ACROSS THE KOCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 49 



While these thoughts were passing in my mind, my e}e 

 suddenly encountered the two Indians. They were squatting 

 upon the ground near one of the fires, and appeared to be 

 surveying, with the keenness of morning appetite, the fine "/mmp 

 ribs''' which were roasting before them. The moment they 

 perceived me, I received from them a quick glance of recognition : 

 the taller one, — my opponent of the previous night, — rose to his 

 feet, walked towards me, and gave me his hand with great 

 cordiality ; then pointed into the tent, made the motions of raising 

 a gun to his shoulder, taking aim, and in short repeated the 

 entire pantomime with great fidelity, and no little humor, laughing 

 the whole time as though he thought it a capital joke. Poor 

 fellow ! it was near proving a dear joke for him, and I almost 

 trembled as I recollected the eager haste with which I sought to 

 take the life of a fellow creature. The Indian evidently felt no 

 ill will towards me, and as a proof of it, proposed an exchange of 

 knives, to which I willingly acceded. He deposited mine, — 

 which had my name engraved upon the handle, — in the sheath at 

 his side, and walked away to his hump ribs with the air of a man 

 who is conscious of having done a good action. As he left me, 

 one of our old trappers took occasion to say, that in consequence 

 of this little act of savage courtesy, the Indian became my firm 

 friend ; and that if I ever met him again, I should be entitled to 

 share his hospitality, or claim his protection. 



While the men were packing the horses, after breakfast, I was 

 again engaged with my Indian friend, I took his bow and ar- 

 rows in my hand, and remarked that the latter were smeared 

 with blood throughout : upon my expressing surprise at this, he 

 told me, by signs, that they had passed through the body of the 

 buffalo. I assumed a look of incredulity ; the countenance of 

 the savage brightened, and his peculiar and strange eyes actually 

 flashed with eagerness, as he pointed to a dead antelope lying 



upon the ground about forty feet from us, and which one of 



7 



