quite plain."

Dick and Henri immediately lay down and placed their ears to the
ground.

"Now, me hear noting," said Henri, jumping up, "but me ear is like me
eyes--ver' short-sighted."

"I do hear something," said Dick as he got up, "but the beating o' my
own heart makes row enough to spoil my hearin'."

Joe Blunt smiled. "Ah! lad, ye're young, an' yer blood's too hot yet;
but bide a bit--you'll cool down soon. I wos like you once. Now, lads,
what think ye we should do?"

"You know best, Joe."

"Oui, nodoubtedly.'

"Then wot I advise is that we gallop to the broken sand hillocks ye
see yonder, get behind them, an' take a peep at the Redskins. If they
are Pawnees, we'll go up to them at once; if not, we'll hold a council
o' war on the spot."

Having arranged this, they mounted and hastened towards the hillocks
in question, which they reached after ten minutes' gallop at full
stretch. The sandy mounds afforded them concealment, and enabled them
to watch the proceedings of the savages in the plain below. The scene
was the most curious and exciting that can be conceived. The centre of
the plain before them was crowded with hundreds of buffaloes, which