become of him. It would be a cow- 
 ardly piece of business in me to desert him, 
 after what he has done for me."
 
 204 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Adam's first care was to make his camp se- 
 cure against any visitors he might chance to 
 Lave during the night. The bright fire which 
 was burning in the cave, and which shone out 
 at the mouth of the passage-way, lighting up 
 the bushes all around, was just the thing to 
 keep off four-footed enemies, but it might serve 
 to guide the outlaws, whom he feared more 
 than bears or panthers, to his place of retreat. 
 The light must be covered; and that could be 
 easily done, for there was the log which the 
 trappers had more than once used to conceal 
 this entrance to the Old Bear's Hole. Adam 
 rolled it close to the opening, and, after listen- 
 ing again to make sure than Frank was not 
 approaching, he backed down into the passage- 
 way and pulled the log over it, leaving only a 
 small opening for the passage of smoke. 
 
 For the next half hour Adam was miserable 
 enough. He lay upon the boughs, gazing into 
 the fire and thinking over his adventures, now 
 and then raising his head to listen for Frank's 
 footsteps once or twice almost certain that he 
 heard his voice and finally he fell into an 
 uneasy slumber. When he awoke, it was with
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 205 
 
 a sturt and a presentiment of evil. He knew 
 he heard a voice now, but it was not Frank's 
 voice. Starting up in alarm, he grasped the 
 bow which lay close at his side, and looked up 
 the passage-way in the direction from which 
 the voice came. A cold sweat started out all 
 over him, and he trembled in every limb when 
 he saw that the log which he had placed over 
 the opening had been removed, and that two 
 men were leaning over it, peering down into 
 the cave. The fire had burned out, leaving 
 only a bed of smoldering coals; consequently 
 it was dark in the Old Bear's Hole, and Adam 
 was sure the men could not see him, although 
 he could observe every move they made, and 
 could even distinguish their features. The 
 men were Black Bill and his friends. 
 
 "Wai, I reckon we've run yer cubs to earth 
 at last," said a gruff voice. " They 're thar easy 
 enough, 'cause I can see a fire an' smell smoke." 
 
 "Yes," assented Black Bill, "they're thar, 
 aii' we'll jest go down an' fetch 'em out." 
 
 " Mebbe it aint them at all," said another of 
 the outlaws. "P'raps it's Dick Lewis and 
 Bob Kelly."
 
 206 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " No, I reckon it aint nobody but the boys," 
 replied Black Bill. " Haint we fpllered their 
 trail all the way, an' did we see any signs of 
 Dick and Bob? Say, you, Adam, an' you 
 other feller!" he shouted, "we Ve got you, an' 
 you can jest give up without any fussin' or 
 foolin'. Hear me, do n't you?" 
 
 Adam did hear him. He thought he could 
 have heard that stentorian voice very distinctly 
 if he had been half a mile distant; but he did 
 not make any reply. He was well satisfied of 
 one thing, and that was that Black Bill, boldly 
 as he spoke, was in no hurry to enter the cave. 
 The latter could not forget that the boys had 
 possession of his rifle and ammunition ; and, 
 from what he had seen of them, he did not 
 think it likely that they would hesitate to use 
 the weapon in an emergency. This view of the 
 case was confirmed by the next words the out- 
 law uttered. 
 
 "You need n't keep so still down thar! " he 
 shouted. "We've got you fast enough, an' if 
 you do n't hand up that rifle an' come up out 
 o* that, it'll be wuss fur you." 
 
 If the outlaws had known that Adana was
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 207 
 
 alone in the cave, and that the rifle they so 
 much dreaded was a long way from there, they 
 would not have spent many minutes in settling 
 matters. They waited and listened for a reply, 
 and then Adam saw Black Bill's burly form 
 darken the opening. He was tired of waiting 
 for Adam; and since the latter would not come 
 up, he had decided to go down after him. 
 The boy saw that it was high time he was 
 doing something. 
 
 "Hallo, up there!" he exclaimed, as if he 
 had just awakened from a sound sleep; 
 "who's that? Frank, Dick, Bob, wake up! 
 There's somebody coming down the passage- 
 way." 
 
 By the time -these words were spoken, there 
 was no one in the passage-way, or even in 
 sight. Black Bill had crawled back to the top 
 of the hill with all possible speed. He believed 
 now that his man was right in his conjectures 
 that the trappers, of whom he stood so much 
 in fear, were in the cave with the boys, and 
 that it would not be quite safe for him to go 
 amorg them. He said nothing until he had 
 rolled the log over the opening, thus putting
 
 208 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 it out of the power of his enemies to ascend 
 out of the cave to attack him, even should 
 they feel so disposed, and then he exclaimed, 
 in an exultant tone: 
 
 "We J ve got you all jest where we want you. 
 It wont take us long to settle up our accounts. 
 Thar won't be enough of you left to go on an- 
 other tradin' expedition by the time we are 
 done with you." 
 
 During the next ten minutes Adam sat on 
 his bed of boughs, listening intently, and won- 
 dering what would come next. The outlaws 
 were holding a consultation. He could hear 
 them conversing in low tones, but could not 
 understand what they said. After a long and 
 earnest debate, they seemed to- have come to 
 some decision, for the sound of their voices 
 ceased, and Adam heard them moving down 
 the hill. The next sound that reached his ears 
 came through the lower passage-way a rus- 
 tling sound, as if some one was crawling to- 
 ward the cave; but Adam knew it was not 
 that. He was well aware that the outlaws could 
 not be induced to enter the Old Bear's Hole as 
 long as they supposed that Dick and Bob were
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 209 
 
 there, ft r there was not one among them who was 
 brave enough to meet either of the trappers ; n 
 a fa'.r contest. They had determined to compel 
 them to come out of their hiding-place, so that 
 (hey could overpower them by their superior 
 lumbers. In order to accomplish this, they 
 adopted the same plan to which the boys had 
 resorted to drive out the panther. But Adam 
 was not a wild animal, to be frightened out of 
 his snug harboring-place by a little smoke. He 
 thought he knew how to beat the outlaws at 
 their own game ; and, while they were employed 
 in filling the passage-way with leaves and pine- 
 knots, he went to work to stop the draft so 
 that the fire would not burn. The lower pas- 
 sage-way, where it entered the cave, was about 
 two feet square; and it was a matter of but 
 little difficulty for him to close the opening by 
 cramming the hemlock boughs into it. When 
 the work was done, he surveyed it with a smile 
 of satisfaction, and told himself that the out- 
 laws would have a fine time smoking him out. 
 Having finished the task of blocking up the 
 passage-way, Adam spread his hunting-shirt 
 
 upon the ground, and began cutting the gar- 
 14
 
 210 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ment into strips with his knife. The pieceSj 
 when tied together, formed a rope about fifteen 
 feet in length ; and in one end of it was a run- 
 ning noose. Adam then threw a pine- knot 
 upon the fire, and when it blazed up so that 
 he could distinguish objects in the cave, he 
 coiled the rope in his hand, and, after one or 
 two failures, succeeded in throwing the noose 
 around a projecting point of rock about ten 
 feet above his head. As the noose settled down 
 over the rock, something glided from behind 
 it, and stole noiselessly up the side of the cave ; 
 but Adam did not see it. It was dark up there, 
 and he was too deeply interested in his work 
 to notice any thing. In order to make sure 
 that the rope was strong enough to sustain his 
 weight, he ascended it hand-over-hand, and 
 climbed upon the rock. 
 
 "This is just the place," said he, to himself. 
 " Black Bill will not be long in finding out 
 that I am alone here, and then, of course, he 
 will come in. I can't whip him and his three 
 mates, so when I see him coming, I will climb 
 up the rope, and hide behind this rock. He'll 
 never discover me, unless he comes up here;
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 211 
 
 and if he tries that I '11 begin to fight. I '11 
 show him that he 's got a nephew who is n't 
 afraid of him, if he is an outlaw and a des- 
 perado." 
 
 Adam slid down the rope again, and busied 
 himself in collecting his weapons, and getting 
 every thing in readiness, so that when the time 
 carne for him to retreat, he could ascend to his 
 hiding-place without an instant's delay. Then, 
 for the first time, he discovered that Frank 
 had gone off without any ammunition for his 
 rifle. The powder-horn and bullet-pouch were 
 still hanging over his shoulder, where they 
 had been ever since he and Frank escaped from 
 the outlaws. How careless they had both been ! 
 What a reckless piece of business it was for a 
 hunter to go off alone in the mountains, with 
 only one load in his rifle! Frank might have 
 run into some danger from which a single 
 extra charge of powder would have saved him. 
 But no amount of regrets could now place the 
 ammunition in his friend's hands ; and after a 
 few seconds reflection, Adam thought that per- 
 haps what had been Frank's loss might be his 
 gain that the powder, at least, might be made
 
 212 FRANK IX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 lo serve him a good turn. An idea came into 
 his head, and no sooner was it conceived than 
 he set about putting it into execution. Step- 
 ping to the place where the upper passage-way 
 opened into the cave, he pulled the stopper 
 from the powder-horn, and poured nearly all 
 its contents in a pile upon the rocks. With 
 that which was left in the horn, he laid a train 
 from the pile to the middle of the cave. When 
 he had done this, he felt greatly encouraged. 
 He believed that if he had a few more pounds 
 of powder, and a supply of provisions and 
 water, he could hold the Old Bear's Hole 
 against all the enemies Black Bill could bring 
 against it. 
 
 While Adam was thus employed on the in- 
 side of the cave, the outlaws were equally busy 
 on the outside. They had filled the passage- 
 way with leaves, and after a fire had been 
 started in them, Black Bill and two of his men 
 went up the hill to tell the occupants of the 
 cave what they had done, and to demand their 
 surrender. The outlaws had left some one ar 
 the upper passage-way to watch it during their 
 absence. It was the Black Fox, who, shortly
 
 ADAH BESIEGED. 213 
 
 after his fight with Frank, had found and 
 joined Black Bill's party. He had a piece of 
 news to communicate to the outlaws, and that 
 was that Adam was alone in the cave. He 
 had kept a close watch down the passage-way, 
 and had seen Adam moving about it was so 
 dark that he could not tell what he was doing 
 and he had seen no one else. He did not be- 
 lieve that Dick and Bob were down there, and, 
 after Black Bill had listened to his story, he 
 did not believe it either. With angry haste 
 he pulled away the log which he had rolled 
 over the mouth of the passage-way, and 
 shouted : 
 
 " You Adam Brent ! You can't fool me no 
 longer. I know jest how the matter stands; 
 you 're alone down thar. Pass up that rifle 
 an' come out, or I '11 be down arter you." 
 
 Adam, as before, had nothing to say until 
 the outlaw, enraged at his silence, began mak- 
 ing preparations to descend into the cave ; and 
 then he called out : 
 
 "Black Bill, can you hear what I say?" 
 
 " Do you hear what 1 say ? " asked the out- 
 law, in reply. " Come up out o' that.
 
 214 FRANK IN '1HE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " Listen to me," said Adam. " We are not 
 going up there " 
 
 "We!" interrupted the outlaw; "thar lint 
 nobody down thar b it you. If Dick an' Bob 
 are in the cave, why don't they speak?" 
 
 "Their rifles will speak sooner than you 
 care to hear them. We are all ready for you, 
 and the first man who comes down here will 
 be blown in pieces. We 've got something that 
 you do n't know any thing about." 
 
 Adam knew, by the silence which followed, 
 that his words had not been without their ef- 
 fect upon the outlaws. They were cowards at 
 heart, and they dreaded to face an unknown 
 danger. They talked together in a low tone 
 for a few minutes, and then Black Bill began 
 to descend into the cave, his actions indicating 
 that he was thoroughly in earnest this time, 
 and that there was to be no backing out, no 
 matter what perils he might encounter. 
 
