FALSE ALARMS. 6.7 



to the border, I believe, where any outrages 

 have been perpetrated upon the traders to 

 Santa Fe. One of the early packing compa- 

 nies lost their animals on this spot, and had to 

 send back for a new supply. 



Next day we reached Cow creek, where all 

 the difficulties encountered at Little Arkansas 

 had to be reconi^uered : but after digging, 

 bridging, shouldering the wheels, with the 

 usual accompaniment of whooping, swear- 

 ing and cracking of whips, we soon got safely 

 across and encamped in the valley beyond. 

 Alarms now began to accumulate more rapid- 

 ly upon us. A couple of persons had a few 

 days before been chased to the wagons by a 



band of buffalo ; and this evenu 



campment was barely formed when two 

 hunters came bolting in with information that 

 a hundred, perhaps of the same ' enemy,' were 

 at hand — at least tMs was the current opinion 

 afterwards. The hubbub occasioned by this 

 fearful news had scarcely subsided, when 

 another arrived on a panting horse, crjing out 

 " Indians ! Indians ! I've just escaped from a 

 couple, who pursued me to the very camp !" 

 " To arms ! to arms I"" resoyjided from every 

 quarter — and just then a wolf, attracted by the 

 fumes of broiling buffalo bones, sent up a 

 most hideous IioavI across the creek. " Some 

 one in distress !" was instantly shouted : " To 

 his rehef!" vociferated the crowd— and off 

 they bolted, one and all, arms in hand, hurly- 

 burly~Iea\-ing the camp entirely unprotect- 

 ed ; so that had an enemy been at hand in- 



O 



