Reaching The Bank Of The River, We Followed It For Some Distance
Farther, Until We Discerned Through The Twilight The White Covering
Of Our Little Cart On The Opposite Bank.
When we reached it we found
a considerable number of Indians there before us.
Four or five of
them were seated in a row upon the ground, looking like so many half-
starved vultures. Tete Rouge, in his uniform, was holding a close
colloquy with another by the side of the cart. His gesticulations,
his attempts at sign-making, and the contortions of his countenance,
were most ludicrous; and finding all these of no avail, he tried to
make the Indian understand him by repeating English words very loudly
and distinctly again and again. The Indian sat with his eye fixed
steadily upon him, and in spite of the rigid immobility of his
features, it was clear at a glance that he perfectly understood his
military companion's character and thoroughly despised him. The
exhibition was more amusing than politic, and Tete Rouge was directed
to finish what he had to say as soon as possible. Thus rebuked, he
crept under the cart and sat down there; Henry Chatillon stopped to
look at him in his retirement, and remarked in his quiet manner that
an Indian would kill ten such men and laugh all the time.
One by one our visitors rose and stalked away. As the darkness
thickened we were saluted by dismal sounds. The wolves are
incredibly numerous in this part of the country, and the offal around
the Arapahoe camp had drawn such multitudes of them together that
several hundred were howling in concert in our immediate
neighborhood.
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