xt7bg7371197 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7bg7371197/data/mets.xml Hall, James, 1793-1868. 1846  books b92fh143w2009 English Wiley and Putnam : London Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The wilderness and the war path. text The wilderness and the war path. 1846 2009 true xt7bg7371197 section xt7bg7371197 
    
      This book was purchased fcom a farad established by Mrs. James Ben ALi Haggin in memory of bee has band JAMES BEN ALI HAGGIN 
   WILEY AND PUTNAM'S

LIBRARY OF

AMERICAN BOOKS.

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH. 
    
   THE

WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH,

BY JAMES HALL,

AUTHOR OF

LEGENDS OF THE  WEST,  BORDER TALES, SKETCHES OF THE WEST, NOTES ON THE  WESTERN STATES, ETC., ETC.

NEW YORK: WILEY AND PUTNAM, 161 BROADWAY.

1846. 
    
    
    
   THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

A TALE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

Tile life of the American Indian is not so destitute of the interest created by variety of incident, as might be supposed by a casual observation of the habits of this singular race. It is true that the simple structure of their communities, and the sameness of their occupations, limit the Savage within a narrow sphere of thought and action. Without commerce, agriculture, learning, or the arts, and confined to the employments of war and hunting, the general tenour of his life must be monotonous. His journies through the unpeopled wilderness, furnish him with no information as to the modes of existence of other nations, nor any subjects for reflection, but those which nature supplies, and with which he has been familiar from childhood. Beyond his own tribe, his intercourse extends only to savages as ignorant as himself, and to traders but little elevated above his own moral standard.

But there are, even in savage life, seasons of great excitement, and instances often occur in which individuals are drawn into adventures of the most singular and perilous description. The state of war is prolific of those chances and changes which call forth the energies of individual character ; and the chase, when pursued not merely for spot, but as a serious occupation, in wilds frequented for the same purpose by hostile bands, becomes really what the poet has described it,

" Mimicry of noble war." 2 
   2

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

The following legend exemplifies some of the accidents of this singular mode of existence, and shows the training, by which the Indian youth are prepared to encounter dangers, and achieve exploits, which would seem incredible to those who are unacquainted with the habits of that remarkable race.

Our scene lies in a region seldom visited by civilized men, and only known to us through the reports of the adventurous trappers who seek there the solitary haunts of the beaver, and of a few travellers of the more intelligent class, who have been led thither by scientific curiosity or missionary zeal. We stand upon the Eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, and see stretched before us the Great Plain, which extends thence to the frontier settlements of the United States. Around us are immense bulwarks -of rock, towering towards the sky in all tlie gigantic magnificence of mountain scenery, while we see below us, in beautiful contrast, an interminable carpet of verdure, extending to the distant horizon. The rays of the morning sun have ligbted up the mountain sides, and are reflected from peaks covered with snow, while the mists of the dawn are reposing upon the prairie, whose rich pastures display the luxuriance of the summer vegetation.

The Flatheads of the Rocky Mountains were encamped in one of the gorges of the Eastern declivity of that Ridge. The spot was wild and secluded, indicating the cautious habits of the people who had thus concealed their temporary residence in one of the most inaccessible spots of that inhospitable wilderness. It was a deep ravine, bounded on either side by parapets of solid rock, whose rugged peaks towering upward to an immense height, concealed and shaded the narrow glen, so as to wrap it in perpetual gloom. A strip of ground margining a small rivulet that leaped in a succession of cascades down the gorge, afforded a pathway accessible in most places for but a single horseman, but sometimes spreading out to a width sufficient to accommodate a small encampment.

In one of those nooks, which might have suited the ascetic fancy of a misanthrope who desired to separate himself from his species, the Flatheads had pitched the skin lodges, that formed their only habitation throughout the year. It was the village of a migratory people, habituated to sudden changes of residence, 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

3

and always ready to move at a moment's warning, with all their population and property. Their horses, whose rough coats showed continual exposure to the weather, were browsing upon the scanty herbage that grew along the banks of the rivulet; sentinels were posted in the defiles leading to the village and by which alone it could be approached, while a watchman perched like an eagle upon one of the tallest peaks, but concealed in the shadows of the grey rock, looked abroad upon the neighbouring plain, and upon the mountain passes, to give due notice of any approaching danger. Even the childr::i, as they dabbled in the brook or climbed the precipicus, i amed instinctively jealous of danger, throwing up their dark e; es, and silently exchanging glances, if an owl hooted, or a vulture sailing aloft threw his shadow in the glen; and the dogs, with slouched tails, pointed ears, and wild eyes, skulked about with the stealthy pace of the wolf.

