In the Rocky Mountains | Page 7

not try that game," said Uncle Jeff; "if they do, they
will find that they have made a mistake."
"The Redskins fight not as do the Palefaces; they try to take their
enemies by surprise," answered Winnemak. "They will wait until they
can find the white men scattered about over the farm, when they will
swoop down upon them like the eagle on its prey; or when all are
slumbering within, they will creep up to the house, and attack it before
there is time for defence."
"Much obliged for your warning, friend," said Uncle Jeff; "but I should

like to know more about these enemies, and where they are to be found.
We might manage to turn the tables, and be down upon them when they
fancy that we are all slumbering in security, and thus put them to the
right-about."
"They are approaching as stealthily as the snake in the grass," answered
Winnemak. "Unless you can get on their trail, it will be no easy matter
to find them."
"Who are these enemies you speak of; and how do you happen to know
that they are coming to attack us?" asked Uncle Jeff, who generally
suspected all Indian reports, and fancied that Winnemak was merely
repeating what he had heard, or, for some reason of his own--perhaps to
gain credit to himself--had come to warn us of a danger which had no
real existence.
"I was leading forth my braves to revenge the loss we suffered last year,
when our scouts brought word that they had fallen in with a large
war-party of Arrapahas and Apaches, far too numerous for our small
band to encounter with any chance of success. We accordingly
retreated, watching for an opportunity to attack any parties of the
enemy who might become separated from the larger body. They also
sent out their scouts, and one of these we captured. My braves were
about to put him to death, but I promised him his liberty if he would tell
me the object of the expedition. Being a man who was afraid to die, he
told us that the party consisted of his own tribe and the Apaches, who
had been joined by some Spanish Palefaces; and that their object was
not to make war on either the Kaskayas or the Pawnees, but to rob a
wealthy settler living on the side of the mountains, as well as any other
white men they might find located in the neighbourhood. Feeling sure
that their evil designs were against my friends, I directed my people to
follow me, while I hastened forward to give you due warning of what is
likely to happen. As they are very numerous, and have among them
firearms and ammunition, it may be a hard task, should they attack the
house, to beat them off."
Such in substance was the information Winnemak brought us.

"To my mind, the fellows will never dare to come so far north as this;
or, if they do, they will think twice about it before they venture to
attack our farm," answered Uncle Jeff.
"A wise man is prepared for anything which can possibly happen," said
the Indian. "What is there to stop them? They are too numerous to be
successfully opposed by any force of white men in these parts; and my
braves are not willing to throw away their lives to no purpose."
Uncle Jeff thought the matter over. "I will send out a trusty scout to
ascertain who these people are, and what they are about," he said at
length. "If they are coming this way, we shall get ready to receive them;
and if not, we need not further trouble ourselves."
Lieutenant Broadstreet, who held the Indians cheap, was very much
inclined to doubt the truth of the account brought by Winnemak, but he
agreed that Uncle Jeff's plan was a prudent one.
Bartle Won immediately volunteered to start off to try and find the
whereabouts of the supposed marauding party. His offer was at once
accepted; and before many minutes were over he had left the farm,
armed with his trusty rifle, and his axe and hunting-knife in his belt.
"Take care they do not catch you," observed the lieutenant.
"If you knew Bartle, you would not give him such advice," said Uncle
Jeff. "He is not the boy to be caught napping by Redskins; he is more
likely to lay a dozen of them low than lose his own scalp."
The Indian seeing Bartle go, took his leave, saying that he would join
his own people, who were to encamp, according to his orders, near a
wood in the valley below. He too intended to keep a watch on the
enemy; and should he ascertain that they were approaching, he would,
he said,