328 ON THE FEONTIEE. 



they walked up to each other and shook hands. The Indian 

 was Pah-Squal. X. produced his pipe ; it was filled, lit, the 

 mystic whiffs were blown by each of them, and then the two 

 walked into the rancho together, followed by a string of 

 warriors, one of whom picked up his chief's weapons, X. 

 recovering his as he came to them. 



For some time the Indians continued to arrive, and at 

 last the corral was full of them. When they had ceased 

 coming Pah-Squal stepped up, announced that all were 

 assembled, and demanded to have the oxen and flour turned 

 over to him. I had tried to count the Indians as they 

 poured into the corral ; there were between a hundred and 

 thirty-five and a hundred and forty of them. They were as 

 fine a body of men, physically speaking, as I had ever seen, 

 evidently the pick of the tribe : tall, stout, broad-shouldered 

 fellows, heavily-muscled, straight-limbed, and light in the ' 

 flank ; having a depth of chest, from front to back, not seen 

 among civilised men ; active, able-bodied warriors. With 

 the exception of the chief and a very few others, breech - 

 clout, leggings, and moccasins constituted their attire. Every 

 man of them had his knife and tomahawk in his belt, his 

 full quiver at his back, and held his bow and three arrows 

 in his left hand. I glanced at the arrows ; they all had 

 war-tips to them, not hunting ones, and there was not a 

 man of the party younger than twenty-five, or older than 

 forty-five. 



If ever there was a well-chosen, well-armed war-party, 

 ready for instant action, it was that party standing before us. 



Word was passed to the frontiersmen in the ranch- 

 house and the troopers in the stable to slip quietly out, a 