 " St< p ! " shouted Adam, who plainly saw 
 that something was going to happen. He was 
 standing near the fire, holding in his hand one 
 of the spits on which he had intended to cook 
 his supper. He was ready to put it to a dif-
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 215 
 
 ferent use now, for one end of it was blazing, 
 and he stood within reach of the train of pow- 
 der. " Stop !"" he repeated, in a still louder 
 tone. " I am not going to be captured again, 
 and I give you fair warning that, if you come 
 into this cave, I will blow you up. Don't 
 come a step nearer." 
 
 Black Bill was too angry to heed the warn- 
 ing. He growled out a savage reply, and came 
 on down the passage-way, followed by both his 
 companions. It required the exercise of all 
 the courage Adam possessed to stand there and 
 await their approach, but he did it ; and when 
 Black Bill was directly over the pile of pow- 
 der, he threw his burning spit upon the train. 
 There was a quick flash which lighted up the 
 interior of the Old Bear's Hole as bright aa 
 noon-day, and a great volume of smoke arose 
 and filled the cavern. For an instant there 
 was silence in the cave; then a frightful yell 
 rang through the passage-way, followed by a 
 volley of oaths, and threats of vengeance that 
 made Adam's blood run cold. He had all the 
 while been aware that the powder was not suf- 
 ficient in quantity to do the outlaws any great
 
 216 FKANK IX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 damage. He had hoped that it would frighten 
 them, but it had a directly opposite effect, 
 They were almost beside themselves with rage 
 now, especially Black Bill, who had suffered 
 more severely than either of his companions. 
 When he came into the cave he carried his 
 knife in his hand, and was in just the humor 
 to use it upon something. 
 
 " Start up this fire, one of you, an' give us 
 a light here," said he, in a voice choked with 
 passion. " Jack, watch that hole, an' be sure 
 that he don't slip by you." 
 
 The smoke which filled the cave soon passed 
 out; and when the wood, which had been 
 thrown upon the fire, blazed up so that the 
 outlaws could distinguish objects about them, 
 they were not a little amazed to find that the 
 Old Bear's Hole was empty. Their plucky 
 enemy, who, alone and unaided, had held them 
 at bay for more than an hour, had disappeared. 
 Auam was where he could see them, however, 
 and he took particular notice of the outlaws' 
 faces. Black Bill's eye-brows had disappeared 
 altogether, and so had his whiskers and mous- 
 tache. His 'coon-skin cap and hunting-shirt
 
 ADAM BESIEGED. 217 
 
 weio badly burned, and his face was blacker 
 than ever from the effects of the powder. His 
 two companions had also suffered severely, and 
 Adam did not wonder that they were angry. 
 
 "Where is he?" exclaimed Black Bill, in 
 great perplexity. " He could n't have gone 
 out through this other hole, 'cause it's stopped 
 up. Ah ! I see where he is. Come down out 
 o' that." 
 
 The outlaw was looking straight at the bowl- 
 der behind which Adam was concealed; but 
 the latter, knowing that he had not discovered 
 him, kept perfectly quiet. He had made up 
 his mind to fight in earnest now, and was ready 
 to give his enemies a warm reception, if they 
 attempted to drag him from his hiding-place. 
 
 " I haint agoin' to waste no more words with 
 you," said Black Bill, savagely. " I '11 snake 
 you down from thar, an' split your wizzen fur 
 you ; that 's what I '11 do." 
 
 The outlaw placed his knife between his 
 teeth, and snatching one of the pine knots from 
 the fire, began the ascent of the rocks. As 
 they were almost perpendicular, that was a 
 task of some difficulty ; but, with the assist-
 
 218 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ance of his men, he was at last able to grasp 
 the bowlder, and draw himself up until he 
 could look over it. Adam was there. lie 
 was lying flat on his back with his bow drawn, 
 and the moment the outlaw's head appeared in 
 view, he discharged an arrow at him. The 
 missile passed through his cap, and sent it 
 whirling to the floor. 
 
 " Here you are ! " shouted Black Bill. 
 " You '11 never have a chance to draw an arrer 
 or any thing else on me agin." 
 
 Adam knew by the expression he saw on the 
 outlaw's face, that he had something worse 
 than captivity to fear now. His enemy swung 
 himself over the bowlder, and was on the point 
 of springing dov/n upon the boy, when his 
 movements were arrested by a savage growl 
 which seemed to come from the rocks directly 
 over his head. The next instant a dark object 
 bounded through the air, and alighting on 
 Black Bill's shoulders, fastened its teeth in his 
 throat, and fell with him headlong to the 
 gi3imd. Adam saw it as it passed over him, 
 and knew that it was a panther the mate to 
 the one he had smoked out of the cave.
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 
 
 1 ET us now return to Archie, whom we left 
 ^ in Black Bill's wigwam. He was very much 
 disheartened at the result of his cousin's bold 
 attempt to release him, but knowing that it 
 wari useless to repine, or to attempt resistance, 
 he submitted to his fate with all the fortitude 
 he could command,' and allowed the outlaw to 
 bind him hand and foot. 
 
 " You said I could n't keep you pris'ner, 
 did i 't you?" said Black Bill, fiercely; "now 
 I 'm goin' to show you. If you can break that 
 buckekin, you 're a hoss." 
 
 " 1 do n't see what you want with me, any- 
 how," returned Archie. " I am not Adam 
 Brent, and, more than that, I never saw or 
 heard of him until three days ago." 
 
 " Keep your breath to cool your porridge,"
 
 220 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 said the outlaw, as he stretched himself on a 
 pile of skins near his prisoner, "'cause it aint 
 no 'arthly use to waste it in talkin' to me. 
 I'm too ole a 'coon to let a boy like you pull 
 the wool over my eyes. Do n't I know thai 
 nose of your'n, an' that har, an' that black 
 face? I could pick you out among a million. 
 Now, I am goin' to sleep, an' you had bettei 
 do the same." 
 
 This command was uttered in a very savage 
 tone of voice, and Archie, knowing that it 
 would be the height of folly to enrage the out- 
 law by disregarding his wishes, turned over on 
 his bed to find an easy position, and held his 
 peace; but sleep for him was quite out of the 
 question. Black Bill slept, however, and 
 snored lustily for half an hour; and then he 
 suddenly awoke and started up with an ejacu- 
 lation of wonder. Almost at the same instant 
 a yell rang out on the air, followed by the re- 
 port of a rifle, which brought the outlaw to 
 his feet in great haste. 
 
 "What's the matter out there?" asked 
 Archie, who speedily became aware that there 
 was something unusual going on in the camp.
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARAOTER. 221 
 
 "We're attacked!" exclaimed Black Bill, 
 in great excitement. " Them fellers at the fort 
 are either mighty reckless, or else they 've got 
 help from somewhere. They 're pitchin' into 
 us, that's sartin." 
 
 As the outlaw spoke, the report of a volley 
 of fire-arms rang through the ravine, followed 
 by yells, and the hurrying of feet outside the 
 lodge. Black Bill tore open the door, and 
 looking out, began a rapid conversation with 
 some one. It proved to be the Black Fox, who 
 came in, and hastily untying Archie's feet, 
 grasped him by the collar, and hurried him 
 out of the lodge. Black Bill caught him up in 
 his arms as he came out, and placed him upon 
 the back of a mustang, which was standing in 
 front of the door; after which the young In- 
 dian seized the bridle, and led the animal off 
 at a rapid trot. 
 
 As soon as Archie had time to look about 
 him, he found that the outlaw had not been 
 mistaken in his conjectures. The confusion in 
 the camp was increasing every moment. The 
 reports of the rifles lang out louder and clearer, 
 showing that the attacking party was gaining
 
 222 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ground rapidly ; men, women, and 
 surprised and terrified by the suddenness of the 
 assault, ran through the village in all direc- 
 tions, some with packs on their backs contain- 
 ing their household goods, others empty-handed, 
 and too intent on making good their escape tc 
 think of any thing else, and all hurrying at 
 the best of their speed toward the mountains. 
 The flames were already ascending from the 
 lower end of the village, and by the light which 
 they gave out, Archie discovered that the at- 
 tacking party was composed of trappers, and 
 that they were coming directly toward him, 
 sweeping every thing before them. The hope 
 that they would see and recognize him was 
 shDrt-lived; for the Black Fox plunged at 
 once into the midst of the flying crowd, and a 
 very few minutes sufficed for him to conduct 
 his prisoner into the woods. 
 
 The fight at the village, if such it could be 
 called, was over almost as soon as it began. 
 The trappers, whose only desire was to release 
 Dick Lewis, passed rapidly through the camp, 
 looking in vain for the object of their search, 
 and theu turned and retreated toward the fort,
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 223 
 
 thus extinguishing the last spark of hope which 
 their appearance had raised in the breast of the 
 prisoner. Scarcely had their shouts died away 
 in the distance, when a chorus of yells arose 
 in another direction ; and the retreating In- 
 dians, one and all, faced about, and hurried 
 back to the camp. Those yells produced a 
 great change in them, for their terror gave 
 away instantly to the wildest delight, which 
 they expressed in all possible ways. The Black 
 Fox, who still held fast to the horse on which 
 Archie was mounted, shouted until he was too 
 hoarse to speak plainly, and then triumphantly 
 announced : 
 
 "More Indian coming. Burn fort now, 
 sure." 
 
 When Archie arrived within sight of the 
 camp, his heart stood still, and he trembled 
 for the safety of his friends at the trading-post. 
 A cloud of braves in war-costume five hun- 
 dred of them at least was moving through 
 the burning village in the direction the trap- 
 pers had gone the horses running at the top 
 of their speed, and their riders swinging their 
 weapons around their heads, and yelling like
 
 224 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 madmen. These were the reinforcements the 
 chief had been expecting; and now that they 
 had arrived, Archie knew that the attack on 
 the fort would not be long delayed. It was 
 commenced that very hour ; and when it was 
 over, some one brought him tidings of the 
 result. 
 
 When the reinforcements had passed out of 
 sight, the Indians who had fled before the 
 trappers ran into the village, and busied them- 
 selves in pulling down the wigwams to stay 
 the progress of the flames. This was a matter 
 in which the Black Fox was not interested. 
 He had no property to save, but he had a pris- 
 oner to watch, and to this duty he gave his 
 whole attention. Stopping in the edge of the 
 woods, he tied the mustang to a tree, and seiz- 
 ing Archie by the shoulders, pulled him rather 
 roughly to the ground ; after which he spread 
 his blanket on the leaves, and settled into a 
 comfortable position to observe what was going 
 on in the village. He was very talkative, and 
 enlertained his captive with a glowing descrip- 
 tion of the manner in which the Indians would 
 overcome the garrison, and the way they would
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 225 
 
 dispose of their prisoners; but finding that 
 Archie was in no humor to listen to him, he 
 finally relapsed into silence. 
 
 At the end of two hours two long, dreary 
 hours they were, during which Archie was a 
 prey to the most gloomy thoughts he was 
 aroused from a reverie into which he had 
 fallen, by the movements of the Black Fox, 
 who jumped to his feet, and gazed earnestly 
 toward a group of warriors who had just 
 emerged from the ravine. Archie thought 
 they acted very strangely. Some of them 
 walked with feeble, tottering steps, as if they 
 scarcely possessed the strength to retain an up- 
 right position, while others reeled about like 
 drunken men. He looked toward the young 
 Indian for an explanation. 
 
