in time.  It was better to try and reach the post before the Umbiquas; where, under the shelter of thick logs, and with the advantage of our rifles, we should be an equal match for our enemies, who had but two fusils among their party, the remainder being armed with lances, and bows and arrows.  Our scout had also gathered, by overhearing their conversation, that they had come by sea, and that their canoes were hid somewhere on the coast, in the neighbourhood of the post.

By looking over the map, the reader will perceive the topography of the country.  Fifty miles north from us were the forks of the Nu-eleje-sha-wako river, towards which the Umbiquas were going, to be near to water, and also to fall upon the path from the settlement to the post.  Thus they would intercept any messenger, in case their expedition should have been already discovered.  Their direct road to the post was considerably shorter, but after the first day’s journey, no sweet grass nor water was to be found.  The ground was broken and covered with thick bushes, which would not allow them to pass with the horses.  Besides this reason, an Indian always selects his road where he thinks he has nothing to fear.  We determined to take the direct road to the post, and chance assisted us in a singular manner.  The Indians and my old servant were asleep, while I was watching with the Irishman Roche, I soon became aware that something was moving in the prairie behind us, but what, I could not make out.  The buffaloes never came so far west, and it was not the season for the wolves.  I crawled out of our bush, and after a few minutes found myself in the middle of a band of horses who had not allowed themselves to be taken, but had followed the tracks of their companions, to know what had become of them.  I returned, awoke the Indians, and told them; they started with their lassoes, while I and Roche remained to sleep.

Long before morn the Indian scout guided us to three miles westward, behind a swell of the prairie.  It was an excellent precaution, which prevented any Umbiqua straggler from perceiving us, a rather disagreeable event, which would have undoubtedly happened, as we were camped only two miles from them, and the prairie was flat until you came to the swell just mentioned.  There we beheld seven strong horses, bridled with our lassoes.  We had no saddles; but necessity rides without one.  The Indians had also killed a one-year-old colt, and taken enough of the meat to last us two days; so that when we started (and we did so long before the Umbiquas began to stir) we had the prospect of reaching the fishing-post thirty hours before them.

[Illustration:  “We halted on the bank of a small river.”]

We knew that they would rest two hours in the day, as they were naturally anxious to keep their stolen horses in good condition, having a long journey before them ere they would enter into their own territory.  With us, the case was different, there were but forty miles, which we could travel on horseback, and we did not care what became of the animals afterwards.  Consequently, we did not spare their legs; the spirited things, plump as they were, having grazed two months without any labour, carried us fast enough.  When we halted on the bank of a small river, to water them and let them breathe, they did not appear much tired, although we had had a run of twenty-eight miles.