114 TESTING BROWN'S COURAGE. 



selves on the forks of the Solomon, which was, although we 

 did not then know it, a favourite rendezvous of the Sioux, their 

 usual camp being not quite two miles from where we then were. 



Brown and I went out a few days after our arrival, and 

 as the grass was bad and our horses thin we went on foot. 

 After walking some miles, and seeing nothing but some very 

 wild antelope, we suddenly noticed what I took at first to be 

 smoke among some trees ahead of us, but which I recollected 

 soon afterwards was nothing but some dead cotton wood trees 

 standing among green ones, as I had remarked the same 

 appearance a few days previously and had gone to see what it 

 was. I thought this a good opportunity to test Brown's 

 courage, about which I had my doubts, as he was always 

 boasting of the number of Indians he had killed ; so 1 pretended 

 to think it was smoke, and told Brown that I should go and 

 see what it meant, on which he refused to accompany me, and 

 started off in the direction of camp, saying that he did not call 

 that courage, but fool-hardiness. After walking a short dis- 

 tance, however, I turned and overtook him, and had a good 

 laugh at him, telling him what it really was, when he assured 

 me that he knew it all the time and merely wanted to try me. 



On our return to camp we found that we might very easily 

 have come across some Indians, as eight or ten of them had 

 during our absence ridden on to the bluffs which overhung the 

 camp, and had shaken their spears at those in it. 



We had a consultation that evening, and all the men, with 

 the exception of Fox, wished to give up the trip and return 

 home ; but as the latter assured me that he would go on with 

 me alone if necessary, they were at last shamed into remaining. 