 " Much hurt," said the latter ; then, fearing 
 that his prisoner might not understand him, 
 he struck himself on various parts of his body 
 with his hand, raised his bow to his shoulder 
 as if it had been a gun, and imitated the mo- 
 tions a person would make in using a saber. 
 From this Archie knew that the warriors had 
 been wounded, and that they had received 
 15
 
 226 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 their injuries during the battle at the fort. 
 This was enough to put him into a fever of 
 suspense. He wanted to know if the Indiana 
 had been successful, and he wished some of the 
 braves would tell him; but they did not seem 
 disposed to do any thing of the kind. They 
 did not even notice their friends, but threw 
 themselves upon the ground, and wrapping 
 their blankets around their heads, suffered in 
 silence. 
 
 "Which side whipped?" asked Archie, at 
 length. 
 
 " Indian," replied the Black Fox. 
 
 "How do you know?" 
 
 " O, Indian always whip white man." 
 
 " No, Indian does n't. He gets thrashed 
 sometimes, and badly, too. He could n't whip 
 the trappers who set fire to that camp, a li'.tle 
 while ago." 
 
 The young savage did not appear to be in a 
 mood to discuss the matter, and Archie, with 
 his feelings worked up to the highest pitch of 
 excitement, twisted about uneasily, and waited 
 to see if there were any prisoners brought in. 
 The wounded Indians, in the meantime came
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 227 
 
 in rapidly, and in a few minutes there weie so 
 many disabled warriors lying about him, that 
 Archie began to believe that the fight had re- 
 sulted in a decided victory for the defenders 
 of the fort. Among the wounded savages was 
 one who attracted Archie's attention ; and if 
 he had -been a white man, or even a friendly 
 Indian, he would have felt the keenest sym- 
 pathy for his distress. He was a tall, broad- 
 shouldered, powerful-looking fellow, badly in- 
 jured, if one might judge by the looks of his 
 face, and the pain occasioned by his wounds 
 seemed to be so intense that he could neither 
 sit, lie, nor stand still, even for a moment. 
 He would seat himself on the giound, and rock 
 back and forth for awhile, then stretch out at 
 full length, and thrash about uneasily, and 
 finally spring to his feet, and look around for 
 another resting-place. At length he walked 
 rapidly toward the Black Fox, who, thinking 
 that it might not be quite safe to trust himself 
 within reach of a man driven nearly frantic 
 with pain, jumped up, and retreated a few 
 steps. This seemed to be just what the 
 wounded man wanted ; for he took possession
 
 228 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 of the young Indian's blanket, and, wrap- 
 ping it around his head, lay down upon the 
 ground. 
 
 If the owner of the blanket was angry, he 
 did not show it. He stood looking at the war- 
 rior a moment, and then an idea occurred to 
 him which he announced to Archie in his 
 broken English. There was no danger that 
 the latter would escape while the Indians were 
 all around him, he said, and he would go t< 
 the village and make some inquiries concerning 
 the fight. It might be well for Archie to keep 
 perfectly quiet during his absence, he added, 
 for there was the wounded Indian, who was in 
 just the right mood to hurt somebody. 
 
 " Do n't be uneasy," replied Archie. " Go 
 and get some information about that fight, and 
 hurry back ; for I want to know which whipped. 
 I '11 wager my rifle against your bow and ar- 
 rows that you Indians were completely cleaned 
 out." 
 
 When the young warrior had disappeared, 
 Archie, not knowing what else to do witb him- 
 self, lay down on the ground to await his re- 
 turn, looking over his shoulder occasionally
 
 DICK IN A NEW CIIAHACTER. 229 
 
 at tlie wounded Indian, who began to kick 
 about worse than ever. 
 
 " It serves you just right," said the prisoner. 
 " What had those people at the fort done to 
 you, that you wanted to kill them? Perhaps 
 you will learn to let peaceable white settlers 
 alone in future." 
 
 " I do n't reckon I ever done any harm to 
 peaceable white fellers," said a familiar voice, 
 from under the blanket. " Lay down, you 
 keerless feller!" it added quickly, as Archie 
 started up in amazement ; " lay down, or you '11 
 spile every thing." 
 
 Archie, for a moment too astonished to speak, 
 fell back upon the ground again, and, as he 
 did so, he felt the cold blade of a hunting-knife 
 pressed against his hands. The thongs of buck- 
 skin with which he was confined gave away, 
 one after the other, under its keen edge, and 
 in a few seconds he was free. 
 
 "Dick, is that really you?" he whispered, 
 as soon as he had recovered the use of hia 
 tongue. 
 
 " I do n't re ikon it 's any body else." 
 
 "How did you get so badly hurt?"
 
 230 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " Hurt ! " repeated the trapper ; " I aint no 
 more hurt nor you be. This aiut the fust time 
 you've been fooled to-night, is it? I've been 
 through a heap since I seed the sun set, but I 
 can out-run and out-fight the best Injun in this 
 tribe yet. I haint got no time to waste ia 
 talkin', howsomever. We 're licked, the tradin'- 
 post is burned up, an' the only thing we can 
 do is to make tracks for Fort Benton. Creep 
 into them bushes, an' keep in 'em till you get 
 around to the other side of the camp ; then 
 strike off through the mountains, an' go straight 
 south. The moon is up now, an' you can tell 
 the pints of the compass from that. Arter you 
 have gone about two miles from the camp, you 
 will strike the ole wagon trail it aint traveled 
 now, but it is a good, plain road, an' you can't 
 miss it which you must foller till you reach 
 the prairy." 
 
 " I might get lost," whispered Archie. " Why 
 can't you go with me?" 
 
 "'Cause I can't leave ole Bob," was the re- 
 ply. " He 's a pris'ner now, an' I 'm goin' to 
 stay here till I see a chance to turn him loose. 
 You can't get lost if you do as I tell you,
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 231 
 
 When you reach the prairy, travel straight 
 north fur about ten miles, an' you will come to 
 the Ole Bar's Hole. If me an' Bob are alive, 
 we'll be thar to-morrer night; but if we 
 ehouldu't come then, don't wait fur us, but 
 strike out fur Fort Beuton, which is exactly 
 north-east of the Ole Bar's Hole. Now be off 
 afore that young Injun comes back." 
 
 "But, Dick," persisted Archie, "I don't 
 want to leave Frank." 
 
 "Who axed you to leave him? Ole Bob 
 sent him safe out of camp long ago." 
 
 Dick jumped to his feet and staggered off in 
 the direction of the village, and Archie, after 
 looking all around him to see that there was 
 no one observing his movements, crept into the 
 bushes. When he reached them, he arose to 
 an upright position, and hurried along with all 
 possible speed, keeping in the edge of the ra- 
 vie, as Dick had directed. How long it was 
 before the Black Fox discovered his escape 
 and what he said, and what he did, when he 
 found that his prisoner had slipped through 
 his fingers, Archie never knew. He heard no 
 tumult behind him, nor any sounds of pursuit;
 
 232 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and neither did he meet any of the Indians 
 during the two hours he stumbled about through 
 the darkness, picking his way over rocks and 
 logs toward the old wagon trail of which Dick 
 had spoken. He reached it in safety, and then 
 his progress became more easy and rapid. 
 
 The road, being overhung by cliffs and 
 trees, was, in some places, pitch dark; but 
 Archie found but little difficulty in following 
 it. He ran along, forgetful of every thing ex- 
 cept that there were Indians and outlaws be- 
 hind him, never giving a thought to the grizzly 
 bears, panthers, and other savage animals with 
 which the mountains abounded, and thinking 
 i.nly of the foes he had left in the ravine, and 
 of the Old Bear's Hole, where he hoped to 
 meet the trappers. Alone in the mountains, on 
 foot, and entirely unarmed, his situation was 
 far from being an encouraging one; but Archie 
 had a happy faculty of looking at the bright 
 side of things. 
 
 Dick had told him that the trail was not 
 traveled now, but Archie found that he was 
 mistaken; for, when he had gone about two 
 miles, he came suddenly around the base of a
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 233 
 
 mountain, and found before him a long row of 
 camp-fires, and wagons drawn up on et.ch side 
 of the road. He was startled by the unexpected 
 bight, and his first impulse was to turn and take 
 to his heels; but a closer glance satisfied him 
 that he had stumbled upon the camp of a party 
 of emigrants. That same glance showed him also 
 that an attempt at retreat might prove extremely 
 hazardous ; for, standing in front of the nearest 
 fire was a man who hailed him the moment he 
 came in sight, and covered him with his rifle. 
 
 " Who 's that?" asked the emigrant, in some 
 alarm. 
 
 "A friend ! " replied Archie. " Do n't shoot." 
 
 " Come up to the fire, friend, and let 's have 
 
 a look at you," said the man. "Why, what's 
 
 the matter with you? You are as white as a 
 
 sheet." 
 
 " Perhaps you would be white, too, if you 
 had passed through what I have to-night." 
 
 "And you are panting as though you had been 
 running," continued the emigrant. "Where 'a 
 your horse and your gun? and what are you 
 doing out hre alone in the mountains, at this 
 time of night ? "
 
 234 FR-AfcK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " It 's a long story, and I can't stop to relate 
 it to you. You have made your camp in a very 
 dangerous place, if you only knew it, and my 
 advice is to hitch up and start for Fort Benton 
 with as little delay as possible. There are 
 iiostile Indians all around you." 
 
 " Indians ! " cried the emigrant. He stepped 
 back, and, dropping the butt of his rifle to the 
 ground, leaned on the muzzle of the weapon 
 and looked earnestly at Archie, while several 
 men who were lying near the fire on their 
 blankets, and who had been awakened by the 
 conversation, raised themselves on their elbows 
 and began to listen more attentively. 
 
 " Where is Fort Benton, and why should we 
 go there? We want to go to Fort Stockton." 
 
 " Well, you will never see it. It was burned 
 by Indians not more than three hours ago, and 
 the most of the garrison were massacred. The 
 eavages may come along this road in less than 
 twenty minutes." 
 
 If Archie had never created a sensation be- 
 fore, he could certainly boast of having made 
 one now. It seemed to him, from the commo- 
 tion that ensued, that every person in the train
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTEK. 235 
 
 nad heard his words. Exclamations of wonder 
 and alarm arose on all sides: men began run- 
 ning about, some yoking their oxen and har- 
 ucssiug their mules, others crowding around 
 Archie and asking innumerable questions which 
 they did not give him time to answer; horses 
 prance'l and snorted; dogs barked; children 
 cried; women screamed and thrust their heads 
 out of the wagons to see what was going on; 
 and in a moment the camp, which had been so 
 quiet and peaceful when Archie first discovered 
 it, was in the greatest uproar. 
 
 "Why, boy, you're crazy!" exclaimed one 
 of the emigrants, when Archie had hurriedly 
 related his story. " I. do n't believe a word 
 you say. You 've been asleep, and dreamed It 
 all." 
 
 "Am I asleep now ? " retorted Archie. " Look 
 at my wrists. Do you dream that you see 
 those marks on them? They were made by 
 the strips of buckskin with which I was tied." 
 
 " Did n't they tell us at Fort Alexander that 
 there wasn't a hostile Indian on the plains?" 
 asked another. 
 
 "Very likely they did, sir; and no doubt
 
 236 FRANK rX THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 they thought so. I have been living within 
 sight of a camp of Indians for the last three clays, 
 and I did n't know they were preparing to go 
 on the war-trail ; but they were, and I jave 
 passed a portion of this night as a prisonei 
 among those same Indians." 
 
 "But suppose they do attack us? we've got 
 twenty men." 
 
 "There were almost seven times as many in 
 Fort Stockton, and yet the Indians captured it. 
 If you are tired of life, you can stay here; but 
 as I desire to live awhile longer, I shall go on." 
 
