“Ha! mes ami, here am be one hole.”

The truth of this could not be doubted, for the eccentric trapper had thrust his shovel through the wall of snow into what appeared to be a cavern beyond, and immediately followed up his remark by thrusting in his head and shoulders.  He drew them out in a few seconds, with a look of intense amazement.

“Voila!  Joe Blunt.  Look in dere, and you shall see fat you vill behold.”

“Why, it’s the horse, I do b’lieve!” cried Joe.  “Go ahead, lads!”

So saying, he resumed his shovelling vigorously, and in a few minutes the hole was opened up sufficiently to enable a man to enter.  Dick sprang in, and there stood Charlie close beside the cliff, looking as sedate and, unconcerned as if all that had been going on had no reference to him whatever.

The cause of his safety was simple enough.  The precipice beside which he stood when the avalanche occurred overhung its base at that point considerably, so that when the snow descended a clear space of several feet wide was left all along its base.  Here Charlie had remained in perfect comfort until his friends dug him out.

Congratulating themselves not a little on having saved the charger and bagged a grizzly bear, the trappers remounted, and returned to the camp.

For some time after this nothing worthy of particular note occurred.  The trapping operations went on prosperously and without interruption from the Indians, who seemed to have left the locality altogether.  During this period, Dick, and Crusoe, and Charlie had many excursions together, and the silver rifle full many a time sent death to the heart of bear, and elk, and buffalo; while, indirectly, it sent joy to the heart of man, woman, and child in camp, in the shape of juicy steaks and marrow-bones.  Joe and Henri devoted themselves almost exclusively to trapping beaver, in which pursuit they were so successful that they speedily became wealthy men, according to backwood notions of wealth.

With the beaver that they caught they purchased from Cameron’s store powder and shot enough for a long hunting expedition, and a couple of spare horses to carry their packs.  They also purchased a large assortment of such goods and trinkets as would prove acceptable to Indians, and supplied themselves with new blankets, and a few pairs of strong moccasins, of which they stood much in need.

Thus they went on from day to day, until symptoms of the approach of winter warned them that it was time to return to the Mustang Valley.  About this time an event occurred which totally changed the aspect of affairs in these remote valleys of the Rocky Mountains, and precipitated the departure of our four friends, Dick, Joe, Henri, and Crusoe.  This was the sudden arrival of a whole tribe of Indians.  As their advent was somewhat remarkable, we shall devote to it the commencement of a new chapter.

CHAPTER XXIII.