Chapter 10 - Page 2

joined by a few panic - stricken Flatheads, who informed them

that a powerful band of Blackfeet was at hand. The hunters

immediately abandoned the dangerous hunting ground, and

accompanied the Flatheads to their village. Here they found Mr.

Cerre, and the detachment of hunters sent with him to accompany

the hunting party of the Nez Perces.

After remaining some time at the village, until they supposed the

Blackfeet to have left the neighborhood, they set off with some

of Mr. Cerre's men for the cantonment at Salmon River, where they

arrived without accident. They informed Captain Bonneville,

however, that not far from his quarters they had found a wallet

of fresh meat and a cord, which they supposed had been left by

some prowling Blackfeet. A few days afterward Mr. Cerre, with the

remainder of his men, likewise arrived at the cantonment.

Mr. Walker, one of his subleaders, who had gone with a band of

twenty hunters to range the country just beyond the Horse

Prairie, had likewise his share of adventures with the

all-pervading Blackfeet. At one of his encampments the guard

stationed to keep watch round the camp grew weary of their duty,

and feeling a little too secure, and too much at home on these

prairies, retired to a small grove of willows to amuse themselves

with a social game of cards called "old sledge," which is as

popular among these trampers of the prairies as whist or ecarte

among the polite circles of the cities. From the midst of their

sport they were suddenly roused by a discharge of firearms and a

shrill war-whoop. Starting on their feet, and snatching up their

rifles, they beheld in dismay their horses and mules already in

possession of the enemy, who had stolen upon the camp

unperceived, while they were spell-bound by the magic of old

sledge. The Indians sprang upon the animals barebacked, and

endeavored to urge them off under a galling fire that did some

execution. The mules, however, confounded by the hurly-burly and

disliking their new riders kicked up their heels and dismounted

half of them, in spite of their horsemanship. This threw the rest

into confusion; they endeavored to protect their unhorsed

comrades from the furious assaults of the whites; but, after a

scene of "confusion worse confounded," horses and mules were

abandoned, and the Indians betook themselves to the bushes. Here

they quickly scratched holes in the earth about two feet deep, in

which they prostrated themselves, and while thus screened from

the shots of the white men, were enabled to make such use of

their