of good will, and
while the returning emigrants hurried off eastward, we continued our
course to the west, the marks made by their waggon wheels enabling us to
proceed rapidly until we reached the spot where they had encamped the
previous night. Here the truth of their story was corroborated by the
appearance of Indian trails which led away westward. We encamped a
little further on, and of course kept a careful watch at night, but no
enemy appeared.

Next afternoon Mr Tidey and I were riding ahead followed by Boxer and
another of our dogs--without whom indeed, we never left the camp, as
they were sure to give us timely warning should any Indians be lurking
around. We knew, however, that they would not attack the red-men, of
whom they seemed to have an instinctive dread, but would silently slink
close to us, should any enemies be near. We were looking out, as may be
supposed, for Indian trails, as well as for those of the other emigrant
train of which we had heard, when we saw signs on the ground which at
first puzzled us. We dismounted to examine them more carefully.

"If we had an Indian guide, he would quickly tell us what they mean,"
observed the Dominie. "See, here are oxen and wheel tracks, and these
are the marks of moccasins. I suspect that a party of Indians out on
the war-path have followed the waggons, and I fear after all that the
emigrants were not so far wrong in their conjectures as we supposed. I
only hope the people on ahead have kept a careful watch and beaten back
their wily foe."

"Let us push on, and try to overtake the Indians before they attack the
train," I said. "When they see another party of white men approaching,
they may judge it prudent to give up their enterprise; and if they
pursue us, our fast horses will enable us easily to keep out of their
way."

The Dominie, though not blind to the risk we might run, agreed to my
proposal; the ground was open and level, and there was no brushwood
either to the right or left which might conceal a lurking foe. We
accordingly put our horses into a gallop, believing that we should soon
come up with the train, or get sight of the Indians, should they still
be following it. "The redskins will be looking ahead, and will not
discover us until we have seen them," I observed.

Suddenly the dogs, which had been keeping alongside us, dashed forward,
just at the moment that we, from the unevenness of the ground, were
compelled to pull up. On rea