 Archie did go on, but he did not go alone; 
 the entire train went with him. Among the 
 emigrants there were many who had never 
 crossed the plains before, and who were terrified 
 by the simple mention of the words "hostile 
 Indians." These prepared to turn back at once; 
 and the others, not caring to be left behind, 
 accompanied them. 
 
 "Is there any one here who can spare me a 
 horse and rifle?" asked Archie. "I have 
 tramped about among these mountains until I 
 am completely tired out ; and I have no weapon 
 except a pocket-knife."
 
 DICK IN A NEW CHARACTER. 237 
 
 Archie was standing near a wagon occupied 
 by an invalid, who had listened to his story 
 with blanched cheeks. When he made this 
 request, the man said, in a trembling voice : 
 
 " You do n't look as though you were strong 
 enough to handle a gun but if you are, here 's 
 one at your service." 
 
 "I don't want to take this, sir, unless you 
 have other weapons," said Archie, who, anxious 
 as he was to have some means of defense in his 
 hands, was not selfish enough to disregard the 
 comfort or safety of others. 
 
 " I have a brace of revolvers," replied the 
 man ; " but that thing is of no use to me, for 
 I never fired a gun in my life. You will find 
 my horse picketed with the others a large 
 chestnut-sorrel, with white mane and tail. The 
 saddle and bridle are in the front of the wagon." 
 
 Archie thanked the man cordially, and won- 
 dering where he had lived all his life that he 
 had never learned to use a rifle, he took the 
 saddle and bridle from the wagon and started 
 out tc find the hcrse. 
 
 Never before had Archie seen a wagon-train 
 prepared for the march in so short a space of
 
 238 FRANK. IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 time. Every thing was done in a hurry, and, 
 in less than five minutes, some of the emigrants 
 were moving down the road toward the prairie. 
 He noticed, also, that now that the excitement 
 and alarm occasioned by the intelligence he 
 had brought had somewhat subsided, silence 
 reigned in the camp. Not a loud word was 
 heard. The men moved about their work as 
 silently as specters, and spoke to their animals 
 in whispers; the screams had ceased, the chil- 
 dren had stopped crying, and all seemed to un- 
 derstand the necessity of making as little noise 
 as possible. The horses, too, seemed to com- 
 prehend the situation, for there were no pranc- 
 ing or restless ones among them ; and even the 
 wagons moved off with a subdued creaking of 
 their huge wheels. 
 
 When Archie had found and saddled his 
 horse, he began looking about for the captain 
 of the train. He had something to say to him.
 
 A. RIDE FOR LIFE. 239 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE. 
 
 A RCHIE had a plan to propose to the wagon- 
 ** master, and that was that the train should 
 be conducted first to the Old Bear's Hole, and 
 then to Fort Benton. He thought this would 
 be much safer than to attempt a long journey 
 across the plains. The Indians would certainly 
 pass over that road in going from their camp to 
 attack the settlers on the prairie; and it was 
 equally certain that they would discover and 
 follow the trail left by the wagons. If the em- 
 igrants were overtaken in the open country, 
 they could offer but a feeble resistance; but if 
 they intrenched themselves in the cave, they 
 could hold any number of their foes at bay. 
 Archie explained this plan to the captain when 
 he found him, and, to his utter amazement, it 
 was rejected witnout an instant's hesitation.
 
 240 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 " I Ve done nothing but lead wagon trains 
 across these prairies for the last two years," said 
 the man. "I've made a business of it; but I 
 never before heard any thing about Indians on 
 'he war trail. You 've well-nigh frightened 
 the whole train to death by your cock-and-a- 
 bull story ; and, since the emigrants are bound 
 to turn back, I shall take them to Fort Alex- 
 ander." 
 
 " Why, that 's farther off than Fort Benton ! " 
 exclaimed Archie. " It must be two hundred 
 miles from here." 
 
 "No difference if it's a thousand. I don't 
 know the way to Benton, but I could go to 
 Alexander if I was blindfolded. And another 
 thing: wouldn't I look well trusting my own 
 life, and the lives of these people, to a boy 
 like you ! I do n't believe you ever saw an 
 Indian." 
 
 " I 've seen more of them than you ever did," 
 replied Archie, indignantly, "and I have had 
 more experience with them, if I am from the 
 States, Mark my words : Before morning, you 
 will wish you had taken my advice." 
 
 Archie left the captain and fell back to the
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE. 241 
 
 wagon of the invalid. "I am much obliged 
 to you, sir, for the use of your horse and rifle/' 
 said he, "but I must return them now. The 
 wagon-master is about to undertake a journey 
 of two hundred miles across the prairie; and, 
 as I do n't think it a safe piece of business, I 
 am going to leave the train and start off on my 
 own hook." 
 
 " Hold on ! " exclaimed the man, as Archie 
 dismounted to tie the horse to the wagon. 
 "Where are you going?" 
 
 Archie unfolded his plan again for the benefit 
 of the invalid, adding that, as the wagon-master 
 had not seen fit to adopt it, it was his inten- 
 tion to go alone to the Old Bear's Hole, and, 
 if he did not find Dick and Bob there, to strike 
 for Fort Benton. The invalid listened atten- 
 tively, and, when the boy ceased spreaking, 
 announced that it was his determination to ac- 
 company him. This was something that Archie 
 had not counted on, and he did not know 
 whether to be disappointed or delighted. The 
 prospect of a lonely journey of ninety miles, 
 through a country infested with hostile Indians, 
 even though there was a bare possibility that 
 16
 
 242 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 he might meet the trappers at the Old Bear's 
 Hole, was by no means a cheering one; and he 
 would have been glad of almost any company 
 except this invalid. If the latter accompanied 
 him, he would, of course, go in his wagon, and 
 that was an arrangement the boy did not like. 
 Its white cover could be seen at a long distance, 
 dark as it was, and if there were any Indians 
 about it would be certain to attract their at- 
 tention, in which case Archie, to save his own 
 life, would be obliged to leave the helpless 
 emigrant to shift for himself. 
 
 " You will let me go with you ? " said the 
 invalid, seeing that Archie hesitated. 
 
 " That is a matter which you must decide, 
 sir," was the reply. " I do not expect to reach 
 the fort without trouble; and whether or not 
 you will be safer with me than with the train, 
 is a question which I can not take the respon- 
 sibility of answering." 
 
 " I will answer it for myself: I shall go 
 with you." 
 
 Upon hearing this, the invalid's teamster, 
 who had sat listening to the conversation, 
 pulled up his horses with a jerk, and, hastily
 
 A HIDE FOR LIFE. 243 
 
 3ollecting the articles in the wagon which be- 
 longed to him, jumped to the ground. 
 
 "What's the matter out there?" asked the 
 owner of the wagon. " Why do n't you go on ?" 
 
 " 'Cause I am done with you ; that 's why," 
 replied the teamster, gruffly. "If you are goin' 
 into any sich business as this philanderin' off 
 over the prairy with that fool of a boy, who 
 will lose you an' himself into the bargain in 
 less 'n twenty niinuTes arter you git out of sight 
 of the train you can jest drive your own 
 wagon. I am goin' to stay with the emigrants, 
 where I know I am safe." 
 
 Every little trouble seems a mountain to a 
 sick person, and when the invalid heard this, 
 he covered his face with his hands and cried 
 like a child. As the teamster was about to 
 move off, he looked up and said, piteously : 
 
 " Mike, do n't leave me. Remember that I 
 can't help myself, and that I must have some 
 one to defend me if we get into trouble." 
 
 " I reckon my life is worth as much to me 
 as your'n is to you," was the rejoinder. 
 
 "Don't go yet, Mike; hear what I have to 
 say," continued the invalid. "I have twenty
 
 244 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 thousand dollars in hard money in this wa^cu, 
 and if you will go with me, and stick to me 
 until we reach Fort Benton, I will give you 
 one-fourth of it five thousand dollars. You 
 will certainly run less risk in traveling ninety 
 miles than in going two hundred." 
 
 The teamster stopped, and, walking slowly 
 back to the wagon, looked down at the ground 
 in a brown study. Archie, who had watched 
 his face closely, noticed that he listened with 
 indifference to the invalid's appeals to his pity, 
 but at the mention of the twenty thousand 
 dollars, the expression of unconcern on his face 
 gave way to a look of astonishment, and he 
 began to listen more eagerly. This made it 
 plain enough to Archie that, if the man con- 
 sented to accompany the wagon, it would not 
 be out of any desire to respect the wishes of 
 his employer, or to protect him if he fell into 
 danger, but simply to earn the money that had 
 been promised him. 
 
 *' }i [ had twenty thousand dollars, or twenty 
 cents, about me, I should be very careful not 
 to mention the fact in the presence of such a 
 man as he is," said Archie, to himself. "He
 
 A RIDE FUR LIFE. 245 
 
 is a villain I can see it in his eye; and I 
 hope he will decide to remain with the train. 
 I should feel quite as much at ease among the 
 Indians as I should with him for company." 
 
 "You will not leave me, Mike," said the 
 invalid, in a pleading voice. "Didn't I find 
 you in the streets of St. Joseph in a destitute 
 condition, and have n't I fed, clothed, and paid 
 you well since you have been with me? Drive 
 me to Fort Benton, and the five thousand dol- 
 lars are yours.' 
 
 "Wai, Mr. Brecker, you have treated me 
 mighty kind, that's a fact; and, now that I 
 think of it, it would be mean in me to desert 
 you. But I don't want to go alone this boy 
 would be of no account if we should happen to 
 fall into trouble; and, if I can get company, 
 I '11 stick by you." 
 
 The teamster, without waiting to hear the 
 invalid's profuse thanks, threw his bundle into 
 the wagon and hurried down the road out of 
 sight. He returned in a few minutes, accom- 
 panied by a rough, reckless-looking man, with 
 whom he was conversing earnestly. They 
 stopped at a short distance from the wagon,
 
 216 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ant 1 Archie, who was listening inte itly, over- 
 heard a portion of their conversation. Mike 
 was urging the man to accompany his employ- 
 er's wagon, and the latter was holding back 
 through fear of the Indians. 
 
 "I tell you thar aint no Injuns on the 
 prairy," said the teamster. "That boy don't 
 know what he's talkin' about. The wagon- 
 master says so, and so does every body else in 
 the train, except Brecker, and he's a fool. 
 It '11 be the best job you ever done. Twenty 
 thousand dollars aint picked off every bush 
 nowadays." 
 
 Archie pricked up his ears when he heard 
 this. The invalid had offered his teamster but 
 five thousand dollars for driving the wagon to 
 Fort Benton, and yet the man was talking as 
 though he had promised him the whole twenty 
 thousand. Archie began to get excited, and 
 believed that the best thing Mr. Brecker could 
 do would be to remain with the wagon train. 
 
 "Are you sure that you can depend upon that 
 man?" he inquired, addressing himself to the 
 invalid. 
 
 "Who- -Mike? Certainly. He is an honest
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE. 247 
 
 fellow, and I would trust him with my 'ife. 
 Why do you ask that question ? " 
 
 Archie did not think it best to give a direct 
 answer. The invalid was frightened nearly out 
 of his senses already, and the boy had no desire 
 tc increase his alarm by revealing the suspi- 
 cions that had suddenly arisen in his mind. 
 If Mr. Brecker was willing to trust himself 
 and his twenty thousand dollars on the prairie 
 under the protection of the teamster, it was 
 really no concern of his. If Mike was an 
 honest man, however, he was certainly keeping 
 bad company, and Archie thought it might be 
 a good plan to keep his eyes open and be pre- 
 pared for any emergency. He was sure that 
 something exciting would happen during the 
 ride to the Old Bear's Hole. While he was 
 thinking the matter over, the two men ap- 
 proached the wagon, and Mike introduced the 
 new-comer as his friend Bob Frost, an old 
 guide and Indian fighter. 
 
