268 BUFFALO LAND. 



before taking the chances of having one of them 

 kej)t, and admitting the painted heathens before us 

 to full confidence and felloAVship. 



As the leader of our party, it devolved upon the 

 Professor to go forward and meet the chief, which he 

 promptly did, taking along our man who was acting 

 in Cody's place as guide, to assist him in comj^re- 

 hending the savage's wishes. Midway between us 

 the respective embassadors met. We heard the 

 chief's loud " How, how?" and saw their hand-shak- 

 ing, and could not help wondering what the Philoso- 

 pher's class woukl say, could they have beheld their 

 honored tutor officiating as a frontispiece for such a 

 savage background. 



White Wolf stated that he had been out after Paw- 

 nees ; he could not find them, and so "Indian felt 

 heap bad ! " Just at this instant a loud, quick cry 

 came from his knot of warriors, who were now mani- 

 festing the wildest excitement, lashing u]) their po- 

 nies, stringing their bows, and making other prepara- 

 tions as if for a fight. Without a word, the chief 

 turned and ran for dear life toward his band, while 

 the Professor and our guide wheeled and ran for dear 

 life toward us. Seldom has the man of science made 

 such progress as did the respected leader of our ex- 

 pedition then. The guide called, " Cover us with 

 your guns! '■ — a command which we immediately pro- 

 ceeded to obey, evidently to the intense alarm of the 

 Professor, for so completely were they covered, that 

 I doubt if either would have escai^ed, had we been 

 called upon to fire. 



Our first thought had been a suspicion of treachery, 



