154 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



the country was alive with Indians. Neither of these 

 men had been wounded. Presently the two Canadians 

 made their appearance on the bluff, galloping with 

 might and main to camp, and shouting " Indians ! 

 Indians ! " as they came. All being assembled and a 

 council held, it was determined to abandon the camp 

 and neighbourhood immediately. Old Bill was already 

 packing his animals, and as he pounded the saddle 

 down on the withers of his old Rosinante, he muttered 

 " Do 'ee hyar, now 1 this coon 'ull cache, he will." 

 So mounting his horse, and leading his pack-mule by a 

 lariat, he bent over his saddle-horn, dug his ponderous 

 rowels into the lank sides of his beast, and, without a 

 word, struck up the bluff and disappeared. 



The others, hastily gathering up their packs, and 

 most of them having lost their traps, quickly followed 

 his example, and "put out." On cresting the high 

 ground which rose from the creek, they observed thin 

 columns of smoke mounting into the air from many 

 different points, the meaning of which they were at no 

 loss to guess. However, they were careful not to show 

 themselves on elevated ground, keeping as much as 

 possible under the banks of the creek, when such a 

 course was practicable ; but, the bluffs sometimes rising 

 precipitously from the water, they were more than once 

 compelled to ascend the banks, and continue their 

 course along the uplands, whence they might easily be 

 discovered by the Indians. It was nearly sundown 

 when they left their camp, but they proceeded during 

 the greater part of the night at as rapid a rate as 



