's one will grieve at it--one to whom I owe life and
protection."

"Of whom do you speak?"

"Of the mortal enemy of Red-Hand and his Arapahoes--of Wa-ka-ra."

"Wa-ka-ra?"

"Head chief of the Utahs--you shall see him presently. Put your horse
to his speed! We are close to the camp. Yonder are the smokes rising
above the cliff! On stranger! on!"

As directed, I once more urged my Arab into a gallop. It was not for
long. After the horse had made about a hundred stretches, the canon
suddenly opened into a small but beautiful _vallon_--treeless and turfed
with grass. The white cones, appearing in serried rows near its upper
end, were easily identified as an encampment of Indians. "Behold!"
exclaimed my companion, "the tents of the Utahs!"

CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO.

WA-KA-RA.

The lodges were aligned in double row, with a wide avenue between them.
At its head stood one of superior dimensions--the wigwam of the chief.
They were all of conical shape; a circle of poles converging at their
tops, and covered with skins of the buffalo, grained and bleached to the
whiteness of wash-leather. A slit in the front of each tent formed the
entrance, closed by a list of the hide that hung loosely over it. Near
the top of each appeared a triangular piece of skin, projecting outward
from the slope of the side, and braced, so as to resemble an inverted
sail of the kind known as _lateen_. It was a wind-guard to aid the
smoke in its ascent. On the outer surface of each tent was exhibited
the biography of its owner--expressed in picture-writing. More
especially were his deeds of prowess thus recorded--encounters with the
couguar and grizzly bear--with Crows, Cheyennes, Pawnees, and
Arapahoes--each under its suitable symbol. The great marquee of the
chief was particularly distinguished with this kind of emblematical
emblazonment--being literally covered with signs and figures, like the
patterns upon a carpet. No doubt, one skilled in the interpretation of
these Transatlantic hieroglyphs, might have read from that copious
cipher many a tale of terrible interest. In front of the tents stood
tall spears, with shields of _parfleche_ leaning against them; also long
bows of _bois d'arc (Maclura aurantica_), and shorter ones of horn--the
horns of the mountain-ram. Skin-quivers filled with arrows, hung
suspended from the shafts; and I observed that, in almost every grouping
of these weapons, there was a gun--a rifle. This did