fugitives were again
assembled.

The trapper now looked about him for some convenient spot, where the
whole party might halt, as he expressed it, for some five or six hours.

"Halt!" exclaimed the Doctor, when the alarming proposal reached his
ears; "venerable hunter, it would seem, that on the contrary, many days
should be passed in industrious flight."

Middleton and Paul were both of this opinion, and each in his particular
manner expressed as much.

The old man heard them with patience, but shook his head like one who
was unconvinced, and then answered all their arguments, in one general
and positive reply.

"Why should we fly?" he asked. "Can the legs of mortal men outstrip the
speed of horses? Do you think the Tetons will lie down and sleep; or
will they cross the water and nose for our trail? Thanks be to the Lord,
we have washed it well in this stream, and if we leave the place with
discretion and wisdom, we may yet throw them off its track. But a
prairie is not a wood. There a man may journey long, caring for nothing
but the prints his moccasin leaves, whereas in these open plains a
runner, placed on yonder hill, for instance, could see far on every side
of him, like a hovering hawk looking down on his prey. No, no; night
must come, and darkness be upon us, afore we leave this spot. But listen
to the words of the Pawnee; he is a lad of spirit, and I warrant me many
is the hard race that he has run with the Sioux bands. Does my brother
think our trail is long enough?" he demanded in the Indian tongue.

"Is a Teton a fish, that he can see it in the river?"

"But my young men think we should stretch it, until it reaches across
the prairie."

"Mahtoree has eyes; he will see it."

"What does my brother counsel?"

The young warrior studied the heavens a moment, and appeared to
hesitate. He mused some time with himself, and then he replied, like one
whose opinion was fixed--

"The Dahcotahs are not asleep," he said; "we must lie in the grass."

"Ah! the lad is of my mind," said the old man, briefly explaining the
opinion of his companion to his white friends. Middleton was obliged
to acquiesce, and, as it was confessedly dangerous to remain upon their
feet, each one set about assisting in the means to be adopted for their
security. Inez and Ellen were quickly bestowed beneath the warm and
not uncomfortable shelter of the buffaloe skins, which formed a thick
covering, and tall grass was drawn over the pl