All at once, it struck her that the high grass of the prairie had an oscillating motion which was not natural to it.
There was not a breath in the air; a heavy, stifling heat weighed down all nature; the leaves of the trees, scorched by the sun, were motionless; the high grass alone, agitated by a slow and mysterious movement, continued to oscillate.
And, what was most extraordinary, this almost imperceptible motion, which required close attention to be observed, was not general; on the contrary, it was successive, approaching the camp by degrees, with a regularity which gave reason for supposing an organized impulsion; so that, in proportion as it was communicated to the nearest grass, the most distant returned by degrees to a state of complete immobility, from which it did not change.
The sentinels placed in the intrenchments could not tell to what to attribute this movement, of which they understood nothing.
The general, as an experienced soldier, resolved to know what it meant; although he had never personally had to do with the Indians, he had heard too much of their manner of fighting not to suspect some stratagem.
Not wishing to weaken the camp, which stood in need of all its defenders, he resolved himself to undertake the adventure, and go out on the scout.
At the instant he was about to climb over the intrenchments, the captain stopped him, by placing his hand respectfully on his shoulders.
"What do you want with, me, my friend?" the general asked, turning round.
"I wish, with your permission, to put a question to you, general."
"Do so."