306 THE INDIAN 'HORSE-GUARDS.' 



lasted from October until near April before the 

 snow entirely cleared. 



In this valley (the Colville valley) the Com- 

 missioner and myself had, I think, as brisk and 

 nice a bit of shooting as I ever enjoyed. If 

 I remember aright, it was towards the end 

 of September, and the birds had packed. We 

 rode down one clear bright morning, about six 

 miles, to the Horse-Guards. Do not at once 

 hastily imagine any analogy between Colville val- 

 ley and, Whitehall. The heavy man, with his 

 heavy boots, heavy sword, heavy dress, heavy 

 walk, and heaviest of all heavy horses so con- 

 spicuous a feature in our London sights is re- 

 presented here by the genuine savage, thin and 

 lissom as an eel ; his equipment a whip, a lasso, a 

 scalping-knife, and sometimes a trade-gun ; a pad 

 his saddle, and the bands of horses, some two hun- 

 dred in number, his charge. A stream of cold clear 

 water rambles quietly down the hillside; and 

 as the hills are thickly dotted with bunch-grass, 

 affording most glorious pasturage, the Hudson's 

 Bay fort horses are always pastured here, and 

 guarded by Indians; hence comes the name 

 4 the Horse-Guards.' 



The Colville valley is, roughly speaking, about 

 thirty miles long, the hills on one side being 



