"Wal, he ain't, I reckin; nor can't a-be: that's this child's opeenyun o' it. He kim from under the ranche, arter it tumbled; an' his fine dress looked as spick as ef it had been jest tuk out o' a bandy-box. Thur wur two at him, an', Lor'! how he fit them! I tackled on to one o' them ahint, an' gin him a settler in the hump ribs; but the way he finished the other wur a caution to Crockett. 'Twur the puttiest lick I ever seed in these hyur mountains, an' I've seed a good few, I reckin." "How was it?" "'Ee know, the Injun--that are, the Coco--fit wi' a hatchet?" "Yes." "Wal, then; that ur's a desprit weepun, for them as knows how to use it; an' he diz; that Injun diz. T'other had a hatchet, too, but he didn't keep it long. 'Twur clinked out o' his hands in a minnit, an' then the Coco got a down blow at him. Wagh! it wur a down blow, an' it wa'n't nuthin' else. It split the niggur's head clur down to the thrapple. 'Twus sep'rated into two halves as ef 't had been clove wi' a broad-axe! Ef 'ee had 'a seed the varmint when he kim to the ground, 'ee'd 'a thort he wur double-headed. Jest then I spied the Injuns a-comin' down both sides o' the bluff; an' havin' neyther beast nor weepun, exceptin' a knife, this child tuk a notion 'twa'n't safe to be thur any longer, an' cached; he did." CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT. SMOKED OUT. Our conversation had been carried on in a low tone, for the Indians still remained in front of the cave. Many others had arrived, and were examining the skull of the Canadian with the same looks of curiosity and wonderment that had been exhibited by their comrades. Rube and I sat for some time in silence, watching them. The trapper had flitted near me, so that he could see out and talk in whispers. I was still apprehensive that the savages might search the cave. "'Tain't likely," said my companion. "They mout ef thur hadn't 'a been so many o' these diggins, do 'ee see? Thur's a grist o' 'em--more'n a hundred--on t'other side; an' most o' the men who got clur tuk furrer down. It's my notion the Injuns seed that, an' won't disturb--Ef thur ain't that dog!" I well understood the meaning of the emphasis with which these last words were repeated. My eyes, simultaneously with those of the speaker, had fallen upon the dog Alp. He was running about in front of the cave. I saw at a glance he was searching for me. The next moment he had struck the trail where I had crawled through the cacti, and came running down in the direction of the cave. On reaching the body of the Canadian, which lay directly in his track, he stopped for a moment and appeared to examine it. Then, uttering a short yelp, he passed on to that of the doctor, where he made a similar demonstration. He ran several times from one to the other, but at length left them; and, with his nose once more to the ground, disappeared out of our view. His strange actions had attracted the attention of the savages, who, one and all, stood watching him.