98 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 



were dismoiinted at one time, and wlien tlieir goods am 

 cliattels had been secured, they seemed in no great himy to 

 be off, but commenced to eye us suspiciousl}', wbilst tliey 

 passed backwards and forwards, and in and out amongst the 

 trees, for no apparent object but tliat of gaining time. 



In tlie meanwhile, howeyer, a messenger had been sent 

 back by Captain Cane for reinforcements, and just, I may say, 

 at the critical moment, a fresh body of cavaliy dashed up the 

 hill. In an instant the red-skins were in then saddles, and 

 galloping away like the wind. General Wright was opposed 

 to the use of any violence on our part if it could be avoided, 

 but had we kno^ra then what we learned a few days aftefi- 

 wards, these painted gentlemen would not have escaped s 

 easily. Captain Cane and his men chased them for about four 

 miles, and blazed away at them, to serve as a gentle hint Jo 

 make themselves scarce. A few shots were fired in retui'ft, 

 but no casualties probably occuiTcd on either side. Cm-ious 

 enough, this was the first day since leaving civilisation that 

 had travelled unarmed, and I took good care that it should h 

 the last. y 



These Indians were Ara^Dahoes, and had joined with '^i^ 

 other Plain Indians in the general war. The object of thcir^ 

 present exj)edition into a district of country not their own, 

 was to try and persuade the Utes of the mountains to joiu the 

 hostile confederation ; and they had entrusted a broken spoar 

 and a quiver of blunted arrows to the care of a Mexican, 

 who promised to carry them as an overture of peace to the 



Ute nation. They had plundered several of the outlying 

 Mexican ranches, and scared away the scattered settlers, who 

 left their com nearly ripe, and everything else, in mortal feat 

 of the red-skins. All the meat and flour which we foimd o: 

 the hill, and which were thrown away a second time' in tb^: 



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