 " He is just the man we want," said the 
 invalid. " I shall feel safe now." 
 
 " In course you can feel safe," replied Frost, 
 with a braggadocio air that made Archie puf
 
 248 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 him down as a coward at once. "Thar aint 
 Injuns enough on the prairy to skeer me. I '11 
 take you through to Fort Benton without no 
 trouble. 'T aint wuth while to have that ar 
 youngster taggin' arter us, though," he added, 
 glancing at Archie. 
 
 "Why, he will show us where to go," replied 
 Mr. Brecker. 
 
 " We do n't need him, and he can't go," said 
 Frost, decidedly. " I know the way to Fort 
 Benton better nor he does." 
 
 " I do n't see how my presence will interfere 
 with you in any way," said Archie. " It was 
 I who first proposed Fort Benton as a place 
 of refuge, and I shall go there, whether you 
 are willing or not." 
 
 Frost had an overbearing air about him, and 
 an insolent way of talking that Archie did not 
 like, and he thought he might as well give 
 him to understand that he was not under his 
 control, and that he should do as he pleased. 
 When the man was about to reply, Mike in- 
 terrupted him. The two conversed in a low 
 tone for a few minutes, and then sprang into 
 the wagon and drove after the train, which
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE. 249 
 
 was by this time out of sight in the darkness. 
 In half an hour they reached the prairie, and, 
 leaving the road, the teamster turned to the 
 left and drove along the edge of the willows 
 toward the Old Bear's Hole. 
 
 The cover of the wagon was open at both 
 ends, and Archie could see every move the 
 men made. They drove rapidly for awhile, 
 and then, allowing the horses to settle down 
 into a slow walk, entered into an earnest con- 
 versation. The invalid tossed about uneasily 
 on his bed, now and then raising the cover of 
 the wagon, and looking out over the prairie to 
 satisfy himself that there were no savages in 
 sight, and, becoming impatient at length, de- 
 sired the teamster to drive faster. 
 
 "'Taint safe," said Frost, who seemed to 
 have taken the management of affairs into his 
 own hands. " The faster we go the more the 
 wheels rattle; an' if thar are any Injuns about, 
 the noise will lead them to us. I say, young- 
 stei ! Mebbe it would be a good plan fur you 
 to ride on ahead, an' see if the way is clear." 
 
 Now, this was something that Archie had 
 DO intention of doing. He had already marked
 
 250 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 out the course he intended to pursue, and one 
 thing he had determined upon was, that he 
 would not for a moment lose sight of the team- 
 ster and his friend. He thought too much of 
 his own safety, and, besides, he wanted tc be 
 at hand to protect the invalid ; for he was sure 
 that he would need somebody's protection be- 
 fore many minutes more had passed over his 
 head. He knew, as well as if had been ex- 
 plained to him in so many words, that the men 
 had determined to take possession of the twenty 
 thousand dollars, and that the guide's sugges- 
 tion, that he should ride on in advance, was 
 but a plan to get rid of him. Perhaps, the mo- 
 ment his back was turned, Frost would send a 
 ball into him ; or, it might be, that it was his 
 intention to lose him in the darkness, and then 
 dispatch the invalid and rob the wagon. Archie 
 did not know which of these two courses of ac- 
 tion the men had decided upon, but he was re- 
 solved that neither of them should prove suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 " Did you hear what I said, youngster? " ex- 
 claimed Frost, angrily. 
 
 " Oh yes, I heard you."
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE 251 
 
 " Then why do n't you start why do n't you 
 obey orders?" 
 
 " Well, I have two reasons. In the first 
 place, I do not recognize your right to give any 
 orders ; and, even if I did, I should pay no 
 attention to them, as long as you issue them in 
 that insolent tone of voice. In the next place, 
 if it is all the same to you, I prefer to ride 
 behind." 
 
 " Then you can stay behind. You can jest 
 toddle back to the wagon train." 
 
 " I am not going that way. My route lies 
 in this direction." 
 
 " Wai, then, travel on ahead," roared the 
 guide, growing angrier every moment. " We 
 do n't want you hangin' about us no longer." 
 
 " Oh, do n't send him off," cried the invalid. 
 " He is going to show us the way to a safe 
 hiding-place." 
 
 " You need not be at all uneasy, Mr. Breck- 
 er," said Archie. " I have not the least inten- 
 tion of leaving you alone with, these men." 
 
 " Haiiit you ? " exclaimed Frost. " Mike, 
 pull up them hosses. I '11 soon fix him." 
 
 The time for action had come, and Archie
 
 252 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 was ready for it. As the teamster stopped the 
 horses, and Frost leaped to the ground, he rode 
 up to the wagon, and, thrusting his hand un- 
 der the cover, pulled out the invalid's revolv- 
 ers. He knew just where to find them, for lit 
 had seen their owner place them beside him on 
 the mattress, where he could seize them at an 
 instant's warning. 
 
 "What's the matter?" cried Mr. Brecker> 
 in great alarm. " What are you going to do' 
 with those pistols?" 
 
 Archie could not stop to reply. He grasped 
 a revolver in each hand, and covering the team- 
 ster's head with one of the weapons, pointed 
 the other at the guide, who at that moment 
 came around the end of the wagon. The former 
 dropped the reins, and turned pale with terror ; 
 but Frost, who was in too great a hurry, and 
 too highly enraged to notice any thing, ran 
 up to Archie, and seized his horse by the 
 bridle. 
 
 " Now, my lad," said he, savagely ; " climb 
 down " 
 
 " Take your hand off that bridle ! " inter- 
 rupted Archie.
 
 A RIDE FOR LIFE. 253 
 
 Frost now looked up for the first time, and 
 seeing the shining barrel of the six-shooter lev- 
 eled full at his head, uttered a cry of alarm, 
 and staggered back as if he were about to fall 
 lo the ground. The man who boasted that he 
 had never seen Indians enough to frighten him, 
 was thoroughly cowed by a sixteen-year-old 
 boy. 
 
 "' Drop that knife ! " commanded Archie, and 
 the bowie which the guide held in his hand 
 fell to the ground instantly. " Look out there, 
 M'ke! I am watching you, and if you attempt 
 to pick up a weapon it will be the last of you. 
 Now, Frost," he added, waving one of his re- 
 volvers over the prairie in the direction he 
 supposed the wagon train to be, " make tracks. 
 Do n't stop to talk, but clear out at once. 
 Mr. Brecker and his money are safe while I 
 am about. Why don't you obey orders? 
 One two ' 
 
 The guide did not wait to hear any more 
 (he was afraid that when the "three" came 
 out, a bullet would come with it], but hurried 
 off at once, and without utter, ng a word. 
 Archie kept one of his revolvers pointed at
 
 254 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 him as long as he remained in sight, and then 
 turned to the teamster. 
 
 "Now, Mike, it's your turn," said he, giv- 
 ing emphasis to his words by pointing both 
 his weapons at the man's head. "Jump down 
 from that wagon, and follow your partner. 
 When I count three, I am going to send two 
 bullets over the seat on which you are now 
 sitting." 
 
 Had Archie fulfilled this threat, the bullets 
 would have passed through the empty air; for 
 Mike, taking him at his word, leaped to the 
 ground and walked off, shaking his head and 
 muttering to himself. That part of the work 
 was done, and now came a more difficult task, 
 and that was to quiet the invalid, who seemed 
 to be on the point of going into a fit of hys- 
 terics. Archie soothed him as best he could, 
 assuring him that the danger M^as passed, and 
 that there was nothing more to be apprehended 
 from the would-be robbers, but his words 
 seemed to have no other effect than to increase 
 the invalid's agitation. The boy did not know 
 what to do ; and, while he was considering the 
 matter, the reports of rifles suddenly rang out
 
 A RIDE F )K LIFE. 255 
 
 on the air, followed by a chorus of savage yells 
 which made the cold chills creep all over him. 
 The Indians had overtaken and attacked the 
 train. As quick as thought Archie dismounted, 
 and after tying his horse to the wagon, sprang 
 iato the driver's seat, and seized the reins and 
 whip. 
 
 What happened during the next two hours 
 Archie could scarcely have told. He tried 
 many a time afterward to recall the incidents 
 of that wild ride, but all that he could remem- 
 ber was that he clung to the reins with one 
 hand, and swung the whip with the other, un- 
 til his arm was so tired that he could hardly 
 raise it to his shoulder; that the spirited horses 
 never broke their mad gallop from the time they 
 left the willows, until he checked them on the 
 banks of a little creek, twenty miles from the 
 base of the mountains, where he stopped to ob- 
 tain a few minutes' rest ; that the heavy wagon 
 rocked and groaned like a vessel in a gale of 
 wind, as the frantic horses dragged it over the 
 prairie, up one swell and down another bound- 
 ing over buffalo wallows and gullies, which at 
 any other time would have effectually checked
 
 256 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 its progress; he remembered this as if it had 
 been a dream ; and when he came to himself, 
 he was sitting on the ground beside the wagon, 
 the horses were standing knee-deep in water, 
 and the invalid was staring at him with a be- 
 wildered air, like a man just aroused from a 
 sound sleep. 
 
 "Where are we?" asked the latter, in a 
 scarcely audible voice. 
 
 " We seem to be in a grove of willows on 
 the banks of a creek," replied Archie; "but 
 how long we have been here, and how we came 
 here in the first place, I scarcely know. What 
 is that noise?" 
 
 Archie was himself now, and all his senses 
 were on the alert. He heard the tramping of 
 horses' feet on the other side of the willows, 
 and, jumping up, he clambered into the wagon 
 and seized the whip; but the jaded horses re- 
 fused to move. One of them lay down in the 
 water, and before Archie could compel him to 
 get upon his feet again, the willows on the bank 
 were dashed aside, and a company of horsemen 
 came into view. They were not Indians, how- 
 ever, but cavalrymen from Fort Ben ton.
 
 CONCLUSION. 257 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 V1TI1EN Adam Brent saw the outlaw prepar- 
 ing to jump down upon him, he gave 
 himself up for lost. He was not able to defend 
 himself from the assault of that strong man, 
 and neither did he expect assistance from any 
 source; and when he saw the panther spring 
 from his hiding-place among the rocks, and 
 fall with Black Bill to the bottom of the cave, 
 he was so amazed and bewildered, that, for a 
 moment, he could scarcely believe the evidence 
 o f his eyes. He forgot Black Bill, and every 
 tl lag else, in the reflection that he had passed 
 a portion of the night in the cavern with that 
 savage animal, and that he had slept while his 
 glaring eyes were fastened upon him. Regard- 
 less of being seen by the outlaws, he looked 
 
 over .the bowlder, and watched the struggle 
 17
 
 258 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that was going on br /ow. He had nev ir wit- 
 nessed so desperate a fight before, and, although 
 he was intensely alarmed, he retained his wits 
 sufficiently to notice that the panther was get- 
 ting the best of it, and that he was in a fair 
 way to clear the cave of his enemies. The 
 bullets which Black Bill's friends had fired at 
 him, if they had hit him at all, had only served 
 to render him more furious. 
 
