secured as many of the animals as they could well manage, turned their
backs to us, and went on westward, in the direction of the fishing
station where we had erected our boat-house; the place where we had
first landed on coming from Europe.

We followed them the whole day, eating nothing but the wild plums of the
prairies. At evening, one of my Indians, an experienced warrior, started
alone to spy into their camp, which he was successful enough to
penetrate, and learn the plan of their expedition, by certain tokens
which could not deceive his cunning and penetration. The boat-house
contained a large sailing-boat, besides seven or eight skiffs. There
also we had in store our stock of dried fish and fishing apparatus, such
as nets, &c. As we had been at peace for several years, the house or
post, had no garrison, except that ten or twelve families of Indians
were settled around it.

Now, the original intention of the Umbiquas had been only to steal
horses; but having discovered that the half a dozen warriors, belonging
to these families, had gone to the settlement for firearms and
ammunition, they had arranged to make an attack upon the post, and take
a few scalps before returning home by sea and by land, with our nets,
boats, fish, &c. This was a serious affair. Our carpenter and smith had
disappeared, as I have said before; and as our little fleet had in
consequence become more precious, we determined to preserve it at any
sacrifice. To send an Indian to the settlement would have been useless,
inasmuch as it would have materially weakened our little force, and,
besides, help could not arrive 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