When the second Indian arrived, he seized the body of the savage enveloped in the swine-skin, (knowing that permission to do so had been obtained by his comrade,) and bore him away with great expedition, manifesting no inclination whatever to tarry at a place which had been so fatal to his brethren.  But the other had every confidence in the mercy of the whites, and lingered some length of time, gazing at the corpse before him, as if hesitating whether to bear it away.

“Why do you not take him up?” inquired Roughgrove.

The Indian said it was the false prophet Raven, and that he hardly deserved to be buried.

Sneak turned the dead Indian over, (he had been lying on his face,) and he was instantly recognized by the whole party.

“I’m glad its him,” said Sneak.

“I think we will have peace now,” said Boone, “for Raven has ever been the most blood-thirsty chief of the tribe.”

“Where is the war-party encamped?  When do they return to their own country?” asked Roughgrove.

The Indian replied that they were encamped in a small grove on the border of the prairie, where they intended to bury their brothers, and then it was their intention to set out immediately for their villages.  He added that one of their tribe, whom they had left at home, arrived that morning with intelligence that a war-party of Pawnees had invaded their territories, and it was necessary for them to hasten back with all possible dispatch to defend their wives and children.

Glenn asked Boone how the Indians managed to sleep in the cold prairie; and, Roughgrove repeating the inquiry to the savage, they were informed that the war-party carried with them a long but very light sled, in the shape of a canoe, to which was tied a rope made of buckskins, by which they pulled it along on the snow with great swiftness.  This kept them warm with exercise through the day.  A quantity of furs and buffalo skins were packed in the canoe that served to keep them warm at night.

“Mr. Roughgrove!  Mr. Roughgrove!” cried Joe, from his loophole.

“What do you want with me?” responded the old man.

“Why, Miss Mary’s gone down to your house to see if the Indians have been there, and they may be there now, perhaps.”

“There’s no danger now, you blockhead,” replied Roughgrove.

“Keep your mouth shet!” said Sneak.

“Your mouth’s mashed—­recollect who did it,” retorted Joe.

The savage at length lifted up the dead body, and set off at a brisk pace towards the prairie.  The party then returned to the house and partook of a plenteous repast that had been provided by Mary.

When the breakfast was over, they repaired to the cliff, to examine the place where the Indians had first penetrated the snow.  They had commenced operations at the very brow of the cliff, on a shelving rock, to attain which, without being seen from the garrison, they must have crawled on their hands and knees a considerable distance.  Below could be seen an immense heap of snow, which had been thrown down from the place of entrance, just as Boone had described.