Jack Among the Indians; Or, A Boy's Summer on the Buffalo Plains

by George Bird Grinnell

After she had finished speaking, Joe said to Jack: "Well, let's go over and tell him."

"Well, but Joe," said Jack, "what did she say? I thought she was mad because we wanted to go with you."

"Ho," said Joe, "she was mad; that is, she was a little mad, but that isn't the reason why; she said, 'Why does White Bull talk like that? Doesn't he know that if he wants to stop in our lodge he shall come into it and sit down and stay as long as he wants? Tell him he talks like a foolish person, and that Fox Eye will be glad to see him whenever he comes, and glad to have him stop as long as he feels like stopping.'"

The boys went back to Hugh and gave the message that Joe's aunt had sent, and Jack and Hugh went to the lodge, packed up the two beds, and got out some sugar and coffee and flour, luxuries which were to be their contribution to the supplies of Fox Eye's lodge. It occurred to Jack, also, that it would be a nice thing to give Fox Eye, himself, a present of tobacco, and to his wife some beads and red cloth, as some acknowledgement of her kindness to him. When the bundles were ready Jack went out and brought in Pawnee, saddled him, and riding out to the horse herd on the hills, selected one of their own pack animals, brought it in and tied it up ready for packing when the time should come for starting.

About mid-day the little train started northeast, and camped that night at a small lake not far from the base of the Chief Mountain, which rose like a great wall to the west of them. Two days more brought them to the Grassy Lakes, and there they camped, to stop for four or five days. While they were marching, Hugh usually rode with the two boys, off to one side, and they hunted antelope with some success. Jack killed two and Hugh three, and then Jack loaned his rifle to Joe, who proved himself a good hunter and a good shot, and killed four antelope. The hunters among the Indians had also killed a number, and before long much meat and many hides were put out to dry at each camp. Buffalo were in sight all the time, but the Indians did not disturb them, for it had been understood before they left the camp that no buffalo should be killed. A sharp lookout was kept all the time for enemies, but no signs were seen that any one was in the country.

The second day of their stay at Grassy Lakes was dull and overcast, and the wind which had been always from the west, now worked around to the north and northeast. Hugh and the Indians said that they were going to have a rain storm, and that it might be a long one. Jack and Joe hunted during the day not far from camp, and each killed an antelope. They reached camp with their game in the middle of the afternoon, and after eating, Jack lay down in the lodge on the bed and went to sleep and did not wake up until after dark. When he sat up to look about him he saw that it was night, and almost every one in the lodge was in bed, and the fire was beginning to burn low. He tried to talk a little with Joe and Hugh, but both were sleepy, and presently he lay down again to sleep through the night. The fire died down, so that now it gave no light, and the heavy, regular breathing of the people in the lodge showed that all were sleeping, but Jack could not go to sleep. His long rest in the afternoon had made him wakeful, and though he turned from side to side on his soft bed of robes, sleep would not come to him. At length, after what seemed to him three or four hours, he thought he would get up and go outside of the lodge, stretch his legs, and perhaps this would make him sleep. He rose very softly, for fear of disturbing any one, took his gun in his hand, and stepping over to the door, stood outside. For an instant he could hardly believe his eyes, for there, close in front of the lodge, was the dark form of some one stooping down and holding the rope by which one of the horses was tied in front of the lodge. Although the night was cloudy there was a moon, which enabled him to see very plainly that this was a man who was doing something with one of the ropes. In an instant it flashed through his mind that this must be an enemy stealing horses, and as he thought this, the man stood erect and then sprang on the back of the horse which started to walk away. Jack did not know what to do. A few jumps of the horse would take it out of sight. There was nothing that he could do to stop it, except to shoot, and possibly this might be one of the men in the camp who had a right to the horse. All these things flashed through Jack's mind in a moment, but he felt that he must find out what this was that was being done. He called out—not considering that the man could not understand him—"Hold on, there! What are you doing with that horse?" Evidently the man had not seen him, for as the call reached him he thrust his heels into the horse's side and brought down the rope on its back and it began to gallop.

"Hold on!" Jack called again, "or I'll shoot."

By this time there was stirring in the lodge, but there was no time to wait; Jack's gun was at his shoulder, he fired, and as the smoke cleared away he saw the riderless horse galloping on, and then it disappeared. He called:

"Help! Hugh! Joe! they're stealing the horses!" And throwing another cartridge into his gun he rushed forward to where he had last seen the horse. There on the ground was the man, trying to scramble to his feet. Jack pushed him back with the muzzle of his rifle and held the gun to his shoulder, ready to fire again, saying, "Lie still there, or I'll shoot." The man fell back and lay upon the ground still. Almost at the same instant, Hugh and Joe, followed by Fox Eye, came running up. Hugh's first question was: