CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS—THE TRAIL FROM LEAVENWORTH—ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE—PRAIRIE CHICKENS—BUILDING THE CABIN—THE COSY SITTING-ROOM—ANIMALS FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE PRAIRIE—WHY THE CREEK WAS NAMED "OXHIDE" [Page 1]
CHAPTER II
THE HOUSE IS FINISHED—BUILDING CORRALS—THE HOUNDS—THEIR FIGHT WITH A LYNX—ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE—THE IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO—CAPTURE FOUR CALVES—GET THEIR PONIES IN A STRANGE MANNER—BREAKING THEM [Page 13]
CHAPTER III
THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME—AN IDEA SUDDENLY STRIKES ROB—ROB'S QUEST AND LUCK—THE ISLAND OF WILLOWS—ROB'S BIG CAT—JOE'S TUSSLE WITH A PANTHER CUB—KILLS HIM—IS WOUNDED—SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND GETS HOME AT LAST—GIVES THE BEAUTIFUL ROBE TO HIS MOTHER [Page 29]
CHAPTER IV
BOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE—THEIR PETS—THE GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF—JOE TO THE RESCUE—DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST [Page 48]
CHAPTER V
THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE—OLD "YELLOW CALF," THE CHIEF—JOE IS NAMED "THE WHITE PANTHER"—JOE GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND—HE LEARNS THE LANGUAGE—HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE [Page 62]
CHAPTER VI
THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK—SCOUTS GO TO THE RESCUE—JOE AND ROB TALK OVER THE HORRID WORK OF THE SAVAGES—THE DOG SOLDIERS—CHARLEY BENT—PLACE OF RENDEZVOUS—PARTY STARTS OUT—JOE'S OPINION IS ASKED [Page 71]
CHAPTER VII
ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN—A DEER HUNT—WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW—THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE GIRLS—THE DEAD AND WOUNDED—MEN HIDDEN IN THE BRUSH—AN INDIAN LEGEND—ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY—THE DEER HUNT IN THE MORNING—DEATH OF THE DEER [Page 98]
CHAPTER VIII
MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH—HE TELLS SOME STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS—SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN—THE AMERICAN COUGAR—THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER—THE RABBIT HUNT—HOW THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS [Page 118]
CHAPTER IX
INDIAN RAIDS—KATE IS MISSING—"BUFFALO BILL'S" OPINION—"BUFFALO BILL" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET—THE SOLDIERS RETURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER—GRIEF OF THE FAMILY [Page 137]
CHAPTER X
HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS—THE BAND RIDE RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD—AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE—HER DETERMINATION TO ESCAPE—TEACHES THE SQUAWS—IS TREATED KINDLY [Page 147]
CHAPTER XI
THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH—KATE'S RETURN—CUSTER'S BATTLE WITH "BLACK KETTLE"—KATE TELLS HER STORY—THE ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN—A WOLF HUNT WITH GENERAL CUSTER—A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL [Page 156]
CHAPTER XII
A WOLF HUNT—TWO SNAKE STORIES—TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH A MOUNTAIN WOLF—A MAIL RIDER EATEN—THE OLD TRAPPER'S EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS [Page 193]
CHAPTER XIII
JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER—GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT THE RENDEZVOUS—THE WOLF DENS—FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN THE HOUNDS AND A WOLF—CINCH'S GREAT BATTLE [Page 211]
CHAPTER XIV
A WILD TURKEY HUNT—THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK—THE TURKEY ROOST—THE SHOOTING BEGINS—COUNTING THE NUMBER KILLED—JOE SELLS TURKEYS [Page 222]
CHAPTER XV
HOW THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS—MOCKING-BIRDS—EATEN BY SNAKES—JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK—THE LAST OF THE WOLVES—FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST—JOE BUILDS A CAGE FOR THEM—RAISING CHICKENS [Page 229]
CHAPTER XVI
THE PAWNEES RETURN—ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS—JOE MISSES—WHITE WOLF—TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT—THE SAND-HILL CRANES—THEIR WEIRD COTILLION [Page 246]
CHAPTER XVII
WILD HORSES—JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT—CAMP ON THE WALNUT—WOLVES AND LYNXES—KILL AN ELK—THE CHASE—CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION—WHITE WOLF'S SKILL—BREAKING THE HORSES [Page 256]
CHAPTER XVIII
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO—THE STAMPEDE—THE SOLDIERS IN FULL CHASE—JOE GETS TWO COWS—HAULING IN THE MEAT—RATTLESNAKES [Page 272]
CHAPTER XIX
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE—KATE'S PONY WINS—THE TRADE WITH THE PAWNEES—THE DANCES AT NIGHT—THE INDIANS SAY GOOD BY TO THE FAMILY—NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF [Page 281]
CHAPTER XXM
CONCLUSION
RETROSPECTIVE—THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY—MR. AND MRS. THOMPSON ARE DEAD—GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL KEOGH ARE KILLED—ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND ROB [Page 295]