134 Expedition to the 



the usual accompainments of tomahawks, war- clubs and 

 knives, together with a few guns. Fortunately no personal 

 indignity was offered us, yet we could not repress a sensation 

 of much mortification, at the prospect of a frustration of our 

 enterprise, which now seemed inevitable, and of extreme 

 vexation at the irreparable loss of our horses, which no ex- 

 ertions of ours could have saved: an appeal to arms, except 

 in the last extremity, would have heen the height of impru- 

 dence, conquest being hopeless and escape almost impossi- 

 ble. 



Soon after their departure Mr. Jessup and Chabonneau, 

 set out for the village to procure assistance, for the purpose 

 of removing our camp to that place from which we recom- 

 menced our journey at amoment so unpropitious, whilst webu- 

 sied ourselves in removing the baggage to a situation amongst 

 the neighbouring bushes, which appeared favourable for con- 

 cealment, and for defence, in case of a night attack, which 

 was confidently anticipated. Several alarms occured during 

 the night, and on the return of day we observed thirty 

 mounted Indians riding swiftly towards us. The chief, who 

 left us so precipitately the preceding evening, on his arrival 

 at the village, hastily assembled a little band of warriors for 

 the purpose of returning immediately to our assistance, and 

 it was he and his party, that we had now the pleasure to 

 greet. They expressed great satisfaction, when they learned 

 that we were all uninjured. After saluting us cordially, they 

 pursued the trail of the Pawnees for some distance, and from 

 the footsteps in the grass, and other appearances, to be duly 

 appreciated only by the eye of an Indian, they estimated the 

 number of the Pawnees at 130. On their return they restor- 

 ed to us some bacon and other articles, which had been car- 

 ried off by the fugitives, and rejected as not at all to their 

 taste. We were now supplied with a conveyance for cur- 

 selves and our baggage, and were conducted back to the 

 village. 



