272 THE NOCTURNAL WARBLER. 



the hold would have been to invite a doubtful collision — to allow him an 

 instint's time for turning upon me, must have proved equally perilous; — 

 the only resource was to retain my grasp with twofold energy, and run 

 backwards as fast as possible, which 1 did, pulling the struggling beast 

 after me, — now twisting this way, now that way, in vain effort to attack, 

 —and growling and snapping his teeth with all the ferocity of his sav- 

 age nature. 



What would have been the result of this strange adventure, it is hard to 

 tell, were it not that one of my camp-mates hastened to the rescue, and 

 with a club despatched his wolfship At any rate I had no curiosity to 

 submit the question to a further test. 



With us the practice of early rising was remembered only as the whim 

 of visionary theorists, and this important item in the routine of daily du- 

 ties, was often postponed to an unreasonable hour. Once we came very 

 near paying dearly for the indulgence. The sun had told more than two 

 hours of his daily round, and only one of our number had doffed the drow- 

 siness of sleep and betaken himself to an eminence to scan the surround- 

 ing solitude. Hare the first object that met his gaze was a war-party of 

 mounted savages, advancing upon him at full charge. 



He had scarcely time to reach camp and give the alarm, when the whole 

 troop came pouring in upon all sides with the rapidity of a torrent, making 

 the air resound with their terrific yells. Seizing my arms I was the first 

 to meet the assailants, and, levelling at them, made signs that an advance 

 would be at their peril. Upon this they recoiled, and shouted at the top 

 of their voices, '' Amigos ! Arapahos .'" accompanied with the signs of 

 friendship and their nation. 



Satisfied of the truth of theso declarations, we permitted them to come . 

 up, and, in a few minutes, all were quietly seated, and the "pipe" per- 

 forming its tireless rounds. 



Our boldness in daring to offer a resistance greatly excited their sur- 

 prise, and the more so, as we had only four rifles, while they had many 

 arrows, and were more than ten times our number. An old chief, after 

 listening to their remarks, replied : 



" My people must not deceive themselves. The pale faces are brave 

 and kill their enemies a long way off. Those " said he, pointing to a 

 brace of pistols, " would have laid many of my warriors low, after the 

 medicine-irons had spoken their death-words. The Great Spirit has taught 

 the pale-face how to fijcht." 



Our visitors had at first supposed us a war-party of Pawnees, and came 

 with the full design of securing a scalp-dance. Had they caught us nap- 

 ping, without doubt our own l.ves would have been substituted for those 

 of their enemies. 



In a few hours the motley crew again resumed their course, and left us 

 to the undisturbed enjoyment of our sequestered retreat, thankful indeed 

 to be free from their presence. 



In addition to the howling of wild beasts and the hooting of prairie-owla 

 by night, the locality afforded other music to sooth the hours of slumber. 

 A bird of unknown species had built her nest in the boughs of a cotton- 



