IN THE OLD WEST 329 



a reply to his question, and exclaimed, " The old 

 mule smells Injuns, or I'm a Spaniard!" 



The hunter did the old mule justice, and she 

 well maintained her reputation as the best guard 

 in the mountains ; for in two minutes an Indian 

 stalked into the camp, dressed in a cloth capote, 

 and in odds and ends of civilized attire. 



" Rapaho," cried Killbuck, as soon as he saw 

 him ; and the Indian catching the word, struck 

 his hand upon his breast, and exclaimed, in broken 

 Spanish and English mixed, " Si, si, me Arapaho, 

 white man amigo. Come to camp eat heap 

 came me amigo white man. Come from Pueblo 

 hunt cibola me gun break no puedo matar 

 nada: mucha hambre (very hungry) heap 

 eat." 



Killbuck offered his pipe to the Indian, and 

 spoke to him in his own language, which both he 

 and La Bonte well understood. They learned that 

 h<* was married to a Mexican woman, and lived 

 with some hunters at the Pueblo fort on the Ar- 

 kansa. He volunteered the information that a 

 war-party of his people were out on the Platte 

 trail to intercept the Indian traders on their re- 

 turn from the North Fork ; and as some " Mor- 

 mones " had just started with three wagons in that 

 direction, he said his people would make a " raise." 

 Being muy amigo himself to the whites, he cau- 

 tioned his present companions from crossing to 

 the divide, as the braves, he said, were a heap 



