M'Kenzie Offered To Cross The River, And
Demand The Rifle, If Any One Would Accompany Him.
It was a hare-
brained project, for these villages were noted for the ruffian
character of their inhabitants; yet two volunteers promptly
stepped forward; Alfred Seton, the clerk, and Joe de la Pierre,
the cook.
The trio soon reached the opposite side of the river.
On landing, they freshly primed their rifles and pistols. A path
winding for about a hundred yards among rocks and crags, led to
the village. No notice seemed to be taken of their approach. Not
a solitary being, man, woman, or child, greeted them.
The very dogs, those noisy pests of an Indian town, kept silence.
On entering the village, a boy made his appearance, and pointed
to a house of larger dimensions than the rest. They had to stoop
to enter it; as soon as they had passed the threshold, the narrow
passage behind them was filled up by a sudden rush of Indians,
who had before kept out of sight.
M'Kenzie and his companions found themselves in a rude chamber of
about twenty-five feet long and twenty wide. A bright fire was
blazing at one end, near which sat the chief, about sixty years
old. A large number of Indians, wrapped in buffalo robes, were
squatted in rows, three deep, forming a semicircle round three
sides of the room. A single glance around sufficed to show them
the grim and dangerous assembly into which they had intruded, and
that all retreat was cut off by the mass which blocked up the
entrance.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 527 of 615
Words from 141554 to 141819
of 165649
