AN UNWELCOME INVITATION. 317 



"When Pah-Squal pere had done "spreading himself, 

 enlarging, and slopping over," X., in reply, promised to give 

 the proposed meeting, and bring with him, as a present, 

 two fat steers, and two army waggons loaded with flour, 

 and a little coffee, sugar, and salt ; some of it for him to 

 keep for himself, and the rest for him to divide amongst 

 his head men. 



Then the old pirate of the wilderness was hoisted up in 

 the arms of his bearers, and escorted for a short distance 

 by his son carried, whence he came, or somewhere else. 



Twilight's shades were falling when Pah-Squal returned, 

 and be was informed we were about to leave. But that 

 chief insisted on our remaining all night, said the dark 

 was no time for travelling in the mountains, and plainly 

 intimated that a refusal to stop would be construed with an 

 indication of want of confidence on our part in his good 

 faith, and a rejection of proffered hospitality and friend- 

 ship. It was of the first importance to gain the confidence 

 of the savages with whom the making of a treaty was 

 desired, and as the readiest way of doing so was to show it 

 towards them, X. determined to remain, influenced also by 

 the consideration that if treachery was intended we should 

 be in danger, if we travelled in the dark, of being followed 

 up and set upon during the night while en route or in 

 camp ; so after watering our horses and giving them the 

 remainder of our corn, we sat down to supper with our 

 new friends, and afterwards smoked and talked with them 

 for some hours. 



During the day we had seen a great many of the 

 Indians, for they had been coming and going all the time 



