Part 12 (1/2)

”I watched until a coyote appeared upon a flat rock fifty yards away

He sniffed the air in every direction; then, sitting partly upon his haunches, swung round in a circle with his hind legs sawing the air, and howled and barked in reat feat! I could not help wondering whether I should be able to imitate him What had seemed to be the voices of many coyotes was in reality only one animal

His mate soon appeared and then they both seens of a wish to invite another to join them Presently they both suddenly and quietly disappeared

”At this ht noise attracted my attention, and I saw that the porcupine had arrived He had cli hiht it was fortunate that he ca for me

Very soon, in fact, he interrupted his lanced aboutmy open camp from two different directions

”I took the part of the porcupine! I rose in a sitting posture, and sent a swift arrow to each of my unwelcome visitors They both ran aith howls of surprise and pain

”The porcupine saw the whole froan eating again with apparent relish Indeed, I was soon furnished with another of these unconscious protectors This one ca a splendid hao no further, but seated hian his supper

”The canon above me was full of rocks and trees Fro noise, which causedI had thus far heard It sounded reat yahich ended in a scream I knew this for the voice of a mountain lion, and it decided ot up and cliof wood in ot up, the two porcupines began to descend, but I paid no attention to them, and they soon returned to their for sound frorey wolves appeared

”I had hung the haht feet froround At first the wolves ca of the porcupines caused them to stop, and hesitate to juan to leap savagely for the haets for the quills of the prickly ones, for occasionally one of theainst the tree

”At last one of the wolves buried his teeth too deeply in a tough portion of the flesh, and having juht made it irey wolf dangled, kicking and yelping, until the tendon of the haround Fro-place I sent two arrows into his body, which ended his life The other one ran away to a little distance and re for her rizzly bears' tracks in the vicinity, and besides, I had not forgotten the dreadful scream of the mountain lion I determined to continue my watch

”As I had half expected, there came presently a sudden heavy fall, and at the sa euished My blanket with the log in it was rolled over several tirowls Then the assailant of my camp--a panther--leaped back into the thick underbrush, but not before my arrow had penetrated his side He snarled and tried to bite off the shaft, but after a tiuish the grey dawn in the east I was exceedingly drowsy, so I fastened ainst which I leaned I was seated on a large limb, and soon fell asleep

”I was rudely awakened by the report of a gun directly underto shake un Alas! it was gone! At the first shake of the tree by un had fallen, and as it was cocked, it went off

”The bear picked up the weapon and threw it violently away; then he again shook the tree with all his strength I shouted:

”'I have still a bow and a quiver full of arrows; you had better let rowl I sent an arrow into his side, and he groaned like a ive him several more before he went a short distance away, and died It was now daylight, so I came down from my perch I was stiff, and scarcely able to walk I found that the bear had killed both of my little friends, the porcupines, and eaten most of the meat

”Perhaps you wonder, Ohiyesa, why I did not use ; but I had learned that if I once missed my aim with it, I had no second chance I have told of this particular adventure, because it was an unusual experience to see so ht I have often been in similar places, and killed one or two Once a co , and the world is beco different”

VII THE END OF THE BEAR DANCE

IT was one of the superstitions of the Santee Sioux to treat disease fro That person who, according to their belief, had been commissioned to become a medicine man or a war chief, ave him his commission If he ever ventured to do so, the offender must pay for his insubordination with his life, or that of his own child or dearest friend It was supposed to be necessary that the supernatural orders be carried into effect at a particular age and a certain season of the year Occasionally a very young round of youth and iven

One of my intimate friends had been a sufferer from what, I suppose, randmother in whom he had unlimited faith But she was a very a her reat ”medicine woman,”

and many were deceived by it; but really she was a fraud, for she did not give any medicine, but ”conjured” the sick exclusively