SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 21 



ing or affecting to sleep under one of our carts ; in the 

 latter purpose, however, we failed; the old man awoke, 

 and seeing what we were about, he left us immediately, 

 notwithstanding the attempt made to amuse him with con- 

 versation until we should be ready to start; but we could 

 not detain him ; we saw him walk over the prairie, and 

 by the light of the moon traced his figure until he ap- 

 proached near to the river, when he disappeared in the 

 woods. This was the last Dacota whom we saw. 



Our march Avas continued without interruption for six 

 hours; we have reason to believe that it is to this sudden 

 departure that we owe our having escaped an attack from 

 that band. 



It may be interesting to mention, that the Dacotas have 

 means of communicating information to those of their par- 

 ty that are at a distance. We had an opportunity of ob- 

 serving these telegraphic communications in more than one 

 instance. In this case, in order to inform the mounted In- 

 dians that were seen at a distance on the prairie that wc 

 were white men, and that they might approach without 

 fear, a few of them separated from the group, and ran round 

 a circle several times, a signal which was immediately un- 

 derstood by their friends. 



Had not our attention been seriously occupied by the 

 hostile dispositions manifested by these Indians, we should 

 have taken much interest in witnessing one of their great 

 diversions. Some time before we met them, we observed 

 a fine buffalo bull, who seemed to challenge a combat with 

 our party ; he travelled for about two miles abreast of us, 

 and almost within gunshot ; his eyes ivere intently bent 

 upon us. Though occasionally driven off by our dog, he 

 would constantly return, and continue in a parallel line, as 

 though he were watching our motions. This fearless cb£r- 

 VoL. II. 4 



