FOLLOWED BY INDIANS. 151 



there. It lay some distance from any regularly 

 frequented war-trail. The old man and I used to 

 consider it our holiday retreat. We had been there 

 about a week, and I was footing down the bed of 

 the watercourse, setting traps, while the old man 

 tramped along the margin, carrying our surplus 

 effects on his back. At length, when all were set, 

 and I had left the water, my father-in-law, without 

 moving a feature or raising his voice, told me that 

 Indians were following us. "I know it," he said ; 

 " for the wild ducks above, almost at that bend, 

 are swimming down stream. It's not a brute beast 

 would make them do that." 



6 With a demeanour as if conscious of security 

 we returned to our camp. All was as we had left 

 it ; but a broken eagle's feather, part of the head- 

 dress of an Indian, lay near the dead fire ; proof 

 that during our absence Bed-skins had been about. 

 On further examination, a young man's foot -prints 

 were discernible, for the distance between each 

 impression was wide, while the deepest part of the 

 track was formed by the toes, denoting the elasticity 

 of youth. An old brave, or chief, would have known 

 too much to leave such a sign ; the younger ones, 

 from ignorance or recklessness, might be guilty of 

 oversight. 



' As it would be difficult to surprise us by day, 

 we performed our usual camp avocations, laying our 

 plans for future action. Darkness at length set in. 

 The fire was purposely left unreplenished. But, as 



