Many opinions were
given: but nothing less than surprising a whole Pawnee village,
slaughtering the inhabitants, and returning to their homes loaded
with scalps, appeared to the heated imaginations of the youths a
sufficiently glorious enterprise to satisfy their ambition. At length
the fatigues of the day overpowered them, and the three friends fell
into a deep sleep.
The sun had just tipped with gold the summits of the trees, the
wild-cock was crowing in the woods, the thousand choristers of the
forest were pealing in rich harmony, when the Osage warriors awoke.
They smiled grimly on one another, and then started, each man
mechanically placing his hand upon the back and crown of his head.
Their scalp locks, helmet crests, and eagles' plumes had all
disappeared. Petrified with astonishment, they started to their feet.
Who could have done so daring a deed? Not an enemy surely, or they
would have taken the lives thus placed within their power. The
friends wasted their thoughts in vain conjecture, and then, burning
with indignation, turned to seek their horses.
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