"And now what are we going to do?" Prairie-Flower asked.
"Go to the clearing, to arrange with John Black."
Margaret mounted Ivon's horse, Prairie-Flower and Red Wolf each took their own, and the three started at a gallop. By a fortunate coincidence, it was a day chosen by the squatter to give his family a rest, and, as we have said, he had gone out with William to take a look at his property. After a long ride, during which the squatter had burst into ecstasies only known to landed proprietors, they were preparing to return to their fortress, when William pointed out to his father the three mounted persons coming towards them at full gallop.
"Hum!" Black said, "Indians, that is an unpleasant meeting! let us hide behind this clump, and try to find out what they want."
"Stay, father," the young man said, "I believe that precaution unnecessary."
"Why so, boy?"
"Because of the party two are women."
"That is no reason," the squatter said, who, since the attack, had become excessively prudent; "you know that in these bad tribes the women fight as well as the men."
"That is true; but stay, they are unfolding a buffalo robe in sign of peace."
In fact, one of the riders at this moment fluttered a robe in the breeze.