ed; but it had always
been found in the experience of Indian life, that a few resolute white
men well armed were more than a match for ten times their number of
Indians. And this arose not so much from the superior strength or
agility of the whites over their red foes, as from that bull-dog courage
and utter recklessness of their lives in combat,--qualities which the
crafty savage can neither imitate nor understand. The information was
received with perfect indifference by most of the trappers, and with
contemptuous laughter by some, for a large number of Cameron's men were
wild, evil-disposed fellows, who would have as gladly taken the life of
an Indian as a buffalo.

Just as the word was given to resume the march, Dick Varley rode up to
Cameron, and said in a somewhat anxious tone--"D'ye obsarve, sir, that
one o' the Red-skins has gone off ahead o' his comrades?"

"I see that, Master Dick, and it was a mistake of mine not to have
stopped him, but he was gone too far before I observed it, and I thought
it better to appear unconcerned. We must push on, though, and give him
as short time as possible to talk with his comrades in the camp."

The trappers pressed forward accordingly at a gallop, and were soon in
front of the clump of trees amongst which the Peigans were encamped.
Their approach had evidently spread great alarm among them, for there
was a good deal of bustle and running to and fro, but by the time the
trappers had dismounted and advanced in a body on foot, the savages had
resumed their usual quiet dignity of appearance, and were seated calmly
round their fires with their bows and arrows beside them. There were no
tents, no women or children, and the general aspect of the men showed
Cameron conclusively that his surmise about their being a war-party was
correct.

A council was immediately called; the trappers ranged themselves on one
side of the council-fire and the Indians on the other. Meanwhile, our
friend Crusoe had been displaying considerable irritability against the
Indians, and he would certainly have attacked the whole two hundred
single-handed if he had not been ordered by his master to lie still, but
never in his life before had Crusoe obeyed with such a bad grace. He
bristled and whined in a low tremulous tone, and looked imploringly at
Dick as if for permission to fly at them.

"The Pale-faced traders are glad to meet with the Peigans," began
Cameron, who determined to make no allusion