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Show 370 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. we saw that T~te Rouge's mule, who perfectly understood her rider, had stopped and was quietly grazing in spite of his pro. testations, at some distance behind. So getting behind him we drove him and the contumacious mule before us, until we' could see through the twilight the gleaming of a distant fire. Munroe, Jim and Ellis were lying around it; their saddles, packs and weapons were scattered about and their horses picketed near them. Delorier was there too with our little cart. Another fire was soon blazing high. We invited our nc:w allies to take a cup of coffee with us. When both the others had gone over to their side of the camp, Jim Gurney still stood by the blaze, puffing hard at his little black pipe, as short and weather-beaten as himself. ' Well !' he said, ' here are ejght of us; we'll call it sixfor them two boobies, Ellis over yonder, and that new man of yours, won't count for any thing. We'll get through well Pnough, never fear for that, unless the Camanches happen to get foul of us.' CHAPTER XXIII. INDIAN ALARMS. "To all the sensual world proclaim, One crowded hour of glorious life Were worth an age wilhout a name." ScoTT. WE began our journey for the frontier settlements on the twenty-seventh of August, and certainly a more ragamuffin cavalcade never was seen on the banks of the Upper Arkansas. Of the large and fine horses with which we had left the frontier in the spring, not one remained : we had supplied their place with the rough breed of the prairie, as hardy as mules and almost as ugly ; we had also with us a number of the latter detestable animals. In spite of their strength and hardihood, several of the band were already worn down by hard service and hard fare, and as none of them were shod, they were fast becoming foot-sore. Every horse and mule had a cord of twisted bull-hide coiled around his neck, which by no means added to the beauty of his appearance. Our saddles and all our equipments were by this time lamentably worn and battered, and our weapons had become dull and rusty. The dress ,, |
