irie flower, the brilliant
crimson and purple of the autumn foliage that clothed the trees, the
bright blue of the sky and the soft white of the few downy clouds
floating overhead, and all reflected and duplicated in the river below,
made a beauty and glory of color that must have delighted the soul of an
artist, and pleased the eye of even the most careless observer.

Mike O'Reilly, the captain's orderly, was busy spreading a table cloth
on the grass, at the foot of a hill on the right, and old John, Mr.
Clarence's man, was emulating Mike by spreading a four-yard square of
white damask at a short distance behind him.

Our friends had nearly finished their lunch, when something--she never
could tell what--caused Corona to look behind her. Then she shrieked!
All looked to see the cause of her sudden fright.

There stood a group of Indians, with blankets around their forms, and
gleaming tomahawks about their shoulders.

"Pawnees--friendly. Don't be afraid. Give them something to eat," said
the captain, in a low tone, addressing the first part of his
conversation to Corona and the last part to Mrs. Neville.

But Corona had never seen an Indian in her life, and could not at once
get over her panic caused by the sight of those bare, keen-edged axes
gleaming in the sun.

Captain Neville spoke to them in their native tongue, and they replied.
The conversation that ensued was quite unintelligible to Clarence and
Corona, but not to Mrs. Neville, who beckoned to two squaws who stood
humbly in the rear of the braves. They were both clothed in short,
rude, blue cotton skirts, with blankets over their shoulders. The elder
squaw carried a pack on her back; the younger one carried a baby snugly
in a hood made of the loop of her blanket at the back of her neck.

They both approached the ladies, chattering as they came; the elder one
threw down her pack on the grass and began to open it, and display a
number of dressed raccoon skins stretched upon sticks, and by gibbering
and gesticulations expressed her wish to sell them.

Neither of the ladies wished to buy; but Mrs. Neville give her loaves of
bread and junks of dried beef from the hampers on the grass, and Corona
gave her money.

She put the money in a little fur pouch she carried at her belt, and she
packed the bread and beef in the bundle with the highly flavored raccoon
skins. She was not fastidious.

While Mrs. Neville and Corona were occupied with the squaw, Captain