266 BUP^FALO LAND. 



knowledge that they can take your scalp without 

 losing their own, is like binding a thief with threads 

 of gold : the very power which should restrain, is in 

 itself a temptation. 



Our little camp soon bristled all over with defiance, 

 a sort of mammoth porcupine presenting points at 

 every angle for the enemy's consideration. Our ani- 

 mals were put safely under cover among the trees, 

 where they could not be easily stampeded ; the 

 wagons were ranged in a crescent, forming excellent 

 defense for our exposed side ; and pockets were hur- 

 riedly filled with ammunition. As we were thus 

 earnestly preparing for war, an entomological ac- 

 cident occurred. Sachem, while excitedly thrusting 

 a handful of cartridges into Mr. Colon's pockets, 

 suddenly drew back his hand with an expression 

 of alarm, bringing with it a whole assortment 

 of bugs. One of the pocket-cases of our ento- 

 mologist had opened, and the inmates, imprisoned 

 but that morning, were now swarming over our 

 fat friend's fingers, and up his arm, which he was 

 shaking vigorously. There they were — rare bugs 

 and plethoric spiders, together with one lively 

 young lizard — all clinging to the limb which had 

 brouuht them rescue from their cavernous cell with 

 more tenacity than if they had been stuck on with 

 Spalding's glue. Poor Sachem ! While he danced and 

 fumed, and gave his opinion of bug-men generally, 

 Mr. Colon cried — " 0, my bugs, my beautiful bugs ! " 

 and grasped eagerly at his vanishing treasures. Our 

 alderman disengaged himself at length from his nox- 

 ious visitors, and meanwhile the other members of the 



