THE TRAIRIE WOLF. Ill 



at two farm-houses, and informed the occupants of the 

 threatened danger, and what we had seen ; and they soon 

 joined us, leaving everything behind them except a little 

 food and clothing. Thus re-enforced, we moved onward 

 as rapidly as the teams could travel, the men keeping close 

 to the wagons; but whenever we approached a house, 

 two of the party rode off and notified its inmates of the 

 alarming condition of affairs, and they too were on the 

 march towai'd the mining camp as rapidly as possible. 

 This place was selected as the head-quarters, owing to its 

 strong position and the number of men there, and the 

 fact that food and shelter could be procured there for a 

 considerable length of time if the people could not return 

 to their own homes. 



When we reached the camp at eight o'clock, it was in 

 a state of the greatest excitement, news of the danger hav- 

 ing been brought there by the half-breed Joe, the infor- 

 mation having been imparted to him by his cousin, an 

 Arapahoe squaw. Men were running hurriedly about, 

 and arming and mounting in hot haste, while couriers 

 were being despatched in every direction to warn the 

 distant stock-raisers and to rally the scattered miners. 



The women and children, as fast as they arrived, were 

 furnished with accommodations in their own cabins by 

 the generous miners, and the armed men were assigned 

 to detachments which were under the command of expe- 

 rienced Indian -fighters. About midnight we had fifty 

 mounted and well-armed men ready to take the field, while 

 twenty more remained in camp to guard the women and 

 children — that number, with the re -enforcements which 

 were sure to come in during the night, being deemed suf- 

 ficient to protect the village from a whole tribe of Sioux. 

 Each man who was to take the field having been supplied 

 with bread and beef enough to last for three days, he 

 tied them on his saddle, and, when everything was ready, 

 all started out in a body about 1 a.m. ; and, as the moon 

 was shining brightly, we were able to gallop rapidly over 

 the rolling plain, until we reached the previously mention- 



8* 



