ment
involved in this speech.

"And your friend Henri?"

"He goes too," answered Joe. "It's as well that the Red-skins should
see the three o' us before we start for the east side o' the mountains.
Ho! Henri, come here, lad."

Henri obeyed, and in a few seconds the three friends crossed the brook
to the Indian camp, and were guided to the principal lodge by
Pee-eye-em. Here a great council was held, and the proposed attempt at
negotiations for peace with their ancient enemies fully discussed.
While they were thus engaged, and just as Pee-eye-em had, in the energy
of an enthusiastic peroration burst the blue surtout _almost_ up to the
collar, a distant rushing sound was heard, which caused every man to
spring to his feet, run out of the tent, and seize his weapons.

"What can it be, Joe?" whispered Dick, as they stood at the tent door
leaning on their rifles, and listening intently.

"Dunno," answered Joe shortly.

Most of the numerous fires of the camp had gone out, but the bright moon
revealed the dusky forms of thousands of Indians, whom the unwonted
sound had startled, moving rapidly about.

The mystery was soon explained. The Indian camp was pitched on an open
plain of several miles in extent, which took a sudden bend half a mile
distant, where a spur of the mountains shut out the further end of the
valley from view. From beyond this point the dull rumbling sound
proceeded. Suddenly there was a roar as if a mighty cataract had been
let loose upon the scene. At the same moment a countless herd of wild
horses came thundering round the base of the mountain and swept over the
plain straight towards the Indian camp.

"A stampedo!" cried Joe, springing to the assistance of Pee-eye-em,
whose favourite horses were picketted near the tent.

On they came like a living torrent, and the thunder of a thousand hoofs
was soon mingled with the howling of hundreds of dogs in the camp, and
the yelling of Indians, as they vainly endeavoured to restrain the
rising excitement of their steeds. Henri and Dick stood rooted to the
ground, gazing in silent wonder at the fierce and uncontrollable gallop
of the thousands of panic-stricken horses that bore down upon the camp
with the tumultuous violence of a mighty cataract.

As the maddened troop drew nigh, the camp horses began to snort and
tremble violently, and when the rush of the wild steeds was almost upon
them, they became ungovernable with terror, broke their halter