CHAPTER 11. 



The next morning, Killbuck's leg was greatly inflamed, and lie 

 was unable to leave the lodge ; but he made his companion bring 

 the old mule to the door, that he might give her a couple of ears 

 of Indian corn, the last remains of the slender store brought by 

 the Indians from the Navajo country. The day passed, and sun- 

 down brought no tidings of the war-party. This caused no little 

 wailing on the part of the squaws, but was interpreted by the 

 whites as a favorable augury. A little after sunrise, on the second 

 mornmg, the long line of the returning warriors was discerned 

 winding over the prairie, and a scout having galloped in to bring 

 the news of a great victory, the whole village was soon in a fer- 

 ment of paint and drumming. A sliort distance from the lodges, 

 the warriors halted to await the approach of the people. Old 

 men, children, and squaws sitting astride their horses, sallied out 

 to escort the victorious party in triumph to the village. With 

 loud shouts and songs, and drums beating the monotonous Indian 

 time, they advanced and encircled the returning braves, one of 

 whom, his face covered with black paint, carried a pole on which 

 dangled thirteen scalps, the trophies of the expedition. As he 

 lifted these on high, they were saluted with deafening whoops and 

 cries of exultation and savage joy. In this manner they entered 

 the village, almost before the friends of those fallen in the fight 

 had ascertained their losses. Then the shouts of delight were 

 converted into yells of grief; the mothers and wives of those 

 braves who had been killed (and seven had " gone under") pres- 

 ently returned with their faces, necks, and hands blackened, and 



