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Show 250 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. at him and inquired, 'Tell me, my father, where must we go to-morrow to find the buffalo?' The cricket twisted about his long horns in evident embarrassment. At last he pointed, or seemed to point, them westward. Mene-Seela, dropping him gently on the grass, laughed with great glee, and said that if we went that way in the morning we should be sure to kill plenty of game. Toward evening we came upon a fi·esh green 1neadow, traversed by the stream, and deep-set among tall sterile bluffs. The Indians descended its steep bank ; and as I was at the rear, I was one of the last to reach this point. Lances were glittering, feathers fluttering, and the water below me was crowded with men and horses passing through, while the meadow beyond was swarming with the restless crowd of Indians. The sun was just setting, and poured its softened light upon them through an opening in the hills. I remarked to Reynal, that at last we had found a good 'camping -ground. 'Oh, it is very good,' replied he, ironically, 'especially if . there is a Snake war-party about, and they take it into their heads to shoot down at us from the top of these hills. It is no plan of mine, 'camping in such a hole as this !' The Indians also seemed apprehensive. High up on the top of the tallest bluff, conspicuous in the bright evening sunlight, sat a naked warrior on horseback, looking around, as it seemed, over the neighboring country ; and Raymond told me that many of the young men had gone out in different directions as scouts. The shadows had reached to the very summit of the bluffs before the lodges were erected and the village reduced again to THE OGILLALLAH VILLAGE. 251 quiet and order. A cry was suddenly raised, and men, women and children came running out with animated faces, and looked eagerly through ·the opening on the hills by which the stream entered from the westward. I could discern afar off some dark, heavy masses, passing over the sides of a low hill. They disappeared, and then others followed. These were bands of buffalo-cows. The hunting-ground was reached at last, and every thing promised well for the morrow's sport. Being fatigued and exhausted, I went and lay down in Kongra-Tonga's lodge, when Raymond thrust in his head, and called upon me to come and see some sport. A number of Indians were gathered, laughing, along the line of lodges on the western side of the village, and at some distance, I could plainly see in the twilight two huge black monsters stalking, heavily and solemnly, directly toward us. They were buffalo-bulls. The wind blew from them to the village, and sucll was their bl!ndness and stupidity, that they were advancing upon the enemy without the least consciousness of his presence. Raymond told me that two young men had hidden themselves with guns in a ravine about twenty yards in front of us. The two bulls walked slowly on, heavily swinging from side to side in their peculiar gait of stupid dignity. They approached within four or five rods of the ravine where the Indians lay in ambush. I-Iere at last they seemed conscious that something was wrong, for they both stopped and stood perfectly still, without looking either to the right or to the left. Nothing of them was to be seen but two huge black masses of shaggy mane, with horns, eyes, and nose in the centre, and a pair of hoofs visible at the bottom. At last the more intelligent of them seemed to have concluded that it was time to retire. Very slowly, and with an air of the |
