ing to him they could put their hands on
for their medicine bags. The Indians belonged to the Ree and Mandan
tribes and have been peaceful for many years. They have one stubborn
custom which all the talk of the agents and assurances of the military
officials, will not remove. In the early days the Sioux were their
deadly enemies and made frequent disastrous raids on their villages.
Though years have passed since they have been disturbed, a lookout is
constantly kept. Every warrior in the village takes his turn at stated
times, to mount an elevation where he stands, like a statue, watching
the distant hills for their ancient foes.

Next day, prior to Paul's departure, all the chiefs shook hands with him
exclaiming, "how;" which, by the way is a most elastic word. It means
good-bye, how-do-you-do, expresses anger, friendship, pleasure, sorrow,
hate, insult, and in fact, almost every feeling of the human heart, all
depending on the intonation given the voice and the manner of uttering
it.

About twenty miles below the fort, Paul was again shot at, this time by
an Indian boy whose aim, luckily, was bad. He scampered away when the
voyager stood up and shouted: "How, how, cola."

That night Boyton ran into Fort Stevenson, where he was kindly
entertained, and next morning started on another thirty-six hours' run,
beating against head winds and heavy weather through another wild
stretch of country. The next camping place was in a sort of circular
basin that had been cut out of the prairie by the floods, and was
surrounded by high mud banks. He found plenty of drift in the eddy
and picked out the driest; but experienced great difficulty in
starting a fire with it. He only succeeded in getting sufficient heat to
cook his supper; he was not able to coax enough blaze to warm
himself. Night came down black as ink and he heard the distant yell of a
coyote which was answered from all directions by others. In less than
half an hour the top of the bank was covered with a horde of the dirty
little beasts, snapping and snarling at one another, their eyes
shining like balls of fire through the black night. They were frightened
away by a shot or two from the revolver; but soon returned, to set
up such howls as would freeze one's blood, though they are arrant
cowards. Paul concluded that the river was more pleasant than their
company and he started away, making a two days and two nights' run. He
had