Accordingly, Marion, who for want of a horse had been obliged to ride behind Kent, mounted behind Vic, and the two kept on their way to the cave, while the others started on the hunt.
CHAPTER VII.
HOLED.
Leaving Vic and the girl to pursue their way, we will follow the hunters.
They had an exciting chase, and brought down several fine animals, from which they elected a considerable quantity of the choicest portions, and then prepared to start for the cave.
As Wild Nat untied the halter of his steed from the horns of a buffalo, he suddenly straightened himself up, and bounding into the saddle, exclaimed:
“Look thar! We’re in for a race.”
Kent turned, and looked in the direction indicated, and saw, not forty rods distant, a large band of mounted Indians coming toward them at a furious gallop.
“Turn toes!” shouted Nat. “Don’t let the grass grow under yer feet nuther,” and in an instant the three were flying over the prairie, followed by the whooping savages.
At first they all kept together, but in a short time the mule bestrode by Scip evidently came to the conclusion that there was no necessity for him to exert himself quite so much, and slackened his pace, so as to be several rods in the rear of Kent and Rogers, much to the dismay of his rider, who alternately addressed himself to the mule and to his friends in advance.
“G’long, ye obstinate beastess,” he exclaimed, with a terrified glance over his shoulder. “Don’ ye know we shell be clean gobbled up an’ eat, we shell? G’long, I tell ye! In ’nother minnit we shell be cotched ef ye don’t hurry. G’long, ye lazy debbel! G’long!”