all onslaughts.  Mr. Stuart kept them well supplied with choice bits, for it was his policy to overfeed them, and keep them from leaving the cabin, where they served as hostages for the good conduct of their followers.  Once only in the course of the day did the chief sally forth.  Mr. Stuart and one of the men accompanied him, armed with their rifles, but without betraying any distrust.  He soon returned, and renewed his attack upon the larder.  In a word, he and his worthy coadjutor, the lieutenant, ate until they were both stupefied.

Toward evening the Indians made their preparations for the night according to the practice of war-parties.  Those outside of the cabin threw up two breastworks, into which they retired at a tolerably early hour, and slept like overfed hounds.  As to the chief and his lieutenant, they slept inside, and in the course of the night they got up two or three times to eat.  The travellers took turns, one at a time, to mount guard until morning.  Scarcely had the day dawned when the gormandizing was renewed by the whole band, and carried on with surprising vigour until ten o’clock, when all prepared to depart.  They had still six days’ journey to make, they said, before they could come up with the Crows, who, they understood, were encamped on a river to the north.  Their way lay through a hungry country where there was no game; they would, moreover, have but little time to hunt; they therefore craved a small supply of provisions for the journey.  Mr. Stuart again, invited them to help themselves.  They did so with keen forethought, taking the choicest parts of the meat, and leaving the late plenteous larder almost bare.  Their next request was for a supply of ammunition.  They had guns, but no powder and ball.  They promised to pay magnificently out of the spoils of their foray.  “We are poor now,” said they, “and are obliged to go on foot, but we shall soon come back laden with booty, and all mounted on horseback, with scalps hanging at our bridles.  We will then give each of you a horse to keep you from being tired on your journey.”

“Well,” said Mr. Stuart, “when you bring the horses, you shall have the ammunition, but not before.”  The Indians saw by his determined tone that all further entreaty would be unavailing, so they desisted, with a good-humoured laugh, and went off exceedingly well freighted, both within and without, promising to be back again in the course of a fortnight.

No sooner were they out of hearing than the luckless travellers held another council.  The security of their cabin was at an end, and with it all their dreams of a quiet and cosey winter.  They were between two fires.  On one side were their old enemies, the Crows; on the other side, the Arapahoes, no less dangerous freebooters.  As to the moderation of this war-party, they considered it assumed, to put them off their guard against some more favourable opportunity for a surprisal.  It was determined, therefore, not to await their return, but to abandon with all speed this dangerous neighbourhood.