and stealthily, evidently fancying that they were not perceived. We had
no doubt that they were a party of our late opponents the Dacotahs, but
what was their purpose it was difficult to say; they must have known
that we had heard the death-shriek of the murdered man, and they could
not but have supposed that we should be on the watch for them. Perhaps
this only precipitated a previously formed plan. The stranger
approached us rapidly; we could hear aimed at him more than one shaft as
it flew hissing through the air. Several axes also were thrown in
savage fury, as the Indians saw that their hoped-for victim was about to
escape them. The stranger came rushing on; he had good need of speed.

"Obed, my boy," said I, "let us sally out and protect that poor fellow.
If we do not, the red-skins will be up to him before he reaches this
hill!"

Obed was not a man it was necessary to ask twice to do a thing of the
sort, nor were his brothers or their followers. The order was sent
rapidly round to assemble together; not a word was uttered above a
whisper--the sentries were left standing at their posts as if
unconscious of what was going on in the plain below. But a few seconds
were expended in preparations.

"Now, my boys, down upon them!" exclaimed Obed, and at the word we
sprang over our entrenchments as quick as lightning; we were up to the
stranger, who for a moment was somewhat startled at our sudden
appearance, but soon, comprehending the state of affairs, took shelter
behind us while we sprang on to meet the Indians. We halted within ten
yards of them, and poured in a volley from our rifles which brought
nearly one-half of them to the ground.

The remainder hesitated an instant, then hearing our loud shouts and
huzzas, and seeing us come on with our axes gleaming in our hands, they
turned tail and scampered off as fast as they could go. To pursue them
would have been dangerous with so large a number of their tribe in the
neighbourhood, and it was very probable that they had an ambush near at
hand ready to cut us off. The sound of our fire-arms brought up two of
our scouts, who joined us as we were returning to our camp, but the
third did not make his appearance, and we had too much reason to fear
that he had fallen a victim to the Dacotahs. By the time we got back to
camp we found Waggum-winne-beg and all his people, both men and women,
turned out and ready to resist any attack which might be made on us. We