266 BUFFALO 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 

 brought 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 



