“I am all attention, Earth.”
“Well, I had crawled under,—every thing was very quiet,—there was no noise, except every now and then Old Jupe would give a short yelp, as if she was tired waiting; and I had fallen into a sort of doze, when I was waked up by something scratching at the bark; my waking up made some noise, and it went off a little distance, and then I could hear a low restless whine, and hear it moving its tail. I knew by the noise, 'twas a panther. Said I, there will be tough work to night, and just as I said so to myself, the thing lit all in a heap, right over my breast, on the bark; the bark creened up a little, but I soon gathered it down and gave a whoop; the panther squalled, and cut dirt, and which was the worst scared, I never knowed. Well, I hugged the bark down agin, and thought all was quiet, and was getting into another doze, when what should I hear, but that same low whine, and with the whine came the panther, right upon the top of the bark agin. I pulled it down, and whooped like thunder, and the panther went off a little way, and screamed. I heard another one answer it, and, shortly after, I could hear them both walking round me. I now whooped agin and agin, and made a big noise; but they did'nt mind me, and if they did, it was only for a few moments; and then they would come back and scratch around the bark. All I could do was to keep them from turning it over, and hard work it was. I never slept a wink more that night; but worked hard until day, when they went away, and I got out;—and wa'nt I mad? Yes, I was swelled up like one of these high land moccasins. I do believe I could have poisoned any thing by biting it. Old Jupe was still at the tree, and I made right for her; and did'nt I make that old 'coon pay for all I suffered that night.”
“Well, now, Rolfe, give us a story, you have heard mine.”
“Thank you, Earth, I can't tell stories; but I would have let that 'coon off.”
Thus whiling away their time, they journeyed along through a country as beautiful and wild as boundless forests and extensive prairies could make it, and to all appearance untenanted, save by deer and buffalo, together with the hungry howling tenants of the waste. Avoiding the high bluffs and rivers, where the Indian villages were most likely to be situated, they travelled through the wildest portion of the country, and continued their journey in safety, governing their direction by the sun when it shone, and at other times by the moss, which indicated to them the north, as plainly as it could have been marked out by the magnet.
For subsistence, they had many wild fruits, and choice of all the game the country afforded. Herds of deer and buffalo, would browze along before them, seemingly fearless of the hunters, in the universal stillness of the scene around them. Yet when the sharp crack of the rifle was heard, and some selected victim fell prostrate to the earth, the remainder, both deer and buffalo, looking about them, and snorting wildly, bounded forward until they were lost to the view. Game was so abundant, that they rarely shot it, except at meal times, when a hasty fire was kindled, and a repast served up from the yet reeking carcass.
In a march through a country so wild and unsettled, there must have occurred many incidents sufficiently striking to impart an interest to our narrative; the sleeping out, night after night, in an enemy's country, surrounded only by wild beasts, or the still wilder savages; their long journey, and the loneliness of their situation, all conspired to create sensations, which are never felt under other circumstances.
On an evening, after a long day's march, the hunters selected a spot, whereon to pass the night, and while Earthquake prepared a fire, Rolfe was sent out to get a supper from a few buffalo which were seen feeding at no great distance. Moving along cautiously, he was enabled to approach sufficiently near, and having selected as his victim one which was separated from the herd, he fired; the ball entered, yet the animal seemed to regard it not, and Rolfe proceeded to load again. But no sooner, in order to do so, did he stand out from the tree behind which he was concealed, than the buffalo made at him; for security, he again retreated behind it, and the bark flew off, as the enraged animal dashing by, grazed its side. Turning as quickly as possible, it again bounded towards him, and for some minutes, the struggle was kept up with the most determined spirit, Rolfe only saving himself from destruction by means of the tree. The animal, after many fruitless attempts, became tired, and Rolfe seizing the opportunity, retreated to some distance, from which, still within rifle shot, he kept up a regular fire. The buffalo received it with great sullenness, only twitching his muscles as the balls plumped him, or else shaking them from his matted forehead, as he would have done a buzzing fly.
Earthquake attracted by the constant firing, had set out in search of Rolfe, whom he found posted at a safe distance from the buffalo, and each eyeing the other, with the most marked ferocity. He had shot until he began to think his rifle had lost all virtue; and upon Earth's coming up, detailed to him the narrow escape he had made, and also his inability to bring him down.
“I am surprised at you,” said Earth, “you have thrown away balls enough to kill half a dozen Ingens, and I had much rather go without any supper, than that you should have made so great a waste.”