IN THE FAR WEST. 157 



the way home very well, I began to move in the direction 

 where I supposed it was. After riding two or three miles I 

 met the entire party making preparations to go in search of 

 me; but, seeing me in the flesh, they concluded to have 

 another run if possible, for coyotes were more abundant than 

 they expected, or even cared for. Moving towards the small 

 vale over which we had enjoyed the first run, the hounds were 

 set to work, and they soon gave tongue. A little later and 

 we saw some coyotes break cover near a rivulet, and after 

 them we went, though at a rather slow rate, as dogs and 

 horses were getting pumped. While moving forward at a 

 heedless pace we were almost startled out of our wits by sec- 

 ing charging towards us in full cry a troop of mounted Indians. 

 We halted at once, not knowing what to make of the 

 incident, and prepared for trouble, as we supposed that it was 

 a war-party, belonging to some tribe that had " broken loose " 

 without a knowledge of the fact having come to our ears. 

 Some of us had empty revolvers, and these we loaded at once, 

 and dashed out of the valley and on to a knoll, without waiting 

 for a moment to consider the character of the approaching 

 cloud, except that it was not composed of whites, and having 

 gained a position from which we could run or fight, we halted 

 to reconnoitre. Our fears were soon dispelled, however, for no 

 less a personage than an individual named Snake Jim, a sub- 

 chief of the Snake tribe, rode up towards us suddenly as if he 

 had risen out of the ground, and after a cheery " How/' 

 informed us that some of the young braves of the village, 

 who belonged to the Snake reservation, and had learned from 

 the whites to have no fear of the "bad medicine "of the coyote, 

 wanted to join in the hunt, if there was no objection. He was 

 positively informed that they would be welcome, and being 

 reinforced by about twenty braves and an army of their curs, 

 we resumed our sport. Jim said he knew where there were 

 several coyotes, and under his guidance we \vent to seek them. 

 A ride of two miles brought us to a deeply buried dell that 

 was surrounded by huge basaltic boulders, and in which hares 

 seemed to be unusually numerous. Dividing our forces there 

 the red men occupied one position and the whites another. 



