THE WEST SHORE.
881
Welcome morning at length dawned, to the inexpres
sible relief of all. Breakfast was cooked and eaten with
hearty relish; and before the young sun had gilded the
lofty summits of the pine forest the train waB in readi
ness to proceed. Just as the teams were preparing to
move, about twenty mounted Arrapaho warriors, duulwd
with hideous colors and diessod in picturesque costumes,
armed with spears, bows and arrows, tomahawks and
knives, rode into the opening from the road along which
we were shortly to travel. These Indians were stalwart
follows, tall and straight as arrows. As they spurred
clear of the timber, ami advanced toward the centre of
the glade, they presented a fine appearance. But their
sudden and unheralded advent conveyed an impression
far from agreeable. The women uttered low screams and
exclamations of alarm; the children clung to mothers
in terror, and even the faoes of the men showed a degree
of very grave concern.
Following closely on the heels of the warriors' horses
came a number of mounted Indian women and children.
Most reassuring nnd woloome was the appearance of the
latter, for it bespoke no present hostility on tho part of
the savages. Had they intended an attack on our party
they would have left their squaws and " pappooses " lx
hind. This was in accordance with all known exerieiice
of Indians nnd their peculiarities of conducting war.
The scowling savages, with bedizonod faces, glowing in
brilliant vermilion nnd glmstly green and yellow, set off
with picturesque head-dresses and handsomo buckskin
suits, decorated with bright-hued beads and eagle feulli
ers, advanced and made salutations of poace and gom
will. The men in the party responded with an apparent
spirit of cordiality. However, there was an ill-concealed
insolence in the manner of the Indians, and a low, cun
ning leer in their glittering, snakish eyes as they shot
rapid penotratinir dances here and there. In an instant,
with a sort of instinct, they took a mental inventory of
everything the numWof men capable or bearing arms,
the women and children, nnd wagons and tooms. Noth
ing 'seemed to escape their notice. Notwithstanding
their profuse professions of amity, our party watcho
everv look and movement like hawks. Tliey mmlo it
convenient to keep their weapons in their hands in reiuli-
ness for use at a moment's warning. lhis want oi con
fidonce was not lost on the savages; for the malignant,
devilish frown deepened, and they lxgan conversing
rapidly and in an undertone in their gibberish,.whicli
consisted principally of a series of guttends and swinish
grunts. By this time the entire party had Clod into the
nroboblv fifty-bucks, squaws and
- ....! ,.f ncflv. vnlniiiff dotfs. Tho
Indians. Riiiffini the savorv remnaiits of breakfust, fn
circulated among the wagons, poping under the canvas
covers with a swaggering impudence, and eagerly picked
up every scrap of food that had been thrown aside.
r..,4i: .a v,n in readiness, and, at a signal from
the leader, the wagons were put in motion. Fur minuto
or more tho Indians stood silently oWrving the de,rt.
sullenly away to the i4, unci nnnn wr rwt n Mm
depths of the pine forest. .
Our tram pushed on through tho donso pine bolt
until noon. Straggling bands of Arrapnhooa were met
all along the road; gaudily docked warriors, from whoso
spears and broad leathern wampums hung scalps still
row and bloody, tho coarse, black, snaky looks showing
they had lioon rudely torn from tho hoods of Indian foes;
filthy-lookmg squaws, squalid children and mangy, snar
ing dogs. Both bucks and squaws woro mouiitod, while
the dok's and paptxmsos woro conveyed in the usual
Indian "drags"- two mls lashed to each side of a Hiuy,
and a bulTalo hide foHtonod loosely across from one to
the other of the former. The ends of tho poles drugged
m tho ground. On this primitive sleigh and vehicle
combined children, dogs, blankets, roW and provisions
were debited and conveyed from place to place, The
savages did not offer to molest our party; but they
scowled liko painted devils at us, and often yielded tho
road with great reluctance. Our progress was necessarily
slow and heavy, tho rain of tho previous night having
fallen in such quantities as to render tho road extremely
muddy.
Alxtut twelvo o'clock tho train emerged from tho
gloomy piuo forest, and came out oil tho summit of a
high, hold mountain. Hero wo halted for dinner. This
mountain could not bo Ichs than one thousand feet high,
and commonded a mogiiillcetit view of tho wide, level
plain, stretching far away from tho base for mile. From
tho elevation wo could easily suo tho North l'lalto somo
leu miles to tho west, nnd trace its winding course by a
Mt of dark, green timlior fringing on either side tho
grassy banks. To tho great concern and alarm of nil, a
largo Indian lodge, or village, was seen just at mo hi oi
tho mountain. Tho rood tho train must soon follow
iMissod through the centre of this village. Not less than
eighty largo skin tent wero pitched along tho verdant
hanks of a little stream that Kiuri im icy wsuts out
tho range of mountain spurs over which wo had just
passed, nnd meandered across the prnirio toward tho
1 ' ..... 1, i ii..
l'lalto Droves of plenum hiiiios untmy iimu.xi mn
plain, and browsed uxn the luxuriant herbage that
spread liko a green cart. Hundreds of swarthy Arrap
ahoes were seer swarming alxmt tho tents, or lounging
laxity on the grass around smoldering camp nr., lor,
although it was midsummer, tho air in tin" elevated
mountain regions was rnw nnd clitliy.
Tho nrrivnl of the trnin did not long escn tho shnrp
vision of those Americnn Aral. Hoon, by twi and
threes, and then by downs, they enmo straggling along
tho rough, ntoep side of tho mountain. We found them
just as inquisitive nnd far more insolent than Hum n.
countorml during tho day. Homo l-gged for vl.-t.mls;
other almost demanded th-m. Food giv.m thm m
devoured ravenously. At leant five hundred Indians,
principally men. had reach.nl our halting pU l-tor
the train was in readiness to commence tho I he
rwul wm narrow and tortuous, leading dowu h" re.-,.i-toua
sido of the mountain. It Mb d.fiVult and
nre of the train, and then wheeling mwr nw