the Umbiquas were going, to be
near to water, and also to fall upon the path from the settlement to the
post. Thus they would intercept any messenger, in case their expedition
should have been already discovered. Their direct road to the post was
considerably shorter, but after the first day's journey, no sweet grass
nor water was to be found. The ground was broken and covered with thick
bushes, which would not allow them to pass with the horses. Besides this
reason, an Indian always selects his road where he thinks he has nothing
to fear. We determined to take the direct road to the post, and chance
assisted us in a singular manner. The Indians and my old servant were
asleep, while I was watching with the Irishman Roche, I soon became
aware that something was moving in the prairie behind us, but what, I
could not make out. The buffaloes never came so far west, and it was not
the season for the wolves. I crawled out of our bush, and after a few
minutes found myself in the middle of a band of horses who had not
allowed themselves to be taken, but had followed the tracks of their
companions, to know what had become of them. I returned, awoke the
Indians, and told them; they started with their lassoes, while I and
Roche remained to sleep.

Long before morn the Indian scout guided us to three miles westward,
behind a swell of the prairie. It was an excellent precaution, which
prevented any Umbiqua straggler from perceiving us, a rather
disagreeable event, which would have undoubtedly happened, as we were
camped only two miles from them, and the prairie was flat until you came
to the swell just mentioned. There we beheld seven strong horses,
bridled with our lassoes. We had no saddles; but necessity rides without
one. The Indians had also killed a one-year-old colt, and taken enough
of the meat to last us two days; so that when we started (and we did so
long before the Umbiquas began to stir) we had the prospect of
reaching the fishing-post thirty hours before them.

[Illustration: "We halted on the bank of a small river."]

We knew that they would rest two hours in the day, as they were
naturally anxious to keep their stolen horses in good condition, having
a long journey before them ere they would enter into their own
territory. With us, the case was different, there were but forty miles,
which we could travel on horseback, and we did not care what became of
the animals afterwards. Consequently, we did not spare their le