We could all now see coming down from a little flattened coulee to the left, a head of a line of mounted men, who doubtless had been the cause of the buffalo stampede which had crossed in front of us.  The shouts of teamsters and the crack of whips punctuated the crunch of wheels as our wagons swiftly swung again into stockade.  The ambulance was hurriedly driven into the center of the heavier wagons, which formed in a rude half circle.

After all, there seemed no immediate danger.  The column of the tribesmen came on toward us fearlessly, as though they neither dreaded us nor indeed recognized us.  They made a long calvacade, two hundred horses or more, with many travaux and dogs trailing on behind.  They were all clad in their native finery, seemingly hearty and well fed, and each as arrogant as a king.  They passed us contemptuously, with not a sidelong glance.

In advance of the head men who rode foremost in the column were three or four young women, bearing long lance shafts decorated with feathers and locks of human hair, the steel tips shining gray in the sun.  These young women, perhaps not squires or heralds of the tribe, but wives of one or more of the head men, were decorated with brass and beads and shining things, their hair covered with gauds, their black eyes shining too, though directed straight ahead.  Their garb was of tanned leather, the tunics or dresses were of elk skin, and the white leggins of antelope hide or that of mountain sheep.  Their buffalo hide moccasins were handsomely beaded and stained.  As they passed, followed by the long train of stalwart savage figures, they made a spectacle strange and savage, but surely not less than impressive.

Not a word was spoken on either side.  The course of their column took them to the edge of the water a short distance above us.  They drove their horses down to drink scrambled up the bank again, and then presently, in answer to some sort of signal, quietly rode on a quarter of a mile or so and pulled up at the side of the valley.  They saw abundance of meat lying there already killed, and perhaps guessed that we could not use all of it.

“Auberry,” said Belknap, “we must go talk to these people, and see what’s up.”

“They’re Sioux!” said Auberry.  “Like enough the very devils that cleaned out the station down there.  But come on; they don’t mean fight right now.”

Belknap and Auberry took with them the sergeant and a dozen troopers.  I pushed in with these, and saw Orme at my side; and Belknap did not send us back.  We four rode on together presently.  Two or three hundred yards from the place where the Indians halted, Auberry told Belknap to halt his men.  We four, with one private to hold our horses, rode forward a hundred yards farther, halted and raised our hands in sign of peace.  There rode out to us four of the head men of the Sioux, beautifully dressed, each a stalwart man.  We dismounted, laid down our weapons on the ground, and approached each other.