nd their wives and children.

Glenn asked Boone how the Indians managed to sleep in the cold
prairie; and, Roughgrove repeating the inquiry to the savage, they
were informed that the war-party carried with them a long but very
light sled, in the shape of a canoe, to which was tied a rope made of
buckskins, by which they pulled it along on the snow with great
swiftness. This kept them warm with exercise through the day. A
quantity of furs and buffalo skins were packed in the canoe that
served to keep them warm at night.

"Mr. Roughgrove! Mr. Roughgrove!" cried Joe, from his loophole.

"What do you want with me?" responded the old man.

"Why, Miss Mary's gone down to your house to see if the Indians have
been there, and they may be there now, perhaps."

"There's no danger now, you blockhead," replied Roughgrove.

"Keep your mouth shet!" said Sneak.

"Your mouth's mashed--recollect who did it," retorted Joe.

The savage at length lifted up the dead body, and set off at a brisk
pace towards the prairie. The party then returned to the house and
partook of a plenteous repast that had been provided by Mary.

When the breakfast was over, they repaired to the cliff, to examine
the place where the Indians had first penetrated the snow. They had
commenced operations at the very brow of the cliff, on a shelving
rock, to attain which, without being seen from the garrison, they must
have crawled on their hands and knees a considerable distance. Below
could be seen an immense heap of snow, which had been thrown down from
the place of entrance, just as Boone had described.

"Jest look yander!" cried Sneak, pointing up the river. The scene was
a remarkable one. They beheld a very small deer (the lightness of
which enabled it to run on the snow that covered the ice with great
fleetness, without breaking through the crust,) chased about on the
river by a pack of wolves! These hungry animals had evidently been
racing after it a great length of time, from the distressed appearance
of the poor victim, and, having driven it upon the ice, they seemed
resolved to prevent it from ever again entering the thickets. The plan
they adopted was systematic, and worthy the imitation of biped
hunters. They dispersed in various directions, and formed themselves
in a circle of about a half mile in diameter, hemming the deer in on
all sides, while only one or two of their number at a time chased it.
Round and round it ran; and though its pursuers