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Show 246 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. 'No,' said Reynal, 'you had better say that, after you and your Spanish woman almost starved to death there. What a fool you were ever to take her to the settlements.' 'Your Spanish woman ?' said f; 'I never heard of her before. Are you married to her?' 'No,' answered Raymond, again looking intelligent; 'the priests don't marry their wom~n, and why should I marry mine?' This honorable mention of the Mexican clergy introduced the subject of religion, and I found that 1ny two associates, in common with other white men in the country, were as indifferent to their future welfare as men whose lives are in constant peril are apt to be. Raymond had never heard of the Pope. A certain bishop, who lived at Taos or at Santa F e, embodied his loftiest idea of an ecclesiastical dignitary. Reynal observed that a priest had been at Fort Laramie two years ago, on his way to the Nez Perce mission, and that he had confessed all the men there, and given them absolution. 'I got a good clearing out myself, that time,' said Reynal, 'and I reckon that will do for me till I go down to the settlements again.' llere he interrupted himself with an oath, and exclaimed: 'Look r look! The "Panther" is running an antelope !' The Panther, on his black-and-white horse, one of the best in the village, came at full speed over the hill in hot pursuit of an antelope, that darted away like lightning before him. Th~ attempt was made in mere sport and bravado, for very few are the horses that can for a moment" compete in swiftness with this little animal. The antelope ran down the hill toward the main body of the Indians, who were moving over the plain below. Sharp yells were given, and horsemen galloped out to intercept I. THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE. 247 h1. 8 fl.I g ht • At this he turned sharply to the left, and scoured away with such incredible speed that he distanced all his pur-suers, and even the vaunted horse of the Panther himself. A few moments after, we witnessed a more serious sport. A shaggy buffalo-bull bounded out from a neighboring hollow, and close behind him came a slender Indian boy, riding without stirrups or saddle, and lashing his eager little horse to full speed. Yard after yard he drew closer to his gigantic victim, though the bull, with his short tail erect and his tongue lolling out a foot from his foaming jaws, was straining his unwieldy strength to the utmost. A moment more, and the boy was close alongside of him. It ·was our friend the I-Iail-Storm. He dropped the rein on his horse's neck, and jerked an arrow like lightning from the quiver at his shoulder. 'I tell you,' said Reynal, 'that in a year's time that boy will match the best hunter in the village. There, he has given it to him ! -and there goes another ! You feel well, now, old bull, don't you, with two arrows stuck in your lights 1 There, he has given him another! I-Iear how the Hail-Storm yells when he shoots! Yes, jump at him; try it again, old fellow ! You may jump all day before you get your horns into that pony!' The bull ·sprang again and again at his assailant, but the horse kept dodging with wonderful celerity. At length the bull followed up his attack with a furious rush, and the Hail-Storm Was put to flight, the shaggy monster following close behind. The boy clung in his seat like a leech, and secure in the speed of his little pony, looked round toward us and laughed. In a moment he was again alongside of the bull who was now driven to complete desperation. His eyeballs glared through his tan- |