AN ILLUSION. 277 



buffalo came trotting over the brow of a distant hill, and 

 Mr Bayard and myself at once guessed that he must 

 have been chased by man. The mystery was very soon 

 set at rest, for after a little while two human figures on 

 foot appeared over the same brow, as if running in chase, 

 when, having fixed his eyes on them for a moment, 

 Bayard pronounced them Indians, and exclaimed " Will 

 you come ? " 



Of course the reply was in the affirmative, and we set 

 off towards them, Mr Canterall in company, when as we 

 thus proceeded I asked Bayard what he was going to do ? 

 The reply was, " To see what Indians they are; and, 

 if enemies at war with the United States, to war on 

 them." " All right, but how shall we know what In 

 dians they are ? " "If they are of the tribes at war, on 

 seeing us they will fight or run," replied Bayard ; " if not 

 at war, they will wait our arrival for a talk." I was 

 charmed thus to have fallen in with a chance for higher 

 game than even the bison afforded, and we kept on to 

 wards the men at a fast but collected pace. That they 

 were armed with rifles I saw by the gleam of the sun on 

 the barrels ; but I had not, gone very far before I ex 

 claimed to Bayard that I doubted if they were Indians ; 

 but as his eyes were younger than mine, as well as more 

 accustomed to the plains and the life upon them, of course 

 I deemed him the better judge. He replied, " They are 

 Indians," and we kept on, when they rather turned to 

 meet us, and by a nearer approach soon set the point at 

 rest ; they were two white men, if they had been clean, 

 but their faces and hands were so disguised by hair and 

 daubed and begrimed with dust, that until we were 

 close upon them it was almost impossible to declare their 

 hue or nation. We greeted each other, and they then in- 



