e canoes
round the point and enter the river. It would take them the whole night
to effect this, and at sunrise they would attack and destroy the front
door with their tomahawks.

With the darkness of night, a certain degree of anxiety came over us,
for we knew not what devilish plan the Indians might hit upon; I placed
sentries in every corner of the block-house, and we waited in silence;
while our enemies, having lighted a large fire, cooked their victuals,
and though we could not hear the import of their words, it was evident
that they considered the post as in their power. Half of them, however,
laid down to sleep, and towards midnight the stillness was uninterrupted
by any sound, whilst their half-burnt logs ceased to throw up their
bright flames. Knowing how busy we should be in the morning, I thought
that till then I could not do better than refresh myself by a few hours'
repose; I was mistaken.

I had scarcely closed my eyes, when I heard the dull regular noise of
the axe upon trees. I looked cautiously; the sounds proceeded from the
distance, and upon the shores of the river, and behind the camp of the
savages, dark forms were moving in every direction, and we at last
discovered that the Umbiquas were making ladders to scale the upper
doors of our little towers. This, of course, was to us a matter of
little or no consideration, as we were well prepared to receive them;
yet we determined not to let them know our strength within, until the
last moment, when we should be certain, with our fire-arms, to bring
down five of them at the first discharge. Our Indians took their bows
and selected only such arrows as were used by their children when
fishing, so that the hostile party might attribute their wounds and the
defence of their buildings to a few bold and resolute boys.

At morn, the Umbiquas made their appearance with two ladders, each
carried by three men, while others were lingering about and giving
directions more by sign than word. They often looked toward the
loop-holes, but the light of day was yet too faint for their glances to
detect us; and besides they were lulled into perfect security by the
dead silence we had kept during the whole night. Indeed they thought
the boat-house had been deserted, and the certain degree of caution with
which they proceeded was more the effect of savage cunning and nature
than the fear of being seen or of meeting with any kind of resistance.

The two ladders wer