nt of the camps_. By the
number of these, we knew to a certainty that we were approaching the
caravan. We were in high hopes of being able to come up with it, before
it should enter the mountain-passes--more dangerous to the traveller
than even the plains themselves: because at that season more beset by
bands of marauding savages. Under the influence of these hopes, we were
pressing forward, with all the haste it was in our power to make; when
our journey was varied by an incident of a somewhat unexpected
character.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

AN UN-PRAIRIE-LIKE APPARITION.

The incident referred to occurred high up the Arkansas, at the
celebrated grove known as the "Big Timbers." We had started about two
hours before sundown, and were riding in a due westerly direction, over
a "rolling" prairie--the ridges of which, as ill-luck would have it, ran
transversely to our course: causing the path to be constantly going
upward or downward. It was not this that troubled us; but the fact
that, as we crested each swell, we were freshly exposed to observation
from a distance; and this recurring so often, kept us continuously on
the alert.

Once or twice, we thought of halting again till after the sun had gone
down: for we knew that we were treading upon dangerous ground; but,
failing to perceive any fresh Indian sign, we gave way to our
irresolution, and continued on. We proceeded with caution, however:
always ascending in stealthy silence, and peeping carefully over the
ridges before crossing them. After reconnoitring the intervening
valleys, we would ride rapidly across, to make up the time we had lost
in our reconnoissance. In this way we had travelled some eight or ten
miles--until the sun was so far down, that his lower limb rested on the
horizon. We were ascending a ridge, and had got our eyes on a level
with its crest, when upon the face of another ridge--about half a mile
further on--we beheld two forms outlined against the declivity. We saw
that they were human forms; and that they were Indians was our first
thought; but a moment's observation convinced us we were in error. They
were afoot--Indians would have been on horseback. There was no floating
drapery about their bodies--Indians would have had something of this
sort; besides there were other circumstances observable in their figures
and movements, that negatived the supposition of their being red-skins.
They were singularly disproportioned in size: on