These appearances, indicating a quick sense of surrounding danger, were characteristic of the habitual watchfulness of this band, who lived in continual terror of the Blackfeet, a tribe much more numerous than themselves, and noted as well for their predatory habits, as for the ruthless ferocity which marked their conduct towards their enemies. To the Flatheads especially they bore an irreconcilable hatred, which was indulged in an unremitting and unsparing warfare*. There was a great disparity in numbers between the two tribes, the Flatheads being a very small band, while the Blackfeet were numerous, so that they never met on equal terms, and although their battles were often desperate, they were usually unsought by the weaker party. Both were wandering tribes, having no fixed boundaries or settled habitations, and deriving a precarious subsistence from the chase ; but the Blackfeet were the banditti of the mountain country, a fighting, thieving, cut-throat nation, who made themselves formidable to all who fell in their way, and observed no rule of justice unless it was that of plundering alike the white man and the Indian, and being terrible equally to friend and foe   while the Flatheads were a fugitive people, pursued continually by their relentless enemies, whom they had no hope of escaping but by cunning and swiftness of foot.

The Flatheads are in many respects an interesting people. 
   4

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

Though inclined to peace, they are brave, and well trained in all the arts of war and the chase, and when compelled to turn upon their enemies, they fight with the desperation of men who expect no quarter, and often succeed in beating off a force greatly superior to their own. Few of the savage tribes exhibit such simplicity of character. Wretchedly poor   with no property but their horses and their arms, both of which are often lost in their sudden flights   and bavins no means of subsistence but the chase, which, precarious as it always is, is rendered more so, by the persecutions of their enemies, they are yet a hospitable people. The stranger always finds a welcome in their camp, and a share of their pittance of food. They are considered honest and inoffensive. The grasp of poverty, which often renders the heart callous, not only to the generous sympathies of our nature, but also to the simple obligations of good faith, has exerted no sinister influence upon the character of this tribe; nor has their unhappy state of peril, and watchfulness, and flight, rendered them mean or cruel. In all the moral qualities they rather excel than fall below the standard of savage character, and compare well with the tribes around them, in every thing but power. Perhaps if they were stronger they might be less virtuous.

The Arab and his graceful courser, are not more constant companions than the Flathead and his steed, in whose services he finds safety as well as convenience. " Snuffing the approach of. danger in every tainted breeze," he throws himself upon the back of his horse, on the slightest alarm, and flies with the speed of the wild antelope of the prairies. He is fearless in his horsemanship, and manages that noble animal with surpassing grace and skill, even without the aid of rein or saddle, which he uses for convenience rather than necessity.

Among the exercises with which these Indians while away the few and far distant intervals of security, which may be devoted to manly sports, feats of horsemanship hold the highest rank. On such occasions it is not uncommon for a young Indian to exhibit his address, by mounting an untamed steed, just captured upon the plains where these noble animals run wild. The horse, perhaps the noble-spirited leader of a herd, whose strength and speed has long enabled him to set all pursuit at defiance, is brought to 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

5

the starting place properly bound, but without saddle or bridle. The rider mounts upon the bare smooth back of the sleek and nervous animal, holdfng in one hand a small flag attached to a short staff", and in the other a hoop covered with a dried skin, somewhat in the fashion of a tamborine. When firmly seated, the animal is turned loose, and dashing off, endeavours, by desperate plunges, to disengage himself from the resolute savage, who, clinging by his legs to the furious steed, retains his place in spite of every effort of the enraged animal to dislodge him. If in this contest of physical activity,"the horse seems likely to gain the advantage, the rider throws the flag over his eyes, and tames his spirit by depriving him of light, at the same time terrifying the blinded animal, by striking him on the head with the sonorous hoop. With the latter also he changes the course of the horse by striking one side of the head or the other, and by a skilful use of both these simple aids, the subdued animal is brought back to the starting place, and again made to traverse the plain in any desired direction, until, worn down by fatigue and terror, he submits to the weaker but more intelligent being, who is destined to become his master.

