w the captain, they immediately
renewed their expressions of friendship, and invited him to partake of
their hospitality. He stood aloof from them, and shook his head in
a rage, charging them with their villanous purposes. In the short,
sententious manner of the Indians, he said to them: "You now follow me
three times; if you follow me again, I kill you!" and wheeling around
abruptly, returned to his canoe. A third time the solitary trapper
pushed his little craft from the shore and set off down stream, to get
away from a region where to sleep would be hazardous. He plied his oars
the remainder of the night, and solaced himself with the thought that no
evil had befallen him, except the loss of a few hours' sleep.

While he was escaping from his villanous pursuers, he was running into
new dangers and difficulties. The following day he overtook a large
band of the same tribe, under the leadership of a chief, who were
also descending the river. Into the hands of these savages he fell a
prisoner, and was conducted to one of their villages. The principal
chief there took all of his furs, traps, and other belongings. A very
short time after his capture, the Kansans went to war with the Pawnees,
and carried Captain Williams with them. In a terrible battle in which
the Kansans gained a most decided victory, the old trapper bore a
conspicuous part, killing a great number of the enemy, and by his
excellent strategy brought about the success of his captors. When
they returned to the village, Williams, who had ever been treated with
kindness by the inhabitants, was now thought to be a wonderful warrior,
and could have been advanced to all the savage honours; he might even
have been made one of their principal chiefs. The tribe gave him his
liberty for the great service he had rendered it in its difficulty with
an inveterate foe, but declining all proffered promotions, he decided
to return to the white settlements on the Missouri, at the mouth of
the Kaw, the covetous old chief retaining all his furs, and indeed
everything he possessed excepting his rifle, with as many rounds of
ammunition as would be necessary to secure him provisions in the shape
of game on his route. The veteran trapper had learned from the Indians
while with them that they expected to go to Fort Osage on the Missouri
River to receive some annuities from the government, and he felt certain
that his furs would be there at the same time.

After leaving the Kansans