 When Adam first looked over the bowlder, 
 the combatants were tumbling about on the 
 ground, the men using their knives, and the 
 panther striking right and left with his claws, 
 and growling fiercely. In a moment the scene 
 changed. Black Bill was lying motionless 
 where he had fallen ; one of the outlaws, with 
 his face terribly lacerated, was rolling about, 
 uttering piercing cries of pain and terror ; the 
 other, who was the only one uninjured, was 
 trying to climb up the sides of the cave out 
 of reach of his dangerous antagonist ; and the 
 panther was crouching low on the ground, 
 looking toward .the passage-way, where stood a 
 couple, of trappers who had entered unobserved. 
 .-. " Seiid a chunk of lead into the critter, Dick;
 
 CONCLUSION. 259 
 
 thar's rny game," said Bob Kelly, pointing 
 toward the prostrate form of his old enemy. 
 
 The panther, lashing his sides with his tail, 
 sprang into the air, but was met half way by 
 a bullet sent by an unerring hand, and fell 
 dead almost at the feet of the old trapper, who 
 ran into the cave, and bent over Black Bill's 
 motionless figure; while Dick collared the un- 
 injured outlaw, and held him fast. 
 
 " We 're too late, Dick," exclaimed Bob, after 
 he had taken one glance at his insensible foe. 
 " I 've waited an' watched fur him all these 
 years to be cheated at last by a painter. The 
 critter's done the work fur him." 
 
 Dick's prisoner seemed astonished beyond 
 measure at the sudden appearance of the trap- 
 pers. He never thought of resistance, but 
 readily surrendered his knife, and begged lus- 
 tily for quarter. His captor looked at him with 
 an expression of great contempt on his honest 
 countenance. 
 
 "You're a purty feller, to lead wild Injuns 
 agin peaceable tradin'-posts, an' then when 
 you're k etched ask fur quarter, aint you?" he 
 exclaimed. ".If me a'n' Bob were Tike Tre used
 
 260 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to be, all your hollerin' an' beggin' wouldn't 
 do you no 'arthly good whatsomever; but we 
 lived among white folks a good while, an* 
 we've larnt that thar is law, even on the 
 prairy, fur jest sich fellers as you. We'll 
 take you to Fort Benton, that 's what we '11 do 
 with you, an' if you aint hung fur your mean- 
 ness, I shall allers think you'd oughter be. 
 Hallo ! Come down from thar, you keerless 
 feller!" 
 
 The trapper had discovered Adam looking at 
 him over the top of the bowlder. He thought 
 it was Archie, and he was a good deal disap- 
 pointed when he found that it was not. He 
 asked a good many questions concerning the 
 missing boy, but Adam knew nothing about 
 him. Archie had left him while he was sit- 
 ting by the fire in the soldiers' quarters, run- 
 ning bullets, and he had not seen him since. 
 
 " Never mind," said Dick ; " he '11 turn up 
 all right yet. He's got a heap of sense, that 
 little feller has, an' grit, too ; an' they '11 bring 
 him safe out of any scrape he can get into. 
 Now, where 's Frank, I wonder? The last 
 time I s'efed him t-liat boss o.f his'n was caYrsrin'
 
 CONCLUSION. 2&1 
 
 him through the ravine like a streak of light- 
 nin'. It would take two or three sich men is 
 I be to watch that oneasy feller." 
 
 Dick shouldered his rifle, and hi rried out in 
 search of Frank, while Bob, after binding the 
 prisoner, busied himself in setting things to 
 rights. In half an hour the Old Bear's Hole 
 presented a scene that was a cheering one to 
 our weary fugitives. The fire was burning 
 brightly again, the body of the outlaw had 
 been removed, and all traces of the fight which 
 had taken place there but a few minutes before, 
 \vere concealed by the leaves which the old 
 trapper had pulled out of the lower passage- 
 way and spread over the floor of the cave. 
 Dick had returned with Frank, who was so 
 jubilant over his success that, for a long time, 
 he could talk about nothing else. He felt par- 
 ticularly proud of the result of the race he had 
 just run. Roderick had fairly vanquished his 
 swift rival, and Frank, after a protracted rough- 
 and-tumble fight, had overpowered and bound 
 the Black Fox. The young hunter now lay 
 stretched out on the ground in front of the fire, 
 one hand supporting his head, and his eyes
 
 262 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 fastened upon his prisoner, who sat sullenly in 
 a remote corner of the cave. Adam lay near 
 him, watching the movements of the trappers, 
 one of whom was engaged in cutting up the 
 elk, and the other in superintending the broil- 
 ing of several steaks, which he had placed on 
 the coals. In the corner, opposite the entrance, 
 sat the outlaws the remnant of Black Bill's 
 band. The one who had been wounded during 
 his fight with the panther, was too severely in- 
 jured, and too thoroughly cowed by the pres- 
 ence of the trappers, to attempt escape, and con- 
 sequently he was not confined ; but the others 
 were bound hand and foot. 
 
 " Things are comin' out all right at last, aint 
 they?" said Dick, turning the steaks with his 
 knife. " If I could only see Archie settin' 
 somewhere about this fire, an' could hear him 
 laughin' an' goin' on like he allers does, I 
 should be jest as happy as I want to be. A 
 good many of the fellers that left the Colorado 
 with us we'll never see agin, but I'll bet a 
 hoss that we will find every one of our crowd 
 at Fort Benton, when we get thar. I come 
 out without a scratch, an' so did Frank an'
 
 CONCLUSION. 263 
 
 Adam ; Bob, here, has got a hole in his head, 
 made by a tomahawk, an' another in his arm, 
 made by a bullet; but he's as sassy and full 
 of fight as ever." 
 
 " Did you recognize Bob when he was play- 
 ing the part of medicine-man ?" asked Frank. 
 
 " Sartin I did. I 've knowed the ole feller 
 since I was a boy no bigger nor you, an' I 've 
 seed him when he looked wusser nor he did in 
 that doctor's dress. I knowed I was safe the 
 minute I seed him come into the village." 
 
 "How did you obtain possession of that dis- 
 guise?" inquired Frank, turning to the old 
 trapper. 
 
 "Easy enough. Arter Dick was captured, 
 I hung around the camp in the edge of the 
 woods, waitin' fur a chance to do something 
 fur him. I happened to meet the medicine- 
 man, an', thinkin' that I could make better 
 use of his rig nor he could, I jest knocked him 
 over." 
 
 The supper, which Dick now pronounced 
 ready, did not put a stop to the conversation, 
 for there was much to talk about. Adam told 
 had happened at the cave during Frank's
 
 264 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 absence, and the latter described his adventures, 
 from his unsuccessful attempt to liberate his 
 cousin down to the time he met the trappers 
 in the ravine. Dick and Bob were astonished 
 at the reckless courage he had exhibited. The 
 former, as usual, called him a " keerless feller/' 
 and Bob declared that he would make a trap- 
 per " wuth lookin' at." Then Dick told how 
 he had seen Bob captured while they were cut- 
 ting their way out of the fort, and how he had 
 gone into the camp in the disguise of a wounded 
 Indian to assist him in making his escape. 
 When he liberated Archie, however, he found 
 that Bob had already eluded his enemies ; and, 
 after wandering about the camp until he found 
 a rifle which he could take possession of with- 
 out attracting attention, he returned to his 
 horse, which he had left hidden in the bushes, 
 and soon overtook his chum, who was on his 
 way to the Old Bear's Hole. 
 
 When the boys had satisfied their appetites, 
 they lay down on the leaves and went to sleep, 
 while Dick set out in search of Archie, leaving 
 Bob to watch the boys and the prisoners during 
 his absence. He was gone all day, and when
 
 CONCLUSION. 265 
 
 he returned he was not as hopeful as when he 
 left in the morning. He had met no Indians, 
 he reported, but he had seen the ruins of a 
 wagon train, which had been attacked and 
 burned. If Archie was with that train, the 
 probabilities were that they would never see 
 him again. 
 
 After another hearty meal on venison, the 
 fugitives set out for Fort Ben ton, accompanied 
 by their four prisoners the trappers on foot, 
 and the boys and the wounded outlaw riding 
 the horses. They traveled all that night, and 
 at noon the next day arrived within sight of the 
 walls of the fort. The very first person they 
 saw was Archie Winters, who galloped out on 
 the chestnut-sorrel, swinging his hat around his 
 head, and shouting like one demented. 
 
 "Not one of our crowd is missing now," he 
 yelled, when he had embraced his cousin and 
 Adam, and shaken the trappers warmly by the 
 hand. " Captain Porter and Mr. Brent came 
 in last night. As I live, there 's my horse, 
 which I never expected to see again. And isn't 
 that Pete? Hurrah for every body! except the 
 Indians and the outlaws."
 
 266 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Almost the first thing the cousins discussed 
 was the race between Roderick and King James. 
 Archie listened attentively to his cousin's story, 
 and when it was concluded he said, in a tone jf 
 voice which showed very plainly that he was 
 not yet willing to give up beaten: 
 
 " The speed of a horse depends a good deal 
 upon the driver. I know that the Black Fox 
 was riding for his liberty, but I do n't believe 
 he made King James run as swiftly as I could, 
 if I had been on his back. But, since you were 
 kind enough to recapture the horse for me, I 
 will settle the matter by riding a race with 
 you at the very first opportunity that is, if 
 you say so." 
 
 " Of course I say so," replied Frank. 
 "Archie, you do crawl out of little holes when 
 you are cornered, do n't you ? I '11 beat you so 
 badly that you will never boast of your horse's 
 epeed again." 
 
 Although the boys were very jubilant, and 
 often congratu ated one another on the good 
 fortune that had attended their " crowd," they 
 still had much to be sorry for. Of the twenty 
 trappers who had accompanied them across the
 
 CONCLUSION. 267 
 
 plains from Fort Yuma, only seven remained. 
 More than one brave fellow mourned the loss 
 of his chum, who had fallen by the hands of 
 the Indians, and the boys heartily smpathized 
 with them, one and all. But still the expedi- 
 tion was not abandoned, and neither was the 
 departure from the fort long delayed. After a 
 consultation with the trappers, Captain Porter 
 decided to pass the winter on the Saskatchewan ; 
 and the morning of the third day after their 
 arrival at the fort, found the cousins ready for 
 the journey. Archie took leave of the invalid, 
 who, to show his gratitude for the services the 
 boy hud rendered, offered him half his twenty 
 thousand dollars ; and when Archie declined 
 to accept, he insisted on presenting him with 
 his horse and rifle. The expedition was as 
 well equipped now as when it left the Colo- 
 rado, for the captain had procured a supply 
 of weapons, traps, pack-mules, and provi- 
 sions from a trader who happened to be at 
 the fort. 
 
 " Good-by, Adam," said Frank, who stood 
 with one hand clasping his friend's, and the 
 other holding the impatient Roderick by the
 
 268 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 bridle. " We have seen some stirring ^i 
 during our short acquaintance, and you will 
 not be likely to forgot us soon, will you ? " 
 
 " I '11 never forget you," replied Adam, 
 earnestly. " If it had n't been for you, Frank, 
 I should now be a prisoner in the hands of the 
 outlaws. I tell you, fellows, my ideas concern- 
 ing boys from the States have changed wonder- 
 fully since I first met you. You can both beat 
 me riding and shooting, and you take to the 
 mountains as naturally as though you had been 
 born here." 
 
 When the farewells had been said, Adam re- 
 turned slowly and sorrowfully to his quarters 
 in the fort, and the cousins galloped after the 
 trappers, who had already disappeared behind 
 the distant swells. 
 
