Mr. Say's party were kindly received at the village they had left on the preceding day. In the evening they had retired to rest in the lodge set apart for their accommodation, when they were alarmed by a party of savages rushing in, armed with bows, arrows, and lances, shouting and yelling in a most frightful manner. The gentlemen of the party had immediate recourse to their arms; but observing that some squaws, who were in the lodge, appeared unmoved, they began to suspect that no molestation to them was intended. The Indians collected around the fire in the centre of the lodge, yelling incessantly; at length their howlings assumed something of a measured tone, and they began to accompany their voices with a sort of drum and rattles. After singing for some time, one who appeared to be their leader, struck the post over the fire with his lance, and they all began to dance, keeping very exact time with the music. Each warrior had, besides his arms, and rattles made of strings of deer's hoofs, some part of the intestines of an animal inflated, and enclosing a few small stones, which produced a sound like pebbles in a gourd shell. After dancing round the fire for some time, without appearing to notice the strangers, they departed, raising the same wolfish howl, with which they had entered; but their music and their yelling continued to be heard about the village during the night. [Illustration: War Dance in the interior of a Konza Lodge] This ceremony, called the _dog dance_, was performed by the Konzas for the entertainment of their guests. Mr. Seymour took an opportunity to sketch {128} the attitudes and dresses of the principal figures.[158] Finding it impracticable to obtain horses by purchase, out of their almost exhausted stock of merchandize, to enable them to prosecute their march to Council Bluff, after due deliberation, they saw no alternative, but to endeavour to hire horses on credit, and to make the best of their way for Cow Island, in hopes of meeting the steamboat there. A Frenchman, Mr. Gunville, resident with this nation, agreed to furnish two pack horses, and a saddle horse for Mr. Say, whose state of health would not admit of his continuing the journey on foot. Thus furnished they prepared to depart, and in the meantime two runners were despatched to inform Major Long of their situation by letter. On the 25th of August, Mr. Say and his party again left the Konza village, accompanied by the French trader, who had furnished them two horses, and by a Missouri Indian; but this last had followed them only a few miles, when he repented of his undertaking and returned.