"Don't let Barnum humbug yer, fur he kin scratch like ther Old Boy, ef he's a mind ter. Yer see, he's crosser nor ther rest, an' ain't in ther habit uv lettin' folks go by him. But ef yer keep close ter me, I reckon ye'll be all right."
Proceeding a few feet further, they came to an abrupt turn in the passage, and a low growl warned them that they were near the guard. The old trapper held his torch before him and went ahead.
"Shut up, Barnum! What ar' yer so sassy about? I'll give yer a lickin'," he said, "ef yer don't quit yer foolishness."
And he stood and talked to the animal until Kelly had passed beyond his reach.
About fifty feet further on, they came to the end of the cave, and the daylight streaming in from above showed Kelly the outlet of this singular cavern. With the exception of the chasm, it was a complete tunnel through the mountain.
The old trapper brought a ladder of poles, which he placed against the side of the opening, and told the scout to go up and see what he could discover.
An exclamation of surprise escaped the lips of Kelly, as he beheld, not more than four rods away, the camp of the Blackfeet.
Jehiel was just leading his horse to the creek to give him water, when the scout told the old man to come up where he was.
In a moment Bear-Paw was by his side, and hastily fitting an arrow to the bow-string, he sent it within an inch of Jehiel's foot, where it stuck in the sand.
Jehiel sprung back as though bitten by a snake, and looked up to see who had discharged it; but could discover no sign of any living being in the huge bowlders opposite. Then he pulled the arrow from the ground, and returned to the camp.