Such is the tribe to whom the pale-faced stranger, in his pride, has given a name, not known to those who bear it, nor descriptive of any personal peculiarity existing among them, for the heads of the Fl^heads are not flatter -than those of their neighbours; neither have the Blackfeet, blacker feet than other Indians. We use these names, however, as we find thein.

f On the morning to which we have alluded, a party composed of the most effective men of the Flatheads, were preparing to hunt the buffalo upon the prairies. Their best horses having been selected, they were getting every thing in readiness fo/r an expedition which might be extended to several weeks. The remainder of the band, with all the women and children, were in the meanwhile to retire still further into the recesses of the mountain, to remain concealed in its solitary glens, subsisting upon roots and herbage, and such small game as chance might throw in their way.

A curious observer of the workings of the human mind might have found rich materials for reflection, in the cheerfulness with 
   6

THE WILDERNESS AND THE> WAR PATH

which all parties to this proceeding prepared for the approaching separation. It was probable that many of those who thus parted would meet no more. The noble sport of*bjtnting the buffalo is not a thing to be done in a corner. The herd must be sought in the broad pastures, where the game is won by the fleet-footed horse, and the swift arrow. All concealment was to be thrown aside ; the secret paths of the mountain, its nooks and hiding places, were to be abandoned, and the hunters were to ride forth in the light of day, upon a plain broad and level as the ocean. Like a little fleet of defenceless merchantmen, venturing upon a sea swarming with hostile cruisers, their best chance of escape lay in the possibility of passing unnoticed. Should they meet any of the numerous bands of the Blackfeet, who roved over the same plains, they must fly with scarcely a hope that all would escape, or fight with the certainty of being overmatched by superior numbers.

Nor was there more safety for those who remained in the mountains. Although so poor as to possess nothing to tempt the spoiler, their enemies pursued them with an eagerness for which it would be difficult to assign an adequate motive, to those who are unacquainted with the savage character, and who could scarcely'understand how the mere lust of carnage, whetted by continual indulgence, becomes a master passion of the soul, irrespective of any desire for plunder or conquest, or of-any present or prospective advantage. Neither infancy, nor im1i(BciJity, nor sex, affords any protection; as man bruises the head dlTthe serpent, so does the Indian crush the offspring of his enemy : and the absence of the warrior only entices the brutal destroyer to 'S'eeK't his prey with redoubled diligence.

Yet with such perils lowering on every side, the Flatheads were apparently free from care. If they thought of the casualties which might sever the clearest ties, the reflection had lost the freshness, which gives poignancy to sorrow, and had become faJ miliar by frequent contemplation. The men were pointing their arrows, or decorating their persons with paifiS^&ii&Seathcrs ; and the women were attending to their domestic employments, with as much tranquillity as if they, with their sons and husbands, had already passed through the dark valley of the shadow of death, 9 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

7

and were now resting in the happy hunting grounds of the spirit land.

Having made these explanations for the benefit of such of our readers as may not be familiar with the society and manners of the Aborigines, we proceed to the business of our story. At a spot where the waters of the rivulet had collected into a transparent pool, stood a young girl, who had just filled a skin with water, and was about to return with her burthen   for the young females of this nation, like the Hebrew maids of old, are employed in all the various offices of domestic labour, and strange as it may seem, to introduce a heroine thus engaged, our regard for the sacred obligations of truth, obliges us to state the fact, as we find it. It was Bachitucky, or the White Cherry Blossom, the daughter of the Peace Chief, the personage having the highest place of authority within the precincts of the village, and she excelled all the maidens of the village in stature and beauty. The superiority of her charms were universally admitted, and what was equally remarkable she understood her own advantages quite as well as others, and improved .them by an attention to neatness and costume which was not usual even in the best circles of the Fkt-heads. As she turned from the pool, a youth stood before her, armed, but not painted, nor wearing any of the ornaments appropriate to the Indian warrior. He evidently sought an interview, which the girl did not seem to avoid, and both stood for a moment in silence. It was an awkward situation, as any gentleman will testify; who has found himself in the presence of his lady love, having something special to say, but wanting boldness to say it. She was the first to break silence, and laughed coquettishly, as she inquired:

" Why does Ishtakka stand in the way   has he anything to say to the White Cherry Blossom ?"

