74 ALAKM ON THK CIMARRON. 



manclies ; a most agreeable prospect for the 



ination to dwell upon ! 



We now moved on slowly and leisurely, 

 for all anxiety on the subject of water had 

 been happily set at rest by frequent falls 

 of rain. But imagine our consternation and 

 dismay, when, upon descending into the valley 

 of the Cimarron, on the morning of the 19 th 

 of June, a band of Indian warriors on horse- 

 "back suddenly appeared before us from be- 

 hind the ravines — an imposing array of death- 

 dealing savages! There was no merriment 

 in this ! It was a genuine alarm — a tangible 

 reality ! These warriors, however, as we soon 

 discovered, were only the van-guard of a 

 ' countless host/ who were by this time pour- 

 ing over the opposite ridge, and gallopuig 

 directly towards us. 



The wagons were soon irregularlv ' formed' 

 upon the hill-side: but in accor^nce with 

 the habitual carelessness of caravan traders, a 

 great portion of the men were unprepared for 

 the emergency. Scores of guns were ' empty,' 

 and as many more had been wetted by the 

 recent showers, and would not ' go off.' Here 

 ^^ ^^i^e/^lling for balls— another for powder 

 _ third for flmts. Exclamations, such as, 

 "Ive broke my ramrod" — "I've spilt my 

 caps"—" I've rammed down a ball without 

 powder"— "My gun is 'choked;' ffive me 

 yoiurs" — ^were heard from different 

 while a timorous ' greenhorn' would^perhap 

 cry out, " Here, take my gun, you can out 

 Khoot me T' The more daring bolted off t< 



fc> 



