Page:The Columbia river , or, Scenes and adventures during a residence of six years on the western side of the Rocky Mountains among various tribes of Indians hitherto unknown (Volume 1).djvu/229

 Two of the horses carried our provisions and blankets; and as we learned from the Wallah Wallahs that the relations of the Indian who had been hanged by Mr. Clarke in the spring were in the plains, and had declared their determination to have satisfaction for his death, we got particular orders not to separate, or on any account to tire our horses by deer-hunting. I made the men change their muskets for short trading guns, about the size of carbines; with which, a brace of pistols, and a dagger each, we set out on our overland journey. The two first days we passed in hard galloping, without meeting any thing worth noticing; but about ten o'clock on the morning of the third day, as we were preparing to remount after breafast, we observed three Indians about a mile distant, advancing from the direction of Lewis River. They were mounted, and, on perceiving us, stopped a few minutes in order to ascertain our numbers. We did not like this; and made signs to them to approach, which they affected not to understand: but after reconnoitring us some time, and making themselves certain that our number did not exceed four, they wheeled about, and galloped back in the same direction. Being now of opinion that their intentions were not friendly, we in