“Ugh!” burst from the lips of the Pawnee. I looked round; he was crouching flat to the ground, and made signs to me to get my rifle in readiness. Vague suspicions of danger flashed across my mind; we had heard that there was a band of Sioux Indians lurking round our party. Could we have come unawares upon them? These ideas flashed momentarily upon me, but they as quickly subsided, and cocking my gun, I stole cautiously towards him. He was crouching in some bushes, near the jagged top of a small ridge, which looked down into a deep ravine. As I approached him, he shrank still closer into his hiding place, and made signs to me to pass to the top of the ridge. I crept up slowly, and peered above its level; at the instant, I caught sight of an Indian, as he squatted quickly behind a bush. My fears seemed realized. We had fallen into the snare! I looked back towards the Pawnee; he was still maintaining his position, and keenly watching my movements. As he caught my eye he urged me by his gestures to fire: I hesitated. At that instant the dark form in front of me, rose slowly up from behind the bush; and I recognised the stern, proud features of one of my Otoe companions. The next moment, I caught sight of a large buck lying lazily beneath the shade of a bush. The mystery was explained in an instant. The Pawnee had seen the animal; and it was the deer, and not the Indian, whom he wished to be shot. As I rose to fire the Otoe again crouched behind the bush; the bullet missed, and the beast leaping up, sprang towards the spot where his foe lay hid. He had scarcely taken three leaps, before a shot whistled from a clump of bushes, at some distance, and in a different quarter. The deer changed his course, and springing forward, made for the opposite side of the ravine. He dashed through the bushes, and bounded like lightning up the ragged steep. At that moment the Otoe, who had first secreted himself, had a fair view of him; he must have been about a hundred yards distant, and was dashing furiously up the craggy hill. The Indian fired, and the deer fell on one knee, but regained his feet. In front of him, was a steep bank, covered with shrubbery. He made a desperate effort to gain it, but failed; and rolled headlong down, until he splashed in the brook at the bottom. A loud whoop burst from the three Indians, and the two youngest sprang forward to the spot; while the third, who was a cautious old fellow, stopped to reload his rifle.