 The adventures we have attempted to describe 
 in this volume form but a small portion of the 
 history of the life Frank and Archie led while 
 they remained with Captain Porter. If space 
 would allow, we might tell of many interesting 
 events that happened during the winter they 
 passed upon the banks of the Saskatchewan. 
 We might describe the races which came off
 
 CONCLUSION. 269 
 
 between the rival horses, in every one of which 
 the gallant little black was as badly beaten aa 
 ever Sleepy Sam had been. Although Archie, 
 at first, found any number of " little holes to 
 crawl out of," he was finally obliged to confess 
 that Roderick was the swifter horse. We might 
 tell of the rivalry which existed between the 
 boys, and which seemed to grow stronger every 
 day, affording infinite amusement to the trap- 
 pers, who praised first one, and then the other, 
 to incite them to greater deeds of valor; how 
 Frank took the lead by killing a grizzly bear, 
 alone and unaided, and Archie, to be even 
 with him, nearly broke King James's neck, 
 and his own into the bargain, by attempting 
 to capture a wild horse. That was a proud 
 day for Archie, for he actually succeeded in 
 lassoing one of the drove; but, unfortunately, 
 the lariat was insecurely fastened to his saddle, 
 and the wild steed made his escape after all, 
 carrying the lasso with him. All the trappers 
 voted that this exploit was fully equal to the 
 killing of a grizzly, and that, if Frank wished 
 to take the lead again, he must trap or shoot < 
 another b'nar. We might recount the adven-
 
 270 FRANK 15 THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 tures that befell them during the two weeks 
 they were lost in the mountains, living in a 
 little hut they had built under the shelter of 
 a friendly cliff, which effectually protected 
 them from the fury of the snow-storms enjoy- 
 ing splendid shooting in the meantime, and 
 experiencing not a single fear but that "every 
 thing would come out all right" in the end. 
 We might tell of the long winter evenings they 
 passed listening to the trappers' stories; and 
 of the days, too, when they never stirred out 
 of the cabin, because they were snowed under 
 and could not get out. This was the poetry 
 of the life they led during that long-to-be- 
 remembered winter, and then came the prose. 
 Their provisions gradually disappeared; game 
 became scarce; the snow filled up the mountain 
 passes to the depth of forty feet, and covered 
 all their traps; their horses and mules were 
 killed and eaten, and finally but one single 
 horse remained besides Roderick and King 
 James, and that was Pete. His time came at 
 last, and then the cousins looked at one another 
 with a most doleful expression on thei hunger- 
 pintihed faces.
 
 CONCLUSION. 271 
 
 " It can't be helped, boys," said Captain 
 Porter. " We must live, and one horse ia 
 about as good as another, any how. I have 
 twenty-five hundred of them on my rancho, and 
 when we get home you can take your pick of 
 the lot." 
 
 " Do you suppose I could ever find a horse that 
 would suit me as well as King James?" whis- 
 pered Archie, drawing the captain off on one 
 side. "No, I couldn't; but take him and save 
 Roderick, if you can. Frank thinks so much 
 of that horse I should n't like to see him killed." 
 
 Frank saw the whispered conversation going 
 on, and, suspecting something at once, took 
 Dick into his confidence. "I know what they 
 are talking about," said he, "and I am not 
 going to have any one make sacrifices for me. 
 When you get up in the morning, go out 
 and shoot Roderick. It would be a severe 
 blow to Archie to lose his horse, and I will 
 prevent it as long as I can." 
 
 The trappers, knowing how hard it would 
 be for the boys to part with their favorites, 
 hunted all that day without any food at all} 
 jtijd wlKSu they returned to the camp that night,
 
 272 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 they brought four big-horns and an elk. That 
 hunt saved the lives of the horses, for, in a 
 day or two, the snow began to melt, game be- 
 came more abundant, and things looked bright 
 again. It had been a narrow escape for their 
 favorites, however, and the boys, fearing that 
 they might again be placed in the same situa- 
 tion, became impatient to begin the homeward 
 journey. Besides, they had seen quite enough 
 of perilous adventure, were heartily tired of 
 life in the mountains, and longed for the 
 society of their friends once more. To their 
 great delight, their departure from the Sas- 
 katchewan was not long delayed. One bright, 
 spring morning, they started for Fort Churchill, 
 where the captain procured a supply of horses 
 and pack-mules, and, after a fatiguing ride of 
 nearly two months, the cousins found them- 
 selves once more in Uncle James's rancho. 
 They met new faces there, for Mr. Winters 
 had sold his farm and stock, and the purchaser 
 had taken possession of the premises. 
 
 There was nothing now to detain them in 
 California, and after a few days spent in tak- 
 tog Ifeave df their acquaintances -thtey found
 
 CONCLUSION. 273 
 
 it an exceedingly difficult task to say good-by 
 to Dick and Bob the' cousins took passage on 
 board a steamer for Portland. In four weeks 
 more the little cottage on the banks of Oen's 
 Creek was filled with a happy party, including 
 Archie's father and mother, and Uncle James. 
 Things began to wear their old accustomed 
 look again. The Speedwell once more rode 
 proudly at her moorings in the creek (her sail- 
 ing qualities had not been injured in the least 
 by her fourteen months of idleness, and she 
 was still able to beat the swiftest boat about the 
 village), the door of the museum was open every 
 day, and there was plenty of work being done 
 there. A stand had been erected in the middle 
 of the room, and it was already filled with 
 specimens which excited the wonder and ad- 
 miration of the village boys. " Old Davy " 
 was there, stuffed and mounted, and looking so 
 life-like that Archie said he almost expected to 
 see him jump down from the stand and come 
 at him. Then there were three smaller griz- 
 zlies, two elk, as many Rocky Mountain goats, 
 and the prong-horn they had killed on the day 
 they were lost on the prairie. 
 18
 
 274 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 In Frank's room some changes had been 
 made. There were more pictures on the walls 
 now, and among them was the identical one 
 which Pierre Castello had removed from its 
 hook on the night he tried to compel Frank to 
 tell where he had hidden the office key. The 
 picture was hanging from the same hook over 
 which the Ranchero had thrown the lasso when 
 he pulled Frank up by the neck, and the lasso 
 itself was there also or, rather, all there was 
 left of it. The "sporting cabnet," which hung 
 on the frame at the foot of the bed, had received 
 several additions in the shape of rifles, revolv- 
 ers, and hunting-knives; and the hooks at the 
 top of the frame supported the bow, quiver of 
 arrows, and tomahawk which Frank had cap- 
 tured from the Black Fox. An apartment in 
 the book-case, which contained the stuffed birds, 
 was devoted to the other relics which the boys 
 had collected during their absence. There were 
 knives, pistols, and carbines from Don Carlos' 
 rancho; a piece of the "bridge of clouds," at 
 which the trappers had been to badly frightened ; 
 a portion of the flat-boat which had carried 
 the horses across the creek; and also the Ian-
 
 CONCLUSION. 275 
 
 tern which Archie had used in the stable. 
 There were stone arrow and spear heads, and 
 necklaces of bears' claws from Fort Benton; 
 elk horns from the Saskatchewan; and Mexican 
 dresses, spurs, lassos, and a saddle and bridle 
 from Southern California. In short, the room 
 was almost as much of a curiosity-shop as the 
 museum itself. 
 
 The barn had two more occupants now, and 
 they were Roderick and King James. The 
 horses had been so intimately connected with 
 their adventures on the plains and in the mount- 
 ains, and the boys had become so greatly at- 
 tached to them, that they could not think of 
 leaving them behind. They were plump and 
 fat now, looking very unlike the poor, scraggy 
 animals which had so narrowly escaped being 
 served up at the camp fire, and many a pleas- 
 ant morning gallop had the boys taken with 
 them over the breezy hills with which Law- 
 rence was surrounded. 
 
 Frank had brought another old friend with 
 him, and that was Marmion. Brave at first 
 regarded the new-comer with suspicion; but 
 being, like his master, of a kind and accommo-
 
 276 FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 dating disposition, he made overtures of friend- 
 ship, to which the ill-mannered Marmion re- 
 sponded by taking Brave down and giving him 
 a good shaking. But the Newfoundland was 
 like his master in another respect : he was hard 
 to whip; and, before the boys could separate 
 the combatants, he gave his fierce antagonist a 
 drubbing that must have astonished him. At 
 any rate, Marmion howled lustily for quarter, 
 and the next time Brave made advances, they 
 were more graciously received. The dogs were 
 now living very peaceably, Brave occupying 
 his kennel by the back porch, and Marmion 
 sleeping in the barn. They ate out of the same 
 dish, without any quarreling over the tit-bits, 
 always accompanied their master wherever he 
 went, and if one got into trouble with the vil- 
 lage curs, the other always lent prompt and 
 effective assistance. 
 
 The cousins had not forgotten the quiet 
 sports they had so often enjoyed in the days 
 gone by. Their fishing-rods and double-barrels 
 came as readily to their hands as ever ; squirrels 
 and trout were served up at the cottage every 
 day; and to many a thrilling story did George
 
 CONCLUSION. 277 
 
 and Harry Butler listen while sailing up and 
 down the river in the old Speedwell. Of all 
 the adventures of which Frank and Archie had 
 been the heroes during their journeyings in the 
 Far West, they delighted most to talk about 
 those which befell them on the memorable uight 
 they spent IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 THE END.
 
 FAMOUS STANDARD 
 JUVENILE LIBRARIES. 
 
 ANY VOLUME SOLD SEPARATELY AT $1.00 PER VOLUMB 
 
 (Except the Sportsman's Club Series, Frank Nelson Series and 
 
 Jack Hazard Series.). 
 
 Each Volume Illustrated. J2mo. Cloth. 
 
 HORATIO ALGER, JR. 
 
 THE enormous sales of the books of Horatio Alger, Jr., 
 show the greatness of his popularity among the boys, and 
 prove that he is one of their most favored writers. I am told 
 that more than half a million copies altogether have been 
 sold, and that all the large circulating libraries in the country 
 have several complete sets, of which only two or three vol- 
 umes are ever on the shelves at one time. If this is true, 
 what thousands and thousands of boys have read and are 
 reading Mr. Alger's books ! His peculiar style of stories, 
 often imitated but never equaled, have taken a hold upon the 
 young people, and, despite their similarity, are eagerly read 
 as soon as they appear. 
 
 Mr. Alger became famous with the publication of that 
 undying book, "Ragged Dick, or Street Life in New York." 
 It was his first book for young people, and its success was so 
 great that he immediately devoted himself to that kind of 
 writing. It was a new and fertile field for a writer then, and 
 Mr. Alger's treatment of it at once caught the fancy of the 
 boys. "Ragged Dick" first appeared in 1868, and ever since 
 then it has been selling steadily, until now it is estimated 
 that about 200,000 copies of the series have been sold. 
 
 Pleasant ffoursfor Boys and Girls.
 
 2 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 
 
 A writer for boys should have an abundant sympathy 
 with them. He should be able to enter into their plans, 
 hopes, and aspirations. He should learn to look upon life 
 as they do. Boys object to be written down to. A boy's 
 heart opens to the man or writer who understands him. 
 
 From Writing Stories for Boys, by Horatio Alger, Jr. 
 
 RAGGED DICK SERIES. 
 
 6 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $6.00 
 
 Ragged Dick. Rough and Ready. 
 
 Fame and Fortune. Ben the Luggage Boy. 
 
 Mark the Match Boy. Rufus and Rose. 
 
 TATTERED TOM SERIES First Series. 
 
 4 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $4.00 
 
 Tattered Tom. Phil the Fiddler. 
 
 Paul the Peddler. Slow and Sure. 
 
 TATTERED TOM SERIES Second Series. 
 
 4 vols. |4.oo 
 
 Julius. Sam's Chance. 
 
 The Young Outlaw. The Telegraph Boy. 
 
 CAMPAIGN SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $3.00 
 
 Frank's Campaign. Charlie Codman's Cruise. 
 
