38 THE ADVENTURES OF 



took the horses out of the harness and pursued, 

 but failed to overtake them. 



While all this was transpiring I was about 

 three miles away, killing and skinning buffalo, 

 in bHssful ignorance of everything else. I had 

 just finished skinning and started after one 

 I had wounded. The ground was uneven and 

 as I was nearly at the top of a knoll I caught 

 a glimpse of something just going over a 

 hill, and remarked to Allred ''There is a herd, 

 now," and ran to the top of the hill to shoot. 

 It was getting late in the evening and fast 

 getting dark, and when I reached the top of 

 the hill I could see several objects coming in 

 sight about two hundred yards to my right, 

 which I soon discovered to be mounted men, 

 but could not tell whether they were red 

 skins or white men. As soon as they saw me 

 they dismounted and began to make signs to 

 me, but which I did not care about answer- 

 ing. I did not know just what to do, and 

 came near firing on them, but concluded to 

 await developments. At last one of them 

 mounted his horse and came toward us, when 



