. In our
rear, and surrounding us on either side, forming a sort of amphitheatre,
was a range of low hills crowned with a grove of young hickorys. A branch
on our left, running down to the stream, separated our tents from the
encampment of our Indian allies. Our camp consisted of three tents pitched
some fifteen steps apart. B---- and myself occupied the middle one. We had
a companion, a scrub of a fellow, who forced himself upon us as we were on
the point of starting, and whom we could not well shake off. To this
genius, on account of his many disagreeable qualities, we had given the
soubriquet of '_Common Doings_.' The other whites of the party occupied
the other two tents.

We had just finished the usual routine of camp duty for the night,
'spansered' our horses, eaten our suppers, laid in a supply of fuel for
our fires, and were sitting around them smoking our pipes and listening to
the marvellous tales of an old 'Leatherstocking' of the party, whose life
had been passed between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi, when two
of our Indian spies came in, passing in front of our tents and across the
branch to the Indian camp. One of our party followed them to hear their
report, and soon returned with the information that the spies had seen an
encampment of Sioux, and that the Sacs and Foxes were then holding a
council as to what measures it was best to pursue. Others of our party,
who understood the Indian tongue, went across for farther information.
Mean time we remained in great anxiety, canvassing among ourselves the
probable truth of the report, and speculating on the course most proper
for us to take. Our friends soon returned, having heard the full report of
the spies as it was delivered before the chiefs in council. They had
proceeded some eight miles beyond the place of our encampment to a hill in
the vicinity of Swan Lake; from the hill they had seen a large body of
Sioux, numbering as near as they could estimate them, five or six hundred.
From the manner in which they were encamped and from other signs, they
knew them to be a 'war party;' and having made these observations, they
withdrew, concealing themselves as much as possible, and as they supposed,
without being discovered. The effect of this information upon us may
easily be imagined. We were 'in for it' sure enough! We had expected for
several days that we should meet the enemy, but to find them so near us in
such force, so far outnumbering our own,