"Not much," replied the youth, in the brief and pointed style of his people. " I have sought you in marriage and have been refused. For 'three days I hunted on the great plain, and at last killed a fine antelope, which I carried last night, as soon as it was dark, to the lodge of the Peace Chief. I laid it 011 the ground before the lodge, and retired a short distance, and seated myself on the ground, to watch whether my present would be accepted. 
   8

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

Bachituclcy's mother passed out of the tent, and returned, but took no notice of the antelope. Then I knew that Ishtakka was considered as a dog, who was not worthy to marry the daughter of the Peace Chief."

" The Peace Chief does not know Ishtakka," rejoined the girl. " He has never seen him among the braves in the bull'alo hunt, nor heard him recount his deeds at the war pole."

" I understand," replied the youth sarcastically   " Bachitucky is very beautiful, and her mother would marry her to a great chief.   She is a wise mother."

" Ishtakka is a fool," said the girl; " every mother wishes her daughter to marry a man who can protect her, and hunt for her."

" I am as able to hunt as others," exclaimed Ishtakka vehemently. " There is not a brave in the nation that can ride better than I, unless it be Incillo, the war chief, who surpasses all men. I am not a coward. Whoso fault is it that I have not struck an enemy ? They say I am too young, and will not let me ride with the braves."

" If Ishtakka is too young to go to war, he is not old enough to marry."

" Very well; I will go to war. I will hang the scalp of a Blackfoot upon the war pole in the village. I will kill a buffalo, and bring the meat and the skin to the lodge of the Peace Chief. Then I will ask him again for his daughter."

" Now you speak wisely," replied the girl. " When you are mounted on a fine horse, with your face painted, your neck hung with the claws of the grisly bear, and your head dressed with the feathers of the war eagle, then the White Cherry Blossom will be glad. She will say the Master of Life has given Ishtakka a bold heart."

" And will you listen to me when I am counted among the braves V

" I have no ears to listen to young men, when they speak of marriage," said the maiden, and then taking the knife from the belt of her suitor, she plucked a lock of her raven hair, and tying it firmly round the hilt, added, " When Ishta^K goes into battle, let him look at that lock of hair, and it will make him strong. The White Cherry Blossom cannot promise to be his wife, be- 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIE.

9

cause she is the daughter of a chief who will give her to whom he pleases, but she will not marry willingly, until Ishtakka comes to claim her."

So saying, the maiden passed on, and Ishtakka went to seek the chief, Incillo. Now Incillo was the general, or war chief, of his nation, and in consequence of his abilities, and popularity, was in fact the ruler, whose word was law, though the Peace Chief, who was an old man, presided in the council, and was also called Father.

This leader having ascended to a commanding eminence, stood gazing over the plain that lay extended to the eastward of his retreat, scanning with practised eye, every dark spot, and every object that seemed to move upon the verdant surface. He was a man whose appearance would have pointed him out to a casual observer, as a ruling chief. Not tall, but muscular, his round compact form, and well-shaped limbs, exhibited those just proportions which combine strength with activity, and his bearing was that of the warrior. His countenance wore that expression of simplicity and benevolence, that so often characterizes the physiognomy of a man of superior intelligence, whose sagacity has elevated him above the prejudices of his time and country. Neither fear, nor hatred, nor any bad passion, was depicted upon his features, whose frank, but sedate and quiet character, was touched with a reflective cast, that indicated habits of thought, and the consciousness of responsibility. However reckless his followers might be, he was evidently one whose well-balanced mind was awake to the duties and circumstances of his station. The patriarch of his people, he discharged the office with the kindness and vigilance of the parent, tempered with the severe authority of the chief. He was a hospitable man, and such was the frankness of his manners, that the stranger was at once impressed with confidence in his good faith ; while his cheerfulness, his fondness for the athletic sports of his people, and his intelligence, made him an agreeable companion.

Retired from his people, the chief was reconnoitering the surrounding country, and revolving in his mind the plan of the projected march, when Ishtakka stood before him   a talL lad who

2* 
   10 THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

had attained the height of manhood, while his form and address were those of the boy.

The chief briefly asked the purport of his visit.

" I am no longer a boy," was the reply, " I wish to go with the braves to hunt the buffalo."

" Those who go to hunt on the great plain," replied the chief, "may chance to fall in with the Blackfeet, and instead of killing buffalo, will be obliged to fight in defence of their lives."

" It is well," replied the youth, " Ishtakka is not afraid."

" I should hope that Ishtakka does not know what it is to be afraid. But there is something more than courage required, to make a hunter and a brave."

"I can ride the wild horse that has just been caught," replied the youth, " and when at full speed I can hit the antelope with my arrow."

