Chap. IV. BKEEDS OF DOGS. 245 
On first hearing it I fancied it, at a distance, the howling 
of wolves. 
In our day's journey to Council Grove I missed the 
keys of my luggage, and rode back twelve or fifteen miles 
to our encampment, where the first object I saw was my 
bunch of keys lying on the grass. I rejoined our caravan 
before it encamped for the night. During this ride I was 
reminded, by the stillness and solitude of the prairie, of 
similar impressions of loneliness made on me by the high 
places of the Alps. Whilst riding along the plain I observed 
some Indians riding towards me. On a sudden they vanished 
as if they had sunk into the earth. Being, however, well 
armed I continued my ride, only taking the precaution to 
turn a little out of the road at the spot where these figures 
had disappeared. Whilst doing so, the men, with their 
horses, re-appeared near to me. There was probably some 
dip in the ground, concealed by the grass, the even growth 
of which renders it difficult to perceive any inequality in 
the plain. I observed there were two men and one woman, 
accompanied by a dog, which flew at me fiercely, and was 
not called off till I levelled my gun at it. 
The Indian's dog has, like his master, natural hostility 
to the white man, — an instinctive enmity which is fully 
returned by the dog of the latter. A large dog belonging 
to our caravan could not be held back whenever he saw an 
Indian, but instantly flew at his throat. He had the same 
hostility towards dark-coloured Mexicans of the lower 
class, whilst toward the whites he was perfectly tame. 
Horses and mules take fright, and shy at the sight of 
Indians, until they become quite used to them ; and even 
a friendly visit from the Indians occasions an uproar and 
alarm throughout the caravan. 
As far as the vicinity of Pleasant Valley our road had 
