t," he answered. "Leave me,
venerable venator, to the council of my own thoughts, and when my plans
are properly classed, I will advise you of my resolutions."

"Resolutions!" repeated the old man, shaking his head a little
contemptuously as he gave the rein to his horse, and allowed him to
mingle with the steeds of the savages. "Resolution is a word that is
talked of in the settlements, and felt on the borders. Does my brother
know the beast on which the Pale-face rides?" he continued, addressing
a gloomy looking warrior in his own tongue, and making a motion with his
arm that at the same time directed his attention to the naturalist and
the meek Asinus.

The Teton turned his eyes for a minute on the animal, but disdained to
manifest the smallest portion of that wonder he had felt, in common with
all his companions, on first viewing so rare a quadruped. The trapper
was not ignorant, that while asses and mules were beginning to be known
to those tribes who dwelt nearest the Mexicos, they were not usually
encountered so far north as the waters of La Platte. He therefore
managed to read the mute astonishment, that lay so deeply concealed in
the tawny visage of the savage, and took his measures accordingly.

"Does my brother think that the rider is a warrior of the Pale-faces?"
he demanded, when he believed that sufficient time had elapsed, for a
full examination of the pacific mien of the naturalist.

The flash of scorn, which shot across the features of the Teton, was
visible, even by the dim light of the stars.

"Is a Dahcotah a fool?" was the answer.

"They are a wise nation, whose eyes are never shut; much do I wonder,
that they have not seen the great medicine of the Big-knives!"

"Wagh!" exclaimed his companion, suffering the whole of his amazement to
burst out of his dark rigid countenance at the surprise, like a flash of
lightning illuminating the gloom of midnight.

"The Dahcotah knows that my tongue is not forked. Let him open his eyes
wider. Does he not see a very great medicine?"

The light was not necessary to recall to the savage each feature in the
really remarkable costume and equipage of Dr. Battius. In common with
the rest of the band, and in conformity with the universal practice
of the Indians, this warrior, while he had suffered no gaze of
idle curiosity to disgrace his manhood, had not permitted a single
distinctive mark, which might characterise any one of the strangers, to
escape his vigi