They circled around us once more and gave us a few parting shots as they rode off, leaving behind them another dead Indian and a horse.
For two hours afterwards they did not seem to be doing anything but holding a council.

We made good use of this time by digging up the ground inside the barricade with our knives and throwing the loose earth around and over the mules, and we soon had a very respectable fortification.

We were not troubled any more that day, but during the night the cunning rascals tried to burn us out by setting fire to the prairie.

The buffalo grass was so short that the fire did not trouble us much, but the smoke concealed the Indians from our view, and they thought that they could approach close to us without being seen.

We were aware of this, and kept a sharp look-out, being prepared all the time to receive them.