JOHN C. FREMONT. 189 



of one of the placid lakes which lie embosomed in the 

 midst of the mountains. The horses were picketed, 

 as usual, with long halters, near at hand, to feed 

 upon the grass. The men, fourteen in number, 

 were distributed in companies of three around dif- 

 ferent camp-fires. A calm clear night settled down 

 over the wide face of nature ; and Colonel Fremont 

 permitted all the men, wearied by the protracted 

 and severe journey of the day, to repose without 

 appointing a guard. As the night advanced, he 

 himself, seated by one of the fires, perused with 

 insatiable avidity the letters from his family which 

 he had received. The silence of the grave pervaded 

 the vast solitude around him. Toward midnight he 

 heard a sudden movement among the horses, which 

 gave evidence that some danger was near; for it is 

 true that the acute instincts of these brute creatures, 

 under such circumstances, possess a strange degree 

 of accuracy and truthfulness, which experienced 

 travellers always treat with consideration. Colonel 

 Fremont arose from his seat and went forth to the 

 horses, to discover the cause of their alarm. He 

 searched in vain. The dark, frowning forest around 

 appeared to be tenanted by no living thing; and the 

 light of the moon, as she smiled in silent majesty 

 in the far-off heavens, seemed to render all conceal- 

 ment and hidden danger impossible, even in the 



