at they might be called to
receive them. A warrior gave a shout as if he were calling a pack of
dogs together. The squaws, young and old, hags of eighty and girls of
sixteen, came running with screams and laughter out of the lodges; and
as the men gave way for them they gathered round us and stretched out
their arms, grinning with delight, their native ugliness considerably
enhanced by the excitement of the moment.

Mounting our horses, which during the whole interview we had held close
to us, we prepared to leave the Arapahoes. The crowd fell back on each
side and stood looking on. When we were half across the camp an idea
occurred to us. The Pawnees were probably in the neighborhood of the
Caches; we might tell the Arapahoes of this and instigate them to send
down a war party and cut them off, while we ourselves could remain
behind for a while and hunt the buffalo. At first thought this plan of
setting our enemies to destroy one another seemed to us a masterpiece of
policy; but we immediately recollected that should we meet the Arapahoe
warriors on the river below they might prove quite as dangerous as
the Pawnees themselves. So rejecting our plan as soon as it presented
itself, we passed out of the village on the farther side. We urged our
horses rapidly through the tall grass which rose to their necks. Several
Indians were walking through it at a distance, their heads just visible
above its waving surface. It bore a kind of seed as sweet and nutritious
as oats; and our hungry horses, in spite of whip and rein, could not
resist the temptation of snatching at this unwonted luxury as we passed
along. When about a mile from the village I turned and looked back over
the undulating ocean of grass. The sun was just set; the western sky was
all in a glow, and sharply defined against it, on the extreme verge of
the plain, stood the numerous lodges of the Arapahoe camp.

Reaching the bank of the river, we followed it for some distance
farther, until we discerned through the twilight the white covering
of our little cart on the opposite bank. When we reached it we found
a considerable number of Indians there before us. Four or five of them
were seated in a row upon the ground, looking like so many half-starved
vultures. Tete Rouge, in his uniform, was holding a close colloquy with
another by the side of the cart. His gesticulations, his attempts
at sign-making, and the contortions of his countenance, were most
ludicrous; and