had not been
verified, I should in future be looked on as a false prophet.

"There are our friends, most probably," said John Pipestick; "but we
don't proceed as carelessly as you people from the East are apt to do.
We shall send out scouts and approach cautiously, lest our enemies
devise some means to destroy us. Such a thing has been done before now.
Those left in an encampment while the rest have been out hunting have
been attacked and slaughtered, while their enemies have taken possession
of their tents, and dressed and painted themselves like those they have
killed. There they have remained till the hunting-party have
unsuspiciously returned, perhaps a few at a time, and thus all in detail
have fallen victims. It was a clever trick, but we should deserve to
die if we allowed it to be repeated on us."

While John was speaking, three of our party, making a wide circuit,
crept cautiously forward towards the edge of the ravine, so that they
might look down and see what was going on below. We, meantime, lay down
behind some bushes so as to be completely concealed, the chief only
keeping watch, that he might direct us to act according to
circumstances. I could not help admiring their caution, though it was
very tiresome to wait in the cold instead of being within their warm
tents. At last the chief gave the sign for us to proceed. I started
up, prepared to meet the enemy I expected. We advanced towards the edge
of the ravine and began to descend, when we caught sight of the tents
pitched at the bottom of it, the smoke issuing forth from the apertures
in their summits. I inquired of John Pipestick if all was right.

"Yes, all right," he answered; "no enemies have come; they may perhaps
though; but we shall not remain here many hours."

The scene was very different from any I had, for many weeks, set eyes
on. By the side of what I knew was a stream were three tents. Each was
formed of some eighteen or twenty long, slender rods, the butt-end stuck
in the ground, in a circle, and the tops bent over to meet each other,
forming the framework of the habitation. Over this was stretched a
covering of buffalo-skins, very neatly sewed together with thin strips
of leather, and secured so firmly at the foot with pegs, that it was as
tight as a drum, and capable of throwing off any amount of rain, or the
snow melting from the heat within. The hides, being tanned white, had a
very neat and tent-like look. I cannot say