ne
molesting us.

The next day there was a great feast in honour of the victory which had
been gained.

Mike and I were generally kept apart; but we occasionally found
opportunities for meeting, when we did not fail to discuss plans for
escaping. We were, however, too narrowly watched to allow at present of
any of them being feasible: wherever we went, an Indian, apparently
appointed for the purpose, had his eye on us. Had we managed to mount
any of the horses tethered near the lodges or feeding around, we should
have been immediately tracked and followed. Still, it kept up our
spirits to talk of what we would do. We were not otherwise ill-treated,
and were amply supplied with dried buffalo meat. Sometimes the hunters
brought in a deer or a bear; but as there was always on such occasions a
grand feast, the fresh meat did not last long.

At last, one morning the Indians turned out at daybreak, and immediately
began taking down the tents and packing up their goods. The coverings
for the tents were divided and done up in bales, and then secured to the
backs of horses. The poor women were loaded with as much as they could
carry, in addition to the younger children. The chief's squaws were
allowed to mount; but their animals were also loaded like the rest of
the horses. The men carried only their arms, and spare buffalo robes
strapped on to their saddles. Mike and I were compelled to assist in
doing up the bales, the squaws showing us how to perform the operation;
sometimes scolding us, at other times laughing at what they considered
our clumsiness.

When all was done, we were left standing; so we concluded that it was
the intention of the Indians to compel us to march on foot.

"Begorrah," exclaimed Mike, "I don't like this fun at all, at all! See,
there are two mustangs without anything on their backs! Small blame to
us if we just get astride them." And suiting the action to the word, he
leaped on to one of the ponies, while I mounted the other. Whether they
belonged to any of the Indians, we could not tell, but there were
several spare animals besides.

Urging on our steeds, we joined the throng of warriors, who were already
forming at a little distance from our late camp. The chief laughed when
he saw us, and exchanged remarks with some of his companions. We
concluded that these were in our favour, for we were allowed to retain
our steeds.

The signal was now given to advance, and the tribe moved