" That is well," said the chief, " but the brave who follows Incillo, must be wise and very prudent. He must be cunning and quick-sighted, expert in watching the arts of the enemy, and skilful in devising schemes to defeat them."

Ishtakka remained silent for a moment, and then said modestly, " These things I expect to learn from seeing them practised. If I follow the Great Chief, will I not be instructed by his example   for who is so wise as Incillo ?"

The chief replied, " My son speaks wisely ; it is a good way for the young men to learn by observing their elder brothers ; but we do not trust any one to take upon himself the character of a brave until he has proved himself worthy. What has Ishtakka ever done ? Has he ever struck a Blackfoot ? Has he taken their horses 1 Have their women, when busied about the camp fire, heard his war-whoop breaking suddenly upon their ears, like the thunder of the great Manito V

Ishtakka was abashed, and knew not what to reply to the great chief. After a pause, he said, " It is this that makes me ashamed. I have hitherto been a boy, and have associated only with children and women; I now feel strong, and wish to earn a name. I am willing to be tried. If my father will allow me to follow the braves to the great plain, he shall see whether I can use my arms like a man." 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

11

"It is well," replied the chief: "go, young man, and get ready."

Two days afterwards, the band of hunters, led by Incillo, were encamped upon the prairie, far from the place at which they had left their tribe, who had also removed in an opposite direction. The spot chosen for their hunting camp had little to recommend it. A small stream trickling along a ravine, and a copse, scarcely visible above the level of the plain, furnished water for the jaded horses, and a covert for temporary concealment, should danger appear in the distant perspective. At present, not an object was seen moving on the broad expanse   neither buffalo nor Blackfeet Indians. The hunters were occupied much after the fashion of any party of sportsmen, who find a poor lodging after a hard day's travel: some snored on the grass, some were examining the galled backs of their steeds, some repairing their weapons, a few were chewing some wretched remnants of jerked meat, and the remainder, though they uttered no complaints, exhibited in their looks the impatience and dejection of hungry men.

The chief, calling Ishtakka to him, walked apart from the band, and then addressed him as follows :*

" It is necessary for a youth to prove his manhood, before he can be permitted to associate with braves. He must show that he may be trusted, and that he is wise to contrive the means to do things that are difficult. I require of you a small matter ; see that it be well done. To-night, when all are sleeping, separate yourself from the band, and return to the camp of our people. Enter it secretly, so that no one shall discover you. In the lodge of the Peace Chief, directly over the entrance, hangs a knife which he values highly as a present from Sublette, the great white trader; at the other end of tlie lodge is usually placed the pipe which the Peace Chief uses, when he invites his friends to a feast. Bring the knife and the pipe to me ; and remember that all this must be done so secretly, that even the owl who looks out from his hiding place in the night, shall not see a form move, nor hear the sound of a footstep."

" But if I should be discovered   "

* See Appendix, No. I 
   12

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

" Then you will have failed in what you undertook. The braves, if they suspect the truth, will laugh at you for attempting the exploit of a man, while you are yet a boy ; if they do not find out that you returned by my permission, they will despise you as one who deserted a hunting party, that he might return home to steal   the Peace Chief will beat you for seeking to rob his lodge, the women will call upon you to cany their burthens, and the boys will say, there is one who is too lazy to hunt, and not smart enough to steal.'"'

" And this my father calls a small matter."

" It is so, for one who has a bold heart, and a light foot."

" I will bring the knife and the pipe," said Ishtakka, " or else the great chief shall never see me again."

That night Ishtakka left the camp secretly, and took up his solitary journey towards the mountains. When he arrived within a few miles of the place where the tribe had been encamped, he abandoned his horse, and went forward with stealthy steps towards the camp ground, thinking it possible that their departure might have been delayed. As he approached the spot with cautious steps, warily listening to catch any sound that might float on the air, and throwing watchful glances in every direction, he espied the fresh mark of a horse's foot upon the ground. He stopped, and looked around with intense anxiety, not daring to move lest the echo of his own footstep should betray him. All was still. He advanced a few steps, carefully examining the ground, which was hard and stony, and was enabled by his native cunning and keen eye, to ascertain that several horses had passed recently towards the place of encampment. Uncertain what course to pursue, he paused to consider. The tracks might be those of stray animals seeking their former home, or of stragglers from his own tribe, or of enemies pursuing the Flatheads to their new retreat. In the latter case there was danger to the tribe, while he stood personally in immediate and imminent peril. Even at that moment, the keen eye of a Blackfoot scout might be resting upon him, the bow might be bent to send an arrow to his heart; whichever way he turned, he might step into an ambush prepared for him. But he scorned to retreat, and the idea of abandoning the adventure entered not his head.   Another step brought him to a 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES. 13

