strength inside.  One of the old men, a cunning fellow, who had served his time as a. brave warrior, hit upon a plan which we followed.  He proposed that another man should accompany him to the neighbourhood of the place where the canoes had been concealed, and keep up the fires, so that the smoke should lull all suspicion.  The Umbiquas, on their arrival before the post, would indubitably send one of their men to call the canoe-keepers; this one they would endeavour to take alive, and bring him to the post.  One of the canoes was consequently launched in the river, and late in the evening the two Indians, well armed with fusils, started on this expedition.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Umbiquas came at last; their want of precaution showed their certainty of success.  At all events, they did not suspect there were any firearms in the block-house, for they halted within fifty yards from the eastern tower, and it required more than persuasion to prevent Roche from firing.  The horses were not with them, but before long we saw the animals on the other side of the river, in a little open prairie, under the care of two of their party, who had swam them over, two or three miles above, for the double purpose of having them at hand in case of emergency, and of giving them the advantage of better grazing than they could possibly find on our side.  This was an event which we had not reckoned upon, yet, after all, it proved to be a great advantage to us.

The savages, making a very close inspection of the outer buildings, soon became convinced of the utter impossibility of attacking the place by any ordinary means.  They shot some arrows, and once fired with a fusil at the loop-holes, to ascertain if there were any men within capable of fighting; but as we kept perfectly quiet, their confidence augmented; and some followed the banks of the river, to see what could be effected at the principal entrance.  Having ascertained the nature of its material, they seemed rather disappointed, and retired to about one hundred yards to concert their plans.

It was clear that some of them were for firing the building; but, as we could distinguish by their gestures, these were comparatively few.  Others seemed to represent that, by doing so, they would indubitably consume the property inside, which they were not willing to destroy, especially as there was so little danger to be feared from within.  At last one who seemed to be a chief pointed first with his fingers in the direction where the canoes had been left; he pointed also to the river, and then behind him to the point of the horizon where the sun rises.  After he had ceased talking, two of his men rose, and went away to the south-west.  Their plan was very evident.  These two men, joined with the two others that had been left in charge, were to bring the canoes round the point and enter the river.  It would take them the whole night to effect this, and at sunrise they would attack and destroy the front door with their tomahawks.