146 PRESENTIMENT OF EVIL. 



bravest heart nervous when others as loved and as 

 defenceless were in similar danger. His wrongs and 

 sufferings had prompted an eager desire for retalia- 

 tion. But our grounds for apprehension at that 

 time were unnecessary. A strong force of United 

 States dragoons, assisted by a number of volunteers 

 recruited among the neighbouring farmers, soon 

 brought the Red-skins to their senses, and drove 

 them back to their Indian country. 



'After the lapse of some months, it being the 

 season to lay in a stock of buffalo meat, my father- 

 in-law and self determined to visit a range that 

 these animals frequented at that season of the year. 

 Our absence would probably last over some days, 

 but as my wife previous to her marriage had been 

 left alone for much longer periods, we parted with 

 each other without her expressing any fear, or even 

 evincing the slightest nervousness. Of the two I 

 believe I felt the ordeal most, and as I turned in 

 my saddle to wave a last adieu to her ere the 

 timber shut my homestead from my sight, a sense 

 of loneliness, almost amounting to dread, stole over 

 me. Even the old man observed it, and chaffed me 

 at what he was pleased to designate my calfishness. 

 His reproof was submitted to without remonstrance, 

 for I knew it was merited. Still, a presentiment of 

 evil persistently intruded itself on my mind that 

 inexplicable feeling that I have found so often to be 

 the forerunner of misfortune. I could not shake it 

 off. From the hour we left our home all appeared 



