rred the bodies from the shallow grave, taking the sheets in
which the bodies had been wrapped, and which were their only covering,
and carrying those articles away. When the Indians had gone a second
time, the grief-stricken Mr. Wood returned and reinterred the remains
of his wife and child.

Mr. Wood's wounded arm was dressed by Dr. Maxwell and Dr. Kidd, his
wagons were placed in the lead of our train, and again we moved
westward.

CHAPTER IX.

MYSTERIOUS VISITORS. EXTRA SENTRIES. AN ANXIOUS NIGHT.

The next following day, as we wended our way among the sand dunes,
alkali flats and faded sagebrush, there came to us--whence we knew
not--three men, equipped with a small wagon, covered with white
ducking, arched over bows, similar to the covering on most of the
emigrant wagons; drawn by two large, handsome, well-harnessed horses;
all having a well-to-do appearance, that made our dusty, travel-worn
outfits look very cheap and inferior.

They told us that they were mountaineers, of long experience on the
plains; well acquainted with the Indians and familiar with their
habits and savage proclivities. They said that the Shoshone Indians
were very angry at the white people who were passing through their
lands; that this hostility recently had been further aroused by
certain alleged acts of the whites along the emigrant road; and that
the feeling was now so intense that even they, our informants, were
alarmed, notwithstanding their long, intimate and friendly intercourse
with these Indians; and, believing themselves no longer safe among the
tribe, they were anxious to get out of the Shoshone country; therefore
they requested the privilege of placing themselves under the
protection of our large train until we should have passed out of the
Shoshone lands and into those of the Pah-Utes, which tribe they said
was known to be friendly toward the white race.

One of these men was a specially picturesque figure; weighty, with
large, square shoulders; well-formed head; full, brown beard, cropped
short. He wore a deer-skin blouse, leathern breeches; broad,
stiff-brimmed hat, low crown, flat top, decorated with a tasseled
leather band; a fully-loaded ammunition belt--a combination make-up of
cowboy, mountaineer and highwayman.

The three men spoke plain English, with a free use of "frontier
adjectives."

Having received permission to take temporary protection by traveling
near us, they placed themselves at the rear of