"y 
50 HORRID DISASTERS OF 
-mous disposition of those races, the traders 
prepared at once for defence; but the savages 
having made a halt at some distance, began 
to approach one by one, or in small parties, 
making a great show of friendship all the 
while, until most of them had collected on 
the spot. Finding themselves surrounded in 
‘every direction, the travellers now began to 
move on, in hopes of getting rid of the in- 
truders: but the latter were equally ready for 
the start; and, mounting their horses, kept jog- 
ging on in the same direction. The first act 
of hostility perpetrated by the Indians proved 
fatal to one of the American traders named 
tt, who was shot dead while attempting to 
secure two mules which had become sepa- 
rated from ‘the rest. Upon this, the compa- 
nions of the slain man immediately dismount- 
ed and commenced a fire upon the Indians, 
which was warmly returned, whereby an- 
other man of the name of Mitchell was killed. 
By this time the traders had taken off their 
packs and piled them around for protection ; 
and now falling to work with their hands, 
they very soon scratched out a trench deep 
enough to protect them from the shot of the 
enemy. The latter made several desperate 
charges, but they seemed too careful of their 
own personal safety, notwithstanding the 
enormous superiority of their numbers, to ven- 
ture too near the rifles of the Americans. I 
a few hours all the animals of the traders were 
either killed or wounded, but no personal 
e was done to the remaining ten men, 
