1 68 Travels and Adventures 



was lost in hiding ourselves behind the nearest trees, 

 and we were scarcely placed when another shower 

 of arrows showed us the position of the Indians. 

 Seeing us retreat, they had advanced more into the 

 open ; at the same moment a blaze of fire poured out 

 of five trusty rifles, and a terrible howl rose from the 

 throats of the surprised and wounded Indians, who 

 up to the present had not uttered a sound. 



In a moment every mark for us to aim at had 

 disappeared, but we fired another volley in the direc- 

 tion they had gone. For some time after, the rushing 

 sound in the forest informed us that they were re- 

 treating and taking away their dead or wounded. I 

 thought they would return, but my companions be- 

 lieved that the report of fire-arms was so little known 

 to them that one encounter would be enough — and 

 they proved right. As soon as day dawned we care- 

 fully reconnoitred in all directions. However, on that 

 side we found nothing but the trail of the Indians and 

 the pools of blood left by the victims of our bullets. I 

 had been anxious to capture one of the Indians, so as 

 to see what sort of people they really were, as up to 

 the present I had caught nothing of them but the 

 faintest glimpse ; in this I was quite unexpectedly 

 gratified. Two of the men were reconnoitring along 

 the bank of the river near the canoe, when they 

 came upon one of the Indians alone — probably a 



