it along before them, and each does his best to send a javelin through the hoop before the other. He who succeeds counts so many points; if both miss, the nearest to the hoop is allowed to count, but not as much as if he had “ringed” it. But a good deal of the interest attaching to it is owing to the fact that they make it a means of gambling. Indians are inveterate gamblers, and will go on until they lose horses, bows, blankets, robes, and, in short, all their personal property. The consequences are, as might be expected, that fierce and bloody quarrels sometimes arise in which life is often lost.
“Try your hand at that,” said Henri to Dick.
“By all means,” cried Dick, handing his rifle to his friend, and springing into the ring enthusiastically.
A general shout of applause greeted the Pale-face, who threw off his coat and tightened his belt, while a young Indian presented him with a dart.
“Now, see that ye do us credit, lad,” said Joe.
“I'll try,” answered Dick.
In a moment they were off. The young Indian rolled away the hoop, and Dick threw his dart with such vigour that it went deep into the ground, but missed the hoop The young Indian's first dart went through the centre.
“Ha!” exclaimed Joe Blunt to the Indians, “the lad's not used to that game; try him at a race. Bring out your best brave—he whose bound is like the hunted deer.”
We need scarcely remind the reader that Joe spoke in the Indian language, and that the above is a correct rendering of the sense of what he said.
The name of Tarwicadia, or the little chief, immediately passed from lip to lip, and in a few minutes an Indian, a little below the medium size, bounded into the arena with an indiarubber-like elasticity that caused a shade of anxiety to pass over Joe's face.
“Ah, boy!” he whispered, “I'm afeard you'll find him a tough customer.”
“That's just what I want,” replied Dick. “He's supple, but he wants muscle in the thigh. We'll make it a long heat.”
“Right, lad, ye're right.”
Joe now proceeded to arrange the conditions of the race with the chiefs around him. It was fixed that the distance to be run should be a mile, so that the race would be one of two miles, out and back. Moreover, the competitors were to run without any clothes, except a belt
