d the Snakes, they altered their mode of advance.
It was now decided to leave the women and children in camp under a
small guard, while the warriors pushed on in the hope of surprising the
Snakes in their winter camp near the mountains. Pierre remained in
camp to look after the baggage of the party, which the Indians would
probably pillage if left unguarded. Francois and his two Frenchmen
went forward with the war party, and four days later they arrived at
the foot of the mountains, the first Europeans who had ever put foot on
those majestic slopes. Francois gazed with the keenest interest at the
lofty summits, and longed to climb them to see what lay beyond.

Meanwhile he was obliged to share in a vivid human drama. The chief of
the Bows had sent scouts forward to search for the camp of the Snakes,
and these scouts now reappeared. They had found the camp, but the
enemy had fled; and had, indeed, gone off in such a hurry that they had
abandoned their lodges and most of their belongings. The effect
produced by this news was singular. Instead of {85} rejoicing because
the dreaded Snakes had fled before them, which was evidently the case,
the Bow warriors at once fell into a panic. The Snakes, they cried,
had discovered the approach of their enemies, and must have gone back
to attack the Bow camp and capture the women and children. The great
chief tried to reason with his warriors; he pointed out that the Snakes
could not know anything about the camp, that quite evidently they had
been afraid to meet the Bows and had fled before them. But it was all
to no purpose. The Bows would not listen to reason; they were sure
that the Snakes had played them a cunning trick and that they should
hasten back as speedily as possible to save their families. The result
was characteristic of savage warfare. The Indian army that had marched
a few days earlier in good order to attack the enemy now fled back
along the trail in a panic, each man for himself.

It was in these ignominious circumstances that Francois La Verendrye,
having reached the foot of the Rocky Mountains, was obliged to turn
back without going farther, leaving the mystery of the Great Sea still
unsolved. Francois rode by the side of the disgusted chief and the two
Frenchmen followed behind. Presently Francois noticed that his men had
{86} disappeared. He galloped back for some miles, and found them
resting their horses on the banks of a river. While he talke