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Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 2 7 just related occupied my attention about as closely for a short time as anything that ever occurred. A few days after this, just before reaching Grand river, we came very near opening fire on another party of Indians. About half of the company went ahead daily as a front guard, and just as we were emerging from a cedar grove the guide cried out: " Now we have to fight, sure ; there comes a war party full drive for fight." Sure enough. There they came, some five or six hundred yards away, out of a ravine on to a rise of ground some three hundred yards distant. We dodged back into the cedars, every man taking his tree. The Indians cautiously approached to within one hundred yards, there being a few scattering cedars in their direc-tion. The guide took them for Navajoes ; he was afraid of them, but friendly with the Utes. As the Indians were fully in earnest and seeking to. get an advantage, we were about to commence firing to try and pick some of them off or keep them back until the rest of our com-pany could come up. Just at this critical moment one of our men said, " If there is one who will follow me I will go out and make friendly signs. May be they are friends." I felt afraid, but being a boy I wanted to appear brave, so I told him I would go ; we went out to an opening with our guns ready for use. As soon as the Indians saw us they called out " Friends?" and came toward us making friendly signs. We told them if they were friends to stop until Thomas could come. The old fellow was so sure they were hostile Navajoes that he had got as far away as convenient, but seeing they had not fired on us he picked up courage and came to where we stood facing the Indians with our guns aimed at them. Mine was cocked, and I can well remember placing my finger on the trigger |