V. ON THE YELLOWSTONE.
BALDY BICKNELL was a and who, at the time we him to the notice of the reader, had something over ten years among the and of the West.
He was a brave, hunter, who had been in many with the red-skins, and who, in to the of the upon the of his head, many other on his person of the wild and life that he had led.
Like most of his class, he was a being, and the and the western wilds. He east than St. Louis, while his wanderings, on more than one occasion, had him the Rocky Mountains.
One autumn he the Yellowstone, near the of navigation, just as a small was the stream. As much from the of the thing, as anything else, he on board, with his horse, with the of his east by water.
On the he met Ethan Hopkins and Mickey McSquizzle, who had ten years in California, in a for gold, and were now returning to their homes, with the country, its and resources.
Baldy was to them by their of manner; but it is not that anything would have resulted from this meeting, but for a most and occurrence.
While still in the upper of the Yellowstone, the her boiler, making a complete of the and its contents. The hunter, with the others, was into the water, but was so and that he it to swim, and he would have been but for the timely of his two acquaintances.
Neither the Yankee Irishman were in the least, and near the trapper, they his and came to his rescue. Both were excellent swimmers, and had no in saving him.
'Do ye aisy!' said Mickey, as he saw the hunter's with pain, as he in the water, 'and it's ourselves that 'll take the good of jist.'
'Stop floundering,' Hopkins; 'it won't do no good, and there ain't no for it.'
One of them took the arm upon one side, and the other the same upon the opposite side, and out for the shore. The his extremity, and while they him along.
'Aisy jist-aiey now!' Mickey: 'ye're in a fix; but by the blessin' of Heaven we'll do the thing yees. We the science of swimmin', and—'
At that moment some the of the Irishman, and he was under water, out of sight.
Neither Hopkins Baldy presence of mind in this moment, but their progress toward shore, as though nothing of the had happened.
As for the Irishman, his for the time was critical. The man who had his did so with the of a man; in their to the of the river together. Here, by a effort, Mickey him free, and to the surface, out again for the hunter.
'It is sorry I am that I was to behind,' he muttered, over his in search of the from he had just himself; 'but are past helpin', and so it's that must to the ahead.'
Striking powerfully out, he soon came his friends again and took the arm of Baldy Bicknell.
'Be sufferin' to a great extent?' the kind-hearted Irishman, looking at the white of the hunter.
'Got a good over the back,' he replied, his lips, as he all of pain.
''Ye'll be when we ye to the land, as me uncle he the big fish that was his line to pieces jist.'
'Twon't take you long to over it,' added Hopkins, to give his of consolation; 'you look, now, like a healthy man.'
The was rapid, and it was no light labor to the ashore; but the two friends succeeded, and at length him out upon the land and him upon the sward.
The of their afloat, and the at the same time, them a downstream, and they an of a mile where the main of were congregated.
'Do aisy?' Mickey, when the had been upon the grass, some bushes.
'Yes, I'll soon over it but woofh! that a of the biggest I got. It has me powerful weak.'
'What might it have been naow!' Hopkins.
'Can't say, thing I know'd, I didn't know nothin', suthin' took me the head, and the next thing I in the water.'
The three men had what was on their when the occurred. Their were gone, and they hadn't a gun them; nothing but two revolvers, and about a dozen for each.
Of the twenty odd who were upon the at the time of the explosion, nearly one-half were killed; they to the almost as as the steamer, of which not a single now remained.
The their way to land, it a their starting-point, and here they assembled, to with each other upon their and how they were to home.
Our three friends had upon about an hour, the two waiting for the third to recover, when the himself upon his in the of listening. At the same time he his hand for the others to their peace.
A moment later he said:
'I Injins.''
'Begorrah! where the same?' Mickey, starting to his feet, while Ethan about.
'Jist take a up the river, and tell me ef they ain't pitchin' into the thar.'
Through the trees and undergrowth, which protected them, the two men up-stream. To their horror, they saw fifty Indians the of the wreck, whooping, and like demons, while their were to them.
'Begorrah, now, but that looks bad!' the Irishman. 'Be the same towken, what is it that we can do?'
'Jerusalem! They'll be sure to pay us a visit. I'll be if they won't,' added the Yankee, in some trepidation, as he again by the of the hunter, and said to him in a Voice:
'The of it is, we haven't got a gun us. Of we shall by you if we have to our it. But don't you think they'll pay us a visit?'
'Like 'noughtin',' was the reply of the hunter, as he his again, as if of to the tumult.
'Can't we do anything to you out of danger!'
'Can't see that you kin; you two have done me a good turn in gittin' me ashore, so me yere, and it don't make no about me one way or t'other, Ef I 'em comin' I'll roll into the water and go under in that style.'
'May the Howly Vargin upon us if we you in this extremity,' was the reply of the fervent-hearted Irishman.
'And by the jumpin' jingo! if we was to do it, there ain't no need of it.'
As the Yankee spoke, he ran to the river, and walking out a distance, a by and it in.
'Naow, Mr. Baldy, or Mr. Bicknell, as you call yourself, we'll all three of that and the river till we of the savages.'
The plan was a good one, and the so himself. With some help he managed to to the river bank, where one arm was over the log, in such a manner that he easily float, without any of sinking.
'Keep as close to as you kin,' he said, as they were about off.
'We can go in the middle,' said Hopkins.
'But the reds'll see us, and it'll be all up then.'
This was the of prudence, and it was heeded.
