, many of their party would probably be
wounded by the arrows and darts of their hidden foes, without having
any opportunity of defending themselves. That route was therefore
abandoned. But the old Sachem remembered having traversed this part of
the continent many years ago, and he knew of a track to the west, by
which the mountains that skirted the course of the Missouri might be
avoided, and the rivers reached at a considerable distance above the
place at which the encampment was appointed to be formed. This road
was, indeed, much longer than that across the prairie, and would occupy
several days to traverse; so that it was doubtful whether Coubitant
would wait so long in his lurking-place, or whether he would conclude
that the Chiefs were dead, and return to take the command of the tribe.

Nevertheless, no other course was open; and, with as little delay as
possible, the journey was commenced. A scanty supply of food was
obtained by the bows and arrows of the hunters, and water was
occasionally met with in the small rivulets that flowed from the hills,
and wandered on until they eventually lost themselves in the broad
Missouri.

Inured to privations and to toilsome journeys, the Indian party heeded
them not, but cheerfully proceeded on their way until, at length, they
beheld the wigwams of their tribe standing on a green meadow near the
river's side. They hastened on, and were received with joyful
acclamations by the inhabitants, who had almost despaired of ever seeing
them again. The conflagration of the prairie was known to them; but
almost all of them were ignorant of the true cause of the awful
calamity, and attributed it entirely to accident. Nor were any
suspicions aroused in their minds by the conduct of Coubitant and Salon,
who had pretended the greatest alarm and anxiety for the fate of the
Chiefs and their party, and had set out as soon as it was possible to
traverse the savanna, in the hope, as they declared, of rendering
assistance to any of the Sachem's company who might have survived the
catastrophe.

Much to the relief of all the party, they found that neither Coubitant
nor his accomplice had yet returned to the camp; and their prolonged
absence was becoming a source of uneasiness to the rest of the tribe,
who were preparing to send out a party of men to search for them, the
very day that Henrich led his detachment into the village.

It was agreed by the Sachems and Jyanough, that they would not