230 IN THE OLD WEST 



were surrounded and secured, with the loss of only 

 three, which had probably been mounted by the 

 Indians. 



Day breaking soon after, one of their band was 

 discovered to be missing; and it was then found 

 that a man who had been standing horse-guard at 

 the time of the attack, had not come into camp 

 with his companions. At that moment a thin 

 spiral column of smoke was seen to rise from the 

 banks of the creek, telling but too surely the fate 

 of the missing mountaineer. It was the signal of 

 the Indians to their people that a coup had been 

 struck, and that an enemy's scalp remained in 

 their triumphant hands. 



" H ! " exclaimed the trappers in a breath ; 



and soon imprecations and threats of revenge, 

 loud and deep, were showered upon the heads of 

 the treacherous Indians. Some of the party 

 rushed to the spot where the guard had stood, and 

 there lay the body of their comrade, pierced with 

 lance and arrow, the scalp gone, and the body 

 otherwise mutilated in a barbarous manner. 

 Five were quickly in the saddle, mounted upon the 

 strongest horses, and flying along the track of the 

 Indians, who had made off towards the mountains 

 with their prize and booty. We will not follow 

 them in their work of bloody vengeance, save by 

 sajdng that they followed the savages to their 

 village, into which they charged headlong, re- 

 covered their stolen horses, and returned to camp 



