s of Dacotahs were out, with the intention of attacking the Crees,
their hereditary enemies. Thinking it possible we might be attacked,
should our trail have been discovered, we arranged our carts in a
circle, to enable us to resist a sudden onslaught of the foe. We were,
however, without water or fuel. To obtain a supply of both these
necessaries, we sent back several of our men to the stream I mentioned,
hoping that they would return to the camp before dark.

"The shades of evening were already coming on when we caught sight, in
the far distance, of a large party of horsemen scouring over the
prairie. We had little doubt that they were Dacotahs, but we hoped that
our small encampment, at the distance we were from them, might escape
detection. The keen eyes of the red-skin warriors, however, ere long
found us out, and we saw them galloping towards us, flourishing their
spears and uttering their savage war-cries. Except the plumes in their
hair and girdles round their waists, they were destitute of clothing,
though their bodies and faces were covered thickly with paint, making
them look more like demons than human beings. Had our whole party been
together, we might have been able, with our rifles, to drive them back;
but divided as we were, had we fired, although we might have shot some
of those in advance, the remainder would have dashed forward and speared
us before we could have had time to reload.

"The warriors, on getting near the camp, and discovering the
preparations we had made for their reception, those in advance waited
till the remainder of their party came up. Just then they caught sight
of our friends returning across the open plain bringing the wood and
water. With wild and fearful shouts the savages dashed forward to cut
them off. They had no means of defending themselves, and terror seizing
them, they took to flight, hoping to escape to the river and lie
concealed under its banks. The horsemen, however, overtook them before
they could reach it, and in a short time we saw the Dacotahs returning
with the scalps of their victims at the end of their spears. Like
savage beasts who have once tasted blood, their rage and fury increased,
and they seemed resolved, at all risks, to destroy us, as they had our
companions, and to obtain the rich booty they expected to find in our
camp. On they came, shrieking and howling more fearfully than before.
I called on my few remaining men to fight bravely in d