IN THE FAR WEST. 147 



tracks of unshodden horses, and after scanning them carefully 

 we decided that they were produced by four Indian mustangs 

 which had come from the direction of the camp we had visited in 

 the afternoon, and were going towards the north-eastern portion 

 of the valley, where there were several settlers engaged in stock- 

 raising. We deduced from this that the animals were ridden by 

 four braves who were probably out on a reconnaisance to see if 

 the presence of their tribe in the vicinity was known, and what 

 opportunities were offered for making a raid on the settlement. 

 The smallness of the party was evidently intended to allay 

 suspicion, for the stock-raisers who have been harassed by the 

 sudden attacks of the red men fly to arms on seeing them in 

 any numbers, or finding the tracks of their shoeless ponies on 

 the ground. Being assured of their purpose, we made a 

 dutour to the right, and called at two farm-houses, and informed 

 the occupants of the threatened danger and what we had seen, 

 and they soon joined us, leaving everything behind them 

 except a little food and clothing. Thus reinforced we moved 

 onward as rapidly as the teams could travel, the men keeping 

 close to the waggons, but whenever we approached a house two 

 of the party rode off and notified its inmates of the alarming 

 condition of affairs, and they too were on the march towards 

 the mining camp as rapidly as possible. This place was selected 

 as the head-quarters, owing to its strong position and the 

 number of men there, and the fact that food and shelter could 

 be procured there for a considerable length of time if the 

 people could not return to their own homes. 



When we reached the camp at eight o'clock it was in a state 

 of the greatest excitement, news of the danger having been 

 brought there by the half-breed Joe, the information having 

 been imparted to him by his cousin, an Arapahoc squaw. Men 

 were running hurriedly about, and arming and mounting in hot 

 haste, while couriers were being despatched in every direction to 

 warn the distant stock-raisers and to rally the scattered miners. 



The women and children, as fast as they arrived, were 

 furnished with accommodations in their own cabins bv the 

 generous miners, and the armed men were assigned to detach- 

 ments which were under the command of experienced Indian 



