Volume 1

LOST ON THE COTEAU—ALARMING OBJECTS. 317
very spot where the Pawnee village is situated, 60 leagues
below the Mandanes ; whilst others, including our guide,
insisted that we were too high up river. Our situation was
perplexing, and it remained with me to determine what
course we should pursue. I was at a loss. If we were
below the Mandanes, and persisted in following the river
downward, we should fall in with the Pawnees or the Titons,
both of which nations we supposed to be at war with
the Mandanes and would have no mercy upon us. On
the other hand, if we were above the villages and kept
on westward, as some of our party were inclined to do, we
might travel to the south branch of the Saskatchewan without
finding anybody except some war party, who would soon
end our troubles by knocking us in the head. Supposing
we should go directly to the Missourie and follow it either
up or down, none of us, not even the guide, knew of any
particular object along the river to show us where we were.
While smoking and talking the matter over we saw two
bulls coming round a hill, grazing as they went slowly on.
This alarmed some of our people, who insisted it was two
horsemen coming toward us ; Veaudrie and Ducharme even
persuaded themselves that they could see the riders whipping
and kicking their horses, as is the Indian custom when
they ride at full speed. But I could plainly see that the
two animals were walking slowly, feeding as they went, and
that what was supposed to be the riders' arms lashing away
was the bulls' tails, which were kept in continual motion
to drive away the flies. Veaudrie was all consternation,
and imagined himself near his last moments; he openly
regretted having accompanied me, and declared that no
consideration whatever would induce him to undertake
another such journey, could he but escape the present
danger. Meanwhile the bulls disappeared behind a rising
ground ; but this only increased the anxiety of V. and D.,
who supposed the enemy were surrounding us. We rode
off toward a high hill, on the top of which was a person
who had gone there with the spying-glass before the suspi-