86 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



" Whar 1" repeated old Luke, striking the flint of his 

 rifle, and opening the pan to examine the priming. 

 "What brings a duck a-streakin it down stream, if 

 humans aint behint her? and who's thar in these 

 diggins but Injuns, and the worst kind ? and we'd better 

 push to camp, I'm thinking, if we mean to save our 

 hair." 



" Sign" sufficient, indeed, it was to all the trappers, 

 who, on being apprised of it, instantly drove in their 

 animals, and picketed them ; and hardly had they done 

 so when a band of Indians made their appearance on 

 the banks of the creek, from whence they galloped to the 

 bluff which overlooked the camp at the distance of about 

 six hundred yards ; and crowning this in number some 

 forty or more, commenced brandishing their spears and 

 guns, and whooping loud yells of defiance. The trappers 

 had formed a little breastwork of their packs, forming 

 a semicircle, the chord of which was made by the 

 animals standing in a line, side by side, closely picketed 

 and hobbled. Behind this defence stood the moun- 

 taineers, rifle in hand, and silent and determined. The 

 Indians presently descended the bluff on foot, leaving 

 their animals in charge of a few of the party, and, scat- 

 tering, advanced under cover of the sage bushes which 

 dotted the bottom, to about two hundred yards of the 

 whites. Then a chief advanced before the rest, and 

 made the sign for a talk with the Long-knives, which 

 led to a consultation amongst the latter as to the policy 

 of acceding to it. They were in doubts as to the 

 nation these Indians belonged to, some bands of the 



