VALLEY OF THE CIMARRON. 79 



to ingratiate themselves in our favor, and es- 

 tablish an intercourse — perhaps a traffic. But 

 the outrages upon Major Riley, as well as 



upon a caravan, not two years before, perpe 

 trated probably by the same Indians, were 

 fresh in the memory of all ; so that none of 

 us were willing to confide in their friendly 

 professions. On inquiring by means of signs 

 for the nearest \vater, they pointed to the di- 

 rection we were travelling : and finally taking 

 the lead, they led us, by the shortest way, to 

 the valley of the long-sought Cimarron, 

 which, with its delightful green-grass glades 

 and flowing torrent (very different in appear- 

 ance from where we had crossed it below), 

 had all the aspect of an * elysian vale,* com- 

 pared with what we had seen for some time 

 past. We pitched our camp in the valley, 



much rejoiced at ha\ing again 'made a 

 port.' 



We were not destined to rest long in 

 peace, however. About midnight we were 

 all aroused by a cry of alarm, the like of 

 which had not been heard since the day 

 Don Quixote had his famous adventure with 

 the fullhig-mills ; and I am not quite sure 

 but some of our party suffered as much from 

 fright as poor Sancho Panza did on that me- 

 morable occasion. But Don Quixote and 

 Sancho only heard the thumping of the mills 

 and the roaring of the waters; while we 

 heard the thumping of the Indian drums, ac- 

 companied by occasional yells, which our ex- 

 cited fancies immediately construed into notes 

 of the fearful war-sons. 



