ENCAMPMENT. 



35 



lying around it in every direction. Inter- 

 mingled with the party were the dogs, lying in 

 holes which they had scratched in the snow for 

 shelter, but from which they were soon dragged, 

 and harnessed that we might recommence our 

 journey. We had not proceeded far before we 

 met one of the Company's servants going to 

 the fort which we had left, who told us that 

 the Indians we were apprehensive of meeting 

 had gone from their track considerably to the 

 north of our direction. In consequence of this 

 information we sent back the two armed ser- 

 vants who had accompanied us. In the course 

 of the day we saw vast numbers of buffaloes ; 

 some rambling through the plains, while others 

 in sheltered spots were scraping the snow away 

 with their feet to graze. In the evening we 

 encamped among some dwarf willows ; and 

 some time after we had kindled the fire, we 

 were considerably alarmed by hearing the In- 

 dians drumming, shouting, and dancing, at a 

 short distance from us in the woods. We 

 immediately almost extinguished the fire, and 

 lay down with our guns under our heads, fully 

 expecting that they had seen our fire, and 

 would visit us in the course of the night. We 

 dreaded this from the known character of the 

 Stone Indians, they being great thieves; and 



D 2 



