280 MULE-HUNTING EXPEDITION. 



alternate stripes of vermilion and white, arranged 

 in all sorts of directions, and extending from his 

 waist to his hair. We smoked together; the 

 pipe passing round the circle of ' braves ' (that 

 might have been more justly styled 'ragged 

 ruffians,' if they had worn clothes), the chief's 

 bodyguard. 



The chief of course wanted everything he saw, 

 as a present; but this, at all hazards, I sternly 

 refused. Finding nothing more was to be obtained 

 by fair means, on receiving the promised payment, 

 he left for the village. 



The lake near which I am camped is a magni- 

 ficent sheet of water, forty miles in length, with 

 an average breadth of fifteen, shut in by steep 

 hills not very heavily timbered, between which 

 are fine open grassy valleys. Wildfowl in swarms 

 dot its surface, and it abounds with fish so the 

 Indians tell me. 



May 21-si. Another sleepless night, morning 

 dark ; a cold icy wind nearly freezes one's blood ; 

 start as soon as we can see. The chief tells me I 

 can ford the stream near his lodge, but, doubtful 

 of its truth, canter on ahead of the mules, and try 

 it. Just as I thought, deep water ; a ruse to get 

 my rnules swimming, and when scattered, to 

 pounce upon and steal them. 



