[ 174] 126 
A successful day’s hunt had kept our hunters occupied until late, and 
ified themselves for the scanty fare of the past night. It was quite a pretty 
and pleasant place; a narrow strip of prairie about five hundred yards long 
terminated at the ravine where we entered by high precipitous hills closing 
in upon the river, and at the upper end by a ridge of low rolling hills. . 
In the precipitous bluffs were displayed a succession of strata containing 
fossil vegetable remains, and several beds of coal. In some of the beds the 
coal did not appear to be perfectly mineralized ; and in some of the seams, 
it was compact and remarkably lustrous. In these latter places there were 
also thin layers of a very fine white salts, in powder. As we had a large 
supply of meat in the camp, which it was necessary to. dry, and the sur- 
rounding country appeared to be well stocked with buffalo, which it was 
' was between them and our animals, had caught a glimpse of an Indian’s 
* head, as he raised himself in his stirrups to look. ove the hill, a moment 
ade the charge ; and succeeded in turning the band into the 
- camp, as the Indians charged into the bottom with usual yell. Before 
they reached us, the grove on the verge of the little bottom was occupied 
' le t mistake only at the moment of ‘the atta 
heir mi bh ck—an excuse which 
juited us to receive aS true, though under the full conviction that 
‘ay of our little howitzer,and our favora ion in the grove, 
certair y 8a ed our horses, and probably ourselves, fron | their marauc 
intentions. They had been on a war party, and had been defeated, and. 
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