THE ELK, OR WAPITI. 283 



ley which the animals were leaving. After a careful scru- 

 tiny, I could see a column of mounted men moving along 

 the edge of a heavy copse ; and when it passed the wood, 

 it seemed to open out like a telescope, and dark dots could 

 be seen moving rapidly to the right and left and sud- 

 denly disappearing, as if the ground had swallowed them. 

 " Indians, by Jove !" thought I ; so I hastened at once to 

 find our veteran commander, to see what could be done to 

 escape the serious danger that threatened us. After going 

 at full gallop for about a mile, I was startled by hearing 

 my name called out of a tree, and, on looking up, saw the 

 leader perched on the branches of a fir, and his horse tied 

 to its base. Reining up abruptly, I was going to tell him 

 what I had seen ; but he anticipated me by coolly remark- 

 ing, " Seen 'em, didn't you ? I knowed it as soon as I saw 

 you stoppin'; but I saw 'em long afore you did. That aire 

 machine o' yourn isn't as good as my eyes, after all. I 

 reckon I can tell an Injun as far off as any telescope." This 

 statement, which was yelled at me as if the whole thing was 

 a joke, was followed by the rapid descent of the speaker ; 

 but on reaching the ground he changed his tone of voice, 

 and said that we were in for another sort of hunt, and 

 that he feared we should have to play the part of the elk. 

 "There's more'n a hundred Injuns in that crowd near the 

 mountains," said he, " and there's more'n fifty in the woods 

 toward whieh you were running after that last elk; so we've 

 got one hundred and fifty against twelve. Mighty lively 

 times we'll have of it afore long, I tell you ; and if any of 

 ns can scratch our head to-night we'll be mighty lucky, you 

 bet your boots." 



Asking him what he thought ought to be done, he re- 

 plied that there was nothing to be done just then except to 

 collect our forces, mount fresh horses, and fight for a pas- 

 sage through the mountains in front. To attempt to reach 

 camp, which was left in charge of two men, he considered 

 to be a piece of folly, inasmuch as the Indians must have 

 seen whence we emerged into the valley, and made their 

 preparations to check us in that direction ; for the first 



