Then I took one of the sticks which
had served me for a crutch, and making a split in one end, I stuck the
other deep into the ground. On a leaf which I tore from my pocket-book,
I wrote a brief account of what had occurred and where I was going, and
putting it into the cleft of the stick, bound the whole securely up.
The Ottoes looked on with intense wonder at my proceedings, till John
told them I was performing a great medicine work, which satisfied them.

Having thus done my best to enable Obed to join me, I set off with my
friends to return to their camp. I paused again for an instant when I
reached the summit of the hill, to take what I hoped might be a farewell
look at the place which had been the scene of so much suffering to me,
and lately that of so dreadful a catastrophe. A small black patch on
the dazzling white plain alone was perceptible to mark the spot. I
turned from the contemplation of the melancholy scene, and hastened
after my friends. I found them moving very leisurely along. I urged
John to persuade them to go faster. I could not cast from my mind the
notion that more parties of Pawnees, Dacotahs, or other hostile tribes
might be about, driven out by hunger to forage in the neighbourhood, and
were very likely to attack them. I had, therefore, what I might have
called a presentiment that my friends were in danger. I am not
generally influenced much by such sensations. Certainly I was more
liable to be so at the present moment than at any other. I do not deny
the existence of such an influence, but still I cannot help thinking
that it is caused by our reason, which tells us that such a thing is
likely to happen. Sometimes it does happen, but often probably we find
that we are mistaken. My red friends had an idea that the stick I had
placed in the ground had something to do with the matter, and that I was
positively informed of what was about to occur, so hurried on faster
than I found agreeable.

My feet had become very sore from my previous exercise, and whenever we
came to soft places they sunk into the snow, the thick cake of ice above
cutting my ankles almost to the bone. Sometimes I felt that I must
stop, but I was anxious to help my new friends, and I knew that it would
never do even to appear to flag on such an occasion. I had won their
good opinion by the powers of endurance I had hitherto exhibited. They
especially admired me for killing the two Pawnees, and for escaping fro