334 ON THE FEONTIEE. 



The Indian warriors rushed together, fitted arrows to their 

 bow-strings, half drew them, and stood waiting their chief's 

 commands. The women threw themselves flat on the ground, 

 with their arms round their children. 



The situation was becoming interesting. 



Pah-Squal stood like a statue, but he spoke a few words 

 in Yumaya. Then two Indian swells stepped up and placed 

 themselves one on each side of him, and all three came 

 close to X. Pah-Squal laid the palm of his open right 

 hand on X.'s breast, and said, " Muncho bravo ! Muncho 

 sabe ! We will go with you I and these two. We are 

 ready." 



X. replied, "It is well," and replaced his pistols; the 

 Indians sheathed their bows and returned their arrows to the 

 quivers ; the troops fell out, and the frontiersmen " derned 

 the luck," and said it was "a cussed shame ter threow away , 

 setch a bully chance uv wiping eout the hull caboodle uv the 

 pesky varmunts." 



While our horses were being saddled, Pah-Squal stated 

 that though he and the other two wished to go with us to 

 the fort, we must leave all the soldiers behind, because they 

 did not want any soldiers with them ; they would not go if 

 there were to be any soldiers. So the non-commissioned 

 officer was put in charge of the troopers, with orders to re- 

 main on the rancho until the Indians had all gone ; and 

 then, should he not in the interval have received further 

 commands, to return to the fort without longer delay ; and a 

 report in duplicate was drawn up of what had transpired, 

 one copy given to the sergeant, and the other to old Major 

 von B., to hand to the officer in command of a cavalry scout, 



