I was so dejected at the unexpected turn of affairs that I was perfectly heedless of what was passing; but on the third day of our upward progress I noticed on both sides of the river fires burning on the hill-tops far and near. This awoke me to a sense of our situation. I conjectured that, as in Scotland in the olden time, these were signal-fires and that they summoned the Indians to surround and intercept us. Thus aroused, we made the best use of paddle and "tracking-line" to get up stream and ahead of the Indian signals. On the fourth morning we came to a party of Indians on the further bank of the river. They made signs to us to cross over, which we did. They were very hostile, watching us with bows bent and arrows in hand and would not come down from the top of the high bank to the water's edge to meet us. I sent up a man with some tobacco--the emblem of peace--to reassure them; but at first they would hardly remove their hands from their bows to receive it. We ascended the bank to them and had a most friendly interview, carried on by words and signs. It required, however, some finesse and adroitness to get away from them. Once in the canoe we quickly pushed out and struck obliquely for the opposite bank, so as to be out of range of their arrows, and I faced about, gun in hand, to observe their actions. The river was there too broad either for ball or arrow. We worked hard during the rest of the day and until late. The men were tired out, and I made them all sleep in my tent while I kept watch. At that season the night is so clear that one can read, write or work throughout. Our camp lay on the bank of the river at the base of a steep declivity which had large trees here and there up its grassy slope. In the branches of one of these trees I passed the greater part of this anxious night, reading "_Hervey's Meditations_" and keeping a vigilant lookout. Occasionally I descended and walked to the river bank, but all was still. Two years afterwards, when friendly relations had been established with the Indians in this district, I learned to my no small astonishment that the hostile tribe encountered down the river had dogged us all day, and when we halted for the night had encamped behind the crest of the hill, and from this retreat had watched my every movement. With the exactitude of detail characteristic of Indians they described me sitting in the tree holding "something white" (the book) in my hand, and often raising my eyes to make a survey of the neighborhood; then, descending to the river bank, taking my horn cup from my belt, and even while I drank glancing up and down the river and towards the hill. They confessed that had I knelt down to drink they would have rushed upon me and drowned me in the swift current and after thus despatching me would have massacred the sleeping inmates of my tent. How often without knowing it are we protected from danger by the merciful hand of Providence!