of the surrounding country.

The sentinel had been in position but a short time when he signalled
to his friends the approach of a large body of Indians. The hunters
immediately began strengthening their defences, and before the redskin
arrived, they had rendered their position almost impregnable against any
force that could be gathered in the country.

As the Blackfeet approached, the sentinel hurried down from the hill and
joined the main body. Shortly after, the advance party of Blackfeet came
in sight and made a reconnaissance which apprised them of the nature of
the defences. They did not fire a shot but waited until the arrival of
the main band.

When that came in sight, it was enough to strike dismay into every
heart. There were few if any less than a thousand warriors. Dr. Peters,
the biographer of Carson, says:

"It was a sight which few white men of the American nation have looked
upon. Arrayed in their fantastic war costume and bedaubed with paint,
armed with lances, bows and arrows, rifles, tomahawks, knives, etc.,
some mounted and some on foot, they presented a wild and fearful scene
of barbaric fancy.

"Soon after their last company had reported, the frightful war dance,
peculiar to the American savages, was enacted in sight of the trappers'
position. The battle songs and shouts which accompanied the dance
reached the ears of the whites with fearful distinctness. Any other
than hearts of oak with courage of steel would have quailed before this
terrible display of savage enmity and ferocity. This dance, to men well
skilled in the ways of the Indian warrior, was a sure signal that the
next day would be certain to have a fearful history for one party or the
other and doubtless for both. The odds, most assuredly, were apparently
greatly in favor of the savage host and against the little band of hardy
mountaineers."

CHAPTER XVII.

The Morrow--Withdrawal of the Indian Army--At Fort Hall--In the
Blackfoot Country--The Ambush--The Trappers Decide to Withdraw--Trapping
in Other Localities--Carson Decides to Abandon the Business--Visits
Bent's Fort Where He Serves as Hunter for Eight Years.

Having gone through what the red men consider the necessary
preliminaries of such a grand campaign, the vast number of warriors
awaited the dawn that was to witness the annihilation of the entire
force that had dared to venture upon their hunting grounds without so
much as asking permission.

It was scarce