projecting angle of the rock, which concealed the site of the late camp, and peeping cautiously from behind this buttress, he discovered that his people had deserted the spot. Not a vestige of the village remained ; but as his eye scanned the scene, in search of some object which might convey intelligence on the subject now uppermost in his thoughts, it fell suddenly on a group whose appearance chilled him to the heart. Under the shadow of the same projection against which he leaned, and but a few yards distant from him, sat half a dozen Blackfoot warriors, decorated with war paint, and fully armed, while their jaded horses, with heads and tails drooped, stood panting around them. They looked like men who had performed a forced march, upon some secret enterprise, and whose thoughts were even now intent upon striking a sudden blow.

One glance satisfied the shuddering youth, who shrunk back, and began to retire silently from a spot fraught with dangers so appalling. Regulating his flight with caution and presence of mind, he stepped so lightly that not an echo rose from his stealthy tread. He soon began to breathe more freely. His courage rose, and while he reflected upon the most prudent means to avoid the danger that threatened himself, he began also to think whether he might not turn this accident to advantage, by averting the blow which threatened his tribe. He resolved to make the attempt, and being intimately acquainted with the passes of the mountain, in that neighbourhood, began to ascend the precipice. It was not difficult for one so young and active, to gain the height, and he soon was perched upon an overhanging crag, immediately over the spot where the Blackfeet were seated, watching their motions, and longing with all the avidity of his race for some means to annoy or alarm them. While thus situated, he chanced to place his foot upon a large fragment of rock, which yielded to the pressure ; a sudden thought struck him, and stooping down, he succeeded in shoving it from its place. Down went the mass, rebounding from crag to crag, crushing the bushes that impeded its way, and falling in the valley with a loud crash. Upon the first alarm, the Indian warriors started up, and sprung upon their horses; at the same instant, terrific yells assailed their ears, from various directions, for Ishtakka had no sooner despatched his mis- 
   14

THE WILDERNESS AND THE WAR PATH.

sile, than he uttered a succession of loud and long whoops, which repeated by a hundred echos, fell upon the valley like the battle cry of a host. The enemy waited not to ascertain the cause, or the magnitude of the danger, but urging their horses to full speed, scampered down the valley in the greatest panic.

Ish-tak-ka laughed at the discomfiture of the Blackfoot warriors, and considered this happy relief from a danger so threatening, an omen of the most auspicious promise ; for the Indian believes the result of every adventure to depend as much on good fortune, as on good conduct, and is applauded for success, without much regard to the means by which it is obtained. And he went forward rejoicing in the conviction that he was a lucky man.

Again he resumed his solitary way up the glen, in search of his people, seeking for their trail upon the ground, and using every possible vigilance to conceal himself from any stragglers who might be loitering in the valley, as well as from the watchmen that should be posted on the heights. His progress was slow and painful, but patience and perseverance are cardinal virtues in the Indian code of honour, and he felt while thus creeping stealthily upon the haunt of his people, an assurance of the distinction that awaited his success, as firm as that of the warrior when preparing for battle, and that gave a pleasing glow of excitement to his toil.

After several days of weary travel, and nights of brief slumber, he found himself in the neighbourhood of the camp, about which he hovered while daylight lasted, making such observations as might be necessary for his purpose, and when night threw over the wilderness, the curtain which usually affords security to guilt, while it sometimes lends a shield to valour, the young Indian prepared to intrude himself by stealth into the guarded retreat of his own people. Having ascertained, during the day, the positions of the watchmen, it was not difficult for the active and ardent youth to avoid them; and at the midnight hour he stood in the midst of the camp.

Wayworn and hungry, a less determined individual might have lingered to repose, or to procure the means of satisfying the painful cravings of appetite. But Ishtakka dared not yield to the temptation. All his hopes of success and reputation were at stake ; every thing he held dear in life depended on the steadiness 
   THE BLACK STEED OF THE PRAIRIES.

15

of purpose, with which he should complete an enterprise, prosecuted thus far with vigour. He had doubtless received p