Meanwhile Cameron had collected nearly all his forces and put his
camp in a state of defence before the Indians arrived, which they did
suddenly, and, as usual, at full gallop, to the amount of at least
two hundred. They did not at first seem disposed to hold friendly
intercourse with the trappers, but assembled in a semicircle round the
camp in a menacing attitude, while one of their chiefs stepped forward
to hold a palaver. For some time the conversation on both sides was
polite enough, but by degrees the Indian chief assumed an imperious
tone, and demanded gifts from the trappers, taking care to enforce
his request by hinting that thousands of his countrymen were not far
distant. Cameron stoutly refused, and the palaver threatened to come
to an abrupt and unpleasant termination just at the time that Dick and
his friends appeared on the scene of action.
The brook was cleared at a bound; the three hunters leaped from their
steeds and sprang to the front with a degree of energy that had a
visible effect on the savages; and Cameron, seizing the moment,
proposed that the two parties should smoke a pipe and hold a council.
Pages:
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385