ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 43 



trate into the tongue, and almost to produce decortication of the 

 mouth. 



We are now within about three days' journey of the usual 

 haunts of the buffalo, and our men (particularly the uninitiated) 

 look forward to our arrival amongst them with considerable 

 anxiety. They have listened to the garrulous hunter's details 

 of " approaching,'''' and " running,'''' and " quartering,'''' until 

 they fancy themselves the very actors in the scenes related, and 

 are fretting and fuming with impatience to draw their maiden 

 triggers upon the unoffending rangers of the plain. 



The next morning, we perceived two men on horseback, at 

 a great distance; and upon looking at them with our telescope, 

 discovered them to be Indians, and that they were approaching 

 us. When they arrived within three or four hundred yards, 

 they halted, and appeared to wish to communicate with us, but 

 feared to approach too nearly. Captain W. rode out alone and 

 joined them, while the party proceeded slowly on its way. In 

 about fifteen minutes he returned with the information that they 

 were of the tribe called Grand Pawnees. They told him that 

 a war party of their people, consisting of fifteen hundred 

 warriors, was encamped about thirty miles below; and the cap- 

 tain inferred that these men had been sent to watch our motions, 

 and ascertain our place of encampment ; he was therefore careful 

 to impress upon them that we intended to go but a few miles 

 further, and pitch our tents upon a little stream near the main 

 river. When we were satisfied that the messengers were out of 

 sight of us, on their return to their camp, our whole caravan was 

 urged into a brisk trot, and we determined to steal a march upon 

 our neighbors. The little stream was soon passed, and we went 

 on, and on, without slackening our pace, until 12 o'clock at 

 night. We then called a halt on the bank of the river, made a 

 hasty meal, threw ourselves down in our blankets, without 

 pitching the tents, and slept soundly for three hours. We were 



