LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 275 



and the Indian catching the word, struck his hand upon 

 his breast, and exclaimed, in broken Spanish and Eng- 

 lish 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 he was married to 

 a Mexican woman, and lived with some hunters at the 

 Pueblo fort on the Arkansa. He volunteered the in- 

 formation that a war party of his people were out on 

 the Platte trail to intercept the Indian traders on their 

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

 mones " had just started with three waggons in that 

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

 Being muy amigo himself to the whites, he cautioned 

 his present companions from crossing to the " divide," 

 as the " braves," he said, were a " heap " mad, and their 

 lie-arts were "big," and nothing in the shape of white 

 skin would live before .them. 



" Wagh ! " exclaimed Killbuck, " the Rapahos know 

 me, I'm thinking ; and small gain they've made against 

 this child. I've knowed the time when my gun-cover 

 couldn't hold more of their scalps." 



The Indian was provided with some powder, of which 

 he stood in need ; and, after gorging as much meat as 

 his capacious stomach would hold, he left the camp, 

 and started into the mountain. 



