Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/68

 ours--

merely slating, by way of explanation, that he van going' to hold a private conference with a distinguished chief. The result of this conference, as before stated, had been to save the lives of all, and defeat a well laid scheme of their enemies.

Captain Balcolm furthermore stated, that Prairie Flower, as she called herself, spoke the English language well and fluently; and that to his inquiry regarding herself and tribe, she had answered with a smile, that she must ever remain a mysterious being to him and all of his race; that as to tribe.she found herself a welcome guest with all came and went as she chose without question or hindrance and that the lan guage of each she understood and spoke as readily as her mother tongue.

"In conclusion," added the gallant cap tain, " I must say, that with all ray expe rience, I have never seen so perfect, so mysterious, so incomprehensible a being as herself. Were I superstitious, I should unquestionably be tempted to doubt my senses, and believe her a supernatural visi- ter; but I have touched her, and know that she is flesh and blood."

Many there were in the fort, however, who had not so much faith in her identity with an earthly habitant as the captain; and I often heard confidential whispers to the effect, that she was a being from another realm, who had assumed the mor tal shape for the time, merely to bring about some special design of the Great Spirit; and that when said design 1 should be accomplished, she would never be seen again by living mortal.

The Indian, it is well known to all who know anything of his history, is the most superstitious creature on earth, and be lieves in the direct interference of spirits, in bodily shape or otherwise, on any and every momentous occasion; and as the trapper or hunter is but little removed from him by civilization, and not a whit by knowledge gained from letters, it is hardly reasonable to suppose that he would im bibe ideas at war with those among whom the most of his eventful life is spent. In his earliest venture, he learns and adopts the habits of his enemy, and in some cases it would seem his very nature also; and the result is, that he becomes at last neither more nor less than what I may venture to

term a civilized savage. And here I may remark, en passant, that your real, bona tide mountaineer, rarely looks beyond tho lodge of some favorite tribe for a partnei to share his toils and rear his progeny; and to the truth of this assertion, e v en the garrison of Fort Laramie bore striking evi dence; for scarcely a wife -among them, but was a full-blooded squaw nor a child, but bore the cross of the red man and white.

Various were the speculations that nigh*, regarding Prairie Flower and ho alarming intelligence. The truthfulness of the latter none seemed to question, howe/er much they might the identity of the for,(/jr with the race called mortal. That thb Indiana were at Bitter Cottonwood in great force, was therefore a mutter beyond dispute and the question was what should DC dono under the circumstances? io remain ia- active, was only to act the rvrt of cowards, doom a portion of their ow/ race to certain destruction, augment the confidence of the wily foe in his own resources, and conse quently raise his hopes svith the flush of success, and increase his daring and au dacity. While, on the other hand, to assail him in all his strength in his own strong hold, with only a handful of men, was like rushing unarmed into the lion's den and courting speedy annihilation. In this di lemma what was to be done? Something, all admitted, must be done, and that quick ly but what that something was, no^f became a matter >of serious deliberation. Some proposed one thing, and some ano ther, and the discussion waxed warm, and seemed likely to be protracted indefinitely, without resulting in the agreement of any two to the proposal of any other two.

At length Kit Carson, who had sat and listened attentively without venturing a re mark, observed :

"Say what you will, comrades, thar is after all but one way of settling this affair,

and that is to pitch into the varmints

and lift their hair. I've had a little expe rience in my time, if I am young in years, and may safely say I've never knowed an Indian yet as wasn't a coward, when as sailed in a vigorous manner by a deter mined pale-face. I've rode right among thar lodges before now, and alone, single- handed, raised a top-knot in full