There
were no tents, no women or children, and the general aspect of the men
showed Cameron conclusively that his surmise about their being a war
party was correct.
A council was immediately called. The trappers ranged themselves on
one side of the council fire and the Indians on the other. Meanwhile,
our friend Crusoe had been displaying considerable irritability
against the Indians, and he would certainly have attacked the whole
two hundred single-handed if he had not been ordered by his master to
lie still; but never in his life before had Crusoe obeyed with such a
bad grace. He bristled and whined in a low tremulous tone, and looked
imploringly at Dick as if for permission to fly at them.
"The Pale-face traders are glad to meet with the Peigans," began
Cameron, who determined to make no allusion to his knowledge that they
were a war party, "for they wish to be friends with all the children
of the woods and prairies. They wish to trade with them--to exchange
blankets, and guns, and beads, and other goods which the Peigans
require, for furs of animals which the Pale-faces require.
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