"Whoa! shtop him!" he called out, seeing Crockett.
"What's the matter?" asked the latter, with a laugh, as he turned his horse so as to head him off.
"He got scared at a pig bear back in te woods, and I can't shtop him."
The animal was certainly frightened at something, and instead of stopping before the obstruction placed in his path, he shied sharply to the right. Hans was unprepared for this movement, and he rolled over to the other side, bringing himself to the ground, with the feather-bed upon top of him. Leaving him to disengage himself as best he could, Crockett made a dash for the horse just in time to catch his bridle.
"Doonder blitzen!" muttered Hans, as he staggered to his feet, "what made you shtop de hoss so chook up?"
"That's the only way I see'd to do it. Are you hurt any?"
"I dinks I am," replied the Dutchman, as he began feeling of different parts of his person, "I prokes my pipe, and I bu'sted two buttons off my coat behind, and I feels pad all over of myself."
"If you will take my advice you'll strip off all there is on this hoss."
"Vot I does shmit it?"
"Leave it here till you kin come back and get it; if you keep it on the horse, and try to get it into the settlement, you'll lose it and your scalp, too."