 Paul Prescott's Charge. 
 
 LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES First Series. 
 
 4 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $4-oo 
 
 Luck and Pluck. Strong and Steady. 
 
 Sink or Swim. Strive and Succeed.
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 3 
 
 LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES Second Series. 
 
 4 vols. |4.oo 
 
 Try and Trust. Risen from the Ranks. 
 
 Bound to Rise. Herbert Carter's, I,egacy. 
 
 BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES. 
 
 4 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. |4.oo 
 
 Brave and Bold. Shifting for Himself. 
 
 Jack's Ward. Wait and Hope. 
 
 NEW WORLD SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $3.00 
 
 Digging for Gold. Facing the World. In a New World. 
 
 VICTORY SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $3.00 
 
 Only an Irish Boy. Adrift in the City. 
 
 Victor Vane, or the Young Secretary. 
 
 FRANK AND FEARLESS SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $3.00 
 
 Frank Hunter's Peril. Frank and Fearless. 
 
 The Young Salesman. 
 
 GOOD FORTUNE LIBRARY. 
 
 3 vols. BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. $3.00 
 
 Walter Sherwood's Probation. A Boy's Fortune. 
 The Young Bank Messenger. 
 
 RUPERT'S AMBITION. 
 
 i voL BY HORATIO AI,GER, JR. |i.oo 
 
 JED, THE POOR-HOUSE BOY. 
 
 i vol. BY HORATIO AI.GER, JR. $1.00
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 
 
 HARRY CASTLEMON. 
 
 HOW I CAME TO WRITE MY FIRST BOOK. 
 
 WHEN I was sixteen years old I belonged to a composi- 
 tion class. It was our custom to go on the recitation seat 
 every day with clean slates, and we were allowed ten min- 
 utes to write seventy words on any subject the teacher 
 thought suited to our capacity. One day he gave out "What 
 a Man Would See if He Went to Greenland. ' ' My heart was 
 in the matter, and before the ten minutes were up I had one 
 side of my slate filled. The teacher listened to the reading 
 of our compositions, and when they were all over he simply 
 said : "Some of you will make your living by writing one 
 of these days." That gave me something to ponder upon_ 
 I did not say so out loud, but I knew that my composition 
 was as good as the best of them. By the way, there was 
 another thing that came in my way just then. I was read- 
 ing at that time one of Mayne Reid's works which I had 
 drawn from the library, and I pondered upon it as much as 
 I did upon what the teacher said to me. In introducing 
 Swartboy to his readers he made use of this expression : 
 "No visible change was observable in Swartboy 's counte- 
 nance. ' ' Now, it occurred to me that if a man of his educa- 
 tion could make such a blunder as that and still write a 
 book, I ought to be able to do it, too. I went home that very 
 day and began a story, "The Old Guide's Narrative," which 
 was sent to the New York Weekly, and came back, respect- 
 fully declined. It was written on both sides of the sheets 
 but I didn't know that this was against the rules. Nothing 
 abashed, I began another, and receiving some instruction, 
 from a friend of mine who was a clerk in a book store, I 
 wrote it on only one side of the paper. But mind you, he 
 didn't know what I was doing. Nobody knew it ; but one
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 5 
 
 day, after a hard Saturday's work the other boys had been 
 out skating on the brick-pond I shyly broached the subject 
 to my mother. I felt the need of some sympathy. She 
 listened in amazement, and then said : "Why, do you think 
 you could write a book like that?" That settled the matter, 
 and from that day no one knew what I was up to until I sent 
 the first four volumes of Gunboat Series to my father. Was 
 it work ? Well, yes ; it was hard work, but each week I had 
 the satisfaction of seeing the manuscript grow until the 
 "Young Naturalist" was all complete. 
 
 Harry Castlemon in the Writer. 
 
 GUNBOAT SERIES. 
 
 6 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $6.00 
 
 Frank the Young Naturalist. Frank before Vicksburg. 
 Frank on a Gunboat. Frank on the Lower Mississippi. 
 
 Frank in the \Voods. Frank on the Prairie. 
 
 ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00 
 
 Frank Among the Rancheros. Frank in the Mountains. 
 Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho. 
 
 SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3-75 
 
 The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle. The Sportsman's Club 
 The Sportsman's Club Afloat. Among the Trappers. 
 
 FRANK NELSON SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. 13-75 
 
 Snowed up. Frank in the Forecastle. The Boy Traders. 
 
 BOY TRAPPER SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00 
 
 The Buried Treasure. The Boy Trapper. The Mail Carrier.
 
 6 HENRY T. COATES & CO. 'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 
 
 ROUGHING IT SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. f3-oo 
 
 George in Camp. George at the Fort. 
 
 George at the Wheel. 
 
 ROD AND GUN SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00 
 
 Don Gordon's Shooting Box. The Young Wild Fowlers. 
 Rod and Gun Club. 
 
 GO-AHEAD SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00 
 
 Tom Newcombe. Go-Ahead. No Moss. 
 
 WAR SERIES. 
 
 6 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $6.00 
 
 True to His Colors. Marcy the Blockade-Runner. 
 
 Rodney the Partisan. Marcy the Refugee. 
 
 Rodney the Overseer. Sailor Jack the Trader. 
 
 HOUSEBOAT SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. 3.00 
 
 The Houseboat Boys. The Mystery of Lost River Canon. 
 The Young Game Warden. 
 
 AFLOAT AND ASHORE SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3-oo 
 
 Rebellion in Dixie. A Sailor in Spite of Himself. 
 
 The Ten-Ton Cutter. 
 
 THE PONY EXPRESS SERIES. 
 
 3 vol. BY HARRY CASTLEMON. $3.00 
 
 The Pony Express Rider. The White Beaver. 
 
 Carl, The Trailer.
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. J 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS. 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS, the popular writer of boys' books, is 
 a native of Ohio, where he was born somewhat more than a 
 half-century ago. His father was a famous hunter and rifle 
 shot, and it was doubtless his exploits and those of his asso- 
 ciates, with their tales of adventure which gave the son his 
 taste for the breezy backwoods and for depicting the stirring 
 life of the early settlers on the frontier. 
 
 Mr. Ellis began writing at an early age and his work was 
 acceptable from the first. His parents removed to New 
 Jersey while he was a boy and he was graduated from the 
 State Normal School and became a member of the faculty 
 while still in his teens. He was afterward principal of the 
 Trenton High School, a trustee and then superintendent of 
 schools. By that time his services as a writer had become 
 so pronounced that he gave his entire attention to literature. 
 He was an exceptionally successful teacher and wrote a num- 
 ber of text-books for schools, all of which met with high 
 favor. For these and his historical productions, Princeton 
 College conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. 
 
 The high moral character, the clean, manly tendencies 
 and the admirable literary style of Mr. Ellis' stories have 
 made him as popular on the other side of the Atlantic as in 
 this country. A leading paper remarked some time since, 
 that no mother need hesitate to place in the hands of her boy 
 any book written by Mr. Ellis. They are found in the lead- 
 ing Sunday-school libraries, where, as may well be believed, 
 they are in wide demand and do much good by their sound, 
 wholesome lessons which render them as acceptable to parents 
 as to their children. All of his books published by Henry 
 T. Coates & Co. are re-issued in London, and many have 
 been translated into other languages. Mr. Ellis is a writer 
 of varied accomplishments, and, in addition to his stones, is 
 the author of historical works, of a number of pieces of pop-
 
 8 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 
 
 ular music and has made several valuable inventions. Mi . 
 Ellis is in the prime of his mental and physical powers, and 
 great as have been the merits of his past achievements, there 
 is reason to look for more brilliant productions from his pen 
 in the near future. 
 
 DEERFOOT SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $3.00 
 
 Hunters of the Ozark. The Last War Trail. 
 
 Camp in the Mountains. 
 
 LOG CABIN SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $3-oo 
 
 Lost Trail. Footprints in the Forest. 
 
 Camp-Fire and Wigwam. 
 
 BOY PIONEER SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $3-oo 
 
 Ned in the Block-House. Ned on the River. 
 
 Ned in the Woods. 
 
 THE NORTHWEST SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $3-oo 
 
 Two Boys in Wyoming. Cowmen and Rustlers. 
 
 A Strange Craft and its Wonderful Voyage. 
 
 BOONE AND KENTON SERIES. 
 
 3 vols. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $3.00 
 
 Shod with Silence. In the Days of the Pioneers. 
 
 Phantom of the River. 
 
 IRON HEART, WAR CHIEF OF THE IROQUOIS. 
 
 i vol. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. |i.oo 
 
 THE SECRET OF COFFIN ISLAND. 
 
 i vol. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. $1.00 
 
 THE BLAZING ARROW. 
 
 I vol. BY EDWARD S. ELLIS. |r.oo
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES 
 
 J. T. TROWBRIDGE. 
 
 NEITHER as a writer does he stand apart from the great 
 currents of life and select some exceptional phase or odd 
 combination of circumstances. He stands on the common 
 level and appeals to the universal heart, and all that he sug- 
 gests or achieves is on the plane and in the line of inarch of 
 the great body of humanity. 
 
 The Jack Hazard series x>f stories, published in the late 
 Our Young Folks, and continued in the first volume of St. 
 Nicholas, under the title of "Fast Friends," is no doubt 
 destined to hold a high place in this class of literature. The 
 delight of the boys in them (and of their seniors, too) is 
 well founded. They go to the right spot every time. Trow- 
 bridge knows the heart of a boy like a book, and the heart 
 of a man, too, and he has laid them both open in these books 
 in a most successful manner. Apart from the qualities that 
 render the series so attractive to all young readers, they 
 have great value on account of their portraitures of American 
 country life and character. The drawing is wonderfully 
 accurate, and as spirited as it is true. The constable, Sel- 
 lick, is an original character, and as minor figures where will 
 we find anything better than Miss Wansey, and Mr. P. Pip- 
 kin, Esq. The picture of Mr. Dink's school, too, is capital, 
 and where else in fiction is there a better nick-name than 
 that the boys gave to poor little Stephen Treadwell, "Step 
 Hen," as he himself pronounced his name in an unfortunate 
 moment when he saw it in print for the first time in his les- 
 son in school. 
 
 On the whole, these books are very satisfactory, and 
 afford the critical reader the rare pleasure of the works that 
 are just adequate, that easily fulfill themselves and accom- 
 plish all they set out to do. Scribner's Monthly.
 
 JO HENRY T. COATES & CO.'S POPULAR JUVENILES. 
 
 JACK HAZARD SERIES. 
 
 6 vols. BY J. T. TROWBRI GE. $7-25 
 
 Jack Hazard and His Fortunes. Doing His Best. 
 
 The Young Surveyor. A Chance for Himself. 
 
 Fast Friends. Lawrence's Adventures. 
 
 ROUNDABOUT LIBRARY. 
 
 For Boys and Girls. 
 (97 Volumes.) 75c. per Volume* 
 
 The attention of Librarians and Bookbuyers generally 
 is called to HENRY T. COATES & Co.'s ROUNDABOUT 
 LIBRARY, by the popular authors. 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS, MARGARET VANDEGRIFT, 
 
 HORATIO ALGER, JR., HARRY CASTLEMON, 
 
 C. A. STEPHENS, G. A. HENTY, 
 
 LUCY C. LILLIE and others. 
 
 No authors of the present day are greater favorites with 
 boys and girls. 
 
 Every book is sure to meet with a hearty reception by 
 young readers. 
 
 Librarians will find them to be among the most popular 
 books on their lists. 
 
 Complete lists and net pi-ices furnished on application. 
 
 HENRY T. COATES & CO. 
 
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 PHILADELPHIA
 
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